Something Past, Something Present

As usual, Draco woke in stages. His fuzzy mind took in the sounds of the room, of the rain pattering against the window, and then his tactile senses took over. He palmed the softness of her cotton tank, realizing after a moment that it was her left breast he had cupped in his palm. The smell of roses from her shampoo invaded his nose next and he growled appreciatively.

He blinked slowly, his grey eyes adjusting to the dim light filtering in through their drapes. As his mind began to clear from the sleep-induced fog, he realized his groin was pressed tightly to her rear clothed in nothing but her knickers.

His morning predicament didn't appear to be going unnoticed. A low groan rumbled in his chest when he felt her hand reach between them and brush against him. She was obviously awake now.

Draco released his hold on her breast only long enough to slip his hand under the thin material and palm the flesh without the barrier.

He lifted his head enough to nip the top of her ear with his teeth before he whispered in a gruff voice. "Please."

A slow smile tipped the corners of Hermione's mouth. She'd likely never admit it to him but she liked it when he begged.

She flipped onto her side to face him and nudged him gently with her knee. She absorbed his resounding groan with her lips.

Draco held her firmly to him as she nudged him onto his back and straddled his hips. He grinned into the kiss when he lifted his hips teasingly, eliciting a soft whimper from his wife.

It had taken time to get used to each other's presence in bed, for sleeping or…other activities. Both had lived such solitary lives that it was rather intriguing at first. Draco was a space hog and often crowded her in bed, despite how large their bed was. Hermione hogged the covers, which had been his excuse for crowding her.

She knew better though. He hadn't admitted it with her teasing but he liked to cuddle. Every tense muscle in his body eased once he wrapped an arm around her.

He'd slowly become comfortable with going to bed in only his boxes for the first time in years, less ashamed of her seeing his now fading dark mark. Due to the amount of body heat she claimed he put off, he often found her in the morning without her pajama bottoms after having kicked them off at some point in the night.

Much later, exhausted and satiated, she lay on his chest. Draco watched in the dim morning light as her fingertips traced tiny circles on his chest.

"Do we have to go to that blasted wedding this afternoon," he finally spoke.

She grinned against his skin and pressed a soft kiss to the center of his chest. "Yes, Draco. I watched your quidditch match last night, this is the least you can do for me."

He groaned. "At least they'll be food."

"They'll be food at Ron's little bachelor lunch today also."

Draco narrowed his eyes at the way she was smiling up at him hopefully. His lip curled, despite that he knew he'd eventually give in.

"Bachelor lunch. Bloody stupid idea. Isn't working with the git bad enough? Now I have to go to this silly outing? Why does he need a bachelor party anyway? Nobody else that I know of has done such a thing."

Hermione smacked his shoulder lightly. "It was Harry's idea. Plus, it gets Ron out of the Burrow while the family decorates." When he grumbled something under his breath, she shifted further onto his chest and kissed his chin. "Please?"

With a roll of his eyes, he nodded. "Fine."

She smiled broadly and kissed him before rolling out of bed. "You're getting soft, Malfoy," she teased before disappearing into the bathroom.

"Ugh, don't remind me," he grumbled and threw an arm over his face.

~o~O~o~

"Good of you to come, Malfoy," Harry grinned as he slapped the blonde on the back.

Draco sneered as he shoved his hands deeper into his coat pockets. The two men trailed near the back of the pack as they all headed towards the Leaky Cauldron. Harry had gathered Seamus, Neville, George, and even reluctantly included Cormac for a casual lunch and a few pints before the wedding that evening.

"Like I had a choice, Potter."

"Hermione dupe you into it then," he surmised.

George came around to his other side and nudged him lightly. "I hear our little Hermione has you quite whipped there, Malfoy."

Draco lifted a pale eyebrow at the man. "Weasley, you know I've been meaning to thank you for that ball of fur you got her for her birthday. It's such a joy to be stared at in the dark while I'm trying to have sex with my wife."

