Snow Storm - D.M , H.G

35. Breaking in Belle Vue

The last couple of weeks of school went by in a blur of study sessions and practice testing. Hermione seemed to be at an all-time high of stress. Draco was doing everything in his power to alleviate that stress. And the wedding planning duo was working double-time to ensure that the Malfoy wedding would go off without a hitch.

It was Wednesday, the third day of N.E.W.T. testing, when labor pains excused Ginny Weasley from the exam. James Potter the second was born several hours later at St Mungo's hospital. Meanwhile at Hogwarts many students were cramming for their last couple of subjects.

Draco reminded Hermione repeatedly that she could list all the ancient runes and their meanings in her sleep, and then told her she could use some of it. She was just entering her third trimester, and while she'd made a remarkable recovery from where she'd been when he first learned of their impending parenthood, now was not the time to start pushing it.

Each night in bed Draco urged Scorpius to stay put, that he was absolutely forbidden to make an appearance any sooner than September. This, at least, bought him a smile from the tired student.

They made it through the last of their examinations, and though the heads promised to return for their graduation ceremony, it was time for them to finally move into their ready and waiting home. With McGonagall's blessing, Draco and Hermione finally transitioned into the waterfront mansion they'd dubbed Belle Vue, for it, indeed, had a beautiful view.

Draco only hoped she wouldn't be upset for his initiative to furnish dwelling for her. "You can change absolutely anything you want. I just didn't want you burdened with coming home to an empty house." There were still many empty rooms, guest rooms, non-essential recreational spaces and such, but the living room, dining room, breakfast room, and study had all been fully furnished and decorated with a clean white and gray pallet. He wanted the home to be bright, unlike where he was raised, but still elegant.

The master suite was very different from the room downstairs, though. It had a loveseat in front of the fireplace where they could cuddle up together in the evenings. A (faux) fur rug underneath for more physical activities. Angled in the far corner of the room was a king sized bed. The ornate posts in each corner we're draped with sheer curtains which would serve for more than just privacy. The bedding was made of the finest silk, a combination of silver and gold in order to show the union between the two very different occupants. Along the north wall was a large wardrobe, which housed absolutely no clothing. Instead it housed the handful of items Draco still hoped to soon surprise Hermione with from his trip to the adult store, and much more room for such a collection to later grow. The doors were magically sealed to only open for him, as to not ruin such surprises.

After the stress of the N.E.W.T.s, coming home to find that Draco had been working on furnishing their home was actually a very pleasant surprise. She expected to find an empty house, and have to worry about what to put in it. There were still many empty rooms, but the important rooms, the ones they would be using the most were furnished.

She could tell, as Draco showed her around, that he was nervous to see what she thought of this. Once they were in the bedroom, she smiled and turned to him, pulling him into a kiss. "Draco, it's perfect." She told him, to ease his mind. She turned, to look around the room further. The fur rug in front of the fire was a nice touch, and she moved to the wardrobe to pull it open, only to find it wouldn't open. She turned to look at him, raising a questioning brow. "Is this locked?" She asked.

Draco smirked at his lover, drawing her away from the piece of furniture by both hands. "The contents of that cabinet are for me to know and you to enjoy," he informed her smoothly. He was endlessly relieved that she was happy he'd taken the initiative with the house. It could have seriously backfired. She could have been furious at being left out of the decision making.