My Apparition spell made me land slap bang in the middle of the hallway of my apartment and I tumbled to the ground with a loud thud. I cursed under my breath. It wasn't a very graceful entrance to say the least. I slowly arose to my feet whilst rubbing my knee with my hand to make the slight pain go away. Straight away I noticed that the door of the living room was less than halfway open and the noise of the television came from inside of it. I didn't make any hesitations in moving towards it, knowing that Draco would be sat waiting for me.

Sure enough I spotted Draco straight away as I stood at the frame of the door. He was sprawled out on the couch with a blank expression on his face as he stared ahead at the television. Some documentary about the Second World War was playing, showing black and white footage of soldiers saluting and various weapons that were used during those times. There was an open book placed on the coffee table, presumably he got bored reading it. The only source of light in the room was the one coming from the television, causing a dim and colourful lighting to bounce off the walls. The volume of the television was pretty high too, it was no wonder Draco hasn't noticed my presence yet. Because Draco was a pureblood he wasn't exactly familiar with things that muggles-borns like myself would be used to seeing, like a television, radio's, computers and pretty much all forms of technology that we are surrounded by in the muggle world. I remember Draco's confused expression when I first showed him a television and explained the concept of it, he could not believe his eyes. He later proceeded to tell me how pointless he thought it was and argued that there were other things to do to pass the time. Although I agreed with him on that point, I could not help but tease him endlessly when I found him the next day completely engrossed in a movie he found. He still claims to this day that he hates everything about televisions, but I knew they fascinated him deep down. I guess it was nice to see him this way; he wasn't really as dismissive about muggle-borns anymore.

Deciding I was staring at him long enough, I wanted to grab his attention. I cleared my throat before I spoke his name in question.

The sound of my voice obviously shocked Draco, so much so that he leaped off the couch at lightning speed and grabbed his wand which was on the coffee table. He squinted his eyes a few times as he pointed it directly at me.

I took a single step back and put my hands up. I couldn't help but feel amused that I caught him by surprise. "Draco! It is me, silly."

The hand which he held his wand in immediately fell to his side and he breathed a sigh of relief. He wiped his eyes with the heel of his other hand. "Shit sorry Hermione. I think I was falling asleep there so I didn't know who it was. When did you get in?"

I grinned before I started to walk further into the living room until I was in front of Draco. "Less than two minutes ago. What are you watching?"

Draco managed to give me a sleepy smile as he placed his wand back onto the coffee table stretched his arms out. After he done that he glanced to the television and shrugged. "Something about World War Two. That Hitler bloke is pretty messed up. Why does it appear like most muggles need some serious psychiatric help?"

I just laughed at this statement. "Well you aren't wrong there. Hitler done a lot of bad things which is exactly what he is remembered for today. There are a lot of messed up people in this world today, but it still only accounts for a small percentage of course."

"Yeah but murdering innocent Jews just because of who they are is on a whole other level... it's disturbing. Almost as bad as hating muggle people just because they were born that way..." Draco suddenly lowers his head and inhales deeply, as if he was overcome by certain memories. A few seconds pass and he seizes my hand and gives it a light squeeze. "Makes me glad that you could help me see your kind in a different light. I don't even want to imagine where my life would be if I still had those prejudice views I had about muggles. I would probably be more horrible than I was."

His words warmed my heart. "Well I'm glad you have a new point of view now."

"Me too. It's a hard life to adapt to though. It took me about twenty minutes to figure out how to work that damn thing called a micro heater you have in the kitchen... ended up using my wand to heat my soup." He chuckled lightly as he placed his hands on both sides of my hips and pulled me in closer to him.

My lips twitched into an amused smile. "You mean the microwave? All you need to do is set the timer and turn the dial."

Draco just rolled his eyes and he tilted my chin up. "Whatever. They're all the same to me. Magic is the easier option anyway."

