Fresh Beginnings
Summary: After the war is finished, the trio go back to school for their final year. Getting there they find out that some laws have changed and that because of all the deaths that had gone around, there are fewer wizards and witches. So the ministry had brought in a new law; a marriage law. Everyone from 16 and up had to get married and have children with their partners. What happens when Hermione Granger is being told that she had to get married to Draco Malfoy?
Chapter 1
A New Law
"No Ron, that's it." Hermione Granger said exasperated. Ron, an eighteen year old boy with red hair and blue eyes stood there and gaped at her. He struggled for something to say back to that.
"You can't be serious?" he came up with. Hermione huffed.
"Well I am." Ron shook his head and his cheeks went red.
"Why?" he demanded. Hermione sighed and looked him in the eyes.
"Ron, we don't... click anymore." she said softly. "Do you understand? Why should I stay with someone I don't want to be with?" Her eyes had turned pleading. Ron looked devastated.
"I love you." he whispered.
"I know." she replied sadly. "But I don't love you, and I would not want to be with someone I don't feel anything emotionally for. Plus it would only be hurting you as well. Would you really want me to stay with you, knowing you love me but I don't love you?" She stepped back from him and rounded the corner leaving Ron Weasley stood on his own. She stopped and took a deep breath, then walked to her sanctuary; the library. She found a table at the back and settled down, getting a book about Ancient Runes. She stayed there for hours and when she was told she had to leave, she put her head in her hands. She really didn't want things to be strained with Ron, but she couldn't have stayed with him any longer. The war had taught her to grab any happiness you could and being with Ron wouldn't do that, but being his friend would. Now she didn't even know if she had that.
She pushed away from the table and walked out of the library and up to the Gryffindor common room. Thankfully Ron was not there. She went to the couch and sat next to Harry. He smiled at her and from the look on his face, he knew. She sighed and looked into the fire.
"You okay?" he asked gently. She looked up at him and shook her head. He moved and wrapped an arm around her shoulders and she dropped her head onto his shoulder.
"No, I still want to be his friend because I still like him and would miss him if he started to ignore me, but I don't want to be with him anymore and he is still in love with me... it might be hard for him to be around me." she rambled. Harry didn't say anything for a while, just stroking her hair.
"Well... he will obviously need some time alone to think things through, but I don't think he would want you out of his life for good and will still be your friend." he said eventually. "I wouldn't be able to choose between you two if that is what things came to." Hermione closed her eyes, she wouldn't want Harry to choose, it wouldn't be fair for him. They stayed like that for about fourty minutes before they moved again. "Come on let's get to bed," Harry said and pulled her off the couch. "We have to be up early tomorrow, even though it is Saturday." Hermione frowned.
"Why?" she asked.
"Didn't you know? There is this big meeting thing tomorrow." he stammered. Hermione frowned, how did she not hear about this? She sighed, well she knew now.
"What time?" she asked as they walked toward the stairs.
"Er... nine." he eventually remembered. Hermione nodded and gave him one last hug as she bided him goodnight. Hermione got to her room and flopped on the bed, shutting her eyes. She really hoped things would be better tomorrow. She was so tired she didn't even have time to change or get into the bed as she fell fast asleep on of of the duvet.
Ron was sat on the bed, glaring down at the covers that graced them. He didn't look up as the dorm room door opened and shut again. He didn't look up as he felt a dip on the bed. He did however look up when he felt a stinging pain on the top of his head. He glared at the offending person; Harry. "What?" he said grumpily.
"I have just seen Hermione." Harry said quietly. Ron stilled and then looked back up at his best friend. "I know you love her but she doesn't love you. Would you have wanted to stay with her if the roles were reversed?" he asked rhetorically. Ron slowly shook his head. "She really doesn't want things to get so bad you don't see each other, she wants to be your friend."
"H-How am I meant to -" he started but was cut off.
"She understands that you need time, but she will miss you. Like I said a second ago, think of this entire thing as if the roles were reversed." Ron didn't say anything. Harry left him to his thoughts and went to get a shower. Ron stayed still, just thinking about everything and closed his eyes. He got up and got changed into his night clothes. He climbed back and pulled the hangings around the bed, shut. He just laid there with one arm under the pillow and a handful of the covers in the other hand. He listened to the silence that was broken about ten minutes later as Harry came out of the bedroom.
Harry looked over to Ron's bed sighed. He really hoped things would get better soon, and that things wouldn't get too awkward. He climbed into the bed and shut his eyes for some much needed sleep.
