Author's Notes: Thanks to everyone who reviewed, I hope you like this chapter. Don't forget to review!

-Stephanie

November 29, 2006

A Midnight Oath

Draco woke up to the smell of Hermione's hair tickling his nose and the looming thought of what he was going to tell her today. He didn't how she was going to respond but he had to tell her soon or it would be too late. He crawled out of bed without waking her, showered and dressed. He paced around her room, waiting for her to wake, and was relieved when she sleepily opened her eyes sometime later. She looked surprised to see he already dressed and waiting for her as it was only about 8 o'clock in the morning.

She put her hand over her eyes to block out the sunlight and said "What are you doing Malfoy. It's so early, why are you already dressed?"

"I have something important to talk to you about." He said with a grave look on his face.

"Alright" She said "Just let me get changed first." She was interested to know what he needed to talk to her about. He had looked so grim and serious that she was a bit worried.

Draco paced impatiently outside of the bathroom door waiting for her to come out. He bit back a snappy comment as she stepped out and took her time in going downstairs. Once she had the coffee brewed and two cups were sitting in front of them at the kitchen Draco began what he dreaded telling her.

He took a deep breath. "I received a letter from my father yesterday. I don't know how he knows that I am here but he does. I guess he has people watching me, it doesn't surprise me at all you know." He said bitterly.

Hermione's brown eyes were wide as she prompted him "What did the letter say exactly?"

Draco did not want to delve into this part but knew he had to "It basically stated in simple terms that if I did not return within two days he was going to come and return me himself. I know that if I don't return and take this dark mark that he is going to kill me Hermione."

He had called her Hermione for the first time in his life and this made her all ears to what he had to say because she knew it was important and from the look on his face she also knew he wasn't threw with the bad news.

"I need your help. I would never ask this of you if my life wasn't on the line…." He said.

"Ask me what?" She urged "How can I help you with this?"

He sighed, wondering how best to tell her this. "There is one way to make sure my father doesn't come after me and that's to get him to disown me, to cut off all legal ties and connections to me. I only know one what that can be done and that is to marry someone who is not of pureblood. Hermione I'm asking you if you will marry me to save my life" He looked up at her and his eyes held pleading and for the first time no hint of malice.

Hermione couldn't even speak she was so shocked. She finally yanked her jaw open and managed to say "Are you crazy Malfoy? You think I'll marry you?"

"Its not that I want this you know? Listen I'm trying to save my life. If I don't do this he'll kill me. I know what my fathers capable of." Draco said his face dead serious.

Hermione had wanted him to cry "joking" but she knew he wouldn't from the look on his face "This is insane Malfoy. I can't believe you expect me to marry you?"

"It has to be you Hermione. You're the only mudblood I know who I could even ask" He knew after he said this that it was completely the wrong thing to do.

She looked at him at him and her normally warm brown eyes looked like icy daggers. She swept past him without a word, grabbed her coat and walked outside. Tears started pouring down her face as she hit the front porch. She was in turmoil over everything. Over what to do, over her feelings for Malfoy, just over everything. Hermione had no idea what to do. She wanted to help him but she hated the thought of having to marry him when she knew he probably felt nothing for her. She was actually started to develop feelings for him and he probably just thought of her as a playtoy.

Hermione sat on her front porch for at least an hour. Her cheeks were rosy from the cold and her hands were numb when she heard footsteps behind her. She turned to see Draco behind her with his held down "I'm sorry Hermione. I'm sorry I even asked. I should have expected this."

He turned to go back in the house when he heard a small "I'll do it" from behind him. Draco walked back over to her and said "What?"

"I'll do it." She said with more conviction, trying to stop the threatening tears from coming again. "But know that I am only doing this because it's necessary and because it's to save your life."

"Thank you." He said simply. "You should come inside now. You look frozen."

Hermione nodded and realized that she was indeed freezing cold. She followed him into the living room and sat down in her green chair.

"Malfoy how are we going to do this? We can't go to a church and get married you know? The legal Muggle age is eighteen not seventeen." She said, already regretting her decision and wondering what rash plan he had.

"I know. I wasn't planning on getting married at a Muggle church. That wouldn't be a legal wizarding handfasting anyways, but we don't have time for one of those. We will have to perform the Matrimonium Iugum Oath. It's an old form of magic that the Romans used to perform. When the husband was going off to war and there was no time for a proper wedding, they would perform the Matrimonium Iugum Oath which would bind there souls together. It can be done quickly and without a blessing from someone."

