Chapter 19
"I need a favor," Hermione said, entering 12 Grimmauld Place. Neither Harry nor Ginny expected her, but invited her in anyhow. "I was at a fundraiser last night, and the director and I got to talking about our adoption plans. Draco and I have met the most amazing little girl, and we'd really like to get the ball rolling. So, what I'm hoping two of my best friends will do is write us a letter of recommendation. So, will you?"
Harry was ready to agree, but Ginny stopped him. "Is this why you got married?" she inquired. "And please be honest with me, Hermione. Sure, Draco's improved over the years, but that doesn't mean you marry him the second he puts a ring on your finger. What happened to waiting and planning a wedding? I thought that was what you wanted."
Hermione shrugged. "The wedding was never as important as the marriage," she said wisely. "I love Draco, and that's why I married him. We didn't do this because we needed to in order to adopt. We did it because it's what we want."
Scowling at his fiancee, Harry promised that he would write Hermione's letter of recommendation. "Tell me about the kid," he said, leading Hermione away to speak in private. They entered his study and sat down. "Look, what Ginny said, I don't agree with her. Maybe that's because you've let me be a part of it, I don't know. We both know you're smarter than me, and if this felt like the right move, who am I to question it?"
Hermione chuckled and thanked him. "She's perfect," she said, telling him about Georgia. "Draco has fallen completely in love with her, and she's pretty smitten with him too. She's smart and sweet. She's always been a bit shy around me, but she talked Draco's ear off all night. Apparently, she likes the Falcons."
"Draco must love that," Harry replied. "Although, this could mean I lose my ticket to the games. Does it bother you that you're not getting a baby?"
"It doesn't," she said honestly. "As nice as it would be to have a baby, I think Georgia's perfect. She's perfect for us."
"What about the fact that she'll be off to Hogwarts in a few years?" Harry wondered.
Hermione frowned. "Do I stop being a parent because my child goes to school?" she inquired. "If, God willing, we get to adopt her, going to school won't change things."
Nodding, he promised to have the letter for her by the next day. "Who else is writing one for you?" he asked.
"Draco's talking to George," she reported. "Pansy wrote one for us already. I think it's been done since we first announced that we wanted to adopt. She's really been a good friend. A part of me wonders why we couldn't be friends before, but I guess I know why. It's nice that things have changed though."
Nodding in agreement, Harry suddenly frowned. "Can I talk to you about something?" he requested. "Something really private that you can't repeat to anyone?"
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Draco arrived home half an hour after Hermione. His mood was vastly better than hers as she sat in a daze. "George agreed to write the letter," he announced. "Although, he did ask if it was possible to change her name. Doesn't like that they have the same name. I told him that wasn't possible. What's wrong with you?"
"I'm sworn to secrecy," she replied. "And they don't have the same name. Please tell me he wasn't giving you a hard time, and that it was all a joke."
Bothered by her sour attitude, he sat down and asked what was wrong. "You didn't...the orphanage didn't call with bad news, did it?" he asked, beginning to worry. "Georgie hasn't been adopted by someone else already, right?"
"It's Harry and Ginny," she said. "That's all I'm going to say though."
"He's thinking about calling off the wedding," Draco responded. "We, uh, we talked about it the other day. The Potter/Weasley wedding watch is getting to him. Ginny seems to be enjoying the attention though. Apparently, he suggested secretly eloping like we did, and she nearly hexed him."
"Did we cause this?" she asked. "If they split up, is it our fault?"
He put his arm around her, holding his wife close. "No, love," he assured her. "Whatever decisions they make are their own. We probably have very little influence when it comes to their relationship. I know he's always worried about finding someone who would love him for him, not for being The Boy Who Lived. I think he thought Ginny was that person. She wants the big, fancy, front page wedding, and he wants what we have. I'm not sure what the compromise is."
She placed her head on his shoulder and sighed. "How are we the normal, functional couple?" she wondered, causing Draco to laugh.
"Not longing for the old days, are you?" he asked. "Because I like loving you. Before you, the only person I liked loving was myself. You showed me that it was possible to love someone else though. Even if you do repeatedly threaten my life, you still make me happy."
Smiling, she lifted her head just enough to kiss her husband. "Think you can love another person too?" she asked. His eyebrows rose suggestively, and she slapped his chest. "I mean Georgie. You might be a father soon. Stop thinking so dirty."
"We'll have to have those conversations in private when we get Georgia," he agreed.
Though she appreciated his optimism, she worried that he wasn't being realistic enough about their future. "What if we don't get her?" she wondered nervously. "There's a chance we might not pass the inspections or someone else adopts her first. There's no guarantee she'll be our daughter."
"We have the Minister and Harry Potter on our side," he argued. "We could have any kid, as many kids, as we want. Is it my past you're worried about? Sure, being a Death Eater should work against me, but you heard Kingsley. I've changed. I've been friends with Harry for five years. I married you, the girl I proclaimed to hate for so long. I've been accepted by the Weasley family. I work for one of the largest charity organizations in our world. Yes, I did horrible things when I was younger, but I've changed."
She held his arm as he tried to walk away in anger. "I know you've changed," she said calmly. "A lot of people know that. I'm not disputing that. All I'm saying is they have to look at the big picture. I love that you're so sure it'll work out with Georgie, but you know me. I'm not always good at being that positive."
"You're right," he murmured, staring at her hand. "I'll try to not to get my hopes up so much if you try not to be so pessimistic. Deal?"
Smiling, she nodded. "Deal."
