Hogwarts: A History (Hermione's Version)

Epilogue #2

September 2010

As the light bled through the curtains, Hermione's eyes fluttered open taking in her surroundings. She had been stirred from her dreams or rather dreams of memories and knew that she needed to get up. Today was a big day after all and she had no time to waste. Before she could make a move though, an arm wrapped tighter around her and pulled her closer. With a soft smile, her eyes fluttered shut and a content sigh fell from her lips. "Turn off your brain. Go back to sleep love," Draco murmured and her body shivered at the feel of his lips on her neck.

"I have to get up," Hermione answered, though didn't make a move to get out of their bed or his arms. It was her comfort place, being wrapped up in Draco's arms. "So many things to finish this morning."

"Do you hear that? Complete silence," he chuckled, kissing her bare shoulder. "We can sleep for at least another thirty minutes."

"Draco," Hermione whined playfully, wiggling in his arms, giggling as those same arms wrapped tighter around her.

"Mi," he mimicked. "Thirty more minutes."

"Fine," she smiled and turned in his arms, burrowing her head in his chest. "But only thirty more minutes."

"That's my girl."

&&&

"That was not thirty minutes, that was over an hour Draco," Hermione grumbled as she stood in front of the mirror in the bathroom, her arms crossed and a slight pout on her face. Draco just chuckled and continued his work of detangling her curls. It was something that he insisted to do every morning, along with brushing them every night. She knew it was soothing to him, so she let him indulge without any fuss from her.

"We needed the sleep," he offered, meeting her eyes in the mirror. "It's going to be a big day and we've barely had any sleep the last two months. I for one need all the sleep I can get before tonight's festivities. There will be children everywhere, running and screaming."

"You say that as if you detest it, but I know you absolutely love it," Hermione countered playfully glaring at him before raising an eyebrow, daring him to contradict her.

"Potter and I may or may not be recruiting for our small but mighty Quidditch team," Draco winked, kissing the top of her head as she yawned adorably.

As she slipped into the sapphire blue velvet dress, she couldn't help but stare at the rings on her fingers. It had been a little almost ten years since their wedding and she still felt all the butterflies she did on the day they wed. She turned her head, smiling as he slipped a t-shirt over his head. She sighed dreamily and smiled as he turned to look at her. She would never get home how handsome her husband was.

"Do you ever think about it?" Pansy said, running her fingers through Carna's soft curls.

"Think about what?" Hermione asked curiously, holding Astra in her arms.

"What it would have been like if you and Draco hadn't ended up together."

Hermione sat quietly for a moment, allowing herself to think about what it would have been like to be married to someone else. There would have been fights, resentment, and hate built up over time. She wouldn't have children and if she did, they wouldn't be Leo and twin girls. She and Draco would have grown apart due to jealousy and there was just no way she could even think about a world where she and Draco weren't friends. It would be like a world where her dads weren't alive either. It was dark and scary and she didn't like it at all.

"No," Hermione said shaking her head, holding her daughter a little tighter to her chest. "No, I refuse to think about any reality where I don't end up married to Draco."