Love is a Crime

Love is a Crime

Chapter One - With These Rings

At night, he dreams of her.

He dreams of a world in which Harry Potter does not exist.

In this world, she belongs to him. Hermione's love for him is strong and sure, endless and enduring. He sees her as no one else does; she only shows her true self to him.

He loves to touch her. He loves the way her lips tease his when they kiss. He loves the way she moans underneath him as they make love. She doesn't hold anything back; it is when she is lying in his arms that her defences are down. She tells him all her secrets and dreams.

But when he wakes, she is not there beside him. It angers him that the witch he loves is being withheld from him, under the spell of a wizard who does not deserve her. Who cannot treat her as she deserves to be treated. Who cannot love her as he does.

Once his anger is abated, once he has calmed down and is able to think with an unclouded mind, he realises that it is only a matter of time.

He will force her to see her mistake. It is as he was once taught by a wise scholar - if you have a problem that is preventing you from obtaining what you seek, then simply eliminate the problem out of the equation to get the desired answer.

He knows what he desires - Hermione. He knows what the problem is - Harry Potter. And if it means that to get Hermione, he must eliminate Harry... then so be it.

He is not afraid.

---

Saturday, 5^th September, 2009

Harry Potter put down the book he was reading and stretched out with a yawn. It was a pleasant Saturday afternoon and he really thought he ought to be outside enjoying the sun, but he felt too lazy to move.

He was lying across the mattress, his feet on his side of the bed and his head on Hermione's pillows. Glancing to his left, he looked at her bedside table and smiled at the picture she kept there, sitting in a simple but elegant silver frame. It was the photo the young Italian boy had taken of them kissing on their first date in Florence. He picked up the frame and traced Hermione's outline with his finger. He watched his photographic self kiss her a few times before putting the photo back in its place, hidden behind the various thick tomes she had neatly stacked on the table.

In the new year, they'd redecorated certain parts of the house. Harry's room had been turned into the master bedroom, due to the size of the room and its location at the back of the house, overlooking the large garden. He'd agreed to move his study, which had previously been next door, to a spare room on the other side of the floor, and they'd knocked the walls out and expanded. Harry had helped pick fixtures and schemes, but had allowed Hermione to do most of the organising and decorating.

She'd ordered the biggest bed they could find. The frame was made of mahogany timber, with carvings lining the top of the head board. The quilt was a soft ivory colour, with brightly coloured cushions - hers were pink and red, his were blue and green - added to give it a dash of colour. The walls had been repainted a neutral cream and together they'd chosen some nice framed pictures to hang up. Hermione had picked one showing a panoramic view of Florence at night which Harry loved; it hung above their bed.

Hermione had gotten the bathroom she'd wanted. They'd installed a huge bathtub, complete with a grand number of taps with different scents flowing from them once turned on. The shower stall had been lengthened and twin shower heads installed on either side of the walls, allowing them each their own spray. The water flow was magically controlled, so they could change the temperature and pressure as often as they liked.

They now had a built-in wardrobe, the doors made of the same wood as their bed. Hermione had promptly shifted her entire wardrobe over and the only thing that divided their clothes were Harry's jumpers, which they shared. Harry loved the way his jumpers looked on Hermione. Dwarfing her frame, draped around her curves, it was a look that never failed to raise more than just the temperature in the room.

They both enjoyed spending time in their bedroom, even when they weren't sleeping or making love. Sometimes they would stretch out on the bed as Harry was currently doing and read quietly, touching in some way. Other times, they would sit together in the long window seat and talk about everything and nothing.

They had created a sanctuary in this room. A place where nothing was censored, where all defences crumbled and where they allowed themselves to be nothing more than just Harry or just Hermione; two people deeply in love with each other.

Harry picked his book back up and continued on. For his recent birthday, Hermione had indulged his passion for old Muggle films and books by buying him a huge library of both - fifty films from the forties, fifties and sixties; and fifty books, some classics, some modern, crossing many genres. It was an extravagant present, one which had left Harry speechless, but Hermione had merely grinned and told him to enjoy it since his birthday was but once a year.

And enjoy it, Harry had. Every weekend, he settled down to watch at least one of his new movies on their entertainment system, another purchase during the overhaul of the house. They'd installed a massive plasma screen television into one of the living room walls that mixed Muggle technology with magic. The magic allowed the figures to come out the screen and appear to be in mid air so Harry could also watch Quidditch matches as the figures zoomed from one end of the room to the other. Sometimes Hermione would cuddle up and watch the movie with him, but he knew she didn't like them as much as he did so she often went and did something else while he watched it. He also had some of the books on his bedside table and read a bit every night.

He looked up as she entered the room. Her hair had been haphazardly pinned up on top of her head, loose tendrils straying down over her face. She was dressed casually in jeans and a t-shirt, her face devoid of any make up, but Harry thought she looked beautiful. He always did.

Hermione kicked off her loafers and got onto the bed. Because Harry was lying on an angle, she lay down diagonally opposite him, facing away, but manoeuvred herself so that her head was lying on his chest.

"Hi," she said. "What are you reading?" She pulled his book up so she could read the spine. "Ah, The Catcher in the Rye. Good choice, I enjoyed that."

"Hi," he said back with a smile, kissing her forehead. "How's everything downstairs?"

Hermione had decided to spend an hour or two in the lab she had in their basement. After she'd taken over part ownership of the company, Hermione had scaled back the amount of work she did from home on the weekends, preferring to spend precious time with Harry. Sometimes, however, it was unavoidable, now that her duties had been expanded on a large scale. She oversaw many more projects than she had this time last year, although she still personally headed the Jobin's disease team.

"I think I've had enough for today. I really need to run some tests, but I'll leave them for Monday." She closed her eyes and snuggled close to him and he put the book down next to him and wrapped his arms around her. They stayed that way for a few moments, Hermione absently kissing Harry's jaw, then she opened her eyes again. "I guess we'd better get the shopping done so I can get dinner organised. Just let me change my top and fix my hair." She sat up, leaned over to kiss him, then got off the bed and went into the wardrobe. Harry watched her pull her t-shirt off and replace it with a short sleeved knitted top her parents had given her for Christmas. She slipped on her Doc Martens and disappeared into the bathroom.

Harry sat up and bookmarked his page, sliding off the bed and grabbing a jacket in case it began to cool outside while they were gone.

---

He sat in the chair, his fingers stroking his heated flesh languidly. Sometimes he could feel her perfect mouth surrounding him, her tongue gliding over his skin. He was facing the wall of pictures he'd lovingly put together over the years. Since her relationship with Potter had begun, they'd frequently been in the media, pictures of them together splashed across the tabloids.

As much as he hated how her mind had been poisoned by Potter, he liked how he was able to build up his wall. His own personal shrine to her. More pictures of her to smile and wave at him. Some of them showed her in reflection and it was these that he could look at for hours, where her beauty had been captured without her knowledge.

His plan was almost complete. It had taken months of work. Watching. Gathering knowledge. Waiting for the right moment. By the time he was finished, Hermione Granger would belong to him. Forever.

Spurred on by this knowledge, he fixed his gaze to the wall and continued stroking, pretending the fingers were hers. Some of the magical pictures were empty, the Hermione in the frames leaving once she'd seen what he was doing. But luckily, he had Muggle pictures of her too, where she was forever captured.

Much like the real Hermione Granger would be once he was done with her.

---

Harry grabbed a trolley and dutifully followed Hermione as she wandered down the first aisle of the local Muggle supermarket. While they could simply have ordered their groceries by owl and had them delivered by elves, they enjoyed being able to do such menial tasks by themselves. They went to Muggle supermarkets because there, they were just another two shoppers. There was a supermarket fifteen minutes drive from their house they went to every week so they would not be bothered by anyone.

Hermione had, as always, a neatly written up shopping list which she stuck to without deviating. Harry had been known to grab things not on the list and place them in the trolley, but Hermione was always quick to notice. Harry couldn't count the number of times Hermione had explained that she made a list up for a reason and if he wanted something, all he had to do was add it to the list, but just because they were well off didn't mean they should waste money on impulse shopping. Harry just grinned and kissed her in the middle of the supermarket until she relented with a breathy, "Okay, just this once." It worked every time.

Harry was in an extremely playful mood that afternoon and he teased Hermione relentlessly, sneaking things into the trolley every time she turned her back. When she took the rocky road ice cream back out of the trolley and turned to place it back in the freezer with a glare at him, he reached out and squeezed her behind, making her jump. She quickly put the carton back and turned to him.

"Harry!" she hissed, mortified. "What's gotten into you this afternoon?"

Harry gave her a cocky grin. "Just trying to make shopping a little fun, that's all. Lighten up, woman."

Hermione narrowed her eyes and placed her hands on her hips. "There's a difference between having fun and acting like a two year old, Potter. Knock it off."

Harry raised an eyebrow. "What are you going to do if I don't?"

Hermione's steady gaze didn't waver. "Do you want to sleep in the spare room tonight? Because if you keep it up, that's exactly where you'll be going."

Harry opened his mouth to retort, but instead pulled her to him and covered her lips with his own. He copped another feel and felt her smile against his lips. She pulled away after a few seconds, looking around to see if anyone else had seen them making out. There was nobody else around.

"I don't know why you think you can get away with everything just by kissing me," she said, her tone a mixture of exasperation and amusement.

"Maybe because I do?" he responded.

"Oh, shut up," she said, flushing, as he burst into laughter. She stood up on her toes and kissed him once more, then went back to her list and began to move on. His chuckles could be heard for quite a few more aisles.

---

The music was thumping and the room appeared to be shaking as Draco Malfoy entered the Muggle nightclub. The dance floor was swarming with hot, sweaty bodies and the lights shimmered and flashed in time with the music.

He always cast a colour-changing spell on his hair and eyes before embarking on his regular monthly outing; it wouldn't do to be recognised by anybody. Even though they frequented Muggle nightclubs instead of wizarding ones, they needed to be cautious. It certainly wouldn't do to have anyone they knew spot them together. The spell altering his appearance was just insurance.

Smoothing down a short, light brown lock, he looked around, trying to spot her. She was never able to fool him, regardless of what colour she happened to be. He'd been doing this too long and knew her body language too well to not know it was her.

He found her sitting at the bar; the short, tight, black mini dress and knee high black leather boots set off her shoulder length blonde hair and crystal blue eyes perfectly.

"Can I buy you a drink?" he asked.

"Sure. I'll have a cosmopolitan."

He ordered their drinks and watched as she stretched slightly, her long, shapely legs capturing his attention. He loved her legs, always had, and appreciated that when they met up, she always wore short items of clothing to show them off. Of course, before the night had ended she would be wearing even less, those legs wrapped tightly around him, but that was all in good time. There was no rush; they were here to enjoy the drinking and dancing before they moved their activity to the penthouse.

"So, where's the wife tonight?" she asked with a purr, sipping her drink.

Draco threw back his vodka and leered at her. "She's busy. Let's dance."

His lover laughed, noting that Draco was certainly hot to trot tonight. He must have had a hard day. She finished her drink and allowed him to lead her to the dance floor, where they moved against each other almost indecently.

The atmosphere was tantalizing and they had only been dancing for a short while when Draco pulled her to him, kissing her hard. She responded instantly, allowing her hands to wander down to his butt and squeezing tightly. She could feel his arousal against her stomach, and as their tongues duelled for supremacy, she felt her own arousal building. It wasn't going to take much tonight for them to end up naked and she knew that she was in for a long, hot night of shagging. Just what she adored about Draco, among many things.

Since they both enjoyed dancing, though, they bought some more drinks and hopped back onto the floor for a while longer. Somebody tried to cut in, but Draco sent him packing with a few choice words that made her giggle.

"You're so possessive," she said teasingly. "He wasn't going to steal me away."

Draco answered with a slow, deep kiss. "Too bad. You're not up for grabs. You're all mine."

"And my husband's," she pointed out lightly. Neither of them ever bothered to remove their wedding rings as it offered an extra cover for them.

"Yeah, and his too," Draco replied smugly, smirking at her and kissing her again.

Long moments later, she pulled back, taking his wandering hands off her behind. "I think we should go before we get thrown out," she suggested, grabbing his hand and leading him out of the club.

They moved into a dark, cold alleyway and, after checking to make sure nobody was watching, they Disapparated.

As soon as they got to the penthouse, they began to shed their clothing, kissing frantically and clutching at each other. It made the task a lot more difficult than normal and she screeched in frustration because she couldn't get his shirt off fast enough.

Draco grabbed his lover's wrists. "Wait a second. Let's remove the spell before we get too carried away."

Although they were happy to go out in disguise, when it came to their lovemaking, they never shielded their true selves from each other.

"Finite Incantatem," they whispered together, and she watched as his hair lengthened and lightened back to its platinum blonde and his eyes went from hazel to grey. He, in turn, watched her as her blonde hair got longer and turned back to its natural red, her blue eyes becoming brown.

"I think I like you as a blonde," Draco said lightly, tracing the top of Ginny's breasts with his finger.

"I think there's only enough room for one blonde in this family. Besides, redheads are sexier," Ginny smiled.

"I don't think you'll get any argument from me." He took her hand and placed it against his arousal. "You are incredibly sexy. Makes me want to ravish you on the spot."

Ginny raised an eyebrow and grinned at her husband. "What's stopping you?"

---

A rather long while later, Ginny moved her leg slightly where it lay over Draco's and snuggled into him. They were on the floor in front of the fire, a cushioning charm having been put in place once she'd been able to find the strength to get her wand.

Draco and Ginny had been playing this particular game for three years; Ginny had suggested it as a way to spice things up and keep their sex life interesting. Draco had been a little reluctant at first, but after their first night out, the sex had been too good to ignore, so they'd agreed to do it once a month. They always changed their hair and eye colour and stuck to Muggle nightclubs, afraid of being spotted and exposed in a gossip column. Of course, none of their close friends would believe either one of them would be cheating on the other, but it still wasn't something they wanted to have to explain. It was their little secret.

