a/n: hello all, thanks for reading. The title will be explained later on it's from the song 'Terrace Duet' from the musical 'chess'. This is my first fan fiction so hopefully if it starts off a little, well, crap it'll get better. Thank you to Galleena who was my first reviewer and I will try and fix my grammar! Finally I know that this is now kind of AU because of HBP but I started writing it before it came out, it just wanted to write quite a bit before I updated.
DISCLAIMER: I know I forgot the disclaimer last chapter, so this is it: I don't own anything you see that's from the Harry Potter books. This applies to all the chapters (as I will probably forget again) so I will never own anything apart from the plot (unless I make up new characters.)
CHAPTER TWO
Hermione kissed her parents goodbye, stepped through the wall to platform 9 ¾ and looked nervously down at her left hand, where a thin platinum band had joined her engagement ring. Her friends were going to freak out. It was probably best to tell them without Draco there first. Try and convince them that she actually loved him.
"Hey Hermione!" Harry and Ron were calling from the window of a compartment already. She could see Ginny there as well. Great the whole gang was there. She tugged her trunk along and jumped onto the train, shoving her left hand into her pocket. She would tell them when she was ready.
A chorus of 'Heys" greeted her as she entered the compartment.
"Hi guys, how are you all?" Hermione didn't bother lifting her trunk up, she would have to leave to go to the Head's compartment soon anyway. It was probably for the best seeing as she was about to tell them that she had married the guy they had hated for six years.
"I have some news. Firstly I'm head girl so I have to leave in a couple of minutes to go to the Heads compartment. Secondly, Harry maybe you should sit down for this." Harry had stood up to give Hermione a congratulatory hug, but he sat again looking puzzled.
"This might sound a little well unexpected but," at that moment the compartment door opened and who should be standing there but Draco Malfoy.
"Hey Hermione, are you just telling them?"
"Yes I was, maybe you should go."
"No I think I'll stay."
"It's your funeral. Guys over the summer Draco and I met up with each other quite a bit in Diagon Alley and stuff, and well we decided to get married, and then we did get married, so now we are married." Hermione realised that she was rambling and so she stopped and waited for her friends to react. She took her hand out of her pocket and quickly showed them her rings, before stepping back from Ron's increasingly red ears.
"You WHAT?"
"Jesus Ron that was my ear."
"You got married to Malfoy? Hermione this had better be a joke. Although why would you even joke about something like this?"
"Ron, it's not a joke, we, we fell in love. Harry what's going on, why aren't you saying anything? You too Ginny?"
"Well I guess if you really are in love…then congratulations," Ginny replied with an uncertain smile.
"And we are, aren't we darling?" Draco interjected, slipping his arm around her waist.
"We are."
"Well you should be getting to the heads compartment shouldn't you Hermione, oh and you too Draco I didn't see your badge at first. Congratulations Mrs Malfoy." Harry's voice was hard and cold. He pushed Hermione's trunk into the corridor, politely held the door open for the couple, before slamming it shut and pulling down the blinds.
"Oh god that was bad; and your 'darling' routine didn't help at all."
Draco smirked. "I was trying to make it believable honey. Now let's get going or we'll be late for the prefect meeting."
Draco grabbed Hermione's trunk with one hand, and her hand with the other and started off down the corridors. Hermione let herself be dragged down the corridor, they would have to be seen together a lot and it might as well start on the train. As they reached the prefect compartment, Hermione grabbed Malfoy's arm and forced him to slow down. It would not be convincing at all if she was forcibly dragged into the compartment by her 'loving' husband.
"Draco slow down, we need to look like a couple," Hermione hissed in his ear. Draco did slow down, and instead of yanking her along, he stopped, wound their arms together, and then grabbed her hand again. They arrived at the prefects compartment together, where Draco's trunk was already stored. It was only the head boy and girl who had the privilege of keeping their trunks in the compartment with them.
The door slid open and within seconds every eye was on them. One boy, the sixth year Hufflepuff prefect was staring with his mouth wide open. It was understandable really, Draco Malfoy and Hermione Granger, two sworn enemies arriving together and holding hands.
"Ah Mr Malfoy, Ms Granger, pleased you could join us. I trust there are no problems?" Professor McGonagall greeted them.
"Everything is fine. We'll just take a seat shall we?" Hermione asked.
"Yes yes, anywhere is fine." There were a few single seats scattered among the assembled fifth and sixth year prefects. Draco glared at a Ravenclaw girl until she moved and a pair of seats next to each other was free. He hoisted Hermione's trunk up on to the luggage rack, and then sat down next to Hermione, putting his arm around her shoulders.
"If I could have your attention please. You need to patrol the corridors of the train in shifts. Your timetable is on the wall outside the compartment. If there are any problems, report to the Heads, Mr Malfoy and Ms Granger. They will be staying here in this compartment. Any questions?"
