Draco told himself there was no need to be nervous, the evening he had planned for Hermione and himself was simple enough to pull off without a hitch. The Perseid would paint the night sky with falling stars, where they would watch as they fell to the earth beneath the magically altered canopy of their willow. Draco would read to Hermione, much like he had the first time they sat together there, hidden away from the world. He'd asked Tilly to deliver another picnic basket to their private haven, filled with ripe summer strawberries and other fruits, various cheeses and a bottle of the Malfoy's finest champagne chilling under a powerful cooling charm. Tilly had included the little mistresses' favorite rich chocolate mousse as well, hoping to offer a little extra sweetness to the young couple's special evening.

However, his father's earlier warning echoed heavily in mind.

"I'm loathe to place pressure on you, my son," Lucius had begun, his sombre voice heavy with importance. "But an unmarked mate of a Veela is at constant risk." When Draco snarled protectively, his father raised a calm hand in his son's direction and continued. "You would do anything, give anything to assure her safety Draco. This will remain true all the days of her life. This has always been an issue for Veela and their mates, especially if the Veela is of the likes of our family's means. It's easy enough to grab an unsuspecting witch and apparate away, keeping her bound and hidden until they receive whatever ungodly ransom they demand. Mated Veela have the added protection of being able to focus on their mate, on their mark, and travel immediately to their mate's side in moments of great duress."

Draco's body had trembled at the thought of someone taking Hermione from him, hiding her away in some putrid hellhole, while he sat waiting for her abductors' demands to arrive by owl. His father was right, there was no amount Draco wouldn't pay if it meant returning his witch safely to his arms. Anything that was his to give. No matter the treasure, no matter its worth. It all paled in comparison to Hermione.

"You both return to Hogwarts in just over two short weeks, Draco. I urge you to fulfil the bond before you go. I'd hate for anything to happen to either of you. Your mother and I love you both. We only want you to be safe and happy."

He could live without money. He could live without certain creature comforts. He could not live without Hermione Granger.

So, while Draco had planned for this evening to be the one when he'd lead his witch back to their bed, strip them slowly of their clothes and lay her down, before making slow and gentle love to her and completing the mating bond by biting into her tender flesh and marking her forever as his mate - he now felt fear so oppressive it bore down on him with enough force to slow his movements, like trying to walk through quicksand. It was a counterproductive effect, as he wanted to be free of this clawing fear of losing Hermione as quickly as possible, he needed to hurry along the beginning of their evening together.

Draco regretted telling Hermione he'd meet her in front of the stables at sundown, knowing he could have met her at her door as per usual and lead them down earlier had he been thinking clearly. He wore the dark blue three-piece suit Hermione had begged him to try on, then purchase on a shopping excursion to muggle London with his Mother. A smirk twisted his lips as Draco recalled her wide cinnamon colored eyes being nearly blotted out by her blown pupils and the husky timbre to her voice when she said, "You're buying that."

Shifting the sudden hardness in his trousers with a groan, Draco hung his jacket on a hook next to Eros' stall. He held out a palm full of sugar cubes to the black as pitch, winged horse and sighed. "She'll enjoy tonight won't she, boy?" The Veela within rolled its eyes, of course, she would. It was Hermione. How many times since he first read to her had she told him how much she loved it? Far too many to keep track of anyway. But the very human part of Draco worried and then worried some more.

Stress prickled the skin between his shoulder blades and Draco rolled his tense shoulders several times, trying to loosen up. The odd prickling sensation didn't lessen, but he forced all thoughts of it out of his mind when the soft pop announced Hermione's arrival. Sliding his jacket over his arm, as it really was too hot for it at the moment, Draco led Eros from his stall and out of the stable only to jerk to a stop when his eyes landed on the loveliest vision he'd ever seen.

Hermione was draped in a wispy, Grecian style dress, its soft cream color accentuating the golden summer glow her skin had taken. Draco was certain his mother played a part in Granger's appearance, but he didn't mind. Most of her hair was left in loose, tumbling curls down her back, but for a tiny braided crown atop her head held in place with an antique, emerald-encrusted platinum hair comb. He was certain his open-mouthed stare looked foolish, but Hermione only smiled softly while her cheeks warmed with a blush and Draco felt his pulse quicken.

"You're breathtaking, Hermione," he finally managed to recover a fraction of his earlier grace and pay his witch the compliment without making a further fool of himself.

"You're looking incredibly handsome yourself. Must be a special evening," Draco could detect the slightest amount of nerves in her voice and somehow, knowing she also felt it and understood, allowed him to relax in a way he hadn't been capable of before. Grinning widely at Hermione and holding out his hand, Draco agreed with a nod. This would be a night they remembered and treasured for the rest of their lives.

Though entirely expected, Hermione still squealed at the sight of their willow bathed in the moonlight, several branches magically moved and pinned aside, leaving an uninhibited view of the night sky while still under the trees wondrous canopy. Draco had gracefully unmounted Eros, leading the horse a ways away and tying his reins around a branch leaving the creature to graze. He lifted his arms to Hermione and she slid into them with a gracefulness she didn't often possess.

Draco kissed her lips tenderly and held her body close to his, her feet dangling inches from the ground, unable to go another moment without tasting her lips. Placing her on her feet, Hermione allowed Draco to take her hand in his and lead them back to their tree. She smiled at the sight of the soft flannel blanket spread out on the grass with a few small pillows resting against the trunk of the tree. Another blanket was draped across a picnic basket, the bookmarked copy of Pride & Prejudice topping it all.

