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Forgiven	By : Tassanaburrfoot Category: Harry Potter > Het - Male/Female > Draco/Hermione Views: 18105 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 2
Disclaimer: I do not now, nor have I ever, owned Harry Potter or the books or contents. This work is purely for my own pleasure, no profit to be made.

Chapter List
- 22
- 23
- 24
There was magic in the way Draco took her by the hand and led her onto the ballroom floor. The way he guided her around the floor as she held her skirt up and away from herself to keep from tripping over it. Hermione couldn’t help but be reminded of the dance Belle shared with the Beast in that animated cartoon. She opened her mouth to tell Draco about it, but quickly realized he would have no idea what she was talking about.
Laughing, the Muggle born witch threw her head back as he twirled her again. This was their first dance as husband and wife and Hermione found that she couldn’t be happier. He wore an amused smile as he led her through the steps. He had no idea what the Gryffindor princess was laughing about, but he enjoyed hearing her laughter all the same.
“Are you happy, my love?” he asked as he pulled her close against him.
She giggled when he kissed her nose and pushed her away again. “I am very happy,” she told him. “Tell me. Do you know anything of Muggle entertainment?”
His eyebrows furrowed and he frowned a little. “I can’t say I do,” he answered honestly. “Though I do know they play this sport… What is it called? Footing the ball?”
She giggled. “Football,” she corrected.
“That’s it,” the wizard said, holding his head up proudly. “It’s a bit like Quidditch, yes?”
“Actually…”
They were interrupted by a tap on Draco’s shoulder. The Slytherin prince turned his gaze to the man standing behind him. “Mind if I cut in?” Harry asked.
Draco sneered. “Actually, Potter…”
Laughing, Hermione stepped between them before her new husband could finish his words. “I would love to dance with you, Harry,” she told her bespectacled friend.
The Pureblood could feel his jaw drop in shock. “Oh, Draco, please close your mouth, darling,” his mother said as she took his hand into hers and pulled him to her. “There’s no need to fuss.”
“But, Mother…”
She lightly popped him on his chest. “Not another word. Now, show Mummy she did not waste Daddy’s money on dancing lessons and dance with me.”
Frowning, Draco gave his mother a sour face, but did as he was told, guiding her into a quick paced foxtrot. “I’m a married man now, Mother,” he said. “And I haven’t called either of you those childish names in years.”
She pouted, “Yes, but I wish you would.” Her pout turned into a smirk identical to Draco’s own when he was causing trouble. “At least in secret. Perhaps after your father returns from Azkaban?”
“Again. I’m a married man now,” he drawled, though his eyes began to twinkle. He always had a hard time not caving into his mother’s demands.
“Be that as it may, darling,” she said. “No matter how old you are, you’ll always be my little boy. I hope you know that. And one day, when you have children of your own - which I hope will be soon, I might add - you’ll feel the same way towards them.”
Draco’s eyes widened. “Mum!” he hissed. “We just became married. I can’t breach the idea of children so soon on her.”
It was Narcissa’s turn to frown as the older witch huffed. “Why ever not? You do plan to consummate the marriage. There are many times where the bride becomes pregnant on the first try, especially if she is a virgin bride.”
“Yes, well, Hermione does want her career and…”
“Her career is to help manage this family,” the Pureblood witch hissed. “And part of that is by producing an heir or two. I do hope you will inform her of her duties, darling. Now that she is a Malfoy, they’ll be expected of her. Bearing children, hosting parties, and socializing is all part of a Malfoy wife’s duty.”
Draco raised a single eyebrow. “I know, Mother,” he said, “however, she has these ideas of wanting to work in the Ministry, passing laws and fighting for the rights of house elves and whatever other god-forsaken creature.”
Narcissa held her head up high and stared into his eyes. “Then you can work for the Ministry and see your wife’s dreams turned into reality,” she stated haughtily. “It is not her place to meddle in the affairs of wizards. As her husband, that is your job.”
He knew he would earn himself another slap on the chest, but Draco really could not help the bark of laughter that escaped his lips at his mother’s words. “You try telling her that,” he drawled between his laughs. “It would be quite the entertaining sight, especially considering she helped Potter win the war not three years ago. Informing Hermione of her rightful place is tantamount to challenging her into doing just the opposite. While I can help speed up the process of getting her laws passed, I cannot stop her from being involved in them.” When his mother made to argue, he lifted his hand to stop her. “Nor would I, Mum. I didn’t just marry her for her beauty. Surely you know that? It was never her ambition to become my wife, however I intend to spend the rest of my life making sure that she won’t want any alternative. She’s the brightest witch of our age and I plan on helping her utilize that brilliant mind of hers because I know she will get her way, always. And as she climbs the ladder of success, I’ll be right beside her. The Malfoy name will know greatness once again and it will be in thanks to our own personal first generation witch.”
She laughed as the music cued a change of partner. Draco took a step away from his mother and kissed the back of her hand as he gave her a bow. “Thank you for this dance, Mother,” he said with a smirk. She laughed as she turned and was met by Blaise Zabini.
