A/n: Sorry for the delay! Life has been busy, and I've also been busy with another story. Here it is though!

Chapter Nine

Harry waited until he thought Severus might be ready to eat lunch and then headed over. He reached Diagon Alley and made straight for Severus's shop. He knocked at the door, and after a brief moment, a rather irate Severus answered the door. Harry didn't care about that because nothing could keep the smile off his face. The look on the older man's face disappeared as soon as he saw who was the door. "I take it from the look on your face your Healer's appointment went well," he said. "That and the fact that if you weren't cleared, you would have Flooed me instead of coming here yourself."

Harry nodded. "Yes, it did go well," he said. "Are you stopping for a bit? Can I come in?"

Severus nodded, moving aside to allow Harry to enter. "I was just about to stop for lunch."

"Great, how about lunch? We haven't been out since we've been together." Harry looked up at him.

Severus nodded. "Let me take these robes off," he said. "These are potion-stained."

"Aren't all of yours?" Severus didn't respond to that, but it left Harry chuckling.

He came back down a few minutes later, in slacks and a shirt. "I figured it would be a Muggle place that we were going to," Severus said.

Harry nodded. "Yes, I was thinking that one diner that we went to before," he said. "If that's okay with you."

"That is perfectly acceptable," he said, and within a few minutes, they were headed out of Diagon Alley and into the Muggle World beyond. "So, what did the Healer say?"

Harry looked up at him as they walked. "He said I was cleared." Severus raised an eyebrow, and the younger man gave a sigh. "Okay, there is more to it than that." He hated how perceptive the potions master was sometimes. "Healer Brown doesn't think that I'm going to heal any more than I already am. I can't start work until next month, and when I do, they'll have to test me to make sure that I am no longer addicted to potions of any kind. I haven't had any since the contract between us ended, but I suppose they have to make sure one of their Healers-in-Training isn't a Potions Addict. Anyway," he continued before Severus started to ask any questions, "he said that I should gradually start getting more active again and doing more physical things, but as long as I'm not feeling any pain, I should be fine. If I do start feeling pain, then I should stop and go see him right away."

Severus listened patiently and nodded while Harry talked before speaking himself. "So, while you are cleared, you still need to take it easy for a while?" He clarified.

Harry groaned. "Yes, you're enjoying this, aren't you?"

Severus chuckled as they reached the diner. "Yes, I am," he said but as the conversation about sex was probably not appropriate for a public diner the conversation ended there. "At least you are off bed rest now. You should be thrilled about that."

Harry nodded as they sat down. "I am," he said. "It'll be nice to be able to get my life back to normal." They ordered waters and then looked at the menus. "It'd also be nice to go on a real date with you."

Severus looked up from the menu. "A real date? You do not call what we have been doing dating ?" He raised an eyebrow.

"Yes, of course," Harry said, "but we haven't gone out together because I've been hurt the entire time. It'd be nice to out to a real restaurant like couples do." He looked up at Severus, looking for any kind of reaction to the word "couple." After all, they had not really discussed the nature of their relationship.

"I do not think going out means that we have not had any real dates," he said. "For instance, I think my birthday was a real date." No reaction came, and that made Harry glad. It hadn't been easy for them to get together, but Severus wasn't backing down or skirting from the conversation. That pleased him quite a bit.

Harry nodded as the waitress came back. "Yes, that's true," he said, before ordering a cheeseburger. Severus ordered a chicken caesar salad. "I still want to be able to go out. Don't you want to?" He knew that the older man was a solitary person who preferred the comfort of his own place and potions to doing anything else. He knew that, but that didn't mean that they couldn't go out. "Like we're doing now," he emphasized.

Severus nodded. "Yes, I knew what you meant," he said, "and I would be perfectly okay with that. How about this Saturday night? I know of a place that we could go to that I think you would like."

Harry smiled brightly at him. "Great! It's a date then." He was excited, and he wondered if he should be this excited. He was just so glad that he didn't have to stay home and watch the telly. It was one thing to do that by choice; it was another when you were told to do that and didn't have a choice. It had been a long, frustrating month and while he knew he wasn't completely out of the woods yet, he was glad to be moving forward again.

"Are you excited to be one step closer to starting work?" Severus asked. "Nervous?"

Harry nodded. "A little of both," he said. "I can't wait, though. I don't feel like I'm floating around aimlessly anymore, you know? I should probably brush up a bit before I go back next month." The thought hadn't occurred to him, but he should probably having been doing that before. It had been a month that he had been on bed rest. "Work at the shop going well?"

