Rain struck the window relentlessly, and while Hermione couldn't peer beyond the study's reflection to the world outside, the howling wind hinted that the trees were surrendering their leaves to the earth.

Sopping wet mud puddles and dripping branches starkly contrasted the cozy oasis she had created within her four walls.

It was a small room. Not so small that she couldn't pace its length when the mood or query struck her, but most importantly, not so big that she could feel her thoughts escaping.

A handsome oak desk to hold her scribbled and scrawled writings, though much of the parchment was now crumbled and tossed in an untidy corner that seemed to glare at her from across the room. 

A tiny but adequate piano in the corner continued its soft melody of a tune she didn't recognize. 

A roaring fireplace adorned with fine etchings of mermaids that were swirled into the marbling. As if they'd been captured and forced into a still-life of solitary; to be admired, but never taste the salt of the sea again.

And, of course, Hermione's favorite part.

The bookshelves rose from the floor to the ceiling, and the aroma of aged pages filled the room. While some books showed more signs of wear, each one was equally cherished.

With a soft sigh, Hermione plopped into the cushioned chair behind her desk and stared at the bit of parchment in front of her. The one she'd abandoned moments earlier to take up a few laps of aggravated pacing.

Earlier that day in the Ministry, she'd had a rather unwelcomed encounter. Tilda Rosenworth had begun as a trusted ally when Hermione started her career at the Ministry. Together, they'd discussed ways they'd change the world, and their friendship sprouted through careful effort and tedious weeding. It was wonderful.

Until it burned in one night- when Tilda decided to sell the information Hermione had gathered. She'd presented it to her in secret, with confidence. It had never occurred to her that Tilda had other motives until she was reading the next morning's Daily Prophet and nearly choked on her scone.

Now, she'd gone and done it again. 

Naturally, Hermione had learned her lesson the first time, which meant Tilda used different, nastier means to obtain the data she'd gathered. Data that hadn't been ready to be shared with the public. It ultimately put Muggles and their crimes in a harsher light than necessary due to an incident of inaccurate collecting. Something she was going to remedy with another data collection to compare and present.

Tilda had slipped through the defenses Hermione had thought she'd kept locked tight. 

Oh, how wrong she was.

There was no doubt in Hermione's mind that Tilda would pay for what she did. This was merely a minor setback in peace between Wizards and Muggles.

It wouldn't happen again.

Hermione sighed and rested her elbow on the desk, cradling her chin in her palm as the distant sound of thunder rumbled. The teapot, which had been in the hearth above the fire, floated over and poured itself into the cup and saucer near the edge of the desk. 

She added just a little cream and took a sip of the still-scalding tea when the door creaked open. Glancing up, she watched Draco, dripping wet, step through the threshold and close the door gently behind him. 

A quick whirl of his wand, and his suit was dry.

Hermione bit her lip and cleared her throat.

"I did tell you I would be home late tonight…"

Gray eyes flicked up, much like that of a serpent, and met hers. The sly smirk that graced his lips sent her pulse pounding. Would she ever grow used to the way he could make her melt from a simple look?

It had been over a year since he'd looked at her in that way for the first time. When she was waltzing the halls of the Ministry, determination in each step she took, only to be floundered by that arrogant, sexy smile of his. 

It had also been a little less than a year since they'd shared their first kiss in this very room. When he'd known exactly what to do after seeing her overworked and overwhelmed.

Perhaps, right now, he always knew exactly what to do.

Draco slipped his jacket off and let it hang on the hook by the door before combing long fingers through his shock of white hair.

"It's a good thing then," Draco began before presenting a small wicker basket, "that I came prepared."

Leaning in her chair, she massaged the back of her neck before rubbing the sleep from her eyes. It was a kind gesture, but one she wasn't sure she could partake in.

"What did I say about taking breaks?"

When Hermione opened her eyes again, her breath hitched, catching in her throat. He was suddenly there, sitting on the corner of her desk, gazing down at her. Her stomach flipped as she parted her lips to speak, but nothing came out.

Why the blood hell did she act like such a schoolgirl around him?

