AN: Some sweet fluff times.
CHAPTER 11: SETTLED
Draco would have whistled on the way back to the bedroom he shared with Harry if it hadn't been so late at night. Opening the door to the room, he saw Harry sitting on top of his still made-up bed with the clothes he'd worn that day on.
"Hey," he said. "Didn't expect to see you up."
Harry turned to look at Draco, but then turned back to facing the window, saying nothing and doing nothing other than throwing his snitch up in the air only to catch it when it began to fly. Release and catch. Release, catch. Again and again.
"Er,…is something wrong?" Draco had never known Potter to be so silent.
"What would give you that idea?" Harry asked in a decidedly sarcastic tone.
"Uh…," Draco didn't know how to respond. He didn't know how to navigate around a sullen Harry. Since his family's defection, Harry had always seemed obnoxiously chipper. He didn't know what to make of this version of him.
Thinking some good news would cheer him up Draco said, "Hey…..I've got something to tell you. You'll be the first to know."
Harry looked over at that.
Encouraged that he'd gotten Harry's attention, Draco continued, "I asked Hermione to marry me. She said yes."
Harry's face darkened at that. Quickly jumping up off of his bed, he went over to the bureau and slammed his fist against it. Nursing his now bloody hand, he turned around to face a shocked Draco and hissed, "Tell me something…..why is it that you Slytherin snakes always get the girl?"
Draco just stood there, not knowing what to say. Finally he asked, "What are you going on about? Are you mad?"
"Mad? Harry Potter is above such things, didn't you know that? I'm always supposed to be fine…..just lovely," Harry growled. "And why shouldn't I be? Why shouldn't I rejoice to find the girl who was supposed to be mine doing the nasty with the Slytherin Sleaze of the Seven Seas?"
Draco would have laughed at that description of Blaise if the situation had been less tense. "You saw them…."
Harry nodded. "Yeah. I got an eyeful." Then he dropped his head in his hands and blurted out his pain while pulling his hair, "Why do I always have to be the one who loses someone?" He raised his head up to reveal eyes shining with tears. "Why? Why is it always me?"
Draco felt horribly uncomfortable. Although he and Harry were friends, and had been friends for months now, he still didn't feel qualified to offer comfort to the man who had lost so much. "Um…..would you like for me to go fetch Hermione?"
"No. What could she do?"
"Do you want me to talk to Blaise?" Draco didn't know what he could say to his friend that wouldn't immediately be shot down with a 'mind your own business', but for Harry's sake, he could try.
Harry snorted at that. "And make Hermione a widow before she's even married? I don't think so."
"Hey! Are you implying I couldn't take Blaise?"
"No wizard can best another wizard when it's concerning the witch they love." Harry cocked his head while looking piercingly at Draco. "Isn't that so?"
And the snitch is caught once again by Potter. "Yes….yes, it is."
'''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''
"Oh! Hermione….you mean….it really happened?" gushed Ginny as her friend told her of her engagement to Draco while they were all eating breakfast in the kitchen. "Where is your ring?" she asked as she looked at the ring finger on Hermione's left hand.
"Blast it! I knew I was forgetting something!" exclaimed Draco as he overheard their discussion. "Love, if I could get back to the Manor, I would give you the ring that belonged to my great-grandmother."
"Darling, what a perfect choice for Hermione," overheard Narcissa. Looking at her future daughter-in-law, she explained. "The ring Draco's referring to is a beautiful sapphire one with diamonds circling around the stone."
"Mrs. Malfoy, I don't need expensive rings; I just want Draco," Hermione said as she gazed adoringly at her fiancé.
Narcissa smiled at that. She had been so afraid her son would be latched onto by one of the pureblooded witches who only cared for the Malfoy name and money. The muggle-born witch before her was nothing like that. "Thank you, Darling. He is quite a catch, if I do say so myself."
"Of course, he is," agreed Lucius. "Like father, like son, they always say."
Everyone at the table laughed at that. They were now used to the remarkable turn-around in Lucius Malfoy's personality. Months ago when he'd made the decision to change his family's fate, he'd also decided to change his ways. And for him, part of that meant trying to see people as they really were, instead of viewing them through the lens of preconceived notions. He now greatly enjoyed spending time with Remus. Arthur was a bit too exuberant over muggle gadgets to suit his taste, but he adored the Weasley twins. And was a little bit scared of them, too, to tell the truth. "Son, may I?" he asked, referring to Hermione.
