Hermione and Draco

Disclaimer: These characters are not of my creation (I wish!). Everything belongs to JK Rowling, I'm just delving into the Pensieve and playing around with the memories a little!

Chapter 3 – Ron Weasley? Is That You? (OR – Ron Weasley: Fucktard)

As Ron Weasley walked through the doors he saw only one thing – Hermione and Draco Malfoy sitting at a table together – and they were kissing!

“What is the bloody blue blazes is going on in here?” muttered Ron under his breath.

Holy hell, thought Ron. Look at the way they’re looking at each other – Hermione’s eyes are glowing – my glow – and for Malfoy!

Ron stalked over to the table and brooded at the two sitting there.

“Hey! Hello? Earth to Hermione…” When he got no response from her, he bellowed. “What the hell is going on here?!”

Everyone stopped – heads all over swiveled around to see that Ron was next to Hermione and Draco – and they were still lost in each other’s eyes.

Hermione jumped in her chair and screeched like she’d just been shocked – which she had been. She first looked at Ron with eyes gone round with surprise – then her eyes narrowed and became as hard as agates.

Oh my, thought Ron. She is thoroughly pissed off at me. It’s going to take a lot to get back into her good graces again – and keep her away from Malfoy!

“What are you doing here Ron?” Hermione asked dangerously.

“What am I doing here? What am I doing here?” Ron was livid. “This happens to be my wedding day – to you!”

Hermione was taken aback – he couldn’t mean what she thought he meant – could he? He couldn’t be expecting to be able to marry her still! She glanced at Harry who shook his head.

So, Ron was just trying to make her feel guilty. Well, she’d show him.

Hermione stood from the table suddenly, completely taking Ron by surprise – next thing he knew – WHAM!

Hermione had punched him in the mouth. Draco remembered what that felt like and was heartily glad it wasn’t him getting punched in the mouth by the Gryffindor Lioness.

“You horrid – you foul – I’m going to hex your wanker off, you son of a bitch! How dare you come in here and try to make me feel guilty for getting dumped by you, and having fun tonight anyway!”

Ron looked quickly around the room. Everyone – his family, friends – even Harry – was looking angrily at him. Especially Malfoy.

So, Ron focused on him.

“What’s up, Ferret? You see an opportunity to try and ruin another life, so you make a move on my girl?”

Malfoys face tinted pink at what Ron said, not from embarrassment, but from anger. Even Ron could see that. In the blink of an eye he was on his feet in front of Hermione, his fists clenching and unclenching at his sides.

“Listen Weas-ley – I wasn’t paying attention to Hermione because of you, I was paying attention to her because I –“
“Because he was trying to comfort her, Ron,” Harry stepped in. He instinctively knew what Draco was about to say, but didn’t think it would be wise to provoke Ron to attack, because as mad as Draco was right now – he would probably kill Ron.

Ron goggled at Harry – he couldn’t believe it! His best mate for years was sticking up for the Ferret – to him!

“Harry! What are you doing? You’re sticking up for the Ferret?”

“Yes, Ron, I am sticking up for Draco,” said Harry. “You did something really shitty to Hermione tonight, and he was doing what we all were doing – trying to take her mind off you, you worthless git!”

Ron couldn’t believe his ears. Not only was Harry sticking up for Malfoy, he had turned on Ron.

Suddenly they heard sobbing coming from Hermione. She had her head down on the table and she was crying uncontrollably. Draco’s eyes softened – he went around to the other side of the table, put his arms around Hermione and pulled her to his shoulder. She sunk willingly into his embrace – crying, clinging to him with her fists full of his shirt, and shaking into his shoulder.

Ron’s eyes went flat with rage.

And once again Harry interposed himself between Ron and the table – along with everyone else. The Grangers were standing behind Hermione and Draco, Her mothers hand on Hermione’s right shoulder, her fathers on Draco’s left. Ron’s family was facing him, with wands drawn and pointed at him, on either side of the Grangers. Draco was whispering comfort into Hermione’s ear, while glaring at Ron.

Ron felt himself go weak in the knees and looked around. He couldn’t believe that his own family had pulled their wands on him!

“Ronald, you’d better go home,” snarled Molly Weasley, her eyes narrowed in rage.

“And don’t bother coming to the Burrow any time soon,” his father added, as Bill, Charlie and Percy nodded. “We don’t want to see you for a while.”