Before I could respond Draco presses his lips against mine and I responded eagerly straight away. It was short and gentle, leaving me feel a little giddy after he pulled away. He took me by the hand again and led me to the couch. I sat next to him but he ended up wrapping his arm tightly around my waist and pulled me into him so my head rested on his chest. His used the same arm to support my body against his own and placed the occasional kiss at the back of my neck. I felt like I could literally melt into his touch.

After a few minutes of staying this way without a word, Draco asks me "So how was your night? Did you have a good time?" He was genuinely interested.

"It was great actually, I had a wonderful time. It was nice to see everyone again."

Draco laces his fingers with mine and pulls my hand up to his lips and kisses it, not once, but twice. "Hmm yeah? What did you get up to?"

I giggled like a little school girl when he set my hand down. I snuggled myself even more closer to him. "Well which part do you want to know about?"

"I would love to know how much the Weasel Lord soiled his pants when he saw you at the dinner. Would have loved to seen that helpless face." Draco's voice was full of amusement and mischief. Well he certainly gets to the point.

"Oh don't make fun of him!" I hid my grin pretty well. "He didn't do anything... I mean he was shocked to see me and all but there was no drama or anything.... Not really."

"So how did he turn into such a Lothario all of a sudden? Wouldn't put Weasley down for the type to actually coax a girl into dating him and keeping it a secret." Draco laughed at the end of this sentence and I didn't say anything. "Give me a laugh. Who is the mystery girl anyway?"

"You would not believe me if I told you." I said after a moment of silence. I wasn't sure how I should go about telling him this, but I decided to just let it play out.

"Oh so it's someone you wouldn't think I would suspect at all?" Draco asked, his curiosity heightening.

"You definitely wouldn't." I agreed.

"Hmmmmm," I could tell he began to explore the possibilities. I moved my head slightly so I could look at his face. I was looking straight at his famous smirk and I prepared myself for something sly to come out of his mouth. "Let me guess. Him and Potter have finally made their secret affair known after all these years. After all those times I saw them having quiet and intimate conversations with each other in the hallways in Hogwarts, I just knew it. Can't say I'm surprised really-"

"Draco!" I smacked him on the knee but it was pointless anyway because I was already shaking with laughter. I'll admit he got me on that one. "Stop messing around. Harry is married for god sake."

"Shit, sorry. Don't turn aggressive." He joked before he proceeded to plant an apologetic kiss at the side of my head. "So who is it? Did she....or he go to Hogwarts?"

"I can assure you it was definitely female, Draco." I rolled my eyes. "And yes, you are on the right track."

"I think I like this game." Draco tells me. "All right.... Slytherin or Gryffindor house? Or another one?"

"Slytherin."

"Oh so there is a chance I know this person then... interesting."

You definitely know her.

"I think I need more hints. There are loads of girls who I could possibly name." Draco complained. "Is she in our age group?"

"Yeah, I would presume so anyway. She was in our year, so probably the same age as us." I told him quickly. "You... know her."

"I know lots of people Hermione."

"Yeah but you really knew her." I carried on. I wasn't sure how much longer this guessing game was going to last.

"Do you know if I was friendly with her in Hogwarts? That might help." Draco asked, puzzled.

I nodded my head, staring right at the television where a new documentary started to play. "Yes, so you told me anyway. You should be able to guess by now. Think about it Draco, someone completely unexpected. You knew her and you told me about her."

"Bloody hell I don't think I've put my brain into good use since leaving school." Draco laughed loudly before he paused for the longest moment. I might have just made him realize something. "I... told you about her? And I was definitely friendly with her at some stage?"

"Yes Draco. Is that person on your mind now? I'll tell you if you are right."

I could have sworn that Draco stopped breathing there and then. His hand, which was on my thigh by now, squeezed slightly and I don't think he realized he was doing it.

"Blonde hair..." He began. "Green eyes.... An annoying voice.... Irritating attitude... bit of a show off when it comes to how she looks.... Am I on the right track now?"

