Happy Birthday
((27th September))
Hermione emerged, towel wrapped and sopping wet, and pink in the face from the bathroom. She immediately began searching through her wardrobe, pulling out random skirts and tops, placing each one up to her body before scowling and discarding it to the ever-growing pile on the bed.
Picking her wand up off her bedside table, she pointed it at her hair, which instantly dried itself. Stepping across to ever dresser she scanned the many hair care products, and picked up a can of muggle hair spray, and her hairbrush she had brought from Hogsmeade, which could straighten, curl or spike hair, depending on the holder's preference.
After fifty odd minutes of straightening then curling her hair, Hermione strode back over to the pile of clothes on her bed. Frowning she picked out a purple grape coloured skirt and a black blouse. Spraying on a small amount of sunflower scented perfume, Hermione exited her bedroom and headed down stairs.
Draco looked up as Hermione strode into the kitchen. He knew today was important to her, but it was making her very stressful. She had been on edge for about the past forty-eight hours.
Draco didn't say anything, but pointing his wand at the table, produced a magical cup of steaming coffee. Hermione ignored the coffee, and strode over to the fridge and poured herself a glace of orange juice. It was gone in one swig.
Reluctantly Draco picked up the coffee originally intended for Hermione, took a sip and sighed. Up until this point Hermione had be too preoccupied with her thoughts to actually notice Draco was in the room. "Oh- morning," she said, in a nervous voice unlike her own- "I didn't see you there."
Draco frowned slightly, rising from his seat, and placing the coffee mug on the table. Gently he pulled Hermione in to his embrace, and kissed her forehead. "Relax," he whispered softly into her ear, as she rested her head against his chest, allowing her tension to flow slowly away. "Relax- everything will be ok!"
"What if he doesn't show up?" Hermione asked, pulling away from Draco. "What happens if he refuses to sign?" She stared wide-eyed, and slightly panicked.
"Hermione, calm down." Draco stared back at her willing her to relax. As the couple stood staring into one another's eyes, Hermione began to calm. Shaking her head she kissed Draco on the cheek and picked up her cloak, which lay across the back of a dining chair. "I know- I know," she breathed as she turned to go. "Will you be ok with Eli?" She asked, with an edge of anxiety to her voice.
"We'll be fine," Draco said offhandedly, and Hermione raised an eyebrow. "Promise," Draco said, kissing her lightly on the lips, "I swear that this house will be standing by the time you get back."
Shaking her head, Hermione checked her watch. "Merlin's beard I'm going to be late, please behave, and make sure Eli doesn't find his birthday presents." With a quick kiss she was gone.
Draco sat in silence, finishing off his coffee. Truth be told he wasn't overly sure about being left alone to look after Eli. Yes he was getting used to the whole father thing, but the main question- was Eli?
Eli still cried out for Krum. He still thought of Krum as his father. Draco couldn't help but feet, that this was his own fault. Though after spending the first three years of his son's life nowhere near the poor boy, allowing him to be raised by a duck-footed, heavy eyebrowed, woman stealing, cheating scumbag of a Bulgarian quidditch player, who wasn't even remotely handsome, or smart for that matter, it wasn't surprising.
He loved Eli so much. The child looked exactly like him, and sometimes late at night Draco would quietly cross the threshold of Eli's bedroom door, just to watch him sleeping. He was having the strong suspicion that Eli was having nightmares, because he would toss and turn in his sleep, moaning and calling out for his mother or Krum. Once, Draco thought he heard Eli call out 'daddy Draco', but the next second he was sure he had imagined it.
Eli was asleep when Draco entered his room. For once Eli seemed to be having a peaceful dream, for a smile was resting upon his pale pink face. Draco strode across to his son's bedside, and slide down the wall to sit next to him.
He watched as Eli's chest rose peacefully and gracefully up and down. "Hush little baby.." Draco sang softly under his breath. He had Hermione sing this song to Eli on many occasion, "don't say a word Papa's going to buy you Mocking bird." it always seemed to calm the Eli down and bring at least a faint smile to the child's face.
