A/N: Hello everyone. Luckily the delay wasn't too bad. Before we begin, a few comments:
Hauntedpumpkin56: Sorry for the cliffhanger, but it had to be done haha. I'm glad I'm able to keep you guys on your toes.
A fan: I hope it wasn't too predictable ;)
Guest: Thank you for reading! So far school is going well, thanks for the warm wishes :)
DramioneIsReal: So glad you enjoyed it, I hope the rest of the chapters were to your liking as well.
To everyone else out there, thank you so very much for reading, following and commenting. I'll be doing my best to update regularly. Now on with the show!
Hermione's heart was stuck in her throat. Everyone turned to see Astoria. She looked rather bored at the end of the aisle. Hermione thought she might faint.
"What the hell?"
Oh god, Hermione thought.. Mark didn't know. About wizards or witches or any of it. Her mind was buzzing She tried to say something.
"On what cause?"
"On account of you don't love him. Where's Draco?" she said, sounding irritated.
Draco stood up, looking rather menacing. "Astoria. You've done enough."
She rolled her eyes, "Oh shut up," she said and grabbed his arm, dragging him down the aisle. They got up to the front, and she took Hermione's hand, looking at Mark.
"Sorry, but I'm going to have to borrow her."
"What the-"
With a strong whipping sound, the three were gone, leaving behind them a confused and shocked wedding party.
They landed in the very center of a large hall, directly in front of a grandiose set of stairs.
"Welcome to Greengrass Manor." Astoria declared boredly.
"Astoria what the hell is going on?" Draco demanded.
Astoria let out a long, dragged out sigh. "I found a loophole. I'm getting us all out of this mess."
Hermione's eyes went wide. A loophole? Could that mean…
"Why are you helping us?" Draco wanted to know.
Yes, that was a good question. Hermione suddenly grew suspicious.
Astoria scoffed. "You devil. I'm not helping you I'm helping me. Being stuck with you would kill me slowly. Honestly, love," she said, turning to Hermione, "I don't quite recommend it, but it's your life."
"Hold on." Hermione said, her voice shaking.
Draco and Astoria turned to look at her.
"I-I'm engaged. You can't just break something like that off-"
"Sure you can," Astoria interjected, shrugging. "He was cheating on you anyways."
"Astoria-"
"No, Draco, shut up. I'm so sick of you interrupting. He was cheating on you anyways, love. So you might as well get rid of him. This one's got a hell of a lot more money anyway."
Hermione stood in shock, unable to formulate an intelligent sentence in her head.
"Look, we're wasting time. Do you love Draco or not? Otherwise it won't work."
Draco's face fell upon hers curiously. Hermione couldn't breathe.
"I…yes."
"Then follow me."
As they followed Astoria down a maze of hallways, Draco took Hermione's hand into his own. It had been a long time since he had done so, and it made Hermione's heart ache with nostalgia.
"I'm sorry about Mark." He whispered to her. She glanced up at him. He looked different than he had a year ago. Older. His eyes a bit sharper, colder. She wondered if it was her fault.
"Don't apologize," she smiled weakly, "I suppose deep down I knew it."
Draco took a deep breath. "I'd never do that to you."
She squeezed his hand.
"I know."
They entered a large room that appeared to be a library, but with a giant witch's brew in the center. A man Hermione had never seen before was resting on one of the far couches to the left.
"Was wondering when you'd be back." His voice echoed through the room. "Ah, Draco. Good to see you again."
"Jason." Draco replied shortly.
He jumped up upon seeing Hermione. "Ah! You must be the girl everyone keeps talking about!" He ran up to her, extending his hand. "I'm Jason. Pleasure to meet you."
"Hello." Hermione said curtly.
Astoria huffed. "Honestly, Jason. No need to swoon."
He chuckled, grabbing Astoria by the waist and kissing her cheek. "If it weren't for her we wouldn't be able to break this blasted curse, or whatever it is."
Hermione eyed him curiously. "You're a muggle?" she said.
He looked at her with a half smile. "Uh, I don't do the whole magic thing, if that's what you mean."
Hermione broke into a grin. "It's no problem! My parents are muggles."
"You don't say! How extraordinary!"
Draco's grip tightened around Hermione's hand. "Can we get on with this?"
Astoria invited them to sit on the couches as she began to explain.
"Because this is a rather crude and ancient agreement, the only way to break it is slightly barbaric."
