A/N - First of all, I apologize for the extremely long delay in updating this chapter. Things have been extremely busy around here, and my children were hellbent on interrupting me every single time I sat down to write. Thank you to all who messaged me to ask if everything was okay. That was very thoughtful. I am okay, just busy. Although I'd like to commit to a weekly update schedule at this point, I don't want to let anyone down if I can't stick with it. In the future, I do plan to update every one to two weeks as time allows.

Thank you for sticking with this story. I hope you enjoy this chapter!

Chapter 7: Double Date

October 25, 2003

"Ron has been absolutely insufferable since his first and last date with Hannah ended with her in tears," Ginny shook her head in pity.

"He won't talk to me about it. What happened?" Hermione wondered.

"Harry didn't tell you?" Ginny asked in disbelief. "The first time Ron went to see Hannah, he told her they should marry straight away, but like any sane human being, she wanted to get to know him better first. You know how unreasonable my brother can be, so naturally, he was offended that she didn't want to marry him immediately," she rolled her eyes. "George and Harry had to talk him down, but he hasn't seen her since he left her crying, and it's been nearly three weeks."

"Why did he think she'd be ready to marry so quickly?"

"Because in true Ron fashion, he was jealous of George and Angelina getting married as quickly as mum could cook up enough food to host their wedding at the Burrow. He doesn't understand the difference between close school friends who've remained friends and school acquaintances who've seen one another a few times over the years," Ginny laughed, shaking her head back and forth at her brother's ridiculous expectations.

"Poor, Hannah," Hermione dropped her head into her hands. "He'll obviously need our help to fix what he's done," she snorted. Even she and Malfoy were able to find common ground at this point. They'd met for breakfast every day for the past two weeks at his restaurant to get to know one another better. Just yesterday, he revealed that Malfoy Industries had just created a new potions sector and was interested in putting in a bid to supply the Wolfsbane if her new legislation passed. What had surprised her most of all was how interested he was in being part of the brewing process. After all, taking over the family business was not his dream job. When he was very young, he'd always wanted to become a potions master. It made her sad that he hadn't been able to realize his dream though he hadn't explained why.

"I don't know about this," Ginny said apprehensively after Hermione sat silently for a moment too long. "It feels strange to have Pansy Parkinson of all people help me get ready for a date. Won't it be awkward?" she asked, fiddling with the long necklace Molly had given her to wear for the evening. It was an old Prewett heirloom, passed down from generation to generation. The chain was an intricate braid that could have only been formed with the magic of goblins, and the pendant was an emerald stone, which was encased in a proud golden lion, protecting its treasure.

"Wouldn't you rather get the awkwardness out of the way now than later?" Hermione countered. "It's not like we can avoid it forever. You and Harry are still very good friends and so are Pansy and Theo," she explained as she threw her arm around the younger witch. "We're all going to have to accept this if we wish to remain close, and I refuse to let go of the only family I really have left because things might be a little uncomfortable for a while."

"Your parents will come around eventually," Ginny hugged Hermione. "One day they'll forgive you for protecting them."

"Am I interrupting a moment?" Pansy asked cautiously, entering Hermione's room with garment bags and beauty tools in tow. "Potter told me to come straight up, but I can— "

"It's quite alright," Ginny said, standing tall. This was all the permission Pansy needed to gain her confidence back. Though she attempted to suppress the look of distaste as she looked around the room, the Slytherin witch was mostly incapable of keeping her opinion to herself.

"You're lucky my services extend to interior design as well," Pansy wrinkled her nose at the stacks of books lining Hermione's nightstand. "I shudder to think that you and Draco will require his and hers libraries instead of his and hers closets like most couples. It's a wonder the two of you didn't find one another on your own," she finally smiled. Hermione flushed at the implication that she and Malfoy would have his and hers anything. Although it was inevitable, she hadn't given much thought to actually living with the blond wizard. Where would they live? Where would they sleep?

"Please don't hurt him!" Ginny burst out suddenly, interrupting Hermione's terrifying train of thought. "He's a good man that anyone would be lucky to have," she continued with bright brown eyes pleading with Pansy.

