Harry, Ron and Neville watched as Ginny and Lavender approached Luna and her mystery friend.
"Honestly, those two are so nosy." Harry sighed. "They've only gone over there to see who Luna is talking to, not to see her."
"Wanna bet on who it is, ten Galleons says it's Greengrass." Ron asked Harry and Neville.
"You're on," Harry nodded. "Ten Galleons on Parkinson. Neville you in"
Neville shook his head. "No, but you're both wrong." At the pair's questioning looks he explained. "Both Greengrass sisters are blonde and Parkinson's wearing a black dress, I've seen her tonight."
Stunned by Neville's knowledge of former Slytherin's, Harry and Ron turned to watch their wives. They weren't surprised to see Ginny hugging Luna but were shocked to see her hugging the mystery woman with her a few minutes later.
"See, I told you Parkinson was in black." Neville stated as the three watched a heavily pregnant Pansy Parkinson approach the group and start talking to Luna and the mystery brunette.
"I think we should go over there, mate." Ron said to Harry as the conversation between their wives and Pansy looked to be getting ugly, they hesitated when the brunette seemed to calm them down.
"Is that Theo Nott approaching?" Harry asked his friends, vaguely recognizing the slim brown haired man. At the sight of the former Slytherin approaching the group of women Harry, Ron and Neville started to make their way over to them, arriving just as Theo whisked his wife off to dance.
The three of them were stunned at Theo's reference to Luna, Ron was the first to find his voice. "WHAT."
The four remaining women whipped round at his shout and Ron instantly recognised the mystery brunette. "HERMIONE!"
"Ron. Harry. Neville. Nice to see you again." Hermione replied calmly.
"What are you doing here?" Ron blurted out, without thinking.
"I was invited Ronald." Hermione told her former friend, slightly hurt at the accusatory tone he had used when addressing her.
"I think what Ron meant was why are you here now? When did you return?" Ginny said trying to cover for her inept brother.
"Return from where?" Pansy questioned. Hermione shrugged her shoulders.
"Well, ten years ago you just left and never re-entered the wizarding world." Harry began to explain. "We're just wondering what's changed."
Hermione looked at her former friends knowing she would have to explain. "First of all, I never left the wizarding world."
"Yes you did, you don't work at the Ministry, you aren't in contact with any wizards and you are never mentioned in the press like Ron and Harry." Lavender interrupted.
Pansy laughed at Lavender's stupidity. "There's more to the wizarding world then the Ministry, you lot and The Daily Prophet."
Hermione pulled Pansy to her side, trying to avoid trouble. "Pans, stop stirring. I'll deal with this."
Turning back to the five people staring at her, she began to explain. "I never left the wizarding world. I don't work at the Ministry because I have my own business. I have contact with lots of members of the magical community and I don't get mentioned in the press because I value mine and my family's privacy."
"We value our family's privacy but it still doesn't stop the press from reporting our every move." Ginny exclaimed. "How do you get them to stop?"
Pansy laughed, and with a nod from Hermione she explained. "Three things. Money, Power and a scary father-in-law."
Harry stared for a bit before responding. "It sounds like you've got a lot to tell us, Hermione."
"Yeah, I suppose I have." Hermione responded. "Do you mind if we sit down, Pansy needs to rest."
"Hey," The black haired witch said. "I'm not an invalid you know, I'm just pregnant."
"Yes, a pregnant witch who was told to take it easy." Hermione pacified her best friend. "Besides Blaise would kill me if something happened to you."
Pansy acquiesced to Hermione's request and the group made their way over to a nearby table, where they all sat down.
"Well, where should I begin?" Hermione asked her former friends.
"Who are you married to?"
"Why did you leave?"
"Why are you friends with her?"
"When did Luna marry a Slytherin?"
Hermione raised her hands in protest at the flood of questions that hit her all together. "One at a time."
"Why don't you just tell us in your own words." Ginny said, knowing the questions would go on forever if someone didn't step in.
"Okay, first Neville. Luna married Theo two years ago after dating for three before that." Hermione told Neville, she had always suspected he had a crush on the former Ravenclaw and by the slightly disappointed look on his face he was still nursing the crush.
"To cut a long story short, after the war I went travelling for a year. When I found I was pregnant I returned home, after my son was born I started a business with a friend, which is now very successful. I spend most of my time either working or spending time with my three children, husband and friends." Hermione quickly told her friends a brief summary of her life, knowing they would still have questions.
"That still doesn't explain her." Ron said, pointing his finger towards Pansy.
"I became friends with Pansy shortly after returning from travelling, she's friends with my husband and I'm business partners with her husband, Blaise Zabini." Hermione explained.
