AN:

Hey! I was so excited to get the last chapter up and posted and I completely spaced on saying this:

Thank you all so much for your patience over the last three months while my writing went down a half dozen crazy different spirals. It has meant so much to me to see the return of so many commenters and readers over the last several days after such a long absence. Your support means the world to me and I love y'all.

XOXO

June 2001

Minus the surge in the amount of post she received at the Falcons' compound, things had been blessedly quiet since Hermione split from Ron. As expected, news of their break up - confirmed by a source close to the former couple - had graced the pages of the following Wednesday's issues of Witch Weekly and the Prophet's Witchly Happenings section. Each periodical had presented its own theories as to what had caused the snuffing out of their romance, creating a divide across Britain as complete strangers took sides. Romilda Vane and her Witch Weekly readers had taken a decidedly pro-Hermione stance - reminding all of Britain of his seemingly rather flexible fidelity over the years - while Parvati Patil and her Witchly Happenings readers unsurprisingly had gathered in support of Ron in light of her earlier report on Hermione's latest trade of quidditch arm candy.

Her preparation for the story and her quiet existence in Falmouth had served her well though. She had been able to carry on with her daily existence as if nothing had changed - and given Ron's frequent tactic of freezing her out when he was angry, there really hadn't been much change to her day to day life. She still went for her early morning runs with Darya, aggressively trained Marcus in the rehabilitation of his left side, studied her players' medical files and scheduled them each for a full psychical, drew up their prospective dietary and fitness regimes for training camp, and continued to acclimate to the slower way of life in the small beach town. In fact, the only thing that had changed was the amount of time she spent with Marcus.

Even on the days when she didn't go for a run along the beach or wasn't stretching, bending, conditioning, and manipulating his muscles to the point of fatigue, they saw each other. Some days he would take her and Viktor - Luna too when she wasn't in a frenzy over finalizing her and Rolf's book so it could make publication in time for the new school term - out to eat at his favorite haunts around town. Then on others he would show them sights such as, Pendennis Castle and Helford River, the setting of Daphne du Maurier's novel, Frenchman's Creek. They're evenings were often spent walking along the beach while Darya chased the waves, discussing the progress he was making with his dyslexia campaign or the latest book she was reading now that she finally had the time to work her way through the four years worth of novels she had amassed. And each day since she had gone to see him after her split, Marcus's demonstrative affection grew with him regularly initiating the lacing of their fingers, pulling her closer so that her small frame was securely tucked beside his much larger one or moving her to sit in his lap while she read and he listened to the wireless, and routinely stealing kisses from her whenever the opportunity presented. All in all, the near two weeks of partial seclusion had been heavenly.

However that was a fantasy world; one Hermione knew she couldn't exist in forever no matter how much she wished for it. Even though it would only be for one night, the time had come for her to show her face in London again and join everyone in celebrating Draco's birthday. Historically it was one of a handful of nights each year where she would let her hair down and fully immerse herself into the frivolity of her young age. The extravagance with which he celebrated the day every year made it impossible to do otherwise and long lens toting paparazzi or not, she wasn't missing this particular birthday party for the world.

Arriving in London the night before, Viktor and Luna had taken to a hotel in the muggle part of the city while Marcus and Darya had gone to stay with Graham at his flat, and she had returned to Theo's penthouse - he and Draco having won the battle against Harry and Pansy about who got to host her for the night. Though they would both argue with her over the notion, she always felt like a guest intruding upon their newlywed nest, whereas the flat had been her home for three years. That wasn't to say she didn't enjoy her sleep overs at Grimmauld Place, but rather that returning to her old room felt much the same as it had when she would come home to her parents' house after months away at school. And just like that first night during the school holidays had been, she had stayed up until the small hours of the morning catching up on every detail of Draco and Theo's lives despite having seen them several times since her move to Falmouth.

However when The Day of the Dragon, as Draco had taken to calling it, commenced with breakfast at eight in the morning after not going to bed until well after three, Hermione quickly came to regret her choice. Especially when afterwards the plan for a relaxing morning at the spa was pushed to the afternoon in light of the revelation that she still hadn't purchased a new dress for the Players' Awards Banquet at the end of the month. After several hours in Harrods's evening wear depart though, she had left with not one but two gowns and corresponding appointments for alterations. Then after a much needed nap on the massage table, several relaxing services, and an overly healthy but delicious lunch, she had gone back with Theo and Draco to get ready for part two of the celebration, The Night of the Dragon.

"No, no, no! You can't wear that tonight!"

Turning her head to look at Harry while she fastened the buckle on the strappy heels Marcus's friends had purchased for her, Hermione raised a curious eyebrow and asked, "And why not?"

