"Do we have everything?" Hermione asked as she looked around the living quarters. Draco chuckled from the green sofa. "Mione, we're leaving Hogwarts for 2 weeks, not forever. I'm sure if we have forgotten something than we can either come back and get a new one." He assured her, now standing up. It was the night before they were due to leave to go home for the holidays. The same holidays that would see Harry and Ginny get married at the Weasley home. Something that Hermione was looking forward to but Draco was dreading. It would mean him having to actually meet the whole Weasley family. It wasn't disgust making him nervous, it was shame. Shame for everything that he had done in the past.
Draco had lived his whole life thinking that people like the Weasley's were awful and had more children then they could afford. But actually, they were loved and well cared for children. Getting to know Ron and Ginny more made him know that more. When he was younger, he hated them. Now he was great friends with them.
"Sickle for your thoughts?" Hermione asked, seeing his drift into his own world. Draco snapped out of it. "I'm just nervous about meeting the rest of the Weasley's." He admitted. Hermione nodded. "You shouldn't. They are going to love you. They just might need some time. Mrs Weasley knows that I'm marrying you and she doesn't seem to have a problem with us. Mr Weasley will take longer but that's your father's fault not your own." She explained, wrapping her arms around him. "Plus you still have my parents as well to meet so it will be like meeting my whole family. Biological and not." She smiled. Draco sighed.
"That's another worry. I'm meeting your parents in less than 24 hours. I don't know how to talk to muggles." He stressed which made Hermione start giggling. "Just as you would talk to a wizard. The only difference is that they can't do magic. Apart from that, they are just like us. My mum will love you and my dad will grill you on all the stuff like whether you actually like me. Not that it matters because we're still getting married." She smiled. Draco knew it did matter as well. And for him, the trip meant more than just to meet her parents. He was going to ask her father for his blessing. Like Hermione said, it didn't matter if he did or not but he wanted to do it. And the diamond ring in his bag agreed with it.
The Hogwarts express was crowded as usual. Draco and Hermione managed to secure a spot at the end of the train where all their friends could sit. Soon enough, the Weasleys, Potters and Zabani couples all joined them and they chatted about random things. It got Draco away from the stress of meeting Hermione's parents but as the train started to slow down into Kings Cross, the nerves came back. The friends all got off the train and looked around. Hermione had told Draco that her parents would be waiting and home for them to apparate there.
"I'll see you on Christmas." Hermione smiled at everyone as she held Draco's hand. Ginny smiled "Owl us telling us what time you guys will be over. Don't forget that parents are more than welcome to come. Hermione are you still coming in a couple of days?" She asked and Hermione smiled at her. "I wouldn't miss it for anything." She smiled. Harry walked forward "You're coming too Draco right? The Weasley's are great when it comes to Quidditch. So much space." Harry invited and Draco nodded "Okay but you're all going down." He joked before shaking Harry's hand in a friendly way.
The couple were having a split Christmas in a way. They were staying at the Granger's home until Christmas day and having their own Christmas on Christmas Eve. Then on Christmas day, they would all go to Malfoy Manor and spend most of Christmas there, including having dinner there. It had been Draco who suggested it. He didn't want his mother alone on Christmas day and so he invited the Granger family over to their house. It also gave the mothers some time to get to know each other before the wedding which was going to be held on April 3rd. The two had decided that date a few days before and submitted it to the Ministry.
The two arrived in a back alley not much later. The back alley that was right next to the Granger family home. It made no sense for them to apparate into the road because that would confuse other muggles and it made no sense to apparate straight into the house because that would scare Hermione's parents a bit and Draco did not want their first impression of him to be that he scared them. The couple then walked up the street and towards the house. Draco took it all in. He'd never been in a muggle neighbourhood before and he was intrigued to see everything in their houses.
Hermione walked into the house first, holding onto Draco's hand. He knew this would be awkward. Her parents knew what he had done to her in the past so he knew he would have to try really hard to get them to like him. "Mum, I'm home." Hermione called out and her mother came from a room to hug her daughter. Draco just watched them. "Your father just got called into work. It was an emergency and he couldn't miss it." Her mother explained before her eyes turned to the Blonde man stood next to her daughter. "You must be Draco?" She said. Draco nodded and held his hand out. "It's a pleasure to meet you Mrs Granger." Draco said politely. Mrs Granger shook his hand and looked at him. "Call me Amanda. It's nice to meet you as well Draco."
"See, that wasn't so bad was it?" Hermione asked him once they were upstairs in Hermione's bedroom. Draco was still very nervous as he was yet to meet Hermione's father Roger as he was at work. "Yeah I mean other than the fact that if that was your mother, your father is going to kill me for everything that I did before." Draco stressed. Hermione wrapped her arms around him. "Calm down. I'm sorry for telling them that but I didn't know that I would have to marry you when we were older." Hermione giggled, finding it funny. Draco laughed too a bit. It was true. No one would have expected it. Draco smiled before placing a kiss onto Hermione's lips. Great for him, that was also the exact moment that Hermione's father walked in to see them liplocked. Roger coughed and the two broke away instantly.
