Posted on: 30/05/2014 at 21:54 GMT/UTC/Zulu.
AN: Thank you to my reviewers angel897, KEZZ 1, Lamia of the Dark, Buffalochip, Crapes and OCD ADD Goldfish and all those who have followed this story.
Next chapter should be up on or by 06/06/2014.
The Marriage Curse
Preparations
Hermione stood watching Molly fuss with Ginny's dress. It was unnecessary as Madam Malkin had already fitted it to perfection. The dress was long and gold and covered with gold lace. Harry had insisted on paying for her wedding clothes as a wedding present. Hermione wasn't really sure you could buy your future wife her wedding outfit as a wedding present but after an argument with Mr Weasley it had been agreed. He wouldn't see her dress till their wedding day though.
She was next and she hadn't even thought what colour her dress should be. She'd expected to wear white but that didn't seem to be done if the brightly coloured dresses she could see on display were any indication. Ginny finally told her mother to stop fussing and stepped off the stool to twirl in front of the mirror. She looked beautiful.
Hermione wished she was beautiful like Ginny. She was rather plain though and always had been. Molly interrupted her thoughts.
"What colour have you chosen dear?" She asked.
"I don't know what to choose. Muggle women normally wear white." Hermione said.
"Well I'm sure there are some white dresses." Molly said.
Hermione nodded. "Do any brides in the wizarding world wear white?" She asked.
"Oh yes dear." Molly said. "Plenty do. Choosing your colours is quite a recent thing. it's only become popular in the last thirty years or so."
Hermione caught sight of Ginny rolling her eyes behind Molly and tried not to smile. Madame Malkin came back.
"Ready dear?" She asked. "Yes. I'd like to see the white dresses." Hermione said.
Madame Malkin lead the way into a back room of the shop.
"There are quite a few styles but long dresses are traditional." She said.
Hermione nodded. Lucius seemed like the sort of wizard who'd appreciate traditional. She asked to see the different styles of long dress.
"Ooh! I like this one." Ginny said.
She held out a dress that looked victorian in style. It was pretty but Hermione didn't think it would suit her. She shook her head. Searching through the dresses took a very long time. There were some lovely ones but none of the white ones were quite right. There was one that was close though and Hermione debated getting it.
"Try it in silver." Molly suggested.
Hermione did. It was perfect. "Yes. This is it." She smiled.
Madame Malkin helped her try it on and adjusted it. It didn't need much adjustment and Hermione loved the way it looked when she stood in front of the mirror. She changed quickly and paid for it. Winky took her dress and Ginny's back to the Manor. Then Ginny dragged them off to find shoes.
Hermione refused point blank to wear the silver stilettos Ginny wanted her to wear. She'd only fall over and make an idiot out of herself. She picked out a pair of silver knee length boots with a three inch heel instead.
"You can't wear those!" Ginny said.
"Why not? No one will see my shoes under the dress, they're comfortable and I won't fall over wearing these." Hermione argued.
Ginny sighed and shook her head but Hermione bought the boots anyway. Ginny got herself a pair of gold six inch stilettos. They did look gorgeous but Hermione wondered how she'd be able stay upright in them and how many people would be able to see them under her dress.
"Now it's time to go home." Ginny said as they walked out of the shop with their shoes.
"What about jewellry?" Hermione asked.
"It's traditional to wear family heirlooms or borrow jewellry from a close friend." Ginny said.
"Oh. Well I don't have any family heirlooms." Hermione said.
Ginny was quiet for a moment.
"We do dear and I'm sure Luna wouldn't mind lending you some jewelry as well." Molly said.
"Thank you." Hermione said softly.
"Hey girls." Fred and George came up to them carrying garment bags. "We're all set Mum."
"Did you ask-" Molly started.
"Yes we asked our brides what colour they're wearing." Fred said.
"And if they change their minds changing the colour with a little transfiguration will be easy." George said.
"Alright then. What about Harry?" Molly asked.
"He's fine. Sirius is helping him find something appropriate." George said. "Can we go back now?" He gave Molly puppy dog eyes making her laugh.
"We were on our way back anyway." She said.
