Disclaimer: nope, no, nein!
A/N: I really appreciate those who took the time to review! I had hoped to generate a bit more excitement about the story with the last chapter; but alas only four of you seemed to enjoy it. Hopefully it'll get better from here on?
thatharrypottergeekychick16 – I'm so happy you like the chapter! And thank you for your reviews – they are so very much loved!
Aria – it made me unbelievably happy to know that you're enjoying the story that much! It makes me want to write more and more!
Chapter IV
Needless to say, the night before had been a rather awkward affair. After Dumbledore's departure, they had proceeded to get ready for bed in silence. They had both stood beside the sole bed, awkwardly staring ahead before climbing in. The pair had settled in, stiffly lying in the bed, trying to avoid any physical contact with each other.
Draco stirred as the sunlight crept in through the small gap between the curtains. He had slept rather fitfully, his mind plagued with the events of the night before. Hermione, on the other hand, had slept like a log – which was rather understandable given what she had just gone through.
He had to say that he was quite proud of himself. He had managed to compose himself last night, without any uproars of indignation. He thought he had finally escaped the expectations placed on him by his family and now this – he was responsible for saving the Wizarding world! It was really absurd in his eyes; after all, they were only children.
He crept out of the bed, hoping that he wouldn't arouse Hermione. The last thing he wanted was to deal with any awkward situations right. He needed time to think and the only place he could truly do that was in the air over the Hogwarts Quidditch pitch.
She couldn't help but feel a bit disappointed that Draco wasn't in their commons when she woke up. She had hoped to talk to him about their future and the implications of the prophecy; she always believed that the best way to deal with unexpected news was to do so in a logical manner. She was the sole student in the Great Hall when Draco strolled in. She was taken aback by just how good he looked.
Hermione was a smart girl – as much as she fought with the Slytherin boy, she had always known that he was fairly easy on the eyes. And yet today, he was even better looking. His hair was tousled messily, contrasting to his usual slicked-back look and his face had a rosy flush to them. Hermione cursed under her breath as she felt herself her cheeks heat up; this was simply embarrassing.
Draco couldn't help but smirk at he noticed her cheeks rouge. She was staring at the plate in front of her, rather embarrassed; and for some reason, that made him smile. He wasn't quite sure – but he put it down to the fact that Draco Malfoy loved having girls fawning over him, no matter who it was. He seated himself across from her and began serving himself after they had exchanged pleasantries.
Hermione cleared her throat, hoping to catch his attention. He raised an eyebrow at her, his mouth full of food. "So Malfoy – we obviously have a lot of to talk about." He couldn't help but smirk at her – clearly the events of last week had done nothing to change her take-charge attitude. He nodded at her and waited for her to continue.
"We don't really have much of a choice about any of this – so I think we should try to be as civil as possible. After all, we are both practically adults and I wouldn't exactly call us enemies anymore." Sadness flitted across her face, disappearing almost as fast as it had appeared. She shifted uncomfortable in her seat before inviting him to spend the day in the grounds of Hogwarts with her.
She had patiently waited for him to finish eating before they took a stroll through the sprawling gardens. He couldn't help but glance over at her, noting how the sunlight made her hair look like a fiery mane. She looked rather majestic, like the unstoppable force she portrayed herself as. If he had to be honest with himself, having her as a wife wouldn't be all that awful. She was a force to be reckoned with; the smartest witch that Hogwarts had seen for a while, confident in herself and rather beautiful, in an unconventional way.
He felt himself blush; a mere week ago, he would most definitely have not been thinking like this. But that felt like a lifetime ago. What else did he have left? After last week, he didn't have a home or a family anymore. He was alone and free to be the man he had always wanted to be, without his father's shadow looming over him.
"Um, Malfoy?" He was pulled out of his thoughts by her voice calling his name. To his surprise, she was seated at the bench overlooking the lake; her eyebrow was raised at him with a slight smile playing on his lips. He felt his ears flush in embarrassment; he had been so caught up in his thoughts that he hadn't noticed her stop.
"Draco." He said softly, seating himself beside her. "If you're going to be my wife, you probably should call me by my name." He could see the surprise etched across her face.
"Right…of course." She stammered. "As long as you call me Hermione."
Hermione was, as per usual, in the library. They had made the decision search for information regarding the Golden Disciples and exactly what that meant. After all, this was their destiny and they would be damned if they were going into this without any information whatsoever. After all, she was Hermione Jean Granger and Merlin be damned, she was going to be as prepared as possible.
Her eyebrows knitted together, as she pored over the pages of 'Magical Legends and Folk Tales'. Madame Pince had raised her eyebrows at Hermione's request; it was rather rare for the girl to be interested in anything that wasn't strictly factual. But seeing the determination on the girl's face, she made no comment and simply gave her a list of books to consider.
She felt her heart leap as she finally came across what she was looking for. She paused for a moment. What if she didn't like what she read? What if it was worse than not knowing the truth? Hermione steeled herself; whatever she read she would deal with – this was, after all, her destiny.
'For centuries, there has been speculation regarding the existence of two guardians of the Wizarding World, also known as the Golden Disciples. Whether or not they truly do exist, it is believed that two people (one male and one female) are chosen by their antecedents in times of disruption, instability and turmoil. The pioneer of the Disciples is rumored to be Merlin, along with his wife Gwendolen.
In the last 1700s, ancient diaries though to be authored by the great wizard were discovered amongst English ruins. Though little is known about these safe-keepers, there are certain attributes that are thought to apply to them.
It is believed that the Disciples must be married within weeks of being appointed by their predecessors. Their union, both ceremonial and in consummation, will herald the development of great power. The pair will be bound both spiritually and physically, their bond incomparable to that of the average couple.
