marriage

Molly, Arthur, Ginny, and Harry were all present to be their witnesses. She had arrived first at the Ministry with them that chilly Saturday morning. They sat outside Kingsley's office quietly as they waited for Draco to arrive.

"Get your flat all packed up, dear," Molly asked.

Hermione looked away from the potted plant she'd been staring at and nodded. Two dozen purple tulips had been on her kitchen counter when she'd awoke earlier. There hadn't been a note but she was sure she knew they'd been from him. How he knew, she could only imagine. The gesture had eased her nerves slightly.

"He sent movers from Diagon Alley early this morning. Took them all of ten minutes."

"Good, good," Arthur nodded. "Oh, we heard from Ron yesterday. Seems he'll be home in about a month. Ministry shortened his assignment with Bill due to the new law and the fact that he was coming home anyway," he smiled politely.

Harry smirked, "How's he handling that news of the law by the way?"

"As much as I love my son, he's Ron," Arthur shrugged. "About as well as you'd expect."

"So livid then," Hermione surmised with a chuckle. She could only imagine what his reaction had really been. It would be an entertaining reunion for everyone once he was back.

The door burst open suddenly and Draco stumbled inside the room. Everyone stood and Hermione looked on in odd fascination as Molly rushed over to greet him and straighten his tie.

"Now you've got the rings, haven't you," she heard her ask.

Draco nodded to her before making eye contact with Hermione over Molly's shoulder. She realized too late the odd look she must be sporting and wiped her expression clean.

"What am I missing here," she whispered to Ginny.

She smirked knowingly and whispered back, "Mum volunteered to be his sponsor during his probation. He stayed with us for the first month before we returned to Hogwarts. You were in Australia still at the time. He stayed at the Leaky Cauldron for a week when you returned for school."

"And no one told me?"

Ginny's smile disappeared and she looked at her more seriously. "It wasn't the time, Hermione. You had your own inner battles to fight." She shrugged, "Everyone was just looking out for you. Trying to make it easier."

Hermione frowned as she watched Draco and Molly still engage in polite conversation. "I feel like Malfoy's been some huge secret you've all been keeping from me."

She shook her head and wrapped an arm around her friend's shoulders to lead her into Kingsley's office. "He was hiding in plain sight really."

"Good, everyone's on time," Kingsley smiled good naturedly. "If you're both ready we'll get right to it."

Hermione and Draco shared a look and nodded.

"Good, please face each other and grasps arms."

Draco held his right arm out first and waited until she wrapped her hand around his forearm. He stared nervously into her brown eyes and felt for sure that she could see right through him. Those eyes always said so much about her. Her every feeling pooled in those brown orbs. Every taunt, every insult.

Kingsley waved his wand over their joined arms and a velvety wisp of silver magic twisted around them in a continuous link. "Do you swear to enter this union in good faith? Stand by each other in hard times and protect each other from all harm?"

"I do," they each responded in unison.

"You've both elected for an unbreakable vow for as long as your marriage shall last. Do you both swear to remain faithful only to each other? You understand that by breaching said fidelity will result in death?"

Hermione swore his eyes almost burned at the words, staring right into her soul. "I do," they both agreed in unison again.

"Then by the power invested in me by the Ministry of Magic, I pronounce you lawfully husband and wife." With a final flick of his wand, the silver magic flickered into fading particles of light around them. "You may seal it with a kiss."

Both turned wide eyes on him and Kingsley could hardly contain his grin. "It's a formality but it's necessary to seal the bond."

Hermione gave him a curt nod, meaning 'get it over with'. Draco, to his credit, nodded in understanding before leaning down and pressing a soft kiss to her lips.

She had expected his lips to be hard and cold but they were quite the opposite. Warm and soft, a complete contradiction but she was quickly learning that she had no idea who Draco Malfoy was anymore.

Kingsley spelled their rings to match the unbreakable vow and handed them back.

Hermione ran her thumb over Draco's much larger ring. She swore she could almost feel the magic pulsing still as it settled into the metal. Much as the way her own magic pulsed within her. She slid the ring onto his ring finger on his left hand. He was about to do the same when she held the engagement ring he'd given her up between them.

"Best foot forward," she told him quietly, echoing his sentiments from that night two weeks before.

She noted a slight quirk of his mouth, an almost smile before he grasped the ring and slid it onto the appropriate finger followed by her wedding band—a simple but stunning row of diamonds running around the entire ring.

Draco felt the cold weight that had settled into his chest that night slowly loosen with warmth. Her unspoken concession to make an effort gave him the tiniest nugget of hope.

They signed their marriage contract, Hermione agreeing to add a hyphenated portion to her last name. She wasn't comfortable dropping Granger completely.

"Very good then," Arthur patted each on the back before shaking Kingsley's hand.

"Are you sure I can't convince you both to come to lunch at the burrow," Molly asked them after she hugged both.

"Maybe next week," Hermione offered with a warm smile. "I was going to take the rest of the day to unpack."

