A/N Sorry for the wait guys but my internet is still buggered.
Last time in Lie Back... Hermione and Blaise find themselves quite compatible in the bedroom but Hermione is still unsure on just how her marriage is going to turn out. We pick up our story a few days later, on the eve of Ginny and Harry's wedding...
Harry and Ginny were getting married the next day and Hermione was exhausted. Even with Mrs Weasley practically planning the entire wedding herself, the woman still managed to find a dozen jobs for Hermione to do. She had just managed to get the last one done – organising paid house elves to waiter – and had only twenty minutes to shower and dress for dinner. Blaise's mother had been so insulted at Hermione and Blaise's decision to live together as a married couple that she had packed her bags and gone to stay in one of their country houses until the pair went back to school.
With the departure of Mrs Zabini though, came the arrival of Blaise's grandmother, his beloved grandmother who was like a mother to him. Hermione had thought she was nervous meeting Mrs Zabini but it was nothing compared to meeting the most important woman in Blaise's life.
Hermione dumped her shopping bags on the bed and flicked her wand at them. They started to put themselves away in the closet save a midnight blue robe that she planned to wear that night.
She jumped in the shower, careful not to wet the delicate curls the hairdresser had used eight different spells on. They would last for three days, but Hermione knew her hair and she didn't want to take any chances. She dried quickly and practically jumped into the dress, making a mental note to thank Blaise for the line of credit he had established for her at nearly every store in Diagon Ally.
She hated to accept the money but some logical words from Ginny and Mrs Weasley soon had Hermione calmed and half a dozen new dresses bought. Dinner was, after all, a formal affair.
Hermione ran frantically around the room, searching for where she had put her jewellery. Though she spent the last two nights with Blaise, she still had her own room and bathroom. She didn't know why, but it was important to Hermione to have somewhere that was just hers.
She located her earrings by the book she had put aside to read but hadn't had the chance yet and practically leapt down the stairs, belatedly remembering to smear some lipstick on. Oh well, too late for that now.
Pausing before the drawing room doors, Hermione smoothed her figure hugging dress and pushed a stray curl off her face. She took a deep breath and pushed open the doors.
Blaise was by her side instantly, giving Hermione a peck on the cheek. He led her over to the chairs and as he looked at the old woman standing by one of the comfy armchairs, a soft smile lit his features.
"This is my grandmother, Lizzy. Grandma, this is my wife, Hermione."
Hermione smiled and bit back her gasp of surprise when the older witch embraced her warmly.
"It's a pleasure, my dear, to finally meet you. I would have come sooner but, well, my daughter and I don't exactly see eye to eye and I didn't want to cause a scene."
Hermione smiled at the older woman, instantly at ease. "That's quite understandable. I apologize for not coming to see you but it seems every single on of my friends is getting married in the next month and there's so much to be done."
Blaise took a seat beside Hermione on the couch and placed a casual hand on her knee. She jumped slightly, she couldn't help it. She was still getting used to Blaise and his affectionate touches weren't second nature to her yet.
"I'm sure a lot of them will be returning to school," Lizzy offered. "And wish to be settled before being in such a public setting. No one judges others quite like hormonal teenagers."
Hermione laughed. "That's true. Thank Merlin Pansy isn't going back. Oh, sorry."
The Parkinson and Zabini's were family friends and Hermione had just insulted their only daughter. But Lizzy simply waved it off.
"She can be a right little cow."
"She has changed a lot, I must admit. George is good for her, I think."
Next to her, Blaise chuckled.
"That would be one of the twins who own the joke shop, yes? I heard that was her match. Tell me, Hermione, is he a good man?"
Hermione thought seriously a moment. George was honest and kind and good but did that necessarily mean a good husband? Then she remembered the way both the twins were so protective of Ginny and even Hermione at times.
"Yes, a very good man. He likes to joke and have fun, but he knows when to be serious, too. And you couldn't find more loyal people then the Weasleys."
"Good, I am pleased."
There was a silence, slightly awkward as Lizzy studied Hermione.
"Do you come from good breeding stock, Hermione? Lots of brothers and sisters?"
"Grandma!" Blaise admonished but Hermione just laughed.
Lizzy Zabini had that I'm-old-I-can-ask-anything-I-want aura to her and Hermione found it delightfully refreshing.
"No, unfortunately. I'm an only child as was my mother. My father has two sisters but they are much older then him. I'm ashamed to say I don't see a lot of my muggle family. Especially since…"
Hermione lowered her eyes. The feelings of guilt she could usually suppress over sending her parents away crept up on her unexpectedly at times.
"Yes, Blaise told me about what you did for them. That was very brave of you. Not many people would have the skill or the courage to do it."
Hermione smiled tightly. Though she appreciated the words, it was nothing she hadn't heard a hundred times before.
Fortunately for her, the bell tolled, signalling dinner was ready. Blaise helped his grandmother to her feet and led both women into the dining room. He again helped his grandma while Hermione simply seated herself.
