A/N: This story was written for the Dramione Fanfiction Writers 2020 Challenge. Every month, they posted a prompt, and the challenge was to write a story using that prompt. I decided in January to write a multi-chapter story, thinking the prompts every month would lend themselves well to such an endeavor. But man, the mods threw some curve balls at me! There was only one month where I couldn't see how to work in the prompt, and that was when I was supposed to "insert myself" into the story. I... had no idea how to do that. But it was allowed for me to use my own prompt, so for that month, my beta gave me a prompt and I worked it in.

When they started the challenge, we were told that whatever prompt we chose for January would also be our prompt for December. I picked "New Year's Resolutions" because I thought it would go nicely for a story that would span the year. BUT, the mods threw in an extra challenge for this month, and we had to get a randomly generated quote to incorporate. Mine was "Tomorrow is another day." A la Scarlet O'Hara. So, you'll find that somewhere in this chapter.

And now, I present, the final chapter of this story.

Friday, 1 DECEMBER

Hermione turned the page in her planner feeling a mixture of accomplishment and trepidation. It was the last page: December. There was a smattering of things scheduled so far, most of them related to either Foundation business or Pansy's wedding.

Her art class was on hiatus until the next year, though she wasn't sure she'd be returning. She'd been toying with the idea of devoting her art class evenings to making macarons after how much she'd enjoyed the experience with Draco.

She felt a deep sense of satisfaction at the way her year had progressed. She'd set a goal for herself before the year began, and she had largely succeeded: most of her time had been spent exactly how she wanted. She never once missed the things she'd given up. All the socializing for work and going out with friends or coworkers most nights of the week had been fun ways to pass the time, but they hadn't fueled her soul. One of the best things she'd learned over the year was to focus on the things that enriched her life, and it was such a relief to realize that even small doses of things that truly brought her joy were better than hours of things that didn't.

She'd also learned how much she enjoyed giving her all for something she believed in. There had been times in the past when she'd felt the Ministry could—and should—do better about something, but she'd never pursued it very far. It was hard to find energy to give to something when she spent all of hers in ways that didn't give her any back.

But when the situation with the pixies came up, she'd found plenty of time and space to devote to the project, and that's what she wanted for her future.

There was a little capital "D" in the box for Christmas Day, and it reminded Hermione that she still had no idea what to get Draco. She smiled as she lightly brushed the "D" with her finger, thinking of the past week. It had been nothing short of incredible. All of her fears had been unfounded, and Draco had done an outstanding job of letting her see exactly how he felt—no more walls, no more hiding. After their first night together, he'd finally let her all the way in to experience just how much he cared for her and wanted her.

She had chuckled over the irony that, after her forced attempts at the beginning of the year and her short-lived relationship with Marcus, she had finally given up the idea of falling in love this year, of finding someone to share her time with, only to stumble into the best thing that had ever happened to her.

Saturday, 2 DECEMBER

"Can I just start by saying it took way too long to make this happen?" Pansy slid into a chair, draping her bag across the back of it.

Ginny gave her a pointed look as she settled into her seat. "You are the one busy with wedding planning every single night. It isn't my fault it's been two weeks."

"She's right, Pansy." Hermione opened her menu, more than ready to eat.

Pansy groaned. "It still doesn't change what I said. I mean, so much has happened since that day at The Burrow. They could be engaged for all we know!" She gave Hermione a searching look. "You're not, are you?"

Hermione laughed. "No, Pansy. That would be ridiculously fast. It took you and Ron six months, remember? Draco and I have only been together for a month and a half."

"Well, it wouldn't surprise me." She waved dismissively. "He's fancied you over a year, you two are really good friends, and now you're together—the jump to love here isn't very big."

"More like a hop," Ginny supplied helpfully.

Pansy laughed and gave Ginny an appreciative nod.

They'd been sitting at their table all of two minutes; they hadn't even placed their dinner orders yet, and already they were talking about her and Draco being engaged. It was going to be a long night.

"We're still figuring out what it means to be together."

Pansy closed her menu and fixed Hermione with a piercing stare. "Speaking of you two being together, we are ready to hear all about it."

"Every single, teeny, tiny detail." Ginny grinned.

"Starting with that kiss you didn't tell me about." Pansy arched an eyebrow.

"Let's wait until we've ordered at least, shall we?" Hermione didn't want to have to worry about being interrupted—by strangers, anyway.

Pansy immediately located their server and motioned for him to take their order. As soon as he left, she leaned over the table. "Go on, then."

Hermione began to fill Pansy and Ginny in on everything, starting with what led up to her kissing Draco that first time. Unlike Harry, however, they interrupted frequently.

"Wait—you fell asleep on him? How does that even happen?" Pansy looked extremely skeptical.

"I'd had too much to drink, remember? And in my inebriated state, it made perfect sense to lay on his chest and pass out."

Ginny laughed.

"But then what happened?" Pansy tented her hands under her chin.

Hermione barely got through the part where she sent Draco the note asking him to forget the kiss had ever happened when Pansy slapped the table. "You did not. Tell me that's a damn lie, Granger."

"No." Hermione sighed. "Otherwise we might have been together earlier. But, in my defense, he agreed to it."

Pansy rolled her eyes so hard Hermione winced. "You're both dumb. But I've known that since July. Go on."

"Wait, what about July?" Ginny perked up then and gave Pansy a questioning look.

"I've known since July they fancied each other."

"You never said that!" Hermione cried, incredulous.

"I mentioned I'd brought you up to him in February, too, remember? I wasn't going to do all the work for you two!" She turned to Ginny. "I realized it was more than mutual when they both joined me for cake testing. It was so bloody obvious I couldn't speak for a minute." She addressed Hermione again. "And I told you I knew you liked him after that."

Hermione frowned. "Yes, but you said nothing about him!"

"He swore me to secrecy! And he's got an awful Stinging Hex." She tutted slightly. "Not to mention plenty of blackmail material on me, should he get too put out with me."

"But wait a minute. Do you mean, he told you? In July?" This was new. He's never admitted to telling anyone except Harry.

Pansy's expression became one of superiority. "Let's just say we spoke in hypotheticals. He said that, if he did have feelings for you, hypothetically, and I breathed a word of it, he'd find a way to make me suffer. Hypothetically, of course. But I learned a very long time ago that it's dangerous to cross him." She grimaced.

"So he didn't admit it."

"He as good as did." Pansy huffed. "But no, the words 'I'm in love with Hermione' never came out of his mouth. He just kept not denying it in the most outlandish ways possible. Let me tell you, a Slytherin is good for two things: keeping themselves out of trouble and having a very slippery tongue. We can talk around the truth like you wouldn't believe."

Ginny snorted. "I bet she's got other ideas about his tongue."

Pansy howled with laughter, and Hermione blushed, quickly taking a drink from her glass to hide her burning cheeks.

"Anyway. Continue. You were just about to explain why you sent him a note asking him to forget your kiss."

Hermione sighed. "Because I felt... embarrassed! I'd shown up there, uninvited, accusing him and blaming him for things that weren't his fault, then I drank too much and kissed him. I had no idea he had feelings for me, obviously, and I thought he would resent me or feel awkward around me." She buried her face in her hands. "Turns out I was the awkward one who couldn't forget it."

"I can't wait to hear this part." Ginny smirked. "Did you just lose all self control and jump him?"

Pansy snorted. "I like the way you think, Ginny. Did you, Granger?"

Hermione merely rolled her eyes. "No. All I managed to do was make everything awkward." She then proceeded to tell Pansy a few details; Ginny knew a good bit of it already from their conversation before the fundraiser.

Finally she got to the part where they were dancing at the fundraiser and Draco made his little confession. Ginny squealed and Pansy gaped open-mouthed.

"Then you jumped him?" Ginny asked

"No," Hermione said emphatically. "He walked away before I could respond."

"He did what?" Pansy rubbed the bridge of her nose and let out a heavy sigh. "I swear, the two of you have used up every last ounce of patience I have ever possessed."

Hermione huffed. "He walked away. He said it, right at the end of a song, and I suppose he thought there was nothing left to say—"

"Maybe because you had just been telling him how embarrassed you were about kissing him?"

Hermione ignored Pansy's outburst. "Don't worry, I immediately went after him. It took a second for his words to sink in, but when I realized what he said, what he meant, I wasn't going to run away anymore. It took me twenty minutes to find him because people kept stopping me to talk, but I finally saw him go out onto a balcony."

Ginny grinned. "And you followed him."

"Yes. absolutely."

"And then you kissed." Ginny tapped the table with her finger for emphasis.

Hermione let out a breath. They didn't need to know all the details. "Yes. Then we kissed."

"For how long and how much? Was there tongue? Where were his hands?" Pansy's eyes were excited, her knuckles white on the table as though she couldn't wait to hear the answer.

Ginny snorted. "Merlin, those hands."

Hermione blushed scarlet. "I don't know how long! A while? It's not like I was timing it. We talked a little, too." She completely ignored the question of his hands. "But then we had to stop because, you know, we were both pretty important to the fundraiser and had to get back to it."

Pansy tutted. "As if Narcissa wouldn't have made excuses for you."

Ginny was more focused on the matter at hand. "And then he took you home, right?"

"No!" Hermione chuckled "I was there with Viktor, remember?"

She waved dismissively "Fine, fine. You… told Viktor to find his own way home?"

Hermione smiled patiently. "No, wrong again."

Pansy's eyes lit up. "You told Draco to meet you at your house!"

"Then you jumped him!" Ginny and Pansy high-fived.

Hermione let out an exasperated huff. "Good grief! No! We didn't sleep together that night!"

Ginny looked slightly deflated. "Fine. I suppose we should let you tell this story."

"Yes, maybe you should." She straightened up after taking a sip from her drink. "Anyway, Viktor took me home and then I went to bed. Draco came over the next morning and—"

"You jumped him in the kitchen?" Ginny gave her a hopeful face.

Pansy shrieked with laughter but Ginny waved her hands. "I'm joking, I'm joking. Now I'm just messing with you."

"If you don't stop interrupting me, I'm going to stop the story." It was a mild threat, but Hermione was beginning to get exasperated.

Both Pansy's and Ginny's eyes went wide. Pansy nodded solemnly and Ginny clamped her hands over her mouth.

"That's more like it," said Hermione. She then gave them a general overview of what happened that day and over the month of November. She kept things nonspecific, but Pansy and Ginny definitely exchanged looks a few times.

"So you've gone through your whole list?"

"I can't believe you made an actual list." Pansy shook her head. "I'm amazed that Draco got through all of that without losing his mind. He really must love you."

Hermione blushed. "I actually tossed the list. Incomplete, I might add. It was fun to talk through some things, look back on the year and clear up misunderstandings, but I got to a point where I didn't need answers to my remaining questions. Maybe I'll find them out as we go along. But I want to move forward. No need to keep looking back."

Ginny patted her arm. "Good. I'm proud of you for that. I bet it was hard."

"Not really. Normally I might have had a hard time letting go, but... after this year of being very intentional with my time in a large sense, meaning how I scheduled my hours, I realized I need that same intention in smaller things. Do I want to spend my time with Draco focused on the past? Or would it be better to leave that alone and focus on the future? I chose the latter."

Pansy smiled proudly. "Good for you. I know you're going to have a long, fabulous relationship."

"They're so sparkly." Ginny turned to Pansy. "Don't you agree? I mean, look at Hermione right now."

Pansy peered intently at her. "Yes! It's your eyes. You never looked like that with Marcus, you know."

Hermione groaned. "I know. I feel really bad about that, too."

"It's okay. You don't owe him anything. You were doing your best, remember?" Ginny smiled warmly. "None of this is easy. Figuring out life, and love, is never straightforward."

Pansy scoffed. "You can't really talk, you know. You married the man you fell for practically the first time you saw him!"

Ginny cringed slightly. "It was vastly more complicated than that, Pansy."

The other woman flapped her hand. "Yeah, I know."

"Harry and I went through a lot before we really got together. But that doesn't mean we didn't know we'd end up together."

"Let's talk about something other than me and Draco, shall we?" Hermione was ready to have the focus not be solely on her. "How are wedding things coming? What do we need to do this week?"

Pansy released a heavy sigh but then launched into a long, detailed rant about the next four items on her to-do list. Between that and Ginny's updates on her kids, followed by a slew of random and amusing topics, they passed the evening.

Sunday, 10 DECEMBER

Hermione felt a little anxious as she waited for Draco to come over. It was now quite a normal habit for him to come over after work and for them to spend the whole evening together.

