Hermione kissed Draco back with as much passion as she had in her bookworm body, which considering she'd felt repressed until Draco came along was a lot, with her fingers digging into his scalp as she held tightly onto his white-blonde hair.

She only pulled away when she needed air, panting heavily as she looked at him with a loving and amazed expression. She still felt as if she was in shock.

"I love you Draco. More then books and knowledge."

She told him honestly, and to her loving someone more then books was the most love she could ever feel. Trembling a little she held out her ring hand towards him, her eyes falling on the priceless ring that she had no doubt was probably a priceless heirloom. Which then brought her to a new thought...

"Draco... does this mean I have to meet your parents properly now?"

Hermione asked, glancing up at him with soft, brown eyes.

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Draco smiled lovingly at Hermione as he gently took her hand and slid the ring slowly on her finger. They were engaged, it was official. Nobody could take Hermione from him.

"Hmm, I suppose so. Although I should warn you, my father's still a bit ... prejudiced. It isn't consciously, I don't think, but it's just harder for him to get over it after holding to those ideals for all his life."

He explained with a sort of apologetic smile to Hermione. His parents had ... accepted that he was romantically involved with Hermione, but that didn't mean they were particularly thrilled about it. But on that point, they'd only be thrilled if he was still with Pansy Parkinson. That definitely wasn't happening again.

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"Oh my god!"

Hermione breathed, a hand placed above her breast where her heart would be as she watched him slide the ring onto her ring finger. After watching a lot of female students dating, getting engaged, marrying, and even getting pregnant, Hermione had felt she might not get that herself in the end. She wasn't clueless to what others thought of her and yet like her soul mate and Prince Charming all wrapped into one Draco had set her world on fire. She honestly couldn't imagine being with anyone else. He was her The One.

"It'll be fine Draco. Who knows maybe I might even win over your father... After all we've never truly spent any time together. Just a few moments in passing. You might get surprised. He and I could get along really well."

She offered, rubbing his arm with her ring-less hand in reassurance.

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"You really don't know my father."

Draco sighed as he gently grabbed her hand and laced his fingers through hers, silently admiring the engagement ring while he thought.

"Think of me in Hogwarts, but with a hell of a lot more contempt and disdain. He's my father, and I love him, but a mold like that is hard to break out of."

He explained, sighing heavily as he raised his eyes to hers once more.

"He called me a Blood Traiter when we first started dating. He was so angry that his son, heir to the Malfoy legend, was dating a ... Muggle Born. For weeks after even, I could hear him asking himself where he went wrong, or questioning how much lycanthropy had 'corrupted' me. Don't get me wrong, he's a lot better than he used to be, and a lot better since then, but he's still, I guess, rough around the edges."

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"Don't worry about it Draco. I wormed my way into your heart didn't I? Whose to say I can't do it to all Malfoy men?"

Hermione teased, trying to make him feel better about having her meet them. She was, of course, extremely nervous to meet his parents but she knew she had to be strong for Draco. It was going to be hard enough for him as it was. Besides, she'd faced a Basilisk, Werewolves, a Dragon, and the Dark Lord in her past. Not only that but she had been tortured by Bellatrix in the Malfoy's home - wasn't it a sitting room of some kind? - so really what did she have to fear?

She just hoped she didn't end up in that room again. She wasn't sure she could ignore the flashbacks that would certainly flood her.

"Come on. Better sooner then later. It'll be like ripping off a plaster. Although wizards don't use plasters... Hm... How about, it'll be like a simple Episkey, better done now then wait whilst the broken bone causes more pain. ... Eh, not the best but it'll do."

Hermione murmured before focusing back on Draco properly.

"Lead the way."

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A smirk of amusement worked its way onto Draco's expression as Hermione started to ramble on about plasters and Episkeys and other such things. If he were being honest, while he understood a good potion of the topics that Hermione chose to ramble about, there were still few things, many juggle topics included, that it seemed only Hermione Granger would understand.

'But she won't be Hermione Granger much longer ... she'll be a Malfoy before long.'

He thought, causing him to smile further to his beautiful fiancée as he stood up.

"Lead the way? We're just apparating darling, Wiltshire's much too far to get there any other way, at least I think so."

