A/N - I am so happy people are liking this story, please follow/favourite/review because it keeps me writing! On another note, I'm from England so I apologise if I use any English terms that you don't understand, but I'll try and keep that to a minimum! Trying to get as many chapters out as I can before I return to college. Enjoy!
Immediately after Draco had hung up, Hermione rang the Potter's house phone. After waiting for what felt like forever, Hermione was greeted by Teddy's small voice.
"Hello?" The little one questioned.
"Teddy? It's Aunt Hermione! Can you get Ginny for me?" Hermione asked in her kindest voice.
"Okay! I'll get her now. Thanks for letting Uncle Draco come for tea, he seems really happy about it!" Teddy giggled down the phone, Hermione's heart missed a beat.
"Teddy, what do you mean he seems happy about it?" Hermione realised, that Draco was at the Potter's when he rang, and she was calling Ginny to give her advice on him, while he was in the house. She felt stupid.
"Ginny, Aunt Hermione wants you on the phone!" Hermione heard Teddy's quiet voice.
"Hermione?" Ginny questioned, as she picked up the phone from her godson.
"I was going to tell you that he called but I just figured out that he's with you." Hermione laughed, "What should I cook?"
"I'm craving mac 'n' cheese, do that!" Ginny almost demanded. "He said 6, or do you want me to delay?"
"Don't delay, I'll be ready." Hermione smiled, "Just one last thing, what should I wear?"
"Like I've always said, you'll look hot in a bin bag. Just be casual because you'll be cooking!" Ginny said with a grin.
"I better start unpacking so I'll see you later Gin!" Hermione put down the phone after a farewell from her friend in return. She was now officially nervous but that wasn't going to stop her.
The next few hours were spent unpacking boxes and moving around furniture until she had found the perfect place for everything. Her sofa was now in the middle of the living room, facing away from the door, with a perfect sight of the small television set Hermione had placed in the corner. Behind the sofa, Hermione had created a little work area, a corner desk pushed up against the wall, however she had to shrink the desk slightly so it didn't block the door.
Moving to the kitchen, she had filled her cupboards with all her favourite foods and the pots, pans and utensils required to cook them. The fridge was packed full of pre cooked meals her mum had given her for when she started work. She put the dining table a comfortable distance from all the appliances, although her kitchen wasn't huge, she surrounded it with the five chairs she would need for tonights events.
The boxes of her clothes were already in her walk in closet, so with a flick of her wand, her clothes were arranged by colour around her. A last few vital swishes meant that, her underwear, lounge clothes and shoes were arranged in the remaining drawers and shoe rails. Before she left, Hermione picked out her outfit for that evening. Ginny said say casual so she picked a long, blue and white check shirt, with a thin belt at the waist, with black leggings and flats. She thought it would be best to keep her hair up so it wouldn't go frizzy from the heat of the cooker.
In her bedroom, she spent at least an hour putting her books out, and rearranging them. She finally decided with alphabetical order by the authors name, which seemed like the most logical choice. She put out little trinkets and pictures around her room, she liked to keep her bedroom minimal because it was more relaxing that way. By the time she had put everything perfectly in place, she only had an hour until the family and Draco would arrive.
Hermione took her time, if Ginny didn't like her food, she would know. She cooked the pasta and made her sauce from scratch and mixed them together in a deep pot before covering it with cheese and putting it in the oven. She now had the perfect amount of time to shower and get ready. A shower and a few glamour charms later, Hermione was ready to host her first diner party. She almost dropped the dish she was pulling out the oven and a pop sounded through her apartment, followed by the whoosh of the floo.
"Aunt 'Mione!" Teddy shouted, running towards her from Ginny's grasp, "I've missed you." Teddy looked said as she hoisted him up to her eye level and hugged him.
"I've only been gone since this morning Teddy." Hermione laughed at him. "You've had Harry, Ginny and Uncle Draco to keep you busy today, so why have you missed me?" At the mention of his name, Teddy's hair turned a perfect white, just as it had when they were in Diagon Alley with Draco.