Hermione's bookish side perked up "I think I've heard of that before. How is it performed? "It has to be performed at midnight on the full moon which is tomorrow. A circle will be made around us with a white candle to represent air on the east, a Red candle to represent Fire on the south, a bowl of brine to represent Water on the west, and a bowl of stones on the north represent Earth. We will have to each take one of our hairs and wrap it around the other person ring finger. We then hold hands and invoke the elements. After that the bond is formed and it is considered a legal marriage. The ministry will of course know it immediately once the bond has been sealed and my father will then disown me."

Hermione took her head in her hands "Tonight? Are you sure?"

Draco nodded his head "It had to be tonight. It can only be done at the full moon."

"I can't believe I'm doing this…." Hermione said, biting her lip painfully.

At 11:30 that night, after her parents were asleep Hermione found herself in the bathroom getting ready. She had chosen to wear a dressy pair of jeans, a black sweater and a pair of black heels. She thought she might want to dress up a little for her wedding. Her hair was free of the pony tail and fell down her back in wild curls. Draco had already set up all the necessary elements that they needed for the ceremony. Hermione was grateful her parents like candles, or else she have had to make a trip to the store.

Hermione sighed and walked out into the biting cold to find Draco pacing outside and looking at his watch. They had already memorized the words they were supposed to speak to invoke the bond and now all they had to do was the waiting. She walked over to him and stood next to him and they both waited silently. Hermione looked up at the huge silver white orb that was the moon. It was completely round and for a brief moment she thought of Professor Lupin.

At 11:59 Hermione readied herself for the first part and began as the watch flicked to 12. She took his hand, turned to the east and recited. "Blessed be by the element of air. May we be blessed with communication, intellectual growth, and wisdom."

Draco then turned toward the south and said "Blessed be by the element of fire. May we be blessed with harmony, vitality, creativity, and passion.

They both in turn turned towards the North and West and blessed them as well. When they were finished Hermione was shocked to see that all the elements had started to glow and seemed to hum with an electric like energy of their own.

She took a deep breath. The big part was next. Her and Draco both broke off a hair and she wrapped her's around Draco's finger and he in turn wrapped his around her finger. They then interlocked there hands and repeated in unison their vows invoke the joining.

"You cannot possess me, for I belong to myself.
But while we both wish it,
I give you that which is mine to give,

I pledge to you that yours will be the name I cry aloud in
the night, and the eyes into which I smile in the morning."

This is the vow I make to you.
This is the union of equals"

As the last words were spoken Hermione felt a shock run through her fingers and Draco's. A low hum of energy had filled the air and her hand felt as if it was glowing with a life of her own and she looked down to see it shining silver white in the night. She began to grow afraid and tried to let go but she couldn't. Her arm was held in place by the magic. Before she could really start to panic it was over. She and Draco were thrown back onto the frozen ground by some unseen force.

The breath was knocked out of her and she took deep gasping breaths struggling to sit up. When she looked down at her hand she received a shock. Where Draco's thin silvery blonde strand of hair had been was now a silver band that looked as if it had been tattooed into her skin. She felt it in wonder and flexed her hand that still seemed to be thrumming with some sort of elemental magic.

She looked over at Draco and saw that he too was examining his hand in fascination. "What is this?" She asked indicating the band on her ring finger.

"I don't know" He spoke honestly. "I never read about this happening."

"What do you mean you don't know?" She said picking herself up from the ground.

"I mean exactly what I said. I didn't know anything about the silver band."

Hermione shivered in the night air. "Let's go inside. I'm freezing."

They padded up her carpeted steps quietly so as not to wake her parents and softly shut her door. Hermione immediately collapsed on her bed, her mind raging with thoughts. She was married to Draco Malfoy. The Draco Malfoy was her husband. What had she gotten herself into? She didn't know what she was going to do about her feelings for him. She knew he didn't feel the same way about her and it was killing her inside. Hermione knew she could never tell him how she felt without being scorned and mocked.

Draco mind was in just as much confusion. He couldn't believe he was married to Hermione Granger and also couldn't believe that when he said those words in his mind he felt…….happy. He didn't know what to do about his feelings. At some moments he hated everything about her but at other moments like right now, he wanted to take her body in his arms and explore every part of her.

Hermione sighed and went to change into her pajamas and wash her face. How was she going to tell Ron and Harry the news? They would be furious? I guess I'll break the news on the train and tell Draco to hide while Harry has time to cool down she thought grimly.

She and Draco mentioned nothing about there new status as a married couple and fell asleep in silence.

It was that Saturday morning that Draco received the rudest awakening of his life. He yelped in surprise as a strong pair of hands yanked him out of bed and threw bodily him onto the floor. His body reacted immediately and he was ready to fight back when he saw the snarling face of Mr. Granger.

