Disclaimer: I own nothing, as always. Just the plotline, which by the way, was completely original.
Chapter 17: Welcome Home Mrs. Malfoy
Hermione paced back and forth. She was standing in a Hogwarts hallway, watching the clock impatiently. The ceremony wasn't for another fifteen minutes and she was already ready. 'This is taking far too long. I want to start this already! I'm too excited!' she thought to herself.
In the opposite end of the school, Draco had just finished putting on his suit when he turned to Harry who was tying his black tie around his neck.
Harry, though not the Best Man, was one of the groomsmen. He was talking animatedly to Ron about something that probably wasn't amusing to anyone but them.
"Potter, I think that it's time we have a talk," Draco called to Harry, anxious to get this out of the way. Ron left the room for them to talk and Harry faced Draco, ready to handle whatever the Slytherin had to say.
"Listen, Potter. I don't like you, never have and I never will. But Hermione likes you and you're her best friend. And I love Hermione so I have to be nice. But I know how you feel about her. I heard you pouring your soul out to her while she was still passed out. If that's going to get in the way of anything in the future, I want to know now so..."
"Merlin Malfoy, haven't you realized it by now? She wants YOU! I could never change how she feels for you even if she did know how I truly felt!"
"But are you going to TRY to change how she feels? I can't have you years later confessing that once upon a time, she unknowingly broke your heart. Don't tell me that you're just going to sit down and watch as I take her hand in marriage. I don't want any of that big beautiful romantic stuff where when the priest asks for anyone who sees any reason why we shouldn't wed to speak, you stand up and say something perfect to make her change her mind. Everything has to be perfect. I want her to have a nice relaxing day and I won't have you ruining..."
"RELAX! I'm not here to steal your wife from right under your nose. I'm here because she asked me to be. That's it. Now, it's almost time to go so why don't you just leave it alone, Malfoy."
Draco smirked. "You know, you're going to have to watch when you call me that now. Your best friend is going to be a Malfoy pretty soon now. How are we going to know who you're speaking to from now on?"
Harry rolled his eyes and was about to leave but Malfoy stopped him once more. "Potter, I have a proposition for you and I'd understand if you weren't comfortable doing it."
"What is it Malfoy?"
"I want you to walk Hermione down the aisle. You see, her parents are dead and she won't admit it, but it pains her to walk down the aisle alone, to not have anyone give her away. I was going to ask Dumbledore, but I think that she would prefer YOU. Besides, Dumbledore is the one conducting the ceremony so it would be weird to have him do both. Will you do it?"
The idea intrigued him. Giving away his best friend, the love of his life. He knew he would never have her in the way that he yearned but at least he could be a large part of the happiest day of her life. He extended his hand to Draco and they shook hands in a silent truce. They put aside all of their hate for one another for the woman who had captured both of their hearts.
The wedding itself was being held in a courtyard of stone that was on the Hogwarts premises. Draco and Hermione had discovered it on one of their walks one day and had instantly taken to it. It was a round courtyard, not too big which was in fact perfect because they didn't have many people coming.
Hermione approached the stone platform and saw everyone she loved and cared about and prepared to march down the aisle. 'I wish someone was here to give me aw...'
Her thoughts were interrupted when she saw an outstretched arm in front of her. It was Harry. "Come on, 'Mione," he said with a smile. "Let's take a walk."
The corner of her lips rose in a smile and she kissed his cheek, wrapping her around his. 'This is by far the happiest day of my life,' she thought silently. The organ began to play and she walked her way down with Harry.
"You know, I just want to inform you, Harry, that you mean the world to me. I love you so much, Harry. I appreciate everything you've ever done for me. There's no one in the world I would rather have to give me away. You know that, right?"
"I know, 'Mione. Thanks." He looked at her and saw how calm she was and smiled. "You're so different from most women 'Mione. I would have thought that you'd be a barrel of nerves by now. I always heard that women get really nervous on their wedding day."
"Well I have nothing to be nervous about. I know that Draco will take care of me, regardless of what dangers may come. And if he doesn't, that's why you're here." They both laughed and then stopped walking as they noticed that they had reached the alter.
She looked from Harry to Draco and then back to her best friend. She had heard everything he said while she was asleep. She knew his feelings for her now but she decided to pretend as though nothing was different. Time heals all wounds, that's what she liked to think.
Harry faced her and looked into her eyes. "Here you are, about to bind yourself forever to a man I despise and yet... I couldn't be happier for you." And he meant it too.
He just wanted her to be happy and even if it wasn't with him then so be it. He loved her so much that he had to let her go. That's what she wanted and so that's what he wanted.
"Thanks so much, Harry." She leaned in and gave him a kiss on the cheek and then whispered into his ear, "For everything."
Then, she turned, finally letting Draco get a really good look at her. She was wearing a VERY simple dress. It was completely white, with thin straps. It wasn't long, either. It went down to a little above her knees, perfect for the hot summer weather. He hair was down, in wonderful curls with a few hairs strategically spread out in front of her face. She had a few white clips in her hair, holding back some loose strands. She looked like an angel in his eyes.
He stepped forward and took her hands in his, kissing each one tenderly. "This is it," he whispered. "No backing out after this."