Shifting slightly as she lay on her side, Ginny placed soft, gentle kisses along Draco's jaw. He sighed quietly, tightening his arms around her as she pulled the blanket up.

"Well," she said, pressing a kiss to the corner of his mouth. "I think I'll be staying here forever."

Draco laughed, a deep rumble that emanated from his chest. "Not sure I'll be able to move any time soon either. Woman, what you do to me." He turned his head slightly in her direction and kissed her softly, his fingers threading through her fiery hair.

She kissed him back tenderly, then laid her head on his chest, his heartbeat thumping steadily. The sound relaxed her somehow and she found herself nodding off as Draco stroked her hair. Shifting so her head was back up next to his, she kissed him one last time, then allowed her exhaustion to pull her into slumber.

Draco watched his wife sleep, the fire behind her appearing to be dancing on her creamy skin. He continued to stroke her hair, then allowed himself to very carefully run a finger down her arm. She stirred but did not wake, and he found himself having a moment where his love for her threatened to overwhelm him completely. Love was not something he'd allowed himself to feel easily, but Ginny had refused to give up on him, even when he'd tried his hardest to push her away, for both their sakes.

As he kissed her forehead, Draco Malfoy thanked whomever needed to be thanked that Ginny Weasley loved him.

---

Sunday, 6^th September 2009

Gemma Weasley was on a mission. Now nine months old, her head covered in short, coppery curls, she was looking to make a quick getaway. This being able to crawl and move around was great fun. She was also rather fast and often made it great distances before her mother or father caught her.

Right now, she was at Uncle Harry and Aunty Hermione's house. She knew their house almost as well as her own, having spent much of her short life there. The adults were busy; Mummy, Aunty Hermione and Aunty Ginny were in the kitchen, organising dinner while Daddy, Uncle Harry and Uncle Draco were in the lounge room, watching a repeat of a Quidditch match on the big television. Daddy was supposed to be watching her as she sat in her play pen but Gemma was bored and didn't like being cooped up, so she'd stood up and stared at the bars that held her captive. When she blinked a few times, she found that one side had lowered enough for her to climb over, allowing her to set off on her adventure.

She got to the foyer and stopped. If she went straight ahead, she'd be in the kitchen and Mummy would catch her. If she went down the corridor, she'd end up outside. But to her immediate left were the stairs. Gemma plopped onto her bottom for a moment as her wide brown eyes examined the challenge before her. It would be tough to get up those stairs, but she could do it.

She got back onto her hands and knees and crawled over to the bottom step. With a determined look on her face, she crawled up the first one triumphantly. If she was quick and careful, she could get up to the top before anyone noticed.

"Gemma, what are you doing?" Arms reached down to pluck her off the bottom step. She looked up resignedly into her Uncle Draco's face. With a chubby finger pointed towards the stairs and a few frustrated grunts, she tried to tell him where she wanted to go.

"Your mother would have a fit, Gem. You can't go upstairs, cutie." He placed her on his hip and kissed the top of her head. "Come on, let's see what the girls are doing, eh?"

Gemma let out a short wail, disappointed at being stopped, but clung to Draco as he moved into the kitchen.

"How's it going?" Draco asked as he sat down, moving Gemma around to sit on his lap. He bounced her quietly as the women worked in tandem.

"Good. Hey, Gem," Ginny said with a smile. She came over and took the baby from her husband with a kiss, swinging her up into the air and kissing her face. Gemma laughed playfully, throwing her hands up and making fists. Ginny held her above her head a few times, blowing raspberries on her niece's tummy, which made her laugh and squirm.

"Was she getting bored in her play pen, Draco?" Kellie asked as she stirred the pot of pasta.

"You could say that," Draco responded in a neutral tone.

Kellie looked up at him. "What do you mean?" Kellie narrowed her eyes as it clicked what Draco was alluding to. "RONALD!"

Draco cringed slightly as Ron came running into the kitchen. "What? What's wrong?"

Kellie placed her hands on her hips as she turned to face her husband. "You're supposed to be looking after our daughter. You remember her, right?"

Ron looked over at his sister, who still held the baby, and then back at his wife. "Ginny has her," he said, the confusion obvious on his face.

"Only because Draco found her crawling all over the house! You're supposed to be watching her!"

A snort of laughter sounded from behind Ron and Kellie turned her gaze to Harry, who stood in the doorway. "You think this is funny, Potter? What if she'd hurt herself?"

"She can't hurt herself, Kel. We've got all the charms in place, remember? Even if she fell down the stairs, her fall would be cushioned and she'd be just fine." Harry came over and took his goddaughter from Ginny, giving her a hug. "You see everyone fussing over you, princess?"

Kellie sighed and looked at her husband. "You still should have been watching her, Ron."

Ron had the good grace to look chastised and he went over to kiss his wife. "I know, I'm sorry."

"Don't worry, Weasley, I'm sure she'll spank you later," Draco drawled with a smirk. Ginny looked at her husband and burst into silent laughter, trying to hide her mirth by placing her hand over her mouth. However, her shaking shoulders gave her away.

Hermione joined in soon after, then Harry followed, until the only sound coming from the kitchen was that of loud laughter. Gemma observed the scene and decided to be louder than everyone else, breaking out into a wailing fit of laughter and clapping her little hands, which made all the adults stop and stare at her adoringly. Just as she liked it.

---

The only light that illuminated the room came from the fire which roared in the centre. It was late and the room's occupants were getting tired. The evening had been all too much for the youngest Weasley; she was currently fast asleep in her father's arms, her head resting against his chest. Ron stroked her hair absently as they talked in low voices, so as not to wake the baby. Ginny had curled up in Draco's lap and Hermione was stretched out on the lounge next to Harry, her head on his shoulder.

"It's getting late, folks," Kellie eventually said with a yawn. She reached over her husband to lightly place a hand on their daughter's head. "We should get this one to bed."

Everyone rose and those leaving grabbed their cloaks. They all exchanged kisses goodbye and stood back as Draco and Ginny Disapparated to their penthouse. Ron carried Gemma carefully, making sure to tuck his cloak around her, while Kellie picked up the bag full of Gemma's things. Hermione placed a soft kiss on Gemma's forehead before the Weasleys headed home.

Harry waited until they'd disappeared from sight before he shut the door. Hermione had vanished.

"Hermione?"

"In the kitchen."

Harry went into the kitchen to find Hermione waving her wand over various parts of it. The dishes stacked themselves up next to the sink as, one by one, they jumped in to wash themselves. Once clean, they neatly piled into the drainer.

Stifling a yawn, Hermione wiped the table down and threw the cloth back into the sink. "I've had it. Let's go to bed."

Grabbing Harry's hand, she dimmed the fire and led him upstairs. Once they got to their bedroom, she stripped off her top and jeans, kicked her shoes off, and padded into the bathroom to wash her face and brush her teeth.

She emerged five minutes later, her hair in a ponytail. She removed the rest of her clothes and slipped into Harry's top while he used the bathroom. Flopping down onto her stomach on the bed, she closed her eyes while she waited for Harry.

Hermione felt the bed sag slightly as he climbed on next to her. Moments later, a finger trailed up and down the back of her thigh lightly, making her shiver. She opened an eye and found Harry on his knees, watching her intently.

Closing it again, she let him stroke her skin for a moment, then sighed. "That feels good," she said. "I can't wait until we leave, Harry. Twelve whole days alone. No work, no outside world. Just you and me." She held up her arm and waited for him to settle next to her, then placed it around his bare shoulders once he'd laid down beside her. He nuzzled her neck affectionately for a few moments and then Hermione turned her head to face him. "I also can't believe I'll be twenty nine soon," she mused. "I'm starting to feel old."

Harry laughed softly. "Twenty nine is hardly old, sweetheart."

"I know," Hermione answered. "But still, look at us now. If anyone had told me even two years ago that we'd be together, running our own company, I'd have laughed in their faces."

Harry stared into her eyes for a few long moments silently. Hermione could see the muscles in his jaw clench slightly, as if he was nervous about something. "Harry?" she asked. "What's wrong?"

"Are you--" Harry cleared his throat and tried again. "Are you happy, Hermione?"

Hermione just looked at him, her lips curling slowly into a grin. "Deliriously," she responded, leaning over to kiss him. She pushed him over onto his back and slid on top of him, capturing his lips in a series of soft, gentle kisses. After a few moments of teasing, she kissed him thoroughly, his mouth opening under hers. One of his hands came up to loosen her hair while the other slid down her back to her thigh. He rolled her over, kissing down her face and neck, and as she moaned in the way that always drove him insane, he started to undo her buttons one by one, placing gentle kisses as he went along.

---

Monday, 7^th September, 2009

Hermione rubbed her eyes as she woke, glancing over at the clock which sat on her bedside table. 7.30am. Time to get up. She gently nudged Harry, who lay on his stomach next to her.

"Time to get up, love," she murmured sleepily. She sat up and stretched, then glanced at Harry, who was pretending to ignore her. She could tell he was awake, though. His mouth had curled into a small smile. "Harry?"

"Go 'way," he muttered. "Am trying to sleep."

Hermione let out a small laugh. "I'm sure you are, but we have to get organised for work." She put on a bright grin and leaned over to kiss his cheek. "Come on, I'll let you wash me in the shower."

Harry raised an eyebrow, his eyes still firmly shut in protest. "You always let me wash you. You'll have to do better than that."

"Harry Potter, get your attractive but lazy arse out of bed now or I'll never make love to you again," she declared.

Harry finally opened his eyes and slowly pulled himself into a sitting position. "Pushy witch, aren't you?"

"Just figuring that out, are you?" She clucked her tongue. "Bit slow on the uptake."

"Oi," he returned. "That's more than enough out of you." He looked at her face, which was hovering right near his, and kissed her nose. "Come on then, my pushy but beautiful witch. Let's get showered and eat, because I'm starving."

Hermione climbed out of bed with Harry right behind her, and they showered and put on their bathrobes. Once in the kitchen, they worked in tandem to cook some breakfast, which they ate in companionable silence, Hermione reading The Daily Prophet while Harry skimmed the wizarding world's financial paper, Galleons and Sickles.

"Fred and George's stock has gone up again," Harry commented, finishing off his toast.

"I'm sure that's got a lot of to do with the Europeans shops," Hermione said. "Their stock has gone through the roof since they expanded. Last time I talked to George, he said the Paris store was the most profitable one of the lot."

"Even more than Ron's?"

"Apparently so," Hermione answered. "Although Diagon Alley is second."

They finished breakfast and then went back upstairs to get dressed, clean their teeth and grab their cases. Hermione's was filled to the brim with parchments she had brought home over the weekend to look over so she cast a quick expanding charm on her case and neatly stacked them inside, having already put them into alphabetical order the previous evening.

Taking Harry's outstretched hand, she allowed him to lead her downstairs where they grabbed their cloaks, then Disapparated to Diagon Alley.

---

After going through the normal security procedures to get into the building, Harry and Hermione walked to the wing that held their offices. Owls fluttered and soared above their heads; people passed them on their way to various destinations. Most of them greeted the owners of PGW Industries with a "Good morning" or at least a nod, but a few witches only blushed and glanced at Harry before moving quickly past them, which made Hermione smile. Harry offered a greeting to one in particular and she froze on the spot, her face turning bright red. Her mouth opened and closed a few times before a squeaked, "Hi!" was uttered and she dashed away.

Harry stopped walking and looked over his shoulder, watching her scurry away. "What was that all about?" he asked curiously.

Hermione tried very hard not to laugh, but the puzzled look on Harry's face got the better of her and she couldn't hold back.

"What?" Harry asked, a tinge of defensiveness in his voice. "What are you laughing at?"

"Oh, Harry," Hermione said, trying to contain her laughter. "You have no idea, do you?"

Harry raised his eyebrows. "No idea about what, Hermione? Please, do tell."

Hermione never got the chance to tell him anything, because a cheery "Good morning, Harry!" interrupted them. They spun around to find two young, pretty witches standing before them. They were instantly recognisable - there wasn't anyone who didn't know the Okelani twins. Descended from a long line of purebloods, they were two of the most talented spell and charm writers in the land, and when they'd applied for jobs at the company, Hermione had felt it could only be to the company's advantage to have them on board. Socially, however, their reputation was somewhat seedier - they were known for not being fussy about whether their latest conquests were already involved with other witches.

While they were twins, they were not identical. Sarea was the slightly taller of the two, her eyes a darker violet than her sister's. They both had long, dark hair, and striking features. Jade was the more subtle of the pair, although neither of them really knew the meaning of the word. They openly lusted after Harry and every other good looking wizard, married or not.

"Good morning, ladies," Harry replied. He felt slightly uncomfortable that they were completely ignoring Hermione; it wasn't as if they couldn't see her standing right next to him. It wasn't the first time they'd done so, however, and he was quite sure it wouldn't be the last. He ran his thumb over the back of her hand slowly, a small, comforting gesture.

Sarea simply stood there and straightened up, sticking her chest out. However, Jade acknowledged Hermione with a quiet, "Dr. Granger," and slight nod of her head.

"How are you this morning?" Hermione asked no one in particular.

Sarea looked straight at her, as if noticing her for the first time. "I'm just fine, Dr. Granger," she purred, placing emphasis on Hermione's surname. Hermione frowned.

"Can we help you with something?" Harry asked pointedly.

"Ah, yes," Sarea answered, giving him her full attention. "I wanted to go over a spell with you that I have been working on for the Jobin's project." She stopped and licked her full lips. "If you have time, of course."

