Authors note - So here is chapter 4, I won't deny this is the chapter I have had the most issues with as there was a lot to set up for the story to progress and I felt like this was the hardest one for me to write creatively speaking. However here it is, please read and review, it makes me so happy to hear people's thoughts!
Also as always I own nothing and all rights, characters, and story goes to J.K. Rowling.
Hermione stepped through the fire place of number 12 Grimmauld Place and found her way into the kitchen where she was greeted by a familiar red head.
"Hermione! I didn't know you were coming over. How are you feeling? Malfoy told us you might be a bit hungover today?" Ginny Potter smiled at her with all the care in the world. Ginny's hair was down to her waist now and swayed back and forth as she shuffled from one side of the kitchen to the other.
"Yes I'm fine, bit of headache now. Listen, I really need to see Harry or Ron are either here?"
"Is everything ok, Hermione? You look preoccupied?" Ginny placed a reassuring hand on Hermione's shoulder.
"Not really, Ginny."
Ginny didn't need to hear anymore, she nodded her head toward the doorway, signaling Hermione to follow her. They walked past Mrs. Black quietly as to not disturb her. Harry had never managed to get Mrs. Black down from the wall, and as long as Mrs. Black was there, Kreacher seemed to give Harry less lip, and he had even stopped insulting Hermione when she was in the house.
"Harry!" Ginny called once they reached the doorway to Harry's office.
"Gin?" Harry said as he poked his head from around the corner, "Oh, hi Hermione!"
"Harry can I talk to you?"
"Yea, come on in."
Ginny left them to talk and went back to making lunch. Hermione sat down next to harry on a small velvet bench. She didn't say anything, she just handed him the stack of papers that had been given to her only moments ago. Harry began reading, every once in a while, he would look up from the papers and given Hermione a look of concern.
"I think we better floo Ron and Kingsley, Hermione. They should know about this, maybe Kingsley can help us."
"Let's floo Ron but maybe we should just owl Kingsley, I'm sure he's very busy."
"Are you sure? You know he would drop everything for you?"
"Yes, Harry. He's the Minister of Magic he doesn't need to be concerned with my personal problems."
"I'll go floo Ron and have him come over. I'll be right back." Hermione hung back in the office as she tried to distract herself by counting the floorboards. A light knock on the door pulled her away from her coping mechanism.
"Potter, can I borrow your broom? Oh, you're not Potter." Draco said glancing at the girl in front of him.
"Well spotted, Malfoy."
Harry appeared in the doorway, "Ron will be over in a minute, he's having George take over for him at the shop."
"Weasel's coming over? Great it'll be just like old times." Draco scoffed sarcastically.
"Malfoy now is not the time." Harry warned as he went to his desk to clean off his glasses. Picking up the papers he read them over again and began shaking his head.
"This is rubbish." Harry said, clearly aggravated, "Malfoy, have a look at this." Harry handed the papers over to Draco and went to sit with Hermione.
"Merlin, Granger you really know how to make enemies don't you!"
"Oh do shut up Malfoy!" Hermione groaned as she put her head in her hands.
Ron appeared in the doorway along with Ginny.
"Hey, I filled Ginny in on the way up." Ron nodded, acknowledging everyone in the room.
"There's no way this can stand up in court is there, Harry?" Ginny asked, looking at her husband.
"I should hope not, there's no bloody way the Wizengamot would do that to a war hero like 'Mione." Ron said attempting to assure everyone.
Malfoy chimed in, "I think we're all forgetting our favorite former cat lady who still presides on the Wizengamot to this day."
"Umbridge?" Harry questioned.
"That's right Potter. Old hag still has some sway in the Ministry. I can promise you, she'll be the one running this shit show of a lawsuit."
"Does anyone find it weird that none of us are being sued?" Ginny questioned.
"What do you mean, Gin?" Hermione asked.
"Well I mean we've all played our parts in taking down the pure blood aristocracy. Harry and Ron have put almost as many death eaters in Azkaban as Moody. Both Harry and Ron have helped sign and petitioned for most of your laws concerning the protection of magical creatures. I've gone with you on several campaigns myself and even advocated for most of them while on tour with the Harpy's. I just think it's odd is all. I mean why not come after Harry as well, he has more gold than you."
"Probably because it would be suicide to go after Harry. Who the hell would want to be the bloke that tried to sue the boy who lived?" Said Ron.
