Um...yeah. Longest chapter written to date - and I really hope you like it. I'd also like to say in advance in regarding the stag party - well - I'm a girl, and I don't spend a lot of time in strip clubs because it's tacky. So when reading this, remember it's just a silly story - and not one you have to comment on only to tell me what's wrong with it or how something wouldn't happen that way because it just ruins the fun. And fun is what reading and writing fanfiction is all about :D


James sat on the couch in Draco and Hermione's living room, arms crossed tightly against his chest with his lower lip jutting out a bit. All sorts of bags and luggage were near the door, waiting to embark on what was most certainly going to be an adventure. An adventure James didn't realize he was going to be left out of until today. Harry sat next to James with an arm wrapped around the devastated boy who sniffled repeatedly, as if sniffling was keeping the tears pooled in his eyes from spilling down his cheeks. George sat on the other side of James, giving his nephew a reassuring pat on the leg while Draco and Blaise stood on the other side of the coffee table. Draco felt terrible that James was upset about not being allowed to go but it wasn't like anything Blaise had planned was going to be appropriate for grown men, let alone James.

"Buddy, I'm sorry," Harry said apologetically. "But you just aren't old enough to go."

"It's not fair Daddy!" James cried. "I want to go too!"

"I know," Harry replied, hugging him as he kissed the top of his head. "But someone has to stay with Albus while he's with Miss Narcissa and Mister Malfoy this weekend. You wouldn't want him to be lonely would you?"

James sniffled. "No. I just don't know why no one wants me to come because Uncle Draco said it was a boys weekend and I always do stuff on boys weekends!" He looked over at Blaise and scowled. "It's all your fault!"

"Me!" Blaise exclaimed. "What did I do!"

"I never gots left out of things and now you're here and I get left out of everything!" James cried.

"James Sirius Potter," Harry said, soft but stern. "That's enough. You apologize to Blaise for your tone. This isn't his fault. You're just not old enough to go this time."

"Sorry," the boy muttered, not looking at Blaise who looked a bit taken aback at James' outburst.

James wiped his eyes with the backs of his hands and looked to Draco. "You're going to have fun without me."

Draco felt a pull at his chest as the little boy's pouting lip. "You know," he said. "Your mummy and Aunt Hermione have their party in a month, their party with just the girls, maybe you and I can do something fun - just us two like we used to."

The suggestion perked James up just a bit as he sniffled again. "Just you and me?"

"You and me," Draco promised.

James leaned into Harry, who hugged his son again with the arm still wrapped around him. "Well…could Daddy come too?"

"Of course," Draco replied. "You, me, and your dad."

"Fine," James replied, a bit less sullen.

At the sight of his mother descending the staircase, James leapt off of the couch and ran towards her, burying his face in her legs as he barreled into her in the foyer. Ginny looked over at Harry and gave him a silly grin before bending over to pick up her eldest. He latched his legs around her waist, his face in the crook of her neck as she comforted him. Ginny, with James in her arms, walked over and stood as Harry got off of the couch and met her halfway, giving her a sweet kiss as his hand rubbed James' back.

"Be good," Ginny said, kissing him again.

Harry kissed her a final time and grinned. "You have fun with 'Mione."

"Will do," she replied. She looked at the rest of the men in the room "I'm expecting you all to return in one piece. Even you, Zabini."

Blaise rolled his eyes. "It's a bit more believable when you aren't sneering, Weasley."

"Potter," she bluntly corrected.

"You'll always be Weasley to me," Blaise replied with a half grin. "Now boys - can we pleaseget this show on the road? We're already behind schedule."

"Heaven forbid you get behind schedule."

Draco laughed at the sound of Hermione's voice as she walked into the living room through the other doorway. He walked over to her as Blaise audibly groaned. "We need to go!" Blaise whined.

"Don't get your knickers in a wad," Draco snarked as he looped his arms around Hermione. "Have fun this weekend," he said, brushing a kiss against the tip of her nose.

She looked up at him, raising her eyebrows. "You have fun this weekend. But not too much fun."

He winked. "Wouldn't dream of it."

Hermione stood on her tiptoes and kissed him lightly on the lips. "I love you."

"I love you more," he replied.

"Not possible," Hermione said. "You better get going before Zabini over there has a stroke."

Draco looked over at Blaise, who was pleading with his entire body to get the show on the road. "Right," he replied. He kissed her again and turned around, jumping a bit as he felt a hand smack his behind quickly. "Hey!" he yelped.

Her eyebrows danced mischievously. "Just giving you a reminder as to who owns your ass."

He laughed. "Because there was a chance I'd forget?"

"Let's hope not - for your sake anyway," she retorted with a smirk.

"Let's go!" Blaise groaned.

The men filed out of the house, luggage in tow. Hermione watched as the door closed before collapsing on to the couch. Ginny moved and sat next to her, still holding a sniffling James. "It's just not fair," Hermione heard James squeak as Ginny rocked him slightly from side to side.

"You know James," Ginny said, brushing a hand over his shaggy brown hair as he looked up at her. "You shouldn't be in such a hurry to grow up. You'll be all grown up before you know it."

James cocked his head to the side, his cheeks red and tear stained. "I just wish I could do everything Daddy gets to do."

"I know, sweetheart," Ginny softly spoke. "But could you do Mummy a favor? It's a pretty big favor that only you can do."

He sat up a bit straighter in his mother's lap, looking at her as he solemnly shook his head. "I'd do anything for you, Mummy."

Ginny grinned, pressing a kiss to his forehead. "Stay a little boy for just a bit longer. Mummy isn't ready for you to be big yet."

James sighed, clearly unimpressed with his mother's request. "But it's ok if I'm big because Albus is still little."

She shook her head. "You're my first baby, James Sirius Potter. If Mummy had it her way, you'd stay little forever. So do me a favor and be a little boy for as long as possible."

He put his small hands on Ginny shoulders and looked right at her, as if he was mimicking what he'd certainly seen his father do numerous times. "You know, Mummy, I'm going to have to grow up someday."

Hermione bit her lips together, watching as James channeled his inner Harry with the sweet but serious way he was eyeing his mother. But she was on team Ginny - and wasn't any more ready for James to grow up than his mother was. Ginny looked over at Hermione as if she too, was in disbelief at what she was witnessing, before turning her attention back to James. "You're right, sweetheart. You will have to grow up someday."

