Chapter 26

He stumbled out of the floo at their house after her and wrapped his arms around her waist, burying his face in her neck. She hated the floo, but they'd both been too exhausted to apparate, nor did they want to spend the night at the Manor, the revelations of the previous day were too raw. Hermione knew it would be a long time before she was comfortable with either Draco or Scorpius spending much time there.

And then there was the way that Draco was behaving at the moment. The surge of power he'd received after the wards were set to right during the ritual had made him something like drunk and he was very, very handsy. She couldn't get them out of his parents' sight fast enough.

Frankly, she was hardly any better off herself, she felt a clawing need for him that was almost like a living thing in and of itself. But apparently the potential for massive embarrassment had been enough to curtail her urges for at least a few minutes.

They'd been given the all clear to return home after the ritual at the Manor was complete, the Lestranges apparently having gone back underground. Scorpius was with Andromeda, and Effie had taken the puppy to Hogwarts to visit some friends that morning before they'd ever traveled to the Ministry. Draco had requested that she get herself and the dog out of harm's way. Which thankfully meant they were completely alone when they arrived home.

She stumbled as his much larger body leaned against her. "Careful, love, I'm really not big enough to hold you up."

"Sorry," his hands snuck under her jumper and caressed the skin of her belly. "You just drive me crazy, it's like I can't keep my hands off you."

She smirked to herself then turned around and jumped into his arms, wrapping her legs around his waist.

"Oh but I'm supposed to hold you up?" He laughed, but squeezed one of her thighs reassuringly.

"Yes," she insisted, rubbing her core against his erection with a little moan.

He sucked in a sharp breath. "Oh yes," he hissed, "I want you so badly. My family magic is enthralled with you, it's intoxicating."

"So then why are you still talking?"

"Hmm?" His lips vibrated against hers.

"What are you waiting for?" She wriggled against him again. "You're still just standing here. Am I going to have to get down and take care of myself?" She taunted, even as she clung to him.

Because she was lying, of course. It was him that she wanted, that she needed, not just physical gratification. But that got his attention. He practically growled at her, tightened his hold on her, and began to stride through the house to the living room.

He tossed her onto the sofa with a little laugh at the look on her face as he did so, and she narrowed her eyes at his daring. But she scrambled to peel off her own clothes as she watched Draco do the same, mouth practically watering as his body was revealed to her.

Because she ached for him, no matter how annoyed she was with the way he was toying with her at the moment. He was completely naked while Hermione was still scrambling out of her knickers, her magical exhaustion making her clumsy. He helped her pull them down her legs and tossed them aside.

She reached up for him, wrapping her arms around his neck and tugging at his hair a little violently. He groaned and she eagerly spread her legs to allow him to settle between them.

"You feel it too?" He asked, voice muffled against her lips.

"Yes, need you," she confirmed, pulling him to her with all four limbs wrapped around him. She sighed when he sunk into her.

"Perfect," he muttered.

She breathed, enjoying the wonderful full feeling of him as always, but it was even somehow more tonight. Squirming beneath him, she couldn't help herself but practically beg him. "Move, Draco, oh Gods, move and don't hold back!"

"I don't want to hurt you," he said through gritted teeth.

"You won't. You never could!" She tugged on the hair at the back of his neck again and he made that growling sound that she had immediately decided she loved when she first heard it.

He placed his lips on her neck and sucked to the point of pain, she cried out but pressed his head even more closely against her skin as he started to increase his thrusts. She released his head and he pulled back but then dove right back in, leaving biting, sucking kisses along her neck and upper chest as she met his bruising rhythm enthusiastically, scoring her nails down his back.

Their magic built, met, melded. It wasn't unusual for their magic to commune when they were making love. But there was something new here, it felt like Draco, but also not. And if he was intoxicated, she was equally so.

It was almost too much. Almost too much for her to bear. But she trusted Draco and what they were together.

They continued at an almost punishing pace until they surged over what felt like a tsunami sized wave, and then crashed spectacularly. The height of her pleasure almost wrecked her, in fact it did feel like she's burst into tiny pieces, but it was also the most beautiful and satisfying thing she'd ever experienced.

She held him to her, wanting to prolong the sensation.

"Sweetness, I'm crushing you."

She relented, and while he was still trying to catch his breath he rolled off of her but turned her on her side and tucked her against him, her head underneath his chin, their legs tangled together. Then he summoned a blanket and pulled it on top of them, after a moment he tossed one end over their heads, making them a little cocoon. It was perfect, she wasn't ready to let the outside world- even if it was just their empty house- intrude on what they'd just shared.

