Author's Note: I own no person, no place, no thing – except the plot! If you recognize it, it probably belongs to Ms. Rowling or some other awesome super-human.

P.S. Don't know if you're interested or not, but I listened to one particular song over and over again as I was writing this chapter to help me keep in focus. The Civil Wars: 'I've Got this Friend' from their 2013 Unplugged album. ajc

Chapter 14 A Lovely Day For A Wedding

"Well, well, well, if it isn't 'Mione's little Playboy," a sneering voice said from a nearby bench.

In his entire, admittedly, short life, Draco couldn't remember being so highly amused by a presumed insult. Playboy? Hermione's Playboy? Honestly? Draco stopped walking and slowly turned to address Sutton, who sat casually on a bench, smoking a noxious cigarette and glaring at Draco.

"Something I can do for you, Mr. Sutton?" Draco drawled blandly. He was interested to see what this… yes, wanker really was the best description for Sutton… tool worked too, as did that lovely Americanism, cock-sucker… had to say to him, in public and at a wedding venue. Good breeding and manners had obviously not been huge factors in Sutton's upbringing.

"Yeh, you can get the Hell out of here, Rich-Boy. You think you can just waltz in and pay off a good girl like 'Mione for the pleasure of her company?" Sutton spat, and rose to stalk over to Draco. It was then that Draco realized the man before him was more than a little intoxicated, but still – pay Hermione for her company? Was this about the locket?

"Mr. Sutton, I don't think Hermione would go for such a small sum of money as the price of a locket, but thank you for your drunken concern in her ability to make her own decisions so far as to who she wants to spend time with," Draco said slowly, trying to contain his mirth.

"You think it's funny, Rich-Boy? You're trying to take advantage of a sweet, innocent God-fearing girl, and I won't stand for it! You think buying her that fancy car justifies disgracing her in front of her friends like this? You make me SICK!" Sutton's face contorted in outrage as he stood shaking in front of a still calm Draco. Draco finally understood what was bothering Sutton so badly.

The idiot thought Draco had bought Hermione's car for her.

Not that Draco was shocked by the idea, honestly it was similar to what his father and his associates did with their mistresses back in the day, but that Sutton thought Hermione was capable of being bought, or that Draco was employing her like a prostitute, was outrageously insulting.

"Mr. Sutton, you don't actually know Hermione very well do you?" Draco asked quietly.

"I know her well enough to know she shouldn't be used by the likes of you," Sutton seethed.

Draco sighed. "Mr. Sutton, did you know that Hermione had three ribs broken last Spring?" he asked.

"Wha- No. What does that have to do with anything?"

"And that your little stunt on Sunday hurt her terribly when you lifted her up and squeezed her without her permission?" Sutton shook his head, but Draco could see that it wasn't in chagrin, it was in obstination. The man honestly didn't seem to be listening to Draco at all.

"I didn't think so. Because you don't know Hermione. At all. Now you listen to me, Mr. Sutton, because I am about to tell you something vitally important to your future. Hermione is a highly intelligent and resourceful woman, and she is also very observant. She knows what you want from her, and she does not reciprocate your interest. Take this very overt cue from me, and leave her alone. Do not touch her again, or you will get your hands broken." Draco tucked his hands into his trouser pockets as he spoke, keeping his pose casual even as his blood pressure rose.

"Are you fucking threatening me, Rich-Boy? Because I think I can take you," Sutton snarled as he rose to his full height, which, while a couple of inches taller than Draco, was offset by his soft belly and weak shoulders.

Draco scoffed inwardly. This bumbling oaf was about as threatening as an overstuffed, angry, teddy-bear. "Mr. Sutton, I didn't say I would be the one breaking your hands. If you touch Hermione again, she'll take care of that herself. She doesn't need my help on that count," Draco said coldly, and smirked at Hermione's band mate.

"Wha- Oi, just who the fuck do you think you are?!" Sutton roared in anger

"Ah, you hadn't heard? Draco Malfoy, at your service," Draco said in his most condescending voice and gave the man a sweeping, insolent, bow.

"Why you stupid little prick! I'm gonna-" Sutton's tirade was cut off when Renny suddenly rounded a corner, shouting "Sutton! What the devil are you DOING?"

