Ok, so this is the first time I'm publishing anything here. Not that I have written much, but still. This story was written at the Hawthorn and Vine Treasured Tropes Fest '12 based on a prompt by RZZMG. I also cant thank Poppyxxxx who is the BEST beta reader ever! Please do tell me what you think of it :)
October 2018
I look at my reflection in the mirror in the ladies' washroom of the la maison de boissons de qualité, a French bar a little outside Muggle London. I have spent the entire day locked in my room crying my heart out, so my eyes are red and swollen. I no longer present the image of the independent 40-year-old woman I like to believe I am. I mean, I am the Senior Undersecretary to the Minister of Magic. There are rumours about me being the top candidate for the next Minister of Magic. I was the Head Girl during my time at Hogwarts. I am considered a war heroine for my role in the Battle of Hogwarts. My daughter is the Head Girl at Hogwarts, and my son is doing rather well in his year.
Seems like a perfect life. So, you may ask, what caused me to break down?
I walked in on my husband with another woman today.
~~~~***~~~~
I should have guessed it earlier. All the signs and warning flags were there, screaming at me to open my eyes and look at the changes happening around me. I think I was just too absorbed in my perfect life to actually notice that it wasn't so perfect anymore.
Ron and I had given dating a shot after Harry had finally accomplished his task of defeating Voldemort. Three months after the war, Ron asked me out. Our first date was perfect- he bought me roses, we went dancing and then had dinner at an Indian restaurant. I felt comfortable around him-we knew every minor detail about each other, so there was no need to pretend about who we really were.
Four years later, he proposed, and another two months later, we were married. It was my dream wedding, and I was very happy with the way everything turned out for me.
The next year, Rose was born. He fumbled around a bit with her in the beginning, but by the time Hugo came along, Ron was the perfect father-loving, caring and attentive to everything they said or did.
Then six months ago, the fights started.
We had never had any major fights before. Of course, the occasional disagreement or difference in opinion arose, but it never lasted for more than fifteen minutes. We had spent more than half our lives with each other, after all, and knew how to avoid situations that might annoy the other.
I don't even remember how they exactly started. Sometimes, we fought over Ron forgetting to pay the bills. Other times, we fought over things like the brand of milk I bought at the supermarket. The intensity increased day by day, and we often went days, if not weeks, without speaking to each other, the worst part being that the fights never really had a sensible topic. This worried me, and I accelerated my attempts to remain calm and not strike up a fight with him.
To the outside world, we remained a perfect couple. And most days, even to me.
Until this morning, that is.
I made breakfast for Ron, grabbed my briefcase and ran out of the door. There was an important meeting with the Head Auror regarding security issues, and I didn't want to be late. Only after reaching my office did I realize that I had taken Ron's file instead of mine. I instantly excused myself and took the elevator down to his office in the Department of Magical Games and Sports-where he was the Head-only to find him kissing Astoria Malfoy, née Greengrass.
Tears started flowing, I felt my heart breaking, and my world came crashing down around me as I looked at my husband of eighteen years in disgust.
How could he do this to me? Had he no shame, no worry about what I might feel, what our children might feel?
He was so absorbed that he didn't even see me standing near his door. Anger took over disappointment, and I turned around and slammed the door shut behind me. And I ran. I ran and didn't stop till I reached my office, ignoring the weird looks people threw me all along the way.
Once I got to my office, I broke. I just sat on the floor and cried my heart out.
~~~~***~~~~
Anyway, here I am right now.
After spending a lot of time locked up in one room and thinking about how another family- namely the Malfoys-was involved in this, how they would also be ruined, I came to a final decision. It would be wrong to not let Malfoy know about this. He had a right to know, after all. Before I could talk myself out of it, I sent a letter asking Draco Malfoy to meet me here as soon as he got out of work, which happened to be just an hour away from when I sent the letter.
I got here early- I needed the time to think, and truth be told, I had nowhere to go. I would have to face more questioning looks from my coworkers, which I didn't think I could deal with. So the Ministry was out of the question. Definitely not home, what with Ron being there right now. And I didn't want our parents to get involved at this stage, so I decided against the Burrow or my parents' home. Harry was ruled out because of Ginny being there too. I needed to talk to someone who could relate to me, which in this case happened to be Malfoy.
