Chapter 16

How did I find you in all this mess? And aren't you always saying how glad you are to have met me? It seems like everywhere else was a place we had to go through to get here. And I love you so much - too much. If ever there was such a thing.

-Lang Leav

Present Time: September 2001

Fifteen minutes later, Draco was standing in the hall outside flat 7B with his fist held up, just inches away from the door.

Knock. Just do it.

She didn't invite you here. Maybe you should go home and send an owl.

Are we really going to do this, right now?

Draco knocked. Nothing happened. Of course nothing happened. What had he expected, for her to open the door the next second? After several moments of nothing, there was a sound. Draco panicked and began searching the hall for an escape route, then remembered he could Disapparate. Before he could turn on his toe and disappear, the door began to open. He froze.

"Ginny, I don't want to-" Hermione cut off when she saw him, her eyes wide with surprise. "You're not Ginny."

"What gave me away?"

"What - uh - are you doing here?"

"I can go. I shouldn't have stopped by unannounced." Draco turned to leave but she caught his arm.

"No. Stay. I was just wondering how you found out where I live."

"Weasley. Um - Ginny, not your ex-boyfriend, obviously." Hermione looked understandably confused and Draco paused to take a breath, since he knew he wasn't making any sense. "I went to Potter's to ask for your address. His girlfriend answered and after forcing me to endure a painful conversation, told me where you live."

Hermione leaned against the doorframe and smiled. "You didn't have to do that. You could have sent me an owl."

"I didn't want to wait," Draco explained. "But I can leave. I should have made sure you weren't busy, especially since you have work tomorrow and-"

"You're fine." She moved backward into her flat as she held the door open for him. "Come in."

Once Draco was inside, she took his outer robes and hung them on a rack in the hall. "Um, hi," she said when she turned to face him. She motioned to the space around them. "Welcome to my flat."

Draco didn't look around and kept his eyes on her, instead. She had her hair up today and looked a little tired, but the most notable thing about her appearance was her ridiculous outfit. She was wearing one of her work blouses (the white one with green flowers on it) paired with pajama bottoms and woolen socks. He squinted to get a closer look at the pattern on the trousers, then laughed when he recognized kangaroos wearing red hats. How bizarre.

"What are you wearing?"

"Excuse me for not getting dressed up, but you stopped by unannounced."

"Are you saying you would have dressed up for me?" he asked suggestively.

She rolled her eyes. "No. But I may have worn my black pajama bottoms instead of my Christmas kangaroo ones."

"I like the kangaroos. I was commenting more on the odd mix of styles."

She just shrugged. "My blouses are comfortable but my work trousers and skirts aren't, so I change those as soon as I get home. Is this really why you came over? To critique what I wear when I'm home alone, not expecting guests?"

"Of course not." Draco closed the distance between them and cupped her face in his hand, rubbing her cheek with his thumb. "You're beautiful." She scrunched up her nose in protest. "Yes, even when you distort your features like that."

"If you say so," she replied doubtfully.

Draco remembered Daphne's words from several months ago. "This is a witch who sees a troll when she looks in the mirror."

He'd have to change that. "Can I kiss you?" he whispered.

"You didn't ask, last time."

"Good point." Without any further hesitation, Draco grabbed her waist with his free hand and pulled her into a kiss. This one was slower and gentler than the last one. Instead of trying to touch every inch of her all at once, Draco focused on exploring her mouth.

He moved his lips with hers, finding the best angle and pace that worked for them. He tilted her chin up and pressed his tongue into her mouth to deepen the kiss. When he'd surveyed the inside of her mouth, he focused back on her lips, pressing soft kisses along the length of them and nibbling on her top, then bottom lip. With her bottom lip still between his teeth, he flicked his tongue against it before pulling back slowly to take a breath of air.

She let out a low moan from deep in her throat. Fuck, that was hot. He needed her to make that sound again.

