A/N: And so we've come to the end of the story! We feel kind of sad about it, because you guys have been such awesome reviewers- indeed, some of you are more like friends! Thank you so much for following our fic, and for reviewing and favoriting it. We hope you enjoy this chapter, and the fic in general!

Chapter 14

It was only on Sunday that Hermione remembered what she and her mother had been discussing after dinner. She brought up the topic while she and Draco were dressing for lunch at the Burrow. "Mum mentioned something about us deciding what school Ralph should go to," she said, remembering the conversation. "I don't suppose you know if we've made a decision?"

"School?" Draco frowned as he slipped on his shoes. "No, I can't remember. Why does he need to go to school?"

"For his education," Hermione looked at him in exasperation. She turned back to the mirror, brushing her hair. "He can't know nothing when he goes to Hogwarts."

"Most wizarding children are home-schooled." He checked his reflection in the mirror and went to wait for her by the door.

"And who'll teach him?" She remembered Mrs. Granger telling her Draco's opinion on the subject.

Draco shrugged. "There are plenty of available tutors."

"He'll learn academically, but he won't learn how to interact with others," Hermione said, setting down her brush and picking up her purse. "Children need to be with other children."

"There are more than enough children for him to play with. Hermione, it's custom," he said, opening the door and following her out of the room. "That's the way it's traditionally done."

"I don't give a damn how it's usually done," she said fiercely. "I want Ralph to go to a school, just like I did. It builds character."

"He can build it at home, like I did."

"And some character you turned out to have."

"At least I had friends when I went to Hogwarts," he said nastily. "You didn't have any friends until Halloween, and then it was just two of them."

Hermione stopped short at the cruel reminder of her first two months at Hogwarts. She stared at him, hurt and anger evident on her face, completely speechless. She couldn't think of anything that could possibly, at that moment, have hurt more.

Clenching her teeth, she brushed past him and left him standing guiltily in the corridor. "Ralph, let's go," she called, entering his room. She was proud of herself; none of the anger she felt showed in her voice.

Ralph ran towards her excitedly. "I'm hungry," he announced.

"I'm sure there'll be lots of food," Hermione said, trying to smile. Her lips trembled slightly, but Ralph didn't seem to notice. He was looking behind her, to where Draco was standing.

"I'm hungry, Daddy," Ralph told him.

"We're leaving now, so you'll eat soon," Draco said distractedly, his eyes on his wife. "Hermione-"

"Later," she snapped angrily, taking Ralph's hand and leading him to the fireplace. Ralph looked shocked at the way Hermione spoke, but she held his hand gently, so he didn't say anything. Draco followed wordlessly, feeling guilty and hating it. He was right, after all. No need to feel guilty.

They arrived at the Weasleys, and Hermione immediately brought Ralph over to where the family was waiting. Draco knew she was avoiding and ignoring him, which irritated him. He scowled and stayed some distance away from the picnic tables, which were set up under a tree.

"Did you guys fight?" Ron asked, coming up behind Draco.

"She refuses to listen to reason. She thinks she's right all the time."

Ron chuckled. "She usually is. What is it this time?"

Draco shook his head. "We'll work it out." He watched Hermione, angry that she had provoked him into saying such spiteful words.

"Lunch is ready!" Mrs. Weasley called, waving them over. "Ron, Draco, what are you standing around for?"

"I'll sit with the children," Hermione offered, preparing to go with Ginny to the smaller table. Apart from his frown darkening, Draco gave no appearance of having heard her. He took a seat with the other adults, and proceeded to ignore her for the duration of the meal.

"Lily, how do you like school?" Hermione asked, directing her question to Ginny's youngest.

"It's fun!" Lily said, smiling sweetly.

"What's school?" Ralph asked.

Hermione smirked- not that Draco could see her face- and proceeded to tell Ralph all about the fun things kids did in school. Lily chipped in excitedly.

"We cooked! We made spaghetti, with cheese. It was yummy. But my friend Susan was so hungry she wanted my food. I was hungry too, but I shared with her, because Mummy and Daddy and Ms. Annie said sharing is good, and I got a gold star for sharing, and Susan got a silver star because she asked me politely."

