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Muggle Things	By : RavieSnake Category: Harry Potter > Het - Male/Female > Draco/Hermione Views: 54523 -:- 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
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(((FIRE! FIRE! FIRE! FIRE!)))
Draco's eyes snapped open and he screamed in alarm at the piercing siren and booming voice alerting the household to the presence of 'FIRE!'
His hand immediately snatched his wand from beneath his pillow and he shot out of the bed in the Grangers' guestroom. He slammed his hands over his ears at the horrendous noise and frantically darted his eyes around to find himself alone.
"Hermione!?" he shouted in a near panic. "Hermione!"
Draco bolted to the door and threw himself into the hallway. "Hermione!" he bellowed over the alarm. He ran to the stairs and vaulted himself down them three steps at a time. Hermione came rushing from the kitchen into the living room just as he reached the bottom.
"Hermione!" he yelled wild-eyed when he saw her.
"It's okay!" she shouted back as he sprinted to meet her. He flung his arms around her and pulled her into himself protectively.
"Are you okay? Are you alright!?" he asked, squeezing her harder.
"I'm fine!" she hollered back. The alarm finally turned off then, but Draco didn't let go.
"Everything is fine," Hermione said, her cheek pressed hard against his, "just a tiny grease fire. Mum put it out right away but the smoke set off the detectors." She pushed at Draco's chest lightly to pull back far enough within his arms to motion to the kitchen.
Draco loosened his grip only slightly as he peered into the kitchen to see Ellen waving a towel at the hazy remains of the smoke to direct it out an open window and Gene at the wall replacing the cover to the security system's control panel.
"I didn't know where you were," he said, his voice rough and shaky, "I didn't know where you were."
"I'm sorry," Hermione said as she rubbed her hands soothingly over his bare back, "I shouldn't have left you alone."
Draco simply stood there, still gripping his wand as he attempted to calm himself.
"Everything alright in here?" Gene called as he stepped into the living room beside them. Hermione delicately pried herself free of Draco's arms and stood back.
"Everything is fine," she answered, "Draco's just never heard a fire alarm before."
Gene looked at the still shell-shocked Draco. His eyes lingered a moment over the scar on the left side of his chest before moving on to the Mark on his arm, then the wand in his hand and then back up to his face.
"Rough way to wake up," he acknowledged. "I admit the damn thing nearly sent me into arrest the first time I heard it as well."
Draco forced half a crooked smile at him just as Ellen came up to them, towel still in hand.
"I am so sorry," she began, "leave it to me to startle you half to death the first morning you're he-"
The words died in her throat as her eyes too fell over the large scar on his chest but she recovered quickly.
"...here," she finished, hastily looking Draco in the eyes with a reassuring smile. "I hope I didn't put you off eating. Breakfast is done…well done some of it," she joked.
"No," Draco said, his hand self-consciously rubbing at his chest, "I, uh…I'm famished actually."
Ellen smiled wider and looked to her daughter. "Why don't the two of you go on and get ready while we finish up."
Hermione nodded as she placed a hand to Draco's upper arm. "We'll be back down in a few minutes," she said, pushing him lightly toward the stairs as the Grangers retreated back into the kitchen.
"Are you okay?" Hermione whispered to Draco as they ascended the steps. He merely scowled ahead.
"I am sorry," she apologized again, "I was actually just about to come and wake you when the alarm went off."
"Why didn't you wake me when you got up?" he asked, shrugging away from her as they entered the bedroom. "Why did you do that to me?"
Hermione cringed slightly. "I didn't expect that to happen. You don't need to be embarrassed. They understand that you aren't familiar with Muggle techno-"
"You think I'm upset because of that!?" Draco glared at her, his voice rising. "You think I give a fucking rat's arse what two Muggles think of me? That I didn't understand their fucking insane fire ward or whatever the fuck!?"
"Draco," Hermione tried to calm him as he began to pace.
"No!" he said, stopping to point at her, "you don't get to tell me not to be upset. Not when you left me alone in a strange house, in a strange bed, to wake from one fucking nightmare only to be thrust into another!"
Hermione stood in place, staring at him. "Nightma-" she started to ask. Draco cut her off again.
"I didn't know where you were!" he yelled, his face contorting with anger and anguish. He sunk down to sit at the foot of the bed and raised a shaking hand to his forehead. "I didn't know where you were," he repeated brokenly, casting his eyes to the floor.
Hermione watched him sag and shiver at the edge of the bed a moment and then went to him. She cautiously lowered herself to sit beside him and placed a hand to his thigh. Draco immediately put his hand over hers and squeezed.
