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A Wonderful Caricature of Intimacy	By : AnasellaEmm Category: Harry Potter > Het - Male/Female > Draco/Hermione Views: 75943 -:- Recommendations : 1 -:- Currently Reading : 1
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, nor any of the characters from the books or movies. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Chapter List
- 6
- 7
- 8
Disclaimer: All Harry Potter related characters, places and themes belong to J.K. Rowling, Bloomsbury and Scholastic.

A/N: Thank you all again so much for the reviews! The chapter title comes from the song: �The Quiet Things That No One Ever Knows� by Brand New

Chapter 7: Contemplate the Day We Wed
Hermione craned her neck trying to look at the Malfoy manor all at once. She had seen cities that were smaller.

�It�s a French Baroque,� Draco explained as they walked up the long, straight path from the Apparition point. �The corps de logis, which is the principle part of the house that contains the entrance and main rooms, is situated in the middle of the manor, making it the first thing you see. The side wings are scaled down and don�t take up as much precedence as an early Renaissance might.�

Hermione stared at him, nodding along and pretending that she hadn�t lost him at the quick French he had spit out. She usually would have understood, being the incredibly intelligent Hermione Granger, but small rocks kept finding their way into her sling-backs, making her wince and step slower along the rock-lined path.

�You must really love the place to know so much about it,� she said, trying to keep the conversation civil.

�I did my magitecture thesis on this place.�

She turned to look at him and nearly tripped. �Magitecture? You�re a magitect?�

�My own fianc�e knows nothing about me,� he said, holding his hand to his chest in mock sadness. �Yes, I passed my MAE and became a licensed magitect when I turned eighteen.�

�Impressive,� she said, truly meaning it. �I read that magitecture is one of the highest paying jobs in the magical world.�

He didn�t reply, but stuffed his hands into the pockets of his dark grey slacks. He had gone sans a robe or cloak and Hermione admitted (stupid, traitorous brain) that he looked really nice in a business suit.

�I�m guessing that you truly love your job because with the Malfoy inheritance, you wouldn�t need to work a day in your life,� she said. To tell the honest truth, she was fishing for information. It had piqued her curiosity when she knew that he worked� why on earth would an heir need to work?

�I do love my job,� he said, not explaining.

Hermione decided to save the interrogation for another time. He�d crack soon.

�Mummy, look!� Zane yelled from ahead of them. He had already accustomed himself to the circumstances. It felt weird that it didn�t feel weird when he called her that. Weird.

�What am I looking at, Zane?� she asked, looking in the direction he was pointing.

�It�s my tree! Gamma said she planted it when I was a baby. It has my same name!� he said happily.

Hermione saw the short tree planted in the middle of an expansive front garden. �It�s a beautiful tree. Do you know how to take care of trees?�

�Yes! You have to put on them water and they have to have the sun!� he answered, increasing his speed towards the massive building.

Hermione looked over at Draco. �You should be extremely proud of him. He is exceptionally bright.�

�I am proud of him. More than is healthy, I think,� he replied, watching his son stop to pick up a smooth rock and pocket it. �So, do you always go into teacher mode with your little quizzes? I need to know in case I have to dust off my old encyclopedia.�

�Ha-ha,� she said dryly, hating herself when a small smile betrayed her scold. �It�s important for children to constantly stay intellectually stimulated.�

�Right, I�ll try and remember that,� he said.

She ignored his dry tone since they had finally, finally!, reached the entrance to the manor. The doors looked bigger than the floor-plan of her old flat.

Draco pulled out his wand and pointed it to the door knocker about twenty feet above them.

�How would a non-magic person knock on the door if the knocker is so high up?� Hermione asked.

�Think about that question. What on earth would a non-magic person be doing at the Malfoy residence?� Draco asked, putting his wand back in the wand holster on the inside of his sports coat.

�Good point,� she mused. She stayed quiet as they waited for the door to open. �I�m really glad your parents know about all of this. I don�t know if I could have acted so in love with you around them. I�m not going to lie. Your parents are intimidating and scare the bejesus out of me.�

�Gamma and Gampa?� Draco asked with a grin. �But they�re so cuddly!�

�About as cuddly as a venomous cobra,� Hermione mumbled, eliciting a small rumble of laughter from Draco. Had she even heard him laugh like that before? It sounded so nice� so non-Draco� ish.

�They do come off as a bit cold, but you should see my mother around Zane. She melts and turns into a completely different woman. It�s hilarious to me.�

She liked this. Not fighting with the a-hole. It was actually fun.

The door opened then to reveal a tiny house-elf dressed in, what appeared to be, a tutu and cowboy hat. Hermione had to shake her head to make sure she wasn�t seeing things.

