Chapter Nine

Telephone lines

"Right which shop do you want to go in first?" Draco asked then immediately regretted it.

"Madam Malkins,"

"Quidditch,"

"Err…" Draco felt loathed to choose sides "how about I take Mariella to Madam Malkins and you go to the quidditch shop and choose whatever you want,"

"Whatever?"

"Yes but go straight there."

"Mr. Malfoy," the shop owner fussed "can I help you?"

"I want you to measure my daughter and recommend robes for her."

"Your daughter?"

"Yes," he growled.

"Ok then" she busied Mariella into a booth to measure her.

Hermione rushed through the atrium in the ministry of magic and realized that she had no idea where you went to arrange a wizarding marriage.

She went to the welcome desk to a wizard who pointed her down the hall. She entered a tiny office cluttered with files and folders and the wonky sign "Office of Registration".

"Errr hi," she said "I want to arrange a wizarding marriage." The woman looked over her glasses.

"Who are you?"

"Hermione …"

"No no no I mean are you the bride bridesmaid friend?"

"Bride,"

"Ok ," the woman grabbed a large dusty book.

"What date are you looking at?"

"Today," Hermione said.

"What?" the woman spluttered.

"I need to get married today,"

"That's impossible," she flustered.

"We're not having a ceremony we can come here just for the bonding and sign the register," the woman looked at her skeptically "no one is forcing you are they?"

"No," Hermione said and for some reason despite the vow she believed herself.

"Well we can get someone to perform that this evening say 10 pm but it will be quick and just here,"

"But legal,"

"Oh yes,"

"Thank you very much." The woman dismissed her with a hand wave. Hermione rushed through the lobby at breakneck speed she had called in to work claiming a day off that had be owed to her for at least a year as she entered the atrium she ran straight into,

"Harry Ron,"

"Hermione hello you're heading the wrong way," Harry smiled at Hermione.

"No I came into see the office Mariella is ill and I am taking the day off."

"Oh hope she's better soon."

"Thanks," Hermione swept away without another word shaking herself inside for lying to keep Draco from her friends again.

"That was odd," Harry said to his best friend.

"Oh good I thought it was just me," Ron replied expelling a deep breath.

"She turned up last night when the twins were staying over and grabbed them and took off. Mariella looked fine. Then Gin went over this morning and all she would say was everything was ok she looked like she had seen a ghost though."

"Maybe we are reading too much into this."

"Yeah maybe."

Hermione apparated back to the flat and looked at it for the first time in a new light, it was a mess with breakfast pots all over Draco's bag dumped on the floor a blanket around one of the chairs and not one bed made. As she busied herself around the house making lunch and tidying she turned on the TV so the daytime rubbish drowned out the various thoughts she had in her head about marrying a man she had not had a conversation with in ten years.

"Sounds just like a marriage," she thought rather cynically as she made her bed with a little too much vigor.

A story on the one o'clock news alerted her to the time as she finished the flat. A rather impatient person she had no idea what to do next she settled with the idea of going shopping herself but she had promised Draco and the twins the entire day and what would she buy she had no intentions of standing at the office in the ministry of magic in a large white dress the irony would just be too much. Instead she decided to go to muggle London heading to Oxford Street to see what they had to offer. Hermione had never been a large shopper but she knew sitting in the house would to her no good. As she wandered in and out of the busy high street she allowed herself to relax a little as she picked out various clothes for nothing other than the frivolous reason she liked them she always kept a muggle bank account she had no idea why but she felt that and the flat kept her tethered to the muggle realm and reminded her of her parents.

She entered a series of shops buying small things for her and the twins but nothing really caught her eye until the walk to the tube. In the window of the Channel shop was a beautiful mint green cocktail dress with a capped sleeve although the design was not identical it reminded her of the dress she wore many years ago to a family friends wedding. Much more appropriate than a big white dress she thought. The non-existent price tag made her wince if it didn't have a tag she couldn't afford it. Despite herself she entered the shop and walked out twenty minutes later with a maxed out credit card. She had no idea why she cared so much after all this was in all manners a sham marriage she had already slept with Draco twice and had children with him why hadn't she bought a new pair of jeans. She was jolted out of her daydreams when the tube stopped and she realized she had missed her stop. It took her twenty minutes to get back to the right stop she couldn't apparate in a busy London tube station particularly with all the CCTV. When she did make it back to the flat she realized instantly that Draco and the twins had beat her.

Hermione moved around the corner of the hallway in her flat to see JJ with the brand new nimbus in his hand. JJ was a good flyer, he had been taught by Harry Potter and he had Draco's flying genes . Mariella on the other hand was nowhere to be seen just several boxes and bags from Madam Malkins dotted the kitchen counter Hermione imagined she had forced Draco to spend a considerable amount of money. She at first felt a little ashamed thinking Mariella a little spoilt to demand from her father but she knew that Draco would be quite happy to spend money to his daughter.

"And then this one Mariella," said exiting her room in a bright blue cloak "Oh hi mum," she smiled at Hermione stood in the doorway behind her brother and dad.

"I hope you don't think I went overboard," Draco asked her.

"A little but I forgive you,"

"Good," Draco smiled "because I think you would have a job getting them back off Mariella."

"You are going to stay at Uncle Ron and Aunt Rome's tonight guys," Hermione addressed her children.

"Yay," Mariella cried she loved playing with their young children Emma, Celica and two week old Holly. JJ pulled a face although he liked Uncle Ron he considered that household far too girly.

"Why?," JJ asked.

"Because I am err…" Draco started.

"Me and your father are going for dinner that's all darling," Hermione took a deep breath "I think I need to make some calls."

Ten minutes later Hermione held the phone at arms length as one of her best friends Ron Weasley shouted down the phone. This was for two reasons firstly Ron had not really ever got idea of the telephone and secondly he was very angry.

"MALFOY YOU ARE MARRYING MALFOY!"

"Yes Ron I am," she said only a little quieter "we are getting married in a quiet ceremony if you can't accept that then then.. " her voice dropped "he is the twins father," she really hoped she wouldn't have to tell Ron this in a fight but her anger had just let it go.

"I know," the pause seemed to last an age "how they look a little like him and Mariella's mannerisms. That's why I don't get it Hermione he left you."

"No he didn't I never told him."

"Okay I don't like your decision Hermione but I accept it."

"Well," Hermione thought to herself "time to get married."