Ron returns

"Ginny, for Merlin's sake, this is the fifth shop in the last hour," Hermione hissed, "Why can't I just get the black dress we saw at the last shop? It fit well and I was comfortable in it."

Ginny lifted her head from the racks of muggle dresses and scowled at her friend. "Because you've finally conceded defeat and fallen into Draco Malfoy's love trap. You have to look spectacular next to him at the ministry's banquet next week. I want everyone to be in awe of the two of you."

Hermione's face screwed up as she laughed. "Love trap? That's rubbish and you're ridiculous."

The ministry's annual banquet was always held before the holiday season started. There was always a mixture of wizarding and muggle fashion. For whatever reason, Hermione never felt comfortable in wizarding dress robes. So once learning of her and Draco's start of a real relationship, Ginny had used this as an excuse to drag the brainy witch out for a sexy new number for the event.

"I'm not any more ridiculous than you are," Ginny retorted. "Ah! This one! You've got to try this one on."

She held out a red dress and Hermione grabbed it without even looking before she marched off for the dressing room. Whatever it took to pacify the redheaded witch and get her out of the shop.

"Bloody rubbish way to spend a Saturday," she grumbled to herself.

She quickly slipped out of her snug jeans and sweater. She slipped the dress off the hanger and slid it on. When she finally glanced into the dressing room mirror she froze.

"Ginny?" Her voice was dripping with trepidation.

"Right here," her friend called from outside the dressing room door. "No one else is in here."

"I can't wear this!"

"Let me see it."

Hermione took a deep breath and cautiously unlocked the door before stepping out. She was already red in the face and Ginny's low whistle didn't help.

"Good Godric, Hermione…I wish I had your legs….and bum really. What's wrong with it? I think this one is perfect."

She gave her an incredulous look before glancing worriedly back at her reflection. "Don't you think there's a little too much skin showing?"

Ginny had chosen a sleek halter dress that fastened at the neck. It had a deep V cut far lower on the chest than anything Hermione normally wore and practically most of her back was visible from the waist up. Not to mention a slit up the left side that showed a lovely leg from ankle to mid-thigh whenever she moved.

Ginny shrugged. "I don't think so. Most of the women are going to be wearing something equally sexy."

"Including you?" She rolled her eyes when the redhead merely grinned.

Hermione turned back into the room and looked at her reflection again. It wasn't so much that she didn't like what she saw but that it wasn't normally what she'd wear. Her outfits tended to veer towards classic and a bit reserved.

"Draco will like it," Ginny encouraged from the doorway, sporting a sly grin.

Hermione glared at her and shut the door in her face. She hated to admit it but she thought she might agree with her. He probably would enjoy it. It was a little strange to have someone she wanted to impress.

She dressed in her clothes and left the dressing room with a dramatic sigh. "Let's go before I change my mind."

"Brilliant!"

After paying, they exited onto the streets of muggle London in the cool weather. They still needed shoes and Ginny was already heading in the direction of one of her favorite shoe stores.

"So, did you see this?" Ginny pulled a clipping from the Daily Prophet discreetly from her bag and handed it to her friend, taking the garment bag of the new dress so she could hold it. "I'm assuming you didn't since it was published during your little self-imposed exile last week."

Hermione straightened the article to take a good look. There were two pictures one of Daphne Greengrass flirting with Draco before the game and then another, much more interesting picture, of herself kissing him on the cheek and their subsequent 'cuddling' as Rita Skeeter termed it.

Dear readers, the youngest Malfoy seems to have his own admirers and despite his rather devious past, we can understand why. He's become quite the catch in the looks department. It seems he wasn't the slightest tempted by the former Slytherin witch as she tried her charms on him during Hogwarts recent alumni quidditch game. Rumor has it that the two's families once wished to have them betrothed.

However, Miss Greengrass's…or we've just learned now, Mrs. McLaggen's charms were for naught. Mr. Malfoy retreated with hot chocolate in hand to rejoin his Ministry selected wife where he looked quite cozy sitting amongst her Gryffindor housemates. Romance is in bloom, my lovlies. Just look at that sweet kiss on the cheek…

"Ugh," Hermione groaned as she folded and pocketed the article. She may not have liked the attention but she wanted to save the photo. "Does she ever get bored?"