Draco moved to her neck and began exploring until he found a sensitive spot that caused her to let out another soft moan. He focused on the spot, pressing his tongue against it, then biting it, then sucking on her skin. Fuck, she smelled incredible. There was a floral scent from her shampoo, mixed with a pleasant sweetness that he guessed was just her. He couldn't get enough and neither, apparently, could she.

She was pulling at his hair and making delicious, dulcet sounds at the end of each exhale, causing his cock to twitch each time. He pulled her closer with the hand that was on her waist and pressed his hips into her. She let out another moan, louder this time, then a breathless, "Draco."

Fuck, yes.

She repeated his name and began pulling harder on his hair and it took him a few seconds to realize she was trying to get his attention.

"As - uh - fun as this is, we should probably, uh, talk," she said, out of breath.

Hermione looked fucking gorgeous when he looked up at her. Her eyes were wide and glittering with desire and her lips were a darker pink than normal. That was from him. He couldn't resist leaning in and placing a final kiss there. "Yes," he said as he pulled away. "We should talk. Sorry about that. I find you irresistible."

"I think it's the Christmas kangaroos. Few wizards can contain themselves when they see them."

Draco laughed. Damn, she was wonderful. Hot and funny. How was she his?

She's not. Not yet. You need to focus.

"We should sit," he said finally looking around her flat.

"Yeah, probably several feet apart," she replied with a smile as she walked past him into the sitting room he'd spied on from the Floo almost a year ago. She took a seat on the edge of the sofa and Draco (ignoring her advice about sitting several feet away from her) sat down next to her, though he left a small gap between them, since he knew if he touched her, he'd probably lose control again.

They sat in silence for a long time. "Do you want a drink?" Hermione asked.

"No."

They sat quietly for another few moments. "So, uh, are you working yourself up to say something or do you want me to talk?" she asked, unable to help herself from filling the silence.

"You are the most impatient person I've ever met."

"I'm just wondering if it's okay if I read a book while I wait." She motioned toward a stack of books on the side table behind him.

"Shut up," Draco said with a laugh as he propped his elbows on his knees, then leaned forward and dropped his head into his hands.

"Sorry." She placed a hand on his arm. "You were so sure of yourself just a few minutes ago. What changed?"

Draco looked up and cocked his head toward the entryway. "I'm good at that part."

She smirked. "Yes, you are."

Draco's eyes flashed to her neck and from his current angle, he could see a dark red bruise from where he'd kissed her. "Shit." He reached out and touched his fingers to the spot on her neck. She was one of those witches who bruised easily. He'd have to keep that in mind. "Do you want me to heal this?"

"That might be premature. Why don't you just heal them all before you leave tonight?"

Draco's response (which would have been "Fuck") caught in his throat. He had to get this over with before he completely lost it and lunged at her.

Hermione took his hands and squeezed them, then said with an encouraging smile, "I don't think I've ever seen you this nervous."

"You have - loads of time. I was just better at hiding it before. Now, I don't know, I'm off my game. I think it's the kangaroos."

She let out a laugh and squeezed his hands again. "Take your time."

"I'm ready."

"Okay."

"I don't have an eloquent speech like you did," he began. "I'm not good with eloquent speeches. But I have this." He reached into his pocket and took out two folded pages and handed them to her. "This will explain everything better than I ever could."

"What is this?" she asked as she unfolded the pages.

"A letter," he replied, unhelpfully.

"Yes, I see that but-" She stopped talking when her gaze settled on the signature line which read, Draco from March 2006. "Oh. I see." She looked back up at him, her eyes wide. "This is the letter you read on your father's birthday?"

Draco nodded.

"Why are you showing it to me?"

"Just read it. You'll see."

Hermione flipped back to the first page of the letter and began reading. Draco laid back on the sofa. He didn't need to read along with her, he'd read the words so many times, he had them memorized. It started with:

I know you're about to end the time jumping and have recently begun to consider an alternative, where you keep it going so you can try to save Father. I urge you to push those thoughts away and stick to the current timeline.