"I would never turn back. I don't want to even think about what my life would be like without you."
"Shh..." he whispered. "Save it for the vows." Dumbledore was the priest and he began the ceremony as usual. Everything seemed a blur to Hermione and Draco until he got to the vows.
"Draco," he called him by his first name for the first time in his life. "Would you like to go first?"
Draco nodded. "Hermione," he said, making sure that he had her attention. "When I first met you, I had to look twice. I never knew muggle borns could be angels as well. I loved you from the moment my eyes first caught site of you but you were forbidden to me. So I faked a hatred for you and pretended that I despised you, all the while wishing that you were mine. I watched as you went out with men that I knew could never satisfy you and it pained me to think that I would never have the chance to be the one to hold you and kiss you, let alone marry you.
"I wanted to be with you so badly. Then, the war began and the only reason I fought was to save you. The rest of the story, you already know but I need to tell you again. You're amazing to me. The way you walk, smell, look, act, smile, everything about you makes me crazy. I lay in bed at night thinking how on earth I could have possibly gotten that lucky as to be lying in bed with a goddess. You are my Gryffindor Goddess Hermione.
"I love every strand of hair, every stray tendril, every eyelash, every bone in your body, even your toes, which you always hide because you're disgusted by feet." They both chuckled lightly and he saw tears welling up in her eyes. "I love the way you get when someone is complimenting you, completely modest, not even realizing how true the compliment is. I love the way you bite your lip when you're nervous or excited, like you're doing right now." She was about to protest but noticed that he was truly correct so she stopped which only encouraged him to laugh once more.
"You're adorable when you're studying and you put a quill behind your ear and your hair falls in front of your face, blinding you from actually being able to see anything but that never stops you. You just keep right on reading. I used to despise the fact that you were better than me in everything but now I see that it's that quality that draws me to you. I'm sure I've told you this before, Hermione, but I must say it again. You are amazing. I love you and I want to spend the rest of my life with you."
He took a deep breath, glad to have gotten it over with. She looked at him, wishing they could hurry up to the kissing of the bride part but alas; she still had her long vows to make. "Draco," she began. "This world has been against us from the beginning. There was always a reason for us NOT to be together. You were a Slytherin. I was a Gryffindor. You were pureblooded. I was a muggle born. We were supposed to be enemies. And we were for a while. At least, we pretended to be enemies for a while. I always secretly knew that deep down I liked you.
"But you made my life a living hell. All the teasing and tormenting and yet I still couldn't figure out why I let it bother me so. I wanted it to just roll off my shoulders but I kept letting it get me down. But now I'm here and you're here and there's nothing stopping us.
"When we were in St. Mungo's... I watched as you transformed from the boy I once claimed to hate, to the boy I knew I could love. When I collapsed on the floor, you helped me up again. When I was too weak to walk, you carried me. When I was captured and tortured, you saved me. When I was depressed and lonely, you were there to comfort me. All of those things have led us here today and they have made us better people. Along the way, we've been hurt and brought down but we kept going. The road was hard but we knew that someday, it would end up this way, you... and me... together forever and it makes me so happy. I feel like I could fly.
"I want to spend the rest of my life with you. I want to have hundreds of kids and live in a house in the suburbs with a white picket fence. I want to have a big family, Draco, with the perfect home. It would be my honor to be your wife."
Hermione didn't care anymore. She leaned forward and kissed him, not long, just for a second but it made her feel much better.
Dumbledore acknowledged the end of her speech and moved on. "Now if anyone here sees any reason why these two should not be wed, speak now or forever hold your peace."
Draco looked back at Harry just to make sure but it didn't even appear as though Harry was upset by any of it. Harry was just smiling broadly and gave Draco a small wave, just to get him on edge.
Suddenly, a voice could be heard throughout the courtyard. "Wait," they said. Draco and Hermione searched the crowd to see who it was and finally their eyes settled on Narcissa Malfoy. "Wait," she said again.
"What do you want, mother?" Draco asked sounding annoyed.
She approached the alter and walked straight to where Draco stood. "How could you go through with this wedding," she paused as if that was the end of her question but soon followed it up with, "If your mother isn't here to witness it?" She leaned over and kissed his cheek. "I give you my blessing, my son. If this is the girl you choose, then so be it."
She took a seat amongst the crowd and Dumbledore continued with the ceremony.
"If no one else objects to the marriage then we shall move on. Draco, do you take Hermione, to be your lawfully wedded wife, to have and to hold, in sickness and in health until death do you part?"
He paused for a moment, making it dramatic but finally gave in, not wanting to wait a second longer. "I do."
Hermione playfully hit his arm. It wasn't that hard though it was enough to make him apologize.
"And Ms. Granger, do you take Draco to be your lawfully wedded husband, to have and to hold, in sickness and in health until death do you part?"
"Of course I do. I will love him even in the afterlife." She glared at him as if proving that she was the better person for not stooping to his level.
"The rings," he said as Harry took them out of his pocket and gave them out. "Draco, please place the ring on her finger and repeat after me. "With this ring..."
They each followed after Dumbledore's instructions and Hermione paused to look at her ring. It was gorgeous. It had a slightly larger diamond on it than the engagement ring (which she had gotten back) and it had an inscription inside. 'I love you 'til death do us part.' She wanted to kiss him right then.
