Hermione was sound asleep when she felt her bed sag and someone kissing her on the forehead.

"Mhh," she moaned

"Time to get up sleepy head," the person said

"What time is it?" she muttered

"7:30 and time to get up."

"10 more minutes please."

"Sorry no can do you have a busy day ahead, so come on get up," the person threw the down comforter off of her.

"Please 10 minutes."

"Sorry time to get up."

"Draco please," she pleaded

"Be downstairs in 10 minutes. We're in the Sitting Room," he said

She heard the door click and then she rolled over and pulled the comforter back over her head. 'I'll apparate down after another 10 minutes of sleep,' she thought.

xxx.:.x.:.xxx

"Where is she? Probably went back to sleep," he muttered to himself as he walked down the corridor and opened the door. Sure enough she was bundled up under the comforter

"Mione come on," he said

"Whhhhhaaaattt?" she moaned

He walked over to her bed and sat down on the edge, "Hermione come on wake up," he leaned over and kissed her this time on the lips and she moaned and her arms wrapped around his neck and pulled him closer. He tried to untangle himself from her. Well not really who could blame him though a beautiful girl pulling him down on top of her.

"Hermione come…" but she started to kiss him, "Nothing like a little snogging to wake you up," he said between kisses

"Did I tell you I'm not a morning person," Hermione said

"I gathered that," he said. He pulled away and she sighed.

"Do we really have to go downstairs?" she asked

He nodded

"Fine I'm up," she swung her legs over the side of the bed

She was only wearing pair of panties and a spaghetti strap tank top.

"Wow," he said quietly

"What did you say?" she asked as she reached for her sweat pants

"Nothing," he said

"Okay should I come down in my pj's or should I be dressed?" she asked

"Doesn't matter but you have to be dressed for brunch. Some of Mother's friends are coming," he said

"Joy," she muttered, "Probably Death Eaters," but once she heard herself say that she shook her head

"What was that?" Draco asked her

"Oh I just have to brush my hair and teeth and then I'll be ready."

xxx.:.x.:.xxx

They walked into the Sitting Room hand in hand.

"Merry Christmas," said Narcissa

"Merry Christmas," replied Hermione

They sat down and started to open presents. Narcissa said that Hermione should go first because she was the guest but Hermione said that Narcissa should go first and Draco agreed so Narcissa couldn't refuse. She opened the gifts that Draco had got her and the one that Hermione got her. She hadn't known what to get so she got a box of Honeydukes chocolates. Then it was Draco's turn. He opened his Mother's gift and then Hermione whispered something in his ear. He nodded and then he turned to Narcissa and said, "We'll do it later."

She nodded and then handed Hermione a gift. She opened it and saw some very fancy quills that Narcissa explained would never go dull and some ink that she said never ran out and you didn't have to wait for it to dry because as soon as it hit the paper it dried. Hermione thanked her and then Narcissa said, "Okay well its 8:20 and brunch is at 9:00 so I'll see you two then."

Draco stood up and helped Hermione to her feet and then they walked up the stairs and to the East Wing. They walked into Draco's room and sat down on the couch in front of the fire. Hermione handed him his gift and he opened it and said how great it was. She had got him a watch that the band part of it looked like a snake. It was silver. "I love it, thanks Hermione," he said and he leaned over and kissed her.

"I'm glad you do," she said

"Okay well for my gift," he slid of the couch and knelt down. Hermione's hands in his, "I was going to wait until the end of school but I couldn't. I thought the worst you can say is no. The thing is, I love you Hermione. You are beautiful, smart, loving and just a great person and I can't see myself spending my life with anyone else…"

Hermione gasped

"Hermione, will you marry me. I know it's soon and all but I love you. Please say yes."

"Yes, yes I will," she cried

"Really?" he jumped up

"Yes," she said

He pulled her to her feet and leaned in and kissed her, "I guess you can have this then," he said. He pulled out a blue velvet box and opened it. Hermione gasped.

"Do you like it?"

"It's gorgeous she breathed."

"I thought you'd like it."

"I love it," she said

He took her hand and slipped the ring on her finger.

"It fits perfectly," she said

It was a silver ring with a large square diamond in the center and on either side of the large diamond 3 circular diamonds that go smaller as they got farther away from the square one.

"Well I hate to break this up but we have to go down to brunch."

"We could always skip it," she said

"I thought of that ever year since I could walk but I've never done it…"

"Then now would be a good time to start," she said

"Sorry baby, but we have to," he said apologetically

"Fine I'll go get ready," she looked at her watch and gasped, "Oh no we only have 10 minutes."

