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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
- 7
- 8
- 9
Disclaimer: All Harry Potter related characters, places and themes belong to J.K. Rowling, Bloomsbury and Scholastic.

A/N: Thank you all for the lovely reviews! The chapter title comes from the song, �The Sun� by Maroon 5.

Chapter 8: Hate to Love and Love to Hate Her
Donny watched as Wolf and Zane stood against the back wall of the classroom, their noses touching the wall and their hands behind their backs. They had been put into time-out for putting earthworms in Angie�s hair.

�Now, are you boys ready to apologize?� Hermione asked, her arms across her chest in a very strict schoolmarm pose.

They nodded, their faces still turned to the wall.

�Go and tell Angie you are very sorry and then I want you two to sit out for center-time,� she said.

Donny smiled as Hermione approached her after Wolf and Zane had gone to Angie and apologized in mumbles and grumbles.

�A bit harsh, don�t you think? No center-time� that�s the best part of the whole day!� Donny laughed, folding her legs beneath her.

�Those boys will be the death of me,� Hermione sighed. �With Zane�s intellect and Wolf�s Marauder genes� well, I hope I make it to the end of the year.�

Donny smiled and then turned very serious. �Ok, I can�t avoid the subject any longer. Now, why on earth didn�t you tell me you were dating the hottie? I thought we were friends.�

Hermione shrugged and tried to pull off a sheepish smile. �It was just a spontaneous thing, us getting together. I guess we didn�t want to jinx it.� Is the lying getting easier? I�m going to be reincarnated into hemorrhoid cream. No, I�m just going to hell� or whatever happens to evil witches when they die.

�But I seriously thought you two hated each other,� Donny said, her dark eyebrows furrowed over her bright blue eyes.

�We do, I mean, we did,� Hermione correctly amended. �But I, um, guess that added to the� passion.�

Donny�s eyes brightened considerably and she smiled like a Cheshire. �I bet! God, you two must be explosive together!�

Oh, God� get the image out of my head! Hermione smiled wanly, trying to keep her brain from being disloyal by not thinking of how hot a roll in the sack with Draco would be. An explosive argument, definitely. Explosive sex? HA!

�Please, tell me. I�m going through such a horrid dry spell. How is he?� Donny pleaded.

�He�s fine. He�s at work right now.�

�No, Hermione. How is he in bed?�

Hermione felt her face warm in embarrassment and shock. �He�s fine. He�s at work right now,� she repeated.

Donny laughed and sat forward in her chair, elbows on her folded knees. �Fine, fine. I won�t pry. But, wow. I still can�t believe it!�

�Neither can I,� Hermione said truthfully.

�Have you picked out your dress, yet?�

�No,� Hermione said slowly, watching Zane and Wolf sit at their desks, their hands folded innocently as they watched the other children at their centers.

�What in blazes are you waiting for? The wedding is on Saturday! Today is Monday. That�s five days!�

�Yes, I know. How hard is it to pick out a wedding dress?�

�It�s only one of the most important decisions of your life,� Donny scoffed.

�I can think of an infinite number of other more important things. I�ll go pick out something tomorrow. Do you want to help me?�

�Duh.�

Hermione rubbed her hands across her eyes.

�Tired?� Donny asked, pulling out her wand to stop Wolf from creeping out of his chair. Zane gave him a �good effort� shrug.

�Anxious mostly,� Hermione said. �Worried about Harry and Ron. They haven�t spoken to me since this weekend.�

�They�ll eventually come to terms with all of this. But I only say that because I didn�t go to school with you. I don�t think I�ve ever hated anyone before to understand how those two are feeling.�

�You�ve never hated anyone before?� Hermione asked.

Donny thought for a moment. �Nope. I don�t think so.�

Hermione actually believed her. Donny was much too carefree and loving to ever go down to the base level of loathing. An evil idea struck her.