"Wonderful!" The old headmaster replied. "Then by the power vested in me by the church, I now pronounce you husband and wife." He leaned in and whispered to the newlyweds. "You may kiss the bride." And Draco did. He kissed her with all the passion and fervor that he could muster. He kissed her until he could no longer breath. He kissed her so forcefully that her lips were swollen when he pulled away.
The music began playing and Hermione and Draco began walking away, leading everyone out of the courtyard.
Hermione thought to herself as they walked down the aisle. It was without a doubt the most magical day of her life. Since it was night, the ceremony had been held by candlelight and the candles were hovering in the air, emitting a lavender scent. Draco had picked them out with the knowledge that it was her favorite. Clouds hovered low above the ground creating a cool mist, which was helpful in the summer heat.
As soon as the ceremony was complete, Hermione faced all the guests with tears in her eyes. "I want to thank you all so very much. You mean the world to me and without you all, I'd be lost."
Ron stepped up and took her hand in his. "Since you've decided on no reception, I'll give my best mans speech right now. Hermione, I never liked Mal... I mean Draco. We fought and argued and never got along. I thought he was the scum of the Earth, still would too if you didn't tell me otherwise. But you changed him. He began to act differently the moment you two got together and that's when I knew. Your love made him a good man. You two are meant for each other. I'm happy for you, 'Mione. I really am."
By this time, Hermione had broken down and was leaning on Draco for support. Tears streamed down her cheeks.
"Now dear," Molly Weasley said. "Don't cry. You wouldn't want your mascara to run, now would you?" she asked with a laugh.
"Mione doesn't wear makeup, Mr. Weasley," Harry said. "She doesn't need to. She's perfect the way she is."
Hermione ran to Harry and embraced him. "Thank you. You're one of the best friends a girl could have." He smiled and thought for a moment. Though it would be a hard task getting over Hermione, he knew he could do it. Everyone has a soul mate out there somewhere; you just have to find them. Hermione had already found hers, which meant that somewhere out there, his was still waiting for him. He kissed her forehead and smiled down upon her.
"Congratulations, Mrs. Malfoy. You are now married and about to be with children. How does it feel?" he asked, placing one hand on her belly.
She chuckled. "Well I haven't begun to get fat yet so I imagine that the morning sickness is the least of my worries. Stretch marks and back pains sound far less appealing to me." She hugged him once more and then she moved on to Ginny. "Thanks, Gin, for being my maid of honor. You're a great friend." Then she gave the rest of the Weasley's a hug and followed by giving ALL of the professors a hug. That includes Snape. "You've all had such a large part in shaping who Draco and I are today and we appreciate it."
Then, Draco summoned his broom to him and got on, holding his hand out to his wife. "Hop on, love. Our honey moon awaits."
"No!" she shook her head. "NO! NO! NO! Draco, you KNOW I don't like to fly!"
"You're going to have to get over that fear of yours sooner or later. We can't apparate from Hogwarts so flying is the best method of transportation. Don't you trust me?"
"Not with my life!"
He put his hand to his hurt and pretended to be hurt. "I'm offended!"
"You shouldn't be," Harry said. "It's nothing against you. She wouldn't ride with Ron or me either."
"Well I'd like think I ranked just a wee bit higher that you on her scale, Potter, but I guess I'm just the same. Come, Mrs. Malfoy. Give me a small ego boost knowing that you'll fly with me and not them. Please?" He stuck out his lower lip and began to pout like a little lost puppy.
She couldn't resist and cautiously took his hand and sat on the broom in from of him. "If you even dare let go of me for just one second, even to be funny, I swear I'll..."
"Hex your husband into next century?" he asked with a smirk but she just matched his evil grin with her own seductive one.
"No. I'll make you sleep on the couch." His jaw dropped.
"On our honeymoon? You wouldn't dare."
"Try me." She knew that Draco would never take the chance and it was a good thing too. She would never have followed through with her threat.
Hermione waved goodbye to everyone and Draco kicked off. The second her feet left the floor, she jerked back, pushing her into Draco and she quickly made sure that se was facing him so that way she could hold on by wrapping her arms around his neck.
"So NOW will you tell me where we are going?"
"NO!" he said. "You'll have to guess."
"I love guessing games," she said excitedly. "Okay, I guess that we're going somewhere in North America. Are we going to Hawaii?"
"You're way off, pet. Try sticking to Europe seeing as the states don't really make me jump for joy." He had been there once as a child and the experience was unnerving to say the least. He had gotten lost in New York City and couldn't find his parents so he got on the wrong train and wound up in Queens with no way of finding his family. The only reason they had been there was for a Death Eater meeting otherwise they would have never gone and Draco would make sure never to go again. "Bloody Americans," he mumbled under his breath.
She laughed having already heard the story. "Are we going to Paris?" she asked hopefully.
"No but you're getting closer."
She put on her thinking face, which always put a smile on Draco's face and finally came up with a good answer, or so she thought. "We're going to Germany? I always wanted to go to Germany on vacation."
He shook his head. "Well I'll remember that for next time but we are definitely not going there on our honeymoon. Now come on Hermione. Think."