Eli's room was bathed in daylight by the time Draco had finished the muggle rhyme. The song had made him calm, yet somewhat drowsy. Closing his eyes, Draco rested his head against the wall. His mind floated away to Hermione, and where she was at this very moment.
***
Hermione walked out the Ministry of Magic at lunchtime, side by side with Krum. The morning had moved fast and speedily along. Krum looked across at Hermione, just as she had looked away from him.
"The court offered you visibility rights," Hermione said still not looking at her now ex-husband, "why did you refuse them?"
Krum stopped in his tracks, and gazed into the sky. The weather was warm today and the sun was playing casually with the occasional cloud that rolled across its path, Krum moved his gaze back to Hermione. "It is better for Eli 'dis way, It is better that he knows Malfoy as 'is father."
Hermione looked to the floor. "I really don't mind if you see Eli- he loves you as a father after all."
"But I am not his father."
The two stood in silence as Krum's last statement sunk in. Hermione was worried about the effect of Krum never setting foot in Eli's life again. Sure she had wanted the two separate at first, but she had grown to realise that despite blood, Krum was, in her son's eyes, Eli's father. Now Krum was saying that he would just calmly leave and not interfere in Eli's life- full stop.
"It is Eli's birthday tomorrow, yes?" Hermione nodded, and looked pleadingly at Krum.
"Won't you even come to his party?"
Krum shook his shaggy black head. "It is best not." Reaching into his jacket pocket Krum produced an A4 sized brown envelope. "Here is Eli's present from me," he said gruffly. Throughout all conversations, held through out the morning Krum's expression had been blank, and difficult to read, but now his mood was as clear as day- miserable.
Hermione took the envelope, Krum held a hand to her. "This is goodbye then?"
***
Eli awoke around one in the afternoon, to find his room empty, as it so often was. Carefully and unusually quietly he jumped from his bed, glancing around, then made his way to the door.
Downstairs Draco sat comfortably watching an old Muggle DVD film of Eli's called 'Star Wars, Episode five, The Empire Strikes Back'. He could never understand why Hermione had insisted on buying Eli such demeaning muggle films, but Draco had to admit he found this particular film mildly entertaining. Even Muggles occasionally made something interesting.
He was at a point where some big bloke dressed in black with a bad cold was fighting Luke Walk-on-sky, or whatever his name was, with big glowing swords that made swishy noises.
"Bright!"
Draco jumped slightly as a soft voice from behind him drifted into the room, and turning to find Eli gazing at the television, he smiled. "Hello, there."
"Lo'," said Eli, somewhat snobbishly. Draco scowled, 'yup- you're my son alright!' he thought to himself, 'just like me when I was a kid- snobby!.' Eli walked forward into the room, not looking at Draco, and clutching a blanket, he sat down directly in front of the TV, staring at it. "Where's Mummy?" he asked, not taking his eyes from the television.
"She's gone out to see Krum," Draco said softly, gazing no longer at the TV but instead at the back of his son's head.
"Is Daddy coming home?"
The man in black with a bad cold took a lunge at the sky-walking boy, as Eli spoke.
Draco ignored the TV. Eli's words had cut through him deeper than any blade. "Daddy is home," he muttered, scowling to himself.
"You killed my father!" the sky-walking boy yelled from the TV set, now cradling a handless bloodstained arm.
Draco looked up.
"No, Luke," the man with the bad cold wheezed, walking forward until he was towering over the messy blond boy. "I am your father."
"Noooooooooooooooooooo!"
Draco and Eli both stared at the television. Slowly Draco raised the remote and switched it off. Shaking his head. Slowly Eli turned on the spot, and glared into Draco's face, his big brown eyes burning. "You killed my father!"