"Straight to the point then," Parkinson said almost to herself, her gaze briefly drifting to the floor. Taking a deep breath, she assured the witch before her, "I've no intention of hurting him in spite of what my past actions may say about my character."

"You weren't upset to be matched with Harry?" Ginny asked as she worried her lip.

"Quite the opposite actually. Believe it or not, I am excited about our match…unless you plan to—that is...well, am I about to lose him before we've had a chance to really begin?" she wondered with a frown.

"Oh, no, I have no plans of…well, we broke up for a reason," Ginny confessed, reaching out to comfort Pansy but not quite touching her. "I simply care for him as I do all my brothers, and I'd never be truly happy with Nott if I thought I'd ruined Harry's life because I was selfish," she admitted, squeezing her eyes shut.

"But you do believe you'll be happy with Theo?" Pansy asked with a genuine smile, and Ginny nodded, mirroring the dark-haired witch's grin. "My boys are like brothers too, but Blaise is the only one that doesn't require my constant meddling," she chuckled. "I sent Draco no less than ten owls telling him not to be a prat again the second time he met with Granger," Pansy admitted as she began unpacking cases of make-up and hair potions.

"Your owls must have worked because we only argued once without hexing one another, and he actually apologized to me for everything," Hermione smiled at the memory. It meant so much to her that he'd opened up to her, and she'd wondered how many people in his life had ever truly seen him raw and vulnerable.

"That awful liar told me it went really well," she rolled her eyes and huffed out in exasperation.

"He isn't wrong, Pansy. For us, that is really well," Hermione smirked as Pansy shook her head back and forth. "His apology was genuine, and that is what matters most to me."

"Salazar's balls, he is lucky to have been paired with such an understanding witch!" Pansy rolled her eyes playfully, unpacking the last of her cases. "Now that we have all that awkwardness out of the way, you've no idea how long I've waited to style you, Weasley!" she announced as she unzipped a garment bag, revealing an emerald green cocktail dress with a plunging neckline.

"Don't you think it's a bit strange that we have to pick up our dates at Potter's house?" Theo wondered with a bit of jealousy in his tone as he grabbed a handful of Floo powder.

"Granger lives there too. Would you rather pick your witch up at her family home with all her brothers ready to Avada you on the spot?" Draco replied with a raised eyebrow. "I'm not terribly happy about seeing Potter either, but it seems there is no getting around him being part of our lives for the foreseeable future."

"You're being awfully mature," Theo eyed him suspiciously. "I don't care much for being the unreasonable, dramatic one in our friendship."

"Is that what I usually am to you, unreasonable and dramatic?"

"Don't make me answer that right now. I'm nervous enough without having to stroke your ego too," Theo elbowed him lightly before disappearing into green flames. Draco followed him through only to bump into his friend's back on the other side.

"What the fuck, Theodore? Have you never Floo'd before?" Draco griped as he stepped around to find Potter and Theo grimacing at one another.

"Kreacher is honored to host Master Draco from the most ancient and noble House of Black," an older House-elf suddenly interrupted the tension, greeting Draco in a low bow. "How might I serve you, Master?" The blond wizard gaped at the elf, embarrassed by his loyal display of servitude.

"I already explained this to you, Kreacher," Harry rolled his eyes as he scrubbed his hand down his face and sighed deeply. "Malfoy, could you please just ask him for something? It would make his entire decade if you allowed him to serve a member of the Black line," the raven-haired wizard requested with pleading eyes.

"Thank you, Kreacher," Draco bent down to the elf's level. "A glass of water for my friend and me would be wonderful, please."

"Most certainly, Master," Kreacher popped away and returned almost instantly with what must have been Potter's finest, mismatched glasses. "Though Kreacher serves the House of Potter now, Kreacher will always remain faithful to the House of Black," the House-elf said in a low bow and Disapparated away.

"Interesting help you have there, Potter," Theo smirked before taking a sip of his water.

"He has his moments," Harry replied as he pushed up his glasses, hesitantly crossing the space between them to offer his hand to the Slytherin wizards, who took it stiffly. They stood in silence for an immeasurable amount of time before the former Gryffindor broke the silence. "It was decent of you to apologize to Hermione when you took her to breakfast last week," Potter held Draco's gaze, "but after everything she's gone through, especially with her parents, I beg you not to send her home crying again as you did the first time you met," he said sternly.

