AN: In celebration of finally starting the LAST chapter of Glamoured...you get another chapter of Pieces cuz i'm weird like that. this chapter was SO MUCH FUN to write. you'll see. *kisses*

Chapter 13 - Healing

Draco swung his navy blazer over his shoulder as he strolled through the cobblestone streets, passing the vendors of various wares. He hadn't found the perfect gift for Hermione and he was completely discouraged. He knew she was hiding from him. Knowing her stubborn Gryffindor pride, Hermione probably thought he'd think less of her if she mourned properly. Although he scoffed at the thought, part of him was afraid she would think the same of him. His father's voice kept ringing in his ears.

*It's unbecoming for a Malfoy to show such emotion. I taught you better than that. Malfoy's do not cry. You're a disgrace.*

It had been a different time, with a particularly heinous madman at the helm, yet the words continued to repeat. Draco growled, frustrated with himself, his fingers instantly raking through his hair, as they
often did.

"You need." A crusty old woman with a raspy voice interrupted his musings.

She looked a bit like a gypsy, or at least what he'd heard of gypsies with her multicoloured skirt, peasant blouse and wide scarf wrapped around her head. Her thick gold hoops swung gently as she waved a small silver rattle in his direction. Draco's heart wrenched painfully and he almost turned away. Her gnarled fingers tapped his exposed wrist as she beckoned him.

"I-I don't...I don't need...one, not, not anymore." Draco's bitterness and heartache was evident yet she smiled. A toothy grin, her gnarled fingers stroking his hand before gripping it tightly, dragging him toward her kiosk. She pressed the silver rattle into his hands, making his fingers curl around it, even as he tried to object.

"You take." She nodded, quite insistent.

"I don't bloody want it!" The insipid old wench winked at him! The audacity. She moved slowly along the shelves, her back hunched with age before snatching an object and placing it gently on the makeshift table beside him.

"Per il tuo amore." [For your love] To Draco's surprise, the decrepit woman pulled closed the flamboyant material surrounding her kiosk and withdrew a worn, crooked wand. She tapped the object once and smiled at Draco.

It was a snow globe. He'd heard of them, of course. Hermione had an impressive collection which she had stopped adding to since she sent her parents away. She had left them in boxes and stored them in the storage of the traveling room, refusing to speak of them.

The base of the globe was decorated with pink and blue bows, rattles and gift boxes. The front had a silver plate, which was obviously for engraving yet was bereft of words. The interior was what made his breath catch. It was simple in design, which Draco knew would appeal to Hermione. It was a woman, on her knees, in a long cream dress with a green shawl about her shoulders. Her long, dark hair fell in curls down her back. Her head was bowed yet her hands were palm up, facing the sky. In the corner of the sky was what Draco thought was some sort of fairy, yet upon closer inspection believed it to be what Muggles would call an angel. Her long golden hair flowed out behind her and her hand was outstretched toward the prone woman.

When Draco carefully picked up the snow globe and gave it a small shake, it wasn't snow which fell around the woman. Quite honestly it looked like fairy dust. The prone woman's face rose to the sky and the blue tears on her cheeks disappeared as she smiled. When the sparkling dust settled, she returned to her original position and it was then Draco noticed she was staring at what looked to be a scrap of blue fabric.

"Tap. You say." The gypsy pointed to the plate on the front of the snow globe insistently. Draco understood her to mean he needed to tap the globe and speak the inscription. As he studied the snow globe, he wondered what made him walk this particular way back to his hotel. He hadn't intended to find himself here of all places. He was thinking of bringing Hermione a rare book, but the more he studied the globe, the more he found it fitting.

The woman was obviously mourning and yet the angel, the fairy, it brought hope of a new dawn, a future sort of happiness and perhaps that's exactly what Hermione needs. Using his wand, Draco tapped the plate, murmuring what he hoped would aid his wife in healing.

