Hello everyone!
Thank you all so much for the lovely response of chapter twenty. I'm so glad you all enjoyed it. I loved hearing all your thoughts. Now, this is part two. I'm warning you now, it gets a bit emotional. In what way? Well, that's for you to find out. It's an extra long chapter, so be prepared... I hope you all are doing well. Please enjoy the Engagement Ball, Part 2. Happy Reading!
Best,
E
The evening is going better than everyone had ever really anticipated. So far, there had been no problems or disagreements amongst the guests, no matter the varying the stations and statuses of them all. Drinks and food were consumed in abundance, while the music flowed melodiously through the night air.
After their illuminating first dance, Draco and Hermione had begun their rounds about the room, greeting every guest. Many people who Hermione had never met, mostly because they were from the upper echelon of Pure Blooded wizarding society, had treated her with a surprising amount of kindness and respect. Of course, her friends were in attendance.
The first couple they spoke to was Harry and Ginny, both of which were cradling crystal coupes of bubbling champagne. Ginny looked radiant in her mauve colored ensemble, which hugged her Chaser figure in all the right places. Her hair was plaited and pulled away from her face, falling down her back in a waterfall of crimson. Harry was dressed similarly to Draco in wizarding dress robes, except his bowtie was slightly askew and his hair was in its usual tousled state.
"Thank you both so much for coming. I know that this probably wasn't easy." Hermione thanked her friends for supporting her. She knew that Harry especially was probably struggling with returning to Malfoy Manor.
"We'll always be here for you Hermione, no matter what. You know that." Harry replied, giving her one of his signature smiles. Hermione shook her head in acknowledgement, before turning to compliment Ginny.
The two women fawned over one another's appearance for a few moments, before Draco finally got up the nerve to join the conversation. He had been hanging back for a few moments, wanting Hermione to take the time she needed to greet her closest friends.
"I would also like y to thank you for coming, Potter. And you as well, Weasley. I know that it means the world to Hermione." Draco offered his hand to Harry, who with a look of surprise on his face, took it on his own with a firm shake. Hermione noticed a few of the fellow guests looking at their conversation with intrigue, but she simply brushed it off as usual curiosity.
"Take care of her, Malfoy. Do that, and we won't have any problems." Harry extended an olive branch, which Draco accepted with a bow of his head. Hermione couldn't help but smile at the interaction.
I can't believe what I'm seeing. Harry making peace with Draco Malfoy. Godric, if third-year us could see us now. Hermione couldn't help but think to herself.
"You have my blessing, ferret. One one condition." Ginny was the next one to lay down her terms for approval, and Hermione saw the flinch of Draco's mouth when Ginny referred to Draco by his less than favored nickname.
"And what would that condition be, weasel?" Draco refuted, making Ginny crack a smirk before answering.
"You have to let me kick your ass at least once at a game of Quidditch. I never got to play you back at Hogwarts, at least in a real, uninterrupted match, that is." Ginny's challenge was way less brutal than Hermione thought it was going to be, and the witch had to keep herself from letting out a sigh of relief.
"I can't guarantee that I will let you win, but I'm sure that we can arrange a match. I'm sure Theodore would like to join in as well. Maybe Blaise. I'll see what we can set up. Do we have a deal, Weasley?" Draco offered his hand in confirmation, and Ginny shook it with vigor.
"I'd be happy to kick some Slytherin ass."
"You both are truly something else." Hermione sighed, looking between the blonde and redhead.
"But that is what makes us fun." Ginny gleamed, and Draco himself even let a small smile slip. Harry was looking at the two as Hermione was; completely baffled by their cordialness.
"I hate to be the bearer of bad taste, but my mother is giving me a look, which means Hemrione and I need to continue to greet our attendees. I hope you both have a good evening. Eat and drink to your Gryffindor heart's content." Draco informed the group that it was time he and Hermione moved on, offering his arm to his fiance.
"Of course. Please, carry on." Harry smiled, giving the couple a small salute. Ginny gave Hermione a goofy grin, before mouthing good luck as she and Draco walked away.
"Shall we continue the tour of torture?" Draco whispered to Hermione as they began to mingle once again, causing the witch to stifle an unladylike snort.
"Lead the way, Mr. Malfoy." Hermione nodded.
"As you wish, Ms. Granger."
