Courting Miss Granger-Chapter 24-Confrontations
By Marmalade Fever
Author's Note: Please bear in mind that this is PG. lol
Draco and Hermione sat silently together at the kitchen table. They had spent the day together. They really hadn't done very much. They had made a trip to the small muggle grocery store in town earlier. Hermione had also insisted on taking him to buy clothes as well. He was going to go back to his house in the morning to get his things, but until then, he couldn't very well walk around wearing tuxedo style robes. He was now wearing a simple pair of khakis and a tee-shirt.
Hermione had made spaghetti for dinner. Neither of them had had much of an appetite; it had just been too strange of a day to eat. To her delight, though, Draco had offered quite willingly to do the dishes. She found it rather amusing really, to be married to Draco Malfoy and have him doing chores! A year ago she would have laughed out loud at the very suggestion.
At last, at around 9:30, Hermione broke the silence. "I'm going to go and brush my teeth."
Draco started and then nodded. He had purchased a toothbrush while they were out. "I'll come with you," he said, and stood. The bathroom was opposite Hermione's bedroom. He followed her in and watched as she took a bit of floss up and began cleaning her teeth. Draco followed suit.
"I don't remember the last time I brushed my teeth with someone else in the room," he commented, throwing the floss into the waste basket.
"It must have been at Hogwarts," Hermione said, nodding. "I remember that Parvati and Lavender always fought over my toothpaste. It didn't make much sense, really."
"Wizard toothpastes are a little gross in flavor," Draco said with a shrug. "You wouldn't want to use it either if you ever read the ingredients list. I can't tell you how many times I used to sabotage Crabbe's tube so that it made his teeth furry. One minor addition and Potions class actually made life fun."
"Interesting..." Hermione said, picking up her tube of Crest and dabbing a bit of paste onto her toothbrush. She handed it to Draco and he did the same. They brushed in silence for a while, before finishing up. "Well, I'll find you some blankets and a pillow," she said, patting her mouth dry. Draco nodded, sleeping on the couch had been part of his deal with her when he had suggested that they elope. The only reason they were married at the moment was for safety reasons. His father was less likely to break them apart this way, and Draco wasn't about to take advantage of the situation. He wanted to give Hermione the dream wedding that she had always imagined, and just because they were already married didn't mean that he couldn't give it to her. Other than legally, for all intents and purposes, they were, more or less, still just engaged.
Hermione had lighted a fire in her fireplace and made the couch as comfortable-looking as possible. Marmalade was curled up next to the pillow, looking as cute as a button. "I'll be right back to tuck you in," Hermione said, winking at Draco as she went into her bedroom. He kicked off his shoes and put on the pair of pajamas that they had bought today. The bottoms were dark gray and black plaid and the top was solid black. Hermione returned wearing her own pajamas, which were ivory today. "Good night," she said, looking a little shy as she placed a kiss on his forehead. Draco wasn't sure what made him do it but he pulled her down onto his lap and wrapped his arms around her.
"Good night," he said back, and kissed her nose. "Read me a bed time story?" he asked timidly. It was still pretty early.
"Alright," she said, and Draco reluctantly let her go to the bookshelf.
"This," she said, sitting back down on his lap, "is the story of Little Red Riding Hood. This is the same copy that my parents read to me when I was a little girl." She read the entire thing to him and closed the book. Draco was thoughtful.
"Hermione?" he asked, feeling more timid as his married life progressed.
"Yes?"
"I've been wondering, and maybe this isn't the best time to ask, but... do you want children?" Her face went a little pink and she nodded. "Me too," he said, smiling softly. "I wish I had mentioned that this morning. It seems like it would have been very romantic to tell you, 'I want to be the father of your children and I want you to be the mother of mine.' I've never felt this way about anyone before."
Hermione looked at him critically. "You've grown up a lot during the last few months."
"Maybe you should make that hours..." He said, smiling softly. "I barely even acknowledged this morning that today was April 1st. I nearly made the biggest mistake of my life. I wish..."
"What?" Hermione asked, begging him with her eyes to go on.
"I wish I never called you a mudblood. I wish I hadn't been a complete fool on Christmas. I wish I weren't afraid of my father. I wish I had said that I loved you back..."
"I know," Hermione said, simply.
