Out of Hand II: A Matter of Time by relativelypositive
Disclaimer: I do not own anything Harry Potter related and I make no money from the use of the characters created by J. K. Rowling.
Chapter 13
Draco watched worriedly as Hermione walked into the Great Hall. She was being supported by her parents, Harry, Ginny, and Ron. He smirked a bit when he saw that Weasley had a puppy following him around. A big, blond, handsome man was keeping close watch on the boy, as though he was worried Ron was going to make a run for it any second. Was Weasley in trouble?
Hermione was clearly under a charm, but she was also clearly off the pain potion. Draco winced when she reached him and he could see the angry flush to her skin and the tracks of tears down her cheeks.
"Hey. You okay to do this?" he asked, reaching out to gently touch her hair.
"The sooner the better!" she answered emphatically.
"Hey, Snape wants to talk to you for a minute," Blaise interrupted. "Hermione. Looking…surprisingly lovely for the circumstances."
Draco appreciated his friend saying something nice and kind of untrue at that moment. He had the urge himself to try to reassure her, but he knew she'd think he was lying to make her feel better. With Blaise saying it maybe she'd believe it.
"Thanks, Blaise. You and your male companion look quite festive."
Draco hadn't been paying attention, but Blaise and his chaperone were indeed wearing identical red robes.
Blaise leaned in so his keeper couldn't hear and said, "No matter what he wears, I make sure I'm wearing exactly the same thing. If he changes anything, I match him. If he eats something, I eat it. If he says something I either repeat it as though he didn't say it first or I immediately agree. I haven't decided which is more annoying yet. I'll let you know!"
"Leave it to you to find something fun to do with your chaperone," Hermione replied weakly.
"Mate," Blaise reminded him, "Snape."
Draco smiled at Hermione and her entourage, then quickly turned to his Head of House.
Snape pulled him farther away and put up a Muffliato.
"The Daily Prophet will be here soon. Dumbledore couldn't stop it. Something about suing for damages? The wench was in and out of the infirmary in less than a day! Regardless, your mother has taken control of the situation, so Rita Skeeter will not be covering your union. Narcissa hopes to keep it a secret until the 'wedding' happens. However, to pacify the Prophet, she has promised an exclusive interview about the wedding planning with the both of you for immediately after the ceremony."
Snape looked back to the group waiting for the ceremony to start and shook his head.
"I will probably never tell you anything like this again in your life, so listen well. Your witch is headstrong. You won't be able to control her."
Draco snorted. "Control her? Why take the fun out of it?"
Snape almost smiled. "That is exactly my point. I am almost jealous. She is a quality witch, Draco. Your life will be infinitely better than what you were supposedly destined for. Please, please, stay out of any dealings with the Death Eaters. They are re-forming, and without a firm hand in charge I fear they will target your new wife. One saving grace is that only two Death Eaters know of your involvement in what happened to Voldemort, and I am going to do everything I can to keep it that way."
"Two?"
"Myself and Mr. Goyle."
"I keep forgetting…is he really inhabited by Voldemort's soul?"
"Only a portion of it. It has been fractured to give the illusion of immortality. We will meet and discuss our options soon, but not today."
Draco tried to put thoughts of Death Eaters, Voldemort, and Rita Skeeter out of his mind. He was marrying Hermione today!
He looked to his witch and was worried anew. She was sitting there surrounded by people, yet fading fast.
He took one step toward her, but was once again pulled back by Snape.
"I want to give you an early wedding present. You notice that Weasley has a chaperone? Well, he came to the bonding ceremony for the chaperones fully expecting to find Miss Granger there waiting for him."
Draco felt a moment of panic, remembering the disgusting kiss Weasley had forced on Hermione. His odd behavior had been forgotten in the worry for Hermione and Greg, the debate with his mother, and the elation of soon being bonded to Hermione.
"He got a summons?"
"Oh, yes. Some surprising people did."
"How? That kiss wasn't enough to break our engagement!"
"Don't be silly. She wears your ring. I should rightfully be calling her Madam Malfoy. Kissing would change nothing. Here is your present: Weasley doesn't want anyone to know, but he had relations with Romilda Vane while she was Polyjuiced to look like your fiancée."
"That fucker!" Draco's anger was overwhelming and he started toward Weasley, but Snape's strong grip on his arm held him back.
"You're becoming more and more like your little Gryffindor every day. Do not disappoint me. Do not act rashly. Think over your situation. Realize your advantage and use it. Do not waste it on temper."
Oh, the possibilities, thought Draco with a smirk.
He heartily thanked his Head of House with a handshake and an understanding nod.
"Dumbledore is escorting the ministry representative. They should be arriving at any moment. Your mother is planning to make an entrance, you know her penchant for drama, but she is in the castle."
Penchant for drama. That's a diplomatic way to say it.
"Best of luck, Draco. Truly. Make the most of your life."
Draco looked at Snape with gratitude and confusion. Snape read him quite correctly.
"We will talk soon. Go support your wife."
Draco smiled and hurried away.
XXXXXXXXXXX
Hermione had closed her eyes, just for a moment. Really, she wasn't sleepy. She was in pain and she was trying to keep that to herself.
She felt Draco's presence beside her. It was both comforting and exciting.
His "love you" last night had been playing on a loop in her head. Her mother had been giddy.
