A/N: I'm SOOOOOOO sorry for the late upload. :(( We had exams this week, so I was pretty busy. I hope this'll do. :)
"We're here," Draco said.
Hermione shook her head. She doubled her grip on Draco's waist.
"Err… Hermione?" Draco asked uncertainly.
"Mm?"
"I told you we're here…"
Hermione didn't believe him. Her eyes were still shut tight.
"Aw, come on, Mom!" said Michael's voice, "Why're you so afraid of riding a broomstick?"
"Because I, unlike you, don't have the skills for flying," she replied, her voice a little muffled because of her head being buried deeply onto Draco's back.
"Just open your eyes!" Draco said, trying hard not to laugh, "I promise, look! Both of my feet are on the ground!"
Hermione lifted her eyelid a millimeter, and saw that her husband's feet was indeed on solid ground. She hurriedly scrambled off of the broom, breathing deeply.
"Never… never again…" she panted, but Draco cut her off.
"What? You'll never stand on a broom, petrified like there's no tomorrow for five minutes?"
The afternoon was spent with the couple chasing each other on the grounds, holding water balloons and hosepipes and handfuls of mud as the twins sat on the porch, watching the two adults run.
"This is really déjà vu," Michael whispered.
"More like irony," Megara retorted, smiling as Hermione threw a large handful of mud and splattered onto Draco's face. Michael, who was holding a quill and some parchment, held up the roll that clearly stated '10'.
"Kids, get ready! We're going to a party, remember?"
"Aw, mum, I don't wanna go!"
"Yeah, I'm tired!"
"Well, we can't have that…" Draco said, fixing his tie.
"But we also can't just leave you here," Hermione said, sighing as she straightened out her dress. "Oh, well… more Chocolate Frogs, Drooble's Best Blowing Gum, and other sweets from Honeydukes for me…"
That did it.
"I'M COMING!" Michael roared and dashed to his bedroom.
"HEY, NO FAIR!" Megara shouted back as she, too, ran to her closet. The parents snickered.
"Slick," Draco muttered, smiling.
"What? You used to do that with Harry when we were at Hogwarts, remember?" she replied lightly. Draco chuckled.
"Sure, I do. I was a big prat back then. I didn't know where I thought of that wide-mouthed tree frog replacing him as Seeker next. I mean, I just dreamt of it."
"You dreamt of a wide-mouthed tree frog..."
"Yeah, so?"
Silence.
Then Hermione broke into peals of laughter.
"OH – MY – GOOOD!" she screamed, clutching her stomach. Draco looked at her and laughed as the twins made their way back to their parents' room.
"Whassamatter?" Michael said, yawning at his mother's doubled up figure, laughing so hard that tears came willingly.
The Malfoys were out of the rubber tube they were being squeezed in and heard the blaring noise of music and crackles from firecrackers in the Burrow's backyard. The lopsided house with its many expansions and chimneys were dark, but they could see it against the light of George's new version of his Wildfire Whizbangs. They entered the gate, and the chickens scattered around the dirty Wellington boots on the kitchen door with its partner, the rusty cauldron.
"They never change," Hermione muttered, smiling. Draco squeezed her hand and looked over at his twins.
"Okay, guys, I want you to behave," he said softly, "Don't go running around where we can't see you. Don't go to the Burrow because it's dark, and don't go to the attic."
"Why, Dad?"
"Because there's a ghoul in there; when we were at war, we made some precautions of our existence so that the Death Eaters won't catch us. The ghoul was transformed into a hairy red monster with purple pustules to look like Ron with spattergroit," explained Hermione.
"Oh, so it was a ghoul!" Draco roared. "I knew it wasn't Weasley; his freckles aren't purple…"
"But you didn't say that out loud, did you?"
"No, because the other Death Eaters with me – Rookwood, Dolohov, Nott, and Mulciber – were all lying around, saying that they needed a break."
Hermione smirked. "Bet the Dark Lord didn't like that."
"Hell, yeah." Draco said, laughing.
There was a squeal from the crowd and two seconds later all the wind inside Hermione and Draco were forced out.
"Oh, I'm so glad you could come!"
"Mrs. – Weasley – can't – breathe!" they said in unison, and Mrs. Weasley broke off, still beaming.
"I'm so glad you could come," she said again, ecstatic as always, "It is Christmas already, and Draco here came back," she pinched Draco in the cheek, "so, might as well merge things!"
"Thanks, Mrs. Weasley," Draco mumbled, rubbing on his then-pale-now-red cheek. Michael hid a snigger; Megara hid a squeal.
"What is it?" Hermione asked, looking at the kids.
Michael was now giggling. Megara was jumping up and down. After a minute or two, the twins burst into a noisy boom: Michael laughing, and Megara screaming.
"What the hell!" the parents said, covering the twins' mouths while covering their ears. Many people at the party turned to look.
"What was that all about?" Draco and Hermione asked. Mrs. Weasley could see spit flying from their mouths.
"LOOK AT JAMES AND ALBUS!" they roared. Hermione looked and she also squealed.
