Author's Notes:

Here's Chapter 121 for you!

This is the seventh of the short eight Christmas themed chapters that I promised this summer. It is definitely not Summer anymore, and I have one more Christmas themed (kind of) chapter left to upload after this. This chapter is as Christmas themed as you can get, as it's Christmas Day and our favourite couple is surrounded by their family.

I have already written Chapter 122, so I will be uploading it on the 3rd October.

Love DW

PS Enjoy x

Both Hermione and Draco are instinctively awoken from their short nap by the cries of a toddler somewhere downstairs.

"My parents should be here by now," Hermione mutters, having turned around to check the clock on the bedside table.

"We should get up," Draco nods, his arms still wrapped around his wife's waist.

Hermione hums in agreement, turning back around in his embrace. "It could be Scorpius crying," she adds.

"I'm sure someone has got him. He's an adorable baby, any one of your relatives would be happy to comfort him."

Hermione chuckles, reluctantly sliding out of bed, and pulling her wrap dress back on. She forgoes her boots, not needing them for walking around the house. She leans back over Draco. "You have twenty minutes before the buffet will be ready. Take your time," she kisses the top of his head before leaving.

She finds her parents sat at the kitchen table with her grandparents.

"Merry Christmas," she greets them, smile beaming across her face as she hugs the four of them and kisses their cheeks.

"Hey, good looking," her grandad hugs her tightly. "Where is that boy of yours?" He asks.

"He's getting up now." Hermione laughs.

"I think he meant your child, Hermione." Her dad clarifies.

"Oh, sorry," she laughs. "I left him with David about two hours ago." Scanning the garden for her uncle and finding him tending the barbecue, baby-less. "David?" Hermione calls out through the patio doors. "Where's Scorpius?"

"In the playroom with all the other kids." He calls back.

As though on cue, Sophie enters the kitchen, with Scorpius wrapped in a blanket in her arms. Hermione's eyes widen at the sight of her small, eight-year-old cousin carrying her three-month-old son.

"Wow, Sophie, look at you taking the role of big cousin seriously," Hermione quickly steps forward, ready to take Scorpius at the first sign of Sophie struggling.

"He was crying. Lauren said babies like to be swaddled, so we wrapped him in the blanket. Then I heard you ask where he was so I brought him to you." Sophie explains, lifting Scorpius up for Hermione to take.

"You've done a great job, thank you." She praises her cousin, despite her heart racing.

Scorpius snuggles against his mother's chest, having recognised her scent, and settles down. His small fingers gripping the edge of the blanket. She doesn't blame him for wanting to sleep, she had kept him awake since his midday nap so he would sleep throughout the night. On a good night, Scorpius would sleep ten hours, only waking up twice for feeds or a change. She had no qualms about him napping now, at least while the family ate. At the back of the kitchen, Hermione's grandad had placed an old crib, most likely from when Hermione and her Aunt Louise were babies themselves. She places him down for his nap as Draco enters the living room.

"Hello, everyone," he greets the room. He had redressed in his shirt, trousers and tie, leaving his blazer off for the more informal occasion.

"Merry Christmas," Betty pats his arm as she rises to refill her wine glass. "Care for a glass, Hermione?"

"Sure, grandma," she agrees, following after her grandma.

"How are you, Tom?" Draco asks, always feeling a little intimidated around his grandfather-in-law.

"I'm going to help David with the barbecue." He stands, walking towards the patio doors, a bottle of beer in his hand.

Draco's smile falters until Tom gestures for him to follow, and he scampers after. Chris laughs as he joins the rest of the men outside beneath the gazebo.

"Have you come to take over, Dad?" David asks.

"Go on," Tom takes the tongs from David, and the man heads inside to busy himself with other tasks. "What's been keeping you busy?" he asks Draco.

He sighs deeply, not even knowing where they begin answering that question. "This time of the year is always busy, and despite being on leave, Hermione and I had obligations at the school." He explains.

