A\N: now this has a funny story behind it! it had been a work in progress that I paid for with blood and tears (well… more like a very sore wrist…) I started writing this wayyyy back when I just started reading and writing ffs (so about two years ago…). I have been meaning, ever since I wrote it, to upload it to my computer. Problem was, it was just wayyyy too long (12 pages of very small writing) so it took me ages! But here it is now and I'm thinking of doing it as part one of a series in Draco and Hermione's life; the card series and each oneshot will bear the name of one of the cards in a deck. What do you say? Please let me know! READ & REVIEW! Love you all,
TVB
Queen of Hearts:
"This is not a good idea," Hermione said under her breath for the hundredth time. Draco took her hand and squeezed it lightly but warmly, a humored smile playing on his mischievous lips; he was tactful enough not to laugh like he wanted too.
"Don't worry, love. They'll be on their best behavior," he assured her again.
She took a deep breath, trying to calm her nerve at the sight of the large Iron Gate. Finally, she said, "Fine, I'm ready." Draco sighed deeply, held her slightly shaky hand in his and led her into Malfoy Manor.
Draco knocked on the old door, waiting for his mother's help to open it. Finally, the heavy knob turned and Draco and Hermione were washed with the gentle light coming from inside.
"Master Draco!" squeaked the little house elf.
"Hi, Dori." He smiled gently at the big eyed elf. Dori fluffed her skirt and took a deep curtsy.
"Mistress Cissy is waiting in the lounge."
"And my father?" Draco asked a concerned look on his face.
"Master Luscious was taken to Azkaban 3 months ago after he was convicted by the court," Dori answered with no mercy in her voice. Narcissia must have expressed her feelings towards her husband to the little elf. The tension from Draco's features washed away and he held Hermione's hand tightly. Hermione didn't have to ask; Luscious Malfoy was a prejudice man with very strong opinions about blood. Her jitters eased a little as she entered the house, giving the house elf her coat with a smile.
The young couple entered the lounge just as Narcissia called out, "Dori, get the table ready and call Everest! My son is here!" Narcissia looked at her 60's. Her hair was beautifully white and she wore a light blue dress that fitted her perfectly. A gentle smile lay like jewels on her face. "Draco, my dear, I missed you! And you must be the sweet Hermione!" she said, kissing each of them o both cheeks. "It is an absolute delight to meet you! Sit down, sit down." She walked the two to a big sofa, offering the two drinks.
"Mistress Cissy, Everest will be down in a minute," Dori said, walking quickly to the kitchen.
"Everest is here?" Draco asked in obvious delight. Hermione looked at him with a puzzled smile.
"Yes, he is!" Narcissia said, matching her son's pleasure. "He came a few days ago, thought he'll surprise you in London." She turned to Hermione. "Everest is my sister's bastard son. Bella, obviously, was not part of his growth. His father was a gentle man and he took care of him. He is Draco's best friend.
Draco's smile widened at his mother's words. "I haven't seen him in years."
"Five years, ten months and three weeks to be precise, but who's counting?" said a gentle voice from the doorway. Hermione turned just as Draco leaped up and walked to his cousin. "Draco! Fantastic seeing you!"
Everest was a tall, well built man with blond hair, intense green eyes and a mischievous smile.
"Everest, How are you?" Draco asked in pure joy.
"Fantastic!" he smiled happily. "And you?"
"Better then ever," Draco said, looking lovingly at Hermione. Hermione smiled back.
"And she is?" Everest asked in interest.
"Everest," Narcissia answered. "This is Draco's girlfriend, Hermione Granger." she smiled sweetly at the young woman.
"Miss Granger, I believe I have heard your name before."
Draco's look of love turned into admiration. "Hermione was at the center of the revolution against The Dark Lord three years ago. She is one of Harry Potter's best friends."
Hermione blushed and added, "you're Harry's friend too, Draco."
