"I don't think Pansy meant using the handcuffs like this, babe," Draco said from the bed.
Hermione looked over her shoulder as she pulled a new sweater over her head, the one she'd worn this morning now in a heap at the foot of the bed. Draco was still wrapped in the sheets, his hands handcuffed to the bed frame. They'd made love for more than six hours, a house elf bringing them a tray of food for meals.
Hermione walked over to the bed and knelt next to him on the mattress. She kissed him and said, "I like you like this. I have the control. Besides, I need to talk to Ron and Harry. Make sure they're not going to be mad at me."
Draco growled as she kissed him again and pulled away. "You need to come back and please your husband," he said, his eyes raking over her body.
Hermione felt a shiver go up her spine at what the promise in those eyes meant, but she shook her head. "Nope," she said. "I'm going to go find them and, when I come back," she pulled the sheet away from Draco's lower regions and saw that he was hard again even so soon after their last love making. "I will make little and big Draco happy. Deal?"
He let his head drop back against the pillows. "I knew there was a reason I married you," he said. "You're too damn tempting for your own good."
Hermione winked. "Don't you know it," she said before leaving the Room of Requirement. She walked down the hallway and soon saw Pansy and Blaise heading toward the library. "Hey, guys," she called.
They turned to her. "Hey, girl," Pansy said. "Finally got away from that sex crazed husband of yours?"
Hermione giggled. "Yeah," she said. "Oh, Draco said he needed some help with something. He's in the Room of Requirement, so, when you're free..."
"Sure," Blaise said, shrugging.
"Thanks, guys," Hermione said as she hurried off to the Gryffindor Common Room. As she neared it, she saw a few students stare at her. Well, she'd have to get use to that now, wouldn't she?
She walked up to the Fat Lady portrait. The woman smiled down at her. "Hello, dear girl," the painting said. "I heard the fantastic news. You're a bride. How exciting!"
Hermione blushed at the praise and smiled. "Thank you," she said. "Courage." The portrait swung open and Hermione walked into the Common Room.
It was packed, but Ginny spotted her first. She looked her up and down from where she leaned against Harry on the couch in front of the fire, and smiled. "Malfoy put that smile on your lips?" she said in a tease.
Conversation stopped and eyes turned to Hermione, but she ignored them. She walked over and sat down in a wing backed chair. "Yes," she said.
"Let me see the ring," Ginny said, waving her over.
Hermione chuckled. Ginny was such a lazy person when she was with Harry. Then again, having had used Draco as a pillow before, she could understand not wanted to move. She slipped off the chair and knelt in front of the couch, extending her hand.
Ginny took her hand and whistled. "It's so big," she said, commenting on the engagement ring first.
"He preposed on Christmas Eve and married me right as it rang Christmas day. Right in front of a Christmas tree," Hermione said, happy to gush about her wedding with one of her best friends.
Ginny gasped. "No," she said. "That's so romantic." She turned to Harry, a sparkle in her eyes.
"Um," Harry said, looking a bit uncomfortable at the look. "Yeah. Romantic," he said.
Hermione giggled. Harry had once told her that he wanted to marry Ginny, but the thought of proposing and everything had scared him witless a time or two.
"So," Harry said, turning to his friend. "How's married life so far? You haven't killed each other, it seems."
Hermione smiled at the attempt at normalcy. She knew it was hard for Harry to accept that she'd married his enemy. But the effort of trying was really touching. She could see why Ginny loved him. "Draco's a sweet husband," Hermione said. "He's still a self centered git sometimes, and he snores loudly at night, but he's always there with something to make me smile and laugh. He sees to anything I might need, but not in a way that makes it feel like I'm a burden to him." She smiled. "I'm really happy, Harry. Even more than when I play Quidditch."
Harry's eyebrows rose in surprise. He knew how much Hermione loved Quidditch and playing. He reached out and rubbed her shoulder. "Well, I'm happy for you," he said. "Ron, though..."
Speak of the devil, and he shall appear, the saying goes. And it was true in this case. Ron was coming down the stairs from the boy's dormitories and spotted Hermione. His eyes narrowed and he picked up his stride, a look of determination spread across his features. Students scurried out of his way, watching for the upcoming show. Hermione held her breath as she watched him come up to them.
