CHAPTER 07

It was almost like being home, he mused as he sat back in his chair to observe Hermione with her cousins, who, a few were visiting from Ireland for the weekend.

"Chaos, isn't it?"

He turned to see Hermione's older brother, Bradley, settling down beside him in the empty chair.

"Sounds like home."

"Ah. I forgot that the Stars are also a big family. I believe I met your sister, the artist, when I was last in London for a project."

Malfoy turned to eye him, "You've met Lacy?"

"Don't get defensive. She was interested in the business of creating buildings and sat in one of my meetings. Very bright girl."

Malfoy raised an eyebrow at his brother-in-law, but smiled, "Yes, Lacy was always interested in anything that had the slightest thing to do with paint, pencil, or oil."

"So, how did you meet my sister? I heard the gist of it from Mum, and Dad won't say anything until he talks to you, which I find interesting that he hasn't yet found you and cornered you."

He resisted a chuckle, "I went to school with your sister and I bumped into her in the park while out on a walk."

Bradley grinned, "Ah, she loves that park. Sometimes I'll find her out there just walking around, staring aimlessly at nothing."

"She enjoys the outdoors."

There was a quiet silence as they watched Hermione and her female relatives.

"She's been avoiding me ever since we came inside. She's hiding something and she doesn't want me to find out. I don't want her to be hurt, and I know that this is something she decided she should do because she feels she'll be making Mum and Dad and the rest of the relatives proud, and I'm sure they are, you being who you are, but I want to know why so fast? Why did she feel she had to marry you without telling anyone and in such haste?"

"Why do you call her Jean and not Hermione?"

Bradley stared at Malfoy for a long second before answering.

"Why does any older brother call his younger sister by a specific name?"

Malfoy grinned, "Because she dislikes it."

"You haven't answered my question."

"It's better if you ask her that question."

"I see." He was quiet as he turned to face Malfoy, "If you hurt her in anyway, you'll have to answer to her family. We love her more than anything and we don't want to see her hurt."

Malfoy said nothing, just slightly nodded his head as he searched out for Hermione in the crowd.

Hermione watched as her brother sat quietly, speaking with Malfoy, and wished that she could go over there and drag them away from each other. If she knew her brother, and she did, he would be all too happy to petrify Malfoy with his quiet nature, but then again, Malfoy could be petrifying himself so maybe she did not have to worry too much.

"Mya, stop staring at your husband! You've had him all to yourself for the past weeks!"

She turned her attention to her cousins, turning a bright shade of pink.

"I can't believe you didn't tell us he was Draco Malfoy! You just caught yourself one of the richest men in the world!"

"I didn't know he was Draco Star-Malfoy until… until after he had asked me to marry him."

"How romantic!"

"How did he propose?"

"Uhh—at my flat."

There was a gasp of surprise and then laughter.

"And we all thought you were the soul of innocence!"

"I—" She turned a darker shade of pink.

"It's alright Mya. I mean, who in their right mind could resist that?" One of her cousins, one who was happily married with two kids, said looking over her shoulder at Malfoy.

Hermione sighed and followed her cousin's gaze.

"They do make a pair, don't they?" Her Aunt said when she came into the room to join the group.

"Who?" Hermione asked.

"I mean your Draco and Bradley."

She studied them; both tall, well built, one had dark hair and eyes as dark as midnight and the other had platinum blonde hair with striking grey eyes like the silver moonlight.

"I envy you Hermione." This coming from a close relative friend with a sigh.

She almost sighed too, but stopped herself. If only this were real, she thought.

Dinner was bedlam, with all the extra relatives and friends and all of the kids. Hermione watched as Malfoy headed off as Malfoy headed off with a group of kids, from 2 to 10, out back, laughing and fitting right into the family as if he had been doing it for years.

"He's good with kids, huh?"

She turned around to stare at her mum.

"Yes." She turned back to watch Malfoy as he threw the two year old toddler up into the air, catching him as he came back down laughing with glee. Who would've thought that Malfoy was a family person?

"When am I going to see my grandchildren?"

Hermione turned around sharply to stare at her mother, "W-what?"

Mrs. Granger smile, "I plan to know you and Draco are expecting by the end of the year."

Hermione turned a bright shade of pink and turned to walk away.

"Hermione!"

She turned around to glare at her mum, "Why don't you ask Bradley to get married and have kids?"

"Because Bradley likes his bachelor life." Came the reply from beside her.

She jumped and turned around to glare at her brother.

"Well, you're getting married sooner or later, you're the only Granger male in our family, if you remember, and you have to keep the line going."

"I'm only twenty-eight."

"Twenty-eight!" Hermione threw up her hands and stalked away from her brother and mother with a murderous glare.

She could hear her brother's laughter follow her all the way to the kitchen.

"Jean."

"What do you want to know?" She snapped, keeping her back to him as she began to scrub the dishes in the sink.

"You're so jumpy today. Are you alright?"

"I'm fine. Will you and everyone else stop teasing me as if—as if I was still five?"

There was a silent pause. Slowly Bradley turned Hermione around and hugged her.

"Rough few weeks?"

