Happy Friday! I don't know about you - but I'm pretty excited about the short work (or school) week coming up! Anyway - I hope you like the chapter...because the hen night and the wedding (which I'm sure you're all like - finally - could she have taken long enough?) are just around the bend!

PS: I already have ideas for the sequel...

"What is going on with you and Hermione?"

Draco looked at his mother, his face saying he didn't want to talk about it, his mouth asking her if this was where she wanted the sofa, considering it was the fourteenth time that day that she'd decided to rearrange the furniture in her new living room. Granted, most of the rearranging had been done with the flick of a wand, but her inability to make a decision was grating his last nerve. The only thing that kept him going was the notion that he was getting his house back to a two-person occupancy.

"Draco? I know I didn't raise you to not answer your mother when she asks a question," Narcissa said in her stern voice.

Rolling his eyes, Draco sat down on the couch and rubbed the palms of his hands on his jeans. "It's nothing, Mother. Nothing you need to worry yourself about."

"What did you do?"

"Why do you bloody assume it's something I did?"

Narcissa gave him a look, which Draco matched for a good thirty seconds before breaking. "Fine. I did something. But in my defense I really don't think it's that big of a deal. Besides, she isn't upset about it."

"I didn't say I thought she was upset," Narcissa countered. "I asked what is going on because both of you seem out of sorts a bit."

Draco sighed. "When we came back the other weekend from the stag night - Hermione asked me on the way home what kind of wedding we were having, and she mentioned that Harry and Ginny are bonded and obviously you and Father are bonded I kind of told her that I didn't want to be bonded." His mother stood silent, too silent for Draco's own comfort. "Now you're speechless?" he scoffed.

Narcissa set her hands on her hips, silent a few moments longer living up to Draco's expectation. "How could you possibly tell that poor girl that you don't want to be bonded? She adores you! She loves you! Do you plan on leaving her?"

"Of course I don't!" Draco shouted, leaping to his feet. "I just don't think that I need to make such a permanent gesture for her to know I'm in it with her for the long haul! I don't want to trap her if this doesn't work. I mean - look at you. You couldn't leave - bad things were happening and you couldn't leave. You couldn't leave, you couldn't take me, you couldn't protect me, and you and I were stuck with him because you were bonded! I don't want her to ever be in that position - you of all people must understand that."

His mother's face softened a bit, the woman hesitating before approaching her only child. She put her hands on his face and looked up at him. "You are a good boy. A good man. Neither I nor your father can take credit for it, but if anyone asks, you best believe I'm telling them you got it from me."

Draco cracked a wry smile. "Thanks, Mother."

Narcissa stared directly into his eyes, the only feature of his he got from her. "You are not your father, Draco."

He swallowed hard. "Mother I -"

"I wasn't strong," Narcissa simply stated, moving her hands to grab his. "I was never like Hermione. That kind of fire was never in me, even before your father and I were married. I never knew how to stand up to your father and I should have protected you better. That will always be my biggest regret."

"I can't," he whispered. "If for some reason we were to stop working -"

"Why are you even thinking like this?" Narcissa asked. "Why are you questioning the one thing you've always wanted?"

Draco shook his head quickly. "I'm not questioning it. She's what I want. She's what I've always wanted, it took me forever to realize it, and now I have her. But there are no guarantees in life, Mother. None. Who's to say we will still be this happy in twenty years?"

"Who's to say you won't be?" his mother retorted. "You can't live life that way, Draco – bond or no bond. Have you even had an actual conversation about this?"

Draco looked down at the floor. "She asked what I thought, and I told her absolutely not."

Narcissa swat him in the arm with her hand. "That is not a conversation! You can't just decide something for the both of you! You're not her boss!"

"Damn it, Mother – that hurt!" Draco said, irritably so as he rubbed his arm.

"You better fix this," Narcissa warned.

He rolled his eyes at his mother and threw his hands up in the air. "Thanks for stating the obvious."

Hermione and Lucius look through Lucius' new potions room in the house, completely stocked to the brim with any kind of ingredients one could possibly need. She knew Lucius had been a promising member of the Slug Club back in his days at Hogwarts, but it wasn't until they started going through the plans for the house and what he and Narcissa wanted that he mentioned he wanted to get back into the hobby - something to do that was useful, he said with a simple shrug.

"I believe you're rather skilled at potions, are you not?" Lucius asked as Hermione peered through the various stock of ingredients.

She blushed a little bit. "I wasn't bad."

"That's not what Draco used to say," Lucius replied. "The boy bemoaned for days about your admittance into the Slug Club, calling Slughorn himself a traitor to the house of Slytherin itself."

