In-Laws

In-Laws

By: Tassana Burrfoot





Chapter Six





Draco\'s eyes lit up as he stepped into the visiting room. A large smile crept upon his face. Christmas had come to the prison and it was so much better than the "Christmas stew" the guards had provided.



He glanced over to his father who seemed just as curious as he was. He could only imagine how much trouble Potter had to go through to allow this. He stood in earnest as his wife and mother entered the room.



A bright smile was displaying on Hermione\'s face as she wrapped her arms around her husband\'s neck and kissed him on the lips. He was clean shaved and looked in good spirits, despite living in prison. She brought her lips up to his ear and whispered, "I have a surprise for you."



"You mean aside from the gifts and Christmas meal I know your mother made for me?" he questioned.



They kissed again, reacquainting themselves with each other\'s mouths before joining Lucius and Narcissa at the table. The guards had provided four chairs for the family. The two older Malfoys sat next to each other and opposite of the younger couple. To everyone\'s surprise, Hermione sat in Draco\'s lap.



"What are you doing?" he asked incrediously.



Her smile remained plastered on her face. "Why, I\'m having myself a happy little Christmas, Mr. Malfoy," she responded, wriggling a bit to prove her point.



He glanced at his parents and blushed. The prim and proper purebloods just stared at the young couple. There was a slight hint of disapprovement in their gazes that Hermione seemed to ignore.



"This is from Ginny and Harry," she explained as she handed Draco a package with green paper and silver ribbon. "They didn\'t get you a card this time because Ginny thought it would be a bit redun..."



She stopped and looked at him curiously. He wasn\'t looking at her or the gift. Confused, she followed his gaze to rest upon Lucius and Narcissa\'s stern expressions. This just puzzled her even more. "What\'s wrong?" she asked, not understanding.



Narcissa sat up straight and glared at the girl. "As much as Amy and Henry pride themselves on your achievements, it seems they failed at teaching your proper etiquette," she said, haughtily.



Lucius growled. "Indeed. Are you incapable of controlling yourself, Mudblood? Perhaps you would prefer to skip gift giving all together and take Draco into the next room? Or do you intend to continue this blatant display of debauchery in front of my wife and myself? I assure you, I am not amused," he spoke with a calm sarcasm that cut through Hermione like a knife through butter.



Hermione was astounded by the accusations. She hadn\'t even noticed Lucius\' "pet name" for her. It was the obvious innuendos he painted for her that spoke clear words: her behaviour was unacceptable.



She glanced at Draco who gave her an apologetic smile. He gently patted the chair next to him, indicating she take it. Shocked that the Malfoys seemed disinclined to accept her bold move, a move she had never done before, Hermione obeyed her husband.



Draco took her hand into his and kissed the back of it. He gave her a reassuring smirk and turned to the presents. But, apparently, his parents weren\'t finished talking.



Lucius sighed, "Narcissa, perhaps you could help the Mudblood. I realize her parents aren\'t paupers by any means, but they certainly lack the ideals and delicacies of high society. Since you are staying at her parents\' home with her, you could show her such things and prepare her for her upcoming introduction. I\'ve no doubt that as soon as Draco and I are out of this hell hole, he\'ll want to introduce her into society. I do not wish for her to do or say something that might offend someone important. Being as... modest as she is, I\'d hate for something as simple as tea time to become a fiasco."



Narcissa raised an eyebrow. "I do not believe we\'ll be able to avoid such a thing, darling," she commented. "The moment our society sees her, they\'ll be shocked and offended. No doubt they\'ll think that the Malfoys have turned blood traitor and have purposely set out to taint our slight stock."



Lucius, though he obvious agreed with her, countered, "This is Draco\'s choice, my love. And you are a good teacher. From what I was able to gather from the Mudblood\'s school records, she\'s a fast learner and hard worker. Even Severus had commented on her intelligence from time to time.



"As for society\'s acceptance," he added, "with your guidance, they wouldn\'t dare see her as anything other than a Malfoy. Once Draco and I are out of Azkaban, we\'ll be able to put those catty dogs under our heels again."



