"I have never been drunk" Hermione stated, picking a particularly large chocolate coated strawberry.

Draco drank from his glass. "I have never been in love until you."

Hermione drank from her glass sheepishly. "I have never slept with someone I wasn't dating."

Draco drank deeply. "That one wasn't fair." Hermione giggled. "I have never been this happy."

Hermione lunged forward suddenly at Draco, kissing him roughly and hugging him tightly. Draco rolled Hermione onto her back, pressing himself against her as they continued to kiss.

"I am so happy that I get to do this with you forever" Draco said, speaking into Hermione's lips.

"Me too" Hermione smiled, kissing him again.

Hermione sighed softly as she walked out of the fire place and into the living room of Malfoy Manor. She could have stayed hidden away with Draco forever. She heard the flames burst into life once more as he joined her. Narcissa entered the room hurriedly having heard the floo network from the next room.

"Ah you both made it home safe. How was it?" she exclaimed pulling Draco into a firm hug.

"Yes mother. We had a wonderful holiday. We have many books to add to the library, thanks in most part to Hermione" Draco joked as Narcissa hugged Hermione in welcome.

"One can never own too many books" Narcissa stated.

"As I always say" Hermione said smiling broadly.

"I have invited a few people over for dinner, to celebrate your return."

"Mother, we were gone for two weeks on holiday. We weren't away fighting in a war."

"I know Draco, I am just so happy to have you home again."

Draco sighed knowing it was too late to cancel and wanting to make his mother happy.

Draco and Hermione entered the drawing room, having been informed of the arrival of guests. Ginny, Ron and Harry stood by the fire dressed for a formal dinner. Draco sighed audibly knowing that his mother had definitely turned their arrival home into a big deal. Hermione crossed the distance quickly to hug her three friends enthusiastically. Draco followed slowly and shook Harry and Ron's hand. Blaise shortly after entered the room, along with Mr and Mrs. Granger and Narcissa herself.

"Where's Teddy?" Draco heard Hermione ask.

"Molly is looking after him for us."

"How nice of her. I bet he is being stuffed with too much food as we speak" Hermione joked. The group laughed.

"Masters and Mistresses" a squeaky voice said from the doorway. "Dinner is served."

The crowd moved to the dining room. Narcissa had indeed gone to too much trouble. The room was lavishly decorated, including a welcome home sign, there was a violinist playing music softly in the background and the first course looked like it had been pulled straight out of a fine dining restaurant. Hermione and Draco were describing the less intermit parts of their honeymoon to eager ears. The group laughed as Hermione showed her reaction at discovering that the hotel they were staying in was owned by her husband's family, and there for by extension herself.

"And he was just so casual about it, just like everyone owns hotels all over the world" she laughed.

"My family owns a few business like that as well" Blaise divulged.

"It must be a Slytherin thing" Ron exclaimed.

"Must be" said Draco starring straight into Ron's eyes, a smug expression on his face. He threw his arm "casually" onto the back of Hermione's chair as he relaxed into his own; watching her lean into him absent mindedly as she talked animatedly to her parents. Draco could tell that Ron was still jealous about Hermione being with someone else. Out of Hermione's closest friends he was the least accepting of their relationship.

In hinge sight, Draco had stolen Hermione right out from under Ron. Draco watched Ron carefully from across the table. He was not at all good at hiding his emotions or reactions. Draco couldn't help himself, leaning forward he kissed Hermione on the cheek. He smiled gleefully as a new wave of jealousy showed itself on Ron's face. He wasn't sure why, but he felt that he would always find great pleasure in putting Ron in his place.

Draco watched as a drunk Ron hugged Hermione tightly goodbye, kissing her on the cheek, a little too closely to her mouth in his opinion. They fair-welled the last of their guests and headed to their bedroom to wash up before sleep. Hermione walked into the ensuite, removing her dress in full sight of him. Draco could tell that it had been on purpose that she didn't close the door. He took the hint and closed the distance between them quickly.

He kissed her neck and shoulder from behind, wrapping his arms around her middle. "You know if you wanted me to join you all you had to do was say so."

Hermione laughed softly. "But you got my meaning without me having to open my mouth."

"Touché".