"Buono. Molto buono." [Good. Very good.] Draco thrust a fistful of galleons into her curled hand. He tried to give her back the rattle after the snow globe was wrapped carefully, but she laughed at him.

"Prendere questo per tua moglie. Speranza per il futuro. [Take this to your wife. Hope for the future.] Even Draco couldn't argue with that.

"Grazie." He took the colourful bag by the handles, bowed slightly and walked away from the strange gypsy woman feeling a bit lighter.

Draco hadn't expected Yuri Blishen to be so agreeable to opening his Floo. Of course Yuri had refused Ministry access but for some strange reason he'd agreed to connect to Forest Lake with the promise of having tea with Hermione. They'd spent a few hours going through the photographs and translating runes. It had been informative to say the least, yet enjoyable. It also made him miss his wife terribly. He wished to spend the night in his own bed, yet his Portkey wouldn't activate until the following evening.

Which is exactly how Draco Malfoy found himself wandering aimlessly, searching for the little bistro Hermione had recommended to him for their sensational macaroni and cheese.

"Draco? Is that you? It is! How wonderful! How are you darling! It's been too long!" The tall, elegant brunette smiled brightly, looping her arm through his, without waiting for acknowledgement.

She leaned forward on one leg, bending her other knee, sparkling shoe in the air and kissed his cheek just as the flash of the camera went off in their faces.

"Bollocks." Draco Malfoy snarled, looking into the shining eyes of none other than Daphne Greengrass.

Dink tiptoed through the imposing home, searching for him while avoiding the other house elves. He knew they'd make a bit of a ruckus if they saw him and then they'd tell her and Dink didn't want that.

"There you are, sir!" Dink bowed low as he was trained and stepped into the dark study.

"Dink? Did Draco send you?" The booming imposing voice almost made Dink tremble. Instead, he pulled himself together quickly and stood as tall as his tiny frame would allow.

"No, sir. Master is away. It's Mistress. Dink worries for her." Dink bobbed his head, his large brown eyes watching the tumbler of amber liquid as it was held to thin lips.

"Why on earth would you bother.." The voice dripped with disdain, but Dink knew there was a hint of worry.

"Dink knows Mistress is sad, sir. Dink sees her not eat. Dink sees her cry and cry and make terrible noises when Master is away."

"When will Draco return?"

"Dink heard Master tell Mistress tomorrow, but very late. Dink wants Mistress not to be sad."

"What do you propose I do about it exactly? I would think my wife would be better suited for such a situation." Dink jumped when the tumbler slammed into the shiny cherry wood desk. He frowned deeply and growled.

"Dink remembers. Dink remembers when sir made his mistress not feel bads anymore.."

"You were ordered to never speak of it!" The voice was growling with a repressed anger yet Dink carried on.

"Dink not speak of it. Dink remembers."

"You wish me to comfort her then?" The voice sneered and Dink almost smiled, but he did not wish to iron his ears.

"Dink wants Mistress.."

"Yes, yes, I heard you. I'll find my way there. Insufferable creature you'll never allow me to rest otherwise. I don't suppose Draco would appreciate returning home to find it in shambles. It's the least I could do, I suppose. Inform my wife. Never speak of this." Dink clapped his hands, his feet dancing on the plush emerald carpet before disappearing with a pop.

Lucius Malfoy snarled as he snatched his walking cane from the corner, his black robes billowing out behind him. He did not appreciate being guilted into visiting his daughter-in-law by a lowly house elf. When he landed in the foyer of Forest Lake, his first instinct was to Silence whatever was making the hair raising sound. He flipped his long pale hair over his shoulder and followed the echoing sound instead, which lead him to the upstairs loft.

