A/N - Let me start with an apology. My intention was not to wait so long to update this story, but life has once again found a way to steal me away from my time to write.

Second, I thought this chapter would be about Draco and Hermione going to one another's favorite places, but as I wrote, the story took another direction.

Finally, thank you for all of the comments I've received over the last few weeks. I've even had a handful of you message me to see if I'm okay, which I really appreciate. To be honest, I didn't feel okay. Reading and writing are the activities that relax me, and I haven't been able to do either of those things very much lately.

The least I can do is offer you a long chapter.

Chapter 8: Moving Forward

October 26, 2003

"The two of you certainly appear to be quite smitten in this picture The Prophet printed," Narcissa remarked as she peeked over the paper at her son. Staring down at his breakfast, Draco simply nodded in hopes his mother would move on. He was in no mood to put up with one of her lectures after the events of the previous night. Mother's reaction to whatever article Skeeter wrote was something he'd been dreading since the awful encounter with that blasted reporter. If only he'd woken a bit earlier, he would have seen the paper before her and prevented her from analyzing every last detail. "Ms. Granger is either a wonderful actress, or she really does fancy you," she added when Draco didn't answer. With a deep sigh, he ignored her prying and continued eating his eggs. "Draco Lucius Malfoy, how familiar have you become with this witch?" she demanded once he rolled his eyes, something he'd never live to tell about if his father was still alive. He could feel his cheeks heat under Narcissa's insistent gaze.

"Merlin, Mother, I've not even kissed her yet!" Draco exclaimed, holding up his hands, hoping to halt any further interrogation.

"I should hope not. I raised a gentleman, after all," she said as she dabbed the corners of her mouth. Unable to suppress another eye-roll, Draco jumped at the slight stinging hex his mother shot at him. "Head of household or not, you will not disrespect your mother. Keep those eyes in place, or you'll feel a lot more than a little sting," she warned him.

"Yes, Mother," he responded, feeling ever like a chastised child instead of the man of the house. "You do realize that neither of us has...-er...saved ourselves? At least, I haven't. I'm only assuming her end of things based on our initial meeting," he warned, hoping she'd never bring this up again, especially with Hermione present. When he finally met his Mother's eyes, her face was momentarily aghast before morphing into a serene smile.

"Are you in love with her, my dragon?" Narcissa asked, her gaze shifting back to the article as Draco choked on a piece of sausage. He certainly hadn't expected that question. Admittedly, Hermione was the only woman he'd been able to have a meaningful conversation with, and he really looked forward to spending more time with her. Of course, he found her to be incredibly attractive too, but love? It couldn't be...not yet. It was too soon for that.

"We've only just begun to stop hating one another," Draco answered after a long drink of water.

"It's a thin line, as they say," she murmured, scrutinizing the picture that'd piqued her curiosity about Hermione and his relationship.

"What's a thin line?"

"Between love and hate," Narcissa explained, passing The Prophet to Draco as she pointed to the large picture spread across two pages of Hermione and him smiling fondly at one another while she held up their clasped hands. He didn't need to read the headline or story that undoubtedly highlighted him as an evil Death Eater stealing the heart of Wizarding Britain's Golden Girl.

Their evening could have ended a lot differently had they both not kept their poise. There was some sort of shift in their relationship after last night. Not just because of Skeeter's interview, but he could feel Hermione becoming more comfortable with him. After they'd left the theatre, Draco thought she'd drop his hand immediately after they'd burst through Theo's Floo, but she held onto him until they'd parted ways after their ice cream. Draco certainly wouldn't complain. He enjoyed her touch, maybe more than he should. Would she even want him to kiss her? If the flush on Hermione's face when he'd openly leered at her after the show was any indicator, then perhaps she'd be receptive to his advances. "A thin line indeed," Mother smirked when Draco had unwittingly stared at the photograph with a goofy grin on his face for a little too long.

"Sorry, Mother. You must be dreadfully disappointed that I care for her at all," he replied after schooling his expression and tucking back into his breakfast.

"That isn't fair," she huffed. "Admittedly, I was upset when you told me you'd made your decision, but I've done my best to be supportive since then," Narcissa defended herself with a saddened look in her eye.

