A/N: Huge apologies for the length of time that its taken me in writing this, but I have excuses - my Mum's boyfriend nearly died about two weeks ago so I've been rather busy, distraught and unimaginative. Thankfully he's okay now and I was able to churn out this chapter. Excuse this Abba references. ;)

"Future romance, do you think?" Ginny nudged Hermione in the side and handed her a Butterbeer. They were stood to one side of one of the manor's many reception rooms, observing the children as they chatted and played an assortment of party games. It was still early in the evening, and most of their guests had yet to arrive.

James and Lissy were eyeing each other intermittently during the rather raucous game of wizarding twister that was taking place, Ed and Will Weasley being the main protagonists in the loudness of the shouts that echoed around. The largeness of the extended Weasley family meant that along with the rest of Hermione and Draco's collected friends that had been invited and were yet to arrive – some former Hogwarts contemporaries, some from their globe trotting, some from work, the Manor would be packed to the rafters, and Hermione was enjoying the chance to observe the children before having to play hostess properly.

"Draco would hate it." Hermione chuckled and sipped her drink as esteemed husband walked through the room towards where a group of guys were battling it out around Lucius' old card table in a fierce battle of poker that looked destined to rage for at least another hour.

"How much like her father is she?"

Hermione glanced at Lissy critically. "Not outwardly, but inside she is very much like Draco. She can be quite moody; I pity James if he falls for her in a few years time."

"I thought as parents we were supposed to give glowing reports of our children?" Ginny winked and the pair laughed quietly.

"She's got wonderful good points, but if James is like either of you, I doubt their well suited." Hermione shrugged before bursting out into loud laughter as Zara knocked Ed off his face sending him sprawling towards an antique vase – everything in the Manor had been proofed against knocks – Narcissa insisted on it when "unnecessarily raucous children" came round.

"How on earth did Draco manage to grow up in this place?" Ginny questioned.

"He was brought up with remarkable restraint, I suppose its half the reason he went off the rails after the war."

Ginny nodded sagely before being dragged off by her loud and bubbly niece Zara to join the game, Hermione rolled her eyes and chuckled, moving off to speak to Molly Weasley and her mother.

"Oh no…no Fred, no!" Hermione shrieked as she was pulled to her feet by the rather drunk man, an all too familiar song had just come on and she desperately tried to pull herself from his grasp, squealing loudly as he half danced her across the room.

Everyone in the know was laughing loudly and had expectant looks.

"Dear Merlin woman, keep the noise down…" Draco muttered from where he sat winning large amounts of money at poker.

"Oh you haven't heard anything yet, Malfoy." George chuckled as he threw Ginny and Hermione magical microphones; Draco swiveled around on his chair looking most bemused as Hermione blushed deeply.

"I'm not drunk enough!" Hermione warned, "And I still can't sing."

"You couldn't at your eighteenth 'Mione and we didn't care then, go on love – centre stage." George pushed her and Ginny into the middle of the room. Hermione sighed and resigned herself to the inevitable, raising the microphone she gave Ginny a quick smile and the younger woman nodded in return.

"And when you get the chance, you are the dancing queen, young and sweet only seventeen…"

"You can dance; you can jive, having the time of your life…" The assembled group of Weasley's and various other former Order members laughed loudly as the Abba mix slid into the next song, George had got Hermione hideously drunk at her eighteenth birthday party in 12 Grimmauld Place and she and Ginny, with backing from Luna and Fleur, had performed – most atrociously, everyone was agreed on that fact.

Draco raised an incredulous eyebrow and his eyes widened in fear as Hermione walked towards him, hips swaying seductively as the beat changed, she settled herself on his lap and grinned. "I've been cheated by you since I don't when, so I made up my mind it must come to an end, look at me now, will I ever learn, I don't know how – but I suddenly lose control, there's a fire within my soul." She ground herself into his lap and he gulped, everyone whistled and catcalled raucously – Ginny was doing the same to Harry. "Just one look and I can hear a bell ring, one more look and I forget everything…"

"It's quite disgusting really," Alex commented to Zara as they got themselves drinks. "Parents really shouldn't behave like that in public."

