Summary: In response to CV's "Let's get Draco and Hermione Hitched" Challenge. The rules are few and simple:
They can be married with or without their consent, with or
without a proposal. Just get them married. The marriage
ceremony can be anywhere - at Hogwarts, church, or a civil ceremony at the Ministry at Magic. But the fic must end with them married. It can end right after the ceremony or several years afterwards.
Rating: R
Disclaimer: All characters are property of JK Rowling, Warner Brothers, Scholastic, and various publishers. No infringement is intended/no money being made.
A/N: Thank you to Krys, and remind me, which one of us is the pimp in this relationship?; Thank you to Kat for magnificent beta-reading and for not letting me punch you in a buddy buddy sort of way; Thank you to everyone else who
offered helpful comments, including Jenni, Jules, Croft, and Emy- I did the best I could!
Draco sat staring at the parchment in his hands, dumbfounded, not touching his buttered toast. Graduation was only a few days away and he'd not had a care in the world past NEWTs.
Until today.
Until that damned owl had flown in with this damned
letter. Draco chanced a glance over at the Gryffindor table. She tossed her hair, laughing at something her companions had said, then looked up. She met his eyes and gave him a small smile. He returned the gesture by the tiniest of movements and went back to staring at the parchment.
The letter was from his mother, informing him that his father's sentence in Azkaban was fulfilled; he would be returning home tomorrow. Draco was expected to welcome his father home.
Tomorrow. Shit, Draco thought. So little time. He stole another glance at the Gryffindors. What was he going to tell her? He folded the letter into the pocket of his robes and went back to his toast. He just needed time to think, time to figure things out.
Unfortunately, time was the one thing he did not have. In retrospect, Draco realized he should have had a
contingency plan by now. After all, it had been almost six months. But every day he kissed her, the nagging thoughts about the future would dissipate, getting pushed further and further back into his head until he had stopped actively considering them altogether. Now he was going to pay the price.
Draco sighed, throwing down a half-eaten crust and pushing away from the table. Maybe if he hurried, he could find a few quiet moments before Potions. He walked along the corridors toward the dungeons, his pace deliberately inverse to the expeditious workings of his brain.
Hmm.
Draco thought back to the first time he'd kissed her. That had been a very interesting encounter. And every time after that.Draco grinned to himself as the memory took shape in his mind, calling Hermione to the foreground.
"Psst! Malfoy!" she'd whispered from the broom closet as he'd strolled past. She was lucky he'd been alone. He still wondered where Crabbe and Goyle had got off to.
"Granger? What on earth are you doing in there?" He
tried to come up with a remark that could link the words `Mudblood' and `janitor' but seeing her finger sneak out to beckon him from the darkened doorway completely banished everything in his mind. His curiosity dragged him forward and Hermione pulled him in the rest of the way, shutting the closet door after him.
"Lumos," she whispered, staring at him in the cramped space through the golden flicker of wand light.
"Mind telling me what we're doing in a closet together?" he drawled. He tried crossing his arms across his chest, but there wasn't quite enough room between them. He let his arms fall to his sides again, suddenly aware of how close she was standing.
"I drew the short straw," Hermione said, as if this explained perfectly what they were doing in the closet together.
"Okay, this would be the part where I call St. Mungo's to cart you away," he said, but made no move to go.
"Malfoy, you git," she'd said impatiently. "Let me see your arm."
"No," he said, instantly offensive.
"Why not?" she asked darkly.
"Well...Why do you want to see it?" he said, holding his proud chin high.
"Because," she said in a husky voice so rich it made a shiver run through him. "I want to see it...I need to see it."
She leaned forward, making the minimal space between
them even smaller, her lips centimeters from his as she whispered, "Come on, Malfoy, show me, you know you want to. Be bad."
She looked at him through hooded eyes and Draco had swallowed, feeling completely out of control. She was just a filthy little mu-
Her hand was snaking up along the sleeve of his robe, her fingers feathering seductively over his skin, "Don't you ever feel like doing something...naughty?"
Whoa, Draco thought. There was something infinitely provocative about her mouth saying those things to him. He couldn't- he shouldn't-
But he wanted to.
Hermione leaned forward and touched her soft, sweet
lips to his, and Draco was lost.
