Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or any affiliated characters. All credit to J.K for her amazing universe that she allows us to play in.
Cursing, sexual innuendos, lemons and fluff ahead.
My Beta is Grammarly!
Music is my Muse
This chapters song: Momma's Song, Carrie Underwood
Lyric of choice: He makes promises he keeps, no he's never going to leave. So don't you worry about me.
Aftermath
Chapter 23
Hope
Hermione was sitting in a plush wizarding bridal shop in France with a Madame Alphanseen who was apparently the leading witch for all brides on the continent. She was going over fabrics with them her smile warm and her eyes kind.
Hermione found the entire process to be enlightening, apparently, everything about the outfit a witch wore on her wedding day was, for lack of a better word, enchanted. From the fabric, to the stitches, to the embroidery was imbued with magic.
Hermione had settled on a beautiful Ivory silk that shimmered like a pearl and they were now looking at lace for the veil. She had to touch each one until one complimented her magic, a bit like picking out a wand. When finally her hand went warm and the fabric shimmered Madame Alphanseen smiled happily and held up the lace.
"A lovely piece this one." She said in French. "We must pick your runes dear, they will be stitched onto the dress and veil. You pick seven."
Ginny smiled and then whispered. "What did she say?"
Hermione smirked at her friend whose French was helpless. "I need to pick runes," Hermione said hiding her laugh.
Tuily was sitting with them blubbering as she ran her hands over the fabric, the elf had commissioned a dress for her and Hermione was still sighing over the beautiful sketch the witch had shown her. It was stunning and Hermione adored it.
Hermione had a notebook out where she was working on picking her runes. "Ginny," she asked biting her lip, "what ruins should I put on my dress and veil?"
Ginny looked over at her smiling softly. "Well, what would you like to imbue your gown with?"
Hermione smirked and then said. "Well, I am rather hoping it will be stain proof."
Ginny giggled shaking her head. "Of course it is, but the runes are important things you want for your relationship."
Hermione nodded sighing. "So what did you put on your dress?"
Ginny smiled looking wistful. "It's rather personal actually. But I guess I can tell you a few so that you get a general idea." She wet her lips and said whisper soft, "passion, trust, strength." Ginny laughed. "I left off fertility, I figured I was covered there."
Hermione giggled and then said. "So things I would wish for?"
Ginny nodded. "And things you feel you will need to survive your wizard. I added a rune for remaining calm because Harry can drive me batty."
Hermione laughed out loud and then nodded looking back down at her notebook and biting her lip in concentration. Seven things she wanted? Seven things she hoped for? Seven things she wished to keep?
Passion was a given, she hoped and wished for that to remain.
Then there was the obvious, longevity. She wanted to grow old with Theo and wanted their relationship to stand the test of time.
She smiled widely as she put down fertility, unlike Ginny she had been an only child and while she had no immediate plans after this baby was born to have more she did not want only one child and knew Theo felt the same.
Interestingly she simply didn't feel the need to put trust on the list, she honestly couldn't imagine not trusting Theo. But she did wish for others to trust him so she instead put down acceptance.
She frowned as she looked down at the paper considering what else she wanted. Happiness, she thought with a small nod. Theo deserved happiness.
And along those lines they both deserved peace, and that was how Theo made her feel, peaceful.
She stared at the small list for a long time pondering her final rune. Passion, longevity, fertility, acceptance, happiness, peace- what else was there to wish for?
And then she laughed because it was so obvious. Love, she always wanted love in her relationship.
She handed the list to Madame Alphanseen, the witch winking at her after reading it and giving her a firm nod. "Very good," she said in her friendly voice before she moved off bringing forward thread for Hermione to choose from.
"Gold or Silver?" Ginny said with a smile. "Gryffindor or Slytherin?"
Hermione shook her head and handed back the silver thread without hesitation.
An hour later she was standing in the dress for her final fitting, it was very romantic in Hermione's opinion with its high waist to hide her bump and pale blue ribbon under her bust. She had chosen two colors of blue for her wedding and would wear one of them while Ginny wore the other.
