Christmas Eve, it was Hermione Granger's favourite day of the year. Even when she was a child she preferred the excitement and anticipation of Christmas Eve rather than Christmas Day itself. Christmas Day seemed to fly over and before she'd had a chance to digest what had happened over the course of the day she was back in bed for the night. Christmas Eve however seemed to pass that bit slower than normal as she got excited over what she would get for Christmas the following day and as she looked forward to her parents reactions to the gifts she had gotten them.

Even as she had gotten older Hermione had continued to prefer Christmas Eve, but the last four years had just made the day even more special to her. Lying in bed, fully awake as the sunlight started to creep into the room, Hermione watched the man sleeping beside her. Christmas Eve was definitely her favourite day and as she lay watching the man she loved she thought back to Christmas Eve four years ago. The Christmas Eve she finally landed the man of her dreams.

...

Christmas Eve – Four Years Previously.

Hermione took another drink of her wine as she half-heartedly listened to Ginny Weasley chattering beside her. Ginny was currently gushing about her latest date with Harry Potter and while Hermione was pleased her two friends had found happiness together she really didn't need all the intimate details that Ginny liked to give.

Tuning the redhead out slightly, Hermione looked around the room at the gathered guests. It was the first Christmas since Voldemort had been defeated earlier that year and the Order had decided to throw a party in order to celebrate the wizarding world returning to a state of safety. The Party was being held in a ballroom of an expensive wizarding hotel. For the last few years Christmases had been shrouded with worry as Voldemort was still around, but for the first time in years Hermione was witnessing people actually having fun and relaxing.

Hermione watched Molly and Arthur Weasley dancing, before moving on where to Remus Lupin and Nymphadora Tonks were talking with Sirius Black. Remus and Tonks had married during the war and now they were currently expecting their first child. Turning her attention to the other side of the room Hermione spotted Lucius and Narcissa Malfoy talking with Severus Snape.

The Malfoy's had been surprise turncoats after Voldemort's return and along with Snape, Lucius was key to the light side's eventual victory. Lucius had joined the Order mere weeks after Voldemort's return at the end of fourth year and turned spy against Voldemort. The exact reasons for Lucius's deflection from the dark wasn't really known but Hermione had gotten the impression that when the dark wizard was around the first time Lucius's allegiance to him had caused problems with his marriage to Narcissa.

Watching Lucius and Narcissa naturally brought their son, Draco into Hermione's mind and she couldn't help but seek the blond out. Unsurprisingly she found the blond standing with the Weasley twins, Fred and George. Since the Malfoy's had joined the Order, Draco had struck up a solid friendship with the troublesome pair. Surprisingly he had also struck up a friendship with Hermione's two best friends, Harry and Ron. Despite their bad past the boys had put their differences aside and they had made a fresh start.

Hermione herself got on fairly well with Draco, but her romantic feelings for him made things awkward for her. It had taken Hermione a while to figure out she was attracted to Draco, but once she knew how she felt she found it hard to be around the blond Slytherin. Draco was perfectly nice to Hermione and they actually had a lot in common, but he didn't seem to see her in a romantic way. Hermione had watched the girls flock around Draco, both in school and since they had left, and she had started to actually avoid seeing him so she wouldn't have to witness him with another woman.

Tearing her attention away from Draco, Hermione realised that Ginny was no longer at her side. Wondering how long the redhead had been gone, Hermione wandered off from her position in the corner to get another drink. As she did so she spotted Ginny with Harry under some mistletoe. Smiling at the sight of the happy couple, Hermione grabbed her drink and wandered out onto one of the balcony's that overlooked the gardens.

Hermione had been standing on the balcony for ten minutes when she felt a presence behind her. Without even having to turn around Hermione knew it was Draco standing behind her.

"Do you mind if I join you?" He asked.

"It's a free country." Hermione shrugged.

"So where have you being hiding all night?" Draco asked, leaning on the balcony rail beside Hermione. "I've barely seen you."

"Have you been looking for me?" Hermione questioned, turning her head so she could see Draco better.

"I might have." Draco replied with a smile. "I haven't seen you in ages and you are one the people I like best within the Order."

