all characters belong to JKR

Chapter 3: Day Three, December 25, Year Three:

12:02 am: Right after midnight:

"Goodbye everyone, see you tomorrow!" Hermione yelled toward the Potters as they left the Malfoy's house. She shut the door and walked toward the living room. She said, "That was a wonderful Christmas Eve, wasn't it. Let me see your bracelet again, Livy." Olivia stood up and held out her wrist to her mother. James had gotten her a beautiful diamond bracelet. "It's beautiful," her mother told her, "but a bit extravagant for a 14 year old, I dare say."

"I won't wear it all the time," Olivia said. "Now I feel bad that all I got him was telescope." She sat back down on the end of the couch, picked up a book, and began to read.

Draco, who was on the other end of the couch, said, "I'd like to know how the little bugger could afford it."

Hermione said, "Watch the language, Malfoy, and you know that Harry's fortune rivals your own."

"Yes, Potter senior. How did Potter junior afford it?" he asked.

Hermione rolled her eyes and said, "Forget about that, are you coming up to bed soon?" Draco and his daughter both looked settled on the couch, both with books in their hands.

"To which one of us are you speaking?" Olivia asked, looking up from her book.

"Either or," she answered flippantly. "It's just, I need you both to go to bed, because I still have some presents to wrap."

"Wrap them upstairs, in the guestroom, like you did the others," Draco said.

"I have other things to take care of too, for tomorrow, or shall I say, today, is a big day," she whined.

"I'll be up shortly," Draco and Olivia both said at the same time. They looked at each other and laughed. Hermione stared at them both and then left the room.

"They won't even go to bed for me. So much for a Happy Christmas," she said leaving the room.

Draco called out, "What more could you possibly have to do?"

She walked back toward the room and said, "A lot, Draco. Christmas doesn't just magically happen, even for wizards, and I'm very tired. It's been so busy at work lately, and I want to get some sleep," she said. "I am so tired," she repeated.

"Go to sleep, then," he said.

She sighed and started upstairs. Olivia looked at her father and said, "You really are mean sometimes."

"That's no way to talk to your father," he said, closing his book.

"Well, that's no way to talk to my mother," she said. She slammed her book down and followed her mother upstairs.

"They are just alike, all about emotional blackmail," Draco said. He turned off the Christmas tree lights, put out the fire in the chimney, locked up the doors, and walked upstairs.

Hermione was sitting on the bed in one of the guestrooms wrapping presents. Olivia stuck her head in and said, "You aren't done wrapping presents yet? You're usually done before now."

"I know, but work really has been crazy lately. Unlike your father, the procrastinator, at least I have all my shopping done. I doubt that he has even bought me anything yet," she said.

Draco stood behind Olivia in the doorway and said, "Don't talk about me as if I'm not here."

"I didn't know you were there, but I'll talk about you if I so please," Hermione retorted. She reached for the bows, and Olivia got there first. She told her, "Hand me a red bow," and Olivia did as requested.

Olivia sat on the end of the bed and said, "What did you get me?"

"You'll find out tomorrow." Hermione smiled.

Draco sat on the other side of the bed, and kicked off the bows and ribbons and wrapping paper, much to his wife's dismay. He said, "She probably made a pro/con list on what to buy each person. If you look around here, you'll probably find it."

"Just for that, Malfoy, I won't even wrap yours," she said, as she bent down to the floor and held up a large box.

"Here, I'll wrap Daddy's present," Olivia said. Hermione gladly let her, as she leaned against the headboard and shut her tired eyes.

She said to Olivia, "I knew I loved you the most."

Draco tickled her ribs and she hit his hand. He said, "You should love me the most, I'm your husband."

"Well, I love her most, and you the second most," she smiled. He couldn't tell if she was kidding or not.

"I will say it again, love her if you must, but I'm your husband," he smiled.

"Yes, and she's my flesh and blood, my only child, my reason for living," she said, smiling at her daughter.

As Olivia put a bow on her dad's present, she said, "So there."

"What am I?" Draco asked, amused by the whole conversation.

"You are my soul mate, my lover, my friend, and the bane of my existence," Hermione said, "So you are definitely a close second.

Draco got up and said, "If you don't love me, then I don't love you." He left the room.

"He's so funny," Olivia said.

"Do you want to wrap your own present?" Hermione asked. "It would help me out a bit, and it's in a box, so you won't see it."

"Sure, where is it?" she asked her mother.

"Under the bed."

Olivia reached under the bed and started to wrap the present.

"How has school been?" Hermione asked.

"Busy, not as busy as your third year, what with the time turner, Dementors, and a serial killer-slash-godfather chasing you, but still, busy," Olivia joked. She then asked, "What did you get Dad?" She finished her own present and put it on the floor.

"What do you get a man who has everything, and more money than anything else?" Hermione asked.

"I don't know, what?" she asked.

Hermione leaned forward and said, "Shut the door." Olivia went and shut the door. Hermione said, "I got him a wishbone. I know that doesn't sound very impressive, but it's very old, from a magical beast which is longer in existence, and it has refuted magical properties, that actually gives the holder one magical wish. Charlie Weasley got it for me the last time he was in Germany. Short of staving off death, it's supposed to give the bearer any wish their heart desires, but only one wish."

"That's great," Olivia said. "How much did you have to pay for it?"

