16 March, Wednesday 1130 GMT
Hermione bundled up Drew before flooing to the Burrow for a visit with Molly Weasley. The older witch welcomed the pair of visitors.
She was just about to have lunch. She plated an extra serving for Hermione. Ronda sat on Mrs. Weasley's lap while James sat right next to Hermione. They ate while they listened to James tell about his day so far.
It wasn't until afternoon tea when the children were down for their naps did Hermione feel anxious. Mrs. Molly Weasley had always felt like a second mother to Hermione. The red-headed matriarch seemed to notice the younger witch's anxiety.
"Are you alright, Dear?" the older witch asked, concerned.
"I'm fine, Mrs. Weasley," she said giving her a weak smile as she took a sip from her teacup.
It was when Hermione placed the cup back down on the coffee table that the older witch gasped. She noticed the engagement ring on the younger witch's fingers. Mrs. Weasley gently took hold of Hermione's hand.
"When did he finally ask?" Mrs. Weasley asked as she looked at the finger adornment.
"Last night," Hermione said, her eyes already brimming with moisture. "Can you imagine me marrying Draco Malfoy?"
"That's the beauty of love, Hermione," Mrs. Weasley said smiling, "It has a way of sneaking up on you sometimes."
Hermione laughed. "Draco's telling Ginny and others at Hogwarts. I was going to let Harry know," Hermione paused. "I wanted to tell you first."
Mrs. Weasley pulled her into her arms. "I think your parents would be so happy for you, Hermione," she said as she allowed the brunette witch to cry into her shoulder.
"Hey, what's going on?" the pair heard someone enter the living room.
Mrs. Weasley nodded at the scarred wizard to come in. Hermione finally lifted her head and smiled. He sat down on one of the chairs surrounding the coffee table.
"I stopped by for tea and to check up on the kids. Did something happen?"
"Draco asked me to marry him last night," Hermione said as she showed him the ring.
Harry held Hermione's hand as he looked at the ring. He looked back up at his old friend and smiled.
"So what's all the crying for?" Harry asked. Hermione punched him playfully on the arm.
o-o-o
As the lunch meal ended and the hall was basically clear of students, Draco had said rather abruptly to the staff members still close to the table that he was getting married. Ginny, Gregory Goyle, Madame Pomfrey, Professor Snape, Hagrid and Professor McGonagall all sat back down. Ginny hugged Draco. Gregory looked at his old friend in shock.
"I snuck off campus last night for about an hour," the platinum blonde said a little guiltily as he looked briefly at the Headmistress. "I asked Hermione to marry me."
"Hermione?" the mediwizard asked in astonishment. "That's who you've been so secretive about?"
"Gregory," Madame Pomfrey said, almost scoldingly.
"It's about time, Draco," Greg said smiling. He shook his former housemate's hand. "You've had a thing for her since we were in school."
Draco, as pale as he usually was, turned several shades of red. He gave Greg a "you are so going to get it" look. Then he laughed it off. The others congratulated him before heading off to their posts.
Draco and Professor Snape walked to the dungeons together. They both had an off period. They walked in silence for the most part, both only hearing their footfalls on the stone floor.
"Please say something, Sir," Draco finally broke the silence as he followed his old Potions professor into the upper level classroom.
The veteran Hogwarts teacher offered his former student a seat. Draco took it, watching his mentor blow out a breath.
"You don't seem so thrilled with my announcement, Sir," Draco said.
"Draco, I am happy for you," the black clad professor said.
"But?" Draco asked, raising an eyebrow.
"She's a Muggle-born, Draco."
"You of all people should know that that shouldn't matter at all," Draco said, a little hurt.
Professor Snape smiled at him. He studied the young man's face. "What do your parents think of the engagement?"
"I haven't told them yet," Draco said looking down at his hands.
"Do they know about your relationship with Hermione?"
Draco smiled. "Yes. I told them last Saturday during dinner."
"How'd they take it?"
"Father was father," Draco said as Professor Snape smiled. "Mum seemed okay with it."
"Do you love Hermione, Draco?"
"Yes," the young man didn't hesitate. He looked up at him.
"You do realize that you'll be further ostracized by some of the Wizarding elite?"
"What I've learned over the past ten years, fighting on both sides of the war is that … sometimes we Pure-bloods take for granted the potential abilities we have because we have Wizarding blood," he shut his eyes for a moment. He looked up at the Potions master. "And those Muggle-borns like Hermione have fought doubly harder for their right to practice something we Pure-bloods have been born with, even died for that right.
"It doesn't matter what the Wizarding elite think, Sir," the young man said, wiping his eyes. "I've found someone whose captured my heart and soul; whose probably been doing that since our Hogwarts' days, I just didn't realize it."
Professor Snape smiled to himself. "I think you've found your match, Draco," he said. "It takes a brave soul to follow one's heart, forgetting one's ingrained familial beliefs, discounting everything one's learned about the status of blood."
