Disclaimer: I do not own.
Author's Notes: Yay! Another chapter! A huge thanks to sassysharay for waiting the long wait, reviewing, and for ultimately inspiring this chapter! Thanks for your patience! It's very much appreciated. Now, without further ado!
Chapter 7
FUTURE MR. AND MRS. MALFOY-MALFOY MANOR
"…you may kiss the bride." Draco smiled at the words he'd been waiting his whole life for. Leaning in, Hermione grinned shyly. Putting his arms around his beautiful wife, he leaned in and took her lips as his own. Nothing felt sweeter to him as he stood amongst cat calls, kissing his new life.
When the couple separated they kept their eyes solely on the other as they walked in to the Manor. Shouts of Congratulations and laughter followed them inside to one of the many ballrooms at Malfoy Manor. Draco helped Hermione sit down before the festivities began. They ate first and Draco noticed Hermione had barely touched her food.
"Granger, you okay?" Draco glanced at her and she nodded.
"I'm fine, I just have a lot on my mind…" As she spoke she saw a tuft of red hair peeking into the ballroom. Ron Weasley caught her eyes and quickly disappeared. Hermione turned her attention to her left, past her husband and found Ron sitting at the end of the table talking to Harry.
Turning her attention back to here husband, she asked, "Darling, exactly how many younger counterparts do we have running around Malfoy Manor today?"
MR. WEASLEY-HOGWARTS
Ron approached the Great Hall and glanced inside. He found Pansy and Draco sitting across one another until Draco leaned in and kissed her. The kiss barely seemed to touch her lips before he backed away. Pansy then spoke, followed by Malfoy, but Ron couldn't hear the words. He decided that, that would be a good time to slam open the door to the Great Hall. Pansy jumped but Draco merely turned his head and rolled his eyes.
"What the hell are you doing?" Ron asked outraged. Pansy then followed Draco's line of sight to Ron and rolled her eyes as well.
"Proving you wrong, Weasley." Pansy turned to him with a smirk. Ron approached the Slytherin table where the two were seated and crossed his arms over his chest with a scowl on his face.
"Well, I actually came…" Ron glanced at Draco who looked upon him curiously. Turning his attention back to Pansy he continued. "I came to apologize to you about earlier. Even if you are a bit annoying sometimes, I shouldn't have assumed Malfoy felt the same way." Ron mumbled part of the apology but stood up straight by the end and nodded, quite pleased with his word choice.
Pansy sighed frustratingly. "Apology accepted I suppose." Pansy waved her arm slightly as a sign it meant nothing but Draco watched a small smile creep onto her face as she turned away.
Draco crossed his arms over his chest. "I assume Granger's still crying in her bedroom?" He drawled.
"No actually, she ran off a little while ago." Ron explained. Draco waited for Ron to say more but he didn't.
"Well, do you know where she went?" He asked. Ron shook his head. Draco sighed frustratingly. Standing up, he began to leave the Great Hall.
"Draco, where are you going?" Pansy called after him.
"To the library." With that he was gone.
The two occupants of the Great Hall watched him go before Ron turned back to Pansy. They stood awkwardly for a moment until Ron turned and walked to his own house table. Thinking for a moment he finally took out his wand and a large amount of food appeared. Pansy watched his smile grow as he dug through the mountain of food and began filling his plate. She turned back in her seat and sighed. Picking herself up, she walked over to his table.
Ron was just about to take a bite when he saw Pansy standing before him. She stared at him a moment and finally he sighed, setting the chicken leg down.
"Well, what is it?" He asked.
Pansy pursed her lips and finally spoke. "Well, there's no reason we should sit alone." She blurted out with a huff. Ron was shocked for a moment before he looked to the seat across from himself and nodded.
"Well, sit if you're going to." He then picked up the chicken he once held and took a bite. Pansy sat and gathered her own plate as well. She grimaced as she watched Ron eat. Ron noticed and swallowed. Wiping his face with a napkin he then took smaller bites. Pansy smiled into her chicken as she took a few bites herself.
"You know, you can take off the tuxedo now." Pansy said after a time. Ron blushed at her words, remembering this generation's Pansy asking him to undress back at Malfoy Manor.