"More than I should have so don't ask, and I used my own money, not Daddy's, as I always do when I buy presents for him. It really put a pinch in my budget," she stated.

"What did you get me?" Olivia asked again, trying to be sly.

"Nice try, you are your father's daughter, and with that said, I won't tell you, so go to bed. Thanks for helping me." Olivia smiled, and kissed her mother's cheek goodnight.

"I'll run these presents downstairs," Olivia said, "and then get to bed. I love you, Mum." Olivia started out of the room with the presents she just wrapped and turned back around and said, "I have something else for James for tomorrow, but I don't know if I should give it to him or not."

"What is it?" Hermione asked.

Olivia sat back down on the bed and said, "It's a picture album. I've been taking pictures all year, and I added some from the last two years. It's a record of our time at Hogwarts so far, and I left room for the next four years, but maybe it's too sentimental."

Hermione remembered Hagrid giving Harry a very similar gift, and how it was one of Harry's most prized possessions. She said, "I think that sounds sweet. I'm sure he'll love it. He likes sentimental things, just as his dad did. Of course, Harry grew up with so little, so things like that were important and precious to him. James has a good heart, though, so he'll appreciate it."

"I hope so. I love that he got me something so expensive," she laughed.

"Like I said, just as he is Harry's son, you are Draco's daughter. Go to bed," Hermione said. She fell back on the pillows and shut her eyes.

"I may be Draco's daughter, but I look like you," she said. She loved that she looked like her mother.

Hermione opened her eyes and said, "There was some thought from your father that you looked a bit like Blaise or Uncle Harry." They both laughed.

"I have his grey eyes, like Dad's, which are rare," Olivia said.

Just then, Draco came back in the room and said, "Oh, I don't doubt your parentage any longer. The DNA test came back and showed you exclusively belong to me." He threw a small package from his pocket, already wrapped on the bed. "Take that downstairs with the other presents, will you? It's for you."

"Heaven help me if I'm really yours," Olivia said. Draco gave her a frustrated look and she added, "I was joking. Don't fall asleep in here, Mum," Olivia reprimanded. Hermione's eyes were indeed closed, and she really did look close to sleep. Draco ran after Olivia and leaned over the railing. She ran downstairs with the presents. He waited for her. On her way back upstairs, she passed her dad on the landing. "Happy Christmas, Daddy. I love you," and she leaned over and kissed his cheek.

"Thank you, Olivia, I love you, too." Draco continued downstairs, now that his wife and daughter were safely tucked in upstairs. His wife was right about one thing. He was a procrastinator, and he did wait until the last moment to get her a present. The fact was it wasn't even there yet. It was set to arrive around 12:30 pm. He waited by the extinguished fireplace, for its delivery.

1:00 am:

Around one in the morning, Hermione's present safely under the tree, Draco went up to their room. She wasn't there. He went back to the guestroom, where he found her asleep on top of the bed. He walked in, shut the door, and picked up a ribbon from the floor. He put it on top of her head, which woke her. "You're my Christmas present, Granger." He kissed her forehead, and climbed over her body, to lie beside her. "Since the kid finally went to bed, may I unwrap you?" he asked.

"I'm too tired, and I worked hard today, and will work harder tomorrow, so no," Hermione answered.

"I hate to break it to you, but today is tomorrow," Draco laughed. He put his hand on her chest, over her heart, and watched it as it went up and down with each breath she took. He leaned over and kissed her neck. "You could be my early present."

"This is the guestroom," Hermione said.

"So? I recall doing it in here before. Anyway, we have a guest with us tonight," he said. He unzipped his pants and there was a gold ribbon wrapped around his penis.

Hermione couldn't help but laugh and said, "You're so stupid!"

"Hey, don't call little Draco names, he's a sensitive chap, and he might be uninvited, but now that he's here, we should make him feel welcome," Draco said.

Hermione couldn't contain her giggles and she threw a pillow over his lap. She sat up beside him and said, "When did you do that?"

"A bit ago. Don't you want to unwrap your present?" he asked.

"I don't think I want my present," she yawned, "It looks used." She laughed again, harder.

"It's been used and abused, but it's like brand new," he boasted. He removed the pillow.

"Oh, put it away!" She closed her eyes. He moved to push her back down, and rested on top of her. He took the ribbon off and threw it on the ground.

"Fine, but he's missed you," Draco said, cupping a breast with one hand, and kissing her up her jaw line. "Haven't you missed him?"

"When did your penis become 'a him'?" she asked.

"Better than 'a her'," he said and laughed. He put his head on her chest and said, "And he took on a life of his own the minute you named him."

"I did no such thing!" she said.

"Granger, why are you in denial?" he asked, as he propped up on his elbow, and zipped his zipper. "We were on our second date, I took you to a men's room, and you told me, and I quote, 'don't whip little Draco out in here,' unquote." He took the ribbon off her hair and kissed her lips gently. "I hope you like my real present to you. I really do," he said, apprehensively.

"Little Draco isn't my real present?" she asked slyly. "I rather hoped he was."

"No, your real present is downstairs. Potter just delivered it," Draco said.

"I'm sure I'll love it," she answered. Her hand slid down his face, and she leaned forward and kissed his mouth.

