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Tuition Money	By : cpetnm Category: Harry Potter > Het - Male/Female > Draco/Hermione Views: 53031 -:- Recommendations : 2 -:- Currently Reading : 8
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, nor the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Chapter List
- 16
- 17
- 18
A.N. - Thank you to those lovely readers (Malfoy'sgirl, LemurGirl, HarryGinny4eva, Trelweny, MargeW76, Sherlocked17, starr, pickles, General Crow, FieryPhoenix, and Christopher) who wrote reviews for the last chapter.
We are very close to the end, my lovely friends! I’m thinking one, maybe two more chapters will wrap up the story.
Review Responses to Chapter 16: A Cautious Reconciliation are posted on the AFF forums:
http://www2.adult-fanfiction.org/forum/index.php/topic/59048-review-replies-for-tuition-money/
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Mr. Malfoy,
Would you come by my office after your last class today? I’m putting together a project and think you might be interested.
Professor Giovanni

Hmm…what could this be? Draco had a knack for potions, but he had put his academic energy into Arithmancy the past two semesters. Draco pocketed the note and headed to the library to study for his last class of the day.
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Hermione rubbed her eyes. There were four more weeks of school ending in a week of grueling exams. Every night, Draco and Hermione had eaten a quick dinner and then sat at the dining room table and studied until one of them felt their eyes getting heavy.
On top of studying for her classes, Hermione had been thinking about a conversation she’d had with Professor Bijan-Woodcrock, the chair of the Defense Against the Dark Arts department. The former Auror had offered Hermione a job as a teaching assistant.
The idea of working as a teaching assistant was incredibly exciting. She would get direct access to assisting a professor with their academic work and special privileges with rare library books. The financial benefits of the job were so much better than she’d imagined. She’d put off talking about the job with Draco, fearing his reaction to the offer she’d received. In the past, he’d been alternately supportive or disapproving of opportunities she’d had.
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“What do you think, Mr. Malfoy?”
In truth, Draco was touched that Professor Giovanni thought enough of his work to offer him a position as a teaching assistant. The students at the school were top notch and Draco knew some of his professors barely tolerated his presence in their classes. Professor Giovanni was taking a chance in offering a former Death Eater a coveted job. How could he say no?
“I’m interested, sir. But before I accept, I need to talk to my girlfriend.”
Antonio Giovanni had met his wife, Esme, while studying at the prestigious L' Istituto di Pozioni Italia. He and Esme had shared classes and he looked forward to her easy-going, free laughter and smiles. They’d become lab partners and found themselves making up reasons to spend more and more time together. Eventually, Esme had been offered a job with the Brittish Ministry and Antonio had been unwilling to let her go. He asked her to marry him and followed her to magical Brittain. They had been married for two years.
He had seen the way the Malfoy heir watched Hermione Granger and knew she was not merely a girlfriend. The young man had bonded to the witch and wouldn’t be happy without her. Professor Giovanni had wanted to ask Hermione to be a T.A. in his department, but he had been told the DADA chair had already approached her with a job offer. Nevertheless, Mr. Malfoy would be a welcome addition to the staff of teaching assistants with his natural leadership skills and depth with potions making.
The young professor gave his former student a grin. “I understand. Your Miss Granger is a special woman.”
Draco smiled. “She’s amazing.”
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The next few days passed in a whir of studying as Draco and Hermione prepared to end their school year. They had yet to have their discussion about the future. It had, at least to Hermione, become a worry. She had begun to count up the Galleons she had saved up over the school year and thought she had enough to carry her through the summer as she saved up for the following school year.
One of the perks of the job Professor Bijan-Woodcrock had offered her was free campus housing. Her job would require her to be available to students for tutoring throughout the week, so the university thought it better if teaching assistants lived on campus. Hermione did not have to live on campus, but it really was a great offer. The decision was weighing on her mind.
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The weekend before final exams, Draco enticed Hermione to leave the flat for Indian food in Diagon Alley.
“Put on the blue dress,” Draco said as she braided her long hair.
Hermione hummed her agreement and went to the closet to retrieve it. Her beau admired her beautiful curves in simple white cotton knickers and bra. After months of living with him she had filled out a bit. Either way, he loved her body, but her modest curves were entirely appealing to him.
“Which shoes?” Hermione asked holding up a pair of wedge sandals and a pair of silver ballet flats.
“The wedge sandals, I think.”
“Okay.” Hermione sat on the edge of the bed to put on her shoes, but Draco quickly kneeled at her feet to slip the sandals on.
“Let’s go to France when we’re done with exams. I have a property on the French Riviera.”
“You do?” she said bemusedly. His hand stroked her smooth calf before he stood and offered his hand to her.
“I do. The property hasn’t been used in a few years, but I could have one of my parents’ elves prepare it for us.”