Hermione let out a rueful laugh. "I'm sure your son had many other things to say about me back in the day." She moved over to the bookshelf filled with books and pulled out Advanced Potion Making, reminiscing for a moment as she flipped through the pages. She leaned against the bookshelf and sighed, shaking her head at the sight of the Draught of the Living Dead potion, the juice of a sopophorous bean be damned.

"You know, it pains me to even ask, because I am certainly not one who wishes to…meddle," Lucius said rather hesitantly. "But is everything ok with you and Draco?"

Hermione shook her head no. "We're fine. What makes you think something's wrong?"

"My wife seems to think something odd is going on. I told her she was seeing things at first, but I notice things, and the things I've noticed the past couple of days have me a bit worried, if you don't mind me saying so."

She shrugged. "It's nothing."

Lucius sat down at the chair near his desk, propping his cane up against the wall. "It doesn't appear by your tone that it's nothing."

"It is what it is," Hermione replied, putting the book back in its spot on the shelf. "He doesn't wish to discuss it further, and I don't have it in me to fight him on it."

Lucius arched an eyebrow. "Did I just hear Hermione Granger say she didn't have it in her to fight someone? What is the world coming to?"

She gave him half a laugh at his dry joke, giving him an eye-roll of her own. "You're terrible."

"I've been called worse."

Hermione could hardly contain the snort that tumbled from her mouth. Silence fell between them, neither awkward nor content, until she managed to speak again. "I asked Draco what kind of wedding he wanted, and when I brought up the idea of being bonded he completely shut it down as if it wasn't even an option for discussion." She looked over at Lucius, who silently nodded, saying nothing. "I mean," Hermione continued, "It's one thing to have a proper discussion about and then say 'no, this isn't best for us,' but it was just an automatic, no, I don't want it, end of story kind of thing and I didn't really even have an opinion formulated as to what I wanted but the moment he said absolutely not to being bonded I felt like he wasn't even going to consider letting me give him my opinion once I had an opition about it which is just ridiculous if you ask me and –"

Lucius held a hand up, the shocked look on his face surprised only because he was able to silence the rambling young woman in front of him, who he feared would completely unspool right in front of him if she'd been allowed to continue. "First of all, please breathe so you do not turn blue."

She gave him a less than menacing scowl. "You said first, so I'm assuming there's a second?"

"Yes," Lucius said evenly. "You both are stubborn by nature. Leaving it alone is clearly not working out for you, as evidence by your incessant rambling a moment ago, so let him have it."

"Let him have it?"

"Yes," Lucius replied. "It doesn't matter if he doesn't want the conversation – you want the conversation, do you not?"

She sighed. "I don't like it when he's upset."

"I don't imagine he enjoys you being upset either," Lucius added. "I've never seen my son love anything as much as he loves you. I honestly didn't know he had that kind of ability."

Hermione shrugged, picking at her nails as she stayed against the bookcase. "He has some crazy thought in his head that by bonding, we're going to tempt the fates against us and wind up hating each other somewhere down the line."

Lucius looked at Hermione as she glanced in his direction. "He's clearly terrified to lose you."

"I don't know why," she scoffed. "I'm not going anywhere. I tell him that all the time."

"I can probably take the blame for that," Lucius offered. "It's not like I provided him an environment that left him void of disappointment while growing up."

Her shoulders dropped a bit as she hugged her arms against her chest. "I guess – but he can't keep using that as an excuse. Just because he grew up that way doesn't mean the rest of his life has to be that way."

"Are you saying that you want to be bonded?" Lucius asked.

"I don't know," Hermione said, surprised at her honest reaction. "What I wanted, however, was a proper conversation."

Lucius stood up from his desk and grabbed his cane before approaching his future daughter-in-law. A good arms distance between them, he looked down at her so he could catch her gaze, her head looking up slightly at him. "Bond. No bond. Marriage is what you and Draco will make of it. It is only as good as the promise you both make to each other."

"Would you do it again?" Hermione asked. "Be bonded to Narcissa."

Lucius kept a straight face. "I wouldn't have a choice to but to be bonded. We were arranged, as I'm sure you know. But you two chose each other. You two get to choose the life you want."

Hermione nodded, still looking at Lucius. "So what you're saying is that you wouldn't do it. If you were in Draco's position."

Lucius chuckled. "Are you always this way?"

"What way is that?" Hermione asked with a daring tone.

"With the incessant questioning," Lucius replied. He put a reassuring hand on her shoulder. "Just talk to him. I'm sure it will all sort itself out."