Tuily did so love the color blue after all and it had also been one of her mother's favorite colors. She was going to have blue Iris's for her flower, her mother's favorite flower. And in honor of her education in Scotland, she had blue thistles embroidered on her shoes and placed in the center pieces. She picked an antique off white as the color to bring it all together with Silver for the tableware.
Theo would be wearing dark blue dress robes which she knew would bring out his eyes, and she also knew he was trying to honor Tuily by wearing her favorite color. They had managed to talk the little elf out of putting Theo in a Muggle suit.
Ginny had tried to talk Hermione into a few rather full skirted dresses that she had pointed out would simply bury her petite frame. Instead, she had stuck with the design Tuily had come up with, a simple flowing tier styled skirt with no train so that it would be wearable at her reception as well. When Madame Alphanseen put it all together and Hermione put it on, Ginny sat back and sighed in appreciation.
"Okay, you win, it's stunning. Just look at the bow, wow Hermione. It's so delicate but still such a statement."
Hermione grinned and thanked her friend before turning for approval from Tuily who was nodding as she sobbed. "My misses will look so beautiful," the little elf said wiping at her eyes happily.
Ginny hugged the small elf and then jumped up and down in excitement. "Okay, I want to try my dress on!"
OoOoOoOoO
That night Hermione snuggled into Theo and smiled as she drew the seven runes she had picked out on his stomach.
"What are you doing to me?" He asked with a small smile his face peaceful.
Hermione sighed. "I had to pick out my runes for my dress. Do you do that for your robes?"
He nodded his hands playing in her hair. "Hmm, seven."
Hermione kissed his chest. "I picked seven too, do we tell each other what we picked?"
Theo grunted. "Of course we can, kitten."
Hermione nuzzled his neck and then whispered. "Passion, longevity, fertility, acceptance, happiness, peace, and love."
Theo took a deep breath and his hand paused on her back before he rolled her so that she was on her back and kissed her before he moved his hand over her belly and traced out the runes he had picked.
"Love." Hermione sucked in her breath as she felt his magic moving through her and warming her.
He looked into her eyes as he said the next rune after he traced it. "Saftey."
She sighed her eyes going soft.
"Passion," he said with a roguish grin which she shook her head at. "Longevity." He said his eyes suddenly hopeful causing Hermione's to tear up.
"Longevity," he said his eyes suddenly hopeful causing Hermione's to tear up.
"Kindness," he said in a soft whisper as her belly warmed at the rune and then he was smirking at her as he leaned forward and nipped at her lips.
"Fertility." Hermione giggled and squirmed as that rune was traced on her belly.
He paused and then took a deep breath. "This last one was hard for me, but I finally decided on," he slowly traced over her belly and said softly. "Hope, because there is so much more I hope I am able to provide you and so much I hope now in life that I never dared hope for before you."
Hermione let out her breath and grabbed him bringing him over her and kissing him deeply. "I love you, Theodore Nott."
He grinned at her and pressed his palm to where their child was held safely in her womb. "I love you, Hermione Granger."
He slowly moved her short silk camisole up and off her kissing along her collar bone as he pushed down the matching silk shorts moving down to her abdomen and kissing slowly.
"I can't wait until you start to show," he whispered against her heated skin.
She shivered and ran her hand through his hair. "You just want me to be fat," she teased.
He chuckled and kissed around her belly button before he moved lower causing her to gasp.
"Mmm, I think the word you are looking for is lush, kitten. I want you nice and lush with my child." His hand moved back up settling over her womb as he settled down between her thighs and pushed them apart. "Right now though I want to get lost in your scent and taste."
Hermione moaned as his breath ghosted over her sensitive flesh. "Theo," she said as goose pimples rose on her flesh. "I want you."
