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Tea

“My dear, I hope I’m not being too indelicate, but…” Narcissa paused meaningfully, “are you still a virgin?”

Hermione almost dropped her cup. “Er…no,” she replied slowly.

“You and Draco have…?”

“Y-yes.”

“Thank Merlin.” The blonde witch sagged with relief. “I was afraid that, in the absence of your own mother, I would have to issue The Talk. You can’t imagine how horrid it was, having my old battle-axe of a mother-in-law telling me the facts of life on my wedding day, as if Lucius and I hadn’t already defiled her best settee.”

Hermione nearly choked on her Earl Grey.

Underneath

“I think the pink suits you best,” offered Ginny.

Luna shook her head. “Periwinkle blue. It’s her color.”

“Green.” The others blinked at Pansy. “What? It’s dead sexy!”

“You lot!” Hermione said fondly, picking up another item. “What about this?”

“Lacy. I like it,” Ginny said.

“Does Draco go in for suspenders?” Luna asked, holding up a set.

Before Hermione could answer, Pansy remarked, “No, he says they chafe too much and show under his trousers.”

There was a moment of silence before all four witches burst into hysterics. “He’s rather fond of his stay-ups, after all,” Hermione said, giggling.

Validation

At their commencement, everyone went silent when Draco’s name was called, as he’d expected -- only for a moment, however. When he stood, the applause began, accompanied by cheers from his mates. He accepted his certificate and retook his seat with his family, whose faces reflected their happiness. 

Every Galleon paid in reparation, every public apology, every obnoxious news article, every lost acquaintance that the Malfoys had endured for the past few years all seemed worth it now, for this, Lucius remarked proudly.

And for this, Draco thought as Hermione took his hand, her engagement ring sparkling in the light.

Weasleys

“WHAT?” Hermione cried.

“Ron just Flooed to tell me,” Harry said. She could picture him outside his house where there was a cell phone signal, raking a hand through his hair. They agreed that Molly would kill Ron when she heard about his latest adventure.

Draco reacted as she expected. “Just think, Granger – we could run off and avoid all this fuss,” he said, putting his arms around her.

“I think your mother and Molly would come to blows over who’d get to kill us first,” Hermione murmured.

“Good point.” Draco shook his head. “Mrs. Pansy Weasley – who’d have thought?”

X

“Oh gods!” Hermione moaned.

Draco shuddered, breathing heavily. They clung to each other, but a sudden pounding on the door made them jump before they both flopped wearily back onto the bed. 

“Draco! Hermione! Are you all right? I heard noises – “

“No, Mother,” he bit out, “we are most definitely not all right!” 

Just then, Hermione moaned again and ran for the loo. He winced at the sound of retching.

“Your father’s cooking once put me in St. Mungo’s. Why he continues to delude himself, I’ll never know.” Narcissa’s voice sounded sympathetic.

Draco groaned. “Never again! Bloody tikka marsala!”

You

Draco stood nervously at the altar as Hermione approached. Their eyes locked, and everything else seemed to disappear.

How dare you speak to me, Mudblood?

You foul, evil, disgusting little cockroach!

He slid a gold wedding band onto her finger, and she did the same for him.

Did a bird just fly out of that nest you call hair?

Ferrety git!

They repeated their vows softly, spoken for each other alone.

Draco.

Hermione, I --

When the priestess pronounced them wed, their families broke into spontaneous applause. Amid the cheering, Draco and Hermione kissed passionately.

“Happy, Granger?”

“Oh yes, Malfoy.”

Zero

Hermione landed a job at Gringott’s soon after the wedding. Draco turned to running the Malfoy Foundation for the Wizarding Arts.

Lucius and Narcissa waited, and three years later, their patience was rewarded with Mira Granger-Malfoy, blonde and pale like her father and grandparents, who shamelessly adored her.

Walking in Diagon Alley with his family, Draco sometimes noticed the pointed looks from certain former acquaintances. No doubt they thought the haughty Malfoys had fallen considerably in the world.

But if they had bothered to ask Draco how many regrets he had, they would have been surprised indeed at his answer.