The First of Many

Disclaimer: I borrowed these characters. Hehe!

Thanks go to my original beta, Charmed_Nay, and also, I want to thank CocoaChristy for helping me dust this off to make it presentable.

"You look beautiful," Jane Granger gushed.

Hermione had donned a light turquoise dress, had her hair swept up into an elegant arrangement of curls on her head, and she'd applied light make up. She looked at her reflection and felt suddenly confident. In her mind, she appeared much older and even pretty. Her mother had insisted that she wear a lacey, white negligee beneath her gown. She'd never owned something so... sensual before. She could feel it rubbing against her skin.

"Thanks, Mum, but this thing is bothering me." She sighed. "I don't see why I had to have it. It's not like anyone can see it. Plain knickers and a bra would have worked just as well."

"He will see it, my dear, once you remove your dress," her mother stated softly. "It's for his appreciation mostly. Men like that sort of thing."

Hermione gasped as her mother pointed out the obvious. "Oh, my! I hadn't thought about that."

Her mother took in her expression suspiciously. "Are you positive that this is what you want? He would understand if you wanted to wait."

"No, Mum. I won't cry off," Hermione replied firmly.

"I need to ask you something," her mother began, "and you may not appreciate it. However, I can't allow this to go on any longer without knowing for certain."

"Well?"

"Are you pregnant?" Jane blurted.

"No, Mum!" Hermione said incredulously. "Why would you...? Oh, honestly! I can't believe you'd think that. Is that why you and Dad are trying to push this wedding?"

"Ah... Well, yes, you could say that's the gist of it, I suppose." She shook her head in annoyance. "Haven't the pair of you ever... made love? Your expressions and wordings are leading me to believe that you are still innocent."

"Of course, I am," she huffed. "You did raise me to be a respectable girl." She grinned. "Though, it's been hard to not be with him in that way. I want to. Really, I do. It's just..."

"His fathe... Are you certain he hasn't been pressuring you? Draco, I mean."

"No, he's very understanding and has always said that he'd wait until I decided to move forward," Hermione admitted with a proud grin. "He's quite honorable, although he used to be a bit of a bastard."

"Oh, what language!" her mother chided halfheartedly. "I must say that I am pleased to hear this. Though, I do wonder why his father thought otherwise."

"What do you mean?" she asked suspiciously.

"Well, a great big owl, which I noticed is still outback, came with a letter from the Malfoys wishing us a happy Christmas and giving us what he'd hoped were good tidings. He'd gathered, after speaking with his son, that you were in the family way, and he requested that we help him in talking the pair of you to get married. He said that an unwed mother in the Wizarding world was ill treated, and the child's paternity would come into question, making people disbelieving that it was a true heir. We didn't want our daughter or grandchild to be treated with scorn."

"That dirty, rotten... Mum, I swear to you that Draco and I never let things go that far." Her face reddened. "What you saw this morning is about as far as it goes normally."

"Well," her mother said indignantly, "we can call this wedding off immediately. There is no reason to rush. We'll just explain to the fellow that he was mistaken."

"No, Mum," Hermione said quickly. "Draco... would be devastated if I changed my mind now."

"He'll get over it," her mother said firmly. "You have the rest of your lives to do this."

"We'd talked about doing it just after school maybe." Hermione shrugged. "If my love can only grow stronger with time, as it has been doing, then I would eventually be his bride anyway. We might as well get on with things."

Jane nodded and added, "Your father would be less worried about you and he having improper relations. If you're married, it is no one's business but your own." She hugged Hermione as tightly as she could without wrinkling her dress. "What has you so worried, poppet?"

"Honestly? I am a bit afraid. I know what is to happen between us tonight, but I'm not sure I will go about it the right way." She shook her head sadly. "What if I'm not as good as the others he was with? He's experienced. Will he still love me?"

"Oh, nonsense, Hermione. He will always love you no matter what. He loves you now... before you have given yourself to him. He will certainly love you after tonight." Her mother blushed. "Do you know about contraceptives?"

