The Five Year Arrangement

by Heimarmene

Hermione had it all planned out. She'd marry Ron at thirty. Maybe have a baby at thirty-two. Malfoy would be rotting away in prison. But when the Ministry unveils a new law, Hermione finds herself unshakably bound to her very worst enemy...in marriage.

1. Prologue

Hello lovelies. For those of you who were redirected here from Journey of a Thousand Miles, I apologise. This story is somewhat similar in concept, but different in approach.

()()()

"Ms Jones."

"Minister."

For a moment, they merely looked at each other from opposite sides of the great oak desk. Then she began to laugh at the absurdity of it, the formality. After a moment, his chuckles joined hers.

"Ah, old friend," she said once they'd stopped, "it's good to see you again. You know, when we're not in hiding and trying to stop a war."

"Sometimes I think the Order was the only thing that made us all friends," he said thoughtfully.

"Last week I tried to owl Sirius, to tell him how my niece is doing in her studies – things that he would've wanted to know. Then – " her voice cracked. "Then I remembered that it's over. There's nothing we need to fight against now."

()()()

Quite short and rather detached. But it might make sense later.