Hermione wakes up blissfully the morning of Sophie's birthday. She rolls over, wrapping her arms around Draco's bare chest. He mutters something unintelligible as he pulls her closer.
"What was that?" She chuckles against his neck, making him shudder.
"I love you." He mutters again.
She smiles. "I love you too."
She thinks back to a week ago when she had first confessed her love to her husband. They had gone on to consummate their marriage that night, as well as every night since.
"We need to get up." She tells him. "You have Nott's trial at nine and I told David I would be over to set up at half-past eight." She reminds him.
Draco sighs. "What time is it now," He asks.
"Quarter past eight." She answers, hugging him closer, not wanting him to leave the bed even though they really need to get up.
He groans as he pulls Hermione closer, then kisses the top of her head. "We really need to get up." He sighs.
"Yes." She nods, lifting her head up to look him in the eye.
"If this trial wasn't very important to me, I would stay here five minutes longer." He admits, leaning down to kiss her a few times, then climbing out of bed.
"Is Theo going to be there?" Hermione asks as she follows him to their wardrobe and pulls out her dress robes. She'd bought them, especially for Sophie's party in order to fit the magical dress code. The robes are red with attached cape and gold details on the shoulders. The skirt that falls straight to the floor.
"He said he never wanted to see him again, so I doubt it," Draco tells her, pulling his white dress shirt on and making sure the collar is stuck up straight. "I'm going to visit him after the trial and tell him the outcome so I might be fifteen minutes late to David's." He says.
"It's fine. The party doesn't start until four this afternoon and I've told you I'll help with the magical room. I'll set all the wards up and the food table then you can decorate it how you want when you get there." She assures him. "It's all going to go smoothly." She smiles as she waves her wand over her shoulder to fasten up the corset.
Draco sighs as he pulls on his black dress robe on over his shirt and fastening it up the front. He looks at himself in dressing table mirror shaking his head. The dress robes have longer sleeves than he's used to and the silver details are overly ostentatious, which is something he never thought he would think, taking pride in his own pretentiousness. The one thing, above all else, that he hates is the length of the skirt. He's used to his dress robes falling stiffly to his mid-thigh, not floatingly to his mid-calf. Then when paired with his new leather boots, it all seems too much but Hermione assured him on many occasions that it's so over-the-top that it would be considered normal wizarding costume in the muggle world, which is what they're going for.
"I can't believe I'm wearing this to the trial." He sighs again.
"Stop sighing." Hermione scolds him playfully. "I don't see how this is any different from your usual dress robes. There only a little longer."
"It's floaty, Hermione." He stares at her but she doesn't seem to understand so he steps away and gives her a twirl, the skirt of his dress robe fanning out. "See."
"Well, I happen to prefer these dress robes to your usual ones. You don't look like your father in these ones." She smiles then laughs at the image of Lucius wearing the dress robes.
"Oh, thanks, that's reassuring." He rolls his eyes as he tucks his wand into the wand holster on the inside of his robes. "Lucius was considered a fashionable man in his time, if he wouldn't wear this, then I don't see why I should either." He comments, taking his black cloak out of the wardrobe and throwing it over his arm. "I'm placing a winter charm in the magical room. If I'm expected to wear a cloak in the middle of summer along with these robes, I'm changing the season." He complains as he heads downstairs.
"Stop complaining," Hermione calls after him as she pulls on her own boots and follows him downstairs, already feeling far too warm in her outfit. "This is all for Sophie." She reminds him as she joins him by the front door.
"You're right." He nods. "And at least, as a couple, we look great." He smiles, leaning down to capture her lips in a quick kiss. "Let's go and hope we don't see anyone on our way to the gate." He opens the door, gesturing for Hermione to leave first then locks the door behind him.
They're almost at the gate when they hear someone wolf whistle at them. Turning around, they find Pansy walking over to them with a smirk on her face. She seemed to have taken a much subtler take on the dress code, wearing an elegant dark blue gown with a similar coloured summer cloak.
"You both look hot," She laughs. "In the warm sense, although you do look great." She looks them up and down as she reaches the gate with them. "Don't try and hide your dress robes from me, Draco. I want a full twirl at the party." She smiles.
"Pansy, don't, he's already self-conscious enough about it," Hermione warns her.
"Okay, show me this dress robe." She stops them before they can disapparate.
Draco rolls his eyes before opening his cloak to reveal the robes.
Pansy takes them in for a few seconds before nodding. "I could see you wearing them when visiting your mother as a form of protest. They're very pretentious, which matches your personality perfectly, Draco." She smirks. "But your parents would hate them." She adds.
Draco smiles. "I'm wearing them for the meal with Mother next week." He tells Hermione.
"I don't think that's the right approach to salvaging your relationship with her." She comments but secretly wants to see the look on Narcissa's face when she see's Draco in these robes.
Draco goes to check his watch, before realising he hadn't put it on as it didn't fit beneath the tightness of the robe's sleeves. Instead, he takes his phone out of his trouser pockets to check the time.
"I should be in the courtroom right now." He states. "I'll see you at David's." He kisses Hermione quickly.
"Where's my kiss?" Pansy jokingly complains as Draco disapparates.
Hermione takes her hand so they can disapparate to her Uncle David's house. They arrive just as David is ushering the birthday girl out of the door and into the car for school.
"Pansy!" Sophie exclaims, jumping out of the car to give her a hug, which Pansy reluctantly returns. "What are you doing here?" She asks.
"I came with Hermione to wish you a happy birthday." She answers.
"Why are you dressed up fancy?" Sophie asks, looking both Hermione and Pansy up and down with a frown. "
"These are our best dress robes. We were going to celebrate your birthday with some cake for breakfast whilst you opened our presents but I see we're a little late. We'll have to wait until after school." Hermione suggests.
"Ah, Dad, do I have to go to school today? It's so unfair, Joan doesn't go to school on her birthday." Sophie complains.
