Disclaimer: unfortunately, this is still not mine!

A/N: thank you to those that did review - it means so much knowing that you are enjoying/appreciating my writing.

Special thanks to thatharrypottergeekychick16 and dutch potterfan who have faithfully left reviews for this story!

Chapter V

Nestled in the large armchair in the commons, Hermione looked ever so engrossed in the book on her lap. But her mind was far from the words in front of her – no, they were utterly and completely fixed on the wizard to whom she was inexplicably linked. She had woken up the next morning encased in the warmth of his embrace. They had somehow become entangled, their legs entwined, in the sheets as they slept. His muscular torso had been pressed against her, his hot breath caressing her shoulder. It had taken all her willpower to rip herself out of his embrace.

Their first week as a betrothed couple had gone by surprisingly fast. Dumbledore had given her the opportunity to bury her parents, albeit under a guise. After all, the Death Eaters were surely after her and Draco. The short ceremony had occurred at the cemetery that her grandparents were buried, attended by only herself, Draco and Dumbledore. Her heart felt as though it had been ripped out; her only regret was that she hadn't been able to stay by their tombstones for much longer.

Her relationship with Draco had most certainly progressed; it was rather hard not to feel something for the man who had sheltered her in his arms for the past seven nights. He had a captivating smile; it really was a shame that he didn't use it more often. Each time he laughed, it made her breath hitch and her legs feel weak.

She was now waiting for him, willing the images of his delightful physique out of her head. Draco had invited her out on their first official 'date', if it could really be called that. This was the second time he had disappeared this week and when she had asked him what he could possibly be doing all day, he had given her a sly smile before leaving their Commons.

Hermione jumped as she was yanked out of her thoughts by the sound of the Commons door opening. Her eyes widened as she took in the man before her. Draco's hair was tousled lightly over his face, as it had been since their arrival at Hogwarts. He was wearing a simple pair of dark jeans and a well-fitted black shirt. She could practically hear her heart beating in her ears, wishing that her eyes weren't giving away her attraction to him.

As simple as his outfit was, she felt awfully underdressed in the plain dress she was wearing. "Oh my, look at me! I'll just go change!" She gasped, pushing herself out of her seat.

In a few swift strides, he was grasping her hand. "Nonsense, Hermione. You look perfect." He murmured, his steel eyes burning into hers.

Somewhat lost for words, she let him lead her through the school's halls. "So where exactly are you taking me?" He had been incredibly secretive about his plans for the evening, not to mention she hadn't seen him since lunch that afternoon. The wizard merely gave her a surprisingly timid smile, before coming to an abrupt stop; she was barely able to stop herself from walking straight into him.

They were standing outside the Room of Requirements, a place she had become quite familiar with in their fifth year. Draco paced in front of the room in deep concentration until the door materialised in front of her. He opened the door for her, dazzling her with the sheepish smile that adorned his face. She gasped aloud at the room before her – it was incredibly beautiful.

The room was dimly light, multiple ribbons of tiny lights draped along the roof. There was a single mahogany dining table in the centre, encircled with tiny glimmering candles. He led her to the table as she took in the Parisian landscape that seemed to be surrounding them – it was certainly a magical illusion, but it was absolutely breathtaking nevertheless.

Draco was being a perfect gentleman. He pulled out a chair for her, before pouring her a glass of red currant wine. Noticing her apprehensive gaze, he winked at her; "No need to get riled up. I made sure to get Dumbledore's permission."

Hermione suppressed the urge to confirm that he was indeed telling the truth. He had clearly put a lot of effort into their evening and she wasn't going to ruin it all by being her usual curious self. Blushing at the fact that he could read her so well, she thanked him as he sat in the seat perpendicular to her.

Almost instantaneously, the plates in front of her were filled with what appeared to be a delicious assortment of Italian dishes. As they shared their meals, they chatted amicably. She felt utterly comfortable around him; she supposed that it was to be expected, given that he had been the one to rescue her. As they finished their meals, their dirty plates were replaced by a tasting plate of chocolate éclairs, profiteroles and two small pots of crème brulée.

The wizard chuckled as Hermione's eyes widened, her delight at the deserts evident. She blushed at his amusement, pulling her hand away from the plate. With a grin on his face, he picked up a profiterole before popping it into her mouth. Her eyes closed as she savoured the taste, a soft moan escaping her mouth. Draco couldn't help but feel his heart race at the noise.

