Wiltshire Cottage
Redemption.
This was what ran through his mind as he stood rooted to the hard white marble beneath his feet. His hands clasped before him. His head lowered, silver-grey eyes closed tightly.
His breathing was slow and steady to calm his nerves. Redemption was something he had been working on for the last six years. A tireless thing, but worth it, worth every moment of fighting and proving himself, not with his family money, not with his high society upbringing. But on his own.
Over the years Draco Malfoy fought to take the stigma away from his name, he studied potions and quickly rose in the ranks of a Potions Master. His papers were published in book form, his training from some of the greatest Potion Masters around the world, doing ground breaking work. He helped with all sorts of different uses but his particular field he excelled at was Healing Potions. He wanted to help heal the world, help heal the people who fought during the war, heal himself along the way.
And this was how he met Her.
It was quite in the church, its large marble pillars holding up an ancient roof, its arches enscribed with intercate designs. Stain glass windows lined either side, depicting events throughout history, people who had made the world a better place, discovering things about their world that would lay the groundwork for future generations to come.
But behind him, behind the tall platinum blonde man clad in a black three piece suit, was a ten foot tall stain glass window centered at the forefront of the church, was someone who had made advances, whose accomplishments rivaled that of the philosophers before him.
Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore stared down at Draco. Dumbledore had been erected throughout the wizarding world after his death. Statues and stain glass windows, paintings and photos, anything to commemorate the Wizard.
Draco gave him a curt nod, Dumbledore smiled, a twinkle behind his half moon spectacles.
A light thrum of music began to play. A low melody that sang of longing, and wanting. Of love and passion. His heart gave a lurch, and began pumping vigorously in his chest. His eyes shot closed, his palms began to sweat.
Thats when the large mahogany door slowly began to open. The wood creaked and groaned under the pressure. His eyes shot open, and his head swifty moved in the direction of the noise.
As the door was slowly being pushed open Draco became lost in the scene before him, the music playing loudly in his ear, his world shrank and all he could see was the white of the mermaid dress that was being revealed.
As the door opened further what he saw before him was more than he could have hoped for. The last several years began flashing before his eyes. The moment he met her again, the months and months and months worth of work together, a friendship that was tentative at first that began to blossom into a romance. The fights and the passion, the longing and the moments inbetween. Their first real date, their first kiss. Everything that led to this moment.
His future stood in the doorway, her hands, which he noticed were clenched around a beautiful white bouquet of roses and lillies, the stems were wrapped in a pale blue ribbon, a ribbon with edges that were torn and battered with years of holding onto. It was her something old. Her hair was tamed in the most beautiful way. It hung down her bare shoulders, the long strans pinned to the nape of her neck. A diamond necklace draped around her neck, the center of a heart shaped pendant held a small but gorgeous sapphire. He had bought this for her on their third anniversary. It was her something blue. Her dress clung to her in the most delicate way. Intricate lace with the smallest of roses embroider over a silk gown. The train sat behind her, flowing like water. She had decided to forgoe the veil, which he was extremely happy about.
Her skin glistened under the moonlight that was beginning to filter into the church from the windows in the ceiling. Her glossy lips pouted into a small nervous smile. She ducked her head. Her chest rising as she sucked in a breath of air. Her long delicate fingers reached up, a silver bracelet, that Draco could see just a small amount of emeralds shine in the moonlight, this was her something borrowed, fell to the crook of her arm as she tucked a loose strand of curls behind her ear.
Tears began to form in his eyes. The beauty of the woman before him couldn't be contained anymore. He fought every ounce of his might not to run to her, pick her up by the waist and run from the church so noone else could steal this beauty from him.
He noticed as a tear slid down her cheek, one he hoped was out of happiness. The lullaby began to speed up. The patrons in the pews turned to look at the beautiful browned eyed witch as she began her decent down the isle. He reached up, wiping a tear that had escaped despite the fight to not let them spill.
He couldn't take his eyes off her, couldn't help as the swell in his chest began to get bigger, each clack of her white heels on the hard white marble beneath her sped up his heartrate.
Everything was black, the only thing he saw was her, the love of his life. The witch he had given his all too. The witch who gave him a second chance to show her the man he was turning into more with each day that passed with her in his life.