"You would have a hard time thinking too if you were in my position."
"Listen, it's not that hard. Think of a place that we've discussed before. A place you mentioned that you would love to go."
Hm... could it be? "Draco, are you serious?" she asked the moment it dawned upon her.
"As a heart attack."
"Really? Oh this is just wonderful!" she exclaimed, hugging him tighter. "I love you so much. Normandy will be so beautiful. I've never been there before but Lavender Brown went last summer and told me that it was the best place she's ever been. Which hotel are we staying at?"
He wanted so badly to give her all the details but also wanted to keep it a surprise. "We're not staying at a hotel," he answered.
"But..."
"No more questions. You'll see once we get there.
They flew for a few more hours in silence, enjoying one another's presence. Every once in a while, she would give him a kiss or two just to show him how happy she was but other than that, they really just sat there in joy at how smooth the day had gone.
Hermione fell asleep in his arms and he became extra careful and tightened his grip around her, making sure she couldn't fall over. Soon, they got to their destination. They landed on a beach and Draco woke her up, taking her white sandals off so she could walk barefooted in the sand. He did the same as well and rolled up the bottom of his pants.
"Why are we on a beach, Draco? Is this where you plan on staying? Camping outside all night? That would be romantic," she said half asleep.
"I'm sure you'd enjoy that very much but no. We are not camping under the stars. Follow me." He began trekking up a small hill and when they reached the top, a mansion was in view.
"Draco, is that... your house?"
"No," he said with a genuine smile. "It's ONE of OUR houses."
"Wh-wh-what? ONE? Huh?" she asked, nearly falling over.
"Yes. It's one of OUR houses. You see...Malfoy's are rich. We are known to have a lot of money. Before my father died, not realizing yet that I was a so-called traitor, he put in his will that I got everything. All I have to do is leave my mother one of the houses. That's fine though because we have ten altogether, located all over the world. She took one of the ones that we had in London and this is one is all ours. What do you think? Is it good enough?" he asked, already knowing the answer.
"Is it good enough?! Draco, it's TOO good! I can't believe that I'm married to one of the richest men in the world." She started talking as if she was talking to herself in a dream. "I am Mrs. Draco Malfoy. Hello. My name is Mrs. Hermione Granger Malfoy. Hello, I am Mrs. Malfoy." She was sort of walking off on her own in no particular direction and Draco couldn't resist the urge. He tapped her shoulder on the right side and then jetted off to the left. She turned to her right to see what he wanted but he wasn't there. She turned in the opposite direction and still saw no one. Where had he gone?
She kept looking around and saw a streak of blonde running off into the dark night. "Come on, Draco! That isn't funny! Come on. I don't know where we are and I don't have a key to the house and it's pitch black and please come out?"
He was hiding behind a bush listening to her babble and thought about how cute she was. She liked to babble when she was nervous. Many people did, but she was cuter than most people. When others ramble on when they are nervous, it makes them look incompetent and weak. She just looked so adorable when she was all vulnerable like this.
She was walking nearer and nearer to the bush in which he was hiding behind and he decided to jump out from behind and surprise her. He wrapped his arms around her waist and playfully bit her neck as though he was a vampire. "I vant to suck your blood," he whispered into her ear, reminding her a great deal of Victor Krum due to the accent.
"Draco, you fool! You scared the living daylights out of me. I can't believe you would do that to me... on our honeymoon no less!" She stormed off in the direction of the mansion but he caught up to her.
"It is traditional for the groom to carry the bride to their room on their wedding night!" He tried to sweep her off of her feet but she refused to budge.
"Well there's nothing traditional about our marriage now is there?" she said, poking him hard in the chest and backing him into a stone rock, causing him to trip and fall. Immediately, she kneeled down at his side and tried to nurse him. "Are you okay? I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to hurt you. I was just pretending. Draco, are you okay?"
He growled a little whilst trying to stand back up and then, as he was pretending to sweep off some sand from his pants, caught her unaware and swept her off the floor, carrying her to the house.
She was kicking and screaming, really being a very good pretender. "Oh quit your whining and just let me take care of you as I have promised to do from now until the day the world ends."
She stopped as they approached the door and she shuttered. There was no bell. Instead, they had a large door knocker in the shape of a serpent's mouth, opening up trying to bite you. It was bewitched so that if an enemy were to knock on it, their hand would be bitten off. It was one of Draco's favorite parts of the house.
He took out a key and handed it to Hermione who was still in his arms. "You do the honors," he commanded. She slowly slid the key in the slot and twisted it to the right. "Welcome home, Mrs. Malfoy."
THE END
A/N... I'm sorry to say it but yes, that really was the end. I WILL be having a sequel though. I'm in the process of writing it. It's going to start off about seventeen years in the future. Hope you enjoy it. It's called Love Will Conquer All.
Anyway, even though this one is done, I'd still really appreciate reviews. I need them to survive. When I don't get reviews, I feel all depressed and sad and it's as if I am a bad writer which a lot of you have told me you do not believe so I thank you.
If you like smut, I just began to write a story called That Was Weird, but don't read if you don't like smut. Also, I have a one shot fic called Carpe Dium that I'd love reviews on.
