A Thousand and One Nights
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, nor do I own the Arabian Night stories which this story is based upon.
Author's Note: Hermione Granger isn't a muggleborn. Her father, Robert Granger, was a muggleborn wizard who had married a muggle woman, so she's not completely a muggleborn. Also, Ginny is Hermione's sister in this fic, not a Weasley.
Reviews are appreciated.
August 10th, 10:12 P.M.
Blaise Zabini softly walked to his wife's quarters.
As the queen of Italy, Ariana Zabini was granted a large and beautiful suite next to King Zabini's master room.
Ironically, it was Blaise's second time in the room after Ariana had moved in.
Despite the fact that Blaise's marriage to Ariana had been arranged, Blaise loved his wife. She was gorgeous, insightful, and was very supportive of Blaise and everything that he did.
She was especially supportive of him visiting other countries to conduct business affairs.
Smiling at the thought of his beautiful wife, Blaise approached the room to check on her.
After all, it was his responsibility to make sure his wife was safe and sound before he left in the early hours of the morning tomorrow. He hadn't seen his wife since breakfast that morning, and he was worried that she wasn't being taken care of properly.
"Alohomora," Blaise whispered.
The grand double doors to the room opened, and Blaise sauntered in.
To say that he was shocked to see the scene in front of him would be an understatement.
In front of him, in the middle of the room, was a gigantic bed with royal purple covers and rich velvet curtains and his wife, Ariana.
And a servant.
Blaise had known that his wife hadn't originally married him for love, but he had never known or even expected her to cheat on him for another man.
Especially a man of such low class.
The servant, who's name was Fredrick or Fredrico or something, was a servant that attended to many of the queen's duties and parts of the Italian Palace.
No wonder she always seemed comfortable being left alone, she never needed me in the first place, Blaise thought bitterly.
White-hot fury clouded Blaise's eyes and his brain fogged.
Angered by the queen's betrayal and the blow to his pride, Blaise looked at his wife one more, murmured two words, and left.
Avada Kedavra.
1001:1001:1001
August 11th, 4:57 A.M.
Blaise left early the next morning, not bothering to alert anyone about the death of his queen.
Long after Blaise left, the servants of the household realized that Ariana had died.
1001:1001:1001
August 11th, 5:49 A.M.
"Blaise, my friend, it is a pleasure to see you again."
"Likewise, Draco."
Draco Malfoy frowned, seeing the dark expression on his friend's face.
"Zabini, is there something wrong? You haven't looked his terrible since your Nonna died."
"I…" Blaise debated about telling Draco what had happened, but decided against it. Draco was happy with his own wife, and he trusted Draco to have better taste than him.
"I'm just tired after a long journey."
"It seems you are fine, then. Come in, and we'll go to the feast set up for you," Draco replied, relieved.
The two men walked into one of the palace's many dining rooms. A grand chandelier floated in the middle of the room.
"What a nice chandelier! I'd better tell Ariana about putting one in our…" Blaise trailed off, realizing that he wouldn't have his Ariana anymore. The guilt of his wife's murder deepened the frown on Blaise's face.
"Blaise, are you sure you're okay? Will you be fine for our overlooking tomorrow? You know I've been dying to show you our new castle designs. A new tower's been added to the Hogwarts castle."
"I…I'm sorry but I don't think I'll be able to go out with you tomorrow. I'd rather stay here and rest for a bit."
Draco shot Blaise a worried look. He usually wasn't this quiet or shy.
"Blaise, I'll ask you again, are you okay? You really don't seem fine. Is something wrong with you, or Ariana, or your country? I haven't heard anything terrible about Italy recently," Draco asked, greatly worried about his long-time friend.
"I'm fine, Draco. I'm just suffering in my marriage with Ariana right now."
Understatement of the century Blaise thought, disgusted at his own words.
"Well if you say so…I guess I'll just check over England by myself tomorrow. I've already had some of my dinner with Astoria, you can go ahead and eat and rest in your room. Call any of the servants if you need anything."
"I will. Thanks, mate."
1001:1001:1001
August 12th, 11:37 A.M.
Blaise Zabini sighed, looking out of one of the floor-to-ceiling windows in his room. The garden that he had been looking down was extraordinary, and it seemed like a scene right out of a fairytale.
If only my life was like a fairytale. Blaise thought bitterly.
Two silent tears streaked down Blaise's smooth cheeks.
Putting his head in his hands, Blaise finally realized the enormity of his actions.
He no longer had a queen.
He no longer had a wife.
He no longer had Ariana.