"With the two of you," Ginny grinned in question, "Who would?"

After they found a pair of shoes for both of their dresses, the women headed back to the Leaky Cauldron to use the floo back to Hermione and Draco's. They stepped out of the fireplace and glanced at each other when they heard voices coming from the kitchen.

"So you mean you put bread into it, press that funny lever, and it makes toast?"

Harry pushed his glasses up on his nose as he rolled his eyes. "I swear, Malfoy, it's like you're a three year-old sometimes. Yes, but you have to butter it first."

Draco smacked the back of his head with a loud thwack. "Give me a break, Potter. Toasters aren't exactly staples in wizarding households, you prat."

"Another muggle piece, Draco," Hermione asked as she and Ginny entered the room.

Both men straightened up like they'd been caught red-handed stealing cookies from the cookie jar. "I bought a toaster today," Draco announced like it was a new ministry policy.

"You know that's just going to annoy Bitsy, don't you? I think I've figured out that she's leery of muggle devices because she thinks they're using magic and she doesn't understand what spell has been placed on them."

Draco's pale eyebrows screwed up as he thought for a minute. "Huh, never considered it."

"In fairness, even I was leery of toasters when Harry first brought one home after we were married. Kept claiming toast made with magic tasted weird or some rubbish," Ginny rolled her eyes.

"It does! I swear it doesn't taste right. Back me up here, Hermione!"

Hermione laughed at the couple and nodded. "Unfortunately, I'd have to agree with him, Ginny. I stopped eating toast first year in the Great Hall because I couldn't get over the taste. It's not as…"

"Buttery," Harry supplied.

"That's it."

"And I bought your dad one for Christmas today," Harry grinned. Nearly every year he bought Arthur Weasley some sort of muggle item as they amused the wizard immensely. He hadn't struck out yet.

"Oh, mum's going to love that," she groaned.

Harry glanced at his watch, "Oh, we should get going. We're supposed to meet Neville and Hannah for dinner. Sure you and Hermione don't want to join us, Malfoy?"

"Positive," Draco glared at him, trying to convey a silent message.

Harry's eyes widened and he nodded. "Oh right, yeah. That. See you at work Monday. Remember, Ron's coming in. He supposed to be coming back by portkey tomorrow with George."

"Lovely," Draco sneered. He never had warmed to that particular member of the Weasley family.

Once Ginny and Harry were gone, Hermione rounded the kitchen counter and stood on her toes to give him a quick kiss. At least she'd intended for it to be quick. One touch and she found she wanted more.

She sighed contentedly when he trapped her back against the counter, hands on either side of her on the counter as he began to snog her senseless.

Her dating history had been admittedly limited. Viktor Krum had been her first kiss and while she looked fondly on the memory, it wasn't the best obviously. Ron had been alright. She supposed she'd been fine because at the time she'd been over the moon to finally have his attention. There'd been a few others over the years since on the sparse amount of dates she'd been on but nothing that made her see fireworks.

However, her husband was a snogging god. The man had a way with his tongue and lips unlike anything she'd ever experienced. The second he sucked her lower lip into his mouth, she was lost.

She was in a world of her own and hardly noticed as he hands moved to her hips, almost dwarfed in his large palms. Those seemingly innocent hands moved from her hips slowly until they cupped her rear, giving it a gentle but firm squeeze.

Hermione surprised even herself when she moaned softly into his mouth.

She pulled back from him, breathless and warm all over, burning up where his hands were now running along ribcage.

She swallowed as she tried to regain her senses and patted his chest where her hands had migrated to rest. "So obviously you didn't want to have dinner with everyone. Care to fill me in as to why?"

Draco groaned and rolled his eyes to the ceiling before he stepped back reluctantly. "I gave Bitsy the night off. I was going to cook for you. If you'd rather have dinner with everyone else, we can do that though."

"Draco? Why are you staring at the ceiling," she laughed.

