November 1st, 2011

A/N: From now on, the story will include more about Draco and Astoria. I find her fascinating to write, and them together is rather entertaining as well. Tell me what you guys think about this, because I do take my readers' opinions into account, since all of you mean the world to me. Should Ron end up with Astoria, after the whole blow-up happens? I am considering putting him with Lavender, but let me know how you feel about both options. Thanks again to the wonderful Cat for beta reading this (:

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.

Chapter Seven

Draco closed his eyes and leaned back in his chair at St. Mungo's. It was the day before Hermione's birthday, and he didn't know what to get her, but that wasn't the worst of his troubles. Ever since he had told Astoria he would give her a second chance, she hadn't left him alone. It had taken a threat from Draco and some amount of persuading from Hermione to convince Astoria that Draco did indeed need breathing space.

"Healer Malfoy? There's a woman here to see you," the current receptionist said, lingering in the doorway. Normally it would have been Cassie delivering the message, but her mother had fallen in ill and there was no one else to take care of her.

"What does she look like?" Draco asked, fearing that it was Astoria. He couldn't deal with her then, after he had handled so many emergencies in just a few hours.

"She has brown hair and is rather pretty," the girl told Draco. Sensing that he no longer had any interest in her, she frowned and went back to her post.

Oh bollocks, Draco thought. I suppose it's now or never. He sighed, resigned, and walked out of the cocoon of safety and privacy that was his office. He mentally squared his shoulders, thinking it would seem odd if he did so physically, and prepared to face the worst.

"Hey," a feminine voice said, sounding as if the person speaking was smiling. "Are you free to go to lunch?"

Hermione had headed towards Draco's office once Lila, the receptionist, pointed her in the right direction, and ended up passing the man himself.

Draco wasn't sure if the woman who spoke was talking to him or someone near him, but he glanced at her just to make sure. His visitor wasn't Astoria, in fact, it was Hermione. That didn't make her any less beautiful.

Bloody hell Draco, where did that come from? One voice asked. Another replied with, You've always found her attractive. You just wouldn't admit it until you went back for your seventh year. Draco wished his mind would shut up.

"Yeah, I'm free. Are you sure you are?" Draco asked. Hermione's daycare had opened on Wednesday, and it was Friday now. It had been hectic the first day, children running around everywhere while their parents all tried to talk to Hermione and Gina at one time. All of the Weasleys had turned out to help, and that included Harry, Neville, and Luna. George and Fred had even closed their store for a few hours so they could lend Hermione a hand.

Hermione nodded and brushed away the bangs that had fallen into her eyes. "Ginny didn't have practice today, so she decided to stop by and relieve me from taking care of the little monsters," she said, grinning. "But only for a little while."

Draco stifled his surprise. Why wasn't Hermione spending her free time with her boyfriend, if her daycare was so demanding?

As if reading his mind, Hermione continued. "I've told you before that I don't like pulling Ron away from work, and he's so caught up in all of the paperwork that comes with being a new Auror. He doesn't even go out to lunch anymore, he's so busy."

"Hmm, well okay." It wasn't Draco's place to judge Ron Weasley, although he certainly thought that the man could go out of his way to attend to Hermione more. Every single one of them had gone through a lot since the war, but Hermione had done the most by far – she even outshone Potter – and she deserved the best, even if she was a Muggleborn. No, especially because she was one.

"Come on then." Hermione took hold of Draco's arm and led him out of the hospital, keeping up an endless stream of chatter as they walked to a café that was Hermione's personal favorite.

Hermione hadn't let go of Draco, so when they were walking down the streets of London, the two seemed like they were a couple to any strangers went by. The pale blonde had a big smile spread out across his laughing face, and the woman with the curls kept her eyes on the man at all times.

"Oh, young love," an elderly grandmother said to her husband, smiling. He chuckled and patted her arm, while Hermione and Draco blushed and stuttered.

Hermione dropped Draco's arm like it burned, and attempted to hide her red face behind her curtain of hair. Draco rubbed the back of his neck with his hand, not knowing how he felt about the older woman's assumption.

Admittedly, he had fancied Hermione for a little while during their time at Hogwarts. How could he not? She was smart and had some snappy comebacks saved up, and she didn't hurt the eyes when one looked at her either. But Hermione was dating someone else, and Draco wasn't a schoolboy anymore.