She knew things were moving quickly, but that didn't surprise her a bit considering how much they had meant to each other before they got together. But there was one thing she'd been keeping quiet about so far, and the time had finally come to tell him.

She jumped at his knock despite the fact that she was anticipating his arrival. He gave her an easy smile and a sweet kiss as he entered her flat, shrugging out of his work robes and pulling off his badge.

"How was your day?" he asked with a tired smile.

"Oh, very good, thanks. And you? How was that meeting you were preparing for?"

Draco shrugged. "It was fine. I'm sorry that I'm so late getting here. Something came up right at the end of the day, and Potter and I had to take care of it."

She waved her hand in the air. "It's no matter. I've just been reading." She glanced toward a little stack of books on the table by her favorite chair, all of which were about wizarding law.

Draco did not follow her gaze, instead getting close so that he could give her a proper kiss. Hermione tried to relax and enjoy it, to shut her mind off for a few minutes, but she couldn't. He realized it very quickly and pulled back to peer at her questioningly.

"What's the matter?"

Hermione bit her lip. "Will you sit with me?" She motioned toward the sofa and, without waiting for an answer, sat down.

Draco scratched his head a little bit nervously. "Yeah, okay. Everything alright?

She folded her hands in her lap. "Yes, everything's fine. There's just something that it's time for me to tell you. Don't get worried, though, it's nothing crazy. But I had this idea. It's really thanks to Harry. He said something at The Burrow weeks ago that got me thinking."

Draco frowned. "What I'm hearing is that if I don't like what you're about to say, it's Potter's fault."

She laughed in surprise. "You'd like that, wouldn't you? Anyway, he asked me that day, when we told everybody about us, what I wanted to do next in my life. I told him I didn't know, and he simply observed that I seemed happiest when I was working to help the pixies. And it occurred to me that, rather than trying to work from the inside of the Ministry, maybe I can be most effective working outside of it."

Draco nodded slowly. "Kind of like what the solicitor did when he took your case about the pixies and brought it before the Wizengamot."

"Exactly! I'm interested in learning all of the laws there are and helping magical creatures more from the standpoint of challenging unfair laws than trying to write new ones or rewrite existing laws. I felt like, from the outside, I could bring a lot more attention to things that aren't good or fair. When I worked at the Ministry, they completely shut me down. From the outside, I can utilize resources such as interviews and news articles and things like that in order to bring attention to unfair and unjust systems. What do you think?"

"Well, yeah!" Draco smiled widely. "I think it's perfect, Hermione. What does that mean for you? You can also use the Foundation to raise money for things that you think are worthy."

Hermione shook her head. "No, I want the Foundation to be completely separate. I don't want to be any more involved in it than I am because I don't want there to be any appearance of conflict of interest. And as wonderful as it was that you did so much for the pixies, I don't want the Foundation to prioritize my projects."

"To be fair, we never have before," Draco remarked.

"Oh, I know. And I absolutely love the work the Foundation does. I just don't want to set a precedent that you do things for me. I don't think most people even knew your efforts in October were on my behalf, since the pixie drama remained largely behind the scenes." She huffed; her treatment by the Ministry still stung. "My point is, I really believe that without all of the rules of the Ministry, I can bring important things to light and affect meaningful change."

"I have no doubt that you'll take them by storm. The Ministry won't know what hit it." Then Draco gave her a curious look. "I'm struggling with something, to be honest. I don't understand why you were nervous to tell me that."

She sighed. "It's not that I was nervous to tell you, exactly. It's more that... this is a huge decision for my future, and... I want you in my future. But we're so new at this, I wasn't sure how that would look."

"How do you want it to look?"

"I… I want to make the decision together. Because this affects both of us. Because us is really important to me. And going forward, I want us to do this. Together." Hermione marveled for a moment at how different this was from her brief relationship with Marcus. She never would have considered him in this decision after dating for less than two months.

Though it wasn't really fair to compare the two. In the time she'd been with Draco, she'd already seen him more times that in all the months she'd dated Marcus.

Draco had easily stepped into her life in his new role with very little need for adjustment. She wondered if that was because of their comfortable friendship beforehand or if it was simply that extra something they had together that comes with being with someone who is a true companion.

Maybe that was what made it all feel so sparkly.

The terrifying thing was that it didn't feel all that strange to consider something very long-term with him. In fact, it felt perfectly natural.

Draco smiled, relieved. "I'm happy to help."

Hermione pulled some information out from under the stack of books she'd been reading and handed it to him. "I thought we might look through these together? I've written to a number of organizations all over England about their intern programs. And there are three main centres for learning about wizarding law: London, Edinburgh, and Manchester. The program is about eighteen months, and I can either work part time at a law firm any time after completing the first six, or wait until the program is over. I'd want to start as soon as possible." She paused and bit her lip. "But the program sounds a bit intense. It doesn't sound like I'd have a ton of free time. And if I also took an internship, that might mean I'd have none."

He'd been glancing through the brochures the whole time she'd been talking, though he couldn't have done more than look at the pictures. He set them down and leaned back to look at her. "Which program interests you the most?"

"Ooh, I'm not sure! The London one is supposedly the best, and it's also the biggest. The Manchester program is really known for its International Law Department, which could be fascinating. I think it would be worth looking into how other countries treat their magical creatures beyond the small set of international laws that everyone in the International Magical Confederation agrees to. I believe I could use laws in other countries to highlight areas here that need improvement and to show examples of how other magical communities work with magical creatures. London has a good international program as well, but Manchester's is the best. Edinburgh, while the smallest, boasts a few magical creatures on staff in their Magical Creatures Law division."

Draco waited patiently throughout her rambling and didn't speak right away after she finished. Hermione wrung her hands in her lap, anxious about what he might say.

"It sounds perfect for you, honestly. I would imagine that learning wizarding law would be time intensive." He frowned. "Does that mean I wouldn't see you much?"

Hermione had an answer ready. "I'd see you as much as possible. I think between classes and projects, homework and research, though, it could potentially be less than I see you now." She cringed. "If you don't think this will work, you and me, then I'll try something else. Maybe instead of eighteen months, I could complete it in twice that. Or—"

"No. Don't change your plans. We'll be fine, Hermione." The smile he gave her was completely genuine, not a hint of concern present. "There's no way I'm going to let a little bit of a scheduling issue come between us."

"If you're sure?"

Draco shook his head, chuckling lightly. "I'm completely certain. Remember, I've fancied you for a very long time. Now that you're mine? Why would I risk that? Why would I let you go?"

"I suppose you might come to feel like, after all that time, I'm not quite all that you expected." She hadn't really put her thoughts in order quite that way before, but she discovered now that it was absolutely part of a deep-seated fear about her future plans—about any relationship with him, truthfully. That was always a concern when one person had experienced a long season of pining. When Draco got what he'd wanted, would it be a disappointment?

He let out a long breath and stood up, holding his hand out for her. Hermione let him help her stand, and he stepped very close, his gray eyes boring into hers, expression intense. "Hermione. I want you to hear me very clearly. Yes, I fancied you a long time. And I thought that I knew what it was to love someone."

Her breath hitched.

"But now that I have you?" He shook his head with a wry chuckle. "I didn't know anything. Actually having you… the fact that I can be this close, close enough to touch…" He cupped her cheek with his hand and started lightly rubbing her skin with his thumb. "To kiss…" Just as lightly, he brushed his lips against hers, and Hermione immediately relaxed and let him deepen the kiss. When he started trailing kisses down her neck, she sighed contentedly. But he didn't keep it up for long, returning to briefly kiss her lips once more. "Not to mention… other things." He grinned wolfishly.

Hermione smiled and wrapped her arms around him, resting her head on his chest. He hugged her tight for a moment but then lightly pushed her shoulders back so he could look at her.

"But it's so much more than all of that, good as it is. I get to be the person you tell about your day. I will get to listen to you complain about your assignments or how some professor is an arse or one of your classmates didn't finish their part of the project. I will be with you while you study for tests and write essays, and I can't wait to debate the merits of this law or that with you over breakfast or tea or any other meal of the day."

Her heart felt like it might burst as she reached up to kiss him. "So which program do you think I should do?"

"Manchester." He spoke without hesitation. "Your thoughts on the international aspects are brilliant. You're going to be incredible."

She nodded, her heart racing in the best possible way. "Yeah? I was kind of leaning that way."

"Absolutely. If that's the one you want, I agree completely."

"Alright. But you didn't get to look at the other brochures very much." She bent to retrieve them, but Draco intercepted her, grasping her wrist with a firm yet gentle touch.

"I don't need to look at anymore. Unless you really want me to." He pulled her to him and snaked his arms around her waist.

She glanced back at the stack. "Well, I mean, I want to be sure. The other programs have a lot of good things going for them, too. I want us to be thorough in our research before we make this decision. As I said, it's important to me."

"Uh-huh." He smirked and locked his arms around her, one eyebrow raised. "Here's the thing. Those brochures aren't going anywhere. You don't need to decide right now. I vote that we continue this discussion… later." Then he dipped his head and started kissing along her jaw.

"Later? After dinner?" His breath ghosted over a sensitive spot and she gasped. "Oh! Right, um, after. Yes, all right. And then… we can talk over dinner."

Without responding, Draco took her hand as he led them to her room.

Wednesday, 13 DECEMBER

"Thank you so much for meeting with me." Hermione held out her hand.

Wendy Reinhold was a woman of around fifty, with a bright, crisp kind of smile. She shook Hermione's hand once, motioning for her to sit. "It's my pleasure, Miss Granger, I assure you. When we received your letter, well! We made sure that we could accommodate you in every way you mentioned."

Hermione blinked. "What do you mean?"

"We are so honored that you would want to study law with us that we made room for you in the new class that begins in January." Wendy began shuffling through the things on her desk. "Now where did I put that agreement form? It was just here..."

"What do you mean, you made room for me?" Hermione felt extremely uneasy at the thought that someone had been turned away, after being given a place, because of her.

Wendy pulled an elegant sheaf of parchment from under a stack of books. "Here we are. Don't worry a bit, Miss Granger. All I meant was that we had prepared for eleven students, and admitting you would require some adjustments. Twelve is a nice, round number—makes nice groups, anyway. Now. You said in your letter you were interested in applying, but I can safely say that, once you've completed all the paperwork, you'll be admitted without delay to begin the January session."

Hermione felt a wave of nerves flutter in her stomach. "That's so soon! I didn't expect to be considered until next summer."

Wendy faltered a moment. "If you'd prefer to wait, that's all right, of course. But the place is yours if you want it."

Hermione bit her lip. "I wouldn't be taking someone else's spot, would I?"

"Oh, not at all, dear. We can accept up to sixteen per session. Though we rarely fill all of the spots." She slid the parchment across the desk and stood. "I'll give you a few minutes to read over that. It's very standard, simply an agreement that we will educate you and you will comply with our rules."

Wendy left, shutting the door with a soft click.

Hermione stared at the document, her heart pounding. She hadn't expected this at all and had only requested a meeting so she could learn more about the program, maybe tour the grounds, and ask some questions.

She had decided on her course of action far past the deadlines to apply for the January term, but had wanted to see if there was anything she could do to get started, any advice on getting prepared. She'd even applied at Flourish and Blotts, hoping to work there until the next program started in July.

Yet here she was with the chance to start much sooner, a mere three weeks away. What would Draco think? She thought she should consult him, since she'd said she wanted them to make the decision together.

After going through everything with him, they'd talked through a course of action for her until she could begin a program. In addition to Flourish and Blotts, she'd spend a lot of time with the Foundation, getting some exposure to fundraising and networking, establishing connections that might benefit her in the future.

She was still staring when Wendy returned, handing Hermione a bottle of water. "Any questions?"

"Um, I wasn't expecting this at all. I'm not really prepared to sign this today."

Wendy nodded. "Take your time. I need your answer by the seventeenth. Is that enough time?"

Hermione's mind began spinning but she forced herself to focus; there would be time for sorting through options and variables later. "I think so, yes."

"Good." Wendy stood and Hermione did likewise. "I'm certain you'll take advantage of this offer, and I speak for everyone here when I say that we are excited about the idea of you joining us!"

They shook hands again. "Thank you, Mrs. Reinhold. I will be in touch with you soon."

Hermione left the room still feeling a little dazed and immediately raced back to her flat. She would see Draco after work and they could discuss from there.

ooo

The conversation went exactly as she thought it might. He was very supportive and excited for her.

