Disclaimer: I don't own anything aside from the plot. Characters are created by the brilliant J.K Rowling. Harry Potter A/U Fanfiction. Enjoy! :)
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Malfoy's Beach House – Maldives Island – 9:15 P.M.
Draco broke their kiss and leaned his forehead against Hermione; he took a deep breath and closed his eyes. "What are we doing?" he whispered.
Hermione let out a contented sigh and closed her eyes too; "I don't know but this feels so good..." she whispered back.
Draco wrapped his arms around her tightly as he bit his bottom lip; "I know..." he replied huskily.
Hermione slowly opened her eyes and moved her face away from him; "Do you regret it?" she asked.
Draco opened his eyes and met her stare; "No I don't...do you?" he asked.
Hermione lowered her eyes towards his plump limps; "No...I don't..." she replied.
Draco slowly unwound his arms around her waist and trailed it from her arms towards her face, cupping it with both palms. "You're so beautiful..." he said.
Hermione licked and her lips and met his gaze.
Draco began rubbing his thumbs on her flushed cheeks, not breaking eye contact.
Hermione smiled shyly and bit her bottom lip again; "Do you know what I'm thinking right now?" she asked boldly.
"What?"
Hermione swallowed hard; "How much I want to kiss you again..." she whispered breathlessly.
Draco grunted and closed his eyes; "You're killing me you know?" he said.
Hermione chuckled.
Draco leaned forward and planted a soft kiss on her nose; "I want to kiss you too" he said.
Hermione let out a shaky breath as she closed her eyes; "Then kiss me..." she replied.
Draco opened his eyes again and planted another kiss on her closed eye lids; "Are you sure?" he asked again.
Hermione moaned.
Draco continued peppering kisses around her face, purposely avoiding her lips.
Hermione opened her eyes again and moved her hands towards his face; once she has his face within her grasp she leaned forward and pressed her lips against his.
Draco smiled and moved his hands towards her waist again; he wrapped his arms around her and lifted her from the floor.
Hermione squeaked between kisses but looped her arms around his neck; impulsively she wrapped her legs around his hips, anchoring herself to him.
Draco moaned louder as he grasped her legs around his hips; carefully, he navigated them towards the couch and sat down.
Hermione straddled Draco and continued kissing him.
Draco pulled her closer and wrapped his arms tightly around her waist.
oOo
Millicent hastily threw the comforter off her body and leaped off of her bed; she run towards her bathroom and kneeled right in front of her bowl. She heaved repeatedly until she felt her body go limp with the exertion; once she's sure that she won't throw up again, she hauled herself up and padded towards the sink. She opened the tap with her shaking hands and scooped water towards her mouth, rinsing the bile; once satisfied, she splashed cool water on her face and braised her hands on the sink. "What the hell just happened?" she asked herself.
oOo
Malfoy Manor – Wiltshire, England – 5:15 P.M
"Mistress?"
Narcissa tore her eyes away from her book and stared at the elf standing near the patio door; "Yes Mimi?" she asked.
The elf curtseyed and clasped her grubby hands together; "Mistress, there is a woman at the gates, she says that she's looking for Master Draco" she replied.
Narcissa frowned and dog-eared her novel; she placed it on top of the table and stood up. "Did she tell you who is she?" she asked.
Mimi shook her head and began squeezing her hand agitatedly; "Mimi tried, Mistress, but woman won't tell Mimi who is..." she replied.
"Let her in and bring her to the sitting room, I'll just get Lucius" Narcissa replied.
Mimi curtseyed again and disappeared with a loud crack.
"Why do you need to get me?"
Narcissa rolled her eyes upon seeing her husband lurking near the rose bushes; "Is that your new hobby now?" she asked sarcastically.
Lucius stared in confusion; "Whatever do you mean?" he asked.
Narcissa sighed; "Never mind" she replied.
Lucius walked towards his wife and stood right in front of her; "Why do you need me then?" he asked.
"Mimi just informed me that there's a woman looking for Draco" Narcissa said.
