Raise Me Up

"Wake up Hermione!" came an excited whisper from above her, Hermione just mumbled incoherently and rolled further into the soft plush bed. "Come on! You're killing my buzz. Wake up!" and then came the incessant prodding, once, twice, thrice a long nail dug into her arm.

Hermione reluctantly opened her eyes, only to turn around and give the pest annoying her a piece of her mind…. Except the pest happened to her future mother –in –law whose eyes were glowing happily and whose cheeks were flushed with excitement.

"Narcissa, it's still dark. What time is it?" Hermione groaned out.

"It's six, wake up… wake up… wake up… wake up! There is so much to do, you have to get ready then I have to get ready then I have to go see that Draco gets ready and I think I had too many muffins last night." Narcissa said with a happy bounce. "Oh don't give me that look, I was nervous and I couldn't sleep and the muffins were just lying there … tempting me… saying 'come Narcissa eat us, you won't worry as much' so I ate them." She said with a guilty smile, nearly tugging Hermione arm out of its socket as she pulled her out of the bed.

"What the hurry, it's just six!" Hermione protested.

"Well it happens to be my only child's wedding; don't deny me the pleasure of treating you like my own personal dress-up doll today girl!" Narcissa said a little threateningly.

"I thought as the bride I was given importance…" said Hermione dryly.

"Oh you're important too, we need you for the wedding don't we?" Narcissa said with a casual wave of her hand. Both the women broke into fits of giggles and Hermione followed Narcissa down to the kitchen from where the scent of freshly brewed chamomile tea and scones was drifting out.

"The house elves are paid, don't worry." Narcissa teased her, "Anyway today is a full day. We will have the spa treatment in the house; a beautician friend of mine is coming to do your hair and make-up, the rest I'm sure we can manage." She said briskly.

"Good morning Cookie!" Greeted Narcissa as she and Hermione walked into the kitchen, the tiny wizened old elf grinned at her mistress. She was dressed in a neat little uniform consisting of a smart gray skirt and short-sleeved burgundy blouse with a gray hat.

The old elf had kind green eyes, she served them warm scones and croissants along with butter and delicious home-made raspberry and cherry jams.

Hermione smiled her thanks as Cookie poured her some tea, just as she liked it; with honey and a single cube of sugar.

As Hermione sipped her tea from the delicate gold and white bone china cup, Narcissa outlined the day's schedule.

"First Cookie and I will do some basic hair removal spells and Hermione it is going to hurt. Then Cookie has prepared some lovely treatments for us, there is a spa in the West wing of the house."

"You have a spa in your house?" Hermione snorted out incredulously.

"I bullied Draco into making me one for my last birthday." Giggled Narcissa, her cheeks warming with embarrassment. "Anyway don't change the subject!" she admonished, "Then Madam Malbec will see you and then you dress. While Madam Malbec is with you, I will pop in and check on Draco."

Hermione just nodded, biting down into the flaky bread.

"It's truly sad that you both don't get to go on a honey moon." Sighed Narcissa, "I would love some more grandchildren…" she said grinning shamelessly.

"Narcissa!" Hermione laughed out shocked.

"What..." she said innocently.

"You know we can't go anywhere with this wretched trial hanging over our heads, though I wish we could." Hermione sighed wistfully.

Narcissa reached out and held her hand gently; giving her a reassuring smile "It'll all be alright, just wait and see. When we were on trial after the war and me and Draco were acquitted I could see the hatred in Lucius's eyes. He thought we… I…. was abandoning him, abandoning what he believed in, what he thought we both believed in. But I stayed for Draco. There is always a reason women stay in abusive relationships, it's not that they aren't strong enough to leave their partners it's just that they have something else keeping them back. For me it was Draco, for you it was your former friendship. That's why these days I'm a little less quick to judge." She said wisely. "It'll be alright, now back to what's important!" she said clapping her hands.

"Mistress, Cookie and Jenny is ready for you and Miss. Granger." Came the squeaky voice of the house elf.

"It's going to hurt Hermione; I suggest you bring a towel to scream into."

Hermione eyes widened nervously, forgetting her half eaten pastry she rushed after her mother-in- law and the elves. She was ushered into Narcissa's room which had been prepared for their arrival, Hermione was pushed into a chair and the elves set about muttering incantations.

Within a few seconds Hermione was screaming bloody murder! Like wax strips the hair from her legs was ruthlessly and meticulously ripped off, with each shriek Hermione felt as though Narcissa was taking a kind of sadistic pleasure.

"Now your bikini line…." She purred out moving the sheet covering her hips higher, by now tears of pain were streaming down Hermione's cheeks, she just managed to gasp out "Please no… no more…"

"The price of beauty my girl is a heavy one." Narcissa said gravely, nodding towards the waiting elves.

An hour and fifteen minutes later, Hermione's body felt battered. She felt like she was on the last stage of psychological endurance in some series of intense torture; any minute now they're going to be stuffing my head down the loo and demanding names she thought with a pained huff.

"Are you done yet?" she whined.

"Not yet Hermione we still have to do your face…" Narcissa explained patiently.

"My face! What do you want to do to my face!?"

The younger elf just climbed onto her laps and muttered a suspicious sounding spell that made the hair on Hermione's eyebrows jump up off her face and fall into a neat pile on the floor. Only what was meant to just shape the eyebrows resulted in a rather dramatic accident. Instead of only the extra hair getting removed, Hermione entire eyebrow leapt of her face!

Narcissa gasped horrified,

"What? What's the matter!? What happened?" shrieked out the nervous bride –to-be.

"Nothing! Your fine, just keep your eyes closed!"

Hermione did the exact opposite; she opened her eyes and gasped at her reflection.