"Because Potter blocked out the thirtieth of June through the thirteenth of July in the pool for when you and Marcus give in and go at each other like nifflers let loose in a diamond mine," Theo answered, ducking under his arm to bring her a flute of champagne.

"And if you're wearing that dress I'm sure to lose," he complained.

"It's only been two weeks since I dumped Ron. I'm not going to jump into bed with Marcus that quickly; your chance at winning the bet still stands." Clinking glasses with Theo and raising hers in Harry's direction she took a sip and leaned back against the bed. "Even if I want to climb him like the bloody tree he is every time he kisses me," she grumbled, taking another sip.

"See! And that right there is why you need to change," Harry said marching over to the closet. Flinging the doors open, he muttered, "Where are all those ugly sweaters you used to wear in school?"

"Hey!" She objected, flinging one of the toss pillows at his head.

"Oh, I got rid of those when she moved in with me," Theo chuckled, earning a pillow to the face as well. "What? They were ghastly. They were about three sizes too big and left you with less than zero sex appeal."

"Okay enough about my regrettable fashion choices before I let Cissa get her hands on me. We're squirreled away in here, quietly celebrating you, Theo." Standing up from the foot bench, she walked over to him and excitedly demanded, "Let me see the ring again."

"Nope! Definitely not!" Harry yelled, pulling off his blazer and draping it over her shoulders. "Flint or not, I refuse to let you out of this flat wearing that. Nott how could you have condoned her purchasing something like this?"

"Oh I wasn't with her when she bought that; your wife was." Fingering the rose gold sequins of her skirt, he added, "I hope you have some knickers on under that tiny scrap of fabric. The slightest breeze and the paparazzi will have a field day snapping shots of your cunny."

Taking the ring box from Theo, Hermione winked, "With any luck, you'll never know one way or the other."

Opening the box that held Draco's engagement ring, she squealed for the umpteenth time since Theo had commissioned it back in March. Nestled within the velvet lined box was a black ring made of forged meteorite and lined with white gold. Using the sleeve of Harry's blazer, she gingerly freed the polished piece of jewelry to look inside and once again sighed at the sight. Engraved around the entirety of the band was a map of the night sky from their first kiss. Tucking it back into the box, she aggressively flapped her hand at her stinging eyes and handed it back to him.

"Ugh, Theo you're such a romantic. I can't wait; it's been months."

Pulling at the collar of his shirt, he downed the rest of his champagne in and said, "Fuck, I need something stronger than this. Who wants whiskey?"

Stopping him with hands on his shoulders, Hermione locked eyes with him and sternly soothed, "Ah-ah, no getting liquored up before dinner. There will be plenty of alcohol after Cissa and Pans call it a night and we hit the clubs. Until then, nothing but the dinner wine and one more glass of champagne. I will not have you slurring your way through your proposal because you let your nerves get the better of you Theodore Greyson Reynard Nott."

"Oh, she middle named you, she means business," Harry taunted.

"Shut it, Harry James Potter."

From the front of the flat they heard the door open and the sounds of their large party begin to fill the space. Grasping Theo's chin, she further bolstered, "You've been together for years and have already weathered so much together. You've seen each other through your lowest, darkest points and have guided each other back countless times. Draco loves you more than life itself, Theo. You have nothing to be concerned about. He is going to say yes and you two are going to be blissfully happy for the rest of your very, very long lives." Letting go of his face in exchange for wrapping her arms around him in a fierce hug, she whispered, "I love you, Theo and I am so incredibly happy for you."

With a kiss to her head, he murmured, "I love you too, Hermione. Thank you."

"Always." Stepping back, she returned Harry's blazer to him and said, "Now then, let's get going before Draco starts whining about us causing delays in his Night of the Dragon itinerary."

"Okay but let us go out there first. I want to see Flint's reaction when you come down the hall," Theo smirked.

"You two are being really dramatic about this dress."

"Hermione, it barely reaches mid-thigh and your whole back is exposed!"

"Not to mention the shelf of cleavage you have going on or the side boob you're showcasing," Theo pointed out. Offering his hand to Harry he wagered, "I'll put twenty galleons on it right now that Marcus getting into a fight over some bloke thinking he can step in on Hermione, will be tomorrow's headline."

Shaking his hand, he agreed, "You're on. Though I should warn you, you're going to lose."

"And why's that, Potter?"

"Because Nott, in order for Marcus to get into a fight over another wizard touching her, he has to first let go of her. And in that dress, that's not happening. I'll be surprised if Hermione can even go to the loo without him personally escorting her."

"Oh my God, you two have a serious problem," she complained, summoning the small clutch that held her money. Tucking in her wand, she stepped around them and headed for the hall. Popping her head back into the room, she said, "If you're quite finished, I'm heading to the living room."