Didn't see that coming.
It did somewhat surprise me to know that Draco Malfoy's life wasn't all that perfect either. It surprised me even more when I didn't gloat at the fact that we were, metaphorically speaking, in the same boat, after all his blood prejudice at school.
Granted, he wasn't the same snobby, stuck-up prat from school, but his smarminess didn't really make him everybody's best mate. He was now…acceptable, for lack of a better word.
He had finished seventh year after the war and started working in MLE. The astonishing fact is that he didn't use any of his high-powered connections to get to the position he was in now. And because of this high position, we had been assigned on the same projects more than once. He was over the prejudice he had been brought up with and isn't very self-absorbed.
And I hate to mention it, but…
"Granger?" a deep voice cuts into my thoughts.
I swivel around in my chair and see Malfoy standing in front of me, his blond hair slightly ruffled from the wind and that permanently fixed smirk on his face.
"Have a seat, Malfoy," I say as politely as I can.
He merely nods in reply and takes the vacant seat towards my right. I signal the bartender to get me another martini and Draco whatever drink he wants. The bartender stands across the table and raises a questioning eyebrow at Malfoy when I remember that we are in the Muggle world. I quickly tell the bartender to get him a beer, and Malfoy looks at me with a thankful expression.
"What did you want to talk about?" he asks pensively.
"Um, I saw something today, and I think you should know about it," I reply, struggling to find the right words to say. However, he makes it a lot easier for me by speaking next.
"Let me guess, you saw Astoria with someone else?"
My eyes go wide, and I'm thrown into confusion.
"A-another? Do you mean that there have been many and that you know about them?" I splutter out.
"Around twenty-three, the last I remember. And she isn't exactly discreet about them. Who was it this time?" he replies, absurdly calm.
I find that I can't look him in the eye. How does he live with such a woman? He was a jerk, still is a git, but he doesn't deserve this.
"Ron," I say, or rather mumble, looking at my glass.
"Oh, I'm sorry."
"I should get going now," he says after a minute's silence and picks up his coat.
I don't know what comes over me as I get up to stop him from leaving.
"If you don't have any important plans for later, could you please… stay?"
This time, I look him directly in the eye and try to tell him through my silence how much it would mean for me if he would not leave.
He seems to understand because he smiles a ghost of a smile and sits down again.
"I'm sorry if I come across as interfering, but I must ask you this. How are you okay with the fact that your wife has been cheating on you for such a long time?" I ask.
He considers my question for a moment before, rather surprisingly, answering.
"For my son's sake, I guess. I fear that if I say anything to her, she might leave, and that might have a negative impact on his life," he explains coolly.
"That makes no sense! Don't you think that your relationship with your wife also affects him? When he sees the two of you barely talking, he'll feel upset and isolated. At least if you leave her right now and explain the situation to your son, he'll be able to come to terms with it over time. He'll still have faith and respect for at least one of his parents. Plus, he is seventeen, and I'm sure he will understand you. And you can always remarry if you do want a motherly presence in your son's life," I try to reason with him.
He thinks before answering again.
"Perhaps, but I don't think my parents would approve of that. And frankly, what woman would want to marry a forty-year-old single father?"
"Make that a forty-year-old filthy rich, well-settled and attractive single father." I am exasperated and the words come out before I can think clearly.
"Attractive, huh?" He raises an eyebrow, but it is the playful twinkle in his eye that makes me blush.
"Well, I'm trying to make a point here."
"I'll think about it." He smiles, and it's clear that he intends to keep his word.
I turn my attention back to my glass, and we succumb to silence once again.
~~~~***~~~~
Almost an hour later, I grab my overcoat and stand up to leave.
"Thank you for staying," I say.
He waves me off and gives me a small smile.
We exit the bar and begin walking to a safe point to Apparate when he suddenly says, "I will." And then just as randomly, pops away.
I stand there for a minute, trying to understand what he meant. Then it comes to me that he was talking about what I had said earlier, about him sorting things out with his family. I feel satisfied for some reason.
But as I walk a little further, I begin to feel panicky. I have to go home now, face Ron, and I am a hundred percent sure that there is a fight coming along. I am not ready for that. Not now. Unfortunately, I have no other option.