"I'm sure if you send an owl to Hermione," Harry gestured towards Hermione with his free hand, "she will be able to fit you into her schedule. Hermione is, as I'm sure you know, the team leader for the Jobin project, so run it by her. Have a good day, ladies." Without waiting for a response, he led Hermione away.

Sarea watched them leave and then placed her hands on her hips, her face scrunching up in distaste.

Jade looked at her sister and rolled her eyes. "You are so pathetic sometimes, Sarea," she said.

Sarea spun around to face her sister. "What is that supposed to mean?" she demanded.

Jade merely laughed. "You were fawning all over him. And this entire game of thinking if you ignore Hermione she might simply disappear is not going to work. You don't even like Harry like that! Or have you forgotten the unattainable wizard whom you claim captured your heart years ago?"

Sarea licked her lips and smiled at the thought. "No, of course I haven't forgotten Draco," she purred. "But, as you pointed out, there is the small matter of his not being single." She hesitated and raised her eyebrows. "For now, anyway."

"Not now, not ever, Sarea," Jade intoned. "He's a married man and that's not likely to ever change in your lifetime."

"My dear sister," Sarea smirked. "Need I remind you that it is you who harbours a crush the size of Scotland on our esteemed employer?"

Jade's face reddened. "So? I'm allowed to think Harry Potter is attractive. I'm hardly the only witch who thinks so!"

Sarea patted her shoulder. "At least you still have a chance," she mused wistfully.

Jade let out an unladylike snort. "Hardly. It's only a matter of time before he marries Hermione."

"We'll see," Sarea said, her eyes lighting up.

"You're incorrigible," Jade offered with a laugh. "We'd better get to work before we are overheard." She grabbed her sister's sleeve and led her to their lab before she could say anything else.

---

Harry didn't let go of Hermione's hand until they reached their office where they found their assistant already seated. Nancy Fimmel had been chosen over the several thousand candidates that had forwarded their resumes when Harry and Hermione had advertised for a personal assistant. As Harry had moved in to take an active role and Hermione's overall responsibilities had expanded, they'd agreed that they needed someone trustworthy and reliable to assist them in day-to-day activities.

After weeding out those witches who had sent photos of themselves blowing kisses at Harry, those who clearly had no idea what the position entailed and had only applied for it because they wanted to be near Harry, and those who were just plain unsuitable, Hermione had gotten the shortlist down to fifty. She, Harry and Elias had then gone through them all and picked ten candidates for interview. They were all in agreement that Harry would be more of a hindrance than a help, so Hermione and Elias had conducted the interviews.

Nancy had been the overall winner and Hermione had never once regretted choosing her. She was in her forties, had a fondness for cats and often changed her hair colour to suit her mood. Divorced, her ex-husband Marlowe was a private investigator who lived in Los Angeles, although he sometimes came over to visit her. Hermione sensed there was still a strong bond between Nancy and her ex, but had never pushed for information.

Above all else, Nancy was calm, dependable, completely loyal and extremely witty with a somewhat dry sense of humour. She enjoyed occasionally teasing Harry about his status in the wizarding world as one of the most sought after wizards around. Most times, Harry was adorably oblivious, which never failed to make Hermione grin.

Nancy looked up as they entered. "Morning Harry, Hermione."

"Good morning," they said in unison. "Any messages?" Hermione asked.

Nancy held out both hands, each holding a pile of small parchments. "Busy Monday today, it would seem. Have a nice weekend?"

Harry nodded his thanks and took his pile, sifting through them quickly. "Quite good, thanks. How about you?"

Nancy smiled lasciviously. "Marlowe arrived unexpectedly on Friday night and I only kicked him out this morning. Yeah, I had a great weekend."

Hermione laughed. "Certainly sounds like it." Nancy winked at her. "We'll have to have lunch and you can fill me in."

"Sounds good. You can buy," Nancy said.

"Deal." Hermione smiled and flipped through her messages. "Oh no," she breathed. "Sara Zorbon from the Potions wing owled to say two of the potions they were using in the Andromeda experiment exploded over the weekend." Hermione frowned. "I guess I'd better make this my priority for this morning. I wonder what went wrong?"

She absently followed Harry into his office. When they'd taken over their new roles, they'd made some changes to the structure of the company, and upon moving into their new offices, they'd put in a door that connected both rooms. Most times it was left open so they could talk without having to get up and they were able to move freely from one office to another without going outside to do so.

They'd also moved Elias nearer to them, so when one walked into the outer office, they would encounter Nancy on the right, Elias' office on the left, and Harry and Hermione's straight ahead, Hermione's nearest Nancy.

Hermione finished reading her messages and sighed. "I'd better go take a look at this Potions mess and see what happened. At least nobody was injured."

"Okay. Elias and I have a nine thirty with the cauldron supplier."

Hermione raised an eyebrow. "Sort him out, would you? He's gotten beyond annoying with his constant owls about the pricing. I'm just about ready to tell him to shove the cauldrons up his--"

"Yes, darling," Harry said wryly. "I think we all know what you think of the bloke. Why do you think Elias and I are meeting him and not you?"

Hermione gaped at him. "Harry Potter, I hope you are not insinuating that I would not be able to be anything but reasonable with this wizard were I to meet with him."

"Of course not," Harry said with a cocky grin. "Don't frown, love. I'm just teasing you." He leaned in and kissed her soundly, then patted her bottom. "Go sort out the potions mess and I'll sort out Mr. Cauldron."

"Don't take any crap from him, Harry. Tell him we're not going to pay any more than we already are and that he has a bloody cheek wanting to put his prices up."

"I will. Don't worry about it." He kissed her once more and nudged her towards the door.

She stopped as she got to the doorway, looking over her shoulder. "Oh, and Harry, tell him--"

"Hermione," Harry cut in. "Don't worry about it, love. We'll deal with him, promise."

Hermione bristled a bit, but relented. "Okay. Good luck." She smiled at him and he blew her a kiss. Once she was gone, he breathed a sigh of relief. He was sure Hermione was going to insist on attending the meeting and he hadn't relished picking up the pieces once Hermione had chewed this bloke up and spat him back out again. She'd been livid enough upon receiving his owl.

He sat in his chair and went through his messages, sorting them into those that were urgent and those that were not, then decided to grab a cup of tea before he caught up with Elias.

---

So, they were going away. His tart at PGW Industries had once again come through and she'd owled him, mentioning in passing that his beloved Hermione was going on a private holiday with Potter. He lived for these daily missives in which the stupid young witch he was shagging for information passed on every tidbit she heard. She was in a viable enough position that she heard a lot of gossip -- gossip she loved to pass on -- which was why he had chosen her. She thought he was interested in her, in her job, in her life. He couldn't have cared less about her; she was nothing, compared to his goddess. But she was good in bed and willing to learn, so he got to have a little fun with her, too.

Taking slow, deep breaths, he tried not to get angry. He counted to ten and looked at his wall. Hundreds upon hundred of photos of Hermione stared at him, all attached one by one with his tender, loving hands. More than half of the wizarding ones were empty, but there were still plenty to look at. He moved across the room to a Muggle shot of her, taken a few years previously. God, she was beautiful. The most beautiful witch to ever draw breath. He'd been so close to making her his... only to have him take her away. He was sure that, given half the chance, he could be put alone in a room with that pathetic excuse for a wizard and crush the life out of him with his bare hands.

He filed that idea away in the back recesses of his dark mind. A mind filled with turmoil. Want. Lust. Desire. Hate. Love. So many emotions and feelings that sometimes his head hurt. If only his Hermione was there to soothe him. He was sure that her gentle touch and soft voice would make him feel worlds better.

He just wished there was some way he could make her see the light. Make her snap out of the spell Potter had her under. He fully understood it wasn't Hermione's fault; she'd been cajoled and misled. Potter didn't really love her, not the way he could. Nobody could love her the way he could. Nobody could make her as happy. Why couldn't she see that?

He sat down in the big leather chair he kept in front of the wall, where he would sit for hours on end and stare at her. And as he relaxed, his dark thoughts began to drift away. Soon, his life would be better, when she was his.

Soon.

---

Thursday 10^th September 2009

"Harry," Nancy announced. "You have a visitor."

"Really?" He looked at the small, holographic book that hovered a few inches from his desk. "I don't have anything in my diary."

"It's your godfather."

"Oh, send him in please."

He stood as the door opened and Sirius strode into the room. He had donned simple black robes and his greying black hair was neatly combed back. "Sirius, what a nice surprise. Why didn't you tell me you were going to be in the area?"

Sirius shrugged and moved to embrace his godson, then took a seat opposite him. "Decided to go on a spur of the moment wander through Diagon Alley."

"Run out of ink again?"

Sirius laughed. "And parchment." Sirius had starting writing in the new year, something Harry had encouraged. What Sirius was writing was a mystery he wasn't quite ready to share. Harry had discussed it with Hermione several times and they had come to the conclusion that he might have finally been exorcising the demons long held in check from his Azkaban days. Whatever it was that he was writing had kept him busy because Sirius was forever running out of ink, quills and parchment. He could have owled Scribbulus Everchanging Inks but he liked to venture out of the house every now and then, and he always called into the business he partially owned to see his godson and say hello.

"I'm glad you're here," Harry said. "I was going to pay you a visit anyway."

"Something on your mind?"

"Yes, but let me check something first." Harry rose out of his chair and stuck his head through the doorway that led to Hermione's office. Finding it empty, he called Nancy to check her whereabouts. After being told she was on the other side of the building in the South Wing, he smiled. "Some news I wanted to share with you, actually. I'd like to ask you for your blessing." He got up and moved around to where Sirius sat, then perched himself on the edge of the desk. "I'm going to ask Hermione to marry me."

Sirius stared at his godson for a few long moments. "Harry," he said, clearing his throat. "I am -- well, I'm thrilled. And so very, very proud of you." He stood and embraced Harry, who put his arms around the older wizard. "James and Lily would have been, too," Sirius murmured quietly into his ear. "They would have adored Hermione."

Harry pulled back to look at Sirius, the mention of his parents and the thought of what they would have made of the witch he loved making him unexpectedly emotional. He blinked rapidly a few times. "Do you think so?"

"I know so. Lily and Hermione would have gotten along very well, and James would have seen a lot of Lily in her. I know I do." Sirius clapped his back. "You certainly do have my blessing, not that you need it."

"I know, but I wanted it. You're the closest thing to a father I've ever had, Sirius. Your blessing means everything to me."

Now, it was Sirius' turn to blink back tears. "I love you, Harry. Nobody could have asked for a finer son."

"I love you too, Sirius." The two men regarded each other silently and after one final embrace, Harry sat back down on the desk. "I'm going to ask her on her birthday while we're away."

"What a lovely surprise," Sirius said with a smile. "Have you got the ring yet?"

"Yes, I have. It's in my vault at Gringotts because I'm terrified of losing it. I'll get it the afternoon before we go."

"Wise move," Sirius commented. He sat back in the chair and stared at Harry for a few seconds, his thoughts lost in memories of long ago. "I remember the first time I ever held you," he said. "You were only half an hour old. The thing I remember most was the tuft of jet black hair atop your wee noggin. James made a joke about you having the exact same shade as me." Sirius grinned madly as Harry listened intently, intrigued as he always was at the mention of his childhood. "Of course, Lily just hit him in the arm and handed him his son." His voice sounded as if it was far away and he sat silently in repose for a few moments before shaking his head. "It seems like yesterday sometimes." He focused on the child of his best friends. "I miss them."

"I know you do," Harry said softly. "I miss them too, but not the way you do."

Sirius smiled wistfully and opened his mouth to speak, but was interrupted when someone said his name. They looked up to find Hermione standing in the doorway. "What a nice surprise!"

"That's what your better half said when I arrived," Sirius teased. "I think you've been hanging around him too long."

"Better half?" Hermione replied in an I-don't-think-so tone. "Still, it is nice to see you. Have you run out of writing supplies?"

"Yes, and I'd better get a move on to get some more." He got up and gave Harry one last embrace, then turned to Hermione, who had crossed the room and was standing by his side. He held her tightly for a few long moments, causing Hermione to throw a puzzled glance over his shoulder at Harry, who just shrugged. Sirius eventually let her go and kissed her cheek. "If I don't see you beforehand, have a wonderful birthday while you're away, Hermione. I'll owl your gift when you return." He squeezed her once more and then disappeared out the door.

Hermione watched him go and then turned back to Harry, who was still leaning on his desk. "What was that all about?"

"No idea," Harry replied nonchalantly.

Hermione eyed him suspiciously. "Hmmm, I think--"

She never got to say what she was thinking because Harry pulled her into his arms and covered her lips with his. She surrendered with a sigh and kissed him back, curling her arms around his neck.

---

Friday 11^th September 2009

Hermione nervously fingered the strap of her bag as she waited in the reception area of Magical Memories for Ginny. Inside her bag was a velvet box. A box that, while small, meant a great deal.

Ginny only kept her waiting ten minutes, but those ten minutes felt like ten years. "Hey, Hermione," she greeted her friend sunnily, kissing her cheek. "Been waiting long?"

"About ten minutes."

Ginny stopped and stared at her, frowning. "Are you okay? You look awfully pale."

"I'm fine," Hermione said in a rush. "I just... need to speak to you. Privately."

Ginny raised a questioning eyebrow. "Do you want to go into my office for a bit?"

Hermione nodded and Ginny grasped her hand gently, leading the way. Once they were both seated, Ginny looked at her friend. "Whatever it is, spit it out. You look as if you're going to be sick."

Hermione breathed deeply. "I'm not sick, just a little nervous."

"Nervous about what, love?"

Hermione looked at Ginny and relaxed at the redhead's calm demeanour. She knew she could trust her. "Every year, I give myself something for my birthday." Ginny nodded; this was something she knew. "This year, I'm doing something a little different."

Hermione cleared her throat and extracted the velvet box. "Although it's not something I've bought for me, it's something I want more than anything." She pushed the box across the table towards Ginny.

