Thanks to all my followers and reviewers, by the way this is not the end of the story still a bit to go.
Hermione felt as though she was going to be sick, as a wave of nausea coursed through her. Everyone was silent, waiting for her to explain what was going on. It seemed as though time stood still whilst she worked up the courage to reply to the man who stood silently behind her.
Taking in a deep breath, she did the only thing she could do under the circumstances, she pushed back her chair.
"Alright Draco" She said with more calm then she felt.
Not bothering to explain to her friends who she was sure were going insane with curiosity, she followed Draco away from the Marquee.
Her nerves were erratic as all manner of wild delusions flooded her mind. What on earth was he doing here or more importantly what on earth was he doing showing up here to talk to her in front of her oblivious friends? If she'd been irked by Ginny's behaviour, this took the cake.
"I'm sorry for interrupting "Draco apologised, coming to a standstill some metres from the burrow.
"I'm going to have to explain everything to them now" She spat at him, folding her arms across her chest.
"I know, look I came here" He began.
"No, you don't know Draco, it'll be a miracle if they ever speak to me again" She seethed.
"Will you just listen to what I have to say?" He raised his voice angrily.
"Fine go ahead, tell me what is so important it couldn't wait until another appropriate time?" She narrowed her eyes at him.
"I love you" He shouted at her.
She stared at him in complete shock, her arms falling to her side, her heart racing uncontrollably against her chest.
"What?" She breathed.
"I came here to tell you that I love you" He cleared his throat uncomfortably.
"You choose to come on New Year's Eve to tell me ' you love me'" She quoted, seething with anger once again.
"Was I supposed to owl you?!" He roared.
"What does it matter?" She yelled back.
"I don't think you actually realise what I'm saying here" He said quietly.
Hermione did not want to get her hopes up over this shock declaration. The fact remained he was still getting married, she had a sinking feeling he was on the verge of asking her to be his mistress.
"What are you saying?" She asked calmly.
"I told my father no" He revealed, eyeing her carefully.
Ok not what I was expecting, she thought. This was not going at all according to what she had thought was going to happen.
"Told him no about what?" She asked carefully.
"I told him I wasn't going to marry the Greengrass girls" He said.
"The Greengrass girls, do purebloods practice polygamy?" She asked.
He ran a hand through his hair in frustration.
"Can we focus please?"
"So what are you saying" She repeated her earlier question.
He took a step towards her gauging her response before gently grabbing hold of her hand.
"I told him I wouldn't marry ANY of the girls as I was in love with you" He whispered.
That did it.
Her mouth went dry.
Her Body began to shake.
All thought gone as she suddenly found it very hard to breathe.
Her mind did not allow her to believe anything that had happened in the past few minutes. Maybe she'd passed out at the table and this was some kind of lucid dream brought on by alcohol.
"Aren't you going to say anything?" He whispered coming closer until he was mere inches away from her face.
"You chose me?" she asked stupidly.
"Yes" He nodded leaning in so he could whisper into her ear. "I took a chance"
She felt her insides melt at those words.
Closing her eyes she decided to do what he had told her to do when they'd first started this, take a chance. After all hadn't he just taken a huge chance on her? Slowly she wrapped her arms around his neck pulling him in as she captured his lips, moaning as he pulled her into a tighter embrace. She had forgotten how good this felt, having him moulded to her, plundering her mouth with such ruthlessness that she began to ache.
"AHEM" Someone cleared their throat.
Draco pulled away instinctively and was about to move away from Hermione when she caught hold of his hand, preventing him.
Ginny stood there looking down at their hands, a huge grin on her face.
"Are you coming back before the others have an embolism?" She asked.
"We'll be right there" Hermione answered, squeezing his hand.
"Don't be too long it's almost midnight" Ginny called out, walking away.
"I should go" Draco sighed.
"You don't have to" She shook her head, not willing to let him go.
"Potter and Weasel aren't going to be too happy to have me at their table, Hermione" He argued.
"They'll get used to it, come on" She tugged gently at his hand, urging him to follow her as she made her way back to the party.
"If they draw wands I'll have to defend myself" He warned.
Hermione only shook her head in response.
The others were still seated at the table, their eyes growing into saucers when they saw Hermione not only return with Draco, but holding hands with him as well.
"You all know Draco" She said coolly, gesturing for Draco to take a seat next to her.
