As they ate their dinner that night Hermione recounted a story of their Hogwarts day when they tried to spy on him.
He laughed, genuinely hearing about how she turned into a cat. "That's how I was top of the class for a few days," he gloats.
"And I was on top the rest of our school days," she pointed out stabbing an asparagus spear.
"That's fair. And you were dealing with the stress of the Dark Lord from early on." He agreed looking out the window. "Are you ashamed of what the papers will say?"
"War Heroine Marries Death Eater Due to Corrupt Law," she quips before reaching over and squeezing his hand. "No. That title doesn't tell the whole story. It doesn't talk about the fact you are a reformed member of society who was forced into bad decisions as a kid. It doesn't talk about how you're killing yourself to try and make sure I'm taken care of. It doesn't mention anything about how I may be able to fall in love with you."
He looks at her uncertainly before dropping her hand and rising. "If you don't care, I have a few business affairs I must attend to. Would you mind if I left you alone for a few hours?"
She bit her lip. "Um of course. I'm married to Draco Malfoy. I understand I have to share him."
"-I could stay." He looked conflicted.
"Go. Have your thoughts. Do your work. I think I might owl Ginny, if I could borrow yours, see if she is up for a visit." She smiled understanding his need to go process this information.
"Thank you. I'll have Winston bring you, Straia. Is there anything I can help you with before I go?"
"No, thank you. I may join you in the library later, but I will leave you alone." She continues to eat expecting him to go. But he continues to sit, glancing around every so often. "Draco? You don't have to wait for me to finish."
"Habit." He replies with a smirk. "I couldn't expect my lady to reach for anything, could I?"
She rolls her eyes and shoos him away to which he chuckles and kisses her head before leaving. Alone, she continues to nibble at her vegetables she begin to lose herself in thoughts of her own.
The boy she thought she knew in school was nothing compared to the man she now lived with. Where he used to slick back his hair, the thought to be greasy locks were free and soft now. He continued to dress in darker colors, but his tall frame and muscular chest and arms made him quite delicious to look at.
Draco really was a wonderful man making the best of a bad situation. He was obviously straining himself to be good to her. She was quite lucky. But what was she doing for him? Nothing. On the night of their union she had literally broken down crying and he looked pained to be forced to touch her.
She would talk to him about inviting his friends over for dinner or something. It was time she started making more of an effort.
She wrote an owl to Ginny detailing her time with Draco, and Winston helped her deliver it. When she was done, she went to the library and pulled a book to read.
She sat in a small chair and tried her hardest to read. But every so often she would look up and see Draco looking at things on his desk and she would forget the passage she just read. Eventually she gave up with a frustrated sigh and went to put her book away.
When she looked up again, Draco was looking at her. "Are you leaving?"
She thought about it for a moment before going and sitting on his lap, which must have came as a surprise since he hesitated before wrapping his arms around her. "I'm sorry to disturb you."
He smiled and brushed her hair back, behind her ear before replacing his hands. "You're welcome to interrupt me anytime. What's on your mind love?"
She turned in his lap to rest her head against his chest, feeling comforted by his steady heartbeat. After a moment, she felt him hug her closer.
"I'm done for the day," he offers when she doesn't answer. "I'm sorry for running off earlier. I just wanted some space to think about what you said."
She closes her eyes and focuses on the comfort she felt being held in his strong arms. "I'd like to invite your friends for dinner. I'm sorry I haven't really put in as much effort as you have. But I will try harder from now on."
"You're fine sweetheart. I can wait as long as you need, even though I enjoy this. Are you sure you're ready to meet them so soon?"
She nods. "Of course. They're important to you, so I need to make a good impression."
"Did you get your owl to your friend?"
She nodded again. "Maybe we could go to dinner with her soon."
"Of course love...Hermione?" He sounded a bit unsure.
"Yes?"
"Thank you. For coming to me. It makes me feel better knowing you want to be a part of my life."
She sat up and gave him a sweet kiss. When they broke apart, he cupped her cheek and smiled down at her. "You're an amazing witch. I'm so lucky you're mine."
She bit her lip. "You wouldn't have ever even courted a witch of my blood status before this law."
"I'm not sure." He replied with a shrug. "It would have probably had to have been someone I didn't know. But if I was truly opposed to your blood status, I wouldn't be as willing to work for your comfort. I can be a selfish man. I simply choose not to be, for you."
"So you would do anything for me?"
He raises an eyebrow but nods.
"So you would free your house elf?"
"Winston wouldn't accept it," he smirks. "He's proud to serve us."
She decided to come back to that. "So you would move if I said I couldn't live in the manor?"
He looked around the room in thought for a moment. "Yes. But I would like to keep it. Even though this home holds awful memories it has good ones too."
She hugged him and heard him laugh, "But I'm building us a new mansion. We are not living in some tiny flat. It doesn't have to be huge. But it will have a library filled with all our favorite books."
"As lovely as that sounds, I would love to stay here. For now at least." She hugged him and he stroked down her back languidly. "Thank you so much Draco. You're treating me like a queen, and I'm so grateful. I'm going to try harder to make you happy too."
She felt him smirk into her hair. "Well, my queen, I believe you deserve a nice, long soak in the tub. And then I have a surprise for you." She protested halfheartedly before he added, "And I think I earned one as well. Maybe we could share?"
"I think that would be okay. As long as we could have some bubbles or something.. I'm not very comfortable being stared at naked."
He wrapped his arms under her and picked her up, carrying her to their room and gently sitting her to her feet in their bathroom. He opened the tap and kissed her forehead. "I'll turn around until you are in the tub." He pulled off his shirt and turned.
She felt her heart swell at the gesture and she quickly stripped and added bubbles to their bath before getting in and calling for him.
He joins her and lays back against the tub with his eyes closed.
"Wait you really wanted to relax?" She lays back against him, surprised.
"I mean, the hot water is relaxing. But I wouldn't complain getting to feel your body against me." He wrapped his arms around her and leaned down to press kisses to her shoulders.
She gasped and he playfully nips at her neck. He took that as a sign to continue and started pressing suckling kisses up her neck.
"Draco," she breathes going to turn to face him.
"No. You're not going to move. You're just going to stay still and be a good girl," he whispers in her ear causing her to shudder.
She felt desire pool inbetween her legs at his command. Obediently, she tries to stop moving and he rewards her with more kisses being trailed up where he nibbled onto her ear.
She let out a breathy whimper and he turns her around quickly and kisses her.
She kissed him frantically and twisted her fingers into his hair. He parts their lips and groans softly as she feels his groin twitch and she breaks out of her haze.
"Draco I'm sorry.." he quickly cut her off with another, softer kiss.
"Nothing to apologize for. I can wait until you're ready. For now, how about you curl back up on me and I'll tell you all about this potion I'm researching."
Obediently she wraps her arm around his waist and laid her head against his chest.
"Good girl," he murmurs again with a sweet kiss to her forehead before he launches into his explanation about the potion he was hoping would be able to be a longer-lasting version of Veritaserum.
She had closed her eyes to relax as she listened to his smooth voice, but she must have fallen asleep because when she woke up Draco was gently shaking her awake in his arms. "Sweetheart, use your wand to dry yourself so you don't catch a cold. That's perfect. Do you want your surprise now or sleep?" He spoke softly so she wouldn't fully wake up.
"Surprise," she yawns.
"I got all your clothes from your flat. I can get you some of your pajamas if you prefer."
"Mm. No. Just get me some new panties and I will sleep in your shirt still."
He went and grabbed her requested items and she quickly dressed and snuggled into the bed. He gave her forehead a tender kiss. "I'm just going to owl my friends and I will be right back sweetheart."