"That's because Joan's birthday is in August." Her Dad points out. "Now, in the car, you're going to school. We'll see them tonight." He orders and Sophie climbs back into the car with a huff. "Actually, could you pick her up after school at half past three? I have a meeting with the head after school. I should be home for four o'clock." He asks.
"Of course, that's fine." Hermione nods, only realising after David has pulled out of the driveway that she doesn't have any other clothes with her. Hopefully, the parents who know about the party will understand.
They enter through the front door; which David had left unlocked for them and head straight to the kitchen for a cup of tea.
"Where do we start?" Pansy asks as she sits at the kitchen table.
"Decorations." Hermione states. "We need to set up the living room for the Muggles who are coming. Whilst my whole family knows about magic, David's still a little nervous around it, my grandparents haven't ever actually witnessed any magic and my parents aren't too fond of it either. Plus, my godparents are coming and they don't know anything." She explains, placing a cup of tea in front of Pansy as she joins her at the table.
"What does Muggle decoration include?" She asks.
"It's a magic-themed party so there can be some magic in the room, but subtle magic. If it can't be explained by Muggle science or technology, it needs to be subtler." She tells her.
"I don't know anything about Muggle science or techology." Pansy frowns.
"I don't know much myself. It's changed in the past eight years." Hermione admits.
"How many people are coming?" She questions.
"My parents, grandparents, godparents, four cousins, Gwenog, six kids from her school and one dad. He told me he only gets his kids on Wednesday, Thursdays and Friday nights so he asked if he could come." Hermione answers.
"I'm already regretting coming." Pansy sighs, sipping her tea.
"Why? It'll be fun." Hermione tries to assure her.
"I was raised my whole life to hate Muggles and Muggle-borns. I've never been around Muggles and now I feel like I've been thrown off the Gryffindor tower." She admits. "I don't know anything about Muggles. I suppose I'm a little nervous and it doesn't help that I'm dressed ridiculously." She says.
Hermione smiles at her friend. "You'll be fine, Pansy. Muggles really aren't that much different from us. You can talk to my parents about anything from our world, they know quite a lot. I would stick to the pleasantries with my grandparents and godparents. Then you already know Gwen but I'll warn you, she's not particularly fond of you. That just leaves the kids who are all under ten and Sophie loves you." Hermione explains.
Pansy holds a hand to her chest. "Gwen doesn't like me." She gasps. "I'm offended." She frowns.
"You're a Slytherin, she doesn't like Draco or Blaise either." Hermione jokingly points out.
"Oh, is that so." She mutters, a dark look crossing her face.
"Pansy," Hermione says warningly. "The best thing you can do is prove her wrong. Sophie and I already defended your honour." She says.
"Really, Sophie defended me." She frowns.
"She said you, Draco and Blaise were the nicest people she had ever met and asked if all Slytherin's were nice," Hermione smirks when Pansy burst out laughing.
"Right, I need to go shopping for Sophie's present." She states.
"Haven't you got her one yet?" Hermione asks with a frown.
"Of course, but she thinks I'm nice and her mother hates me so I need to buy her a little something else." She smirks, an idea forming in her head.
Hermione sighs, knowing there's nothing she can do to stop Pansy from doing whatever she's planning on doing so she lets it go.
"You should go soon, I want you back to help me set up the living room," Hermione tells her. "I also need to set up some ward for the playroom where the magical room is going to be. Draco said he'll decorate when he gets here." She adds.
Pansy nods as she finishes her cup of tea. "I shan't be long." She smirks as she walks down eh hall towards the front door, leaving.
Hermione finishes her own cup of tea before taking her wand out and heading into the playroom to start on the wards.
"I, Minister Kingsley Shacklebolt and the Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot, hereby sentence you, Mr Sylvester Nott, to Azkaban for a total of forty years effective immediately. This sentence includes the ten years for your part in helping Death Eater's escape Azkaban in 1982 and thirty years for your crime during the second war." The Minister announces to the courtroom.
Two Ministry Officials unshackle him from the seat in the centre of the courtroom and lead him towards the holding cells. However, as he passes Draco, he halts.
"May I have a quick word with Mr Malfoy?" He asks the two Ministry Officials who glance at each other and then at Draco, who nods.
"Speak quickly, Mr Nott." He tells him.
"Tell Theo, tell my son that I love him, that I'm sorry and that I'm so very proud of him." Sylvester Nott asks him calmly, his eyes boring into Draco intensely. "I hear he's happy with his wife and he's going to be a lawyer. Tell him I wish him a long, happy life." He adds with a sincere smile.
Draco stares at him for a moment before nodding once. Content with that answer, Sylvester Nott gestures to the two ministry Officials to lead him away to the holding cells. In a hurry, Draco swiftly exits the witness row. However, before he can reach the courtroom door, the Minister calls his name. With a sigh he stops in his steps, spins on his heel, forgetting his dress robes are rather floaty and walks over to the Minister's stand.
"Can we make this quick, Minister? I have plans." He says, looking up at the man.
"I must ask that you refrain from dressing so... outrageously theatrical in the courtroom, Mr Malfoy." He glances him up and down. "This is a place of justice, not a stage for your elaborate performance." He snaps.
"Minister, I took an oath to speak only the truth." Draco reminds him with an air of innocence.
The Minister shakes his head. "Mr Malfoy," He sighs. "You are the most deviously untrustworthy person I know."
"And you are the most tactically, uncompassionate and untrustworthy person I know." Draco smiles at him. "So, I guess we're equal." He states with a wink. "Now, I have a child's party to decorate for, are we done?" He asks.
The Minister nods, teeth gritted, as he glares after Draco when he walks out of the courtroom.
Draco exits out the Muggle entrance so he can call Hermione on the phone. Muggle technology doesn't seem to work well when in such close proximity to magic. He walks down the street, away from the Ministry, trying to a signal. He finally gets a bar fifty meters away. He stops and calls Hermione.
