Chapter 37
Three miserable weeks went by without a single move from Lucius or the Militum Sanguine. Draco wouldn't budge and stayed at his cottage while Hermione stayed with Theo. Not that she minded staying with him, they of course made the situation as good as they possibly could, eating ice cream almost every night. But she just missed Draco. And she worried. He came over every day after work, but never stayed the night. She had always asked, and he had always said no. Theo had finally come to her rescue when he said that Neville was coming to stay for the weekend. She was so excited she could hardly wait for Draco to come over the next morning to escort her to the Ministry.
She of course was up early. She decided to make pancakes for breakfast, since she had the time and waited for Theo and Draco. She was especially proud of her outfit. A tight black pencil skirt and a simple grey sweater she paired with black boots. She thought it was sexy enough to make Draco want her, yet casual enough to look like she wasn't trying too hard.
"Good morning, love."
She heard Draco's voice and couldn't help but smile. "Good morning. You better eat while Theo's still asleep."
He came up and wrapped his arms around her, breathing her in. It was ridiculous how much he missed her. He could hardly sleep without her anymore. These few moments they got each day just weren't enough.
"I miss you." He whispered into her hair.
"I miss you, too. Which is why we are spending this weekend together."
"Hermione-"
"Neville is coming for the weekend." She said quickly. "You know as well as I do that Theo really needs this time with him. They haven't even seen each other in so long."
"I know that but-"
"And we could change the wards on your cottage to lock us inside and everyone else outside for all I care. And completely disconnect the floo."
"That would-"
"I just need you, Draco."
He paused to see if she was going to continue to talk over him. "Can I talk now?"
"Depends on what you have to say." She countered.
"I think... that is a brilliant plan."
"What? You do?"
"I miss you, Hermione. I need you just as much. And the idea of having you all to myself, locked away from the world is the best thing I could possibly ask for."
"Oh, Draco!" She kissed him fiercely, pouring everything she had into that single kiss.
Draco very reluctantly pulled away, it had been way too long since they were able to be together, and if she kept pressing herself against him he would surely take her right there on Theo's kitchen counter. Now there was a thought...
He kissed her again as he picked her up and set her on the counter, loving her soft moans as she lost herself in the passion of it all.
"Don't think I don't know what you're doing!" Theo called from the hallway. "We roomed together for six bloody years, I know what's going through your mind."
Draco smiled as he broke the kiss.
"What is he talking about?" Hermione asked, slightly breathless.
"Oh, I'll clue you in. Draco like to have sex on every damned surface of our dorm room. My bed included!"
Hermione's mouth dropped open in shock, then she started laughing.
"It's not funny!" Theo said in an annoyed voice. "Shoo! Just get away from her!" Theo swatted Draco on the shoulder, scowling as Draco slowly moved away.
"I'll be going to Draco's tomorrow night." Hermione said to Theo as he sat down to eat his pancakes. She hopped off the counter and sat next to him.
"You sure?" Theo asked nervously.
"I'll have Potter or Weasley add extra protective enchantments." He looked over to Hermione. "And don't think I'm not serious about completely disconnecting the floo."
"It makes me very happy to hear you say that." She said seductively.
"His last class is at three, so he should be here by the time we're done with work." Theo said to her, trying his best to ignore the obscene amount of sexual tension in the room.
"Then we'll head straight home from there." Draco said with a smile. "I'm sure you have one of those damn extension charms on a purse or something you can bring with you."
"Of course I do." She looked a little smug.
Draco couldn't keep the smile off his face as he walked down the hall to the research division. Both Harry and Ron and put extra enchantments on the cottage, as well as a few charms that would immediately alert them both if there was a threat to their safety. Draco didn't have a single damn thing planned for their weekend other than not allowing Hermione to leave the bedroom. The way he craved her touch left him anxious for the day to finally be over. It was only a few minutes before four, but with the knowledge that Neville was at this very moment sitting in Theo's flat, he was sure he could convince them to leave early.
To his great pleasure, he found the entire research team packing up for the day when he walked in.
"Hey there." Taylor said brightly as he entered the research room.
"Hello. Done already?"
"We're not getting much done." Sami answered. "We've been working other cases with this standstill we seem to be in. Don't you find it odd that they haven't made another move yet?"
"Lucius has always been a calculated man. It's part of the reason he rose in ranks so quickly. He's adaptable." Draco said in a cold voice. "He's merely waiting for the most opportune moment."