"Yea…I will." Pansy shrugged and continued eating. Ron looked down at the tux and realized he had managed to put his sleeve in his vanilla pudding. Groaning he began to take the jacket off. Pansy looked at him shocked.
"I didn't mean right now!" Pansy shouted with emphasis on 'right'. Ron smiled, still with a slight blush on his cheeks.
"I know, but I'm making a mess of this jacket." Taking it off, he set it aside. Pansy blushed in embarrassment for shouting. She looked him over once and shook her head with a grimace.
"You should really lose the bow tie as well, and the cummerbund." Ron looked down again and nodded.
"I guess it does look pretty absurd." He started with the tie but couldn't manage to unbutton it. Pansy giggled. Ron smiled.
"Well, are you going to help me?" He asked smoothly. Pansy nodded and he stood up and leaned over the table so she could reach. She stood up as well and leaned in to get a better view of the buttons. Ron watched her out of the corner of his eye. She was focused and stuck her tongue out just a bit in her concentration. Her brow was furrowed slightly and her breath was very soft. He watched her lips ease into a smile as he felt the tie loosen around his neck.
"There." She looked up at him again and nodded. "Now loose the cummerbund." She laughed. Ron chuckled as well as he undid the clasps.
"How do I look?" He was nervous by his own question, especially as he watched her eyes roam over his body.
"One more thing…" She mumbled as she reached up to unbutton the top two buttons of his shirt.
"Perfect." She smiled. Ron smiled as well at her compliment. As he rolled up his sleeves, Pansy spoke.
"I am still confused about one thing." Ron looked to her curiously.
"What's that?" He asked, rolling up the last bit and taking a bite of bread.
"Your sister said you were married, and basically implied it was Granger…" Ron nodded, swallowing. "Well, you're obviously married to someone, and clearly you were married long before Granger and Draco so…so that's good isn't it?" Pansy took a large spoonful of pudding and watched his expression closely.
"Yea, you know, I hadn't really thought about my own fate." Ron thought. "But that isn't a question, you said you were still confused about something?" Ron asked curiously. Pansy smiled.
"Isn't it obvious?" She paused for effect. "Who is Mrs. Ronald Weasley?"
MR. MALFOY-HOGWARTS LIBRARY
Draco entered the library and headed straight for the section with all of the newspapers he had ransacked earlier that week. Sitting amongst large stacks of newspapers was Hermione Granger herself.
"Looking for this?" Draco asked, leaning against a bookshelf. Hermione jumped slightly and glared at him.
"What do you want Malfoy?" Hermione continued looking through the papers. Draco walked forward and crouched down. He pulled a page of wedding announcements out from his back pocket and held it up in front of her. She looked up and saw part of her future self folded over in the paper. Looking at Draco she furrowed her brow. "You kept it?" Draco looked around boredly.
"Had to make sure you couldn't find it." He shrugged, standing up and tossing it onto the floor of paper.
Hermione breathed in deeply. Draco watched her open the page slowly. She first saw the picture, moving like a dance. His arms were around her and she was smiling. He held her hand up to show the large, beautifully cut diamond engagement ring. Closing the paper she looked at Draco again.
"How long have you had this?" Draco sighed but decided to sit down across from her.
"Since our first night here, when you found me in the library. I came looking for it." Hermione shook her head with a distinct frown on her face.
"You told me you were looking for Snape." She said pointedly aggravated.
"You can't always believe what people tell you." Draco spoke very nonchalant.
"Is that why you came looking for it? Proof?" Draco had to admit, she was catching on rather quickly. He nodded.
"Well how do you know this isn't the lie?" Hermione picked up the paper and shoved it in Draco's direction so that he couldn't look away from the happy couple.
"I thought of that too Granger, so I spoke to myself regarding the matter." Hermione waited for him to continue but he did not.
"And?" She exaggerated.
"And…" He exaggerated the words back at her as he took the paper out of her hand and held it between them. "you and I…we're the real thing." Draco spoke the words softly and defeated as he stared at the picture again. Hermione stayed silent for a moment.