So I immediately Apparate back home. No point delaying the inevitable. After all, what has to happen will happen.
~~~~***~~~~
I walk into the house to see Ron, Harry and Ginny sitting on the couch in the living room. I find that I can't even look Ron in the eye, and I haven't even done anything wrong. I decide the best approach to the situation is to ignore them and go to bed when Ron suddenly speaks up.
"Where have you been? You had us all worried."
I look at him, feeling anger pulse through every vein in my body. How could he just sit there, knowing what he has done, and not feel downright ashamed of himself?
"I'm sorry, Harry. But I'm fine, so you can go home now," I say. I don't want to fight with Ron in front of Harry and Ginny.
"What the fuck is wrong with you? You don't come home on time, you're not at work or at your parents', you just disappear without telling anybody where you went, and now you're bloody ignoring me," Ron literally screams. He is no longer capable of handling the role of the innocent, loving husband he has been playing for the past months.
I lose my control over my temper. "What the fuck is wrong with me? I should be asking you that question."
"What are you on about?" he says, but his eyes clearly reflect that he knows I know.
"What's going on, Hermione?" Ginny asks, calmly.
"You should ask your brother that. He will be able to explain the more vivid details of his affair with Astoria Malfoy," I say, coldly.
Harry stands up in shock, and Ginny slaps her hand over her mouth.
"I-Is this true, Ron?" she asks.
She is answered with Ron's silence.
"How could you do this, Ron? To Rose, to Hugo, heck, to Hermione?" Harry says.
"I didn't know what to do. I felt like a loser because of her. I felt incapable of running my own family. I felt like a freaking housewife at times. And when I met Astoria, I felt young and happy again," Ron puts forward his pointless defense.
"So you decided to cheat on me, rather than confront me with the way you felt? You are the most ruthless and horrible man ever. I loved you, and you broke my trust," I cry out.
"Well, if you hadn't been so absorbed in your damned work for every minute in the day, perhaps it wouldn't have come to this," he responds back.
"Don't you go putting all the blame on me, Ronald Weasley. We have a family, and we have to run it, for which we need money. What was I supposed to do when you kept rolling around from job to job, fussing over how you don't like your boss or how you think it's embarrassing work and you expected the landlord to give you an extension for the rent payment. I worked hard for everything I am today, and I don't regret my job for even a second. It has kept the children in school, our stomachs filled and a roof over our head," I retort back.
"See, that's exactly what I mean. You think I'm incapable of doing anything," he argues.
"I didn't say that. I meant that you don't have the right to criticise my job because of your male ego."
After a moment's silence, Harry tries to calm both of us down.
"Well, whatever it is, it's done now. There is no use thinking about the past." He turns to me and asks, "What do you want to do, Hermione?"
I merely shrug back my response. I haven't thought about the future yet. Do I want to leave Ron? Do I want to give him a second chance? Do I want to live separately for a while, giving us both the space to think for a while?
That's when Ron speaks up.
"I know what I want to do." The three of us look at him in wait for a response.
"I want a divorce."
~~~~***~~~~
I haven't bathed in two days. I haven't gone to work. I refuse to see Harry or Ginny.
My dignity had refused to let any more tears fall after Ron's declaration. I had to stop an enraged Harry from hexing him and a torn Ginny from calling Mrs. Weasley. I had stood up and said, "I want a divorce too." That was a lie. It was the last thing I wanted. I was calm and composed outside, but I could feel my heart break into bits inside of me.
I quietly gathered some clothes and money into a suitcase and Apparated away to my parents' home. And there I have been for the past two days, moping in my old bedroom, constantly consoled by my parents.
Then, this morning, an owl tapped on my window.
I unrolled the parchment tied to its feet and saw that it was from Draco.
Granger,
It felt nice talking to you. I asked Astoria for a divorce, and she has agreed to separate and to leave Scorpius under my custody. The paperwork arrived today, and I don't know why, but I felt that you should be the first person to know.
If you are free this evening, I will be waiting at the same place at 7:00.
Hope to see you soon,
D.M.
After everything that had happened, I felt like going today. He would understand what I was going through.
