His Saving Grace

CHAPTER FOURTEEN: The House







Hermione was cleaning a mirror just inside the front door when she heard someone accessing the fireplace. She turned around and saw Draco stepping through, a big smile on his handsome face.





“Hello, Draco.” Harry said, looking at him over the top of his Quidditch Weekly. “What brings you here?”







“Where is Grace?” Draco asked, looking around for his daughter.









“She’s napping, why are you here so early, I wasn’t expecting you until later.” Hermione said, setting her cleaning supplies onto the table.









“Harry, can you keep an eye on Grace for a bit? I need to take Hermione somewhere.” Draco said, reaching out for Hermione’s arm and pulling her towards the hearth.







“What are you doing?” She asked, laughing as he dragged her, obviously excited about something.







“Just come on!” He said, pulling her behind him as he called out an address and they stepped into the green flames.







They exited into a large, open space with cathedral ceilings, the sun spilling through the skylights. Dark hardwood floors and cream colored walls accented each other perfectly. Hermione looked up and saw an ornately carved rail that ran along the second floor and down a long, curved staircase.







“What is this?” Hermione asked, looking around at the beautiful house.







“It’s a house.” He said, smiling as he dragged her over to and up the staircase.







“I can see that, Draco. But what are we doing here?” She asked as he flung open a door and pulled her inside. A mural of a castle was painted onto on wall surrounded by a pastel sky. She gasped softly at the beauty of it.







“This is Grace’s room. I bought this house today, for you, for us.” He said softly.









“Oh, Draco, why would you do something so impulsive?” She asked, turning towards him.







“I intend to marry you, Hermione. If I have to ask you everyday for the rest of my life I intend to make you my wife. I bought this house for us, for our family.” He said.







“Where are we?” She asked, glancing out the window.







“Near Dorset.” He said. “It is surrounded by forest for privacy, already connected to the floo network as you saw.” He took her by the hand and led her through the house. It was nothing compared to Malfoy Manor but it was large. Eight bedrooms with private baths, a library and a sunroom, along with a large kitchen and dining room, family room and formal parlor and a study.







Hermione was stunned as he dragged her outside to show her the house. Two stories of red brick with white columns on the porch and shutters on the windows. Flowers in every color bloomed from wrought iron baskets beneath the windows and in beds that lined the front of the house and footpaths. She laughed as he pulled her along, nearly dragging her around the side of the house to the back.





A large sweeping veranda was attached to the back, the brick wall surrounding it covered in violet wisteria. A lake sat right in the back yard with a small wooden dock and a white gazebo sitting on the banks. Beautiful black swans swam gracefully across the water.







“What do you think?” He asked softly.







“I don’t know what to say, Draco.” She whispered. “I’m overwhelmed.”









“Overwhelmed good or overwhelmed bad?” He asked nervously.







“I can’t believe you would do something like this, this house had to cost a small fortune…”









“A drop in the bucket, love. If it’s not big enough we can find something else.” He said.









“Not big enough? Draco this place is huge!” Hermione said, staring at him incredulously.







“You and Grace are worth it, I would give you anything you wanted; just say you will marry me.” He said, pulling her into his arms.







“Draco, please…” She whispered, their lips touching briefly.









“You can quit working and go to school, Hermione. I have plenty of money, hell we can live like kings and still have more than we need. I can take care of you and Grace.” Draco said.







“Money isn’t the issue Draco, you don’t love me.” She said.







“Stop telling me how I feel about you damn it.” He said, frustrated. “I don’t know how I feel, how can you? All I know is that you and Grace are my family and I need you with me, I want to marry you.” He said.







“Not for the right reasons, Draco.” She whispered.









“You’re being stubborn, Hermione.” Draco said. “Do you think I would have gone to this extreme if my reasons for wanting you as my wife were not right?”







“I think your heart is in the right place, but its too fast…we’ve only been together, if that’s what you want to call it for four months, not long enough to get married.” She said.







“If that’s what you want to call it? What the fuck else would I call it? You are mine and I am yours, there is no doubt we are together.” He said.







“Don’t get angry, Draco.” She said.







“I’m not angry, Hermione. I just…I thought you would like this house, I thought it would be a good place for us to raise a family but you keep rejecting me.” He said, hurt evident in his voice. Hermione gasped and slid her arms beneath his, wrapping them tightly around his ribcage.







“I’m not rejecting you, Draco!” She said, squeezing him. “I’m just not ready, please give me more time.” Draco sighed and let his chin rest atop her head, his hands moving slowly up and down her back as she clung to him.







“I’m sorry, love. I don’t mean to pressure you. I…I’m just so…happy…when I’m with you, and I haven’t been happy in so long.” He whispered. “I’ll sell the house, I’m sorry.”







“No! Don’t sell the house, I love the house.” She said, lifting her head to look at him. “Maybe we can just take our time decorating it…getting it ready for when we are ready to move our family into it.”







Draco smiled, a warm feeling beginning low in his belly at her words. He slid his hands low, curving over her bottom so he could pull her tight against him.







“Alright…I’ll try to be patient, but I will not give up on having you as my bride.” He said, lifting her slightly so that her lips pressed into his.







“I don’t want you to give up on me.” She whispered, parting her lips against his and sucking softly on his bottom lip.







“Damn, witch!” He hissed, his fingers digging into the plump roundness of her bottom. He ran his tongue over his bottom lip and looked down at her, the heat in his eyes enough to set her aflame.







“Kiss me.” She whispered, her lips parted slightly. She didn’t need to ask him twice, he captured her lips with his, his tongue slipping into her mouth, writhing and circling, tasting her. He bruised her lips with his and she didn’t seem to mind, she seemed to be consumed by his passion, her hands digging into his back as her knees buckled. He held onto her, lowering her to the soft grass and stretching out alongside her as he feasted on her mouth.







Draco couldn’t get enough of her. Her taste was addictive and he was a junkie looking for a fix. He wanted her in every way that he could have her. He wanted to take her slow and gentle like that first night when they made their child. He wanted to power into her, hear her screaming his name to the rafters. He wanted playful lovemaking filled with laughter and smiles. He wanted it all, all of her, body, heart and soul. He wanted her to love him.







“Wait…we have to stop, love.” Draco said, pulling away from her and flopping onto his back, panting as he struggled for breath. Hermione followed him, straddling his hips and leaning over him.







“Why?” She asked, her hair falling forward like a curtain, creating a private place for just the two of them as they stared longingly into each others eyes.







“Hermione…we need to get you on the potion. I can’t think clearly when I’m kissing you, when I’m touching you. I’m afraid I won’t think about it and take you again without protection. We will end up with a large family before you ever take my name.” He said, staring up at the sky that was slowly darkening as night approached.









“Okay….I will go tomorrow to the healer.” She whispered. She lowered her lips, brushing them against his ear. “What is it about you and me by the water beneath the moonlight, Draco?”







“Magic, love, what we have is pure magic.”