A/N: Almost there! Only one more chapter to go after this (an epilogue, really), and I have only one night off this week to actually edit and publish it. So I should (knock on wood) be able to stick to my promise and get it out before Halloween! In the meantime, time to tie up some loose ends. :)

*** 30 – Dream Come True ***

Draco was having the most wonderful dream. He was walking up the steps of the cottage, and was met halfway by a running Isabel. He lifted her into his arms and hugged her tightly as he finished the walk into his house. Setting her gently on the floor, he watched as she bolted up the stairs to her room. A soft sound could be heard from the kitchen, so he approached the door to find its source.

There at the counter, wearing a patterned knee-length dress, stood Hermione with her back to him. He leaned against the doorway as she stood, humming softly, over the sink, and simply stared at her. The relief and joy in his heart was remarkable. How could he get so much pleasure from just watching her?

As if sensing his presence, Hermione glanced over her shoulder to see him. Her eyes lit up and a brilliant smile graced her features. She turned to face him, and he took in her profile: Hair falling to her waist, slender legs, bare feet, and her rounded belly.

Wordlessly, he moved towards her, and pulled her tight to him. He breathed in the lilac scent of her hair, and smiled softly as he kissed the top of her head. Draco then pulled away, and knelt to plant a soft kiss on her stomach. Whispering a quick "hi baby," he stood to greet his wife properly. He drew her close and brought his lips to hers. Their breath mingled and their tongues dueled passionately as they put all of their feelings into the kiss. His hand slipped to her waist, and his fingers gently tickled her sides. She shivered, and retaliated by dragging her hands up his chest to run them through his hair. He lifted her onto the counter, much like he had back at Grimmauld Place before she'd gotten her memory back, and positioned himself the same way as before. The dream began to blur as he lowered his face to her neck and teased her throat. It faded to black as she moaned in ecstasy.

Draco woke to a pair of small hands brushing the hair off of his forehead. His eyes felt extremely heavy as he forced his lids open to see his little girl staring up at him expectantly. "Hey princess," he whispered softly, gathering her close to his chest.

"Daddy, I just had the bestest dream!" she exclaimed happily.

"What was it, baby?" he murmured sleepily.

"I dreamt we were back at home, and Mummie was there too!"

Draco's eyes focused on her innocent face. "I dreamt that too."

"So did I."

Draco quickly lifted his now-awake gaze to find another pair of gentle brown eyes gazing at him with love. "Mi?" he asked timidly.

"Hey," she whispered, a soft smile on her lips.

"You're ok?"

Her smile grew wider at the fear in his voice. "I feel great," she admitted, bringing a grin to his own face and tears to his eyes. He leaned over and pressed his lips to hers happily as Isabel slipped away from them. She quickly left the room, intent on finding and thanking her grandpa.

Draco moved his mouth over his wife's and felt her smile widen under his own. Hermione slipped her hands up to his biceps and pulled him closer to help deepen the kiss. Her mind was swirling from the passion he was showing her. She couldn't believe that she was lucky enough to still get to kiss him. When the bullet had hit her, she thought she was finished. She should have known that her family wouldn't give her up without a fight.

A faint pounding in the back of their minds brought them back to reality, and they recognized the thumping of footsteps coming up the stairs. Draco broke the kiss and pulled her close to nestle her head in the crook of his shoulder. "I'm never letting you go again," he vowed.

She smiled as she snuggled closer to his chest. "Good."

Their quiet moment was broken as the door flew open and several bodies pelted themselves at the bed. Hermione found herself buried under mountains of red hair mingled with brown, black and blond. She laughed as she recognized Ron, George, Ginny, Harry, Neville, Blaise and Luna on top of her and Draco.

"Hermione!"

"You're alright!"

"We were so scared!"

"We thought we'd lost you!"

"Again!"

"We're so glad you're ok!"

"How do you feel?"

"Not as good as we would if you weren't cutting off our air supply," Draco retorted, half annoyed and half amused. Everyone hurried to get off the bed, and it was when they finally had that Hermione saw Dumbledore, McGonagall, Arthur, Molly holding Isabel, Kingsley, Remus, Tonks and Poppy all standing, smiling with tears in their eyes. She smiled widely at them all, and pushed herself into a sitting position on the bed. Ginny sat on her other side and kept a hand on her back, while Ron did the same for Draco.

"Good to have you back, my dear."

Hermione fixed a happy gaze on her mentor. "It's good to be back, Professor."

"Albus."

Everyone froze at this. No one outside of the 'real' grown-ups (Molly, Arthur, Remus, Tonks, McGonagall, Poppy and Kingsley) had ever referred to Dumbledore by his first name. This was big.

Hermione raised her head and smiled beautifully. "Albus," she answered, with a slight nod of respect. He returned the gesture, and gave Draco the same.

"Well, since everyone's back in action, I think this calls for a celebratory dinner!" Molly exclaimed, wiping the tears from her cheeks. Everyone nodded excitedly, knowing that Molly's cooking would be even more amazing thatn normal as she would pull out all the stops.