Tom and Chris nod.

"How are your family, Draco? You've mentioned an uncle in Devon?" He clarifies.

"They are well. I try to call Hyperion at least once a week and my cousin Alarte is always texting me, but we haven't seen them in a while." He admits, a smile forming. "I do have a little get together planned for the New Year though. It's something I would like to invite the whole family to," he announces vaguely.

"What's this, then?" Chris asks.

"It's a surprise for Hermione, you'll find out tomorrow." He smiles knowingly.

"We'll look forward to it," Chris says, his mind already trying to figure out Draco's plan.

"Here, Draco," Tom passes him the tongs for the barbeque. "Flip the burgers while I grab another drink. Do you want one?" He asks, the two men.

"Yes, thanks." Draco agrees while Chris decline, showing his half-empty bottle.

Draco's eyes scan the garden as he flips the meat. His wife is now sitting on a white plastic garden chair surrounded by Sarah and Betty, chatting about a cruise Betty and Tom were planning for late January. The children have vacated from the playroom and were now in the garden, playing in Sophie's play shed, that Draco and David had sorted for her months ago. In a playpen, beneath the gazebo, Evelyn and Vivian were babbling away together, playing with some plush toys and staring at the falling snow.

He took a deep, relaxing breath, content with where he was right now, surrounded by family. Tom returns with his drink and a plate full of bread buns, ready for the burgers that were about done.

"First burgers are ready," Tom calls to his family.

Sophie races over from her play, shed her book still in her hand, ready for the first plate.

"No books at the table," David calls over as he joins the family, placing a bowl of crisps on the table.

Sophie groans, running back to the shed, throwing her book on her desk before returning, only to find Lauren and Craig at the front of the line, receiving the first two burgers.

When it gets to Sophie's turn, Draco places a burger inside the first bread bun, adding some salad to the side along with a portion of oven chips.

"Can you take this to Hermione for me, please?" He asks Sophie, smiling when she sighs but does as she's been told.

Hermione looks over at Draco with a smile of thanks. He waves his hand with the tongs at her before going back to serving Sophie, Sarah and Betty.

"Grab the last one yourself, I'll watch the next batch," Tom tells him, so Draco makes himself a plate, and joins his wife, mother-in-law, and grandmother-in-law in their white plastic chairs.

"Where are you going on this cruise of yours, Betty?" Draco asks, joining the conversation, then taking a bite of his burger.

"It's a two-week Mediterranean cruise. We'll visit Spain, the south of France, Italy and a little of Greece. Overall, we get to explore eight cities. Don't tell Tom, but I've bought him a new fancy camera to take with us. Once we get back, you'll have to come around for a slideshow." She tells him.

"That sounds fun." He smiles, glancing at Hermione who discreetly shakes her head.

"Are you planning on visiting your family, Draco?" Betty asks.

"We've just come from my mother's." He answers.

"What about your family in Devon, the ones that stole that dog." Betty teases.

"They didn't steal the dog. It was extremely underfed, the vet thinks she was a long-time stray. She didn't have a collar and the family spent hours asking hikers if they'd lost a dog." Hermione defends her husband's family.

"Millie's a Toy Poodle and Jack Russell cross." Draco states.

"I don't understand people who name animals human names." Betty states. "Your mum named her hamsters Henry, Joseph and William."

"How did you name your hamster's such normal names but come up with Hermione, Evelyn and Vivian for your children," Draco asks curiously.

"Evelyn and Vivian are normal names," Sarah says. "Okay, they're not common these days. And Hermione was my favourite name in the book your father gifted me on our first date." She admits.

"Oh, that's really sweet. Why have you never told me that before?" Hermione asks.

"I don't know," Sarah says truthfully.

Lauren and Craig, having finished their dinner, run over to Draco, attempting to pull him up from his chair to play with them. He tells them he needs to wait at least twenty minutes while his food settles.

