Just trying to get all of these stories I've written in the past few years uploaded. This was also written for the Hawthorn & Vine Reverse Challenge last year - round two - and the art I based the story off of is called "For You" by Inspire on H&V (dramione DOT org). My only warnings for this story: slight profanity and EWE? (Epilogue What Epilogue?), making it Deathly Hallows compliant.
Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters you recognize nor am I making profit off of this. Harry Potter belongs to J.K. Rowling and I'm just a poor college student.
Sometimes he wondered if his girlfriend cared more about those kids that weren't even hers more than her loving boyfriend. Of course he admired how much she cared about her hometown, about the families she had known all of her life and about the new families that replaced the old, but what was the point of watching these little buggers on a Saturday? It was still mid afternoon and he was sure the two of them could be enjoying a lovely lunch or something without children running around.
For some reason, they liked giving him nicknames because his real name was "just so weird." He found it absolutely annoying and his girlfriend found it cute. According to her, it was their way of showing him affection. Heh. But the kids liked to give his girlfriend nicknames as well and judging by the looks she gave him, she probably didn't like it. He merely grinned widely as if to say to her "Now how does it feel?" She responded by throwing a handful of sand at him, causing him to sputter and shake it off his favorite black sweater. As he glared at her, she merely giggled and turned away to attend to another child.
With a sigh, he attempted to ignore all the little kids by sitting on a swing and staring down at the sand. He felt so out of place in this muggle playground and he was sure his girlfriend knew that, but she still visited the children every Saturday – sometimes Sunday – afternoon and dragged him along with her. He was supposedly to fall in love with the children just as she had, but he had yet to do so.
In a way, one could say he was jealous of how much attention his girlfriend gave those little children and how little she gave to him, but that was completely unfair. When the young couple wasn't here at this playground – especially when alone or unaware of others – they gave one another their undivided and loving attention. As his girlfriend would say: "You're just being a spoiled brat, love, but I can't blame you since that's the way you were raised." He resented that statement, but couldn't deny the truthfulness of the statement.
Damn his know-it-all of a girlfriend.
Suddenly a little girl with light brown pigtails fastened by pink bows tapped his knee. "Would you push me on the swings?" she asked in her cute little voice that didn't ring in his ears for once.
The shocked young man looked at the smiling girl for a moment before looking for his girlfriend. She was standing over the slides, cheering on a few of the smaller children. He had to deal with Pink Pigtails on his own and he didn't know what to do.
"Well?" she asked impatiently.
Moving a hand through his long blonde hair, he finally nodded and stood up, motioning for the girl to sit on the swing. She smiled and quickly sat, her hands gripping the chains on either side. As she began to swing, he gently pushed her back, having moved behind her. The odd pair soon found a rhythm that worked and within minutes Pink Pigtails was swinging high into the air without the older man's help. He stepped back far enough so he wouldn't be in her way and just watched her as she giggled, completely carefree and happy.
Once she started slow down, he helped her come to a complete stop and then lifted her off the swing. She smiled at him and quickly hugged his leg. "Mione said that you wouldn't mind playing with me," she said.
"Really now?" he asked, cocking an eyebrow as he glanced in his girlfriend's direction.
Pink Pigtails nodded. "Thank you for pushing me," she said politely. "But my mum's waving at me to come back so I have to go. Will you come back?"
Despite himself, he smiled a bit and nodded, watching as she squeezed his leg again. "Yes, next week," he said, patting the top of her head.
"Oh, thank you Mister Draco!" Pink Pigtails said, letting him go before she ran off.
Draco scratched his head in slight confusion and watched other mothers and fathers pull up, waving at their children and smiling gratefully at Hermione. Soon, the playground was all but deserted and Draco couldn't help but feel relief. He'd finally get some alone time with his girlfriend. She walked over to him and smiled as she kissed his lips.
"Oh, thank you for playing with Amanda," she said as she pulled away and looked into his gray eyes. "I was busy with the younger children on the see-saw and I didn't want her to be all alone on the swings. I think she liked you."
Draco chuckled softly and took her dainty hand in his larger one and led her to the forest not too far away from the playground. They walked together easily and he was no longer annoyed that they had spent their Saturday afternoon with all of those children. "She was nice," he finally said.
Hermione looked at him and studied his profile, attempting to peer into the thoughts of Draco Malfoy. They had been dating for the past five years and were a very unlikely couple. Harry had honestly saved Draco and his parents from being thrown into Azkaban after the war and even if the former Slytherin wouldn't admit it, he was grateful for what Potter did. Hermione hadn't expected to fall in love with him of all people, but was no longer a jerk. She didn't mind when he was around her while they worked together in the Ministry since he turned out to be someone fun to be around when he wasn't acting like a git. It was because of Draco that she had found close friends in Blaise Zabini and Pansy Parkinson, Draco's two best friends. Draco, too, began to feel comfortable around Hermione and had pulled some strings to make her his partner in the Department of Magical Law Enforcement. Sure, they often clashed with one another and had very different viewpoints, but sometimes that worked to their advantage even when they became actual lawyers in the department.
