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Chapter 22 -
When Hermione turned to face him, her dress dropped off her shoulders and fell to the floor. All Draco thought was, 'My god, she is more beautiful than I ever imagined.' Her breasts were pert and round, her waist slim, her hips wide, and her legs long and lean. He took a deep breathing, inhaling in, and then exhaling out. He reached out for her, and then there was a knock on the door.
"Damn!" Draco said under his breath. He nodded to Hermione and whispered, "Does anyone know you're in here?" She shook her head no. He said, "The bathroom is occupied."
"Malfoy?" the person said.
"Bloody, Potter," Draco mouthed to Hermione. She bent down to pick up her dress, but he put his foot on it, on purpose, and turned to the door.
"Go away, Potter, I said the bathroom is occupied, and I don't particularly feel up to sharing with you," Draco seethed.
"Have you seen Hermione?" Harry asked.
"How the bloody hell would I know where Granger is? I'm on the toilet, dammit!" he said. Hermione started to laugh, and he put his hand on her mouth.
"Sorry to interrupt, it's just, Ron's returned and he wants to talk to her for some reason. If you see her, tell her to come find me downstairs, and I'll go outside to see Ron with her." Harry left, and Draco turned, mouth opened in shock, toward Hermione. She also had her mouth opened, and looked as if someone had knocked the wind out of her.
She started hyperventilating. She was breathing hard, and she bent at the waist, one hand on Malfoy's arm.
"Take a deep breath," Draco suggested.
She stood up and said, "What the bloody hell? He's suppose to be on his effing honeymoon! I have to get out of here. I don't want to see Ron!" She bent down to pick up her dress again, and as much as it pained him to let her put it back on, he did.
"Do you want me to go down with you?" he asked.
She started to cry, dress still in hand, and he took her in his arms. If he could hex Ron Weasley from the bathroom, and get away with it, he would. He stroked her hair and said, "It's fine. You don't have to go see the wanker."
She stepped into her dress and turned around. "Zip me," was her simple request. He slipped his shirt on first, buttoned it up, and then zipped her. They both walked out of the bathroom, and Harry was still outside in the hall waiting for them.
Instead of giving them a dirty look, he took Hermione in his arms. "Malfoy's right, you don't have to go down there."
"What does he want? Where's Pansy?" Hermione asked.
"I don't know, and believe me, his family is not the least bit happy with him right now. Do you want me to tell him to go away?" Harry asked.
She didn't know what she wanted. Ron was ruining her perfect day. She asked, "What time is it?"
Harry looked confused, but looked at his watch. It was 11:53 pm. He didn't respond right away, so Hermione took Harry's wrist and looked at his watch herself. She said, "I'll see him in seven minutes. He will not ruin this perfect day for me. After midnight, I'll see him." Harry understood.
Draco said, "I'll bring her down in seven minutes." Harry turned around and walked down the stairs.
Hermione looked at Draco and said, "How do I look?"
He wanted to ask her why she cared, for it was just the redheaded weasel, but he said, "Beautiful," because after all, it was the truth.
He took both her hands and took a deep breath, and she knew it was a prompt for her, so she followed his lead, and took a deep breath as well.
"This won't change anything, Hermione," he said. He hoped.
"Of course it won't," she said, "Why? Why do you think he's here?"
Draco thought the stupid prat probably reconsidered, and knew he threw aside a diamond for a piece of manure. "I wouldn't know why he's here." Draco looked at his watch. It was 11:57. "Three minutes."
She whimpered, and started to wring her hands. Then she shook them out, and said, "Buck up, old girl. You can do this. Where is your courage?"
She smiled at Draco and he said, "Are you a mind reader, for those were my very thoughts."
She leaned into him, to embrace him, and she said, "If I was a mind reader, I would probably have slapped your face for the sinful things you were thinking in the bathroom." He hugged her back and grinned. She was a mind reader.
He let her go and said, "By the time we get down there, it will be midnight." She took one more deep breath, held Draco's hand, and started down the hall, toward the stairs.
They stepped down each step slowly, cautiously, and warily. She said, "I feel as if I'm heading toward the gallows." He couldn't help but laugh. When they got down to the bottom step, he turned to her and kissed her cheek. Before her were the entire Weasley clan, encouraging her with their smiling faces.
"Bust the bastard in the balls," George said.
"Don't take any of his shite," Charlie said.
"Hear him out, Hermione, but hex him if necessary," said Percy.
Mrs. Weasley hugged her and said, "We will be right here for you, sweetheart."
Harry hugged her and Ginny said, "Yell if you need me. I still can do an awesome Bat Bogie Hex." Hermione loved all of them so much. She wished she were part of this family. She was a part of this family.
She looked at Draco, who still held her hand, and said, "Coming?"
"Of course," he said back.