"But this means I'm going to move there. Soon. Remember?" She'd expected more of a reaction, if she was honest with herself.

"I say, if you can get started six months earlier, you should do it." He shrugged. "I mean, why not?"

"Well, there's nothing stopping me, of course. Except that we had just come up with a plan for the next six months!" She wanted to hear that it mattered to him that she was considering changing things. There was no doubt in her mind that he'd be fully supportive—that was just the kind of man he was—but deep down, she wanted him to be a little sad that she'd be moving.

"That's true, but none of it was set in stone." He smiled warmly. "I think you should take this, Hermione. It's exactly what you want. And after the year you've had, you deserve to have something go your way."

She slid her hand into his and returned his smile. "The best thing possible already has. But, Draco, I'm going to have to find a place to live! And I only have a few weeks before the session starts!"

"I'm happy to help, you know that."

"I know, and I appreciate it. But… are we ready for this?" She bit her lip. "I'd been a little relieved that we'd get some time to just be together before a major, life-altering event."

"I know, but you won't be that far away, and Apparating is really easy."

Hermione had felt strongly that she wanted to live in Manchester, even though transportation in the magical world was practically instantaneous. It was still easier to pop in to a friend's house who lived down the hall versus going through the trouble of Apparating or using the Floo. She didn't want to be far from the activity, just in case, and Draco had agreed.

Now, though, with the prospect of it happening so much sooner, she felt unsettled with the idea. She was about to mention all of the things he'd described only a few days before, about wanting to be part of her days. But then something occurred to her, an idea that made her breath hitch and her stomach swoop with anticipation. It would have to wait, though; she put that thought in the back of her mind to revisit later.

"If you're sure?"

He grinned and pulled her in for a kiss. "Absolutely. Let's go to dinner to celebrate, yeah? We haven't gone out in a while."

"That sounds nice." Her heart was absolutely full, and she held onto him tightly, unable to quite believe that he was really all hers.

Saturday, 16 DECEMBER

"Where do we begin?"

Hermione spread the map on the table between them, carefully keeping it away from their drinks and plates. She pointed to the area around Cheetham. "The institute is here. I've made a list of twenty flats to see today, spaced thirty minutes apart, beginning at nine with half an hour for lunch."

Draco's eyes went wide. "Twenty?"

She handed him the list. "I'm counting on you to help me. We can always look things over more thoroughly in the Pensieve Harry let me borrow for the weekend. I shrank it and stored it at the bottom of my bag."

He shook his head, incredulous. "Twenty. That's... awfully ambitious, Hermione."

"I know, but I'm determined to find the right flat. I've only got one weekend, after all." It was Saturday, and Draco had accompanied her to Manchester to search for housing. She was glad he was there, since it would ensure that whatever she chose, he would like it, too.

"And tomorrow?" He flipped through the list of properties they were set to visit.

"Twelve, starting in the morning, lunch of course, then a few hours to decide and sign the papers. Unless I find the perfect place today. I've put the most promising ones on today's schedule, so that if I do find something, I can cancel everything tomorrow."

He raised an eyebrow. "And enjoy the day exploring the city?"

"Yes, that sounds lovely." She smiled at him, her breath hitching at the way he was looking at her. "I hope that's how things go."

They had Apparated into the wizarding area of the city, a quaint little square hidden away from Muggles. It was similar to Diagon Alley, but not nearly as busy. Now, they were eating breakfast and preparing for their jaunt into the Muggle part of the city.

"We've got... twenty minutes before the first showing." Draco frowned. "How are we supposed to get from one place to the next?"

"Ooh, that's the fun part." She grinned and pulled a stack of papers from her bag. "I went to the nearest Muggle library to do some research. They have computers, and I used them to find pictures of everywhere we're going so that I could locate good places for Apparition. I'm planning to rent in a Muggle area, though, so we'll need to be very careful."

Draco raised an eyebrow and reached for the top picture. "What is this, then?"

"It's a satellite image of the first flat." She pointed to the number one in the top left corner. "I've marked the best spot to arrive undetected." Then she pointed to a big, red X.

"What, exactly, is a satellite image?"

"Well, I know you're familiar with natural satellites, like the moon. Muggles have sent man-made versions into space to orbit the Earth, and some of them take pictures of what's below."

Draco chuckled. "But why?"

Hermione shrugged. "To spy on each other, find optimal driving routes, see more of the Earth—lots of reasons. But anyway, these will help us move from one place to the next quickly."

He ran a hand through his hair as he glanced at the pile. "Well, I'm… ready. Although, I hope you have some potions on hand. That much Apparating in such close succession could be unpleasant."

She held up her bag and rattled it. "Absolutely prepared."

After finishing their food, they left the restaurant and found an out of the way spot from which to Apparate. Hermione handed him the photo again. "Do you want to Side-Along? Or go separately?"

He gave her a hesitant look. "Let's do it together for the first one."

Hermione nodded and slid her hand through the crook of his elbow. "On the count of three. One, two, three!"

ooo

By lunch time, they were exhausted. Each flat was very nice, all having been pre-screened by Hermione, but she was feeling frustrated that none of the seven locations so far had drawn her attention. She'd truly hoped to be finished by lunch, but it seemed they would have to keep going.

They spent their entire break discussing the seven flats from the morning, but she'd only scheduled them half an hour, so it was very rushed.

The remaining thirteen locations flew by in a blur; she couldn't remember which was which or recount any details about any of them. She was relying on her memories to help her, though she didn't think she'd be able to stay awake long enough to review them.

When they got to their hotel room, she collapsed on the bed. "Don't make me move. Please."

Draco set their things down and pulled off his gloves. "Well, which one did you like the best?"

"I didn't love any of them." She rubbed her eyes and curled onto her side. "I was disappointed by that."

"Hermione, you know that I support you in this, but I have to ask…" He sat down on the bed beside her. "Why is it so important that you love it? It's just a place to live for eighteen months while you study wizarding law. Every place we saw today met all of your requirements. It seems as though you could choose based on something like proximity to the wizarding square, or to the school, or… I don't know, your favorite park."

Even though she knew he meant well, his question rankled. Of course, she couldn't tell him exactly why she wanted to love it—and not only her, but him as well. That would spoil her Christmas plans. She'd originally planned to go through her memories and see if there were any that he especially liked, but he had seemed largely indifferent. He'd helped her see the good in each one, as well as brought up things to consider. It was true that they were all technically fine, but it had been her hope that she'd walk into one and just know that it was perfect.

"It's… not that simple."

He sighed. "I didn't think so. Well, what do you want to do now? I can get the Pensieve out."

"No, I think I just want to sleep. We walked so much today, and there's so much to process…" She also had a feeling that seeing everything again wouldn't help. Nothing had stood out.

Draco set the map and list on the little table. "Do you want to talk about what we saw?"

He sounded tired; of course he was, her plan had been ridiculous. But she had only wanted everything to go smoothly, to find the perfect place to live.

"Not really, honestly."

He chuckled and yawned. "We haven't had dinner."

"Let's order takeaway. I saw a place down the road a bit." She pulled the blanket over her, nestling into its warmth.

"I'll go." He smirked.

"That'd be lovely. Just get me what sounds good." She was asleep before the door clicked shut behind him.

And it was the door opening again that woke her. Disoriented for a moment, she looked round, relieved to see Draco briefly silhouetted in the doorway before he closed it.

"I just got fish and chips for both of us."

Hermione stretched, feeling better after her short nap, then sat up. "Thank you. I suppose we can talk while we eat."

"Sure. Do you want to go one by one down the list?"

Hermione eyed the parchment he was scanning. "I don't... I'm not sure. I thought this would be easier."

"What exactly are you looking for?" He pointed to the fifth place they'd seen. "I thought this one was good."

"Oh, they were all perfectly fine." She frowned. "But I suppose... I wanted to walk in to one of them and know immediately that it was the right choice."

Draco chuckled. "It's a flat, Hermione. All of them were nice."

She bit her lip. There were hints of the same tone he'd used when he was upset with her about not accepting his help with the pixies. It wasn't much, and perhaps it was merely his own annoyance coming through. Still, she couldn't help feeling a twinge of irritation, even though it wasn't fair. He didn't know what she was planning—or, not really planning, but thinking. Nothing was even in the planning stage yet. But she didn't see why her thoughts wouldn't become reality.

"I know that." She sat up straighter, deciding she didn't want to discuss it anymore.

"The good news is, we've got a lot more to see." He grinned and motioned toward her list, not noticing that she was feeling slightly put out. "And tomorrow is another day."

She felt ridiculous being annoyed with him, but no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't shake it. "Actually, I don't see any point to going over what we saw today."

Draco frowned. "You ought to choose a favorite at least, so that if we have no luck tomorrow, we have a starting point."

"Which one is your favorite?"

"I liked the fifth one best. It had a nice view, and that bathroom was the best of the lot." He shrugged. "But this is your decision."

She huffed. "I know, but... I do expect you to visit occasionally."

"Of course I'll be visiting." He gave her a bewildered look, his tone stiff.

"I'm finished. I think I just want to go to bed." She was truly and completely exhausted, both mentally and physically. Now that she'd eaten, her body was pleading with her for rest.

"Right, of course." He glanced at the bed. "I'm... not quite ready for sleep."

"That's alright." She stood and cleaned up her food mess. "You don't have to turn in now." Sending him a tired smile, she went to the loo and got ready for the night.

Draco was sitting on the edge of the bed when she emerged, his posture stiff. "Is everything alright? I'm afraid I've upset you in some way, but I don't know how. Will you tell me so I can make it right?"

She felt awful. "No, you haven't. It's... just me. I'm utterly exhausted, Draco. Today affected me far more than I could have expected."

"If... you're sure." He clearly didn't believe her. But she couldn't tell him the full truth without ruining her surprise, so she'd have to convince him some other way.

"I am. Very sure." She managed to smile like she meant it—and she truly did.

He stood and watched her get in bed, tucking his hands into his pockets. "Er, will the light bother you?"

"No." She yawned, her eyes already closed. He didn't move for a few minutes, and she was asleep before he'd sat down again.

Sunday, 17 DECEMBER

When Hermione woke up, it took her a moment to remember where she was. Then the previous day and evening came back to her, and she shut her eyes with a cringe. Poor Draco. She could have handled the situation better, but in her exhaustion, she'd barely even tried.

She glanced at the clock to see that it was only half five—very early, but not surprising considering how early she'd gone to bed. Draco was beside her; she could feel the warmth of his body, and his presence soothed her, even though his back was to her. No relationship would be perfect; there were bound to be bumps along the way.

It was reassuring, though, to know that he hadn't simply bailed on her. Not that she truly feared he would. It must have been a holdover fear from Ron, who had balked at even the slightest bit of tension. It had made sifting through problems nearly impossible.

The fire had gone out in the room, and she could feel the chill in the air. Even though she didn't feel tired anymore, she had no interest in leaving the warmth of the bed.

Draco shifted, rolling onto his back. She wondered when he'd finally turned in for the night, how tired he was. It was too early to wake up and too cold to get up, so she scooted closer, backing herself toward him slowly. The warmth increased, spreading through her and lulling her back to sleep. She drifted for a few minutes, and just as she felt herself falling back to sleep, Draco rolled over again, this time toward her. He wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her close, burying his face in her hair.

She froze, waiting to see what he would do, but then his breathing evened out. It wasn't long until she followed him.

The next time she woke, there was early morning sun streaming in the windows. She panicked for a moment, afraid they'd overslept and missed the first appointment, but the clock read quarter after eight and they didn't have anywhere to be until nine. Draco was still tucked behind her, though his grip was loose.

But they didn't have all the time in the world, so even though it was still cold, Hermione tried to slip out of bed so she could get in the shower. She'd managed to get one leg out from under the sheets before his arm went rigid, holding her solidly in place. Then he shifted, trying to sink deeper into her hair and curling his body around hers.

"Draco. We need to get up."

"Five more minutes."

She rolled her eyes to the wall with a smile. When two had passed, she spoke again. "We don't have much time. We've got to get ready, eat breakfast, and be there in… forty-one minutes."

"Plenty of time." His voice was muffled through her hair, but she could feel the heat of his breath on her neck.

"Not really, I'm afraid, because—"

Before she knew what had happened, he pushed himself up and gently pushed her onto her back, then dipped his head to kiss her deeply. It was a surprise, but a very good and welcome one, and she kissed him back, sighing before she remembered with a jolt how she'd treated him the night before.

