A Chance is All One Needs

Hermione watched Draco fly off into the horizon on his broom. The wind picked up and blew her hair every-which-way. She raised the beautiful white rose and inhaled its wonderful fragrance. The sun with its soft colors of reds and pinks was about to set low in the sky. Her hands pushed back a little from the windowsill and laid the rose on her desk by the window. She untied the small, crisp white piece of parchment and unrolled it. In very precise writing it read:

I'm sorry that I hurt you

It's something I must live with everyday

And all the pain I put you through

I wish that I could take it all away

And be the one who catches all your tears

That's why I need you to hear

I found a reason for me

To change who I used to be

A reason to start over new

And the reason is you

She re-rolled the note and held it in her hand. The reason is me. A smile crept across her soft lips and a blush appeared on her checks.

"Well, speak of the devil," spoke the male voice from behind her.

Hermione raised her eyebrow as she continued to look out the window. "And here I thought you were on his side."

The sound of the rustle of jeans came from the direction of her bed. She felt him rest his large hands on her shoulders. Harry softly spoke, "You know I am on your side, girl. Look, all I was saying is it is true what he planned was terrible. But that was a year ago. And you admitted yourself that Draco has changed. Ok, so you did not know he had an evil, Slytherin scheme going on in his sixth year. Does that really change all the good he has done? Or the friendship he started with you?"

"No, I suppose not."

"Can I see what he wrote?" he asked.

She handed back the small roll over her shoulder and stared out on the setting sun. Harry took it from her and made his way back to her bed. Hermione let out a heavy sigh and turned away from the window to face her bed. Harry sat next to Ginny on her four-poster bed. Ginny had been especially quiet as Hermione explained everything that had happened with Draco Malfoy and her. The youngest Weasley's knees were pulled up under her chin as she leaned over to read the note Harry held in his hands.

Ginny smiled as she silently read the note. "Well, you did tell him you did not know why he changed. It looks like you got your reason. And it looks like a good reason to me."

Hermione hugged her arms across her chest to hold herself. She was so unsure about how she felt about him. Over the past year, she fell in love with the arrogant git. The fact she just recently remembered the day that changed him really hit her hard. Her heart and mind kept changing how she felt about their whole relationship. Yes, she was absolutely attracted to the sexy prat. Yes, he did niceties; just like the perfect rose and the touching note. Both caused her heart to race. However, the fact he placed an Unforgivable on her just still did not sit right with her. "I just can't seem to get past the fact of him placing the Cruciatus curse on me. I'd rather take it than put it on a friend."

Harry rose again off the bed without effort and stood in front of her. In an understanding tone, he said, "Of course, none of us would. First, you have to remember Hermione. When it happened, you were not considered a friend of his. Second, he was still a Slytherin. I am almost certain Snape would've done the same thing. Hell, he might've even enjoyed it a little. At the time, he did what he thought was the best way of getting you out of there alive. You cannot expect Gryffindor actions from a Slytherin. Draco has changed and shown remorse over what happened.

"Look, I am not telling you to grab a broom and follow him into the sunset. What I am saying is, you need to take some time to figure out your feeling for him. From the way it looks, I am sure he will wait for whatever decisions you make. He might still be a git, but you love him. Don't you?"

With a deep breath, she closed her eyes and searched her heart for the answer. Do I still love Draco? It only took a moment for her heart to admit the truth. Yes. Yes, I do. A single tear rolled down her cheek as she nodded her confirmation to Harry's question. Yes, she loved Draco Malfoy; but her heart still ached from the forgotten past and the deaths of her friends.

Harry slowly pulled her into the tight confines of his strong arms. She felt all the tears release from her body. Hermione clutched on to his shirt and wept for her friends, who she missed so much. She felt Ginny behind her and embraced the both of them. She knew she was lucky to still have them in her life, yet, she missed Ron and Remus so much.

After a few minutes of a good cry, Harry pulled back a little and stated, "Hey, I think I have some good news that will help you with your problem of needing time and space." She looked into his glimmering, emerald eyes and raised a questioning eyebrow. "Today, I sent an owl with my acceptance letter for the position as Seeker for the Chudley Cannons. I figured that would've made Ron really happy. Plus, they made an offer very much worth my time and effort. Besides the great pay, they are giving me two apartments: one close by the stadium and one on a beach."

Ginny squealed in delight at her boyfriend's good news. Hermione beamed at her best friend and was glad he decided to take the position. After all the things he had been through, she knew his soul needed to have something that he loved to do. She remarked, "That's great, Harry. I thought Ron was going to burst when you got the proposal last summer. But how does that help me with my problem?"