George threw his head back in a loud bark of laughter and clapped him on the back as they passed into the pub. "Bloody hell, Malfoy, it was worth is just for that."

The blonde wizard glared at his co-worker. "I hate you for this, Potter."

"Yeah, yeah," Harry nodded, "Save your bitterness for later and have a drink. Maybe you'll admit something scandalous again."

Draco rolled his eyes and took up a chair between him and Neville. Harry had promised Ginny that it would be a two pint limit so that no one showed up worse for wear that evening.

By the time they'd all ordered food and had a round of drinks on the table, the noise of the group had escalated a bit. Neville had moved over to see a new prank George was planning to introduce at his shop when Seamus sidled up next to Draco.

"Finnegan, I'm fairly certain you must be barmy if you think sitting next to me is a good idea," he muttered as he took a large swig of his beer, not bothering to even glance at the man.

Seamus cringed and glanced at the drink in his hands. "Iwanyuravice."

Draco smirked at the Irishman next to him and laughed. "Sorry, was that English?"

He cringed and glanced around them to make sure the others were preoccupied before he spoke louder. "I want your advice, you git."

The blonde nearly choked on his next sip and quickly regained his composure. "Did I hear you properly, Finnegan, or did you just say you wanted my advice?"

"Don't make a big deal of it, Malfoy. You're still an asshole." He shrugged his shoulders and sipped his drink. "I'm still struggling with this whole marriage mess. Oddly enough, you seem to be doing the best of all of us so far."

Draco smirked and leaned back in his chair, crossing an ankle over his other knee leisurely. "Well, if this isn't a surprise."

"Oi, don't get a big head over it, you prick." He shook his head and hunched his shoulders as he leaned over his glass. "Never should have said anything. Forget about it."

Draco wanted nothing but to gloat and ridicule his hot-headed co-worker. The man had been goading him since his first day in the office and it would feel immensely good to return the favor. However, a certain Gryffindor infiltrated his thoughts and he groaned as he heard his wife's voice in his head. She'd be disappointed in him if he didn't make an effort to be civil.

I'll be damned if I start a fight with my wife over this git.

"Wait." He curled his lip at himself and groaned. "Let's just agree to be civil this once then we can continue antagonizing each other at work."

Seamus visibly relaxed and nodded.

"What did you want me to tell you then?"

"Parvati heard from Luna, who heard from Ginny, that you cook dinner for Hermione often."

Draco lifted a curious eyebrow at the roundabout way he explained it and merely shrugged. "And?"

"Well…how do you do it? I assume you use magic of course—"

"I don't but keep going with making an ass of yourself."

Seamus glared at him but he merely smirked in return.

"I honestly find it hard to believe that you do it the muggle way but fine. How do you go about it? Candles, music…what the hell do these women want?"

Draco shook his head and downed the rest of his pint before he set the empty glass on the table. "Finnegan, I don't think it's the dinner that Hermione enjoys as much as it is the attention. I'm not exactly a five star chef but I do well enough. I make an effort to ask about her day. We talk about the books we're reading. That sort of thing."

The Irishman nodded, "Well, that's good. I'm a fairly rubbish cook. Parvati likes reading. I guess I can try and read more."

Draco huffed and crossed his arms over his chest. "Finnegan, what is it you actually hope to accomplish with this anyway?"

He looked a bit surprised by the question. "What?"

"What do you want from her? Do you actually like the woman or are you just trying to get in her pants? Which is it?"

He watched the man swallow uncomfortably before he shifted his eyes down to the glass in his hands again. "A little of both, I suppose. Is that terrible?"

Draco thought of how badly he'd wanted Hermione. All of the right emotions were there of course. His admiration for her mind and her heart were at the top of the list. However, there was a definite need to have her physically that he'd tried to ignore for so long because he never imagined she'd ever want him. Loving her was one thing but wanting her was entirely different.

"Not terrible, I suppose," he admitted quietly.

Both were quiet for a few moments as the others around them laughed and joked. Deciding he was going to have his second drink, Draco glanced at the wizard next to him.

