A/N: Yesh, in the last chapter there were some spelling things messed up, but my Jarte was freaking out and I could only see a quarter of the page, which is why...never mind. Here's the chapter.
And the location I name of The Malfoy Manor? I looked in Wikipedia, and that's the actual location for those of you who like detail in their stories.
"Ah, the savior of the Wizarding World, Harry Potter! And the noble sidekicks, Hermione Granger and Ginny Weasley!" exclaimed the owner of the small breakfast place, running to their table. "I am George Whillvie III, and you must eat on the house today! It's the only way to serve heroes!" The rest of the customers sitting at the small red tables applauded. Hermione's face flushed deeply and Harry looked away, irritated. They encountered things like this anytime they went into Diagon Alley.
"You know, it's enough that they gave us The Order Of Merlin, First Class. which did seem like a little too much, but do they have to go and traipse it around?" Hermione asked, a little irritated herself.
"Well, you two saved the world," Draco said irritably; the quirky man in the apron forgot to mention him also. The man came back, beaming and he set down eggs, toast, bacon, coffees and teas, sausage, and Hermione's (second) favorite desert, scones and honey.
"Oh, thank you!" she exclaimed to the short man as she took a scone and dipped it in honey, then biting with a dreamy look on her face. The other watched in awe as she finished 8 scones in a mere matter of minutes. She looked at the others, still staring at her. "Sorry," she mumbled.
"We are so sorry we blew off last night, there was this thing and..." Ginny trailed off, leaning back in her chair and looked out the window.
"Really, it's fine," Hermione assured her red-haired friend, leaning across the table. Harry and Draco were both trying to avoid conversation by digging into their Canadian bacon.
"And I'm sorry Ron couldn't join us," she apologized again. Hermione frowned; after the takedown of Voldemort, Ron was still sour about her choosing Draco over him and therefor didn't come to see her much. Ginny turned to Draco. "He still doesn't trust you, you know."
Draco shrugged. He could care less if the Weasel hated him, as long as he got to wave in his face that he- he blinked several times, then looked over at Hermione, who was preoccupied opening sugar packets for her coffee. He had already forgotten and looked up at the couple opposite him.
"We have an announcement to make.." But before Draco could finish, Hermione whipped out her ring hand at the couple at top speed, still opening the packet with one hand and looking down. Harry's jaw dropped at the sparkling diamond and Ginny's eyes widened. Draco put his hands over his ears. This is it... He thought.
"EEEEEEEE!" Ginny screamed, getting up and jumping up and down, clutching the table. "EEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!"
"I can't believe-would you look at the size of that diamond?!" Ginny exclaimed, clutching Hermione finger and inspecting the ring.
"Ginny, sit down already!" Hermione said, blushing as the passerby that went by their table stared. Ginny sat, but was still smiling. Hermione bit her lip, then took Ginny's hands from across the table.
"Ginny...I want you to be my Maid Of Honor," Hermione said solemnly, and Ginny's mouth opened in mere shock of what was being asked of her.
"Oh, I would love to!" Ginny said, clasping her hands from across the table again. Draco looked at the two, who were attracting more attention than the cherubs flying around the restaurant, and couldn't help the small smile that was tugging at the corners of his lips. Harry was in his chair at this point, blinking profusely.
"Erm, well done, Malfoy. You too, Hermione," He said in a slightly hoarse voice. He couldn't believe it. His best mate, Hermione, getting married to a past enemy? Who would've thought about that?
"Well, Potter, I've terrorized you and your friends for a while," Draco spoke up in a quiet voice. "But, maybe, since I know Hermione loves you so much...if you'd, erm, be my best man at the wedding."
Coffee spilled all over Hermione's front as she coughed and choked when she heard Draco say this.
"Oh, D-Draco, how nice o-of you," she sputtered, still coughing. Ginny handed her a napkin, eyes fixated on the two men.
"Of course," Harry said, eyebrows fixed in a raised position. But they heard a wistful tune enter the restaurant. Harry pulled out of his jeans pocket a watch with more than one hand with moons and stars on it.
"We've got to be off, me and Gin are going to the Ministry to try to convince one of my friends to get her a summer job," Harry explained.
"All right, I'll see you two, goodbye!" Hermione replied, and with a crack they were gone. Hermione beamed as she put her little sugar packets in order, then took Draco's arm silently. He looked down and smiled. He Disapparated them back to the flat. Hermione kicked off her shoes and Draco landed on the couch, but Hermione went right to work on the kitchen.
"So, where do you want the wedding?" Hermione asked, nonchalantly as she washed some dishes in the sink.
"On the beaches of Scotland..." Hermione said. "That's my dream wedding."
"I don't like water," Draco said stiffly.