"Yes, quite well, thank you," Severus said. He talked about it for a bit as their food was delivered and they began eating. "Also, I think I may have failed to mention it, but I have started writing my own book."

Harry looked up, a bit surprised. "The one I suggested? Really?"

Severus nodded. "Yes, it was a good idea, and also like you suggested, I will be using a pseudonym."

Harry smiled at him. "I'm glad I could give you a good idea," he said. It was nice to know that even before they had gotten together, Severus had still actually listened to him. That meant more than words could say.

"I'm still working on the first draft. I can't devote as much time to it as I would like, with the shop as my own work," Severus explained. "I am sure that Hermione would be anxious to read it when I am done." She would definitely be excited about it when he told her about it later.

After they had paid for the food, they made their way back to Diagon Alley. They reached Severus's shop, and the older man opened the door and led Harry inside. He wrapped his arms around him, and Harry did the same before Severus leaned down and captured his lips in a kiss. He pressed himself against the older man as he returned the kiss. It didn't last nearly as long as Harry wanted it to before Severus pulled back. "As enjoyable as that is, I do have to work. I will pick you up Saturday at six?"

Harry smiled brightly. "Yes, Saturday at six. I can't wait." With that, he left, allowing Severus to get back to his work as he headed out of Diagon Alley.

~*o*x*o*x*o*x*o*x~

Severus pulled away from Harry, and the younger man groaned. "Such impatience," said the potions master with a chuckle.

Harry looked up at him and rolled his eyes. "It's not funny," he said.

"I disagree," Severus said. "You need to gain your strength back before we go any farther. You are already worn out."

Harry groaned, but he knew that the older man was right. Severus had picked him up at six, and they had gone to dinner at a nice Chinese restaurant. After that, they had gone to the cinema. After that, they had just walked around London until Harry started to get worn out. Severus had taken him back home. Severus had leaned down to kiss him goodnight, and as usual, as soon as things were getting good, he pulled away. It was more annoying than anything else, but he knew that Severus was right - as usual. "I hate it that you're always right," he said. "Does that ever get annoying?"

Severus looked at him with a very serious expression and said, "No. It doesn't."

Harry just shook his head and chuckled. He was about to say something else when the door opened, and a slightly startled-looking Hermione came in. "Oh, I'm sorry if I'm interrupting something," she said. Something looked off about her, but he couldn't place his finger on it.

Severus shook his head. "No, I was just leaving," he said, leaning down and giving Harry another kiss.

"Same time next week?" Harry asked.

"Of course," Severus said, removing his arms from Harry's waist and disappearing through the Floo.

Harry turned to Hermione, who was still standing by the door. "Are you okay?" he asked her. "What, did Draco propose to you or something?"

That seemed to snap Hermione out of her shock because she rolled her eyes. "Of course not," she said. "It's just…" She walked over and sat down on the couch. "He asked me to come to dinner at the Manor next weekend."

Oh. Harry understood Hermione's shock now. He couldn't imagine going to dinner at the Malfoy's, especially when you knew that it would be an unpleasant night. That, and they hadn't been dating very long, either. "What did you tell him?"

"Yes, of course," she said. "After I told him I thought it was a bit too soon. We've only been dating a month, after all. And I know what his parents think of me. I'm Muggle-born. I wouldn't blame him if he wanted to put it off for a while, but he said no. He's not ashamed of us. He thinks things are going quite well, and we both are starting to care for each other. So, he thinks there's no point in putting off what we know will be a less than perfect night, to put it mildly."

Harry had come to sit next to her on the couch. Hermione looked over at him, wringing her hands in her lap. He put his arm around her shoulders, and she leaned into him. "It'll be fine, Hermione," he said. "Just don't let them get to you."

"It's not that I care what they think," Hermione said. "It's just, the only other boyfriend's parents I met were Molly and Arthur, and they already knew me. I never met Viktor's parents, because of course, they're in Bulgaria. He and I weren't serious anyway."

"But you think that you and Draco are going in that direction?"

Hermione nodded. "Yes, I do, and it's hard to make a good first impression when they already hate you," she said.

Harry felt bad for her because this was not a problem for him. Severus had no relatives. He knew that the potions master was close to the Malfoys and while he would probably have dinner with them at some point, it wasn't anywhere near the same thing. "You're a strong, independent woman, Hermione," he said. "You can handle the likes of Lucius and Narcissa Malfoy. I have faith in you, and I know Draco does, too."

Hermione straightened herself up. "You're right," she said. "It'll be fine. I know they don't like me and they never will. But that doesn't matter because what does is matter is how Draco and I feel about each other." She stood up and smiled down at him. "Thanks, Harry."