Turning himself, Draco saw Potter’s girl. Taking a deep, steadying breath, he walked up to her and gave her a bow. “May I have this dance, Mrs. Potter?” he asked.
The Potter girl giggled. “No need to be so formal, Malfoy,” she said as she gave a small curtsy of acceptance.
As they made their way around the dance floor, he smiled at her. “I want to thank you,” he said, breaking the ice.
Ginny raised an eyebrow. “For?”
“You could have talked her out of dating me,” he admitted. “You could have taken a more active role and truly come between us, but you didn’t.”
“Why would I?” she asked. “Honestly, Malfoy, even if I wanted to, she wouldn’t have listened. And who says I didn’t try? Ever since Ron broke up with her, Hermione has been wearing this blinders. You were there and she latched onto you like a little lost puppy.” Her eyes narrowed slightly. “I don’t know what you’ve said to her or done with her. All I know is one minute she mentioned you in passing and the next, she’s going over wedding plans. Half of this I’m still processing. Before I know it, you two will probably be picking out baby names.”
He chuckled and shook his head. “We have a lot of work to do before we can have a child.”
“You think?” She huffed. “Didn’t you despise her a month ago?”
He shook his head again. “I don’t know that I ever really hated her. I was jealous, of course, when she beat me in every subject, but I never hated her. During our fourth year, I accepted my feelings for her, but there wasn’t really much I could do, was there?”
“There wasn’t?” she rolled her eyes. “You could have switched sides, Malfoy. You could have helped us in the war.”
“And what? Lose my parents?” he bit back. “The Dark Lord was back. If I had turned on him, he would have taken it out on them.”
She tilted her head as she looked up at him. “Isn’t that what he did anyway?”
He started to shake his head, but then thought better of it. “I will admit, all three of us went through a lot,” he said. “However, in the end, I have both of my parents. If I had turned, he would have killed them. Then he would have gone after me.” His eyes met hers. “I’m not proud of what I’ve done. Nor am I proud of what my parents have done. Father made a grave mistake when he took up the Mark and the three of us nearly paid for that mistake with our lives.”
“And now your father is serving a sentence in Azkaban,” she pointed out.
He shrugged as he turned her. “Not for long,” he surmised. “He’ll be out any day now. He made a deal with the Minister and will be helping the Aurors locate Death Eaters.”
“Yes, I know,” she said a bit distastefully. “Though from what Harry told me, he’ll spend most of his time under house arrest and he won’t be allowed to have a wand.”
Draco frowned. He didn’t know all of this. “For how long?” he asked, curiously.
“For the remainder of his actual sentence,” she explained. “I thought Hermione told you this? Harry told her about a few days ago.”
Draco’s eyes narrowed. “No, she didn’t.”
(II)(II)
Hermione grimaced as Harry stepped on her toe again. “Really, Harry,” she teased, “you would think Ginny would have insisted on you taking a few dancing lessons upon marrying her.”
“Sorry,” he quickly apologized and then he smiled. “She did,” he told her, “and it was discovered that I have two left feet.”
The witch rolled her eyes, but laughed. “You are hopeless. Remind me later and I’ll teach you,” she promised.
“What? And lose my reputation of being a horrid dancer? I think not,” the Half-blood stated, causing Hermione to giggle.
A tap on Harry’s shoulder brought their dance to a close as they turned to see Theodore Nott standing there. “May I?” the Slytherin asked, holding out his hand.
Harry was hesitant, but Hermione did not falter as she reached to take Theo’s hand and allowed him to pull her into another dance. “Are you ready for this, Granger?” the Pureblood asked once they were out of earshot of Harry.
The witch smiled. “Malfoy,” she corrected, giggling.
“Right. Malfoy,” he amended, his own smile growing wider. “Question still stands,” he said. “I know from personal experience how difficult Draco can be at times, especially when he doesn’t get his way. Love the bloke like a brother, but he is quite spoiled.”
Hermione wrinkled her nose as she continued to giggle. “Yes, I know. Trust me. Merlin knows I have been on the receiving end of his wrath more than once,” she joked.
Both of Theo’s eyes lifted at that. “You have?” he asked, then he realized what she was talking about and quickly shook his head. “No, no, princess,” he argued. “All those years in Hogwarts was foreplay. You’ll see, believe me. Draco is trying to change, I’ll give him that. And in many ways he already has. But he does have quite the temper and it can be extremely hysterical, if you try not to take his tantrums too seriously. My advice, princess, don’t rise to the bait. He loves having an arguing buddy, but if it’s someone he loves, he’ll feel a tremendous amount of guilt later.”
“Draco feels guilt?” she teased, her smile widening and flashing her teeth.
The Slytherin raised a single eyebrow at that. “You doubt me?” he asked, suddenly serious.
Her smile faltered as she shook her head. “No,” she told him. “The more I learn about Draco the more I realize he is not all he seems.” She gazed off into the distance as he led her through the dance. Her eyes crinkled in the corners as she thought. Then, aloud, she said, “I remember the first time I saw him.” She glanced up at Theo. “Did I tell you that? It was on the train and I was helping Neville look for his toad. I opened the compartment door and there he was. Of course you and Blaise were with him, but he was the only one I really saw.”
