July 2008
The inner front pocket of his robes felt warm. Opening the two-way journal, Draco saw a pleasantly surprising request from Hermione awaited him.
Could you come round my place tonight?
Of course, he hastily scribbled back. Everything all right?
Fine, I just want to see you.
If Draco could see himself grinning like a fool at his desk, he'd hex his own face off. They typically didn't spend weekday evenings together, so this was a delightful detour from his usual Tuesday routine. As the clock ticked closer to the end of the work day, however, a more insidious thought crept into his mind.
Her message had been rather short, no? Quite brusque? No emotional punctuation, no term of endearment... never mind that they weren't the sort of couple (yet) for that type of behavior.
But still, something about the detached, brief note left worry growing in his gut. By the time Draco stepped out of her Floo, he had managed to convince himself that Hermione had summoned him over to break things off with him.
To his enormous relief, the second Hermione spotted him she beamed and flung her arms around him. "I got it! I got it!"
Draco pulled back and grinned down at her. "Am I to assume I'm now in the presence of the new Deputy Director of the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures?"
"Yes!" she squealed, eyes shining with pride. She pressed a fierce kiss to his lips. I love you.
"Didn't I tell you they'd give it to you? Don't know why you were so nervous."
"I know, I know, but I'd never want to presume something like this."
"Is it official then? Did they announce?"
Hermione shook her head. "Not yet. Amir came to my office just before lunch to offer me the post. I accepted, of course, but the paperwork won't be signed until tomorrow. Juanita is the only other person who knows, she stopped in to congratulate me on her way out today. Oh Merlin, I'm going to have quite the time filling her shoes. I should schedule an interview with her to go over the transition of duties and—"
"Whoa, whoa, Granger slow down! Take a minute to bask in your achievement. Off with those work robes, we're celebrating tonight. Actually, hold that thought, I'll be right back."
Fifteen minutes later, Draco stepped out of Hermione's fireplace once more, this time clutching a bottle of vintage champagne from his wine cellar.
"Just so you know, I only have two of these bottles, so consider yourself—"
What Hermione should consider herself, she would never find out. The rest of Draco's sentence died on his lips as he took in the sight before him on the couch. Oh fuck, I love you.
"Is that my shirt?" he croaked, throat dry.
Hermione's lips curved into a playful smile. "I do believe it is, yes."
"Just something else you've stolen, eh?"
Hermione unfurled her bare legs from the couch and walked slowly towards him. The white, collared dress shirt brushed the tops of her thighs, and she'd shaken her soft curls loose from the confines of their bun.
He knew she'd object to the thought if he were stupid enough to voice it aloud, so he kept silent. But the word that had crossed his mind when he laid eyes on her in his shirt was: Mine.
He wanted to growl the word in her ear while he made love to her. He wanted to hiss the word at every male idiot that had the stones to even glance at her. He wanted to shout the word at the entire world while she stood at his side.
Mine. Mine. Mine. Mine. All mine.
She stopped just short of him and inspected the bottle in his hand. "I may or may not have accidentally left with this article of clothing after the last time I stayed over at yours."
"I see," he said and licked his lips. "This is certainly curious attire, Ms. Deputy Director, hardly appropriate for a high-ranking Ministry official such as yourself. But what I'd like to know..." Draco closed the minuscule distance between them and fingered the top button of the shirt. "...is what have you got on underneath this?"
Hermione raised her wand and summoned two glass flutes from the kitchen.
"Pour me some of this absurdly expensive champagne and I just might show you."
Draco deftly popped the cork with his wand and filled their glasses. Drinks in hand, Hermione led him back to the couch and lightly pushed him down to sitting. She sipped her champagne as she lowered herself to straddle his lap.
"Not that I'm complaining, but you are aware that my birthday was last month, yes?"
