Changes: Chapter 7: The wedding
Pairing: Hermione/Draco
Main Characters: Draco, Hermione, Blaise, Pansy, Ron, Harry, Lavender, Ginny
Warnings: Probably somewhat OOC.
Disclaimer: Not mine, never where and never will be, but I do own the plot.
AU: This is a story I have been wanting to write for a while, and finally have made a go at. Hope it's successful. Please review and tell me what you think. Thanks to Margarita for betaing!
Summary: Hermione makes a discovery that changes her vacation planes between sixth an seventh year. She is suddenly travelling to the states with three Slytherins she has befriended and the trip changes her perception on things.
AU: This is the last chapter that is finished, so you will just have to wait for the next one, I'm afraid. Thanks to Margarita for betaing, the story wouldn't have been the same without her.
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The day of the wedding had arrived.
Pansy was off helping the bride, being the bridesmaid, leaving Hermione to her own devices. In the meantime, Hermione was taking great care getting ready for the wedding. Pansy’s family had been very gracious and she was currently standing in a room she was sharing with some of the bride’s and groom’s relatives.
They had arrived at the Black Manor early the same morning, and were greeted by a very nervous bride and her mother. Hermione was fascinated that though the family were all Muggle's, the Manor itself was bound by old family magic where only blood mattered. So Muggle or not, the Black family blood had claim to the estate. The bride’s father, Alfonso Black, was the heir, and he could afford the maintenance and care of the property. Hermione would later find out that Alfonso worked as a solicitor and partner at a major New York law firm and his wife Elaine as a nurse.
Hermione hadn't really been told how Pansy was related Alfonso and his family, although the name itself made it clear how Draco was related to them. She discovered later on that Alfonso Black was Pansy’s mother’s twin brother, making him her uncle. Draco was the bride’s second cousin, as her father was Narcissa's cousin. It was a confusing mess.
Pansy's parents were arriving later for the wedding, but Draco was representing the Malfoy side as his parents were still serving out the remainder of their sentence under house arrest. Needless to say, leaving England was out of the question.
The Manor was a sight to behold and could certainly rival Malfoy Manor with one major difference: the clutter. At first, Hermione had thought it was because of the wedding, but Pansy had confided that it was always like that - her aunt loved to collect antiques, but never threw anything away. It was a running family joke.
The estate itself was located on several acres overlooking the ocean in the village of Southampton located outside of Manhattan on Long Island. Southampton was famous for its Muggle celebrities, high brow society and enormous homes and estates. The Black Manor boasted 10 bedrooms, 9.5 luxurious bathrooms, two tennis courts, a 50 foot granite in-ground pool, 2 libraries, a 3-bedroom guest cottage and its own private beach. Hermione was astounded.
The wedding itself was being held on the grounds in the gardens.
Hermione was truly enjoying herself. As she turned a little in front of the mirror, she admired the way her dress flowed around her legs. Oh the dress was so stunning. It was a deep rich, royal purple complementing Hermione’s skin tone. Made of beautiful silk chiffon, the sleeveless dress had wide straps that came together in a modest “V” down her chest. The original design had a much deeper cut but Hermione had used her wand to adjust it so it covered her scar. Delicate butterfly embroidery covered her breasts giving it a chic, feminine touch. The empire fit flowed to the ground ending in a scalloped, overflowing cut finished with more of the same butterfly embroidery which embellished the top. Her makeup was uncomplicated; smoky eyes with heavier mascara, sweep of blush and shiny, glossy lips.
Hermione had never felt sexier or more beautiful.
The price had put her off and she’d nearly put it back, but Pansy has insisted she buy it and had refused to leave the store. She had been relentless in her stance and Hermione had finally given in - now she had no regrets.
However, she was a bit unsure what to do with her hair. At these types of occasions, she usually put it in a French twist, but surrounded by all the luxury and sophistication, she wanted to try something new.
Suddenly a house elf popped into the room causing her to jump. Shaken from her musings, she turned around and looked at the little elf.
