Author's note: Hello everyone! I am so sorry for the delayed updates! I have had a family emergency, so that has been my main focus! All is better though and hopefully I can continue to update at a more frequent pace. Thank you everyone for your support and encouragement, I hope you enjoy this chapter!

Chapter Four

Draco jolted awake. He almost groaned with annoyance. This was the third time that Hermione had woken him up with her nightmares that night. The room was still dark and a pale grey-blue illuminated the windows. It was not yet truly morning, the sun was chasing away the night, but he could squeeze in a little more sleep. He gave the room another once over and fell against the pillows in frustration. He was just shutting his eyes when he heard her again. He looked over at Hermione with annoyance, her eyes flickering beneath her lids in rapid motion. She whined again and Draco sighed. He didn't dare breach her pillow wall and comfort her like last night. Instead, he had to wait out her tantrums before he was able to fall back asleep. When she whimpered again, he glanced out the window and decided he wouldn't get much more sleep and he should just get up for the day.

He got ready for the day as quietly as he could and then walked out of the bedroom. He was exhausted. He had went to bed late last night with the hope to avoid Hermione. It had worked, she was sound asleep before he had gone to bed. He feel into an easy sleep but got woken a short time later by the sounds of her screams. He wondered if he should start slipping her dreamless sleep draughts before bed. He wasn't sure why she didn't take them, surely it would help her get a more restful sleep. Draco closed his eyes one more time and sighed before making his way down the hallway. He was distracted in his thoughts as he made his way down the stairs and towards the kitchens where the house elves were busy preparing for the day.

"Mornin' Mastah." Bimble bowed as he approached Draco. "I'll get breakfast started right away, sir, if that pleases you."

"Thank you, Bimble, that won't be necessary, Hermione and I have plans for breakfast. Could you please bring me a coffee though? Black." Draco responded kindly.

The house elves seemed like they were settling back in nicely. Hopefully, yesterday's incident was far behind them. It had taken some convincing to get the creatures to come back and work for him. Their pride had been badly wounded. He had offered them pay and housing to entice them to come back to work, but they still refused, worrying that Granger would kick them out again. In the end, he had convinced them that Hermione was not always sound of mind. An accurate description in Draco's books. She had a very intuitive mind and could recite facts at the drop of the hat, but her ability to look further into the future was dismal. In Draco's experience, it seemed that was how most Gryffindor's functioned. Quick to act, slow to think. Draco's house was considered calculating, but Draco thought that the Slytherins just possessed awareness. Awareness of what their actions and decisions would mean, not just for them, but for everyone affected by their decision. It would serve the couple's well when they were in public.

Draco grabbed the Daily Prophet that was waiting for him on the dining room table before making his way outside to the outdoor patio. Watching the sunrise over the lake would remind him of home and calm him down. He settled in and began to think about the day they had ahead of them. Potter's house would be interesting enough. This would mark the first time that he would see his friends since the dreadful meeting at the ministry. He was eager to see how they were doing. This had been the longest time that he had not been in contact with them.

He was always the leader in his group of friends, always the one giving advice, always the one they leaned on, and turned to in times of stress and this was a very stressful time for them all. He was worried how they were all fairing. Daphne was probably the best off out of all of them. He knew Daphne well enough to know that she would be able to keep her emotions in check. He knew enough about Saint Potter to know that he would be respectful towards her and treat her well. Longbottom and Davis would be fine. Longbottom lacked a backbone and Davis was kind enough to not take advantage of him, but his lack of confidence might frustrate her. He thought Theo would be doing well enough. He was probably losing his bloody mind with all the ramblings of looney Lovegood, but he would be hiding it well. Nott was one of the most reserved out of his friends. He had years of practice hiding his emotions from his abusive father, he would be able to stay composed in front of the oblivious witch. No, Nott would be fine. He was most worried about Pansy and Blaise. Blaise never took anything seriously and lacked a filter. He knew Blaise would unintentionally say something in jest that would hurt Ginny's feelings and the sheweasel was a hellcat. He had been on the receiving end of her temper before and pitied Blaise if he found himself there. Pansy also had an explosive temper. She was a spoiled elite and was used to getting her way. She needed to have a strong presence for anyone to take her seriously. Draco admired her, she was so much more than anyone gave her credit for, but she always had to revert back to her demanding presence to get the attention she wanted. But her strong personality paired with the Weasel was not going to be a good combination.

Draco sighed. He needed to stop thinking about this. He would find out soon enough. Bimble brought out his coffee and Draco brought the cup to his lips. The rich aroma filled his nose, he closed his eyes enjoying the way his senses were waking up and becoming more alert. He could feel the sun start to beat down on him, enjoying the warmth that it brought him.

~0~

Hermione woke up groggily. She looked over and saw Draco's side of the bed was empty. Her eyes felt heavy, she had slept restlessly, and she could feel the exhaustion thrum throughout her body. She wanted to sink back into the pillows and try to go back to sleep, but knew sleep would not welcome her. She convinced herself to get up and get ready for the day.