"Finnegan, for the record, this conversation never happened."

Seamus snorted and nodded. "Agreed."

~o~O~o~

Draco nearly whined aloud as he stood in front of a full length mirror in their bedroom. He sneered at his reflection and gave up on tying the new tie she'd bought him. He was far too distracted. He sat on the edge of the bed irritably with the golden fabric still hanging limply around his neck.

"Are you almost done," he called out toward the bathroom.

"Almost, Draco. Be patient."

He fell back against their bed with a heavy sigh and closed his eyes. The last way he wanted to spend his Saturday evening was watching Weasley get hitched to Luna Lovegood. They'd planned a tiny ceremony to give some pretense of normalcy to this stupid law.

Scratch that. He couldn't very well hate the law that had given him the woman he'd pined over for so long.

He shivered when a warm hand grazed his chest down to his belt buckle and back up again. "I thought you said there wasn't time for that," he smiled to himself, eyes still closed.

He could almost hear the laughter in her voice before he opened his eyes to see her smiling down at him.

"There isn't but that doesn't mean I don't want you warm and ready for later."

He closed his eyes with a desperate groan. "You just like to torment me. It's retaliation for all the years of hatefulness, isn't it? You've not actually forgiven me. You just want me in a constant lust-induced state so you can hold it over my head and lead me around like a pygmy puff in heat."

Her laughter was warm and, as always, she knew he was only teasing her.

"I've come to believe, Draco, that you'd be in a constant 'lust-induced state' no matter what I did."

He'd been all over her just last night when he returned from watching a late quidditch match with Harry, Ron, and Neville. It hadn't mattered that she'd been wearing her baggiest sweatpants. It seemed now that she'd allowed him to release his pent up sex drive, his desire for her was endless.

Draco reached out blindly and gripped her hips before he squeezed gently.

"I admit it," he smirked, eyes still closed. "I'm your plaything and I love it."

He sat up when Hermione pulled on his hands and looked up at her as she stood between his knees, her slender hands beginning to work on his tie for him.

After she pulled the knot and slid it up to his buttoned collar, he slid his hands around her hips to wrap her up and pressed his cheek against her chest.

Falling serious suddenly, he whispered, "I've wanted you for so long. I keep expecting something to rip you away because I don't deserve you."

Hermione rubbed one hand across his shoulders soothingly, the other brushing through his hair. "You deserve me, Draco. You deserve everything good you have coming to you. You've worked so hard to change and I'm very proud of you."

Draco turned his head and kissed the exposed skin between her breasts before resting his chin there gently to look at her.

"Do you have everything you've always wanted in marriage?"

Hermione bit the corner of her lip and nodded. "Almost. We just have to keep practicing for the rest. I'm not in a rush."

He knew without her having to say the words what she meant.

"Which," her brown eyes darted to the clock on the nightstand, "We need to get going so we can make it home and 'practice' some more."

"Practice makes perfect," he drawled as he heaved himself up and stood.

Hermione enjoyed the way his eyes roved over her body appreciatively. She wanted him to look. She wanted him to want her.

"Ginny force you to go shopping again," he asked as he twirled her in a short circle with one hand.

"No, I chose this one on my own."

"Beautiful."

And she was. The dark maroon dress dipped low between her breasts but covered much more of her back this time. The soft material clung to her gentle curves like it was made specifically for her.

Draco helped her into her long coat, very aware of the cold now as they neared the holidays. He narrowed his eyes in thought as they descended the stairs together.

"You dressed us in Gryffindor colors on purpose, didn't you?"

Hermione laughed loudly and shook her head, her soft hair brushing against him as she did. He'd begged her to leave it down and she'd not been able to deny such a sweet request when he so rarely asked anything of her. He was usually too busy giving.

"I swear I didn't do it on purpose. You do look awfully good in those colors though."

"Next thing I know you'll be buying me red and gold underwear."

"I bet you'd wear them if I did," she quipped with a mischievous grin as they neared their floo.