“And don’t come round our place either, Ron,” said Ginny. “You aren’t welcome.”

Ron turned on his heel, and stomped to the door. He paused once to look at the crying woman in Draco Malfoy’s arms, turned his back on them all, and left the room.

*************

As Hermione kissed Draco, lost in his eyes, in his lips on hers, she heard someone come into the reception hall and cross the room. She could feel someone standing over her and she heard them say something, trying to get her attention. She looked up, and felt all the color drain from her face, jumped, and screeched.

Ron Weasley was standing at the table with a look of dumbfound surprise and anger warring on his face. The anger won, just a moment before he bellowed like a wounded bull.

As everyone turned to stare at him, Hermione blinked up at him, suddenly raving. How dare he come in and make a scene when he was the one who had decided he couldn’t bear to live the rest of his life with her!

She was on her feet in a split second, spluttering with rage at the man she once loved. Next thing she knew, her fist was connecting to his mouth.

Then, quicker than she thought possible, Draco was on his feet, standing in between them.

Shielding me from him, she thought incredulously. Shielding me from the man I once loved.

And then Harry was in between Ron and Draco, not sticking up for Ron, but sticking up for Draco.

The man I once loved.

Harry was defending Draco’s actions to Ron, telling him what an ass he was and Hermione realized what she had felt only a moment before about the man she once loved.

The man I once loved!

Oh my Gods, she thought. Oh. My. GODS. I don’t love Ron. How could I have been so stupid? It wasn’t him my thoughts always returned to, my heartbeat quicken when he walks in the room, these past 4 years – it’s been Draco. OH MY GODS!!! I almost married him! I almost made the biggest mistake of my life!

With the realization came relief – relief that she didn’t have to marry Ron and be miserable – then fear – fear of what everyone would think of her – and guilt – terrible, terrible guilt – at herself, for almost doing something that would have not only ruined her life, but Ron’s!

Suddenly her legs couldn’t hold her any longer. She sat abruptly, looked at the two men in her life – one past, one present and hopefully future – buried her head in her arms and started to cry.

Then Draco was there, drawing her into his arms. She sunk gratefully into his embrace, listened to his murmurs of comfort, and broke into a fresh spate of tears.

She heard Harry say something to Ron – deadly seriously. Then felt her moms hand on her right shoulder. She lifted her head a little and could see her fathers hand on Draco’s left shoulder and everyone else standing to the sides of either of them. With their wands out.

At Ron.

She just couldn’t take it – it was all her fault – as a shiver crawled up her back, she lowered her head back on to Draco’s shoulder and hid her face.

She heard Ron walking away – she thought she heard him pause at the door before he walked out of her life and clamoring darkness overtook her. She fainted.

*************

“Hermione?” Draco started. “Hermione, come on – he’s gone. Mya?”

Draco tilted her head to look at her face – and could see she wasn’t crying anymore – nor was she conscious – she had fainted.

Damn that man for showing up tonight! Thought Draco fiercely. What in the bloody hell was he thinking?

Hermione’s mother saw the unconscious state of her daughter and started crying – nor was she the only one. Ginny and Molly had tears streaking silently down their cheeks, even Arthur, Harry and the boys looked teary-eyed.

Harry bent over Hermione and looked at her face – then looked up at Draco.

“Why don’t you take her home, Draco? Ginny and I and the others will make sure this place gets cleaned and locked up. She needs some rest. For that matter you look like you could use some, too.”

“Okay Harry, I’ll take her home,” promised Draco. “I think I’ll stay on her couch in case she wakes up and needs – someone to be there. And Harry – thanks.”

Harry gave him a sad smile and thanked him for taking care of his best friend.

Draco stood up then, draping Hermione’s arm over his shoulder and picked her up. She weighed next to nothing and he marveled at how someone so tiny could be so strong and stubborn!

He thanked everyone in the hall for backing Hermione up and told them he was taking her back to her flat – and he’d spend the night there, on her couch, just in case she needed something.

Everyone looked surprised at that, but it was Molly Weasley who said, “Thank you Draco – please don’t hurt her, she’s been hurt enough and if I’ve found out you have…”

Draco smiled at her and kissed her on the cheek. “I know – Skiving Snackboxes and Ton-Tongue Toffee.” He smiled again at her surprised look, and walked from the room.

