Struggling Through New Beginnings

Chapter 42

Chapter 42

�I can�t imagine how she bounced around on those shoes
like that,� Hermione laughed as she rubbed her sore feet.

Draco watched her from his desk chair as she sat on
his bed and laughed, �Well, I think she was too happy to notice the pain.�

Hermione smiled in agreement and then leaned back
against the headboard, �I�m happy for them, but don�t you think it�s too soon?
I mean, they�ve only been together a couple of months. How can they know
already?�

Draco could tell she was lost in her own thoughts,
but wanted to answer anyway, �No. Not if they feel it�s
right. How long do you think it should take?�

�I don�t know,� Hermione shrugged and removed the
band from her side ponytail so she could spread her hair with her fingers. She
had her eyes closed as she added, �Marriage is an important step. A big step. I guess I just wouldn�t have announced it to
everyone unless I was really sure it was going to happen.�

Draco got up and moved to stretch out next to her,
�Don�t you think they�ll make it?�

Hermione sighed contentedly as his fingers toyed
with her thigh, �I don�t know. I hope so; they�re perfect for each other. But,
so much can happen in a year.�

He was quiet for a long moment and she opened her
eyes to see him staring at her. �What?�

�Just thinking,� he answered with a shrug.

�About?�

Draco shrugged and looked down at his hand on her
leg.

�Tell me,� she urged softly. At first, it seemed he
wasn�t going to answer, but then she felt his hand still on her leg.

�Do you want all of that? Marriage
and children? Someday, I mean,� he asked as a slight blush stained his
cheeks.

Hermione noticed that he appeared to be holding his
breath and realized her answer was important to him. She felt like someone had
punched her in the gut when it hit her that he was asking about the future. Her future. Their future?

�Um, well, yeah, I do. Not now,� she rambled as her
brain seemed to fill with too many thoughts and questions at once. �I have a
lot to do yet, before I settle down, I mean. But, yes, I want to get married
some day. And, I think two or three children would be nice.�

Draco nodded, but didn�t look up at her as she
hoped. His hand did start moving again, so she took that as a good sign.

�And, uh, you?�

Draco rolled onto his back and looked up at the
ceiling as he answered, �If you had asked me a year ago, I would have said yes
without hesitation. It was expected. Now, I don�t know. I hadn�t really thought
about it until tonight. I don�t know why not, but I just didn�t. There�s been
so much going on for the past year that I guess I just let it go. I mean for a
long while I wasn�t sure I would even be alive to see a future, so I think I
just stopped thinking about one. Does that make sense?�

He was so lost in his own thoughts that he didn�t
wait for her answer as he continued, �And, now, I�I guess I just�I don�t know
if I would make all that great a husband or father, truth be told. I like kids
and if Teddy is any indication I�m pretty good with them. But, it�s not like my
parents were�well, you know. Besides, I�m too young to think about marriage and
kids anyway. With the way things have changed, who knows where I�ll be in the
future and what I�ll be doing. Hell, I can barely think past next Tuesday�s
Herbology exam. But, still�it might be nice, maybe�someday. I�m sure Mother
would love the idea of it��