Chapter Thirty-six: Winter Wedding
"Merlin, I'm as big as a house, Lucius," Hermione grumbled as she aimed her wand at the beautiful gown he'd selected for her to wear to their New Year's celebration and wedding party. "I'll be amazed if this child waits for the new year before he arrives."
Lucius laughed at this, and wrapped his arms around her half-naked form as he drew her backwards against him. His hands caressed the rounded flesh underneath which their child currently resided with a highly possessive air. "You look beautiful, my darling," he told her.
"Are you sure we should have invited Dolohov and his new little pets to this thing?" Hermione asked with a worried frown. "You know that just because he's been encouraging the basilisks to refrain from interfering with the school and they've been allowed to go out at night doesn't mean I completely trust them not to act out any time now."
"Oh, I wouldn't worry, my dear," said Lucius with a smile. "I've cast enough wards on this place and on the basilisks themselves that they'll not be able to do anything they should not."
"Wait, when did you do that?" Hermione wanted to know. "We've only been here long enough to celebrate Christmas and receive the wedding gifts that have been pouring in all week."
"Don't worry, my dear," he said. "I promise that I've reserved my darkest arts only for you. Now, shall we go out there and become man and wife?"
"Yes, yes, yes," Hermione said on a sigh as she took the hand he held out for her. "There's nothing I'd like better."
"Nor I," he agreed.
As the two walked out into the ball room where their many guests had assembled, they went right underneath some strategically placed mistletoe someone had magically placed where they knew the pair would come out, the crowd went wild with laughter and ribald suggestions.
"Kiss her, kiss her!" some of them chanted, and the others picked it up. Lucius willingly complied with a kiss that left Hermione so hot she had to fan her face as they continued on into the room.
Harry Potter and Ginny Weasley stood nearby, holding hands. They looked to be among the happiest of the well-wishers, and Hermione immediately hugged them both. Ron stood off to the side, the look on his face somewhere between a grimace and a frown, like he'd probably been forced there by the pair of them.
"Congratulations, Hermione," he grumbled as he took her hand and gave it a little shake. "I wish the two of you happy."
"Thank you, Ronald," she answered stiffly.
Lucius wrapped her back into the curve of his arm and raised one brow in the red-haired boy's direction. "Thanks, Weasley, I'll do my best to keep her that way."
As they moved on, Hermione was introduced to some of Lucius' relatives, most of whom cast her a disapproving look or two before plastering on their false smiles. Not everyone had reformed since the end of the war, it would seem.
"My dear cousin," said a woman as she sauntered up and kissed Lucius on the cheek. "When I heard that your little intended was about to give birth to such an important person, I was most amazed. I just had to come and have a look at her myself. I hope you don't mind."
"Giselle," Lucius said as a greeting. "Hermione is not on display here. This is our wedding day. Do try to remember that, or I'll have to ask you to leave."
"You would send me away over a silly little Mudblood like her?" she gasped. "Don't bother, I'm leaving. This is the last time you'll hear from me."
Lucius smirked as he watched the enraged witch storm out, and then Draco and Astoria stepped around her to come to his side.
"What was that all about, Father?" Draco asked as he looked over his shoulder in the direction Giselle had gone.
"Nothing of any significance," he said. "So, Miss Greengrass, Draco has told me your good news. Are you sure you don't want to make this into a double wedding?"
"No, sir, I would not wish to intrude on your day," she said with a blush.
"Well good, then at least one Malfoy will get his summer wedding," he joked. "I assume this pregnancy is going to take the usual amount of time?"
"Father, please," said Draco with a blush. "It was only the Head Girl's bed that had a spell on it."
"Yes, of course," he said, smirking over at Hermione. "My girl could hardly wish to share the limelight in that regard."
Hermione scoffed. "I wouldn't wish it on anybody, and you know it," she said. "You've no idea how much my body is aching from gaining weight so quickly, and the hormones! I can't even remember what normal feels like."
"Not to interrupt your misery, my darling, but it's time to get this show on the road," Lucius teased her as he kissed the top of her head. "Shall we?"
As Lucius and Hermione stood before Kingsley and all the assembled people professing their love, Hermione came to the realization that her wedding day and the day of her son's birth were about to be one and the same. Baby Salazar was born just four hours later, and the guests all remained to welcome him into the world.