"Who cares, you said it yourself its good to be fashionably late. Mother won't care though."

"Are you sure?"

"Well she'll be mad at first but once she sees why we were late she'll understand. Just be prepared she can get overly excited."

Hermione giggled. She turned to walk across the hall to get ready but before she walked out the door she turned and said, "I love you Draco."

"I love you to Mione," he said

She walked out the door because by now she only had 8 minutes and she had to shower and get dressed.

xxx.:.x.:.xxx

Hermione walked out of her room 15 minutes later. Draco was sitting with his back up against the wall. He stood up once he saw her, "Hello beautiful," he said

Hermione blushed. She had put on silver earrings and her watch which was silver to match the ring. She was wearing black dress pants with her black high heeled boots with the 3 inch stiletto heel, and a black ¾ length top that hugged her curvers.

"We better go, it's 9:07," said Draco

"We could apparate," she suggested

"Good idea," and with a pop they apparated to outside the Dining Room. They walked in hand in hand and everyone looked up. Narcissa stood up and said, "Your la…" but she stopped when she saw the large diamond on Hermione's left hand. She gasped and looked questionably at Hermione who just nodded her head. She gave out a little shriek and ran over and enveloped Hermione in a large hug. Hermione just waited it out and Draco looked on with a smirk on his face. Narcissa wasn't aloud to be Motherly to him but nobody was stopping her being Motherly to Hermione. By now all the guests were staring at Hermione and Narcissa. Narcissa pulled away and then went and sat down at the head of the table. Draco sat down to her left and Hermione sat down beside him. Just as they sat down the house-elves arrived with brunch.

Narcissa and the guests talked through the meal but Hermione and Draco sat in silence. At quarter to ten Draco stood up and Hermione followed suit. "Sorry to have to eat and dash but Hermione has to be somewhere," he said

The guests nodded and Narcissa said, "Will you be back for dinner?"

"Yes," said Hermione, "If that's okay."

Narcissa nodded

They walked out of the Dining Room hand in hand. As soon as they shut the door the guests started to talk.

"Boy I wish I had an Extendable Ear right now," she said

"A what?" asked a confused Draco.

"Oh just one of the things the Weasley Twins created for their joke shop. Well I have to get going."

They headed up the stairs and Hermione walked into her bedroom and Draco followed. Hermione sat down on her bed and pulled a mirror off of her bed side table and looked in it.

"Oh," she said

"What?" he asked

"I just think it would be a good idea if the Weasley's didn't see the ring. Ginny will be okay but I don't think anyone else will be," she slipped the ring off of her finger and placed it in its box and then she slipped the box in her cloak pocket with her wand.

Draco walked over to her and said, "When will you be back?"

"Well sooner if they kick me out," she laughed, "I don't know probably after lunch. Maybe 1:00."

"Okay well see you then," he kissed her and then with a pop she apparated to Grimmauld Place.

xxx.:.x.:.xxx

"Mom when can we open presents?" asked Ron

"When Hermione gets here," said Mrs. Weasley

Ron muttered something under his breath.

With a pop Hermione apparated into Grimmauld Place.

Ginny stood up and walked over to her, "Merry Christmas," she said

"I need to talk to you later," she whispered to Ginny

Ginny nodded

"Merry Christmas," Hermione said to everyone

"Merry Christmas," everyone said

They sat down and Hermione watched everyone open their presents. Ginny handed her one and she opened it to find some treats from Honeydukes and Mrs. Weasley gave her a black jumper. She thanked them both. She gave them the presents she got them and she gave Harry and Ron the gifts she got them and Lupin his. Finally all the presents were opened.

Ginny stood up and said, "Come on Hermione I have to show you something."

Hermione took it as her cue and she stood up and they walked up to Ginny's bedroom which Hermione shared with her when she stayed at Headquarters. She sat down on the bed that was hers and Ginny sat down on her own.

"Okay so what did you need?" asked Ginny

Hermione reached into her pocket and pulled out the box and opened it and showed it to Ginny.

"Oh my god," cried Ginny, "Did he…?"

Hermione nodded

Ginny jumped up and gave Hermione a hug, "Congratulations, so what did he do?"

"Well we opened presents and then him and I went upstairs to give each other the gifts that we had got for each other and I gave him his and then he got down on his knee and asked me to marry him."

"And you said yes right?"

"God Ginny I wouldn't have the ring if I didn't. Sometimes I think you would make a better blonde than a red head."