He laughed as he pulled away from the arms of his two favorite girls. Harry started to pace around the room as if he was thinking of the right words to say. He finally stopped when he reached them. "Right now, what you need is time and space to deal with everything with a close friend to be there for you. Why don't you stay with me over the summer, Hermione? Just 'till you figure out what you want to do. Look, they said I am getting a two-bedroom apartment at both places. I know I'll just be worried about you if you stay at your parents all summer or if you decided to get your own place. So, what do you say?"

She glanced over to Ginny. The sixteen-year old gave a nod of approval. "I think it is a great idea. Plus, I have it on good authority he prefers red-heads," said Ginny with a smirk.

Harry chuckled as he placed an arm around his girlfriend's waist to draw her closer to him. "Not true, I prefer just this red-head, thank you very much. So, what do you think Hermione? Pretty please. Hey, I'll even cook for you."

Ginny tried to hide her laugh in his shoulder. With an exasperated look, Hermione stated, "Okay, okay. Let me stay at my parent's house 'till the first of July and then I'll move in with you for a while. Man, you didn't need to threaten me with your cooking."

"Oh, that does it. You're in for it now, missy!" exclaimed Harry with a mischievous grin on his face. He suddenly moved away from Ginny and headed for the cornered Hermione. With one quick movement, he picked her up and threw her on her bed. He pounced on her and tickled her under her arms mercilessly. Of course, Ginny felt she had to join in on the fun and started to tickle under Hermione's knees. After about ten minutes of her pleas, the youngest turned her efforts on her boyfriend, who was known to be extremely ticklish. Poor Harry didn't stand a chance against the two playful girls.

"Harry!" Hermione yelled, "Where in the bloody hell are all my clothes?"

The ebony haired thief leaned against the doorframe of her room. With a sly smile, Harry stated, "Birthday boy's prerogative."

"Your prerogative is for me to go around the house naked for the rest of the day?" questioned Hermione with a hint of frustration in her voice. She searched her closet for a single piece of clothing in her now empty closet. Her fluffy, pink cotton robe tied at her waist was not what she wanted to spend the rest of the day in. Her hair was still wet from the shower after the lunch she fixed for both of them. When she came back to her room from the quick shower, she opened her drawers and closet to find them completely empty, except for her bikini.

"No, but thanks for the offer."

She turned to give him her deadliest evil look. He covered his mouth to hide his smile as he chuckled. "All you have done since you arrived here is mope around inside, when you have a beautiful beach right outside the back door. It's my birthday and we are going down to the beach to have a good time with Ginny. I am not taking no for an answer, so you better get it on or you will be skinny-dipping this afternoon."

After he closed the door and she heard him shut the door to his room, she huffed, "Fine, Potty."

"I heard that."

She stuck out her tongue at the door.

"I saw that too. Stop wasting time and get the bloody thing on. Ginny will be here in less than five minutes."

Hermione mumbled as she undid her bathrobe and pulled out the two-piece suit from her top drawer. The robe hit the floor as she stepped into the little, black bottom piece connected at the sides with silver ties. I have not been moping. True, I have finished the books for my first year at the university. But I have never been a lay-on-the-beach girl.

She lowered the halter-top of the bikini over her head and tied it at the nape of her neck. With a black scrunchie, Hermione pulled back her hair to get it out of the way till she reached the water. I just don't feel like playing in the water right now. Ok, so I haven't been in the water since my first day here. I am perfectly content to stay inside and read my books with a nice, cold ice tea in my hand.

"You ready for the beach, girl?" asked Ginny as she knocked and entered into Hermione's room. Her suit was a navy one-piece with thin straps. It may have been a one-piece but came down very low to reveal a lot of cleavage. The navy suit looked good on her and showed a dusting of freckles all over her body. The redhead handed her a red beach-towel as Hermione put her sandals on.

Hermione adjusted her top in front of the full-length the mirror and picked up her sunglasses on her vanity. The girls headed out of her room and into the hallway. "Yeah, I'm ready. I can't believe your boyfriend hid every piece of clothing I own, except this."

Ginny laughed as she lowered her sunglasses from the top of her head to the bridge of her nose. "Since I suggested it, I can believe it. My mother used the technique, when I refused to go somewhere. It worked for a while; till I hid a spare outfit in the bathroom."

Both girls found Harry at the backdoor waiting for them. He wore dark green swimming trunks that came down to his knees. His smile grew at the sight of the two gorgeous girls he would accompany to the beach. "It's a shame you decided against going skinny-dipping, Hermione. I noticed quit a few guys down there, who would really enjoy that sight."

