A/N: Thank you all for your reviews, favorites and follows after last chapter! Tremendous thank you to Angela 007 and lanamarymack for alpha/beta reading this chapter. Ew, sorry how long it took between updates. Unfortunately, my family went through like three successive illnesses. But, I'm getting back in the groove now, so hopefully we will be resuming our regular updates! You can follow me on tumblr (nauticalparamour) where I post sneak peaks, story updates and answer questions.
Please let me know what you thought of chapter twenty-four and be on the lookout for chapter twenty-five next week!
Despite her best attempts, Hermione did not like Aurelia Malfoy. And, it was clear that the golden haired beauty had no love lost for her either. Yet, they still ended up holed up in Malfoy Manor again and again over the month of January, trying to plan the final touches of Hermione's rapidly approaching wedding to Tom Riddle, future Minister for Magic.
It seemed that the shine of hosting the Minister's wedding was too much of an opportunity for Aurelia to pass up, as much of a social climber as her husband. Hermione supposed she couldn't really fault her for something like that, but it was unusual for her to feel like an important person after years of flying under the radar.
Aurelia had decided that the wedding simply must be held on Imbolc, seeing as it was such an auspicious date and waiting any longer would make the truth of her pregnancy known. Hermione didn't see the point in pretending that she wasn't pregnant, seeing as all their friends already knew anyway.
That frustrated Aurelia. "If you are married before it's obvious then other people will be able to let themselves believe that you just had a premature baby," she said with a sniff. "Though, there will always be questions. That's what happens when you don't go about things in the right order."
Hermione knew that Aurelia judged her for being intimate with Tom before they were married, but to Hermione the idea just seemed old fashioned and oppressive. It wasn't as if she went around sleeping with any wizard who looked twice at her. Tom and her and something special that had just drawn them together in the heat of the moment.
She and Tom arrived at Malfoy Manor bright and early, before being whisked off by their respective Malfoys; Tom and Abraxas slunk off to the study to talk politics and campaigning, while Hermione was pulled to the glass conservatory for morning tea and then her robe fitting.
At least she could admit that the Malfoys had an excellent tea service.
Aurelia looked at her over the top of her teacup. "You'll be happy to hear that the Blacks have agreed to you holding your wedding at their home, Grimmauld Place," she said. "Though it took a lot of convincing on Walburga's part. She detests the idea of having a muggleborn in her house, but I think that Orion finally put his foot down."
It did not make Hermione happy to hear that she was going to get married in a place where it was evident the home owners detested her for her blood status. "Well, I am glad to have that sorted," she said, through clenched teeth. "I will have to give Orion my thanks. Hopefully it isn't too much extra bother. It's not as though he wasn't meant to be hosting Imbolc anyway."
The other witch made a little noise in agreement. "Yes, I'm sure that's what convinced him. I mean, he was already going to have you in his home for the ritual, anyway," she said.
"Aurelia, why don't you or any of the other witches participate in the rituals?" Hermione asked, wondering why she hadn't spent much time with them before.
"I don't think that Abraxas would like me to participate," she said, stiffly. "And in any case, I've never been invited. My father didn't participate in the rituals either, so I don't have much of an interest in it. I'd rather be at home. I'm sure you'll feel the same, too."
"Oh, I don't think so," Hermione argued. "I find the whole subject rather fascinating."
Aurelia made no secret of her disdain for Hermione's response. "Well, don't let anyone from the Ministry hear you. It is still illegal and you don't want this to get out or it could hurt Tom's campaign," she said, with a frown.
With that subject firmly over, Aurelia moved on to the topic of the guest list. The Riddle wedding was to be a rather small affair, though Hermione rather liked to think of it as intimate instead. Tom's friends and their significant others would be there. It wasn't as if Hermione had anyone to invite. She didn't really have friends in the wizarding world. The person she was probably closest to outside of Tom was Phillip, but they were merely acquaintances, thrown together by proximity at work. Besides, she would never dream of inviting him, knowing his feelings on Tom in the first place.
"Are you sure that there is no one you'd like to invite?" Aurelia asked her for probably the one hundredth time. "It's going to seem rather ghastly that you don't have anyone on your side."
"No, Aurelia. My parents aren't in my life," Hermione said, wanting to make some snide comment about Aurelia's forgetfulness. "And besides, they are Muggles. If Orion barely let me in the door, I doubt that he would open his home to Muggles."
"You don't have to be so hateful about it," Aurelia said, suitably chastised. "But I suppose you are right. It would be even more ghastly to have to interact with a real Muggle." Her tone seemed to suggest that she couldn't imagine something more horrific than that. "At least Tom will be making some...good changes as it concerns muggles and muggleborns once he's Minister."
It was strange, her being a muggleborn really did not come up with Tom all that often, but it seemed to be the only thing that Aurelia wanted to talk about, scratching away at the fact again and again like she could make it go away. It made Hermione uncomfortable in a way that she couldn't quite articulate. Mostly, she wondered if this is what the rest of the Knights were like when she wasn't around. She knew that some liked her more than others, but she'd rather thought she'd won them all over at some point. Did her blood status really bother them that much? She'd hoped that she'd be able to show them that muggleborns weren't some scary other to be feared.