"You're right. I apologize, mother."

"Believe it or not, I want you to be happy, son. Any witch that looks at you like that," she gestured toward the picture, "and makes you forget yourself surely must feel something for you."

"We'll see. I still have our entire childhood of being an utter prat to make up for, and that won't be easy."

"Don't underestimate yourself, Draco," Narcissa smiled at him. "I'd like to meet her...officially. Bring her by for tea, so we may be properly introduced," she said as if Hermione hadn't once been a victim of torture in this very house while Draco and his family stood idly by. Even if she said she was ready to meet his mum, he wasn't sure if he was ready for that encounter. Though Mother had said she accepted their match, Draco hardly thought she was capable of erasing a lifetime of bigotry for his happiness. It seemed too good to be true.

"I'll ask her about it next time-" he stopped speaking abruptly as he turned the page of The Prophet in hopes of finding another picture of Hermione and himself but was met with the very story he'd hoped to prevent. Underneath the slanderous headline, "YOUNGEST WEASLEY BETRAYS POTTER WITH DEATH EATER!" there was a large photo of Ginny and Theo laughing and holding hands.

"For Salazar's sake, go to Theo before he sees that offensive rubbish," Narcissa hissed from across the table, glaring at The Prophet with disdain. It was easier to overlook the terrible things reported about Draco because they'd expected it, but Theo hadn't done anything to deserve this treatment. He was much more sensitive than Draco when it came to the general public's overall hostility toward them. If his best mate had seen the article, he'd be sure to be a bottle deep in Ogden's Finest by now.

Apparating immediately, Draco knocked loudly on Theo's front door a few times before finally letting himself in. As soon as he entered, he heard screaming from the billiards room.

"DEATH EATER SCUM!" an unfamiliar voice roared.

"Incendio!"

"...stole her from Harry Po-"

"Incendio!"

"You don't deserve her-"

"Incendio!"

Draco sprinted toward the source of the angry voices and burst through the door to find the most unexpected scene he could imagine. A sea of bright red Howlers spewing a myriad of hateful warnings and threats descended upon Theo while Ginny, Hermione, George Weasley, and Harry Potter himself guarded the Slytherin wizard, conjuring flames and setting the nasty envelopes ablaze. The group hardly noticed Draco's appearance until a fresh new wave of Howlers bombarded him too.

"THE WHOLE MALFOY FAMILY CAN ROT!"

"...with your future half-blooded children!"

"HOW DARE YOU PUT YOURSELF IN THE POOL OF ELIGIBLE WIZARDS FOR THE MINISTRY PROGRAM!"

"Your galleons aren't enough to ever make you worthy of Ms. Granger!"

There were too many of them, and Draco couldn't even hear his own voice as he destroyed them one by one. Of course, he'd expected this sort of reaction but hadn't planned on having witnesses when it happened. Having every insecure thought he'd ever had about being paired with Hermione Granger shouted at him while she was standing a few meters away was absolutely mortifying.

Just as the swell of Howlers became too much for him to handle on his own, they started disappearing more rapidly than he could cast the Incendio charm. Before long, Draco realized that Hermione and George were helping him from across the sea of red.

"What'd you do to piss off this lot?" George asked nonchalantly over the roar of angry voices before setting off a string of charms that ignited a dozen Howlers at once. With the three of them working together, it didn't take long to destroy the rest and kill off the last of the outraged shrieking.

"Usually, my birth is enough to anger them, but I'm assuming today it's because they think I stole their princess," Draco answered as he cast an Evanesco on the last remnants of bright red envelopes and offered Hermione an uneasy smile.

"My little brother is pretty put out by your match too; I wonder if any of those were from him," George mused with a grin. There was no judgment in his demeanor, and Draco had a feeling this was his way of being friendly. "All the Howlers I get are always from my mum."

"Usually?" Hermione asked, completely ignoring George. Brightest witch, indeed. Nothing ever got by her, and Draco felt his skin heat just knowing she'd realized that receiving Howlers from strangers was a semi-normal occurrence for him.