�Did you read the article in Quidditch Weekly about Oliver Wood�s new girlfriend?� Hermione asked.

Donny�s jaw immediately clenched. �What?� she asked in a lethal whisper.

�Oh, yeah. I was reading that he�s been seen around Aberdeen with this Swedish supermodel he met at a game. Gorgeous girl, legs from here to Stockholm and the biggest chest I�ve ever seen.�

�Who is she?� Donny asked, her teeth gritted and her blue eyes burning near navy.

�Annika something�� Hermione said, her lips tensing in the effort to not smile.

�I�ll kill her,� she said slowly. �Stupid whore, I hate her.�

�Ah, so you do have the ability to hate.�

Donny quickly glanced at Hermione. �You set me up! God, Hermione, don�t ever do that again! That was an awful, mean thing and I do not forgive you.�

Hermione held her side as she laughed quietly. �Oh, Don� I love you to pieces. I�m sorry.�

�Not forgiven,� Donny said, although her smile betrayed her.

�So, tell me,� Hermione said, ignoring the playful glare aimed at her. �How are you going to end your dry spell? Let�s think for a minute that maybe Oliver Wood won�t sweep you off on his broom to elope in Gretna Green. Are you going to bring a date to the wedding?�

Donny bit her lip and sighed. �Am I that pathetic?�

�You�re not pathetic, Donny. You�re just a dreamer and I want to see you happy.�

�I just wish I could meet him. Just once,� she said and sighed again. �You�re right, Hermione. I need to stop dreaming and get a real life. Know any single guys?�

Hermione smiled brightly and put her arm around her petite friend. �We�ll find someone for you. Any guy would be lucky to have you.�

Donny smiled and pulled out her wand again to ring the bell that would end center-time for the younger children and bring the older children inside from their recess.

Wolf and Zane ran up to the two teachers and gave them their best smiles. �We�re sorry, mummy,� Zane said, acting as diplomat. �We�ll be good now.�

Hermione smiled tightly and nodded for the boys to join their classmates for lunch.

�I love how he calls you that,� Donny said dreamily. �But, you know� I still don�t know anything about his real mum.�

�Oh, she�s ghastly. Horrid, wretched woman,� Hermione said, surprised at how much she hated Pansy. She barely knew her, yet hated her for how she had treated her son and how she now wished to use him to rob his father blind.

Hermione began to explain to Donny about Pansy and the circumstances of the witch�s marriage to Draco.

�Poor Draco. Imagine being married to someone you can�t stand,� Donny said.

Hermione didn�t say anything, allowing the irony of Donny�s statement to settle in the air around them. She didn�t have to imagine being married to someone she couldn�t stand. Despite the distilled hatred, she still didn�t like Draco, and her head hurt thinking that in just a few short days, she would be married to him.

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

Draco looked up from the soapy water, draining slowly from the tub. Zane was standing with a large, white towel wrapped around his tiny frame several times. He shivered and blinked away the water dripping in his eyes.

Draco nearly jumped when a soft feminine voice sounded from behind him. �Come on, Zane, let�s get you dried and dressed.�

He watched his son walk away with his soon-to-be wife. She had brought Zane home from school and he had begged her to stay until bedtime. She couldn�t resist the boy�s wide eyes and pleading pout. Weakling, Draco had thought.

He wasn�t used to the sound of a woman in the house. Pansy didn�t count because her voice had had the cigarette-abused tone of a gutted boar.

He sighed and stood up from his kneeling position beside the tub, wiping up the floor using his wand.

Following the sound of giggles and Hermione�s laugh, he found himself leaning against the doorway to Zane�s room, watching as Hermione inched her fingers down Zane�s chest and tickled him as she reached his stomach. Once Zane had straightened after laughing, she swiftly pulled down the pyjama top over his head.

�All done!� she announced, brushing the few unruly strands of damp hair from Zane�s forehead.