He gathered her to himself, crushing her against him as his lips searched hers, his tongue slithered into her warm, welcoming mouth and she moaned against him. Her hand tightened around his arm and she broke contact, leaning over to shove the fabric of his robe aside, exposing his forearm. She bent down and licked the pale skin from wrist to elbow. Draco felt a pleasant thrill trickle through him.
She straightened up again and kissed him, her mouth so soft and inviting, her body pressed against his so tightly that he could feel a mop handle digging into his shoulder blade. Then her fingers were working their way down again, along his other arm. She raised it to her mouth and repeated her seduction of his other arm, her eyes drinking in the milky quality of his flesh by wand light. She let his arm drop again and wound her own arms around his neck, pushing her hips against his so that she could reap the full effects of her efforts.
She chuckled throatily at the bulge pressing into her
thigh. "Thanks, Malfoy, you've made my day."
Then she'd slipped out of the closet, leaving him alone to his naughty thoughts. At the time, he'd been utterly outraged. How dare she drag him into some random closet and seduce him? And leave him wanting like that? And make him late for class! Ooh, she'd pay for that.
He spent three days trying to figure out the best way
to punish her for her brash actions. Three days of brooding and thinking and all he could come up with is that she should get a taste of her own medicine. It was a brilliant plan, of course. Naturally he should seduce her and leave her wanting more. It was only fair, he reasoned. Of course, after three days of fantasizing about how exactly he was going to seduce her, the multiple ways he'd take her, the way she'd moan his name, the feel of her fingers on his flesh, and several extra long showers to work off the effects of his in-depth planning, Draco realized that he still had no idea where or how he was going to accomplish this task. So, unable to think of anything more brilliant, he simply waited in the same broom closet until she came by on her way to potions.
"Psst, Granger!"
And she'd turned in the hallway with this utterly surprised look on her face. She saw him peeking at her from the closet and she grinned, shooing her friends away with a few choice words. When they'd gone, she stepped into the closet.
"Lumos," Draco whispered. For a moment he just stared at her, unable to remember his Plan.
"Yes?" she said after an interim.
"Um...why did you try to seduce me last week?" he asked
finally. It sounded pretty weak, but it was a solid question.
Her tinkling laughter filled the closet and he shushed her. She raised an eyebrow at him and shrugged noncommittally. "I told you, I drew the short stick."
"Yes," he said impatiently, "but what the hell does that mean?"
"Well," she said, cocking her head to one side and shifting her stance so that her knee was between his, "Ron wanted to beat you to a fine and bloody pulp, and Harry wanted to wear his invisibility cloak into the Slytherin locker room after the next Quidditch match."
"What?" Draco was totally confused.
"To see if you have the Dark Mark," she said. "Very simple really. Harry just wants to know who might try to kill him this year. He's understandably paranoid."
"And you drew the short stick," Draco said as things fell into place. "You lost."
"Nope," she whispered. "I won."
She leaned forward and kissed him then and Draco kissed her back, feeling a flood of emotions rushing through him. He was slightly dizzy when she pulled back and slipped out of the closet, leaving him alone and wanting. Again.
Draco scowled. And he was late for Potions. Again.
It was a good thing Snape didn't take points from his own house. Draco was seriously late by the time he'd fought down the passion she'd brought to the surface.
Okay, he thought to himself after the second encounter that had not gone in his favor. Not that it had been entirely bad, he decided. He loved the way she kissed, and now that he knew the only reason she was licking his arms was to check for the Dark Mark, he was rather disappointed. He actually always assumed that under her good-girl exterior was a naughty little minx. Some part of him associated Mudblood with that sect of naughtiness. She was the best witch in their class and she looked so hot in that little
pleated skirt. And now that she had kissed him, he knew that she was the one. He had to have her. But how to get her? It was going to be problematic.
He wound up in the library. He wasn't sure what he was looking for, but he ended up with a rather large, dusty book on potions that he needed anyway for an essay. He was sitting at the end of a long table, idly flipping through the pages, when she flopped down across from him. Classes were over for the day and somewhere in there, she'd discarded her robes and school vest. He willed himself not to picture the gray skirt shimmying around her knees.
"Hullo," she said brightly. He studiously ignored her.
Hermione pursed her lips and kicked him under the table. "Be polite, ferret."
