Harry Potter was whistling as he walked inside the Draco's office in Clemency Homes at Little Starling.
Such a quaint little town.
Lovely.
It was Saturday morning. The day started out pretty great. Ginny was in 'the mood' which didn't come too often these days. Not that there was any trouble in that department - it was just that it was summer and their kids did not know that their parents had sex... which was good, he thought. He didn't James or Albus, especially Lily, to get any ideas. One will never know with teenagers these days.
He then stopped in his tracks when he looked up saw that Hermione was raised up against the wall with her legs wrapped around Malfoy's waist and it looked like she was naked. Except for her shoes, which was digging onto Malfoy's flesh.
His eyes flared. "Shit! Fuck! Bloody ever fucking hell!" He screeched as he turned around and slammed outside the room. He had never been one to curse but this was a habit he unfortunately picked up from Draco Malfoy.
"Harry! Stop cursing! What's wrong with you?" His wife scolded, reminding him a little bit of his mother-in-law, Molly Weasley.
Harry shook his head at Ginny. The image still burned in his mind. Perhaps there was a chance that he could be obliviated of what he had walked in on and leave the rest of his memories in tact? He looked down on his hands and he realized they were shaking.
He looked up just in time to see Ginny opening the door and taking a single step inside. She screeched, much like he did, and slammed the door but louder than he had done earlier.
"I just saw Malfoy's butt." Her brown eyes were wide like plate saucers as she gazed at Harry.
He made a gagging noise. He hadn't but almost. When he walked in, Malfoy's shorts were just being pushed away by his best friend's feet, following his trousers where it was bunched around his knees. Bloody hell. Harry banged on the door loudly. "Oi, you two! Stop acting like two hormonal teenagers and get decent, damn it! You didn't even lock the bloody door, Malfoy!"
"Fuck off, Potter!" came the answer from inside the door. "We're celebrating!"
"Married for a decade. Three kids. They're still at it like a couple of bunnies on drugs," Harry said to Ginny, whose expression was still one of disgust. He called out to the door, "Did you two forget that you two told us to come here at promptly twelve? It's five past noon, you horny bastard! Celebrating what?"
"If you must know, Pothead, our fourth child! Hermione's pregnant! Baby... ngh... wait... Come back... oh yeah... in an... hour... or something."
Breathy moans and manly grunts were all they had heard after that and Harry gagged again. "At least silence the bloody room, you stupid moron," he mumbled, mostly to himself and then winced as they heard Hermione moan Draco's name loudly. Why wasn't she reacting? She should be appalled at being walked in on by Harry for what seemed to be probably the hundredth time ever since he found out about them at the same situation. He was just the unluckiest man ever born. Yeah, that was probably it.
"So it's confirmed!" Ginny said giddily from beside Harry, the incident somewhat forgotten - at least to her. "She's been suspecting it for the past week." She grabbed Harry's hand and led him away from the door. There was a faint banging noise now inside which she decided to ignore. They walked down the hall and pushed the call button for the elevator.
Clemency Homes has expanded significantly. Five floors and more than 100 employees - close to 200, actually. It was now widely known all over Great Britain now and he wasn't exactly sure, but Hermione mentioned they had a lot of clients across Europe to Middle East. Harry had to admire Malfoy for that. He also knew that Malfoy didn't have any further plans to expand. It was already a handful, managed to steal a lot of time that should have been spent with his family. Lately, as they all neared the age of 40, Malfoy was spending less time in the office since it was now practically running on its own and with their long-time friend, Weston who worked behind the scenes.
The elevator came and they stepped inside, talking about Hermione's baby, determined to forget the fact that they walked in on her and Draco having sex against the wall. Especially Harry... because it was the second time that happened to him... he remembered the time, eleven years ago, he had stunned Malfoy when he thought he was raping Hermione. He groaned inwardly.
Meanwhile inside the room...
"Yes. Right there."
Laughing huskily, Draco rolled his hips expertly. He'd been doing this with for years and years. He knew where her special spots were. He knew how to move with her in synchronize.