Draco stared. Eli had sounded so serious, or as serious as was humanly possible for a three-year-old boy who was quoting films, could actually sound.
"No, Eli," Draco said softly. "I am your father."
***
"HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU, HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU- HAPPY BIRTHDAY DEAR ELI- HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU!"
Eli puffed up his cheeks and took a deep breath, blowing out the five blue candles atop his chocolate birthday cake. Hermione hugged her son as he beamed in triumph at his guests, who were now clapping him, and wishing him a happy fourth birthday.
There were only a few guests there, but those who couldn't be there had sent gifts. Fred and George who that day had a business meeting to attend to, had sent Eli a pet Puffskein- a round, fluffy, custard coloured creature, that had no objections to being kicked about, and emitted a faint hum when content, but had a disgusting appetite for bogies. This had amused Eli for several hours.
Hagrid, who was staying at school, due to the start of a new term, had sent a Dragon's egg. Hermione had panicked at first, and tried to take the egg away, only to then realise it was a cuddly toy egg, that hatched into a cuddly toy Hungarian Horntail. Hagrid occasionally was sensible, but Draco and Hermione strongly suspected Dumbledore had help buy that particular gift.
Dumbledore himself had sent a bike. An ordinary muggle blue bike. Draco had stared at it for several minutes, wondering how to make it move, until Hermione had placed Eli atop it and let him show the older blonde how easy it actually was to make something move without the use of a wand.
Ron, who had taken a day off, Harry and Ginny were of course there, as were Mr and Mrs Granger. Now that Eli had opened all his presents, Mr and Mrs Granger had taken him out into the back yard, and were now playing with their hyperactive grandson, who was running at full pelt around the garden chasing his Puffskein.
Everyone one else was in the living room. Draco, Harry and Ron were sat in front of Eli's new Xbox that Ginny and Harry had brought him. Harry had been rather reluctant to hand over this particular gift, but was now sat teaching Ron and Draco how to play some absurd game, where the goal was to kill one other. Needless to say, Ron was trying a bit too hard to kill Draco.
Hermione and Ginny however were sat on the sofa cooing at the baby girl lain between them. "She's adorable," Hermione said, smiling down at the Potter's newborn baby girl.
"Isn't she just?" Ginny asked, placing a small blanket over her sleeping daughter. Lilly Potter the second, as she had been unfortunately named, lay sound asleep between her mother and godmother, occasionally giving a small wriggle or kick.
"She's the spitting image of you," Hermione said, smiling at her best friend. "Doesn't she look like Ginny, Harry?" Hermione called across to Harry.
Harry, only half listening, slammed his controller down as Ron successfully shot his soldier in the head. "What?" he said sulkily- "yes Ginny, yes!"
"He's not listening," Ginny said, scowling playfully at her husband, who stuck his tongue out, before returning to his war game.
"What gave it away?" Hermione laughed.
"Yess!" Draco jumped into the air. "Ha- I win! Better luck next time, Weasley."
***
Later that night when everyone had gone home and Eli had been tucked safely up in bed with his Hungarian Horntail teddy and pet Puffskein, Hermione and Draco lay awake in bed together.
Draco lay with his arms wrapped tight around Hermione, his chin resting just above her head, his eyes closed. Hermione on the other hand lay with her eyes wide open, staring at her bedside table where Eli's present from Krum lay, still sealed in its brown envelope.
"Why don't you open it?" Draco whispered softly, opening his eyes. Hermione rolled over to look at him. "You'll never know unless you open it." Hermione shook her head.
"Not once today did Eli ask for him- not once!" Hermione gazed into Draco's cool grey eyes, her head resting on the pillow. Draco kissed her lightly atop the brim of her nose.
"I have to admit it was nice when he smiled at me, seemed to like his gift." Draco grinned. He had visited a muggle toyshop the previous afternoon and brought Eli a green light summing or other. Eli had grinned broadly when he received this gift, and had instantly gone running around the living room, making swishy noises.