When Hermione woke up the next morning she got up and quickly went into the bathroom to wash. She quickly washed as she had to get dressed and get to the great hall for this meeting. She got back into the dorms room and put on some black trousers. They were like traditional slack but were tighter and flared just at the bottom, but she put on black ankle boots and tucked the bottom of her trousers into them. She put on a white vest top and a black belt. She pulled her hair into a ponytail and grabbed her wand and went to the common room.
She realised she had gotten up earlier than usual and sat down on one of the chairs in front of the fire. She closed her eyes and put her head on the side of the chair and closed her eyes. She must have fallen asleep because she was been shook awake. She blinked and rubbed her eyes. Harry smiled down at her and pulled her off the chair. "Come on sleepy head, we have to get down to the great hall." he said quietly. She balanced herself and looked around.
"Where is Ron?"
"He has already gone to the great hall." Harry explained and grabbed her hand, pulling her out of the common room.
"Do you have any idea what this is about?" she asked as they walked down the stairs. Harry jumped the last step as the staircase had started to move and he had to jump to land on the next floor.
"Well I talked to McGonagall about it personally and she said it was just something that needed to be rectified. She didn't seem to be happy about whatever it was though." Harry said frowning as he remembered yesterday evening. Hermione nodded in understanding. They reached the great hall and went to sit at the Gryffindor table. Harry sat next to Ginny, who was sat next to Neville and he was sat next to Seamus. Ron was opposite Ginny next to Dean and Pavarti and Lavender. Hermione came and sat next to Harry. Ginny leaned over and gave her a hug.
Everyone stopped talking when the new headmistress stood up and cleared her throat. Everyone looked up at her curiously, she looked almost apologetic. "Now that everyone is here we will be able to begin." she started and looked around the room. "The Ministry is having a new law installed. This law entails that anyone from the age 16 and up have to be married and have at least one child." Everyone looked gobsmacked and were gaping at her, she continued. "Now they want the best wizards and witched you can give us, so they have made a system that will bring the most compatible together. You will all take a test now and your results will be given at the end of the day." With that eight people got up and started to hand out the tests they had to take along with quills. Everyone was still in a state of shock.
Hermione looked down at the test she was handed and gave it a once over. It was basically questions on what you liked to do and what subjects you are best at and worst, things like that. Some of the professors were walking around in case anyone did need any help. Hermione put her quill down when she was done. Ron was silently praying that he was paired up with Hermione. When all the tests were collected up they were told they were allowed to go.
"Can you believe this?" Ginny ranted as they sat down by the lake. "This is ridiculous, what if we get split?" she asked Harry with wide eyes.
"Affair?" he suggested with a lopsided grin. She slapped him playfully but was smiling all the same.
"Who would be the worst person you could be paired with?" Ginny asked. Everyone contemplated this.
"Millicent." Ron said.
"Goyle." Hermione said next.
"Draco." Ginny added.
"Pansy." Harry continued.
"Zacharias." Luna said dreamily.
"Lavender." Neville said. Everyone turned to stare at Neville. "What?"
"Really Neville?" Harry laughed. "Lavender? Out of everyone you can pick, you choose her?" Neville nodded.
"She is a gossip and a bit slutty and I don't like girls like that. And she hates Herbology." he said seriously. Harry smiled fondly, Neville and his plants. They stayed outside for a little bit longer and eventually went inside to the Gryffindor common room.
"It is a bit wrong though isn't it?" Ginny said just before lunch.
"What is?" Hermione asked, looking up from a book she was reading.
"We would have to have sex with the person. What if we get put with someone we hate even though they are out perfect match." She said indignantly. "We have to marry and have kids with this person." Hermione and the others grimaced.
"Yeah, you're right. Eurgh that is disgusting. Just the thought of having to have intercourse with Goyle." Hermione gagged.
"Or Millicent." Ron added.
"Come on let's get some lunch." Harry said and then pulled Ginny up from the couch and wrapping his arms around her waist. They walked down to the great hall and they all, including Luna, went to the Gryffindor table and grabbed some food.
"When do you think the results will come back?" Neville asked halfway through the meal.
"Don't know." Harry shrugged and looked up. "Probably at the end of the day or in the morning." Neville nodded and ate some more mashed potato. Hermione wrinkled her nose as Ron was eating like a pig, charming. After dinner was done they made their way to wherever they wanted to be. Hermione went to the library, Luna went to her rooms, Neville went to the greenhouses, Harry and Ginny went to the common room and Ron went to the grounds to fly.