�Hi, Poodle!� Zane said, hugging the house-elf.

Hermione heard Draco mumble underneath his breath something about �that kid� and �hugs� and �ridiculous.�

�Young Master, I am ever so happy to see you!� Poodle the house-elf squeaked. �And Master Draco! Please come in. Shall I announce that you have arrived with a guest?�

�No need, thank you. They already know we�re here,� Draco said, placing his hand on Hermione�s elbow and leading her through the gargantuan foyer.

�That house-elf is wearing clothes. Odd clothes, but still, clothes,� she said to him, ignoring the warmth of his hand on her bare arm. Bare arm brought to her by the generous funding of a dark blue halter dress.

�All of the house-elves here wear clothes,� he explained. �When Zane was three, he made them all play dress-up with him, accidentally freeing them all. My father almost nutted himself and was surprised to find out that none of them wanted to leave. They did want to keep the clothes, though. My favorite is the upstairs elf that wears a kimono and fez.�

Hermione was stunned into speechlessness. So much for her planned speech on house-elf rights and freedoms. Draco was right. He was a pi�ata full of surprises that she wanted to beat with a stick to get to them all.

They reached a set of double doors that were nearly as large as the front doors. Zane reached up before either of them could and swung open the door, sprinting inside with gleeful shouts of �Gamma� and �Gampa.�

Hermione followed Draco into the room, taking the exotic room in with wide eyes. It was huge! So nicely decorated� and situated on a couch near the enormous bay window sat Lucius and Narcissa Malfoy. The Ice King and Queen.

Zane stood before them explaining at an inhuman rate everything that had happened since he had last seen them. Lucius wasn�t paying attention to the boy, mostly because he had no idea what he was saying, but Narcissa sat nodding along, smiling and gasping at all the right points.

Draco urged Hermione forward, his warm hand still on her elbow. They stood before his parents who promptly stood up after making Zane promise to tell his story later.

�Mother, father, this is Hermione Granger,� he introduced. No flowery speech or any nonsense. Straight to the point.

Lucius picked up Hermione�s outstretched hand and bowed over it. �A pleasure to meet you, Miss Granger.�

�You as well, Mr. Malfoy. Although, we�ve met before, under less than pleasant circumstances.�

Lucius lifted an eyebrow and sneered slightly.

�You�re right, we did meet once in your second year, I believe, and then again in your fifth,� he said with a snarky little smile. �Most disagreeable circumstances those were. Days of meddlesome little children...�

�And this is my mother, Narcissa,� Draco said, giving his father a warning stare. Shut up, you idiot. She�s my only goddamn hope to keep my son!

Lucius pursed his lips together and took a seat on the couch, standing back up again to find a toy underneath his posterior. He handed the toy to Zane with a reproachful look. Zane smiled back at his grandfather and dashed off to the bay window where a box of toys awaited him.

�You�ll have to excuse my husband, dearest,� Narcissa said, shaking hands with Hermione. �He can be a tad unreasonable when it comes to the past.�

Hermione was beyond surprised at the woman she had thought to be a type of Lucius with a vagina. �Oh, it�s not a problem. The past is something that is better left in the past.�

�I must say, that you are very much prettier than Draco described,� Narcissa said, making Hermione take a seat right next to her.

�Wow, Zane come show us that toy!� Draco said, trying to divert the conversation.

Hermione smiled. �Really? How did he describe me? Don�t keep out any details, I�d really like to know.�

�Well, that�s the thing. He�s never really described you past the minor insults he uses. He uses frizzy Frankenstein and bitchy Mcbitch quite often,� Narcissa said politely and quietly so that Zane wouldn�t hear them. But the room was so damn big, she could have used a megaphone and Zane still wouldn�t have heard her.

Draco internally groaned and sank into the armchair opposite of them.

�I don�t think your hair is frizzy at all,� Narcissa continued. �The chignon really defines your long neck and slim jaw-line and accentuates your high cheekbones. I must say, it also makes your big, bright brown eyes stand out so beautifully. You�ve such a sweet face. I used to draw, you know. Mostly portraits... you have a very paintable face.�

Hermione fought her impending blush with all her might, but failed miserably. �This chignon is disguising the frizz very well,� Hermione smiled. �If I took out the pins and the band holding it all together, I�d have to change seats to prevent engulfing you with my hair.�

Narcissa laughed and patted Hermione�s hand. �A girl that can poke fun at herself is clearly a girl I can get along with. I don�t understand why Draco doesn�t like you.�

�It�s a mutual dislike, I assure you. We�re comfortable with our hate-hate relationship. Truthfully, I actually thought he hated me because I was muggleborn,� Hermione said.

