Upon hearing reports of their Golden Girl, Hermione Granger, and Lucius Malfoy, former Death-Eater, divorcing due to irreconcilable differences, not many in the Wizarding world seemed particularly surprised. For most of the populace, who were personally unacquainted with these public figures, it was more shocking that the former enemies had married at all.

The announcement that Lucius Malfoy was to marry Emmeline Prewett was practically yawn-inducing. Childless and in her thirties, the widow was expected to remarry at the end of her mourning period. Despite being pretty, smart and belonging to one of the distinguished Wizarding families, Emmeline didn't capture the public's interest in the way Lucius' previous wives had done.

Some people took note of the dissolution of marriage between Draco Malfoy and Astoria Greengrass due to the official reason stated: their inability to produce children. It was hard to believe that the Malfoys had failed to buy themselves an extension to comply with the Procreation Law as the Ministry was known to have made exceptions for several other couples who'd missed the two-year deadline; especially since the dissolution occurred nearly a year after the deadline had passed.

When news got out that, the Ministry had matched Hermione Granger and Draco Black to marry as per the regulations of Decree No. 101735, few thought to question the validity of a spell that paired the Golden Girl with her ex-husband's son. All everyone could focus on was that Draco was no longer a Malfoy.

Long after the fact, rumours of Lucius Malfoy disowning Draco as the Malfoy heir started to make the rounds. Barely a line on page 5 of the Daily Prophet's evening edition, the official public announcement had been missed by all. For weeks, the gossip rags churned out theories about why the Malfoy patriarch had suddenly decided to strike his son off the family tree. It was a mystery to all, largely since the father-son duo always appeared perfectly cordial when seen together in public.

There was some speculation that the Malfoy brat may have fallen for the Golden Girl and engaged in a secret affair with her until his father caught them in the act, subsequently resulting in the divorces as well as his disownment. While it made for a juicy scandal, no one really believed it to be true. Even Rita Skeeter thought it better to focus on other reasons for why Lucius Malfoy would have cast his son out of the family than hint at a possible affair between Draco and his former stepmother. Rita remembered all too well how things had turned out for her the last time she made false claims about Hermione.

Therefore, when the couple married soon after they were matched- rather than taking the time to court like most of the other Ministry matched pairs- people shrugged it off thinking the couple, presumably well acquainted with each other, had chosen not to delay the inevitable. The public opinion was still favourable where Hermione Granger was concerned, though quite a few thought the sole survivor of the Golden Trio must have terrible luck to find herself once more saddled with a former Death-Eater. Over time, though, it was hard not to notice that the couple shared a genuine affection for each other. This gave heart to many in the Wizarding world, who thought that perhaps with the help of the Ministry's matchmaking spell they too could find a truly compatible partner for themselves.

"The London Townhouse? Which one is that?" asked Narcissa.

"I don't think you've ever been. I, myself, haven't visited Renault House since before our marriage," said Lucius, continuing to study the scroll before him.

"And, you think this place will do for Draco?"

"Yes," he answered distractedly, his attention solely focused on going over the finer points listed on the document before him.

"Lucius, please put that away for two minutes and explain to me why you're considering a townhouse I've never even heard of, let alone seen," Narcissa demanded.

Lucius put away the scroll and looked at Narcissa instead.

"Well, as rich as I am, you know I can't just give away any of the Malfoy properties. Each Malfoy heir is simply the caretaker of the estate, managing and growing it until his successor is ready to take over. My ancestors were able to build a dynasty they knew would last by ensuring no Malfoy would ever be able to give away any of the Malfoy owned assets."

"Yes, Lucius, I know all this. But, surely you have some personal properties you could give our son should you choose."

"Yes, dear, the London townhouse is exactly such a property. It was a gift from my maternal grandmother when I bought my first wand. It's in Wizarding London- close to the barrier to the Muggle side; I'm sure Hermione would appreciate that. Moreover, the place has a large study overlooking a garden. Draco could use it as a home office, now that he has decided he wants to treat his research as something more serious than a passing hobby... The house maybe modern in style and humble compared to our other properties, but it should do well enough. "

"What do you mean humble, Lucius? You know those two will want to start a family right away. With Hermione, I sense she is eager to have a family of her own. And I suspect Draco won't stop feeling threatened by any male who gets too close to his mate till they've had a child together."