Later that night they were finally told to make their way to the great hall for the results. They all sat down feeling anxious and nervous. There were some ministry officials up with the teachers and some were chatting and talking. Eventually McGonagall stood up and cleared her throat. "Now, we have got the results of who your future partner will be and I don't want any interruptions or arguments of who their partner will be." She said sternly and looked around the hall. "I would like all the girls to go stand at the back of the hall and the boys to stay where they are, when I tell the girl who their husband will be, go and sit will him; understood?" Everyone nodded and the girls got up and went to stand at the back of the hall.
"Okay." She murmured to herself and pulled out a roll of parchment. "Hannah Abbott, your partner will be Ralf Scamander." She announced and Hannah went and sat next to the Ravenclaw boy who was a year younger than her.
"Lavender Brown, your partner will be Seamus Finnegan." She announced afterwards and Lavender smiled slightly and went to sit next to her class mate.
"Pavarti Patil, your partner will be Dean Thomas." And she went to sit next to him. A lot more people were called out and about half the people were left stood at the back.
"Pansy Parkinson, your partner will be Gregory Goyle." She said to the hall. Pansy's jaw dropped and she didn't move. Astoria nudged her and Pansy seemed to walk towards him with a blank expression on her face.
"Luna Lovegood, your partner will be Neville Longbottom." Luna smiled dreamily and went to sit next to a shocked Neville.
"Millicent Bulstrode, your partner will be Ronald Weasley." She said and unrolled the parchment even more as she was getting to the bottom.
"What?" Ron asked shocked and disgusted. Harry and Neville snickered and he glared at them.
"Mr Weasley, be quiet and move down to make room." She snapped. Ron reluctantly moved down and let Millicent slide in next to her and grimaced; he had to have sex with her.
"Ginny Weasley, your partner will be Harry Potter." She continued and Ginny happily squealed and ran up to Harry and hugged him and kissed his cheek.
"Hermione Granger, your partner is Draco Malfoy." She said and everyone stilled. Hermione's eyes widened and Ron glared at the shocked Malfoy. Hermione slowly went to the Slytherin table and sat down next to the man who would be her husband and the man of her kids. She was in shock and watched, but didn't see as the rest got told who they would be with. After everyone was sat down McGonagall went on to tell them that they would be getting new quarters where they would live with their partners and this would be set up by the end of the week. Everyone was sent back to their dorms and Hermione was startled as she caught up with Harry and the rest of the group.
"I cannot believe you are going to have sex with Malfoy." Ron snapped. Hermione glared, it wasn't as if it was her decision.
"Ron, stop acting like it is my fault. Beside you have to sleep with Millicent." She snapped back. This got him to stop and shiver.
"Eurgh, that is so disgusting." Ron gagged. "I don't want to sleep with her."
"Get over it." Ginny said from her spot on Harry's lap. Ron glared at her.
"It's alright for you to say, you are with the person you were with before." He whined and slumped on the couch.
"Not my fault." She said smugly and snuggled into Harry's chest. Harry rolled his eyes but wrapped his arms around her.
"I am going to bed." Hermione stated and got up.
"Goodnight Hermione." Harry and Ginny said in unison. She smiled, she was glad they were getting to be happy and stay together. Though she didn't like the thought of being with Draco she thought it was better than being put with Ron. She got changed for bed and got in and stared at the canopy above. She wondered how Malfoy was feeling about all of this. Did he hate it because she was muggleborn and not pureblood? Did he want to be with Pansy? Loads of thoughts were swirling around her brain that it was difficult to actually fall asleep.
She sighed and twisted trying to get comfortable. Eventually she managed to fall asleep in the early hours of the morning and was lucky it was Sunday and she didn't need to be up early. She woke up later on and got dressed in ¾ length black leggings and a blue baggy, but stylish top that came off slightly at the shoulder and put on some boots. She made her way to the common room and went to the great hall for breakfast with her friends.
Apparently McGonagall had another announcement. Whilst their new living quarters were being built they had to spend some quality time with their new partners and had to do so today and tomorrow and their homes would be done the next day now and not at the end of the week. So after they had ate their food they had been ushered out and had been taken to different places and been told to talk.
Hermione sat down next to the tree by the lake and watched as Draco casually sat opposite her. They didn't say anything for a while and Hermione got impatient and broke it. "So Draco, Malfoy, what is your... favourite colour?" she asked helplessly. He raised an eyebrow at her but answered anyway.
"Green." She rolled her eyes she should have expected that. "And what about you?" he asked.
"Blue." She responded. He nodded his head and there was silence again.
"What is your favourite lesson?" he asked suddenly. Why was he actually doing this? I thought he would have ignored me, Hermione thought.
"Transfiguration." She answered and asked the same question.
"Same as you, Transfiguration." She smiled and nodded her head.
"What about animals?" she asked curiously. He frowned suddenly.