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"Oh. Wiltshire?"

Hermione had never been sure where Malfoy Manor was except it had to be somewhere with a lot of grounds as it had been massive. Forcing herself out of her thoughts she looped her arm through his as she turned to face him better.

"I was trying to be gracious. I'm going to be on my best behaviour."

Deep down she really wanted Draco's parents to like her. Fortunately her parents had taught her manners, and her grandmother had been intent on teaching her to curtsey when she had been just a little girl so she was pretty sure she could bluff her way through without looking absolutely out of place. Unfortunately there was little she could do about her hair. It seemed no spell, no charm, no potion, no product whether magical or muggle could tame her naturally wild, bushy, brown hair.

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"Mhmm, in a clearing amiss the forests, there's a charm to keep muggles from it, but besides that, it almost seems like another of the old sights. Fits in with the historical landmarks in the area, that's for sure."

Draco mused as he watched Hermione. He smiled as she spoke, gently tightening the grip of his arm around hers as she linked them together. Putting his entire focus into the thought of Malfoy Manor, he once again tightened his grip around Hermione's arm and spun on the spot to disapparate with a crack.

He really wasn't a fan of apparation, and side along was worse, but it was quick, and once it was done, it was done. He looked over to Hermione, more concerned with making sure he hadn't splinched her than appearing overly confident in his ability to not do so.

"Well, no going back now."

Draco sighed as he looked up at the manor looking before them. Ancient spells on the house prevented them from apparating directly onto the grounds, but they still came pretty close to it, in fact being just outside the gate that closed off the manor to outsiders.

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"It'll be fine."

Hermione reassured, patting his arm gently. Hopefully things would go well as Hermione desperately wished to examine Malfoy Manor and its grounds a lot more extensively. The history here, and what those walls must have seen, the knowledge kept within... It was like catnip to her and she really wanted to be able to explore and learn at her leisure.

First, however, she knew she had to somehow get her soon to be in-laws to like her. She would be the better person and should Draco's parents slip she knew she would have to let it go. She would not persecute them for it. They had been raised the way they were, they had spent fourty something years at least the way they were. They didn't have the benefit of being young enough like Draco to easily turn against their beliefs nor a first hand example of why there wasn't any difference between Muggleborns and Purebloods. Both had their dunces and masters in each generation.

Hermione was proof of it.

She walked right through the gate and up to the front door looking as if she was entirely content and confident in being there. She knew she couldn't show weakness. Once at the front door she glanced at Draco.

"Do we knock?"

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Draco smiled gently to Hermione, shaking his head as he reached forward to open the doors of the manor for her.

"The house elves will have no doubt already reported our presence to my parents."

He answered as he shrugged his jacket from his shoulders and placed it on the coat rack beside the door. His mother would be appalled if he wore such an accessory indoors, it just didn't belong.

"Just be yourself Hermione. They'll love you in an instant."

He murmured softly to his fiancée. He'd rather her be honest with his parents than putting on a show to seem more like them.

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"I hope so."

Hermione breathed, nerves filling her as she shed her own coat and hung it up. A House Elf promptly came and led them through the house to what looked like a very posh and luxurious sun room. Inside Narcissa sat on a chaise lounge with a coffee table infront of her filled with an afternoon tea and appropriate silverware. Mrs Malfoy looked every inch the Pureblood Aristocrat Socialite.

"Mrs Malfoy."

Hermione greeted, managing to be aware of herself enough to give a low curtsey. Maybe it would put her in Narcissa's good graces.

Narcissa raised her eyebrow the slightest bit at the sight of Hermione Granger before her gaze fell on her son. She looked at him with all the love of a mother, her face softened at the sight of him. She slowly rose and glided over to Draco, wrapping her arms around him in a warm embrace.

"Its been too long Draco."

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"Mum, it's been two days."

Draco said with a teasingly exhasperated sigh as he returned his mother's hug. Honestly, he'd been there at least once a month since he shifted, it wasn't as though he only saw her once in a blue moon.

When he finally pulled back from his mother's loving embrace, he smiled to her and stepped back besides Hermione once more. This was it, now or never.

"Mum, I'd like you to properly meet Hermione ... my fiancée."

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"Miss Granger."

