Six Months Later

"Spot - hold - still!"

Hermione shielded her face unsuccessfully with her soapy hands when Spot shook himself out, and she couldn't help but smiling. All hope was lost for staying at least a little dry. She sighed and tied her hair up - also rather unsuccessfully considering all the shorter peices fell out into her face - preparing herself for the long and tiring process that was giving Spot a bath. She got the shampoo and started squirting it in her hand.

"Now, you're going to stay still while I rub this on you, yeah?" Hermione said, giving Spot a look. "Because if you start to shake it out, it'll get it my eye, and I might trip, and then I might crack my head open, and you'll be stuck here in the water, and that'd be bad. So you're going to stay still, okay?"

Spot just looked at her and she took that as an 'okay'. She started scrubbing the now medium-sized dog with the shampoo and rolled her eyes at his obviously miserable expression.

"C'mon, it's not that - SPOT!"

He shook out his fur again, and sure enough, soap spewed everywhere, including right in Hermione's eyes. She actually did trip, but thankfully, she just fell on her butt, right into the soapy dog water. She groaned and rubbed her eyes. Spot sat at the only open space, between her legs and started licking her face.

"And that is exactly what I told you not to do." she muttered, attempting to stand when she got the soap out of her eyes.

She sighed at his huge eyes, staring up at her, and she muttered something incoherently, but she obviously forgave him. She reached up for the shower head and pulled it down so she could rinse Spot off.

"You know, I should really just do this with magic, but I always feel really accomplished afterwards, so you could at least make it a little easier on me," she said to him as she washed his fur of the shampoo. "Now just let me - SPOT!"

He grabbed the shower head in his teeth and it pelted Hermione's torso with hot water and she tried to grab it from him, but both of them lost it. The shower head started having a mind of it own, snaking up and down and soaking everything in the bathroom.

"Spot, you are so - ugh!" she exclaimed, attempting to carefully step out of the shower to grab the lethal shower head. She scrambled with it and -

"Hermione, I'm home! Want to go out for . . . " his voice trailed off and she could hear him coming towards the bathroom. "What's that bloody noise? Hermione, are you alright?"

The bathroom door opened, revealing World War III - the evil shower head destroying everything in its path, Hermione struggling to save what was left of the bathroom, and Spot barking and wagging his tail happily.

Draco stood in the doorway, shocked. "What the bloody hell is going on here?"

Hermione wasn't paying attention, though, as she finally grabbed holding of the shower head. "HA!"

"Hermione, you could've just turned it off." he pointed out.

She frowned and looked down at the running shower head. "Oh."

He sighed and went over to the bath tub, turning the faucet off. Then, he turned back to her, and looked her over. She figured she must've looked pretty pathetic, because she could tell he was fighting laughter.

"Yes, yes, I'm sure I'm quite a vision, Draco, you don't have to tell me." she hurrumphed, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Hermione, I'm sorry, I just - "

"How about you try giving that dog a bath the Muggle way, huh? It's hard!"

"But I would do it with magic," he pointed out, and at her look, he added, "Just saying."

She kept glaring at him and he fought a smile. "Do you want me to get you some clean clothes?"

Then, a wicked grin spread across her face and she held out her arms. "No, I want a hug, Draco."

He laughed, backing up. "No way in hell - " He almost tripped over Spot, who seemed to be pushing him toward Hermione. "Traitor," he muttered to the golden retriever, who, she swore, grinned at him. He looked at Hermione, gaping. "Did you feed him something? I swear, he's the most human-like dog I've ever encountered!"

Hermione grinned and stepped toward him, and he backed up more, except this time, he did trip over Spot and fell into the bath tub with a huge splash. He let out a string of fluent curses, scrambling to get out of the bath. Hermione was laughing her head off, bent over, and he grumbled. Spot barked and wagged his tail happily, his tongue lolling to the side as usual.

"Get your tongue in your mouth where it belongs, for the last time," Draco snapped to Spot, "It's repulsive."

"Don't take your anger out on him, Draco." Hermione chastised, offering her hand.

He grinned up at her and reached to take it. "Why, thank you, dear."

She realized a moment too late what he was going to do - the oldest trick in the book - and he tugged at her hand before she could escape. She fell with a yelp beside him, and it caused both of them to get even more soaked. Spot then jumped in with them, seeming smug that they now knew what the misery felt like. For a moment, the only sound was the lonely dripping of the faucet and Spot's breathing, which was right on Hermiones face, thank you very much.

Hermione and Draco looked at each other.

"I swear, that dog only causes us problems." Draco said, shaking his head.

"Oh, shut up," Hermione said, smirking, and flicked his green and silver tie. "You're only mad because you got your Slytherin-colored tie wet."

"Yes, I am rather irked about that!" he exclaimed huffily, lifting it to examine the damage.

She rolled her eyes. "You're hopeless," she chuckled, "All you care about is that bloody tie."

She started to get up out of the tub, but Draco pulled her back to him, this time on his lap. She let out a woosh of air in surprise and their faces were inches apart. He was smiling wickedly.

"That's not all I care about." he murmured and brought his lips to hers.

She laughed around their kiss and pushed his chest. "Get off me, you prat - you pulled me in here!"

He grinned and pulled her closer. "Only because I wanted to be near you, darling."

She laughed and still resisted. "That's the worst excuse I've ever - "

"Hermione," he murmured, and when she finally looked into his eyes, there was something there that turned her joking mood upside down.

"What?" she asked, frowing as leaned back to study him more closely, "What's wrong?"

"I need to ask you something." he said apprehensively, his eyes searching her face.

"What? What is it?" she asked worriedly, putting her hands on his chest.

"This is not the best time, I realize that," he began, swallowing nervously, "but I just - I can't wait any longer."

"God dammit, Draco, what's the matter with you?" she asked, leaning back more to give him more space.

He swallowed again, and put his hand in his pocket, before revealing a small - wet - velvet box.

Oh, bloody hell.

Her eyes went wide and her body froze in shock for a moment, but then she realized this might just be another prank. She rolled her eyes and looked up at him.

"Very funny, Draco. That was a good one, you should go into acting, really," she dead-panned, struggling to get out of the tub, "Now let's get out of this tub and put on some dry clothes. We can go see a film tonight if you want, I have some Muggle ones - "

"Hermione," he said when she was halfway out the bathroom. She turned and found he was in exactly the same position, a small rueful smile on his face now. He popped open the box to reveal a glittering diamond ring. "Will you marry me?"

Hermione flew into his arms.

She was convinced it was the greatest thing that ever happened to her.