He cleared his throat, a blush rising through his cheeks. "Hermione…" He paused, grasping for the words he had so carefully rehearsed earlier in the day. She looked at him, cocking her head to the side.

"Yes?" She urged him on after finishing her delectable mouthful. Her eyebrows knitted together; he was nervously fidgeting in his seat, his face betraying his nervousness as he took a deep breath.

"I know that this situation may not be all that ideal for you. But I want you to know that I am lucky to be marrying you. You are such an incredible, intelligent witch; to the point that you make me feel inadequate, which is rare for a Malfoy." He stated, eliciting a chuckle from the witch.

"And though you may not think so, you are absolutely ravishing." He warmed as he noticed her blush. "This past week with you has been unbelievable and somehow, it feels so right falling sleep and waking up with you in my arms." Hermione blush widened as her thoughts from earlier this evening flooded back to her.

"You are truly one-of-a-kind and if I am being completely honest, I like you…a lot. And so it's only right that I make this official. Hermione Jean Granger, will you give me the pleasure of being your husband for life and all of eternity?"

Hermione stared as he revealed a small velvet box, seemingly from nowhere. As he opened the box, she struggled to catch her breath. The ring in front of her was set in an intricately carved rose gold band, adorned with a large central diamond and two smaller champagne gold diamonds on either side. She took a deep rasping breath, her hands trembling over her gaping mouth.

Draco could feel his palms getting clammier with each moment that passed. She certainly looked pleased with the unique ring he had commissioned for her; but her silence was taunting him. "Hermione?" He whispered, afraid that she would reject his amorous gesture.

Her eyes shot to hold his gaze, as she took a deep breathe in. "Yes! Of c-course!" She stammered, her eyes dancing with joy.

Feeling relief wash over his body, he removed the ring from its case and slipped it on her finger. Hermione felt tears spring to her eyes as she marveled at the striking band that was now gracing her hand. Without thinking she leapt forward, her lips pressing against his.

His body stiffened for a moment before he reciprocated the kiss, his hand rising to cup her cheek. Her arms snaked around his neck, pulling him closer against her. He felt warmth rise up from his gut as his other hand rested on her hip, his tongue flickering across her lip. She moaned lightly allowing her lips to part, as they began a battle for dominance.

Almost as suddenly as the moment began, it ended as they both gasped for air. Hermione felt her desire grow, noticing that his eyes had darkened in exhilaration. He rested his forehead on hers as he tried to catch his breath, his eyes drawn to her lips as she unintentionally nibbled on the lower edge. A guttural groan escaped his lips as his arousal grew; he pulled away from her knowing that he was close to crossing the line.

They finished their deserts with interlinking hands, before making their way to their Commons and to their bedroom. As they lay down to sleep, Draco again wrapped his arms around his fiancée, pressing her back against his chest. Unable to help himself, he slowly made a trail of kisses from her neck to the tip of her shoulder, his hand lazily drawing patterns on her stomach. He was gratified as he felt her body shiver in response. He inwardly cursed as he felt his lust for the petite witch grow with each movement and contact.

Hermione felt her skin burn where his lips had just been, each touch making her heart beat faster. Closing her eyes, it took all her might to hold back the soft moan that was threatening to escape. She felt as though her she couldn't think, her rational mind clouded with desire.

Giving her shoulder one final kiss, they soon drifted into a rather restless and heated night's sleep.

Present Day

Potter Residence

The three faces were contorted in shock as Harry pulled them out of the Pensieve. Ginny felt the corner of her lips twitch, trying to hold back a smile. She had always thought that the two would make a ravishing couple, if they ever managed to put their differences aside. Harry's face was simply…blank. He wasn't quite sure what to think or say. And Ron…well his face was becoming a deeper crimson colour by the second.

"What in the bloody hell?!" He exploded, slamming his fists onto the table in front of him. "She was with that ferret during the whole freaking year?" Ginny forced herself to stifle a giggle; her brother looked as though his eyes were going to burst from their sockets. She looked over at Harry expecting a response; her husband was still blankly staring at the Pensieve.

Rolling her eyes, she turned back to her brother. "Oh get over it Ron. It was eight years ago."

"Get over it? GET OVER IT?!" He was yelling with such a force that she could actually see spittle flying from his mouth. She grimaced in disgust before casting a soundproofing charm on the room. The last thing she needed was her brother's shouts waking James and Lily from their slumber.

