"Hermione, are you almost ready love?" a voice called into the room.
"Just a moment. I just have to finish up this report." Hermione called back.
"You can finish it later. If we don't leave now we are going to be late."
"Do we have to go? I mean, really, who would care if we didn't?" Hermione turned to the man with pleading eyes.
"Well, we promised Minerva that we would be there, plus we haven't seen Blaise and Pans for 3 weeks, and after this they are going on vacation for a couple of months. Besides I never took you for a coward. My mom has the kids, we don't need to worry about them, so you have no reason not to go." The blonde argued back.
"Right fine then. I'm ready, just let me put this away." Hermione said, in the process of putting the parchment into a folder and putting the quill down next to the jar of ink. She stood up. "Let's go then, before I change my mind again."
The couple apparited to Hogsmead. The castle loomed ahead, still as grand and glorious as it had ever been.
After the battle, groups of volunteers were formed and the castle was cleaned and fixed up. It now had a few more modern touches added to it, though the castle's style was the same. Hermione was one of the volunteers, and the man standing beside her was as well, which at the time had surprised her, but then again, at the time she didn't really know him. Now she knew him almost better than he knew himself, after all she was his wife.
"What if they make a scene, I don't want the reunion to be ruined. We can still go home." Hermione turned to her husband once again, a last ditch effort to avoid this event that would soon be a catastrophe.
"If they make a scene that is on them and it shows that they haven't grown up. The world has changed Mia, they need to change with it. School rivalries will get them nowhere. Just look at us, who would have imagined, the Gryffindor golden girl and the Slytherin bad boy, married happily with 4 kids." He turned grabbing her hands in his, hers no longer visible as his were so much bigger and completely enveloped hers. "They need to catch up with the times, everyone else has. They are the ones who ran off and didn't contact anyone. You aren't in the wrong here, it's them. It's not like we are hiding our relationship from the public. If they were interested in knowing all they have to do is ask, or look at a paper." By this time they had reached the castle and were standing in front of the huge double doors leading into the entrance hall. "Plus, I'm sure the weasel will be too surprised to do anything, he might even faint, Potter will probably be fairly reasonable, he was never too hotheaded. The only one you really have to worry about is Red, I've heard she still has a mean bad boogey hex, but even then, you have a quick and are good with a number hexes if my memory serves."
Hermione inhaled deeply. "Right let's do this."
They walked through the doors, hand in hand. Hermione's eyes flicking around the hall, looking, searching for her old best friends. She found them in a corner away from everyone else. They were talking amongst themselves, paying no attention to what was going on around them.
Hermione gradually made her way over to them, her husband right beside her. He had his arm wrapped around her waist in a gesture of comfort and strength, letting her know that he was there.
"Malfoy, we don't want any trouble, just keep walking." Harry started.
"I haven't come to start trouble, I've moved on from school rivalries, just wanted to come and say hello, see how you were doing." Draco explained, and no malice could be detected in his voice at all, only a lingering curiosity and a note of wariness.
"Right, not here to start trouble. See you married, who was stupid enough to marry you? Fellow death eater? Or maybe Parkinson?" Ron started, already getting worked up, though no one had done anything.
"No, actually I fought for the same side as you, and I would appreciate it if you didn't talk to him like that. He was never a death eater by choice, but you ran off after the war, so I guess you wouldn't know that, would you?" Hermione retorted, her head high and her annoyance at not even being recognized showing through her carefully crafted façade.
"No? Well then, who are you? Because he sure as hell wasn't on the right side of the war, and anyone who is associated with such kind are considered traitors." Ron said getting angry at this stranger who had already started to insult him. "Besides who are you to talk to me, I am a member of the Golden Trio, I am Harry Potters best friend."
"Do NOT talk to my wife that way, or you will regret it." Draco intervened, distaste now very evident in his voice.
"Dray, its fine. I can handle myself." Hermione assured her husband. Ginny, who hadn't said a word, was just observing. There was something oddly familiar about this woman, she felt like she should know who she was. But surely she would remember meeting a woman so gorgeous. Her honey brown hair cascaded down to the small of her back in soft curls. Her skin was a sun kissed golden brown. Her eyes a warm sparkling milk chocolate that you could get lost in. Her figure was that of a model, and one that Ginny could only wish for. Her legs, accented by the sliver heels she was wearing, seemed to go on forever. The emerald dress she was wearing accented everything that this amazon girl had to offer, her chest was one that was not too large, nor too small. Ginny assumed, although she couldn't tell yet, that this woman also had a good arse. Yes there was no way that she had met her before, but yet there was still something very familiar about her, she reminded her of… of Hermione. Her eyes lit up with recognition. But it couldn't be possible. Hermione hated Malfoy, even more than Ron did.
"I am actually surprised you don't remember me." She looked at Draco with love and adoration in her eyes, but also a hint of nervousness. "I also happened to have been part of the Golden Trio, and one of Harry Potter's best friends." Hermione turned back to the two redheads that sat on either side of the man with jet black hair.
"Hermione?" Harry wondered, his eyes wide, mouth hanging open. Ron, as Draco had predicted had fainted dead away. Ginny just sat there still processing.
"Hey Harry, how have you been the last 10 years?" Hermione said a small smirk playing at her lips, one that looked very similar to the one on the face of the man who was still next to her.
"So," Ginny spoke for the first time, "you married Malfoy. How did that happen?"
"We were in the same group during the rebuilding of Hogwarts. We became friends, then we started dating, and then we got married."
"You said, he didn't want to be a death eater, what did you mean by that?" Harry wondered aloud.
"Exactly what she said, I was forced by my father, he was living in my house, I had zero choice, but I was a spy for the order, so I did fight for your side. I never supported him and I always hated my father. You can't choose your family, can you?" Draco said his voice, though holding less malice, was tense, almost as if he was recalling awful memories, which Hermione knew he was.
Harry nodded, Ginny looked content with the answer, and Ron was still unconscious.
"We will take him home, don't want him to cause a scene. And Hermione? It's great to see you, I hope we can meet up soon." Ginny said with a small smile. The all knew that once Ron woke up that there was sure to be drama, but for now Hermione and Draco could enjoy the reunion in peace.
"That went better than I thought it would." Hermione said with a breath of relief.
"Told you there was nothing to worry about. Now let's go say hi to everyone else, then we can go home, after all, the house is empty tonight." A Malfoy smirk adorned his face.