Courting Miss Granger-Chapter 8- Stupid Malfoy!
By Marmalade Fever
Draco and Hermione stood together in front of an altar. She looked so pretty, he thought. His mother's dress suited her. It seemed strange to be getting married. It seemed like only yesterday when he had confronted her about the Malfoy Marriage Contract. He glanced over at her. She smiled warmly, exhibiting her perfect teeth. Something on her hand caught the light. It was... a wedding ring? Why would she be wearing a wedding ring? They hadn't reached that part of the ceremony yet. To their right stood a giant hour glass. There were scarcely any grains left in the upper cylinder. He watched, transfixed as they gently dropped.
"Hermione," he whispered, "what's that on your hand?"
"Oh," she answered, ignoring the minister before them, "I forgot to tell you. Some other man asked me if I'd marry him a couple weeks ago. He had a bit of a curse coming too."
"He what?" Draco asked, eyes the size of soft balls.
"It's no big deal; I'll marry you too."
"But Hermione, the, the contract! You can't marry me if you're already married!" What was she thinking? The grains of sand were falling through the hour glass faster and faster. There was only one grain left. It fell.
"I now pronounce you--"
Draco could hear wind whistling from above him. He pushed Hermione out of the way and quickly did a sort of roll to the side. Too late! A grand piano was now pinning his feet down. He reached for his wand, intent upon using a shield charm. He grabbed something from his pocket.
"Protegio!" Nothing happened. Draco looked down. There was a chopstick in his hand. A chopstick? Why on earth would he have a chopstick in his pocket!
"Bye, bye Draco! I've got another wedding at four. See you around!" Hermione walked off. He meant to call her back for help... except that there was an anvil whistling toward him. He took one last breath and prepared for the worst.
Draco woke up covered in sweat and breathing hard. This must have had something to do with what his father had been talking about the night before.
"I'm concerned Draco, I really am," Lucius Malfoy said, staring disdainfully at his cup of tea. "She isn't going to just fall in love with you! You need to find some way to tie her down-manipulate her so that she has no choice!"
"I'd say that threatening her life is manipulation enough," Draco said, carefully.
"We can't afford to take any chances! This is serious business! Why, when my father was your age, he--"
"What? Did he not get married until the contract came into effect as well?" Draco asked, suddenly rather more interested.
"That's exactly what happened." Lucius looked left and right, before leaning in. "He started courting a girl he'd known for ages. He was sure that she'd agree to the marriage. You know what she did, Draco?"
"What?"
"She married someone else, that's what! Luckily, he was able to find another girl in time..."
"You mean Grandma?" Draco asked, spilling his tea. Never in his life had he heard anything of the type!
"Terrible marriage, but it was better than death!" Lucius looked around bitterly, not quite meeting the eye of a photo of his mother. "Listen to me, Draco. You can't afford to take chances, not when you've only got the one!"
"So, if this is such serious business, why'd you wait until my birthday to tell me about the contract?"
Lucius Malfoy gave his son a look that could have killed. "You don't think I wanted to? I urged you as best I could! According to the bloody contract, I wasn't allowed to say anything until your twenty-fifth birthday or else re-risk the curse, myself!"
"But why?" Draco asked, fighting his father's death-stare as well as he could.
Lucius let go of a mighty sigh. "Because," he said, "somehow, deep down, our ancestors had hearts. They preferred that their children should have a chance to find love naturally before being told that they weren't making enough of an effort."
"And what about the criteria?" Draco asked.
"The local bit is due to some archaic feuds going on back then. The same age part-well, I guess that was just to make sure that she'd be able to bear children. Any more questions?" his father asked, still looking livid. Draco didn't answer. "Good, now I'd try and figure out a way to keep her from doing something stupid, like running off to Dumbledore or Potter for protection."
Draco left his bed, a plan slowly forming in his mind. It may not be the best plan, but at least it would be a way to stake his territory. He met with Hermione just as she was locking the door to Flourish and Blotts.
"Where are we going?" Hermione asked as Malfoy led the way.
"Oh, just a little place I know..." He looked so... anxious. They walked a while down Diagon Alley, then up a side street and into a very, very expensive-looking restaurant.
"I don't know if I'm dressed properly," she said in an undertone. She had a very large ink-stain on the front of her robes. Malfoy didn't comment but announced their presence to the greeter in a loud tone. They were led to a table in the center of the room where it felt as if every eye in the restaurant would be able to see them. They ordered, but Malfoy barely seemed to be touching his food. At the table next to them, Hermione noticed that the Minister of Magic had just sat down. Malfoy waved at him, while she tried to hide herself from view behind a roll. Hermione did a double-take. The editor of Witch Weekly had sat down next to the Minister. It was at this moment that Malfoy decided to take action in whatever plan he'd had all night.
"Hermione Granger," Malfoy said, in a voice that carried throughout the room. Hermione felt her ears plug slightly from embarrassment. Was it her imagination, or was he getting down on one knee? No, he was definitely getting down on one knee! What was he doing? "Hermione, Darling," her face was reddening, she could feel it, "I've known you for years, now. I only wish I could have seen the light sooner." He was reaching into his pocket! Stupid Malfoy, stupid! "I've come to discover that I care for you more than life itself..." Yeah, right! "Hermione, my angel, will you marry me?" He removed a small box from his pocket and held it open to her. Inside was the most extravagant diamond ring she'd ever seen! All eyes in the restaurant were resting on her, giving her that creepy sixth-sense feeling. The editor from Witch Weekly was scribbling furiously and had a cameraman ready. Stupid Malfoy! What was he trying to do? She couldn't refuse, not when she very-well knew that she couldn't.
"Er," she said, in the tiniest voice she could render. "Yes...?" If Hermione had been embarrassed up until now, it was nothing compared to the horrendous applause filling the room and an eerie chant encouraging them to kiss... Malfoy was leaning in... his eyes were closed and his lips were puckered. It was taking the last of her will not to smash his head in with a dinner plate, and he was expecting her to kiss him? A compromise was in order; she reached out and patted his head.
"Come on, girl, kiss him!" came the voice of the Minister of Magic, holding a glass of wine. Hermione silently whimpered to herself before leaning in and giving her "fiancé" the fastest of pecks on the lips ever recorded in history. The restaurant was all applause. Malfoy was grinning sheepishly. He would pay for this! Stupid Malfoy! Argh!
End Notes:
This chapter will forever hold a special place in my heart.