Hermione giggled. "There is a charm I can chant. I've read on it in a book once." So this was it then, wasn't it? On Christmas day, she would be married, and on Christmas night, she would become a woman. Lavender flashed through her mind. She pushed thoughts of her away. Memories would not ruin this day for her. "I'm so nervous and simply afraid I'll do something wrong."

"I was too on my wedding day," Jane confided. "I wasn't your father's first girlfriend either."

"Mum, when you and dad... Was that experience anything like what happens in the books we read?" Hermione asked hopefully.

"I don't feel comfortable speaking on that subject with you."

Hermione could see her mother was uneasy, but she was relieved when the woman continued talking.

"But I will say that what happens between married people is normal. I just hope you realize that. Whatever happened with his other friends in the past will stay in the past. From this night forward, you are his lover, and nothing that happened before can change that." She stepped back to admire her daughter once more. "You are lovely, and he will enjoy showing you pleasure. Trust me. He'll not think of anyone except you. You need to do the same. Relax and just feel. Go with it." Clearing her throat, her mother added, "Now, since your father and I are going to go stay the night over at Aunt Sophie's home tonight to give you two some privacy, make use of it."

Hermione shook her head numbly, thinking of what she and Draco would be doing with their privacy. The next thing she realized was that she was being ushered down the stairs. Her father, Draco, and Minister Rapburn were waiting in front of her family's Christmas tree. He husband-to-be looked dashing in his crisp white shirt, tie, and trousers. His Muggle coat looked odd on him though, as she was so used to seeing him in his robes.

Draco watched as Jane brought Hermione to him. She seemed so pale and nervous, and he could feel the tremble in her hand as he held it. He'd never seen her hair pulled up that way, and the dress she wore framed her perfectly. His wife-to-be was beautiful. Wife. He couldn't believe this was happening. He pushed the thought of his parents from his mind. No matter what they'd done or said, he'd not worry about them. The current moment was for Hermione... and him. His parents would understand why he'd not asked them to appear at their Muggle wedding. They would be satisfied with conducting a Wizarding ceremony. He vaguely wondered if this would change anything for them at Hogwarts. Looks like I'll be sleeping in her room each night now, he thought happily.

Hermione listened to the minister attentively, yet she couldn't wait to get on with it. Finally came the part when she was to give Draco his ring...the ring that she and her mother had chosen for him. She hoped he would like it. It was a gold band with three small diamonds embedded in it. Shakily, she took the ring from her mother's hand and faced Draco. He smiled, and it soothed her. She saw him glance down at his ring with a soft expression on his face. She repeated the words that the minister had spoken easily.

Draco did the same. He took her ring from her and placed it into a second band. Then, he slid it back on her finger. She saw that her lone diamond now had a cluster of smaller diamonds on either side of it. The set together took her breath away. She had never seen such a beautiful set of rings. The next few sentences were heard in a daze.

"You may now kiss the bride," the minister finally finished. She shook as Draco drew closer to her. Thankfully, he simply gave her a chaste kiss on the lips, as neither wanted to snog in front of them all.

"We're married," she said softly when he pulled away. "I can't believe it."

"I know," he agreed, smirking slightly.

"Congratulations, you two," her mother said, snapping a few pictures.

Draco was amazed that Muggles had technology where the pictures would come out from the camera. He'd always thought their lot to be barbaric and behind. In actuality, they were ahead in some things. "Would you allow me to put on my cloak and take a picture of us? I would like to send a copy to my mother."

"Oh, certainly."

He was gone for only a minute when he made his way back to Hermione's side, cloak with the Malfoy crest proudly donned. He pulled his wife into his arms and gazed at the camera in what he hoped to be a serious yet happy demeanor. He would have asked Hermione to wear her cloak, but he thought her dress to be amazing and didn't want to cover it up. His father's owl was still lurking in the backyard, so he used it to send the picture and a brief note to his parents.