Draco lifted Hermione onto the bench surrounding the sink and stood between her legs, kissing her feverishly. Hermione removed his shirt and pants with expert hands. They hurriedly removed their underwear. Hermione stopped to look at Draco from head to toe.

"You know, I don't think I could ever get tired of looking at you."

Draco smiled broadly. "Me either" he said capturing the back of her neck with his hand and pulling her lips into his own. Hermione bit his bottom lip playfully and he knew that this was not the time to take things slowly. He pulled Hermione closer to him and began to kiss down her body. Biting her thigh softly he smiled as she groaned and grabbed onto a chunk of his hair.

Draco lay in bed with Hermione curled up beside him, using his shoulder as a pillow. The shower had been pointless. Draco couldn't help but think about how Ron had acted with Hermione upon his departure. The more he thought about it the angrier he became. He had no right to touch his wife like that. He all but kissed her on the lips. Their mouths had been centimetres apart at most. Hermione stirred beside him.

"Are you okay?" she asked sleepily.

"Yeah" he lied.

"You're lying." Damn, she was like a human lie detector. "What's wrong?"

"Just thinking about weasel-bee."

"Draco" Hermione said shocked.

"Sorry. Old habits die hard." He kissed her on the forehead.

"What about Ronald?"

"Just how he blatantly almost kissed you on the mouth when he left tonight."

"I'm sure his aim was just off because he had been drinking."

"I don't think so" Draco said, sliding out from under Hermione and sitting up, running his hand through his hair roughly. "He couldn't stop starring at you all night and every time I touched you or spoke to you he had a jealous look all over his face. He is still in love with you; do you know that?"

Hermione joined him in sitting up. She took Draco's hand in her own, holding it tightly and pressing it to her lips. "He can feel whatever he wants Draco. In the end you are my husband and absolutely nothing will change that. You are stuck with me and Ron will just have to move on."

Draco pulled Hermione into a kiss. "I love you."

"I love you too."

"I guess I was probably partially to blame for tonight" Draco said hanging his head a little. He knew that Hermione would be annoyed at him.

"How?" she asked.

"I guess you could say that I baited him. I saw how it was affecting him and I kept doing things on purpose when I knew that he was looking."

"You're terrible Draco" said Hermione, shaking her head.

"I know; but he makes it so easy and entertaining. Like who gets annoyed when someone puts an arm around their own wife?"

"I know Draco. But can you just remember that he has been my friend for nearly the whole time that I have known about the wizarding world. I would like to keep it that way. Ron will move on; trust me. We have a lot of history and he hasn't found that other person yet. Besides all of that stuff, we both know that you two are the least accepting of each other out of the group of Gryffindor's and Slytherin's."

"That's because he acts like a total prat most of the time."

Hermione frowned. "Ron is a complicated man who isn't good at expressing emotions other than anger. You have to realise that for a very long time he only associated you with anger. It will take him longer to come around than everyone else."

"Not to mention he still believes completely that he deserves to be in my place. You honestly have no idea how hard it is to not punch him in the face when I see him look at you like that" Draco exclaimed.

Draco wasn't lying. On several occasions that night he had found himself using all of his will power not to jump the table and hit Ron. It had taken years for Draco to become a part of Hermione's world, and he wasn't going to take the chance of losing all he had worked for because of one Weasley who wouldn't understand their position with each other.

"Draco. I want you to look at me." He continued to avert his eyes, so Hermione pulled his face toward her own. "You are my husband. No one else. There could be a line of guys all the way to Hogwarts of men who were in love with me and it would make no difference. I would still chose you. Ron will move on when he finds the right girl for him. If not, then that is his problem. Not mine; or yours. I know that it is frustrating for you, and I am pretty sure that there will always be a bit of tension between the two of you. However, on this issue... well it is a non issue. Ronald is not and he will not become a romantic partner of mine, and he knows that fully. He was at our wedding for Merlin's sake."

Draco hugged Hermione tightly, kissing her on the head. He knew that he had nothing to worry about, but it definitely helped hearing it. He would have to either ignore Ron's behaviour or have fun with it; and see it purely as fun and not take in Ron's actions.

"You should get back to sleep. We don't want you tired on your first day of work."

Hermione sighed. "But I'm wide awake now. Want to help me get sleepy again?" she said seductively, winking at him in the moon light.