"I'm flattered." Hermione chuckled.

"You should be." Draco said. "I don't like many people, so it's a real privilege that you're one of my favourite people."

"Now I'm really flattered." Hermione said with a smile.

Draco smiled back at Hermione, before gesturing to the empty glass in her hand. "Do you want another drink?"

"Yes, thank you." Hermione said, giving Draco the empty glass.

"Stay here, I'll be right back." Draco turned to return to the ballroom, but he was stopped in the doorway by an invisible force. "Damn."

"What's wrong?" Hermione asked, turning round to find Draco standing in the doorway.

"Enchanted Mistletoe." Draco said, looking up above him. "That wasn't there when I came out."

"How do you know?" Hermione asked.

"If it was there when I came out, I would have been stuck then." Draco explained. "Someone put it up since I came out here."

"Who would do such a thing?" Hermione asked, walking over to where Draco was standing.

"I can make a guess." Draco muttered, spotting two laughing redheads over the other side of the ballroom.

"Fred and George." Hermione tutted, following Draco's line of vision. "I'm going to kill them."

"Is the prospect of kissing me really that bad?" Draco teased.

Hermione blushed and dipped her head as she thought about how she wanted nothing more than to kiss the man in front of her.

"Come on Hermione, I'm not that repulsive am I?" Draco asked.

"You know you're not." Hermione responded as she looked up at the blond. She knew that Draco was fully aware of just how attractive he was.

"Well it looks like tonight's your lucky night." Draco grinned. "Or should I say, it's my lucky night."

"Why would it be your lucky night?" Hermione asked.

"Because it looks like I get to kiss the woman I really fancy." Draco responded.

Hermione's eyes widened at Draco's admission, but she edged forward until she was standing in front of the blond. "Do you mean that?"

"Yes, I mean it." Draco nodded.

"Then why have you never told me?" Hermione questioned.

"Because you've never looked at me as anything more than a friend. At times I'm not even sure you want to be friends as you tend to avoid me."

Hermione smiled as she realised that she and Draco had been thinking the same thing, maybe if they had talked earlier they might have been together sooner. "I avoid you, because you never look at me as more than a friend. I fancy you like mad, but I thought you weren't interested."

"Bloody hell, they're as bad as each other." Ron's voice called, interrupting the moment.

Draco and Hermione whipped their heads round to find everyone in the ballroom watching them.

"What are you all doing?" Hermione asked.

"Waiting for you to kiss." Harry replied.

"Yeah, we've been waiting for years." George called.

"So get on with it." Fred added.

"Not with you lot watching." Draco snorted. "Give us some privacy."

"You had privacy earlier." Ginny retorted. "If you'd just kissed in the first place, we wouldn't all be watching."

"We're not going anywhere son, so I suggest you get on with it." Lucius called. "And make it a good one." He added.

Draco rolled his eyes at his father before returning his attention to Hermione. Hermione was standing with her head bent, very aware that everyone was watching and waiting for the kiss.

"I think we're going to have to do this." Draco said quietly. "How about we make it quick and I'll give you a proper kiss later, when we're alone."

"I'll hold you to that." Hermione smiled.

"You better." Draco replied.

As she stepped forward Hermione was very conscious of everyone watching them. However, the minute Draco's lips met hers she forgot all about their audience as she experienced the most amazing kiss. Draco also seemed to forget about keeping it quick as he wrapped Hermione in his arms and kissed her deeply. Hermione totally lost herself in the kiss and when they eventually parted they were both short of breath. As they recovered they became aware of their cheering friends and family and Hermione blushed deeply.

"Told you I would keep it quick." Draco smirked as the guests wandered away and they were left alone.

"That was quick?" Hermione questioned, still feeling lightheaded from the kiss.

"Definitely." Draco grinned. "A proper kiss from me will take much longer and have you weak at the knees."

Hermione chuckled at Draco's cockiness but before the night was over he had been proven right. Their second kiss had lasted ten times longer and Hermione was decidedly weak-kneed from the experience.

...