They walked out the front door, and Ron was sitting on the front steps. He stood up. He still had on his tuxedo. He looked at Draco and said, "A moment alone, Malfoy?"
"I don't think so, Weasley," Draco responded. "If you want to talk to my girl, you will talk to her with me present, or not at all."
Hermione secretly smiled to herself. She liked being referred to as "his girl."
"Fine, Malfoy," Ron said, "Hermione, I have been mulling things over all night, and I want you to know that I have nothing but love and respect for you, and I should have been a man, and broke things off with you before I started seeing Pansy."
"Better yet, Ron," Hermione began, "you shouldn't have started it with her in the beginning."
"Right," he said, looking at the ground. "It's just, I feel guilty, starting my new life, knowing that you are so sad and lonely. I want you to get on with your life, and forgive me, once and for all."
"Ron, we've already been through this, before you left this evening. My happiness no longer depends on you. I'm fine, and I will always be fine, and I do forgive you, I just won't be able to forget, not for a long time," Hermione said.
"I want to be your friend again. I miss having you for a friend, Hermione. I love you so much, just not the way I should have," he said solemnly.
"Ron, go back to your wife. My heart is healing as we speak, thanks to Draco." She squeezed his hand. "And we are still friends, I promise."
"Yeah, Pansy's probably out of the bathtub by now. She takes bloody long baths. Well, I didn't mean to ruin your evening," he said, nodding toward Draco, "Take good care of her mate," and turning toward Hermione he said, "Goodbye, Hermione." Hermione let go of Draco's hand and put both her hands on Ron's shoulders, and kissed his cheek.
"Ron, your leaving me was the best thing you ever did for me," she reiterated. He nodded and disapparated away.
She stood with her back toward Draco, staring out to where Ron had just been. He walked up to her and put his hands around her waist. She leaned against his back, but then to his surprise, she broke from his grasp and ran in the house. She ran all the way upstairs and locked herself in the bathroom.
Draco was shocked. Should he run after her? He turned and walked slowly back in the house. The entire Weasley clan was standing around, staring at him. "We heard Ron," Harry said. "Give Hermione some time, Draco." He patted Draco's arm.
"Well, it's very late, so Arthur and I are off to bed. You young ones don't stay up too late." Mrs. Weasley took her husbands hand, but then walked up to Draco. "Thank you for loving our girl, Draco. She deserves someone like you."
Draco thought that was the nicest thing anyone had ever said to him, bar none.
Harry and George went to the kitchen, for another bite of cake. Charlie splayed out on the couch, and Ginny said, "Don't fall asleep there, that's our bed."
Charlie said, "I thought you said Hermione wanted the couch."
"Well, I'm sure she would rather have her privacy now," Ginny said. She plopped on her big brothers legs, and bounced up and down. Charlie moaned in fake pain.
Percy walked over and picked Ginny up, and then he plopped on his brother as well. Draco saw them all having fun; the camaraderie that came from having a large family, built in friends, if you will. He never had that when he was young, being an only child. No wonder Granger coveted this so much. She was an only child as well, and except for Ron, this family wasn't half-bad.
He walked up the stairs, and put his hands on the door of the bathroom. Before he could say anything, she opened the door. She had on the pretty, little, cotton, yellow, sleep shorts, with matching camisole. She looked like an angel. Her hair was brushed, and flowing down her back, in long brown waves. Her face was freshly washed, and as she stepped closer, and gave him a hug, he thought she smelled so sweet, a mixture of soap, toothpaste, and Hermione.
"What do we do now, Hermione?" he asked.
"What is everyone else doing?" she asked.
"The Weasley parents went to bed, and the rest are raiding the cake or bouncing on the couch," he said.
"I could go for some cake and then maybe some cuddling?" she asked, sheepishly.
"Couldn't we do cuddling, and then cake?" he suggested.
"No silly, that makes no sense, for once we start cuddling, who knows where that might lead. Of course, since I will be sleeping on the couch, it won't lead to much, unless we want someone to walk in on us," she smiled. He laughed. "What?" she asked, wanting in on the joke.
"Oh, nothing, it's just, your couch has been commandeered by the she weasel, and you have been assigned the nice, private, bedroom, across from mine again. Won't that be a pleasant place to cuddle, Hermione?" he asked, raising his eyebrows suggestively.
"Oh, goodness, I've created a monster," she said.
"No my dear, my parent's created me, you must merely put up with me," he said, taking her hand, and running his finger lightly across her arm. He ended at her shoulder, and then bent down and kissed her upper arm. "After you, my dear, let's get the cake portion of the show over with." They walked down the stairs, once again, hand in hand.
Before they reached the bottom step, she said, "What date are we on now, Malfoy, do you suppose?"
"Goodness, Granger, do you know nothing?" he asked, He leaned over, and kissed her hard on the mouth, not caring who saw, and said, "We are on our honeymoon!"
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