Draco's world exploded with more joy than he could ever have imagined. Hermione jumped into his arms kissing him passionately and wrapping her legs around his waist. When she pulled away she didn't unfold her legs from his waist, but hung from him like a monkey. Harry, Ginny, Neville and Fred ran down the levels, enveloping Draco and Hermione in a group hug. Blaise and Astoria joined the hug moments later after being coaxed by Draco. After a long minute, the group dispersed and started heading up the levels to meet the others. Andromeda enveloped Draco in a long tight hug and Hagrid almost crushed his bones when he hugged him. McGonagall smiled widely at Draco, patting him on the shoulder in a motherly way. The gang made their way out the trial room in high spirits.
"Draco" Kingsley called, jogging lightly to catch up with the group. "You were more than courteous of our er…opinionated member. You have my word that he will be spoken to." Kingsley's voice was rough with stifled anger.
"I now know the weight of your word." Draco answered respectfully and held his hand out for Kingsley to take. "Come by the errr burrow…" Draco looked at Hermione for confirmation, as he wasn't used to saying that particular phrase. Hermione nodded encouragingly and the men shook hands quickly before the group departed from Kingsley and soon after, the Ministry.
Instead of taking the public bathroom visitors exit, they took Mr Weasley's floo straight to the burrow. As the group piled out, Mrs Weasley enveloped each person with a death grip like hug, including Draco who was clearly not expecting it. He froze for a minute under her arms, but then loosened enough to awkwardly return the hug.
"We are so pleased for you dear." Molly said tenderly, while releasing him from her hug.
"Thank you Mrs Weasley, and thank you for having me here, I know there's plenty of reason not to…" Draco's voice trailed off seemingly scared off by Molly's piercing glare.
"I barely knew you enough to have an issue with you dear." Molly said off handedly.
"I don't think you'd have to know me to not like the way I treated your son." Draco answered.
"Not liking your actions and not liking you are two entirely different things." Molly retorted wisely. "Please make your way to the garden, I have some tables set up out there." Molly added loftily.
Hermione took Draco's hand and led him out the back door. Molly had set up three mismatched tables with all mismatched chairs. There was an enormous amount of food on the tables, as if they were back in the great hall. Draco was touched by the effort she put in on his behalf. Hermione suddenly left his side, running up to what looked like a Weasley sibling and Fleur Delacour. Draco had heard about Bill and Fleur's nuptials, but had never actually met Bill.
Bill stood almost six feet tall with toned muscles on his small frame. His shoulder length red hair was tied back lazily which left his scars on his face visible to all. Fleur stood a few inches shorter than her husband, but still considered tall with her long blonde hair flowing freely down her back. Fleur was holding her son, who looked to be about a year old, in her arms. Just as Draco was about to make his way over, two young girls whizzed by him on their brooms. This caused Fleur to put her son down, who walked wobbly over to Ginny, and reprimand her eldest daughter for allowing her sister to fly so high. Draco watched as the little girl's faces lit up at the sight of Teddy, and was glad to see that he made some friends.
"Draco, is it?" Bill greeted informally.
"You must be Bill." Draco said, shaking his hand lightly.
"Infamous, am I?" Bill responded, chuckling lightly.
"No, that's me." Draco answered quickly, and Bill smirked.
"To right you are!" Bill said heartedly, and then looked past Draco, who had forgotten that Blaise and Astoria were supposed to meet them here as well.
"Blaise this is Bill, Bill this is Blaise and his wife Astoria." Draco introduced.
"I'm more than just his wife." Astoria said cheekily.
"Of course you are Stori." Draco answered, rolling his eyes when she looked away.
"You sound just like my wife." Bill answered lightly, turning slightly to point her out, only to see she was approaching them now. "Would you look at the timing! Fleur, this is Astoria and her husband Blaise." Bill introduced, winking at Astoria playfully. "They are friends of Draco's, who I'm sure you've met when you attended Hogwarts for the tournament."
"Yes, of course. How are you doing?" She asked all three Hogwarts Alum.
"Astoria here doesn't like to be introduced as just Blaise's wife." Bill informed, clearly stirring the pot.
"Thank you!" Fleur almost shouted, taking Astoria by the upper arms. "Is insulting, no?" Fleur asked, which sparked an in depth conversation between the two. Blaise turned to Hermione to ask her how work was going and Bill did a small head motion to Draco so that he'd follow him out to where the kids were playing Quidditch.
"Victoire!" Bill yelled at his eldest daughter, the spitting image of Fleur. "If Dominique so much as gets a scratch your mother will never let her play again! So be careful and don't let anything hit your brother!" Bill finished, getting a loud 'yes daddy' from his eldest. "So you and Hermione eh?" Bill turned his attention to Draco, big brother energy seeping out of him.
"Yea it's fairly new." Draco said, thinking how silly it was to say fairly when it really just started, but going through all they had in the last couple of days made it seem longer.
