A Christmas Surprise

Disclaimer: These characters are truly not for me. That nice lady (J.K.R.) created them!

Thanks go to my original beta, Charmed Nay, and also, I'd like to say thanks to CocoaChristy for helping me dust this off and make it presentable.

Draco opened his eyes the next morning to see that Hermione was just sitting up. "Happy Christmas!" she said brightly.

"Happy Christmas," he replied, yawning and stretching. He loved her smile, and it nearly made him want to kiss her, regardless of not having brushed his teeth yet.

"We've got our presents!" she said happily. "Oh, look! This is for you. It's from Harry. He sent this other one to me. And candy canes!" She handed him one while taking a bit off the other.

He watched as she opened her present and rolled his eyes as she smiled happily. It's a book for crying out loud! She was pleased with receiving a book for a gift. He'd be insulted if someone gave him a book. He put his gift on the side without opening it and watched her. The next one she opened was from Ron.

"Oh, look! It's that new erasable ink!" She giggled contentedly while quickly testing it out.

What in the world? It amazed him that she was actually content with such simple things.

"Here," she said, throwing him a gift from Ron's mother. "They are really good," she whispered conspiratively.

"What's really good?" he asked, eyeing the poorly wrapped package suspiciously. How would she know what Ron's mother had sent to them?

"She bakes really well. Sends them every Christmas." She went on opening presents...gaudy socks from Dumbledore, a diary from Ginny, and a journal from Hagrid. She seemed to honestly treasure each one. "Uh oh," she breathed.

"What is it?" he asked curiously.

"These are for you from Fred and George. I wouldn't eat them if I were you. Practical jokers, those two."

He nodded and put them aside, remembering some of the stunts they'd pulled back when they were at school. He'd get someone else to test them first. Crabbe or Goyle would try anything.

"Oh, I have no idea who this is from. This must be for you." She handed him a package.

Draco didn't know who would be sending him such an expensively wrapped gift at Hermione's home. His parents had given him his gifts the day before. He pulled open the wrappings and looked inside the box. He couldn't believe it. He shook his head as he read the pompous note. What are they playing at by sending this? How could he give this to her already? Why must Mother say such things? He looked up at Hermione uncertainly to find her watching him expectantly. He smiled shyly and shrugged. "Er..."

"What did you get?" she asked excitedly.

"It's not for me. They sent this for you, and I'm sorry. They are different than your parents... and your friends. With them, there is a reason behind everything." He sighed. "Please do not be offended, Hermione." He saw her smile falter as he passed the box to her.

She opened the lid and found the note that had made him pale considerably. It was written on fancy parchment in excellent script.

Miss Granger,

P.S. I suppose you may call me that now.

"Oh, my," she said. These people were trying to intimidate her! It was obvious that his mother was trying to subtlety let her know that she found her unworthy, what with her not truly being a pureblood. Either that or they didn't believe she dressed well enough to date a Malfoy. How absurd! "What's wrong with my cloak? It's new. I had it on yesterday when I answered the door, thinking we'd take a moment alone outside."

Draco nodded. "I know it is. I'm sure that my father saw that it was as well, but it doesn't have this on it, now does it?" He pointed to the Malfoy crest, tracing it with his fingers proudly. "We Malfoys always wear this on outings."

"But... I'm not a Malfoy." She was at a loss for words. Then she remembered what his father had said the day before and the conversation they'd shared before sleeping. "They honestly want us to be married, don't they? They want me to at least look worthy of you."

"Yes," he said softly. "They truly do. I tried to tell you."

"I believed you, but part of me thought that maybe you'd misunderstood them. I believed that maybe they were just saying those things to frighten you or mollify you until they could find a way to part us." She was shocked. It was true that everyone else, aside from Harry, thought that they'd been dating and in love for a long time. It was too late to try to backtrack and change that now. They would see it as a weakness and try to find a way to break them apart.