Draco narrowed his eyes at her but chose not to respond. Damn it. She was right, as always.

They'd chosen to have the small ceremony outside the burrow. A small tent had been erected to cover the thirty or so guests, family included. Mrs. Weasley had placed a warming charm on the area which made it quite comfy.

There would be no traditional walk down the aisle. Four people each had been seated at the round tables and they all sat and watched as they exchanged their vows in a short ceremony led by Kingsley.

Draco rested his arm discreetly on the back of Hermione's chair and leaned closer. "Twenty galleons says he traded off doing this because of the food there'd be afterwards," Draco whispered to her midway through the vows. Ron had always been a notorious eater at Hogwarts after all.

Hermione leaned closer subtly. "Ginny told me Luna intends for there to be a traditional wedding night."

"You're joking," he whispered back as he watched Ron fumble with the rings.

"I don't joke about things like that," she smiled secretively.

They clapped politely along with everyone else as soon as they finished their short kiss. Ron was three shades redder than usual, especially when his new father-in-law embraced him in an overzealous hug.

"Merlin, I'm glad we didn't do this," Hermione grinned awkwardly.

"You're not upset you didn't end up having a traditional wedding?"

She accepted two glasses of champagne from the levitating trays as they stopped at their table and handed him one. "No, not at all honestly. I've never really been too interested in weddings. They're nice to attend but the idea of one of my own always made me feel like coming out of my own skin."

Draco kissed her cheek gently and sipped his glass. "Well, if you ever change your mind and decide you do want one, I'll do it for you, you know."

She glanced at him with a smirk on her lips. "You, Draco Malfoy, are wrapped so tightly around my finger that it's losing circulation."

He opened his mouth to reply but was cut off by Harry when the small crowd started conversing more loudly amongst themselves.

"What are you two whispering about," he accused jokingly as he and Ginny turned back around to face them.

A biting remark was on the tip of his tongue but he was stalled when he felt her hand on his thigh. He had to bite his tongue when she gave him a gentle squeeze. It was more of a warning than it was a flirtation.

He shifted in his seat, wishing desperately she'd move that hand a little higher but knew she wouldn't. She was far too prim and proper for that but he loved her for it all the same.

"If I wanted you to know, Potter, I would have shared," he smiled evilly.

"Behave, Draco," Hermione warned as she sipped her glass. It was becoming a regular reaction from her the more comfortable he became around her. Almost like he was his old self but with a better heart. His taunts were just for fun and meant no harm.

Ginny couldn't help but laugh at them as she took two glasses for her and Harry as the next tray came by.

"Did you share with Draco what I told you earlier?"

Hermione nodded with a laugh of her own. "Couldn't help myself."

"Who could," Harry laughed as he adjusted his glasses. "And Ron has no idea."

Draco nearly spit his champagne all over the table and instead accidentally snorted some up his nose. Hermione watched wide-eyed and quickly whispered an incantation to help with the burning sensation he was no doubt experiencing. She rubbed his back gently as he finally sputtered out a laugh.

"Sweet Merlin," he croaked, "Weasley's in for quite a surprise."

"It's always the quiet ones you have to worry about," Ginny smiled at Hermione playfully.

Hermione narrowed her eyes at her friend. "You're hilarious as always, Ginny."

Draco was mildly disappointed when his wife stopped rubbing between his shoulder blades but leaned forward with his elbows on the table as he glanced around them. "So…any bets on how many kids they'll have?"

Hermione nudged him but it was obvious that she was trying to hold in her laughter.

"Neville and Hannah are already trying." Ginny tipped her head towards the couple sitting with George and his fiancé, a Hufflepuff from his year. "Might be a race to the finish with this crazy law."

Mrs. Weasley approached their table in a rush as usual. She was fanning her face and it looked like she was trying to fight back tears.

"Mum, really," Ginny sighed. "They're not in love, you know."

"Oh, don't spoil it. I'm sure they will be in no time. I mean, it didn't take Draco and Hermione any time at all."