"Shut up, Harry. Let's get going. I can't wait to dunk the birthday boy eighteen times," stated Hermione as she put her own sunglasses on.

With a suspicious smile, Harry opened the door to head out. But before he left, he quickly turned around and snapped a strap on each of the girl's swimsuits. He dashed out the door and shouted, "Not, if you can't catch me!"

Ginny turned to her friend as her boyfriend ran down the sand hill. "First one down there gets to dunk him first."

"You're on!" exclaimed Hermione as she hurried past her friend to follow after Harry.

The girls raced after the Boy-Who-Might-Not-Live down to the beach. Harry only stopped once to throw down his towel and step out of his flip-flops, then dashed into the picturesque, blue water. Hermione held the lead 'till about halfway down to the shore. Then a flash of red hair passed her and ran to the pile of Harry's stuff to quickly deposit her glasses, sandals, and towel.

The water reached Harry's waist by the time Ginny got into the warm water and followed shortly by Hermione. His smiled flashed as he dived into the water. I shouldn't have encouraged him to take swimming lessons when he first moved in.

Ginny finally reached the birthday boy and quickly pushed him under. Then he took her down with him. Hermione laughed as she saw the surprised girl come back up to get air. She felt two hands grab her hips and pulled her down into the water. Luckily, she had enough time to take a deep breath first. Of course, the deep breath did not help as Harry decided it would be fun to tickle her under the water. Harry is SO going to get it.

With her legs, she kicked hard at him, enabling her to rise to the surface. Harry beat her up for air and already engulfed Ginny in a splash war. Being the friend she was, Hermione helped Ginny along with her efforts.

After an hour of splash-and-dunk-Harry, he called for a timeout to catch his breath. Ginny took it as an opportunity to put her arms around him for a little private cuddle-swim time. Hermione gave the couple a knowing smile and swam out a little to their left to allow enough distance to not be able to overhear anything.

She had forgotten how much she really loved to swim. Swimming alone was one of the things that always relaxed her. For Harry, it was flying in the sky on his broom. But Hermione enjoyed the feel of water surround her. The warm water all over her body, the sun reflecting off the waves, and the slight breeze in the air to cool her face with the smell of the ocean all soothed her soul.

Hermione relaxed her body and floated on her back as she let go of all her troubles. Her thought took over as her body loosened. I wonder what Draco is doing right now. I wished he'd send some word to me. Harry is probably right; Draco is most likely waiting for me to make the first move. Maybe I should. But I'll wait till tomorrow. Merlin, this is really going to make Harry's birthday by admitting he was right. He said this would benefit me greatly.

She felt even more relaxed by the decision to contact Draco. The feelings of depression from the loss of her friends took a toll on her soul as a heavy feeling weighed her heart down and was the reason she didn't feel like she could enjoy the beach. But they would not have wanted her to feel that way. Ron would've done the same thing Harry did. But he wouldn't have waited a month. He'd done it in the first she week was there. She smiled at the thought of her deceased best friend. She missed him a lot, but she reminded herself to remember him with happy thoughts.

After a while, she felt the need for a nap because the water relaxed her too much. Hermione straightened herself up and turned to locate Harry and Ginny. Of course, she would not look too hard, just in case they were really enjoying their 'alone' time. She decided it was best to head for the shore and to see if their stuff was still there. She saw the couple on the beach and in a conversation with a guy she did not recognize. He stood a little taller than Harry and had a good tan. His hair was dark-brown with a slight curl to it, even though it appeared to be dry. He looked like he met the couple as he walked along the beach. The shirtless stud wore a pair a loose fitting khaki shorts that hung low on his hips and was without a shirt. He must work out a lot or play some sport. This guy looks absolutely delectable. No, Hermione. You're crazy about Draco. True, I am. But that doesn't mean I can't appreciate this guy's hot body.

As soon as her feet were able to touch the sand below her, she made her way up to them. She ran her hands through her wet, flat hair to get out the extra water. As her arms went to her head, the mystery guy turned and noticed her for the first time. He stared as the water drizzled down her back and passed the skimpy bottom of her bikini. She almost thought she saw him lick his lips, but shook her head and figured she must've been mistaken. Before she came within listening distance, he ended the conversation and continued his walk along the beach alone.

