Chapter Twenty-Five

The reception went by in a blur: Hermione vaguely remembered people toasting the newlyweds, but also that she and Draco did not make eye contact even once throughout the whole thing.

That was good… she still couldn't handle the eye contact very well. She wondered if part of the reason he was so ashamed of marrying her also had something to do with the way he'd discovered her in the woods that day…

But no, it did not do to think of those things.

After the meal (she was suspicious that it had been prepared magically, as it had that slightly different tang that no one from the wizarding world seemed to notice, but which she, raised as a Muggle, could taste), Hermione slipped away to the bathroom.

Ginny was there almost immediately, looking beautiful in the once-pink dress – she'd changed it to green, which was lovely with her hair. Ginny's arms wrapped around Hermione, but she wouldn't cry. It was done, and it did not do to waste tears on it any longer.

"How are you holding up?" her friend inquired.

"Not too horribly, all things considered," Hermione answered, feeling for once in her life, that it was pretty much true. She could be feeling a heck of a lot worse than she was. It was puzzling.

"Where do we go from here?"

It was a good question; Hermione didn't know. "I think my grandmother knows. I haven't talked to her since before the wedding."

Ginny was silent, stroking her hands through Hermione's hair lovingly, like a fretting mother.

"It was nice of Harry to walk me," Hermione stated.

"It's in his nature," Ginny agreed, "he hates watching people suffer, or abandoning them."

"He's grown up a lot."

"He sure has."

"You're lucky."

Ginny looked as if she was about to say something, but closed her mouth. Finally, "Malfoy… I mean, Draco's grown up a lot, too, Hermione."

"…I know."

"Shall we go back out? People are going to wonder who stole the bride."

Hermione nodded and took Ginny's arm. Together, the two of them left the bathroom, only to come face-to-face with someone altogether completely unexpected.

"Adrian?" Hermione murmured in surprise.

"Hermione," Adrian acknowledged, inclining his head. "Or would you prefer Mrs. Malfoy?"

Hermione cringed. Ginny frowned.

"I'm sorry," he corrected himself, "I wasn't aware this was a match you weren't happy with. My condolences and apologies."

Hermione took the boy in. It was remarkable how much like a Malfoy he looked. Yet he seemed out-of-place, probably because Hermione had never seen him out of a cloak and boots before.

"What are you doing here Adrian?"

"I was invited," he answered, sounding surprised she hadn't known.

Hermione had been trained by Dora to hide surprise – she utilized that ability now. "Oh, I had forgotten. My own apologies. There is quite a bit on my mind: Please excuse a befuddled and forgetful brain."

She made a mental note to ask Dora about the invitation later…

"Not a problem at all," he answered, settling in to the conversation.

As if it was a sixth sense, Draco's eyes rose from across the room and settled on Hermione, immediately thereafter flicking to Adrian. He knew it HAD to be Adrian, even though all he could see was the back of the boy's head. What gave him the nerve to think it was alright for him to come here? To his wedding?

The kid had some nerve.

Draco excused himself from the conversation keeping him – some unknown relative or another – and made his way across the room.

Ginny spotted him, "Uh-oh. Here comes trouble, himself."

"Just be civil," Hermione muttered.

Draco approached, his eyes locked on the back of Adrian's head, and stopped short in front of the boy. "Can I inquire as to why the hell you're here?"

"He was invited," Hermione blurted out.

Draco didn't turn to look at her, "By you?"

Hermione was silent, not wanting to lie. She had no idea how Adrian had acquired an invitation.

"I heard they invited everyone with Black family blood," Adrian sneered. "But I forgot you blue bloods all have your heads up your asses."

Draco stared at Adrian with a grimace that was reciprocated, creating a kind of mirror effect. Ginny did a quick double-take at the two boys, before determining the differences in appearance.

"I never understood what the hell was wrong with you," Adrian grumbled, looking away from Draco's blatantly rude gaze. "What do you even have against me? You WON the freaking match, already."

"You… are no member of the Black family line," Draco stated. It was no question.

Hermione bit her lip, wishing the conversation had never taken place.

"Yes," Adrian countered, "I am. Were you really never aware of it?"

"You're no relative of mine."

"Draco," Hermione warned, though even to her own ears, she didn't sound very convincing. Draco ignored her.

Adrian rolled his eyes, "Still in denial, I see. Well fine."

"What the hell do you know, anyway. I know my family tree," Draco retorted; It struck Hermione that he was acting very childish.

"You really didn't know?" Adrian questioned, sounding so genuinely surprised that Draco paused a moment, possibly to reconsider.

"Know what, for Merlin's sake?"

"You didn't even KNOW your father had been married before?"

"What the hell are you talking about?" Draco demanded, looking at Adrian as though he were mad. "My father was betrothed to my mother since they were fifteen years old and they married at twenty. That was the end of the story."

Adrian stared at him. "He never told you!"

Draco was beginning to get visibly uncomfortable, "I TOLD you... that was the whole story."

"No," Adrian contradicted, "it isn't. When he was eighteen, YOUR father got drunk one night and married spontaneously. He was traveling abroad. The next morning, once sober, he filed a request for divorce and hushed up any press he might have gotten regarding the incident, making it untraceable. But… I'm still surprised he never told you."

"You better not be making something this profound up," Draco warned.

"My mother is your father's ex-wife. My father… is your father. We're half-brothers."

Draco stared in disbelief; Hermione put a hand to her mouth, as if to stifle a noise of surprise she knew she never would have made anyway.

"That can't be," Draco finally replied obstinately.

"It is," Adrian repeated, growing impatient, "so get over it."

Draco stared in disbelief. He had a brother? He couldn't. It was impossible.

"I wish I had known earlier that you never knew," Adrian continued. "It would have saved a lot of hatred I'd built up for you."

Draco nodded dumbly. He had a brother! Still not completely convinced, he resolved to look further into the matter as soon as he got home. He'd always been the only child. Always. Had that been a lie? If so, that was a big part of his life that had been a lie, just like so many others... Just who WAS Draco Malfoy, anyway? Draco realized he didn't really know.

"I'll take my leave, I think," Adrian said finally, addressing Hermione and virtually ignoring Draco. As went properly with pureblood customs, he bowed deeply to Hermione, as a married woman and nodded to Draco. To Ginny, he took her hand and kissed it, then left almost as abruptly as he'd arrived.

The three were silent for a few moments before the music in the next room began to change its beat to something slower. It was a cue.

"We've got other places to be," Draco murmured moodily. He took Hermione by the hand, and – still not looking at her – lead her into the next room.

.

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Author's Note: I hate this chapter. But I've had writer's block, unfortunately, and this is the best I could do for now. I didn't want to go too long without another update, anyway. I can only hope that the block goes away soon.

Thank you to CherryKatt202 for your message, and to RaineyDays, mkhtl, MyLookOfDenial., brooklynsam3, Shaiya 'tears-in-her-eyes', tfobmv18, whatifgirl, RIPJameSiriusLupinTrueMarauder, and GoodCharlotte615 for your reviews.

I'm glad everyone seemed to like the dress! I found it and fell in love with it.

Comments and especially criticism would help a lot at this point, to help get rid of the writer's block. So if you found anything at all wrong so far, even if it was like...seven chapters ago, please let me know how you feel (nicely). Hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving!