Disclaimer: Everything belongs to J. K. Rowling :)

Hermione ran down the staircase, across the hallway and around the corner. It was almost time.

A thousand years ago a young wizard by the name of Daedalus Hepper met a young muggleborn witch, who was so beautiful that she tore apart thousands of men's hearts per minute. Her skin was as fine as silk and her eyes were as blue as the sky. Daedalus was in love in the first second, and spent the next few months pining over her. They became friends, eventually, but Daedalus wanted more. He wanted her to love him. But it was not to be.

His father ordered him to marry a pureblood girl from down the street, and so he did, with much sorrow. His marriage was lonely and quiet. They didn't get along, and she was not as beautiful as the young woman of his dreams. He was driven into madness, but dared not cheat as that was the sin of all sins, in his mind.

As he grew older he became insane and started researching about love and charms. He was unhappy in his life, but wished his one and only child, his son Adam, the very best in life. He wanted him to fall in love with a person who would love him back. He one day discovered a charm that did just that. The charm would set a timer on his son's wrist, a moving tattoo, that counted down the the very day that he would meet his 'soulmate'. The soulmate would also have a moving tattoo on her/his wrist. They would then marry and love each other until their dying days.

Unfortunately, the spell went wrong due to his mental instability, and it cursed the entire human population. Every son or daughter, no matter who they are or where they come from, had a moving timer on their wrist, counting down until they meet their soulmate. It didn't have to be the first time they met their soulmate, but the first time they met their soulmate as them self.

The theory behind this, was that as people grew older they changed, and their personalities became different the more they experienced. When the time was right when the two personalities were compatible, they would meet (possibly again) and be married. Most wizards are in their late teens or early twenties when they meet their soulmate, as that is the time when they have changed the most.

The ministry of magic in the year 990, was a small group of people running the population. They managed to change the curse so that only witches and wizards got the curse. But could not remove the charm. When muggleborns were born they were tracked down to hide their timer, so that it would reveal itself when they came to a wizarding school or community.

Daedalus Hepper was one of the most hated and loved men in the wizarding community. As many hated the idea of an organised relationship. As soon as they met their loved one however, he was deeply admired.

He eventually died of old age, but was immensely pleased when his son grew to marry a fine young man, adopting three magical children and living happily in love for the rest of his life. (Not-so-coincidentally that was also the time period when homophobia was finally squashed in the magical community).

Hermione frantically looked to her wrist.

00:00:00:00:02:23

She had no more years, months, days or hours left. Merely two minutes until she was forced into a relationship she had no say in.

This was not going to end well.

She began hurrying down the hallway, hair in disarray, her normal ponytail falling out the faster she ran. Her breathing got heavier, as the timer ticked down second by second.

00:00:00:00:01:47

She finally reached the entrance hall and burst through the doors, and down onto the grass. She finally found a secluded spot. Perhaps if she hid herself from everyone she wouldn't meet her 'soulmate'. Hermione was panicking. What happens if its someone terrible? Or what if it's one of her best friends? Ron or Harry? She loves them but she could never ever marry them!

00:00:00:00:00:56

Hermione's heart was beating very fast. Her breathing quickened and she closed her eyes. What if it was Ron? She could never love him. It could never be him. Maybe it was someone from Ravenclaw. That would make sense.

These thoughts had been repeating in her head for months now, ever since she noticed the timer had suddenly gone from 1 year to 11 months and 29 days. What happens if her soulmate hates her?! What if they never want to talk to her and she is alone forever? No, no wait, she WANTS to be alone forever. Yes. She wants to be alone and get out of being forced to marry someone she doesn't want to marry.

00:00:00:00:00:26

Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit. Not long now, less than half a minute. Hermione almost yelled, tugging on her hair. Maybe her soulmate won't find her here.

00:00:00:00:00:10

Everything was going quiet, she couldn't hear much at all. She closed her eyes, refusing to watch the final seconds count down. Silence. As though everyone in the entire castle had left and it was just her. Silence.

Crunch. A stick was snapped in half not far from her. The only sound she could hear. Crunch. Crunch. Footsteps, most likely. Or a rabbit. Maybe it's a rabbit.

"Granger?"

She opened her eyes to see the final second click

00:00:00:00:00:01

00:00:00:00:00:00

She looked up to the person standing in front of her, who was looking down at her. Definitely not a rabbit.

"Granger?"

"M- Malfoy?!" Hermione's eyes grew. The timer was wrong! Her and Malfoy were not soulmates!

"Shit my father is going to kill me." Malfoy said jokingly, motioning towards his wrist. Hermione looked at him with even more shock. Malfoy and Joking do not go in the same sentence.

"Um." Hermione whispered.

"What? The famous Granger speechless for once?" Malfoy smiled and sat down next to her.

