A/N: Hey everyone! Hope you guys liked the last chapter. Harry and Blaise have reached Amelia's house. What do you think they will do now? Read the A/N at the end to find out when the next chapter will be out. On with the chapter!

"Granger, I know what we have to do in order to get it. We will have to act like a real couple, who is in love, that is. That means, we will have to kiss and act lovingly in front of everyone." Draco declared. 

Hermione's eyes widened. 

And then she blinked a few times as she tried to digest what her husband had just said to her. 

He wanted them to act like a real couple.

And for that... They would have to kiss each other. 

Multiple times. 

And that too in front of everyone.

Hermione didn't even want to imagine how awkward would that be. Imagine kissing Draco Lucius Malfoy. 

What a freaking nightmare. 

And what was worse, the Malfoy heir had decided that if they wanted to get the required information, they would have to act lovingly in front of everyone.

He was her enemy, for Godric's sake!

How could two people, who have been hating each other for years now, with their wands constantly pointing at each others' necks, could act like a couple in love?

They were barely tolerating each other now as spy partners as it is. 

"Listen here, Malfoy." Hermione crossed her arms in front of her. "There is no way in hell that I will be agreeing to this. Kissing you? Yuck! Even the thought of it feels disgusting to me. And after all-"

"You did not find it disgusting when we had to kiss in front of everyone at our wedding?" Draco smirked at her. "As I clearly recall, you were rather enthusiastically kissing me back."

"That was all for the plan, and nothing else." She protested, her cheeks burning up with embarrassment. 

"Then do tell me, my dear Granger, is this not for the plan?" He leaned back in his chair, crossing his ankle over his knee, and placing his hands behind his head. "It is like you have a crush on me that you have to feel so shy about kissing me, as known as, the love of your life."

"Excuse me? I-"

"You are excused, Granger. I do not even want you here anyways. I would have made you leave this house if it wasn't for that stupid plan of Shacklebolt."

"I am not feeling even a little bit of shyness-"

"Then why are your cheeks so red, dear Granger?" His smirk grew.

If it was possible, the cheeks of the Brightest Witch of Her Age turned even a brighter shade of red. 

"Can you stop calling me that?" Hermione asked, her eyes looking everywhere in the room except at his face.

"Calling you what, dear Granger?"

"That."

"That what?"

"What you just said, that."

"Granger, either you are a stupid person, or you have lost all your senses as soon as you saw me. I do not understand a word of what you are speaking. So, I guess it is probably the latter option as-"

"Your assumptions are far off from the truth, Malfoy."

"Oh don't worry, Granger." Draco reached forwards and placed his finger under her chin, making her look at him. "You are not the first girl to act like that. I know I am a heartthrob after all."

"Where did you even get to know that word from?" His wife asked, trying to change the topic.

Unsuccessfully, of course.

"Oh it was from one of your stupid romantic muggle books." Draco told her. "I don't remember the name, but it was definitely a stupid love story-"

"Whichever book it was, I am sure it was not a stupid one-"

"Please, dear annoying wife of mine." He rolled his eyes at her. "All love stories are stupid. I mean, who would do such cliché in real life, anyways. Like, can you imagine telling someone that they would bring stars for them? Where was their brain when they were saying that stupid statement? I am telling you, those writers just love messing up with your head-"

"Why were you going through my books anyways?" His wife cut him off, ignoring his rant about love stories. She wasn't even a bit interested in arguing him over that. "I thought you did not like muggle books."

Draco Lucius Malfoy would not understand the importance of love stories anyways. 

"I wasn't going through your books, Granger." The blond heir shook his head at her. "I have no interest in reading your books. Your taste in them sucks actually-"

"I will let you know that I have a very nice collection of books. How dare you-"

"But you being the disorganized person that you absolutely are, left the book open on my bed." He continued, "And so, while putting the book back in its original place, I read that word, what was it, right- 'Heartthrob'. Just be glad that I didn't throw the book out of my room."

"Whatever, Malfoy." Hermione rolled her eyes, and turned to leave the room. She was mentally smirking, thinking that this time, she had successfully managed to change the topic and still had not given an appropriate response to her husband's declaration. 

Well, she definitely spoke too soon. 

"Granger!" The blond Slytherin called just as she was about to leave the small library. "Don't think that you have distracted me from our original topic."

