Into the Lion's Den

"Why am I even here?"

Ginny rolled her eyes and pulled her friend deeper into the London boutique they were currently perusing for a new dress. "Because I don't like shopping alone."

"I don't like shopping at all," she countered with a playful smirk.

The redheaded witch narrowed her eyes at her and pointed an accusing finger. "You're around Malfoy too much. You're beginning to smirk like him."

Hermione laughed openly and merely shrugged. She really didn't have a good argument for that. She really did spend most of her free time with him. That included the still excessive amount of time she had her face shoved in a book. Now they just read together on her sofa. It wasn't uncommon to find her relaxed, lying on her back with her head in his lap, and each of them with a book in hand.

It was a bit odd really. Somehow she'd never imaged Draco to be the type to be happy spending the night in but she'd quickly learned that he was nearly as much of a homebody as she was. They took turns cooking dinner when they didn't go out and spent their evenings reading. Sometimes they even read to each other and discussed. As Ron told her, it was all very bookish and boring. To her, it was quite perfect.

Of course, that was all when he wasn't attempting to snog her senseless and he did that fairly often as well. She'd also introduced him to muggle movies and television which fascinated him so much that he spent an entire Sunday once glued to her television set watching reruns of cooking shows.

"Why aren't you going to this gala anyway," Ginny asked as she eyed a blue cocktail dress. "Narcissa had a large hand in organizing it and it's at their manor. Hard to believe you'd miss an event meant to raise awareness for magical creatures."

Hermione chewed her lower lip as she leaned against a nearby rack. Elaborate evening dresses, cocktail dresses, and a few more questionable styles surrounded her.

"I haven't told Draco that I can't go yet. I've had this business meeting on the books for months now. It would be terribly hard to reschedule when the Japanese Magical Elements Commissioner is coming all this way."

Her friend looked up at her, wide eyed. "You haven't told him you're not going yet? Hermione, you're sending that blasted man into a ballroom full of witches, harpies really, that would love nothing more to steal him from you. When they see him attending his mother's gala alone it'll be like sharks sensing blood—they'll be all over him. It'll be equivalent to feeding the poor man to a salivating wolf pack."

She cringed at the thought and knew that it wasn't too far off from the truth. Whenever they were together in public, she noticed the envious stares she received from other women. She'd taken Wizarding Britain's most eligible bachelor off the market and it was becoming clearer to everyone else the longer they were together that he was quite taken with her. It didn't stop other women for hoping though.

"Maybe I'll see about rescheduling it."

She wasn't normally the jealous type, though she'd found Draco could be. Their relationship wouldn't stop some of the less moral witches from making a move. She trusted him completely but it was the other women she didn't trust.

Ginny sighed and shook her head. It had been over four months and she was still getting used to her best friend dating their childhood nemesis.

"So," she started conversationally, "How's the sex?"

Hermione blushed and turned her attention to the mannequin next to her as she fidgeted on her feet. "I haven't a clue."

The other witch looked up so fast she nearly gave herself whiplash. "What?!" She lowered her voice when her friend made a shushing motion with her hands. "Hermione, I know that you've…"

"I'm making him wait."

"Whatever for? You talk about him incessantly…which is a little odd for you, and you get on amazingly now, plus he's sexier than hell. What's the problem?"

Hermione ducked her head, her eyes darting off to the side regretfully as she began sifting through the dresses to distract herself. "I wasn't really in love with the last guy, not like I'd thought."

Ginny's expression darkened at the mention of her last and only other boyfriend. "The only guy—the asshole as I like to call him."

She nodded and handed a dress to Ginny that she thought might look nice. "Yes, him. I want to be certain."

"So marriage then," she surmised with a slight smile.

She bit her lip and merely nodded. "Assuming we get to that point one day."

Ginny knew without asking that was about as close as she was going to get to Hermione admitting that she was in love with him and the realization made her smile. She deserved it more than anyone. Oddly enough, Malfoy had been so very good to her and even Harry and Ron were happy with what they'd witnessed whenever he was around. It had been rather amusing to them all really as Hermione didn't take being spoiled very well and that's exactly what he did all the time. It left the poor witch blushing rather uncharacteristically.

"Anyway, as soon as I'm done here, I'm taking him to meet my parents for dinner. He has no idea either. I'll talk to him after dinner about the gala."

The redhead grinned wide at that and hung a dress over her arm to try on. "Merlin, you're utterly devious when you want to be."

"A happy side effect. He's meeting me here when we're done. I told him we're going out to dinner. I just didn't say where."