She stopped abruptly. "Wait."

He merely continued kissing down her neck, which was very distracting.

"About last night."

"No need to explain." He was pulling at the neck of her pajama shirt, trying to expose more skin.

Her eyes fluttered closed as his hands began to explore, but then she sucked in a breath and put her hand on his chest. "I'm sorry."

For the first time that morning, he looked at her, and her breath caught in her throat. He was so handsome, his fringe hanging over his right eye, a sleep line on his cheek, his eyes very awake and burning as he waited patiently for her to continue. "There's no need to apologize, either."

She couldn't fully explain without giving everything away, but she did think she owed him some explanation. But the way he was looking at her told her she had about five seconds to speak before he removed her ability to do so. "There is. I can't really say why this is so important to me, please just trust me that it is." She hoped he'd take her 'can't' to mean she couldn't put it into words.

"I trust you. Completely." A flicker of a frown passed over his face. "I wasn't upset. I just want to be here for you. Whatever you need."

His words melted her, and Hermione bit her lip, eyes flicking to the clock and back to him. "What I need is for us to get ready for the day. I don't want to be late."

She could tell he was torn—of course he wanted to continue kissing, which would most likely lead to much more, but he'd just said he would do whatever she needed. With a long blink, he sighed and sat up, hands on his thighs.

Hermione smirked and got out of bed, grabbing a change of clothes and her shower things. When she turned back to him, he was still sitting in the same position; she wondered if he was trying to cool his blood. She went to the door of the loo, pausing as though she'd just thought of something.

"You know, since we're pressed for time, I think it might be expedient for you to join me."

Draco's head whipped around, the shocked expression on his face quickly morphing into one of hunger. He leaped off the bed and, in two strides, followed her through the door.

ooo

At precisely two minutes before nine, Hermione and Draco arrived at the first property on their list for the day. As soon as she took one look, she felt a buzz of excitement surge through her. She glanced at Draco, eager to see his reaction, but he appeared just as excited for this one as he had for most of the others—which was to say, barely at all.

No matter.

The exterior was an immediate draw. The facade was old stone, and it was tucked at the end of a small parking lot. The unit was near a park, and there was a stone wall along the wide end of the lot. It felt private, tucked away just off the main road through the area. There was a metal stair rail heading up the outside of the building, but they were quickly told by the agent who met them in the parking lot that it went to a different residence.

The entrance was at the bottom of the stairs in the stone wall.

As they walked through each room, Hermione's sense of excitement grew. She could see herself living there, could picture her and Draco sitting on the sofa under the bank of windows, drinking tea by the fireplace. She could easily imagine cooking dinner for the two of them under the stone archway, the kitchen tucked at the bottom of a spiral staircase.

The bedroom took up the entire top floor, and there was another bank of windows on one wall. She could see them waking up there, enjoying the view while they got ready for the day, talking while lying in bed at night, falling asleep in his arms…

"Hermione?"

"Hm?"

"Did you have any questions?" The agent was speaking to her, a hesitant look on her face.

"No." Hermione beamed. "I'll take it."

Draco's eyebrows shot up. "You'll what?"

She looked at him. "This is the one. Remember? I told you I would know it when I found it."

The agent seemed unsure. "We've only been here about seven minutes. Did you want to see—"

"No, thank you. I appreciate your time. But I'm ready to sign whatever I need to sign."

Draco stepped close when the agent turned away to rifle through her papers. "Are you sure? Did you want to talk about it?"

"Do you like it?"

He blinked and glanced around the living area. "I mean, I like it just fine."

"But you don't hate it."

"No." He shook his head with a curious quirk of his lips. "I don't hate it. I rather like it. But then, all that matters to me is you. Anywhere you are, that's home to me. As long as you're happy with it, I'll be happy."

She nodded once, feeling a rush of affection for him at his words. "I love it. So since you said you don't hate it, I'm taking this one."

He chuckled. "Looks like we get to enjoy the town today, after all."

An hour later, Hermione had finished all the paperwork and paid her deposit. She and Draco walked out hand in hand, and she felt lighter than she had in a very long time. She wouldn't live in this flat for very long, in the grand scheme of things, but it would be important to her for the rest of her life.

Tuesday, 19 DECEMBER

"I can't believe you've never done this before."

Draco raised an eyebrow. "You can't believe it? Really?"

Hermione bit her lip. "Oh, well, I suppose I thought your parents would have taken you as a small child out to the woods and let you pick a tree? No?"

He laughed. "No, Hermione. My parents sent an elf into the woods to find the grandest tree possible and then observed as the other elves decorated it. I remember being scolded if I so much as touched the thing, since most of the ornaments were made of crystal."

"That's too bad." She linked arms with him, walking in stride and enjoying all of the padding and layers between them. There was something wonderful about being held by someone wearing four layers of wool. "We're going to do this the right way, then. It's my last Christmas in my flat, and I want a tree."

"Then you shall certainly have it." He leaned over and kissed her temple.

They arrived at the tree farm and Hermione broke into a grin. "I love this place! Isn't it beautiful?"

"It is." Draco scanned the wide fields of trees. "What do we do now?"

"We grab a saw, of course!" Hand in hand, they walked to the small building by the entrance.

A woman came out to greet them. "Hullo there, thank you for coming out! Have you been here before?"

"I've been here, but my boyfriend hasn't."

The woman smiled warmly. "Well, welcome. Please take a saw and make sure someone's holding the trunk before you start cutting. We've got four varieties: Blue Spruce, Norway Spruce, Nordmann Fir, and Scotch Pine. The price is five pounds per foot, and we've got hot chocolate inside when you're ready."

"Thank you!" Hermione pointed to a stash of saws. "I want you to pick one out!"

He gave her a skeptical look. "Are we seriously going to use a saw to cut down a tree ?"

"Yes!" She squealed, bouncing on the balls of her feet. "It's delightful. I promise."

Draco sighed and took the closest saw. "Lead the way."

Hermione began walking around, examining all of the trees. She liked the look of Nordman Fir best, but she wanted to let Draco pick it out. "See anything you like?"

He was mostly silent, his eyes darting from tree to tree. "How big do you want it?"

"Oh, I don't know. It doesn't have to be large. I'd say no more than six feet?"

"Alright. What about this one?" He led her to a Blue Spruce, a very serious expression on his face as he examined the tree.

Hermione walked all the way around it and found a large hole on one side. She pointed to it. "Let's see if we can find one without a gap."

Draco's eyes widened when he saw what she meant. "I see. Yes, we'll have to be very discerning."

It took them over forty minutes to find the perfect tree, but it was by far the most fun she'd ever had picking a tree. Draco ended up really getting into the idea, becoming a Christmas tree critic of the highest order and rejecting her suggestions left and right. Once he got the gist of what they were looking for, nothing would do until they'd found the perfect specimen.

She'd started to give up hope that it was at that farm, but then she heard him call to her from a few rows over. When she found him, he was grinning broadly, his eyes sparkling with delight.

"I've found it." He took her hand and led her to a Norway Spruce, a kind of reverence in his approach. "What do you think?"

The tree was a little over six feet tall, and when she walked around it, she could find no flaws. "It's beautiful! This is my favorite, by far."

He stuck his hand into the tree and took hold of the trunk. "It's completely straight. We won't have any trouble getting it to stand up correctly, so long as we cut it straight."

"Wonderful! Do you want to cut it down, or do you want me to?"

The look he gave her was one of exaggerated incredulity. "I want to, of course! I found it, after all."

She grinned at him. "I'll hold it steady, then."

In less than five minutes, the tree was cut, and together they hefted it back up to the front of the tree farm. Draco surprised her by having the correct Muggle payment, and they both enjoyed a cup of hot chocolate while the other employees put the tree on the shaker device to get the loose needles out, then secured it to the rental car.

It had occurred to Hermione that they couldn't very well just show up in the middle of the country at the tree farm, nor could they very easily get the thing home without raising some suspicion. She'd arranged to rent a car in the nearest town, and they planned to drive the tree to the middle of nowhere, Apparate with it back to her flat, then leave it there and go back to repair any scratches from the tree before they returned the car.

Once all of that was done, it was nearing tea time. Hermione put on the kettle and they set to work putting the tree into its base. Magic made this task much easier than Hermione remembered from her childhood. Perhaps because of the difficulty they'd had getting it to stay in the right position, her father had finally bought a fake tree after struggling for years with a live one. She also remembered the trees tipping occasionally and ornaments breaking. The one thing Hermione loved most about live trees, however, was the smell. She'd always missed it when she'd come home from Hogwarts for the holidays and there was no scent of evergreen to greet her.

"I'm guessing you don't decorate it with spells." Draco sank onto the sofa beside her, resting his arm along the back. "What do you have to put up?"

"Not much, I'm afraid." Hermione pointed to a small box in the corner of the room. "But maybe I'll get a few things to add to my collection. I don't want a bunch of random ornaments just to have things to put on the tree. I want everything to be meaningful."

Draco Summoned the box and set it on her lap. "I'd like to see."

She took the top off the box and smiled. Then one by one, she showed him each ornament and explained its significance. There were only a dozen or so to look at, but he seemed interested in every last detail about each one.

At the bottom of the box was a separate, smaller container, and as she pulled it out, happy tears welled in her eyes. "My parents have this tradition of giving me an ornament every year. They chose to give me snowflakes each year, so I have this little collection of all of the snowflakes they ever gave me." She pulled out a sparkly red one. "This is from last year. It's hideous, don't you think?"

He laughed, surprised at her candor. "It's… not my favorite. Are there any green ones in there, by chance?"

"Speaking of my parents, they've mentioned having us over for dinner some time." The idea always made her slightly nervous, not because she was afraid that Draco would offend them but because she'd never taken a man home to meet her parents. They'd already known Ron when she'd dated him, and there hadn't been anyone serious enough since.

But Draco was most definitely serious enough.

"Yeah?" He peered at her, his expression curiously neutral. "For Christmas, you mean?"

"No." She shrugged, trying to appear nonchalant. "They're having a gathering sometime the week after the new year. It's not a big thing. We could just show up and stay for an hour or so. They can meet you without a lot of pressure, since there will be a lot of other people they'll want to talk to."

"I'll go with you." He didn't even hesitate. "My Mother asked me to extend an invitation to you to join us for brunch on Christmas Day. I told her I didn't know what your plans were."

She smiled brightly. "Brunch with your mother sounds wonderful. After that, will you come with me to The Burrow?"

"The Burrow?" Draco let out an exaggerated sigh. "I knew I wouldn't be able to escape its pull. And by pull, I mean I want nothing more than to be by your side the whole day. So, yes. We'll go to The Burrow after brunch."

Hermione's heart swelled, relishing the joy of having someone to make Christmas plans with and knowing deep in her heart that she would likely be making plans with him for years to come. She cleared her throat and stood to retrieve the lights from the Christmas box. "Ready to help with these?"

He gave the lights a curious look, then squinted at them. "What do they do?"

"They light up when you plug them in. But I'll do that, don't worry." She pushed the plug into the outlet and broke into a smile when the lights flickered on. It was a strand of colored lights, and she immediately began stringing them onto the tree.

"I thought electricity and magic didn't go well together." He stood then and watched her work.

"They typically don't. There are a few things that don't seem to be affected. These lights, for example, work fine. But bigger things, like televisions, computers, power tools, they don't like being near magic. They draw a lot more current and that makes the magic go funny. Plus, I don't have too many electronic things around. Want to help?"

"Oh, sure. Yeah."

"Wait! I've forgotten something!" Hermione left the lights in his hands and went to the Wireless. After trying a few stations, she found one playing Christmas music. "That's absolutely essential for decorating a tree!"

After the lights, they started on the ornaments, and within half an hour, the tree was finished. Hermione made some hot chocolate, then brought it out to drink together on the sofa. She put out all the lights except for the tree and prodded the fire on her way, then handed him a mug.

He looked at it, then grinned at her. "Thank you for remembering my marshmallows."

"Like I could forget. You put three bags of them in the cabinet with the cocoa."

Draco laughed. "Well, I like my marshmallows."

She shook her head and sipped from her mug. "I'd love to join you and Narcissa for brunch on Christmas. I'll probably go to my parents' house first thing, have coffee and a pastry with them, and exchange gifts. Then I'll come to the Manor."

"I have to assume The Burrow is in the plans, as well?"

"Yes. Oh—wait! Yes!" She turned so that she could look at him. "Have you decided when you're going to give Harry that painting yet?"