Hermione glanced up into Draco's eyes, sparkling in the moonlight, and felt breathless. The man in question rubbed the back of his neck nervously, a sheepish grin on his handsome face. "The meteor showers won't start for another hour and a half or so, and I thought maybe you'd enjoy me reading to you again while we were waiting. Tilly helped me pack a few things to eat and drink, as well. I know it's not the most extravagant of dates I could take you on by far, but when I thought of you, it was all I could picture."

It never failed to amaze Hermione, how much this man before her could make her feel. She felt wanted and cherished, his careful and thoughtful planning making her feel like a princess being courted by a prince. Who said fairy tales didn't exist? They obviously didn't know Draco Malfoy. "It's absolutely perfect, Draco," Hermione affirmed. Taking hold of both his hands, the witch pulled him down on the blanket with her, before settling between his legs with her back to his chest.

Removing the book and blanket from the lid of the basket, Draco opened it and pulled out two champagne flutes and the chilled bottle. Hermione's brows wiggled playfully as she looked over her shoulder to meet Draco's eyes. He laughed at her silliness and pressed a kiss to his forehead before turning his attention to uncorking the bottle. Hermione took out the heavy container of sun-ripened strawberries and her mouth watered at the thought of the complimentary flavors.

Draco looked back up after popping the cork, with a smile at the sound of another excited squeal from his witch. "Thank you, Tilly!" Hermione called out gleefully and turned to show him the mousse the elf had snuck in amongst the other treats.

"I'm not sure if I should be jealous or not," Draco teased as he poured them each a glass of the bubbly drink. "I think Tilly loves you more than she loves me."

Hermione maturely stuck out her tongue as she accepted the glass from Draco, and his chuckle created a bubble of pleasant warmth to blossom low in her belly. Reclining against his chest once more, Hermione kicked off the strappy sandals Narcissa had slipped on her feet earlier and wiggled her bare toes against the softness of the blanket under them. She felt Draco press a kiss to her temple before taking a slow pull from his glass. Setting it down beside the book, Draco picked up the tome and opened it to the bookmarked page, then smoothing his free hand over her glossy curls, he began to read, transporting them both to the world held within the pages.

Possibly the most tranquil she'd ever been, Hermione listened to Draco's voice rumble through his chest against her back. Occasionally pausing to accept a bite of juicy strawberry or to take a drink from his glass, or to set the book down and feed her spoonful after spoonful of the decadent chocolate dessert. His stare had turned dark and smouldering watching her wrap her lips around the spoon and licking it clean. Hermione couldn't deny the small thrill that ran through her, knowing something so very innocent could have him burning with passion for her.

The two were fully absorbed in each other's presence when the first ray of light streaked across the inky blackness of the night sky. Draco had almost missed it, entranced as he was with the way Hermione was winding one of her curls around and around one of her small fingers. But her gasp of delight and the streak of light in the corner of his vision, thankfully alerted him and he was able to snap out of it. Eyes turned heavenward, the couple held onto one another as the sky came alive.

Hermione's curls fell to one side as she tilted her head, surveying the stars streaking across the sky and Draco's lips were drawn to the newly exposed skin. Soft, open-mouthed kisses were dragged along her neck, over the line of her jaw only pausing to suckle at the overly sensitive spot behind her ear which ripped a rather loud moan from her lips in comparison to the otherwise gentle quiet sounds of the night. Draco tightened his hold around her middle and buried his face in the space where her neck met her shoulder and groaned, long and low.

Emboldened by the sound, Hermione turned in the circle of his arms and straddled his lap, pulling the hem of her dress above her knees in order to do so. Draco's hands immediately dropped to knead the exposed flesh, as Hermione wrapped his tie around her fist and pulled him into her, slanting her lips over his in a desperate and needy kiss. Draco eagerly returned the kiss, his hands rubbing up and down Hermione's thighs. Each pass going higher and higher until his fingertips were brushing against her hip bones.

Gasping for air as she broke their kiss, Hermione licked and nibbled at the pale skin of his neck. "I love you," she murmured against the shell of Draco's ear and he moaned in response, his hips rocking up against her. Her gasp echoed in the quiet night air around them, and Draco took advantage of the moment, taking her face in his hands and kissing her deeply, sliding his tongue into her mouth with sinful purpose. Hermione's tiny hands fell to his chest while her hips rolled, grinding her lace knickers against the growing bulge in his trousers.

"Love you so much," Draco rasped against her lips completely enraptured by the brunette beauty writhing on his lap. Hermione's slightly shaking fingers made quick work of the three button vest he wore, and Draco's body trembled with desire for what was to come. The sudden sound of ripping fabric registered to both their ears, though Draco dismissed it in the haze of lust and love until Hermione's sweet, awestruck voice rang in his ears, "Merlin, Draco. Your wings."

Lit with an ethereal glow from the moonlight, his wings spread wide behind him, Draco had never more resembled a fallen angel as he did at that moment. Hermione reached out, trailing her fingers over the downy-soft, white feathers and Draco shivered with pleasure. "Gods, you're beautiful," Hermione breathed, staring into his eyes with so much love and sincerity shining in her gaze, Draco couldn't help but release a tortured sounding groan while crushing her against his chest and attacking her lips with an ardent fervor.