Ginny and Harry looked almost dry. They must've been out of the water for a while. She mentally noted how Ginny's lips looked a little swollen and redder than normal. Plus, she didn't think Harry could smile any harder. Hermione was glad to see her friends so happy. She retrieved her towel, sandals, and sunglasses from the sun-kissed sand and wrapped the red towel around her waist. She walked up to the couple and saw the mystery guy turn into a yard a few houses down the beach. "So, who was that?"

Harry grabbed Ginny's and his things from the sand. He slipped an arm around his girlfriend's waist. "I ran into him after I moved in. He moved in a few weeks earlier than me. He knew it was my birthday today. So, he invited all of us to a party he is having there tonight."

"Well, I had planned of a more private party for you tonight. But it's your birthday, whatever you want to do. I'll just curl up with a good book in my room," said Hermione as she shrugged her shoulders and headed back to the apartment.

Harry and Ginny followed right behind her. He placed his arm around her still damp waist and said, "Come on, Hermione. I think you need a night out. Just a night of no responsibilities, no relationships, and no strings attached. The party has a pirate-beach theme. Tonight, don't be the Hermione Granger we all know and love. Come with us and let your hair down. The party is sure to be a good time with good food, loud music, fast dancing, and a totally relaxed atmosphere. Plus, I think the host has the hots for you. He especially wanted you to come."

They reached the apartment door and he opened the door for the girls in a gentlemanly fashion. Once they were inside, he turned and looked at Hermione. Damn those puppy dog eyes and that pouting lip.I hate it when he does that. "Ugh. Okay, fine. I'll go. But right now I am in desperate need of a nap. What time do you want to leave for the party?"

Ginny grabbed his hand and pulled him in the direction of his bedroom. Harry turned his head and stated, "Be ready to leave by six. Oh, your clothes are all shrunk and stuffed into your pillowcase. Remember, think pirate. Get some sleep, Hun. We want you to look your best tonight. Ouch Ginny, don't pull my wrist so hard."

She turned the knob of her door and saw Harry's bedroom door shut. "Just make sure to put a silencing spell on the room. Unlike you, I actually want to get some sleep."

Hermione entered her room and pulled the door shut. She dropped the beach stuff from her hands and onto the chair by the door. She raised her arms up and stretched out her body. Her legs ached a little from all the swimming she did that afternoon. She felt too weak to go take a shower first at the moment. She kicked off the sandals on her feet, flopped on the bed, and covered herself with just a light cover-up from the end of her bed. Just a short nap. Then I'll shower and change for the party. Pirate theme, huh. Maybe Harry is right. Tonight, Hermione Granger needs a night off. Merlin, Harry was right again. I really need some sleep and a good time.

"Tonight, Hermione Granger, or also known as Little-Miss-Perfect or Insufferable-Know-It-All, is gone on off the deep end. Watch out you poor, unsuspecting young men. I am ready for a good time and don't mind breaking a few hearts along the way," exclaimed Hermione as she tucked under the ties of a twisted red scarf around her head.

In front of her full-length mirror, she examined the outfit she had finally decided on and was dressed in. Her boots were made out of smooth, black leather and came halfway up her calf. She picked a black skirt from her wardrobe. But she shortened the length, lowered the waist, and made it comfortably snug by adding two-inch slits on either side of her hips. Around her waist, she placed a larger version of the scarf on her head and tied in on her right hip. The shirt she chose was white, lightweight done in a peasant-style that laced together at her bosom to reveal some cleavage. Hermione also decided to do something she had never done before. As Hermione-the pirate, she felt risky and only wore the bottom part of her bikini under her skirt with no top part under her shirt. The last thing to complete her outfit was the silver pendant necklace given to her from her love. She knew Draco would be in her thoughts tonight.

Hermione flicked off the light of her room and shut the door. She made her way to the living room to join her friends. Ginny already took a seat in Harry's lap while they waited for her. To Hermione's satisfaction, she received shocked looks from both of them about her outfit. Their mouths were dropped open and eyes three times wider than normal. The only word was from Harry. " Damn!"

"Always a man of few words, Harry," commented Hermione as she readjusted the scarf around her hips.

Ginny managed to blink a few times as she took in Hermione's outfit. Ginny chose to wear a long peasant dress made of deep purple fabric. An ivory silk cover accented her bosom and her dress pushed up her nice bosom even more. Harry better not let her out of his reach. Or some pirate might make her a damsel in distress.

Harry dressed the part of pirate to a good extent. His black slacks tucked into a pair of pirate-type boots with a flipped over cuff. His light gray shirt made his soft, black hair and brilliant green eyes jump out. Both sleeves of his shirt were rolled up to his shoulders to show off his muscular arms and a hopefully temporary tattoo of a parrot.

