This is my first fic for this pairing, just a random plot bunny that refused to stop eating the carrots of my mind until I wrote it down.
"Draco, you have to come with me!" Pansy wailed.
"Can't you stand up to your parents by yourself, I have a date," he complained.
"Your date isn't till this evening," she pointed out. "Please, they won't take me seriously if you're not there."
"Look, just tell them they we won't ever marry – it's not hard."
"I have to be engaged by graduation, dimwit," she said. "Or I die."
"Well, you shouldn't have made the Unbreakable Vow," he said, annoyed.
"I was five! I didn't know what it was!" she protested. "Besides, I always thought I'd be engaged by then anyway."
"I have a date to get ready for."
"Hermione won't care what you look like!"
"Fine. I'll come with you, but once we've told them, I'm leaving. I want things to be perfect tonight."
"Whipped," Pansy said with a grin.
"I'm hoping you two are here to tell you that you're engaged," Pansy's mother, Beatrice, said.
"Yes, I do hope that fling with the mudblood is over, Draco," her father, Leonis, put in. "Your father would be so disappointed in you."
Draco's clenched his fists under the table, a flicker of anger on his face. "No, I am perfectly happy with Hermione, and plan on marrying her," he said with a forced calmness.
Beatrice blanched. "Then what are you here for?"
"To inform that we shall not be getting marrying," Pansy put in.
"This is preposterous!" Leonis protested angrily.
"No, we both believe marriage should be for love. Of course, there is the slight problem with the Unbreakable Vow performed when Pansy was young..."
"Are you accusing us of...?" Beatrice started.
"It was very unfair on Pansy," Draco continued. "She wasn't old enough to understand and now she's faced with death."
"Then maybe you should save her," Leonis said, icily.
"No." Pansy said, firmly.
"Very well then, we feared this so we have compiled a list of suitable, pureblood husbands for you," her mother said with a smug smile.
Pansy eyed her mother cautiously. "Who?"
"Marcus Flint is currently not betrothed," she said.
"No!" Pansy said, horrified. While he'd turned out to be rather handsome, he definitely wasn't the kindest of people.
"Adrian Pucey," her mother continued.
"Adrian happens to be gay, he's in a relationship with Cormac McLaggen," Draco put in.
"Theodore Nott."
"He is currently courting Daphne Greengrass," Pansy said.
"I'm sure you could redirect his attentions," her mother said.
"No!" she yelled.
"Really Pansy, this is most unbecoming behaviour. You used to be perfect wife material, now you're rather outspoken," Leonis said in disappointment.
"Blame that on Hermione and Weaslette," Draco muttered.
Her father's eyes looked like they were out to pop out of his head and he turned a most unattractive shade of purple. "YOU HAVE BEEN SPENDING YOUR TIME WITH MUDBLOODS AND BLOOD TRAITORS?!" He roared.
Pansy flinched and Draco wrapped his arm around her comfortingly. "The war is over, Mr. Parkinson, people don't use such terms anymore," he reprimanded.
"That is it, Pansy you are coming home with us right now!" Her mother demanded.
"No, and I will tell you who I will marry," she said, standing up.
"Who?" asked her father with a hard glare.
"Ronald Weasley," she said with a smirk and she stalked away from the table.
There were cries of outrage from her parents and Draco choked on his Butterbeer, not even he was expecting that.
"Well, he's a pureblood – you can't complain," Draco said cordially. "Good afternoon, Mr and Mrs Parkinson," he added before following Pansy back towards Hogwarts.
He caught Pansy up to see her looking somewhat scared.
"I had no idea you and the Weasel were so close," he said with a raised eyebrow.
"We aren't! Merlin, I'm so stupid! Why did I have to say his name?"
"Graduation is two months away Pansy!"
"I know! And now I've got to convince Ronald Weasley to marry me! I can't go back on my word to my parents... they'll laugh at me, but it was the only thing I could think of that would piss them off."
"Well, you never know with Gryffindors, their self sacrificing streak may know no bounds," Draco said, guiding her towards the Eighth Years' dorm.
Only fifteen students had come back to redo their seventh year: Draco, Pansy, Blaise, Theo, and Daphne from Slytherin; Hermione, Ron, Harry, Parvati, Dean, Neville, and Seamus from Gryffindor; Hannah and Susan from Hufflepuff; and Padma from Ravenclaw.
Because of their few numbers and an attempt to rid the school of prejudice, McGonagall had decided that all Eighth Years should have their own common room and dorm where all the houses mixed together.
It had started off somewhat rough, but when the hand of friendship was extended between Hermione and Draco, everyone started to get along much better. There was an evening of madness with Ron Weasley found Hermione and Draco snogging on the sofa which almost resulted in a trip to the Hospital Wing, but it all cooled off by morning.
Draco said the password – which happened to be Vimto, a Muggle drink that Hermione was rather fond of – and entered the common room. One of the best things about it was that it included none of the Houses' colours, only neutral tones.
The 'Golden Trio' were seated around the fire talking when Draco strode over to them, pulling Pansy with him.