"We had an unfair advantage," Hermione teased with a quick glance at her husband.

Draco bit his lip unsurely and swallowed hard. "She knew."

Three sets of eyes swiveled to him as Molly patted his back before rushing off to no doubt worry over the food getting ready to go to the tables.

"Come again," Ginny blinked.

"So you used to get drunk often and spill your feelings," Harry asked, incredulous.

He shrugged and diverted his gaze to the glass still sitting in front of him.

"I didn't tell your mother. She just…knew somehow. It was rather embarrassing at the time when even I didn't fully understand."

"Typical," Ginny snorted. "Mum always seems to know everything before anyone else does."

Draco cringed as he remembered the night so long ago that he'd gotten so sloshed at their apartment that he spilled the proverbial beans.

Ginny eyed Harry warily across his kitchen table. She knew by the tightness at the corners of his mouth that he was equally concerned.

Harry had invited some work friends over to his flat for a night of wizarding poker. They'd all laughed and bantered for hours over cards, food, and copious amounts of firewhiskey. Some had partaken in the drink a little more than others.

Everyone had all gone home now except for Malfoy who had hit the bottle a little harder than the others. The blonde wizard was now completely sloshed as he sat at the kitchen table, cards still strewn across the surface as he clumsily worked on building a castle from cards—sans magic—and nurse his seventh glass of the wizarding drink that night.

Ginny licked her lips as she eyed her fiancé's co-worker worriedly. "Malfoy, maybe you should switch to coffee now."

Draco rolled his shoulders as he tilted his head back to eye the ceiling. "Oi, Potter, why don't you have a charmed ceiling? Best part of the Great Hall was that blasted charmed ceiling, you know." He fumbled into his pocket for his wand, nearly landing flat on his ass as he rocked the chair. "Let me see…"

Harry's hand shot out across the table to steady the wizard's hands. "Maybe some other time, Malfoy." He shook his head thankfully when the blonde complied and took a hit of his drink. "When you're less likely to light my flat on fire," he muttered irritably.

Ginny shook her head and pushed away from the table. "I think I'm going to get you that coffee then."

Draco blew a harsh breath through his lips, making a 'ppppttt' sound. "I'm jealous of you, Potter." He lifted a finger in the air and shook it in what he must have thought was a stern fashion. "Bloody jealous of the greeeatt Harry Potter, the Chosen One."

One of Harry's eyebrows ticked up a bit and he couldn't help but chuckle at him. He'd never seen him get this plastered before…or really anything beyond a bit buzzed in the years they'd been working together. In fact, he didn't socialize too often. He'd only agreed to come tonight when he'd informed him that Hermione wouldn't be present.

Those two are just odd with each other, he thought. Always avoiding each other left and right.

"And why exactly are you jealous there, Malfoy?" There was definitely no way in hell they would be letting the wizard disapparate home tonight. He'd likely splinch himself in this sorry state.

"You've got what I've always wanted."

Harry lifted a questioning eyebrow again and Draco lifted his chin towards Ginny who'd just reentered the room with a steaming cup of coffee in hand.

His brow quickly furrowed in confusion. "Ginny?"

"Nooo, Potter." He shook his head at himself, blindly accepting the coffee as Ginny resumed her seat next to Harry. "Bloody daft prick," he muttered.

"Then what, Malfoy?"

"You've got…whazzit called?" His pale eyebrows scrunched together in thought before he quickly popped up straight as if he'd had an epiphany. "Oi, someone. You've got someone."

Ginny had been around him long enough for the few years that he and Harry had been co-workers to know his oddities. He was always distantly polite to her but rarely showed much emotion besides snarling out some smart remark to one of their co-workers. Harry had filled her in on the darker bits of the man who'd worked to repair himself from the shell of a boy he'd been during the war. Just like her mother, she couldn't help but worry over him sometimes.

"I'm sure you'll find someone one day soon enough," she offered with a slight smile.

