**Story Update: April 16th, 2020**

I know what you're probably thinking: Why am I getting an update about a fic that finished publishing almost two years ago?

Answer: I was bored during quarantine and decided to go back and fix grammar issues and typos in this story, as well as make some slight modifications to the end of the story. An additional scene was added to Chapter 24, and the epilogue was moved to a separate chapter (Chapter 25) and also expanded. Other than that, all aspects of the original plot remain unaltered.

Five Months Later

"Absolutely not! That is an absurd expectation!"

"If the wizards want goblin-made objects, they should be willing to pay the equivalent cost for the goblin to keep one for themselves."

"So they have to pay double? I'm all for equality, but there is no way that any goblin needs their own copy of every item that they create!"

There was a knock on her door, and Hermione swished her wand to unlock it, relieved to have an interruption from the conversation that had been going in circles for the past hour and a half.

Draco peeked his head inside. "You ready for lunch?"

Hermione gathered the parchments on her desk. "Yes. I was quite done with this conversation anyway."

Yarrog frowned. "We didn't reach an agreement, Ms Granger."

"No, we did not, because I will not entertain such preposterous terms. Get back to me when you have a reasonable compromise."

Hermione released a groan the moment Yarrog slammed the door behind him.

Draco raised an eyebrow. "What did I tell you about goblins?"

"Don't you get started on that again!"

Draco lifted both hands in defence. "Fine. But I'm just saying that I did warn you that Yarrog has a temper."

He took her hand in his, and they made their way out of the Ministry and towards Diagon Alley. It was a perfect, sunny spring afternoon, and the alleyway was packed with customers taking advantage of the good weather. As the people passed them by, not a single person glared at them or even gave them an uncomfortable lookover. A few even went as far as to smile.

It was funny how much things could change in just a few months time, especially once certain news got spread.

Hermione held Draco's hand tighter, and she looked up to see him beaming down at her.

"What's that for?" she asked.

Draco merely smiled. "Nothing in particular. Just happy."

She rested her head on his shoulder and kept walking. Yes, she was happy too.

They reached a small sandwich shop on one of the corners, bells tinkling overhead as they stepped inside. Hermione scanned the space, but it wasn't hard to spot their friends already seated at one of the tables.

When Hermione and Draco approached, Daphne greeted Draco while Hermione said hello to both Harry and Ginny.

"Ron's not here yet?" Hermione asked as she settled in the seat next to Harry.

"You know how he is," Harry retorted with an unconcerned shrug. "Always running five minutes late. But he promised he'll be here!"

The group of witches and wizards began exchanging updates about their days, the tension that had strained their first meeting together months prior now long dissipated. While Harry had been initially hesitant towards Hermione's relationship with Draco, all lingering resentments had started to fade once news of Draco's work with the modified Wolfsbane Potion became public. Harry never actually admitted it, but she could tell he was grateful that Draco had gone to such lengths to prevent future unjust treatment of werewolves like Lupin had endured.

The conversation carried on until Ron arrived, a smile on his face as he stepped through the door with Susan Bones, an old classmate of theirs that he had started dating nearly two months prior. He approached Hermione first, giving her a hug — a completely friendly, totally platonic hug. It had taken him a few months, but his feelings for Hermione eventually withered, and he was infinitely happier with Susan than he and Hermione had ever been as a couple.

All was as it should be.

"I'm covering the Montrose Magpies versus Ballycastle Bats game this weekend," Ginny announced around halfway through the meal. "I can get us all tickets if we'd like."

"Depends," Ron commented with a grin. "Is Malfoy coming?"

Draco huffed. "Only interested if you can get more of my Galleons?"

"Seeing as which I've won our bet the past four matches in a row, it certainly doesn't hurt!"

The two wizards began debating Quidditch while Hermione exchanged a raised eyebrow at a feignedly innocent Ginny. Draco and Ginny may deny it, but she had overheard the two secretly working together to help Draco plan doomed bets against Ron to ensure the redhead's victory. It wasn't how Hermione would have preferred Draco going about forming their camaraderie, but she supposed she should just be glad that Draco was putting in so much effort towards being friendly with the people she cared about most.

"You all go without me this time," Daphne said once everyone else had agreed to attend. "I needn't always play the seventh wheel."

Rounds of protest rang around the table, but it was the scheming glint in Ginny's eyes that concerned Hermione.

"Ginny— " she warned, but it was too late.

"What you need, Daphne, is a good night out," Ginny beamed. "I'm sure we could find a suitable wizard for you!"

"Don't listen to her," Hermione prompted Daphne. "And don't let her pressure you into anything you don't want to do!"

Ginny placed a hand against her chest in mock offence. "I would never pressure! Just merely plant an idea and let the person see where the night leads them!" She lifted an eyebrow in challenge. "And I haven't heard you complain about the results! Or have you forgotten who gave you the idea to go home with someone the night you and Malfoy first got together?"

Hermione huffed her retort. As if Ginny hadn't been actively trying to tear Draco away from her!

But she didn't voice any protest beyond that, too wrapped up in thoughts about the wizard seated beside her, their fingers intertwined under the table. Draco gave her hand a tight squeeze before planting a kiss on her forehead.

They had come a long way since that first night, and while they still had their share of struggles, they always came out stronger on the other side. Being with him wasn't always easy, but the things worth fighting for hardly ever were. And she'd continue fighting through their highs and their lows because he was worth it.

Final Author's Note:

Thank you for being a part of this story, whether you've read it all in one batch, joined me along the way, or have been reading since the beginning. This fic has meant so much to me over the course of the past year, and I cannot believe that it's actually over. (Not gonna lie, I teared up at least five times as I put the final touches on it and hit publish.)

Please take a moment to let me know what you think, regardless of when you are reading this fic. Your comments mean the world to me.

If you want, you can follow me on tumblr (niffizzle) and please check out my other works.

Until next time, thank you so much for reading xx