The remains of his white shirt were readily and easily discarded and his teeth gently nipped at Hermione's kiss-swollen lips as her soft hands explored the hard planes or his chest and abdomen. The air around them felt heavy and laden with magic, crackling against their exposed skin like a livewire, further driving their need to be closer, skin to skin, coming together as one. Draco moved to his knees, shifting Hermione carefully off his lap before standing and bringing her body up along with his own.

Running his fingers down the smooth skin of her arms, Draco marvelled at the gooseflesh that trailed in their wake. Hermione's soulful brown eyes stared up at him as he lowered the zip of her dress and slowly eased the straps of her dress down the path his fingers had just traced. She sucked in a deep breath of the crisp night air, feeling her bare breasts tighten and pebble against the sudden chill. With her dress pooled around her bare feet, leaving her in only her lacy knickers, Hermione stepped out of the circle of her dress - allowing Draco to collect it and drape it carefully over the basket.

Hermione's hands felt to the buckle of his belt, working the supple dragonhide through the loop and away from his hips and Draco cupped her heavy, desire-laden breasts in his large hands. He groaned and gently bucked his hips at the feel of her puckered nipples brushing against his palms. With a soft thunk, Draco's trousers and belt hit the soft ground beneath them and he stepped out of them, backing his witch toward the blanket before scooping her up in his arms. He muffled the startled noise she made with his lips as he laid her back on the flannel fabric, lining their bodies up just so.

His wings hovered protectively around them as Draco took a nipple into his worshipping mouth and suckled with increasing pressure, spurred on by Hermione's mewling sounds of pleasure. A faint, but growing ever stronger, golden glow began to light the lush canopy from within. Draco was briefly mesmerized by the flickering light highlighting the curve of Hermione's small waist, and the swells of her breasts. But when he met her soft eyes, and found them to be reflecting that same golden glow, turning them a sparkling topaz - the Veela chanced a look around them and was shocked to find hundreds of fireflies settled within the wispy branches, small pulses of bright light twinkling all around them.

Hermione's own awestruck stare took in the unlikely sight and she could only guess the fireflies had been attracted to the magic she could feel swirling in the air around them. As Draco placed a wet kiss at the hollow of her throat, the witch moaned and arched under him, his tender affections slowly driving her mad with desire. His fingers drifted over the soft swell of her stomach and toyed with the hem of her lacy knickers for several long moments.

"Please," the whimpered plea escaped Hermione's lips before she could stop it and his answering groan caused her panties to dampen with want. Draco's long, elegant fingers dipped beneath the waistband of her knickers and into the wet heat between her thighs, moaning as one long digit easily slid inside her sucking warmth, finding her already wet and wanting. Teasing the opposite nipple with his tongue, Draco slowly pumped his finger in and out of Hermione's tight hole, making her gasp his name over and over as he stoked the embers of desire burning low in her belly.

Burying her hands in his soft locks and tugging, Hermione pulled his mouth to her own with a low groan. Draco's tongue plunged into her mouth in perfect sync with his finger, before slowly adding another and stretching her tight pussy in gentle preparation for his much larger cock. Hermione gasped and rocked against his hand, the deliriously pleasurable tingles beginning to crawl up her legs and toward the ball of tension winding tighter and tighter around itself within her womb. Her legs began to tremble and her body quivered beneath his causing Draco to grunt and curl his fingers inside her searching for the elusive expanse of spongy flesh that drives women wild.

"Yes, love," he crooned to her panting form. Hermione clawed at his muscular shoulders bowing her back away from the blanket. "Cum for me, love. Let me see you break apart," his seductive whispers had her coming apart at the seams, chanting his name like a moaning prayer. Hermione's body quaked from the force of her orgasm, shaking and trembling against the body of her lover without any shame. And Draco basked in all her unencumbered glory, burning the sight of her with her head thrown back, mouth open and calling his name as he brought her to and over the edge into his memory, never wanting to forget how beautiful she looked in that moment.

As Hermione caught her breath, her Veela slowly pulled her knickers down over the swell of her arse and hips and off her legs before pulling his shorts down below his knees and kicking them off to the side. The witch stared up at Draco, kneeling between her legs, his erection tall and proud straining towards her welcoming heat. As he caught her lingering gaze, he puffed out his chest and his wings ruffled pridefully before spreading wide behind him.

Hermione had to bite down on her bottom lip to hide the smile that wished to split her lips at the typical male behavior, peacocking for his preferred mate. Instead, she held her arms out to Draco and called softly to him, "Love me, please?" He was over her in the next moment, dropping soft kisses to her forehead, cheeks, nose and finally lingering on her lips. "Gladly," he moaned as she opened her mouth to him and brushed her sweet tongue against his. Draco couldn't resist the urge to shift his hips against the wet heat his cock was nestled against and twin moans left the pair at the delightful friction.

Hermione rolled her hips, causing Draco's cock to slide between her wet lips and catch at her opening. Ever the gentleman his mother raised him to be, Draco met Hermione's eyes and at her subtle nod carefully watched every minute change in her expression as he slowly pushed the thick head of his shaft inside her velvet warmth. He bit his lower lip hard, stifling the loud groan building in his chest. Slowly, so slowly, he worked himself further inside her, pausing only when he hit the barrier marking her innocence.