*************

“Damn that child of mine!” swore Molly Weasley. “What in the hell was he thinking, coming here tonight?”

“Who knows, Mum,” sighed Charlie. “Maybe he was expecting to find a distraught Hermione, pining away for him. I think what we need to do is get a hold of Fred and George as soon as we can and send them over to his flat.”

“Well, if he was expecting to see Hermione all torn up from him standing her up – he couldn’t have gotten a nastier shock,” exulted Percy. “I thought his eyes were going to pop out of his head when he saw her sitting there with Draco Malfoy, kissing him!”

“I know what you mean,” Mrs. Granger said then. “I knew that she and Draco had become quite close, but I was very surprised when I saw her kissing him. Either she’s using Draco to make Ron jealous – which she is not the type of girl to do that, or…”

“Or she has got it bad for Draco Malfoy,” finished her father. “And personally, I think that she’s got it bad for the young Mr. Malfoy – and he, if possible, is worse off about her.”

“They definitely couldn’t keep their eyes – or lips! – off each other,” smirked Ginny.

“Well, I think we need to get this place cleaned up,” said Harry. “We’ll find out exactly what is going to happen with them in the next couple of days.”

“How do you know that, Harry?” Bill asked, perplexed.

Harry and Ginny gave each other a measuring look and Ginny nodded. It was time to tell everyone what had been given to Harry at the Final Battle – compliments of Lord Voldemort.

“Well, it’s kind of hard to explain, Bill,” started Harry. “You see, when I got into the Final Battle with Voldemort” everyone flinched, and Harry sighed, raking his fingers through his hair, “well, when I beat him, I got this little present from him. I’m able to look into anyone’s face, for the most part, and read all the emotions that are uppermost on their minds. That’s how Voldemort was able to get into his adherents “heads” mostly. He read all the surface emotions, then manipulated them so that they would find him the natural leader.”

“Now, when Harry looks deeply into someone’s eyes,” Ginny fluttered her eyelashes at Harry and Harry stuck his tongue out at her. “He can read those emotions – which means he knows exactly what Hermione and Draco were feeling when they were giving all those looks and kisses and they feel – well, I won’t give my opinion, although I’m right. I’m always right.” She said with a smug look at her husband.

Harry rolled his eyes and grinned at his wife. “They were feeling what was evident – attraction, trust, lust – but there was something buried a little behind all those. Hermione’s were too cloudy to read, although they had the same overtones as Draco’s…” Harry stopped then, eyes widened, and laughed. Everyone looked at him, perplexed, wondering what was so funny about this situation.

“Harry!” demanded Arthur. “Get on with it!”

“Well, I just realized that by comparing half-hidden emotions to similar ones, I can tell what the hidden ones are. I don’t think we have anything to worry about. Unless some catastrophe strikes, Hermione and Draco will be together for quite a long time!”

Ron, who had snuck in after Hermione and Draco had left, was not laughing. He sat in a darkened back corner, with tears coursing down his cheeks, hating himself for ruining everything with his family and friends. And possibly losing the two best friends he’d ever have.

*************

Draco set Hermione gently down in the limo, covered her with a lap blanket, then thought of something – he didn’t know where to take her – she and Ron had been living together for the past several months.

So, he had to wake her. He didn’t want to, she’d had a bad day, but he needed to know where to take her.

“ Hermione? Mya? Come on, love, I need you to wake up. Come on, Mya.” He shook her a little harder. “Hermione come on, come on Mya. There you go, up you get.”

Hermione woke up in a strange car, not knowing where she was or how she got there. The last thing she remembered was Ron storming off and the awful realization that –

Hermione shuddered away from that particular thought for right now.

“Draco? Where are we? What happened? How did I get here?”

“Well, first, we’re in my limo. Second, when Ron came in and made his scene it was too much emotionally for you, at least I think it was, and you fainted. When you fainted Harry asked me to take you home, so I picked you up and brought you out here – which is how you got to be in my car.” He sighed. “Hermione, I’m sorry we haven’t left yet, but – I need to know where to take you. I know you and Ron have been living together for the last several months, and I didn’t think you’d want to go there, so…” he trailed off with a shrug.

Oh Gods, thought Hermione. I don’t want to go home – what if Ron decides he’s going to show up and wants to start a fight again? I can’t handle that. Oh, where am I going to go?