Hermione cocked an eyebrow and drained her glass in the next go. Before Draco could quip that champagne of this quality was meant to be sipped and savored, not chugged like some common tavern ale, she captured his mouth in a bruising kiss. He had enough wherewithal to deposit his drink on the side table.
Running his hands up her sides, a delighted Draco discovered she'd foregone a bra underneath his shirt. He groaned against her lips and trailed his fingers under the fabric to assess the knickers situation. A soft satin met his fingertips while her tongue began to slide against his. Hermione dropped her empty champagne glass and Draco heard it thunk and roll away, while her now freed hands took up the mission of undoing his shirt buttons.
His chest bared to her now, Hermione ducked her head down to pepper open-mouthed kisses to his skin, while Draco kept a firm grip on her backside to keep her center pressed against his stiffened cock, their bodies rocking fervently into one another. If she wanted to celebrate her promotion by shagging him through the sofa, then far be it from him to deny the beautiful witch making him lose all sanity with her lips and the sensuous movement of her hips. This was certainly Draco's best Tuesday evening in recent memory.
Mine.
Lost in the pleasurable feelings, neither realized the Floo had activated and another person had entered the living room.
"Hey Hermione I just heard—OH JESUS FUCKING CHRIST!"
Hermione shrieked in surprise and mortification and rolled quickly off Draco's lap. "Hi Harry!" she said in a voice several pitches too high.
One of the most awkward silences of Draco's life stretched on while Hermione pulled the shirt as far down her body as it could go and a red-faced Harry Potter looked at the floor.
Draco sighed and fixed his disheveled hair and buttoned up his own shirt. "Evening Potter," he drawled, getting the worst of it over.
Harry cleared his throat. "Sorry for ah... interrupting, I uhh—"
"It's fine Harry," assured Hermione, a statement with which Draco disagreed wholeheartedly. "I forgot to close the Floo after Malfoy came through. We were just umm... celebrating some good news I received today..."
"Yes, that's why I dropped by!" Potter recovered and pushed his glasses up his nose, a tic of his that Draco despised. "I may or may not be privy to information regarding the very recent promotion of one Hermione Granger." The prat's moronic smile faded from his face. "But I see I'm intruding so..."
Yes Potter, you are intruding, Boy-Who-Lived-to-Cock-Block.
"No, not at all, let me umm, put some clothes on."
Potter at least had the decency to avert his eyes from Hermione as she crossed the room in naught but a dress-shirt belonging to Draco.
Left alone together, Potter had the audacity to offer a sheepish grin to Draco and inquire mischievously, "All right there Malfoy?"
"I've been better," Draco replied dryly.
Potter dropped a bottle he'd brought on the coffee table and took a seat in an armchair, making himself right at home. Draco resigned himself to sitting in silence until Hermione returned, but Potter seemed to have a hatred of quietly minding his own business in addition to proper hair care products.
"So, you and Hermione... that's still going well?"
"Obviously," sneered Draco. "It would be going even better if you'd not popped by with your cheap swill."
Potter shrugged and grinned boyishly. "This is a tradition, wait until she sees."
Merlin help him, but he'd take "easily riled Potter" over "chummy Potter" any day.
"So where is your better half this evening? She seems more the type to burst through a friend's Floo at inopportune moments."
"Yes, where's Gin?" called Hermione as she re-entered, now covering significantly more skin in jeans and a long-sleeve shirt.
"She sends her regrets, but she's absolutely knackered. She's tired all the time now, I guess it's a first trimester thing. Oh and Malfoy?"
Potter turned and smirked at Draco. "I will absolutely be telling her you referred to her as my better half. Good luck living that down."
Draco scowled but made no comment, lamenting the loss of the natural hatred that had once flourished between himself and Potter.
Hermione spotted the bottle on the coffee table and laughed affectionately. "Oh Harry, you didn't! It's a work night!"
"Do you really think that's going to stop me? Come on Hermione, it'd be bad luck not to!"