"Both of you deal with this regularly?" Harry wondered in disbelief. It was humiliating enough to have Potter here with a front-row seat to this spectacle, and he didn't want to discuss it any further.

"A bit," Theo shrugged, exchanging a worried glance with Draco that meant he didn't want to talk about any of this right now either.

"How was it that all of you came to Theo's aid in the first place?" Draco asked in an attempt to steer the conversation in another direction.

"I came over as soon as I saw that wretched article, and just as Theo was talking me down from murdering Skeeter, the Howlers started pouring in through his Floo," Ginny explained, squeezing Theo's hand and offering him a wink. "I sent a Patronus to Hermione, so she could help us, and she brought Harry along," her eyes accusingly shifted to George. "Come to think of it, I'm not sure how or why my brother showed up," she stuck her tongue out at the older Weasley.

"Oh, well, I came over after Ickle Ronniekins shoved a picture of the two of you in my face this morning," George gestured toward Theo and Ginny. "I thought it was a good time to properly meet my future brother-in-law while simultaneously pissing off Ron," he grinned. Theo suddenly burst out laughing at George's admission, and any tension left in the room was subdued.

"It's nice to officially meet you," Nott replied, holding out his hand toward the ginger wizard. "Slytherin House was a big fan of your work back at Hogwarts," he smirked as George gave him a firm shake.

"Turning the school corridor into a swamp was one of my personal favorites," Draco added. "Our common room was abuzz for weeks about it after the two of you just up and flew away."

"I'm pretty sure every common room talked about that for ages," Harry laughed, though he and Draco exchanged glares when they realized they'd agreed on something.

"Our mum sure didn't like it. Her Howlers arrived daily for months afterward," he shook his head. "Freddie used to have a charm that would make her sound like a mermaid singing in water, but it didn't quite seem right to hear that pretty voice rebuke us in song," he chuckled softly at the memory before his eyes became a bit dewy and his gaze drifted wistfully to the floor. Sensing her brother's overwhelming sadness, Ginny crossed the space between them and hugged him around the middle. It was such a simple gesture, but it seemed to heal George instantly. Draco never had that kind of familial bond in his life, but as he witnessed this moment between siblings, he suddenly longed for a loving family of his own.

"Do you have time to show me that new invention of yours?" Potter interrupted the pair. It was the right thing to say because a grin immediately stole George's features. He waved a quick goodbye and excitedly dragged Harry through the Floo to his joke shop.

"We'd better be going too," Hermione said apprehensively.

"No! Please don't," Theo begged, reaching for Ginny's hand. "Unless you want to, of course," he quickly recovered. Draco didn't want Hermione to leave either, but he could tell his best mate wished to be alone with his witch. The inevitable conversation about how life would be after marrying someone associated with the Dark Lord was something he and Theo both needed to have with Hermione and Ginny. It was obvious that the two witches had no idea the type of harassment they often received from the rest of wizarding Britain.

"Actually, I was hoping you'd accompany me to the Manor this afternoon," Draco suggested casually though he felt anything but casual.

"Oh, Draco, I can't today. There is so much for me to do to prepare for my case," she replied with a sad sigh. Hermione began chewing her bottom lip contemplatively. "Actually, you might be able to help me since you're familiar with brewing Wolfsbane," she offered with eyes full of hope. In a million years, no one would have ever guessed that Hermione Granger and Draco Malfoy would ever actually want to spend time together. Perhaps, he could put off that serious conversation for a little longer.

November 2, 2003

"If I didn't know any better, I'd say you actually fancy Malfoy," Ron said with a scowl as he pointed to the latest picture of Hermione and Draco in Witch Weekly. The press had become obsessed with the unexpected couple. They'd found Draco's restaurant, and photographed the couple there every day this week. Though they couldn't be too obvious in front of Muggles, the bastards hid under a Disillusionment Charm.

"And what if I do fancy him?" Hermione demanded as she and Ginny set the table for Molly's Sunday roast.

"You never looked at me the way you look at him in all these photos," Ron accused, shaking the magazine at her from across the table. Like most of the pictures that had been splashed across the papers this week, they were grinning at one another oblivious to those that stopped to gawk at them.