And it was all his fault. I was all because of his rash actions.
He had killed his queen.
He had killed his wife.
He had killed his Ariana.
Blaise silently sobbed, looking out at the blooming flowers in the garden below him.
1001:1001:1001
August 12th, 1:26 P.M.
Just as Blaise stood up to leave the room he was in, he saw Queen Astoria Malfoy entering the gardens.
Astoria Malfoy, just as beautiful as always. Blaise thought.
At least his friend still had a beloved wife.
Blaise stood up again, to leave, but he was stopped yet again at the sight of a man entering the gardens. The man walked behind Astoria and wrapped his arms around her slim waist. Astoria softly smiled and leaned into the man behind her.
The man, though, was not Draco Malfoy.
Dear Merlin, is Draco Malfoy's wife cheating on him just like mine did?
The man leaned in and kissed Astoria.
Blaise couldn't believe his eyes.
Suddenly angered by the fact that both he and his best friend were hidden from the infidelities of their women, Blaise went off to find Draco.
1001:1001:1001
August 12th, 3:14 P.M.
"I'm telling you, mate, she was with one of your servants. He had short brown hair and was half a head shorter than you."
"How do you know he's half a head shorter than me?"
"Because he was only half a head taller than Astoria. We both know you're about a head taller than Astoria."
"I-I'm sorry mate. I'm not saying I don't trust you and your word, but I can't really believe that my wife is cheating on me without seeing it with my own two eyes," Draco frowned, conflicted.
"Well, then tell your wife and your servants that you'll be gone tomorrow to view the new tower at Hogwarts again. Instead of leaving, we'll disguise ourselves and stay behind. If your wife is cheating on you, you'll be able to see it," Blaise decided.
"Alright. If you're wrong though…I don't know what our relationship will be like afterwards. It seems like you're jealous of the fact that I'm having a fantastic marriage while you and Ariana are struggling," Draco said.
"Trust me, mate, I'm not wrong."
1001:1001:1001
August 13th, 12:38 P.M.
After Draco announced that he would be gone for the day, Blaise and Draco had knocked out two servants and disguised themselves as those servants.
Blaise's words had never failed Draco.
The moment they left the room that the men left the servants in, Astoria Malfoy had rushed past them, not even sparing them a second glance.
"Good day, milady," Blaise called, trying to catch Astoria's attention.
"Yes, yes, good day to you too. Have you seen Javier anywhere? He was supposed to meet me in the gardens a few minutes ago to discuss flowers that we were thinking of planting, but I can't seem to find him anywhere," Astoria replied.
"I'm sure he'll be there by now. Why don't you go back to the gardens to check and see if he's there now, milady," Draco suggested, surprised at how responsive Astoria was to the servants of her home. She had never said so many words to him at once, and they were supposed to be married.
"Oh, what a great idea! I'll be on my way now," Astoria smiled and waved at the two men.
Blaise silently gestured towards a flight of stairs, suggesting they go the room he was in the day before to spy on Astoria and Javier.
Draco nodded, and the two very nearly ran into the room and towards the window.
The scene that met Draco's eyes made his jaw drop.
Astoria and Javier were in the middle of a very heavy lip-lock, both wrapped up in each other's arms, and seemingly content with their current positions.
A very angry Draco stormed out of the room and sprinted towards the west wing of the palace. Blaise followed.
Draco sprinted down many doors, went up and down a few flights of stairs, and finally reached the door he had been looking floor. He swung open the door, grabbed his new Firebolt 2500, opened a window, and flew out the door.
Again, Blaise silently followed.
Draco soared through the sky, powered by the anger and hurt in his body.
After nearly an hour of flying, Draco landed on a random field in the middle of nowhere.
Blaise landed next to him, and he frowned at the look of hurt and confusion on his friend's face.
"I…I just don't understand, Blaise. I thought I was treating her right, and I thought she was okay with everything that I was giving her," Draco murmured.
"I don't know what to say, mate. I thought the same thing about Ariana," Blaise replied.
Draco lifted his head to meet Blaise's eyes, "What do you mean, the same thing about Ariana? Was she cheating on you too?" Draco asked.
"I…yes. I was so shocked and troubled I killed her and the servant that she was with on the spot," Blaise replied, a dark expression on his face.
Draco's jaw dropped, "What do you mean, you killed her?!"
"It's the law of the land, Draco. If a woman cheats, it is up to her spouse to decide what kind of punishment she will suffer."
"And you thought killing her would do the trick?"
