The Return

After we came back from the Burrow Draco and I made love for the first time. And I fell even more in love with him, if that was even possible. We spend the rest of our vacation in Draco's room. Harry had agreed to let Draco stay indefinitely but we were already talking about finding out own place. We planned on living together as soon as we could afford it. I couldn't wait.

On the train back to Hogwarts we made no secret of our relationship. We were met with a lot of stares and even some curses, but most people cheered us on. It was the strangest thing ever. Well, not really. The strangest thing ever first happened when we found the compartment where Ginny and Luna had saved us some seats. When we arrived there we found that Luna was, by no means, on her own anymore. Her lips seemed to be sown to another set of lips. A set of lips which belonged to… of course, who else than Derrick?

They didn't seem to notice our entrance, but Ginny did.

"Hermione!" she shouted happily and rushed to hug me tightly. After pulling back she offered Draco her hand and he shook it with a pleasant smile. "Hermione, I'm so happy you're here! I can't looking at these two anymore."

I laughed heartedly.

"What makes you think that Draco and I won't be just as annoying?"

Ginny snorted and said, "Because you've had a long time to get that out of your systems. Now you're just a couple. Boring, but not disgusting."

"If they are disgusting," Draco said with a teasing tone, "then what were you and Potter when you came to visit him during the holiday?"

Draco had a point. Those two had been all over each other.

"That's different," Ginny huffed. "We've been apart for a long time."

The rest of the train ride went by with pleasant conversation and a few good laughs – not at any time did Luna or Derrick participate in any of this. They were too wrapped up in each other.

When we arrived at Hogwarts Draco and I had to go our separate ways to each our dormitory. On the main stairs, in front of almost the entire school, Draco encircled me tenderly and kissed me with undeniable passion. At first I was rigid, knowing that they were all looking at us, but I couldn't deny Draco's caress for long. I gave in and kissed him back. When he finally released me I staggered a little and then blushed when I heard several onlookers whoop and cheer. Draco smiled warmly at me, gave me a little squeeze and then walked towards the dungeons.

Ginny grabbed my arm firmly and started dragging me towards the Gryffindor dormitory. I followed her lost in my own, happy little world that revolved solely around Draco Malfoy. I know, it's crazy. To think that I'd fall in love with Draco Malfoy, I boy I'd always considered an enemy of mine. Now he was my boyfriend, whom I loved most dearly.

I didn't see him again until dinner. And that was where he stunned me, Ginny and Seamus and the entire school.

I had just sat down for dinner when I saw Draco enter the Great Hall. It was hard not to notice him. he had this air about him, and air I'd once perceived as arrogance but now it was just Draco – it was who he was and I loved him for it. He stood there in the doorway, looking around until his eyes landed on me. I couldn't help it. a great, goofy grin spread on my face and my hearts skipped several beats. He smiled lovingly at me and then walked my way. Once he got to me he laid a hand on my shoulder, bent over and kissed my forehead. But he didn't do anything else as I'd thought he would. Instead he looked at the person sitting opposite from me. Seamus.

"Finnigan," he said to get Seamus' attention.

"Yeah?" Seamus said and looked up from his meal.

"There's something I have to say to you," Draco paused dramatically before finally saying, "Thank you."

Everyone around them went completely silent. Nobody had ever heard Draco Malfoy thank anyone before – least of all a Gryffindor. Seamus' mouth hang open in astonishment and he didn't respond.

"Thank you for that spell of yours that went wrong," Draco continued as if nobody was looking at him funnily. "It brought me and Hermione together. I can't thank you enough for that. It's the greatest thing that has ever happened to me and I'll be forever grateful to you."

Seamus was completely flabbergasted but he managed to stutter, "You're welcome."

With a big grin Draco sat down next to me a started pilling food on the plate in front of him. He seemed both comfortable and entirely at home, like he'd never done anything else than sit next to me, with all my friends at the Gryffindor table, and eat his dinner. Gradually the people around us stopped looking curiously at him and returned to their own food. Every once in a while Draco would put down his fork and reach out for my hand or stroke my cheek or something else like that.

Once the feast had ended Draco just sad there, holding my hand and looking fondly at me while everyone around us got up and started leaving. Ginny and Seamus were the last to leave and then we were alone at last. Draco leaned closer to me and rested his forehead against mine, gazing lovingly into my eyes.

"I love you," he murmured.

"I love you too," I whispered back with a little grin.

"No, you don't understand," Draco protested.

"What's not to understand?" I asked a little confused. "I love you, you love me."

"That's true, of course," he said with a lopsided, sexy smile which made my knees feel weak. "What I meant was that I love you more anything in this world."

I was going to say that I felt the same way, but he silenced me with a finger to my lips. Obviously he wasn't done talking just yet.

"Hermione, I can't imagine myself without you. I wouldn't have a shred of life if I wasn't with you. That's why I want to ask you something. Hermione's I want to marry you."

My heart stopped beating, I stopped breathing and all thoughts left my mind.

Draco saw my reaction and hurriedly said, "I don't want it to be right now. It's doesn't have to be this year or even the next. It doesn't need to be an official engagement. I just need to know that you'll spend the rest of your life with me."

I didn't take me long before I knew what to answer. Somehow I think I'd know since our first kiss.

"Yes, Draco," I whispered as tears welled in my eyes. "Yes, I'll marry you some day and spend the rest of my life with you."

I didn't have time to say anything else or even do anything before Draco's lips had claimed mine firmly. His tongue ran sensually over my lips with the promise of both joy and pleasure if I'd only let him in. I opened my mouth and allowed myself to be flooded with the most amazing sensation I had ever known – the sensation of Draco's love washing over me.

We were married three years later. It was another two years before we were blessed with a beautiful son and a beautiful daughter. Still to this day we're as much in love as we were when we first kissed. And Draco still thanks Seamus regularly.

I finally did it! It took me almost a year and half but this story is finally finished. I hope you all enjoyed it even though it took me so long.

Please review and tell me everything you'd like to say about this story and then hurry along to another one of my stories. That's an order, I tell you!

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