"Well then," Everest said, bowing deeply. "It is a pleasure meeting you, especially since Draco seems so involved with you." He winked at his cousin.
Hermione smiled shyly, just as Dori came in and declared that dinner was served. Narcissia and Hermione stood up and joined the two men in the dining room. The four sat down; Hermione and Draco on one side and Everest and Narcissia on the other. Dori walked in and with a big tray over her head and two smaller trays behind her, held by two little house elves that resembled Dori. The put the food on the table and bowed deeply as they walked out of the room.
"So Miss Granger," Everest started, taking some food.
"Please, call me Hermione," she interrupted quickly.
"Hermione, then. You are probably the most famous muggle-born witch in the world."
"Mudblood," she smiled. He looked at her in puzzlement and admiration.
"Very brave of you, Hermione."
"I'm just proud of who I am. The war changed people," and she smiled at her boyfriend. They both recalled the time in their second year when Draco had called her a Mudblood. The war defiantly changed people.
Everest smiled lightly, unaware of their little exchange. "The most famous Mudblood witch, probably in the world and yet you are in a relationship with not only a famous pureblood but also a Malfoy. Do people consider you a hypocrite?"
"Everest!" Narcissia said loudly. "We have left matters of blood way behind us. It does not matter what Hermione is. She is a fully capable witch and this question is highly inappropriate!"
"Thank you, Narcissia," Hermione said, touched by the woman's words. "But I don't mind." She smiled towards the curious man and answered with confidence, "First of all, I stopped caring what most people think of me after the war. Second of all, people actually support our relationship quite passionately." She smiled at her boyfriend. "They seem to think this means that I live up to my beliefs by choosing to be with someone, not because of his blood but because of his personality. And most of them praise Draco fro breaking the barriers of the old order."
Everest laughed. "How come you're the one with all the luck?" He asked Draco.
"I have no idea," he answered, taking Hermione's hand under the table.
The rest of the conversation was easy and comfortable. The food was fantastic and Hermione found herself laughing so hard she could barely eat. Draco and Everest seemed like brothers. They kept jibing each other. Everest graduated from Hogwarts (Ravenclaw) three years before Draco and Hermione and seemed to have been traveling since then. He was in Australia when the war broke out and he came back as soon as he heard. He was considered a blood traitor and so had to stay away from Malfoy Manor until the war was over and done with. He stayed enough time to make sure his family was safe before he returned to his girls 'down under'.
But despite Hermione's tries at learning more about him, he seemed much more interested in her. By the end of the meal, Everest knew a lot more about Hermione then she knew about him.
"Let's move to the lounge, I'll have Dori start the fire." Narcissia walked into the kitchen to het desert and drinks and get the house elf.
"Shell we?" Everest asked, gesturing to the door leading to the lounge.
Draco and Hermione stood up and, holding hands, walked after Everest.
The couple sat on the loveseat and Everest sat in one of the armchairs as a little house elf lit the fire in the big stone fireplace.
The three said there in comfortable silence until Narcissia came in, leading with her wand a couple of big silver trays filled with deserts of different kinds and some tea.
"Aunt Cissy," Everest aid after looking at the tea. "Don't you have anything stronger then tea for your barbaric nephew?"
She laughed pleasantly, unbelievingly happy at seeing 'her boys' so happy. "I'll have Dori check." And she hurried out again.
"So do you have anyone important in your life, Ev?" Draco asked with a smile.
"Besides you and Aunty Cissy?" he answered sarcastically. "Unfortunately, not yet. But I'm still looking."
"Don't worry," Hermione said with an innocent smile. "I'm sure you'll find someone soon.
"You don't by any chance have a sister, do you, Hermione?" Everest asked, a smile playing at the corner of his mouth.
"I'm an only child, sorry," she answered and the three started laughing light heartedly.
"What's so funny?" Narcissia asked as she came in with a few 'stronger' drinks.