He turned his eyes down to her and shrugged. "I'm never been very comfortable being…"

"Romantic," she offered. "Nor have I so I won't judge you."

He breathed a sigh of relief. He really didn't want to disappoint her. "Thank you."

She gave him a sweet smile and rounded the counter to pick up her forgotten purchases. "Am I allowed to wear comfortable pajamas to this dinner you're cooking?"

"Wear whatever you want. Wear nothing at all if it makes you happy."

Hermione narrowed her eyes at his cheeky grin and smacked his stomach as she passed him, annoyed at the hard muscle she felt there. "I think that might make you happier than it would make me."

She changed into a comfortable Henley and some pajama pants and rejoined him in the kitchen. He sat her on a stool at the bar and poured her a glass of wine to sip while he worked.

She sipped the wine, noting his exquisite taste. She supposed she had the family bloodline to thank for that, ironically.

She took in the sight before her. Her husband had a kitchen towel thrown haphazardly over one shoulder as he worked. He'd stripped off his sweater as the kitchen had grown hotter with the preheated stove and he was down to his too snug white t-shirt and muggle jeans, looking so very un-Draco-like.

And she liked it.

"Are you going to be ok Monday," she asked as he started the process of prepping some asparagus.

Draco's brow furrowed but he kept his eyes on the knife he was using. "Why wouldn't I be?"

"Ron will be there to start his training. It was ultimately the trainers' decision who got the last open position, you know. Harry didn't make the final call."

He looked up and gave her an incredulous look. "Hermione, I'm not going to let Weasley bother me. Never have, never will."

She grimaced and glanced down at the finger that was now tracing the rim of her glass. "I guess it's not really you I'm worried about as much as it is him. Ron's always been quick to judge. It's one of his flaws."

"And he has many," he muttered.

Her expression was soft when she looked up again. "He's still my friend, Draco."

"Funny that," he turned to the stove to start heating his pan. "You and Potter don't speak about him much."

She sighed as she drew circles with her fingers on the countertop now. "Ron had a hard time after the war, losing his brother and all. We've all traded letters but I don't really think he was himself."

Draco tried his best not to sneer openly. He didn't want to anger her but he also felt the need to be honest. "Not a good enough excuse for me. You don't have your parents. My life was fucked. Potter was the one to take the brunt of the physical punishment of the war. None of us fell apart."

"That's not fair, Draco," she spoke softly. She imagined Harry had told him what happened with her parents and didn't feel the urge to dig deeper. Though she did appreciate how protective he was being. "People react to trauma differently."

He shrugged, his back still to her. "You were the strongest one of the three of you. But his loss is my gain." He turned back to her as he wiped his hand on the towel. "If you're worried about me behaving myself, you don't need to worry. I won't start anything with him, Hermione. I have too much to lose with you to do that. I'll be civil."

She gave him a relieved smile as a little ball of warmth formed in her stomach at his words and quickly traveled to nestle in her chest.

"First of all, you don't have to worry about losing me. I'm fully aware how infuriating he can be. But I haven't told him that you and I were matched, let alone married already. It's likely to be a surprise. I just want you to be prepared."

Draco rounded the counter and kissed her soundly on the lips. "Consider me prepared."

~o~O~o~

Hermione spent the better part of Monday morning trying to control her growing anxiety. She hadn't seen any of the three men yet nor heard a peep out of the ordinary. It was making her go mad!

By half past ten she couldn't take it any longer and searched her desk for an excuse to visit the aurors' office. Her eyes landed on a case file for a unicorn attack she'd been given that morning and she grinned. Technically, that case would be a joint effort between her office and the Office of Magical Law Enforcement.

She grabbed the file and quickly made her way out of her office.

"Just going to meet with Harry about the Unicorn case," she told Katie Bell as she passed his desk.

She squinted at her like she'd lost her mind. She didn't generally meet with aurors on crossover cases. It was a menial task she usually delegated to someone else.

"I can do that for you, Hermione." Though as soon as she offered, she seemed to think better of it.

