Lounging on the bed, Draco watched his wife get dressed, wishing they were staying in for the evening. Normally an invitation to dine with Harry and Ginny would have been greeted by enthusiasm, but Harry had been completely honest when inviting the couple to dinner by admitting that Ron had begged Ginny for the chance to speak to the Malfoys, hence the reason for the dinner. Draco couldn't say he was too keen to see Weasley again, given what had happened a few days earlier, but Hermione had accepted the invitation and said it was for the best that the air was cleared.
Of course Draco's enthusiasm for the evening wasn't helped by the fact that less than an hour after agreeing to the dinner, Draco's best friend, Blaise Zabini, had gotten in touch to try and arrange a meeting. Usually Draco would have suggested Blaise and Daphne join them in dining with Harry and Ginny as the three couples often spent evenings together, but given the reason for the dinner, it hadn't been a suitable arrangement. Instead, Draco and Blaise had been forced to arrange something for the following evening, meaning that the weekend would be nearly over before Draco got a chance to have his wife all alone. Although knowing his luck, someone would come along and steal their Sunday evening as well.
"Will you stop frowning," Hermione tutted, catching a glimpse at her husband's scowling face in the mirror of her dressing table.
"I can't help it, I'm a naturally grumpy bastard," Draco grouched.
"No, you are not," Hermione laughed. Despite her husband's cool exterior she knew that more often than not he tended to be in good spirits, and it was only occasionally he got grumpy.
"I am when people encroach on my alone time with my wife," Draco argued. "We've only been back off honeymoon for a week, and already I feel as if we need another break in order to spend time together."
"We're only having dinner with our friends," Hermione said with a chuckle. "It's not like we're doing something terrible."
"We had dinner with Potter and Red earlier in the week," Draco reminded his wife. "This evening is all about sodding Weasley, and whatever plan he's got up his sleeve."
"I think the only thing he has planned is an apology," Hermione argued. "Harry said Ginny was convinced that he was genuine in his desire to make amends. She wouldn't have asked us to dinner tonight, if she didn't believe he really wanted to apologise."
"But what if we don't want his apology?" Draco asked with a pout. "Personally, I'm tempted to tell him where to shove his apology. It's not like I'm wanting to be friends with him. Or is that what you want?"
"I don't think that's possible," Hermione admitted, turning to face her husband. "I do believe exes can be friends, but only if the break-up is amiable and handled with sensitivity. My break-up with Ron was anything but sensitive, and I honestly don't believe there's anything he can say that can make up for the hurt he caused by leaving the way he did. I also don't believe our friendship can be salvaged, not after everything that has happened between us."
"So why is this dinner so important to you then? Why are you so determined that we make the effort?"
"Because it isn't just about us," Hermione answered. "Truthfully, we'll probably not have much to do with Ron after tonight. But it would be good if things were civilised between us. We might not need to have much to do with him, but Harry and Ginny will have him as part of their lives and I don't want to put them in the middle. If Ron is back for good, he's going to be part of their lives on an almost daily basis. After all, he is Ginny's brother and will one day be Harry's brother-in-law. Even if you just do it for them, accept Ron's apology and we can all move on."
"Fine, I'll be the bigger person," Draco said with a dramatic sigh. "I'll do this for Potter and Red. But I will be keeping my eye on him. I don't trust him as far as I can throw him."
"What do you think he's going to do, kidnap me?" Hermione laughed as she grabbed her bag and checked she had everything.
"I wouldn't put it past that moron," Draco muttered. "Call me crazy, but I won't be trusting someone who proposed to my wife."
"You're not forgetting that any time soon, are you?" Hermione asked with a shake of her head.
"Hell no, I don't forget someone trying to steal my wife," Draco replied, getting to his feet and following Hermione from the bedroom.
"You needn't worry, no-one can steal me from you," Hermione assured him, smiling at him over her shoulder. "You're stuck with me now."
"I'm sure I can live with that," Draco laughed as they headed downstairs and made their way to the floo room.
Heading to Harry and Ginny's, the couple were rather relieved that Ron hadn't yet put in an appearance. It meant they were able to share a drink with their friends, before they had to deal with Ron and find out what he had to say for himself.
"Thank you so much for doing this," Ginny said. "I'm not sure Ron deserves it after he made such an idiot of himself, but he did seem genuinely sorry when I saw him yesterday. I think he just got carried away and didn't think through the consequences of his actions."
"We're willing to hear him out, and we're willing to put this all behind us," Hermione assured her friend, not wanting Ginny to worry that she had potential drama to deal with.
"So when will Weasley be gracing us with his presence?" Draco asked.
"He should be here any minute now," Ginny said, checking the time.
It was actually another ten minutes before Ron turned up, and when he did arrive he apologised for his lateness and handed Ginny a beautiful bouquet of flowers. While Ginny was putting the flowers in a vase, Harry gave Ron a drink and he quietly greeted Hermione and Draco, who were sitting on the sofa together, Draco's arm casually draped across his wife's shoulders.
