Becoming Mrs. Malfoy

28

Standing at the station Hermione knew how the burning of a witch must have felt like. On the on hand everyone looked at her as if she had grown an enormous horn at night or something like a third arm and on the other hand she felt the burning of their stares. So it was fire and loathing at once. Standing right next to Malfoy who had his façade in place she wondered how he could be so calm about it when she felt like squirming. Even his warm hand holding hers could not help her. She doubted that it was a gesture to soothe her but to show how in love they were.

Crowded as it was not even the bright hair of the Weasleys could be seen and Hermione did not know if she should be glad about it or not because sooner or later she would have to face her friends.

Sadly the fact that Blaise, Pansy and Astoria approached them was not better. Blaise greeted her with a kiss on the forehead and Malfoy with a handshake.

"Congratulations.", he said lamely and shot her a quick apologetic look before Pansy shoved him out of her way.

"Actually I should smack you across the face, Draco, for not inviting me to your wedding.", she said sweetly.

"Nobody was invited.", Draco murmured and rolled his eyes.

"But I got you something anyways." Curious Malfoy raised his platinum eyebrow and looked down at the wrapped box in her hand. He was about to take it when she slapped his hand and drew the box closer to her body.

"It´s not for you. You already have everything. It´s horrible to choose gifts for you." Holding out the box to Hermione she smiled so sweetly that it seemed very fake and forced. Since she hesitated to take it Pansy held it even closer to her hands.

"Take it, it won´t bite." A little embarrassed she laughed and took the box and looked back at Pansy who urged her to unwrap it with a nod of her head. Slowly she tore the purple and silver wrapping away and opened the cover. It was an embroidered pink hair band.

"Uh, thank you. It´s really beautiful." Hermione was stunned that Pansy had gotten something this beautiful for her. Maybe she was not as bad as Hermione had always thought.

"Try it on." Putting it into her hair she freed her face of loose tresses. Only her fringe was still covering her forehead. "I knew it. You are an autumn type."

Not knowing what Pansy was talking about she just nodded and smiled. Pansy stepped back and it seemed that it was Astoria´s turn to congratulate them but her pose told another story. The girl glared at her and Hermione was hundred per cent sure that if it had been just her and the girl on the station she would have attacked or at least insulted her. It was pure loathing and only the push she got from Blaise could make her step closer to them. Her lips pressed into a thin line she took one more step so that she stood in front of her enemy and plastered the most forced smile Hermione had ever seen upon her lips.

When she put her arms around her neck to embrace her she almost flinched expecting a punch or worse but nothing happened. Well, if you could call whispering

"I want to scratch your eyes out" into her ear nothing. Shocked at the audacity of the girl Hermione stared at her in bewilderment and felt paralyzed. The forced smile had changed into a malicious smirk when she turned to hug Malfoy as well. Being considerably smaller than Malfoy she got onto her tiptoes to get one arm quite around his shoulder. Malfoy´s next move she had not anticipated for she gasped slightly when he pulled her up so that their heads were at the same level. Hermione did not hear what he told her but from the reaction afterwards she knew that he must have said something. In no time Astoria pushed away from him and stormed away only looking back once to glare at Malfoy.

Although the behavior of the girl was so clearly not normal nobody seemed to care much about it. Soon the train would depart so they got inside and separated because the heads had a compartment of their own.

Together they sat in silence. Only when the train stopped and once during the ride did they have to check the other compartments. A snicker drew her attention to her husband.

"What is it?" Although they had spent most of the holidays together it was still quite tense between them from time to time. Not much had changed except maybe their will to be nicer. He stopped snickering immediately and looked out of the window.

"Nothing." At that she sighed and massaged her temples. The tension on the station and the stares had gotten to her and the result was a heavy headache.

"So nothing was funny, huh?" After spending so much time near the other they already knew when an argument was coming up and how to avoid it so Malfoy shifted in his seat so he could face her more comfortably.

"It´s about the head band. Pansy sometimes really is incredible in her subtle ways of giving presents. Although it sure is nice and quite expensive for accessory it´s meant as an insult to your style." Having already assumed something like this she snorted and crossed her arms over her chest.

"Somehow it does not surprise me but I don´t care what she thinks of my style just because I do not feel like investing time in my choice of clothes every day." Afterwards she shrugged and leant her head against the window to watch the scenery fly by.

Until Malfoy looked at his watch they had not talked again.