�Oh, not that rubbish again. Darling, I lived with it for years and to tell you my honest opinion, it lost all of its novelty ages ago. It�s not so fun watching your son endanger his life for a stupid, stupid cause. I stopped speaking to Lucius for weeks after that fiasco. I have no idea why the male species runs the world. No wonder we have so many problems. Am I right or am I right?�

�Absolutely right,� Hermione smiled. How could such a bubbly woman live with those two bats for so long and still stay so wonderfully amiable? She could learn to really like her.

�Are you two hens finished?� Lucius asked grumpily.

�Hens?� Narcissa turned a frozen stare to her husband. �I didn�t know you were so fond of sleeping in the guest room, dear.�

Lucius opened his mouth to say something, but closed his mouth again.

Hermione had to suppress a laugh and looked at Draco, who seemed to be used to this sort of occurrence.

�Now, dearest, I must thank you for helping us with all of this. It takes a very strong, kind woman to give up six months of her life to help someone she dislikes out of a bind. You�re giving up an immense amount of benevolence and I thank you with all I possess.�

�If I wasn�t accepting the money I was getting, then maybe I would agree with you, but this is just a business deal and I am accepting money, so I�m not as altruistic as you may think.�

�Nonsense,� Narcissa said, ending the conversation. �You have a kind heart and you can�t change my mind. I�m horribly obstinate, stubborn just like all the other Blacks.�

Hermione thought she heard Lucius mumble something to the extent of �you can say that again.�

�Zane, my darling boy, come finish telling me your story,� Narcissa called out to her grandson.

Zane looked up from the toy wand he was pointing at Rosie the dinosaur and smiled at them. He ran a few steps, toy wand in hand, before he was suddenly stopped by what appeared to be a spell. Lucius, his own wand pointing at the boy, walked over to his grandson and plucked the toy wand from his tiny fist.

�We must never run with a wand in hand, Zane. You know that,� he said in a low voice.

�Oops, sorry Gampa,� Zane said quietly. �I forgot.�

�It is easy to forget so many rules, but they are there to make sure you never get hurt,� the older man explained.

In a shocking gesture, Hermione watched the stiff aristocrat kneel down before the boy and kiss his head. �Now run along,� he said.

Zane smiled up at his grandfather and then dashed over to the other adults before going into a long discussion of how he and Wolf had dressed up as Aurors for center time and had arrested Patrick, the other little boy in their class, who had dressed up as a pirate that stole sand.

�My, my, Zane, what a wonderful friend Wolf must be,� Narcissa said, a gorgeous smile on her face. �You two sound like you have so much fun.�

Zane agreed with her and was soon saddened to learn that it was time to leave. He gave his grandmother and grandfather a hug; Narcissa rolled her eyes when Lucius patted the boy on the head when Zane went to hug his long legs.

She whispered to Hermione, �He is so random in his displays of affection. It drives me near mad.�

Hermione laughed quietly and gave the older woman a hug in farewell. She shook hands with Lucius and soon found herself walking the long dirt-path towards the Apparition point.

Zane walked ahead of them, stopping to pick up smooth rocks every few steps.

�That wasn�t too bad,� Draco said softly. �No duels took place and we left with all our limbs intact.�

Hermione smiled. �Your mother is nothing like I thought she would be. I seriously wonder how you managed to be such an evil little snot during school with a sweet mother like that.�

He stuffed his hands into his pockets again and looked ahead. �She was a strict mother when I was younger, but she was also nurturing. My childhood was an emulation of my father�s behavior. I wanted to be just like him, wanted to impress him. My mother tried her best, but I never appreciated it.�

She would never get used to the words that came of Draco Malfoy�s mouth. When the hell had he become so mature? It baffled her. �I�m sure she knows that you appreciate her now. She�s a bright woman and she loves Zane very much. I have taken quite a liking to her.�

�I�m glad you two got along. You�ll have to excuse my father, though. The transition from pure evil to normalcy didn�t suit him very well and he still struggles.�

�The fact that you all try is a sign of great character and strength. I must tell you, I�m glad you decided to change your ways.�

�So, how are your parents going to react to your sudden announcement?� Draco asked as they neared the Apparition point.

�Frankly, I have no clue. They have always supported my decisions and have always encouraged me to follow my desires. They will be shocked, but who wouldn�t be?�

�That�s true� I�m a bit anxious to see how your friends will react. No, scratch that, I�m damn near ready to piss myself in anticipation to see how Pothole and freckle-fart are going to react.�

�Do you spend all of your free time thinking up horrid nicknames for my friends?� Hermione asked, her temper flaring.