Draco looked up and narrowed his slate eyes at her. "I'll do as I please, Mudblood."
She gave him a dark look before flouncing away. A scrap of parchment lay on the table. He glanced down. It was a book title plus two words: Restricted Section.
He took a moment to weigh the pros and cons of whether or not he should go to the Restricted Section, decided he was wasting too much time thinking, and with barely a scant glance to make sure nobody was around, ducked over to the controlled area of the library.
She was waiting for him with that look in her eyes. He opened his mouth to say something and promptly found her tongue in it. His eyes slid shut and he let himself just feel her, feel the warmth of her mouth, her touch, her body. Gods, she was practically scorching him, but Draco didn't care. He just wrapped his arms around her and let his hands wander over her back, up her sides, tease against the undersides of her breasts. She pushed back when his hand snaked up her skirt and looked at him, panting.
Draco was short of breath, too, and so lightheaded that he could barely manage a coherent thought. "Why'd you stop?"
She was shaking all over, but she pushed him away and
said, "I won't let you use me. You may be handsome and sexy, but you can't just use people up and toss them aside. You can't use me. I may be a filthy little Mudblood, but I deserve better."
"So it's fine to kiss, but anything more." he broke off with a strangled grunt.
"If you want more, you'll have to do better than just
lust," she threw at him. She ran out then, leaving him frustrated and puzzling over her. He felt just the slightest bit dazed as he half-staggered back to the table and sat down. What had just happened? She thought he was handsome. That part cheered him considerably. Of course, his good looks were undeniable, but to know that she thought so.well, that was different. He smiled a bit despite himself. Now, how to get her?
It took him another week to get it together enough to
arrange a meeting. This time he owled her on plain parchment. The note read simply:
Dear Hermione,
I'm fucked without you. I'd rather be fucked by you.
Astronomy Tower, midnight tonight.
Love,
D
Then he sat up in the tower waiting for her. He didn't dare admit it to himself, but he was wildly afraid she might not show up. He needn't have worried.
She came.
Then he came.
Then they both came together.
She'd whispered something when they'd parted at the bottom of the staircase, but all he caught was, "Tomorrow night."
He'd been in a giddy little mood after that. His friends figured he must be shagging someone new, but they knew better than to pester him about it. After about six weeks, he was greatly surprised that the thrill still hadn't worn off. He attributed it to all the sneaking around.
That added extra excitement, he said, discounting the way his heart beat faster when he heard her footsteps coming up the tower staircase, the gasp she caused when she did that marvelous thing with her tongue. She had talent, he would confess to her. She laughed.
After eight weeks, her friends had leaned too heavily
on her and she'd caved. Harry Potter and Ron Weasley had ambushed him after dinner one night, dragged him out to the darkened Quidditch Pitch, and beat the shit out of him.
"Don't you ever, ever come near her again," Weasley had
snarled at him before stalking away. Harry had watched his friend until he was a distance away.
"I won't let you hurt her," Harry had told Draco in a
menacing tone he didn't know that Harry was capable of. Draco nodded, wiping a bit of blood from the corner of his mouth where his lip had split. Harry had bent down and offered him a hand up. Surprised, Draco took it.
"I won't let you hurt her," Harry had repeated, "but I might let you love her."
He was so shocked that Draco couldn't think of a single thing to say. He simply nodded and watched Harry lope off after his freckled friend.
Six months had gone by too fast, Draco thought, bringing himself back to the present. Classes were nearly over for the day and he hadn't paid attention in any of his lessons. With a sigh he started out of the classroom and headed for his dormitory. His father was going to be home again, in control again. Draco knew what that meant. His marriage contract was about to be reviewed.
Draco had learned of the contract some years ago when
his father explained to him that he could sleep with any witch he pleased, but he had to marry one of his father's choosing. At the time Draco hadn't much equated sex with love so he was rather indifferent to this plan, outside of the fact that he didn't like not having a choice. In the scheme of things, however, he had decided he didn't care.
That was before he'd fallen, hard, for a woman his
father would NEVER approve of. Draco got to his bed, pulled off his school robes and slung them over the back of a chair. He flopped down on his bed and stared upward, not focusing. He wasn't sure his father would even approve of Hermione as a mistress. He knew for a fact that she would never go for that. She was an all or nothing kind of girl. He found himself actually admiring that about her. His head was starting to hurt. There had to be a way out of this mess. A nice way out that didn't leave him alone and frustrated. He fell asleep, hoping a solution would come to him in a dream.