—00000—
Narcissa Malfoy watched her son and his fiance with a hopeful gleam as they floated around the ballroom, interacting with their guests, friends and family. The matriarch of the Malfoy family could not help but smile with pride as she watched her only son shake hands with Harry Potter, with not an ounce of ill will between the two young wizards.
Turning away from her son and his fiance, Narcissa meandered her way towards the back of the ballroom, grasping a goblet of red wine from a tray as it passed her. Taking a sip of the citrus infused liquid, she greeted a few familiar faces with a gracious nod.
"Oh, Narcissa. The ball is lovely. You have truly outdone yourself once again." Spoke a voice from Narcissa's right, making the witch turn to address its owner. It was Audra Durand, a French noblewoman and distant member of the Malfoy family through marriage.
"Thank you, Audra, for the kind words. How are you enjoying your evening? I am so glad you were able to travel to join us for such an important celebration for the Malfoy family." Narcissa offered the older witch a dazzling smile. Audra bowed her head in appreciation of the Malfoy matriarch's welcome.
"I am having a lovely time. I was just discussing with a fellow relative how absolutely grown up Draco looks. I remember when he was just a boy, running wild on a toy broom and bossing around the house elves. I can't believe that we are here celebrating his engagement. And to Hermione Granger, no less. The brightest witch of their age. He had done well for himself. You should be proud." Audra complemented Draco and Hermione's relationship with an approving smile.
"I know. He'll be twenty-one in June. He and Hermione really do make a stunning pair, don't they?" Narcissa agreed, taking the time to find her son's signature platinum hair in the throngs of the crowd. He and Hermione were currently speaking to Professor Horace Slughorn, who was almost certainly already sloshed on the evening's extensive collection of liquor available for consumption.
"To be twenty-one again. They are going to have beautiful children, you know. With Draco's looks and Hermione's brains? Those younglings will be unstoppable." Audra drawled, and Narcissa had to take a sip of her wine to handle the incoming image of her son having children so soon. She was barely old enough to be a grandmother.
But her conversation companion was not wrong. Draco and Hermione would make beautiful children. Narcissa just hoped they would wait a while before they started a family. They still had so much to do with their lives before they settled down with children.
"Well, I believe I must go and search for my companion that I arrived with this evening. I seemed to have lost them in the crowd. Enjoy this night, Narcissa. You deserve it." And with that, Audra disappeared into guests who were mingling about.
It was at that time that Narcissa realized that she had not seen the hide nor hair of her husband since the beginning of the ball. Lucius was notorious for pulling his signature disappearing act at events such as these, especially when he found the occasion to be too frivolous for his liking. But this with his son's engagement ball, and he needed to be present.
Scoping her surroundings, the witch found her brooding spouse tucked away in the back of the room, slipping out through an open doorway. He most certainly was going to sulk in his study. But Narcissa was determined to not let him get away with such rude behavior. Quickly, she followed after him with a flourish of her skirts.
She found him lounging in the leather wingback chair of his study, a glass of ages old bourbon in his grasp. Lucius's serpentine cane was leaned against his desk, the eyes a searing green by the fire glowing in the hearth. Crossing her petite arms across her chest, Narcissa approached her husband with a stern gaze.
"And what, may I ask, do you think you're doing in here?" Her tone was more than accusatory.
"Celebrating my son's engagement, of course." Lucius responded, using his hand to swish around the amber liquid in his glass. Narcissa rolled her eyes, already annoyed by her husband's childish antics.
"You should be celebrating in the ballroom. We have guests."
"Oh yes, let us celebrate our son's engagement to a non-Pure Blooded woman. That's something that I'm sure our ancestors would love to be celebrating." Lucius droned. Narcissa could tell that he was already drunk.
"I thought you had come to terms with this, Lucius. The tapestry made its decision. Your family tapestry. Draco is happy with the decision. He and Hermione make a lovely pair. Our son gets to live because that girl gave him a new chance at life. Can you not be grateful and see what a godsend this is?" Narcissa pleaded with the man in front of her.
"I am a failure to my lineage." Was all Lucius could say.
"Well it's a good thing that you are not the future of the Malfoy line." Narcissa grit out her response, which in turn caused Lucius's eyes to flash with anger.
"You will not speak to me in that way!" Anger erupted through Lucius, and Narcissa flinched at the sound of his shouts. But she stood her ground, as she had done many times before.
"You will tame your temper, Lucius. Outside of this room, we are celebrating the engagement of our only child. And whether you like it or not, Draco is going to marry Hermione. He is happy. And I will not let you destroy that. So either change your tone, or stay away. And if you do decide to come out of your little cave, take a Pepper-Up Potion. No one wants to see you drunk."