Hermione smiled to herself at the memory and when she refocused her attention back to the present she found a pair of grey eyes watching her closely.

"How long have you been awake?" Hermione asked.

"A while." Draco replied. "You looked miles away and I didn't want to disturb you."

"I was just thinking about the Christmas Eve party four years ago." Hermione told Draco.

"When we first kissed." Draco grinned, remembering the night in question with perfect clarity.

"Yeah." Hermione smiled back at Draco, before he closed the small gap between them and connected their lips.

Even after four years together kissing Draco still felt like it had the first time and her reaction was always the same. By the end of the kiss she was always breathless, weak-kneed and lightheaded.

"Do you ever wish we'd spoken about our feelings earlier?" Hermione questioned as they separated. "Maybe if we had, we would have been together for longer than four years."

"There's no point dwelling on things you can't change." Draco shrugged. "Maybe we could have been together longer, but we haven't exactly wasted our four years together. They've been pretty eventful and we've come a long way from that first kiss."

As Draco climbed out of bed and headed for the shower, Hermione thought about Draco's words. They had come a long way in four years, in fact their relationship had progressed fairly quickly from the Christmas Eve of their first kiss. While Draco showered, Hermione thought back on their first Christmas Eve as an official couple.

...

Christmas Eve – Three Years Previously.

Hermione sighed in contentment as she snuggled closer to Draco on the large sofa. The couple were currently curled up in Draco's penthouse as Hermione introduced him to the delights of spending the afternoon watching Christmas films and eating sweets. In the year they'd been together Draco had learnt to accept all sorts of muggle things, but his favourite was television.

"So it this how you spent your Christmas Eves as a child?" Draco asked his girlfriend.

"Pretty much." Hermione nodded. "My parents and I would snuggle up on the sofa in front of a roaring fire and watch Christmas films most of the day."

"It's a nice way to spend Christmas Eve with your family." Draco said quietly. "We used to do something similar, although without the films of course."

"Let's guess your family gathered in the front room and you all settled down with a book." Hermione guessed, knowing how much the entire Malfoy family liked to read.

"Yeah." Draco chuckled at how well Hermione knew his family. "It was nice, all of us sitting together rather than all being off in a different room."

"We also had another tradition." Hermione said. "I would always receive a new pair of pyjamas on Christmas Eve and after my bath I would put them on before we had hot chocolate and I went to bed."

"You mentioned that last month, so I've got you something." Draco said, getting up and pulling a present from under the tree. "There you go."

Hermione took the present off Draco and opened it to find a pair of emerald green silk pyjamas. Despite it being the middle of winter and being the weather for big cosy pyjamas the pair Draco had bought her were distinctly tiny revealing pyjamas. The bottoms were a pair of tiny shorts and the top was a thin spaghetti strap top.

"As lovely as these are, I don't think they're going to keep me very warm." Hermione commented.

"That's what I'm for." Draco replied with a smirk. "Now go and have a nice, long bath and change into your new pyjamas."

"Are you not coming with me?" Hermione asked. Draco rarely passed up an opportunity to bathe with her and she was surprised he was doing so now.

"No." Draco shook his head. "Go and relax for an hour or so."

Not needing any further encouragement for a soak in the tub, Hermione kissed her boyfriend before heading off for the large en-suite bathroom attached to the master bedroom. After just over an hour in the bath, Hermione emerged and slipped into her new pyjamas. Despite them being so skimpy Hermione wasn't the slightest bit chilly as she left the bedroom and returned to the front room.

Arriving in the front room, Hermione was confronted with a very different room to the one she had left. The only lights in the room came from the fire, the tree lights and a few candles dotted across the room. The sofa had been pushed right back against the wall and a throw was spread in front of a fire. Sitting beside the throw was a large bowl of strawberries, which just so happened to be Hermione's favourite fruit. There was also an ice bucket with a bottle in and Draco was standing by the fire holding two champagne glasses. Draco had clearly showered in the guest bathroom as he was now wearing a pair of dark green pyjama bottoms and his hair was still damp.

"I know it's not hot chocolate, but I thought champagne was more appropriate." Draco said, handing Hermione a glass of champagne as she entered the room completely.