Thanks again and all my love to all of you,
Just Crazy
Chapter 17: Welcome Home Mrs. Malfoy
Hermione paced back and forth. She was standing in a Hogwarts hallway, watching the clock impatiently. The ceremony wasn't for another fifteen minutes and she was already ready. 'This is taking far too long. I want to start this already! I'm too excited!' she thought to herself.
In the opposite end of the school, Draco had just finished putting on his suit when he turned to Harry who was tying his black tie around his neck.
Harry, though not the Best Man, was one of the groomsmen. He was talking animatedly to Ron about something that probably wasn't amusing to anyone but them.
"Potter, I think that it's time we have a talk," Draco called to Harry, anxious to get this out of the way. Ron left the room for them to talk and Harry faced Draco, ready to handle whatever the Slytherin had to say.
"Listen, Potter. I don't like you, never have and I never will. But Hermione likes you and you're her best friend. And I love Hermione so I have to be nice. But I know how you feel about her. I heard you pouring your soul out to her while she was still passed out. If that's going to get in the way of anything in the future, I want to know now so..."
"Merlin Malfoy, haven't you realized it by now? She wants YOU! I could never change how she feels for you even if she did know how I truly felt!"
"But are you going to TRY to change how she feels? I can't have you years later confessing that once upon a time, she unknowingly broke your heart. Don't tell me that you're just going to sit down and watch as I take her hand in marriage. I don't want any of that big beautiful romantic stuff where when the priest asks for anyone who sees any reason why we shouldn't wed to speak, you stand up and say something perfect to make her change her mind. Everything has to be perfect. I want her to have a nice relaxing day and I won't have you ruining..."
"RELAX! I'm not here to steal your wife from right under your nose. I'm here because she asked me to be. That's it. Now, it's almost time to go so why don't you just leave it alone, Malfoy."
Draco smirked. "You know, you're going to have to watch when you call me that now. Your best friend is going to be a Malfoy pretty soon now. How are we going to know who you're speaking to from now on?"
Harry rolled his eyes and was about to leave but Malfoy stopped him once more. "Potter, I have a proposition for you and I'd understand if you weren't comfortable doing it."
"What is it Malfoy?"
"I want you to walk Hermione down the aisle. You see, her parents are dead and she won't admit it, but it pains her to walk down the aisle alone, to not have anyone give her away. I was going to ask Dumbledore, but I think that she would prefer YOU. Besides, Dumbledore is the one conducting the ceremony so it would be weird to have him do both. Will you do it?"
The idea intrigued him. Giving away his best friend, the love of his life. He knew he would never have her in the way that he yearned but at least he could be a large part of the happiest day of her life. He extended his hand to Draco and they shook hands in a silent truce. They put aside all of their hate for one another for the woman who had captured both of their hearts.
The wedding itself was being held in a courtyard of stone that was on the Hogwarts premises. Draco and Hermione had discovered it on one of their walks one day and had instantly taken to it. It was a round courtyard, not too big which was in fact perfect because they didn't have many people coming.
Hermione approached the stone platform and saw everyone she loved and cared about and prepared to march down the aisle. 'I wish someone was here to give me aw...'
Her thoughts were interrupted when she saw an outstretched arm in front of her. It was Harry. "Come on, 'Mione," he said with a smile. "Let's take a walk."
The corner of her lips rose in a smile and she kissed his cheek, wrapping her around his. 'This is by far the happiest day of my life,' she thought silently. The organ began to play and she walked her way down with Harry.
"You know, I just want to inform you, Harry, that you mean the world to me. I love you so much, Harry. I appreciate everything you've ever done for me. There's no one in the world I would rather have to give me away. You know that, right?"
"I know, 'Mione. Thanks." He looked at her and saw how calm she was and smiled. "You're so different from most women 'Mione. I would have thought that you'd be a barrel of nerves by now. I always heard that women get really nervous on their wedding day."
"Well I have nothing to be nervous about. I know that Draco will take care of me, regardless of what dangers may come. And if he doesn't, that's why you're here." They both laughed and then stopped walking as they noticed that they had reached the alter.
She looked from Harry to Draco and then back to her best friend. She had heard everything he said while she was asleep. She knew his feelings for her now but she decided to pretend as though nothing was different. Time heals all wounds, that's what she liked to think.
Harry faced her and looked into her eyes. "Here you are, about to bind yourself forever to a man I despise and yet... I couldn't be happier for you." And he meant it too.
He just wanted her to be happy and even if it wasn't with him then so be it. He loved her so much that he had to let her go. That's what she wanted and so that's what he wanted.
"Thanks so much, Harry." She leaned in and gave him a kiss on the cheek and then whispered into his ear, "For everything."
Then, she turned, finally letting Draco get a really good look at her. She was wearing a VERY simple dress. It was completely white, with thin straps. It wasn't long, either. It went down to a little above her knees, perfect for the hot summer weather. He hair was down, in wonderful curls with a few hairs strategically spread out in front of her face. She had a few white clips in her hair, holding back some loose strands. She looked like an angel in his eyes.
He stepped forward and took her hands in his, kissing each one tenderly. "This is it," he whispered. "No backing out after this."
"I would never turn back. I don't want to even think about what my life would be like without you."