"What was the nightmare?" Hermione asked softly. Draco furrowed his brow sadly at the floor.
"Room of Requirement," he whispered, "final battle…"
Hermione closed her eyes at that and squeezed his fingers harder. "And you woke up to a voice screaming 'fire'," she said regretfully, opening her eyes again.
Draco made a quiet sobbing noise in his throat as he said, "And you were missing."
"I'm sorry," Hermione whispered once more. Draco finally looked up at her and then released her hand to wrap his arms around her. She slipped her arms around his middle and rested her head on his shoulder.
"They noticed my scar," Draco whispered after a moment.
Hermione nodded slightly against him. "They won't ask about it."
Draco slowly pulled back from her and released a tired breath. "I, uh…I'm sorry," he said awkwardly.
Hermione shook her head. "You don't have anything to be-"
"I'm sorry I said 'Muggles' the way I did," he interrupted her, "…like it's a bad thing."
She pursed her lips. "It's fine, Draco. I know that-"
"No," he insisted, "it's not fine. Your parents are lovely and they've offered us a place to stay without asking anything in return and then I…"
He took a deep breath. "I don't think of them like that anymore, you know. I don't think Muggles are filthy. I don't."
"I know," Hermione replied gently. "I know."
Draco looked thoughtful for a moment. "I do still think that they might all be a tad mad, though," he said.
Hermione arched an eyebrow at him. "How so?" she asked, amusement leaching into her tone.
"Only a lunatic would invent such a terrifying alarm," he said. "Honestly…what the hell? That was worse than a Caterwauling Charm."
"The idea is to make sure everyone in the house hears it so they can get to safety. It wouldn't be much of an alarm if one could easily sleep through it, now would it?"
"I suppose not," Draco muttered as he summoned his clothes. "Still seemed a bit much."
Hermione sighed and then leaned over to kiss his cheek. "Thank you, by the way," she said.
Draco arched a brow at her. "What exactly are you thanking me for?"
"You were jolted awake to the threat of fire and the first thing you did was come looking for me," she said.
"Your annoying Gryffindor propensities must be rubbing off on me," he said as he sorted out his clothes.
Hermione pushed at his rumpled hair. "I'm sure that's it," she said with a small knowing smile. Draco looked sideways at her with a small grin.
"So," he said as he tugged on a t-shirt, calmer now that the adrenaline high and subsequent crash had finally ebbed, "um…how exactly do you plan on breaking it to your parents that we're married?"
Hermione sighed slightly as she rose and went to the closet. "I think we ought to ease them into it," she said, pulling open the door, "try and lessen some of the shock with some pleasant conversation first?"
"Whatever you think is best," Draco replied, shimmying out of his bottoms. Hermione turned and smirked at him.
"You're sounding more and more like the perfect husband," she teased.
Draco gave an amused snort. "Right," he said shaking his head. Hermione smiled at him for another moment and then set about getting herself ready.
"Do you think they're going to be upset?" Draco asked quietly after he'd finished and was standing against the door frame watching Hermione wrestle her hair into a plait. She shrugged halfheartedly as she fastened a band around the end of it.
"Mum might take it okay, but Dad…" she sighed as she stepped over to him. "I don't think he's going to be happy. I'm always going to be his little girl and I think it might be hard on him that he missed out on seeing me get married."
Draco took Hermione's hand and looked down at his ring. "There's nothing preventing us from having a proper ceremony in the future," he said, "if you wanted…"
Hermione smiled admiringly and tiptoed up to kiss him gently. When she lowered herself she tugged at his hand to lead him into the hall. "Let's go get this over with."
They descended the steps together and walked still hand-in-hand into the kitchen to see Gene collecting napkins and silverware while Ellen spooned the various foods she'd made onto plates.
"Is there anything we can help with?" Hermione asked, looking about at the makings of the Full English she'd prepared.
"No, no" Ellen insisted, waving her serving spoon at the two of them, "you two sit. I'll bring it 'round to you."
They headed to the large table in the dining area then and Draco pulled one of the chairs out for Hermione. She smiled at him as she sat.
"You don't see that much anymore," Gene commented, coming up beside them to set several sets of utensils on the table. Draco looked at him slightly confused as he lowered himself into the chair next to Hermione.
"Sorry?" he said in inquiry.
Gene nodded to Hermione. "You don't see too many young men pull out the chairs anymore. It's a shame, really, how many of the younger generation use the concept of modern feminism erroneously as an excuse to skirt around doing what was once considered chivalrous."
"I think it's more to do with absentee parenting and modern hook-up culture," Hermione said as she leaned back to allow her mother to set a plate before her.