"Love you," he gasped, the pleasure catching up on his lower belly, a familiar heat. "So much."
Hermione closed her eyes to the sensation his words had caused. Her chest tightened and she wondered how after all these years, she felt the same as she did when they found each other. More, actually. She pulled his head closer to her until they breathed the same air. "I love you too."
With a tilt of his head, his tongue was deep inside her mouth. It was always amazing with her. Her passion never wavered over the years nor did his. Due to the exertions, he was forced to pull away from her mouth, letting his forehead rest on the crook of her neck. He felt her running closer to her release. "Let it go, Hermione. I've got you."
"I know," she breathed, her hands clutching his hair tightly.
He placed open mouth kisses on her neck and pretty soon, he felt her muscles clenching him tightly. A feeling he knew so well. He savored it - the pain/pleasure feeling that only she could ever make him feel - before he let go as well. He leaned up and kissed her, swallowing her moans and tamping down his own.
Hermione sighed.
Draco fought to catch his breath. Her arms were looped around his shoulders loosely while his were around her waist to support her. He was panting against her neck, slick with sweat.
Hermione busied her hands by slicking Draco's sweaty hair back from his face and then placing soft as a whisper kisses on his forehead. She had a small, satisfied smile on her face while doing so.
He groaned. "I'm getting a bit old for this," he said into her neck. "My back hurts."
"No," she said in a tone as if she was horrified. "I'm only 39, love."
Laughing huskily, he pushed away from her a little to look her in the eyes. "I was just kidding. I'm going to keep doing this with you even if I'm already bedridden."
"You better." She leaned forward and caught his lips in a soft kiss, a far cry from the entangling of tongues and frantic pulling of lips they had shared just a few minutes ago. "You better give everything you've got."
"I always do."
He really does, Hermione thought to herself, looking at him with all the tenderness she felt. Ten years later, give or take a few months and their love or their lust for each other never curbed for even a minute. Sure there were a lot of tough times, more than they had ever counted on, but they always got through it before the day ends.
"Think the Potters would come back after that show?"
The passionate haze cracked and her eyes flared as she remembered what happened not too long ago. "Oh, Draco! Harry saw us! And Ginny! Oh sweet mother of Merlin! We forgot to lock the door!" A deep red hue settled on her face and down to her chest from major embarrassment.
Draco snorted. "Potter should be used to it by now. How many times had he walked in on us? He really needs to learn how to knock. Seriously. His wife, too."
She drew out a long breath. "Get off, Draco..."
"I just did," he replied with a roguish grin.
Despite herself, she laughed. "I mean it. I was supposed to tell them the news while we're having lunch but you being the - what was it that Harry called you? Horny bastard? - yes," she ignored his scowl, "was unable to keep his hands to himself and kept his trousers zipped..."
"Wow, Hermione," he cut in dryly. "You were into it as much as I was, maybe even more so. Look at the damn scratches across my back. I think you drew blood. Stings like hell."
Carefully, he pulled out from inside her and she jumped to her feet. He tucked himself inside his trousers then ran his hand frantically on his hair, flattening it down as much as it can while Hermione pulled up the sleeves of her dress and running her hands down the front to rid of the wrinkles since he had bunched it up and around her waist.
She frowned when she caught sight of her ripped underwear two feet away from her place. Really, sometimes it was getting ridiculous. Harry was right about them acting as if they had the sex drive of two teenagers.
When they were presentable again, Draco suddenly dropped to his knees in front of her. He took both of her hands in his and pulled her closer. He rested his head against her stomach. "Hi. It's me, your father. You can call me Daddy if you'd like. I won't hold it against you. I can't wait to meet you," he spoke to her stomach and then he placed a soft kiss on it. "You better be a girl. We've already picked out a name for you."
Hermione grinned. She picked that name one out. It was necessary that their children would be christened unique names such as theirs.
Their first child had been christened Caiden Lynx who was now 10 years old.
Their second child had been christened Draven Orpheus who was now 6 and a half years old.
