Author's Note: Welcome to my second fanfiction and my first one featuring Hermione/Draco! I know many people don't like this pairing but in my mind I've come up with a way to make it work so you'll just have to read my stories to find out how!

P.S. - This story is set a few years after Harry defeated Voldemort and the first chapter helps to set my scene, I'll get more into the meat of it next week. Most things stayed canon but I did have to save Fred.

Disclaimer: I do not own the Harry Potter series.

"The Burrow!" Hermione called out as she stepped into the green flames of one of the Ministry's many fireplaces. Normally they didn't all get together at the Weasely family home until Sunday evenings for dinner but Molly had switched it up, claiming that everyone should be together on the second anniversary of Voldemort's defeat.

When Hermione arrived at the Burrow she nearly ran into Ginny who was racing across the room, her arms so full of plates that Hermione could barely see the girl's head over the top of them.

"Whoa! What's going on?" Hermione called out as she rushed to help Ginny make it out the door without dropping the breakables. "Couldn't you have used your wand? Or at least have carried fewer plates at one time?"

Ginny managed to safely set all the plates on the end of one of the two long tables in the backyard. "My wand's been missing since this morning and since Fred and George stayed over last night I have a feeling they have something to do with it."

Hermione pulled off her work blazer and sent it back to her flat with a flick of her wand before helping Ginny set the table. "That answers the wand question but not why you felt the need to carry nearly twenty plates at once."

"I just want mum to be in a good mood tonight, that's all."

"Why do you ˗" Hermione froze, a plate halfway to its spot on the table. "Ginevra Weasley! Are you insinuating that you still haven't told your mum that Harry proposed?" she hissed.

"You act like it's been ages and it hasn't even been a week yet! I just thought it would be nice to wait until tonight," Ginny whispered back.

Hermione shook her head but didn't respond since more Weasleys and family friends suddenly started arriving on the lawn. The yard would be full by the time dinner started since Mrs. Weasley had invited all her children and their significant others as well as Luna, Neville, Andromeda and Ted Tonks and little Teddy Lupin.

She finished up with the table and looked out over the crowd, surprised she hadn't been accosted by Harry or Ron yet. But they were nowhere to be seen and she was quickly distracted by all the bustling activity. Molly was floating food onto the tables, Ginny had run off to try and get her wand back from the twins, and Bill and a very pregnant Fleur were fielding questions from the very curious, and very blue haired, Teddy.

"Hey Hermione!" Neville called out, knocking the girl from her musings.

Hermione turned around and found Neville and Luna standing behind her. "Hey guys, glad you could make it!" Ever since the war Luna and Neville had both had open invitations to the Weasley family dinners but rarely showed up since Neville was busy training under Pomona Sprout so he could one day take over the Herbology job and Luna was often traveling the world to look for unusual creatures.

"I wouldn't miss this celebration for anything!" Neville declared. "I'm just glad we could do something all cozy like this. Last year was awful."

Hermione couldn't help but nod in agreement. On the first anniversary of Voldemort's demise they had all been forced to attend a high profile celebratory ball at the Ministry. As the guests of honor for their roles in the Dark Lord's defeat Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Neville had been hounded all night. While Harry had been used to the attention and Ron reveled in it that was not the case for Hermione and Neville who had escaped to an outside patio as often as they could manage.

Hermione was about to respond when a deafening explosion from the other end of the yard captured everyone's attention.

When her hearing started to return she could just barely hear Molly Weasley's shrieks. "˗ not deafen them! I honestly don't know what to do with the two of you!"

"I wish there had been pyrotechnics," Luna mused as she watched Mrs. Weasley aim a serving dish at one of the twins.

Hermione and Neville couldn't help but turn to stare at their blonde friend. "What are you talking about?" Neville finally asked.

"The explosion certainly caught my attention but I wish there would have been fireworks or something colorful instead of just a loud noise. Maybe Mrs. Weasley wouldn't be chasing them around the yard if there had been color."

Mrs. Weasley called out before Hermione or Neville could respond to Luna's odd comment. "Hello everyone! Arthur just contacted me through the Floo before I brought out the food. He, Harry, and Ron will be home soon. There's a bit of a hang-up at the Ministry but the boys said we should start without them so take your seats!"

Ginny rushed up to take a seat next to Hermione. "Damn it! Harry and I were going to make our announcement before dinner," she hissed. "Do you have any idea what's happening?"

"Not at all," Hermione muttered back. "But I also went in early so I left early too. Something must have happened right after I left."

Ginny couldn't stop the concerned look that crossed her face and Hermione knew exactly why it was there. Since Kingsley Shacklebolt, who still acted as Minister of Magic, had accelerated the Auror program from three to two years Harry and Ron had just recently graduated and were full time Aurors with their own missions. The major mission of all the Aurors was to capture the few Death Eaters who were still at large.

"I'm sure everything's okay." Hermione tried to quell the hope that had suddenly blossomed, afraid that Ginny would take it the wrong way. Maybe they've finally caught the last of them. Maybe it will be safe to tell everyone about us! she couldn't help but think.

Luna looked at them from across the table. "I wouldn't be too worried. Harry did defeat Voldemort after all," she stated loudly, and matter of factly, as she added boiled potatoes to her plate.

Everyone at the table froze. Although the taboo on Voldemort's name had been lifted few people actually ever spoke it out loud.

"She has a point," Fred called out and suddenly everything went back to normal.