Days passed and September 6 was rapidly approaching. The meeting with the Aurors and Heads of the Departments had been four days ago, and since then, everyone, especially the Aurors, seemed tense and even a bit excited. Hermione, on the other hand, was not. She could feel the tense air that seemed to surround the Ministry. Everyone knew that they weren't dealing with Voldemort here, only his followers, but still, the lives of some Aurors could be lost, and she never wanted to risk that. Besides, who knew how many Death eaters there really were? What if the Aurors were outnumbered?

Hermione walked aimlessly through the corridors of her Department which was on the fifth floor. Not only did she have the Aurors to worry about, but Draco was gone as well. He had left Monday morning with a quick kiss goodbye, and she hadn't seen him since. Owls would probably take forever to get to her from him, wherever he was, and she couldn't well answer or the owl would die from being overworked.

Sighing, Hermione seemed to find her way to her office and went in. Hannah gave her employer a questioning gaze, but Hermione just smiled feebly before closing the door. Hermione sat at her desk, still in a daze, and looked down at the loads of paperwork still needing to be done. She threw herself whole-heartedly to it in order to drown the anxiety and worry from her mind.

xoxoxoxoxoxox

"Draco!" Hermione cried, ran to him, threw her arms around his neck, and attacked him with kisses. Reluctantly, Draco pulled back, smirking.

"I should go away more often if you'll meet me like that," he whispered slyly. Hermione's grip on him tightened.

"No! You got whatever the hell the Ministry wanted. Now I want you to give me what I want!" she said like a child. Draco laughed, then leaned down to kiss her again.

"In time, love. It's only 10 in the bloody morning!" he said with a chuckle. Hermione smirked at him.

"That hasn't stopped us before," she said quietly in a seductive voice as she traced her finger along his jaw. Draco's eyes widened along with his smirk.

"I've never seen this side of you before, Hermione. And I don't know whether to say I like it or not," he said with a wink. Hermione just laughed and kissed him again. People at the train station were beginning to give them funny looks, especially those who recognized the Best-friend-of-Harry-Potter-and-member-of-the-Order from the papers and the former Death eater who wasn't sent to Azkaban.

Wizards and witches alike gave the snogging couple disgusted looks, confused looks, evil, curious, and even ecstatic looks. When the two finally pulled apart, they met the eyes of nearly everyone in the train station, and they quickly broke apart from their tight embrace, contenting themselves with only holding hands.

Once out of the eerie train station, Draco gave a loud sigh at the same time as Hermione.

"What's wrong?" both uttered at the same time. Both laughed, and both gazed at each other at the same time again.

"You go first," Hermione said, a smile tugging on her lips. Draco sighed again and looked forward, tightening his grip on her hand and the baggage he carried in the other.

"I really hate how people judge us so quickly when they see a reformed Death eater and a member of the Golden Trio together. It just doesn't give the right air, especially the prejudiced ones. How funny it seems, that only several years before, they would have been disgusted with you for being a Muggle-born instead of me for being a former Death eater." The poor wizard looked a bit dejected, and Hermione could see that insecure and needy 18 year old bloke come out of him again.

"Oh Draco! I don't think you should pay any attention to those people. Prejudice seems to be a really bad trait here in the Wizarding world. But, you know, you shouldn't let it get to you. We love each other and that's all that matters, really." Draco smiled at her and squeezed her hand again.

"I love you, you know that?" he said in a soft voice. Hermione grinned.

"And I love you just as much!" she said back with much enthusiasm. It was silent for a moment, till Draco seemed to remember something.

"What did you want to talk about?" he suddenly asked. Hermione sighed, suddenly reminded again.

"Today is September 6."

"Yes…?"

"The Aurors are going to capture the remaining Death eaters." Draco's face paled.

"I see," he murmured.

"I'm afraid for their lives. Although I know that there can't be a lot of Death eaters left, I still don't want the lives of the Aurors at risk." Hermione looked down at the pavement. "Especially Ron and Harry," she added quietly. Draco just looked down at her, squeezing her hand again.

"I'm sure it'll turn out just fine," he said with his half-smile. Hermione nodded slowly.

"I really, really hope you're right." Both were silent as they walked absent-mindedly, both deep in thought.

Draco was the first to snap out of the trance. He shook Hermione's hand, causing her to look up. "Let's go home, Hermione," he said softly and Apparated them to their neighborhood. They walked the rest of the way in silence. Absently, they both walked up the stairs and into the bedroom they shared. When both snapped back to reality, they looked at each other and smiled.

"Would you like me to prove how much I don't want you to leave me again?" she asked with a smirk. Draco scoffed.