Their third child had been christened Quillen Cygnus who just turned 3 years old.
She and Draco had a deal: she gets to pick the first name and Draco gets to pick the second name. Of course, he named them after constellations. One of the very few "Malfoy family traditions" he did not let go of.
All three boys were spitting images of their father... it was downright spooky, some would say. Except for their hair - although blond but darker than their father's, were thick and unruly, much like Hermione's.
"...and I've a room ready for a baby girl, you know," Draco said, smiling. "It won't be pink, I promise. I won't also pressure you to be in Slytherin like I'm doing your brothers. You'll be daddy's princess... forever. I probably won't ever let you marry... no boy will ever come within a ten-foot pole near you..."
Hermione felt her smile falter. Every time she got pregnant, they both keep hoping it's a girl. Not that they loved their boys less. They'd agreed to a maximum of four kids. Since she was nearing 40 now, she didn't want to take any risks. She already had a pregnancy scare with Quillen. He was born premature due to the pelvic girdle pain she'd acquire and she had to have surgery.
Draco got to his feet after a few minutes later. "We'll be careful now. File your maternity leave at the Ministry as soon as you can."
She nodded readily.
The novelist career didn't really work out for Hermione. She wrote another three books after the first one she had tried, but were all rejected. This didn't stop her dream though. She was still trying to improve on her creativity and was now focusing on the wizarding community instead of muggle this time. She only wrote during her free time since she's working again at the Ministry of Magic as the consultant of the Muggle Prime Minister but only part time. She worked three times a week, four hours a day.
"After lunch, we're going to St. Mungo's," Draco was saying. "Checkup is once a week- and that is final."
Usually it annoyed Hermione when he was acting all caveman on her, but this was a different case and she could only nod meekly... for now at least. A small smile crept to her face.
She's the pregnant lady.
She's the real boss around here.
"No carrying heavy things, no jogging, you can do your yoga thing at the house but no more, no coffee, also stay away from stupid people..."
"Draco," she cut in with a sigh. "We'll be okay. I'll make sure of it."
He leaned forward and placed a kiss on her forehead. "I just don't want..." he whispered brokenly. "It was the worst thing I've ever felt when you and Quillen... I... I thought I was going to lose you. The both of you. I felt so helpless. I don't know what would have happened to me... and the boys..."
Hermione wrapped her arms around his waist. "I'm sorry, love."
He shook his head. He didn't say anything else. The memories came flooding back, his gut twisting in a painful way. He remembered Hermione's pale features, all the blood, her open gut as the healers worked on her and Quillen... then Quillen came, small and frail and helpless. He called out to him but he was barred from getting inside the operating room. After three hours, they were done. Hermione was safe. Quillen was safe. The healers were ruthless, they'd told him that she'd almost died... her case was severe and it was a good thing that she had recognized the symptoms right on time. If she hadn't...
He stopped that trail of thoughts. What mattered was that she was here, they were here and they still have fifty years left together. Maybe more.
A knock sounded at the door.
They both looked up and Draco cleared his throat. "Come in." He lowered his voice. "At least some people still know how to knock. The Potters could learn from these people."
'These people' turned out to be the Alastairs: Cade and Lisa, in tow were their nine-year old identical twins, Juliana and Adriana.
"Hey," Hermione greeted brightly and stepped away from Draco. The twins came forward to hug and kiss Hermione on the cheek. Lisa did the same after the twins.
"Number four is on her way," Draco told Cade quietly as they shook hands.
"Congratulations!" His friend said jovially. "And did you say her?"
"We're hoping it's a girl... and I kind of feel that the baby is going to be a girl..."
Cade cut in with laugh, "Hopefully. I'm sure the twins could use another kid to boss around. Quillen's starting to put his foot down."
Draco shook his head, amused. "If there's anyone going to do the bossing around, it's my kid. If she turns out to be a girl, I'm done for."
"You and Hermione both. Potters know?"