"Do you realize we have made love every single Christmas since we started dating?" he said. "It's tradition." His strong arm came out and wrap around her waist, pulling her toward him.

She smiled and said, "Who am I to break tradition?"

The smell of her skin was intoxicating to him. His nose skimmed down her cheek to her neck, and back up. His hand slid from the top of her shirt to underneath, to touch her skin. He toyed with the button of her slacks, before finally unbuttoning them. His hand reached inside and stroked her over her knickers. She moaned in his mouth as he kissed her lips.

No matter what, he still desired his wife. He always would. He tore his jumper off over his head, and kicked off his shoes and socks. She did the same with her shoes.

She placed her hands on the front of his shirt and began to unbutton the line of buttons. Her hands trembled. He put his hands on hers and said, "It's not exactly the first time, Hermione. Why are you so nervous?"

"I'm cold," she answered honestly. He realized that the room was cold. They didn't heat these back bedrooms, and there was no fire in the fireplace. He pulled down the covers, and covered them both up, not before taking off his own pants and stripping naked. She removed her pants and shirt while under the covers. He started a fire in the fireplace with his wand.

Her emotions began to overwhelm her, just as the holidays had begun to overwhelm her. She put her hands up to her face and started to cry, and she didn't know why.

Her emotions, bear to the world, pierced his heart like a knife, and he pulled her into his arms. He would just hold her for a while, until she stopped crying. "You funny thing, why are you crying?"

"I don't know," she laughed and cried.

"You know, all those times in school, when I used to be mean to you and make you cry, sometimes I wish I could go back and hold you then like I hold you now," he said, sincerely.

She put her hand on his chest, and stroked it up and down. "Yes, make the girls cry and then hold their hands. That always does wonders for their self esteem," she joked.

"I wasn't worthy of you back then, as much as it pains me to say. I might not be worthy enough, now," he said. He ached inside when he thought of these things. He felt as if she was so good, so special, so pristine, and he wasn't worthy of her, in any way, shape, or form.

Her hands went to the back of his neck as he leaned over her again; kissing her with a constant hunger that would never feel full, not as long as he lived. He looked back toward her, and pushed her hair away from her face. His mind wandered to the first time they made love, and how special that was. He smiled, a private smile, and kissed her again, his lips pulling at hers, and finally opening her mouth, and receiving her tongue inside.

As the room began to heat up from the passion they both felt, and the blood rushed from his skin to his groin, Hermione whispered, "I love you more than anything." The words she spoke were the only words he ever wanted to hear, so as his mouth went down to capture hers again, his heart began to race erratically because of how much he wanted her.

She buried her hands in the hair at the nape of his neck, and pulled him down harder on top of her. He put one thigh between her legs, pressing down to feel her heat and warmth.

She started to breathe harder as his lips went from her mouth, to her neck, to both breasts. The sensation of her nipples in his mouth caused her to grind her hips against his. The feeling of her rubbing against his erection brought him to a fevered pitch. His lips skimmed across the planes of her still flat belly, down to the incision where the Muggle doctors had to perform an operation on her, so many years ago. The scar was faint, and almost gone, but he had it memorized. It was his own little tradition to trace it back and forth with his tongue.

Wetness pooled between her legs at the thought of what was to come. He looked up at her once, said, "You are so beautiful," before he buried his head between her legs. She arched her back and put her hands down on his shoulders, squeezing them tightly. The scent of her sex, mixed with his, was about to send them both over the edge, and very soon.

He took his time, parting her folds, spreading her legs out wider, as his tongue went up and down her cleft, and then inside her.

She started to wiggle and moan softly. It was a sound and sensation he would never, ever, tire of, as long as he lived.

He was always so kind and gentle, a giving lover, and even though he was the only lover she had ever had, she never doubted for once that he was the pinnacle of love to her. He slid back up her body, his nose and mouth sliding along her body as he came back to face her, his lower body tucked neatly inside her legs. His mouth met hers as he effortlessly glided into her. He fit her perfectly, but of course.

He drove himself deeper and deeper, not even trying to suppress a groan from leaving his lips. He opened his eyes for a brief moment, and looked at her. She had her eyes closed, but the look on her face, be it passion or something else, was a look he wanted to memorize always.

He started to deepen and quicken his strokes, as he buried his face in her neck. He breathed harder, in and out, as she started to whimper again. With her legs bent, and her arms tight around his back, she pulled him as close as she could get him, and she fought the urge to scream, instead, taking short, shallow breaths, as the ultimate pleasure she could ever experience began to rack her body.

He yelled out her name, and he came, his leg muscles tightening, and his back arched high off her body. As they together reached the culmination of their lovemaking, she arched her hips to bring him just a bit deeper, so that she too came in a burst of bright, white light.

He put his hands in her hair and kissed her slow and lethargically. He kissed her as if he was trying to make a memory. He rolled off her and put his hand on her stomach. Her eyes closed again.

"Happy Christmas, my sweet love. I'll see you in the morning," he said, and he kissed her cheek.

"I'm so tired," she responded, as she did earlier downstairs.

He smiled and pulled her toward him tighter and said the same thing he said earlier, "Well, go to sleep, then."

8:03 am:

Draco Malfoy woke up in the guestroom and at first he was confused. How did he get in here? Then, he remembered. Oh, yes, his wife and he 'slept' here last night. He chuckled and went to shower.