They walked to the Floo, hand-in-hand, with Draco noticing Hermione’s reluctance to discuss the trip.
They whooshed into the Leaky Cauldron and made their way through the Saturday crowd to the small Indian restaurant. As they approached, the smell of cardamom and curry wafted into the street.
“I’ve wanted to have their saag paneer since we came last month,” Hermione confessed as they walked into the tranquil shop. A waiter sat them at a table set with a white tablecloth and a simple arrangement of lilies.
“So, what do you want to do this summer?” Draco asked.
Sipping her chai tea, Hermione thought about how to talk to Draco about things going forward after their deal ended. He had told her he wanted to talk about the future weeks ago, but they’d never gotten around to that conversation.
“Well, I’ve actually been offered a job for the summer as a research assistant in the Defense Against the Dark Arts department. It’ll start the week after exams end.”
Draco looked at her and nodded. He’d gone into her office to look for a quill and had seen two notes from Professor Bijan-Woodcrock. He respected Hermione’s privacy and didn’t read them, but he suspected the professor would court her for a spot in the department.
The waiter brought their food and placed steaming dishes in front of them. He served the couple and retreated to leave them to their meal.
“Tell me what’s going on,” Draco said, his face serious.
“I have to do this, Draco. This opportunity for summer work will help me pay for my classes next school year.”
He took her hand in his, stroking over the sensitive palm. “You should have told me.”
“I know,” she said quietly. “Part of my hesitation is that I don’t know what you want to do when our deal is concluded next week.”
He took a spoonful of chicken tikka masala and held the spoon to her lips. She opened her mouth, taking the creamy, spicy dish against her tongue. Chewing slowly, she savored the delicious flavors.
“There’s something I need to confess to you, as well.”
Hermione tensed, having absolutely no idea what to expect. Draco took a sip of his chai and smiled.
“Professor Giovanni offered me a position as a teaching assistant next school year.”
“Oh, Draco, that’s wonderful! He’s told me how impressed he was with your work in his class last semester.”
“Will you be working as a teaching assistant in the DADA department?”
She nodded. “It’s a great offer. I’ll assist in one class, do research for Mathilda, and tutor students and in exchange my housing will be covered and half of my tuition will be paid.”
“Your housing? As in student housing?” he asked with a frown. They’d talked briefly about her continuing to live with him after their deal ended. He had believed she’d, at the very least, accept that from him.
Hermione bit her lip, worried that she would hurt Draco. She wanted to live with him, but paying for her own housing would help her to feel more comfortable with a semblance of equality in their relationship.
Hermione spoke gently. “I accepted the position, but I have until the end of June to decide about my housing arrangements.”
Draco opened his mouth when Hermione fed him a spoonful of bhindi masala, and enjoyed the slightly chewy, spicy okra.
“My offer is similar, but I told Professor Giovanni most likely I wouldn’t need housing. The university will pay more of your tuition if you don’t need a place on campus.”
How do I tell Draco I want our relationship to continue, but I want things to be more even between the two of us? He’s done so much for me. I think I’ve helped him, too, but it’s nothing by comparison.
The two were quiet as they finished their meal. Draco worried that if Hermione were living amongst other students, the intimacy they shared would be lost. They’d see each other when they could, but it would be nothing like their contact the past few months.
“Would you consider living at the flat, at least through the summer?” He felt like such a beggar, willing to accept any scrap of her affection. He shuddered to think what he’d be like if she decided to end things with him.
“I’d love to, if you don’t mind.” She felt relieved that Draco wasn’t arguing with her about…everything. She hadn’t a clue how he might react to her job offer and summer plans.
He took her hand and twined their fingers together. “I’m so proud of you,” he said with complete sincerity. “You’ve had such a hard go of it the past few years and you continue to dust yourself off and keep working toward your goals. I never expected you to let me into your life, but I’m so grateful you did.”
“You don’t know how much that means to me. The last few years, I’ve felt so isolated, but I don’t feel that way anymore. Not after you.”
“I feel exactly the same.” And he did. He’d thought a life of solitude was certainly better than the hellish chaos he’d been immersed in during the war, but he hadn’t known what a life with Hermione Granger would mean to him. It meant everything.
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“I’m so tired, but I can’t fall asleep,” Hermione whined, attempting and re-attempting to make herself comfortable in the bed.
Draco put his Arithmancy text on his side table and turned to her. “Yes, I can practically hear the gears in your head turning,” he said drily.
“Ugh, I’m sorry, but I have all these ideas and I’m stressed. Why are you so calm?”
“What else can I do, Granger? I’m studying as much as humanly possible, so I suppose I feel like I’m doing what I can to ace my tests.”
“I’ll go sleep in the office,” she said, sitting up and beginning to swing her legs over the side of the bed.
