Draco and Hermione return to Hogwarts and Draco makes his intentions clear.

September First came rather quickly, and Hermione had found her way to Kings Cross station earlier than usual. She was walking through a maze of people when she’d spotted Harry Potter, walking with a man who could only be Mad-eye Moody and a woman with purple hair.

Interestingly, there was a shaggy dog following closely behind him as well.

So, it would seem that Sirius Black was very much active within the Order of the Phoenix.

She smirked at that thought.

When she finally boarded the train, she found an empty compartment and warded it against intruders. She didn’t feel like being disturbed at present, but figured that Draco would be looking for her as soon as the train got underway. He’d been on his best behavior for the past five weeks, while she had been staying in his home. They had talked everyday and he had helped her strategize.

As a consequence, she’d found herself becoming enamoured with the wizard against her better judgement.

It wasn’t that she didn’t trust in his intentions...

...he had been nothing but a perfect gentleman as of late but she just wasn’t sure she could afford to allow herself to give in to the feelings she was beginning to have for him.

Fundamentally, she knew that she still didn’t completely trust in the possibility that he wouldn’t hurt her at some point, and she also wondered if she would ever not feel wary of being with him after everything he’d put her through.

Draco was charming, funny, sarcastic, intelligent, powerful and handsome.

Hermione wasn’t oblivious to the ways in which all the witches at school fawned over the Slytherin Prince. He had received several propositions late last year, but to her knowledge, he hadn’t been with another witch since a month before he’d told her of his feelings.

She wasn’t sure though, how long a young hormonal teenaged boy could hold out on having sex, before he succumbed to his libido.

She’d be lying to herself if she didn’t admit that the thought didn’t sit well with her.

The truth was, after everything—she would be devastated if he’d shagged another witch and would most likely never put her trust in anyone ever again.

Shaking her head and staring out the window, Hermione was unsure of how much time had passed, but she did notice that the train was getting ready to leave and she hadn’t seen Draco at all. Shrugging her shoulders, she tried to act like it didn’t bother her, so she took out a book from her beaded bag and started reading as the train left the station, and headed towards Scotland.

It wasn’t too long before she noticed the blonde wizard that she’d been thinking about, looking through the compartment window.

She noticed him frown in confusion, so she cancelled the wards and concealment charms.

When she became visible once again, grey eyes that had been filled with concern, warmed in appreciation as he opened the door, smirking in his usual fashion.

“I was wondering where you had disappeared to, Granger. Would you like some company?”

Hermione considered the blonde wizard and raised her eyebrow mockingly, “Would it matter to you if I said I didn’t, Malfoy?”

Smirk widening, Draco lowered himself in the seat right next to her. “Are we back to playing these games, love? Because I’m happy to play along, as long as I get my reward at the end.”

Shaking her head in exasperation, she couldn’t help the smile that threatened to break free. “And what reward would that be?”

“Well, perhaps you should ward the compartment, silence it too. I would be happy to show you exactly what kind of reward, I had in mind.”

Grinning openly, she did as asked, before closing the blinds and placing a locking charm on the door. It wasn’t even a second later, Draco grabbed her and hauled her into his lap before his mouth covered hers in a bruising kiss. She moaned at the contact and pushed her tongue out to meet Draco’s, as they nipped and kissed each other like they were starved of contact.

After a few minutes of intense snogging, Hermione pulled away, tilted her forehead against Draco’s and the two just spent a few moments breathing each other in.

“I’ve really enjoyed having you all to myself this summer, Hermione.”

Smirking at the blonde, she couldn’t help but smile softly at the admission. “What, Malfoy? You don’t like to share?”

Draco gripped Hermione tighter and kissed her more firmly before he responded. “If I have my way you won’t be doing this with anyone else, ever.” Grey eyes locked onto amber ones and she could see the raw determination in Draco’s gaze. “I know we haven’t talked about it much this summer, Granger, but my Father did tell me that he was asked to be your magical guardian. Apparently, Theo’s father was pretty unhappy about it, as Father thinks he wants a betrothal between you and Theo.”

Hermione nodded, “I know. I was told about the situation that day in the library. I was also told that your request to court me was shared, and somehow by making your Father my secret magical representative, even temporarily, it somehow gives your claim some kind of precedence.”

“And you don’t know how you feel about that?” Draco queried.

Looking into Draco’s face, Hermione could see him trying hard not to show just how uncertain this situation was making him. Sighing softly, she took his face in her hands and kissed him reassuringly.

“What we have right now, I don’t plan on sharing with anyone else. If my Father knew? Well, let’s just say he’d be most unhappy with both of us. Things are going to be intense this year, you know what I have to do, what my plans are. But, Draco? You need to trust that whatever happens, I’m not the kind of girl to share intimacies easily. I want you and it’s taken me a while to come to terms with that. My Father has promised me that I will have final say in whom I wish to court formally, but even if he didn’t, I would never allow myself to be with someone I didn’t want.”

