Hey guys, here's another chapter! It's not too long, but not incredibly short either. Hope you like it and sorry to say I'll be wrapping this up in a few chapters or so. Don't worry though! Have another story in the works! Thanks again for the great support of this story! It's awesome I have such great reviews on a story that's mostly based on my characters! That says a lot so thanks so much!
~HM
Chapter 18
"It's been awhile," Harry said after looking over at the tent for the millionth time. "Hasn't it been awhile? I better go check it out."
"Sit," Hermione ordered firmly before Harry could even get halfway out of his chair.
"But Hermione," he protested as he plopped back down. "That's our little girl in there."
"Our little girl isn't so little anymore, Harry." Hermione gave him a sympathetic look. "She can handle herself just fine against a Malfoy. Potters are good at that."
"Hey," Draco said with a slight frown. "Was that an insult?"
"An observation," she said with a laugh. "You were always so sensitive, Draco…even back at school."
"Have you met my father?" he asked sarcastically and then shook his head. "Besides…it's the Malfoy men your girls can't stay away from."
"Ugh, shut up," Hermione said as she reached out with her foot to kicked him in the leg.
"Hey, I'm just stating a fact," he laughed as he dodged her kick. "First Rosie falls for my boy Scorpius…and now A.J. is jumping Dameon."
"Dammit, Malfoy," Harry cursed. "I just got that image out of my head now it's back…I hate you. I was an idiot for ever befriending you."
"Aww, you don't mean that, buddy," he snickered then flinched when his wife smacked him on the arm. "What was that for?"
"Stop antagonizing him."
"Why?" He grinned over at Harry who was still scowling. "It's fun."
"Here they come!" Hermione whispered suddenly as she slapped Harry lightly on the arm. "They're coming over here so…behave."
"What do you think I'm going to do?" Harry asked insulted. "Curse the boy? He's practically my so n, you know…just because he has been in there doing Merlin knows what with my little girl, doesn't mean I'm going to…"
"Hush," Hermione demanded when Ava and Dameon were getting close.
"Your dad is staring me down," Dameon muttered out the side of his mouth.
"No he is not," she whispered harshly. "Stop being so paranoid…and smile…you look like your about to throw up."
"I am about to throw up," he said but smiled like she said as they stopped in front of their parents.
"Hi," Ava said nervously as she tightened her grip on Dameon's hand.
"Hi," Draco said enthusiastically as he grinned up at them. "So…what ja been doooin?"
Natasha elbowed him in the gut while Hermione snorted a chuckle, Ava and Dameon blushed and Harry scowled. Ava cleared her throat as she nervously shuffled her feet. "Er…well…Dameon and I have been…"
"Talking," he finished quickly for her.
"Yes…talking," she repeated as she gave him a quick look. "And…well you probably already figured it out, but…we've decided to take our…relationship to the next level."
Their parent's eyes flickered from Ava to him, obviously waiting for him to say something. "Er…yeah…what she said." Ava elbowed him lightly in his ribs, causing him to flinch and clear his throat. "Uh…what I mean is…that I…both of us…want to start seeing each other…romantically." He gulped hard as he made the mistake of looking over at Harry. "And we…uh…hope that you'll…support us and…"
"Be happy for us," Ava finished for him when she could tell he was struggling.
"And if we don't support it?" Harry asked; testing them like his own kids had tested him years ago when they first confronted them about his relationship with Hermione.
Dameon's nerves immediately flew out of his system and felt his back go up defensively as he stared down at Harry...the man who had always been like a second father to him. "Then that would suck," he said with confidence. "Because no matter what you guys feel I'm not going to back off. I've waited what seems like forever to be with Ava and now that I have her…I'm not letting her go."
Hermione's eyes softened as she felt herself start to tear up. "Oh, now you've done it," she sniffled as she wiped at her eyes. "You got me blubbering…and your mother," she added when she looked over to see Natasha sniffling as well. "I couldn't be more happy."
Dameon smiled when she got up from her chair and bent his head down when she lifted hers up for a kiss on the cheek. "I'll take good care of her, Aunt Mione," he murmured in her ear as she hugged him tight.
"I know you will," she said as she leaned back and cupped his face with her hands. "I'm glad it's you."
He grinned. "Me, too."
Natasha went over to Ava and gave her a hug. "You were the only girl I ever knew that could get under his skin, A.J. That's why I know this is right."
"That's the sweetest thing," she said as she felt herself get a bit emotional herself. "Thanks, Aunt Tash."
Draco sprung up from his chair. "Well I couldn't be more ecstatic," he said with a grin as he went over and plucked Ava off the ground in a hug. "You'll be the first girlfriend I actually like."
