Hermione made one last ditch effort to smooth back her curls before sighing. This is as good as it's going to get, she said to herself before smiling at the site of Draco entering their bedroom with Athena in his arms.

"Your hair is perfect the way it is, stop worrying." He said as he came up behind her.

It wasn't the first time that she wondered why he always seemed to know what she needed to hear, and her stupid heart began to race at the thought that maybe, just maybe, he had feelings for her that weren't tied to her - their - daughter or getting his family name back into society's good graces.

"I just want to make a good impression." She muttered as she reached for Athena to allow Draco to finish getting ready.

She turned to see him shrug a dark green robe over his grey shirt and she hated once again how her heart sped up when she saw him.

"You will, don't worry." He bent and made a face at Athena and grinned as she cooed at him. "Look! She smiled!"

She didn't have the heart to tell him that she had been doing that a lot lately, so she only smiled back at him.

"You ready?" He asked as he straightened.

"As ready as I'll ever be." She said with a deep breathe.

"Let's go then! Come on Athena, it's time to meet your grandmother Cissy."

He led them downstairs and to the massive fireplace that they used as their connection to the floo network and she covered Athena's nose as he threw some powdered down. She blinked a few times as they arrived at Malfoy Mansion and was surprised that she didn't feel any apprehension at being back at the place that she was tortured at. She hadn't said anything, wanting to appear strong, but she had worried what would happen when she stepped foot back in that place.

It seemed that she was stronger than she had given herself credit for.

"Ah, good, you're on time Draco dear." She glanced up to see a blonde woman come flouncing into the room, wrapping her arms around Draco.

Draco wrapped his arms around his mother and patted her back. "Wouldn't dream of ever being late, Mother."

Hermione stood still, wanting to blend in and pretend this was all over. She didn't know why she wanted Narcissa's approval, but she did. She refused to even think about what that meant about her feelings for her husband, so she took a deep breathe and placed a lid around those thoughts.

"And this is the woman who gave birth to my granddaughter."

Hermione's eyes widened a bit in shock and she could only stare as the petit blonde woman walked closer and opened her arms to take Athena. She slowly reached over and allowed her to take her daughter and was caught completely off guard when Narcissa closed her eyes and a tear fell down her cheek. She looked over at Draco who had the same stunned expression she was sure that was on her face and they watched the older woman hold their daughter close.

"Oh, I had begun to believe I'd never hold another precious baby again."

Some time later Narcissa had composed herself and the group had made their way to the sitting room, Athena still held in the older woman's arms.

"I believe we have a small problem that we must deal with."

Hermione looked away from her daughter and met her mother in law's eyes. "I- that is..."

"Draco dear, did you file the contract as I instructed?" She asked as she turned to her son.

"Yes, of course, gave it straight to Ames Locklear."

She reached over and patted his knee. "Good. Now that's that little bit is done, next time Mr. Weasley shows up kindly ask him to leave and never come back. If he refuses, then you are well within your rights to call the aurors and have him forcibly removed."

"Hermione, I know that as a Muggle born this is all new to you, but blood adoption is almost as old as the wizarding world itself. It trumps everything, so there is nothing that he could pull together that would override it."

She stared at the older woman, so sure that it couldn't be that simple, and she voiced her concerns.

"If I thought there would be a longer process, I promise you I would have already started it. The Malfoy name may not hold all the power it use to, but there are still quite a number of influential people that would bow down to it."

Hermione wasn't sure why, but she believed the woman's words and she felt relief wash over her.

"I.."

Narcissa shook her head. "There isn't anything you need to say. Now, why don't you and Draco have a nice day to yourselves and come back to the manor tonight? I know you won't feel comfortable leaving Athena here without you, but you both deserve a break. It may have been a while since I held a small baby, but it's seems to be all coming back to me. Don't worry about a thing, I'll have your old room made up Draco and I've fixed the room next to mine as a nursery."

Draco looked over at Hermione, silently asking for her approval. He smiled when she nodded her head.

"Thank you, Mother."

She waved a delicate hand. "Think nothing of it. I want to see you smile more often, Draco, and you-" she turned and nodded at Hermione, "make him smile."

Hermione felt a warmth flow through her, her poor, wishful heart thudding against her chest. She wasn't sure about being without Athena, but one look at her mother in law told her that she would protest her granddaughter with her life. She never thought there would be a day that she would say that she trusted Narcissa Malfoy, but it seemed that things had changed.

"Thank you." She said, throat constricted.

..00..

Hermione and Draco spent the day wondering around Muggle London, enjoying the anonymous way that could walk in and out of the shops. They stopped for a late lunch/ early dinner at a small hole in the wall, and for the first time in a long time she began to feel normal. The worry and stress that had plagued her started to lift, and she enjoyed the feel of her hand in Draco's. She felt loved and cherished, and she didn't want the feeling to ever end.

They arrived back at the manor as the sun began to set, having stopped at their home to get a changed of clothes. She didn't want the day to end, but she felt exhausted as they checked in on Narcissa and Athena.

"She's been a doll. Now, don't worry about getting up with her tonight, I'll be taking care of everything. Just get some rest and join us for breakfast in the morning."

Hermione wanted to argue, but she felt Draco tug on her hand, and she found herself agreeing. He pulled her through the maze that was his childhood home before finally stopping in front of double doors.

"Aren't we going inside?" She asked.

He let out a small laugh. "Well, would it be crazy to say that I'm nervous to be going into my childhood bedroom with a woman?"

She stared up at his now pink cheeks, before laughing. "I don't even know what to say."

He sighed, scratching the back of his neck. "Yeah, me either." He reached out and opened the doors, tugging on Hermione's hand to pull her inside.

She let go almost instantly, moving around to take in the room. It looked like an explosion of green and she held in a snigger, thankful that his styles had become a tad bit more tasteful. She glanced back at Draco and saw that he had moved to place your bags in the bed, going through then to find his sleep clothes. She moved to the bed, intending to find hers as well, but it seemed Draco had become lost in his own world and had moved to peel his shirt off without thinking.

Now, Hermione knew she had no reason to blush - she had, in fact, created a child - but there was something about the whole day and being with him in a room that she had never even imagine seeing that caused blood to rush to her cheeks.

She must have made a sound, because Draco turned to her, completely shirtless. Her eyes flew to his and she saw them darken as he became aware of the fact that he was half naked with her there.

She found the courage to walk closer, trying hard to ignore everything but finding her sleep clothes when she felt a hand in her shoulder. She turned to face him, finding that he still didn't have a shirt on.

"I'm sorry, I wasn't thinking."

She waved a hand, trying to hide her nerves. "No, nothing to apologize for. I mean, we're married after all and..." she trailed off as her placed a hand under her chin and lifted her face up.

Her breath caught as she looked at him, desire written all over his face. It hit her then, how he had been acting all day. He had known that it would be different, sharing a bed without a baby and exhaustion to separate them. While she had thought she was tired before, she felt a renewed energy flow through her.

She wanted him. She wanted her husband.

"Hermione, you're right. We are married." He whispered before lowering his head and sealing his lips to hers.