Feeling of fondness (9)
I believe the answer is:
affection
'feeling of fondness' is the definition.
(I've seen this before)
This is all the clue.
(Other definitions for affection that I've seen before include "Fondness or liking" , "Fondness, tenderness" , "Warm regard" , "Feeling of love or strong liking" , "Goodwill" .)