Bride of the HP Dragon

They have a date.

Hermione was a little nervous, wishing she had time to shop around and buy some new clothes, but work kept her from coming home until six.Draco expected her to be at Malfoy Manor at 07:30.Damn it, she should have put off the date until eight o'clock.

She couldn't believe how nervous she was, it was ridiculous.

After a battle shower (the shower the two of them had together last Saturday made her blush), Hermione spread out her clothes on the bed (which also made her blush), thinking about which outfit to wear.

It's important, so she has to put her mind to it.

In the end Hermione picked out two dresses, one of which was an elegant bright teal cocktail dress she had never worn.

This dress is really sexy, with a fitted cut and low front.The other was a more lively peach chiffon dress, which made Hermione feel like she was going to a school party ...).

In the end she decided to ditch the cocktail dress in favor of an elegant and comfortable outfit.That way she wouldn't have to worry about getting naked at dinner, although Hermione really wondered if her small boobs really did.

The final choice, then, seemed easy, and the fuchsia wool and cashmere-blend straight-leg pants were the perfect fit.Hermione's mum said the pants made Hermione look taller, making them worth the money.Hermione was wearing a silver silk shirt with freshwater pearls on the lace trim.Then she produced a corset with no traces and straps, but decided on a whim that she didn't want this one either.Silk covered her bare chest, and the way the vest fabric slid felt bolder.

There's nothing wrong with being bold.

Then Hermione chose a soft angora cardigan, a shade darker than silk.A long anthracite trench coat with wool trim rounded things off, and it was only when Hermione walked out of the bedroom that she realized that the store tag was still on the coat, and hurried to the kitchen to find a pair of scissors.

Putting on her usual light make-up, Hermione sprinkled some perfume in the room, then walked into the perfume mist and sneezed.On the porch she slipped her stockinged feet into a pair of matte silver heels and checked herself in the mirror one last time.

As a final check, she unbuttoned another cardigan and Hermione slipped on a pair of soft black gloves from the coat rack and grabbed a matching thick scarf.

"Ready?" she murmured to herself, a little out of breath.

To be honest, it's kind of worrying how often she talks to herself in the mirror.

The face looking back at her was flushed with excitement.

Hermione Apparated to the gates of Malfoy Manor ten minutes early, but she was wearing high heels and could hardly walk that far.Draco's security measures were top-notch, and she could feel that she had stepped into a restricted territory boundary, and Hermione suppressed a tremor of relief because all the damn security measures were not activated.Security accepted her, as Draco had promised.

Tolly answered, and Hermione had to hold back a laugh as she saw how seriously the house-elf had been tonight.Tory made a low curtsey and waved his thin arms in a dramatic way.

"Miss, welcome to Malfoy Manor."

"Uh, thank you, Tory."

"Miss, would you like to accompany Tory to the living room? Master Draco is waiting to meet you."

"Fine." Hermione suppressed a smile.

The living room was in the west wing, and the sound of her heels on the marble floor echoed down the corridor.After the recent Death Eater attack, it was odd to return to the house in such comfortable and cheerful circumstances.

But Malfoy Manor was unaffected, the only noticeable difference being that the Ballroom had been cordoned off, as the windows were being repaired and old security measures had been reactivated.No one can trespass on the manor anymore, unless they are powerful or stupid.

She doesn't have to wait in the warm and welcoming living room, because she will be restless if she sits in one place for a long time.Draco was buttoning up his sleeves as he strode across the hallway.

"I'm sorry, I should have met you at the gate myself, but I was on the Floo with Alastor Moody."

Hermione suddenly wished she was wearing a gown, because Draco was dressed up for the formal dinner, and he was wearing a beautifully tailored green robe that looked...

"You're beautiful." The warmth in Draco's eyes let Hermione know his sincerity.

"You too." Hermione wanted to pat herself awake after finishing speaking.

They just stood there looking at each other, and then Hermione remembered that she hadn't kissed Draco in welcome.