"Er... Eagles." He eventually responded and Hermione frowned. She didn't expect that and she wondered why he paused before he answered, there must be something more to it.
"Mine is an otter." She replied. He nodded and this is how it went for a while.
Neville and Luna were sat in the grounds near the greenhouses talking. They had been friends for a while and knew each other pretty well already. "So, what do you think about this whole thing?" he asked.
"Well, I don't mind it. They are right and we need to repopulate the world again but I don't like arranged marriages. However I do not mind who I was paired with." She smiled. He smiled back at her.
"Me either." He responded and looked up at the sky. "A bit early but how many kids would you want?" he blushed at that.
"At least two." She said dreamily. Neville nodded his head in agreement; he hated being an only child.
"What do you want?" he asked curiously.
"Oh, a boy and a girl." She grinned at him. "What about you?"
"The same, I would love to have both." He agreed.
"The sky is beautiful this day." She said as she gazed up into the morning sun.
"Yeah, it is." However he was looking at Luna.
Harry and Ginny went up to the boys dorms and they were cuddled up on his bed. They had no reason to talk and were making out instead. Ginny broke off the kiss and leaned on Harry's stomach. "So Harry, are you ready to get married?" she teased. He smirked and pulled her hair lightly.
"Yes, but to you? Eurgh, no way." He teased right back.
"You know you love me really." She smiled and leaned forward to kiss him again.
"Of course I do, and I will love our kids just as much."
"Kids? You want more than one?" she asked looking at him curiously. He nodded and she smiled. "Good, so do I."
"I wonder how Ron and Hermione are getting on." Harry laughed. Ginny snorted at the thought of Ron.
"Ron is probably trying to escape." She replied and muffled her laughter by pressing her face on his chest.
"You are probably right; however I wish I was there to see it." He smirked.
Ron was scowling horrendously and was sat with his arms crossed against his chest. This is what his life had boiled down to. Getting married and having kids with Millicent Bulstrode. The thought of it alone was enough to make him sick. He was sat in an empty lab down in the dungeons and was looking through the window and onto the grounds.
"So Ron," he heard Millicent say and cringed.
"What?" he asked grumpily.
"What is your favourite colour?" she asked.
"Blue."
"Mine is Silver." She replied and smiled making her face look bigger than it already was. He smiled, however it looked more like a grimace and he looked away.
"What do you like to do in your spare time?" she asked. He reluctantly turned to look at her and answered.
"I like to play Quidditch and play pranks now and then." He started but she cut him off.
"I like to watch Quidditch and also I like to read romance novels and try out new hairstyles which I can do to you." She said much to Ron's horror.
"What food don't you like." He said quickly to get off the topic.
"Sprouts, cabbage, tuna, coffee, spinach ..." she trailed off naming a bunch of foods. "You?"
"Tuna, spinach, Marzipan, Sprouts and spinach." He said. "Other than that I like most foods."
"Let's talk about babies." She squealed and his eyes widened.
Lavender and Seamus were making out in an empty classroom after they had talked a while. Pavarti and Dean were talking about what they wanted and what they didn't and what they had in common and Pansy was sulking about the fact that she wasn't with Draco.
Hermione and Draco had gone through a seemingly long list and now didn't know what to say. "Well maybe we should head back and I will see you tomorrow." She said politely and got up.
"Yes." He said formally and nodded his head. They parted and she walked up the moving steps and came to the 7th floor and to the fat lady's portrait. She gave the password and found only Harry and Ginny in the common room.
"Are they not back yet?" she asked. Harry shook his head and she sat on the couch next to him.
"How was it?" Ginny asked curiously.
"It was ok." She said perplexed. "He wasn't rude or anything. But I had the impression he was forcing himself to be that way at times."
"Well it is better than him being his usual self." Harry put in. She nodded her head and looked back as she heard the portrait open and shut. She saw Neville walking in and he smiled when he caught their eyes. Lavender and Pavarti came in together and were chatting happily together. Ron came in about fifteen minutes later looking annoyed and pained.
"What happened to you?" Neville asked.
"Millicent." He said as if that answered everything and plopped down next to him. "We were talking and then she came up with the topic babies and when she gets on to that topic she gets very talkative and a little weepy." Harry and Neville snickered and Ginny and Hermione bit their lips. "How was it with Malfoy?" he spat.
"Fine." She replied. He grumbled under his breath and got up.
"I am going flying." He announced and went to get his broom. Hermione sighed but she was hoping that with him being with someone else now might be a good thing as he will be able to get over her quicker. They were each other's perfect match, that had to count for something right?
"Will he be ok do you think?" she asked.