Hermione had thought that she might get a minute to herself once they got back to the manor. She enjoyed clothes shopping about as much as the boys did. However the minute they stepped into the entrance hall Narcissa and Professor McGonagall pounced.
They took them straight to Narcissa's sitting room where an impressive array of jewelry had been laid out. Hermione saw Luna on her way past and gave her a pleading look. Luna stepped inside. She had two jewelry boxes in her hands. One Hermione recognise. Her mothers.
Luna set them down. "I hope you don't mind me fetching this Hermione." She said.
Hermione had felt a momentary twinge of anger but she pushed it aside. Luna was just trying to be helpful.
"No of course not." She said.
Professor McGonagall told them to call her Minerva outside of school and sent them into Narcissa's bedroom to get changed into their dresses and shoes.
Luna had an ice blue dress. Hermione smiled when she saw it. She was hoping that she could find something blue. She didn't know if wizards had that tradition.
"Luna, Ginny, there's a muggle tradition to do with weddings and I wondered if the wizarding world has it too." She said as she put her boots on.
"What is it?" Ginny asked.
"That the bride wears or carries something old, something new, something borrowed and something blue." Hermione said.
"Yes we share that custom." Ginny smiled.
Luna nodded. "I just need something old and something borrowed." She said.
"I'm going to wear blue underwear." Ginny said.
"Ginny! Too much information." Hermione said.
Ginny smiled. "Well I don't think blue will go with gold and my hair. So I'll wear it out of sight." She said.
"You could charm one of your handkerchiefs blue Hermione." Luna said.
"Blue will go well with silver." Ginny said. "We should see if we can find you a blue piece of jewelry. Then you'd have something old, borrowed and blue in one."
"That's a good idea." Hermione said. "Now we'd better get back out there before they drag us out!"
Ginny laughed and they went out into the lounge.
Minerva and Narcissa assessed them.
"You look lovely girls." Minerva said.
Narcissa nodded. "Now for the finishing touches."
It was evening by the time Narcissa and Minerva had finished with them. Hermione had found to her surprise that had mother had more jewelry than she'd known about.
She wore a silver and sapphire necklace and earrings that she remembered giving her mother for her birthday years ago. She never thought that she'd wear them.
To her surprise Minerva had managed to tame her hair with two quick charms that Hermione had made her promise to teach her later. Instead of a wild bushy mane she now had sleek curly hair that hadn't taken hours and half a ton of Sleekeasy's hair potion.
Narcissa had made her wear it half up, securing her hair with a silver clip which belonged to Minerva. Then Minerva had cast a quick makeup charm and added her veil which was the final touch. It was traditional for the bridegroom to provide the flowers which were usually simple.
Hermione couldn't believe the young woman she saw in the mirror was her. The woman in the mirror looked beautiful and sophisticated and not like her at all. She fought the urge to cry. Her mother should be here. Ginny appeared at her shoulder.
"You look lovely Hermione. Turn around so the others can see." Ginny said.
Hermione did. Ginny and Luna had both finished their preparations.
"You both look wonderful." Hermione said.
"I think you'll stun them speechless." Minerva said as she looked at her three young charges.
"I agree." Narcissa said.
Molly came in a moment later and looked as though she'd cry when she saw them.
"Oh aren't you all gorgeous." She said. She beamed at them all.
"Now while you were looking at wedding dresses I got your bridesmaid dresses." She said.
They changed again. Hermione was glad that the bridesmaid dresses were a lot less complicated.
Her dress for Luna and Sirius' wedding was also silver and came to her knees. She was gleeful when Luna said she could wear silver boots with it. Ginny sighed. She charmed her stilettos silver.
The dresses for Ginny and Harry's wedding were Gryffindor red. Molly had got her some high heeled red shoes to go with them and she thought she's have to ask Ron to keep her upright in them.
"It's just practice Hermione." Luna said. "You can wear them in the common room in the evening to get used to them."
"Good idea." Ginny smiled.
Hermione could see a determined look in her eyes and knew she wasn't going to get out of it. She wondered just how their wedding day was going to work. She knew they were sharing a reception but there were going to be a lot of changes involved.
