Hello! I have had this story stuck in my head for a bit now. The story is Canon Compliant except for the epilogue. Enjoy and please review!
-JK Rowling is Queen-HP belongs to her.
Hermione Granger's hands were trembling. Shaking, really. Her breath was coming short as she moved quickly through the streets of Diagon Alley. It was raining out and she was glad for it because otherwise, someone might stop her to say hello and they would see that Hermione Granger was panicking.
Hermione Granger was not a panicker. She was level headed. She made logical decisions and thought ideas out. However, Hermione Granger was way past logic. She was about to enter into full blown hysteria if she didn't calm down soon. So despite the rain, and despite the fact that Hermione's hair would now resemble a triangle around her face, she was thankful that nobody could see just how bloody frantic she was.
Hermione hustled down the street, weaving in and out of people and clutching a missive in her hands. Finally, she reached the old brick building two down from Gringotts. She entered and walked right past the lobby desk and up the three floors. The door plaque was new and Hermione barely even glanced at it as she stormed into the offices on the third floor. Sitting behind the reception desk was a pretty woman, with cropped black hair and dark rimmed glasses. She was wearing a chic green blouse and was looking down when Hermione entered.
"Parkinson, is Malfoy in? Where is Malfoy?" Hermione all but yelled at her. Pansy looked up and stared at the woman, a bit taken back. Hermione looked a fright. Her eyes were wide and her hair was wet but had somehow gotten frizzy on her way to Malfoy and Nott Consulting and Law. Hermione looked on the edge of a panic and Pansy, while not a close friend of the girl, got a bit worried.
"Her-" Pansy began with a worried look.
"Is he here, Pansy? Is he? Has he got an owl from the Ministry?" Hermione was shrieking, quiet unlike her usual even temperedness with Pansy.
"Well, yes, he got a letter but he has been with Mr. Fudge for the last hour and I've been holding his mail…" Pansy looked concernedly at Hermione.
"Have you got an owl from the ministry?" Hermione looked panicked even more so, like she was about to go absolutely mental.
Pansy sent a nervous glance at the door which had the name 'Malfoy' etched onto it. Hermione was getting louder and she looked a right mess. It would do no good for Mr. Fudge to see her like this and ruin what could be a potential client relationship.
"Hermione," Pansy began, "maybe you should come back later… now may not be a good time. You look like you are having a rough day, I can firecall Potter or Weasel for you perhaps..." Pansy trailed off
Hermione gave a manic laugh, "I do not want you to firecall anyone. I need Malfoy's letter. Where is Malfoy's letter?" Hermione hurried around the desk and started to move papers around Pansy's neat receptionist desk.
"Granger! What are you doing?!"
"Where is the letter?!" shrieked hermione, "Where is the bloody letter?" Hermione was outright yelling at the girl. And Pansy started to get frightened. What was in that letter that Hermione wanted so bad? Why had she asked about her own letter? What was going on?
Hermione continued to make a mess of the papers until she lifted a crips, white, letter with the ministry seal on it. In the corner it read "Department of Magical Marriages" on it. The seal, a bit different then usual, matched the one that Hermione had clutched in her hand. Without another glance at Pansy, Hermione started towards the door with Malfoy's name on it.
"Hermione! You cannot go in there! Draco is in a meeting with-" but it was no use. Hermione had already entered the office and shut the door behind her.
Hermione barged in right as Draco told a very portly, short man, who was wearing a yellow bowler hat, "Mr. Fudge, for the last bloody time, I am sorry but no matter your social standing or the fact that you were once Minister of Magic, I do not do pro bono work."
Draco looked up at his desk and saw Hermione, sopping wet, with wide eyes, and a look of absolute panic standing at his doorway.
"Granger, what are you doing here?" He said mostly surprised with a slight sneer.
"Malfoy," Hermione bit out, glancing briefly at Mr. Fudge who looked like he had sucked on a lemon at the sight of Hermione, "I need to talk to you. Right. Now." She spit out the last words through clenched teeth. Meanwhile, her hands were clenching two letters. One, delicately addressed to a Ms. Hermione Granger and another addressed to a Mr. Draco Malfoy.
Mr. Fudge gauffed at Hermione Granger, "excuse me, but Mr. Malfoy is in a client meeting with the Minister of Magic!"
"Ex Minister of Magic" Hermione bit out, still staring right at Malfoy.
"Well! See here," the man began but Draco rolled his eyes, and Hermione stood staring at Draco. "Mr. Fudge, our business is done. My prices are not going to change for you. Good day, you may see yourself out and set up an appointment with Ms. Parkinson on your way out if you would like to make an appointment for full charges on your court case against the Wizengamot."
