Draco stared down at the sleeping Muggle in his arms, feeling his heart soar.

It was Christmas morning, and he had just woken up to the best Christmas gift he had ever received.

"Merry Christmas, beautiful," he murmured huskily into her ear as she started stirring awake.

He watched as her eyelids fluttered open, and focused her blue eyes on him. They appeared to widen in delight as the realisation dawned on her that he was there, holding her in his arms.

"I didn't get you anything," she said, panic suddenly filling her eyes as she hastily lifted her head up, resulting in her black hair to cascade down across her face towards the pillow.

Draco chuckled, finding her concern utterly adorable. "I don't need anything, Astrid. Just you." He murmured amusedly, as he tenderly moved her hair aside and tucked it behind her ear.

His hand lingering on the back of her head, he pulled her to him for a gentle, sweet kiss, his lips softly connecting with hers, catching her upper lip between his teeth and then flicking his tongue delicately, almost playfully against hers.

His whole body tingled in yearning and he had to try damn hard not to let it get out of control.

He had meant what he had said the previous night. He wanted to take it slow. He would have been a hypocrite to sleep with her so soon after lecturing her about Blaise.

He felt a flare of anger rip through his stomach when he thought of that git.

And she was still so vulnerable. But he couldn't deny his love for her anymore. Couldn't pretend he didn't want to be with her, couldn't face pushing her away anymore.

"Don't work on the cabinet today," she whispered imploringly after they broke apart. "Let's just forget about it for one day."

His hand slid down the length of her body until it reached her own hand, entwining his fingers in hers. "I would like nothing more," he murmured, pecking his lips briefly on the tip of her nose, making her scrunch it up in amusement.

After getting into some fresh clothes, they headed down to the Great Hall, hand in hand.

The place was practically deserted. This made Draco very nervous. Although Snape had said he would handle the other professors, Draco was still worried about her sticking out more now there was only a few students about.

Luckily, Draco noted, there didn't seem to be any teachers milling about and so he began to lead Astrid over to the Slytherin table, but stopped short before they got there at the sight of Blaise glaring up at them through a bruised and battered face.

"On second thoughts," Draco growled into Astrid's ear. And he changed direction, heading straight towards the almost empty Hufflepuff table instead.

"I'm surprised you could bring yourself to sit here," Astrid chuckled amusedly, as she helped herself to some toast.

Draco shrugged, glaring back over his shoulder at Blaise, "I don't care, I just want him as far away from you as possible."

Astrid stilled, her hand holding her toast pausing mid way to her mouth. "I never wanted to be with him, you know. I just thought- I thought you-"

"I know, I'm sorry," he murmured, slipping his hand in hers under the table, squeezing it reassuringly. "I was a dick."

"I forgive you," she smiled, and Draco couldn't help but press his lips firmly against hers, his heart fluttering wildly at just being able to kiss her like this.

"Ahem-"

Draco and Astrid jumped apart, looking up into the beady black eyes of Severus Snape.

Draco wondered what in merlins beard he was doing. He felt Astrid stiffen next to him as a small startled gasp escaped her lips.

"Professor?" Draco enquired, trying to sound as casual as possible, as if he hadn't just been caught kissing Snape's niece.

"I just wanted to wish you, uh... a Merry Christmas," Snape drawled as Draco noticed his eyes dart continuously over to Astrid. And given the tight squeeze she gave his hand under the table, she noticed it too.

"Uh - sure, Professor," Draco said, raising his eyebrows pointedly - did Snape not realise how weird he was behaving?

"Merry Christmas," Astrid said in a small voice.

Both Draco and Snape swivelled their faces to her in surprise.

Astrid looked up at Snape, giving him a shy, timid smile, making Draco's heart give an unexpected tug. He suddenly could see the family resemblance between them - the black hair, the pale skin, the intense expression of their eyes. He didn't know whether this unnerved him or not.

Something flashed in Snape's eyes. He nodded curtly at them both, before swivelling on his foot and swept across the hall, disappearing through the exit.

"I swear he knows something, Draco!" Astrid whispered furtively, shuddering against him. "The way he kept looking at me!"

Draco felt awful. He couldn't tell her what he knew. And he wanted too, so badly. She was frightened, and he wanted to tell her that she needn't be - that they were all trying to protect her.

"Come on," he said, as they finished up their breakfast, "let's get out of here."

She slipped her hand in his as they made their way out of the hall.

"What do you want to do?" he murmured in her ear, "we practically have the whole place to ourselves."

"Well, what do you suggest?" She looked up at him, her blue eyes glinting slightly.

Draco felt a stirring in his stomach, not being able to help but think about what he'd really like to do with her.

Obviously reading his mind, he noticed a pink tinge rise to her cheeks and he had the strongest urge to kiss her passionately right there in the middle of the Entrance Hall.

"Draco!" She laughed as he suddenly pulled her to him, the desire coursing through him so strongly he didn't think he'd ever be able to help himself.

He looked down at her, his lips inches from hers as he drew quickened, shallow breaths. There was no mistaken the hunger that had filled her eyes as she looked back up at him.

"Would it be wrong to suggest going back to the Room?" he growled, knowing he was going against everything he had said about taking things slow.

"Really, really not," she breathed, moving her face an inch closer to his so that their lips were practically touching.

Without further ado, they both hurried up to the seventh floor, their hands clasped sweatily together all the way there.

As soon as the door closed behind them, Draco pulled her to his chest, crashing his lips thirstily down upon hers. Their hands were everywhere, desperately grasping and tugging, pulling the other in, trying to close the space between them as much as was physically possible.

"Astrid," he said hoarsely, reluctantly breaking the kiss, "is this too much? Tell me if it's too much."

"No," she panted breathlessly, her eyes dilated with longing, "I want you Draco. Please, I want to be with you. I trust you."

Not bearing to be apart any longer, their lips seemed to connect of their own accord, like magnets being pulled together.

They stumbled over to the makeshift bed, landing together with a soft thud onto the cushions.

The burning of Draco's need was overwhelming, he continued to kiss her fiercely, moaning hungrily into her mouth as he tangled his hand in her hair, the other roaming urgently up and down her body, caressing, stroking, groping every part he could find.

Her hands started tugging at his shirt, untucking it from his waistband and he almost yelled out in pleasure as her hands found his bare torso - the feel of her fingertips dancing over his skin making him almost tip over the edge.

He breathlessly broke apart from her, needing to slow down. If he wasn't careful it would be over before they even got started. And he didn't want it to be over yet.

"Is everything okay?" She panted, worry etched across her features, and his heart gave a sudden twist at how vulnerable she looked.

"I just don't want to rush this," he growled, stroking the back of his hand tenderly down the side of her face, waiting for his heart to slow down its frantic pace. "I want it to be perfect."

She closed her eyes, sighing contentedly, almost purring under his touch.

"It already is," she whispered, "to me, Draco, you are perfect."

And then a horrible guilt gnawed at his insides as he thought about the secret he was keeping from her.

And he knew he would never be able to make love to her as long as he was lying to her.

It just wasn't bloody fair.