Fabulous! I've re-entered my domain of writing this fan-fiction. Inspiration has sparked :] My apologies that it took this long, really. Anyway, enjoy this one!
I occasionally stole glances while she was poking at her breakfast. The table was very quiet, even the house elves were unnoticed - knowing my father, he would've banished one already. I saw the way my mother smiled just sightly as she walked into the room, and my father, who gave no special expression - apparently, the omelet was far more interesting than the girl. She had taken a seat beside me; my mother and father opposite of us. She reached for her glass of water, and I noticed her slender fingers - quite elegant, actually. Her index finger and thumb grasped the glass by the stem - she took a small sip and gently placed the glass back down onto the table. She caught my gaze and I knew she felt awkward, considering the silence excluding the 'clinks' from the silverware gently hitting the plates.
"I'm-I'm sorry to intrude on your breakfast, your Highnesses," she quietly stated.
Her cheeks lit up with a rose-pink hue as she twiddled with her fingers on her lap, staring down at her half eaten omelet. She bit her bottom lip. How I just wanted to reach out to her and comfort her - my parents may not have the best reputation of being nice, but in truth, they were polite ... but that's about all you can get from them.
"Intrude?" my father began, rather roughly, "You've -!"
My mother cleared her throat, placing a hand on father's lap. He regained his composure and continued, "made our breakfast more delightful."
Gracious, I placed my elbow onto the table and leaned my forehead against my palm; example number one of their 'polite' manner.
"Draco, sit up when you're eating, lest you want Mr. Snape to lecture you even more than he does in the afternoon," my mother threatened.
I sighed, "You know as well as I do that I'm not afraid of him, mother. Of all people, I'm probably his favorite student."
I continued to dwell upon my palm while my other hand twirled a fork, picking at the omelet - is this really food? As I continued to pick at the substance, I heard a faint scream from above and something hit the back of my head.
"What in the -?!" I shouted and looked around,"Mother! Did you not see what just happened, something just fell from above and smacked me right in the skull! Father, did you not hear that scream?"
My parents looked at meas if I were Sibyll Trelawney - crazy woman, she was.
"What are you talking about, Draco? Have you gone mad?"
"I knew it, Narcissa, this omelet has gotten to his brains!"
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Granger get out of her seat and walk over to a letter. She picked it up and I saw the imprinted Gryffindor seal on it, along with the official Quidditch logo.
"Is that what hit me? What in the world is in that, Granger?" I questioned.
"I guess she'll just have to open it and find out, Draco," my mother responded as the house elves cleaned the table.
She lifted the flap and the letter came to life.
"Hermione Jean Granger!" one voice spoke.
"Where in bloody Hell are you, Hermione!" another spoke.
"Are you alright? We heard from Luna that you just disappeared from your bed chamber; how could you just leave without notice; Ronald was going mad all night, y'know."
"Was not, Harry! Keep your tongue in your trap! Gracious, I really hope you got this letter, Hermione, if not, I'll really -"
"Watch out, Ronald! Jeez, if you're listening to this, Hermione, we're taking a break from our Quidditch practice at the moment, so don't mind the screaming and whatnot."
"Don't mind it?! That bloody Bludger nearly killed me!"
"Oh, be quiet, I think Hermione's heard enough - if she heard. You'd better come home and have a well explained reason."
"Bloody right, Hermione."
The letter automatically closed its flap and fell back into Hermione's open palms. She cleared her throat, "Oh, I'm sorry, I should really get back, they sound worried."
"Yes, yes, you've spent much time here already, run along then," my father spoke, apparating somewhere.
"Oh, must you really, Hermione? It'd be such a delight to have another girl in the castle; I know, we could go to the boutique - I've always wanted a daughter to spend time with, y'know," my mother drawled on, giving me a teasing smile.
"I-I really couldn't, I don't want to worry them any longer."
I sighed, "What she means is, mother, we're spending the day together."
My mother gave me a questioning look, "We? Did we make plans that I've forgotten, Draco?"
I pulled Granger to my side, my arm draping over her shoulders, "We, mother."
"Oh, oh! Dearest Draco, charming as ever; such a lucky lady, Hermione. Have fun, you two," my mother drawled on and apparated away, a faint giggle disappearing with her.
I sighed, "What a relief."
"We, Malfoy?"
I lifted my arm and pushed her towards the window, my hands resting on her shoulders, "Yes, yes, we are spending the day together - we are engaged, y'know, might as well let everyone ogle their eyes at us. Now, hurry and send your friends a little Patronus, I'm sure they really are worried."
"But -" she started.
"Just do it, Granger, I really would rather spend the day with you than to attend a lecture with Snape and I'm sure you'd want to have a nice time before you face those two worry-warts, yes?"
She pulled out her wand, "I suppose, but I have to get back when we're done 'flaunting our image', got it?"
"Gracious, just do it already."
She pursed her lips at me, her brows furrowed, "Fine."
"Expecto Patronum."
With her wand pointed out the window towards the Gryffindor Kingdom, I saw an blurry image of an otter; my fists clenched slightly.
"Are you alright? Malfoy? Malfoy!"
I looked up, "Oh, what?"
"If you keep gripping your wand that tightly, it'll snap," she spoke softly.
I looked at my hands; I slipped my wand back into my cloak, "Right. Thanks, I suppose."
She, too, placed her wand into her cloak and leaned against the window pane, "So, what're we to do, Malfoy? Visit a boutique, like your mother mentioned?"
"You've already been there."
"What?" she questioned.
"The boutique; you've already been there, haven't you?"
"How did you know? - Oh."
"That day ... Y'know."
"M'yeah, I remember," she responded, a blush appearing on her cheeks.
"You looked beautiful, y'know."
She whipped her head towards my direction, "Wha-What?"
I looked at her. I could see it; a white veil draped on her chocolate brown hair, covering her face, her ivory-white dress, the hall, the alter, the rings, the marriage ... "The rings!"
Snapping out of my trance, I've realized I hadn't prepared the rings for the marriage ceremony nor any rings of our sign of engagement.
"The what? Rings?" she questioned.
Quickly, I took her hand in mine and whipped out my wand, "Where in the world are we going, Malfoy?!"
"The finest wedding boutique in all of the world," and we apparated.
In the main hall, Narcissa had peaked out of the corridor, getting the last faint echo of Hermione's shock, "Wedding?! ..." Smiling to herself, Narcissa sat back down at her dining table, asking a house elf for another omelet, "Who says they're getting to my brain; they're delicious!"
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