"I think I would consider her a lot more than a show off really. She is probably the type who would hang pictures of herself in her bedroom. She does modelling now and tried to act all shy about it when Mrs Weasley asked her what she does-"

Draco cuts me off by abruptly gripping my waist, and at a super strength he spins me around whilst I was still lying against him and he drags me onto his lap. I am now facing Draco, straddling him, and I look at his horrified face. It was as if he was expecting me to tell him I was only joking but I never opened my mouth.

"Are you bloody serious?" He raised his eyebrows in a quizzical manner. A tone of disbelief. "Sarah Fucking Harrison is in the picture?"

"I wish I could say no, but yes. She is the one who Ron took home." I placed my hand on his bicep in a bid to calm him down in case his temper got the better of him, but he looked far from angry. He was more stunned than anything. "It hasn't went on for long, the thing between her and Ron I mean. Apparently she is only using him to-"

"You spoke to her?" Draco questioned.

"Yes.... Well not really.... She approached me first and told me all these ridiculous things. Part of it was only to annoy me I reckon, but it worked." I sighed heavily and awaited an answer from a very tense Draco.

"What did she say? I want to know everything." Draco said to me with urgency in his voice. He placed his two hands on the small of my back and gave me a reassuring look.

I went ahead and told Draco everything about from encounter with Sarah, from the moment she first walked in to when she waited for me outside the bathroom. I relived my frustrating conversation with her, I noticed this made Draco grit his teeth but when I got to the end and told him I punched Sarah he gave me a satisfied smile. When I finished my tale of events Draco stayed quiet for the longest minute, this was a lot for him to take in.

"I can only imagine how that punch hurt her." Draco commented with a smirk on his mouth. "I should know."

I didn't give him much of a response for that, I merely shrugged. "Is there anything else you want to know?"

"Yes actually..." Draco began, quite nervously which took me by surprise. "Did you... Did you believe Sarah when she told you that I would actually get with her if she wanted to? Because I need you to know that I would never-"

"Of course I didn't think that, Draco. I know you aren't that type of person." I ran my hands up his chest until they landed on his shoulders. I leaned in and kissed him on the mouth and allowed it to linger for a few seconds before I pulled away and smiled at him. "As I said, Sarah was clearly trying to annoy me because I wasn't happy about her and Ron."

"Well that's good. Because all that stuff with her is well in the past now. It was a one-time thing which lasted only... like a few weeks. I can't remember. It was a fling, wasn't even a serious relationship and both of us knew that." Draco told me relieved. "I'll admit that her saying that I loved her was true. I won't deny it. But at the time I was lonely and dealing with a lot of shit, I mistook my fondness for her as something more." Draco pressed his lips together as he contemplated his next words. "You see she wasn't really like other girls, at the time, I was involved with. She wasn't....as hands on as certain individuals. Like Pansy. Part of the reason why I got with Sarah in the first place was the send a message to Pansy. It's a shitty thing to do, I know."

"Oh Draco, it's okay. I don't blame you. We all have a past behind us. We've all done things we regret." I tell him with a small smile. "But I appreciate the fact that you've just cleared things up with me. I don't want Sarah thinking that she can get her claws into you somehow, not like she is doing with Ron right now."

"Well I wouldn't exactly be as naïve as Weasley would be if a girl as much as looks at me..." Draco said but stopped himself when he saw my face. He isn't exactly wrong on that point though. "Look, I'm sure that situation will blow over soon. Sarah is the type who would get bored very easily, very quickly. In Hogwarts I would see the way she'd eye up other guys like some deprived animal. I wouldn't worry about it. I'm sure your friend will snap back to his usual Weasel self once it's over."

"Thanks for the... encouragement." I said with a shrug.