"Lovely." Taylor said glumly.
"Alright, no more of this." Theo said with forcefulness. "Everyone have a great weekend, I'm getting out of here."
"Have fun!" Hermione called out to him and he made his way for the door. Theo gave her a wink and left.
"Ready, my dear?"
Draco's ridiculous smile made Hermione giddy. "Let's go."
Draco had once again impressed Hermione with his cooking skills, making a steak stir fry. It felt like the most normal thing in the world, to be with her cooking dinner as she sat at the kitchen island watching him. She poured each of them a glass of wine, while she talked about her day. They never ran out of things to talk about.
During dinner Draco told her how he really felt like his potions were headed the right way. He of course didn't tell her about the ones he had made for her parents, but he was so sure of them. He'd had loads of time on his hands these last three weeks, and he's perfected three different ones he wanted to try. He had also told her that his mother was getting better, finally. No luck with the crystal, though. If it were up to Draco, he would have the damn Manor torn down in if it meant finding the thing.
After dinner they had both cleaned up, with Draco once again impressing Hermione with his knowledge of the spell she used to charm the dishes to wash themselves.
"You've been busy." She teased.
"I've been bored." He corrected.
"Well, we can't have any more of that, now can we?"
Without warning, he grabbed her and apparated them to the bedroom. He gently set her on the bed, crawling up to lay beside her. She rested her head on his chest and he instinctively kissed her hair.
"I've missed you so much." He said with a deep breath.
She tangled her legs with his and slipped her hand under his shirt to caress his skin, making him sigh. "I missed you, too."
Draco wanted this weekend to last as long as humanly possible. He was going to take things slow, cherish every moment, every single second of their time together. He wished it could always be like this, every day, forever.
Draco rolled to his side, so he was facing Hermione. "Marry me."
"What?" Her eyes shot open.
"Marry me." He said again.
She looked at him, right into those grey eyes she loved so much. "Draco-"
"Marry me, Hermione." He grabbed her hand and brought it to her lips. "I love you. I want you, forever. You make me who I am. I don't want to wait." He added as she opened her mouth to say something. "I want to marry you."
Her eyes got watery, she had fought so long for him. "I want to marry you." She said, just above a whisper.
He smiled and kissed her. "Let's go."
"What? Right now?" She said sitting up, wiping her eyes.
"It's not even 7, I know the Minister is still there. He can do it." He looked over at Hermione, smiling.
"Okay. Okay!" The both got up then and flooed to the Ministry.
Once there they walked right into Kingsley's office.
"I know Mr. Weasley has left, but a knock would have been nice." He said without looking up.
"Minister, I'm sorry." Hermione said. She looked at Draco and elbowed him in the ribs.
"Ouch! Yes, yes I'm sorry, too."
"We would like a favor, Sir." She began.
"And what would that be?" He continued to write.
"Marry us." Draco blurted out.
Kingsley looked up finally. "Marry you? Right now?"
Hermione let go of Draco's hand and stepped right in front of his desk. "Yes. Marry us. Right now."
"Have you thought this through, times are-"
"Horrible!" She finished for him. "There is no better time. I want to do it while we can. Please."
He looked at Draco. "You're sure?"
"I've never wanted anything more."
He sat quietly for a moment, seeming to think this over. "As you wish." He said with a smile, standing to come around the desk.
"One more thing, Sir." Draco said. "We wish to be bonded."
"That is very old magic."
"Do you know how to do it?" Hermione asked.
"I do. Are you sure this is what you want, you understand the implications?"
Draco laced his fingers with Hermione's, squeezing them tight. "We do."
"We do." She repeated.
He stood before them then. "Hold out your arms."
Hermione turned to face Draco, then she held out her left arm. He looked confused at first, until he realized what he was looking at. Her scar. She wanted to be bonded there, with him.
His eyes got glossy, as he placed his Dark Mark on top of her mudblood scar, holding her tight.
Kingsley stood, watching the moment, almost feeling like an intruder. If he had any doubts, they disappeared the instant they placed their differences aside, to be bonded by love.
He cleared his throat, then drew his wand. "It is said that man and woman were separated, because the Gods were frightened of how strong we were together. Men and women then were left to search their lives for the halves they lost. Let the Gods be afraid, for they cannot keep us apart."