Hermione was curled into a tight ball, half her fist in her mouth; her eyes squeezed tight shut as her chest heaved in shuddering sobs. Lucius harrumphed loudly. He laid his cane on the dark wood coffee table and removed his robes. Lucius had no intention of letting his robes be soaked by the tears of anyone, let alone his daughter-in-law's. He grasped Hermione by the shoulders and sat her up roughly. Hermione stared at him, hiccuping while she swallowed down her tears. Lucius tossed the edge of her caftan over her legs and sat beside her.

"Ridiculous." He arched an eyebrow, taking in Hermione's splotchy cheeks, red rimmed eyes and knotted hair with distaste.

"Go fuck yourself." Lucius smirked. The girl had fire, he'd give her that.

"Impossible. I was lured here by your house elf. Draco should punish him; he's quite uppity for a servant. However, for the sake of family and to stop the elf's begging, here I am. I demand entertainment. I was enjoying a lovely night of drinking beside a crackling fire and reading a delightful book on Potions." Lucius clapped his hands loudly; ignoring the incredulous stare Hermione was boring into the side of his face.

Dink appeared with a wide smile, which wavered under Hermione's glower.

"Dink. Your mistress is dehydrated from all her ridiculous sobbing. She's also quite thin. Prepare a cheese plate. Do not forget the fruit or the bread. You always were terrible with a proper plate. I think we could use a good bottle of wine as well. Your mistress looks as though she prefers a sweet wine, a white would be best. Make it so."

"You're bossy." Hermione sniffled, wiping her nose with the back of her hand.

"I'm a Malfoy."

"I don't want to talk to you."

"The feeling is mutual. Now, explain to me a telly." Hermione grumbled, yet rose from the sofa and sifted through a large collection of movies before selecting one. She shoved it into the player and turned on the television.

"Think of it as Magical pictures, with sound and a plot. A book which is seen instead of read." Hermione flounced beside Lucius, eyeing him warily.

Lucius ignored the previews as he didn't understand the point of the snippets. They obviously weren't a full story. He wondered what Muggles were thinking as he sipped his glass of wine and nibbled on a bunch of red grapes.

"Cissa suffered a few losses before we were gifted with Draco." Lucius kept his eyes on the screen, yet his words were directed to Hermione.

"I don't want to hear this." Hermione whispered, pulling the caftan tightly around her shoulders and closing her eyes.

"I wasn't very supportive with the first one. I didn't understand. She hadn't told me yet. She was waiting for reasons I still can't comprehend. Not really. Perhaps it would have affected me more if I had known. I said all the wrong things of course. I told her we'd have others. Everything would be fine. I bought her extravagant gifts and showered her with love. She didn't want that. She didn't want any of that. She simply wanted me to allow her to mourn. How could I really?

'It was different with the others. She was moderately far along with the child before Draco. We felt that child tumble around within her. We watched her expand as the child grew. We decorated the nursery, too early of course, and we were deliriously happy. That was the loss that hit me the hardest. I didn't know how to comprehend such a thing. We're wizards. We're magical. We're supposed to be better than Muggles and yet our children die just like anyone else's. It's devastating, really.

'When Cissa was expecting Draco, I was a nervous twit. I didn't allow her to go anywhere unattended. I barely allowed her to leave our bed. The Healers told me how unnecessary it was, but they didn't understand. They didn't know. They didn't see her ripping out her prize roses, her hands riddled with thorns. They didn't watch her crash priceless heirlooms into the wall simply to watch them shatter. They weren't forced to stop her from pulling her hair out in clumps or force her to eat or drink. They didn't hold her while she screamed 'why' until she was hoarse.

'I did learn something. It's quite shocking, I'm aware." Hermione believed she saw a ghost of a smile.

"What did you learn?" Hermione paused the movie, hanging on Lucius Malfoy's every word. She wanted to continue to wallow, yet she found she couldn't. Not when faced with the stark reality that Narcissa and Lucius Malfoy had suffered in ways she couldn't imagine.

