The next morning was Boxing Day, and Draco was awoken by the sounds of whispering next to him. His eyes still closed, he gently stroked his fingers over Helen's stomach, briefly disappointed that she was wearing a pyjama shirt; he didn't remember her putting something on before finally falling asleep the night before. But then he heard hushed words being exchanged, and realised that Helen was already awake and talking to her son who had found his way into her bed.

"...he probably wants to sleep a bit longer," Helen said with a soft, still rather sleepy voice.

"Is he really going to stay now?"

"Yes. We told you the truth yesterday."

"Do you like him?"

Draco could feel Helen nod, her hair slightly tickling his face, and was only barely able to contain a rather smug smile.

"Very much so, my dear. Very much." Helen surprised Draco by lacing her fingers with his on her stomach, letting her thumb follow the outline of his.

"He likes you, too."

Hearing her place a soft kiss on Tom's head, he trapped her thumb with his, still pretending to be otherwise asleep. He definitely liked her, perhaps even more than just that; however, he couldn't say what exactly had drawn him to her, it was everything—how she just accepted him the way he was, how she didn't expect anything, and how she just genuinely cared for him. As much as he loved his parents, he had always felt pressured to adhere to a certain image in his family. Not so with Helen. And he definitely liked her willingness to try new things with him in bed, like the small Christmas-themed role play she had surprised him with last night—dressed up like a naughty Christmas elf. Her outfit had rendered him speechless for a moment when he had finally managed to pull that hideous Christmas jumper off her—it had been a dark green lace corsetiere, with garters and briefs in the same colour, and an elf hat on her head. The hat hadn't stayed on for long.

"I like that he makes you happy, you know?" Tom said, still whispering.

"He does."

Now Draco couldn't hold back a short, smug smile as he remembered how much she had liked him the night before, several times. The memory of her moans and the calling of his name as she came woke other parts up, and he felt his member stir. He just hoped she wouldn't notice; though as close as he was, spooned against her, she was bound to notice. However, the only reaction he noticed was her hand pressing his a bit tighter. Did she know that he was awake?

"Grandma wasn't so nice to him yesterday."

Helen sighed. "You know how she is. She means well, we're all the family she's got..."

"But she was mean to Draco!"

"Shhh... Not so loud, Tom," Helen said. "I know she was. I told her to stop, okay? But you shouldn't have run off to your room just before dinner, that was rude."

"Mum, she said mean things about you, and Grandpa used a swear word–"

"Tom, it was still rude!" she said, her whispering voice a soft hiss that didn't allow for any further protest; she let out a sigh at the end. "I'm not going to make you apologise to her, but don't do it again. Just come to me next time..."

"Okay," Tom mumbled, audibly disappointed.

For a few minutes no one spoke, instead they all silently enjoyed just cuddling up on the bed; Draco even slowly dozed off again, lulled by the warmth of Helen's body and her regular breaths. It felt almost as relaxed as the mornings of the weekend she had brought him over at the beginning of the month, only a bit more than two weeks ago.

"Draco?" Helen pressed his hand once more. "Tom's fallen asleep. And I know you're awake."

"Hm-hm..." Pulled out of his dozing, he pressed a lazy kiss on her shoulder. "Barely."

She turned to her head to look at him, a warm smile upon her lips. "Did you sleep well?"

He nodded, pressing another kiss on her shoulder, closer to her neck this time. "It's nice to wake up with you in my arms."

"It is."

He placed his last kiss on her cheek, close to the corner of her lips. "Any plans for today?"

She lifted her hand to brush over his head in response to his kisses. "Except for some breakfast a bit later and some lazing around, not much. I could stay like this quite a bit longer..."

"Suits me."

The two days after Christmas were spent in a relaxed bubble, all the usual worries of their daily lives blocked out; those days were full of lounging around, playing games and slowly emptying the fridge.

The day after, they had made it out of the house for a visit to the science museum, where Tom had found a willing listener in Draco when he started to explain how the rockets work that were used to send the first humans to the moon. For Draco, it had turned into an afternoon that had showed him that Muggles were nothing like he had been taught all his life—it amazed him how ingenious they were, and how much more advanced than he remembered from his classes in Muggle Studies. And Tom had been patient enough to answer all his questions, happy to have someone listening to him.

"Look, Draco, there's an owl sitting on your roof!" Tom pointed towards the top of the house, with Draco and Helen following his gaze when they got out of the car after the visit to the museum.

Draco briefly rolled his eyes when he realised that it was a Ministry owl, with a letter from Hermione, his supervisor; however, he was sure that his next update wasn't due until shortly after New Year, so she couldn't remind him about being late. "It's just a brown owl."

