Muggle Marriage Law 51599

Cap first dance

“It’s that time of the festivities when the ‘newlyweds’,” Dean mimed the quotation symbols as he smiled ruefully at the couple, “get to dance their first dance as a couple . . . who is celebrating their third year third month wedding anniversary.”

With that, the guests cheered. The band played a slow number. Draco stood up and extended his hand toward the brown haired witch. Hermione slightly colored as she took his hand. He led her to the dance floor and pulled her in close to him.

He breathed her in as they looked into each other’s eyes. He smiled at her. She blushed again.

“Dean’s sort of right,” she said, looking up at him. “This is our first dance ever as a couple, period.

“I mean,” she continued, as Draco kept her moving in time with him, not once taking his eyes off her. “It’s not like we danced at our first wedding.”

Draco looked at her sincerely. Then he leaned into her cheek as he spun her around. “That’s not true,” he whispered in her ear.

He grinned as he looked into her face. She eyed him suspiciously, as she returned his grin.

“Graduation Ball,” Draco finally said.

Hermione laughed, “We weren’t a couple, Draco.”

“Yes, we were,” Draco smiled. “We were the Heads.”

“We were forced to dance that first number together,” she said as she pulled in closer to his chest.

“Now if my memory serves me correctly,” Draco said, turning them again. “We danced the next two numbers together. I guess you fell prey to my charms then, too. I mean, it’s not like someone held a wand to your head.”

Hermione was speechless for a moment as she remembered what had occurred almost twelve years ago. She raised her eyebrows, “Stop being a prat, Draco.”

“Oh, come on, Hermione. Why didn’t you just slap me in the face and walk away after that number?” he said smirking.

“I’d like to slap that smirk off your face right now,” she joked.

“Another Draco-Hermione heated argument,” he said placing his finger under her chin.

“So what can we do to shut us,” Hermione began.

Draco captured her lips. She slowly let his tongue into her mouth allowing him to explore her more deeply. They held that kiss for what seemed like an eternity.

Draco finally broke the kiss so that they could both breathe. Hermione looked up and laughed a little, “That worked.”

They both laughed. Draco felt as if there were no one else on the dance floor even though the guests began to fill the space around them as the music played. He looked into her face again.

“You were beautiful back then,” he said looking into her dark brown eyes as he cradled her chin. “You’re more beautiful now.”

She blushed. She gently patted his chest. Draco took in a quick breath. It was his turn to color slightly.

“You don’t have to flatter me,” she said. “We’re already married remember.”

“Well, if you consider the truth flattery, then so be it,” he smiled nuzzling her neck.

Her breath caught in her throat, “I bet you say that to all the witches you’ve been with.”

He looked down into her face. He kissed her forehead before looking at her again. “There’s only one woman for whom I really meant that statement and she’s staring me in the face right now.”

Hermione smiled at him. She leaned her cheek on his chest as the music kept on.

* * *

“May I have this dance, Ms. Granger,” Lucius Malfoy asked.

The brown haired youngster looked from her uncle Jon to her grandmother. They both nodded for her to take Mr. Malfoy’s hand. The two year old took her grandfather’s hand. Lucius pulled her up into his arms.

Grandpa Lucius couldn’t stop a tear from rolling down his cheek. Lois took a gentle hold of the older Malfoy’s face. With her small palm, she wiped her grandfather’s cheeks. “Don’t cry, Grampa,” the small child looked into the same grey eyes.

Lucius smiled widely, “Oh, Kiddo.”

“Grampa,” the little child looked expectantly up at him. “Are you happy about Mom and Dad together?”

The older Malfoy turned them on the dance floor. “I’m very happy, Kiddo.”

“Even if Mom’s a muggle-born?”

“Your mom is an amazing witch just as you are an amazing young girl,” the older man said, cupping her chin.

“Do you hate me, Grampa?”

“No, why would I? Did your mother say I would?” he looked into the child’s eyes.

The young girl shook her head, “No. She said you would love me no matter what.”

“Well, she’s right. I don’t ever want you to think that I could ever hate you,” Lucius hugged the young girl. “You see, there are witches and wizards who thought that they were better than others.”

“Because they weren’t,” the young girl hesitated, “they weren’t muggle-borns.”

“Exactly. And shamefully, I was one of them,” Lucius looked into her grey eyes. “Not anymore.”

The young girl wrapped her arms around her grandfather’s neck and hugged him for a long time. Mr. Malfoy looked up to the stars smiling.

* * *

“May I,” Draco said, sounding a bit vexed as he extended his hand towards the couple dancing.

The young wizard reluctantly gave up his dance partner. Hermione smiled to herself. “I thought you’d never cut in, Draco,” she said looking into his grey eyes.