He was lucky. It did.
Or rather, she did. She stole into his room, cased in Potter's invisibility cloak, and woke him up.
"Are you all right?" she said after she'd drawn the
green velvet hangings around his bed.
"Yeah," he replied rubbing his hand over his face. "I just fell asleep."
"Oh," was all she said. She leaned forwardly slightly and gave him a chaste kiss on the lips.
He moaned and pulled her down on top of him. "Why
didn't we think of this months ago?"
"Don't know," she murmured against his mouth as she shrugged out of her clothes. Her fingers dived below the waist of his trousers. Her tongue was in his mouth then and she brought her hands up again, laid herself down on him, her legs straddling him. She moved against him, and Draco sighed deliciously at the delightful friction she was making. His hands slid up under her skirt, tugged at her little panties, slid a finger gingerly along her slick opening. She was already wet and wanting.
"Ooh, you did miss me, didn't you?" he asked wickedly. "Shut up," she commanded and kissed him again. He
rolled her onto her back and pulled her panties all the way off. He got out of his clothes and let her mouth do naughty little things to his body. He shivered and forced her to stop lest she make him lose control. She smiled that sexy smile that was reserved especially for him, and the aching need between his legs found its way into her.
She wrapped herself around him, whispering sweet, dirty things into his ear. He fought for control over each thrust, but she moved her hips just so, squeezing him tightly, her hot breath fanning his hair as she panted against his neck. It felt so good, so right, so wrong, so fuckinghellyesyesyesyesyesyesyesgodsYES!
She was moaning his name so loudly he felt certain they were going to wake up his dorm mates. He covered her mouth with his and kissed up all the moan she had to give him, held her close while she shuddered in his arms, shivered back down into recovery. He held her and knew he never wanted to let her go. Just wanted to be like this forever.
"Love you," he whispered fervently against her hair. She gasped her surprise, but kissed him then.
"Me, too," she said and slipped away in the night, cloaked in invisibility once more.
The next morning they had Potions again. He waited for her in what he had come to think of as "their broom closet."
"Psst, Granger!" he called, beckoning her when she
sauntered down the corridor.
He shut the door and she grinned at him. "We can't
right now. We've only got five minutes till class!"
"That didn't stop you last week," he said devilishly, smirking at her. She nearly melted from that smirk. "And that excuse you told Snape.what was it again?"
"Shut up!" she said, giving him a playful swat.
"Oh, professor, I'm not feeling well...I just...ahh," he imitated her swooning and it earned him a punch to the gut.
"I'm going to class," she announced, reaching for the doorknob.
"No, wait," he said, weakly, still clutching his stomach. "I need to talk to you."
She waited, sensing the gravity of his intended statements.
"My father's getting out of Azkaban today," he said finally. She paled slightly in the light of his wand.
"He's expecting me home at the end of the day," Draco continued. "He has plans for me."
"I'll bet," she spat bitterly.
"I have different plans."
She just stared at him, waiting for more.
"Hermione...I...I want you to marry me," he said, halfrushed out of fear. "I want us to get married."
She just kept looking at him, that same, strange look
on her face. When she spoke at last, her voice was soft and gentle, "I love you, Draco."
He smiled in relief. "So you'll marry me?"
"Well...I mean, someday," she said. "Don't you think we're a bit too young for that?"
"My father doesn't think so," Draco said heavily.
"What's he got to do with it?" she asked stiffly.
"He's making get married to someone else," Draco muttered unhappily. "But don't worry, he said I could still have mistresses."
He very nearly thought she was going to slap him (again). She very nearly did. She controlled herself nicely though. "If he's making you get married..."
She couldn't find a way to finish that sentence, so instead she looked away, willing tears not to brim on her lashes.
"Don't you see?" Draco said desperately. "I don't want to marry some other girl. I want to marry you. I love you, Hermione. I love you so much. I don't think I could bear it if I had to wake up with someone who wasn't you for the rest of my life."
"Oh, Draco," she said, and touched his cheek softly
with her fingertip. "Of course I'll marry you."
She put her arms around him and kissed him, squeezing
him tightly.