Ginny laughed, "You better not show Harry and Ron," she said

"I know that's why I'm not wearing it," Hermione said

Ginny agreed that, that was smart.

"So you guys are really getting married," it wasn't a question it was a fact

"Yup," said Hermione who didn't realize it wasn't a question

"So what did his mom say?"

"She didn't say anything she was about to lecture us about being late to brunch and how we kept the guests waiting when she saw it and cut off mid sentence and then she jumped up and practically strangled me."

Ginny laughed

"What you think it's funny me nearly dieing?"

"No," said Ginny, "Just thinking about what the Order will say when they find out your engaged to their worst enemy."

"I guess I should talk to McGonagoll," Hermione said

"She's stopping by at..." Ginny looked at the clock on the wall, "Ah right now."

Hermione slipped the box back in her pocket and they walked out the door and down into the kitchen. McGonagoll was standing in the kitchen and Hermione walked up to her, "Ah Professor could I talk to you?" she asked

"Of course," she replied

"Privately?"

"Oh sure," they walked up the stairs and into the Parlor. McGonagoll closed the door and they sat down in the two chairs by the window.

"What do you need?" McGonagoll asked

"Well I thought you should know being Head of the Order and all that well..."

"What is it Ms. Granger?"

"I'm engaged to Draco," she said quietly

'Okay she thinks the Orders against him. Well they are. They don't know he is the spy. They don't know who the spy is and they think that he might still be with the Death Eaters. Oh no the meeting tonight. I'm not going to be there to help him get away with out her knowing. Poor girl if she finds out it will break her heart. But I can't tell her if she finds out that he was at the meeting I'll bring her here and tell her the truth. This might not be as bad as she thinks it is,' thought McGonagoll

"Okay," said McGonagoll

"And the Order has turned against me because they think he's still with the Death Eaters and they think that he might force information out of me so they won't tell me what's going on. Lupin only told me that there's a meeting tonight. He said he couldn't say any more because he didn't know what might happened…" she trailed off and she started to cry.

McGonagoll stood up and walked over to comfort her, "Everything will be okay," she said in a Motherly voice

"How do you know," sobbed Hermione, "My best friends won't even be in the same room as me by themselves. Only Ginny is okay with it. Mrs. Weasley pretends she is but I can tell she's not," she sobbed

"It will be okay, everything will be okay."

"How do you know?"

"I just do."

"No you don't."

"Hermione I do. Trust me on this one. I believe you. I believe that Draco is on our side we just have to convince everyone else."

"You do?" sniffed Hermione

McGonagoll nodded

A few minutes later Hermione had cleaned herself up and they walked out of the room. McGonagoll went down to the kitchen and Hermione went in search of Ginny. She found her up in her bedroom eating some sandwiches.

"Want one?" she asked Hermione

Hermione sat down and took one, "Thanks."

"No problem, mom just brought them up."

They talked for an hour about everything and anything and then Hermione stood up and said she better get back.

"I have to go to my parent's party tonight. Usually it's New Years Eve but I got a letter yesterday night saying it was tonight and I told Narcissa I would be their for dinner."

"Say hi to Draco for me," said Ginny

"Will do and Ginny you know you can come by any time."

"I just might," she said

"Well I better go say goodbye to everyone."

"I'll come with you," Ginny said and they walked down to the kitchen together. Hermione said Merry Christmas to everyone and thanked them for the presents and then with a final goodbye to Ginny she disapparated back to the Manor.

xxx.:.x.:.xxx

Hermione flopped down on her bed and reached into her pocket and pulled out the ring box and her wand. She placed her wand on the bed side table and slipped the ring on her finger. She then took off the cloak and threw it on the floor.

Draco walked into her room, "I thought I heard you come in. How did it go?"

"Horrible," she said

Draco walked over and laid down beside her on the bed. She curled up next to him and he wrapped his arm around her waist. She slowly drifted off to sleep and listening to her slow, steady breathing he to fell asleep. They woke up with just enough time to go down to dinner. Hermione fixed her make up and hair with her wand while Draco waited for her. Then they walked down the stairs to the Dining Room again. But this time they were on time.

"Do you feel like all we've been is late today?" asked Hermione

"That was your doing this morning," Draco said

"Fine I admit it but this is the first time today we've been on time."

"It is," laughed Draco

They walked into the Dining Room and sat down. Narcissa walked in and they started Christmas Dinner. Narcissa couldn't stop laughing and smiling and asking questions. She never stopped. Finally dinner ended and the couple walked up to Draco's bedroom.

