'A witch trades the nominal independence of single-hood for the support and protection of married life; a wizard takes on the burden of supporting another in return for a helpmeet, a companion and a mother to his children.'
-Diogenes Malfoy, 'On Married Life'
It was, thought Lucius, quite the worst wedding he'd ever been to. And he'd been to some terrible wedding, so this was saying something. The only happy face was his son's, who was holding the girl's arm and whispering in her ear, clearly trying to cheer her up.
His respect for the mudblood, Lucius admitted privately, had gone up quite a lot when Narcissa had told her it was time. "For what?" Hermione hadn't seen Draco for a very long time, and even before Narcissa answered, she knew in her heart.
"Today is your wedding day, my dear." Narcissa made herself smile brightly, hoping to allay a nasty scene. Lucius stood beside her and hoped the girl would not have to be dragged or carried down to the salon where his son was doubtlessly pacing in worry, wanting to see the girl again.
Hermione swallowed hard. "I could refuse. Refuse to go."
"You could try, certainly. But you're hardly the first girl to resist her marriage, you know. If you force us to, we can write the Ministry to get an emergency order to make you comply. Or simply dose you with a heavy calming potion." Lucius raised his eyebrows at the girl, wondering if she would rise to the challenge like he thought she would.
She'd squared her shoulders and risen from her chair without another word.
Draco was waiting with Greg Goyle, who was his second. He immediately stepped between Greg and his intended as Lucius started the ceremony, giving Goyle a look that could only be described as hostile.
"I consent to the marriage of my son, Draco Lucius Malfoy, and Hermione Granger."
In ordinary times, Greg would have taken Hermione's hand and guided it into Draco's. Considering how poorly Draco was reacting to even having him in the same room with the girl, they'd opted to ward Goyle for his own safety and just have him speak the words.
"I offer Hermione Granger for the purpose of bearing legitimate children."
"I accept Hermione Granger for the purpose of bearing legitimate children."
Lucius spoke briefly about their responsibilities to one another. "To care for her, to guide her, to comfort her and see to her needs in all circumstances."
"To help him, obey him, see that the house is well ordered, to care for my wife and I in our old age, to bear his children and rear them." The girl's face never changed.
"Do you accept?"
Hermione said nothing. She couldn't outright refuse, but she was hoping that her lack of response would invalidate things. Draco, still smiling, bent his head to her ear. "We could force the Weasleys from that hovel they live in within an hour or so. Shall I send the owl now?" He took her hand in his and entwined his fingers with hers, squeezing lightly.
Hermione pulled her head away. " I accept."
Lucius raised his wand and swished it at their joined hands, causing a thin gold band to encircle them for a moment.
"Then let it be known these two are married, now and forever. Congratulations, Draco." Narcissa bent to kiss her son and new daughter in law, and Lucius gave his son a hug.
Hermione looked around. "Don't we sign something?"
"No need. If there were ever to be a doubt, all the Ministry would have to do is use a Pensieve on us, or check Father's wand." Draco smiled brightly and guided Hermione toward the stairs.
Narcissa hald expected the girl to lose her composure, screaming and pleading, but she didn't. She tightened her jaw and pulled away from Draco. He frowned and took her hand more forcefully. This time she made herself let him.
Lucius and Narcissa followed them to the bedroom. The men waited outside while Narcissa had the elves undress Hermione and put her under the covers, speaking gently to soothe the poor thing.
"Now just remember to lie still and let Draco do everything. If it revolts you, remember the pretty little baby you'll have. I know you can be very brave about this." Narcissa gently smoothed her daughter in law's hair and took her leave.
Lucius grabbed his son before he could bolt inside and whispered a few last minute things in his ear. "Remember that Mother and I are proud of you, Draco." Draco gave his father and mother a smile and walked in, closing the door behind himself.
Hermione was looking at him. He grinned broadly and went into the bathroom to undress. He came out in just his pants and closed the curtains with his wand so it was dark in the room, dark and safe. He slid naked under the covers and moved to embrace her.
Hermione's mind was nearly blank with terror and disgust and rage at what she's been forced to. When Malfoy hugged her, she let him, but when his head dropped to hers, as though for a kiss, she braced her hands on his chest and tried to push her off.
"No."
"Darling, this is what married people do."
"I'll scream if you try anything." She realised how hollow this sounded, how stupid. They were in his house, with his parents and friends, and even if she did scream, they'd likely not respond. Malfoy was staring at her.
"You'd do it with Weasley but not with me?"
"Yes."
Draco snorted. The day Weasley bested him the Great Wastes would bloom with flowers. "I've rights, you know. Marital rights."
"Everything else wasn't enough?"
"Hardly. It won't hurt, dearest, I swear."
"You've a taste for pushing me round, Malfoy. Is this different?"