"Don't worry about it. Just the fact you dumped him and now he has to marry and have kids with Millicent is getting to him. He is Ron; he will get over it in a few days." Harry said with a small smile. Hermione nodded, Ron did normally get over things quickly. Well, except that Scabbers incident. She sighed and got up.
"Just going to the library." She said and left the common room once again. She walked to the library slowly and was intrigued that it was so quiet around here. The place looked just like it did before the battle and everything had been renewed. She got to the library and stopped. She frowned and decided she wanted to test something out. She walked back to the 7th floor and stopped at the tapestry of Barnabas the Barmy trying to teach trolls ballet.
She walked in front of the wall three times. I need some place to be alone. She thought in her head as she did so. A door suddenly appeared and she hesitantly went to it and opened it up. Surprisingly there was no fire. She didn't know what she expected but she didn't know if the fire was still going to be there. She walked inside and inspected what was there. There was a fire in the centre and some bean bag chairs in front of it and a soft cream carpet and white walls. There was no light except the fire and the candles that were floating up above, creating a calming and peaceful atmosphere. There were a few bookshelves along the walls as well. She moved to the bookshelves and picked up a book on Transfiguration and sat down in a green beanbag and got comfortable.
Hermione awoke some few hours later and sat up straight. She heard the book drop to the floor and gasped. What time was it? She grabbed her wand and her eyes widened when it said it was 7:47 pm. She had been here all day and she hadn't eaten either. She put the book back and made her way to the kitchen. She saw Kreacher and smiled. It bowed slightly but didn't do anything else. A house elf came running up to her and asked if it could be of any assistance. She smiled and asked for some dinner and a drink of anything. She was brought some chicken, gravy, mashed potatoes, carrots, Yorkshire pudding and some pumpkin juice. She ate that and made her way to her room.
"Where have you been?" Ron demanded as soon as she stepped through the common room. "We checked the library and you weren't there." Hermione pursed her lips and scowled at him.
"Actually I was in the room of requirements." She snapped.
"It still works?" asked a shocked Harry. She nodded and glared at Ron.
"I am going upstairs, just so you know." She said sarcastically and stomped up the stairs.
"Ron, she is allowed to be by herself every now and then." Ginny spat. "Stop acting like you own her."
"We didn't know where she was, anything –"he started but was cut off.
"No, she is not with you anymore so get over it." Ginny said and went up the girl's dorms steps and went to talk to Hermione. Ron scowled and sat himself on the couch. Harry gave Neville a look and he raised an eyebrow. They got up and walked up the boy's dorms steps.
The next day Hermione found herself walking the ground beside Draco Malfoy. They hadn't said anything for the past ten minutes and Hermione was getting uncomfortable. "I am sorry." She blurted out. Draco frowned and looked at her.
"What for?"
"Pansy." She said and he still looked confused. "Well, you know, you two were together..." Draco chuckled and smiled slightly.
"Well don't be, I wouldn't want to marry her." He said.
"Oh."
"She is just a friend now." He said and she dropped the matter. "What about you and Weasley?" Hermione grimaced.
"I actually broke up with him the morning before we found out what was going on." She told him and looked down at the floor. "It is still a little weird between us but I am hoping it will get better."
"Why did you break up?" he asked curiously.
"I didn't feel the same way about him anymore." She said absently and they stopped as they came closer to the school. "How's your family?" she asked cautiously. She knew his father was in jail but his mother wasn't as Harry had come forth and vouched for her.
"Fine." He said, avoiding the question. "Well I am going to get back." Hermione nodded.
"See you tomorrow."
"Ah, yes." He said, tightly. "We will be living together then wont we?" Hermione stayed silent. He looked at her and she didn't know what emotion lurked behind that mask he had put up just now. "Goodbye Granger, I will see you tomorrow at lunch when they take us there." He said. Hermione said goodbye and went back to her room. They had, had their first lessons back today and she was happy for the distraction but as the headmistress said she had to spend the day with Draco again as well as yesterday. They had talked less today and he seemed more distant for some reason. Maybe he was just trying extra hard the day before and wasn't trying as hard today.
She thought about the fact that she would have to have sex with him. She was a virgin and didn't know if she wanted to lose her virginity to Draco Malfoy. He was cold and cruel at times and she had never really seen him be nice to anyone. She wondered if she could learn to love him, or at least like him and vice versa. She wanted him to be able to like her friends and although there was a kind of truce going on between Harry and Draco, nothing had really been resolved and they still had a mutual dislike for each other. She sighed and when she was back to the Gryffindor tower went straight to her room. She got changed for bed and crawled in. She closed the curtains around the bed and put some wards up just in case. She closed her eyes and this time she managed to go to sleep without any problems.