"I... I have to go. Now." Hermione said, and hastily got up and ran all the way to the Gryffindor common room.

"Well, that went well." Draco muttered to himself. Ever since they had returned for eighth year at Hogwarts he fancied Hermione. A crush he hadn't known was possible until then. It took many months of denial to grasp the fact that he was indeed attracted to Hermione "Know-it-all" Granger. The fact that his timer was ticking down closer to the moment that he'd meet his soulmate made him confident that it was Hermione.

"WHAT?" Ron yelled, his face as red as his hair. "I'm going to kill him!"

"Ron!" Hermione yelled, "You aren't helping!"

"Hermione, you are sure its him?" Harry said, running his hands through his hair.

"Of course! I know Malfoy when I see him!" Hermione said, sitting down in despair.

"Well maybe it's going to be ok then." Harry said, rubbing his hand on her shoulder.

"What?" Hermione yelled, copying Ron.

"Malfoy did save our lives last year. Your life too." Harry said. "At the manor."

"Yeah but he didn't stop her from getting tortured." Ron butted in.

"He couldn't really do much, otherwise he'd get killed, Ron." Harry stated.

"What so just because he saved our lives makes him a good person, does it Harry?" Hermione accused.

"He might be a good person. Remember he was just following his father when he became a death eater." Harry said.

"What is up with you Harry? Since when do you defend Malfoy?" Ron said staring at him

"Since we had a truce." A voice said from the corner of the room. Hermione whirled around pointing her wand.

"Whoa! Whoa!" Draco said, hands in the air.

"How did you get in here?!" Hermione demanded.

"Potter gave me the password." Draco said, nodding towards the bespectacled boy. Hermione stood up and pointed her wand towards Harry.

"Harry?! How could you?!" Hermione shrieked. They were making quite a scene in the common room, and most of the house had turned around to watch.

"Hermione I trust him now! Ever since he told me he-" Harry shut up once he saw Draco's glare.

"He told you what?" Hermione said, pointing her wand at Malfoy then to Harry and back again. Ron was sitting happily in the corner knowing that with Hermione's wand, the guilty will be punished. It had happened to him many times before.

"What did he tell you Harry James Potter?!" Hermione growled.

"Shit Granger! I told him I fancy you!" Malfoy said, hands in the air, surrendering.

"You what?" Hermione said, lowering her wand slightly, Ron's smile faltered.

"I. Have. A. Crush. On. You." Malfoy said slowly.

"You. Are. Lying." Hermione imitated him, pointing her wand to his chest.

"He's not." Harry cut in.

"How would you know?! How can you trust him?" Hermione said pointing her wand back at Harry, who copied Malfoy and put up his hands in surrender.

"I just do. We are friends." Harry said.

"You are friends with Draco Malfoy." Hermione said, glaring at him and cast a series of spells at him, Harry flinched, but then happily realised that he wasn't in pain.

"What did you just do?" Harry asked.

"You aren't confunded... Or lying... Or an imposter." Hermione said, confused.

"Yeah. Is it that hard to believe I'm trustworthy?" Malfoy asked.

"Yes." Hermione and Ron said at the same time.

"Bugger off, Weasley." Malfoy snapped.

"No thanks, Ferret." Ron said, he was about to get up from the couch but he was interrupted.

"If you will all just calm down. Honestly!" Another voice came from the entrance to Gryffindor tower. "How hard is it to believe Draco has a crush on Hermione? I mean, he obsesses over you guys. He's practically jumped at any chance he's got to talk to you over the past what, eight years?"

"Merlin Zabini!" Draco sighed, "Mind your own business for once!"

"Nah, my business is never as interesting as yours." Blaise Zabini grinned, sitting himself down next to an astounded Ron and pulling out a bag of popcorn. "Want some?" He offered the bag to Ron, "This sure is a good show."

Ron quickly decided to scrap any previous ideas about Zabini and dug into the bag, watching Hermione raise her wand again after getting over the shock of having two Slytherins in the Gryffindor common room.

"So let me get this straight. I'm to marry my enemy, my enemy has had a crush on me for a while, and my so-called best friend has been friends with said enemy without me knowing for god knows how long." Hermione said.

"Actually just two months." Harry said.

"You shut your mouth Harry Potter." Hermione growled, pointing her wand at Harry again.

"Whoa! Whoa!" Harry said, raising his hands in the air. "Seriously Hermione! I haven't done anything that bad, I only made a new friend!"

To Harry's surprise Hermione laughed, "That bad? New friend? I know what this is! Its blackmail!" Hermione whipped her wand back around to Draco, who backed away, eyeing the wand carefully. Both Ron and Blaise sniggered.

"I swear! On my father's life, I did not blackmail him!' Draco said, almost tripping over a table.