Hermione Granger-Malfoy was already busy in the kitchen. The house elves did all the cooking, thank goodness, since she was not a whiz in the kitchen. However, she could bake a mean cobbler, at least she thought so, and that was what she was working on when Blaise Zabini 'popped' by to say 'Happy Christmas'.

She felt warm hands wrap around her waist, and a nose skim the sensitive skin of her neck. She felt warm lips gently kiss the same spot on her neck, as a tongue slid out to lick the area swiftly.

"Hello, Blaise," she said happily. She turned slightly in his arm, and patted his cheek.

"Merriest Christmas to you, my one and only love," he said. He sat up on the countertop, next to her bowl of apples, taking a cookie from a tray as a house elf walked by holding the tray above its head. "What are we making?"

"Apple cobbler," she said. She mixed the apples with the sugar and cinnamon, and as he stuck his fingers in the bowl to steal a piece of apple, she hit the back of his hand with her wooden spoon.

"Manners, my love, its Christmas, after all," he winced in fake pain.

"What are your Christmas plans?" she asked, as she put the apple mixture in the glass-baking dish.

"After I see a few friends, I am, of course, coming back here for Christmas dinner," he assured her.

"How is single life these days?" she asked the newly divorced Blaise. He had been married three times now, none of them successful, and none of them resulting in children.

"Wonderful, actually," he said, jumping down from the counter.

She opened the oven to place the dish inside, and she cried out in pain as her arm touched the top heating element. "Oww!" She cried and hurried over to the sink. Draco was entering the dining room when he heard her cry. Blaise turned on the water for her, as Draco ran into the room. He pushed Blaise aside, and took her wrist. He held it under the water a moment longer, and then he took out his wand and he touched it gently to the burn. The pain subsided in no time. He kissed her wrist, then her mouth, and then turned to Blaise.

"Why did you let her get burnt?" Draco scolded.

"Let her? That wasn't my fault!" he said, pointing toward the oven.

"He's right, Draco," Hermione laughed, as she closed the oven door.

Draco sneered and said, "I've told you a million times Blaise, when I'm not around it's your responsibility to take care of my wife and daughter. How hard is that for you to remember?"

Hermione stood by, watching the spectacle that was her husband, and said, "I don't need anyone to take care of me." She huffed out of the room.

Blaise said, "She's right you know, and besides, I took care of the morning kiss for you." He laughed and followed Hermione to the dining room. Draco frowned and followed as well.

"I don't need you to kiss her," Draco leered.

"Too bad, I do it all the time," he said. He looked at Hermione and she shrugged. She liked Blaise, what could she say.

Olivia came running in the dining room and said, "Hello, Blaise, how are you this fine Christmas! Did you get me something good this year? It's snowing!"

"That's a bit random," Blaise said.

Olivia went to the window and said, "James is coming over in a few and we are going sledding!"

"What about opening presents? We always do it after breakfast," Hermione said.

"I mean after that. His family already opened theirs. Uncle Harry is like a big child, James said, and always insists they get up at 6 am. I'll just grab some toast, and then I need to shower and change. See you all in a bit," she said, running around the table. She kissed her father's cheek, hugged her mother, and patted Blaise's head.

"She treats me more like the family dog than her godfather," Blaise said in disgust. "Harry 'Wanker' Potter is second godfather, and he gets to be called 'Uncle Harry', and he's going to probably be her father-in-law someday, and I'm the family pet." He took a big bite of a scone and then threw it down again. "Really, no respect!"

"You earn respect, you don't demand it," Hermione reminded him.

Blaise stood up and said, "I'll be back later. I need to go somewhere where people love and respect me. When I figure out where that might be, I will go there right away. See you later."

9:17 am around the Tree:

"Thank you, Dad!" Olivia squealed as she held up a pair of diamond earrings.

"Draco, she's too young for diamond earrings," Hermione said.

Draco ignored his wife and handed her a package. "For you, my lovely wife."

"I thought you gave me my present last night," she joked.

"That was my present." He smiled back to her.

She began to open the rather large package, slowly removing the beautiful ribbon, so not to rip it. She put the ribbon aside. Next, she put her finger under the tape, so she wouldn't tear the wrapping paper. Draco rolled his eyes and said, "Open the damn thing, don't dissect it!"

"You took all the time and effort to wrap this; I want to take my time to unwrap it." She smiled in delight, so he could hardly argue.

"Oh hell, Granger," he said as he pulled the package toward himself and unwrapped it for her.

"Draco!" she shouted at the same time that Olivia yelled, "DAD!"

"There," he said, as he threw the now tattered paper over his shoulder and pushed the box back toward his wife. She removed the top of the box and pulled out what almost looked like a Ferris wheel, but in miniature. It was made of solid platinum, and there were multiple moving wizard pictures hanging from the double wheels. She gave the wheel a turn, and one of the pictures that were hanging from a frame on the wheel appeared overhead, almost life-size. When the wheel stopped spinning, the picture faded. The first picture was of Olivia when she was an infant, taking her first step. Hermione spun the wheel again, and a picture of Hermione and Draco appeared.

As the scene revealed in front of her, and then disappeared, she turned toward her husband and rushed to his arms. "This is wonderful! Where did you get this?"