During the murmurs, Hermione couldn't help but let loose a yawn. She suddenly felt extremely tired, and wanted nothing more than a few more hours of sleep. Draco noticed her yawn, and gave Harry a knowing glance. He caught on quickly, and began to follow the lead.

"Guys, I think Mione could stand to get a bit more rest before dinner," he stated.

"But she'd been asleep for a week!" Ron protested.

"Well, let's shoot you in the stomach, heal you, and see how long you sleep for!" George retorted sarcastically. "You'll get to catch up with her at dinner."

"He's right, Mr. Weasley," Dumbledore agreed. "I think she could use some peace and quiet right now. In the meantime, why don't you show me some of your chess skills?"

Ron whipped around. "Me? Really?"

"I've always heard such great things about them." Ron ran over to Dumbledore's side and the two of them headed down to the sitting room to play.

"Come, munchkin," Molly said, shifting Isabel on her hip. "You can help Aunt Molly with dinner. You can even pick dessert." Isabel squealed with glee as Molly left. Ginny soon followed after placing a kiss on her best friend's forehead, and promising some girl time with Luna and Tonks later.

Soon everyone had left the room except Harry. He helped Draco and Hermione get settled once more against the pillows, and then leaned over to press a soft kiss on his best friend's cheek.

"I'm so glad you're ok," he told her quietly.

She smiled as a tear escaped down her cheek, and she grabbed Harry in a fierce hug. "Thank you," she whispered to him. He pulled back, wiped the tears from his eyes, and shot her a smile. Clapping Draco on the shoulder, he headed for the door, promising to send someone up to wake them an hour before dinner.

Alone again at last, Hermione relaxed in her husband's embrace. His arms locked around her and they spent a few minutes simply reveling in the feeling of being together again. Draco ran his fingers lazily through her hair, and she gently drew shapes on the smooth planes of his sweater-covered chest.

"Did you really have the same dream I did?" he asked, and felt her nod into his chest. "Did yours follow the same path?"

"You being greeted by Bel outside the cottage," she whispered, feeling her mind wake up.

"Her disappearing as soon as we got inside," he muttered, his fingers lacing more intensely through her curls.

"You coming into the kitchen to find me…" Her breathing was getting heavier and her caresses on his torso ceased as she fisted his shirt.

"You giving me the most breathtaking smile I've ever seen…" His arms tightened around her as he gazed at her beautiful face.

"You coming over to hug me and kiss my stomach…" Her insides were heating up as she raised her eyes to meet his stare.

"You letting me kiss you senseless," he hissed as he brought his mouth to hers hungrily. Their lips fused together passionately, as he pulled her completely on top of him. She wound her arms and legs around him and kissed him with everything she had, threading her fingers through his silken hair. He let out a groan as he wrapped her tightly in his arms and pushed his tongue past her teeth.

She moaned as she felt his heat envelop her. The memory of their dream had woken her up, and his kiss was now causing her head to spin. She could barely think straight, but she managed to find a shred of sense. "Wand," she forced out between kisses.

He groped blindly on the nightstand for one of their wands, and handed the smooth length of wood to her. Hermione tore her lips from his and looked at the door as she muttered a silencing spell, as well as several locking charms at the door. During her magic-making, Draco decided to do some of his own. His lips latched onto her neck, and he sucked lightly on the tender skin. She'd been lucky to place the charms when she did, for the cry that escaped her mouth when he attacked her throat was sure to have brought someone running. Draco's hands slid up her sides, dragging the shirt she wore with them. She began to fumble with his own shirt as he rolled them over so he was now on top. With the new position, she easily slipped his sweater over his shoulders, arms and head, and threw it off to the side somewhere. Less than a minute later, her bra followed the same path.

Draco's hands raced up and down her sides and front, leaving trails of goosebumps in their wake. His head spun as he drowned in the feel of her body. When he pulled his lips back from her neck, he smirked as he noticed the red mark he'd left on her pale skin. A split second later though, his lips reconnected with hers and he thought of nothing more.

Minutes later, all other clothing had been shed, and loud cries and moans could be heard from the couple. Hermione had managed to turn them over so she was on top again, and had kissed and licked her way down her husband's body. Draco was painfully aroused at this point, and the ministrations of Hermione's hands and mouth were doing nothing but winding him tighter. His head was thrown back and he clenched the sheets as her head bobbed up and down over him, her golden-brown curls tickling his stomach. Knowing that he couldn't take much more of her exquisite torture, he carefully pulled her from her position over his abdomen and brought her mouth to his for another searing kiss.

As usual, Hermione was drunk off the taste of him. His tongue evoked feelings in her that she never knew existed, and when he flipped her back over, she knew that he planned a torture of his own. As she sank deeper into the mattress, his tongue began the slow, tantalizing journey over her skin. His mouth traveled the entire length of her body, including arms, fingers, ankles and toes. She writhed underneath him as his mouth stopped below her abdomen, and she could do nothing more than grip his hair and hold his head close to her body as he feasted on her flesh.