�Heavens no, I come up with them while I�m on the crapper� we can call it inspiration,� he replied.

She huffed in annoyance and ignored him the rest of the way to her parents� house. When she had to grab his arm for her to apparate them all to Kensington, she might or might not have pinched him� hard.

---------------------------------------

�We weren�t expecting you, dear! But we�re so glad you came,� Annabel Granger exclaimed, ushering her daughter, the handsome man, and the little boy into their suburban home in Kensington.

Annabel was an older version of her daughter: soft, pretty, features, but minus the frizzy hair. Lucky woman.

�I�m sorry I haven�t been visiting as often as I should, but I�ve been so busy with the school,� Hermione replied. �I�d like to introduce you to Draco Malfoy and his son, Zane.�

Annabel turned towards the two males with a kind smile. She shook their hands and welcomed them into her home.

�Your son is very cute,� Annabel told Draco.

�I�m not cute! Cute is for girls!� Zane exclaimed, appalled by the woman�s words.

Annabel burst into laughter. �I beg your forgiveness, Mr. Zane. I meant you are very handsome.�

�Oh, thank you,� he replied with a wide smile. �Are you my mummy�s mummy?�

She furrowed her eyebrows in confusion. �No, I don�t believe so, dear. Now, come on into the living room, all of you, my husband will be down shortly.�

�Thank you for welcoming us into your home, Mrs. Granger,� Draco said.

�Oh, think nothing of it, and please, call me Annabel,� she smiled.

The three of them took seats in the quaint living room furnished much more modestly than the manor. Thomas Granger walked in then, smiling at the sight of his daughter.

�Hermione, you naughty girl, where have you been hiding?� he greeted her, hugging her close.

�I�m sorry, dad, but as I told mum, I�ve been so busy keeping up with the school,� she said. Draco noticed the hint of regret in her eyes. She really did feel bad that she couldn�t visit them more often.

She introduced Draco and Zane to him and he cordially greeted them.

�Daddy! Look, a kitty-cat!� Zane practically squealed as a fat, auburn cat walked into the room. Zane jumped off of the couch and slowly approached the cat. She sniffed him and allowed him to pet her.

�He really likes cats,� Draco explained.

�Crookshanks doesn�t get along with many people, but she seems taken with your son,� Thomas observed. �Now, I don�t mean to sound rude, but how exactly do you know my daughter?�

�We went to school together, dad,� Hermione explained. �Zane is also in my class.�

�Oh, that�s nice,� he said. �Are you two romantically involved?�

Doesn�t beat around the bush, this one�

Draco managed to keep his laugh reigned in. Hermione stared at her parents, her bottom lip tucked firmly under her teeth.

�Yes, actually. I wanted him to meet you,� she lied.

�How lovely,� Annabel said with a smile aimed at the two of them. Her smile suddenly disappeared. She turned to look at the young boy petting the cat and talking to it about his best friend, Wolf. �Hermione, tell me Zane isn�t your son.�

Hermione shook her head. �No, mum, he�s not my son. Would you really think I would have a child and not tell you?�

Annabel seemed to breathe for the first time. �Of course not, I was just curious.�

�How long have you two been in a relationship?� Thomas asked.

�Quite a few weeks now,� Draco said. �We met again when I enrolled Zane into Hermione�s school and we began seeing a lot of each other.�

�Well, it�s nice to meet you, Draco. Hermione�s never brought a boy home before,� Annabel said.

Draco cleared his throat. Hermione turned to look at him. Ok, here goes. He�s going to tell him we�re engaged. They�re going to be disappointed and wonder why I hadn�t even told them I was in a serious relationship with a man who had a child and then my mum might cry and her nose will get all red and runny� I should have thought this through more.

�I actually came here today to ask you for permission to marry your daughter,� he said.

Pi�ata of surprises? Try atom effing bomb of surprises.

�Oh, how wonderful!� Annabel cried. �Isn�t that respectful of him, Thomas? Asking for our permission!�

Thomas nodded slowly. �Thank you for asking permission, Draco. If you don�t mind, I would like to speak with my daughter in private before giving you my answer.�

Of course I mind, she�s already said yes, sucker.

�I don�t mind at all,� Draco replied pleasantly.

Hermione followed her parents into the kitchen, passing Zane and Crookshanks who were crawling around the floor together with Zane making bird noises. At least, he was having fun.

She turned to her parents once the doors were closed.

�We had no idea you were in a serious relationship,� Thomas said. �And with a man who has a child?�

Wasn't I just thinking this?

There went the lower lip back to be gnawed by her teeth. �Do you not approve of him?�

�Well, we don�t really know him not to approve of him,� he said.

