A/N: This is just to say a few things from the comments.

Why I stopped updating as frequently. I lost my grandmother three weeks ago. It was sudden and I didn't get a chance to say goodbye. As you can imagine this has wrecked havoc on my ability to write as much as I used to as I am still grieving her loss. It's almost a struggle to get the chapters out that I have put out because there is a lot I am processing. So this is the reason you aren't getting multiple chapters a week.

Ron bashing in the story. I know some people don't view him the same as me but I always viewed Ron as being entitled, selfish, and childish, even in the books. I did not like his character, I still don't. I don't have a positive view of his character so I characterize him how I believed he should have grown up into. He never supported Hermione, always nagged her to change who she was, got upset at her when she wasn't waiting for him when he wanted to choose to finally give her attention. The crush I saw in the books was Hermione holding onto it 100%, I never viewed him as liking her the same way but wanted to have her simply because he wanted to be the one that had her. I always viewed him as someone who could be casually cruel with his words when things didn't go his way, I honestly believed this came from Molly because that woman could be so mean.

So when it comes to the Ron aspect of the fanfic, I write him how I viewed him. I do not like his character, I never did. I never believed Hermione and Ron should be together, he was too much of an entitled, selfish, ass in my books. This is why I ship Hermione with literally anyone else because I don't like how he treated her and I didn't like his attitude towards her. His behaviour was completely wrong and I just don't like him. That's why there is Ron bashing. And honestly I just write him as I saw how he would grow into. To that affect. Hermione doesn't even really bash him, just explains how he hurt her feelings and reacted to what Ron was doing. Even Harry don't bash him, just states his upset and angry over how Ron acted. The only person who really actively bashes him is Draco and for me that's pretty standard.

However I am just writing what I saw he would more than likely grow into based on how I interpreted his character. That's all.

June 7th

Draco waited in the dining room, adjusting the sleeves of his button down. He was taking Hermione out for a date. They hadn't had a lot of chances to go out, not with Scorpius in America and Hermione being as tired as she was. It was enough to make Draco frown slightly and he made a note that if she was still tired after Scorpius came home, that she needed to go to St. Mungo's for a check up. He knew she would fight with him over it but he also knew he would win the argument anyway.

But for tonight they were going out to dinner and he was going to ask her to stay married to him, was going to potentially tell her that he loved her. The thought made everything inside of him balk but he also knew she was more than amendable to staying married to him, love was just one more step and he doubted it would scare her away, startled her a bit? Sure but Hermione wasn't really one to back down or run away. She was steadfast like that.

He had needed that this past week.

Astoria had... well she still made him apprehensive but she had taken Scorpius to various things like she had promised, funnily enough, none of the muggle excursions, but she had taken him to the Quidditch pitch and a lot of magical sites. Scorpius had been excited about that and had told Draco all about it on their nightly floo calls and even the notes he was sent before they went out each time. Draco was thankful his mother took Scorpius to some of the muggle sites he had been very excited to see when Scorpius wasn't with Astoria.

But Hermione had been there, doing her best to take his mind off of everything. She had been a beacon of calm during a time he didn't think he had it in him to be calm. He had truly needed it but it also highlighted just how much he needed her in his life, that they worked despite everything, despite the past, they worked together in a way that made his chest ache.

They weren't perfect, by any means, he doubted any couple was truly perfect, but their imperfections seemed less glaring when they were together. She was socially warm where he was more reserved. He was the harshness she lacked when people over stepped or insulted her. She brought out a warmer side to him he didn't know he possessed and he brought out a sharper edge to her that she hadn't had prior. When he was with her, the voices inside of him that called him down, that derided him, that shouted at him from the past he was so desperate to escape, grew dim and silent. She made him want to be better, to be worth her love and he so wanted to try.

So while they weren't perfect, they argued at times, picked at each other, got onto each other's nerves, they made each other better. He would bet every single galleon in the Malfoy vaults that it was the truth. Which was why they were going out now. He knew that she was amendable to continuing the marriage, he could sense it but there was a touch of hesitancy to her as well. He would deal with that, he knew he could logic it away for her if given enough time during dinner.