"What the hell are you doing in my daughter's bed?"

Hermione started to wake up too at the sound of her father's angry tones and her brown eyes grew wide.

"Dad stop! It's not what you think it is!" Hermione said, panicking.

"Hermione what do you mean it's not what I think it is. I come in here to wake you up to see if you want to go with me and your mother to breakfast and I find a strange boy in your bed?" Her father was apoplectic with rage and Hermione could see why.

Tears were starting to form in her eyes as she said "Dad this is Draco Malfoy and please let me explain. He needed to stay here…."

He cut her off and sputtered in rage "Draco Malfoy!? Isn't this the boy you used to tell me terrorized you? What is he doing in my house?"

Draco took a deep breath and began to speak, still on the floor "Mr. Granger sir, I'm sorry about this. It's all my fault."

Draco stopped speaking when all he got as a thunderous glare from her father and Hermione said "Dad come on. Let's go downstairs before you do anything rash and I'll explain before the whole story."

She gave Draco an apologetic glance as she led her father down the stairs.

"Let's get your mother Hermione. I think she needs to hear this as well." Hermione grimaced at the thought but nodded her head.

She finally got the both of them to sit down at the kitchen table with three cups of coffee and she launched into the story and was starting to tell the part about the marriage when her father exploded.

"MARRIED!?" He screamed in rage, his body trembling.

"Yes Dad but please calm down. Like I said it's not what you think." Her mother put a hand on her fathers shoulder to calm him down as she finished her story.

Her Mothers eyes had filled with tears and her father looked so disappointed. She would have rather him be screaming again than to see the disappointment emanating from him and her mothers eyes.

Her mother stood up and came around the table to hug her "Oh sweetheart. My baby girl. I can't believe you've gotten married…." Mrs. Granger was then overcome by tears and couldn't say anything else.

Her father stood up and walked into the living room silently and just stood there. Hermione walked after him and put her hand on his shoulder, her eyes glistening with tears. "Dad I'm so sorry, but you have to realize I didn't this to save his life. He was going to die if I didn't help him Dad."

Her father looked at her and then his shoulders hunched and he pulled her into a hug. "I love you so much sweetheart. I just don't want to see you hurt."

"I know Dad. I love you too. Don't worry about me, its going to be okay. Draco really is decent if you get to know him. He really isn't like he uses to be. Just give him a chance."

Her father nodded his head, looking slightly angry at the mention of Draco again.

Hermione walked back in the kitchen to her mother. Mrs. Granger gave her a watery smile and Hermione said "Why don't you make some of you're famous waffles mom? Draco told me yesterday that he admired you're cooking."

Mrs. Granger looked on the verge of tears again but gulped them back and said "Alright honey I will. Bring him down to eat breakfast with us, will you?"

"Sure Mom." She said softly over her shoulder on her way upstairs to get Draco.

He was sitting on her bed and looking very grumpy. "Well" he snapped. "Is your father going to come back up here and finish me off?"

Hermione smiled a little guiltily "I'm sorry about that. I've just always been his little girl and seeing me in bed with some man beside me sort of sent him over the edge. I told him everything and he's not very happy. I would advice being on your best behavior from here on out. Here let me see your back."

"Everything?" Draco said alarmingly as he pulled up his shirt to reveal his bruised back. "You told them about us being married?" Hermione ran her fingertips over the scarred skin and he shivered at her touch before she pulled away quickly and healed his wounds.

"I figured now was better than later. They would find out anyways somehow. My mother and father want you to have breakfast with us." Hermione said, eyeing him.

Draco blanched "Have breakfast with your father when he wants nothing more than to kill me?"

"He doesn't want to kill you Draco. Just remember to be really polite and call him sir." She said looking sternly at him.

Draco nodded. He dressed carefully wanting to make a good impression. He picked out his dark wash designer jeans and the black Ralph Lauren polo to wear. Hermione couldn't stop herself from staring at him as he walked out of the bathroom.

"What? Admiring my gorgeous body, are you? Well that's not new." He said, smiling at her cockily.

Hermione rolled her eyes and proceeded down the steps with him to the awaiting smells of waffles and fresh coffee.

Draco was very apprehensive. For some reason he felt like he needed to prove his worth to Mr. Granger and he wasn't sure why. Normally he could care less what some Muggle man thought of him but Hermione's dad was different. He wanted his respect.

Draco received a warm smile from Mrs. Granger when he walked into the kitchen. She was very pretty with honey brown hair and warm coffee just like Hermione's. "Hello Draco. It's nice to meet you. Sit down and I'll get you some breakfast."