And with that, Narcissa left her husband to drown himself in his own misery.
She had a party to host.
—00000—
Draco watched with a smile as he stared at Hermione chatting to Minerva McGonagall across the room. He was surprised Hogwarts headmistress even showed up to the event, knowing her history not particularly liking the Malfoy family. Though he also knew how dear Headmistress McGonagall was to Hermione and her friends, and how the elder witch would do anything for her treasured Gryffindors, even if it meant a ball at the daunting Malfoy Manor.
Grasping his coupe of champagne with a firm hand, he left his fiance to her own devices and went in search of his own fellow Slytherins. He found Daphne, Theo, and Pansy tucked away in a corner of the ballroom, all drinking glasses of champagne and having their own conversation.
"Now, now, now…If it isn't the man of the night! I present to you the one and only Draco Malfoy, ladies and gentlemen." Theo rambled as Draco joined the cluster of snakes, and Daphne and Pansy rolled their eyes at their friend's usual antics.
"Would you put a pin in it, you git?" Draco asked, giving his oldest friend an annoyed glance. Theo raised his unoccupied hand in mock surrender, and the girls drew everyone back into conversation.
"Hermione looks absolutely stunning tonight, Draco. As do you." Daphne complimented the Malfoy heir, and Draco gave her a gracious nod.
"Thank you, Daph. I owe a lot of that to Pans. She helped me pick out the dress to give to Hermione. I think she nailed it." Draco gave Pansy credit where credit was very much due.
"This girl has a gift, I swear." Daphne agreed, giving Pansy's shoulder a small squeeze. Pansy gave her a nod of thanks, before changing the topic to something a bit more intriguing.
"Has anyone noticed how Blaise hasn't been with us all night?" She pointed out an interesting point. The usually chatty Slytherin was nowhere to be seen.
"Where is he?" Draco asked, trying to spot his friend. His mother had mentioned she had seen him arrive, but Draco had yet to speak to the Italian.
"He's been speaking with Luna Lovegood all night. They've been chatting away the past hour and a half." Daphne revealed, and Draco gave her a look of surprise. Luna Lovegood wasn't at all what Draco thought Blaise's type to be. Normally, the Zabini heir went for leggy brunettes.
"He was the one who recognized her when we went for drinks on Thursday night." Theo remarked, and Draco remembered Theo telling him about he and Granger's little run-in at the Leaky Cauldron.
"Isn't that when you harassed my poor fiance?" Draco joked accusingly, and Theo laughed. He knew that Theo hadn't done anything remotely scarring to Hermione, the youngest Weasley, or Luna. But he loved every chance he got to tease his friend.
"He was actually on his best behavior. Trust me, I was there to make sure. And Draco, she really is quite lovely. It was wonderful getting to talk to her. You're a very lucky man." Daphne complemented Hermione with an honest smile gracing her pink lips, and Draco felt a sudden wash of relief fall over him. His friends, and his fiance, were getting along.
"I still can't believe we're at your engagement ball." Pansy mused, and a round of grunts confirmed that everyone else in the conversation was in total agreement. Draco was the first one of their friend group to be getting married. Not that he planned on getting hitched so soon. That had been the tapestry's decision.
"Are you happy, Draco? Be honest." Pansy asked, and Draco didn't really know how to answer the question.
Was he happy to be getting married to a woman he barely knew? Not really. But was he glad that it was Hermione? For that question, he could definitely say yes. Of all the people in the world, the tapestry had chosen someone who matched him in many ways. From intellect and wit, to dedication to family. They didn't seem like the perfect match, on the surface at least. But the more that Draco got to know Hermione, the more that he understood why the tapestry had put them together in the first place.
"It's been an adjustment. But honestly, Pans, I'm happy that it's Granger." Draco gave his answer with a straight face. Everyone around him nodded in approval of his response.
"Then I propose a toast. To the future Mr. and Mrs. Malfoy. May you live long, love hard, and die happy. Cheers." Theo raised his glass, and everyone else did the same.
"Cheers." Draco replied, clinking glasses with his friends.
—00000—
"The wedding should be happening sometime in December. I would love for you to be there, Headmistress. It would mean the world to me." Hermione smiled as she informed Headmistress McGonagall of her upcoming nuptials. The old witch smiled graciously.