"Of course," he said. "Anytime." He could only wait to hear how that night turned out. This was definitely going to be interesting.

~*o*x*o*x*o*x*o*x~

Hermione stood in front of her full-length mirror, staring at her reflection. She was wearing long, formal black dress robes. Tonight was the night of her family dinner with her boyfriend's parents. Normally, that wouldn't be a big deal. It was, however, when you were a Muggle-born, and your boyfriend's parents happened to be Lucius and Narcissa Malfoy. In hindsight, she should have invited Harry to come with her. Severus was friends with the Malfoys, but it was too late for that. They had a date tonight, and she wasn't going to ask them to change that for her.

In addition to her formal dress robes, she put her hair up in a neat bun and kept her makeup minimal. She had also paired everything with the diamond earrings that Draco had gotten her for Christmas, as they were probably the most expensive piece of jewelry that she owned. She knew that they wouldn't like her. Her blood was enough to do that for them. That didn't mean that she didn't want to try and make them hate her as little as possible. She didn't think her clothes would make a difference in that matter, but at least it was helping her piece of mind.

Taking a breath, she steeled herself to walk out into the living room when she heard a knock on the door. "Draco's here," Harry said from the other side of the door.

"Thanks, I'm coming," she said, heading out.

Draco was standing there in the living room, waiting for her. "Not that you don't always look great, but you look like you're headed for a funeral, not dinner," he said, taking a look at her. "Smile a little." He leaned forward and pressed a kiss to her lips.

"I'm just nervous," she said, wringing her hands together in front of her.

"Don't be," Draco said. "It's going to be a trainwreck, either way, so might as well just relax and enjoy the good food. The food is always good." He smiled at her. Hermione couldn't help it, but despite her nervousness, she smiled back. "Relax." He reached his hands up to her shoulders and gave them a quick massage. Hermione let out a slight moan. "Better?"

She smiled up at him. "Better," she said. "I just… I've never walked into something like this. With Molly and Arthur, I already knew them, and they liked me. Now, I'm going in, and there's nothing I can do. They will hate me. They will think that I am not good enough for you, and as long as we're together, I have to deal with that." It meant the world to her that he was standing by her. It was just another sign of how much he'd changed that he was willing to go against his family because he thought their relationship had potential.

Draco wrapped his arms around her, and Hermione let her herself be enveloped. "Don't worry about it," he said. "I don't care, and neither should you." She nodded. "Let's go before we're late."

"Can't have that now, can we?" She said sarcastically. Draco raised an eyebrow as they walked towards the Floo. She knew that she wasn't normally a sarcastic person, but the words had come out before she could stop herself. "Too much time around Harry, I guess. He's starting to rub off on me."

The blond chuckled and was about to step towards the Floo when he stopped and turned back towards her. "Before we go in, you know that I would never ask you to compromise what you believe, right?" Hermione nodded, wondering what it was he was getting at. "You know that my parents have House Elves, right?"

"Of course, the Malfoy Family always has," she said. "I assumed they replaced Dobby."

Draco nodded. "And you realize that my parents are not pleasant people and will not treat the House Elves like you think they should be treated?"

Suddenly, it clicked to Hermione. Draco didn't want a fight breaking out because she said something against their treatment of House Elves in their own home. "There are times and places for such things, and I realize that tonight is not one of them," she said. "I won't lie to them, but I won't go out of my way to antagonize them about something I know they disagree with me on."

Draco smiled and gave her another kiss. "Thank you," he said. "I appreciate that. You also know that they will not treat you the way that you should be treated, either, and that does not have a reflection on our relationship."

Hermione smiled up at Draco. "Yes, I know," she said. "I would never hold anything they say against you." He gave her hand a squeeze. She knew that neither of them wanted a fight, but she wasn't going to back down on her opinions or beliefs for his parents. She wouldn't go out of her way to pick a fight with them over something they knew she and they disagreed on, but she was going to defend herself. Draco knew her well enough to know that.

There was no changing Lucius and Narcissa's minds on anything, Hermione told herself. The important thing about tonight was that she cemented herself as Draco's girlfriend and that nothing was going to change that. Nothing else mattered, not personal or political disagreements that were bound to come up between them. It may be true that she and Draco had only been dating for just over a month, but she had never quite felt like this. They needed to know that she was not going anywhere.

Within a moment, they were headed towards Malfoy Manor for what was bound to be the longest dinner of her entire life.