"It's not like she would've come back to me, right? Our relationship became irreparable the moment she cheated on me. And I'll say it again, it was a spur of the moment thing. I'm over it. It shocked me, yes, but it's not like we feel remorse over murder anymore."
"That's true, but…" Draco was at a loss for words.
"How about we go and visit Theo for a round of drinks? Talking to our old mate might make us feel a little bit better," Blaise suggested.
"Sure, why not?"
1001:1001:1001
August 13th, 3:06 P.M.
Blaise and Draco walked into the Nott manor, wishing to see their friend who was a wealthy man living in the outskirts of England.
Theodore Nott had married a beautiful Tracey Davis (now Nott) and lived what the men would call a content life.
Or at least, that was what it seemed like.
"King Blaise, King Draco, welcome to the House of Nott. Would you like any refreshments, snacks, anything?" a servant asked.
"No, thank you. We'd like to speak to Theo, if he is here," Draco replied.
"He is not here today, I'm afraid," a soft voice called.
With the click sounds of her heels, a nearly sparklingly gorgeous Tracey Nott entered the room that Draco and Blaise were in.
"Is that so? Mrs. Nott? That's too bad then, we kings were hoping to have a night out with him," Draco drawled.
"Help yourself to any of the rooms in the East wing of the manor. He'll be home tomorrow afternoon," Tracey replied sweetly.
"Thank you, Tracey. We'll see to them and meet with Theo tomorrow," Blaise replied.
Tracey smiled and walked off.
Blaise gave Draco a look.
"She said that he'll be home tomorrow afternoon, correct?"
"Yes, why?" Draco asked.
"Well…considering the fact that our women were out with others when we were gone, why don't we check and see if our dear friend Theodore has a nice relationship with his wife?" Blaise smirked.
1001:1001:1001
August 13th, 4:27 P.M.
Just as Blaise had expected, the moment Blaise and Draco dismissed her, Tracey had gone into the arms of her lover.
Draco sighed, "What is it with the women in the world, and cheating?"
"Infidelity must be a new trend for women," Blaise frowned.
"I…think we should leave. It makes me feel the slightest bit better to know that we aren't the only ones suffering in this world," Draco said darkly.
Blaise nodded, "I'll say farewell here, brother. Let me know what you decide to do about your…wife."
"I will. Keep in touch, Zabini."
"Of course, Malfoy."
1001:1001:1001
August 14th, 9:35 P.M.
"As of today, I declare new laws.
"Every wife of mine will die the day after we get married. Any woman that I marry will stay with me for one night, and she will be killed the day after.
"My current wife, Astoria will be killed tonight.
"Any cases of infidelity that are sent to me will become immediate death.
"All male servants of the palace that have been near the queen will be killed tonight, along with Astoria.
"And lastly, I will have a new position in my palace open. I will need a man that will find me single women over the age of 18 to become my wife. The women must be witches from England, and I will need one every fortnight."
And so began the deaths of the young women of England.
1001:1001:1001
3 Years Later
August 1th, 12:38 P.M.
Robert Granger sighed.
It was his third year of working under King Draco Malfoy, and he detested his job.
He only did it because leaving the job would mean the end of his family, the end of his daughter.
His daughter.
Robert Granger sighed again. He knew the king was sparing his daughter from the king's laws of marriage because his daughter was what she was – his.
As a faithful servant to the king, Draco Malfoy had allowed Robert Granger to spare his elder daughter, the beautiful and intelligent Hermione Granger, from death as a wife.
That is, of course, until there were no more women to marry off to Draco Malfoy.
In the beginning, it hadn't been hard. There were many single women in England, and many of them were willing to sacrifice their lives to spend a night as Draco Malfoy's wife.
Before the first one had died, many of them had sworn to marry Draco Malfoy.
After the instant death of the first wife, though, the women realized what they had signed up for, and had immediately tried to escape the claws of their promises.
That was before they realized that trying to escape the Unbreakable Bond would lead to death, just like the arms of King Draco Malfoy.
Many women were left trapped in the hands of death, and that had made Robert Granger's job very easy for the first year and a half.
There were also many women that had moved into England without knowing about the law, and they had blindly accepted the marriages to Draco Malfoy.
That was until word had spread about the laws of Draco Malfoy and young, single women stopped moving into England.
England was in chaos, and its power and population were slowly diminishing. Soon, there wouldn't be anyone left in England, save for a few old couples.
Even now, Robert Granger would only see married or underage women on the streets.
And there lie his predicament.
There were no more single, young women left. Either Draco Malfoy had killed them, or they had left England. Robert Granger had no one left to give to the king.