"Nothing," the three answered together and they started laughing again.
"I don't think you need a stronger drink, dear," she said with fake concern.
He smiled in between bursts of laughter, helping himself to one of the glasses.
It was past midnight when the four finally stopped talking, each enjoying the warm fire and lost in their minds. Draco suddenly stood up.
"Oh, Draco, dear," Narcissia said from her chair. "You two are not going to leave now, are you? I haven't seen you for so long! And Hermione and I are just getting to know each other finally!" she looked at her son's girlfriend with a sad smile when, suddenly, an expression changed her look; as though she had been hit with a fabulous idea. "Why don't you two stay here for tonight and tomorrow? You can sleep in your old bedroom and Hermione can sleep in one of the guestrooms. (Suffice to say his mother did not know that the two have been sleeping together for quite a few years now and had moved in together five months ago.) What do you think? It will be wonderful if you stayed! Wouldn't it, Everest?"
"Yes, it would! We hardly had time to catch up, Derek," he said from his own couch.
Draco turned to Hermione. She was beaming from happiness. He knew how much she wanted to be accepted by his family, and getting such a warm welcome from his mother had made her really happy.
"What do you say, Draco? Shell I tell Dori to set up the two bedrooms?"
He shrugged. "It that is what you want, Mother. We'll stay."
His mother's smile brightened considerably. It must get really lonely for her, Draco thought sadly.
"I'll get everything set up," Narcissia declared and walked away, smiling like a child.
"Do you mind?" Draco asked Hermione once he sat back down next to her.
"Not at all!" she smiled up at him, kissing him gently on the lips.
Everest smiled but was tactful enough not to look straight at the two love birds. He was jealous of Draco, though; not only did he have a loving girlfriend but that girlfriend was one of the sweetest, most caring, talented, sophisticated and beautiful women he had ever seen. Everest envied his little cousin with a fierce fire.
Just then, Dori came in, squeaking that the rooms were ready. Narcissia came in after her. "Off to bed boys! Hermione, come with me. I'll show you your room and find you something to wear."
The three stood up and Everest left the room. Draco stopped Hermione for a second and whispered in her ear, "Don't fall asleep. I'll come to your room when my mother falls asleep." He winked at her.
"Come on, Hermione," Narcissia called.
'I love you,' he mouthed at her, his eyes molten pools of silver.
'I love you, too,' she mouthed back, following his mother to the bedroom.
Draco sighed deeply and tagged along after his cousin up to his old bedroom
Hermione, meanwhile, walked up the winding staircase, trailing behind Narcissia. She was thrilled at the prospect of sleeping in Draco's childhood home, even if it wasn't the house they shared now. Malfoy Manor was still part of his history and Hermione wanted to know everything about him.
"Hermione, dear," Narcissia said, lifting the dazed girl from her thoughts. "I do hope this room is alright" she asked as the entered through the plain wood door.
Hermione gasped in surprise. The room was unbelievingly elegant and yet in just the right amount. To one side there was a white door that led to a private bathroom. Another wall was just soft pink, satin curtains that hid the glass wall behind them. In the middle of the room was a king sized four-poster bed with light colored, satin shits that to Hermione's tired eyes looked extremely comfortable a beige carpet covered the cold stone floor. It was the most beautiful room she had ever seen.
"Well?" Narcissia asked.
"It's amazing!" Hermione gasped. "Thank you!"
"I'm glad you like it," she said looking pleased with herself, "Especially since this will be the room you will be using whenever the two of you come here, which is going to be a lot," the older woman said with a smile. Hermione nodded obediently. "There are bath robes and towels in the bathroom and some clothes you can use in the closet. If you need anything else don't be shy and call Dori, she'll be happy to help you."
"Thank you, Narcissia! For everything!"
