Disclaimer: Many thanks to JK Rowling for her wonderful works. They are hers and hers alone. I have only borrowed her characters for a while and built my own little fantasy around them. There is no pay involved for me in doing it.

Chapter 30

They all sat down and Ginny waved the food in front of them. Draco continued his story as he filled his plate.

"So, anyway we sit down and everyone's pretty silent; like they're waiting for something. Before I can ask what, the waitress comes to take everyone's orders. When she leaves, it goes back to quiet and since I was already pretty ticked off with the whole day I finally asked what we were there for."

Draco paused to take a sip of his wine and then continued his story.

"No one said anything for a minute, and Pansy's parents were glaring daggers at Father. He was his usual self, so I didn't have a clue what was going on. Finally, Pansy stands up and asks if I'll come talk to her for a moment in private."

He felt Hermione tense beside him and saw Harry's eyes harden a little, but it was Ginny's gasp of, "Oh shit," that he actually acknowledged.

"My thoughts exactly," he said and saluted her with his wineglass.

"Did you go with her," Hermione asked. She tried to keep her voice light, but he heard the worry in it and saw her pushing her potatoes around her plate.

He didn't cheat on me. He wouldn't! Not with her. Not with anyone. He loves me. He wouldn't cheat on me. He wouldn't chea…Damn! When did I get so insecure?

Draco turned his head to give her a reassuring smile and he saw her shoulders relax a bit.

Then he looked back at Harry and Ginny across the table, "At this point, I just wanted the day to be over and get out of there. So, I figured if this was part of the plan, if there was a plan, I would go with her and get it over with. I stood up and followed her, thinking we'd go to the bar, or outside, but no. We walked straight past the bar, to the office behind it."

"How'd she know it would be okay," Harry asked as he bit into his chicken. "What? Do they own the place?"

Draco shook his head, "No, but it's a friend of theirs, and apparently they had set it up before hand."

"Trap," Ginny mumbled around her peas.

Draco nodded, but laughed again, "Yeah, but since I pretty much figured it was, I wasn't caught off guard. Well, not too much."

"What do you mean, not too much?" Hermione asked.

If she touched him…I'll kill that little slut! I will rip her hair out strand by greasy strand! And, then I will hex her face onto her ever growing ass!

Draco decided to let Hermione off the hook and turned to face her. He took her hand in his, "Okay, first, Mi, nothing happened. I wasn't back in the room with her for a whole five minutes, okay?"

When she nodded slowly he continued, "But, by not too much, I mean, she shut the door, transfigured the office into a bedroom and started to strip."

Harry choked on his spoonful of potato, "She what?!"

Ginny gaped, "That bitch!"

And, Hermione simply blinked at him and waited for the rest of the story.

Draco looked back at the other two and finished, "Yes. Apparently, we were promised at birth. Not that anyone felt I needed to be told about it until today. Explains why she always hung on me in school though. She knew. This whole lunch was to break our engagement and that's why her parents were so pissed off. Father had told them the agreement needed to be broken and they needed to all be there to witness it."

"You were engaged to her?!" Ginny asked her voice soft in her disbelief.

Hermione wasn't as worried about the engagement as she was about them being alone together, "So, she started to strip, and…"

"She got as far as her shirt and had started on her skirt, when I finally realized what she was doing. When I told her to put her clothes back on, she collapsed in tears. Then she explained that this was our last chance. All I had to do was have sex with her and then the agreement couldn't be dissolved. She practically begged," he shook his head sadly.

Harry couldn't control his tongue when he asked, "Wait. You never slept with her back in school?"

Draco barked a laugh, "Hell, no! I didn't sleep with anyone at school. But, who was I to ruin the very fertile imaginations of all the girls at Hogwarts?"

Ginny actually looked sad when she asked, "So, the Slytherin Prince, wasn't also the Slytherin Sex God? Bummer."

Hermione laughed, "Ginny!"

"What?" she answered. Then she blushed as she admitted, "Lavender, Luna and I had some good talks speculating about his, uh…skills, back then."

"Ginevra Weasley Potter," Harry gasped. "You actually talked about THAT about HIM?!" Then he recalled two things; that he no longer hated Draco and the man was in the room. "No offense."