"I designed it, and George Weasley made it for me. Do you really like it? It also plays music. There's a different song for each photograph. You can change photographs whenever you want, although it actually contains over 500 pictures, and if you wind the lever on the side, it will play the pictures on a wall by itself, plus one of the songs."

"This is the best present, ever!" She hugged him and then she took the 'Ferris wheel' and placed it on a side table.

"Open yours, Dad," Olivia said. She pushed the present from her mother to her father toward him.

He opened it and saw what just looked like an old wishbone. He held it up and said, "Well, here, I guess someone pull on it and make a wish, and maybe my real present will appear."

"NO!" Hermione and Olivia shouted together. He looked shocked and dropped it on the floor. Olivia picked it up and proceeded to tell him how special it was and what it did. He placed it gently back in the box and asked one of the elves to take it upstairs, for safekeeping.

"If we keep it down here, Blaise Zabini is likely to use it to steal my wife from me," he joked. He really thought that, however, so he told the elf to put it in the safe.

"Open yours from me," Hermione told Olivia. She opened the present, and inside was a pearl necklace.

"I get her diamonds, and you get her pearls?" Draco said with false disdain.

"They were my mother's," Hermione told him. She turned to Olivia and said, "I was going to wait until you were married to give them to you, but that's what my mother always said to me also, and well, she didn't live long enough to see me married, so, well, anyway, I didn't want to wait."

"Thanks so much, Mummy, I love them!" Olivia tried them on right away.

Olivia gave her parents each a drawing that she had done. Hermione went ahead and hung them in the study. When she came back, Olivia was heading outside. "James is here now. May I go out sledding?"

"Sure," Hermione answered, as she took her wand and began to clean up the paper and ribbons. Draco started to read his morning paper, and he looked up at her and patted his knee.

Hermione walked over and sat on his lap. "Did you cut out this article?" he asked, pointing to a hole in his paper.

"Yes," she admitted.

"Why?" he asked, folding the paper and kissing her collarbone.

"So you would notice me this morning," she laughed. She said, "Now, let me up, I have things to do, I must get ready for Christmas dinner." She stood up, her hips sashaying back and forth, and the black skirt she had on hugging her curves just right.

He put his hand over his heart and said, "I would have noticed you anyway, Granger, believe me."

12:22 pm:

Sitting on the couch, reading a book, with Blaise Zabini's head in her lap, Hermione started to play with his hair, absentmindedly. He said, "How do you know when you're in love, Hermione?"

She stopped stroking his hair and closed her book. She said, "Please, I can't take another marriage from you."

"I'm not getting married again, just answer the question," he said. He sat up beside her.

"Well, okay, if you're serious, I'll tell you. I think you're in love when you think of that person whether you're with them or not, when you get chills when they touch your skin, when you blush at the thought of kissing them, and when they kiss you and your toes curl. Oh, also, when you laugh and they laugh, you cry and they cry and they comfort you when you're sick, and they hold you when you die."

"Well, hell, that's not a nice thought," he said.

"I mean the whole, 'death do you part stuff', is real, when you're in love," she answered.

"What about the sex?" he asked.

She laughed and said, "You're an idiot. Sex and love have nothing to do with each other, and you, sex god that you are, should know that more than anyone." She curled up on the couch, bringing her feet under her, and turning to face him. "Besides, when you're in love, it's not sex. It's making love. Draco and I have only ever made love. Even the first time, though we had only dated a week, it was making love, not sex."

"How would you know, you've only ever had sex with Draco," Blaise said.

"More reason that I should know the difference, then," she reasoned.

"That makes no sense," he said. "Don't you ever want to have sex with someone besides Malfoy? Aren't you curious?"

There was a time when a conversation like this with Blaise would have caused her to blush, or hit him, or call Draco into the room to throw him out of the house, but throughout the years, she had become accustomed to his weird idiosyncrasies and lewd behaviour. In fact, she would miss it, if he ever started to act like a normal person.

She answered him with a resounding, "No, I've never been curious. I don't want anyone but him. Let me ask you something, wasn't sex with your wives better than sex with say, a common whore off the street?"

"Well, gee Granger, I haven't had sex off the street for a while, so let me think about it, but no, sex is sex," he answered.

Draco walked in on the tail end of the conversation and said, "Sex is better if you're in love, and I don't know what you two are talking about, but it's Christmas, so please keep it to an acceptable level, okay?" He poured himself some eggnog and decided to sit in on their conversation.

"How often do you and Draco have sex?" Blaise asked.

"Okay, time for me to leave," Draco said, standing. He had become used to the weird conversations that Blaise and his wife had, and though they did not threaten him at all, that didn't mean he wanted to be a part of them.

"We have sex two or three times a week," she answered honestly.

"That's all?" he asked.

She laughed. "I think that's pretty good. How often do you have it, you aren't even married?" she proposed.

"No, but I have it more than that," he said. He edged closer to her and said, "Really, he's the only bloke you've ever been with?"

"Yes, idiot," she repeated.

"Have you ever been with a girl?" he asked, with a smile.

"I will call Draco in here in a minute if you keep asking those types of questions," she warned. "Have you ever been with a man?" she suddenly asked, very curious.

"Sure," he answered.

She blushed, hid her face behind her hands, and said, "Please, don't tell me who!"