Hermione and Draco listened intently, their linked hands resting on Hermione's poufy skirt.
"Unfortunately, the contract is binding. Draco must marry a Greengrass, and I a Malfoy. However, there is the blood ritual which would allow you and Jason to become part of the family tree."
Hermione cringed. When she was younger, there had been certain blood brother and blood sister games. She had never taken part in them, and she wasn't quite sure what one of actual magical bonds would require.
"How do we do it?" Draco asked, his face hard and expressionless.
"I have everything ready," she said, motioning to the pot behind her, "all it's missing is our blood. We cut into our palms, swear the oath, and drink the brew.
Hermione cringed again. "We have to drink each other's blood?"
Astoria sighed and rolled her eyes. "Yes, I just said that didn't I? Honestly Draco I don't know what you see in her."
"Watch it Astoria," he growled.
Jason chuckled. "Now, now. Let's just get this over with. We'll be out of each other's hair soon enough."
"Fine," Astoria said, pulling Jason up, "You and Draco first."
"Why us?" Jason muttered.
"Because she's over there trembling like a damn branch in a storm."
Hermione glared at Astoria. She knew that this meant she could be with Draco, that it was finally a way for them to be together, but something about Astoria made her anxious. What if it didn't work?
Draco squeezed her hand once more, to reassure her, and got up, making his way over to the cauldron. Astoria ladeled the mixture into two elegant cups, and pulled out a knife.
"Three drops from your right hand and not a bit more." She said.
The boys did as they were told, slicing their palms and letting the blood spill into the vessels.
They exchanged the glasses, and locked hands, as though they were about to give one another a handshake.
"Do you, Jason, vow to uphold the Malfoy name?" Draco's voice had a certain darkness to it Hermione had never heard before.
"To uphold the Malfoy name, I do so solemnly swear."
At this they both drank, emptying the contents of the cup, and a cold air seemed to surround them.
"Come on wedding girl," Astoria said, tapping on Hermione's shoulder, "Our turn."
Hermione broke into a cold sweat. "How do we know this will even work? What if it doesn't?"
Astrid gave yet another irritated sigh. "The contract expires in two weeks. If Draco and I don't drop dead, then we'll know it worked."
Draco cleared his throat. "That means you and I have to be married before then, Hermione."
"Oh." Her answer came out quicker than she had anticipated. It wasn't that she didn't love Draco. Of course she wanted to be with him. But two weeks was dreadfully fast. She had to break off her engagement with Mark. To go off and marry someone else in such a short period of time was questionable at best. Not to mention she and Draco hadn't had a whole lot of contact in the last year or so. Things were different now. Suddenly she couldn't breathe.
"Give us a moment." Draco said.
"Are you kidding me? We're wasting time-"
"Astoria." His voice was demanding. "A moment."
"Two minutes. That's it." She warned, tugging Jason out with her, leaving Hermione and Draco to themselves.
Once the door was closed Draco grabbed Hermione by the shoulders and looked her directly in the eye. He said nothing, and then pulled her into his chest, hugging her tightly.
"I love you," he said.
She could feel his chest vibrate with each word, and she could no longer hold back the tears that had built up behind her eyes for the last year. They fell in long streaks, Hermione sobbing into Draco's chest. She wrapped her arms around him, clutching the fabric of his shirt.
He stroked her hair. "And I'll still love you, if you decide not to do this. I'll love you till my last breath."
She looked up at him, not caring about her puffy eyes or her ruined makeup, and threw her arms around his neck, jumping into him. He grabbed hold of her waist and spun her around, the skirt of her dress like a flower petal as she twirled.
"I won't lose you." She sniffled, regaining her courage. "I love you."
Without a moment's hesitation he pressed his lips against hers, enveloping them both in passionate desire.
"I missed you, Mione." He said, lowering her back onto the ground and wiping away her tears.
She took a deep breath. "I missed you too, Draco."
With a large whine, the door opened once more and Astoria entered, trailed by Jason.
"Can we get this over with now?"
Hermione nodded.
With trembling fingers Hermione took the knife, slitting her palm and letting the droplets of blood cascade into the glass. She winced as she shook Astoria's hand, the cut fresh and sensitive.
"Do you, Hermione, vow to uphold the Greengrass name?"
"To uphold the Greengrass name, I do so solemnly swear."
They drank, and Hermione did her best not to gag.
And just as quickly as it had begun, it was over.