"Stop staring at me like I'm about to break, Granger."

"Sorry," Hermione mumbled and quickly ducked her head to focus on folding her shirts.

She had stayed in London an extra week to help as Draco recovered from the incident. He had been under strict instructions to take it easy and was all but forced to take a full week off work. By the time Monday rolled around, he was more than slightly stir-crazy and ready to resume his normal schedule.

"Hey."

Hermione looked up. Draco reached over and cradled her cheek in his palm, wiping away a stray tear with his thumb.

"I'm okay. The healers wouldn't have signed off on my return request if I wasn't healthy enough for it." He leaned forward and gave her a quick kiss.

"It's just hard to leave and not be in a state of worry," Hermione said sadly.

"You can always stay," Draco said with a smile. "I'm not kicking you out."

"I know."

Draco kissed her once more before disappearing into his closet to pick out a tie. Hermione started placing her clothes into her suitcase. She couldn't stop a few more tears from leaking out the corners of her eyes. Hastily, she wiped them away and gave a quick sniffle.

What was wrong with her? She was never this emotional when she had to return to New York. Yes, it had been a super emotional week, riddled with a lot of anxiety, but her trip was ending on a high note. Despite his complaining, Draco had followed all the healers' instructions and had regained pretty much all of his memory. She knew he was ready to return to his regular life.

But she wasn't sure she was ready to return to hers…

"Oh!"

Hermione dropped the shirt she had been holding. She was not prepared for that realization to hit her like the Knight Bus.

"Are you okay?"

Hermione looked back to see Draco standing in the closet doorway. He had a silver tie in his right hand, a black tie in his left, and a concerned look on his face. She smiled at him and nodded.

"Yeah, fine. You should go with the silver," Hermione said, gesturing to his right.

Draco gave her one more appraising look before saying, "Thanks," and ducking back into the closet.

Hermione checked the time. She had two hours before her portkey was set to leave. She really wanted to talk about her sudden epiphany but not with Draco. She wasn't sure if anyone in England would be completely biased on the subject but her boyfriend would certainly be the least.

She quickly packed the rest of her things and had just clicked it shut as Draco exited his closet, straightening his tie. As soon as he let go, Hermione grabbed the tie and pulled him close for a kiss.

Draco hummed and grabbed her hips. "Want to run some more tests on my stamina?"

"You passed all those tests last night," Hermione laughed, running her fingertips along the shell of his ear. "Besides, you don't have enough time."

He glanced at his watch and looked back at her. "I've got a good five minutes."

"I give full exams, Mr. Malfoy, not pop-quizzes."

He kissed her again and smiled against her lips. "I'll just have to go admire those claw marks on my desk."

"Maybe we can add some more sometime," Hermione said with a wink. She pulled her suitcase off the bed and let it drop in front of her feet. "I'm going to go visit Ginny and James before my portkey leaves. Are you in the office or the lab today?"

"The office," Draco answered with a sigh. "They're not comfortable with me going straight into the lab so I'll humor them for a week."

"I'll see you shortly."

Hermione gave him one more kiss and then dragged her suitcase to the fireplace. Moments later, she stepped out into the Potters' living room and was greeted with shrieks and giggles. James was in his bouncy seat and as soon as he saw Hermione, his chubby little legs started kicking and shaking the jingling toys hovering over his head.

"Hello, Jaime," Hermione said, bending down to tickle his toes and make him giggle more.

"Is everything okay?" Ginny asked from the couch. She tossed her magazine onto the coffee table and sat up, pulling her legs under her so Hermione could sit down beside her. "I wasn't expecting to see you. Aren't you supposed to be catching a portkey right now?"

"It doesn't leave for another two hours. I have a bit of a problem."

"What's wrong?"

` "I just recently realized that I don't think I want to go back."

It was almost comedic how quickly Ginny's face went from concerned to elated. Her best friend's eyes went wide and she was practically vibrating with excitement.

Hermione gave an exaggerated sigh and said, "Go ahead."