Well damn, Hermione thought.

"It makes sense, you know?" He continued. "The Dark Lord expects us to hate each other for the rest of our lives. And so, when we start acting like all lovey-dovey, he will get a shock. And he will be angry because he failed in making me suffer because of this marriage. And in that anger, he will make a mistake, probably slipping something, and we will be taking advantage of that."

The Malfoy heir was right, but the muggle born witch was not going to admit this to him. 

Draco sighed and got up from his chair, grabbing the witch's arm to turn her around. That was probably a bad move.

He hadn't noticed how close they were standing until her face turned towards him, her nose near his chin, and her hair covering his nose.

Her birdnest hair-

-And the loved the way her hair smelled. 

It was one of the scents he had smelled in his sixth year, during one of the rare potions class he had paid attention in, when they were being taught about Amortentia, the love potion. 

His eyes had flicked towards her when he had recognised those scents. His Amortentia smelled like Hermione Granger? How in the hell was it possible?

As for the Gryffindor Princess, well she wasn't dealing with their proximity much better. As her face was almost in contact with his, she could clearly smell his cologne. 

And, it reminded her of the scents she had smelled in her sixth year potions class, when they were being taught about the strongest love potion that existed in their world, Amortentia. 

When she had first smelled those scents, she hadn't been able to recognise them. But one thing which she knew for sure was that they didn't belong to Ron. 

Had she brewed the potion wrongly?

But then, Professor Slughorn had told her that the potion was correctly made, Hermione had become confused.

Whose scents were they?

And she had finally gotten her answer today. 

They were her husband's scents.

The cologne, the smell of a broomstick, old parchment, and green apples, every single scent belonged to him. 

According to the love potion, Hermione liked Draco. 

Scoffing, the Brightest Witch of Her Age pushed him book. "Stay away from me, Malfoy, if you know what's good for you."

"What's gotten your wand in a knot?" The blond wizard frowned. "Whatever, I don't even want to be near you, Granger. Just know that we will be acting like a real couple. And the show starts now."

With that, Draco grabbed his wife's arm and led her to the breakfast hall.

Time to act like a couple in love.

---------

A few minutes later....

Lucius scoffed as he watched his son and his fake wife sitting as close as they could, without the witch sitting on his son's lap during breakfast.

They were literally surrounded by a bunch of Death Eaters at the moment, but the two young witch and wizard were busy among themselves.

"What is wrong with you two?" He asked, rolling his eyes at Narcissa who was busy smiling at the young couple.

No, not couple.

Hermione and Draco were not a couple.

Lucius refused to acknowledge that. He was not going to accept the muggle born witch as Draco's girlfriend, or even worse, his wife.

Not now, not ever. 

"What's wrong, father?" Draco asked, acting innocently. 

"Oh I don't know, everything is perfectly normal right?" Lucius snarled. "What's wrong is you two acting like complete fools-"

"But we didn't do anything to act like a fool, Mr Malfoy." Hermione smiled sweetly at him, although her father in law could see that the muggle born's witch's hand was still clutched tightly by her husband's. 

Draco was actually squeezing her hand tightly, warning her to act according to their plan because the Dark Lord and the other Death Eaters were closely watching them. 

Lucius, however, didn't know that and thought that his son was doing everything he could to showcase his relationship to everyone else. 

A non existent relationship, but that was according to Hermione and Draco. 

The Malfoy heir kept looking at his wife throughout the breakfast, pausing in between eating to either tuck a lock of her hair behind her ear, or to feed her with his spoon. 

Lucius found it disgusting.

Narcissa found it endearing. 

The Brightest Witch of Her Age too, kept smiling at him and would gently stroke either her husband's cheek or his hands. 

Once she even played with his blond hair. 

The Malfoy patriarch hated it. 

The Malfoy matriarch loved it. 

Finally, when breakfast was done, the nose less dark wizard allowed his followers to leave the room after he did so. When it was his turn, Lucius threw his spoon and the napkin on the table, pushed his chair back with a loud sound, and left the room. 

Narcissa smiled at the young couple, apologising for her husband's rude behaviour and followed after him. 

Neither of them noticed Hermione immediately removing her hand from her husband's grasp and Draco sneering at her, and elbowing her as they got up from their seats. 

