Wedding Planning

Hermione and Draco had been in great moods all week, and they were getting ready for their trip to the Manor to pick out many things for the wedding. Narcissa told them that there was a caterer, some musicians, and some other people there to meet. Hermione had been putting the fact she was going to the Manor for the first time since the incident. She wanted to have a good day, but it was a full moon, and she knew something was bound to happen.

"Are you ready to go?" Draco knocked on the bathroom door. 

"You can come in?" Hermione said, trying to do her mascara. She normally didn't wear makeup, but she figured this was the time with it. Ginny had lent her some and a lot of other things, but she didn't go overboard. 

Draco smiled when he saw her; he never tired of how her hair smelled or the way she grinned when he entered the room. 

"Draco, are you nervous?" She asked quietly. This would be his first time back as well.

"Yes." He said plainly. However, they were nervous for two completely different reasons. There was no way he would enter the dining room if Mother had people set up in there. He didn't think he ever could. 

"Together?" Hermione took his hand, and they walked to McGonagall's office to use the floo. They arrived in the parlor, and Hermione let out a breath. She was going to be brave about this. She just had to be. 

"Hello dears, how are you two feeling today?"

"Hello, mother." Draco didn't dare let go of Hermione's hand to embrace his mother. He wasn't sure if it was more for her sake or his. 

"Hello, Mrs. Malfoy, thank you for arranging all of this." Hermione smiled, but inside she was starting to become more and more aware of where she was. All she could do was squeeze Draco's hand.

How had they become so close so quickly? It puzzled her every day. She wondered if this was real love was like.

"You are very welcome. I am glad that you could both come." Narcissa was becoming increasingly aware of how nervous the two were, "I made some lunch for the three of us. It is in the kitchen if you would like to join me."

"Thank you, that sounds lovely." Hermione took a breath, and they followed Cissy. Draco, of course, didn't need to, but he had his head down and was trying not to look at anything. He did look up right where the doors to the dining room should be, and he stopped dead in his tracks. Instead of a dining room, there was a beautiful courtyard with all of his mother's favorite flowers lining an aisle with a beautiful gazebo in the middle.

Hermione smiled at the sight, she didn't realize this is where her nightmares were a reality, but at this very moment, she knew this is where she wanted to get married.

"That is perfect, Mrs. Malfoy. Do you think we could have the ceremony there?" Hermione asked quickly.

"Of course, dear, wherever you would like. I can show you the gardens as well. If you would like it."

"I would love to see them, but I have never pictured my wedding, and looking in there, I think I can finally imagine it." Hermione blushed at the thought.

"Then it will be there."

"When did you do this?" Draco finally spoke up. The last time he was here, this was a dark, cold room.

"I figured neither of you would want to be in there ever again. I turned another room into the dining room. The room on the east side of the manor, the room with all the windows. I am quite proud of both rooms."

Hermione had a chill run down her spine when she realized what the room had been, but it made her smile that Narcissa had changed the room. Hermione realized that she probably had nightmares of the house how they had been forced to give up their home to him. She was glad she was making things right.

"Now then, lunch." Mrs. Malfoy started walking back toward the kitchen, and both children started to relax. 

After they had lunch, they were lead back to the parlor, and many people started arriving and setting up their booths. Hermione was under the impression that a couple of people were coming, but she soon found it was like being at one of her parents' conventions.

"What are all of these people doing?" She whispered to Draco.

"I think we are going to decide between people, vendors. I didn't realize it." Draco sighed. He didn't want to be here all day.

"Well, we better get started." Hermione led them to all of the people that had the food set up on their tables, and when they had eaten everything, they managed to choose someone. Next, they sampled cake after cake and discussed designs. Hermione truly didn't mind what the cake looked like. She was sure that anyone would do a wonderful job if Mrs. Malfoy had approved of them being here. She let Draco choose the flavor of cake and told the older man to do as he wished for the design, only telling him that the wedding was a black tie. Draco had chosen chocolate cake with raspberry filling and ganache. It really did taste wonderful.

Narcissa had been tasked with finding the best flowers and invitations that were up to her standard. 

A couple of hours later, and many more things were decided on, Draco hugged his mother, and Hermione gave a proper goodbye and was back at the school. McGonagall was sitting at her desk and barely looked up from the letter she was reading when Hermione said hello.