"Not while Potter and Weasley are swimming around in your heads. Who knows what might happen." Hermione stared after him, obviously offended, as he sauntered off and out of the room.

"You haven't changed a bit, Draco Malfoy!" she yelled after him.

"Who says I've changed, Hermione Malfoy?" he yelled back. Growling, Hermione threw herself onto the bed, closing her eyes and spreading her arms out wide on the soft, silk sheets. 'Please let Ron and Harry be okay. Please let all the Aurors be okay. Please let Ron and Harry come back unhurt and safe…' Hermione thought as she squeezed her eyes tight.

xoxoxoxoxoxoxox

Hermione threw herself into another's arms that evening, and it wasn't her husband's.

"Harry!" she screeched and leaped into his waiting arms, feeling tears come into her eyes. Then she released him from her death grip and into Ron's waiting arms.

"Oh, Ron!" she cried, and she burst into tears on his shoulder. Ron did his best to comfort her. He held her for what seemed like a long time, and when she finally let go of him, she saw an angry looking Lavender. Wiping her eyes, she ignored Lavender for the time being.

"I'm so glad you both are alright!" Both Harry and Ron suddenly burst out laughing, making Hermione look at them furiously. "Are you laughing at my concern for your well-being?" she asked angrily. Harry shook his head, still laughing.

"Hermione! No need to get your knickers all in a twist! Ron and I are both quite alright. There weren't even that many Death eaters. Probably 3 Aurors for each one Death eater. And there were exactly 30 Aurors that went." Hermione stared at Harry, then burst into tears again, throwing herself at Harry this time.

"We're alright! We've caught each and every one, 'mione! Don't cry!" Just hearing Ron call her nickname made Hermione cry even more. She was an emotional wreck. She cried for a little longer until her tears finally subsided. Ginny was there alongside Lavender. Lavender looked royally furious, and Ginny tried to comfort her.

"Don't mind her, Lav, she's just an emotional wreck. She's been through a lot of stress."

"Well I have something to tell you Ronald!" Lavender shouted. Thankfully, the corridor was nearly empty since most of the Aurors had left the Ministry building after sending the Death eaters to Azkaban. She pulled him aside and stomped along with him to another room where she promptly slammed the door. Hermione giggled as she stared at the closed door in amusement, then turned her head back just in time to see Ginny plant a kiss on Harry's lips.

"Well! What is this?" she asked with a cocked brow. Harry and Ginny both blushed.

"We're back together," Harry said plainly. He put an arm around Ginny and squeezed her shoulder. Ginny threw her arms around Harry's waist and beamed.

"That's right, 'mione! I can't believe it worked out this way, but we got over ourselves and looked past our differences like you and Malfoy did," Ginny said, needing to add in the details. Suddenly, Hermione turned from the beaming Potters to the door the Weasleys had gone into that was now opening.

Ron stepped out, red in the face and looked either extremely ecstatic or extremely horrid. Lavender followed soon after, happiness written all over her face.

"What's wrong, Ron?" Hermione asked, concern etched all over her face. Ron suddenly blushed, which was very unlike him to do so.

"Lavender and I…we…we're…in love….and…" Ron couldn't seem to stop stuttering and making incomplete sentences.

"You and Lavender are really in love? That's wonderful!" Hermione gushed. She couldn't be happier. Lavender really beamed.

"Ron here told me himself that he really loved me," she said, positively euphoric.

"That's great, really!" Hermione said, feeling truly happy for the first time in two weeks.

"And…well, Lav…Lavender and I…" There went Ron again with his incessant blushing and stuttering. Lavender just rolled her eyes.

"I'm pregnant," she stated plainly. Hermione's eyes widened as did Harry and Ginny's.

"Congratulations!" the three yelled at the same time. While they laughed, kisses, hugs, and congratulations were exchanged.

"I love you, Ronnie!" Lavender suddenly yelled out loud and kissed him with a loud smack! causing Ron to blush all over again.

"If you never call me that again, I love you too, Lav!" A kiss was exchanged and Hermione couldn't feel any happier. She laughed out of positive euphoria and kissed her friends goodbye once again before Apparating to her neighborhood.

She burst into the house and ran up the stairs and burst into the room she and her husband shared.

"How was meeting your friends? Are they alright like I said? Is Weasley finally over you?" Draco asked. He was lighting a small candle next to their bed with his back to her. He was shirtless, wearing only black trousers. Hermione could only pant from running all the way home and up the stairs. Draco turned to look at her curiously.

"Hermione?" he asked quizzically. And Hermione, in five long strides, threw her arms around his neck and kissed him hard, pushing him towards the bed.


i told you Ron would be happy! hope you liked this chapter! this story is almost done!! ahhh! -LoVeDoNtHaTe