“Me is Cilly. Me is helping Miss fix hair. Miss Pansy is telling me to go here.”
Hermione smiled. “Hello Cilly, I’m Hermione. I would really appreciate your help as I haven’t a clue what to do with it.”
She turned around again, and Cilly snapped her fingers. Suddenly the elf was standing on a tall stool so that she could reach Hermione's hair. Hermione had no idea what was happening, as she couldn’t see herself in the mirror, but she could feel her hair almost tingling.
Cilly announced she was finished, and Hermione turned to look at herself in the floor length mirror. She could barely believe her eyes. Her long hair was falling in beautiful, thick ringlets instead of messy curls, gracing her shoulders. The front of her hair was pulled back and braided loosely in the back, making her look elegant yet youthful.
“Missy looks so pretty.” Cilly was beaming up at her, and Hermione smiled back.
“Thank you so much, Cilly. I feel pretty.”
The house elf blushed a little before popping out again and Hermione turned to add the final touches. Her mum had given her an antique, estate diamond pendant with matching earrings as an early birthday gift. They matched perfectly with her new dress. She slipped into a pair of silver, open-toed stilettos and picked up a tiny two-toned silver clutch.
After another twirl in front of the mirror, she stepped out of the room to see if she could help with anything. There were people running back and forth in the halls outside the room, and she walked towards the room she knew they were dressing the bride. She knocked, and someone called for her to enter.
The room was rather large, with the bride, Patricia, standing in the middle in front of a huge mirror. Her hair was put up in an intricate design, and the white, strapless dress she wore was beautiful. Mrs. Black, Pansy and a woman Hermione assumed to be the mother of the groom were bustling around Patricia, fussing to arrange her train, smoothing out wrinkles and adding final touches.
Pansy and the unknown woman used their magic to make everything perfect, whilst Mrs. Black looked on asking them to correct this or that. There were still 30 minutes before the wedding.
Hermione took a moment to admire how sexy and gorgeous Pansy looked. Her dress was short - almost scandalously short but not quite. The designer dress was a dusty pink colour which highlighted Pansy’s eyes. It was silk, strapless and stunning, with a large rosette blooming from the empire waist to hem. She wore metallic, ankle-strapped stilettos with tiny mirror accents and had a tiny beaded metallic purse. Her hair was pulled back into a tight, chic chignon showing off the platinum, triple strand necklace sprinkled with rubies and diamonds. Her makeup was very simple, meant to play up her eyes and pouty lips. Blaise was sure to stop breathing when he saw her.
Pansy looked up as Hermione walked in, and smiled at her friend. “Hi, you look beautiful. Is there anything wrong?”
As Pansy spoke, the three other ladies looked up and greeted her.
Hermione smiled and greeted them back. “Thank you. And no, nothing is wrong, I was just wondering if there was something I could do to help.”
Mrs. Black was the one to answer her. “Oh yes, my dear; actually, there is.”
She went to a box lying on a couch to the side. “This is the boutonniere for the groom, his best man and my husband. If you could find them and help them put it on, that would be wonderful. They should be somewhere outside.”
Hermione took the box, and peeked in, lying there were three small delicate calla lilys. “Absolutely, I’m happy to help.” She waved goodbye before she left out the same door.
As she made her way outside, she stopped dead in her tracks. She realised she had a bit of problem: she had no idea what any of the three men looked like. Standing just outside the door leading to the garden she looked around, a little unsure.
Just when she was about to ask someone, she felt a hand behind her elbow, pushing her a little to the side. At the same time a hot male voice spoke right next to her ear. “What are you doing, standing here and blocking the traffic?”
Hermione’s breath hitched slightly and butterflies swirled in her stomach. The familiar voice sent shivers down her back, and she tried her hardest not to show it.
As she turned and was met be a grinning Draco Malfoy, still holding her arm. She really didn't mind; so she smiled back. Suddenly he let go of her hand, his eyes roved over her slowly before meeting her eyes again.