Hermione had never felt so full, or so stretched before. It wasn't an unpleasant sensation by far and large, but she knew Draco was only roughly halfway in and that the not so nice part was quickly approaching. His lips covered hers in a soothing, passionate kiss involving teeth and tongue as his fingers sought out the little button at the apex of her sex and began rubbing fast circles against it with steadily increasing pressure. Hermione panted against his lips as she felt another bubble of pleasure rapidly grow low in her belly, before bursting and sending her careening over the edge of orgasmic bliss once more.

When her pussy walls clenched tightly around his cock, Draco's eyes rolled back in his skull for just a second but he quickly refocused, thrusting sharply the moment her gripping inner muscles loosened and tore through her hymen to bury his cock inside her to the hilt. Still reeling from her ongoing orgasm, Hermione briefly registered the burning, stinging pain of her innocence tearing away but then she was so wonderfully full, and Draco's body was trembling above hers, his short, sharp breaths against the skin of her neck sending a shiver throughout her body. Pulling out slightly and sliding back inside, Draco let out a low moan at the feel of Hermione beneath him, and all around him.

"Merlin and Morgana, Hermione," he ground out, voice ragged with unbridled desire. "I never imagined, it feels...I, you," his words were a jumbled mess as his hips began thrusting, setting a slow but steady rhythm between them. "There are no words for how incredible it feels, being buried inside you," his growled words and the ever-deepening strokes of his cock pulled a long, loud moan from her chest. Draco's hands pulled Hermione's from his shoulders and entwined their fingers, lifting both pairs above her head as he slid his body over hers again and again, the sinuous movement reminding her of the snake he was and bringing a delighted grin to her lips.

He didn't know why she was smiling, couldn't possibly know her inner-most thoughts, but the sheer joy and love radiating through the bond spoke true to a deeper kind of contentment that had him whispering words and promises of forever against those swollen, smiling lips of Hermione's.

"I'll love you all the days of my life," Draco vowed, sealing the promise with a swift kiss to her lips. Hermione hummed against his lips, smile turning small and soft. "And I'll love you for all of mine," her quiet words turned into a groan when Draco changed the angle of his hips and his cock stroked a deep, hidden place inside her that sent molten heat coursing through her veins.

"Oh god, Draco," Hermione purred as she arched further against him, grinding their hips together. Small grunts left him with every movement. His own growling purr echoed her small one, plunging in and out of her depths faster, driving them both steadily closer towards bliss.

"Promise you'll never leave me," Draco groaned in a moment of weakness, showing that rare vulnerability that Hermione loved fiercely. She nodded, moaning as her womb tightened with growing desire. "I promise, I promise," she breathed, wrapping her lean legs around his hips and causing him to slide further, deeper inside.

"Gods," he whined low in the back of his throat, momentarily overwhelmed by his emotions, her emotions, the feel of her pussy encasing him with its indescribable wet heat. "Everything I have is yours, Hermione," Draco panted, pressing his forehead against hers and staring into her shining eyes. "Anything you want, name it and I'll get it for you. Let me care for you, love," he pled as he pressed kiss after kiss to her soft lips.

"Yes," Hermione moaned into the kiss. "Yes, okay. Gods, Draco." She was lost in the rising pleasure his body was giving her. She felt her magic unspooling and spreading outwardly around Draco, tying the two of them together in an ancient way. He gasped at the feel of it, readily allowing his magic to do the same, thrusting deeper, and harder into his witch than he'd allowed himself before.

So lost in one another, neither of the two lovers noticed the sudden influx of falling stars in the sky, nor the young unicorn foal, with a coat of pure iridescent white, wandering out of the thick woods towards the lake, seeking the quench its thirst.

Instead, Draco had his lips pressed against Hermione's jugular, feeling her pulse fluttering underneath her skin. Her inner muscles were starting to flutter around his shaft and he knew her orgasm was seconds away, and instinct took over. In the next moment, fangs Draco had never felt before descended from his gums and he was biting through her tender flesh, flooding her veins with his very essence before licking the wound to seal it.

Several things happened at the exact same moment.

Hermione burst apart into a million tiny particles and slowly came together piece by piece.

The unicorn foal turned in the couple's direction, drawn to the pure, light magic rolling off the pair in waves.

A falling star glanced off the unicorn's horn bathing the couple in glowing, shimmering stardust. Lost as they were, both being twisted, reshaped by their bodies straining against one another, aching for their mutual release - they didn't notice the sudden pulsing heat over their left hip bones, the matching runes, taking on an iridescent shimmer, cementing their whispered promises of forever, indelibly on their skin.

Draco pistoned his cock inside Hermione's gripping sheath once, twice, three more times before crying out her name and trembling as thick spurts of his seed erupted deep inside her still spasming core. He tried and failed to hold himself up on shaking, weak arms but ultimately ended up collapsing against Hermione's naked body. Hand groping blindly at their side, Draco grunted as he felt the softness of the extra blanket against the flesh of his palm.

He shook the blanket out over their bodies, rolling so Hermione lay over him, her sex-mussed curls framing her face in a wild halo. His hands smoothed up and down the curve of her spine, as words failed him. Draco felt the urgent need to say something, anything to this witch that had ensnared him, heart and soul - but no words or praise or love fell from his lips. His entire being radiated the contentment and soul lifting happiness, but the moment they'd just shared together had seemingly struck him dumb.

"You're so happy," Hermione whispered quietly, afraid to break the quiet spell the night had cast around them. When he met her bright-eyed stare, he felt his happiness echoed by her own and his slow smile was unavoidable.