"I was wondering how long it would take for you to begin threatening us," Draco drawled lazily though on the inside, he was burning with anger.

"It wasn't a threat, Malfoy. I care about Hermione as if she was my own sister—"

"You think you're the only one who is protective of a friend?" Theo chimed in, cutting off Potter's raised voice. "Pansy was excited to death to be paired with the likes of you, and here you require convincing from your best friend to even give her a chance. She'll never say so, but it hurts every sodding time you hesitate with her!" he shouted, pointing a long finger into Potter's chest.

"Well, not everyone can instantly click as you have with Ginny, can they? Pardon me for being cautious after having my heart ripped out by one witch and the Ministry pushing me into the arms of another, who has hated me for most of the time I've known her," Harry seethed. "Unlike yourselves, I was not raised to believe I was a gift to be bestowed upon whoever was lucky enough to marry me, and I have no bloody idea what I'm doing. The more I get to know Parkinson, the more I see that she is far too sophisticated for an orphan practically raised as a bloody House-elf, so please do kindly fuck off, Nott!"

"Apparently, the Chosen One is the only wizard to have a rough childhood or be paired with someone who has hated him since he was 11 years old," Draco spat, his hands balling into tight fists at his side. "You want to know about feeling unworthy of your match, Potter?" he asked as he rolled up the sleeve of his left arm to reveal the remnants of his Dark Mark. "Have one of these forced upon you when you're still practically a child and be judged for it the rest of your life!" he growled angrily. Both wizard's chests were puffed out, breathing heavily as they stared one another down, yet Potter's eyes never drifted to the Mark.

"You know, Blaise is the only one of us who thinks he's a gift to the world," Nott shrugged matter-of-factly. "Draco only pretends to be a gift, but as you can see," he pointed to the mutilated flesh of his best mate's Dark Mark, "he is a bit self-deprecating."

"Do you always diffuse tension with humor, Nott?" Harry huffed, averting his eyes as Draco quickly pulled his sleeve down to cover his marred skin.

"Usually, yes," he replied casually. With eyebrows furrowed, Potter studied Theo for a moment before gesturing for the two Slytherins to follow him toward an extremely dated, gauche drawing room. A tapestry of what Draco realized was the Black family tree spanned the walls, though he didn't comment on it. He'd heard his cousin had willed the old Black home to Potter during the war, but he was glad the residence served the Order. It was a relief that someone in his family worked toward ending all of the hate. As much as Draco hated Potter back then, he'd secretly hoped the good side would win as soon as he'd had the displeasure of meeting the Dark Lord in person.

"You'll fit right in with them," Harry whispered to Nott, occasionally looking over his shoulder as if he thought he might be caught doing something wrong.

"Who?"

"The Weasleys. They joke about everything...except Molly, her mum, she doesn't find any of their antics funny. Just as long as you don't eat or drink anything George gives you, you'll be fine when you meet them."

"Will he try to poison me or something?" Theo asked, glancing over to Draco in disbelief.

"No, but he loves to try out new products for the shop on unsuspecting victims."

"Don't let him scare you, Nott," Ginny laughed, entering the drawing room in a long green gown with her hair loose and spilling around her shoulders. Theo gaped at her like a lovesick Pygmy Puff as she approached. "The only one of my brothers who will actively try to murder you is Ron, and I'm sure you remember him not being so bright from when we were in school," she smiled up at Theo.

"Be nice, Gin," Potter chided her. "I was trying to help the poor sap before he meets your family, and I told you I'd be there to calm Ron down when the time came," he pushed up his glasses.

"He shouldn't require a handler like some savage beast," Hermione chimed in as she and Pansy joined the group. On some level, Draco registered the three former Gryffindors bickering about the Weasley twat, but all he could focus on was the sexy little black cocktail dress Granger was wearing. He wasn't sure if he should thank Pansy or hex her for picking out another dress with a slit that tastefully exposed Granger's shapely legs.