"Share the pain. Cissa hid it from me until she could no longer do so and it nearly tore us apart. Also, hope is a powerful weapon. If Cissa and I hadn't had hope that one day we would have a child and had given up after the first loss, Draco would never have been born." Hermione snatched a wedge of cheese from the platter with a slice of crusty bread and nibbled with contemplation.

"That would have been most unfortunate for me." Lucius spared a glance at her then and in that moment; Hermione learned exactly where Draco's smirk had emanated.

"Indeed. Now what am I being subjected too?" Lucius refilled his glass, giving the telly his rapt attention.

Draco nearly splinched himself in order to get as far away from Daphne Greengrass as possible. He shuddered with revulsion, quickly stripping off his clothes with a vow to incinerate them. He grumbled while tossing the few belongings he brought with him into his leather satchel. He could imagine the headline of tomorrow's Daily Prophet and wanted to get home as quickly as possible for damage control.

"Listen, Potter, I don't care who you have to bribe, I need to get home tonight." Draco bellowed into the cell phone Harry Potter had forced upon him.

"Fine. Fine! Come through my Floo. Kingsley promoted me, can you imagine?" Harry laughed. "I have my very own International Floo. I suppose being The Boy Who Lived comes with certain perks."

"I don't care." Draco climbed through Harry's Floo while desperately hoping Astoria was wearing more clothes than her husband. He felt the sudden need to Obliviate himself spying Harry in boxers.

"What's the hurry? I thought you were working with Yuri.."

"Potter. Shut it. I'll submit a beautiful report chock full of information tomorrow. I got bloody accosted by Daphne bloody Greengrass and I need to get home and tell my wife before the Daily Prophet sensationalises an accidental and unfortunate meeting."

"Fantastic. Good luck." Harry waved, trotting back upstairs without a backward glance.

Draco was surprised to see Forest Lake filled with light as he walked toward the house. Nervously, he opened the door and stepped into the foyer, his ears filled with the sound of his wife's laughter.

"Draco. Shush. Come into the kitchen." Narcissa crept barefoot across the tile and for a moment Draco thought he had stepped into the wrong home.

He'd never seen his mother without shoes, nor without her robes and yet she was flitting through his home in a pair of dark slacks and a black sweater in her bare feet. He heard another peel of laughter and if he wasn't mistaken, the low timbre of his father's voice as well.

"What the hell is going on here?" Draco hissed, allowing his mother to take his satchel as she handed him a glass of wine.

"I'm not quite sure exactly. Dink informed me your father was coming here. I thought your elf had imbibed your firewhisky quite honestly until I came here myself. They've been up there for hours. Dink has brought them a few bottles of wine, a cheese plate, something called popcorn and bits of chocolate. Dink says they're playing a telly, whatever that means and they've been arguing and laughing. I'm terrified to set a foot upstairs." Narcissa's pupils were dilated to the point where Draco could barely distinguish a rim of blue.

"I'm so bloody confused." Draco sat at the kitchen table, fingering the rim of his wine glass. "Daphne Greengrass accosted me in Italy."

"You best tell Hermione before the Daily Prophet does. Do you know your father opened her owls? Apparently Ron Weasley is quite put out. I know the two of you weren't paying a bit of attention, but the Ministry announced their ridiculous Marriage Law. The Weasley girl kept trying to come through the Floo in tears, but apparently it's blocked..." Angry voices interrupted Narcissa's bit of gossip and mother and son crept to the bottom of the staircase to eavesdrop.

"You are being ridiculous!" Hermione shrieked, tossing a handful of M&Ms at Lucius.

Lucius plucked the coloured candies off his button down shirt and popped them in his mouth while shaking his head.

"Look at his grace! His obvious elegance! Look at that hair alone and tell me he's not a Malfoy. He's obviously a Malfoy. You're simply in denial."

"Simply because he has long platinum blond hair does NOT make him a Malfoy. You're stubborn and you never admit when you're wrong."

"I'm never wrong."

"Voldemort." Narcissa and Draco cringed, sitting beside each other on the steps.