"Yes, I agree," said Lucius with a nod. "I admit that with just five bedrooms, Renault House is a little bit cosy but the garden attached to it is of a considerable size for a London property."

Narcissa didn't look sold on the idea.

"Cissa, it's the best I can do, given the circumstances. Hermione has too much pride to accept a house I purchased for them, but I think Draco could convince her if I gave them a property they believed I had no need for."

Narcissa quietly pondered over Lucius' statement.

"She really has him wrapped around her finger, doesn't she? Good thing she's a clever and highly capable witch." Narcissa smirked. "Make the townhouse an early wedding gift from the two of us, that way it will be harder for them to refuse."

Lucius smiled in acquiescence and returned to the task of perusing the deed to the townhouse.

Lucius Malfoy stopped his scrutiny of the study to face his son. "Granger?" he asked, raising an eyebrow at his son.

Draco had invited his father over to show him the changes made to Renault House since he began to reside there.

He was oblivious to his father's keen gaze appraising him when he replied, "Yes, I thought it would be a nice touch." Draco had a silly smile plastered on his face as he recalled just how his mate had rewarded his thoughtful suggestion.

Draco was startled out of his reverie by a snort.

"You're completely whipped, boy."

"What? No," he protested.

"It's okay, I wasn't any better when it came to your mother ... Though I never went as far as considering taking on her family name."

"No, it really was my suggestion," he insisted. As his father still looked unconvinced, he went on to explain his actions.

"As you're aware, Hermione has no family left. She's the last of the Grangers, and I thought, well, if I was to get used to a new name I could just as easily grow used to Granger as I would Black. This way, her family name won't die with her and our children will be grateful we didn't stick them with a double-barrelled surname."

"Oh son! I'm guessing you were rewarded well for your thoughtfulness," said Lucius, giving him a sly smile.

"Yes, but I assure you, it wasn't what motivated me. At the moments, we both are without family" -the frown on his father's face made him hastily add- "in strictly legal terms, of course ... Once we're married and have children, it would make more sense for us to be at the head of a whole new Wizarding line, rather than a continuation of the Blacks."

His father was finally able to envision the future as he saw it and understood his reasons.

"My wedding gift to Hermione is a tapestry of the new Granger family tree, which will start with the two of us."

Lucius' eyes were suspiciously bright as he placed a hand on his son's shoulder and gave it a squeeze.

"I understand that we need to be more progressive in this new world, but it gives me pride to see you haven't forsaken all our traditions, Draco. Always strive to preserve that which is best of our world."

Watching her ex-husband vow his eternal love and fidelity to the bushy-haired witch smiling brightly at him, what Astoria felt most was relief.

"Are you okay?" Bastien, her fiancé, gave her fingers a light squeeze. Having only heard the highlights of her relationship with Draco, he probably imagined she was upset watching her ex remarry.

Frankly, she came to the event expecting to feel upset about the whole thing; she even carried a small vial containing a mild dose of Calming Draught, just in case. After all, she had given so many of her prime years to Draco. Looking past his role in the events that started the ghastly war, she started a relationship with him. Together, got over the devastating loss they saw all around them.

However, even before their marriage, Astoria sensed Draco was restless and in search of something more than she was capable of providing. Unlike most women, rather than feeling disheartened, she had taken it as a challenge. She ensured their social circle consisted of people he found interesting and their bed shared with witches who caught his interest so he was never bored or unsatisfied. She had done it all because she loved him. Sexy, smart and a Malfoy, Draco was undeniably the top prize she deserved. Astoria had it all figured out, until his veela side took over and fucked up all her plans.

Yes, she was sad to have lost Draco, but she really lost him three years ago when his instincts drove him to have sex with Hermione. Sometime during those early months of his veela sickness, he stopped being the Draco she fell in love with. Suddenly sex between them turned into an unpleasant chore before stopping altogether. After seeing, the kind of pathetic snivelling creature he became when separated from Hermione for too long, it was impossible to feel the attraction to him she once did, and yet she had done her best to maintain their relationship. But there was only so much she could do when Draco's libido plummeted to the extent he couldn't even get an erection anymore.

There was also the added pressure of the Ministry mandate, demanding they have children. While not eager to have kids right away, Astoria knew she would want them eventually. A visit with one of the top healers at St. Mungo's had confirmed there was nothing wrong with her. On the other hand, Draco couldn't even manage an erection- let alone the task of impregnating her- despite having his meals dosed with the strongest virility potions.