"You're welcome," Pansy whispered loudly with a grin.

"Yes, thanks a lot for that. I'm supposed to be courting her, not ogling her like some perve," he drawled sarcastically.

"I disagree. A woman loves when a handsome wizard appreciates her best assets," she smirked, bumping into him playfully. Draco wasn't so sure Hermione would enjoy this sort of attention, so he quickly gained control by Occluding.

"Shall we?" Theo finally said as he offered Ginny a shy smile. The fiery witch grinned widely before absently hugging Potter, who kissed her on the top of the head. The gesture was innocent enough, but Draco noticed Theo's entire body tense at the sight, only relaxing once Hermione had a similar exchange with the bespeckled wizard.

Moments later, the group was seated at a fine Muggle restaurant. Being seen in wizarding society would be a nightmare this early in their relationships, not to mention there were very few wizarding establishments that still accepted any Malfoy or Nott patronage. It would be quite embarrassing to be refused service in front of their future wives.

"Is there any chance you'll ever join the Falcons one day, so Theo and I can actually cheer for you, Ginny?" Draco asked, hoping she understood he was asking good-naturedly. This witch would be marrying his best mate and was one of Hermione's good friends, so he thought it wise to get to know her better and make conversation.

"Oh, I don't know, why don't you just make the switch and become a Harpies fan, Dra-co," she laughed, drawing out his name sarcastically. "That'll take some getting used to, won't it," Ginny exchanged a glance with Hermione, who was beet red beside him and fighting back a grin.

"We can always go back to nicknames, Weaselette," Draco smirked as he ignored Hermione elbowing him in the side.

"That's fine with me, Ferret," Ginny folded her arms across her chest with a smirk of her own.

"That's what your group calls me?" Draco burst, eyes volleying between the two witches. Ginny nodded emphatically while Hermione avoided him altogether and stared down at her menu. The curly-haired witch looked adorable with her lip caught between her teeth while trying not to laugh.

"Gin, I told you not to tell him that awful nickname. I'll never hear the end of it now," Theo said, slapping his palm to his forehead.

"If everything hadn't gone to complete hell after fifth year, I would say that was my worst day," Draco admitted with a chuckle. "It bloody hurt to be transfigured into a rodent!" he exclaimed. It was too much, and Hermione was practically choking on her own giggles. Her body shook while tears started to pour down her face.

"I'm...sorry...I'm...sorry," she repeated as she gasped for air. Before long, all four of them were hysterical with laughter. Only when a waiter came to take their orders did they settle into easy conversation.

Even though Hermione didn't care for Quidditch, it was the only thing Draco could think of that he and Ginny might have in common, so he asked her a lot of questions about it. The topic certainly excited her enough; it was the most she talked about anything without joking. Perhaps this witch wasn't so bad after all.

Meanwhile, Theo and Hermione discussed their shared interest in helping those without a voice. Draco couldn't help but smile fondly as the curly-haired witch pulled a Muggle version of quill and parchment out of her bag and began taking notes on the various organizations in which Theo was involved.

"You know so much about all of this, you should probably come work with me," Hermione suggested.

"Now, now, Granger, please don't poach one of my best men," Draco chimed in.

"Oh, I didn't know Theo worked for you. I just assumed..."

"I don't work for him; I work with the git!" Theo laughed at the witches' surprised expressions. "Blaise and I own stock in the company and help him run it," he pointed his thumb toward Draco.

"Reviving my father's crooked business was a way for us to move forward after the war," Draco explained. "We also went in together on several Italian vineyards, a bit of real estate around Europe, and of course, the Muggle restaurant where we've been meeting for breakfast."

"Is Pansy in all of this with you too?" Ginny wondered.

"No. She's not interested in anything like that, but she does work with a few design teams to make everything presentable and dresses us for work each day," Draco answered. "I can hardly take a stroll in my Mother's gardens without Pansy fussing over my attire. She must have some sort of radar for me stepping outside in my pyjamas," he chuckled.

"She nearly killed me when she found out I showed up to my first meeting with Gin in my painting robes," Theo laughed, casually throwing his arm around the ginger witch. It was good to see Nott so incredibly comfortable with another person, especially since it seemed the youngest Weasley reciprocated his feelings.