"Hermione, that was-"

"Fantastic," she gasped. She was going to be sore in the morning, but she didn't regret it. In fact she might even resist taking a pain potion. She was a somewhat looking forward to the bodily reminder of what they'd just done.

"I'm actually not sure that's a strong enough word. That was the most intense experience of my life."

Hermione burrowed into him, breathing in his skin, He smelled of sweat, and sex, and just Draco; it was delicious. His heart hammered against her cheek in sync with her own which was still flying beneath her breast.

He cleared his throat. "Seriously love, my family magicks adore you. They're practically demanding that I marry you and make babies with you. And I have to admit, I'm very keen to get started."

She let out a little laugh. She felt it too. Not the same thing he was describing, but during the ritual she'd felt embraced- inundated even- by his magic, and it lingered within her still. It was one of the most intimate things she'd ever experienced and she hadn't been prepared for it. She certainly hadn't been prepared for the reaction it would trigger in them both.

"Sorry, but there will be no baby making tonight."

"Why not?" He whined as one of his hands drifted up her torso.

"I'm on the potion," she reminded him.

"Oh." She could practically feel him pouting.

"Did you actually forget that we weren't having unprotected sex?" She laughed again, Draco was usually so composed.

"I- I was kind of in a trance, I think."

"I know what you mean," she turned her face and kissed his sternum. "At least I got us away from your parents before I gave into it though."

"Sorry about that," he chuckled.

"And you probably scarred Harry for life." She would never forget the look on her best friend's face when, ritual complete, Draco practically tackled Hermione, knocking her out of the circle and attempting to work his hands under her top.

"I'm not sorry about that."

She snorted and rolled her eyes. "Of course you're not."

"Hermione?" His arms tightened around her and there was hesitation in his voice as he said her name.

"Yes?"

"What do you think about starting to try for a baby… relatively soon? Like maybe in the spring?"

"Draco-"

"I know what you've said, but I have a good feeling. If it doesn't happen, that's okay, you and Scorpius are more than enough for me, but I'd like to try. Scorpius will turn one year old in February and I just think it would be nice…" he trailed off and she felt his whole body tense. For a man who- from what she knew- had rarely been denied anything in his entire life, he seemed awfully hesitant to ask this of her. Then again, it wasn't every day you asked a person to create another human with you.

She was quiet for a long time, thoughts racing. She wanted to give Scorpius a sibling, there was no doubt about that. Being an only child had been rather lonely, she'd wished for a brother or sister for years before finally coming to accept that it wasn't going to happen. She had never asked her parents, but she was almost sure that at least part of the reason for that reality was that her accidental magic had frightened them, and that they hadn't wanted to risk bringing another child into such an unstable situation.

The magical world had taken from her as much as it had given.

And that's what it came down to. Sure, she had concerns about how quickly things had progressed between herself and Draco. If she was honest, she was mostly concerned about how other people would react to how swiftly their relationship had progressed. But she refused to let that cowl her. She'd long ago learned that she had to turn a deaf ear to gossip or she'd never survive in magical Britain.

No, that wasn't what was really holding her back, she was scared of getting her heart broken. Not by Draco, not anymore. But that she would let herself hope and try for a baby and it wouldn't work out.

"I'm afraid," she admitted, she could at least be Gryffindor enough to tell him what she was thinking.

"Me too," he kissed the top of her head. "I don't need an answer right now, we can talk it through, but I wanted to broach the subject."

She nodded. "Speaking of talking," she reminded him after a moment, "we have to talk about earlier today."

He snickered. "Damn, it was really too much to hope that the fantastic sex made you forget, wasn't it?"

"Ha, bloody, ha," she said, pinching his side lightly, but she did laugh.

They chuckled together for a moment and then he sighed. "Sorry sweetness, but I wouldn't even know where to begin talking about this."

"Well," she wriggled her way up his body so that they were face to face. "I guess it comes back down to the fact that I'm afraid. I'm not really living up to my sorting, am I?"

"I think that admitting you're afraid and trying to work through it rather than hiding from it is pretty brave, actually."

Hermione opened her mouth to respond and then closed it again, startled- that was awfully insightful. She was fairly sure she'd read something like that once, and had thought how true the sentiment was.

"Thank you Draco."

He just kissed her forehead.