Unfortunately, Draco seemed to remember it at this time too.They leaned toward each other, their foreheads would have touched if Draco hadn't tilted his head at the last moment.

Tory stood primly by the drink cart, so a warm hug was out of the question.As a result, Draco's kiss was soft and light, and Hermione felt a little dizzy at the smell of his crisp aftershave.She wondered if her perfume would have the same effect on him, probably not, since Draco wouldn't be "giddy".

"How's work?" Draco asked her softly after the two parted, still standing very close together.

"Busy, but good." Hermione nodded.

He reached out to indicate a chaise longue decorated with velvet: "Would you like to sit down for a while and have some drinks before dinner?"

"Oh no thanks, I think it's fine," said Hermione.

With Hermione's current state, she couldn't think of anything else to drink except water, and her stomach was already trying to defy gravity.

To her surprise, Draco looked a little overwhelmed.She should really kick herself, sitting down for a pre-dinner drink is a form of etiquette, isn't it?A drink would lighten up the social atmosphere a bit, but they shouldn't need any social relief, and that so-called social atmosphere should have started with their messy relationship in the first place.

God, do they really need to be so embarrassed right now?

"Are you hungry? You must be hungry." He glanced at her nervously, and stretched out his arm to be hooked by Hermione: "Then let's go straight to dinner."

It was a shame they walked into the large dining room not far from the living room, as Hermione enjoyed the short distance.She had never seen the main dining room before, and could only stare blankly at the vastness of the dining room, not realizing that Draco had pulled out a chair for her.

"Thank you." Hermione spread out her napkin, blushing. It had been a long time since they had eaten at the dimly lit sushi place on Euston Street.

Draco ordered calmly, and Tory cast a spell on his elbow as he wanted, and began to serve the appetizer, which was a soup.The soup was a simple creamy corn soup, which was perfect considering the weather.

Draco was sitting too far away, and "too far" by Hermione's definition meant that she couldn't see the subtle change in Draco's eyes, because it was usually more revealing of what he was thinking, and Hermione couldn't smell it either. The smell of his sexy aftershave.

"Moody told me they were having trouble tracking Snape, although he is said to have been seen in Valencia," Draco told Hermione.

Hermione stirred the soup with a spoon. "Snape's in Spain? Incredible! Is the information reliable?"

The corners of Draco's mouth curled up: "As reliable as many reports claiming that my father is in North America, who knows?"

They had been discussing Snape's disappearance until the next course, which was some kind of cheese with what Hermione recognized as a hot vinaigrette and arugula wrapped in hard bread, was so curious that she Just ask Draco what cheese it is.

"Brata," Draco replied, "do you like it?"

"Great," Hermione replied.There's no question that the dish is delicious, it's just that she can fully indulge in the food.

Hermione surveyed her surroundings as she ate, noting the portraits on the wood-panelled walls and the graceful soaring molded ceiling.The dining room is so deep that three huge chandeliers could easily be hung.

The third course was seafood, crab cakes with frozen cucumber and crème fraiche.Tolly was standing by so he could pour them anytime.

It reminded Hermione that she and Draco hadn't had a drink since dinner, and she looked up at him, surprised to see Draco looking down at his own plate uneasily.

"You know what? It's not good."

Hermione felt her stomach ache: "Because of the crab?" she asked, even though she knew Draco didn't mean it that way.

Draco pushed the chair away and threw the napkin on the table: "I have a better idea." He picked up the plate and held out his hand to Hermione: "Follow me."

Hermione's worries were dispelled by the mischievous look in his eyes, which was enough to make her fall in love again.

Hermione picked up the plate, then took his hand: "Where are we going?"

"Library." Draco improvised, and he asked Tory to send the other dishes to the manor library instead.

A fire had been lit in the long divided room, and in front of the fireplace, Draco took off his shoes and sat cross-legged on the thick carpet, patting the space beside him.Hermione took off her high heels lightly and happily sat down next to him.

