Disclaimer: I own nothing, all credit to J.K Rowling for the creation of the Harry Potter universe. I just found a plot for this ship.

Warning: Later chapters will contain adult themes. There is an M rating for a reason. The story will NOT contain rape or sexual violence. Lemons and fluff expected. Basically what you would expect from most romance novels nowadays.
There will also be the use of profanity.

Music speaks to my muse.
This chapters song was: Uprising, Muse
Lyric of choice: Rise up and take the power back. It's time the fat cats had a heart attack.

Charmed to You

Chapter 21
Uprising

Draco looked up and frowned at his wife. "This weekend?"

She sighed at him. "Yes, this weekend. I sent the invitation to your office, Draco."

He sat back rolling his shoulders. "Hmm, I have a new secretary. Things must have gotten lost in the shuffle. Well, I am very sorry, dear, but I will need you with me in France. This is a very important contract."

Hermione tapped her foot at him and he could feel his ring burn with her indignation. Damn, she was pissed.

"No, Draco. I am not going to miss this wedding to go to France with you for business."

He frowned at her a bit surprised. "Oh?"

But she didn't back down, in fact, if anything his fiery little lioness glared and bristled more. "No." She said firmly and then she turned on her heel and stormed out, slamming the door behind her.

Draco flinched but didn't otherwise show how angry he was. He drummed his fingers on his desk as he thought over the problem. This was a big contract he was negotiating and having Hermione there was important. But that wasn't why he wasn't about to let her go to that wedding without him, no, it was petty and very juvenile but he wasn't about to let her go to a party where her ex would be at without him. He didn't trust Ronald Wesley.

He looked down at the invitation on his desk and ran through what he knew about the trip to France this weekend. Obviously now he knew why Dean was not going to be there Saturday night. He had assumed it had something to do with a woman, but now it was apparent Dean was going to be at this wedding too. Draco pinched the bridge of his nose as he considered all his options.

Finally, he threw down his quill and stormed over to his parents' side of the manor. His father was a silent partner, but the old man had on occasion helped to smooth over a contract or two when asked.

OoOOoooOOooO

Lucius was sitting in his own study, reading in a plush chair and looked up with interest as his son stormed into his private retreat. "Yes, Draco?"

Draco grimaced, Merlin he hated asking for help. It went against everything he had been taught his whole life, to admit he couldn't do something himself. But there was simply no way around this; he couldn't very well be in two places at once.

"Are you available to host a dinner at our Villa in France this weekend and act as host to help smooth over the LeCompete account?"

His father set down his book and sat back tenting his hands and staring at his son. "Why would you and your lovely wife not be able to perform this task?"

Draco was careful to keep his face neutral as he answered in a monotone. "We were double booked."

Lucius inclined his head his eyes flashing a bit with understanding. "Ah, yes, the Weasley-Avery wedding is this weekend, is it not?"

Draco gave a sharp nod and his father let out a short snort. "Well, if you and your wife will be attending that on behalf of our family, yes, your mother and I can host the LeCompete's in France."

Draco let out a small sigh of relief and then nodded at his father formerly. "Thank you, father."

Lucius stood up and nodded. "Yes, I will go and inform your mother. Oh and Draco?"

Draco turned around as he had already started to walk out. His father was giving him a long accessing look.

"Make sure you two are dressed properly to attend this function. It might be taking place under a tent," his father sneered this word, "but this is Constance Avery we are talking about."

Draco nodded once and then turned on his heel and walked back to his side of the manor. That was his father's warning that he had heard that Draco had not worn dress robes to Goyle's wedding. His father put up with his Muggle suits with great distaste because they were necessary for Draco's work as he dealt so often with Muggles. But he was telling his son in no uncertain terms that he wasn't about to allow Mugglee attire at a society event again without repercussions.

When he found Hermione later that night in bed reading and informed her that they could indeed make the wedding she gave him a short snort of disdain, as if saying there was never any doubt that she wouldn't have made it.

Draco worked to control his temper with her and quickly went to take a shower. She was still angry and when he got out of the bath it was to find her curled up on her side of the bed, sleeping.

He sighed and got into the bed, grabbing her around the waist to pull her into him. She didn't resist, which told him she really was sleeping.

He was gone before she woke up the next morning, having to go and spend the next day in France working on the contract and making sure that the investors knew that his father would be hosting them at the villa.

And it didn't escape his notice that his ring didn't burn with anything but annoyance all day.