Meanwhile, Narcissa, who had left the room seconds after her husband had, found him sitting on the couch in the tapestry room, with an angry expression on his face. Quickly, she locked the door behind her, making sure not to make any noise. 

She followed his line of sight and sighed when she realised his anger was directed at the tapestry, more specifically where their son's name was written and a gold line joined it with a witch's name. His wife's name. 

Amelia Marie Malfoy. 

Knowing Lucius had not yet noticed her presence, she swiftly walked forwards until she stood in front of the tapestry, and touched the witch's name with her hands. 

Anyone who did not belong to either the Malfoy, or the Black family, would think that there was nothing wrong with it. But a person belonging to either of the families would immediately notice it, as their blood was related to the tapestry. 

And Narcissa could understand that her son had used a glamour charm over the place where his wife's name was written it. So, she whispered a spell and watched as another name replaced the current one. 

Hermione Jean Malfoy. 

"What are you trying to do, Narcissa?" Lucius called her. "It was bad enough to see that fake name written over there and now you have made the tapestry show that filthy witch's name next to our son's."

The smile, which had subconsciously appeared on her face as she was looking at that name, disappeared when she heard her husband's words. Sighing, she made her way to the couch and sat down next to him. 

"I haven't made the tapestry show her name, Lucius. It is actually there. My dragon had simply put a glamour charm on top of it, so that nobody gets to know the truth-"

"You are lying, Narcissa. They did not even have a real wedding. That girl was in a disguise, and Draco hadn't said I do using her name."

"You keep forgetting we live in a magical world, Lucius. And magic truly is unpredictable." Narcissa softly said, "And that same magic recognised their inner selves, and ignored any disguise which was there."

"That cannot be true. It is all just a hoax-"

"It is a hoax," She nodded, "But for the others. For the Dark Lord. But for Miss- Well, I can't call her that anymore, she is my daughter in law after all now. I wonder if she would mind me calling her Hermione-"

"What nonsense are you blabbering about?" Lucius rolled his eyes. 

"Interrupt me once more, and you can sleep outside for all I care." The Malfoy matriarch threatened him. "As I was saying, for Hermione and my baby dragon, this is not a hoax. Their wedding, those vows, the magic involved, was very real, Lucius. They are actually a married couple, no matter how much you, or anyone else want to deny it. And even the Malfoy and Black family tapestry recognises it."

"Let us believe for a second what you are saying is true. But even if it is, there is no way on earth that I am going to accept that Granger girl as a part of our family. She ruined the Malfoy bloodline."

"Oh Lucius." The Malfoy matriarch chuckled. "I will make you understand that she didn't do anything like that later on, but for now, you just need to know that you not accepting her would not have any affect."

"It will. I am the head of this house after all-"

"You cannot change a connection already made, my dear husband. Specially a connection which as deep as that of the souls, maybe similar to that even."

The Malfoy patriarch gasped as he realised what his wife was trying to say. "No, that cannot be true, Narcissa. You are lying. There is no way that it is possible."

"Do you have any other explanation as to how the Manor accepted Hermione as a Malfoy, despite the fact that she was in a disguise during the wedding?" She asked, using her wandless magic to put the glamour charm back on the muggle born witch's name."

"It is true, Lucius, no matter how much you want to deny it." Narcissa nodded. "Hermione and Draco are soulmates."

-----------

Trigger warning: brief mention of attempted sexual harassment. Skip to the next scene (after ----), if you don't want to read this. 

Meanwhile.....

Hermione fiddled with her fingers as she walked in the dark hallways of the Malfoy Manor. Where was Draco?

They had been walking together as they discussed their plan further, when a Death Eater whose name the muggle born witch did not know, had called Draco, asking him to come with him to the training rooms for the recruits. 

The blond heir had been hesitant to leave her alone, but when the Death Eater had called him again, Hermione had told him to go, and assured him that she would be fine. 

Draco had told her that he will be back in a few minutes, and as she knew the way to their room perfectly, he had told her to go there, or in the library on their corridor. 

The Gryffindor witch had been walking in the direction of their room when she had heard a blood curdling scream. 

Draco Malfoy's scream. 

Without wasting any second, Hermione had immediately abandoned that direction and ran towards the place from where the sound seemed to be coming. 