"Do you think he means it?"
"Draco doesn't say anything he doesn't mean," Blaise had offered from his post next to Greg.
"A month ago he called me an ugly Mudblood," Hermione reminded him.
"And he meant it," Blaise retorted seriously.
"Then how can he love me now?" Hermione asked.
"This week has changed him. He's never made decisions for himself. He didn't know how freedom felt. He was okay with that because he didn't know any better. He was going to be the Slytherin Prince and marry a Pureblooded witch and worship Voldemort like a god. He was going to grow old in that grim mansion with his parents hovering over him like spectres waiting to suck his blood."
"Spectres don't suck peoples' blood!"
"Yes, Miss Know-It-All. I was just making a point. You mean freedom. And he's trying to change for you. He's been nicer. And he thinks he has to be funny, which I think is hilarious because he's only funny when he's being mean. I'm thinking you won't appreciate bully humor. Am I right?"
"You know you are."
"So Draco's trying to be more like me, because he thinks you'll like him more if he's less serious. You can barely stand me, so I don't know where his head is."
"That's great and all, but that doesn't explain how he can go from hate to love so quickly."
"Maybe he never really hated you, darling. Maybe he had a little crush, but couldn't bring himself to approach you," her mother soothed.
Blaise laughed. "Nope. He hated her. Hated everything about her. Wouldn't have minded if she'd died a gruesome, lingering death."
Hermione's mother grabbed her hand in a painful grip and gave her a look of fear and concern.
Blaise continued as though he hadn't freaked anyone out.
"But now he's seen your boobs. Thinks you're pretty. Loves that you're brave now that you're on his side. Sees that you'll love him no matter how much he fucks up. He's never been loved unconditionally. We all know you love everyone unconditionally, or you'd have dissolved your 'friendship' with Weasley years ago. Draco wants that future with you. Plus, he thinks you're neat."
"Neat? Like a toy?"
"A bit. For now. But he loves you. He said so. You can believe that. This future he sees with you? In it you are completely happy. Deliriously."
Hermione was snapped back to the present by loud swearing.
"Fuck! How did this happen?"
Her eyes flew open and Draco pulled her into his arms.
"What's happening?"
Harry jumped in, "The ministry representative is here with Dumbledore, and the Malfoys have arrived."
"The Malfoys? Plural?"
Hermione pushed herself around Draco to watch Lucius and Narcissa Malfoy approach Professor Dumbledore as though nothing was odd.
"Does he have a wand?" Hermione asked suspiciously.
"Does he need a wand?" asked Harry.
"He can't be here to celebrate."
"Everyone?" Professor Dumbledore called over the shocked din. "We are about to start. Please gather around. Draco, would you lead Hermione directly in front? And stand behind her, hugging her tightly about the shoulders with your left arm."
Hermione let herself be placed. Her parents were to the left and Draco's parent were to the right. She tried to ignore them.
"I am about to lift the charm on Hermione. For those that don't know, she is suffering from the attempted severing of a bond. When I lift the charm she will be in excruciating pain. She is as prepared as she could be. We will start with her part, so this will not be orthodox. Please be silent so she will be able to hear and respond. After the first response the old bond should be broken and the pain should vanish."
Hermione felt Draco's grip tighten as he kissed the top of her head. Hermione lifted her left hand in response and gripped his wrist.
She vaguely heard "Is that my fucking ring?" come from her right, but didn't waste the energy on it.
Dumbledore lifted the spell and she held in her scream for a full five seconds.
She was quite proud.
"Hermione Jean Granger, your magic shall be bound with Draco Lucius Malfoy's magic. It is a permanent, loving bond no force short of death can dissolve. Do you submit to this bonding?"
Hermione tried to force out the one simple word that would both stop the pain and make her happy, but couldn't stop screaming long enough to form it. Her mind raced through the haze of pain and she realized she'd have to turn her scream into the affirmation she needed it to be.
"Aaaaagh! Yyyeeeesss! Aaaagh. Uhhhh. Oh. That's much better, thank you. Ummm, yes. I submit."
"Probably the only time she'll ever say that."
"Shut up, Blaise."
Dumbledore smiled and Draco's grip slackened.
"Is she done screaming? I was quite enjoying that."
Hermione slid left…as far from Lucius Malfoy as she could get.
"Ahem," Dumbledore interrupted. "Shall we continue?"
"Must we?"
"Lucius," Draco's mother hissed. "Behave!"
"Draco Lucius Malfoy, your magic is being bound with that of Hermione Jean Granger. It is a permanent, loving bond no force short of death can dissolve. Do you submit to this bonding?"
"Yes, I submit."
"Not as enthusiastic as Hermione's acceptance, but it will suffice," he joked. "Join hands."
Hermione watched in fascination as Professor Dumbledore wove intricate knots of magic around and through their hands. She felt only contentment and love.
"And this concludes the bonding of Draco Lucius Malfoy and Hermione Jean Granger. Live in peace and love."
"What, no kiss?" Hermione heard her father ask.
"Save it for the wedding," replied Mrs. Malfoy coldly. She turned and dragged her husband away and out the door.
"That's it? No nastiness?" asked Hermione's mother. "Great! Now we can have that kiss!"
Draco and Hermione obliged.
A/N:
Next up is craziness!
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