Death Do Us Part
Chapter 2
Disclaimer: I do not own HP. If i did, there would be a lot more romance... and drama...
Previously on DDUP:
"Hermione!" her mother said. Hermione could sense how worried and frantic her mother was. "We have a problem."
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"What kind of problem?" Hermione asked gently. Her mother could be a bit… extreme at times.
"It's your father. He's sick. Only magic can save him," she said, about to burst into tears.
"Then we'll just have to get a wizard to help him," Hermione replied.
"No. That's not it!" her mother cried. "The surgery! It's so expensive!"
"How much is it?"
"8,000,000 galleons."
Hermione resisted the urge to gasp. That's more than I make in five months! She thought. Where am I going to get that king of money?
"Hermione? Hermione!? Please! We have to help him!" Her mother was going slightly hysterical.
"Calm down, Mum. I'll find a way to get the money," Hermione said. There is one way…
"Don't do anything stupid or dangerous though, ok? You're father and I wouldn't approve, and if he is going to die, he should die happy," her mother said, her voice was breaking at the end of the sentence but she was in mother mode.
"Don't worry," Hermione said. I'll have to go over to Malfoy Manor tomorrow and ask him whether or not the deal is still open or my dad is good as dead.
"Hermione, if you are going to try to get the money, then you must know. Ginny said that he might only live for another half a year unless treated."
Ginny... So she did become a doctor. I'm not surprised. I wish that I had become one as well. Stupid Malfoy. Screwing up my life before I even got to start it. Hermione thought to herself. She was so caught up in her thoughts that she didn't hear her mother say goodbye and floo away to a muggle/wizard apartment.
Malfoy Manor tomorrow then. I need a shower… Hermione tiredly trudged towards the bathroom and took off her clothes. She turned on the shower and let the water slowly turn from cold to warm as it drizzled down her body. When she finished, she pulled on a tank top and some cheap pajama pants and climbed into her small bed. She stared at the ceiling and fell asleep thinking, Stupid Malfoy. Stupid, stupid Malfoy…
X
Hermione woke up and sighed. She went to her wardrobe and took out a light blue sweater with jeans. She tugged them onto her body and went to the bathroom to brush her hair and her teeth. Looking at her reflection, she sighed again. Today was going to be a long day.
X
Hermione looked up at the huge iron gates in front of her. On it were two Ms intricately weaved together. The gate was unlocked, so she just pushed it open and walked up to the large wooden door. I can't believe I'm actually doing this. Hermione thought to herself. She rang the doorbell and a strict looking old woman opened the door. "What do you want?" she asked impatiently.
"I'm here to see Draco Malfoy," Hermione replied somewhat nervously.
"Another one night stand he didn't call, eh?" Hermione heard the old woman say under her breath. "Hold on." The woman turned away and closed the door. In a moment, she was back again. "Follow me," she said, walking briskly away. Hermione rushed in and closed the door, following the woman through a huge hall with large paintings on either side. All of the paintings were of previous Malfoys. Apparently, cold grey eyes and platinum blonde hair ran in the family. Under every painting was a little golden plaque that said the birth and death date of the person and the name.
The woman suddenly stopped and Hermione nearly bumped into her. She knocked on a door and called in, "Sir? May we enter?"
A muffled, "Yes," was heard and the woman opened the door and bowed her head. Sitting behind a big oak desk with his feet propped up on it was Draco Malfoy. The desk his feet rested on was cluttered and messy. "What do you want?" he asked.
"She wants to speak to you, sir," the woman said, keeping her head bowed.
"You are dismissed," he said. The woman walked out and shut the door behind her. The heavy thud the door made when it closed sounded to Hermione like a "no-turning-back-now" kind of thud. Like a "this-is-it" kind of thud. "Well? What are you here for, Mudblood?" he asked.
"I came to see if the proposition is still open," she said, glaring.
"How much do you want?" Draco drawled out lazily.
"What makes you think that this is for the money?" Hermione snapped.
"So you just enjoy pretending to be other people's girlfriends then?" he asked sarcastically.
"8,000,000 galleons," Hermione mumbled under her breath.
"What was that? I couldn't quite hear you," he said smirking.
"8,000,000 galleons," Hermione muttered, a bit louder.
"Come again?"
"You heard me perfectly fine, you stupid ferret. I need 8,000,000 galleons," she spat angrily.
"Fine. Consider it done," Draco spoke.
"What?" Hermione was a little bit shocked. He would just give her, the girl he's hated since he was eleven, that kind of money?
"Are you deaf and stupid? I said that I would give it too you," he said.
"Oh. Well… ok then." Hermione turned around to go when Draco called to her, "Dinner's at seven thirty."
"What?" Hermione said dumbly for the second time as she spun around to face him.
"Dinner's at seven thirty with my mother. We're going to the Starlight Wand," he repeated impatiently.
The Starlight Wand? Does he mean the famously expensive restaurant? Hermione contemplated.
"Wear an evening gown, preferably purple or lavender." Draco's voice broke Hermione out of her thoughts.
"Lavender?" she asked. She looked at him. He didn't look gay.
Draco noticed Hermione's meaningful glance. "My mother likes those colors," he said simply.