"Stop it!" Hermione shouted suddenly. She stood up so fast, her chair toppled backward onto the floor. Her face was red with anger and her chest heaved. "I will not have you talk of me as though I\'m not here..."



"Hermione..." Draco started hesitantly.



"No, Draco," she interrupted him. "I think your parents have forgotten who I am. I\'m not just some silly Mudblood willing to bend to every command without thought or question." She glared at Lucius, who returned with an icy look meant to intimidate. "And you will stop insulting me. In case you\'ve forgotten, this Mudblood is saving your arse. I don\'t mind nicknames, but pick something else!"



Hermione knew the importance of standing up to this family. Regardless of her love, the Malfoys were wealthy purebloods who were extremely conservative. Though Draco was slowly learning to be more open, he still had a long way to go.



"It\'s me, Lucius," she continued her rant, staring unblinkingly at the oldest and most prominent Malfoy. "I wake up every morning at five to work on your case. I send my friends to the Ministry the moment it opens up to fight for you. The only reason I don\'t go myself is because I\'m too busy collecting evidence and building a solid case. I eat very little and sometimes go to bed as late as three in the morning. My friend is the reason why you get to see Narcissa for Christmas. My friend is the reason your face is clean shaved and you\'re allowed certain comforts. Were it not for me, you\'d still be in your cell rotting away while waiting for a trial date that would never come. No one in the Ministry gives a damn about what happens to the Malfoys. They don\'t care if our family dies. To them, it would be a blessing."



She sighed as she picked up her chair and sat back down upon it. "I\'m not trying to impress you," she told him, still focusing solely on Lucius. "Ever since I\'ve met you, you\'ve treated me as nothing more than a stupid Mudblood not even worthy of a second glance. This stupid Mudblood married your son. He asked me to marry him. I accepted, we signed the paper work, then we consummated. I\'m as much a part of this family as Narcissa."



Draco touched her arm. He could see the tears brimming in her golden eyes. "Darling," he whispered, "no one meant to insult you..."



"You did not insult me," she corrected. "They did."



"Hermione, when you act like a brazen slag, you are treated as one," Narcissa explained. "Proper ladies do not sit on their husbands\' laps while in company."



The young Gryffindor sighed, "I know how to act like a lady. Believe it or not, my parents did teach me proper etiquette. I just didn\'t expect to have to be so formal in front of my own family."





(II) (II)



Hermione growled in frustration as she paced up and down the small room. Gifts had been exchanged and the guards had led her into a private room with her husband.



"Would you stop pacing?" Draco snipped in annoyance. "You look like a caged animal."



She rounded on him. "I can\'t believe you just sat there and did nothing! Why didn\'t you say anything?" she demanded.



He raised an eyebrow. "Seemed to me you had everything under control," he answered, picking the dirt out from under his nails. He needed a manicure. "Besides, you didn\'t give me much room to say anything. The moment my father finished his little speech, you were on him like a hippogriff."



"Oh, I\'m sorry," she snapped sarcastically. "Far be it for me to not say something when I\'m insulted. Though, I would have thought listening to your father calling me a \'Mudblood\' would have sparked some kind of response from you. Or, better yet, when he asked your mother to teach me the \'ideals and delicacies of high society\' because, Merlin forbid, something \'as simple as tea time\' becomes a \'fiasco\'!"



His eyes widened incrediously. "How do you do that?" he questioned. "How is it that you are able to remember everything someone says so easily?"



"Does it really matter?" she snapped "The point is, instead of coming to my defense, you just sat there!"



"What was I supposed to do?" he demanded. "You wouldn\'t let anyone get a word in. Actually, I was exceptionally pleased with how you handled yourself, especially considering how my parents were treating you, calling you a Mudblood and a slag."



"Never minding, of course, the fact that just about every Slytherin girl in school had shagged about half the school population before we made it to fourth year, while I remained a virgin until my wedding night?" she asked. "Those pureblood bitches become ladies while I become a prude. Or worse, a Mudblood slag."



