A/N: Sorry for such a long wait, classes this semester are killer! My only bit of sanity is coming from the thought that I only have 5 months left and I'm done! Well, until college, haha.

Screams of pain and fluent curses in french reached down into the living room where the majority of the Weasley family was waiting anxiously for the arrival of Fleur and Bill's baby. Mrs. Weasley and Hermione were the only two allowed upstairs. They even kicked Bill out at one point, but he managed to wrangle his way back into the room for the birth of his baby.

Harry, Ron, Ginny, and the twins all sat across the room from Draco, they still couldn't quiet get used to having him in the Weasley household as a guest. When they were in a different place they could see him as a person, but inside the Weasley house, they couldn't get over the feeling of wanting to push him out on his ass.

It was an uncomfortable 8 hours for Draco as he waited for Hermione to come downstairs. Technically he didn't have to be here, and at the moment he felt that the Weasley's (and Harry) didn't want him there either, but he wanted to get in with Hermione's friends. He wanted to show them that he was on their side, he was a good guy, so he stuck it out into the wee hours of the morning.

He sat awake while the twins dozed lightly on the couch, Harry in a well loved old chair and Ginny, curled in her usual cat like fashion, on Harry's lap. Mr. Weasley was sipping coffee at the kitchen table, writing out letters to Percy and Charlie, who were unable to come. Mrs. Weasley came down first, following faint cries from the upstairs room.

As if startled by her presence, but more likely her hurried footsteps, they all jerked awake. Mrs. Weasley had a flushed face, her sleeves still rolled up to above the elbow, hair popping out of her once neat bun, "It's a boy!" she said quickly, giggling happily. She gathered up some more towels and some warm water and climbed the stairs again quickly.

The Weasley's cheered. Thirty minutes later, Hermione came downstairs, looking tired, but happy. She leaned against the door frame, watching the Weasley's happily chatter. Draco saw her first. He stood up and crossed the floor to her.

His movements caused the Weasley's to look up and see her and start cheering. Hermione smiled, as they all crowded around her. Not noticing that they just pushed Draco out of the way and he stood in the corner looking at them with disbelief, raising his eyebrows.

Hermione accepted her congratulations and told them that they could go upstairs one or two at a time to see the new baby, but they had to be quiet. They all scrambled up the stairs, startling Errol as they passed. Mr. Weasley stopped Harry on his way up, and asked to use Hedwig to send the letters to Percy and Charlie, and Harry agreed, seeing as Errol pretty much was used just for decoration now. Though, admittedly, he wasn't much decoration.

Draco walked to Hermione and wrapped his arms around her as she was turning around to face him, so he caught her about halfway. Since she was standing on a step his head rested on her shoulder for a change. "Hey." she said, slightly startled. She smiled and wrapped her arms around his shoulders.

He mumbled against her neck, "Can we go home now, please?" he begged.

"Yes, I'm sure Mrs. Weasley can handle anything that could possible come up." said Hermione looking down at him.

"She should be able to, she had, what, like 7 kids? I should hope so."

Hermione hit him. "Ow, watch it, that ring hurts!"

Hermione smiled and turned away from him. She called up the stairs and got the attention of Fred. "Hey, I'm going to head home, bloody exhausted. Tell your mum if she needs me, any time, I'm only a floo away."

Fred gave her the thumbs up and waved good-bye.

"What's his name?" Draco asked as they stepped by the fireplace.

"Caleb. Caleb William Weasley." she said.

They flooed away. Hermione stumbled up the stairs followed by Draco, who made sure the doors were locked. Hermione kissed Draco goodnight and meandered away towards his room, leaving him, despite being exhausted, yearning for her. He knew however, that she had to be at work again by 9 and didn't want a repeat of what happened a month ago.

---

On February 14th, Draco surprised Hermione. He knew she came in around midnight and was sound asleep in her bed. He snuck down stairs and thirty minutes later he came back upstairs with breakfast for two. He opened her door and peered inside.

She was sound asleep on one side of her bed, not sprawled in the middle like he was. The curtains were drawn around casting a deep red glow through the room. Hermione didn't even move when he came in. He set the food down on the unused side of the bed and went and crouched down by her side of the bed.

Hermione was sleeping on her stomach, one arm underneath the pillow, and one hand by her cheek. Her hair was pulled back into a ponytail, and tendrils had escaped the hair bands elasticy hold and fell into her face, dancing over her eyes and cheeks. Her cheeks were rosy with the warmth associated with sleep and her lips were slightly parted.

He reached out softly and brushed the tendrils away, gently rousing her. Her eyes fluttered open, and she sucked in a deep breath. She smiled. "Hey you." she said softly, rolling over onto her back.

"Hey," he said sitting on the edge of the bed.

"What smells good?" she asked looking around, one hand rubbing her eyes. They fell onto the breakfast. The rose laying on top of the plates. "Oh Draco..." she said looking at him.

He silenced her with a finger over her lips, "I love you." he said

"I love you too." she said easily sitting up. She kissed him softly once and scooted over so he could sit on the bed with her. He reached down and brought up the tray and they ate. Hermione was leaning against Draco the whole time, and they just sat there, laughing, living in each other's company. That is, until Hermione had to go to work, at 10, but she got a good shift and got off at 6.

At 9, she showered and dressed. She told Draco not to fix dinner for she had plans, and be ready to go out at 6, casual wear would do. She herself took a duffle bag to work.

At work, there were frilly pink paper hearts, mainly from the children's ward that decorated the halls, and Hermione, for the occasion, wore a red shirt underneath her healers robes, and little heart studs in her ears.

