When Hermione stepped foot in the lobby of the Ministry after her lunch with Malfoy, she wasn't expected to see a worried Harry pacing in front of the cafe. In all the fuss of setting up a luncheon with Malfoy, Hermione had completely forgotten about her plans with her oldest friend. When Harry caught her gaze, he immediately rushed to her, searching her physically to assess her condition. Always the worrier.
"Harry, I am so sorry. Something came up, and I completely forgot about our lunch plans." Hermione quickly asserted an apology. Harry gave her a confused look, but continued on.
"I wish you would've sent me an owl, or at least popped in my office. I was worried something had happened to you. You never miss our plans." Harry cocked his head, causing his neverending mop of black waves to fall into his eyes. Hermione sighed, knowing that she was definitely in the wrong.
"I should have done more than that. I should have told you why I was going to miss our meeting in the first this probably isn't the most proper of places. Can we talk later, tonight at Grimmauld Place?" Hermione questioned Harry, who nodded in stunned silence.
Harry gave his friend another concerned glance, but Hermione decided that the events that had taken place over the past few days, especially those involving the Malfoys, did not need to be discussed in such a public setting.
"I'm sure that Gin would love to have you for dinner. We'll make a party of it." Harry commented. Hermione feigned a look of enthusiasm, trying to not let the panic of revealing her deal with Malfoy to her closest friends become present in her facial expressions. She needed to keep a cool demeanor.
"Alright, how does seven sound?" Hermione proposed, and Harry nodded in agreement.
"I'll see you then." The young witch confirmed, and Hermione couldn't help but give her best friend a reassuring smile. Harry was still observing her with a watchful eye, his Auror detection skills obviously acting up.
"Yea, I'll see you then." Harry parroted back to her, before he wandered off back into the crowd of the Ministry's atrium. He glanced back once again, catching Hermione's gaze, but then quickly made his way to one of the many elevators that surrounded the perimeter of the room. Once her old friend was safely on his way back to the DMLE office, Hermione herself decided to head back to work.
"Tonight is going to be an utter nightmare." The young witch muttered to herself as she caught a ride back to her office.
—00000—
Draco arrived back at his flat at precisely the time that Theodore Nott decided that he would make a Floo visit to his dearest friend, with a very disgruntled Blaise Zabini and less than thrilled Pansy Parkinson in tow.
The entire Slytherin gang, minus a preoccupied Daphne Greengrass, were lounging about the youngest Malfoy's living room when he arrived back from his life-altering lunch with Granger. Theo and Blaise had already helped themselves to the contents of his premier liquor cabinet, sipping away at the limited edition brandy that Draco had purchased less than a month previous. When the exhausted platinum headed Slytherin entered his own living room, he had to keep from rolling his eyes. Theo was the first to greet him, a cheeky grin on his angular face.
"Salazar, you look like shit, mate." Was the Nott heir's idea of a proper greeting, and Draco gave him a seering look.
"Thank you, Theodore, for the much unneeded commentaire." Draco responded, shedding his jacket and carefully hanging it on the wrought iron coat rack that was tucked into the corner of his living room.
"He's not wrong, Drake. You do look rather decrepit." Pansy spoke up from her perch in Draco's favorite leather wingback chair. Her brown eyes sparkled with their usual mischievousness as she teased her old friend, and Draco gave her a small smile. Draco and Pansy's relationship had always held a special feeling of fondness for the blonde.
Pansy had also never been one to be quiet about her thoughts and opinions, which seemed to be quite the trait amongst all the Slytherin's in their small social circle.
"Why do you look like you've taken a bludger to the head?" Zabini questioned him from the farthest corner of the dimmed living room. He was nonchalantly thumbing through one of Draco's many leatherbound, limited edition tomes that were scattered about.
"It is nothing that you should concern yourselves with. Just some personal business, nothing more." Draco responded to all of his pestering friends' inquiries. He wanted to keep his involvement with Granger under wraps as long as possible.
All he needed was the Pureblooded aristocrats that he called friends causing a scene when they learned of his impending, life requiring nuptials. Draco already knew that Granger's band of ragtag Gryffindors were going to raise hell and fiendfyre over the union. He would leave the dramatics to the experts.
"Are you sure it has nothing to do with a certain mop of curls belonging to one Gryffindor princess?" Pansy asked, with a look of impasse on her face as she gulped down a smooth drought of Draco's exquisite liquid reserve. The blonde immediately snapped his gaze to the black haired witch, a look of astonishment covering his normally unfazed features.
"How did you know?" Draco asked, trying not to let the small quiver of panic be evident in the rich tone of his voice.
Had Theo said something? Draco was going to kill the smug bastard if he had. He had spoken about his conflict with Granger in confidence to his mate. It wasn't something that he was comfortable to be speaking about yet, even if it was with his closest friends.