“I don’t want to go back to my flat Draco, just in case Ron decides he wants to come make trouble, but I don’t know where else to go.”

“I could take you back to the Manor. Mother lives in the main Manor by herself, but I live in one of the large guest cottages out in the wilds of the property. Would that work?”

I can’t believe I just offered her to stay at my place. Well, why not? We’re friends, I love her, and she needs a place to stay – sounds like my place will be perfect!

Oh certainly, Draco, wheezed a little nagging voice. And the fact that you’ll have all that time to prove to her alone that your are a worthy suitor has nothing to do with it, right?

Draco chose to ignore that insistent little voice.

“Oh, Draco, that would be perfect, but I don’t want to be an imposition!”

“Hermione, my dear, you could never be an imposition. I would be very glad to have you. It gets rather lonely out there, all to myself…” Draco gave his head a little shake. “I would love for you to come stay a few days, at least. Give yourself time to get everything that’s happened today sorted out, if you want.”

Hermione was touched. She’d never had anyone treat her and her feelings like this before other than Harry and Ginny, Ron certainly never did. She loved the fact that he wanted to treat her like she was special. She could definitely get used to that!

“All right, Draco – I’ll stay with you, but only as long as there is an extra bed, or a couch for me to sleep on.” Her face got sober and she looked down at her hands twisting in her lap. I think it’s time for some blunt honesty, maybe that’ll keep things on casual terms for a while. “It’s not that I’m not attracted to you Draco, I am, frighteningly so, but rather it’s because I am so attracted to you. I need to sort some things out, and if I’m sleeping with you in the same bed, I wouldn’t be able to do that. Do you understand?”

Draco was surprised that she was being this blunt with him about that. He was a bit disappointed, but he could understand that and didn’t hold it against her. The fact that she had thought about sleeping in the same bed with him was a very big deal to her, so he made sure his look was gentle and that he didn’t make her feel badly about what she had just told him.

“Hermione – I didn’t expect you to sleep in the same bed – just the same house. I have a couple extra bedrooms and we’ll set you up in one of those. I’ll have the driver take us there right away so you can get some rest. Until then – if you’d like to curl up on the seat and use my lap for a pillow, you can. You can trust me, Hermione. I promise I would never hurt you.”

“I trust you Draco – more than Ron – even before he pulled this stunt. I know you would never hurt me – just as I would never hurt you. We can’t hurt each other, because we – we just can’t.” Hermione curled up in a ball and laid her head on Draco’s lap for a pillow.

It took all of Draco’s self control to not pick her up and … well, never mind.

Once back to the guesthouse that Draco had called home since he had been 15, he didn’t want to wake Hermione, so he picked her up and carried her into the house.

When he got through the door, he headed for the couch. He laid the still-sleeping Hermione on it, and went to make up the guest bed, talking to himself very sternly the whole time.

Okay, Draco, he thought. You’ve got the opportunity that you thought you’d never have. Now all you have to do is make sure you don’t screw things up with her, and you have a good chance of getting the girl of your dreams. Don’t make her uncomfortable, don’t make her regret trusting you – and above all don’t make a move on her for anything romantic. You’re going to have to let her make any moves in that direction.

The need that had been building all evening for Hermione had looked like it might be satisfied – until Ron had come in.

Damn you, Ronald Weasley! Draco inwardly raged. I hope your brothers find you and give you something complicated and lingering, for an extended stay in St. Mungo’s!

After he made the bed up he went back into the living room to get Hermione. When he looked down at her tiny form curled up on the couch, with her face as beautiful as an angel, he wanted to weep for her. He wanted her, he needed her – and as it was, there was no way he was having her tonight. He sighed softly, walked over to the couch and picked her up. She responded to the movement by snuggling her head on his shoulder, right up against his neck. He suppressed a shiver of torture – or pleasure. He wasn’t sure which, and went to put his Hermione in her bed, then off to his own for a cold shower and sleep – eventually.

*************

It seemed like days later, although in reality, it had only been a few hours. Draco was pacing around his room, unable to sleep. In part it was because he was still so angry with Ron for what he had done to Hermione – but mostly it was because Hermione was in his house, in the bedroom right next to his, and he couldn’t lie down next to her and make love to her. He wanted to be able to see her naked body lying next to his – feel her skin as his hands roamed her body, feel deep inside of her when they finally – he broke that thought off suddenly, seeing where it was going.