"They all just have 'adult talk' but you are fun!" Teddy exclaimed as she put him back down. She turned from their short conversation by ruffling his hair and greeted her guests, who had sat down on the sofa.
"Dinners ready now, if everyone is hungry for it." Hermione spoke to the three adults. Draco looked away from his conversation with Harry to her, the most charming of smiles on his face.
Ginny ruined their moment by power walking to the dining table almost screaming, "Thank Merlin, I'm starving!" To which Hermione couldn't help but laugh.
Ginny cunningly sat Teddy and Harry next to her, so Hermione and Draco would have to sit next to each other. As she was setting down the plates and and main dish of food, she mouthed 'you sly woman' to Ginny, and got a wink in response.
Before she sat down, Hermione put a large jug of purple liquid and five glasses on the table, "I've only got juice, I'm sorry if anyone wanted something stronger." She said apologetically.
"This looks amazing Hermione, did you do it all yourself?" Draco asked her as she sat down.
"Yeah, you've got to do it all from scratch, it tastes better." She smiled back at him, her eyes lingering on his lips for just a second too long.
"I'm sorry to ruin your moment, but can we please start eating now! Little James is hungry!" Ginny interrupted them again, before putting a massive spoonful on her plate and digging in. The whole table followed her league and starting eating in a comfortable silence.
"Ginny?" Hermione questioned after a moment, "Little James?" Hermione knew this was what they had decided to call the baby, but she just had to make sure.
"Oh yes, we haven't really made a proper announcement, but we are going to call him James Sirius Potter. After Harry's dad and godfather obviously." Ginny beamed across the table. Teddy and Harry were beaming too. "I guess while we are here, we might as well ask them?" She now turned to Harry, which confused Draco and Hermione, Ginny never normally asked for her husband's permission.
"Yeah, guys, you are our best friends and well, we wanted to know whether you two would be James godparents?" Harry asked them. Hermione was almost crying and Draco looked the same.
Hermione burst out of her seat and went to hug her two friends, "Of course I will!" She exclaimed as a happy tear rolled down her cheek, "Thankyou for picking me!" She was bursting with happiness as she let go of them. Attention now shift to Draco, who had remained glued to his seat in shock since they asked.
"What about you?" Harry questioned hopefully, trying to read Draco's blank exterior.
"I'd be honoured." Draco broke into a smile, "If that is what you want, then of course. I've learn not to disagree with Ginny." He joked to the group. The group toasted to baby James and finished their meals in glee with bubbling conversation. Draco and Harry were talking about the upcoming Quidditch tournament, where all wizarding departments head out against each other, they had started a friendly rivalry due to them both being the seekers of their respective teams.
In a bid to get away from Hermione and Ginny's pregnancy talk, Teddy climbed over Ginny and the table to Harry's lap. In his attempt, he knocked over the tall jug of juice directly onto Draco, soaking his jumper and trousers right through.
"Merlin, that's cold!" Draco exclaimed as he shot up from his seat.
"Ginny clean this up and I'll get Draco sorted out?" Hermione reacted immediately, she saw Ginny wink at her as she pulled Draco into her bedroom.
"It's fine Hermione, I can just scourgify it!" He laughed at her muggle reaction, he would have thought she wasn't a witch at all if he hadn't known her.
"Scourgify isn't as good as a washing machine." She darted back at him at she looked around her closet. He just sighed and sat himself down on the edge of her bed.
"If you told me a few years ago, I'd be in your bedroom now, I would have declared you insane." He mumbled mostly to himself, but she had managed to hear him. He was scanning the room, noting every detail for if he every managed to come here again.
"I would have done the same, to be honest." She smiled as she returned with some grey jogging bottoms and a black t-shirt.
"May I ask you why you have a stash of men's clothing in your closet, is there something I should know?" He grinned at her as she passed him the clothes.
"I actually bought the joggers for myself, but I have no idea where the top came from." She thought the last part of her sentence aloud, trying to figure out where it had come from.