"Shh..." he whispered. "Save it for the vows." Dumbledore was the priest and he began the ceremony as usual. Everything seemed a blur to Hermione and Draco until he got to the vows.
"Draco," he called him by his first name for the first time in his life. "Would you like to go first?"
Draco nodded. "Hermione," he said, making sure that he had her attention. "When I first met you, I had to look twice. I never knew muggle borns could be angels as well. I loved you from the moment my eyes first caught site of you but you were forbidden to me. So I faked a hatred for you and pretended that I despised you, all the while wishing that you were mine. I watched as you went out with men that I knew could never satisfy you and it pained me to think that I would never have the chance to be the one to hold you and kiss you, let alone marry you.
"I wanted to be with you so badly. Then, the war began and the only reason I fought was to save you. The rest of the story, you already know but I need to tell you again. You're amazing to me. The way you walk, smell, look, act, smile, everything about you makes me crazy. I lay in bed at night thinking how on earth I could have possibly gotten that lucky as to be lying in bed with a goddess. You are my Gryffindor Goddess Hermione.
"I love every strand of hair, every stray tendril, every eyelash, every bone in your body, even your toes, which you always hide because you're disgusted by feet." They both chuckled lightly and he saw tears welling up in her eyes. "I love the way you get when someone is complimenting you, completely modest, not even realizing how true the compliment is. I love the way you bite your lip when you're nervous or excited, like you're doing right now." She was about to protest but noticed that he was truly correct so she stopped which only encouraged him to laugh once more.
"You're adorable when you're studying and you put a quill behind your ear and your hair falls in front of your face, blinding you from actually being able to see anything but that never stops you. You just keep right on reading. I used to despise the fact that you were better than me in everything but now I see that it's that quality that draws me to you. I'm sure I've told you this before, Hermione, but I must say it again. You are amazing. I love you and I want to spend the rest of my life with you."
He took a deep breath, glad to have gotten it over with. She looked at him, wishing they could hurry up to the kissing of the bride part but alas; she still had her long vows to make. "Draco," she began. "This world has been against us from the beginning. There was always a reason for us NOT to be together. You were a Slytherin. I was a Gryffindor. You were pureblooded. I was a muggle born. We were supposed to be enemies. And we were for a while. At least, we pretended to be enemies for a while. I always secretly knew that deep down I liked you.
"But you made my life a living hell. All the teasing and tormenting and yet I still couldn't figure out why I let it bother me so. I wanted it to just roll off my shoulders but I kept letting it get me down. But now I'm here and you're here and there's nothing stopping us.
"When we were in St. Mungo's... I watched as you transformed from the boy I once claimed to hate, to the boy I knew I could love. When I collapsed on the floor, you helped me up again. When I was too weak to walk, you carried me. When I was captured and tortured, you saved me. When I was depressed and lonely, you were there to comfort me. All of those things have led us here today and they have made us better people. Along the way, we've been hurt and brought down but we kept going. The road was hard but we knew that someday, it would end up this way, you... and me... together forever and it makes me so happy. I feel like I could fly.
"I want to spend the rest of my life with you. I want to have hundreds of kids and live in a house in the suburbs with a white picket fence. I want to have a big family, Draco, with the perfect home. It would be my honor to be your wife."
Hermione didn't care anymore. She leaned forward and kissed him, not long, just for a second but it made her feel much better.
Dumbledore acknowledged the end of her speech and moved on. "Now if anyone here sees any reason why these two should not be wed, speak now or forever hold your peace."
Draco looked back at Harry just to make sure but it didn't even appear as though Harry was upset by any of it. Harry was just smiling broadly and gave Draco a small wave, just to get him on edge.
Suddenly, a voice could be heard throughout the courtyard. "Wait," they said. Draco and Hermione searched the crowd to see who it was and finally their eyes settled on Narcissa Malfoy. "Wait," she said again.
"What do you want, mother?" Draco asked sounding annoyed.
She approached the alter and walked straight to where Draco stood. "How could you go through with this wedding," she paused as if that was the end of her question but soon followed it up with, "If your mother isn't here to witness it?" She leaned over and kissed his cheek. "I give you my blessing, my son. If this is the girl you choose, then so be it."
She took a seat amongst the crowd and Dumbledore continued with the ceremony.
"If no one else objects to the marriage then we shall move on. Draco, do you take Hermione, to be your lawfully wedded wife, to have and to hold, in sickness and in health until death do you part?"
He paused for a moment, making it dramatic but finally gave in, not wanting to wait a second longer. "I do."
Hermione playfully hit his arm. It wasn't that hard though it was enough to make him apologize.
"And Ms. Granger, do you take Draco to be your lawfully wedded husband, to have and to hold, in sickness and in health until death do you part?"
"Of course I do. I will love him even in the afterlife." She glared at him as if proving that she was the better person for not stooping to his level.
"The rings," he said as Harry took them out of his pocket and gave them out. "Draco, please place the ring on her finger and repeat after me. "With this ring..."
They each followed after Dumbledore's instructions and Hermione paused to look at her ring. It was gorgeous. It had a slightly larger diamond on it than the engagement ring (which she had gotten back) and it had an inscription inside. 'I love you 'til death do us part.' She wanted to kiss him right then.