"It's a pretty bird. But owls don't usually sit on roofs..."

"Come on, let's get inside," Helen said, beckoning them to follow her to the door.

Draco shook his head. "I need to check something first, I'll be right back." He needed to see the letter attached to the owl's leg immediately, as Hermione usually expected an answer whenever she sent him a letter, as few and far between as they were.

"Don't take too long, okay?" Helen replied, a soft smile on her lips that he just longed to steal a kiss from before she went inside.

"Just the mail, and see whether everything is all right inside." He made his way over to his house, trying to get the annoying into the back garden as discreetly as possible.

.xx.

"Get in, you bloody bird. I told you to hide in the tree." Moments later, Draco had opened the door to his garden, waiting for the owl to hop inside. He could hear Maude hoot from the tree in ruffled irritation, where she was probably sleeping until night gathered.

The Ministry owl finally hopped inside and on the table, ruffling his feathers in disapproval about having to wait to deliver his letter while Draco searched for the owl treats.

"There you are." Ignoring the owl's apparent indignation, Draco offered him several treats, waiting impatiently for the bird to hold out its leg with the letter attached. "Hey!" he complained when the owl picked his finger, demanding more treats. But he had finally fumbled the letter off the bird's leg, and glared at it annoyed while breaking the seal; with a sigh, he began to read.

Malfoy,

A belated Merry Christmas from me!

First of all, thank you for the small surprise present, the book is a great read!

Besides that, I have to admit that you continue to amaze me, in a very positive way. But what amazes me the most is your willingness to enter into a relationship with Helen. I did have to read your update twice when I received it!

This leads me to the main reason why I'm actually writing you. I plan to come by for a visit, and I'd like to meet Helen to make sure she is really as great as you describe her in your updates. But don't worry, I don't plan to interrogate her, I just want to talk to her over a cup of tea. So, please make sure you're around tomorrow afternoon.

Granger

Great. Granger wanted to visit him. As much as he appreciated having her as his supervisor, this visit still felt controlling. He didn't escape his parents' control over his private life, only to end up under her control of it. She did have a point in making sure that Helen was as great as he had mentioned in his last update, but it didn't mean he had to like it. Trying to ignore his irritation, he scribbled a short answer on an empty piece of parchment, that he would wait for her in the early afternoon in his place. After sending the still rather indignant owl back to London, he returned to Helen's place.

.xx.

"What kind of bird was that?" Tom asked curiously when Draco came back over. The boy was sitting on the sofa, skimming through his astrology book; to his dismay, the weather hadn't been good enough just yet to test his new telescope.

"As I said, just a brown owl," Draco said, hanging up his coat before joining Tom in the living room. "Where's your mum?"

Tom grinned, looking at a picture of nebulas. "You actually seem to attract quite a few owls," he said, finally looking up. "Did you know that the Greeks thought them to be a symbol of wisdom?"

"I'm in the kitchen, Draco," Helen shouted from the kitchen, "if you were looking for me."

"Yes, the Greeks," Draco mumbled, nodding absent-mindedly, turning towards the kitchen. He still considered owls to be rather stupid sometimes—except for Maude!—and he wondered how the wizarding community could rely on such unreliable and moody birds.

"Everything okay at your place?" Helen asked with a soft smile when he entered the kitchen; she was waiting for the kettle to whistle, with a couple of mugs already waiting on the counter.

He came up to her, wrapping his arms around her waist; he felt a relaxing wave going through his body when she wrapped hers around him in response. "You remember the friend I told you about?" he finally said.

"The one that talked you out of being an idiot?"

"Yes, her." He smiled; that description was going to stick with Helen. "She wants to come by tomorrow afternoon."

"You sound like that's something bad... I mean she's your friend–"

"She wants to meet you." Draco sighed, probably a bit more dramatically than intended.

Helen looked up, gently rubbing his back. "Would it be that bad?"

"I guess not." For Draco, having Helen meet with Granger felt a bit like presenting her to the wizarding world; he didn't want to share just yet. And despite her words, Granger's visit would still be to judge Helen.

"Hey," she said, placing a soft kiss on his jaw, as she couldn't reach much higher. "You know, I actually would like to meet her. I mean she did help us get out of that awkward situation."

Draco smiled, and placed a kiss on her forehead. "True."

The kettle whistled, interrupting the moment, but Helen simply took it off the stove and then returned her attention to him. "It's going to be okay. I know how to handle twenty-year-olds, don't you think?"

That remark made him chuckle. "Oh, you handle me pretty well."

