Chapter 52

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Note: As you probably suspected, covid 19 quarantine fucked up all my plans of writing with both the baby and 3 year old at home and no help from the family whatsoever. Since quarantine isn't over yet and I have to start working full-time again, writing will continue to be excruciatingly slow. I know it's frustrating to wait, it is for me as well with the whole bloody thing written out in my head, but no time to actually write it down. I hope you are all safe and stay safe and I will do my absolute best to write the next chapter a bit faster...

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Hermione threw her coat on the rack and kicked her heels off.

Stupid meddling Head Auror...

She made a mental note to set up a meeting with her security team in the afternoon, because she refused to keep living under her friend's too watchful eyes.

She sighed and flopped down on her bed, taking her mirror out to call Draco.

"Hi Sweetheart", he said when he answered, "How did it go?"

Damn it, why did he have to look so sexy with his hair all tousled and his shirt unbuttoned?

"He's overly concerned, as expected", she sighed. "I can't come over tonight, Harry's tracking my phone."

"Why don't you just leave the phone?", he asked.

He knew that she wouldn't, but he really wanted her in his arms after the events.

"Can't, I wouldn't put it past him to call me to make sure I'm still here", she said, levitating the mirror in front of her to have her hands free.

"I could come over?", he tried. "I'd like to... apologise for taking over without your consent."

She considered it for a brief moment, severely tempted by his promise of 'apologising' to her.

"It's not safe, Harry could pop in or send Ronald home", she said reluctantly. "There might be another way to make it up to me though."

It took Draco a split second too long to respond when he watched her pull her shirt over her head. He would never ever get tired of watching her undress.

"How?", he asked, his eyes fixed on the perfect lines of her collarbone.

Honestly, he wasn't going to stare at her breasts like some pervert, he was raised like a proper pureblood boy... Or maybe just a glance...

"Levitate your mirror, you'll need your hands free", she instructed, waiting for him to do so. "Good, now take a few steps back so I can see you. All of you."

"Whatever you want Sweetheart", he smirked, already liking it.

"Now... strip", she said, licking her lips like she was looking forward to a delicious treat.

He shrugged and started by untying his shoes.

"No, no, stop!", she halted him. "Not like that."

"Like how then?", he asked a little confused.

He watched her scurry out of view and a few seconds later, music started playing.

"Now, strip", she ordered saucily.

"You're joking", he said drily, getting what she wanted him to do.

"You said that you would make it up to me", she pouted.

"Fine", he huffed. Really, as if he could really deny that woman anything. He was stupid for even trying.

About ten minutes later, Hermione was utterly breathless.

"That was the best thing ever!", she said, tears in her eyes. "Thank you so much, you really made it up to me and then some."

"What was your favorite part?", he grinned, glad that she liked it.

"When you almost fell over trying to take your socks off 'sexily'", she laughed, lying in stitches all over again. "Or when you really did topple over taking your pants off! No wait..."

Her laughing fit was ended abruptly by a blaring alarm.

"What's that?", he asked sharply, already turning to find his pants.

"Muggle alarm, the front of the house", she said, pulling her jumper over her head. "I'll go check it out."

"I'm coming over, meet me at the backdoor", he ordered.

"Wait!", she tried, "You don't need to..."

He was already gone.

She rolled her eyes and ran down the stairs.

"Hermione it's me", he said knocking on the door. "Let me in."

"Who took my virginity?", she asked, checking his identity. Constant vigilance!

"I did Pet", he answered and she could almost hear him smirk. "Though now's not the time to reminisce about it."

She rolled her eyes again and let him in.

"I needed to be sure that it was really you", she said, eying his chest. "You could have put your clothes on first."

"No time, I needed to be sure that you were safe.", he answered, "Don't worry, I'm not facing anyone with a bare arse."

He wiggled his arse a bit in his dress pants.

Good, because a bare chest is distracting enough already.

She turned away from him and lead him to the front door. After turning the alarm off, she stared out of the window next to the door. She felt Draco close behind her, his eyes scanning over the bushes in the tiny front yard.

"Keep your wand up", he commanded, "I'm going to open the door. It's probably nothing since the wards are all fine, but we need to be sure."

She nodded tensely. Whoever was out there was probably muggle and gone already, but better safe than sorry.

She followed him out, stepping slowly over the threshold and into the light of the lamp next to the door.

Suddenly, a dark shadow flew down from the neighbour's apple tree and seared right over their heads, triggering the alarm again before disappearing into the night.

"A bat", she said relieved, "It was just a big bat."

"A noctule I believe", he said, following her inside. "They live in Hampstead Heath, which is close by."

"He did look very mangled though, like he'd hit some walls a few times", she grimaced. "I didn't know you knew something about bats though. Hobby picked up from living in the dungeons at Hogwarts?"

"As if you saw any bats down there", he grinned, taking her arm playfully to pull her to him. "Unless you're counting professor Snape..."

"Let go of the Minister, Malfoy", a voice suddenly boomed, making them both jump.

Instinctively, Draco pulled her closer to him instead of letting her go, pointing his wand at the intruder.

"Potter", he grimaced, "What the hell are you doing here."

"Me?", he spoke lowly, making Hermione position herself between him and Draco, "You are the trespasser here Malfoy."

"As I invited neither of you, you are both trespassing as far as I'm concerned", Hermione commented. "Now Harry, when we escaped from Gringotts, who steered the dragon?"

"Nobody, we just hung on for our lives until we could jump off above the lake", he answered, his eyes still on Draco. "What's he doing here."

"He heard what happened and called to check on me", she said, making Draco lower his wand. "When the alarm went off, he came over to help."

Harry finally lowered his wand, noticing with irritation how Draco still had his hand on Hermione's arm.

"You can let go of her now, she knows it's really me", he snapped, making Draco raise his hands in a gesture of innocence, which was belied by the grin on his face.

"The alarm was triggered by a big ugly bat Harry", she interrupted before they could start bickering. "So now that you both know that I'm okay, would you please leave and let me sleep? I've got a divorce appointment in just a few hours."

"Of course, my apologies for lingering", Draco responded overly polite, "I hope that your appointment goes smoothly and that I can call you Granger again very soon."

He hugged her and kissed her cheek, making Harry fume. She smiled and secretly pinched his arse for making such a scene to irritate her friend.

"Thank you Draco", she smiled just as sweet, "Thank you for coming. I'll call you soon so we can have lunch together."

"That would be nice", he answered, "Goodbye S... Hermione. Potter."

He walked out without turning back and apparated away.

When he was gone, she turned to Harry, her eyebrow raised and her arms crossed.

"You could be a little more polite you know", she told him. "He isn't your enemy anymore."

"I...", he started to protest.

"No, I'm not interested in your reason, it was just an observation", she said, suddenly feeling very tired. "How are you here anyway?"

"I had my team place an extra ward over your apparition point, which notifies me if anyone but you or Ron arrives", he explained. "And... I'm sorry for not telling you about it sooner."

"Take it off by noon", she ordered. "I'm meeting with my own security team in the afternoon, they'll deal with it."

She saw him opening his mouth to protest, but then he seemed to change his mind.

"I want to be informed", he countered. "I decide whether their actions are enough or not."

"I'll have Francis send you the report", she said, hugging him. "Now I really need to sleep, bye Harry."

She escorted him out and locked up behind him.

When she finally got to the bed, she took her mirror out and took a picture.

Goodnight Love

X

H

She wrote under it, before sending it.

When Draco took his mirror out and saw the picture of a bare breasted Hermione all alone in her bed he groaned and cursed Potter three times over again.