"Nooo," he whined and sipped his hot coffee, though it did little for his inebriated state so far. "Not her though," he moaned miserably again.

Harry glanced at Ginny and she gave him an expectant look. The nutter sitting across from them might have gone looney while drunk but this was far too entertaining to pass up. The man was locked up tighter than a vanishing cabinet with his emotions. This was a rather rare glimpse into the mind of Draco Malfoy, for Merlin's sake!

"Who, you nutter," Harry finally asked.

Draco groaned and dropped his forehead to the table. He rolled his head back and forth before settling his left cheek against the glossy wood. "Granger, you dolt."

Ginny's hand shot out and grasped Harry's arm tightly, nails digging in through the material of his shirt. They shared a wide-eyed look before the blonde's muttering broke through the silent exchange.

Draco picked his head up with a confused expression. "Wasn't supposed to say that…was I? Hmm, no idea." He dropped his cheek to the table again with a thump.

Ginny nudged Harry finally and nodded at their friend. When he just shrugged she smacked his shoulder roughly.

"Malfoy, you like Hermione," he finally asked.

The wizard picked his fuzzy head up from the table and stared at them both blearily. "You don't just like a woman like that, you idiot. You lovvve her." His shoulders slumped in on himself and he stared into his coffee cup still steaming in his face. "Ugh, Granger. Why Granger?! Bet she likes…nice men, huh? Smart blokes with libraries the size of Russia and who don't have one of these?"

The couple sucked in a sharp breath nearly simultaneously as he lifted his sleeve and showed his dark mark. Neither was particularly offended by it but it was an unspoken fact that the wizard went above and beyond to hide the damned thing.

"Drink some coffee, mate," Harry finally spoke up.

Draco nodded and dutifully gulped half of the mug down. He smacked his lips together a few times and eyed them both.

"In a perfect…world…yeah world… I'd marry her and we'd make cute little Granger babies."

Ginny snorted and quickly covered her mouth with one hand. "What do you like about her, Draco?"

"What's not to like," the wizard shrugged. "She's got those chocolatey eyes…I like chocolate. And her hair is nice these days. And she's always stuck in a book. Even at work in the cafeteria. She makes lots of those swotty lists. Bloody adorable." He rocked back in his chair clumsily. "Oh, those legs and that bum…" He trailed off dizzily as he thought about how she'd feel in his hands.

As the blonde slowly sobered up, they spent the next hour extracting the details of his secret from him. The next morning the wizard awoke on the couch with a pounding headache and a blinding anger when he realized the things he'd said the night before. He'd made the two swear on their wands that they'd never divulge any of it.

Draco came out of his reverie as a very flustered Ron finally shuffled over to their table and pulled up a stray chair before collapsing into it.

"Bloody hell," he grumbled. "I wish I hadn't agreed to this, food or not. It's not worth it." He missed Draco poking Hermione's arm with a gleeful grin and turned to look at Ginny. "Do you know mum's over there talking about baby names? Baby names! Can you believe it?"

All four answered simultaneously, "Yes!"

"Weasley, your mother gave me a pep talk in Kingsley's office before Hermione and I were married. I definitely believe it," Draco smirked.

"Is that what she was doing when she cornered you at first," Hermione asked.

He nodded and downed the rest of his champagne, already hoping for another glass. "She told me to be gentle with you, not that she doubted I would."

"Gentle?"

He gave her a pointed look and a blush quickly crept over her cheeks.

"Oh."

He shrugged and looked across the table. "I didn't have the heart to do anything besides nod my head. It's not every day you get sex advice from a mother figure who isn't even your own."

"I'm going to vomit," Ron muttered. His eyes widened as he looked over Hermione's shoulder and he hunched down in his chair. "Shit! It's Mr. Lovegood again. He keeps trying to pull me aside and tell me about some weird aphrodisiac made from dead bowtruckles."

Draco glanced over his shoulder and grinned. "Better hide, Weasley. I think he's spotted you."

"Sod off, Malfoy," he barked before darting off to the other side of the room to hide behind Neville.

