Draco waited for hours, and as he sat in his room and watched the dim light filter through his curtains, he had to wonder if he was making the right choice.

Shaking his head, he chastised himself for his doubts.

There really was only one choice he could make.

It wasn't until nearly eight that evening that Hermione's patronus burst into his room.

"It's done. I'm with Harry right now."

Draco sighed as he walked over to his bed and stared into the bag he'd packed. It had an extension charm on it and inside was most of his sentimental and precious items. He'd have Hermione keep it for him until he was done serving his sentence.

He wiped a tear at the stark realization that he'd miss the birth of his children but in this way, they'd be safe.

And he'd be free.

"Mipsy." He called softly, and his tiny House elf popped in, her hands wringing in worry. "I need you to go get Harry Potter and my wife and bring them here."

Mipsy nodded and did as instructed, and in less than a minute Potter was standing with his wife and they both looked as tired as he felt.

"How you holding up, Malfoy?"

Draco was surprised with how polite Potter's voice sounded, but he just shrugged—picking up his bag and handing it to his House Elf.

"Mipsy, I want you to go with Hermione. You need to take care and protect her and the babies for me."

The end of the sentence was said to his wife, who's head was shaking in the negative.

He reached for her hands and said pleadingly, "Please take her. I can't leave her here. She's an excellent nanny elf and you'll need all the help you can get when the babies are born."

"Oh yes! Mipsy is a goods loyal elf and I woulds love to takes care of the new babies."

Harry chuckled, and Hermione gazed up at Draco, who's expression was literally begging.

As much as she abhorred the idea, she couldn't say 'no'...not like this.

"Fine." She mumbled and Draco bowed his head in gratitude. Hermione then pulled out the paperwork from her beaded bag, and sighed. "Are you sure?"

"I am."

Biting her lip, she held out the stack of parchment and Draco pulled her into a gentle kiss before leaning his forehead against hers. "Wait for me?"

Her eyes filled with tears but she nodded emphatically. "I will."

Draco pulled back and watched with a sad smile as Mipsy took his things, and his wife and disappeared.

Rubbing his hands down his face, Draco glanced at Potter who was smirking at him knowingly.

"I almost didn't want to believe it."

"Believe what, Potter?"

"You're in love with Hermione."

Draco gaped like a fish, but Harry just chuckled.

"What are you on about, Potter?"

Harry scoffed, but reached in his robes and pulled out his invisibility cloak.

"Fine, Malfoy...don't admit it."

Draco didn't reply as he watched Potter wrap that infernal cloak of his over his body, causing him to vanish instantly.

"Stay close. My parents will be in my Father's study."

He didn't see if Potter was in agreement, so Draco left his room and headed down through the Manor. As he walked, the portraits muttered and hissed a few hateful words here and there, but he couldn't care less.

He wouldn't be returning here again after today.

When he got to his Father's study, he knocked and felt the wards drop allowing him and Potter to enter, and he left the door open as he didn't want to give his Father a chance to ward the room again.

This time his parents were sitting together on the couch and when he entered, they both looked up at him simultaneously. His Father's expression was his usual stoic mask, but when Draco's gaze caught his Mum's, there was an icy coolness he'd never seen before and his heart broke in two.

He was really going to lose his Mother and for the first time in his life, he wished more than anything he'd been born anyone but a Malfoy.

"Draco?" His Father drawled arrogantly. "Twice in one day?"

Draco sighed as he clutched the papers in his hand and swallowed in despair. He needed to get the words out, he just didn't know how to do it.

"What is it?" His Mother's gaze caught the papers in his hand. "Did you require help with something?"

From the expectant look on her face, Draco could almost see a certain interest and he had to wonder if she was hoping that he'd finally come to his senses and had researched a way out of his marriage.

"I noticed that Skeeter was here this morning." He began and watched with a perverse sense of satisfaction both his parents flinch. "So I can only imagine why she was here."

"Draco," his mother replied as she patted the seat next to her, and he reluctantly moved over— wishing for a brief moment that his parents might just surprise him.

But his Mother's next words disabused him of that notion.

"Yes, she was here but only because we think we've finally found a way to rid you of your marriage to Miss Granger."

Draco nodded, not speaking as he wanted to see just how far his parents had planned to take this.

"And?"

Narcissa glanced at Lucius, who was watching his son closely—but he took Draco's sorrowful mood as a result of the fact that they'd been distant with him.

Apparently his wife was correct that their son would eventually come to see the error of his ways if they pulled back their affections.

