Disclaimer; I own nothing!
A/N Well here is a short chapter, it's not quite what I wanted but I was completely stuck for ideas until late tonight which is when I banged this chapter out. I know it is short, but hopefully it is leading to something. I don't know if I will have another chapter next week but I sure will try. Thanks all for keeping me motivated. Happy reading and don't forget to review!
Another Deal
They spent the rest of the shopping trip in silence before meeting Hermione's parents back at the car.
"Everything alright?" Katherine asked as the pair got into the back seat.
"It's fine mum." Hermione replied putting on a fake smile. To be honest she had not felt this terrible in a long time. Draco was short with her and had not spoken two words to her since then. They rode back to the Granger's house quietly with Hermione's mum looking back every once and a while. By the time they got back it was very late and a heavy snow had begun to fall. Richard and Draco carried the many packages in the house and set them in the foyer. Hermione pushed her way past her dad and Draco and ran up to her bedroom slamming the door.
"What's going on?" Richard asked Draco. He shrugged his shoulders.
"I don't know." he said. "I'll go find out." He took off up the stairs and found Hermione's bedroom door shut and locked.
"Hermione…Hermione open the door." He pressed his ear to the door but heard nothing.
"Hermione, if you don't open up I will open it myself." he told her reaching into his jeans pocket and pulling out his wand. Still Hermione didn't open the door.
"Alright, you asked for it…alohamora!" he said and heard the tiny lock pop open. He quickly pushed the door open and found Hermione lying in bed, eyes red and puffy.
"Didn't you hear me Hermione?" he asked. She turned her head towards the opposite wall.
"Oh…I see. The silent treatment." he said softly.
"What do you expect Draco?" Hermione said finally breaking her silence. "You acted like a jerk in the marketplace."
"Me? You were the one talking for me like I was a child!"
"I didn't realize it bothered you so much!" Hermione replied back.
"Well it does. I knew this trip was a mistake." he said exasperated.
"So go if you think it was such a mistake. No one is keeping you here." she said starting to sob again.
"Do you want me to go?" he said throwing his wand on the ground causing it to shoot several gold sparks.
"I…uh, I don't care what you do." she sobbed.
Draco sat on the bed next to her and thought for a moment. He didn't want to go back to Hogwarts alone, but also he didn't want to be walked all over.
"Do you want me to leave?" he asked softly again.
"No." she said in a quiet voice.
He leaned over and kissed her on the forehead before bending over and picking up his wand.
"Let's go downstairs." he said extending his hand for her to grab. She took his hand and wiped her eyes. Hermione grabbed her wand took away the swelling and redness so her parents wouldn't know she had been crying.
"I'm sorry." she said to him pulling him into a hug. Instinctively he wrapped his arms around her and hugged back.
"It's okay. I over reacted. You didn't know it bothered me."
"Let's just forget it happened okay? Dinner should be ready soon." she told him as they walked hand in hand down the steps. Hermione's dad looked suspiciously at her red rimmed eyes but said nothing. They ate the delicious meal Mrs. Granger prepared and chatted back and forth for a short while before Hermione helped her mother clear the dishes. Hermione brought tea in for everyone but just before she poured it the doorbell rang.
"I'll get it mum." she said heading for the front door.
"Who is it Hermione?" her father called.
"I'm not to the door yet!" she called back. But nothing could have prepared Hermione for the shock that awaited her on the other side. She looked out the side window and saw a tall man with dark hair on the other side of the door. The wind was whipping his robes around his body quite furiously. Behind him a short dark haired girl stood shivering in frilly pink robes. Hermione opened the door and a gust of wind hit her in the face.
"Cccann I hhellp you?" she said teeth chattering.
"Yes." said the man. "I am looking for Draco Malfoy. I was told he was spending the holidays here."
"Uh, yes he is. May I tell him who is calling?" she asked.
"Yes, I am Gerard Parkinson, this is my daughter Pansy. I believe you both go to Hogwarts." he said in a genial way. The dark haired girl shuffled out from behind her father and smiled in a sickingly sweet way.
"Oh, uh…yes. Step inside and I will fetch him." she replied. She walked as if in a dream back to the dining room where her parents and Draco seemed to be getting on fine.
"Uh, Draco…someone is here for you." she whispered.
"Me?" he asked "Someone is here for me? Who?" he asked. Hermione motioned for him to step away from her parents who he was sure would not approve.
