Adult-FanFiction.org : Harry Potter

Muggle Things	By : RavieSnake Category: Harry Potter > Het - Male/Female > Draco/Hermione Views: 54521 -:- Recommendations : 3 -:- Currently Reading : 8
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or any of the concepts or characters from it. I make no money from the writing of this story.

Chapter List
- 16
- 17
- 18
A/N: I'm back! :D
Thank you JaxPendragon, Dragonmeddler, Trelweny, HG4eva, Anon, ssdawning, and scarletwitch93 for the reviews! You keep me going!
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Hermione and Draco landed in a heap on her parents' back patio next to a set of outdoor lounge chairs. A motion-sensing light flicked on to illuminate the space in the night's darkness.
"I'm hexing Potter the moment I next see him," Draco grumbled irritably as he untangled himself from Hermione to push up to his knees.
"Ugh…already with the spiders," Hermione grimaced as she too sat up against one of the chairs and retracted her hand from the spider web it'd landed in and tried to shake free the sticky silk. "Oh, where'd the Portkey go?" she said, casting her eyes about. She spotted it a few feet away and started to lean forward for the snow globe when Draco held up a hand to stop her.
"Don't move," he said very seriously. Hermione paused midreach and glanced up at him.
"What's wrong?"
Draco stared at her with an expression somewhere between fear and fascination. "It's in your hair."
Hermione frowned at him. "What's-"
"The spider," he said, scootching away, "it's in your hair. Holy fuck, is that thing nasty."
"Well, get it out!" Hermione said, her eyes looking up as if she could see the top of her own head.
"I'm not getting near that thing," Draco shook his head.
"Draco!" Hermione scolded and whimpered at the same time.
Draco chuckled and shifted to pull his wand. He pointed it at the large arachnid crawling its way over Hermione's curls. He levitated it up and out of her hair and then, with a mischievous smile, lowered it to hover just in front of her face.
"Look how big it is!?" he grinned.
Hermione let out a startled shriek and fell backwards. "That was NOT funny," she snapped as she sat back up and glared at the animal wriggling against the spell in the air in front of her. "Get rid of it."
Draco laughed and then finally looked about for somewhere to put it.
"Shite," he said in quiet exclamation as his eyes scanned over the large in-ground swimming pool flanked by a lush yard and palm trees before them. He flung the spider off into the decorative vegetation and then turned back to Hermione. "I thought you said we were coming to Australia?"
"We're in Australia," she replied, still frowning at him. "You were expecting desert and kangaroos?"
Draco gave her a sheepish shrug that suggested that that was exactly what he had expected and she rolled her eyes.
"We're in Cairns…upper Queensland. It's tropical here," she explained as she finally got to her feet and cautiously ruffled a hand through her hair. Draco leaned forward and grabbed the Portkey she'd not yet picked up and furrowed his brow at it.
"But this says 'Sydney' on it," he said, giving the globe a shake. Hermione arched an eyebrow at him.
"And?"
Draco shrugged and put the Portkey carefully into the pocket of his nearby bag. He looked around again as he pushed up to stand and suddenly snapped his face to the flood light.
"Wait," he said, squinting his eyes against the light, "did that turn on by itself?"
"It's motion activated," Hermione explained as she picked up her bag and slung it over her shoulder.
Draco tilted his head at the light. "Did you set the wards for that?"
"Everything about my parents' home is Muggle, Draco," she replied, stepping over to stand beside him. At his perplexed expression, she elaborated. "Muggles have motion-sensing technology. They also have sound, heat, and touch sensitive technologies that they can apply to home security. This house has a security system that will alert the authorities and sound an alarm if anyone tries to break-in."
Draco's jaw hung open before he snapped it closed. "Physical wards," he said a bit awestruck.
Hermione grinned. "Physical magic."
Draco looked at her with a smile that fell when their eyes met. "I hope your house is alright," he said.
"I hope Harry's alright," Hermione sighed. "And it's ours."
"What?" Draco looked confused.
"It's our house now," she said, looking up at her parents' house when a light clicked on in an upstairs window.
Guilt and appreciation mingled equally over Draco's features. "I'm sorry," he said quietly, "I'm sorry I got you into this mess. I didn't know abo-"
"Draco," Hermione said, turning her attention back to him, "I don't blame you. It wasn't your fault."
He shook his head. "The angry letters are my fault," he scowled sadly down at his left arm. "If I wasn't-"
Hermione cut him short again. "I would've gotten this response no matter who I married. War heroine and 'pure' member of the 'golden trio' remember?" she reminded with a touch of bitterness.
"I doubt you'd have received mail that required Auror handling if you'd married Weasley," Draco sighed.