"It's a distraction." Harry said.
"What do you mean Harry?" Hermione asked warily.
Harry took a deep breath before answering, this was the talk he had been dreading for months, this was the moment that he truly felt like a failure to his best friend, "A few months ago the Auror Department started receiving threats. Threats from rogue death eaters. Threats towards you, Hermione."
"Harry!" Ginny exclaimed, "How could you not tell Hermione about this!"
"She's right Harry, I had a right to know. Wait, is that why you were trying to pawn me off to Malfoy? Because of the letters?"
"I just wanted you to be safe and we had no leads. Hermione they've been watching you, they know everything you do. They send pictures, they know where you live, they know the places you shop at. You're never alone. At any given time, death eaters are following you and so are the Auror's. I'm still no closer to finding out who is trailing you and worse this court case means they want you distracted, this means they're about to make a move"
"Did you know about this Ron?" Ginny asked.
"Yeah, I knew." Ron continued to play with his hands. He knew how much Harry had wanted to track these guys down before Hermione had to find out.
"So, you two thought a temporary solution would be to arrange a marriage?"
"Well you see, 'Mione, we never had some big official plan or anything. I think we just heard Malfoy talking about how he would protect you and in our heads it just made sense. It was like you said Hermione, it was a temporary solution to a big problem."
"So not only am I going to go broke in court, but I'm also being watched constantly and about to be killed. Wonderful. How could you two not tell me about this? Did you think I couldn't handle it? Did you think it would just go away? Did it never occur to you two that maybe I could help? I'm sorry to say this but did you two honestly think you could go this alone?"
Draco hadn't spoke for a while, the news was settling into him still. There were rogue death eaters about and they wanted Granger dead. He had an odd feeling that it wouldn't be long before he would be recruited. His gut turned and twisted at that thought. For the first time in years he had been living without fear. Granted he was homeless but there were no expectations for him, there was no war, there was no blood status, there was only him and what he wanted.
"Granger, I know you're having a moment here but I would like to add that there is a solution to this problem."
"Are you going to propose again because I really don't think I can deal that right now Malfoy?" Hermione started pacing around the office, she began picking items on the wall to concentrate on as she walked back and forth.
Malfoy grabbed her and looked into her eyes before speaking, "Let's help each other. You help me get my manor back and I'll make sure you never have to worry about money or safety ever again. This is a win-win Granger. This is the hand we've been dealt. You can't afford this lawsuit and I'm to pretty to be homeless."
Hermione smiled. She never smiled at anything he said but in moments of dire problems she found it easier to smile, easier to laugh because that's when you need it most. It was pure survival, her smiling. If she wanted to survive mentally she would have to find moments to enjoy and this was the moment her mind had picked. It was pure logic, nothing else.
"You guys can Malfoy and I speak privately?" Hermione asked her friends.
"Yea, we'll leave you to it."
"I'll put on some tea, you two come down when you're ready." Ginny said offering her warmest smile at the two. Harry simply clapped Malfoy's back as he walked out, a sort of thank you for offering to help save his best friend.
Once all were gone Hermione sat down and Draco followed, "Malfoy, I want a wedding. I know that seems trivial, but I had only planned on doing this once and you see…"
"And you want to do it right?" Draco finished her sentence for her.
"Well, yes." Hermione said looking surprised at the blond in front of her.
"You wouldn't be Granger if you did anything half ass." Draco said.
"What about kids? And where will we sleep? And…"
"Let's focus on keeping you alive for now. We'll cross the rest of that when we come to it."
"Yes, you're right, Perspective."
"Merlin's balls, never thought I'd hear Hermione Granger say that I was right about something."
"Oh, don't be crude Malfoy."
"Better get used to it. Come on let's go have a cup of tea." Draco said, walking to the door and holding it open for her.
"Thank you." Hermione said while eyeing him cautiously.
Arriving in the kitchen they found Harry, Ron, and Ginny who were all sitting and having tea and biscuits.
"Well you lot don't just stare, we've got a wedding to plan." Draco said triumphantly. After all he had just bagged the Gryffindor princess.
"Oh Hermione! We have to get you a dress and flowers, and we'll need a cake, and where are we going to have it?" Ginny was out of breath but excitement was flooding through her eyes.
"At the manor, of course!" Answered Draco.