Ginny squealed and launched herself at Hermione, wrapping her arms around Hermione's neck and all but strangling her with a hug.

"So...what does this mean?" Ginny asked.

"I don't know yet," Hermione answered honestly. "I mean, it's been getting harder and harder to leave, or watch Draco leave, with each trip but after everything that happened in these last two weeks...We've fallen into this lovely little slice of domesticity and as I was packing I realized that I don't want it to end."

"Aww!" Ginny clasped her hands in front of her and let out another happy squeal. "What did Draco say when you told him?"

"Nothing because I haven't told him yet. Please, don't tell him or Harry about any of this. I'm still processing it all and they'll start putting pressure on the decision."

"Your secret is safe with me," Ginny assured, pulling an imaginary zipper across her lips.

"Thanks." Hermione reached over and wrapped the redhead in another hug.

"Do you know where to start with this new journey?"

"I do, actually."

When Hermione got to the Ministry of Magic, she rode the elevator to the topmost level. She reached Kingsley Shacklebolt's office but got stopped by his assistant.

"Good morning. Do you have an appointment with Minister Shacklebolt?" the young woman with large, pink glasses asked.

"No, this is a last-minute visit," Hermione answered.

"Ahh, okay." She waved her wand over a thick diary. Pages quickly fluttered as the diary opened and the assistant ran a long fingernail down the page. "Minister Shacklebolt has an opening on the twelfth of September. Does that work for you?"

"No, this can't wait three months." Before the assistant could say anything else, Hermione held up her hand and said, "Could you please just go tell him Hermione Granger would like to speak to him?"

The woman's eyes went wide and she quickly closed the diary. "Sorry, Miss Granger! I didn't recognize you," she apologized and she quickly jumped from her chair. "Your hair is much shorter than it was in the picture of you and Mr. Malfoy at the Christmas party."

Hermione smiled and nodded, trying not to roll her eyes. She had almost forgotten how much The Daily Prophet had milked the story of 'the war heroine dating a reformed Death Eater'. At least their pairing had gotten more coverage than Astoria and Cormac's engagement, leaving Draco with a smug smile for the entire day.

"Minister Shackbolt says to go right in," the assistant said as she returned to her office.

"Thank you."

"I'm not getting in that, Granger," Draco said, crossing his arms across his chest.

"Stop being a child."

"There is nothing childish about not wanting to die." Draco side-eyed the black automobile as he watched Hermione heave their suitcases into the boot.

Hermione closed the hatch and pulled a set of keys from her pocket. "You fly on a broomstick, a hundred feet in the air, but are too scared to ride in a car?"

"I've seen what Muggles do with these things. Why can't we just apparate to the beach?"

"Where's the adventure in that?" She pulled a pair of gold-rimmed sunglasses from her purse and handed them to him.

"The adventure is living to see another day."

"Get in the car, Draco."

She walked around the car and slid into the driver's seat. The car started with a growl and then the passenger window lowered.

"If you don't get in, I'm leaving without you and you'll miss out on the new bathing suit I bought just for this weekend."

Draco pursed his lips as he considered her ultimatum. "Did Elizabeth help you pick it out?"

Hermione narrowed her eyes. She pulled on a lever and the car started rolling forward.

"Alright, alright! I'm in!"

The car stopped and Draco hesitantly opened the passenger side door and slid into the seat beside Hermione. She leaned over and pulled a strap across his chest, clicking into place so that it stayed put.

"Seat belt," Hermione explained as Draco inspected the new accessory. "Keep it on or the No-Maj police will give us a fine." She pulled on the lever again. He saw that it stopped beside the letter D marked on a panel. "The D is for Drive."

As they slowly made their way out of the city, Hermione gave Draco a crash course on the parts and features of the car. Eventually, she put some music on and Draco started to relax against the leather seat.

"When did you get a car? I didn't even know you could drive," Draco said, putting on the sunglasses she had given him.

"The car isn't mine. It's just a rental. But I've had my license for a while. My dad taught me how to drive after the war." She brought the car to a stop at a red light, pulled an elastic from her wrist, and then tied her hair back in a ponytail. "I don't drive much but every now and then Lizzie and I get the need for a road trip."