"What's all this in aid of?" Hermione asked as the couple sat down on the throw.

"Am I not allowed to spoil my girlfriend at Christmas?" Draco questioned.

"Yes, I just wasn't expecting this." Hermione replied. She knew Draco could be romantic if he set his mind to it, but she had never expected anything like what she was witnessing.

"Hopefully the other thing I have planned will come as a surprise as well." Draco remarked, producing a black box from behind his back.

"Is that another early Christmas present?" Hermione asked.

"You could say that." Draco answered as he flipped open the box and showed it to Hermione.

Hermione gasped at the sight of the white gold, diamond ring nestled in the silk inside the box.

"Hermione, will you marry me?" Draco asked, keeping the question short and simple.

"Of course I will." Hermione beamed, placing her glass down beside her and throwing herself at Draco.

"I love you." Draco whispered to Hermione as he held her.

"I love you too." Hermione replied, pulling back slightly so she could kiss Draco.

After a brief kiss, Draco pulled away and took Hermione's hand in his. He then slipped the ring onto her finger and watched as Hermione admired it.

"It's so beautiful." Hermione gushed, watching as the diamond sparkled in the firelight.

"It matches you then." Draco responded. "Because you're so beautiful."

"I think you may be slightly biased." Hermione blushed.

"Maybe, but in my opinion I've got the most beautiful, amazing fiancée ever." Draco smiled at Hermione and she could tell he meant every word.

Hermione smiled at Draco's words as she leant over and kissed him soundly, pulling back she looked up at him and smiling seductively. "How about we celebrate our engagement properly?"

"How do you suggest we do that?" Draco grinned.

"I have a few ideas and all of them involve wearing less clothing." Hermione said, running her hand down Draco's bare chest.

"It's funny you should say that, but that was exactly the way I planned on celebrating." Draco remarked, pulling Hermione closer and rolling back on the floor with her.

Hermione giggled and let Draco remove her top as the couple set about celebrating their engagement.

...

Hermione was jolted from her thoughts when Draco finished in the shower and entered the room wearing just his towel. Hermione watched Draco for several minutes, before hopping out of bed and heading for her own shower.

"You know if you had joined me we could have saved on the water." Draco commented as Hermione passed him.

"Yes, but this way we'll actually leave the bedroom sometime this morning." Hermione retorted. "If I'd joined you in the shower, we would have been there all morning."

"Would that have been such a bad thing?" Draco asked with a raised eyebrow.

"No, but your mother is due any minute." Hermione answered. "And knowing your mother she wouldn't hesitate to come looking for us, even in the bathroom."

"True." Draco nodded. "That woman has no boundaries."

Hermione chuckled as Draco started muttering about his mother. Leaving Draco alone to his mumblings, Hermione headed into the bathroom and jumped into the shower. Standing under the shower Hermione let her mind wander yet again, this time going back two years.

...

Christmas Eve – Two Years Previously.

In one of the spare rooms at Malfoy Manor, Hermione stood in front of a full length mirror and looked at her reflection. Her long white dress was perfect and when she added her white cloak she looked the perfect image of a Christmas bride.

As Hermione studied her reflection and made sure her tiara was straight, she was the calmest person in the room. Narcissa, her mother and Molly were fussing around the bridesmaids and constantly running off to check the rest of the arrangements. Finally Narcissa announced the wedding was due to start soon and the room emptied, giving Hermione a few moments alone.

Hermione had just enough time to calm her nerves before her father arrived and they set off into the garden where the ceremony was due to be held. The grounds of the Manor were covered in a deep layer of snow, creating a perfect winter backdrop to the nuptials. Several heating charms were in place over part of the garden so that the guests and wedding party wouldn't get cold.

On Narcissa's cue the wedding began and Hermione found herself walking down the aisle towards Draco. The second she set eyes on Draco all of Hermione's nerves disappeared. They may have only been together for two years, but Hermione knew Draco was the man she wanted to spend the rest of her life with.

