Chapter 11- Third time lucky

It was a few weeks later I put my plan into motion. I have decided to propose to her one afternoon after school. Not right after school, with all the other kid's parents watching, but if I ask for an interview with her about Scorpius then that is when I would propose. In fact this afternoon is looking good.

My fingers fly to me left trouser pocket, where the ring is in its box. The ring is rather plain, by Malfoy standards, but I asked a muggle jeweller to engrave the date of our first kiss on the band. The stones on the ring are in the shape of a heart with on half of the heart emerald while the other half is ruby. The ruby was once diamond but I had that removed. It didn't fel right to give the Griffindor princess a ring that was very Slytherin.

I glance at my watch. Two more minutes until the bell. I start to pace. What am I going to say? Is it too soon? Too late? What about Scorpius? Should she meet with Weasely, before I do this?

These questions consume my mind for so long, I miss the bell. As the students pour out of the classroom, I spy a mother pushing her pram into the classroom. I smack my forehead. She stuffed my whole plan up. Who knows how long she'll be in there.

Scorpius attempts to walk over to me but he takes note of my mood and slows down. I take it all back Today is not a good day.

"Excuse me sir, are you here to speak to Miss Granger?" A young mum asks. She's got bleached blonde hair and is guarding a stroller with a three year old in it. It wouldn't be 'Miss Granger' anymore, if Pram Lady hadn't barged in.

"Yes I am." I say, smiling. She falters a little at that smile, but it's been doing that for years. It was useful at Hogwarts, especially when I needed rumours to distract people From Hermione and I.

"I'm sorry Sir, there's a line." She says, shooting me an apologetic smile. It's only now I notice the line of about 10 people.

I brush a few stands of my hair out of my face in silent frustration. "I'll have to come back." I say tight lipped.

I walk past the window and catch Hermione's eye. She smiles at me.

"Come on Scorpius." I put my hand on the small of his back and lead him out of the school. Today is defiantly not a good day.

OoOoOo

I walk back to my desk after dismissing my class. Yesterday's parent-teacher interviews had gone well and there weren't a lot of bad things to say about my students. They were all smart and kind kids who were thankfully highly obedient too.

I shuffle some papers on my desk, looking for my list for this afternoon's interviews. Why was Draco looking so frustrated yesterday? I had been distracted in the interview with Louise's mum. He had smiled back at me when I smiled at him, but his smile didn't reach his eyes. Curious.

"Hermione..." Draco's familiar voice calls. I look up and see him motioning for me to go outside. I quickly follow his instructions.

Once outside he takes my hand and leads me to a seat. "Hermione, we have known each other for quite awhile. At the start of our relationship I was a spoilt little cockroach, who thought that you were less of a person because of your blood type. But then I got to know you. I think that punch you gave me actually knocked some sense into me. Thank you for that." He takes a deep breath. "What I'm trying to work towards is ..."

"Hermione, can you come help me for a second." Bonnie calls from her classroom.

"Yeah, sure." I call back. I start to stand up and spy his deflated expression. "I'm sorry it'll only take a minute." I kiss him quickly on the check.

I run over to Bonnie. She's just got a lot of things to take home and she needs an extra pair of hands.

As promised I quickly help her and return to Draco. However when I go to the bench we were sitting on, he isn't there. I try my classroom but he isn't there either. Where is he? Why did he leave? What was he trying to say to me? I glance at the whiteboard and find a note in his writing. 'Today isn't a good day either' he ends the note with a sad face. Today isn't good for what?

OoOoOo

You may think of me as a coward. And given what I did I would have to agree. It was a few weeks after I had failed once again to propose to Hermione that I attempted it again. I thought that that muggle saying 'Third time lucky' might help me. It didn't.

We had continued to visit each other's homes. I figured that I would try it in the privacy of my own house. I sat her down in the lounge room, the ring in my pocket. I had started the speech like I had that afternoon a few weeks ago. It was going well, until Scorpius realised Hermione was there. He ran into the room, interrupting me and then started to pester Hermione.

"Scorpius leave us this instant." I roared in frustration and anger. Scorpius' eyes filled with tear and he ran towards Hermione who put her arm around him.

"Draco don't yell at him." She said back to me. She had her arm around him and was comforting.

"Why shouldn't I? He's my child not yours." The anger was blinding me from the truth. Hermione practically was Scorpius' mother.

"Malfoy, all I see at the moment is your father. I'm taking Scorpius. You can collect him when you're calm." She said, picking a still crying Scorpius up.