Hermione laughed as she spoke, "Nice bird. What no peg leg or eye patch, Harry?"

He swatted at Ginny's arse to signal her to get up from his lap. "Well, the bird was Ginny's idea. It was originally a skull and cross-bones. But she said I didn't 'pull off ' the tough looking pirate-type. Besides, who can dance properly with a pegged leg? And if I had an eye patch on, it would take away the view of my sexy ladies. Shall we go?"

He opened the door and offered them each an arm. Each girl giggled at his flirtatious ways and took his arms. Ginny bent down, slipped off her high-heel shoes, and carried them as they walked through the sand.

The bright sun shined in the powder-blue sky. They still had two hours of sunlight left. The noise from the party could be heard as soon as they hit the beach. The two-story house was painted light blue with white trim; just a few houses away. The beach ran right up to the backyard where a short stone wall divided the two. Strings of lights hung high along the boarder of the yard.

The trio of friends came closer to the party. About a dozen people stood around in separate conversations with different sorts of pirates and damsels outfits. They held plates which where piled with food. The music from inside could be made out; but it was still low enough to be able to carry on a conversation outside in the backyard. A blonde, female pirate manned a huge grill. She was dressed with a black apron around her dark green skirt and a real parrot on her shoulder. The mouth-watering smell from the grill consisted of the hot dogs, chicken, hamburgers, and cheeseburgers.

"Welcome aboard, Maties. Grab a plate and get yourselves some of this good grub. We got enough to feed a whole fleet-full of pirates. Aarr," bellowed the girl from the grill.

With plates loaded, the friends took a seat on the low stone wall to enjoy their meal: juicy burgers, crisp potato chips, and a variety of fresh fruit. The backyard was decked out of pirate theme also. Black fishnets were scattered against the fences with a few fake fish of different varieties caught within them. In the middle of the yard was a small-inflated kiddy pool filled with water and a miniature fleet of pirate ships. A huge wooden treasure chest sat open and filled with a mixture of gold and silver Spanish coins and fake jewelry: golden crowns, many different colored beaded necklaces, clip on earrings, and golden play swords.

After they had their fill of food, they wondered over to the chest. Harry found a small plastic dagger and put it in his boot. Ginny placed a fake silver tiara in her beautiful red hair and clipped some pretend diamond earring on her ears. She tried to convince Harry to wear a gold loop earring, but he refused. Hermione decided on a few plastic emerald rings and some coin bracelets caught her eye.

Harry left the girls alone only for a few moments to find the little pirates room. The girls chatted with a few other girls in the yard as they waited for the birthday boy to return. He showed up a few minutes later flanked by a blonde version of Krum. Actually, he was not as tall as Krum had been but had a nice smile. Harry approached the girls and asked, "Hey, the dancing looks really fun inside. Why don't we have a try? Oh, this is Jared. Jared this is 'my' girlfriend Ginny. The other beauty is Hermione. Come on, Ginny."

"Sure." Ginny walked hand in hand with Harry into the house and left Hermione alone with Jared.

"So, do you want go in and dance?" asked the guy in front of her. He looked a little nervous by the way that he dug his hands into his pockets. Okay, that earned him a point. But I rather enjoy the type of guy who has self-confidence. His blonde hair was short and spiky. The guy had nice, strong facial features. His dark-brown pants were too baggy for her taste; but still went with the pirate theme. His black shirt was untucked from his pants. All together, Jared was not bad looking.

Since the hot host had yet to be seen, Hermione answered, "Sounds like a good idea to me."

He smiled at her when she gave her answer. His hand took hers to lead the way into the house. The back door opened into a very large living room. All of the furniture had been cleared, with the exception of a few barstools along the bar that divided the living room from the kitchen. A few more fishing nets decorated the walls and a plastic skeleton lay along the bar. Strings of white lights followed along the room's ceiling. The small amount of lightening gave the dancing atmosphere a good vibe. The music blasted from a speaker in each corner of the room. Around each black speaker box, a stuffed parrot was tied to it with brown cords.

Jared led the way to the opposite side of the room full of partygoers. The fast music set a great pace for the dancers. He reached a good size spot for them and started to dance at once. She moved along with the music as she noted his dance moves left a lot to be desired. Hermione turned around to face away from him; but still appeared to be dancing with the blonde Krum. I am glad I taught Harry how to dance last spring. At least, I know Ginny is dancing with someone, who took the chance to learn.