"An error in judgement of my youth."

"Which was wrong."

"I was young and impressionable."

"Sure, the first time. What's your excuse for the second coming?" Narcissa gasped at Hermione's audacity.

"Touché."

"Say it. Say you were wrong."

"Malfoy's never apologise."

"Ridiculous."

"Now you sound like a Malfoy. Well done."

"Ugh, you're impossible."

"Thank you."

"That wasn't a compliment!"

"I disagree. I still maintain that young man is a Malfoy."

"Lucius! He's a bloody ELF!"

"Obviously magical as well." Draco snorted as his father completely ignored Hermione and she screamed into what sounded like a pillow.

"You do understand this is fictional? It was a book first."

"I think I'd like to read it."

"I think I'd like to smack you with it."

"I'm going to go up there before she starts smacking him about the head. She has a tendency to do that when she's angry." Draco whispered to his mother, standing slowly.

"I'll come with you." Narcissa gripped her son's arm and the two made their way to the loft, both terrified with what they would discover.

Draco blinked numerous times and rubbed his eyes. He could feel his mother's long fingernails digging into the skin of his forearm as they ambled down the corridor toward the loft. Hermione was reclined upon the chocolate brown sofa, her head in Lucius Malfoy's lap, of all places. His arm was casually tossed along the back of the couch, his dark green button up rolled up to his elbows, exposing his Dark Mark. Draco couldn't remember a time when his father had willingly exposed it. Lucius' legs were crossed and if Draco wasn't mistaken he was toying with Hermione's curls.

"If they had magic this entire journey would be pointless."

"Yes, but it's not just a story about saving species and cultures, it's about coming together in the face of opposition."

"So they can all die together, brilliant philosophy."

"Must you be so obstinate?"

"I'm a.."

"If you say I'm a Malfoy one more time, I'm going to hex off your bollocks."

"Well." Lucius harrumphed with a half smile. Narcissa almost keeled over at the sight. "I do believe Narcissa would take issue with that."

"Ugh. Please stop. The last bloody thing I need is a mental image of you and Narcissa starkers."

"Perhaps you'll think twice before referring to my bollocks." Hermione shoved a handful of chocolates into Lucius Malfoy's mouth and Draco was frozen. He half expected his father to Avada Hermione on the spot. He'd never seen his father in such a relaxed environment. It was terrifying.

"Do you think he wants to have children with me?" Draco backed slowly away from the loft, knowing he couldn't be seen and slid to the floor. He pulled his mother down beside him, ignoring her glowering protest.

"Do you wish to have children with him?" Draco smirked. His father always redirected that which he did not wish to answer.

"I hadn't thought about it. Not really, well, that's not exactly true. We had a conversation once, about the loneliness of being an only child. He keeps saying we'll have as many as I want, which sounds nice in theory but.."

"You wish to know if Draco would like to have a child for the sake of having a child rather than having one to appease his wife."

"Exactly."

"Ask him, silly girl."

"If he doesn't, then I think it would hurt my feelings. In which case he would change his mind in order to make me feel better and then resent me."

"Instead you'd rather needlessly fret? I suppose the rumor of my daughter-in-law being the brightest witch of her age was greatly exaggerated." Lucius sniffed with faux disdain.

"Jerk.

"Bitch. Do not strike me!" Narcissa struggled to her feet and before Draco could intervene she was heading toward the loft.

"Lucius!" Narcissa Malfoy didn't know what to make of the scene before her, but she felt uneasy just the same.

Hermione sat up quickly without a trace of embarrassment which aided Narcissa's rising temper. She'd always been a particularly jealous woman and feeling the familiar burn under her skin toward her son's wife was the least thing she'd ever expected.

"Cissa, darling! Come sit. Ms Granger has introduced me to a telly and these delightful chocolate concoctions. You know how difficult it is for me to resist sweets." Narcissa relaxed prepared to sit beside her husband, instead finding herself firmly seated in his lap. "She threatened to hex my bollocks. I do believe an inspection is in order." Lucius Malfoy's fingertips danced along his wife's thigh.