I could beg and try to give reason after reason, but I've never been the best with words. So, I'll give you my wife's words instead. I've written out a sample of the countless, beautiful things she'll say to you one day - this incredible, perfect witch. But if you break the timeline, you'll never get to hear them.

She gasped. She must have reached the part where he'd begun quoting the speech she'd said to him last night. He closed his eyes, terrified of what he'd find on her face.

"Oh my God," she whispered under her breath. "This is just how it happened."

She was probably reading the part where he'd written: After she said that, I tried to push her away, convinced I could never make her happy. Well, first, I kissed her, then I tried to push her away. But after I experienced what kissing her felt like, it was a lost cause. And she had more to say, of course, this witch never shuts up.

"'Never shuts up?'" she asked, challengingly. He just smiled but kept his eyes closed. Now was the part where he'd quoted her again. When Hermione reached the end, she started reading under her breath.

"For the record, she was right. She's always right. I was wrong to try to push her away but I'd only done it because I was so scared I couldn't make her happy. I can. I did. And I'll continue to do so, for as long as I live. I'm finally starting to believe I'm enough for her. I'm not going to lie, getting here has been hard, but I wouldn't trade it for anything. Take the potion and after that, trust your instincts. You can do this. You're stronger than you think. -Draco from March 2006."

When she stopped reading, she took in a long breath, then let it out slowly. Draco felt her shift but kept his eyes closed. "Look at me," she said as she placed a hand on his leg.

Draco cracked an eye open. She had a few tears in her eyes but didn't look disgusted or angry, just worried and a little scared. He opened his eyes all the way and sat up straight.

"This is about me."

"Yeah."

"Your...wife."

"Yeah."

"And you've known since...November…or even before then...?" She trailed off and got a faraway look in her eyes. "Oh my God, this is why...this explains everything."

Her eyes snapped back to his. "You hated me at the beginning and then, strangely, started being nice. Then, that forced apology at your mother's Halloween Ball, the dance, the bench - well, hah, that certainly makes sense now. This is why it all happened. I thought it was real but you were just nice to me because you knew I'd become your wife one day. Damn - no wonder you've been struggling to act for months, you don't really want this."

"What? No!"

"You should have told me sooner!" she exclaimed, her glare accusing now. "This is real for me. I actually fell for you but you-" she waved the letter, "-all your feelings have been clouded by this."

"No," he said again. "I didn't know it was you in November," he lied. "I didn't figure it out until last night, when you said those words."

What are you doing?! You said you'd tell her the truth.

Shut up. I'm losing her here and will say whatever it takes to keep her.

She scoffed and turned back to the letter. "Really? You're not stupid." She looked down and began to read. "'Flawed political opinions...for how you treated me growing up.' You really didn't get that?"

"All of those hints are vague and could refer to many witches. I was awful to a lot of people when I was growing up. And I - I mean, of course I wanted it to be you, but I wasn't sure. I fell for you on my own, I promise."

She dropped her eyes and shook her head.

"Hermione, please. Listen to me." He shifted closer to her and pulled her chin up so he could see her eyes. "My future self didn't tell me who my wife was. I didn't know. It was real for me too and the only reason I've been fighting it, is just like the letter says, because you are incredible and I am so, so not.

"I fell for you because you're you. From the first moment I saw you on Potter's doorstep, I was drawn to you. I was an idiot when we were younger, not letting myself look past your blood, but this past year and a half, getting to know you, it's been - everything to me. You have so many good qualities - beautiful, intelligent, caring, compassionate, determined, fearless, witty, loyal - I could go on for hours listing them.

"But what I like most about you is more of a feeling, here,-" he touched his chest, "-than a list of adjectives. It's a feeling of - relief and familiarity, like, going home after a long trip or stepping into a warm building after walking through the freezing rain. It's just - um - like, where I'm supposed to be is where you are. I - I told you I was bad with speeches but, uh, it's real. I promise it's real. You have to believe that."

A tear fell down her cheek and Draco wiped it away. "Your knowledge of the future didn't affect your feelings for me?" she asked softly.