Jared never touched her as they danced. She'd see his shoe along side hers occasionally or see his arms reach past hers with whatever dance move he was doing. Hermione took an opportunity to scan the crowd for the good-looking mystery guy, who was supposed to be hosting the party. The appearance of Harry and Ginny came into view to a few couples ahead of her. They moved great together and very hot. I didn't teach him some of that stuff. You go, Ginny.

Hermione caught Ginny's eye and wished the music wasn't so loud. With the hope she'd understand, she mouthed a question to her friend, "Have you seen the hot guy?"

Hermione hoped she knew which guy she meant. Ginny's smile got even bigger and she nodded in confirmation. With a quick glance to her left and then to her right, she tried to see where he was in the room. When she looked back to ask Ginny where, she had already turned around in Harry's arms and now faced away from her.

A new song started and Hermione recognized it as one of her favorites. She felt her partner's strong hand gripped onto her left hip and pulled her body back against his body. The hand controlled her hip movements to match his with the tempo of the music. At that moment the lyrics started and things started to warm up.

I dream of rain
I dream of gardens in the desert sand
I wake in pain
I dream of love as time runs through my hand

Hermione closed her eyes to take in the sexy song and the fast, hot dance moves. She decided to pretend it was Draco behind her now, instead of the stranger. Her movements became a little erotic with the idea of her dancing like this with Draco.

I dream of fire
Those dreams are tied to a horse that will never tire
And in the flames
Her shadows play in the shape of a man's desire

Heat started to generate from their bodies unlike anything she had ever felt. The guy grabbed for her right hand and turned her body toward him. Then, she was face to face with the guy she asked Ginny about. The host had been her partner that had been in control of the dance, since the beginning of the song. The hot looking host danced very close with her body almost against his.

This desert rose
Each of her veils, a secret promise
This desert flower
No sweet perfume ever tortured me more than this

Her eyes gave the mystery guy and his outfit the once over. He wore an expensive pair of black pirate boots with silver bucket at his ankles. The black pants he wore fit tightly against his body and caused her to unconsciously lick her upper lip. Through the thin material of his navy shirt, she could make out the well-defined chest. Hermione smirked at the sight of a thin, gold earring in his ear.

And as she turns
This way she moves in the logic of all my dreams
This fire burns
I realize that nothing's as it seems

With a firm grip on her right hip, he skillfully dipped her back. The actions caused her to be pressed hard against his hips. The sudden feel of his hips to hers made her gasp with desire. As he brought her back up, he planted her hand on the nape of his neck. She felt him slightly damp with sweat from their hot moves. Hermione placed her other hand there with the other. Both his hands held her hips tightly to keep in complete control of her body. Between the intoxicated scent of his sweat and under the passionate gaze of his eyes, the temperature for Hermione rose another ten degrees.

I dream of rain
I dream of gardens in the desert sand
I wake in pain
I dream of love as time runs through my hand

She leaned her chest in more to be up against his body more. The feel of him pressed against her breasts with his hot breath on her neck made her lose a little more control of all rational thought. She had to close her eyes to gain control and not ravish him right there on the living room floor. He roughly ran his hands up and down her back and then down to her arse. He kept both hands there and gave a slight squeeze that earned a moan from her. She decided to torment him some. She ran her right leg along the outside of his left leg. He groaned into her ear and caused goose bumps all over her body.

I dream of rain
I lift my gaze to empty skies above
I close my eyes
This rare perfume is the sweet intoxication of her love

One of his hands left her bottom and buried it into her thick brown locks. Hermione moved her hands from the back of his neck to the back of her head. She untied the scarf and wove the red material through her fingers. She raised the cloth above him and used it to pull his head to hers. She captured his perfect lips in a fiery kiss. He growled in appreciation to her actions. He traced his tongue along her lip in attempt to deepen the kiss. She pulled her lips out of his contact and saw the predatory look in his eyes, which made her knees weak with want. Hermione wrapped her leg around his calf.

I dream of rain
I dream of gardens in the desert sand
I wake in pain
I dream of love as time runs through my hand

He pulled back a little to separate their upper bodies. His hand left her hair and firmly moved down her back, over her arse, and then to the back of her thigh. She felt heat spread wherever he touched her. Her dance partner raised the leg off the ground and positioned it around his thigh. With his strong hand, he held it there and brought her against him more than ever before.

With a very familiar smirk, he leaned forwarded into her chest again and captured her lips with his. The kiss possessed every term of heat, passion, and need known to man. She closed her eyes and took in every taste of him. With what little thought she owned at the moment, a small tinkering of a bell rang in her ears. Despite the wavy brown hair and the milk-chocolate eyes, she was dancing with her love, Draco Malfoy.