Draco laughed, "None taken." Then he too looked at Ginny.

Ginny's face matched her hair as she answered, "Well, you were a world-class, evil, hateful prat, but you were still sexy as all hell."

Hermione laughed at her friend and asked, "Where on earth was I during all these grand discussions?"

Ginny rolled her eyes, "I don't know if you remember, Mione, but you disappeared as fast as possible whenever our girl talk turned to sex."

Draco chuckled and looked at Hermione. Her face matched Ginny's when she mumbled, "Oh yeah."

Harry laughed at her and asked, "You didn't want to talk about sex, so you came and hung out with me and Ron instead? What does that say about us?"

"Loads, Potter, loads," Draco laughed.

Harry made a face, but laughed with him.

Hermione finally interrupted the laughter, "So, Draco, Pansy is half naked, crying and begging you to have sex with her, and…?"

He laughed a little at her very narrow focus on him being alone with Pansy, "And, I left."

"What?" she asked in complete surprise.

He raised a brow at her, "You thought I would stick around?"

"Well, no, but you just left her there crying?"

"Do you remember Pansy at all from school?" he asked with an incredulous look.

"Fake tears, huh?" Ginny said around a bite of chicken.

Draco nodded, "Exactly. By the way, this is really good, Ginny."

"Thank you," she smiled. Then she turned to her friend, "Come on Mione, you're not slow! She figured if stripping didn't get him, then the tears might."

Hermione looked from one to the other and sputtered, "But, why? She knows we're together. And, you said they were there to end it."

"Unless she could change my mind," he answered after a sip of his wine.

Harry shook his head as he forked more peas, "Still after the galleons, huh?"

"And, the snitch once again goes to Potter," Draco laughed.

"That's disgusting!" Hermione said. "I can't believe she would stoop that low. She was practically selling herself!"

Draco looked at her, but Ginny laughed, "You really don't remember her from school at all, Mione. Sounds like the same old Pansy to me."

Hermione blushed a little, but picked up her wineglass and looked at her friend, "Well, I was too busy studying and getting ready for a war to be as obsessed as some with Draco's love life."

Harry seemed to realize something finally, "Hey, wait! I thought you were only interested in me in school!"

Ginny laughed and leaned over to kiss his cheek, "I love you honey, I always have, but," she pointed over at Draco, "he was hot!"

Draco sat back in his chair and lifted his glass in a silent cheer to Ginny. Then he looked over at Harry and smirked, "Man, I love an honest woman."

All four laughed and Draco finished telling them how he had come out of the office/bedroom to find the Parkinsons and his father waiting in silence. Before he could tell them what had happened, Pansy had stormed passed him, eyes dry, and demanded the papers. Without another word her mother had pulled the long scroll from her bag and placed it on the table. Draco had stayed standing, only wanting to hurry and be done with it all, and Lucius had performed the spell to dissolve the union. Then, with a prick of both his and Pansy's fingers, and a drop of each of their blood on the parchment, it had shriveled and burned in front of them.

"Union dissolved," he finished triumphantly.

"Thank goodness," Hermione smiled into her wineglass.

Ginny laughed, "Hermione Malfoy, you've been the Other Woman all this time!"

"Yeah, yeah, you're probably just jealous that I got him," Hermione laughed. Then Ginny's slip of the tongue hit everyone.

Harry and Draco choked on their food, and Hermione gaped at Ginny, "Did you just call me Hermione MALFOY?"

Ginny sobered, blushed and announced to Harry that she needed to get the boys fed. Without looking at the others, Harry said he would take care of Jamie and fled the table with her, his laughter following him out of the room. Hermione and Draco watched the pair run from the room and then looked at each other.

"That girl," Hermione laughed nervously into the silence.

Draco leaned back and smirked at her, "I don't know, has a nice ring to it, I think."

Her jaw dropped a bit as she stared at him, but he simply stood, gathered his plate and glass and walked towards the kitchen. When he reached the door, he looked over his shoulder and gave her a wink, before he disappeared through it.

Hermione sat there for a minute longer, trying to force her mouth to close. Then, when no one came back in, she too went to help clean up. Thankfully, the boys provided enough distraction that the previous conversation could be ignored for a while.