She walked into the kitchen and her eyes were immediately drawn to Draco. The sun gleaming off of his golden hair. He was like a beacon, shining through the glass doors. His eyes were closed and he had a slight smile on his face. Not a smirk, an actual smile. She drank in the sight of him. He looked so peaceful. She made her way over to the sliding glass door, pausing before opening it, she didn't want to disturb him. She had never seen him so serene. She was staring at him when he opened his eyes. His grey eyes boring into her chocolate. His smile turning into a smirk. Her cheeks instantly warmed at being caught staring at him. She rolled her eyes, shaking off her discomfort, and walked outside.

Draco lifted his eyebrows at her, "A beautiful view, isn't it?" He asked.

Hermione turned her face away from him to look at the landscape around her. The sun was shining through the trees and shimmered across the lake. The flowers dotted the green landscape with bursts of color.

"It really is." She said in awe, turning back to Draco.

Draco glanced at the backyard and then back at her. "I wasn't talking about the landscape," he said. Hermione's eyes widened in surprise and her brows furrowed in confusion. Draco tilted his head towards Hermione and then gestured towards himself. Her cheeks flushed with color and Draco just winked at her in response.

The sliding glass doors opened behind them and Bimble walked out. "Scuse me, mastah," Bimble bowed at Draco, "Mistress." He turned and bowed towards Hermione. "Yous told me to get yous when it was nine, sir."

"Thank you, Bimble." Draco said as he turned towards the door. "I need to get ready for the big day." He turned towards Hermione, grabbed her hand and kissed it, "see you soon, my dear, unless of course you would like to join me?" He quirked his eyebrow at her suggestively.

Hermione's cheeks turned a deeper shade of red. She didn't think her face could get any redder from embarrassment, but Draco disappeared through the doors before she could form any witty retort. She turned her head around and faced the backyard. It really was beautiful. She sat there for a little while enjoying the view, the butterflies in her stomach growing with each passing minute. She knew this was going to be an awkward breakfast.

She decided the only thing she could do was wait for Draco. She stopped in the library, grabbing a book, and made her way towards the formal sitting room. She settled down on the couch and opened her book. The thump of the stairs breaking her from her trance. She closed her book and looked towards the stairs. Draco was buttoning his shirt when he entered the sitting room. He was dressed in fine black pants and a crisp black button down shirt. His hair was slicked back on his head and he was clean shaven. Hermione looked down at herself, she was only wearing a casual floral sundress. She started playing with the hem of her gown, which fell just before the knee. She suddenly felt very self-conscious. Should she change into something more formal? 'Bloody nonsense," she chided herself, 'I am going to breakfast with friends and I don't even think I own real formal wear other than business suits and my yule gown. No,' she thought, balling her hands into fists, 'I look fine.' She straitened her shoulders and glared at Draco.

"I thought women were supposed to be the ones that took forever to get ready, though I do suppose putting all that grease in your hair does take some time." She sneered at him.

"Perfection always takes time," he mocked, "I doubt it is something that you are familiar with, little lioness."

Hermione snorted at him, but before she could respond the fireplace turned bright green. She turned towards the flames. Draco made his way beside her and offered her his arm. She hesitated for a moment before grabbing ahold of his arm and walking through the flames together.

They arrived at The Potter Household with a pop. They arrived in a living room and could hear the commotion from a nearby room, but before they could make their way towards it another door banged open and Harry Potter stepped into the room.

"Mione!" He greeted her. Hermione ran towards him and jumped into his outstretched arms.

"Oh Harry, I've missed you so much, I've been so worried. How are you? Is everything okay? How is Daphne treating you? If she does anything to you, I will hex her." She rumbled on before Harry interrupted her.

"Honestly, Mione, it isn't so bad. We are not best friends by any means, but we have an understanding. We are working towards getting to know each other. That is all I can ask for at this time. No need to hex her." He pulled Hermione to his side and tucked his arm around her shoulders. "Malfoy," he said as he nodded towards Draco in greeting.

"Mione," he said with disgust, "is a Malfoy too now, perhaps you should call me Draco, so as not to confuse us," He chided with a sneer.

Hermione could feel Harry bristle at Draco's words. She knew Draco was trying to rile Harry up, but this visit was going to be hard enough without these two at each other's throats.

"What is all that noise, Harry?" she interrupted, breaking the glares the two men sent each other.

"Oh, that's the house elves getting ready for the party," Harry said turning away from Draco, "Please, come and join us in the dining room."

"Is Ginny here yet?" Hermione whispered to Harry. She could feel him stiffen at her words. "Oh Harry, I am so sorry, I didn't mean too…"

"It's fine, Hermione, what's done is done, we can't change anything." He said quietly.

Hermione brought her hand up to his cheek and gently caressed it before giving him a light kiss. She brought her hand away from his face and squeezed his arm. He nodded at her in understanding and escorted her out of the room.

~0~

Draco was seething. The second they arrived she had jumped strait into Potter's arms and then she kissed him! And now she was being escorted into another room by Potter. This was unacceptable. She may not like their marriage, but he certainly wasn't going to let another man do his job of escorting her around and protecting her.

He followed them out of the room, oblivious to their quit muttering. They had entered into a large formal dining room. It was very lavish. One wall was covered with a large wooden panel that was engraved, much like the doors in their household. The scene on the wall depicted a thunderstorm, with clouds and lightning bolts. 'Lightning bolts, how original,' Draco mused. The storm was raining down on a field of wildflowers. It was very well-crafted, it could put some of the engravings at the Malfoy Manor to shame.