"We'll have to hurry," he told her. "I'll skive off
classes today to make the arrangements. We have to get married tonight."
"Tonight? But-but-but we can't!" she protested. "We...we have to post banns! That takes two weeks."
"Not if we go to Gretna Greene," he stated, cradling
her in his arms and stroking her long brown hair.
She pulled back. "Well, why does it have to be so soon?"
"If I'm already married, I can't marry someone else,"
Draco said. "It's the only thing I can think of at the moment."
She sighed against him.
"Hermione," he asked thickly. "Do you love me? I
mean, really love me?"
"You know I do," she told him.
"You would have married me five years from now, wouldn't you?"
"Yes." She was trembling. "But five hours and five years are very different."
He was silent for a long time. "I'll understand if you can't go through with it. I'm not going to classes today. If you do want to marry me tonight, then meet me in Greenhouse Three before dinner. Bring a suitcase."
He kissed her briefly, sweetly on the lips, and slipped out of the closet, leaving her alone in the dark with her thoughts.
**
Draco went forward with the arrangements despite his insecurity. At sunset he waited in the greenhouse, shrouded in a warm, black cloak closed with a silver clasp. He waited for a half hour. He began to despair that she wasn't coming, but she showed up after all, carrying an overnight case and flanked by two friends.
"What're they doing here?" he wanted to know.
"Harry and Ginny are my friends, Draco," she said in a tone that told him to play nice. "They want to be with me on my wedding day."
"You told them?" Draco was incredulous. He would never have told his friends he planned to elope. Though these days, he had to admit, he thought less of his Slytherin chums than ever before.
"Besides, we need two witnesses. Ginny's going to be my maid of honor," Hermione said. Draco looked at Hermione's friends and was disconcerted to see Harry grinning slyly at him. He looked as though he was going to punch Draco in the arm in a friendly sort of way; it was positively sickening.
"I'm surprised you didn't bring the other one," Draco said when he recovered himself properly.
"Ron said he'd be physically ill if he had to watch
Hermione marry you," Harry informed him happily.
"Well," Draco said. "I'm glad to know there's added benefits."
**
Draco was mildly shocked at how forward Harry Potter was during their journey. He had that little red-haired girl sitting in his lap with his tongue down her throat and his hand up her skirt practically the entire trip. For her part, the redhead seemed to have moaning Harry's name down to a science and seemed to know just what to do to properly encourage his affections. Draco watched them every now and then when their zealous intonations couldn't be ignored.
Hermione had sat nervously reading a magazine about
bridal issues. Draco had put his arm around her comfortingly, wishing they could just make out wantonly the way their companions were doing, but they were both too anxious. After several hours, their voyage mercifully came to an end.
Draco had booked two rooms at a small inn, intending that he and Hermione should do things properly where possible. Of course, now that had worked out better since he wouldn't have to share a room with three other people. He still would have preferred not to share a room with Harry Potter, but sacrifices sometimes had to be made. He walked Hermione to her room and stopped at the doorway.
"I've got something for you," he said, wondering why his stomach was flipping over so vigorously. He pressed a small box into her hand and waited while she popped the lid.
She looked up at him, tears welling in her caramel-colored eyes. "I...I didn't expect this."
"Well, what did you think I was doing all day?" he chided, taking the diamond solitaire from its velvet cushion and sliding it onto her finger. A quick tap of his wand had the ring magically size itself to fit her. He leaned down and touched his lips to hers, deepening the kiss upon her insistence and smiling when they broke apart. He traced the curve of her cheek with his fingertip as he whispered goodnight to her. She kissed him again, throwing her arms around him and hugging him tightly. Draco hugged her back, holding her close and just appreciating the moment.
"Goodnight," he said, pulling away as she opened the door.
"Goodnight," she responded before ducking into her room.
Draco glanced back over his shoulder and saw Potter shoving the redhead up against the wall, groping her and sucking her neck. Draco rolled his eyes; Potter had no class.
"Oi, Potter," Draco called, waving to get the other boy's attention. "Ready for bed? And you better not have got him all riled up. I'll not stand for wanking in my room."
Harry chuckled, stepped away from Ginny and straightened his clothes. Ginny righted herself then gave him a simple kiss goodnight and sent a grinning Harry to bed with Draco.