The boys finished their dinners quickly and soon everyone was back in the living room with dessert. As promised, Draco sat down with Teddy to play a game of Wizard's Chess. Teddy made Harry turn his back on them, as he didn't want his father to know his potential secret to beating him. And, Albie sat on Hermione's lap, his hand fisted in her hair and his tiny body drooping as he fought falling asleep. Harry, Ginny and Hermione talked about Ginny's family and kept an ear on the conversation at the chess table in the corner.

Harry almost laughed out loud when he heard Teddy say, "But, how can I beat him like that?"

"Well, if he's not paying real close attention, he won't notice your bishop sitting over here threatening his queen. And, if he does see it, you still have your rook ready to take out his King."

Harry turned his head slightly and saw his son's look of concentration. He also noticed, with a little shock, the soft smile on Draco's face as he watched the boy look at the board. Harry made a mental note to look out for that move in future games with his son, and promised himself he would let the boy win at least once.

After the boys were put to bed, the adults sat around and talked about their lives, the wedding the previous week, the things Draco and Hermione had done with Narcissa during the week, and then what they had coming up. It was during that conversation that they planned for The Potters to come to New York for their birthdays. Since they were only a couple of weeks apart, it didn't make sense to have two parties, or to only really celebrate one. They figured by going to New York, they could share their birthday with friends and let the kids see Ron and Snoop, as well.

Since Hermione and Draco had had a very early morning it wasn't long before they, too, were ready for bed. Ginny set them up in a spare room and Harry helped Draco bring their bags upstairs. Hermione said goodnight to both of them and set off for the bathroom. Draco thanked them for a really nice evening and waved goodnight as they left and shut the door behind them. He was asleep, fully clothed, on the edge of the bed, before Hermione came back. She laughed to herself at his awkward positioning, but then smiled softly as his sleeping form. She hated to wake him, but he needed to get out of his clothes, at least. When he stumbled sleepily down the hall to the bathroom, she climbed into bed and waited for him. She couldn't keep her eyes open, but didn't allow herself to sleep until she felt him crawl in beside her.

When his hand slid across her waist to rest just under her breasts, she mumbled, "Love you. Night."

She felt him breath, "Love you, too, Mi," into her hair, before she allowed sleep to claim her.

' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' '

Downstairs Ginny leaned back against Harry and sipped her tea as they stared unseeing at the television in front of them. Except for the droning of the news, and the crackle of the fireplace, the house was quiet.

Harry sighed heavily and she turned her head to look up at him, "What are you thinking?"

"I think I like him," Harry said softly, his voice filled with awe. "After all these years, and all we've been through, I find it amazing to say, much less feel, but there it is. I, Harry James Potter, actually like Draco Malfoy."

Ginny giggled softly at his look of confusion, "I know what you mean. I sure as hell never dreamed I would sit down and have a civil meal with him, much less have him sleeping with my best friend in my guest room."

His chest shook under her back in a silent laugh and she added with a grimace, "I can't believe I called her Malfoy!"

"Did you see the look on her face?" Harry laughed.

"Yeah," Ginny laughed. "If I hadn't been so mortified I might have teased her about it."

"Yeah, you were pretty red in the face," he laughed. "How did that shoe leather taste?"

She laughed at his 'foot in mouth' joke with him, but then asked slowly, "Did she look almost hopeful to you, around all that shock?

"Yeah, she did," he nodded. Then he almost whispered, "So did he."

Ginny smiled at him and remembered her question from earlier in the day, "So, what did Draco tell you earlier? Before Hermione and I came back in the room."

Harry began to tell her about Draco's day with his father.

"So, they're super uber rich and Hermione doesn't know?" Ginny asked after a pause. The she winced a little, "She's going to kill him."

"I know. And, he thinks so, too. But, he has to tell her, right? It's not like he can hide it from her forever. And, like I told him, she'll get over it."

"How much did they get?" Ginny asked.

"He didn't say," Harry lied, with only a little guilt. He was pretty sure Draco hadn't meant to share that much with him, and he didn't feel quiet right telling Ginny about it. "But, there's more."

