A/N…please excuse my insanity, I'm writing this in a notebook in study hall and we just had a fire/lock down/evacuation drill so there's still chaos all around me.
Disclaimer…*sighs*…I swear, they aren't mine…but the characters Erin, Sandy, and Jeremy are!
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Draco recovered quickly thanks to Madam Pomfrey, hut Hermione lay bedridden for weeks. Ron had forgiven her and the entire school was not walking about her ordeal instead of her pregnancy.
On that hand, the baby was fine but Madam Pomfrey said that a few more days and she would have died of malnutrition.
As for Hermione, she slept and (of course) did her homework, she still hadn't told her story to anyone besides Dumbledore and the ministry officials, and she knew she would have to tell sooner or later.
One evening after classes Draco came to visit Hermione. It was then that she knew she would have to tell him everything. He sat next to her on the bed listening intently to every word. She told him about the beatings, the curses, and the rape. Tears were streaming down her face as she finished and Draco embraced her tightly.
"It's alright love, he's gone now, and I promise no one will ever hurt you again."
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Soon enough Hermione was able to go to her classes again. She would come back to her room and cry herself to sleep after the bombardment of questions that she got each day. It was May now and Hermione was almost 6 months pregnant (a/n…like I said, I'm writing this in study hall, I don't remember how far along she is…so forgive me) Graduation was drawing ever nearer and the 7th years were growing more excited as the time went on.
Draco knew that he had been very caring toward Hermione, but she still wasn't up to par. She had shown him so much love during the weeks of his trial. He had been cleared of all charges and had gone free. He also had helped her through everything, but she still seemed distant, drawing away at his every touch. He only knew of one way to cheer her up, but it would be life altering.
He went to the same shop as before, finding the perfect one, it was simple, but so…Hermione. The witch gave it to him on sale because she had heard about his ordeal as well, he thanked her and walked out of the shop and back to Hogwarts. (a/n…aren't you all dying to know what it is? Heh…don't worry, you'll find out, keep reading! I bet some of you know already.)
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Monday evening after dinner, Hermione went to her room. Draco was lying on her bed as she came in and it startled her as she turned on the light.
"Granger." He drawled, not trying at all to keep the famous Malfoy smirk from plastering itself on his face.
"Malfoy." She crooned, laying down beside him and cuddling close to him. He wrapped his arms around her growing stomach and the baby kicked as he pressed down near her belly button.
"What should we name her?" Draco asked, thoughts of names ran through his mind, but none seemed to fit.
"I've always loved the name Victoria, or maybe Contessa?"
"No, too Malfoy like. We need something simple. What about Haley?"
"Haley Rose Malfoy, sounds like a keeper to me." She giggled, settling up against him.
"Malfoy?" He questioned.
"Well yes of course, we are going to get married right? Now that your father is gone." Her brow furrowed.
Bingo he thought, kissing her on the crown of the head and sitting up. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a box.
"After all we've been through, this just feels so right." He whispered, sitting her up and swinging her legs over the side of the bed. The Slytherin got off the bed and down on one knee.
"Not a day goes by when I don't think about you and wish you were there by my side in everything I do. I want to you be by my side forever, no matter who objects. Hermione Granger, will you marry me?" It was hard for him to look away from those crying amber eyes. He had made her cry so much lately.
The Head Girl wiped her tears away and looked down at him. "I have always imagined the day that someone would ask me that. But never once did I imagine that someone to be you. Yes, I will marry you Draco Malfoy."
He hugged her, holding her and rocking her, as he one day would do to his own daughter.
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The word of Hermione's engagement to Draco spread quickly. Many girls would congratulate her, hugging her a bit too tightly. She found this funny, she was, for once, the envy of almost every girl in the school.
Dumbledore sent a bouquet of flowers to their room, and asked them to meet him in his office as soon as possible. They went hand in hand, they were now open about their relationship because of the fact that Lucius was gone.
Dumbledore sat behind his desk, eyes twinkling brighter than usual. They took the seats in front of him waited for him to begin.
"As I'm sure neither of you know, I am certified to perform marriages. I haven't done one in a while, but none the less, I am going to offer to do yours." He gave a mischievous smile. "I will permit you to have it on graduation day, so that you can have it surrounded by your best friends. You can of course invite your parents and family, and all of this will be free. It's not often that two enemies at Hogwarts get married."
The two were speechless, and Hermione was the first to break the silence. "Oh Professor, thank you. We would love that. But what about my dress, and his tux?" She asked.
"We will take care of everything Miss Granger. I'm sure that Professor McGonagall would love to go shopping with you for a dress, and Draco, I know a perfect tailor shop where you can have your tux custom made."
"Thank you so much." Draco spoke for the first time.
"It is my pleasure Draco, really it is." His eyes sparkled even brighter than before.
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Hermione found a perfect dress, with a chapel length train, and just the right amount of decoration that didn't make it too loud, or too plain. The sales witch gave her a temporary spell that would shrink her stomach so that she would look normal in the dress but wouldn't hurt the baby.
Ginny was of course Hermione's maid of honor, and her cousin Erin was her other bridesmaid. Somehow Hermione talked Draco into letting Harry and Ron be his groomsmen.
The day of the wedding came quickly, and by the end of the day Hermione was shaking because she was so nervous.
"Hermione, you look beautiful." Ginny crooned, smoothing out the train of Hermione's dress and then glancing herself over in the mirror.
"Thank you." She grinned, looking over at her mother who was crying silently.
"I can't believe my baby is getting married." She sobbed.
"It's alright mom, really it is." She hugged her.
"Don't you feel like you are rushing into things?" Ginny asked.
"Not at all, I feel like this is the right thing to do, I don't know why, I just do."
"Hermione," Her dad beamed from the doorway. "It's time."
The Head Girl took one last look at herself before hugging her mother and shooing her out of the room. Then she pulled the veil over her face as she heard the beginnings of the music. Ginny took Harry's arm, and Erin took Ron's, and of course, Hermione took her father's.
The line began to move and Hermione felt butterflies in her stomach. "This is it." She whispered.
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A/N…the full wedding is next chappie…which will be the last chappie of the story…and then there will be one of all my thank you's to all of my reviewers! You guys are amazing!
Love and Fluff,
Natalie
PS…the last chapter will take a while, it will be pretty long for my standards…sorry about that!