Ginny looked at the box, then back at Hermione. With careful fingers, she picked it up and opened it to find a plain platinum band nestled within. "May I?" she asked. Hermione nodded and Ginny took the band out of its setting and picked it up. Upon closer inspection she saw the etchings around the band and the words engraved on the inside. It was obviously too big for Hermione.

The ring was for Harry.

Ginny was puzzled for a moment, but then the sickle dropped and she realised what was going on.

Hermione was going to ask Harry to marry her.

"Oh, Hermione," Ginny breathed. "You're going to propose?"

Hermione bit her lip. "Do you think I shouldn't?" she said, the nervousness evident in her tone. "I know it's traditional for the man to ask the woman, but we've been together almost a year, and... " She trailed off for a few seconds. "I really want to marry him, Gin. We've talked about it and I know he wants to get married, but he hasn't given any indication that he might ask me any time soon, so I thought... "

"You thought you'd ask him," Ginny finished off gently, putting the ring carefully back in its box.

"It's a stupid idea, isn't it?"

Ginny rose out of her chair wordlessly and went to Hermione, giving her a hug. "No, sweetie," she said, suddenly feeling a bit teary. "I think it's a beautiful idea."

---

Ron picked up the box that Harry had laid nervously in front of him and flipped the lid open.

"Wow," he said. "It's lovely, but I'm not sure the pink goes with my hair."

Harry breathed out nervous laughter. "It's okay?"

Ron grinned and slouched over the counter of his shop. "It's gorgeous. And very big. How many carats are we talking here?"

"Three, all up."

Ron let out a long whistle. "She'll need a bodyguard just for that finger." He grinned up at his best friend, whose wide green eyes held his.

"Do you-- " Harry paused, swallowing past the lump in his throat. "Do you think she'll say yes?"

Ron raised an eyebrow. "You're not seriously asking me that question, are you?"

A flash of irritation crossed Harry's face. "You're not helping here."

Ron stood up and handed the ring back. "That's because you're being a total arse. Of course she'll say yes!" He chuckled. "You're hopeless sometimes, you know that? Stop worrying. I'd be surprised if she lets you finish the question before she says yes."

Harry breathed out deeply. "I'm a bit nervous about asking. I'm having lunch with Judy and Vincent on Monday to get their blessing."

Ron raised an eyebrow. "Ah. Do they know why you're coming?"

"I suspect so. Wouldn't take a genius to figure it out. We're going away for twelve days, I want to talk to them, and I asked them not to mention it to Hermione."

"When are you planning to propose?"

Harry smiled, the first genuine smile Ron had seen all afternoon. "On her birthday."

"Nice. I'll keep some champagne chilled for your return." He glanced over at the clock. "I'd better shut up shop and head home. No doubt your goddaughter has been trying to escape again. She's like a Cornish Pixie, that one."

Harry laughed. "She's adorable."

"Not at two o'clock in the morning when she wants to play, she isn't."

---

Monday 14^th September 2009

Harry straightened his tie and breathed in deeply as he stood on the doorstep of the Grangers' house. He was hard pressed to think of a time when he felt as nervous as he did right now. Harry knew he didn't need their permission to ask their daughter to marry him, but he did want their blessing and he knew Hermione would be thrilled that he'd gone to them to ask for her hand.

He rang the doorbell and waited a few seconds before the door swung open.

"Hello, Harry," Vincent Granger greeted him with a handshake. "Come in." He opened the door and Harry stepped into the house.

"Harry, you're here!" Judy Granger smiled as she stepped into view. She went over and gave him a hug, and he kissed her cheek. "Come into the living room, I've just put the kettle on."

The three of them went into the living room and sat down, Hermione's parents on one couch, Harry in the one next to them.

There was silence for a few long moments and the Grangers exchanged a glance.

Finally, Vincent spoke. "You said you wanted to talk to us about something, Harry? Is everything okay with you and Hermione?"

In spite of his nervousness, Harry smiled. "Everything is just fine with me and Hermione. Very much so. She's the reason I'm here." Taking a deep breath, he rose, perched himself on the coffee table in front of them, and took Judy's hand in his. "Judy, Vincent," he started, looking at each one in turn. "There are no words in any language that can describe the depth of my love for your daughter. She is my life." He noticed Judy's eyes well up with tears and Vincent's wrinkled as he smiled. "So, I was wondering if you'd agree to be my mother- and father-in-law."

Harry looked at them and waited as they exchanged looks, then turned back to him. "We'd love to be, Harry," Vincent said with a wide smile.

Judy burst into tears, throwing her arms around Harry's neck. "You're getting married! Oh, Harry, we're so thrilled."

Harry closed his eyes briefly, relief overwhelming him, as he put his arms around Judy. "She hasn't said yes yet," he chuckled.

"I wouldn't worry about that," Vincent assured him. "I haven't seen Hermione quite this happy before, ever. I'm sure that's in no small part because of you. You most definitely have our blessing."

Judy pulled back, dabbing at her eyes with a handkerchief Vincent mysteriously pulled from nowhere. "Are you going to ask her while you're away?"

Harry nodded. "It's one of her birthday presents."

"Oh, she's going to be so excited! And what fun, a wedding to plan!"

"Slow down, dear," Vincent said, reaching over and patting his wife's hand. "Let them get engaged first before you go making any plans." He raised his eyebrows at Harry, who laughed.

"Right. Well, I can start planning things while you're away, then."

Vincent noticed the look of alarm that flitted across Harry's face. "Judy, I think it's Harry and Hermione who'll be making the plans, don't you?"

Judy stood as the kettle whistled. "Well, yes, of course, dear. But I'm the mother of the bride!" She crossed the room and disappeared before either man could speak.

"Want a piece of advice, Harry?"

"I'd love some."

"Make it a very short engagement."

---

Tuesday 15^th September 2009

Hermione opened the door to the Magical Memories office and quietly announced her arrival, then took a seat and looked around the reception area as she waited for Ginny. The room was large, bright and airy. Photographs of weddings the company had co-ordinated hung around the room and there were several albums on the large mahogany table. Ginny really had done well for herself, Hermione thought.

"I'll be back in an hour or two," Ginny told the young witch behind the desk as she came out of her office. "I'm not expecting any owls." The girl nodded and Ginny turned to Hermione, greeting her with a grin and a kiss on the cheek. "You ready to go shopping?" she asked with a twinkle in her eye.

"You still haven't told me exactly what we're going shopping for," Hermione said as Ginny led her out of the office. Ginny's owl from earlier that morning had been scant in detail, other than the fact Hermione's presence was required that afternoon for a spot of shopping. "Care to let me in on the secret?"

Ginny smiled mysteriously, the kind of smile that always gave the recipient the feeling that they were not going to like what was to follow. "You'll see soon enough. I just wanted to buy you a present for the holiday."

"We're going to a deserted island, Gin," Hermione stated as they walked along Diagon Alley, Ginny slightly in the lead. "What could we possibly need that we don't already have?"

"Oh, I can guarantee you won't have this." Ginny's voice was almost a purr and Hermione frowned.

"You're up to something shifty, aren't you?"

Ginny clutched her chest dramatically. "Oh, you wound me," she cried.

Hermione laughed. "Perhaps you should have considered acting as a career instead."

The redhead grinned at her friend, oblivious to the stares and whispers the two witches were garnering from passers-by. "Just shut up and keep walking. The sooner we get there, the sooner you can go."

Hermione sighed, resigned to her fate, and took note as Ginny led them out of Diagon Alley into one of the many smaller alleys that branched off. They didn't stop until they were standing outside a large shop, the name displayed with a flourish on the window.

Madam Calliope's

Purveyor of the finest lingerie in Britain

Hermione stared at the shop, mouth open. "A lingerie shop?"

"Absolutely. We need to get you something that will have Harry drooling for days. Come on." She grabbed the sleeve of Hermione's robe and dragged her inside before she could protest.

A young witch of medium height with long blonde hair and crystal blue eyes covered in gold frames appeared out of nowhere, startling Hermione. "Can I help you with any -- oh, hi, Ginny! I didn't realise it was you."

Ginny grinned at the assistant. "How are you, Charlotte?"

"Well, thank you. Looking for something new?"

"Yes, but not for me this time. We're just going to browse."

"No problem. Oh, by the way, I got an owl this morning that your handcuffs will be here day after tomorrow. Shall I owl them to you or do you want to come and collect them?"

"If you could owl them and put it on my account, I'd appreciate it." Ginny favoured her with a bright smile.

"No problem. Just call out if you need assistance with anything!" And just as quickly as she arrived, she was gone again, leaving Hermione to wonder if she had been a figment of her imagination.

But something she had said repeated in Hermione's head and she turned to Ginny, a smile curling the corner of her lips. "Handcuffs?"

"Yes," Ginny nodded enthusiastically. "They're a Muggle contraption that you--"

"I know what they are, Gin," Hermione interrupted. "I just wondered why -- no, I don't think I want to know, somehow."

Ginny slanted a saucy look in her direction. "No, I don't think you do either. Shall we look around?"

Hermione sighed. "Why not?" she said in acquiescence. "You won't let me out of here without buying something, I'm sure."

"Right you are. I'm glad you realise it. Come on."

They made their way around the shop, Hermione turning various shades of red and going from letting out shocked gasps to giggling like a four year old.

"What about this one?" Ginny said, holding up a set that made Hermione's mouth open.

She eyed the lingerie Ginny was holding. "Where's the rest of it?"

Ginny burst out laughing. "That's it!"

"Ginny!" Hermione spluttered. "That's just... just... scraps of material! You couldn't even call that underwear." Out of curiosity, she waved her wand over the item and the price magically appeared in the air.

Hermione's eyes widened. "Fifty galleons? For this? You've got to be kidding me."

Ginny merely shrugged. "I think it's rather pretty," she said, fingering the sheer black material. "You'd have Harry begging for it."

"It is nice," Hermione allowed. "But it's terribly expensive, Gin, and it's hardly going to hide anything!"

Ginny laughed. "That's the point, Hermione. It's not supposed to hide anything."

Hermione stared at the two piece set. It was attractive, but was it really her? "I don't know, Gin," she said, biting her lip. "It's not really... " she let her voice trail off.

"You?" Ginny filled in for her. Hermione nodded, and Ginny held the lingerie out to her. "Why don't you just try it on and see what you think? I think it's just perfect for you -- simple but elegant. Classy. Harry will just die when he sees you in it and you definitely have reason to wear it." Ginny winked at her, encouraging her to try it on.

The vision of Harry's face at the sight of her clad in them was enough to have Hermione take the set from Ginny. "Okay, I'll try it on."

Ginny just grinned smugly at her and wandered off to have a look around. Hermione was back at her side five minutes later. "So?"

A blush spread across her cheeks. "I'll buy it."

Ginny let out a small squeal of excitement. "Excellent! But you're not buying it, I am. Consider it an early engagement present."

"Shhhh!" Hermione chided, looking around wildly to ensure they had not been overheard. "He hasn't said yes yet."

"But he will," Ginny said in a firm tone. "Let's buy this before you change your mind." She took the lingerie from Hermione's hand and strode over to the counter, where the witch called Charlotte was standing. "We'll take this please, Charlotte. Put it on my account."

Charlotte nodded and wrapped the set in a sheet of almost translucent paper, then placed it carefully into a bag and handed the bag to Ginny, who passed it on to Hermione. "Have a good afternoon."

Ginny smiled her thanks and the two witches stepped out of the shop, the sun hitting their faces. "It's such a beautiful day. Seems a waste to go back indoors."

"Yes, it is a nice day," Hermione agreed. "I've only got this afternoon to get organised before we leave, though, so I really must get back to work." They made it back to Diagon Alley and stopped outside PGW Industries. "Thank you for the present, Gin," Hermione said, embracing the younger witch warmly.

"Oh, it's Harry I expect that will be showering me with thanks later," Ginny replied, hugging her back. "Owl you tonight."

Hermione nodded and waited until Ginny had disappeared from view, then went inside. She made her way to the North wing where their offices were located and headed straight for Harry's office. Nancy, she noted, was not at her desk.

"I'm back," she said, sticking her head through the open doorway.

Harry looked up. "Hi, love. Did you buy anything?"

"Er," Hermione hesitated. "Yes, Ginny bought me something."

Harry put down his quill. "Are you planning on showing me?"

"No. You'll have to wait until we're away."

"Tease," he said with a grin. "Telling me you have something and then making me wait?"

Hermione just smiled and deposited the bag into her office, then went back into Harry's. He pushed his chair back with his foot and she perched herself on his lap, greeting him properly with a kiss.

"It's a beautiful day out there," Hermione commented. "A pity we can't leave early."

"I know, but just think," Harry smiled, "this time tomorrow we'll be on a deserted island, just you and me."

"I can't wait," Hermione said softly, resting her forehead against his. "I'd better get moving. Meg from the Herbology division wants me to take a look at a new plant she's been harvesting. Thinks we might be able to use it in some potions, and it's cheap to grow." Giving him a lingering kiss, she reluctantly stood up and left the office.

Harry watched her go, and the thought that he could go into her office and sneak a peek at her new purchase flitted through his mind, but then the thought of being busted ruled it out.

He was sure the surprise would be worth the wait.

---

Wednesday, 16^th September 2009

Harry and Hermione took an early portkey to the main gateway island and then Apparated across to the private island Harry had booked for their getaway.

Paradise Island, they would find in the coming days, was aptly named. Sitting off the coast of Spain, they were greeted by a young witch who was awaiting their arrival. She introduced herself as Pamela and explained that she would be their hostess for the duration of their holiday. Anything they wanted, they just had to let her know via the small owl which had been assigned for their stay.

She led them to their villa, which was large, open and sunny. Wishing them a pleasant stay, she left them to settle in.

