I opened my eyes drowsily, only to find myself being carried up the stairs of my home.

Gasping, I flung my own arms up around my saviour's neck as I tried to desperately orientate my bleary mind.

A soft, throaty chuckle emitted from slightly parted lips and I caught a glimpse of amused grey eyes causing me to shamefully bury my face in his collar.

"Hey there, Sleeping Beauty." Draco murmured smoothly in my ear as we reached the top of the stairs.

I said nothing, still trying to clear my foggy mind which was made difficult by his inviting scent.

"Bed or floor?" he asked, and I was momentarily confused by his question.

Lifting my head, I could see now that we were in my bedroom.

"I'm fine just here," I mumbled, embarrassed to meet his eye as he lowered me back down to my feet.

He didn't attempt to move away, but remained right in front of me, slightly breathless from the exertion of having carried me all this way.

"The boys?" I asked, dread hitting me that they might have witnessed me passed out in Draco's arms.

"Still watching television. They barely even grunted when I called out that we were home. Don't worry," he smirked, seeing my horrified face, "they didn't see anything."

"What time is it?" I asked looking around uselessly for a clock that I knew was not there.

"You haven't missed it yet," he murmured quietly, "there's still twenty minutes to go."

Blimey, I'd manage to do a lot in under three hours. And there I was thinking the evening was going to be one big fucking borefest.

I caught a glimpse of myself in the mirror behind Draco and nearly died of shock. I looked an absolute bloody state. Dried blood coated my forehead and down the side of my face; mascara tracks ran down my cheeks beneath panda looking eyes. And not to mention the bird's nest that was otherwise known as my hair. Ugh. I looked worse than the time Hermione threw that Stinging Hex at me.

And yet, there was Draco staring at me as if I was the most delicious looking dessert he had ever laid eyes on.

"Are you-" I swallowed, hesitating to ask the question, dreading the answer, "are you going back to Pansy's?"

"No. Never." He answered almost immediately, with complete sincerity, grey eyes piercing mine.

"Oh." I didn't know what to say, I suddenly felt extremely uncomfortable. Draco didn't seem to be in the process of going anywhere as he stood unmoving in front of me.

"I, uh - I'm just going to go in there." I said, pointing to the door of my en-suite bathroom.

I was surprised when he didn't attempt to follow me.

Ditching the dress, I hopped into the shower allowing its gloriousness to warm me up and clean all trace of this disastrous evening off me. I pulled on my pyjamas and stepped back out into the bedroom, only to discover that I still had company.

Draco, making himself at home, had strewn himself across my bed, feet up with his shoes kicked off and television on.

"You're still here." I said, stating the obvious.

Draco made a show of looking at his watch. "It's five minutes to midnight, Potter, and I'm not planning on seeing the new year in without you."

"What if I was still in the shower?"

"Then I would end up getting very wet."

I just stared at him, utterly gobsmacked.

Draco patted the space on the bed beside him. "Come on, Potter," he drawled, beckoning towards the television, "they're just getting ready for the countdown."

Not knowing what else to do, I found myself joining him, backs propped up against the pillows as, side by side, we stared at the television.

"Nice clothes, Potter," he smirked, his eyes trailing me up and down amusedly, taking in the maroon coloured, buttoned up, brushed cotton shirt and matching bottoms.

"They're my pyjamas, and are very comfortable, I'll have you know." I said haughtily. "Besides, I wasn't exactly expecting to still have company."

"I'm not complaining, Potter. I always said you look good in red," his eyes glinted down at me.

"I'm still mad at you," I said stiffly, crossing my arms huffily over my chest, refusing to react to his flirtations.

"I know, and I'm sorry." He at least had the common decency to look and sound shameful.

"If it wasn't for the fact that your son is here, I would have sent you packing tonight."

I didn't want him getting any ideas about being here, in my room with me. If he really thought he was going to get lucky at midnight he had another think coming.

"Etta-" he reached out for my hand, but I snatched it back, cutting him off.

"You and Pansy - it was like being back at Hogwarts, Draco." I glared at him. "It was as though you hadn't changed, that you hadn't learnt a single fucking thing about blood prejudices."

"I have changed, Etta," he said imploringly, looking like a boy trying to convince his teacher that the dog had actually eaten his homework.