As his sickness grew, her patience wore further down. She was so tired of his mood swings, where he was either wallowing in melancholy or snapping at anyone who crossed his path. Then, finally came the cherry on top of everything else gone wrong with her marriage; Draco ended up penniless and disinherited because Abraxas Malfoy discovered his grandson's creature ancestry. She did not envy Hermione for having to deal with the hot mess that was the current Draco.

Instead of dwelling on the past, Astoria looked to her future- the man seated to her right. While his family was not as illustrious as the Malfoys, Bastien de la Marche was French aristocracy and in need of a wife after circumstances forced him to relocate to England and abide by the Marriage and Procreation Law. Lucius had introduced the two, believing she was less likely to cause the Malfoys trouble if she was well settled in life. Bastien had money, an appetite for life and none of the emotional baggage that came with being a part of the Wizarding War; Astoria excitedly looked forward to starting a new chapter in her life.

"I'm fine," she said, giving Bastien a reassuring smile. "I did love him, but we were so incompatible; over time we simply grew apart. He needed more of an intellectual type, and I had far too much joie de vivre to just sit around discussing law journals and potion ingredients. Rather than drag it out, I'm glad we chose to dissolve our marriage like civilised people- no guilty parties or victims."

"And you're happy with me, my angel? You will not find me too dull for your lively tastes?"

To his credit, Bastien considered himself extremely lucky to have the most beautiful witch he had ever seen be available for marriage just when he was in need of a wife. Even if she didn't find his mildly accented speech charming- which she did- his concern for her happiness was endearing.

"Darling, the way you indulge me, no woman could ever grow weary of such adoration. I could easily fall in love with you, if I'm not already."

Astoria kissed her fiancé, unmindful of the guests around them raising a toast to the successful union between her ex and his mate.

"May Merlin send a pox on them all! How long does it take for everyone to get in their fucking carriages?!"

Draco stood impatiently tapping his foot as he waited outside his former home in Wiltshire.

He eagerly ushered the exiting guests into their respective carriages, while he cursed the ones still dallying inside.

The cream of wizarding society had shown up that day to celebrate his father's most recent marriage. That by itself was not the reason for his foul mood. He got along well enough with Emmeline; even if he found her a bit too meek and eager to please to be the next Lady Malfoy, she was smart enough to maintain his father's interest and was empathetic of the relationship Lucius still maintained with his late wife.

No, Draco's mood had nothing to do with the wedding and everything to do with his infuriating mate. He couldn't wait till he'd sent every one of the attending guests home packing and resisted the urge to slam the door on yet another carriage after the last guest had finally stepped in.

Spotting Hermione standing outside, smiling and waving to the last of the departing carriages, he snapped.

"Granger. Get in the fucking carriage. Now!"

Hermione rolled her eyes at his command and turned to speak with the Malfoy elves who had chosen to reveal their presence now that their guests had left.

"Don't make me fucking toss you over my shoulder and drag you out of here," he threatened while holding their carriage door open for her.

"Enough! Don't take that tone with me, Draco. I'll be there in a moment."

He scowled at her as she took turns hugging and thanking each of the elves individually for their excellent service. Given the circumstances, he couldn't understand how she could remain so cool while he felt like a grouchy old bear ready to rip someone's head off if he didn't get what he wanted soon.

No sooner was she done speaking with the last of the elves, he swooped in and placing his hands firmly against her back directed her away from the Manor and into the open carriage. He jumped in soon after and slammed the door shut.

"Don't give me that look, Granger. This is your own fault," he grumbled and tapped his wand against the carriage to initiate flight. "I wasn't the one who volunteered us to plan father's wedding and I most certainly was not so caught up in it all to neglect my mate for nearly two weeks."

Hermione was busy looking out the window, watching the other magical carriages fly across the night sky. She sighed in relief; everything had turned out just as beautiful as planned. Social event planning wasn't exactly her forte, but she thought it would make for a thoughtful wedding gift. She knew Lucius appreciated having Draco involved in his wedding, and it send a clear message to all of the closeness between father and son, even if officially Draco was no longer recognised as a Malfoy.

"Two weeks, Hermione! I've barely even seen you. You're not in bed when I go to sleep and you're already out by the time I'm up. Other than the floo calls to give me instructions on what you needed me to do, I've had no interactions with you."

