Hermione 31 August 2017

I think I can justifiably say that today is the start of my new life, my normal life, with my normal family. I can say I am married to a man that respects me as a person, who loves me like a lover, and is my partner through life.

Yesterday after the hearing we came home, both mentally exhausted and collapsed. Neither one of us wanted to move for what seemed like forever. The hearing started at 10 and didn't get out until almost 4. There were only a few short recesses, and I think everyone just wanted to get home.

"Love, what should we do for dinner?"

"Pickup? Chinese food?"

"That sounds perfect." I see his eyes roll in the back of his head. "You want me to get it, don't you."

I chuckle silently, "could you please love?"

"On one condition."

"What's that?" I look at him questioning.

"It's just the two of us tonight. We pick up the kids in the morning, and have a last day before going to school."

"I'll send a message to Ginny."

"I'll get the pickup menu."

Not even 30 minutes later the two of us are on the floor of the living room enjoying some quiet time, a bottle of wine, and dinner. For once it was a quiet night with my husband.

As I went to clear the table, he disappeared for a moment. I knew he wouldn't be far, I knew how exhausted he was. I wasn't even done with the trash before he came up quietly behind me, wrapped his arms round my waist, saying "That can wait. I know you don't remember the first time I did this but…"

He slid one arm under my legs, and the other around my torso lifting me up gently and carrying me upstairs.

"Draco, what do you think you're doing?"

"Darling, our wedding night, well wasn't. I didn't mind then and I don't regret it now. But we have a second chance at our wedding night - since now we are 'legally married' - and let's make the most of it." As he carries me into the bedroom where there are roses, candles, and a sweet perfume coming from the bathroom.

"What is all this?"

"I apologize for not having chocolate on hand, but" as he lays me gently on our bed, "welcome to your honeymoon suite Mrs Malfoy."

I went and picked up the kids late this morning. Everything last night was perfect. Something out of a fairy tale. He had drawn a creamy milk bath for the two of us with rose petals floating on top, which we stayed in until our fingers, toes, and almost all of us turned pruney. I don't think, at any point last night, that we weren't touching each other in some way - whether him massaging my neck, me massaging his penis, or something in between.

Ginny knew. The moment I walked into the Potters, she knew.

"That must have been some party last night. I'm offended. You left me on kid duty" she gave me the 'how good was it last night?' look. One that I would usually give her, well I still do.

"Well now that we are legally married," she stopped me and drug me out of the kitchen and into Harry's study, locking the door behind us.

"SPILL THE BEANS SISTER! What did he do? All you said was that you wanted a quiet evening and if I could watch the kids tonight. Now I see you this morning with 'fucking amazing sex afterglow' thing going on," she said as she waved her finger around my face a few times to accentuate the point.

"He gave me a wedding night" I said blushing. "He had a bath for two drawn, rose petals on the bed…" my voice was trailing off as I remembered every detail from last night with a smile on my face.

She cocked her eye and mouth upwards, "Have him give Harry some pointers, we have an anniversary coming up and it sounds like he did pretty damn good."

I heard her mutter something about the stupid baby pool and adding another date or two.

I still get flustered whenever that baby pool comes up, "GIN! Stop it."

Shaking her head, "uh no. Sweetie, he's going to have you holding a little Granger-Malfoy in probably less than a year. And I am going to be so happy for the both of you. I'll pity Neville when it happens; because when it happens and the kid comes out with your smarts and his attitude, Neville and the rest of the teachers have no chance. I mean I worry about Neville this year. He has James, Al, Scorpius, Rose, and all the rest of the family. I think it is getting to the point where someone calls out 'Weasley' and half of Gryffindor answers. If not a good chunk of the school."

I laugh, "well when we were talking to Minerva about the announcement party, Draco was thinking that about a quarter of the school will be there. So yeah. And now I think about it - you're right. Poor Neville. I should send him a box of chocolate or something to get him through this term."

"You send the chocolate, I'll send the coffee. We'll have the guys send the alcohol."

"That's a plan." I try and leave, only to have her hand forcefully grab my shoulder and shove me back down into a chair.

"Who said you were done? You're telling me ev-ery-thing."