"Do you remember when I told you that I was waiting for the other shoe to drop?"

His eyes widened with realization. "You're referring to when you told me that when things are going well in your life, the bottom always seems to drop out?"

She nodded. "When we got called in to the Ministry last night, it had barely been twenty four hours since you asked me to move in and to-" she choked on a sob and took a few deep breaths to regain her composure, "to be Scorpius' mother. And I know that I'm being more than a little paranoid, but the moment you got into it with Ron, I just saw that all getting taken away from me. If anything were to happen to you, if you let yourself get into trouble I wouldn't just lose you, I'd lose Scorpius." She paused as she processed her own words. "Wow, that sounds incredibly selfish when I say it out loud."

He shook his head. "I love that you love him that much."

"I didn't mean it like that though, losing you would be just as devastating."

"That's nice to hear, but I knew what you meant. And I'm sorry that I made you worry. I'm especially sorry that I acted immaturely and caused Weasley to reveal such personal information about you. But I also don't understand why he's been allowed to treat you like this for so long?" He took a deep breath, his eyes searching her face. "Why do you put up with it? He cheated on you, and then he married the slag. Why should you be expected to be around them and listen to their vitriol? Why would you do that to yourself?"

"What other choice do I have?"

"Fight back!" He nearly shouted, but the lowered his voice again when she started. "Sorry, love. Maybe just don't put yourself in a position where you have to be around them?" He suggested.

"I fought with Ron for years," she huffed, she was embarrassed by how many times she'd had this conversation with various people. "It only makes him more vicious, as you saw last night."

"So just avoid them."

She let out a long breath. "I'm James' godmother. Did you know that Ron is his godfather, on top of being his uncle? And George might love me like a sister, but Ron actually is his brother. I'm not welcome at, or even invited to most Weasley family events these days, and that's fine. I understand. But should I expect Harry and George to not include Ron when they have parties, especially for their children?"

She swallowed and Draco caressed her face, just watching and waiting while she gathered herself before she continued, a courtesy she very much appreciated.

"Or should I just skip these gatherings to spare my own feelings? Despite all that I would be missing, and the fact that the children involved are innocent in all of this and wouldn't understand my motivations?" She eventually asked.

"Okay, I had failed to consider that," Draco conceded.

"And then there's the fact-" she bit her lip and looked at him straight in the eye, "and you're not going to like this."

"Go ahead."

She took a deep breath. "At one time Ron was my best friend. It wasn't always a healthy relationship, but we lived through some things together that leave marks on your soul, things only the two of us experienced, propping Harry up through the war; that doesn't just go away, you know?"

He nodded.

"Our lives were tied together long ago and it's not an easy thing to undo those bonds."

He stroked her arm as he appeared to be gathering his thoughts. "I hear what you're saying, but at the same time I don't really understand. Pansy would never treat me the way Weasley has treated you. Potter wouldn't either, Merlin, I don't even think Potter would be so callous to me anymore."

His point rankled. "I'm not defending his behavior, it's just- the Weasleys were really all I had in the magical world for a long time. I can't ask them to turn their backs on Ron, nor can I force Molly and Arthur to make him behave. But the idea of completely washing my hands of them is painful. And George and Harry are inexorably tied to them, what kind of position would that put them in if I tried?"

There was as long silence. "Okay, I'll admit, this is a lot more complicated than I had considered. I'm sorry for you. But I'm not just going to sit back and accept the state of things. That said, I will consider the circumstances when and if I'm faced with dealing with Weasley's behavior in the future."

"Thank you. And again, I apologize for my reaction. What must your family think of me?"

"After what you did for us today?" He scoffed. "They can get over it. And I noticed you and my mother were calling each other by your first names." He stroked her cheek.

"She asked me to, when we were talking this morning."

"I don't suppose you're going to tell me what the two of you discussed?"

"I think I'm going to keep that between the two of us." She brushed her nose against his. "I assure you she was perfectly polite. I think that maybe, one day, she might actually be okay with this," she gestured between the two of them.

"I think you may be right."

She just tilted her head, the question obvious.

"We were married for months before she invited Astoria to call her 'Narcissa,'" he admitted, "and even then I think she just felt obligated to do so."

"Well, I'm honored then. She was pretty great this afternoon. She didn't even hesitate to volunteer for the ritual."

His lips quirked, not quite a smile, but an acknowledgement. "The way she spoke to my father, that was something. It made me feel…" he trailed off, apparently searching for a word.