"Hi," She answers.
"I've just left the Ministry." He tells her.
"Just? It took longer than usual." She comments.
"Yes, I gave an elaborate performance." He rolls his eyes as he talks.
"What?" Hermione asks.
"The minister wasn't happy with my dress robes or my conduct within a place of justice, it seems. I think the words he used were, outrageously theatrical." Hermione laughs down the phone.
"How was the trial, anyway?" She asks.
"Forty years," He answers. "I'm on my way to inform Theo." He adds.
"Alright, I'll see you here soon." She says.
"Yes, goodbye." He says before hanging up.
He makes his way into an alleyway to disapparating back to the estate where he heads straight to Theo's house.
He knocks on the door and his friend answers after a prolonged moment take one look at him in his dress robes and burst out laughing. Draco pushes past him, slamming the door shut behind him on his way into the living room.
"So, what's the occasion?" Theo smirks, sitting in an armchair opposite Draco on the couch.
"It's Hermione's cousin's birthday party this afternoon." He tells him.
"The one who came here a few weeks ago?" He asks. "The Muggle?"
"Ah, you don't know," Draco remembers. "She's actually half-blood." He reveals.
Theo's eyes widen. "Oh, wow!"
"Her mother is Gwenog Jones," He announces.
Theo frowns at him. "You know, I think Lisa mentioned something about Gwenog having a child in the Muggle world. It was in the Daily Prophet." He nods. "Anyway, what can I help you with?" He asks.
"It was your father's trial today," Draco tells him.
"How long did he get?" He asks, trying to act nonchalant.
"Forty years." He answers.
Theo smiles softly as he strides over to Draco, pulling him off the couch into a tight hug. "Thank you, Draco." He says appreciatively as he steps back.
"No problem, I might have overexaggerated his actions a little but he got what he deserved," Draco admits.
"How did he react to the sentence?" He asks, sitting sideways beside Draco on the couch.
"He remained composed throughout the whole trial. When he was being led to the holding cell, he stopped in front of me and asked me to tell you something." Draco pauses to gauge his reaction before carrying on. "Do you want me to tell you?" He asks.
"You might as well." Theo nods, taking a deep breath.
"He told me to tell you that he loves you, he's sorry and he's very proud of you. He heard that you're happy with Lisa and are training to be a lawyer. He wished you a long and happy life." Draco tells him.
Theo scoffs, shaking his head. "There he is again, indirectly manipulating us. He's trying to trick me into feeling sorry for him and visiting him in Azkaban but that's never going to happen. Hopefully, he'll die in there but then he's only thirty-eight." He sighs.
"Are you alright, Theo?" Draco asks him.
"Yes, thank you for what you did, Draco." He smiles. "I would appreciate it if you didn't tell anyone else what he told you. He's been sentenced and I don't need to think about him for the next forty years." He says.
"Of course, I won't breath a word of it to anyone." He nods, standing up. "I must leave but I'm sure I'll see you around." He nods as he makes his way to the front door.
"Of course, you and Hermione can come around whenever for a cup of tea," Theo tells him as he steps out onto the street.
Draco thanks him then quickly sets off towards the gate. This morning had already taken too long. He doesn't know if he'll have enough time to decorate the playroom the way he wanted to for Sophie. He disapparates straight to David's house when he reaches the gate and doesn't bother knocking on the front door, letting himself in.
"Hermione!" He calls as he struggles to take his boots off.
"I'm in the living room." She announces, stepping into the hallway. "How did Theo take it?" She asks leaning against the stairs bannister as she watches him.
"Rather well, actually." He answers, finally managing to pull both his boots off. "How far have you and Pansy gotten?" He asks.
Hermione scoffs. "Pansy ran off about nine o'clock to buy Sophie an extra present so she can prove something to Gwen." She rolls her eyes. "She hasn't been back since. I'm sure she's just trying to get out of helping." She adds. "Anyway, for each person who isn't allowed in the playroom, I've set up a ward to make them uninterested in the room when they get within a metre of the door. All except the dad who's coming with his kids. I don't know his name." She explains as they walk into the playroom. "Also, I've placed a silencing charm within the room so the kids can be as loud as they want."
"Perfect," Draco smiles. "I can use the fireworks now."
"I'm going to leave you to it. I need to finish the living room and start cooking the food." She states. "Also, I need to pick Sophie up from school at half past three." She adds.
"You're going to pick Sophie up from Muggle school dressed like that?" He questions.
"Yes, I don't exactly have any other options. I've got so much to do here and don't have time to go home and change." She explains.
"I'll come with you then. We can confuse the Muggles together." He jokes.
Hermione rolls her eyes as she leaves him in the playroom, heading back into the living room. She nearly finished with the decorations for the adults. There are colour changing streamers, shimmering banners and colour changing balloons that float in mid-air. All she needs to do now is set up the sweet table, which she'd bought some of the more inconspicuous wizarding sweets for. Liquorice wands, sour sweets, sugar quills, toffees, marshmallows and doughnuts. Once she's finished setting up the table, she heads into the kitchen to start on the sausage rolls, pies, mini-burgers, hotdog, garlic bread and mini-pizzas that all need cooking. The rest of the party food, the sandwiches, popcorn, crisps and breadsticks, that don't need cooking, are in the cupboard ready. Hermione hopes to be finished with all the food by three o'clock, which only gives her two and a half hours. She wishes Pansy would hurry up and return.
After four and a half hours of wandering up and down Diagon Alley, going into nearly every shop, she ends up back in Flourish and Blotts for what must be the fourth time that day. She's already bought Sophie a large selection of sweets from Honeydukes. However, with the revelation that Gwen hates her but Sophie thinks she's nice, Pansy needs to buy the child something else, something special to make reinstate Sophie's beliefs in her. That she is a nice Slytherin. It's a shame Blaise can't make it to the party, he's the epitome of a nice Slytherin. Now, it's down to her and Draco to prove that point to Gwen.