Everyone looked at Draco and then to Hermione, "Actually Malfoy, I had always planned to have my wedding at the Burrow."
"You mean the pig pen Weasley called a home? It's ghastly!"
"Malfoy, the burrow is charming and I spent almost every holiday there and Mrs. Weasley puts on a beautiful ceremony. Fleur Delacour got married there before the war, if it's good enough for Fleur then it should be good enough for Draco Malfoy."
"Why the hell did Fleur Delacour get married at the burrow?" Draco asked.
"Because she's married to my brother you dolt!" Ron answered angrily.
"Let me see if I understand this Granger, you want to have our wedding in the back yard of the most annoying ginger I have ever met, and I'm just supposed to be ok with it?"
Harry chimed in, "Malfoy, I know you're not exactly used to not getting your way, but as an experienced husband, I should tell you, we don't have much say in the wedding."
"First off Potter, you've been married for a year if that, so I would hardly call you experienced, and why don't I get a say in my own wedding?"
"You do get a say Malfoy, we just think that this is something that is important to 'Mione and maybe we could compromise on something else."
"I want the wedding colors to be Green and Silver. That's my compromise. If we get married at the Burrow as you call it then I want the place decked to the nines in Slytherin Green."
"Deal!" Hermione said.
Everyone was looking at Hermione as if she had caved in to easily, "What? I like green too. Sometimes."
"Okay, Harry and Draco, I need you two to come to Madam Malkin's with us so we can work on suits and dresses, Ron I need you to head to the burrow and let Mum know what is going on. This wedding needs to happen in a days' time. Hermione, Draco do you agree with that time frame?" Ginny asked the pair.
Hermione was impressed with Ginny's efficiency. Both her and Draco simply nodded at the red headed girl.
"Okay well its two-o clock now, let's plan to meet at the Burrow at around 6 so we can talk cake and flowers and you boys can help dad with the tent."
At Madam Malkins the boys had their own dressing room and the girls likewise. Hermione had tried on several dresses and was feeling beyond defeated. Nothing fit her right, everything was too revealing, and nothing was the perfect blend of wizarding and muggle culture. Her mother wasn't there to help her, Ginny was wonderfully supportive but it was dawning on her that she did not have a father to walk her down the aisle and she didn't have a mother to try dresses on with. Meanwhile elsewhere in the shop, Draco was buying suits like Harry had a never-ending supply of gold. He hadn't had the pleasure of shopping in a very long time and he would pay Harry back once his gold was reinstated.
The shop door rang, signaling that someone had entered the store. Draco felt a chill go up his spine, like a cold front had wafted through the room and had gone straight for him.
"Draco Abraxas Malfoy!"
"Oh bugger." Draco turned to see a petite but fierce women, hair pale as the night moon, and eyes like coal. "Hello Mother."
"How dare you! You get out of prison, you don't bother to see your mother once, and then I find out from Molly that you're getting married! Where is the poor girl!"
"What do you mean poor?" Draco asked looking at this mom as if she had gone loopy.
"She cannot wear off the rack Draco! She is to be a Malfoy after all and a Malfoy doesn't wear any old rag on her wedding day."
"She's in dressing room number 3 Mother."
"Oh, thank the gods, I hope I'm not to late! Oh, and welcome home son."
Narcissa Malfoy hurried away from the boys and found dressing room number 3. Knocking lightly, she felt nervous and excited all at the same time.
"Who is it?" A feminine voice called out.
"It's Narcissa, Draco's mother."
"Mrs. Malfoy?" Hermione opened the door, "Oh my goodness, Hello, have you said hi to Mal I mean Draco yet?"
"Oh of course I have! Oh, my dear you are a vision, but this dress just won't do! Madam Malkin?!"
"What is it now?!" Madam Malkin called out.
"Oh, my dear gods, Narcissa, I didn't know you were here."
"Well you certainly knew that young Miss Granger here is wedding my son, so why is she shopping from these dresses?"
"I am sorry, I'll bring out the Malfoy vault at once." Madam Malkin hurried away as fast as she could.
"There's a Malfoy vault full of wedding dresses?" Hermione questioned.
"Yes, my dear and just you wait, oh you look so stressed, never fear though, we will find you a dress and Molly is working on the cake and the flowers as we speak."
"Oh well I had hoped to give my input on those. Wait you know Mrs. Weasley?"
