A/N: I was thinking of writing another Dramione story after this one but don't know what kind to write. I also think this story is moving a bit slow so I'm gonna attempt to add some good scenes and happenings to get the feels going.

Chapter 4: Muggle Phrase

Draco forced himself not to fidget as he drove Hermione to his home after picking her up about ten minutes ago. He was a Malfoy and Malfoys did NOT fidget…unless a certain Gryffindor was near him. 'Dammit', he berated himself.

Due to his effort to not worry about how he would react when he would drive her he had finished any and all types of potion she would ever need during her pregnancy the day before. Sure, he had a few patients in-between the time he spent brewing, but after that his mind wandered and wouldn't stop unless he kept himself busy.

Healer Alden was concerned about the flashback. Draco left the whole subject of the scene vague but did tell him that it was very clear. It wouldn't do to have his personal life scrutinized and he liked to keep personal happenings as private as possible; especially when it included his current patient who he was smitten with. Alden gave him a few potions to take as precaution but couldn't guarantee that anything bad wouldn't happen.

When the older Healer tried to say the reasoning for the flashback may have been due to his 'school friend' being his most recent patient, Draco made it perfectly clear he would not pass her on to another Healer. Alden looked displeased but knew Draco wouldn't budge.

"I was a bit surprised your father let you the car to get me," Hermione said, startling Draco out of his concentration of trying not to be bothered by the fact that it was just the two of them in the vehicle for the next twenty minutes. He was hyper aware of what she was doing, from the way she admired the interior of the Rolls Royce to how she enjoyed the scenery out of the window.

He was annoyed with himself for acting like some pathetic teenager who was in love for the first time. It was embarrassing even if she wasn't aware of what was happening to him internally.

"More surprised than how I know how to drive," Draco asked, glancing at her as he spoke. She had on a pretty Muggle outfit and her hair was done up in a pleasant bun. How she got it tame enough to stay was a mystery he would never figure out.

She smiled at the comment. "I must admit that I was surprised when I found out you knew how to drive," she said. "But I'm more pleased finding out that even the Malfoys enjoy doing something Muggle."

"You discovered I knew how to drive when I asked what you thought about Father's car," Draco stated in a matter of fact way.

"Yes," Hermione answered but then quickly gasped, whipping around to face him in the spacious car. "You have your memories back," she asked, eyes unbelievably wide.

He shook his head.

"No," he said with a sigh. "That was a guess."

He saw her deflate in her seat but couldn't see her face because she turned to look out the window again. He felt bad for tricking her into proving that he was correct.

The mere act of his father showing her the car in the first place proved his father's respect for her. And Draco knew himself. He would have asked her what she thought of the car if his father told him about showing it to her. The thing was his father would have only told him about it if he liked Hermione as a person and considered her an equal.

"Father approves of you, you know," he said after a minute, not looking towards her as he continued to drive. He saw her head turn towards him out of the corner of his eye. "Not that you need it or anything," he quickly added on. "Or even want it."

"What makes you say that," she asked, "about him approving of me, I mean."

"He told me about showing you the car. I know he did; you agreed that you knew about me knowing how to drive, which proves that I had asked you what you thought about it before telling you that I knew how to drive it." Draco looked over and smiled at her. "I don't need to remember that particular day to know that he sees you as an equal just by the act of him telling me that he showed it to you in the first place."

"You men and your toys," she huffed and crossed her arms in fake annoyance. "Muggle or Wizard, you're all the same."

Draco chuckled in agreement but it soon faltered as the 'M' word dwelled on his mind. He shook his head slightly, a little perturbed with himself. What was he, seven years old? 'The 'M' word', he sneered to himself. 'Muggle. Muggle', he repeated in his head.

"Have you gotten the medical files on that Mug—uh, person," Draco asked, biting the inside of his mouth for almost saying Muggle. There was nothing wrong with the word, certainly, but he had a feeling it would make him seem prejudice. He did have an extreme dislike for this Aric person, but the man being a Muggle had little to do with it, if anything at all.

Although to be completely honest it did hurt his pride as a Pure-blood male. They didn't take rejection easily and they were used to getting what they wanted. It went down like a—what was that Muggle phrase—dry pill, and a big one at that.

He smiled when he realized he had remembered it correctly. He was about to turn and tell her so, but then quickly realized he was having an inner monologue and telling her about it would be strange and awkward. And she would then know that he had had some kind of flashback that involved her and that Aric guy. 'The idiot,' Draco named the man, ignoring the fact that he didn't know the person in question. Or remember him if they had ever happened to meet.

Hermione shook her head. "I—we haven't spoken to each other in quite a while."

Her right hand unconsciously went to her stomach and a deep frown fell upon her face. After a few seconds, she resolutely moved her hand and set in on her armrest.

Draco saw the movements and her expression. He reached over and took her right hand in his left and gave it a gentle squeeze of comfort. He would have held on longer, but they were nearing the mansion and the trip up the long road was incredibly short in his opinion.

