The bell on the door jingled as a disheveled red head and his very pregnant wife stepped into The Three Broomsticks.

"Ron!" Harry called as he waved his friend over to the table. At the head of the table sat Hermione, wearing a crown made of radishes and a lovely alcohol-induced glow that indicated just how late Ron was to the party.

Ron leaned down to kiss Hermione on the cheek while Lavender waddled over to the birthday girl to join him.

"I am so sorry, Hermione! Now that I've grown as big as a house, nothing looks good anymore! It took ages to find a dress that didn't make me look like a stuffed sausage," she lamented.

Everyone at the table laughed. This was Lavender's first pregnancy, and she was having a difficult time with the many changes in her body.

Hermione waved off the apologies with a smile as Madam Rosmerta brought another drink to the table.

"From a mysterious well-wisher, my dear," Rosmerta answered the table's questioning looks.

Ginny stood from her place next to her husband, Harry, and cleared her throat.

"I'd like to make a toast!" she began loudly. "To the most hard-working, dedicated friend anyone could ask for. To the most caring, yet somehow equally intimidating Transfiguration professor Hogwarts has seen since McGonagall. And of course, to the brains of the infamous Golden Trio. Happy 26th Birthday, Hermione! Cheers, everyone!"

Hermione rolled her eyes and chuckled at her vivacious friend while a dreamy looking blond returned to the table from the loo.

"You'll never guess who's sitting in the corner- alone," Luna whispered as she adjusted her own radish crown. The members of the party peered into the darkness.

"Is that Malfoy?" Harry asked as he adjusted his glasses.

"That's Professor Malfoy, Harry," Luna corrected, sliding into her seat next to her boyfriend of four months, Neville.

Hermione braced herself for the eruption from the red-headed portion of the table.

Ginny gaped unattractively while Ron whipped his head in search of Malfoy.

"You've got to be kidding," Ron began, his face growing redder with each syllable. "Who in their right mind would hire that ferret to teach at Hogwarts?"

Hermione opened her mouth to begin her defense of her beloved Headmistress, but Neville beat her to it.

"Headmistress McGonagall hired him this year. He's actually quite a good professor, Ron. We work closely since he relies on my greenhouses to produce ingredients for the students' potions. Malfoy's quiet, but respectful. I am surprised to see him out, to be honest. I didn't think he had much of a social life here."

"I'm not sure skulking in a corner alone in a bar counts as a social life, Neville," Ginny retorted with a snort.

"Enough about Malfoy," Hermione declared. She had put off telling her friends about the new development at Hogwarts- and discussing him was not how she planned to spend the remains of her birthday.

"Yes, it's time for presents!" Luna clapped and pulled a small, rectangular gift out of her bag. The others followed suit, and soon, the table was filled with gifts.

Grateful to Luna, Hermione reached over to open her gift first. It was a single, long hair pin. As Hermione inspected it closer, she could see tiny runes written in gold around the base. She shot a questioning look to her friend.

"I found it in Greece. The runes will guide you to your heart's desire while simultaneously protecting you from those who wish you harm. I know you aren't exactly chasing dark wizards anymore, but it seemed fitting," Luna explained to the table.

"It's lovely, Luna! Thank you!" Hermione replied as she stood to hug her friend and stuck the pin through her bun.

Four drinks and a pile of presents later, Hermione was struggling to make it back to her apartment in the castle. She had just made it into the hall near her door when the precariously piled stack of gifts tumbled down from their levitated perch.

"Dammit!" Hermione hissed. All she wanted to do was settle into her warm bed and sleep.

The door diagonally to the right of her opened and a blond head poked out. The owner of the head cleared his throat, causing Hermione to turn around too quickly. She tumbled down to the floor, amidst her presents.

"Argh!" she groaned, as she covered her eyes with her hands. "Too many shots, not enough dinner. Next time, I am planning my own birthday celebration. Luna just cannot be trusted with necessities like eating!"

Her single audience member chuckled nervously and asked, "Professor Granger, do you need a hand?"

Hermione lowered her hands and blushed crimson. A very sleepy looking and very shirtless Draco Malfoy was now towering above her.

Willing herself to speak, Hermione responded gratefully. "Yes, actually. Thank you, Professor Malfoy. I seem to have lost my pride along with the function of my liver this evening." She lifted her hand and he helped her up.

His skin was pleasantly warm, she noted. He looked like he was carved from marble, so she always assumed he would be cold to the touch. Hermione snapped back to reality when Malfoy levitated her gifts back toward her apartment door.

After giving him one last appraising glance, she stumbled over to the door and let herself, Malfoy and the pile of presents inside. He set them down on her coffee table and turned to face her.

Malfoy seemed more nervous than before, Hermione thought. He wiped his hands on his pajama bottoms and his eyes danced around her living room.

"Well, thank you again, Professor. I should be getting to bed now…" Hermione trailed off, not wanting to appear rude- but she really was exhausted.

Malfoy nodded and walked over to the door. Just before pulling it shut, he mumbled "Happy birthday, Granger."

Hermione smiled and walked into her warm bedroom. After brushing her teeth and washing her face, she pulled off her clothes and undid her hair so her brown curls fell in a waterfall down her back. She set Luna's hairpin on the nightstand and flopped into bed. The moment her head hit the pillow, Hermione fell into a deep sleep. The golden runes seemed to glow a little brighter in the moonlight.