Sutton whirled around at the sound of Renny's approach. "What the hell do you think I'm doing?! I'm getting ready to kick little Rich-Boy's arse for screwing around with our 'Mione and treating her like a common whore! That fucking car-"

"Sutton, I think that's about enough! It's none of your bloody business who Hermione wants to spend her free time with, just like it's none of your bloody business what Draco spends his money on!" Renny shouted at his belligerent band mate, and grabbed his arm to drag him back from Draco.

"Oh for Merlin's sake, I didn't buy that bloody car! Hermione bought it!" Draco yelled in disgust, but his voice was drowned out by Sue, who suddenly appeared with her husband.

"Jonah Sutton, that is enough! Are you drunk? The wedding starts in an hour, and you're out here threatening Hermione's boyfriend? How dare you!"

Draco felt a small hand wrap around his elbow, and cocked his head down to gaze at Hermione, who'd been standing hidden in the entranceway to the Inn for the bulk of his confrontation with Sutton.

"Enjoy the show, Love?" he asked.

"Very entertaining. I especially liked the part about my being a sweet, innocent, God-fearing girl whose honor you're besmirching," Hermione said archly.

"Ah yes, I enjoyed that as well. But I don't think Sutton used besmirch, too complex for him, most likely. I however, do so love that word. Besmirch. Sounds so naughty," Draco said as he lifted her arm to kiss the inside of her wrist, then pulled back from Hermione to examine her, finally fully dressed and ready to walk down to the venue. His heart nearly stopped.

Hermione had swept her hair back from her face with several well placed clips, but left it hanging long and wavy down her back. Her sleeveless, wine red brocade dress hugged her chest and waist snugly, then flared out in a graceful circle that stopped just at her knees. While she had on sensible black pumps to compensate for comfort, the slight lift complimented her lovely calves perfectly. Even with the unusually heavy eye makeup and deep wine colored lipstick, Hermione's gentle, graceful beauty punched a hole in Draco's chest and left him unable to catch his breath. He lifted one shaking hand slowly to her cheek, drawing it across her skin until he met her hairline, and gently dragged his fingers downward to the curve of her collarbone. He touched the gold locket resting at the top of the swell of her breasts, marveling at his own amazing luck.

"Gods, you're beautiful," he whispered.

Hermione blushed happily.

"You're looking quite dashing yourself, Mr. Malfoy," she said as she ran her hands up the lapels of his jacket.

"Oh, I haven't put my tie on yet, have I? Can't have the effect ruined by a missing tie, now can we?" Draco fumbled around in his pocket, pushing past the small silver object hidden there to extract his tie. Hermione stopped him though.

"No, Draco. I like this, really," she said as she slid her fingers along his open collar. Draco shivered at the touch, and caught her hand in his as it slid down his chest to rest over his heart.

"Really? But it's a wedding, wouldn't that be inappropriate?" Draco asked. Hermione was dressed more formally than he was at this point, something which didn't happen very often.

"No, it's all right. I think you'll find that most of the men, outside the wedding party and immediate family, aren't wearing ties, or suits for that matter. You look nice, Draco. Thank you for coming with me. And, for what it's worth, I'm sorry about Sutton," she said quietly.

Draco snorted. "Little Girl, I'm sorry you had to hear your band mate thumping his chest and acting like a centaur in rut season. Honestly, I'm starting to wonder if that wanker's related to… well, to other wanker's I've met before."

"Like Ron?" Hermione asked cheekily.

Draco grinned down at the glorious incarnation that was his best friend and girlfriend.

"Exactly like Ron. You know, I think I noticed a bit of ginger in Sutton's ponytail, don't you agree?"

Hermione laughed, and freed her hand from Draco's to wrap her arms around his waist.

"It's time to walk down, would you like to join me or are you staying up here?" she asked as she rested her head against his chest.

"Definitely joining you. Shaun asked me earlier if I'd help Sue watch over the fairy girls while you lot get set up. Apparently they're quite enamored with me," Draco said casually as he turned Hermione so that she could take his arm.

"Well that's to be expected. After all, you are young, brilliant, incredibly good looking, and ridiculously wealthy. What's not to like?" Hermione asked brightly as they started down the path.