His eyes lit up. "The office exchange is next week. Wednesday."

"Excellent. I'll be sure to get Ginny out of the house near the end of the work day."

"It's going to take some careful coordination between us."

"I'm not worried." Hermione smiled. "I think we make a good team."

Draco considered her for a moment, then motioned toward the tree. "You're right. We managed to put up a tree together. There's no telling what we'll do next." He kissed her lightly, smiling as he did so.

She enjoyed the taste of the chocolate on his lips and kissed him again. It escalated quickly, and she realized after a few minutes that she'd need to put her mug down; he, too, was still holding his. "Draco."

"Hmm." He was kissing along her jaw, one hand awkwardly sticking out to the side.

"The hot chocolate."

"Hmm?" With a quick flick of his eyes, he saw what she meant and gave a low chuckle. "Right. That could get messy." He stood and took her mug from her, setting them down on a side table.

Meanwhile, she'd situated herself more comfortably on the sofa, ready for whatever would happen next.

Though, she had a pretty good feeling about what that would be.

Friday, 22 DECEMBER

"Hermione!"

She beamed at Harry, who was leaning against his desk with a mug in his hand talking to a few colleagues. He pushed away when he saw her, his best Harry grin on his face.

"Hi, Harry!" They hugged briefly. Everyone Harry had been talking to nodded to her and dispersed.

"Malfoy is in a meeting." He motioned to Draco's empty chair.

"That's okay. I actually came to have lunch with you."

"Brilliant! Nobody's getting any work done here, anyway." He put his jacket on and they started for the cafeteria.

Hermione noted the small stack of gifts under the miniature tree that had been set up on a table in the corner. She could just make out the dark green paper Draco had used to wrap the frame containing the print of "The Nose."

As they were settled at their usual table, Harry finished his story about a case he and Draco were working on.

"It sounds truly fascinating." Hermione took a bite of beans.

"So… what really brings you by?" Harry gave her a shrewd look.

Hermione chuckled. "You mean I can't just stop by to have lunch with you like we always used to?"

Harry shrugged. "Of course you can. But I'm certain that's not the only reason you're here."

"You're right, of course. I have some news."

Harry's eyes went wide and he quickly dropped his gaze to her hand. "You're not... I don't see a ring."

Hermione gasped. "Harry! Goodness! Did you honestly expect that?"

"I don't know. I suppose it wouldn't surprise me, at this point." He shrugged and returned his attention to his meal. "Nothing else can quite live up to that, so go ahead and tell me."

"Remember that conversation we had at The Burrow? About what I should do with my life?"

"I do, yeah. Have you thought of something?" He continued chewing his roast.

"I have. I'm going to study wizarding law so that I can fight for what I believe is right." As with Draco, that wasn't the difficult part. And, of course, Harry's reaction wouldn't be the same as Draco's, but he would still likely be affected by her news. "And I'm moving to Manchester for a law program that lasts eighteen months."

Harry's chewing slowed to a stop as he stared at her, processing her words. Then he swallowed. "Wait. You're what?"

"I've found a flat in Manchester, where I've also found a wizarding law school. They had an opening for the session beginning in January, and I decided to take it—or, we decided I should take it. Draco and I."

Harry went slightly pale. "Malfoy's not moving, too, is he?"

"No. Though I fail to see what problem it would cause if he did; it's not like you live in London. He can Apparate from Manchester just as well as from Wiltshire." Even if Draco didn't technically move to Manchester, she had every reason to believe he would still spend a lot of time with her.

"That's true." Harry resumed eating, a slight frown on his face. "He's not going to quit the DMLE, is he? I mean, he hasn't mentioned it or said anything like it, has he?"

Hermione blinked, surprised at the question. "He hasn't said anything like that to me. Why?"

"I really, really like working with him. I know I've joked about it, but he's the best partner I could ask for. Nearly everyone in the department wishes he was their partner. We work so well together, and I like that we're friends outside of work, and I'm really glad that you're dating him now. Only… I'm afraid that, once you have kids, he'll quit to stay home while you charge ahead with changing the world." The last bit came out in a rush, and his cheeks went a bit pink.

"Harry, you're getting quite ahead of things. We've only been dating for two months. We've certainly not discussed which of us would work in the event that we have children!" She laughed lightly at his sheepish expression. "Please don't worry. Draco adores working with you, too. He'd never admit that, except under pain of death, but I can tell."

Harry sighed. "You will, though."

"I will what?"

"Marry him. I knew it would happen with Ron, too, the way he talked about Pansy. I know both of you pretty well by now. I know it's only been two months, but at the same time, most of us have been silently begging the two of you to stop being so bloody oblivious for most of the year."

Hermione hummed. "I must admit, I'm happier than I ever dreamed possible. Who knows what the future holds?"

Harry grinned and the conversation turned to other things. As they were returning their dishes, Hermione lightly grabbed his arm. "Oh, Harry. I'm going to run by and see Ginny after this. Anything you want me to tell her or give her?"

He thought for a moment. "No, can't think of anything."

"Good. Have a good day!" She started to walk away, heading for the atrium while he turned in the direction of the lifts.

"Oh, wait!"

Hermione spun around. "Yes?"

"Tell her I will probably be home a bit early. We've only got a little departmental Christmas thing this afternoon, then a meeting at two. I think Draco wanted to skive off then, so I'll probably do the same."

Her heart jumped. "I will. Goodbye, Harry!" She smiled and waved, but then turned and had to force herself not to panic. If Harry left work early, that would mess up their plan. Hermione slid into the crowd milling about, out of sight of the lifts, then positioned herself so that she could watch Harry disappear into one.

Once the doors slid closed, she rushed to the front desk, where a few stoic people sat, most of them busy helping someone. A lone witch was currently unoccupied, and Hermione went to her.

The woman looked up with a bored smile. "May I help you?"

Hermione put on her brightest smile. "Yes, I'd like to send a memo to someone who works here."

"Do you also work here?" The woman tapped a stack of scraps of parchment on the table with her quill.

"Um, no, I don't." She pulled out her own quill and began to scratch out a message to Draco. Her biggest concern was that Harry might recognize her handwriting on the outside and ask Draco about it. Though, honestly, he was a Slytherin. He was well versed in this sort of thing. She was forgetting that she wouldn't have to spell it all out as she would have for some of her other friends—Ron, especially, came to mind.

Hermione folded the note in half and handed it to the woman, who Charmed it into the usual airplane shape. Just before she tapped it, however, she frowned. "You forgot to say where it's going."

"Oh, dear. I've put my quill away already. Would you be a dear and write it for me? It's to Draco Malfoy in the DMLE."

The woman heaved an impatient sigh, as though Hermione's request were extremely burdensome, but did as she'd asked. With a tap of her wand, the memo flew off in the direction of the lifts. "Is there anything else I can help you with?"

"No, thank you so much." Hermione gave her one last smile, then returned to the atrium, where she then Apparated to Ginny's house.

Her friend answered the door while bouncing the baby. She looked a bit harried, and she put her finger to her lips as she let Hermione in. "James is napping. He's been down almost an hour."

Hermione pursed her lips briefly. A nap wasn't ideal, but then, she had about an hour before she really needed to be sure that Ginny was out of the house. They went into the kitchen, and Ginny offered to make some tea.

"That sounds lovely." All the while, as she worked to prepare the tea and set out a tray of assorted biscuits, she bounced Eloise, who was bundled up in a carrier on Ginny's front.

"Is she asleep?" Hermione asked, trying to catch a glimpse of the baby.

"She's nursing. I absolutely love this thing because I can do almost anything while she eats and sleeps." Ginny pulled out the tea, sugar, and cream, then handed Hermione a teacup. "Anything except sit down. Or sleep. Or get any kind of real rest. But other than that, it's delightful."

Hermione laughed and stirred some honey into her tea. She decided that since she had some time before she needed to act, she'd tell Ginny what she'd just finished telling Harry. Ginny's reaction wasn't the last bit surprising.

"He'll move in with you, right?" It wasn't so much a question as a request for affirmation of a fact.

"Well, we haven't discussed that." Hermione had thoughts of her own on the subject, but she wouldn't be sharing them with Ginny before she talked to Draco.

Ginny rolled her eyes. "He's been living at the Manor since, what, summer?"

"September." Hermione took a bite of a chocolate biscuit. It was one of Molly's signature recipes, and Ginny, despite not feeling at home in the kitchen, had managed to absolutely master it. "These are so good, Gin. May I take one to Draco?"

She smirked. "Of course. Take as many as you want. But let's get back to the subject at hand, yeah? He's been living at the Manor. Now you two are together, it makes sense that he'd move with you."

"If he were looking to move, maybe. But he hasn't said anything like that."

Ginny rolled her eyes. "Well, he can't very well invite himself to live with you, can he? He's far too much of a gentleman for that. Even though I know it's what he's thinking."

"He did join me in the search. Don't you think it's a little soon to be moving in together?"

Ginny rolled her eyes. "Not with you two and the absurd dance you've been doing around each other all year. I mean, I sort of assumed that, once he spent the night, he'd never leave." She tutted. "Looking back over this year, it's so obvious how you two felt about each other."

Hermione chuckled. "Yeah, he and I have talked about that."

"So, um, you have, then, right?"

"Have what?" Hermione took a sip of her tea.

"He's stayed the night by now, yeah?"

Hermione's eyes went wide and she blushed. "Oh! Um, yes. He has."

Ginny grinned. "Excellent. Then I see no reason why he couldn't move to Manchester with you. It's not like it really matters where he lives, you know."

"I know that. And... I can see that as a possibility. Someday."

"Well I want to hear all about him sleeping over." Ginny waggled her eyebrows. "With lots and lots and lots of details. Meaning, I want nothing left out."

Hermione rolled her eyes. "Since when have I ever shared lots of details?"

"That's a good point. Fine then, you can keep all that to yourself. I mean, he was voted Witch Weekly's sexiest wizard three years in a row, so I'm sure there's nothing interesting to report." Ginny's expression was unrepentant.

"It's wonderful. And that's all that I'm going to say." It wasn't that she didn't want to talk about how very, very good things were with Draco, but she simply didn't feel the need to go on and on about it.

Ginny opened her mouth to protest but then they heard the sound of little feet padding down the hall. James walked into the kitchen yawning, his hair as unruly as Harry's. He looked at Hermione, but as soon as he saw his mother, he went to her and buried his face in her side. Ginny ruffled his hair and gave Hermione a look that clearly said the conversation would not be forgotten.

"Want a snack?" James nodded and Ginny started pulling something out for him.

Hermione started to get a bit antsy; Draco would be Apparating into the house in less than twenty minutes. "I've got an idea! Why don't we walk down to that playground at the end of the street? James can play and we can continue talking."

James' eyes lit up. "Can we, Mummy?"

Ginny gave Hermione a searching look. "Will we be talking details? You know it's covered in snow, right?"

"Yes, of course, but we're magical, aren't we? It'll be easy enough to stay warm. And yes, Ginny. Details." This was Hermione's concession, the one thing she knew she could use to get Ginny out of the house. She immediately started sifting through what she thought she could reasonably tell Ginny that would satisfy her curiosity. She also helped her friend get everything ready for the walk down the street. It took seventeen minutes to get out the door, a fact that astonished Hermione; children made everything infinitely more complicated.

But soon they had the diaper bags ready, snacks packed, and drinks prepared. Ginny opened up the stroller and put James in it, wrapped in a blanket. Then she cast Warming Charms over everybody.

Hermione pushed the stroller while Ginny wrapped her warmest cloak around herself and Eloise. Then they went out, Hermione's heart pounding at how close she had cut it. Draco would be arriving any minute!

As they walked casually down the sidewalk, James begged to get down, so Ginny let him. He went running ahead and started picking up handfuls of snow, then watching the wind blow it about as he slowly let it sift through his fingers. Hermione smiled.

Once they reached the playground, Ginny let James run free. It was sunny, at least, so it didn't feel as cold as it probably was. So long as they stayed in the direct sun, it wouldn't be too bad.

"Alright, now. Spill." Ginny started bouncing again to keep Eloise happy.

Hermione took a deep breath and began. After about ten minutes, during which Ginny pressed for more and more details, Hermione felt the large coin she'd tucked into her glove grow warm. She instantly relaxed; it was the sign that Draco had completed the mission and was back at the office. It had been her idea to communicate using the coins so she would know when his part was finished.