But what did Aurelia mean that he was going to make changes about muggleborns once he was Minister? Is that why he and Abraxas were holed up talking strategy, keeping her busy so she wouldn't put two and two together? She knew that she needed to talk to him about it, but it wasn't something he'd appreciate her barging in on him about. She'd ask later...when they were far away from Malfoy Manor.
"With that sorted, can we move onto the robes?" Hermione asked, crossing her arms over her chest.
"Yes, good idea," the blonde nodded, before summoning a white robe. "With your...changing shape we will want to make sure that the tailoring is impeccable." She flourished her wand and transfigured a napkin into a dressing screen.
Hermione took the dress and stepped behind the screen, before stepping out of her own robes and slipping into the garment. What Aurelia lacked in general likability, she certainly made up for in her fashion sense. The white fabric was expensive and luxurious. There was no scratchiness against her skin that would make it uncomfortable. Waving her own wand, Hermione watched as the numerous buttons did themselves up along the back of the bodice.
She hadn't been too precious about what she wanted her wedding gown to look like, but now that she was seeing it on, she was certain that she couldn't imagine any other option. The off the shoulder neckline was the perfect combination of demure and sexy. The lace sleeves gave a delightful illusion that it wasn't really clothing at all. The bodice was fitted until her waist before transitioning to the skirt, layers of tulle making her feel like the princess she didn't know she wanted to be. She felt like Aphrodite stepping out of the sea foam.
"Well, come on then, show me the look," Aurelia commanded, obviously feeling that she'd given Hermione enough time to admire herself in the mirror.
Hermione stepped out from behind the curtain to reveal the appealing silhouette.
Aurelia looked as if she'd just bitten into a bitter lemon. "Well, it fits," she said, almost sounding disappointed. Hermione was beginning to think that the other witch wanted her to look somewhat horrible. "You can't even tell you are pregnant. You will just have to be sure that you don't go stuffing your face for the next two weeks. Do you want me to send you an elf home with you to prepare your meals so that you can stick to your diet?"
Unable to stop herself, Hermione rolled her eyes at the image obsessed witch. "I think that I can manage on my own," she said. "Though I don't know what you were expecting. My research seems to suggest that most first time pregnancies are not visually obvious until the second trimester."
"I guess I just thought there would be something," Aurelia said, walking around so that she could view Hermione from absolutely every angle.
"It is a lovely dress," Hermione said, for some reason still wanting to extend an olive branch to the other woman. "Thank you for finding it."
"Of course," Aurelia said matter-of-factly. "It's not as grand as something I would wear, but I do think that it suits the occasion."
Hermione was reminded once again that the witch did not approve of her circumstances. She decided then that she would not try so hard with Aurelia again.
A beat of silence passed between the two, with Hermione examining the lace on her arms. When she looked up at the mirror, Aurelia was staring at her in the mirror. "How did you do it?" she asked, her mouth puckered, obviously put out at thinking that Hermione knew something that she did not.
But, Hermione was in the dark as to what it was meant to be. "Do what?"
"Conceive."
Hermione blushed a violent red colour. Surely Aurelia wasn't asking for the mechanics? "Um, well, it happened on the first time," she said, unsure of how to proceed. "It was Samhain and it just happened. We didn't mean to...but, we did and then I confirmed it a few weeks later. I was pregnant. It wasn't as if I planned this."
Aurelia looked perplexed and saddened at the same time. Unconsciously, her own hand dropped to her waist. "The first time?" she asked, hesitantly.
"Well, I'm not entirely sure, but...you know how the rituals produce such strong magic. I have wondered if that might have had something to do with it or if it was just dumb luck," Hermione tried to explain. She had thought about it a lot...she felt both unlucky and lucky at the same time.
"Maybe...maybe I should attend one of the rituals then," she whispered, hesitantly.
Hermione turned around to face the other witch, some of her surly behavior suddenly explained. It seemed as if Aurelia was jealous of Hermione's pregnancy - not just aghast by it. "I'm sure Abraxas would be happy to have you with," she said, pressing her hands to Aurelia's shoulders. "But, Aurelia, I am sure that you will conceive...when the time is right for you. You could always consult a midwife."
"Oh, Abraxas wouldn't like that," she said, dismissing the notion entirely.
The brunette bit her lower lip. "Well, I'm not sure why, but...I just have this feeling that you will have a child. It feels right," she said. She wondered why she was so certain, but if she closed her eyes it was almost as if she could imagine the wizard that would be Abraxas and Aurelia's child. They would name him something pompous and stupid...inspired by a Roman Emperor. Maybe Marcus Aurelius.
"You really think so?" Aurelia asked, getting her hopes up. Hermione murmured in agreement.
Then, it was as if a light had switched and Aurelia remembered who she was talking to. "Of course I will. The fate of the Malfoy family's line rests on my shoulders," she said with a sniff. "And I will carry that responsibility with pride."
"Of course," Hermione agreed, lamenting that any progress they made had evaporated in an instant.
"Now, I think we are done here. Change so you don't ruin your gown. I will bring it to Grimmauld Place so that you aren't tempted to show it to Tom," she instructed, in charge once again.
Hermione grit her teeth and slipped behind the changing curtain again, glad that she only had to put up with this a while longer.