"And when it ends, I won't be all over her like she described to you. I'd rather gouch my own eyes out, seriously." Draco said while grinning. Before I can reply he attacks my neck with soft kisses, which soon turned more urgent and hard. I ran my fingers through his smooth blonde hair while I let out an uncontrollable moan. I tightened my legs around his waist with need. I put one of my hands on the side of his face and I tilt it up so I can feel his lips on mine again, his peppermint tasting lips were as soft as a rich fabric of silk and I was in heaven. I think Draco got a clear idea of what my intentions were with him and he couldn't be happier. When he moves his mouth down to my throat I took the opportunity to trace my fingers down the bottom of his shirt, which was incredibly difficult to focus on. When I finally find my way to tug it halfway up his torso, he stops. Completely. I gave him a look with a mixture of both rejection and confusion.

"Not yet." He tells me, panting, like he just rose to the surface of water in a swimming pool. "I have something I need to show you."

"And that is?" I asked just as breathlessly as him.

"I'll need you to wait outside."

"What? Can't you just tell me?"

Draco smirked. "That defeats the whole purpose of it being a surprise. It won't take too long, I'll be quick."

I sighed in defeat as I leaned back slightly. "Fine. I suppose I wanted to get changed out of these clothes anyway."

Draco's smirk stretched wider as I saw a glint of mischief in his eyes. "There's no need to do that, I was going to get you out of them by myself anyway." He tells me this in a low voice while running his hand up my thigh. I froze.

"Uh... Okay Draco. I'll be waiting outside." I responded to him quickly as I got off his lap and walked towards the door. Draco followed me to the door and made sure that it was definitely shut. I stood outside it for a few seconds, wondering what he was up to, before I walked away.

I ended up going into the kitchen to get myself a glass of milk, which I ended up finishing in basically one sip. I then went into the bathroom to fix up my appearance. I look into the mirror to see a flushed version of myself, it didn't take me by surprise, and I always ended up this way when I was with Draco. I put my hand under cold water from the sink and I dab my cheeks a few times in an effort to get rid of the heat. I took my wand from the side of my boot to calm down my wild curls, I was thankful I knew a spell or two which helped in this area. Draco was taking a lot longer than he claimed he would. I wandered aimlessly around the bathroom, and the kitchen, feeling my excitement increase as I pondered what exactly Draco was doing in the living room. Part of me wanted to stick my ear to the door to get an idea but I knew he wouldn't be impressed to open it to me eavesdropping.

About two minutes later I heard Draco call my name in the hallway, sounding a bit nervous, and I make no hesitation in leaving the kitchen to go to him. He stood outside the closed door with one of his hands on the handle, he smiled at me as I approached.

"What did you want to show me?" I couldn't hide the excitement from my voice.

"Something I have been working on." He tells me. "I hope you'll enjoy it."

He didn't turn the handle straight away, presumably he got a sense of paranoia but I think my clear excitement made him snap out of it. He opened the door and stepped aside to allow me to go inside first.

I walked into a room of complete darkness. The television was shut off. The curtains were closed, and I was confused. I was about to ask Draco if he was playing a joke but then a glimmer of light prompted me to look up. I looked up to see a sky. A starry night.

Draco had used his magic to create an illusion of a star filled sky in the living room!

Sequin-silver stars like the scattered embers of a dying fire winked down at me, illuminating the atramentous curtain of sky. Each twinkling star seemed to be in its proper place, filling empty spaces. Shadowy, ribbon-like clouds were flowing around a full moon which was also amongst this beautiful scene. I could have sworn right there and then that I were standing outside in an enormous meadow looking at these stars, not in my apartment. That was how good this spell was.

"Oh my god, Draco." I spoke lighter than a whisper, as if the sound of my voice would somehow disturb this fantastic spell. "It's.... so beautiful. I don't know what to say."

Draco hugged me from behind and kissed my neck, but I barely noticed because I was still busy gawking up at the makeshift sky on the ceiling. I would call them beautiful, but even that wouldn't do its justice. This is something you can't describe or tell anyone about to share the experience, not even something you can capture in a photo. You can only know by experience, only seeing them through your eyes will you be able to see the beauty. Stars are just shiny silvery-blue dots in the sky, so why are they so pretty? What makes it different than dots of light shining through little holes on a black paper? I'd never figure it out. Maybe it's the reality of it. The mystery.