"But…" James said, pursing his lips together as if he was in the middle of a deep thought. "I promise, I'll grow up as slow as possible."

Ginny grabbed James' face with her hands and pulled his forehead to her lips for another big kiss. "I guess that will have to do," she replied with a grin. "Now why don't you go and find Miss Narcissa and see if she needs help with Albus."

"No need to find me," Narcissa said, walking down the stairs with Albus on her hip and Lucius following behind her. "Someone woke up a little bit early from his nap - but he seems in a good enough mood." Narcissa set Albus down on the ground as she reached the living room, everyone watching as Albus showed off his impressive crawling skills as he motored as fast as his hands and knees could carry him before pulling himself up onto his feet, his chubby hands gripping the coffee table for assistance. "Looks like someone's going to be walking soon," Narcissa mused.

"Indeed," Ginny replied. "I'm surprised he isn't walking sooner. James was practically running at ten months."

"They all learn at their own pace," Narcissa replied. "Draco didn't walk until he was what, a year old?" she asked, looking at Lucius.

Her husband shook his head no. "Thirteen months," he corrected. "Of course, Cissa wouldn't put him down so I'm certain had she not had the child attached to her hip, he would have indeed learned to walk sooner."

Narcissa playfully swatted her husband on the arm, and he cracked a small, loving smile at his wife. "I didn't carry him everywhere."

"Of course not, dear," Lucius replied.

"Mum mum mum mum mum mum," Albus repeated with a smile so big you could see all the teeth he had grown in recent months.

James crawled off of his mother's lap and got on his knees by his brother. "Say James, Albus. Say James!"

"Mum mum mum mum mum mum!" Albus replied excitedly.

"No Albus - James!" his big brother exclaimed. Albus repeated his 'mum' mantra, giggling and bouncing as he held onto the coffee table, much to everyone's amusement. "He's never going to learn my name."

Hermione laughed. "Sure he will, sweetheart. James is a hard name for a baby to say. Much like Hermione was hard to say for you. You used to scream 'Me!' at the top of your lungs when you were little when you tried to say my name."

James giggled. "I did?"

"You did," Hermione confirmed. "But Albus seems to be pretty smart - just like his big brother - he'll figure it out before you know it."

Ginny looked to Narcissa and Lucius. "Are you sure you want both of them until tomorrow? Mum will be more than glad to take them."

Narcissa shooed her with a hand. "We will be fine, won't we Lucius?"

Lucius sighed, pursing his lips together before responding. "We will be fine," he said, clearly not as excited about a weekend with small ones as his wife was. Hermione found it hysterical that Narcissa even offered, but melted slightly when she overheard Narcissa tell Lucius that they needed practice as she hoped for grandchildren in her near future. What surprised her even further was that pulling the grandchild card seemed to not only work on the elder Malfoy, but also sparked some interest. "I'm sure it will be…an adventure of sorts."

Ginny scooped up Albus from his stance at the table and gave him a big kiss on the cheek while tickling his belly to make him giggle. "You be good for Mummy, little man." Albus babbled a reply before giving Ginny a slobbery, open-mouthed kiss that only babies can get away with. Handing him over to Narcissa, Ginny then bent down and gave James another big hug and a kiss. "You be an extra special help to Miss Narcissa and Mister Malfoy, alright?"

James nodded. "Will you bring me back a present?"

Ginny nodded. "I most certainly will."

"Albus too," James reminded.

"Of course," Ginny said. Looking back at Narcissa and Lucius, Ginny began to rattle various bits of information, clearly becoming a bit nervous at the prospect of leaving both of her children for longer than twenty-four hours at a time with someone other than her parents or Hermione and Draco. "Hermione left the name and the number of the hotel and spa in the kitchen, and I have my mobile if you need anything, and I wrote out Albus' schedule and he shouldn't really give you any problems as he's used to sleeping here and -"

Surprisingly enough, it was Lucius who cut her off kindly, extending an arm to gently place his hand on her shoulder. "We will call on you if we need you, though between Cissa and Jori, I'm certain we will not have a problem."

Hermione linked arms with Ginny and gave her friend a good hug on the arm. "They'll be fine," she reassured Ginny.

"Yeah Mummy, we'll be fine," James chimed in for good measure.

Ginny sighed and smiled. "I know, I know, I'm just being -"

"A mom," Narcissa replied with a smirk. "You two girls go off and enjoy yourselves. We will see you tomorrow evening."


"What did you say this kind of car was called again," George asked, pushing his hands into the leather seats.

"A limousine," Blaise replied, charming four shot glasses to hover in mid air as he filled them to the brim with fire whiskey. "Take one, gentlemen, as it will be the first of many this weekend." Draco chuckled as he, along with Harry and George, grabbed a shot. "A toast," Blaise announced, grabbing his glass and hoisting it in front of him. "To a most excellent weekend, courtesy of yours truly, on behalf of the pale sap that sits in front of me. Enjoy tonight, Malfoy, because I'm certain you'll be too busy knocking up Granger once your married, thus killing any fun you may ever want to have for like…ever."

Draco rolled his eyes as he clinked his shot glass with everyone else. "Touching, Blaise."

Blaise threw back his shot and shook his head as the whiskey slid down his throat. "I try. Bottoms up, bitches."

Draco, Harry, and George gave each other a weary look before throwing their shots back, much to Blaise's enjoyment. "Please tell me we don't have to take another," Harry winced.

"Not just yet," Blaise smirked. "But Potter, now would be as good as time as any to relocate your balls, because you're wife isn't with us and what she doesn't know won't kill her. Repeat that to yourself multiple times if necessary."

Harry rolled his eyes. "You two need to learn how to get along."

"I don't believe it's possible," Blaise replied. "I tried. She tried. We just don't like each other."

"It's easy to get along with Ginny," George said.

"Yeah," Draco chimed in. "It's not that difficult."

"Then what's the secret?" asked Blaise.

Draco laughed. "You just do what she says."

"I'll drink to that," George said, leaning over to grab the bottle of fire whiskey to give himself and the others a refill, the four of them toasting once again before taking the second shot. "Where are we going, anyway?"