Hermione shrugged. "We'll see."

"Can we talk?"

Hermione sat on the edge of the bed on her side like she did every night, lathering her legs and arms in lotion while the muggle news softly droned on the telly in the background. Draco was already in bed, lying on top of the covers in his boxers, propped up with his pillows against the headboard. Both of them were turning in early, exhausted by the day's events. The house felt a bit emptier without his parents, but they were both elated to have 'their' space back. They sent Jori over to his parents to help them get settled until they found themselves a house elf of their own.

Draco watched as Hermione sat in nothing but a pair of nude color knickers and a clingy black tank top. She pumped a few more squirts of lotion in her hands to cover her other leg. "Sure," she said, nonchalantly.

Draco sighed. "I feel like things have been…off lately. With us."

"Off?"

"Since the other weekend," Draco said. Shrugging, Hermione swung her legs up and over into bed, her knees bent as she let the lotion soak into her skin. She rubbed the excess lotion into her hands before grabbing Draco's arm, rubbing the rest of it into his skin. He jerked his arm away as she laughed. "Blimey, Granger! You know I hate that feeling," he grumbled.

"I'm aware," Hermione said, looking him right in the eye rather defiantly.

He shook his head at her, unable to stay mad as he rubbed the greasy arm against his other arm, trying to rub it all in as quickly as possible. The only time he willingly touched lotion was when he gave Hermione back massages. "Look," he finally said. "I know you want a discussion about this bonding thing, and if you want to have one, we can have one. But I'm not going to change my mind."

Hermione arched an eyebrow as she pursed her lips together. "Well then I guess there isn't much to discuss, is there?"

Sighing, Draco shook his head. "I don't even know why you of all people would consider a bonding marriage. You're the most independent woman I know – I don't see how bonding fits into how you view the world as a strong woman."

Hermione stared at him. "To be quite honest, it doesn't."

"Then why is it an issue?"

"Because you made it one!" Hermione exclaimed. "You don't get to dictate what we do! Because if that's how you think this is going to work then we're going to have a completely different problem on our hands." She crawled over on top of him, straddling his waist as she began to jab a finger into his chest as she spoke. "We are going to have to make all kinds of decisions in our life together and we will do them together, with a proper discussion, because that's what civilized people do! You got that?"

Draco found himself becoming incredibly aroused as she yelled at him, not even wincing, as she made sure to push the nail of her index finger into his chest while punctuating her points. He grabbed a hold of her waist, pushing the erection growing in his boxers up against her bottom. He hoped to end the argument right then. "I got it," he said, huskily as he leaned up to kiss her. "I'm sorry," he whispered before catching her lips in a hungry kiss.

Hermione responded, hugging her arms around his neck as she pulled him closer. Just as his kisses grew deeper, she abruptly pulled herself back. "Oh no. This is not how this happens. You don't get to completely disregard me and my opinions one minute and then try and seduce me the next."

"Of course not," he said, his hands peeling her tank top off and tossing it to the floor before Hermione could stop him. He fastened his mouth to a breast, a hand palming the other as he sucked on her nipple. Hermione's breathing hitched as she moaned, feeling the warm dampness in her knickers. She ground her hips into his erection, her hands weaving through his hair as he moved to pay attention to her other breast.

She gasped again, smacking his shoulders with her hands. "Damn it, Draco!"

"Mmhmm," Draco agreed, pulling on her nipple gently with his teeth. Wrapping his arms around her, he rolled them over so that he was hovering over top of her, peeling her knickers away as he kissed her, devouring her mouth with his tongue as if he was showing her that she could be irritated if she wanted – but in this moment, he was in charge. He laughed as she scowled at him. "You're unbelievably sexy when you're angry," Draco told her as he moved his lips to her neck.

"You're unbelievably irritating when I'm angry," Hermione shot back, despite tilting her head back as he kissed the middle of her collarbone.

"Mmhmm," Draco repeated, pulling her knickers down as he kissed her lips again. She gasped as he slid a finger between her folds, knowing he'd found just the right spot as he began to rub lazy circles with his thumb while sliding two fingers into her, teasing her slowly. "Is this irritating?" he whispered in her ear.

"Maybe," Hermione spoke, her voice breathy, determined not to give him the answer he was looking for.

His thumb sped up just a notch, along with his fingers, grinning as he felt her hips buck against him. "Maybe?"