"You forgot one thing, Little Girl. My favorite part, really," Draco said as he pulled her to a temporary stop.

"What's that?" Hermione asked, smiling up at him.

Draco looked down into her shining eyes, and whispered, "I'm all yours." Then he kissed her softly, under the setting sun and the shade of the red and gold trees that dotted the walkway.

Hermione sighed against Draco's mouth as he lightened the pressure of his lips on hers.

"Draco, you're going to end up wearing my lipstick," she said softly.

"Well that would certainly make a memorable impression," Draco said, then snapped his fingers as he remembered the item in his pocket next to his tie.

"Speaking of memorable, Love, I have something else for you," Draco said as he extracted the silver rectangle and held it out for Hermione's confused perusal. She accepted it, and rolled it over and over in her fingers. Finally she looked up at him.

"It's a camera," she said.

"Yes, my brilliant one, it is. This," he tapped her locket, "is for your old memories. And this" he wrapped his hand around her hand holding the camera, "is for recording new ones. Hopefully with me, of course. I'm highly photogenic you know," he said as he winked at her.

Hermione beamed at him. "Draco Malfoy, you are the sweetest, kindest, most considerate, and thoughtful man I have ever met in my entire life." She wrapped her arms around him and then laughed as he stiffened in faux outrage.

"Hermione Granger, don't ever say that out loud again! You'll ruin my well earned reputation as a womanizing rogue out to buy my way into your delectable pink knickers," Draco growled into her hair.

Hermione's loud laughter could be heard from the Inn all the way to the party field where her band mates were setting up their instruments and waiting for their violinist to appear.

/…../

In the twilight of one of the last beautiful days of Autumn, Draco witnessed his first Muggle wedding ceremony. Yes, there seemed to be some similarities with Wizarding weddings, in that an authority commanded vows at the couple and forced them to repeat various asinine sentiments to each other, but the whole thing lacked in the… well, the magic of a Wizarding ceremony. Draco rolled his eyes at his internal monologue. But seriously, without the magical bonding, the vows were as good as useless, and entirely easy for Muggles to break should they change their minds about each other later on in their lives together. The pastor, Michael, pronounced Mordecai Renton, Jr. and Belinda Smyth to be man and wife, and declared that young Renton could kiss his bride. Everyone around Draco burst into applause, and he released Hermione's hand so they could in with the crowd. He looked down at her when he heard her sniffle, and was slightly startled to see that Hermione was crying.

"What's wrong, Little Girl? I thought these were supposed to be happy events?" Draco leaned in to whisper as the newlyweds trotted happily down the aisle between the rows of outdoor seats under a hail of tiny white bits that various attendees threw at the couple.

Hermione smiled up at Draco. "It is a happy event, silly. I just love happy endings. You know, their story is a bit like ours. They've known each other their whole lives, grew up as neighbors, but they hated each other tremendously until they were at University. She got partnered up with him on some Community Service project, and voila! They fell in love. Sunshine, roses, happy ever after. Nice, eh?"

Draco watched Hermione chat happily up at him with her tears drying on her face, and suddenly became very warm and very confused. Love. He called her Love all the time now, but love in itself as an emotion one had for another person? Draco didn't think he'd ever been in love before. He never met the right kind of girl when he was younger, and of course there hadn't been time for something as frivolous as love during the War. Draco decided that he really needed to take some time by himself to sort out his overwhelming desire for Hermione, and categorize it accordingly with his admiration of her and his trust in her, to see if this warm and fuzzy, almost innocent, childlike feeling in his chest could be something like love. Hermione was a girl worth loving. The question was really was he capable of truly loving her, and could she ever love him in return?

But there was no time for such whimsical self-analysis, because Hermione was dragging him away from the seats and towards the tent and stage where she and the band were going to play for the wedding party and their guests.