Draco nodded his head. He stood up. "Thanks, Sir," Draco said before exiting the classroom.
o-o-o
Hermione and Draco spoke over their wirelesses and owled each other back and forth over the next few days regarding wedding plans. Hogwarts' Spring Recess would officially start at the end of classes on Friday. It was Draco's idea to use a Muggle Justice of the Peace to officiate the backyard wedding. The earliest date Hermione could get was 21 March, the Monday the following week. And it took some finagling to get the appropriate permissions to hold the small ceremony in the backyard of the Muggle London home. Blaise was the one that had gladly volunteered to "convince" the Muggle Ministry officiant to consider the old Granger home as authorized. Both Harry and Draco concurred with the Ministry Obliviator's tactics. Hermione just rolled her eyes and laughed.
Draco and Hermione worked on a guest list, owling that back and forth as well. Both of them had no qualms with either's suggestion of whom to invite. It was a varied list; a mix of Muggles and Wizarding folk alike: Hermione's coworkers at the hospital, Hogwarts staff and their significant others, the Weasleys, the Potters, and the Zabinis.
"We're really going to do this?" Hermione said as she lay on her bed next to Drew who was sleeping soundly.
"Yes," he said into his phone as he looked up to the sky through the open window in Astronomy Tower. "You're not having second thoughts are you?"
"No," she said yawning. "You're still inviting your parents aren't you?"
"Hermione," Draco said, sighing. "You know how they are."
"Yes," Hermione said, shutting her eyes. "I also know they're a part of your life, Draco."
"You and Drew are a part of my life, too, Hermione," he said. "I don't want them to ruin it.
"We'll talk more about this when I get home tomorrow, okay," he said.
"Alright," she said. "Goodnight, Draco."
o-o-o
18 March, Friday, 1930 GMT
Hermione had driven to King's Cross. She pushed Drew in her stroller up and down Platform 9 ¾ to settle the infant down. They finally heard the train whistle as she saw the smoke stack of the engine. Hermione waited patiently on the near empty platform. She pulled Drew from her stroller and held her in her arms.
There were only a handful of riders on the evening train from Hogsmeade. Draco was one of them.
He smiled as he disembarked the old train. He rushed towards Hermione and Drew. He gave them both a long embrace.
"Come on. Let's go home," Draco said, smiling at the both of them.
o-o-o
20 March, Sunday, 1000 GMT
Draco had asked his longtime friend Gregory Goyle to be his Best Man for the wedding. Hermione had asked Ginny to be her Matron of Honor. They had invited both families over for Sunday brunch to finalize the plans for the evening ceremony on Monday.
Gregory Goyle, his wife Joanna, and their children, Greg, Jr. and Jacob flooed to the Muggle home for the first time ever. Both adults were a bit wary of their surroundings. But the four and two year old boys took it all in stride. In fact, the pair bustled over to James and Ronda.
Draco and Hermione met the two former Hogwarts' students in the foyer. Everybody greeted each other with the customary kiss on the cheek.
"Well, everyone's here," Hermione said as Draco took a hold of her hand. "Shall we eat?"
The two nodded their heads as they followed the engaged couple to the back porch where brunch was laid out on the table ready to be tucked into.
o-o-o
Gregory sat next to Draco. He noticed an infant in a baby stroller. He thought it was another Potter, yet he didn't remember Ginny ever mentioning that they had a third child. Then it hit him; he glanced at Draco who was talking with Hermione. Greg smiled to himself as he started to tuck in.
o-o-o
The three wizards offered to do the washing up. The three witches rolled their eyes, knowing a few swishes and flicks would do the job in an instant. The three women headed to the living room where they played with the children.
Draco grabbed three Heineken beer bottles and returned to the back porch. Harry waved his wand and uncapped all three drinks.
"You and Hermione, huh?" Greg said. "Why didn't you tell me?"
Draco hesitated. He shrugged his shoulders. "I just figured. You've known me since before we started school at Hogwarts. We share the same family values that our Pure-blood parents and grandparents taught us," Draco said. "I just thought you wouldn't approve."
Greg looked at Harry with raised eyebrows. Harry rolled his eyes. The former Slytherin looked back at the former Head Boy. "Draco, you do realize I'm married to a Half-blood, right?"
Harry laughed. "He's got a point there, Draco," Harry said. He took a swig of his beer. "Don't worry, Greg. He and Hermione didn't say anything about their little tryst until this past January."
"Alright, 'it's gang-up on Draco day,' I see," the platinum blonde said as he held up his hands.
The three of them laughed. They drank their beers for a moment, not saying a word. Draco finally looked at the two.
"Just to let you both know, we weren't officially a couple until January," Draco said.
Greg looked down at the green bottle in his hands. "The little girl seems a bit older," Greg mimed the quotation marks, "than this three month old relationship."
"It's a long story, Greg," Draco said.
"I've got time," his former Housemate said.
Draco looked at Harry who nodded. The groom-to-be took in a breath ready to start his story.
o-o-o
"So, Hermione," Joanna said as she took a sip of her tea. "Tell us how you were able to land the Wizarding World's most coveted Pure-blood Bachelor."
Hermione noticeably blushed. "I'm not really sure," Hermione said, shrugging. "I don't think either of us really knew how it happened. I think we just stopped fighting and just started listening to each other.
"Before he left for Hogwarts, our friendship started to bloom," she said. "It was nice. But we all went to school together. You've seen the type of witches he dated.