He reached out, palm upwards as she came to stop infront of him. Her tears now freely spilling from her chocolate eyes. She reached for him. The scars on her arm a horrible reminder of what happened six years prior. He gripped her hand a little tighter than necessary, and pulled her up the step that led to the small platform at the front of the church.
"Draco…" her voice was like honey as his name slid from her lips. "Draco darling,"
Her hand slid over his jaw, cupping his face in her hand to draw his attention, she had been calling his name, as he had slipped into an abyss. One where he lost himself to the memories that consumed his very soul, the memories of a boy who thought he was doing the one thing he had to to save his family, to protect the mother he loved so dearly. The same mother who sat in the front row of pews tears streaming down her face.
"Hermione…" that was his reply, her name falling from his lips his voice hoarse from haven't spoken all afternoon. Draco has chosen to get ready on his own, to be alone with the thoughts, to remember the years, to think of the future he was now finally able to see.
To think of the witch on the other side of the manor who was getting ready with her maids of honor. To think of the life they had chosen to follow, the life they were finally going to settle into. After a year off, a year of traveling the world, to study, and do research, they would be taking positions at Hogwarts as Professors. Draco would be heading Potions and Hermione would be taking over as the Transfiguration Professor.
But that was still a ways away, a year down the road. A year where he could spoil her and lavish her in the riches of begin a Malfoy. Not that she would want such a thing, she was a simple woman, not needing or demanding, she didn't require much, and wanted the simplest life possible.
Hermione had become introverted, she was quite and didn't have much to say. But when she did her firey self would flash its roaring head, she wouldn't put up with his pompous ass anymore than she did when they were younger. But now it was flirty, and given right back to him. Something he loved about her.
They went through the motions hand in hand, words spoken perfectly, vows exchanged in the most heart wrenching way, tears escaping with a fresh wave of love. The patrons in the pews coughing and wiping their own tears as they spoke to each other. A whirlwind of emotions, of love and passion.
"I Do,"
"I Do,"
"And with that I now pronounce you Husband and Wife."
Draco reached for her, reached for the tear stained face of the brightest witch of her age. The woman who was his soulmate, the mother of his future children.
Reached for Mrs. Draco Malfoy.
Their lips connected in the softest of kisses, his want for her reaching a new height he didn't know could be reached.
They pulled away from each other, their eyes locked in a heated connection. Their lives together were starting now. Turning to their patrons, to their family and friends they smiled and began the walk back down the isle.
Dracos mother reached out to grasp his hand as he passed. "I love you both, welcome to the family Hermione." She reached for Hermione as well grasping her hands in hers.
"Thank you Narcissa," she smiled at her now mother in law. Dracos father stood next to wife, nodding at them, not knowing how to bring the words he wanted to say to fruition.
They began their walk again stopping at the Grangers to speak to them as well. They welcomed Draco with open arms, Mrs Grangers tears falling down her cheeks as she kissed Draco on his, thanking him for being the man her daughter needed.
They finally made it to the large mahogany doors, turned to their patrons and thanked them for coming. Thanked them for being in their lives, and the love they had shown today.
"Now, if you will excuse us, Mrs. Malfoy and I have a date with a portkey to take us to our first destination for our year long honeymoon. My Mother and Father have graciously opened their home to continue the celebration, Mr and Mrs Granger please accompany them so that you are taken there safely." Draco said in a voice that cracked with joy, and the happiness that welled in his heart.
"We love you all, and we will see you in a year!" Hermione giggled and pulled her husband through the door, they ran down the hall, Hermione having shed her heels grasping them in her free hand. They made it to the front doors of the church, and out onto the soft grass that lay before them.
Hermione stopped, her hands laying at her side, she looked up into the growing night sky, in the last half an hour clouds had moved in, full of rain, thunder and lightning.
A dropped landed on her small gorgeous freckled nose.
"You know what they say about rain on your wedding day Draco?" She looked at him. As a crash of lightning lit up the man before her.
He shook his head in awe of the woman before him, no words fell from his lips.
She sighed, taking in a large breath of air. "Rain on your wedding day means good luck, a knot that is wet is hard to untie, which means," she walked up to the man before her, his arms snaking around her waist, the hand that now held her wedding ring, a simple diamond encrusted princess cut, resting on his chest sparkled into life as the rain picked up around them. She peered up at the man that towered over her, the man that held every fiber of her heart.