"Fine," Hermione replied exasperatedly, "How about just a formal wedding in a chapel?"
"I'm not religious, and...our relationship isn't exactly the norm, now is it? So I want a abnormal wedding," Draco said confidently.
Hermione turned off the hot water and shook the last spoon of water before placing it in the tray in the cabinet. Her eyes darted to Draco, casually slumped on the couch.
"I've got it!' He said, leaping to his feet. "How about where we met? Hogwarts?" Hermione looked away thoughtfully, then looked back at her fiancee.
"That sounds brilliant!" Hermione exclaimed. "McGongall would be so pleased to have us back again, I've even thought of applying for a job there!"
"Miss Hogwarts that much, eh?" Draco quipped.
"It was your idea," she said, trying to cover up the shade of pink going over her face as she sat down in front of Draco, her points from her large collection and coming back, plopping on the couch next to Draco, reading.
"So, who's going to talk care of all the rubbish Weasley was talking about?" He asked sluggishly.
"I will take hold of this task!" Hermione said, jumping to her feet and leaving the book behind. "Work always keeps my mind driving, I'll be in Diagon Alley." She took her wand from the small kitchen table and tucked it in her pocket.
"Be back soon!" she called before Draco could respond. She Disapparated away. Draco blinked and sat back up, putting his hands through his hair. He had the distinct feeling that something was going to go wrong. It's not that he didn't love her-he would die for her. But all this planning and arrangements they had to about-they didn't even began and he already dreads it.
They period of time after the battle at Hogwarts, they took their N.E.W.T.S as planned, and he had asked her to live with him on the night of the Graduation Party, but his parents' manor in Wiltshire, a Western English county, was incredibly run down, so they decided to live in a apartment building. It was very large, and nearly every day, they would get out and explore Muggle London's fashion, the ethnic food(Hermione had grown fond of Asian food; Thai, Mongolian, Chinese,etc...)and other trinkets they had. He ran his hands through his sleek blonde hair again. He was committed.
But there's always the bachelor party, Draco convinced himself. But Potter was still flabbergasted at the fact that mortal enemies were committed, and Weasley just is just a sodding fool. It was obvious that even with Hermione, he was still alone.
Draco gazed out the window and down into the streets of London with half-lidded eyes, loosing their light color and becoming darker, sadder. He'd always be alone. He sat down on the couch and decided to watch some soccer for an hour or so.
An hour and a half later, he heard a loud crack. "Back, back, back!" He heard a voice chirp. He turned to see Hermione, beaming and holding several small bags.
"I stopped at Hogwarts and had a chat with McGonagall, she's so kind, she let us have the wedding on the grounds. We planned everything! Can you believe it? McGonagall, a wedding planner? Anyways, we organized how many seats there will be on each side, how many guests, that sort of thing. I still need to go to a cake place, a dress and suit place, and I need to get bridesmaid dresses! Well, just for Ginny, maybe. I'm so buzzed aren't you?!" Hermione said enthusiastically, talking at top speed.
She took each folded piece of paper and looked at the blanks on which the invitation had admirably, then sat down promptly. Out of the second bag, she whisked out a bright, shocking blue that made Draco squint. A determined look on her face, she set down the quill on the invitation. Out of the same bag came a bottle of ink she opened promptly.
"Hermione, you don't need a quill, have a pen!" He exclaimed, handing one from his jeans pocket.
"No, this is much quicker!" She opened the bottle promptly.
Suddenly, the quill sprang to life, dipping itself in the ink, and then stood upright on the invitation. Draco peered from afar over her shoulder; the invitation already had their names on the blank, but the first blank was still empty.
"Of course! Ginevra Weasley," Hermione said, and the quill scribbled it quickly in the dark blue ink. She folded the invitation and put it in the bag. "Let's see. Naturally, Harry Potter, Mrs. Weasley, Mr. Weasley, Fred-Well...oh, sure. They better not fuss with the wedding. Fred and George Weasley, all one line. Bill Weasley, if he can make it. And why not Charlie? Ron Weasley. Although he might not come. Don't write that!" She stopped the quill, and it froze, waiting for her to continue.
"Mr. Granger, Mrs. Granger. Oh! Rubeus Hagrid. Minerva McGonagall. Hmm...Professor Flitwick, of course, a wonderful teacher. I had an excellent seventh year being taught by him. And I'm pretty sure that's it." The quill was scribbling like mad, finishing up "Minerva McGonagall".
"All those people, sitting on your side?" Draco asked.
"Mhmm.." she nodded, folding them and putting them in red envelopes. She stopped and turned to Draco, who eyes were facing downward with a pained expression as he leaned against the kitchen sink.