"With everything that's happened over the past two decades, I would have never pictured him with me," she said looking at the two witches.
"People change, Hermione," The ginger haired mediwitch smiled at her. Hermione nodded. Ginny squeezed Hermione's shoulder.
"To the engagement of the century," the former Ravenclaw Half-blood said, raising her teacup.
"Here, here," Ginny said, raising her cup, too.
"Thanks guys," Hermione said shrugging.
o-o-o
Davis Michaels, the Justice of the Peace that was to officiate the ceremony tomorrow, arrived around 2 p.m. The Bridal Party did a run through of the ceremony then signed official paperwork. The visitors left the Granger-Malfoy home close to 4 p.m. in the afternoon.
The young family spent the rest of the evening enjoying each other's company. Drew went to sleep at half past 8 p.m. Both Draco and Hermione tucked her in and watched her sleep for a few moments.
Hermione looked up at Draco, running her forefinger over his silver chain. She kissed him on the cheek. He studied her face.
"Alright, what's going on in that complicated brain of yours?" he smirked, as if he had no idea what she was thinking.
"What did your parents say about the wedding invite?" she asked, looking into his eyes.
He rolled his eyes. "I don't see why we have to invite them," Draco said.
"They're your family, Draco," Hermione said, taking a breath. "You love them."
"I already know what they're going to say," Draco said, raising his hands in exasperation.
"If I had the chance to …" Hermione began as tears welled up.
"Hermione," the platinum blonde said as he held her chin in his hands. He kissed her before pulling her into a hug. "Okay. I'll go and hand-deliver the invitation myself.
"I swear," Draco said as he waved his wand, casting the summoning charm. He took hold of the wedding invitation that floated into the nursery. "If we get through this first disagreement, the wedding night sex better be worth it."
Hermione laughed. He smiled at her before heading to the fireplace.
o-o-o
20 March, Sunday, 2100 GMT
Draco flooed to the Manor; the wards recognized him and allowed him entrance. He found his parents in the downstairs library having a nightcap.
"Hi," Draco said as his mother approached him. She hugged him.
"What brings you to the Manor, Son?" she asked as she smiled.
"I'm marrying Hermione tomorrow," he said handing the simple invitation to his mother.
Mr. Malfoy joined the pair. He looked at the wedding announcement. He narrowed his eyes at his son.
"Is this some sort of joke?" his father asked, icily.
Draco gave a laugh. "No joke, Father. The ceremony's at five, dinner to follow."
"Do you have anything to say to your son about this," Mr. Malfoy turned to his wife, waving the parchment paper at her.
"Congratulations, Son," Mrs. Malfoy smiled at her only child.
Draco gulped. Mr. Malfoy grabbed a hold of his son's shirt at his shoulder. "I will not consent to this," the older wizard said icily. Draco exhaled through gritted teeth. "Has she got you under a curse of some sort? Is she blackmailing you?"
Draco wrenched himself from his father's grip. He took a big breath. "I am marrying the woman I love," Draco said, "With or without your blessing.
"Hermione actually felt it was important for me to ask you to come. She has this insufferable way of seeing the good in everybody," Draco said, taking a step back. "I knew you'd be a lost cause."
"Draco," Narcissa said softly.
Draco gulped as he gave his mother an apologetic look. "We'll see you, if you come," he said softly, looking at his mother before turning towards the door.
Mr. Malfoy was enraged. He tore the invitation in half. Draco heard the ripping of parchment. He walked out of the room.
o-o-o
20 March, Sunday, 2110 GMT
Draco had found himself in the Leaky Cauldron after flooing there from Malfoy Manor. He ordered himself a cranberry juice. The bartender canted an eyebrow as he quickly filled the order.
Draco replayed what had happened at the manor. He saw the look in both his parents' eyes. His father's reaction shouldn't have affected him so, but it did. Hermione had a way of rubbing off on him.
Maybe he, too, had somehow wished that his father would accept their relationship. Having him tear up the invitation made his father's feelings official. He stood up from the bar stool and nodded at the barkeep before heading to the fireplace to floo home.
o-o-o
20 March, Sunday, 2115 GMT
Draco headed to the nursery first. Drew was fast asleep. He smiled. He entered their bedroom. Hermione had the lamplight on and the baby monitor in her hand. She was already in her t-shirt and pajama pants, sleeping on her side over the covers.
Draco stripped down to his boxers. He carefully pulled the top quilt from underneath her, not waking her up. He lay behind her, pulling the blanket over the both of them. He gently pulled the monitor out of her hand. She stirred.
"Draco," she said, blinking rapidly. "What time is it?"
"A quarter after nine," he said, kissing the back of her neck.
"So, what happened?" she asked turning to face him. She tucked under his chin, lying against his chest, shutting her eyes.
Draco gulped unnoticeably. "I gave them the invitation," he said as he stroked her shoulder.
"Can they make it tomorrow?" she asked sleepily.
"They'll try to make it," Draco lied.
He felt Hermione nod against his chest. "You should have sent the invitation earlier."
Draco laughed. He kissed her forehead as he watched her sleep.
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