"That sounds wonderful, Lily," Hermione said, noticing with approval that Ralph seemed interested. "Are you learning a lot?"

"Oh yes, Aunt Hermy. And we went on a field trip!"

"Really? Where did you go?"

Lily began a long and rambling narration of her class trip to an animal farm. Ginny grabbed Hermione's arm and pulled her closer, so that Ginny could whisper in her friend's ear. "What are you doing? Draco looks ready to kill."

"I'm just curious," Hermione said in an innocent tone, not fooling Ginny for a minute. "I thought Ralph would like to hear about how fun school can be."

"Don't you remember? You and Draco were-"

"Hermione," Draco said coldly, interrupting Ginny. "May I speak to you for a moment?"

Hermione turned to him and scowled. "Right now?"

"Right now," Draco confirmed with barely controlled fury. He gripped her arm and pulled her off her seat. "Inside."

Matching his glare, Hermione shook his hand off her arm and preceded him into the house. She whirled around. "What?"

"You know perfectly well what. You were brainwashing Ralph into making him think he wanted to go to school."

"Making him think it's what he wants? No, I'm pretty sure it is what he wants. You heard Lily, school is fun! Ralph would have a blast."

"That's beside the point at the moment. The point is, you deliberately tried to make him favour school over tutoring. You know he'll be heartbroken when we tell him he has to stay home."

"But he won't be staying home, he'll go to school."

"For the last time, he's staying home. He's an underage wizard! What happens if he loses control of his magic, as I'm sure he will?"

"Oh please, Malfoy," she snapped. "Muggleborns have been going to school before Hogwarts for ages, don't you think that if the Ministry had a problem with child wizards they'd inform Muggleborns that they have magic before the age of eleven? Fine, let's ask Ralph what he wants."

"You know he'll pick school, because he hasn't even heard the benefits of home-schooling. And besides, he's too young to know what's good for him."

"That's the first thing you've said that makes sense. He doesn't know what's good for him- we do. And once you see past all that nonsense about how purebloods- and Malfoys!- should be home-schooled, you'll see reason."

Draco scoffed. "Open your mind, Hermione! It's not nonsense. Merlin, we've been having this argument for months, haven't you heard anything I've been saying?"

"Of course I have! And after giving it due consideration, I still support having him educated in a school, with friends to play with."

A silence followed, as both thought the argument over. Hermione was replaying it in her head, all the while scowling at her husband. The scowl suddenly left her face, to be replaced by one of confusion. "Did you say we've been having this argument for months?"

"Yes."

"But we're not supposed to know that." She looked at Draco and saw the realization dawning on his face.

"I remember-" Draco frowned, seeming to have trouble expressing exactly what it was that he remembered.

Hermione decided to help him along. "Do you remember our first date?"

"At the Black Cat, yes. And the show before that."

"What about when you first told me you loved me?"

"We were at your flat, I suddenly felt the need to say it- and you almost didn't say it back," Draco said.

Hermione nodded. "Yes. I remember it too. I remember everything, our wedding, finding out about Ralph, when Ralph was born, even this argument about his education."

"That's what we were fighting about that night when we lost our memories."

"We've come full circle," Hermione said, piecing it all together. "That was the trigger, perhaps? We just had to remember the fight that we were meant to forget."

Draco stared at her for a moment. "That's it? A bit anticlimactic, isn't it? There was no pain, no burst of light…" he touched his head, looking slightly dazed. "I didn't even realize we remembered."

Hermione let out a laugh. "I didn't either." She smiled at him, and was suddenly overcome by a flood of emotion. Yes, she had fallen in love with Draco in a few short weeks, but it was nothing compared to the love that had built up for years. Tears pricked at her eyes as she looked at him, and, as if he knew what she was feeling, he crossed the room to her and enveloped her in a hug.

"Hermione," he murmured over and over, kissing her temple and burying his face in her hair.