Ricardo came up to her, at the end of her shift, while she was standing at a nurses station filling out a quick form to send home with a patient. "Alright, now what did we learn today?" she asked the 10 year old.

"Don't stick objects up your nose that don't belong up your nose." said the kid, embarrassed.

"That's right, and that includes your finger young man," she said handing the paper to his mother, a young witch, only a little older then Hermione herself. She smiled down at him, "bye Honey."

The little guy waved good-bye to her as she walked away. She smiled and continued her final portion of the sheet. Ricardo came up behind her and leaned against the desk. Hermione looked up at him and sighed before going back to writing on her paper.

Behind the station, nurses looked at them. There was an ongoing bet that eventually, before the end of spring, Hermione would surrender to Ricardo's good looks and charm, for no healer-in-training has resisted so far, and he's been at it for a couple of years. "Hey Hermione,"

"Hi." she said shortly, scrawling her signature at the bottom of the page and setting it in the in tray to be filed. She capped the pen and left it on the desk and tried to walk away. Ricardo stopped her. She turned around and looked at him.

"I've got a question," he said standing beside her. " If you were a pirate, would your parrot be on this shoulder,"he said tapping her left shoulder, the one closest to him, " or this shoulder?" he said reaching across her shoulders to tap her right shoulder, successfully wrapping his arm around her shoulder.

Hermione sighed and shrugged his arms off. "Do you mind?" she asked,, straightening out her robes again. She started walking away and he stepped in front of her. "What do you want?" she asked putting her hands on her hips.

"Calm down Hermione, no need to go all cattish." he said. Hermione's eyes glinted. "I just wanted to see if, after your shift, you'd want to go out, maybe to the Leaky Cauldron and get a drink."

Hermione bared her teeth. "No, how many times do I have to tell you that I'm madly in love with another man? I'm getting married for cripes sake." she said waving her hand in front of his face. "God, you disgust me, leave me alone." she said walking away. She shuddered as she passed through some doors.

Behind the nurses desk, some of the ladies chuckled. Not wanting to be embarrased he took off after her, and was stopped by a firm hand on his arm. He swirled around, ready to tell off the person who grabbed him. His nasty frown dropped off his face when he saw the stern face of Ellen Vablatsky. " Go bother your own healers-in-training and leave mine alone." she said before turning him loose.

Hermione quickly changed out of her hospital clothes and into her street ones. She walked down the hallway, and got the okay from Ellen to leave. Hermione could feel eyes on her as went down the stairs She was wearing tight blue jeans, a white long sleeved form fitting shirt, with a red trim down the neck that continued onto the shirt and cross crossed underneath her breasts. Her hair had been delicately tied back so that half was up and the other half was down, held by only one clip. Around her neck she wore the locket Draco had given her and her engagement ring was on, freshly polished, so it sparkled in the lighting. She only had a light dusting of make up on. She stopped by the welcome witches desk as she was leaving and pulled on her coat. She had one more stop to make before she got home. On her feet she wore dainty black flats, she only hoped that the sidewalks were shoveled.

Unfortunately as she was stepping outside to the apparition point she saw Ricardo, heading in the direction of the Leaky Cauldron. She sneered at him and with a quick turn on her heel she vanished.

---

Draco was getting impatient. It was 6:15 and Hermione wasn't home yet. He paced around inside the house, in front of the fireplace looking out the window. His dark blue jeans were rustling each time he took a step, his black shoes making soft sounds as he took each step. Those were the only sounds in the house. He checked his watch again at 6:20 and just as he was putting on his jacket to go outside to look for her, she came into the house.

"It's snowing...again!" she said pulling him outside to look. He shook his head, but couldn't help but smile. Simple things made her happy. "Well, come on, lets go!" she said. He reached back and turned off the foyer light, turned on the outside one and locked the door.

"And where are we going?" he asked as they strolled down the street arm in arm.

"You'll see," she said. They were heading into Hogsmeade. "First stop." she said walking into Honeydukes dragging him along. Together they bought 3 galleons worth of chocolates and candy in less then 15 minutes. "Next stop," she said dragging across the street.

She couldn't help but smile. They were heading in the general direction of the Hogs Head but at the last second, she turned and jerked him into the Three Broomsticks, his favorite casual restaurant.

Madame Rosemerta saw them come in and waved, "Your table is ready dear."

"Thank you, called Hermione. The Restaurant wasn't packed, but it was doing fairly well business. Hermione led Draco pass happy couples, joyous groups and sorrowing singles, drowning themselves in Fire Whiskey, to a small rounded both in the back beside the fireplace, right next to a frosty window.

Draco was happy, Hermione was happy because Draco was happy. They ordered their usual, and sat back in the booth, next to each other, Draco's arm around her shoulders, and one hand playing with her left ring finger, over and over moving the ring that rested on it. They had a fun night.

But it was when they got home and the lights were turned off that they had the real fun.

A/N: I know, I know full of fluff...but it's important fluff, will see in next chapter, or maybe the chapter after that. As of today, I almost finished the total outline of this story and it's finally in a place where I won't lose it (my writing notebook, which I value more then gold.) Kudos to those who reviewed.

Courtney Dax

dragonqween27

b-ballgurl2

And while I know you guys who don't review are enjoying the story, at least that's what I think, but it you don't review I don't know what to fix and I don't know what you totally hate, and therefore can't make a better novel. Constructive criticism is ALWAYS welcome...just don't flame, because that does nothing but hurt spirits, and my spirit likes revenge... :-P