"Are you two decent?"
The pair jumped apart at Blaise's voice, Hermione's cheeks heating while Draco's ears tipped pink.
"Why are you even asking?" they heard Theo snort, "They're either fucking like bunnies or having an intensely private moment. Either way, we interrupted."
"Theodore Nott, you are not too young for me to rinse your mouth out with soap."
"Sorry mum."
Hermione met Draco's eyes and slowly kissed his cheek before he stood with her in his arms and gently set her down on her own feet. He kissed her cheek, whispering against her skin, "Think about it Hermione. I've never been more serious."
"Draco, you can't-"
"I can and I have. All I ask is you think about it." His voice was pleading but he led her from the bathroom with a hand on her back after swiping her cheeks free of tears.
"Such a nosey lot," he teased coming back into the room as if nothing was out of the ordinary.
Narcissa put her hand to her chest, "For that you are going to help the elves move the punch. Without magic."
He groaned with Theo and Blaise laughed, "Mum."
Beside him Hermione reached for his hand before he could walk away. When he turned back to look at her she took her time to look at him. Despite the work he'd done and was still to do he was dressed in a pair of pressed jeans, no doubt designer, and a creased button up shirt tucked into the waistline. The shirt was a dark forest green that complimented his hair and eye color, even going so far as to bring out the subtle blues in his silver iris's. He let her look at him, a slightly distant look in her eye.
"Mum, promise to get this scarf off her damn head."
Hermione giggled. Behind him his mother scoffed, "What do you think I'm here to do? You didn't shower did you?"
"Do you think we showered?" he asked sarcastically winking at Hermione who blushed.
"If they showered, I doubt that scarf would still be in place," Blaise chortled, "Drake has a fascination with Grangers hair."
"Which makes a lot of sense since he used to prattle on about it when we were younger," Theo added making color tint Draco's cheeks.
Shaking his head he lifted her hand and kissed her knuckles before turning to face them, dropping her hand and walking towards his best friends.
"Get out of her room," he practically pushed them into the hallway leaving Hermione alone with his mother.
"You alright dear?" Narcissa asked letting her concern bleed into her tone.
Hermione blushed but spoke honestly, "You raised a wonderful son."
Narcissa smiled, "I like to think so. I know I failed him when he needed me but I'm trying."
A knock on the door interrupted them. Misty eyed Narcissa rolled her eyes, "Come in love."
Lucius entered the room with a box in hand.
"You requested this?"
"And you came in this time, we haven't even started."
He smirked reminding Hermione of Draco. Looking at her he faltered slightly, "Are you alright dear?"
Narcissa giggled behind her hand.
Hermione put a hand on her face to feel her puffy cheek, "Do I look like such a terror?"
"No!" he answered a bit panicked, "No, but you do look like, well, like you had a good cry and might still."
Narcissa touched his arm before taking the box from his hands, "Draco helped," she told him. Moving into Hermione's closet she called over her shoulder, "Did the rest of our guests respond to their invitations?"
He rolled his eyes playfully getting a giggle from Hermione, "I double, and triple checked, love. The list isn't changing."
"I know you rolled your eyes," they heard her call from the depths of the closet. Hermione covered her mouth to keep from laughing. "Alright, out. No one else in until she's done up. Let the boys know, Luc," she told him as she came out of the closet with Hermione's dress in one hand and a collection of under garments in the other. Lucius blushed at the sight but bucked his head.
"Yes love."
Left alone to their own devices Narcissa took Hermione into the bathroom, seated in front of the vanity while Narcissa twisted her curls into submission. Not unlike she had for the yule ball. Then her makeup was done, a simple golden eyelid with dark eyeliner and mascara with a nude lip two shades darker than her skin tone. Just enough to pop. But what came next wasn't what Hermione was excepting.
Narcissa turned around after pointing to a display of knickers, brassieres, and garter sets. She'd tried to protest but Narcissa was insistent claiming that Hermione needed them to complete the look. Even if no one but they knew about them.
In the end Hermione ended up trying on four of the seven sets laid out before Narcissa proclaimed the black set of nylons, lace knickers and matching strapless lace brassier were 'perfect'. Hermione was only slightly mortified to have the older witch gush over her as she helped her step into her dress before proclaiming she needed to get ready herself.
