I waited patiently in the Head's workroom for her to show up. I looked around. The room was rather quaint with two large desks, a sofa, and two recliners. It was a nice little living room/office where Hermione and I could get our work done in peace and quiet – or anything else we wanted to do.

I heard the door open, turned around, and saw my favorite brunette enter. "Hi sweetie," I said and then proceeded to kiss her senseless. She gave in for awhile then broke away. "What's wrong?" I asked.

She sighed. "You were right about Harry, and Lavender agrees."

I groaned inwardly. I didn't really want to deal with this. "I was afraid of this."

We took a seat on the couch, both deep in thought. Hermione sighed, "So, what are we going to do? I can't just let him keep thinking I'm single and liking me more and more."

I paused and then said, "Well, we have some options. One, we can publicly announce our marriage. If we choose that one, we should do it slowly, begin by crushing and then dating so people can ease into the idea."

"We defiantly don't want to just let everyone know. It was bad enough letting my parents know."

FLASHBACK

"Hermione, are you sure this is a good idea?"

"Of course, why do you ask?"

"What if your parents don't like me?"

"Nonsense. Don't be silly. They'll like you."

"Well how about we just elope and then come back when our marriage can't be annulled or anything like that?"

She rolled her eyes at me as she stopped the Muggle contraption we were in. I preferred brooms or apparating obviously, but Hermione said we might frighten her parents, so we . . . drove I believe.

She turned the thing off, we got out, and walked up to the front door. As she was about to knock, I turned around and began to sneak off until I heard, "Draco Malfoy, you had better just be making sure I locked the car."

"Of course, honey." So I pretended to make sure it was locked, since I didn't really know what she meant and went back up the sidewalk just in time for the door to open revealing Hermione's mother.

"Hermione, darling!" Mrs. Granger reached out and embraced her daughter. "Oh my dear, how have you been? Who is this young man?" she smiled at me and without waiting for either answer, continued, "Why such an unexpected visit? How long did the trip take you? Are you hungry? Come inside! How was your year at Hogwarts? How was your summer doing the internship? Have the cases been interesting? What would you like to drink?"

Hermione must have been very used to her mother's excessive questioning because she answered, "I'm great, this is Draco Malfoy, we need to talk, only an hour or two, a little bit hungry, it was a long year, my summer has been great, they've been very enlightening, and diet Pepsi."

I looked at her amazed and then followed her inside where Hermione ran up to her father and gave him a big hug. "Hello, Hermione. Care to repeat those answers with some elaboration for your old man?" He smiled at her lovingly.

"Of course, Dad!"

We all went inside to the living room and sat down to talk while Mrs. Granger brought tea and cookies.

"So, Hermione, one question at a time. How are you?"

"I'm great, Dad. How are you two doing?"

"Just fine. Now, who is this young man?"

"Dad, Mom, this is Draco Malfoy. Draco, these are my parents."

I stood up, shook her father's hand, and kissed her mother's hand which caused her mother to blush. "How do you do, Mr. and Mrs. Granger?"

"A gentleman, Hermione, a nice catch," her father said.

"And handsome too!" her mother added much to my embarrassment.

"Nice to meet you Draco. What is the purpose of this surprise visit?"

"Well, Mom, Dad, we are . . . . engaged."

END

"Draco? Are you there?"

"Hmmm? Yeah, I was just thinking about when we told them."

"Yeah, and then how they reacted! I don't know who was worse, my doting mother, or my inquisitive father."

FLASHBACK

Her parents stared and then reacted in two completely different ways.

"OH! Hermione! I'm so happy! Oh, we have so much planning to do! We have to set a date, buy a dress, send out invitations, choose flowers and colors, decide where to have the wedding – OH! I'll be a grandmother soon!" (Hermione and I blushed a deep red at this.)

Meanwhile, her dad had a different point of view. "How long have you known each other? Do you plan on marrying before or after your last year of school? Young man, what are you planning on doing with your life? Hermione, he didn't get you pregnant, did he?"

"NO, Dad!"

The continued for awhile longer like that. Finally they settled down and agreed on one question to ask first.

"When are you planning on getting married?"

They didn't particularly like our answer. "Next week."

END

"Ok, Draco. Enough reminiscing. What other "choices" do we have?"

"You could pull off the brother speech."

"Yeah, but people would wonder why I turned down the most popular, famous, and handsome ma to pass through the halls of Hogwarts – according to the majority of female opinion."

"Are you included in that majority, Mrs. Malfoy?" I asked teasingly.

"Well, he IS tall, dark, and handsome," she began in a seductive voice. I raised my eyebrow and she continued in a soft whisper, "but I prefer tall, strong, and blonde."

I backed off as if I were insulted. "You forgot handsome."

She smiled, "Well, I was thinking devilishly sexy."

I smirked my oh-so-famous smirk and reached in to kiss her, but she held back and scoffed, "You and that darn smirk."

"You fell in love with that smirk," I retorted.

She countered, "No, I fell in love with your smile."

"I don't smile."

"Yes, you do."

"No, I don't."

She paused, and without thinking, I smiled because I thought I had won.

"Yes, you do."