Hermione filled in the gaps for Draco. "Harry and Ron think it's ever so hilarious that the first time I ever got drunk was on extremely cheap strawberry-flavored champagne. Every time we have something to celebrate, they buy me a bottle and force me to drink it."
"Malfoy's aristocratic sensibilities might not be able to handle this," joked Potter. "I picked it up at your nearest petrol station."
Draco rolled his eyes, but accepted a glass nonetheless. Gods, Potter's "annoying kid brother" schtick needed to die, what with this hanging around when he's not wanted, making sure Draco's balls remained blue for the rest of the evening.
"How did you find out about my promotion?"
"Amir," said Harry, referring to Hermione's boss. "He caught up with me in the canteen and told me. I'm so proud of you, Hermione."
To Draco's horror, Hermione's eyes watered. Oh for fuck's sake...
"Thanks Harry," she said shakily, and reached over to squeeze Potter's hand. Potter's eyes looked a little starry too, but his voice firm when he raised his glass in a toast.
"To Hermione! Next stop, Minister for Magic!"
Hermione snorted in humble disbelief and they all tipped their glasses back. Potter wasn't kidding, this shit tasted absolutely awful. "Granger, you can't be serious," Draco coughed. "That's bloody disgusting."
Potter wiped his mouth on the back of his hand. "I have to agree, Hermione. You'd think I'd be used to it by now but..." he trailed off with a shudder.
"More for me then!" She topped off her own glass. "Since you're here Harry, you might as well stay for dinner. I haven't got much in, so where would you two like to order from?"
"The curry place."
The only sounds that could be heard for the next several minutes were Hermione's peals of laughter at Draco and Harry's unintended joint response.
---------------------------
"Hey Malfoy!"
Draco turned at the sound of his name and saw Susan Bones hustling to catch up with him as everyone else filed around him and out of the conference room. The Ministry meeting with Draco's office had just concluded budget talks for the upcoming charity match next month. This year, Switzerland would host England, which meant significantly less work for the Ministry, but Whisp & Wright employees would be just as busy with preparations for the English team.
"Miss Bones."
"Susan is fine," she waved away his propriety. "Anyway, I have the close-out report from last year's charity match. Our French counterpart 'forgot' to send us an English copy," she rolled her eyes in disbelief. "Could you do a quick translation for my department? The spells are absolute rubbish and it would be much faster a job if I had someone I trusted do it right the first time."
"Err, all right." Someone trusted him? Well that was news to Draco. "When do you need this by?"
"Next Friday?"
"That's fine," his gray eyes scanned the parchments in his hand. "Oh this won't take long... do you want me to include all his snide comments about the quality of British stadium food?"
Susan huffed. "Oh for Merlin's sake... yes, please include it as exactly as possible. It's an official Ministry report so it needs to be word for word."
"No problem, see you around Miss... Susan."
He turned away but she called him back again. "I was just heading out to the Hag in the Hearth. Are you free for a drink? We can chat more about those broom recs for next month."
Draco frowned and made a show of glancing at his wristwatch to buy himself thinking time. He could not remember the last time a person who was not Theo or Hermione had invited him anywhere. But he didn't really know Susan Bones at all outside of the Ministry meetings. She seemed competent enough, and despite her aunt's death at the hands of Death Eaters, seemed to harbor no ill-will towards Draco. This would be harmless right? Just a drink with an acquaintance. Normal people did this all the time, according to his healer. Besides, Bones supposedly maintained friendly relationships with not only Hermione, but Potter and Potter's wife, and various Weasleys. This could be to Draco's benefit in the eventual future where the rest of the world became privy to his relationship with Granger.
"All right."
A half hour later, Draco could admit that this had not been a total mistake. Susan possessed more than a bit of quidditch knowledge, despite her poor choice in team.
"They're almost as bad as the Cannons now," bemoaned Susan.
"No one's forcing you to still support them," Draco pointed out, polishing off his lager.