~~~~***~~~~
I enter the bar and crane my neck and instantly find him. He has a way of standing out in a crowd, not only because of his hair, but also because of his elegant stature. I make my way to him and smile.
"You came," he says, with a smile of his own.
I smile again and settle onto a chair.
"I'm not sure if I must convey sadness or congratulate you," I say, making him laugh lightly.
"I would say congratulating me would be a more appropriate gesture under the circumstances," he says.
He speaks again after a momentary silence.
"You know, I never really liked Astoria. My parents had fixed my marriage to her when I hadn't even started Hogwarts. I didn't even know that until I turned seventeen. But I couldn't do anything other than do what my parents instructed me to do.
"Did you talk to Ron yet?" he adds as an afterthought.
"'Talk' wouldn't be the correct term to use. 'Fight' or 'scream' would be more applicable. He asked for a divorce. I agreed and left for my parents' home," I say, looking at my feet instead of him.
"I don't think you should waste your tears on a git like him. I never really thought he deserved you. And anyway, he is the one who should be feeling horrible about himself, not you," he says.
"No, I think he is right. Maybe I did drive him away by becoming too independent. I don't deserve him," I say, feeling tears sting my eyes.
"Okay, let's see. You are highly smart and intelligent, while he is dumb as a snail. You are the Senior Undersecretary to the Minister of Magic, and you worked for it, while he is the Head of the Department of Magical Games and Sports only because you and Potter have influence in the Ministry. You are pretty, while he is ugly as a frog. And still, you don't deserve him?"
I try to come up with a defense but find nothing. Draco is correct. I didn't cheat on Ron, he cheated on me. I have nothing to feel bad about. All I ever did was make his life easier and better.
Suddenly, my mood goes from bad to good. I smile at Draco and sip my drink.
The next two months passed like a blur. I avoided any sort of sightings with Ron, he moved out of the apartment, and we told the children. Rose and Hugo took it better than I expected, given that we didn't tell them the reason of our separation so as to maintain their relationship with Ron. Ron moved back to the Burrow until he could save up enough money to get a place of his own. He even agreed to give up complete custody of the children to me.
Draco was on a smooth track too. Astoria had already agreed for a divorce and given Draco custody of their son. In return, the greedy bitch had requested-or rather, demanded- 50,000 Galleons and the Malfoys' beach house in Capri. His parents had surprisingly sympathised with him and supported his decision.
We, in the meantime, had met almost every day at the same bar. It was like a different world, where Ron and Astoria didn't exist, and we could just forget about them and relax.
We barely talked about our families in the two hours we met. Instead, we concentrated on other topics and found we had loads of things in common. And on topics of which we had different opinions, very interesting arguments came to life. All in all, I looked forward to our meetings together every evening.
I slump against the table. I have had over half a dozen martinis and am completely drunk. I glance at Draco and see that he is slumped against the table as well, having drunk a little more than me. I giggle, and he raises his eyebrow. We received our divorce settlements this morning.
Instead of feeling glum, I feel free. While I don't hate Ron-well, maybe a little-I am beginning to like the idea of being not married to him.
"Never thought we would be in this situation, did you?" The words are slurred.
He raises his head and shakes it, looking like a 2-year-old in the process.
I giggle some more and raise my hand and pull his cheeks.
"You're drunk," he states and pushes my hand away.
"So are you," I reply.
"We should leave before these people throw us out," Draco says.
"But I don't wanna go hoomee,"I whine.
"How about a walk around here?" he suggests.
"Okay," I giggle again.
He takes care of the bill, and we both stumble out and walk towards no particular place. I feel like a kid with a best friend, roaming around with no troubles on her mind at all.
In my state of utter drunkenness, I grab Draco's hand and swing it up and down while walking. Then suddenly, I remember something.
"You think I'm pretty." It's more of a statement than a question.
"Huh?" He doesn't seem to recall his comment from our second meeting. Then, he suddenly seems to understand what I am talking about because he stops walking and turns to face me. "You are pretty," he says.
"Liar! You used to think I was the ugliest girl at Hogwarts," I reply.