Betty, taking a ten pence coin from her handbag, along with a bouncy ball, tells them to entertain themselves for half an hour. Draco watches in amusement as they each take it in turns to bounce the small ball onto the coin lying on the garden path. Craig wins after five minutes and shows his excitement by running a lap around the garden cheering for a minute while Lauren huffs and crossing her arms in annoyance.

"Can you teach me how to play?" Draco asks, wanting to cheer up the young girl on Christmas Eve, but also intrigued by the simple game.

Lauren and Craig explain the rules of the game to him, which are simple enough. Not before long, the three of them, along with Sophie, are taking it in turns. Everyone else ignores them, carrying on with their conversation until it has been fifteen minutes, and still no one has won. The adults of the group slowly turn their attention to the game, watching intently as the four participants take it in turns to bounce the ball. Finally, Sophie's bounce clips the edge of the coin, sending the ten pence flipping in the air. However, Hermione and Draco exchange a glance, having seen the ball move unnaturally as she bounced it down.

Sophie and the adults cheer excitedly at such a simple joy. When she goes to high-five Draco, he whispers "cheater" at her with a teasing smile.

Sophie's eyes squint as she stares at him. "I don't know what you're talking about." She smiles, turning to tease Lauren, who is even more upset at losing the second game.

"Shall we head inside now, it's getting quite chilly," Betty suggests, picking Vivian up from the playpen.

Tom and David stay outside to tidy the barbecue equipment up while everyone else gathers in the living room. Lauren switches the television on, flicking through the channels and finding an animated Christmas film called 'Babes in Toyland' just starting. As soon as Humpty Dumpty falls off the moon, the adults leave, disinterested, and file into the kitchen to sit around the table, drinking wine, telling stories and joking together.

Having lost track of time, it's nearing half-past ten when Craig enters the kitchen, rubbing his eyes sleepily to tell the adults that the film has finished.

"Oh goodness, we need to be heading home soon, getting the kids to bed," Sarah states, finishing he glass of water.

"Hopefully, they'll sleep in," Chris half-heartedly suggests, picking up both sleeping toddlers in each arm, ready to strap them into their car seats.

"Mum, are you still okay to take Lauren and Craig?" Sarah asks.

"Of course, it'll be like the good old days, won't it darlings?" She takes Craig into her arms but puts him down when he proves too heavy for her.

David, Hermione and Draco wave their family off from the front doorstep, watching as they drive around the corner. Sophie has already taken herself to bed, eager to wake up on Christmas morning.

"You two head up to bed. I'm going to give the kitchen a quick tidy before turning myself in." David tells them, locking the front door.

Draco collects Scorpius from the crib, where he is still napping, having exhausted himself meeting his grandfather Lucius and spending the afternoon with his grandmother Narcissa. Hermione shrinks the crib down, taking it upstairs into the spare bedroom where it fits snuggly at the end of the bed. Thankfully, Scorpius falls quickly back to sleep once he's placed back down on the soft mattress. The same can be said for his parents, who, after undressing for the second time that night, fall asleep as soon as their head's hit the pillow.

Scorpius wakes them up bright and early around five o'clock in the morning. Having slept most of the night while his parents enjoyed their Christmas Evening, he is ready to enjoy his Christmas Day. They both get up with their son, drinking a much-needed cup of tea under a heating charm on the garden bench as they watch the stars together.

"Merry Christmas," Draco whispers, not wanting to break the serenity of the early morning.

Hermione leans over, pressing a kiss to his cheek then resting her head on his shoulder. There's something so special about enjoying alone time together in a garden, without the worry of their neighbours, many of whom they grew up with at Hogwarts, watching them.

"We couldn't do this at home," she sighs. "Too many eyes watching."

Draco smiles, wrapping his free arm around her shoulder, pulling her closer. "You're right," he agrees.

"I've been thinking, in the New Year, we should look for our own place. A house of our own, with no connection to the Ministry." She glances up at him. "What?" She asks, catching his playful smile.