Arriving in front of the assembled guests, Hermione exchanged a smile with Draco as the wizard presiding over the wedding began to talk. Hermione was only half aware of what was happening as she and Draco exchanged their vows, instead she was more focused on Draco himself. Throughout the ceremony the couple only had eyes for each other and they were both beaming widely when they were pronounced husband and wife.

The kiss that followed was long and passionate and it drew whistles and cheers from some of the rowdier guests. Finally pulling apart, Draco and Hermione turned to face their guests, before making their way back up the aisle.

As the guests were directed to the ballroom, where the reception was being held, the wedding party remained behind for the photos. Hermione and Draco could barely keep their hands off each other as the pictures were taken and several times Narcissa scolded them for being inappropriate.

"I can't wait until we're alone." Draco whispered to Hermione as they posed for yet another picture.

"I know." Hermione smiled back at her husband. "Unfortunately, it won't be for a while yet. We've got to sign all the legal documentation and then there's the reception."

"I'm sure we can take a quick detour between signing the legal documents and arriving at the reception." Draco said, making sure Narcissa hadn't overheard the plan.

"Are you suggesting we consummate our marriage with a quickie before the reception?" Hermione asked in a low voice.

"Yes." Draco nodded. "Are you up for it?"

"Definitely." Hermione grinned at Draco, before returning her attention back to the pictures.

Once the pictures were finished everyone headed into the ballroom while Draco and Hermione headed into Lucius's study, where the wizard who had conducted the ceremony was waiting for them. After Hermione and Draco had signed all the paperwork the wizard congratulated the couple and went off to file the relevant documentation with the Ministry.

"You know we really don't need to sneak off." Draco said, once the couple were alone. "Father's desk would be perfect for a quickie."

"What if your mother comes looking for us?" Hermione questioned. "This will be the first place she looks."

"I'll lock the door." Draco answered as he whipped out his wand and did just that. "Satisfied?" He asked, raising an eyebrow at his wife.

"Not yet." Hermione smirked.

Draco chuckled as he swept Hermione into his arms and backed her up against Lucius's desk. Despite knowing they really shouldn't be doing what they were in Lucius's study, Hermione lost herself in Draco's embrace as the couple set about consummating their union.

...

Dragging her attention back to the present, Hermione finished her shower and headed to get dressed. Once she was dressed she grabbed Draco's anniversary present from the drawer in her bedside table and headed downstairs. Hermione found her husband in the kitchen making coffee. Walking over to him, Hermione gave Draco a kiss and handed him his present.

"Happy Anniversary."

"Happy Anniversary, Hermione." Draco said, giving his wife a kiss while he summoned her present from his study.

Draco handed Hermione her present as he opened his. Draco's present was an expensive gold watch and on the back their anniversary was inscribed into the gold. Hermione's present was a shimmering snowflake necklace and a pair of earrings to match.

"They're gorgeous." Hermione said, putting both the necklace and earring on. "Thank you."

"You're welcome." Draco smiled as he slipped his new watch on. "And my present is great too."

"Better than last year?" Hermione asked.

Draco smiled at the thought of the previous year and shook his head. "No, nothing could be better than last year's present."

"Technically your present was the Quidditch tickets. My other delivery was just slightly early." Hermione chuckled, as she remembered the previous Christmas Eve.

...

Christmas Eve – One Year Previously.

Hermione winced and placed a hand on her stomach as yet another wave of pain hit her. Hermione had been ignoring the pain, hoping it was a false alarm, but she knew it was time to do something. Quickly turning off the oven she stopped the food from cooking, before heading into the front room.

"Draco, I think we need to go to St Mungo's." Hermione told her husband as she entered the room.

"What? Why? You're not due until next week." Draco exclaimed, jumping up from the sofa and going into a panic. "We're not ready, yet. I'm still not sure if I like the room or if I want to change it."

"I don't think we're getting a choice." Hermione replied. "Ready or not, the baby is coming."

"Right, stay calm. It'll be alright." Draco called, rushing from the room before returning a second later looking confused. "Where was I going?"

"I have no idea." Hermione huffed as another contraction hit. "But I think you're the one who needs to calm down."