Theodore smirked. “I have this unnecessary desire to be offended,” he joked.
She shared his smirk as she glanced up at him. “I remember the first words he said to me, too. ‘Who are you?’” She giggled. “At the time, I was really wanting to find that toad, but Draco had left me momentarily speechless.”
He nodded. “Yes, I remember. You stood there looking like you were trying to imitate a fish,” he commented with a wink.
She dipped her head as she giggled and could feel her cheeks warm up. “Yes, well, I do believe I was quite taken. So much so that I completely missed the sneer or the way he had asked his question. But I told him my name and what I was doing there,” she said. Sighing, she continued, “The moment had been brief, I know, but like with any crush, it was enough. The coming months, it was easy to ignore the way he spoke to people and insulted them. I knew he was wealthy and an only child, so it made sense, in a way. And I did notice him in the library on more than one occasion doing homework.”
“Are you telling me you’ve liked Draco this entire time?” the Slytherin asked, looking at her curiously.
The witch giggled and shook her head. “Later that year, the more I spent time with Harry, I realized how nasty Draco was. I grew irritated with the way he treated my friends, so I stamped down that crush. It didn’t take much to completely ignore it for years, especially when Hagrid informed me of the meaning of the word ‘Mudblood’. It wasn’t until the Yule Ball that those feelings resurfaced, but by then I knew it would never do. Crushing on Draco Malfoy could only lead to heartbreak because, let’s face it. I’m a Muggle born and a Gryffindor. Nevermind that his father was a known, or at least suspected, Death Eater and the entire family lived on the mantra that Muggles were evil and beneath them.”
“Some of us still believe that,” said a masculine voice, causing Theodore and Hermione to glance around to the source.
To Hermione’s great surprise, Lucius stood there in black dress robes. In fact, there wasn’t a spec of colour on him aside from black. His long blond hair was impeccable and cascaded off his shoulders. For a moment, the witch’s mind was sent to the past and the first time she had seen him. If she didn’t know he had been spending all this time in Azkaban, she would have thought he had never been there at all.
“Lucius,” she breathed.
The older wizard raised an eyebrow. “What happened to ‘Father’? Or is that only something used when I am completely vulnerable?”
The Gryffindor shook her head rapidly, snapping herself out of her shock of seeing him. “What are you doing here?” she asked. She could feel Theodore’s hand at her waist still, but she ignored it.
“I’m attending my only son’s wedding,” the patriarch stated simply. “Surely you didn’t think I would miss that, my dear?.. You did.” He gave a smirk that reminded Hermione completely of Draco. “How presumptuous.”
The Muggle born frowned. “Does the rest of the family know you’re here?” she asked, staring at him.
Lucius did not look away from her. His eyes bore into hers and she swore he was looking right into her very soul. She felt a chill creep up her spine as, not looking away from her, he said, “I’ll be dancing with her now, Mr. Nott. As her father-in-law, it is my duty.”
She felt the warmth and comfort of Theodore slip away and she took a step back as Lucius took his place. To her surprise, the Pureblood wizard’s hands were just as warm as Theo’s had been. As they glided around the room, she knew she was dancing with the devil.
“Are you enjoying your little party, my dear?” he finally asked, breaking the ice.
She pinched her lips as she thought for a moment. Then, with a forced smile, she answered, “I am. After all these years, I am now married to a man I never thought in my wildest dreams I would ever marry.”
“Well, it’s not like you deserve him,” he stated, “but times being what they are, I can understand why he would think you would be right for him. Being married to a princess will serve him well, indeed.”
Hermione could feel the tick in her jaw as she clenched her teeth. She started to answer, but he cut her off, “I must congratulate you, my dear. I have often hear the phrase ‘brightest witch of her age’ in reference to you, and, while I’m loathed to admit it, it seems to be true. Convincing Draco to take the Unbreakable Vow was quite ingenious. You must have assumed I would attempt to sabotage your wedding, but you needn’t worry. I have no desire of dirtying my dick in such a way.”
To say the young Gryffindor was incredibly insulted was an understatement. To say she was disgusted was even more of an understatement. She attempted to pull away from him, but the wizard held her fast.
“Don’t worry, my dear,” he told her. “No one can hear us. As far as they are concerned, we are merely dancing. Maybe even laughing.”
“How?” she demanded.
He gave her a slight nod. “Years ago, Severus taught me this wonderful little spell he had invented, Muffliato. I’ll admit it had always required a wand upon one’s person, however, I was able to tweak it a bit to make it wandless.” He wore a smile that Hermione knew others would take as pleasant, but she saw through the mask.
She took a deep breath. “The Unbreakable Vow wasn’t my idea,” she told him truthfully. “Your wife and son had insisted on it. They both told me it was an old Malfoy tradition and, indeed, Draco even showed me proof in an old tome of Malfoy traditions.”
