Last time on You Want Me To Marry Whom?
Sighing I left the library and walked to my bedroom. Closing my bedroom door behind me I banged my head quietly on the wood before setting into my routine of bedroom. Taking my gown off I placed it back on the hanger and slipped into some pyjamas. A simple cleansing spell and a few pages of Pride and Prejudice later my eyes began to slip where sleep took over.
Disclaimer – I do not own Harry Potter, JKR does however the Bradbury's are my creation. Read and leave a review please.
xXMiss Alec VolturiXx Thank you for the review J
Adrianiforever Thank you for the review J
Hermione POV 24th December-
Christmas eve, the night before St Nick comes around on his reindeer pulled sleigh to drop off presents to the little girls and boys. Me I wasn't so fickle to believe this when I was younger I remember one particular Christmas Eve when I simply asked my father about Christmas.
**Flashback**
"Daddy" I asked sitting on my daddy's lap in his favourite chair snuggled together about to read the traditional 'the night before Christmas' story.
"Yes my little Christmas angel" I giggled slightly at my holiday given nickname.
"How does Santa Claus get around everybody's houses in the world in night?" I asked craning my neck up to look at my Father.
"Well Hermione, it helps that the some country's go to bed as we are waking up to start the day"
"Like New Zealand Daddy" Daddy smiled down at me and nodded
"Yes my Christmas Angel, just like New Zealand. Santa Claus lives' all the way in North Pole with Miss Claus, a large number of magical elves and his 8 magical reindeers. The elves make wooden toy trains for the little boys and cue blonde … or brown haired dollies for the girls, but beware if you make Santa Claus angry by being naughty you will wake with only a sack of coal on Christmas morning" Giggling slightly I lay back down on my Daddy's chest and listen to the story.
**End Flashback**
"Lover boy is here Hermione" Cassie whispered as she poked her head around the door.
"Lover boy?" I frowned and jumped from my bed leaving my book open to the page I had absentmindedly read four times.
With a little bounce in my step I left my bedroom and followed Cassie downstairs into the Parlour room. Stood in front of the open fire with a fire whiskey in hand talking with Grandfather was a tall weedy looking man with short dark brown shaggy hair.
"Theodore, how nice to see you … Grandfather" I smiled politely at my Fiance and closed the door behind me.
"Hermione" Grandfather stepped forward and kissed my cheek
"Good Morning Hermione" Theo kissed my hand and stepped back slightly.
"Cassie mentioned you had dropped by and I thought it would be rude for me not to come down and say a quick hello" Theodore swirled the whiskey around in his glass before speaking.
"I was just conversing with Lord Bradbury your plans over Christmas, I was hoping you could spend the holidays at my House" My smile faltered slightly at his offer, luckily he was still staring at his whiskey.
"This is my first Christmas at the Manor" Theo finally looked up from his glass.
"Of course" His face stayed as impassive.
"Maybe you could stay here over the holidays … would that be ok Grandfather?" I stole a glance at my grandfather who nodded simply.
"Wonderful" Theo's face light up for a second before the mask fell back into place.
"I was just on my way out to go Christmas Shopping with Draco, Ginny and Blaise … Maybe you would like to come?" I asked wringing my wrists slightly.
"Certainly, I will need to flow home and retrieve my Gringotts key" Theo stepped forward and kissed my hand before stepping into the floo fire and disappeared into green flames.
"It gets better Hermione, it won't stay uncomfortable for long" I snorted slightly and stepped out of the room.
"Hermione there you are, myself and Lady Nott need you to come choose table settings for the wedding" Grandmother bustled in from the dining room.
"Actually Grandmother I am going out for the day" I grabbed my cloak and slipped it over my shoulders.
"Hermione, we have a wedding to plan in little over a month and your gallivanting around England with Draco Malfoy no less" Grandmother raised an a perfectly manicured eyebrow silently asking me to say she is wrong.
"Lady Bradbury" A cool and collected voice came from the parlour room greeted that sent shivers down my spine.