"So- you were going to open it?" Draco said, slumping down on his pillow so his head was level with Hermione's.
"Was I?" Hermione asked uncertainly.
"Well if you won't, I will."
Hermione sat bolt upright. "Will you?" she asked, clasping her hands together, and looking pleadingly at Draco. "Please?"
Sighing, Draco sat up, the blanket falling from him to reveal his chest bathed in the moonlight, which was sneaking through the gap in the curtains. He looked at Hermione, and sighed once more, and held out his hand. "Let's get this over with," he said, dramatically.
Hermione handed him the envelope, after switching on her bedside lamp. Carefully he opened the envelope, and took out the contents. Hermione sat with her hands cupped, rather tightly in her lap. "Well?" she asked nervously.
Draco gave a half laugh. "What's so funny?" Hermione asked.
"Look." Draco said, handing her the paper he had been reading. Hermione took it from him, and read.
"I don't believe it." She laughed too. Draco lay back in bed grinning. "He's given Eli the house!" Hermione laughed, "I don't believe it."
"Well believe it," Draco smirked, as Hermione replaced the deeds in the envelope, and lay back in Draco's arms, switching her lamp off first. "Just think, when Eli gets sick of us he'll be able to evict us." The couple laughed.
They laughed for the next ten minutes, before sighing in unison. "I wondered why the house was never brought up in the divorce agreements."
"That's right." Draco said clapping his hands together. "You're divorced now- aren't you, Miss Granger?"
Hermione nodded. "Yup- back to plain old Miss Hermione Granger." She sighed, closing her eyes.
"Well," said Draco slowly sitting up once more. Hermione too sat up, "I can't live with a divorced woman," Draco said seriously, turning his lamp on.
"What- you want me to go re-marry Victor?" Hermione laughed.
Leaning forwards Draco kissed her. "No, silly." Then reaching behind him pulled a small box from his draw. Turning once more to Hermione, he smirked, opening the box before her and kissed her again.
"I want you to marry me."
((27th September))
Hermione emerged, towel wrapped and sopping wet, and pink in the face from the bathroom. She immediately began searching through her wardrobe, pulling out random skirts and tops, placing each one up to her body before scowling and discarding it to the ever-growing pile on the bed.
Picking her wand up off her bedside table, she pointed it at her hair, which instantly dried itself. Stepping across to ever dresser she scanned the many hair care products, and picked up a can of muggle hair spray, and her hairbrush she had brought from Hogsmeade, which could straighten, curl or spike hair, depending on the holder's preference.
After fifty odd minutes of straightening then curling her hair, Hermione strode back over to the pile of clothes on her bed. Frowning she picked out a purple grape coloured skirt and a black blouse. Spraying on a small amount of sunflower scented perfume, Hermione exited her bedroom and headed down stairs.
Draco looked up as Hermione strode into the kitchen. He knew today was important to her, but it was making her very stressful. She had been on edge for about the past forty-eight hours.
Draco didn't say anything, but pointing his wand at the table, produced a magical cup of steaming coffee. Hermione ignored the coffee, and strode over to the fridge and poured herself a glace of orange juice. It was gone in one swig.
Reluctantly Draco picked up the coffee originally intended for Hermione, took a sip and sighed. Up until this point Hermione had be too preoccupied with her thoughts to actually notice Draco was in the room. "Oh- morning," she said, in a nervous voice unlike her own- "I didn't see you there."
Draco frowned slightly, rising from his seat, and placing the coffee mug on the table. Gently he pulled Hermione in to his embrace, and kissed her forehead. "Relax," he whispered softly into her ear, as she rested her head against his chest, allowing her tension to flow slowly away. "Relax- everything will be ok!"
"What if he doesn't show up?" Hermione asked, pulling away from Draco. "What happens if he refuses to sign?" She stared wide-eyed, and slightly panicked.