She clung to him, her face pressed against his chest, tears streaming down her cheeks, wondering how she could have ever forgotten. After a few moments she reached up and pulled his face down to hers, meeting his lips in a searing kiss. "I love you," she whispered.

"Kissing!"

Draco and Hermione broke apart to stare at Ginny and Ralph, who were standing at the door.

Ginny looked at them apologetically. "He needs to potty."

"Why are you crying, Mummy?" Ralph asked worriedly, walking over to his parents.

Hermione hastily wiped her cheeks. "I'm crying because I'm very happy."

"Really? Can you do that?"

"Of course!" She lifted him up and kissed his cheek, savouring the feeling of having her little boy in her arms. "You're getting to be such a big boy, soon I won't be able to carry you."

Ralph giggled and bounced a bit in her arms. "That's because I eat a lot."

"You eat just right for a growing boy."

"Come on," Draco said, lifting Ralph out of Hermione's hold. "I'll take you to the loo." He cast Hermione a meaningful glance, and she knew she was supposed to be the one to break the news to the others.

With a sigh, she wiped the last traces of wetness from her face. "Ginny, something happened while we were fighting. That was the fight we had the night of your anniversary, right?" At Ginny's nod, Hermione nodded as well. "Well, it seemed to be the trigger, because we remember now, everything."

Ginny gasped. "Everything? Your memory is back?"

Hermione smiled, her eyes filling with tears again. "Yes. Everything. Every single, irritating, wonderful, frustrating and beautiful detail of our relationship."

***

It was over. As Hermione lay in bed later that night, Draco's arms securely wrapped around her and Ralph safely asleep, it occurred to Hermione that their marriage had gone through a difficult ordeal, but it was over. Everything could go back to normal.

"What are you thinking of?" Draco asked, seeing her smile. He gently traced her lips with his thumb, and her smile widened.

"Everything," she said, and he chuckled. "I was thinking of how much you and I have been through- both before our marriage, and after. If I had known, say, ten years ago, that I'd fall in love with you not once, but twice-" She broke off, and he laughed.

"I'd be speechless too," he said.

"It's amazing," Hermione murmured, bringing her hand to Draco's face, tracing his features. "I don't think it's been only twice, actually."

"It feels like three," Draco agreed, his eyes closing as he savoured Hermione's touch. "The first time, and then the second time when we had lost our memories- and again, when we remembered and I realized just how much I love you."

"Maybe it's not so much falling in love three times as it is realizing it three times." She smiled again. "I don't think anyone was as worried as we were, you know? They all seemed so certain we would remember."

"I think they were just sure we would love each other." He opened his eyes and pressed a soft kiss on her lips. "Even if we never remembered. Their faith is touching, though exasperating."

"Narcissa was so sure. She didn't doubt it for an instant."

"Well, she knows a lot about love, being married to my father for years," Draco chuckled. The smile faded from his face as he remembered advice Lucius had given him just earlier that evening- advice coming from a man who had been married to Narcissa for years.

'She's right, you know,' Lucius had said. 'After being married for almost thirty years, I can say that our wives are always right. So swallow your pride before you're proven wrong and agree to whatever she wants.'

But Draco, having too much pride to swallow, opted for a compromise instead. Or assent in the form of a compromise, anyway.

"I've been thinking," he began, looking at Hermione solemnly, "I don't want anything to get in the way of our marriage again. I love you too much." Briefly, he wondered if he was overdoing the sweetness, but the smile on her face said otherwise. "So I was thinking of a compromise. Ralph can go to school-" he grinned at Hermione's excited gasp, "but if the teachers say he's spilling the secrets of the wizarding world, or if he endangers the other children with his magic, then we'll get a tutor."

"And then when he's older and can control his magic better, we'll try putting him in school again."

Draco pursed his lips, unprepared for that supplication. "All right," he conceded, not wanting to argue. He kissed her again, sealing the deal.

"Well, I'm glad we remember," Hermione said, a while later. "I promised myself I'd never forget what your father looked like as a penguin."

Draco laughed. "He didn't seem pleased when I reminded him about that earlier," he said, smirking.

-END-