/…../

Hermione and her companions played for the wedding party for an hour before they were able to take a break to sit down and dine with Draco, Sue and the girls. In that time, Draco had engaged in an entire hour of princess-dancing with Ellie and Rosie. Hermione hadn't been able to drag her eyes away from Draco as he spun Rosie in his arms near the back of the dance floor. When did Draco Malfoy become so good with children, especially little girls? She thought back to the first day Draco had met Ellie and Rosie. Even from the get-go, he'd met them at their level and engaged them as contemporaries, not as an adult to a child. Rosie's shrieks of laughter could be heard over the cacophony of laughing, dancing couples that separated the stage from the tiny dancers and Hermione's boyfriend.

Hermione's boyfriend. Draco was so different than he was in school or in the Order. Hermione had watched in surprise when Sutton blew up at Draco, shocked more that Draco didn't tear the man apart, than at Sutton's outrageous behavior. Sixteen year old Draco would have eviscerated Sutton, but Hermione's Draco hadn't even raised his voice – well except for when he denied purchasing her car. That idea was honestly just so ridiculous it was laughable.

Hermione didn't know what Renny and Shaun had said to Sutton to get him to behave for the set this evening, but the man had left her alone. It was insane, really. Sutton barely ever spoke to her, yet he had this idea of her in his head, and was obviously threatened by Draco's presence here. She could feel Sutton's eyes on her now, even as she watched Draco dancing, bent over nearly in half so he could twirl Ellie around and around as her twin and Mother clapped.

This situation with Sutton was a simmering cauldron nearly ready to boil over, and Hermione hoped for all of her friends' sake that she and Draco wouldn't have an audience when Sutton finally did make a move.

/…../

Much later in the evening, after several champagne toasts and formal dances had been dispensed with, Hermione, Renny and Shaun found themselves besieged by many silly song requests, and, in the spirit of wedding camaraderie, the story-telling and funny music began. Hermione was standing next to Draco near the dance floor when Shaun thumped the microphone to get everyone's attention.

"If I could say a few words, I'd like to tell you all a story about our newlyweds here," Shaun said into the microphone as young Renton and his bride approached the stage.

"So, I'd like to tell you all about the time when young Renton called me to tell me he'd fallen in love," Shaun grinned and held out his champagne glass to the couple, and everyone laughed when young Renton paled and waved his hands dramatically in a frantic and obvious NO gesture.

"So, anyhoo, I knew young Renton had gone out with Lindy a few times, but then one day he calls me and says, 'Shaun, mate, my rugby career is over. The coach has set me out for the next three weeks.'

'Why is that?' I say, as Renton was always a grand player, I couldn't see his coach wanting him out for so long.

'Well,' he says, 'Lindy came to watch my last game, and I couldn't concentrate on anything with her there. I just couldn't stop looking at her, she was wearing one of my old jersey's, you know, and I accidently scored to the other team's goal.'

'Oi, that's bad news mate,' I say. 'But surely that was no reason for the Coach to put you out for three weeks.'

'Shaun,' he says, all desperate like, 'I did it three bloody times! I thought my team mates were going to string me up right there on the field!'

'Blimey,' I says, 'No wonder why your coach is cheesed off at you.'

'It gets worse,' he says with this sad moan like a bloke bleeding his last drop, 'Lindy came running out onto the field at the end of the game like it was some bloody championship and gave me this huge hug and started going on and on about how brilliantly I played and how she was so amazed that I scored all those times. And I realized something,' young Renton says.

'What's that?' I ask.

'This girl knows absolutely nothing about rugby!' he says." Shaun paused dramatically while the audience bellowed in laughter and young Renton hung his head in shame.

"So we laugh for a few minutes, and then he says all serious like, 'Shaun, what's so bad is I don't even care. I think I'm in love, mate. I can't think about anything except her and how good it feels to be around her.'"

"You know, that was four years ago, and despite the end of young Renton's rugby career, we've made it to this fine and glorious day. And, you know, I can still relate. When you meet that one girl that you're meant to love for the rest of your life, everything else around you kind of goes to Hell. Your brain turns to mash and you can't breathe normal when she's around, and you find yourself saying the most inane waffle. When my Susie and I started going together, I spent all these nights memorizing poetry, instead of studying for my exams, so I could woo her all romantic-like – but I never could get the bollocks enough to get the words out. She'd just smile at me with those pretty green eyes and I'd just turn into a quivering mass of pudding."