"Hey! I'm no fair weather fan! And next season, when the Appleby Arrows are crowned league champion, you'll be eating those words," she said smugly. "Oh who am I kidding," she snorted. "We're doomed for at least the next five seasons. Couldn't throw some of those star players on your roster our way could you?"
"Not a chance."
"Prat," Susan teased. "I'm starved, want to order some food?"
Draco again pulled the wristwatch move. He had no plans tonight to see Hermione since it was a Thursday, so he really had no place to be. No one in this particular pub seemed to care about him showing his face in public (after all, he and Theo drank regularly here) and Bones had yet to become intolerable company.
"Sure. The venison stew's decent."
They ordered another round of drinks and for the first time in his life, Draco willingly ate a meal with a Hufflepuff. They stayed to the safe topics of quidditch and Susan's work in the Department of International Cooperation, Draco actually finding himself interested in her travel tales and surprised at the extent of her work.
"My current tally is 5 continents and 26 countries."
"Not bad," Draco drawled. "And in all your time globe-trotting, you've yet to pick up another language besides Spanish? That's honestly a little pathetic."
"Oh I'm sorry, not all of us were raised with a private French tutor at our beck and call."
"My grandparents taught me the language, I'll have you know. You're thinking of the Latin tutor."
Susan chuckled and Draco indulged in a grin at his joke. Seeing that they were both nursing their last sips, Draco stood and held a hand out for her glass.
"Fancy another? I'll grab this round."
Susan nodded slowly and drained her glass and put it in Draco's outstretched hand, but as he began to pull away, she brushed her fingers against his.
"Careful, Malfoy. I think one more of these and I'll need you to help me home," she said in a low voice and smiled coyly at him. Oh. Well, fuck.
Draco immediately turned towards the bar and tried not to have a panic attack. Fucking Salazar, had this been a date the whole time? Merlin's arse, how the fuck did this happen? He had completely misread the entire situation and had no idea how to walk this back without looking like a prize idiot. Which he was, by the way, per usual. Fuck.
Shit, Hermione was going to kill him. Draco ran his hands through his hair nervously as he waited for the bartender. How did he even begin to explain this? Sorry, Granger, but I accidentally accepted a date from one of your old friends because apparently I'm shite at reading social cues and what I had assumed was a friendly drink was, in actuality, a prelude to a shag?
Draco heaved a sigh as the bartender handed him a water and another beer for Susan. Maybe Draco could just close the tab and do a runner?
No, that would be awkward too, and more than a little cruel. Steeling himself, he made his way back to the table, trying not to visibly cringe as he approached. Susan gave him a rather thorough eye-fuck, her hungry expression zeroing in on him as she leaned further across the table.
He set her drink down and she raised an eyebrow at the sight of his water.
"Bones—"
"Susan."
"Whatever. Look, I'm really not good at this sort of thing and—"
"It's all right Malfoy, I'm perfectly aware you don't date much. That's why I asked you out."
Draco grit his teeth and tried not to scream in frustration. I don't date much because I'm already with someone, thank you very much.
"Which is very flattering, but I have to tell you—"
"I don't care that you haven't been with anyone for a while, and I certainly don't care about your past or teenage transgressions—"
"Wonderful, but—"
"I've been wanting to ask you out for months now because we get on so well when we work together, but I didn't feel like waiting for you to ask me, so here we are. It's not complicated, Malfoy. I'm attracted to you, we're both single, and my flat is just up the street."
On one level, Draco had to admire her boldness. She had looked him straight in the eye as she'd essentially propositioned him.
"I'm not single," Draco admitted flatly.
He had to avert his eyes as the color drained from Susan's face. "You're not?" she sputtered.
Draco shook his head. "Not for a few months now. We're uhh... well, not many people know... not that we're hiding or anything just... not parading it about."
He looked back up and saw his inner mortification mirrored on her face. She cleared her throat. "Does that mean you had no idea that I was asking you on a date?"