After several pleasurably agonizing minutes, Draco lifted himself up to meet her lips and tease her mouth with his own. She had started to shake from the intensity of their actions, and felt her body heat up even more in anticipation. He was moving against her sensually, and she finally snapped. Gripping his arms once again, she pushed him over and switched their positions one last time.

As his back connected with the sheets, he felt her straddle him as he entered her body. She arched her back at the sensation of their joined bodies. He let out a hiss at the connection and his fingers gripped her hips tightly. Using his hold, Draco began to move her body back and forth over his, and she let out a moan. They both shivered as their movements created wonderful friction between their skin, and his hold on her tightened even more.

He raised his hips off the bed to meet her, and she reacted by lifting her upper body into a sitting position as her head fell back in bliss. Her fingers scratched lightly along his torso, and she linked her hands with his on her waist. Slowly, teasingly, she rolled her body over him repeatedly, eliciting pants and moans from his incredible lips. She knew that he both loved and hated it when she teased his body, and she knew that it wouldn't be long before the last shred of his control disappeared. Draco loved it when she was aggressive like this, and was more than willing to let her be. Hermione raised his hands and pinned them above his head as she ground herself even deeper onto him.

Draco couldn't think of anything other than the feel over her moving so provocatively. He kissed her with wild abandon as their movements increased in speed. He was getting closer to his own end, but needed her to tumble over the edge with him.

He quickly lifted himself up, raising them both into a sitting position on the bed. Her hands fell around his shoulders and he teased her back with his fingers as she shifted her body over him. Their agitated movements were getting more intense, accentuated with their constant moaning. She was on fire and desperate for her release. Draco, realizing that he was dangerously close, took charge. One hand grabbed her waist, pulling and pushing her lower body into his at a faster, almost violent pace, as his other hand slipped in between their bodies to tease her swollen flesh. At the first flick of his fingers, she started to shake again, and less than a minute later her body clamped down on his as she screamed his name. He cried out hoarsely for her as their hips bucked together in release. It was more intense and passionate than almost ever before, and they rode out the waves of ecstasy clutching each other tight.

Still connected, Draco fell back on the bed, bringing Hermione down with him as they panted heavily. It took several minutes to calm their breath, and their overheated bodies eventually began to cool. Gently removing himself from her embrace, Draco grabbed the long discarded covers and pulled them up over their now shaking bodies. He wrapped the sheets snugly around her upper body as he pulled her back to lie flush against his chest. One of his arms draped across her body, and he smiled into her hair as he felt her thread her fingers into his and pull his head close to her.

Wrapped in the warmth of each other and the thick comforters, Draco marveled at the calm that settled over him. Things hadn't felt this right in a very long time. Smiling to himself, he raised his head and pressed his lips to her bare shoulder. "I love you, Mi."

"Love you too, Draco," she replied, exhaustion evident in her voice. Keeping her close as she drifted off, he performed a bit of wandless magic as he whispered the spells to release the silencing and locking charms that Hermione had set up. As much as he would have loved to stay like this all night, with her wrapped in his arms, he knew that she'd be upset if they missed Molly's big dinner. With a soft smile on his face, he closed his eyes and slipped off to sleep.

Several hours later, the door opened to reveal a happy Ginny Potter. Spying the sleeping couple, she grinned. Finally, things were getting back to the way they should be. Regretfully, she tiptoed inside and gently roused her best friend. Once she was confident that Hermione was awake, Ginny slipped out of the room to give them some privacy.

Slowly and carefully, Hermione rolled over to face her beloved Draco. His hair fell across his forehead and over his eyes, and she smiled at the peaceful contentment on his face. She hated to wake him, but did so with the knowledge that their dinner would be nothing short of spectacular. A sleepy smile graced his face as she kissed him awake, and they held each other close for a few minutes as the sleep dissipated from their minds.

An hour later, showered and dressed in clean clothes, the Malfoy parents descended the stairs to meet their friends and family in the dining room, and were greeted by their beautiful blonde daughter running right into their arms. After several seating adjustments, nearly 20 toasts, and heaps of laughter, Hermione found herself looking around the table at her family as dishes were passed around. Harry and Ginny were speaking softly to each other, and she would drop her hand to her stomach every once in a while as she blushed. George and Neville were in a heated Quidditch discussion as Luna, Poppy and Tonks spoke about the healing properties of various plants. Remus, Kingsley and Arthur were talking about Ministry matters, while Molly, Dumbledore and McGonagall discussed plans for the spring term at Hogwarts. Ron was entertaining Isabel by levitating her fork to feed her, and Draco looked on in amusement as his little girl giggled with delight.

Sensing her gaze, Draco turned to meet his wife's stare. Seeing her smile brought one to his own face, and he leaned over to kiss her tenderly. She gave his hand a light squeeze before tucking into her meal, rejoicing in the peace she felt.

Life was finally good.