"I am calm." Draco replied, looking anything but. "What do we do now?" He asked.

"We've talked about this, honestly you're useless." Hermione tutted. "Go and grab my bag from the bedroom and then floo me to St. Mungo's."

"Of course, stay here." Draco called, once again flying from the room.

"Where else am I going to go?" Hermione muttered. "Bloody idiot."

After a few seconds Draco returned with the bag and headed to the fire. After connecting to the floo network he rushed straight off to St. Mungo's, before returning a minute later when he realised he'd left Hermione behind.

"Sorry, sweetheart. I sort of forgot you." Draco said, holding onto Hermione and helping her into the fire.

"Well you wouldn't have gotten very far without me, would you?" Hermione grumbled, less than impressed by her husband's scatty behaviour.

Once at St Mungo's, Draco's panic was still evident. He managed to get Hermione to the right floor and get her booked in with their midwife, but that was about all he did manage. While Hermione was being examined Draco just kept muttering that it was too soon and they weren't ready. The baby was only coming a week early, but even that was enough to send Draco into a blind panic.

"Mr Malfoy, why don't you go and contact your parents." The midwife suggested as Draco paced the room and asked endless questions as she examined Hermione.

"I can't leave, Hermione." Draco argued.

"Draco, go." Hermione told her husband. "I want our parents here, and the Weasley's."

"But what if you have the baby while I'm gone?" Draco questioned, not wanting to leave his wife's side.

"Unless you're going to be a couple of hours, it'll be fine." The midwife replied.

"The quicker you go, the quicker you can get back." Hermione pointed out, trying to hurry her husband from the room. When he did leave, promising to be back within ten minutes, Hermione breathed a sigh of relief. "Bloody hell, he's driving me mad."

"My husband was the same with our first." The midwife chuckled. "In the end I chucked him out of the delivery room and my sister came in to support me."

"That might happen here." Hermione muttered as the midwife continued her examination.

Less than ten minutes later Draco returned and Hermione was pleased to notice he was a lot calmer. He told her that all their friends and family were waiting outside to meet the newest Malfoy. Draco surprised Hermione by actually remaining fairly calm throughout her labour. He did have a moment of panic when the baby's head first appeared but with Hermione screaming and yelling he soon refocused his attention back on his wife.

Four hours after being admitted to St Mungo's, Hermione gave birth to a healthy baby girl named Cassiopeia.

...

Hermione was jolted from her thoughts at the sound of the floo network activating in the front room. Before Hermione had a chance to register that the sound signalled the arrival of Narcissa with their daughter, Draco had taken off for the front room. Following her husband, Hermione arrived in the front room just in time to see Draco taking Cassiopeia out of Narcissa's arms.

"Hello, princess." Draco smiled at his daughter as he hugged her. "Have you been a good girl for Nana Cissa?"

"She's always a good girl." Narcissa replied. "Luckily she takes after her mother."

"Hey, I object to that." Draco protested. "Surely I was good some of the time."

"Maybe on the odd occasion." Narcissa shrugged, walking past Draco and greeting Hermione. "Hello darling, did you have a good night last night."

Narcissa and Lucius had taken their granddaughter their previous night in order to give Hermione and Draco some time alone. Since it was their anniversary as well as Cassiopeia's birthday it was decided that the couple would celebrate their anniversary the night before and Christmas Eve would be dedicated to celebrating Cassiopeia's first birthday.

"Yes, it was lovely." Hermione smiled. "Thank you so much for having Cassie."

"It was our pleasure." Narcissa replied with a smile. "It was nice to have a baby around the Manor again."

"Well we really appreciated it." Draco said as he sat down on the sofa with Cassiopeia still happily settled in his arms.

"I'm pleased you had a good night, but now to concentrate on today." Narcissa said. "Lucius is bringing the presents over later, but I thought I could stay and help you get prepared for the party."

"That would be great, thanks Narcissa." Hermione said. That afternoon they were holding a party to celebrate Cassiopeia's birthday that all their friends and family were attending and Hermione still had plenty left to do.

"Brilliant, if mother is staying to help then you don't need me." Draco remarked. "I can spend the morning with Cassie."

