Disclaimer: I own nothing, all credit to J.K Rowling for the creation of the Harry Potter universe. I just found a plot for this ship.

Warning: There is an M rating for a reason. The story will NOT contain rape or sexual violence. Lemons and fluff expected. Basically what you would expect from most romance novels nowadays.
There will also be the use of profanity.

Music speaks to my muse.
This chapters song was:
Bulletproof, La Roux
Lyric of choice: This time maybe I'll be, bulletproof.

Grammarly is my Beta - 7-17


Charmed to You

Chapter 28
Girl Talk

Hermione sat having tea with Ginny and looking over paint and fabric swatches.

"You're really going to redecorate the entire house, Ginny?"

Ginny made a face but nodded firmly. "Oh yes," she said her tone hard. "This place is terrifying. They have elf heads mounted on a wall! Greg is taking them down today. And I already had him seal off the portrait gallery permanently."

Hermione looked up frowning. "Why?"

Ginny shrugged. "Every one of his relatives screams obscenities at me when they see me. He's had to remove every painting in the house and put them in there and then we had Bill come over and help us seal it so that they can't jump to new paintings that we put up. They are absolutely foul, the lot of them!"

Hermione sat back in shock. "I wonder why the paintings in the Manor don't do that to me. I am a mudblood for goodness sake!"

Ginny flinched. "Don't call yourself that, Hermione."

Hermione flushed. "Well, it's true though. You would think they would be simply awful to me."

Ginny shook her head. "I would guess that they already sealed off their portrait gallery with any paintings that would be rude to you. I am sure Draco's parents thought of that," Ginny made a flourish with her tea cup. "Plus, you are moving into a new part of the manor, right?"

Hermione nodded. "Yes, we are."

Ginny shrugged. "There you go."

Hermione gave a small nod and looked around the now bare walled parlor. "So what are you planning to do in here?"

Ginny grinned. "Dark green and a blush rose. It will look stunning."

Hermione smiled picturing it. "Yes, that will be lovely. Is someone helping you with all of this?"

Ginny nodded but her face was hesitant. "Um, Pansy Parkinson, actually."

Hermione dropped the magazine on decorating she had been holding. "What!"

Ginny flushed but nodded. "I know. But she came over right after we got back from our honeymoon and she's really nice Hermione. Not like how I remember her in school. She's had a rough time of it in life, her parents are awful. She went to university you know, she studied art history, Muggle Art History, if you can believe it."

Hermione shook her head in total and complete shock. "No, I really cannot believe that Pansy Parkinson went to a Muggle University."

Ginny smirked. "One is Scotland, actually. Your muggle Prince is there, she apparently was friends with him."

Hermione might have passed out so great was her utter surprise at hearing this. "You have to be making this up!"

Ginny held her hand to her heart. "I am not! She comes round to dinner a few times a week. She wanted to go where no one recognized her, her family holds a title in the Muggle world you know, all the pureblood families do."

Hermione sat forward enthralled. "Do they really?"

Ginny nodded. "Oh yes, mine does even, you have to go back pretty far but all of them at some point were deeded lands and titles by some King or Queen. My family has a Baronet I think it's called. Pansy is a Duchess since she told them her family had died," Ginny frowned tapping her finger to the side of her face. "Actually come to think of it, you're a Duchess too you know."

Hermione shook her head. "No, I am not."

Ginny laughed. "You are! By marriage, it's not like Narcissa would want to claim the title."

"But that is not how it works, Ginny. The title would not go to me or Draco if Lucius is alive."

Ginny rolled her eyes. "Do you honestly think any of them care about that kind of thing? Besides, how would muggles know if Lucius is alive or not? Apparently, Draco just claimed it and that was that." Come to think of it they have a title in France too," Ginny laughed again her eyes dancing with mirth. "If I remember correctly the Malfoy's are even titled in Scotland and Ireland."

Hermione snorted. "How industrious of them," she said shaking her head at the outright disregard for lines of succession on titles.