"I promise I'll be nice..." She started playing with his shirt on his back, gently trying to pull it out of his trousers. "Now kiss me, please," she begged, and stretched herself to come up to his height, her eyebrow raised, teasingly.

Still chuckling at her teasing, he finally leaned down to meet her lips, those so wonderfully addictive soft lips that always managed to send a small electrifying shiver through his body. "Hmm," he moaned into the kiss when she finally managed to pull his shirt up high enough to let her hands slip underneath, only to play with his favourite spot on his lower back. He claimed her lips a bit more possessively in response to her wandering hands, and pinned her against the counter with the rest of his body. Now wanting more access to her skin, he pushed her jumper and the simple shirt up, eager to get underneath.

"Gods," she moaned when he reached her breasts, fondling them teasingly through the lacy fabric of her bra. Panting heavily, and clearly flushed, she broke off. "We need to stop, you're getting too excited," she said, licking her lips, and rolled her hips into his growing bulge to emphasise her words.

Draco let out a low moan. Whenever they started kissing like that, it always intensified, arousing him to the point of wanting more. "Tom's reading, why not go upstairs for a moment?" he said, and brushed kisses along her jaw.

She sighed, and stopped him gently. "Tonight, okay? Whatever you want."

"Dangerous thing to promise." With a teasing smirk, he pressed his lips one last time on hers, and then finally made a step back to release from her pinned-down position.

"Granger."

"Hello, Malfoy," Hermione greeted with a friendly smile when Draco opened the door the next day in the early afternoon. Even though she already knew from his updates that he was doing better, she was still surprised how much better he looked than the last time she had seen him. Her smile widened when he stepped aside to let her in. "Thanks."

"I would offer you some tea, but since you want to meet Helen, there's no point." He led her to the sofa and beckoned her to sit down.

"Is there a reason why you wanted to talk to me alone first?" she asked, sitting down.

"How's my mother?" he asked, ignoring her question, sitting down on the other side of the sofa.

She studied him for a moment before answering. His smile seeming a tiny bit too friendly, and she knew that he wasn't really happy about her visit. "I've brought them your presents, and told them that you still love them, but just need some time for yourself. Needless to say that they weren't exactly thrilled to hear that, but still appreciated the presents." She turned towards him. "However, they still want to know where you are–"

"My mother is still contacting you regularly, then?"

Hermione nodded, noticing the wary tone on his voice. "Daily. I think she's just concerned about you because you haven't really written to her since we collected your things in July. I won't tell her anything whatsoever without your consent, but maybe you could write her a letter, tell her yourself that you're doing okay, and that you haven't forgotten them–"

"Maybe," he said, stopping her with a twitch in his lips.

"It's up to you. I'm just saying that it would ease their conscience a bit, and make my job a little easier without having to deal with your mother every single day." She wished she had a mug of tea in her hands to have something to occupy your hands with; instead, she rubbed over her thighs to smooth out her trousers. "You know, I had to even go as far as locking your file so that only my personal wand can open it."

"Getting paranoid?"

She chuckled. "No, believe me; it is necessary with your file. There are still enough people at the Ministry that still hold a grudge against you and your family, somewhat understandably so, but that's no reason for them to go after you."

He nodded in appreciation. "Thanks."

"So, is there anything else you want to ask me before you let me meet Helen?"

"Well..." He looked down for a second, as if to gather his thoughts before he continued. "I had an idea for New Year's Eve–"

"And you want to know what I think of it?"

He nodded. "Just before Christmas I heard about a ballroom event at The Imperial, and was lucky enough to get a suite there."

Her eyes widened in surprise. "That is... quite a surprise," she finally said. "But–"

"You think it's too much." Sounding disappointed, he leaned back. "I just wanted–"

"No, no, it's okay," she interrupted him with affirmative smile. "It's quite a sweet gesture, actually. It's just an expensive one, that's all."

"Do you think she's going to like it?"

She nodded, smiling softly. "Any woman would love such a surprise, believe me. And if you want to treat her to such an event, then do." She leaned in a few inches. "But do let me know about some details, like the ballroom, the music, her dress—you do have a dress, right?"

"Granger! Of course I do!"

"Good." She leaned back again, smiling broadly. "And her son?"

"Stays at a friend's place. He has been nagging her ever since Christmas."

"I see. And you're just taking the chance for a little treat..."

"Slytherin, remember? We're opportunists," he replied with a brief smirk.

She chuckled. "True. Anything else?"

"No." Relieved, he shook his head, and started to get up. "Let's go over then. She's keen on meeting you."

.xx.

"So, you're that friend who talked him out of being the bigger idiot," Helen said when they finally came over, as she offered her hand for Hermione to shake.