"No," he said quickly, almost before she'd finished her question.

Hermione grabbed his hand and gripped it tightly, then looked down at the letter in her hand and began to reread it.

When she reached the end, she read the following line out loud, "'I was wrong to try to push her away but I'd only done it because I was so scared I couldn't make her happy. I can. I did. And I'll continue to do so, for as long as I live.'"

"I know," Draco said softly, "it's hard to believe."

When she looked up at him, her eyes were rimmed with tears. He passed her a handkerchief and she laughed when she saw it. "You really do make people cry a lot."

"I know," was all he could think to say. He was fresh out of witty comebacks, right now.

"I don't find this hard to believe," she said seriously.

"You don't?"

She picked his hand up and kissed it, which was such a sweet, familiar gesture that it made his chest clench. "I don't. But that - that doesn't mean. Well - it's still a lot, Draco."

"Yeah."

"Married."

"It's a possible outcome."

"I don't think so. The past, present, and future exist on a closed loop. If we don't end up married, this whole universe we're living in right now will cease to exist."

Draco took the letter out of her hand and placed it on the sofa, then grabbed the top of her arms. "You're the one who was always telling me I have a choice. If you don't want to marry me, say no when I ask. Who cares if the timeline breaks? We'll just end up in another one. Plus - my marriage proposals have been rejected loads of times. I'm used to it."

"What?"

"It's a long story. I'll tell you later. But for now, will you go on one date with me? We'll just see where things go from there."

"We know where they go," she argued.

"Were you not listening? You can change your mind anytime you want. Really. I don't want you to feel like you're being forced into anything."

"Okay. Yeah. I understand."

Draco dropped his hands and they sat watching each other for a few moments. Then, he let out a long breath and got to his feet. "I'll leave you alone. I'm sure you need some time to consider-"

"I don't need any time," she said quickly, grabbing his hand.

"You don't?"

Hermione pulled him down and he resumed his seat on the sofa. "I feel home with you, too," she whispered. "I've never experienced anything quite like it and I'm not going to give it up that easily."

Draco couldn't help but smile at that. It was exactly how he felt, like he'd stumbled upon a rare gem and was gripping it hard in his palm now, determined not to let it go, no matter how hard the sharp edges cut into his skin.

"We have some ground rules to work out and I have a thousand more questions but for now...I don't know. Don't leave. Let's just sit here."

Draco smiled, then leaned forward and kissed her cheek. "When you say 'sit here,' does that really mean 'snog?'"

She answered him by throwing her arms around his neck and kissing him firmly.

A week later, Draco was sitting at an empty desk on the floor where Hermione worked at the Ministry, reading the Prophet. He had been waiting for Hermione to finish up for (he looked down to check his watch) thirty minutes already so they could go for ice cream. He'd stopped by unannounced, so had expected a bit of a wait, but she should have known he'd insist on taking her out for her birthday.

The door to the office Hermione shared with Bennett opened but Bennett walked out, not Hermione. The wizard took a seat in the empty chair next to Draco. "So, you're behind the flowers."

"Yes."

"I didn't realize when we first met in the lift that you and Hermione were dating."

"We weren't. We started dating the day after that."

"Huh. Interesting."

Draco frowned. Damn. Hermione was right. This Bennett bloke did have an uncanny ability to get people to tell him personal things. Draco was a Slytherin, he was supposed to be better at this. Would this shit work on Theo?

Draco had heard about the supposedly disastrous setup between Theo and Bennett, but apparently, at least from Hermione's point of view, it hadn't been a big deal. She'd brought Bennett by the coffee shop one morning to meet her friend and…that was it.

Theo had refused to talk the entire time and simply watched Hermione and Bennett talk. By the end, Bennett had told her that her friend was a cute mute. He hadn't even realized Theo was gay or that the meeting was intended to be a setup. But Theo still hadn't forgiven Hermione for it.