Lucius furrowed his brows; "Who is it?" he asked.
"That's what we'll find out, I told Mimi to take whoever it is to the sitting room" Narcissa replied.
Lucius nodded; "Okay, now let's go. We shouldn't let our guest waiting" he said before walking towards the house.
"Lucius..."
Lucius stopped in his tracks and turned towards his wife; "Yes?" he asked.
Narcissa began fidgeting with her hands; "Who do you think it could be?" she asked.
Lucius studied his wife's reaction and sighed; "I don't have the slightest idea love but we'll find out soon enough. So, let's go there and meet her" he said, offering his hand to her.
Narcissa took a deep breath and walked towards her husband; slowly she placed her hands in his and nodded.
Lucius squeezed her hand comfortingly; "Let's go..." he said.
Narcissa let him lead her.
oOo
Goldstein – Weasley's Flat, Birmingham, England – 5: 19 P.M.
Ginny was putting up the final touches on the cakes she's frosting when a loud knock resounded inside her flat; she huffed in annoyance as she chuck the spatula inside the mixing bowl. She wiped her hands on her apron and began padding towards the door; once she reached it, she pulled it open and met the gaze of man standing right in front of her.
"Gin..."
Ginny studied his appearance and let out a defeated sigh; "What are you doing here Ronald?" she asked exasperatedly.
Ron avoided her eyes and stared at his foot instead; "I---I just want to know if you know where Hermione is...I need to talk to her..." he replied.
"Who gave you the idea that I know where she is?" Ginny asked.
Ron met her gaze and threw her a pleading look; "Please Gin...I know you know where she is...I need to see her...I know you hate me and I don't have the right to ask you this but please Gin...please..." he begged.
Ginny took a deep breath and pulled the door wider; "Come in" she said.
Ron bowed his head as he entered her sister's flat.
Ginny ushered them towards the sitting room and gestured towards the nearest loveseat; "Sit"
Ron followed her instructions and sat down.
Ginny sat on the opposite seat and crossed her legs; "Let's be clear about something here Ronald" she said.
Ron nodded.
"I don't hate you because you are my brother and I'll always love you no matter how many times you screw up. But Hermione is the only sister I've ever known and I hate the fact that you hurt her...again." Ginny said.
Ron was about to open his mouth to explain but Ginny held up her pointer finger, gesturing for him to keep quiet.
Ginny leaned forward; "I know where Hermione is right now but I won't tell you anything because I owe it to her. She needs time Ronald, she needs time to pick up the pieces you broke twice. You have been my brother for 25 years and I stood beside you without thinking twice because I love you, but I love Hermione too, so let me be her sister just this once..."
Ron felt his eyes blur with tears so he buried his face into his palms; he then leaned forward and braised his elbows on top of his knees. "I am sorry Ginny...I'm sorry..." he sobbed.
Ginny felt her heart ache for her brother; "You should be Ronald but I'm not the one you need to apologize to. But even that has to wait too, I'm afraid..." she half whispered.
Ron shoulders shook as sobs erupted from his lips.
Ginny bit her bottom lip as she watches her brother fall apart right in front of her eyes.
oOo
Malfoy's Beach House – Maldives Island – 9:34 P.M.
Hermione snuggled closer into Draco's side; "I think I drank too much, my head is still fuzzy..." she groaned.
Draco chuckled and pulled her to his chest; he planted a soft kiss on her forehead and sighed. "Me too..." he replied.
Hermione buried her face into the crook of his neck and took a deep breath; "What are we doing Draco?" she whispered.
Draco began playing with the strands of her hair; "I don't know..."
Hermione pulled her face away and met his gaze; "It can't be bad right? I mean, this feels good, do you feel good?"
Draco stared into her eyes and let out a smile; "Something that feels this good can't be bad Hermione and yes it feels bloody good"
Hermione smiled; "I thought so..." she trailed off.
Draco smiled back; "Do you want to go to bed? It's late..." he said.
Hermione took a deep breath and nodded; "I guess we should" she replied.
"Okay" Draco said.
"Okay" Hermione replied.
