Of Tee Shirts and Political Scheming
Hermione woke the next morning in a bed that was not her own wearing a shirt that smelled of pine, leather, and spicy cologne. She rubbed her eyes and shot up when she remembered she had been so drunk she couldn't Apparate home last night and was now in Malfoy's flat in his shirt. She flopped back to the pillow and groaned. Yesterday, had it truly been less than twenty-four hours since she had found out her life was going to be forever changed. Malfoy was going to be her husband. What had she done wrong in this life for this to be her fate. Hermione reminded herself that he did seem much changed and she likely never really knew him to begin with. He had been so observant last night at the restaurant and gave her an anchor to cling to moments before a panic attack had set in and she had returned the kindness not long after.
Maybe she could at least grow fond of him. Oh, what every girl dreams of, fondness, but there was nothing for it unless she wanted to leave England for good. He was irritating though and the way he could still get a rise out of her was maddening. They would likely spend half their days at each other's throats. He seemed to find every opportunity to aggravate her then act like he had no idea what he did. When he asked "What's your move Granger" then just stared at her, gods what was his angle and what was that even supposed to mean.
Hermione swung her legs out of bed and padded for the door. She needed tea and something to eat because Merlin she could feel the hangover already. Maybe Malfoy would have some hangover potions available.
She padded down the stairs and found Malfoy in the kitchen already puttering with the kettle. She quietly leaned against the wall and watched him busy himself with tea preparations. He had already selected two mugs from the cabinet. Then he went to the ice box and pulled eggs and potatoes. Watching him do domestic mundane things like cook was perhaps the most outlandish thing she had ever seen.
"Granger are you just going to stare at my bum while I make your sorry ass breakfast or do you plan to be useful," Malfoy drawled and glanced over his shoulder with a smirk.
What a bloody irritating git. Staring at his bum as if.
"As long as that is some bloody strong tea I feel like absolute shite," she complained.
"Hangover potion is just over there," he gestured toward the cup filled with tea, "I don't know how you take it, so I just poured and threw a Stasis charm over it."
"Thanks," she said a bit sheepishly, "what do you want help with?"
Hermione knocked the potion back and fixed her tea. It was strong just like she liked it, at least that was something they would agree on.
"Could you cube these potatoes while I grab a pan?" he said as he brushed past her.
She noticed he was doing the work without magic. At this point she would just add it to the growing list of things that surprised her about Draco Malfoy. She decided she would chop the potatoes by hand if he wasn't using magic. Wouldn't do to be shown up by Draco bloody Malfoy while doing things the Muggle way. That was a sentence Hermione had never imagined thinking. She finished the potatoes and looked over to see Malfoy dice onions with a speed and precision she most certainly lacked.
"I can feel your eyes burning into my side Granger. Why don't you just ask your questions instead of staring?" he said with a taunt.
"Where did you learn to cook?" she said with a note of irritation, because did he have to be so smarmy.
"Here and there, I spent time immersing myself into cultures all over the world. I found the easiest way to learn about other cultures was by eating their food and learning to make it. I obviously couldn't use magic when learning to cook in a mountain hut in Peru with Maria the most ancient Muggle I have ever met while she scolded me for being too formal. I have a hundred other such examples. I lived a privileged but stifled life, I wanted to know what I had missed. Plus, I love to eat so it seemed like the best way to experience the world," Draco had begun frying the potatoes she had cut and was now whisking eggs he had cracked into a bowl.
Hermione had been leaning against the counter sipping her tea quietly just listening and watching the muscles of his forearm flex as he whisked. He glanced over at her, and his fringe fell in his eyes a bit. She noticed his usually perfectly coiffed hair looked more haphazard this morning, like he had merely run his fingers through it rather than spending thirty minutes styling it. Draco Malfoy unkept in his kitchen making breakfast looking at her through his unruly fringe was most unsettling. The wildest part was the passing thought that this was going to be her life in two weeks' time. Would he stay like this or was this just for show and he would revert to his former rudeness. She didn't think that he would, but it was hard to imagine this version of Malfoy.
"Penny for your thoughts Granger," Malfoy said as he added the eggs to a pan.
Hermione blushed at being caught staring, "I just am unsure what to do right now, I am in your kitchen in your shirt while you're making us breakfast. It is just a bit much."
"I am glad I am not alone in feeling absolutely like this not real. I keep waiting to wake up and realize that the last day was a strange dream. However, I know I am in fact not dreaming and Hermione Granger is in my kitchen after spending the night because she was too pissed to get home last night," he said with a boyish grin.