"I know what you're thinking." Ginny said.
"Well it is going to be a bit complicated isn't it?" Hermione said.
"Yes it will but that's what magic is for." Luna said. "It won't be as complicated as you think. Besides we're having our reception two weeks after the weddings to make things easier."
"Do wizards normally have their reception after the honeymoon?" Hermione said.
"Oh yes. It's a tradition that goes back centuries." Ginny said. "Receptions are only held directly after a wedding when circumstances are unusual."
"Like during a war when you don't know if everyone will be safe enough to come to a party later." Luna said.
Hermione nodded. It wasn't yet dangerous enough to change centuries of wizarding tradition then. That was reassuring. They changed back into their ordinary clothes and Hermione went to find a quiet spot to sit and read before dinner. She found an empty lounge and settled in.
The door opened and closed quietly behind Harry as he came in under the cloak. He was free! Molly wouldn't find him until it was too late. No more infernal smart clothes today! Harry scurried away from the door when it opened again and Lucius Malfoy entered the room.
"You look exhausted." Lucius' voice came from behind the sofa and Hermione started as she put her book aside.
"Did no one ever tell you it's bad manners to sneak up on people?" She asked. "And how would you know since you're behind me?"
Lucius chuckled, moved around the sofa and sat next to her putting his arm along the back of the sofa. Hermione decided not to let his total disregard for her personal space bother her.
"Someone might have mentioned it. Once." He said. "As to you being exhausted it's a matter of body language."
"Yes I am exhausted." Hermione admitted.
Lucius brushed a stray curl out of her eyes and let his fingertips linger on her cheek. She resisted the urge to pull away even though he was too close. His grey eyes were slightly amused. This was a game of nerves. She was suddenly aware that they were alone, it was getting dark and the room was dimly lit. She considered giving Lucius this round and getting up and going to the library with her book but then he spoke again.
"What colour did you choose?" He asked.
Hermione wondered what he meant for a moment and then she remembered.
"Silver." She said.
She realised as she did that her dress was almost the exact colour of his eyes only more metallic. Lucius smiled and Hermione noticed that he was handsome not something that had really registered with her before except in an abstract way.
She told herself not to pay attention to that and think about what he wanted. Slytherins always had an agenda. He's toying with me. She thought.
"Why are you playing games with me?" She asked.
Lucius pulled back and turned away. Point to me. Hermione thought. He was silent for a long time as he gazed into the fire.
"I'm not playing games." He said eventually. "I don't know how to explain even if I could."
He looked back at her and there was a momentary vulnerable look in his eyes before his shields came back up.
"Why is Narcissa okay with this? Why didn't she want to claw my eyes out the moment this happened?" Hermione asked him.
"For one thing she knows the same thing I do." Lucius said. "For another…" He paused and then sighed.
"You won't tell anyone this?" He asked. "Not even your friends?"
"Alright." Hermione agreed.
Lucius took at her word which surprised her. She'd have expected him to ask her for an unbreakable vow or at least a wand oath if he was going to tell her secrets.
"Our marriage was arranged. We knew each other and we got on well but Narcissa was in love with someone else." Lucius said. "We still get on well, we love Draco and I suppose we do love each other in a way but we're not in love."
Hermione found herself feeling sorry for them both. She knew it was the way purebloods did things but she thought it was bit outdated. As though he could read her thoughts Lucius smiled.
"Yes it is outdated." He said.
"Were you reading my mind?" Hermione asked.
"No. Your face said it all." Lucius said.
"Who is the man Narcissa loves?" Hermione asked her curiosity getting the better of her.
A moment later she wished she hadn't said it. "I'm sorry. Mum always did say I'm dead cat curious."
Lucius chuckled lightly. "It's alright but that's not for me to say." He answered.
Hermione nodded. They were silent for a while. Lucius was still too close but she was beginning to find that she didn't mind. Hermione had a sudden strange urge to reach out and take his hand. She didn't follow it twisting her hands together in her lap instead.
"I have a theory about this secret you're keeping." Hermione said. "The boys think it's mad."