"You are very welcome," she said sweetly. Suddenly, her expression turned slightly more serious. "I have never seen Draco this happy. I'm just grateful for all you did for him. You made him a new, better man. I wish for my son to stay that man." Hermione heard the slight threat in the words but could not help but grin happily. "Well, good night, dear. I will see you in the morning."
"Good night, Narcissia, and thank you."
The elderly woman walked out the room and closed the door behind her, Hermione could hear her footsteps walking down the hall and disappearing up the stairs. She smiled to herself. The night had passed in an exceptionally pleasant way. The young brunette took a quick shower and wore a silk nightgown she found in the closet. She sat on the breathtaking bed and took a book from the shelf. About an hour later she heard a light knock on the door. She closed the book and with a mischievous grin she said, "Come in."
The door knob turned silently. The light from the gall flowed into the candle lit room.
He came in, looking slightly cat-like in the dim light
Hermione stood up and walked swiftly to her lover.
"Hi."
"Hi," Draco purred, touching her rose cheek. She closed her eyes in pleasure and leaned into his tender touch. Her hands rose up his abdomen; her fingers flattering over his chest.
He leaned in and whispered in her ear, "You were amazing today, Hermione. They both love you." he smiled to himself. "You do know that I love you, right?"
She smiled and blushed. "You know I love you too," she stated. There were no questions in their little exchange; they both knew that they could never have anyone else as significant in their lives. They needed one another like they needed air to breath.
"I love you, Hermione. I love you more then anything in the world. I love you more then I love the world." With each word he kissed her lightly on her cherry-red lips.
Hermione blushed a deeper red. "I love you too," she said simply. She held his face with both her hands and kissed him deeply. His hands wound around her waist and he drew her closer, leading both of them to the extremely inviting bed.
About an hour before sunrise, Draco sneaked up to his own room. He left his exhausted lover sleeping in her large bed, a smile gracing her lips in her slumber, and a note waiting for her when she woke up.
He slipped up the stairs and walked in to find Everest sitting on his empty bed.
"Morning, Draco," Everest said with a sly grin that was familiar on his face. "Been out for a morning stroll?"
"Sure," Draco answered with a satisfied smile.
"You really love her, don't you?" Everest asked, his jealousy burning inside him.
A pure, innocent smile shone on his pale features, as if he had just won the lottery and he just couldn't understand what he did to deserve such a treasure. "I do…"
"She is defiantly worthy of you," his cousin said with a fake smile plastered on his face.
"You've got it wrong, Ev. She is much more worthy then I am. There are days when I don't think I'm close to being worthy of her. But then I just do my best in the hope that someday it will be enough," the love-struck boy said in a sheepish voice.
Everest looked shocked. "You're going to ask Aunt Cissy for the Malfoy ring, aren't you?"
"Yes, I am," he smiled triumphantly. "You seem surprised."
"Just a bit," Everest mumbled, recovering his control over his emotions. "We'll that's… err… great…"
"Thanks, Ev, that means a lot to me." Draco was so wrapped in his blissful happiness that he didn't seem to notice the man's hesitant reaction. "I'm going to ask my mother for it today."
"Well, err… I'm sure she'll give it to you."
Draco was deep in his daydreams. "Ya… you're right. And she seems to really like Hermione, too…"
"Well, I'm off to bed," Everest muttered, getting up. "Night, Drake."
"Night, Ev," Draco said in return, taking his shirt off and occupying the bed.
Everest walked out of Draco's room. He waited in the hall until he thought Draco had dozed off and then crept down the stairs. Hermione's room was only a few doors away from the winding staircase. He passed those doors quickly and soon reached the heavy wooden door that hid Hermione from view. He turned the knob as quietly as possible and took a step inside before closing the door almost to the end behind him.
The moonlight from the window showed her magnificent beauty in a pale shadow.