"Why wasn't Cassie there today?" Hermione asked, trying for conversation.

"Her mum's fallen ill," Draco said, smiling sadly. "Cassie's the only one who can take care of her right now."

"Oh, poor Cassie…" Hermione had dropped by St. Mungo's so often that Cassie had come to know her and like her, much better than Astoria, who bothered Draco whenever she had time to spare, which was a lot.

"Yeah, and she's refusing anyone else's help," Draco told Hermione, having been the first to offer assistance to his younger coworker.

Hermione's smile seemed to mimic Draco's own as they sat down at an empty booth near the entrance to the café. They were both at ease when they were around each other, but they hadn't gotten used to living in peace quite yet. Years of reading about Death Eater attacks and witnessing some themselves had changed them forever, and nothing could reverse the effects of Voldemort's reign.

"On to lighter topics…what are you planning to do tomorrow?" Draco asked, once they had ordered their meals. He raked a hand through his hair, trying to come up with something to give Hermione even as he talked to her.

Hermione worried her bottom lip, then shrugged and grinned sheepishly. "I honestly don't know. Molly is bound to do something that will blow my mind, and no doubt there will be a few pranks involved with the help of the twins." She tucked a stray lock of hair behind her ear, wondering what the outcome of her most recent decision would be.

Oh, come on, Hermione. Live in the moment. That's what Harry and Ginny are always trying to get you to do, right? What better time to actually listen to their advice than now?

"Draco, would you mind coming to the Burrow for my birthday?"

For the love of Merlin, what is that wretched sound? Hermione thought, rubbing her eyes and sitting up, her sheets falling off as she did so, revealing one of Ron's shirts and pajama pants. When she focused on the person – or rather, several people – who had gathered in Ginny's room, she smiled ruefully.

"That's certainly one way to wake someone up," Hermione remarked mildly. Her ears hadn't stopped ringing from the firecracker Fred had set off, and there probably wasn't any spell to fix that, either.

"Happy birthday, Hermione." Harry was the first to say this, and he drew the sleepy witch into a hug. Harry had never been one for words, so he tried to show what he was feeling with his eyes, but sometimes that didn't work. It was a good thing he had prepared a card.

"Thank you, Harry," Hermione said, smiling softly.

Just as she was turning to ask the others how they had crept into the room without her noticing, strong arms enveloped her waist and lifted her off of the ground.

"Happy birthday Hermione!" the twins chimed. Hermione wasn't sure which one had picked her up – she suspected it was George – but she was laughing, because she was ticklish and Fred and George, who both knew it was so, took advantage of that whenever they could.

"George-Fred-whichever one you are, put me down!" she exclaimed, her eyes bright and merry.

Hermione barely had time to right her footing before she was wrapped in yet another person's embrace. This time she recognized who it was, without having to look at their face.

"Happy birthday," Ron said quietly, kissing the top of Hermione's head. Hermione smiled, though none could see she was, and let Ron's familiar smell wash over her. It was the same as it had been in their sixth year, when she was exposed to Amortentia for the first time.

"Thank you," Hermione whispered. Ron tipped her head up with a finger and started leaning forward, but Fred interrupted.

"Not so fast, there are innocent children present!"

"Like who?" Harry asked him, arching an eyebrow in amusement.

Fred didn't falter. Instead, he beamed. "Me and Georgie, of course."

"Innocent children my arse…" No one was sure who made that comment, but it caused all of them to laugh, including the twins.

More well-wishing was passed around, and then Molly ushered them into the backyard, where she had laid out a sumptuous feast that made the mouths of the men water. To Hermione's delight, Luna, Neville and Gina arrived not long after the Weasleys came out of the Burrow, and Draco soon after them.

Draco was slightly afraid of his reception – no, he was downright terrified. He had made plenty of jokes about the Weasel clan, but he had to admit they had some fierce fighters. There was one brother who handled dragons in Romania, another who went out on all sorts of journeys for Gringotts, if Draco had his facts right, and he was sure that all of them played Quidditch at some point in their lives. Not to mention that every single one of them was fiercely protective of Hermione and wouldn't hesitate to shed blood on her behalf.