"But that would mean, your husband is a Slytherin, if he's friends with Pansy." Lavender pointed out.
"Obviously." Pansy drawled in a manner reminiscent of the late Severus Snape.
"So after you left to got travelling, you met and married a Slytherin?" Ginny questioned.
"Not exactly." Hermione started slowly. "I left with him, we were already married."
"WHAT. That's impossible, you didn't have time to marry anyone before you left. You'd just spent a year with me and Harry." Ron exploded.
Pansy put a comforting hand on Hermione arm, knowing it was going to be explosive when the Gryffindors discovered the whole truth.
"I was married all that time, Ron. We got married just before I came to The Burrow the summer before we went hunting for Horcrux's."
"Who? Why didn't you tell us this? Why were you married so young?" Harry wondered, bemused by the fact that the year he and his friends had been on the run, Hermione was hiding a big secret.
"I didn't tell you for the same reason I left, I feared you wouldn't approve or accept it." Hermione sighed. "As for the reason we were married so young, the war was coming and we had no idea if we would both survive and we wanted our love to count, if something happened to either one of us."
"That still doesn't answer Harry's first question, who did you marry that we would disapprove of so much." Ginny asked.
"Me." Came a familiar voice from behind the Gryffindors.
Shortly after Hermione, Pansy and Luna had left the men to talk Quidditch, Draco spotted Professor McGonagall over the other side of the Great Hall.
"Keep an eye on Greg." Draco said quietly, nudging Blaise who was sitting beside him. "I've got something to do for a minute."
"Why do I need to keep an eye on Greg? He looks happy enough." Blaise asked, looking at their friend who was laughing with Theo.
"Hermione's orders." Draco shrugged. "She's worried we bullied him into coming, so she thinks we need to keep an eye on him."
"Why do I have to follow your wife's orders?"
"Feel free to ignore them." Draco said smirking at his friend. "But prepare to face the consequences."
"On second thoughts, I'll just keep an eye on Greg." Blaise said hurriedly, not wanting to anger Draco's feisty wife.
Draco chuckled softly at his friends sudden U-turn when faced with the possibility of an angry Hermione. Draco left his three friends talking Quidditch and made his way across the winter themed room, towards his old Transfiguration Professor.
"Draco, I'm pleased you came." Professor McGonagall greeted the blond as he arrived at her side.
"Thank you, Professor." Draco replied, politely. "Is this the new building?" He asked, gesturing to the large model displayed along the back wall of the room.
"Yes, it is and this is the designer, Mr Scott." McGonagall said, introducing the tall man standing beside her.
"Nice to meet you." Draco shook the man's hand. "It looks like an impressive building."
"It will be, if we can raise the funds." The designer replied.
"Maybe I can help a bit." Draco said, pulling a Gringotts transference slip out of his jacket pocket. "Here's mine and Hermione's donation."
"Are you sure about this?" McGonagall asked, as she looked in shock at the slip Draco had just handed to her.
"We're sure." Draco nodded.
"But the transfer is for half a million Galleons." McGonagall said shakily, still in awe at the size of the donation.
"Yes, and Hogwarts is worth every penny." Draco said sincerely.
Professor McGonagall continued to stare at the slip in her hand and Draco began to wonder if the older woman would accept it.
"I did have an ulterior motive, I was hoping the amount would ensure at least one of my kids was accepted into the programme so we can get rid of them for a while." Draco joked, causing Professor McGonagall to smile broadly.
"I'm sure all your children are angels, and you would hate to get rid of them." Professor McGonagall laughed.
"Don't count on it." Draco smiled. "Wait till the twins start school, you'll be begging us to take them home."
"I shall have to make sure I'm retired by then if that's the case." McGonagall said. "Fancy having two Malfoy's in a class together, one was more than enough for my liking."
"I wasn't that bad was I?" Draco asked in mock innocence.
McGonagall didn't reply and merely raised an eyebrow at the blond, he had gotten into a fair bit of trouble during her lessons.
"Thank you for the donation, it's extremely generous." McGonagall said, finally tucking the slip into her robes.
"You're welcome." Draco replied before saying goodbye to his former Professor and the designer of the new building and heading back towards the table where he had left his friends.
"Where's Theo?" Draco asked, noticing there was one less person at the table on his return.
"He went to ask Luna to dance." Blaise replied, before turning back to Greg and continuing on with their conversation.
Draco sat back down at the table, his grey eyes scanning the snowy room looking for his wife. Finally he spotted Hermione and Pansy heading towards a table, scowling slightly when he noticed they were accompanied by Potter, Weasel and a few other former Gryffindors.