Ava laughed as she hugged him back. "I should hope so."
Draco plopped her down and then gave his son a manly hug. "Good job, son…don't blow it."
Dameon rolled his eyes. "I won't."
Draco sat back down and all eyes were on Harry, who slowly stood up and faced Dameon. "I was testing you earlier," he finally said as he crossed his arms over his chest.
Dameon nodded. "I know. You were testing to see if I had enough spine to stand up for us."
Harry nodded in approval. "That's right…and thankfully…you didn't disappoint." Harry gave him a slow smile. "I've been rooting for you, Dameon…for quite some time now." Harry laughed when the boy's jaw gaped open. "Don't look so shocked. Why wouldn't I be anything but thrilled that the boy I already see as family ends up falling for my girl? As far as I'm concerned…you're the only one who is…almost good enough for Ava."
Dameon let out a shaky laugh. "Hey, I'll take it," he said as he gave him a grateful hug. "Thanks, Uncle Harry."
"You just take good care of her," he said giving him a few slaps on the back before pulling away. He then looked over at Ava who was looking up at him with watery eyes. "Don't cry, pumpkin," he said laughing softly and caught her when she flew her arms around him. "You'll get me going."
"I love you, Daddy."
Harry sighed as he kissed the top of her head. "I love you, too." He brought her up against his side and held onto her while she circled her arms around his waist. He wasn't exactly ready to give her back to Dameon just yet. "However, if you hurt her," he warned to him. "I'll have to hunt you down. Family or not."
Dameon held up his hands. "Understood."
Ava snorted a laugh. "You're so dramatic," she said and tried to pull away but he held onto her. "Um…Dad? You need to let go of me now."
"Yeah, I know," he sighed as he gave her one last squeeze before letting her go.
"Thanks again," he said and with a slight wave from both they walked over to the water hand in hand.
"I'm proud of you," Hermione said to Harry as she slipped her arms around him from behind him and rested her chin on his shoulder.
"Both our girls fell for someone on this trip, Mione," he said as they watched the other kids crowd around Ava and Dameon, obviously wanting to know the scoop. He then looked over to see Nora standing near Dallas in the lake with Phoebe perched happily on her father's shoulders. "I feel like we lost both of them at the same time. A double whammy."
"Harry," she sighed as she kissed his shoulder. "We can never lose them…this is what we want for our kids. To find happiness with a good, decent man and that can be said for Dallas and Dameon."
"We don't know Dallas that well."
Hermione shifted around him and gave him a smirk. "We know enough, Harry…you can see he's a good man just by how he is with his daughter."
"I still need to have a chat with him, but…you're right." He bent his head down for a kiss before pulling her to his side. "Phoebe's pretty cute, huh?"
"She certainly won you over when she crawled up in your lap earlier," she said with a chuckle.
"That she did," he said and then frowned slightly. "She'll move out here with them, Mione. Our munchkin is going to leave us for America and turn into a Yank."
Hermione barked out a laugh. "Ava's right, Harry…you are dramatic."
"When it comes to my kids I guess I am. At least Dameon and Ava will be close by…it still is a wonder that they finally admitted how they felt. I mean remember all the times we had to separate those two?"
"Of course," she said smiling softly as she watched Dameon playfully tackle Ava into the water. "No matter how many times we tried to keep them a part…they always came back to each other. Yelling, biting or punching…but they always came back to each other."
"Huh," Harry said pondering. "I guess they always knew they couldn't stay away from one another…no matter how hard they tried."
"And now instead of yelling, biting or punching…they'll come together embracing, kissing or caressing."
Harry groaned as he cast his gaze to the sky. "Thanks for that, Sparky. Thanks a lot."
XXXXXXX
Late, late, that night…after the loud, crazy bonfire and way after all the kids finally settled down to go to sleep, Ava slipped out of her bed. Dressed in her favorite pair of pajama shorts and a white tank top, she snuck quietly out of the room, careful not to wake up any of the girls.
The small space between the two bedrooms was equipped with a few chairs, a love seat and one long couch…that was now occupied by her boyfriend. Boyfriend, she thought to herself with a smile. She liked the sound of that. "Hey."
Dressed in a pair of gray sweatpants and a white shirt, Dameon smiled up at his girlfriend. His girlfriend...wow, he liked the sound of that. "Hey yourself." He gave her a quick glance over. "Hey I remember those…you wore that same outfit my last night at Hogwarts."
She looked down at herself. "I did?"
"Sure, don't you remember?" He gestured for her to join him. "I gave you a hard time about them."