"None."
"Morgana's tits this is embarrassing," she groaned and covered her now flaming face in her hands. "Do I know the lucky lady?"
Draco froze, unsure of his next move. He and Hermione had agreed not to lie if directly asked, but Draco wasn't clear on whether this counted. When he remained silent for too long, Susan made the choice for him. "That means yes," she sighed. "Which witch do I need to avoid for the rest of my life?"
Draco's eyes darted around the pub. Sod it all, they were adults in a relationship, why the fuck should this be a weird sort-of secret?
"Hermione Granger," he murmured, eyes continuing to glance around the moderately crowded bar.
"Huh." Susan sat back in her seat, all embarrassment forgotten as she gazed thoughtfully at Draco. "That's... unexpected, I'd say, but... good for you. And well, good for her, too, I suppose."
"Er... thanks?"
"Oh gods... she's going to kill me!" Susan suddenly whispered dramatically. Draco rolled his eyes. "She's hardly the type. Aren't you two friends?"
"We're friendly enough but I don't think she'd much appreciate me trying to pull her boyfriend. Any chance you could not tell her?"
Draco merely raised one pale eyebrow and Susan laughed in defeat, finally cutting some of the awkward tension.
"Right. Well, since I've thoroughly made a fool of myself for the evening, I think I'll head out."
Draco stood with her, unsure of how to leave this situation. "Look, you didn't know I was seeing her, not many people do. I honestly wasn't aware of your ah... intentions."
"I'm sure I'll recover after some more alcohol at home or I could just obliviate myself. Honestly, I'm still trying to wrap my mind around you and Hermione." She peered up at him with a small smile. "You're revoltingly happy with her, aren't you?"
"Happiness is for Hufflepuffs," he deadpanned and she laughed.
"Thanks for not being a complete arse about this. Let's do this again some time, but bring Hermione."
After Susan left, Draco immediately apparated to Hermione's home. When she answered the door, she looked a little worried and confused.
"Is everything okay?"
Draco opened and closed his mouth several times. What the hell did he rush over here for? He could have easily waited until coffee tomorrow and given himself some time to think of an eloquent explanation.
"It was an accident!"
Kill. Me. Now.
"What was? Are you all right, did something happen? Do you need—?"
Of course, she went right into emergency mode. Gods, he was beyond help at this point. "I'm fine, I... look this whole thing is rather odd, can I come in and explain?"
When they'd settled on the couch, Draco steadied himself and took the time to form a coherent sentence before babbling on.
"I may have accidentally gone on a date."
Hermione blinked owlishly at him.
"I see." She said, even though Draco could tell she didn't, really. "How does one accidentally go on a date?" Her low and careful tone gave Draco the sense that an awful lot of trouble awaited him if he couldn't explain properly.
"A colleague stopped me after my Ministry meeting today and invited me out for a drink. I swear Granger, that's all I thought it was."
"Mmmhmm. Still not clear on this whole 'accidental date' thing."
Oh fuck, the narrowed eyes. Shit, shit, shit, shit...
"Well, fuck, what was I supposed to think? It's not like witches are approaching me left and right, I had no clue she meant tonight to be a date. She pitched it as a chance to talk more about work!"
"And what finally clued you in?"
Draco's face reddened at the memory and Hermione's eyes somehow narrowed further.
"She may have mentioned that she lived close by and that I would be welcome to uhh... accompany her home."
Thick, ominous silence met this statement. It belatedly dawned on Draco that Hermione's silence signified her need for him to elaborate.
"I obviously let her know that I'm not... available," he said hastily. "And I told her I was seeing you, specifically."
Those words softened Hermione's features slightly, but she remained undeterred. "Are you going to tell me who or do I need to guess?"
"Bones. Susan Bones."
"Oh! I like Susan! She does excellent work for her department," said Hermione brightly. But then she turned off to the side, and Draco didn't miss the way her face suddenly fell, her gaze landing on the floor. "She's quite pretty," she said softly.