Draco waited for a couple of minutes but Hermione remained in her position; "Err...Hermione, if we want to make it to bed I think we should move" he said.
Hermione felt her cheeks redden as she clumsily tried to sit up; "Oh, I'm sorry" she replied.
Draco chuckled as he sat up too; "No worries" he replied.
Hermione scooted at the other end of the couch and sat straight; she then tucked some of her lose curls behind her right ear and cleared her throat; "I guess I'll head to bed then..." she said.
"Good night Hermione..." Draco replied.
Hermione stood up from her perch and straightened her crumpled dress; she then plucked her heels from the floor and began walking hastily towards the corridors; "Good night Draco" she mumbled.
"Hermione?"
Hermione paused and turned her head towards Draco; "Yes?" she asked.
Draco smiled; "Don't think too much, we'll take it as it comes" he said.
Hermione found herself nodding and walking towards the dark corridor; "Take is as it comes? What does he mean by that?" she asked herself before disappearing behind her door.
Draco watches as her back disappeared from his sight; he then shook his head and stood up from the couch. "We'll take it as it comes" he repeated to himself.
oOo
Malfoy Manor – Wiltshire, England – 5:30 P.M
Narcissa sauntered inside her living room with her head held up high; "I'm sorry to keep you waiting" she announced.
The blonde haired lass stood up upon hearing the Matriarch voice; "Good Evening Mrs. Malfoy, I do apologize for barging in to your home like this"
Narcissa stood a couple of metres away from the blonde haired woman and studied her from head to toe; "Please sit down" she said while gesturing towards the couch.
The blonde haired woman sat down and placed her hands on her lap.
Narcissa sat down too and waited for her husband to do the same; "This is Lucius, my husband" she introduced.
"Good Evening Mr. Malfoy"
Lucius waived his hand dismissively and sat beside his wife; "Our house elf informed us that you're looking for our son, Draco. Is that right?" he asked directly.
The blonde haired woman began fidgeting with her hands; "As a matter of fact I am Sir," she replied.
Narcissa crossed her legs; "Draco doesn't normally receive visitors from women and I believe my husband and I are quite disadvantaged here because we don't know you" she said regally.
The blonde haired woman cleared her throat and straightened her posture; "I'm aware that you don't know me Mrs. Malfoy because we haven't gotten the chance to be introduced properly" she replied.
Lucius raised one pale brow; "We can rectify that tonight, who are you and what do you want from our son?" he asked.
"Is Draco here Sir?"
Lucius was about to open his mouth to respond but Narcissa beat him to it; "Our son is currently on vacation outside the country and there's no way of reaching him in the next couple of days. If you can give us your name perhaps we can mention it to him once he comes home" she said.
The blonde haired woman's face fell and bowed her head.
Lucius eyed her for a couple of minutes; "Who are you?" he asked.
The blonde woman closed her eyes and grasped her hands tightly together; "Is he---is he...married?" she asked shakily.
Narcissa's eyes widen.
Lucius leaned forward and braised his elbows on top of his knees; "Why should we answer such personal question when you refuse to tell us who you are?" he challenged.
The blonde woman opened her caramel eyes and met Lucius inquisitive gaze; "My name is Ireland Montgomery...I am Draco's girlfriend" she said.
Narcissa's face paled as Lucius stared wide eyed at the woman sitting a couple of metres from them.
oOo
Malfoy's Beach House – Maldives Island – 11:13 P.M.
Hermione sat up from her bed with a huff; she gathered her knees to her chest and placed her chin on top of it. "What the hell just happened?" she whispered to herself. She then took a deep calming breath and closed her eyes; "I just kissed Draco Malfoy and it felt good...really good" she groaned.
Draco stood at his veranda with his hands tucked away inside his pockets, eyes fixed at the sapphire-hued sky. He let out a deep sigh and walked towards the railings; once he reached it, he braced both hands on it. "You'll take it as it comes, there's no rush" he said to himself.
oOo
Malfoy Manor – Wiltshire, England – 7: 23 P.M
"Stop pacing dear, you're ruining our carpet" Narcissa said while massaging her head.