They ate and talked, eating with their hands when possible, while refilling the wine so many times that the entire bottle was gone before they knew it, in an impossibly fast two hours.

By the time the dessert was served, the fire had been slowly extinguished into small flames.

"I don't feel well, I almost finished this." Draco put down his spoon, where he had been eating the chocolate mousse on Hermione's plate.

She didn't think Draco looked particularly sorry, so she poked him in the ribs with her finger.

Then Hermione picked up the remaining bit of mousse with her fingers, sucking her fingers thoughtfully while staring at the fire.

Draco looked at her. "Tell me it's a good idea."

Hermione pulled her fingers out of her mouth in confusion, and then she could only notice his piercing eyes: "This is a great idea, I don't think you often eat like this at home?"

Draco lay down on his side, supported his body on his elbows, leaned back and took a big sip of wine: "We used to only eat in the restaurant, or sometimes when Lucius and my mother went out, I would quietly talk to Tory in the kitchen. Together. She makes the best cabbage and potatoes, and we had a picnic on the ground once. Obviously it wasn't my mother's idea, but Gore and Blaise came and we nearly knocked the roof off and had to was thrown out of the house."

Speaking of Blaise is not as depressed as Hermione imagined, this is just a memory.And obviously a fond memory, even with what happened afterwards.Memories are funny things, and it's not always easy to get rid of the emotions they carry, even if you don't want to evoke those feelings, which Hermione knows all too well.

She guessed there was more to the story: "What happened?"

Draco poked his cheek with his tongue: "It's raining, and it's a sweltering summer day, and we figured it was the best thing that could happen. We're still having picnics outside, eating soggy sandwiches and waterlogged Potato salad. Mom throws a tantrum when she sees us trying to go back to the house covered in mud."

Hermione smiled, delighted to hear the rare little bits of Draco's life.Accompanying him and letting yourself be familiar with his past is like owning the whole world.

"I think it's very novel," Hermione heard Draco continue, with a more serious tone: "I don't like... the feeling of uncertainty, you have to give me some guidance."

With deliberate concentration, Draco brushed his fingers over Hermione's lower lip, chin, and down her neck.Fingers resting on the first button of her cardigan, brushing the high part of her blouse, gave Hermione goosebumps.

"I don't think you need guidance," Hermione said hoarsely, "You seem to understand what you're doing."

Draco replied with a purely sexy smile: "All I need guidance is everything about the past and the future, what do pretty girls like to do outside of bed?" His voice was low, and Hermione swore to herself Can feel the inner shock.

"What makes you think I'm a pretty girl?" Hermione replied earnestly, covering the prominent bulge in Draco's trousers with her palm, realizing how excited he had been for the past hour.

"Granger, I have to be honest. From the moment you walked in the door, having dinner was the last thing on my mind. But I knew we had to do something else..." Hermione's nails ran along the towering fabric Scratch: "Things." Draco finished with a groan.

"Really?" said Hermione, "I'm sure we'll hit it off eventually." Speaking of it, she unzipped him and freed him, covering him with small warm hands.

She sighed, braved by the alcohol, eager to touch him.The light of the fire turned his pale skin into golden yellow, hot and smooth.The familiar scent of Draco was intoxicating, and she rubbed along his erection, delighted to see that a few drops of dew had emerged from the tip.Hermione lowered her head and suddenly stuck out the tip of her tongue to taste him. There was still a lingering aftertaste of chocolate on her taste buds. This mixed taste was not unpleasant.

Draco gasped and grabbed her shoulders: "Stop."

Hermione looked up with a smile, "Why?"

"Because if I ejaculate now, I probably won't have the energy or the will to take you on the planned walk. So, would you like to go with me?"

Hermione would.

It's a trip back in time, really cleansing.A dinner date unveils the process, while a walk on the grounds of Malfoy Manor marks the beginning of what's to come.