"Your father placed a Dotis Nomine charm on her Gringotts account, mate. Did you forget who your family's financial advisor is?" Pansy questioned him, and a wave of realization hit Draco smugly in the gut.
Leonidas Parkinson, Pansy's father, had been the Malfoy family's financial broker since before Draco was born. He was a nosy old tosser, and the youngest Malfoy had always disliked him. If Leonidas was spreading the word around that Lucius Malfoy had placed a Dotis Nomine claim on Hermione Granger's personal Gringotts vault, it would be sooner than later the entirety of wizarding Britain knew of their soon to be entwined futures.
"Your father should keep his nose out of other people's personal matters. But since you all already seem to know my predicament, yes, it does have to do with Granger." The blond heir answered his awaiting group of friends.
"You're requesting a dowry from the most beloved Muggle-born in British wizarding history. What in the bloody hell is going on, Draco?" Zabini asked, placing the book that he had previously been violating on the mantle of Draco's fireplace. The small action irked the young Malfoy, but Draco was able to ignore the disturbance.
Knowing that he wasn't going to get any reprieve from his friends if he didn't explain the situation that had taken over his life, Draco looked to Theo for reassurance. The brunette edged him on with a small movement of his jaw. Letting out a deep breath that he hadn't realized he had been holding, Draco spoke the words that the small group of Slytherin's never thought they'd hear.
"I guess it has something to do with the fact that I am, with some current uncertainty, going to marry the bloody witch."
The only sound that could be heard was the sharp crash of Pansy's crystal whiskey tumbler hitting the mahogany floor, sending an echo throughout the room's vaulted ceilings.
Shite.
—00000—
Hermione looked at herself in the floor length mirror that was leaned against her bathroom wall and sighed. She had been practicing what she was going to tell her friends about the Malfoy situation to her own reflection for the past thirty minutes, and each time she became more and more flustered. No matter how she phrased it, it always came out as the same jumbled mess. Nothing sounded like she wanted to.
She knew she needed to sugar-coat the situation to some extent, at least for the members of the Weasley clan that would be in attendance. Especially Ronald. Though in reality, all the young witch wanted to do was scream out into the abyss the words: I'm marrying Draco Malfoy to keep him from dying a horrendous death, so get with the program.
Hermione knew good and well though, that being so blunt would cause more harm than good. She had known these people since they were children. It wasn't that her beloved lions weren't a combative bunch, which she would absolutely admit. It was more that they tended to be on the extreme side of the scale of overprotectiveness. Especially Harry and Ron.
Hermione knew that such behavior most definitely had branched from the horrendous trials of war that they had all suffered through. Though what her beloved boys often seemed to forget was that the side of light were not the only ones who had suffered. Children of Death Eaters who had been nothing but innocents had faced a magnitude of ridicule. Not that Draco Malfoy was innocent by any means. As Narcissa had mentioned in her letter, he had simply been a boy with no choice.
But now it was time for Hermione to make her own choice, which she had made with the utmost confidence in herself. It was still blossoming for the other party involved.
Shaking her head to free herself of such overwhelming thoughts, Hermione began gathering her things in preparation to Floo to Grimmauld Place. Throwing a few personal effects in her infamous beaded crossbody, the curly haired witch shouted a brief goodbye to her ginger familiar, who was skulking about somewhere in her apartment. Activating her Floo, Hermione grabbed a small handful of the shimmering green powder in her hand, and gently called out her intended destination for stepping into the flames.
Instantly upon her arrival, Hermione was bombarded with the familiar sights and smells that always greeted her. Ginny was automatically at her side as soon as her trainor was placed on the worn oriental rug that covered the floor of the parlor.
"Hermione! I'm so glad Harry suggested you come over for dinner tonight. The entire gang is here." Ginny quipped excitedly. Her signature red locks were smoothed down into a wet bun, showing that she had been at Harpy practice earlier.
"Thanks Gin. I appreciate you both having me over." Hermione reached to give the youngest Weasley a young, which the redhead quickly accepted. Both of the women headed into the kitchen where Harry was at the stove, a silicone spatula in his hand as he stirred a familiar red colored sauce. Spaghetti, a popular meal in the Potter/Weasley household, mostly because it was one of the only things that Ron would eat.
"Hermione!" Harry greeted her with a happy grin, his round glasses slightly askew and foggy from the steam coming from the pots and pans cooking away on the stovetop. Hermione gave her oldest friend a subtle smile, trying not to laugh at his signature disheveled appearance.
"Hi Harry." Hermione responded, before her attention was pulled away by a sudden glass being shoved in her unsuspecting hand. Ginny had evidently poured her a glass of some alcoholic concoction, probably something of the young woman's adventurous creation.