"Have you?" I asked sceptically, raising my eyebrows. "Because it certainly didn't seem that way tonight."

"I'm sorry," he sighed, tiredly rubbing his face.

I just looked at him, shaking my head sadly. "You keep saying that, Draco."

"Because I mean it. I never wanted to hurt you,"

"But you did. And you keep doing so, time and time again."

Just then, his phone pinged. Sighing, he removed it from his pocket, glanced at the screen and scowled, tossing the phone angrily back on to the bed.

"What is it?" I asked, curious as to what could make him react like that.

"Zabini." He said through gritted teeth, but added no more. He crossed his arms angrily, staring intently at the television. A tiny muscle pulsed along his clenched jawline.

"Oh." After a beat, I couldn't resist adding, "what does he want?"

"Your number."

"Well, aren't you going to give it to him?" I enquired innocently.

"Do you want me to?" He asked, snapping his head at me, the panic in his voice unmistakable.

"He might want to ask me something important," I said, shrugging my shoulders, trying to hide the smile that was threatening to tug at my lips.

"Well if it's that important he can call you at the office then," he sniped as his top lip curled into a sneer.

"Draco."

"What?! He's only after one thing!" He said furiously, a pink tinge now rising to his cheeks.

The countdown had started. I got up off the bed, giving Draco a disgusted look.

"Where are you going?" He sat up, panic strangling his voice as he watched me cross the room to the door.

"I'm going to see the new year in with a man that I love more than anything." I said, reaching for the handle.

"Who?" He looked as though he was going to throw up.

"My son! Our son..." Christ! He really was a clueless idiot sometimes.

Without waiting for a response, I slammed the door shut behind me and dashed downstairs before the clock struck midnight.

I flew into the sitting room just as the bells began to toll.

"HAPPY NEW YEAR!" I yelled as jubilantly as I could, flinging out my arms.

Albus and Scorpius were sitting side by side, cross armed on the sofa, watching the television intently as London got ready to welcome in another year.

"Mum?" Albus cried, looking aghast as he glanced up at me clad in my Gryffindor pyjamas and arms outstretched awaiting a hug, "what are you doing?"

To say he looked horrified was an understatement. Scorpius, however, looked as though he was trying to stifle a giggle.

I didn't get it. Don't thirteen year old boys want to hug their mothers to see in the new year?

"Give your mum a hug, Al, before I do," Draco said, entering the room behind me. "And I have a feeling she would kick me somewhere very painful if I attempted that."

I glared at him as he walked over and sat idly on the arm of the sofa where the boys sat, crossing his arms lazily over his chest. He gave me the biggest smirk, his eyes twinkling in amusement.

Sighing heavily, Albus got up and sloped across the room, stiffly hugging me. "Happy New Year, Mum," he mumbled, before skulking away back to the sofa.

"Well, that was pretty disappointing, Al," I said huffily, placing my hands on my hips. "I wanted a decent hug to start the New Year."

And as I said this, Scorpius jumped up and threw himself into my arms, nearly toppling me over in surprise.

"Happy new year, Etta," he beamed, "Al is lucky to have you."

And it melted my heart so much that I squeezed my arms tight around him, feeling so sad for the poor boy who had to hug someone else's mum this new year.

Albus really was an ungrateful little sod.

I glanced over the top of Scorpius's head to see a flicker of alarm flit over my son's face upon witnessing his best friend's unexpected display of affection towards me.

I, on the other hand couldn't blame the kid. I was, after all, fucking awesome.

"Come on, Al," Draco said, shaking his head in amusement as he stood up, "let's go give your mum a proper hug."

And, before I could protest, Draco swept swiftly across the room and was snaking his arms around both me and Scorpius, holding us firmly to him.

"Come on, Al!" Scorpius encouraged, not seeming in the least bit phased by this intimacy. "You can't beat a group hug."

Albus, sighing dramatically, reluctantly stood up and walked over, stiffly joining in as Draco, Scorpius and I pulled him in too.

"Happy New Year, boys," I said, laughing as I was enveloped by an array of arms.

"Happy New Year, Potter."

And, as I glanced up at the drawling voice, grey eyes met mine, crinkling at the edges as the corners of his lips twitched upwards into a helpless smile, causing a wave of joy and contentment to settle over my heart like I'd never felt before.

*****