"Professor?" Hermione was concerned and knots formed in her stomach immediately. 

"Good evening." She looked worried, and Draco didn't like what that meant either.

"Professor, is everything alright?"  He asked carefully.

"I am afraid I have to deliver you both some bad news." Hermione watched as a single tear ran down her face. McGonagall had never cried in front of a student before, and Hermione was even more worried now than she had been.

They took seats opposite of McGonagall and waited while she took a breath and looked at them for what seemed an eternity. 

"Draco," He sat up straighter when he heard his headmistress say his first name, all he could do was squeeze Hermione's hand tighter. His mother's picture flashed in his mind, and he froze. Had something happened to her after they left, "I am very sorry to tell you that your father has passed away this morning? His will was sent to the school, and he had charged you with the company and all of his funds."

Draco remained frozen, though, in his heart, he was okay. His mother was fine, and therefore he was okay.

"Draco." Hermione looked at her fiancé and brushed the tears that were falling from his eyes. "Are you okay, dear?" 

"Yes."

"Mr. Malfoy will be having a funeral in one week; I am going to permit you both to have a week leave if you would like it after the funeral."

"That won't be necessary, ma'am." 

"Draco, I know that you don't want to go or take the time to grieve. However, I was going to make you take it either way for your mother's sake."

"Ma'am?"

"He may have hurt your family son, but he was her husband, and they spent many years together. Your mother is going to need you." McGonagall gave Draco the will, and then they started to get up. "That wasn't all." 

Hermione looked at McGonagall and froze; what bad news did she have to tell her.

"Hermione, I am not even sure where to begin, but I have heard news from Australia that your parents have been in a car accident and that they have passed away as well. The sergeant in giving me news on them seriously lacked timeliness, and their funeral was today. I am very sorry, dear."

Hermione felt hot tears start to run down her face; she couldn't stop them. She and Draco were so close to being able to fix them. They only had one small piece left, and they would have been able to find them and restore their memories. She just leaned into Draco's arms and cried harder. Draco picked her up in his arms, nodded to their headmistress, and walked out. 

Draco wanted to do everything for Hermione, but he knew that this was something Potter ought to know about. He knocked on their door, and Ginny opened it.

Ginny just saw the tears streaming from her best friend's eyes and the tear-stained face of Draco and let them in.

"Harry!" She called for her fiancé, and he came running in quickly.

"Malfoy, what happened." 

"Harry, they died." Hermione managed to get out in between sobs. Draco just nodded his head and put her into Harry's arms. 

Ginny noticed that Draco was clutching a piece of paper and walked over to him with a cup of tea. "And why are were you crying, Draco?"

"My father has left me everything and died today. He didn't do anything for me during the war; he beat me as a child, and yet I am upset he is gone." 

"That makes you human, Draco; you don't have to be happy or glad or even relieved. If you are sad, that is perfectly normal."

"But she has lost much more," Draco said, looking over at his future wife that was sobbing into Potter's shoulder. 

"You know he won't talk about what they went through when they were running. The only people he mentions it to is her and Ron. I resented it at first, but I think I understand. They were bonded over fear and the will to stay alive. They will always need one another, and the fact you knew that she would want him in this time of hurt means you understand her. And if I doubted it before, I don't know. You love her Draco, and you ought to tell her."

"How?" 

"You do. It doesn't have to be somewhere special or extravagant. It just has to be sincere." Ginny went over and took Hermione off of Harry and sat her on the couch. She summoned another cup of tea and watched as she drank the whole thing. Hermione didn't dare argue with her. When someone was upset, Ginny had a way of becoming her mother, seeming to make all the hurt disappear. 

"You will get through this 'Mione. You have us. You have him. He is there for you. Okay, I know it. Harry knows it. I think you know it. Everything will be okay, eventually. Not today, not tomorrow, but in the future, it will." Ginny hugged her friend and then helped her up and walked her to Malfoy. 

Hermione was so tired; it had been a much longer day than she had anticipated, and all she wanted was to go to bed. Snuggled into his chest. And that is what she did.

Draco didn't sleep that whole night. He just watched her and thought about how right Ginny was. He loved her.