Ron looked as though he would self-combust at any moment, his eyes shifting between Hermione and Draco at rapid speed. Harry looked openly shocked but managed to contain it, whilst Victoria seemed at a loss to what was going on.
"So what are everyone's new year resolutions?" Ginny broke the silence.
"I don't usually make one, what's your resolution?" Hermione joined in, grateful for the distraction.
"I hadn't really thought of one yet" Ginny admitted, glancing at her husband and brother who had yet to utter one word.
"Come on guys can't I bring a guy to dinner?" Hermione huffed.
"He's not just some guy" Ron bit out.
"You're right Ron he's not just some guy, he's a very important guy" She ground out.
"I'm Victoria by the way" Victoria cut in, introducing herself to Draco.
"Draco Malfoy" He returned, glad at least someone was acknowledging him.
"So how long has this being going on for?" Ron continued ignoring the look Victoria shot him.
"That's none of your business Weasely" Draco scoffed.
"I think as her friends, it is our business ferret" Ron shot back.
"Calm down everyone, it's almost midnight for Godric's sake" Harry interrupted, shaking his head.
"You're right sorry" Ron sighed, realising now was not the time for this discussion.
Hermione was extremely grateful to Harry for his intervention though she knew him too well to take it for his acceptance. Underneath the calm exterior he was seething, for he knew that not only had Hermione lied to him but so had his wife.
Hermione spent the rest of the party in a semi state of exhilaration and fear. Exhilaration because Draco had chosen her, fear because she knew that she would have to face her friends in the days to come.
"Are you tired?" Draco whispered in her ear.
"A little, but it's only a few minutes to midnight" She shrugged.
"We can go back to my place" He suggested huskily.
"Just wait until midnight" She playfully elbowed him.
"Here it comes!" Ginny squealed in excitement, standing up to greet in the New Year.
Hermione followed her lead, pushing her chair in as she waited for the New Year to begin. Draco wrapped his arms tightly around her, uncaring what the others thought. Hermione lent into his embrace enjoying the warmth his body gave her.
10 9 8...
As soon as the last number had been called out, Draco swung her around capturing her lips in a passionate kiss. Hermione deepened the kiss, loving the feel of his lips against hers once again.
"Shall we?" Draco asked against her lips.
She nodded, immediately apparating them away from the burrow.
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Narcissa kept an impassive expression plastered to her face throughout the entire party, if it was one thing she was good at it was the ability to control her emotions. She'd seen Draco approach her husband, and then proceed out of the ballroom, her curiosity piqued. She had also noticed her husband return alone, anger etched into every grain of his body as he walked back to Alfred Greengrass. She'd known at that moment that Draco had walked away. It was a testament to her upbringing that she did not miss a beat in her duties as hostess, holding conversations with her guests. Lucius never once made contact with her choosing to go through the motions as she did. Alfred had left with his daughters earlier on sparking an avalanche of questions from some of the guests. She simply replied that perhaps he'd changed his mind, waving the whole thing off as though none of it mattered. It wasn't until the last guest left, that she finally allowed the emotions to take over. Walking straight into her husband's office, she rounded on him.
"What happened?" She asked angrily.
"Your son decided a mud blood was more important than family" Lucius revealed, toying with his cane.
"You assured me she meant nothing to him!" She raged at him for no better reason then he was there.
"He'll come back Narcissa" He said firmly.
"What are you going to do?" She gasped.
"Salazar, why do my own family think I'm capable of such monstrous crimes against my own blood?" He roared, reading her mind.
"I'm sorry Lucius" She whispered, an inch away from crying.
"He'll be back when he realises what it's like to be poor Narcissa. The boy has always had everything handed to him, how long do you think he'll last out in the world?" He explained.
"I don't know Lucius" She rubbed her temples, not comforted at all.
"Potter can't stand him neither can her ex-husband, just think about the warm reception he'll get in that circle" Lucius barked.
"They'll accept him eventually" She sighed.
She didn't know Harry Potter at all well but ever since he'd testified on her behalf at The Ministry Trials she had held him in high esteem. She knew he would eventually come around and accept her son; it was the Wizard he was.
"The point is he'll come crawling back within the month then he'll marry who I say and we can all look back at this as some hiccup in the road"
She simply nodded at him. There was no point in arguing with him any longer, she would have to somehow come to terms with the fact that whilst Lucius lived, she had lost her son.