Twenty-Four
December 15th 1998:
“I hate that I won’t be with you.” Draco told Hermione as they walked to the train station. “I can’t stand the idea of being away from you.”
“Draco, It’s three weeks.” Hermione laughed at her boyfriend’s dramatics.
“It’s three weeks and three days. That is twenty-four days too long to go without seeing you.”
“So dramatic.” Draco stopped walking and pulled Hermione to the side of the walkway. He pulled her right into his body.
“I’ll miss you Granger.”
“I’ll miss you Draco.” He smirked and leaned down to kiss her.
“Oi, enough of that. It’s time to get on the train!” Ginny yelled to the pair.
“You, Weaslette, will not be missed.”
“At least I get to see Hermione everyday for the next two weeks.”
“Now that was plain rude.” Hermione laughed.
“Come on, we do have to board the train now.” Hermione pulled on Draco’s hand and they began walking again. “Do you have any fun Christmas traditions?”
“Not really. We always eat breakfast together and then my father would hand me a gift and then I wouldn’t see him again till dinner. My mother and I would spend the day reading in the library or sometimes taking a walk through the gardens with warming charms around us.”
“Your father never spent the day with the two of you?” Ginny asked.
“No. Not once.” Ginny looked saddened by his words. “My mother never failed to make it a great Christmas though. She would tell me stories of her youth. She could only ever talk about it when my father wasn’t around.” Hermione tightened her grip on his hand. She knew anything she said wouldn’t be comforting. It did not surprise her that Lucius stayed away from his family during the Holidays. “What are your holidays like?” He was looking at Ginny.
“Chaotic. But I’m sure you could have guessed that. Seven kids is a lot. But It was always about being with each other, not about gifts. It didn’t matter that our family didn’t have money because we had each other. My favorite Christmas was one Fred and George dyed Percy’s hair green. He was very angry.” Ginny smiled as she recalled the memory. “And then Harry started coming around for Christmas and so did Hermione. And then it was even more about just being together. After everything that has happened in the last year, after almost losing Fred, our family just wants to be together in full. Bill and Fleur will be coming, Charlie is coming, Percy is coming and bringing a girl home with him. George is bringing Angelina. It will be a full house but there’s nothing else I want than to have my whole family with me.” Draco noticed Hermione was upset. This would be the second Christmas without her parents. They’d talked about it the day before. Last year, she was too worried about keeping Harry and herself alive. This year she had nothing to distract her from the loss.
“Are there any muggle traditions you incorporate into the Weasley Christmas?” Draco asked Hermione.
“Not really. Harry didn’t really experience Christmas while living with the Dursleys and I always did Christmas with my parents before going to the Weasleys. So any muggle things I did, I did with them.” That backfired on Draco.
“We can do anything you’d like, Hermione. If there is anything you want to do, just tell us.”
“I appreciate that Ginny.” They’d reached the train station.
“I’ll leave you to say your goodbyes.” Ginny walked off.
“We don’t have to say Goodbye here. We can ride on the train together.” Hermione informed him.
“Weaslette and Longbottom might have accepted our relationship but I hardly think he’d be comfortable sitting with me. I don’t want to make your friends or anyone else uncomfortable. As much as you deny it, us Slytherins are not exactly welcomed by the other houses. It’s safer to sit together. Plus, now that you and I are dating, no one will mess with me or my friends. They’d rather not face the wrath of the Gryffindor princess.”
“I hate that nickname.”
“I think it’s fitting.”
“Fine. But don’t think I don’t know people call you the Slytherin Prince.”
“I have never heard one person call me that.”
“Theo called you at Breakfast yesterday.”
“Theo does not count as a person.”
“Hey! I heard that!” out of nowhere, Theo appeared with Milli, Blaise, and Pansy.
Hermione laughed and turned back to Draco.
“Fine.” She leaned up and kissed him. “I’ll see you in two weeks.”
“Why can’t you see each other over break?” Pansy who was eavesdropping on their conversation asked.
“Well one, it’s not like Hermione can just pop on over to the Manor. Nor would I ever ask her too. Two, I don’t think I’m exactly welcomed to the Weasley residence. And third,” Draco paused and looked at Hermione.