"Hermione, calm down." Draco stared back at her willing her to relax. As the couple stood staring into one another's eyes, Hermione began to calm. Shaking her head she kissed Draco on the cheek and picked up her cloak, which lay across the back of a dining chair. "I know- I know," she breathed as she turned to go. "Will you be ok with Eli?" She asked, with an edge of anxiety to her voice.
"We'll be fine," Draco said offhandedly, and Hermione raised an eyebrow. "Promise," Draco said, kissing her lightly on the lips, "I swear that this house will be standing by the time you get back."
Shaking her head, Hermione checked her watch. "Merlin's beard I'm going to be late, please behave, and make sure Eli doesn't find his birthday presents." With a quick kiss she was gone.
Draco sat in silence, finishing off his coffee. Truth be told he wasn't overly sure about being left alone to look after Eli. Yes he was getting used to the whole father thing, but the main question- was Eli?
Eli still cried out for Krum. He still thought of Krum as his father. Draco couldn't help but feet, that this was his own fault. Though after spending the first three years of his son's life nowhere near the poor boy, allowing him to be raised by a duck-footed, heavy eyebrowed, woman stealing, cheating scumbag of a Bulgarian quidditch player, who wasn't even remotely handsome, or smart for that matter, it wasn't surprising.
He loved Eli so much. The child looked exactly like him, and sometimes late at night Draco would quietly cross the threshold of Eli's bedroom door, just to watch him sleeping. He was having the strong suspicion that Eli was having nightmares, because he would toss and turn in his sleep, moaning and calling out for his mother or Krum. Once, Draco thought he heard Eli call out 'daddy Draco', but the next second he was sure he had imagined it.
Eli was asleep when Draco entered his room. For once Eli seemed to be having a peaceful dream, for a smile was resting upon his pale pink face. Draco strode across to his son's bedside, and slide down the wall to sit next to him.
He watched as Eli's chest rose peacefully and gracefully up and down. "Hush little baby.." Draco sang softly under his breath. He had Hermione sing this song to Eli on many occasion, "don't say a word Papa's going to buy you Mocking bird." it always seemed to calm the Eli down and bring at least a faint smile to the child's face.
Eli's room was bathed in daylight by the time Draco had finished the muggle rhyme. The song had made him calm, yet somewhat drowsy. Closing his eyes, Draco rested his head against the wall. His mind floated away to Hermione, and where she was at this very moment.
***
Hermione walked out the Ministry of Magic at lunchtime, side by side with Krum. The morning had moved fast and speedily along. Krum looked across at Hermione, just as she had looked away from him.
"The court offered you visibility rights," Hermione said still not looking at her now ex-husband, "why did you refuse them?"
Krum stopped in his tracks, and gazed into the sky. The weather was warm today and the sun was playing casually with the occasional cloud that rolled across its path, Krum moved his gaze back to Hermione. "It is better for Eli 'dis way, It is better that he knows Malfoy as 'is father."
Hermione looked to the floor. "I really don't mind if you see Eli- he loves you as a father after all."
"But I am not his father."
The two stood in silence as Krum's last statement sunk in. Hermione was worried about the effect of Krum never setting foot in Eli's life again. Sure she had wanted the two separate at first, but she had grown to realise that despite blood, Krum was, in her son's eyes, Eli's father. Now Krum was saying that he would just calmly leave and not interfere in Eli's life- full stop.
"It is Eli's birthday tomorrow, yes?" Hermione nodded, and looked pleadingly at Krum.
"Won't you even come to his party?"
Krum shook his shaggy black head. "It is best not." Reaching into his jacket pocket Krum produced an A4 sized brown envelope. "Here is Eli's present from me," he said gruffly. Throughout all conversations, held through out the morning Krum's expression had been blank, and difficult to read, but now his mood was as clear as day- miserable.
Hermione took the envelope, Krum held a hand to her. "This is goodbye then?"
***
Eli awoke around one in the afternoon, to find his room empty, as it so often was. Carefully and unusually quietly he jumped from his bed, glancing around, then made his way to the door.
