Chasing Pavements

"You may kiss the bride."

I smiled. It hurt a lot to see my best friend run off with the man I loved, however, they were happy, very happy. I had no right to take that away from them, since, come to think of it, my love was always unrequited. I remember when I was in third year, that I'd write my name next to Ronald's family name, thinking that somehow, in the end, everything will be alright – but fairytale endings don't always happen. Well, for me they didn't. Maybe they did to some people, but unfortunately, I'm not exactly that lucky.

Seeing them together made me both happy and sad at the same time. Luna was playing blushing bride, Ron was… well, being Ron. Their happiness was contagious… well, sort of. I don't really have another word for it and 'infectious' makes it sound like a fatal disease. You might or might not ask me why I'm unhappy, and even if you aren't particularly interested, I'm going to tell you anyway. I'm unhappy because I totally did not see that one coming. It just slapped me across the face, just like that, and I'll tell you, that slap was more painful than being Crucio'd by Bella Lestrange. I shit you not.

Taking one last look at the couple and everyone else who was celebrating with them, I turned my heel and made my way to the church's doors. There goes my… well, probably my only chance to ever get married. After all, who would want a know-it-all bookworm? The answer to that is painfully simple and I don't need anyone to rub it in.

"Hermione?" Screw it. Just when I opened the doors and tried stepping out side, I hear Luna's voice. Why oh why.

"Congratulations, Luna." I say with a smile. You have no idea how hard it is to smile right now. Trust me.

"Thank you. Why are you leaving so soon though?" She says, and I can tell she's sort of worried.

"Kingsley told me to see him immediately after the ceremony," this technically wasn't an excuse. Kingsley DID say I needed to see him after the ceremony, but still, I just can't sit here, can I? "He says it's pretty urgent, so I really have to go. I'm sorry, Luna. I'll make up for it on the baby shower!"

Yeah. Trying to make a laugh out of it just makes it hurt more.

Luna smiled, and made no further qualms about me leaving. I made my way out of the church and apparated to my flat in London, and took a long, hard look at my empty flat. Not too long ago, when I was still dating Ron, we both lived here. This place wasn't the lifeless, dull, gray, thing it was right now. I used to call it home. Home was where he was. However, he is happy now. I have no right to do or say anything that might affect that. I love him, I still do. Fate tells us otherwise though; we were just… too different. I smile to myself and the masochist I've unfortunately become. Pathetic.

I made my way to my bedroom, and upon entering, stripped my gown off, and changed to comfortable work clothes. Yes, you guessed right, a tee-shirt and jeans, and a pair of chucks. Now you see why I'm not the normal choice for men? You can laugh, actually. I'm not even bothered by it anymore – always the prude bookworm, they'd say. I went out of the house, and made my way to the Leaky Cauldron, ignoring everyone who was getting piss-drunk and giving a nod to Tom; I slid to the back entrance and found the wall that connected Diagon Alley to the Muggle World.

Ah, Diagon Alley. It's a really good place to be when you want to lose yourself to a crowd, I guess. It helps me think. I make a stop in front of Quality Quidditch Supplies, which is weird considering the day I'd finally be interested in playing the sport would be the day that hell freezes over. I see the newest broom, the Thunderbolt in the huge window, and the many little boys drooling over it. I chuckled. However, the laughter was short-lived when I saw beyond the broom. Draco Malfoy was inside the shop, and he was looking at me as if I had grown wings and a pig snout. I flashed him a smile, which probably looked no better than a line, cocked my head slightly to the side, and then made my way to the Ministry. I need no more encounters with people I didn't need to 'encounter' today.

I walked a little longer, and finally made it into the Ministry's building just before the rain started to pour. Lucky break, huh? Well sure. Even I wasn't that unlucky. Long story short, I just avoided anyone I might've known, and made my way to the elevators. I pushed the button marked '7', and waited as the elevator moved up. The elevator abruptly stopped at four though, and the doors opened. It was Malfoy again. This time, he was the one who gave me 'the nod'. The elevator ride seemed to take forever. We just stood there, quiet, barely acknowledging each other's presence. The thing finally reached the seventh floor, and I could hear Malfoy sigh and say, "Finally."

I made my way to Kingsley's office, surprised that Malfoy was heading the same way. Screw it. I wasn't here to know and even care where the hell Malfoy was going. I'm even surprised he hasn't pulled the 'mudblood' card yet, but then again, that ended four years ago. We were adults now; he would've outgrown that, right? Well, probably not, but it probably wouldn't hurt to give the man the benefit of the doubt.

Malfoy made a frustrated groan when he opened the door of Kingsley's office and discovered that I was going to the same place he was going. Hah. He swung the door open, and was nice enough to let me in first. Hmm. So even Draco Malfoy could be a gentleman, huh? That's new… and quite frankly, I could get used to it. Hah! I wish.

Kingsley's office was painted blood red, with gold accents. It was creepy, but really nice at the same time. Don't you just love the minister? Kingsley's OK and all, but being summoned into his office usually meant bad news, or something that was so outrageous it just made you want to scream. I should know. It was in this office that Ron was named assistant head Auror to Harry. Yes, I just couldn't believe that, OK? Ron isn't exactly the bravest person in the world.

"Mr. Malfoy, Ms. Granger, welcome." A voice from behind called, Malfoy tensed and grabbed his wand from his robes, as did I. Kingsley held his hands up in surrender, with a comical expression of exasperation on his face. "Easy now, it's only me," he says. I breathed out, and put my wand back into my robes. We followed Kingsley into a room inside his office – yes, there was a room inside a room here – where his desk and loads of paper was. The room itself followed the color scheme of the receiving room, as I'd like to call it. Kingsley's chair was black swivel chair that looked like something that came out of a James Bond movie. He sat down, and motioned for me and Malfoy to sit on the equally posh, but didn't spin, chairs in front of his desk.

"You might be wondering why I've called you here today." He states plainly. I rolled my eyes. Well of course we were wondering.

"Well, get on with it." Malfoy said, clearly impatient.

"Hermione," Kingsley began. "Do you remember or do you know, rather, what Wizarding Law 2778 is, right?"

"Wizarding Law 2778, was the law passed down by the ministry after the second wizarding war." I said, clearly not knowing where this discussion was leading.

"And do you know what the Law stipulates?"

I stayed silent. I never actually cared for that one. Why I didn't is a mystery. I usually knew the answers to these kinds of things, but right now, I didn't really care.

"Oh for God's sake Granger. The law stipulates that any witch or wizard who is eighteen or above who survives the war and is unmarried must find a partner within four years… oh sweet Merlin." Malfoy says, suddenly looking mortified. "YOU CANNOT BE SERIOUS, KINGSLEY!" he says, raising his voice. "You just can't!"

"I am dead serious, Mr. Malfoy." Kingsley said, smiling. "Unless you were willing to marry Ms. Bulstrode, then you might as well marry Ms. Granger."

"Is there really no one else?" Malfoy complained. "Isn't there any way out of this?"

"Unfortunately, Mr. Malfoy, Sed Lex Dura Lex." Kingsley said. "The Law is harsh, but the law is the law."

Malfoy had a grave look on his face. He closed his eyes, but his facial features were still… hard. "How much time do we have left?"

"Two weeks."

It took me a minute to register everything that was going on. First, Wizarding Law 2778 is the Marriage Law, for witches and wizards eighteen and above, who were unmarried and who survived the war. If they didn't get married within four years, the Ministry was to pick a suitable partner for them. Second, Sed Lex Dura Lex – that meant that the law was harsh, but it was the law. Which probably meant there was no real way out of this, and third, I was getting married to Draco Malfoy.