Chapter 3

Draco was sitting in his parents' garden at Malfoy Manor holding the open letter that showed his future wife. He had a blank look on his face as he starred off into a random part in the garden. He was deep in thought as he wondered if Hermione would be accepting of him after all he had done to her while at Hogwarts. He had changed since then and was now very accepting of muggleborns. Ever since he last saw her at the battle of Hogwarts he had felt differently about her and was disgusted at how he had treated her all those years. He sighed and put his head in his hands. He knew soon they would have to speak; furthermore, get married. He just wondered if she would ever really love him because of their turbulent past. He decided to owl Hermione and see if it was okay if they could talk as well as reconcile their past.

Hermione, Neville, and Harry all looked up when they heard an owl tapping and hooting at the window. Neville got up and retrieved the letter from the owl, giving it a treat the owl happily hooted then flew away. Neville looked at the letter and said, "Looks like Draco sent you a letter, but how would his owl know you were here?" Hermione looked puzzled and then shrugged it off, "I guess the owl could sense me here." Neville handed the letter to Hermione as she soon thanked him and opened it. Neville sitting down on the opposite side of Hermione from Harry. Harry then asked, "So, what does it say Hermione." Hermione finished the letter and replied, "He wants to meet up and talk. He says he wants to reconcile for our past and how he treated me…us." Harry and Neville shared a look with one another then saw that Hermione was starring off in front of them, watching the fire crackling and popping. Neville then replied, "When does he want to meet up?" Hermione sighed and said, "As soon as possible." Harry says, "How about tomorrow afternoon after lunch? That way we can all go together…" Neville then added, "Yeah, I mean he seems to have changed, but I'm sure that I can speak for both Harry and I when I say that we still don't trust you going to Malfoy Manor by yourself." Hermione nodded, "I don't think that I will ever want to go there. Neville, is there a way we can all meet here including Draco?" Neville thought about it for a few minutes and then replied knowing what had happened to Hermione at the Malfoy Manor, "Yeah, that's fine. We can all meet here tomorrow afternoon say around 2pm?" Hermione nodded and then replied back to Draco. Soon she sent the letter to the Manor using one of the Longbottom owls.

About 2 hours later Draco heard an owl approaching the garden with a letter in its beak. He saw it land on the table in front of him. He gave it a mouse and then watched as it hooted before flying away. He then saw that he had a reply from Hermione. He opened it and read it. He understood why she wanted to meet at Longbottom Manor instead of his parents' house. He still cringed thinking about what his deranged Aunt Bellatrix had done to her in their front room. He continued to read the rest of the letter and saw that she had set up the time for the meeting around 2pm the next afternoon. He then replied with a quick note saying that he had read her letter and will meet them tomorrow at Longbottom Manor. He sent the letter using his own owl and soon got up to go into the manor and get ready for dinner since it was now approaching 5 in the evening. He had his own house, but his parents had invited him their house for dinner because they wanted to get to know their own son better as well as become a better family.