“Well, they didn’t lie,” he confessed as he watched her. If she didn’t know better, she would think he was suddenly enjoying himself. “However, no one has participated in an Unbreakable marriage for two hundred years. The last Unbreakable marriage was, in fact, performed for Septimus Malfoy in the late 18^th century. The only reason he had wanted it was to ensure his new, second wife would bare him a true Malfoy heir. See, the wife before had become pregnant by some filthy little Muggle. Their deaths had been so tragic. Septimus had been so heartbroken and wanted to make sure his next child was truly his.”
“I’m sure he was,” she said sarcastically. “If you’re trying to scare me, Lucius, you’ll have to try harder than that.”
He chuckled as he pulled her closer to him. “No, my dear. I would never presume to terrify you. However, you are quite lucky to have agreed to the Unbreakable Vow.”
“Do you honestly believe you would be able to put an end to this marriage? Draco genuinely loves me. He wouldn’t turn his back on me like that.”
“Oh, of that I have little doubt,” he told her. “He truly believes he was able to convince his mother to like you. In fact, this entire operation, from kissing you in your fourth year to turning Mr. Weasley against you, he believes he did it all in such a way to undermine me entirely. He believes that he has managed to get away with marrying a Mudblood, in particular, the little Mudblood he’s fancied for years.”
Hermione ignored the insulting word, after all, there were more important things in his words to focus on. “You knew. This entire time and… you knew.”
The older wizard scoffed and rolled his eyes. “Honestly, my dear, I raised the boy. I wager I have spent more time with him than even his mother. Merlin knows she never changed his nappies. Of course, that is not meant to downplay her devotion to her son. I do believe Narcissa loves Draco even more than she loves me. However, she does not know him nearly as well as I do,” he told the young woman. “That being said, I pay attention. The week after he met you, I believe, he owled me a letter telling me of his first week of school. He spoke so highly of you. Though he had regretted the House you ended up in, he was quite smitten.”
“He told you that?” she asked in surprise.
“Heavens, no,” he laughed. “However, as I’ve said, I know my son. I was able to read between the lines of his insults well enough to see that you were his chosen. As I’ve told you before, I began doing my research on your family as I watched my own son grow more and more infatuated with you. I tried to stamp it out, even going so far as recommending other, more Pureblooded witches to him. I believe it was around his fourth year at Hogwarts when I began meeting with Mr. Greengrass. But I suppose all of this is moot now, don’t you agree, my dear? All of my efforts were for naught as, not only did he marry you, he convinced you to make an Unbreakable Vow.”
It was hard for her to read the emotion on his face as he continued, “You both did. There literally isn’t anything I can do now. If I move against you, I run the risk of losing my son in a more permanent way. The game was well-played, I must say, though if you truly thought the Vow was a Malfoy tradition, then I suppose the players I should be congratulating are my own wife and son. However, now we are at a crossroads, you and I. We can continue playing the roles of Death Eater and Mudblood and continue to hate one another with great passion and fire. Or, we can be respectable Malfoys and play as though I am a father-in-law welcoming my new daughter into my family with open arms and you are grateful to be accepted,” he told her. “Honestly, I believe the latter is the best way to go, at least as far as the public is concerned.”
Her eyes narrowed. “What will you get out of it?”
He smirked. “Since we’ve started dancing, my dear, a certain blond haired Pureblood witch has been watching us. I’ve heard that she is the head editor of the Quibbler and it so happens we are acquainted,” he said. His eyes narrowed as he brought their dance to an end and stared at Hermione. “I know she is a friend of yours. What do you think she’ll say in her paper tomorrow after seeing us together and witnessing how accepting, and even pleased, I am of you and Draco being married?”
“Probably that she saw Nargles surrounding your head,” Hermione deadpanned without hesitation.
This caught Lucius off guard and Hermione had to stifle her giggle at the look on his face. “What?” he asked.
The Muggle born witch pressed a couple of fingers over her lips to hide her giggle and shook her head. “Luna is a wonderful friend,” she stated. “You’ve read her article about Draco and my engagement. She thinks the world of Draco and seeing his father accepting me no doubt thrills her.” More seriously, she pressed, “She was a prisoner here, you know.”
“I do,” he confirmed. “I remember bringing her food a time or two during her stay, though I never lingered.” He turned his head slightly away and scoffed. “That reminds me. I need to speak to the house elves about cleaning that cellar.”
“I wouldn’t bother,” the young woman said. “Knowing how meticulous Narcissa is, I haven’t a doubt she’s already taken care of it.”
He glanced at her for a moment. “She - .”
“Father?” Draco called in disbelief.
The older wizard turned to see his wife and son walking quickly towards him. Hermione broke away from him as Narcissa practically fell into his arms. Draco drew up next to Hermione and glanced at her, his eyes quickly scanning her to make sure she was alright, before turning back to his parents.
The music in the room had stopped and people were drawing their attention to the small family. Draco quietly slipped a hand around Hermione’s waist and the young witch leaned into him.
Lucius and Narcissa stood there for a long time, just hugging one another. Finally, he pulled away just enough so he could look into her eyes and cup her cheek. When he pressed his lips against hers in a tender kiss, the sound of a camera click echoed through the room.