Indeed, it hadn't been this way at Hogwarts, but…it was now. Now, she could feel his touch on her skin all day and night. How he could send tendrils of fire across her body with a simple touch was beyond her understanding.

Blood rushed to her cheeks as she realized he was still waiting for an answer.

"I forget."

The corner of his mouth ticked up. "Shall I remind you?"

"Draco," Hermione warned in a calm voice.

However, she couldn't stop her smile from forming as she shook her head and leaned forward, reaching for the quill set in the inkwell. 

Just as her fingers skimmed the feather, it was snatched away. She looked up and glared into Draco's amused face.

"Very funny," she pursed her lips, "now give it back."

A low chuckle sounded at the back of his throat as he tilted his head to the side. "I could," he nodded and hummed a low tune, "or I could simply force you to take a break."

Hermione remained perfectly still as he moved forward and stroked the tip of the feather along the underside of her jaw. The muscle there quivered beneath the softest touch, and she was doubly aware of the sudden ache between her thighs.

"You've been trying to find a solution all day." He murmured, gliding the feather along the curve of her cheek and then down her throat.

Hermione fought the urge to suck in a sharp breath- she wanted to curse. She'd fallen under his spell again, and judging by his triumphant grin, he knew it.

Setting the quill down, he took her hands in his – which had been laid precariously on the table's edge– and pulled her up to her feet. Hermione obliged willingly but then arched an eyebrow.

"Am I to simply relax because you've told me to?"

"Yes."

A thrilling chill raced down her spine. His ability to press and strike every button and nerve she had was a frighteningly alluring experience. One she felt she often took for granted.

He guided her out from behind the desk to the center of the room. His fingers glided along her cheeks until they interlocked behind the base of her skull, holding her head in place as he settled his sights on her.

His voice was like honey now.

"The work you've done today means something, but even you need a break from time to time, Granger."

Hermione swallowed, her lips parted, and he leaned in, gliding the tip of his tongue along her lower lip. Instinctively, her fingers gripped the white button-down he wore and clutched the fabric tightly.

"What's in the basket?" She breathed.

Draco smirked against her mouth and placed his hands on the waist of her skirt, pulling her closer with a quick jerk.

"Chocolate."

Hermione raised a brow as a smile tugged at the corners of her lips. "A whole basket of chocolate?" She queried, resting her hands now on his forearms.

"That's all we'll need, Granger."

Glancing from the basket and up at him again, she started to ask another question, but instead, she let out a soft shriek of giggles as he hoisted her up, hands on the back of her thighs, and walked her to the rug in front of the fire where he set her down gently.

Draco grinned down at her, running his thumb across the apple of her cheek.

"I do love to hear you laugh." His voice was a low murmur, the firelight casting wicked shadows across his angular features.

Hermione reached up, the tips of her fingers tracing along the jagged line the shadow left. Biting her lower lip, she traced his cupid's bow. As she explored, his eyes never left hers. They grew with hunger with each passing moment.

Ready to devour.

"Do you know what I love to hear most?" Draco asked, catching the tip of her finger between his teeth.

Hermione sucked in a soft breath and shook her head, suddenly dizzy as his hand grazed up her thigh- pushing up her skirt as he went.

"Hearing you scream my name," he leaned down and pressed a soft kiss against the scorched flesh of her throat, "listening to you beg for a release," he paused with a wolfish smirk, "and denying you it until you're a weeping mess."

Hermione's eyes rolled back as a soft whimper escaped her.

"Draco…" 

"I'm going to make you come, Granger," his teeth grazed her earlobe, "and you're going to forget this entire plain of existence when I do."

Draco leaned back on his heels, leaving her chest heaving, but as she started to sit up to take his face into her hands- to kiss him with a fierce passion- he pressed down on her shoulders and smirked.

"Seems you'll need some assistance."

Removing his wand, then with a wave, strands of rope suddenly crawled up Hermione's wrists. Snaking around her arms in a tight woven mass that she had no hope of escaping. The binds kept her arms firmly behind her back, leaving her unable to do anything but watch Draco torment her.

"Are you ready to be a good girl?"

Hermione shuddered and nodded, knowing it would be the only way she'd get to feel his touch against her throbbing, wet cunt.