"I understand, dear. I'll hold you both to it then."

Everyone slowly filed out of Kingsley's office and to the floos near the main entrance of the Ministry. The elder Weasley's moved ahead and Ginny pulled Hermione to the side while Harry and Draco walked along quietly, much as they did at work.

"The ring was a nice touch," she smirked knowingly.

Hermione rolled her eyes as she slipped her arms into her coat. "I figured he was making an effort at this. I should as well."

Ginny shook her head but smiled nonetheless. Her friend was often so predictably good. Hermione didn't have it in her to be truly awful to anyone.

"Normally, I'd ask if you're excited for your wedding night but I imagine that won't be happening any time soon."

Hermione's cheeks colored and she felt a slight shiver overtake her. Her and Draco Malfoy have sex? Just the thought was preposterous to her. She doubted, despite his obviously reformed ways, that he was interested in a physical relationship with her. He was a bit friendlier now, obviously respectful, but hardly interested in that way.

Also driven by what she assumed was a fair dose of guilt. She wanted to say served him right but couldn't well do it. She wasn't quite that spiteful.

"I hardly doubt he has any interest in a physical relationship with me," she finally noted aloud.

Ginny scoffed, "Then I'd pay better attention to the way he eyes you up whenever you enter a room if that's what you think."

"He does not," she admonished with a nudge of her elbow.

"Fine, believe what you want." They reached the floos and she made to leave with Harry to go home. "Let's bet on it then. 50 galleons."

Hermione couldn't believe her ears. She was mental. "Deal."

With a final wave, they stepped in and green flames enveloped them.

"Didn't take you for the gambling type," Draco commented with a rare amused grin. "What's the bet?"

She had to concede that he had a nice smile. She noted that despite how few there'd been, he'd only given her true smiles the last two weeks in their very spare interactions, no sneers or snarls. Each difference she tacked onto a mental list she was keeping of 'ways Draco Malfoy has changed'.

Hermione shook her head at him with an amused expression of her own and stepped into the floo with him. "Ginny thinks she knows something I don't."

"Bloody hell, she must be mental then. Who knows more than you about…anything?"

She narrowed her eyes and she allowed him to clasp her left hand. "If you're going to make an 'insufferable know-it-all' joke, please refrain."

"Didn't even cross my mind," he smirked.

He threw the powder, spoke clearly, and green flames enveloped them.

Draco had offered for her to stop by and inspect the home they'd be sharing but she truly hadn't had the time. Between her meetings and projects, she'd only had time to meet him for lunch once since they had their first conversation. Every other bit of communication had been via owl, minus their health check. His hold on her hand had been tight, protective even as they appeared within the fireplace of the living room.

He stepped out first and waited for her to follow. She took hesitant steps into the living room and glanced around slowly. It was rather conventional, no traces of the darkness she'd encountered during her short visit, if one could call it that, of the Malfoy Manor during the war. Rich, brown armchairs flanked the fireplace with a cream colored sofa in the middle of the room. It was rather cozy and warm in appearance.

A throat cleared across the room and she whipped her head towards the entrance to the hallway to see a small house elf standing ramrod straight.

Draco had finished slipping his coat off while she'd made her initial perusal of the room and handed the garment to the elf.

"Hermione, this is Bitsy. Bitsy, this is…my wife, Hermione." The words felt foreign on his tongue but his heart jumped at their sound of them. Best not allow himself to get too attached to the idea, he admonished.

The elf wore a conservative dress, not the rags often associated with their servitude. Hermione nearly choked. How could she have thought he wouldn't still have house elves? He was still a Malfoy after all. He should have told her though. Didn't he know what department she was head of? Of the laws and regulations she was working to pass?

Draco watched worriedly as she swallowed hard and forced a smile at his house elf. He knew immediately that he'd have to explain. It was obvious that she'd gotten the wrong impression.

"It's very nice to meet you, Bitsy," her voice cracked.

Bitsy beamed first at Draco and then turned her crooked smile upon Hermione herself. "Bitsy is most happy to meet Mistress Hermione. Bitsy has worked very hard to make up Mistress' room for her. She hopes you find it just the way you like."

She curtsied low before disappearing with a pop.

Draco watched as Hermione breathed deeply, her nostrils flaring with obvious rage she was trying to control. He remembered that same look quite well right before she hit him third year. Less than an hour of marriage and he was already in trouble, he mused.

"Malfoy," she spit out, "Don't you think for one second…"

"I freed her as soon as I was given ownership of the manor," he spoke calmly.

Her mouth clamped shut. She furled and unfurled her fists a few times. "What," she finally managed.

He glanced at the floor as he unbuttoned the waistcoat to his suit. "My probation ended not long after we completed our seventh year. I was given sole ownership of the manor and any other property or funds within the family, what with my father in Azkaban and my mother exiled to France. I freed them all—the few that were left."

She watched him swallow and finally meet her eyes. The grey in them looked dull suddenly.

"He liked to torture them. Thought it was funny. Killed the one who practically raised me within the first week of his residence there."