It took a bit of time to get out of the heart of New York City. Once they were able to leave the traffic behind them and move onto the open road, Hermione pushed a button and the roof of the car started to retract. Draco closed his eyes and tilted his face skyward. With the sun beating down and the wind whipping through his hair, it almost felt like he was on a broomstick.

"It's safe to say, you have trust issues," Marie remarked after Draco had gotten through telling her about the incident with capturing his uncle.

Draco let out a dry laugh and said, "No shit."

"Do you trust Hermione?"

"Yes."

Marie looked at him with a knowing smile as she let Draco realize how quickly he had answered her question.

"I had lunch with him last week," Draco said.

"With who? Harry?" Hermione asked.

"No, with Lu- with my father," he answered. He glanced to his left and saw Hermione's eyebrows had risen over her sunglasses.

"How did that go?"

"We both left with all our limbs intact so I'd say it went as well as can be expected."

Hermione laughed and nodded. "What made you agree to have lunch with him?"

"I actually asked him."

"Oh."

He saw her head turn to look at him for a split second before returning her attention to the road.

"What led to this breakthrough?"

Draco ran a hand through his hair. "I was talking to Marie about what you had said to me, about seeing how much he's changed. And that got me thinking about what my mother told me when she had figured out my true feelings for you."

"What did she tell you?"

"One of the worst things to live with is regret," Draco said. He paused before continuing, "I don't know if we'll ever have a normal father/son relationship but if there's a chance to get something close to that...I feel I owe it to myself to try. Our conversation flowed with the ease of frozen steel but it's a step in the right direction...I guess."

Hermione stared at the road ahead, not saying anything. Then he heard her sniffle and brush the back of her hand across her nose.

"Are you crying?"

"No," she said quickly but a tear trailed below the frame of her sunglasses, betraying her composure.

"It was just lunch."

"It was not and you know it!" Hermione argued, giving his shoulder a light shove.

Draco grinned and rested his head back, against the seat. "I know," he said, closing his eyes and letting out a long breath.

'And…?' Marie's voice insisted in his mind. 'Yeah, yeah,' Draco silently answered. He glanced down and saw Hermione had one hand on the steering wheel and her other was resting on the center console. He slipped his hand into hers and squeezed it.

"I keep waiting for the catch," Draco said softly. "There's always a catch, you know? Like, when will the next sadistic dictator move in and fuck it all up?"

Draco trailed off and stared at their hands, silently marveling at how easy and naturally her fingers entwined with his.

"Draco?"

He looked up and blinked, surprised to see that Hermione had pulled the car off the road and stopped.

"You know there's no catch, right?" She said, placing her sunglasses on top of her head. "No catch. No madman with an evil agenda. No bullshit pureblood ideals to live up to. It's just you and me."

Draco pulled his sunglasses off so he could look into her eyes.

"This is the first time, in a long time, that I've been optimistic about my future. It's so strange and slightly terrifying." Draco smiled and brought Hermione's hand up to his lips. "It's hard to trust in that feeling but it's easy to trust in you. Thank you for being a positive force in my life."

Hermione blinked a few times before tears spilled down her cheeks and she leaned over to kiss him. Or at least attempted to. Her gesture was thwarted by the seat belt. After some fumbling and furious curses, she unlatched the buckle and threw herself over the center console, crashing her lips into his.

With her forehead pressed against his and her hands stroking his hair, Hermione sniffled and said, "And you in mine." She kissed him again. "You helped me break down a wall that I thought would never let me move on."

"Makes you kinda wish we had a time turner. I'd love to go back to third year and tell you what was to come before you hit me."

"I'd probably think you were mad and hit both of you."

"Fair point," Draco laughed. He buried a hand in her curls and pulled her in for another kiss. "I love you."

"I love you."

Once Hermione regained her composure and got them back on the road, it didn't take long for them to reach their rented beach house. Draco took the bags into the bedroom and came back out to find Hermione standing on the back patio. She was staring out at the ocean as the sea breeze blew her hair every which way. He made his way out to the patio and stood next to her.