Hermione looked for the sound and her eyes rested upon Luna and her friend. The young cameraman snapped another shot as Lucius pulled his wife closer to him to deepen his kiss. The newest Malfoy glanced up at her own husband and he threw her a smirk. Turning his head, he whispered into her ear, “It’s a publicity stunt, love. Father does love Mother, however they never partake in making public displays of affection.”
The Gryffindor frowned at this. She watched the couple as they finally broke apart, whispering things to each other, but Hermione didn’t catch any of what they said. Luna and Ginny moved to stand next to Draco and Hermione.
“Draco, do you think your father would give me a few words for the Quibbler?” Luna asked, her eyes glued to the man in question.
Draco’s eyebrows disappeared under his hairline as he stared at the girl. “You’re not afraid of him?” he questioned.
“Hm?” Luna hummed, then as though realizing what he had said, she shrugged, “Oh, I’m petrified, but he did just dance with Hermione, didn’t he? Not to mention he often would bring me food, much like you did, during my stay here in the Manor.” She said these things matter-of-factly and Hermione shared an amused look with Ginny.
“I’m surprised he gave you the time,” Ginny confessed before turning a glare onto a rather curious Lucius Malfoy. “He’s not really known to give much thought to other people’s children.”
For his part, Lucius looked confused as his eyebrows knitted together. Narcissa looked livid, though she held her cool and spoke softly, “You want to watch what you say about my husband, Mrs. Potter.”
Recognition seemed to dawn on Lucius and his eyes widened. “You’re the little Weasley girl,” he acknowledged as the other Weasleys and Harry moved to stand behind her. “Ah, yes, I remember you now. I had read you married Mr. Potter. I’m sure your parents are rather proud that at least one of their children managed to move above their class.”
“How dare you!” the ginger haired girl hissed. “You could only ever dream of being even half the man my father is! You’re nothing but a bigoted, evil Death Eater and you should be thrown back in Azkaban where you belong.”
Lucius’s eyes narrowed and he opened his mouth to say something, but Draco cut him off as he rounded on the Pureblood witch. “Don’t you ever talk to my father like that again, you nasty little guttersnipe,” he snarled.
“Stop it!” Hermione shouted, looking angry and appalled, but Draco and Ginny ignored her.
“Guttersnipe? Is that the best you can come up with, Malfoy?” Ginny barked maliciously. “I grew up with six older brothers, you self-righteous git. You’ll have to do better than that.”
He stepped up to her so he could tower the young Gryffindor and looked down at her. “How about the fact that the only reason you’re here is because of Hermione? You honestly think I would let filth like you grace these halls otherwise?”
“As if I would even want to be here otherwise,” she snapped. “If it weren’t for Hermione…”
“Would you two stop it?!” the Muggle born shouted as she forced herself between them.
“Hermione, stay out of this,” Draco warned.
“No!” she screeched as she pushed him back. “You don’t talk to my friends like that, Draco Malfoy! Ginny has been nothing but gracious and accepting since you and I started dating, regardless of her own personal feelings. The least you could do is give her that same respect.” She then turned to the ginger, “And you! We’ve talked about this. This is Lucius’s home and he has a right to be here. You knew he was getting out of prison and he has just as much right to be here as anyone, even more so. Furthermore, you know he did not know what that diary would do.”
“Hermione, regardless, he still put a child’s life in danger,” Arthur argued, stepping up to defend his daughter. “He was looking to ruin me, which even you can’t deny that was his plan, and, instead, nearly took my daughter away from me.”
Confounded, Lucius spoke up, “What are you talking about?”
“The diary you slipped in Ginny’s cauldron a few years ago,” Harry answered. “Don’t you remember, Mr. Malfoy? I tried to return it to you, but you gave it to Dobby.”
The memory slammed to the forefront of Lucius’s mind and his frown deepened. “I remember,” he admitted. “I hadn’t realized how far that diary would go. I knew it once belonged to the Dark Lord, however, I did not think it would actually harm anyone.”
Harry rolled his eyes. “You’re either a liar, an idiot, or incredibly naïve. Since I doubt you’re either of the latter, I will assume you’re lying. Since when have you ever known Voldemort to keep anything that wasn’t dangerous?”
“If I had even an inkling that she would have been in real danger, do you honestly believe I would have done it? If anything, I had expected Dumbledore or a teacher to find it long before any real damage occurred,” the Malfoy patron explained.
Arthur lunged at him, but Harry grabbed the older man and pulled him back. “He isn’t worth it, Arthur,” the bespectacled man stated. He looked at his best friend. “I’m sorry, Hermione, but I think it’s best that we leave. I hope you know what you’ve gotten yourself into.” He pointed an accusing finger at Draco as he said, “That… You heard what he called my wife. If you think he’s going to change, truly change… I hope for your sake he does, but I wouldn’t hold my breath.” He grabbed his wife’s hand and glanced at the other Weasleys. “Let’s go.”