I never even looked at real stars outside in this way before. This was really something special.

"Don't say anything." Draco whispered into my ear. "I'm just glad you like it. I didn't want you to think I was too soppy-"

"Oh Draco," I laughed as I spun around to face him. I put my hand on his face and I dramatically rolled my eyes. "Your masculinity hasn't faded one bit so don't worry."

Draco grinned, snaking his arms around my waist. "That's okay. Because I was going to show you it was still here anyway. Don't ask me questions about it; you have that look in your eye right now."

Of course I was going to ask him questions.

I smirked at him as I walked over to the couch and I grabbed two cushions and a cotton sofa blanket and I laid them out on the floor. "I have no idea what you mean." I said with a playful tone in my voice.

I plonked myself down on top of the blanket and I rested my head on the soft cushion, staring straight up at the "sky." The illusion of the sky definitely made the room feel a lot bigger, it also appeared a lot higher up than how the ceiling is originally. The sky is a borderless flow of clarity holding light in invisible hands, and it took my breath away. Draco lay down beside me now and seemed to stare in the same way I was, but probably not in as much debt as me. I would imagine it was because he was the one who cast the spell; you always appreciate these things more if it's done by someone special.

I wasn't sure how long we spent lying there without saying something to each other. But during moments like these, words weren't necessarily needed. We had each other and our bond, that was worth more to me than a conversation right now. Sometimes saying nothing at all is worth a thousand words. All in all Draco and I enjoyed each other's company, we reached that stage in our relationship where we feel comfortable around each other. So much so that all we would need to do is lay back, laugh at the most stupid things and hold each other. I treasured that part of our relationship more than anything else. Draco's trouble with opening up aside, every day I feel as though we share a brand new sense of together-ness.

I rolled over on top of Draco without even realizing I done it. Draco seemed surprised by my sudden body weight, and he definitely appeared more awake. Before he could say anything I lower my head and I kiss him, pressing my palms on both sides on his face. He responds straight away by placing his hands onto my back before tracing his fingers down my spine. Between our ragged breathes and colliding tongues I tell him I love him and he does the same. Desire ignited in both of us and we become lost in each other. Nothing else mattered or existed.

Draco decided he had enough with me being on top, so he flipped me over on my back with one hand causing an eruption of giggles to escape my mouth. I could have sworn that somewhere between our constant kissing Draco snarled like a wolf who nabbed its prey. The temperature in the room seemed to swelter as Draco leaned up briefly to remove his shirt and his belt. When he was finished he came down to kiss me again, it turned into something deeper and carnal which would be enough to drive me over the edge. In a skilful way he pushed my dress up my torso without our lips breaking contact, his fingertips must be electric as wherever they touch my skin tingles in a frenzy of static. Eventually my dress was removed and thrown on the other side of the room. I ran my fingers through his hair and then over his back, his back muscles were tight and tense beneath my fingers. My fingers continued to trace down his back until they reached the waistband of his trousers, I tugged at them a little but I wasn't able to get them off in this position.

"Pants." I told him breathlessly after I used my thumb to push his face back slightly. I didn't need to elaborate; he knew what I was talking about.

"Then your tights." He grinned as he stood up and pulled them down in one go, including his boxers. I propped myself up on my elbows for watch him for a few seconds before I lay back down and pushed my sheer tights down my legs and tossed them aside. I was now in nothing but my plain black bra and underwear but Draco didn't seem to care about this for now as he wasted no time in bringing himself to me again. Despite the small bit of fabric that was between us, the skin on skin contact was enough to paralyse my brain. His kisses moved down to the centre of my neck now and down my chest, they got wetter as they went. Suddenly he bites down on the fabric of my bra and where the wire was between my breasts which pleasantly surprised me. I latched onto him hard with need and Draco took this as a sign that I wanted more. With one swift motion, he pulls my underwear down until they are completely removed, he doesn't break the eye contact once as he sets them aside. I felt the blood rush to my face. Draco places his hand between my soft thighs and gradually moves them upwards until it reaches the part of me that ached the most. He used his fingers to slowly rub the increasing heat to make sure I was definitely ready, which I was. Between all of this my bra had disappeared.