Gene nodded at his daughter's assessment and then looked to Draco who'd also leaned back as Ellen gave him his plate. "What do you think, Draco?" he asked, taking the seat across from him.
Draco blinked at the man and then cleared his throat. "I think this breakfast looks delicious."
Ellen laughed as she came around the table with the last two plates in her hands. "He's on to you, Gene, darling," she said as she took her seat and handed her husband his breakfast. "That'll teach you to be unspecific in your questioning."
Gene merely hummed as Ellen leaned forward on the table then and reached across it to place a hand over one of Draco's.
"Good for you not letting these two bully you into one of their infamous back-an-forths on current social mores," she said, tilting her head at Gene and Hermione. "It's best not to encourage them."
Hermione and Gene made the same small harrumphing noise and Draco smiled as Ellen winked at him and retracted her hand.
"Yes, well," Gene said, picking up a fork, "clever topic diversion tactic aside, I believe Draco is correct; this breakfast indeed looks delicious. Shall we begin?"
There was a general nodding of heads as they all retrieved forks and knives and the small group began to tuck in to their morning meals.
"I apologize for the lack of bacon," Ellen offered as they ate, "it really wasn't salvageable after my little mishap with the pan. I confess we're usually so hurried most mornings that we've grown accustomed to settling for tea and toast. It would seem I've have lost my touch in the kitchen."
"No," Gene said, reloading his fork with beans, "you've quite out-done yourself, love."
"Yes," Draco agreed as he stabbed another mushroom, "this is one of the best breakfasts I've had in ages."
Ellen smiled humbly at them as she sipped her tea.
"You really didn't need to go through the trouble, though," Hermione said to her, "we're used to simpler breakfasts ourselves."
Ellen set down her mug. "Nonsense," she said, "It wouldn't have done to have you eating a few measly toast points for your first meal here."
Hermione smiled appreciatively at her before resuming her eating. They all ate in companionable silence for bit until Ellen patted at her mouth with a napkin and turned her attention to Draco.
"So," she said lightly, "aside from the regrettably rude awakening, did you sleep well?"
Draco slowly finished chewing his bite of sausage before answering. "No worse than I usually do," he replied, not quite raising his eyes to the Grangers as he then hastily stuffed another bite into his mouth.
Gene and Ellen exchanged a covert glance.
"Draco," Gene said after clearing his throat lightly and turning to him, "Why don't you tell us a bit about yourself. Hermione's told us quite a bit already of course, but she was a tad vague on some points."
Draco set down his fork and looked back and forth between the two Granger parents. "I'm sorry, I really don't know what Hermione's already told you. What would you like to know?"
Gene casually forked a tomato. "Well, what is your field of expertise? Do you work in your Ministry with Hermione?"
Draco seemed to be contemplating how to answer. "I, um...I'm not what you'd consider conventionally employed," he finally said a bit uncomfortably. Gene's eyebrow began to rise and Draco rushed on, "I have taken something of an interest in alchemical manuscripts. I've studied several quite extensively."
"Alchemy?" Gene said, casting a concerned glance at Hermione before looking back at Draco.
"It's a respectable field in the wizarding world," Hermione tried to explain, but the Granger patriarch simply made an unimpressed hum in his throat.
"Surely you've done other things," Ellen chimed in with an encouraging smile when Draco started to look unsure of himself.
Draco gave a slight shrug. "Well, I had recently begun looking into accounting and portfolio management."
"Finance?" Gene said, sounding much more approving. Draco nodded.
"It was a necessity really," he said, "My father was going to begin preparing me to take over as director of our estate when he's no longer able. Our accounts are so numerous it's something of a full-time job in itself."
"Certainly," Gene nodded, "proper asset allocation takes careful consideration. Diversification too. Do wizards have a standard market system?"
Draco suddenly looked much more comfortable. "I've only recently begun to learn about Muggle finance, but from what I've gathered so far, no. We really don't have anything resembling your stock markets. I'm sure the goblins play behind the scenes in the Muggle realm, but for the rest of us our investments are far more long term. Our family's kept the same accounts for centuries."
"Do those types of long-term investments generate a decent reward?" Ellen asked curiously.
Draco nodded as he speared another sausage onto his fork. "Fairly decent. Probably not as much as your kinds of investments might, but when you're working with millions it really becomes a moot point. Plus there's virtually no risk."
"So, what's your current total worth, then?" Gene asked outright.
"Dad," Hermione frowned at him but Draco appeared entirely unperturbed by the question as he quickly swallowed his bite to answer.
"What did I tell you the Muggle equivalent was?" he said, turning to Hermione, "Nine-hundred-ninety-six million Pounds?"
