Chapter 4- September 1
Never did Hermione ever feel this jittery, with the exception of her wedding day. She lay down stiffly beside Draco, and turned around, her back facing him. She tried to calm herself, telling her sub-conscious that it was a new year. A new world.
I mean, she did marry Draco Malfoy after-all.
She smiled softly at this thought. She married the last person she ever considered to marry. She gently pushed herself up, and turned to observe his slumbering form. He was much more likeable in his sleep. She stifled a smile at the thought of his reaction if she would tell him her observation.
Draco Malfoy, she had to admit, had grown on her.
Even with his smart-arse comments, or his horrid temper, he became more then a business agreement. 'Not that I would ever tell him that,' Hermione thought, turning away quickly, berating herself for her loose thinking.
She swung her legs to the other side of the bed slowly, careful not to wake Draco from his sleep. After successfully freeing herself from his grip, she tiptoed her way out the door, and walked down the stairs, heading to the kitchen for a cup of tea.
What she found however was something she wasn't expecting.
"Lucius?" Hermione asked incredulously. "What are you doing up so early in the morning?"
"Oh, Hermione. Just in time. I've been trying to make myself a cup of tea. With you being gone for most of the year, I've realized that I should learn how to brew my own cup, as to not hassle Cissy with my incessant cravings for earl gray." Lucius explained, sipping from the mug Hermione gave him for Christmas last year.
"I'm proud to say, I've gotten better at it. It now tastes more like tea, and not like hot water. Yet, in my perspective, tea usually does taste like hot water, which makes me wonder whether my first attempt was near perfect, if that's what tea is supposed to taste like." Lucius observed, putting down the mug, and straightening his white blonde hair with his hands.
"Now, with my explanation finished, I may ask you the same question, Hermione. You're not to leave in another 4 hours." Lucius said, yet seemed that he could not care less about her reasons for waking up at this ungodly hour.
"I just… came here to get an early breakfast." Hermione said. Lucius nodded in thought, taking another sip from his tea. "Draco's still asleep, so I thought—"
"Ah, yes. My dear, oblivious son." Lucius said. Hermione looked at her father-in- law with a raised brow.
"Please note, Hermione, that my son is slightly dim when it comes to women. Just forgive him when he does something dreadfully stupid." Lucius said. Hermione was stunned speechless by Lucius' statement. She didn't feel all that hungry anymore.
"I... I…"
"No need to speak, Hermione. I'm very much aware of your feelings for one another." Hermione snapped her head back to her father-in-law, ignoring the horrid whip-lash it gave her as a result.
"You've surely been mistaken, Lucius. Draco and I hold no romantic feelings for one another whatsoever, how could you possibly assume that—"
"I never said they were romantic." Lucius commented flippantly, covering up his smirk with his teacup. Hermione's face burned, before viciously biting her passion fruit to hide it.
She looked at the fruit contemplatively as another round of silence occurred. It was obvious Lucius meant for this to happen. Maybe to allow her to reflect on this newly found assumption that she held more than platonic feelings for the blonde ferret.
That's absurd. I couldn't possibly want something more than a platonic marriage with him…
She put down the fruit and sighed.
"I think I'll go upstairs, Lucius. Wake up Draco and all." Hermione said, standing up from her place in the stool.
"Do as you wish, Hermione." Lucius said, finishing his cup of tea. "Please inform Cissy that I'll be in the gardens till your departure." Lucius said, and without another word of farewell, left the brunette to do as she pleased.
Hermione walked up the marble steps of the Malfoy Manor in silence, her mind wandering off to the odd conversation she just shared with Lucius.
She opened the door to their (Her and Draco's) bedroom, and found her husband sprawled across his side of the bed, his arm around the pillow Hermione tucked beside him in her place. Hermione smiled gently and took out her wand, shrinking their trunks. She spared Draco one last look, before heading to the bathroom to take a shower.
(Insert Break-line here)
Draco opened his eyes slowly, his hand reaching across him instinctively, only to feel the smooth fabric of Hermione's pillow. He groaned as he turned to check where she might be.
Bloody Hell, what time is it?
Draco checked the clock and threw himself out of bed.
"Merlin, we're going to miss the train…" Draco muttered, rushing to the bathroom.
Locked.
"Granger! Granger, hurry up!" Draco said, banging on the door. He heard the water turn off and a few mumbled curse words. Draco scowled and turned around childishly when the door opened, waiting for Hermione to tell him it was safe to look.
"Why didn't you wake me earlier?" Draco said with a frown. Hermione just shrugged her shoulders and replaced the towel wrapped around her form with a bathrobe.
Draco raced into the bathroom and quickly took a shower, towel drying his hair viciously and clumsily putting on his forest green robe. He took a quick glance at his watch. 10:34 AM. He cursed and threw the towel, thinking it did all that it could do.
"Granger! We're surely going to miss the train at this rate." He said, flinging himself off the banister in record time. Hermione rolled her eyes and adjusted her hair, smoothing down her crimson red robe. Draco looked at her for a while and scoffed.
"Nice of you to show you're house spirit, Granger." He mused. Hermione raised an eyebrow.
"Speak for yourself, Draco." She said with a small smirk. She put on her hat and walked down the stairs calmly. Draco crossed his arms over his chest like a petulant child. Hermione smiled in amusement.
"Someone's excited for their first day of school, I presume." Hermione teased, dutifully taking Draco's arm, as she restrained him from running. Draco scowled.
"I am not 'excited'. I'm just trying to get there before the bloody train leaves without us." Hermione chuckled softly and cast Draco an amused glance.
"Well, before we leave, we need to pass by the gardens and say good-bye to Lucius and Narcissa. You know what they'd say if we didn't." Hermione reasoned. Draco groaned in frustration, before complying and heading towards the gardens.
(Insert Break-line here)
"Ah, there they are." Narcissa commented, having seen Hermione and Draco appear at the entrance of the terrace.
"We'll be leaving now Mother, Father. We'll owl you when we get there. See you both during Christmas." Draco said before pulling Hermione with him. Hermione shot Lucius and Narcissa an apologetic smile, before waving her farewell.
Narcissa smiled and turned to Lucius.
"Do you hear that, Lucius?" Narcissa asked. Lucius raised a brow and looked at his wife questioningly.
"Hear what, my dear?"
"The little pitter-patter of my future grand-children's feet."
AN: That's chapter 4 for you. :D I hope you enjoyed it. I hope you leave me review or two. Sorry this took so long to post. They'll be in Hogwarts in the next chapter. So, look forward to that!
See you all when I see you! Thanks to those who reviewed, I really appreciate it.
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Miss. Serendipity