"They get owls from everyone...students and parents alike. I guess they realize that they can't change my mind this time, and since Father doesn't want the Malfoy name to die with him, he'll not disown me. He'll be supporting my wishes, even if he doesn't completely approve. You heard what I told you. He's twisting this about to suit him and to make the family better," Draco explained. He traced the Malfoy crest with his finger again and gazed at her for a long moment. "Is it so bad to think of, Hermione?"

She was confused. She loved him and wanted to be with him always. Things were just moving so quickly. She looked back up at him and saw that he was waiting for an answer. He wanted to know her feelings, but about what? Wearing the cloak? An early marriage? Instead of taking time to think things through, she said, "I love you."

He pulled her close to him immediately. "We did it. They accept us. Everyone does."

She had never seen him so happy before. For lack of a better word, she would describe him as giddy. As much as he had been set on defying them and not marrying Pansy, their approval had meant so much to him. She'd seen how he had acted with his father the day before. He must have had a difficult childhood. It must have been hard...never knowing if he'd be lectured for saying the wrong thing, never being held like a son should, and never being able to make his own decisions. Choosing his own future and with whom he wanted to spend it with was definitely a big step for him. It was one he'd obviously fought for.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

"I was just thinking about your childhood. Was it a happy one?" she asked. She saw his eyes dart to the side.

"I never wanted for any luxury. I had a close relationship with my mother until I was about eight. Then my father more or less took over. He said he'd waited too long, and I was too soft. A coward, I think was the word he used." He smiled ruefully. "It's why I always acted nasty. I saw that it was how he treated people. I was just trying to be like him."

She kissed his hand. "It's not your fault that they raised you... er... roughly. You've become a most honorable man."

He kissed her hand. "Only with your help, I believe."

"No," she said softly. "You made your decision on your own before I came along. I just joined in the rebellion is all." She winked mischievously. "And, look, you even showed Pansy how to be happy. Now, Ron has a woman to love...one that can love him the way he deserves."

Draco smirked. "I still don't see what she sees in Weasley though. He's a complete idiot." He ducked a quickly thrown pillow.

Hermione got up and stooped down next to the bed. "Here you are, love," she whispered, pulling out two small packages out and handing them to him.

He hadn't expected her to get him anything. No girl ever had. She looked more excited than he did. Lord, I can only imagine what this is, he thought, remembering how excited she was over the other silly gifts she'd received. No matter what was inside of the boxes, he decided that he would act as though they were the best gifts he'd ever received. He opened the larger one first. "Hermione!" he exclaimed. He couldn't believe it. She had bought him a Shadowing Cloak. "Where did you get this?"

"Well, Harry told me about them. I wanted to get you an Invisibility Cloak, but they are just too rare. Those that were willing to sell them wanted to charge too much. Harry said this was probably just as good. I mean... You just blend in with the background, don't you?" She was pleased that he liked her gift. He had been so hard to buy for. How did you buy something for the boy who had everything?

"It's great, Hermione. I really do like it."

"Well, you sound as if you expected me to get you some Muggle clothing or something." She laughed at his guilty expression.

"Well, the thought did cross my mind once or twice." He grinned. He picked up the second gift she had wrapped for him and opened it quickly.

"I know it's a bit corny, but I didn't know what else to get for you. You already have everything," she explained when he didn't speak.

He loved this gift best of all. It was a small, framed picture of her. She was smiling softly and waving at him. He grinned as the picture winked.

"Press the little green button just there on the side," she instructed. He pressed it and saw the picture Hermione blow him a kiss. He heard her voice say, "I love you, Draco."

"I'll always treasure this the most, Hermione." He hugged her tightly. "I have something for you as well. I had wanted to give it to you later though." He got up and took a small box from his trunk. He didn't know what to do with himself while she slowly opened the expensively wrapped gift. He nervously watched her. Once she'd opened it, she didn't speak. She just stared down for a long time. He shifted uneasily.