Oh, Gods! He thought. Oh, Gods I would bloody have to fall in love with Miss ‘Know-It-All’ Hermione Granger – muggle-born witch, lead in grades at Hogwarts, not to mention Gryffindor Prefect and Head Girl. Oh, Gods – what am I going to do?

He decided he couldn’t keep pacing up and down – he’d wear a hole in the floor. So he did the only thing he could when he was restless and suffering from a bout of insomnia. He went out to the piano in the living room.

He rifled through some sheet music, settling on She’s Got A Way, by Billy Joel, a muggle musician. That was a hidden passion of his – and had been since he was a teen – muggle bands, muggle instruments and muggle music – specifically, Rock and Roll.

He spread the sheet music on the piano in front of him, did a little warm up, and then launched into the song.

*************

Hermione woke up in a strange bed, and it took her a moment to figure out where she was. When she remembered, she smiled and then blushed. She was in Draco’s home, sleeping in his guest room! Then she remembered why she was there, and very nearly started crying again. She sternly told herself to get a grip and rolled over to go back to sleep when she heard someone playing the piano in the outside room, and it sounded so good. So she got out of her bed quietly and walked out her door to stand near the threshold to the living area. Who she saw playing about made her swallow her tongue.

Draco Malfoy was playing the piano – and it looked like he was getting ready to sing. He launched into the song, pouring all his emotions and frustrations into it.

Hermione was shocked – not only did Draco have a beautiful singing voice; he was singing muggle Rock and Roll!

She watched him as he sang – she could see the play of emotion across his face, with his eyes closed, like he was in some kind of obscure pain. She started to walk to him, but she didn’t want to accidentally break the spell, so she took a few steps back so he wouldn’t be able to see her as easily, held her breath and listened.

Draco lost himself in the music. He had needed to do this several times in the last 4 years – so many times, he didn’t really need the sheet music. And always for her. For her. During a bridge in the music he sighed softly. “For you, Hermione.”

Hermione couldn’t believe it – that this could be how he felt – for her. No one had ever claimed to feel these things for her. Not Ron, not Viktor, no one. Now here was Draco, singing his heartache out, it came so close to her own that it felt as if it were her heart aching with need. She felt a tear slide down her cheek and kept listening.

Draco felt like someone was watching him. It was an eerie feeling that he got between his shoulder blades. He opened his eyes and saw Hermione, standing in the doorway to the living room, with tears falling from her eyes as she listened. She smiled at him with her heart in her eyes. He was struck again by how beautiful she was and how much he wanted her. Draco smiled back and continued to sing.

When Hermione saw his reaction, she was so happy – happy that he hadn’t gotten upset at the intrusion, and happy that he shared it with her instantly.

Draco realized he wanted this bold, brave, beautiful witch in his life – forever. He wanted to share everything with her – all the horrible details of his childhood, everything.

Hermione couldn’t take her eyes off of Draco’s – there was a hunger and yearning there the equal of her own – and it was directed at her. He wanted her! He truly wanted her as much as she wanted him. But she was scared – what if he decided he didn’t love her anymore, the way Ron had? What if once they slept together, he shunned her? What would all her friends, her family say? Oh, she wanted him… but she was so afraid.

As he sang the last six lines of the song, her passion flared. Hermione couldn’t control her feet, her legs anymore. Of their own accord they walked her over to stand beside Draco.

Draco was startled to look up and suddenly see Hermione standing next to him. He hadn’t realized she had even moved. She looked at him with a look of – hunger, need, love – in her eyes. He couldn’t believe that she was looking at him like that! She stood there, rocking back and forth on the balls of her feet, like she was on a high diving board, trying to decide if she really wanted to dive in… as if she were contemplating something. He looked her over, slowly, noticing the way his robe was starting to fall open a little, and he could see part of her beautiful breasts. He was using every once of self-control to not pick her up and throw her over his shoulder to take her to bed. Dear Gods she was beautiful and all he could do is look into her chocolate eyes and try to show her how he felt – how he truly felt – about her.