Alone in her room for the first time in hours Hermione stood barefoot, but for her nylons, twisting back and forth in the mirror Narcissa had charmed to be double its original size.
The boys clamored in, practically toppling over each other.
"Oi, she's my date."
"She's my-"
Blaise laughed, "Finish that sentence, Drake."
"I don't think he can," Theo teased.
"Well she's not his date anymore-"
Draco was the first to notice her in front of the mirror. She hadn't turned, just smirked at them in the reflection of the mirror. His arms flew out to stop the other two from walking further into the room, like he didn't want them obstructing his view of her even on accident. Theo saw her next, coming to a complete stop, his head tilting to the side in intrigue. Blaise whistled through his teeth.
"Bloody fucking hell Granger."
Hermione scanned her body, "What? Is something off?"
"Salazar no," Draco breathed, "and I'll hex anyone who suggests otherwise."
"Same," Theo nodded.
Biting her lip twisted her hips just so on her tip toes so she could check herself again. The gown was stunning. A velvet emerald green fabric that had a cinched bodice with off the shoulder sleeves leaving her shoulders bare to the world, and a slight train fanned out behind her. Narcissa had left her hair down, taming it with a series of pins that looked like holly. All together she didn't look like she'd been stuck in the bedroom for hours. She thought she looked a bit effortless. Lifting her skirt, she moved to the foot of the bed where three sets of heels were resting. Narcissa had told her she could pick any of them.
Ignoring the boys, she stood with her back to them as she considered her options. Theo was the first to move towards her having caught sight of what was still on her bed from earlier.
"Granger!" She jumped slightly hearing him right beside her, "Please tell me you're wearing something like those under this," he motioned to her dress.
"Don't be a prat," she smirked.
"Not a prat," he wiggled his eyebrows, "Just hopeful."
She laughed, "I promise you will never know. Especially since you're apparently not my date anymore. What happened there?"
"Lord Greengrass heard I took Daphne to the yule ball and requested I escort her again."
Hermione grinned, "Just what you hoped to avoid."
"You get me," he signed playfully, "Now tell me, love, if these," he waved a hand over her bed over the intimate sets left on the bed, "didn't make the cut, which one did?"
Hermione laughed when he wiggled his eyebrows suggestively, Blaise joined her in laughter from the side of her bed looking over the six other lingerie options.
Draco grunted, voice ruff, "I will murder you Theo."
Hermione shook her head focusing on her shoes again. One pair was definitely not going to happen, they were a death trap. The other two were near identical. Both were black like her underthings but the pair with near identical lace caught her eye. Sitting on the bench she put them on, a bit of her nylons peeking out through a slit on the right side of her dress. Theo dramatically stopped breathing seeing it but offered her his hand when she moved to stand up.
"Thank you."
"Show me a bit more of that leg Granger."
She swatted him, "You're a right pervert Nott."
He smirked, "To think my night was almost all yours."
"How ever will I survive?" she teased as she moved around him towards her nightstand where Narcissa had left the jewelry she was meant to wear that Lucius had brought her earlier. Draco came up behind her and closed the lid before she could withdraw the necklace that looked a lot like the earrings she'd worn to the yule ball. Instead, he passed her a smaller dark blue velvet box.
When she looked at him with a question on her brow he gave her his best one-sided smile, "Happy Christmas."
"Draco, you didn't have to."
"But I wanted to," he pushed the box into her hands and waited.
Opening it Hermione let out a small gasp. In it was the tennis bracelet from when she went with him jewelry shopping except he'd had emeralds put in place of the rubies. He'd kept the yellow gold. He spoke while she ran a finger along the length of it, "You're supposed to embrace Slytherin but that doesn't mean you have to let go of Gryffindor. You're a blend of two houses, that's not something you should be ashamed of."
"Draco.."
Taking it out of the box he clasped it to her wrist before securing the matching gold stud earrings with tear drop emeralds in her lobs and sliding a stack of thin gold rings on her middle finger of the opposite hand. The rings resized themselves to fit her snuggly. There were a few runes engraved in one of the many bands but she cataloged that for later.
"Breathtaking," he said when he took a step away to rake his gaze up and down her body.
She was a vision.
Caught in his gaze she let herself look at him, his dress robes black setting off his hair and his eyes. As always she was captivated by his eyes. His earlier words ricocheted in her mind and all she wanted to do was throw herself at him. Except Theo broke the moment with his usual flare.
