Loving the You You Love

CHAPTER THREE – Happily Ever After or It’s My Life and I Like It Just the Way It Is

Hermione Granger, no longer Weasley, stared at herself in the mirror.  Standing in a pair of pink chiffon knickers with delicate black bow tie sides, she twirled, tucked and tsked over her body.

At forty-five, she didn’t think she looked that bad.  Still very few wrinkles and her arms, thighs and legs were pretty fit and toned, at least in her opinion.  She looked at her protruding belly.  Her not-quite-so-flat stomach was certainly not-quite-so-flat anymore. 

Closing her eyes, momentarily, she sighed.  Strong, warm masculine arms encircled her and lips pressed warm kisses along her neck.

“What are you doing, love?”

Hermione opened her eyes and stared at her husband, Draco Malfoy.  “I’m just looking at myself.  I’m getting huge.”

“You’re not huge,” he countered as his hands trailed to rest on her belly and caress the skin there.  “You’re pregnant and you look so fucking sexy.”  He winked.  “Let’s shag right now, in front of the mirror.”

“You’ve a one track mind, I keep telling you.  It’s that type of thinking that put me in this predicament, you know.”  Laughing out loud, Hermione turned to face her husband and pull him in for a kiss. 

Only three years had passed since that first night together.  True to his word, Draco had made her a sumptuous breakfast the next morning.  And then he proceeded to shag her six ways from Sunday all weekend.  Afterwards, thinking it had been nothing more than a fling, Hermione went home.  To her surprise, Draco not only owled her but showed up in her office.  He made it clear that he was interested in seeing her again, in an exclusive fashion.

From there they had dated for nearly a year before they both realized, and admitted, they’d fallen in love with each other.  At first, too frightened to acknowledge her feelings, Hermione had attempted to break things off but Draco wouldn’t have it.  It culminated in a terrible row with her admitting her fears and how much she was in love with him.  Stunned into silence, Draco gathered her in his arms to soothe her and whispered how in love he was with her.  How he thought he’d never love anyone after Astoria died.  How she, Hermione, was his second chance to live a happy ending.  How he was so in love with her that he’d become this horrible emotional Hufflepuff.

Since that time, they’d never looked back.  Was life perfect?  Hardly.  Did they argue?  Indeed.  Did everyone accept their relationship?  Not everyone but those that mattered had come round.

What they both treasured was the opportunity the fates had given them to love again.  They were an odd pair, to be sure, but their love for each other was tangible, real and genuine. 

Their children had been quite supportive.  It turns out Rose and Scorpius tried to play matchmaker that night at Hogwarts.  Harry was completely perplexed but Ginny had nudged him into acceptance.  Ron hadn’t been supportive at all and had threatened to try to take the Rose and Hugo from her.  At that point, Draco had explained he would deal with Ron.  To this day, he never divulged that conversation.  Needless to say, Ron ended his threats.

They’d married in a quiet ceremony surrounded by friends and family.  During the summers, they lived at Malfoy Manor, which she agreed too if he agreed to seal off one room in particular.  When the children were at school, they live in her Muggle town home.  Draco loved the openness and felt relaxed, all their worries locked outside and away from them. 

In retrospect, Hermione realized she wouldn’t trade a minute of her life or her choices.  She often thought of a quote from one of her favorite Muggle shows, “the most exciting, challenging and significant relationship of all is the one you have with yourself.  And if you can find someone to love the you you love, well, that's just fabulous.”

Fabulous, indeed.

-fin-