The limousine turned, and out the window, Draco could see them pulling through the gates of what appeared to be a small airfield with a plane waiting near one of the hangers. He looked over at Blaise, who was wearing a smirk that made him nervous. "Where are we going?" he repeated George's question to Blaise.

"Amsterdam," Blaise replied. "Fucking brilliant, if I do say so myself."

"Amsterdam?" The other three chorused.

"Yes," Blaise said, placing his sunglasses on as the limousine pulled into the hanger and parked. "Follow me, boys. A night of debauchery…awaits."

The four of them piled out of the limousine and stared at the small, private aircraft. Draco knew that Harry had been on an airplane a few times when he went to visit Hermione in New York, and he knew Blaise preferred flying to apparating long distances. George however, he was certain had never been on an airplane, but judging by the look on his face, he was very much fascinated with the idea. Draco wasn't wild about flying on a plane, but he figured a few more fire whiskey shots could cure his jitters. As the driver unloaded the limousine with their luggage for the weekend, the four men walked towards the jet with Blaise leading the way.

"Draco," Harry said as the two lingered back a bit from Blaise and an overly eager George. "You don't think he'd plan anything…illegal, do you?"

"Wizard illegal or muggle illegal?"

"Illegal period."

Draco laughed. "Nah. I don't know what he has up his sleeve, but he's not one for getting arrested. Now - that's not to say we won't need brand new livers by the night's end, because I'm pretty sure his agenda includes a lot of liquor."

"Brilliant," Harry said, sounding a bit unsure of himself. "Um, question. You uh…you don't think Ginny's as bad as Blaise makes her sound some days, do you?"

Draco shook his head as they handed their luggage to the attendant on the ground. "Blaise doesn't know how to deal with strong women like your wife. He talks shit because he's bloody scared of her. Why do you think he's attracted to Luna?"

"I was wondering the same thing to be honest," Harry replied as they walked up the stairs. "Because she isn't as passive aggressive as she seems."

"Well," Draco said with a laugh. "That'll be fun for Blaise. Best we don't tell him though - it'll only spoil the fun for us."

Entering the airplane, both Draco and Harry found themselves slack-jawed. It wasn't the plane itself, though for a private jet it was the epitome of luxury with its plush couch seating and bucket chairs and other rich amenities. It was instead due to the four beautiful women carrying trays of champagne, food, wearing nothing but high heels and very tiny pieces of lingerie. All of them may as well have been naked, as what they were wearing left little to the imagination.

"Mouths closed, boys," Blaise smirked as he and George clearly appeared to be enjoying the view as they toasted their champagne flutes together. "Sit down and buckle up - it's about to be the best forty minute flight of your life."

Amsterdam may have been a short flight, but Draco felt it to be an eternity in the sky between his nerves for flying and the fact that the females on board were making him a bit uncomfortable with how they would bend and lean when them bringing drinks and snacks. Blaise and George on the other hand were eating it up. Draco figured it was easy for George to let loose, considering there wasn't more than a handful of things in life he took too seriously. Blaise, of course, channeling his inner man whore, was right at home with the women practically shoving their voluptuous breasts and bottoms in his face. Harry kept drinking, probably figuring that the drunker he was the less he would remember, thus being able to be completely honest when answering Idon'tknow when Ginny asked what happened.

"Explain something to me, Zabini," Draco said. "How are you so laissez-faire about the women who are practically naked on this airplane when you are currently attempting to pursue Luna Lovegood?"

Blaise grinned. "Because we're when I say I'm quietly dating her, I really mean I'm pursuing her like a fool but she keeps rebuking my efforts."

"Could it be that she realizes you have no morals?" Harry half joked, downing another glass of champagne.

"Pace yourself, Potter," Blaise warned. "There's something about Luna that intrigues me. But I'm not making much progress with her. She does not seem to be affected by my charm."

The guys laughed. "Well," George said. "Luna marches to the beat of her own drum."

"She certainly does," Harry replied. "If you want to truly woo her, you're going to have to become a gentleman."

Blaise sighed. "A gentleman?"

"I know it's a new word for your vocabulary," Draco teased. "But with a little bit of practice, and maybe some shock therapy, you too, can become a man worthy enough to date someone as pure as Luna Lovegood in no time."

The ladies walked around offering a final drink before the plane began its descent into Amsterdam. Taking a final shot, Blaise sloshed the fire whiskey down his throat and gave the scantily clad woman a quick smack on the bum. "Looks like this is my last weekend of fun as well, boys. So we better fuckin' make it count."


Hermione and Ginny thanked the bellhop again, tipping him generously before leaving them to their adjoining suites at Les Belles Sorcière - a luxury hotel and spa in a hidden wizarding area of Paris, tucked away on the other side of the Champs Elysee. The large suite Draco reserved for them was decorated with calming colors with hints of jasmine floating through the air, something she was certain he requested just for her.

Ginny she sat down on the bed, moaning as she lay back on the mattress. "Merlin this is heavenly!"

Hermione laughed as she unpacked her bag to keep her clothes from wrinkling. "It's supposed to be the best wizarding spa in all of Europe."

Ginny heard the tone in her best friends voice and sat right up. "We don't have to sit in one of those sticky steam rooms again, do we?"

She continued to chuckle, looping a dress onto a hanger to place in the closet. "No - though you definitely just sounded like James for a second.

"Ha ha, very funny," Ginny mocked. She laid back on the bed again and exhaled a heavy sigh. "This is the first time I've left Albus overnight with someone who wasn't' you, Draco, or my parents."

Hermione gave her friend a sweet smile. "He'll be fine. So will James."

"It is a bit weird…leaving them with Lucius."

"And Narcissa," Hermione said. "And Jori. The kids will be alright."

"I know," Ginny said through another sigh. "I think Albus likes Lucius. Have you noticed?"

Hermione removed her necklace and bracelet, setting them in the small jewelry dish on the dresser. "Well, Albus is very much a watcher, and Lucius isn't exactly Mr. Personality…so I see how the two of them can sit together and be perfectly content with each other's company." She plucked her earrings from her ears and set them in the dish. "So do we spa first then shop, or do we shop then spa?"

Ginny sat back up. "Shop?"