Hermione looked into Draco’s eyes, not sure what made her come over to stand so close, but unwilling to pull away. She looked deep into his eyes, and saw exactly what she’d hoped to – hunger, passion, - and love. Love for her. That’s what she’d hoped beyond hope that he would show her. How much she meant to him, how much he wanted her – how very much he loved her. It was too much! She needed him just as much as he needed her.

To the Nine Hells with everyone else! She fumed. He is the one thing that I’ve always wanted and never allowed myself to even consider the possibilities. Well, opportunity only knocks once, they say…

Draco turned so he was facing her and before he could react, Hermione had her hands on his bare chest. Holy Gods his skin felt so good beneath her fingers! She slowly ran her hands up until they were on his shoulders, and as she leaned to him for a kiss, one hand snaked around his neck, and the other into his hair. She put her lips on his and kissed him, lightly at first, but with increasing passion. She took his full bottom lip between her teeth and nibbled on it.

Draco couldn’t think about anything but Hermione’s hands on his body. Then she was kissing him, nibbling on his lip, running her hands through his hair and over his shoulders, it was just too much. He grabbed her about the hips and pulled her roughly to him, pressing her firmly into his body. In response to his firm body pressed into her, she pushed her hips into his groin and moaned into the kiss. Their tongues were exploring every inch of each other’s mouths, the passion building between them to an intense heat.

Draco moaned when she pressed into him and he responded to it by deepening the kiss, grinding his groin lightly into hers, running his hands up and down her back and then down to her snug ass. She groaned when he started grinding himself into her, she could feel his erection pressing into her, and suddenly she wanted more than just a heavy petting session. She wanted to make love to him. Now.

She let her hands trail down his chest, rubbed her thumbs lightly on his flat nipples, and then further down, exploring, touching, feeling her way down until her hand lay lightly on the growing bulge in his pants.

Draco groaned and jumped. She was killing him! Oh, he wanted nothing more than to pick her up and set her up against the wall and shag her until she screamed his name over and over again. But she might being doing this as a ‘bravado’ as Harry put it, so he pulled away from grazing on the soft flesh just beneath her left ear and looked down at her hand on his erection, then into her eyes.

“Hermione, are you sure…you know what you’re doing?” he gasped, his silver eyes growing smoky with desire.

“I know Draco – I’ve always known – that this is exactly what I’ve always wanted.” She breathed into his ear. She started rubbing his throbbing erection, making it jump a little bit at the friction of her hand and his pajama bottoms.

He groaned into her hair, and decided that he had had enough. He picked her up as he had when she had fainted and carried her to bed – his bed.

When they got into his bedroom, he released her legs, letting her body slide down the length of him. She looked into his eyes, and saw something that made her smile and her eyes glowed – they glowed more now than they ever did for Ron. He pressed her body into his again, and snuggled into her neck. Then he took a deep breath and said something that he never thought he would say to anyone – let alone Miss Gryffindor Know-It-All Hermione Granger. The Gryffindor Lioness. His Gryffindor Lioness.

“I love you, Hermione,” he started with a quaver in his gruff voice. “I’ve always loved you and I always will. I promise I will never hurt you.”

Hermione felt an electric shock run through her body as he said this and felt tears prickle at the corner of her eyes. She couldn’t believe that he had just said that. She broke the nuzzling to look deep in his eyes. His eyes showed everything that he wanted you to see, whether it was the truth or not. She looked now and saw something there that she’d never dreamed she’d see – vulnerability. Sincerity. And a love for her that was total and real. It took her breath away.

She looked into his eyes, and said, “I love you too Draco. I realized that tonight. After the Final Battle it wasn’t Ron that I regretted having to be away from – it was you.” She did another search of his wide, surprised eyes and smiled. “And I promise to never hurt you either, just like I know you’ll never hurt me. I trust you, Draco – with my mind, body, heart and soul.”

He looked down on this auburn haired witch that had so taken his heart. He couldn’t believe that she was returning feeling for feeling. Or that she had wanted him for so long. All he could do was stare in her eyes, at the naked longing and love. It was so touching, so beautiful. He didn’t realize how touched he was until he felt the first tear he had shed in years beyond counting slide slowly down his cheek. Suddenly, he grasped her to him, buried his head in her shoulder and softly cried for the wonderful present she had just given him.

At first, she thought that he was just overwhelmed with what she had said, but then the tear escaped his eye, the first tear she’d ever seen him shed. He then surprised her by crushing her to him, burying his face in her hair, and crying on her shoulder. It was the last thing she’d ever expected him to do.

