Chapter Text
“Those reports you asked for are right here, Counselor Granger ,” Greta said gleefully as she came into Hermione’s new office space and placed a stack of scrolls on her desk.
“Greta, you can still call me Hermione,” Hermione said with a good-natured eye roll. Hermione officially took up her new role two weeks ago, but her predecessor in the Wizengamot was still showing her the ropes until they broke for the winter holidays. Once the new year came around, her boss would be retired and Hermione would be on her own.
Well, mostly on her own. Greta insisted on staying on in the office to work for Hermione when she shared the news. “You’ll be a right better boss than he was,” she whispered to her after Hermione’s first day.
“I will eventually, but it’s still so fun to refer to you as Counselor,” Greta said. “Don’t you dare go through those rolls of parchment until we return,” she said as Hermione’s hand hovered over the top of the stack. “It’s the last day before the holidays officially begin. You’re the only one here. I’m shooing you out the door.”
“But I…” Hermione gestured to her desk.
“There’s no more Wizengamotting to be done today, Hermione,” Greta said, pulling on her coat. She then took Hermione’s off the coat rack by the door and walked it over to her.
“Oh, but I really should at least make a dent in Cora Abernathy’s proposal before I…” Greta was insistent though, poking Hermione with her own coat.
“Cora Abernathy is on a beach in Fiji until the third of January,” Greta said. “She doesn’t care if you read her proposal now, or in a month when we all come back, I promise you.” Hermione finally relented and took her coat, smiling as her assistant clapped with glee.
They walked out together. Hermione noticed that Greta wasn’t wrong, the halls of offices were all dark except for hers. Everyone was gone for their month-long holiday. It would take Hermione some time to get used to the more lax schedule the other counselors kept. Many of them relied on their assistants to do a lot of the heavy lifting and late-night work. Hermione didn't think she’d ever relent completely, but maybe she’d make it her goal in the next year not to always be the last one to go home for the evening.
“Anything fun planned this evening?” Greta asked. “I for one will be spending a riveting weekend playing board games with my parents while my mother points out for the dozenth time how single I am.” They laughed as they entered the lifts.
“I’m having dinner with Draco,” Hermione said. “Nothing too exciting.”
“Girl if Draco Malfoy was my boy toy I’d make every night an interesting one,” Greta laughed, winking at Hermione. “Every time he comes by the office and I get a glimpse of him I hate you just a little bit. I’m sorry but I can’t help myself,” she laughed again. Hermione felt her cheeks go pink.
“Merlin’s beard, Greta, you’re incorrigible,” Hermione teased. The lift doors opened and they walked out to the floos.
“I just speak the truth,” Greta said. “Well I’m off, tell Draco hi for me. You’re still in for my New Year's party right?”
“Of course,” Hermione nodded.
“Prefect, I’ll see you then, Happy Holidays!” she blew kisses to Hermione and then rushed off to the closest fireplace. Hermione shook her head, laughing as she checked her bag to make sure she had everything she needed. Thanks to Greta’s insistence, Hermione had time to go home and change out of her robes before heading to Draco’s. With a smile on her face, she picked the shortest floo line and quickly made it home.
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An hour later, Hermione was walking through the front door of Draco’s flat, bottle of wine in hand, when something struck her as different.
Draco’s new work schedule took some adjusting for them both. He was still in emergency healing, but the fellowship for pediatric healing he’d set up with the hospital had him working two weeks in a row doing the graveyard shift, then he’d have a handful of days off and do two weeks of daytime shifts before the cycle would start over. For a while, Draco and Hermione kept missing each other, especially as she too was adjusting to her new duties. But they finally got on a good schedule and things seemed to settle nicely. They saw each other more often, as their schedules were crazy but routined. And on Draco’s days off, like today, they made the most of the free time they got together.
Usually, though, Draco needed one of those days off to transition his sleep schedule. The plan for today was that Draco would sleep all day and then Hermione would wake him up when she got there and he’d be ready for his night shifts. But when Hermione walked inside, the flat was very much alive and Draco was obviously very much awake.
Music was playing from the record player in Draco’s living room, filling the flat with a light jazz Hermione hadn’t expected. “Draco?” she called out, curious. She followed her nose to his kitchen and leaned against the doorframe, her fingers covering her mouth as she laughed.
Draco was in sleep pants and a plain white shirt. His socks were mismatched as he slid around the kitchen, wooden spoon in hand. His hair was slicked back, fresh from a shower, and he was singing along with the words to the song. He obviously didn’t notice Hermione was there yet. She wasn’t sure she’d ever seen him this relaxed and happy, singing slightly off-key as he stirred a red sauce on the stove.
Merlin, she loved this man so much.
Draco spun around in his socked feet and finally saw her there, and his cheeks turned red. “You’re early!” He said in response as Hermione giggled.
“Please don’t stop on my account,” Hermione insisted, holding up her hand. “I’m enjoying the show!” Draco put the spoon away and reached out for Hermione’s hand, taking it and spinning her into him so he held her close. They swayed together as the next verse of the song flowed through to the kitchen.