"Oh, Granger and her virginal ears!" he mocked. He virtually attacked her, putting his whole body on hers and as she put her hands to her ears, he tried to pry them off, and he said, "Come on, you want to know who, you know you do."

Draco walked back in and said, "Can't you two stop it for a moment! I might throw up!"

Hermione was giggling and she said, "Help me, Draco; he's trying to tell me about all his gay escapades!"

Before he could reveal the name, Draco jumped between them and held Hermione's ears.

"She doesn't need to know, you pervert, and neither do I!" He kept his hands on Hermione's ears and actually kicked Blaise off the couch. He and Hermione fell over on top of him. Olivia and James came in the house, sopping wet from sledding, right at that exact moment.

Olivia said, "Hey, look, let's join them!" As Blaise pulled on Hermione's leg to pry her from Draco, Olivia jumped on top of the fray. James stood by, somewhat embarrassed. He didn't really like Blaise Zabini, and he knew his father didn't either, and he wasn't sure why on either account, he just knew he didn't.

"Come on, Liv, we're expected at the Burrow by two o'clock," James said awkwardly. Olivia kneed Blaise's abdomen on purpose, and then stood up.

"Be back by 5:00 pm for dinner," Hermione said, breathing heavy on the floor, with Draco laying on one side of her, and Blaise on the other.

As James and Livy walked upstairs for her to change, James said quietly, "Your family is odd."

"Tell me about it," Olivia laughed.

2:30 pm:

Hermione was watching a holiday video in her bedroom, and Draco was taking a nap. She put her hand on his arm, and said, "Draco, you're missing the best part of the movie."

"Hermione, you watch this blasted movie every single Christmas. You know it by heart, I know it by heart, let me take my nap." He rolled over to his side and shut his eyes.

Feeling slightly put out, she said, "Blaise is still here somewhere, I'll get him to watch it with me," and she started out of the bed.

He pulled on her arm and said, "He's watching porn on your computer thing, leave him alone."

"WHAT! I don't want him to do that!" she said. She scooted off the bed and was at the door when she heard him laughing.

"You are so gullible, Granger. No, he's hooked on that stupid video game Olivia gave him for Christmas, and he's playing that," Draco said, sitting up. "Come back here, Muggle-muffin, you are missing the best part of the movie."

Hermione chortled as she crawled up on the bed and she said, "What the hell did you call me?" She put her arms around his waist, rested her head on his chest, and continued to watch the movie. When the credits started to run, she shut off the television.

"That movie sort of reminds me of our first date," she said.

"It was a nice first date, wasn't it?" he said, kissing the top of her head.

"Do you recall the game we played?" she asked. "Let's play it now."

"Okay, you go first," he said.

"Okay, let me think," she said, stopping for a moment. She sat up on the bed and she said, "I love Christmas, I love Chocolate, and I love cherry pie."

"See, Granger, first, that's a stupid way to start the game, and second, we know each other too well now, so this won't work. Still, truth, truth, lie. My turn." He turned to look at her and he said, "I have slept with you, I have slept with Daphne Greengrass, and I have slept with Blaise Zabini."

She looked angry for a moment, and said, "Truth, truth, and better be a lie!"

"Blaise is very good in bed, I hear," he said. "Now, give me a harder one, and I will give you a harder one next time."

She really thought for a moment and said, "My favourite all time movie is 'Splendor in the Grass', my all time favourite book is 'Jane Eyre', and my all time favourite poet is Thoreau."

He looked perplexed. He said, "That is a hard one. I say, Lie, truth, truth. Am I right?"

"Another point for Malfoy," she smiled.

"That was a hard one, though," he said, giving her credit. He stood up and began to pace around the room. He finally said, "When Olivia was born, I never told you this, but I wouldn't go see her until you woke up."

She sat there for a moment, wondering what he was going to say next. When no other information was forthcoming, she stood as well.

"And?" she asked.

"I'm not playing the game. It's something I never told you before. When Olivia was born, they told me I could go see her, and I refused, so Potter and Blaise went to see her. They saw our daughter before either of us. I didn't want to see her until you did, and I didn't. I mean, I eventually went to see her, but not up close, and I didn't hold her, until we could do it together. Do you hate me?"

"Why didn't you ever tell me that?" she asked.

"Do you hate me?" he asked again.

"I just think that's something you would have told me fourteen years ago," she added.

"Yes, yes, okay, do you forgive me?" he asked again.

"Of course I do," she said gently. She took his hand and traced the lines on his palm with her hand. "It's sort of sweet, really." She pulled him to the edge of the bed, and sat down. He put his head on her shoulder and she stroked his hair. "Now, my turn," she said.

He brought his face up to look at her, and smiled. She was a wonder, and she was his. She said, "I didn't trust the healer last year when they said I was okay, and I went to a Muggle doctor as well."

He waited for the other two statements, and when they weren't imminent, he said, "Why didn't you tell me. I would have gone with you. That's fine, I don't care, just don't hide things from me again, okay?"

"I'm sorry, it's just that, well, I still had an uneasiness about it. They ran all sorts of test, and pretty much came up with the same thing. I had a bleeding ulcer, so I was anemic, and they put me on some medication, in which I take to this day," she answered.

"Wow, okay, can we get back to the game now? Any more confessions of these sorts, and we may need a marriage counselor," he said.