"I really am," Draco concurred as he wound his arms tightly around his witch. In this moment, beneath this witch - his mate, he'd never believed happiness like this was meant for the likes of him. But with those joyous, shining eyes twinkling down at him from above, Draco felt himself beginning to believe it. Hermione Granger was his mate, and they were bonded for life. He never had to let her go, which until that very moment, Draco hadn't realized had been a large, looming fear, ever present on his horizon - ready, willing and able to plunge his world into everlasting darkness.

With Hermione by his side, for the rest of their days, that looming shadow couldn't even come close. Making a happy humming sound, his witch glanced around their hidden spot under their willow. He watched with a small smirk as her brow furrowed in confusion before blinking down at her chest and shoulders.

"Draco," she murmured steadily unwilling to lower their sky-high moods with her insatiable curiosity. "What is this...powder all over the both of us, and...everywhere?" Hermione breathed, looking through the open canopy and meeting the unblinking stare of a gorgeous unicorn foal.

Hermione's body freezing, all her joints locking into place and the quick and sudden silence of her breathing startled Draco and his attention narrowed in on her, her heartbeat thundering reassuringly in his ears. Ba bum, ba bum, ba bi bum, ba bum, ba bi bum. He winced at the extra little beat, one that was out of place in her regular, resting rhythm. Draco would know, he'd spent so many nights focused on the slow, steady beat of her heart hidden away behind a heavy oak door, just across the hall from his own. That sound became his touchstone in a world that seemed to spin madly out of his control at any one moment's notice. Any irregularity threw off his peaceful countenance like a snake sheds his skin. One moment Draco was on top of the world, the next he was holding his mate protectively within the cage of his arms, ready to rip whoever and whatever was causing her any distress limb from limb.

"Hermione?" Draco breathed as panic began to freeze the blood in his veins. "Love, what's wrong?" His blind panic turned into a sort of pained indignation when his mate gently shushed him. Feeling his hurt through the bond brought her warm eyes back to him, searching to find what had changed so rapidly within him. Seeing his sullen expression, Hermione sighed quietly with a barely perceptible shake of her head.

"Look out toward the lake, Draco," her lips barely moved and Draco wasn't even sure how he heard her words with so very little sound behind them. Still, his eyes immediately moved to the open space in the willow's branches and his breath caught in his throat. No wonder she'd been trying to stay still and silent as possible. He'd seen a rare unicorn on the property before when he was much younger and long before the Dark Lord's vicious taint seeped into the Manor's once fertile and teeming earth.

Draco took in the foal's still knobby knees, though they looked strong and steady beneath it. Then he took in the size of the foal's head in comparison to the rest of its body. Finally, his eyes, shining silver in the bright moonlight, unobscured by England's usual cloud cover, came to rest on the foal's pearlescent horn also winking in the bright, pale light. Taking into account the distance the foal stood away from the in flagrante delicto couple, Draco judged the length to be roughly the same as the tip of his longest finger to his elbow.

"The mother must be close by," Draco breathed against the shell of Hermione's ear, delighting in being able to share some small amount of knowledge with his know-it-all mate. His passion for the Abraxans, and all horses really if the Veela were to be entirely honest, leant him the ability to teach his eager witch something new, and he knew Hermione would appreciate that more than most of the finest jewels found on Earth. "By its size and the length of its horn, I'd bet a hundred Galleons it was born close to Easter."

"It's just so beautiful. I'm surprised it's still here, we weren't exactly being quiet before." Draco was forced to press his lips into a hard line to stifle the chuckle itching to burst free from his chest.

"It wouldn't surprise me if it wasn't attracted to your magic when you let it unspool from within your core outward. Your magic is unlike anything I've ever felt before, Hermione," Draco whispered seriously, once again losing himself in the endless depths of her warm, honey-flecked, chocolate eyes. "Every part of you is good. The light within you." He placed his warm hand in the center of her chest, feeling the steady thump against the palm of his hand. "I swear it's bright enough to chase away even the darkest of shadows. You amaze me, Hermione Granger. I love you." It was hard sounding fierce and powerful while talking in careful whispers, but somehow Draco managed to pull it off.

"I love you," Hermione whispered just as fiercely and covered his much larger hand with her own. Draco smiled, still reeling over the fact that this witch was his, and his alone for the rest of their lives. Okay, he would share with her family and friends but when it came to matters concerning his witch and her precious heart, Draco couldn't be held accountable for his actions. His eyes dropped to their hands, hers much smaller with a deep golden hue to her skin, where his remained a near-translucent pale porcelain.

Just as his thumb brushed over the flesh covering her sternum, something just above Hermione's left breast glinted in the moon's ethereal glow. Draco blinked, shook his head, and blinked again. It was still there. He pulled his hand out from under hers and dragged the pad of his thumb across the delicate pattern decorating the skin just above the swell of her breast. He nuzzled, licked, cupped, teased and dreamed about his witch's superb tits. He knew them like the back of his hand, certain he could pick her perky, perfect handful out of a line-up with no trouble whatsoever.

"Hermione?" His voice sounded distant and odd to his own ears. "Why is there a constellation above your left breast? My constellation?" Once again his thumb brushed over the pattern on her skin only this time he felt a tug low in his abdomen. Draco hadn't been able to stare lovingly at his mark on her neck, yet. He knew his mark on her body would be a powerful and meaningful symbol of their bond; as permanent and everlasting as their love itself. But this visceral reaction to this smattering of pale starbursts, inking out the simple shape of a dragon, situated right next to her heart as if it were it's constant guardian?