From the way she gushed at the other gifts, he'd been certain that she would like this. Maybe she didn't like the shape. "If you don't like it, I can do better. I can get you a nicer one. They had so many. I liked that one and thought that you might. Father said it was too plain for a Malfoy, but I really thou..." He stopped talking. She had tears in her eyes. She was crying. Did she think that he was pressuring her? "Uh... is it that bad?" Surely she didn't hate it so much that she'd cry. "Really, Hermione, there's no pressure. Honest."

"It's... I love it," she whispered.

If she loved it, why the tears? Could those be happy tears? He'd heard talk about such a thing, but he'd never saw anyone actually do it. "Please don't cry, love."

"No, it's beautiful." She pulled the gold ring out of its box and looked at the brilliant diamond glimmering as the light hit it. "What's... this for?"

"Uh, well, my guess would be Christmas," he said sarcastically, though smiling.

"I know that." She giggled nervously. "But I mean... In the Muggle world, a ring such as this is like a commitment, and after our talk last night and receiving the letter from your mother, I was wondering if this was... a commitment and if you were wanting to take that step."

He knew what she was getting at. Damn! I should have waited to give it to her, but I wanted to make her as happy as she'd made me. I wanted to give her something beautiful, something that expressed my feelings. He'd messed up, hadn't he? He decided to make the best of his blunder though. "Hermione, it means the same in the Wizarding world. It's a promise from me to you that I will forever belong to you and would like to have you as my wife when we're ready. I am prepared to make that commitment now. I just thought you should know that it's not only my parents that wants this."

She looked down at her ring once more, caressing it lovingly with a finger. "I thought that might be it," she whispered. "I just had to hear you say it." She smiled at him. "Put it on me then."

"Really?" he asked, completely surprised. He'd thought she might bung it back at him.

"I don't see why we can't be... committed, right? It's not like we have to get married today or anything." She looked back to the ring and smiled. "It's beautiful, and I want to wear it. I want... I want everyone to know that you want me enough to give this to me."

Immediately, he pulled her hand to him and slid the ring onto her finger. It was nearly a perfect fit, only needing an enchantment to shrink it minutely. He watched as she moved her hand back and forth in front of her. "Hermione Jane Granger, I love you, and I hope this ring will be a symbol to you and everyone else...a symbol stating my intentions and feelings for you." He made certain she was looking into his eyes as he added. "When you're ready, I will be a good husband to you. The past doesn't matter any longer. What's important is now and what's to come."

She was his. She was wearing his ring. She had a Malfoy cloak from his parents. He would one day go to sleep every night with her right next to him, and it would be legally and magically binding because she would be his wife. They could make love and not worry about leaving their door open or what others would think. A feeling overwhelmed him, and to his horror, he felt his eyes mist. Happy tears? he thought snidely. So that's how it felt.

"I love you, too, and the idea is growing on me. It might be a bit soon for us to feel such a way, but I do plan on being your wife one day." She pulled him to her and began placing several kisses along his jaw, his cheeks, and on his lips. His hand slid down to cup her arse as he pulled her closer still and leaned back against her headboard, dragging her atop him. They were still kissing heatedly when her mum walked in.

"Ahem." They pulled back immediately. Her mother's face was red, and she seemed embarrassed to have caught them snogging.

Hermione realized how it must look. Her nightshirt was low cut in the front, revealing a bit of cleavage, and it was very short. That wasn't even mentioning the position she'd found them in. "Sorry, Mum. It's not as it looks," she said.

Her mother looked from one to the other. To Hermione's relief, the woman smiled, but she couldn't meet Draco's eyes. "Oh, it's Christmas after all. Get dressed and come down." Her mother stopped and put a hand to her breast. "Her-Hermione... that ring...?" She seemed to not be able to breathe.

"It... er... it's pretty, isn't it?" Hermione managed. She couldn't speak either. How could she tell her mom that she'd received an engagement ring and that she had already consented to being Draco's wife at some point in the future?