Hermione shook her head at Draco's eagerness to get out of helping sorting the party, but she would much rather have Narcissa helping. With her mother-in-law helping she could be confident that everything was getting done but if Draco had been helping she would only have had to double check everything he did.

Leaving Draco and Cassiopeia for their morning together, Hermione and Narcissa headed off to plan the party. Everything they needed was in the kitchen and dining room and the two women worked all morning to get all the food prepared and laid out. When they were finished they went into the front room and decorated in there, while Draco took Cassiopeia upstairs to get ready for her big day.

After everything was sorted, Hermione went off to get changed while Narcissa organised a table for the presents. After getting ready, Hermione wandered into Cassiopeia's room to check Draco had their daughter in her birthday outfit.

"Are we all set?" Hermione asked her husband. Draco was currently sitting in the rocking chair in Cassiopeia's room, reading to the little girl.

"Yes, the birthday girl is ready to face her adoring public." Draco announced as he stood up and handed Cassiopeia to Hermione. "I'll be down in five minutes, I just want to get changed."

Cassiopeia grumbled a bit when Draco let go of her as she was a total daddy's girl, but she soon cheered up when Hermione snuggled into her. Carrying her daughter downstairs, Hermione found Lucius had arrived as had her parents. Almost immediately the grandparents started fussing around the birthday girl, with a brief happy anniversary thrown Hermione's way.

By the time Draco returned downstairs Hermione's mother was holding Cassiopeia, but the second she saw her father she began screaming for him. Draco walked straight over to his daughter and plucked her out of her grandmother's arms, causing the little girl to shriek in joy.

"It looks like you've got a daddy's girl on your hands there, Hermione." Her mother, Jean, chuckled, coming to stand beside her daughter.

"Tell me about it, sometimes I think she's not bothered about me at all. Draco is the centre of her world." Hermione sighed.

"You were like that when you were little. You always wanted your father." Jean told her daughter. "She'll grow out of it."

Hermione nodded as she watched her husband and daughter together. Even if Cassiopeia always preferred Draco it wouldn't matter, she would always be her daughter and Hermione would always love her. Before Hermione had time to dwell on her daughter's preference for her father, more guests began to arrive. As well as bringing gifts for Cassiopeia several people had also brought presents for Hermione and Draco, to celebrate their anniversary.

Cassiopeia's party was a huge success with everyone the couple cared about present to celebrate their daughter's birthday. Cassiopeia loved being the centre of attention and she happily sat on anyone's knee who wanted to hold her and she doled out plenty of sloppy baby kisses as an added bonus. Hermione got a boatload of great pictures, including a totally adorable one of Cassiopeia and Draco blowing out the candle on her cake.

Once the party started to wind down Draco went and settled Cassiopeia into bed, while Hermione said goodbye to the guests. After arranging visits to her parents, Draco's parents and the various members of the Weasley family for the next few days, Hermione saw the last of the guests out and collapsed onto the sofa.

"I think that was a big success." Draco announced as he re-entered the room and sat down next to Hermione. "She's totally spark out. I think all the excitement wore her out."

"Well it is pretty demanding to be the birthday princess." Hermione chuckled. "I'm knackered and I wasn't the centre of attention."

"I hope you're not too tired, we've got an anniversary to celebrate." Draco said.

"I thought we celebrated last night." Hermione said, thinking about their romantic meal followed by an early night.

"We did, but a bit more celebrating won't hurt." Draco grinned.

"What sort of celebration did you have in mind?" Hermione asked, knowing exactly where Draco was planning on celebrating their anniversary.

"What do you think?" Draco grinned, jumping up and pulling Hermione onto her feet. "Come on Mrs Malfoy, I think it's time we went to bed."

Hermione smiled as she let Draco lead her up the stairs and into their bedroom. As the couple fell back onto the bed, Hermione once again thought about how much she loved Christmas Eve. She already loved the day for so many reasons, but little did she know that in a few weeks' time she would love this particular Christmas Eve just as much as all the rest. For this was the Christmas Eve when their son was conceived.

The End.