Disclaimer: Just owe the plot.
Muse: 24 Hours by Alexz Johnson
Chapter One: The Deal
Hermione Granger walked into a law office located in Diagon Alley. Though she had not been there before, it was exactly how she imagined it to be. The crimson carpet that matched the curtains in only the way a true Gryffindor would decorate. The rich smell of leather-bound books reminded her of her classroom at Hogwarts. She walked up to the receptionist at the desk.
"Hello, Ms. Granger. Have a seat. He'll be with you shortly." The receptionist said, never looking up from The Quibbler. Hermione sat down in the waiting room on an over-stuffed leather couch. She couldn't help but wonder what this was all about. It had been a week since she has received the letter, stating there was important paper work to discuss. It was beyond her what it could possibly be. She paid her bills and taxes on time. She was tedious about it.
"Ms. Granger, he's ready to see you," The receptionist said. Hermione walked into the office and there, saw her old friend.
"Hi, Neville!" She smiled cheerfully. Since graduating Hogwarts, Neville has become a rising attorney. Hermione marveled at the change. He went from the bumbling timid boy who always forgot the sinking step to the household name he has become. However, one could still see glimpses of his past; the fern in the corner and the picture of his grandmother cheerfully waving on his desk.
"Good afternoon, Ms. Granger," Neville grinned as he stood up.
"'Ms. Granger'? Neville, really? What is it with all the formalities?" Hermione frowned slightly.
"There are days in which one needs to step back, and trust me, today is such a day. Please, sit down. Tea?" Neville sat down.
As if Mia wasn't creeped out enough with the cryptic letter, Neville's attitude certainly did the job. She sat down in one of the chairs in front of his desk. "No, thank you. I think I would rather get this over with. What is the paper work we need to talk about?"
"We have to wait for the other party to arrive. He might take a while. So, how's Hogwarts?" He asked.
"Great. How's Hannah? I heard you two were expecting. I haven't seen her since your wedding." Hermione felt a tad guilty that so much time had passed.
"Yeah, she's four months now. Speaking of relationships, Hermione, are you single?" He shifted uncomfortably in his seat.
Hermione wasn't sure what brought up this change of subject and wasn't quite sure how to approach it. "Er, yeah. Is that important?" Years had passed since her and Ron broke up. It was a mutual agreement but it still didn't stop the sting.
Before he had a chance to answer, a voice carried in through from the waiting room.
"Sir, no really, I have to notify him before you go in! Sir!" The receptionist tried so hard.
"Once again, he is expecting me. I am late. You will live," A familiar condescending drawl sang its way through.
Though nine years had passed, Hermione could pick out that voice anywhere. After all, it is rather hard to forget when one is called a Mudblood by it for six years. She jumped to her feet, "What is Malfoy doing here?" she hissed. Before a clearly uncomfortable Neville could answer, Draco Malfoy walked in.
Neville collected himself quickly, stood up, and greeted him, "Mr. Malfoy, welcome."
"Mr. Longbottom." Hermione took this opportunity to size him up. Not much had changed; his good-looking boyish charms were still there and so was the feeling of hatred that surged every time she saw him. Hate as much as she did, there was no denying that Malfoy was one of the better-looking boys in school. He looked harder, if that was possible. She suddenly realized that all eyes were on her. "Granger," he sneered.
Hermione managed to muster all her disgust in two syllables, "Malfoy."
"Well, now that we have all exchanged pleasantries," Neville cleared his throat, "let's all get to business." Draco and Hermione were still glaring at each other as they sat down. Draco couldn't help but notice that the years have been kind to Hermione. She had finally grown out of her awkward not-yet-a-girl-not-yet-a-woman stage. The Granger before him was most definitely all woman … well, as far as Granger could go anyway. Idly, he pushed these thoughts away and tuned back to Neville. "It seems that some documents have been brought to my attention concerning the two of you."
"What possible documents could you have found?" Hermione asked. The quicker she got out of there, the better.
"Oh, I didn't find them. They were delivered to me, personally, by Fawkes." He said as he shuffled through the papers on his desk.
"Fawkes? I thought that was Dumbledore's phoenix." Draco frowned.