Cornelius Fudge stood up, glaring at Hermione, and stalked out. Hermione continued to look right at Malfoy. His blond hair combed to the side, he was wearing crisp black robes that fit him in the shoulders, and his handsome face held little emotion. But his eyes, his grey, beautiful eyes stared back at her.
"Malfoy, I got a letter. I got a bloody letter from the ministry." Hermione's voice started to waver, her hands still clenching the two letters tightly in her fist. She was almost afraid to let them go, to open Malfoys.
"Why are you calling me Malfoy? You haven't done that since the second date when I told you I would start calling your Mrs. Malfoy if you couldn't use my first name." Draco smirked slightly at her and leaned back in his office chair slightly. The large oak desk still separated Hermione and himself.
"Mal-Draco, it's serious, please… just.." Hermione stumbled over her words. Her panic and mania starting to turn to hysteria. Her wide eyes starting to water and her hands ,still shaking, held out the letter that said "Mr. Draco Malfoy" on the front of it.
Draco stood up from his desk and walked around to Hermione. Womens tears always got him, the crazy look in her eye was kind of endearing he thought, but the tears, got him to stand up and pay more attention. He looked at her curiously, her erratic behavior starting to throw him off. He had seen Hermione a little frantic multiple times in the past months. But not to the point of hysteria that she had just entered. Draco took the letter from her outstretched hand and saw the sender name, "Department of Magical Marriages," his eyes snapped up to Hermione's. He had never heard of such a department in the ministry before. Hermione was biting her lip to keep from crying. Her trembling seeming to take over her entire body. Her eyes stared at the letter in Draco's hands.
Draco turned it over and opened it.
The Department of Magical Marriages
April 17th, 2003
Dear Mr. Malfoy Draco,
Due to declining numbers of witches and wizards following the Second Wizarding War, the Ministry of Magic has decided to enact a Marriage Law. Witches and wizards, ages 20-40, will be paired together at random. These matches are final and cannot be changed- no exceptions. Witches and Wizards already engaged and able to prove their engagement prior to this date will be able to marry. However, all other witches and wizards must marry their ministry pick to ensure fairness and longevity of the law.
All paired couples will need to provide proof of marriage by December 31st, 2003. All paired couples must provide at least one magical child by 2010. If medical assistance is needed, the ministry will provide. All pregnancy and childbearing costs will be covered by the minisitry.
Your matched partner is:
Susan Bones
Please get in contact with your matched pair within the next 30 days or be subject to Ministry fines.
Warm Regards,
Meredith Bulstrode
Head of Department of Magical Marriages
Draco read through the letter twice. He stared at the parchment in his hands, his knuckles starting to turn white on the edges. He felt like he was in a trance as he read the letter again and again. And then, he heard a slight sniffle and his head snapped up. Hermione was staring at him, tear tracks starting to appear on her cheeks.
"Who is your match, Draco?" she asked softly. Her own hands trembling on her already opened and crumpled letter. Hers read an hour earlier in her office, alone, and feeling the same shock that Draco was now going through.
"Susan Bones. Who is yours?" Draco asked still in a bit of shock from reading the ministry letter.
"Terry Boot."
Hermione and Draco stared at each other for a minute, looking deep in the eyes of the other. Their eyes said a thousand things that neither of them could yet say out loud. And then Hermione started to sob. Great, wallowing sobs, and Draco rushed forward and caught her as she started to collapse.
"Hermione, love, shhh.." Draco murmured into her hair, and led her to a nearby chair in front of his desk. "We'll go to Kingsley, we'll repeal it."
"Didn't you read it? No exceptions.. And we aren't engaged." Hermione sobbed into his neck.
"We'll figure it out!" Draco was still in shock, his usual quick temper not firing as it usually did.
Draco held Hermione as she sobbed. He closed his eyes briefly and thought about what they had been through to get to where they were now.
They hated each other in school.
She was a bloody mudblood.
He was born into blood purity and destined to be a death eater.
She chose the light.
He chose the dark.
She was a war hero.
He was a reformed death eater.
She testified at his trial.
He owed her his life.
She forgave him for being a child born into the wrong family.
He followed her career through the papers.
She allowed him to buy her coffee every now and then from "Lattes and Lumos" down the street.
He asked her to dinner on the October 15th of the last year.
She said no.
He asked again and again until finally,
She said yes.
She loved him.
He loved her.
But now, the ministry, destined them to marry another. Would fate ever be on their side?
Draco pulled Hermione closer to him and kissed her head. Fate had never been his friend.