"Well, maybe you're in love with me and I'm…" Draco's attention snapped back to her, lifting his head quickly, he glared at her.
"You're what? Faking it?" He snapped. "Sorry sweetheart, but I asked your future self too, and you are just as much in this as I... will be." Draco whispered the last couple of words, stone faced before her. Chills ran up Hermione's spine. She groaned in frustration.
"What exactly did my future self say to you?" Draco sighed.
"Still think I'm lying Granger?" Hermione shook her head.
"No, but it saves me having to run back to Malfoy Manor after what…what happened today." Hermione was referring to her confrontation with herself, while Draco suspected the wedding itself.
"Honestly Granger, I don't think I'm the person you're going to want to hear any of this from." Draco began.
"But you're so eloquent Malfoy." Draco recognized Hermione's snide comment as a jest referring to his outburst on the patio regarding their sex life…together.
"The truth is, it was awkward enough talking to your future self about us, let alone having to repeat it back to you. And secondly, I didn't actually get that much information." Hermione nodded, it made sense that she wouldn't tell just any time traveler about their future.
"One more question Malfoy, is there anything else you can tell me about?" Hermione crossed her arms over her chest. Draco took a moment before looking up at her.
"Yea, you're happy."
FUTURE MR. AND MRS. MALFOY-MALFOY MANOR
Draco turned to his wife with confusion. "As far as I know, none. Why?" Hermione looked back to the doorway that she had just seen a younger version of Ron Weasley in.
"Because I just saw Ron in that doorway over there." Draco followed her line of sight.
"It couldn't be, we're the only ones here and no one told me we had arrived here today…" Hermione smiled innocently.
"Seriously? We crashed our own wedding? How did my counterpart let this happen? The last time I spoke to my younger self he was determined not to let your younger self know." Hermione shrugged.
"Ginny and Harry came to me earlier saying there was a problem with our future selves but I never guessed there was more than just us here." Hermione said, referring to her and Draco. Draco nodded, he then turned to Harry on his left side.
"Potter, why didn't you tell me I was a guest at my own wedding?" Draco inquired nicely.
"Oh no, don't go blaming me, Ginny and I tried to get you, Hermione, Pansy and Ron out of here before the ceremony but you guys wouldn't leave and Hermione said she didn't care." Hermione, who was listening over Draco's shoulder, butted in.
"And I only said that because I thought it was just Draco and I. So Ron and Pansy are both here now too?" She whispered heatedly. Ginny, who was sitting to Hermione's right turned to them to comment.
"What difference would it make who was here, really?" Ginny asked.
"I guess I would just feel more comfortable if it were only two. I mean, how many more rescue missions are we going to have to endure before their entire world is transported here." Hermione pointed out.
"I agree with Hermione, the less everyone from that time knows, the better." Harry piped up.
"But if we're all here, and have no recollection of these events taking place, then what does that mean exactly?" Pansy spoke, she had begun to listen in on the conversation.
"That's the question isn't it? We have no idea what damage we might already have caused. It's a real toss up." Hermione sighed worriedly. Draco put his arm around her for comfort.
"We'll figure this out, I promise. No one likes to see an unhappy bride, love. Care to dance? Might make you feel better." Hermione grinned.
"Of course. I'm sorry." With that she stood up and headed to the dance floor. Draco stood as well to follow but whispered something to Harry before joining his bride.
"As soon as the reception is over, we need to get back to Hogwarts." Harry nodded in agreement.
"We need to find out how Pansy and Ron managed to follow you and Hermione." Harry said. Pansy scowled.
"And what about your honeymoon Draco, or your bride for that matter? You don't think Granger's going to notice you running off?" Pansy pointed out. Draco frowned, he opened his mouth to argue but Hermione interrupted by calling his name. Pansy stood at that moment and sat down in Draco's seat to whisper more easily to Harry and Draco.
"Just leave it to Ron, Potter and I. We'll get the information and hopefully they'll be gone by brunch tomorrow." Draco looked to his bride and turned back to Pansy.
"Alright, but if you find out anything, you let me know." Pansy nodded and he walked out to meet Hermione.