The room was much different than the dining room at their estate. Theirs was open and attached to the kitchen. This room was a completely separate room. Their dining room was lighter and airier, the large wall of windows allowing for extra light to illuminate the area. The Potter's dining room was all wooden with the large engraved mural along one wall. A large expensive chandelier was hanging high over the long wooden table and a large arrangement of wildflowers stood tall in the center. The chairs around the table were wooden with maroon velvet cushions. It was a very immaculate room that screamed of wealth.

"Draco!" He barely registered before someone wrapped their arms around him. He looked down and saw the top of Daphne's head. He returned her hug with a pat on the back and pulled away from her, uncomfortable with the physical attention he was receiving. He had barely pulled away from Daphne before he was being enveloped into another hug, this one led by Pansy. He pulled away and saw that Hermione was being held in a bone crushing hug by Ronald. He looked around the room and began to mutter to himself. 'Great,' he thought, 'no one but the golden trio had shown up yet.' He pulled his eyes away from the scene Ron was making with Hermione and turned his attention to the two witches in front of him.

"How are you two? I hope everything is going well." Draco asked politely.

Daphne was the first to respond, "Oh Draco, it is going as well as an arranged marriage is expected to go, I suppose." She glanced over at Harry before adding, "He really is quite sweet."

Draco nodded at her and turned towards Pansy.

"Oh Draco, I don't know what I am going to do," Pansy cried, "His temper is terrible."

"Has he done anything to hurt you?" Draco interrupted forcefully, resting his hand on her shoulder and squeezing forcibly.

"No, no, no, nothing like that. We just can't seem to see eye to eye on anything. Oh Draco, how am I supposed to have a good marriage when he is deplorable!" She whined, "His table manners are dismal, he chews with his mouth open and it makes me want to gag every time we eat. He doesn't want to talk to me, and during our mandatory binding time he makes me watch Quidditch or talks about Quidditch, it is the only thing he ever wants to talk about!"

"While that sounds terrible, I have every faith that you can teach him some manners," Draco responded with a smirk, "I am sure you can beat it into him, Pansy."

Draco smirked at her and then turned his head towards the door when he heard it bang open. In walked a red faced Theodore, followed closely behind by a smiling Luna. Theodore made a beeline towards the group of Slytherins leaving Luna behind him. Luna just skipped over to the golden trio oblivious to the state Theo was in.

"It is almost like bloody torture listening to that witches ramblings," Theodore seethed, "I think the muggle world or Azkaban might be more favorable!"

"Well she was called Looney Lovegood for a reason, Nott," Pansy laughed.

"I understand the full extent of that nickname now," Theodore said in a rushed tone, "I just do not understand her. She is all smiles, giggles, and daydreams! It is so frustrating."

"There are worse things you could have had to deal with," Draco countered.

Before another word could be uttered yelling could be heard from the living room that they had all arrived in. Everyone quickly made their way through the door and down the hallway into the living room. Everyone entered just as Ginny pointed her wand at Blaise and tried to hex him. The bat-bogey hex was deflected and missed its mark, most likely due to the binding. Ginny let out a shriek and tried to charge toward him before Harry rushed forward and put himself between Blaise and Ginny. He grabbed her by the waist and whispered in her ear. She nodded, her anger visibly disappearing. Harry then led her out of the room. The war heroes all turning to follow their friends.

Draco turned to Blaise. His lips turned down in a frown, "you alright, mate?'

"Yes," Blaise responded, "coming to the Potter's house put her in a very foul mood and I seem to be a perfect target for it."

Draco nodded in understanding.

"If only we could put that energy towards some other good use," he winked at them and the smile returned to his face. Blaise was always one for a quick joke. He never took anything too seriously and Draco doubted he would take this marriage seriously, either, which could be a problem.

Draco had a headache and was ready for this day to be over. So much drama already and they had been there for barely fifteen minutes. Draco led them back to the dining room so they could get this breakfast over with. He walked through the door and noticed the other guests were all occupying the far end of the table. They were all engaged in a quiet conversation with each other. Their voices carrying over to Draco.

"Oh the lot of them are awful," He heard someone say, Draco suspected it was Ginny, "They are nothing but slimy snakes waiting to strike."

"They can't hurt us though," He thought he heard Ron say.

"Aye, they can't hurt us physically but emotionally they can leave scars." He heard Hermione whisper.

"How are we going to get through this?" someone asked.

"We will just have to beat these monsters at their own game." Ginny responded.

"We will be fine," Luna said, ever the optimistic one.

Ginny snorted at her, "Yes, but in what state Luna? Will these heathens change us and make us just like them?! I don't want to just get through this, I want to survive it as myself!"

"Ginny, I think you are being dramatic, I don't think it will be that bad," Harry began to say.

Draco had heard enough, his anger threatening to boil over. He slammed his fist onto the table.

"That is enough!" He shouted at them, "You claim us to be monsters, but the only monsters I see here are you! You do not know us, so don't pretend too and stop holding the past against us." Draco turned sharply and stalked out of the room, his Slytherin counterparts following on his heels. They made their way back to the living room and all sat in silence, minds occupied, thinking of things that they had done to have deserved being called such names. It was true that in the past Draco had been a cruel man, but he could think of nothing he had done in the last few days to deserve such hateful words. Maybe Hermione would never get over the past, maybe none of them would.