“Stop, love,” Draco said with a hand to her shoulder. “Lay on your stomach so I can massage your back. You’ll be asleep before I get to your shoulder blades.”
Draco was ready to stop reading and liked that he could help his high-strung girl relax. She was an amazing student, but she studied as if they’d throw her out of school unless she received the highest marks.
“Do you want me to undress?”
“Always,” he said with a grin. “Let me grab some oil from the bathroom.”
Hermione quickly braided her hair and got into the requested position on the cotton sheets. Just the idea of Draco’s nimble fingers working out her knots made Hermione’s back tingle. She sighed as she let herself relax into the soft mattress.
Without a word, dexterous, oiled fingers began to travel along her shoulders. She could feel bits of his naked skin against hers as Draco’s strong hands glided along her body.
“Mmm,” Hermione hummed in satisfaction. When he found a knot near the base of her neck and began to knead it, she began to feel herself sink into the bed. “Gods, Draco, this is heavenly.”
“Try to relax, beautiful. It’s hard to do your best when you’re so stressed.”
His hands slid along her spine, warming her cooling skin. How was he so hot? Heat began to pool between her legs as Draco worked his magic on her body. He began to press slow kisses into her neck and back as his hands massaged her. His fingers tangled in her hair and began to scrape over her scalp.
Straddling her thighs, he sighed happily as his cock nestled against her round buttocks. Hermione rocked back against his hardness. The sensation of Draco’s body pressing against her oiled skin was both sexual and soothing.
“Touching you eases me.” Touching her calmed, connected, and grounded him.
“Will you fuck me, Dragon?”
A pillow was shoved under Hermione’s hips in answer, and then his length was pressing into her wet pussy.
“Merlin, I could fuck you five times a day and it wouldn’t be enough,” he said on a groan.
At this angle, Draco hit Hermione’s sensitive g-spot on every thrust. She bent her knees to allow him to sink deeply into her body so he would hit her womb on every slam of his cock. What had begun as a relaxing massage had become Draco ramming the stress out of her. It was glorious.
“God, keep fucking me just like that. Your cock feels amazing.”
He reached underneath her and began to rub her stiff, little clit. She writhed against him and gasped as he stimulated her body from both the outside and the inside.
“Let go, sweet girl. I want you to cream all over me.”
“Oh, bloody hell! I’m so close,” she gritted out.
He began to move his finger faster and harder over the sensitive bundle of nerves, causing Hermione to grind her hips against his hand. With a hard pinch to her nub, she shrieked and he felt her channel pulsate around him.
“Fuck!” Draco moaned, letting his seed pump into her body. He prolonged his orgasm until he fell on top of her. He peppered kisses along her neck and jaw.
Moving to the side, Draco pulled Hermione into his arms, his body continuing to shelter hers. His nose nuzzled her fragrant, soft hair. After a minute, Hermione’s breathing indicated that she had fallen asleep. He held her close, wanting to immerse himself in this woman for as long as she would let him.
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Blaise had been pleasantly surprised to hear from Draco. He knew Draco had been busy with school and with Hermione. The blond Slytherin had wanted to meet for drinks, but Blaise had thought they could relax a bit more at his flat. Daphne was working at St. Mungo’s through the evening, so they would have the space to themselves.
The Floo sounded and Draco appeared, finding his old friend lounging on the couch, a glass of Ogden’s in his hand.
“Hey, man. It’s been too long,” Blaise said, motioning for Draco to take a seat.
“How have you and Daph been?”
The smile from Blaise, which Draco used to think was kind of sappy, now made him smile.
“Daph’s doing well. She’s considered a full mediwitch, as of last month. We’re going to start looking for a cottage.”
“Why? This flat is great.”
“She thinks the flat’s a tad bachelor-y.”
Draco looked at the black leather furniture and glass tables and could see Daphne’s point. Even the modern art on the walls was masculine.
“I think Hermione’s planning on moving to the dorms in the fall.” Draco accepted a drink from a sympathetic Blaise.
“Why?” Blaise asked.
“Can I tell you something in confidence?”
“Of course.”
“I knew Hermione was studying at the university, but when I finally saw her, I started to notice something didn’t seem right. So, after a bit of digging, I found out she wasn’t doing so well financially. I offered to help her, but in exchange she’d live with me and help rehabilitate my family name by being seen with me. I took advantage of her desperation, but I knew it was the only way I could get close to her.”
“But it turned into more than you expected it to, yeah?”
“Yeah, it did. I want what we’ve developed the past few months to continue, but the way we started our relationship is coming back to haunt me. She doesn’t like how uneven things are between us.”
Blaise nodded. He understood Draco’s predicament more than he could admit. When Daphne had broken her betrothal contract, she did so at the expense of any kind of trust fund being handed down to her. At the time, she had told Blaise of the complication of her actions and he had promised to support her once they left school. And he had. Every month he’d add Galleons to her Gringotts account, never wanting her to feel like she had to ask him for gold. He’d purchased their flat and furnished it before they even left Hogwarts. He wanted them to get married, but Daphne wanted to wait until her career was underway so she “would have something to contribute”, as she liked to say.