The only ones who did not glare at Draco were Molly and Angelina. Molly just gave him a pitying glance, looking heartbroken, before turning away from him. Angelina simply sighed and shook her head, looking disappointed.
The moment the Weasley’s left, Hermione rounded on her new husband. “How could you?” she spat. “You knew how important this day was. You knew…”
Draco pushed past her and growled at the crowd, “What are you all staring at? The party’s over. Now, get your cloaks and get the fuck out of here.”
“Draco!” the Muggle born reprimanded. “You can’t…”
He turned to her. “Don’t tell me what I can and cannot do in my own house, Hermione!” he snarled. “This is my house! Your little friend insulted my father under my roof, which, in case you had your head too far up her arse to notice, he hadn’t even said anything to her, so don’t you dare assume you can tell me what to do!” He caught Nott’s look of warning, but ignored it as he continued, “If they can’t be respectful and fucking civilized, then I don’t want them in this Manor, or in the house we’ll be moving to. My father deserves to be relaxed in his own home and doesn’t need that kind of stress.”
Hermione’s eyes widened. “You can’t keep me from my friends,” she told him.
“Malfoy,” Theodore said, moving towards his friends.
Draco turned his attention to the dark haired man. Red faced, he growled, “What the bloody hell are you still doing here? I told you to get out! Now GO!”
“Draco, don’t take this out on Theo,” the young Gryffindor chastised. “None of this is his fault.”
Up to this point, Narcissa had remained quiet. Like Draco, she was livid with the events that had unfolded in her own home. However, years of careful breeding and training kept the Pureblood witch from saying anything. Standing up straight, however, she spoke up in a calm voice, “Hermione is right. You’re acting like a five-year-old.”
“You heard what that pauper said to Father!” he shouted as he stared at his mother with wide eyes.
“Draco, do not raise your voice to your mother,” Lucius ordered. He looked at the remaining guests, though there weren’t many. He refrained from rolling his eyes at seeing a few of the Hogwarts teachers and allowed his eyes to rest on Blaise Zabini. “I do, however, agree with Draco. The party is over now, so you may give the newly married couple your final well wishes as you exit the door. There is an Apparation point near the front gate.”
Hermione felt the tears fill her eyes, but she refused to shed them as, one by one, people started to leave. Those she considered friends gave her sympathetic looks and McGonagall even hugged her and kissed her on the cheek.
“I look forward to hearing about your plans for this new school, Mrs. Malfoy,” the headmistress stated as she gave Hermione a soft smile.
Not trusting her voice, the young Gryffindor just returned the smile and nodded. She actually barked a laugh when Hagrid gave her one of his bear hugs, engulfing her in his moleskin coat. She had to crouch down to give Professor Flitwick a hug, but she did it without hesitation.
When Luna approached her, she gave the girl a long hug and whispered in the Ravenclaw’s ear, “Please don’t write about this last bit. Even if you mention it, you know Skeeter will start snooping around and write ridiculous lies.”
Luna nodded and pulled away. “I won’t,” she promised. “But, if you don’t mind, I would like to mention that lovely dance you had with your father-in-law. My friend took some amazing photos of it.”
Hermione’s smile was genuine, if a bit watery. “That will be fine,” she responded.
Blaise and Padma gave her comforting hugs and wished her a fun and loving honeymoon. Thanking them, the Muggle born witch turned her attention to Pansy and Millicent. The latter witch showed no sympathy, but still gave a genuine congratulations. Pansy, however, gave Hermione a warning look and actually hugged her.
“Don’t let him bring you down. This is a tantrum, nothing more,” the Pureblood whispered to the Muggle born.
Hermione nodded and turned her attention to Neville and Hannah and, finally, to Theodore. He had a sour look on his face, but he hugged the Gryffindor witch and gave her a kiss on the cheek. “Congratulations again, Hermione,” he said. “Floo me as soon as you return.”
She smiled and gave him a nod. “I will.”
Once all the guests were gone, Lucius dropped his mask and glared at his son. “What the bloody hell do you think you were doing? It was bad enough that blood traitor insulted me and then you go and embarrass the whole family? You’re lucky Hermione had enough sense about her to ask Miss Lovegood not to mention that fiasco in her bloody paper. Do you have any idea what you could have done?”
“That pathetic little pauper didn’t just insult you once, but she kept on. Lovegood wasn’t even talking to her! She’s always putting in her two Knuts and I’m sick of it,” Draco yelled.
“Ginny is my friend,” Hermione snapped. “And she’s concerned about me.”
“That was not out of concern for you, Hermione,” the wizard spat.
She shook her head. “No, you’re right. Your father nearly killed her during the whole Chamber of Secrets disaster. She has every right to still be upset over that.”
“Hermione, that happened seven years ago,” he argued. “She survived, she’s fine. Father didn’t even know it would work out the way it had.”
“Would you two stop talking about me as though I’m not here?” Lucius drawled as he sat in one of the many chairs that lined the dance floor. “Now, Hermione, my dear, if it will help ease the tension between us, I will send Mrs. Potter a formal apology for endangering her life, however, she was out of line tonight.”