"Hi! Come on and sit down," Hermione said, apparently oblivious to the tension that filled the air. She was, in truth, acutely aware of it, but she hoped that once the witches and wizards present saw how different Draco was, they would accept him like she had.

Draco sat awkwardly, in between Luna and Hermione, since that was the only seat available. He didn't mind it, though. If anything, he preferred it, for the two women were the least likely to hex him into oblivion.

Harry was talking to Ginny, and wasn't paying Draco much attention, although Ginny kept sneaking looks at him. Fred and George glared at Draco for a moment before they realized Hermione did trust him, and then they began to eat. Ron pointedly ignored the one who wasn't an honorary Weasley, while the others attempted to act civil.

Oh, dear, well this isn't going as well as I wanted… Hermione sighed, as quietly as she could. She was biting her lip again – she always did it when she was worried or deep in thought, although she didn't notice – and found that she couldn't come up with any way to make the situation less awkward.

"Hermione?" Draco was speaking quietly, so Hermione had to lean closer to him to hear what he said next. "I think it would be best if I left. I'm sorry, but you shouldn't be spending your birthday trying to make things better for other people."

Bollocks, this is the one time I would have preferred it if Draco didn't know me so well.

"Draco, honestly, you don't have to leave," Hermione said. Perhaps she was being selfish, because Draco certainly wasn't having a good time, but she wanted to talk to him at least for a little bit on the day she became old enough to drink alcohol in the Muggle world.

"I'll make it up to you somehow," Draco promised. Most of the people were ignoring him, so it was the perfect time to slip out unnoticed. He quickly walked a little ways away and disapparated, materializing in his empty, cold apartment in Diagon Alley, which was as different from the place he had just left as could be.

For the rest of the day, Hermione continued to uncover little surprises wherever she went. Every time, she knew who they were from. First she found a bouquet of beautiful flowers, all dyed purple, on her pillow, and then there was a new copy of Hogwarts: A History embellished in gold, and so much more. Hermione wasn't used to such lavish gifts, but they were courtesy of Draco Malfoy, so what else could she expect?

Around noon, Hermione was sitting by the pond in the back of the Burrow by herself, content to be alone for a bit. She had taken a book with her because she had been planning to stay there for a while, but apparently Draco had other plans.

His owl dropped a note onto her lap and left without waiting for any sort of treat or reply. Puzzled, Hermione read what it said.

Hermione,

I'm sorry I left in the middle of everything. Care to go to lunch at The Three Broomsticks? I have one more present to give you, but it should be in person.

-DM

Hermione shook her head with a smile on her face. Draco definitely went all out when it came to giving presents. She thought what he had given her so far was more than enough, but of course he had to add another thing.

She got to her feet and went back inside her one true home to tell everyone she was going out for a bit.

"Hermione, it's been a while, hasn't it? It's so wonderful to see you," Madam Rosmerta said upon seeing the curly-haired witch walk into her pub.

They exchanged pleasantries, and news, as Madam Rosmerta led Hermione to a booth in the back.

"I dare say he wants to make an entrance," the older woman added before she left Hermione to wonder why Draco would 'want to make an entrance.'

Hermione drummed her fingers on the table in front of her, sipped at her butterbeer, and Draco still did not appear, which was strange because he was the one who had asked her to go to lunch. She decided she would give him five more minutes, and if he didn't arrive by then, she would leave.

"I know you might be mad at me for being late, but Crookshanks is an awfully stubborn cat when he wants to be," Draco gasped. He had scratch marks all over his face and arms, but he was grinning.

Eyes beginning to water, Hermione watched as Crookshanks, her Crookshanks, delicately stepped onto her lap.

"But how…how did you know where to find him?" she asked, biting the inside of her cheek so she wouldn't cry about something so silly. Hermione had left Crookshanks with her parents before she went on the horcrux hunt with Harry and Ron, and she hadn't been able to bear going back to retrieve him because of her mother and father.

"Well, the Weaselette knew where he was, and once I told her what I was planning, she gave me the address."

"Thank you, Draco," Hermione said quietly, smiling at him as she hugged Crookshanks close to her.