"Lucius, are you inebriated?"

"Ew. Stop it!" Hermione leaped off the couch, stumbling from the room as Lucius and Narcissa quiet kisses turned into a heated snogging session.

Draco didn't want to scare her, but he wasn't willing to retreat either. He decided the best thing he could possibly do was wait in their bedroom. While Hermione seemed in better spirits, she was also a bit intoxicated. Draco knew she'd head to bed the moment he heard his father's less than subtle comments.

As Hermione slowly made her way to the master suite to change into a nightgown, she frowned as light was seeping beneath the door. She opened it slowly and stopped.

"You're here. I-I wasn't expecting you..." Her eyes roved his unclad chest hungrily, blushing as Draco slyly smiled.

"Miss me then?" He winked, suddenly nervous. He didn't relish the idea of explaining his encounter with Daphne, nor the explanation of their history which he knew Hermione would demand.

Hermione crossed the room slowly with a certain wariness before sinking onto the edge of their bed.
"I'm glad you're back. I uh, had a bit of a meltdown."

"Are...you alright?" Hermione sighed, closing her eyes with the warmth of his concern and the tentative hand on her shoulder.

"I will be. Strangely enough, your father was quite conducive to the matter. I'm not sure I'll ever be able to live that down." She felt the bed sinking as he sat beside her, his cool lips on her temple.

"I've actually been home for a bit. I didn't want to interrupt."

"Your parents are probably shagging on our sofa."

"We'll burn it." Draco shuddered with revulsion.

"I'm not nearly as tired as I should be." Hermione shrugged off her cardigan, baring the yellow tank top she wore beneath.

She shivered when Draco's fingertips caressed her bare skin. His hand smoothed the back of her shirt until it reached the back of her neck. Gently, he pushed her back onto the bed, hovering over her, waiting until she opened her eyes.

"I'm not either." Draco whispered the moment before he met her lips with his own.

He knew it was silly to feel as if he were a bumbling virgin all over again as he touched his wife, but it couldn't be helped. He was treading carefully, prepared to stop the moment she protested. Hermione held her breath as her top was slid up her body, until it was gone. She sighed as he eased her sweatpants down her legs. She moaned as his body laid on hers in the dwindling candlelight. Draco gasped in wonder when Hermione grasped his length in her warm hand, stroking him with the tremble of inexperience. He rolled hardened peaks, following with the sensual swirls of his tongue as he worked his way down her body. She traced the grooves in his chest and he didn't balk, allowing her to explore the scars of his childhood. He found the thin scar on her ribs, covering it in butterfly kisses. As her begging whispers reached a crescendo, he sheathed himself in her. Every movement was achingly slow, creating gooseflesh on her flushed body. They came together out of need, laced with tears of all things, racing toward an end filled with peace.

Hermione listened to the steady thump of Draco's heart as she lightly tickled his ribs. Her thigh was casually tossed over his hip and he was drawing circles on her nude back while the moonlight streamed through the window.

"Your father read my owls."

"I saw Daphne." He expected her to push away from him in anger and was prepared to defend himself.

"On purpose?" Hermione kissed his chest, beside his nipple, looking into his pained grey eyes.

"Of course not. She accosted me quite honestly. I'm sure the Daily Prophet will have a field day with it."

"I don't care. I haven't seen her since Hogwarts but Astoria has told me enough to detest her. I know you have a history. I don't know all the details and I wouldn't ask. She's coming back and I don't relish the idea of seeing her."

"Merlin help us."

"Did you ever sleep with her?" Hermione propped her elbows across Draco's abdomen, her curls tickling his ribs.

"You just said.."

"I lied. Tell me." Draco groaned loudly under protest, yet propped himself up against the headboard.