"I would be honored to be there. And please Hermione, call me Minerva. You've earned that right, most certainly." McGonagall insisted, and Hermione nodded.
"Force of habit. Thank you, Minerva." The curly haired witch corrected herself.
"Of course then, dear. Well, it has been a lovely evening. But it is time that I return to Hogwarts for the night. Enjoy the rest of the party, Hermione. I am so very proud of you."
The two witches exchanged a few words of farewell before McGonagall blended back into the masses, probably heading to find a Floo. Hermione realized after her former teacher's departure that she was in desperate need of a break. Fraternizing with so many people had left her quite exhausted, and a breath of fresh air seemed tantalizing.
Separating herself from the crowd, she slipped out of the ballroom towards the ladies lounge that Narcissa had Transfigured from one of the Manor's many sitting rooms. She knew that it had a few mirrors and a sink where she could freshen up, and prepare herself for another round of socializing before the dancing would begin again.
Walking down the hallway, the small heels of her shoes clacked against the aged floors of the Malfoy ancestral home. There were no portraits hung in this particular hall, much to Hermione's relief. Only dark and moody landscapes, and few mirrors. A few fragrant floral arrangements stood on pedestals. As Hermione approached the door she knew to house the ladies lounge, she heard voices speaking in hushed tones. Not wanting to interrupt a private conversation, she paused beside the doorway.
Using a mirror that was hung directly across from the threshold, she saw who occupied the ladies Lounge. Thankfully, the women inside the room could not see her reflection in the mirror as she stood observing them from the hall.
Millicent Bulstrode, dressed in a low cut gown hued a quite startling burnt sienna, stood with two girls Hermione recognized only slightly, re-applying her lipstick in a mirror. It was Helene Thistlewaite and Calice Kingston, two Slytherins from the year below Hermione, that Millicent was conversing with. Wanting to make sure that she did not interrupt anything personal, Hermione honed in on their words.
Millicent was the first to speak, her squeaky voice filling the room.
"I cannot believe that my mother actually made me attend this nightmare of an event. Such a waste of time." Millicent groaned. Hermione didn't blame her on that fact. She herself thought that the ball had been way too much of a hassle.
Helene spoke next, agreeing with Millicent, but also adding her own commentary to the situation.
"Another Pure Blooded bachelor off the market. Draco Malfoy marrying Hermione Granger. It really is quite a shame." The raven haired girl sighed.
Hermione knew that some people would feel this way. It was only natural. Draco was the heir to one of the sacred twenty-eight. He was every Pure Blooded mother's dream for her daughter to marry, and instead, Draco was marrying her. To save his life, of course. But nobody besides her, his family, and her friends knew the real truth behind their engagement. To everyone else, it looks like Draco and Hermione had fallen in love and decided to get married. A shame in many people's eyes.
"I still can't believe it. The great Hermione Granger slutting herself out to Draco Malfoy. Could she really not find someone else to marry her? After all, wasn't she dating Ron Weasly for a while? They were perfect for one another. What a tramp." Calice spoke as she plopped herself on one of the finely upholstered couches scattered throughout the room.
Those words stung, Hermione had to admit. People had said similar things at the Ministry all week. But it still felt like a hot poker burning her skin when people referred to her as a slut or a tramp. She was saving a man's life. But they didn't know that.
"Draco could have done so much better. I heard that his parents were looking into an engagement contract with Astoria Greengrass, Daphne's little sister. Now she's in France, hooking up with some half-Veela man that she met in the Riviera." Helene adjusted a pin in her hair.
Of course they thought that. Hermione thought to herself. To them, she was some mousy know it all. But their words still pricked her. She was trying to contain her emotions. She knew she should walk away. But for some reason, she couldn't.
"I heard that she was homeless. Apparently being the Golden Girl after the war doesn't pay enough. I guess she's just a gold digger." Calice laughed.
Hermione scrunched up her nose at that accusation. She was perfectly wealthy on her own, thank you very much.
"I heard it's because Draco needs to get on the good side of the Ministry, or he was going to go to Azkaban. Apparently they were considering overturning his pardon. I guess marrying Harry Potter's best friend could grant him some leverage." Helene was the one that suggested that ridiculous idea. Hermione had to keep herself from snorting at such a ridiculous thought.
"All I know is that he must be crazy for marrying such an ugly woman. I mean, have you ever seen her hair?" Calice visibly gagged, mocking Hermione's curly locks with a motion of her index figure.