Ginny giggled. "Yes, Greg says we have a title too but he can't remember what it is. I asked Percy to look it up for me because Greg can't get his father's private vault open in his study."

Hermione rolled her eyes. "I imagine he can't."

Ginny shrugged unconcernedly. "Bill said he would have a look at it. I am positive he can break in sooner or later."

Hermione laughed but nodded. "Right handy to have a brother for a curse breaker, isn't it?"

Ginny smirked. "He does indeed come in handy." They smiled at each other and then Ginny said, "Oh right, so back to Pansy, anyways she came round and we really hit it off. When I told her I could use the help making this place not terrifying she was happy to let me hire her."

Hermione dropped her magazine again. "She is working?"

Ginny snorted. "I know! Greg was so shocked he had to walk out of the room. She's been disowned you know, by her mother. It's a huge scandal. But she has her inheritance, she got her hands on it before her mother went mental, and she opened up a shop in Diagon Alley. She sells furniture and refurbishes things and also hires out as a decorator. She is fab, has some brilliant ideas."

Hermione was thoughtful for a moment and then said slowly. "Draco wants me to decorate our new wing of the manor; I might stop by and ask for her help. I have to start spending the Malfoy fortune; I might as well do so supporting a fellow independent woman."

Ginny nodded biting her lip. "I think that would be wonderful, Hermione. I told her she should meet with you but she is too afraid."

Hermione leaned back in surprise. "Why would she be afraid of me?"

Ginny gave her a knowing look. "Hermione, you're a war hero, utterly brilliant, and married to her ex-fiancé. Why would she NOT be afraid of you?"

Hermione went still with shock. "She and Draco were engaged?"

Ginny went bright red. "Oh damn, I wasn't supposed to tell you that. She was sure Draco wouldn't."

Hermione nodded. "Well, she was right! He never said a thing. I mean, I knew they dated in school, but I had thought he was engaged to that other girl, Astoria?"

Ginny nodded. "Well, he was, after Pansy fell through; they never could come up with a firm contract with the Parkinson's. So Draco's parents moved to Astoria instead. That contract was signed but the Ministry wouldn't agree to it." Ginny frowned thoughtfully. "They wouldn't agree to Pansy and Draco either, come to think of it."

Hermione fidgeted trying not to show her anger. "Yes, well." She said softly.

Ginny sighed. "Oh come on Hermione, Pansy told me that she and Draco never even wanted to marry. I am sure it was the same for that Astoria girl. It was all arranged!"

Hermione looked up her eyes a bit haunted. "Our marriage was arranged, Ginny."

Ginny went a little pale. "Yes, but he wanted to marry you."

Hermione nodded and felt despair make her limbs feel heavy. "Right, he wanted to." To herself she said, as much as he wanted to marry anyone else, I am sure.

Ginny looked flustered. "Really Hermione, he acts totally different with you. Pansy remarked upon it, she says it's all Zabini talks about."

Hermione shrugged and then forced a smile deciding to change the subject. "Well, tell me about the other rooms. But you had better hurry I promised my mother and Narcissa I would meet them for shopping and dinner tonight."

Ginny looked up shocked. "Your mother is going shopping with Narcissa Malfoy?"

Hermione rolled her eyes. "They meet for tea once a week now, Ginny. This time they have decided that I need new clothes again and are dragging me along for a dinner date with them. Merlin help me if they start drinking over dinner."

Ginny was laughing so hard at this her husband showed up to try and figure out what was going on.

When Hermione left an hour later Ginny was still chuckling.

OooOOooOoooOooOooO

Hermione watched her mother and Narcissa run a poor shop girl ragged as they bought out half a department store. She attempted to keep her cool but when her own mother asked Narcissa to change the color of a dress from white to cream in the middle of a dressing room at a posh shop in London she put her foot down.

"Mother!"

Narcissa laughed and then whispered. "I will when we leave, you are quiet right the color is off and would look so much better in cream."