"Back again, Pansy," Percy smirks at her as she enters.
She sighs, waving him off as she heads upstairs to browse the books once again.
"You know, if you let me know what you're looking for, I might be able to help you," Percy suggests from the top of that stairs.
"I need something special for Sophie's birthday." Pansy finally relents, sitting herself down on the edge of a desk.
"When's her birthday?" He asks, stepping onto the floor.
"Today." She answers.
"You're leaving it a bit late, aren't you?" Percy teases as he stands beside her, glancing at the bookshelves. "I assume this is why you're dressed like you're going to a ball." He adds.
"I already have a present for her but I've recently been told that Sophie thinks I'm nice and her mother hates me so of course, I need to buy the child something special to prove that I am nice." She admits.
Percy stares at her sideways.
"I know I'm not particularly nice but the child seems to thinks I am so I need a special present, can you help me or not?" She asks sharply.
Percy laughs. "Maybe, if you stopped snapping at people, they would think you're less mean." He suggests, walking over to the stairs.
Pansy sighs. "Fine, I apologise for snapping." She tells him as he continues to walk downstairs. "Will you help me now?" She calls after him.
"I am helping you, but thanks for the apology." He says. She can hear the amusement in his voice as she follows him downstairs. "Aren't your dress robes a little... over the top for a muggle party?" Percy asks as her rummages through some books on the shelf.
"It's a magic party. Hermione wants everyone to dress up as stereotypical witches and wizards. I have no idea what that means so I just threw on one of my best dress robes." She shrugs.
"I think you need a pointed hat." He states as he pulls a book of the bookshelf. "I read a muggle book about witches and they seem to think we have pointed hats, wands and fly everywhere on broomsticks." He says, handing her the book.
"What's this?" She asks, turning the book over in her hands.
"A selection of short children's stories written by Constance Cavalier," Percy announces.
"Okay," She glances up at him. "Who was she?" She asks, wondering why the book was special.
"In 1337, she became the first ever Muggleborn to be sorted into Slytherin. In 1355, she married a pureblood Slytherin and went on to have eight children, all of whom were Slytherin and went on to do great things, and adopted three squib children. She wrote these short stories for them and anonymously donated all the money she earned from the sales to families less fortunate than her. She is undoubtedly the kindest Slytherin to ever attend Hogwarts. If you want to prove to Sophie that Slytherin's can be nice, give her this book. Constance's life is written in the foreword." He explains.
Pansy smiles down at the book. "I'll take it." She tells him, passing the book back to him.
Percy takes the book over to the till where he wraps it up in dark green tissue paper. Pansy hands him over some galleons, telling him to keep the change as an act of her gratefulness. Just as she turns to leave, Percy asks her to wait as he runs into the back room behind the till. Pansy waits impatiently for him to return, when he does, he has another book wrapped in red tissue paper.
"Will you give Sophie this from me?" He asks her, holding it out.
Pansy sighs as she takes the book. "Fine. I'm sure she'll be thankful." She says before leaving the shop and disapparating back to David's house.
"Where have you been?" Hermione berates when Pansy saunters into the kitchen around two o'clock.
"In Diagon Alley buying Sophie a present." She says, placing two wrapped presents on the kitchen table. "The red one is from Percy." She adds.
"Go put them then the living room on the coffee table with the rest of the presents and then help me cook. We've only got an hour before we have to leave to pick Sophie up from school." She orders, going back to check on the oven.
Half an hour later, Hermione realises that Pansy hasn't returned from the living room yet and goes to find her. When she isn't there, she checks in the playroom, where Draco is still decorating. There, she finds Pansy lounging on the couch, eating marshmallows straight from the bowl.
"Pansy!" She calls, making the other jump slightly. "I asked you to come help me." She reminds her.
"Yeah, but I'd just get in the way." She shrugs, placing another marshmallow in her mouth.
Hermione wandlessly accios the bowl of marshmallows into her hand.
"Hey, I was eating those," Pansy complains.
"In the kitchen, Pansy." She orders. "Now."
Pansy sighs as she stands up. "Fine, I'll help." She says, following Hermione into the kitchen. "What do you want me to do?" She glances around.
"Butter those burger and hot dog buns." She gestures to a pile of buns and a tub of butter.
Pansy quietly gets on with her task, passing the buttered buns to Hermione, who places a leaf of lettuce and a burger inside and set them on a plate. They work quickly and efficiently and by three o'clock, all the food is on plates ready to be served when the party starts at half four. All they'll need to do is magically heat them up before the guests arrive.
Since there aren't any secluded places near Sophie's school, especially not at three o'clock in the afternoon on a school day, so they decide to walk. Pansy hadn't wanted to stay in the house by herself so decided to join them on the walk. Hermione was glad since three of them in dress robes was lightly less strange than one or even two people in dress robes.
They arrived at the school gate just after twenty past three and found a free bench to sit on at the back of the playground where they hoped they could hide inconspicuously. However, almost every person in the playground was staring at them or trying not to, and muttering to other parents about the youths of today.
"What are you three wearing?" Hermione's Dad laughs as he walks up to them.
"What are you doing here, Dad?" She asks him, standing up to give him a quick hug.
"I'm picking up Lauren." He smiles. "You look like you've been invited for tea with the Queen." He states, looking her up and down. "Queen Victoria." He laughs.
"Dad!" She complains, embarrassed at his terrible joke.
"Sorry," he says unapologetically. "Your Mum and I won't be dressing this fancy. I'm just wearing my funeral suit with a cape and a pointy hat." He tells her. "Although, I do have a wand." He adds.
"I think most of the kids will be dressed in those Halloween witch outfits so anything better than that will look great," Hermione admits.
"Your Grandma made Lauren and Craig matching pink outfits so you know they'll look better than a Halloween costume." He assures her.