"So," Harry said when the two boys were alone. "What
should we do now?"
"If you're entertaining fantasies of a wild bachelor
outing in which we get violently drunk and wake up naked together, you've got another thought coming," Draco said, arranging his things on the dresser.
Harry lay down on the bed. "Too bad you didn't plan better since now we're definitely going to end up sleeping together."
Draco turned an exasperated glare upon Harry and said, "What in sodding-"
"There's only one bed," Harry pointed out politely,
smiling entirely too much for Draco's liking.
"There is something infinitely irritating about you, Potter," Draco said. "Besides you can sleep on the floor."
"No way," Harry said. "I'm here doing you a favor. You can sleep on the floor."
Draco opened his mouth and closed it again. Then opened it again and said, "It's the night before my wedding. It figures I'd end up in bed with you."
Harry only grinned that maddening grin.
"Oh, shut up, Potter," Draco said before Harry could add any further statements.
**
They wore dress robes and were married in a simple service by a wizarding vicar. His Scottish accent was so thick, Hermione could barely understand the ceremony, only knowing when to say "I do" by Draco's gentle prompting. If he was nervous, it didn't show. Hermione was anxious yet elated, and her voice didn't falter even once. The cleric performed a charm to magically enchant the bands. Hermione felt the warmth of her wedding ring as it sized to her finger and just shivered, smiling at her new husband all the while.
When it was over, Draco took their marriage certificate and the miniscule wedding party and went for brunch. When Hermione and Ginny ducked off to the loo, Harry turned to him.
"So what are you going to do now?" Harry asked conspiratorially.
Draco shook his head. "Not sure. You and...redhead..."
"Ginny," Harry supplied.
"Yes, Ginny," Draco repeated, "you've got your tickets back to Hogwarts?"
"Yep. And you and Hermione will be back tomorrow, right?" Harry asked.
Draco managed a small smile. "We deserve a honeymoon, even if it's only one night."
"And if your father finds you?"
"I'll be toast in the morning."
"I don't mind telling you I'm more than a little nervous about leaving the two of you here," Harry said spearing a chunk of cantaloupe.
"We'll be fine," Draco said stiffly.
"What do you plan to do about your father?"
"Haven't quite gotten that far either. I drained everything I could from my school money vault," Draco said. Harry only looked mildly interested. Draco continued, "It'll be enough till we figure out what we're going to do."
"I take it you expect to be disinherited," Harry said.
"Naturally." They both laughed. "It's worth it, though."
He watched as Hermione threaded her way back to their
table, chatting merrily with Ginny on the way. He looked at her and wondered how he could ever have a gone a day without knowing her touch. When she looked up and smiled just for him, he felt happier than he could describe.
Hermione and Draco bid goodbye to Harry and Ginny, then walked back to the inn leisurely with their arms around each other. The morning air was crisp and the sky was an overcast shiver.
"Well, Mrs. Malfoy," Draco said, "what do you want to
do on your wedding day?"
"How do you know I'm not keeping my name?"
Draco shrugged. "Do as you please, just keep on the rings."
She laughed. "They're enchanted by our vows. I don't think I can take them off."
He smiled lazily at her as they arrived at the door to their room. Safely inside, she wrapped her arms around him and whispered, "Besides, I think you know what I want to do."
With a kiss that meant forever, Draco slid his hands down the front of her robes, undoing them and shucking the cloth to the floor. She helped him out of his clothes as well and welcomed him to their bed. He tasted each of her fingertips in turn, moved his lips along her arms, her neck, her breasts, tasted every inch of her; let her do the same to him. When he joined her body this time, he was unhurried, taking every moment and soaking it into his memory. He kissed her lips between heated thrusts, drawing out their exquisite agony by measuring the pace carefully. There was something wonderful about being able to make love deliberately, without the threat of teachers stumbling upon them, or their housemates walking in. He was so comfortable with his naked body covering hers; Draco wanted to stay like this forever.
Hermione's cheeks were starting to bloom as want grew pent up inside of her. She urged him with her hips and had him gasping in mere moments. She always got hers, and he always happily gave, giving in for himself, listening to her moan in his ear when she came, feeling the sweet curve of her body in his arms, and so overblown by passion that he couldn't string two words. Fortunately, he only needed to moan one, "Hermione."
End.
