Disclaimer; I don't own Harry Potter.

Dinner with the In-laws…

Draco sat there for a minute, stunned at my father's bold question. He held his head high, looked my dad straight in the eye and replied;

"I love her, what else is there to explain."

"No, really, Mr. Malfoy. Leopards don't change their spots. What does your family say about you dating a, what did you call her again, oh that's right, Mudblood?"

Several people looked up in disgust.

I nearly choked on my steak, and grabbed my wine goblet to try to swallow.

"DAD" I said loudly. "You don't say things like that around here."

"Well, Mr. Malfoy?" he said, his brown eyes never leaving Draco's.

"Mr. Granger, I have already apologized for every name and remark I have made to Hermione over the past years. She has forgiven me, and as for my family," I held his hand; I knew this was going to be hard for him to talk about.

"My family is all dead; they were killed last year before Voldemort's demise. I wouldn't care what they thought anyway, I love her, and nothing will change that." he gripped my hand tightly and didn't let go.

"Oh Draco, I am so sorry." my mum said sincerely. "We didn't know."

"It's alright." Draco mumbled. "I have made my peace with it, and have tried to move on. I am the last of the Malfoy's, for the moment." he stared into my eyes, which were on the verge of filling with tears.

"What does that mean?" my dad interrupted. "For the moment?"

"Well, Mr. Granger," he started. "It means I have asked Hermione to marry me, and she has accepted. I would like very much to have your blessing."

He reached into his pocket and took out the small box. He then placed the ring on my left ring finger. I was overwhelmed with emotions. I looked at my mum and she was crying too. Granger women were very emotional.

"My blessing?" my dad raised his voice slightly. "My blessing? You think I would give this my blessing? After all the nights we spent consoling her, telling her you were just a selfish prat who was raised to hate Muggle borns? No, I don't think I will be blessing this." he said as he threw his napkin on the table.

"Robert, sit down. Hermione is of age, this is her decision. I am so happy for you honey. And Draco, I am proud to have you join our family." She stood up and hugged Draco. I could tell that he was happy to have heard her say that. I knew having a loving family was one of the things that he wanted very badly.

"Katherine," my dad said, face red with rage. "How can you say that? After these years of torture he put her through?"

"I can say that dear, because Hermione is an excellent judge of character. We raised her well. If she sees something in him that is good and decent, then we should look too. You were always the one saying to her that there is good in everyone, if you look deep enough. Besides, if I had listened to my dad, we wouldn't be sitting here today, after 20 years of wedded bliss." she smiled at him, and reached across the table to grab his hand.

"Now, look how happy he has made your only child. I have never seen her this happy. How can you put a damper on this? Let me see that ring honey." she said to me and grabbed my hand across the table.

"It's absolutely breathtaking." she said "good choice Draco."

"Thank you, it was a family heirloom. One of the last of my family's possessions, we kept it in Gringott's. My house was destroyed last year, along with everything in it. This ring is over 200 years old, and was left to me to give to my future bride." he looked at me lovingly.

"I love it, and I love you." I told him and leaned in to kiss him on the cheek.

"Well dad?" I said. "Do we have your blessing?"

"Not yet," he said. "I have some more questions for the blushing groom."

"Ask away." Draco said proudly. "I am an open book."

"Where do you plan to live once you leave Hogwarts tomorrow, if your house was destroyed?"

"Well, Mr. Granger, Professor McGonagall has promised to help me find somewhere, I still have plenty of my family's fortune in the bank, so it shouldn't be that hard."

"I see, what about a job, or are you just going to be some rich playboy who relies on that fortune to get him by?" his voice was stern this time.

"No sir, I plan on working at the ministry as the head of magical sports and events. Ludo Bagman is retiring." he held his head high. I hadn't known he had a job all lined up.

"Hermione," he said looking into my eyes. "What about college? Are you still planning on attending or are you just going to lapse into married life, pop out a couple of kids and be content until he gets bored with you?"

"DAD, that is quite enough. I don't need college now. I got an outstanding on every single N.E.W.T. The ministry has offered me several positions, and they offer any additional training I may need beyond what I have learned. I want to marry him, start a life, have a family in due time." my eyes were shining with tears.

"Do you plan to come home with us tomorrow?" he asked, knowing the answer.

"I don't know yet, we will discuss it tonight. I will let you know by owl in the morning. Dad, all I know is that this is the happiest I have been in a long time. Ron and Harry have accepted this, so has mum, cant you just try?" there was a crack in my voice. I didn't want to choose again. Ron and Harry had been quite enough to deal with this year.

"Hermione, I just want you to be all you were meant to be. Not just settle for marriage like I did." he looked down and realized what he had said.

"What?" my mum said, voice on the verge of yelling.

"That's not what I meant. I just meant we struggled the first few years of marriage because we were so young. We both were working and going to dental school. It was rough. I don't want her to go through that."

"Well, you have to let her make her own decisions and mistakes, Robert."

The conversation was getting very uncomfortable for Draco and me, so we excused ourselves for the evening. My parents were staying at an inn in Hogsmead, so we walked back to the castle alone.

"Well that was something." Draco finally said breaking the uncomfortable silence.

"I am sorry about that," I said "I had no idea my father would be so unforgiving."

"Its loads better than my family anyway. They fought non-stop from the moment they were forced to marry." he looked up into the starry sky.

"So, my love," he asked me "are you going home tomorrow?"

"Where else would I go?" I replied before I had the chance to think.

"Well I thought since we were engaged, we could find a place together, start our life together, and plan our wedding." he said with a smile so wide he could hardly contain himself.

"Well, it's something to consider. I don't fancy sleeping hundreds of miles away from you every night."

"Me either." he said, and bent down to lay his head in my hair.

"Just look at it, Hogwarts, its beautiful." I said as I looked to the castle, glowing against the twilight sky.

"Let's make our last night here, one to remember. We will start our future tomorrow." he said with hope in his voice as we walked up to our home for the last seven years, knowing it was coming to an end.