"Screw this game, let's play that other one. The 'would you rather' game," she said, excited. "I'll start, if you could only have sex with one person for the rest of your life, would it be me or Blaise?" She thought she was hysterical, so she laughed so hard she snorted.

He glared at her with a perfectly straight face and said, "I told you Blaise was very good in bed, so I would have to pick him."

She hit him on the arm with her fist. It actually hurt.

He said, "My turn. If you could only save one person from a burning building, and Olivia, I, Potter, and Crookshanks were there, who would you save?"

"Don't ask questions like that, especially when you won't like the answer," she scolded.

"Hell, Granger, I would expect you to say Olivia. I would say that too, so let's amend it, you can save two people," he said.

"Olivia and Crookshanks. You and Potter would have to save yourselves," she snickered. "My turn, if you could only watch one movie for the rest of your life, would it be 'It's a Wonderful Life", or The Marx Brothers, 'Duck Soup'?"

"I do love those Marx brothers," he answered. "Here's your question, if you had a chance, would you have musical ability, or the ability to paint and draw?"

"Ah, you know I am secretly jealous of our daughter's many talents, don't you?" she said. "Well, she's also a wonderful dancer, and you know how graceful I am. Nevertheless, of the two choices you've given me, I would pick, drawing. To be able to relay a story with just a piece of parchment or canvas, and a pencil or paints, well, its awe inspiring, that's what it is."

"You are awe inspiring," he whispered. "Let's make love."

"Speaking of," she pushed him off her, "Blaise claims he makes love more times a week than we do."

"Let's prove him wrong. We have hours until our guests arrive; our children are safely either at the Burrow or playing video games. Come on; take a bath with me on Christmas day."

3:30 pm, still in the bath:

Hermione was leaning against her husband's chest as he washed her arms with a large sponge. "What's your favourite part of being married?" she suddenly asked.

"Moments like this," he said truthfully.

"What one thing do you most regret about our marriage?" she asked.

"I don't regret anything," he said. He knew that was a lie. He didn't regret anything about their marriage, per say, but he did regret many things he had done to her while being married. He was quiet for so long, that she turned in the tub to look at him.

"You don't regret anything during our marriage?" she asked.

"You didn't really ask that, and I would rather not fight. You know I have a lot of regrets." He stood and stepped out of the tub. He toweled off and then put another towel around his waist. She remained in the water, head bent, and eyes downcast.

He came to sit beside the tub. "I regret lying to you about why I originally wanted to marry you. I regret sleeping with someone on the eve of our wedding, even though I was drunk and assumed the wedding was called off, I still regret it. I regret ruining our wedding. I regret causing a schism between you and Potter while you were pregnant, I regret the day that inkwell hit you on the cheek, even though it was an accident, I regret not being there for you when you went into labour. You must have been so afraid and alone."

By this time, she was weeping. He had his hand on her back, moving it in gentle circles, around and around. "I regret every cruel thing I ever said and did to you before we married. However, the one thing I will never regret, ever, my whole life, is falling in love with you. That day, so long ago, in the Ministry, when I heard someone crying, and I went to investigate, I knew if I found out it was you, I would have to stop your crying, and that I would probably fall in love with you."

"I'm sorry, Draco," she said.

He let out a strangled laugh and said, "Why the hell are you sorry? Are you sorry I fell in love with you, or are you sorry for the miserable husband that I've been? You've been a saint compared to me."

"I'm just sorry if I have ever hurt you in anyway. I have another confession, even though we are no longer playing the truth game."

She stood up, and he wrapped her in a towel. She stepped out of the tub, and he wrapped his arms around her. "I sold the store to Mr. Belpre. He's been bothering me to sell for over a year, and this Christmas season was so hard, so two days ago I told him I would sell. I'm going to stay on for a while, and he promised to keep the store the same, the same concept, all my employees, everything."

He wondered why she thought that would upset him. He was pleased. He didn't want to tell her that, so he said, "That's fine, Hermione. Really, that's great, if that's what you want."

"We should get dress; our company will be here soon." She looked up at him and smiled. He hugged her and put his chin on her head. He held her and rubbed his hands up and down her back.

"I love you, Granger."

5:05 pm, Christmas Dinner:

"Everything looks so delicious, Hermione," Harry said, taking his place at one of the ends of the table.

"She didn't cook it," Draco said. Hermione stared at him and then kissed Harry's cheek, as she moved to sit on Draco's right, at the other end. It was tradition for the Potter's, the Malfoy's and the Ron Weasley's to have dinner on Christmas together. They alternated houses, one year it would be at Ron and Lavender's, one year Harry and Ginny's, and one year Draco's and Hermione's. This was the first year that James and Olivia sat at the 'grown-up' table. Olivia was pleased, James, not so much, as he looked over at his brother, sister, and cousins having fun at the other table. Even Blaise sat at that table this year.

After dinner, everyone went into the living room. Hermione insisted that Olivia play Christmas carols on the piano. Everyone sang and laughed, and drank too much, and ate too many sweets. Toward the end of the evening, Harry took Hermione's hand and took her over to the foyer. They sat on the stairs, and he kissed the top of her hand.

"So, have you told Draco about selling the store?" he asked.

"Yes, we confided quite a few things to each other, finally," she regaled. "He told me that you and Blaise were the first ones to ever see Olivia. That he wouldn't see her until I woke up. He told me he had a lot of regrets about our wedding, and he also told me that he and Blaise slept together, but I rather think that one was a joke."

