Because we have both passed our apparation tests, we don't have to ride the Hogwarts express back to London when Christmas break starts. We just ride the carriages back to the Hogsmeade station where we can safely apperate home. Draco has been silent the whole ride. He has just been holding my hand tightly in his and staring out the window. When we get there kids mill around us, hurrying to board the train. Suddenly Draco pulls my hand, tugging me closer and wraps his arms around me. I hug him back, confused at his sullenness. We stand like that until the train pulls away and we are standing alone at the deserted station.
"What is going on Draco?" I ask, pulling back enough to see his face.
"Nothing. This is just the longest we will have been apart since we got together," he says.
"You will be fine, you won't even miss me. Besides, I'll see you in 3 days for Christmas," I remind him.
"Won't even miss you? I already miss you," he says rolling his eyes at my comment.
"Only 3 days, then we'll have the whole week after Christmas to do whatever we want," I say.
"Hmmm what could we possibly do..." he says suggestively, tapping his chin with one finger.
"Get your mind out of the gutter," I laugh, smacking his chest. He finally laughs, his hair falling in his eyes.
"Alright, I apologize," he says, still smiling widely.
"Well, I should probably go, my parents are expecting me," I say and suddenly the nervousness that has been plaguing Draco floods my stomach, making it churn.
"I'll see you Christmas Eve in Diagon Alley," he says, all signs of laughter wiped from his face.
"I'll be there," I tell him.
"I love you Hermione," he says, pulling me against his chest for another hug.
"I love you too," I tell him.
He leans in and gives me a soft, lingering kiss. When he steps back, I turn on my heel and disapperate before he can see the tears stinging my eyes.
When the suffocating sensation subsides, I am standing outside my parents new home. When I found them in Australia and reversed the memory charm, I explained everything that happened. After they got over the initial shock, they decided to stay in Australia for safety reasons. Even though Voldemort is gone, not all of his followers are. I agreed with their decision. I don't want death eaters tracking them down and trying to get information from them.Besides, since I have passed my apperation test, I can visit whenever I like.
I hop up the stairs and walk inside. My mother is in the living room, vacuuming and my father is in the kitchen cooking dinner. My mother squeals when she sees me and hurries over to engulf me in a tight hug. When she releases me, my father grabs my shoulders and takes my mother's place, hugging me tight. We head into the kitchen and sit at the table while my father returns to his dinner.
For a long time, we sit there catching up. I fill them in on all of my school work and how it is being head girl. They listen with rapt attention, but I can sense some restlessness in my mother. She keeps looking at me expectantly, as if waiting for me to divulge some huge secret. But it isn't until dinner is done and night has fallen that I finally figure out what she is waiting for.
I am in my room, getting ready for bed when she comes in and sits on my bed. My father has already gone to bed since he has to be up early to go to work, but my mother took the holiday off to spend time with me while I am away from school. She pats the bed next to her, a huge smile on her face. I go and sit next to her, tucking my legs under me and turning to face her.
"What's going on mom?" I ask.
"I can't take it anymore, you have to dish. Who's the boy?" she asks quickly.
"Boy?" I ask, trying to hide a smile.
"Don't play coy with me Hermione, I can see his affect all over your face," says my mom, smacking my leg.
"You aren't going to like it, so you have to let me explain everything," I tell her and some of the humor leaves her face.
"I'm listening," she says. So I plunge in. When I tell her it is Draco, she is furious. It takes a few minutes to calm her down and get her to finish listening to me. I tell her everything, about how he has changed, how he has been nothing but respectful and tender toward me...how I have fallen madly in love with him.
"You have fallen in love with Draco Malfoy, ex death eater and your arch enemy?" asks my mother when I finish.
"Yes," I tell her.
"Do you trust him, after everything he has done?" asks my mother. I figured there would be suspicion or worry in her face. But all I can see is curiosity.
"With my life," I answer without hesitation.
"Well, I guess that is good enough for me. But before things go too far, I think you should bring him here to meet your father and me."
"Well, I was actually planning on having him over during the break, if that is alright," I mention.
"I look forward to it. Now get some sleep and I'll see you in the morning," says my mother and she kisses me on the forehead before slipping out of the room.
I try to sleep. I lay in my bed, staring through the dark at the ceiling, but my eyes refuse to close. Hours pass and sleep continues to evade me. Finally I give up and throw off my blankets. I stand by the window, staring at the flickering stars and the huge moon out my windows. But I don't really see them. My mind is a thousand miles away, in a huge mansion with albino peacocks in the front yard.
Draco
You could cut the tension in the air with a knife. My father is staring at me, his jaw clenched and my mother is by his side, her hands in tight fists at her side.
"You want our permission to date the Granger girl, a mudblood?" asks my father through clenched teeth. Before, I would have cowered from his anger, but I am not a little boy who folds at his father's every word anymore. I know where my loyalties lie, and it is no longer with him.