Hermione gave her friend a nod of thanks, and surveyed her surroundings for the first time. Ginny hadn't been kidding when she said the whole group was there. At least everyone who was in their closest level of social circle. Ginny and Harry were chatting away as Harry finished off whatever needed to be done for dinner. She spotted Neville and Luna huddled together in the living room, discussing something that seemed to have them both enthralled. The only person who wasn't occupied in conversation was Ron. He had apparently just spotted her, and was heading towards Hermione with his ever familiar smile.
"Hey 'Mione." Ron greeted her, using the nickname that she had advised him many times before that she disliked. He still used it though, in typical Ron Wealsey fashion.
"Ron." Hermione offered him a similar smile to what she had given Harry, only a bit more close-lipped.
"How was your first day at the Ministry? I can't believe you're working in the DMLE now." Ron asked her, inquiring about her first day. Hermione quickly tried to wrack her brain for something positive to say about her new job.
"It was pleasant. Everyone in my sector is very kind. I really like my new boss, Henrittea. She is quite fun to chat with." Ron seemed to actually be interested in her response, and his eyes lit up with recognition when she mentioned Henrietta's name.
"We love Hernrietta in the Auror department. Did you know her husband Nigel works as an Auror?" Ron questioned her, and Hermione nodded somewhat halfheartedly. She remembered Henrietta mentioning something of the sort during their brief meeting this morning.
"He's got an incredible defense spell library, you know. Some of the spells he knows are incredible!" Ron jabbered on, once again dominating their conversation in typical Ronald Weasley fashion. Hermione listened impatiently as he droned on about Auror things, really understanding only about half of what he was speaking about. She almost danced in thanks to Merlin when Harry announced dinner was ready.
Everyone filed into a line around the kitchen table to fill their plates. Hermione quietly waited to go last, coming up behind Neville, who turned to greet her.
"Hullo Hermione. How are you?" Neville spoke.
"I'm good. How are you?" She responded, giving Neville a warm smile.
"Oh, you know. School is just getting in the kicks of things. Trying to make sure that lessons are up to date and things." Neville shrugged. After the war, Professor McGonagall had invited Neville to come and student teach under Professor Sprout, who was planning on retiring at the end of the school year. Being the new Herbology teacher was exactly what Neville was meant to do, in Hermione's opinion.
"Let me know if you want me to proof any lesson plans." Hermione offered, and Neville smiled graciously and nodded as he handed a plate. Hermione took the fine china and began piling it high with noodles and sauce, knowing good and well that Walburga Black would be writhing in her grave at the sight of what was being served on her precious ancestral chinaware.
Grabbing a slightly tarnished silver fork and a napkin from the pile on the table, Hermione balanced everything as she joined everyone in the lounge. Chatter filled the air as everyone began to eat. Hermione situated herself on the couch next to Ginny, who was pressed thigh to thigh with Harry. She listened to every word in content and ate as the conversation flowed, occasionally speaking when she was asked a question or had an opinion.
Topics of conversation included everything from the rumor that Hogwarts was getting rid of uniforms, which Neville happily debauched, to who Fred and George potentially thinking of hiring as an associate at the joke shop. Ginny dished some drama from the Harpies. Apparently one of the first string chasers was having relations of a sexual nature with one of the second string beaters boyfriends behind her back. According to Ginny, a fight nearly broke out in the locker room and the women had to be magically separated.
The energy of the conversation began to dwindle down as plates began to be empty. Hermione knew that she needed to make her announcement sooner or later, and now was probably her best choice. Everyone seemed to be calm and collected, causally seated around the coffee table.
Mustering the courage, Hermione cleared her throat loudly as she rose from her seat. Five faces turned to her, signaling that she had gotten their attention.
"I have an announcement." Hermione moved towards the front of the room, wanting to make sure she could clearly see everyone's faces. Her friends waited expectantly, completely oblivious to the life changing news she was about to douse them with.
"So there is something important that I need to tell you all." Hermione began. She was searching for the words once again, trying to piece together something to say. Her discomfort was obviously showing, to which Ginny shouted a quip to make the air less dense.
"You're not sleeping with someone else's boyfriend, are you?" Ginny joked, relating back to the conversation that all had been having earlier. Everyone chuckled, and Hermione shook her head nervously, before just blurting out what she needed to say.
"I'm marrying Draco Malfoy."
Silence filled the room.
Hermione heard the fork that Ron had been holding clink rapidly against his plate. Ginny gasped. Neville was blinking rapidly, apparently trying to comprehend the information she had just dropped. Harry's eyebrows were up to his hairline, almost disappearing. Luna was giving her a dreamy grin, almost seeming oblivious.