Not a single hand was raised, although a number of faces were turned quizzically towards Draco and Hermione. "Very well, you may begin your patrol." Professor McGonagall finished the meeting and vanished with a crack.
The prefects sat in stunned silence until a few sharp words from Draco jolted them in to action and they filed out of the compartment one by one.
"Oh my god that was hilarious. Seriously, I cannot wait until Dumbledore makes his announcement at the feast."
"Uh what? Dumbledore is making an announcement about us?"
"Of course. That way everyone knows, we don't have to explain it to the whole school and we'll get to see everyone's reactions. I am assuming that McGonagall already knows, she has started referring to you as Ms. Granger. You are adamant about keeping your own name?"
"Yes I am. Ok Draco I have a few questions. Where are we going to live?"
"Dumbledore had set up a small apartment for us somewhere. I'm not sure where exactly yet but it is going to have protective spells all around so Lucius can't do any external magic. I wouldn't put it past him to try. You should have seen him when we told him. If Dumbledore hadn't been there I'm pretty sure I would be joining Longbottom's parents right now."
Hermione grew a little uncomfortable at this. Apart from the fact that she had to get married to and sleep with Draco Malfoy (minor details), she was really gaining a lot from this relationship. Namely her life. He was making a huge sacrifice for her and now he had almost been physically harmed.
"Look Draco, thanks. For everything. I really mean it. I know that I'm not your ideal wife, and no offence, but I certainly didn't picture you as my husband, but thank you."
"Look Granger, it's like I said. Dumbledore is protecting me from father, who right now I couldn't care less about. He spent his life worshipping the 'greatest wizard of all time' who was killed, as I said, by three sixteen year olds. He is a horrible father, he is a spineless jellyfish, but unfortunately he's pretty good at the dark arts, which is why we got married in the first place. I'm not going to go all sentimental about this marriage. Yes I saved your life; however that still doesn't mean that I really like you much at all. I'm trying to be civil for the sake of making public appearances a lot easier but if you go all sappy on me in private, I fully intend to ignore you."
Hermione sat back in her seat as though she had just been slapped. So much for the big change in Draco Malfoy. Sure he didn't hate her because she was a muggle born, he just didn't really like her personality. He was probably only nice until now so I wouldn't refuse to marry him. Stupid git. Fine if he wants to be an ass, I'll let him.
Hermione reached into her handbag, pulled out the latest Paullina Simons novel The Girl in Times Square. She immediately buried herself in the story, only stopping momentarily to buy some cauldron cakes from the trolley witch. Draco spent his time alternately staring blankly at a magazine in front of him, or staring blankly out the window.
Shit, why did I say that to her? I mean it is sort of true but still. I mean, I don't hate her, she's just irritating. Although she has gotten hotter over the summer. Weird that I'm thinking that about Granger. Meh. She's hot I won't deny it.
Harry had been silent in the carriage ever since Hermione and Draco had left. Although he, Ginny and Ron had long since been joined by Neville and Luna, he was still refusing to speak to anyone. Occasionally he would mutter to himself things about 'betrayal of friendship' and 'that treacherous bitch'. When the group got off the train and into one of the huge carriages, Ginny tentatively bridged the gap between everyone and Harry.
"Hey Harry, maybe we should try and be supportive and still be there for Hermione you know, she admitted that she was in love with him and he seems to love her back, so don't you think we should give her the benefit of the doubt as her friends and accept the fact that she's married. I mean Ron has sort of accepted it, haven't you Ron?" Although he hadn't reacted with the same cold hostility as Harry, Ron was still pretty pissed about the whole situation. However his mind was clear enough to see that Ginny was making sense and he should probably try and support Hermione. Even so, he didn't trust himself to speak at this moment in time and so simply nodded in answer to Ginny's question.
"Well, it's always been obvious to me that Hermione and Malfoy were going to end up together. I'm just surprised that they didn't get married sooner with all those hertzpuls hers been sending her." Luna's comment drew puzzled looks from the group before Neville eventually enquired, "Um, Luna, what exactly are hertzpuls?"
"These invisible tiny animals that you conjure with your wand. They carry messages which they whisper to the person they are sent to. The only time you can detect them is when they are whispering in your ear." Luna's interlude had succeeded in dispelling some of the tension in the group, although none dared to ask how she knew Malfoy was sending Hermione hertzpuls if you could only detect them when they were whispering in your ear.
"Look," Harry spoke for the first time in ages, "it's just that all these years when he's been a real dick to us, Hermione forgets in a few weeks and marries the guy. It's like she is saying 'Hey Malfoy, sure you called me a mudblood countless times, you physically maimed my two best friends on more than one occasion, you got Harry thrown off the quidditch team, you almost got Harry expelled in fifth year, basically fucked us around for six years, but hey you were nice to me this summer, I'll just forget about it and marry you'."
