"Why did you want me to meet you at this dive," Draco asked Luna, glancing behind himself with a look of distaste at the dilapidated Hog's Head.
"I don't want anyone we know overhearing us," she explained as they entered the place. "Let's take a table in the back."
Once the couple had seated themselves, Luna took Draco's hand and calmly told him, without preamble, "I'm going to have a baby."
"A baby?" Draco repeated, a silly grin on his face. "That's great! But I don't understand why you had to drag me to this hole in the wall to tell me about it. We need to go tell Mum and Dad right away. They'll be so happy."
"Well, that's just it," Luna said. "Your mother will be so disappointed in me for getting pregnant before the wedding,"
"Disappointed in us, you mean," Draco corrected. "It's not as if you got yourself pregnant, you know."
"Your mother has her heart set on a big, showy wedding," Luna said. "Now that I'm pregnant, I don't want to have to deal with all that stress. I never really wanted a big wedding, anyway. A quiet ceremony with just us, your parents, Hermione, and Dad is all I ever really wanted." Taking a sip of her drink, she continued, "And I know that will disappoint your mother. I'm truly grateful for all her help, but I don't know how to tell her I don't want a big wedding."
"Ah, I see your problem now," Draco said. "I think I'd prefer a private wedding myself, but I'd thought you wanted the big wedding, so I was willing to go along with whatever made you happy."
"Really?" Luna was surprised. She'd thought he wanted a big wedding just like his mother did. "I never realized."
"After all we've been through in the last couple of years, I thought a small ceremony might be more tasteful," Draco told her. "All that really matters is that you are at the wedding. You're all I need."
"That's exactly how I feel," Luna said quietly. "What are we going to do?" By this time, they'd left the Hog's Head and were walking in the general direction of Hogwarts.
Draco was silent for a long moment, contemplating their options. He gazed idly at the castle that had been both their homes for seven years. "I've got it!" he said suddenly. "Why don't we go up to Hogwarts right now and have the Headmaster marry us?"
"Horace Slughorn?" Luna half-asked. "That's a wonderful idea!"
"We'll just get married quietly at a place we both love, and then we'll go home and tell our parents," Draco decided. "Once it's done, they won't be able to do anything about it."
"I hate to go behind their backs," Luna said doubtfully. "Your Mum has been so good to me."
"It's the only way," Draco insisted. "We'll make it up to them afterward. Once Mother realizes she's to be a grandmother, she'll get over the rest of it."
"Well, let's go then," Luna said, taking his hand.
A short time later, the young couple stood in Horace Slughorn's new office. All the portraits in the office, particularly those of Albus Dumbledore and Severus Snape, looked on in great interest, as Draco explained their problem to the new Headmaster.
Horace Slughorn had remained silent until Draco finished speaking. Steepling his fingers together, he finally asked, "You want me to perform a wedding ceremony right here, right now?"
"That's right," Draco affirmed quietly, taking Luna's hand. "We would certainly appreciate it."
"I will perform the ceremony under one condition," Slughorn told him. "I will do it if you owl your parents first and give them enough time to get here to witness your wedding. I can assure you that you will regret it if you proceed without them. I'm sure they'd much rather attend a simple wedding than be excluded altogether." Trying, but failing, to look stern, he said, "Lucius, and especially Narcissa, would never forgive me if we did this behind their backs."
Luna looked up at Draco, then said softly, "I can live with that. How about you?"
"If that's what you want," Draco conceded, looking doubtful.
"I do," Luna said. "It's a good compromise and I'll feel better if they're here."
"All right then," Draco told both Luna and Slughorn.
Albus Dumbledore's portrait smiled down on the young couple. "You're doing the right thing, Mr Malfoy," he told Draco, always having known there was hope for the Malfoy family.
"It's a good thing he's listening to Miss Lovegood," Severus Snape's portrait remarked, not at all sure he'd have chosen to do so on his own.
"Well, I'll leave you both to send your owls and get ready for the ceremony," Slughorn said, rising from his chair. "I imagine you'll want to retrieve your wedding clothes after owling your parents." Moving slowly to the door, he said, "Let me know when you're ready to proceed."
---
Lucius stretched languidly in bed after he awakened, the time being well after noon. Narcissa was still asleep, curled protectively against him. They'd been up most of the night making love and had not actually fallen asleep until well after the sun was up.