"We're in Paris, Ginny. You don't come to Paris without the intention to shop at some point. Besides - you were bragging about getting that ass of yours back into your skinny jeans the other day and it got me thinking when the last time you had a proper wardrobe update."

Laughing, Ginny gathered her long red locks in her hand and with the elastic on her wrist, tied it up into ponytail a little more than halfway up the back of her head, looking like a true twenty-something instead a mother of two. "I don't tend to wear anything that can't survive the chaos of two messy boys."

"Well guess what, Ginevra Molly Weasley Potter," Hermione teased. "That's no reason why you can't look your age while doing it. You've got a serious body underneath those clothes - and you ought to start showing it off. And you can't say no, either, because it's my treat. No one deserves a weekend of pampering more than you do. I'm convinced of it."

Ginny shook her head no. "This isn't a weekend about me - it's about you."

"Trust me - it'll be all about me in September," Hermione replied with a wink. "So what are we doing first - spa, salon, or shopping?"


The penthouse suite Blaise had waiting for the men on the top floor of the Hotel de Pulitzer was nothing short of exquisite. Decked out in golds, creams, and chocolates, there were four rooms with a king sized bed in each, an attached private bath to each room, and a large common room in the middle complete with a small kitchenette, a large plasma television, and an awkward looking box with funny remotes. Draco had seen commercials for them on telly before, but he couldn't remember what they did. If James were he - he'd know what they were called. He was always up to date on muggle technology.

"Alright," Blaise said. "Shower - get ready - we have dinner reservations at Piet de Leeuw - the best steakhouse in the city - and then it's off to the red light district for a little bit of fun at the Bananenbar - and I promise you that it will not disappoint, my friends. It will not disappoint."

Draco and Harry took the rooms on the left side of the suite, while Blaise and George - who clearly bonded over their enjoyment of scantily clad women on the airplane - took the rooms on the right side of the suite. He unpacked his suit from the suitcase and hung it up on the back of the closed door. He vaguely remembered Blaise telling him of the Bananenbar a year or two after the war was over. He received a letter via owl and nearly had to explain to his muggle flat mate why there was a large owl pecking on the window - but lucky for him his girlfriend called for him from his bedroom, which provided enough of a distraction. Draco recognized Blaise's distinctive scrawl immediately. Amsterdam.Bananenbar. Fuckin' tits and ass everywhere. Get here.He rolled his eyes and laughed as he wrote back on the letter - Sorry-no can do. Exams this week. Enjoy a lap dance for me - and sent the message back to Blaise with the owl.

He hopped in the shower, wondering what Hermione was doing at that moment. Probably up to her neck in one of those disgusting mud baths she swears relieves all aches and pains anyone could have. She went to the spa in London every so often for a day of relaxation on the recommendation of a healer, who told her that with her history of being under the cruciatus curse for as long as she was inside the Manor that it would help relieve the arthritis that had a tendency to flare up every now and then in her joints and bones.

The sheer thought of Hermione, however, roaming about the spa in a bikini or less was enough to cause Draco a small, or well, a not so small problem as he shed his clothing and made his way to the bathroom. Once in the shower, still thinking of Hermione, he bent his neck and closed his eyes as the hot water sprayed his neck and streamed down his back, one hand braced against the granite wall of the shower while the other pumped his erection. It didn't take long for him to come - all it took was a few thoughts of Hermione's brilliant laugh, her walking around the house in those black yoga pants that may as well have been second skin as tight as they were in all the right places, or how her voice sounded lost in her throat when she would instruct him to touch her. He felt his release, panting as he aimed himself as best as he could towards the drain of the shower, washing away the evidence.

Finishing up his shower, Draco wrenched the water handle to its off position and climbed out, securely wrapping a towel around his waist. He used his arm to wipe away the steam from the mirror, catching his reflection in the mirror. His appearance still managed to catch him off guard some days. A lifetime of having a glare and a sneer staring back at him, his face now, relaxed with a hint of a smile, sometimes made him feel like he was living someone else's life. But it wasn't someone else's life. It was his life - the life he chose to make for himself. Everything was clicking into place. His parents' house would be finished by next week, completely secured and protected with every measure possible on the word of Kingsley Shacklebolt himself. In two months his left ring finger would no longer be naked, and he would welcome the weight of the hardware that he already swore to never remove.

Draco was tucking in the crisp white shirt Hermione had Jori press for him that morning into his black dress pants when he heard a knock on the door adjoining his room to Harry's. "You decent?" he heard Harry ask.

"Yeah," he replied, zipping his pants up and fastening the button as Harry entered. He was wearing black pants and a light blue shirt, fastening the sleeves together with his cufflinks with his suit jacket draped over one of his arms. "You ready for tonight?"

Harry snorted. "Are you?"

"I'm not too worried," Draco replied. "This night isn't really for me as much as it is for Blaise. I'm just along for the ride."

"I know this is going to sound ridiculous," Harry started to say. "But up until today on the airplane, the only woman I'd ever seen with fewer pieces of clothing was Ginny. I think it's why I kept drinking…I felt completely awkward."

Draco shook his head. "It doesn't sound ridiculous, Harry. Not in the slightest."

Harry sat down on the edge of Draco's bed and scratched the back of his head. "I mean, I don't really have any desire to see women naked, unless you know, it's Ginny."

Sitting down next to Harry, Draco laughed a bit as he buttoned up the rest of his shirt. "I feel the same way about Granger - though I'd be lying if I said I only came to the realization the day she 'fell' onto me and kissed me."

Harry laughed. "What a ruddy excuse. Best Hermione story ever, in my opinion."

Draco agreed. "Well, what I didn't tell you about that story was that while sleeping, she was the one I was dreaming about kissing. Imagine my surprise when I woke up and realized it wasn't a dream."

"Like your little bout of sleep sex?" he teased.

"Exactly!" Draco exclaimed. "Before - I mean, it was just a pretty face, or a model from a magazine I could fantasize about, or one of the various girlfriends I had - but the moment Granger appeared back in my life…suddenly it was only her that I wanted." He stood up and grabbed his suit jacket and threw it on, fixing the collar of his shirt with the help of the mirror above the dresser.