Nearly twenty dresses later, Hermione sat sprawled in a large wingback chair in the dressing room groaning about the fact that she'd not brought a book to read while Ginny tried on what felt like every style dress the shop had to offer. Her legs hung over one arm of the chair and her head hung over the other. She ignored the curious stares of other customers while she stared at the ceiling in boredom. After the first seven dresses she'd given up on her normal composure and resorted to fidgeting in the chair until she ended up in her current position.

"Bloody hell, Ginny! Have you decided yet," she spoke loudly enough for the witch to hear her. They were alone now and the shop was near closing. Draco should be there any moment to meet her.

She cracked an eye open when the dressing room door creaked as it opened and Ginny emerged with a dress thrown over one arm.

"Yes, we can go now."

"Thank Merlin," Hermione grumbled as she struggled to get up from the chair.

She followed the witch to the register and waited as patiently as possible while she paid. The two women reemerged on the London street and glanced around for a familiar blonde head. Hermione yelped when she felt a hand on her bum and jerked her head to the man seated on the bench to her right.

Draco tore his gaze from the muggle newspaper he was perusing and smirked up at her. "Took you both long enough. I've been sitting here near an hour now."

"Move your hand," she hissed reproachfully. "We're in public for Godric's sake."

Ginny watched the exchange with an amused expression and finally shook her head. "Well, now that you've found your annoying other half, it's time that I meet mine for dinner. Owl me later."

Hermione waited until the witch disappeared down an alley and heard the familiar crack of her disapparating before she turned to Draco again.

Draco folded the paper he was reading and stood finally before taking her waiting hand in his. He eyed her empty arms as she began leading them—where exactly he didn't know.

"No dress then?"

She bit the corner of her lip and glanced up at him. "No, I don't feel the need for a new outfit for every silly event like Ginny does." It was true. It just wasn't everything she needed to tell him.

He shrugged and seemed to accept it. He knew she wasn't very materialistic and had seemed fine with it thus far.

Moving beyond that he finally glanced around at the neighborhood they just entered after leaving the boutique that was already on the outskirts of muggle London.

Draco gave her hand a gentle squeeze to gain her attention. "Where exactly are you taking me?"

Hermione stopped them abruptly and leaned up on her toes to place a hand on his cheek as she pressed a kiss to his mouth softly. "You're meeting my parents today."

His eyes nearly bulged out of his skull in a comical manner as she began pulling him along again. "Holy mother of Muggle-borns," he muttered to himself. "Are you daft? They'll hate me!"

She shot an amused look over her shoulder. "Why would they hate you, Draco?"

"Well…don't they know…about my past? Our past," he asked as he used his grip on her hand to tug them to a stop again.

"Yes, but you can't very well date me and expect to never meet them." She lifted her brow expectantly. "Draco, I went to your mother's manor with you to have lunch with her last month and I've had lunch with her multiple times since by myself. Surely, you don't think you can escape this forever."

Draco couldn't really ignore that fact. He figured before that his mother would like her once they truly met with more than just passing greetings traded. He'd not been completely prepared for just how well Narcissa would like Hermione and she made it very clear to him that she wanted her in the family. Not for her good reputation as the Dailey Prophet had accused him of in a recent article, but just for her.

He swallowed hard against his suddenly dry throat, doing his best to force down his nerves as she began moving them down the sidewalk again. "I thought Potter said you hardly ever introduce anyone to them."

"I don't." She gave him a rather pointed look. "You're different."

His stupid heart beat harder at her assertion and he mentally steeled himself. This witch would be the death of him but he'd be damned if he wouldn't have her.

With a sharp nod and no more arguments on his tongue, he began to move more determinedly by her side.

It was a few more blocks before they entered the neighborhood she'd grown up in. He took in his surroundings curiously, never having been in that many muggle neighborhoods outside of the city proper. The quaint houses with the prim little yards drew a smirk to his face as he imagined her here when they were younger. A little Hermione swinging in her front yard. The interesting image of McGonagall walking these sidewalks as she visited for the first time to tell the Granger family that their daughter was a witch. A teenage Hermione hiding in the summer from the insanity brewing in the wizarding world—hiding from people who wouldn't accept this—her muggle family.

Hermione stopped outside of a neat, black gate and opened it before ushering him in behind her. She watched as he eyed the neat yard, the small garden visible from the back, and the gentle swaying of her mother's wind chimes on the front porch.

Draco followed her up the brick steps of the modest two-story home. He stayed close just behind her as she knocked before opening the door and ducking inside.

"Mum, dad," she called out.

It didn't take long before a woman with hair the same color as Hermione's poked her head around the corner and smiled at her only daughter. Mrs. Granger hurried into the foyer to greet them and pulled her daughter into a tight hug.