Rumor around the ministry was that she and Draco were getting along extremely well as of late. Though they had a rule about exhibiting very little PDA at work, only kissing behind closed doors when Hermione visited him in his office to bring him paperwork, people seemed to be speculating about the degree to which their marriage had evolved. There were even a few people betting on when she'd announce her first pregnancy.

"That's alright, Katie. I have some other things to discuss with Harry anyway. I'll be back shortly."

Merlin, they were onto her!

She didn't have time to process it and rushed to the lifts to get to the aurors' floor. She sometimes hated those bloody lifts. They were far too slow by muggle standards.

She was relieved when she finally made it to their office and found it quiet. Angelina looked up with a smile and set her quill down. "Hermione, morning. Here to see Dra—"

"Hermione!"

She turned so fast at the sound of her name that she nearly rolled her ankle in her heels. "Ron!"

The tall redhead embraced her in a big hug that threatened to lift her right off of her feet. He released her and steadied her with his hands on her shoulders. "Sorry," he gave her a lopsided grin. "Too heavy-handed. Hazard of dealing with those bloody dragons for so long."

She waved it off and offered her old friend a genuine smile. "How's your first day been?"

Ron trailed a hand through his mop of red hair with a lopsided grin. "Besides nearly getting my hair burned off by Seamus, not bad."

"He ducked when he should have dodged," Seamus defended himself.

"Merlin, we'll all die with you, Finnigan," Angelina groaned.

Hermione ignored them and pressed forward on a topic she was more curious about. "Have you gotten your match yet?"

Ron nodded his head. "Bloody rubbish marriage law though, right? My letter was waiting on me when I got home but I haven't had the stomach to open it yet."

She nodded, hoping she didn't look as uneasy as she felt. "Horrible that they felt they had to force everyone but the numbers can't be ignored. It's necessary."

Ron frowned as he always had when he heard something he didn't like. "I guess." He glanced at her left hand and his eyebrows nearly disappeared into his hairline. "You're already married?"

Hermione fingered her rings self-consciously as she noted the disappointment in his voice and felt a heavy weight drop in her stomach. Merlin, he must have thought they'd be matched. Just the thought nauseated her. They were friends but she had no desire to revisit their failed romantic interlude.

"Uh, yes, for a couple of months now," she answered awkwardly.

Ron nodded, tearing his eyes from her left hand she was now wringing uncomfortably. He gave her a forced smile. "The bloke must be fairly well off at least. That's quite the rock on that engagement ring. At least they matched you with someone who's up on muggle traditions."

Hermione checked her left hand as well and took in the large diamond surrounded by topaz and hugged by her diamond studded wedding band. The fact that Draco had spent so much on her from the beginning really should have tipped her off now that she thought about it. While she'd thought then that he was just being reasonably nice, he had no reason to buy her such expensive jewelry if he'd not had any feelings invested in the marriage.

She'd seen some of the other witches' in the Ministry's wedding bands, and engagement rings for those that engaged in the muggle tradition, and no one, outside of Hannah Abbott who'd already been dating Neville, had received such beautiful gestures. Not even the purebloods who valued appearances so much.

Merlin, I was bloody daft.

She opened her mouth to answer when the office doors burst open and Harry stomped inside, covered in mud with a bit of blood around his ear.

"Harry," she gasped. "What in the world happened?"

"Had a last minute order from Kingsley to conduct a raid at Tontin Tinshaw's. Kingsley got a tip that he was involved in that Unicorn case you got this morning. We got him and the unicorns. Malfoy took the brunt of it."

Harry saw Ron standing behind her sporting his own worried look. Considering the death glare Ron had shot Draco when he came into the office that morning, he hadn't touched the subject of Hermione's marriage to him.

When he saw the way her eyes widened and her teeth bit down on her lip, he knew she was worried and trying to hide it.

To his credit, Draco chose that moment to trudge into the office, equally covered in mud and his right cheek bloodied, his lower lip—her favorite—also busted.

The look of relief that crossed Hermione's face told Harry everything he needed to know. Whether she'd finally admitted it to herself or not, she was in love with him. He knew her that well.