Squeezing his hand, Hermione smiled at her boyfriend, seeing all the good in him and hardly any bad. Draco smiled back at her and gently kissed her forehead, feeling much more relaxed than he had earlier today when she dragged him out of his bed. Without all of those little children running around, he could actually enjoy the fall afternoon with his beautiful girlfriend. He knew that she loved taking walks with him during the fall and early spring because those were the prettiest times of year in her opinion.
"Aren't you glad I dragged you out of your bed this morning?" Hermione asked, looking at their feet as they crushed the fallen leaves.
Draco rolled his eyes. "Possibly…" he trailed off mysteriously.
Hermione looked at him closely, wondering what her sneaky boyfriend had on his mind. He may have changed from his spiteful schoolboy ways, but he was still a sneaky and cunning Slytherin at heart, which was one of the reasons why Hermione loved him: there was never a dull moment in their relationship. And right now, she could tell by Draco's facial expression that he most certainly had a plan up his wool sleeve and she was very curious to find out just what he was planning.
"I know that look," she said in her most accusatory tone of voice.
"What look?" Draco, looked down at her, both of his eyebrows raised.
"Draco Malfoy, you are planning something aren't you?" Hermione asked, moving to stand in front of him, their hands still entwined. "Or are you hiding something?" Draco merely shrugged and Hermione slapped his arm with her free hand. "Draco!"
"You are so pushy sometimes, love," Draco said, grinning as he rubbed his nose against hers. "Aren't we supposed to be walking?"
Hermione stared into his gray eyes, placing her free hand on her hip, still holding his other hand. "Draco, I'm not moving until you tell me what evil scheme you're planning."
"Now, Hermione, this is no time for your overreactions…" Draco began but stopped when he noticed her facial expression hadn't changed. He sighed and shook his head in mock disappointment. "Well, I guess I'll just have to show you, but you have to close your eyes first."
Hermione raised an eyebrow. "Draco, what sort of game are you playing?"
"Love, will you just close your eyes and stop being so stubborn?"
Hermione pursed her lips before sighing with frustration and closing her eyes as he had instructed. She popped her hip out again impatiently. "Now what?"
"Don't open them," Draco commanded firmly, yet gently as he let go of her hand and reached into his pocket. Her hand dropped to her side and he smiled as he felt around for the surprise. "Hermione, what do you want most from me?" he asked wrapping an arm around her waist and pulling her close so their chests were pressed together.
"What do you mean, Draco?" she asked, fluttering her eyelashes, but he kissed her eyelids to make her stop. "What are you trying to get at?" she placed her hands on his shoulders and rubbed gently.
"What do you want from me in this relationship?" he asked softly, squeezing her waist and resting his chin on top of her head.
Hermione smiled and rubbed his neck, knowing how much that relieved him of any stress. "You've given me everything I could ever want from you, love," she said honestly, kissing the hollow of his neck, his sensitive spot engraved in her memory.
"There has to be something else you want," Draco asked, not wanting to give her outright hints.
Hermione pondered this for a moment. Even though they had been dating since the two-year anniversary of the end of the war, which meant they had been together for five years, both of them had held off on moving in together. She knew it was hard for Draco to fully let her into his life and she respected that. Their love was completely unexpected, but now it was something she just couldn't live without. Hermione knew that she wanted to spend the rest of her life with Draco as husband and wife, but she wouldn't pressure him into taking that step until he knew he was ready.
"Hermione?" Draco asked, wondered by the silence, but comforted by the feel of her lips on his neck.
Hermione lifted her head to his ear, her eyes still closed. She let out a soft breath and rubbed his shoulders again. "I want to take that final step, Draco," she whispered. "I want to move in with you before we get married and plan our wedding and have five kids and watch them all go to Hogwarts."
Draco lifted his head and looked at her; she was somehow still looking sure of herself even with her eyes closed. He knew how much she wanted to marry him and move in with him – take that next big step – but it still frightened him. Their love was definitely different from his parents, who didn't learn to love one another until years after he was born, but the concept of marriage still meant something arranged in Draco's mind. Moving his hand up to stroke Hermione's cheek, Draco knew that he couldn't let his fears halt their relationship. Kissing her forehead, he moved her arms from his shoulders and placed a small velvet box in her hands.
"I've been wanting to give this to you for a while now," he said moving his arms around her waist again. "Open your eyes and see what it is."
Hermione's eyes fluttered open and she looked into his eyes with curiosity before glancing down at the box and slowly opening it. Picking up the item, Hermione was amazed to realize it was a key shaped like a snake at the top. She raised an eyebrow and looked up at her boyfriend again.
"But Draco, you're a wizard, you and I both use our wands to enter our houses," she said, a faint smile on her lips.
"I know, but a few years ago I had been wandering around your town and I noticed an old house that immediately reminded me of you," Draco explained.
Hermione's eyes widened and she smiled widely. "Oh! The house that used to belong to Mrs. Fraiser?" she asked. Draco shrugged; he had no clue whom this woman happened to be. She laughed and kissed him soundly before pulling away. "She was my godmother and that house had been in her family for generations, but she moved away and never gave it to anyone. How did you ever get a hold of it?"
