As you might have guessed this is the second last chapter, which also means its the last bit of set-up in the story. It's a bit short and vague, I know, but I hope the last chapter will make up for it. I must admit, I was mildly surprised by the amount of ire Ron got, and just so you know, I don't actually dislike the character as Rowling writes him. While writing this I didn't really think about him much, I was much more focused on my main characters, but I suppose I felt more sorry for him than anything. But, I digress, enjoy the second last chapter. Ta ta.

S. White

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.

Chapter 25 - Y is for Yours

Hermione stayed at Draco's flat that entire week, partly because she just didn't want to leave Draco. Besides, his flat was comfortably cool, his bed was bigger than hers and they both fit easily in it, and Pelly's cooking was much better than her own was. She began to keep some of her things there and leave parts of her wardrobe with him, especially when she discovered that he had plenty of room for it. He even bought her a few things like a beautiful jewellery box to keep her things in at his flat, despite the fact that for a day or two all it contained were the pearl earrings and necklace he had given her for Christmas.

Midway through August Draco surprised her by asking her to go with him to France for a holiday at the end of the month. It wasn't difficult to organize the time off from work and Megan gave her unsolicited permission on the condition that Hermione brought her back a gift. Hermione laughed and agreed. Both of them worked late the week before they left, making sure their respective business was in order and that their coworkers would suffer as little inconvenience as possible from their absence. Of course, Draco had a harder time since he ran the company and took a great deal of interest in it, but he said he could trust his second in command not to ruin him with only a week to do it in.

Hermione was excited when they left, driving down to the coast in Draco's car and taking a ferry across the English Channel. She was already having the time of her life as the sea breezes tossed her hair and Draco lounged in a chair nearby. They drove on to Paris where Draco had booked them into one of the fanciest hotels in the city. When she rolled her eyes at him he grinned.

"Only the best for a Malfoy and his lovely girlfriend. Besides, I couldn't let anything happen to my car and this place has better security."

That was a good point and she had to concede to it. Draco's Aston Martin with foreign plates might be a tempting target for any Parisian car thieves. When they reached the hotel his car was taken by the valet, although with an extra tip to encourage the man to treat it well. Their luggage was taken up and they were shown to a suite of rooms probably the same size as Hermione and Megan's flat.

They spent their days wandering through the city, visiting the tourist attractions but also trying to spend time in the rest of the metropolis as well. Hermione remembered some French from previous trips to France but it turned out languages had been part of Draco's early education and he only needed a little refresher to be nearly fluent. This meant they could wander into cafes or little shops off the tourist paths without fear of trouble communicating. Hermione loved it all and she felt that there was no one in her life right now that she would have rather shared it with than Draco. They had one or two minor disputes, caused more by being in each other's company all day and all night than actual animosity, and Hermione thought she used to have more trouble on holidays with her parents than on this one.

Their week passed quickly and Hermione was a little melancholy when they boarded the return ferry, even as she once again stood in the breeze with Draco's reassuring arm around her waist. It had been a fun week in Paris with no worries, no work, no restraining orders, and Draco around all the time.

When they reached London again Draco asked if she wanted a ride to her flat and she considered it, then asked if he would mind her staying with him for a few days. He agreed without hesitation. It ended up being a week into September before Hermione actually returned to her and Megan's flat and even then Draco was going to stay the next night. It was going to be her first night alone in nearly a month and the thought tugged at her heartstrings. She had gone out with Megan and some of her other friends when she returned from France, even if she hadn't returned home, but her roommate still hugged her when Hermione entered.

"Long time no see," Megan grinned.

"Sorry I haven't been home much," Hermione said with an embarrassed cough.

"Sweetie, you're practically living with him, why don't you just move in and save yourself the rent here?" Megan said with a wink.

"Um, I don't know. I hadn't really thought about it." Hermione did think about it now, though. The idea certainly wasn't unattractive and she did practically live there already. But...

"Don't worry about me. I'll be fine. I went a few months without a roommate before you moved in and I can probably find someone in the Ministry to take the room," Megan said with a smile.

"But do you think it would work? It's been almost a year since we started fake dating; that's not that long, really. I mean, we didn't have any problems in France, but."

"Well, that's a great test, since you were together all day, and you practically live there now. That's been going fine, right?"

"Yes," Hermione said, as if admitting a secret. "It's going really well. It's a nice place and I really like the time with him."

"Well, that's it then. All you have to do is get him to ask you."

"You say that like it's easy," Hermione said with a laugh.

"You'll find a way," Megan said. "And don't worry about me. I'll miss you but I'll manage."