The previous night, they went to Flourish and Blotts to pick up a book that they thought would help them with their research for Hermione's case. As they were walking, they'd been discussing whether they should have a House-elf once they were married. Of course, Hermione was vehemently against it until Draco had appealed to her rational side.
"What am I to tell Blinky?" Malfoy had pressed her. "The poor elf will be devastated if I tell her she won't be coming with me to our new home. Merlin, she's worked for me since I was born, and she already loves you," he pointed out.

"I understand that, but I feel funny about having a servant when I'm fully capable of doing things myself," Hermione countered. He watched her for a moment, no doubt calculating his next point.

"I don't know much about babies, Granger, but I hear they're notorious for keeping their parents up all night. Nothing would make Blinky happier than caring for another needy Malfoy offspring. Just think how much attention one of my children will require," he offered a crooked grin as she chuckled in response. "Aside from that, my future wife requires I know how to properly please her, and I won't be able to practice when we're up all night with a baby."

"I would hope by that time, you'll already know what you're doing," she laughed breathily. He'd not even kissed her yet, but ever since their night at the ballet, he'd taken many opportunities to bring up their future sex life. Every time, she'd become flustered with want as well as embarrassment. It seemed like he wanted her, but they'd done nothing further than hold hands and flirt tremendously.

"I will never stop seeking perfection when I've already made an oath to please you," his eyes burned into her. "You wouldn't have me go back on my word, would you?" Draco entreated, stopping them in the middle of the walkway while the few patrons nearby openly stared at them with interest. He really was too charming for his own good.

"It would be nice to have the additional help, especially since I'll still work," she replied, trying to steer their conversation back to things that didn't make her blush.

"Exactly! I doubt anyone else will treat her as well as I do, not to mention the ridiculous wages I pay her," he agreed, tickling her side and draping his arm around her shoulders to pull her in closer to his side. The photographer just happened to catch this exact moment for the Sunday Prophet spread.

"Ugh, are you smiling like that because you're thinking of him right now?" Ron asked with disgust. Hermione blushed, wildly unaware that she'd been smiling to herself.

"Perhaps you should be a little less concerned with my relationship and a lot more concerned with yours."

"He'd have to be in a relationship to be concerned about it," George whispered loudly with a smirk as he entered the kitchen, shielding himself from a playful smack by Angelina. "You know, Malfoy isn't so bad anymore. On Thursday night, I grabbed a pint with him and Theo. They're both pretty funny chaps," he said innocently. It was so sweet of him to try to get to know the two Slytherins better. Hermione had never been so grateful for George's underestimated thoughtfulness. On Friday morning, Draco had reluctantly admitted how delighted he was to be included in George's attempt at friendship. That boy was so emotionally repressed that getting him to reveal his feelings on anything was nearly impossible.

"Is that what you have? A relationship?" Ron demanded, slamming his palms on the table. "Are you really going to marry him?" he asked as his face reddened with anger.

"Of course, I'm going to marry him!" Hermione exclaimed. "Even if I didn't enjoy spending time with him, it's not as if the Ministry has given us much of a choice."

"You are Hermione Granger; if you wanted a choice, the Ministry would give it to you," he replied deadpan.

"Believe it or not, I think he's actually good for her," Harry chimed in, ever the peacekeeper. Ron shot a glare at his best friend. "Don't look at me like that, mate. The git is actually quite smart and has been helping her with her Werewolves legislation. Pansy and I can hardly keep up with their conversations—"

"Oh, wonderful! I suppose you and Pansy are excited to marry right away too. Perhaps, you'll have a double wedding," Ron scoffed, rolling his eyes.

"The difference between us and you," Hermione gestured between herself, Harry, and Ginny, "is that we are making an attempt to get to know who our matches are now, not who they were back in school."

"Why don't you try dating Hannah first instead of forcing her into her vows straight away? It's what we're doing with Theo, Draco, and Pansy," Ginny suggested, trying to suppress her annoyance.

