Flashforward III:

The sky was rapidly becoming ominous, but Molly Weasley was not going to let her first grandchild's first birthday be ruined by a little rain. She'd cast a charm above them to ensure they would only experience sunny skies. Not that they could hear the thunder over the raucous laughter and chatter anyway! Bill mushed up his daughter's first taste of cake and they all cooed in wonder as she clapped her hands, taking it off his plate and spreading it all over his face! His younger daughter let out an affronted whine that she wasn't allowed the sweet treat too, but even at 2 months old Dom wasn't one to moan and she quietened pretty quickly. Hermione had no such luck with her own darling daughter. Sera fussed and screamed and thrashed until Draco picked her up and hummed the ballad that always calmed her down. She didn't have the energy to be jealous these days, just grateful.

Her mum approached only once the baby was quiet to tickle and play with her, pulling a rather stiff looking Narcissa along, clearly distraught to be surrounded by so many undesirables. There was something endearing about it though, and Molly wasn't one to give up easily so she of course came over to engage the blonde woman in conversation. Relaxing without the weight of a child in her arms, Hermione watched Harry and Lupin discussing their boys, and her best friend's godson crawl away from his mother to reach out to Victoire, who turned her curious aqua blue eyes down and tickled his hand with the little fingers of her own. "We'll have to watch out for those two!" Said George jovially and they all chuckled good-naturedly, not yet imagining that it was possible for these innocents to ever grow up, no matter how fast the days turned into months.

Probably whispering about how they only had to stay for another twenty minutes, Percy was leaning into the ear of the Ministry wife he'd married as a sacrifice for his prized government. Meanwhile, Arthur had been under the tutelage of her Dad in learning how to burn everything on the barbeque, but he appeared to have gained a baby whilst her father was trying to suggest he finished the burgers and chicken off himself to prevent any third degree burns. Hermione looked around for Luca's sex-crazed parents and rolled her eyes when she saw their figures flit past the window indoors on the way up to the bedroom. Sally-Anne was deep in conversation with Daphne, the one of them she seemed best able to tolerate. Unfortunately the feeling wasn't reciprocal. The blonde looked just as sleepy as the baby she was holding, whilst the Gryffindor balanced her twins, reluctant to hand one off to the ginger standing beside her. When he finally had acquired one, Ron came over and slumped down beside Hermione with an exaggerated sigh and a wipe of the brow. "Everything's a workout with that woman," he cursed.

She shook her head hopelessly. "It does feel like she's not even willing to try." She took Hugo's tiny hands and looked into his perpetually surprised blue eyes. "Your mummy's a bit of a grudge-bearer, isn't she honey? Isn't she?" It was unfortunate, because she genuinely thought that their personalities could mesh quite well if Sally-Anne ever gave her husband a chance, but it was clear she was still upset about their first meeting and was just holding on until the necessary five years had elapsed and she could file for divorce. She felt bad for Ron who, although sometimes clueless, had never meant to offend her. It would be difficult for him to find another wife, which she knew he would want. They were all paired up, and most people seemed surprisingly content with their partners. He would have to look to those older than them, or abroad.

Harry landed on her other side, throwing an arm around her and grinning lazily. "Edward Remus Lupin is the smoothest toddler I've ever met! My other godson's not such a ladies man is he?"

"Not yet!" Declared Ron. It was apparent that he had high hopes for his progeny. The three of them sighed in the type of companionable silence that can only be enjoyed with true friends. Someone tapped her on the shoulder. She turned around to see her husband scowling intrinsically. He still despised being in the same air space as her friends. It made her reluctant to admit that she didn't feel the same way about most of his anymore.

"We need to get back home," he snapped.

A little confused, she gave him a look. She knew this wasn't his number one place to be, but she'd thought it wasn't going to be too painful for him. "Come on Drake!" Teased Ron, knowing how little the Slytherin liked her lionly best friends. "Stick around!"

