Authors Note: Last chapter! I'll be writing something new soon, hopefully. Thank-you to everyone who's favourited/subscribed to this story or to me and reviewed, you're all lovely people. x

The saddest people I've ever met in life are the ones who don't care deeply about anything at all. Passion and satisfaction go hand in hand, and without them, any happiness is only temporary, because there's nothing to make it last.

- Nicholas Sparks, Dear John.

The week after Astoria and Ronald returned from their honeymoon kept Hermione and Draco in the office planning photo shoots and interviews with the newlyweds and their families. While Astoria's family had welcomed them with opened arms, ready to spill any and all details about the couple, Ronald's mother had simply fed Hermione food and chatter happily while his father stared awkwardly at Draco the entire time.

Their final article was to go on sale in a day and Hermione was sitting on the floor of Draco's living room with a take-out box in hand. Draco was slumped with his back against the couch and his eyes half closed. There was a ghost of a smile on his face and Hermione felt one rise through her.

"You tired?" She asked, putting down her container and shuffling over to Draco's side. He nodded and let his head press against her hair, breathing heavily.

Hermione sighed and closed her eyes, relaxing into her seat slightly. She listened to the flames lick at the air and felt Draco's chest rise and fall against her back. She stayed silent for a while before she decided it was time for bed. She took out her wand and with a flick of her wrist; the mess of dinner had disappeared.

Standing, Hermione grabbed Draco's hand and pulled him up. His eyes snapped open and fright swam through his eyes before he realised what was happening. He secured Hermione's hand in his own and pushed himself off the floor.

"Bedtime?" He asked, smiling.

Hermione nodded and walked with him to the bedroom at the end of the hall. Draco slipped off his clothes and climbed under the covers while Hermione changed into Draco's Slytherin school shirt, catching his smirk as she surveyed herself in the mirror.

"What?"

"Nothing. Green suits you." He said, watching her finger the crest slowly. A small grin spread over Hermione's face and she winked at him, before crawling into bed.

Draco wrapped an arm around Hermione's shoulders and fell asleep next to the woman who had stolen his heart.

A month had passed since their final article and Hermione and Draco had gone back to their own routines; working on their respective pieces of work. Hermione had taken to sleeping at Draco's most nights and she rarely returned home, and when she did it was to pick up clothes and check her answering machine. She'd visited her family and given her father Draco's number for emergencies and her mother and father had welcomed Draco with open arms, telling stories of Hermione's adventures as a child. The couple was now sitting on Draco's balcony and Hermione was reading a book while Draco was happily puffing away on a cigarette; something that he rarely did most days. They were silent for the most part as Hermione was engrossed in her novel. However, when the wind picked up and the smell of tobacco hit Hermione forcefully, she wrinkled her nose and looked up.

"You know I hate it when you do that." She sighed, snapping her book shut.

Draco smirked but took the small object from his mouth and threw it on the ground, stepping on it a few times for good measure. He looked up to Hermione who smiled thankfully and he took her hand in his, giving it a slight squeeze.

"Move in with me."

Hermione stiffened in her seat and felt Draco's thumb lightly graze her own. She turned to him and opened her mouth, before Draco cut her off.

"Granger, calm down. You practically live here anyway. You only go home to get clothes and we both know that most of your stuff is here anyway." He smirked, "You look like I just asked you to have my babies."

Hermione let out a shaky laugh, "Sorry."

"So… will you?"

"Have your babies?"

Draco laughed, "No silly! Move in with me?"

"Oh. Yes of course, I'd be honoured." Hermione said, laughing.

Draco stood and pulled Hermione to her feet before he tugged her close to his chest and captured her lips with his. Hermione tasted the sweet scent of Draco mixed with tobacco and closed her eyes blissfully.

Hermione was now moved into Draco's apartment and her own had gone on sale the previous month. Draco had been nothing but bouncing with joy since the moment Hermione had agreed to living with him and the couple were taking a walk through Hogsmeade. Draco had his hand secured in Hermione's and he stroked her thumb with his own in the beat of their footsteps. They chatted happily before Draco tugged her down a small street and stopped short outside an ice cream store.

He watched Hermione expectantly and grinned when a knowing smile appeared on her face. This was the store the pair had visited when Hermione had given Draco the Thursday afternoon off. It was the same afternoon that they had shared their first kiss.

"Butterscotch, right?" He asked, kissing her cheek. Hermione laughed and nodded.

The shop was just as Hermione remembered, only now it seemed much more inviting due to the calm spring air. Draco walked up to a small girl, possibly in her early teens, and ordered two large ice creams before paying and walking back to Hermione while the girl prepared their order.

"I love you." Draco whispered, before pressing a kiss to Hermione's ear. The shop assistant caught their eye and they walked back to the front counter.

"Sir? Here you go. One for you," She handed Draco a large mint ice cream, "And one for your wife." She gave the butterscotch one to Hermione with a grin, "Enjoy your afternoon!"

They exited the shop and Hermione laughed as Draco lapped up his ice cream greedily.

"Did you hear her? She thought I was your wife." Hermione said, taking a lick of her food.

Draco shrugged, "I know."

"But I'm not."

"That doesn't mean you won't be one day." Draco said, giving her a sly grin.

"Really?" Hermione asked, stopping in the middle of the road.

"Promise." Draco said, and with that he held out his pinky and watched Hermione entwine his with hers.

Hermione could live with that. A promise. Proof that there's to be something spectacular coming. That one day she'd have his last name against her first. For now however, she was perfectly content with giving her heart to Draco for safe keeping until the day she'd wear it on the fourth finger of her left hand for him.