Narcissa replied primly, her gaze barely glancing at the young woman before she returned to looking at her son. A small smile softened on her lips as she looked upon him.

"Come, lets sit down. Your father will be down here any moment to join us."

She mentioned before turning on her heel and returning to her seat. Once they were all seated she glanced back at her son.

"Draco you may pour the tea."

Meanwhile Hermione quietly followed Draco's lead, sitting down where he guided her. The last time she'd felt so out of place and unwanted was after she had heard Ron in first year speaking ill of her and Narcissa had yet to say anything but her name thus far.

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Draco sighed to himself as he let the aristocratic side of his upbringing take over while he followed through with his mother's instruction

"Mother please, I don't think-"

However, whatever protest that had come to mind was drowned out by a person coming towards the room. No, not a person, people, talking.

"Oh come on Lucy, it's beautiful, and you haven't seen the boys in three years!"

"Then bring them here, I'm not going all the way to Romania for Christmas."

"Haven't you been listening, I'm going to see my in-laws. C'mon, you can't stay in Malfoy Manor all your life."

Draco paused and looked up as the source of the argument walked into the room, his father and aunt Roxanne. Roxanne was a Malfoy woman, born and bred. Her hair was a fair platinum blonde that fell nearly to her hips, several shades lighter than any other Malfoy present, and her skin held a similar quality. She stood about this same height as Lucius, perhaps a touch shorter.

Thought Roxanne looked exasperated, she brightened up as soon as she saw Draco, walking over with long, proud strides as her nephew stood.

"Draco Hyperion Malfoy, my how you've grown! Last I saw you, you were barely to my shoulders. Now look at you, taller than your daddy and just as handsome too."

Draco laughed and shook his head lightly as he hugged his aunt. At least there would be someone to keep the peace.

"Nice to see you too, aunt Roxy. You haven't changed a bit. Did nobody come with you?"

"Just Siri, boys didn't get their schoolwork finished in time, so they're at home with their dad. No clue where Siri is, probably in your room, defacing your stuff."

"Oh, so business as usual."

"Quite."

Draco rolled his eyes playfully and moved back to sit beside Hermione again, Roxanne in turn sitting across from them while Lucius silently moved over to sit beside Narcissa. Roxanne's gaze moved over to Hermione with a warm smile.

"And you must be Hermione Granger, I've been dying to meet you. Draco's spoken very highly of you in all the owls he's sent me this past year."

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"Roxanne, we have company. I'd appreciate it if, for once, you could conduct yourself as befitting a Malfoy. Even Draco has managed it and he's been consorting with Miss Granger here."

Narcissa interrupted with a firm, even tone. Whilst she was discarding previous beliefs of Muggleborns and Purebloods it didn't mean all class and teachings had left her. Hermione was still middle class - if that - and definitely not of the extremely upper class as the Malfoys were. The House of Malfoy was practically Royalty whilst Miss Granger was merely a peasant or at least she would be until she was married to her son.

Whilst she had no opinion of Hermione yet despite not being good enough for her son as far as she could tell thus far, it didn't mean she was going to be open and welcoming to her straight off the bat. Not only did the girl have to prove herself worthy of her son first but she would also have to prove herself capable and willing to learn the etiquette, teachings, traditions, cultures, and rules of upper class wizarding society. She wasn't going to let anyone ruin years of breeding and hard work. Any grandchildren of hers was going to do things right.

Hermione, meanwhile, was feeling more overwhelmed by the minute.

When Lucius entered she had a wierd craving to stand up and curtsey before him but since she was already sat she felt doing so would make her seem more ridiculous then showing good manners. Instead she bowed her head as deeply as possible without seeming ridiculous as she softly spoke a greeting towards him;

"Lord Malfoy."

She offered. Whilst she was pretty sure he wasn't a Lord she felt maybe adding such a lofty title would give her some kind of bonus points. At least she hoped so. Her gaze then turned to Draco's Aunt. She didn't behave like Lucius or Narcissa strangely enough and that for some reason made her even more wary of her. It wasn't right...

"Its a pleasure to meet you Ms Malfoy. Draco has spoken a lot about you too."

She replied politely although the truth was she hadn't known Draco had an Aunt besides Bellatrix.

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