As his hands move over my skin my body has a transitory paralysis, my mind unable to process the pleasure so fast. His head moves around to my left ear and he whispers what's coming next. Suddenly my body is off pause-mode and I pull back for a kiss that's both soft and hard. Both of us move in an intoxicated dance of limbs.

When we both finished Draco collapsed on the spot next to me, panting like a sprinting dog. I wiped the sweat away from my forehead and caught my breath also. I wrapped the blanket around my body after Draco put his pants back on. Draco lies back down next to me, smirking, and I move in close to him and rested my head on his shoulder feeling fatigued.

"I needed that." Draco sighed. It appeared as though he was thinking out loud rather than directing it to me.

"Hm yeah, I figured that part out." I responded as I shut my eyes. The stars still glistened in the "sky" and I wish I was able to stay awake longer to look at them and appreciate them.

I wasn't sure how long had passed, nor was I sure if I was even still awake in Draco's arm. But when he gave me a nudge my tired eyes shot open and I could see nothing but darkness. Draco's warm hand held onto my shoulder as he helped me sit up. "Where's the stars? Did you get rid of them?" I asked in a dazed voice.

"They go out by themselves after about an hour." Draco chuckled.

"We were in here an hour?" I questioned. I was now on my feet but my heavy eyes told me I wasn't going to have them open for much longer.

"Time flies when you're having fun, doesn't it?" The humour was very obvious in Draco's voice and I just giggled. He couldn't see the heat rise to my cheeks.

"I'm tired." I tell him as I managed to find his hand. "Been a long day."

"Yeah I'm getting quite drowsy myself. Let's go to bed." He tells me in a deep voice. He leads me out the living room door and I shiver all over once my bare feet are on the tiles in the hallway. I tightened the blanket around my body as I move at a quick pace towards my bedroom. It felt very strange walking around practically naked, it's something I definitely would not do. Draco must have noticed how uncomfortable I appeared and he laughed at me until we reach the bedroom door.

Within two minutes I was dressed in some fluffy pyjamas and I was making myself comfortable in bed, at last. I waited for Draco to crawl in next to me before I pulled the blanket over my body. He came back into the bedroom, after being in the bathroom, smelling of strong mint and black amber soap. It was refreshing and I couldn't help but inhale as he lay down beside me. His presence triggered a warmth inside of me and I knew that the left side of the bed couldn't possible belong to anyone else but him. After Draco fluffed up his pillows and got himself into an ideal position he planted a soft kiss on my forehead, the heat from his lips caused my eyes to flutter closed.

"Hermione?"

"Yes?"

"I was just thinking.... How does a sort of get together for our engagement sound? We haven't spoken about any proper sort of celebration yet." He spoke quickly as if he were embarrassed.

I frowned. "You mean an engagement party?"

"Whatever you wanna call it. I know you aren't the party type of person and I know you told me that things would be weird if-"

"-If the Weasley's came over, especially Ron, so things probably wouldn't run as smoothly as we like. There's also the case of your Mother, and the Weasley's being around one another. One can imagine how that might turn out. And my parents aren't exactly keen on the idea of you becoming their son in law." I sighed sadly. "And there's a chance your Mother might not want to come because of your falling out with her."

Draco stayed dead silent before he responded. "You took the words out of my mouth."