"It's comforting to know I could be wearing a former lover's t-shirt of the girl I'm dating." He joked back.
"How do know it's a former lover?" She raised her eyebrows, and as he took in her remark, he mirrored her actions. "I'm just joking, I wouldn't have given it to you if I thought it was that." She finished. They laughed together as he stood up from his sitting position and walked over to her.
"Thanks Hermione, for the clothes." He gazed into her eyes and brushed his fingers against hers before he leaned in and kissed her. It was just like the first one they had shared, and then it grew deeper. Her hands found his neck as their bodies pressed together, his hands firmly on her hips. They broke from the kiss at the sound of Ginny having a stern word with Teddy, but they were still pressed against each other.
"I'll just put these on." He pecked her on the lips before stepping towards the bathroom and pushing the door shut. Hermione did a small happy dance before walking into the kitchen to see what was happening. She was met with a tearful Teddy and a perfectly clean kitchen.
"Now Teddy, what do you have to say?" Ginny said as soon as Hermione walked into the room.
"I'm sorry for climbing on your table and wasting your juice." Teddy sheepishly looked at her, she knew he didn't really do anything wrong.
"It's okay Teddy, Ginny can I just talk to you in private?" Hermione turned to her friend and pulled her into the living room. Hermione just stared at her for a second grinning from ear to ear.
"You didn't just have a quickie in your room, did you?" Ginny raised her eyebrows at her and winked.
"Mrs Potter, you are completely unromantic! Of course not!" Hermione started to whisper as she could hear Teddy apologising to Draco through the doorway. "I've got it bad Gin, just thank you for setting us up."
"It's what friends are for." Ginny smirked back at her, and sauntered off into the other room. After this, the Potter's had decided to leave and Draco had agreed to stay for another hour before he had to leave to get ready for his night shift.
If Hermione thought Draco looked good in his usual formal wear, he mind was mush at him in casual clothes. His athletic frame became much more obvious and the t-shirt material clung to his muscular shoulders and built arms. His dark mark had disappeared, but Hermione thought he would use a concealment charm like she did.
They spend an hour on the sofa, kissing every so often while watching Hermione's favourite films 'Never Been Kissed'. Draco realised it was almost time for him to leave, although he didn't want to. Hermione's head was resting on his shoulder, so he moved to catch her attention.
"I'd better be going now." He smiled down at her, "Thankyou for tonight, it's been better than I thought it would be."
"It's been my pleasure." Hermione swallowed a lump in her throat preparing for her next question, "Am I going to be seeing you again or?" Hermione chewed on he bottom lip, and looked up at him.
"I was just going to ask if you are free Friday, I think I should cook you a dinner in return." Draco felt a twitch below his belt at the face she was pulling, and the thought that her bedroom was only feet away. "Just promise me one thing?"
"What would that be?" She questioned quickly.
"Stop biting your lip." He answered, and her expression grew confused, "Biting your lip at me is certainly testing the level of self restraint I have. I don't want to rush things and that face isn't helping me." He finished.
"I'm sorry, I didn't realise." Hermione purposely bit her lip to tease him. Before she could gather a second thought, his lips were against hers in a passionate and wanting kiss. He flipped her over so he was on top of her, and it drove Hermione crazy. He nipped and sucked at her lips, and she returned the gestures. She wanted more as he pulled away, looking at her dead in the eye.
"You aren't the only one who can be a tease." His signature smirk roamed his face as he sat up, leaving a bewildered Hermione laying on the sofa. "Now some of us actually go to work so I'll have to get going." He pulled Hermione up with him, and small kiss, "I'll be here at 6 on Friday to bring you to mine."
"I'll see you then." She had regained her composure and gave him a small peck before he apparated out of sight.
She sighed and smiled wider than ever before, she didn't know whether she wanted to scream or laugh or cry because she had never felt quite like this. She didn't know who to tell or what to do. She felt like she was going to burst and she hadn't felt more alive in the past 4 years.
