What I\'ve Always Known

Disclaimer: I do not own anything but the plot. No sueing please.

A/N: Alright I know not alot of sex. YET. and I stress YET.

The spacious Gryffindor Common room now seemed about as big as a broom closet to Hermione as she made her way across it towards Ron. She had to tell him, it was now or never. She had already wasted a good part of the evening, practicing her speech on Harry, while the Gryffindors around them celebrated another match won.

“Come on Hermione, it’ll be OK” Harry said, taking her elbow. “I know Mal-Draco isn’t here, but I’ll be there to make sure he doesn’t do anything irrational”

Hermione nodded and straightened her back in a show of courage she didn’t feel.

“Hey Hermi…. what’s wrong?” Seamus stopped Hermione with a hand on her shoulder and a concerned look.

“Oh, hey Seamus.”

“You look like your facing your death sentence.” Seamus said with a smirk.

“I might be. I’m telling Ron.” Hermione said, noting how Seamus’s eyes widened considerably in his head.

“Ergh, good luck.” Seamus winked and disappeared back into the crowd.

Taking a deep breath Hermione mentally lectured herself, ‘It will all be over soon. And in twenty minutes you’ll be meeting
Draco…. that reminds me,’

“Hey Harry?” She asked out loud.

“Yeah?”

“Can I borrow your invisibility cloak for tonight? I can give it back to you tomorrow morning.”

“Sure, but what for?” Harry asked, suddenly looking mischievous.

“Oh, I’m just…. you know, er-“

“Are you meeting Draco?” Harry asked, sounding more like a gossiping schoolgirl than The Boy Who Lived. Hermione nodded, feeling her cheeks burn bright red. Harry just laughed. “Well if you do what I think you’re going to do, use protection.”

“Harry!” Hermione squealed hoarsely. She didn’t understand why he hadn’t even batted an eye at the suggestion.

They reached Ron’s table, where he was chatting animatedly to two second year girls, recalling his first four saves of the game.

“…And then Bletchley came diving at me and I just sorta…Hey ‘Mione, Harry!” Ron gestured to the two chairs beside him as the two girls went scurrying away, giggling madly. Hermione nervously took the chair opposite Ron, as Harry settled down in-between them.

“Alright” Ron said, his expression sobering.” You two look like your sitting on something big. Out with it.”

“Well, alright. Yes it is big. Harry already knows, I told him yesterday.” Hermione said, twisting her hands in her lap.

“Well then, why are you here mate?” Ron directed at Harry.

“You’ll see,” Harry muttered so quietly that Ron leaned forwards.

“So um, anyway, you probably noticed that I’ve been acting a little-er-secretive lately,” Hermione said, fixing her gaze on a stray quill near the fireplace.

“You’re seeing someone aren’t you?” Ron demanded suddenly. He crossed his arms over his chest. Hermione just swallowed and nodded. She didn’t trust her throat for speech at the exact moment.

“Who?” Ron asked in a deadly whisper. Without allowing herself time to consider the possibility of lying, Hermione blurted out the correct answer.

“Draco.”

There was a couple seconds of silence in where Hermione held her breath, Harry inched closer to Hermione, and Ron merely blinked.

“Malfoy….Draco Malfoy?” Ron asked without an ounce of expression.

“Yes,” Hermione responded warily.

“Well, OK.” Ron stood up so suddenly; he sent his chair flying out behind him. Hermione gasped in alarm and Harry leapt to his feet and stood in front of her, ready to shield her if Ron attacked. He did no such thing however, and was soon disappearing through the portrait hole. Nobody seemed to have noticed their little episode amidst all the celebrating. Hermione leaned forward and buried her face in her hands.

“Hermione?” Harry said.

“Mmm?”

“You don’t think…he hasn’t gone after Draco has he?”

Hermione sat bolt upright. “I need to go meet him Harry; he has to know what happened.” She stood up and started towards the portrait hole.

“Wait Hermione.” Harry said, and he bounded up the stairs to the boys dormitories, only to return seconds later, holding the invisibility cloak discreetly in front of him. Hermione smiled at him as she took it and stepped out into the hallway.

Concealing herself in a niche in the wall, Hermione threw the silvery cloak over herself, and started up the stairs. After what felt like the thousandth step, Hermione reached the seventh floor, and turned right down a long corridor, trying hard not to make any noise. Several tense minutes later, Hermione had reached a dark mahogany door with a majestic silver handle, in the shape of a lion and snake. Hermione smiled and twisted the doorknob, letting herself into a large room lit entirely by candles.