~*o*x*o*x*o*x*o*x~

Hermione soon found herself standing in the foyer of Malfoy Manor. A nervous House Elf appeared as the two of them were dusting themselves off. "Master and Mistress are waiting for you," it said, as she couldn't tell whether it was male or female. She tried to remind herself that this was not the time to preach over the treatment of house elves. Draco's parents were never going to change.

"Yes, we know, thank you," Draco said, dismissing the House Elf with a wave of his hand. The elf popped away, as Draco put his arm around her shoulders. She smiled nervously up at him as he led her down the hall to a sitting room. In two, large high-backed chairs sat Lucius and Narcissa Malfoy. As they both sat there, their eyes went straight for her, unveiled disdain in them as they looked upon her. "Mother, Father, you know Hermione Granger, my girlfriend. Hermione, you know my parents, Lucius and Narcissa."

"Yes, of course," said Lucius Malfoy, though neither of them got up to greet her. Draco's arm tightened around her shoulder as he led her to a sofa. "Something to drink, Ms. Granger?"

"Oh, white wine, please," she said, as she wrung her hands together in her lap. "Any kind is fine with me, and please, call me Hermione."

Lucius Malfoy snapped his fingers, and the nervous house elf appeared again. "A glass of white wine for our guest. Now." The elf bowed, and a moment later, appeared with a glass of wine at her elbow.

"Thank you," she said to the elf. Damn the Malfoys if they didn't believe in thanking elves.

"So, you and Draco have been seeing each other," said Narcissa. Her tone said that she was trying to be conversational, but Hermione could tell that she was just faking it.

"Yes, we have," Hermione said. "For just over a month now." She took a sip of her wine, reminding herself to sit up a little straighter. She wasn't going to let them intimidate her or make her uncomfortable in any way. She was better than that. "By the way, you have a very nice place. This manor is wonderful."

"Yes, thank you," said Lucius, though he didn't sound grateful at all. "It's been in the family for generations. So, when did you two start to get... acquainted."

Hermione looked up at Draco and wondered how much he had told them. She doubted that he had mentioned the group therapy sessions to them. She figured that wasn't something that they would understand. That would be for him to tell his parents; it was not her place to tell them that about their son if he didn't want them to know yet. "We ran into each other and started talking about things that happened in the past, our beliefs…. It just started out as short conversations, and then we started talking more and more. We started having drinks, and then he asked me out to dinner… the rest, as they say, is history."

"Yes, we found that we actually get along quite well," Draco said. "I do believe that I told you that we had been talking."

"Of course you did, but we wanted to hear what your girlfriend had to say," Narcissa said.

Hermione did not miss the tone in Narcissa's voice, but she didn't shrink under their gazes. She refused to back down. She had been invited here by their son, and she needed to make sure that they knew that she was not going anywhere. She was going to cement herself as the woman in their son's life, whether they liked it or not.

Just then, the nervous House Elf appeared again. "Dinner is ready, Master," it said, bowing to Lucius.

"Shall we?" Lucius said, standing. The group moved into the dining room. Hermione marveled silently to herself at how three people could live in a place like this. She had grown up in a nice house, but she was sure that her parent's entire house could fit in Malfoy Malfoy many times over. It seemed like too much for her.

Once they got into the dining room and were seated, the food was served. The first course was a Caesar salad. There was brief silence before Narcissa spoke again. "Things are going well, then, I take it?" Once again, Hermione did not miss the tone in the women's voice, as if she was looking for something to pick on.

Hermione nodded as she ate. "Yes, quite well," she said.

"What do you do for a living, Hermione?" Lucius asked in between lulls as they were finishing their salads.

"I work at the Ministry in the Department for the Regulation and Control for Magical Creatures," Hermione said, and she talked briefly about what did she there. "However, Draco has convinced me to change departments, so I am going to transfer to the Magical Law Enforcement Department."

"Yes, we may not agree on everything, but she agreed with me that it was the best way to make herself heard," Draco said, giving her a smile. Hermione smiled back at him as the main course was served. It was herb and lemon chicken with garlic potatoes and roasted vegetables. It smelled delicious, and while Hermione hated the way the Malfoy's treated their House Elves, she had to admit the food was good. "Have I told you about what's going on at work?" Draco started talking about the various projects that he was working on , and Hermione more than appreciated not having to deal with more questions or fake polite conversation, at least for a bit.

Hermione interjected a couple of comments but was overall silent as dinner went on with Draco monopolizing most of the conversation, that is until Lucius spoke up. "It is impolite to not let our guest talk," the family patriarch said. "So, are you nervous about moving to a new department?"