Hermione sniffed and nodded.

"Are you happy with him?"

Hermione slowly pulled back and forced a smile up at her brother, "I'm happy."

Bradley watched his sister, looking for any hint of a lie in her eyes. "Alright, let me help you these dishes."

Hermione raised her eyebrows at her brother. "Bradley Granger? Helping me do the dishes?" What has the world come to?"

Bradley's grin faded to be replaced with a frown, making Hermione laugh as she turned around to being washing the dishes. "Not funny short-stuff."

"You haven't volunteered to help me do dishes since you were a junior in high school."

"We are not going there Mya." He warned.

"And it was only to beg me to say that you were going with me to the library, but really you were going out with that red-head with the long legs."

"Jean."

"And you forgot, you forgot me at the library."

"I didn't forget you. I—"

"Was making out with the red-head in the back seat of Dad's truck. Yes I know."

Anyone who knew Bradley for who he was would have stopped and stared at the blush that stained his cheeks.

"I did come for you later."

"Yeah, when I was already sitting outside on the curb when they kicked me out of the library."

"I did apologize and I made it up to you."

"Doing what?"

"I got you that book you wanted."

Hermione rolled her eyes and turned her back to him.

"So, are you still with that blonde?"

"What blonde?"

"O-boy. The blonde who thought she was too good for the family. You brought her home with you for the winter dinner."

"Ah. Angela. Last I heard she was with this artist in Surrey."

"I didn't like her anyways."

"You don't like any of the girls I bring home."

Hermione shrugged her shoulders, "I did like the one who was a nurse. She seemed nice."

"She wanted to go out with me so that my name would be attached to hers."

"Better than all of the others."

"And I'm still surprised you got married without telling me."

Hermione turned off the water and dried her hand with a towel before turning back to face Bradley.

"You don't have to worry big brother. Draco and I are happy."

Bradley sighed and gave in. "Alright, but if he hurts you in any way I'm not going to just sit back and watch."

"I know. I love you Bradley."

"Yeah, yeah." He hugged Hermione, a look of doubt hidden behind his smile.

There was silence as they began their way back home after all of the goodbyes.

"Did you enjoy seeing your family and friends?"

Hermione nodded a soft smile on her lips. "It was good to see everyone again." She said, then, "my family is very – big on family. I hope they didn't scare you or anything with all of the questions."

Malfoy chuckled softly, "Wait until you meet the rest of my family. They're just as big and loud and nosy."

Hermione grinned, "I love big families."

"So do I."

There was another silent pause.

"Did my father—"

"He had a few words with me," Draco said as he turned to smile at her, "But it seems your brother is harder to win over."

She laughed at his comment and nodded at him. "Bradley and I were always close. I guess he's just being cautious about you and me. Especially since the last boy I date was in—"

Hermione stopped herself, and almost choked on her 'about to be confession' that her last so called boyfriend was Viktor Krum in fourth year at Hogwarts.

"Was in—?" Draco wanted to know.

"He was in the—uh—navy and was gone most of the time. So uh—Bradley just doesn't want to see me get hurt. That's all."

"I see."

Hermione nodded, and sighed in relief. Another lie to the many she had already told. They were only married in name only until the year and day were up, so why tell him? She told herself, but some part of her wanted him to know the truth about her desperation.

"My mum's party is this Saturday. I forgot to ask if you had anything to wear."

"Something to wear?"

"It's one of those suit and tie parties."

"But—but you said that this was just some family and close friends."

"Yeah, some family I haven't seen in a couple of years so- I guess Mum is making it very formal, in lack of not being there for the wedding."

"Oh-boy."

Draco laughed, "Nothing to worry about Tinkerbelle. Just be yourself."

"Yeah, right. Be myself. I'll probably end up in a corner watching like I always do at things like that."

He raised an eyebrow at her, "Which reminds me, you never told me about your family."

"What about my family?"

"The famous part."

"Oh. Well, it's not very important, is it?"

"It isn't, but I didn't expect to meet your brother, the architect, your Uncle, the writer/lawyer, or your Aunt, the supermodel. Not to mention your cousin Brenda, the actress, and the other various careers your family has."

"Ah-ha-ha." Hermione turned pink in the cheeks, "I guess I forgot."

"Hermione."

"Hmm?"

"Can you pass me the pack of cigarettes in the—"

"No."

"Tinkerbelle."

"No. Do you know that you can get lung cancer from smoking? And that you can kill other people from second-hand smoking? Of all things you can learn from the Muggle world, you had to learn this awful habit?"

"I've gone a whole damn week without smoking because you keep on bothering me about it. I need one."

"No." She said and then muttered to herself when he cursed, "I should have that into the paper. 'No Smoking'."

"Right. Do that and I'll make sure everyone knows you snore when you sleep."

Hermione gasped and turned to glare at Draco.

"I. DO. NOT. SNORE."

Malfoy smirked with a mischievous gleam in his eyes, "Really?"

AN: Another chapter for today. More about Draco meeting Hermione's family. I'm hoping to get another chapter out today so look out!

Thanks for reading again and PLEASE REVIEW! (I want to know what you guys think!)