"One time. She'd already been around; obviously that hasn't changed a bit."

"When?"

"Why are you asking me this? Are you trying to torture me? What's next a list of every woman I've ever slept with as well?"

"Now that you mention it..."

"Ugh..Nee, I don't ask you about your dalliances now do I?"

"Viktor Krum. Ron Weasley. Charlie Weasley. Oliver Wood. You."

"Wood doesn't count. It was only one date and he's a ponce."

"He's dead.."

"He's a dead ponce." Hermione slapped his chest, laughing even as she knew she shouldn't until he kissed her soundly. "You really want to know?"

"I wouldn't ask if I didn't want to know, though I refuse to be held accountable for my actions upon spying your former loves in public." Hermione sniff haughtily to Draco's delight.

"Snogging? Handjobs? Blowjobs? Shagging? You really must be quite specific." Draco winked, secretly wishing she would rise to the occasion but Hermione knew he was bating her.

"Your reputation as the Slytherin Sex God precedes you Mr. Malfoy and I'm not certain you'd be able to recall all your sexual liaisons."

"Are you calling me a slag?" He attempted to sound much more offended than he actually was, but he wasn't fooling anyone.

"Would you stop bloody posturing and tell me?!" Draco laughed, knowing eventually Hermione would lose the last vestiges of her temper.

"Delacour. Greengrass. Brown. Patil. Parkinson. Chang. Bones. Davis. Weasley. Clearwater. Turpin. And uhm..Vane."

"Y-you shagged all of them?! Here I thought you'd never venture beyond your own house for a quick shag. Apparently you're not particular!" Draco winced as Hermione's voice hit decibels unfit for human ears.

"I'm never going to hear the end of this. Listen Granger, I was young and quite randy, they were willing and I don't know a single teenage boy who would turn down a willing female. It's not as if they mattered! Fleur accosted me in a broom closet. I've never told a soul. Padma, I think that's the one, was a bit of snogging, nothing noteworthy. Pansy wanked me off during Potions and I'm pretty sure Snape watched. As for the rest of them? Yes, Granger, I bloody well shagged them, even your good friend Weasley. It was ages ago of course, during the war no less and I've never told anyone that either. I don't wish to talk about it any longer. I didn't care about them then and I definitely don't care about them now. How is it you managed to remain so completely innocent after dating those imbeciles?"

"They weren't imbeciles! Well, I suppose Viktor wasn't brilliant and Ron he's a bit dim. I suppose they didn't interest me enough to venture further than a few kisses." Hermione huffed, sufficiently distracted by Draco's well constructed barbs.

"Did they kiss you like this?" Draco wiggled his eyebrows, sucking her bottom lip into his mouth until she squealed.

"Absolutely not!"

"Good. Did they...touch you like this?" Draco flicked a blush peak until it puckered.

"Malfoy! They did nothing of the sort."

"Then what the fuck was the point?" He snorted, pulling her on top of him with a smirk.

"We walked. We talked. We got to know one another and well.."

"Sounds horrid." Draco patted her bum and yanked the blankets over them.

"It wasn't. Not all the time anyway. I mean, Ron was an idiot. He's still an idiot so we spent most of our time doing his homework. Viktor was too old for me. He was patient but it didn't feel right. I mean there wasn't that spark when he kissed me. Charlie is brilliant. Whenever he'd visit from Romania he'd tell me all about the dragons and..."

"Do you still care for him then?" Draco tried to wrangle the jealousy to a manageable level yet he discovered when it came to Hermione, there wasn't a manageable level. While he would never admit it, he was glad Wood was dead, Krum as well for that matter.

"Not the way you're thinking. I mean, maybe if things had been different and I'd never dated Ron, there would have been a chance? I don't know though. He's much older than I and.."

"Alright. I'm sorry I asked."

"Does it matter though? I mean really. I married you. You're stuck with me. I don't spend my time thinking about whether you would have eventually married Daphne or even Pansy."

