Chapter 22

The best Christmas gift Hermione ever got was opening her eyes on Christmas morning when she felt the mattress dipping to watch Scorpius settling against her and Draco climbing back into bed.

"Should we get up?" She asked Draco even as she cradled the baby against her. "It's Christmas."

"Why?" He looked totally baffled by her question.

"Well for Scorpius, and presents." She spoke the sentiment that seemed obvious.

Draco smirked and cut his eyes towards Scorpius who had nestled himself against her, not asleep, but completely content. "Really?," He responded. "He's ten months old, he has no idea what day it is. And I don't know about you, but I'm pretty comfortable and have nowhere to be for several hours," he finished as he wrapped his arm around both of them.

He and Scorpius were headed off to Malfoy Manor that afternoon for Christmas dinner and Hermione was going to her parents'. Exasperated by the lack of invitation for Hermione to his ancestral home, Draco had talked about skipping the meal and just going along with her, but she'd refused to allow it, unwilling to drive such an obvious wedge between him and his parents. She supposed the snub was rather rude, but then again, his parents had only known about their relationship for a matter of days, perhaps in their minds it really was too soon to invite her to such an intimate family gathering. She doubted it, but she was unwilling to condone such a destructive blow this quickly.

She bent her neck to kiss the top of Scorpius' head. "Good morning little love, are you happy to stay in bed?"

"Up," he responded, patting her chest.

She chuckled. Scorpius didn't quite understand the context of that word and used it as a request to be picked up as well as to be held. But that still gave her an answer. When she looked back to Draco he was glaring at her playfully.

"Oh, I see how it is. When we're in bed alone you're all: 'oh Draco touch me, oh yes, don't stop, please never stop.' But when he's here I don't even get a good morning kiss."

"Draco!" She clapped her hand over Scorpius' ears, glaring at him. "Not in front of the baby."

He just snorted.

"And your imitation of me is terrible, by the way. I've not ever begged you to never stop."

He arched one eyebrow in her direction and cupped her hip with his hand possessively. "Last night, Hermione. Repeatedly."

She felt her face heat- she remembered now. Perhaps he'd taken it in a merely sexual context, but she knew that her subconscious had been giving away a little more information than she was comfortable with while her inhibitions were down.

He went up on one elbow and leaned down to give her a long slow kiss. "It was incredibly hot," he assured her. "I love how vocal you are in bed, don't ever be embarrassed about that. Or think that I could ever get enough of you, so you don't have to worry about me ever stopping."

She tilted her head and gave him a kiss and then rubbed their noses together, a routine that Draco had finally grown accustomed to, but one she doubted he would ever stop teasing her about. However, she had a sneaking suspicion the simple affection actually pleased him greatly. "Good morning, love," she whispered.

"I have something for you," he told her as he turned over and removed something from the drawer of his bedside table.

"I thought you didn't want to do presents yet."

He smirked, but his eyes were wary. "I think I might have something of a fight on my hands about this with you and I find you're more...malleable in bed, so I'd like for you to open it now."

"Oh, baby boy, what has your daddy done now?" She cooed at Scorpius and maneuvered herself into a sitting position while keeping Scorpius positioned on her lap.

"Dada," he said gravely.

She laughed and winked at Draco as she took the box wrapped in gold paper with a deep green ribbon from Draco. "Scorpius helped, so you can't say no," he told her.

"I can't say no?" She began to panic slightly.

"It's not an engagement offering," he assured her. "I just mean that you have to accept it or you'll hurt his feelings."

She rolled her eyes but said nothing and unwrapped the present. Flipping the box open she barely looked inside before she immediately shut it again. "Holy shit Draco! I cannot accept this."

"Yes you can." He was utterly calm and it was irritating, as if he hadn't just gifted her with something practically priceless.

"Draco, that's a charm bracelet."

"Yes."

"A magical charm bracelet."

"Yes." He repeated, amused or annoyed, she couldn't tell.

"Those are hideously expensive," she blew out a breath and ran a hand threw her tangled hair. "They're practically a myth. Does your mother even have one of these?"

He just shook his head. "My father barely knows enough about runes to maintain the wards of the estate. He wouldn't want to admit to an enchanter that he didn't have the skills to add to the runic work, a personal signature is the only way these are really effective. Which is the real reason they fell out of favor, not the cost. Plenty of families have gold to throw around."