Hermione sighed as she leaned against a table. “Yes, I know. I’ve spoken to her about it, consistently, and she promised me that she wouldn’t bring it up when she saw you again,” she said as she peeled off her gloves.
“The Weasleys have always been a rather uncouth lot,” Lucius commented. He snapped his fingers and called, “Horus!” He continued his speech as though he hadn’t said the name, “I remember Arthur and Molly in school. I hate to admit it, but Arthur wasn’t nearly as outspoken as his wife. Of course, I wasn’t really around them much. In fact, I avoided them most of the time, but sometimes it couldn’t be helped. They were both Prefects my first year, though neither of them made Heads.”
A small house elf stood there beside Lucius, staring up at him with complete admiration. He wore a clean towel and had large brown eyes. “Master Lucius is home!” he squealed.
To Hermione’s surprise, the older wizard actually gave the elf a smile. “Yes, Horus, I am. Now, if you would be so kind, fetch some tea to the drawing room, and perhaps a decanter of my firewhiskey.”
The younger witch felt her heart jump into her throat at his words. “The drawing room?”
Lucius glanced at the girl curiously. “Is there something wrong, my dear?” he asked.
Hermione looked hesitantly at Draco. She was still mad at him, but at the moment, her fears clouded that anger. “I…”
Draco sighed. “The drawing room was where Aunt Bella tortured her, Father,” he explained.
Lucius raised an eyebrow. “I’ve been tortured there as well,” he admitted, his eyes shifting to his son and then back to the girl. “And on more than one occasion by the Dark Lord himself. The room is nothing to fear, dear girl. If anything, it’s probably one of the best rooms in the entire Manor.”
Narcissa placed a hand on her husband’s shoulder. “Do you remember when we used to play duets, darling? You would play the piano so beautifully,” she commented. She glanced at the Muggle born and added, “Music is its own form of magic.
“Dumbledore said that once,” Hermione said. “Or, at least, something similar.” She had quietly gravitated towards Draco, though she didn’t realize it.
He looked at her angrily. “Of course you would remember something someone said years ago, especially if it’s from your precious Dumbledore.”
Hermione’s eyebrows furrowed. “Dumbledore was a great man. He did a lot for the Wizarding World and for us.”
Lucius groaned as he stood up. “I think I’m going to be sick,” he told his wife. He glanced at Hermione. “Dumbledore had a lot of problems, my dear. Even if you bypass the fact that his father murdered three Muggles or that he had actually teamed up with Grindelwald to do the very thing the Dark Lord was attempting to do just recently, he spent years conditioning your friend to do what he wanted.”
“He did no such thing! He protected Harry!” she argued.
“He sent a child to fight battles no child should even be aware of,” the Pureblood drawled.
“Only because your Dark Lord was trying to kill him!” she spat. “He had to prepare Harry to face a man who wanted his death. Harry never wanted to be hunted by a man who wanted to take his life! His parents died trying to keep him safe,” she raged on. “Sirius, Remus, and yes, Severus Snape died to keep him safe. He never asked them to. All Harry ever wanted was to be an ordinary, regular boy. To go to school and learn life skills without the threat of being murdered in his sleep. If Dumbledore hadn’t guided him or trained him, Harry would have died. If Voldemort hadn’t gone off his bloody rocker, trying to kill an innocent child, don’t you see they all would still be alive?!”
“Doubtful,” Lucius scoffed. “His plan was to eradicate all Muggle borns and bring Muggles under the heels of Purebloods, where they belong.”
“His plan was to murder Harry and gain immortality!” the young witch barked. At Lucius’s raised eyebrows, Hermione’s eyes narrowed and she lowered her voice to just above a whisper as she hissed, “Did he forget to tell you that? Tom Riddle cared about one person and one person only. He didn’t give a damn about his Death Eaters, a fact that he made blatantly clear when he made one of his closer fighters into a wandless servant and killed the man he trusted the most over a fucking wand. A wand, I might add, that didn’t even belong to Snape to begin with! Did you know the whole time, the wand actually belonged to Draco and if Voldemort had figured that out, he would have killed your only son right on the spot! You think he cared about blood purity? That despot was a fucking Half-blood bastard who had been raised in a Muggle orphanage. Did you know his Pureblooded mother actually cast a love spell on his Muggle father because she was in love with him and was so ugly and poor he wouldn’t even spit in her direction.
“Yes, Dumbledore’s father was sentenced to Azkaban after killing three Muggle children who had teased his daughter and permanently harmed her. Yes, Dumbledore made the mistake of becoming Grindelwald’s friend and even siding with him on several issues. But the moment he realized his mistake, he worked to make sure Grindelwald was sent to prison for the rest of his life. Even after that, he spent his entire life to fight against prejudice and injustice. He did what he could to protect Harry and make sure Harry had the tools he needed to defeat the most evil wizard in all history. And, yes, Harry was a child, but Voldemort made it his life’s mission to murder that innocent child. That child whose parents died to protect. That child who could have easily been Draco upon the battlements of Hogwarts that hellish night” As she spoke, her voice grew gradually louder as she glared at Lucius hard and when she finished, she stood before him, her mouth slightly agape as she panted, catching her breath. She didn’t know when she had clenched her fists or dug them into her sides.