Draco cleared his throat and attempted to sound confident. "Mrs. Granger, your daughter has just done me a great service and agreed to be my wife. I'll cherish her all my days." He held his breath as the woman finally gazed at him, gauging his words carefully. Tears had welled up in her eyes the moment he began talking. What is with this house? Does everyone that comes here cry over everything, either happy or sad? he questioned inwardly. His only problem was he didn't know exactly what kind of tears those were in Jane Granger's eyes.

"I am happy for you both. I just feel as though I missed the part of my daughter's life when she went from being a girl to a woman. I suppose I'll need to tell your father! I am so happy that you're doing the right thing!" she exclaimed, kissing Hermione's cheek and hugging Draco. "Come down when you are dressed!" she called behind her before closing the door.

Hermione looked puzzled. "What's wrong?" Draco asked.

"She closed the door as if to say she approves of me being alone in my bedroom with my boyfriend." She was shocked. Her mother was quite old fashioned. "Doing the right thing?" she repeated, shrugging.

"I'm not just your boyfriend anymore." Draco smirked and caressed her ring. "I'm to be your husband someday," he drawled. "I suppose that raises me up on the level of respect list, eh? She probably figures that it is inevitable, so it's her way of showing us that we can...on her terms and only because she approves."

She giggled. "You are absolutely right of course. I wonder what Dad will say though?" Hermione began to worry her lip. "He might not be pleased." Things were moving so quickly that it all felt unreal. His parents approved. Her parents approved. Harry and Ron approved. She shrugged her thoughts away, not wanting to ruin her Christmas. "Let's go down for our gifts!"

Draco watched as she ran to her closet to pick out something to wear and smiled when he saw her glance down at her ring as if checking to make sure it was still there. He went to his trunk and got out his own clothes. When he pulled off his shirt, he glanced towards the bathroom door. At this angle, it was cracked open just enough that he could see her reflection in the full-length mirror. He sucked in a breath. The nightshirt was gone. She had only her little satin knickers on. She was brushing her wild mass of hair. He felt himself go hard. She was beautiful. Perfect. She was his. He smiled smugly. He'd landed the cleverest witch of their age... and the sexiest one, though she didn't realize just how appealing she truly was.

He had to force himself to pull his gaze away to finish dressing. He was just buttoning his shirt when she came out fully clothed. "You got dressed in here?" she asked.

"Yes."

"But what if I would have come out? I might have seen... you know." She seemed taken aback by his actions. He saw her face redden. Was she imagining him with no clothes? Her round, innocent eyes met his.

"I don't care if you see me, Hermione. Far as I'm concerned, I want you to see me. I am ready for the next step in our relationship." He shrugged nonchalantly. "We're as good as married in my eyes. You read what my mum said. I've chosen you." She needed to realize that there was no going back now. He saw her swallow uneasily. "Don't worry. I won't pressure you into anything, but when you're ready, you need to tell me." He hoped his words comforted her. He'd met no other girl quite like her. The ones he'd been with in the past were not modest, were not virgins, and were definitely not in love with him. He felt better when she smiled.

"Draco, I trust that you won't pressure me." She moved closer to take his hand. "I'm nearly ready." She grinned. "I know I am, according to my heart. It's my mind that is messing with me. I just have to get myself together and accept it."

"No rush," he whispered, kissing her quickly. When he pulled away, he grinned at her flushed cheeks. "Lead the way."

She smiled and pulled him away. They entered the kitchen and spied her parents whispering conspiratorially. It seemed that her father was slightly annoyed. She only hoped that he wouldn't berate their decision.

Surprisingly, her father greeted them warmly. "Happy Christmas, you two! Come in for a spot of breakfast before you open your gifts."

Hermione sat on her father's left, and Draco sat next to her. Her mother swooped upon them and began filling their plates with food. "It looks and smells good, Mum."

"Thank you, dear."

Draco accepted his plate with a nod, not saying anything. She noticed that he looked uncertain. She was about to ask if he needed something when her father spoke instead.

"Well, Jane tells me that congratulations are in order, just as your father predicted. Interesting." He looked down to Hermione's ring before eyeing Draco.