"Why, you look so handsome, James!" she complimented to the ten-year-old wearing a black tux. His brown eyes glinted appreciatively and his hair was stuck up at the back like his father's. Albus came running to his older brother, panting, flushed, and sweaty.
At this, Michael nudged Megara hard in the ribs, and his twin began to blush.
"Good evening, Aunt Hermione and Uncle Draco!" he said, gasping. He winked at the twins, and Megara instantly hid behind her father, who froze.
"Nice outfit, Albus," Michael said, smiling. Albus was wearing black pants and a green-and-black checkered polo shirt to highlight his green eyes which were inherited from Harry. In personal, he looked like a miniature Harry, but the personality was as fiery as the hair of his redhead mother.
"Thanks; yours is, too," he replied. Michael was also wearing a tux, only white. His blonde hair was ruffled so that it looked like he was just woken from bed.
"Hey! Megara's is, too!" Michael retorted, shoving his twin in front. Megara was wearing a cream colored, sleeveless dress, and it ballooned toward her just above the knee. Her blonde hair was out of its usual pigtail hairstyle. It was now tumbling down her back and framing her face gracefully.
Albus blushed. "All I can say is… wow, Megs…"
Draco's eyes narrowed, but then Harry arrived, looking as dashing as ever.
"HEEEEEY! THERE'S THE STAR OF THE SHOW!" he roared. Ginny came hurrying to his side and slapped him in the face.
She turned around to face the crowd, who had raised eyebrows and hanging jaws. "Sorry," she said, "Too much firewhiskey."
"Firewhiskey? Can I try that, Dad?"
"Absolutely not, Michael. I forbid you!"
Michael went behind Albus, mumbling and sulking. Hermione put a hand on Draco's shoulder.
"Relax; we're not even at the party yet…"
Draco sighed. "Yeah, you're right."
Ginny rushed them in, and a wave of congratulators approached them, some with expressions about to puke, others with red faces. They made their way to the center, where a dance floor like the one at Bill and Fleur's wedding was placed.
The party lasted for hours. For the people, it seemed like days. Hermione sat down by the refreshments table, panting from all the dancing. Draco was dancing with Mrs. Weasley, and by the light of the marquee they were dancing in, Hermione could see sweat trickling down his neck. She took a glass of firewhiskey, downed it, and closed her eyes.
The music stopped. Screams rent the air. Hermione thought she was having a nightmare.
She opened her eyes, and pandemonium reigned.
People were running towards the gates of the Burrow to Apparate. George, Percy, Bill, and Charlie were looking for the kids. Draco was nowhere to be found. They all went outside just as the marquee fell into a heap. There were burning bushes and trees, and an overturned pedestal which supported the person Hermione loathed, swishing her wand back and forth, screaming into the night.
"GREENGRASS, YOU SON OF A BITCH!" Hermione roared, drawing her wand out and pushing her way through numerous people.
"DRACOOOOOOO! COME OUT, COME OUT WHEREVER YOU AAAAAAAAAAAARE!" Astoria was screaming, burning every bush and tree Draco might be using for a hideout. One spell hit a blonde girl, and she fell, stunned.
"NOOOOOOO! MEGARAAAA!" Albus screeched. Him and Michael came hurrying forward to assist Megara.
"YOU DON'T MESS WITH MY KIDS, GREENGRASS," Hermione said dangerously from behind.
Astoria turned around, smiling. "No worries, Granger," she said, "I already got what I wanted."
She showed Hermione a stunned form of Draco, eyez glazed, mouth half-opened as though in surprise.
Hermione snorted. "The same trick won't work twice, Greengrass," Hermione said indifferently, raising her wand.
"Oh, this isn't a boggart," Astoria replied, smug. She took her wand, pointed it at Draco, and said, "Rennervate."
The body stirred, and Hermione froze. The head looked sideways, the opens half-opened, and the mouth mumbling, "Hermione…"
Hermione's eyes widened as Astoria fled.
"YOU BITCH!" Hermione screamed, running after her. Mr. and Mrs. Weasley were tending to the kids, who were wrapped up in blankets and being served hot chocolate. Hermione jumped between them, not caring if her dress fluttered. They were heading to a kind of shack with one side made entirely of glass. It was in the marquee package, though no one knew what its purpose was.
Hermione rounded the corner, but neither Astoria nor Draco were in sight. She had a feeling they were at the glass shack, as she had dubbed it. She walked carefully down the path, her chocolate eyes reflected with dancing red flames from all around her. She walked cautiously until she reached the glass shack and went inside of it.
"Goodbye, Mudblood," Astoria said, resurfacing from a nearby bush, and sent a spell on the glass.
All Hermione could remember was a crack, a searing pain, a mad cackle, and a faint pop. And after a few moments, Hermione Malfoy lost consciousness.
A/N: So, there it goes. Hope you like it. :)))
Review? Pweeesh? My Dad's buying me an A-tab... or... an iPad... for Christmas! Hahaha...
Nah, I'm just hoping ;)