Chapter Eight
Over the next two weeks Hermione was occupied with furnishing their new house, which they had moved into a week and a half after their wedding. They bought a mansion that was located near a large clear lake and was surrounded by gardens. Hermione had not wanted a large estate, and had been surprised when Draco hadn't insisted that they buy something bigger. The mansion itself was white, with deep blue shutters and high roof. A terrace ran along the back of the house and overlooked the lake.
Hermione had hired several decorators to adorn the rooms, and they had been given specific instructions on what she wanted. The library, however, was left untouched by interior decorators, because Hermione wanted to furnish that herself. She ordered classics from large bookstores in London, and took weekend trips to small towns in order to find rare and valuable books. Many of these small trips she took on her own, because Draco was working during the days and sometimes into the nights. His job at the Ministry entailed quite a lot of traveling, but he had found ways to make the trips generally shorter.
The books that Hermione and Draco had bought in the Italian bookshop on learning to speak Italian were kept on the back porch. After Draco got home from work at the Ministry, they would sit outside and learn verbs and phrases, laughing at each other's terrible accents. Their new hobby gave them time to get to know one another, and soon Hermione felt her original feelings of hostility drain away. In their absence, other feelings started to form, starting with friendship and then moving quickly to something that Hermione tried to ignore.
Draco, despite having a definite arrogant quality about him that aggravated Hermione often, turned out to be less terrible than she had expected. He laughed easily (though it was mostly at her), and had a sense of humor like no other she had ever encountered. He could find a tiny grain of amusement in almost every situation, and made witty comments that sometimes only Hermione could appreciate. She frequently felt like he was listening to more than just what she was saying, as if he could tell what she meant no matter how she put things into words. At first it was a little disconcerting to realize how he seemed to understand her so perfectly, but it soon became something that she appreciated. During her school years Hermione had often felt like no one saw things the way she did; they never could comprehend her perfectionism or need to be successful, and now that there was someone who could understand that, Hermione found herself gladly welcoming his company.
Every Sunday Hermione and Draco had dinner with his parents at Malfoy Manor. It was something Hermione never looked forward to, because it meant awkward silences and worries over what to say. For most of the evening Lucius and Draco would talk about business at the Ministry of magic, with Narcissa Malfoy making neutral comments on whatever the topic was. While the conversation went on and on about Ministry officials and new regulations, Hermione would sit at the table and pretend to be interested. She would nod once or twice when Draco said something clever, or smile back at him when he would give her one.
On one night with particularly tedious conversations between Draco and his father, the talk turned to a new proposal that was being reviewed by the Ministry heads. The proposal, which had been drafted by a man named Arthur Weasley, outlined new procedures for restoring muggle objects. From the tone of disgust in Lucius Malfoy's voice and the colder-than-normal glint in his frozen eyes, Hermione could tell that Lucius didn't think much of Arthur Weasley. She was proved right when he said, "Weasley has been an embarrassment to the ministry ever since he was promoted head of the Misuse of Muggle Artifacts department. Of course, they had to give the job to him because no one else would disgrace themselves by taking it."
Hermione thought that was a little uncalled for, but since she didn't know Arthur Weasley and had very little familiarity with the Ministry, she kept her opinions to herself. Draco looked thoughtful, however, and said quietly, "But you do have to respect him for putting forward his proposal against so much opposition."
Hermione smiled at him, relieved that she wasn't the only one to have a different view, and he sent a small wink in her direction. Lucius Malfoy, however, his pale cheeks tinged with red, said to his son, "How can you say that, Draco? Weasley is a name synonymous with dishonor and mediocrity."
"Don't you think that's a bit harsh, Lucius," interjected Narcissa calmly.
Lucius shot his wife an icy stare and said evenly, "Any man who lowers himself to the status of muggles deserves to be ridiculed."
Hermione kept her eyes on her plate, moving the food around on its surface and pretending to be eating. There was a long silence, in which everyone finished eating. The scrape of silverware on china was the only sound that was made until Draco and Hermione left that evening. She noticed that Lucius looked at his son with a mix of resentment and disbelief as they left.
As Draco and Hermione got ready for bed that night, Draco brought up the subject of the dinner conversation. He said, "I'm sorry that you had to sit through that, Hermione. My father has always been very narrow-minded and he tends to look down on anyone who doesn't hold opinions that are the same as his."
"That's okay, Draco. It was just a little awkward," said Hermione as she slipped a silk nightgown over her head and walked over to their bed.
Draco slipped under the covers and pulled his wife next to him, wrapping his arms around her waist. "Goodnight," said Hermione, laying her head on the pillow next to her.
"Mmm." Hermione felt Draco's hand leave her stomach and travel downwards until it reached the hem of her nightgown. He inched the sleek material upwards until it was bunched around her waist.
"Draco," she murmured, turning her head to the side and kissing him deeply. She felt the mattress shift under her as he leaned over her, molding his body to hers.
Just before she fell asleep that night, Hermione wondered when it was that having sex changed in her mind to making love. She snuggled her body to Draco's, feeling his skin brush against hers all over. He reached his hand up and brushed a lock of her hair off her forehead. Pressing a soft kiss to her cheek, he said into her ear in an almost inaudible whisper, "I love you." Hermione drifted off to sleep with a smile curved on her kiss- swollen lips.