"Draco I-"
"How is it I always feel dirty when they do this?"
Hermione snorted, her hand coming up to cover her mouth to keep it from progressing to laugher. "Gods Theo."
"It's true!" he defended looking amused when she looked at him. "I have very delicate sensibilities."
"Tell me again why I agreed to have you be my escort? As short lived as the idea had been."
"Because your Dragon was otherwise taken."
It was meant to be humorous but it struck a cord within Hermione. One that was still raw from earlier. From just moments ago when she'd been unable to keep her heart from nearly beating out of her chest watching him put the jewelry he got her on. The three saw it, in fact Draco scowled at Theo when she took a step further away from him.
With a smile that didn't touch her eyes she walked up to Theo, taking his arm.
"Right on the galleons there. Would you at least walk me down? These heels are higher than I am comfortable with on the stairs."
"Mi lady." He felt bad, he saw the light leave her eyes and with how Draco reacted he figured he must have touched an insecurity involuntarily. Resolving to be on his absolute best behavior he put his hand on the arm nestled in the crook of his elbow. On the way out the door he grinned down at her, "I'll even take you up to bed after if you need me to."
He yelped when she pinched his arm, Draco and Blaise following behind them.
Narcissa met them, with her hands clasped in front of her chest as she looked at Hermione.
"My darling girl you are beautiful! But what happened to the necklace?" Hermione started to fidget, her hand going to her bracelet catching Narcissa's eye, "Oh well that is lovely," she gasped taking Hermione's wrist in her hand delicately moving the bracelet around her wrist. "And to match the earrings, I daresay I like how these look together with your dress. A wise choice indeed."
Hermione blushed, "I thought so."
"Where did you get them? Were they part of your mother's collection?"
"No, I haven't touched her items, hadn't even thought to really. These were a gift from-"
"Hermy-own!"
Five heads looked in the direction of the botched pronunciation of her name. Narcissa looked pleased when Hermione all but shrieked, "Viktor!" and met the rugged quidditch player in a tight embrace, even though it wasn't proper etiquette.
"Oh my! Viktor," Hermione pulled away from him with a sigh, her hands on his biceps as she looked at him, "What are you doing here? How is everything at home? I'm so sorry I haven't responded to your last letter yet."
Viktor Krum grabbed her hands and covered them in his larger ones between them, squeezing gently, "I am the lucky man Lady Malfoy saw fit to escort you tonight. And do not worry about your letter, you always respond."
She smiled at him, "How is your mama? Are her joints still bothering her?"
"No, lánytestvér, the potion you sent worked wanders." Her smiled widened at his accent.
"I'm glad."
Still holding her hands he stepped away from her to give her a once over before twirling her, "My-own, you are a sight to be held." Then he pulled her against him and kissed her temple. "We shall have a night like old times to remember."
Theo coughed in an exaggerated manner. At first he had been enjoying Draco's obvious discomfort at the display of obvious affection between both Hermione and the Bulgarian Quidditch player. Even Blaise was reveling in it. Narcissa, wise snake she was was watching the scene curiously throwing occasional glances at Draco as if gagging his reaction which only made Theo more elated. Until Draco began to practically radiate anger. So he did what he did best and made things awkward.
"I see Granger got an upgrade."
Hermione and Narcissa both laughed although Viktor looked confused but smiled at Hermione. Draco looked ready to implode.
Narcissa patted Theo on the cheek, "You got a lovely date yourself Theo. Daphne is a good girl who is interested in you. You had better behave."
"Her father is interested you mean," he grumbled, "I'll have you know I was very interested in Grangers knickers."
Hermione shot a quiet stinging hex at him that made him jump. Viktor chuckled and looped an arm around her waist, "That is My-own, quick with her spells." She blushed.
Draco opened his mouth, eyes promising it was something he might regret, when Lucius joined the six of them. He frowned briefly at the group but looked at Narcissa, "My love, guests have begun arriving," he looked at his boys, "Your dates are here gentlemen, and it would be rude to keep them waiting any longer."
They moved immediately, Blaise with his hand on Draco's elbow dragging him along, "Utterly fucked."