“You . . . look . . . stunning.” His voice was suddenly raw and husky.
She blushed, smiled wider and her stomach made another little swoop. “Thank you. You don't look to bad yourself.”
A Muggle theme was the unspoken rule for the party, as many of the bride’s friends and family were Muggles; therefore Muggle clothes were the dress code. Draco wore a black fitted designer suit with a crisp white French cuff shirt. He had pulled it together with a finely woven green moiré solid silk tie. The suit screamed expensive, but it looked great on Draco, showing of his best features and making Hermione wonder what was beneath it all.
He noticed her eyeing him, and his grin grew to a full grown smile. As she met his eyes again, she couldn't help but admire how beautiful he was when he smiled like that.
He was the one to break the silence. “So, what are you standing here for?”
She looked down at the box she was holding. “Oh, I was supposed to find the groom, Mr. Black and the best man to give them their boutonnieres, but I just realised I have no idea who they are.”
“Ahh, well, I can help you with that.” He looked around a bit, then pointed towards the back behind the ceremony’s chair arrangement, “The two blokes over there are the groom and his best man, let’s start there.”
They started walking together, just close enough so that they could hold hands . . . if they felt like it. As they approached the two men, they were met with questioning smiles.
The groom was tall, with dark brown hair cut short and a friendly face. His best man was a little shorter, black hair, both of them lean and handsome.
“Hi, Draco, what's up?” The groom was trying to fix something on his jacket as he spoke.
“Hello, Charles, good to see you. Congratulations by the way.” He turned to Hermione. “Gentlemen, may I present Miss Hermione Granger, she's a classmate of Pansy and I.”
Charles and Hermione shook hands, greeting each other with a ‘hi’ and a ‘nice to meet you and congratulations’. Then Charles introduced his best man. “This is Mike, my best man.”
After exchanging greetings, Hermione explained her mission. “I've got your boutonnieres, you need to put them on.” She withdrew two of the flowers, and gave one to each.
With a flick of his wand, Charles had fastened his own, while Mike still held it in his hand. His eyes raked over Hermione's body, making her uneasy and feeling a knot building in the pit of her stomach. Suddenly he spoke.
“I'm sorry; I don't have my wand with me, would you mind?”
He was still staring intently at Hermione, leaving her at a loss of what to do. Of course, she had her wand but since the dress didn't have pockets and her purse was too small, she had fastened it on the outside of her thigh. She really didn't want to pull up her dress and display herself but didn't want to be rude. However, before she had to make up her mind about what to do, Draco stepped up.
“Allow me,” He said tersely. Quickly, he flicked his wand, and the flower was fastened.
Draco politely excused them both and as she turned to go, she grimaced and waved while walking away. Draco’s presence by her side was soothing, and she soon felt her disgust lessen. She sent him a thankful smile, and as he ‘accidentally’ brushed her hand, she felt another swirl in her stomach - but this feeling was welcome and very pleasant.
They walked off to find Mr. Black to deliver the last flower. Draco helped him also with a flick of his wand, friendlier and lighter this time around.
When Mr. Black left them to find his place, Draco steered her towards the garden again. “Let's find Blaise and go sit down, it starting soon.”
An hour later the service was over, and the bride and groom shook everyone's hand while everyone walked the receiving line. The bride was beautiful and the groom stunning - everything had gone perfectly. Hermione had been sitting between Blaise and Draco, feeling protected and not minding at all.
A couple of times during the service, Mike had glanced her way and had even winked at her. Every time she had looked away, hoping he would take the hint; every time she had also felt Draco tense next to her, and every time she had wanted to take his hand. She had purposely rested her hand next to her thigh on the chair, and a few times she had felt Draco's brush hers. Smiling to herself, she knew it could in no way be accidental.