"Even my own sister has fallen for a Death Eater…"

"RONALD BILLIUS WEASLEY, YOU WILL SHUT YOUR MOUTH THIS INSTANT!" Mrs. Weasley bellowed from the counter where she was preparing the family meal. Everyone sat up a little straighter in response to her scolding. "Mr. Nott will be our guest for supper this evening, and you will keep your rude comments to yourself! I will not have you embarrass this family more than you already have with the Abbotts!"

"Yes, mum," Ron whispered, properly chastised with wide eyes cast guiltily upon his mother before excusing himself to de-gnome the garden.

As soon as Mrs. Weasley was distracted, Ginny pulled Hermione upstairs to her room, closing the door behind her just as Bill, Percy, and Charlie hurriedly made their way downstairs.

"If all goes well tonight, we're going to get married at the end of the month," Ginny announced cheerfully. "We were going to talk to mum and dad about it tonight after supper. What do you think?" she asked nervously.

"Of course, I think it's great, Gin," Hermione replied, hugging her friend tightly. "Anyone can see how happy the two of you are together. I know you always felt overshadowed with Harry or like you'd always come second to other things in his life, but with Theo, you complement one another."

"Thank you. I really needed to hear that," she admitted with a deep breath. "Now that I've told you that, I've been dying to tell you that he kissed me for the first time last week after the Howlers situation."

"Why am I just hearing about this now?" Hermione wondered, feeling a little jealous that she was still waiting for her first kiss with Malfoy. There were more than a few times that she thought he'd lean in just enough for her to close the distance between them, but at the last moment, he would pull away. A small part of her was scared that he hadn't changed at all. Maybe she'd only been imagining the chemistry she felt between them.

"You were so busy with work, and I haven't even seen you! If I'd told you via own, you'd have killed me," Ginny explained guiltily.

"That's true," Hermione smirked. "How was it?"

"It was everything I've ever wanted in a kiss! My heart was throbbing, there was no awkward fumbling, and the passion," Ginny held her hand over her heart. "It was the kind of kiss that ignited and burned. I've never been kissed like that before," she sighed blissfully. Just then, there was a familiar crack of Apparition. "It's him!" she squealed, grabbing Hermione's arm and pulling her downstairs to greet Theo before her brothers did.

By the time they made it outside, they realized they were too late. Five ginger wizards with their arms folded menacingly across their chests surrounded Theo at the Apparition point. For his part, the Slytherin wizard stood tall in his dress trousers and button-up shirt, saying something that immediately won George over. The family jokester threw his arm around Theo and began introducing him to his brothers, who all still looked pretty intimidating. Out of nowhere, Luna Lovegood appeared, offering the newcomer a welcoming hug. Luna and Charlie had married quickly after being matched so that they could return to his dragon sanctuary in Romania. When they'd left after their wedding, Charlie seemed awkward and nervous about their union while Luna, as always, was completely at ease. Now that they were home for a visit, he was practically hypnotized by the peculiar witch's every move.

"My husband has been excited to meet you," Luna said as she dragged Charlie toward Theo. The Dragonologist's furrowed brow and grimace suggested he was anything but excited to meet Theodore Nott. Just as Charlie reluctantly reached out to shake Theo's hand, Luna squeezed his bicep, her eyes conveying a message that only her new husband understood. He nodded once and offered a polite greeting to his future brother-in-law.

"Two out of five," Ginny whispered, slowing her approach. "I want to see which of my brothers I'll need to hex later," she explained as she stopped and observed.

Bill stepped forward next, extending his arm to Theo and pulling him in close, their faces mere inches away from one another. The oldest Weasley brother had a smile on his face though it didn't reach his eyes.

"If you ever hurt her, we'll all be waiting," Bill motioned to his younger siblings, oblivious to Hermione and Ginny a few meters away watching the scene unfold. Instead of cowering at the threat, the corners of Theo's mouth turned up slightly.

"I respect you trying to protect your sister, but I'm far more frightened of what she'd do to me should I step out of line than you lot," he responded with an air of confidence. Bill's mouth teetered between a frown and a smile before a hearty chuckle finally escaped his lips.