~0~

Back in the dining room, Hermione let the anger that Draco felt wash over her. She was ashamed of her actions and those of her friends. It was true they really did not know anything about each other. They only had their past experiences to shape their thoughts of each other and the past wasn't pleasant for anyone.

Harry was the first to break the silence, "That did not go well," he said quietly, "They are right though, we do not know much about each other. We can't keep holding onto their past actions and our past experiences with them. We need to try to get along with them, after all, we will be forced to spend a lot of time with the group of them, and we will all have a better time of it if we get along."

They all nodded, slowly agreeing to what Harry said to them.

"From what little I know of Daphne, I do know that she has a kind heart and a gentle demeanor." He continued, "I know it won't be easy for any of us," he looked at Ginny pointedly, "But this is our future now."

"But mate, you ain't stuck with Pansy," Ron said.

Harry shot him a dark look, "Ron, you don't have anything good to say about Pansy?"

"Oh, I have loads of things to say about her, very little of them good."

"Theo is wonderful," Luna interjected, "I know we will be happy together. He is so smart and kind. He doesn't realize it of course, but he is." Her dazzling smile penetrating the somber mood. "I know that you and Blaise will be happy Ginny. You are both so passionate, you just need to learn to communicate better."

Ginny snorted in response.

"It's true!" Luna exclaimed, "And Ronald, you just clash with Pansy because she likes to boss you around, but really that is what you need. Someone to take care of you. Hermione, you and Draco are evenly matched in almost every way. He will be a great partner for you throughout life and will take care of you, which is what you need, someone to think about you, since you do not. Harry, you and Daphne will be a perfect match. Both of you are so kind and think of others first. You all just need to see as clearly as I do."

Hermione looked around her circle of friends and saw the disbelief in their eyes mirroring her own.

"Thanks Luna," Hermione said hesitantly. She didn't believe a word that the witch said though. Sometimes the witch just rattled off nonsense that she wanted to be true. Suddenly the door swung open and Kingsley walked in with the Slytherins trailing behind him.

"What is the meaning of this? I arranged this breakfast for you all to get to know each other, not stay segregated. Now, sit by your spouse and the sooner we finish breakfast, the sooner we can continue with today's errands." Kingsley situated himself at the head of the table.

The rest of the witches and wizards shuffled around finding their places. She felt Draco sit down next to her, but she didn't dare look at him. She could still feel his anger rolling off of him in waves. The dishes appeared on the table, filling it with all sorts of foods. The room was silent except for the clanging of the silverware when the door burst open again. 'They should just replace that door with a revolving door,' Hermione thought.

"So sorry," Neville stammered, his face turning a light shade of pink. Tracy entered behind him.

"Yes, sorry," she said, "Neville was nervous about picking out a ring and it took some convincing for me to finally get him to leave." Neville's face turned a darker shade of pink and he looked down at the floor avoiding everyone's gaze. "I really think it is quite sweet," Tracy said as she walked up to Neville and placed her arm around his, "I am sure no other man in this room will be as considerate picking out a ring. I know anything you pick out will be wonderful." She led him to the chairs designated for them and sat down.

Once seated the whole dining room began eating again, with a few lowered murmurs of conversation. Hermione didn't dare start a conversation with Draco so she turned to her left and quietly talked to Ginny and casually talked about what type of dresses they would get today.

"I want to get something sexy," Ginny stated, "When they announce our relationships, I want every guy to wish they had been paired with me, then maybe Blaise will realize how lucky he has it." She added quietly, "what about you Mione?"

"Oh, I don't want anything flashy, just something nice, I guess," Hermione said with a shrug.

"You will get something appropriate for the occasion," Draco glared at her, "You are a Malfoy now and I will not have you making a disgrace to our family." He looked past Hermione at Ginny, "Make sure she gets something better then nice," he said as he turned back to his plate. Ginny just shrugged at Hermione and began eating again.

Hermione turned and glared at Draco, 'how dare he!' "I will get whatever I wish to wear," She whispered quietly at him. Draco turned to her and stared at her coldly. He opened his mouth to respond but the Minister was demanding their attention.

"Alright everyone, let's finish up, we need to get on with our day. We have appointments we must keep. The shops have agreed to close down their stores for a couple hours to give you all the privacy that you need to complete this task."

Kingsley waited a few minutes longer until the clinking of the silverware stopped and then stood. He directed the men to follow him as he made his way back to the living room. "There will be assistants in the shop to help you with whatever you may need. You only have two hours to complete the task, do not dawdle. You may return to your houses once you are finished, or you may continue to visit with one another. I look forward to seeing what you fine gentleman have picked out in the coming months." He held out his hand to the fireplace and directed the group to enter.

Draco had never been in a jewelry shop. He had no reason to ever be in one. He had never had a women in his life whom he had wanted to buy jewelry for and his father bought all of mother's jewelry so he never felt the need to gift her with some.