Draco and I had a very brief conversation before about the possibility of an engagement party but quickly dismissed it because of some difficulties that may occur along the way. So it was strange that he would just randomly bring it up now. No matter how many times the Weasleys say that they have drawn a line under the past (except Ron) it would still feel weird to have them around Draco at a party, regardless. I think that feeling will never go away. However it may improve over time. I told my parents about my engagement to Draco after he went to see his Father in Azkaban. I went there for a distraction from my worries for Draco and I ended up letting slip that we were engaged. My Mother was shocked, very shocked. She thought I was joking at first until I explained things further. My Dad wasn't very happy at all, he gave me a few lectures about my negative history with Draco. I understood where he came from because I am his daughter and he is looking out for me, like any man in his position would. Despite my reasonable explanations he unfortunately failed to see my point of view and we didn't talk much for the rest of that day. When my Mother overcame her shock she came into me while I was sitting in my old bedroom and embraced me. I still remember that time clearly.

--FLASHBACK--

My room always felt the same to me; it was as if I never left it. I looked around to the familiar sights and I smiled. My old wooden bookshelf, half empty by now, contained a few of my childhood favourite books which I absolutely loved to hear my parents read. The accurately organized desk in front of the large mahogany paned window overlooking a park on the estate in which my parents lived. The sound of children's laughter and the sweet singing of the birds brought a pleasant and homily feeling on this miserable day. I sighed as I made my way over to a few wall hangings above my bed, some of which were simple paintings of landscapes and others were pictures. Pictures of Harry, Ron and I during our early days at Hogwarts, beaming at the camera, oblivious to the dangers that lay ahead. I felt almost emotional as I briefly reflected on how times have changed since our younger days. Oh how I wished I could sometimes go back and re-live those days, just to appreciate them a little bit more. The calm before the storm. Before our lives changed.

The sudden creak of my bedroom door opening made me wipe away a few falling tears. I turned my back away as I heard the quiet footsteps come inside. "Hermione darling, are you all right?" My Mother's warm voice asked me.

"I'm fine Mum. Is everything okay?" I said a bit too quickly, I knew my Mother would catch on to this.

"Yes, I just wanted to let you know that dinner will be ready in ten minutes." She responds before she lets out a sigh. "Oh Hermione, you shouldn't worry about your Dad. He will get over it. Just give him time. It's a lot for him to take in. Neither of were expecting you to come out with that shocking revelation. That's all sweet heart. Can you turn around now please?"

"I'm not worried. I know it's so much for him to absorb." I replied in a defeated voice as I spun around to face my Mother. A look of worry was spread across her face which didn't make me feel much better. "I just hope you don't hold anything against me for it. You can't help who you fall in love with."

"Nonsense. Of course I don't! If you're happy then that is good enough for me. You're a very capable young woman Hermione and I am proud of you, I know can look out for yourself no matter what. I'm not angry at you, but as long as you don't get your heart broken then I'm happy too. I'll be here for you always if you need me." My Mother reassured me as she pulled me into her warm embrace. Her apron smelled like freshly baked cake and I felt at home. I missed her so much. "I already had a word with your Father and he is going to make an effort to give you a better reaction. But I need you to know that we are both aware of this Draco boy and the torment he gave you and your friends in the past... I just don't want to see you making bad-"

"Draco has changed a lot Mum, he's a different man now and he is so mature. You've met him before and you said you liked him. There's a lot more to him, I promise you. He wouldn't dream of hurting me. We love each other."

"I take your word for that sweet heart; I will always take your word. Just promise me you'll look after yourself and never hesitate to come see me if need be." My Mother placed her two hands on my shoulder and locked her brown eyes with mine to get all of my attention. I could see the urgency in her face; she didn't want me to get hurt. No matter what man I was with.

"Of course Mum, I love you." I responded with a nod.

My Mother's face lit up as she kissed my forehead and squeezed my shoulders. "It's been ages since there was a good wedding in the family. The last one I was at was your aunt Evelyn's and that was... five years ago now? I would love to help you out with arrangements with the reception and dresses if you wish?"

I laughed. "I wouldn't want it any other way. I know you love that sort of thing. I could do with the help anyway."