"Loved?"

"Yeah," he breathed.

She drew her arms out from between them and wound them around his neck. "You are. I assure you, you are so loved." She kissed his jaw.

There was a beat of silence. "So it's time for the makeup sex now, right?"

She let out a startled laugh. "Didn't we already do that?"

"I was told we had to talk before the makeup sex, we hadn't talked earlier. That was 'drunk on ritual magic sex.'"

"Oh well, we do need to make sure to do things properly," she grinned at him.

He grinned in return and rolled back on top of her.

About an hour later they were sweaty and breathing heavily again. She was sprawled out on his chest as he danced his fingers up and down her spine.

"I love you, you know that right?"

"Of course," she turned her head and kissed his neck. "I love you too."

"Hermione," his voice was low, almost commanding and she automatically lifted her head to look at him. "Marry me, then."

She reared back in shock and studied his face, she knew he was serious but she still found it difficult to believe what he'd just said.

"I'm sorry, I should have phrased that as a question." He smiled at her and gave her a brief kiss. "Hermione Granger, I love you completely. You are the mother of my son and will be to any other children I might be lucky enough to have. You make me want to be a better man and a better father just by being you. Please, Hermione, will you marry me?"

She just continued to stare at him.

"I'm sorry," she saw insecurity sneak into his expression. "I know that we had this unspoken agreement to wait to take this step. I don't even have a ring-"

"I don't need a ring," she interrupted

He smiled softly but rolled his eyes. "You're getting a ring. You're a muggleborn witch who spends a significant about of time in her parents world. I intend to honor their traditions. For that matter, I had intended to ask for your parents blessing before I asked you for your hand."

Given his amused expression, Hermione knew that her face must have betrayed her surprise at this declaration, but she could help it. She didn't know how he was even aware of this tradition. Wizards didn't ask for a witch's parents' blessing, they just negotiated contracts.

"You're not the only one who can read," he teased.

"I- well, of course not." She was touched that he'd put so much thought into this, but she was surprised. "Draco, you only got divorced last month."

He actually looked amused at this. "Are you concerned that I'm still hung up on Astoria?"

"I just don't want the rest of our lives, of our children's lives to be mired in scandal. I know there's only so much we can do to prevent that, but if we move this fast everybody will assume we were having an affair before you split with Astoria."

He ran both hands down her sides in a soothing manner. "I don't care about my reputation, but I have no intention of damaging yours, or Scorpius,' for the future. We don't have to tell anybody. I'm not asking you to get married tomorrow. We'll take our time, plan whatever our dream wedding looks like, settle in as a family. But I'd really love to hear you say that you'll be mine. My family magicks, Hermione, I think they claimed you tonight. I didn't even know that was possible but I cannot deny the effect it's had on me."

As soon as he said it aloud she knew he was right. She might have been disturbed by the concept, except she had felt her own magic welcome everything Draco had to offer. It had happened during the ritual, but she was certain their magic had just been waiting for an opportunity. If his family magic had claimed her, her own magic had been itching to pounce on him and do the same.

She knew now that, even if Lucius had been a candidate to be the focus of the ritual by blood, it never would have worked with him. It had ended up requiring an incredible amount of trust between herself and Draco to accomplish as he allowed her to weave through his magic with her own, untangling it from Bellatrix's insidious invasion.

And the outcome had been beautiful. It was really no surprise that they had been unable to keep their hands to themselves when it had all been over. That level of magical joining was practically unprecedented and their bodies had been yearning for the same thing.

"Yeah, okay," she said, almost without thinking.

His lips slowly curved in to a smile. "Yeah, okay?" He mocked her casual answer.

"You're the one who asked me to marry you while we were naked and buried under a blanket," she taunted in return.

"I'll take 'yeah, okay,'" he said.

"Okay then."

He buried his face in her neck and rubbed his stubbly chin against her skin, she squealed with laughter and he flipped her over until she was pinned beneath him again. "Okay."

"Okay."

"My new favorite word."

Author's Note: I feel like I sometimes get repetitive, but also that I don't say this enough: I am so thankful and overwhelmed by the amount of support and love this story and my writing in general has gotten ever since I first started posting. You guys are just wonderful. This story was recently nominated in the Granger Enchanted Survivors Awards for best WIP, it made it all the way to the finals and ended up as runner-up. You lovely people out there did that. Thank you a million times over. But really, really, just thank you for reading. Beta love to Weestarmeggie. See y'all soon!