Hermione promptly took herself on a tour around their temporary home. "Wow, nice place!" she commented as she came back into what she assumed was the living room. "It's so big."

"And very secluded, don't you think?" Harry asked, smirking at her. "Just what the doctor ordered." He pulled her into his arms and dipped her with a flourish, kissing her.

Hermione broke into laughter. "It's perfect, Harry. There doesn't appear to be anyone else around."

"There isn't," Harry told her. "I booked out the entire island."

Hermione gasped. "The entire island?"

"It's not really all that big. We can walk around it in half a day."

"Ah." Hermione nodded and ventured outside onto the balcony where their villa overlooked lush green forest, beach, and small lagoons. "Well, I'm certainly not complaining," she said as Harry came up behind her, curling his arms around her waist and resting his chin on her shoulder. Hermione turned and kissed his cheek softly. "We've certainly earned this break and I'm so looking forward to having time together, just the two of us." She smiled at the man she loved and he smiled back, brushing his lips against hers.

"How about we leave the unpacking for later and hit the nearest beach?"

"I like the way you think, Mr. Potter." She kissed him one last time and went back inside to find her swimsuit.

---

They spent the next few days exploring the island at leisure, taking long walks and relaxing under the sun. Hours at a time were spent lazing on the beach, reading and snoozing. Hermione hadn't realised just how much they'd needed this break to recharge themselves and it was so nice to be able to have time alone with the love of her life away from all the external pressures they faced every day. On top of everything else, Hermione found herself falling in love with Harry all over again, even though she hadn't thought it possible.

The night before her birthday, they'd chosen to eat outside as dusk fell. They'd only been there for a few days, but Hermione was so relaxed it felt as if it had been weeks. Once they'd finished dinner, Hermione curled up in Harry's lap and together they watched the sun set, their fingers intertwined.

"Have you ever seen anything more beautiful?" Hermione asked dreamily, her gaze on the colours that currently painted the sky above them.

"Yes, I have," Harry said quietly. "I'm looking at her."

Hermione turned her head to look at him, and when she stared into his eyes, all she saw was love. Deep, abiding, unconditional love. Love for her.

"Oh, Harry," she answered softly. "That is possibly the sweetest thing anyone has ever said to me." She paused, squeezing his hand. "I love you so much."

Harry smiled. "I love you more."

After a good ten minutes of snogging, Harry picked Hermione up in his arms and moved the action into the bedroom.

---

Harry rose early the next morning and took out the carefully hidden container, then met Pamela in the pre-arranged spot.

"Good morning, Harry," she greeted him cheerily.

"Good morning, Pamela. Thank you so much for your help with this. I won't stay because I don't want Hermione to realise I'm gone, but here's what I need buried." He handed his cargo over to her.

"You're very welcome, it's my pleasure. I'll do it right now. Have a great day! Hope it all goes well for you." Waving over her shoulder, she disappeared to perform the task he'd arranged with her weeks previously.

Harry slipped back to the villa, pleased to find Hermione still sprawled in bed. He got back into bed and held her until breakfast arrived, then set it up outside and went back in to wake the witch he hoped would be his fiancée before the sun set that day.

He kissed her neck as she roused from slumber. "Good morning, birthday girl. The sun is shining and breakfast is ready."

Hermione yawned and stretched, sitting up. "Time to get up already?" she asked sleepily with a smile, her eyes still closed. Harry nodded as his lips caressed her warm skin, and she cracked an eye open. "Does this mean I'm now twenty nine?"

"It does indeed. It also means you have presents, so the sooner we eat, the sooner you can open them." He watched as Hermione rubbed her eyes and opened them properly, blinking a few times to adjust to the sun. "Good morning," she murmured, rising out of bed and donning a robe.

"Happy birthday, Hermione," Harry said as he held her close, stroking her hair.

"Thank you, love," she said. "I think it's going to be a great day. The weather's certainly co-operating."

They kissed for a few moments, then went out and ate a hearty breakfast. Once done, Harry made Hermione close her eyes while he brought her presents out. When she opened them, she gasped at the sheer number of wrapped gifts that sat on the table.

"There's so many!"

Harry grinned. "I got everyone to owl their presents before we left so I could bring them with me."

"Thank you," Hermione said with a kiss. "Where do I start?"

She made her way through them all, grinning madly at the framed parchment that had Gemma's hand and footprints on it (a present from her goddaughter, according to the accompanying note that had Gemma's name in childish scrawl. One of her parents had obviously held the quill in her hand and written her name with the baby's help). Draco and Ginny had given her a rare and limited first edition of Hogwarts, A History which had been autographed by the author. The card attached had been written by Draco, and Hermione laughed as his comment that she probably knew the book word for word but they thought she'd enjoy it anyway. Ron and Kellie had gifted her with a gorgeous bracelet to match the ruby necklace they'd given her for Christmas the previous year. Molly had knitted her a Weasley jumper in pink with a pastel blue H on it. Arthur had sent her something he'd put together in his garage out of Muggle parts that she and Harry stared at for a good ten minutes before deciding to figure out what it was another time. Sirius had written her a long poem about true and everlasting love that brought a tear to her eye; her parents had sent a card with a note that their present was too big to send and they'd give it to her upon her return.

There were also quite a few cards and owls from people such as Elias, Tabitha, Nancy and a few other friends from PGW, plus some from distant relatives she only saw at family reunions and special occasions. She even had owls from people from her Hogwarts days - Neville Longbottom and Luna Lovegood, to name a few.

Hermione was extremely grateful by the time every card and piece of parchment had been read and every present opened. Her family and friends had been very generous. When she was done, she looked over at Harry, who held an envelope in his hand.

"This is from me." He gave it to her, not releasing it until she kissed him, then watched as she opened the card and the piece of parchment fell out.

"What's this?" Hermione wondered, unfolding it. When she had it fully opened, she smoothed it out on the table. "A treasure map?"

"That's right," Harry said with a mysterious grin. "You have presents from me, but you have to find them. We're going on a treasure hunt."

Hermione's eyes lit up. She loved a good challenge and this one promised to be both rewarding and fun.

Once they showered and dressed, gathering everything they'd need for the day, they set off. Hermione found it quite easy to work out the various clues that gave her the locations of the presents, and soon the bag Harry had brought with him to carry her presents was full. As they got to the second last mark on the map, Hermione scouted around until she found what she was looking for. Thanking Harry, she handed it over and he expanded the bag he carried to place the present inside, then charmed the bag back to its original size and placed it in his pocket.

Hermione looked at the map. "There's only one more, right where the big X is. Is this the grand prize?"

"It is. But you can't find that one until after dinner."

Hermione's head whipped up. "After dinner? Why?"

"Because I said so." Knowing that wouldn't be a good enough excuse, he ad-libbed. "It won't be ready until after dinner so if you went now there would be nothing there."

"It won't be ready? What on earth is it?"

"I'm not telling you." Glancing at his watch, he smiled. "Come on, lunch time. Then we can go swimming for the afternoon if you like."

Hermione accepted his outstretched hand and laced her fingers through his. They walked back to the villa, Hermione realising they had pretty much circled the entire island when it only took them fifteen minutes to get back.

"Is it--"

"No. I'm not telling you, so don't even ask. It's a surprise!"

Hermione put on a mock pout. "I hate surprises."

"No, you don't. And besides, you'll love this one, promise." He laughed and pushed her ahead of him, all the while quelling the nervousness that had been steadily building in the pit of his stomach all day.

She wasn't going to say no. He knew that. But still, as they ate, he couldn't help but wonder if he was wrong.

---

Hermione ran onto the small beach ahead of Harry and she stopped near the middle, looking around for the sign that would mark where the treasure was hidden.

Something in the sand in front of her caught her attention and, once Harry had caught up to her, she took his hand and led him over.

It was the huge X, exactly as it looked on the map.

"X marks the spot, eh?" she asked with a laugh.

"So it would seem," Harry replied impishly. "Shall we dig for the treasure?"

Hermione nodded with a grin and they got down on their knees, using their hands to scoop the sand out of the way. It only took them five minutes before they hit something solid, and Hermione gasped as they pulled out what had been buried under the centre of the X - a small wooden treasure chest.

"Open it," Harry said, his voice calm and flat.

She glanced up at him and, with fingers that were slightly shaky for reasons she couldn't define, opened the lid.

Inside was a piece of parchment tied with red and gold ribbons.

Carefully setting the box down, Hermione took out the parchment and undid the ribbons, laying them on the sand. She unrolled the parchment and, instantly recognising Harry's distinct writing, read what he'd written.

It was titled, "On your 29^th birthday, 29 reasons why I love you, Hermione," and sure enough, there was a list of twenty nine reasons why Harry loved her. Each one was beautiful and heartfelt, and as she went down the list, Hermione felt the tears begin to well in her eyes. She stopped a few times to wipe them with a shaky hand, but didn't utter a sound until she got to reason number twenty nine...

Because you agreed to become my wife.

With a loud gasp, Hermione looked up to find Harry facing her on his knees, staring at her intently. In his left hand, he held a velvet box, and with the other, he took her hand in his.

"Hermione," he said, infusing as much love and sincerity into his voice as he could muster, giving the sudden, almost overwhelming emotion that had swept over him. "When I first realised I was in love with you, the one thing I felt more than anything was fear. Fear that I would lose you. Fear that I would fail you as a partner. Fear that someone would try to take you from me. So I tried not to love you, tried to pretend you were still just my best friend." He ran his thumb over her hand and paused as the tears began to leak steadily from her eyes. "It was impossible. I could no more stop loving you than I could stop breathing. You showed me that I couldn't let my fears rule my life and that as long as we had each other, we would make it. You are my life, Hermione. You are my heart and my soul."

Here, Hermione did react, raising the hand which held hers and kissing his knuckles. "Oh, Harry," she whispered. "I love you so much."

He leaned in and kissed her softly, but didn't linger. "I love you, too. And there is nothing I want more now -- or ever -- than for you to agree to become my wife. So, my love, will you marry me?"

By now, Hermione was openly sobbing, and she closed the gap between them, shuffling forward on her knees through the sand until their faces were scant centimetres apart. "Yes, Harry. I'd love to be your wife." This declaration brought on a new wave of tears and she threw her arms around his neck enthusiastically, almost knocking him off his knees. He wrapped his arms around her waist, holding her to him tightly.

After long moments in his arms, her lips sought out his and they kissed, long and passionately. Hermione murmured "yes" against his lips a few more times for good measure before Harry curled his hand around her neck and pulled her to him.

It was only when they ran out of breath that they separated, and Hermione was touched to find that tears also shimmered in Harry's eyes.

"Don't you want to see the ring?" he asked.

Hermione looked down at the velvet box that still sat in his hand, having almost forgotten its existence. "Yes, please!" she said excitedly. He held up his hand, the box cradled in his palm, and opened it with slightly shaking fingers.

Hermione was so overwhelmed by the ring that lay nestled within that she couldn't find her voice for a few moments. A gold band sat in its centre, topped with three diamonds; in the middle sat a pink diamond, rare and expensive, flanked on either side by a white diamond. It was, quite possibly, the most exquisite ring Hermione had ever seen in her entire life.

And it was hers.

She watched as Harry took her left hand and raised it up to his lips, brushing a kiss over the back of her hand, and then removed the ring from the box and slid it onto her third finger. It was, she was not surprised to find, a perfect fit.

"Do you like it?" Harry asked her. Hermione could hear the nervousness in his voice and sought to quell it immediately with two simple words.

"It's perfect." She brought her hand up towards her face to take a better look. "It's absolutely beautiful and wonderful and oh my God it must have been expensive."

Harry let out a chuckle. "Money well spent, I'd say."

She looked back up at him. "I couldn't have picked a better one myself. I really do love it, Harry. Thank you, sweetheart." She leaned in and kissed him again, slowly and teasingly, gently biting on his lip before releasing him.

Harry sat back on his knees, his fingers still wrapped around hers, and let out a long breath. "We're getting married," he said in an oh-my-God-I-can't-believe-it tone.

"Yes, we are," Hermione said joyously. "I'm going to be Mrs. Potter." The last two words had them looking at each other, and their eyes shined with love and happiness. Hermione would never forget how Harry was looking at her, and years later it was the one thing that would stand out most clearly in her mind.

"Well, the future Mrs. Potter," Harry said in a low tone. "I think our villa awaits our arrival to celebrate in private."

His voice was full of promise and Hermione scrambled to her feet, pulling him up with her. "Oh, the chest!" She bent down to pick up the chest, placing the parchment, the ribbons and the velvet box inside, and laced her fingers through Harry's as they raced each other back to their villa.

Once they got inside, Hermione found herself backed up against the door as Harry placed one hand on either side of her head. He dipped his head to kiss her but she ducked under his arm, placing the chest on a table near the door. When he turned around she hooked her finger in the top of his shirt and dragged him over to the bed.

He climbed on as she crawled over him, pushing him onto his back and straddling his lap. She placed soft kisses on his cheeks, his eyes, his nose, his forehead... everywhere but his lips. Harry let out a frustrated growl and Hermione smirked.

"Patience is a virtue," she said. Harry looked unimpressed, so she tried something else. "Good things come to those who wait?"

"Shut up and kiss me, Hermione Granger, or I'll take the ring back and give it to someone who will."

At the mention of the ring, Hermione moved her gaze to her left hand, where it was sitting next to Harry's head, and she smiled. He pulled her head down, threading his fingers through her hair, and just as his mouth covered hers, she sat up.

"The ring!"

"What about it?"

"No, not this one," she said, waving her hand. "The other one!"

She reached over to her bedside table as Harry sat up, puzzled. "What other one?"

"This!" Hermione exclaimed, her hand triumphantly wrapped around a box similar to the one Harry had presented her with earlier. He placed his hands on her thighs as she straightened herself up. She bit her lip as he stared at the box. "I guess we had the same idea, Harry."

