Sweet Twenty-Six

By: Aura Author

There was a 1980's muggle movie that referred to a sweet sixteen birthday as ending with a pink trans-am in the driveway and having sex with a gorgeous guy on a cloud without getting pregnant or herpes. But what about a sweet twenty-six? What should be expected for a twenty-sixth birthday when your family was a group of reformed death eaters that housed the dark lord himself? "Not a bloody hell of a lot," Draco muttered as he made his way through the halls of the ministry.

Draco plopped down behind his desk and leaned back to stare at the ceiling. "Is it awful that I would settle for sex with a guy just to have some sort of attention?" he muttered.

"Malfoy?"

"Yes Potter."

"What the fuck are you muttering about?"

Draco sat up straight and glared at the messy haired prat who had become such a vital part of his life. "Today's my birthday Potter, not that I expect it to be a very happy one."

Harry eyed him carefully. "But what the fuck does that have to do with settling for sex with a guy? I wasn't aware you batted for the other team Malfoy."

Draco growled. "I was thinking about that stupid muggle movie that Hermione made me watch. Something about sweet sixteen and a pink trans-am."

Harry sat down and let out a deep chuckle. "You watched Sixteen Candles? I can't believe she convinced you to watch a chick flick."

Draco shrugged. "It wasn't horrible."

"So you watched sixteen candles and what exactly? Jake Ryan make you develop the hots for men all of a sudden?"

"Who the fuck is Jake Ryan? Some new bloke at the ministry I haven't met?"

Harry rolled his eyes. "He's the guy in the movie," Draco frowned at him. "You know what never mind about him. What has made you fantasize about men?"

"I'm not fucking fantasizing about men Potter!"

"Not how I heard it," Harry said with another deep chuckle.

Draco gritted his teeth. "I'm twenty-six today and I was thinking about that movie. The red head and her friend say a sweet sixteen is supposed to be celebrated with a pink trans am and having sex on a cloud without getting pregnant or herpes. Well what the hell is a twenty-sixth birthday supposed to be celebrated with?"

Harry stared at him perplexed. "I'm not sure I follow."

Draco sighed. "I'm being dramatic Potter, but I'm alone on my birthday and it sucks balls. Can you get that through your scar laden head?"

Harry quirked an eyebrow at him before he started laughing again causing Draco to throw a paper weight in his direction which Harry promptly caught. "Seeker skills mate," he said while stifling a laugh.

Draco growled at him. "Get the fuck out of my office Potter. You aren't being the least bit helpful."

Harry answered the request by stretching his legs out and getting comfortable. "You don't have to be alone Malfoy. You know all you have to do is apologize to her and she'll have you back in a heartbeat. She loves you and you love her, I just wish you could get your shit straight."

Draco frowned. "How in the fuck could she be in love with me Potter? I'm a bleeding death eater or did you forget?"

"What's going on here?" a deep voice came from the doorway. "You look like somebody broke your broom Malfoy. Happy Birthday by the way. Pansy sent this for you."

Draco and Harry both acknowledged Ron with a nod as he strolled into the office and placed a green paper wrapped box on his desk. "Thanks Weasley."

Ron stretched out in the other chair in front of Draco's desk. "Now what the bleeding hell is wrong with you lot? Both of you look like someone cut your balls off or something."

"Close," Harry said with a snicker.

"You and Hermione have another fight?" Ron asked Draco.

"It's been over a week ago," Draco muttered. "She still hasn't forgiven me."

"A week huh?" Ron asked. "What'd you do mate?"

Draco snorted loudly. "I asked her to move in with me."

Harry and Ron both sat in shocked silence. "Bloody hell mate," Ron finally said. "You fucked up royally. I don't know that there's any coming back from that one."

"Did you at least propose to her Malfoy?"

"That was next on the list!" Draco shouted. "But I'm tired of waking up without her in my bed every day and I have such a great plan to propose to her that I don't want to give up on that idea. I thought she would be reasonable about all of this, but I was wrong."

Harry shook his head. "I could have told you that was a screw up Malfoy. Of all the times you should have asked for advice!"