As he spoke, Harry's voice had slowly gotten louder and louder before he was shouting at the top of his lungs at his friends. A ringing silence followed.
"Harry, Hermione isn't the type of girl who would marry anybody who was that awful unless she knew that they had changed. She must know things about him that we don't know, I'm sure she will let us know in her own time. Yes she is married to Malfoy. She is also one of our best friends and seeing as you guys are in NEWT year, Hermione is definitely going to need her friends. Try and talk to her at the feast and I'm sure she will explain everything." Ginny's voice seemed to have a calming effect on both Harry and Ron (who had started to agree with everything Harry was saying). They both sat back in their seats and forced themselves to be calm.
Harry then replied, "Ok Gin, I'll talk to her."
Meanwhile, the rest of the journey to Hogwarts had been pretty much hell for both Hermione and Draco. Hermione, because she was still upset over the fact that Draco didn't like her personality, and it had nothing to do with blood lines. Draco, because he was regretting ever saying that he didn't like her when a) she was hot and b) she scared him. He had seen her do things with a wand that very few could rival. In fact the only thing scarier that he could think of was Ginny Weasley's bat bogey hex. He had tried to start off a conversation a couple of times, although whenever he made eye contact, Hermione simply glared daggers at him and returned to her book.
When the train arrived at Hogsmeade station, Hermione stored everything in her trunk bar her robes, which she slipped on and her wand which she put in her pocket. Being the sensible, organised girl she was, she had already worn the school skirt and shirt to the train. There was no point in putting on everyday clothes when she would have to change out of them soon anyway. Draco however needed to change his shirt, and so with no qualms, simply began to undress in front of Hermione. After locking her trunk, Hermione turned around to see a shirtless Draco standing in front of her. Oh my god. Hot body…don't look, don't look. Crap I'm staring at his chest. Hermione felt unable to wrench her eyes away from Draco, however her view was blocked when some annoying fabric got in the way.
Draco smirked. So much for the ice princess routine, she is practically drooling on me.
"Granger, now that I have my shirt on, do you think you could possibly stop ogling my body. We have to leave now, and remember to be civil darling."
"I wasn't 'ogling' your body as you so delicately put it, and I am perfectly capable of being civil with you."
Draco finished fastening his robes before putting his arm around Hermione's waist and steering her out of the compartment and along the corridor.
"Try not to look like a repulse you…that's hardly going to be convincing now is it?" Draco hissed at Hermione. Reluctantly, she wrapped her arm around his shoulders and tried to ignore the quizzical glances of the other students. She and Draco got into the first carriage they saw, and were joined by two random seventh year girls from Ravenclaw. Shit, now we have to be a loving couple all the way to the castle. He had better behave. Hermione and Draco sat in a pair of seats at the front of the carriage, and he kept a firm grip around her waist.
"So gorgeous, are you looking forward to seeing our apartments that Dumbledore set up for us? It was so nice of him seeing as they don't usually allow married couples to love together."
"So nice of him," Hermione echoed his words, "the teachers don't even have their partners living with them."
Both determinedly ignored the gasps of shock from the Ravenclaw girls at the realisation that they were married. Draco began to stroke Hermione's hip, before moving his hand a little higher.
"Draco, don't you think that's a little um, inappropriate in front of people." Hermione's voice was light and carefree, but her eyes conveyed the second unspoken message, i.e. get off me NOW.
"Come on honey, they don't care." Draco reached his hand around, pulled her face towards him and began to kiss her.
Hermione's mouth opened to protest, before she realised she couldn't really do anything about it in front of anyone. Draco took this as an opportunity to deepen the kiss and he slipped his tongue into her mouth.
Oh god what is he doing. He is kissing me and I HAVE to kiss him back in front of these girls. I guess I had better get used to this, Hermione thought. Draco's thoughts were a little less focused on reality. Mmmm she tastes like cinnamon. Wow, she's kissing me back. I could definitely get used to this.
As they were kissing, Draco pulled Hermione closer to her, until she was sitting with one leg thrown over his, with both his arms around her waist. Hermione gave up completely and decided to just go with the kiss. Meanwhile, Draco was planning on continuing with the kiss until she pulled away. As a result, it was a few minutes later when Hermione decided that things had gone on long enough. She pulled away, rearranged her robes, sat back in her seat, and laid her head on Draco's shoulder.
Well that was a very interesting experience. I think some boundaries are definitely in order. As usual, Hermione's thought centred on the marriage as a situation to be controlled. And as usual, Draco was thinking with an organ other than his brain. God, she is a great kisser…
a/n: hey I have a question for reviewers, if you had the name Draco and shortened it to something that was pronounced 'Drey'…how would you spell it?
Hope you've enjoyed! Review please.