"If I'd accidentally married Ron, then I would've welcomed it," Hermione said with a fake shudder. The dark humor tricked a smile back out of Draco and he readjusted his bag on his shoulder to lean over and kiss her on the forehead. She smiled at the gesture just as the lower level of the house lit up to reveal a spacious kitchen beyond the large, glass patio doors in front of them.
"There they are," Hermione said, smiling at the house as a man and woman both dressed in night clothes and dressing gowns appeared around a corner within and approached the doors. Draco hastily pulled back and inhaled a shaky breath.
"Do we tell them?" he whispered out the side of his mouth. Hermione glanced back at him.
"Not yet."
Draco nodded and then caught sight of her exposed left arm. "Shite, your scars," he hissed as Hermione's father went to the wall just beside the doors and began punching in numbers into the home's alarm control panel. Hermione looked down and paled.
Draco grabbed her hand and swiftly yet gently pulled her arm back as he stepped behind her. With his wand still in hand from before, he cast a hasty glamour just as Hermione's parents stepped out onto the patio with wide, welcoming smiles. He tried to inconspicuously stow his wand away when Hermione's father spoke.
"You needn't hide it," Mr. Granger said, stepping up to them, "we know all about it."
Hermione tensed but Draco simply released her arm and lowered his hands as he came back around to her side.
"Sir?" he said, trying and failing to hide his sudden nerves. Mr. Granger's one brow rose ever-so-slightly.
"The wand," he said, "you don't need to hide it from us. We've grown quite accustomed to seeing one."
Hermione visibly relaxed and Draco nodded as he placed his wand into his pocket.
"And the name's Gene," Hermione's father said, holding out his hand. Draco glanced over at Hermione, but she was already embracing her mother with a happy, if a little anxious, smile. He quickly returned his attention to the man in front of him and took his hand to shake it.
"Draco," he reciprocated, with another nod. "Thank you for allowing me into your home."
"Well, technically I haven't yet," Gene said, a ghost of a smirk playing at his lips as he maintained his hold on Draco's hand. Draco gulped slightly as Gene's eyes –a near match for Hermione's- glanced down at his Dark Mark then tracked up and narrowed infinitesimally to bore into his with a calculating stare.
"Dad?" Hermione said beside them.
Gene gave Draco's fingers a last squeeze and then released his hand to look at his daughter.
"Hermione," he said affectionately, going to her to wrap her in a firm hug, "it's so wonderful to see you."
"I've missed you," she mumbled into his chest. Gene chuckled.
"I missed you too, pumpkin." He loosened his hold on her and pulled back. He glanced at Draco again and Hermione took a deep breath.
"So….you've met Draco then," Hermione said, biting her lip.
"I have indeed," he said with a smile in the blond's direction. Draco didn't miss the way his eyes scrutinized him again.
"Well, I haven't!" Ellen Granger announced, pushing past her husband and daughter to stand before him.
"Mrs. Granger," Draco started politely, offering his hand to her. She scoffed at it and pulled him in for a hug. Draco stiffened in her embrace, but cautiously raised his hands to place them on her back to complete the hug. He avoided looking at the man to their right who was still staring at him as Mrs. Granger pulled back, but kept her hands on his upper arms as she regarded him with a wide smile.
"And you had better call me Ellen," she said in a stern yet kind voice. Her green eyes searched Draco's for a moment and she sighed. "My, would you look at these eyes," she said in wonderment over her shoulder at her husband. "Gene, have you ever seen eyes this striking before?"
"Mum," Hermione said with an embarrassed chuckle.
"What?" Ellen said moving her hands up to cup Draco's face. "The grey…it's stunning."
"Um…thank you," Draco said with an awkward smile. Ellen gasped in apparent excitement and lifted his chin.
"And such beautiful teeth!"
"Ellen, stop accosting the boy," Gene said, placing a hand to her shoulder. Ellen released Draco's face and stepped back. Hermione snagged Draco's hand and gave him an encouraging I'm-sorry-my-mother-just-manhandled-your-face look and he squeezed her fingers with a return smile.
Ellen beamed as she watched the small exchange between the two but then frowned.
"Where are the cats?" she asked, looking around at their feet.
Hermione hesitated only a moment before answering. "We decided to leave them with Mrs. Figg. Draco wants to go out and learn as much as possible and I didn't think it'd be fair to leave you two with them to look after if we're out overnight somewhere."
Draco looked askance at her but didn't contradict the lie as Ellen pouted slightly.
"That was thoughtful of you, darling," she said, "but you know we'd not have minded in the least. I was rather looking forward to finally meeting little Odin."
"I promise to bring him along at Christmas," Hermione offered.
"Lucky Mrs. Figg was available on such short notice," Gene said, his eyes still on Draco. Draco looked up at him and simply nodded as Hermione squeezed his hand tighter.
"Yes," she said, "I know this was quite sudden. I hope we're not imposing too badly on you-"
"Never," Ellen interjected, stepping up to her. She placed a hand to Hermione's cheek. "You are ALWAYS welcome here. Both of you."