He then told her the rest of what Draco had said. He found himself tensing again when he told her about the contract, but was distracted by having to stop Ginny from jumping up to go find Lucius and kill him. He quickly told her the end of the story and she relaxed again and smiled, "Good for Draco."

They were quiet for a moment and Harry sighed again, "He really does love her, doesn't he? It's not just a trick to get his family some sort of redemption."

Ginny turned to face him and nodded, "I think he does. Are you okay with that?"

Harry shrugged one shoulder and looked up, as if seeing the couple above them, "I am, surprisingly. But, it's still a very weird thing to realize I've accepted. Part of me kept thinking Ron could possibly be right."

"I think part of you was hoping he was right," she said looking into his green eyes with a bit of sympathy.

Harry looked at her and reached out to run a hand down the hair framing her face, "I know it sounds wrong, but yeah, I guess I was. Not that I wanted Mione to get hurt, but it was too hard to swallow that he had really changed that much. A Malfoy without all those prejudices is just plain unheard of, you know."

She nodded in agreement, and asked, "But?"

"But, talking to him today, seeing his anger over what his father tried to pull, and then seeing them together…I don't know, it just feels like it's right. And, strangely enough, I really enjoyed spending time with him today. They're good together."

"Yeah, they are," she sighed. "I wish Ron could step back and see it."

"He will. Eventually, at least. He's backed off some, so maybe now he just has to see it keep going."

She laughed, "Yeah, maybe after they're married with a houseful of children, he may start see it's not some elaborate hoax."

"You're dad's not helping, you know?" he said looking away from her.

"What do you mean?" she asked and sat up away from him. "What's he doing?"

Harry shrank a bit under her glare and confessed, "He and Ron have been having Draco tailed for the past month or so, trying to find something to justify Ron's feelings that he's right."

"WHAT?!" she shrieked.

"Shhhhh!" he admonished. "Calm down."

"How could they?!" she hissed.

Again he looked away, "Well, he and Ron came to me about a week after the party and told me about it."

"And, you didn't see fit to let me know about it?"

"I'm sorry, but they asked me not to, Gin. I didn't want to keep it from you, but they made me promise. And, honestly, I didn't see any harm in it, just in case, you know."

She crossed her arms over her chest, pulled away from him and asked, "So, what changed that you decided to spill it tonight?"

"I said I was sorry, okay. And, well, I guess I feel a bit guilty about it now; what with getting to know him better." He darted a glance at her angry face and added contritely, "The good news is he's clean. They haven't found anything on him."

"I could kill all three of you," she said as she glared in his direction. Then she got up to pace the living room. "So? What? Did you three expect to catch him in something and then confront Mione with it? What the hell did you think that was going to do?!"

"I wasn't the one tailing him," he defended himself.

"No, but you were in on it as just as much since you didn't try to stop it! And, answer me! What was the expected outcome of all this?"

He shrugged, "I don't know. I guess they figured they would catch him and then prove to Hermione that they were right."

She looked incredulously at him, "And, they didn't think she might be just as upset with them, as with him? Damn, men are stupid!"

"Hey!"

But she continued as if he hadn't spoken, "She's going to kill you if she finds out about this. And, I pity you three if Draco finds out! Hell, I may help them strangle you!"

He had the decency to blush, "Well, I'm calling it off anyway."

"You better! Just wait until I talk to them about this!"

He jumped up to grab her arms and stop her pacing, "No, hon, you can't. First, like I said, I wasn't supposed to tell you. And, second, you saying something will blow it up and out of proportion. Let me just talk to them and end it, okay?"

When she just looked at him, he added, "Please, Gin?"

Ginny sighed and closed her eyes for a moment before she answered, "Fine. But, I want it done by tomorrow night. And, you are now the one responsible for getting it through their thick heads to lay off! I'm done trying. I'm going to take a bath!"

He watched her flounce away and called out, "Want some company?"

She turned and pinned him with a look that made him want to disappear before he mumbled, "Oh, okay, never mind."

' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' '

Hermione woke the next morning very slowly. Part of her brain registered that the feelings coursing through her were no longer a part of her dream and that they probably shouldn't be doing that in Harry and Ginny's house. That part tried to get her to open her eyes and stop things. But, the other part of her brain reminded her that it felt really, REALLY, good and that shut up the first side.