Dinner couldn't have been more opposite to the one with Blaise's mother. Conversation was often punctuated by laughter. Lizzy simply adored Hermione. She loved everything about her, all her little anecdotes about her adventures, her wit and her intelligence, her peculiar muggle customs but most of all she respected Hermione's strength. Her ability to push through the bad times, to hold her own and her resilience.
Hermione, in turn, fell in love with Lizzy. She'd never had a grandmother, both her mother and father's parents dying before Hermione could even remember them. It amused her to study Blaise around the older woman. It was like he was a completely different person. All the snobbery and superiority was gone. There was not a trace of arrogance on his features as he was scolded for putting his elbows on the table or for not eating enough greens.
Towards the end of dinner, Hermione received an owl. It was in Ron's messy scrawl and demanded her presence at Grimmauld Place immediately.
"Anything wrong?" Blaise asked across the table.
"I fear there might be. Ron has asked I meet him and I think I better go."
Blaise agreed and Hermione excused herself, apologizing profusely for having to cut their dinner short.
She didn't even change, just flooed straight to the dilapidated old building. She hadn't been back there since the war. She come out of the fireplace in the kitchen into a horror scene.
The room was filled with drunk, laughing, drooling idiot men.
"Hermione!" they cried.
Harry, Ron, the twins, Neville, Charlie, Bill, Lee Jordan and even Percy sat around the table. Bottles of Firewhisky and Elderflower wine littered the table and most of the men swayed dangerously in their seats.
"What are you doing?" Hermione demanded.
"Bachelors' night!" Ron slurred. "You had to be here, you're one of the guys!"
"Not in that dress she's not!" Charlie laughed to himself and Hermione blushed as the men, no boys, all looked at her with renewed interest. Well, not Harry, he was already passed out, his head on the table, and not Percy, his eyes focused determinedly on Hermione's left ear.
"Have a drink with us, Nerhiome!" Neville called, stumbling to his feet and pulling out a seat for her.
She laughed and sat down. "One drink. One."
The only girl in a group of drunken idiot men was not her ideal choice of location but Ron was right, she was one of the guys and it was only fitting she be here. Her last act of recklessly following Ron and Harry around before she settled down to be a proper wife.
Three hours later a very cranky Ginny followed by an amused Blaise stepped through the fireplace.
The others had fallen asleep but Hermione, Ron and a woken Harry were sitting around the fireplace in the upstairs drawing room.
"I can't believe you're married, Hermione," Ron said, shaking his head. "To Blaise. And I'm going to marry Luna. Loony Luna Lovegood is going to be my wife. Merlin, you don't think she's going to try anything… strange on the wedding night do you?"
Harry and Hermione laughed and Ron tried to throw a cushion at them. They settled for a moment and Harry turned his attention to Hermione.
"What's it like, Hermione? Being married?"
Hermione shrugged. "I don't know, Harry. It's only been a couple of days." She made a face. "It's strange. I thought it would be like friends, but with, you know, sex." She whispered the last word, blushing profusely, and the boys howled with laughter. "But it's more then just friends. Like I said, its only been a couple of days, but its like I'm giving more of myself to him, then I would a friend, but it's okay, because he's giving just as much back. Give me a couple of months, and I think I'll love him."
"Oh, we can't tease you about that," Ron complained.
Harry nodded in agreement. "Yeah, that's not funny at all."
Hermione smile and shrugged her shoulders before shaking her head.
"What about you, lover boy?" she nudged Ron with her foot. "How do you feel about Luna?"
Harry and Hermione exchanged looks as a dreamy expression crossed Ron's face. "She's great. No, really, once you get passed the… oddness, she's great. She's got this wicked sense of humour and she's beautiful and she's just so…" He sighed and they laughed again.
"Harry James Potter and Ronald Bilius Weasley you better have a good explanation for kidnapping Hermione!" Ginny stormed from the doorway.
"Harry don't look!" Hermione jumped on Harry, trying to cover his eyes. "It's after midnight and it's bad luck to see the bride."
They overbalanced and toppled to the floor, giggling like hyena's.
"She's drunk! You lot got her drunk. Hermione, get up and go home. You will not look hung over in my wedding photos. And you two," she jabbed her fingers towards her brother and her fiancé while Blaise helped Hermione up. "You two better take some sobering potion, get to sleep and if you are late tomorrow no one will be having a wedding night, understand?" They nodded sagely, Harry with his eyes closed tightly.
"Hermione, say goodnight," Blaise instructed her.
"Goodnight!" she called as Blaise and Ginny helped her down the stairs and through the fireplace.
Ginny shook her head at Hermione as Blaise went through first to catch her on the other side.
"I don't now how you three managed to get through seven years without getting yourselves killed. Look at you, you're a drunken mess!"
"Ginny, don't be so cranky, this time tomorrow you'll be married! Married, married and we'll all live happily ever after!" She took her friend's hands in her and look Ginny in the eye. "I promise…"