The next day around 12:30 in the afternoon Draco was at his own house getting ready. He took a steamy hot shower before shaving and getting dressed. He dressed in a nice shirt with a black dress jacket and black pants. He brushed his teeth and finished getting ready and soon look up at the clock and saw it was 1:50pm. He fixed his jacket and soon apparated to the Longbottom Manor. He walked up to the door and knocked on it. He had some flowers that he hoped that Hermione liked and nervously waited for someone to answer the door. Soon enough Neville opened the door and nodded at Malfoy. Draco nodded and soon came in nervously. He looked around as Neville lead him into the front parlor. As the two of them entered Draco spotted Hermione sitting next to Harry on the couch. He saw that she was wearing a bright red dress and some matching red flats. He saw that Harry was wearing a blue shirt and tan dress jacket with nice tan pants. Neville was wearing a dark blue shirt with black dress jacket and pants. He then looked back at Hermione after seeing Neville sit on the other side of her. He then said, "Hey Hermione...Umm I got these for you." He handed her the flowers and took a seat across from the trio. She nervously took them as if she was waiting for something to jump out at her from inside them. After about a minute or two she thanked him and put the flowers in the vase on the table. He then sighed and said, "Hermione, I just want you to know that I have changed and changed for the better. I plan on spending the rest of my life proving it to you…all of you actually. They all listened in silence as Draco continued, "Hermione, I barely even talk to my parents' families anymore…to me honestly they are all dead." Draco then added, "Hermione, I hope that you…all of you will come to eventually trust me and you Hermione to eventually come to like if not love me." The room got deadly quiet as everyone was taking everything in. Soon Hermione broke the silence and said, "Draco, just you coming here alone, and saying what you've said means a lot to me and it's proved to me that you are truly a good man." Harry and Neville nodded in agreement staying quiet, but could visibly be seen relaxing more. Hermione then added, "I would really like to get to know this new you and one day begin to fall in love with this new you." Draco nodded and smiled, "Of course and I understand." Hermione then got up from in between Harry and Neville. She slowly began to walk over to Draco and sat down. He looked over at her and watched as she slowly leaned in and kissed him tenderly on the lips. He closed his eyes and returned the kiss. Soon enough their kiss broke and she got up and went back to sit down between Harry and Neville.

Neville then asked, "So, I guess it's time to start planning our wedding." Hermione, Harry, and Draco all nodded in agreement. Harry then asked, "Well, by law we have to be married within four months' time. So, what date do each of you like?" Hermione added, "Well, I've always wanted a spring wedding, so I like sometime in mid-April if that's okay." Neville said, "I'm free in between April 10th and April 20th." Draco added, "I'm okay for some time between April 12th and 19th. Harry then replied, "I'm the same. Hermione it's up to you for the actual date. Everyone, looked at her as she thought about it, "How about April 17th?" The three young men quietly looked at each other before they all slowly began nodding in agreement. Harry then said, "Okay so April 17th it is then. What time?" Draco suggested, "How about same time as today 2pm?" Neville then asked, "So, where should we all live?" Hermione then added, "No offense, but anywhere other than Malfoy Manor." Everyone agreed including Draco. Neville then asked, "How about here at Longbottom Manor? I mean we will have plenty of room and be close to everyone we know." Everyone soon agreed to the time and Longbottom Manor. Then things got awkwardly silent and everyone knew what they had to talk about next. Especially Hermione because she was a virgin. Harry then broke the silence, "That just brings it down to sleeping arrangements…meaning the order on who Hermione sleeps with when." Hermione felt the rise of heat in her cheeks as she knew she was blushing. They all looked at Hermione and Harry spoke up, "That decision is up to you Hermione." Hermione blushed and mumbled as she was truly embarrassed. None of them knew that she was still a virgin, but for different reasons. Harry then replied, "Hermione, what's wrong? I mean why are you blushing?" Hermione looked towards the fire as if deep in thought. Harry added, "Mione?" She then sighed and said," I don't know quite how to answer that…" Harry then questioned, "Why's that Hermione?" She sighed and replied, "Because I'm a virgin Harry that's why." All three men's mouths dropped in pure surprise and shock. Harry then stammered, "But…but Hermione I thought you had done it with Ron." Neville just looked straight ahead of him and adjusted awkwardly as he never knew this. He had thought she had lost it to Ron as well. Hermione sighed, "No… I wanted to wait till my wedding day." This made Draco adjust as he felt awkward. Hermione then added, "But, if it came down to it…I would want you Harry to take it and then go to Neville next in line then Draco." They all agreed that that would be fair since her and Harry had been friends the longest. They soon parted ways and said their good byes. They all got their parts of the wedding in order. Hermione picked her bridesmaids and they were Cho Chang and Parvarti Patel. She soon found her wedding dress and bought it. Things were soon all set for the wedding day and all they had to do was wait.