"Okay, this was worth the drive," he commented, leaning forward and resting his forearms on the railing.

"You talk like we were in the car forever," Hermione laughed.

"It was a long time! Almost three hours."

"For our next trip, I'm taking you to California."

"How far away is that? Four hours? Five?"

"Sure," she giggled.

As Draco made a mental note to consult a map of the United States, Hermione pushed herself away from the railing and announced that she was going to put on her bathing suit. Draco followed her inside and opened up his suitcase while Hermione locked herself in the bathroom.

He was tying the strings on his swim trunks when the bathroom door opened and Hermione stepped out, wearing a shimmering gold bikini.

"Wow," Draco said, his voice breathier than expected.

"Is it Malfoy approved?" she asked, grinning and cocking an eyebrow.

Draco stepped forward and wrapped his arms around her neck. As he leaned down to kiss the hollow of her throat, he tugged at the tie to her top.

"The beach is going to have to wait," Draco murmured.

Draco knocked on Harry's office door but didn't wait for permission before letting himself in. Harry looked up at him in bemusement.

"What's eaten away your patience today?" Harry asked.

Draco reached into his pocket and then placed a black velvet box on Harry's desk. He sat down and anxiously waited as Harry picked up the box and opened it. Harry's eyes flicked from the ring to Draco for a silent second and then back at the ring.

"Wow," Harry finally said, closing the box and handing it back to Draco. "It's beautiful and I'm flattered, but Ginny's not good at sharing."

Draco ignored the joke and asked, "Am I crazy for thinking about this?" He turned the box over, tracing his finger over the Black family emblem.

"You think she'll say no?"

"I don't know what I'm thinking." Draco clenched the box in his fist and ran a hand through his hair.

"Draco, dear, I have something to give you before you leave," Narcissa had called to him before Draco could make his way to the sitting room.

Draco stopped in the hallway and waited for his mother as his father climbed the stairs to retire for the evening. It had been another awkward meal as the two men tried to ignore their past and reconnect.

Narcissa swept up the hallway and pulled something from a drawer. When she turned to Draco, she grabbed his hand and placed the small ring box in it. When he started to protest, she held up her hand and quickly shushed him.

"This isn't me trying to push you into anything but I want you to have this. You know, just in case." Narcissa smiled as she watched Draco open the box and inspect the ring. "I assumed you wouldn't want the ring that had been passed down through the Malfoys. This was my great grandmother's and now yours if you want it."

"Why didn't you give this to me when I was with Astoria?"

Draco's eyes went wide when his mother let out a very un-Narcissa-like snort.

"I knew Astoria was going to be a flash in the pan kind of romance."

"You couldn't have passed along that useful information to me?"

His mother smiled and covered his hands with hers. "Would you have listened to me if I had?" Draco frowned and Narcissa patted his hands. "Sometimes the hardest part of being a mother is standing back and letting your child make mistakes. It's heartbreaking but the reward is seeing them learn from it." She kissed his cheek. "Hermione is not a mistake, though, and I have a feeling you might want this sometime in the near future."

"My mother gave this to me last week. I put it in the drawer of my nightstand and tried to forget about it but my mind keeps wandering back to it and thinking 'what if?'. But then I keep thinking about what Weasley said, about not rushing into things and I don't want to do anything that might push Hermione away."

"You and Hermione's relationship is very different from her and Ron's relationship," Harry said.

"I know and I want to do everything I can to make sure ours has a very different outcome."

Harry leaned back in his chair and steepled his fingers in front of his mouth as he studied Draco. After a long, agonizing moment he spoke again.

"What if she tells you she's not ready to leave New York?"

"I guess I'll have to sweet talk Shacklebolt into finding me a position in MACUSA," Draco answered.

"Am I gonna lose all my friends to America?" Harry said, exasperated but with a grin. "Can I give you one piece of advice?"

"Of course."

"She doesn't like being the center of attention so when you do ask, keep it simple."