Harry followed Draco's lead, using the mirror to fix his own collar. "You think you'll ever stop calling her Granger?"

Draco shrugged. "Probably not."

"Even though in two months she'll be a Malfoy?"

"I think she's going to hyphenate her name," Draco replied.

"Really?" Harry asked.

"I didn't expect her change her last name, or hyphenate it really," Draco said. "I saw a piece of parchment she'd been apparently practicing writing different versions of her new name. If it were anyone else, it would probably bother me a bit, but it's Granger, and well, she does what she wants. Marriage isn't going to change that about her."

Harry frowned a bit. "If Ginny didn't want to change her name, I think I would be a bit put out."

"Yeah, but who wouldn't want to become a 'Potter'?" Draco mocked with a laugh. "Comparing your last name to mine is like comparing a bright and shiny apple to a rotting one."

"I don't think it's that bad," Harry replied.

"Well, it was at one point in time," Draco countered.

A loud banging on the door caused them both to jump a bit. "Hurry up damn it - we have things to do tonight!" they heard Blaise bellow on the other side of the door.

"Draco?" Harry asked before the two left his room.

"Yeah?"

"How bad is this Bananenbar place we're going to later?"

Draco held back a laugh. "Well, I've never been. But from what I know – I'd say imagine the airplane, only worse."

Harry grimaced a bit. "Brilliant."


Hermione sat in the salon chair as the hairstylist touched up her short coif a bit, adding a bit of texture to the top of her hair so it would have just a touch of volume on the days that she did nothing more than throw a headband in. Ginny sat next to her in the other chair, watching intently as the hairstylist took sheers to her straight red locks, giving her hair layers for the first time.

"Breathe, Ginny," Hermione reminded. "It's looking great."

"You think Harry will like it?"

"Harry will love it."

Ginny exhaled, cracking a small smile as she watched her reflection in the mirror. "It does look good, doesn't it?"

"Just wait until it's finished," Hermione replied. Her hairstylist removed the cape around her smiled. "Oh - I love it!" she exclaimed.

"And it will be zee perfect length in time for za wedding," the man said in his thick French accent.

Hermione eagerly nodded in agreement. She reached down for her purse and pulled out her credit card, handing it to her hair stylist. "Please make sure you put both hair cuts on this."

"As you wish, Mademoiselle," he said, taking the card and turning on his heel.

"Hermione!" Ginny hissed. "That's not necessary!"

She rolled her eyes at the redhead. "It is necessary, because I love you - you're one of my best, well, really, only girl friend I've ever truly had. Consider this weekend my gift to you - the best matron of honor I could have asked for."

"Well, when you put it that way…" Ginny replied with a cheeky grin.

Once the hairstylist was done with Ginny, she showed her a few quick ways to pull her hair up with her new layers, which gave her a cute, chic look to match her age. Ginny was glad to see that all of them were easy, as she perfectly replicated what the stylist did after being shown each style once. "I cannot thank you enough!" she gushed to the woman, leaping out of her chair and hugging the stylist. "'Mione you were right! It looks amazing!"

"See!" Hermione exclaimed. Her hairstylist returned with her credit card in hand. Quickly, Hermione scrawled her name at the bottom of the receipt and handed it back to him. "You'd never guess she has two little ones, would you?" she asked, pointing to Ginny and her new hairdo.

The man's eyes went wide as he shook his head no. "Not with zhat body," he genuinely replied.

Ginny exhaled brightly and clasped her hands together. "Ok - I think I'm ready for that new wardrobe now."

"That's the spirit!" Hermione exclaimed, giving Ginny a high five as they giggled.


Dinner with the men was a rowdy affair, set back in a private room as the drinks kept coming while they dove into their food. All of them were exchanging stories under the sworn secrecy that they would never reveal to the girls what was discussed, though at one point Harry had to cut George off regarding an escapade of him and Angelina because if he had heard a second more of it, he never would have been able to look her in the eye again the next time they were all gathered at the Burrow.

The men were laughing and causing quite the ruckus, as passersby in the restaurant were constantly trying to peek between the red curtains that separated the private area off, wondering what could possibly be so funny.

"I mean, this fucking squeaking noise - it was driving me up the goddamn wall and I had every fucking elf in the house trying to find it. I've literally never been more irritated in my life. It was inside - it was outside, but it's nowhere to be found!" Blaise exclaims, jumping out of his seat and standing up the chair as he continued his story. "Finally, I'm outside on the patio and I hear it the noise out of the window on the third floor and I'm thinking to myself, 'holy shit - that's Nott's room' - and then I'm thinking that it's about damn time but now I'm curious. I mean - Nott wasn't exactly an attractive bloke, and I've got hot women roaming the house at all times. Convinced he had to have thrown a glamour charm over his ugly mug, I start to scale up the ivy covered lattice and when I peeked into the window - I swear to you I damn near fell off the wall."

Draco knew where he was going with the story the moment he heard him talk about the squeaking, but didn't want to ruin it as the theatrics of Blaise's storytelling were nothing but sheer amusement.

"I mean, I don't even know how you stuck it in her, Draco," Blaise said. "Because Pansy sounds like one of those animal toys with an obnoxious sounding squeak box. It took me a minute to realize Nott was ramming Pansy, and when I say ramming, I mean - he was fucking pounding her and had it not been so fucking uncoordinated -" Blaise began to imitate the sloppy thrusts of his and Draco's former friend to the point that Harry and George were pounding the table with their fists as they broke out into fits of laughter. "I've never seen anything more awkward in my life but I literally could not stop watching as that gangly fuck just kept slamming into her! It was hysterical!"

Draco laughed, not knowing if it was Blaise's imitation or the amount of liquor in his own body that made the story so funny. "I cannot believe you watched those two," he finally managed to get out. "Even when I was sleeping with her - I did it with my eyes shut!"

"Yes - well - she eventually caught me and threw a hex at me and I fell off the wall into the shrubs," Blaise said, causing everyone to laugh harder at the mental image of Blaise, ass over end before crashing into the shrubs.

Once dinner was over, Blaise handed the waiter a wad of Dutch currency that covered dinner as well as an overly generous tip considering the ruckus they caused, and from there the four men - all a bit tipsy, meandered through the streets of Amsterdam until they stumbled upon their destination. Before they entered, Blaise held his hands up as seriously as his woozy state could muster and cleared his throat.