Lucius and Viktor made introductions while Hermione stared at Draco's retreating form, how he ripped his arm from Blaise and strode away. Shaking her head just enough to make her hair move she listened to Lucius and Viktor until they moved into the ballroom. It was ethereal. Like what she imagined Christmas at the Palace looked like. She'd been admiring the craftsmanship when Viktor tucked a stray curl behind her ear.
"Shall we mingle My-own?"
"We shall," she smirked, letting him lead her through the growing number of occupants in the room.
Later that evening, Hermione was helping Narcissa say final farewells to their guests. Viktor had left not long before needed to make his international portkey. She'd thanked him over and over for coming for her and for making the evening special. Viktor was one of the few people who knew about Draco before the incident with the Weasley clock. He'd complimented Draco's fortune many times throughout the evening when he was sure no one would hear and Hermione suspected he was laying it on thick in an attempt to make Draco acknowledge his half of the bond. Hermione tried to tell him it was useless but let him have his way finding she enjoyed his company too much to really complain.
With Viktor she'd let herself enjoy the evening and not be distracted by the pain in her chest every time she was confronted with the beautiful picture that was Draco and Astoria. They just fit together. In a way she didn't think she would. No, Astoria was always so pristine and polished, two things Hermione knew she would never be. And worse, when she saw Astoria smile at Draco she heard his words from weeks ago.
Perfect pureblood witch.
He hadn't meant it, she knew that, she did. But Gods it still hurt. Especially after their moment earlier that day.
Mentally reprimanding herself for thinking of them, again, she made sure her smile was perfect as she said her goodbyes to Harry and Ginny.
All in all it had been a magical night but she was utterly exhausted. A quick glance at Narcissa when the waning line of leaving guests slowed told her she felt the same though no one else would ever be able to tell.
"We might need mulled wine after this is through."
Hermione giggled just as Lucius approached them with Lord Greengrass at his side, Theo and Daphne and Draco and Astoria close behind them. Hermione didn't let her face change.
"Gareth, you know my wife Narcissa."
The older witch inclined her head in greeting and reached to touched Hermione's arm. Her left arm. Her hand purposefully caressed the inflamed letters like she was daring the pureblood wizard to say something.
"Gareth, a pleasure as always."
"And you Lady Narcissa."
Much to both witches surprise, and those behind him, Lucius then smiled at Hermione.
"And this is Hermione Granger," he held his hand out to her for her to take. She did, letting him pulled her a step away from Narcissa so she was in between their small group.
The elder Greengrass raised an eyebrow at her. Just behind him Hermione saw Daphne grab Theo's arm to keep him from stepping forward. Hermione kept her gaze on the elder wizard though, her eyes never leaving his face as he took her in, like he was determining her worth right then and there.
Then he smiled. It wasn't an unattractive smile, while greying he was a stunningly handsome gentlemen and when he smiled it was blatantly obvious where his girls got their smiles from.
"Miss Granger, I have heard so much about you from my daughters. Daphne says you have adapted quite wonderfully to your new house and Astoria is always preening about your tutoring."
Hermione blushed, "Thank you Lord Greengrass. You have raised magnificent daughters. It has truly been a pleasure getting to know and befriend both of them."
"Was I correct to assume I saw you with Viktor Krum earlier this evening?"
"He was my escort," she nodded.
"That is a great young man you have yourself Miss Granger."
Not bothering to correct him she smiled, "Thank you sir."
Apparently done with their conversation he looked at Lucius, "I shall owl you a draft contract in the next few days."
Though she didn't understand what he meant she felt dread in her stomach when Narcissa touched her arm to once more pull her to her side.
Lucius nodded, "I'll expect your owl." Glancing back at the couples behind them he lifted his chin, "Say goodnight gentlemen, Lord Greengrass wishes to leave now."
At that Hermione looked at Narcissa whose grip on her wrist tightened as they watched Theo and Draco say polite goodnights, give each other their dates a kiss on the cheek and address Lord Greengrass. Hermione waited alongside Narcissa until goodbye's were said and they were finally, mercifully, left alone in the foyer.
The Manor was almost eerily quiet when Narcissa whipped her head towards her husband with a scowl worthy of Snape.
"A contract," she hissed.
Lucius looked at her a bit surprised, "Draco agreed to consider it."
Narcissa looked at her son, not bothering to hide her shock, "You agreed to a marriage contract?"