Draco felt certain his heart might just beat out of his chest.

Hermione's eyes had followed the path of his thumb, seeing the constellation winking up at her - the slight iridescence picking up any and all light and bouncing it back from where it came. She swallowed the unnecessary nerves. What was the worst that could come from this, she asked herself? That she had a special, slightly shimmering tattoo above her breast? One that her Veela appreciated if the smouldering embers of desire backlighting his grey eyes was any indication of Draco's personal feelings on the matter.

It was the final slow, sweep of his thumb that changed everything.

One innocent gesture: a man bewitched and enraptured by the body of his woman, shifted his left arm slightly to drag the pad of his thumb down over the new, lovely mark on her skin instead of brushing across it from side to side - to see if he could feel any raised edges or rough, bumpy skin offering some explanation. His witch, tracking the movement of his hand with her eyes, thought about how out of all marks on the body that a person wasn't born with and didn't ask for, she'd probably fallen in the luckier half of the group. With a painful lurch in her heart preceding her next action, the witch glanced over the man's left forearm, slowly teaching herself to become numb to the black swirling mass staining the otherwise pale perfection of his alabaster skin.

Only it wasn't there.

Draco gasped under the sudden onslaught of emotions from Hermione ranging everywhere from panic down to mild concern to overwhelming joy immediately buoyed by nervous anticipation. Framing her cheeks with his broom calloused hands, he gazed at his witch with a tiny seed of frustration blooming in his gut. Already he longed for the calm surety he'd felt earlier. Draco watched as her eyes fought to stay locked on his own. He felt a deep groove appear on his forehead as his features twisted with confusion.

Hermione blinked several times, fighting the urge to marvel at his bare, pale skin. She watched as Draco's lips turned down into a frown, and a barely perceptible sigh escaped her lips. Forgetting herself for only a second, Hermione's eyes flitted to unmarked flesh of his left forearm before returning her attention to her Veela. Draco's hands fell away from her face with a loud gasping breath.

The brunette witch chewed on her bottom lip nervously, twisting her fingers together and only then realizing how awkward their position could turn, but unwilling to allow pesky insecurities distract her when it was obvious Draco needed her. With his right hand cradling his left arm, occasionally poking and prodding the spot he knew his mark should be, the young Veela only stared in uncomprehending, wide-eyed wonder. Hermione's arms twitched with the urge to comfort her mate. She was sure the only other time she'd witnessed this expression on his face had been when she first told him that she loved him.

Wonder. Metered hope. A guarded, yet radiant happiness shining outwardly from within his very soul.

He was breathtaking, her beautiful shadow of a man and she felt as if she were watching him brave a step into the brilliant sun's warm rays of light for the first time. And instead of being left wanting, dismissed and chased away by the light - it bathed him in its warmth and cleansed him of the lingering darkness tainting his otherwise pristine and glorious soul.

"Where did it go?" Draco's whisper echoed in Hermione's ears and she could only offer a shake of her head, reaching out slowly to run her fingers over the unstained skin.

"I don't know, love," her response was just as quiet. Hermione searched his face, breathing a sigh of relief when she found no negativity marring his handsome features. Hermione looked beyond the branches of their cherished, hidden paradise. Beyond the winking fireflies settled among the wispy, dangling greenery adding to the otherworldly and romantic atmosphere. Her eyes settled of the moonlight reflecting off the surface of the crystal blue water of the lake, like a million glittering diamonds undulating towards the shore - sharing one brief kiss only to be cast off and out; repeat the cycle endlessly.

The foal had moved away, close to the water's edge and Hermione saw the mother unicorn breaking through the dark tree line in search of her young. Frowning thoughtfully, the witch looked up at the never-ending inky sky. Shining streaks of light still fell from the Heavens, their rapid descent to Earth leaving Hermione feeling small and inconsequential in the sight of such epic majesty all around her. It would have been so easy to get carried away with all the magic in the air, to allow the pervasive sense of joy and renewal all around them to strip her concerns away and accept the unbridled joy and passion she felt thrumming along her skin.

It was such a special evening, after all. But one look back at her pale, muscular wizard and Hermione's analytical mind stirred awake from its post-coital nap and began studying everything around her with the critical eyes of a genius. Tracing her fingers further up and over the skin of his arms, along the curvature of his bulging bicep, and over one of those sublime shoulders of his (Hermione may have had to choke back a low moan as heat surged in her abdomen at the thought of gripping them as Draco thrust powerfully and deeply inside her. Possibly.) only to pull away with those luminous particles coating each digit.

"Granger." A pleasant thrill ran through Hermione at the use of her given name. What an incredible a difference from mere months ago. "Please stand up for me and drop the blanket, love."

The witch, still mulling over the iridescent particles clinging to her skin and rubbing them between her index and middle fingers with her thumb, raised a brow at her mate's polite command but stood to allow the soft blanket to fall away from her body and pool at her feet. Feeling Draco's heated gaze travelling over her naked body, Hermione spun around and even wiggled her bum slightly with a laugh.

"Enjoying the view, Mister Malfoy?" Her words were playful and flirtatious but slightly detached as her brain's synapses were lighting up and firing off bits of stored knowledge at a rate that would cause most mortals to bend and break under the onslaught of information.

"Turn back around, Hermione."

It was the way Draco said it. His voice hoarse and filled with emotion. The serious and weighty tone of voice that bore no argument.