She had just reached a dark hallway, in which she had never been in before, when the scream had abruptly stopped. What was happening?

Since then, Hermione had been roaming there only, trying to find the way out all the while calling her husband. But so far, she hadn't managed to escape that hallway, nor had Draco found her. 

She almost decided to use the galleon to message him, but the thought of the Dark Lord being present in the same room while Draco checked the galleon stopped her. She didn't want him to get caught. 

Sighing, Hermione turned another corner when she found herself standing in front of two large doors. 

Looking at the walls next to the door and on the paintings hung on them, she felt a sense of familiarity. She had seen this place before. But where?

Deciding that an oddly strange familiar place was better than a strange dark hallway, Hermione nodded to herself and entered the room.

Only to stop in her steps as soon as she took in the sight in front of her. 

Dark grey colour on the walls. 

A big fireplace in one corner, near which the black armchairs were kept. 

And some broken wooden planks with screws unhinged in the center of the room. 

Now it made sense as to why this place was oddly familiar to Hermione. 

This was the drawing room. 

The very drawing room she had got tortured in twice, once months before by Bellatrix Lestrange, and then just a few days back by none other than Voldemort. 

The other door opposite to the one she had entered through explained why she had never seen that hallway. That door looked exactly like the one she had just found, and was probably on the same side of the wing as that of the dining room. 

She felt panic grow within her. 

She needed to get out of this room. Right now. 

But before she could even turn around, she felt her wand flew out of her hands, and land a few feet away from her. 

"And I finally managed to get you alone, Miss Amelia Romano."

Eyes widening, the Brightest Witch of Her Age hastily turned around to see none other than Rabastan Lestrange staring at her, his eyes moving from her head to toe.

"It is Mrs Amelia Malfoy-"

"Oh I do not give a shit about your wedding to that sodding Malfoy." He rolled her eyes. "For me, you are still the Amelia Romano which had come here more than a month back. That same Amelia who had attracted me towards her."

What?

Rabastan was attracted towards Amelia?

This was news to Hermione, and she as she saw Rabastan smiling dreamily towards her, she found it disgusting. 

The wizard took small steps towards her, causing the witch to take several steps back. "Now come on, do not be afraid of me, my dear Amelia. I am not going to cause you any harm now, you know. How can I hurt the woman I love? Besides, you are such a classy witch, nothing like my deranged sister in law."

Hearing that made the muggle born witch clutch her arm in panic. She did not want to be reminded of Bellatrix right now, not when she was very near to the spot where she had mercilessly gotten tortured twice. 

"S-stay away from me." She managed to say, her voice growing weaker and arms shaking as seconds passed. 

Where was Draco?

"Oh where is the fun in that, dear?" He smirked. "We are alone in this room, with no one to disturb us-"

"Draco-"

"Do. Not. Take. That. Filth's. Name." Rabastan suddenly marched forwards and grabbed her hand, turning her around and slamming her into a wall, pressing her body in between his and the wall. "You should forget all about him, you know?"

"Please... Please let me go." Hermione whispered. She could feel the panic taking over her brain. "I need to find Draco. I heard him screaming a few minutes back-"

"What had I said about not taking his name?" He growled, pressing her harder towards the wall and digging his wand into her neck. "And you need not worry him, that was not his scream at all. It was me."

Her eyes widened. "Wha-"

"That's right. Brilliant, isn't it? I used a spell to change my voice to his and screamed, knowing you, who was nearby, would come running towards that direction. And to my luck, you just happened to enter this room on your own. No need for me to take you to any other room, where no one would find us."

He turned her around, and stepped closer towards her. "Now you better be quiet, and just let me do what I want, if you know what's good for you."

Though she was on the verge of having a panic attack, the memories which caused her nightmares dancing in front of her eyes, Hermione was not going to give up that easily. She was brave. She would fight as much as she could. 

While Rabastan was busy checking her out, the Gryffindor witch kicked him in his guts, and shoved him away. As soon as he dropped on the floor, Hermione turned towards the door, as she knew she had no time to summon her wand. 

But the wizard was not going to let her go that easily. 

He grabbed her ankle just as she started to run away, and pulled her down. Hermione screamed in pain as her head hit an unhinged screw and a broken wooden plan, and the blood caused her vision to get blurred. 