"I'm not sure, but I think she hired herself on my behalf today," Ginny admitted, shrugging her shoulders.

"With 100 percent certainty, I can tell you that she now works for you, and you'll never be able to get rid of her," Draco exchanged a knowing glance with Hermione, who nodded with a giant grin.

"I knew she'd find a way into my vaults one day," Theo shook his head.

"What do you mean?" Ginny queried, gazing up at her intended wizard.

"For her services, of course," Theo sounded confused by the question. "It's how she makes her living; we can't just avoid paying her," he explained, looking to Draco for assistance.

"We?"

"You and I," Theo pointed between them. "We are to be married."

"She's charging you for whatever services she provides me? I'm a world-class Quidditch player now, so I am able to afford her fee. I may have grown up poor, but I make my own way now," Ginny protested, leaning away from Nott in agitation.

"But...I'll be your husband," Theo said with a sad frown.

"What my friend is trying to say is what's his is yours now," Draco added in an attempt to help the situation. "He isn't trying to insult you, Ginny. It's alright; I'll be adding Granger to my vault as well."

"You'll what?" Hermione nearly choked on her chicken bolognese. "Really, you don't have to do that," she spluttered in surprise. Draco and Theo exchanged a confused glance.

"We know we don't have to; we want to," Draco turned toward Hermione, motioning between himself and Theo. "It's not that we think you can't take care of yourselves, but we want you both to know that whatever we have is yours too," he added while Theo nodded in agreement with his friend's words. "I know I speak for Theo and myself when I say we'd really like our marriages to mean more than fulfilling an obligation from the Ministry," his grey eyes pleaded with her.

"Please, Gin," Theo begged, holding both of her hands in his. "If I had known it would be a problem for you, I never would have done it without your permission...I just assumed since we are to be married that we'd want to go into it united as one," he turned away, slightly embarrassed, but Ginny turned his face back toward her own.

"If you are going to be this sweet and thoughtful all the time, my brothers will eat you alive, and my mum will smother you in hugs," she smiled up at him before kissing him on the cheek. Theo's face lit up at her affection. The poor sod was already mad for the ginger witch and would endure a lot more than a few protective older brothers to earn her heart.

"You're worth it," the dark-haired wizard professed as he pulled his witch in closer to himself. Draco could only hope that one day Hermione would look at him with the same level of fondness as Ginny gazing at Theo.

"I'm sorry for overreacting," Hermione admitted, drawing his attention. "It is difficult for me to fathom that we'll be taking care of one another. I'm usually the one to mind everyone else, so it almost feels like I'm losing my independence."

"It doesn't have to be that way," Draco assured her. "It's like you said during our first meeting; we could be powerful if we work together. Our life shouldn't be me versus you. We're a team now. You'll have access to my vaults, and I'll have access to all your books now," he grinned at her shocked expression.

"Maybe I'll buy you your own books with all our money," Hermione countered playfully. "I've seen the way you dog-ear library books when we were back in school, so I can hardly imagine how you'd defile the ones you actually own," she shook her head as if she was disappointed. Draco leaned down toward her slowly, undeterred by her wide-eyed shocked expression.

"Notes in the margin," he whispered into her ear seductively. Though she tried to cover her reaction to him with laughter, Draco could tell by the flash of heat on her cheeks and the slight shake to her voice that he'd flustered her a bit. Merlin, he could get used to riling her up this way.

Until she reached the age of sixteen, Hermione's family had gone to see the English National Ballet perform at least once a year as a tradition. Usually, they'd see The Nutcracker during winter hols, but the summer before she'd turned fifteen, they'd gone to see Swan Lake. It was her absolute favorite. They'd only gone to see it once, but the story interested her. Hermione's parents had simply shaken their heads when the bright young witch had expressed sympathy for the character, Odile, who she felt wasn't truly as evil as she was portrayed. With a father such as Von Rothbart, what few options must the black swan have in her life?

All the ballets she'd seen were performed by Muggles, so when she found out Malfoy would be taking her to see Britain's Wizarding Ballet Company perform their version of the famous Muggle show, she was ecstatic. Of course, his family had box seats which made the experience that much more wonderful.