Draco focused back on Bennett, who was watching the door of the office he'd just vacated. "Is Hermione still working in there?" Draco asked.

"She was just finishing up. If I had to guess, she's probably trying to make her way through the labyrinth of flowers."

Draco smirked. "How much did she hate them?" He'd had 405 flowers sent to her office this morning: one for every day he'd spent pining for her. He'd started the count on the day he'd taken her and Daphne to lunch, which was when he'd first realized how well they got on together, though he was still in denial about it at the time.

"She was very annoyed," Bennett said with a chuckle. "Though I've caught her swooning over the card you sent with the flowers several times already, so I think you're in the clear."

"Did anyone else see them?"

"All of us, obviously," Bennett replied, motioning around the floor. Then he gave Draco a knowing wink. "Though I assume you're asking about her friends."

Draco just shrugged

"You'll be pleased to know that your flowers earned a large eye roll from each of her Auror best friends when they came to pick her up for lunch, today."

Draco smiled inwardly but tried to keep his face blank.

"So, the epic Harry Potter / Draco Malfoy battle continues?" Bennett pressed. "Or was Ron Weasley the target, this time?"

"I don't know what you're talking about. I got the flowers for Hermione, so she'd feel special on her birthday."

Bennett laughed, then leaned back in his chair. "I remember those pranks from school. I even wore one of those 'Potter Stinks' badges you made during the Triwizard Tournament, though I feel awful about it now. I thought he was cheating, you know? Trying to upstage Cedric."

"Yeah." Draco wished he would change the subject.

"No one knew then what he'd go on to do. Or, well, Dumbledore knew, but none of us."

Draco just hummed. The next minute, he was saved by the appearance of Hermione in the doorway of her office. "Finally ready?" Draco asked, standing to greet her.

"Knowing you, you're not going to let me come back, so I had to make sure I had everything wrapped up for the day. But I think I'm good now."

"Clark here can cover for you if something else comes up," Draco said, cocking his head toward Bennett.

Bennett shook his head and said to Hermione, "Your boyfriend's very bossy. We've barely had one conversation and he's already ordering me around."

"Bossier than me?" she asked.

"No. That's impossible," Draco cut in, then placed a kiss on Hermione's cheek.

"We're in the office!" she hissed, leaning away from him.

"Clark doesn't care."

"No, he doesn't," Bennett confirmed. "Anyway, you two go on. I have work to do in the Botanical Garden. Happy birthday, Hermione." He gave them a final wink before closing the door to the office behind him.

"I don't see it," Draco said as they walked to the lift.

"What? Him and Theo?"

"Yeah. That bloke is way too nice for Theo."

"Some might say the same about us."

"Oh, I'm positive people say the same about us." They'd reach the lift now which was, thankfully, empty, so Draco pushed Hermione against the wall and kissed her. "But to those idiots, I say, 'sod them,'" he whispered in her ear.

She smiled and kissed him again, but when the doors to the lift opened, she jumped away quickly. Draco rolled his eyes, then wrapped an arm around her waist as they walked through the Atrium.

"I know you're embarrassed to be seen with me, but people are going to find out eventually," he grumbled, trying to make a show of anger to hide how hurt he felt.

"I'm not embarrassed," she said quickly. "I'm just nervous about vicious articles."

"Oh. Is that it?"

"Yeah." She stopped at the end of the Atrium, then linked her hands behind his neck and placed a kiss on his cheek. "I'm not ashamed of you, even though you turned my office into a flower shop in a thinly veiled attempt to mark me as your property."

Draco stepped back, affronted. "Hermione Granger! I would never! All I wanted to do was to send my girlfriend something beautiful on her birthday."

"Yeah, yeah," she said, taking his arm and guiding him to the exit. "You may have well just sent me a sign to wear that read, I have a boyfriend and if you didn't already know, he's rich."

Draco laughed at that. "You don't need to worry about vicious articles."

"Changing the subject?" she asked with a grin.

"We can go back to discussing my attempts to fend off all your suitors but first, you should know that there won't be any mean articles about you. I promise."