Draco smiled at her, taken aback by the kindness in her eyes. "Thank you Mrs. Granger it's nice to meet you too. I'm sorry it had to be in this manner."

Mr. Granger snorted at his last comment and received a quelling look from his wife.

Draco took a seat nervously across from Mr. Granger and waited for Mrs. Granger to bring him his food. Mr. Granger seemed to be inspecting him to see if he passed a test and then said gruffly so no one could hear "Hermione is my baby girl and if you hurt her…."

Draco saw the pain in the older mans eyes and said looked Mr. Granger in the yes and said honestly "Mr. Granger Sir, I would never intentionally hurt your daughter. I may have been cruel to her in the past but I have grown up. I'm sorry I have had to put her and you and your wife through this."

Mr. Granger broke off that thread of conversation as his wife and Hermione came over with the plates of hot waffles and maple syrup. Draco tested out the waffles and they were superb.

"Mrs. Granger these really are delicious. Even our house-elves at home couldn't make waffles this good."

Hermione's mother smiled at him and said "Thank you Draco."

Draco sipped his orange juice and saw out of the corner of his eye that Mr. Granger was still scrutinizing him. At the end of the meal he stood up and said to Draco "I'd like you to take a walk with me. I think we need to talk if that's alright with Hermione?" He turned to his daughter and she was a little surprised but had no objections.

Mrs. Granger nodded her heard but pulled her husband to the corner with a stern look and whispered something in his ear. Hermione suspected she was telling him not to lose his temper.

Draco went to fetch his jacket and met Mr. Granger in the driveway, feeling very nervous. He was oddly intimidated by the older man; despite Mr. Granger's kind countenance he had an aura of strength and control.

Mr. Granger nodded his head at Draco and they started walking down the road through the chilly late morning air. Mr. Granger was silent for a bit until and then finally spoke "I want you to keep in mind what I said about hurting Hermione. She's my everything and I didn't expect to be giving her away to some boy so soon in her life. I wanted to be there at her wedding and you took from me. So just make sure you take care of my Hermione, if I ever find out you've done something to harm her in any way…..you'll have to see to me." He spoke with a measured amount of coolness behind his words.

Normally Draco would have bristled at the threat but coming from Mr. Granger it just humbled him. He knew how much he had hurt him by taking away his little girl without his knowledge. He probably felt betrayed. Draco carefully chose his next words before he spoke "I understand Sir. Like I said before, it wasn't my intention for this to happen and I will do nothing to purposefully harm her, and don't worry me and Hermione have never had any physical relations either, its that's what you're thinking. "

Mr. Granger's face took on a happier look at that last revelation. "She cares for you, you know?" Mr. Granger said and Draco looked at him in surprise. "Hermione would not have done this if she didn't care for you. She isn't the kind to do reckless things like this without good reason. I can see it in her face that she cares for you and you better not mess that up."

Mr. Granger turned around and started to head back home with Draco following in his wake. Warmth had blossomed unexpectedly in his at the older mans words. Maybe Hermione really did have some feelings for him?

They arrived back in the house to find Hermione and her mother having a happy conversation about when Mr. and Mrs. Granger got married. Mr. Granger's father gave Draco a look and said "You get my wife talking about anything even slightly related to weddings and she never shuts up…" He then gave Draco something that was as close to a pleasant look as he was capable of giving at the moment and walked away.

Hermione and Draco spent the day at the house with her parents and someway or another avoided any major confrontations, that is until bedtime came. Hermione and Draco were making there way up to her room when Mr. Granger stopped them.

He looked to Draco and said "What do you think you're doing?"

Draco had no idea what he was talking about but Hermione did and so it seemed did Mrs. Granger. She put a calming had on his arm as Hermione began to speak "Dad its fine. This is where Draco sleeps."

Her father started to protest but Hermione's mother intervened and said in a placating voice "Bill, they are married. There's nothing we can do."

Her father gave Draco a look that kills and stormed into his bedroom, slamming the door.

Mrs. Granger gave her daughter and Draco an "I'm sorry" look and said "It's just going to take him time….."

Hermione shut the door and groaned leaning against it. Weary from the days drain on her emotions. Draco watched her and felt his heart twinge at her pain. For the first time in his life, he felt like putting another persons well being in front of his. Hermione used to be nothing but a mudblood witch him, but now he felt as if a part of him would die if something were to happen to her.

Putting all doubt aside he walked over to her, took her in his arms and kissed her passionately, outpouring of all his emotions and feelings for her with that one simple action.