"No, I am not asking your permission. I am telling you that we are together. Whether or not you approve means nothing to me. But I did want to bring her to introduce to the two of you, to have a new start. But if you don't think you can handle it, then I won't bring her here," I explain.
"You want her to meet your parents?" asks my mother sounding shocked.
"Yes mother, that is the proper thing to do with the girl you plan on marrying," I tell her.
"M...Marrying?" stammers my mother, raising her hand to her chest.
"Yes, I am going to marry her mother, whether you approve or not. Now, I would like to bring her here, to introduce her and to have you guys get to know each other and set aside all old prejudice. But if you don't think that can happen, I won't bring her here. I will leave, and I will not be back," I tell them.
"You would choose her, over your own family?" asks my father, sounding shocked.
"Yes, because unlike my family, Hermione loves me without judgement or qualifications. Where as you only love me if I am following your expectations. So yes, I choose her. And you won't see me again, or, if we ever have kids in the future, you will never get to see your grand kids," I say.
"Grandkids," whispers my mother, a strange look on her face.
"You are going to have children with a muggleborn?" asks my father.
"Yes, in the future, I will have children with her. I plan on spending the rest of my life with her," I explain.
"Lucius, stop. I will not let you keep my grandchildren away from me. One day, it will be just the two of us in this huge, empty house. I refuse to let it's halls and rooms go to waist because of your ridiculous prejudice. I miss the sounds of a child's laughter echoing in the halls and you will not ruin my last chance to have that again," snaps my mother, looking furious.
"But a muggleborn and not just any muggleborn, its Potter's sidekick, its Granger," argues my father.
"Fine, have it your way. If you change your mind, I am sure the owl will find me," I shrug and turn to leave the room. I head to my bedroom to pack my stuff. I am supposed to meet Hermione at Diagon Alley in an hour and I don't plan on being late.
"Draco?" says my mother quietly from the door.
"Come in," I sigh, still packing.
"Draco, I am sorry about your father, but old habits die hard," she says, coming in and sitting on my bed.
"I knew it would be that way, but I had hoped you two could put that aside just this once, for me. I guess I was wrong," I tell her.
"Were you serious about cutting us out Draco?" she asks sadly.
"Yes."
"I don't want you to do that. I don't want to lose out on your life Draco. Please don't cut me out," begs my mother.
"Can you accept our relationship, no qualifications or expectations?" I ask.
"I will do whatever it takes not to lose you," she agrees instantly.
"Well, why don't you meet us in Diagon Alley on boxing day for lunch," I suggest.
"I'll be there. Were you serious about marrying her?" she asks.
"I have never been more serious about anything," I explain.
"Then wait here for a moment," she says and before I can respond she is gone.
I finish packing and I am all ready to go by the time she returns, a small box in her hand. She holds it out to me and I flip it open. Nestled inside is an obviously old ring. It has a white gold band and is set with a large diamond in the center with two emeralds on either side. A white gold vine weaves through the stone, making it look almost like a living thing.
"My grandfather gave that to my grandmother when he proposed. When she was dying, she gave it to me and told me to take care of it and only pull it out when I find someone I love more than life itself. That is you Draco, you are the only one I love that much. And I can tell that you love this girl even more than that. So I want you to take this, and give it to her when you are ready," she says, handing me the ring. I already bought a ring to give Hermione, but this means so much more.
"Thank you," I say and for the first time in a long time, I hug my mother.
"Now go meet your girl and I will see you for lunch in a few days," she says, letting me go.
"See you later mum," I say and turning on the spot, I disappear.
I see her before she sees me. She is standing outside Gringotts, looking around for me. As soon as I catch sight of her, it feels like a huge weight is lifted off my chest. I sneak up behind her and wrap my arms around her. She spins and throws her arms around my neck, smashing her lips against mine. When we break apart I get a good look at her face. She is pale and has dark circles under her eyes.
"What is wrong?" I ask, holding her face in my hands.
"Turns out I don't sleep so well in an empty bed anymore," she explains with a chuckle.
"You haven't slept?" I ask worried.
"I got a few hours," she shrugs.
"Come on," I say, tugging her hand and leading her down the road.
"Where are we going?" she asks.
"To have a nap," I tell her as we walk into the Leaky Cauldron.
"I'm not a child Draco, I don't need a nap," she argues as Tom shows us to our room.
"But I do. Turns out I don't sleep that well without you either," I admit.
The room is small but comfortable. I walk over the pull the drapes closed, plunging us into darkness. Hermione sits on the bed, staring around. For some reason, she looks nervous.
"What is wrong?" I ask, kicking off my shoes and sitting next to her.
"Well, I was just thinking, this is the first time we have been together, alone, in a room that is not at school," she says, her cheeks turning pink.
"Ah, and you're worried I am going to jump you?" I tease.
"No, I was just making an observation," she shakes her head quickly, obviously embarrassed.
"Don't worry, for now, all I plan on doing is having a nap. I will save jumping you for when we are both well rested," I laugh and she rolls her eyes at me.