He ignored them, which let her know that something was wrong. Draco always rose to spar. "Our wards have been breached." She instantly bolted upright from her lounged position. Lucius. Her daughter was here, but he didn't know that. He'd probably worked out that Narcissa was going out with them and assumed they'd leave Sera with Blinky like he'd probably done constantly with his own son's nanny or the house elves. She saw red. How dare he try to harm her daughter! They'd done him better than he deserved by even consenting to a damned photoshoot. No longer. Leaving Sera with Grandma Narcissa, oh how much difference a year could make, she apparated back to Cornwall, Draco just behind her. They spun around, back to back, with their wands outstretched, ready for an attack from any angle. It was surprisingly quiet; no crashing around as Lucius gleefully destroyed the house polluted with 'inadequate' blood. Draco nodded down to the kitchen and she nodded back. Best to start at the bottom and work their way up. Besides, they had to make sure Blinky was okay. Once they were outside the door it was clear some kind of confrontation was going on in there, so Hermione burst in to protect the elf she'd loved on sight. But Lucius wasn't the intruder in their house. Distraught shrieks abounded as another house elf hid himself behind the counter and Blinky rushed forward with a horrified expression. "Oh no! Master, mistress- Blinky is so sorry. Blinky is the baddest elf!" She started to whack herself hard on the head over and over again. Hermione rushed forwards to stop her. "But mistress!" She cried out, still trying to hurt herself, despite Hermione's best attempts. "Blinky has breeded without her masters' permission! Blinky has put her wants before her masters!" The little elf started to cry, tears pouring down her cheeks, and Hermione bent down to her level and said sternly,

"Blinky. Stop crying." Abruptly, the elf who always followed orders obeyed. "You are an invaluable help and member of our family, but you are allowed to have fun too! Everyone should be!"

"As long as we're not going to be expecting any elf babies anytime soon," interjected Draco.

"He's joking," she mandated, and so his words became a joke.

"Oh if Blinky had any babies she would throw them out to look after Little Miss Sera!" The elf proclaimed passionately, and even Draco looked against that.

"No! No! No!" Hermione exclaimed. "If you have any children, you can raise them here, in fact, I'm sure Sera would be delighted with cute baby house elves to play with!" She glanced at Blinky's companion in the corner. "Are you going to introduce us to your lovely choice?"

The other elf waddled forwards and took Blinky's hand. They looked absolutely adorable! "Quelcher, ma'am," he said nervously. "Quelcher worked at Malfoy Manor with Blinky. Quelcher loves Blinky very much."

She smiled happily at the beautiful nature of love. "Maybe we could talk to Narcissa and get her to transfer you here, Quelcher."

"My father will be furious," Draco warned. "He didn't know who Blinky was, but when he found out an elf was gone he was livid."

"Even more of a reason to do it," she chuckled mischievously, missing the way his eyes lit up as he saw a more Slytherin side of her.


The two of them burst out laughing as soon as they left the kitchen. "Elves can override wizard enchantments," she said, remembering their O.W.L question on the very subject. "Maybe we need to adjust the warning system in case Blinky wants to bring any more friends home."

Draco chuckled. "So everyone deserves fun, eh?" He asked, in a slightly more serious tone.

She surveyed him. "Yeah. Even us." He looked at her confusedly and she took a deep breath. She'd gotten to know him so utterly in the year and a half since the incident that she felt like they were both too completely differently people. "I'm ready to give you another chance." His eyes widened to quaffle size.

"Hermione," he said softly. "You don't have to do that. Ever. We already have a child. Your obligation is fulfilled. We can get divorced after five years." She could plainly read his disappointment even as he said it.

"It's not a need. Like Blinky said, it's a want." She bit her lip anxiously, but she definitely wanted to do this. "I'm not saying it's going to be easy or magical, or that this is going to be a repeated thing. But just for today, I want us to get another try."

He swept her up into a bridal carry that made her shriek in first fear, then shock, then amusement as she realised he wasn't trying to hurt her. "What are you doing you silly oaf!"

He made his way over to the stairs, looking into her eyes the whole time. "Treating you like a princess, how I should have treated you from the start. I was such a stupid, arrogant dick, only worried about what my father thought- when you're my wife! You should be the one I was worried about, not hurting. I don't deserve another chance," they'd reached the top of the stairs and he turned to his room, kicking open the door gently. "But you're the most wonderful, forgiving soul in the wizar-in the whole world for giving me one, and I swear I'll try not to waste it." He placed her down on the bed like she was a dainty piece of china and got to his knees in front of her, sprinkling every part of her with humble apologetic kisses from the bottom up, removing any piece of clothing in the way as he went. When he got to her ear he whispered, "If at any point anything gets too much, tell me to stop and I'll listen." Ridiculous as it was, she almost felt like crying from how wonderful he was being. They'd had sex on both ends of the scale: passionate and emotionless; but it had always been attraction based. They'd never had this emotional connection. This was going to be different. She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him on the lips, slowly pulling him back on top of her so he was on the bed too. His clothed skin kept brushing against her naked though, and she didn't like that. Taking her time, letting herself go at her own pace to stop from getting worked up, she stripped him down until they were both level. "I..." he was looking into her amber eyes, rather than at her body. "I love you Hermione." A tear did escape now. She knew how difficult that was for him to say. How different a meaning love had had in his house. "Damn it," he cursed. "Too far?" She shook her head, wiping away the tear and pulling him back down.

"Perfectly far."