"Married love is...not a thing to be taken by force." He didn't mention he couldn't. Not until she signalled she was ready and that she accepted his advances. On the other hand, his legal claim on being married to her wasn't complete until they'd consummated the union, which made his veela side more than a little twitchy.
Hermione said nothing. She was trying to find a place in herself where she felt safe. There wasn't one; every cell in her body feared his assault, which strengthened her urge to run away from him and find help somehow.
"It might help with the veela thing."
"Sorry?"
"If we've consummated it. Perhaps I'd be less aggressive if I was sure no other man would take you."
Hermione knew she shouldn't say it. Knew it like she knew her name, but couldn't help herself. "Oh? Why wouldn't they?"
"Because once a man's married a girl, and bedded her, they're wed forever. He's all sorts of legal recourse if someone did try to take her."
"What sorts?"
"Never you mind."
"Tell me."
"Not a chance. If I do, you'll try to find a way round them." Draco moved a bit closer and breathed her scent, the rich salt of her skin and the warmth of her breath. He wanted to put his head to her chest and listen to her heartbeat, her blood circling and plashing inside her.
He slid a hand down to her belly. Someday, he thought, someday I'll touch her here and it'll be hard. It'll move under my hand and I'll feel my son. Sons. He tried to slide his hand lower and she went rigid all over.
"I'm asking you nicely not to, Malfoy. I understand you could, but I'm asking that you not."
"What would it take to get you to permit me?"
"Nothing. I have absolutely no desire for that with you."
"Everyone has a price."
"Not me."
Draco was tenacious. "There's something, surely."
"I'm not a whore."
"Never said you were." Father had warned she might prove recalcitrant. He moved closer and nuzzled gently at her neck, even daring to nibble lightly. She didn't react.
Draco gently took one of her hot little hands in his bigger, colder one, and began to kiss it. When this, too, gained no response, he huffed and put her hand under the covers with the rest of her.
"This will happen sooner or later. It would be easiest if you'd just agree."
"Easiest for whom?"
"Everyone. I could still do all those things I was telling you about."
"Wouldn't it bother you, knowing that I hated everything you'd do to me?"
Draco considered. "Well, I suppose it would, a bit. But since I know this is the best way to make you safe, it would rather balance."
"The only person who ever wanted to steal me was you."
"I didn't steal you. You were mine to start with."
Hermione turned her face away. "That's not how I see it."
"We aren't going through this issue again." Draco pulled Hermione closer and kissed her neck again, going lower, feathering kisses on her collarbones and then thrust his hands gently into the mass of her hair.
"Hermione..."
"Stop, Malfoy!"
He stopped and then kissed both cheeks, her neck, her temples. "Just relax, dearest. It won't hurt." He reached over her and tried to roll her supine.
"No."
Draco kissed lower. "We're just cuddling, darling." His kisses slowly entered the valley of her breasts. Hermione shoved his head away. Draco went back to his pillow and studied her, filled with frustration and desire and affection and pleasure.
Hermione felt dirty. She scrubbed at herself with her hands, shivering in disgust. Draco was looking at her. "Fight this as hard as you'd like, I'll win in the end."
"You'll have to drag me every step of the way."
He tilted his head gently and then cupped her cheek, brushing hair from her eyes. "We'll see how you feel in a month, love. For right now, though, come here. I'd like to hold you."
When she didn't come, he leant over and tugged her into his bare chest. He thrilled at how good she felt against him, how wonderfully calm and contented he felt, like a large cat.
He guided her so that her head was right over his heart and his face was in her hair, breathing deeply. A flick of his wand closed the curtains and then cast a quick charm on the bedclothes to see they were cool and comfortable.
"Shall we read aloud, my pet?"
"Don't call me that."
"You are."
"I hate you."
Draco chuckled and rubbed her back. "I know, precious."
Her parents got the letter that same day, from someone purporting to be the boy's father. Anne Marie and Cyril had been expecting it, but that didn't help much. Nor did the gifts they'd been given, which sat, unpacked, in Hermione's room.
They in turn contacted Hermione's friends. Ron was staying with Harry while they tried to find a way to undo what had been done. Percy was there, too, with a pile of books.
Ron jumped up after he heard, and he threw down the goblet he'd been sipping pumpkin juice out of, which smashed on the floor. "Fuck me! Damn it to bloody shite!" He thrust his fist into the mantel and Percy jumped up, grabbed his brother's bleeding, broken hand, and healed with a savage flick of his wand.
"Ronald, if you ever do a thing like this again, I'll tell Mum and Dad."
Then he threw his arms about his younger brother and held him as he wept. Harry, looking slightly awkward, stood behind them, stomach clenching violently. He loved Hermione like a sister, and watching this happening to everyone was ripping him apart.