[A/N: I'll be on vacation until next Saturday, so the chapter nine update will have to wait until then. Chapter nine deals with Draco and Hermione talking about things, and Hermione confessing that she was adopted to Draco. What will he say to that? I wonder. (Well, actually I don't have to wonder, as I know already. Hehehe)]
Over the next two weeks Hermione was occupied with furnishing their new house, which they had moved into a week and a half after their wedding. They bought a mansion that was located near a large clear lake and was surrounded by gardens. Hermione had not wanted a large estate, and had been surprised when Draco hadn't insisted that they buy something bigger. The mansion itself was white, with deep blue shutters and high roof. A terrace ran along the back of the house and overlooked the lake.
Hermione had hired several decorators to adorn the rooms, and they had been given specific instructions on what she wanted. The library, however, was left untouched by interior decorators, because Hermione wanted to furnish that herself. She ordered classics from large bookstores in London, and took weekend trips to small towns in order to find rare and valuable books. Many of these small trips she took on her own, because Draco was working during the days and sometimes into the nights. His job at the Ministry entailed quite a lot of traveling, but he had found ways to make the trips generally shorter.
The books that Hermione and Draco had bought in the Italian bookshop on learning to speak Italian were kept on the back porch. After Draco got home from work at the Ministry, they would sit outside and learn verbs and phrases, laughing at each other's terrible accents. Their new hobby gave them time to get to know one another, and soon Hermione felt her original feelings of hostility drain away. In their absence, other feelings started to form, starting with friendship and then moving quickly to something that Hermione tried to ignore.
Draco, despite having a definite arrogant quality about him that aggravated Hermione often, turned out to be less terrible than she had expected. He laughed easily (though it was mostly at her), and had a sense of humor like no other she had ever encountered. He could find a tiny grain of amusement in almost every situation, and made witty comments that sometimes only Hermione could appreciate. She frequently felt like he was listening to more than just what she was saying, as if he could tell what she meant no matter how she put things into words. At first it was a little disconcerting to realize how he seemed to understand her so perfectly, but it soon became something that she appreciated. During her school years Hermione had often felt like no one saw things the way she did; they never could comprehend her perfectionism or need to be successful, and now that there was someone who could understand that, Hermione found herself gladly welcoming his company.
Every Sunday Hermione and Draco had dinner with his parents at Malfoy Manor. It was something Hermione never looked forward to, because it meant awkward silences and worries over what to say. For most of the evening Lucius and Draco would talk about business at the Ministry of magic, with Narcissa Malfoy making neutral comments on whatever the topic was. While the conversation went on and on about Ministry officials and new regulations, Hermione would sit at the table and pretend to be interested. She would nod once or twice when Draco said something clever, or smile back at him when he would give her one.
On one night with particularly tedious conversations between Draco and his father, the talk turned to a new proposal that was being reviewed by the Ministry heads. The proposal, which had been drafted by a man named Arthur Weasley, outlined new procedures for restoring muggle objects. From the tone of disgust in Lucius Malfoy's voice and the colder-than-normal glint in his frozen eyes, Hermione could tell that Lucius didn't think much of Arthur Weasley. She was proved right when he said, "Weasley has been an embarrassment to the ministry ever since he was promoted head of the Misuse of Muggle Artifacts department. Of course, they had to give the job to him because no one else would disgrace themselves by taking it."
Hermione thought that was a little uncalled for, but since she didn't know Arthur Weasley and had very little familiarity with the Ministry, she kept her opinions to herself. Draco looked thoughtful, however, and said quietly, "But you do have to respect him for putting forward his proposal against so much opposition."
Hermione smiled at him, relieved that she wasn't the only one to have a different view, and he sent a small wink in her direction. Lucius Malfoy, however, his pale cheeks tinged with red, said to his son, "How can you say that, Draco? Weasley is a name synonymous with dishonor and mediocrity."
"Don't you think that's a bit harsh, Lucius," interjected Narcissa calmly.
Lucius shot his wife an icy stare and said evenly, "Any man who lowers himself to the status of muggles deserves to be ridiculed."
Hermione kept her eyes on her plate, moving the food around on its surface and pretending to be eating. There was a long silence, in which everyone finished eating. The scrape of silverware on china was the only sound that was made until Draco and Hermione left that evening. She noticed that Lucius looked at his son with a mix of resentment and disbelief as they left.
As Draco and Hermione got ready for bed that night, Draco brought up the subject of the dinner conversation. He said, "I'm sorry that you had to sit through that, Hermione. My father has always been very narrow-minded and he tends to look down on anyone who doesn't hold opinions that are the same as his."
"That's okay, Draco. It was just a little awkward," said Hermione as she slipped a silk nightgown over her head and walked over to their bed.
Draco slipped under the covers and pulled his wife next to him, wrapping his arms around her waist. "Goodnight," said Hermione, laying her head on the pillow next to her.
"Mmm." Hermione felt Draco's hand leave her stomach and travel downwards until it reached the hem of her nightgown. He inched the sleek material upwards until it was bunched around her waist.
"Draco," she murmured, turning her head to the side and kissing him deeply. She felt the mattress shift under her as he leaned over her, molding his body to hers.
Just before she fell asleep that night, Hermione wondered when it was that having sex changed in her mind to making love. She snuggled her body to Draco's, feeling his skin brush against hers all over. He reached his hand up and brushed a lock of her hair off her forehead. Pressing a soft kiss to her cheek, he said into her ear in an almost inaudible whisper, "I love you." Hermione drifted off to sleep with a smile curved on her kiss- swollen lips.
[A/N: I'll be on vacation until next Saturday, so the chapter nine update will have to wait until then. Chapter nine deals with Draco and Hermione talking about things, and Hermione confessing that she was adopted to Draco. What will he say to that? I wonder. (Well, actually I don't have to wonder, as I know already. Hehehe)]