"It is," Neville said absent-mindedly. "Aha!" he held the paper triumphantly in the air, "The last will and testament of Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore."
Draco raised an eyebrow and leaned forward in interest, "We are in the will?"
"Correction, Mr. Malfoy. You two are the will." Neville grimaced. "Ahem," He put on his half-rimmed reading glasses and began to read, "'I, Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore, being of sound state and mind, regardless of what some people may think, hereby revoke all previous wills and codicils …'"
"Excuse me, Neville? If you could just skip the lawyer jargon and just move on to the good stuff." Hermione pleaded.
Neville looked up at her with a grave expression, "I can try. 'I leave the entire bulk of my estate to Hermione Jean Granger and Draco Rene Malfoy'," Draco and Hermione looked at each other, almost bubbling with excitement, "'provided that they complete the following.'"
"Wait, there are conditions for this?" Draco raised an eyebrow.
Neville looked up, "You don't know the half of it. 'They are to be married for 35,064 hours.'" He braced himself for what to come.
"Married?"Draco stood up, his chair falling down, "Well, I guess he was crazy. Like I would ever marry …"
"A Mudblood?" she supplied. Hermione stood up to face him. Her 5'4" height was preventing her from actually facing 6 foot Draco face to face, but her determination was there. "Oh, don't worry, as if I would ever become a Malfoy."
"As if I would ever let you taint the family name." Draco growled.
"Sit down, now." Draco and Hermione turned to face Neville. The reason Neville had become such a household name was because he had faced the worst of the Deatheaters in court during cross-examination, and had made them crumble. Such steel cold determination was not ignored in the courtroom, and it was certainly not ignored in his own office. Neville's grandmother in the photo frowned at the outburst. Draco corrected his chair and sat down, all the while shooting dirty looks at Hermione, who returned them promptly.
"Continue," Hermione said sharply.
"I can't." Draco and Hermione gave him a blank stare, "I was given clear instructions to stop until an apology is given."
"Are you serious?" Draco rolled his eyes.
"I don't joke, Mr. Malfoy. I propose if you wish to continue, you will say you're sorry and let us get on with these proceedings." Neville inwardly laughed. Leave it to Dumbledore to predict events beyond his death.
Draco glared at Hermione and sneered, "I apologize."
Hermione ignored him until Neville looked at her and made it clear he was waiting. "I'm sorry."
"Say we get married," Draco said, ignoring the scoff from Hermione. "What do we get?"
Neville smiled, "Fawkes, his summer home, money, and Hogwarts."
Hermione's heart jumped, "What do you mean Hogwarts?"
"Years ago, Hogwarts was going under. Rather than lose the school, Dumbledore bought it outright. It's actually a private academy. He just opened the doors for everyone." Neville answered.
Hermione grimaced. Perhaps, it wasn't that bad. She would just have to legally be married for 35,064 hours. That was just … four years. Four years and Hogwarts could be hers. She could finally make the changes she has been campaigning for years. "Alright, Neville. Keep reading."
He braced himself, "'In said time, they are to live in the same house, eat at the same time, and sleep in the same bed. They are to remain faithful to each other. No one is to know the details of this will with the exception of the executer, Hermione, and Draco.'" Neville did not dare to look up yet. After not hearing a response for a few moments, he looked up. Draco was gripping the armrest of his chair and looked like he hadn't taken a breath in a while. Hermione was green and hyperventilating.
"Is that even legal?" Draco snarled after what seemed to be an eternity.
"Quite." He took off his glasses and rubbed his eyes, "I tried. I have been awake for days trying to find a loophole. This will is ironclad. If you want this, you will have to complete the terms. I'm so sorry."
"How much money did he have?" Draco asked. Hermione rolled her eyes. Of course, he thinks about the money. Neville took out a piece of paper and wrote a figure on it. He passed it on to Draco. Hermione saw Draco open the note, and noticed his usually cool self break for a moment. His grey eyes widen at the number. He caught himself and passed it on to her. Hermione glanced at the figure. She gasped. The number was staggering. It was three times more than she would make in her lifetime.