"Merlin forbid. As much as my father wanted me to marry some perfect pureblood witch he choose, I never could stomach the thought. I wanted more than that. Especially after the war. Once I started working with Potter, well.." Draco stopped, feeling terribly unsure. He knew he loved her, he'd said as much, yet he'd never admitted how much he had fancied her.

"You could see beyond the strict guidelines of your father?" Hermione played with the ends of his hair while wondering if he was uncomfortable with her on top of him.

"No. Well yes but more like, there was only one witch I fancied enough to see where it could go. Do you know what I mean?"

"Did I ruin that for you then?"

"No, love. It's funny actually. I wound up marrying her. Fancy that." Hermione melted. She hadn't known he fancied her then, not really.

Sure, she'd overheard a conversation between him and Stori, but he'd never said such a thing to her before. She knew then, regardless of what they'd gone through or what they'd face in the coming days, they'd be alright.

"MALFOY OPEN YOUR BLOODY FLOO!" Hermione screeched, covering herself with the sheet regardless of the fact they couldn't be seen.

Draco climbed from their bed and tossed on a pair of boxers before heading downstairs. He snarled upon spying Harry Potter in his Floo.

"Potter. You best have a bloody good reason for tearing me away from my delectable naked wife."

"Malfoy. As much as I love Hermione, if I never have to hear of her nudity again for as long as I live, I'll die a happy man. I tried to phone, but your phones aren't bloody on. Stori's at St Mungos. She insisted the both of you come. I tried to talk her out of it. She kicked me out of the bloody room!"

"What's wrong then?"

"The baby's coming. She held off as long as possible. She broke my sodding finger. Put on clothes. Get your arses to St Mungos."

A few hours later, Hermione held the newest little Potter with tears in her eyes. Astoria smiled, closing her blue eyes. Moments later, Harry was amazed to see her sleeping. Hermione carefully opened the striped blanket, counting his fingers and toes, kissing his puckered lips.

"Did you settle on a name?" Hermione whispered, holding Harry's son tightly. Harry squatted beside Hermione, brushing his hand through the dark hair on his son's head.

"James. After my dad. James Sirius."

"Ohh Harry, that's lovely, really. Would you like him back? I don't want to monopolise your son."

"It's alright Hermione. I've got a lifetime." Harry sunk into an armchair, his green eyes already closing.

"Hello little one. I'm your Aunt Hermione. Teddy calls me NeeNee. You'll meet him. I bet your mummy is..is...is so glad...y-your here." She rocked baby James, holding him close and reveling in the new baby smell even as Draco slipped back into Astoria's room with cups of piping hot coffee.

He shoved one into Harry's open hand, spilling a bit, snickering as Harry jumped with a muted curse. He couldn't take his eyes off Hermione. She smiled and whispered through a curtain of unruly curls and caramel brown eyes overflowing with tears.

"Harry?" Astoria's sleepy voice caused Harry to catapult from his chair, flying to her bedside.

She didn't have the heart to ask him to bring their son. Her heart broke for her best friend and Hermione. She couldn't imagine their pain and didn't wish too. Astoria smiled lightly as Draco settled beside Hermione, peeking at the slumbering red faced baby. His arm slipped around his wife, his free hand prodding Jame's tiny fingers.

"She looks happy and sad at the same time. Breaks my heart a bit." Harry kissed Stori's temple with a sigh.

"Look at Draco's face, Harry. They'll get there." Stori yanked Harry into bed with her, snuggling into his side.

"He's so little." Draco whispered, afraid of waking the baby.

"He's just born, of course he's little." Hermione brushed a tear from her cheek using Draco's shoulder.
Draco nuzzled her cheek, resting his chin on her shoulder while staring down at Harry Potter's son in awe.

"I want this." He whispered in her ear. Hermione sniffed, watching James face crinkle, his mouth opening in a wide yawn.

"Me too."