"Well," Narcissa reached for his free hand and gave it a pat, "We have discovered a loophole in the marriage contract that Miss Granger had you sign and we think we can use that to your advantage."

"I see," Draco lifted his gaze to his mother, who's own expression was softer than it had been earlier that day and he was desperate to hold onto that look...knowing that after this night she would never look upon him with the same tenderness again. "And what about the children?"

Lucius and Narcissa exchanged the same unreadable expression, and Draco felt his stomach drop.

He'd been right in his assumption of exactly what they'd planned to do and he was fairly certain Pansy was in on it.

"Does this have anything to do with Pansy?" He interrupted and Narcissa's face pulled up in surprise, while Lucius just appeared thoughtful.

"Why would you ask such a thing?" His Father inquired.

"Because," Draco shrugged, "she mentioned offering to help at the wedding."

"And you told her 'no." His Mother admonished while Draco nodded, but carefully didn't elaborate.

"Well, not to worry my dragon...your Father and I will figure this out just like we always have."

"Is that why you've ignored me for two months?" He demanded. "Why the portraits are whispering hateful things to me?"

His parents sat there stoically, but didn't respond.

He stood up and moved to the window with his back turned to his family...so he didn't see their mutual expressions of triumph.

But Harry did, and he felt bad for Malfoy. After everything the git had done, he didn't deserve to lose his family in such a way.

"You know?" Draco began as he kept his back to his parents, "I had hoped that somehow you both might come to accept my wife and children, but I know now that's never going to happen. So I guess I'm left to make the tough choice once again...between my family and my future."

He turned around and saw his Father staring at him hard while his Mother had her head turned towards the bookshelf, not making eye contact.

Draco gazed down at the Malfoy Family ring his Father had given him right before his second year at Hogwarts, and twisted it a few times before pulling it off his finger and feeling the Malfoy Family magic leave him. He heard his Mother's gasp and his Father's growl but he didn't care. He set the ring down on his Father's desk and took out his wand, but before he could speak the words...his Mother stood up and cried, "Draco, no! You don't mean to throw away your family over a mudblood and half-blood children?"

Draco lifted his eyes in faux confusion. "But Mum, I would be forced to marry a Muggleborn or half blood regardless—even if it wasn't Hermione."

"Not necessarily." She placed her hands up placatingly. "We believe we can work that out too, Draco. You need to trust in your Father and I to know what's best for you."

Draco stood back and frowned, his brows furrowing heavily.

"What's best for me?" He repeated robotically. "What's best for me? For me!"

He started breathing heavily through his nose as he glared at his parents, finally seeing them for the first time in his life and he didn't like what he was seeing. The hate and bigotry rolling off them like a wave crashing on the sand.

"You know what Mum?" He laughed out caustically, ignoring his Mother's face paling. "I've spent my whole life doing exactly that. Trusting in you and Father to make the decisions for me. To know what's best and what I need, but the truth is all I've ever needed is just two parents who love me for me!"

"Don't be ridiculous, Draco!" His Father scoffed haughtily. "As the Malfoy Heir it is your duty to do what's best for the family. For the line of Malfoy's who come after."

Draco swallowed as he glared angrily at his Father, before he spat out flatly, "There will be no more line of Malfoy's after today. I renounce my name and my birthright as the Malfoy Heir."

His mother screamed in anguish while his Father paled and gripped his cane tightly.

"From this day forward, I will no longer be known as Draco Lucius Malfoy. I will be henceforth known as Draco Black. Lord and Heir to the Ancient and Noble House of Black."

"You don't have that right!" His Mother screeched and Draco just smirked at her dangerously, causing Narcissa to back up slightly.

"I do! I am the Black Heir, which you acknowledged Mummy, when you signed that lovely little marriage contract from my wife. It was my get out of jail free card, you see. She knew that you both wouldn't let this go and would try and have her and my children eliminated somehow. But I'm not going to stand idly by and let that happen."

"And just how do you plan to stop it?" Lucius sneered hatefully.

At that moment, Potter's cloak dropped...his wand out and pointing at both Malfoy's...his expression angrier than Draco had ever seen it.

"You're lucky your son is as loyal to you as much as he is or I'd have you both rotting away in Azkaban."

Narcissa stared at her baby boy, who was now looking at both she and Lucius with nothing but contempt. Her husband however, just snarled out, "It would seem since you're no longer a member of this family, Draco...that your house arrest and terms of your probation are forfeited. So I suppose Mr. Potter will be taking you to Azkaban as we speak?"