Draco never really thought about marriage before. He wasn't very social. He rarely went on dates. In fact, the majority of his romantic adventures ended up being one night stands. He was perfectly okay with that. Of course, the pressure from society to get married was beginning to become bothersome and what a great way to shut them up by marrying a non-pure. Of course, there were other ways this could benefit him but he didn't dwell on it.
"Ok." Draco simply stated.
"Ok, what?" Neville asked confused.
"Ok, I'm in," Draco said. Hermione looked around bewildered. Did he just really say that? Did her arch-nemesis agree to marry her? Hermione felt the pressure bearing down on her. Was Hogwarts really worth four years of hell? What on earth was Dumbledore thinking? She felt her face heat up and tried, in vain, to bat away the outgoing tears away. She didn't succeed.
"Excuse me," she mumbled as she ran to the bathroom. She turned on the cold water and yanked a paper towel. Wetting it, she thought about her decision. It wasn't fair. Hermione knew that life isn't a fairy tale. Her Prince Charming wasn't going to sweep her off her feet but at least, she wanted to marry someone she loved. Hell, she would settle for someone she liked. She buried her face in the cool towel. She looked in the mirror. Her brown eyes met a pair of grey ones behind her. She jumped and whipped around.
"Can you at least knock?" Hermione said.
"You are behaving as if you were going to get kissed by a dementor," Draco stated.
"I'd rather that than that deal."
"It's not that big of a deal, really." He looked in the mirror and pushed back a chunk of his blonde hair out of his eyes.
"We have to be a married couple for four years. How is that not a big deal?"
Draco looked at her square in the eye, "Who are you to question Dumbledore's will? Funny how in all of his years alive you never second-guessed him and now, this is too much for you to bear. Four years with me, and you gain Hogwarts. Choice is yours, Granger."
Hermione was livid. How dare he question her loyalty to Dumbledore? "What would you do this, Malfoy? Why would you even entertain the idea of lying in the same bed with a Mudblood?" She was desperate to know. Draco knew Hermione was getting upset. It had been years but he remembered the signs; the balled-up fist, the uneven breathing, the glare that enlightened him on how much she wished she could shut him up for once. This is what he once lived for and somewhat missed. It wasn't often people dared to go head to head with him and even rarer, that they could even keep up. She did, she could, and he liked it.
"Other than the money, and trust me, you could have everything else, the satisfaction that everyone thinks that you're mine." Draco had planned on continuing but was interrupted by Hermione's sobbing. Draco was taken back. He didn't realize how unfair this was to her until now. Although Draco's emotional experience with women was rather limited, he knew a wedding day was suppose to be a girl's dream come true. He might be cold and distant but there was a heart there … somewhere.
He stepped closer to her and pulled her to his chest. Hermione was surprised by this gesture and though she wanted to be grossed out, she was touched and placed her head on his chest. "It's ok," he murmured, "just let it out". He ran his fingers through her light brown wavy hair. When she stopped crying, he spoke.
"Look at me." Hermione looked up and sniffled, her eyes were puffy and red. "I know this isn't what either of us wants. It is what we were handed. It would be a mistake to let this go by. We are not exactly marriage material to each other, I know." Hermione cracked a small smile. "We don't even like each other. I, also, know we can make this work." Malfoy let go of her and awkwardly got down on one knee, "Will you marry me, Gra… Hermione?" In place of a ring, he held up his business card.
Hermione stared at him blankly, "Your business card?"
Still in kneeled position, Draco shrugged. "It seemed fitting, this being a business deal." She sighed, took the card, and nodded.
Together, they walked into Neville's office. "When is the big day?" Hermione slumped in her seat.
"You have exactly one week for it to be legal. Congratulations?" Neville wasn't sure what to say. "I'll get your license ready by then."
Draco and Hermione left the office and looked at each other. "Well …" Hermione wasn't too sure on how to say goodbye to her enemy who was currently her fiancé and in a week's time, her husband.
"I will see you tomorrow. I would like to know how it goes." Draco smirked.
"How what goes?" Hermione frowned.
"When you tell Scarface and Weasel about our wedding, I'm sure they're going to love it. I know I will. Try to take a picture, okay?" He turned around and left the building. Hermione felt like he had doused her in ice-cold water.
"Yeah, that's going to be great fun," she muttered to herself.
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