Robert sighed, he couldn't give up his daughter, he just couldn't.
But, at the same time, Draco Malfoy was a very violent man.
If Robert couldn't find a girl, it could very well be his life on the line.
"Father, are you alright?"
Robert looked up to see his beautiful daughter.
Hermione Granger, at the young and ripe age of 21, was a beautiful sight. Her long brown curls cascaded down her back, and her soft brown eyes shown of adoration and love. Everyone loved her, and she loved everyone.
Hermione was incredibly insightful and intelligent. She had graduated at the top of her class in a private school called St. Petersburg School of the Magically Gifted, and she had greatly helped Harry Potter, the boy-who-lived.
Who happened to maybe be someone that King Draco Malfoy greatly hated.
Draco Malfoy had grown up under the care of many governesses and caretakers, while Harry Potter grew up in Hogwarts, a school that Draco Malfoy had always dreamed of attending.
Harry Potter defeated Voldemort.
Draco Malfoy and the rest of the Malfoy hierarchy had seriously considered joining the Dark Lord.
Harry Potter was happily married with a wife – Luna Potter nee Lovegood – that was very nearly attached to him at the hip.
Draco Malfoy had failed in every single one of his marriages.
Robert Granger shook his head.
Everything ended up full circle and back to one fact:
He needed to find a new girl to bring to the king.
"Oh, my dear Hermione, I am in trouble," Robert sighed.
"What is it, father?" Hermione asked, worried.
"As you know, tonight is the fourth night, a night where I must bring a poor soul and sacrifice her to the king. My problem, beautiful daughter, is that I cannot find anyone to bring to the king. All of the young women are either married, dead, or in another country. I do not know what to do!" Robert cried.
Hermione's eyes brightened, and she smiled a beautiful smile.
"Oh, father, take me to him!"
Robert did a double take, "What do you mean, take you to him? King Draco has been kind in sparing you from marriage, and I cannot afford to lose that. Hermione, dear, have you lost your mind? You will be killed if you are sent!"
"Yes, father, that is possible, but I have a good idea. I'll keep him from killing me, father, I know I can't do it. Merlin will help me. And if for some godforsaken reason I don't succeed, at least I will have died nobly, sacrificing my life for the lives of other young girls," Hermione replied.
Robert weighed his options carefully.
His Hermione seemed very confident in her plan, and it was no secret that she was incredibly intelligent and insightful. If she deemed her plan a sure success, then it was bound to succeed.
But, it was his daughter that they were talking about.
"I…I still don't know, Hermione. You are my first daughter, my first precious one, and I don't even want to think about the possibility of losing you."
"Father, we both know that if someone makes it out alive, it will be me, and if you don't take me there, you could be the one to die instead. Please, father, let me go," Hermione begged.
"He-Hermione, are you sure about this? Please remember, every single woman that has stepped into the king's palace in the past three years had met a terrible death."
"Yes, father, I know. Please, please, father, let me go," Hermione asked softly.
Robert sighed.
He was trapped.
1001:1001:1001
August 1st, 7:00 P.M.
Hermione took a deep breath as she watched the large palace doors open.
She was wearing a long cream dress that complemented her figure well. It showed off her smooth curves and accented her long legs well. Her hair was done in a bun with the looser, longer curls half out of the bun.
In short, she was stunning.
Draco Malfoy didn't seemed fazed by Hermione's obvious beauty, though.
He just walked in with a wine glass in his hand.
"So," Draco started, taking a sip of his wine, "Are you the one that begged to come and meet your death with me?" Draco snarled.
Hermione inwardly flinched, but she kept still.
"You know, I wasn't going to touch Robert's daughter since he was doing a fabulous job of helping me get rid of all of the helpless women in England. He seemed like a nice enough man too, and I thought that he deserved to have a nice and complete family."
Draco slammed his glass onto a table next to him.
"Don't think, that just because you asked to come, and just because you're Robert's daughter, I'm going to spare you for even a second longer. You're just another female, another deceiving, cheating, lying, and terrible female!" Draco shouted, fiercely grabbing Hermione by her shoulders.
Big, fat tears formed in Hermione's eyes and fell down her smooth cheeks.
Just as planned.
"Why are you crying?" Draco asked, his voice faltering and his grip loosening.
"I…I have a sister who had missed my exit this morning, and I wish to say farewell to her before I die tomorrow. She is my closest and best friend, and I wish to have one last night with her before I die," Hermione replied, her voice quivering from the tears in her eyes.
