Background: In 1999, Hermione Granger disappeared. She told her close friends that she was going on a trip around the world, but she never came back. Unknown to her friends, she found love abroad and returned to England a married woman. Fearing their rejection, she never re-established contact and they still don't even know that she's in the country.

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Lily Potter has recently begun dating her brother Albus' close friend Scorpius Malfoy. Ever since Albus and Scorpius became friends, Harry and Ginny have been curious as to who his mother is. They get their chance when Lily tells them they are invited over for dinner in Malfoy Manor.

"If you aren't downstairs in the next five minutes, we are leaving without you!" Ginny Potter yelled up the stairs at her sixteen year old daughter Lily. Ginny was stressed out enough already but Lily wasn't helping things – they were going to be late!

"Calm down Mum, I know you wouldn't dream of going to my boyfriend's house without me" Lily joked as she walked down the stairs of 12 Grimmauld Place, "You shouldn't be nervous, I've met the Malfoys already. They're really nice people Mum".

Ginny Potter just shook her head as motioned for her daughter to enter the fireplace.

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Draco Malfoy watched as his wife nervously finished off the cake she had been working on all morning. He could tell she was anxious for the visitors that were due to arrive soon. He wrapped his arms around her waist from behind. Pushing her brown hair to one side, he whispered in her ear, "it'll be okay, they won't judge you. Not after all this time".

She turned around and he gave her a proper hug. After burying her face in his chest, she looked up and said "I hope so". He gave her a quick kiss on her cheek as they heard the unmistakeable noise of someone entering their home through the fireplace.

They walked into the sitting room to find their only son with his arms tightly wrapped around a smaller red head. Draco squeezed his wife's hand as the fire glowed green once more. This time out stepped a dark haired man and another redhead woman.

Scorpius quickly dropped his arms from around Lily as her parents walked in. She gave him a mocking look, as just the other day he claimed he wasn't afraid of her father.

They went unnoticed, as the Potters stared in shock at the woman standing beside Draco Malfoy. Ginny was quicker to recover than her husband.

"Hermione? Hermione Granger is that you? We thought you were off in some exotic country!"

Hermione Malfoy smiled at her husband and then at her once best friend.

"Hello to you too Ginny. It's been a while hasn't is? You might not have realised, but my surname is Malfoy now. It has been for twenty-three years now" she said with a mocking tone. She then held her arms open for a hug. The friends hugged for a few minutes, only to be interrupted by Lily muttering to her boyfriend "I guess we don't need to worry about them hating each other", causing everyone to laugh.

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After dinner, the young couple went for a walk in the grounds leaving their parents to talk. The four adults sat in a brightly decorated sitting room, the Potters facing the Malfoys. As Hermione poured cups of tea, the other occupants of the room searched for something to say.

"How in Merlin's beard did this happen?" Ginny spluttered, gesturing to where Draco's arm was gently wrapped around Hermione's shoulders. Hermione glanced up into her husband's eyes before sighing and turning to face her once best friend.

"It all happened the year after I left England. I was in Muggle Spain, working in a small bookshop. One day, in walked Draco and it went from there".

Ginny rolled her eyes at her friend's quick summary of the last twenty-five years of her life.

"You aren't getting away that easy Hermione, I want details. How long did you date before you married? Why weren't we invited? Why didn't you tell us you moved back? Why didn't you come visit? Why didn't you contact us when our sons became best friends?" Ginny rushed out.

"We dated for about six months before marrying in the spur of the moment in a registry office. No one except the registrar was there, we even had to tranfigure rings from plastic cups, before buying real ones a week later. I suppose I never contacted or visited because I was scared".

"Afraid of what? Ginny interrupted.

"Afraid that you would hate me, for marrying the man we all hated through school. For getting married in a remote town in the middle of Spain.

Then I got pregnant and Scorpius put you all to the back of my mind until we got a letter saying that he was best friend's with Albus. I dreaded the day I had to face you again. I had left it to long, but I continued to put it off until now".

Ginny and Harry shared a guilty look. They couldn't believe that they had given their friend the impression that they would make her chose between the man she was clearly in love with and them. Ginny stood up and hugged Hermione tightly. When Ginny released her, Hermione motioned for Harry to hug her too.

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When their guests were gone, Hermione began washing the dishes with a big grin on her face. Draco watched her from the doorway, happy to see that his wife appeared to have had a huge weight lifted off her shoulders. He walked over to her and repeated their earlier position. Leaning his chin on her shoulder, he whispered "I told you it would be alright".

She turned to face him and draped her arms around his neck. She pulled his face closer to hers and just before kissing him, she replied "Well you also told me that Scorpius would fall for a nice Muggle, not little Lily Potter". Draco laughed at his wife, before leading her out to the garden to enjoy the sunset with a nice bottle of wine.

Glancing over at her lovely husband, Hermione knew that the choice she had made, had been the right one.