I can't stay away from you too long…My days seem long whenever we're apart. It's like someone had thrown away my heart…No matter what the storm may bring…The point of it all…the reason for it all is…

I love you…

Anthony Hamilton

.

A year had passed and it was Christmas at The Burrow. As was tradition, Molly had her Christmas tunes playing and was already on her third cup of Christmas Eggnog.

"Maybe you should slow down a little Mom?" suggested Ginny as she attempted to pull the cup away from her grasp. Mrs. Weasley batted her hand away as she continued to drink deeply, indulging herself with her favorite holiday treat.

"Don't be jealous just because you can't partake this year, love," she playfully scolded with rosy cheeks and a sheepish grin. Crying out in happy disbelief, she held onto her daughter hand. "Oh Gin! I can't believe you're finally going to be a mother!"

"Neither can I, honestly."

It had never been a point of conversation that Ginny enjoyed discussing before now. For the longest time, everyone merely assumed she and Harry were incapable of having children, so the topic was generally avoided. The truth had been that Harry held cold feet regarding them becoming parents. Which was understandable baggage after losing parents so young. As a result, Ginny tip-toed around her longing to become someone's mother for years. It was finally going to happen now, and as nervous as Harry was about it, she knew he was also as ecstatic as she was and that he was going to make an amazing father.

"For the record, Mum, I'm not that jealous"

"You're a little jealous," Mrs. Weasley teased with a wink.

"Only a tad" she admitted, watching her mother tip her head back as she drank.

"Is Narcissa Malfoy really coming over for Christmas this year?" asked Molly, frowning at the bottom of her nearly empty mug.

"I suppose so," answered Harry as he came up, kissed his wife, then leaned down to kiss her stomach. "What's the matter? You were the one who insisted Draco invite her."

"Yes, but I didn't think for a moment that she'd actually accept the invite," whispered Molly as she tipped her cup back again to finish off the very last drop of her favorite holiday drink.

"Can you imagine? A Malfoy coming to The Burrow as a guest?" chimed Arthur, bewildered by the idea. "I'm at least grateful it's not Lucius coming." Lucius and Arthur hated each other even more than Harry and Draco had despised one another.

"He couldn't come if he wanted to. He passed away last month," Harry informed them.

"Did he really?" Arthur was mildly shocked but didn't feel particularly upset to hear the news. "I must have missed it in the Prophet. You would have thought it would be been publicized better! People do remember what kind of man he was, they didn't forget."

"I don't think Narcissa and Draco wanted to give it any more attention than necessary. After all, he never accepted Draco for marrying Hermione and he refused to acknowledge their children. Seemed to drive their family apart in the end," explained Ginny.

"Ah well, he was a hateful man. I suppose he got exactly what he earned in the end," expressed Molly with a shrug. "Not to speak ill of the dead…but it is true."

They all nodded quietly in agreement.

Then the door burst open as George arrived with his family, breaking up the growing heaviness of the moment.

"George!" Molly exclaimed as she happily jumped out of her chair. "Will you come help your poor old mother fetch another cup of eggnog?"

"Absolutely!" George winked at Harry as he walked past and flashed him the bottle of firewhiskey he had hidden in his pocket. Every year he spiked the eggnog regardless of how strong it was to begin with. It was tradition after all!

Bill and Charlie trickled in with their families shortly after, followed by Ron who showed up alone this year.

Harry and Ron were civil with one another, but their friendship had remained strained since the night Harry walked in on him trying to attack Hermione.

Sophia showed up next with Landen with their son, Elliot, cradled in her arms.

Arthur called her over and quickly stole his grandson away. "Let me see the little one," he insisted with excitement twinkling in his aging eyes.

Janessa arrived next alongside Percy and his wife. Her arm was wrapped around a new man that Percy had been kind enough to introduced her to. He wasn't an incredibly attractive man, but he was rich and a he was a judge in good standing with the Wizengamot who provided satisfaction to all the wealth and attention she'd craved her entire life.

Janessa took her time walking past Ron as though she were certain he was seething with jealousy at the sight of her happy with someone new. Ron pretended to hardly notice her, but it was clear that he was curious about them.

Ron was as alone these days and as miserable as he deserved to be. Aside from his parents, his son was really the only person who interacted with him willingly. Unbeknownst to him, Landen always kept the promise he made to Draco on his wedding night and kept a wary eye on his father whenever his wife, Sophia, was present.

Finally, Draco and Hermione arrived along with Narcissa and their child who was only a few months old. They'd had a son, who they chose to name Charles. They would call him Charlie for short, as a little way of laughing at their intricate past.

"Where's my great grandson?" called out Narcissa the moment she walked past the threshold.

"You're going to have to fight me for him Narcissa!' called out Arthur from the kitchen as he continued to cradle Elliot in his arms.

"I'll gladly duel you for that baby, Arthur Weasley, don't you test me!" jested Narcissa as she playfully drew her wand and made her way over to see the youngest member of the Malfoy family line.

Sophia came up to them and snatched Charlie out of her mother's arms. "Let me see this little guy. Hey there little brother!" she cooed as she carried him off into the kitchen with her so that Arthur and Molly could see the young baby boy.

"Look Draco, we're standing under mistletoe," observed Hermione as she looked above their heads to the top of the door.

Draco hadn't realized it was there as they passed through the threshold. The first thing he had noticed was Ron glowering at them from the corner.

He knew that he'd be here, but still he detested his presence around his wife and especially his daughter. Unfortunately, he couldn't keep the Weasel from attending his own family's Christmas holiday. At least Ron had learned to behave himself over the past year, but Draco still didn't, and never would, care for him.

Ron clearly still pined for Hermione and Draco took great satisfaction in wrapping his arms tightly around his wife's midriff while he watched Ron jealously react to his wandering hands grabbing a generous handful of her arse. Then he winked at him as he kissed Hermione deeply under the mistletoe.

"Draco!" Hermione quietly scolded into his ear as her cheeks flushed with mild embarrassment. Draco only chuckled, kissed her deeper, and tightened his hold around her.

Mumbling angrily to himself, Ron followed George's direction into the kitchen to pour himself a large glass of George's heavily spiked eggnog to help him get through the night.

Draco couldn't help but smirk as he noticed Ron sulk out of the room.

"Stop provoking him," chided Hermione.

"But it's too easy!" Draco chuckled with a wicked grin on his face. "Plus, I can't help it if I'm a tease…"

"If you're going to tease then you'd better deliver when we get home tonight," she flirted back.

"Speaking of things that you want…you never did tell me what you'd like for Christmas."

"I never do," she reminded him with a smile.

"Anything you want in the world," he insisted. "Just ask me and it's yours."

Draco loved that he had the means once again to buy Hermione the world if she desired it. His Malfoy inheritance, especially now that his father had passed, was vast enough that his family would never want for anything.

"What else could I possibly want Draco? I already have the world," insisted Hermione as she dragged Draco back under the mistletoe for one last kiss before mingling with their great and ever-growing family.

.

.

.

.

.

A/N: It's the end! Thank you all for coming along for the ride! I'm not sure if I'll be retiring from Dramione after this. Only time will tell...

If so, thank you one last time for your support and feedback throughout the years! It's meant the world to me!

Draco + Hermione will always be the best ship and one of my greatest loves!