"Did you ever think that if Antoine were still frozen in that tundra, we'd be on our honeymoon right now?" he asked, averting his gaze from hers.
"You were going to surprise me with the location... Where were we going to go?"
"Florence," Draco said, sadly.
"Italy? That sounds beautiful." They were silent for a while. "Good night, Draco," Hermione said, at last.
"Would you mind if I kissed you?" he asked, sheepishly.
"Go right ahead." He pulled her closer to him in his arms and set his mouth to hers. How he had missed these lips! These were the lips of his true love... his wife. Very reluctantly, Hermione pulled away and went off to her bedroom.
Draco drifted off into a light slumber. Marmalade curled up beside him and purred. His dreams were filled with thoughts of his future. No longer was he taunted by the presence of an enormous hourglass. He was safe now. He was... married. "So there you are, Draco," a silky voice said, interrupting Draco's dreaming and forcing him awake. He blinked, unsure of whether or not he had imagined the voice. Floating leisurely in the fireplace was the head of his father, looking grim.
"Father," Draco said, slowly, acknowledging the man's presence.
"I must say, I am disappointed in you," he replied, slowly and dangerously. "Do you know how much you have shamed me today?"
"I don't think your happiness is what is in question, Father," Draco replied, feeling rage and fear curling up inside him.
"Tell me, Draco, why did you leave?" It was a simple question, but felt so complicated.
"I left," Draco paused for effect, "because I realized something vitally important."
"And what would that be?" His father's eyes turned to slits.
"I love Hermione." Draco was surprised at his own daring. Admitting to his father, his father, that he loved someone, anyone, especially an unsuitable girl, was extremely treacherous.
"I see... and does she return your... affection?" Lucius asked, voice sounding nearly like a purr.
"Yes, Father, she does," Draco said, doing his best to keep calm and return the same Malfoy glare he had inherited from this man.
"And you are positive that this is the path for you? Life with a... muggleborn?" When the man said, "muggleborn," Draco knew that that was not what he implied.
"I have already made my choice." Draco was still as he waited for the certain wrath of his father to be inflicted, but the older man said nothing. "May I ask you a question, Father?" he asked, knowing this was a dangerous course, but hoping for a miracle.
"What?"
"Do you love Mother?" They had never discussed their feelings before, and part of Draco's heart ached for confirmation that his father was capable of such an emotion.
"...I know where you're going with this, Draco. It isn't the same."
"Why not?"
"Your Mother and I are of the same background, same breeding. It doesn't matter whether or not we love each other. We were meant to be together."
"...Do you love me?" Draco's heart hammered as he waited for a reply. He had never in his life dared ask before.
"Yes, Draco, I do." His voice was eerily smooth.
"I love you, too... Father," Draco said, carefully. "So I hope you can understand my decision... and even learn to accept it."
"You have not forgotten the Malfoy Marriage Contract, I assume?"
"No, Father, I haven't."
"Since you have obviously made your choice, I suppose you will be... wedding the girl?"
Draco's heart dropped suddenly into his stomach. ...Was there a possibility that his father was not quite as ready to corrupt his life as he had thought? "Actually..." He couldn't get any farther in his sentence and mutely held up his left hand, so that the ring sparkled in the firelight.
"You are already wed?" A sudden breathiness came to the man's voice.
"I'm sorry, Father. I didn't trust that you would allow us to marry if we waited."
"I see." For the first time in Draco's life, he felt as if he had truly hurt his father.
"Father... are you mad?"
"Honestly, I would have thought that I would be much more so than I am. You are my only son, Draco. You may do as you wish."
"So..." He wasn't sure how to ask. He had been so set on what he thought would happen, he wasn't sure what to say now. "Does this mean that you won't be disowning me?"
Lucius laughed mightily. "What? Did you think that I would send you packing? Take away your money? Draco! What would I do with it? You are overreacting!"
Draco was puzzled. "Honestly? No punishment? No excommunication? Nothing?"
"You are an adult, Draco. It pains me to say it, but the world is changing. I probably should not have forced Antoine on you. The entire ordeal has been very complicated. Goodness knows that if you are in love with this girl, the blame probably rests partially on myself. If I was prepared in November to accept her as my daughter, I can accept her now. So, yes, Draco. You may feel free to return with your wife to your own home. There is no need to add insult to injury by living in this dump muggles call a flat."