"Fair enough," Bill said, as he clapped Theo on the back, an invitation for his brothers to follow suit. "For now, you have George and Harry's approval, which is good enough for me. Welcome to the Burrow."

"Welcome, indeed," Ron scoffed, storming off toward the house like a petulant child.

As the group of wizards headed inside, Ginny slipped between her brothers and hugged her future husband around the middle as he let out a sigh of relief. He grinned widely, pulled her into his side, and bent down to kiss her on the cheek just as Harry and Mr. Weasley came spilling out of the older wizard's shed of Muggle artifacts. They were smiling, but when Arthur saw Theo, his face dropped, eyes bouncing cautiously back and forth between the newcomer and the young wizard beside him.

"Good to see you again, Nott," Harry offered his hand in an attempt to dispel Mr. Weasley's concern.

"Likewise, Potter."

"Nice to meet you, Mr. Nott," Arthur said, straightening his back and standing just taller than his future son-in-law. With a firm grip, he too shook Theo's hand.

"Would you look at him," Mrs. Weasley chimed in before Nott could respond. "You must be Theodore," she said as she broke through her line of sons and to his utter surprise, enveloped him in a hug. "You're too skinny," the older witch poked at his side. "That's alright. We'll be sure to fatten you up here," she prattled on. Hermione couldn't help but laugh at Nott's expression. His eyes were wide and his mouth audibly popped open. With his upbringing, he'd probably never been handled in such a way.

"-Er...Thank you, Mrs. Weasley," Theo quickly recovered from his initial reaction. "These are for you," he handed her a bouquet of pink lilies.

"Aren't you so sweet," she gushed, patting his cheek. "See, boys! That is what I call manners!" Mrs. Weasley scolded her sons, waving the bouquet around to each of them. "And just look how smart he looks in his fine clothes. It would do you boys some good to dress nicely every once in a while," she grabbed for George's shirt and began forcefully tucking it in his trousers.

"Geroff me, woman!" George laughed and smacked her hands away.

"This is for you, Sir," Theo muttered uncomfortably as he handed Mr. Weasley an expensive bottle of firewhisky. The older wizard clapped Theo on the back and thanked him.

During dinner, everyone mostly stuck to safe topics such as Quidditch and their careers. According to Draco, Theo did not enjoy being the center of attention, and this evening would be difficult for him. Unless addressed directly, he mostly observed the family dynamic with a small smile on his face, squeezing Ginny's knee or holding her hand for support underneath the table. By dessert, the conversation flowed comfortably just as every Weasley dinner did save for Ron, who scowled at his plate all evening.

"Remus would be so proud of the legislation you are trying to pass, Hermione," Arthur said when she began to explain some information she and Malfoy had found during their research.

"At least if it doesn't pass this time, you'll have a year's worth of data for the next go around," Theo added with a grin.

"What data?" Hermione wondered, cocking her head to the side in confusion.

"Oh, you know, only the one-year test project Draco put together to supply Wolfsbane to the British werewolf population so you could prove the benefit to the wizarding world as a whole when werewolves have access to Wolfsbane Potion should the Wizengamot deny you again," Theo said sarcastically, staring at Hermione as if she were dense.

"He did what?"

"Hasn't he told you? He's had Blaise working on it nonstop to make sure our company would be able to incur the cost for a sustainable period while you collect information over the next year to prove why the Wizengamot should pass your legislation."

"That's...wow...I'm so touched," Hermione shook her head as strong emotions welled up inside of her. Draco's level of thoughtfulness was astounding. She hadn't realized he'd go through such great lengths for her. That wizard was full of surprises.

"Why would Malfoy do that?" Ron spat angrily. Suddenly, the tension in the room thickened as Theo sighed deeply, bracing himself for the inevitable confrontation he'd been expecting all evening.

"Contrary to what you might believe, Draco has come to care about Hermione very much. Whatever she might want for, he'll do everything in his power to give it to her."

"That must be easy to do when you have millions of galleons," Ron rolled his eyes. "I'm sure there's no chance that he's just trying to fix the disgraced Malfoy name."

"Too far, brother," Bill warned, elbowing Ron in the ribs.

