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Hermione was in the middle of showering when she heard someone shout through her usually empty flat, "Hey, Granger!"
She smiled but sighed at his timing, "I'm showering, Draco!" She shouted in response.
Suddenly she heard his voice directly on the other side of the loo door.
"Granger! Granger, listen up! We have all the players! Diggory agreed to be a Beater for Team A, so now, we're all set!"
She couldn't help but smile at his obvious excitement.
"That's brilliant, Draco." She replied, "I'll be out soon!"
"Okay. I'm going to grab a Firewhiskey!" He said before running off to her kitchen.
When Hermione arrived in her kitchen, she found Draco pouring over the plans for the Charity Match. She loved how devoted he was to make sure the event went perfectly.
"Hey." She said, catching his attention.
He turned around and she noticed how his eyes traveled up her shorts-clad legs until they met her eyes.
Draco cleared his throat and grinned, "Granger, we've got everything worked out now."
"Well, except for advertising." She said.
Draco smirked, "I know how to solve that issue. Michael Corner has a printing shop in Diagon Alley."
Hermione smiled, "You've thought of everything, haven't you?"
With a humble shrug, Draco replied with a simple, "I just want to help the kids."
She smiled, "Well, speaking of kinds you've helped…Neville and Pansy invited me to come over for dinner. I thought that maybe you'd like to come with me so that you could see Charlotte and Henry."
He smiled, "Tonight?"
She nodded, "Yeah."
With a nod, Draco replied, "I was actually already going but I'd love to go with you."
She blushed slightly, despite herself and nodded, "Great. So, now, back to the Fundraiser."
They spent the next two hours finishing up the final touches and contacting the last few people they needed to.
"We'd better get going." Hermione said after they received a letter from Dean in response to their letter. She read it and set it down, "Dean wants us to meet them at their Bistro on Tuesday after hours."
Draco nodded as he bit his lip nervously.
"Are you all right?" She asked.
He nodded, "I'm fine. Are we both Apparating, or would you like to take the lead?"
"You know me so well." She smirked. "Just let me change my clothing. It'll take only a moment." She said before going to her bedroom.
He waited and realized she had been correct because only a moment later, she came back out in a pair of grey capri trousers and a light blue blouse.
He swallowed and nodded, "You look lovely."
She smiled, "Thank you, Draco." She replied before she took his hand and Apparated them to the Longbottom house.
Neville and Pansy had just celebrated their fifth wedding anniversary in January, but still had no children. They were desperate to be parents and though they had been trying for years, it was to no avail.
When Draco had shown up on their doorstep one day in early April with two children who were desperate for parents, it seemed like it would be a perfect fit…and it was. Welcoming Henry and Charlotte into their home had basically been effortless. The siblings were both well-mannered and enjoyed helping Neville in the greenhouse he had built on the property or assisting Pansy with her painting in her art studio.
The group of four had become a family of four in record time. All they had to do was make it official…legally.
When Hermione and Draco arrived at the Longbottom home, they found Neville on the patio, grilling dinner on his new magical grill while Pansy and the children chased a low-flying Snitch around the back garden.
Draco smiled, seeing how happy they all were.
Hermione made her way over to Neville and greeted him. "How are you doing, Neville?"
He beamed at her, "I'm doing brilliantly, Hermione. How about you?"
As they talked, Hermione noticed how Draco made his way down to the back garden where Pansy and the kids were. Draco hugged the gorgeous, raven-haired artist and Hermione turned back to Neville.
"So…erm…it's going well with Henry and Charlotte then?" She asked, trying to dampen down the moronic jealousy she had just felt raging in her gut.
Neville nodded, still beaming widely, "It's going marvelously! Those children…" He said, turning to look over at them. "They belong with us."
Hermione smiled, "That's wonderful, Neville! Have you two decided to officially adopt them?"
He nodded, looking over at Pansy and Draco standing closely as they talked and watched the children play.
"She's telling him now. I hope he's okay with it." He said quietly.
Hermione watched Pansy and Draco and for the first time ever she noticed the way Draco looked at Pansy. It was a brother's love for his sister that Draco clearly felt for his fellow Slytherin.