"Hermione." Her father spoke happily as Hermione walked over and hugged him, very red in the face. Draco was cursing himself on the inside. Just the impression he wanted to give the man that he was about to ask for the blessing of. Draco straightened himself up and walked towards the man who stared him down. Hermione took Draco's hand and looked at her father. "This is Draco dad." She introduced and Draco held his hand out. "Yes I've heard all about you Draco." Roger spoke and Hermione tensed. "Dad, he's not like that anymore." She defended but Roger shook his head and ordered Draco to follow him.
Draco could feel his heart dropping more and more with every footstep he took. To say he was scared would be the understatement of the year. The silence that followed as the two walked into another room was killing him as well. Draco had stood before Lord Voldemort and he was more scared in this moment than he was then. He could feel his hands shaking and so put them behind his back.
"So. You're marrying my daughter?" Roger started. Draco nodded "Yes Sir." He said nervously. Roger stared at him "So after all that you have done to her and all you have said to her, you expect that I'm going to be alright with you marrying her?" He asked. Draco looked at him and stood up. "Sir, with all due respect yes. Your daughter has changed my life so much in these few months we have been together. Yes I did awful things in my past and I hurt a lot of people, including Hermione but I have changed. And I know that me saying I have changed means nothing to you and so I will show you that I have. I love your daughter Sir. My life has been brighter and happier with her in it and I don't want to ever trade that for anything. I know that we have to but I wanted to ask for your blessing Sir. I wanted to propose and forget that this marriage has been arranged." Draco finished his little speech and looked at Roger Granger. After a moment, something that shocked Draco happened.
Roger held out his hand for Draco to shake it. "I trust that you have changed. I can see the love you hold for my daughter in your eyes and I am grateful that you actually asked for my permission before you propose to my little girl. Treat her well because if you don't, I don't care if you have a magic wand, I will end you." Roger threatened but Draco was beaming. "Thank you. Thank you so much. I promise that I won't harm a hair on her head."
The next few days went by extremely smoothly. Draco and Hermione's parents were getting along better and better than ever and Draco had been so amazing with both of them from helping Amanda with the washing up after dinner to talking about Quidditch with Roger and promising to take him to a game. But now Draco and Hermione were going to hang out with the Weasley's while some final preparations were being made for the wedding that was in just a few days.
Draco however was not expecting to see who he did when he first arrived at the house. His aunt, his mother's sister Andromeda Tonks. Hermione gasped from the side of him and pulled him over "Teddy." She said excitedly, picking up the little boy that was being held by his grandmother. As Hermione played with the boy, Draco found himself looking at his aunt who looked at him as well. "You look like your mother." She started. Draco smiled and nodded "Thank you. Have you talked to her lately?" Draco asked nervously, he had never met this woman before but knew she had suffered great losses in the war. Andromeda shook her head. "You should." Draco smiled. "You're all you have left really. She's doesn't care for blood preference anymore." Draco admitted. Andromeda smiled and looked at Hermione "Neither do you by the looks of things."
It was that moment that the aunt and nephew were interrupted by the Weasleys noticing that both Andromeda and Hermione had arrived at the same time. Pansy was there as well and she was the one who bounced over to Draco happily to hug him. "Isn't that your aunt?" She asked in a whisper. Draco nodded "I told her to contact my mother." Draco smiled before Pansy moved onto hugging Hermione happily and cooing at Teddy in her arms.
The Weasley's had been much more welcoming than Draco thought that they would be but Pansy said that they welcomed her with open arms so they should welcome him as well. Pansy, Hermione and Ginny were looking after Teddy and talking while Harry, Ron, Draco and George all decided to play quidditch together. Draco was placed on a team with Harry while the Weasley brothers joined teams. George had also been affected by the marriage law and was due to get married to Angelina Johnson in a couple of months.
The boys walked back into the house with mud all over them, talking about the game. Draco and Harry had scored the most but Draco had also been tackled the most. George was happily bragging about how many times he got Draco to the ground and then proceeded to tell everyone else in the house about the fact with made all the girls laugh. Hermione smiled "Look at you. My parents will kill you if you go back that dirty." She giggled. Draco nodded "I guess we'll have to stay here for a few more hours." He said happily. Draco knew at that moment, this was belonging.
Here's a cute little chapter. I really enjoyed writing this one. I want to say thank you because I woke up this morning to see that this story had hit 4k reads and I was shocked. Thank you so much. Don't forget to vote and comment if you enjoyed it and I will see next time with another update. -Alex xxx