"And you're the one that almost drove him crazy," Hermione replied, smiling friendly while shaking Helen's hand, taking her in more closely. Helen seemed like Draco had described her in his rather sparse words, she radiated a certain warmth, and showed a bright, welcoming smile. Now Hermione understood why Draco would be drawn to Helen, as she was a stark contrast to the cool, restraint demeanour of his family, and especially his parents.

"Yeah, I think I'll never hear the end of it." Helen blushed slightly. "But, please, sit down," she added, pointing to the sofa.

"I'll prepare the tea," Draco said with a smirk as he moved towards the kitchen.

"He offered to do it," Helen explained when she saw that Hermione watched him enter the kitchen. "Said something about giving us a moment between us, whatever he meant with that."

"How is he doing?" Hermione asked, returning her focus on Helen. "I mean he told me about how two got together, as surprised I actually was to hear that..."

"Much better," Helen replied.

Hermione smiled softly. "He almost has some colour now on his cheeks..."

"Almost, yes." Helen chuckled, and relaxed a bit further into the sofa. "How do you two know each other?"

"We went to the same school." And with that, Hermione watched Helen's face brighten visibly.

"Someone from his past! I try to get him to tell me more. He does tell me stuff, but only the small things. What was he like back then?"

Hermione could hear a chuckle from the kitchen, it was clear that Draco was expecting this question. "To be honest, not as charming as he is today. He was a bit of git. But really, he has changed a lot since then."

"I wasn't the only stuck-up person back then," Draco threw in from the kitchen, from where they could hear the sounds of mugs being handled. "But I guess we all grew up quite fast and learned our lesson."

"What lesson?" Helen asked, frowning in confusion, and probably understandably so, only to soften into a smile when Draco came back with a tray filled with mugs and biscuits. "Did something happen that forced you to leave?"

Hermione and Draco shared a look before he placed the tray on the small sofa table; the past was something both of them preferred to avoid if possible. And how could you possibly explain the facts of a wizarding war to a Muggle without violating the Statute of Secrecy? "It's complicated," Hermione finally said, taking her mug to pour a bit of milk in it.

"You said the same," Helen replied, her eyes still fixed on Draco. "I'm not going to judge; I would just like to know, okay? For example, why you had those nightmares, or what was—or still is—haunting you so much."

Draco handed Helen her mug, prepared just as she liked it before sitting down next to her on the sofa. "I know that," he said with a surprisingly quiet voice.

"I heard you have a son as well," Hermione said, realising that they needed to change the topic. "Brilliant at chess was one of the descriptions I heard about him..."

Helen nodded, and took a sip from her mug. "Yes, Tom. Beats everyone at chess."

"Loves the stars," Draco added, looking relieved for the change of topic. "Showed me my constellation in one of his many books."

"He wants to study them when he's grown-up." Helen put her mug back on the table, and discreetly hooked her arm in with his.

Hermione smiled at the gesture; it seemed that Helen indeed wasn't one to judge, and patient enough to wait for him to tell her on his own terms. Smiling softly, she sipped some of her tea.

"So, what do you work? Some kind of office job?"

Hermione nodded. "I work at the Ministry, in a side department that is concerned with animal welfare." She noticed Draco looking at her with a briefly raised eyebrow, acknowledging her half-truth.

"Some things never change, Granger," Draco remarked. "I remember your antics back in school about all those poor things–"

"That's why I work there. Because all those poor things need someone to speak for them," Hermione replied sharply, but with a disarming smile.

"I think it's a great thing to do. There are so many reports on people treating their animals badly, you know?"

"I know, but Granger was a bit of a zealot back in school." Intertwining his fingers with Helen's, Draco leaned back.

"Granger? Why are you using her last name?" Helen asked rather surprised, turning towards him.

"Habit, I guess," Hermione answered. "I used to call him Malfoy–"

"I remember you shouting that through half the school with that surprisingly shrill voice of yours–"

"You tended to sneer mine."

"Everyone did. You were quite a swot."

"And you were a spoilt brat, hiding behind your father." Hermione chuckled when she heard him growl lowly and then straighten up again. However, she also noticed that Helen had watched their exchange with an expression of disbelief; she had obviously never met Draco's snarkier side before, even though this had still been rather tame.

"How's that redhead of yours?" Draco asked, his rather provocative tone betraying his smile. "Are you still together?"

Hermione narrowed her eyes at him and took a sip from her mug. "None of your business, but yes, I'm still with Ron. And we're doing just fine."

"Just returning the favour, Granger. Since you take an interest in my life, I might as well be allowed to pretend to have some in yours."

"Draco!" Helen exclaimed, nudging him in the side.