"I was a jerk. You really are pretty," he says. "You have the most beautiful eyes I have ever seen. They are like pools of melted chocolate, which hold all the secrets of the world. Your skin is like silk. White, flawless silk. And your lips. Your lips make me feel like kissing you," he says, suddenly very serious. His hands are in my hair, and I can feel his warm breath on my face.
"Then do it," I whisper. It might be the alcohol clouding my judgment. Or…it may be because I might be attracted to him. But that's ridiculous. How could I be attracted to Draco Malfoy? But I cannot deny that I really want him to kiss me now.
His face holds a look of confusion, so I urge him again.
"Kiss me."
He bends his head down and softly touches his lips to mine. The soft touch is enough to send sparks flying through every nerve in my body. When he applies a little more pressure, I almost swoon like a giddy teenager having her first kiss. And when his tongue slides over my lips, my knees give way, making him lift me up in his arms.
After what seems like an eternity, we pull apart, slightly panting, but my arms are still around his neck, and his hands are still placed on my waist.
"That was…phenomenal," he says, and looks at me to make sure that I feel the same. And I do.
He Apparates us both away to my flat and leans down and kisses me again. The second kiss is even better, and my stomach flutters in excitement.
"D-do you want to…come in?" I ask, nervously.
He chuckles and then answers, "There is nothing in the world I want to do more than come in right now, but I think it would be better for us to get sobered up and think about this a little more."
I nod my head in agreement and stand on my toes and kiss his cheek.
Later that night, I think about the kiss. It was wonderful. It was everything I had wanted my first kiss to be. It was the romance-novel-style, swooning, fireworks-and-violins sort of kiss.
It's surprising that it happened with Draco Malfoy, of all people. If anyone had told me that I would kiss him and enjoy it, I would have laughed downright in their faces. But now…Now, I find myself wanting another kiss. Wanting him.
~~~~***~~~~
The next day, I exit the elevator in the Ministry and bump into Draco. It feels like a scene from a film as I flash a bright smile at him.
Oh, I was gone. Deep gone. No doubts, no questions.
He smiles back at me, but his smile almost instantly disappears. He leans down and whispers into my ear, "Don't ask any questions. Just go along with it."
And then he kisses me.
In the Ministry. In front of all our coworkers.
And he kisses me like he will never stop. I find myself melting into the kiss, my brain practically shut off from all clear judgment.
Until now, we had met outside the wizarding world. By mere coincidence, of course. Nobody knew that we were friends and met almost every single day. Not even Harry.
He pulls away, and I see that his cheeks are slightly flushed and his pupils are dilated. My heart jumps with joy at the prospect of him being attracted to me as well but instantly drops when I turn around to see Ron.
"You bitch! It's been a day and you're already throwing yourself on somebody else openly in public. Have you no shame?" he yells.
"How dare you!" Draco yells and lunges at Ron. I hold him back and look at him to let him know that I will handle this situation.
"You're one to talk about shame. And what was I supposed to do? Mope around because you cheated on me and left me? You have no say in what I do anymore, Ron. It would be best if you leave, right now," I say.
He has nothing more to say and walks off in a huff.
"That was pretty impressive," Draco states.
I shrug my shoulders and say in mock modesty, "It's what I do."
"You know what I mean," he says with a raised eyebrow.
"I don't really want to boost your already inflated ego, but the only reason I didn't burst into tears was you. If you hadn't made me see that it wasn't really my fault, perhaps I would still be stuck in my old bedroom at my parents' home." I smile at him.
"What can I say, it's what I do," he repeats and pulls up his shirt collar with a merry twinkle in his eye. "I am glad to be at your service, my lady," he adds with a bow.
I laugh and kiss him on his cheek. "Thank you," I whisper in his ears before making my way to my office.
~~~~***~~~~
I receive a note around noon.
Granger,
How about making some more time to think about this, this evening? Please send in your reply with my owl. He will wait for you to decide.
D.M.
I don't need time to think. After what he has done for me in these two months, especially today, I know that I would like-scratch that, love-to go out with him. And I don't need a signboard to tell me that this wasn't like our regular meetings. It is going to be a date.
~~~~***~~~~
Three months after the showdown with Ron at the Ministry, I am adding the final touches to my makeup when someone knocks on the door. I get up and open it to see Draco standing with a bouquet of roses, wearing blue jeans and a black blazer, perhaps the most casual clothes I have ever seen him in. He smiles, and I catch a whiff of cologne when he walks past me to enter the flat.