The bell rings and all the parent's start pushing their way closer to the gate to meet their children. Hermione's Dad bids them goodbye as he pushes past all the parents to walk down towards the reception gate where Lauren needs to be collected. When they see Sophie coming out with her teacher, Hermione waves at her cousin. Sophie's face lights up at the sight of Hermione, Draco and Pansy in their wizarding attire. She quickly informs her teacher that her cousin's here to pick her up then runs out the gate towards them.
"Here, Sophie." Hermione passes her a folded-up piece of cloth that Sophie instantly recognises as the summer cloak Gwen had bought her.
"I can wear it?" She asks, already throwing it around her shoulders and tying it in place.
"Of course, we're wearing our best dress robes to celebrate your birthday," Hermione explains, correcting the position of Sophie's cloak. "How would you like to go to the park on our way home for ten minutes?"
Sophie cheers, running off towards the gate with one of her friends, leaving the three of them to quickly rush after her.
After playing in the park for fifteen minutes, Sophie had begged them for five more minutes since she was playing with a friend on the roundabout, they made it home just after four o'clock to find David's car parked in the drive.
"Dad, we're home." Sophie calls as she runs into the living room, hoping to find him there. "Woah, what's all this?" Sophie stops in the middle of the room glancing around at the decorations, food and presents on the coffee table.
"It's your birthday party," Hermione answers as David comes downstairs in his wizarding outfit, which consists of a grey suit with a blue jumper underneath and a black clock. He looks the epitome of a history teacher.
"My birthday party?" She beams excitedly.
"Yes, surprise." David laughs.
"What are you wearing, Dad?" She laughs.
"It's a magic-themed party," Draco tells her. "Now, you can't attend a magic party with just a cloak, you need some dress robes." He tells her.
Hermione picks up one of the presents her and Draco had bought her, passing it over.
Sophie opens the present excitedly, gasping when the blue fabric is revealed. She pulls out the gown, holding it up to her chest, the blue skirt fanning out.
"It's beautiful." She says, running up and giving them both a tight hug individually. "Can I put it on?" She asks.
"Of course, darling," David tells her, watching as his daughter runs upstairs into her bedroom to get changes. "What time is Gwen getting here?" He asks.
"I told her ten past four so we have twenty minutes to do our presents before everyone else arrives," Hermione explains.
David nods checks his watch. "She's late." He states heading into the kitchen.
Just as Sophie's running down the stairs with her new dress robes and her cloak on, there's a knock at the door. Hermione goes to answer it but Sophie does so first.
"Hi, Gwen." She greets her mother. "I like your dress robes. Do you like mine?" She asks, giving a twirl.
"You look beautiful, Sophie." Gwen smiles down at her daughter.
"Thanks, Hermione and Draco bought me it. It's the same colour as the cloak you bought me." Sophie tells her. "Come look in the living room." She grabs Gwen's hand, pulling her into the house.
Gwen flashes Hermione a surprised smile as she follows her daughter.
Hermione goes into the kitchen, where Draco's trying to convince David to try butterbeer.
"It's delicious," Draco smirks.
"I don't care. I don't want any." David frowns, opening the fridge and taking a can of coke out.
Pansy enters the kitchen right behind Hermione. "What in Merlin's name is she wearing?" She hisses.
"Who?" Draco questions.
"Gwen, who do you think?" She snaps at him.
"She looks nice." Hermione frowns in confusion.
"Exactly, she looks gorgeous but it's not what I would call traditional dress robes." She explains.
"Are you jealous, Pansy?" Draco teases.
"I better go check on Sophie and Gwen," David announces, leaving them in the kitchen.
"Could he be any more obvious?" Pansy laughs.
"What?" Hermione frowns.
"He still has feelings for Gwen." She rolls her eyes.
"No, he doesn't. She broke his heart when she left." Hermione tells her.
"But he does find her very beautiful. He told me as much that day I took Gwen to him in the park." Draco admits.
"With Gwen in those dress robes, I wouldn't be surprised if they sleep together tonight." Pansy states.
"Pansy!" Hermione glares at her.
"I could have said something much worse." She smiles.
"You could have said nothing at all." Hermione retorts, walking out of the kitchen.
"Now where's the fun in that?" Pansy laughs, following behind Hermione and Draco into the living room.
"Can I open my presents now?" Sophie asks once they're all there,
"You can open the presents from us before everyone else arrives," David tells her.
Sophie excitedly kneels in front of her pile of presents on the coffee table, trying to decide which one to open first. She picks up what is obviously a book wrapped in silver paper.
"All the silver ones are from me," David announces proudly.
Sophie rips the paper off to reveal a thick notebook.
"There's five hundred pages in there." He says.
"Thank you, dad." She says, placing the notebook beside her and moving onto the next present.
Sophie ends up with an eagle feather quill, two pots of black ink, one pot of red ink, a pot of blue ink, three new books and for some reason, a digital safe from her father. She receives a book about the Holyhead Harpies, a Holyhead Harpies shirt, three bottles of butterbeer and a chocolate frog from her mother. Then, from Pansy, she opens a very large bag of wizarding chocolate and sweets, which would definitely need to be hidden before Hermione's parents arrived, and a book of short stories by Constance Cavalier, whom Hermione had never heard of before. Pansy also presents Sophie with an arithmancy book from Percy. From Hermione, she receives a Tamagotchi, charmed to live for as long as Sophie looks after it. Then, Draco gifts her with an alarm clock which he charmed, with the help of Arthur Weasley, and Bill Weasley, who had been visiting the Burrow at the time, to project a replication of space around Sophie's bedroom. She would be able to travel through space to the different stars through the use of a hand-held traction pad, which Arthur had made using a Muggle piece of technology.
"We've only got a few minutes before everyone else arrives," David announces, checking his wand.