"Oh honey, we've missed you."

Draco watched with slight amusement as she worried over her, brushing her hair away from her face and muttering about how thin she was. It took a moment before she finally registered him standing quietly behind her.

"Oh," she pulled back suddenly and familiar chocolate eyes observed him as a smile lit her face again.

Hermione laughed lightly over her mother's reaction and reached back to pull him next to her. "Mum, this is Draco. I've told you about him."

He swallowed and held his hand out anxiously. "Mrs. Granger, it's a pleasure to finally meet you."

She quickly took his offered hand and placed her other over their joined hands. "Please, call me Ellen." She released his hand and turned to call out. "Peter, our daughter is home."

Hermione gave him an encouraging smile and for some reason that worried him again.

Peter Granger entered from the hall sporting a smile for his daughter. "Your mother said you were coming home for dinner." He hugged his daughter and finally spotted the blonde wizard next to her when he pulled back. "Your mother didn't mention you bringing a friend though."

Hermione narrowed her eyes carefully at her father as he stepped back beside her mother. "Dad, you know who he is. This is Draco. And he's not my friend. He's my boyfriend."

"Hmm," he hummed as he scrutinized the wizard from head to toe behind his wire-framed glasses. He didn't particularly like how the man nearly dwarfed his daughter, standing a good head over her. He was comforted by the fact that he knew she could hex the bastard into next year though.

Mrs. Granger shook her head and reached for the younger couple, pulling them along into the living room. "Come on then. Draco, dear, won't you have a seat. Hermione and I are just going to have a quick word with her father and I'll be back with some tea in just a few moments. Dinner will be ready shortly."

It was all Draco could do to smile politely and sink carefully onto the plain beige sofa to wait. Clearly, he was right about at least one of her parents not liking him. He'd be sure to remind her of that little tidbit once they were alone again. Gloating might make him feel better after her father inevitably ripped him apart.

Hermione groaned miserably as she followed her parents into the kitchen. Her father stood there with his arms crossed, a deep scowl on his face. Her mother also crossed her arms with her own stubborn expression.

"Lovely, so we get to share dinner with a wizard once hell-bent on violating or eliminating people like our daughter. I'm so looking forward to it," her father grumped.

Hermione's expression turned dark as she also crossed her arms over her chest, mirroring her parents' stance. "Dad, I've told you already. He'd been practically indoctrinated from birth. He'd already been changing his views even before the war but there was nothing he could do because of his father. He wasn't in any position to be open about his disagreements with what they were doing. He could have been killed."

"You were nearly killed by that maniac woman, Hermione," her father reminded her, eyeing her covered forearm where the barest of scars still remained.

She sighed deeply. "Draco couldn't have done anything about that either. He and I have talked about it numerous times. Why can't you accept that he's changed? I have."

"Really, dear," her mother finally piped in with a frown at her husband. "This is Hermione's life and if she's forgiven him why can't we? Besides, he's treated her immensely well since they've started dating from everything she's told us."

Her father rolled his eyes at the two women, "I'll give the little bastard a chance. I make no promises to like him though."

It was clearly the best Hermione could hope for and they returned to the living room with the tea tray in tow. They found Draco with his back turned, now standing and examining their family photos on the wall adjacent to the sofa.

"Hermione always hated having her picture taken," Mrs. Granger offered by way of greeting.

Draco turned back around abruptly, tearing his interested gaze from the non-moving pictures and accepted the cup of tea she held out to him with a polite smile. He took a seat on the sofa next to Hermione and across from her parents in their matching armchairs.

"Can't imagine why," he smirked and glanced at her from the corner of his eyes.

"She didn't like to smile," she noted wistfully. "It was her teeth, I believe."

Hermione groaned, realizing that this was going to turn into an embarrassing trip down memory lane. She only hoped her mother kept the pictures of her naked in the bath as a toddler hidden away.

He nodded as he sipped his tea. "I do remember them. A bit hard not to really."

His smile was teasing but not unkind. However, Mr. Granger frowned at him.

"She was a bit too young still for braces. And we're dentists, not orthodontists," he added defensively.

Draco glanced at Hermione for guidance as he didn't know what the hell an orthodontist was and barely understood dentistry still minus what she'd told him.

"They fix your teeth," she explained offhandedly.

His brow scrunched in confusion and he glanced at her mother. "I thought that's what dentists did."

Mrs. Granger offered him a kind smile after shooting a sharp look at her husband. "Orthodontists deal in straightening teeth. It's their specialty."

Draco nodded though he still didn't really understand. He made a mental note to check Hermione's books for further research later.