He looked around the shop, there were glass cases everywhere. He leaned down to look in one of the cases. The shelves were lined with a rich velvet and loose stones adorning the shelves. The diamonds glistened in the lights. He straightened, he didn't want to get Hermione a diamond. While he had never been in a jewelry shop before, he had done research once he was presented with this task. He knew that Hermione would not want a diamond, she would not want to wear a possible blood diamond on her hand every day. She would resent wearing a stone that people may have died over. Damn her and her ethics.

He made his way around the room as someone approached him.

"Sir, is there anything I can help you with?" An employee asked.

"As you know, I am here for an engagement ring, but I do not want it to be a diamond one." Draco stated.

"Diamonds are traditional in engagement rings," the young man informed him.

"I do not care, I said I do not want a diamond ring, you can either show me other alternatives or leave me to find them myself," Draco said with an air of authority, "I do not need you to try and convince me of what I want."

The man nodded and led Draco towards a glass case on the opposite side of the store.

"Was there a particular stone you were interested in then?"

"No," Draco said as his eyes scanned the shelves before him. "No, none of these will work. She needs something different and one of a kind. She needs something delicate but fit for a queen." Draco felt silly explaining it to this man. He knew she wouldn't want anything flashy, but she needed something to remind everyone around her of her new status as a Malfoy. He shouldn't care and should just get her whatever he found or whatever was the most expensive, but he knew she would feel bitter about wearing it. While he didn't care about their marriage, he did want Hermione to be proud to wear a symbol of their marriage for everyone to see.

"I have just the thing, wait here," The worker said as he left and made his way towards a door behind the counter.

The worker returned with a wooden box. He set it down on the glass case in front of Draco and opened it, nudging it towards Draco. Draco looked down into the wooden case. There were about ten rings in the display, all sparkling in the light. Draco picked one up and held it up to the light. It was a platinum ring, with a dainty halo around a large stone. He inspected it and then shook his head and set the ring back in the display case. He grabbed another ring and performed the same inspection and then placed it back into the wooden tray. He performed this routine on several more rings before he grabbed one that he was interested in. It was a rose gold ring with a diamond filigree band. The band wrapped around the ring delicately and looked like leaves. They sprouted open once reaching the precious stone, creating the image of a flower. The rose gold blossoming around the stone only highlighted it and drew attention to the stone's size. The stone was a light peachy pink which complimented the rose gold perfectly. The employee handed Draco a matching band.

"What type of stone is this?" Draco asked.

"That is a morganite, a very beautiful stone, it is also known as the stone of divine love. It is said that the stone opens one up to the frequency of the universal heart. It is supposed to carry an energy that can warm the soul of its wearer, atleast that is the mythology that surrounds the stone. They are normally formed with very few inclusions," he took the ring from Draco and held up the jewelers loop to it. "Yes, this one does not seem to have any inclusions at all, very lovely, a fine choice, sir."

Draco just nodded his head. The ring was perfect for her, the mythology was concerning, but he thought she would like it. His stomach suddenly clenched in nervousness. It made no difference to him if she liked it, but it did matter if she would wear it. Thank goodness he would find out soon enough, only a few more days until the celebration. Only a few more days until he would present the ring to Hermione in front of the entire wizarding community. He started feeling nauseous. 'Don't puke,' he thought to himself while the jeweler wrapped up the ring.

~0~

The ladies entered the fireplace after the boys had left. Glitter, silk, and satin greeted their sights as they entered the room. The room was surrounded by different fabrics and dresses that hung on racks around the shop. The center of the room held a raised platform with a mirror in front of it. Two couches were on either side of the platform and an elderly lady stood between the couches. The eccentric lady greeted them and offered the couches for them to sit down.

"Oh this is going to be such fun!" the lady exclaimed, "I am Lady Dempsey and I am delighted I will get to be helping you ladies with your wardrobes in the next couple of months! While you will have to choose a dress that I have already made for the celebrations, I will be able to make your wedding dresses from scratch! I have some ideas for all of you lovely ladies, but of course we will talk about those dresses on a different occasion. Now, since it is just myself we will be each picking dresses one at a time. All of you ladies will pick a dress for whichever lady is determining their garb at the time. She will then get dressed in each of the picks and we will pick the dress that flatters her the most! It will be such fun! I know it will be hard to choose since all of you ladies are so gorgeous! Now," the excited dressmaker said, as she looked around the room, "Who would like to go first?"

All of the women shifted uncomfortably, avoiding her gaze, before Luna raised her hand and stood up.

"Perfect!" said the dressmaker, "with your complexion you can pull off almost every color, we may want to stay away from some pastels, as it might wash her out, but we will see what you all pick out!" She raised her arms to her side, and pointed to the racks around the room, "Let's get to work! We have quite a few of you ladies to dress!" She clapped her hands and started pulling the ladies off of the couch and directing them towards the nearest dress rack.

Hermione was hauled to her feet and thrown at the nearest rack filled with dresses. She started fingering through them but was honestly lost. She knew nothing of clothes and dresses. How was she supposed to find out what looked good on Luna when she couldn't even figure out what looked good on her own body? She moved towards the next rack trying to find Ginny among the clothes.

Her hands moved across a silky fabric and she decided to investigate it further. She pulled it out and saw a dark navy blue dress. She blushed at the low cut top that was accentuated by rhinestones, before deciding to put it back.