They all shared a light meal and wine to celebrate. When her parents announced they'd be leaving for the night, her father shook Draco's hand and kissed Hermione's cheek. She could tell it was hard for him, but he carried through with it all the same. Her mother hugged them both and quickly pulled her husband out the door. The house was eerily silent since the minister and her parents had left. The sunlight had long since faded. "What now?" she asked nervously.

His feral grin made her feel even more nervous. She'd never seen him look at her quite that way. It was almost as if he wanted to eat her alive... but in a gentle way. He advanced on her slowly. "Now, I think we'll go up to our room." He held out a hand to her. "I want to make love to my wife." She placed her shaky hand in his and allowed him to lead her up the stairs in silent agreement.

************* ************

Draco knew exactly what to do thanks to the sappy book that he'd read. He'd be sure to give Hermione exactly what she had been dreaming of. Or at least he hoped he could. Right before they reached the door he paused and turned to her. She was very tense and shaking. He smiled and lowered his lips to hers for a soft kiss. Some of the tension left her, and she moved one arm up around his neck while placing one hand on his cheek. As soon as he felt her lean into him, he scooped her up into his arms to bring her into the room. He kicked the door closed once inside. He never took his eyes off of hers as he let her slide down his body. Taking both of her hands into his, he sat on the bed and pulled her to stand in front of him. He kissed her ring softly. "I love you, Mrs. Malfoy."

Her breath caught in her throat. She had a new last name now. He was looking into her eyes and seeing her as his wife... not his girlfriend. He had gone through with marrying her. Her mother was right. He would love her no matter what. The past would remain in the past. "I love you also, Mr. Malfoy." She kissed the ring on his hand. "Happy Christmas, husband."

Draco almost lost it and pulled her to him roughly. Instead, he closed his eyes and calmed himself. He reached around to her back without standing up and began to unzip her dress. She put her hands on his shoulders in unease. He could feel that she was afraid. Once the back of her dress was completely unzipped, he slid his hand down the length of the smooth flesh of her spine. She was so soft, so silken. He heard her sharp intake of breath and felt her shiver. He searched her eyes. "You have nothing to fear tonight, wife." One lone index finger traced the curve of her cheek. His hands moved to her shoulders.

Slowly, he pulled down the sleeves of her dress, which made the top drop down as well. He paused just before he let the dress fall completely to the floor his eyes on hers. She was blushing, her eyes wide with innocence. He wanted to show her that, although he was eager to have her, it wasn't only her body he was longing to see. He wanted to see acceptance in her eyes, wanted to see to her comfort. When the dress lay at her feet in a pile, his eyes slowly dropped to see the body of his wife, and it was his turn to inhale a sharp intake of air. Hermione was wearing a white, lacey negligee. It clung to her at every curve and defined her breasts. She was immaculate. And his. Always his. His eyes met hers again with intensity.

Draco took that moment of connection to rise, making certain to slide up her body suggestively while never taking his eyes off of hers. Briefly, he kissed her lips before bringing her fingers up to his tie. While she began unfastening his tie, he began removing his belt and lowering his trousers. She fumbled nervously with his buttons, so he pulled her hands away to kiss her fingers, taking one into his mouth to suckle. She whimpered lightly. Quickly, he pulled off his shirt and undershirt. He was only wearing his boxers now. He allowed her to look at him for a moment before he placed her hands on his chest, wanting her touch upon his flesh.

Hermione couldn't believe this was happening. She felt as if the world had stopped and only they remained. He was gorgeous...firm muscular arms and chest proudly on display in front of her. She ran her fingers up and down his chest enjoying the way his skin seemed to torch them. She saw that he had closed his eyes and took note of his fast breathing. Gingerly, she tiptoed up and placed a kiss along his jaw. She heard him groan deeply. She stepped back from him then, and their eyes met. His full of desire, hers full of unknowing. She reached up to the front her nightie and began pulling the ties loose. His expression told her all she needed to know. It said that he wanted her... badly.

