Muggle Marriage Law 51599

Cap may

“It’s too bad Celeste couldn’t make it tonight, Draco,” Ginny said as she placed the garlic-mashed potatoes on the table.

“Yeah,” Draco said smiling at the redheaded witch, “Fashion shoot, such is the life of a model, right.”

Dean squeezed his wife’s hand as she sat next to him. She kissed his cheek. Draco watched the expectant parents’ show of affection and couldn’t help smiling to himself.

“Let’s eat, shall we?” Dean said. The three ate the home cooked meal.

* * *

Draco peeked at Celeste before he shut his eyes, drifting off to sleep. Draco felt himself breathing deeply before succumbing to slumber, remembering the conversation he had had with the Thomases early that evening at dinner.

Dean was the one that suggested it. Ginny even chimed in after initially flinching at the idea. Both knew that was the option of last resort. Declaring Hermione Granger dead would allow a quick solution to his problem.

It had been a two month search for his “ex” already and they had gotten nowhere. She wasn’t in Wizarding London. With Dean’s contacts in the muggle world, they couldn’t find her either. It was as if she dropped under the radar.

* * *

He walked out of the familiar dank place. He blinked twice before he realized where he actually was. He reached the castle’s main foyer and walked out into the main hall. He looked up at the ceiling and smiled to himself as he remembered the little precocious eleven-year-old talk excitedly about the enchanted ceiling to the other First Years around her.

A cry rang out into the night. He quickly ran out to the landing that overlooked the waters a hundred meters below the edge of the castle. The full moon shed light on the two figures seemingly in a scuffle.

Draco narrowed his eyes. Celeste? The blonde witch held a dagger above her head as the other woman seemed to be fending her off. Draco ran towards the two.

“Celeste,” he shouted. Both the witches turned towards him. He took in a sharp breath. He approached the two.

Everything seemed like it were occurring in slow motion. He saw her knees buckle. She was able to knock the dagger out of Celeste’s hands. It fell at the base of the wall. Celeste pushed at the woman’s shoulder. He heard her cry out in pain.

“Hermione,” Draco shouted. He saw a mad scramble for the thin piece of wood that fell to the ground in the scuffle.

Celeste was able to grab for it first. “Everte Statum!” his fiancée shouted at the other witch. The injured woman sprung violently back to the short wall. Celeste looked back at Draco and began to run.

Draco saw her lose her balance before toppling over the wall. Draco moved quickly, grabbing at her. He caught her right forearm. He pitched forward.

He saw the dagger that the two witches were fighting over. He saw the blood that pooled under the blade. His eyes grew large as he looked over the edge of the wall.

He slipped a little more forward, losing his grip slightly as his hands moved up to her wrist. He heard her whimper in pain. She looked up into his eyes. He took a deep breath. Her eyes fluttered.

“Hermione,” he said, squeezing a bit harder. “Hermione, I can’t get a good grip, here.”

“Why did you call me that?” she asked, her voice tinged with fright.

“That’s your name, isn’t it?” he said. “Look, Hermione, you’re gonna have to climb up a little.”

She just looked up at him wondering what he was playing at. She slipped a little. “Why are you doing this?” she asked.

“I’m trying to help you up here,” he said sounding a bit annoyed.

“Why don’t you just take aim and use the killing curse on me now,” Hermione said, her breath hitched as she tried to stifle a sob.

“You’ve gone mad, haven’t you?” Draco said wide eyed. “Why would I want that?”

“You’re a Deatheater,” she said, taking in a sharp breath. “You kill witches like me.”

“Deatheater,” he said as he saw the mark on his arm start to slither. He shook his head. “The war is way over, Hermione. You should know that.”

“What are you on about?” Hermione asked, gulping.

It was a dream. It had to have been, Draco tried to rationalize. “Hermione,” he said looking down into her deep brown eyes. He took in a sharp breath, “In my reality, the war is over. This isn’t real.”

“You’re insane, Draco,” Hermione said slipping a little bit more out of his grip.

“Hermione, look at me,” Draco said sharply causing her to shake off impending unconsciousness. “I need you to help me pull you up.”

He saw her look up into his face. He pitched forward again. She was slipping. “I need your other arm, Hermione,” he tried to say calmly.

“I can’t feel anything on my left side, Draco,” she said choked. Draco looked at her dangling arm. He saw the blood roll down her arm from the chest wound. His hands held onto her fingers as she slipped further.

“Give me your other hand,” he said tensely.

“Let go of me, Draco,” she said softly, looking up into his grey eyes, realizing that if he didn’t let go he would also plummet to his death.

“You’re insane,” he said, as his eyes grew bigger.

“I’m already dead, Draco,” she said, gulping as she felt him pitch forward. “Please let me go. You have to . . .”

“I will do no such thing. I can be just as stubborn as you are,” he said in shock. What the hell was she saying? “Give me your other hand, now, Hermione,” he said pleadingly, as he almost lost his balance.

He saw a tear roll down her cheek. He watched her swing her left arm up, taking several tries before she was able to get it over her head. He knew she was stifling a cry of pain on each attempt.

‘That’s it Hermione,’ he said in his mind as she reached up for his hands. He pitched forward again. He caught sight of her dark brown eyes. He had to take in a deep breath as she looked into his eyes, a look of fear hidden behind dark irises.

Her fingers worked nimbly before Draco realized what was happening. His grip faltered. He watched in shock as she dropped the one hundred meters down the face of the cliff.

“NO!” he screamed as he heard the splash into the waters below.

“NO!” he screamed again as he jolted up right in bed. He looked at the sleeping witch next to him. She didn’t even notice him. Draco hyperventilated for a few moments before finally calming down.

He didn’t get any more sleep that night. He sat in the bay window in Celeste’s bedroom looking out into the affluent part of the Wizarding world.