Seeing how small Zane was, shorter than even a kneeling Hermione, Draco realized that his son was still so young, having just finished his toddler years. As fast as he grew, it was moments like these that reminded Draco of the innocence and purity of his child.

�Daddy! Look, all done!� Zane said happily.

Hermione looked over her shoulder at Draco and stood up.

�Thank you,� he said quietly to her.

She gave him a curious look and turned back to Zane. �I�m sorry, sweetheart, but I can�t stay much longer. I�ll see you bright and early at school?�

Zane nodded and jumped into his green bed, pouncing on Rosie the dinosaur with a growl and squeaky roar. �Goodnight mummy!�

She smiled and walked towards the door where Draco was standing. She motioned for him to follow her.

�I�ll be right back to read you a story, Z,� he told Zane who was whispering something in the dinosaur�s ear.

He followed Hermione to the kitchen where she paced in front of the sink.

�You can�t keep thanking me for doing things for Zane that a mother should do,� she said, keeping her voice light and not at all accusatory. �Remember, this is a real marriage in every sense.�

Draco shrugged and took a seat at the breakfast table. �We�re not married yet.�

�But we will be and Zane has to get used to it.�

�It seems he already has,� Draco said more sharply than he intended.

�What�s your problem?� Hermione asked, pausing in her pacing to turn to him.

�Nothing. I don�t have a problem.�

�Are you feeling resentment towards me because Zane has developed affection for me?� she guessed.

Draco scowled at her. �Are you suggesting that I�m jealous of you?�

�Not jealous, just paternal. You have loved Zane for so long and so much that you obviously wouldn�t just take it well that I come in and your son immediately comes to trust me.�

�I�m taking it fine,� he said through gritted teeth.

�Forget it,� Hermione sighed. �Forget I mentioned anything. I need to head home and floo Donny.�

�About what?� Draco asked.

�Where we�re going to hold the wedding on such short notice.�

�At the manor,� he said, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

She gave him an incredulous look. �Um, no.�

�Why not? My parents have already offered and insisted that we hold it there.�

She tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear. �It�s going to be uncomfortable for my guests to be at the manor��

�It�s going to be uncomfortable for them wherever we are!� Draco spat. �You�re marrying me, remember?�

�Keep your voice down,� she hissed.

�Don�t tell me what to do,� he hissed back.

Goodness, grow the hell up!

�We�re not getting married at the manor.�

�Yes, we are,� Draco said. �I�ve already told your father.�

�What?�

�I told your father that the wedding will be at the manor. Now, he doesn�t have to pay for a short-notice location. I�ve just saved him money he didn�t need to spend.�

Hermione gaped at him.

�I know we didn�t give your parents much time to settle a budget for the wedding, so I thought it best if we made it as easy as possible. I know you�re a proud person and as it�s custom for the bride�s family to pay for the wedding, I asked my parents not to pay for it, as they had wanted to do in the first place. They thought that as you�re doing us a favor that we should pay for everything, but since we want everyone to believe the lie, I�m going to allow your father to pay and when we divorce, I�ll pay him back without him knowing.�

�How do you do that?� she asked after a moment of staring at him.

�How do I do what?�

�Go from incredibly annoying to halfway decent in the blink of an eye,� she specified.

He rolled his eyes. �I practice in the mirror before I go to sleep.�

She frowned at him and shook her head. �Thank you, by the way, for thinking of my parents.�

He stayed quiet and got up from the table. �Have you eaten?�

She shook her head and watched him walk back out to the hallway where the two bedrooms were located. He peeked into Zane�s room and closed the door quietly.

�He fell asleep,� he told her.

�Well, he did have a tiring day of driving me crazy,� she smiled. �He and Wolf are a force to be reckoned with.�

�He�s a great son, taking up my job of driving you crazy while I�m not there,� Draco smiled coyly.

