LOVE AT SECOND PUNCH

Chapter 14 (H)

Snape and Mr. and Mrs. Granger retreated to the dining room for tea. Malfoy and Hermione decided to take a walk to clear their heads. Snow was lightly falling, and Hermione and Draco stood a few feet apart as they trudged through the deep powder.

"So..." Hermione began.

"What even happened?" Malfoy sighed.

"I have no idea," Hermione replied. "But whatever happened between us-- I didn't like that."

"I didn't either," nodded Draco, a solemn expression on his face.

"Draco," said Hermione, in almost a whisper.

"Yes, darling?" He inquired in response.

'We're still going to get married right?" Hermione hid her face, not daring to look Malfoy in the eye. He however, grabbed her face and forced her to look directly at him.

"You hurt me last night, Mione, but what I said-- That wasn't right. Of course we're getting married," Malfoy trailed off. Hermione's eyes sparkled.

"Can we start over?" Hermione asked after a pause.

"Yes." Draco responded immediately, putting one hand on Hermione's waist and one hand in her hair. Hermione closed the gap between them and an overwhelming sense of joy filled both Malfoy and Hermione.

"Missed you," Hermione smiled. Draco smirked.

"Well, it was like less than a day of... that, but missed you more."

"Always have to one-up me, don't you?" Hermione scrunched up her nose.

"It's in my blood, can't help it," Draco shrugged. Hermione laughed.

The two walked down through the gates and into the forest, wandering as the sun slowly sunk beneath the mass of trees.

"We still haven't set a date for the wedding yet," Hermione said as she and Malfoy made their way back to the manor.

"At this rate, it looks like three or four months of preparations at least," Draco let out an exasperated sigh.

"Do you want to wait four months to get married?" Hermione asked.

"Well, not really, but we don't have much of a choice," Malfoy shrugged, and Hermione intertwined her fingers with his. Just as Hermione was about to open the front door, Draco yanked her back and she turned to face him. His expression was unreadable, but Hermione came to the same realization that he did in that very moment.

"We can't do this anymore," Hermione breathed.

"We can't," Draco agreed. A tear slipped down Hermione's cheek. "Something good came out of the whole Astoria situation," Malfoy said after a moment. Hermione looked up at him.
"And what's that?" She asked.

"I want you to be mine-- I want you to be mine--forever. Forever and ever-- I never want something to come between us like that again-- Hermione I want you to be mine, and I want you to be mine now," Draco whispered.

"Are we...?" Hermione smiled a little.

"Breaking up? Definitely." Malfoy chuckled sarcastically.

"Oh shut up..." Hermione laughed. "I was asking if you and I were thinking the same thing?"

"I think we were," Draco grinned. Hermione kissed his cheek.

"When...?" Hermione asked, breaking away from Draco.

"Tomorrow night," he said with authority. Hermione wrapped her arms around Malfoy's neck and he kissed her hair.

Draco Malfoy and Hermione Granger were getting married-- or rather, they were eloping. Hermione Granger was to be Hermione Malfoy in less than twenty-four hours.