“What if I kissed you, the way you like to be kissed,” Draco sang, kissing Hermione gently as they spun around the kitchen. “What if I held you in my arms so close like this?” He hugged her closer and Hermione threw her head back, laughing. Draco was a terrible singer, but Hermione didn’t care at this moment, she was just happy. “What if I loved you?” Draco sang, spinning her under his arm. “Would you always be mine?” He dipped her and she tightened her hold on his neck, kissing him soundly as the song drawled to the end. Hermione could feel his grin against her lips as they kissed, and she slipped her fingers into his damp hair, kissing him back.
“Hi,” Draco said as they straightened, but he didn’t let her go right away. “Welcome home.”
“And what a welcome it is,” Hermione said, letting her arms rest on his shoulders. “You’re in a good mood,” she said. Draco hummed and kept her close to him as he continued to stir dinner.
“Woke up on my own without setting a hundred alarms,” Draco said. “Got a good start, remembered you were coming over for dinner,” he shrugged. “No reason not to be in a good mood, I guess.”
“I’m glad,” she kissed his cheek. The next song’s easy jazz started up again and Draco hummed, spinning her around the room and humming along with the music. Good Godric, she loved this, loved him . She wanted this moment with him to last forever. To be honest, she wanted all moments with Draco to last forever.
“I love you,” Hermione said. Draco pressed his forehead to hers, smiling fondly.
“I love you, too,” he said, kissing her. The kiss made her heart race. Things felt like they were fading away so it was just her and Draco, and her heart pounded along with the music. Hermione didn’t think at all before she spoke again.
“Marry me,” she said quietly as she pulled back from the kiss. Draco - who was spinning them around again, stumbled, but he caught himself gracefully, holding her closer to him. His deep grey eyes widened as they met hers.
“Sorry I think I hallucinated for a second,” he admitted sheepishly. “What did you say?”
“Marry me,” she repeated. She felt confident that Draco loved her as much as she loved him. She knew they wanted this: them together, side-by-side, forever. It just occurred to Hermione just then that she wanted that part of their forever to start immediately.
Draco was smiling softly at her, his fingers playing with a curl that sat tucked behind her ear. “I thought that’s what you said,” he replied, pressing a kiss to her lips and then her forehead, her cheeks, and her lips again.
“Well?” she asked, still nervous despite her confidence when asking. Draco beamed and traced his fingers along her cheek.
“Yes,” Draco said, color coming to his cheeks. “Yes, Hermione Granger, I want nothing more than to marry you.” Hermione let out a breath of relief and a sob as tears welled up in her eyes. Draco held her close and twirled her around, kissing her deeply. Hermione gasped into the kiss, holding onto him and laughing when she couldn’t hold on any longer. “Hold on just for a second, alright?” he asked, stepping away from her and running off deeper into the flat. Hermione felt like she was still spinning, and her face felt warm to the touch as she pressed her fingers to her face. She couldn’t believe she just did that! She just proposed! And he agreed!
Draco came back to the kitchen looking flushed. “You need to promise me that when I ask you later this week at dinner that you don’t bring up that you beat me to it, alright?” he teased. He handed her a small velvet box with shaking hands. Hermione took it and opened the box slowly, revealing a sparkling diamond engagement ring.
Hermione felt her tears finally fall down her face. “Oh Draco,” she whispered, her thumb caressing the silver band of the ring. “Oh my…”
“May I?” Draco’s voice was low as he took the box and carefully removed the ring from it. Hermione offered him her left hand and he slid it onto her finger. He took her hand and pressed a kiss to her knuckles and then to her lips. “I love you so damn much, Hermione,” Draco said, honesty dripping from his words. “You make me so happy, I don’t know where I’d be if I hadn’t shown up at the Leaky that day Evan stood you up.” Hermione released a watery laugh. “I promise to make you happy every day for the rest of our lives.”
Hermione pressed a kiss to his cheek. “You’re everything I’ve ever hoped for, Draco Malfoy,” she whispered. He looked down shyly for a moment, still grinning. Everything that just happened fully registered then and Hermione sat back, blinking rapidly. “Wait, you already had a ring?”
“I did,” he said, laughing.
“And you were going to propose…” she looked from the ring to him.
“On Sunday,” Draco said. “We have dinner reservations where we had our first date,” Draco blushed furiously. “And everyone is going to be there so pretend you didn’t just ask me in the middle of the kitchen, alright?” They laughed and Hermione hugged him close.
“I’ll pretend to be surprised,” she promised.
“Good,” he said. “Though this was perfect, too,” he pressed a kiss against her hair. “Bloody hell, we’re engaged!” He laughed loudly. “We’re getting married!” He spun her around again and again. Hermione kissed him deeply.
“I love you,” Hermione said in a whisper.
“I love you too,” Draco said, whispering back. Hermione’s heart pounded in her chest. She couldn't believe it. An hour ago she was contemplating a quiet night-in with her boyfriend. Now she was dancing in the kitchen with her fiance.
She couldn’t help but think about how sweet life was to get her to this very moment, and when Draco beamed at her, she leaned up and kissed him again, soft jazz in the background and supper cooking on the stove.
Everything was perfect.