"Oh, Molly and I go way back dear, of course we drifted apart but war has a way of making people gain perspective. And don't you worry Molly is coming up with options, you will get the final word, I assure you.
Back at the Burrow Hermione, Ginny, Molly and Mrs. Malfoy were all looking through cake examples. In the end, Hermione chose a 4-tier silver cake with emerald green Magnolia flowers adorned all over the cake. Her bouquet was a forest blend, dripping with white roses, moss, berries and even pinecones. All the proper guests had been invited, it seemed with Narcissa involved the wedding had turned into the event of the season. Even with everything as rushed as it had been, Hermione felt like the wedding would be a beautiful affair. For a moment, she even forgot that it was Malfoy she was marrying and that a number of pureblood elitist wanted her for dead.
By the end of the night Hermione was exhausted, and nervous. Everything was ready and beautiful, it seemed Narcissa and Molly were quite the dynamic duo. The burrow was cascading with Green Magnolias and hydrangea's, while the ceiling of the tent had been charmed by Hermione herself to look like the night sky, Lanterns floated down the pathway from the house to the tent, and green, lace origami butterflies had been charmed to fly around the Burrow at all times. Hermione slept at the burrow that night in Ginny's old room, but she didn't sleep much. She thought about the wedding and how everything seemed like it had come together so well in the shortest amount of time possible. Something had to go wrong, perhaps she should check on her dress one more time? What if the food stops cooking magically? What if the gnomes in the garden ate the flowers on the wedding tent. She really hated garden gnomes, they were always nipping at her feet when she walked through the grass. As all of these thoughts raced through her head Hermione remembered that this beautiful wedding was for her and Malfoy. Hermione didn't know who she could have pictured marrying but it was most certainly not Malfoy. Hermione couldn't believe they were getting married tomorrow and they had yet to determine anything about their marriage. Hermione couldn't deal with not having boundaries set.
Draco woke to a bushy haired demon shaking him furiously. He had been having a wonderful sleep and then came the fury that was Hermione Granger.
"Granger unless this is your way of telling me that your hot for me and want me to shag you rotten then I suggest you exit my bedroom as you came in."
"Gross Malfoy. Get up we need to talk. I've mad a pot of tea, put some clothes on you look like a ghost."
"A sexy ghost."
"No just an arrogant one."
Downstairs Draco found Hermione pacing, although he wasn't surprised she seemed to do that a lot lately.
"Alright Granger lay it on me." Draco said as he sat and laid his head on the table like a bored school boy.
"Where are we going to sleep? Are you expecting a wedding night? Do you want children? Where do you stand on me working? What will you do for a living? Will we send out Christmas cards? Oh, and I want a cat." Hermione finished, huffing slightly as she waited for a reaction.
"Granger, we will sleep in our own rooms, no I am not expecting a wedding night but I do want children someday so you'll have to come to terms with that, you can work as long as you want, I'm going to work for the ministry in fact I've already lined up a position with Kingsley, yes we can send out cards, and I hate cats, dogs are better."
Hermione was never surprised by his ability to remain calm. He seemed to always have an answer, she supposed it was the Slytherin in him, after all he was wired to survive even the most ludicrous of situations.
"Dogs are nice too, I guess. What are you going to be doing for the ministry?"
Draco noted that she was beaming when she asked this almost as if she was proud of him, "I'm going to be heading a department, the Magical Rehabilitation Department. It's sort of like a muggle probation program but for dark wizards obviously."
Hermione looked at her husband to be, in a few short days he had surprised her more than most people had done in her entire life and for that she hugged him. She could feel his apprehension but he soon snaked his arms around her. Hermione Granger was hugging Draco Malfoy and she didn't hate it. He was firm but warm, and his arms built a strong cage around her. She wasn't sure what prompted the hug, but if she had to guess it was the stress and the fact that she felt proud. She was proud that despite a ruined reputation he had went out on a limb and secured an honorable position within the Ministry. He was either the greatest bull-shitter on the planet or the most brilliant man alive, or perhaps both.
Draco pushed her away having decided the hug had gone too far, he had only meant to be nice, "See you in the morning Granger." And with that he walked away from her and she felt no better than when she had arrived. Daylight would come and she would be wed, she would be a Malfoy, she would give birth to the first half-bloods to bear the Malfoy name. Hermione Granger was about to tarnish the Malfoy name and all its pureblood glory. Hermione Granger was about to make history.
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