"Sorry?"
"Susan is quite pretty," repeated Hermione faintly.
"What the hell does that have to do with anything?"
Hermione shrugged, but still wouldn't look at Draco. "Nothing, it just makes sense I suppose, for a woman like her to pursue you."
Draco frowned. "Don't be nonsensical Granger. I didn't ask for this. The second I realized her true intentions I made it known I'm not interested. Why does it matter if she's quite pretty?"
"You agree with me then, that she's quite pretty?"
"Don't put words in my mouth, that's not what I said," growled Draco in exasperation.
Hermione gave another half-hearted shrug, looking a little defeated. The silence stretched on between them and Draco began to question whether honesty had been the right call in this situation. He seemed to have only caused more trouble by blundering over here and spilling his guts like a nervous Third Year.
Why the hell was Granger fishing for compliments? Draco was here, wasn't he? Not off mindlessly shagging some random bint just because she threw him a smile. Did she really think so low of him?
No, it finally dawned on Draco, she thinks that low of herself.
He really wasn't adept at this sort of thing, but for Granger, he could try. Draco reached over and took one of her hands in his, getting her to finally look at him.
"I don't tell you enough, do I?" he asked softly.
She stared back blankly, so Draco clarified. "That you're beautiful."
I love you.
Hermione's face flushed. "That's not what I... I mean, you don't have to... I mean, thank you," she stammered and looked away again. Draco, having none of this, cupped a hand under her chin and forced her face up.
"You're beautiful."
This time she rolled her eyes, but Draco recognized the practiced deflection, a stab at feigned annoyance to veil her true emotions. This incredible woman always heard about her cleverness, her nobility, her bravery... Draco had an inkling there was another trait she longed to hear associated with her name on occasion. The memory of their conversation after the ballet all those months ago popped into his mind: "I'd love to have someone who thought of me as more than a brainy bookworm, who would bring me flowers or take me out on dates."
"Enough of this, stand up." Draco said suddenly.
"Why?" she asked warily.
"Humor me."
Hermione huffed and crossed her arms, but stood off the couch all the same. She raised an expectant brow as she stared down at him. Draco stood too, towering over her small frame. He took her by the hand and led her to the bedroom, where he tugged her in front of her full-length mirror and stepped behind her.
"It appears I've been quite the neglectful boyfriend," he drawled. He swept her hair over one shoulder and pressed a kiss to her neck. He wanted to devour her skin, addicted to her taste, but knew that patience would be essential here.
"If the woman I'm seeing isn't convinced of her own beauty, then I've failed spectacularly," he whispered, then gently nipped her ear lobe. He felt her shiver and moved his hands from her arms down to rest on her hips.
"You're beautiful," he repeated, then gently tugged her shirt up, helping her get it over her head. He unclasped her bra next, sliding the straps down one at a time and kissing the tops of her shoulders.
"Let me show you," Draco whispered, then walked around to stand in front of Hermione. He trailed his fingers lightly down the side of her face, and then hovered them over her lips, which parted instantly at his touch. She surprised him when she opened her mouth further and sucked on the length of his pointer finger. His trousers became painfully tight at the sight of her pretty mouth wrapped around his digit.
"Good girl," he groaned and she smiled. Finally, he thought, no more of this meek nonsense from his witch.
His beautiful witch.
Draco pulled his finger from her mouth so both hands could lightly caress and massage her breasts. Hermione hissed in a breath at the contact, eyes fluttering closed.
"Gods, I could do this all day, Granger, your tits are glorious."
He crouched and ducked his head down and took a nipple into his mouth. "Beautiful," he murmured against her chest, delighting in the way he'd caused her to pant. Draco knelt in front of her to unbutton and remove the rest of her clothing. With Hermione bare before him, he wasted no time and immediately licked and kissed at the apex of her thighs. Merlin, he loved eating her out, she always came astoundingly quickly. Giving into the sensations caused by his tongue, Hermione soon grabbed onto his hair and cried out in pleasure. He hoped she watched all this in the mirror behind him.