"Lucius!" Narcissa lamented, but her husband just stood his ground until Potter chuckled deeply.

"Not exactly, Mr. Malfoy." Harry smirked, "you see, since Draco is now officially a Black...his probation will be served at the Black ancestral home until June, under my direct supervision approved by the Minister himself."

Draco gaped at Potter, who winked at him.

"Your wife insisted upon it and called in her life debt."

"What?" Draco sputtered while his parents just stood there in shock.

"Yep," Harry replied smugly, "as for you two," he turned back to the Malfoy's, "I've been informed by the Minister that due to recent events and having unauthorized contact with Skeeter, who is in custody as we speak and Miss Parkinson—who is also being questioned by the Aurors...the terms of your probation will be added to."

"You can't do that!" Lucius snarled and Harry just folded her arms over his chest as he stared Draco's Father down.

"I just did. Unless you'd like to take this in front of the Wizengamot? I hear Azkaban is lovely this time of year."

"Draco!" Lucius hissed. "How could you betray your own family in such a way?"

Draco ignored his Father, but glanced at his Mother and said sadly, "You betrayed me first. I just wanted you both to accept my choice and love me, but clearly that was too much to ask for."

He turned to Potter and said in defeat, "I'd like to leave now."

He placed the copy of his documents from Gringotts on his Father's desk and without sparing a backwards glance to either of his parents, left Malfoy Manor...never to return.

He was surprised at how unburdened he felt as he headed for the boundary of the property with Potter—and with one final look at his childhood home, Draco Black left to start his new life.

When they'd disappeared from Malfoy Manor, and reappeared...Draco paused in shock at his surroundings. He'd only been to Grimmauld Place once that he could remember, and that had been a very long time ago. The House was still as he remembered it though, as he stared around the empty narrow hallway.

Then he heard footsteps coming down the stairs and when he looked up, he couldn't help but smile softly at the mess of ringlet curls and a enticing pregnant stomach coming his way and without second guessing himself...Draco rushed to his wife and enveloped her into his embrace...inhaling he sweet perfume as she grasped onto his head and cradled it into her neck.

His deep breaths and shaking body were the only outward signs of his distress. He'd be damn sure he wouldn't break down in front of Harry fucking Potter, even if he did owe the git for allowing him to stay here.

He pulled back, his eyes filled with pain as he cupped Hermione's cheeks and leant his forehead down to hers.

"Are you okay?" She whispered and he shrugged, not wanting to talk about it here. She seemed to sense his hesitance because she nodded to Potter and led him upstairs to wherever she'd come from.

Once they'd reached the third floor landing, Hermione pulled him into the third room on left which was rather spacious and his bag was sitting on a chaise along with another one that was probably hers.

She guided him over to the bed, and without words...pushed him down into a sitting position...removing his shoes and socks, her eyes silently checking in with him every few seconds as if she couldn't believe he was here and she wanted to make sure he was alright.

Once he was undressed, he watched bemused as his wife removed her clothing too and cuddled into his side which he greedily pulled her into, as he continued to breathe in her calming scent. There was nothing sexual about this moment. It was filled with love, comfort and acceptance and something in his nineteen years, Draco was fairly certain he'd never been on the receiving end of.

Ever.

The quiet stretched between them both for an hour at least, until he felt the need to speak.

"They were going to have you and the babies eliminated from my life and they weren't even the least bit sorry for it."

Hermione swallowed as she soothed her husband's fragile state, knowing how hard this had to be for him. She reached for his hand and placed it on her stomach...smiling softly at his gape of wonder when he felt the twins rolling under his palm.

When he lifted his gaze to her's, his smile was blinding and she cupped his cheek lovingly at the wonder so clearly evident on his face.

She was still amazed that he'd made the decision to choose her and their children.

Hermione had hoped...no prayed, that it wouldn't come down to this. That somehow, Lucius and Narcissa Malfoy's love for their only son and Heir would outweigh their own innate prejudices in this one instance. The fact that it hadn't, saddened her greatly. She may have written that contract primarily as a means to protect herself and her children, but deep down she'd never wanted to force Draco to choose.

She had only desired to give him the choice that he'd never been allowed to have in his life, if he'd wanted to take it.

To choose for himself.

Selfishly, she wasn't sad for herself. She had known from the second the match had been forced that Lucius and Narcissa wouldn't let it go. She'd known they would in all likelihood, never accept these children she was carrying as anything other than a blight on their Pureblood heritage.