Harry swallowed past the lump in his throat. "We did?"

Hermione opened the box to reveal a platinum band, shining against the dark blue background. She took the ring out and held it in her fingers. "I got this for you because I was going to ask you, but you beat me to it." She smiled and looked into his eyes. "It's not too late, though. I wanted you to have this as a symbol of my love for and commitment to you, and to us and our future together." She picked up his left hand and placed the ring on the tip of his third finger. "Harry, will you be my husband?" This time, there were no tears, just two people deeply in love and not afraid to show it.

"I'd love to be your husband, Hermione," Harry answered, his voice hoarse. She slid the ring on his finger, raising his hand to kiss his fingers gently. "This is the best present anyone has ever given me."

"There," Hermione said, nodding. "Now we're really and truly engaged."

"Shall we seal it with a kiss?"

Hermione grinned. "I think we can do a bit better than a kiss, don't you?"

---

Sweat trickled down glistening skin as the bodies merged and separated over and over. The sultry night air contributed to the heat being generated in the room, but its occupants were not thinking of their surroundings; the only thoughts they carried were that of each other and how they were so good together, how this act of love bonded them in a way that no other did.

It didn't take long for both to reach the pinnacle, and as Harry settled down on top of Hermione, they both lay quietly, steadying their breathing. Harry kissed her neck and face periodically and Hermione wrapped her legs around his waist, wanting them to remain intimately joined for a while longer.

She ran her fingertips up and down his spine gently, making Harry shiver. He lifted his head so that their noses were touching and they looked into each other's eyes.

Harry wanted to say the words, wanted to be able to express the sheer depth of the love that he felt for the witch who lay under him, but as he reached, he couldn't find any to do it justice. So instead, he kissed her. He kissed her slowly, passionately, hoping that she would be able, as she had done so many times in the past, to know what he was thinking and feeling without him having to say the words.

Finally, he moved until he lay next to her and she pulled the sheet up to cover them both. Hermione turned onto her side so she was facing him.

"That was... " Her voice trailed off as she propped herself up on one elbow and placed her hand on his chest. "There are no words."

"Incredible? Amazing? Breathtaking?"

"And that doesn't even begin to scratch the surface," Hermione said, kissing his shoulder. "You always take my breath away."

Harry turned his head to look at her and reached up to curl a hand around her neck, pulling her down for another lingering kiss. "I want to say I love you, but it's just... "

"Not enough," Hermione finished for him.

"Exactly." Harry nodded and pulled her close, and she went willingly into his arms. They kissed for a long while, saying what they wanted to without having to find non-existent words to do so, before curling up together and allowing their lassitude to pull them into slumber.

---

Tuesday 22^nd September 2009

Ron stirred as the sound penetrated through his slumber. He thought for a disoriented moment that perhaps he was dreaming it, but when the sound turned into a loud wail, he knew it was his offspring giving her usual morning greeting.

Glancing over at the clock, he sighed. "It's too early, Gem," he grumbled as he climbed out of bed. Entering her room, which sat next door to the master bedroom, he found his baby standing up in her cot, holding onto the side and wailing very loudly. She quieted as soon as she spotted her father and her chubby hands came up towards him, indicating that a good move would be for him to pick her up.

He did just that, lifting her up and kissing her cheek. "What are you doing awake so early, piglet?" he asked. Gemma blinked, clearing her vision of the tears that had appeared when her parents hadn't moved quickly enough to get her, and she patted his face, making noises at him.

"Yeah, yeah, I know. You want to come in with Mummy and Daddy. Come on, then." He carried her back into his bedroom and slid back into bed, placing her down between himself and Kellie, who was starting to wake. "Right, Gemma Renee. It's not time to wake yet, so you just lie down and snooze for a bit, okay?"

Apparently it was not okay, because Gemma stayed still for approximately two seconds before using Ron as a means to pull herself up. She stumbled along the way, falling on Ron who let out a grunt. Kellie was awake by this time and she tried to contain her laughter unsuccessfully.

"I don't think you'd find it too funny if you had a foot on your nose," he grumbled as Gemma climbed all over him.

Kellie reached over and pulled her daughter down. "Come on, young lady. That's no way for the cutest witch in London to behave." She propped herself up on one arm and kissed her daughter's cheek. "You're not supposed to be climbing all over Daddy!"

Gemma gave her a beaming smile, showing the two teeth that had come through on her bottom gum, then turned back to Ron and patted his face again. "Dada," she said.

Her parents gasped in surprise and sat up. "Did she just say 'Dada'?" Ron asked his wife.

Kellie smiled, her eyes suddenly teary. "Oh, Ron," she said. "She's starting to talk already!"

Ron picked his daughter up and kissed her cheek, holding her as she squirmed to be put down. "Who's a clever little witch, eh?" He laid her down on the bed and blew raspberries on her tummy, making her giggle. The sound was infectious and soon her mother joined in the laughter. Ron tickled her sides, then sat her up again and looked at his wife.

"We have one smart young witch in our midst, Mrs. Weasley," he beamed proudly. Kellie leaned over and kissed him. She went to move back, but Ron curled a hand around her neck and pulled her towards him, kissing her again. "She's just like her mother."

Kellie smiled and kissed her husband once more teasingly, sucking on his bottom lip before pulling away.

"Oi, woman," Ron panted. "Keep that up and this one will soon have a brother or sister."

Kellie just smiled and squeezed his hand, then placed her hands on her daughter's shoulders to steady her. "Let's go and grab some breakfast since we're all awake. I'll even cook if you're nice to me."

Ron crossed his arms. "What do you mean, if I'm nice to you? I'm always nice to you." But his gruff façade shattered as his daughter once again attempted to use him as a step ladder. "Right, piglet. Let's change your nappy, then it's chow time." He picked up his daughter and slid out of bed, then carried her over to the change table so he could change her nappy. Once she was dry and clean, he slung her over his shoulder, put on his slippers and went into the kitchen, pretending to eat her legs, which elicited loud bursts of laughter from the baby.

Kellie merely smiled and followed them after donning her gown and slippers, having a moment where she was glad she was a wife and mother.

---

Wednesday 23^rd September 2009

Ginny waved at Andie and the rest of her staff as they trooped out to lunch. She waited until they were out of her line of sight, then carefully brought out the brochure she'd kept fiercely hidden from everyone.

It was a catalogue of baby items. As of late, all she thought about were babies. Ginny saw her niece frequently and Gemma was such a delightful child, her constant attempts of escape notwithstanding, that she couldn't help but wonder what it would be like to have a child of her own.

She allowed her eyes to wander slowly over each page, looking at clothes, furniture, rattles and toys, and various other things. Some made her smile at their cuteness, such as the tiny robes, while others made her sigh wistfully.

Ginny Malfoy was now twenty eight years old and in three months time, she and Draco would celebrate their tenth anniversary as a couple and their first as husband and wife. She wasn't being unreasonable in feeling a bit maternal, but she was unsure about whether Draco was ready to consider children. They'd both agreed just after Gemma's birth that they would know when they were ready, and Ginny was slowly coming to the conclusion that she wanted to be a mother.

The thought of carrying Draco's child had its own appeal, too. Just the idea of creating a new life that was part him and part her made her smile, and she continued to flick through the catalogue idly.

"Do I want to know what you're thinking about?" A familiar and loved voice brought her out of her reverie, and she looked up to see her husband already halfway through shedding his robes. He threw them on one of the lounges in the reception area and made his way over until he stood in front of her, separated only by the counter. "Hello, beautiful," he greeted as he leaned over to kiss her, the fact that she quickly shoved something underneath a stack of parchments not going unnoticed. However, his curiosity was all but wiped as soon as his wife's lips touched his. She kissed him slowly, thoroughly, trailing her tongue over his bottom lip and nipping gently before sliding it into his mouth to meet his.

He placed a hand behind her neck so she couldn't pull away, only releasing her when they were both panting for breath. Ginny rested her forehead against Draco's as they attempted to steady their breathing. He let go of her neck and brought his hand round to her cheek, stroking it gently with his thumb.

"So," he began after a few long moments. "Ready for lunch?"

"Absolutely. Let me just grab something from my office." She kissed him once more and left the room.

Draco waited until she was gone, then reached over the counter and moved the parchments aside until he found what Ginny had been trying to hide. He picked it up and stared at the cover, a frown adorning his features. He flicked through it, wondering why exactly she was looking at it.

"Draco, I-- " Ginny trailed off when she saw what he was holding.

The Malfoys stared at each other, Draco's confused and wondering eyes meeting Ginny's guilty ones.

"Are-- " Draco paused and cleared his throat. "Are we having a baby, Gin?"

Ginny's eyes shimmered with unshed tears. "No," she said.

Draco let out a breath and softened his stance, taking a step towards her. "Do you want us to be, sweetheart?"

"Yes." Ginny's answer was instant and sure, and a solitary tear slid down her cheek.

Draco breathed out slowly and stepped towards his wife, pulling her into his arms. He held her tightly as she sniffled, kissing her head and rubbing her back. Finally, he released her, holding her at arm's length.

"I guess it's time for us to have that talk, then."

Ginny blinked rapidly, her voice wavering. "You're ready to have a baby?"

"I'm ready to talk about it."

Ginny stared at Draco, her eyes filling yet again with tears. "I love you," she sobbed.

Draco smiled gently. "I know." Twining his fingers through hers, he gave her a few moments to compose herself, and they ventured out to share lunch.

---

Ginny Malfoy was nervous.

There wasn't many things that made Ginny nervous in the way she was as she changed out of her robes and into jeans and a top, and she certainly never thought, after all the years she'd been with Draco, that talking to him about anything would make her nervous; but here she was, her hands slightly shaking and her palms sweaty.

Having a baby meant a great deal to her. Ever since Draco had agreed earlier that afternoon to talk about the possibility of them conceiving a child, the seed had been planted in her mind and it was all she'd thought about for the rest of the day. She wanted a baby so much that she ached.

It wasn't just that she wanted a baby; she wanted Draco's baby. To create an entire new life that was unique to him and her - there was nothing more precious that Ginny could think of.

She knew in her heart that Draco would be a good father to their child, even though she sensed that part of his hesitation to have a child up to this point was because he believed otherwise. Draco had not shielded a lot from Ginny over the years, but his childhood and his relationship with his father was and had always been a very touchy subject, and she was loathe to bring it up because Draco would always get this look in his eyes, as if mentioning Lucius' name brought back deep and painful memories that Draco had tried hard to bury.

If there was one thing Ginny couldn't stand to see in her husband's eyes, it was that pain. So she never pushed him. Instead, she would hold him, stroke his hair lightly and tell him she loved him. Every time he got this way, it would end in them making hot, frantic love. Ginny felt it was because Draco needed proof. Not that he doubted her words, but sometimes actions said so much more - and sometimes, just sometimes, her words were not enough for him. Denied genuine affection from his father as a child, Draco needed her to show him the love she felt for him, and when words could not adequately express what he wanted her to know, his actions did it for him.

So, it was with trepidation and no small amount of nervousness that Ginny awaited Draco's arrival home that night. She kept herself busy by preparing their dinner, singing to herself and not being in the slightest bit worried that she was off-key in some places.

She didn't hear him Apparate home, so Ginny jumped, startled, when he appeared in the kitchen out of seemingly thin air.

"Hello, beautiful," he said as Ginny placed her hand over her heart, feeling it beat furiously.

"Dammit, Draco, you're not supposed to frighten the hell out of me!" She glared at him, but then he gave her a sweet, lopsided grin and all Ginny wanted to do was melt on the spot. She tried to maintain her annoyed façade, turning her back on him, but it faded as Draco came over to her and wrapped his arms around her waist, resting his chin on her shoulder.

"I'm sorry," he said quietly, dropping a kiss on her temple. "What are you cooking?"

"One of your favourites," she said, stirring the pot. "Beef stroganoff. Want a taste?"

"Sure."

She put a piece of beef on the wooden spoon and held it up to his mouth, cupping her hand underneath to ensure nothing dropped onto the floor. He sampled the food and nodded. "Good!" he declared.

Ginny gave him a smile and went back to stirring, her nerves wreaking havoc on her body again. God, why was she so nervous at the thought of talking about babies?

"What's wrong, love?" Draco asked softly. Ginny opened her mouth to deny it, but Draco beat her to the punch. "Your hands are shaking."

Ginny avoided his eyes, her gaze trained on the floor. He placed a finger underneath her chin and lifted her eyes so that they met his. Ginny loved Draco's eyes. When he was happy, they were a light grey; when he was angry or stressed, they were dark grey, like the colour of the sky during a thunderstorm. Right now, there were splashes of silver, like mercury -- his concern and his love for her obvious.

"I--" Ginny took a deep breath, trying to find the words. She turned around in his arms, and he kept a firm grip on her waist.

"Do you want a baby, Gin? Are you ready?"

Just like that, he asked her. He gave her the opportunity to tell him that she wanted a baby, his baby, more than anything. So she did, and it all came spilling out of her like water from a fountain that had long been turned off. Her fears, her anxiety, her concern about whether they really would ever be ready to be parents, how they would cope. Their kitchen while cooking dinner wasn't the time or place she'd envisaged them having this life-changing conversation, but once she started, Ginny Malfoy found herself unable to stop.

Draco said nothing, just looked at his wife and listened as she talked, occasionally bringing up a hand to stroke her fiery hair soothingly. Once she was finished, her face a picture of hope, her cheeks streaked with the tears she had shed, he leaned in and grasped her face in his hands, his fingers wiping the tears away, and kissed her softly. He infused as much love as he could and long moments later, he let her go and rested his forehead against hers.

"Ginny," he began, thinking carefully about what he wanted to say next. "I don't know that we could ever say we're fully ready to be parents. Raising a child is not something you can learn from a book. It's all trial and error, and plenty of hands-on experience.