Draco gave her a confused look. He thought about mentioning the fact that they hadn\'t had a wedding yet, thereby she hadn\'t lost her virginity on her wedding night. Luckily, his brain was faster and smarter than his mouth and he managed to restrain his thought before it ruined his night. She believed their night of consummation had been their wedding night. Okay. He could go along with that idea. So, instead, he asked, "Speaking of weddings, when are you going to start planning ours? I\'m very much looking forward to our honeymoon in Cancun."



She rolled her eyes. "I\'m not finished, so don\'t change the subject," she growled.



"Hermione," he said patiently, "I understand your anger. But, darling, what do you want me to do about it? No matter what I say, you\'ll never be good enough as far as they are concerned. You\'re a Muggle-born. To them, that means you are \'tainted\'. Actually, my father\'s idea is pretty sound when you think of it. It\'ll give my mother something else to focus on and she\'ll be able to relax and forget your parentage."



"How can she forget? She lives with us," she inquired, not convinced.



He smirked. "My mother suffers from a one-track mind," he told her. "This distraction will drive all other negative thoughts from her. She\'ll become focused on getting you ready."



"What if I don\'t want to be ready?" she pouted as she plopped onto the bed next to him. She looked at him with large brown eyes. "It\'s not like I\'ll fit in anyway. I can just stay home and..."



"Be my secret wife?" he suggested. He was a bit surprised by her uncharacteristic demeanor, but he didn\'t let it fool him. "No, Hermione. We are a married couple now and I will not have you hide in the shadows. I want you by my side when we attend banquets and parties. I want every pureblood from here to Russia to know that a Malfoy has chosen to marry a Muggle-born. I\'m looking forward to the jealous glares you\'ll receive from the countless pureblood debutantes."



She gave him a bizarre look, then giggled. "Can you imagine the looks on Pansy Parkinson and Millicent Bullstrode\'s faces when you walk into a room with me latched onto your arm?"



He could see the evil gleam in her eyes and laughed, "There\'s the Mrs. Malfoy I married! Devious as always."



She smiled. "That reminds me," she cooed, gently touching his shoulder. "You have yet to open your last Christmas gift."



He gave her a sly smirk. "And what might that be?" he asked, feigning innocence.



She stood up and moved in front of him. Without warning, she dropped her robe to reveal an outfit that made his jaw drop and his member tighten painfully. His eyes trailed to her feet and gradually worked their way up.



Polished black Mary Janes accented white knee-high stockings. The knee-highs were held up by azure garners with baby blue lace and were centered with large oval blue sapphires. She wore an azure bustier with baby blue lace and a matching bikini bottom. Between her breasts was a large marquis cut blue sapphire.



As his eyes traveled up her body, he could feel his own body grow rigid. His heart pounded like a drum and his mouth began to salivate. Finally, his eyes met hers. Those innocent honey orbs that he had fallen hopelessly in love with reflected his...



Desire. That\'s all she could see in his warm, stormy eyes. A deep yearning for something they had been denied for far too long was between them in mounting electricity. She approached him cautiously. Her heart was pounding in her chest as her stomach did flip flops. She was nervous and excited. She was shy, yet proud. She felt brave and weak all at the same time.



He stood up and closed the gap between them. Though he raised his hands to either side of her, he was afraid to touch her. Afraid this might be a dream, that she would disappear or ripple like water if touched.



Trembling, she reached up and lightly touched his jawline with her fingertips. That small, simple touch sent the electricity in the air off like fireworks. He wrapped his arms around her waist and crushed her into him. His mouth crashed down upon her and he drank her essence. He savoured every bit of her, like a fine wine aged with absolute perfection.



He pulled her closer, pressing his arousal against her stomach. As they kissed, he directed her towards the bed. His need was great. He glided his hands over the lace and silky material and moaned against her mouth. He eased her onto the bed and cupped one breast gently.



The room was too hot, the clothes too constricting. Draco broke the kiss and pulled his shirt up and over his head. He tossed the atrocity onto the floor and pressed his lips against hers again.