OoOOoooOooOOoO

Draco sat back drinking his fire whiskey as he watched his wife dance with Gregory Goyle, who looked rather dashing tonight. The new Mrs. Goyle was dancing with her father and laughing at something the man was saying.

Hermione for her part was smiling at Goyle listening to whatever it was his friend was prattling on about. Knowing Goyle as he did he didn't worry that the man would be inappropriate. No, Hermione was perfectly fine dancing with him, but Draco didn't like it.

Zabini was nearby dancing with a witch Draco wasn't familiar with. She was strikingly pretty though, so Zabini would be happy.

And then there was Harry, who was dancing with Magnolia Flint, his new fiancé. They looked uncomfortable, which made Draco smirk with glee. Magnolia was bright enough, and decently attractive, but man she was young, and the boy who lived looked a bit flustered with the chit. Draco had been happily watching scarface's discomfort for the last half hour. Much to the annoyance of his wife, who knew exactly what he was thinking as he smirked in their direction.

His attention however was diverted by the Weasel King moving towards the dance floor. Draco sat up with narrowed eyes as he watched the mans progress and then his breath hissed out in disbelief and fury as the tall ginger haired git stopped next to Hermione and Goyle.

Goyle looked taken aback but Hermione nodded at whatever Weasel was saying and then to Draco's absolute disgust she let the man touch her as they began to dance with each other. Goyle was still standing there like a damn troll and Draco was running through all the hexes he would use on the man for allowing Weasley to dance with Hermione when Goyle was led off by his grinning red headed little wife and Draco was left staring at Hermione smiling up at Ron.

His ring burned and he sat back, she was surprised by whatever he was saying. Draco watched them with narrow eyes, but when the ring burned again with happiness he stood up and stormed off, ripping off the ring as he did.

Zabini, blast the man stepped in front of him. "All right there, Draco?"

Draco glowered at him but otherwise didn't say anything. Instead he raised an eyebrow at him disdainfully. "Why shouldn't I be?"

Zabini let out a rather sinister chuckle. "Well, your wife is looking rather lovely dovey with her ex right now."

Draco's felt a tick start in his right eye but he didn't give any other indication of his displeasure. "Well, they've been friends since they were snot nosed first years, Zabini. It's hardly worth my attention if they want to dance together at a wedding."

Zabini rocked back on his heels his eyes flashing with surprise before he nodded. "How pragmatic of you, Draco."

His friend stressed his name and Draco sighed. "Bugger off, Blaise."

There was a short snort and then Blaise shrugged. "No, I don't think I will. If you hex the bastard your wife will be pissed at you and then you will be in a foul mood and I will have to put up with it. So, after you, Draco."

Draco let out a long calming breath and held up his drink, indication he was going for a refill. Zabini chuckled but gestured for Draco to go ahead. At the bar the two watched as Ron and Hermione had a rather heated looking discussion just off the dance floor. Draco had his hand in his pocket, toying with the ring. It was burning but he couldn't sense with what. Anger maybe? Without conscious thought he set his glass down and pulled the ring back out slipping it on.

She was worried? Draco frowned, what would weasel king possibly be saying to her that would have her concerned? Then his ring burned with anger, and just as quickly what tasted like regret. But when the ring burned with shocked sadness he pushed himself off the bar. She was in pain, and even though he was livid at her for whatever this was that was going on between her and the idiot Weasel, he wasn't capable of standing idly by while she suffered.

He moved swiftly to her side, not caring if Zabini was following him or not. His hands settled on her shoulders and he smiled as he felt her calm almost instantly. His eyes narrowed as he took in a red faced weasel. "Weasley." He spat.

The man glared at him. "Malfoy."

Hermione was shaking, and he felt his ring burn with weariness. Good, she should be weary, he hadn't decided if he was going to let this man walk out of here alive yet. He had absolutely no bloody patience anymore for the look of disgust Ron Weasley was throwing at his wife.

OooOooOOooOoO

Hermione worked to calm her racing heart. When Ron had asked her to dance she had been so surprised, and then happy. Finally he was going to be reasonable. But that tentative feeling of peace she had felt had disappeared as soon as the dance ended. Ron had tried, but he was still simply too hurt, too mad, and a little too in his cups, to be reasonable.

She could feel the anger radiating off her husband behind her. She put her hand up to cover his on her shoulder to try and offer comfort but flinched as a look of revulsion moved across Ron's face when she did.