“I know, Hermione. But you have to understand that there are some who follow your Father who would see you as the ultimate prize, and would do whatever it took to possess you.”

Shaking her head, Hermione rolled her eyes. “And you don’t see me as a prize, Draco Malfoy?”

Sighing and touching his forehead to hers, Draco stated passionately, “You are the greatest prize, my love—because you’re brilliant and beautiful, strong, fierce and more clever than anyone I’ve ever known. Not just because of whom your Father is. I won’t see you used as a trophy, you deserve more than that.”

Smiling openly, Hermione asked curiously, “And you deserve me?”

Shaking his head in shame, Draco responded sadly, “No, I don’t think I’ll ever be good enough to deserve you. I’ve hurt you in ways that keep me up at night and make me feel like I should walk away and let you find someone more worthy. But I’m a selfish wizard, Hermione. I love you too much to walk away now, but if you decide at some point that you don’t want to be with me, I will let you go. Because your happiness means more to me than my own.”

Hermione’s breath hitched as she looked into the earnest expression of the boy...no...the young man sitting next to her. His face was open and his eyes were watching her with such a burning intensity that it took her breath away. She moved her fingers through Draco’s hair and down his temples, across his cheekbones towards his lips where he gently kissed the tips of her fingers.

Her heart was beating frantically and she was so completely overwhelmed that tears threatened to fall from her eyes.

Moving forward and framing Draco’s face with her hands she kissed him. He responded in kind, wrapping his arms around her waist and returned her affections with equal passion. He moved one hand up to the back of her head, holding her in place while he ravaged her mouth, causing her to moan at the feelings he was eliciting.

Breaking away from his mouth, she moved her lips down the column of his throat, sucking on his pulse point which caused Draco to drop his head back on the headrest and groan. When Hermione reached to grasp him intimately, Draco pulled away, gently shaking his head. “Love, if we don’t stop now I’m going to have a hard time controlling myself.”

Hermione blushed deeply, causing Draco to chuckle. “I didn’t know you had such self-control.”

Sighing and placing the softest of kisses on his witch’s lips, Draco looked at Hermione intently. “I know I didn’t have a lot of self-control last year, and I know you witnessed that. So I made a promise to myself the moment I knew for sure, I was in love with you.”

“And what was that?”

“That I would wait for as long as it took for you to feel the same way about me as I do about you. I won’t cheapen what we have by letting my baser urges control this. So...until we are formally betrothed, I will honor you and your father’s wishes and respect you properly. So...kissing is very much wanted and needed...but nothing further.”

Hermione sat there in shock. “You’re serious?”

“Deadly.” Draco’s solemn expression told Hermione he was indeed, serious.

“Scared of my Dark Lord of a Father, eh Malfoy?” Hermione smirked.

“Terrified...but I’m actually more in awe of his beautiful daughter, who bewitches me more and more everyday. And I’m sorry.”

“For what?”

“For not waiting for you. I should’ve waited.” Draco looked up at Hermione with sadness reflected behind his grey eyes.

“I dated Viktor, Draco. Granted all we did was kiss, but I was sure I’d feel something more for him.”

Nodding in resignation, Draco inquired softly, “Are you...did you regret not feeling more for him?”

“At the time, because I was frustrated by you and my growing attraction for you...but now...I’m glad.”

Draco smirked and nodded. “Me too.” Tracing her cheek with his finger he stared into her eyes, his gaze completely vulnerable and bared before her. “I feel as if I don’t have the right to ask, but I cannot do so...” He trailed off awkwardly.

Smiling encouragingly, she whispered cajolingly, “Just ask me, Draco.”

Nodding once, he whispered back, “Please promise me that you’ll be careful this year. Don’t put yourself at unnecessary risk, and come to me if you need help. Promise me, Hermione.”

Considering the wizard in front of her, whom ironically—she had sworn at one time not so long ago that she would never allow into her heart, Hermione could feel her walls starting to crumble.

“I promise, Draco, that I will be careful. I want you to promise me that whatever happens this year, you won’t lose your temper, and you won’t revert back to that hateful boy again. I don’t think I could take that—not again.”

Seeing the look of pain on his witch’s face he grabbed her close and kissed her lovingly. “I promise love, I will never hurt you again. I love you Hermione. That will never change.”

Hermione wanted to speak, but the words were lodged in her throat, so she just nodded at her wizard and kissed him in thanks. This year would make or break her, and all she knew at this moment was at the end of it, she wanted to openly acknowledge their relationship and see where it might lead.