Thank you all for your reviews, I've taken everything on board. My biggest focus is on making it believable and realistic... obviously that's not always easy when you're following a story line that's not quite the norm but if you're left with any questions about the plot feel free to ask them, I'll try to make sure they get answered in the story.
After sleeping through most of the day and missing her afternoon classes Ginny finally woke head still aching with thoughts from her eventful evening. She would be in enough trouble having missed an entire day of classes but if anyone had seen her leaving the school with Malfoy and Blaise she'd be writing lines till Christmas. It was pointless worrying now though, it had to be done so despite the consequences it would be worth it. Sometimes Ginny thought how much easier it would be if she were in the same year as Ron and the others, it seemed her life had become so intertwined with there's that she forgot she didn't belong to their year.
They'd returned to the castle not long after dawn that morning and she had desperately wanted to return to the warmth of her bed and the frost of her friends incessant questioning. Instead she'd spent the entire morning in a heated argument with her brother who refused to keep an open mind or listen to reason. Eventually after a strong threat of her telling their mum and a promise to sing Pansy's praises to the rest of the family during her upcoming visit to the Burrow he'd reluctantly backed down. Harry of course was easy, after watching the hours of arguing he agreed without any need for coercion. Checking the time she realised it was already six and there was so much left to do.
When she arrived in their living room Hermione was once again laid on the sofa that she'd become awfully attached to. Her feet stuck out in front of her she had the same displeased and brooding expression that Ginny had seen far too many times before. This might be harder than she thought. Glancing up from her large leather bound book Hermione glowered at her. "So there's someone left in the castle over than me?" there was a frosty sarcasm to her voice and Ginny smiled "I'm serious, I haven't seen anyone since yesterday. You're all off doing god knows what while I just sit here getting bigger by the minute." Deep down she knew she was over reacting a bit, twenty four hours without company wasn't the end of the world but in her current condition she needed something to keep her mind off of what was happening to her. "You're really not that big" Ginny was trying to help "It's still a pretty small bump, you could almost hide it with a good empire line. If you wore something other than a nightie." Hermione scowled "What's the point, I haven't been anywhere other than the sofa all week, even Madam Pomfrey comes here rather than me going out. I'm going crazy in here. I was going to try a concealment charm but honestly I daren't add anything else to what's going on in there at the moment." Ginny smiled, she knew that Hermione had not been forced to stay in here it was her choice to avoid being seen and questioned… but Ginny could use this to her advantage. Ginny knew her secret weapon would be arriving any moment. Suddenly there was a gentle tap on the door. Hermione's face paled, no one knocked at their door, you had to have the key to see it. "Don't worry, its Harry" Ginny smiled as the door opened and Harry poked his head in with a shy smile "Hermione, its been… a while" he watched the ecstatic smile spread across her face. "I borrowed your key… and gave it to him" Ginny squeezed her arm as Harry coughed lighting with a cheeky grin "I'm here to jail break you… what do you say?" She couldn't help but smile, "What if I'm seen?" Harry looked to Ginny who gave him a firm nod "Hermione the whole school's talking anyway, you can't disappear and expect no one to notice. The Fifth year are convinced Malfoys either killed you or taken you prisoner." Hermione laughed violently unable to stop herself, she hadn't thought about that. "Just put on a baggy jumper, it'll be quiet at this time anyway." Ginny was determined to get her out. "Ok" she nodded getting up to dress.
The moment they arrived she knew where she was and her blood ran cold as her eyes streamed and as she looked up and the gloomy, dark outline of Malfoy Manor. "How could you? Why would you ever bring me here to cheer me up? What's wrong with you?" Ginny and Harry didn't say anything they kept walking up the stairs to the large oak doors which slowly opened. The large hallway was lit in a warm haze and decorated with little white flowers that weaved their way around the stairs and the balcony to the floor above. Harry walked straight through the large separating doors in front of them giving the frantic Hermione a small smile as he went "You're safe I promise" she heard him mutter as he left. She knew enough of Malfoy Manor to know the large hall lay beyond those doors but she didn't understand what was happening. Turning to Ginny she looked for answers but none came, the little red head dropped her chin toward the floor as Hermione heard footsteps behind her, turning she saw Draco. Without knowing why cold fear instantly ran through her and she had to stop herself letting out a small shriek, it was silly this was the boy she'd spent weeks sleeping next to but seeing him here with the memories she had attached to this place filled her with old fear.