Harry attempted to come in, so that he could get to work, only to have his wife - not so graciously - throw him out telling him to find another way into work this morning and to tell Rebecca that I may be very late.

"I don't know how you're sitting, I mean how many times?" Her blue eyes kept growing as she heard how many times and places we made love the night before. "And how are you not dead asleep? Did you two get any sleep? Or is that what work is for?"

"Ha ha ha. No we did get some sleep. I admit not a lot. I think it was more passing out on top of him than actual sleep."

Her eyes fluttered as I knew she was picturing it, "That would be the hottest picture. You sleeping on Draco's - sorry but I saw a picture of him a few months before you two were a thing - and he had just come in from a date or something and it was raining and his shirt was plastered to his - yeah… That was hot."

"Ginevra that is my husband you're leering after!" That sounded weird coming out of my mouth. When I was married to Ron, well she would never leer after her own brother that's gross, but he also didn't have the body near Draco's.

She huffed "you weren't married at the time. Heck you weren't talking at the time. I can look. I promise I won't touch." Then I saw her mutter "on purpose" under her breath.

"I heard that."

"Well…" she blushed.

I saw the kids off to our house, and one fur-beast, before heading into work myself.

Rebecca cornered me coming in immediately, shoving me into my office. "Mr Potter came by and said to be nice to you today, there was a heck time yesterday with the Wizengamot, and then his wife had it out with you this morning. Is there anything I can do other than deal with your - um - flower situation?"

"Flower situation?"

She turns me around to see that on each side of my desk, sitting on the credenza that is under my large magical window, are two ornate floral arrangements.

"This is the first florist. I've had two more call. These are for your approval for some upcoming party they said."

"Oh that…" the announcement party. Dang these samples are stunning. Each at least a meter high before the flowers. The two are similar, both covered in crystals in the shape of an hourglass, but one is just the crystals and the other has a gold undertone. The flowers reflect the differences in the vases - the gold one has more fall colors with reds, golds and orange and even fall colored leaves; and the crystal has brighter multicolored flowers with a purple undertone. "This is for a party I am assisting planning. I like the idea and color scheme of the crystal one, but we are debating on going with an 'urban' look or this more elegant look right now."

"A party? That sounds like fun. If you need any help, let me know. I love planning parties."

"Right now I am one of," I count in my head - Pansy, Ginny, my mother-in-law, and me, and the Malfoy Industries social division, "four planning this party directly. Right now it is mostly approving the different ideas. I have it under control. But yes, you're on the flower situation."

She giggles, "thanks! I'll let you know when any florist decides to drop off any additional samples as they are calling it. I call it a complete decoration of your office. Can I have the gold one since you don't like that for the 'party'." She uses air quotes around 'party'. If only she knew.

"Of course, I don't need my office looking like a jungle."

"One more important message, the Minister came by and thanked you for a lovely dinner the other night and said that he is grateful for the outcome of yesterday's meeting." Rebecca read from her notes.

I smile. He's not the only one. I kinda knew he was in our corner with this, even though he couldn't say. "Thanks Rebecca. Now I really need to get to work."

After four more deliveries of multiple floral arrangements, my office did look like a jungle. I had different departments coming in and looking in my office wondering what this could be about. All Rebecca said is that I am in the approval stage of some floral arrangements and to bugger off. But she did assist me in getting some of the assistants that deserved kudos - like Percy's assistant, anyone who has to deal with him on a daily basis deserves something special - the ones that I didn't like, knowing that they had to give the stands back.

There were crystal ones, glass ones, a white glass that looked really unique, even something that looked like used pipes (nope, not that one). It finally came down to the original crystal hourglass one and a silver one with 4 candles around and crystals dangling below making it look like a chandelier with a multitude of white flowers with greenery and more crystals exploding out the top. I get on a conference call between Pansy and Ginny to debate these two, but beforehand I put a strong charm on the office to prevent anyone hearing.

"I have it down to two choices." I look at the two and I really need some help. Do I go crystal or silver. Crystal or silver. I have been debating this all morning and it is now lunchtime.

"Do you want us to come over?" Ginny suggests. "I mean we can't really decide based on just a verbal description."