“I’m going to Australia after Christmas. I can’t bring my parents' memories of me back, but I still like to see them. I check in with them by pretending to be a patient.”
“Well that is depressing.” Pansy bluntly shared her opinion. Blaise went wide eyed, Draco glared, Theo and Milli pretended not to be listening and Hermione, Hermione laughed.
“You’re not wrong. It is bloody depressing.” The other Slytherins smiled, but Draco looked at Hermione worried. “What are all of you doing for the holidays?”
“I’m an orphan.”
“He’s spending Christmas with me and my parents.” Millicent answered.
“Blaise and I are going to one of his family estates in Italy. His mother is still searching for her next husband and I don’t quite care where my mother is. Probably drunk crying over her dead husband’s grave still.”
“That’s more depressing than my plans.” Hermione and Pansy shared a smile. Draco wasn't sure if he liked this friendship between the two.
“And you already know my plans.” Draco was spending Christmas at the Manor with his mother.
The whistle of the train reminded them that they have places to be.
“Well Happy Holidays to you all. I will see you when we return.” Hermione turned to Draco and kissed him one last time. “I will write to you.”
“I will read them.”
“And?”
“And I will write to you.” After one last kiss, Hermione was off.
“Whipped.”
“Shut it, Pansy.”
Once Hermione and Ginny arrived at the Burrow, they were greeted by hug after hug after hug.
Hermione pretended it didn’t bother her when Ron went to sit down directly after hugging his sister.
“He’s still pretty upset.” Harry told her before moving past her to get to Ginny. She understood why Ron was upset. She’d just hope that it wouldn’t affect their friendship too much. After everything they’d been through, to have their friendship dissolve over this, it would send Hermione to the Janus Thickey Ward.
“We are so glad you can be here with us, Hermione.” Molly. Weasley said to Hermione as the older woman wrapped her in a hug.
“It’s always a pleasure to have you in our home.” Arthur was next. She smiled at the Weasley parents. While she missed her own, she was glad that she could have surrogate parents within the Weasleys.
Ron was sulking on the couch as his parents fawned over Hermione.
“What’s your problem?” Fred asked.
“Got your knickers in a twist, Ronald?” George followed his twin and they sat down on opposite sides of Ron.
“Leave me alone.” Ron glared at Hermione as she was interacting with his whole family.
“Oh,” Fred turned to George. “It looks like a lover’s quarrel.”
“It’s not a Lover’s quarrel.”
“I suppose he’s right, Fred. They’d have to be lover’s for them to be in a lover’s quarrel.”
“Shut it. Both of you. I’m not in the mood.”
“We’re just concerned about our baby brother.”
“Well don’t be!” Everyone turned to look at Ron after his outburst.
“What is going on over here?” Mrs. Weasley asked her sons.
“Fred and Geroge are annoying as usual.”
“Ouch.”
“Ouch” Both boys said at the same time.
“We only wanted to know,”
“Why Ron has his knickers in a twist.” Fred and George shrugged their shoulders as if they were just genuinely concerned for their brother.
“I do not have my knickers in a twist.”
“Ronald, you’ve been upset for a few weeks now. Are you sure there isn’t anything bothering you?”
“Of course something is bothering me! Hermione is dating Malfoy!” All eyes turned to Hermione.
“As in Draco Malfoy?” Fred asked.
“Yes.” Hermione answered. She wasn’t going to hide her relationship. She would have liked to reveal it in a better way but this will have to do. “We’ve been together since late September.” Everyone was silent.
“Hermione,” Molly started. “Does he treat you well?”
“Yes.”
“And you like him?”
“I do.”
“Then we are happy for you.”
“Mum! You can’t be serious! She’s screwing a Death Eater!”
“Language, Ronald!” Molly yelled at her youngest son. “Draco Malfoy was pardoned. He was just a boy. He did what he had to do to survive. He did what he had to do to protect his family, just like you. Just like Harry and just like Hermione did. If he makes Hermione happy, then I don’t care who it is. I want all my children to be happy.”