He looked at her oddly and said, "Goodness, I hope so. Did you tell him about going to the Muggle doctors?"

"Well, not so much. I told him I went there last year, but I didn't tell him about my appointment coming up. You are still going with me to that one, aren't you?" she asked.

"Well, of course, but why didn't you tell him?" Harry asked.

"No need to worry him unnecessarily, and really, he's quite fragile sometimes," she said.

He snorted.

"He is, Harry!" she insisted. "Anyway, I was going to, while we were taking a bath, and I even started to, and instead I started to cry, and he looked so sad, and I even told him I was sorry, and then I just couldn't say the words. Why don't we wait until my appointment? There might not be anything to tell him."

"I don't like that, but it's your choice, Hermione," Harry said, taking her hand again and kissing the top of it once more. "I will always be there for you."

Draco stood at the top of the stairs, and looked down at the friends. Even after all these years, a singe of jealously coursed through his veins, and he felt ashamed, but it was what it was. He walked over to the other stairs, and descended them, ending up in the kitchen. Ginny Potter was cutting some cobbler.

"Are you ready for pudding, Draco?" Ginny asked.

"May I ask you something, Ginny?" Draco asked.

He hardly ever called her by her name. He always called her Mrs. Potter, she Potter, little red, the Weaslette, girl weasel, red, or other such name. She put down the pie server and said, "What?"

"Does it ever bother you how close Harry and Hermione are?" he asked, sitting down at the round kitchen table, which the family never used. She took the piece of cobbler she just cut, put it in front of him, cut another for her, poured them some milk, and then joined him at the table, all before answering.

"No, it doesn't bother me."

"How could it not?" he asked, sincerely.

"Draco, they have a connection that is deeper than friendship, more than brother and sister, more than love. More than Ron and Hermione, Ron and Harry, or Ron and I. I don't know when that happened, actually, but it did, and it's what it is. The way they feel for each other is different, and special. They are etched in each others hearts, and unless you come to peace with that, you will be jealous and unhappy all your days, and believe me Draco, life is too short to live with jealousy and unhappiness."

"You never think that they might be in love?" Draco asked.

"They aren't, not like you and she, or he and I. You know that," she said, matter of fact. "You can't live your whole life worried about losing her, or someday you will wake up and she will really be gone. Enjoy what you have in the moment, Draco, and don't try to change what you can't. Those words are my Christmas present to you." She stood up, took her cobbler with her to go to the other room, and leaned down and kissed the top of his head.

"Thanks, Gingersnap," he said.

"Well, that's a new one," she laughed. She walked in the dining room, passing Hermione as she went through the door.

"Was Ginny giving my husband a kiss?" Hermione asked with a smile.

"Yes, I am alarmingly alluring to other humans, what can I say?" he said. He took a big bite of his cobbler and said, "Yum, good."

"Thanks, that's not mine. Ginny made that one, mine was burnt and I fed it to Blaise," she grinned.

"Actually, I thought it was too good to be yours," he admitted. She sat on his lap and opened her mouth. He stuck a bite of cobbler in her mouth.

"Damn, that is good," she said.

"What were you and Potter talking about so intently on the stairs?" he asked.

"What were you and Ginny talking about so intently in the kitchen?" she countered.

"Fine, I thought after this afternoon, our secrets were over with, but if not, I can live with a few," he said.

She put her forehead on his and said, "Me, too."

11:27 pm, in bed, Christmas Day almost over, all the guests have gone:

Stroking Draco's cat's ears, and with her cat on her feet, Hermione sat under the covers, reading a book, sucking on a candy cane. Olivia poked her head in her parents' bedroom and said, "Well, I'm off to bed. Thanks again for all my presents. James loved his picture album, by the way, and he gave me a photograph in a frame, which was really sweet, don't you think?" She smiled at her mum.

Draco walked in the room, put his robe across the end of the bed and he said, "I like that James Potter, much better than I like his father."

Hermione frowned but Olivia smiled. She tiptoed in the room and kissed her parents goodnight. She left and shut their door. Hermione put her candy cane and her book down on the bedside table.

Draco slid into bed beside her and said, "Do you mind if we don't have sex, I'm tired."

"I was going to say the same, but I was going to say, do you mind if we don't read tonight, and go straight to bed, for I'm tired," she said.

"Either way, goodnight, love, and Happy, Happy Christmas. I love you." He kissed her nose and turned off his light.

She turned off her light, leaned over him and kissed his lips. She put her head on his chest, her hand over his heart, and said, "I have one more statement from our game earlier. You tell me which is the lie, and which are the truths, okay?"

He yawned and said, "Go for it."

"I really do think Ginny's cobbler is better than mine, I hated my gift from you today, and I had an appointment with my Muggle doctor last week, and he is sending me to a specialist, and my appointment is on January 4th. When I went to my regular doctor, he said I was anemic again, just like last year, and he found that I have some blood in my urine and stool. It could just be an ulcer again, but he wanted me to see a surgeon, so I am. Harry was going to go with me, but I would rather you go. Which of those three statements is the lie?"

Draco held her close. He felt tears brim his eyes, and his chest felt heavy and full. He said, "Truth, lie, truth."