"Draco, repeat these words after me." He aimed his wand at their arms.
Draco looked into Hermione's eyes. "Hermione Granger, you are my other half. Blood of my blood, bone of my bone, I give you my body, so that we may be one. I give you my soul, until our life is done. You are the light by which my spirit is born. With this bond I offer you my love, so you never walk alone."
As he said the last words, a bright white light came from Kingsley's wand, wrapping around their arms and hands. They held each other a little tighter.
"Hermione," Kingsley spoke softly, "repeat these words after me."
Tears ran down her cheeks as she repeated the vows. "Draco Malfoy, you are my other half. Blood of my blood, bone of my bone, I give you my body, so that we may be one. I give you my soul, until our life is done. You are the light by which my spirit is born. With this bond I offer you my love, so you never walk alone."
Another bright white string of light formed and wrapped itself around Hermione's arm first, then intertwined with Draco's. Kingsley waited until the last strings of light came from the tip of his wand.
"I now pronounce you, husband and wife. You have been bonded by soul, by life, by love."
They all watched then as the light that hovered just above their skin, spinning itself slowly so both strands were connected, began to glow brightly, then in a flash it forged itself onto their skin. The strings bright glow lingered a moment before they completely vanished.
"I've never seen a light that bright before." The Minister said. "I am honored to have the privilege of congratulating the new Mr. and Mrs. Malfoy. Draco, you may kiss your bride." He said with a smile.
Without hesitation he reached for Hermione with his free hand, tears now running down his face. He kissed her gently, slowly, pouring everything he was into that kiss. "I love you."
"I love you." She whispered back.
Draco felt like everything was falling into place. His perfectly amazing weekend he spent with Hermione, with his wife, gave him the strength he had been missing. An ungodly amount of happiness flowed through him at the thought of her. They wanted to tell everyone together, so she promised not to say anything to Theo as Draco dropped her off earlier that day.
He had received an owl saying his ingredients he requested were in, so after Hermione was safely back a Theo's he went to the apothecary. He had hope that he could make this work. As he left the rather shady apothecary with the potions ingredients he needed he couldn't help but have a small smile on his face. They had what he needed, and for that he was grateful. His research with the mind healers and other potioneers had lead him to try to brew something of his own for Hermione's parents. He had even met with every single one of the muggle doctors that Harry and Hermione had consulted after their first year at Hogwarts.
Now all he had to do was find them. He headed to the closest apparition point, since he wasn't near a floo to head to the Ministry. He desperately wanted this to work, and for it to be him that did it. He wanted to give her the world, and everything it offered. As much as she liked to pretend it didn't bother her, he knew it did. Now that he knew what happened, he could see it. The way she would see a father and daughter in the park, or when something funny happened and the first person she wanted to tell was her mother, Draco could see the flash of sadness in her face before she covered it up. He knew her fear, and her desire, and wanted nothing more than to give that small part of her that she lost back.
If he was paying better attention he would have remembered the area he was in. He would have noticed that he was being followed. He would have realized that his wand was in his pocket underneath his suit, and not easily accessible. He would have noticed that things were about to go very, very wrong.
Before he could even comprehend the danger he was in, he saw a flash of red light jet passed, just missing him. He whipped around to see where it had come from and was grabbed and thrown into the alleyway. He tried to fight, but the two men attacking him were better prepared. One had gotten in two good punches to Draco's jaw and another to his ribs. He was doubled over in pain and was pretty sure he spit out blood.
"You're Draco Malfoy?" One of them asked in a gruff voice.
"I'm guessing you already knew that." Draco ground out. "What do you want?"
As he stood he saw the sneer on the man's face. "We have our orders."
"What orders? Do you realize what I could do to you?!" Draco spat out. He shifted slightly to see if he still had his wand in his pocket. He didn't. Damn it.
"Not much without this." The second man grinned as he held up Draco's wand.
Draco gave his best Malfoy smirk. "Care to find out?"
Before he could even raise his hand to attempt a wandless jinx the first man cast a full body bind curse, making Draco fall stiff and lifeless to the ground.
With nothing to break his fall, his head smacked into the pavement hard. The shooting pain he now felt in the back of his head made him dizzy. The second man laughed as he walked to Draco and smiled down at him, giving his frigid body a kick. Since he was unable to move, he couldn't protect himself against the assault and could only wait for him to stop. The first many lifted the curse, and Draco immediately curled into a ball, trying to ward off the pain.