"Out of the house?" Pansy sounded so excited, "I'll have the baby down and be over in 15 minutes! I get out of the house!" she squealed with glee.

"Oh Pansy," Ginny kept going, "you need to ask 'Mione about last night."

"REALLY?!" Pansy sounded interested. "Mrs Potter, you and I are going to be very good friends I see. I think I may have underestimated you in school."

"Probably because we were in rival houses and you had an unnatural hatred for my husband."

"Probably." Pansy chuckles. "Okay see you all in 15 at 'Mione's office. Should I bring Narcissa?"

"NO!" I finally get a word out between the two of them. "That will cause suspicion. I'll show her later, though she said it was up to me to make the choices. My party and all. She claimed it will get me in practice for the annual holiday parties we will have to throw."

Both the girls were laughing and we concluded the phone call only to resume our discussion when Ginny arrived with Pansy at most ten minutes later.

"Hashtag Sorry Not Sorry" Pansy started. "The baby went down earlier than I thought so I got Ginny here and we decided to bring you some lunch from a great little cafeteria I know."

"Really? Where? I'm always looking for a new place for lunch."

Ginny chuckled, "oh you'll like this one. Especially the view."

Pansy joined in, "and you won't have to worry about getting in or anything, it's private but not too private."

"What in Merlin's name are you two talking about?"

They pull out a bag of food and I recognize the logo immediately. "You didn't. You went to Malfoy Industries?"

Pansy gives me the silent 'duh' face, "you really think Draco didn't hire an amazing chef for his own staff? The guy is one of the best in the world - both magical and Muggle. So eat up."

"Gin," I glare, "what do you mean about the view?"

"Oh ummmm," she stutted, looking at Pansy for support.

"A certain CEO and COO were having lunch there too when we went to pick it up. He says hi by the way," she stated like it was nothing, completely nonchalant, cocking her head slightly. Like the world already knew our little secret.

I'm blushing like a teenager, biting my lip nervously.

"I was telling Ginny here that she shouldn't stare at her best friend's - um - yeah - like she was. It's impolite" Pansy looked at Ginny incredulously.

"Sorry, after what she told me about last night, I couldn't help but get at least some sort of mental picture" my best friend attempted to defend her action to both of us, failing miserably.

We continue chatting like old friends, all of us, and going over the pluses and minuses of each of the two floral designs. The problem came when Pansy and Ginny were split between the two. Pansy liked the silver one - Ginny said because it was Slytherin's colors - and she liked the pure crystal one.

We all turned when we heard a knock at my door and saw a bespeckled brunette peek his head in, "'Mione lun- oh never mind. Gin you're here and you didn't stop by?" my best friend looked hurt that his wife seemed to have forgotten him.

"Sorry, brought lunch for 'Mione while we discuss floral displays. But we need a tie breaker. Which one of these two do you like better honey." She was doing a good job at sucking up to her husband while making him uncomfortable at the same time.

"Uh floral displays? That's not really my thing." He stuttered, causing us girls to smirk at him. But to his credit he did look at both, studying them. "But my honest opinion, this one," he pointed to the all crystal one, "looks like it would belong in your house. The silver thing, looks like it belongs in Malfoy Manor."

Pansy sprung up, looking at both of them. "Well stated Potter. You're right. The crystal one is more the two of you. The other is - well - your mother in law," she whispered the last sentence. "Go with the crystal. Thanks Potter."

Ginny and I looked at the two arrangements with a new view. Harry was right. We have come to a decision.

"Now about last night," Pansy turned her attention back to just us girls, "what happened. If it can make Ginny blush like she did when she saw him this afternoon, it must be good."

"Darling, you'll want to leave for this," Ginny called to her husband, rushing to him to give him a kiss before he left. "This is girl talk at it's finest."

"On that note," the lone male in the room said blushing, "I'm getting something at the Indian place around the corner. Have fun ladies."

"Thanks Harry!" I called out as he shut the door quickly behind him. Now it was my time to blush.