She turned so that her front was once again bare for his perusal, only to find Draco's eyes glued to her left hip, right where the bone protruded just slightly outward from the rest. His trembling hand frozen in the air mere centimeters away from the exposed skin. Hermione swallowed nervously around a sudden lump in her throat and she shut her eyes, keeping them tightly closed as if that would shield her from whatever blow was incoming.

"How is this possible?" Draco murmured dazedly. Then, quick as a flash, he was on his feet peering down at his left hip. Hermione bit her lip at the sight of his beautiful cock, dangling thick and proud and semi-erect between his legs, but shook herself out of her trance when she caught the movement of his hand brushing over his left hip, in an almost worshipful fashion. That's when she saw the mark, slightly opalescent much like the dragon constellation protecting her heart from harm.

Feeling very slow on the uptake, Hermione eyed her hip and gasped out loud. An identical rune winked back at her from her left hip bone and the memory of an almost burning (soothing and sensual instead of painful) warmth erupting in that exact spot as she and Draco came undone in one another's arms. All the air left her lungs as she blinked at the interlinking design, a triquetra entwined with a lover's heart.

The soulmate rune.

All their whispered words of devotion and promises of forever reverberated in her mind. Her heart stopped. Then jumped in her chest and took off at a pace that rivalled the flapping of a hummingbird's wings. Hermione blinked and narrowed her eyes at the rune, then with at her coated, shimmering finger-tips. Puzzle pieces began to move into place in her mind's eye and she grabbed those shoulders she adored so much and stared into Draco's own calculating stare, watching as understanding began to sink in.

It was crazy.

Insane.

Utterly barmy.

"Muggle Catholics, one of many religions muggles have, well, Catholics refer to the Perseids meteor shower as the Tears of Saint Lawrence," Hermione announced apropos of nothing. Draco gave her a look that clearly questioned her mental prowess at the moment. "I've read that merely bearing witness to a unicorn foal is extremely rare and considered a blessing bestowed upon the person that saw it. I'm only assuming these lovely fireflies were attracted to the magic I swear I can feel in the air and on my skin. Draco…" Her small, pink tongue peeked out to wet her lips, which only served as a whet for her Veela, whose semi-erect cock stiffened further at the sight. "What if…" but she allowed her voice to trail off as her fingers ran over the, admittedly, gorgeous rune adorning Draco's hip bone.

Soulmate.

The man in question swallowed back a groan at the soft touch against his skin, so very close to his straining erection and yet still so far away. Draco closed his eyes and willed his very recently awakened libido to stand down. Much more important things needed to happen first, like his witch finishing her undoubtedly brilliant train of thought. Not only his witch. Not only his mate.

Apparently the Greater Powers That Be, the very Magicks that birthed the magic in his blood, a gift offered to man eons before - accepted those vows made between himself and Hermione. And, oh Merlin, when their magic unspooled and bound their magical cores together, a part of the Veela mating ritual - those Greater Powers witnessed the purity and love behind the promises made, and in a tradition that dated back to when magic began manifesting in men, bound their souls together in matrimony leaving an indelible rune on the bodies.

Hermione was, by the stars and the earth, his wife.

"What if?" Draco prompted gently, pulling her naked curves into his arms and against the much harder planes of his body. One hand danced along her spine as if it were tickling the ivory keys of a piano. The other lovingly traced the constellation above her swollen, heavy breast. Oh dear, merciful Morgana, he wanted her again. Desperately. It had to wait, he reminded himself sternly.

"What if this magic all around us is your familial magic? What if all of this was some kind of divine blessing? I - I can't be sure, but Draco, there are just so many aspects that when pieced together would make sense of so much of what we just experienced," Hermione was nearly panting with excitement. She loved a good mystery, the joy of discovering and deciphering all the clues, and the everlasting knowledge gained when all was said and done. Well that, and the heat emanating from Draco. Every inch of skin on skin felt aflame with desire.

"I think this might be stardust," Hermione wasn't proud of how breathless she sounded nor the way she pressed closer, clearly affected by him and just as eager to return to more passionate endeavors. She held up the hand covered in the shimmery substance, "It's all over your back and I'm sure I'll never get it all washed out of my hair. I can't be sure of what happened, but - well, I think it might been a thank you, Draco."

"What would the ancestral magic have to thank me for though? It's not like my family or me, say, defeated a dark wizard and saved the world from imminent destruction." His words were dry and so typically Draco, Hermione couldn't help but chuckle. Pressing up on her tiptoes, she moaned softly as her nipples dragged along the skin of his chest, she kissed Draco's chin and gazed into his eyes adoringly, "No, you didn't do that. What you did do was bear witness to nightmarish and gruesome things within the sanctuary of your own home. That is until Harry, Ron and I were dragged here over Easter."

"Please, don't…" his plea was so plaintive, Hermione almost let it go. But Draco needed to hear this, just as much as she needed to say it.

"God Draco, the expression on your face when Bellatrix was standing over me. I was watching you, you know?" She tenderly brushed her fingers along his jawline. Tears burned the corners of her eyes but the witch refused to let them fall. "I could see the conflict in you so clearly. And then you fell against your mother, that's when I noticed your parents standing there. Your mother looked at me and started to cry. Lucius, I've never seen him look so horrified and guilty. Narcissa, she gave Lucius her wand and he…" the words stuck in her throat, but she refused to be deterred. "Your whole family chose the light at that moment, Draco. Your father cast the Killing Curse, but it was to save the life of someone else. Your parents, on our behalf, defected from the darkness that surrounded the Manor for so long and for selfless reasons. They did it because of their love for you. To save the one you were destined to love. You ancestral magic would have recognized that, Draco."