"It would be my absolute honor." My Mother grins at me as we break apart. "So tell me, when can I see this infamous ferret again?"

--END OF FLASHBACK--

I snapped out of my thoughts when Draco asked if I had fallen asleep. I turned to my side and snaked my arm across his firm stomach to let him know I was still conscious. "What made you change your mind about the whole thing anyway?" I asked out of curiosity. Draco laces his fingers with the hand I had on his body.

"I'm not sure really.... I suppose I just want to let people know how serious I am about all of this, about you. I don't want them to think I'm some sort of coward who can't look at them in the eye about the past." He tells me with a little bit of uncertainty in his tone. He sighed heavily. "So I think doing this thing would be a good idea, to show them I'm still not the same person you know?"

"Draco you know you don't have to prove yourself to anyone-"

"I'm not trying to prove anything about me, I'm trying to prove that I'm serious about you. I want them to see that I won't hurt you because I'm not the same man I was." There was some time of silence after Draco said this. I allowed his words to sink in. I knew that he knew some people were still weary over this relationship, even if they already congratulated me on the engagement. Ginny and George were the only people from the Weasley family who seemed genuinely happy for me. Despite the warm wishes from the other Weasley's, I knew deep down they still thought it was a bad idea. I could understand why though, they were looking out for me and saw me as family. I would have that same feeling if the roles were reversed.

"But really I think that you deserve a proper celebration. I'm doing this most of all because I want to; I want to do it for you. I told you I'm going to treat you like my queen." He laughed at that last part as he too turned to his side. I could feel his warm breath inches from my face.

"I feel so privileged." I said in a sarcastic voice, I was unable to conceal my smile. "I don't know Draco... what about the problems that could happen?"

"We make anyone leave if they cause trouble. Simple."

"The only person who could is a certain someone....that if he decided to come of course. But I don't think he would. I don't have a mention his name; you know who I'm talking about." I sighed, briefly thinking back to my talk with Ron earlier.

"Weaselbee won't start anything when I'm around, if he has any common sense he wouldn't. He knows you are with me and that won't change, and he has moved on too by the sounds of it." Draco reminds me. "You can forget about him coming if he wants to bring that dozy blonde though. I'm not that kind."

"I completely understand, it would take a lot for me not to lash out at her again." I chuckled before I stifled a yawn. "Well Draco if you are serious about this, I guess we can arrange something nice."

"I am serious Hermione. I never took many things seriously until we got together." The sudden sensation of his lips pressing against mine sent tingles all over. If I didn't feel so exhausted right now I would have responded better than I did, but it was only a short kiss anyway. Like a good night one. "We can discuss it in the morning if you want to. You need to sleep now."

"Hm... yes I do. You drained me of my energy Draco." I joked.

"Told you from day one I'm a lot to handle Hermione, you've got many more years ahead of you." I didn't have to be in a bright room to know that he was smirking. He had cheekiness to his voice. I laughed out loud but it sounded very weak.

"So... self-absorbed." I smiled as my heavy eyes gave up on me. "Good night Draco."

"Good night Hermione." Draco responds followed by another small kiss on the lips.

I didn't fall asleep as fast as I would have liked because many thoughts were racing through my mind. I felt a bit of anxiety at the prospect of organizing an engagement party which may or may not be a success but I pushed those thoughts aside. It would be something I can deal with when the time comes. And as Draco says, I could ask anyone to leave if they cause trouble. My main worry most of all was the idea of people putting on a happy face for the sake of it, because they didn't want to upset me, not because I was engaged to Draco. I sincerely hope that as time passes, they will see Draco for the man I see. I knew I shouldn't be worried about what the Weasley's think but I couldn't help myself, they were basically my second family.

"Salazar only knows what kind of person I would be without you. You are a blessing Hermione. I hope I can give you the life you deserve."

Presumably Draco thought I was asleep.

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I like writing chapters like these where it's just the two of them :) Hope you all enjoyed it!

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