I stood there for a few moments, frozen after what has happened. I had meant to propose to Hermione and instead I had gotten into a fight with her. The sound of then upstairs wakes me. Hermione was telling him to gather his things.

My father? I glance into the mirror. The image reflected back at me will haunt me forever. I saw my father's angered eyes. His tense jaw. His sneer. The crack of them apperating bought me back. I had to follow them. I had to apologise and finally do as I had set out to do.

OoOoOo

I sigh with relief when we appeared in the familiar hallway. Scorpius beside me is still sniffling a little after taking his father's anger. I don't understand why Draco changed like that? It was going so well between us until Scorpius walked in. What had caused Draco to snap? My thoughts are stopped when Ginny walks towards us.

"You two look like you could use a warm drink, come with me." She takes Scorpius' hand and leads us towards the kitchen.

While Scorp was packing some pyjamas and toiletries, I had sent a patronus message to Ginny and Harry telling them I was coming. I hadn't explained why I was visiting. I wanted to do that in person, especially if either of them had unfamiliar company.

"Thank you Ginny." I say as the young witch places a nice hot cup of tea in front of me.

"Its fine, you two can stay here as long as you need." She places a mug of hot chocolate in front of Scorpius. "Why are you here Hermione?"

I sigh before answering. "Draco and I got into a fight. He yelled at Scorpius and said some things to me that I'm sure were said just out of anger." I answer. She places a comforting hand over mine and squeezes it gently. There are suddenly footsteps running down the stairs.

"That will be Teddy." She says, while counting down on her fingers. When she reaches one Teddy walks into the kitchen.

"I heard voices, Ginny." He says. He sees Scorpius and me and starts to smile. "Have you come to read more? Harry tried to read some of it to me, but I like it better when you read."

I laugh at him "I haven't returned for the sole reason to read, but I can if you both want." I reply. Scorpius perks up at this.

"Please Hermione." He says.

"Okay, bring the hot chocolate." I stand up and carry my tea and book into the seating room. Once in the room, we all resume the same positions.

"Is everyone ready?" I ask opening the book to Chapter 5.

"Yes Mione." They say.

I smile before reading. "'The Caterpillar and Alice looked at each other for some time in silence, at last the Caterpillar took the hookah out of its mouth, and addressed her in a languid, sleepy voice...'"

We continued reading until we reached chapter seven. Its then that I notice Harry is standing in the door way, looking at me in a concerned manor.

"Ginny told me." He says, moving towards us. "Teddy, why don't you show Scorpius your bedroom?"

They get up and leave and it's just us.

"I'm sorry for invading like this; I just needed to give him some time to calm down." I push some hair out of my eyes.

He walks towards me and kneels down. "Hermione, you know that you are always welcome here. I trust you and I know that you and Draco will work this all out." He wipes the tears away from my face.

"Thank you Harry." I fling my arms around him in a hug.

"What are you doing here? Go away; she doesn't want to talk to you." Ginny's shrill voice yells.

We move away from each other and reach for our wands. The door is suddenly opened and Draco stands in the door way. I freeze at the site of him. He looks like he did that night in the bathroom. Sad and tormented.

"Leave now. Your son is welcome here, but at the moment you are not." Harry says in a hard, cold voice.

"Hermione let me explain." He says, moving towards us. His silver eyes appear haunted and I know it was my first comment about his father that has caused this.

"Draco." I say. That is all that is needed.

"I love you. I have been trying to do this for weeks now and when Scorpius interrupted me it was the final straw. I love you and despite what happened with Voldemort, I want to continue with the plans we made before. I want to spend the rest of my life with you. Will you marry me?" He says, pulling a velvet box out of his pocket.

I freeze again, confused by what he's saying. Marry him? Of course.

"Yes." I nod my head. "Merlin Yes." He opens the box and shows me the ring. It refects the ring I saw in my dream several weeks ago.

"For the brightest witch of our age, Hermione you seem stumped." Harry laughs. I shoot him a questioning look, before realising why he is laughing. I had given Draco the wrong hand.

I swap the hands and a very teary laugh escapes from my mouth. "I love you." I say to him, once he stands up.

"Love you too." He wraps his arm around my waist and pulls me into a kiss.

The fireworks that some people get when they kiss their loved one are nothing like the ones I'm getting from kissing Draco now. I not only see fireworks but I see out life. A child, the Hogwarts express, growing old. The image is so lovely; I further deepen the kiss, to share with him the images. His throaty laugh informs me that he too can see it. It truly is beautiful.

A/N: As lovely as it would be to leave these two at this point in the story, the fates have another curve ball to throw at Hermione and Draco. This curve ball may not necessarily come from the magical world.