"I haven't seen her like this in a long time…" Bill started, and noticed Draco's apprehension. "...happy." Bill said solemnly. "I love my brother, dimwitted as he might be about Hermione…but she wasn't happy in the end, it's nice to see her happy again." Bill finished, looking guilty yet hopeful but then his expression hardened. "If you hurt her, even once, you won't live to regret it." Bill threatened, and Draco coughed as if caught off guard by this.
"I don't plan on being who your brother thinks I am." Draco answered flatly, and Bill heaved his arm aggressively into Draco's shoulder.
"That's a good lad." Bill said mockingly, and then suddenly whipped his head towards the left quickly. "Nice shot sweetheart!" He called to Victoire who just scored a goal against Teddy. Draco watched as the young girl smiled brightly at her father and gained more speed on her broom. "You want some?" Bill asked, turning back to Draco.
"Some what? Kids?" Bill nodded. "Yea, I mean eventually I do yea." Draco answered awkwardly, stuffing his hands in his pockets.
"Good, so does she." Bill said loftily, whistling his way back to the adult group by the tables. Draco stayed there for a bit, watching the kids play against one another and only headed back when he heard Blaise calling for him.
"What's up?" Draco asking, joining Blaise, George, Bill, Neville and Harry.
"Blaise was just telling us about Pansy slipping you a love potion." George said while holding back a laugh.
"What are you telling that horror story for eh?" Draco asked, shoving Blaise a bit and dramatically shuddering.
"They brought it up!"
"Oh yea? How's that?" Draco shot back, eyebrow raised.
"I was telling him how Lavender slipped one to Ron, funniest day of my life." George chimed in, still laughing himself to death.
"What was wrong with girls in our year?" Draco asked, laughing himself now.
"Excuse me? Do I hear insults about us?" Hermione asked, who was followed by Luna and Astoria.
"Did you slip someone a love potion?" Draco asked, eyeing her carefully.
"No?" Hermione answered looking confused.
"Then the insult doesn't apply to you." Draco retorted, and pulled her in by wrapping his arm around her neck. She squirmed out of his grasp and glared at him.
"And why are we talking about Lavender?" Her glare was also towards Harry and George who laughed even harder.
"And Pansy!" Blaise interjected, not helping Hermione's glare.
"Because we miss them of course." Draco chorted, taking the easy bait Hermione was setting up. Hermione looked cross, but Draco's smirk had never been wider.
"Then we should invite Pansy, Blaise has her number no?" Hermione shot back, clearly catching on.
"Sure do! I'll give her a ring." Blaise said happily, but Astoria now looked cross.
"Don't you dare Zabini!" Astoria snided.
"So does everyone collectively hate her or what?" Harry asked, breaking the tension.
"We can't all be wrong." Hermione said, pulling Draco towards her by his tie and allowing him to wrap his arm around her waist. She turned in his grasp, so that she was facing her friends, but his hands remained and his chin rested on the top of her head.
"Smug bitch she was." Astoria said, and everyone was surprised at her ability to sound so mean, but she was a Slytherin after all.
"That's my girl!" Blaise said affectionately and pulled Astoria into a tight hug.
The rest of the day was spent eating, laughing and talking. Eventually the guests started to trickle out, the first to go was McGonagall and Hagrid, who urged Draco to take another day before coming back to work. McGonagall explained that they had all the classes covered tomorrow, so it would be more of a bother for them two to come back tomorrow. After they left Andromeda took a tired Teddy home and then Blaise and Astoria bid farewell too. Bill and Fleur were looking exhausted, trying to hold their youngest while the other two threw fits about having to shower. Neville and Luna were next to leave, and those who were left piled into the living room.
The room was quite small for the ten people, not including children, that remained. Arthur and Molly took the couch with Bill's youngest sleeping soundly in between them. George was on the armchair with Angelina in his lap, who had come just after McGonagall and Hagrid had left. Bill and Fleur were taking over the other armchair, Fleur almost looked like she was sleeping. Harry and Ginny were cuddled together on the floor next to the fireplace and Draco and Hermione were cuddled on the floor on the opposite side. Draco stroked Hermione's hair lightly as her and Ginny discussed the gender pay gap in Quidditch.
Draco watched all the dynamics curiously. George was much more to himself with Angelina here. It was almost like she was the peace to his chaos. Everyone looked so exhausted, Draco hadn't realized the burden this day would bring to anyone participating in it. He felt suddenly guilty, and unconsciously stopped stroking Hermione's hair. She turned towards him with a questioning look in her eye, and he tried to smile down at her, but he knew she didn't believe it. She took his hand and started making small circles with her thumb, which relaxed him enough that they resumed their positions. Draco saw Harry calculate the exchange that just happened, and Bill was watching like a hawk too. These people really loved her, even though her relationship with Ron went sour, she was still family. He could learn alot from this lot, though he'd never say it aloud. He settled into his spot, wrapping his arms around a slightly cold Hermione, and kissing her lightly on her head. Everything was so peaceful for a moment, but then everything turned into chaos when a loud POP was heard from the kitchen.
"WHAT THE BLOODY HELL!" Ron's scream woke the baby and startled everyone.