Hermione laughed quietly and shook her head as she sat at the table. �Can you cook?�

�Depends on what you want to eat,� he replied, sticking his head into the pantry. �I�m a gourmet toast and jam chef. Let�s not forget my wicked frozen chips skills.�

Hermione laughed again, unable to stop herself. �Good thing you�re gaining a wife who can cook a decent meal. Poor Zane.�

�Yeah, yeah, poor Zane. He loves my cooking,� Draco said, giving up his culinary search and taking the seat across from her.

�He�s four. The other day he and Wolf put cheese on their chocolate biscuits. They ate nearly five each,� she said. �Their food preferences aren�t very refined.�

Draco grimaced and chuckled quietly. �You mean to tell me you�ve never had a choco-cheese biscuit? They�re tres magnifique!�

She pretended to gag.

�When did you learn how to cook?� he asked.

�I read a few cookbooks and took a cooking class while I was saving up to open the school,� she explained.

�Oh, that�s right. I forgot that annoying tendency of yours where you memorize every word you read and perfect every skill known to man,� Draco said with a bored look.

�I�ll take that as a compliment,� Hermione said with a triumphant smirk. �I can make us something right now. You can test out your future bride�s cooking skills.�

�Fine. Use whatever you want and don�t worry about a mess, I can clean up later,� he said, exiting the kitchen.

She watched him walk out, his legs nicely defined by his khakis. She shook her head quickly, taking out the image of his strong legs from her stupid, dirty, perverted mind. Weren�t only men supposed to check out women?

She turned to the kitchen and set out to make dinner for two, promising to floo Donny after dinner.

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

�How is it?� Hermione asked, for some reason nervous of his answer.

�It�s very good, thank you,� Draco replied, taking another bite of the roast beef au jus. �I didn�t even know I had a roast beef in the freezer.�

�It was in the back. I had to use four spells to finally defrost it,� she replied, taking a sip of the white wine Draco had found hidden in the pantry. �So, you really like it?�

He looked at her for a second and then nodded.

She expelled a breath she didn�t know she was holding and fingered the rim of her wine-glass. �I have a question.�

There�s a fuckin� surprise.

�Yes?�

�I noticed that you only have two bedrooms here. One for you and one for Zane,� she said so quietly that he had to lean towards her to hear.

�Your point?�

�Where am I going to sleep?�

Draco dropped his fork to the table and rubbed his face with his hands. �To tell you the truth, I haven�t even thought of that.�

�I was thinking�� she started to say, her nails on one hand drumming the surface of the table. �Well, the DMPs will be checking the house and everything and of course they�ll look in your bedroom, so I thought that we could have two separate beds in there, because, obviously, I can�t sleep with Zane and then when the DMPs come around, we can fuse the two beds together using a sticking spell I learned. That way, it�ll look like we sleep together� I mean, sleep in the same bed� she quickly corrected, turning as pink as her nails.,

Draco watched her fingers tap on the table, the hypnotizing sound and movement throwing him off. �Ok.�

�That is, if you don�t mind. I know you might want some privacy� I don�t take up a lot of room��

�No, it�s a good plan. I have two dressers and I can empty one out for you. My closet is big enough to move my clothes over and have room for yours. The bathroom was built for two people� it�ll be fine.�

�Ok,� she said, expelling another pent-up breath. �That was easy.�

He gave her a half-smile and poked at his food, his appetite gone. They stayed silent for a moment, neither of them really having much to say to the other.

�Are you having any qualms or maybe doubts?� she asked after a few minutes had passed.

Draco looked up at her and shook his head slowly. �No, are you?�

She shook her head. �I should go, though. I still have a lot to do and Donny will probably have an apoplexy if I don�t floo her soon.�

He nodded and stood up to lead her out, helping her with her cloak, the way a gentleman should. She gave him a small smile before she walked out of the door, leaving behind the awkwardness that had seemed to envelop them from all sides.