"Ms. Granger, it's nice to finally see you after so long," Mrs. Malfoy said, welcoming Hermione into the sitting room and guiding her into a comfy chair after her and Draco had stepped into the house.

"It's nice to be back. I've been busy lately," Hermione replied, giving a nod of thanks when the older woman offered her some tea.

Draco stood a little ways past the threshold in the room watching the interaction between Hermione and his mother. They seemed like they got along well and that this meeting was just like one of the, presumably many, they had had in the past.

"Draco, dear, don't you have a date," his mother said, looking sternly at her son.

Draco inwardly cursed himself. His date would start in less than ten minutes. It was a good thing him and this Adelaide Murton person where flooing to the restaurant separately. His mother had taught him to be punctual and she wouldn't like him showing bad manners by him arriving late.

He gave a "tsk" noise of annoyance to show his mother just how little he thought of this 'date'. He would much rather be sitting next to Hermione, trying to get details on what he had missed of her life and if they had ever spent more time together.

He turned to get dressed, but not before giving a farewell to Hermione, saying he very much regretted having to miss out on their opportunity to catch up.

She gave a small smile that didn't quite reach her eyes, making Draco curious but the cough from his mother had him exiting the room before he could ponder Hermione's reaction and with him scowling at his mum's antics.

Draco didn't have to wait very long for his date after he stepped out of the fireplace and was shown his table. He had held out the chair for Adelaide and then sat down himself.

The woman was pretty, to be certain, and their conversation was smooth, if not interesting. His thoughts though, kept going back to Hermione and what her and his mother were talking about. He shook his head, trying to concentrate on the person in front of him so he wouldn't appear rude, but it didn't help much.

Plus, Draco just couldn't shake off the feeling that the place seemed familiar. He was sure he'd never been to this particular fancy restaurant, but his mother was adamant that the food was delicious and the atmosphere very welcoming.

When there was a halt in his talk with Adelaide for food to be placed in front of them, he chanced a more thorough look around and felt his vision become a bit fuzzy. Suddenly a more clear vision appeared before his eyes.

He was sitting in the exact same restaurant only at a different table. He was laughing at something he thought very funny and looked up to meet the brown eyes of the woman who elicited such an action from him.

Hermione was smiling back at him, her laugh subsiding quicker than his. She looked happy to be there with him on their date. Her hair was in a pretty chignon and the satin ivory shirt she had on was simple yet elegant.

It wasn't their first date; far from it. He could tell that they were more than just friends. That prick Aric was still in the way though.

At the thought of Hermione's beau, his vision swirled again and the setting was very different.

"Hermione, just forget about what they may think and do what you want. I don't care what they say or do, you're more important," Draco was saying with emotion as he looked at her from across the low table piled with books.

It was her bookshop in a small area of Muggle London that was open on certain days of the week. It was really a hobby for her, which made Draco smile because she had the skill of managing of her time to do both this job and the one at the Ministry without wearing herself out.

"Draco—" Hermione began but was cut off.

"Is this guy bothering you, Hermione," a voice from behind them asked, making Draco turn to sneer at whomever it was that dared get into their business and call her by her first name.

"Aric," Hermione said, surprised at his appearance in her bookshop. She had broken up with him months ago and didn't expect to see him, especially not with Draco there. He knew she had broken up with her 'family friend' and was very pleased when she had told him on their seventh date.

"So," Draco drawled with malice in his voice, "this is the rose giver."

Draco looked the man up and down, clearly thinking the man was nothing special. Aric was tall, only a few inches shorter than Draco, and had brown hair and light brown eyes. He wasn't anywhere near bad looking if anyone asked passerby to describe him, and his build was sturdy also.

Draco, however, ignored these attributes and thought Hermione could've done a lot better; like himself. He smirked in an arrogant way because she was dating him now instead of the man that stood before him; the man now clearly irked that someone was so close to his previous love interest.

"What's it to you if I am, Aric," he spit the name out as if its taste in his mouth was disgusting. "It's none of your business, as far as we're concerned." He said as he walked around the small table and grabbed Hermione's hand in his, showing the man that she was his.

"I'm sorry, Aric, I'm a little busy at the moment," Hermione said, extracting her hand from Draco's and giving him a pointed look that told how displeased she was at his childish behavior. "Let's talk outside."

Draco only sulked, as subtly as he could, and instead crossed his arms as he glared at the man. He watched them closely as they stood outside, not liking the man's proximity come closer and closer towards Hermione as the conversation went on. He had to grit his teeth and ground his feet to not walk out of the store to bring her in and shoo the annoying ex-interest away.

The few people that walked by the store were frightened away by his constant scowl and their hands never reached out to open the shop door.

Draco was feeling himself relax as Hermione turned away from Aric, but was quickly moving when the man grabbed her by her arm and turned her around to kiss her.

He was out of the shop in record time, pulling Hermione away from the man and then slugging him hard in the face.