It was easy to ignore Ginny and Nott giggling and whispering the entire time. After the intermission, the two didn't even pretend to care about the performance any longer and moved to the back of the box when they received a single displeased sneer from Draco.

However easy it was to disregard the couple behind them, she noticed almost everything about the blond wizard beside her. Though it bothered her when she noticed him Occluding a few times, being with Draco was more enjoyable than she ever would have thought. When he led her into a room with his hand at the small of her back, she savored his warmth. Though he mostly spoke to Ginny about Quidditch at dinner, Hermione appreciated his attempt to engage her friend in conversation. And now, in this dark theatre, her body was humming in anticipation every time he whispered commentary about the story while it magically unfolded before them.

"This good versus evil trope grows tiresome," Draco spoke softly, leaning in close to her ear. "As if things are as simple as being perfectly good or absolutely evil," he sighed. Hermione could feel his eyes studying her. Unlike the way he'd watched her all night, this time he was gauging her reaction to his words. Something told her he was speaking about more than the narrative of Swan Lake.

"It's funny you say that because I had the same conversation with my parents when we saw the Muggle version of this ballet years ago," she turned to face him, and he stared at her in disbelief. "It always made me wonder how I would have turned out if my mum and dad weren't as wonderful as they were. What choices would I have made differently?"

"You don't believe people are born one way or the other?" Draco asked, suddenly turning away from her.

"Of course, not. Everyone wants us to live up to these perfect expectations they have of us, but I've done something so horrible, my parents haven't forgiven me for it, and I'm not sure they ever will. Ron left us in the middle of hunting for those Horcruxes, and even Harry had to use Unforgivables during the war. There is a lot of gray in this world, and we just have to do the best we can with the choices we are given," Hermione explained as she hesitantly placed her hand on his left forearm. Their eyes met briefly, and he placed his hand over hers.

"Is it over yet?" Theo interrupted their moment over the sound of applause Hermione hadn't noticed.

"Yes, you unrefined wanker," Draco huffed, clasping Hermione's hand a little more tightly as if he was afraid she'd pull away from him.

"Meet you at the Floos," Ginny called behind her as she dragged Theo through the exit.

"Our friends are insufferable, Granger," Draco shook his head while helping Hermione to her feet. "Do you think getting some ice cream would be more their speed?" he smiled down at her. Surprisingly, Hermione wasn't eager for their night to end, so she was pleased he wanted to go someplace else even if she wasn't really hungry.

"I'm sure they'll be able to pay attention long enough for them to select their flavors," she laughed as they walked toward the Floos together.

"This isn't really my place to ask, but do you think…-er...well, do you think Potter and Ginny are over one another?"

"Yes, I do. Why? What made you think of that?" she wondered, stopping to face him with her hands on her hips before she noticed the blank mask appear behind his eyes. "Stop Occluding, Malfoy. I wish you wouldn't do that around me anymore," Hermione pleaded. When his walls dropped, she immediately spotted how vulnerable he appeared to be.

"You are absolutely stunning tonight, and if I don't Occlude, I'm likely to gawk at you like some bloody third year who has just discovered girls," Draco folded his arms across his chest, seemingly put out by admitting any sort of feelings.

"Well, I think I'd prefer the real you, lascivious glances and all, over you hiding yourself from me," she smiled shyly at him as she felt herself flush deeply. The devilish grin he gave her in return was enough to cause her heart to pound.

"Be careful what you wish for, Ms. Granger," he purred as he slowly drank her in with his eyes. With one heated look, Draco had managed to melt her from the inside out and made her forget every other wizard who'd ever looked her way.

"I'd say I'm being quite careful. Your appreciation almost makes it worth putting up with Pansy's well-meaning insults," Hermione offered a shy smile. She was never one to play coy, by giggling or batting her eyelashes, but with Draco's enraptured attention, she suddenly had a profound understanding of what it was to feel wanted and beautiful. Just as he opened his mouth to say something, his eyes shot behind her, and his face fell.