Draco had insisted that she wrap it in another layer of clothing over her coat, and the cloak he'd draped over her was from his schooldays.The cloak was baggy and smelled a bit of the Great Hall, if the Great Hall smelled like that.There was always the smell of wood, some mornings it was bacon and eggs, other days it was fresh buttered scones.Hermione liked the Great Hall best on Christmas morning because the Christmas fruitcakes seemed to be stuck to the walls.

"Warm enough?" Draco asked as soon as they were outside.

Hermione nodded, they were both wearing gloves, but she thought she could still feel the warmth of his palm.

They walked through the woodlands behind the manor, the same path where they had come across Carmen Merryphron and Dondice Dodds the night the Death Eaters attacked the manor.

But this time they continued along the winding and narrow path into the depths of the woodland.Hermione noticed from the feel of their feet and the pressure of their calves that they were walking up a gentle slope.

They soon reached the top of the knoll overlooking the estate from behind.From this commanding spot, the mansion and the town of Thimble Creek nestled in the valley below.The countless windows from the east wing to the west wing of Malfoy Manor are shining, and the scenery is impressive.

"I've been working on this since last week." Draco said, pointing to a gothic lookout point on the top of the hill, which still smelled newly renovated: "This whole place is full of wildflowers in summer, my mother likes it here, I Feel like I should do something, you know what I mean?"

She understood that he meant that now that the task was accomplished, he should do something meaningful.

Hermione looked down at Malfoy Manor, wondering what Narcissa was thinking as she looked at the same view.

They stood in the small building, Draco putting his arms around Hermione from behind, resting his chin on her head.

"What are you going to do now?" she asked him.

He was still looking at the mansion: "Make love to you in every room." She felt him smile.

"Except for your father's study." She said blankly.

Draco thought about it: "Yes, except this one."

"Seriously, what are you going to do? I don't think you'll be content to be the owner of the estate indefinitely."

"Ah, but there's more to being a manor than strutting around in tight riding clothes, indulging in absinthe at night, and torturing the people of your domain with depraved desires."

She giggles at the hedonistic prospect he paints: "Explain 'depraved desire.'"

It took Draco a moment to give a good example: "Do you remember the portrait of Aramis I asked about when I was attacked last week?"

Hermione snorted, remembering the old man who winked at her: "How could I forget?"

"Well, it is said that old Aramis looks for a woman every night..."

The giggles immediately turned into laughter.

"Every Thursday, he would send someone to the village. If he couldn't find a suitable girl there, he would send one from London."

Hermione restrained herself: "Please, tell me where I can read an autobiography, the Malfoy family sounds more interesting."

"The name Malfoy wasn't always associated with darkness. We had a colorful, almost colorful history. It wasn't until my father, of course, that Lucius brought back darkness that had never been seen before."

"Where do you think he is? I mean your father," Hermione asked.

"If I were going to bet, I'd say he's on his way to meet Snape, if they haven't already." Draco's tone was sure amusement.

"Do you think you'll see any of them again in the future?"

He nodded: "Of course, during this period, I will take over all affairs. Pansy did a great job when I left, maybe it's time for Malfoy's heir to devote more energy to managing his property, I must get to know my homeland again. Maybe while I'm busy doing this, you'll get to know me..."

He was almost scared, she turned to face him in his arms: "I really know you, I know enough to love you."

Hermione felt Draco tremble slightly at the announcement, and he pushed back the hood of her cloak so he could look at her face: "I'll never tire of hearing you say that."

"Then I will remember to tell you every day."

Somewhere in the not-too-distant future...

Perhaps a young pickpocket would have found the tall man in the straw bonnet an easy target.He looked like one of those out-of-the-box tourists with nothing but a brand new LonelyPlanet guidebook.The khaki slacks were full of pockets, but the one the pickpocket cared about most was on the front right.The pocket was deep and gaped charmingly.

His wallet could be in that pocket, or it could be a hotel key.

