Hermione rolled her eyes as Harry, Ron, and Ginny laughed hysterically.

"A ferret?" Ron laughed. "Merlin, Harry, how could you wait a full day to tell us this?"

"Or me, for that matter?" Ginny asked as she pinched Harry in the arm. He rubbed at it, still smiling, his eyes scanning her hand for the engagement ring he'd put on her almost a full month ago. "I'm your fiancée, you dolt."

"I know, I know, but we had to wait until Hermione was here, didn't we?"

Another eye roll and Hermione shook her head. "Some friends you are."

More laughter.

"Come on, you have to admit that it's pretty funny." Ginny smiled. "This is the first sign of proof that karma is real."

Hermione huffed as she picked up a roll from the middle of the table to butter it. "I'll have you know that a ferret suits Malfoy fine. They're territorial creatures, you know."

Ron raised his brow. "And?"

"And as I said it suits him! He has a very protective nature."

Ron snorted. "Over what? His ego?"

"Perhaps," Hermione replied stubbornly. "But," she shrugged and took a small bite out of her roll. "Mostly over me."

The dinner table fell silent. Hermione didn't expect a full-blown ruckus over it, but she just wanted to make it known. She had to admit that when Draco had told her that he'd managed to produce a Patronus and what it was that she had been very much like her friends. She had smiled broadly, rolled over in hysterics as his face turned bright red. But then she grew serious and told him that she was proud. He'd been so scared, so utterly terrified of something happening to her. How ironic, then, that his Patronus would be territorial?

Ginny smiled at her and placed a hand over hers. "Despite how funny it is, at least it's a good sign. Means we won't have to murder him anytime soon."

Hermione scoffed, a curl coming to her lips. "As if you three could take Malfoy out."

"Hey," Harry puffed up his chest. "I am an Auror, you know. I could take him down."

Hermione looked at Ginny, she stared back, and the women were in an utter uproar while Ron was trying to convince Harry that yes, he was "a very scary Auror."

Back at the Manor Draco was pacing in front of the fireplace. He had told Blaise to Floo call him at nine-thirty. It was nine-thirty-five. The blond was about to pass for the umpteenth time in front of the fire when it finally turned green. He turned his eyes down at it and narrowed them.

"You're late."

Even with a green face, his features less defined than if he was there in person, his happy-go-lucky smile and overall amused expression was still clearly evident.

"Are you docking points, Professor?"

Draco was grinding his teeth. "If I say yes, will it help with your punctuality next time?"

He laughed. "Probably not, but a sweet treat might."

"You and your sweet tooth." Draco shook his head. "You're going to rot your teeth, you know that?"

"Is that you talking or the girlfriend?"

He paused. Was it?

"What did you want to talk about?" Blaise asked, seeming overjoyed at making Draco think.

"I don't know when exactly, and I still need to talk my mother into it, but I need you to come to the Manor for dinner sometime in the near future. With that said, keep your calendar open."

Blaise scratched his head. "Um sure, no problem, I guess. What's the dinner for?"

"Well, I…" Draco raked a hand through his hair and sighed. "Granger's going to meet my mother."

Blaise's face disappeared from the flames. Draco was confused, but soon the flames roared and he had to fall on his back and crawl to avoid getting singed as his best friend walked out of the fireplace.

"Blaise!" Draco shouted. "A little warning next time, will you? You could've burned the hell out of me!"

"Are you serious?" Blaise said as he stared down at him. "You're seriously letting them meet?"

Draco scowled. "You could say sorry for nearly flaying me alive, you know."

Blaise waved him off. "I'll apologize later. Now, you're serious?"

Draco cursed heavily as he got up from the floor. "Yes, I'm serious. I don't know why you're so surprised. We've been together for months."

"And even then the only people from your neck of the woods you've had Granger introduced to are me and my wife."

Draco sighed, rubbing his temple deeply with his thumb. "It couldn't be avoided, alright? My mother's been ignoring my relationship with her, but she's seen fit to invoke those dreadful rules of courtship."

"Ah yes," Blaise noted whimsically. "Pureblood rules to turn horny men into gentlemen and fake sexual innocence among women."

Draco smirked. "There is more to it than that, you know."

"True, but that's the main purpose regardless. What does Granger think of dinner with mum?"

"Haven't told her about it yet. I just figured that if she knew you'd be there beforehand she'd be more inclined to agree."

"Do you really think she'd say no?" Blaise prodded him. Draco took a deep breath and shrugged.

"Not necessarily about the dinner, but being here to have it."

Realization dawned on Blaise in that moment. His lips turned to a thin line as he slowly nodded. "Does she…talk about the war at all with you?"

"No. The war is the last thing on either of our minds."

Blaise perked up some. "Is it really?"

Draco squinted his eyes at his friend's sudden change in demeanor, but then he smiled. "Yes, really."

"And to think all it took was love, attention, and regular sex to get you to stop sulking."

Draco rolled his eyes. "Merlin, you're crude."

"And that's how you like me." Blaise laughed. "Don't worry about the dinner mate, whenever you have it. I'll be there and I'm sure it'll be fine. Although, I do suggest giving Granger a little lesson on etiquette."

"Etiquette? She doesn't eat with her feet, you know."

"Let me rephrase: pureblood etiquette. The moment you let on to your mother that you want to invite other guests, the dinner becomes a formal affair. It wouldn't hurt to let her in what she'll be walking into."

Draco sighed. He hadn't thought of that. He could just imagine the aftermath of the dinner when he was alone with his mother. Her instant disapproval of Hermione's posture was just ringing in his ears and the dinner hadn't even happened yet.

"Yes, yes, I suppose you're right."

"I always am." Blaise replied cheekily as he clapped a hand on Draco's shoulder. "No worries, mate. It'll all go swimmingly."