It was strange� they were both trying really hard to be well-mannered with each other. They had several years of loathing in their past that was making the transition exceedingly difficult. Any wrong word or gesture could turn into an argument, no matter how civil they tried to be. The whole marriage situation between them was so unlikely and improbable, that they wondered how anyone believed them.

Gullible idiots�

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

Hermione stood by the window of the guest room at the Malfoy manor, concentrating on inhaling and exhaling and not hyperventilating at the sight of the gardens of the manor decked out in ivory, eggshell, cream, seashell, alabaster, pearl and arctic white.

Draco stood on the balcony of his childhood room� suite� and looked to the garden directly to his left. It looked like a blizzard had run through and spared nothing. Everything was white. Donny might have told him something in passing about the varying shades that were definitely not white� but hell, it was all fucking white. Eggshell-white, my ass.

His attention was drawn to the window on the opposite wing of the house. He saw a figure hidden behind the lace shades� a feminine figure� cripes; it was Hermione, with the tempting body she hid beneath robes and teacher-couture.

He couldn�t see very clearly from his position, but the silhouette of her slim waist and healthy hips couldn�t be mistaken. She had the figure of a woman born to attract virile men; the evolutionary attraction that kept the human race going.

She retreated farther into the room, eliminating Draco�s view. He looked back out to the grounds and felt his fingers grip the concrete balustrade harder. He was �getting married� in an hour and his head hurt.

The door slamming behind him didn�t help matters.

Blaise, dressed in his finest dress-robes, looked half-bemused, half-confused, and half-amused. �Thanks for the warning in advance, you great twit.�

�Warning?� Draco asked slowly, folding his arms over his chest as he watched his friend walk into the room.

�You�re marrying Granger?� Blaise asked. �Your invitation had me wondering if you were playing some enormous prank on me. When your mother owled me this morning, inquiring as to my attendance, well� I had to come see it to believe it.�

Draco rubbed the back of his neck. �My apologies on forgetting to tell you about it. It was a spontaneous thing.�

�Spontaneous? You think this is spontaneous? Farts and quickies are spontaneous� marriage is so far from being spontaneous that it�s whatever the antonym of spontaneous is!�

Draco shrugged and stayed quiet.

�You�re not marrying her because of the custody battle, are you?� Blaise asked, rubbing the goatee on his chin.

�No, of course not,� Draco replied, acting as affronted as he possibly could.

�You really love her?�

�Yes.�

�How long have you two been an item?�

�Several weeks now.�

�When you came to talk to me about Zane�s custody case, you told me you weren�t seeing anybody.�

�It was a bit difficult to admit to you that I was seeing her. We wanted to keep it a secret,� Draco replied.

Blaise nodded unhurriedly. �I can�t believe it� the mudblood?�

�I�d appreciate it, Zabini, if you refrained from calling my bride that intolerable word. I stopped using it ages ago and I think you should as well. You�re Zane�s godfather and he doesn�t need that influence.�

�Fine, don�t get your thong in a twist,� Blaise said, putting his hands up in defense. �I just can�t understand how you ended up with her. If I remember correctly, you hated her with a passion unmatched back in school.�

�Things change.�

�Yeah, they do,� Blaise laughed. �I�m surprised your father isn�t lying in the fetal position, clutching his Voldemort doll and wishing away all the Weasleys that are currently in his gardens.�

Draco smiled slightly and couldn�t help but laugh. �They�re Hermione�s friends and family. We must get along with them.�

�We? Hell no, Draco. You must get along with them. I�ll just walk around and try not to stand too close to any of them. According to reliable sources, I heard their house smells like poopy.�

�I see you�ve spoken with Zane,� Draco said, walking to the mirror and adjusting the light grey tie around his neck. He looked like a candle-stick holder in the grey dress-robes and with his shocking white-blond hair uncharacteristically falling into his eyes, he looked like the candle as well.

�Does Zane like her?� Blaise asked, picking up an old Quidditch magazine from the bedside table near Draco�s childhood bed.