"Pure bloods are so lazy." The words spilled out of her mouth before she realized what she was saying but as she spoke she clapped a hand over her mouth. "I'm sorry!"

"You're not wrong," he shrugged, "and you've never given any indication that you think that of me personally, so I can't really be offended." He took the box from her, opened it, and removed the bracelet. He placed it in his palm and extended his hand so that she could examine it.

It was a work of art which put even the necklace he'd given her to shame. It radiated magic, though she assumed she was more aware of that than most people would be as it was anchored in Draco's magic. However, it was clearly not blood bound to him like Scorpius' pendant, but powered by the thumbnail sized sapphire dangling from one end. The links were engraved in tiny, elegant rune work and she found herself nearly overwhelmed.

There were three charms aside from the sapphire: a mortar and pestle which she assumed was meant to represent the apothecary where this had all started, a dragon for him, and an otter for her. She was glad he'd decided on things that represented them personally instead of their Hogwarts houses. More could be added later for significant events in their lives. She hoped there were many more. And that's when she knew that he had won, there was no way she could refuse this gift, no matter how outrageously extravagant.

"This took a lot of work, Draco." She said, gazing at the bracelet. It was, in fact, a great act of love as it would have taken time and a great deal of effort: both intellectual and magical, to commission such a piece. And they had only been together for about two months. She felt a little dizzy with it. "Did you ask Claire to help with the charms?" They were so intricate, she sensed an artist's touch in their creation.

He nodded. "She cried for what felt like forever after I asked her, which is another reason you can't refuse this. Plus, Scorpius chose the sapphire."

"He did not," she refuted automatically.

Draco raised an incredulous eyebrow in her direction. "I narrowed it down to four and then I had him choose the one he was most drawn to. He's attuned to both of our magic, and he's without prior misconceptions. I assure you, he picked that sapphire, he was quite anxious to naw on it, had he been allowed."

And, as if he understood, Scorpius took that opportunity to snatch the bracelet from Draco's hand and stick one end in his mouth. Hermione laughed but quickly removed it, stiffening in shock at the magical surge she felt when it touched her skin. She took a deep breath to maintain her composure, handed it back to Draco, and just wordlessly extended her wrist so that he could attach it.

He appeared momentarily stunned but just shook his head and laughed to himself. "Thank you," he said and kissed her wrist as he clasped the bracelet onto it. "Delicate but strong, just like you."

"Draco," she took a shuddering breath. "Thank you. This is an unbelievably beautiful gesture and only your son would decide to use a- oh Merlin, please never tell me how much this cost!"

He chuckled. "Deal, as long as you're accepting it."

She nodded. "Anyway, only your son would think to use something so expensive and powerful as a teething ring."

Draco just continued to smile "He has good tastes, just look where he's parked his little bum," he eyed his son in Hermione's lap.

She rolled her eyes and examined the bracelet more closely, imminently curious. "Truly Draco, this is amazing, but you didn't have to do it."

"I know I didn't. But you're a target, even more so now that you're with me. And you're often alone with Scorpius. I know you can more than handle yourself, but I'll rest better knowing you're protected, and I'll do everything I can to protect what's mine."

"Yours, huh?"

He just nodded and she couldn't dispute it.

"That's a terribly manipulative way to get me to accept an extravagant gift."

"Maybe." He kissed her forehead. "But you're involved with the wrong wizard if that bothers you too much."

She leaned forward and kissed him. She was in so much trouble.

It had been more difficult than she cared to admit to part with Draco and Scorpius so they they could go to their respective families for Christmas- and she was almost late.

"That's a beautiful bracelet love, why do I sense it has more significance than just a charm bracelet?" Hermione's mother asked when they sat down to Christmas dinner, and she had a sneaking suspicion she'd been holding her tongue until Hermione couldn't easily escape the question.

Hermione took a deep breath. "It's a magical charm bracelet, I'm not certain of the history but I think enough of the story leaked over into the non-magical world and that they were originally created to be talismans against things that could hurt you. In reality, a magical one is enchanted to protect the wearer."

"It looks...expensive," her mother ventured.

