Chapter 2

As she whispered the charm, a momentary flash of doubt crossed her mind before she squashed it with a vengeance. They were ready, of course. More than ready. He loved her and they were ready and they both wanted this.

This time Hermione understood what he was doing. As his mouth travelled a path down her neck, over her collarbone, and onto her nipple she realized that he wasn't playing a game, he was worshipping her. Her husband latched onto a nipple and sucked gently causing her to arch her back and let out a moan.

How had she not noticed this before? How could have she been so blind with hatred and prejudice that she hadn't noticed the way her husband looked at her in these moments? How his fingers would barely graze her skin as if memorizing her body? How his mouth would kiss every inch of her skin, nipping gently, leaving the smallest of love bites? How could she have been so cruel to a man so loving?

"Draco," she whispered, pulling his face up to hers for a heated kiss and marveling as his eyes lit up. He let out the softest of groans and again she wondered how she could have been so blinded to his overwhelming passion. Her husband's hand glided serenely up her thigh, fingering the edge of her lacy knickers.

Never had she wanted him to continue with his explorations as she did now. She let out a low mewl and watched as his eyes snapped up to meet hers and darkened with lust. For once she was sure that her gaze matched his. She wanted this. She wanted him. She wanted to feel him, to feel how he loved her.

She keened in disappointment when his mouth left hers and watched with hooded eyes as he once again moved down her body. His tongue boldly traced a line right above her knickers, making her ache with anticipation. He finally stopped at her ankles and began painstakingly kissing his way up her legs – kissing his way up her calf, his tongue located the back of her knee and sucked gently before proceeding up her thigh, breathing over her throbbing center before moving down her right leg. She was sure that her knickers were soaked with her arousal.

At last his hands travelled back to the edge of her knickers and long, thin fingers tugged the strip of fabric down her legs. With a long glance at her, he moved back to her center and situated himself between his legs, spreading them and resting her knees on his shoulder. Each move of his hands was done with such care; each moment that her skin was touched was so gentle. She couldn't believe that she had once thought this was all a game to him. How she must have hurt him to treat him like a villain when he handled her with such care.

Looking straight into her eyes, his tongue stretched out to lick her slit before situating itself at her nerve center and beginning a slow seduction. She was positively thrashing on the bed as his tongue danced circles around her clit, licking, sucking, and nibbling into abandon. She had almost been at the edge when the movements suddenly stopped – she was ready to demand that he continue when she felt his tongue speared into her center. She yelled out as he pierced his tongue in and out of her center and orgasmed when he tickled a spot deep inside of her. Sweet circe, she had never felt anything so divine.

He moved up towards her again and she couldn't help but bring her arms around his neck and pull him towards her. She licked her essence off of his lips and chin and kissed him with all her pent up passion. He groaned into her mouth again and bit his lip when her hand found his cock. As she wrapped her hand around his impressive length she looked into his eyes and watched as he came completely unraveled. His eyes glazed over and two bright pink spots appeared high on his cheeks. His breath came out in little gasps and she couldn't believe that she had this kind of effect on Draco Malfoy.

"Draco… please." She couldn't take it anymore. She needed him inside of her, needed them to become one for all of the right reasons. His eyes darkening further at the use of his name, her husband reached down to grab a hold of his cock and sheathed himself inside of her in one thrust.

It didn't take long for either of them to reach fulfillment. Several long, deep thrusts and her husband whispered,

"Hermione Malfoy, I love you." She could only assume that this was what he had always wanted to say to her. She felt ashamed for making him hold so many things back from her, for not allowing him to prove to her that he had changed, for letting prejudice and hate guide her actions. She thanked fate for intervening and showing her that the happiness and love that she had always craved were within her reach.

As they lay together for the first time after making love, she asked him something that had still been on her mind.

"What you said earlier, was that your only reason for taking the potion?"

He looked at her for a moment before sighing softly and answering. "No, it wasn't. I knew that you wanted to have a child, as conceiving a child nulls the marriage agreement. But I knew that if you got pregnant, you would take the child and leave and I didn't want that. I've always wanted to have a baby, to prove to myself and everyone else that I can be a better father than my father was. I couldn't let you take him or her away."

She felt tears come to her eyes at the depth of her husband's hurt – she could not believe that she had considered doing such a harsh thing. She didn't recognize the cruel person that she had become, one with no heart, no empathy, and no human dignity.

With tears flowing down her cheeks she leaned over and kissed him, starting a new chapter in their lives.

As she walked into his office, she paused, not knowing what to say, but her husband took one look into her face and knew. Walking over and pulling her into his arms, she knew that they were ready and that the baby growing inside of her would be a blessing to them both. She knew that he would be a great father and that she would be a great mother, and that together they would work towards the hatred that still existed in the hearts of so many.

Because she loved him.