"Grab him." The man grunted.
Draco's vision was getting blurry and things started to go black as he attempted to push them away. He knew his head was bleeding. He could feel his hair matted to his skull, and was certain he had several bruised, if not broken, ribs. Something was thrown over his head and he tried to rip it off frantically. He was still protesting as they grabbed him and they disaparated away.
Draco was thrown onto a cold wet floor. He ripped the covering off his head and came face to face with Aron Greengrass.
"Mr. Greengrass?" He said stunned. He tried to stand but was kicked down by another wizard he didn't recognize. Draco groaned. His sides hurt.
"Draco, my boy. So glad you could join us."
"I didn't have much choice in the matter." He said harshly.
Aron ignored his comment. "It seems I have some need for you. Your expertise, I should say."
"Is that right?" He wanted to stand but thought better of it. He sat up though, he refused to be degraded. He had dignity after all.
"Yes. You will help me."
"Or what?" Draco spat. He had no idea what this man was planning, but he wanted no part of it. This had felt all too familiar, and he never wanted to go back to that place.
Greengrass had the most repulsive smile on his face. "You were always an overconfident child. Let's see if we can break that shall we?"
Before Draco could say anything more, he heard words he never thought he would hear again.
"Crucio."
Draco screamed in pain, trying to think of anything that would block it out. It seemed to go on forever when he finally felt reprieve. The man's wand still pointed directly at Draco.
"What do you want?" Draco tried to sound strong, but damn it everything hurt.
"I need you to brew a Potion for me." He said calmly.
A potion? Greengrass needed a potion brewed? The realization hit him hard. "It's you." He said stunned. "You're behind the abductions and the murders!"
Greengrass seemed unshaded by his comments. "Blood magic has proved difficult to control, I require your skills to complete it."
"I will not be a pawn for dark magic ever again."
"Oh, we'll see, my boy. We'll see." He readied his wand again.
"No-"
But the curse had already started again. Draco felt like his body was on fire, his bones like they were breaking over and over. He screamed out, tears running down his face.
"So weak." Aron said when he stopped. Draco was panting, curled up on the floor.
"I'll give you time to come to your senses. You will do what I ask." He turned and walked out of the room. The unknown wizard smirked at Draco on the floor, giving him one last good kick to the ribs, then he left too; leaving Draco completely alone.
Draco heard the door lock behind them. Everything hurt, he had no idea where he was. He tried to sit up, but he wasn't strong enough. He laid there, cold, wet and dirty, trying not to break down or panic. He crawled over to the wall and forced himself to sit up, taking deep breaths against the pain. He knew it would it would go away eventually. He had to think. How did he get here? He couldn't remember much. He hung his head. Even if he knew where he was there was no way for him to get word out to anyone that could help him. He was in this alone.
Hermione woke the next morning exhausted. She didn't sleep well at all, but blamed it on not being able to stay with Draco, her husband. She smiled at the thought. She couldn't wait until tonight when they told Theo.
"Hey." Theo said in a hoarse voice.
"Hi." She said softly. "I didn't mean to wake you."
"Everything okay? You're never that restless."
"Yea, I just feel off. I can't explain it. I'm going to go get ready." She hopped out of bed and grabbed a pair of grey pants and a dressy cream colored blouse, then went into the bathroom to get ready.
She wasn't hungry, instead nursing a cup of coffee while she stared at the fireplace waiting for Draco. Theo walked in and pulled her out of her daze.
"Why isn't Draco here yet?" She wondered.
"Maybe you exhausted him over the weekend." Theo said with a smile.
Despite Hermione's smile, she still felt uneasy. He wouldn't have went to the Ministry without her. "Will you floo to the cottage with me first?"
"If you want." Theo said with a shrug. He grabbed a cup of coffee and they headed for the fireplace.
Hermione started to get really nervous as she searched the entire cottage for him. His messenger bag that he never left home was still sitting in the chair by the fireplace. Nothing was out of sorts, but it didn't feel right.
"Theo, I don't like this." She said nervously.
"Let's go to the Ministry."
Hermione noticed he didn't say that Draco would probably already be there, they both knew something was very, very wrong.
A/N: I'm sorry this one was so short! I split this chapter in two because the suspense just wasn't there if I revealed what happens next to Draco immediately after. I hope the upcoming chapters make up for it :)