"This ought to be good, eh?" George said with a laugh as he nudged Draco in the arm."

Draco laughed, giving Blaise his attention.

"This place is magical," Blaise began to speak. "Beautiful women. Copious amounts of alcohol." He looked over at Harry and shook his head. "Wipe the terrified look off of your face, Potter. We're talking about breasts - not Voldermort. The women won't touch you…unless you want them to, that is," he said with a wink.

"Don't worry, Harry," George piped in. "If it gets too crazy, I promise to oblivate you so that you can plead sincere ignorance if my darling sister asks what happened."

"Oh leave him alone, both of you!" Draco said with a scowl, giving Blaise and George both a shove. "Are you done pontificating?" he asked Blaise. "Because I'd like to continue drinking in order to survive the remainder of this evening."

"Because I'd like to continue drinking in order to survive the remainder of the evening," Blaise mimicked sarcastically, rocking his head from side to side for emphasis. "Malfoy - it's your last big hoorah as a single man - could you do me this one favor and not be a complete stick in the mud?"

Draco rolled his eyes and turned Blaise around towards the entrance. "Of course. Please. Lead the way - oh great one."

"That's the spirit! Come along now! Let's get the night started!"


The girls shopped until they dropped, both of them returning back to the hotel with enough clothes between the two of them to open up their own boutique. Their bags were filled with shoes, belts, jewelry, clothes of every type, and the amount of money spent between the two of them could only be described as obscene. They also found new clothes for James and Albus - some of the which Ginny couldn't wait to put them in when it came time for their family portraits and Albus' one-year photos. They of course picked a few things up for Draco and Harry - but the majority of the lot in front of them was for Ginny.

Exhausted from their marathon day of shopping after the salon, they ordered room service for dinner and ate on the patio of their hotel, a crystal clear view of the Eiffel Tower as their backdrop with the sun beginning to set. "I cannot wait to see the look on Harry's face when he sees you tomorrow," Hermione gushed as she chomped on a french fry. "He is going to just die."

Ginny blushed. "I hope he likes the change…because you were right. It wasn't that my clothes were bad…but I get caught up in taking care of the boys and Harry that I never really think about myself."

"But you're aware of it now – and that's all that matters," Hermione replied. "We'll schedule more girl time like this – so that we're both properly pampered."

Her friend nodded in agreement. "You want to meet them tomorrow when they arrive back at the airport hanger?"

Hermione enthusiastically nodded. "They land at six - so we can enjoy the spa tomorrow and look completely refreshed for their arrival."

"I can't thank you enough for today," Ginny said. "I don't even know what to say."

"You've always been a beautiful, confident woman," Hermione genuinely praised. "And now your wardrobe reflects it."

"It does," Ginny agreed. "I still think you spent way too much."

Hermione popped another fry into her mouth. "Whatever. All I spent today was the interest it all collected last month at the bank. I really need to figure out what to do with some of it." Truth was, she knew Ginny didn't need Hermione to spend money on her - but Hermione felt less guilty about spending money when she spent it on others instead of herself.

"You know…St. Mungo's is looking to build a pediatric wing in the hospital. They've been needing one for years," Ginny said, popping a grape into her mouth.

Hermione remembered hearing something about starting a fundraising campaign at St. Mungo's before she took her sabbatical from work, but she didn't know it was for a pediatric wing. "I never realized they didn't have a children's wing."

"Nope - but it would be nice. There's a children's ward in Spain for magical mishaps and other maladies, but nothing in Britain…which is odd, considering it's where the largest population of wizards and witches live in all of Europe," Ginny mused aloud.

Hermione tucked that little piece of information in the back of her mind, making a mental note to talk to Draco about it later, as long as Blaise returned him in one piece. Hermione picked through the basket of fruit until she found a piece of cantaloupe and took a bite. "I hope the boys don't get into too much trouble tonight."

Ginny shook her head. "I'm choosing not to think about it."

"I don't know why - of all of them Harry's probably going to be the one that's most behaved," Hermione replied.

Ginny laughed. "You have a point."

"I'm slightly terrified Blaise and his escapades might bring out Draco's old, boorish ways leading them to doing Merlin only knows what," Hermione confessed.

"I wouldn't worry too much about Draco," Ginny said reassuringly. "He sounded more enthusiastic about whatever he's going to do with Harry and James in September than he did about leaving earlier today."

Hermione nodded. "I know. I'm just a worrier by nature."

"I hear you," Ginny said, raising her glass of sweet tea, which Hermione toasted with her glass of club soda. "But you know what we could do to take our minds off of things?"

"What?" Hermione asked.

"Experiment with the new makeup we bought today," Ginny said, rubbing her hands together playfully.

Hermione tossed her napkin from her lap onto the table and nodded. "Excellent plan, Missus Potter."

"Why thank you, soon to be Missus Malfoy."

It was the first time someone had referred to her as Missus Malfoy, and instead of feeling awkward - something Hermione had been mentally preparing herself for – it felt oddly comforting instead.


Debauchery wasn't even an appropriate word, in Draco's opinion, for what he was witnessing. He was almost certain he watched Harry resist the urge to slap his hands over his eyes, the only thing keeping him from doing so was the ribbing he'd most certainly get from Blaise and George. Both Blaise and George were leaning against the stage, showing off their skills of putting the paper euros in their possession into the g-stings of two dancers with their mouths. Harry would nervously rub his lip against the sleeve of his jacket, quitting when Draco placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder for a moment.

"I mean, it's not that I don't find them…attractive," Harry said. "I just find it, I don't know, incredibly degrading I guess."

Draco agreed, laughing a bit as Blaise pulled out another wad of money from his pocket. "Yes, well, if it makes you feel better - just think that these girls are probably going to go home tonight twice as much tonight as they probably do in a year at the rate Zabini is going."

Harry laughed, reaching for his beer to take a drink. "Well, when you put it that way, it doesn't seem as bad. For the girls, anyway."

Draco took a swig of his own beer, finishing off the bottle, and grinned. He'd be shocked if Blaise didn't manage to drop ten grand in this joint before the night was over, and for Blaise - that was a light night in terms of monetary value.