"Fuck!" he growled, causing Hermione to turn around. Just by the Floos, a crowd was starting to form around Ginny and Theo. In the center of it all, she spotted the elaborate blond curls and heavy-jawed face of Rita Skeeter, a Quick-Quotes Quill scribbling across parchment beside her. The furious expression on Ginny's face overshadowed the sheer horror Theo was projecting. "Fuck! We have to help him out of there. Do I have your permission to Occlude?" he demanded as he grabbed her hand and began leading them toward the intense scene.

"My permission?"

"You asked me not to do it in front of you anymore, but I can only guess what sorts of questions that Mountain Troll of a witch might ask me," he explained with a frantic look in his eye. "If she brings up my father…" he trailed off.

"Yes. Please do what you need to do," she quickly agreed, attempting to keep up with his long strides. With a deep breath, his mask of confidence returned. His pace slowed, and Hermione felt like they were gliding across the last few meters.

"I'm sorry for what I'm about to do, but Theo will panic if I don't get him out of here now," he whispered before straightening up to his full height.

"Mr. Nott, did you tamper with the results of the Ministry testing to steal Ms. Weasley away from our very own Mr. Potter?" Skeeter asked in a saccharine tone. The lies this woman could cook up were ridiculous, and Hermione wondered how anyone could believe such rubbish. "How else can you explain a Death Eater's son being paired with Ms. Weasley?"

"He didn't steal me away," Ginny fumed, shaking her head in anger, "I already told you that Harry and I broke up months ago. We both decided to sign up for the Ministry program," she ground out. Whether it was because of Quidditch or anything to do with Harry, Ginny absolutely hated giving interviews. She avoided the press as much as possible, and the rare occasion she did speak with the reporters was when her coach insisted she talk up the Harpies and appeal to the fans.

"I suppose it could be worse, Ms. Skeeter," Draco drawled, holding up his and Hermione's entwined hands as if he were waving a treat in front of a hungry dragon. His voice wasn't loud, however, it commanded the entire space. "At least she isn't paired with a former Death Eater," he said as sounds of protest erupted through the small crowd that had formed. With a smug grin, Skeeter approached the improbable couple like a predator toying with its prey.

"It seems the rumors about your father's suicide were true, Mr. Malfoy. Care to make a comment?" the despicable reporter inquired. Though his facade never broke, Draco's hand squeezed around Hermione's as if her presence tethered him where he stood.

"Unfortunately, we're all otherwise engaged and therefore, unable to provide you with an interview at this time," he replied with an air of confidence. Pride surged through Hermione as she watched Draco sacrifice himself in order to protect his friend. This version of Draco Malfoy coupled with the man she'd gotten to know over the last week was someone she could stand to call hers. He was a man she could respect. At this moment, she knew exactly why she was matched with him.

"Ms. Granger, you must be appalled to be matched with someone so beneath you," Skeeter commented innocently, ignoring Draco's tame response and moving on to her next victim.

"Beneath me how exactly?"

"Because of his Death Eater past, of course," the older witch looked around the crowd in disbelief.

"To be clear, you think this man, who has spent his entire adult life banging the drum for countless charities by way of financial support, research, and raising awareness for them is somehow lesser than me because when he was still a child, he was forced to fight in a war he didn't believe in through threat of death by one of the most powerful wizards of our time?" Hermione asked, glaring at the reporter. "I suggest the next time you demand answers from innocent people," she continued without waiting for a response, "you think long and hard about the consequences of asking the wrong kinds of questions. It would be a pity to see yourself on the wrong side of a scandal," she raised a brow suggestively. She hated to threaten the reporter, but that woman needed a reminder of what happens to liars.

"You're happy with this match?" Skeeter asked in surprise.

"Obviously," Hermione held up her hand clasped with Draco's, offering him a shy smile. He grinned back at her just as a camera flashed.

"If you'll please excuse us, we have somewhere else to be," he said without taking his eyes away from Hermione, and they followed Theo and Ginny through the Floo to Nott Manor, where they could Apparate to the restaurant for ice cream.

A/N - As always, let me know what you think, and I will try to be better about responding to comments. I love hearing your opinions and feedback!

In the next chapter, Hermione and Draco will take one another to their favorite places.