"Ah yes," she chuckled softly as she slid down on the sofa and curled up next to him. "I remember now. I also remembered being extremely annoyed with you."
"What else is new? I also remember claiming how bored you'd be without me during your last year. Was I right?"
"We were both right," she admitted. "It was nice and quiet…which I stated it would be…but it was also incredibly boring. I hated myself for missing you so damn much."
He smiled triumphantly. "I knew it." He then tipped her chin up with his fingers and gently pressed his mouth to hers. "I missed you, too."
Ava blinked. "You did?"
"Oh, yeah," he said chuckled. "Turns out getting under your skin were one of my favorite things. Plus you were always nice to look at."
She gave him an annoyed look. "Gee, thanks."
Dameon laughed as he hugged her close "Yep…definitely one of my favorites."
"Why don't you just shut up and kiss me?" she suggested as she lifted her face up to him. "You're less annoying that way."
"Okay," he chuckled moments before his lips brushed hers.
He kept the kiss light at first, nipping at her soft lips as he lightly caressed back soft strands of her hair. Then she murmured his name as she arched eagerly against him and he responded by gripping the side of her hip to pull her closer.
The kiss turned from lazy to desperate in a blink of an eye and Ava could feel her heart start to pound in her chest. She loved it that she could make him lose control so suddenly. She loved it that he made her want more…need more. Desperate to get closer to him-to feel him against her-she rolled her back onto the couch as she urgently pulled him with her.
He happily followed as he stretched himself out on top of her, sinking her into the cushions as his tongue stroke eagerly with hers. His body quivered when he felt those soft, delicate hands slip under his shirt and glide up and down his back. She started to tug at his shirt he let out a deep chuckle against her lips and pulled away. "Uh-uh."
Ava lifted her brows. "Uh-uh? Why, uh-uh?"
He grinned as he reached for her hands and pinned them above her head. "Because if I start letting you take off my clothes, it's going to be harder for me to stop. So…"
He leaned down and nipped at her bottom lip. "Uh-uh."
She let out a frustrating sigh. "You know…" Her eyes fluttered closed when he made his way down her neck with soft kisses. "Normally it's the guy who has to persuade the girl to remove her clothes…not the other way around."
He let out a breathy laugh as he moved his lips back up her jaw. "Just goes to show that there is nothing normal about us." He gave her pouting mouth one last kiss before pushing himself off her and pulled her up with him. He fell backwards on the other side of the couch and she followed as she snuggled up against his side with her backside pressed against the back of the couch. "This is nice," Dameon murmured as he shifted to get comfortable.
"I guess it is," she agreed as she laid her head against the crook of his shoulder and smiled when he brushed his lips against her temple. "Liam and I never snuggled like this."
"Good," he said firmly as he snuck an arm around her shoulders to bring her closer. "I've never been one to snuggle either."
Ava tilted her chin up to look at him. "Really?"
"Really." He lazily started to strum his fingers through her hair. "I never wanted to until now."
She smiled and then nuzzled her cheek against his chest. "That's nice."
Dameon sighed as his other hand that was resting against his chest linked with hers. "It's been quite a day," he murmured as he slowly felt the day start to catch up with him.
"Tell me about it," she said as she started to lazily play with their joint fingers. "It's going to be sad to see everyone else go tomorrow."
"And eerily quiet," he added as he rested his cheek against the top of her head. "It was good seeing everyone."
"At least we still have one more week before we have to join reality," she pointed out with heavy sigh. "A part of me would like to stay here forever."
"I hear you…but a part of me is anxious to start our lives together…see how we do in the real world."
"I think we'll do just fine," she said with a slight smile as their hands touched palm to palm before lacing their fingers together. "When do you start your training camp?"
"In a couple of months," he said softly as he stifled back a yawn. "When is your first day at that healing school?"
"September fifteenth." She looked up when she noticed his steady breathing and grinned when she saw his eyes were closed. "Are you falling asleep on me, Malfoy?"
"Maybe, he mumbled with his eyes still closed as he pushed her head back down. "Why don't you join me?"
She let out a soft chuckle as she snuggled closer to him. "We probably shouldn't fall asleep out here," she said and caught Dameon's contagious yawn and let one escape her. "We should probably go back to our beds."
He just let out a long, dragging sigh. "S'okay, he assured her as he felt himself drift away with the feel of Ava's warmth surrounding him. How did he ever manage to sleep without her? That was his last coherent thought before he finally slipped under.
Ava's eyelids began to droop. "A few minutes more couldn't hurt," she murmured sleepily as the sound Dameon's heartbeat lulled her into a deep slumber.
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