"What are you doing?" asked Pansy, eyeing the dress.

"I was putting the dress back," Hermione mumbled.

"Why?" Pansy asked again.

"Oh… well… I just thought," Hermione stammered, clearly uncomfortable with talking to the Slytherin, it didn't help that she could feel Draco's nervousness in the pit of her stomach.

"Oh Granger," Pansy said, cutting her off, "You are worried about it being too low cut?" She took the hanger out of Hermione's hands and examined the dress. "This will be perfect!" she exclaimed, "This is Theo's favorite color, don't tell him I told you, and this will look lovely on Luna, besides if she's got it she should flaunt it!" She handed Hermione back the dress and winked at her. "I found this green one but I think yours will be better." She showed Hermione the green dress she picked out before nudging Hermione back to the couch where the rest of the girls were waiting for them. Hermione took a seat next to Ginny, while the dressmaker collected the dresses the girls had chosen for Luna. She then told them to wait there while Luna got changed and with a snap of her fingers tables next to the couches appeared with glasses filled with champagne. She escorted Luna to a door behind the mirror and went in after her.

She turned to Ginny when she felt the redhead press a glass into her hand. "Isn't it a little early for alcohol?" She whispered to the redhead.

"No," Ginny responded, "Or at least it isn't too early for us considering the shit we are going through."

Hermione slowly nodded her head and took a sip of the drink, coughing slightly as the alcoholic bubbles burned her throat. The rest of the room was uncomfortably silence as the girls all tried to avoid looking at each other. Luckily, Luna and the dressmaker re-entered the room quickly.

Luna wore a purple ball gown. It twinkled as she made her way to the platform. The ball gown had layers that were each pinned up with a rhinestone, creating a cascading effect on the skirt. The dress had thick straps and a low back. Luna turned towards the seated girls and looked at them questioning. They all just shrugged in turn. It was beautiful, but Luna seemed to be lost in all of that fabric.

Lady Dempsey quickly grabbed Luna by the elbow and pulled her off of the platform, "I don't think so my dear, you have such a delicate, graceful frame this is too much for you. I saw a dress that will suit your perfectly in the dressing room, let's try that one."

Her voice faded while she took Luna into the adjoining dressing room. The silence enveloped the room again. The only noise was the faint murmuring of Pansy as she whispered in Daphne's ear.

Luna reentered the room in Hermione's pick. The deep blue twinkling under the lights and the rhinestones highlighting Luna's collarbone and dipping low to show an impressive amount of cleavage. The deep color making her pale skin seem flawless.

"Oh Luna!" Ginny exclaimed, "This is it, it's perfect!"

"Yes, it looks wonderful on you," Daphne said.

"Theo is going to die when he sees you," Pansy exclaimed.

Hermione nodded in agreement. Luna looked stunning, she was going to break hearts that night. Hermione wiped away the tears that were pooling in her eyes. Ginny leaned over to her to ask what was wrong.

"I just, I never thought we would be doing this, that we would be celebrating. I thought I was going to die, I thought we were all going to die." She said quietly as the tears flowed more freely down her face. Ginny wrapped her arms around Hermione and started to brush her hair with her hand.

"We all thought we were going to die," Tracy said moving over to them and placing her hand on Hermione's shoulder, "I didn't think that I would be in this situation, but I am glad that I am, the other alternative would be worse."

The other girls all murmured their agreements, looking haunted by their past, until Pansy spoke up, "Well what better way to celebrate the fact that we are living then looking sexy as hell and giving all the boys heart attacks, if the announcement doesn't kill everyone, then let our sexiness do the trick!"

The girls all giggled and Hermione smiled gratefully at the Slytherin before wiping away the tears on her face.

Luna twirled on the podium and asked if this dress would do the trick. They all gushed over her and reassured her that the dress she was wearing was perfect for her.

The tension in the room had disappeared and the girls were all eagerly chatting with each other as the cycle continued. Each girl had a turn at trying on dresses. Daphne had picked a lovely light blue dress. It had thin rhinestone straps and a modest neckline. The dress was short in the front but long in the back and created a long train with purple and dark blue flowers embroidered on it. Pansy had picked a black dress with grey lace accents. The neckline was a deep v and had a chain that hung between her breasts. Tracy had chosen a large pink ball gown. The chiffon giving the dress a light and airy with all of the layers, instead of swallowing her frame. Ginny had chosen an emerald green dress. It hung to her every curve, and the low back showed off Ginny's toned back. When Ginny had walked out of the dressing room, Hermione was overcome with jealousy. She would never be able to pull off a dress like that.

Before long Hermione was yanked off of the couch and told to stand on the platform while everyone went and picked out dresses for her. While she stood there waiting she was overcome with apprehension. She didn't look like the other girls, all of them were so beautiful. The Slytherin's and Luna were all delicate and feminine looking and Ginny looked strong and sexy, all those years of Quidditch had done wonders on her body. Hermione silently cursed herself for preferring books to sports. She wasn't fat by any means, she was just soft. She wasn't taut muscles and sharp bone structures, she was soft skin and messy hair. She was used to fading in the background, to being overshadowed by Harry's fame. She sighed to herself, it didn't matter, she wasn't going to be able to fade into the background at this event. She was going to be proposed to, in front of everyone. Her stomach clenched with anxiety. She wasn't ready for the whispers that were going to follow her all night.

