Visited Upon the Son

Disclaimer: I live in Texas, not Scotland, so I am obviously not JK Rowling.

I’m just playing with the wonderful characters that she created. I promise that I will

put them back the way I found them when I’m done!

AN: Here’s the next chappie!! Thanks to all who reviewed. As always, please

R&R. My muse loves the attention.

Visited Upon the Son

© SparkyCSI

Chapter 28. Closer and Closer

The month and a half following Luna and Neville’s wedding seemed to either rush by or drag

on depending on the day. Days that she spent with Draco, either at her house or his,

seemed to fly by and the days they spent apart seemed to crawl.

They worked together on the wedding and at Draco’s insistence they decided to have a

semi-Muggle ceremony. A few weeks before the ceremony, they decided to meet Minerva in

Hogsmeade to go over the actual ceremony since she was the only one that they both were

comfortable enough with to officiate it for them.

Hermione arrived at Three Broomsticks first and gratefully accepted a butterbeer from

Madame Rosemerta. As she waited patiently for Draco and Minerva, she thought back to the

good times that they had had in this pub. She was smiling fondly in remembrance as

Minerva walked in and sat down beside her.

“Remembering the old times,” the older witch said with a smile.

Hermione nodded. “Yeah. Ron, Harry and I would come here and plan what we were going to

do to try to defeat Voldemort,” she admitted.

“So I had gathered from Albus. Did you really think that he didn’t know what you three

were doing all the time? He just turned a blind eye to it since he knew it was necessary

for the defeat of the Dark Lord.”

A flash of regret passed over both of their faces at what the war had cost them as Draco

walked into the tavern. He ordered a Firewhiskey from Madame Rosemerta and quickly

settled down next to the women. “Everything okay?” he asked when he saw their sombre

faces.

Hermione smiled at him. “Just remembering Harry and Ron,” she admitted. “But, now that

you are here, let’s talk about the ceremony.”

Minerva nodded as she took a drink from her butterbeer. “From our previous conversations,

I gather that you want to have a Muggle ceremony?”

Draco and Hermione nodded. “Yes,” Hermione answered. “To some extent, but we do want to

have a Wizarding bonding ceremony. I think that should be fairly easy to work into the

ceremony, correct?”

Minerva nodded. “Yes, we can work it into the ring ceremony since they are very similar.”

She smiled. “Dobby is very excited that you requested it to be held at Hogwarts. He

can’t wait to prepare the menu for you. Have you decided to do a sit down dinner?”

“No,” Draco said. “I’m not sure if that’s a good idea considering that the remaining

friends that I do have are not...” He paused, groping for the right word.

“As forgiving as they could be,” Hermione finished. “We want to minimise the bloodshed at

our reception.”

Minerva laughed. “I don’t foresee anything happening, but I do understand. We can have a

buffet with finger foods. Now, onto a serious question. In the binding ceremony, it is

required that a member of each of your families come up to the dais with you to give their

blessing. Hermione, I can substitute one of the Weasley’s if you want since your parents

are dead, but Draco, who do you want that to be?”

Draco sighed, a dark look coming over his face. “Honestly, I don’t know any family that I

have left. The only blood relative that I can think of is Andromeda and I don’t know if

she would be willing to do that.”

Minerva sighed in relief. “She is. I’ve already contacted her about it and her words

were ‘Since the boy didn’t turn out like his father, I’d be more that willing to do

that.’”

Draco flushed a little, not knowing how to feel about his estranged aunt’s vote of

confidence. “Um, I don’t know what to say.”

Hermione laid her hand on top of his. “Thank you will work,” she said.

Draco flushed. “Then I will have to thank her when I see her.” He turned to Minerva.

“When do I need to ask her by?”

Minerva shook her head. “Within the next couple of days would be nice. It gives her time

to prepare.” Sensing Draco’s unease with the subject, she changed topics. “On to your

vows. It is a Muggle tradition that sometimes the bride and the groom wish to write their

own vows. I personally think it is an excellent idea, but do you want to?”

Both nodded their agreement. “I think it’s wonderfully romantic,” Hermione said with a

dreamy expression on her face.

Draco turned his head and rolled his eyes slightly, but he agreed. “I think so, since the

Muggle ceremony does nothing to address magic.”

Minerva held back a giggle because she had seen Draco roll his eyes. “Good, then.

Everything else, you’ve already gotten back to me on.” She smiled slightly. “Now, Draco,

I know that you are planning the honeymoon and I expect both of you back by the time the

new school term starts. I’ll accept no excuses.”