He sighed as he licked up her cream happily. "I can tell, kitten." She groaned and yanked at his hair but he resisted her easily. "Not fast tonight," he said nuzzling into her center. "Tonight will be slow, nice and slow. I am going to make you scream for hours and then start all over again."
Hermione shivered and reached back to grip the sheets. "Theo, baby please."
He grinned into her thigh before he bit it softly. "My time tonight, kitten. My time-"
By the time he stopped giving her multiple orgasms she was a ball of sensation. When he finally entered her, hard and thick and burning her up, she was sobbing in relief. Thankfully he was just as lost in the passion of the night as she was and quickly fell apart with her. He fell to her side his face still in her neck his mouth open against her skin. Hermione sighed and turned bringing her tired arms up and around him as she yawned in exhaustion.
"I better get breakfast in bed," she whispered tiredly.
He chuckled at her and snuggled her into him. "I did all the work, kitten."
She grinned her eyes closed. "But I am growing our child."
Theo kissed her nose shaking his head at her cheek. "You win," he whispered into her hair closing his eyes. "Breakfast in bed it is."
She sighed and a few seconds later he heard her soft snores. His hand settled over her womb as he felt his body drifting off to sleep as well.
Hope, he had so much hope now.
OoOoOoOoOoO
The next morning he followed through on his promise to bring her breakfast in bed, settling in to enjoy it with her in his soft sweats as they watched birds flutter around outside their windows. Then they took a leisurely shower and got dressed in jeans and jumpers planning on settling in the living room to read and rest.
Hermione had her head in Theo's lap when the floo lit up with a call.
"Hey!" Draco said angrily. "Did you knock down my wards? And why can't I come through?"
Hermione sat up in shock and Theo stood up with his wand and tapped the large fireplace resetting the wards. "Of course I didn't ransack your wards you prat. Your father did, if you come through you better bring your bride or Hermione might murder you."
"Will murder him," Hermione said sitting up but ruining her threat by smiling at the blond head in her fireplace. "I will go tell Tuily! Can you two come for dinner?"
Draco grinned back at her. "Yeah, let me go tell her."
Hermione ran off to inform Tuily while Theo laughed at his fiancé and best friend.
An hour later Draco Malfoy swept through the floo with his arm around a beautiful blond who smiled serenely around her.
"Lovely home," she said as her gaze came back to meet Hermione. "Oh, 'Mione your aura is pulsing with happiness."
Hermione laughed and pulled her friend forward so she could hug her. "Luna! I have missed you so much!"
Luna squeezed her back and then looked her over her eyes going wide. "Oh, you have a little one."
Draco gasped as Theo gave a snort of shock. "How in the-"
Draco just shook his head. "Don't ask, mate. I have no idea how she does it either."
Hermione giggled at her friend who now had her hands pressed to her abdomen. "Yes, Luna, we are expecting."
Luna tilted her head. "One baby, very special, he was called for by magic." She looked up and smiled at her friend her eyes full of that special peace only Luna could have. "He will be very wise this little one."
Hermione smiled at her friend and then looked at her stunned fiancé. "So much for the surprise, next time we will have to tell Luna beforehand so she doesn't ruin it."
Luna stepped back and smiled. "You would have known," she said with a wave, "he would have told you both, he was called you see, that's very special."
Before Hermione could ask what Luna meant the floo flared up and Ginny rushed out followed by Harry.
"Luna!" Ginny yelled rushing over and almost toppling the tall blond girl in her excitement.
"Oi, Ginny don't maul my wife."
Ginny laughed stepping back completely ignoring Draco. "Look at you Luna you are glowing! How on earth did you ever meet this playboy?"
Hermione snickered at Draco's affronted look but Theo was chuckling and Harry was smiling.
Luna grinned at them and shrugged. "The Nargles are to blame, I was watching them instead of where I was walking and ran right into him."
Draco snorted. "That's true enough."
Luna smiled at him happily. "He caught me and our magic just, melded somehow. I knew right away."
Draco crossed his arms and smiled at his new bride. "I took a little longer to convince, and she kept me in the dark that she was as lost as I was," He said with an easy smile.