Ellen choked on her sip of tea. "Nine-hundred-ninety-six million?" she said flabbergasted.
"Give or take a million," Draco shrugged, picking up his mug.
Both Grangers blinked at him in silent shock.
"Draco and I are married!" Hermione suddenly blurted out.
Draco choked on his sip of tea. "That…that's how you tell them?" he asked, turning a stunned face to her. "That's 'easing them into it'?"
Hermione shrugged with an apologetic grimace. "It just sort of fell out of my mouth."
"Just fell out of your mouth?" Draco gaped at her.
Both Grangers simply continued to blink at them.
"Well, I figured they were already shocked…might as well lay it all out there now," she said with another shrug. Draco stared at her a moment and then slowly eased himself back in his chair to tentatively shift his gaze up at his still speechless in-laws.
"If it's any consolation," he said to them, "it was a surprise for us too."
"Explain," Gene finally demanded, calculating brown eyes boring into the blond across from him.
Draco simply turned to Hermione again who sighed and lifted her left hand from her lap to show them all the ring on her finger.
"It was enchanted," she said, nodding to her hand, "the ring. We didn't know. Draco gave it to me for safe-keeping and it magically married us when I accepted possession of it."
Both Grangers continued to gawk.
"What?" Gene said, brow furrowed. "Is this some kind of joke?"
"No. The ring married us," Hermione repeated, shaking her head. Ellen gave a nervous laugh.
"Surely you can't be serious?" she said skeptically. "How can a piece of jewelry marry two people without their full consent? That's preposterous."
"It's quite serious in our world," Draco answered bluntly.
"And legal," Hermione added informatively. "As far as the Ministry's concerned we are husband and wife 'til good ol' death do us part…or we get divorced."
Ellen stared at her daughter. "You are serious. Your government actually allows this?"
"Not the worst thing they've condoned," Draco muttered.
"Not helpful," Hermione hissed at him. He rolled his eyes and Gene narrowed his at both of them.
"Is this the reason for your coming here?" he asked sternly. "To tell us this?"
Hermione and Draco exchanged glances.
"We…we had to come because…" Hermione started hesitantly, "well…somehow news of our marriage was leaked to the press, and…and…"
"And it was too much," Draco intervened. "Famous as we both are, the reporters were insatiable and we simply weren't prepared to deal with it all when we were still coming to terms with the marriage ourselves."
Hermione cast him a small, grateful smile as she reached her hand over to his to squeeze his fingers.
"How long do you both plan to avoid dealing with this, then?" Gene asked, setting down his fork with an angry clink. "How long until you go back and demand that your ridiculous excuse for a governing body annul this marriage?"
"Gene," Ellen said in warning when his voice began to rise.
"No, don't you Gene me," he said turning to her. "I want to know how they intend to fix this."
"There's nothing to fix," Hermione said quietly across the table.
Gene and Ellen both snapped their attention back to their daughter to see her holding herself very straight in her chair.
"The marriage can't be annulled," she said, relacing her fingers tight with Draco's, "we already consummated the bond. And…and we don't want to get divorced."
"What are you saying," Ellen stared at her, "you're going to remain married?"
Hermione and Draco both nodded.
"Hermione, darling," she nearly pleaded, "I know you said that you were sure, but…you've only been together what…a few weeks?"
Hermione looked both of her parents in the eyes. "Draco and I…our history goes back much farther than a few weeks."
"Oh, don't think we've forgotten that," Gene said severely. "You think we'd forgotten the tear-stained letters those owls brought to us when you were in school? We'd forgotten the stories of how you were harassed daily for the absurd notion that you were somehow filthy?"
He turned his harsh gaze to Draco and suddenly pushed out his chair to stand. Draco visibly flinched at the abrupt movement and Gene's hard stare faltered at the sight.
"Ex…excuse me," he said shortly, "I need some air."
The others all watched him go silently and when Gene slid the one door shut loudly behind him they all cringed.
Ellen slowly looked back at Hermione and then Draco. "He'll be alright," she said sounding subdued. "He…he just doesn't do well with emotions."
Hermione and Draco merely squeezed their hands tighter together as they watched Gene stalk off into the yard.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A/N: Things get better. Gene and Draco are going to have a little heart-to-heart…. and then something might happen with that pool.
Thank you ssdawning, scarletwitch93, cpetnm, discord_the_lunatic, Severus1snape, Victoria, DaFossil, Missus_G, HG4eva, GoodGirlsBadBoys, Coranassa, Trelweny, Lunavert, Nichole-Hermione, Dragonmeddler, and AryaStarkNaked for the reviews!
Love to you all for the encouragement!
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Muggle Things