"Nothing, I think it's a great idea." He relaxes his face. "Somewhere secluded, where we can raise our children." He suggests, and Hermione nods, looking back out at the slowly brightening sky. "I spent my whole childhood growing up in the Manor. It was far too big for the three of us, but I did enjoy wandering the grounds and halls as soon as I was old enough. I'd like that for our children. A house they can grow up in and a garden big enough for them to explore." He speaks softly, painting a picture of his perfect house.

"It sounds beautiful. I'd want a large kitchen and dining room, so we can sit and eat dinner as a family, or host dinner parties. A small study for us to work in and a room for the children to play. Maybe a conservatory where we can relax, like this." Hermione smiles, holding Scorpius closer to her chest.

"To the New Year," Draco holds his mug up for Hermione to clink with hers.

"To the new us," she adds, sipping from her cup. "Are you ready for today? It's going to be jampacked."

"We've got hours before we need to be at your grandparents' house, relax." He places his empty mug on the ground, taking Scorpius into his arms. "We'll have to remember to take lots of pictures of Scorpius' first Christmas. We forgot last night."

"One moment," Hermione softly pads back up to their borrowed bedroom to fetch their camera.

Back in the garden, she levitates the camera in front of them, perfectly framing the small family before taking the picture.

"Today is going to be perfect." She comments, viewing the picture on the digital screen.

Sophie joins them in the garden, squeezing between the couple on the bench, just after eight o'clock, Athena perched on her lap. They watch the sunrise together before deciding to make some breakfast as a thank you to David for hosting the Christmas Eve feast.

By the time David makes it downstairs in his dressing gown and crooked glasses, the kitchen table has been set for four places, along with plates of bacon, toast, scrambled eggs, and fried tomatoes. There's a pot of tea in the centre along with a jug of apple juice.

"You didn't need to make breakfast," David grins, but piles food onto his plate, tucking in along with his family.

Afterwards, it's a mad rush to get everyone dressed and ready to leave the house by half-past nine, so they can get to Betty and Tom's house for ten o'clock, as ordered by the schedule. They make it with a few minutes to spare. David carried the large bin bag full of presents into the house, sorting them by size in front of the massive Christmas tree in his parents' front room.

Tom leads Hermione and Draco down into the kitchen, where her parents are stood, a glass of Buck's Fizz already in their hands, as they watch Betty sliding the turkey into the oven.

"The bird will be ready for spot on half-past twelve, so we best be finished with the presents by then." Betty removes her oven mitts. "There seems to be more each year." She half-complains, pulling Hermione and Draco for kisses on their cheeks, and a kiss on the forehead for Scorpius, leaving a red lip stain.

Chris offers Draco a damp tissue to rub off the red lip stain.

"Buck's Fizz?" Sarah asks, already pouring them each a glass.

"Thanks," Draco sips, remembering the strong taste from last year and making a mental note not to drink as many this year.

"Where are the kids?" Hermione asks, following everyone into the front room, where a mountain of presents is hiding the stand of the Christmas tree. "You weren't joking, grandma. This will take us all day."

"Is it presents time now?" Lauren asks from the top of the staircase.

"Yes, come on, I think we've waited long enough," Tom calls his grandchildren downstairs.

Evelyn and Vivian are already sat on the rug, clapping their hands excitedly at the attention they are receiving as the adults sit on the couches surrounding them. Hermione and Draco are left to sit on the floor again, Scorpius between them in his baby rocking chair. Craig, Lauren and Sophie sit in any available space on the rug, waiting for further instruction.

"The youngest goes first, so we've got this one put to the side for Scorpius," Betty announces, handing over a present for her first great-grandchild.

"Thank you, grandma," Hermione grins, placing the soft parcel on Scorpius lap as she unwraps the gift, pretending her son slapping the wrapping paper is helping.