After the storm had passed, the three men sat down in silence. "Isn't there something we can do?"
"Not if they're married. Even if we somehow found a way to break the veela bond, he's legally her guardian now."
Sometimes friendship means to share helplessness, and despair, and that's what they did. It seemed unfair to Ron that the world had not stopped. Somewhere children were playing, and young people sported together, and everything was fine; at Grimmauld Place, three men sat in a dusty library and realised they were helpless, and decided that they would find a way to fix it anyway.
In Wiltshire, the bridal pair were also in silence. Not helpless, though. Hermione was determined that she would find a way to reverse this. And she'd be damned before she spread her legs for Malfoy, either.
Draco's thoughts were quite the opposite. He was silently contemplating the life he envisioned for them; as soon as they were able, they'd go on a tour of the Malfoy properties for at least a year, just time to enjoy one another and have fun. Once she'd fallen pregnant, they'd come back to the Manor for her confinement, and he'd start campaigning for his spot in the Ministry, or perhaps become a partner in one of the businesses that Father owned, either openly or covertly.
He closed his eyes, and with these pleasant thoughts, went to sleep. Hermione was wakeful. She waited until Malfoy was deeply asleep and got up, walking as softly as possible, and went to the writing desk. She wrote a quick note to her parents and another to the Weasleys, and wondered what the best way to send it would be.
She went into the lavatory and ran the tub to cover the noise. "Kreacher?"
The elf appeared, looking distinctly nervous. "Miss Hermione!" His eyes darted around but he still smiled, delighted to see her.
"Take this to Harry and don't tell anyone you saw me." The elf bowed and disappeared. Hermione climbed into the tub, mortified that the elf had seen her naked, but considering that one of Harry's complaints was Kreacher's continuing attempts to bathe him, she figured the elf hadn't minded.
She gasped as a sleepy looking blond head insinuated itself around the doorframe, followed by the rest of a very nude Malfoy. "Hermione? Love, this is what we have elves for."
"I'm just bathing, Malfoy."
"Draco. Yes, but the elves will do it for you. Just rest right there and I'll call Tibby." The elf was summoned, wailed about having disgraced them all, and set to work on Hermione, pouring in scented oils, scrubbing her hair, rubbing expensive smelling bath soap all over, and then helping her out of the tub.
Draco turned away and padded into the sleeping chamber, lazily donning his dressing gown. He smiled when Hermione came out, dressed in Mother's old nightdress, hair combed and loosely braided.
"They must've told Madam Malkin not to come today. Tomorrow, I promise, all right?"
"It doesn't matter."
"Does. Come sit on my lap, hmmm?"
Hermione shook her head. "We could play chess."
"Chess? Usually girls don't want to play that sort of game." Pansy had always preferred something a bit less cerebral. Hermione snorted and cocked her head at him.
"Well, I'd like to. Unless you don't think you can beat me."
"Nice try. Tibby, bring the chess board."
They set up the pieces and started the game. Hermione started. She felt like this was a fitting thing, in it's way; she'd made her own first move tonight. Draco, moved to counter her.
"You might move, my dear, but I'll shall always be there to check you."
"Unless I outmanoeuvre you." Hermione moved her piece and smiled slightly. She felt nervousness squirming in her guts. Did he know? How could he?
"I shouldn't count on that." Draco decisively moved her piece back and smiled just as brightly. Did she think she'd got him fooled? Perhaps this was for the best-let her have enough rope to hang herself with. Once. Then she'd see.
"No?"
"No."
At Grimmauld Place, Harry read this new letter to the two Weasleys. Percy raised his eyebrows and smiled slowly. "That's our Hermione."
Ron was jubilant. "Do we have a case?"
"We might. Let me...let me look into this, Ron. The veela issue..."
Nothing would scotch Ron's burst of hope. He called for Kreacher to run and get them all some butter beer to celebrate.
"You understand this doesn't mean the two of you could marry?"
"Course I do."
"Not for years. Maybe never. It's a shot in the dark at best."
"Merlin, Percy, always seeing the worst of everything."
Percy loved Ron dearly. He wanted so much to help him, and he'd do what he could to try and fix this. But the plan could hardly even be called that-he'd committed to doing research for something that would involve her simply finding a way from the Manor and then showing up there.
And Malfoy was spiteful. Percy didn't doubt he'd fight to keep her. Part of him wanted to tell Ron to forget it before somone got hurt. The law-marital and veela-made it clear whose needs came first.
But he wouldn't. If there was the slightest chance Hermione could be saved, he owed it her to try. And it might turn out for the better, he assured himself anxiously. Perhaps the Order...or Kingsley...or Hogwarts...somehow.
Percy drank his butterbeer and, borrowing Harry's huge library, went to work finding something-anything-that would help Hermione free herself from this mire.