"Oh. You've bought off the papers, haven't you?"

They stopped to Transfigure their clothes and Apparate to the alley near the Muggle park. As they walked to the ice cream shop, Draco explained the articles that had been written about him and Daphne shortly after his father's death and how stupid he'd felt for not anticipating them. Then he explained how he'd "convinced" the papers to stop writing about him and his family, something his father had obviously been doing for years.

"So as long as I'm with you, I'm safe?" she asked when they reached the ice cream shop.

They paused the conversation to order their ice creams and Draco thought how, even before they'd become a couple, he'd secured protection for her from the press. He did it early, shortly after she told him she wanted to be Minister for Magic. But if he told her that now, she'd know he'd been lying last week when he said he hadn't known she was Lady Malfoy back then, so he kept the information to himself.

When they were back outside, eating their ice cream cones as they walked to the park, Hermione linked her arm in his and said, "Okay, back to the suitor conversation."

"Fine."

"I know you're an only child and were spoiled growing up, which is probably why you're possessive and have a bit of a jealous streak, but you don't need to worry about any of that with me. I'm with you, that's it. Plus - it's not like there was a line of suitors besides you, anyway."

They'd reached the park now and were walking along the path to their bench. "I find that hard to believe. You're beautiful, brilliant, and famous. You're telling me no one showed an interest?"

She leaned further into him. "A few wizards asked me out last summer while you were gone, but I said no. I was, uh, sort of waiting for you."

"Oh." Draco's heart dropped. Shit. Why did she have to be so much better than him? It was the only thing he didn't like about her.

Really? How about how she's always complaining about house elves? And how she chews her hair? And how quick she is to assume-

Okay. That's enough.

"What?" she asked, picking up on his distress.

They'd reached the bench now and Draco waited for them to sit down before saying, "I didn't give you the same courtesy."

"Oh," she said, turning to look out at the lake.

"I'm sorry. It was stupid and I was thinking about you the whole time. Which - damn, that sounds really bad, but it's true."

"We weren't even together. It's fine," she said in a tone that made it clear that it wasn't fine.

"I'm sorry. I'm an idiot. You know that."

"Yeah."

Draco placed his arm on the back of the bench but was careful not to touch her, just in case. He let out a sigh of relief when she settled back against his chest. She looked out at the lake as she took licks of her ice cream and appeared to be deep in thought.

"What are you thinking?" he whispered in her ear.

"Just that, I think I know all your secrets, but then you continue to reveal things that surprise me. Like how you blackmailed the head of the Prophet and shagged countless witches in France. Is there anything else I should know?"

Well, yes, actually. I knew you were Lady Malfoy as far back as last November, but I'm too scared to tell you because I'm terrified of making one wrong step and losing everything. Just the act of sending those flowers sent me into an anxious spiral.

Also, I love you. I don't think it's allowed since we've only been dating a week and I'm sure if I told you you'd be alarmed. But I do, I really, really do love you.

You can't say any of that.

I know.

"It was only three witches," he said aloud.

She turned to face him and said harshly, "Yeah? Tell me more about the witches you shagged, will you? While I was here, pining after you like an idiot. Also," she added as an side, "I see you changing the subject again."

Draco tightened his grip on her instinctively. "Don't go. Please."

She shook her head, then turned back to face the lake. "I'm not going to go."

She let out a frustrated sigh and licked her cone as Draco reached around for something to say to fix this.

"You're not the idiot, I am and I - I probably have more secrets," he admitted, "but nothing that comes to mind right now. I'm not good at sharing things, it's a Slytherin trait, but I'm trying. I'll tell you as I think of things. Okay?"

Hermione was quiet, then she turned her head and gave him a small smile and a nod.

You don't deserve her.

I know that!

"What's this?" Draco asked, noticing a necklace he hadn't seen before (and eager to change the subject). He picked up the pendant and tried to interpret the Runes. "Lovely storm?" he guessed, wondering if he'd got the translation right.