She calmed herself as he took both of her hands and locked her eyes with his "You'll never come to any harm under my protection, never again. You're safe here but I know the horrible memories that you have attached to this place." He paused and she could see the sincerity in his eyes, she knew him well enough to know he was entirely genuine in that moment. "One day I want us to live here and raise our family here, I don't want us to run away from the past, I never want to forget what I did here that night I only ever want to make up for it. That's what I want us to do tonight, in a week this place will be almost unrecognisable.."He paused looking up around the hallway "… but tonight I want good memories to replace the bad. I want you to marry me here, tonight." Hermione gasped her head was spinning at the prospect, there was so many questions she had, how could he had done this in such little time. She heard Ginny cough behind her and with a soft smile she spoke apprehensively "everyone's here… inside, I chose a dress for you, it's got a good empire line." There was enthusiasm in her last comment. Hermione gulped, "They're all in there? Really?" Ginny smiled "Yes" and it really hadn't been an easy job for her to convince them. "Ok" Hermione couldn't think what else to say she was entirely numb.
Fifteen minutes later she stood in the half light at the entrance doors to main hall, Ginny stood in front of her in a pale blue dress, she had felt a little silly when Draco told her to pick one but he'd been insistent that despite it being a very small affair things should still be done right. There was a chill running through the entrance and her forearms broke into little goose bumps. They'd stood there for a few moments, Hermione had said nothing the whole time Ginny helped her to dress, she looked beautiful in the dress she'd chosen though. It didn't hide her bump but it definitely reduced it a little. Ivory lace fell in an elegant cut flaring out from her hips and cascaded down her arms, it had a silvery glow in the light that left Hermione looking so beautiful Ginny was sad for a moment that there would be no photographers to see it. The world deserved to see this dress, deserved to see how absolutely stunning, if a little terrified, Hermione looked wearing it.
Hermione's eyes were fixed on the door, she was numb, all over. She'd been stood there for a few moments trying to urge herself to walk through the doors and back into that hall. It felt like she was watching herself from a distance, it didn't feel real she didn't feel like she was really there, inside of her own body. Suddenly she felt someone by her side and the smile on Ginny's face as she glanced around tipped her off to who it was. Snapping herself from her thoughts she felt Harry take her arm, "Are you ok?" he was in his dress robes and she nodded. She was glad he was there, suddenly Ginny was laughing, her arm crossed her middle and she struggled to compose herself and stay stood up straight. "I told him not to" Harry rolled his eyes as Hermione felt another body by her side and turned to see Ron stood next to her, wearing the old dress robes she hadn't seen since the Yule Ball, a grin spread across her face as he offered her his arm and she took it. Looking around at the boys on either side of her and Ginny in front a tear slid down her cheek and she clung to their arms. Harry leant into her hair "You didn't think we'd let you do this on your own did you?" He whispered and she felt the tear run down her cheek as she shook slightly letting out a laugh. "You didn't have to wear those thought" Harry looked over at Ron with a smile as he shrugged with a laugh "I thought it seemed sort of fitting really, for old times sake" Ron gave her a lopsided smile as he addressed the three of them in his regular jovial voice "Well here's to officially the weirdest night of my life…never thought we'd be here doing this" He pulled his face as Hermione erupted into a fit of giggles. "I'm ready" Ginny nodded and knocked the doors in front of them opened. The Hall took her breath away. Candled floated around the room lighting it in a haze, a cream long carpet lead from the doors all the way to a small stone archway covered in silver ivy and the same little while flowers she'd seen earlier.
She could see Draco stood waiting for her with Blaise by his side. When he saw her she watched as a smile spread across his face. Pansy stood at the side with Daphne, Neville, Luna, Crabbe, Goyle and a few of their close friends from school. She heard as Neville whispered "Pregnant, when did that happen…ugh" as he was abruptly elbowed in the ribs by who she assumed was Luna… of Daphne. She didn't care, nothing could spoil this moment for her.