Draco met his eyes evenly. "Thank you, sir. I will make her happy."

Hermione watched the exchange between her father and her fiancé, hoping no sparks would fly. Her father didn't seem overly upset, but he did seem a bit sad, even disappointed. Her mum was humming softly near the sink. She smiled at her father, and he nodded in return as if to say that things were all right. "Thank you, Dad. I am happy." She wanted to put him at ease and let him know that she was doing exactly what she wanted.

"You both realize that this is a big step. You are only nineteen, Hermione," he said in a fatherly tone. "Marriage is a lasting commitment not to be taken lightly. I know that you've been in a relationship for over a year now and might feel that this is the next step... considering... uh... things, but how will you survive on your own? Neither of you have jobs and are still taking courses. How will you support yourselves or a family?"

Draco spoke first. "I have more than enough funds to get us started due to a trust fund made available to me when I became of age. I will be able to support her and make her happy home for her." His cheeks reddened. "My parents are also quite wealthy should I need anything more. As far as being young, my mother was sixteen when she married my father who was twenty-two. She was still taking her normal classes at the time."

"Yes, that is very young," the older man conceded. "You are both adults, however, and if we cannot talk you into waiting, which it's likely best if you don't, we will of course embrace you as part of this family, Draco."

"Dad, it's not like we're going to g..." Hermione began, but she was interrupted by her mother, who began coughing and motioning to her husband. Hermione's father turned red, and she realized that they must have been talking about this before she and Draco had entered. Her suspicions were confirmed as he spoke again.

"As such, we insist that you not only marry in the Wizarding way, as we know you'll likely want to, but please have a wedding our way also. It would ease our minds."

Draco blinked and looked to Hermione in confusion as if to ask what her father had meant.

Hermione placed a hand over his, knowing she could explain later. "Of course we will, Daddy. I wouldn't have it any other way. I want you and Mum to be a part of this... when we decide to go through with it." She turned to Draco. "It's much the same. A minister says some words to bless our union, and we sign papers."

Draco nodded. It seemed nearly the same to him...from what he'd seen of some bindings anyway, and he didn't see the big deal. However, he didn't want to alienate his Muggle in-laws. Besides, he knew that his parents would probably request a Malfoy style binding. "Certainly, sir," he said to her father. "When would you like us to do it? You seem to have some date I mind," he asked her dad.

"Well, there is no time like the present," John stated matter-of-factly.

Her mother chimed in. "We think this holy day would be a perfect day for it. We could be present that way and have another reason to celebrate."

"And," her father began, "with the pair of you sharing a room, well... we'll feel better, knowing how, uh, how serious things are between the two of you." He coughed lightly. "I believe that Lucius had a point and seemed to know something that I didn't." His voice took on a stern tone. "You could have told us that things were already at this stage. I admit to feeling disappointed that we've been left out."

Hermione and Draco both looked at each other, completely astonished. She didn't know what to say. Draco squeezed her hand. "Er..."

Jane noticed her daughter's discomfort. "If you aren't certain that you are ready for this, you don't have to," she said softly. "Really. We'll support you either way, Hermione. You needn't feel as if you have to do this."

Hermione swallowed thickly. "Well, I must admit that this is sudden. He's only just asked me today. Honestly. I didn't purposely keep anything from you." She looked to Draco and widened her eyes.

"This isn't just some ploy for us to allow your boyfriend to share a room with you, is it?" her father asked, eyes narrowed at Draco.

"No, of course, not," she said quickly.

"Sir, I would never dishonor your daughter," Draco said heatedly, clutching her hand tightly. "I don't know that I like you implying that she's allowed anything... improper to happen between us."

Hermione's eyes widened in wonder. She'd never heard him sound that way before. It was as if he'd changed suddenly, taking on a tone of voice that drawled much the same way his father's did and was tinged with a bit of arrogance.

"Ha! Nothing impr..."