"Oh, uh, yeah," she said, wrapping her hand around the pendant. "It was a birthday gift from my parents."

"Oh." That explained why her expression had darkened. She hated talking about her parents. "Why 'lovely storm?'" he asked, hoping he wasn't prying too much.

"That was probably my father's idea. He loves poetry and one of his favorites is: 'She was a storm, not the kind you run from, the kind you chase.' He had it stenciled on my wall when I was a girl." She paused to smile softly at the memory.

"He said I was an intense child and I bet the unexplained bursts of magic added to that perception. He called me his little storm." When she looked back at Draco, her eyes were wet.

Draco looked around and after confirming no one was looking, Vanished his ice cream cone so he could wrap both of his arms around her. "They're beautiful, both the poem and the necklace, and they suit you," he whispered in her ear. "I certainly know I'd chase you."

"You did, for 405 days," she said with a smile.

Draco saw a tear fall down her cheek and wiped it away with his hand. "Do you want to talk about it?"

"No."

"Ahh. So I'm not the only one with secrets," he teased.

"I guess not."

They were quiet for a while. Draco kept both of his arms around her as she took occasional licks of her ice cream. After a time, Draco said, "I know I'm not great with sharing things, but I'm a good listener. If you ever want to tell me about your parents, or anything else, I'll be here."

She nodded, then turned and placed a kiss on the underside of his jaw. "Where's your cone?" she asked, noticing that his ice cream was gone.

"I ate it."

"Ate or Vanished?"

"Let's play the game," he suggested, motioning toward the Muggles in front of them.

She let out an exasperated sigh. "You are impossible!"

"You say that even before I've had a chance to show off my ability of turning the happiest scenes dark?"

She let out a laugh. "Okay, start with that family there. It looks like twins playing with their mum. How are you going to make that sinister?"

Draco straightened in his seat, rolled his shoulders, then stretched his arms out, like he was getting ready for a physical challenge. "Just watch."

He turned to study the family she'd pointed out but was interrupted by Hermione placing a hand on his arm. "Hey."

"Yeah?" he asked, turning back to face her.

"I'm really happy I'm with you. And I thought the flowers were lovely."

"Thanks. And I'm sorry about the witches. If I could find a time turner right now, I'd break it, turn myself back into a time jumper, then travel back and reverse it."

"Or, you could use it like a real time turner."

"That would be easier. You really are as bright as they say."

Hermione smiled and Draco took the opportunity to kiss her, enjoying the taste of ice cream on her lips. "There's more to this birthday celebration," he purred as he pulled away. "The flowers were part one and this is part two."

"How many parts are there?"

"Twelve," he said without thinking.

What are you talking about? You have exactly one thing planned after this - dinner. Where are you going to come up with the other nine?

Draco's mind was racing. He could agree to read another Muggle book, that would be four. He could tell her how he'd saved her from having drinks with Daphne and Theo tonight and pass that off as five. Maybe a snog session on the couch could count as six. He'd figure it out. He'd do anything for her, even give her the whole world, if she wanted it. Oh! The stars. They could lie under the stars tonight. That'll be seven.

Why didn't you say something more reasonable, like five? Or even ten would have been better, for all the years you've known her.

It's probably best not to draw attention to what you were like ten years ago.

No kidding.

"Twelve?!" she exclaimed, pulling his attention back to the present.

"Yeah, so we should get going on this game." Draco could figure out the other five parts to their date later.

She shook her head, but still sidled close to him. "Okay. Go on," she said, motioning toward the mother with her twins, who were rolling down the nearest hill.

Draco turned and placed a kiss on her temple. "I'm glad I'm with you, too," he murmured. "Happy birthday, Hermione."

A/N: Yay! They're finally together. And they made it there almost a full year before the other Draco and Hermione. Good for them. But, um, this Draco is a mess. He's been through a lot and has been taught to lie and hide things from a young age, so that's what he reverts to when he's stressed. We'll get him to 2006 Timeless Draco, I promise.