Once she knew the coast was clear, Hermione put a quick end to the conversation about Draco, much to Ginny's disappointment.

"That's all you're telling me?" She frowned severely. "I mean, it was more than nothing, I suppose I ought to be grateful, but you were just getting to the really good parts!"

"Ginny! I'm not going to walk you through every little moment!"

Ginny arched an eyebrow, then sighed deeply. "All right. Keep your sexy secrets."

Hermione laughed. "Thank you. Oh, Harry asked me to let you know that he'd be home on time tonight, not early like he'd hoped."

"You saw Harry?"

"We had lunch. I wanted to tell him the same thing I told you. About Manchester." She watched James flop down onto the powdery snow and start waving his arms and legs. "He was mostly concerned that Draco wouldn't stay with the DMLE."

Ginny snorted. "I swear, Harry adores him. And now that you're dating him? The man can do no wrong."

"I'm a bit fond of him, as well. But enough of that. Let's talk about something else. I want to hear how your family is doing with Ron's upcoming wedding."

That subject took up the better part of an hour, then Hermione walked Ginny back home and said goodbye on the front step. She wished she could somehow see her friends' reactions to what Draco had done, but she'd have to be content with missing it.

ooo

As soon as the fireplace roared to life, Hermione put down the book she'd been pretending to read and leapt up. Draco emerged seconds later, brushing soot off his traveling cloak. He grinned when he saw her. "I take it everything went fine on your end?"

"Yes, but it was very close." She kissed him briefly, then took his hand and led him to the sofa. "How was work? I want to hear all about the gift exchange."

Draco chuckled. "Let me grab a drink first, yeah? I'll be right back. Want one?"

"Yes, please and thank you." Minutes later, he returned with a bottle of beer for himself and a glass of wine for her. She sniffed the contents of her glass. "Ooh, this is one of the good bottles."

"It was a good day." He held his bottle out toward her, then drank. "I really wish you could have seen his face when he opened the gift. First, it was brilliant to wrap it in a large box so that he'd have no idea what it was." She'd suggested putting it in a garment gift box to throw Harry off. "I think for a second he thought I'd given him a scarf? I don't know. But the frame was wrapped inside the larger box, and he gave me a very strange look as he opened it. Then his expression froze, the little half-smile he'd been sporting quickly turning to something of a grimace. It was fantastic. Then his eyes flicked over to mine—just his eyes, not a single other muscle moved—and he held up the framed print. He asked me what it was, and I told him, with a straight face, that I'd bought him this really expensive piece of art from your show. I played it up really big, as though it had been some masterpiece. By the end, he was red-faced and thanking me while shoving the frame into a corner to hide it. It was absolute perfection."

"I wonder how long it will take them to notice their real Christmas gift." Hermione tried to picture her friends discovering it and snickered.

"What do you think they'll do? Harry left a little before me. He should be home by now." He grinned wide, his eyes sparkling with mischief. "Do you think they'll send a Howler?"

Hermione shrugged and they passed a few minutes in speculation. She was about to suggest they think about dinner when there was a knock at the door. They looked at each other, eyes widening. She motioned for him to come close, then spoke softly. "What should we do? How do you want to play this?"

He glanced quickly around the room, then pointed down the hall. "I'm not here."

Another knock sounded as he darted quietly out of the room. Hermione schooled her features and answered the door.

As expected, Harry and Ginny were there, without James. Huh. That was awfully fast if they'd managed to find someone to watch him. Ginny's expression was one of amusement; Harry just looked tired.

"Where is he?" Harry dragged a hand through his hair.

"Um, where is who?"

Ginny barked a laugh.

"Don't play stupid, Hermione. Where's Malfoy?"

"Oh, I'm not exactly sure, honestly. Would you like to come in? You look like you had an awful day, Harry." She opened the door and Harry shuffled in. Ginny pointed an accusing finger at her as she passed, one eyebrow raised in amusement.

Harry flopped onto the sofa. "Well? What did he do? How do I get it off?"

Hermione blinked. "Get what off? Did something happen at work?" She shook her head with a slight tut. "Honestly, I hope they're not working you too much before Christmas! Ginny, can I get you anything? Harry?"

Harry merely waved while Ginny followed her into the kitchen. Once they were away from Harry, Ginny spoke quietly. "Listen. I grew up with Fred and George. I respect a good prank. I laughed about it long and hard while Harry tried to pry that thing off the wall. But now we need Malfoy to unstick it. I refuse to sleep with my husband with a six-foot square painting of an old man's nose on the wall over our bed."

"A what?" She gaped at Ginny. "An old man's nose?"

Ginny crossed her arms. "Very funny, Hermione. You forget I was right beside you for most of your shenanigans in school. I know when you're lying, even though most people would have no clue."

Hermione huffed as though offended and brushed past Ginny with Harry's drink. She handed it to him, then sat in a chair and picked up her wine glass. With a terrified jolt, she remembered Draco's bottle, but a quick glance around the room didn't reveal it. He must have taken it with him to her room.

"Hermione, tell me where Malfoy is so I can get that bloody thing off my wall."

"Will you just start from the beginning, Harry? Ginny said something about a painting of a nose?"

He gave her a withering look. "You know very well. He gave me a small print of the thing today in our Christmas gift exchange at work. He said he'd bought it at your art show. It's hideous, even in miniature. When I got home and went to change, I saw a giant version of it hanging over my bed. My bed, Hermione. A four-foot nose, complete with hair and deep, old man pores. It's hideous."

Ginny made a gagging noise. "Why would anyone waste perfectly good paint on that?"

"I don't know quite how he did it—"

"I do." Ginny pointed at Hermione. "She was over this afternoon. Got me out of the house with the promise of tantalizing details of her and Malfoy in bed—which, by the way, Hermione, weren't satisfactory."

Harry grimaced. "I do not want to know."

Ginny continued. "She knows our wards, so she told him how to get past them, he Apparated in, put up the monstrosity, and left, neat as you please. Deny it, Hermione."

She bit her bottom lip, teetering with indecision. Then she shrugged. "Fine, you're right."

"Good." Harry let out a relieved breath. "Now. We just need him to come get it down."

Movement caught Hermione's eye, and she looked up to see Draco standing in the doorway. "No can do, Potter. That's a first-class Sticking Charm. It's an old family secret, passed down on my mother's side. You remember old Walburga, I believe?"

Harry went pale. "Malfoy. No, you… you wouldn't do that."

Ginny was watching Draco shrewdly, then she shook her head. "No. He'd never risk permanently alienating you because Hermione would have a hard time forgiving that."

Draco bowed his head toward Ginny. "Too right, Mrs. Potter. It's a long-term Charm, but it won't last forever. I reckon it'll be ready to come down in… oh, about a year." He raised his bottle and smirked. "Happy Christmas, Harry."

At first, Hermione thought Harry might lunge for Draco's neck, but after a tense moment, he just started laughing. "Well done. I suppose this is your way of getting back at me for last year."

Draco affected an astonished expression, pressing his fingers to his chest. "Me? Seek revenge? Do you think me so petty that I would want to retaliate just because you gave me that motion-activated tchotchke that shouted obscenities at everyone who approached my desk for four months until the charm wore off for Christmas last year? Why on earth would I want to pay you back for that?"

Harry laughed harder. "Well, fine, but just you wait, Malfoy. It's officially on."

Hermione looked between her friend and her boyfriend in amazement. She'd never really gotten to see Draco and Harry interact beyond their work at the Ministry. In group settings, Draco was always reserved, but she knew Harry was excessively fond of his partner, and maybe this was a little glimpse into why.

Draco took another swallow, then stepped away from the doorway. "I look forward to your pathetic attempt at revenge. Good luck."

"I know you don't think much of my skills at being sneaky, but need I remind you I've got George Weasley on my side?" Harry crossed his arms over his chest.

Draco shrugged. "I've got Hermione. It was her idea, anyway."

Harry's jaw dropped and he spun to look at her, as did Ginny.

"Your idea?" Ginny repeated with a squeak. "Oh, well, if this is going beyond just Harry and Malfoy, then I'm all in. I didn't grow up with six brothers without learning a few things."

Hermione walked to Draco's side and put her arm around his waist. "Even so, you two are in way over your heads, I'm afraid."

Draco pulled her closer and kissed her temple. "You're so incredibly sexy when you talk Slytherin."

"And that's our cue to leave." Ginny grinned at Hermione, then grabbed Harry's hand.

"No, wait!" Hermione slipped out of Draco's hold slightly, holding her hands up for her friends to stop. With a brief glance at Draco, she willed him to be okay with what she was about to do. "Why don't you stay for dinner? I… didn't have a plan for tonight, Draco and I usually just figure it out, but we could order pizza?"

Harry and Ginny exchanged a look, then Ginny spoke. "We'd love to! Let me just Floo-call Mum and let her know. We dropped James there with hardly two words of instruction, so I really ought to let her know what's going on."

"Of course!" Hermione motioned toward the fireplace. "We'll just… order takeaway. I've got a stash of menus somewhere. The ones here in Diagon accept orders by owl."

Harry went with Ginny to talk to Molly, and Draco followed Hermione into the kitchen. She bit her lip. "I hope you don't mind."

"I don't mind a bit." He slipped his arms around her waist and kissed her. "I'm thrilled."

"Really? Why?"

He shrugged, his expression thoughtful. "It's very... normal. Inviting friends for dinner is something couples do. And I like that. I want us to be normal."

She laughed lightly, pressing her hand to his cheek. "Well, I'm not sure we're ever going to be normal." Then she drew him into another kiss, this one a good deal more heated than the last. His hands had just started exploring when Harry walked into the room and started opening and then slamming cabinet doors and drawers, making more noise than was strictly necessary.

"If you're going to do that all night, we're leaving." He then proceeded to pull plates and cups out of the cabinets.

Draco let her go, his eyes telling her it was the last thing he wanted to do. But then he clapped Harry on the back and helped him carry everything to the table.

Monday, 25 DECEMBER

Christmas Day dawned bright and cold.

Hermione lounged in bed for about half an hour, reading a book she'd started the day before. When she absolutely had to get up in order to get ready to go to her parents' house, she did so grudgingly, wishing she could just stay in bed all day.

But that was not to be.

After spending an hour with her parents, she returned to her flat to change for brunch at the Manor. Even though Draco had insisted it would be casual, Hermione knew Narcissa better than that. She'd shopped especially for this very casual brunch, choosing a cream-colored dress that hugged her nicely while remaining perfectly appropriate for a Christmas meal with her boyfriend's mother.

ooo

Christmas dinner at The Burrow passed delightfully, and everyone was in excellent spirits. There was a great deal of excitement in the air because not only was it Christmas, but Ron's wedding was less than a week away. Draco seemed more comfortable with everyone, even going so far as to attempt a Quidditch game after dinner. It was really too blustery for a game, but he and some others gave it a good try. Hermione sat in a window seat with a book and tried to spot him through the snow-thick air.

She met him on the back step with a cup of hot chocolate and a kiss while the snow swirled around them.

They stayed later than she'd planned because Draco was so caught up in a conversation with Harry, Ron, and George. She found herself sitting quietly, watching and waiting and yawning until he finally noticed. Their eyes met, his warm and bright to match his smile and demeanor, and he nodded almost imperceptibly.

In less than five minutes, they were bundled in all of their things, laden with the gifts they'd received, and tossing Floo powder into the roaring flames. Draco guided her into the fireplace and they waved one last time before being whisked away.

As soon as they stepped through into her flat, Hermione let out a long, relieved breath. The silence around her was so complete, it felt like being plunged underwater. She closed her eyes and smiled.

Draco chuckled and took her hand in his. "Happy Christmas, Hermione."

"The same to you, Draco."

He kissed her lightly, in no hurry it seemed to do anything more than that. After a few minutes, he ended the kiss and led her by the hand to the sofa. "Have a seat. Would you like a glass of wine? Or hot chocolate?"

Hermione hummed as she thought. "Hot chocolate. And a fire." She started to get up and tend to it, but Draco motioned for her to remain seated. He lit the fire with a quick flick of his wrist and disappeared into the kitchen. She sat, quite content, staring at the fire and enjoying the twinkling lights on the tree.

After a few minutes, he returned with two steaming mugs. Hermione smiled as she accepted hers, then glanced at his to see it nearly overflowing with marshmallows. "I don't know, Draco. I think you could have fit a few more in there."

He grinned at her, one of her favorite kinds that made her stomach swoop. But he didn't say anything, only sat beside her, slinging one arm around her shoulder. Hermione leaned into him, tucking her legs up beside her.