The thief followed the man through the market, which was full of activity on a Sunday.It used to be an empty square, and then JemaaelFnaa (Translator's Note: A famous market in Marrakech, Morocco) became countless vertical and horizontal lanes because of hundreds of stalls of various colors.You can buy anything in Marrakech if you know where to buy it.

Even with the crowds, the man passed quickly, perhaps just to throw off the thief, as adept as he was at moving through the crowd, and the pickpocket was two or three paces behind his target, out of breath.

The pickpocket stared at his reward, the baggy pocket of possessions he hoped would last him a week.

There was a commotion nearby, and two peddlers quarreled, hurling insults at each other.A group of people stopped and started to watch the show. It has nothing to do with how dexterously a person can blend into the crowd, but because there is no way to break through this bottleneck until the crowd disperses.

Now was his chance, the thief approaching from behind, reaching forward, deftly sliding his skilled fingers into that pocket without touching anything in particular.Not yet, no wallet in pocket.His thumb and forefinger encircled a slender... wooden stick?

The thief was immediately puzzled.

A strong hand suddenly covered his, the strength was overwhelming.From under the brim of the straw hat, a pair of forged steel eyes looked down at him.

"I don't think that's what you wanted," the man said.

The boy's English was limited, but he was good enough to understand that he was lucky when the man's iron grip let him go.

He blended into the crowd as fast as he could.

An exasperated Lucius Malfoy walked out of the market to a sidewalk café, where he knew Snape was waiting.

The ex-Hogwarts potions master had almost finished his mint tea when an upset Lucius pulled up a chair.

"It seems that you were unlucky and didn't get a newspaper?" Snape asked with raised eyebrows.

He was dressed in black as usual, and Lucius couldn't figure out how he did it, black attracts heat like dunghill attracts flies.

But the attire had its uses, and as they traveled through South America, Snape was sometimes mistaken for a priest, and cleverly kept silent, causing well-meaning givers to give a dusty The traveling priest delivered food.

"Maybe there really aren't any damn wizards here." Lucius assumed, finding swearing rude and commonplace, but Snape guessed it was obviously because a long hard life had beaten him to it.

Lucius took off his hat and threw it on the table. "There's no damn news happening outside this damn city. I don't know why I asked you to call me here."

Snape was as calm as the sea in comparison, and slightly proud: "Oh, there are wizards here. They're just uncivilized, and there are worse things than the fear of Voldemort." He dropped his hands to his knees and picked them up again. A tattered copy of the Daily Prophet.It was almost impossible to be the latest issue, in fact the paper was a year old, but it was the issue they were looking for.

Lucius snatched the newspaper: "Where did you find it?"

"Sometimes you have to talk nicely to people, Lord Malfoy."

This made Snape's traveling companion narrow his eyes at him: "If you will understand, I have my son this issue."

"Then please forgive me," Snape said proudly, "Do you still read?"

Lucius peeled back the dirty and yellowed newspaper with a grimace, carefully and quickly flipping through the back to the social section.

He must have found the story he was looking for, for his eyes widened, then narrowed, and he hummed derisively now and then.

"Fifty guests! Can you believe it? This is a rabble, let alone a wedding feast."

"This is a small private wedding banquet." Snape had his own opinion.

"Three hundred guests at my wedding," Lucius muttered.

"Yeah, look how good your ending is."

"Dumbledore will marry them!"

Snape shrugged, "He has a license."

"Their wedding at Hogwarts." This time Lucius' tone was neither approving nor disapproving, so Snape didn't say a word.

Lucius read on, making sharp comments here and there.When he had finished reading, he carefully folded the newspaper and leaned back in his chair.

"Now your curiosity is satisfied?" Snape asked.

Lucius' response was an ambiguous grunt, but Snape noticed he looked content, even happy.

"Very good." Snape paid for his own tea.

The two left the cafe on the street, and then went to the train station to catch the noon train to the ancient city of Fes.

For fugitives, never stay in one place for too long.

~The End~