Zara nodded in agreement and handed Alex a Butterbeer. "Do you think they're very drunk?"

"Mum isn't, and that's what's so awful about it."

"Who can live without it, I ask in all honesty, what would life be, without a song or dance what are we? So I say thank you for the music, for giving it to me. So I say thank you for the music, the songs I'm singing, thanks for all the joy they're bring. Who can live without it, I ask in all honesty, what would life be, without a song or dance what we? So I thank Abba for the music, for giving it to me!" Ginny and Hermione finished on an atrociously high and badly sung note, hands linked they bowed to their cheering audience.

"I'm going to kill Fred and George…" Hermione muttered as they walked back over.

"Empty threat darling." George commented sagely and Fred smirked as Hermione shook her head at them and went off to collect herself a strong drink to help ease the embarrassment.

Draco chuckled as he slipped a strong arm around Hermione's waist – it was nearing midnight and she was more than slightly drunk now, swaying dangerously without his support…not that he was much better, Alex and Lissy kept shooting them mockingly disappointed looks and Draco considered briefly who was running the family, them or the kids.

"They always win, Malfoy." Harry smirked as he handed the blonde another firewhisky.

"Pardon?"

"The children, we try and convince ourselves that we are in charge but in reality they run the show. James just pulled me aside to reprimand me about kissing Ginny in public, the horror."

Draco laughed with Harry and clinked their glasses together. "I think I might just agree with you on that Potter, but just this once." He winked and Harry just rolled his eyes.

"I'll let that go, seeing as you're very drunk."

Draco felt Hermione slide slightly down his side and struggled to hold her up and she giggled at something Blaise has said (a few of the children had been mortified to see their Potions master in attendance). "No more so than you, Potter. What's that, you're eleventh shot?"

"Twelfth, actually, if you're counting." Harry raised his eyebrows and downed the amber liquid before marching off toward Charlie Weasley.

"It's nearly midnight!" Ginny shrieked suddenly as she glanced at the imposing clock on the marble mantelpiece of the large reception room where most of the guests were gathered.

"Oh, someone switch on the WWN, we can't miss the dongs!" Hermione called out as she and Draco stumbled into the centre of the room, everyone was gathering into a circle and linking hands.

"The dongs?" He asked his wife incredulously.

"Yes, the dongs!"

"I'm afraid I'm not quite following, love." He said as he crossed his arms and took her hand in one of his, and Parvati Macmillan (nee Patil) in his other.

"The dongs, you know…the Big Ben noise things at midnight."

"Oh, the chimes you mean?"

"Yes, the dongs!" She grinned mischievously and gave his hand a squeeze and Ron turned on the radio loudly and rejoined the large circle of friends that fell silent as the first chimes (dongs) of the famous Muggle bell rang out. Draco smirked as Hermione felt Hermione tug lightly on his hand for every ring of the New Year before she burst into song with everyone else and the circle began to jump up and down as they called out the familiar "Auld Lang Syne". As he caught Bill Weasley's eye across the room (the older man held Lissy's slender hand in his as they celebrated) and got a cheerful grin in return, he realised the irony of the situation – seeing in the New Year with his Muggleborn wife and half-blood children along with their assorted mix of friends of every creed in a house that had once been the seat of the most aristocratic of purebloods. Funny how things change.

Fin.

"The dongs" - this was a corny reference to my own New Year's celebrations this year, slightly tempered because I couldn't walk but copious amounts of champagne and screaming about dongs down the main street of my town were involved.

Yup, sorry - that's it for this fic, I figured there wasn't much plot left now that Draco and Hermione had resolved many of their issues and so decided to tuck Missing into a nice warm cosy bed for a very long night. Don't worry though, that's not the end of their lil universe, they'll be back (with lots of fun for all of the James/Lissy shippers). Big up to Ana "Clearly not Quidditch" Willis (DRACO STYLEE! MY BAD!) and Zani for their help & thanks to everyone elsefor all the wonderful reviews and your support through this, my first fic!

Much love,

Christina.