"What was it? How did you trick him?" Hermione waved her wand, looking rather frantic now.

"Hermione please," Harry intervened, "He's not that bad-"

"Ok ok! Guys! Calm down! I'm here!" Another voice came, this time from the girl's dormitory staircase. "Harry, you apologise. Draco, tell her the story. Ron, Blaise, give me popcorn. And for merlin's sake, put your wand down Hermione, you are making these poor blokes piss their pants."

"Ginny!" Ron grinned, "Come sit down! Enjoy the show!"

"Good thing I brought food." Ginny grinned and revealed from her robes several chocolate frogs.

"What story?" Hermione asked, lowering her wand now, however turning to face Draco.

"Erm… The story about…" Malfoy hid his head.

"He got permission from his parents to marry whoever he wants, and he has had his eyes on you all year." Blaise said, smirking at his friends.

"What the bloody hell, Zabini!" Draco yelled at his friend, "You can't just tell her I want to marry her?"

"What the bloody hell, Malfoy!" Harry yelled at his friend too, "You only told me you liked her."

"Well obviously I wasn't going to tell you that I wanted to bloody marry her, you'd murder me!" Draco yelled back.

"No. I'D MURDER YOU." Hermione shrieked, pointing her wand. "Malfoy you bloody imbecile! You toad! You bloody filthy cockroach!"

"Woah there, Granger!" Blaise stepped in. "The poor bloke is desperately in love with you."

"This is Malfoy we are talking about." Ron pointed out.

"What, so I'm just incapable of love, is that what you are saying?" Draco sneered.

"Yes!" Hermione, Ron and Harry said all at once.

"Well that's not entirely what I was expecting, but fair enough I guess. You know, I'm just going to go now, forget this ever happened please." Draco got up. "And Granger, Hermione, are you just going to ignore the fact that we are soulmates?"

"Yes." Hermione said stubbornly. "And so are you."

For the next few days Draco Malfoy stayed in his Slytherin dormitory room, wallowing in despair. Hermione Granger stayed in the library, half wondering whether she should stop studying and maybe find him. And Ginny Weasley and Blaise Zabini quickly became an item (Harry and Ginny had been long over). Harry Potter tried talking to both Hermione and Draco to no result. Ron Weasley, however, was ignoring the whole event entirely.

"I mean seriously, who gives a damn if Malfoy is infatuated with Hermione. As long as he doesn't follow her around like a bloody love sick puppy it won't affect us." Both Hermione and Harry glared at him with their baggy eyes and morning coffees.

"I'm not a bloody dog, Weasley, I'm a snake. It would do you good to remember that." Draco sneered over his shoulder. Ron jumped ten feet into the air.

"I get you are bloody in love, that doesn't mean you have any reason to scare the hell out of us, Malfoy!" Ron complained.

"Move down." Draco ordered Ron, and for the first time since the time of the founders themselves, a Slytherin sat down at the Gryffindor table. Neville Longbottom almost fainted.

Draco shoved his wrist in front of Hermione. "There. Look. You see? It's us." Hermione looked down at his wrist to see a tiny lion and snake entwined in each other, she pulled out her wrist and showed him the same.

"We're meant to be. Would you give me a chance?" Draco asked.

"Why should I?" Hermione narrowed her eyes. Every Gryffindor was now eagerly listening to their conversation.

"Because we're meant to be together. Because I'll never hurt you. Because I'm in love with you." Draco said. Every single Gryffindor including Hermione herself opened their mouths in shock.

"Can we maybe do this outside?" Hermione asked, and several Gryffindors actually wailed. Draco nodded eagerly.

Hermione and Draco stood up from the table and walked outside into the entrance hall. Harry and Ron looked at each other in anticipation. They knew there was only two possible outcomes of that talk and neither of them were going to be good.

"Ten galleons they'll start screaming." Ron bet.

"Nah mate," Dean cut in, "They're not gonna come back in, they'll be too busy sticking their tongues down each other's throats."

Luna (who had mysteriously appeared) sighed dreamily, "Have you ever noticed how much sexual tension has been between them?" Ron gaped at her. "It's been there for years!" She giggled and then happily got up from the table, the boys followed quickly, hoping each of their bets were correct.

The group reached the Great Hall's doors and opened them.

Dean smirked and turned to Ron, "You owe me ten."

The couple were in their own world, not noticing the rest of their classmates either grinning triumphantly, or covering their eyes in disgust. Hermione had her arm around Draco's neck, her ticking count down finally over, replaced with a symbol of the love that would follow. Hermione would concede later, maybe Daedalus Hepper wasn't so bad after all.

Blaise and Ginny smirked at their friends, "It's About Time".

A/N: Hey everyone! Thanks for reading, please feel free to leave a review and tell me what you think!