"It´s time I guess." He meant the patrol and suddenly there formed a knot in Hermione´s stomach. The long dreaded meeting with her friends was to come. After all they had to stumble upon each other in the train where there was nowhere to hide.

They easily made their way through the train until they came to a halt in front of the door to the last compartment where they knew to find Potter and his gang. Instead of opening the door like every other one before Malfoy had turned around and blocked the way. His stare was intense as he towered over her.

"You can go back.", he said in his deep and cold voice. Knowing that this was once more his strange way of showing that he cared she frowned.

"I don´t want to." Her hand already on the handle she waited for him to move aside which he did not. Seconds passed before he closed his hand around her wrist.

"If I were you I would prefer a more private place for this.", he murmured without meeting her eyes. After he had said it he let go of her wrist. Thinking about his words she hesitated and finally pulled away. In the blink of an eye he was gone and the door closed.

Hermione did not go back like he had told her to do but stayed. Not knowing why she did it she shifted from one foot to the other. Impatience took over and she glanced at her watch.

How long had it taken them to control the other compartments?

No idea.

Maybe she should see if everything go smoothly for a bad feeling nagged at her nerves. Just because Malfoy tried to be civil around her did not mean that he would around her friends. After all they had never talked about this. The uncertainty about what was happening or had already happened behind the door made her nervous. Again she looked at the watch and set a deadline for when Malfoy better showed up or she had to go search for him.

Behind her she could hear people buy sweets and chat about their holidays – just like she had done so many times before it. Watching the hand move its rounds she grew more and more agitated.

So close to the edge she almost screamed when she heard a crashing sound from behind the door along some shouting.

Ron.

Without giving it one more thought she opened the door and stepped into the compartment her feet would not have carried her into a few minutes earlier. Malfoy leant against a window while Ron stood in the door to their cabin. His shoulders heaved up and down while he raised his balled fist to strike again.

"No!", she shouted and ran up to them. Both heads of the boys´ spun around and it seemed like the scene had stopped in motion. Worried about his rash action Hermione turned from Ron to Malfoy whose lip was bleeding. Although Ron had stopped his eyes narrowed as he watched her nearing them and then he punched the blonde in the face once more. Hissing at the force of the punch Malfoy´s head collided with the window behind him and he tumbled over slightly. Just in time Hermione made her way to them and caught her husband by the shoulders.

"Draco …", she whispered while she helped him stand straight again. His nose looked quite crooked and blood was gushing out of it.

"Touching.", Ron snorted behind her in the most sarcastic voice she had ever heard from him.

Spinning around she glared at him and snapped: "Why have you done that, Ronald?"

For some seconds he only observed her and Malfoy before his face twisted in disgust and he ground out: "Get out of my sight."

With one step back he was back in their cabin and reached to close the door but Hermione pushed it back.

"I´m not done here.", she hissed and put her foot in the doorway so that he would not close it. In front of her Ron straightened so that he was towering over her and for the first time in her life she feared him. There was so much anger in his eyes that she would not doubt him to hit her as well.

"Well, too bad because I´m done with you." He was about to push her out but she pushed his hands away with all the strength she could muster.

"I´m not leaving until you tell me why you did that." Crossing her arms over her chest she meant it as a sign of her will.

"You want to know why? Fine! He provoked me!"

"Oh, so you wanted to show him that you are better than him by punching him? Really mature." At that he shrugged.

"There you have your reason so leave." She shook her head. His behavior was really unbelievable and she did not recognize him anymore. Huffing she turned to Malfoy.

"We should get your nose fixed." After he nodded she looked back into the cabin once more and the way her friends looked at her hurt much more than any punch could have. Malfoy walked in front of her and they had already made their way to the compartment door when someone grabbed her by the wrist.

"Hermione.", the softness of Harry´s voice made her shiver under his touch.

"Harry." There was no disgust, anger or other negative feeling in his eyes.

"There is a reason for you to be with him, right?" Tears threatened to fall but she blinked them back.

"Yes, and I will explain it to you but not now and here." Finally there was her chance to fix her friendship. She was really glad to have someone like Harry.

"Just one more thing. Is it love?", the last words were so quiet that she had hardly understood them. Shaking her head no she pulled his hand off her wrist and went back to her compartment.

Malfoy was not there and she welcomed the solitude.

/ so here is finally a reaction from Ron and Harry. Hope you liked it. Next chapter Draco will make Hermione an offer ... dun duun duuuuun

Review, please?