From Venice with Love

Hermione woke in the morning to wonderful smells wafting into her room from downstairs. She put on her robe and went downstairs quickly. Her parents and Draco were seated around the table eating eggs and sausages.

“You finally woke up, sleepy head?” her father looked up from the paper.


“You should have woken me,” Hermione said. “Happy Christmas.”


“Happy Christmas,” her mother said, handing her a plate. “We were going to, but Draco said you haven’t been feeling that well, so we decided to let you sleep.”


“I’ve been fine,” she said, glaring at Draco. “Happy Christmas, Draco”

“Tea, Hermione?” he asked, smirking at her.

“Please,” he poured her tea and she set about piling her plate with the great smelling food.

“Glad to see your appetite’s back,” her mother commented. Hermione said nothing, but Draco raised his eyebrows at her.

The others waited for her to finish breakfast and then they went into the family room where presents were sitting under the tree. They settled down into seats and Hermione began handing out the presents. She had gotten her mother a shirt and her father a book. Draco had gotten both her parents books that Hermione had recommended to him.

"Wonderful, Draco, thank you," her mother said. Draco smiled at her.

Hermione felt bad as she opened the clothes her parents gave her, knowing they wouldn’t fit much longer. “Thank you,” she said, anyway. Her mother had also gotten her a pair of sapphire earrings that she liked immediately. Her parents had gotten Draco a watch, and Hermione received books from both Harry and Ron and some make up from Ginny.

Hermione had never gotten a boy a present before, besides Harry and Ron and they didn’t count. She had gotten Draco a green cashmere sweater and a book of spells. “Thank you,” he said and kissed her. Hermione blushed and her mother smiled.

Draco’s gift to her was small and once again in a velvet box. She opened it expecting a bracelet or something like it but instead she gasped. Inside was a large diamond ring set in platinum with sapphires on either side. Hermione knew instantly that it was an engagement ring. She glanced quickly at her parents for signs of shock, but both were sitting seemingly unsurprised, her mother nearly jumping out of her seat, her father smiling slightly, which let her know Draco must have spoken to them earlier about the gift. Swallowing hard, she turned to Draco. He was staring at her with a slight smile on his face. “Will you marry me, Hermione?” he asked quietly.

“Of course,” she said, hugging him tightly. Her mother jumped up excitedly and came around to hug Hermione as well and look at the ring. Her father shook Draco’s hand and smiled at her. “You knew about this?” Hermione asked.

Her father nodded. “He came to us one of the first days you were here,” he said. “I wasn’t that thrilled about the idea at first, to be honest, but he’s a nice young man and he said that the engagement could be as long as you wanted, years even. So don’t feel rushed at all, Hermione.”


“Thank you, Dad,” she said, knowing it would actually be a very short engagement.

She helped her mother clean up all the paper and her father took Draco with him to go to shovel the walkway. Once the paper was cleaned up, she followed her mother into the kitchen to clean up the breakfast dishes.

“Are you happy, dear?” her mother asked.

“Oh, yes,” Hermione said smiling.

“Draco is a lovely boy. I’m glad he came. It’s too bad you’ve been feeling so poorly.”


“I’m not feeling poorly,” Hermione said.

“Dear, I’ve heard you throw up quite a few times this break,” her mother said quietly and Hermione didn’t respond. She scrubbed harder at a dish.


“Hermione, are you pregnant?” her mother asked finally.


Hermione took a deep breath, ”Mum,”

“It would explain the sickness,” her mother went on. “Also, why Draco decided to propose before you’ve even graduated.”


“Does Dad think that as well?” Hermione asked.

“I’m not sure. He hasn’t said anything to me. If that’s the case, Hermione, we’ll help you. You don’t have to get married.”

“Mum, I want to marry Draco.”

“So, it’s true then?” Hermione nodded slightly. “Oh, Hermione!” her mother sat at the table. “How far along are you?”

“About ten weeks,” she said. “Mum, please don’t be mad.”

“I’m not mad, dear, I’m sad. This will make you grow up quickly. You and Draco are so young!”

“It’ll be okay,” Hermione said. “Draco’s family has loads of money so we won’t be struggling. The baby will be born after school is over and I can work whenever I want afterwards or not at all, depending on how I feel.”

“When are you planning on getting married?”


“Before the baby is born. Fairly soon, I think. Draco has to take care of a few things, but he wants to be married before I start to show.”

“I hope you’ll have us there,” her mother said. “I don’t know what a wizard wedding entails but I would love to be there.”


“I’m not sure what is involved either,” Hermione admitted. “I’ll have to ask Draco. What about Dad?”


“I’ll talk to Dad after you leave. Let him get used to it without Draco nearby. He’ll be fine dear; I’ll make sure of it.”

“Thank you,” Hermione hugged her mother tightly.

“I can’t believe my little girl is going to be a mother,” Tears sprung into her eyes.

“Mum, stop. They’ll be coming in soon,”

“Of course,” Her mother wiped her tears away and stood up, smiling. “Would you like to help with the turkey, dear?”

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“That was wonderful, Mrs. Granger,” Draco said, finally putting down his fork.

The table was littered with the remains of turkey, stuffing, Brussels sprouts and roast potatoes.

“I’m glad you liked it,” Hermione’s mother replied. “Next year-“ she broke off. Casting a glance at her husband, she kept going. “Next year will be wonderful as well.”

Draco looked at her strangely but didn’t respond. Hermione helped her mother with the dishes and then she and Draco went to take a walk to settle their full stomachs. “Be careful, dear,” her mother called after them. “It’s icy!”

Draco took Hermione’s hand and helped her down the stairs. “She knows, doesn’t she?” he said, as they walked away from the house. “She kept looking at me funny during dinner.”

“She knows. She guessed, I didn’t tell her. She’s going to Dad after we leave. She wants to come to the wedding.”

Draco nodded. “That sounds nice. I wish my mother could come but I don’t dare tell her.”

“How is a wizard wedding different from a Muggle one?” Hermione asked.

“I don’t know what you do in a Muggle one,” Draco shrugged.

“Who marries you?”

“A Presider. My parents were married by the Chief Warlock of Wizenmagot. Before Dumbledore,” he said. “You say vows; it should be close to the same.”

“What about magic?”

“Well, we’ll be bound together.”


“What does that mean?”

“Our lives are bound. I’ll be able to tell if anything happens to you and vice versa. It prevents the couple from cheating as well. At least without the other’s knowledge,” he added. “You’ll see. The problem is finding a Presider that won’t tell anyone who we are. I’m sure for the right amount of galleons I can find one, but I don’t want a dodgy one either.”

“What about Professor Dumbledore?” Hermione asked.

“I don’t know,” Draco sighed. “I know you trust him, but I’ve always thought he was a little senile. I thought Snape.”

“Yuck, no. He’d talk you out of it,” Hermione said immediately.

“He wouldn’t do that,” Draco said, but unconvincingly.

“Professor Dumbledore wouldn’t tell and he wouldn’t try to talk us out of it.” Hermione argued.

“How about this. Give me until the end of January to figure something out. If I can’t, we’ll go to Dumbledore.”

“Provided you talk to me before you tell anyone that sounds like a good idea. Around then, I’ll need to find a medi-witch as well.”


“I’ll work on that to,” Draco said. “I wish I could trust my mother. Everything would be so much easier.”

They walked in silence for a while, each lost in their own thoughts.