Now she was standing in the garden after having greeted the couple, admiring the extravagance around her. Some of Draco's relatives had captured Blaise and he in a conversation, and Pansy was attending to her the bride. She was just enjoying it all when she noticed Mike stalking towards her. Dear Merlin, it was too late to escape. She stiffened and tried to put on a polite, non-committal smile as he placed himself in front of her.
“Hi, love, you’re looking criminal.” His sleazy voice made her skin crawl and she did her best to hide it. She couldn’t believe he had said that and thought it would work. Since she didn't want to encourage him and there really wasn't anything she could answer, she remained silent and looked away.
Before he could say anything further, the dinner bell rang. Just as he was about to take her hand and follow her to the table, Draco appeared and without a word offered her the crook of his arm. She took it with great relief and smiled at him as she ignored Mike. Her hand on Draco's arm tingled, and a feeling of safety and happiness filled her.
They walked together to the table holding the placement cards directing guests where to sit. Hermione and Draco walked together, perusing the cards, with Draco making small comments on some of guests. Hermione hoped dearly that she wouldn't have to sit next to Mike, and as they strolled around the table they bumped into someone else looking for their name and finally found Hermione's card. Draco explained that she was sitting next to one of his other cousins, the bride’s brother actually. She helped him find his placecard as he told her that his cousin was a really great bloke who was loads of fun.
Luck was with Hermione.
It turned out that Draco would be sitting across from her on the right side, and Hermione had a rather enjoyable dinner talking to her table companions: two wizards, one witch and three Muggles, one guy and two girls. After hours of several delicious courses and speeches, they were all led to another part of the garden, where a dancing floor had been installed.
The bride and groom opened with the first dance, and after a while Mr. Black cut in. Slowly, the dance floor filled up, meanwhile Hermione tried her best to stay away from Mike, who had been drinking a little too much. So when her table partner, the bride’s little brother, asked her to dance, she was rather relieved to be safe for a while.
The boy was a rather good dancer, even if he was a little young for her, and she had to admit that she enjoyed herself. During a twirl, she had spied Pansy and Blaise dancing. Blaise couldn’t take his eyes from Pansy and kept leaning in whispering in her ear making Pansy blush and giggle. After one dance, someone tapped the boy’s shoulder and asked to cut in. Suddenly Hermione was dancing with Draco.
“Hi,” he grinned.
“Hi,” she grinned back looking up at him from under her lashes.
As he smiled down at her, she couldn't help the feeling of pure joy she felt from dancing in his arms.
They were dancing a waltz, and it didn't surprise her at all that he was an expert. They swept around the floor, never bumping into anyone with Draco always leading her perfectly and effortlessly. Hermione felt her heart pounding loudly in her chest, and couldn't believe that no one heard it.
When the dance was over, he didn't let go of her, and just took a better hold of her as they flowed into the next dance. The world seemed to disappear around them. In fact, the entire Manor could have burned down without them noticing.
When the second dance ended, Draco stopped and let go of her. Slightly disappointed, she let her arms fall, but as she made to walk away from the dance floor, the next song started. It was a slow, sensual ballad, and he seemed to change his mind as caught her in his arms once again, this time wrapping them around her waist.
She melted into him, slowly putting her hands around his neck, laying her head against his chest. Reflecting on that moment later, she would find that she couldn't understand where the courage had come from, but at that point it had just felt right.
He guided them to a quiet corner of the dance floor away from the band and guests.
He pulled her closer as the song continued, and as it drew to an end, he tilted her head up. He had an unreadable expression as gazed down at her in a way that made her heart beat even faster - as if he was searching for something. Without warning, he lowered his head and brushed her lips with his own. Gently and expertly, he kissed her again pressing his lips on hers and sweeping his velvety tongue across her upper and bottom lips. Hermione opened up to him and melted into his kiss, again forgetting the world around them as the kiss deepened.
They both drew back, smiling and breathing heavily. Draco trailed fingertips across her cheek before moving that hand to her nape and burying it in her soft curls, then he leaned in and they kissed again.
And again . . . and again.