Hermione drew a shuddering breath and couldn't tear her eyes from his. "And that made you angry," she asked barely above a whisper.

He stood woodenly and nodded. "Bloody infuriated. I wasn't always the best to them myself but I'd never dreamed of killing one." He slid the vest off his shoulders and began unbuttoning the cuffs on his dress shirt. He rolled them to mid forearm, just under where she was sure his mark lay emblazoned in his skin. "Bitsy was most upset about being freed. She'd managed to hide through much of his occupation there. There's something I should show you. I think it will make you feel better."

Hermione followed him in stunned silence as he moved through the hall, walls bare she noted, and through to the spacious kitchen. No sound passed between them minus her heels clicking on the tile floor before they came to a stop. Through the kitchen windows she could see a medium sized garden and a small structure near the back of the space, tucked in by the fence of the property.

"When I sold the manor to the Ministry I offered for her to work still if it's what she wished. I pay her a wage and provided a small home for her. It's what she prefers. She does chores and I've finally broke her habit of trying to iron her ears if she thinks she's upset me." He finally looked down into her face again and found her eyes still fixed on the pretty blue house in the garden. "She's here by choice. Please don't insult her while you're here by trying to send her out on her own."

More emotions lay in the depths of her brown eyes. He found he craved chocolate after looking into them for too long.

"I jumped to conclusions," she finally whispered, feeling thoroughly chastised even though he hadn't really done that. "I'm sorry."

Draco nodded in understanding. "In fairness to you, you have a right to jump to certain conclusions. I know we can't completely ignore what we once were to each other. I was a bully. I don't deny it. I could have become something worse."

The strangeness of today and of their civil conversations thus far hadn't been lost on her. She was moving on autopilot mostly. Surely once she had time to herself, she'd have a lot of internal processing to do.

Hermione swallowed against her dry throat. "But you didn't. We all know that."

He'd voluntarily submitted to the Wizengamot to use veritaserum on him during his trial. He hadn't willingly killed anyone during the war. Only two middle aged wizards that Voldemort ordered him to kill…or be killed. They'd ruled it an act of survival.

His involvement sixth year in the astronomy tower had been revealed to be similar. Voldemort would have killed him and his mother for his failure.

Draco nodded but she could tell he didn't truly agree with her. He cleared his throat and tore his eyes from hers.

"Well, this is the kitchen obviously. You know the living room. Let me show you your room. It's upstairs."

Hermione followed behind him a few steps as he climbed the stairs, loosening his tie along the way. When they passed the living room on their way to the stairs, she noted that his waistcoat had disappeared from the sofa.

The cream colored walls were calming and oddly conventional. At the top of the stairs, the house diverged into two wings. She saw three doors down the hall on her right and three more on the left. He led them to the right first. He moved to the farthest door at the end of the hall and opened the heavy, wooden door.

She nearly gasped as she took in the sight of her room. It was quite large and everything was already unpacked and arranged much as she'd had it before in her flat.

Draco watched her as she stepped past him into the large room. Honestly, he was nervous. This would be hers for at least the next year. He feared the idea that she may not like it.

"It's almost set up just as I'd had it before," she finally turned to him.

He nodded, slipping his hands into his pockets safely. "Bitsy has an odd way of reading objects. She says she can sense where they need to be." He shrugged. "It always seemed like rubbish to me but perhaps she's right."

He inhaled tightly when she laughed at him. He watched as she slipped her arms out of her coat and laid it on the bed, already made up with her stark white duvet. The sight of her knee length purple dress nearly did him in again. When he'd first caught sight of her over Molly Weasley's shoulder, he felt like collapsing. No witch had the right to be so effortlessly beautiful.

"I'm surprised she didn't unpack my books though." She lifted an expectant eyebrow.

"I told her not to. I didn't know if you'd want them in your room or the library. There's space for them in the library if you wanted."

Just as he'd hoped and half expected, her eyes seemed to light up again at the mention of the library. Some things never changed then. That particular consistency was comforting. At least he had one thing that might make her feel more favorably about him.

"I'd like to change out of my dress but afterwards would you show it to me?"

Draco could only nod, transfixed with her immediate smile. "Of course. I'll change as well."

He turned to leave but stopped when she put a hand on his arm. He froze and drew a sharp breath before glancing over his shoulder at her.

Hermione noted his quick intake of breath and interpreted it as discomfort. She quickly let go of him. "Just curious. Where's your room?"

Something he couldn't quite read flickered in her eyes and he tipped his head. "Two doors down. I gave you the master bedroom. I figured you'd have more things than me and I was right."

"You didn't have to do that," Hermione muttered. He was being too nice. It was unnerving really.

Draco gave a bored shrug. He was trying desperately not to let her know how much her mere presence was affecting him. "It was no problem. I'll meet you at the bottom of the stairs."

She nodded and removed her hand. She knew now that she had a mission in this marriage. It was time to find out exactly who was Draco Malfoy. What she knew obviously contradicted this man.