Hermione lasted another hour before she cut them both off, threatening to never go shopping with them again unless they fed her.

Dinner was a trial in patience as the two women talked nothing but fashion. It was worse than going to dinner with Ron and listening to him prattle on about Quidditch. How could two women have so much to say about shoes?

When her mother left Hermione with a tipsy Narcissa she let out a long weary sigh. They were not far from the Leaky where she could head to an apparition point and side along with her mother in law home.

Handing her over to Lucius who found the entire exchange rather funny was defiantly the highlight of the night. He took the bags from Hermione and smirked at his wife who was hiccuping in his arms.

Hermione rolled her eyes. "I think she didn't expect Muggle wine to be so alcoholic." She said by way of an explanation. "And I also suspect they had spiked tea earlier."

Lucius shook his head and then said seriously. "I think I should drop in on one of these teas these ladies have."

Hermione laughed and headed off to find her bed. The idea of her mother, Narcissa, and Lucius having tea was just too much.

OooOooooOOooO

Draco stood watching his sleeping wife as he stripped out of his suit. His father had sent him an owl about his mother returning drunk from tea. Draco had hoped he could get that story out of her but she was already asleep. He frowned as he noticed that she was softly snoring. She must be exhausted. That got him a bit peeved, she bloody well didn't seem to get enough sleep!

When he climbed into bed she rolled over towards him, snuggling into his warmth and he felt his ring buzz with a ghosting of emotions. Contentment being the one that stood out. He sighed and relaxed instantly as he snuggled her into him, wrapping her in his arms.

Draco felt emotion swell in him as he tucked her into his chest. Every day she seemed to seep further into his mind. He found himself thinking of her so much now it was damn distracting. And whenever she was happy or excited about something and his ring burned he would stop what he was doing and get a goofy grin on his face. Today it had happened in the middle of a meeting. She had found something highly amusing. He supposed that could have been his inebriated mother, but he had wanted to be there to see her smiling and laughing. He had finally told Dean that he had better hire another assistant for him because he wasn't going to keep up the hours he was currently working. They had already talked this over numerous times but Draco wasn't willing to wait around anymore. He was an owner for Merlin's

Today it had happened in the middle of a meeting. She had found something highly amusing. He supposed that could have been his inebriated mother, but he had wanted to be there to see her smiling and laughing. He had finally told Dean that he had better hire another assistant for him because he wasn't going to keep up the hours he was currently working. They had already talked this over numerous times but Draco wasn't willing to wait around anymore.

He was an owner for Merlin's sake if he wanted more time off he should have it. Of course, he would probably have to convince his workaholic of a wife to cut back as well. He smirked as he thought about that conversation. Merlin he loved that about her, how passionate she was about changing the world.

"You're bloody difficult, Hermione. I hadn't expected to miss you as much as I do. I am starting to hate working." He said softly kissing her temple. "And if you don't start getting more sleep I might be forced to tie you to the bed for a week until you are not so exhausted!"

She sighed and rubbed her nose into the side of his neck, letting out a delicate little snort. As if even in her sleep she knew he was being bossy. He smiled and closed his eyes.

He would hold her down and pour a sleeping drought down her if he had to. He yawned as he drifted off with her hair tickling his cheek and the sounds of her soft breathing relaxing him into a wonderful dream of the two of them locked back in that bedroom in France.

He woke up with a grin on his face and his wife still in his arms.


Notes:

PLEASE READ:
I added dialog to make it clearer. Yes, I know Lucius would technically be the Duke, however, Lucius Malfoy is not going to be having tea or doing buisness with the Muggle Queen. Draco is working with Muggles so he is using the title and he honestly does not give a fig that it bothers you that he can't offically claim it. ;) He is cheeky like that.
Cheers
CJean

4-10-18

I love nurses, you save lives, but it's hard to sleep around you lot. Just saying. (the edited version of this AN from my hospital stay, left up as I still love nurses!)

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Why is Hermione so tired?