"You know you're going to have to be careful, talking with yourself and all." Harry pointed out. Pansy nodded once more.
"I know how to keep my mouth shut." Pansy reassured.
"I was referring more to your body language." Harry gave her a pointed look. Pansy thought a moment and nodded.
"I will take that under advisement, Potter." Pansy smirked. Harry was still unsure but he nodded his agreement. Pansy turned to the bride and groom as she watched them dance. This was a turning point.
(MR. WEASLEY AND MISS PARKINSON-HOGWARTS)
Pansy laughed hysterically. She couldn't control herself as she rolled.
"Come on, stop it." Ron stood above her in the corridor, crossing his arms over his chest and carrying his jacket. They had left the Great Hall only a few minutes prior. Pansy was curled up on the floor laughing outright. Ron chuckled slightly at her but tried his best to keep a stern face.
"Okay, okay, I'm sorry, I really am…" Pansy composed herself and sat up to look at him. He could see her face breaking into a laugh as she spoke. "Sorry if it's true!" She burst out, red in the face, laughing once more. Ron rolled his eyes.
"Sorry to disappoint you, but Lavendar Brown will not be Mrs. Ron Weasley." Pansy chuckled slightly.
"Okay, perhaps not, you did already try her out anyway. Didn't fair too well for you Weasley?" Pansy teased as they continued walking.
"Not that it's any of your business but no, she's a great girl, but not the one for me." Pansy frowned slightly.
"You never have anything bad to say, do you?" Pansy remarked. Ron looked at her perplexed.
"Are you kidding? I call Malfoy an annoying git all the time…" Pansy shook her head.
"No, I mean, this whole time I've been spouting off names of your future wife and all your comments are like 'she's cool, but…" Pansy exaggerated.
"Well, most of them are. There isn't anything bad in their nature, it's just…unromantic I guess." Ron tried to explain.
"That, and I'm sure having your eye on Granger doesn't help." Ron nodded slightly. "I did want to apologize as well." Pansy began.
"For what?" Ron asked.
"Well, you apologized earlier about our…discussion on the patio and I wanted to say I'm sorry as well, about what I said, regarding you…being a coward." Ron held up a hand to silence her.
"Don't worry about it, most of what you said had some truth to it." Pansy nodded coyly.
"Yes, I do pride myself on honesty." She smirked and Ron laughed slightly and nodded, unbelievingly.
"Seriously though, any guesses? I haven't even started on the Slytherin house yet! Millicent would be quite the robust woman to add to the Weasley line." Pansy grinned and even Ron had to laugh at that absurd choice.
"I fear Millie might not return my affections." Ron swooned mockingly. Pansy grinned.
"I'm not so sure. She might just be looking for a romantic like you." Pansy pointed out. Ron's grin was soon clouded by an absurd expression.
"Romantic?" He questioned. Pansy nodded. Ron thought a moment and nodded as well. "I suppose, it has a nice ring to it." Pansy grinned.
"So, who's your lucky lady then?" Pansy asked. Ron shook his head.
"I'm done, I have no idea. I am curious who you think, really though." Ron stopped in the corridor they had been circling for a time.
Pansy stopped as well to look at him. "You're asking me?" She put a hand to her chest, making sure it was she he was referring.
"Yes…" Ron didn't know what to say after that. Pansy thought a moment and finally sighed.
"Honestly, I wouldn't even dare make a guess." Ron frowned and Pansy noticed. "Does my opinion really mean that much to you?" She chuckled lightly.
"I don't know, these last few days, I guess since Hermione's been busy sorting through her new misfortune…" Ron grinned at his joke before continuing on. "I find myself leaning more towards you. For friendship I mean…surprisingly." Ron seemed almost dumbfounded by his own words. Was he asking Pansy to be his friend? Looking at her now, she smirked and he thought for sure she would revert back to her old ways.
"Friends? I suppose weirder things have happened." She nodded.
"Good. Friends. You know, you still didn't answer me." Ron pointed out.
"And as a friend, I probably never will." Pansy continued walking while Ron hurried to catch up.
Author's Notes: Hope you liked it. R&R please! Thanks! New chapter soon!