"Thanks." Draco said gratefully. "I'll let you know in advance when it is. Oh, and bring Liliana with you."

"You offend me, Draco. You know I never go anywhere without her."

When Draco walked out of Hermione's fireplace she was on the sofa and reading. A regular occurrence, and he smiled at the sight. Her hair was pulled into a messy bun, her legs were curled up under her, and she was gnawing on her fingernails. Such a messy and attractive sight all at the same time.

"Just so you know, all of my friends know what your Patronus is now." Hermione said without looking up from her book. She grinned into it when she heard him groan.

"Potter and his big mouth,"

Hermione laughed and closed her book. "There's nothing wrong with a ferret as a Patronus, now come here."

His girlfriend had her arms wide open and Draco nearly jumped into them. Instead he casually went over and sat down beside her. Her arms instantly wrapped around him and she hugged him tightly. He swore he was like a teddy bear to this woman –not that he minded.

"How was dinner with your mum?"

"Good. We, um…" Might as well get this over with. "We talked about you for a bit, actually."

Hermione looked down at him with a quizzical look. "Did you really? What about?"

"Well," Draco started off hesitantly. "She wants to have dinner with you…at the Manor sometime soon."

The mere mention of the Manor made her flinch. Draco felt it. He let his hand travel up her arm and massage her shoulder. "You okay?"

"I'm fine. Really," Hermione said after a moment's pause. "Does it…? Does it have to be at the Manor?"

Draco twisted himself in her arms and caught the look on her face. It was just as he imagined. A little lost. A little afraid. A little of…everything.

"Her house arrest isn't over until next year." Draco answered her. "It's the Manor or nothing and I'm pretty sure she's going to harass me until you walk through its fireplace. But," he made sure to add, "You don't have to go if you don't want to."

Hermione took her bottom lip between her teeth. "Do you really think she'll wait a year to have dinner with me?"

"Not without, and I repeat, harassing me. But I don't want you to do it to keep my ears from bleeding. I want you to be comfortable there."

Comfortable. In the Manor where she had been tortured? He wanted her to be comfortable? But then again, he didn't know, did he? Sure, she had told him that the night of Bellatrix's torture of her had haunted her, but he didn't exactly know how, did he? He didn't know of the nightmares. He didn't know of her panic attacks when she spotted certain knives. He didn't know of the shivers she'd get when her fingers passed over where that hideous slur used to be. With the help of her friends as well as a professional it all stopped over time, thank Merlin. Some of it came back when Hogwarts began. The new man that Draco had become had chased them all away again. Maybe his presence at the dinner would keep her feelings at bay?

"Let me think about it, okay?" Hermione said.

Draco eagerly nodded and kissed her on the cheek. "That's fine. And, if it makes you feel any better, I asked Blaise to be there. He'll bring Liliana and I'm sure it'll make the dinner feel less awkward. At least I hope so."

Hermione couldn't help the small "O" that her mouth fell into. "You invited them for me?"

"Of course I did." Draco said with a causal shrug of his shoulders. "I know that Manor, Granger. I've lived there. I still do, however infrequent I'm there these days. And I'll never forget what happened there. I wasn't about to invite you to go that place without making sure you'd feel alright. Granger? Hermione?"

Hermione was deaf. She was numb, too. Every word that Draco had just said had gone through her ears, muddled around in her brain, and settled quite abruptly in her chest. Thoughtful wasn't the right word for him. Considerate wasn't the right word for him either. Was there an appropriate word?

Oh, the hell with words.

Hermione grabbed his face and planted her lips firmly on his. When she pulled back, his eyes were wide, but a goofy grin was spread across his face.

"Stand,"

Draco tilted his head some. "What?"

"Stand," she repeated, her eyes filled with absolute delight. "Go! Go!"

Draco was half pushed off of the sofa and Hermione followed shortly after. He was still confused, albeit highly amused when she took his hand and led him through the house and to her bedroom. They were hardly in the room before she was kissing him again and Draco was losing all of his senses. Hermione was the true definition of multitasking as she gently bit and pulled on his bottom lip, expertly guiding them in the direction of her bed, and undoing his shirt from its tucked-in state.

Draco's legs hit the bed and he nearly fell back. Instead Hermione broke their kiss off, and she placed a hand on his chest to push him onto the bed. He landed with a bounce and he watched in shameless lust as she slipped her shirt over her head and shimmied out of her denims.

"Those have to go." Hermione said, pointing to Draco's pants. He smiled, but he didn't move an inch.

"Only if the rest of that goes." He replied, motioning to the bra and underwear she still wore.

They went quickly, and so did his pants considering that she didn't wait for him to do it himself. Once she slipped them and his underwear off she climbed onto him, and Draco closed his eyes as she slowly settled herself down. He slid his hands up her thighs, but he was surprised when she pulled them away and pinned them to the bed.

"Not this time," she teased. "This time," she smiled as she rolled her hips into him, relishing the sound of her name on his lips. "I get to pleasure you."

Hermione gave a sultry chuckle as she watched him –his hands bunching up her bedsheets in an attempt to keep them off of her, his facial expressions as she moved more quickly above him, his raspy voice, grunts and groans…

None of that beat out the flush of his skin though, and she pressed her lips to his ear. "Looks like I'm not the only one who turns red at that word."

Draco couldn't help it. He let go of the sheets and promptly turned them over. He held her body tightly, his lips, teeth, and tongue attacking her neck while his ears were pleasurably assaulted by her cries with each thrust he gave.

It was official. If this was the result, he would have to think of Hermione's well-being more often.

Author's note: It pays to do good so it seems! Hermione definitely appreciated his car. And, so it seems, Draco wasn't the only one to come out of the war a little out of sorts.

Thanks for reading guys!

-WP :)