Relentless - A Dramione FanFic

Soon

Draco was standing at the wardrobe when Hermione emerged from the bathroom clad in only her pajamas as promised.  His breath caught in his throat at the way her old t-shirt clung to her, accentuating the fact she was no longer encumbered by her bra.  Her hair bounced wildly around her shoulders, finally having been freed from the confines of its braid.  Her exposed legs appeared to sparkle in the moonlight.

Draco hadn't realized he'd been staring at her, ogling her actually, until her voice broke his concentration, "You know," his eyes darted to hers, "I'm getting some really mixed signals.  One minute you tell me we can't make love tonight, and the next you're looking at me like...," the right words escaped her, "Well, like that..."

He smirked and her knees weakened. He strode across the room, his bare chest stopping just inches from her.  "Believe me, there is nothing I want more than to rip this t-shirt" he fingered its bottom seam, "Right off of you, but our first time is not going to be in this castle.  It's going to be somewhere that we can feel comfortable doing anything and everything we want without fear of being overheard or overseen." The hunger in his eyes was suddenly replaced by tears of pain as he continued, "Plus, when I make love to you for the first time, it needs to be far away from this place that holds so many memories of how terrible I was to you all those years."

Hermione engulfed him in a suffocating embrace.  "Stop!" She demanded. "Stop torturing yourself with circumstances that were out of your control."  She pushed back far enough to look him in the eyes.  "I have forgiven you.  Do you understand that?" She didn't give him a chance to answer as she continued, "I forgave you even while it was happening because I always believed you weren't who you were showing yourself to be.  I. LOVE. YOU. And I will not let you continue to hang that guilt on yourself." Tears were now streaming down both their faces.

"I don't deserve you." Draco whispered as he pulled her back into his arms, hoping she didn't see the deeper guilt he was hiding.  He knew now was the time he should tell her the whole truth, but his fear of losing her paralyzed him, so he continued holding her until he was able to push the truth back down to the depths of his mind.

***

Hermione had lit a fire and snuggled under the covers while she waited for Draco to finish his nightly routine.  She heard the faucet turn off and knew he would soon be joining her, but she was unprepared for the view she would have as he exited the bathroom and was bathed in the fire's glow.  His platinum hair gleamed as if it were strands of diamond thread and the flame's shadows danced across his chest.  As he made his way toward her, she soaked in every detail of his body, aching for the day she would get to feel him inside of her.  

He slid into the open space beside her and she was drawn to him like a magnet.  "Next weekend." She purred.

"What about next weekend?" He asked, obviously confused.

"Take me to London next weekend." Hermione declared, propping herself up on his chest. "You still have your flat, right?" He nodded, slowly connecting the dots she was laying out. "Then promise you'll take me there, next weekend." Her sultry emphasis on the words "take me" left no doubt in his mind that she was not asking him to simply spend the weekend with her in London.  She was asking, no telling, him one week longer was all she could wait to be with him, and if he didn't comply, she would take him right then and there.

A smile spread across his face.  "And just how do you propose we evacuate school grounds for the entire weekend without incurring the wrath of one Head Mistress McGonagall?"

She frowned momentarily at his logical argument, but quickly set her jaw and declared, "We are both 'of age' adults. Technically we don't even have to be here right now.  We chose to come back for an eighth year, so we can chose to leave for a weekend."

Draco couldn't help but chuckle at her determination. "Good luck convincing McGonagall of that."

"I won't have to convince her about anything.  I will simply tell her we are going to London for the weekend, and that is that." She nodded her head indicating she had it all figured out.

"Like I said, good luck." He teased, knowing full well she didn't need any luck at all, because when Hermione Granger set her mind to something, nothing and no one can stop her from achieving it.

"I don't need luck." She responded, once again seeming to read his mind. "I have logic and reason on my side."

"Fine, then it's settled, we will go to London next weekend." He conceded, not that there was any chance he wouldn't have, as she snuggled down next to him, her head on his shoulder. "Shall we leave immediately after lessons on Friday or do you want to wait until Saturday mor--?"

"Friday." She didn't let him finish.

"Friday it is." He kissed the top of her head, and jokingly added, "You really know how to put the pressure on a guy...Now I have to plan a whole weekend worth of activities in just five days." She tried to push herself up to argue, but he held her firmly in place, laughing as she struggled. "I'm kidding! I don't have to plan anything because I've had it planned since the night we got together, just in case."

He released her so she could look him in the eye. She was planning to throw a smart comeback at him, but the sight of him laying in her bed and the thought of their upcoming weekend away overwhelmed her, and she hungrily slid forward and claimed his lips with her own instead. Unsure he'd be able to maintain his self-control for the second time in one night, Draco hurriedly rolled them so he was hovering over her, his lips still barely brushing hers.  "You're killing me." He panted.

Her arms snaked around his neck and tried to pull him closer, but he held his position.  She frowned at him, putting on a show of irritation.  He kissed her cheek softly and promised, "Soon" before sliding down beside her, his arm draped comfortably across her abdomen.

"Soon." She repeated, but hers was less of a promise and more of a demand.

They had been laying in familiar silence for several minutes when Hermione timidly ventured, "Draco?"

"Hmmm?" He responded, eyes closed, nearly asleep.

"Earlier... You said..." Her voice shook, and he was wide awake once more.  She turned her head to face him and was immediately comforted by his kind eyes.  "You said you'd never...been with anyone before, but..."

She didn't have to continue for him to know what she was asking, and he pulled himself closer to her, raising his head from the pillow so he could look at her properly. "The stories aren't true." His eyes desperately implored her to believe him. "When I wouldn't sleep with her, Pansy started spreading rumors that I had, and they fit the persona I had to keep up, so I let her.  I am ashamed to admit that I even confirmed the rumors more often than not.  The truth is, I could never have been with anyone else because I've always loved you."

She placed a hand on his cheek and gently pulled him to her for a deep, passionate kiss. "Soon." She moaned.

***

a/n: Hey all... Thank you so much for your continued patience with me!  I have not forgotten about this story or any of you.  I started a new job last week, and after 8 years of being a stay-at-home mother, that is quite the adjustment!  But I am loving it, and surprisingly it has given me a renewed energy and drive to work on Relentless.

But enough about my personal life... How did you like this chapter.  It might be one of my favorites because I love the banter and just plain normal life interactions between H & D. And who is looking forward to the next few chapters when they venture out to London!!! I can almost not contain myself... I have been writing their first time in my head since I started this book, and it is finally so close!

Again, thank you, thank you, thank you for your support of this story.  I love you all more than you know!

~E