She led him over to the bed, made him sit down. He wouldn’t let go, wouldn’t show his face, until she had grabbed him by the chin and made him look into her eyes. His cheeks were wet with tears, and they clung to his eyelashes as they leaked from his eyes. Her eyes softened even more, and she gently brushed away the tears on his cheeks and kissed his eyes where the tears were still leaking. He had been so afraid that she would see this weakness and hate him for it, as he was told so many times by his father that showing emotion was weak, but, if anything, she seemed to love him more.

“Do you want to talk about it, Draco?” she asked quietly.

He shook his head and looked into her eyes. He couldn’t believe that she loved him enough to want to share his pain. No one, not even his own father, wanted to share his feelings, good or bad. He closed his eyes as his heart gave a painful squeeze at that thought, and he realized suddenly that he wanted her to be with him forever – not just as a friend, or a lover, but also as a partner, his wife.

“I… I can’t… not right now.” He croaked. “I need you, tonight, Hermione. More than anything, I need you right now.”

She saw that he was desperate for her to comfort him, so she did. She started by kissing his eyes again, then kissing his forehead. She kissed him all over his face, where the tear tracks were. She kissed down his cheek to his neck and nuzzled the soft hollow beneath his ear. She trailed her tongue down his neck and down onto his broad chest. She licked and kissed down to one of his flat, hard nipples and took it into her mouth, making him gasp and moan when she started to tease it with her tongue and teeth. She kissed and licked over to the other one, and gave it the same treat. She dropped her hands as she moved lower, and started to put her hand down his pajama bottoms when his hand stopped hers.

“Not like that, please Hermione. I need to be with you.” Groaned Draco, so she stood up and slowly undid the robe – his robe – and even more slowly pulled it off her nude body. His breath caught in his throat at her loveliness. She was so beautiful, and he wanted her to be his fully.

She then grabbed his hands and tugged so he stood up. Very slowly, she grabbed a hold of the top of his pajama bottoms and lowered them to his ankles, stopping just long enough to place one sweet lingering kiss on the top of his erection. He jumped when she did that, and she tilted her head up to him and smiled. It was a wicked smile, full of mischief. She kissed it again, making him startle again. She finished undressing him and stood back up. She walked into his embrace and, with feeling their naked bodies finally brought together; they exchanged the most passionate kiss either of them had ever had. They moved as one back to the bed, and he picked her up, smiling mischievously in the kiss, and threw her on the bed.

She squealed when he threw her, and he laughed at the look on her face. Then, before he was able to get into bed with her, she scooted over to sit in front of him and, in one fluid move, took the full length of him into her mouth.

He sucked in his breath and his eyes rolled as his knees almost buckled. Oh, my Gods! He thought. Just with that simple action, she had almost made him come. He allowed her to lick, kiss and suck on him while his passion and desire built, then pulled away.

“Not like this Hermione – not our first time together. Please.” His voice was desperate; his breath coming in short, ragged gasps. She looked up into his face, smiled again, and nodded.

Serves you right for tossing me on the bed like that, she smirked.

She scooted again up to the top of the bed, and laid back, with her hair spread out on his pillow, dark chocolate eyes almost black with need and desire.

He decided he was going to return the favor, so with a wicked grin he started kissing her toes, her feet, up her legs to her stomach. She writhed and gasped when he found a sensitive spot, and she was moaning as he kissed right past her center, to her stomach, he smiled into her stomach as his tongue circled her navel. He thought she looked glorious as she reveled in the feelings of his mouth on her body was giving her. He kissed and licked up to her mouth, took her for a long, passionate, lingering kiss. His teeth nibbled on her bottom lip and then her lips parted and his tongue snaked into her mouth, circling her tongue, tasting it, claiming it until it was totally his. When he finally broke the kiss, she was completely breathless, and soaking wet.

He kissed back down her throat, to her breasts. He kissed all over first one, then the other breast, nibbling on the soft underside, and then claiming her pale pink nipple in his mouth, sucking on it, rolling it between his teeth, loving the soft moans and whimpers she made as he deftly loved her breasts.

Then he continued south, licking his way slowly down her flat stomach, once again around her navel, then lower still.