"Get your filthy Muggle mouth off my girlfriend," he shouted with fury, going towards the man to do more damage, but stopped when Hermione stepped in front of him.

"Draco, let me handle this," she said frantically, pushing against his chest, which he hardly felt through his rage at the man kissing her.

"That bastard's going to pay for touching you," Draco swore, trying to get to the man that was dabbing at his bloody mouth without forcefully moving Hermione out of the way to get to him.

"Just because he's a Muggle," Hermione asked incredulously, making Draco stop trying to get to the man who was slowly lifting himself up from the ground.

"Of course not! Any man, be it Muggle, Half-blood, or Pure-blood who try to kiss you will have me to answer to," Draco said, looking into Hermione's eyes with sincerity. "It has nothing to do with blood status."

He really didn't mean to call the man a Muggle, but he was blinded by his extreme anger that someone other than him had kissed her and the label had slipped out. He didn't like the man because he had previously dated Hermione, not because he was a Muggle. Old habits, even if they weren't practiced anymore or believed in, died hard.

"You're dating this psycho," Aric asked having finally gotten up, holding a handkerchief up to his mouth to staunch to flow of blood.

"I guess he's as stupid as he looks," Draco said, firmly wrapping his right arm around Hermione's waist. "Way to state the obvious, idiot," he said to Aric.

"Now get lost before I really show you what pain feels like," Draco said with vehemence.

Aric looked like he was about to open his mouth to protest but Draco faked a lunge at him, which had the man jump back and quickly vacate the area.

Hermione huffed at his antics but he only held her close before looking down at her, the smirk on his face becoming earnest.

"What kind of way was that to handle the—"

"Marry me," he said looking into her eyes and feeling his face reflect the emotions he was feeling internally.

"What," she said softly, her eyebrows knitting together, perplexed.

"Marry me," he repeated with more ardor, his eyes showing the felicity at the idea of her being his bride.

"But what about—"

"It doesn't matter what they say or think, Hermione. I love you and want you by my side as my wife," he said ardently, bending down so he could kiss her with all the passion and sincerity he felt in his proposal.

He got down on one knee, a thing Hermione never would have thought he would do, and pulled out a small felt box. He opened it and held it out for her.

Inside was a very beautiful antique ring that held three large diamonds and was made out of a metal she had never seen before. The design twisted and turned intricately and there were jades placed on both sides of the three diamonds, showing it to be the Malfoy engagement ring.

Her hand was to her mouth, her feelings threatening to overflow. She blinked back fiercely at the tears forming in her eyes.

"Don't make a bloke nervous or anything," Draco said with a small smile that still showed his anxiety at the chance, no matter how small, at being rejected.

Hermione choked out a watery laugh. He took out the ring and put it on her left ring finger, her handing slightly shaking with emotion.

"Woohoo!" came shouts from a small group of young people from across the street, having witnessed the scene.

Hermione blushed but Draco, laughing, quickly picked her up, swinging her around as he kissed her, eliciting more shouts of excitement from the group.

"Let's keep this to ourselves for now," Hermione said after a time, the both of them still hugging each other closely. She was listening to his heartbeat as he laid his head on hers. "Until I'm ready for them to know."

"Ok, love," he agreed, liking the endearment and planning on using it a lot more in the future.

"Draco," someone said, but it sounded like a faraway echo. He looked around, wondering who was saying his name. "Draco. Draco, what's the matter?"

The voice suddenly became clear and he was hurled back to his time and sight of being in a restaurant and on a date with Adelaide Murton. She looked really concerned and he could tell that she had been trying to snap him out of whatever it was that was happening to him for a while now.

He snapped his head around, looking frantic, his heartbeat and breathing speeding up. Another flashback had happened.

He quickly got up, startling Adelaide and the people sitting nearby.

"Draco, what's the matter," she asked, panicked.

"I, uh," he looked around, trying to get his bearings while figuring out what his flashback meant, "I can't stay here."

He needed to get back home and speak to Hermione. To his fiancé. To the mother of his children? He could rightly assume so, couldn't he?

"What," Adelaide asked. "Is there something wrong, something I did or said?"

Draco shook his head, a vile headache starting to form. He was afraid it was from the flashback.

"No," he told her, glancing down at her after he spied the fireplace from across the room. "I'm sorry, Ms. Murton. I can't be on this date or with you. I'm in love with someone else."

With that he paid for the dinner by leaving a stack of galleons on the table and strode to the fireplace to floo home; to her.

A\N: Sorry for any mistakes, I'm writing this really fast so I can do homework I've been neglecting. I'm a bad student, I know. Ask if anything is confusing. I think some of it may be, at least with my wording, when Draco is explaining himself to Hermione in the car. Anyway, I wanted to make this chapter longer but I simply do not have the time to do so. I know what I want to write for the next chapter though, so that's good; it's just a matter of finding the time to do it. Hope everyone enjoys this one!