The cat purred and became perfectly sweet and cooperative when he was with his true owner. You two-faced arse… Draco thought, but it had been worth the pain to see how happy Hermione was.

And then she hit his arm from across the table.

"I can't believe you went through all of this trouble just for me! First the flowers, then the book, and then the jewelry, and now Crookshanks! How am I ever going to be able to repay you?"

"Hermione, really. You don't need to repay me for any of this. Think of it all as a big thank you for showing me some kindness this past month, if it makes you feel better," Draco said, rubbing his throbbing arm. Now he remembered why he respected Hermione after their third year. That was the time he found out how strong she really was, despite her small stature.

Someone stopped by to take their order, and once that was out of the way, Draco noticed something glistening around Hermione's neck. She was wearing his necklace.

It was simple, not plain. It was pretty, but not gaudy or flashy. Draco had chosen it to match Hermione exactly. The pendant was of a silver otter, its nose touching its tail, encircling a sapphire, her birth stone.

Ron hadn't gotten her anything like that, but that was alright. What wasn't alright was that, the exception being that morning, he hadn't acknowledged her birthday at all. Ron avoided Hermione every time she tried to approach him, just to speak with him, and usually used Harry or Ginny as a decoy. Hermione had given up at eleven o' clock. She wouldn't waste the day chasing after someone who didn't want to be chased, when the rest of the people she cared about were there to cheer her up.

"Ron, she's coming!" Harry said, taking Ginny by the hand and leading her to her room so Ron was in the living room alone.

When Hermione saw who was there, she didn't say anything. She had stayed out with Draco longer than she had intended, but it wasn't even dark when she got back to the Burrow. She placed Crookshanks on the window seat and settled down next to him.

"Hermione, Ginny wants to see you in her room." That was Harry, as he walked into the kitchen.

Hermione got up and went to see what her friend wanted as Ron watched on.

Upon opening the door, Hermione was convinced that Ginny had been kidnapped by Death Eaters and an ambush had been set up, and that that was why she was being blindfolded and her wand was taken away. It was indeed an ambush, just not the kind that involved Voldemort's minions.

"For Merlin's sake, Hermione, hold still!" Ginny snapped.

"I told you she wouldn't react well," Luna said calmly as she sat Hermione down on Ginny's bed.

"What on earth are you two doing?" Hermione asked once the blindfold was removed. "And why did you need to take my wand?"

"Because we're going to be doing your makeup and we don't want you ruining it. You need to be dolled up so Ron can take you out tonight."

"Luna! It was supposed to be a surprise!"

"She would have found out eventually."

"Yes, but that's not the point. Oh, never mind. She might cooperate better if she knows what's going on."

Hermione frowned, but she allowed Ginny and Luna to do what they liked with her. She had no idea what Ron was planning, and she hoped her getting 'dolled up' wasn't necessary. Hermione disliked going to fancy places, because they made her feel awkward, especially if they weren't Muggle. Any time she and Ron had gone out before in the wizard world, paparazzi always spoiled the evening.

When Ginny was finally done fussing, and Luna evaluating, Hermione took a good look at herself in the mirror. She was wearing tighter jeans than she normally wore, but she also had on an old faded sweater she loved, and Ginny had managed to tame her hair a bit more. Hermione noticed no big difference, so she didn't hex either of her friends when she got her wand back and was sent outside.

At first Hermione didn't know where she was supposed to go. Was Ron going to pop up suddenly, or did she have to find her own way?

Then she saw the rose petals forming a path to the pond, the place she had been only a few hours before. Hermione smiled slightly and let them lead her.

The sun was just setting. Ron had timed everything perfectly, which was strange because he wasn't very good at planning. Hermione realized how much of an effort he had made to get the picnic in front of her ready, and promptly wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him.

"Happy birthday 'Mione."

A/N: I hope you guys liked this xD Cat emailed me with her comments, and they were so funny I almost wanted to include them in parentheses or something. She's probably the best beta ever. How many of you thought Draco's last present was going to be a kiss? Because I really want to know. Anyway, sorry it's taken so long, but the big blow-up is going to happen soon, like, in the next chapter, and Draco will be there for Hermione cause he's awesome like that :) I will leave you all hanging in anticipation.

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