"Pansy did something stupid," he announced as he sat down, pulling Hermione close to him. They all turned to look at her and she found her blushing, ducking her head meekly.
"It didn't sound stupid at the time..." she muttered.
"What is it?" Hermione asked gently. "We can probably help."
Draco laughed. "Oh, she needs a lot of help from one of you."
"Shut up Draco!" Pansy snapped, pointing her wand at him. It was an empty threat as Draco was perfectly capable of blocking her hexes wandlessly.
"Tell us what's wrong, Pans," Harry said with an encouraging smile. A strange friendship had formed between the two of them. Somehow they'd ended up with a brother/sister relationship that could have been years old rather than months.
"Well... I may have... I went to see my parents about my marriage situation. I have to be engaged by graduation or I'll die as a result of an Unbreakable Vow that my parents made with me when I was five."
"Go on..." Hermione said anxiously.
"I may have told them I was planning on marrying Ron," she said hurriedly.
Ron froze, paling considerably, and Draco roared with laughter at the look of horror on his face. Pansy looked suitably ashamed of what she'd done but she couldn't fight the little bit of hurt she felt at his expression.
Draco shut up when Hermione punched his arm, wincing instead and rubbing the area where a bruise was sure to form. Pansy gave him a somewhat smug look at that.
Harry leaned over and wrapped his arms around Pansy's petite form, giving her a brotherly hug. Pansy sunk into his arms, glad that he didn't seem to be mad at her.
"Oi! Harry! I suggest you get your hands off my future fiancée," Ron announced after a minute.
They all stared at him, amazed. He stood up and offered his hand to Pansy. She was too busy ogling him in surprise to put her hand in his so he grabbed her and hauled her up into standing.
"Are you sure about this?" Pansy asked, stumbling slightly as they walked out of the common room.
"You're a friend in need," Ron said with a shrug. "It's not like spending the rest of my life with you would be a bad thing, we get along well enough."
Pansy gave a relived laugh, keeping a hold of his hand as they walked. "Thank you."
"Besides," Ron continued with a grin. "It means I can do this now," he said, pushing her up against the wall. She gasped as he pinned her hands above her head and leaned closer. She wet her lips in anticipation and he smirked, kissing her fully on the mouth.
Pansy's lips curved into a smile as she kissed him, despite their position, the kiss was still soft and gentle.
"I couldn't have asked for a more beautiful woman for my bride," Ron murmured with a grin.
Pansy laughed. "I haven't done too badly for myself either."
Ron smiled and resumed kissing her.
It was the night before graduation that he officially proposed. They'd been up late talking in the common room once everyone else had gone to bed when he'd slid off the sofa onto one knee and asked her in the simplest way with an elegant but understated ring. She'd said yes of course, and then he just resumed his earlier position with his arms around her and continued their conversation.
She thought it was perfect.
When they'd decided to turn in it was the early hours of the morning and she'd kissed him goodnight before retiring to her shared dorm. She hadn't told him that she'd spent a further hour gazing at the golden ring on her finger and sighing with happiness. Because that was girly and mushy and very un-Pansy-ish.
When she'd recounted the story to the other girls, they seemed rather disappointed at the lack of mushy romance and large rock – her ring didn't have any bling, which was fine with her.
Hermione had given Pansy a smile that said she knew exactly what Pansy meant about it being perfect. The others had got distracted from Pansy's engagement only to describe their perfect proposal which involved grand declarations of love, carnival floats, fireworks, and rose petals. She felt like saying that there was this thing called overkill.
She knew Ron hadn't done anything dramatic because he was that confident she'd say yes – not because of her forthcoming demise if she didn't – but because they loved each other. So with a snide comment about their perfect men being insecure, she left for her final breakfast at Hogwarts.
Hermione caught up with her as she left the common room with a smile. "I'm surprised Ron didn't propose while shoving food down his throat," she joked.
Pansy laughed. "I wouldn't have been surprised by that either."
"I can't believe the others, if Draco proposed to me on a carnival float I'd apparate out of there faster than you could say wedding."
"What makes you think I'm going to propose to you at all," Draco teased, slipping his arm around Hermione's shoulder.
"You think I haven't seen the 'Mrs Hermione Malfoy' in your journal?" she teased back.
Draco went red and glared at her much to Pansy's amusement. "So why are you talking about proposals?" he said, changing the topic.
"Ron proposed," Hermione said with a smile. "It sounded perfect."
"You mean he wasn't eating when he popped the question?" he asked with a mock surprised expression.
"Nope," Pansy said with a smile, waving her ringed hand in front of Draco's face. "I can't wait to see my parents' faces."
"Neither can I," Ron's voice said from behind her as she felt his familiar arms wind around her waist. "You know I'm going to snog you in front of them, right?" he murmured in her ear.
She turned in his arms and kissed him gently. "Mmhmm..." she mumbled against his lips.
"Let's go to breakfast," Draco said, pulling a face at Pansy and Ron's affections.
"Go on then," Ron muttered before planting his lips back on Pansy's.
Draco stared at Ron. He was turning down food?
"Draco," Hermione said, waving her hand in front of his face. "Come on," she said, taking his hand and leading him away from the newly-engaged couple.