"Oh, I apologize! Of course, some can sit on your side!" Hermione comforted him, and quite badly.
"What makes you think I care about all your goody-good friends sitting on my side at the wedding?" he asked angrily, and stormed away into the hallway, slamming the door. Hermione looked gloomily down the hall, then gave a small, exasperated sight before putting the rest of in the invites in the envelopes. When she was done, she called her new owl.
"Come on, Dumble!" she called and loyally, her black feathered brown-eyed owl came to her. She had gotten it on Dumbledore's next birthday, and in memorial, named him Dumble.
"Aww, nice owl. Now if you can deliverer all these before sundown, you'll have the next two-no, three weeks off. Is that too much for you, bitty bird?" she cooed, petting her. She hooted in agreement and carefully, Hermione had put one in her beak and the rest she put in a satchel with a hole at the top, high enough so you can see the names on the envelopes.
"Now, give them to the witches and wizards in order of the envelopes. Now your a smart bird, you can do it!" She opened the window and her beautiful bird flew off into the sky. Hermione watched him until he was long gone. Hermione couldn't keep Crookshanks because she was afraid she would eat Dumble, and they weren't allowed, so Ginny had him. She tucked her hair behind her ears nervously and checked her watch-2:00. Today was June 12-she had actually, on a whim, picked July 3rd. She thought it was pretty good, considering she had gotten part one down and done today. That's the way to organize! Good ol' Mione is back again! she though gleefully. She looked back down the hall and remembered what Draco had said angrily.
She took the phone from the side wall of the room and dialed a number. She waited, leaning against the kitchen table.
"Hermione!" a voice exclaimed from the phone. Hermione's lips spread into a wide smile.
"Guess what! I'm getting married!" she exclaimed happily.
"To who?" the voice had grown very faint and hoarse.
"You've met him! Draco Malfoy!" she replied.
"Oh, the blonde and extremely handsome bloke! Just so you know, sweeties, you're on speakerphone so your Dad can hear too!" the voice said with much enthusiasm.
"Now, Mum, don't go off saying things about my fiancee in front of Dad," Hermione said jokingly.
"Sweetie, I'm very proud of you," A voice boomed all of a sudden. Hermione remembered Draco had never met him before. She lightly slammed the table with a fist. Another thing to get done today by yours truly.
"Could we come over? We'd just be a few minutes, really, so you can meet Draco, Dad," she asked carefully.
"A Saturday! And Valentine's Day! Well, we were going to dinner tonight..." George Granger's voice faded away in the distance.
"Perfect! We'll go to dinner!" a different happy voice(Hermione's mother) exclaimed. Hermione gave a small grimace. She loved her parents, of course, but dinner with them?
"Oh...of course," Hermione said, trying to keep any sarcasm out of her voice.
"Perfect! Come over at six, I know this absolutely fantastic place!" Hermione's mother pored.
"Great. See you tonight." Hermione said and the phone clicked. She set it down and looked back down the hall. Did Draco even want to get married to me, or was it just a thrill? Hermione asked herself, tears beginning to form in her eyes. Sure, things were getting a bit rocky, but she hoped he still loved her like she always would love him. But the teary expression on Hermione's face may never ceast to exist.
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Draco rubbed his eyes with a towel from the corner of his and Hermione's room. He didn't care-since when did he want to be such a good guy? And Hermione's good friends-they hated him. But why would he care anyways if Hermione's friends and family hated him?
"Draco?" a small voice asked from the other side of the door.
"Come in," he said gruffly. Hermione carefully eased the door in, peeking her head in. Draco was sitting his knees to his chest, back against the headboard. She tipto3ed in for some reason, as if alligators were to snap at her. She sat down on the bed next to him, smoothing out her skirt and not meeting his eyes.
"Draco?" she sniffed.
"Yes?" he asked irritably. He turned his head for the first time he came in, and immediately regretted it because she was drooped over like a wilted flower; the only part of her he could see was the back of her bushy haired head.
"D-do you still love me?" Hermione asked, biting her lip after this sentence to try not to wail. He grabbed her shoulder and made her turn to face him. She was flinching slightly, and her misty eyes stared at him in fear of what he might do next. He pulled her down and unfolded his knees so her head was on his lap.
"Who ever said there aren't any stupid questions," he said flatly, "Was just proved wrong by you."
Before Hermione could respond, he continued. "I love you. I'll always love you, and I don't think it's humanly impossible for me to ever stop loving you. You can ask me what pi is to the nearest thousandth, and I wouldn't know. You could asked me what the radius of a six point seven-six-two-nine-five wide cake, and I couldn't tell you. You can ask me which came first the chicken or the egg, and damn it, I wouldn't know! I don't hope. I don't "look forward" to anything. I never hope for anything. If you were to ask how I feel about you right now, about us, I wouldn't tell you I'm hopeful. Why? Because I'm sure. I know things are going to be good. I know." Draco finished and looked down at Hermione, who as bewildered and flustered.