"Come on, Sophie. I'll help you hide all this in your room." Hermione tells her, picking up some of her presents and carrying them upstairs.
Whilst placing them on her desk, the doorbell rings, announcing the arrival of more guests. Hermione follows Sophie as she runs downstairs to open the door.
"Happy birthday, Sophie." Hermione's Mum says, hugging her niece tightly. "What a beautiful dress?" She adds as she steps inside the house with Lauren and Craig in their matching light pink outfits looking adorable.
"Hermione and Draco bought me it. I love it. It's my favourite colour and it matches my cloak." Sophie spins around to show off her dress.
"Where's Dad?" Hermione asks her Mum shut the door behind them.
"He's gone to pick Grandma and Grandad up." She says, entering the living room and stopping suddenly, turning on her heel and walking out. "What is she doing here?" She asks, pulling David into the kitchen.
"Who?" David asks, glancing at the living room door. Hermione's Mum stares at him pointedly and he sighs. "With Sophie being a witch, I thought it was only right for Sophie to spend time with her Mum. Gwen's been taking her out with Hermione for days out to the wizard world. Gwen's really been trying to make up for lost time." David explains.
"After everything she put you through, I can't believe you're letting her back into yours and Sophie's life." Sarah snaps.
"If you're going to argue, can you at least do it quietly?" Hermione hushes them, closing the kitchen door.
"Sophie deserves a mother." David hisses back to his sister.
"Gwen doesn't deserve Sophie as a daughter," Sarah whispers angrily.
"I've given Sophie until the end of Summer to spend time with Gwen and get to know her before she decides if she wants her to be her mother. I just thought it was the best thing for Sophie seeing as she's a witch and will be spending most of her time in the wizard world when she goes to school in four years' time." David explains.
"Hermione could have taken her." Her mum gestures to her.
"I already ask too much of Hermione and Draco. It's not fair to ask anymore, especially when they're starting their own family within the next couple of years." He reminds them.
Sarah doesn't retaliate, turning to look at Hermione.
"Gwen really is trying with Sophie and I'm always there to supervise," Hermione assures her. "And Sophie's taking her time in getting to know Gwen. She doesn't call her Mum and told her off when she said something unkind about Draco, Pansy and Blaise. She's a smart girl who seems to know what she's doing."
Sarah sighs deeply. "She's too smart for her own good that girl. She gets it from you" She points accusingly at David.
"Please be civil with her, Sarah," David asks her.
"Fine, but I don't expect me to be nice. I don't like her." Sarah frowns, walking out of the kitchen and into the living room with Hermione and David following behind her.
"Hi Sarah, I've missed you." Gwen smiles, pulling the woman into a quick hug.
Hermione smiles when her Mum doesn't reply and sits down on the two-seater couch in front of the window. Hermione sits beside Pansy on the couch where Draco's awkwardly perches on the arm of the chair.
"I feel a little underdressed." Her Mum admits, glancing at the three of them.
"You look amazing, Mrs Granger." Pansy compliments her with a smile.
"Thank you," Her Mum chuckles. "You must be Pansy. Sophie told me all about you. Apparently, you feed her lots sweets." She raises her eyebrow.
"Yeah, that's me." Pansy smiles.
"Pansy was just introducing Sophie to our special sweets." Hermione defends her friend, eyeing Lauren and Craig to make sure they're not listening but they seem preoccupied with the balloons. "My parents are dentists. They're like healers for teeth. The sugar in sweets can be very harmful to teeth." She explains to Pansy.
"Oh, it was just a few different types of sweets, not massive amounts," Pansy explains.
When the doorbell rings next, David announces that he'll answer. The living room is thrown into an awkward silence as they listen to David talking to Hermione's dad and grandparents.
"We're all in the living room," David tells them.
Hermione's dad enters first in his black funeral suit and cape as promised. He smiles at his wife as he enters then lets his gaze scan the room, stopping abruptly and widening on Gwen.
"Oh, Gwen... Hi." His eyes flicker to his wife who shrugs. "What a... pleasant surprise?" He says, hugging her when she stands up. "How have you been?"
"Good, thank you." She smiles. "I've been focusing on Quidditch." She admits.
"Your sport?" Chris asks.
"Yeah," Gwen nods.
"That's great." Chris nods in return as he joins his wife on the couch.
David enters the living room with his parents. Hermione's grandparents sit straight down on the other end of the couch beside Pansy, avoiding looking at Gwen.
"Grandma! You look beautiful." Hermione smiles at her grandma in her white flowy dress.
"I look beautiful? Look at you, my dear. Let me see a twirl." Her Grandma smiles proudly as Hermione stands up and does a twirl, blushing embarrassingly.
"You look gorgeous." Draco leans down to whisper in her ear as she sits back down.
"Let me see all my girls twirl," Grandma announces, beckoning Lauren and Sophie over to twirl. "What about my biggest girl, Sarah?"
"Mum, I'm not twirling." Hermione's Mum refuses, making her grandma laugh.
"What about you Chris, in that cape of yours?" She suggests.
Hermione's dad confidently stands up and struts toward his mother-in-law, does a twirl, then struts back to his wife and taking a seat.
"Very masculine." Hermione's Grandad laughs.
"Oh, shut up, Tom." Her Grandma slaps her husband's shoulder. "It's not every day we dress up all fancy like this." She chides him. "Draco, dear, would you like to give us a twirl?" She asks him.
"I would not, thanks." He frowns, shaking his head.
"Oh, but your robes look like they were made for twirling." She tries to convince him.
"Please twirl, Draco," Sophie begs him with a giggle.
"Oh, fine, but no laughing." He warns them all as he stands up, arms spread wide as he turns on his heel.
Pansy wolf whistles, then enthusiastically clap along with Sophie, Laurena and Hermione's Grandma.
"Stunning." Hermione chuckles as he sits beside her on the arm of the couch.