"You boys need another drink?"

Draco and Harry looked up at the woman, wearing nothing but a red thong and strategically placed tassels while holding an empty tray. He heard Harry gulp and at that moment, prayed that Ginny's freakishly powerful ways in terms of magic did not extend to the practice of legilimency. The woman stared at them, rather impatiently, and had to clear her throat before Draco and Harry snapped back to reality. "Uh, yes," Draco stumbled, handing her his empty beer bottle and taking Harry's as well, who appeared to be staring every which way but at the woman and her tassels.

Much to Draco and Harry's relief, the woman who returned with the new bottles of beer had a bit more covering her. Draco politely handing her a tip in exchange for the beer. He passed a bottle to Harry and leaned back in his chair, laughing how foolishly drunk Blaise and George were. Blaise was doing his best to slip another bill into the strap of the woman's shoe in front of him, slipped, and fell onto the ground, much to everyone's enjoyment around him. He popped back up like a jack-in-the-box, held his hands up while swaying slightly and announced, "I'm ok!" causing those around them to cheer.

"What an idiot," Harry said with a snort.

"Yeah…we should probably stop drinking," Draco mused. "Or else we're going to wind up sleeping here because we're not going to know how to get back to the hotel."

Harry took a drink of his beer. "Yes. We should definitely stop drinking. After this one."

"Right," Draco agreed. He relaxed in his chair, continuing to watch the absurdity that was George Weasley, who was so far gone for the evening that his sentences weren't understandable. As he slouched in his chair, two women, wearing nothing but sparkly knickers approached both Harry and Draco. Draco recognized them as lap dancers based on how they were slinking around them. Quickly, he reached over for Blaise's money clip and pulled a thousand euros out before tossing it back onto the table. He handed the girls five hundred a piece and shook his head no.

"No?" One of the girls said, confused as she took the money.

"No," Draco said as nicely as possible. "But…thank you anyway."

Confused, the girls shrugged, taking the money and moving onto the next open table.

Draco squinted as he looked at his wristwatch, trying to determine the time. It was nearly one in the morning. Considering they'd been drinking since they left London, he was impressed that the four of them were still awake, though he and Harry were indeed fairing better than the other two. Taking another drink, he looked over at Harry who was covering a yawn with his arm. "So…" he drawled, motioning towards his friend with the bottle in hand. "Any words of advice?"

"Advice?" Harry repeated.

"About marriage!" Draco exclaimed. "You know…you're married…and I want the kind of marriage you and Ginny have."

Harry smiled. "I'm sure you will," he reassured Draco. "Because you love her, right?"

"More than anything," Draco said, completely serious. "I never thought I'd ever be this happy. This…content. And I want to stay that way…with Granger, forever."

Harry nodded in a way that almost made his head appear to weigh more than the rest of his body. "Well, I've only been married for five years."

"You have the best marriage," Draco reiterated, trying to channel as much of a sober train of thought he could muster amid the alcohol currently touring his bloodstream. "I mean it. I want mine to be like yours. Not like my parents. So tell me, Harry Potter, boy who lived - what's the secret?"

"I don't know," Harry honestly replied, setting his beer down on the table. "I guess…as long as you love her unconditionally - even when she's being completely unreasonable because lets face it - Hermione and Ginny definitely have that in common - and you learn to pick your battles…I don't know. That could be the secret. Maybe there isn't a secret."

"That doesn't sound like a secret," Draco replied. "It sounds like common sense. I want the secret Harry! The secret!"

"I might be too drunk to know the secret," Harry said bluntly. "Ask me tomorrow. I'll know the secret tomorrow."

Draco nodded. "Ok. But it better be a secret."

"Right. A secret. I'll work on it."

When George fell out of his chair, followed by Blaise who fell while laughing at George for falling, Draco realized that they needed to hail a cab and return to the hotel before they were booted out of the club for being a nuisance. Giving his head a good shake, as if that would trigger some sort of sobriety, he stood up and Harry followed, doing their best to pull up Blaise and George without falling over themselves.

"Come on," Harry said, wrapping an arm around George. "Let's go."

"Go! Why! We're just getting started!" George slurred.

"We're going to have more strippers at the hotel," Draco lied. "Lots of them."

Blaise eyed him warily. "How many?"

Draco thought for a moment. "Ten," was the number he came up with. "And they all look like Luna."

Blaise perked up at the sound of her name. "Luna? I like Luna…and her pretty hair. If you grew your hair out, Draco, your hair would be pretty…pretty like Luna's hair."

"I'm sure," Draco said, looking at Harry who was stifling a laugh. "But in order to see the strippers that look like Luna, we have to go. Because if we don't they'll leave."

"No!" Blaise exclaimed. "We have to go! So they don't leave!"

It took some doing, but eventually, Draco and Harry stumbled out of the Bananenbar and with the help of the doorman, successfully snagged a taxicab. Both Blaise and George were completely passed out by the time they pulled up to the hotel. Draco through the cab driver more money than necessary as they dragged George out of the cab at first, setting him on the curb before he and Harry pulled out Blaise. With the help of a feather weight charm, Blaise and George became much more manageable for Harry and Draco as they dragged them to the lobby and over to the elevators, which thankfully opened the moment Draco punched the up button with his thumb. With the PH button lit in the elevator, they rode straight to the top, the doors opening directly into the entryway of their suite. Harry slid the keycard into the door and opened it, propping the door open with his foot as Draco walked in with Blaise, Harry following with George.

Putting them to bed, Draco and Harry closed their doors and met back in the common area, not really able to do more than laugh. "Come here," Harry said, motioning for Draco to follow him into his room. Inside, Harry unzipped the front pocket of his suitcase and pulled out two vials, tossing Draco one. "It's a sobering/hangover potion of Ginny's own making," he said, uncorking his and tossing it back. "I found it earlier with a note from Ginny."

Draco laughed, pulling the cork out of the vial and drank its contents. "What did the note say?"

"So you don't die from the headache in the morning. Love you, Ginny," Harry recited, note in hand. "That's why I love her. Ginny. She always takes care of me. Even when I don't realize it."

"Remind me to thank her tomorrow," Draco said, already feeling the potion work its magic.