Her first thought was that he hadn't called it a nightmare at least. His grin was an expression she had never seen. It was nice, made him look more carefree. Draco had expertly folded an omelet and handed her a plate before turning back to make his own.
"Thanks," Hermione said taking a bite and had to stifle a groan.
"Granger did you just moan over an omelet?" Malfoy said without looking back, he was chuckling.
"Sod off Malfoy," she snapped, "it is delicious though," she conceded.
Malfoy piled potatoes on his plate then slid his omelet next to them before coming around the island and sitting next to her.
"I'm glad you like it. I already sent a message to my mother to expect us at half past eleven. Does that give you sufficient time to get home and change and what not?" Draco asked before taking a bite.
"Malfoy its eight in the morning, yes over three hours is enough time, unless I need to wear a ball gown to meet your mother for luncheon. In that case then I might need a bit more time," she deadpanned.
"Don't snip at me in that tone, I don't know what kind of time that mane of yours takes to tame," he sneers but bumps his shoulder into hers in a friendly manner as he says it.
They had agreed Granger should owl their friends and invite them to her flat for a get together that evening to tell everyone at once. It was decided she should just invite everyone since apparently in the last four years, she had up and befriended all of his friends. Shortly after she penned invitations Granger had grabbed her clothing and Apparated home, still in his shirt. For long minutes after she left Draco had just stood in his kitchen bracing his hands on his sink head hung low. When she had walked in this morning with her bare legs, his shirt hitting mid-thigh he was sure she was going to notice his growing reaction. He had no idea how to handle this entire situationship, because it wasn't a relationship. She would never have chosen him, and she never would have ended up sleeping in his shirt if it wasn't for the Ministry dictating their lives. All he knew for sure was he was bloody fucked because she was oblivious, she may have been staring at him this morning, but it was morbid curiosity like he was a sideshow oddity. Whereas all he felt when looking at her was longing. He had no right to those feelings he knew but fuck if it hadn't felt like bliss just to look at her looking at him.
Granger landed in her flat and immediately threw Floo powder into the hearth to call Pansy. Despite what she said to Malfoy that morning,
she was actually nervous about having the right thing to wear and Pansy would know exactly what would be best. Her friendship with Pansy had bloomed after she hired Greg, they had been together for about two years and got married when it became evident the Ministry was going to make an example of every Pureblood family. Neither of them held those ideals anymore, they truly loved each other and wanted to be together.
She started stopping by the office to have lunch with Greg and on one such occasion Hermione had worn an outfit Pansy had deemed an affront to anyone with eyes. Pansy had insisted she be allowed to fix her abominable wardrobe, "She was a famous witch who appeared in front of the Wizengamot she shouldn't dress like a bookish gnome if she wanted to be taken seriously" Pansy had groused. Over the next several weeks Pansy had visited Hermione's house and thrown out nearly everything in her wardrobe and replaced it with pieces from her own collections. Pansy ran a very successful boutique clothing store, Madam Malkin's still existed but the designs were rather dour and old fashion. Pansy had drawn inspiration from Muggle fashion while still respecting wizarding society's propensity toward prudishness. Her designs were stylish, but still conservative, at least her work wear. Her gown and evening wear collections definitely ran the gambit from safe for McGonagall's eyes to scandalous.
Hermione stuck her head in the Floo and called out.
"Pansy, I need your expert fashion advice, I am in crisis mode here, I know you already," Hermione was cut off.
"Out of the way Mi I am coming through now!" Pansy hollered.
Pansy stepped through and her eyes landed on Hermione's outfit and suddenly Hermione was exceeding aware that she was wearing only Malfoy's tee shirt. How had she just left in this.
"Well, Greg told me about your life altering news and I thought you would you distressed. Instead, I find you in Draco Malfoy's shirt before nine in the morning. I am impressed," Pansy shrieked with delight.
"Nothing untoward happened, we talked last night after the restaurant, and we had one to many drinks for me to Apparate so I slept in a guest room. Malfoy and I are going to the Manor today to meet his mother. Tomorrow we are going to do the official meeting for the press. I just need to see it, you know, before the press sees me see it again," Hermione finished quietly.