"I have my connections." He looked smug and Hermione rolled her eyes.
She closed the box and pulled away, taking hold of his wrist and pulling him with her. "Come on! I think I remember where it is!"
She quickly walked down the trail, hoping that her memory would serve her incredibly well. Draco merely followed her, wondering how she could've even had a thought about the house he honestly hadn't even given a good description of. But he was underestimating the power of Hermione Granger: the brightest witch of her age. Hermione was becoming more excited with each moment she got closer to her destination. How wonderful it would be if Draco had really purchased the house she considered her second home as a young girl. It held so many memories for her and she hoped that it was in good enough condition to reside in. If she and Draco could move into the old house instead of the overly large and very cold Malfoy Manor, well, it'd be a dream come true indeed!
Three minutes later, Hermione spotted just the house she had remembered. It was painted yellow and Indian red and even though the grass and flowerbeds were just about dead, it still looked like a beautiful vision. Hermione smiled happily and looked at Draco, hoping that this was the house he was trying to explain. When he nodded slowly, a certain twinkle in his gray eyes, she squealed with joy and hugged him, still clutching the velvet box. Draco hugged her back, not having expected her to know the house, but glad that she was so excited.
Hermione pulled away and searched his eyes for an answer. "Did you really buy it?" she asked softly. Draco nodded slowly, his hands resting on her hips. "But how? I thought you would have wanted to live in the secluded Malfoy Manor." She raised an eyebrow playfully.
Draco laughed softly and shook his head no. "You and I should start over," he said. "Besides, that damn manor holds mostly bad memories and I think this little house has a nice size and charm about it. We can always put up magical wards and charms, of course."
Hermione beamed with happiness and hugged him again, kissing all over his face. Draco laughed at her but enjoyed her appreciation. Slowly pulling away, Hermione pushed his hair out of his eyes for a moment and silently decided that her boyfriend had just proved to her how ready he was for their future. She didn't need to worry about where their relationship stood or when they'd move forward because this moment – this gift he had given her – was enough proof that they'd move forward soon enough.
"When can we start renovating?" she asked, looking at the house for a quick second.
"As soon as you want," he replied, kissing her forehead gently. "Oh, there was one last thing I wanted to ask you." Draco let go of her and knelt down on one knee, causing Hermione's jaw to drop and her hand to fly to her face with amazement. Draco looked up at her and placed a ring in her palm. "I know I've told you how scared I am of marriage, but seeing this house and your reaction to it has changed my mind. I want you to marry me as soon as possible, Hermione, so that we can move into this place that much sooner." His smile turned into a smirk as he watched her eyes flicker to the family ring in her palm. "Did you really think I'd never ask you?"
Hermione laughed and shook her head no, leaning down to kiss the smirk off his face. She wrapped her arms around his neck and started laughing again when he toppled backwards and brought her down with him. Adjusting her body so she was straddling his hips, she held out the ring to him. Draco sighed then chuckled before slowly slipping the ring onto the proper finger. Hermione admired the silver ring shaped like a snake that was charmed to fit the wearer's finger. She especially adored its small emerald eye and ruby tongue.
"It's the Malfoy family ring," Draco said, placing his hands on her hips. He watched her silently, knowing by her fascinated expression that she liked the ring. "I had a feeling you'd like it."
"I love it," Hermione corrected, kissing him again. She then pulled her lips away slightly so that her hair was like a curtain around their faces. "Wait, what sort of wedding would you want to have?"
"Nothing big," Draco said, scrunching his nose in annoyance. "But something to satisfy the press, of course."
Hermione sighed. "Does that mean I have to let your mother plan it all?" she asked. "I'd like to have a say in my own wedding, thank you."
"At least let her help, love. You just need to hold your ground when she gets too controlling and overbearing."
"Fine, but all of my friends – yes, that means the Weasley's – are invited." She grinned.
Draco set his mouth before rolling his eyes. "Then all of my friends are invited."
"Fine." Hermione kissed his again before moving her face away and simply sitting on him. "Well, what should we do now?"
"How about we tell Mother and Father the good news?" Draco asked.
"That sounds like a good idea, but I'm slightly scared that they'll be a bit perturbed," Hermione said, fiddling with the box that held the key to their future home.
Draco rolled his eyes. "Hermione, my parents don't care anymore that you're a muggleborn! Mother will be beaming and Father will probably just question the way he did when we told them we were serious."
"Are you sure?"
Draco leaned forward and kissed the top of her chest. "Yes," he said before gently tapping her bum, causing Hermione to shriek and giggle. "Now come on and get off me, will you?"
"Fine," Hermione said, standing up. She held his hand as he stood and wrapped her arms around him as he apparated them to the Malfoy Manor. Tonight's dinner would probably be slightly uncomfortable, but the end result – her married life with Draco – would be worth all of it.
Read and review please! I actually kind of despise this ending as I'm reading it, but I'm in no mood to alter it. More stories are coming soon!