When Pansy's name was called, Ron cheered louder than anyone – much to the displeasure of her parents. She smiled at Ron and blew him a kiss, showing clearly the ring that gleamed under the sun, before sending a smug look at her parents.
Once Blaise Zabini had been onto the stage, everyone began to mingle. Pansy was already at Ron's side, hugging him and congratulating him. Her parents were slowly making their way through the crowd to where Pansy was with the rest of the Eighths years with looks of barely veiled anger on their faces. Parvati nudged Pansy and nodded to her approaching parents.
Pansy sent Padma a smile, pretending not to notice her parents' arrival as she jumped up, wrapping her legs around Ron's waist and kissing him hard.
Ron chuckled, catching on to what she was doing, and returned the kiss with equal passion. His hands slid to cup her butt and he smirked at the shocked gasps that could have only come from her parents.
Pansy pulled back with swollen, red bitten lips and flushed cheeks. She grinned at her fiancée and slowly slid down to the ground. He wrapped his arm around her waist as she turned to see her parents. Her mother was so pale she looked like she was about to faint and her father... well, she'd never seen him so angry.
"Oh hello mother, father," she said with a wide smile. "Did you enjoy the show?"
The rest of the Eighth Years erupted into guffaws behind her and Ron was struggling to stifle his grin at the horrified expressions on her parents' faces.
"Pansy Parkinson! How dare you act in such an unladylike manner!" her mother screeched.
"Quite easily really, I'm not a lady after all."
"You'll be disowned if such disgraceful behaviour continues, you'll get nothing from us," her father threatened.
Pansy shrugged. "I don't need your money," she said."I've got a guaranteed job with Weasley Wizard Wheezes' and the man I love."
Ron's arm tightened around her and he kissed her head. "Well, my parents want to meet Pansy so we must go – maybe we'll see you at the wedding," he said with a pleasant smile. He guided Pansy past her blanching parents and towards his, along with the rest of his family.
Her parents were aghast as Molly Weasley pulled her future daughter-in-law into a hug, welcoming her to the family.
Ron's brothers also wrapped her in a group hug and she laughed as Ron carefully disentangled her and pulled her close to him with a possessive glare.
"Congratulations on finishing Hogwarts, dear," Molly said with a kind smile. "You too sweetheart," she added, ruffling her youngest son's hair.
"Mum," he muttered, horrified at being treated like a kid in front of his fiancée. Pansy giggled softly and kissed his cheek.
"Where are the others? We must have a photo of you all," Arthur insisted, looking around for Harry, Hermione and company.
"Hermione and Draco are talking to Narcissa," Pansy said. "Cissy is actually rather fond of Hermione."
"We must invite her over tonight then for the party," Molly said with a bright smile as she went to search for the three.
Fred and George peeled Pansy away from Ron and slung their arms around her shoulders. "Sorry Ronnikins, but we need to steal your bride-to-be to talk business," they said and guided Pansy away to a quieter part of the grounds.
Molly found Narcissa and Hermione talking by the drinks table and she approached them with a smile.
"Hello Molly," Hermione said with a smile, "this is Narcissa Malfoy. Cissy, this is Molly Weasley," she said, introducing them formally.
"It's nice to meet you," Narcissa said with a small, somewhat tense smile. This was the woman who killed her sister after all, even if Bella wasn't the greatest of sisters.
"I was hoping to extend an invitation for you to join us for dinner tonight," Molly said.
Narcissa's smile became less tense. "I don't know if Draco would appreciate my presence," she half joked.
"He won't mind, he's missed you," Hermione said with a smile. "Even if he won't admit it."
"Draco is very lucky to have you Hermione; few understand him the way you do," Narcissa said with a smile. "Very well, I will join you."
Molly beamed. "Excellent! Arthur is insistent of having a picture of you all, dear," she said to Hermione.
Hermione nodded. "I'll go and find Draco, I think he's with Blaise, Harry and Ginny at the Quidditch pitch."
They all grouped together for the group picture. They'd had one that was serious and they'd all insisted on having a silly one as well.
While everyone else was pulling stupid faces for the camera or laughing – or in Ron case, picking Pansy up and swinging her around – Draco grabbed Hermione and dipped her, pressing his lips to hers just as the camera went off.
Draco smiled against her lips. "Will you marry me, Hermione Granger?" he murmured. He pulled back slightly to see her face and smiled at the glowing happiness in her expression.
"As long as you don't drop me, yes, of course I will," she whispered.
Draco chuckled and moved them fluidly back into standing where he instantly went down on one knee and held the ring out to her.
"No carnival floats, right?" he said with a grin.
Everyone else stopped, suddenly aware of what was happening. Hermione laughed and held out her hand, allowing him to slip the ring onto her finger.
Cheers and shouts sounded around them and Draco stood, pulling Hermione close and kissed her.
Ron felt faintly annoyed that his proposal was just upstaged by Draco Malfoy's until Pansy pressed a feather light kiss to his lips and whispered:
"I preferred yours."
I hope that wasn't too terrible, you know how things always sound so much better in your head?
Pretty please review!
Rhiannon