Pansy knew the whole story. After being bullied into a new wardrobe Hermione and Pansy found that they had a lot of shared experiences being women with ambitions in a backward patriarchal society. Eventually, they had shared all their secrets and nightmares. Hermione had never imagined she would be best friends with this woman but wouldn't trade her friendship for anything. Ginny was lovely, but she was a professional Quidditch player for the Harpies. Her career left very little room in her life for friendship unless it was the off season. She and Harry decided not to stay together after struggling through her seventh and his eighth year. They loved one another but like Hermione and Ron the past was too much to overcome, and trauma bonding had defined so much of their relationships that was not health to stay together. Ginny was with Blaise Zabini these days and they just made more sense; he was irreverent like her and it worked. Being independently wealthy he travelled with the team so they could be together all the time. They too had gotten married in the last six months to avoid being assigned a spouse. It was their wedding at which Ron had proposed to her. She cringed every time she remembered that moment.
Ginny and Blaise's Wedding
"'Mione you look so beautiful tonight, I miss you," Ron said as he sidled up next to her.
"I miss you too Ron, we could get lunch sometime soon or whenever really. You have been the one who hasn't reached out recently," she reminded him kindly.
He fidgeted with his glass a bit before looking up at her.
"We could get married too you know. I know you don't like me that way, but I don't want you to be forced to marry some bloke you don't know," Ron said trying to grasp her hand.
Hermione jerked her hand away.
"Ronald Weasel! One, if this is your idea of a proposal I am not impressed. Two, I absolutely will not marry you to avoid an outcome we are not certain will come to pass. Third, we have discussed the numerous reasons this would never work and when you are sober you agree with all of them. We will love one another forever but we cannot be married," she said firmly but not cruelly.
Ron looked down at his lap again for a moment before those blue eyes met hers again.
"I know 'Mione I just want to protect you, you will always be my girl and I can't help it," he said so earnestly.
"But that's just it, Ron, I am not your girl, you need to let that imagined version of us go so we can actually build a friendship based in the reality of who we are now," Hermione said rising to her feet.
Ron had stayed planted on that bench and she hadn't seen him since that day. Pansy was touching her shoulder to get her attention.
"Hey, are you going to be ok with this?" Pansy asked concern coloring her voice.
That was rare and it made Hermione wonder if she looked as stricken as she felt.
"I honestly don't know how I feel, Malfoy is not the same prick we remember at all but being forced to marry him is overwhelming," Hermione admitted, "Right now though I just need an outfit to wear to meet Narcissa, as the woman that will be my mother-in-law, not the woman's whose parlor I nearly died in," Hermione said darkly.
Pansy hugged her then and didn't let go for long seconds.
"Alright enough about the past, it was terrible, but the present doesn't have to be. Draco is much changed from what Greg told me. He is more like the boy we knew before the Dark Lord returned, better even since he can finally be open in his descent of old ideals he never truly believed. I did, I am willing to admit it, as much as I wish I could deny it, but Draco's heart was never in it. He was always to clever and curious. He just quashed that because he wanted his father's approval and then because he needed to save his parents. Besides he is a fantastic lover," Pansy giggled.
"Pansy Parkinson-Goyle!" Hermione exclaimed.
"What?! I know you are going to have to sleep with him, his crazy family's core bonding ritual, fuck that by the way, requires it," she said simply.
Of course, she would know about that they had known each other all their lives.
"We will just put that conversation on the back burner for now. I am actually glad you called because I need to plan all of your outfits for the next few weeks and design your wedding gown. You are not getting married at the Ministry, Greg told me about Draco's plan to play the game and it is typical him, but also brilliant. However, in that vein I think you should tell him to request permission to hold a ceremony at Hogwarts, you know to really sell the mending of old wounds," Pansy said with mischief dancing in her pale blue eyes.
"Hogwarts really?" Hermione whined.
"Yes, in that stupid Peace and Unity Garden we planted eighth year. Imagine it, the papers would eat out of your hands after such a spectacle. You may not see it now but this marriage to Draco is going to be very beneficial to you. Let him be the Slytherin he is, and you continue to be the feisty witch who fights for the downtrodden. The Ministry will rue the day they assigned you to one another," Pansy said in a serious tone.
Hermione allowed Pansy's words to turn over in her mind as Pansy began fussing about in Hermione's closet. Today she would wear one of her own things, but the rest of this week's outfit Pansy told her she would deliver later today. Hermione vaguely agreed as she continued to ponder her life as Mrs. Lady Malfoy. Her life was already a façade most days, what was one more costume. She could exchange her armor of smart and over prepared, for the mantle of Lady Malfoy and all the doors that would open. She tasted the bitterness of that as she swallowed that truth. The Malfoy name may be currently sullied, but it was, as Malfoy had rudely reminded her, too ancient and noble a House to not be able to weather its current predicament. Malfoy also was the last remaining heir to both House Black and House Malfoy. She could make this work if only to be able to make a greater impact on the wizarding world.