There was no doubt that the students had read the Prophet. When she entered the Great Hall with Neville, several students were already present with their newspaper in hand. Almost as soon as her presence was known, quiet whispers started.
"How can she be paired up with him? She's so kind and he's so cold!" Hermione overheard a second year Ravenclaw, who had not kept her voice low enough. She allowed a small smile creep up her face as she started on her breakfast.
Soon enough, almost all students have arrived. The mails have too. That moment was the only time in her life when Hermione wished she had a rock to hide under. Nonetheless, it was quite a comfort to see Malfoy in a similar situation.
The older students were engaged in a heated discussion, occasionally giving a glance at the two professors. The younger ones, first years and second, were unsure what to think of it.
Predictably, the Gryffindors and Slytherins had a loud argument, shouting across Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs, who wisely stayed out of it. House rivalry was still a big issue in Hogwarts— just as it was when Hermione was attending Hogwarts herself—and when the inevitable marriage between their Head of House printed on the newspaper, it was expected of this huge uproar.
"Enough!" Dumbledore barked over the loud arguments. When he was sure that he had everyone's attention, he continued in a quieter, softer voice, "Most of you disapprove of this match, I am sure. However, as it is none of your concerns about the future lives of your Head of House or professor, please do attempt to keep your comments within your common rooms." Dumbledore gave them a firm glare. "Now, your timetables are now going to be handed to you and you are expected to be in lessons thirty minutes from now."
As the Headmaster finished his speech, breakfast appeared on the four long tables for the students. Hermione watched amusedly as the older Gryffindor and Slytherin students used their breakfast as a tool to vent their anger on. Some things never change. Almost as soon as the students started eating, she felt a tap on her shoulder. Hermione looked over her shoulder and saw the person she was intended to marry to.
Draco Malfoy stood next to her, his hand extended for her to take. He wanted to talk. She could tell despite his cold conduct. She nodded and excused herself from Neville before taking his offered hand, letting him lead her out of the room.
It was all done in silence, in a quick moment. Yet the gesture did not escape the students' attention. As she was being led out by Malfoy, she could feel their eyes, boring behind their backs.
She allowed Malfoy to rant first.
"What the bloody—what were they thinking? Pairing us up." Malfoy scoffed. "There's more than enough pureblood witch to pair me up with! Matching me up with a Muggleborn. I can't believe this. I'll go to the Minister himself and demand him to switch-"
"-we can't, Malfoy-" she sighed tiredly.
"-pairing me up with you! The sorting hat must be out of its mind—if he even had one to start with—"
"Malfoy!" Hermione hissed. "Have you even read the rules yet?" At his blank look, she scowled. "Of course you haven't. Couldn't wait to see which pretty witch you were paired up with, I wager. It said no partner changing-"
"-well then we won't get married-"
"-and if we don't get married, our wands would be snapped and we won't be allowed to get a new one! In another words, live a muggle." Hermione snarled. "Regardless of being a Muggleborn, I'd certainly prefer keeping my wand-"
"-are you implying that I don't?-"
"-clearly you want to keep yours too! So I suggest we learn to live with each other." Hermione sighed. "Look, I don't like this as much as you do."
"Understatement of the century." He murmured and shuffled his feet.
They lapsed into silence. Hermione's mouth opened and closed. Neither knew what to say. She took the time to analysis Malfoy the best she could.
Despite knowing him for all of her wizardry life, Hermione Granger couldn't place his character. For the first five years of knowing him, he had always been the scrawny blond boy with his hair always slicked back; sneers and smirks were his only expressions. From their sixth year on, however, he got complicated for her to understand. One moment, he was like the boy who teased and ridiculed her, and the next, a haunted boy who's seen far too much for people his age. She remembered how lost and ill looking he was when they were brought to Malfoy Manor. His eyes hollow, his skin was paler than she remembered and he was skinnier. His reluctance in recognising them caused great relief and confusion within her.
Family. Hermione remembered Harry telling her. Malfoy had only wanted to keep himself and his family alive. Though she had no idea why Malfoy would want to keep his father alive—she couldn't say the same to his mother because she'd only seen her once when they were brought to the manor—she understood. They were the only family he has.
After the war, Draco Malfoy had kept himself away from the public, preferring to go out of England to get a breather. She did not hear any news about him, so she thought he was away for good. Then he came back for Hogwarts.
He's quieter. Sometimes, his pride and his old manners return, but that was only on occasions, when he's either in class or bored. Mostly, he kept to himself, in his own quarters whenever possible.
Hermione shook her head and cleared her throat. The noise, she noticed, seemed to have also broken Malfoy out of his thoughts. "Well, Malfoy—"
"—Students are coming this way," he muttered, his eyes stared into hers as the chattering grew louder. "We'll talk about this at lunch."
Hermione sighed and nodded. As he turned his back to her, she called for his attention. "I know I'm not the 'wife' you had expected. I'm not pureblood, just quite the opposite. Maybe they'll pass an annulment in the future if the reason for divorce is acceptable."
Malfoy just shrugged and looked at her again. "I've changed Granger, blood doesn't matter to me. You've seen what happened when one gets too blood crazy. We don't need another war just yet." Then, when the students got close to within the earshot range, he said, "We'll talk tonight" before sauntering off to his classroom, leaving groups of chitchats and a frustrated Hermione Granger in his wake.
