"Never shall I forget the days I spent with you. Continue to be my friend, as you will always find me yours." ~ Anonymous


"Sometimes the one you fall in love with is the one you least expect." ~Anonymous




"It's been quite a long time, Hermione." Draco looked at me from across the table. He had invited me over for a cup of tea. I had been unsure for a moment and questioned if his wife would mind. His reply was that she had passed away two years ago. I was sorry for him.


"Yes, it has." I glanced from him to the two kids playing together on the floor in the living room. "I see you have inherited the Manor."


"With Voldemort gone, my dad in Azkaban, I claimed the manor." He nodded. His eyes like pools of silver as they scanned my face. "How are you doing?"


"Fine." I replied.


"How did Junior here come along? He's not Potter's kid is he."


I laughed. "No, after I got out of Hogwarts, I met this Wizard at this coffee shop. Weird place to meet I know. I had sat at his table, because from behind he resembled a friend I was meeting. He had looked at me like I was out of my mind as I apologized over and over. He had told me it was okay. I guess something about this stranger captivated me, because about two months after that him and I were married."


"I never pictured you as the person to do something out of the blue like that."

"Yea, I guess it was kind of a impulse thing. Well, it didn't work out either. I'd say nine months after I married him. He left me and mailed the divorce papers. By then, I had been pregnant with him." I pointed to Aubrey. "So what about you."


"Oh, after I got out of Hogwarts. I started working as a Detective until I could get my law liscense, which I am still working on getting."


"Why didn't you just take a wizarding job?"


"I just didn't want one. I know that sounds wired. Me, Draco Malfoy, getting a muggle job, But I enjoy it. Anyway, one day this woman walked in. She had long pale blonde hair kind of like the faint glimmer of stars at night. Her eyes were icy blue. She walked with confidence and power. She lower herself into the seat in front of me and I saw her eyes full of pain and sorrow."


"Draco." I interrupted. "Not so poetic please."


"Sorry, got caught up in the memory. Well she told me that she might have some information I might want on a case. I took her to a restaurant and we talked over lunch. We ended up dated and marrying. After about a year. Then she became pregnant. She died after giving birth to Dawn."


Hermione nodded. "I see we've both had trouble with relationships."


Draco smiled. "Maybe it's fate's way of telling us we were with the wrong person."


I looked him in the eyes at that.


"I haven't forgot you Hermione. I know I was the one to break up with you, but damn you were so frustrating."


I smiled. "I missed you so much." I felt my face go confused. That was not what I had meant to say.


"What not sure if you're telling the truth?"


"No, I've thought about you a lot recently and over the years." I glanced back over at Aubrey and Dawn. i heard Draco scoot his chair out. I looked back at him. He was standing, and heading into the living room where the kids played on the floor.


I stood following him. He lowered himself by the couch only to have dawn jump onto his lap.


He gasped as she landed on his stomach, knocking the wind out of him. "What are you doing?" He questioned her.


Her voice was sweet and just as a child's should be, full of laughter and suinshine. "Me and Aubrey have been playing." Every word was well defined for such a young age.


"What have you been playing?" He questioned and I was beginning to think being a father had softened him just a little bit.


"We were playing animals. He was a wolf and I was a unicorn." She smiled proudly.


Draco kissed her cheek. He pulled out his wand and lit the fire. Dawn curled up next to him, under his arm. I lowered myself beside him, so happy I had found him again. Even if we were just friends for the rest of our life.


Aubrey walked over to me sitting down beside me. "Mommy, are we staying the night here tonight?" He whispered as if afraid to be heard.


"I don't think so."


I stared into the fire, the light flickering from its flames. The smoke as it rose from the fire curling like a serpent reminding me so much of the Slytherin crest. The air smelled of smoke and distant dreams reawakening.


I leaned my head back onto the couch and the faint sound of Draco's fountain outside his window lulled me to sleep, sometime between conciousness and unconsiousness I felt my head fall onto Draco's shoulder and hia arms wrap around my shoulder.



***




That morning I found myself in a unfamliar bed, with Aubrey curled beside me. The night came back in a rush of memories. I walked down the stairs the faint smell of pancakes wafted through the house.


I staggered into the Kitchen to see Dawn sitting at the table calmly and Draco standing at the stove. "What time do you wake up around here?"


"Around six." He replied without turning around.


"I figured you would do tha with magic or house elves."


"You got me of house elves and Elizabeth got me off magic."


I lowered my self into the chair, just as Aubrey walked through the Kitchen door. "We'll hey buddy." I smiled at him. "I figured you'd sleep a few more hours."


He shook his head and sat down beside me at the table.


Draco served me and him two pancakes each, while the kids got one.


We all ate in silence. "I think we'll go home today, Draco."


He nodded. "Are you sure?"


"I'm positive, but we could met again."


"Okay, just give me a call. Whenever you want to go out."


I had waited for Aubrey to finish his pancakes and then we drove home.




***




After that, Draco and I began dating. It was like we were seventeen again, but with Children. Two years seemed to fly by.


"Mom," A four year old Aubrey walked into my room. "Yes?"


"The babysitters here and Draco says to hurry up or you'll miss your time."


I nodded, putting on the last bit of my make-up. I ran sown th stairs just behind Aubrey. I had on a black gown, tight on top unti; my knees where it flares out. I had my hair done up in a french twist.


Draco grabbed my hand, "You look lovely." and we apparated to the restruant.


I sat acroos from him, the candlelight accenting his features. His smoky gray eyes looking into mine.


"Hermione, I love you."


"I love you too, Draco." I smiled.


He pulled out a tiny velvet box and I gasped. "I want you to marry me. Will you."


I laughed and felt a tear escape my left eye. "Of course." He slippd the ring on my finger. I stared into the dimond, just as a song came on. It was our song...




"For all those times you stood by me,

For all the truth that you made me see,

For all the joy you brought to my life,

For all the wrong you made right,

For every dream you made come true,

For all the love I found in you."




Draco reached for my hand pulling me to my feet and we danced to the song. My head slowly resting against his shoulder and his arm around my waist. I was so glad I found him again.