His brave little Gryffindor was taking the initiative to remove her last piece of clothing. Draco had never wanted or needed anything more in his life. He could feel himself harden even more...if possible. When she paused, he helped her. He loosened the last tie and pulled the material away from her chest, leaving her breasts and stomach uncovered. He placed her hands on his silk boxers in order to remove them, but he had to bite back another groan when he felt her fingertips move just inside his waistband. She had no idea what she was doing to him by allowing her nails to dig into his skin as she pulled them down.

When he was fully exposed, he heard a little, "Oh," escape her lips.

He did not blush. He was proud of his body, and she would learn to be proud of hers. He kissed her lips hesitantly at first and then deeply all the while sliding down what was left of her nightie. He pulled away slightly and sat on the bed. She was left standing before him. He looked at her from head to toe. "My God, Hermione, you are exquisite."

She'd been afraid that he would never speak, but when he did, she felt so much better. Exquisite, was she? Well, no word could describe what she thought when she saw him...all of him. She'd never seen any male completely undressed before. It was not a shock to her, as she had read about it and seen pictures, but it was a shock at the same time, though she knew it made no sense. Words were lost to her. She had no reply for him.

Draco smiled at her before he pulled her to stand between his thighs. He wrapped his arms around her waist tightly and laid his head on her breasts, simply holding her as closely as possible. He could feel her heart thudding wildly. Suddenly, he felt her shift, and her fingers were moving through his hair. It's now or never! he thought. He moved down a little and placed a small kiss on the center of her stomach. He felt her jump but only slightly. He moved up a bit more to place another just below her breasts. She jumped again but leaned into him after.

Her smooth, unblemished skin called to him. He caressed her lovingly with his lips and tongue, making her whimper and tug at his hair. While nibbling on her breasts, he looked up. Her eyes were closed, and her head lolled back limply, a complete expression of desire on her face. He could stand no more of this. He pulled her down over him and then rolled over so that he could be on top.

She could actually feel him pressing into her stomach. That part of him. It made her feel heady. His smoldering silvery eyes were boring into hers, and she could see her reflection in them. She hoped that she would do things right for him. Nothing was more important to her than him at that moment. When he lowered his lips to hers, she whispered, "I'm not afraid anymore." She saw the emotions pass through his eyes: love, relief, victory, and desire. He kissed her then, and things changed, becoming intense. She felt as though he was air, and she needed him to breathe. Everything began to move quickly. His lips and hands were everywhere. She was mortified when he kissed her between her thighs, but that lasted only a moment as another feeling took over.

"Oh, my... Draco... What are you doing to me?"

Draco's reply was to continue at a faster rate. In seconds, he had her whimpering and moving wildly against him. Just the sounds elicited were driving him insane, and if he weren't careful, he'd be done as well...before ever taking her. Her shuddering subsided, and he ended his laving, licking his lips and thoroughly enjoying her taste. He placed soft kisses on her stomach all the way up to her neck. Her eyes were half open, and her breathing still fast. He positioned himself between her legs and whispered, "Hermione, it's time. I need you."

She nodded, still in a daze. He placed himself directly over her and pushed in slowly. Her eyes opened widely as she stared at him in wonder. "It won't be uncomfortable for long," he said, remembering what the character in the book had told the maiden. Personally, he didn't know what it was like to be with a girl on her first time. His partners had been experienced. And, yet, not one had driven him mad like Hermione had. He pushed in farther and noticed that it felt as if something had given away. She gasped. He quickly pushed all the way in, remembering a nearly exact description in that romance novel.

That chit must have written about an experience she had, he thought for a moment. Hermione's nails, which were suddenly embedded in his shoulders, drew his thoughts back to the present. He didn't move his body until they eased their grip. Ever so slowly, he pulled almost all the way out and then all the way in again. "All right?" he asked hopefully, wanting her to be all right and warring with the need to ravage her.

"Uh huh." She nodded and moved herself to get in a more comfortable position, enabling him to move more freely.