Draco returned her smirk. “Oh, we will be, Headmistress.”

Minerva nodded as she got up to leave. “I will take my leave, then. I expect to see you

the Sunday before the service, so we can have a rehearsal.”

Hermione and Draco nodded as they waved good-bye to her. Hermione looked at Draco. “So

where are we honeymooning?”

Draco lifted an eyebrow. “You will find out when we leave, my love. No time

sooner.”

Hermione playfully slapped him on the arm. “Tease. I think that I’ll go and see if Ginny

will stand up with me during the bonding ceremony. I suggest that you do the same with

your Aunt Andromeda.”

Draco sighed, but knew that the sooner he got the visit over with, the better he would

feel, so he quickly drank the rest of his Firewhiskey and with a chaste kiss to Hermione,

made his way outside. He quickly made his way home, to change as well as to send an owl

to Andromeda to ask when the best time to call was.

A couple of hours later, when he was sitting trying to read in order to distract himself

from his nervousness, an unfamiliar owl pecked on his window. He let the grey owl in and

gave it a treat when he untied the letter from it.

“Draco, thank you for your courtesy. You can come by for dinner this evening. It will

be served at seven p.m.,” the letter read.

Draco sighed and checked the time; he still had a couple of hours before he needed to

leave. Feeling more nervous, he picked up his book, A Discourse on Vampires, by

Martine Labelle, to help to pass the time.

At six-thirty, he was standing on the Tonk’s doorstep, feeling as if butterflies were

trapped in his stomach. He cautiously rang the bell, not certain of his reception and

when the door opened, was shocked by the woman that he saw.

She looked almost exactly like Bellatrix, but a kinder version of her. Her brown hair was

pulled back into a bun and she had laugh lines around her mouth. After the shock of the

semblance wore off, he stuck out his hand. “Andromeda, I presume?” he asked.

Andromeda smiled as she shook his hand. “Draco. Welcome to my home. Be careful, Teddy

is still awake and he’s at the destructive phase of his childhood,” she said trying to put

the young man at ease.

Draco laughed, the tension flowing out of his body. “I think I’ll be okay. James and

Lily Potter are in that stage as well, so I’ve gotten used to them.” He paused for a

second before following her into the quaint house. “You have a lovely home.”

Andromeda looked at him and saw that his admiration was sincere. “Thank you. I know that

it’s not near what either of us grew up with, but I do like to keep a tidy home.” She

paused for a second. “Please, call me Dromeda.”

Draco nodded as she led him to the drawing room. “All right, Aunt Dromeda.”

As they sat down on the well worn chairs, Andromeda played hostess. “Would you like

something to drink, my dear? I have coffee, pumpkin juice, butterbeer.”

Draco thought for a moment. “Coffee would be lovely, thank you.” As she left to fetch

the coffee, he studied the room carefully. The furniture was worn, but in quite good

condition and looked as though it was cared for lovingly. There were plenty of books

about, both Muggle and Wizarding, and they looked well read.

As she walked back into the room, carrying the tray holding a silver coffee service,

Andromeda studied her nephew carefully. Yes, he looked like that prat Lucius, but with

more good humour in his eyes, she thought. “So Draco, what can I do for you?”

Draco smiled, liking that she was not one to skate around an issue. “Well, I wanted to

ask you if you would stand up beside me during the bonding ceremony when I marry

Hermione.”

She nodded. “I had expected that after Minerva contacted me, but I do have a question for

you. How do you really feel about the fact that she is Muggle born?”

Draco thought about her question for a few moments before answering. “It doesn’t matter

to me. If I had gone down the road that my father wanted me to take, then I would

probably feel differently, but I didn’t. I think I’ve loved her since our fourth year,”

he confided.

Andromeda raised her eyebrows. “Really?”

Draco nodded. “Yeah. She has the amazing mind and it was seeing her do things that

Father said a Muggle born was not able to succeed at that changed my mind. She’s the one

who kept me from going down that path.”

Andromeda nodded carefully, the last pieces of the puzzle coming into place for her. “So

through loving her, you managed to escape the darkness. I know how you feel. That’s how

I felt about Ted. I just knew that what my family tried to instil on me was wrong when I

met him. Our hearts choose to love without the prejudices that are imparted to our

heads.” She smiled at him. “And for that reason, I would be proud to stand up with you

at the bonding ceremony.”

Draco looked at her, seeing compassion in her gaze. “Thank you, Aunt Dromeda. It means a

lot to me.”