"I can't believe you can stand there and let him touch you, Hermione!" He spat at her.

Hermione felt a small part of her heart break. Ron was pushing her into a corner, and she didn't do well backed into corners, and while she would normally have been livid at someone speaking to her in such a tone. This was Ron, her best friend, so it hurt.

Hermione sighed and shook her head. "You disappoint me Ron; that you can't let go of old prejudices."

Ron flinched as if she had hit him but his eyes narrowed. "And what about you? Letting go of everything that mattered to you? You own bloody house elves now! The Hermione Granger I knew-"

Draco cut him off. "She's no longer a Granger, Weasley."

Ron drew up as if he had been slapped his face going white and then an interesting shade of puce. He turned on his heel and stormed out of the tent. Harry looking after him worriedly as Magnolia Flint watched curiously.

Hermione shrugged at Harry, who nodded in understanding before he turned to his fiancé and then went off after Ron.

Draco stood behind her, breathing a little hard. "One reason I can't go hex him into a coma?"

Hermione sighed turning around to look at her husband who was accessing her with calm indifference, even though she knew he was very angry. "It's a wedding Draco; let's just get back to the party."

But the rest of the party was tense. The Weasley's looked upset, Ron never returned. Draco was a bit sullen and clearly still angry, and Hermione just felt heart sick.

Ginny and Goyle left soon after, Goyle making excuses next to his wife who looked spitting mad. It became clear that something else had to have happened.

Magnolia Flint, Harry's fiancé was sitting with them now, her face a bit drawn.

Finally, she turned to Hermione. "Do you hate me too?"

Hermione looked up, shocked. "What?"

Magnolia gave her a long accessing look. "Do you hate me as well? Ronald can not stand me, Harry seems to just barely tolerate me and I was wondering if you also despised me? You are all after all friends. Is that what you and the Weasley were talking about?"

Hermione felt revulsion move through her that this woman could think that she hated her. "I don't know you," Hermione said uncomfortably.

Draco was watching her his face his usual neutral pallet of emotions. They could be discussing the weather for all he gave away.

Magnolia sighed. "Either do they and they have made up their mind about me." She said evenly.

Hermione shook her head. "Harry doesn't hate you." She said in a firm tone.

The woman sat back and a bit of vulnerability flashed in her eyes. "How would you know that?"

Hermione sighed. "Because I know him. He's just shy, and you're rather young, give him time and you two will be fine."

Magnolia sighed. "And the other one? Ron?"

Hermione felt her heart rip a little again as she shook her head. "He hates everyone right now," she said sadly. "He's not in a good place. Try to just ignore him, he-" but she broke off because Harry walked back in his face tense.

"My apologies, Magnolia," he said a bit formerly. "I didn't think it would take that long. May I escort you home?"

Magnolia paused for a moment and then nodded, not saying goodbye to Hermione.

Harry flashed Hermione a short look that told her that things with Ron had not gone well and then he turned and took his fiancé's hand and moved off.

Hermione sat back in her chair after they had left and let out a quite breath of exhaustion. She was even getting a headache.

"Prat." Draco said softly as he watched Harry leave with Magnolia.

Hermione felt her hackles rise. "No he isn't!" She said defending her friend.

Draco just snorted. "He left his date for over an hour to go coddle the weasel, yes, he is a prat."

Hermione opened her mouth to snap back at him but then sighed as her head seemed to pinch again. "I would like to go home," she said moodily.

He was looking at her his face almost concerned. "What hurts?"

She flinched. "My head, I don't think the wine agreed with me."

Draco stared at her a moment and then frowned. "You barely had any."

She nodded. "Well, it tasted off. Can we please go home?"

Draco stood up, nodding. "Fine. Go and say goodbye to the Weasley's and I will make our regrets to the Avery's."

OoOOoO

Twenty minutes later as they stepped out of the fire in their room Hermione didn't speak to him as she went into the bath. When she came out from her hot shower in her nightgown it was to find Draco gone. She sighed and got into bed, unable to mask her exhaustion. She knew that he wanted to speak with her; Draco would want to know what had happened with Ron. And she also knew that he was rather upset. But she couldn't deal with him tonight she was too angry herself and she simply didn't have the energy to have a huge blow out fight with him. Maybe tomorrow things wouldn't feel quite so hopeless.

Notes:
He is Draco Malfoy, he was bound to be an arse sooner or later. Then Ronald had to be an arse…
Men!