She heard his soft moan as he moved over her, and smiled dreamily as he slid into her.

"Mmmmm," she moaned softly.

"Morning," he whispered against her throat. "Took you forever to wake up."

"Oh, sorry, but I was having the best dream," she sighed and ran her hands down his back to grip his butt and urge him on.

He continued his deep, slow strokes and lifted his head to watch her face, "And, who was in your dream? You were moaning and seemed quite excited."

"Just some gorgeous, sweet guy, with dark hair and the most beautiful brown eyes," she teased. Then she arched her back as he hit the perfect spot and moaned, "He…you…incredible."

"Oh really," he laughed, his lips and tongue teasing her earlobe. "Incredible, huh?"

"Mmmm," she answered. Then she panted as the feelings pooled in her stomach, "He did the most amazing things with his tongue."

"Like this?" he asked and kissed her thoroughly.

His tongue mimicked his hips, as he hit her aching nub perfectly, and increased his speed a fraction to send her over. Only when his name was wrenched from her lips in a succession of low groans, did he allow himself to finish.

With a satisfied smile, she finally opened her eyes, "But, since he seems to have left, I think I'll keep you. You're not so bad, either."

Draco laughed from his collapsed position on top of her and turned his head a little to nuzzle her neck, "Good, because I would hate to have to fight anyone for you in this condition."

When she heard movements outside the door, she asked, "You did remember to put up a couple of charms, right?"

He laughed and rolled off of her to pull her close, "What do you take me for? A novice?"

"No, but I know how carried away you can get," she giggled.

"Well, then it would actually be your fault if I forgot, wouldn't it?" he teased.

"Yeah, right," she laughed. "What time is it?"

He ran a hand slowly down her body and shrugged, "I don't know, but I think that was Ginny we just heard. I haven't heard the boys yet."

"Accio watch," she called out and grabbed it when it flew across the room into her waiting hand. "Ugh."

"That early, huh?" he laughed.

"No, that late," she answered. "We need to get moving. Ginny will never let me live this down."

He laughed at her as she scurried out of bed, her face red, "Mi, I am pretty sure neither Ginny nor Harry are going to think too hard on what we may have been doing in here. And, it's only 8:30. Relax."

She stopped her hurried movements and sat on the bed heavily, her blush deepening, "I can't believe we just did that! In Harry's house! I feel..."

Draco laughed a little evilly and came up behind her, "Kind of naughty? A little bad girlish?"

When she giggled, he added, "The good news, is neither of them would believe you capable of it, so stop worrying."

She leaned back and gave him a quick peck on the lips, "Maybe not Harry, but Ginny most certainly would. And, she'd probably ask for details."

"So, are you going to tell her how I took advantage of your delectably warm little body?" he asked with a smirk. Then he kissed her naked shoulder and slipped his hand around to tease her breast as he added, "I can always give you a bit more to tell her."

She laughed and moved away, "No, I think I will keep my bad girl ways to myself, thank you very much. Besides, she seems to have thought about you and your sexual prowess quite enough."

He pulled her back against him and pushed her hair out of his way as he attacked her neck once again, "Well, Harry seems to make her happy, and she sees us as married already, so maybe she'll get over her crush on me someday soon."

Hermione cringed at the reminder and mumbled, "Sorry about that, by the way."

He stopped to look around at her face, "Mi, what the heck are you apologizing for? I thought it was funny."

She nodded, but wouldn't look at him, "It was, but, I didn't want you to think that she and I…that we…"

"Oh stop," he laughed. Then he kissed the back of her ear, "I told you. I thought it had a nice ring to it. Still do."

He was off the bed, in his robe, and out of the door to go to the bathroom before she could respond. But, she giggled to herself when she glanced at the mirror and saw her large smile.

"I guess I do, too," she said into the silence.

' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' '
Author's Notes –

Every read is a treasure, every review a gift. And, I thank each and every one of you!

And, a warm welcome to the story and additional thank you to the following for adding my story, or me, as a Favorite, or setting an alert for it: larisse, Kathleen Burnette, ProgressiveCannibalism, FlameCobra19, spidergambit, brooklynsam3, arkenstone2003, mrivera, and AiRFiRe.