In addition to being a Muggleborn, Hermione was not raised to be a society wife, unlike his mother and Astoria. She was ignorant of the Pureblood customs and traditions that dictated the planning of these events, and was not familiar with the experts one could rely upon to make the necessary arrangements within a short time frame. Knowing she was in over her head, he had not wished to overwhelm her by demanding her attention. But now that the wedding was over, all restraints were blown to bits.

"I know, and I'm sorry," said Hermione. "I thought it would be easy. For Godric's sake, I could've been an Unspeakable if I wanted to, I didn't think planning someone else's wedding would be this time consuming or exhausting ... And I certainly didn't anticipate you being this upset over it."

He wasn't upset. He was sexually frustrated.

Since becoming single, they had not spent a day apart. Now, accustomed to sharing physical intimacy with her on a daily basis, he thought he might just explode if he wasn't able to bury himself inside her soon. It didn't help that she looked absolutely delectable in the formal dress robes she was wearing. Even if the cut of the robes was a bit too modest for a witch her age, he thought she looked alluring.

"You're a fucking tease, Granger. All night you've given me the chase while I ran around salivating at your heels. You could've easily ducked out for a few minutes and put me out of my misery."

"When have you ever been satisfied with a few minutes?" she asked in a teasing tone. "We would've missed the entire event if I'd given in to your wishes. You forget how well I know you, mate."

She slowly slid the skirt of her robes up to reveal bare legs in high heels, but no more.

"You're tempting enough as it is, but you're an absolute vixen when you start making the moves on me. Lean back," he instructed. When she didn't budge, he groaned.

"I am beyond blue balls right now, Hermione. Stop being a fucking tease."

"No, Draco. Whatever it is you're thinking of doing, the carriage ride isn't long enough to-"

She shrieked as Draco reached across and pulled her onto his lap so she was straddling him. He ran his hands down her side, bringing them to a rest on her hips.

"You don't know what I'm thinking of, witch," he whispered huskily in her ear. His hands slid up and down her sides before cupping her breasts and pinching her nipples over her robes. He enjoyed the way she squirmed in his lap as well as the gasp that escaped her lips when she felt his raging erection.

"Merlin! We can't have sex right now. We're outside, Draco!" Hermione protested as Draco slid his hands under her robes to run them along her bare skin.

"Thestral dung. We're finally alone together-" his fingers began to play with the seam of her panties "-and I haven't been inside you in weeks ... You've worn out my patience, Granger. Time for you to be a good girl and give me what I want-" He ripped her panties apart.

"Draco!"

At times like these, Hermione wondered why she even bothered with pretty undergarments when her mate never took the time to appreciate them. He was always more eager to have her out of her clothes to care about what she wore. He liked to joke that since he was no longer one of the richest men around, she should save him the expense of her underwear by not wearing any. While this usually worked in her favour, since she wasn't the kind of witch who spend time grooming and primping herself, on the occasions she did make an effort, it was awful that he didn't notice.

"Fuck!" Draco moaned, slipping his fingers against her wet folds. "You're dripping," he observed, enjoying how easily he could slip one, two, three fingers inside her.

"Can't wait any longer," he breathed, "Need to be inside you now"

Before she could even think to protest, Draco had aimed his wand at both of them and vanished their clothes. The robes she had worn were hand sewn and far too delicate to have spells directly fired at them, but she thought now may not be the best moment to point that out.

Since their marriage, she had several arguments with Draco on the subject of money. While they were financially secure to some degree, they could not afford to be wasteful with their galleons- a concept Draco was finding harder to come to terms with than he previously imagined. Hermione knew he hated it when they fought about money because it had always been of little consequence to him and she hated having to be the adult who had to nag him about being more responsible with their money. Fortunately, he was smart and didn't need to have the same thing told to him twice, with one exception. When it came to sex, he didn't give any thought to the garments he ruined when he got carried away in his desire for her.

Rather than scolding him for most likely destroying their overpriced dress robes, she raised herself so Draco could line himself with her entrance. Truth be told, she was just as upset with the change in their routine, but having committed herself to a task, she could not bring herself to abandon it. All evening she was patiently waiting for the time when they could return home to show her mate just how much she had missed him.

Draco pulled on her hips and with one quick thrust was all the way inside her. In unison, both sighed in relief- finally joined together after so many days of being apart. Hermione took a moment to rest her forehead against his, before she gripped his shoulders to anchor herself.

Sensing she was ready, Draco began to move her on top of him.