Hermione nodded with a grateful smile as her mother rubbed her thumb over her cheek before lowering her hand.
"Well… let's get you two inside and settled," she said then, pulling at her dressing gown, "can't have you standing out here all night."
Gene nodded in agreement with his wife and motioned for Hermione and Draco to go ahead of them into the house. Hermione tugged at Draco's hand and she led him in.
He finally looked around at the home's spacious and modern interior. "You weren't kidding about them being well-off," he whispered, leaning into Hermione's side as the Granger parents came in and secured the door. She raised an amused eyebrow at him as he let go of her hand and walked across the kitchen to look into the living room. He tilted his face up at the high vaulted ceiling and gave a low whistle.
"Maybe I should become a dentist," he said. Hermione went to him and took his hand again.
"We weren't sure which bedroom you'd want," Ellen said coming up beside them and waving at them to follow her into the living room. Gene brought up the rear as they all started through the large room towards a flight of stairs. "Your usual room is ready, of course," Ellen went on, glancing back at Hermione, "but we thought you might be more comfortable in the master guestroom, so we prepared that as well."
"Oh, the master I think," Hermione nodded as they ascended the steps. "You'll like the fireplace in there," she added to Draco beside her. He gave her an incredulous look as they all made the landing.
"We're sharing a room?" he asked quietly. Ellen stopped and turned to face them.
"Do you prefer separate?" she asked, looking back and forth between them. "We just assumed you'd want to stay together, but we have the space if you'd rather-"
"Do you want your own room?" Hermione asked him.
He gave a slightly uncomfortable look at the Granger parents without meeting their eyes and then bowed his head toward Hermione and whispered, "No…I just didn't expect it. My parents never would have allowed it."
"You're used to a more conservative upbringing," Ellen said matter-of-factly, not bothering to pretend she hadn't heard him. Draco gave a reluctant nod and Ellen nodded back in understanding.
She leveled her gaze at him. "You'll find this household to be one centered on what is logical. You two are adults in an adult relationship. We do know what that entails. There's no sense in keeping you apart solely for the illusion of chastity. We only ask that you act responsibly and respectfully."
Draco blinked back at her and then chanced a glance up at Gene who stared back with an expression that managed to be challenging and indifferent at once.
"You are being responsible, I trust?" the older man asked.
"Of course," Draco answered hastily. One of Gene's brows ticked up and, when Draco started to shrink back against Hermione, Ellen stepped forward and place a reassuring hand to his shoulder.
"Don't you be afraid of him," she chuckled in Draco's ear while shooting her husband a quelling look, "he's not yet quite gotten over the fact that his little girl's grown up."
Gene simply made an indistinct grumbling noise and Ellen laughed louder and patted Draco's shoulder.
"You see? Now, let's get you two to bed. I know it's early for you, but it'll help you to adjust to the time change," she said, pushing lightly at Draco to usher him and Hermione down the hall to a closed door. Hermione opened it and flipped on the light as they all stepped inside.
Draco walked to the center of the room and swiveled his head about to take in the space.
"Now, I understand that you're not yet entirely familiar with our culture," Ellen said, watching Draco eye the décor curiously, "so please do not hesitate to let us know if there is anything we can do or explain to make your stay more comfortable."
Draco shook his head. "No," he said, turning back to her with a grateful smile, "this…this is…thank you."
Ellen went up to him and took his face in her hands again. She placed a soft kiss to his cheek and then looked at him fondly. "You are most welcome."
She released his face and then turned to her daughter. "Good night, my love," she said, pulling Hermione into a warm hug, "We're so happy you're here."
"Thanks, mum," Hermione said, returning the squeeze her mother gave her. She pulled back and Ellen patted her affectionately on the cheek before stepping aside to allow Gene in for a hug as well.
"Good night, dad," Hermione said as she tiptoed up into her father's embrace.
"Good night, pumpkin," he said as he released her. He gave Draco a tight nod, which Draco returned, and then went to the door with his wife right behind.
"We've postponed all of our appointments until the afternoon," Ellen said, looking back at them from the doorway, "so we'll have the morning to catch-up."
Hermione took in a deep breath but nodded with a smile. "That will be nice," she said.
Ellen nodded back and then, with a final smile to them, left the room, closing the door behind her.
Draco and Hermione both stared at the door. They stood in silence for a moment until Hermione finally cleared her throat.
"So?" she said, biting her lip and turning her attention to Draco. He shifted his eyes from the door to her face.
"Your father is frightening," he said.
Hermione let out a nervous chuckle. "I tried to warn you," she said, going to the bedroom closet and setting down her bag.
"And are all Muggle parents this…open-minded?" Draco asked, looking at the large bed in the middle of the room as Hermione begin to levitate her belongings and clothes out of her bag into their appropriate places about the room. She gave him a look over her shoulder.