"We were supposed to get there first," Harry protested.

"Too late," she laughed, clicking her way down the hall.

Marcus was easy enough to spot in the crowded living room with him standing above everyone else, including George and Viktor. It was easier still because at least to her, he was the most impressively dressed one in the room. Even from behind he was quite eye-catching in the dark navy suit he wore, the wool of his jacket stretching and moving with his broad shoulders like a second skin. The boys thought it would be him who would need to stand guard over her all night, but looking at the way his trousers cupped his taut bum and showcased his powerful thighs and knowing first hand how heart stopping his crooked smile was, she knew it would be her that would have to be on a possessive guard all night.

Smiling at Cassius and bringing a finger to her lips as he choked on his whiskey upon seeing what she wore, Hermione softened the click of her heels and sneaked up behind Marcus. Sliding her hands under his suit jacket and around his front, she stretched up on her toes and whispered in his ear, "I'm going to have to keep a close eye on you tonight."

His one hand engulfed both of hers as he squeezed them before turning around in her arms, his green eyes going comically wide as his mouth parted. Taking a step back from her, Marcus slowly looked down her body as he mumbled something in what she now recognized as Maori after spending time with Mahuika and Tayn, his eyes briefly closing as if he was praying. Shaking his head as he opened them back up, he placed his fingers in hers and gave her a small, appraising twirl, followed by more words she didn't understand but sounded almost beseeching.

When she faced him again, he murmured, "I don't think it's me you're going to have to worry about, e taku ipo. You look…"

"Ravishing?" Cassius supplied.

"Exquisite? Stunning?" Graham followed up.

"Sexy as fuck," Adrian said definitively.

Nodding his head, Marcus quickly agreed, "Yes, yes to all of that."

Smiling shyly at him as he tucked her into his side, she said, "Pansy insisted I buy it so she could live vicariously through me since she says she's too pregnant to wear it."

"Remind me to thank her," Marcus said without filter, his hand dancing between keeping a possessive hold on her hip and trailing his fingers along her bare spine. "Do I have her to thank for the shoes too?"

Sticking her leg out into his circle of friends, she twisted her ankle back and forth, showing off the thin, tall heel, red bottoms, and crisscrossing straps that buckled with a small bow, and said, "No, these were a gift from Ades, Cass, and Graham."

His eyes narrowed in confusion as he looked at his friends and slowly accused, "What did you three do?"

Wrapping her other arm around him, she came to stand in front of him and smiled, "Nothing I didn't do when Harry first started seeing Pansy," before stretching up to kiss him. "Mmm… I missed that today."

Carefully threading his fingers through her styled curls, he cupped her head and brought her back for another kiss. The gentle press of his lips against hers tied in contrast with the tightening grip on her hip, had her toes curling. Releasing his body, she moved her hands to grip the lapels of his suit to bend him just a bit further down to her while bringing herself closer. Feeling his tongue part the seam of her lips, she quietly mewled into his mouth, her thighs clenching together in time with her cunt as a wet warmth bloomed between her legs. Feeling his cock begin to lengthen against her abdomen, she reluctantly let him go, smoothing and patting his lapels back into place as their kiss slowed and cooled.

"I missed you too," he murmured, running his hands down her arms until his finger came to lace with hers.

The clinking of champagne flutes popped the bubble they had once again pulled around themselves, drawing everyone's attention to the open dining room where Theo stood with Draco. Turning around so that her arms crossed over her body, Hermione leaned back into Marcus, teasing him slightly as she wiggled against his still half erect cock, her skin erupting in goose flesh as he growled against her ear and nipped at her lobe.

"Be nice, it's much too soon for me to properly respond to that. Even if you're trying to kill me by wearing that dress."

"Not kill, only entice," she whispered, dropping her head back against his chest.

"You've been attracting and tempting me since you sauntered into the locker room in those tiny little shorts of yours."

"And I hope to keep it that way," she whispered, surprised by the blip of insecurity in her voice.

Tightening the wrapped hold he had her, Marcus promised, "I'm not someone whose attention is easily turned. You have me Hermione; all of me and not just when it's convenient for me."

"You have me too," she quietly assured just as Theo began to speak.

"Thank you everyone for showing up to help me celebrate what is sure to be another epic Night of the Dragon. As Draco makes us all too aware, this wonderful day only comes once a year and must be celebrated in as spectacular a fashion as possible with a goal of each year out doing the one prior.

"It's always a difficult feat though. For his nineteenth birthday, I think crowning moment of drunken shenanigans was when he and Potter bet Pans and Granger that they could do a better job at strutting around in their heels and challenged them to what they claim was a race-"

"Hey, there was running involved, that makes it a race!" Harry laughed.