"That is the tiniest dressing gown I've ever seen," Draco gushes, taking the yellow, plush gown in his hands. Embroidered across a breast pocket is 'Scorpius'. "I love this." He admits, immediately lifting his son from his rocking chair and removing his cardigan to redress him in the robe.

"Lauren and Craig, will you help Evelyn and Vivian choose a gift to open?" Chris asks, not wanting to waste time.

"Yeah," Lauren is back on her feet, scanning the pile of gifts.

She finds one for each twin, handing Craig the on for Evelyn, so they can help their sisters to open their presents.

Lauren squeals in excitement as Vivian waves her new woollen hat around. She takes it from the toddler, pulling it onto her head, only for Vivian to rip it straight off and wave it around again. Evelyn, on the other hand, has opened a new pair of shoes, which she is attempting to shove her feet into. Sarah picks her up to assist her, allowing Craig to move on and pick his own present as next oldest.

"Hermione, look at him," Draco whispers, distracting his wife, but for a good reason.

Scorpius is lying along Draco's legs, the hood of his new robe framing his smiling face as his tiny fists, hidden beneath the too-long sleeves, wave around in enjoyment.

Hermione reaches for her camera, but is too late, as a flash goes off behind them.

"I got it," Chris tells them, gesturing at his own camera. "We can share the pictures out in the New Year." He suggests.

The gift-giving continues on well past twelve o'clock, pushing the timings a little too close to dinner. In the end, the children were grabbing any presents together and passing them to their recipients before going back for more, no longer waiting for each person to individually reveal their gift.

Both Hermione and Draco received matching dressing gowns from Betty and Tom, along with matching family pyjamas and slippers, which Draco also had to put on his son, straight away, never having seen slippers so tiny.

The last presents to be gift were from Sarah and Chris, who handed Hermione and Draco, Betty and Tom, and David an envelope. When they opened them together, it revealed they had been booked onto a joint family holiday to Majorca along with the children, who were finding out at the same time, much to their excitement. They children loudly chattered about going on an aeroplane for the first time and swimming in a warm sea, rather than the cold Brighton beach they sometimes visited.

Betty and David left for the kitchen to finish the final touches to dinner, while Tom and Chris guide the children in setting the table. Hermione feeds Scorpius a bottle of milk in the hopes he'll settle down for a nap while they eat their meal. Draco helps tidy the living room with Sarah, throwing wrapping in a bin bag and moving piles of toys to the side of the room.

Thankfully, Scorpius does go down for a nap at dinnertime. Once crackers have been pulled, and paper crown donned, the family dig into their Christmas dinner, giving many compliments to Betty, the chef. Throughout the meal, they take it in turns to read off their terrible cracker jokes and fun facts. As to be expected at Christmas, everyone helps themselves to multiple helpings of turkey, pigs in blanket, stuffing and potatoes, leaving them feeling stuffed and in much need of a lie-down, or at least a cup of tea in the front room with the Queen's speech.

Dirty dishes are left on the table as everyone piles into the front room, ready for Queen Elizabeth to give her annual speech, this year in an elegant red dress in front of her burning fireplace. Draco doesn't catch much of it, with a joyful Scorpius bouncing carefully on his lap.

Afterwards, David orders his mother to stay sitting on the couch with her cup of tea while he and Chris wash up all the dishes. Betty doesn't need telling twice, although she does sit down on the rug with her grandchildren, playing with some of their new toys, Tom watching on fondly.

"I forget the Queen exists until Christmas," Draco admits to Hermione.

"She doesn't play any role in our lives. Although, I do wonder if she knows of our existence. Each new muggle Prime Minister is told at the beginning of their term, perhaps Queen Elizabeth was told at the beginning of her reign, back in 1952." Hermione ponders. "Perhaps Pansy will know." She adds, passing Draco their son's clothes.

At four o'clock, they would be leaving for their family walk to her grandma Emily's bungalow, and she doesn't want Scorpius to be in his pyjamas and dressing gown still. She helps her mother get coats and shoes on the rest of the children.