He watched her from the door, not trusting himself from closer. This had not been the first time he'd seen her. Everest had been watching Hermione since the first day of her life in Hogwarts. He was slightly late to some class and she told him off even though he was three years older and she was terrified. He followed her life at Hogwarts, watching from afar every step she took and slowly, he fell in love with the wild girl. Even after he left Hogwarts he kept following her through every piece of news he got. His obsession with the beautifully intelligent girl became worst when he was abroad. He missed her more then he had missed anyone else in his life, and she didn't even know.
But it was the worst now; not only did she not know a thing; she had also chosen the best friend he ever had. It had destroyed him when he heard the two were together. The thought of suicide actually crossed his mind.
And now Draco was going to propose to the one (and only) woman Everest had ever loved. And she was going to say yes, because she loved him almost blindly. Everest could see it and it burned his insides-slowly and very painfully. He actually wanted to kill Draco for making Everest's love happy.
That was why he was in Draco's room in the first place. He was still on the verge of killing his only living cousin. The only thing that held him in place was Hermione's sleeping from.
She looked so peaceful, so happy, and Everest could not help but realize that he wasn't good enough for her; he could never be good for her. Draco was just right for the gentle goddess. How could Everest ever compete with the happy couple's fate? He couldn't ever.
Tears started streaming down his face and he clenched his pained chest.
"I love you, Hermione," he whispered and shot out of the room as fast as his feet could take him.
Thankfully, he didn't hear Hermione reply in her sleep, "I love you too, Draco."
Draco awoke midday, a dazzling smile on his lips. His eyes shone with a look reserved to young man who knew exactly what they wanted from life and that they were about to have it. He got up, stretching his vaguely aching muscles, and dressing quickly. The young man walked swiftly down the stairs to find his mother sitting in the living room, chatting lightly to Everest.
"Good morning," he greeted the two cheerfully.
"Good morning, dear," the elderly woman answered with a smile that showed how truly happy she was at seeing her only son this happy. Everest, however, did not meet Draco's smiling eyes.
Draco sat down next to his mother. "Where's Hermione?"
"Still sleeping, bless her," Narcissia said with a gentle chuckle.
"Good." Draco's smile became even bigger. "I wanted to ask you something, mother."
"I knew this was coming," the woman said cheerfully. Her son smiled at her clear enthusiasm.
"Well, mother, could I have the Malfoy ring to give to Hermione?" he asked, his eyes shining with excitement and love.
"Of course, my dear! In… one condition," she said with a sly smile.
"Name it," he challenged.
"I get to organize the wedding!"
"Of course," Draco laughed happily. He hugged his mother and kissed her gently on her cheek. He let got of her and turned to his cousin.
"Ev," he said quietly. Everest looked up, his features a perfect poker face. "Ev, will you be my best man?"
Everest looked down and quietly said, "I can't, Draco. I just…"
Draco sighed. Some how he knew this would be Everest's answer. It still saddened him, though, and he could not figure out the reason behind it. "Why?"
"I…" he started just as Hermione came in and said, "Good morning." Everest looked at Hermione and Draco instantly knew what stopped his cousin from being part of Draco's happiness; and truthfully, he couldn't bring himself to blame him or hate him.
"It's ok, Ev. I understand…" he looked at his cousin and his cousin looked back, then he got up and left with out a word, disappearing.
"Is he ok?" Hermione asked with a concerned look.
"He isn't," Draco answered with a sigh. "But he will be."
Hermione looked at her lover then turned to Narcissia. "What are we doing today?" she asked in a sweet smile.
"We are going shopping!" Narcissia said, pointing at herself and the younger girl. "And Draco is staying here to organize some things. Now come on, Hermione, we have a lot to do today!" and she dragged the girl away. "Draco, dear, we'll be back around seven at which time I must leave for a few hours to go to some fundraiser. And the thing you wished to take is in the safe in my room, goodbye!" the woman winked discreetly at her son then left him alone, chuckling. In a very Slythrin maneuver, his mother had helped him know exactly how he will propose to his soon to be wife.
A\N: let me know what you thought and if you want more of them!