Chapter 4

Draco awoke the next morning and dressed and prepared to apperated to his parent's home.

"Master? You leave mistress?" Gippy asked.

"I must pay my respects to my family. I will return shortly. Send a tray up to her room and when I come back we will have our meeting," Draco replied.

Gippy nodded as Draco apperated away.

A house-elf greeted him in the entry way and escorted Draco to the breakfast room to greet his mother.

"Mother," Draco replied solemnly.

"Draco!" his mother cried as she came over and gave him a brief hug. Never one for affection, Narcissa Malfoy made all contact with others as brief as possible.

"I assume you have heard of my marriage," Draco asked.

Narcissa features were marred by an ugly look, "I can't believe you had to marry that slave. I have spoken with your father and we will have her taken care of so you can marry a proper witch."

"I don't want a proper witch," Draco shot back coldly. "I want Hermione. The Dark Lord gave her to me and I want to keep her."

"Is she that good?" his mother asked mindlessly as she began to inspect the dusting around the room.

"That's why I have come," Draco informed her softly. "She hates me. She won't eve let me touch her."

His mother smiled, "Good. So it shouldn't take too long to get her out of the way."

"You aren't listening to me," Draco sighed in frustration. "I want your help in wooing her. I want you to help me make Hermione fall in love with me."

Narcissa gasped, "You aren't serious are you? Do you have any idea what that will do for the family's name and reputation?"

"I am the future of this family," he snapped. "We are so tired of the fighting and the war. We just want to settle down with our lives. This was your war, not ours."

"Eloquently spoken as always," Lucius informed his son, "But also flawed. This war is yours just as much as it is mine."

Draco bowed respectfully, "This I understand father, but please I want this."

Lucius shook his head, "Are you sure you want to defame the family's name like this?"

"It's not like she is stupid or a criminal. She is our enemy yes, but she is also intelligent and witty and beautiful. Father, she is everything I have searched for in a wife. If you two could help me woo her and accept her, all this fighting will end," Draco explained.

"What about Pansy?" his mother asked.

"She has been married as well. The others are Serverus, Millie, Goyle and Crabbe," Draco sighed.

"Who did they marry?" his mother demanded. "I thought you loved Pansy?"

"I do," Draco answered. "But it is more of sisterly affection. Pansy married Ronald Weasley. Serevurs married Nymphadora Tonks; Millie married Percy Weasley, Goyle married I want to say married Susan Bones and Crabbe married Luna Lovegood."

"Enemies!" his mother gasped. "The remaining enemies have infiltrated our ranks. Lucius you speak to the Dark Lord at once about this!"

"Silence," Lucius snapped coldly. "I will do no such things. The surviving ones must be part of a plot. Yes that's it," Lucius said softly to himself.

"When you are ready to finish this conversation, you know where to find me," Draco spoke up as he began to leave.

"Do you love her?" Lucius asked his son.

"Hermione?" he asked as he watched his father's face closely.

His father nodded.

"My personal feelings are not up for discussion at this point in time. Love? No. It's too soon. Anything I am feeling will not be discussed until I know I have your complete trust in the matter."

"Library," Lucius spoke up.

Draco turned in surprise, "What library?"

His father rolled his eyes, "Show her the library in the manor and then I don't know read her some stupid poetry. Women like it. They think it romantic."

His mother nodded eagerly, "and take her for strolls on the grounds. From what I head she is not an overly feminine woman, but we can work on that."

"You'll help?' Draco asked with a grin.

Both parents nodded and Draco rushed to the entry hall to apperated home.

"Are we doing the right thing?" Narcissa asked her husband.

Lucius nodded, "The Dark Lord has his reason. I think unfortunately I know what they are."

Narcissa cocked her head to the side, "And those would be?"

"The ones who were married were only from the most loyal families and did the most in the war. I don't think the Dark Lord is trying so much to bring the down fall of Potter supporters, so much as giving our children what they desired the most; a chance to be truly loved and a chance to start over."

Narcissa smiled as her husband gave her a brief hug and a kiss on the cheek, "Yes love is most important."

Draco apperated home with a new determination to woo his wife. "Gippy!" he called.

The house-elf appeared with a troubled look on his face, "Master."

"What's wrong?" Draco asked.

"Mistress wanting to do harm to self. Hurry," Gippy said quickly.

Draco rushed upstairs and found his wife with a knife pointing at her wrist, "I'll do it!" she snapped. "Just make on move and I'll…"

"Accio knife!" Draco called as the knife flew out of Hermione's hand and safely into Draco's possession. "Take this down stairs," he said coldly.

The house-elf nodded and fled from sight.

"Come here," Draco snapped.

Hermione drew herself up to her full height and glared at Draco, "No."

Draco took a step forward, "Do not make me come nay further than this," he threatened.

Defeated Hermione came the rest of the way, "Going to punish me now?" she asked sarcastically.

Draco grabbed her wrist that was bleeding from where she had nicked herself. He muttered a spell and the skin quickly repaired itself. Draco held it for Hermione's inspection. While she looked at the healed wound Draco suddenly kissed it, "Do not harm yourself again. Is that understood?"

Hermione tired to pull away from his grasp, but found it difficult, "You can't make me stay here alive!" she fought.

Draco looked up into her eyes and tenderly touched her cheek, "Stop fighting me. You will not harm your self again. What possessed you to try and kill yourself?"

Do you really need to ask?" she shot back.

He sighed, "If I didn't need to ask I wouldn't."

"I don't want to be married to you. I don't want to be a Malfoy. I want my freedom. And if suicide is the only way then so be it," Hermione growled.

Draco glanced down to hide the tears that were threatening his eyes, she hated him. Fear can turn to love his father once told him. "Please clean yourself up and be ready in one hour. I must meet briefly with Gippy and then I will give you a tour of the manor," Draco told her stiffly.

"If I don't?" she asked.

Draco looked around her room, "If you fail to obey any of my instructions you can kiss the privacy of your room good-bye and you will be sleeping in my bed for now on," he snapped and strode out the door.

Hermione gasped as she watched him leave. He couldn't do that. "No," she whispered softly. She brushed away tears as she prepared to spend the afternoon with her husband.