Everyone in the crowd laughed good-naturedly, and Hermione saw Sue flush as all eyes found her, sitting in the grass on a large blanket with her sleepy girls tucked under each arm.

Draco listened very carefully to Shaun's words from the stage, and wondered again at the strange, innocent warmth that crept up over him and stole his senses whenever he thought about Hermione.

"So Renny and I learned a fun little song by an American group named Diamond Rio for all you blokes out there that have suffered or are currently suffering from the mental deficiency that comes with falling in love with the perfect girl. Cheers, young Renton and Lindy!"

Hermione felt Draco tug on her hand as the strains of an American country song floated around them, and looked up at her companion.

"Come on, Little Girl. You haven't danced with me yet tonight," Draco said, and pulled her towards the laughing, swaying couples.

"I just assumed your feet were tired from dancing with your other girlfriends," Hermione said cheekily as Draco put one hand on her waist and used his other one to draw one of hers up to rest over his heart. Hermione hooked her free hand onto the back of his neck, and he pulled her into a lazy, half-sway, half-waltz under the stars. Hermione was slightly alarmed when she realized Shaun and Renny were singing, Beautiful Mess, a rather silly song about a man falling in love, and hoped desperately Draco wasn't listening to the words. She didn't want him to think that she'd told Sue what he'd said the other night about getting lost on the way to work or pouring salt instead of sugar into his coffee – even though she had told Sue, because it had been so deliciously funny and flattering…

Draco decided he wasn't a particular fan of American country music. He enjoyed dancing with his Hermione, no doubt, but the lyrics were absolutely absurd and asinine…

"This morning I put salt in my coffee

I put my shoes on the wrong feet

Losing my mind I swear

You might be the death of me

But I don't care"

Draco looked down at Hermione, stunned, took in her guilty expression, and threw his head back and laughed.

/…../

A few more toasts and songs later, Hermione was pushed back onto the stage by a beseeching Lindy, who was desperate to get back at her new husband for the embarrassing rugby story. Draco sat at one of the tables next to Shaun and Sue, who'd taken off her shoes and kicked up her champagne consumption now that she'd gotten their girls off to bed.

Hermione waved at everyone with her champagne glass and called a "halloooo" into the microphone to get everyone's attention. Draco was amused to see that his girlfriend was a little tipsy.

"So, Lindy has made a special request of me this evening, and who am I to deny her the privilege of sharing with all you fine people the first song that young Renton ever sang to her? I admit I'm a little embarrassed to be doing this, but here we go. Oh, and Draco, I am so sorry you have to see this. But if you make fun of me, you will live to regret it." And with that, Hermione, all alone on the stage, began to sing.

"Why do birds suddenly appear

Every time you are near?

Just like me, they long to be

Close to you"

Draco watched the bride holding her stomach as she laughed at her new husband's face, which had turned puce with emasculated embarrassment. He grinned to himself as he watched Hermione's face turn a similar color as she sang on, but was surprised when a good deal of the audience, including Sue and Shaun, took up the chorus.

"On the day that you were born the angels got together

And decided to create a dream come true"

Everyone was laughing and singing after that, and Draco was amused to see the groom good-naturedly grab his new wife's hand and kneel before her to sing along with Hermione. When she came down from the stage a few moments later to the loudest applause and cheers of the entire evening, Renny turned on some music to play through the speakers so that people could keep dancing. Hermione and her band mates were done for the night.

Hermione plopped ungracefully into the chair next to Draco and groaned.

"I can't believe I had to sing that! Shaun I should have you beaten for abandoning me!" she said as she kicked her pumps off and curled her exhausted toes. Draco watched her for a moment, then leaned back and patted his lap while pointing at her feet. Hermione looked at him quizzically, but he just rolled his eyes and leaned down to pull her feet into his lap. She squeaked, then moaned in gratitude as Draco rubbed the soreness out of the balls of her feet.

"Sooo…" Draco said slowly, and a smirk crept up his face as he watched Hermione turn to look at him.

"I had no idea you wrote me a song, Hermione. Very flattering it was, but for the eye color. My eyes are gray, not blue," Draco said gravely as Sue and Shaun chortled next to him. Hermione blew out an exasperated breath and then, carefully, leaned in and punched Draco in the shoulder.