"Just stating the obvious," he mumbled.

"Is it so hard for you to believe that he could really feel that way for me?" Hermione challenged angrily. "We're not in school anymore, Ronald! The least you could do is learn to grow up; I know Malfoy sure has!" she protested, wiping away a stray tear of frustration.

"Come on, mate," Harry pleaded with Ron as he handed Hermione a handkerchief and wrapped a comforting arm around her.

"That's quite enough of that, Ronald!" Mrs. Weasley warned her youngest son sharply. "You may go to your room until you can remember your manners," she scolded, ignoring him as he slammed his fork to the table and stormed upstairs like a child having a tantrum. "I am so sorry for his outburst, Theodore. Admittedly, we were all a bit worried when our girls were paired with you and your friend," she said apologetically, "but you aren't anything like we'd imagined."

"It's quite alright, Mrs. Weasley. The rest of you have been quite welcoming, and I do appreciate your kindness to me this evening in spite of my late father's...beliefs and actions," Theo replied with reddened cheeks. "I speak for both myself and Draco when I say our feelings toward Ginny and Hermione are quite genuine," he smiled shyly at the witch beside him as she kissed his cheek.

"I suppose it might be prudent to invite Mr. Malfoy over for our family dinners, so we may all get to know him as well," Mrs. Weasley insisted. Hermione and Theo exchanged a cautious glance at the thought of Draco having dinner in a house full of Weasleys, including Ron. Though it was inevitable that they had to find a way to be part of one another's lives, it sounded like a recipe for disaster. She'd already practically lost her parents; she couldn't lose the Weasleys too. Perhaps she wouldn't have to lose anyone since the Weasleys were extending an olive branch by inviting Malfoy to their home.

November 7, 2003

"He finally kissed me!" Pansy sang as she burst through the Nott Manor Floo, throwing her thick winter cloak on the back of a chair and spinning happily toward the bar.

"Disgusting," Draco drawled, only slightly jealous that Potter had made a move before he had. It had given him comfort that Pansy and Potter seemed to be moving at the same slow pace as himself and Granger. For once, it felt like he was doing something right.

"We went to this cute little Muggle restaurant near his place, and before we knew it, we were the last patrons there. I think the wait staff was waiting for us to leave. We were so lost in conversation, I hadn't even realized we'd been there for hours," she beamed, staring off gleefully as she recounted her date. "My heart was pounding furiously by the time we'd walked back to his home because I just knew he was going to do it. And he did, right there in the middle of the street for anyone to see!" Pansy squealed as Draco and Theo pretended to throw up.

"Is he a sloppy kisser?" Blaise wondered as he leaned forward with his elbows on his knees. "I need to know if the Golden Boy has flaws."

"It was perfect," she gushed. "It started off gentle, but once he realized I was open to his advances, it turned into raw passion. Merlin, I could eat that boy up!" Pansy fanned herself dramatically. Draco and Theo grimaced at her description while the Italian wizard clapped and cheered. It made Draco wonder if Granger had been pining after him as much as Pansy was anxious to move things along with Potter.

"Meanwhile, Draco is attempting to become a virgin again with how sluggish he's moving with Granger," Blaise smirked knowingly. That wizard's only goal in life was to get under Draco's skin and rile him up. He knew exactly what buttons to push.

"Unlike you, my mother raised a gentleman," he replied smugly. "I'm waiting for the right moment," Draco stood angrily and poured himself another drink.

"Anyway, from what I could tell, it seemed like a nice size though it's hard to tell through all our pesky clothes, and I wasn't straddling him or anything," Pansy mused as she sipped her firewhisky through a straw. "Did Ginny happen to mention what she thought of it?" she turned to Theo.

"What is wrong with you?" he choked on his drink. "No, she didn't happen to mention the size of Potter's dick, you absolute bint!" Theo exclaimed, throwing a pillow in her direction while Blaise laughed himself into hysterics.

"I was just wondering! No need to be a twat about it."

"We don't sit around and discuss anything about her and Potter's past, so please refrain from asking any further invasive questions."