Slowly, she reached up and took the invisibility cloak off, blown away by the scene that met her eyes. The room was draped in deep red and green silk tapestries, right down to the plush dark green throw rug under her feet. There was a large four-poster bed dressed in red silk sheets, embroided in the centre with a large silver snake.

“Do you like it?” A soft voice asked. Hermione dropped the cloak and turned to find Draco sitting on a green couch at the other end of the room.

“It’s beautiful.” Hermione breathed. Draco smiled softly and patted the space beside on the couch. Accepting his silent invitation, Hermione walked slowly over to him and sat beside him with one leg under her. Draco leaned in and kissed her softly on the lips before drawing back.

“Are you OK? You seem a little upset.” He asked, running a hand up her arm.

“I just told Ron.”

“And?”

Hermione sighed and laid her head back against the couch. “I wish I knew. He just left without a word. I’ve known him so long and he has always acted out whenever there was something wrong. I’m a little scared I guess. I don’t know what he’s going to do, or even where he is.”

Draco sighed sympathetically and pulled Hermione onto his lap.

“You’ll always have me, love.” He whispered, trailing soft kisses down her neck. Somewhere through the fog of ecstasy clouding her brain, Hermione remembered part of the reason she had come here was to tell Draco something.

“Draco, I need to say something to you, but I want you to know, I don’t expect you to say anything back.” she whispered softly.

Draco ceased his wonderful work on her neck and pulled back to look into her eyes. Hermione took a deep, steadying breath; she had no idea it would be this hard.

Dropping her gaze to his chest, she softly whispered, “I’ve fallen in love with you Draco.” She somehow found the courage, and looked up to meet his soft gaze. She almost fell off his lap when she saw there were tears in the Slytherins eyes.

“I love you Hermione Granger.” He whispered, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. Hermione couldn’t believe her ears. She simply gaped at him for a second, hardly daring to believe his response.

“I really do love you ‘Mione.” Draco whispered, once again burying his face in her neck. Hermione smiled and raised his chin with her finger. Running her finger along his jaw, Hermione leaned in and caught his lips with hers. She pulled back as Draco started to undo the buttons of her shirt.

“Draco, I-I think you should know that…um…well I’m not ready to go all the way yet.” She whispered. Why, oh why, did she have to blush now?

“I know love. I won’t pressure you into anything. I promise.” He whispered, before carrying her over to the bed. For most people, this would qualify as a seriously mixed message, but Hermione trusted Draco beyond anything she had ever known.

Draco set her down in the centre of the bed and settled over top of her. He continued unbuttoning her shirt, kissing the skin that was newly exposed to him. Hermione closed hey eyes and laid her head back on the soft pillows, allowing herself to get lost in Draco’s touch.

Soon Draco moved his hands to the waist of Hermione’s skirt, and she lifted her hips to permit him to take it off. He smirked and slid it down her legs, grazing her thighs purposefully with his hands. He paused with his fingers curled under the band of her underwear.

“Is this OK?” He asked quietly.

“Yes,” Hermione panted, thinking she just might have to kill him if he stopped. Hermione was about to lift her hips for him again, when he tugged at one side of her panties with his fingers, and tore the unwanted garment from her body. Draco slowly traced a trail up her inner thigh with his tongue, making Hermione burn in anticipation.

“Draco…” His name escaped her lips as he lowered his mouth to her centre. She couldn’t believe the mouth that had made her life hell the previous year was now blinding her with pleasure.

All of a sudden Draco drove his tongue into her and Hermione arched her back off of the bed, bunching the sheets in her fists on either side of her. All too soon, Hermione felt something building up in her lower stomach, and when Draco replaced his tongue with his fingers, Hermione came with an earth-shaking cry.

Raising himself up on his elbows, Draco traced nonsense patterns on her stomach with his fingers until she stopped shaking.

“You’re incredible Hermione.” Draco whispered through the dark. Hermione reached down and took one of his hands, pulling him up level with her. She slid her tongue into his mouth, not minding her own taste on his lips. Draco slowly and tentatively lowered his full weight onto her, as though afraid he might break her. Hermione smiled, wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him deeper into the kiss, somewhere losing herself along the way and falling asleep in his arms.