"She's traditional mate," Ron said leaning forward in his seat. "You've done well just getting her to stay over the time or two she has right. She's not about putting the cart before the horse, whatever the hell that means."

Harry sighed. "You know what you have to do Draco."

"Shit you called me by my first name," Draco said with a grimace.

"Because it's serious Draco. You know what you have to do and that's the only way you are going to work this out with her."

"But she won't accept Potter. She'll think the only reason I'm asking is because I want her to move in with me and… and well that's not the truth at all."

"Then tell her the truth," Ron said nodding slowly. "That's what it took with me and Pansy. She's brilliant mate and she's my very best friend. If you fuck up again I'll have to kill you, right."

Draco rolled his eyes. "I'm not the only dramatic one in this room."

"Ron's not talking about switching teams midstride," Harry pointed out.

Draco growled. "Neither am I Potter," he spat.

"So this is where you lot have gotten off too," a female voice said from the doorway causing all of them to jump.

"Hermione," Harry and Ron said in unison.

"Hello loves, I hate to interrupt but I need to talk to Draco for a moment."

Harry and Ron sprinted from the room, but not before they both yelled something about honesty. "Prats, both of them," Draco muttered before looking at Hermione. "Won't you sit down?"

"I'll stand thanks."

"Suit yourself. What can I do for you Granger?"

Hermione pulled her wand from her coat pocket and shot a spell over her shoulder that effectively closed and locked the office door. "I've also put up a silencing spell so that no one can hear you scream," she said without batting an eye.

"I'll be sure to be quiet then shall I?"

"I've been thinking a lot over the last week…"

"Shocker."

"Sorry."

Hermione cleared her throat. "As I said I've been thinking a lot and I've come to a conclusion that I didn't quite expect."

"Regarding?"

She smiled softly. "Your birthday present."

He frowned which only caused her to grin more.

"You have everything and need or want for nothing Draco. So what is your loving girlfriend and best friend supposed to give you for your birthday?" She stepped closer to the front of his desk. "I thought about a new book series, but that seems so boring. Then I thought about a self-inking quill but I know you've already got three or four of those." She rounded the desk and pulled something out of her pocket. "So I finally decided there was only one thing that you didn't have that you might possibly want."

"Hermione wait," he interrupted. "I've got something to tell you, well more to ask you." She eyed him curiously and watched with anticipation as he took a ragged breath. "I had a grand plan for this but I can't stand it anymore. I love you Hermione Granger. I've loved you for a long time and while I can't figure out for the life of me why you love me, you do and I'm not letting you take that back. I wanted you to move in with me because I can't stand not waking up with you every morning and fixing you coffee or tea. I want to watch you fight with that wild mane of hair of yours every morning in the bathroom and I want to make love to you every night in our bed. I want to find your clothes in the hamper and your shampoo in the shower. I want to spend the rest of my life with you."

Hermione's eyes were tearing up as he spoke and she fought to maintain control. "I've carried this around with me for a few weeks now but I wanted to wait until the time was right and I can't imagine a better time than now."

Draco got down on one knee and pulled a beautiful sapphire and pearl ring from this robe pocket. "Hermione will you marry me?"

She fell to her knees in front of him and wrapped her arms around his neck in a tight hug. "Of course you stupid man. I love you Draco."

She kissed him heatedly and he gladly reciprocated. Thirty minutes later found them both straightening their clothes with an odd look of satisfaction spread across their faces. "Hermione?"

"Yes Draco?"

"What did you get me for my birthday?"

Hermione grinned and reached into her pocket again producing her key ring. He eyed her questioningly. "You'll notice that the key to my flat is missing and the key to yours has been added."

He grinned at her before pulling her in for a passionate kiss. "Of course it really doesn't matter now, but Happy Birthday Draco."

"I think my sweet twenty-six may be the best birthday yet."

Hermione winked at him with a sly smile. "And we haven't really gotten to celebrate yet."

"You are going to be the death of me woman," Draco said with his classic smirk.

~FIN~