He moved a little faster and watched her to see if she was hurting. She made a few grimaces, but once her features relaxed, he quickened his pace even more. The moment she moaned in pleasure, he knew it was time to get things started. His strokes deepened and lengthened. It felt too damn good, and he knew he'd never last long enough to see her through to her expected second orgasm. Damn, he groused internally. How the hell did that bloke in her book keep from spilling himself straightaway? I guess I'll get better as we grow to learn each other's bodies.

Before long, she was erratically moving with and against him, as her legs had snaked around his waist...sometimes aiding his thrust; sometimes throwing it off. Her nails were running all along his back, diminishing his willpower to last longer. "God, Hermione..." He felt sweat forming around his temples, and he willed himself to slow down for her. But he couldn't. "I can't stop," he groaned.

To his delight, she whispered, "Don't stop, Draco."

"Her-my... oh-nee..." When his shuddering and thrusting stopped, his eyes met hers. He could see all the love he'd ever need in her eyes. He'd never felt this way about any girl. Correction. Woman. His wife was amazing, and he relished the thought that it was his personal secret. Nobody else would ever know exactly what she could do to a man. She belonged to him. And he belonged to her. How could he have never noticed her for what she was before this year? Had he been blind? Yes, he supposed he was. Blinded by ill-taught beliefs.

"Look what we did," she said proudly, kissing his nose. Her smile melted him. "I love you. I love this."

"As do I." He moved to the side, regretting that he was no longer within her. "How do you feel?"

"Light."

He chuckled. "Are you sore?"

She shook her head. "I don't think so. Will I be?"

"Probably." He held her tightly. "I hate to ask this, but was that how you thought your first time would be?"

She turned to look at him. "No. It surprised me. I didn't know such feelings existed. I was afraid you wouldn't like me."

"If you only knew how you make me feel, you'd never think that. You are all I'll ever need or want." He kissed her.

"It was perfect, wasn't it? Just like the stories that I read. Think we'll have a happy ending?" she queried.

"I think we'll manage somehow, Mrs. Malfoy."

She grinned. "That's right! I'm married." He laughed when she pulled up her hand to see her ring. "I love it, you know. Beautiful. Oh! I need to owl Harry about this."

"Hang on," Draco said in a mock incredulous voice. "You're going to give him details now? I mean, if he needs the pointers..."

She smacked his chest softly. "That I am married, silly." Hermione got up, turned the light off, and fumbled around.

Draco felt her slide back in next to him and noted that she was still naked. He felt his body respond.

"Oh, wife?" he said playfully.

"Yes, husband?"

"I think there is a problem." He was holding back a chuckle.

"Oh?" she asked curiously, playing along.

"Uh huh," he said. He took her hand and moved it down so that she could feel the erect problem.

She giggled. "Sorry. Didn't know I left a large cucumber in bed when I made salad earlier. How can I ever fix this?"

"Cucumber, is it?" He grinned evilly. She'd left herself wide open for this one. "Well, don't you want a bit of a snack then?" He felt her tense up momentarily, and he could have slapped his own face. She'd still not gotten over that whole Lavender thing, had she? Damn. Then his eyes opened in shock when he heard her reply.

"I must say that I am rather famished. All that movement earlier worked off my dinner." She was still playing. "But I don't know if I quite know how to eat this particular vegetable while undiced."

He turned red. "There will be no dicing of cucumbers at any time!" he roared playfully. They both laughed wildly as if nothing had ever been funnier. "God, I love you." He would tell her every day, fifty times a day if he could.

"You know that I love you, too, and that's why I think I will give this a try," she whispered, losing some of her playful tone as she flicked her wand to silently clean both of their bodies.

"No, love, it's not important. We can go down and get a proper meal." He didn't want her to do something that he knew offended her. He'd not have her feeling bad on her wedding night.

"Ssshh..." was all he heard as she moved down slowly.

Southern's Notes: I hope their first time wasn't too... fantastical. I wanted it to be sort of realistic and have the poor bloke try to mimic a rake from a romance novel. I wouldn't turn Draco out if he ventured my way. Hehe!

Christy's Notes: Oh, evil, evil cliffie! I loved how her first time went. How sweet was Draco?