The corner of his mouth tipped into a crooked smile as he watched her reaction.

Ron completely forgotten, Hermione dropped the file she'd been holding on Angelina's desk and rushed over to her husband. "Draco, what happened? Are you alright?"

Despite his irritation over the morning, Draco's demeanor softened just slightly and he nodded as he held his hands up to keep from getting her muddy. He didn't think she'd enjoy turning a scourgify spell on her own white blouse.

"I'm fine, Hermione. I promise. Trust me; Tinshaw is way worse off than either of us."

Ron watched as one of his best friends, and ex-girlfriend, worried over their childhood nemesis. He didn't notice Harry look of approval, mouth turned up in amusement.

"What the bloody hell is this," Ron finally burst out.

Hermione glanced over her shoulder to find he'd turned a shade of red nearly the same as his hair. She shook her head and pulled her wand from her skirt. "Come on, Harry. I'd rather get you both clean at the same time."

Harry nodded, thankful he didn't have to cast the spell on himself. He never got clean enough for some reason.

"Scourgify," she flicked her wrist elegantly and both wizards were as clean as they'd been upon arriving that morning, minus the cuts and scrapes still present.

Draco and Harry shivered at the effect of the spell. It was like bathing with cold mist.

Hermione turned back to Ron as she pocketed her wand again. She took a deep, calming breath. Might as well get it over with.

"Ron, Draco and I are married."

"Bloody hell, Hermione," he choked, "That's horrible! Kingsley wouldn't rematch you?"

She sighed and glanced around the office, realizing that they had an audience. Harry seemed to realize the same thing and spoke up.

"Angelina and Cormac, can you take Seamus and start introducing him to some of the more advanced spells we use in the field for blocking?"

Angelina nodded in understanding and grabbed a reluctant Cormac by the collar. "No problem, Harry. Let's go, Seamus."

Harry waited until the room was clear and was thankful the rest of the office was on assignment. "Alright, so now it's in the open. Ron, I think you need to hear Hermione out before you jump to conclusions."

Ron turned to him with an incredulous look. "Harry, it's Malfoy. I know you've made peace with him, even if I don't agree with you, but this is Hermione we're talking about here. We can't let him torment her."

"Ronald Weasley," Hermione started in that all too familiar tone and both Draco and Harry knew well enough to give her space. Both men literally took a step back from her. "You listen here. I can well enough take care of myself. The relationship I have with Draco is private and none of your bloody business. You don't have to like him but you will be civil to him. Do you understand?"

Ron's mouth dropped in shock. "Are you barking? Hermione, don't you remember the things he said to you? The things he did to you?"

Draco stood still as a rock, arms now crossed over his chest irritably. His fierce wife was the only thing keeping him from retaliating.

"For Merlin's sake, Ron, this isn't Hogwarts and Draco isn't who he was then. He's grown up. Not that you have." She wrapped her hand around Draco's arm and started pulling him towards his office. "Come on, I need to clean up your face. Harry, you deal with Ron because I don't have the patience right now."

When Draco's office door snipped closed, Harry turned to Ron and openly laughed at him. "Well you bungled that. Didn't expect any less from you though."

"She can't be serious, Harry."

He took off his glasses to wipe them on his robes and shook his head. "Oh, she is. Really, Ron, you're the only one of us with any lingering issues with him now. As far as I've experienced, he treats her like gold. She doesn't seem unhappy, does she?"

That stumped him and he scratched the back of his neck. "Well, no, I suppose not."

"For Hermione's sake, just try to cut him a little slack, won't you?" He placed his clean glasses back on his head and glanced at the clock. "I'm starving. Ready for an early lunch?"

"Don't have to ask me twice."

~o~O~o~

"Bloody idiot," Hermione grumbled as she wiped Draco's cheek with a magical salve.

Draco cringed at the burning sensation and the fact that she was nearly rubbing his skin raw.

"Hermione," he grabbed at her wrists to stop her, "Hermione!"

"What," she snapped. She realized what she was doing and stopped. "Sorry. He always has made me angry when he gets like that."

