Dramione: stop calling me Malfoy

16. My water just broke

Draco never left my side for the days after Ron's incident. He supported me and I needed him there. Eventually he had to go back to work, but he always seemed to be with me because of the ring. It was like there was an enchantment on it, because when I wore it I didn't feel lonely at all. It wasn't something anyone noticed, other than me though. Maybe I just felt that way because of my engagement, but what ever it was, I never took the ring off. It didn't take long for my mother to notice its presence.

"Sweetie, what's that on your finger?" she said slyly during lunch one morning. Her tone indicated that she knew what it was.

"Um..." I had been planning on telling her with Draco, but it seemed like it was a little too late now. "An engagement ring..." She smirked and pulled my left hand toward her.

"When? How? Where? Why didn't you tell me?" I giggled as she bent over to examine the stone.

"That night when we went out for dinner, at Manger le Méchant, that snooty French restaurant in town. He got down on one knee after our meal. I guess I forgot to tell you because of the news of Ron." She smiled and let out a squeal.

"My daughter's getting married! Oh my god, I'm so happy for you!" I glowed; it was like when I got asked out by Victor Krum and getting cooed over by Ginny. "Are you going to take his name?" I nodded. "Oh my god! I'm a mother in law! Soon I'll be a grand mother, and then a great grand mother! This is happening so quickly!" She pushed back her chair so quickly that it fell over, before pulling me up from mine and enclosing me in a bone-shattering hug.

"Mom! Chill!" I tried in vain to pry myself from her grip, but she didn't release me. "Please, I can't breathe!"

"My daughter's all grown up!" This was getting annoying very fast.

"Mother, please!" Unwillingly, she pulled away, tears spilling out of her eyes. Here comes more drama.

"I'm sorry Hermy, it's just I would have never thought my little bookworm would get married! And at twenty-two!" She pulled her napkin from the table and blew her nose. Well, that stung.

"I'll take that as a compliment." She ignored my sarcasm and grinned suddenly.

"I must go tell your father! Oh, and I'll call Martha! She'll love to know!" She cackled evil, before dashing into the kitchen. Martha was her bragging buddy, and the two of them went back and forth trying to embarrass each other. Martha also had an enormous mouth, and if she knew, the whole state would within the hour. I sighed. Classic. Within seconds my mother had relayed the tale of Draco's proposal, much exaggerated, and I sat back down and sipped my soda.

"Draco, Draco Malfoy," my mother told her. Wait, what if the news of his whereabouts reached a death eater? No, that wouldn't happen. No death eaters spent time in Manchester Vermont.

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My mother chose to ignore our decision of a long engagement. She immediately went out to CVS to buy bride's magazines, and proceeded to highlight all the dresses she thought would look best on me. When I suggested that I would make my own dress, she snapped at me.

"Why? Is this going to be some faerie lit wedding or something?" But once I had told her how much better a magic wedding would be and the ideas I had already had, she warmed to the idea completely. Ginny too had been a great friend. We had chosen to ignore the topic of Ron when ever she came over, and she had wonderful ideas about the party.

"Oh, you should get a really good band! Not the weird sisters or anything, but a big band, swing or something," she proposed during another one of our brain storming sessions. She lay back on the couch under the bay windows, hands stretched over her wide stomach. She was several days over due, and was usually stressed to the snapping point, but today she was peaceful. The news of Draco and my engagement had taken her mind off of the looming threat of childbirth.

"I don't know, Ginny. Could you see Draco dancing to a swing band?" She shrugged, and then picked up a bride's magazine that littered the coffee table.

"I don't know him that well, so I probably shouldn't answer. Do you know what you'll wear for a dress?" I sighed, having already discussed this with my mother eighty thousand times.

"I got a vague idea of what I want and I'm making it myself." She nodded and became absorbed in an article about the perfect honeymoon. Although I appreciated all of her expertise when it came to planning a wedding, I was starting to stress out over all the things that had to be done. Who would have thought Hermione Granger would stress out over the organization of her wedding? Hermione Granger made lists, Hermione Granger was always prepared, Hermione Granger didn't stress. Then again, who would have though Hermione Granger would get married to Draco Malfoy at the age of 22? Talking about myself in the third person was frustrating.

I was pulled out of my rambling thoughts by a small yelp from my companion. "Gin? You okay?" She let go of her magazine and curled into a ball, her face contorted in shock and pain.

"I think my water just broke," she panted as my jaw dropped to the floor. Here comes the panic.

"Oh my god, oh my god, oh my god, Ginny! We need to get you to St. Mungos! But I can't carry you, what do I do?" So I did the one thing I could do, I yelled for my fiancé.

"DRACO!" A few seconds later he ran out of the TV room in his sweat pants and a cotton T-shirt. If my best friend hadn't been in labor I would have marveled at how I could still see his six-pack through his shirt. One look at my panting friend and he knew exactly what was going on.

"Ginny, sit up just a bit so I can help you get up." She reluctantly sat up and he scooped an arm below her shoulder before easing her up off the couch. "Come on, try walking. Hermione, follow me and get the floo powder." I scampered over to the mantle and threw some of the green flakes into the flames. The two of us yelled, "St. Mungos!" Before stepping into the fireplace.