"You look wonderful," he says as I take the flowers from his hand and walk into the kitchen to get a vase to place them in, mostly to hide my blush from his compliment. Even after three months of dating, I still felt like a lovesick teenager in her first relationship.
Draco had kept the destination of our date a secret but had subtly hinted that I dress for the occasion. So I had chosen a purple cocktail dress which hugged all my curves. After two children, I didn't have a perfect figure, but I had long lost the fat I had gained. I paired my dress with silver heels and long silver earrings. I had done my hair in a loose chignon. I had kept my makeup to a minimal amount.
"Would you like a glass of wine before we leave?" I call out.
"I'm fine." He smiles. "Do you want to go now?"
"Sure, I'll just go get my purse."
I grab my clutch and lead him out of the door.
"Now can I know where we're going?" I ask.
"Patience, Granger. Haven't you heard? Good things come to those who wait," he replies with a playful smirk.
He wraps his hand around my waist, sending tingles through my spine, and takes out a used soda can.
"A Portkey?" I look at him.
He doesn't reply. Instead, he checks the time, and almost instantly, we are transported through the Portkey.
I stumble when I land and look around, still unfamiliar with my surroundings.
He then faces me and speaks. "You said you always wanted to go to Rome. Well, here we are."
"R-rome? You brought me to Rome! You remembered." The words come rushing out in my utter excitement, and I literally jump at him to kiss him.
I find his trademark smirk on his face when I pull apart, but I can see that he is as excited as I am.
"I planned our weekend here. I bought some clothes for you and left them in your hotel room," he says, smiling at me.
"My hotel room?" I ask, teasing him.
"Yes. It has a view of the Col-" He stops when I raise a questioning eyebrow. He seems to understand what I am talking about, and he flushes deeply. "I didn't know if you were ready for that yet," he says slowly.
I stand on my tiptoes and whisper in his ear. "I am more than ready for this, Draco. I have been for a long time now. I trust you."
He merely bends down and kisses me in reply. "I trust you too, Hermione."
Faintly, I hear an ecstatic voice in my head telling me that it's the first time he's called me Hermione.
~~~~***~~~~
Draco cannot be more rushed than he is in the next few minutes. He practically drags me behind him in his haste to get to the hotel. We barely step into the elevator when he pulls me against him and kisses me again.
We don't pull apart even when the elevator door opens. We don't pull apart even when someone clears his throat. We only pull apart when we hear a giggle. A family is standing in the exit, and the giggle appears to have come from their young daughter. I feel a blush creeping up my neck and remove my hands from around Draco's neck.
Draco entwines my hand in his and leads me to his room. Or suite, I should say. I just get a glimpse of the view from the ceiling-to-floor windows when Draco comes up behind me and kisses the side of my neck. All other thought vanishes from my mind, and I rest my head on his shoulder. He continues to suck on my neck, leaving a trail of bites.
"Draco," I say, once I am sure I won't be able to stand for much longer. "Bedroom."
He quietly picks me up, bridal-style, and lays me down on the bed. I watch him as he slips off his shoes and socks and sit up on my knees to remove his blazer and unbutton his shirt. When I lean in to kiss his collarbone, he pushes me on my back and straddles me, looming over like a hungry predator. He bends down and kisses me, unzipping my dress in the process. He pulls me up with him and slowly slips the strap of my dress from my shoulders. Then all of a sudden, he becomes rough and pulls my dress apart from my body, tearing off my black knickers and bra. Instead of fear or nervousness, I feel confident. I trust him, I know that he will take care not to hurt me, physically and emotionally. Without wasting any more time, he slips off his jeans and slips inside me.
Our first time isn't sex. It isn't making love. It is pure fucking. But I like it.
Later, as I rest my head on his shoulder and watch him sleep, I think. I think about how everything is perfect with him. The dates, the conversations, the sex…Everything. In comparison to my life now, my life with Ron seems so bland, so monotonous. And I can't help but admit that I felt something inside me today.
I felt love.
By the time the sun rises, Draco has taken me every way and every place possible. He has made me come over and again with his talented fingers and mouth. When we finally get out of bed, it is to order breakfast.