Sweet desert rose
Each of her veils, a secret promise
This desert flower
No sweet perfume ever tortured me more than this

Draco again ran his tongue over her lips. She allowed him full access to her mouth. The truth that Draco was her dance partner and still held her in a very intimate position, especially in a short skirt, made her core burn like an uncontrollable, wild fire. His hand sent waves of heat as he dragged his nails back and forth along the skin on her bare thigh. Hermione's tongue demanded entrance into his mouth. Draco tasted just like the small cinnamon candies she loved to nibble on. How fitting that his taste almost burned her like everything else he did.

Sweet desert rose
This memory of Eden haunts us all
This desert flower
This rare perfume, is the sweet intoxication of the love

They breathlessly moved apart from their steamy kisses and continued their hot dance. Draco lowered her leg down from his thigh. With one hand firmly on her right hip, he brought his other hand from her leg, back over her bottom, up her lower back, and ended at her shoulder.

The song continued but the tempo slowed to a seductive pace. He matched the pace of the music and pulled her shoulder with the rest of her upper body backwards. As her head fell back, he placed a hot kiss on her neck damp with sweat. He continued to lower her back and placed a kiss on the exposed patch of skin under her throat. He lowered his head and placed a quick kiss on the fabric of her shirt in between her breasts. As he raised her upper body back up, he re-kissed each spot again. With the last one, his tongue slightly touched her hot skin. When she was vertical again, she grabbed a handful his hair and attacked his burning lips. She pulled away with a playful bite on his lower lip. Hermione raised one hand into his moist hair and turned his ear to her mouth. With a little lick along the side his ear, she purred, "Take me to your room, now."

Draco pulled away from the sensual actions of her tongue did his ear. With a serious expression, he seemed to search her eyes for some unspoken truth or unasked question. The corners of his lips turned upward to form a sweet smile. Then the smile turned a mischievous smirk as he raised one of her hands to his lips to place a kiss. Her hand felt his hot, wet tongue make a quick appearance. The action almost caused her to fall to her knees on the floor.

With her hand still in his, he ushered the way through the crowd of dancers and through the small kitchen. At the other entrance to the kitchen, a small staircase revealed a way up to the second floor. The couple never lost physical contact with each other as they made their way to their destination. As they reached the top step, Hermione glanced to her right and saw a hallway of about five closed doors.

Her lover did not turn toward the closed rooms. In fact, he held her hand tighter as he walked straight through the gray painted wall at the top of the landing. He disappeared with her in tow. She felt as if she just went through the entrance to Platform Nine and Three-Quarters.

Once on the opposite side of the wall, she found herself in what must've been the master suite. Draco released her hand to allow her to take in everything in the room. He walked over to the French doors directly across from her with a breathtaking view of the ocean. The size of the room almost surpassed the size of Hermione's and Harry's room added together. The room was dressed in the hues of gray, silver, and black. The sheer gray curtains on the doors loosened and drew closed.

Hermione walked over to his king size bed, which was to her right. The bed almost spoke the words 'sexy' or 'Malfoy', which both words were interchangeable with the other. The height of the bed came up high to the bottom of her hip. The height does have some possibilities for later use. The comforter covering the bed reached down to the tips of her boots. The material was a deep, rich black with about eight pillows of different shapes and sizes at the head of the bed. She ran her finger like a feather over the edge of the bed to feel the fabric. Of course, silk was there any doubt. With a sly smile, she stated, "Only the best for a Malfoy."

"Count yourself among the best of the best, Love." Draco walked to the other side of the bed next to the small, glass end table. His eyes never left hers as he passed his long, slender fingers over the three silver candles, which became alive, as he moved above them. He turned his back to the bed as he closed the black, sheer curtains of the bay window.

Hermione continued to smile as she wondered back to the middle of the room. She stepped up to the side of the sunken in hot tube in the front, left-hand corner of the room. She bent down to activate the hot water and the tiny bubbles. Her hand ran along the smooth edge of the black shiny tub with silver knobs and trim. He walked along side of the tub in between the hot tub and the large window. He pulled the last of the full-length sheer, black curtains shut. It covered the window that reached from the top of the room to the gray, plush carpeting.

With a flick of his wand, he lit the fireplace in the opposite corner of the room, near the entrance. She slowly rose back to a standing position. He tossed his wand into a small chair next to the tub. Then his sensual fingers ran though his hair and changed the brown curls back to the bright, silky blonde she much preferred. With a blink of his eyes, he changed the chocolate-brown eyes to the silver pools she fell in love with. He moved to stand in front of the French doors, as he seemed to await her next move.