"Wonderful!" The old headmaster replied. "Then by the power vested in me by the church, I now pronounce you husband and wife." He leaned in and whispered to the newlyweds. "You may kiss the bride." And Draco did. He kissed her with all the passion and fervor that he could muster. He kissed her until he could no longer breath. He kissed her so forcefully that her lips were swollen when he pulled away.
The music began playing and Hermione and Draco began walking away, leading everyone out of the courtyard.
Hermione thought to herself as they walked down the aisle. It was without a doubt the most magical day of her life. Since it was night, the ceremony had been held by candlelight and the candles were hovering in the air, emitting a lavender scent. Draco had picked them out with the knowledge that it was her favorite. Clouds hovered low above the ground creating a cool mist, which was helpful in the summer heat.
As soon as the ceremony was complete, Hermione faced all the guests with tears in her eyes. "I want to thank you all so very much. You mean the world to me and without you all, I'd be lost."
Ron stepped up and took her hand in his. "Since you've decided on no reception, I'll give my best mans speech right now. Hermione, I never liked Mal... I mean Draco. We fought and argued and never got along. I thought he was the scum of the Earth, still would too if you didn't tell me otherwise. But you changed him. He began to act differently the moment you two got together and that's when I knew. Your love made him a good man. You two are meant for each other. I'm happy for you, 'Mione. I really am."
By this time, Hermione had broken down and was leaning on Draco for support. Tears streamed down her cheeks.
"Now dear," Molly Weasley said. "Don't cry. You wouldn't want your mascara to run, now would you?" she asked with a laugh.
"Mione doesn't wear makeup, Mr. Weasley," Harry said. "She doesn't need to. She's perfect the way she is."
Hermione ran to Harry and embraced him. "Thank you. You're one of the best friends a girl could have." He smiled and thought for a moment. Though it would be a hard task getting over Hermione, he knew he could do it. Everyone has a soul mate out there somewhere; you just have to find them. Hermione had already found hers, which meant that somewhere out there, his was still waiting for him. He kissed her forehead and smiled down upon her.
"Congratulations, Mrs. Malfoy. You are now married and about to be with children. How does it feel?" he asked, placing one hand on her belly.
She chuckled. "Well I haven't begun to get fat yet so I imagine that the morning sickness is the least of my worries. Stretch marks and back pains sound far less appealing to me." She hugged him once more and then she moved on to Ginny. "Thanks, Gin, for being my maid of honor. You're a great friend." Then she gave the rest of the Weasley's a hug and followed by giving ALL of the professors a hug. That includes Snape. "You've all had such a large part in shaping who Draco and I are today and we appreciate it."
Then, Draco summoned his broom to him and got on, holding his hand out to his wife. "Hop on, love. Our honey moon awaits."
"No!" she shook her head. "NO! NO! NO! Draco, you KNOW I don't like to fly!"
"You're going to have to get over that fear of yours sooner or later. We can't apparate from Hogwarts so flying is the best method of transportation. Don't you trust me?"
"Not with my life!"
He put his hand to his hurt and pretended to be hurt. "I'm offended!"
"You shouldn't be," Harry said. "It's nothing against you. She wouldn't ride with Ron or me either."
"Well I'd like think I ranked just a wee bit higher that you on her scale, Potter, but I guess I'm just the same. Come, Mrs. Malfoy. Give me a small ego boost knowing that you'll fly with me and not them. Please?" He stuck out his lower lip and began to pout like a little lost puppy.
She couldn't resist and cautiously took his hand and sat on the broom in from of him. "If you even dare let go of me for just one second, even to be funny, I swear I'll..."
"Hex your husband into next century?" he asked with a smirk but she just matched his evil grin with her own seductive one.
"No. I'll make you sleep on the couch." His jaw dropped.
"On our honeymoon? You wouldn't dare."
"Try me." She knew that Draco would never take the chance and it was a good thing too. She would never have followed through with her threat.
Hermione waved goodbye to everyone and Draco kicked off. The second her feet left the floor, she jerked back, pushing her into Draco and she quickly made sure that se was facing him so that way she could hold on by wrapping her arms around his neck.
"So NOW will you tell me where we are going?"
"NO!" he said. "You'll have to guess."
"I love guessing games," she said excitedly. "Okay, I guess that we're going somewhere in North America. Are we going to Hawaii?"
"You're way off, pet. Try sticking to Europe seeing as the states don't really make me jump for joy." He had been there once as a child and the experience was unnerving to say the least. He had gotten lost in New York City and couldn't find his parents so he got on the wrong train and wound up in Queens with no way of finding his family. The only reason they had been there was for a Death Eater meeting otherwise they would have never gone and Draco would make sure never to go again. "Bloody Americans," he mumbled under his breath.
She laughed having already heard the story. "Are we going to Paris?" she asked hopefully.
"No but you're getting closer."
She put on her thinking face, which always put a smile on Draco's face and finally came up with a good answer, or so she thought. "We're going to Germany? I always wanted to go to Germany on vacation."
He shook his head. "Well I'll remember that for next time but we are definitely not going there on our honeymoon. Now come on Hermione. Think."