"I might as well get this over with," Ron said, knocking back the fire-whiskey Harry had handed him. "I want to apologise for my words and actions the other day. I was so caught up in the moment, I didn't take the time to think through my actions. Hermione, I never should have proposed to you, and I apologise for putting you in that position. I'm also sorry for the way I reacted when I found out who you married."
"Apology accepted," Hermione said, gracefully accepting Ron's apology.
"And Malfoy, I'm sorry for what happened when I saw you in Diagon Alley," Ron said, focusing on the blond wizard. "I was still reeling from everything that had happened, and I didn't behave very well towards you."
"It's forgotten," Draco said magnanimously.
"Thank you," Ron said to the couple, ensuring the expression on his face was suitable grateful. "I wish I had a better explanation for my behaviour, but I was so caught up in the excitement of my return, I failed to think about how things would have changed in my absence."
"As Draco said, it's all forgotten," Hermione assured her former boyfriend. "I just hope this is the end of it, Ron. I hope you can accept how things are now. Things have moved on over the last five years."
"I can see that now," Ron replied with a solemn nod. "And I know I need to forget about the ideas I had about how things were going to be when I return. I need to accept the way things are, and deal with it. Starting with signing up for Auror training."
"Even though you know we'll never be partners?" Harry checked.
"Even then," Ron confirmed. "I need to get myself sorted, Harry, and that means standing on my own two feet. I am going to sign up for Auror training, and become the best I can be."
"In that case, I will look forward to one day working with you," Harry said.
"That would be good," Ron said with a genuine smile. "And before I go, I just want to congratulate you, Hermione. I'm pleased that you're happy."
"Thank you," Hermione said, giving Ron a small smile.
"What do you mean, before you go?" Ginny asked with a frown. "We haven't ate yet."
"I'm not staying for dinner, Gin," Ron informed his sister. "I'm not sure we're all quite ready for that yet. Maybe one day, but I think we all need some time. Besides, I've arranged to see Dean and Seamus tonight. You four enjoy your dinner, and thank you for allowing me to apologise."
Assuring Ginny that he wasn't been chased away, Ron left the two couples alone to enjoy dinner in peace.
"I have to admit, that ran smoother than I thought it would," Draco remarked after Ron had departed. "And he did seem genuine."
"I think he just got carried away," Ginny said with a rueful smile. "You know Ron, he doesn't always think before he acts."
"I guess the true test will come over the next few months," Harry said.
"Let's hope it all goes well, despite the fact he's an idiot, it will be nice to have my brother back in my life again," Ginny said. "Now, I hope you are all hungry. With Ron going, I have more food than I thought we would have."
Luckily everyone was hungry, and Ginny's cooking was sublime, meaning that there was very little waste, even without Ron to eat his share. And after a brief discussion about Ron, and his apology, he was left to one side, and the conversation turned to the subject of Harry and Ginny's wedding. Unlike Hermione and Draco, who had planned their small but beautiful wedding within months of getting engaged, Harry and Ginny had been struggling with what sort of wedding they wanted, meaning their engagement had been a long one. However, neither of them wanted to commit to something they weren't entirely happy with, so they were taking their time to ensure that their big day was perfect and exactly what they both wanted.
"Sometimes I think we should just elope," Ginny laughed.
"That would be good if you wanted to be widowed within a few weeks," Harry joked. "Your Mum would kill me if we ran off and got married without her. She may have other children, but you're her only daughter and she'll want to be there when we get married."
"And to be honest, I want her there as well," Ginny said. "I want everyone there."
"I'm sure you'll eventually work out what sort of wedding you want," Hermione said with a chuckle.
"Yeah, we might get there before we die of old age," Harry remarked.
"You know, planning a wedding is really not that hard," Draco said.
"How would you know, you left everything to me and your mother," Hermione snorted, shaking her head at her husband. "You just agreed to everything I suggested."
"There you go, Potter, that's how it's done, just say yes to everything Red wants," Draco laughed.
"I like the sound of that," Ginny said with a laugh.
"It certainly sounds like an easy life," Harry said.
"Sounds like a boring life to me" Hermione said. "Who wants to be with someone who just rolls over and gives you everything you want. I prefer a bit of fire in my life."
"You two are my witnesses, you heard that. She doesn't want me to agree to everything," Draco said. "She wants me to argue with her."
"As if I could stop you," Hermione muttered with a roll of her eyes.
"Fighting is what you two do best," Ginny laughed.
"Oh no, Red, what we do best is something far more fun than arguing," Draco drawled with a wicked smirk.
Laughing, the two couples finished their desserts before returning to the living room, where they shared another couple of drinks before Draco and Hermione headed home, where they spent the rest of the evening doing what Draco said they did best.