"Hermione," he said, looking like he was barely containing his temper. "You are going to get a divorce. Now."
She blinked at the statement. "What?" she said.
"A divorce. Ask Malfoy for a divorce. Now," he said.
Hermione stood and faced him. "Who are you to tell me to divorce my loving husband?" she asked, resting her hands on her hips.
"Loving?" Ron spat. "Malfoys are anything but loving, Hermione. Draco is just using you for some sick game to please him. You're only going to get hurt if you stay married to him. You should divorce him. Find some other guy to marry."
Hermione raised an eyebrow. "Some guy like you, perhaps?" she said, frowning.
"I love you, Hermione," he said. "I've loved you since first year and you fixed Harry's glasses in the train compartment. Malfoy's been an evil git to you for years and you marry him?" His face was getting red, now. A mixture of embarrassment and frustration.
"I don't love you, Ron," Hermione said, fed up with him trying to guilt her into doing anything he wanted her to. "Not like that. You're a dear friend and like my brother. But if you continue to try and run my life, I will be forced to stop being your friend. I'm sorry if you can't be happy for me like Ginny and Harry, or even try to give Draco half a chance. But I choose my husband." She let the last fall from her lips in a shout. No one said anything as the color drained from Ron's face. Hermione turned to Ginny and Harry and she said, "I'm sorry, guys. I'm going to turn in for tonight."
"Night," they said.
Hermione took another look at Ron. He hadn't moved, his mouth still open in shock from the telling off. She sighed and started for the portrait. People moved out of her way and she couldn't blame them. She, their golden princess, had just yelled at her best friend. It was a sticky wicket, but they'd learn to deal with it.
A hand settled on her shoulder. She turned around and saw Ron behind her. She thought he was going to say something, but he only raised a fist. Hermione's eyes went wide and she raised her hands. The punch didn't land, though, as Ron's hand abruptly left her shoulder. She heard a thud and looked up from behind her hands.
Ron lay on his back on the Common Room floor, his body stiff and ridged. Hermione gasped and looked next to her. Draco was standing there, his wand still trained on Ron. His breath was heavy and coming in hard pants, as if he'd run there. "I don't care if you want to try an punch me again, Weasel, but don't you ever lay a hand on my wife," he growled. He gave Ron's body a hard kick to the side for good measure before turning to Hermione. "Are you alright?" he asked, cupping her cheek in his hand.
She nodded. "I'm fine," she said.
Draco pulled her close to his bare chest and pressed his lips against her hair. "If he had hurt you, I'm going to unfreeze him and kill him," he mumbled.
Hermione shook her head. "Don't," she said, looking up into Draco's silver eyes. "He's just angry. He'll calm down and apologize."
"What if he doesn't?" Draco said. He bit back the retort that she was daft to believe that the Weasel was ever going to apologize for trying to punch him. But, the moron meant something to his wife and he would deal with it.
Hermione bit her lip and looked down. "If he doesn't, then he's no longer my friend and I will have nothing to do with him. If he can't accept you, then..."
Draco saw how much it hurt her to say those words, and kissed her forehead. "I'm sure he'll come around," he said softly, if for nothing else, but to comfort her.
Hermione sighed and looked up. Everyone was watching them, and she blushed. "Sorry to cause so much trouble," she said. "We'll just be leaving." She took Draco's hand and led him out of the Gryffindor Common Room. "By the way," she asked as they walked back to the Room of Requirement. "How did you get into the Gryffindor Tower?"
Draco smiled and pulled her to his side. "I just charmed the Fat Lady, of course. Once Blaise let me out, after thoroughly laughing his arse off at how you left me, I went to go find you. As I came to the portrait, she said that you'd gone in and that there had been yelling. I put on the 'knight in shinning armor' bit and she let me in."
Hermione snorted. "More like a loser in foil wrap," she said, teasing him.
He gave her a confused look. "What is foil wrap?" he asked.
She laughed and kissed his cheek. "Don't worry about it, honey," she said. "One day you'll get it."
AN:So, what do you think? Pretty good? Terrible? Ron should have been a bit more bloody? Tell me what you liked or hated. Thanks for reading. (By the way, Ron was trying to push Hermione out of the way so he could punch Draco. Not punch her.)