"You are an arse," she said, then squealed as Draco ran his thumb up the center of her foot, which tickled tremendously. Sue picked up Hermione's new camera, as she had done often throughout the evening, and snapped a few pictures of the two as they struggled and flirted with each other like a couple of school children. Finally Hermione gave in, swearing that Draco was not an arse, but "a devilishly handsome and charming man! Now stop tickling me, you arse!"

With that, Shaun regaled Draco and Hermione with the tale of how he'd managed to get his nose broken when he'd made the terrible error of trying to tickle Sue's feet when they'd been dating. Renny, his son, and new daughter-in-law wandered over, and soon stories of painful and embarrassing accidents that can only happen when courting were being shared. Draco confessed about nearly falling off the ladder at the Library, and called out Sue and Hermione about his 'salted coffee' incident, which made the other men at the table laugh all the harder.

"Come now, Hermione. Don't tell me you have nothing to contribute to this conversation!" Sue said mischievously. Hermione glowered at her, then, noticing all eyes on her, sniffed disdainfully and said, "Draco, we'll need to call a locksmith to open your flat when we get back."

"Wait, what? Why? Oh bollocks, I left my keys on your kitchen counter! But, Hermione, why can't I just get my keys back from you?" Draco asked, puzzled.

Hermione flushed then, and said primly, "Because, unfortunately, my keys are sitting next to yours."

The entire group laughed appreciatively at her embarrassment, and finally even Hermione joined in. The happy group chatted amiably as the night got later and later, and the champagne flowed freely.

Sometime after midnight had come and gone, Draco felt Hermione snore gently on his shoulder. She'd been curled up in his lap like a kitten for more than an hour, and he decided that their night must come to an end.

"Well, all, I think it's time I get this Little Girl off to bed. I'll let her know that we're going to meet you in the morning for brunch," Draco said as he curled his arms around her and hoisted her up. Sue, Shaun and Renny were the only ones left at their table, as the newlyweds had left some time before to get their honeymoon started.

"Draco?" Sue asked cautiously.

"Yes?" Draco turned to address Hermione's friend.

"How did Hermione break her ribs last Spring?" she asked quietly.

Draco gave Sue a long, contemplative look, and adjusted Hermione in his arms.

"I didn't say she broke her ribs, I said she had them broken," he said carefully.

Sue took measure of what he'd said, and his tone, and met his eyes with sharp incredulity.

"You're saying someone did it to her."

Draco watched Sue, and she watched him in return.

"She has a bad ankle too, doesn't she? She doesn't run nearly fast enough for as often as she does run, and sometimes I swear she's limping, even though she always brushes me off," Sue said. "Draco, what happened to her?"

Draco sighed. "Sue, there's a lot I can't tell you, out of respect for Hermione's privacy and out of respect for the dead, and because, as the Mu-, er, the saying goes, it's classified information. But I'll tell you lot this because I think you need to understand why it's important that Sutton leaves her alone. Hermione's ribs and ankle were broken when she was strung upside down by her ankle, and whipped and beaten by the same people that killed Potter. I can tell you this freely, because I was strung up right next to her, so it's not solely her story to tell. But I'll tell you this, that was probably the least of what she's been through in the past few years, and I'll be damned if something like that ever happens to her again."

Renny, Shaun and Sue gaped at Draco, who stood there casually holding their friend in his arms as if she weighed no more than a child. He shifted her again in his arms, resting his head briefly against her hair.

"Wait, Draco! How did you get free?" Sue asked as Draco made to turn and leave.

Draco sighed. "Potter saved us," he said. He looked at each of them and said carefully and with complete honesty, "Harry Potter saved us all." Draco nodded goodnight to them, and turned to walk up to the Inn as Hermione slept.

/…../

He watched from the shadows as the blond man strolled casually up the walkway with the pretty, sleeping girl in his arms. That prick had swept in and taken his girl, had threatened him, and had gotten him fired from his band.

It was all HER fault, really.

The little whore.

She'd fucked up his life and hadn't even batted an eyelash at him.

Someone was going to pay for this.

To Be Continued.

Author's Note: Reviews make my day. Follow, favorite, etc… Encouragement is good for the writer's soul, you know! ajc