She ran her fingertips along his bare chest and reveled in the smooth, hard feel of the skin and muscle. Prison life made him lose weight, but somehow he had been able to maintain his Seeker-ready muscles. She let her hands slide to his back as he pressed her further into the hard mattress. She felt his arousal press against her core and she yearned to remove the barriers.



He, too, wanted to remove those barriers. He yearned to be inside her, to combine their hearts and souls as they had done before. He brought her to a sitting position and untied the back of the bustier. He loosened the strings which held it tight to her body. Breaking the kiss again, he pulled the silk fabric over her head and, like his shirt, tossed it away.



His callous, dry fingers slid softly over her delicate skin. He placed feather light kisses along her jawline and trailed down her neck to rest upon her breasts. He hungered for the taste of her skin and wasted no time licking her nipple before taking it into his mouth and sucking. He let his fingers play with the other breast as his mouth and tongue studied the first one. Then, he switched, bringing his mouth to the other breast as his hand fondled the first.



Hermione moaned, her lips slightly parted as he head fell back. Her fingers had gone from racking his back to running through his silky blond tresses. She wrapped her legs around his waist and tried to pull him closer. He chuckled. His hot, seedy breath tickled her sensitive breast.



"Not yet, my vixen," he rasped. "I wish to savour every bit of you and burn it into my memory."



A thought occurred to her as she felt the tip of his hard pecker graze her inner thigh. Without warning, she rolled over him so he was forced onto his back. She then sat on his thighs and threw him a lustful smirk.



Surprised, he questioned, "What are you doing?"



She trailed her fingertips down his upper torso all the way to his navel in a zigzag and continued smiling. "Sending you over the edge," was the only answer she gave.



She unbuttoned his trousers and released his erection. The last time they had made love, she barely got a chance to see it, much less touch it. This time, she planned to remedy that. All nervousness and fear vanished as she ran her fingertips along his shaft. She glanced up at him when he hissed and was pleased to see his body arch upward.



The moment her fingertips touched him, Draco closed his eyes tightly. Her fingers slid up and down his shaft and Draco moaned in pleasure. Then, she did something he had never expected her to do. The tip of her innocent tongue licked the head of his manhood. He shuddered under the touch. He quickly sat up and grabbed her by the shoulders. Kissing her lips, he regained control of the situation.



He lay her on her back and pulled her knickers off of her. He could see she was wet and ready. He gently grazed her inner thigh with his forefinger before slipping it into her center. Oh, yes. She was ready for him. The moan he had illicited from his touch confirmed his belief. He played with her a little bit, sliding his finger in and out and rubbing her clitoris with his thumb.



Then, he slipped his finger out of her and gently replaced it with his manhood. All thoughts left both of them as they began the traditional dance at a slow, steady pace. He drove into her as though it would be their last pairing. As his strokes became stronger and faster, their voices began singing the time-honoured tune of lovers. Every breath, every moan, every gasp was done to the rhythm of his strokes. She kept time with his thrusts, throwing her body into the dance with fever. As one, they released their energy onto one another. Draco gave a final thrust and shot his seed deep within her core. She milked him for every last drop.



Trembling, Draco lowered his body onto the mattress next to her, careful not to pull out of her. He wanted to connection to remain as long as possible. She seemed to understand this, for she snuggled up against him and let her leg drape across his body, as he moved to lay on his back and half way under her.



Hermione did not know how long they lay there, intimately entwined. She knew they had both fallen asleep for when she opened her eyes, his was still perfectly shut. "I love you," she whispered into his ear.



A smile spread across his lips. He loved hearing her say those three little words. "I love you, too," he returned, the words coming from his heart.



She gently rubbed his chest. "I wish you could come home. I miss you so much. Everyday is torture for me," she confessed.



He opened his eyes and glanced down at her. His fingers were curled in her hair. "Would you like to know a secret?" he asked.



Curiously piqued, she nodded. He gently withdrew from her, groaning his protest of having to slip out of her. However, it was necessary for his secret lay within the pocket of his shirt and his shirt lay on the floor.