A timer went off in the kitchen and Mrs. Granger shifted forward to place her tea on the coffee table. "That'll be the roast. Help me get everything together, dear," she spoke pointedly to her husband.

Mr. Granger grumbled under his breath but nodded and followed dutifully behind his wife. As soon as he was out of sight, Draco released a loud groan of relief and set his tea down as well. He relaxed back into the sofa and turned to look at the witch next to him.

"I do believe you've led me into the lion's den, you evil little witch."

Hermione patted his knee in a sympathetic manner but only smiled sweetly. "He'll warm up to you once he gets to know you better. He was the angriest once I restored their memories and brought them back from Australia. It really grated on my dad's nerves that they were so powerless to protect me. It's not a comforting feeling for parents of muggle-borns, I'd wager," she shrugged.

Draco was at a loss to understand how she could be so nonchalant about the whole thing but he knew he'd never understand what it had been like for her growing up in a world that half of the time had acted like it didn't want her.

He reached a hand behind her and began to slowly massage the base of her neck. His eyes raked over her form. From her modest ballet flats, her fitted jeans, and the flattering blouse to her curls resting loose about her shoulders and the modest bits of makeup she regularly bothered with…his witch was lovely. Beautiful in a way she'd always been since the latter part of their years at Hogwarts, so effortless, reserved but curiously drawing him in with the promise of the depth beyond.

When her brown eyes looked over at him as he started massaging her neck, he felt a tremor of awareness rock through him. There was a lot at stake for this meeting with her parents, that much was abundantly clear. But more than that, his slight uncertainty of how she'd react if he proposed washed away. She wanted this just as much as he did.

Oh, how the tables had turned for him. His lips turned up into a slight smirk. Karma was a wicked witch. How appropriate that he end up with the one witch he'd hounded for years. The one woman who'd always stood up to his taunting, even when he could tell that he'd struck a nerve with her, the one girl who'd challenged his belief that he was better than everyone else at that blasted school.

"What," Hermione finally laughed breathily. The way he was looking at her was so intense it felt as he wanted to consume her, as odd as that sounded.

Draco shook his head and removed his hand but not before twirling his finger around a honey colored curl and allowing it to bounce free. "Nothing, just thinking about how bloody beautiful you are and how much of a lucky bastard I am."

He enjoyed the blush that crept over her cheeks and began to lean over to kiss her when a throat cleared in the doorway, prompting him to pull back rigidly.

"Hermione, your mother wants your help for a moment," her spoke to her all the while glaring at him.

Hermione drew the corner of her lip between her teeth as she shot a wary look between the two men before finally nodding and leaving the room abruptly.

Mr. Granger smiled at his daughter but the expression melted into a scowl as he turned back to Draco. He crossed his arms over his chest and leaned against the doorframe. The blonde was bigger than him by a few inches but he felt confident he could take the man in a fistfight.

"Hermione has never brought a man home to meet us," he spoke after a few moments of agonizing silence. "And imagine my shock and surprise when she finally does and it's the boy she used to tell us made her life a living hell in school. I'd like to hear exactly what changed. Until roughly four months ago, the only time your name was mentioned was when she had to do those blasted inspections of your company. Last we knew, you were still annoying her, possibly less venomously though."

Draco ran his tongue over his lower lip and swallowed. He might not have been in Gryffindor or possessed their innate courage but he was a man now. Certainly not a whining little boy running to mummy and daddy when confronted with any conflict.

He ran his sweaty palms down his pants legs and stood to face the man. He shoved his hands in his pockets and shrugged. "I grew up," he stated simply.

Mr. Granger quirked a single eyebrow. "From just four months ago?"

Draco shook his head at himself. "No, I just wasn't ready then to admit the feelings I'd developed for her. I've wanted her since not long after she started inspecting my company for the Ministry."

The older man didn't look convinced and eyed him closely. "What took you so long to ask her out then?"

He shrugged sheepishly. "A bit of a coward, I suppose. Slytherins aren't known for bravery. That would be her lot. Regardless, I found an opening on Valentine's Day and had a rare moment of courage. I figured why not. So I sucked up my pride for having been a prick to her for the better part of our childhood and pursued her. She was certainly difficult to convince that I was serious if it's any consolation."

Her father's mouth pulled into a little smirk and he nodded. "That's my Hermione. I always told her you picked on her because you knew she was better than you."

"You're likely right. I didn't much like being one-upped by a muggle-born in my own world when I'd been taught that she shouldn't be my equal. Obviously, my family and all others like us were wrong."

Mr. Granger surveyed the wizard a moment longer before nodding. "Fine. I'll accept that but muck it up even one time and I'll personally extract every tooth in your head, sans any local anesthesia."