"You're a great roommate and a better friend, you know that?" Hermione said, hugging her friend tightly.

"Yes, so I expect extra good presents at Christmas. Just joking," She added as Hermione laughed.

Draco joined them as planned the next night and Megan kept making frantic gestures behind his back which Hermione did her best to ignore. She didn't know how she could bring up the subject of her moving in with him, since he had enough room and it would be silly to ask him to live with her and Megan. When they were getting ready for bed that night she decided to at least approach the general topic.

"How long have you been living with Megan now? Almost a year, isn't it?" Draco asked suddenly. He was lying on her bed in his underwear waiting for her to finish getting ready and he was looking at the boxes she still hadn't unpacked.

"Yes. The same year since we started mostly dating. Most of those are actually magically shrunken furniture in them. I didn't want to push Megan's things out when I came here," She explained.

"Yes," He said thoughtfully. Then he rolled over on her bed and wrapped his arms around her, pulling her onto the bed beside him. "Come and live with me. You practically do anyway."

Hermione didn't think she could have refused if she wanted to. There Draco was, leaning partly over her in nothing but his boxers, his skin shining in the moonlight and glinting off his white blond hair. She could just make out his expression and it was one of earnestness, the same kind as he had worn months ago when he asked her to visit. Merlin, she loved him. Her heart felt like it would burst from affection. She ran her hand along his cheek and pulled herself up in order to kiss him softly.

"I would love to," She said and he fell sideways to hug her. "Actually, Megan and I were discussing something similar today. It's silly to pay rent for this flat when I only spend a fraction of my time here."

"Ah, so that's what all that waving behind me was for." He grinned. "She's right, it is silly. And I have plenty of room for you and your things."

"You're so humble."

"You love me."

"Yes, I do."

"Let's start moving you this weekend."

"Are you actually helping, then?"

"Won't you want me to lift all the heavy stuff?" He grinned as she punched him lightly. "I'm joking, I'm joking."

"You're ridiculous and handsome and I love you."

"And you are stubborn and beautiful and I love you."

Hermione spent the next few evenings packing her things, occasionally with Megan or Draco's help. She could tell that Megan was sad to see her go but that sadness was matched by her excitement and joy that Hermione was moving in with Draco. Megan had been right about them from the very first when she suggested that they date for real and there was no reason to doubt that this would be a good change too. She also called her parents to let them know about the planned move and found that her mother, at least, was unsurprised. Hermione heard her mother tell her father and she just caught her father's shouted response over the phone:

"Tell him to watch tomorrow's football game! It should be good! Man City is playing Arsenal!"

Hermione and her mother laughed, although Hermione noted that this meant her father wasn't surprised either. And they expected both Hermione and Draco to visit for tea on Hermione's upcoming birthday, her mother said, and Hermione promised to ask him. Later, Hermione called him and he agreed right away. And then, the next day, he watched Manchester City play Arsenal. Hermione also organized another birthday dinner at their favourite restaurant with as many of her friends as possible.

They moved Hermione slowly in the days before her birthday, taking a box or two at a time, and just as slowly, Draco's flat was turned into their flat. Just as he said there was room for her things. Space was found on bookshelves and he even bought a new bookshelf, a spare room was turned into a den full of her old and comfortable furniture, and she laughed as Draco stretched out on her parent's old couch, settling himself in and then telling her he approved. But she was essentially settled in the day after he asked her to stay on a permanent basis. There were two silk robes on hooks on the back of his door now, one in red and one in green.

Her birthday was on a Friday so she and Draco arranged to go for tea the next day instead. She woke up to gentle kisses from Draco a minute or two before her alarm was supposed to go off and she gave him a groggy smile. Pelly had made them a lovely breakfast and gifts of books and a few comforts such as decorative boxes for her things and silk pajamas. He caught her just before she left for work and kissed her passionately, then wished her a happy birthday. She apparated to the Ministry with a smile on her lips.

Megan was waiting for her when Hermione got to work and hugged her. Her friend joked and chatted at any opportunity all day, although unlike the year before, she and Harry didn't need to remind Hermione of their dinner date. It was the same restaurant as the previous year, nearly the same table, and the same group around it, with only the addition of one person. And in a way, Draco had been there two years in a row, since he had been there and made them a gift of champagne. He seemed amused to now be sitting beside Hermione with Megan on his other side, as much a part of the group as Megan was and completely at ease. Instead of sending champagne over, he was able to order it himself and join the toast to his girlfriend, his eyes never leaving her face.

