*Draco*
Draco was bloody nervous. Nervous was a kind word, if he was being honest with himself. Everything was intolerable. Nothing was right; but he oversaw it all to ensure it was done to perfection, so therefore, it had to be right.
This was entirely her fault.
Then again, it was for Granger. It was all for her, and after the surprise for his birthday, he didn't want to let her down. She did what he loved, with his friends, surrounded by strangers just to be near him. She submerged herself into his high status culture and didn't blink or look out of place in the slightest.
The least he could do for her birthday? Make it tailored exactly to her. Intimate, close friends and family, surprises in stages so she wasn't overwhelmed. Food she would love from her time in France, and silent fireworks done with magic, designed by Draco himself.
He tried to remember if he had enough different dishes ordered from the caterer, he groaned as he struggled to justify having…was it ten?...different foods being served. Self serving the food from platters was something he saw Hermione enjoy immensely, and he himself liked the feel of it. It reminded him of Christmas, with too much food and too many choices. Was ten too much?
Then he spiralled down into numbers. Had he invited too many people? Or was it exactly what she wanted? Harry, and Ginny of course. Pansy and Weasley because she insisted on having Pansy there and Pansy insisted on the redheaded bugger.
Draco mussed his hair as he dragged his hand through it, thinking. The feel of his fingers on his scalp helped him narrow his thoughts when he got like this. He seldom did anymore; become anxious and internally disrupted by anything. Not since her.
And it wasn't that Draco felt insecure having Weasley there at all. He just wondered how on earth Hermione managed to want to see her ex and his ex snogging at any given second. It felt like it should be weird, but when he thought about it, he wasn't uncomfortable either.
Draco had found Hermione and that was that.
He settled his hair back into its neat slicked back style and blinked at himself in the mirror. Then he groaned. A three piece suit? In frustration, he began ripping the heavy jacket off and tugging at the buttons of his waistcoat. He didn't bother to place them carefully as he usually would, and let them pile at his feet. He loosened his tie and unbuttoned the top two buttons of his shirt to expose his throat. He liked the fit of his pants, they looked nice with the shade of charcoal from his dress shirt and he looked significantly less like he was dressed for a funeral.
Draco's wand chimed. His five minute warning alarm. Granger would be appearing here in his fireplace in five minutes time, and nothing was perfect. He groaned, inhaled deeply, mussed his hair again , but this time on purpose so that strands fell across his forehead, and strode out to the living room.
He helped Mrs Granger out and syphoned the small amount of ash on her hemline and shoes, before Mr Granger staggered out, giggling a little. He was distracted with ensuring their wellbeing that he hadn't even noticed Hermione, serenely gazing at him with almost literal hearts in her eyes as he took care of the Grangers.
"Hey." Was all his stupid mouth could manage. Usually his brain thought in images around her, instead of full sentences. He was vaguely aware of his mother's voice greeting Hermione's parents as she slowly walked into his arms and hugged him. She was like a pillow, except one that could apply pressure in all the places that melted him and calmed any anxiety he would have had.
He inhaled her, lungfulls of subtle coconut oil he came to learn was what she put in her hair, the smell of leather, parchment, and herbs all clung to her dress. He wanted to bottle her, breathe her whenever he wanted to. He needed that. He pressed his lips into her hair and sighed in relief. She chuckled so that it tickled his ribcage.
"Happy birthday, Granger." Draco said into her scalp. She tipped her head back as she pulled herself flush against him. They hadn't gotten out of the giddy, always touching, swelling hearts phase. He didn't think he would ever be free of it. Draco was certain his mother had tactfully removed the Grangers from the vicinity of the room and he tilted his head downward to meet her lips.
She opened her mouth instantly to invite a brush of his tongue against her own, he nipped at her lips and felt her smiling against his mouth. Three, two- he pulled away, on the verge of being breathless. Hermione's lips were only slightly reddened.
Draco peered into the drawing room and found his mother laughing with Mrs Granger as they both balanced sparkling flutes in their fingers; Mrs Granger looked already pink in the face as Mr Granger paced the walls and studied each portrait with rapt fascination.
"Hello?"
Draco snapped into focus, the cloud he was apparently lost in dissipated. He forgot Potter. And Pansy. He forgot the other guests entirely. "Shit." He hissed in a short syllable that barely sounded like anything. Hermione didn't miss it and quirked an eyebrow. He felt his cheeks heating before he grinned broadly. "I may have forgotten I invited people."
He warmed at the sound of Hermione's laugh as he found Harry, Ginny, Pansy, all standing in the living room in various types of event clothing. Pansy was ridiculous as always, with expensive materials draping over her and always exposing some mysterious enough amounts of skin. And heels. He despised the click of those bastard things. Green lit the room and Weasley took a hesitant step out.
And Pansy must have got her hands on his wardrobe, because he didn't look half bad. Smart jumper with some decent jeans. Ginny and Harry were both in an odd mix of business casual and comfortable. Like they couldn't decide whether his Manor was all business and no fun, or if Hermione's birthday was all fun, no business. He had to smother a giggle, and resisted the urge to whisper to Hermione. She did enjoy observing people's behaviours whenever they came to the Manor. Visitors were either terrified, wary, or entranced.
"Is Luna coming?" Ginny looked from Hermione to Draco. Draco shook his head, an equal pang of disappointment and happiness went through him. "The doctor told her that the second trimester would be tricky, so she's with Longbottom at Hogwarts to be better monitored." He missed Luna's conversation and company. She was incredibly freeing to be around. She was the first person who didn't immediately fear, despise, or pity him. She just saw him as a teenager, just as she was.
