From Venice with Love

Professor McGonagall came for them at precisely six. They had both changed and eaten a snack in their own kitchen, courtesy of the house elves.

“The Gryffindors and the Slytherins know, of course,” she said as they walked toward the Great Hall. “As do most of the Hufflepuffs and Ravenclaws, through word of mouth.”


“What happened in Gryffindor?” Hermione asked.


Professor McGonagall hesitated a moment. “There was…concern,” was all she said, stopping at the closed doors of the Great Hall. “Are you ready?”


Hermione nodded and Draco grabbed her hand. She looked at him and smiled before McGonagall pushed the doors open. There was silence from the tables as Hermione walked in holding Draco’s hand. Hermione looked at the Gryffindors out of the corner of her eye and saw some angry faces as well as curious ones. She could feel the Slytherins eyes glaring at her as she walked by. Draco looked right at them defiantly as they walked towards the front. They sat at a small table that had been placed by the Ravenclaws.

Professor Dumbledore stood and faced the students. “As you had been made aware previously, Hermione Granger was married over Christmas holiday and is now pregnant, due in September. I had, however, decided at the time, that the identity of her husband be kept secret to keep both of them and their child to be, safe. However, circumstances have made it so that her husband’s identity has been discovered. Rather than wait for rumours to go from house to house I would like to announce to you that Hermione is now Hermione Malfoy, and that her husband is Draco Malfoy.” There were a few whispers but for the most part silence met the announcement. ”I am sure you must understand why they felt they needed to keep their marriage a secret and do not expect to hear of any instances of confrontations or violence in this school. Please remember Mrs. Malfoy is expecting and I do not want her to receive any undue stress in her condition. I expect that they both shall be treated with respect. That’s all.” He sat as the students began to eat, glancing at Hermione and Draco as they did.


“I never said I was changing my name,” Hermione muttered, pouring herself some pumpkin juice.


“What?” Draco said. “Why wouldn’t you?”


“I rather like Granger.”

“Look here, no wife of mine will-“

“May we sit here?” Hermione looked up to see Harry and Ginny carrying plates.

She smiled gratefully at them. “Definitely,” Whispers ran through the hall as they sat down. Draco ignored them and piled his plate with food.

“How’d it go with Gryffindor?’ Hermione asked.

“Well,” Harry began, but stopped as Ron appeared in front of them, holding a plate.

“Room for one more?” he asked Hermione.

“Of course,” Hermione said, smiling at him.

He sat down and began to eat as Harry began again. “Some of them were mad at first, like Dean, but Ginny yelled at him.”

Ginny blushed. “Parvati and Lavender just giggled, they didn’t mind at all. In fact they asked me loads of questions about Malfoy’s…attributes.”

Draco looked up, grinning, as Hermione asked, “How would you know?”


“They figured you would tell me. They’ll probably ask you as I said I didn’t know.”

“All in all, as long as you don’t prance into the Gryffindor Common Room with Malfoy on your arm, they’ll be okay.” Harry said, buttering a roll.


“Like that would happen,” Draco mumbled into his food.

“Just watch out for the Slytherins, Hermione,” Ron said. “Him, I could care less about, but it’s really you they’re after. I heard that they think you bewitched him, that if you disappeared, Malfoy would be back. They’re all pretty upset you having a Malfoy baby.”

“Where’d you hear that?” Hermione asked.

“Lavender said she heard Millicent Bullstrode talking with Parkinson in the second floor toilets,” he said. “Snape told them it’s some sort of master plan involving You-Know-Who, but Parkinson wasn’t buying it.”

“It is a little far fetched. Marrying me maybe, but getting me pregnant, I can’t see how that would benefit You-Know-Who.”

“It is odd that you would get pregnant. I’m sure Malfoy has plenty of experience with contraceptive charms,” Ron said.

“More than you anyway, Weasley,” Draco sneered at him.

“You must have known Hermione didn’t have…experience. Why would you think she would know contraceptive charms?” Ron glared at him.

“Ron, it doesn’t matter now,” Hermione cut in as the two boys glared at each other. ”Let’s focus on the present, please.”

“Alright,” Ron said reluctantly, still glaring at Draco. Draco went back to eating.

“We have a suite now,” Hermione said, changing the subject. “I hope you all will come see it. It even has a small kitchen so we can eat there.”


“Tomorrow?” Harry asked. Hermione nodded.

As they ate, a steady stream of Gryffindors, Neville, Seamus, Lavender and Parvati came over to tell Hermione congratulations. Hermione was thrilled that they were so understanding.

“I thought I said I didn’t want to eat at the Gryffindor table,” Draco said nastily as Neville left the table.

“Oh sod off, Malfoy, I don’t see any of your so-called friends coming by,” Harry snapped.

As if on cue, Crabbe, Goyle, and Blaise Zabini walked up to the table. Draco stared at them, waiting for what they were going to say. “Well, mate, I guess congratulations,” Blaise said finally, eyeing the Gryffindors warily.

Draco nodded but didn’t respond.

“Snape explained the circumstances,” Blaise kept going. “Don’t worry about Parkinson, she’ll get over it.”

“She better,” Draco said in a low voice. “We don’t need her to cause…complications.”

“Of course,” Blaise eyed Hermione with an interest that made her skin crawl. “We’ll talk later,” he said abruptly. Crabbe and Goyle nodded and all three went back to the Slytherin table.

“That was odd,” Ron said. “I don’t like it, them thinking Malfoy is using you.”

“Lucky for us, it’s not your decision,” Draco told him.

“Draco,” Hermione said, touching his arm. Draco looked angry, but kept silent. She stood up, deciding it was time leave before Ron and Draco began fighting. “We’ll see you tomorrow then,” she said, smiling at her friends. Draco got up as well, but ignored the others as he and Hermione left. “You know, your comments just make it worse,” Hermione told him as they waited for Professor McGonagall to walk them back to their room.

“Weasley always starts it,” Draco said. “I’m not going to be friends with them, Hermione, so stop trying.”

“I want them to stay in my life,” Hermione said, as they were walking back to their room. “I want Ginny to visit me after the baby’s born and not feel unwanted.”

“Weasley is okay,” Draco admitted grudgingly. “I wouldn’t have a problem with her coming around the manor.”


“Malfoy Manor?” Hermione said. “I can’t live there.”

“Not now,” Draco agreed. “After the war, of course we’ll live there.”

Hermione decided to let that go for now. “What about Ron and Harry?”

Draco sighed. “As long as you make sure they don’t go poking around, feel free when I’m not there. I don’t plan on having them over for dinner though.”

“What about going to the Burrow?”

Draco wrinkled his nose in distaste. “Why would you want to go there?”

“Draco,” Hermione said warningly.

“Do what you want when I’m not there,” he said. “Do we have to decide this now? It’s ages away.”

Hermione decided he was right and said goodnight to McGonagall as they went into their room.

“What do you make of Zabini?” Hermione asked as she changed for bed.

“I’m not sure,” Draco said carefully, pulling off his shirt. “I’m sure he’ll find me during classes and we’ll find out.”

“Just be careful,” she said, climbing into bed.