He gave her a lighthearted smirk. "I'd say find better friends but I'd likely face your wrath and let's be honest, I'd rather not."

She crossed her arms, her mouth twisted into an amused smirk of her own. "Is Draco Malfoy scared of his wife?"

He shrugged off his robes and draped them over the back of his chair as he faced her. "Draco Malfoy believes it's not a terrible thing to have a healthy fear of his wife."

She laughed breathily and nodded. "Far be it from me to change that then. Come on. I'm hungry. Let's get lunch."

She had her hand on the doorknob when he turned her to him with a hand on her shoulder. Cupping her cheeks, he pressed his lips against hers in a soft kiss. When her eyes met his again he told her, "Let Weasley say what he wants to or about me, but I'm not holding back if he starts in on you again."

Hermione swallowed and nodded. "Fair enough."

She and Draco entered the Ministry cafeteria quietly. They chose a secluded table near the windows facing the main lobby and sat opposite each other. Neither at all aware of the attention they were receiving from a certain redheaded wizard.

Ron paused in conversation with Harry when he saw the couple take their seats. Harry stopped midsentence when he saw the distraction and observed as well.

Ron watched as Draco smiled at something she said while reaching to unscrew the lid of her drink for her. He didn't seem at all like the same dark and sneering co-worker he'd encountered just that morning. When she dropped her napkin under the table, the blonde wizard quickly went to retrieve it before she had the chance and they resumed their quiet conversation.

"She actually likes him, doesn't she," he finally turned his attention back to his best friend.

Harry's lips curled into a smirk. "She does. Dare I say, I think it might even be a bit more than 'like'."

Ron reached for his sandwich and took a large bite, mind whirling as he chewed. "You think he likes her?"

Harry nodded with a knowing look, "Oh, I'm fairly positive."

"I still don't like it. I mean, if they really used legilimency to determine our spouses, how they did get matched?"

"Malfoy's smart, Ron. Maybe not as naturally brilliant as Hermione is but he's very intelligent. You know Hermione is attracted to that. He reads often and enjoys his solitude these days. And frankly, he'd kill me for saying this, but he's quite sensitive. Specifically to her."

"You're joking, right? Malfoy is sensitive to Hermione?"

Harry frowned, "Mess with her and see what happens to you. I heard he threatened Theodore Nott while they were out shopping the day after the wedding ceremony when he used the 'M' word, and she wasn't even by his side to hear it."

"Bloody hell," he muttered. He stole another glance back at the couple in question in time to watch Draco hand his fork with a bite of his chocolate cake over to her. "Hmm, we'll see I suppose. I reserve the right to hex his balls off if he returns to his death eater ways. Or even if he just makes her cry."

Harry snorted and nodded, "Get in line. However, I doubt that will ever be happening. Trust me, Ron. Try to get to know him now. He's changed."

The rest of the day went on rather uneventfully. Harry cut Draco some slack and gave him a report to finish, leaving Ron to work on more training far away from the wizard. By half past five, Draco slipped his robes on and gathered his belongings to head home.

He stopped inside the lobby when he heard her voice and waited as the lifts opened to reveal Hermione in animated conversation with Terry Boot. The two co-workers exited the lifts and waved goodbye as they parted ways for the day.

"Draco, you're still here," she asked, a small smile now on her lips when she saw him waiting. "What about your Muggle Studies class?"

He waited until she reached him and fell in step with her as they made their way to the floos. "The professor has the muggle flu of all things."

Hermione hooked her arm through his as they stepped into the floo. She waited until they reemerged in their own fireplace to speak. "I didn't bring any work home with me tonight. Do you want to order takeout and watch a movie with me?"

"Can we order from that Thai place you told me about," he asked, mild excitement in his eyes.

She laughed softly but nodded. She couldn't deny that she still loved to watch him interact with muggles. It hadn't gotten old yet.

After changing out of their work clothes, they walked hand-in-hand to the nearby restaurant Hermione had found recently. She stood by proudly as he placed their to-go order for them and they returned home where she selected a movie to watch.