�I think he likes her more than I do.�

Ain�t that the goddamn truth�

�That�s good, mate. He deserves a mother who knows which end the diaper goes on. Remember the time you left Zane with Pansy for thirty minutes and we came back to find his head covered in baby powder, his diaper flung halfway across the room, and Pansy crying as she held him an arm�s length away from her.�

�He was nine months old, right?� Draco sighed, smiling at the memory.

�I think so, yeah. God, I�ve never laughed so hard in my life. I don�t think I�ll ever forget that image.�

�What image?� Donny asked from the doorway, looking remarkably like a tiny fairy in her light pink and cerulean dress.

�Nothing, Donny,� Draco said, turning away from the mirror.

He introduced his Blaise to his soon-to-be crazy-friend-in-law. �Are you here to fetch the groom?�

�Yes,� Donny nodded excitedly. �Everything is ready and oh, God, Hermione looks absolutely super, fabulous, bravura, fantastic! Ah! I cried for a good ten minutes once she had gotten into her dress. And you look so handsome, Draco. The color matches your eyes and I saw Zane and Wolf running around here in their little black tuxedo-robes, scratching and trying to unknot the ties. AH! I�m so happy!�

�Are you finished?� Draco asked, blinking rapidly at the amount of giddiness attacking him.

�Don�t be mean,� Donny said, sticking her tongue out at him. �I�m delaying you, but seriously, hurry your pureblooded butt up and get down to the gardens. The Ministry official is already here and has all the papers and Oh! Goodness, you never told me your dad was such a babe, Draco� I mean, he gave me this look that was so spiteful and cold, but hot damn, he looks a sight in those dark green robes� and your mother? Good God, was she a supermodel? No, is she a supermodel? I�d absolutely kill for her body and that hair?! It�s so��

�Ok, thanks, Donny. I�ll see you downstairs,� Draco said, physically pushing the babbling teacher out of the room.

He turned to Blaise, who was holding his sides in silent laughter. �She�ll be my son�s teacher in a few years. I can�t wait,� Draco said dryly.

�If those two had a conversation, it would go on for years,� Blaise said, swiping at his dark eyes. �Goodness, this is going to be a fun wedding.�

�Yeah, tons and oodles of fun,� Draco replied. �Let�s get this over with.�

Blaise didn�t miss Draco�s exhausted tone.

�Second thoughts?�

Draco�s eyes widened. �No, no, not at all� I just want this all done with so that I can� uh, get to the wedding night faster.�

Blaise smirked. �So is the bookworm a timid doe in the bed? Or a firecracker?�

Timid doe? Blaise, you�re a fucking idiot.

�She�s wonderful, now let�s go,� Draco hurriedly said.

The two of them walked through the massive corridor down to the foyer, with Draco trying to ignore the annoying metaphors Blaise kept coming up with. Once outside, Draco was attacked by a tiny blur of black, clinging to his legs.

�Daddy! My clothes are itchy!� Zane said happily. �But Gamma says I look handsome just like you and that today is a very special day. Did you see mummy?�

Draco shook his head and picked up his son.

�She looks so beautiful and Miss Donny is also so beautiful in her pretty dress and Gamma looks beautiful and Wolf and me look handsome and you look handsome, Daddy, and Unca Blaise looks handsome and Miss Donny said Gampa is a babe. Does that mean he is a baby?�

Blaise laughed and held out his arms for Zane to jump into.

Draco thanked his friend for distracting his son and walked towards the long front-table, where his and Hermione�s parents sat. The Ministry official stood in the middle, one seat on either side of him empty, for Draco and Hermione.

He passed by his parents� acquaintances, a bunch of redheads, other people he didn�t care to look at and finally he reached the front-table. He shook hands with the Ministry representative who would oversee the signing of their marriage certificate.