Draco hesitated and loosened his grip on Hermione's arms.
Some say that it was because she was Robert Granger's daughter, and some say that it was because he himself had a strong relationship with a friend who was like his brother, but Draco surprisingly agreed to Hermione's request quite quickly.
Ginny Granger arrived in the English Palace after receiving a call from one of Draco's servants.
Again, just as planned.
As the night rolled on, the trio moved into the master bedroom, where Ginny was allowed to stay so that she would be able to talk to Hermione until it was time for all of them to go to sleep.
The moon was high in the night, and everyone in the palace was asleep.
Everyone except for three people.
"Hermione," Ginny whispered.
Hermione turned her body in the bed towards Ginny's direction, who was sleeping on a smaller bed to her left.
"Hermione," Ginny whispered again, a little bit louder.
"What?" Hermione asked.
"Hermione, you'll be gone come tomorrow morning. Will you please tell me some of your adventure stories with Harry and Ron? You know that Ron will never tell me because I'm not that close with him and Harry will never tell me because he shudders every time he thinks of the things that you two have been through. Please, Hermione, please?" Ginny asked.
"Shh, Ginny, the king is asleep and we can't wake him," Hermione said, bringing her index finger to her lips.
"No, it's alright, I couldn't sleep anyways," Draco said, sitting up from him spot on the bed, rubbing his eyes.
"What stories is Ginny talking about?" Draco asked.
"Oh, King Draco, as the best friend of Harry Potter, I have gone on many adventures with him and our other best friend, Ron. If you'd like, I'll tell you the story of our many adventures and experiences," Hermione replied.
Just as planned.
"It seems interesting enough. Why don't you start, then?" Draco said, intrigued.
"Of course, Draco. It all started when we first met on a train to Hogwarts…"
Just as planned, indeed.
1001:1001:1001
August 8th, 6:45 A.M.
"And then, just before the troll was about to crush me…" Hermione trailed off, and stared out the closest window.
"King, the sun has risen. You've already saved me for a week. Are you still okay with me being alive?" Hermione questioned.
Draco scowled.
He didn't want to push Hermione's execution any further, but he couldn't give up his curiosity either.
"I guess we'll just have to wait until you finish your first year at Hogwarts," Draco mumbled.
Hermione smiled and inwardly did a victory dance.
He'd promised to keep her alive until the end of her first year in her story.
Draco stood up, "I'll be off now. Be ready to continue your story tonight, when I get back. Have a good day, Hermione, Ginny."
Draco walked off.
"Goodbye, King Draco!" Ginny called, waving.
Ginny turned to Hermione and beamed.
"Hermione, I can't believe your plan is actually working! Keep up the good work! I'll go and report to Robert."
And with that Ginny was off.
Hermione smiled to herself.
Draco, I promise to heal your heart.
1001:1001:1001
November 14th, 7:24 A.M.
"In the end, Harry was safe, the stone was destroyed, and Gryffindor even won the House Cup. All was well," Hermione finished.
Draco laughed, "Of course, all was well. You guys were Gryffindors, were you not? The good always seem to have the best endings."
Draco stared at Hermione, "You had quite an adventure-filled year there, Hermione."
"Yes, I did," Hermione nodded, "but it was nothing compared to my adventures from second year, third year, fourth year…and especially my seventh year."
Draco frowned, "You mean your other school years had even more adventures than your first year?"
"Of course. First year was a steady ride compared to all of my other years," Hermione replied calmly.
Draco struggled with himself for a minute.
He couldn't really afford to push Hermione's execution any further, especially since he'd spared her for over three months.
But, at the same time, Hermione seemed different. Her eyes had a different type of happiness in them, and he truly enjoyed her stories.
Oh, and the fact that Hermione barely even looked at any man besides himself.
Of course, she could be a great actress and faking everything, but Draco believed that Hermione was a very genuine woman, and that she deserved a second chance.
Draco stood up, and walked towards the door, his robes swishing behind him.
"Prepare the story of your second year for me, Hermione. I'll be back tonight the moment the moon is up."
Hermione and Ginny smiled, and Draco left.
1001:1001:1001
A Year Later
March 21st, 7:48 P.M. (Story of Hermione's Fourth Year)
Draco was walking to his room after a harsh day when he overheard two women gossiping in his palace.
"Did you hear about the Finnegan's wife? Lavender? I heard that she cheated on him with Dean Thomas, Finnegan's best mate." a woman spoke in hushed tones.
"Really? Gosh, how can either of them do that with a clear conscience? Don't either of them have some pride and dignity?" the other woman gasped.