Hermione yanked his boxers off with her hands, glaring at him as best as she could while he kicked them off once they reached his ankles. "Don't think this changes anything," she said, grabbing his erection as he leaned close to her. He moved his hand as she slid him up and down her wetness before pushing him down towards her opening. "I'm still plenty pissed at you and – "

She didn't bother finishing her sentence, completely speechless as Draco thrust all of him into her quickly, indenting her hips with his fingers as he lifted her up and began to pump in and out of her. His eyes rolled back as he felt her clamp around him tighter than she'd ever had before. He let out an unrestrained groan, the first time he'd made any kind of noise while making love to her since his parents moved in. He didn't care how many silencing spells he could throw - the sheer thought of them hearing anything was an immediate turnoff. Grunting loudly again, he watched as she touched herself, her eyes rolling to the back of her head in pleasure. "Hermione," he panted her name over and over.

"Draco," she said, encouraging his thrusts with her hips as the two of them moved in tandem. "Deeper!" she begged, urging him to thrust harder. Her moans turned into cries of pleasure as she gasped his name with each sensation. "Draco - Draco I need - oh yes - right there - Draco!"

"I'm sorry," Draco panted suddenly, trying to keep himself from going over the edge as she felt herself clench even tighter than before. "I want - I want what you want - whatever you want - whatever you want Hermione," he said, his voice restrained.

Hermione reached her arms up to him as he leaned forward, lifting a leg up over his shoulder as he pitched himself into, the changing angle causing the building tension in the pit of her stomach to churn even more. "It's us," she said, capturing her mouth with his as his thrusts became slower but more powerful. "We have to want it - we have to want it together."

"Not bonding - doesn't mean - I'll leave," Draco replied, kissing her hard as he felt her hands pushing into his back.

"I know," she said as she broke away. She pressed his forehead to his, watching as his hips became top pick up speed once again. "I love you," she whispered, feeling her arousal reaching a tipping point. "I love you so much."

"I want you," he choked out. "I want you - forever - I want you." Draco redirected the leg above his shoulder to high around his back as he felt her pulsated breaths against his bare skin. "It's always going to be you," he said. "Believe me."

She gasped, squeaking a bit as his thrusting was almost erratic. "I believe - you. I need you," she begged again.

It only took a few quick thrusts before both Hermione and Draco were screaming each other's names, jerking against each other as they were overcome by their orgasms that rolled through their bodies. Draco collapsed into Hermione, burying his face into her neck as she wrapped her arms around him, holding tight as she managed to catch her breath. She felt him renew the same warm kiss over and over again as she raked her fingers through his hair. Hermione felt her breath catch in her chest as a tear trickled down her cheek. Draco felt it too, pulling up to look at her. He brushed the tear away with a thumb, staring at her eyes as if he was trying to find the true depth of her soul.

"Is it that important to you?" he hoarsely asked, quickly pulling out of her and casting a wandless cleaning spell. He retreated to the spot on the bed next to her, holding her hands as they curled into each other, Draco rubbing a foot up and down against her smooth legs.

Hermione shrugged. "I don't know," she honestly replied. "I didn't know what I thought - until you abruptly shot the idea down and it made me feel like you needed an escape hatch."

He laughed softly, cupping a cheek in his hand as he kissed her. "If anyone is going to need an escape hatch, Granger, it's you," he promised. "I'm not letting you go, and I don't need ancient means to prove it."

She blinked her tear brimmed eyes quickly, nodding as she squeezed the hand of his she still had a hold of. "Ok."

"Ok?" Draco questioned, a playful tone in his voice.

"Ok," Hermione repeated, a bit more confidently. "But you make a unilateral decision like that again without even hearing me out again, Draco Malfoy, sex won't save you, do you hear me?"

Laughing, he pulled the blankets up over them. "I knew there'd be a 'but'," he teased. She gave him a warning look, which elicited another laugh. "I hear you," he said, giving her what she needed to hear.

"I will have your ass," Hermione warned turning over to her other side, letting him pull her back into him, his arm snug around her chest. Her voice wasn't nearly as harsh as she intended as she felt herself seeking comfort in his embrace.

Draco placed a big, overdramatic kiss on her cheek before resting his head on his pillow, sighing contently. "I absolutely adore you when you make your threats."

"Oh it wasn't a threat," Hermione replied sweetly. "It was a promise."

Laughing even harder, Draco shook his head, tucking his free arm under his pillow as Hermione snuggled closer. "I love you, Hermione."

"You better," she replied, hugging her arms around his. She felt her eyelids get heavy as she slowly drifted to sleep. Hugging his arm again, she sighed somewhat contently as she felt the warmth of his chest against her back. "I love you too," she whispered back, not sure he was awake to hear. But the light squeeze of his hand on her arm left her smiling as she blissfully fell asleep.