She was grabbed by the elbow and was thrown back into the present. She followed Lady Dempsey as she was led to the dressing room. The dressmaker closed the door behind her and showed her the options that the girls picked out. Hermione cringed at most of them. She was uncomfortable with showing a lot of skin, and couldn't imagine the way people would talk when she showed up on Draco's arm and showed off too much skin, especially when compared to the other women who would be besides her that night.

"Let's start with this one," Dempsey said, "I will be surprised if we need to try on anymore after this one."

She pointed to a red dress on a hanger and helped Hermione out of her sundress. She was embarrassed at having another women help her out of her own clothes, but kept quiet over the intrusion. She was instructed to hold her arms over her head while the seamstress tugged the dress down her body. It was an off the shoulder, crimson red dress. The top hugged her breasts before flaring out at the waist. The skirt was made of a light fabric that showcased a high slit in the side of the dress, showing off her legs.

Lady Dempsey practically had to drag her out of the dressing room and push her on top of the raised stage. When Hermione caught sight of her in the mirror she blushed a deep red and had to be forced to turn around to face the rest of the group.

All of their eyes glowed with approval at her.

"I don't think," Hermione started.

"Hermione, shut up," Ginny instructed her, "You look amazing, you are getting this dress and that is final!"

The other girls voiced their agreement and Hermione eventually relented, if Ginny and the rest of the girls thought it looked good on her then she would wear it.

Once she exited the dressing room from changing back into her clothes, Lady Dempsey addressed them again. "Now, the ministry would like me to inform you that you will all be getting ready with each other before the ball at the new Weasley residence. The boy's will all be getting ready at the Zabini household before meeting you at the Weasley estate and escorting you to the ball. I will be contacting you after the proposals' about your wedding dresses." A large smile plastered the elder ladies face. "I will owl these dresses along with the accessories that I have chosen to your house. You ladies are free to enjoy the rest of your day."

She ushered them out of the shop with well wishes trailing after them. All of the girls stood clustered by the shop entrance not sure what they should do.

"I guess we should go back home, before we are all spotted out together?" Hermione suggested.

They all turned their heads and started heading separate ways before Tracy called out after them, "Would you guys like to come to my house tomorrow for lunch? I know the house elves are dying to cook a big meal."

They all gave their consent and headed off. Ginny and Luna walked with Hermione down Diagon Alley. They looked in the shop windows not ready to return home.

Luna gasped and grabbed their arms. The two girls turned to her in concern.

"What's wrong Luna?" They asked in unison.

"Theo would love this," she pointed to the window. A large leather bound notebook was on display in the window. Luna hurried past them and in to the shop before Ginny and Hermione could stop her. They rushed in to the shop after her, the door chiming as they entered the store. They saw Luna engaged in conversation with the elderly man behind the counter and decided to look around. There was so many different knick-knacks in the room. All clearly expensive collectable items. Hermione shuddered at the thought of how much some of these items must cost. She made her way around the shop before her eyes were drawn to a set of beautifully, antique potion bottles. Hermione sucked in her breath. They were beautiful. She reached her hand out to touch them and delicately traced the patterns on the bottles.

"Oh Draco would love those!" Luna cooed behind her, startling her.

"I doubt Draco would be able to appreciate their beauty," she responded before quickly putting the bottle back down and turning away.

"You aren't going to get them for him?" Luna asked shocked.

"Why would I?" Hermione asked, "We don't do nice things for each other, we are both just keeping score, tallying up who is winning in this marriage." She shrugged at Luna's incredulous look.

She went to turn away before Luna stopped her. "Get them for him. Hermione, it could be a step in the right direction for you both."

Hermione shook her head no, but Luna persisted, she finally agreed, but only after Luna had threatened to buy them and send them to Draco saying that they were from Hermione.

Hermione rolled her eyes as she handed over the obscene amount the potion bottles were costing her. She made her way through the shop and out the door to where Ginny was waiting for them. She had a bag in her hands and Hermione gave her a questioning look.

"I found something that Blaise might like, it's just a little something, but I owe him an apology for earlier today. Giving him a gift is much easier than actually giving him an apology." She calmly stated.

They continued down the street in comfortable silence until Luna shouted out again.

"I need to go!"

"What's wrong Luna?" Ginny asked her, while Hermione looked on with concern etching her face.

"It's just Theodore, I can feel him, something is wrong. I will send word once I know everything is okay." She said as she quickly left to find the nearest fireplace.

"Well, I hope everything is okay," Hermione said.

"I am sure that everything will be fine, or at least as fine as it can be," Ginny bit out.

"Ginny," Hermione implored, "Do you want to talk about it?"

Ginny shook her head, "Not yet, I don't even know what I feel, let alone try to explain it to someone else." She looked up at Hermione, her eyes searching hers, "I promise that I will come to you when I am ready too." Hermione nodded at her and snaked her hand round her shoulders and gave her a reassuring squeeze. Ginny leaned her head on Hermione's shoulder before sighing and saying that she should be getting home too. "The sooner I apologize to Blaise, the sooner I can go back to not feeling bad for hating him."