"I don't know, I guess Lavender did what she did because Finnegan wasn't enough for her," the woman snickered.
Draco fumed at the woman's words.
Not enough for her? Was that what Astoria thought, that I wasn't enough for her?
Draco turned to the soldier guarding his right, "Take those two woman out of my palace. They aren't allowed to gossip in my home, and they are banned from my palace," he ordered.
The soldier nodded, and took off.
Storming into his room, Draco didn't even bother to properly greet Hermione. Ginny had left that morning to stay at home with their father for a few days.
"King Draco, are you alright?" Hermione asked tentatively.
"Hermione…Do you believe in true love?" Draco asked softly, staring out the window.
Hermione carefully weighed her answers. Since she was with the king, though, she decided on honesty.
"Yes, my King, I do," Hermione replied softly.
Draco chuckled darkly, "Of course you do."
He quickly turned and grabbed Hermione's shoulders aggressively.
"Too bad, though, because I don't. I may have saved you for a long time, my Hermione, but never confuse that with any feelings that I may or may not have for you. I have never believed in or experienced love, and I never will. Don't think that just because you are entertaining me, I'm going to spare you in the end," Draco snarled.
Hermione swallowed the lump forming in her throat.
Was he going to kill her on the spot?
In that moment, Hermione had truly feared for her life. She had honestly thought that she had broken through some of Draco's tough walls, but she had thought wrong.
The king was just as cold as he was in the beginning.
All of his softer moments were just a fraud.
Two Months Earlier
The sun was softly shining through the window and curtains. It was a day of rest for the king, and to restore his health, Draco had opted for a story-less night.
Hermione's eyes fluttered open, and they settled on Draco's face.
Which was right in front of her in the most peaceful expression that Hermione had ever seen.
As Hermione tried to move, she realized that she was trapped in Draco's arms.
His warm and comforting arms.
Hermione sighed, and brought up her hand to Draco's face.
She softly traced his eyebrows, eyelids, and jaw.
In terms of appearance, he really was a king. Draco's features were very strong and aristocratic, and it couldn't have fit him any better. His high cheekbones and fierce jaw made him seem angry and at peace at the same time.
When Hermione brought her finger to his lips, Draco lifted his hand and lightly grasped her wrist.
His eyes were closed, but as Hermione tried to leave, they opened to show his stormy grey eyes.
"What were you doing?" Draco whispered.
"I…" Hermione was at a loss for words. What had she been doing?
She couldn't remember, because she was lost in Draco's enchanting grey eyes.
Draco smiled, not smirked, but actually smiled, and softly brought his lips to Hermione's.
It was a chaste kiss, but it spoke volumes to Hermione.
'I'm finally breaking through his walls. He's finally letting me in.' Hermione thought.
Hermione smiled against Draco's lips, and she broke apart from him. She sat up.
Draco stared up at Hermione and a content expression graced his sculpted features.
"You're beautiful, Hermione."
Draco let go of her and stared to walk to the door.
Hermione felt like crying, but she gathered up the last of her strength and Gryffindor bravery and sang to Draco.
I really want to go back to the dazzling times
The beautiful days when we were always together
Like a shadow
When your smile shined on me
Because I'm a shadow
Draco stopped, and turned around to face Hermione.
"What was that?"
"A song of love, my love, to you, my king." Hermione replied.
Draco stared at her pointedly, but Hermione continued.
"Love is when beauty is everywhere, and everything is glorious.
"Love is when separation and distance makes you experience physical pain.
"Love is when every emotion is overpowered by a bursting, beautiful emotion.
"Love, my king, is what I feel for you. Please, don't doubt me on that."
For a few moments, Draco just stared at Hermione.
And for a fraction of a second, Hermione swore that she saw tears forming in Draco's eyes.
Draco moved back to where Hermione was seated on the bed, pushed her down to the bed, wrapped her up in his arms, and buried his face in her neck.
And they stayed like that, holding each other, for the rest of the night.
1001:1001:1001
A Year Later
February 16th, 8:43 P.M. (Story of Hermione's Seventh and Final Year)
Ginny was at home with her and Hermione's father, and Hermione was quietly waiting for Draco.
He was late, and she was worried.
Draco was never late.
Hermione paced across the room a couple of times, and then sat back down on the bed.
The moment she sat down, the door to the room swung open and Draco stormed in.
Hermione immediately stood up, seeing that Draco wasn't in the best of conditions.
"King Draco…Are you alright?" Hermione asked, walking towards Draco.
