The characters and canon situations in the following story belong solely to JK Rowling. I am not making any money from the publishing or writing of this story.

Premise: Trying to stay apart, only pulls you closer together.

Summary: Marriage Fic with a twist – a fun experiment in marriage, contrasts and distaste

Warnings: There is some mild smut in later chapters but nothing that is crazy. I have my more mature fics over at Granger Enchanted and AdultFiction.

Authors Note(s): A gift for my first ever betas! t_stevenson: I ain't gonna get mushy, you are a wonderful inspiration and friend. Lady Lynn: I cannot believe how generous you were to offer your help the way you did on Her Shoes. Thank you both and I hope you enjoy this.

Finally, thank you to AydenDenise for betaing this for me. Your help and insight were invaluable. Any mistakes are mine! Please note that this story is finished, its seven chapters in total. As the summary says, it was an experiment.

Please enjoy!

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The clicking of heels echoed throughout the floors of the recently renovated and redecorated Malfoy Manor.

The new mistress was inspecting some final touches before leaving to attend a meeting at the Ministry.

"Hermione."

A young woman, dressed in fine navy blue silk robes that clung in all the right places, turned to the voice of her mother-in-law, Narcissa Malfoy.

Smiling brightly, Hermione walked towards the blonde, elegant witch. "Narcissa, I was just ensuring that all the ancestral portraits were in the correct order that Lucius had instructed."

Narcissa Malfoy grinned at her daughter-in-law. Her once bushy hair was tamed into gentle waves of long, coffee colored soft curls that gleamed burnished copper in the sunlight. A creamy complexion tending more towards olive than peach was blemish-free. Her heart-shaped face showcased her dainty features – pert, upturned nose which didn't hesitate to look down upon ignorant fools, pink lips that could lash out at the most stout of men, beautifully shaped eyebrows that would often rise in disbelief, but her eyes were clearly her best feature.

Intelligent and sharp, her eyes could root anyone to their spot with a mere look. Naturally brown, they could range from a dark whiskey color to an even darker chocolate, depending on her mood. If the eyes truly were the portals to the soul, then Hermione Malfoy's eyes revealed one of great depth and emotion.

Hermione Malfoy, nee Granger, was not the typical Pure-blood beauty but she possessed a fresh-faced, more natural kind of rare loveliness that women sought to emulate through potions, charms and cosmetics.

The witch was tiny, not more than five foot three inches. Her body fit, not too slender, with generous curves which she kept in shape by running the grounds several times a week. Narcissa didn't understand her need for this exercise but it seemed to make the younger woman happy.

"I'm off to the Ministry. I have a meeting with Harry today. The Aurors have been helping me with the Centaur disturbances."

As Associate Director for the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures, Hermione worked closely with the Aurors and Department of Magical Law Enforcement. She managed to maintain a well-balanced schedule that also allowed her to fulfill her social duties of the Malfoy family. There was little to no room for personal time but she preferred it that way. By the time she reached her suite of rooms and curled up next to a purring Crookshanks, she was exhausted and mercifully numb.

She needn't dwell on the state of her life or seek answers she knew she would never find. Instead, she would sleep and wake to a new day and same routine. It was serving her quite well for the last fourteen months since the Ministry had enforced the current Marriage Law.

It would not do to think of such things, however. Whenever Hermione allowed her mind to wander to the Marriage Law and her . . . husband, she'd experience a bout of accidental magic. The elves were still repairing the damage to the all-glass Solarium from the last time.

Narcissa's voice brought her back to the present. "We'll see you at dinner."

"Of course." She turned to leave, only to pause. "Narcissa, the year is nearly at an end. I'll be filing the papers shortly. I'm sorry."

The blonde witch nodded and fought back the sadness that engulfed her heart. "I understand." As Hermione walked down the corridor, Narcissa called out softly, "Hermione, we've loved having you as our daughter. If only for a little while."

The brunette witch picked up her pace before tears over took her in a rare display of emotional weakness.