Where the hell was Draco?

Where was the blond wizard when she needed him the most?

Rabastan chuckled and got up from the floor. "So you want to play hard, huh? No worries, you will get your punishment for that soon enough."

With that, he crouched down next to her, and placed his hand on her back, slowly opening all the knots which were there on the gown she was wearing. 

Just before Hermione fell unconscious, she saw the door opening, a sense of hope emerging inside her as a blond wizard stepped into view. 

-------------

A few hours later....

"How is she?" 

"The healers said that she would be fine, Mother."

"But why hasn't she woken up yet?"

"The healers said that they had put her in a magical coma while they healed her head, the injury was severe, you see. And they have given her a few pain potions as well. So she will wake up when their effects would wear off, probably in a few minutes." Draco answered, his voice cold and his focus on nothing and no one except on the witch lying on his bed.

"And how are you, my precious dragon?"

"The healers said-" The Malfoy heir closed his eyes as he realised what he had just said. "I am sorry, I-"

"You need rest." Narcissa smiled sadly at him and bent down to kiss his forehead. "You have been doing nothing but worrying about Hermione, you did not even come down to have dinner. You need rest, Draco, you need to take care of yourself too."

"I will rest when I know that she is alright. It is my fault that this happened to her anyways. I should not have left her alone-"

"You weren't to know what would happen, my baby dragon." His mother slowly caressed his head. "Whatever happened, is no one but Rabastan's fault, and he will pay for this, I will make sure of that."

She turned her face towards him and continued, "Just take a small nap while Hermione is resting. You will be alerted when she wakes up anyways. Meanwhile your father and I will go and have a talk with the Dark Lord about this. Take a nap, okay?"

Draco sighed and nodded and got up from the bed. Summoning an armchair towards the bed, he sat down and took his wife's hand in his. 

Narcissa smiled seeing that scene in front of her, and walked towards her husband was standing by the door. 

"What had I told you about them earlier?" She whispered to the wizard. "They are soulmates. When one gets hurt, the other feels the pain. Just look at my baby dragon's condition."

"This is just utter nonsense. I don't believe for a second what you have said is true." Lucius shook his head. When his wife opened her mouth to say something, most probably against his words, he quickly added, "Weren't we about to do something?"

"Fine, but do not think that I won't be able to convince you of what I am saying later on." Narcissa rolled her eyes but nodded nonetheless. "Let us go and tell the Dark Lord what that bastard of a wizard Rabastan had done. He will pay for this, and I don't give a damn about what happens to him, not after he did this to Hermione."

Lucius' eyes widened as he heard his wife speak those words. "You never fail to surprise me, Cissa."

"That's good, and it should remind you to never underestimate me, dear husband." She smirked at him and walked out of the room. 

Lucius followed after her as he closed the door behind them, all the while muttering about bossy and stubborn Malfoy women. 

Draco sighed as the door closed, and used his wandless magic to put the charms back on. As he did so, his eyes never left the muggle born witch's face.

They had never left her face, actually, ever since he had found her in the drawing room, and then brought her to his room. He had even refused to leave the room when the Healers were attending to her, choosing to allow them to put a curtain around her body, except her face, as they treated her. 

His silvery grey eyes had remained fixed on hers all the while during that, an unspoken promise of him staying by her side existing in his mind, as he hoped that she opens her eyes soon. 

And then at that moment, as he hesitantly stroked her hand, and rested his head on the chair, he thought about what had happened after he had left Hermione alone in that hallway. 

Flashback

Draco had arrived in his room just a few minutes after he had been called to the training room, apparently they only wanted him to showcase how powerful a perfect Legilimens could be. 

"I am telling you, the Dark Lord probably suspects me-" He stopped short when he found his room to be empty. Where was Hermione?

He checked the enjoined bathroom, and even the closet, but she was nowhere to be found. Frowning, he decided to search the small library but to no avail. Hermione wasn't there as well. 

After sending her a message through the galleon, Draco decided to take a quick look in the gardens, in case she had met his mother and the two witches had gone out to take a stroll, but that was not the case. 

When he could not find her anywhere he thought she might be, the blond wizard finally went to the hallway he had left her in. He was quietly walking, looking all around when his shoes hit something. 