"I'll not be long." He muttered to Blaise and Greg as he stood up. Not that they noticed his exit, they were too busy arguing over who was the best seeker in the league.
Draco made his way over to the table containing his wife, friend and former schoolmates. Instead of making his presence known immediately, Draco chose to lean against a nearby pillar listening to the conversation.
He rolled his eyes at Longbottom's disappointment over Luna's marital status. He listened with a smirk to Hermione dance round the identity of her husband as she gave a brief description of their lives, his Slytherin tendencies were definitely rubbing off on his wife. Hearing Weasley start to get agitated and aggressive, Draco decided to step in, moving so he was standing behind the former Gryffindors. Potter's wife gave him a perfect opportunity to interrupt when she asked who Hermione had married and Draco couldn't help replying before Hermione had a chance to open her mouth.
Draco couldn't help the smirk that appeared on his face as the five former Gryffindors spun around at the sound of his voice.
"You." Ginny was the first to find her voice.
"Yes, me." Draco responded, walking around the table to stand next to Hermione.
"You married Malfoy!" Lavender exclaimed, shocked the former Gryffindor bookworm could have landed one of the best looking boys at school.
"Yes, I'm married to Draco." Hermione said, standing and wrapping her arm around her husband's waist.
"But, he's a Death Eater." Ron practically yelled. "He's scum."
"I wasn't a Death Eater, Weasley." Draco snarled at the redhead looking extremely menacing. "Get your facts right."
"You may not have had the mark, but you were still on their side." Ron hissed, shooting evil looks at the blond.
"You have no idea about my life, so I suggest you shut up." Draco said coldly.
Draco and Ron stared at each other, both looking as if they were going to start fighting at any minute.
"I'll be off now." Neville said, shuffling his feet. "It was nice seeing you again, Hermione."
"It was nice seeing you too, Neville." Hermione replied, leaving Draco's side and hugging her former friend.
When Hermione had released him, Neville quickly scampered away, relieved to be nowhere near the tension of the reuniting group.
Once Neville had left the group, Ron turned his attention to Hermione, who was now holding Draco's hand.
"I can't believe you did this. You lying two faced bitch."
Draco had whipped his wand out and had it pointed at Ron's throat before anyone had a chance to react.
"You speak to my wife like that again, and you'll regret it." Draco said menacingly. "I may not have been a Death Eater, but I spent plenty of time around them, I know plenty of unpleasant curses."
"You wouldn't dare." Ron said shakily, eying the blond warily.
"Try me." Draco threatened in a cold voice.
"Stop it, both of you." Hermione said, moving Draco's hand away from Ron.
The four former Gryffindors watched as Draco listened to Hermione and immediately put his wand down and backed off from threatening Ron.
"Perhaps now we can behave like adults." Hermione said forcefully, looking between her husband and former friend, both reluctantly nodding. "Good."
"How did you get together then?" Ginny asked from where she was still sitting.
Draco couldn't help the smirk that came over his face at the question. "I guess I have Weasley to thank for that."
"What? There's no way I helped Hermione get with you, I hate you." Ron said his voice rising as he spoke.
"Well you did." Draco said still smirking. "When you upset Hermione at the Yule Ball in fourth year I went to speak to her and we ended up kissing, the rest just happened."
"No. this isn't true." Ron stormed. "You were with this git since fourth year, you betrayed us and lied to us for three years."
Ron looked at Hermione, hoping she would deny the length of time she had being with Draco.
"Yes, I've been with Draco since then. I lied because I didn't think you would accept it." Hermione told Ron sadly. "It looks like I was right."
"Of course we wouldn't have accepted it." Ron yelled, turning red in the face. "There's no way we would have been friends if we'd all known what a two faced bitch you were."
"Mr Weasley. Would you kindly refrain from shouting like a small child." A voice ordered from behind Ron. "If you're going to continue to cause a scene I shall have to ask you to leave."
"But, Professor…" Ron started, turning to face his former head of house, stopping mid-sentence when he saw the look of fury on her face.
Professor McGonagall had been watching the exchange for a while before intervening, but when Ron started shouting she felt she had to do something before he ruined the fundraiser.
Ron looked at Hermione standing beside Malfoy and Pansy and sneered in disgust.
"Come on Lav, we're leaving." He told his wife.
"But…" She began, not wanting to leave without all the gossip.
"NOW." Ron barked, turning and storming away from the table.
Sighing, Lavender reluctantly followed her husband out of the hall.
"Sorry, about that Professor." Hermione said, embarrassed her favourite Professor had witnessed the argument.
"You have nothing to be sorry for, Hermione dear." McGonagall reassured Hermione. "I'll be off now, I'm sure I'll see you later."