Lauren and Sophie start a competition to see who can rally a balloon for the longest whilst the adults split off into the conversation. Pansy introduces herself to Hermione's grandparents whilst Draco and Hermione talk to her parents and David busies himself in the kitchen, making drinks.
"Have you see these balloons?" Lauren shows her Uncle Chris after losing for the fifth time. "They change colour." She throws one at him, laughing when Chris head buts it back to her.
"They're so cute in their matching outfits. Are they twins?" Gwen asks, nodding at Lauren and Craig.
"No, Lauren's four and Craig is three," Sarah tells her as David enters carrying bottles of beers and a glass of wine.
"Oh, you two have been busy." She awkwardly laughs.
"They're our niece and nephew." Chris corrects her.
Gwen looks at David in shock.
"Not mine," He frowns. "Louise's." He clarifies, passing the glass of wine to Sarah and a bottle of beer to Chris.
"Oh, of course, where is Louise anyway?" She asks and all conversation stops.
"She couldn't' make it," Chris states before anyone else can think of an excuse.
"Okay." Gwen glances around the room in confusion but doesn't press any further.
"Hermione, Pansy, what can I get you to drink?" David ask changing the topic of conversation.
"Do you have any butterbeer?" Pansy asks.
"What?" Hermione's Grandma asks.
"It's a Scottish drink." Hermione quickly lies. "Yeah, I brought some over." She stares wide-eyed at Pansy. "I'll have a glass of wine, please." She answers.
David nods just as there's a knock on the door.
"I'll get that." Hermione stands up, walking out of the living room towards the front door.
"Hermione! Goodness, don't you look beautiful. Not very witchy though." Her Godmother, Sharon frowns, looking her up and down.
"If witches were real," Hermione smiles. "I like to think they would live in large communities where they have elegant dinner parties. That's the look we went for." She says, stepping aside to let her Godfamily inside.
Sharon's wearing a transparent purple dress with a black slip dress underneath and a matching pointed hat. Scott's wearing a long purple dress with a purple starry robe, matching hat, white gloves, a wand, a white wig and beard.
"Oh, Wow, don't the two of you look magical." Hermione comments on the twins' outfit.
"Yeah, Mia wanted to look cute." Sharon smiles down at her daughter.
"It's far too short," Scott grumbles from under his beard.
Hermione has to admit that for a five-year-old, Mia's black dress is rather short but she is wearing tights.
"Look at Sophie's dress," Scott nods at Sophie's who's come out of the living room to greet them. "Very sophisticated." He adds.
"She looks three years old." Mia comments.
"Mia, it's her birthday, be kind." Scott scalds her.
"Do you like mine, Hermione?" Mark asks.
"I love your outfit, especially this cloak." She tells him.
Happy enough with his praise, he runs off into the living room.
"So, where's that mother of yours." She asks, following Hermione down the hallway.
"We're all in here." She tells her, entering the living room.
Sharon takes a look around the living room and frowns. "Are we the only ones to follow the dress code. You all look like you're going to a ball rather than a child's magic party." She complains, sitting where Hermione's Grandad had been sitting.
"I told you, we went for a more elegant look." Hermione reminds her.
"You could have told us, I have the perfect dress at home." She sighs, taking a glass of wine from David, who returns to the kitchen where Scott, Hermione's Dad and Grandad are drinking.
"Gwen?" She gasps. "Since when is she back in the picture?" She asks the room.
"About two weeks." Gwen answers. "I can't quite remember your name?"
"Sharon."
"Oh, yeah," Gwen smirks, standing up and exiting the living room.
Not long later, Scott, Hermione's Dad and Grandad return to the living room.
"So, why is she back?" Sharon leans forward to loudly whisper to everyone in the room.
"She came back and Dad thinks I have the right to know her if I want to," Sophie answers with a shrug before shoving a marshmallow in her mouth.
Sharon glances at Sarah who nods.
"Okay then." She sighs, drinking from her wine glass.
A few minutes later, there's another knock at the front door. David calls out that he'll get the door.
"Hey, I'm Harley, Kate and Naomi's Dad. Sorry, we're late, I couldn't find my top hat." The man's laugh carries down the hallway into the living room.
"Harley, is your Dad a motorcycle fan?" David asks, walking him down the hall to the living room.
"No, my Mam was a Steve Harley fan." He corrects, smiling at everyone in the living room.
"Sophie, why don't you show your friends and cousins to the playroom. I think Draco's decorated it for you." David suggests.
"Alright, come on Kate, Naomi. I haven't seen it yet." Sophie tells them.
"Wait, I'll show you around," Draco calls them as she follows them out the door.
"How old are you, Harley?" Hermione's Grandma asks. "You don't look old enough to have two daughters?" She adds.
"I'm twenty-three. The girls are non-identical twins so it's not as bad as it sounds." He laughs. "Only one teenage pregnancy for me." He jokes.
"We all make mistakes." Her Grandma smiles. "My daughter's twenty-one and has a four-year-old and a three-year-old." She adds.
"My girls weren't mistakes, they were surprises," Harley states, straightening his top hat.
"Would you like a drink, Harley?" David asks.
"Sure, point the direction and I'll serve myself." He smiles.
"The kitchen, just down the hall." David gestures.
Pansy downs the rest of her butterbeer. "I think I need a replacement." She stands up.
"Could you be any more obvious?" Hermione mutters, earning a wink from Pansy as she follows Harley into the kitchen.
Within the space of five minutes, four more of Sophie's friends had been dropped off by their parents and were having fun in the playroom. Hermione hadn't seen Draco for nearly an hour when she decided to go find him. She pushes the playroom door open to reveal Draco and all the children dancing to what she assumes is popular Muggle music. Upon seeing Hermione, Draco holds his hands out for her to take, which she does, and join him on the dancefloor. The dancing occurs for nearly fifteen minutes until there's a knock on the door and David announces that they're allowed to eat now.