Lucius paused and turned towards his wife; "We need to tell Draco"
"I know" Narcissa replied tiredly.
Lucius tucked his hands inside his trousers and sighed; "When?" he asked.
Narcissa leaned back on the loveseat; "I don't know. I mean, what are we suppose to tell our son Lucius? "Hey love, come home because your dead girlfriend came back to life and she's asking for you?" He thought she was dead and he grieved for her Lucius! It took him years to move on and I'm so scared that if we tell him he might rush on to this without thinking" she said.
"He deserves to know Cissy, he needs to know as soon as possible. Draco will hate us if we hide this from him, we need to tell him."
Narcissa balled her fist; "We will tell him but not tonight. We also need to know if she's really the person she's claiming to be. We haven't seen Ireland Montgomery, we need to make sure first before we dump all of this to our son" she explained.
Lucius let out a defeated sigh; "Alright, we'll postpone it for a day or two that will be enough time to have her investigated. I'll contact Brown right away and have him on this, I'll tell you what he finds out" he said.
"That would be terrific love," Narcissa replied.
Lucius nodded; "I'll go talk to him now" he said before turning around and leaving his wife.
Narcissa let out another sigh and closed her eyes; "Just when everything is falling into this place, this happens" she murmured to herself.
oOo
Malfoy's Beach House – Maldives Island – 7:54 A.M.
Hermione blinked a few times and stretched her arms above her head; she then winced as she tried to sit up. "Bloody alcohol, I'm not drinking tequila again" she murmured to herself.
"Good Morning Miss!" Didi greeted cheerfully.
Hermione turned her head towards the voice and smiled; "Morning Didi" she replied.
Didi moved closer to the bed with her hands clasped together; "What do you want to eat for breakfast? Didi can whip up anything Miss wants!" she beamed.
Hermione threw the covers off her legs; "Is...is Draco awake yet?" she asked nervously.
Didi shook her head; "Not yet Miss, Master is still asleep" she replied.
Hermione let out a relieved sigh and swung her legs off the bed; "I'll just have orange juice and toast if that's okay," she replied.
"Okay, I'll prepare it for you! Where do you want to eat it Miss?" Didi asked again.
Hermione stood up and began walking towards the bathroom; "I'll just go the kitchen Didi, no need to set it up somewhere" she replied.
"Okay Miss," Didi replied before disapperating with a loud crack.
oOo
Draco lay in his bed with his eyes wide open; he has been awake for hours but he can't seem to make himself move. He's still reeling from what happened last night and he can't help but worry on how it will affect the interaction between him and Hermione. He knows for sure that he's beginning to like her, hell, if the chemistry after the kiss was not proof then he can't think of anything else that can prove him otherwise. Hermione was a revelation to him, she's something new and fresh and he's not opposed to getting to know her more. He can't exactly put his finger when his feelings started to change but he knows that it did and he just hopes that she feels the same way.
oOo
Hermione plopped down on one of the bar stools and braised her arms on top of the breakfast counter; "This looks amazing Didi, thank you" she said with a smile.
Didi smiled at her Mistress; "Thank you Miss, Does Miss want anything else?"
Hermione took a sip of her orange juice before shaking her head; "No Didi, that would be it, thank you again" she said.
"You are most welcome Miss," Didi said before disappearing with a loud crack.
Hermione placed her glass back on the table and stared at her plate; she grabbed her toast and began lathering it with butter.
oOo
Draco emerged from his bathroom and walked towards his door; he took a deep calming breath before placing his hand on the door knob. "Keep calm man, act natural" he said to himself. He twisted the knob and pulled the door open; he stepped out of his room and closed the door behind him. He strolled along the hallways and landed on the living room; he was about to head towards the kitchen but paused when he saw his mother's house elf standing near the couch. He crossed his arms on top of his chest and narrowed his eyes; "Mimi?"
Mimi's eyes widen upon seeing the young master; she hastily faced him and curtseyed. "Master Draco" she said with a low bow.