I lay back on the bed and hold open my arms. She lays back against me, resting her head on my chest. I swear she is asleep in seconds and I am not far behind.
Hermione
Draco looks hot in his muggle clothes. He is wearing dark jeans that hug his legs and butt in a very appealing way. He has on a form fitting long sleeve shirt that shows off his defined muscles and his longish hair is combed out of his face. He is walking around, picking up the room. We both showered and got dressed so our stuff has gotten a bit spread out. Apparently he wants to take me somewhere, but he is keeping it a big secret. When he is done he grabs both our bags and then my hand. He disapperates, taking me with him and when we stop, I can hear the ocean behind me.
"This is our summer house," explains Draco, pointing to a large house in front of us. It is a beautiful house with a large front porch. And in the distance, behind the house, is the ocean. It is quickly apparent that we are on some sort of island.
"This is where you spend your summers?" I ask.
"Yeah, my father owns the island and the house, at the moment it is quite deserted. I thought, for our first Christmas together, we could spend it alone," he shrugs.
"It perfect," I tell him.
"Come on, I'll give you a tour," and he does. There are 4 rooms in the house, each one bigger than that last. Draco throws our bags in the biggest one. It has a huge bed in the center with a large mahogany headboard. It is a very beautiful room, but I have to ask.
"Is this your parent's room?"
"No, this is my room. I throw a fit when we first bought the house and they let me have the master bedroom," he explains smiling guiltily.
I laugh and he continues the tour. There is a bathroom off of his room with a huge tub complete with massaging jets. Once we have gone through the entire house, he takes me out to the back porch. The sun is going down behind the vast waters, tinting the earth a bright orange.
"I want to give you your gift early," says Draco once we are outside.
"Wait, me first," I say and run back inside, grabbing the 3 packages and running back to the porch. "Here," I say, handing him the first package. For a second it looks like he is going to argue but then he rips open the paper. For a second, he stares at the gift in his hands and then he starts laughing loudly.
"A rememberall?" he says still laughing.
"Just in case," I say, smiling. Then I hand him the next gift.
"Is this a 2-way mirror?" he asks, staring at the reflective surface.
"Yes, but it is more. I placed a charm on it so that, if you write on the surface with a marker, the words will show up on my mirror. It is like advanced note sending in case we can't talk to communicate," I explain.
"This is perfect!" he says, giving me a quick kiss.
"There is one more," I say, handing him the black velvet box I got from Mr. Blackrock's shop.
He opens the lid and stares at the contents. Inside is a ring. It is two dragons, one tinted red, the other tinted green. They are wrapped around each other and the circle is closed with the reddish dragon's head tucked under the green dragons head. Each dragon has one visible eye, the green one has a glistening emerald and the red dragon has a shining ruby. When he lifts it out of the box, the light hits is and the dragons look like they could be alive. He looks inside the band, at the engraving and he smiles.
"Forever and Always," he whispers, smiling.
"I know it girlie but..." I begin, but he stops me with a finger over my lips.
"It is absolutely perfect," he says, sliding it on his left ring finger.
"There is more," I say.
"What more could there possibly be?" he asks, still staring at it.
"Do you see that heart shaped scale on the red dragon's chest?" I ask.
"Yes, I see it," he says, running his finger over the metal.
"Do me a favor and go in the house, up to our room. Once you get there, picture my face and touch that scale," I explain.
"What will happen?" he asks, looking up at me.
"You'll see," I shrug, pushing him through the door.
I wait for a moment, surrounded by the sounds and salty scent of the ocean. Suddenly, Draco is standing in front of me. The shock on his face makes me burst out in laughter. He stares around, looking like I just slapped him.
"What happened?" he asks, staring at me.
"It is the ring. Mr Blackrock placed a charm on it. It is linked to me. It doesn't matter where you are or how far apart we are, if you picture my face and touch that scale, you will be transported to wherever I am," I explain.
"You litteraly found a way to give me you for Christmas," he says, giving me the strangest look.
"It was the best thing I could think of," I shrug.
"Hermione, never in my wildest dreams, could I ever think of a better gift. It is absolutely, positively perfect. I couldn't ask for anything better," he says, pulling me against his chest and kissing me deeply. When He pulls back we are both breathing hard.
"Now it is my turn," he says, the nervousness back in his voice. He reaches deep in his pocket to grab something, but never takes his eyes off of my face.
"Hermione, I am madly in love with you. You are the first thing I want to see in the morning and the last thing I want to see before I fall asleep. When I am not with you, it feels like I am missing a part of myself. I never want to have to be away from you for even a moment of time. And the only way I can see to make sure we are together for the rest of forever, to make sure no one will ever be able to tear us apart, is to make you mine, forever." My hand flies up to my mouth and tears spring to my eyes as he pulls a small box out of his pocket and drops to one knee. He flips open the lid to the box, revealing a beautiful ring that glistens in the diminishing sunlight.
"Hermione Jean Granger, you would make me the happiest man on the face of this earth if you would agree to be my wife. Will you marry me?"