Hermione had a fantastic time with her friends that night and she thought that the best part was that she didn't have a failing relationship hanging over her head. Ron actually sent her a note, handed to her by Harry, and it simply read 'Sorry again, happy birthday.' She smiled a little and then it passed from her mind completely, having no effect on the rest of her night. Instead of moping like last year, she apparated back to her new home wrapped in Draco's arms. He kissed her in the elevator on their way up, slowly and gently, becoming more passionate when she responded in kind. Hermione's face was very pink when the doors opened and Pelly opened the door for them before either she or Draco found their keys. They thanked Pelly and hurried off, unable to get to the bedroom fast enough.

They stayed in bed late the next morning, although Hermione would have to admit they weren't exactly sleeping. They still got ready and left on time to get to the Grangers, deciding to drive and arrive by muggle means. Hermione's parents lived in a nice area of the London suburbs, similar in situation, in fact, to the area of Privet Drive that Harry was so familiar with, but still Hermione caught a few people enjoying the nice day staring as Draco's Aston Martin rolled by. In fact, one of the Grangers' neighbours accidently dropped the hosepipe while washing his car and soaked himself when Draco pulled into her parents' driveway. Draco grinned and waved at the man when he got out.

Mrs. Granger hugged them both when she answered the door and to Hermione's amusement Draco was more than a little surprised, reacting only after a second's pause. Mr. Granger hugged his daughter and shook Draco's hand and immediately launched into a football discussion. Draco looked relieved to be on this much firmer ground and soon relaxed again. Hermione and her mother chatted about their family and Hermione told her how well she was settling in at her and Draco's flat as the tea brewed and the men talked football. Once the tea was poured and biscuits were arranged on a plate they were forced by the stern glare of Mrs. Granger to abandon the football for at least a little while.

They talked about their jobs, their friends, and their family, news in Britain and in the rest of the world, and anything else that came up. Hermione and Draco avoided allusions to magic but they were both in jobs where this wasn't difficult. Even if her parents couldn't understand Hermione's work with wizarding laws, they could and did understand her attempts to change the muggleborn laws as getting rid of legal discrimination and all Draco had to do was stick to his muggle clients. He listened politely to updates on Hermione's family, even trying to match some of the names to people he had seen at the wedding, although he offered nothing about his own family.

Still, the afternoon went well. Mrs. Granger let the men leave after the first pot of tea was exhausted. She and Hermione chatted over a second one but Mr. Granger and Draco disappeared into another room. At first Hermione thought that the men were suspiciously quiet for minutes at a time and she was almost ready to get up and check on them when she heard the title sequence of the sports broadcast and the announcer introducing that afternoon's game. They ended up staying until the end of the game so that Draco didn't miss it on the drive but Hermione didn't mind since it gave her more time with her mother.

It turned out that her mother had not been at all surprised when Hermione had called to let her parents know she was moving in with Draco. Mrs. Granger had seen the way they looked at each other at the wedding and heard the way her daughter talked about her boyfriend. Her mother even told her that she didn't remember Hermione being like this with Ron other than for a brief spell of less than a year at the beginning of their relationship. Mrs. Granger then pointed out it had been about a year with Draco now, so she was probably safe, making Hermione blush.

When the game was over Mr. Granger wanted to bring Hermione upstairs to show her quickly what they had done with the house since moving in. It was interesting but Hermione wasn't entirely sure it warranted the tour. They returned back downstairs to find Draco pulling his shoes on and talking about their flat with Mrs. Granger, specifically how Hermione was contributing to the monthly payments and how they were splitting the bills. Hermione hugged her parents goodbye and Draco received another hug and handshake. She was sure that there were faces in the neighbouring windows as they left and Draco went down to his car.

Mr. and Mrs. Granger waved from the door and they waved back as they pulled out of the driveway. Once on the road Hermione smiled and leaned back in her seat with a happy sigh. The visit had gone very well, just as she had been hoping. Yes, Draco had met her parents before but a visit with just the four of them was very different than a family event with dozens, even if they still didn't mingle much. Especially when Ron had largely ignored her parents she wanted Draco to be on good terms with them and he seemed to be exceeding expectations.

The next day Draco gave Hermione a kiss on the cheek and left her reading in the living room, telling her he was going to visit his mother. She was a little nervous as she waiting for him to return, not knowing what she was afraid of but worried something might happen. But he returned safely a little over an hour later and even if he didn't look happy, he had a satisfied expression. He came straight to her, kissing her, and then joining her with a book of his own.

When Hermione returned home from work on Monday, Draco was waiting for her, despite the fact that he usually left late. She raised an eyebrow at him as he approached.

"Mione? I have a business trip coming up and I want you to come with me," He said with a smile.

"Where to?"

"Bath."