"I'm not nearly drunk enough to unhear this conversation," Draco added. "I'm happy you're happy, Pans, but I really don't ever want to hear about Potter's prick ever again."

"Well, get used to it! I'm not planning to stop the three of you from talking about your witches, so you'll sit there with your little drinks and we'll talk about sex and everything else as we always have."

"Pity. It doesn't seem Draco has much to talk about on his front," Blaise snickered, winking at Draco and blowing him a kiss.

"Patil must be bored of you already," he replied unbothered. "You normally only pester me this much when you're striking out," he said snidely as he feigned disinterest and studied his nails. Blaise grimaced but quickly recovered.

"It's Zabini now. We were married yesterday when she was in town briefly," he announced casually to the astonishment of his friends. They stared back at him in disbelief.

"What the hell, you giant wanker! How dare you get married without us there or even making us aware of when it was going to happen?" Theo demanded incredulously.

"What's the big deal? We all have to do it, so there's no point in wasting time just to see me legally bound."

"The big deal," Theo began, "is that you three are the only family I have, and we should be there for one another through all of our ups and downs, especially this," he fumed, clenching his fists. "And I'll tell you something else. Each of you will be at my wedding at the Weasley home in a few weeks no matter what. I don't care if you think it is a waste of time or if you hate them; you'll be by my side to support me and make me laugh while Ron glares daggers at me!" he commanded, pointing at each one of them for emphasis. They stared back at him in shock.

"Of course, we will, mate," Draco assured his friend once he recovered from his initial surprise at Theo's reaction.

"We wouldn't miss it," Pansy agreed.

"So, your dinner with the Weasleys didn't go well then?" Blaise inquired with a raised brow. Theo threw back the contents of his glass and shook his head.

"No...no, her family is great actually. I just didn't know how difficult it would be to finally see what a loving family looks like and realize how truly fucked up my life was growing up," Theo explained. "And stop changing the subject, Blaise. What is going on with you? You're acting like an insufferable git."

"Insufferable?" Zabini scoffed. "I'll concede that I've been mildly irritating, but I have a good reason."

"You'll have to be more specific than that," Theo replied, motioning with his hands for his friend to continue.
"Well, you see, we only had about two hours to…-er...do everything before Padma had to catch a Portkey somewhere for work."

"What do you mean by everything?" Draco queried, leaning forward with interest. Judging by Blaise's demeanor, it seemed his relationship wasn't as perfect as he led them all to believe.

"We only had a short timeframe to have the ceremony, consummate, and then undergo the required Ministry testing after. It...it wasn't my best, and unfortunately, that was our first time together," Zabini sulked, uncharacteristically slouching his shoulders. "Salazar's balls, she probably thinks I'm a total Draco in bed!" he dropped his head dramatically.

"Oh, that's real cute," the blond wizard rolled his eyes while Pansy and Theo unsuccessfully tried to hide their laughter behind their hands. "And how was that your first time? You've been talking about what you've been doing with her since your first date."

"You don't understand!" Blaise countered. "She travels a lot, so we've talked about doing things via Floo calls, but haven't actually done anything physically aside from kiss," he admitted sheepishly.

"Poor, Blaisey!" Pansy cooed. "I'm sure she'll allow you to try again next time she is in town," she said as she rubbed his shoulders to comfort him.

"But she won't be back for at least three weeks," he whined.

"You should go to her," Theo suggested earnestly. "You won't be right until you fix this, and we all hate you when you're mopey."

"You're absolute shite like this, Zabini," Draco added. "Leave here right now and shag that witch the best way you know how," he pulled Blaise to his feet, steering him towards the Floo. "Don't come back until you are no longer insufferable!"

"Alright. I'll track her down right now," he grabbed a fistful of Floo powder. "Make sure you have something interesting to report about your witch by next Friday," Blaise winked at Draco before disappearing into the flames.

Granger,

I know you'll be busy tomorrow with work, but is there any way you can set aside a bit of time for me? There's something I'd like to show you.

-Draco

A/N - Although I've been total crap at replying to comments lately, they do motivate me. I love reading about your opinions of the story even if I'm not always able to reply.