Her parents brought the double pushchair for the twins, which Chris pushed at the front of the pack, with Draco walking beside him, Scorpius strapped to his chest in the baby carrier. Sophie, Lauren and Craig walked just ahead of them, stopping at each road to wait for them. Hermione's grandparents bring up the rear with her mother, while in the middle, Hermione asks David about how Sophie's dinner with Gwenog and her grandmother went.

"She was so nervous beforehand, wouldn't sit still for an hour. I know she was trying to impress this new grandmother of hers, but I wish she would have been herself. She spent ages fixing her hair, polishing her shoes and making sure her dress looked presentable." David explains.

Hermione looks ahead at her oldest cousin. Her hair was up in a ponytail, half falling out, and she was wearing a new pair of jeans with a Christmas jumper, looking more comfortable than she ever did in a dress.

"First impressions count for something, once she gets to know her better, Sophie will relax into herself." She assures her uncle.

"Well, she certainly made an impression because she came home with a letter from the woman, addressed to me." He admits.

"What did it say?" She asks, intrigued.

"She asked if it would be possible for her to meet me in the New Year for some tea to discuss Sophie's future, whatever that means." He frowns. "It's strange, this woman has been out there this whole time, and I didn't even know her real name. Gwen had asked to name our daughter Sophie, after her mother, but that's her middle name apparently. She called Alys, and as Sophie likes to remind me, she's about my age." He complains.

"Oh, that's got to be awkward, I wonder what she wants to discuss. I'm sure it'll probably be about getting to see Sophie more often than just Christmas or whenever Gwen is back in the country."

"We'll see how this tea goes." He mutters. "Do you know her?" He asks, after a moment of quiet.

"No, we're not a very big community, but I don't know every wizard and witch in the country." Hermione teases.

"I know that I just want to know more about her." He shrugs.

"What I knew about Gwen before meeting her was that she came from a wealthy Welsh family. Her dad died during our first war, so it's just her and her mother." Hermione says.

"So, she's well to do," he sighs.

"If Sophie likes her, then I'm sure she's a lovely woman," Hermione assures him as they near her Grandma Emily's house.

"Grandma!" Craig cheers, running up and giving the elderly woman's legs a hug.

"Well, hello there, look at you in your handsome shirt and tie." Emily pats the boy's head.

Despite Craig and Lauren only recently becoming a part of her family, Emily had always treated them and Sophie as grandchildren. She had always wanted a large family herself but had only been blessed with Christian, who in turn, only had Hermione. In her mind, the more children in her family, the merrier she would be.

"The kettle has just boiled, Sarah, if you don't mind." Betty walks back to her armchair.

Sarah and Hermione vacate to the kitchen to make cups of teas and coffees, while the children sit in a circle on the living room rug, waiting for Grandma Emily to give them their presents.

Draco sits on the pouffe with Scorpius sat in the cross of his long legs. Chris and David sit on the chairs pulled from the foldable dining table at the back of the room, leaving the sofa for Betty and Tom.

"How are you, Betty?" Emily asks.

"Tired, but content. It's been a good day." She smiles. "Did you enjoy your church service last night?" Betty asks in return.

"Oh, it was lovely, we had a little sherry and mince pies afterwards to celebrate," Emily answers.

Once Sarah and Hermione have brought out everyone's hot beverage and a plate of biscuits, Emily brings out a large bag of presents from beside her chair, placing it on the rug for the children to rummage. Hermione sits in front of Draco, chuckling when Scorpius' hands find their way into her hair. Before he can start pulling, which is one of his favourite activities at the moment, she brings him over her shoulder into her arms.

Everyone receives a handknitted scarf from Emily, along with a selection box of chocolate and a roll of fruit pastels, which Draco had never tried before and rather enjoyed. Emily unwraps her own presents from the family, including a new gold necklace with the names of all five of her grandchildren engraved on the pendant, which she asks her son to fasten around her neck right away.