�Hermione loves him and that�s all that matters,� Annabel said quietly, going to the refrigerator to procure refreshments for their guests.

�Do you love him, Hermione? Is he good to you? I trust your judgment, darling and if you want to marry him, then I�ll support you.�

She ignored the horrible feeling telling her that she was lying to her parents and that they were soaking it all up. This was a real marriage� it just wasn�t going to last.

�I want to marry him,� she said. At least that wasn�t a lie. She did want to marry him to help him out. As long as they didn�t persist in their other questions, she wouldn�t have to lie more than she should.

�Well, then I give you all my blessings and I hope you are happy,� Thomas said quietly, kissing his daughter�s cheek.

�Oh, darling girl, this is so wonderful. It doesn�t matter one iota that he has a child because you�ll be a wonderful step-mother,� Annabel said, pouring iced drinks into cups.

�So, let�s go tell him the good news,� Hermione said, wanting to be finished with this whole charade.

-------------------------------------------------

�I give you my blessings, Draco. I�m glad you have come to us for permission and I�m glad you two have fallen in so much love that you�re ready to take the next step,� Thomas said, once they were back in the living room. �I do hope she accepts.�

There couldn�t be more things wrong with that statement.

Hermione took the seat next to Draco and almost jumped when he reached over and held her hand. �I hope she accepts as well,� he said, looking adoringly at her. She tried not to burst out laughing at how ridiculous he looked faking his smitten look. He winked at her and turned back to her parents.

Hermione suddenly felt a tension of worry claw at her insides. What if they had already seen the engagement ring on her ha� wait, where was it? She looked down at her hand to find the ring missing.

�Goodness, Hermione, end the suspense and tell him your answer!� Annabel said.

Hermione looked back at Draco to see an engagement ring, the engagement ring he had previously given her, in his hand.

�What do you say, my love? Marry me?� he asked. She could see he was also fighting to keep from laughing.

She nodded at him and he slipped the ring on her finger. Her parents were obviously expecting a kiss� yeah freakin� right.

Her body instantly went into treacherous flames when his warm, no� hot lips kissed the back of her hand, right on the knuckle above her ring. He winked at her again and turned to her parents.

�Oh, dear, I couldn�t be happier for you,� Annabel said, tears stinging her eyes. �There is so much to do� I don�t even know where to begin.�

�Do you two have a date in mind?� Thomas asked.

�How about next Wednesday?� Hermione asked.

Her parents laughed and shook their heads. �You�re delirious from how happy you are, dear.�

Yeah, that�s exactly why I�m delirious. It has nothing to do with the fact that I�m about to marry the only man I�ve ever hated.

�Actually, that�s not a bad idea, sweetums,� Draco said, turning to her.

SWEETUMS?! I�ll sweetums you�

�You agree?� Annabel asked, her face portraying mild shock.

�We�ve talked about it before and we�ve decided that if we were to ever marry, we would have a short engagement,� he explained.

�A week isn�t enough time, though. There are too many things to plan and you two can�t really be serious about getting married next week��

�Mum, it�s a tradition in the wizarding world that couples have a very short engagement and then a small, private wedding��

�Well, we�d like you to assimilate to the wizarding culture, dear. So, whatever you want will be fine with us, I mean, it is your wedding,� Thomas said.

Hermione smiled gratefully at them. �Thank you, I�m so glad you�re not too upset.�

�Upset? Goodness, no. We are thrilled for you, love,� her mother said. �If we have a week to plan everything, don�t you think we should get started? Oh, I would love to get to know you more, Draco, you and my soon-to-be step-grandson.�

�I would love that opportunity,� Draco said. �I�m afraid, though, that it can�t be done today. Hermione and I have promised her friends that we would meet with them and we are so looking forward to it.� I know I am.

�Oh, of course! You must tell them all the good news! Yes, then, hurry off and please do come back very soon so that we can discuss wedding details and get to know our new family members better,� Annabel said, her smile so very joyful.

They all said their goodbyes, with Zane finding out that he had a new set of grandparents. He was beyond ecstatic, trying to tell them his life story as he was literally dragged to the door.

�Bye, Gamma Anna and Gampa Tom!� he yelled, using the names they had asked him to call them. He, of course, also had a five-minute-long farewell with Crookshanks, whom he just called �cat� as the name was hard to pronounce.

The minute they had left the house, Hermione looked up towards the sky and stared at it for a few seconds. Draco looked at her oddly. �What are you doing?�

�I�m wondering how many lightning bolts are going to strike us for lying our heads off back there,� she said despondently. �I�ve never lied to my parents before.�

�Never?� he asked with shock. �Everyone�s lied to their parents. It�s the rule of having parents. You�ve got to lie to them at least once.�

�Well, I might have distorted the truth on occasion but I haven�t told such huge lies to them before. God, did you see how happy they were?� she said, her shoulders sagging and her face turned towards the ground.