"Yes," was all Draco said, smiling like a Cheshire cat. "They were here not too long ago. I had to send them away... uh, Hermione and I were, uh, occupied. They'll be back in a bit. We'll wait for them then we can go have lunch." Cade wiggled his eyebrows which Draco ignored and changed the topic.
An hour later in a family restaurant in Little Starling, seated along a very long table were the Malfoys: Hermione and Draco, their three boys and the elder Malfoys, elderly Lenore Granger, Weston, the Potters: Harry and Ginny and the Alastairs: Cade, Lisa and the twins.
The announcement was made and everyone was thrilled, especially their three boys.
By this time, the strain between Hermione and the elder Malfoys had disappeared, replaced by a civil relationship. It was quite similar to Draco's relationship with the Potters, really. So it wasn't awkward when Hermione and Narcissa sat side by side conversing, with Hermione's mother inputting a few words occasionally.
Harry and Ginny sat farthest away from their best friend and her husband. When they came back to the office, they were all unable to look each other in the eyes... except for Draco, who still loved to tease them mercilessly.
Andromeda and Teddy were also there, sitting across the Potters. Draco pursued a close relationship with the two of them. Narcissa and Lucius associated with them, but merely on civil terms.
Boyd Alastair was also in attendance. Now 20 years old, he found his love for numbers and was currently enrolled in a muggle university to expand his knowledge at the same time working as an intern at Clemency Homes under the CFO. Draco and Weston could see his potential. The current CFO of the company, Bowen Finley, was elderly and was soon planning to retire. The position will be offered to Boyd once he finished his course at the university.
Caiden and Draven were sitting side by side, talking animatedly about what everyone guessed was Quidditch because both were wildly gesturing with their hands while making loud, zooming sounds and loud, crashing sounds. Quillen, on the other hand, was flanked by Juliana and Adriana who treated him sometimes like a doll or a prince. Right now, they were treating him like a doll - they came ready, bought a costume and was currently dressed as a prince.
"Your highness," Juliana quirked. "How may we, the most humble servants, serve you?"
Quillen smiled smugly. "I want brownies." He paused, sneaking a glance at his mother. "Please."
Adriana bowed. "As you wish."
"Those two," Lucius told his son quietly and pointing at the twins, "are quite whimsical."
Draco grinned and nodded his agreement. "Quillen is enjoying himself with the twins. His two older brothers are always giving him a hard time, treating him like a lap dog."
The older man made a noncommittal sound. "I wouldn't mind a granddaughter."
Draco looked down on his plate, hiding a smile.
It was during these moments that Draco didn't mind the burdens that came with time.
He and Hermione were forced to leave Little Dunwoodie. Caiden was supposed to enroll at the Tiny Tots Whizzes Day Care but found that they couldn't use the name Malfoy since it was still reputable and he finally refused to live the lie that was Dane Mackenzie.
In this event, he also confessed to the Alastairs who he really was. He really thought he'd had their backs, after everything, but they weren't. Only Cade, Lisa and Boyd had stood by him. He couldn't forget the looks of horror on their faces when he turned away from the immaculate house of the Alastairs for the last time.
He ended up using one of the houses he was selling in Gleadless Valley, Sheffield at South Yorkshire. Nothing too big, nothing too small. Just perfect for him, Hermione and the boys. It was far from everything they've known and it had given them a fresh start at everything.
He kept the main house and the cottage at Little Dunwoodie though. He and Hermione decided to make it a vacation home and it was a monthly ritual that he, Hermione and the boys went down for a weekend. Sometimes the Potters would come with them and they would make use of the cottage. In fact, since they had littered so many stuff of them there, Draco decided to give them the cottage - they just don't know it.
Clemency Homes took up more of his time than he had anticipated. He longed to spend lazy days with his family, but there was always something to do or to check or to fix. Since Weston (his parents' assistant - errand boy, really) had proved his loyalty and devotion not just to the company, but to the entire Malfoy family, Draco decided to give him a really, really good position in the company... a partner. Weston had been dumbfounded. He even declined the first two times, but after much convincing from Draco and Hermione, he accepted it. He ran it way better than Draco ever did.
