At the rehearsal dinner, Draco left Hermione's side while she went off to speak to friends. He walked up to his old friends as well.
"Hello, Blaise." He grinned as his friend turned around. His wife, Pansy, was hanging on his arm, as usual. Now, those two were two Slytherins in love.
"Hullo, Draco. Never thought you'd hook up with Granger." He grinned. "And to think, she was really the Drake girl…" He shook his head. "Weird."
He nodded. "Could I talk to you a moment?" His gaze swept briefly in the direction of Pansy.
Blaise nodded. "Sure." He looked over at his wife, and whispered something in her ear, and she laughed and nodded. Marriage had truly changed them both.
They walked over to a secluded corner of the room, and Blaise gave his friend a strange look. "What's with you? Pre-wedding jitters? Odd, since it's an arranged marriage, and you being you."
"Ha ha, very funny, Blaise. It's more important than that."
At his friend's serious tone, Blaise's face lost it's teasing demeanor. "What is it? You still hate each other?"
He shook his head. "I feel weird. I… it's like I feel like I have to protect her from everything. It's like I just want to be better than I ever was, because I feel she deserves it. I've felt this way for weeks." He looked at his friend with a pleading face. "What's wrong with me?"
And Blaise just laughed. He laughed so hard, he had to put his champagne glass down on a nearby small table. He eventually stopped, and when he saw Draco's face, he almost laughed again. He looked so confused. "Now, that's something I never in a million years thought would happen to you!"
"What?" He was more confused than ever.
"No one ever predicted Draco Malfoy would even date a Gryffindor, much less one he thought a Mudblood, even if she wasn't really. No one ever predicted you'd marry one. No one ever even guessed what else happened."
"What the bloody hell are you talking about?" Draco demanded.
"You're in love, dear boy," he said, patting his friend on the back, laughing, though not so hard this time.
And he felt something draining from him, pooling around his feet. "Wha-what did you just say?"
"You heard me," Blaise told him, a smug smile on his face. "You've fallen for Miss Hermione Drake. Soon to be Mrs. Draco Malfoy, in case you haven't forgotten. Your wedding is in the morning."
"Oh God." At Blaise's nod, suddenly the sinking feeling went away, replaced with a light, lifting feeling of flight. "I love her. I love her."
He nodded again. "Congratulations. You just figured it out 12 hours before you two get married."
Draco had already run off to find Hermione.
"Hermione." He didn't care that Harry, Ron, and Ginny were standing right next to her. He stood directly in front of her. "I have to tell you something." He never gave the others a second glance.
"But…" She looked at his serious gaze, then at her confused friends. She started to tell them to go, so they could talk alone.
He shook his head. "No. They can listen if they want. I don't care if they hear what I have to say." All that matters is that you do.
"What do you want to tell me, then?" Her eyes searched his, confused as her friends.
"I didn't realize it before, but just now, I knew. Just so suddenly. And I had to tell you. I had to tell you this."
"Tell me what?" She was beginning to be a little scared. Whatever it was, he felt very passionate about it.
"I love you."
Hermione's jaw dropped, her eyes wide, and she attempted to find words. "You what?"
Harry, Ron, and Ginny reacted the same way. "He loves her? "
Draco nodded. "Yes."
"Oh. Um." She blinked. "I know I should be saying something. But. Er. I'm. Um. I'm in a bit of shock here."
He shook his head. "No. I don't expect you to say anything. I just had to tell you." He was cradling her face in his hands. "I just had to," he murmured.
She smiled softly, and nodded as he walked away. Draco was floating on a cloud, leaving the rest of them shell-shocked.