The Marriage Decree

Chapter 87: It's Christmas! (Part 1)

"Are you ready?" Draco calls up the stairs, straightening his tie in the hall mirror.

"Yes," Hermione calls back, although he hears her open the wardrobe.

"I don't want to be late." He tells her.

"I'm coming." She shouts as she exits their bedroom and makes her way down the stairs, her heels in her hands until she reaches the bottom step where she sits down and fastens her shoes.

"I thought you were ready?" He asks, quirking an eyebrow at her as he pulls on his winter coat since they're going to David's tonight and to Hermione's grandparents for Christmas Day tomorrow and he doesn't think they'll appreciate his cloak.

"I thought you didn't want to go to your Mother's?" She questions him in return.

"I don't, but if I have to go, I'm not going to give her any reason to get upset and try to poison you again." He explains, taking Hermione's winter coat off the peg and holding it out for her to step into.

"Thank you," She presses a quick kiss to his cheek. "Do you have everything you need for the next couple of day?" She asks him.

"Of course, I'm an organised person." He tells her, opening the front door.

"We better get going then." She smiles, stepping out of the house and instantly wrapping her coat around herself at the cold winds blustering.

Draco locks their front door then casts a quick heating charm over them both as they walk towards the gate to the estate.

"Did you remember your mother's present?" Hermione asks as they turn the corner onto Beta Street.

"What did I say?" He smiles down at her.

"Okay, Mr Organised." She steps closer to his body for the warmth, and he wraps his arms closer around her waist.

"Merry Christmas!" Luna calls over to them as they're about to leave the estate.

"Merry Christmas, Luna. When did you get back?" Hermione hugs her friend.

"Last Wednesday night." Luna smiles. "It was a very productive trip, wasn't it, Blaise?" She turns to her husband.

"Oh, yes, I particularly enjoyed that forest I found you in and then spent two weeks trying to get out of." He sarcastically replies. "We did have some fun though." He nods back at Luna, taking her hand in his and kissing her knuckles, making her smile.

"I'm glad you decided to come meet father and I, although you did miss all the excitement we had during the first four weeks," Luna tells him.

"I didn't come for the excitement, I missed you." He admits as the four of them walk out of the estate's gates.

"Can we please catch up at the Manor, I don't want to be late?" Draco announces to the group.

Blaise exchanges a look with Hermione who just smiles with a soft shrug before taking Draco's hand.

"We're not going to be late." She assures him, squeezing his hand gently. "We're not due there until two o'clock. We have twenty minutes." She adds.

"I would prefer it if we were early visiting my Mother than late." Draco frowns.

Blaise nods in agreement. "You make an excellent point." He says, taking Luna's hand so they can disapparate to the gate of the Manor.

Draco and Hermione follow behind them.

"Can you remember that time we were an hour late back to the Manor and your Mother made us wait an hour before we could eat dinner?" Blaise chuckles as they set off down the Manor's garden path.