Before you all have my heads on a platter, I'm sorry for such a long wait. Honestly, I thought about giving up on this story. It just didn't come to me until tonight. So here is the much anticipated CHAPTER ELEVEN! Oh and thanks a bunch to everyone who reviews and continues to review!


Chapter Eleven: Are Those Wedding Bells I Hear?

Hermione huffed angrily as she stormed away from the Leakey Cauldron. Leave it to Malfoy to turn everything into the source of his amusement. Honestly, she wasn't as repulsed by the thought of marrying Malfoy as she'd made it out to sound in the inn. In the past week, Malfoy had shown her a side of him that she supposed very few people saw. Sure he was bratty and arrogant and spoiled. But he could also be especially sweet and soothe her worries like he did with her parents.

She'd gotten to thinking that marrying Malfoy might actually be an adventure; the adventure of her life.

So when Malfoy had called out to Hermione from a few paces away, she stopped to wait for him. "I'm sorry for the way I reacted. It was-it's like you have no plans for your future."

Draco smiled down at Hermione mockingly. "Isn't that what everyone thinks? That I'm just a spoiled self-righteous brat. No worries, I'm not insulted. But I have given a lot of thought to our wedding. Trust me, marrying you was far from my future plans."

Hermione bristled, but Draco continued. "Then I got to thinking you're an annoying know-it-all, have horrible taste, and are stubborn. But you're also smart, loyal, clever, and brave. You're certainly better than any other Pureblood wife my parents would have me marry before this dratted marriage law came into place."

After he'd finished speaking, Hermione was stunned into silence. Was this actually the same Malfoy from her childhood? Hermione looked up at him and realized that he had matured. This was no longer the horrible bully from when they were younger. "Well, I suppose that settles it."

A puzzled look graced Draco's aristocratic features. "Settles what?"

Hermione beamed. "Yes, I will marry you, Draco Malfoy."

Draco blinked; he was afraid the bushy-haired Gryffindor had finally lost it. "But I haven't proposed."

Hermione rolled her eyes. "Obviously. But so far all of my doubts-or most of them-about marrying you are going away. You proved to me that you can actually be mature and reasonable."

"Hermione! We were worried sick about you!"

Hermione spun around at the sound of her best friend's voice. "Harry? And Ron?"

"Who else?" Ron grumbled. Hermione didn't miss the furious glare he directed towards Malfoy. But to the latter's credit, he simply ignored her friends.

"How did you find me?" Hermione was surprised her friends has found her so soon. Admittedly, Malfoy was the one that had found her but they were a close second.

"Honestly, you're our best friend. What kind of friends would we be if we didn't find you first?" Apparently Harry hadn't noticed Draco when he said this. His green eyes widened when Malfoy stepped forward with a smug smirk.

"Well then you're not the kind of friends, are you?"

Ron looked as if he would launch himself at Draco at any minute so Hermione placed a calming hand on his twitching arm. Draco noticed the exchange with a slight frown. He wasn't too sure about his soon-to-be wife's closeness with her ex-boyfriend. It was obvious Weasley wasn't over her by the way he was currently gazing at her.

"Hermione, what were you thinking?! We were so worried when we read your note," Jane Granger scolded as she rounded on the group. But she quickly melted when she saw Draco Malfoy standing right there next to her. Her husband and Narcissa weren't too far behind.

"Really, dear. I thought you above such theatrics," although the tone was reprimanding, Narcissa smiled.

Hermione blushed in embarrassment. She hadn't realized how childish and immature her behavior was. And hadn't she been the one pointing out Malfoy's own childishness a few minutes ago? "I apologize for the worry I put everyone through. Everything was just happening so fast that at the last minute I couldn't wrap my mind around the idea of being married."

"Are those wedding bells I hear?" Narcissa grinned.

Hermione nodded. She inched towards her father, who had remained silent since his arrival. "Dad, are you okay?"

Leon Granger squinted hard at his daughter. "I don't think I ever will be. My little girl is about to be married."

Bushy hair billowed in the wind as Hermione rushed into her father's arms. It was so unlike her father to express his thoughts out in the open like that. And Hermione realized how much this was all affecting him. "I love you, Dad."

"I know."

As always, during any public display of affection, Malfoy ruined the beautiful moment. He cleared his throat. "As . . . touching as this," he gestured with his hands towards Hermione and her father, "is, we have an engagement to attend in half an hour."

Leon growled at the impertinent cad. He simply couldn't believe his beautiful daughter would actually agree to marry this . . . this arrogant, self-centered bastard. Maybe he could introduce the boy to his fists. But then he doubted the wizard would play fair. The blonde would do some fancy hocus-pocus with his stick and Leon would possibly find himself back in Australia-or in hell.

It was then as that particular thought struck him when he noticed the blonde eyed wink at Hermione. And his usually level-headed daughter blushed. Hmm, maybe for her sake he would try to be as supportive as he could possibly be.

Within a few minutes the entire group was inside the Leakey Cauldron preparing to Floo to the Malfoy Manor.

"Wait."

All eyes turned to Hermione. "I-uh don't have my dress."

"No worries, dear. It's already at the manor. You can change there."

Hermione didn't question Narcissa Malfoy as to what her dress was doing at the Manor. It seemed the witch was too sure Hermione wouldn't back out of wedding her son. But then she was usually right.

As one by one they Flooed to the Manor (with a demonstration having been shown to Hermione's parents), Hermione allowed herself a small smile. So far nothing totally disastrous had happened. Maybe this whole wedding would go peacefully. Little did she know disaster was waiting just around the bend.


Heehee! I have a very devious plot awaiting to happen! REVIEW! You know how much I love hearing from readers don't 'cha? *wink* *wink*