They sat on her sofa just like they had the night they'd put up the tree, the only light coming from it and the fire. She was exhausted from the very full day, and she suspected he was, too, if his staring unseeingly into the flickering flames was any indication.

"Draco?"

He blinked a few times, then looked over at her. "Yes?"

"I have something for you." She set her mug on the coffee table and swung her legs over the side of the sofa.

"I thought I told you not to get me anything."

"Technically, I didn't spend a Knut on you." She bit her lip.

He arched an eyebrow. "Oh? Now I'm curious."

Hermione went to the tree and pulled off an ornament in the shape of a present. "I know the next eighteen months are going to be a challenge for us. We've not been together very long, and it's a huge change. I thought this might make things easier for us." She held out the small package to him.

"Something that will make the time easier?" He took it and shook it, amusement playing on his features at the slight thumping noise. "I'm intrigued."

She rolled her eyes. "Just open it."

Draco did, prying open the hinge and then dumping the contents into his palm. For a moment, he only stared, then looked up at her. "What's this?"

"What do you mean, 'what's this?' What does it look like?"

He picked the object up with his other hand, holding it between two fingers. "It looks a bit like… like a key?"

"Well spotted. It's a key to my new flat in Manchester. I figured, this way, you know you're free to come whenever you want. No need to wor—"

Draco practically leapt across the sofa to kiss her, his hands threading in her hair. It wasn't long before she was gasping, and he expertly took advantage of this to deepen the kiss. Again, though, he pulled back before things got really heated, finally pressing his forehead to hers.

"You do realize that I'll never leave."

She let out a breath. "That's okay. You can have a drawer."

"Just one?" He smirked, his eyes shining.

"I'll give you space in the closet. And the bathroom."

Draco chuckled, then leveled her with a very serious look. "I'm not the least bit joking. If you're giving me a key to your flat, then I'm going to want to be there with you all the time."

"That's kind of the idea, you know." She took a small breath. "This way, you know, we can have all those conversations you talked about the other day. I can share every little detail you never wanted to know about my teachers and fellow students, my coursework, the terrible books I have to read, plus all of the good ones. How else can we discuss Ministry policy over breakfast or plot our next scheme?"

He smirked, which then shifted into a smile. She thought he might want to kiss her now, maybe drag her off to her room or snuggle on the sofa, but instead he spoke. "Thank you, Hermione. It's… perfect. Now, I see one more present that needs unwrapping." His eyes cut to the tree.

Hermione, astonished, followed his gaze and discovered a package that she hadn't noticed before. "When did that get there?"

He shrugged mysteriously and retrieved it, handing it to her with a grin. "I know you said not to get you anything, but I saw this in a shop, and since it's such a practical item, and the timing is so good, I couldn't resist. I know how much you appreciate practical gifts."

The package was wrapped in simple white paper with a red velvet ribbon. She felt the weight and heft of it, trying to tamp down a wave of disappointment. "It feels like a book."

"You'll have to open it and see."

She bit her lip and slowly began to untie the ribbon. It was fine, a book was fine. Lots of people gave her books; she loved books, after all. They hadn't been together very long, so he probably had no idea what she might like besides books. It was completely fine. She just needed to take deep breaths and mentally prepare herself.

"Are you one of those people who saves the paper to reuse?" He chuckled.

"Sometimes. This ribbon is lovely. Such a bright, vibrant red." She grinned and set the freed ribbon in her lap. She really would keep it. Next came the paper, and she felt a lot better as she unwrapped the package.

When she saw the gift, she gasped, eyes flying wide and darting to him. It was a kind of book, but nothing like what she'd expected. The cover was a very soft leather with a strong cord wrapped around the middle to keep it closed. "What is this?" With trembling hands, she undid the leather clasp and opened the book.

It was a planner—only not like any planner she'd ever seen. The inside had multiple little books attached to the cover by another cord of some kind, though not leather this time.

"It's a special kind of journal." Draco held out his hand and proceeded to show her how it worked. "There are these elastic bands on the spine, and you can change out the inserts. See?" He slowly demonstrated how to remove and then replace one of the small books inside the cover. "I didn't know what you might need for your program, but there's a monthly calendar book, plus one for making lists, one that just has lines, and another that's only blank pages. It's called a Traveler's Journal. I saw a Muggle with one recently and inquired about it. I figured it would be something you'd probably like."

He returned the journal to her, opening the calendar to the month of January. "I, um, hope you don't mind, but I got you started a little."

Hermione looked down and gave a light gasp. A small scrap of parchment was folded on the calendar, but also, on the twentieth of January, the first Malfoy Foundation event was written down. She smiled at him, then opened the parchment to read.

Hermione,

Would you do me the honor of attending the January Malfoy Fundraiser with me?

As my date?

Just so we're clear, we will arrive together, spend every second together, and leave together. I will then take you home and help you out of your dress. I will think about doing this from the first moment I see you. It will be better than I can imagine.

Draco

She laughed out loud, clutching the note to her chest. "Yes, Draco. I'd love to go with you. As your date."

"Good. Now, I hope you don't mind, but I took the liberty of marking a few other important dates next year." He nodded toward the calendar, encouraging her to keep looking.

Hermione turned the page to February and saw, on Valentine's Day, he'd written: Date with Draco – will last longer than five minutes.

Again, she laughed, turning the page to March.

He'd written: Visit Wakehurst. Locate Bartlesby. Pretend to be married.

She smiled now, feeling her eyes get misty.

In April, he'd written: Fundraiser. Draco will have trouble keeping his hands off me.

For May, he'd planned a date to visit Paris, at the patisserie where she'd gotten the idea to send him macarons for his birthday.

In June, he drew a small constellation on the fifth, his birthday, and a weekend day was marked for a visit to the Malfoy library, with a note that the pale green velvet sofa might see some unorthodox use. Hermione blushed as she flipped to July. Here, he wrote in the next Foundation event, plus: Dance with Draco. Only Draco. She remembered that she'd danced with Marcus at the July event this year.

In August, he'd marked off a date for brunch in Hogsmeade. Draco will behave himself. I will wear a bathrobe and nothing else. She laughed out loud. "I will not wear a bathrobe to brunch with you!"

He grinned wolfishly. "What if I bring butter pecan ice cream over afterwards?"

She gasped. "Who told you that was my favorite flavor? Was it Pansy?"

"I'll never tell."

Hermione shook her head and turned to September. The first Saturday was marked off for a picnic by the sea.

He pointed to the square for her birthday, where he'd drawn a very large, fancy question mark. "That will be a surprise. But you can clearly see that there's no room for you to schedule anything else."

"What about Harry? He always wants to celebrate birthdays."

Draco raised an eyebrow. "I've got it taken care of."

She shook her head, surprised to see one more box in September had been written in. "Three in one month?" The last block read: Fall asleep in Draco's arms on the green, velvet sofa. She lightly rubbed her finger over that square. "I would absolutely love that. But I won't be pass-out drunk this time."

In October, he'd drawn a giant heart on the one-year mark of their first real kiss. "We don't have to do anything special for that day, but I didn't want you to forget it. I'm not sure what date you consider the beginning of our relationship."

"This day. Absolutely." She traced the heart with her finger. "It's perfect."

"Even though we didn't really talk that night?"

"Yes. Draco, that was the day I first realized that you felt something for me. It's true that I would later learn just how much, and then we had a lot to discuss, but this was the day I knew that things would never be the same." She kissed him briefly, then went back to her planner. He'd also marked the October Foundation event, which fell very close to the anniversary of their first real kiss.

In November, he drew little hearts in a lot of the boxes, the biggest one on the date of their first time sleeping together. That made her laugh and she pointed to it. "Meant a lot to you, did it?"

Draco groaned. "You have no idea, Hermione. Seems you remember the date, too."

Finally, in December he'd dedicated a weekend day to getting a tree together.

"I hope you don't mind that I wrote in your planner. I realized after I'd started that you might not appreciate it, but if you want a blank copy, I bought an extra one." He pulled a thin book out from the pocket of his cloak and handed it to her.

Hermione shook her head. "I love what you did. Draco, this… might be the most incredible gift I've ever received. Thank you." She placed the journal on the coffee table, took his face in her hands, and kissed him. She hadn't thought too much of it, since his kisses all night had been rather benign, but it wasn't long before she realized he'd merely been waiting until he'd given her the gift.

It quickly became apparent that he had every intention of making yet another memory worthy of acknowledgment in her journal. But before things got too carried away, Hermione stopped.

"Wait. There's something I need to say to you."

His eyes were intense with desire as he stared at her, his fingers pressing into the skin of her waist. He swallowed hard. "What's that?"

"You said something a few weeks ago. That you'd been in love with me for a long time."

He nodded, somewhat impatiently. "I did. I do. I mean, I am."

Hermione put her arms around his neck and looked him in the eye. "Well. I just wanted to say that I quite love you, too." They gazed at each other for a long moment, his hands tensed and ready to spring into action. She could feel the pent up energy in the tips of his fingers. "Please kiss me now."

He didn't need to be told twice.

Sunday, 31 DECEMBER

Ron's wedding to Pansy passed in a blur. Despite Millicent Bulstrode technically being the maid of honor, she lived out of the country, leaving the bulk of the practical duties to fall to Hermione. She didn't mind of course; she had little else to do. But it meant that, on the day of the wedding, she carried the lion's share of the work making sure things went smoothly.

The best part of the morning was waking up in Draco's arms, early enough that they could fully take advantage of the lazy morning. Pansy didn't need Hermione until around ten, so after a long, slow, delicious shag upon first waking, they proceeded to the shower. When she finally kissed him goodbye, she was ready for a nap and a big meal. Alas, the nap was not to be.

Hermione's first task of the day was to head to Pansy's favorite bakery to pick up some snacks. Pansy's home was brightly lit when she arrived, carrying four bags of breakfast pastries and treats, plus a gallon of coffee and a small bag full of sugar packets and various other coffee related necessities.

Everyone in the large estate home seemed frantic beyond measure except Pansy, whom Hermione found soaking in a large, claw-foot tub, bubbles rising up four inches above the water. Pansy's eyes were closed and her head was resting on a pillow on the edge of the tub.

Without looking, Pansy smiled. "Granger! You're here! What did you bring me? And no anxious energy is allowed in this room. It's my haven away from my mother, who is about to drive me mad."

Hermione laughed lightly. "I brought all of your favorite things, as requested in the note you sent me last night."

Pansy hummed, pleased. "Perfect. Millie is still not here and neither is Ginny. Daphne is with my mother, keeping her away from me." She finally opened her eyes and looked at Hermione. "How's Draco this morning?"

"He's fine. He sends his love." Hermione took one pastry after another out of the bag and set them on a table marked 'food' in the sitting room attached to the bathroom. "What's next after your bath?"

Pansy rattled off a list of things as Hermione nibbled on a pastry. She had a feeling she would need it.

ooo

The rest of the morning, lunch, and early afternoon were a flurry of activity. Pansy and her bridesmaids were treated to a luxurious series of beauty treatments designed to make them fresh and perfectly ready for the big event. Hermione had never sat through all seven things on Pansy's list, but she was able to relax and enjoy herself despite the fact that facials and manicures weren't usually her kind of thing.

The wedding was to begin at seven, followed by a reception that would last until midnight. The ceremony itself would be somewhat small, but Pansy had invited anyone and everyone who might be slightly acquainted with either her family or Ron's, insisting that a giant party to ring in the New Year was exactly what she wanted to do.

She had told Hermione privately, however, that she and Ron planned to leave as soon as possible to get started on their honeymoon. He was taking her to Courchevel, France, one of the nicest winter destinations in the world. He had saved up to give her the trip of her dreams. "I couldn't talk him out of it, even though it's so expensive. And he wouldn't let me help at all, not a single Knut. It's so romantic. I can't wait!"

"I never would have guessed you'd like a cabin on the top of a mountain for your honeymoon." Hermione gave Pansy a sideways look as she tried not to flinch whenever one of the aestheticians tried to work on her feet.

"Oh, there's so much you don't know about me." Pansy smirked. "But a warm, cozy fire, hot chocolate, and a giant, fluffy rug on the floor sounds absolutely perfect. Not to mention the snow outside the windows, the trees covered with snow… I can't wait! We'll be counting down to midnight together, and there's nothing I would rather have or do."

Hermione smiled. "I'm so glad that Ron makes you so happy, Pansy."