When McGonagall had left, Hermione turned to her other friend who had been sitting quietly the entire time Ron had been ranting.
"I suppose you're going to yell at me now?" She asked Harry, looking at him sadly.
"No, how about you and Mal… I mean Draco sit down and we can talk properly." Harry said, surprising Hermione with his maturity.
"I'll be off then, best go check on Blaise and Greg." Pansy said, hauling her very pregnant body out of her chair and wandering off into the crowds.
Hermione and Draco sat down at the table unsure of what to do next as Harry was busy studying the tablecloth.
"I'm sorry about Ron." Ginny said breaking the ice. "You know what's he's like. He'll be fine when he calms down."
Draco snorted and Hermione looked bemused by Ginny's clearly false statement, it would take a long time for Ron to accept Draco and Hermione, if he ever did.
"Why aren't you mad and shouting, Harry?" Hermione asked her former friend, unnerved by his silence.
"Because I'm not angry, I think you did the right thing in not telling us about you and Draco."
Three pair of eyes looked at Harry in shock at his surprising admission.
"You're happy I lied to you?" Hermione asked bemused.
"I wouldn't put it quite like that." Harry smiled at his former friend. "But, if you had told us in school I'm pretty sure I would have reacted like Ron just did. It would have probably destroyed our friendship."
"Why aren't you reacting like that now?" Hermione mused.
"I'm not an immature teenager anymore." Harry shrugged. "Not having you in my life, made me realise how much you mean to me and seeing you tonight is great."
Hermione smiled broadly at her friend, she hadn't let herself think about how much she had missed him these last few years.
"Besides," Harry continued. "Watching you two together it's fairly obvious you're happy and love each other."
"Plus you look really cute together." Ginny piped up. "I bet your children are gorgeous."
"Of course they are, they're Malfoy's." Draco smiled, causing Hermione to shake her head and Harry and Ginny to laugh quietly.
"Still got the same ego, I see Malfoy." Harry said, unable to hide the smile on his face.
"Of course, Potter. Some things never change." Draco smirked.
Hermione was thrilled to see her husband and best friend trying to make an effort with each other and smiled at Ginny who was rolling her eyes at the two men.
"Maybe we could have dinner or something." Harry said, tentatively. "I would really like it if we could be friends again."
"Oh, Harry of course we can." Hermione exclaimed. "I would love to be friends again, I've missed you so much."
"Good, I'll owl you and we can arrange to meet." Harry said standing up and helping Ginny up as well.
Hermione and Draco also stood and Hermione embraced both Harry and Ginny. Harry and Draco awkwardly shook hands while their wives watched on.
"I think those two could get on really well." Ginny whispered to Hermione.
"I've always thought so." Hermione whispered back.
"What are you two plotting about?" Draco asked, watching the two women whispering.
"I do not plot." Hermione said, walking over and giving Draco a peck on the cheek.
"Of course not, dear." Draco said, rolling his eyes sarcastically.
"We'll be off now, better go and find Ron." Harry said, watching his best friend who was so obviously in love with the blond Slytherin at her side. "We'll see you soon."
"Bye." Hermione said.
Hermione smiled as she watched her friends depart. She had honestly never expected either Harry or Ron to talk to her again once they discovered the truth about her and Draco. While it looked like Ron might take some convincing about her marriage, she was sure Harry and Ginny would become a permanent part of her life again.
Draco couldn't help but smile at his wife's happiness over reconnecting with Potter. Even though she had never spoken much about her former friends, Draco was aware she had missed them a lot. Putting his arm around Hermione he started to steer her towards the table in the corner where he could see their friends sitting watching what was happening with the former Gryffindors. Draco knew that it wouldn't be inconceivable that in the near future Potter and his red headed wife would be a part of their gang of friends.
"You're going to make me hang out with Potter, aren't you?" He asked his wife as they made their way across the crowded floor.
"Yes, I'm sure you'll be great friends." Hermione replied, smiling at the grimace on Draco's face..
"The best." Draco replied sarcastically.
As the two of them sat down and Hermione filled in their friends on events over the other side of the room, Draco dwelled on the fact he would soon have to be friendly to Potter. After talking to him tonight, Draco thought it would be quite easy to be nice to Potter, he wasn't as annoying as he was when he was in school and he could see the two of them becoming friends. Not that he was planning on telling Hermione that small fact.
A/N – The end, for now. I'm toying with the idea of a sequel, about Hermione re-connecting with her friends, if I can come up with any ideas.
If I do make a sequel it won't be until the new year, but feel free to let me know if anyone had ideas about what they would like to see happen.
Thanks for reading, I hope you enjoyed it.