He gazed down at his wife of over 20 years in frank appreciation, quite glad that one of his father's plans for him had worked out so well. As he stroked her long blond hair, he wondered if her newly-awakened sex drive had occurred because of his relationship with Hermione, but then realized it didn't matter why. She was eager for his touch now, and that was all that mattered.
Just as he was about to slide back down into bed, to wake Narcissa in the way she liked best, he heard a pecking at their bedroom window. He glanced in irritation at the window and was surprised to see one of Hogwarts' generic barn owls waiting impatiently for him to let it in.
Sighing, he got out of bed to go to the window, so the damned bird would go away and he could get back to Narcissa. As he took the noted from the bird, he was surprised to see Draco's handwriting, wondering what his son was doing at Hogwarts.
Returning to the bed, he sat on the side of it, still naked, as he read the note:
Mother and Father:
Please come to Hogwarts right away and make sure to wear your best clothes.
PS: Father, make sure that Hermione comes, too.
I'll explain when you get here
Draco
Puzzled, he stared at the cryptic note, as if he could get inside his son's mind that way. Finally setting it on the nightstand, he leaned over and murmured in his wife's ear.
"Narcissa! Wake up!"
"Mmm," she murmured. "What is it, Lucius? I was having this most delicious dream when you woke me up."
Grabbing the note again, he showed it to her. "It's from Draco. He wants us to meet him right away at Hogwarts wearing our best clothes."
Narcissa snapped completely awake at the news. "I wonder what's going on," she said, as she got out of bed to head to the shower. "Did he say anything else?"
"No, but the sooner we get up there, the sooner we'll find out," Lucius said tightly. "We'll shower together so as not to waste too much time."
"We'll end up wasting more time if you do that," Narcissa teased.
Lucius paid no attention as he stepped into the stall with his wife.
A short time later, Lucius and Narcissa met Hermione in Slughorn's office, where Hermione, Xeno Lovegood and Andromeda Tonks were already waiting.
"Where is Draco?" Narcissa asked as soon as she'd joined the group. "Do any of you know what's going on?"
"I have an idea," Hermione told them. "But I'm not sure. So I think I'll leave it to Draco to explain, as it's not really my place to do so."
At that moment, Draco entered the office, followed closely by Luna. Both were dressed in the clothes they'd planned to wear to their wedding in the fall, having sent house elves to retrieve them.
"I suppose you're all wondering why we called you here today," Draco began.
"That's an understatement," Lucius drawled. "But do go on."
Giving his father a look of momentary irritation, Draco said, "Let's all have a seat as this may take awhile."
Once everyone had seated themselves, Luna stepped forward. "It's really my fault," she said, giving the Malfoys an apologetic look. "I found out this morning that I'm pregnant."
Not giving anyone a chance to respond, she continued, "I decided that, given the circumstances, that it might be in better taste if Draco and I had a quiet wedding as quickly as possible." The young witch thought it best to omit the fact that she'd never wanted a big wedding in the first place. Looking at Narcissa, she said softly, "I'm really sorry. I know how much you were looking forward to giving us this wedding."
"That's quite all right," Narcissa said graciously, brushing a tear from her eye. She was disappointed, but she decided she would look on the bright side. "I'm going to be a grandmother! It's the best gift you could have ever given me."
Lucius squeezed her hand, then leaned over to give her a kiss. "Imagine me, a grandfather!"
"I can hardly wait," Xeno said. "I think I'm going to enjoy being a grandfather."
"Well, shall we get on with it?" Draco asked. He went to the fireplace to floo call Slughorn in his quarters to let him know they were ready.
Horace Slughorn arrived a few moments later, resplendent in his finest robes.
"Ah, I see we're all here," he said affably. "Are we ready to begin?" Pausing for a moment, he said, "Places, everybody!"
Draco and Luna stood before Slughorn, who stood in between the portraits of Dumbledore and Snape. Hermione stood on Luna's side, to act as her matron of honor, while Lucius served as best man to his son. Narcissa and Andromeda stood also, with Narcissa next to her husband. All the portraits were awake and paying attention, with Dumbledore and Snape so rapt as if to almost be in the room in the flesh.
And so they were married, with a minimum of fuss, in a ceremony that was not terribly unlike the one Hermione had experienced with Lucius. During the ceremony, Lucius exchanged knowing glances with both his mates, hoping that Draco would know the same happiness with Luna, as he'd known with Narcissa and Hermione.
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A/N Thanks to everyone who stuck with me thus far with this rather long story
A/N Next Chapter: Narcissa's Surprise