Draco didn�t know what to do as he watched her berate herself for what had just happened. She looked so melancholy, so ashamed�

He did the only thing a sane, rational man would do (if �sane, rational man� somehow translated into �complete idiot� in some foreign language)� he stopped her on the middle of the sidewalk and hugged her.

�I�m sorry you had to lie to them, but I�m grateful that you did it for me. It means a lot and I�ll make it up to you, I�ll even let them blame me when we mysteriously divorce six months from now,� he said, strangely enjoying how small she felt in his arms, how soft she seemed� how feminine�

Yep, definitely need to get laid.

Hermione didn�t know where to put her hands, so she settled them around his waist. �It�s ok. I don�t blame you, Draco. When this is over, can I at least tell them the truth? Just them, we don�t have to tell anyone else.�

Draco released her, instantly missing the warmth she provided. �Yes, you can tell them.�

She smiled at him and tried hard not to show that she had enjoyed his hard, masculine body against hers. He was so surprisingly virile and strong. She had felt� safe� in his arms.

They continued their walk towards a deserted alleyway they used as an Apparition point. There was a horrible, awkward funk in the air. Something was changing. They were both becoming aware of something besides their hatred towards each other. There was something� a tiny attraction blossoming. Very tiny. Microscopic. But it was still there.

-----------------------------------------

Standing outside the Burrow, Draco tried his hardest not to wrinkle his nose at the sight of it. He was used to luxury� manors, chateaus, penthouses� not houses that looked like the block creations Zane came up with.

�Don�t start, Draco,� Hermione warned him, her hand poised to knock on the door. �I can see your nose twitch in disapproval.�

�Stop ogling me then,� he retorted. Was that manure he smelled? He looked to his right and saw the source of the acrid smell� a garden with bags of manure. Talk about a shit-hole.

�It smells like poopy,� Zane eloquently observed.

�That�s fertilizer, Zane. It helps plants grow,� Hermione explained.

�Oh," he said quietly. "It smells like poopy."

Hermione elbowed Draco in the ribs when he snorted in laughter.

She finally found the courage to knock on the door and held her breath as they waited for entrance. Zane stood between them, his hand in Hermione�s, curious as to where they were.

Molly Weasley opened the door and was about to draw Hermione into her arms in greeting when she realized Hermione was not alone. She turned her gaze to Draco and then back to Hermione, speechless.

She looked down and found an angelic face looking back up at her.

�Hermione, dear, we�ve been expecting you. Your letter left us all wondering what you could possibly want to tell us,� she said cautiously, her eyes not leaving Draco�s.

He was enjoying the staring contest with the plump red-head. He always won staring contests. Always.

�I�d like to introduce you to Draco Malfoy and his son, Zane,� Hermione said, already wishing this was over.

Molly blinked and Draco smiled politely (he was actually smiling at his staring contest victory, but what she didn�t know wouldn�t hurt her). He extended his hand and was surprised that she gave him a firm handshake.

�Hello, Mr. Malfoy,� she said shortly. She looked down at the boy, who was still staring up at her with wide eyes. �Hello, Zane.�

�Hi,� Zane said, before Draco had a chance to anything. �Your hair is pretty. It�s orange.�

�What a nice thing to say,� she said, warming towards the young child. �Thank you.�

�Wolf�s mummy had yellow hair!� he told her. �My daddy says I have dirty-blond hair, but my hair is not dirty because I take a bath all the time at night.�

Molly nodded with a small smile. She looked back up at Draco and then back at Hermione. �Please, come in. I�m guessing your news has to do with Mr. Malfoy and his son?�

�Yes, actually,� Hermione said, clearing her throat.

The three of them followed Mrs. Weasley towards the living room that was filled with red-heads and other assorted non-red-heads.

�ZANE!� Wolf�s voice shouted the instant they appeared in the doorway.

The two boys met in the middle of the living room and hugged and instantly began talking about everything that had ever existed in the universe.

�What the hell is he doing here?� Ron�s voice cut through the high-pitched babbling of the two little boys.

He was staring, glaring, and pulverizing Draco with a single gaze.

Wolf and Zane gasped at the naughty word used and began giggling.

Hermione sent Ron her own glare before turning to the boys. �Boys, why don�t you two go play outside?�

They nodded at her and before they left, Hermione heard the words that would jump-start the impending f�te.

�Miss Her-mi-one is my new mummy, Wolf!� Zane said as the two of them reached the door.