Didn't stop him from being so nervous he almost wanted to puke though. Draco didn't like taking chances on things he wasn't absolutely sure of. Sure the possibility of Hermione saying yes was high but he wasn't entirely sure and that added an aspect of vulnerability that he hated. He didn't like opening himself up like that but this meant something to him. If he wasn't willing to take the risk, then he didn't deserve to want it as badly as he did.

He didn't make Malfoy Industries and Subsidiaries as profitable as it was without taking risks, he just had to put forth that unshakable confidence when it came to his wife. They were on the final week of their marriage, or would be tomorrow when Scorpius got back. He needed to ensure it happened and it happened quickly so she didn't make a plan for when they divorced. He needed to ensure everything was settled before the fifteenth came around.

He honestly couldn't believe he had made it to that point. He could remember how he felt when his mother told him Hermione had agreed to marry him. He had been appalled and horrified. He could remember them setting up their marriage contract and both of them being disgusted and appalled at the thought of sex and children but now Draco had dreams of Hermione being pregnant and babies with blonde curls and brown eyes, or sleek brown hair with the cool grey Malfoy eyes. Whatever they looked like he knew they would be adorable.

A bolt of want moved through him and he swallowed hard. He would have to see what Hermione wanted but he wouldn't mind having children with her, wouldn't mind starting shortly after the fifteenth to be perfectly honest. He wanted to expand their family, wanted to add more connections to her, to share those bonds with Hermione. He wanted to hold her belly as she grew their baby, nuzzle it, whisper expression of love to their unborn child.

Astoria had never allowed that. She barely let him touch her at the best of times, when she was pregnant? No. She hated him through every bit. She blamed him for every aspect of nausea and swollen ankles, for getting her fat, for her growing bigger. She had hated every aspect of her pregnancy and it got to the point where Draco had avoided her most of the time, not willing to listen to her deride him for all of it. He knew Hermione might teasingly blame him for those thing but if he reached out to touch, she wouldn't slap his hand away. He could see her presenting her belly, her smile warm as she watched him.

That image made the ache in his chest that much worse. He wanted that, so fucking badly. He just hoped that he got the resulted he wanted from the dinner. He wanted to be able to end the night making love to Hermione, knowing she wouldn't leave, that their marriage was secured for the next eighty years if they could have that. He wanted every year, month, week, hour, every damned second he could get with her. He was selfish and he wanted them all.

"Okay, so I didn't get all dolled up, I don't have Narcissa or Pansy around to help me but I think I did alright." Hermione said it almost hesitantly as she came into the room, a short silvery summer dress on, her hair pulled back, half up and Draco drank in the image she made.

"You are beautiful. With Pansy's help or not." He meant it. She was so stunning. She had been pretty as teenagers but she had matured into a beauty that as understated but nearly overwhelming. There was a warmth to it that women like Astoria could never achieve.

"If you're turning on the charm to get me into bed later, you're wasting time." Hermione's mouth twitched upwards as her lips curved into a lovely smile. "I'm a sure thing. I woke up refreshed and I want to make up for the last bit of being exhausted." There was a heated note to her voice that had Draco repressing a groan. He almost wanted to call off dinner and take her to bed but he clung to the plan with all his might. It was just by his fingertips but he some how managed it.

She came closer and he couldn't resist as he reached out and slid his hand around her back, pulling her close. "Oh I'll be getting you into bed later, darling. I'll make you flushed just how I like and so breathless you can barely moan my name." He whispered it into her ear and she gave a small eep. When he pulled back her cheeks were red but she was grinning at him with excitement. He gave her a chaste kiss, loving how she nearly melted into him at it, her hands against his chest, almost moving up to his neck when he let his hand drop and stepped away.

"Not fair." Hermione was practically pouting as she looked at him all flushed and hungry.

"Dinner first, Hermione. Then you can ravish me all you want." He winked at her and she giggled, trying to hide behind her hands and it was so adorable Draco's heart turned over in his chest. She was just so fucking cute sometimes.

"I don't know if I can succeed in the ravishing department but I'm willing to try." She peeked at him through her fingers. "For research purposes."

"Of course." Draco gave a small nod and held out his arm. "Shall we?" She nodded and went to grasp his arm when Narcissa's cat popped in front of him, unfolding into a note. Draco frowned and took it.