"Missed you - Missed this - So good - Perfect - Gonna fuck you so hard - won't be able to leave our bed for a week - Gonna take you again and again - Fill you with my seed."

While Draco noisily rambled on, Hermione cried out, feeling him increase his pace. His cock impaled her over and over again, hitting something inside of her that made her want to break apart.

"We're never staying away from each other for this long again," he growled. "It's a wonder I didn't toss you over the table and pound your juicy pussy till everyone knew exactly who you belonged to."

"Yours, mate. All yours," cried Hermione. She should've felt suffocated by his possessive nature, but she didn't. It served as a thrilling reminder of just how much he desired her.

Her orgasm began to build and after successfully teasing him all evening, she could tell it was going to be spectacular for the both of them.

Draco grabbed the back of her neck and pulled her face closer. The kiss that followed was unexpectedly sweet and gentle, a complete contrast to the hard thrust of his hips.

"Mine," he whispered into her mouth. "My wife, my love, my mate ... Don't ever stay away from me."

As handsome as he was, Draco had a harshness about him that made it hard to believe him capable of such tenderness. Hermione was glad she had given this wizard all the chances he needed to make their current relationship possible. Knowing him as she did now, she couldn't imagine anyone more suitable for her.

"Never," she promised.

He changed how he moved- it was slower now- and Hermione thought she might have died and gone to heaven.

"Oh my little witch, you have no idea what your sweet promises do to me," he breathed.

Hermione ground down on him, causing him to hiss.

"Are you ready to come with me, love? Will your pretty pussy come all over my cock?" he asked huskily.

She nodded, so close to the edge her eyes were watering. She squeezed her inner muscles to help them along and wrapped her arms tightly around him, enjoying how it made the hair on his chest rub against her nipples.

Draco's thrusts grew more erratic, he was on the verge of exploding, but held back, waiting for Hermione to climax first. His orgasms always felt so much better when drawn out by hers.

The lovers locked eyes, unwilling to look away from their mate as wave after wave of pleasure washed over them. Either one was unable to tell if they were experiencing their own orgasm or their mate's, they felt so connected in that moment. They held each other close, never losing eye contact as they ground their bodies together, prolonging their climax. They didn't separate even after their climax ended. Hermione snuggled against Draco, running her fingers through his chest hair while he rested his cheek against her head and stroked her back.

They looked out the carriage window; above them, the beautiful night sky glittered with stars and below, the world glowed with the light of lamps. Alone, in a flying carriage, suspended as they were between the two worlds something about the moment assured the couple that everything would be okay. No matter what the future had in store of them, they would be okay so long as they were together.

"Love, don't take this the wrong way, but have you been gaining weight? Your belly feels like-"

Draco stopped himself short. Hermione wasn't a vain witch, but he doubted any woman took kindly to their partner suggesting they were getting fat just after they made love.

Hermione pulled back to look Draco in the eye.

"If you have a problem with my belly now, I can't imagine how you'll react in around seven months," she said, crossing her arms over her chest in a way that emphasised her breasts.

Draco, too distracted at the sight to catch the meaning of her words, tried to explain himself.

"I'm not complaining. Your tits look even more mouth-watering than usual. Merlin! Just the sight makes my cock happy, thinking about sliding-"

Having his brain suddenly catch up to his mouth, Draco stopped his rambling and dragged his eyes away from her tempting body to look closely at her face.

Hermione Granger's lips twisted into a smirk watching realisation dawn on her husband's face. More than a fortnight had passed since she discovered the news herself; however, thanks to the distractions that came with planning the wedding, there was never an opportune moment to tell Draco. She had planned to go home tonight, make love to him and then share her special news.

As Draco looked on at Hermione, mouth gaping open and shut, too dumbstruck to formulate his question, she helped him out.

"Yes, dear, we're having a baby."

THE END

AN: Thank you to all the readers who followed this story and posted reviews, but a special thanks to those wonderful readers who were nice enough to leave reviews on both AO3 and FFN (looking at you roon0).

Now that you've read the complete story, I'd love to hear your thoughts on it. Some of you may have enjoyed the twists and turns while others were probably disappointed it didn't deliver on the magical adventure of a climax one expects of HP fanfics. I hope you can see it wouldn't have fit with the tone I'd set for this story. (Same goes for killing Astoria.)

Please note, this fic is Complete (there will be no sequel or epilogue).