Harry nodded. "I already feel loads better." He shed his suit coat, which reeked of smoke and booze, and tossed it to the floor. "You asked me earlier about a secret. The secret to my marriage."

Draco nodded. "Yes."

"The secret is love. Each marriage is different," Harry replied, looking up at Draco. "You said you don't want a marriage like your parents - which I agree - isn't all that ideal in the sense, but to an extent, you do. I do as well."

"To what extent is that, might I ask?" Draco questioned.

Harry pulled his muggle mobile phone from his pocket, fiddling with it for a moment. "Your father did horrible things. Unforgivable things. But your mother…she's still with him. Even when he came back. She could have had nothing to do with him but instead of taking the easy way out she's standing by him. She loves him and as much as I'm not a fan of your father, you can see he loves her in his own way."

Draco's shoulders dropped a bit as he crossed his arms against his chest. "So despite the fact that their relationship is completely incomprehensible - "

"To you and I and everyone else it might be," Harry said. "But to them it makes sense. Love doesn't have the same definition for everyone. Love is what you make of it. As long as you remember that you love Hermione above anything else – nothing else matters."

He leaned against the doorway, watching as Harry meddled with his phone. "You going to call Ginny?"

Harry grinned. "Yes."

"You realize she's probably asleep?"

"She isn't," Harry said, chuckling as he held Ginny's speed dial number. "Hello, dear," Harry said into the phone, grinning wickedly as he gave Draco a knowing nod.

Draco left the room, shaking his head slightly as he pulled his door shut. He searched in his pocket for his own mobile phone, dialing Hermione's number he had committed to memory as he had no idea how to set his phone up to make it auto-dial like Harry's. He let it ring a few times, and almost hung up before he heard her sleepy voice on the other end.


It took a few minutes for Hermione to realize it was her cell phone ringing, but she managed to find it underneath her pillow with her eyes still closed, answering it as she balanced it on her face. "I'm glad you're not dead," she mumbled.

"How did you even know it was me?" he asked.

"Who else would call me at…what time is it anyway?"

"Two in the morning," she heard him say a bit sheepishly.

Grabbing the phone, Hermione rolled onto her back, cracking her eyes open. She could see Ginny out on the balcony, laughing as she talked on her phone to Harry. "Did you have fun?" She asked, yawning a bit as she spoke.

"It was interesting to say the least," Draco replied.

Hermione stretched an arm over her head and sighed. "Well as long as you had fun."

"We did," Draco said. "What did you do today?"

Hermione switched her phone to her other ear. "We went to the salon…wait until you see Ginny's hair."

"Did she hack it all off like you?" he asked.

"No," she said with a tired laugh. "It's still long, just with layers."

"I don't really know what that means, but I'm sure she looks lovely."

Hermione laughed. "We also went shopping. Just wait until you see her tomorrow - she'll knock your socks off."

"I'm not sure how I feel about you wanting someone else to knock my socks off," he teased.

"You'll know what I mean when you see her," Hermione said, yawning again. "We're going to meet you at the airport hanger."

She could hear him smile through the phone. "Are you now?" he asked.

"Uh huh," Hermione replied. "You better shower well - I don't want any of that indecency on you when you return."

Draco laughed. "I take it you're doing all of your spa things tomorrow."

"If by spa things you mean my disgusting mud bath, yes," she said with a laugh. "You know, ten years ago you probably would have assumed I bathed in mud anyway."

"Ten years ago, I was an asshole," Draco countered.

"True," Hermione replied. She waited for a witty retort from him but got nothing. "I was merely joking, sweetheart."

"I know," she heard him say. "I was just thinking."

"About?"

"That this is the first time we've slept apart since the day you conquered the bathtub in my - in our bedroom."

She giggled. "This is true."

"I'm not sure I like it."

"You'll survive," she promised. Hermione rolled back onto her side, balancing her phone again on her ear as she sighed.


"What are you doing?"

Draco peeled off his shirt and held the phone to his shoulder with his face as he stripped his pants, leaving them in a wad on the ground. "Undressing," he replied. "I smell like a bar."

"Maybe you should shower before you go to bed," he heard her suggest.

He turned down the bed and sat down, peeling off his socks and tossing them to the ground before crawling under the covers. "I'd rather just lay here and talk to you. I can shower in the morning."

"Of course," she replied.

Draco heard her yawn through the phone again. "You sound tired. I can let you go."

"I'm fine," he heard her say. "I bought your mother a bracelet today."

He held the phone to his ear as he gathered the pillows in the bed. He shoved two behind him, just like he had at home and set the others next to him, figuring if he hugged them while he slept he could pretend he wasn't alone. "A bracelet?"

"Mmhmm," he heard her hum. "It's a silver chain link bracelet with a circle charm on it. I had her initials engraved into it on one side and the Malfoy "M" cipher on the other side. I had one made for me as well, only mine has an HJG engraved on one side with the Malfoy cipher on the other."

Draco smiled as he listened to the description. "I'm sure she will love it."

"Can I ask you a question?" Hermione asked, her tone clearly changing the subject.

"Of course, dear," he replied.

"Do you want me to change my last name?"

"I want you to do whatever you want to do."

"Honestly?"

"Honestly," he promised.

There was a small bit of silence on the other end before Draco heard her speak again. "I think at work, I'll keep my name hyphenated, since everyone knows me of course as Hermione Granger, but everywhere else…I think I'd like it if everywhere else I was simply Hermione Malfoy."

Draco thought that the grin on his lips would split his face in two. "Are you sure?"

"I'm sure," she replied.

He sighed happily before stifling a yawn. "I love you."

"I love you too, sweetheart. Just promise me one thing."

"Anything."

"That you'll still call me Granger every now and then…even after we're married."

He laughed, rolling onto his side as he hugged the pillow with one arm, keeping his phone to his ear with his other hand. "I'm sure I'll never stop calling you Granger every now and then."

"Good," she replied. "You should go to sleep."

"Probably."

"Drink lots of water tomorrow," she instructed.

"I will."

"See you tomorrow, sweetheart."

"See you tomorrow," he repeated.

"I love you," Hermione said, her voice barely a whisper.

"I love you more," he whispered back.

"It's not possible," she playfully reminded him, before they both hung up the phone at the same time.