Hermione gapped at him while Harry shook his head covering his laughter. Theo finally said. "Your father is rather desperate to speak with you."
Theo finally said. "Your father is rather desperate to speak with you."
Luna nodded. "I have told him he was worrying needlessly, but he wanted to give them time to calm down. A good moonstone would have done the trick but-" she shrugged.
Draco sighed. "He went to the solicitor and added Luna to the family lineage and then added her to the vaults at Gringotts."
Hermione smiled at the blond man. "Yes, he was a bit desperate for a way to convince you he was welcoming and I told him he might want to make some kind of grand gesture."
Theo looked at his friend with wide eyes. "Didn't expect him to open the vaults to her though."
Draco nodded his face solemn. "Yeah, either did I. We sent an owl telling them we would meet them tomorrow for tea."
Luna smiled at her groom as Harry shook his head but stayed silent. Ginny pulled Luna away and grabbed Hermione. "Come on, let's leave them to gossip-"
Ginny pulled Luna away and grabbed Hermione. "Come on, let's leave them to gossip-"
Harry protested loudly. "Wizards don't gossip, Gin."
His wife waved him off and kept talking. "And you can tell us all about where you have been since the wedding. Did you really get hitched naked under a full moon?"
Luna smiled dreamily. "Oh yes, Ginny, it was simply magical and the Pixies found it to be very stimulating they copulated with us after our vows."
Hermione looked over to see Harry looking totally stunned while Theo was snickering at a red faced Draco.
OoOoOoOoOoO
Dinner that night was a noisy happy affair filled with wine, or sparkling water in Hermione's case, good food and lots of friendly ribbing of the newly married couple. Not that the teasing bothered Luna at all. When everyone had left Hermione found herself shaking her head at the fireplace. "I never thought I would see the day that Draco Malfoy met his match, but he certainly has with Luna."
Theo smirked pulling her into his arms and then laughed. "He is whipped and not half bad when there is someone to shut him up," he shook his head kissing her sweetly. "Although your friend says the strangest things."
Hermione grinned at him. "You get used to it."
"So you really think she is right and we are having a boy?"
Hermione laughed putting her hands over her belly. "Oh, I am sure she is right, although I wish she would have explained the 'called by magic' part."
Theo smiled at her and then said. "Maybe it's the Nargles fault too."
Hermione laughed and hit him playfully. "Theo seriously, I know she seems out there but she really is rather good at this kind of thing. She just has an insight that others don't have."
Theo raised an eyebrow at her. "Nargles?"
Hermione rolled her eyes. "Okay, yes, the Nargles I don't understand."
Theo swooped down to kiss her and then led her upstairs. "How about a friendly wager?"
Hermione smirked at his back. "What kind of a wager?"
"Well kitten if your friend is right and we are having a little boy, you get to name him. But if she is wrong and we are having a girl, I get to name her."
Hermione narrowed her eyes. "What would you name our little girl?"
He winked at her. "Have some faith kitten, I would name her Hope."
Hermione stopped walking rather shocked. "Hope, really? It's not really a magical name is it? You would name her Hope Nott?"
Theo snorted. "I like the name Hope and I have hope that you would pick a strong name for a boy."
Hermione nodded before she said. "I always liked the name Tristian."
Theo turned back and smiled. "The Knight of the round table from Arthurian legends?"
Hermione nodded. "I loved the tale of Tristian and Isolde."
"I like it, we can debate middle names later."
Hermione giggled as he swept her up into his arms and carried her to their room.
Author Notes:
We are almost finished too. I think the wedding and then the birth and an epilog because I can't not know what happens after happily ever after.
What do you think? What would you still like to know about this couple?
Thanks for the patience with this story. If you ever wonder what is going on with me you can feel free to follow my Instagram: CrystalJeanRed it's public and you will know when things happen like my little son having his tonsils out and not worry I have disappeared.
See you soon.
Cheers,
Cjean