Her mother quickly interrupted her father's retort. "Enough! Whatever Draco's parents or we may believe is immaterial. We are just saying that if you'd like to marry anytime soon...for whatever reason...then we'd like to request today. It would be lovely since it's Christmas, and we could definitely attend without all those... intimidating magical folk about. You do understand, right?"

Draco felt as if this was a test. Surely they couldn't be serious. This was definitely something his father would pull. Well, he would pass this test. "Are my clothes all right? I mean... I don't know what Muggles wear at weddings, but I do have a few nice things." He made sure to gaze at her father steadily. It must have been his idea to suggest such a thing. It didn't seem like he truly approved of a young man sharing a room with his unwed daughter.

Truth be told, he was nervous because he didn't know what to expect from Hermione's surprisingly intimidating father. It had nothing to do with wanting to marry her. It's what he wanted. He supposed it made no difference if they did it now or six months later after they took their N.E.W.T.s. Once it was done, there would be no changing it, and he would have found a way to ensure that she'd always be his. No Weasleys or Potters could interfere. He felt Hermione's hand begin to tremble and realized that his own palms and brow were sweating.

He dared not look at Hermione, afraid of what he'd see in her eyes. Instead, he gazed between her parents, hoping that his acceptance of their request had met their approval. Hermione's mother looked at her father questioningly, and in turn, they both faced their daughter.

"I've not heard your answer," John prodded, moving to lift his daughter's chin with his hand.

Draco noticed that she was biting her lower lip and seemed to look away as if in thought. In the next instant, her hand slipped from his, causing his heart to drop. Had he done something wrong? Surely she realized that they were simply meaning to scare them into being more responsible in certain situations.

It was at this moment that Hermione gazed at Draco and smiled shakily. "All right?" she seemed to ask. He nodded reassuringly. "We can marry today then," she announced.

Draco's heart began pounding quickly. She'd agreed to marry him. The Muggles... er... Hermione's parents are serious. They want us to marry. He couldn't believe that they would simply decide this so suddenly. Hell, he'd only met them the day before. His eyes drifted to a parchment on the counter. It was angled so that he could just make out the proud handwriting of his father near the top. What had he told them? He decided not to say anything, not wanting to cause any trouble between their families, but he wondered if his father had insinuated something about their relationship that would make her parents request that they be married.

"Well... then," her father said. "My good friend, Minister Rapburn, can come over this evening to preside over things. I happened to speak to him earlier and hinted that we might need his services. He is more than happy to help out." He patted Hermione on the shoulder. "Smile, poppet. Things will be fine."

"We think it's for the best, dear," her mother added. "And tonight, your father and I can go over to my sister's. We've not seen her in a couple of weeks, so she's invited us over." She smiled. "You'll have some privacy to... er..." Her voice trailed away, and her cheeks reddened. "Well, anyway, there is really no need to put things off."

"Thanks, Mum," Hermione said, equally embarrassed and quite confused. "It's what we would have done eventually..."

"Let's get on with Christmas then," John said halfheartedly, eyes distant. He stood and made his way into the living area without waiting for anyone else.

"Take a moment to yourselves," Jane urged, getting up to place her husband's dishes in the sink. She folded the nearby parchment and slipped it into her pocket before leaving the room.

"Hermione," Draco said quietly, "I'm sorry. I was uncertain if they were serious, and I just wanted to prove to them that I love you and would marry you today if you wanted. I..."

"Shhhh," she said, holding a finger to his lips. "I'm shocked. This is all a bit fast, but it isn't your fault. We're both at fault for lying to everyone. I don't know what made them request this." She shrugged. "I'm sorry. I know this is putting you on the spot. Listen, we can call things off for now. There's no need to be bullied into this."

"No, I do want this," he admitted. "Really. The way I see things..." He looked down, feeling shy. He was about to admit something that he normally wouldn't. "When we spent this last week apart, I hated it. I wished that we were married so we needn't have spent a single day apart. When my father kept going on about marrying you, I didn't try to argue with him." He looked up, eyeing her intently. "I want to be able to make love to you, I want to be able to hold you every night, and I know that as my wife, you'll feel more secure in being with me. I do remember what you said about wanting to wait until marriage, although I figured we wouldn't wait that long. Not with the way we feel about each other."