Bending down, he picked up the object and his eyes widened when he realised what it was. The protean charmed galleon. 

Hermione's galleon, on which the message he had sent was clearly visible. 

Where was the muggle born witch?

Panicking, Draco searched the way through which the hallway was connected to his wing, but again, he didn't find her anywhere. 

Shaking his head, he decided to search the hallway again. Maybe she had gotten lost somewhere, and had reached another side of the Manor. 

The blond Slytherin traced back his steps, and made sure to check every corner, every room in case she was hiding somewhere. 

Where the heck was Hermione?

Where was she when he had specifically told her not to roam around the Manor without him?

Draco walked past a room, when he suddenly stopped in his tracks and looked at the door handle. It wasn't locked. 

Keeping his wand at the ready, a spell on the tip of its tongue, Draco pushed open the door and noticed something that would give him nightmares for weeks. 

Hermione, his witch, was lying on the ground, her head surrounded by a pool of her blood, her eyes almost closed. 

And Rabastan. 

That freak was crouching down next to her, his hands on her back, undoing the knots of the gown.

"DIFFINDO!" Draco screamed and ran forwards. He kicked the other wizard, who was screaming because of the pain, away and took Hermione's head in his hands, trying to wake her up. 

But her eyes didn't open. 

The blond wizard looked at Rabastan with a desire to kill him in his eyes, and shot multiple spells at him. A few seconds later, he heard footsteps approaching them. 

Lucius and Narcissa had arrived there, probably because of hearing the shouts.

Draco didn't bother telling them anything, and instead, picked up Hermione in his arms and ran towards his room, shouting at a House Elf on the way to call their private healers. 

He had never been more frightened in his life.

And he absolutely did not want to think about what would have happened if he just been a second late. 

Flashback over

"Draco?"

He had not realised when he had fallen asleep. But, as soon as he heard her voice, his eyes shot open and he sat up. "Granger?"

Hermione tried to get up from the bed, but winced at even the slightest of movement. "I- Water... Dra-"

"Shh. I have got you." Draco pour water in a glass and sat down next to her head. He slowly raised her head, keeping in mind not to touch the injured spot, and helped her drink water. "Rest, Granger. It will help you."

His wife looked at him after she had finished drinking water and whispered, "Rabastan... H-he... Did he?"

He knew very well what she was asking. "No, Granger. I arrived there just in time. He did not... He didn't."

Heart wrenching sobs came out of her throat as she turned her head, and buried her face in his stomach. "I-I... Thank you, Draco. Thank you."

Draco chose against responding to that and simply tightened his arm around her shoulders. He was there with her. 

And he would not let anyone harm her again. 

But before that, Rabastan Lestrange would have to pay.

---------------

Hermione flinched as Voldemort hit Rabastan with yet another spell. She felt Draco slip his hand into hers.

"Don't you dare feel bad for him, Granger." The blond wizard whispered. "That bastard is getting what he deserved. I just wish the Dark Lord would have let me use those spells on him."

"I know." She squeezed his hand. "But I don't want you to harm him any more, Draco."

"Granger-"

"No." His wife shook her head. "You have done enough already."

"Granger-"

"Draco, no."

"It is still Malfoy to you." He muttered, hoping that she would react to that, and she did. Her mouth lifted upwards in a small little smile.

In the background, the Dark Lord continued torturing Rabastan. The nose less wizard was really angry at him.

Rabastan could have very well ruined his only chance of gaining power in Italy. Amelia was Voldemort's only hope of getting more followers in Italy.

And so, Rabastan had to be punished.

When he felt that he had been punished enough, he excused everyone from the room, except the culprit, of course.

"You!" Voldemort grabbed his collar and hissed, "You should be killed right now for even thinking about doing that."

"M-my Lord-"

"But I have more use for you." He continued, "You should feel lucky that you were the one who saw Draco Malfoy with a girl looking like Mudblood Granger." 

A/N: That's it for this chapter. It was 5200+ words. Hope you guys liked it. If you skipped the trigger warning scene, Rabastan managed to injure Hermione's head, but a blond wizard arrived just in time. Random question: Which Black sister do you like the most? Answer in the comments below. Vote, comment and please share my story. Reviews are always appreciated. Thank you! 

Next chapter on 21/9/21(Tuesday).

Until next time.