Draco glanced at everyone around their table and shrugged to himself. "Ok, I'm just going to say it because I know you're all thinking it. Lovegood's probably a freak behind closed doors."

"Draco," Hermione hissed, smacking him hard on the shoulder.

Harry tried to bite his lips to hold in a laugh but failed and hung his head over the table as he shook with laughter.

Ginny and Hermione both rolled their eyes but were fighting smiles of their own. Both knew it honestly wouldn't be surprising if it were true.

After the tasty meal that Mrs. Weasley had worked so hard to prepare, people mingled for a while, changing tables and catching up with everyone's new relationship status.

Hermione and Harry caught up with Ron for a single moment just outside the tent before leaving for the evening.

"Are you ok, Ron," Hermione asked sympathetically.

He shrugged and kicked at a rock near his feet. "It's just all happened so fast. I mean, I like Luna well enough. I just—it'd have been nice to have a choice I guess."

Harry patted his shoulder with a nod. He couldn't say he knew how either of them felt. He'd been very lucky to have already been married.

"I understand, Ron, but I really have faith it will work out. I know you still don't like it and I never thought it would happen, but everything's worked out great between me and Draco."

Ron nodded and stood a little straighter. "I really shouldn't be complaining. At least I didn't marry someone who I had such a dark history with. I still can't believe it's Malfoy."

"Neither could she," Harry supplied before she could respond. "Trust me. She was quite angry about it at first. I got caught in the crossfire a time or two."

Hermione cringed and hugged her arms around herself against the chilly night air. She'd left her coat with Draco at their table.

"Sorry again about that. It wasn't very mature of me, was it?"

"No," Harry grinned, "but it was bloody hilarious. It takes a lot to get you so worked up."

"All of that aside, I think you'll be happy together, Ron."

Ron gave them both a genuine smile and drew them to him into a group hug. He pulled away and took a deep breath, straightening his suit.

"Well, it's about time to call it a night. I moved all of my stuff into her flat already. I'm not too sure where I'll sleep tonight but I guess I'll figure it out soon enough."

Hermione and Harry waved as he marched off to collect his new wife. "Poor git," Harry grinned to himself.

"Do you think we should have warned him?"

He shook his head and threw an arm around her shoulders as they made their way back to their own spouses. "Not on your life. I love Ron but I actually think it will be for the best that he doesn't know."

"No way that he can back out otherwise."

"Exactly. Cause he's a bloody chicken sometimes."

Draco and Ginny were both waiting with their coats on when they found them inside the tent. Hermione slid her arms into her coat as he held it for her.

"See you at work Monday, Potter. Can't wait to hear from Weasley about tonight."

"You're terrible," Hermione admonished as he steered them a distance away so they could apparate.

Draco craned his head down to whisper in her ear as they walked. "I certainly am but I've come to believe you like it."

Hermione lifted a confident eyebrow. "I think I liked you better when you weren't so confident around me."

He stopped them towards the edge of the garden and gently nudged a lingering garden gnome away from them with the toe of his shoe. "Am I really being horrible," he asked more seriously.

She gave him a weak smile, realizing her mistake. She hadn't really meant it.

"No, Draco, I find you quite amusing honestly. Besides, you're wonderful to me."

Draco wrapped a hand around her forearm to allow her to apparate them. "Take me home then and have your wicked way with me, Miss Granger."

"Miss Granger," she questioned with a smile.

"If you're nasty," he responded with a wicked grin.

Her eyebrows knit together in disbelief. "Did you just reference a muggle song?"

"I'm going to reference some even naughtier ones if you leave your poor husband in this state much longer. I've been fighting the urge to take you home early all night."

She bit her lip, a blush creeping across her cheeks in the dark, and held him tightly as she disapparated them right into their bedroom.

As soon as he caught his balance, Draco drew her close and wasted no time in pulling her into a deep kiss.

Hermione moaned as his hands caressed her back through the dress. She could tell already it was going to be a very long night for her.