"You would have a hard time thinking too if you were in my position."
"Listen, it's not that hard. Think of a place that we've discussed before. A place you mentioned that you would love to go."
Hm... could it be? "Draco, are you serious?" she asked the moment it dawned upon her.
"As a heart attack."
"Really? Oh this is just wonderful!" she exclaimed, hugging him tighter. "I love you so much. Normandy will be so beautiful. I've never been there before but Lavender Brown went last summer and told me that it was the best place she's ever been. Which hotel are we staying at?"
He wanted so badly to give her all the details but also wanted to keep it a surprise. "We're not staying at a hotel," he answered.
"But..."
"No more questions. You'll see once we get there.
They flew for a few more hours in silence, enjoying one another's presence. Every once in a while, she would give him a kiss or two just to show him how happy she was but other than that, they really just sat there in joy at how smooth the day had gone.
Hermione fell asleep in his arms and he became extra careful and tightened his grip around her, making sure she couldn't fall over. Soon, they got to their destination. They landed on a beach and Draco woke her up, taking her white sandals off so she could walk barefooted in the sand. He did the same as well and rolled up the bottom of his pants.
"Why are we on a beach, Draco? Is this where you plan on staying? Camping outside all night? That would be romantic," she said half asleep.
"I'm sure you'd enjoy that very much but no. We are not camping under the stars. Follow me." He began trekking up a small hill and when they reached the top, a mansion was in view.
"Draco, is that... your house?"
"No," he said with a genuine smile. "It's ONE of OUR houses."
"Wh-wh-what? ONE? Huh?" she asked, nearly falling over.
"Yes. It's one of OUR houses. You see...Malfoy's are rich. We are known to have a lot of money. Before my father died, not realizing yet that I was a so-called traitor, he put in his will that I got everything. All I have to do is leave my mother one of the houses. That's fine though because we have ten altogether, located all over the world. She took one of the ones that we had in London and this is one is all ours. What do you think? Is it good enough?" he asked, already knowing the answer.
"Is it good enough?! Draco, it's TOO good! I can't believe that I'm married to one of the richest men in the world." She started talking as if she was talking to herself in a dream. "I am Mrs. Draco Malfoy. Hello. My name is Mrs. Hermione Granger Malfoy. Hello, I am Mrs. Malfoy." She was sort of walking off on her own in no particular direction and Draco couldn't resist the urge. He tapped her shoulder on the right side and then jetted off to the left. She turned to her right to see what he wanted but he wasn't there. She turned in the opposite direction and still saw no one. Where had he gone?
She kept looking around and saw a streak of blonde running off into the dark night. "Come on, Draco! That isn't funny! Come on. I don't know where we are and I don't have a key to the house and it's pitch black and please come out?"
He was hiding behind a bush listening to her babble and thought about how cute she was. She liked to babble when she was nervous. Many people did, but she was cuter than most people. When others ramble on when they are nervous, it makes them look incompetent and weak. She just looked so adorable when she was all vulnerable like this.
She was walking nearer and nearer to the bush in which he was hiding behind and he decided to jump out from behind and surprise her. He wrapped his arms around her waist and playfully bit her neck as though he was a vampire. "I vant to suck your blood," he whispered into her ear, reminding her a great deal of Victor Krum due to the accent.
"Draco, you fool! You scared the living daylights out of me. I can't believe you would do that to me... on our honeymoon no less!" She stormed off in the direction of the mansion but he caught up to her.
"It is traditional for the groom to carry the bride to their room on their wedding night!" He tried to sweep her off of her feet but she refused to budge.
"Well there's nothing traditional about our marriage now is there?" she said, poking him hard in the chest and backing him into a stone rock, causing him to trip and fall. Immediately, she kneeled down at his side and tried to nurse him. "Are you okay? I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to hurt you. I was just pretending. Draco, are you okay?"
He growled a little whilst trying to stand back up and then, as he was pretending to sweep off some sand from his pants, caught her unaware and swept her off the floor, carrying her to the house.
She was kicking and screaming, really being a very good pretender. "Oh quit your whining and just let me take care of you as I have promised to do from now until the day the world ends."
She stopped as they approached the door and she shuttered. There was no bell. Instead, they had a large door knocker in the shape of a serpent's mouth, opening up trying to bite you. It was bewitched so that if an enemy were to knock on it, their hand would be bitten off. It was one of Draco's favorite parts of the house.
He took out a key and handed it to Hermione who was still in his arms. "You do the honors," he commanded. She slowly slid the key in the slot and twisted it to the right. "Welcome home, Mrs. Malfoy."
THE END
A/N... I'm sorry to say it but yes, that really was the end. I WILL be having a sequel though. I'm in the process of writing it. It's going to start off about seventeen years in the future. Hope you enjoy it. It's called Love Will Conquer All.
Anyway, even though this one is done, I'd still really appreciate reviews. I need them to survive. When I don't get reviews, I feel all depressed and sad and it's as if I am a bad writer which a lot of you have told me you do not believe so I thank you.
If you like smut, I just began to write a story called That Was Weird, but don't read if you don't like smut. Also, I have a one shot fic called Carpe Dium that I'd love reviews on.
Thanks again and all my love to all of you,
Just Crazy