I love you.
He turns around with a startled expression. "Did you say something?" he asks.
Shite, did I say that out loud?
"Nothing," I say, and shake my head.
"I swear I heard something."
"You must have imagined it." Coward!
Just then, the doorbell rings, and Draco gets up to answer it. I let out a sigh of relief once he is out of earshot.
He walks in a minute later with a huge tray laden with food. Toast, eggs, sausages, bacon, juice, coffee, pancakes- name it, and it was there.
He hands me a plate of toast and busies himself with setting up the rest of the food.
When I pick the first piece of toast, I see a diamond ring.
"Will you marry me, Hermione?"
I don't even hesitate for a minute. I don't need to. I know what I have to do, what I want to do.
"Yes! There is nothing more I want in the world than to marry you," I say, echoing his words from our first date.
He chuckles and leans forward to kiss me. "By the way, I love you too."
"Y-you heard that!" I splutter.
"I did."
"Then why didn't you say anything?"
"I wanted you to be completely ready and comfortable to say it."
"I really love you, Draco," I say, and we celebrate with Round four, the food completely forgotten.
~~~~***~~~~
Two hours later, I am lying with my head on Draco's chest and listening to his heartbeat and the sound of him breathing.
"I'm sorry," he suddenly speaks.
"Sorry for?" I ask, confused.
"For everything. For treating you the way I did at school, for making fun of you, for not helping you that time at my ho-" he says, but I cut him off with a kiss.
"You have more than made up for it, Draco. And why think about the past when we have such an amazing present and a really strong future together?" I say, trying to reassure him.
"I just thought that we should clear everything between us."
I smile and then say, "Now I want to go see Rome. Get up and get dressed."
~~~~***~~~~
Draco's parents react exactly the way I expect them to. Surprisingly, Draco stands up to them and tells them to accept the marriage or to lose their only son and heir. That forces them to grudgingly accept me.
No matter, I'm sure they will come around once you actually speak to them, Draco had said upon my insistence that he not force them to accept our relationship.
Harry, Ginny and the Weasleys are really happy for me and even accept Draco. I am glad that there are no hard feelings there.
Our children take it very well. Rose and Hugo take to Draco very easily, and I can see that they approve of him.
Ron…Ron, being Ron, put up a really big fuss and even showed up drunk to my flat once. Luckily, Harry, Ginny and Draco managed to reason with – or rather, threaten – him, and he agreed to never bother me again.
I do feel bad for him, however. He planned to marry Astoria, but the greedy bitch had already moved on for another guy. Last I heard, Ron was seen walking Lavender Brown up to a room at the Leaky Cauldron. Some things never change.
~~~~***~~~~
I look up at my reflection in the mirror. Back where it all started for Draco and me. I'm 42 now. Married and very happy. Nominee for the ongoing Minister of Magic elections. Still a war heroine. I have a perfect husband an-
"Hermione, you in there, love? Everyone is waiting," comes a voice from outside the door.
It's time.
"Just a minute," I call back and straighten my dress.
I find Draco standing outside, smiling at me, when I open the door.
"Let's go. Mother is getting a little impatient," he chuckles.
"One minute, Draco. I have something to tell you," I say in a deadpan tone.
His smile vanishes, and he looks at me with a worried look. "What is it, love?"
I stand on my toes and whisper in his ear.
The expression on his face when I turn to look at him makes me laugh, but it quickly turns into a moan when he bends down to kiss me.
~~~~***~~~~
Later at the party, I feel him looking at me, and I turn to give him a shy smile.
This is the best gift you could have given me for our second anniversary. I love you, he had said, before leading me out into the hall.
Two years had already passed by, and we were still like a newlywed couple. For our second anniversary, both of us saw fit to celebrate it in the place that literally brought us together, the French bar where we had met almost every day for two months.
Nobody saw this coming. Not even us. But it did. Call it unorthodox, if you may, but that doesn't change the fact that we are perfect together. When I accepted his proposal, I didn't give a thought to what people might think. I just knew that I wanted my future to be with Draco. And I know now that it was the best choice to have made. That choice gave me my husband and the little baby inside me right now. That choice gave me my perfect life.