“Let’s not forget that you’re the one that didn’t want to be in a relationship with her.” Ginny added once her mother was finished.
“So all of you are okay with this?” Ron asked the room.
“Yes.” As if planned, everyone was in sync.
“Ron, Hermione is a part of this family just like Harry is. We see them as our children. And as your mother said, we just want our children to be happy.”
“Unbelievable. The whole lot of you.” Ron stormed out of the room.
“That wasn’t exactly how I had wanted to tell all of you but thank you for your support.”
“I will need to have a word with Mr. Malfoy. If he is going to be in a relationship with my daughter, I need him to know that should he hurt you, he’ll face the Weasleys.” Hermione laughed at Mr. Weasley’s words. She was touched by them as well.
“I will make sure to tell him.”
“So,” George started but Fred took over the sentence.
“What is Draco Malfoy like in bed?”
“Boys!” Molly yelled and the twins smiled.
“I am going to go unpack now.” Hermione and Ginny laughed as they walked up the stairs to their room.
Later that night, Hermione found a moment alone with Mr and Mrs Weasley.
“I just wanted to thank both of you for your support of my relationship. It means a great deal to me that you are okay with it.”
“Hermione, we meant every word we said. You’re our daughter. I could never imagine how hard it is for you knowing your parents are out there with no memory of you, but you should know that no matter what, you have a place in our home.” Molly told her. “After the war, I had this redid.” Molly pointed to their family clock which showed the location of each family member. “I’ve added both you and Harry to it.” Hermione gasped as she noticed her spoon pointed at ‘Home’.
“Mrs. Weasley,” Hermione felt the tears in her eyes. “Thank you.”
Hermione was wrapped into a hug by both Weasleys. Hermione had never felt more like she belonged than she did right now.
Draco walked through the halls of Malfoy Manor. His mother was waiting for him in the small dining room.
“My son!” Narcissa exclaimed once he’d walked through the doors. “Oh how I’ve missed you.”
“I’ve missed you too, mother.” Draco kissed his mother’s cheek before they took their seats at the table.
“How is school?”
“It’s peaceful. Classes are good, no one is fearing for their lives, Potter isn’t causing trouble. Everything is good.”
“I’m glad to hear.” Narcissa smiled at her son. “How is Ms. Granger? She is head girl, correct?”
“Yes she is. We work well together. No hard feelings between us. I honestly do not see her except in the common spaces.” Draco decided to leave out the fact that most days, he sleeps in her bed instead of his.
“I am glad. She seems like a fine young woman.” Narcissa took a sip of her water before speaking again. “Speaking of fine, young women, we have something to discuss.”
“And what is that?” Draco had a feeling he already knew.
“You know that a Malfoy Heir must be married by twenty-one in order to claim their inheritance.”
“Yes I knew that.”
“Good. I have begun negotiations with the Greengrass family. They are looking for a husband for Daphne and since the two of you are friends, I thought you would agree to it.” Draco knew this is what was meant for him. He had to marry a perfect pure-blood woman.
“When will we be married?” Narcissa seemed pleased that Draco was not fighting her.
“If all negotiations and such go well, the two of you will be married after you graduate.”
“That’s in six months.”
“I know it seems like a short amount of time, but Mrs. Greengrass and I will handle planning the wedding while you and Daphne finish school. You are both of age, there is no reason to wait. Of course you won’t be expected to produce an heir until a year after marriage.”
“Of course. And did Daphne agree to this?”
“I believe she has. We will meet with the family after the New Year to finalize the contract and set into motion the plans we have for the both of you.”
“I understand.”
Draco remained quiet for the rest of the night. He stayed polite, answering when his mother asked him a question and he’d been nodding along with whatever she was telling him. Once dinner was done, he excused himself to his bedroom claiming to be tired from the day of traveling.
Draco sat in bed all night, unable to sleep and unable to stop thinking about a certain curly haired witch. He’d have to tell her soon. He’d tell her that it’s his duty to his family. She’d understand, right?
Probably not.
She’d try to fight it. Try to find some way around it.
But there is no way around it. Once a marriage contract is finalized, nothing can break it.