He peered down at her, the rain landing on her cheeks, a smile in those bright beautiful brown eyes.
"Our marriage will last Draco, our union was written in the stars, written into the universe. Rain is a very good thing."
He leaned forward capturing her lips in a more passionate kiss than before. Passion burned at his core.
A flash woke them from the trance they were in, weather it was from the lightning or the wedding photographer that just snapped the last ten secondes he would never know. They turned to the crowd that had gathered at the entrance to the church, smiles on each of their faces.
"My love, its time for us to leave now," he leaned down, sitting there on the ground, where even if a muggle had walked by wouldn't think twice of, was a horse shoe. He picked it up holding one side and she grabbed onto the other. They looked at their family and friends and waved one last time as a sensation just behind their navels pulled them in and they were gone.
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What everyone didn't know was that their first destination wasn't where anyone would think. Even Hermione didn't know where this first stop was taking them. It was a surpise for his wife, a surprised he had been keeping from her for the last few months as he had to make sure everything was in order.
The portkey has landed them at the start of a stone step walkway. An intricate wrought iron fence with a small gate seperating them from where he was taking her.
In silence he opened the gate and ushered his gorgeous wife through. Once the gate was closed and she was looking at him in the most curious of ways, Draco scooped his wife up into his arms, bridal style. She laughed a musical laughing buried her face into the crook of his neck. She had always done this especially when she was embarassed and her cheeks flared red. He sighed contently as he carried her slowly down a lantern lit path. Huge gardens on either side of the pathway held all her favorite flowers.
She watched as Drsco carried her down a stone pathway, flowers filling her nose, she spotted a large weeping willow, its vines hanging down to the ground creating a curtain. She noticed just inside, a large platform with an emerald green cushion the size of a king sized bed sat inside. Lanters inside lit up the platform bed in a welcoming light. It beckoned her, calling to her to bring her favorite blanket and book and lay there reading through the night.
"The area inside the weeping willow is charmed so that you're able to read rain, snow or shine. Its your place to escape when you need it." Draco whispered.
She looked at him, as they continued down the path, her heart rate increasing with each step he took. But then he stopped. And she couldn't help but to look into those silvery grey eyes she had fallen so deeply inlove with.
"Hermione, my love, my wife. I haven't been able to picture my life without you since we started working together at St Mungos to help people. You have been the light in my darkness, the only person to have shown me that I can be better than who I was. I cannot wait to continue my forever with you, to have children with you, to travel the world, to help people to the best of our abilities. I wanted to do something for you that I have been wanting to do for quite awhile now." He leaned his head in the direction infront of them.
Hermione turned, tears once again falling down her cheeks. Draco had bought her, no them, a small cottage. It was everything you would think of as a cottage.
It was surrounded by large ancient looking trees, settled into a little crop out of a forest line. There was an entrance that had a small wooden gate that led to the front door. A white stone chimney had smoke coming out of the top. Warm fairie lights and lanters lit in the windows.
She turned to him as he settled her onto the pathway, rain still falling lightly on them. Which meant they werent to far from where the church was.
"Draco..I…." for the second time in her life she couldn't form the words to express how she felt. He pressed into her taking her into his arms once again.
"You dont have to say anything Mrs. Malfoy," her grin grew even bigger, her hands coming up to his chest. "This is our home, our start to our future together. This is our first stop on our world travel. Now," he turned her so that one arm encircled her waist. So that she was facing the gate to the cottage. "We will be spending the first week of our marriage here, settling into our forever home. A portkey is scheduled for this upcoming sunday, to take us to our second destination." He smiled at her. He had this whole year planned out almost to the last day.
There would be twelve stops, one month in each place, except for their first destination which they would then end on one month before their scheduled first day as Professors.
Hermione couldn't help herself. She grabbed the man before hers hand and ran to the front door, the rain picking up heavier now. Lightning flashing behind them.
A/N this is my first fanfiction I seriously want to put time into. so please be nice, and leave likes and comments! I plan on developing 12 chapters. I prefer longer chapters such as this. hopefully i can make them longer!
I havent read many fics about a wedding between Hermione and Draco and just wanted to cut right into it. please be prepared for fluff, romance and adult themes/content! Chapters with Adult themes/content will have a warning at the top of it before you dive in so please watch for those if your not interested in that type of thing! Thank you for reading and I hope you enjoy and stick around!