"You know now that we're engaged we can share a bedroom," he said

"Okay," Hermione agreed

"How about we move your stuff tomorrow," he suggested

"Good idea I need all the time in the world to get ready for tonight," she said

"Well then I'll leave you to it. I wouldn't want to disturb you."

But Hermione didn't move. She stayed sitting next to Draco in front of the fire. She curled up next to him and promptly fell asleep. She woke up to Draco shaking her, "Hermione it's time to get up. You have to get ready for the party. It's already 8:00."

"That's what you get for waking me up at 7:30. I guess sleeping all afternoon will keep me from sleeping tonight so I won't fall asleep on my feet at the party or during the interrogation from my parents," she said as she stood up

"Will your parents be upset?" Draco asked nervously

"I don't really know," she said, "I have to get ready. We have to leave earlier because we can't just apparate into the house. The muggles will wonder what happened," she said as she walked out the door to go get ready.

xxx.:.x.:.xxx

Hermione walked out of her room wearing a V Neck black cocktail dress that ended just above the knee. It was like a halter. The fabric had a little design on it that added character to the dress. She had on her black high heel sandals, her silver jewelry and her ring.

"You look great Hermione," Draco said

"Thank you Draco," she replied, "Okay well we can't apparate to the street. I think the easiest thing would be to apparate to my dad's shop out the back of our property so nobody sees us and then walk around the house."

"Okay," he agreed

With a pop they were gone.

They arrived in the shop and Hermione opened the door and they walked out and around the house to the front door. They could hear music and laughter coming from inside. Hermione opened the door and with Draco on her arm they walked into the house. Draco was wearing some dress robes that Hermione had fixed so that they looked like a muggle tux. They walked in and everyone turned to see who was walking in. Her mom ran over to her and gave her a hug. "I'm so glad you came," she cried

"Merry Christmas mom," she said

Her dad walked up and she gave him a hug. Draco shook their hands.

"I see you two got together then," said her Dad

Hermione nodded

Just then her mom spotted the ring. She looked up at Hermione questionably and Hermione nodded, "Oh my god," she cried

For the second time that day Hermione endured practically being strangled. By now everyone was watching them.

"What's going on?" her dad asked

Her mom held up Hermione's hand and her dad gasped and looked at Draco. Her mom squealed and pulled Hermione towards the kitchen. Hermione looked and saw her dad talking to a scared looking Draco. 'Sorry,' she mouthed to him before she disappeared into the kitchen. Her mom asked her every question imaginable and then some. Finally she had no more questions to ask and Hermione went looking for Draco. She found him sitting on her bed in her room. She walked in and closed the door and sat down beside him, "How'd it go?" she asked

"Well besides the lecture about how she has her whole life ahead of her and how we have only been dating for a couple of months as well as how I didn't ask him if it would be okay to ask you to marry me it went just great," he said

"Oh I'm sorry. He can be old fashioned but my mom's excited."

"I can tell," he said

"She'll get together quite well with your mom."

Draco nodded

"Do you want to get out of here?' she asked

He nodded again

"Okay well my mom said to come see her before we leave but we can disapparated from here so that will be easier."

They stood up and walked back down the stairs. Hermione found her mom and dad and said, "Well we have to go know. It's been a busy day."

"Oh just a second honey," said her mom as she pulled out a box from her purse. She handed it to Hermione who opened it.

"Merry Christmas," her Mom and Dad said

Inside the box was a sapphire necklace.

"I know how much you wanted something that was your birthstone," her mom said

"Thank you, I love it," she gave them each a hug and then said goodbye and promised she would write and then her and Draco walked out the door and after making sure nobody was looking they disapparated.

Once back at the manor they said goodnight and went their separate ways. Hermione climbed into bed but after laying there for an hour without going to sleep she decided to go across the hall and climb into bed with Draco. She climbed out of bed and walked across the hall and opened his door. He wasn't in his bed so she checked the bathroom. Still not finding him she started to search the house. Ending back up in his room. She looked in his closet and saw that his cloak was gone. She saw a piece of paper stuck under a box so she pulled it out and looked at it.

Draco you know you have to do this. You can't back out. Burn this once you've got it. AB

Hermione walked back and sat down on the couch and waited. She didn't fall asleep because she was well rested from her afternoon nap. At 1:32 there was a pop and Draco appeared. She stood up and walked over to him, "What is this?" she demanded showing him the note

"Ahh well…" he started

xxx.:.x.:.xxx

a/n Well I was going to break it up into a couple of chapters but I didn't. I have spent all evening working on this so you'd better enjoy it and review. So thanks to all that have reviewed and please continue.