Then all hell broke loose.
"You can't be bloody serious! Malfoy, Hermione? There's no fucking way." Ron erupted from his seat, throwing his plate on the coffee table with a sickening crack!.
"You are not marrying the ferret!" Ginny shouted, also rising from her seat as her petite face blossomed an ungly red color.
"This is insane!" Harry shouted, following suit of his girlfriend and best friend as he launched out his seated position.
Both Neville and Luna stayed quiet, which was typical of their nature. Though Hermione could sense almost a feeling of disappointment from Neville.
Knowing that if she didn't take control of the situation, chaos was going to transpire.
"Will everyone just give me a chance to freaking explain?" Hermione shouted, silencing her friends. She stared them down as the three standing settled back down, before she told them the truth of matter.
Hermione started from the beginning, with the claim on her vault and why Lucius Malfoy had placed it to begin with. She continued with the happenings of her visit to Malfoy Manor. About the tapestry, and how it had woven her name within its stitches. Draco's fate if she did not comply with the marriage, and Narcissa's letter. Everyone listened as she shared everything that Dromeda had told her. Hermione finally ended with her lunch with Malfoy, and how she had finally made her decision about her future with the young Malfoy heir.
When Hermione finished, her friends stared at her for a few moments. A long period of silence passed before Harry rose from his seat and approached her. His green eyes locked with her brown ones, and Harry grabbed her in an almost bone breaking hug, catching her by surprise. When he pulled away, his calloused palms settled on her upper forearms as he spoke for the first time.
"If this is what you want, Hemrione, then I will support you." Harry spoke, and a large weight seemed to lift up from Hermione's chest. She immediately pulled Harry back into a hug, pressing her face into his shoulder.
Once the two friends separated, Hermione looked at the rest of the crowd, searching their faces for their response. Slowly but surely, Ginny sighed, getting up and sliding her toned arms around Hermione. When she pulled away, she spoke her piece on the subject.
"Just let the ferret know that if he breaks your heart, I will break him." Ginny smiled, and Hermione chuckled and nodded at her friend's threat. Looking back at the three remaining people seated on the floor, Hermione gave them all a hopeful glance.
Neville was next to give Hermione his quiet blessing, slipping his arms awkwardly around her in a brief hug. He didn't make any threats or give any advice, only comforting her with a gentle nod as they separated.
Luna gave Hermione a brilliant smile, taking Hermione's hands in her own smaller ones.
"You will have a prosperous and strong relationship." Was all the dreamy blonde said, turning away and going to stand next to Neville. Hermione gave her a somewhat confused smile, and looked back at the final individual who stood across from her.
Ron still looked angry. Calmer, but angry nonetheless. His blue eyes held a look of anger, resentment, and what seemed to be disappointment all rolled together into one. Hermione had never really seen him look in such a way. She looked at his expectantly, as did everyone else, wanting to know his thoughts. He was quiet for a few moments before he finally spoke.
"I'm sorry Hermione. I just can't." His voice was low, shaky and almost breaking in some places. A look of pain filled his eyes as the young Auror gathered his things and headed towards the Floo, where he swiftly grabbed a handful of the powder.
"Ron, please." Hermione stepped forward to try and reason with her friend, but Ginny's hand held her back.
"Harry and Gin, thank you for dinner. Harry, I'll see you tomorrow." Was all that Ron said before he threw the green powder in the flames and mumbled the Burrow, stepping into the fireplace as it rushed him away.
When he was gone, Ginny finally let Hermione go. The defeated witch immediately fell onto the couch and placed her head in her hands. Harry instantly went to her side, Ginny following him. They each sat on one side, muttering words of comfort.
"I just needed him to know." Hermione whispered, and Harry let her know it wasn't her fault.
"He'll come around eventually. You know him, Hermione. Ron doesn't like change. But sooner or later he'll be ready to talk." Ginny reminded her gently, and Hermione nodded. As she had predicated, Ron had lashed out, and now he needed time to absorb everything.
"Thank you both, for being here and supporting me. And for letting me make this choice." Hermione looked at her friends. Harry and Ginny both pulled her in for another hug.
"Just promise me that you'll speak to Mr. Whittlesbeak before you sign anything." Harry requested, and Hermione agreed.
"Of course." She smiled, and Harry gave her hand a comforting squeeze.
"I don't know about you all, but I could really use a drink right now." Ginny decided to bring some humor back into the room, and everyone shook their heads in unison.
Getting up to join her friends, Hermione decided that after all the drama and emotion that had just unfolded, what she needed right then was to take a moment and enjoy a night with her friends. The air was clear, and she could somewhat breathe again. For now, Draco Malfoy was just a singular thought in her brain, nothing more. He could wait until tomorrow.