Downstairs Draco sat comfortably watching an old Muggle DVD film of Eli's called 'Star Wars, Episode five, The Empire Strikes Back'. He could never understand why Hermione had insisted on buying Eli such demeaning muggle films, but Draco had to admit he found this particular film mildly entertaining. Even Muggles occasionally made something interesting.
He was at a point where some big bloke dressed in black with a bad cold was fighting Luke Walk-on-sky, or whatever his name was, with big glowing swords that made swishy noises.
"Bright!"
Draco jumped slightly as a soft voice from behind him drifted into the room, and turning to find Eli gazing at the television, he smiled. "Hello, there."
"Lo'," said Eli, somewhat snobbishly. Draco scowled, 'yup- you're my son alright!' he thought to himself, 'just like me when I was a kid- snobby!.' Eli walked forward into the room, not looking at Draco, and clutching a blanket, he sat down directly in front of the TV, staring at it. "Where's Mummy?" he asked, not taking his eyes from the television.
"She's gone out to see Krum," Draco said softly, gazing no longer at the TV but instead at the back of his son's head.
"Is Daddy coming home?"
The man in black with a bad cold took a lunge at the sky-walking boy, as Eli spoke.
Draco ignored the TV. Eli's words had cut through him deeper than any blade. "Daddy is home," he muttered, scowling to himself.
"You killed my father!" the sky-walking boy yelled from the TV set, now cradling a handless bloodstained arm.
Draco looked up.
"No, Luke," the man with the bad cold wheezed, walking forward until he was towering over the messy blond boy. "I am your father."
"Noooooooooooooooooooo!"
Draco and Eli both stared at the television. Slowly Draco raised the remote and switched it off. Shaking his head. Slowly Eli turned on the spot, and glared into Draco's face, his big brown eyes burning. "You killed my father!"
Draco stared. Eli had sounded so serious, or as serious as was humanly possible for a three-year-old boy who was quoting films, could actually sound.
"No, Eli," Draco said softly. "I am your father."
***
"HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU, HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU- HAPPY BIRTHDAY DEAR ELI- HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU!"
Eli puffed up his cheeks and took a deep breath, blowing out the five blue candles atop his chocolate birthday cake. Hermione hugged her son as he beamed in triumph at his guests, who were now clapping him, and wishing him a happy fourth birthday.
There were only a few guests there, but those who couldn't be there had sent gifts. Fred and George who that day had a business meeting to attend to, had sent Eli a pet Puffskein- a round, fluffy, custard coloured creature, that had no objections to being kicked about, and emitted a faint hum when content, but had a disgusting appetite for bogies. This had amused Eli for several hours.
Hagrid, who was staying at school, due to the start of a new term, had sent a Dragon's egg. Hermione had panicked at first, and tried to take the egg away, only to then realise it was a cuddly toy egg, that hatched into a cuddly toy Hungarian Horntail. Hagrid occasionally was sensible, but Draco and Hermione strongly suspected Dumbledore had help buy that particular gift.
Dumbledore himself had sent a bike. An ordinary muggle blue bike. Draco had stared at it for several minutes, wondering how to make it move, until Hermione had placed Eli atop it and let him show the older blonde how easy it actually was to make something move without the use of a wand.
Ron, who had taken a day off, Harry and Ginny were of course there, as were Mr and Mrs Granger. Now that Eli had opened all his presents, Mr and Mrs Granger had taken him out into the back yard, and were now playing with their hyperactive grandson, who was running at full pelt around the garden chasing his Puffskein.
Everyone one else was in the living room. Draco, Harry and Ron were sat in front of Eli's new Xbox that Ginny and Harry had brought him. Harry had been rather reluctant to hand over this particular gift, but was now sat teaching Ron and Draco how to play some absurd game, where the goal was to kill one other. Needless to say, Ron was trying a bit too hard to kill Draco.