Sometime during their lovemaking, Draco had shed his trousers. As he bent to pick up his shirt, Hermione gave a wolf whistle. "Darling, you are so hot," she teased.



Grabbing his shirt, he stood up straight and smirked at her. "I will not deny that, though I\'m not as hot as you are wearing nothing but those knee-highs and shoes," he taunted.



He returned to the bed with his shirt in hand. Reaching into the pocket, he pulled out a picture and handed it to her. "I\'ve had that since fourth year," he told her.



She looked at the picture and was floored. It was a picture of herself at the Yule Ball. She was laughing at something Viktor Krum had said and dancing. She looked up at Draco with tears in her eyes. "Where did you get this?"



His smug smirk changed into a soft smile. "I bought it from that Creevey kid," he explained, "shortly after the ball. I knew he had been taking pictures and, with you being one of the Golden Trio, I knew he had taken pictures of you. We negotiated a bit before he finally agreed to let me buy it."



"But, why?" she pressed. "Why would you want this picture? I was a Mudblood. You hated me."



He shook his head. "I wanted to hate you," he replied. " Ever since I met you, I wanted to hate you. You\'re right. You are Muggle-born, therefore I should hate you. For the longest time, I denied any and all feelings towards you.



"You were, forgive me, a Mudblood. And I told myself that time and again. But, you were also smart and witty. I purposely tried to hurt you, both emotionally and physically, because I refused to admit how I felt. I called you Mudblood and wished aloud for your death."



He let his gaze fall to his hands. "As time went on, I knew it was hopeless. I had never seen anyone so beautiful as you when you stepped into the Great Hall. You were a goddess. You are a goddess. You are Athena reborn into this world. And I feared I had severed my chances with you.



"Then, I remembered I never had a chance with you," he said, his voice broken and filled with sorrow. "I carried that picture with me everywhere. Every night I dreamed of marrying you, of being with you. No matter how many girls I slept with, I couldn\'t get the thought of you out of my mind."



He grew quiet for a moment, but Hermione said nothing. She was shocked by his confession and thought there might be more. She was right.



He reached over and gently took the picture from her. He gazed lovingly into the picture as he continued, "The night my father failed to get the prophecy, the Dark Lord went into a rage. He sent my father to Azkaban and separated my mother and me. I was forced into the cellar of my own home with nothing save the clothes on my back and my wand. I was left in there for nearly a week. No food, no water. I thought I was going to die."



Her hand covered her mouth in horror as he continued, "When he finally came into the cellar, he tortured me. Over and over he hit me with the Cruciatus. Through the pain, I heard him tell me of my parents\' peril. He told me of a job, though he did not tell me what it was. When I could finally take no more pain, I thought of the only person I knew who could save me. I thought of you. I don\'t know what I did, or how, but I whispered your name and fell into darkness.



"Next thing I knew, I was lying on your living room floor covered in blood and broken glass," he finished. He threw her a smirk. "The rest is history."



Tears rolled freely from Hermione\'s eyes. She never expected him to reveal so much to her. To know what he had ben through shocked her to the core. To know the depth of his love for her shocked her even more.



"All those years," she whispered, "all those years I thought you hated me."



He touched her cheek and kissed her forehead. Silver eyes met golden one as he responded, "All those years... I believed I did, too."

---

Author\'s Note: I think y\'all missed the point I was trying to make last time. It wasn\'t a matter of wanting to know if you wanted me to just post the next chapter without my beta reading it first. It was my subtle way of saying that my beta helps me to bring out the best in my work and I didn\'t want to post a chapter without her reading it and going through it first. (By the way, I did wait until she read this chapter before I posted it.)



A lot has been happening these past couple weeks. Between Gustav and a week at Disney, I\'m exhausted. Thank you to my wonderful beta who has always been there for me. I love you, girl. Also, thank you to all my fans, past, present, and future. Without you, I don\'t think I would have the courage to post my stories online. You make it worth the time and effort.



Again, thank you all and may the gods be with you.