Ginny gave a tiny gasp of excitement. "It's been that long already?" Draco hummed in response. Everyone was here.
"Dinner?" Draco said nervously as everyone stood awkwardly for a second before he realised they were waiting on him to go into hosting mode. Hermione linked her elbow with his and they walked through the corridors to the dining room.
The chandelier was lit, the fireplaces blazed warm colours into the room but threw the perfect amount of heat into the air. Sparkles flitted across the walls like broken pieces of glass just dancing out of reach. Spices hung in the air as periwinkle roses, peonies, and orchids dotted the settings on the table.
Draco could hardly eat the food, he was in such constant worry. He pressed his hand into his pocket, clenching into a fist one time. But he did it, he ate the French onion soup, the chicken in wine, the snails which he was surprised to discover he didn't mind. His favourite was the duck, the texture, flavour, the slight gaminess of it was perfection. And to finish, he had the miraculous food of chocolate souffle. He didn't touch the breads, no matter how enticing all the buttery goodness smelled. Or the fish. His stomach turned and he forced himself to swallow, inhale, and focus.
"I have a gift." Draco leaned into her ear and kissed her shoulder. She looked at him with surprise.
"More than this?" She let her eyes sweep over everything, landing fondly on her parents and Narcissa.
"Come outside with me?" Draco asked, she nodded. They rose to their feet and Hermione gave an apologetic look to those at the table, all who smiled and made various go motions. Draco's eyes lingered on Harry's for a second before he placed his hand on the small of Hermione's back and walked with her, carefully steering them to the west wing courtyard door.
"Are you taking me to see the-" Hermione narrowed her eyes, and it was pretty obvious. She spent enough time now in the Manor that she would know where she was and where she was going.
The Greenhouse shimmered in the night, pulses of light shimmered against the glass, dewey on the inside and blanketing the inside from the world's eyes. Hermione's eyes trailed over the dancing, flickering movements of the lights. He pushed his way into the damp air and shut the door behind them.
Her eyes remained to the ceiling where, above them, were hundreds of fairy lights glimmering and pulsing in and out of view, the light soft and dreamlike. He could see her mind going as they walked to the middle of the greenhouse that he purposefully put a bench, a drawing table, and fountain, all made of marble. So she could do her research notes if she ever wanted to.
Her fingers skimmed the marble as she spun in wonder. Draco smiled warmly at her, because Merlin's fucking left teet, did he love her. He got to one knee. Hermione began to point weakly at the lightshow.
"Did you buy-" She turned to face him and made a tiny high pitched noise. Draco grinned. He opened the box and held it up to her. Her eyes flickered to the ring, to his face, to the lights above them and now around them, dancing in between them as though they wanted nothing more than to share this moment with their creator.
"Hermione Granger." Draco hardly got her name out, but he inhaled, still grinning, nervous butterflies shrinking and expanding inside of him causing his heart to beat out of rhythm. "When I thought I was at my best, you came along and made me see how I could be better. I've never known this sense of-" She was looking at him, awestruck, as his words got stuck in his throat, in his thoughts because all he saw was her face. "Happiness, completion, whatever this fucking euphoria is- shit, I swore-" Hermione laughed, but Draco had to get this out. It needed to be perfect. "You've been as bright as the stars at night. You contain galaxies."
Draco took the ring from the box and held it delicately in his fingers, presenting the rich violet coloured sapphire on a white gold band so the sparkles from the fireflies filled the shine of every surface on it.
"I cannot imagine doing life without you, and I've probably messed this proposal up because it sounded more romantic in my head, except you're looking at me like that-" Draco was suddenly aware how quiet she had gone and frozen she was. Nerves immediately iced over the butterflies. Then her face cracked wide open and she laughed. Such a bright, joyful thing that it shocked him from his panic.
Draco needed to lay down, he thought he had just gone through all ranges of emotions in the last minute. His body was so jittery, he felt like ants wearing a human skin suit.
"Yes, I'll marry you." Hermione pulled him up by his shirt collar and kissed him. She didn't even take the ring because her mouth was on his and she was laughing and swaying, looking like a forest fairy amongst the plants that seemed to all lean toward her to touch her, with fairy lights dancing just for her.
"Yes?" Draco asked stupidly. She rubbed her nose against his and took the ring from his palm, sliding it on to a perfect fit of her delicate finger. At the same time, Draco squeezed the Galleon in his pocket knowing Potter would feel the warmth of it and-
The wet shimmering surface of the greenhouse began to light from the outside. Not a sound echoed into the night and Hermione looked back to Draco then to the sky.
"More?" She gestured.
"Just, you said you liked fireworks but they were too loud, so I designed some, and had Potter ready to send them." Draco was so elated, he felt like he was floating into the sky right this second, about to explode in vibrant colours just to scream to the world that she said yes . He pulled her out the greenhouse doors and grasped her hand to guide her to a better spot to view the silent light show exploding above them.
Suddenly, there were yells of delight as everyone popped out from the courtyard gardens with champagne and glasses, watching the vibrant spatterings across the sky.
"You said yes, right?" Harry hugged her and Draco could just barely hear him. And then Potter was spinning her as she giggled before Ginny tackled them, collapsing onto each other in piles of giggles.
"I told you so." Ginny mouthed at Hermione. And Draco had no idea what that was about, because as far as he knew, Granger hadn't suspected a thing. Tonight was perfect.