"Theodore, I wasn't aware you was here" Grandmother reached forward and kissed his cheek.
"I'm taking Hermione out for the day … that's if you don't need her here to discuss wedding plans" I brought my elbow back and elbowed Theo in the stomach no missing the feeling of his icy eyes staring into the back of my head.
"Of course not, you two have fun … and Theodore keep an eye on Hermione … she has a tendency to just walk off"
"18 year old Granddaughter still here" I called after her as Theo closed the door behind us.
"What was that about?" He asked angrily
"No time were late" I held onto his arm as we side-apparated to Hogsmeades to meet the others.
"Hermione" Theodore reached for my wrist tightly.
"What" I turned around and screeched, angry brown eyes meeting angry blue ones.
"lovers tiff already" Draco whispered into my left ear.
"Sod off Dray" I stepped back slightly and wrapped Ginny into a hug as she still held hands with her Italian stallion Blaise Zabini.
"Hermione, a pleasure as always" Blaise bowed low and stood straight back up pulling Ginny close to him.
A little envy maybe? My friends deserve to be happy just because I am not, merlin I hated my Grandparents at the moment, I am betrothed to a known death eater. God knows what I am getting myself into.
"Come on Hermione" I looked up slightly to see Draco falling out of the group of friends, his hand outstretched. I took his hand with a slight smile and let him lead us down back to the group.
Draco … an unluckily friend, oh it might have been a year or so ago. I can't even pin point the exact time we had become acquaintances never mind buddies. Maybe it was bonding over our nightly rounds … or maybe he's forever sexual innuendos flying my way.
"What you thinking about" Dray whispered in my ear, I turned slightly and smiled
"I am actually trying to pin point when we actually became friends" Draco smiled and seemed to ponder it for a while.
"Wasn't it when Blaise and Ginny caught us in the abandoned classroom on the fifth floor?." I blushed slightly as Theo's head spun around to look between myself and Draco.
"Oh my I nearly forget that, Hermione you never did tell us what happened that night" Ginny and Blaise wearing identical smirks.
"Nothing happened" I turned and stared icily at Draco holding his stomach laughing.
"Pray do tell Hermione, I think your Fiancé has the right to know" Theo asked, or demanded might have been a better word.
"NOTHING happened, look, McGonagall had grown tired of out constant bickering so she locked us in an abandoned classroom failing to unlock the windows with her wand or turn the air conditioning on. The heat in the room was unbearable so we had to find make shift ways of keeping us cool."
Picking up a bit of snow and shaping it into a ball I through it at Draco, whom was still holding his stomach laughing.
"You're going to pay for that Granger" Draco said with a menacing look in his eyes.
"Bring on your best shot Malfoy" Putting my hands on my hips and raising an eyebrow I watch him bend down to pick some snow up.
"Draco … now now" I smirked slightly as Lucius and Cissa walked behind Draco, Draco stopping mid snowball making sighed and dropped the snow on the floor.
"Hermione dear, we received your wedding invitation this morning" Cissa smiled and walked forward to kiss my cheek.
"Im glad somebody did Cissa, I will turn up on the wedding day not knowing what my Grandmother has in mind" Cissa frowned slightly as she linked her arm in my own walking forward with the group walking slightly behind
"Are you not excited for your wedding day?" Cissa looked down at me as I began to fidget.
"To tell you the truth Cissa, if I could I would get out of the contract if it wasn't magically binding." Cissa nodded her head knowing.
"I was so excited on my wedding day to Lucius, I was nervous aswell, sure I knew him and we courted as it was expected of us, are you not at least bit excited?" Cissa asked as we stopped outside Madam Malkins.
"Nope not even a little bit, I know nothing of Theodore and what I know I don't like." I shrugged slightly and kept quiet as the group caught us up.
"Draco please come home by two please, Astoria is coming over for dinner" Draco nodded slightly and said goodbye to the older Malfoy's.