They didn�t hear Wolf�s response. They did hear a horribly wonderful, tense silence envelop the entire room. Hermione and Draco stood in the doorway facing everyone.

I wonder how long it will take to dig a hole, lie in it, and then die from mortification�

Hermione bit her lip, by the end of the day, she�d be lucky if her lower lip was still there.

The entire Weasley family, minus Bill, Charlie, Percy and George (who was on his honeymoon) sat around the living room. Tonks and Remus were also there, sitting next to each other. On their other side, stood Harry.

Before the apocalypse could begin, the back door opened and Donny�s sunny voice filled the room.

�God, so sorry I�m late!� she said, removing her cloak as she walked in. She froze at the sight of Hermione and Draco and the obvious hate emanating throughout the room.

�Mr. Malfoy! What on earth brings you here?� she asked. "You look fab in the suit, by the way."

�Thank you for the segue to our discussion,� Hermione said, smiling at her co-worker. �I�m just going to come right out and say this, then.�

�Why is that bastard still standing in my home?� Ron asked, his teeth gritted.

�Last time I checked, Ron, you lived in a flat near the Cannons� training camp,� Hermione said. �Your mother invited us in and I do believe she has the authority to refuse admittance to anyone, should she choose to do so.�

Draco stood straight, his posture rivaling ancient European royalty, radiating a confidence and pride unmatched by any human present.

�You�re taking too long,� he muttered to Hermione. He looked straight at everyone, meeting all of their gazes. �I have asked Hermione to marry me and she has accepted my proposal. I believe congratulations are in order.�

Stunned silence and a shrill squeal met their ears. Donny barreled at Hermione at a dangerous rate. �You absolute wench! Why didn�t you tell me you were dating him?!� she laughed, hugging her friend close. �You�re going to marry him?! Good God, why have you been keeping this such a secret?�

�Why is he still here?� Ron asked, acting as if the announcement hadn�t just happened.

Hermione untangled herself from Donny�s grasp and took a deep breath. �Draco is right. We have been dating and we just left my parents� house where he asked for my hand in marriage.�

�Wow, this is awkward,� Fred said, leaning on the back of the couch, a goofy smile on his face. �How�s the ferret in bed?�

�Fred!� Molly scolded, her cheeks near crimson.

Hermione felt a sudden surge of anger. This was clearly humiliating enough without all of their inane comments and questions. God only knew what possessed her to utter her next words.

�He�s fabulous in bed, thank you for asking,� she said coolly. �I�m sure he�d be happy to teach you a thing or two.�

Holy shit� she just defended my sex-skills. Wait� we haven�t had sex. What just happened?

Remus coughed into his fist, clearly hiding a laugh. You could take the man away from the Marauders, but you�d be hard-pressed to take the Marauder away from the man. �If you are happy with this union, Hermione, and as I care for you significantly, I am happy for you. I trust your judgment greatly and if you have judged Mr. Malfoy�s character to such a positive point that you wish to marry him, then I do not see why anyone should object.�

Hermione felt tears flood her eyes. She smiled at her old professor, a man who had been a mentor to her over the years. �Thank you, Remus. Your approval means a great deal to me.�

�This is all so sudden,� Mr. Weasley said quietly. �Are you really going to marry him? After all the negative things that have taken place between the two of you?�

�I�ve forgiven and forgotten,� kind of, �and if I can forget all those things, can I hope that you all will, too?�

�Yeah, bloody right,� Ron muttered, still glaring at the tall, blond rogue.

�Have you two set a date?� Tonks asked, snatching her gaze from Harry, whose face was completely void of any emotion.

�Next Wednesday,� Hermione said quietly.

�How on earth am I supposed to lose weight to fit in a skanky new dress by next Wednesday?� Donny asked, aghast. �You�re really going to marry in less than a week?�

Hermione and Draco nodded.

�How could you do this to us, Hermione?� Harry�s soft voice suddenly said.

She looked at him and saw the hurt in his startling green eyes. �Harry, I�m not doing this to anyone. I�m marrying Draco because I want to and I know this is sudden and I wasn�t expecting anyone to be very happy� that�s why I�ve kept it a secret for so long. I�d really like it if all of you came to my wedding.�

�Don�t save me a seat,� Ron said. He got up and stalked out of the room, slamming whatever door he exited from.

Hermione looked down when she felt warm hands on hers. She realized she had been digging her nails into her palm and instantly unclenched her fist as Draco�s touch relaxed her. She looked up at him and he smiled softly at her.

