A/N: And here's the final chapter, wohooo! Thank you to everyone who has taken their time to read, review, and follow this story. I really adore the Professor "trope" and had so much fun writing this story.

Thank you to everyone who has supported me, and first and foremost a giant hug for niffizzle whose help and supoort and patience were incredible.

"I can't believe we only have one week left," Draco sighed in greeting when he entered Hermione's office.

The witch looked up from her desk where she put the finishing touches on the summer students' last essays and their progress reports.

"At the beginning, you always think summer holidays are so unbelievingly long, until you find yourself preparing for the first day of term and asking yourself where the time has gone."

Draco stepped around her desk and looked over her shoulder, curious. "How did the students do on their last tests compared to our initial diagnoses?"

Hermione beamed at him. "I think we can be quite proud of them. Matthews even scored an Outstanding on his last Charms essay, and Stevens brewed a faultless Pepper Up from memory yesterday."

Draco whistled. "What about Jacob Higgins? I have a feeling he has adapted well to his modified teaching." He leaned closer and was now standing directly beside her.

"Absolutely. Although, I think the real challenge will come when it's not only us teaching him. I'm not entirely sure every colleague of ours will be as open to the necessary adjustments." Hermione shivered when she thought about updating Snape with the news. Or maybe she shivered because of Draco, who had placed one warm hand on her neck in a gesture that was as caring as it was mildly dominating. This was nearly enough to make her want to lift her light summer skirt and beg him to bend her over the closest surface.

From the corner of her eye, she saw him smirking. The git knew exactly what he did to her. But two could play this game.

"The good thing is, I'm done with the paperwork now." Hermione pushed herself away from the desk but remained seated to stretch casually. But in this case, stretching meant arching her back and pushing her breasts forward so Draco could take a very good look at them.

"Another good thing is that I just saw the last of our dear pupils to the Floo or portkey so they can spend their final weak at home." His voice had taken a distinctively seductive hue, and he made his intention even clearer when he cupped her breasts from behind.

"So I take it that means we have the entire castle to ourselves?" she asked innocently.

Draco made a humming noise that qualified as a yes while his lips were busy trailing kisses down her neck.

"No locking doors? No silencing charms?"

"Correct. You can scream my name as loud as you want while I take you in the middle of the library. Or the Great Hall. Or wherever and whenever you want. And trust me, I will make you scream."

"Sounds like a very good idea."

His hands inched under the hem of her dress, and she arched back even more, arms reaching up to his neck, wanting him closer. Instinctively, Hermione started to open her legs to give him better access.

That was when the door flew open.

"Here you are! I've searched-" Minerva McGonagall stopped mid-sentence, her cat-like eyes scrutinizing the scene in front of her, her hand still on the door handle.

After blinking in shock for a second, Draco and Hermione pulled their arms and hands back to themselves like they had been burnt. They didn't say a word because really, this time, things were exactly as they seemed.

"How long has this been going on?" the Headmistress asked, her voice calm and even.

"Four weeks," Draco replied and settled his hands back on Hermione's shoulders.

Blushing, her heart beat faster at his strange protectiveness. The Headmistress acknowledged his answer with a curt nod.

"And hello, Severus. Did you have a good summer?" the blond continued conversationally, and only then, Hermione saw the Potions Master standing behind Minerva.

"It was as to be expected."

After that pleasant exchange of words, the Headmistress cleared her throat. "Alright then. I'll see you at dinner and leave you two to your well-deserved free time." Hermione could swear she saw her lips curl up at those words.

What she was entirely sure of, however, was the whispered conversation between Minerva and Severus on their way out of Hermione's office.

"See, I told you it was a good decision to convince the Sorting Head to pick them. Our matchmaking worked. They only needed a slight shove in the right direction."

"You still owe me fifty Galleons, Minerva. He said four weeks, not three."

Then, the door got firmly closed.

Hermione and Draco looked at each other briefly before breaking out in howling laughter.

"They know, now, huh?" she stated after a while, still wheezing.

"I don't really care. Or did you want to keep me secret?" Draco asked, and his smile had that slight tilt of insecurity that made Hermione aware that he was being serious.

"No, Draco." She stood and leaned against her desk, taking his hands in hers and connecting her gaze with his. He needed to know she was sincere. "It's just... we haven't really talked about what happens after the holidays are over. I… don't want us to be over."

The tension fell from his face. "Neither do I," he confessed.

They kissed, shortly and sweetly, as if sealing an important deal. Their deal.

"And now?"

Draco smirked wickedly. "Now, we continue what we started." His fingers travelled over her jaw before his thumb pillowed her bottom lip in an unmistakably sexual way. "And then we're telling Old McG we're only going to need one quarter from now on."

Before Hermione could process what he was suggesting and voicing her agreement on it, she was interrupted by her own squeal when Draco pulled at her knees and laid her flat against the desk.

One could probably hear her screaming in ecstasy throughout the entire castle, but she couldn't bring herself to care.

Exactly one week later, Hermione and Draco accompanied the students from London to Hogwarts. They had spent the morning strolling through Diagon Alley and running some necessary last errands - like buying three tons of books at Flourish and Blotts.

And when the Hogwarts Express had left King's Cross, the two of them did rounds, welcomed the students back, and calmed down the nervous first years.

One encounter especially made her laugh.

"How was your summer, Professor Granger? Did you get my postcard from the Maldives?" a now sixth year girl asked.

"Oh, I have it on good knowledge her summer was as good as Professor Malfoy's!" Fiona Wood commented from the other side of the compartment, clapping her hand to her mouth in shock when she realised what she had said.

Hermione smiled at the young witch. "It's okay, Fiona. We all had a wonderful time for sure." Fiona blushed slightly.

"So you were at Hogwarts?"

At this moment, Draco passed the compartment, not without throwing Hermione a wink.

"Yes, I was at Hogwarts," she answered the girl's question. "And it was one of the best summers I ever had. You could bet on it."