"Of course, Father," Draco said while grinning at Hermione, who in turn, received the shock of her life when Lucius came up and gave her a gentle kiss on the cheek. "My little girl," he murmured while one hand of his cupped her face as the other chucked her playfully under her chin. "I always wanted one, you know."
"You did, indeed," smiled Narcissa. "And what a beautiful one we now have. Thank you, Draco."
Hermione was moved by the love and acceptance she felt from the Malfoys. Seeing Draco as he smiled tenderly at her, she impulsively reached up and hugged Lucius and whispered in his ear, "I love you, Father."
Lucius immediately tightened the hug as his eyes became glossy. His weren't the only ones. Everyone who had been a witness to the scene was moved by the sincerity of the emotions. Hermione finished by reaching over to Narcissa to include her in the hug and also to give her a kiss on the cheek. As Draco watched his family, he could honestly say he had never been so happy or fulfilled.
"So…have you decided on a date?" asked Ginny after the hugs were finished.
Draco responded, "Since it's almost April, we thought we could have a May wedding."
"A May wedding? How lovely!" enthused Molly. "And dears….why not make it on May Day? Then we could really celebrate!"
"Yeah, and maybe being married on May Day will make you more fertile, Granger," winked Fred while George laughed at Hermione's blush.
"Hey Draco my lad, maybe the first time will be the charm, eh?" teased George.
"You mean something along the lines of a one-hit wonder?" asked Fred, clearly trying to egg things on.
"We are not discussing this with you two," glowered Hermione as she went back to bury herself under Draco's shoulder. "Go away and harass someone else."
At that point in the conversation, Harry walked in. He looked around at the happy faces before him and said, "Well. I guess everyone knows Hermione's good news. I'll just get a piece of toast and get out of your way."
Hermione watched as her best friend went back out of the room. "What's wrong with him?" she asked Draco.
"I'll tell you later," he whispered back.
If anyone had looked, they would have seen Ginny with a guilt-ridden expression on her face. She suddenly shot up out of her chair and ran out of the room.
"You sure you can't tell me now?" Hermione whispered back.
'''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''
"You are happy with Draco's choice, aren't you?" asked Narcissa as she and Lucius readied for bed that evening.
"Very happy. They are an even match. In fact, they remind me a bit of you and me," Lucius responded as he reached for his wife's hand.
"I don't think I was ever that great of a fighter to be honest."
Lucius laughed. "Draco had better never anger her or he could wind up in St. Mungo's."
"I wish we could do something for them," said Narcissa, changing the subject. "Our own honeymoon was so perfect. I wish they could get away and have something like that."
Lucius thought back to that time. It had indeed been ideal.
"I have an idea," he suddenly said. "Why don't I take them to our estate in Wales? The scenery is quite romantic, with the cliffs and the sea and since it's so secluded, they'll be quite alone there. Very appropriate to the occasion."
"Lucius, you can't! You know the Dark Lord has targeted you for a special revenge. If you go outside the protection of the Order, he will know it. Don't make yourself a sitting duck!"
"Oh, pshaw," he muttered as he waved his hand. "I don't think I'm what he's after. Be concerned for Mr. Potter if you want to protect someone."
"I am not joking. Harry is his enemy, yes; but you betrayed him. He will not rest until he finds you."
Lucius didn't say anything. He knew Narcissa was right, but how could he make her see his new point of view?
"Love, listen," he began as he took hold of her cold hands. "I can't live the remainder of my life always being afraid of who might be after me. I did incur rather a large amount of enemies, you know," he said, trying to grin to lighten the mood.
Narcissa was not amused. "All the more reason for you to remain hidden….at least, until the worst is over."
"You know I can't do that, Love. I can't let others take all the risk while I play it safe," he said as he stroked her cheek. "What kind of man would that make me?"
"An alive one!" she screeched. "Lucius! I can see it in your eyes…..you plan on sacrificing yourself, don't you?"
"What? No! No, my dear," he soothed. "I have too much to live for. But I do believe I owe a debt to our future grandchildren. I need to try to make this a better world for them…..wouldn't you agree?"
Narcissa fumed. "I really hate it when you use the word 'grandchildren' over me. Sneaky snake."
AN2: Next chapter is the wedding! Then….things go pear shaped after that. You've been warned! Battle is a-brewing!
Hint: Seer blood runs in the Black family.