With studiously slow movements, Draco pushed her skirts up, bunching the maroon fabric around her waist. Beneath were white stockings that flushed white lace against her thighs, and though not connected, they matched the laced panties just above.

Draco chuckled softly as he stroked a single finger along the center crease. "You're already soaked, Granger…" He took hold of the piece, pulled it, and then released it with a quick snap.

Hermione gasped and tried to close her thighs instinctively, but his body blocked her attempt, and she remained open to him.

Scooting backward, Draco kept one knee on her right ankle while he took the other in his lap. Unbuckling the shoe, he let the piece of fashion clatter to the floor and stroked the soft sole of her foot before pulling the stocking off completely. He repeated the action to the other, all while his gaze didn't leave her face.

His fingers skimmed slowly up her legs until his hands gripped the meat of her thighs, then her hips.

"How many breaks did you have today?" Draco asked a soft hum on his breath.

Hermione swallowed hard as a bead of sweat rolled down her back. "I-" She paused; she couldn't recall taking a break today.

Draco raised a brow and glanced up, stroking his thumb along her hipbone.

"Not one?" He asked, voice dangerously low before his sly smile returned. "Let's see," he murmured, "you've worked well over twelve hours today, meaning you should have had at least ten breaks within that time frame. I'd say ten should suffice, don't you?"

Hermione's stomach dropped as her brows pinched together, but she nodded. That was an agreement she made months ago, and if anything, she didn't go back on the deals she made.

Chuckling, he slowly turned her over and pulled her sideways until she was draped across his lap, the delicate curve of her ass in the air. He could see her pink and glistening pussy just peeking out, begging to be touched.

With a feather-light touch, he glided his fingertip through the damp warmth of her cunt.

Hermione sucked in a breath, hips squirming as he let his finger explore.

"I know, Granger," he chuckled, "I suppose you're regretting not taking your breaks now."

"No." She bit out, and along with it came a swift smack. 

Not to her ass, but to her already quivering and sensitive pussy. Her jaw dropped, and her thighs clenched as she cried out.

"Now, then," Draco smirked and glided his soaked finger up her crack and settled on the small of her back before stroking gentle caresses up and down the back of her thighs, "one swat for every break you didn't take today."

Hermione gasped as the first one left a sweltering red mark against the back of her thigh. She gritted her teeth and flexed her fingers, letting out a whimpered cry with each swat.

Three.

Seven.

Nine.

Tears stung her eyes as Draco massaged the red marks that littered her once porcelain skin. There was just one more to take, she thought, but before it came, he suddenly slipped two fingers back and forth through her now dripping pussy.

"Draco!" She cried out as her toes curled, but his fingers only moved more harshly, slipping in and curling into talons that brutally grated against her g-spot. 

That blinding haze was starting to build, and Hermione realized she was drawing near a release, but just as she was climbing the precipice, his fingers fell away, and the most brutal swat came crashing down on the back of her thighs.

"Sorry, darling," he chuckled against her ear as she whined, "but I'm not done punishing that perfect cunt of yours."

Cradling her, he adjusted their position so she was on her back again. Seemingly tired of the fabric blocking his view, Draco took hold of the skirt and pulled it down. Freeing her from it completely.

Draco paused then, glancing up at her as his hands rested on the buttons of her blouse.

"How do your arms feel?" He asked, and she knew he was demanding an honest answer.

"I can go a little while longer."

Smirking, he started unbuttoning her blouse. "Good." 

He unhooked her bra from the front clasp and let it drape to the sides before leaning down, and while his hands gripped the curve of her waist, his mouth found the tender nipple of her breast and sucked it into his mouth.

Hermione arched her back, her heart racing as she moaned. Feeling his tongue trace delicate circles around the pebbled surface. She didn't dare utter a word as he lavished her chest, biting and licking every inch, until he pulled away and met her watery gaze.

"I'm going to eat you, Granger."

A shocking thrill thrummed in her veins as she nodded, unable to find the words that might lead her to beg him to do as he had promised earlier.

"What are you waiting for?"