�Dear, if you�re happy and if you love him, then I support you and I�d love to come to the wedding,� Molly said. �I have never known you to make poor decisions. You�re the brightest witch of our age, for heaven�s sake!�

More agreements came from Tonks, Mr. Weasley and Fred. Donny was already writing down ideas into a notepad she carried around with her, muttering things like �ivory,� and �tulips� and �bikini wax.�

Harry just shook his head and left the room.

Remus watched him walk away and turned to Hermione. �Hermione, you must give those two a bit of time. This has come as a great shock to them and please don�t let them upset you. This should be a time for merriment as your wedding is coming up.�

Hermione nodded and thanked him again. She thanked everyone and after answering a few questions from Tonks and Molly, and about a trillion questions from Donny, she told Draco it was time to leave.

He left her in the living room after telling her that he was going to go fetch the boys from outside.

He made a detour, though. He followed the path that Ron and Harry had taken and found them standing in the kitchen, talking in low tones.

They looked up when he entered and Ron withdrew his wand. Draco rolled his eyes and let the door close behind him. �Put your wand away, Weasley. Don�t you think it�s about time you grew up?�

�Don�t you think it�s about time you got the hell out of my house?�

�No, I don�t believe so,� Draco replied calmly. �I know you don�t much care for my presence as I also despise looking at the two of you for prolonged periods of time, but I find it my duty to at least play nice. I am marrying Hermione whether the two of you approve or not. She is my fianc�e and I want to extend a peace offering toward the people she claims are her best friends.�

�Peace offering?� Harry asked slowly.

�Yes, I hereby apologize for any insults, fights, arguments, spells, hexes, etc. that were applied to you with a malicious intent by me.�

�You�re actually apologizing?� Ron asked, a dumbfounded look on his face.

�Yes, it�s something mature people do,� Draco said.

Ron narrowed his eyes at him.

�You? Mature?�

�I know, I�m shocked, too,� Draco replied, looking at his nails in a bored manner. �Are you going to accept the apology or can I leave now?�

�I accept,� Harry said, surprisingly. �I hate you, Malfoy. I don�t think I could ever stop hating you. But, I trust Hermione and she�s like family to me. If she loves you, then I�ll be civil to you for her sake. If you so much as hurt her even the tiniest bit, I�ll make her a widow without a single regret.�

Draco bowed his head slightly. �Consider me warned.� And shaking in my fucking boots� pussy.

Ron mumbled something incoherent as Draco and Harry shook hands and assessed each other in the same way male animals compare tusks and horns and wieners (the human animals, of course).

�I�m going to take your unintelligible grunt as acceptance of my apology,� Draco said to Ron.

Ron glared at him some more. It was turning into a pastime.

�I expect you two to be at the wedding,� Draco said. �I counter your warning, Potter and please heed it. If either of you two hurt my fianc�e with your petty attitudes, then you�ll surely rue your actions.�

He turned and left the two witless monkeys to whatever they did when they were alone.

�Oh, and don�t tell Hermione about our little chat.�

-----------------------------------------

Carrying a sleeping Zane, who hadn�t taken his afternoon nap, Draco waited for Hermione to unlock the door to her flat. She was visibly exhausted: emotionally and physically.

�Thank you for everything, today,� he whispered.

She looked at him as the door opened and stood watching his face for a second. �You can stop thanking me, you know. I�m glad I can help.�

�Well, the hard part is over. We�ve told almost everyone� it went a lot better than I had expected.�

She nodded and smiled. �Yes, I expected tears and maybe a few hexes.�

�Well, you�re fortunate then, to have such understanding friends,� he said. He shifted Zane in his arms. �My arm is falling asleep, so I�ll get going now. See you tomorrow?�

She nodded and watched him walk down the hallway of her building. When she finally stepped inside her flat, she realized that she had tears in her eyes. From what? She had no damned idea.

Maybe it was the realization that she hadn�t fought with him on a monumental level after having spent almost the entire day with him. Maybe it was the emotional strain of lying to the people she loved. Maybe it was because she was tired and had come to the conclusion that Draco Malfoy wasn�t such a bad guy after all. In fact, he was a very nice one when he chose to be.

He had magicked the ring off of her finger before they had gotten to her parents' house. He had given them the illusion that he was asking for their permission, to get on their good sides and give them a chance of participation in the upcoming nuptials.

He had given her the smallest comforting gestures at the times when she felt ready to burst into tears in front of everyone. He had thanked her more times than was healthy and he had felt remorse for making her lie to everyone.

Damn him. He was ruining the safe hatred they had established between them so many years ago� he was making it harder and harder for her to loathe him. Now, it was down to a subtle contempt and dislike.

Hermione took a deep breath and closed her eyes.

Just six more months and this will all be over�.

Just six more months�
- 6
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A Wonderful Caricature of Intimacy