“I’d had to bite my tongue six times to keep from saying ‘no’ to these vultures. I don’t want to let you out of my grasp for the rest of the night,” Draco said clutching her closer. “I swear if another wizard tries to cut in, I’m gonna hex . . .”

“May we cut in,” the elder Malfoy tapped Draco’s shoulder.

“Dad,” Draco sounded surprised. “I mean, Father.”

“Draco,” Lucius Malfoy held his granddaughter in his arms. “A father should get the chance to dance with his daughter on such an occasion.”

Draco looked at Hermione. Hermione nodded. Draco stretched his arms out towards the small child.

Lois crawled into the blonde wizard’s grasp. Draco smiled at the girl and then back at her mother. He whisked the little child away.

Hermione smiled to herself. She was just about to exit the dance floor when Lucius Malfoy held out his hand. Hermione took in a breath.

“Ms. Hermione,” the older Malfoy began. “May I have this dance?”

Hermione took in a sharp breath. “Of course, Sir,” she said, hesitating at first and then taking her father-in-law’s hands.

Lucius turned her onto the dance floor. Hermione was a little rattled when Lucius smiled at her.

“Draco has taken dance lessons since way before Hogwarts. You kept up with him beautifully,” the older wizard complimented.

Hermione could not keep from blushing, “I’m a closet ballroom dancer, Mr. Malfoy.”

“You dance in closets?” Mr. Malfoy asked sincerely.

They both laughed. “It’s a muggle saying, Mr. Malfoy,” the brown haired witch smiled at her father-in-law. “I dance a lot better in the confines of my own home; without several thousand guests watching.”

“I guess I’ll have to brush up on my muggle studies,” Lucius said smiling genuinely at her. He took in a deep breath.

“Three years ago, I don’t think I could’ve ever imagined my son accepting his responsibilities like he is now.”

Hermione almost stopped dancing. She looked down for a moment trying to hide eyes that were beginning to gloss over. She looked up into familiar grey eyes.

“Mr. Malfoy,” she hesitated, “I know I’ve never been your first choice for Draco.

“I know I’m never going to be good enough for him,” Hermione looked down.

“Hermione,” Lucius said. He raised her chin up so that he could see her face. “I was wrong about you.”

Hermione looked up into his face. She saw a softness in his eyes; not unlike that which she saw in Draco’s. She gulped.

“I’ve made your life a living hell from the beginning,” he said sadly.

“Mr. Malfoy,” she began.

“I’ve killed your friends and family,” Mr. Malfoy stopped dancing but kept her in his arms.

“Mr. Malfoy, you didn’t kill Ron or Harry,” Hermione said. “It was the war.”

“Your parents,” Lucius said disheartened.

“Corey Reimers was head of that mission,” Hermione pointed out.

“I may as well have been the one to have done all those things. I was a high ranking Deatheater,” the older Malfoy acknowledged.

“But you didn’t, Sir,” Hermione said.

“I didn’t stop them from happening, either. I didn’t stop Draco from hurting you.”

“Everything’s fair in love and war, Mr. Malfoy.”

“How can you be so forgiving?”

“My parents always taught me to see the good in people,” she began. “With Draco, it was a little difficult.”

Both of them began to laugh. Mr. Malfoy continued to lead her on the dance floor.

“They also taught me that if you really love someone, you could forgive him anything.”

Lucius smiled. “Hermione,” he said looking into her face. “I know it’s going to take a long time for you to feel comfortable enough to call me Father, let alone, Dad. I know I probably could never live up to your own father. I’m going to have to earn your respect. I just want you to know that I’m glad Draco chose you.

“Welcome back to the family, Hermione,” the older wizard said expectantly.

Hermione closed her eyes, unsuccessfully blinking back tears. “Thanks, Dad,” she cried.

Lucius Malfoy brought her into an embrace. He, too, could not stop from shedding tears. He pushed her gently away so that he could look into her face. They both took a breath.

“I’ve missed the first two years of my granddaughter’s life,” he began with a smile. “A present a day for the next two years should probably suffice.”

“Dad, I don’t think so,” Hermione said a little softly.

“You’re right,” Mr. Malfoy said, laughing as he dipped her. “We probably don’t want anymore Dracos running around.”

“Okay, I thought I heard mention of my name,” Draco said as he appeared next to his father, “May I have my wife back, Dad?”

The elder Malfoy looked at his daughter-in-law with raised eyebrows. She laughed. The older wizard bowed to the young couple.

Draco graciously nodded at his father before taking Hermione’s hand. He drew her in close to him immediately after his father left heading towards Mrs. Malfoy, Lois, and Jon.

“You look gorgeous,” he whispered into her ear.

“You’ve said that already,” she said breathlessly.

“No, I said you looked beautiful earlier,” he said looking into her eyes.

She blushed. “I love you, Mr. Malfoy.”

“I love you, Mrs. Malfoy,” he said, as he moved his lips over hers.