Draco grinned and reached for the basket, letting the top fold open.

"I did find something I wanted." He said, pulling out a collection of what appeared to be wands, but then Hermione realized they weren't made of wood but of chocolate. They were chocolate wands. Draco glanced up at her again and smirked. "They have an interesting trick. Would you like to see it?"

Without waiting for an answer, he touched the tip of the wand against her milky stomach, and a moment later, a thick chocolate sauce spewed onto her flesh.

"Does it remind you of something?" Draco chuckled.

Hermione swallowed and bit her lip as she laughed. "Well, if it were white chocolate…"

Grinning, his eyes flashed, and he leaned down; without breaking eye contact, he slowly dragged the flat of his tongue up her chocolate-tainted skin.

Hermione's jaw dropped as she watched him, shuddering as goosebumps rose over the damp skin he left behind.

His eyes lowered, and he pulled back, and Hermione pulled her legs further apart, inviting him to lick her where she most desired.

Draco leaned down and pressed his nose against her center, moaning against her as her thighs shook. She flexed her fingers, willing them not to go numb as his nose glided up through her pussy.

"You're always so sweet," Draco smirked as he slipped his middle finger into her, forcing a soft gasp from her lips, "you take everything so well." He purred, adding another finger, and when she didn't make a noise to accommodate the change, he added a third.

Hermione whimpered through her bitten lip, watching him pump slow, punishing fingers in and out of her. He stretched to take him, wishing desperately it was his cock she felt deep inside of her.

The tip of the chocolate wand stroked circles around her clit, sending a spray of chocolate all over her, but that didn't stop Draco's deliberate moves. 

She squirmed her hips, chest starting to heave as she realized she was getting so close yet again to the climax she'd been denied earlier.

"Draco, please!" Hermione cried out, digging her heels into the rug beneath, trying to keep herself grounded as that sweet release inched closed. 

She was so close…

The walls of her channel suddenly convulsed, sending her body into a spasm of pleasure as her orgasm raked over her entire being. While she throbbed, Draco suddenly replaced his fingers with his cock.

Hermione hadn't even seen him unbutton his pants, but without warning, she was watching his length disappear into her at the hilt, filling her in a way she'd been desperately craving.

Moaning, she threw her head back, still convulsing around his hard cock through each aggressive, slamming thrust. Then, the pressure of him inside of her was gone, and she whined for the sudden loss of him.

"Don't stop!" She begged, pulling her legs wider for him, wanting to take him in again.

"No," he said, taking her up in his arms, "you're going to taste what I've been tasting, and you're going to take every last drop."

She looked up at him from her knees as he rose to his feet. His thumb traced the curve of her jaw as he pressed his tip against her lips. The chocolate that had mixed with her arousal now clung to his shaft.

Hermione's mouth watered as she opened her mouth for him, letting her jaw and neck relax into his sure hands as he steadily fucked her mouth with slow thrusts. He helped her adjust, wiping the tears from her eyes as he slowly increased the speed.

Her nails dug into his thighs, tasting the chocolate and herself on him, knowing soon she'd taste him too. Hermione moaned around him, encouraging him to fuck her face the way she wanted him to. 

Harsh and fast, he pistoned his hips, gritting his teeth as he gripped the base of her skull, fingers twined in her hair.

Hermione could feel him getting closer, could sense it in the way his breathing changed, and the blur in his eyes was more noticeable. Then, all at once, he grunted, and his hot seed filled her mouth, going down her throat and dripping out the sides of her mouth.

Draco pulled his limp cock from her mouth, a string of saliva following it before he crushed his mouth against hers. Tasting everything they'd compiled together as his hands explored her body, finding the ties to the ropes and carefully undoing them as he panted.

When her arms were free, they wrapped around his neck, and she pulled herself closer. Desperate to have every inch of her body touching his.

Today, she'd spent every moment letting her hair turn gray, and in a single hour, Draco had shattered every last worried thought she'd had.

Even now, as she let her head fall back to embrace his lavish kisses against her throat, Hermione was certain that regardless of her worries and struggles, he would be there to alleviate them, even momentarily.

And that was all she needed.

He was all she needed.