Draco stared at his witch for a long time mulling over her words. It wasn't that he thought Hermione was wrong, he'd known her long enough to know that if she had a theory, it was almost always correct. And, oh, how Draco wanted to believe her. Closing his eyes, he went back over the past few months beginning with that disastrous Easter.

They hadn't returned to the Manor until Voldemort had fallen during the Final Battle. It had been nearing sunrise by the time the sweeps for dark curses and traps meant to maim and kill were completed. Draco could clearly remember feeling lighter, attributed to the fight being won, but he could also recall the first golden rays of light cresting the horizon and brightening the grounds of his ancestral home and thinking they too seemed lighter somehow, vibrant in a way he hadn't seen in ages.

Quick flashes of memory blinded Draco momentarily: His mother's blooms, larger and more fragrant than he could ever remember. The peacocks and how peaceful and pleasant they had become when all of his previous memories of the birds were terrifying. Even Eros seemed happier and stronger since their return. Draco's magic had felt stronger and more settled, as well. Though he had believed it to be the Veela strengthening and stabilizing his power, why couldn't it be both?

"I think you're right," Draco murmured, eyeing his mark on her neck with shining eyes, before crashing his lips to hers and sighing in relief the moment her tongue traced the seam, allowing Hermione to deepen the kiss and quench a minute amount of his desire for her. Only when their lungs were screaming at the pair for oxygen, did they break apart. Draco's left hand slowly trailed down her body, along the curve of her breast and down dip in her waist, until his hand wrapped around her hip. Thumb stroking over the rune, he smirked against Hermione's lips, "Wife."

The witch gave him a look of utter exasperation until she once again admired his matching rune, and the (mostly feigned) annoyance melted away into a soft, glorious smile. Hermione covered his mark with her hand, met his eyes once more with a sheepish shrug and a nod, "Husband."

The sun was steadily rising in the sky before the couple made it back to the Manor the following morning.

"Are you nervous?" Draco murmured next to her ear, his chin resting on her shoulder and arms wrapped around her middle, one hand inconspicuously cradling her runed hip. His eyes dropped to the sparkling solitaire whose platinum band was encrusted with emeralds adorning the fourth finger on her left hand with a smirk. Once they returned to the Manor that mid-August morning, they'd immediately shared the pertinent details of the previous evening. Narcissa and Lucius had been thrilled and crushed them with hugs, each of his parents taking a moment to welcome their new daughter-in-law to the family.

And then they began planning 'The Wedding of the Century.'

Because it simply wouldn't do to tell everyone such a personal story, accidental if not fortuitous marriage included.

Draco knew he could have gone to their family vaults and had his pick of fancy baubles from any era. But instead he went to his father and explained what he had in mind and the pair had sneaked away unnoticed, going from shop to shop until they found exactly what Draco imagined Hermione wearing all the days of her life. It was simpler than what a Malfoy would typically give, but Draco knew his witch. The delicate, dainty band and sun-catching sparkler, highlighted by tiny dots of green fire was inarguably beautiful.

Hermione had still declared she didn't even need a ring. She had a sparkling rune to remind her of who held her heart and soul. But with a giggle that never failed to make Draco's heart race, she had allowed him to slip the jewelry on and agreed that she would indeed marry him, again.

"Why would I be nervous?" Hermione grinned over her shoulder at him, lowering the book she'd been skimming. Lush green countryside blurred by the window behind her. Ron and Harry were bent over an intense game of Wizard's Chess at the far end of the bench, with Ginny resting her head on Harry's shoulder watching the match quietly. It was peaceful. Happy. Safe.

"It's our last year at Hogwarts. One last year to be children before we go off into the big, bad adult world full of responsibilities. The wedding is just after graduation and everyone knows that we're engaged. That's not even mentioning N.E.W.T.s," Draco rattled off playfully, wrapping one of her illustrious curls around his finger and watching it unfurl before a stray beam of sunlight cut through the cloud cover and caught the head of his constellation peeking out of the unbuttoned portion of Hermione's blouse. He shifted to brush his lips over his mark on his neck and tightened his arms around her small frame.

"I have you by my side, Draco," Hermione breathed while her toes curled inside her Mary Janes. She closed her eyes and breathed in his spicy cologne and a scent that was uniquely Draco, parchment, apples, and the rich, earthy scent of their willow. Her own brand of Amortentia. Leaning further into his embrace, Hermione let the gentle rocking of the train lull her into that peaceful in-between of sleep and awake. "I'm not scared of anything so long as I have you, silly."

"I love you," Draco said fervently, his lips brushing her neck with each word. "You make everything better, Hermione. I love you so fucking much."

A dazzling smile split her lips, even in her sleepy state, and Hermione hummed happily.

"I love you, too, Draco. So fucking much." And her heart thrilled at the wondrous sound of his laughter, the rumbles of it in his chest shaking them both. Hermione rarely ever cursed, but she'd be willing to do it more often if that laugh was her reward.

All was well.

Notes:

I own nothing recognisable above. That honor goes to JK Rowling. I do however love these characters with a fiery passion that rivals the sun. Hope you enjoyed the read.

xx - otterly