"Thank you, Father." For the second time in twenty-four hours, Draco felt pinpricks in his eyes. He was in danger of crying. "Good night."
"Good night, Draco." Without a sound, the man vanished from view. It was now three in the morning.
It was only about seven o'clock when Draco's slumber was again disturbed by a visitor. This time the person entered through the front door. It was Harry Potter.
"Malfoy..." he said, slowly, as he noticed the figure on the couch.
"Potter..." Draco replied, wishing he were slightly more awake.
"Here, catch up on your reading." Potter threw a copy of the Daily Prophet onto Draco's chest. On the front page was a large article about, well, him. The headline read, "Draco Malfoy Leaves Bride at Altar." He skimmed through it and set it aside. "Well?" Potter asked.
"Why don't I go wake up Hermione?" Draco said, slowly, feeling that her presence might help.
"No... I'll do it," Potter said, eyeing him.
"You know, I don't like the idea of you seeing her in bed, so I think I'll do it."
"That's funny, the feeling is mutual."
"We'll knock on her door, then."
"Fine." They both walked through the kitchen and down the hall to Hermione's door and knocked.
"What?" came the muffled reply.
"We have company," Draco called.
"We?" Potter asked, indignantly.
"Yes, we."
Hermione came to the door in her bathrobe and pushed past them into the kitchen. "Morning, Harry, Draco. Coffee?"
"I'll get it," Draco said. Potter's presence did something to him. He felt a need to stake his territory. It was going to be so good to actually tell the doofus that he had married his best friend!
"No, no, I'll get it." It was just as well, she actually knew how to use the coffee-maker.
"Hermione," Harry said, gently, "I brought a copy of the Daily Prophet with me. I think you should read it."
"Why don't you read it out loud?" she asked, as she filled the pot with water.
"Okay," Harry said, and he began. "'Draco Malfoy leaves bride at altar. In November, all were surprised to hear the announcement of Draco Malfoy's brash engagement to Miss Hermione Granger, a muggleborn witch, top of her class, close friend of Harry Potter, and very Anti-He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named. Shortly after Christmas, we were even more surprised to find that the marriage was cancelled. Miss Antoine Bellover, a pureblooded witch named after her maternal grandfather, had been found. (Please see page 7 for our reprint of the article entailing her discovery.) Unbeknownst to the wizarding world, Malfoy and Bellover had been very much in love. In a regular bride swap, Malfoy switched from Bellover, to Granger, and then back to Bellover. It now seems that he is back to Granger once more. Yesterday, April 1st, Draco Malfoy left Miss Bellover at the altar. All present seemed extremely surprised. In an interview, Miss Bellover stated, "Glad that's over!" Although we're not entirely sure what she means by that, we do know that Mr. Malfoy is acting very oddly. He has not yet become available for comment.' Well?"
"Well, what?" Draco asked, smirking.
"Well, what's the situation?" Potter blurted.
"Harry," Hermione said tentatively, "Draco and I are in love."
"Really?" Harry squeaked, looking pale.
"Really," Hermione said with a nod.
"So you're back together?" he asked, then furrowed his eyebrows. "And you," he turned to Draco, "you still need to get married!"
Draco smirked. He really couldn't help it. "Actually, I don't."
"You... don't? Why? Was there some sort of clause that you found in the contract?"
Draco's mouth twisted into a smile. What was the best way to go about this? What was the best way to let Potter know that he was married to Hermione already? He glanced her way, as if asking for permission to play with his prey. Oddly, she was smirking his way, as if she felt an equal need to torture her friend a bit with the news. He snuggled next to her and kissed her. Potter, meanwhile, was staring at them as if they were crazy. "Should you tell him, or should I?" Draco asked at last.
"Go ahead," she replied, trying not to grin too broadly.
"Potter, I'd like to introduce you to Hermione."
"Excuse me? I think we've already met..."
"Let me rephrase that... Potter, this woman beside me is not Hermione Granger. She is Mrs. Hermione Malfoy." Slowly, comprehension crept onto Harry's face.
"When did you..."
"About half an hour after I left my other wedding yesterday."
"Dumbledore married us," Hermione added. She snuggled even closer to Draco.
"Hermione Malfoy," Harry mumbled to himself, sitting down in a chair. "Ron's going to have a cow."