"Don't panic!" said Narcissa holding up her hands to stop Hermione's tirade.

"Don't panic! Don't panic! You say! How do I not panic, what happened to my face?"

"We'll grow them back." reassured Narcissa whipping out her wand.

"Do you know how to?!"

"Oh… dear… we're in trouble."

"Mistress, I is knowing how to do the spell." Squeaked Cookie, hurriedly muttering it out and getting Hermione her eyebrows back.

Both the women breathed a sigh of relief and soon Hermione stood naked in front of two elves and a mother-in-law, to be inspected, satisfied with their handiwork they carted Hermione off towards the West wing of the house where she would spend the entire morning being scrubbed and massaged and pampered.

"You know no one other than Draco is going to see me anyway." Said Hermione.

"Well he's the only one that matters; we're doing all this for him." Said the blonde woman shrewdly.

"That's true, so let's do this." Hermione said with a long suffering sigh.

Narcissa chuckled, "Don't sound so aggrieved. The painful part is over." She teased.

Hermione walked into a huge room with a low sunken stone tub, the room was steamy and smelled pleasantly of Sweet Marjoram, Moon Flowers and Trumpets. As soon as the scents seeped into her nostrils Hermione felt her limbs loosen and relax. The room was hazy and humid and Hermione stepped out of her robe and slid into the warm scented water.

This time she really had some space to think, they had rushed into this marriage idea so soon, that she barely had time to consider what she was doing. She knew she wasn't making a mistake but it felt rushed, like Draco was just doing this because of Ron and the whole Scorpius mess. Tonight she and Draco were going to make love; as much as the idea sent a flutter down her body she was nervous… she didn't want to disappoint Draco.

This was the disadvantage of being Hermione Granger… she always overthought things. As Harry said she could not control everything.

In the end what could go wrong, she loved him he loved her… it wasn't that hard…

Right?

…

"You'll be alright darling? I'll just pop in and have a see at how my son and grandson are doing?" asked Narcissa.

"She will be fine Narcissa, 'ze girl is perfectly safe in my company." Said Madam Malbec with a wave of her long nailed, bright pink nailed hand.

With a wave the older woman apprated out of the room. Leaving Hermione alone with the somewhat scary French woman waiting for her, Madam Malbec was a handsome woman of about fifty, with a stern countenance, she moved with considerable grace for someone as large as her. Her powdery white curls swinging in perfect synchronization.

"Come cheri, we must get on with et, we don't 'ave all day." She said clapping her hands impatiently, summoning Hermione to sit.

"Très, bell…" she sighed lifting Hermione's soft auburn, brown curls, "Ze are perfect, I sink I shall pull ze top half up and leave ze rest to hang au- naturel down your back. Oui? You shall look like a princesse."

Hermione nodded as the woman began to work with her hip length hair. After that came the make-up, all the mirrors had been blanked out so that Hermione was only allowed to see the end product.

Madam Malbec decided to do it muggle style because as she said, "Ze effect with magique ends with disaster." And Hermione had, had enough disaster for one day.

The make- up was minimal and natural, just hints of silvery shadow around her lids and light pink lipstick covered with gloss.

Narcissa was home by then, she gave a delighted cheer as she saw the end result and then both the women left Hermione so that she could change into her gown which had been taken out by Cookie and Jenny.

Hermione slipped into the delicate white gown, her legs shaking as she zipped it up and straightened the sleeves. It felt exquisite… the silk and lace ruffled against her smooth skin like wind and the gown fit and flattered her body. Now all that was felt was taking a look at herself, so she called Narcissa and Mariana inside.

The house elves and the two women walked inside.

Taking one look at Hermione, Narcissa's eyes filled with tears, Madam Malbec clapped her hands in glee and the two elves danced around happily, congratulating each other.

"Oh Hermione! You look like an angel…" sighed Narcissa, walking forward and enveloping her future daughter-in-law in a tight hug.

"There ez only one thing left to do." Said Mariana waving her wand and restoring the mirrors to normal, "You must take a look at yourself, you look absolument magnifique cheri."

Hermione turned around to look into the mirrors and examined herself, it was perfect…

She looked like herself yet more beautiful, the make – up hadn't hidden her true self like she had feared it would, it had just enhanced it. Her hair curled down in soft ringlets falling around her hips gently, it gleamed with health and vitality, its bright reddish, golden highlights glossy. Her warm skin was smooth and unblemished, her large mocha eyes shining with anticipation.

"Only two more things left…" breathed Narcissa, handing her a tiara and a veil.

"Oh Narcissa! These are beautiful! I couldn't…" she said, her eyes wide.

"I insist, the Malfoy family heirlooms are for each new bride who comes into this family and you are the new bride, so let me do the honours please?" she asked.

Hermione nodded and bent her head, feeling like she would burst with happiness when Narcissa placed the beautiful emerald and diamond studded tiara on her head. Next came the veil, so fine and smooth that Hermione felt like she was looking through a cloud.

"And as is the tradition, I stopped by your old house where you told me and picked up a piece of jewellery from your mother collection." She said, handing Hermione a beautiful pair of ruby and diamond earrings. Though they clashed, Hermione couldn't have cared less.

"She would have been so proud of you today darling…" sighed Narcissa "And she must be signing up there in heaven cursing that she couldn't be there for you today." She said wiping Hermione tears. "She must be so proud to have raised such a strong and beautiful daughter, and I'm sure she must be blessing you."

…..

A/N: Okay so this is part 1 of the Wedding chapter, since a lot of you P.M'd me saying you wanted a quick update, so here it is. So lots and lots of reviews guys, you know the drill :D the more reviews I get the faster I update. (and yes that is a bribe, I do not kid) because I have started the second bit… just saying. So remember REVIEW!