Once again, Hermione's emotions were starting to boil over. She knew that it was probably best for her to walk away, but she wanted to hear the rest of these girls' conversation. These were the girls that Draco had grown up with. They were a part of his world. In her mind, she wanted to know what they honestly thought of her.
"Ugh, I know. I'm surprised she's even willing to show her face in this manor. I mean, have you heard the rumors of what happened to her here? With Bellatrix Lestrange?" Helene's response took a dark turn, and Hermione caught herself nearly letting out a breath of shock. Her hands gripped the skirt of her dress in anticipation of the other girl's response.
"All I know is that Bellatrix should have done all of us a favor, and let her bleed out on that drawing room floor." Millicent finally entered the conversation. Her words chilled Hermione to the bone.
All the sudden, a roaring wave of emotion came crashing over Hermione. She crushed a hand to her lips, tears bursting from her eyes as she tore down the hallway. Anxiety and fear seared through her veins as she dashed down the corridor, tripping over her elaborate skirts as she went. She barely registered the hard chest that she crashed into, the familiar smell of Draco Malfoy entering her nose.
Two strong hands wrap themselves around the upper forearms, gripping her tightly as she sobbed.
Draco, unaware of why his previously glowing fiance was suddenly a bundle of hysteria, pulled the pair of them into a secluded sitting room. Situating a still nearly catatonic Hermione on a velvet chaise, Draco spelled the door and warded the room so that no one could hear Hermione's raging sobs. Finally, after some quick spellwork, Draco turned his attention to his fiance.
"Hermione, please talk to me. What's wrong? What's happened? Are you hurt?" Draco peppered the witch with questions, giving her a once over to spot any visible injuries. Noting that there seemed to be no physical damage to Hermione's person, he determined that whatever had the normally level headed witch in such a manic state must have been emotional.
Slowly, Hermione's cries began to quiet. The witch began to wipe her eyes with the back of her gloved hands, smudging the elegant makeup that she had so carefully applied earlier in the evening. Looking up at Draco, she gave a small hiccup. Draco continued to stare at her in concern, and that's when Hermione asked a question that Draco was completely unprepared for.
"Do you ever wish that I would have just bled out on that floor? I would have died. You would have been free to marry whomever you wish. Don't you wish that that would have been the outcome? Your freedom, yours for that taking."
Horror filled Draco's senses. Why would she be asking such an insane question? What had caused her to think of such a morbid thought?
"Of course not. Hermione, why would you ever think that?" Draco asked her, coming to sit next to her on the chaise. Hermione sniffled, clearing her throat before continuing.
"Because I'm not like you. I'm a Muggle-born. An inferior race. I'm not the perfect pure-blooded woman your parents always dreamed you would marry." Hermione rose from her seat, rage slowly starting to burn its way through her veins.
"Hermione, we've been over this. I don't care that you're Muggle-born. The tapestry chose you for me. I have to believe that the reason is because we are a perfect match in every way. Even if you don't." Draco defended himself and the tapestry's decision, but that only seemed to anger Hermione more. Slowly she began to pace back and forth, the skirts of her gown rustling with every riled movement. Draco could see her mind whirring, and he was desperate to know what she was thinking.
Finally, the dam broke, and Hermione's building fury was unleashed.
"This is so wrong, Draco. What we're doing is wrong. I don't care what that tapestry says, we were never meant to be together. Everyone knows it. And I cannot take everyone looking at me like I'm crazy anymore. I can't take the drama, and the gossip. The responsibilities. I can't take all this pressure. I'm sorry, I think I just need to step away. I don't know what I was thinking. Really, I'm so sorry." Once again, tears filled Hermione's eyes as she made a beeline for the door. Draco leaped from the chaise, trying to catch her. He grabbed her hand, only for the periwinkle glove she wore to slip off into his grasp.
Hermione unlocked the door, before hurrying away down the hallway. Draco knew that there was nothing he could do, even if he tried to go after her. So there he stood, defeat filling his stature, grasping the satin glove of his fiance in a vice-like grip. A few seconds passed, before Draco heard footsteps. Looking up, he hoped it was maybe Hermione, coming to figure things out. But instead, a concerned looking Theo stepped into the room.
"Mate, I just saw a very emotional looking Granger escaping through the gentleman's lounge Floo. Gave everyone in there a right scare. Is everything okay?" Theo asked, anxiousness filling his normally jovial face.
"No Theo, everything is not alright. Something is very, very wrong."