Spotting my favourite book store I practically run, skipped and jumped to get there faster. Something about the smell of a freshly new opened book excites me, my muggle father would read me thick novels for bedtime and when I was old enough it was my turn to read the classics to him.
"I don't appreciate you flirting with Malfoy" Straightening my back slightly I turned around to face the no longer face of my Fiancé.
"I wasn't flirting with Draco, what such an absurd thing to say" I frowned and turned back to reading each spine of the books at eye level.
"I know you don't want to marry me Hermione, but cut off the flirting with Malfoy, I am a very patient man and will tolerate just about anything. But this time next month you will bore my ring and he will have Greengrass on his arm."
I turned and walked from the book shop leaving Theo and the group inside.
"Hermione" I looked up through my glassy eyes to Harry Potter walking towards me with arms spread wide open.
"Harry" My smile fell back into place as Harry embraced me.
"How are you?" I asked taking a good look at him; the young Auror seems to in better shape than he has been in years, no longer small and thin. Harry towered over me a good 3 inch, I had to practically crane my neck slightly, a novelty for me really what with most of my friends being my height … apart from Theodore.
"Sooo I received a certain wedding invitation this morning, when was you going to tell me?" Harry asked sounding hurt.
"Harry I found out yesterday Grandfather and Nott signed the binding contract months ago, I wasn't even aware Grandmother sent the invitations out until Cissa informed me." I said slightly exasperated.
"Take control" Harry put his hands on my shoulders
"What?" I asked slightly dumfounded
"Take control, this is your wedding … put your foot down and say no" I sighed slightly
"I could try but you don't know Grandmother, she has probably planned the whole wedding by now"
"Potter" My shoulders slumped at the cold icy voice again.
"Nott" Harry nodded rather sternly, taking his hands from my shoulders
"I have to be going Hermione, Maybe we can do tea sometime next week?" I nodded and kissed his cheek.
"Bye Harry" Harry nodded and walked back down the streets.
"I need you to come with me" Theo said and turned on his heel to walk down the busy streets of Hogsmeades town centre. Family's out buying last minute Christmas gifts or picking things up from the owl station. Everybody practically in a panic state of getting things done on time.
"If you wish for me to follow you then consider slowing down I only have small legs" I called after Theo who took a sharp turn down knock-turn alley.
"No way … I'm not going down there" I protested and turned back on my heel.
"Your my betrothed and you will do as I say" Theo whispered in my ear and grabbed my wrist pulling me with him.
"Come" Theo opened a door open for me to step inside, closing the door behind himself.
"Marc" Theo called as a short stubby man came from the back and looked over counter.
"Have you got what I requested?" Theo asked and the man simply nodded retrieving a parcel from the back and handing it over the counter, Theo handed over the money and we left without a goodbye.
"What's in the parcel?" I asked curious
"It's Fathers" I nodded not wanting to pray … too much.
By the time we had finished shopping I could drop on my bed and sleep, stress was killing my body but at least I had picked up a few presents for Theo, personalised fencing equipment for Grandfather and a little bit of something for Cassie and Grandmother.
We said our goodbye's and Merry Christmas's to the group before Theo side-apparated us to his house. We apparated in a spacious bedroom decorated in slytherin green and dark wooden flooring. A four poster bed with white drapes and black bedding was on the left hand side of the room in between white bedside tables, and on the right hand wall was a small vanity table in between two white doors. A sofa and a small bookshelf occupied the bay window looking over the beautiful gardens of the manor.
"So yeah, this is my bedroom" Theo said nervously as his hand rubbed the back of his neck.
"This is the bathroom" Theo opened the left hand door wide open for me to have a quick glance before shutting It closed.
"And this is the closet" Theo opened the door and in an cannonball order each light turned on revealing rows upon rows of clothes and empty rales.
Theo placed his arm around my shoulders as we walked towards the automatic door swung open to the hallway an ear piercing scream could be heard throughout the manor.