When he got to her center he could see she was very wet, and he stopped for just a moment to just look at her and breathe in her scent. The smell of the lavender body wash she had used, combined with the smell of her sex was just too much for him. He threw her feet over his shoulders and set his tongue between her moist folds and started to lick the hard nub of her clit. Her hips bucked towards his mouth and he responded by licking and sucking and nibbling harder, faster.

She had her hands entwined into his hair, his beautiful silky hair. She couldn’t believe that someone could make her feel like this. No one, not even Ron, had made her feel like this. Like she was molten in the very center of her being. He was making her feel like she was on fire, every nerve shrilling for his touch. She was getting very close to her own climax, but she didn’t want to come – not like this.

“Draco,” she gasped. “Draco, no – not like this. Please! I need you in me. I need to feel you on top of me, in me. Now, please!”

He looked up at her face and could tell she was close, so with a last little lick, he started kissing and licking his way up to her mouth, slowly bringing his hardness to rest right outside of her throbbing center. She looked into his eyes, reached down between them, and helped guide him into her.

Their joining was the most beautiful they had ever experienced. Not only had their bodies joined, but it felt like their hearts and souls also joined. The rhythm at first was slow; he was going to take his time with this, to make sure she got her own pleasure before him. But when she starting thrashing and moaning and thrusting into him, then begging him for release, to fuck her, now, he lost all control.

He started thrusting harder and harder into her, until he was slamming her into the mattress, and all she could do was moan and writhe under him, whispering to him that that was what she had wanted. She was meeting him thrust for thrust, and she could feel her climax coming to a head even as he could feel his.

He thrust a few times more, and suddenly she was screaming his name, at the top of her lungs, as spasm after spasm racked her body. He couldn’t stop himself, feeling her wrapped around him and feeling her muscles tightening around his length; he took two more thrusts and joined her in the smoldering climax, crying out her name in his pleasure. She could feel him spilling his seed into her, and she wrapped her legs around his hips when he collapsed and tried to pull out.

*************

He looked up at her with mild surprise, and smiled. “What’s that all about?”

“I like feeling you in me and on top of me. Just don’t leave yet.”

“My love, I will never leave. Nothing could drag me away … nothing.” He said as he kissed her all over her face, on her neck and collarbone.

“Oh, Draco. I love you so much. I never want to be without you – not ever.” She looked deeply into his eyes, hoping he could see the sincerity of her words.

He almost started to cry again, and indeed, one tear did leak out to drop between her breasts before he clamped down on his ache and longing for love and a place to be accepted and fit in. Not now, you prat! Don’t ruin this happy moment for the both of you. You can talk to her – and cry – later.

“Love, what is it?” Hermione sounded concerned.

“It’s nothing that I can talk about – want to talk about – right now.” He stated. “It’s something to do with my childhood, and my parents, and it’s very painful for me. I’ll talk to you about it later… tomorrow, maybe. Now, can I please get out and lay beside you instead of on top of you? I don’t mind being here, but this has been a very – momentous – day, and I’m a little tired.”

Hermione unwrapped her legs from around his waist with a giggle, and sat up a little when he lay down so she could pillow her head on his shoulder and chest.

“Draco, we also need to talk about us – and all of this.” She started, but he silenced her with is finger on her lips.

“I think I know where this is going. You’re afraid that no one will understand about us, how we feel, and that we acted on it the same day you were left at the altar by Weasley. You’re afraid they will be mad and shun you and you’re scared that Harry and Ginny will hate you – is that it?”

“I – yes, but – Love, I don’t want to keep us a secret. I just wanted to make sure you were on the same page.”

“Mya – “

She smiled at his use of her nickname. He almost never used it, but it sounded so good coming from his mouth. She shook her head at him. “No, this is important... you’re important to me. More important than most.”

He looked down at her head with surprise, and she didn’t miss that sudden movement. She looked up into his startled eyes.

“More than Ron?” he asked simply.

“Yes, Draco, love, more than Ron – more than anyone – except, for, perhaps, Harry and Ginny – have ever gotten.”

“He – Mya, I – I don’t know what to say, except, thank you for letting me in. I promise I won’t let you down.” He kissed her forehead.

“I know you won’t, love. I know you won’t.”

Just as they were dropping off to sleep, the fire in the bedroom turned bright green and started to spark. They both sat up slightly to look into the fireplace and saw Harry Potter’s head where the fire should be.