Hermione's chest loosened a bit, and she inhaled, smiling as Draco nodded and hugged Pansy, evidently delighted with the adoption news.
Dinner was spent listening to Charlotte and Henry excitedly talk about all of the things they had been doing with 'Nev' and Pans'.
"Well, it sounds like you two really enjoy the greenhouse. That's great. Nev is the best person to teach you about plants." Draco smiled at them.
Henry bounced nearly out of his seat with excitement when he told Draco his next bit of news.
"I got my Hogwarts letter!"
Draco was shocked, having not realized that Henry's birthday would be in time for him to get into that year's crop of students.
Nevertheless, Draco beamed, "That's brilliant, Henry!" He said, "When do you turn eleven?" He asked.
"July fourteenth." Henry replied.
"It'll be here sooner than you know." Neville grinned and Henry beamed excitedly.
"Hogwarts is a wonderful place. You'll love it there, Henry." Hermione added.
Henry grinned, "I want to play Quidditch like Draco!"
Pansy playfully rolled her eyes, "And so it begins."
The others laughed.
After dinner, Draco and Hermione cleaned up while Neville and Pansy put the children to bed.
While alone, Draco glanced over at Hermione and grinned, "You think Henry will be a Slytherin like his mum or a Gryffindor like his father?"
Hermione looked over and smiled, "Who knows? Maybe he'll be a Ravenclaw or Hufflepuff."
Draco groaned playfully, "Merlin, help us."
Hermione laughed and met his eyes for a moment.
Draco smiled, about to say something when Neville and Pansy entered the kitchen.
The four of them sat up and discussed the adoption plan for a while. Afterwards, they relaxed and talked. Pansy and Draco went to Pansy's art studio so that she could show him her latest piece.
When they got into the studio, Draco expected her to show him a painting, instead, she glared at him with her hands on her hips.
"What?" He said, confused by the sudden change in her mood.
"Why the bloody hell haven't you and Granger gotten together yet?" She huffed.
He sighed and ran his hand through his hair, "Pans…look…"
"No. You look. Draco Malfoy, you are almost twenty-seven years old, and she is nearly twenty-eight. If you don't hurry up, you're going to miss the fun part."
"The fun part?"
"Being young and in love, you dolt." She huffed, shoving his chest.
When it was time for Draco and Hermione to leave, Draco noticed that Hermione had had a third glass of wine.
"Let me Apparate this time, yeah?" He said.
She smiled, rolling her eyes but nodded, "Okay."
He Apparated them to Hermione's flat. Once they arrived, Hermione made a move to step back, but he held her in place.
She swallowed and looked at him. "Draco?" she said quietly.
"Yeah?" He replied in a quiet breath.
"Are you okay?" She asked.
He nodded, "Why?"
"You haven't let go of me…"
He looked down and met her eyes finally, "Granger, listen…"
There was a knock on her door, and they separated quickly, looking at the door oddly.
She walked over and looked through the peephole to see who it was.
"It's my neighbor." She replied quietly before opening the door. "Hi, Ryan."
"Hello, Hermione, I was hoping that I could borrow an egg. Well, really, it's not borrowing, because I won't be returning it so…may I have a free egg? One that I shall not give back or replace." the short, chubby bloke said in an American accent.
She nodded, "Sure, Ryan. Hold on one moment."
"Who are you?" Ryan asked as Hermione walked to the kitchen and he spotted Draco standing in her lounge.
Draco cleared his throat, "Oh erm…I'm Draco."
"Man, you've got some weird names in this country."
Draco nodded, "Yeah…" he held back from rolling his eyes.
Hermione walked back over and gave Ryan an egg, "Bye, Ryan." She said before closing the door and turning back to Draco, hopeful that he would continue whatever he had been about to say. "You were saying?"
Draco swallowed and shook his head, "N…nothing. It's nothing. Erm…when is our meeting at the Bistro?"
Hermione sighed and cleared her throat, "It's Tuesday. At their Bistro but after they close for the day."
Draco nodded and turned toward the fireplace, "I'll see you then, Granger. If you need me before then, just let me know." He said before adding, "Night, Granger." Before disappearing into green flames.
Hermione let out a loud, frustrated groan and went to her bedroom.