Forced Love

Chapter 3

Draco and Narcissa sauntered in.  As they entered the living room where Hermione and her faithful companions sat, Draco's expressionless face became stormy.  His silver eyes narrowed, and he took a defensive posture.  Jean also entered the room, her face bright and sunny.  Harry and Ron stood up, clenching their fists.

Narcissa nodded at Harry, Ginny, and Ron, who sat, watching her in disbelief.

"Hello, Granger, Potter, Weasels." Draco smirked at them, creating an aura of importance around him.

"Hermione is going to be a Malfoy, so you can't keep that up much longer." Narcissa chided, giving Draco a stern look.  Draco glared at his mother, and Jean, sensing the awkwardness filling the room, invited everyone to sit.

Harry and Ron cautiously sat down, never taking their eyes off of Draco, as he, too, sat down.

Hermione sighed.  Her life was an absolute, complete mess right now.  And all she wanted to do is get married and ignore her husband for the rest of her life.  God forbid if anything else happened.

"So! Harry, Ron, Ginny!," Jean began. "As long as you're here, you can help us!  What do you think would be best for Hermione's dress? White lace strapless dragging behind her with no ribbon on the back or the same style with a ribbon?"

Ginny gave a sympathetic face in Hermione's direction, then turned back to Jean and responded in a chirpy voice, "Oh, with the ribbon sounds fantastic!"

Harry and Ron just glared at Draco, not speaking.  Draco, seeing this, crossed his arms and gave an icy stare.

"Draco!  Behave!  You'd better get along with EVERYONE.  I thought you were mature enough to be polite.  Apologise.  NOW." Narcissa said, raising her eyebrows up as she spoke.

"Sorry Harry and Ron." Draco mumbled, his voice barely audible.

Harry just nodded, deciding to be a bit more mature as he was, after all, a role model.

"Uh, actually, we were just about to leave.  Goodbye! It was nice meeting you!"  Ron said as he, Harry, and Ginny got up.

After they had exited the house, Narcissa said, "I'll order the dress tommorow.  The wedding's coming up, very soon!",

As per the usual, Hermione exited reality and waited for Narcissa and Draco to leave.

*** (A/N: I know it seems like nothing is really happening, but the relationship is going to be gradual.  So just stick with me and you won't regret it.)

********

A tad before noon the next day, as Hermione was getting ready to go shop for a dress, Ginny walked in.

"Ginny? What are you doing here?" Hermione asked, surprised but curious.

"Your mother and...Narcissa invited me to go dress shopping with you today.  I hope you don't mind!" Ginny said, her voice hinting slight nervousness.

"Oh, of course not!" Hermione replied, hugging her best friend.

The two walked down the stairs together, until they came face to face with none other than Jean Granger and Narcissa Malfoy, waiting for them patiently near the front door.

"Let's go!" Narcissa said excitedly.

With the help of side-apparation, Hermione's mother was able to apparate along with Hermione, Ginny, and Narcissa.

They apparated to the front of what looked like a beautiful wedding-related boutique.  Several gorgeous dresses were being displayed in the boutique window.

The group of ladies walked into the shop, where they were immediately greeted by a middle-aged women who worked there.

"Hello! My name's Domenique and my assistant over there is Vannessa! How can we help you today at Wonderful Wedding clothes boutique?" The women, apparently named Domenique said, gushing out the words in the happiest voice Hermione thought possible.

"Hello!," Jean started to speak, smiling wide. "My daughter over here, Hermione, is getting married in a few days and we'd like to purchase a wedding dress for her, as well as a few other things for her, and bridesmaid dresses for her, well, bridesmaids!"

Domenique nodded enthusiastically, grinning at Hermione after her mother pointed to her.

"And, we also need to purchase a tuxedo for the groom.  My son." Narcissa added.

Domenique kept nodding, and her assistant Vannessa walked over.  Vannessa was a young women, perhaps in her 20's.

"Alright! Is there a price limit for anything?" Domenique asked, still smiling.

"No." Narcissa replied.  Jean agreed.

"Let's get started!" Vannessa said, throwing her hands up.

Domenique and Vannessa leaded everyone to the area of the store with the wedding dresses.  All of them were extravagant, and breath-taking.

"Okay, so first we need to get you fitted for your size, then you can pick out dresses!" Domineque said to Hermione, leading her to a dressing room.

Hermione walked into the small area and Domenique strided in, and shut the door.  As soon as the door was closed, Domenique whipped out a tape measure and paper out of a hidden pocket sewn into her dress.  Then the women got personal.

She started measuring Hermione's waist.  And when Domenique had gotten the measurements, she reached into, much to Hermione's horror, her bra and took out a pencil.  Hermione was both disturbed and disgusted.  After scratching down a few notes, Domenique proceeded to measure very awkward parts of Hermione's slim body, sighing very content sighs at times and smiling.  Hermione wondered if she loved her job that much.

"Turn a litlle this way, honey..."Domenique would say as she marked out Hermione's measurements.

"All right! Finished! And I must say, you have just about the perfect body size!" Domenique said, popping the pencil in her bra again.  Hermione inwardly shuddered.

Walking out of the dressing room, Hermione sighed with relief.  That woman was starting to freak her out a little.

"Okay! We got the resullllllllltssss!" Domenique practically yelled.  Vannessa winced a bit, her shoulders caving in as she made a face.

"She's a size 0.  Just pick out a few dresses, and I'll come around and help you again! Just holler if you need me!" Domenique gave another grin and walked up towards the front of the shop once again.

"I like this one!" Ginny said, already starting to look for dresses.

Hermione took one look at the overly short barely there dresses that were crowding the racks of all the wedding dresses and immediately knew that she would not be wearing one of those.

"Can we look at other dresses? I don't like these." Hermione said to her mother.

"Sure, sweetie.  Let's get Domenique to get us other dresses." Jean said, glad that Hermione wanted to take part in some planning for the weddiing, finally.

"I can get Domenique for you.  But it will take some time getting a few other dresses out of the back.  You can go and look for the other things that you need.  I'll be back in a few seconds." Vannessa assured Jean and Hermione. 

"Thank you." Narcissa said to Vannessa, nodding to Jean, who nodded back.  Hermione began to get nervous.  What did they have to get?  Hermione looked at Ginny with a confused face.  Ginny, seeing this, shrugged, not knowing.

Vannessa left, and Narcissa and Jean led the way to a part of the boutique.  As they approached the area of the store that the two women wanted to go to, Hermione saw a sign that stated, "Lingerie".

With what her mother and to-be mother-in-law wanted to get for her and why, Hermione realized what they were up to.

"No, no, no, no." Hermione said, walking the other way.

Jean grabbed her arm.  "Please, sweetie?" she said, her eyes getting big.

Hermione groaned, giving in.  What was happening to her?