He took the empty seat to the left of the representative and gave his mother a small smile. She patted his hand and then turned to Annabel Granger on her other side to whisper something in her ear. It seemed they were getting along fine.

Lucius, on the other hand� it looked like he was in pain. Draco had to give him credit, though. He was conversing with Thomas Granger, and not even condescendingly. It was a major breakthrough.

�She�s a vision� I swear it,� Narcissa breathed, looking off towards the manor.

Draco looked in the direction that she was staring and had to stop himself from dropping his jaw and blinking like an epileptic sufferer.

Who knew that the simplest white dress could look so magnificent on a girl he had thought to be so plain? She wasn�t smiling, but she wasn�t frowning. She was ethereal and proud, remembering at the last second to smile at her friends and various family members scattered throughout the garden as they complimented her and wished her happiness.

She stopped in front of Harry and Ron, who she hadn�t expected to be there. Draco could see the confused happiness on her face. She was one hell of an actress�

She hugged them and talked to them quietly, her bright-red lips moving slowly and curving into a thankful smile.

She looked up at him then and pursed her lips in a soft air-kiss.

Oh, that�s right� we�re in love.

He smiled back at her and was surprised to find that his cheeks weren�t hurting the way they did when he usually gave her one of his mastered faux-smiles.

He watched as she knelt down beside Wolf and Zane and listened intently as they described how itchy their tux-robes were. Zane gave her a hug and she kissed his cheek, leaving red lip-marks on his cheek. Wolf received a similar make-up tattoo on his cheek.

And finally� she was standing next to Draco, looking as if she wasn�t about to commit a huge farce in front of everyone that was important to her. She looked happy. She looked like she had accepted the inevitable. She looked bloody gorgeous.

Draco wouldn�t have been able to describe her dress if he tried, but he knew that it looked amazing on her. It hugged her waist, hugged her hips, hugged her chest and flowed to the ground in soft pleats. Two lace straps wrapped around her shoulders to create a support and Draco�s mind did an awful thing by trying to figure out how long it would take to remove the dress so that he could�

Bad brain! Stop that!

She took the seat he had pulled out for her and looked lovingly at him. He picked up her hand and kissed the back of it, giving the crowd the show they had come to see.

------

Hermione had that damned reaction where her hand seemed to tingle after his stupid lips pressed themselves to her skin. She gave him a smile and watched him take a seat on her other side, the Ministry representative standing between them. Her father sat on her other side and he leaned over to give her an encouraging hug.

Draco still hadn�t said anything to her. She hoped she didn�t look terrible in the dress Donny had cried over. She had to admit though, she felt very nice in the dress and matching veil that rested in her tamed curls.

Why was Draco looking at her as if she was a difficult homework problem he didn�t know how to solve? Why did he look hungry? Did he not eat breakfast?

The representative gathered everyone�s attention and he was soon waxing poetic over the virtues and splendor of the sacred union of matrimony. He said a bunch of things that Hermione tuned out, her eyes drifting to the built figure of her future husband in his flattering, grey dress robes. His eyes stood out, bright and studious, looking out at the guests and occasionally looking back at her.

�These two come together with the utmost love and respect. Combining their adoration into a union of wedded bliss of which we all strive for��

Hermione was hearing what the representative was saying, but she wasn�t exactly listening. Her stomach was doing strange things and her fingers felt cold� and shaky.

Draco reached under the table and placed his warm hand on top of hers. She looked at him for a moment and wondered where he stashed his bastard altar-ego and why he was being so compassionate.

Oh, that�s right... we�re in love.

�If there is anyone present who has any such aversion to this couple�s marriage, who has just and reasonable evidence against their union, may he speak now or forever bite his tongue�.�

Draco and Hermione looked at each other and then back at the guests. It would take only one idiot to put a stop to the whole process.

They held their breaths as the representative waited the required fifteen seconds.

Fifteen seconds of agonizing patience...
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A Wonderful Caricature of Intimacy