I finally clear my office of my new 'girlfriends' and Pansy understood why Ginny was staring. Pansy's parting words were something along the lines of, "Hermione, I don't know if you know it but Draco… he hasn't really had much of a sex life since school. Blaise would say he got it all out then and was a shriveled up prune by now. He wasn't even really intimate with Astoria ever. He would put on a mask and make it look like he had all these women, but he never did. He was as celibate as a monk pretty much since Scorpius was born. You've given him something that he really needed - love. Passionate, intimate love. Don't push it away. He looks more alive now. He's thriving. You are what he needed in his life. More than anything. Just never tell him that I said this. Because I will deny it. But thank you."

That put so much in perspective. All yesterday we focused on how he has shown his love and devotion to me. I never have had really the chance to see it from his side. Not until now did I know what he was missing and focus on his needs. It isn't just sex with us, it is that intimacy that we both need from each other. As much as sex was intense and overwhelming, just laying next to him in the bathtub was equally so. His arms wrapped around my body, my back pressed against his naked chest that is the picture I want to keep in my head forever. It was that, something so tender, that solidified us. My goal, as his wife, is to show him every day that he is important to me, his needs are my needs, that together we will make it through anything.

Then my house got invaded.

I liked the idea of having a family night, before the kids go to school in the morning, but it seems that nearly everyone we know decided to show up. Starting with the Zabini family (didn't I just see Pansy for lunch? Couldn't she have warned me then?) with a case of champagne in toe to 'celebrate the legality of our marriage'. Then different Weasley family members came by, I guess Ginny told them there was a party, and in the end we had Theo and Trini, all the Potters, Bill, Fleur, and their three children, Molly and Arthur, and George and Angelina and their two kids. We were only missing Charlie and Percy's family.

It was a celebration to be sure.

At one point in the night, it got too much for me, so I retired to my office just to get a breath. I looked back on everything that has happened in this one, short month's time: I eloped and didn't realize it until two days later, I married Malfoy of all people, I was kidnapped and rescued, Rose had her birthday, we told the kids that we eloped, we went school shopping, I moved my family into a new house, Ronald showed up, we had to fight for our marriage, and now - tomorrow - my daughter leaves for school for the first time.

Tears are coming down my face as I sit behind my desk, looking up at the stars through the sun room's glass roof, in the dark.

My life wasn't this hectic during the war.

But my life wasn't this full during the war either. Now I look and see what we fought for exactly. We fought so something like this could happen.

These aren't tears of pain, they are just tears of overwhelming emotion.

A few deep breaths is all I need.

Until I realize it isn't all I need. His arms wrap themselves around my shoulders from behind me, his cologne permeates my nostrils, his warmth wraps me. "Hi" is all I can whisper.

"Hi to you. What's wrong?"

"Nothing. Just overwhelmed I think."

"It should get quieter in a few days. At least I hope so."

"Really? You didn't have floral displays showing up all day to your office."

"No, and I missed having my beautiful wife show up at my office. But that was because hers looked like a jungle from what I gathered." His calming voice relaxed any little nerves that were still uptight. I just closed my eyes to be with him in this moment, away from the chaos surrounding us like a hurricane.

"Thank you," I whisper.

"For what?" I feel his body adjust, his head tilts slightly and even though my eyes are closed I know he's looking at me. I can feel it.

"Everything. I never knew I needed you until you came. And now I never want to be without you."

"I never would have guessed that you would come into my life again, nor that it was you that I needed. I guess it was the right time for us, finally."

"The perfect time for us." I agree.

"But darling, I think we should go back to the party and play good hosts. Otherwise this ever expanding baby pool, might just expand more."

I snorted a laugh, causing him to laugh too. If only… we're still in the 'maybe' stage… but it sounds like we're both moving to the 'hopefully' stage. "I kinda like this baby pool. It's fun to watch our friends sweat it out a bit."

"I knew it! I absolutely knew it! Blaise owes me 100 galleons. I told him you had an evil streak, he said 'you're as sweet as a dew covered rose'. Kinda poetic, but that was him at the time. But he'd better be paying up. With interest."

I laugh at my husband and his ridiculous bets. He's nearly as bad as the Weasleys. "Ginny could have told you. Or Harry. Heck George knows well. He's been on the brunt of my evil streak. So go collect, and take one or all of them along." I turn and kiss him. "I'll be right behind you."

"I love you Hermione Malfoy."
"And I love you more Draco Malfoy."