Hermione nodded. "Yes, a bit, but overall, I'm quite excited," she said. "I want to make a difference, and I do agree that the best way to do that is from a new position. Dinner is delicious, by the way."

"Thank you," said Narcissa as they finished dinner and dessert was served, a raspberry shortcake. "Your earrings are lovely."

"Thank you," Hermione said. She couldn't tell if the compliment was fake or not. It was hard to tell with Draco's parents sometimes. "Draco bought them for me for Christmas." She turned to him and smiled, and he smiled back at her. "Your son has excellent taste."

Narcissa looked in between her and Draco, before forcing a smile that Hermione could tell was fake. "Yes, well, he was raised with very high standards," she said, and Hermione couldn't tell whether that was a compliment towards Draco, an insult towards her for not being raised by the same standards, or both.

"Shall we adjourn to the sitting room?" Lucius asked as dessert finished. Hermione stood up, as did everyone else, leaving no doubt that it had not been a suggestion. She took her glass of wine, which she had gotten refilled once during dinner. She still had some left, so she felt that she should at least finish her glass of wine and not seem rude. Narcissa and Lucius sat in their chairs, and she sat with Draco on the sofa once more. He wrapped his arm around her and pulled her closer to him. His parents shared a look but didn't say anything.

"So, what are your ambitions in your new position that you will be starting soon?" Lucius asked, a rather bored tone to his voice as if this entire conversation was beneath him.

"I want to continue moving up in the Ministry," Hermione said, "and I feel that is another plus to switching departments, to be able to move forward as much as I can. I have no particular aspirations other than continual advancement." She wasn't sure if she wanted to do anything in particular, like be Minister or something like that. Even if she did want to be Head of Department or Minister of Magic, she didn't plan on telling either of them that. She doubted that they would approve, and she'd rather not deal with another glance between them.

"Well, best of luck to you," he said, though he didn't sound as if he meant it.

Hermione took her last sip of wine. "Thank you both for a lovely evening," she said, "but I really must be going." She stood up, and all three Malfoy stood with her.

"Yes, it is getting rather late," Lucius said as Hermione sat her empty wine glass on the table.

"I'll see you to the Floo, Hermione," Draco said. "Mother, Father, if you'll excuse me." He carefully led her out of the sitting room, and down the hall until they were back in the foyer. "Well, that wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. Mother and Father seemed to be on their best behaviour."

Hermione nodded, smiling up at him. "Yes, it was a bit… long and awkward," she said, "but it could have been worse." She marvelled that was them being on their best behaviour, though she'd seen them much worse so she knew that to be true. Perhaps Draco had talked to them, telling them to keep their negative opinions to themselves to avoid starting a fight, just as he had talked to her about keeping her opinions about their treatment of their House Elf to herself. There was a time and a place for everything, of course, and she needed to learn that. Especially if her relationship with Draco was to continue, she had to agree to disagree with his parents.

Draco leaned down and kissed her firmly on the lips. "Thank you for coming," he said. "I appreciate it."

"Thank you for talking throughout dinner, so I didn't have to speak," Hermione told him.

He smirked down at her. "Oh, you noticed that, did you? I do the same thing when Severus comes for dinner; he hates small talk, too," he said. "Besides, I do love talking about myself."

Hermione laughed and rolled her eyes at him. "Well, thank you," she said. He kissed her again, and she found her body melting into his. "I really should be going." She smiled at him again, before stepping into the Floo and Flooing back to Harry's flat.

As soon as she stepped through, she noticed Harry sitting by himself on the couch. She sat on the other side of the couch, and he looked over at her. "So, how was dinner with Draco's parents?" he asked.

"A little long and awkward, but it could have been worse," she said. "I think Draco told them to behave. The food was good, of course, and there was wine, so that was something." Harry chuckled. "How was your date?"

"Great," Harry said. "He just left, actually. I think he thought you would be home soon."

"I can make myself scarce you know," Hermione said. "We're all adults here."

Harry nodded. "Yes, I know, and I point that out," he said. "I get the feeling he's still holding back a bit with me."

Hermione gave him a patient smile, seeing that he was a bit frustrated. "I'm sure he's just concerned," she said. "You were hurt pretty badly. You're still not completely recovered. Give it time." She knew that he wanted to be back to normal, but he wasn't, and he needed to ease himself back into things instead of just jumping off the deep end like he usually did. Harry nodded, and Hermione went to go change. All in all, she thought tonight hadn't gone that badly for her. She was more concerned about Harry, and she only hoped that he didn't try to push himself too hard.