"You know I have doubts about what kind of father I'll be, but someone once told me that every person feels that way." Here he paused, pulling Ginny into his arms and resting his chin on her head. She wrapped her arms around his waist and held him tight. "But she also told me she had no doubt that I'd be the best father I could be to our children, and that I should embrace the opportunity to be a father when we were ready to take that step. It's not until now that I realise she was right.

"I know you want a baby. I think now is a good time in our lives to start trying. We're still young, we're madly in love, we have more than enough money, and we both have careers that can be put on hold. Speaking of which, I want to talk to you about that, but it can wait for later.

"I guess what I'm trying to say without much eloquence is that I'm ready, Gin. I'm as ready as I'll ever be. So let's remove the contraception spells and see if we can't get pregnant."

He heard Ginny's sharp intake of breath and let go of his grip on her as she pulled back to look at him, taking his hands in hers.

"Really?" The look on her face was one that Draco was sure he wouldn't forget in a very, very long time. "You want a baby?" Her voice was but a mere whisper, as if she was praying with everything she had that he would say yes.

"Yes, Gin. I want a baby. Our baby."

"Oh," she said. "Oh, Draco. I love you so much." Her voice was breaking up and as she threw her arms around his shoulders, he picked her up and lifted her off the ground.

"I love you too, Mrs. Malfoy." They clung tightly to each other, and when Draco eventually set her down on her feet, she pulled his face down to hers and kissed him lovingly, not letting him go for a very long time.

They gazed at each other, their joy at the being able to share the road they were about to take hard to hide.

"Who was it that told you you'd be a good father?" Ginny asked breathlessly.

Draco smiled. "Your mother."

---

A few hours later, Ginny sighed happily and snuggled into Draco, watching as the moonlight filtered into their room through the sliding glass door that led to their private balcony. Her body was turned towards him, her hand on his chest and her fingertips running over his skin gently, playing with the few blond hairs there. Every so often she would move her head up from where it rested on his shoulder to kiss his neck.

The only sound in the room at present was the beating of their hearts as they attempted to slow back down to normal. Draco brought his hand up to smooth back Ginny's hair off her face. He let his hand drift down to her arm, stroking the bare skin lightly. "What are you thinking?" he asked quietly, finally breaking the silence.

"Mmmm," she said non-committedly. "I was just thinking... well, we could be pregnant right now." A warmth spread through her entire body at the thought she could already be carrying their child.

"I guess technically that's true," Draco mused. Ginny took his hand off her arm and placed it on her stomach, laying hers over the top. His fingers stroked her tummy softly, making her shiver.

"Do you want a boy or a girl?"

Draco moved his head to look at her. "As long as the baby is healthy, I honestly don't care. A boy would be nice so he can look after his little sister, but a girl would be just as wonderful too." He grinned at her. "I can just picture her, a mini Gin with long red hair and a nice, fiery temper to go with it. That's when she'll be sticking close to her mother."

In spite of herself, Ginny laughed. "I see. So that's how it's going to be? When they're angels, they'll be playing with Daddy, and when they're actually being typical children, I'm saddled with them?"

Draco pretended to ponder it. "Yep, that just about sums it up nicely."

"Prat." Ginny slapped his chest with the palm of her hand, making him grunt in pain. She sobered and asked the question she'd been thinking about over and over in her head for quite some time. "Draco," she began tentatively. "If we have a girl, can we give her the middle name of Grace?"

Draco took a breath before answering. "I think that would be a wonderful idea, Gin." He stroked her hair lightly. "Are you worried? About losing this baby, too?"

Ginny's face went blank and the only sign she gave of having heard the question was the tears that welled up in her eyes. "I'm petrified, Draco," she whispered. "I don't know that I could cope with losing another baby."

"Try not to think about it," Draco said soothingly, shushing her as he held her close. "Let's just concentrate on getting pregnant first and take it from there, okay?"

"Okay," Ginny sniffled. She allowed him to cradle her in his arms and closed her eyes, and the day's events began to overwhelm her. It wasn't long before she fell into what would become an uneasy sleep. Draco watched her in slumber and, placing one last kiss on her forehead, he stopped fighting his fatigue.

---

Thursday 24^th September 2009

Hermione had spotted the small lagoon the day before, surrounded by lush tropical forest which provided a cover. It was more like Hermione had stumbled upon it, really, having come across the path that led to it and followed it with her innate sense of curiosity.

So they went back, wanting to explore as much of the island as possible and enjoy their privacy - and each other - before they headed back home.

Harry glanced upwards, the sun shining brightly, and cast a charm to make his glasses waterproof. "This looks great! I'm going in for a swim. You coming?"

Hermione pulled her dress up over her head to reveal a blue bikini and lots of skin. She went up to the water's edge, oblivious to the fact Harry was almost drooling, and dipped her toe in the water. "Yes, I rather think I might. Look at the water, Harry - it's so clear. We can see the rock bed. I think there must be a waterfall nearby, because I can hear the rushing of the water." She glanced up and laughed at Harry's expression. "What? It isn't as if you haven't seen me in less."

"I know, but you just look... delectable." He licked his lips and Hermione bent down to cup a handful of water that she splashed him with. "Oi!" he yelled. "Fiancée or not, don't think I won't punish you if you splash me."

Hermione raised an eyebrow, the challenge issued. "Oh really, Mr. Potter," she said saucily. "You're just asking for trouble now." Without warning, she moved a bit further into the lagoon, then turned and splashed him with all her might. Harry was so startled he dropped their towels.

"Right, wench," he said, shucking off his wet shirt and shoes. "You are in for it now." He waded into the water and ducked underneath so he was completely wet, then took off after Hermione, who had begun to swim away from him. Harry was the stronger swimmer of the two and the lagoon was not particularly big, so it didn't take long before he caught her, pulling her into his arms as she shrieked with laughter.

"Harry, let me go!" She struggled out of his grasp, but he held her firm.

"I think not, wench. You're going to have to pay for making me wet."

"Funny," Hermione said, allowing Harry to pull her into his embrace and snaking her arms around his neck, "you don't seem to object when you make me wet."

Harry gave her a sly grin. "Why, Miss Granger," he said with mock surprise, "are you trying to turn me on?"

"Maybe," Hermione grinned. "Is it working?"

"I'll let you be the judge of that." He rose up out of the water, which came up to his chest, and pulled her up against him so that she could feel his very obvious arousal.

Her hand snaked down beneath the water line to touch him, and his responding groan was enough to make her smile wickedly. "Hermione," he breathed as she moved her fingers up and down steadily. "You are evil."

"Absolutely," she purred. "Consider this just a taste of what's to come tonight." Without warning, she pulled away from him and swam over to the rock that had, at first glance, appeared to have been one side of the lagoon, but upon closer inspection Hermione found that water swirled around both sides of it. She followed the water around to the right, Harry behind her, and when they came out the other side they found it led to a larger body of water. At the far side was the waterfall Hermione had been able to hear.

"Oh, Harry, look!" She pointed at the waterfall as she treaded water. They swam over and Harry pulled himself up on the ledge, then held a hand out to Hermione, helping her up. They carefully walked along the rock ledge towards the waterfall. Hermione looked up to see where the water was coming from, but it was too high up. There had to be a lake or an outlet to the ocean above them.

They came to stand in front of the waterfall. "Shall we?" Harry asked, raising her hand to his lips and kissing it.

"Let's," Hermione said with a nod, and together they stepped through the waterfall...

... only to find themselves surrounded by complete darkness. Hermione clutched Harry as she steadied herself.

"Where are we?"

"Hmm, I have no idea. This is a magical island, so I guess we stepped through a portal of sorts."

"A portal, interesting. Remind me when we get home to do some research on this island, and portals--"

Hermione couldn't finish her sentence because Harry's lips were in the way. She soon got lost in his kiss, all thought of research lost. When his hands reached up to pull down the straps of her top, she moaned slightly and kissed him harder. When his hands moved around to touch her newly revealed skin, Hermione could have sworn she stopped breathing all together.

---

Lightening crackled through the blackness and thunder reverberated as the storm raged outside. The wind howled around the small but sturdy cottage, but the sole occupant paid it no mind; he'd experienced far greater horrors than a fierce storm.

Sirius Black looked up momentarily as his study's window shutter smashed against the wall outside, making a loud banging sound. He picked up his wand and secured the shutter in question, then went back to his writing. Dipping his quill into the pot of black ink that sat by his right hand, he continued on with his tale of an innocent man who had been falsely accused of betraying his best friends, who had been murdered by a dark wizard. Their only child, a small boy of just one, had somehow deflected the Unforgivable Curse the wizard had tried to kill him with and had survived - but at a terrible price. Orphaned, with his godfather unable to raise him, he was given to Muggles, the worst sort one could imagine, who denied him his heritage and raised him without the truth or any love and affection.

Sirius knew he was writing his autobiography, but somehow the words would not come out unless he wrote in the third person. So he wrote this wizard's story as an impartial observer, putting down the facts and trying not to make it overly emotional.

Whether or not he was succeeding was another matter.

Harry and Hermione had encouraged him to write, to exorcise the demons that had long curled their dark fists around his heart and still occasionally squeezed. Writing about his experience in Azkaban had started the dreams again, and Sirius' eyes flicked over to the centuries-old calendar that sat on his desk. There would be a full moon soon. It made him think of Moony. Where was he? How was he doing? Sirius got an owl from Remus Lupin every month or so, but as he'd continued on, pouring out his soul on parchment, Sirius thought of his only surviving best friend (Peter Pettigrew had been killed years ago, and Sirius was only sorry he hadn't been there to hold the wand that did the deed) and made a mental note to owl him the next day.

He finished up the passage he was working on and took a long, hard look at the pensieve that sat on his cabinet. Hermione had gifted it to him for his most recent birthday; she calmly explained that it might help him with his writing if he could extract certain memories he was sketchy about. They both knew that Sirius had purposely blocked some experiences and that perhaps, now he was ready to remember them again.

Deciding he'd done enough writing for the night, he tidied up his desk and shuffled the parchment together neatly. The damn thing still needed a title. He'd been mulling over quite a few names and it currently had a working title, but he wasn't sure it would stay the same if and when he made the decision to seek its publication.

Blowing out the candle, he shuffled off to bed, not realising the title page of his book had fallen to the floor. Had someone picked it up, they would have been able to see the title written in bold letters:

The Prisoner of Azkaban

By

Sirius Black

---

Friday 25 September 2009

Ron wasn't at all surprised to get the owl from his sister, asking if he would join her for lunch, but he was surprised at her chosen meeting place - a small, quiet Muggle café just down from the Leaky Cauldron. He was a little worried that something was wrong, but he shrugged off his concern as he picked up his cloak to meet her.

He was two steps away from the door when he realised that it might be best not to wear his cloak or his robes, given they were going to be eating amongst Muggles, so he shed them both and made his way through Diagon Alley, ignoring the stares he was attracting from passers-by, and out into the Muggle side of The Leaky Cauldron. Ron was familiar with the venue; he'd eaten there once or twice before.

Ginny was waiting for him when he arrived. She, too, had shed her robes and was dressed casually in a top and knee length skirt. She stood up to greet him, giving him a quick hug as he kissed her cheek, then sat down and waited as he ordered a cup of tea.

"Is something wrong, Gin?" Ron asked without preamble. "Why are we meeting in a Muggle café?"

Ginny glanced at him. "Nothing's wrong, exactly. Just have news I wanted to share and I didn't want anyone overhearing us, especially not the press."

Ron raised an eyebrow. "Good news or bad news?"

"Oh, good!" She gave him a bright grin. "Actually, I wanted you to help me do something sneaky."

"Ah," Ron exclaimed as his tea was dutifully delivered. "I should have known."

"Oh, shut it," Ginny said crossly. "You don't even know what I'm going to ask you!"

"I don't need to," Ron said cockily. "I'm sure it has something to do with a secret you can't keep quiet about." Ginny glared at him and he just laughed. "Well, come on, then. Tell me."

Ginny looked around her, making sure that nobody was anywhere within hearing distance, then leaned over and said quietly, "Harry and Hermione are back on Sunday, right?"

Ron gave her a puzzled look. "That's the big secret?"

"No!" Ginny said, swatting his arm. "Men!" She rolled her eyes. "When they arrive home, I'm expecting that they will, ah, have some news to share with us."

Ron sat back and eyed his sister suspiciously. "How do you know they're going to be engaged?"

Ginny's mouth fell open. "You already know?"

"Of course I already know. Harry showed me the ring last week."

"Harry?" Ginny gasped. "Harry is going to propose?"

Ron leaned over and looked into Ginny's teacup. "What have you been drinking? Of course, Harry. Who else would--" He stopped as all the pieces fell into place. "Are you telling me you know because Hermione is going to propose?"

Ginny nodded, still stunned. "Yes. She showed me the ring that she bought him."

The siblings looked at each other and then burst into loud laughter. "Oh, this is just priceless," Ron said, swatting his eyes. "They had the exact same idea! I shouldn't be surprised, though. How very them," he commented dryly.

"Oh, Ron, this is just so wonderful, isn't it? Well, I thought that it might be nice if we had some champagne for their arrival home. You know, a congratulations and welcome back drink."

"I think that's a smashing idea," Ron agreed. "Their portkey gets them back into London at 2pm, so they should be home by two thirty. Good thinking, Gin."

Ginny grinned and they ordered lunch, then made small talk as they ate, catching up on the minutiae of their lives. When they were done, Ron looked at his sister, and he couldn't shake the feeling there was something she wasn't telling him.

"Gin?"

"Hmmm?"

"Is something wrong?"

At this, Ginny looked up. "No, nothing's wrong. Why do you ask?"

Ron tilted his head to the side slightly. "You look... preoccupied."