“So, go live in the dorms with her, Draco. If you love her, go where Hermione will be comfortable.”
“Huh. I actually never considered doing that. But I don’t want to stay in a shitty men’s dorm away from her. The only students who have flats are married.”
Blaise cocked an eyebrow at his friend.
“What about you and Daphne? You two have been together for years.”
“Soon, mate, if I have anything to say about it. She wanted to wait to get married until her training at St. Mungo’s was complete.”
Draco was pleased for his friend. Blaise had grown up with a mother who considered him a bother and had washed her hands of him as soon as he went to Hogwarts. Before Daphne, Blaise had had precious few people who loved him completely. And Daphne had put her trust and her future in Blaise’s hands after her parents cut her off.
“Thanks, Blaise. You’re right about Hermione needing to be comfortable and I didn’t know how to go about making it better for her.”
“Do what you have to do to keep her. The ends justify the means, my friend.”
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Hermione stopped by her owl post office box and found a receipt from the university.
Paid: 3,000 Galleons. Owed: 0 Galleons.
Wow. The almost-two thousand Galleons she owed had seemed insurmountable when Draco had first approached her with his proposal. He’d given her a soft place to land after the horrors she’d experienced during the war and the loneliness she’d encountered after.
She was surprised to feel a pang of sadness that their deal was coming to an end.
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After finishing their last exams, Draco and Hermione walked from shop to shop, enjoying the late spring sun and surprisingly warm weather. Diagon Alley was bustling with shoppers. Hermione stopped to admire an artistic display of jewelry in a small shop between a cauldron seller and a childrens’ clothing store.
“This is where I got your ring,” Draco said, pulling her toward the door.
“Really? I love this ring. The fortification spells are so comforting.”
“You’ll like Grubert’s work. He likes to craft with unusual gems and precious metals.”
The shop assistant, an older, elegant witch, recognized Draco and smiled at him. “Mr. Malfoy. What may I help you with today?”
“Can we see the jewelry in the window?”
Hermione had planned to browse the exquisite gems and then make their way back into the Alley, but Draco had no qualms about purchasing Hermione a piece worth hundreds of Galleons. Once he made up his mind about buying her something, he could not be dissuaded. She admitted, the work was stunning, but the rings were more appropriate for an engagement, rather than a gift.
The assistant put the jewelry on a black velvet tray.
“Come here, love,” Draco said, motioning for her to try on a round diamond ring in red gold.
“It’s so beautiful and unusual,” Hermione murmured as the ring slipped on her finger. She could feel the spells woven through the metal. It was, from what she could discern from the magic emanating from the piece, an engagement ring.
Draco looked at the diamond and noticed protection runes etched into the surface of the diamond. They glowed in a kaleidoscope of color, but only at certain angles. Otherwise the diamond looked brilliant, but normal.
“What do you think?” the chic witch asked Hermione.
“The craftsmanship is perfection,” Hermione said, handing back the ring to the shop assistant.
“Try on the opal ring.” There was something about the fiery stone that strongly reminded him of Hermione. Like an opal, she could appear cool one moment and hot the next.
“This design is called a ghost ring, since the stone seems to float on the finger.”
Draco took the ring and examined it. Like the other ring, the metal was red gold, but tiny, perfect diamonds surrounded a band on the top and the bottom of the oval stone, which was also surrounded by the same diamonds. Taking Hermione’s hand, he placed it on her ring finger.
“Oh!” Hermione gasped.
The shop assistant smiled. “The magic placed on this ring only activates when given with pure intentions. You must have felt the spells when Mr. Malfoy placed it upon your finger.” She moved back to allow the couple a moment of privacy.
“I don’t understand,” Hermione whispered, staring at the ring.
“What don’t you understand?” Draco asked, pushing a curl behind her ear.
“It’s an engagement ring…”
Cupping her cheek, Draco gazed at Hermione. “I know.”
“You want to…” She bit her lip and closed her eyes before meeting his grey orbs.
“Marry you,” he finished, watching her face closely for signs of wariness.
“Really?” Her expression was so open and trusting, but disbelieving, too.
Of all the ways this afternoon could have gone, Hermione had never expected this to happen. Over the last seven months, she’d learned Draco Malfoy loved her with an intensity she’d never expected and she very much reciprocated. He could be difficult at times, but so could she. He made her feel beautiful, smart, and desired. If she wanted those things in life she’d always wanted: love, family, and a kindred spirit as a partner, she would find that with this man.
Draco fingered the ring she wore and took a deep breath before whispering his question.
“Will you marry me?”
“Yes.”
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