Draco shifted closer to the elf; "What are you doing here? Is something the matter? Did something happen to Mum or Dad?" he asked.
Mimi took a step back and shook her head vigorously; "No sir, Master and Mistress are fine. Mimi is here because Mistress sent me to give you a letter"
Draco raised his brow; "A letter?"
Mimi nodded; she then pulled out a sealed envelope from her apron's front pocket and held it towards her master.
Draco leaned forward and plucked the envelope from the elf's shaking hands; "Is there anything else?" he asked.
"No Master" Mimi replied.
Draco stared at the elf for a moment before smirking; "Can you give me my wand back?"
Mimi's eyes widen in fear; "Mistress said that if Master asks for his wand Mimi should disappear. Mimi is leaving Master" she squeaked before disappearing with a loud pop.
Draco rolled his eyes; "Typical" he said. He then focused his attention on the letter in his hands; he hastily tore off the seal and pulled out the parchment.
Draco Dearest,
How's your vacation going? I hope all is well. I just wrote to let you know that we will be sending Mimi again in two days. As much as I don't want to cut your vacation short, we would have to due to an unforeseen situation that recently risen. Don't fret about it love, your father and I are taking care of it. Enjoy your remaining days there and we'll see you in two days time.
Love,
Mother
P.S. Please tell Hermione I said Hi!
Draco furrowed his brows as he folds the parchment; "What the hell happened?" he asked himself.
"Is everything alright?"
Draco's head snapped towards his right and saw Hermione standing a couple of steps away from him holding a glass of orange juice. He shoved the parchment inside his pocket and smiled; "Hey—everything's alright" he replied.
"Are you sure? You look upset there for a moment" Hermione said.
"My mother just sent me a letter and she says Hi"
"Oh"
Draco shifted and began walking towards Hermione; "Did you have breakfast?" he asked.
Hermione felt her heart beat rapidly as Draco approaches; she swallowed hard and tried her best to act nonchalant. "Err—yeah, I had toasts" she sputtered nervously.
Draco nodded; he then stopped in front of her and stared right into her eyes. "Any regrets yet?" he asked seriously.
Hermione felt her breath hitch in her throat with Draco's proximity; she tried to open her mouth to speak but she ended up letting out a breathy gasp. She closed her mouth again and did the only thing she could at the moment, she shook her head.
Draco noticing Hermione's reaction can't help but feel elated; his heart is beating wildly inside his chest but he's doing a great job in masking it. "Good because I don't regret it too."
Hermione felt her cheeks starting to flush so she averted her gaze shyly; she swallowed hard and cleared her throat. "Err—you should go and have breakfast"
"Can you join me?" Draco asked.
Hermione licked her lips nervously; "S—sure" she replied.
Draco smiled; slowly he moved his hands towards hers and interlaced their fingers together.
Hermione bit her bottom lip as she tries hard to hold back the smile that's tugging on her lips.
Draco noticing her reaction lifted their clasped hands closer to his face; he then stared into her eyes before planting a chaste kiss at the back of her hand.
Hermione gasped as she felt butterflies storming inside her stomach; she had never once felt this with Ron and the feelings it brought is messing up with her mind. Million thoughts and questions race through her head as tries to analyze what's happening between the two of them. They have chemistry and that she can no longer deny but was it worth it? Can Draco Malfoy help heal her heart? Can two broken people learn to fix each other? Can they make it work? She then mentally chastised herself, it's too early to think that far, they only shared a kiss, it's not like he professed his undying love or she gave herself to him. She's thinking way over her head and she needs to stop.
Draco pulled his lips away and gave her hand a comforting squeeze; "I can see the wheels turning inside your head Granger."
Hermione snapped out of her stupor and cringed; "Sorry--"
Draco smiled sincerely; "Don't think about it too much, like what I said last night, we'll take it as it goes."
Hermione stared into his eyes for a moment before nodding; she then squeezed his hand back and smiled. "One day at a time" she replied.
Draco nodded; "One day at a time" he repeated.