Astoria and Scorpius are gone! I can't find either of them and I've been trying to track them using magic but nothing is working! I don't know what happened but they are gone!

The words wavered and Draco staggered, his heart in his throat as he took in the words. He grabbed the table, only vaguely aware of Hermione grabbing his other side as if she were scared he would fall. "He's gone? Scorpius is gone?" He looked at Hermione, feeling like all the blood was rushing from his face.

She grasped his face, making him look at her. Her eyes were wide and worried but that steadfastness was right there. "It's okay. It will be okay. We need to get you to the Ministry right now for an international portkey. We have to get you to America." Her hands shook and Draco felt like his entire world was crumbling and he was going numb but Hermione was right there, holding things up for him.

He felt like he couldn't breathe, that things were crushing in on him as Hermione let him go and called out. He couldn'thear it, feeling like there was a ringing in his ears, deafening him to everything around him. Magi popped up and he watched as Hermione spoke her lips moving but all he could hear was that damnable ringing. Magi nodded and disappeared and then came back almost instantly, shaking her head.

Hermione must have said something else as Magi disappeared again. Hermione came back over, grasping his face, talking to him again but Draco couldn't think of anything. There was no way that Scorpius was gone. There had to be something lost in translation. There had to be something missing. Scorpius was coming home tomorrow. There had to be a reason for it.

Hermione looked away from him as Magi appeared, a bag in her hand. Hermione then grabbed it and him before she lead him to the floo before they were off. He stumbled into the Ministry, hearing slowly coming back to him as he tried to rationalize it. There had to be an explanation. There had to be a reason for it. He swallowed hard as they made it to the international portkey gateway.

Hermione spoke to to the witch standing there and they were brought inside and Draco could hear the slight murmur of their conversation as Hermione lead him inside. She moved rapidly, almost in a panicked manner as she turned and looked at him, holding out the bag for him. He took it and she grasped his face, her mouth moving. "-aco? Draco." It came to him faintly and he nodded at her, blinking. "You will go to America, figure this out, and then come back." She said it calmly, oh so calmly, as if she had unshakable confidence in him. "Everything will be okay." He gave a small nod as he tightened his hand on his bag.

"Everything else can wait, just go there and bring Scorpius home." She stroked his cheekbones with her thumbs and he nodded, a bit more firmly this time, her voice no longer sounding super far away. "You can figure this out, a hundred percent. I have all the faith in you." Draco nodded again and a low level ache started up in his arm that he nearly gritted his teeth on. That was the last thing he needed at the moment but he knew he couldn't deny it was starting.

"I-" He stared at her as eh reached up with his free hand. The words jumbled up in his throat. He wanted to tell er he loved her, wanted to tell her that they could stay married but they stuck in his throat. It felt wrong to bring it up now, it felt wrong to say it when they were both worried about Scorpius. "I need to see what happened." He nearly choked them out and she nodded.

"Tell me what happened and we can make a plan. See if we need to get the judge involved or the aurors. We can find him." She nodded and Draco felt bolstered by her belief in him, an unshakable belief that was painted in her eyes as she looked at him.

"I'm sorry about Dinner." He was, he was sorry for all of it, for missing out on all of it.

"It was just a dinner." She shook her head and Draco wanted to tell her it wasn't, wanted to tell her so much had hinged on it but he held back. "Scorpius comes first, above all else. Bring him home." She said it firmly and he gave a reluctant nod as an agent came over, a matchbook on a handkerchief in his hands.

"Thirty seconds." He said it with a harshness that churned Draco's stomach but he shook it off as he moved over and picked the matchbook up. He knew he shouldn't have left Scorpius go but perhaps his mother had gotten confused, perhaps Scorpius was just at the Quidditch pitch helping the coach. There were so many other things that it couldn't have been than that, than Scorpius being gone.

"Bring him home." Hermione said it softly and Draco looked at her. She still looked so beautiful, all made up to go out to dinner and his throat burned with the words left unsaid.

They all jumbled up in his throat and he couldn't hold it back, "Hermione, darling, I lo-" The words were cut off as he yanked through space and time as the portkey activated.