"If you are certain..." She slanted her lips across his and kissed him in acceptance, pulling him as close to her as possible. "Should we invite your parents?" she asked when she broke away.

"No," he said, shaking his head. "I'm certain they will prefer to host a Wizarding binding. We'll just do this with your family."

"All right." She smiled. "I can't believe this. First the ring... Now this..."

"I know," he said, thinking back to the letter he'd seen. "Hermione, maybe my father is behind this somehow. I saw a parchment on the counter."

"Well, let's not worry about that now. My parents seem to really want this for us." She raised an eyebrow. "Perhaps the shock of seeing a man sleeping in my room brought them to the wrong conclusion." She smiled impishly. "And Mum did walk in on us this morning."

He nodded. "Come. We don't want to keep them waiting." She took his proffered hand and followed him into the living area.

Draco was surprised that her parents had bought him gifts since they didn't fully know him. They gave him clothing: comfortable, plain cotton boxer shorts and undershirts. Hermione had giggled when she'd seen his gift while he smirked at their private joke. He was pleased that her parents enjoyed the gift he'd purchased for them. They'd claimed to have never had a magical gift before. It was a miniature unicorn that would prance around, paw at the tabletop, and whinny happily.

"Guess you'll have to keep it out of the sight of visitors. Sorry, didn't think of that," Draco said sheepishly.

"Nonsense," her mother said. "I'll keep it in our room. It's quite beautiful."

He thought that it was quite interesting the way the Muggles kept their gifts under the tree. In his home, their Christmas tree was always finely decorated and dominated their large entry hall. The gifts always appeared at the foot of his bed. Hermione's father showed him how to work a few of their electronic gadgets while Hermione talked to her mother in hushed tones.

Before long, Hermione kissed his cheek. "We are going to go into town for a bit to get a few things for the wedding." She blushed and smiled excitedly. "You'll have to stay here. Mum doesn't want you to see the dress we're going to buy, though it won't be anything fancy. Will you be all right?"

"Yes, I'll go up and read if that's ok."

"Certainly. Do you need anything?"

"Maybe you could purchase a camera to take our picture so that we can send it to my mother. Remember, she did request one."

"We have one. I'll check to see if we need film. We won't be long."

When Hermione and her parents had left, Draco sprinted up to her room, pulled the romance book out from under the bedside table, and grinned. He wanted to finish reading about the two lovers. He found the page he'd been on during his previous read and situated himself on Hermione's bed. A thought occurred to him. He leaned towards her pillow and sniffed. It smelled like her. He had never felt more content. His Hermione. Tonight, they would go to bed as a married couple. Surely they would make love. Her parents' plan had backfired it seemed, and he was going to get the best Christmas gift imaginable. Hermione.

Eyes moving back to the book, he read how nervous the maiden was about giving herself to her experienced lover. The man, though apparently a rogue, tenderly seduced her, seeing to her pleasure first before finding his own. It was very detailed just as Hermione had said. Why, he could easily imagine what was going on. If Hermione had read many of these, then she knew exactly what to expect between them. She would be a little nervous, but he knew he could ease her through that.

He'd proved that the night before. She had let herself experience his kisses and caresses fully, getting carried away by feelings... before she halted things, fearing her parents would come in. Tonight, there would be no parents to interrupt things. All of those nights that he'd spent fantasizing about her or lying next to her in frustration would finally be over. She would be his. He grinned wickedly as he continued reading. If she wanted her first time to resemble what she read in her naughty little books, he'd give that to her.

Southern's Notes: I know it seems quite soon for them to be married (since we know the truth of their time together), but I have faith that all will be well. I will reveal what Lucius wrote to the Grangers soon.

Christy's Notes: Very good! I really like this and can't wait to read the wedding.