"And we kicked your arses," Pansy reminded.

"I demanded a rematch, Granger. You tripped me!" Draco challenged.

"No love, that was air you tripped over," Theo said. "I remember because I was the one tasked with mending yours and Potter's sprains because Hermione was too busy laughing like a hyena while Pansy collapsed on the sidewalk, gasping for breath like she was dying. I did a pretty damn good job too considering I was so drunk I was convinced you each had four ankles that night.

"Always, last year the best moment of the night was when Harry tried to arrest us all for drunk and disorderly but couldn't properly cast the spell to cuff anything but a lamppost. So, being the good, law-abiding citizens we are, we marched in what we thought was a straight line to the Ministry, where Hermione really gave the paparazzi something to photograph after Draco randomly confessed about wondering what a witch's breasts feel like.."

"Godric's fucking sword, I apologized like a hundred times! Let it go!" Hermione pouted, stomping her foot as her face flamed. Looking up at Marcus, she begged, "Draco's birthday always sees me in very rare form, please do not judge me."

"How bad is she?" He laughed, looking towards Theo and Draco for the unvarnished truth.

"Let's just say, you should probably limit how much you drink tonight so you can be on guard. Hermione becomes allergic to her clothes as the night wears on."

"It was one time!"

"One time that resulted in Nott paying a couple hundred galleons per camera to keep your topless self from gracing the tabloids," George snorted.

"Noted: don't get pissed with the rest of you. I had no idea you were so wild, Hermione."

"It's a very, very rare occurrence, I assure you."

Continuing on with his speech, Theo said, "So you all can imagine the pressure I've felt leading into today to be sure tonight is better than the last two years. I mean you really can't top a topless Granger or seeing The Chosen One run in his wife's heels. Nor can you beat being so plastered that I couldn't remember where we lived and ended up sleeping - or more accurately passed out - on the floor outside one of Potter's guest rooms at Grimmauld. We've made countless memories on this day each year - and probably a fair number more that we will never be able to properly recall - but tonight's memories I think, well I hope, will be the best yet."

Gasping as he lowered to one knee, Hermione untangled herself from Marcus and wove around Dean and Seamus and through Neville and Millie to join Pansy and Narcissa in their unobstructed view.

His hands were unsteady as he pulled out the ring box and shakily presented it to Draco. The confidence in his words turned hesitant and fumbling as he opened the lid before his boyfriend's stunned eyes and said, "I had planned to do this at dinner but I… I couldn't wait any longer.

"Even during the darkest parts, the last five years I've spent with you have been the best of my life. We haven't explicitly talked about marriage but we live together and have recently begun discussing what avenues are available to us for having children. And I know there's no one else in this world I would rather build a family with and spend my life loving and supporting through the good and the bad than you.

"So… Draco Lucius Malfoy, will you-"

"You can't be serious!" Draco demanded, making Hermione's heart stop. Jamming his hand into the left pocket of his trousers, he angrily pulled out a ring box of his own and shoved it towards Theo, saying, "I was going to propose to you tonight."

"Salazar, you nearly gave me a heart attack," Theo breathed out in relief. "I thought you were going to say no. Come here," he ordered, standing up and taking his boyfriend's face in hands, firmly kissing him.

"Oh thank Merlin," she breathed, clapping for them and calling for a toast before they left to make their dinner reservation.

With double the celebratory spirit in the air, their party of nearly twenty witches and wizards promptly began disappearing through the flat's floo for the Leaky Cauldron after a round of champagne. Drawing up the rear with his friends and the newly engaged couple as the others began to cross from the pub's back alley onto the wizarding high street, Hermione looked up at Marcus and asked, "Are you ready?"

"For what?"

"Every tabloid in Wizarding Britain has Draco's birthday marked on their calendars because of how out of hand we've been known to get. You're about to get a very real look at just how closely I'm watched. How closely you'll be watched if we eventually decide we want the world to know about this," she explained, lifting up their joined hands and kissing the back of his before releasing it.

"I can handle a few overzealous photographers and trumped up gossip mongers who think of themselves as journalists."

"You say that now Flint, but living in Falmouth you haven't experienced the complete chaos that follows our snake favoring Golden Duo," Theo warned, tightly clasping her hand in his while taking hold of Draco as well. "Watch closely and learn tonight, because if you do go public, you'll be taking over my usual duties at Hermione's side." Shooting a charm at the skirt of her dress, he explained, "Just a precaution," before telling her to smile and stepping into the fray of flashing cameras and shouted questions demanding the truth behind her split from Ron, all the while resisting the urge to look back at Marcus and verify that they weren't eating him alive as Theo ushered her through, beginning their night in earnest.