Hermione braced herself, but decided to tell them the truth- hiding things had nearly destroyed their relationship in the past. "It is, I've asked Draco never to tell me how expensive- his wealth is a little overwhelming. But that's not what's amazing about it. It takes a good deal of time and effort to have one of these made, the gifter has to aid in the enchanting for it to be truly effective and as it will call Draco's magic to me in a time of need it also requires a great deal of commitment and emotional trust. Charms can be added as our relationship progresses and strengthens. If we were ever to have any more children…" she trailed off as the gravity of what he'd done hit her like a bludger to the chest. He'd said he wasn't giving her an engagement ring but what he'd done was in some ways much more serious.

She saw her parents exchanging glances, that silent communication they'd been capable of all her life, which she realized she was beginning to share with Draco.

"Should we be concerned?" Her father asked.

"You like Draco, right?"

Her father nodded, though he tried to look reluctant about it.

"He's a remarkable young man, Hermione," her mother said. "If I didn't know about his past I never would have guessed. But knowing what I know, his thoughtfulness and open mindedness is rather astonishing."

"Yeah," she grinned to herself.

"And then there's that smile, I support anything that puts that expression on your face," Helen added.

"Well, good, because he's not going anywhere," she said, as she felt something settle within her soul.

They were just starting dessert when a slight popping sound came from the back garden where Hermione had set up a discreet apparition point, which was soon followed by a knock at the back door that could only belong to one person. Her mother jumped up to answer it.

She heard the door open. "Draco and Scorpius!" Her mother exclaimed and Hermione smiled to herself at the delight in her voice.

"I hope you don't mind. My father and uncle had begun debating the finer points of international potions regulations and it wasn't something I wanted to be caught up in. My cousin's husband helped me sneak out and Scorpius and I were just sitting at home."

"Nonsense! You're always welcome, you were welcome for dinner but I understand that you needed to see your own family."

Draco trailed Helen into the dining room, Scorpius perched on one hip, they'd both changed into smart but rather casual muggle clothing to match what Draco had seen her don before he'd left the house early that afternoon. Scorpius looked like he was contemplating leaping into her mother's arms. He adored Helen.

"Have a seat," Helen continued, gesturing to the table.

Draco pulled out his wand to transfigure a chair into a highchair for Scorpius as he had several times before.

"Oh, there's no need, we got him one for Christmas, along with a few other little things," Helen interrupted. "Richard go get it," she ordered.

Her father stood up and left the room, that was followed by the sound of a cupboard door opening and shutting, and then he returned carrying a white wooden chair which was actually very good quality but was, in Hermione's opinion, much more suited to a toddler than the mahogany monstrosity Scorpius had at home. (Which Draco had told her to replace, if it bothered her so much, but that just seemed like a further waste.)

"You didn't have to do that," said Draco automatically, his posture very straight and Hermione knew he was completely uncertain as to how to respond to this gesture.

"We wanted to!" Her mother tried to play it off. "When we were watching him the other night we realized we were depending a little too much on you magicals to make things baby friendly around here."

Draco glanced at her and she did her best to convey her hope that he would accept the gesture. Her parents already loved Scorpius, but at the moment she knew that they felt like they were borrowing him. This would go a long way to making them feel like they were a real part of his life. Draco must have recognized something in her expression because his eyes softened.

"Thank you very much," he sighed, and gave them a sheepish but genuine smile, "we're both grateful."

He placed Scorpius in the chair and the baby looked around with a grin, like he knew he was the new king of the castle and pounded on the tray.

"I suppose he's hungry," Draco said ruefully, seating himself beside Hermione and reaching out to squeeze her knee, "like he hasn't just eaten."

"I think he just likes the attention," she snickered, "I have no idea were he gets that from."

"How did you like the video camera?" Richard asked Draco when the newcomers had been served and they'd tucked back into the pudding. Scorpius had actually planted his face into the piece of cake Helen had given him and, by silent agreement, because it was Christmas Day, neither Draco nor Hermione attempted to reprimand him.

Draco's entire posture softened. Hermione had been almost overwhelmed by his reaction when she'd shown him his main gift and then hooked up the camera up to the large TV in the living room so he could watch the videos she'd been shooting surreptitiously of Scorpius over the past weeks. She would have gotten him a penseive but that wasn't just cost prohibitive, they were almost impossible to find, and the art of creating them had been lost. And, if she was being truly honest, she hoped to one day have the opportunity to share these memories, and future memories, with people who didn't have magic.