"Is this one of those sappy comedy things you're always wanting to watch," he teased from his place in their new recliner. A recent trip to a muggle furniture store had ended with Draco indulging in a new recliner which she'd found him napping in on more than one occasion.

"Don't be childish. You know you enjoy them."

Draco didn't argue and merely grabbed her waist as she attempted to pass him for a seat on their sofa and pulled her onto his lap, eliciting a surprised squeak from her, and pressed her back to his chest.

"You've turned me into an absolute sap. I think I'm giving Longbottom a run for his money lately," he muttered as he kissed her cheek.

Hermione smiled as she settled into the chair with him and sighed contentedly. "I'm not complaining."

His guess had been spot on and he found himself watching some muggle RomCom, as she called it, about a couple falling in love at a weekly dance class. It wasn't the most interesting thing he'd ever seen but Hermione seemed to be enjoying it so he kept his boredom to himself.

Halfway through the movie she'd wedged herself between his legs which caused him slight discomfort to have her shapely rear flush against his crotch. He held his composure though, merely entertaining himself with tracing his fingers along the skin of her stomach above her pajama bottoms. He felt her skin prickle occasionally as he ran along a sensitive spot but she didn't seem to mind or even notice for the most part.

He'd been counting the number of stones used to build their fireplace mantle when he heard her tiny intake of breath, nearly unnoticeable had she not been pressed against him so closely.

Draco glanced down at her head resting on his shoulder to find her biting her lip, her eyes still focused intently on the screen. He looked up to see what had her so enthralled to find the movie focused on a love scene between the couple. His own brows rose as he observed the suggestive nature of the scene.

"Rather…suggestive," he murmured softly at her ear.

Hermione swallowed nervously and nodded. "I forgot about this scene."

Draco glanced down at his fingers still trailing along her skin and the way she was now pressing her legs together. He wondered just what she was thinking in that brilliant mind of hers as she was clearly aroused and trying to hide it.

Well, that just wouldn't do.

He inched his fingers into the waistband of her pajamas experimentally but stopped when her breath hitched.

"Draco?" Her voice was quiet, hesitant almost.

"Can I touch you," he asked in a whisper.

Draco held his breath as he waited for her to decide. He wouldn't continue without her permission. It would be her call if she was comfortable with this or not.

He watched with bated breath as her chest rose and fell a little faster. When she covered his wrist with her hand shakily and began guiding him past her waistband, he kissed her temple gently.

"I've got you," he told her.

Hermione bit her lip as she watched her husband's hand disappear into her pajama bottoms. She'd been mildly surprised at his request but couldn't deny that she was curious. No one had ever touched her like this before.

She gasped at the first touch of his fingers. He was gentle at first, fingertips merely ghosting across her heated skin. He applied a bit more pressure and her lips parted in shock at the sensation.

Draco reveled in her reaction and pressed his lips to her cheek, trailing them along her temple.

She watched his hand moving against her, tenting the pajama bottoms. Her breath hitched when she felt two long fingers enter her. She reached to grip his thighs on either side of her in her hands and couldn't help the way her hips bucked against his hand.

He stroked a particularly sensitive spot and she could no longer crane her neck to watch, her head falling back against his chest as he pulled a deep moan from her lips.

Draco watched as her eyes closed and her body writhed against him slightly. He delighted in the way her fingernails pressed into him through his pants. Watching her pant and squirm in his lap had to be the most erotic thing he'd ever witnessed. A part of him almost couldn't believe that she was allowing him to touch her.

He knew by the way she was breathing that it wouldn't be long. True enough, with a few final strokes her back arched and she released quiet moan.

"Ugh…Draco," she sighed as she relaxed, the aftershocks of her first orgasm still coursing through her.

Draco kissed her temple again and withdrew his hand. He held her close as her breathing slowed back to normal and she finally opened her eyes to look at him.

Hermione searched his familiar greys and felt her lips curl into a slight smile before she reached a hand back around his head to pull him towards her for a kiss.

She pulled back with a content sigh and turned her head to see the credits of the movie scrolling.

"Happy ending indeed," she snorted