"Your parents really didn't allow you and Astoria to stay in the same room? Even when you were engaged?"
Draco shook his head. "The room she stayed in was down the hall from mine. I had to sneak over under the cover of dark."
Hermione tucked away her wand and turned to face him. "You're twenty-four. Did they honestly believe that the two of you didn't…"
Draco frowned slightly. "I imagine they knew that we… but to actually come out and say it?" he shook his head again.
"So, no in-depth discussions about sex in the Malfoy household then?"
"Certainly not," Draco answered surely. "My sex-talk consisted of my father tossing a book on contraceptive spells at me with his usual warning to not disappoint him."
Hermione tilted her head thoughtfully at him. "And how many lucky ladies benefited from what you learned in that book?" she asked.
Draco looked a bit taken aback at the question. "You really want to know?"
"Yes," she said, "a wife ought to know her husband's past, don't you think?"
"I suppose so," Draco replied with a small smile.
"Well, then," Hermione said, crossing her arms, "how many?"
He shrugged. "Besides you…just Tori."
Hermione raised a disbelieving eyebrow at him and he placed his hand over his heart. "I swear," he chuckled.
"I would have put money on you and Pansy Parkinson-" Hermione started and Draco cut her off.
"No, no, no," he insisted, his face falling into a look of sad nostalgia. "We never got past the snogging phase. She wanted more, but… as things were…between the constant fear and the crushing guilt, I…I never really was able to get in the mood."
Hermione relaxed her arms and went to him when he cast a troubled look to the floor and rubbed at his Dark Mark. She placed a hand to his cheek to lift his face. She said nothing and simply placed a soft kiss to the corner of his mouth before gently taking his bag from him. Draco swallowed around the sudden lump in his throat and blinked rapidly as she walked away to put his things away next to all of hers.
"So…" he said, rubbing at the back of his head and neck as he remained standing in the middle of the room, "how…how many, uh...partners for you, then?"
"Just Ron," Hermione answered without looking at him as she tucked his empty bag into a drawer. "We were together for four and a half years," she added, walking to the bed to sit at the foot of it. "Four and a half years and he…" She choked up a little and bowed her head. Draco finally moved from his place to sit beside her.
"He what?" he asked quietly. Hermione shrugged.
"He… he just left," she said quietly. "In the end I knew we wouldn't have worked, but for him just to leave…he forgot me the moment she batted her eyes at him…like it all meant nothing."
A single tear trailed down her cheek and she hastily swiped at it. "Sorry," she said shaking her head.
Draco said nothing, but pulled his wand and then reached into his pocket to take from it his family ring. Without a word he picked up Hermione's left hand and slid it over her ring finger.
She watched as he tapped his wand to it to resize it to fit her and then looked up at him with inquiring eyes.
"I know it's ugly," Draco muttered quietly, "but it's all I've got for now. I promise I'll get you a proper one as soon as I can."
"Draco, you don't have to-"
"I know I'm not the husband you wanted," he said, rubbing his thumb over the ring on her hand, "but until you tell me to leave, I'm staying and-"
Hermione put a finger to his lips to shush him. "I think," she said, her eyes searching over his face tenderly, "that you are exactly what I've wanted."
Draco pulled her hand gently away from his mouth and they stared at each other for a long moment with their fingers entwined until he finally raised her hands back to his lips and kissed her knuckles.
"Shall we go to bed then, Mrs. Malfoy?" he asked, letting a smile pull at his mouth. Hermione shook her head.
"Wow, that sounds so bizarre," she said, looking back down at the ring on her finger.
"Nothing bizarre about a man wanting to go to bed with his wife," Draco jested, his smile widening. Hermione rolled her eyes at him but smiled back.
"Oh Godric, help me," she fake groaned. "Our being married makes a whole new world of sarcastic quips and innuendos available to you, doesn't it?"
Draco nodded with a wicked grin and Hermione flopped backward to lie on the bed.
"I change my mind," she said jokingly, splaying out her limbs dramatically, "we need to get divorced."
Draco chuckled and turned around to crawl up next to her. He laid on his side and propped his head up on one hand.
"Before or after we tell your parents?" he asked, raising a brow. Hermione made a whimpering sound and scrubbed her face with her hands.
"What are you going to tell them, anyway?" Draco inquired as he toed off his shoes where he lay to let them fall to the floor over the foot of the bed.
"I dunno," Hermione shrugged after lowering her hands. "The truth I suppose…"
"So we tell them you married the most handsome wizard in the whole of England. Got it," Draco smirked at her.
Hermione raised herself up on her elbows so that their faces were even with each other and turned to him. "You are really something else, you know?" she said, reaching over to tuck a strand of his hair behind his ear. He simply nodded before leaning over to kiss her.
- 16
- 17
- 18
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