Draco craned his neck up to look at her. "How could I ever notice another woman when I have you?"
Still breathing hard and coming down from her orgasm, she only managed a shake of her head. Draco stood and held her to his chest.
Finally she could form words. "Because you're so... so bloody fit! I mean... Merlin... have you seen yourself? I'm... well I'm decent-looking enough, I suppose, but next to you..."
While this did quite the number on Draco's ego, it made him thoroughly uncomfortable that she felt some large delta existed between their levels of attractiveness.
"How many times? How many bloody times do I have to say it?" he growled in frustration, and she looked up at him, wide-eyed.
Draco stepped back from her and began removing his own clothing.
"It seems you still haven't gotten the lesson. Lucky for you, I'm a very patient teacher."
Once he was also naked before her, he glared down at her. "Get on the bed... please," he intoned.
When Hermione had positioned herself with her back to the headboard and knees drawn up against her chest, Draco shook his head.
"Legs down Granger, don't you dare hide," he murmured, still standing at the foot of the bed.
She huffed out an indignant breath and raised her chin, but complied all the same. Draco licked his lips at the sight before him. He would make her feel incomparably stunning if it was the last thing he did.
Mine.
His eyes raked up and down her nude body, taking their time to commit every square inch of her skin to memory. Laid out before him like the most delectable feast, his cock screamed at him to just fuck her into the mattress already.
But this time needed to be about Hermione.
Draco ran his tongue over his lips again, but slower this time, making sure to keep his eyes locked on hers. His gaze was drawn to her chest though, as it rose and fell rapidly.
"What are you doing?" she asked, her voice tinged with apprehension, her stare quizzical.
Draco shrugged, feigning indifference. "A simple practical demonstration." He wrapped one hand around his achingly hard member and stroked it slowly. "There's no need for you to talk, I have everything I need right in front of me."
He noticed her throat bob and she released a shaky exhale as her brown eyes zeroed in on the way his hand pumped himself up and down. Draco focused on different areas of her body to appreciate while he pleasured himself, desperate to relieve some of the tension built from tasting her. Her eyes, her full lips, the curve of her shoulders, her tits, the dip of her hips, her thighs, her calves... "So bloody beautiful," he said in an awed voice, increasing his speed a little as he bit his lip.
Her lips parted and she squirmed under his intense gaze. "You don't have to do this just to make me feel better," she said weakly.
"Shut up and spread your legs for me."
The abruptness of his forceful command made her mouth snap shut as her legs fell open. Draco fought the urge to come instantly into his own hand.
Mine.
He let out a sort of strangled groan at the sight of her glistening, wet center and worked his cock even faster. She was panting too, even though he was the one touching himself, and he saw her hands clench into fists at her sides.
"I can't take this anymore, please come touch me!"
He instantly removed his hand. "Oh thank Merlin..." Draco moaned and finally crawled up her body. "Do... you... believe... me... yet?" he mumbled into her mouth between kisses.
"Yes, yes, you're very convincing, now please get inside me," she said impatiently. I love you.
"As the lady wishes."
Afterwards, when she'd all but collapsed in his arms, Draco drew her close and buried his face in her hair.
"Malfoy?"
"Hmm?"
"Thank you."
I love you.
Draco didn't reply, just held her closer still. He knew he shouldn't ask. He knew it would sound silly, whiny, and pathetic. But he needed to know.
"How often did Weasley compliment you?"
He both felt and heard the sigh that left her mouth.
"I suppose now is as good a time as any for this."
"For what?"
Hermione tipped her head up to look at him.
"To exorcise the ghosts of relationships past."
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A/N: Thanks for reading! Find me on tumblr: @heyjude19-writing.