"It's fascinating, thank you for helping her choose it," Draco answered with a nod, knowing that she went to her father with all her electronics questions.

Richard just nodded. "Hermione's home movies are priceless."

She could practically feel Draco's eyes swivel to her at that revelation, and she knew he was smirking, but she refused to look at him.

"Well she hasn't said anything about that, I thought this was a new technology."

"It is relatively," Richard grinned, "but it was around when Hermione was a child."

"I'd very much like to see those."

Hermione was horrified, but she also felt the weirdest sensation of being totally pleased that the man she loved- despite his background- embraced her parents. Until her father actually began to run his home movies, then only the horror remained.

"So you've always been fascinated by books and babies?" Draco goaded her as they returned to his home later that night as he attempted to snag her around the waist.

"Shut up Draco," she hissed, batting his hands away from her with the hand she wasn't using to balance Scorpius on his hip. The joke was on him, he was completely turning her off to sex.

But he didn't seem to catch on. "It was adorable really, you reading to that doll. You couldn't actually read at two, could you? I didn't want to ask in front of your parents in case that was somehow insulting."

She was about to retort when she heard something that stopped her in her tracks, a whimper, like an animal in pain. "What was that?" She asked

"It was supposed to be another surprise." He blew out a breath.

It sounded like it was coming from the terrace and she immediately made her way in that direction. She threw the door open and blinked in surprise at what she encountered. There was a new, large fenced enclosure on the terrace, Effie was seated lotus style outside of it but she stood as soon as she saw Draco and Hermione. She smiled at them and popped away. Inside was a big, fluffy, white puppy who, at least didn't seem in distress, but just very anxious to greet them.

"You got Scorpius a puppy?" She asked, her voice sounding very distant to her own ears.

"I got us a puppy. Claire and Luc have this brilliant dog called Otto, he's easy and protective and good with kids so I asked them where they got him and they put me in correspondence with the breeder. They brought this guy home for us."

The puppy was pawing at his cage and whining again, obviously eager. Draco grinned and opened the gate. He rushed right to her, rubbing against her ankles, and she automatically took a step back when Scorpius tried to lean out of her arms, apparently wanting a closer look.

"It's okay," Draco assured her. "He's very friendly."

And amidst the fog of incomprehension she greeted and cuddled the- admittedly- adorable puppy. She heard Draco's voice in the background… "I always wanted a dog… I thought Scorpius should grow up with a dog… I've heard dogs are good for kids."

Several hours later, puppy and baby worn out and put to bed, Hermione mindlessly made her way to the master bedroom.

"You're upset," Draco said, trailing her into the bedroom.

"No," she denied, shaking her head. "But we need to talk."

It had taken her awhile to get a handle on her feelings about Draco making such a big decision as getting a dog without consulting her, and she eventually concluded that she was not upset so much as she was confused. She climbed up on the bed and turned to face him, crossing her legs under her. He followed and sat so that they were knee to knee.

"I'm pretty sure no good has ever come from the phrase, 'we need to talk.'"

She picked up one of his hands and began to play with his fingers. "What are we doing here, Draco?" She asked when she finally gathered her courage.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean I practically live here, but I still have my own place. I just feel like we're playing house and I want to be clear about exactly where we stand."

"What brought this on? I thought we had a good day today, but once we got home you went all quiet."

"Is this my home, though? Or is it yours, and I'm just staying here at the moment? You bought a dog, which is a pretty big deal. I mean there's a new living being here now that I'll be expected to help care for, but you didn't even ask me first."

"You're mad about the puppy?" Draco asked, eyes narrowed, obviously trying to dissect the problem.

She shook her head. "It just had me wondering if you consider my place here to be temporary, because I thought we were in the kind of relationship where we made these big decisions together. Did I misunderstand?"

"I'm an idiot." He said after a long moment of just gazing at her, and ran a hand over his face. He crawled across the bed to go through the drawer of his bedside table.

"Deja vu all over again," Hermione quipped when he returned holding two small boxes.

"I wasn't sure if you were ready for this and I chickened out giving you these this morning," he said as he handed her the larger of the two boxes.

It was simple white cardboard, left unwrapped. She removed the lid and inside was a key of the large, old-fashioned variety. She looked at him in confusion.