Hermione followed Ginny to the nearest shop with a fireplace and wished her goodbye as she entered the fireplace and left Hermione by herself. Hermione looked around the shop before deciding she should go home too. She took in a deep breath and muttered, "Home."

She walked through the fireplace into the sitting room and the smell of a cooking dinner greeted her. Her mouth began to water as the aroma teased her senses. She followed the smell to the kitchen and saw the house elves busy at work.

Draco was casually seated at the table with a book in hand.

"Nice of you to join us, Mrs. Malfoy," Draco drawled at her, "Dinner will be served soon."

She rolled her eyes at him and came to join him at the table.

"How was your shopping trip, I trust that you have picked a dress that is suitable?" Draco questioned.

"No," Hermione stated, "I have chosen a large trash bag to wear, it comes in black or white, or I could chose a paper one, which comes in this lovely shade of brown? Any preference on color?"

He looked at her for a second before smirking at her. The skin around his eyes crinkling and his eyes shining with humor, "Well, I think that my tuxedo will be overshadowed by your dress choice then. "

"Undoubtedly," Hermione offered, "You should look into other outfits immediately, I will not be embarrassed by you."

"I don't believe any outfit will stand up against a black trash bag," Draco agreed, "I will just have to go naked then."

Hermione ignored the last part of his statement, "Ah so you have chosen the color black then, I can manage that." She gave him a look of seriousness, before a large smile graced her face.

"How was your shopping trip?" Hermione wondered. She moved her hands off of the table as the House elves began to set the table for dinner.

"It was successful," Draco concluded, "Would you like to see the ring I have chosen for you?"

"No!" Hermione bellowed out, "I mean, no thank you, I want at least that part to be a surprise, since nothing else is."

Draco nodded his head in understanding before they both descended into a calm quiet, while eating dinner. After they had finished eating and the table was cleared of the dishes, they both decided it would be best to get their bonding time over with. Hermione followed Draco up the stairs, she retrieved her book, while he went straight into the potions room. She returned shortly after with her book and with the stack of questions that the ministry had provided them.

"Would you like to do these first or after?" Hermione asked him as she held up the cards to him.

"After," Draco said simply.

She sunk into 'her chair' in response and flipped open her book. She was having trouble concentrating, and could see Draco moving in her peripheral vision and it was distracting her.

"Draco?" She asked, finally giving up and closing her book.

He just grunted in response, not stopping his actions.

"Why are you making all of these potions? What are you doing with them?"

Draco stiffened slightly before continuing with his work. There was a pregnant pause before he answered her, "I make these potions and then give them to St. Mungo's."

"Oh," Hermione gasped, "that is wonderful!"

Draco just shrugged his shoulders before ignoring her again.

"Draco?" Hermione tried again, "Can we just answer the questions now? It's getting late and I am getting tired." He grunted again in response. Hermione took that as a yes. She pulled out the first question and asked. "What is your favorite color? Mine, is Lilac."

"Grey," he answered, sill not looking at her.

"Grey, that's not a color, pick again." Hermione demanded.

"Granger, you cannot boss me into picking a new favorite color, that is it and that it shall remain." He responded cooly.

"Fine," Hermione growled, and grabbed the next card, "How many children do you want? I would like two, eventually."

"As many as it takes to produce a male heir," Draco countered.

"No, two, I am not some breeding heifer and I will not just pop out children until it satisfies you, Malfoy!' She spat at him, "If we have two children and neither are a male heir you will have to deal with it."

He snorted at her but didn't reply, so she turned back to her cards, "Who is your hero? Mine would have to be Bathilda Bagshoot, she wrote Hogwarts: a History! Her life is fascinating."

"My godfather," Draco responded flatly.

"Who was your godfather?" Hermione started to ask before realization hit her, "Snape was your godfather."

"Yes, I admire the strength and the convictions he had," Draco droned, "Even the love he had, as ridiculous as it was. He was so strong that he would defy the Dark Lord, he was, he is, the bravest man I knew. He helped me so much and I will never be able to repay him." Draco coughed and cleared his throat before starting his work again, "Perhaps that is enough for tonight."

"This will be the last one then," Hermione said holding up another card. "You may ask your partner any one question." She read out loud to him. She stopped to think before she asked him, "Draco, why did you want me to pretend we were happy in front of your family? They know this was forced upon us and they must know that we are not happy about this arrangement?"

Draco inhaled a sharp breath before looking at Hermione. His grey eyes boring in to hers. "My mother may not bear any physical marks from the war, but mentally she is scarred. She will do anything to ensure my happiness, I know you must not understand the love she has for me," Draco huffed, "but I am my mother's only child and her lifeline in this world, I keep her grounded. My father does his best, but I am the one that she needs reassurance from. During the war, she blamed herself for not protecting me enough, and now she will do anything to protect whatever happiness she thinks I can have. I cannot think of all of the negative outcomes that would arise if my mother thought I was not happy and decided to try and take on the ministry." He studied her reaction before continuing, "Why did you agree to go along with it, Hermione?"

"I've never heard you ask for help before." She said quietly. She turned her head away from his piercing gaze and walked out of the room, leaving Draco alone with his thoughts.