"That's Christmas over with for another year," Tom sighs contently, relaxing into the sofa.

"Not quite," Draco announces, drawing everyone's attention. "I wanted to wait until the whole family was together before I gave Hermione her most important and biggest present." He explains.

"Draco, we promised no big presents," she half-heartedly complains, turning around excitedly to accept her gift.

Draco produces a small rectangular wrapped box, holding it out to her. The flash of either her father or grandad's camera goes off behind her as she unwraps the gift. She wonders if it's jewellery when what looks like a necklace box is revealed, but she opens it to find a key, looking very much like their house key.

"What's this?" She asks, confusingly holding the key up for the room to see.

"We talked this morning about getting out own place in the New Year, I thought for sure you had figured out where I had been yesterday, but you didn't say anything, so I kept quiet. Our current house doesn't feel like home, it's not really our place, so for the past few months I've been house searching in the hopes of finding the perfect place for us to raise our family and present you with the key on Christmas day." Draco admits.

"You've bought me a house?" She frowns, not sure she understands correctly.

"I've put the deposit down on the house, and I signed the paperwork yesterday morning. It's all dependent on your signature after you've viewed the house. I think you're going to love it though. It's everything you said you wanted this morning." He smiles softly.

"Are you serious, Draco?" She stares at his face, finding nothing but sincerity. "Oh, my goodness, we can move out of the estate, somewhere secluded with lots of land?" She asks.

"Of course, and a large kitchen, dining room and living room. There's many bedrooms so we can have family stay over." He adds.

"What a keeper?" Emily exclaims.

"I can't believe it," Hermione throws her arm around Draco's neck, pulling him in for a tight hug. "When can we go see it." She asks.

"We have to wait for the New Year, but I've got some brochures of the house hidden at home that you can look at." He says.

"Is that what you were talking about yesterday?" Tom asks. "This little get together?"

"Yes, if all goes well, I thought it would be nice to have everyone around for dinner after we've settled in. It's on the outskirts of a small village in Wiltshire, halfway between here and Devon, so you're more than welcome to spend the night." He confirms.

"How many bedrooms is it?" Chris asks.

"There are five bedrooms on the first floor, then the previous owners renovated the basement into a flat for their nanny, and the attic was converted into a master space for them." He describes.

"Seven bedrooms! We don't need seven bedrooms Draco." Hermione blurts.

"I know, we can convert one of the bedrooms into a library and keep the basement and attic for family. The old master bedroom is more than large enough for us, and the other bedrooms are a good size too."

"Okay, we can talk about this later, once I've looked at this brochure." Hermione kisses his cheek. "Thank you, I can't wait to see the house."

"How much is it?" Tom asks. "A seven-bedroom house in the countryside with significant land and large receptions room, it's got to be pricey."

"Tom," Betty slaps his arm. "Don't ask such questions."

"My family has old money, and when my father was sent to prison, I became the beneficiary of the family estate as his heir. That's a lot of money earned in a less than respectable manner for me do something with, what better way than to buy a house for the family my ancestors would not have approved of." He smiles.

"Fair enough," David nods. "Well, congratulations on becoming homeowners. I look forward to this get together in the New Year."

The rest of their family cheer in agreement before the flow of conversation takes them to Emily talking about the first house that she and Ellis bought back in the 1950s. Hermione can't follow along though as her mind wanders to their future, which she feels is just beginning. Images of Scorpius learning to walk in their back garden, hosting dinner parties for their friends in the dining room, walking into the village for lunch at the pub and greeting their neighbours. She can't wait for their life to finally begin, away from the Ministry and their estate with judging eyes and gossip following their every move.

She glances up at Draco, smiling as she leans back against his chest. His arms wrap around her shoulders, absentmindedly hugging her and Scorpius close as he listens to Emily's story.

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