Draco swallowed hard at that. He'd read just last week what anesthesia was. Bloody brilliant idea in place of the potions the wizarding world used. Didn't sound very pleasant or like an empty threat.

"Understood," he nodded.

Hermione reappeared behind her father. "Dinner's ready if you two are done puffing your chests out at each other."

Mr. Granger rolled his eyes at his daughter and pushed off the doorframe. Hermione waited expectantly for Draco and was relieved when he gave her his usual confident smirk. Whatever had transpired while she was in the kitchen must have at least resulted in a truce of sorts.

The Grangers watched as the blonde wizard seated their daughter before himself as they sat across from the older couple at the small dining room table. Her mother nudged her father discreetly with a knowing smile which only earned her a begrudging grunt of agreement as the man dug into his dinner.

The rest of the dinner transpired as well as Hermione could have hoped. Her father didn't needle Draco much more beyond keeping him on his toes and her mother, predictably because he was Draco after all, seemed charmed by him. When they finally departed, Draco was able to shake hands with her father and returned her mother's hug with only the slightest bit of discomfort.

Once they were on the sidewalk again, Draco released a heavy sigh of relief and slung an arm over her shoulders. She laughed at the relieved look on his face.

"Please tell me I've earned the opportunity to be snogged senseless after we get back to your flat."

Hermione looked up at him as they walked to the closest point to apparate the rest of the way. "You did quite well. I suppose it's only right that I reward you."

Draco grinned down at her and squeezed her close. "Well, that's one more milestone off our list. Now we just have to get through my mother's gala next week. Maybe then the bleeding Prophet will lose interest in us once everyone has seen us together at a big event."

Hermione stopped short causing Draco to pause and turn to her in question.

"About that," she glanced away from him for a moment to gather her courage before meeting his curious gaze again. "There's a business dinner that I've had planned for months and it's the same night."

His bright expression fell slightly and she cringed internally. However, he quickly adopted a brighter look and reached for her hand, giving it a gentle squeeze.

"You've been stressing all afternoon about telling me, haven't you?" He couldn't stop himself from rolling his eyes when she bit her lip in that anxious way she usually did and nodded. "Hermione, I'm not upset. Slightly disappointed because I won't get to show you off and rub it in the naysayers faces but it's alright."

"Are you sure? I hate to make you go alone. Plus, I imagine the Prophet will comment and call me a workaholic as per usual. The last thing I want to deal with is people asking more questions about our relationship. I suppose I can try to postpone it but…"

"Hermione," he stopped her babbling with both hands resting gently on her shoulders to gain her attention. "If I wanted to date a witch willing to dangle from my arm 24/7 then I'd be with someone like Astoria Greengrass. I'd prefer a busy, professional know-it-all who challenges me and occasionally lets me be her arm candy." He smirked at the blush creeping over her cheeks and the shy smile tilting her lips. "I'll take pride in telling people you're not there because you're so blasted important." He moved his hands to frame her face and leaned down to press his lips to her forehead. "Now, I believe you agreed that I deserved a thorough snogging. I'd hate to let it leak out that you don't keep to your agreements."

Hermione sagged with relief she hadn't realized that she needed. She shivered as his hands brushed down her shoulders until he grasped both hands in his. He brought each one to his lips and placed a gentle kiss on her knuckles. There was a very serious but warm look swirling in his grey eyes as he stared into hers and it sent another shiver down her spine.

"Blast it all," he muttered under his breath. "Hermione Granger, you swotty little witch, I love you."

Draco froze after the words tumbled from his mouth but he didn't regret them. There was no use holding back anymore. He was certain she felt the same but there was still the niggling little voice at the back of his mind saying it just wasn't possible for her to love a man like him.

It seemed as if the moment stretched on for hours but it was mere seconds before he felt her squeeze his hands, using them for leverage, and leaned up on her toes to kiss him. He sighed stupidly as she nibbled his bottom lip gently before pulling back to rest on her heels again. Those chocolate brown eyes bore into his with purpose and he watched the way she chewed the corner of her lip again for a moment.

"I love you, too, you egotistical prat."

Her heart swelled at the grin that tugged at the corners of his mouth. She released a breathy laugh as he peppered a few sloppy kisses across her face before settling on her mouth. He pressed one last kiss to her forehead before wrapping his arms around her small frame.

Draco relished the feeling of her slender arms wrapping around his middle and rested his chin on top of her head tucked into his shoulder. His eyes closed as he breathed her in. It was odd but felt like the most natural thing in the world to be standing in the middle of the muggle neighborhood she'd grown up in, holding her so close—undeniably in love with each other.