"GOODNESS, DRACO!" Hermione sobbed, sitting up and wrapping her arms around his chest.
"Ah, stop it, stop it!" he exclaimed.
" I didn't know that's how you felt about me!" she cried, clutching his shirt. "Now, you don't even have to make wedding vows, you can just say that to me and I'd be in love you with you all over again!"
"That? I just said how I...felt. Nothing special. You're getting my shirt wet! Get off!" he exclaimed again.
"Oh, sorry," she sniffled. "Anyways, I've got to tell you. I've planned our wedding for July 3rd. My parents invited us to a Valentine's Day dinner at six. So them we can exchange presents, okay?" she asked, clearing her throat.
"Mhmm," Draco agreed nonchalantly. "So, what did you get me?"
"A surprise I picked up on my way back from the stationary store," Hermione said, smiling to herself as she walked out.
"What is it?" Draco asked
"Let's just say it's a surprise for later tonight," Hermione left the room with a wink. Draco stared, gaping sat the door. Dear God, what have I done to deserve this? he prayed gleefully. And then he remember: He was meeting her parents.
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"Oh, Hermione, darling!" A voice rang out. She turned and Draco put his hands in his suit jacket uncomfortably, edging up the driveway to the front porch of the small suburban home.
"Mum!" she cried out, trotting up to her mother in her pointy black heels. Draco looked up and his eyes bulged.
Hermione's mother looked quite young indeed, but some of her age showed. But the resemblance between her and her mother was remarkable; her brown hair was straight and pulled back with bobby pins. She wore rimless rectangular glasses on her beaming face. There were gray hairs on her hairline that were also pulled back too.
She did have small crow's feet on the side of her eyes when she smiled, but she didn't seem to mind. Her eyes were as bright and brown as Hermione's, but a little lighter. And, just like her daughter, her two front teeth were a bit larger than normal. She was taller than her daughter and had a black blazer on and a knee-length skirt. Hermione and her mother seemed to even wear identical black dress shoes.
"Mum, you've met Draco," Hermione introduced. Draco turned pink and shuffled forward, trying not to meet the woman's eyes.
"Nice to meet you, Mrs. Granger," he mumbled, holding out a limp and cold hand. She grasped it and his head shot up at it's warmth and smoothness, much like Hermione's hand.
"Very nice to meet you again, young man!" Mrs. Granger gave him an unexpected motherly hug. Draco stiffened and was unsure what to do. From behind her back, Hermione was giving his hands signals to hug, he back, but he mouthed a "No" instead. "And please, call me Amanda. From what my daughter says, you'll be my son-in-law soon." Draco nodded.
"My little girl has come back!" A voice said from in front of them. Draco looked up and saw the man in his suit that was, indeed, Hermione's father. He also had brown hair and more gray around it than his wife. From what Draco could tell, he was sight impaired; he could just see small circles around his iris that indicated contact lenses. He had deep, dark blue eyes that contrasted from Draco's greatly.
"Dad, please," Hermione blushed, hugging him. He looked over her shoulder to see Draco there, hands deep in his pockets as Mrs. Granger pored over how Hermione was always looking for a soulmate at her Muggle school and how cute it was. The man strode to Draco, giving his a firm handshake.
"George Granger. My daughter would talk about you all the time; she fancies you greatly, you know," Mr. Granger said with a wink, and Hermione turned a deeper shade of red.
"Oh, really?" Draco asked, smirking her way.
"I think we should go now!" Hermione exclaimed. So they loaded into the car her father owned and drove into town.
The dinner had went surprisingly great. Hermione's parents loved Draco and chatted with him more than their own daughter. Hermione had a whitefish sandwich and water with lemon, while the others all had a medium rare steak, a side of cilantro, and a glass of wine. (They had more in common than they thought, but Draco really didn't know what to choose and picked what her parents had gotten.) Mr. Granger had given his wife a pearl necklace, and she gave him tickets she bought online for a soccer game. ("YES!" Mr. Granger exclaimed, jumping to his feet, and catching the attention of other people in the restaurant.) Draco had given Hermione a bracelet on which it said "To Hermione: My beer and skittles. From Draco."
At this, Hermione's parents exchanged puzzled looks. Hermione gave his a kiss, and they both shared a secret smile. Only they knew what it meant. That was the best thing of all.
A/N: AWW! Some fluffiness, but in case you thought all the spark Draco and Hermione usually have was gone from the first chapter, it's obviously back again! WOOOOOT!