The Marriage Decree

Chapter 39: Someone like me?

When the door slams shut behind them, the laughter dies down and the living room door opens to reveal Draco stood with an eyebrow raised in a question of how her conversation with Sophie went. She can feel her eyes tearing up as runs into his waiting arms.

"I'm hoping these are happy tears." He asks, unsure.

"It started off terribly but it ended amazingly. I told her that we knew magic and levitated a twig for her, which shocked her speechless for a few minutes but she seems to be coping with everything really well." Hermione cries into his shoulder as he rubs comforting circles onto her back.

"What's wrong, dear?" Her grandma asks, coming out of the kitchen to see what all the commotion is.

"Oh, it's nothing. I'm just feeling emotional." She shrugs her shoulders as steps out of their embrace.

"You're not pregnant, are you?" She asks jokingly but still giving her a warning glare.

Draco freezes, eyes wide, next to her as she awkwardly chuckles and shakes her head. "No, there's no chance of that."

"Good. I'm far too young to be a great-grandma and you've got your university course to think about for the next couple of years." She wags her finger at her.

Both Draco and Hermione smile awkwardly, knowing full well that she'll be a great-grandma or great-grandma to be within the next two years. Seemingly satisfied, her grandma peeks her head into the living room where Lauren and Craig are now playing Hungry Hippos with Sophie, who's taken Draco's green hippo. They head into the kitchen where Draco takes a seat opposite Tom, who's now reading a different newspaper, the original being left on the table.

He picks up the abandoned newspaper, glancing at the front cover. There's a picture of a downhearted looking man walking past a gate. He's confused for a second as to why he isn't moving when he remembers that muggle newspapers don't move. The title says something he doesn't understand about a man he doesn't know called Blair. He assumes he's the man in the picture. He flicks the paper over to the first page to where he's surprised by a topless woman. Shocked, he turns the page again, feeling the blush rise up his face.

From what he can tell from the muggle newspaper, there's a lot of British politics, local news, world news, strange stories that people don't necessarily need to know, jokes, puzzles and sports.

"What do you think of the European Parliament elections?" Tom asks, nodding at the front page.

Draco closes the paper to see the same downhearted man looking down at the pavement, obviously trying to ignore the photographer.

"He doesn't seem happy," Draco says, looking over at Hermione, hoping for a hint, but she's stood stirring a pan, but she's talking to her grandma.

"Who? Blair?" Tom folds his newspaper up and stares at him. "Of course he isn't happy. His party was supposedly guaranteed to take the majority of the seats during the election." He explains and Draco nods, hoping if he pretends to understand a single word of what's being said, they might move onto a different topic of conversation but Tom seems to be onto him.

"I would expect someone like you to be very up-to-date with politics." Tom states.

Draco stares confusedly at him. "What do you mean, 'someone like me'?" He asks.

Tom leans forward, beckoning him to do the same.

"David told me you come from a wealthy family with a large inheritance from your grandad. Apparently, you're already renting a house with my granddaughter. That can't be cheap, especially in London during this day and age." He raises his eyebrow. "I would expect someone as wealthy as your family to be heavily involved with politics." He explains. "I assume you're father is a conservative man and raised you with the same beliefs."