Silence echoed through the room as the three Pureblooded Malfoys stared at her. Their faces revealed nothing of their inner thoughts, though Hermione could see surprise in Lucius’s features and fear in Narcissa’s eyes. Draco, from what Hermione could see, showed no emotion and she wondered why that was.
For his part, Draco’s eyes were narrowed as he tried to stare into Hermione’s eyes. He wanted so badly to know what she was thinking. A huge part of him wanted to strangle her. “You didn’t tell me my father would be under house arrest for the next 20 years or that he would be forced to remain wandless,” he said after a while, still staring at her.
Hermione raised a single eyebrow. “Really? And you told me that the Unbreakable Vow was a Malfoy tradition, that even your parents had taken it on their wedding day,” she bit back. “Given that the Minister didn’t want to release your father to even begin with, I think he’s gotten a more than fair deal. He cannot leave the grounds of the estate, which means that he can still oversee all of his investments and even teach you all you need to know to eventually take over.” She leaned back on her heels and folded her arms across her chest.
Draco met her stare, still trying to see into her mind. After another moment, he said, “How do you expect him to free your parents when he can’t even leave the property?”
“That’s simple enough, Son,” the older wizard answered for her. He hadn’t taken his eyes off of the young woman since she started her rant. “We can send them a package, one that Hermione puts together, informing them that they won a contest of some sort for a romantic getaway to Wiltshire, England. They’ll stay in a massive Manor where there will be horse drawn carriages and be able to traverse beautiful gardens, sample delicate wines, and dine on some of the most exquisite cuisine in all of England. Perhaps they’ll even get the chance to go horseback riding through English countryside,” he mused. Tilting his head to the side curiously, he asked, “They do enjoy horseback riding, don’t they, my dear?”
Hermione nodded as she commented, “But I doubt they’ll buy the idea that they won a contest they never entered.”
He waved a lazy hand her way as though quickly dismissing the words. “I’m sure your clever mind can come up with something, my dear. A random contest based on addresses or birthdays or whatever. My point is, it should be simple enough to convince them to come here,” he stated. He finally took his eyes off of her as he glanced about the room. “I intend to have the elves renovate the Manor. By the time your parents get here, it will be far livelier.” He glanced at Draco. “How are my birds?”
“Alive,” the younger wizard answered. “As are most of the other animals. Thankfully, the Dark Lord and his followers did not destroy our home entirely. Icicle was eaten by Greyback, however, and we had to put down one of the Abraxans, but…”
To Hermione’s surprise, Lucius actually looked grief-stricken as Draco spoke of the obviously precious pets. “Which one?” the older man asked in a strained voice.
Draco glanced at his mother with a worried look on his face and turned back to his father. “Starlight,” he said. He saw the look on the old man’s face and immediately tried to ease the blow. “She died peacefully. You know she was old and then she became sick and nothing we did made her any better. If anything, it made her worse.”
The angry Hermione had felt moments before dwindled as she watched the patriarch take a deep breath and look away. With a sudden desire to allow him his dignity, Hermione glanced at Draco as the older man rubbed his eyes with one hand. The young Gryffindor knew how ruthless and cruel Lucius Malfoy could be. She had seen it. But in this moment, she realized that he was really just a flawed, broken human being just like herself and his wife and son.
She didn’t know why the heavens had decided to bring her and Draco together. She was still struggling with her own emotions and feelings of guilt. She mourned the loss of her parents and all those people who had died in the war. Her eyes filled with tears as they fell to Draco’s chest, unseeing, though she did not shed them.
Lucius took another deep breath and sat up straight. “Yes, well. Such is life,” he commented. He almost sounded callous, but as Hermione glanced at him, she could see quite clearly that he was more affected by the losses than he led on. “It’s getting late and the two of you have a honeymoon to get to, if I’m not mistaken.”
Draco nodded, knowing that was his cue to leave. Turning to his new wife, he reached out his hand for her. She stared at the hand for a moment, then gathering her Gryffindor courage, she accepted his hand.
“Just so you know, love,” he explained as he drew her close. “Only Malfoys can Apparate and Disapparate between properties.”
Her eyes widened and she gave a nervous smile as he pulled out his wand and Apparated them to an immense chalet in France.

Author's Note: So... a lot has happened in this chapter. Insane, too. Sorry it's taken me a bit longer, guys, to get this chapter out. Last week was finals and well... school and all that jazz. Also, in case any of you are wondering where I got my inspiration for Hermione's wedding gown from, I recently set up a Pinterest account under the name tassanab.
Moxey Mayhem: To be honest, this story is going a lot faster than I had expected. Of course, this was supposed to be only one, maybe two chapters, so... Yeah.
Trelweny: I've always loved Luna. She has this sort of whimsey about her that I truly appreciate. You should probably expect to see more of her as the story progresses.
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