Ginny bit her lip and looked at her brother, twisting her serviette in her lap. "I have had something on my mind as of late. But Ron, you have to promise me that you won't tell anyone else, not even Kellie. And especially not Mum. This stays between you and me. Promise?"

Ron nodded, the serious turn in which the conversation had just taken not being lost on him. "I promise, Gin. You know you can trust me."

"I do," Gin said absently. She put the serviette back on the table and shuffled her chair closer. "Draco and I are trying to get pregnant."

"Oh, Gin," Ron said softly. "That's wonderful news!"

Ginny held up a hand. "It is," she said with a smile. "But there's a little more to it."

Sensing her hesitation, Ron reached out and took her hand in his, squeezing it softly. Drawing strength from her brother, she continued on. "We've already lost a baby, Ron."

Ron looked at his sister and leaned over to hug her, and she held him tightly as she breathed in and out, trying not to let her tears get the better of her. "It's okay," she said, pulling back but keeping a hold of his hand. "It was a long time ago."

"It doesn't make it any less painful."

"No, it doesn't." Sometimes her brother surprised her with just how wise and observant he'd become since his teenage years. "I was eleven weeks when I miscarried. The baby was a girl and we named her Grace." She felt Ron squeeze her hand again and she continued on. "We feel ready to try again and I just wanted to tell someone, but I'm scared, Ron."

She looked over at her brother. He didn't talk for a few moments, still taking in the news about Grace. Finally, he put his thoughts together and spoke. "I know you're scared, Gin. Of course you are. It's certainly not an easy thing - I'd be scared, too. But you can't let that stop you trying again, Gin. Everything will be all right this time round."

"You don't know that," Ginny pointed out.

"No, I don't," Ron admitted. He put on his brightest grin and beamed at his sister. "But I have a very good feeling about this. I'm sure you'll make me an uncle soon enough."

Ginny let out a breath she hadn't known she was holding. "Oh, I hope so, Ron. I really do."

Ron pulled her close and held her tightly, murmuring comforting and encouraging words in her ear, and Ginny felt so much better for having confided in him. She had just wanted to share her news - both good and bad - with someone other than Draco. Of all her brothers, she felt closest to Ron, and she knew he would keep it to himself.

Once they finally let go of each other, they stood and went over to the counter. "My shout," Ginny said.

"Good, because I don't have any Muggle money on me."

Ginny rolled her eyes. "I didn't expect you would do. You are a male, after all."

She laughed as Ron nudged her side teasingly, and they made their way back to Diagon Alley. Ginny deposited her brother out the front of his shop. "Here you are, then." She gave his hand a quick squeeze. "Thank you, Ron."

Ron smiled and leaned over to kiss her forehead. "Anything for you, Gin. You know that." He let go of her hand and nodded his head towards the shop. "Want to come in and grab a few freebies?"

Ginny nodded. "Why not? I can slip something to Draco tonight."

"Give him a Canary Cream. It would be a vast improvement," Ron said drolly.

Ginny grinned. "You are related to him now, you know."

Ron grimaced and pushed her through the door. "Don't remind me! Let's go and pick something particularly nasty."

Several patrons looked up as loud Weasley laughter reverberated throughout the shop, but the causes of the disruption never noticed.

---

Sunday 27^th September 2009

When Harry and Hermione entered the living room, they were not at all surprised to find a small gathering awaiting their return. Ron and Ginny appeared to be having an in-depth discussion about something, and Kellie was standing next to Draco, who was throwing Gemma up in the air, the baby gurgling and kicking her legs playfully.

"What's all this?" Harry asked, trying to sound surprised. Hermione had crossed her arms next to him, hiding her ring.

"You're back!" Ginny said excitedly as everyone shouted a greeting. She pointed to the bottle of champagne and the six glasses that sat neatly on the table. "We thought we'd come celebrate with you."

"Celebrate what?" Hermione asked, a puzzled look on her face. "We're glad you're thrilled we're home, but we weren't gone that long!"

Harry and Hermione watched as their friends all looked at each other for confirmation.

"We thought we'd come celebrate the fact you're getting married?" Ron ventured, the hesitation clear in his voice.

Harry and Hermione exchanged puzzled glances. "We are?" Harry asked, turning back to the group. They had to try very hard not to laugh as their friends' faces fell.

"You're not?" Ginny asked, shocked.

Harry glanced sideways at Hermione, his face breaking into the boyish grin that always made her swoon. He took her hand and kissed it. "We are," he confirmed happily, nodding his head.

Ginny let out an almighty shriek and flew across the room, leaping on Harry and wrapping her arms and legs around him. "CONGRATULATIONS!" she yelled in his ear, kissing his cheek and holding him tight.

He stepped back, the sheer force of her weight almost knocking him flat. "Thanks, Gin," he said, his arms coming around her. He spun her around once, then let her down as she moved towards Hermione, enveloping her in a fierce hug as Kellie took her place in Harry's arms.

The two witches then crowded around Hermione and grabbed her left hand to look at the ring. "Oh, my God," Ginny said. "That's not a ring. That's a rock cleverly disguised as a ring."

Draco shook Harry's hand and then brought Gemma, who was perched on his hip, around to give her Uncle Harry a kiss. They then joined the women to look at Hermione's ring. "Congratulations, Hermione. You're better than he deserves, " he said in a serious tone. All three witches looked at him, but his smug grin gave him away. Hermione leaned over to kiss him.

Ron and Harry stood facing each other, each of them grinning widely. "I couldn't be happier for you, mate," Ron said. "About time you settled down to be an old married man like the rest of us." The two men embraced, and Harry felt himself tear up just a little. Having Ron there to share in all the happy moments of his life made the occasion even more special that it already was.

"Hey, does this best friend get a hug or what?" Hermione's voice cut in. Ron let go of Harry and turned to her.

"Of course you do," he said, his voice slightly husky. He took Hermione into his arms and for a few long moments, they clung to each other, talking quietly in each other's ear, as if the rest of the world had simply ceased to exist. Harry had only ever seen them embrace like this once before - when Ron had told them he and Kellie were getting married. He guessed it was their way of reassuring each other that no matter where their life paths would take them, they would always be a very important part of each other's lives.

Finally, they separated, Ron kissing her forehead. "Hey," he said when he spotted his daughter in Draco's arms. "You lot haven't seen her newest trick."

"No, you haven't!" Kellie added excitedly, taking her daughter from Draco with a smile. "Hey Gem, who's that?" she pointed at Ron, and all the adults waited as the littlest Weasley opened and closed her mouth again. "Who is it, Gem?"

Gemma screwed her eyes shut tightly, then opened them again and smiled at her father. "Dada," she said, holding her arms out to him.

Hermione and Ginny gasped in delight as Ron swooped on his daughter and kissed her cheek. "That's my girl," he said proudly.

The smile was soon wiped off his face when Gemma pointed at Draco and declared, "Dada! Dada!"

"I hope for his sake, piglet, that you're just getting used to saying that word," Ron said drolly, pulling Gemma's hand down and kissing her temple.

Draco merely smirked and slung an arm around Kellie's shoulder, which caused her to blush slightly at the insinuation. "Well, she is a beautiful child," Draco commented. "Must have some Malfoy genes in her somewhere."

"Open the champagne, Draco," Ginny commanded, putting an end to the situation before it got any worse. "Looks like we have much to celebrate!"

Draco dutifully poured six drinks and handed them out, and everybody raised their glasses as Ron cleared his throat and turned to his best friends.

"I think I can speak on behalf of everybody here when I say how bloody thrilled I am for you both. I wish you nothing but happiness." He smiled at them and watched as they were automatically drawn to each other, Harry's arm going around Hermione's shoulders and hers around his waist. "To Harry and Hermione."

"To Harry and Hermione," Kellie, Ginny and Draco echoed. They all sipped their champagne and then broke off into two groups to chat, the men and Gemma making their way over to the couches, and the women standing in a small circle.

Ginny insisted on looking at Hermione's ring some more, gushing at just how beautiful it was. She threw a glance over her shoulder at Harry; or more precisely, at Harry's left hand, where the platinum band rested on his third finger. "You gave him the ring," she said with a grin.

"I did," Hermione answered, colouring slightly. "He really loved it. Said it was the best present anyone had ever given him." She left out what he'd then proceeded to do to her to show his appreciation.

"I think it's a great idea," Kellie commented. "You're both engaged, so there's no reason you shouldn't both wear rings."

Hermione grinned at Kellie and glanced over her shoulder, noticing something she hadn't spotted before. "Hey, what's in that trunk?" she asked. A big brass trunk with gold handle and trimmings sat in one corner of the room under the bay window.

"Oh!" Ginny said, following her gaze. "I brought over a few of my wedding albums for you to look at. Thought they might give you some ideas."

"Thanks, Gin," Hermione said, kissing her friend's cheek. "I'm sure they'll be very useful."

"Have you picked a date yet?" Kellie asked, glancing over at her daughter who was crawling all over her father's lap. She caught his eye and smiled at him.

"No, not yet. We've both agreed we don't want a terribly long engagement, though."

The women moved over to join their men, and the three couples did some catching up. However, as much as she loved her friends, Hermione soon found herself wanting to spend some precious time alone with her fiancé.

Ron seemed to clue in to this fact, given the longing that was clearly showing on Hermione's face every time she looked at Harry, so he stood up. "I think we've imposed long enough," he said lightly. "Let's leave the lovebirds to it, shall we? Come and give everyone kisses, Gem." He kissed his daughter's cheek and took her around so she could say goodbye to her aunts and uncles.

When he reached Hermione, she kissed her niece then brushed her lips against his cheek. "Thank you," she whispered into his ear. "I love you."

"I love you too, Mione."

Ten minutes later, farewells had been exchanged and Harry and Hermione found themselves quite alone.

"Think we were a bit obvious?" Harry asked, sweeping her into his arms and letting his lips drift across her neck, leaving soft, tender kisses in their wake.

"Don't much care," Hermione confided, which elicited a laugh from Harry. "I just want to hold you and kiss you."

Harry pulled back to look into her eyes, which sparkled with love. "God, I love you," he said, his voice low and husky.

Hermione smiled as he dipped his head, and her responding, "I love you, too" was lost as his lips covered hers.

---

He put his plate down and ran his long fingers over the stack of newspapers and magazines from around the world that were owled daily. It cost him a small fortune every week for them all, but it was worth it to ensure he would not miss an article or picture printed of his beloved Hermione.

Rifling through the pile, he found a Brazilian weekly tabloid that had Hermione on the cover. He didn't speak Portuguese, but it was of little consequence - once he cast the charm that would translate the article into English, he would pore over each word in the off chance something would be printed about her that he didn't know.

Smirking to himself, he realised the absurdity of this notion. He knew everything one could know about Hermione Joanne Granger. Years of research and quietly nosing around had paid off. Of course, his interaction with her had provided a wealth of information for him to savour and relish when he was alone.

He wasn't expecting the owl when it swooped elegantly through his window. He recognised it straight away, of course. His brow furrowing, he removed the note and watched as the owl took flight, indicating a response was not necessary.

Unrolling the parchment, he wondered what the author wanted. It had been quite a number of weeks since they'd spoken and he really wasn't in the mood to deal with her; what he wanted was to cut out his articles on Hermione and eat his supper.

The news has reached my ears that none other than Harry Potter recently purchased a rather large three carat diamond ring from B & C jewellers. I haven't seen the piece myself but am told it contains three diamonds and cost a small fortune. A gift he plans to present to your precious Hermione while they are away, perhaps? Expect a notice upon their return that they plan to marry.

And do try not to wreck too many things when you throw your wobbly, darling.

A

He read the missive five times, the words blurring together and forming shapes he couldn't make sense of.

No. No no no no no no no no. Harry Potter was NOT going to propose. He couldn't. How dare he? He wasn't even worthy of spitting on her shoes, let alone asking Hermione to be his wife. His wife. She would be Hermione Potter. Oh God, no.

The anger built steadily through his veins and his heart pounded as a roar welled up from deep within him. The beast inside took over, throwing anything not nailed down to the ground, smashing windows and crystal, tearing material to shreds.

When he was done and the anger had subsided, he curled up on the floor in a foetal position and cried. All this time, he'd really thought the witch he lived for would finally realise that she had made the biggest mistake of her life being with Potter.

He no longer had a choice. His meticulous and well thought out plan had to be put into action. Hermione needed to understand that she couldn't throw her life away on Harry Potter. She had to know she was making a big mistake, and that her destiny lay with him, not Potter.

It was time to help her see the error of her ways. Tomorrow, it would begin.

---

Chapter One credits:

My beta team - Melissa who digs up all the plot holes, Renee who knows Grammar like no other, Libbie and Sue who find my typos and awkward phrasing, Lia who looks over all the Harry/Hermione scenes to make sure I'm going in the right direction, and Clare who Britpicks - thank you.

My artists - Plumeria did the picture of Gemma; Menthe did the picture of Hermione snuggling into Harry and Ginny looking and Draco; and Rose Fay did the one of Draco and Ginny together. Your talent never fails to astound me, ladies. Thank you so much.

To those who helped with the extras - Clare, who composed the list of movies that Harry got (I did the books); Sarea, who helped with the scroll (I wrote the list, she did the graphics); and Plumeria, who hosted the majority of the links, I thank you.

To all of those who read over scenes for me - Ebony, parker, Cadey, Dionne, Cindy, Carl, Loz, Jori, and James - thank you for your kind words. Forgive me if I've forgotten anyone.

For those who allowed me to cameo them - Sarea and Jade Okelani, Nancy, Calliope, Pamela (Moglie), Zorb, Margaret and Loz - thank you for enhancing the story. I hope I did you justice.

This chapter was uploaded to PGW Industries a month ago, so if you'd like to read the chapters before they are uploaded here, that's the place to go! As always, your reviews are much appreciated.