"He knew." Harry mumbled, startling the two siblings. "He knew!" This time the statement was exclaimed as he jumped up from his chair. Lurching forward, he stormed towards the fireplace.

"Who knew, Harry? Where on earth are you going?" Ginny rushed to catch up with him.

He whipped around to face his wife, anger sparking in his eyes. "Dumbledore."

Dumbledore smiled knowingly as his beloved ex-student barged into his office. "Welcome Harry." He stated, rising to greet his friend.

"Don't give me that crap." Harry spat, as he slammed the door behind him. "You knew all along. You knew she was a disciple or whatever. You KNEW she was married to Malfoy. And yet you did NOTHING when we mourned, while a part of us died when she disappeared. You let us think we had lost her for good! Why, Albus? Why?"

Tears burned at his eyes as he glumly threw himself into a chair. He stared at the elderly professor, waiting for a response. Dumbledore sighed, removing his glasses and placing them in front of him.

"I couldn't, Harry. Telling you would have meant telling Ron and Ginny, and effectively the entire Weasley family." Harry opened his mouth to protest. Raising his hand to silence the younger man, Dumbledore continued. "You know it's true, Harry – you could never have kept the secret from your friends. "And as for her disappearance, we had no idea what would happen after Draco and Hermione fulfilled the prophecy; we simply did not have enough information. I truly did not know for certain that they were alive or where they were; I just knew that we couldn't give up hope."

Sighing wearily and giving his profuse apologies to the Headmaster, he returned to the Potter Residence. He found a somewhat calmer Ron and rather irate Ginny. He stifled a chuckle; as much as she loved her brother, he had a certain knack for getting under her skin.

Ron stood up defiantly. "Where is she, Harry? I want to go talk to her."

Shaking his head in response, Harry leaned against the doorway. "No, Ron. She asked that we wait until we finish the memories before asking her anything. And we are going to respect that. Now it's getting pretty late – go home and get some sleep and we'll start up again tomorrow."

Malfoy Ranch; Van Wert, America

Cursing quietly, Draco shuffled in his bed. The very loud and very persistent Muggle alarm clock that Hermione insisted on was ringing loudly. "For Pete's sake!" He yelled loudly, feeling the coming of a migraine. "Turn the sodding thing off! Hermione!"

Grumbling incoherently about the absurdities of complex Muggle inventions, he opened one eye to the harsh light emitted by their large chandelier. "Hermioneeeeee!" It was only then that he heard an amused sigh from beside him. Grinning lightly she whispered, "You can learn for yourself."

"ARGH!" His frustration was now all too clear for Hermione to see. Grabbing her pillow from underneath her, he covered his ears in a dire attempt to drown out the horrific sound. Needless to say, it did not work. He pulled the doona up as high over his head as he could. It still didn't work. Crying in frustration, he looked for a way to shut the darned thing up.

An idea suddenly popped into his mind. Grabbing the damned contraption, he glared at it. "Ooh look who's begging now! Within second, you'll be incapable of make one more bloody noise!" With an almost manic laugh, he flung the clock with all his might.

The clock came to a harsh halt as it collided with the wall, falling to the floor. But instead of falling silent as Draco had hoped, a dull croaking sound was incessantly calling out. "ARGH!" He yelled again, throwing his weight onto the bed, causing his petite wife to jostle around.

"Repario." A soft, amused voice muttered the charm, causing the maddeningly loud ringing to resume. Draco turned to glare at the woman who was elevating the clock back to its position on the bedside table. "You know," She whispered, a sparkle brightening her eyes. "All you needed to do was place one simple charm. Silencio." The ringing came to a complete stop, the sweet silence filling the room.

She slowly leaned over her husband, her soft curls tickling his bare chest. "If not that, you could have always done this." She reached out and clicked the little lever into the 'off' position. Hermione turned back to Draco, a true Malfoy smirk playing on her delicate lips.

"Whatever" He mumbled, feeling rather silly. "I'm going back to sleep." He closed his eyes, willing a bit more rest.

"Oh no you don't!" She scolded, lightly smacking his arm. "We have to be at the Belknap's place for dinner in less than an hour." Draco rolled over, groaning heavily. Raising children was a really exhaustive ordeal. Maybe one day soon he wouldn't be so tired.

A/N: Hope you liked this! I feel like I'm still struggling to keep a good pace in their relationship. Again, I really appreciate the reviews I have received! Please review and let me know what you think.