Hermione walked over to the long, black leather bench in front his luxurious bed. She watched him for a moment and then asked, "So, tell me how Draco Malfoy, the unofficial Prince of Slytherin, ends up living in a beach house that is surrounded by Muggles? And just a few doors away from the Boy-Who-Lived?"

Draco chuckled. "Let's just say, it was the last time I let my real-estate agent buy without my looking it over first."

She put her hands on her hips and laughed. "Would you like to try the truth?"

He took a step closer to her and asked, "Do I get a treat for answering correctly, Miss Granger?"

"A small reward with every truthful answer. Deal?"

"Deal," he moved over to the chair were his wand was. Draco grabbed the wand and placed it under the chair and took a seat. "So to truthfully answer your question, I discovered the deed to this piece of real-estate, while going through my father's things. I had never been here and it was covered in layers of dust and cobwebs. He left a note attached to the deed stating that Muggles were starting to move in around the property. I figured that's the reason he never came back here. Now, the fact it is close to Potter's new place was not something I planned. But I really like the location and the Muggles I can deal with. It is really not worth moving most of my stuff back to the manor just because of him."

Hermione sat on the bench to unlace her boots. Once unlaced, she pulled each one off and flung them behind her on the floor by the bed. "Okay, why throw a party?"

"Harry mentioned to me a few weeks ago how you were not relaxing and enjoying life in an apartment next to the beach. So, I wanted to give a reason for you to have a good time. With the help of Ginny and Harry, I planned this party for you without you knowing."

She removed the large scarf from around her waist and let it drop to the floor. Her fingers lay on to the top of her skirt. "You throw a great party. And what was the reason for the change of your hair and eyes?"

With his eyes pasted on her hands, he replied, "If you liked this party, I give even better private parties for two. The reason for the change in looks... Well, I was not sure how things still sat between you and me. I was not about to let some guy other guy put a hand on you."

Her hands moved up to her ears and tugged off the plastic earrings. She slid off her bracelets and threw the jewelry on the floor with the boots. She took a step toward him. His face looked in a pout for the non-removal of a piece of clothing. Hermione took another step but this time more in the direction of the hot tub. Her hands pulled the shirt out of the tight skirt. With a hand on the zipper located in the back, she asked, "And why is that, Draco?"

He sat up a little straighter in his chair. He looked her directly in her eyes and she saw the passion back in those silver depths. "Because you're mine. And mine, alone."

The zipper moved its way down its track. Once it stopped, she withdrew both hands from behind her and let the skirt fallen down around her ankles. Her white shirt still covered up her bikini bottoms. But he saw much more flesh than before. His fists clenched to the arms of the chair till his knuckles were almost white. Hermione took three steps into the hot water till the water was at her waist. Her black bikini showed under the wet shirt.

Draco got to his feet and raised his shirt over his head. The breath caught in Hermione's chest as he took in the sight of Draco's sexy chest. He tossed the shirt to the side without any care of where it landed. He untied the string that kept his pants on him and let them drop to his feet. He never took his sizzling eyes off her in the water. The want built to new heights inside her chest. Draco stood there in his own black, short swimming trunks, which seemed to barely hold his straining manhood.

She took two more steps and ended up on the bottom of the tub. The bubbles of hot water came up right below her bosom. She decided to raise the stakes again. With a slight bend of the back, she lowered her head and chest back to into the water to get very wet. She brought herself back up and heard a splash of water next to her. She saw him under the water and felt him move his hands from her ankles up to her waist. He rose out of the water. Nothing is hotter than a wet, horny Draco Malfoy.

With an arm around her waist, he pulled her soft body against his hard body. Her wet white shirt left nothing left for the imagination. She gave her lover a passionate look and asked one final question. "And what makes you think that I am yours, Mr. Malfoy?"

He took her chin in his hand and raised it so she looked directly into his eyes, the doorway to his soul. "Because I love you, Miss Granger. Little over a year ago, everything in my life changed and became upside down from the life I had known. Against all the reasons, I fell in love with you. You gave me a chance to be your friend with no reason at all. After spending a year befriending me, you showed me there could be enough love for another chance. I finally found a reason to change from who I used to be and that reason is you."

He leaned forward to capture her lips with his. He showed her how much she meant to him. She never again doubted his feeling for her. They were always there in his kisses. He proved her worth in that kiss in the hot tub, in the night full of love making till the sun rose, and the marriage proposal a week later.

**** THE END****