A heritage that was caustic and toxic and had cost them their son.

She had to wonder if even now, they fully understood the weight of their actions.

The contract forbid Lucius from disinheriting Draco and her children but it did allow her husband to disavow his heritage and family. By taking on the mantle of Lord Black, and making that choice for himself—the contract's essence would cause the Malfoy Family to die out with no Heir. She had added that caveat herself, embedded just as she'd done with the hex she'd placed on Marietta Edgecombe. It was an obscure Black Family curse, that she'd found hidden in the depths of the library here at Grimmauld Place.

The entire Malfoy fortune however, would still go to Draco at the time of Narcissa and Lucius passing. He was still his Mother's son and a Black. He couldn't be disinherited completely.

Another little addendum she was fairly certain in their blind arrogance, they hadn't done their due diligence on. Probably because they were certain they could find a way to get rid of her.

Hermione had no doubt that both of Draco's parents truly believed that by withholding their affections, they could bring their son to heel and force his hand once again. But they didn't account on his own depth of emotion towards his children and surprisingly, her.

She knew he must care for her on some level as Draco wasn't the kind of man nor wizard to sacrifice so much of himself if he didn't have a stronger bond to hold onto. And she probably wouldn't have believed his motives, had she not read his journal entry.

But for now, she would just have to give him the support she could until he was strong enough to do it for himself and believe in himself...

"I know the right answer is to say I'm sorry," Hermione replied after a moment, "but I think what I'm sorry for is that you're hurting. You have to know that I didn't want it to come to this."

Draco rolled a bit so that he was facing Hermione directly and they held hands as he stared into her despondent expression, that he was sure mirrored his own.

"I know."

"What you did was so brave, Draco."

He just shook his head. "No, it was necessary."

"Sometimes the brave thing is the necessary thing."

He just quirked his lips but didn't reply immediately. His gaze moved around the room and scrunched a bit.

"This place is rather depressing."

Hermione giggled. "Yes, it can be."

"So I'm stuck here for the next six months with Potter?"

She shook her head playfully and said, "Not exactly."

Draco's face registered shock as he sat up and stared down at his wife, who was grinning up at him impishly. "What do you mean, wife?"

"Well, husband—Kingsley has allowed you finish your probation in our new home. Now that you've dissolved your relations with the Malfoy line, and have taken on the title of Lord Black...I as your wife and the new Lady Black, have the right to petition the Wizengamot for you to come and live with me in our new home."

"What?" Draco shook his head. "What new home?"

Hermione reached up for Draco and said simply, "My Family home. The one we were married in. I've warded it with a fidelius, so it's perfectly safe for us to live there. I took the liberty to have the floo set up between it, my parents home, here and Minerva's office so I can go back and forth to Hogwarts as needed. Septima is going to allow me to finish my research from home..."

Draco didn't wait to hear anymore as he crashed his lips to his little wife's, pleased when she immediately responded enthusiastically.

He groaned and rolled her over him, encouraging her to straddle his hips which she eagerly did. As they snogged vigorously Draco drifted a finger down to play with his wife's clit and felt her squirm and pant as he slowly dipped his finger inside her and was surprised that she was already wet and ready for him.

"Did you miss me?" He murmured against her lips as he planted another kiss and she hummed happily before grabbing his erection and smirking at his groan of pleasure...

Then lowering herself onto him with a strangled moan of bliss.

"Yes, you prat." Draco grabbed her hips and thrusted up gently, relishing in his little wife's happy moan. "I missed you. I missed my Draco. The one I fell in love with back at school."

One hand tightened on her hip as he pulled her down to snog him with the other, letting her feel just how much he'd missed her.

And he had...so fucking much!

"I missed you too." His voice was deep as he arched his neck and watched his little minx ride him into abandon. Her curls were falling like a curtain over them both, and Draco couldn't tear his eyes away from how utterly exquisite she looked in this moment. Her expression passionate, her eyes relieved and happy...and he felt like the luckiest fuck in the world that he hadn't irreparably damaged their fragile bond.

It wasn't long before they were both moaning out their mutual release and when he cast a tempus to check the time, he smiled as it had just passed midnight.

"Happy Christmas, my wife."

"Happy Christmas, my husband."

Feeling the pull of sleep calling to him, Draco situated Hermione's body more comfortably in front of his as he spooned her from behind, his hand draping possessively around her abdomen and as he drifted off to slumber, he felt his children rolling underneath his palm.

And in that moment, he'd known unequivocally he'd done the right thing.