"Me too." Pansy squeezed her arm before turning to say something to Millie.

Ginny, who was on Hermione's other side, let out a sigh. "I can't believe Ron's getting married today. Part of me thought he'd never be able to get himself together in order to make someone else happy, but clearly he's done it."

"Only Charlie remains unattached." Hermione glanced at Daphne, wondering if she knew about Astoria's relationship with him.

"Yeah, that's true, though Mum finally got him to confess that he's bringing a date to the wedding today. So, not only is she beside herself over Ron and Pansy—whom she adores more than I would ever have been able to believe—but she's anxious and nearly frenzied to find out who Charlie's bringing. He hadn't brought a woman home that I can ever remember. I always suspected he liked blokes, but maybe not." Ginny shrugged. "I'm excited to meet her, though. Charlie was one of my favorite brothers when I was very little. He has a great way with kids, and I know he'll make a fabulous dad."

"Do you think it's serious enough to be talking like that?" Hermione was startled. She knew Astoria was crazy about the second-oldest Weasley, but she'd thought they were in the beginnings of a relationship, not yet to the point of talking about their future in all but the loosest of terms.

"Charlie bringing a woman to this is almost equivalent to him getting down on one knee. That's just how he is. I only once met a girl he was dating, and that was purely by accident. So now he's been seeing someone, and he's bringing her 'round to meet the family?" Ginny rapped the table with her fist. "It's got to be serious."

Hermione smiled to herself, remembering how excited Astoria had been when she'd told her about the relationship with Charlie. She couldn't wait to see them together, see the shocked looks on everyone's faces. Not even Draco knew because Hermione had promised she wouldn't tell anyone.

Once all of the beauty preparations were complete, which lasted nearly four hours, it was time to start getting ready. There would be some pictures before the wedding, groupings that didn't require the bride and groom to be in the same room.

When she finally slipped into her dress, Hermione felt incredible. It was made of two different materials: off white lace on top, and soft, pale gold tulle for the skirt. Wisps of lace danced along the low cut of the fitted bodice, which was held up by thin straps. The back dipped low, and the skirt swished and moved like a cloud. It was understated, yet she felt pretty.

When she saw her reflection in the mirror, her stomach swooped as she thought of Draco. She couldn't wait for him to see her, couldn't wait to see the look in his eyes. Hermione wasn't big into spending a lot of time on herself and typically didn't, other than for the weddings she'd been in. She rarely spent much time getting ready for Foundation events, either.

For Foundation events, however, she took care with her appearance, but never to the extent she had endured for Pansy. She was very pleased with the result, nonetheless, and ran her hands down the dress, imagining that Draco would likely do the same later that night. The thought made her shiver, and she needed to stop thinking about him or she'd lose all focus.

Today was about Pansy, and she wasn't about to let herself be too distracted to be a good friend.

Of course, as soon as Pansy saw her, she whistled and said, "Merlin, Granger. Draco isn't going to know what to do with himself until he can get you home."

Hermione blushed but waved her off. "It's a beautiful dress, Pansy. Your choice was perfect."

"I know." Pansy smirked. "Now it's time for pictures."

Finally—finally—the time came for the ceremony to begin. The wedding was much like Muggle weddings, though the magic swirling around the room was certainly different. It was dark outside, and while people filed into their seats, the lights were kept on in the main room. When it came time for the ceremony to begin, however, the lights dimmed.

The officiant, Ethel Parkinson, a great aunt in Pansy's family, motioned for the room to quiet down. "Thank you, one and all, for joining us tonight for this very joyous occasion. The bride and groom ask that everyone who is here to support this union—which should be everyone, by the way—please send a small stream of sparks into the air from your seat." She then proceeded to produce a jet of purple sparks, which rose and began to slowly circle the room high in the air.

The other people at the front with Pansy's great aunt did likewise, and then everyone in their seats did too. Hermione was watching from the back, but she could only see in through a small window in the door. Their lights were off as well, and it was hard for her to see just what was happening.

Ethel then smiled as she gazed over the crowd. "Thank you. We're ready to begin."

With that, what was left of the lights went out, and Ethel nodded to her left. Ron entered through a side door, followed by Harry, then Draco, George, and Percy. As soon as he reached the altar, Ron pulled out his wand and added his own stream of light to the swirling mass in the air. The rest of his attendants did likewise.

Music began then, and it was time for Pansy's bridesmaids to enter the room. Daphne went first, followed by Hermione. She did her best not to gasp when she saw the room. The sparks everyone had cast were swirling lazily above, mingling and mixing, flashing and providing an unearthly ambiance. The sparks looked like stars; the whole effect was like a galaxy spinning slowly through space.

It was breathtaking.

Once she'd recovered slightly, she focused on walking forward. She could feel Draco's eyes on her, and she risked a glance at him. It was hard to make out his exact expression, considering the lighting, but his eyes were fixed on her. She joined Daphne at the front and watched as Ginny and then Millicent began their walk.

All of the lights above them turned to gold as Pansy entered the room. Many people gasped. Hermione looked at Ron, her heart nearly full to bursting to see her friend gazing adoringly at his bride. She knew that, for him, there was nobody else in the room.

Pansy's dress shimmered and sparkled in the twinkling light. Her smile was brilliant, her gaze focused on Ron. Pansy's father walked her to the front, put her hand in Ron's and kissed her cheek.

Hermione didn't pay much attention during the actual ceremony, her gaze turning to Draco every few seconds. He was unabashedly staring at her, and she felt exposed under his gaze, as though everyone in the room must certainly feel the weight of his eyes, the obvious affection behind them. Hermione felt like the most beautiful woman in the room.

Then, before she knew it, Ron and Pansy were kissing, and everyone was cheering. Charlie let out a loud whistle, and Pansy actually blushed. Ron took her hand and they hurried from the room, followed by the rest of the bridal party.

ooo

The reception was exactly how Pansy had described it: tables everywhere, lots of food and drink, and dancing. She and Ron opened the dance floor, then others joined in.

When Draco asked Hermione to dance, she accepted, placing her hand in his and letting him lead her. It was a slow song, so he pulled her close against him. It was the first chance they'd had all day to talk.

"You look absolutely beautiful. You took my breath away when I saw you walk through those doors."

Hermione smiled to herself. "Thank you. You're awfully handsome yourself, you know."

"I can't wait to get you back to your flat."

"Is that so?" She hummed lightly. "I have a sneaking suspicion that I'm going to need help with this dress, as well."

He growled softly. "This dress? I think Pansy chose it with me in mind. I don't mean to sound like I think everything she does is for me, but she knows me well, and… Let's just say, I wouldn't be surprised. It's been very hard for me to focus on anything but you tonight."

A thrill of anticipation ran down her spine. "Well, we've got a little bit to get through before we can do that."

"Do you want to stay until midnight?" He nipped at her ear.

"If you keep doing things like that, we won't even make it through the cake."

"Hang the cake." The low timbre of his voice made her shiver. "If you think I care about that more than you, you don't know me that well."

Hermione gave him an amused, startled look. "But I thought you loved cake."

He laughed. "That's fair. You're quite right. But compared to you, it's absolutely nothing. Now, if we could bring some of the cake with us…"

"I think that could be arranged. But to answer your question, I think I prefer Pansy's plan of being away from here at midnight." As much as she enjoyed getting all dressed up and being with her friends, she preferred the thought of being at home with Draco when the new year arrived. This year would be nothing like the year before. This year, she would get to kiss Draco at midnight.

Draco glanced around. "You said Pansy's leaving early?"

Hermione nodded. "I'm not sure when, though."

"Let's keep an eye out. We'll stay half an hour after they leave."

"Alright." She gave him a quick kiss and squeezed his hand. "I'll see if I can find her and get an idea of what they're thinking."

Draco smiled. "Good. I'm ready to be home."

Her heart leapt at the way he said that last word. Home. She had a feeling he wasn't referring to her flat, either.

ooo

Later—much later—Hermione was exactly where she'd wanted to be. She and Draco were sitting on her sofa before a warm fire, his arm around her and her legs tucked up under her. She rested her head on his shoulder, a cup of hot chocolate in hand.

The clock said there were ten minutes to midnight. Neither of them said anything, both exhausted from the day and their activities since leaving the reception—Draco had more than adequately kept his promises about her dress. Now, she was content to sit beside him and listen to the fire crackle and pop.

Deep in his own thoughts, Draco kissed her temple. "Are you going to make any resolutions for the new year?"

Hermione hummed. "You know, this past year, I had this ridiculous notion that if I cleared my calendar of things I didn't truly want to do, I would have all this extra time in which to find someone special. That was my goal, you know. Ultimately. I felt like my life needed someone in it, and then I'd be perfectly happy."

"I remember." His tone was soft, almost a whisper. "I had hoped you would see me."

"I had it all wrong, though. I couldn't truly see you until I sorted through my mistakes."

"What mistakes were those?"

"Thinking that all I needed to do was make the time and love would naturally fall into place. Don't get me wrong, I am completely thrilled with how my experiment went. I discovered that you can't force things to happen. And my job, once all the noisy extras were removed, meaning all the outside activities with coworkers, was extremely dissatisfying. I found that working with the Foundation was far more fulfilling, and it seems that we truly helped people, which is what really refreshed my spirit." She paused and smiled at the memory of Tabitha on stage with Draco.

"The mistake was in thinking that if I did certain things, put myself in certain situations, I would find someone." Hermione looked at him. "It wasn't until I stopped trying so hard that I realized what had been there all along. Of course, it still took a bloody long time to actually talk to each other about it."

Draco chuckled and kissed her lightly, his eyes intense. "We were both a bit thick."

"I wish you'd have asked me out ages ago."

"You would have said no. I'm convinced of it. Remember last year? You were so focused on a project involving the Vampires you barely had time to eat, much less think about dating."

She thought back to the time around her birthday last year and grimaced. "That consumed me. And what good did it do me?" She scoffed. "All I got for my troubles was a hurried 'nice job, here's the next case.' It's no wonder I was near a breaking point by the year's end."

"No new resolutions then?" He glanced at the clock. "You've only got four minutes to decide."

She knew he was teasing her, but Hermione really considered it. "Last year, my goal was to only spend my time in ways that left a positive mark on my life—other than work, of course—with an aim toward finding someone special. I ended up learning so much about myself, what my priorities are, what truly brings me joy. And, I found someone special, though it didn't go how I imagined it would."

He grinned. "You thought you'd meet some good looking stranger who would sweep you off your feet?"

Hermione rested her head on his shoulder again and took his free hand in hers. "Instead I got my good looking best friend to do it."

"Have I swept you off your feet?"

She sighed. "I don't really love that saying, but it's safe to say that you have. You did that back in October. Multiple times. Then again last month, and every day since. But—" She only had a minute left. "My resolution for next year is to keep doing what brings me joy. To continue what I started this year and stay focused on what really matters."

Draco smirked. "You know, that's not a measurable goal. You need action steps and a—"

Hermione silenced him with a kiss as the clock struck midnight.

THE END

FINAL NOTE: Thank you so much to everyone who followed this story this year. WHAT A CRAZY YEAR! 2020 was insane, and this story helped ground me, keep me focused. Gave me something ELSE to think about. I appreciate every single review I received. I cannot thank you enough for the encouragement I received along the way. I don't like posting a story that I haven't fully written beforehand, but I took a risk with this. And I'm so glad I did. Thanks to dormiensa, who beta'd each and every chapter for me!

FINAL NOTE for K: I cannot say enough thanks to my dear friend, dreamsofdramione, who was with me every single step of the way on this story. She might know this story better than me. I'm not even kidding. K, I dedicate this story to you. We birthed this thing together. You know I don't do mushy gushy, but this story wouldn't exist without you, I wouldn't be here, and so, so many things wouldn't have happened this year. I LOVE YOU SO MUCH. Thank you for walking through this story, this WHOLE YEAR, with me. Thank you for the hours of chatting, plotting, planning, brainstorming, and-oh yeah, actual beta work! The chapters got longer as the months went on, and you never failed to come through. There aren't words to express my gratitude. Thank you for the graphics every month! It was so fun to pick something from each chapter to highlight. And they're all incredible. I can't wait to see this in a book format, with your graphics at the start of each chapter. Because yes, that's happening. AND, last but not least, thanks for my incredible gift of ART from Avendell! You and inadaze22 outdid yourselves and I'm in awe of the art. Thank you for making this a year I will never forget. I can't wait to see what we do next!