"Right…" Hermione replied. Who knew the famous Draco Malfoy was a Mamma's Boy? She mused to herself. Suddenly, Hermione's minimum wage job flashed in her mind. "Draco, I'm a waitress. I don't have an evening gown, lavender or not."
Draco sighed. "Shit. Then we'll have to go shopping."
Hermione couldn't resist. "Are you sure you're not gay?"
"Shut up, Mudblood," Draco snapped. He grabbed her wrist and pulled her, a little bit roughly, out of the room, down the hallway, and out of the manor.
As soon as they stepped onto the path leading to the gate, Draco apparated and took Hermione with him. They appeared in front of a fancy store. In the windows were dresses that were hovering and filled out as if some invisible, perfectly shaped woman were wearing them. The dresses were elegant and beautiful and looked like they cost a fortune. They practically radiated "look! I'm too good for you!" at every woman passing by. Of course, this is exactly where Draco dragged Hermione in search of a purple or lavender evening gown.
After much trying on, lots of arguing, and an amazing amount of exasperated sighs, both of them agreed on a dress. It was light lavender with a flower attached to where the strap met the bodice. The fabric for the dress was silky and felt like water when you stroked it. It hugged all of her curves and started to spread out at her hips, reaching a little bit below her ankles.
"It's amazing," Hermione breathed. She swished around again and again in front of the mirror and watched as the dress floated around her body like water.
"It's great, but now we need to do your hair, get you shoes, some jewelry, and maybe some make up…" Draco counted off all the things that still needed to be done. Hermione sighed and changed back into her casual clothes while Draco took the dress and paid for it. At the counter, the cashier woman said, "You are lucky. She is very beautiful." Draco replied with a polite, if somewhat sarcastic "Thank you" and took the now paid for dress back to Hermione.
One by one, all of the things that Draco had said she needed done was done. He brought her to a shoe store first, where she got a pair of shiny silver high heels with a lot of thin straps, then to the jewelry shop, where she got a silver necklace with a matching silver bracelet and a pair of gorgeous earrings. Finally, at around an hour before the dinner, he made her change into the dress and then dragged her to a beauty salon where she managed to get out with only her hair done and a very slight amount of make up. However, when she got up to leave, the beautician caught a glimpse of her hands and feet and decided to give her a free pedicure and manicure out of pity.
When Draco came back (in a suit and tie, of course), he was slightly shocked by what he saw. Hermione looked stunning and almost ethereal. Her hair was done up in an elegant bun with some wavy strands hanging down against her neck and long strands of hair framing her face. The necklace accented her slender features, as did the rest of the jewelry, and her face seemed to glow a natural color that went well with her hazel eyes.
Hermione caught Draco staring. "Do I look weird?" she asked, taking him in at the same time. He looked unbelievable, like some incredibly handsome male model.
"Nothing," Draco replied. "It's time to go. Dinner starts in fifteen minutes." They both walked out of the beauty salon. Hermione let Draco apparate them to the restaurant. Hermione figured, if she tried, she would probably land badly and break her ankle because of the gorgeous yet dangerous shoes she was wearing. Before they left, though, Draco held out his arm. Hermione looked at it stupidly. "Put your arm around mine, mudblood. I need to make it look like we're a couple from entrance to exit or my mother is going to keep setting me up on stupid dates with outrageously idiotic women."
"Oh," Hermione said, entwining her arm around his. She felt like Cinderella, standing there in a beautiful dress next to a handsome guy, but quite out of place.
They apparated in front of the restaurant and walked in. "May I help you?" the waiter said.
"Yes. I have a table under Malfoy," Draco said coolly.
He looked at a clipboard. "Right away, sir," he said, leading them to a table by a large fountain. "Would you like anything to drink?"
"A bottle of wine please. Aged," Draco said.
"And a glass of water," Hermione piped in.
"As soon as possible, sir," the waiter said, bowing and walking away.
A few moments later, a blond woman came and sat down. She was wearing a black dress. "Draco, dear, is this Hermione Granger again?"
"Yes, mother."
"Hermione, what a pleasure it is to meet you again," she smiled, turning toward Hermione.
"You too, Mrs. Malfoy," Hermione replied politely.
"Hermione, you look absolutely stunning!" Narcissus cried. "How lucky Draco is to have you! Who are your parents, dear?"
"I'm… uh…" Hermione shot a look at Draco. His look back said, "Not the truth!" so Hermione went on, "My parents are muggles actually."
"Oh! Are you that smart young girl that Draco couldn't stand in Hogwarts?" Narcissus said.
"Yes, Mrs. Malfoy," Hermione looked back at Draco to see him glaring at her.
"Good for you, Draco. I told you all that pureblood/mudblood stuff was nonsense. Looks like it finally got through!"
"Yes, mother," Draco replied grudgingly.
The rest of the dinner went on without anything major happening, but every once in while, when Narcissus wasn't looking, Draco would shoot an almost murderous look at Hermione. Hermione couldn't wait for what would come after dinner, when Narcissus left and Draco would confront her outright about her answer to the question about her parents. In fact, Hermione was almost looking forward to it…
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A/N: Yay! Second chappie up! Argh, i know it's been forever. Anyway, it's a little boring and the end is kind of pathetic… oh well. Expect crying, yelling, and some of the past to be revealed in the next chapter. R&R and i'll give you a purple cookie!