It is also believed that In order to ensure the joining of the two chosen ones, they will experience a hastening of their emotional bond from the time of their selection. After the pair join as husband and wife, they will develop incredible Magical power; thought to be vital to their role in relieving the disorder for which they are appointed.'
Hermione felt her cheeks burn as she read through the passage. Consummation? They were expected to consummate their marriage?! Her stomach erupted in butterflies, as she tried to push any thoughts of physical intimacy out of her mind. Steeling herself for what was sure to be an uncomfortable conversation, she made a copy of the passage to share with 'her betrothed'.
Draco couldn't help but feel his heart pound as he prepared himself for bed. His discussion with Hermione had been rather unnerving. She had explained her findings to him, refusing to meet his gaze. He had been unsure of how to respond when Hermione had launched into what was a practical approach to their circumstances. If they were to carry out the requirements of being Golden Disciples, they would have to at least be comfortable with each other and get used to each other's presence.
He mulled over what he had been told. He supposed it did make sense. He had already taken a stronger liking to the Gryffindor, noticing her beauty and somewhat mystical appeal. There was something different about her; she was nothing like most of the girls he knew.
He ran his hand through his hair, eyeing himself in the expansive mirror. If he was to be honest with himself, he was to gain a lot more than her out of this whole thing. What female would choose to marry him? None of his family friends would accept him, after all he had 'dishonored' his family. And as for most of the other eligible witches, they wouldn't be all so excited about marrying a Death Eater's son. Hermione, on the other hand, had her pick of suitors. She was beloved by all her dear Gryffindors and the majority of Hufflepuffs and Ravenclaws. Though she wasn't the most traditionally beautiful woman, he had seen many classmates fawning over her.
Preparing himself for what was sure to be a rather restless night, he made his way into the bedroom. He nearly stumbled in shock, his jaw hanging slack as he quickly halted in his tracks. The petite brunette was standing beside the bed, a nervous smile on her delicate face.
His eyes raked over her body, noticing with amusement that she was adorned in emerald green. She was wearing a lace-adorned silk cami and shorts. He suppressed the urge to reach out and feel her skin; but he was sure that it was just as soft as it seemed. Her wild curls were framing her face, giving her an air of regality. She was truly beautiful, especially with the light rouge that was appearing in her cheeks.
Whilst Draco was in the bathroom, Hermione was nervously pacing around the bedroom. She had only once spent the night in the same bed as another boy and it had been simply platonic. But this was so very different; not only was this her future husband but they had been rivals a mere few weeks ago.
Since that day in Malfoy Manor, she knew that her impression of the boy was vastly different to what it had been before. He had stumbled into her life in such an unexpected manner, and yet he was already so important to him; after all, she owed him her life. His attitude to her over the past years had been a façade, just as she had always suspected.
She had always known that he was a very intelligent and capable Wizard; if it weren't for her, he would have placed first in all their mutual classes. And as much as she would have denied it in the past, he was a very good-looking boy. His features were defined and oh so masculine; and his eyes had the capability to hold such raw emotion as she had seen in the dungeons that day. His physique had the ability to make most of the female population swoon and on the rare occasion that he did smile, it quite literally took her breath away.
She froze as she heard the bathroom door open, her eyes widening as she gazed upon the wizard in front of her. He was wearing a simple pair of black boxer shorts, the dark colour contrasting wonderfully with his smooth pale skin. His hair was messy, just as it had been before; he looked boyish and yet so much more mature than he ever had. His stomach was just as defined as she had always expected, his form proving that he was most definitely not a boy anymore but a man. Hermione felt her breath catch as he raked his hand through his locks, his muscle tensing with the movement.
She felt her cheeks heat up, mentally cursing herself for it. And then she noticed his eyes looking her up and down; he was looking at her hungrily as if she was some delicious meal. For some strange reason, it made her feel warm inside. She couldn't remember ever being looked at in such a carnal way.
They remained in silence until he approached the bed. "So…I guess we should just…get in bed." He muttered, hearing the nerves in his voice.
Hermione nodded, her logical side taking over. Climbing into bed, she smiled up at him. "Just pretend I'm not me."
She was taken aback by the annoyance in his eyes. "There's nothing wrong with being you." He stated, settling into the bed beside her. "In fact, I'm rather glad it is you." He turned off the lights with a flick of his wand, but not before noticing the surprise on her face.
She silently lay beside him, shivering as he placing his arm around her. She momentarily stiffened at the contact before relaxing her body against his. Warmth spread over her body as he wrapped his arms around her. She was nervous and yet she felt safe and sheltered against him. She took a deep breath in, taking in his scent; his cologne smelt like spices and pine. It was subtle and yet overwhelmingly masculine. It had been a long time since she had felt like this.
Draco was taken aback by how comfortable it felt having her pressed against him. Her skin was just as soft as it had seemed. She seemed to fit perfectly against him, like two matching pieces of a puzzle. She smelt like a bouquet of flowers; so feminine and endearing. Despite his mind warning him to be careful, he placed a gentle kiss on her shoulder, eliciting a soft gasp from the woman in his arms. He wasn't quite sure what had overcome him, but it had felt…well, damn it all, it felt right.
Draco couldn't help but smile; his ancestors were most certainly turning in their graves. If only his father could see him now. And with that thought, he made a decision.
There was nothing conventional about their situation but she most definitely deserved the tradition. Tomorrow, he would buy her a ring.
A/N: I hope you all liked it. I feel like I'm struggling to keep a good pace in the development of their relationship. Please let me know what you think!