Draco, who had been angrily staring at the ground, looked up at Hermione and instantly softened his expression.
"I'm fine, Hermione," Draco replied, stepping closer to Hermione.
Draco set his hands on her waist and leaned in.
"Are you sure?" Hermione asked.
"Yes," Draco whispered, "I'm sure."
And with that, he kissed her.
Hermione had never felt so complete.
Neither had Draco.
1001:1001:1001
April 2nd, 5:16 P.M.
Hermione was worried, and Ginny could tell that Hermione was greatly troubled because of her worries.
"Hermione, what's troubling you?" Ginny asked.
Hermione sighed, "I'm running out of story time."
Ginny gave Hermione an annoyed look, "Are you worried that he's going to kill you? Because if you are, you're just giving yourself more trouble. You know how much the king holds you to his heart."
"Yes, but…he hasn't completely shown it yet," Hermione frowned.
Ginny shot Hermione a look of disbelief.
"I…He…He still hasn't gotten ridden of his law about executing the day after marriage."
"So? He hasn't killed you for over three years, and I'm telling you now, he never will," Ginny countered.
"Gin, you don't understand. I have to be sure because…" Hermione sighed and whispered something in Ginny's ear.
"WHAT? ARE YOU SURE?!" Ginny screamed.
Hermione silently nodded.
"I have all the signs, I've done the spell, and I feel it Gin. I feel it in my bones," Hermione whispered sadly.
Ginny brought her hand up to Hermione's cheek, "Don't worry, 'Mione. I'll go talk to father and he'll be able to help us. That is, if King Draco decides to kill you at all."
Hermione sighed again, "I can never be sure, Ginny."
"Well, I'm sure, and I know that he loves you, and he'll never harm you."
"I hope so, Gin. I pray to Merlin and hope so."
1001:1001:1001
April 28th, 6:58 A.M. (Last Day of Hermione's Seventh and Final Year)
"Harry had finally defeated Voldemort. There was much destruction and loss, but it was nothing that we couldn't fix and get over. The rest, they say, is history," Hermione finished with a brilliant smile.
For a thousand and one nights, Hermione had told the story of her adventures with Harry Potter, the savior of the world.
And with every year and adventure came a lesson that contributed to the healing of Draco Malfoy's damaged heart.
Draco looked at Hermione and spoke in a very serious tone.
"The lesson of your last year was that everything ends up the way it is supposed to, and that with wisdom and the right, true kind of love, any and every type of evil will be defeated, right?"
"Yes, my king, that is exactly what it is! In any problem that you face, you can always solve it and break free from it wisely and easily. Even any scars or hurt can be healed through love and wisdom," Hermione said, smiling, with her hands over her heart.
Draco frowned, "Are you trying to tell me something?"
Hermione blankly stared at the covers.
Draco stood up from the bed.
"You seem troubled, Hermione. What's the matter?" Draco asked.
"Nothing, my King. I'm fine," Hermione replied, a sad and dark look on her graceful features.
Draco gave Hermione an annoyed look, "If you continue to look like that when I come back tonight I will punish you. It isn't fitting to keep secrets from a king."
Draco angrily exited the room, his robes bellowing and the door slamming behind him.
Tears started forming in Hermione's eyes.
Just like I feared…Just the same as before.
1001:1001:1001
April 28th, 7:12 P.M.
Draco opened the door to his room, and was greatly surprised with the scene in front of him.
Ginny was standing next to the opened window, and she looked at Draco with a scared and surprised look.
"AHH!" Ginny screamed.
Draco frowned. Where was Hermione?
It was then that he noticed a rope made of tied cloth going out of the window.
Had Hermione escaped?
Draco inwardly frowned at his word choice. The fact that he thought that she escaped meant that his home was a prison to her.
Draco furrowed his eyebrows, "Ginny, what is that?" He asked, pointing to the rope.
"I…It…Uh…" Ginny stammered.
Rage erupted in Draco, and he lunged toward Ginny, holding her in place by grabbing her arms.
"Did she leave? Did Hermione climb down that rope? TELL ME GINNY, WHY WOULD HERMIONE LEAVE?" Draco roared.
"IF SHE REALLY LEFT, I WON'T HESITATE TO EXECUTE YOU, HER, AND YOUR ENTIRE FAMILY!"
Tears of fury bursted from Ginny's eyes. She broke free of Draco's hold on her and shot him a furious look.
"I hate you, King Draco Lucius Malfoy! How dare you! How dare you think that way! Have you no heart? Have you not noticed how much joy Hermione took in preparing her stories for you?" Ginny screamed.