He was about say more when a whirlwind with turquoise hair ran into the room. “Grandma!

Elksie says that dinner is ready!” the whirlwind said as he came to a stop.

Andromeda looked at her grandson. “Teddy, that is no way to behave in front of a guest.”

The little boy nodded, looking downcast. “But, since you are in here, I’d like to

introduce you to your cousin, Draco.”

Teddy looked up at him, his hair changing from turquoise to purple quickly. “Hi,” he

muttered shyly.

Draco smiled as he moved to kneel in front of the boy. “Hi. It’s very nice to meet you,”

he said softly, trying to cheer the boy up.

Teddy smiled before nodding. “How are you my cousin?” he asked.

Draco nodded. “Well, your grandmother is my mother’s sister, so technically we are first

cousins.”

“Did you know my parents?” the inquisitive child asked.

Draco felt a stab of remorse go through him at his treatment of Remus. “I knew your

father a little bit; he taught at my school while I was there, but I didn’t know them very

well,” he said with regret.

“Oh, okay,” Teddy accepted as he grabbed Draco’s hand. “Come on! It’s time for dinner!”

he shouted as he pulled Draco towards the dining room.

Draco just laughed and allowed himself to be pulled towards the room, feeling much better

about meeting the rest of his family.

----------------------------------

Hermione was kneading bread dough when there was a knock at her door. Wiping her hands on

her apron, she went to open the door, knowing that it had to be someone that she knew

since her wards hadn’t gone off.

When she opened the door, she found the very pregnant Ginny standing there, looking

frustrated. Ginny didn’t even bother for Hermione to greet her, she just stated, “Never

get pregnant. I’d forgotten what it was like to feel like a beached whale.”

Hermione laughed. “Come on Ginny, you love having kids, don’t try to deny that.”

Ginny shrugged. “I know, but I like being able to see my shoes, too. You do know that

I’m due the week before your wedding, right?”

Hermione nodded. “I know. I have Madame Malkin on standby to alter your dress as needed.

I have it on good word that as long as you give birth two days before the wedding or

sooner, it will be fine. If not, then Luna will be my matron of honour and then I’ll have

your mom stand up with me during the bonding ceremony instead of you.”

Ginny smiled; she’d know that Hermione had wanted her to stand up for her during the

bonding ceremony ever since she had told her about it. “As long as you have a back up

plan, I’m okay then.”

Hermione leaned over and gave her friend a hug. “Ginny, you know I always have a backup

plan.” She bit her lip. “If I had been conscious when Harry and Ron had gone after

Voldemort then they would probably still be alive, but I wasn’t and I’m always going to

feel guilty about that.”

Ginny leaned back and looked into Hermione’s eyes. “Mia, you can’t change the past, so

don’t dwell on it.”

Hermione dabbed the tears away from her eyes as she nodded. “That’s just it. I don’t

feel guilty about loving Draco and I feel bad for that.”

Ginny sighed, understanding where she was coming from. “I know what you mean. I loved

Harry with all my heart, but with Lee, it just feels right. I can’t explain it, but it’s

almost feels that this was destined to be.”

Hermione nodded. “Exactly! I just felt like I was somehow betraying his memory, but

couldn’t feel bad for it.”

Ginny smiled. “Don’t worry about it. Destiny works in mysterious ways. Who’s to say

that even if they had survived, we would still be with them? First love is always

fleeting.”

Hermione smiled, feeling better. “Thank you Gin. Now, I’ve got to get back to making my

bread, so do you want to follow me into the kitchen so we can continue our visit?”

Ginny nodded and laughed as she followed her back into the kitchen.

----------------------------------

AN: Okay guys! Here’s 28. I do have 29 and 30 back from my beta, so how soon I

post this will be up to y’all! If I get 15 reviews for this chapter (on fanfiction), then

I will post the next one!

smurphy - Thanks! I'm glad she did too. It comes down to the fact that Draco is treating

her nothing like his father did, so it's easy for her to seperate them. I loved the weird

cravings thing, too. :D

jocat - She has scales! I'd hurt my teeth. But truly, she's in a really angsty mood that

I'm channeling into a different story, so that's where my time is going right now! Hope

you like this one!

Alle - Thanks! I'm glad that you are liking it!

kazfeist - I love writing weddings...I'm single, so I get to play out my fantasies!

Thanks for the tip with the typo (my betas don't beta the smut, I write that after I get

the chapter back). I'm correcting it now. :D