The children rush into the living room. Hermione stays behind with Draco to help spread out the beanbags ready for the fireworks display he had prepared for after dinner.
"It looks amazing in here." She tells him, pressing a small kiss to his cheek as she walks towards the door.
"Thanks," He mutters, pulling Hermione back toward him. "They really seemed to love the music and dancing." He adds before capturing her lips in a soft kiss.
Before their kiss can become anything more than chaste, there's another knock on the door, making them part.
"Stop making out in there and come eat." Pansy's voice calls from the hall with a laugh.
Hermione rolls her eyes as she takes Draco's hand and pulls him out of the playroom and into the living room.
All the children are sat on the carpet around the coffee table with paper plates full of food. Hermione's Mum and Godmother are sat on the two-seater, with her dad and Godfather sat on either arm next to their respective wives. Gwen's sat in the armchair with David perched on the arm. Hermione's Grandparents had retaken their place on the couch. Hermione and Draco sat at the other end of the couch after choosing their own food. Pansy had chosen to sit on the carpet with Harley to continue their conversation. Conversation flows freely as everyone eats.
When finished, Sophie asks if they can play in the garden, which David approves and the group of children run outside leaving the adults in the living room to continue their conversations. Around six o'clock, Draco and Hermione call the children back into the playroom for the firework show.
Once all the children are lying on a beanbag, giggling in excitement for the show, Hermione calls their attention.
"Are you ready?" She asks and all the children cheer. "I want you to remember that these are very special fireworks that aren't made from gunpowder so we can use them inside and they won't set the house on fire. Don't try this at home." She tells them seriously and they all seem to understand as they nod back quietly. "Let's start then." Hermione smiles, lying down in Draco's open arms on his beanbag.
With a small flick of Draco's wrist, the firework display starts with a mermaid swimming around the room jumping out of the lake with a backflip and diving straight back in with a splash. The children gasp in awe as the display goes on. Multiple beings running, dancing, galloping and flying around the room. Twenty minutes later, the display ends with a large dragon breathing cool spark upon them, making the children squeal then burst out laughing.
The first parent arrives at half-past six to pick up their child and by twenty to seven, all the guest children have left, including Harley and his twins. Then, by seven o'clock, Sharon and Scott have left with their twins and Hermione's dad has taken her grandparents' home, leaving Draco, Hermione and Pansy to tidy up the playroom and David, Gwen and Hermione's Mum tidy the living room and kitchen. Sophie and Lauren are lounging on the couch, playing with the Tamagotchi that Hermione bought her whilst Craig sleeps on the two-seater.
"Should we have one more drink before we disapparate back to the estate?" Draco suggests with a relaxed sigh once they've finished tidying.
"Usually I would but I've got an early morning." Pansy sighs in a complaint.
"What are you doing?" Hermione asks.
"Nothing that you need to know about," Pansy smirks as she stands up.
"Why so secretive?" Hermione asks suspiciously.
"You don't need to know everything about me. A little mystery keeps a relationship alive." She winks. "I'll see you around." She adds before leaving.
"That was strange." Hermione comments, looking at Draco.
"Not really." He shrugs. "She's always like that. If she wants to tell us what she's up to, she'll tell us, if not, we'll never find out. It's just something you learn to live with." He explains.
When Hermione's dad returns, he carries a still sleeping Craig to the car, fastening him into his car seat. Her Dad, Mam and Lauren then bid them goodbye with the promise of seeing them soon. Gwen leaves around the same time after thanking them for the invitation. Once they've gone, Draco, Hermione and David have one more drink whilst Sophie plays with some of her presents. When finished, David sends Sophie to bed since it's a school night then declares he has some marking to finish. Hermione and Draco take the hint and leave, reminding him that they'll see him on Friday to continue tracking Hyperion.
They disapparate straight back to the estate. As soon as they're in their house, Draco lets out a long sigh as he removes his cape and dress robe, throwing them over the back of the coach before pulling his boots off and leaving them where they fall. Hermione watches in amusement as Draco throws himself down on the coach, whilst she takes her shoes off then joins him. Draco shifts onto his side, opening his arms to give them more space on the couch and embrace her.
"It was a good party. Sophie loved your present too. I heard her tell David she was going to put it on tonight." Hermione tells him.
"I'm glad, it took far longer to make than I thought it would. Although I am blaming Arthur for that, he wanted to look inside the Muggle alarm clock before we charmed it. Also, I get a slight feeling that Bill doesn't like me. He growled at me more than once when I apparently got in the way." Draco admits.
"He doesn't hate you. He was the one who carried you to St Mungo's. You just haven't given him many reasons to like you." Hermione suggests.
"Just because he didn't want me to die, doesn't mean he doesn't hate me." Draco points out.
"Fair point." Hermione shrugs. "Anyway, I think you managed to pull together an amazing party for those children." She kisses his nose. "And for Sophie."
"No need to thank me. I enjoyed it, even if you had to do most of the work." He chuckles. "At least that's another trial out of the way."
"How many is that now?" Hermione asks.
"Nine down, fourteen more to go." He sighs, closing his eyes.
"Anyone of significance?" She asks.
"No, no one you'd know or remember." He tells her. "Most of the fourteen won't get any more than fifteen years." He admits.
"Your father got fifteen years." Hermione reminds him.
Draco tenses. "Lucius paid his victims off plentifully and they refused to testify. If it weren't for me he would have walked free." He says angrily, pulling Hermione closer and burying his head in her hair.
Hermione hugs him back tight to remind him that she's there as he loses himself in his mind. Softly, she draws runes on his back until he starts laughing.
"Did you just write 'I love you' in Elder Futhark?" He asks, leaning back to look her in the eyes.
"I may have." She smiles, making him laugh harder.
"Oh, Hermione, you're making me fall so hard." He mutters, surprising her by locking his lips with hers.
"Good." She mutters against his lips as their kiss deepens.