"I'd like to hear it." Lucius said.
His attention was back on her and she should have found his intensity unnerving. She didn't though.
"I think that sometime in the very near future something is going to happen and send me back in time." Hermione said. "When it does you'll get to know me…" She paused.
Lucius looked amazed. "I'm right. That's what the secret is. How well do you know me?" Hermione asked.
"Very well." Lucius said.
Hermione noticed a slight catch in his voice. She reached out and took his hand before she could think more about it. Lucius slid his fingers between hers and for a moment Hermione caught a flicker of something in his expression before he hid it.
But she thought she knew. She'd gone back in time, she thought temporarily, and he'd fallen in love with her and waited for her possibly for years but she wasn't quite his Hermione yet.
"It's a bit like the Time Traveller's Wife." Hermione said. "Except I'm the time traveller."
Lucius looked confused so she explained. He smiled.
"Yes in a way. I do hope you're not going make time travelling a habit though." He joked.
"I wasn't planning on it." Hermione smiled back.
Silence returned. Hermione allowed herself to study him now and noticed him doing the same. She wondered how she'd feel if their positions were reversed. It must hurt like hell. She thought.
"I'm sorry." Hermione whispered.
Lucius reached out and touched her face lightly. "What for?" He asked.
"That I'm not her yet. Not your Hermione." She added.
Lucius gave her a small smile. "You are and yet not quite." He said.
His hand tightened on hers his thumb running over the back of it. Her heart gave a strange stutter. If she was honest she had found him as charming as he was infuriating and had ruthlessly stuffed the beginnings of a crush down until she couldn't feel them anymore whenever they'd bothered her.
She hadn't wanted to start falling in love with Lucius Malfoy. It was far too compl- wait love! It wasn't that yet it was a crush Hermione told herself firmly. Now though she supposed that fighting her feelings didn't matter any more. Lucius was looking amused as though he could tell exactly what she was thinking and maybe he could.
Hermione caught a momentary flicker of sadness in his eyes and screwed up her Gryffindor courage. Leaning in slowly she kissed him softly. Lucius smiled against her lips, pulled her into his arms and kissed her back. Hermione let her arms slip around his neck as she relaxed against him and he deepened the kiss.
Neither of them noticed the door on the other side of the room open and close quietly as an invisible someone slipped away.
Harry walked quietly down the hallway, froze when Molly Weasley went past, and then continued on to the dining room. No one else was there yet and he sighed with relief before pulling the invisibility cloak off and stuffing it in his pocket. That had been completely embarrassing. He should have pulled off the cloak when Malfoy came in or-
"Good evening Mr Potter." Snape's smooth voice came from the shadows next to the fireplace.
Harry jumped about a foot in the air and watched as Snape detached himself from the shadows. His ability to blend in with them was both eerie and creepy.
"Not up to mischief I hope." He said silkily.
Harry hadn't been alone with Snape since that last disastrous Occlumency lesson. He wasn't sure why he told the truth, instead of making a smart aleck retort, but he did.
"No. I'm hiding from Mrs Weasley." He replied.
He saw Snape's lip curl in contempt but before he could say anything the twins came in and sat at the table pulling out a pack of exploding snap cards. Harry joined them quickly and forgot Snape. They were soon joined by the others for dinner.
Harry raised his eyebrows at Hermione when she came in. She was humming to herself and seemed quite smug. Luna smiled knowingly at her and she blushed. Harry chuckled.
He wasn't amused for long though. When Molly joined them at the table for dinner she insisted that Harry let her make a few last minute adjustments to his suits before they all went their separate ways later that evening.
The elves had prepared an excellent meal but Harry picked at it never noticing Severus Snape's amused half smile at his hangdog expression. He did notice Lucius and Hermione's smiles as they sat next to each other and talked and wished he could wipe the memory of seeing them snog out of his mind.
Molly's alterations took a torturous half an hour before she declared herself satisfied. When the evening was over and everyone went their separate ways he had never been so glad to escape to Gryffindor Tower in his life.
Please Review. Constructive crit is welcomed. Flames will be used at the Death Eater ghost story campfire night.