Draco's expression blanked.
"Hermione…She loved it here. I don't know what she enjoyed, but she truly enjoyed being here and telling you the stories that she told you. You held her hostage every single day, barely let her out in the sun, and basically threatened her life whenever you could, yet she still loved it here. I can't believe that even you, out of all people, couldn't see the amount of love that she gave you every day!
"I…I honestly thought that you changed. I thought that in your own twisted and strange way, you loved her. She told me about the sweet moments that you had with her. Were all those moments fake and deceiving? Because if they were, you're a damn good actor.
"How can you even live with yourself? If you really loved, no, if you cared for her, at all, even the slightest bit, you'd be disgusted with the fact that she's afraid that you're going to kill her any day now. How can you even breathe in the same room as her, knowing that her life is in your hands and you aren't telling her a single thing that might make her fear less for her life? I'm disgusted by you, King, because a king is the least thing that you're acting like right now!" Ginny yelled.
Draco stared at her, shocked.
"I…I did know, Ginny. I haven't treated her the wrong way in ages now," Draco replied weakly.
"Liar. Just last week, you threatened her with her life again!" Ginny said, furious.
One Week Earlier
Draco and Hermione were sitting on the terrace in one of the hundred-or-so rooms of the Palace. Draco had one of his arms around Hermione, and he had a content expression on his face.
As they watched the beautiful sun slowly set, Hermione continued to nervously glance at Draco.
Mustering up her Gryffindor courage, Hermione cleared her throat.
"Draco, I have a request."
"What is it, my Hermione?" Draco asked, smiling.
"If you decide to execute me when I have no more stories to tell, please, promise me that you won't kill any other innocent brides," Hermione requested softly.
Draco stood up suddenly, a terrifying look in his eyes. His smile immediately became a sneer.
"How dare you request such a thing, Hermione! What I do to my country and which laws I use to look over it is none, I repeat, none of your concern. If I want to continue to kill all of the women in the world, it doesn't have anything to do with what you do or do not want. I am the king, Hermione, and if you ask for something that isn't yours to ask for, then I won't hesitate to kill you like all of the other women that I've executed!" Draco shouted angrily.
Draco stormed out of the terrace, and Hermione silently wept out of fear and hurt.
"Care to explain your behavior that you claim isn't yours?" Ginny snarled.
"I…I was just hurt by her words, Ginny," Draco began.
"You were hurt by her words? Please, King Draco, start saying things that make sense."
"You don't understand, Ginny. I stopped wishing and thinking about executing her a long time ago. I lashed out at her because she made it seem like she was making herself stay by my side to save the lives of a few girls. Really, Ginny, I was only mad at her because she continued to think that I would kill her, when I stopped doing that over a year ago," Draco sighed.
Soft footsteps sounded behind Draco.
"Is that the truth?" A quiet voice asked.
Draco quickly turned, and his eyes widened a fraction.
"He-Hermione…You're still here," Draco stuttered.
"It seems I am, King Draco," Hermione smiled.
Draco slowly walked over to Hermione. He lifted is hand to her cheek.
"Did you truly mean every word that you said, Draco?" Hermione whispered.
"I meant every word that I said to you, my Hermione," Draco replied softly.
"Are you going to tell him yet, Hermione?" Ginny asked excitedly.
"Tell me what?" Draco questioned, turning to look at Ginny, who was nearly exploding from excitement.
Hermione chuckled at Ginny's behavior, and directed Draco's head to face her again.
"Tell you that you, Draco Abraxas Malfoy, are going to be a father."
The palace went silent.
Draco's breath hitched in his throat, and his eyes shone with adoration and love.
"You mean…"
"Yes, Draco, I'm pregnant," Hermione said happily.
"I-I'm sorry that I doubted you, Draco. I was…slightly depressed for the past two months, and I didn't know what was going on in my body. It all started making sense, though, and I even used the pregnancy spell to check and see if I actually was pregnant or not. When it came out positive, I really had to be one hundred percent sure that you had changed. If you hadn't, I was going to do everything in my power to make sure that this baby made it out alive. I shouldn't have doubted you, though, and I'm sorry that it took me this long to fully realize that you love me just as much as I love you," Hermione confessed, tears prickling in her eyes.
Draco reached out and took Hermione in his arms.
"No, Hermione, I'm the one that should be saying sorry. I should have never made you doubt me, and I should have made myself clearer. I'm sorry, and I love you, Hermione Malfoy, my wife."
And with that, he kissed her.
FIN
Thank you for reading!