"Gerard Parkinson and Pansy." she said firmly but in a low tone.
"What?" he asked again. He was sure he had not heard her correctly.
"You heard me. What in the name of Merlin are they doing here?" she asked.
"I have no idea. But let's find out." he said leading her into the sitting room where the guests were waiting.
"Mr. Parkinson, Pansy, I can't imagine why you would be visiting me over the holidays like this but it is totally inappropriate." he told them.
"Draco, son. So nice to see you again. Imagine my surprise when Pansy here told me you were spending the holidays with muggles. But here you are."
Hermione had the feeling he was about to call her a mudblood but refrained in the vain attempt to seem civil.
"My girlfriend invited me to spend the holidays with her family and I thought it would be a good idea to get to know them. Why does it matter to you?" he asked.
"Well we have some business to attend to. Would you accompany me back to our home where we could be more…comfortable?" he said snidely.
"No you can speak to me here. What business would I have with you?" Draco asked.
"Well, I would think your upcoming wedding would be on your mind first and foremost."
Draco nearly choked.
"What?" he spat.
"Your father never told you?" Gerard asked.
"Told me what?"
"That you are betrothed to Pansy? I'm sure he would have mentioned it." he said pondering.
"WHAT IN THE NAME OF MERLIN ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT?" Draco yelled.
"When you were born Pansy was a few months old. Your father and I made an unbreakable vow that you and Pansy would marry as soon as you were done with school. Since there are only six months left I figured we would proceed with the plans."
"Lucius is dead. Not that it would matter but the vow means nothing to me and I am not about to marry her." he said quickly.
"You don't have a choice!" Pansy whined. "Daddy you said he had too!"
"Actually the particular vow we made supersedes death. You will marry her." Gerard said firmly.
"I will not. There is nothing you can do to me. I have disowned even being related to that monster and I would no sooner marry Pansy than marry the giant squid in the black lake."
"DADDY!" she whined.
"Pansy darling he will marry you."
"Maybe you didn't hear me right." Draco started. "I will not marry her. I am in love with this beautiful girl who is sitting next to me and nothing will jeopardize my relationship with her." Hermione smirked in a very Draco-like way at Mr. Parkinson and Pansy.
"Draco, if you don't fulfill the contract you will die. That's the way it works. This is not negotiable. I expect you to end this travesty with this…mudblood, and spend the rest of the holidays with our family making wedding plans. My daughter has endured endless taunts from her peers due to your poor judgment. You will make this right for her when you return to Hogwarts." he said in a Lucius type way. Draco stood up to face him.
"I will not!" he replied standing toe to toe with Mr. Parkinson. "There is nothing you can do to force me to marry that cow! I will speak to ministry officials and sort this all out. For now, get out of this house!" Mr. Parkinson walked towards the door with Pansy in tow. She was sniffing and tears were running from her eyes. Hermione briefly felt sorry for her. Thinking she would marry Draco all of her life and then to see Draco with Hermione all year long would be hard. Draco ushered them out quickly and shut the door behind them. He looked back to Hermione and didn't know what to say. Hermione's parents were standing in the hallway apparently listening to the entire conversation. Her mother walked over to her and put her arm over her daughter's shoulders.
"Mum, it's fine. It's handled." she said.
"What was that all about? Who was that man?" Katherine asked.
"A friend of my father's. Apparently my father arranged a marriage with his daughter before he died. I told him I was not interested and he could forget it. I am in love with your daughter and that was that"
Katherine gave him a weak smile. Hermione's dad however was not as easily pacified.
"You are engaged then?" he asked.
"No Mr. Granger. My father was insane to think I would go along with that." Draco said.
"He will sort it all out dad. Let's go back in the dining room and finish our tea." she said desperately trying to diffuse the situation before her dad went postal.
"That sounds lovely." her mother said apparently thinking the same thing as her daughter. Richard stood up and walked into the dining room without another word.
"I am so sorry about that." Draco whispered to Hermione when her parents left the room. "I never thought my father would do that, even though he was an ass most of my life I didn't think he would try to stick me with that cow."
"It's fine. We can sort it out after the holidays. Let's just go enjoy our tea and forget about it for the rest of our break." she said kissing him lightly on the nose. He smiled back at her and grabbed her hand hoping that this whole thing would blow over. Hermione bit her lip nervously hoping the very same thing.