He leaned towards her, showing his softest smile to probably appease her. "Don't worry. That's normal for us. But I'm sure she knows how much I appreciate her as a friend."

"I do," Hermione replied affirmingly, taking another sip from her mug to keep a chuckle from escaping.

"You just surprised me." Helen nudged him again. "I know you can be rather sarcastic, but not like that."

"It's something I tried to leave behind," Draco replied, and placed a brief kiss on her cheek. Then he turned his attention back to Hermione, placing his mug on the sofa table. "Can I talk to you in the kitchen for a moment?"

Hermione nodded before getting up, and with an apologising shrug towards Helen followed him into the kitchen. "So, what's going on?"

"No need to get any more defensive," Draco replied with a sigh, once they were inside; he leaned against the counter to keep an eye on the door. "It's actually a request. You heard how Helen wants to know more."

Hermione nodded. "Yes. I can understand her, though–"

"It's just that I simply don't know how much I can tell her without violating that damn Statute. I'd love to tell her more—maybe not everything, but enough to make her understand what it might mean to date someone like me, or a Malfoy for that matter." He raked through his hair. "I'd love to tell her what I've been through, and why I had those nightmares. And I would love to show her my magic; I hate having to hide that, you know?"

She leaned against the cupboards opposite him, searching him for a moment. "So you're basically asking me to find a loophole in the Statute that would allow you to tell her about your heritage?"

He nodded. "Yes."

"Okay. I'll see what I can find." She smiled warmly when she saw him relax a bit. She had read up a few cases about relationships between wizarding folk and Muggles, and they all had the same obstacle in form of the Statute. "It might take a while, though, as I'll probably need to contact a few legal experts."

"Still, thanks." He flashed her a short, relieved smile. "And sorry for my tone before. I just don't like being controlled."

"Don't worry. She really is nice, you know?" She straightened herself again, and turned towards the door. "Let's go back to her."

"Now it's just the two of us for the next couple of days," Helen said when she closed the door again after waving Tom goodbye, who had just been picked up by Val and her son Daniel on the early afternoon of New Year's Eve. "Oh, the things we could do."

"I'm glad you allowed him to stay there." He wrapped his arms around her from behind, nibbling gently at her neck. "Two days just with you..."

"Hmm..." Helen turned around in his arms, and pulled him down for a proper, hungry kiss. With Tom gone, she didn't have to hold back any longer as she didn't have to fear him seeing her in a state he shouldn't yet at his age. God, the prospect of being able to spend those two days mostly naked and with Draco excited her, and she wanted to start right now, wanting to taste as much as she could of that wickedly addictive mouth of his.

"I see you have a very good idea of how you want to spend these two days," he replied amused between kisses when he noticed her hands fumbling his belt and trousers open.

"Oh yes, I do," she replied, and let out a small moan when he let his hands wander down her bottom cheeks to pinch them. She loved him doing that, and pulled his trousers open in response, eager to finally lay her hands on their content.

"I actually have a surprise for you, but we still have some time left," he husked, urging her to finally dive inside his boxers.

She broke off the kiss, and looked at him with a big smile, panting heavily. "A surprise? What surprise?" she asked, now brushing kisses down his neck while she pulled his boxers down low enough to reach his member without the annoying band restricting her.

"Not going to tell you... Yes!"

"You like that, don't you?"

"Fuck yes!" He pulled her head back up for another hungry kiss. "Don't you stop now!"

Helen loved it when she could bring him to that point, all those little moans that she could feel vibrate in his throat, urging her to keep going. "Sofa," she finally breathed between kisses.

"Sofa," he repeated and pulled her with him until they reached it. "I'll help you pack later," he said and let himself fall on the sofa. "You're going to like it."

"Will I?" she asked, kneeling down in front of him, continuing to stroke him with a slightly increased pace.

"Yes. Definitely." He leaned back, closing his eyes. "Definitely."

"Can't wait to see it," she whispered, placing a soft kiss on his chest. Whatever he had planned, she was sure that it was going to be a wonderful evening; after all, she would be spending it with him.

TBC

Author's Note:

I'm sorry for taking longer to update, I was buried in competition entries (all one-shots) with almost identical deadlines, which sucked up most of my energies to write. Besides that, I was a bit in a funk, so I put the story back for a few weeks.

I know it's a bit shorter than the other chapters, I've chucked almost half out from the first draft, but it works better this way, keeping up with the pace and characterisations. The surprise mentioned at the end of the chapter will be the main event in the next chapter... ;-)

And last but not least: many, many thanks to Suzi for proofreading the chapters, making them readable! *hugs*