He never got along with Ron Weasley after all these years and he found Weasley's wife quite annoying and spoiled. Totally worse than his last girlfriend, that Fay Dunber. It turned out he didn't get to marry her after all and instead married the young shopgirl at Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes, Hogsmeade branch.
There were a million other things that left him exhausted. Life will always be tough, he had learned, no matter how many people are loving you and backing you up... as long as you have a reason to live for, to wake up in the morning, you will always have hope.
For him, it was Hermione.
Always.
"So let's move forward to the water and enjoy this place - sun, sand and good company. What could be better than that?"
"I'm completely clueless as to why we have settled in this dysfunctional situation... but we're in too tangled in this web. Do you think we can ever get out?"
"When we were kids, I thought I hated you, but when I look back on it, I never actually hated you..."
"And the cottage became my haven."
"I was turned on the minute you recited Shakespeare."
"I'm sorry it keeps happening to you. I'd make them stop if I could."
"Go back to sleep. I'm right here."
"I love you."
"I need you."
"Make it last."
"I still have no idea how you managed to get under my skin in such a short time, especially knowing that you're a snarky, arrogant prat who did nothing but insult my best friends."
"I'm proud of who you were back then, I've only just realized, because you only did it to save your family. I'm proud that even though it kills you, you're now finally facing your past with your head held high. I'm proud of what you accomplished and what you have yet to accomplish. I'm proud of the man you've become."
"You are not a failure. You have a great career. You are a good person now, considering how you were back then. You were an excellent student even though you were a spiteful bully. You were a good Quidditch player, just not as good as Harry, but that doesn't mean you're a failure. And by Jove, you have every reason to be proud of yourself."
"You know you're the only one."
"Stop that! Stop turning me into a simpering female!"
"Back so soon? Missed me, did you?"
"Hey? You're getting flabby..."
"I highly resent the fact that I haven't seen you in five days..."
"I told your parents earlier that I wanted to marry you."
"I can't wait to marry you, too."
"It's real. Everything is real. You and me."
"The rest of my life started the first time you kissed me."
"My husband was formerly a Slytherin. The worst of the lot, actually, and he taught me well... even though he's a little bit of a ninny and a wuss... but I love him anyway."
His hairline was receding, he was getting soft around the middle, he tended to run off at the mouth all the time and cause a lot of fights between him and Hermione, he can be a bit of a slob, he might anger Hermione by poking fun at Kreacher, Potter might always walk in on him and Hermione having sex, Lucius and Narcissa may always be disappointed in his choice of love of his life, he might be too busy at work sometimes, he might lose clients and create enemies, he might not be the world's greatest father and he might not be the world's greatest husband, but he knew... just knew that despite all of these... Hermione was and always will remain the hope in his life, the reason he woke up in the morning and the reason he still strived to be a better person.
"Happy birthday, Draco," his wife spoke quietly in his ear.
He turned his head and looked into Hermione's wide brown eyes. "Thank you," he whispered, letting his eyes speak the rest: For believing in me. For staying. For being the best thing that ever happened to me. For being there when I need you. For giving me my life back. For loving me.
The corner of her lips tilted up in a loving smile.
She understood.
Seven months later, Xanthe Lisa Auriga Malfoy was born who was the spitting image of her mother.
Author's note: THE END.
I swear when I was writing last chapters prior to this epilogue, I was excited to end it... but as I type away, writing this epilogue, I feel like I don't ever want it to end. I'm going to miss these versions of Draco and Hermione.
Thank you so much for taking the time to read Something Old, Something New. I have never been more involved in such a delightful "project". I'm starting to write original fics and you can find me on FictionPress under the same username (although, I have yet to post anything). I suspect that I shall be writing mostly adult fiction...
I'm going write another Dramione fic sometime in the near future. So please watch out for that! And in case you're wondering, Xanthe is pronounced as "zan-thee" :)
Love,
KateDessi