"It's symbolic of course, in our case, but it is the key to this house I was given when we closed the sale. Move in with us please, get rid of your flat, and next time there's a Ministry gala, get ready for it here. I'll even promise to stay out of your hair- when you're getting ready for parties that is- the rest of the time you can pretty much expect me to be all over you."

Hermione swallowed convulsively and tears welled up in her eyes. "Yes, of course." She didn't even need to think about it, her heart had settled here almost as soon as she'd walked into the place the first time.

He grinned and tackled her to the mattress, kissing her passionately.

"Okay, for the other part of this I need Scorpius," he explained as he jumped off the bed.

"You're going to wake the baby?" She went up on her elbows and eyed him in surprise.

He paused in the doorway and turned around to look at her, his expression had become much more serious. "I know he won't remember this, but one day we're going to tell him this story and I want him to have been here. Plus, he has a role to play."

Hermione's heart started pounding in her chest but she just nodded and he walked out of the room. She eyed the remaining box on the bed warily until he returned with a very bleary and irritated looking Scorpius in his arms.

They settled back on the bed and he handed her the second box. "Scorpius and I have a question for you."

Hermione's hands shook as she opened it and she immediately burst into tears when she saw what was inside.

"I really hope those are happy tears." She heard Draco say and she could only nod vigorously.

She wiped at her eyes so that she could look at the almost unbelievable gift Draco was offering her, a gift that made anything else she'd ever been given- even everything else he'd given her today- pale in comparison. It was a replica of the Scorpius pendant he wore around his neck and even before he'd posed his question, she understood what he was asking her.

She looked up to see that Scorpius was standing between Draco's legs, hanging onto the arm he had wrapped around his waist. They were certain that he was very close to taking his first steps, but the mattress was far too unstable for him to balance on his own. Both Malfoys wore nearly identical expressions of concern, that caused Hermione to let out a little sob of a laugh.

"Scorpius, who is this?" Draco gestured to Hermione when he saw that they once again had her attention.

Scorpius looked back and forth between them, he didn't say anything, but she got the impression that he generally understood the question.

"Scorpius," Draco said again, never turning his gaze from his son. "Is that Mummy?"

Scorpius looked straight at her and, once again, Hermione's heart began to race.

"Why don't you go to Mummy?" Draco encouraged on a whisper- but an easily heard one.

Hermione's breath caught in her chest when he immediately reached towards her, and when Draco released him, dropped to his knees and crawled onto her lap.

She hugged him to her chest until she felt that she could speak "Draco, how long have you been teaching him that?"

"How long has it been true?"

She buried her face against the top of Scorpius' head and took in his sweet baby scent but couldn't bring herself to answer- wasn't sure that she even could because it felt as if he'd always been hers.

"So," Draco said as he scooted forward as awkwardly as she'd ever seen him move, and then carefully wrapping his arms and legs around them both. "Would you like the position?"

"This was a risky little venture."

"No, love, it wasn't, you should see the way you look at him. It's just the truth, we both know it, but you want to make it official, and I've been dying to make it official."

She nodded stupidly. "Thank you."

"No, thank you."

"You manipulative little ferret," she laughed against the skin of his neck.

He actually looked even more pleased with himself at this pronouncement. "Whom you love."

"I love Scorpius, you're just a side benefit."

"Even if that was true, I think I might be okay with that arrangement. But I don't believe you." He nipped at her jaw over Scorpius' head. "And take note, sweetness, sooner rather than later I'll be asking you that other question which I know makes you so nervous right now."

She knew what he meant. She wasn't ready to become officially engaged to Draco, and she knew that might have seemed a little silly, but it had still only been a matter of weeks since his divorce had gone through, and their relationship had just become known to the public. It was one thing for them to settle things between them as a family, but that would be different. She was just pleased that Draco seemed to understand her feelings, just as she understood what she'd already promised both him and Scorpius. This was a done deal. They were hers, for better or for worse.

Author's note: Thanks for beta reading, Weestarmeggie! And thanks to you all for indulging me in my sappiness. And FYI though I'm not anywhere near done with this universe this story it beginning to wind down, unless the characters decide to throw something unexpected at me, that's been known to happen. There's just a few issues that need to be solved. Thanks for reading!