Hermione and Ginny however were sat on the sofa cooing at the baby girl lain between them. "She's adorable," Hermione said, smiling down at the Potter's newborn baby girl.
"Isn't she just?" Ginny asked, placing a small blanket over her sleeping daughter. Lilly Potter the second, as she had been unfortunately named, lay sound asleep between her mother and godmother, occasionally giving a small wriggle or kick.
"She's the spitting image of you," Hermione said, smiling at her best friend. "Doesn't she look like Ginny, Harry?" Hermione called across to Harry.
Harry, only half listening, slammed his controller down as Ron successfully shot his soldier in the head. "What?" he said sulkily- "yes Ginny, yes!"
"He's not listening," Ginny said, scowling playfully at her husband, who stuck his tongue out, before returning to his war game.
"What gave it away?" Hermione laughed.
"Yess!" Draco jumped into the air. "Ha- I win! Better luck next time, Weasley."
***
Later that night when everyone had gone home and Eli had been tucked safely up in bed with his Hungarian Horntail teddy and pet Puffskein, Hermione and Draco lay awake in bed together.
Draco lay with his arms wrapped tight around Hermione, his chin resting just above her head, his eyes closed. Hermione on the other hand lay with her eyes wide open, staring at her bedside table where Eli's present from Krum lay, still sealed in its brown envelope.
"Why don't you open it?" Draco whispered softly, opening his eyes. Hermione rolled over to look at him. "You'll never know unless you open it." Hermione shook her head.
"Not once today did Eli ask for him- not once!" Hermione gazed into Draco's cool grey eyes, her head resting on the pillow. Draco kissed her lightly atop the brim of her nose.
"I have to admit it was nice when he smiled at me, seemed to like his gift." Draco grinned. He had visited a muggle toyshop the previous afternoon and brought Eli a green light summing or other. Eli had grinned broadly when he received this gift, and had instantly gone running around the living room, making swishy noises.
"So- you were going to open it?" Draco said, slumping down on his pillow so his head was level with Hermione's.
"Was I?" Hermione asked uncertainly.
"Well if you won't, I will."
Hermione sat bolt upright. "Will you?" she asked, clasping her hands together, and looking pleadingly at Draco. "Please?"
Sighing, Draco sat up, the blanket falling from him to reveal his chest bathed in the moonlight, which was sneaking through the gap in the curtains. He looked at Hermione, and sighed once more, and held out his hand. "Let's get this over with," he said, dramatically.
Hermione handed him the envelope, after switching on her bedside lamp. Carefully he opened the envelope, and took out the contents. Hermione sat with her hands cupped, rather tightly in her lap. "Well?" she asked nervously.
Draco gave a half laugh. "What's so funny?" Hermione asked.
"Look." Draco said, handing her the paper he had been reading. Hermione took it from him, and read.
"I don't believe it." She laughed too. Draco lay back in bed grinning. "He's given Eli the house!" Hermione laughed, "I don't believe it."
"Well believe it," Draco smirked, as Hermione replaced the deeds in the envelope, and lay back in Draco's arms, switching her lamp off first. "Just think, when Eli gets sick of us he'll be able to evict us." The couple laughed.
They laughed for the next ten minutes, before sighing in unison. "I wondered why the house was never brought up in the divorce agreements."
"That's right." Draco said clapping his hands together. "You're divorced now- aren't you, Miss Granger?"
Hermione nodded. "Yup- back to plain old Miss Hermione Granger." She sighed, closing her eyes.
"Well," said Draco slowly sitting up once more. Hermione too sat up, "I can't live with a divorced woman," Draco said seriously, turning his lamp on.
"What- you want me to go re-marry Victor?" Hermione laughed.
Leaning forwards Draco kissed her. "No, silly." Then reaching behind him pulled a small box from his draw. Turning once more to Hermione, he smirked, opening the box before her and kissed her again.
"I want you to marry me."