So this chapter is a little shorter, but I like it how it is, and the response from the first chapter was more awesome than I had hoped, so as a reward, here's the next chapter! But I haven't started chapter 3 yet, so don't get your hopes up that I'll start posting a chapter a day. Although that would be awesome if I could... Enjoy!

Chapter Two: Draco

Draco Malfoy stormed into the breakfast room with a furious look on his face, startling both his parents and causing his mother to almost drop her teacup.

"Draco, what on earth…" his mother said.

"Father, have you seen the paper this morning?" Draco asked, throwing it on top of his father's plate and falling into his seat at the table.

"Why yes, I have. I must say I was astounded to see that the Chudley Canons actually scored a few goals in their game last night," the elder Malfoy replied.

Draco stared at his father in disbelief, his jaw hanging open. "You can't seriously be joking. I couldn't care less about Quidditch right now. Father, they've passed a law requiring everyone to get married!"

"Yes, Draco, I saw that."

"Well, you have to do something. I can't get married! Certainly not to a mudblood," he complained.

"Watch your tongue! And just what do you expect me to do about it?" Lucius asked warily. "We've had this conversation before. I have no influence with the Ministry anymore. We are lucky even to still have the Manor and our vault at Gringott's. If Harry Potter hadn't testified to our actions in that last battle, all three of us would have wound up in Azkaban."

Draco got up and began pacing back and forth. "I know, I know. It's ridiculous, though. Our line has been pureblood for centuries. How can they make us sully the lines now?"

Narcissa spoke up. "You don't have to marry a Muggleborn, Draco. I'm sure we can find a half-blood girl who still has an impeccable pedigree. If she's a powerful enough witch, the line will still breed true. Are any of your old year mates still single?"

"I know Pansy is, but she's a pureblood. I think maybe Tracey Davis is, but I haven't seen her in a couple of years, so I can't be sure. As for any non-Slytherin girls, I wouldn't have the faintest idea who's still single." He sat back down and put his face in his hands. "How am I supposed to find someone to marry in just four months?"

Narcissa smiled at him. "Well, you get to know some girl. I'll ask around, see who's still available, and plan some dinner parties. Surely there is a suitable girl out there for you."

As she called for a house elf to bring her some parchment and a quill, Draco sat thinking about what his mother said about getting to know a suitable girl. Typically, suitable girls for marriage into the family had to be pureblood, preferably Slytherin – although Ravenclaws were also acceptable – and virgins. They had to have a suitable dowry as well. He supposed he could compromise on the dowry. He refused to marry a girl who was not a virgin, however.

As for the Gryffindors or Hufflepuffs…No, he could not marry a girl from either of those houses. Hufflepuffs were just too quiet, meek, and goody-goody. And Gryffindors, well, he doubted there was a single Gryffindor out there who would be willing to marry Draco Malfoy, the former Death Eater and king of Slytherin, whose family played host to the Dark Lord's court for more than a year. Never mind that it was not done willingly. Never mind that they were little more than prisoners in their own home.

Draco stood up and kissed his mother's cheek. "Alright, mother. Plan away. Just let me know when to show up."

He headed upstairs to fetch his cloak. He suddenly felt in need of a stiff drink. Perhaps Blaise would welcome company.

"Draco, darling, could you come here please?" his mother called to him from the salon.

Draco stopped in the middle of his step and turned back towards the salon. He hoped she was quick to say whatever she needed to say. If he didn't get a move on, he'd be late to meet with the family accountant. His father insisted that Draco learn everything about the estate so he would be prepared when his father passed on some day.

"Yes, mother?" he said as he approached his mother, who was sitting on a divan surrounded by parchment and cards.

"I'm having a small dinner party for you and your friends next Saturday, and I was wondering if you thought I should include the pureblood girls even if they aren't eligible to marry you."

"Uh, sure," Draco said, not really caring one way or the other. "The more the merrier, right?" He threw his cloak around his shoulders. "Anything else, mother?"

Narcissa frowned at her son. "Draco, I've been asking around and it seems that there are significantly more boys still single than there are girls. At least amongst those close to you in age. I hope you realize that you can't just chose a random girl and expect her to jump at your offer of marriage," she said, waving a list of some sort around. "Even if we disregarded all of our usual standards for a bride, you'll still have quite a bit of competition."

Draco internally rolled his eyes at her. "I'm sure it will be fine, mother. Now, I don't want to be rude, but I am going to be late. Don't hold dinner for me." He gave her a kiss and left before she could say anything else.

A week later, Draco hated to admit it, but his mother had been right. The guest list had included all the single male and female Ravenclaws and Slytherins within two years of Draco's. Nevertheless, only about a dozen girls were present, whereas there were close to twenty boys. His mother's dinner party had been going on for two hours now, and while Draco had managed to get a few minutes with every girl, he had only to spoken to Morag McDougal for more than a few minutes. It was a wasted conversation though, because she was a pureblood as well.

Looking around the room, he saw Pansy talking with a tall, thin blond. He must have been in Ravenclaw since Draco did not recognize him. Blaise was talking to a petite brunette and looked very pleased with himself. Even Theo Nott looked like he was enjoying himself, and he was notorious for being anti-social.

Draco wandered out of the parlor and towards the stairs. His mother would be appalled that he was leaving his own party before the guests did, but he could not find it in himself to care. It wasn't like anyone would notice anyway.

As he passed through the foyer, he noticed a stack of envelopes in his mail basket. Flipping through them, he realized almost all of them were invitations to similar dinner parties and socials. It seemed everyone had the same idea as his mother. Justin Finch-Fletchley. Daphne Greengrass. Ginny Potter. The Patil twins.

He passed as he reread the names on those last two invitations, slightly shocked. Gryffindors had actually included him on a guest list. Not just any Gryffindors, either. Harry Potter and the former Ginny Weasley. The king and queen of Gryffindors. Well, he wasn't yet desperate enough to accept invites from Gryffindors. They would probably mock him or castigate him for his past actions anyway. No thanks. He didn't have to put up with that.

Just as he was heading up the stairs, Draco heard a burst of laughter come from the parlor, reminding him of exactly how few women were available, unless he wanted to marry someone much older than himself. He glanced back down at the invitations in his hand. Maybe he should reconsider the Gryffindor invites. After all, Potter wouldn't have testified for his family if he really hated them, would he? And maybe, just maybe, Miss Right would be there. At the very least, he would get a change of scenery and a few laughs.

He summoned his eagle owl and sent off his RSVP. Between this stupid marriage law, his family's drastic drop in social standing, and now invitations from Gryffindors, his world had been turned completely upside down. He couldn't yet decide if it was a change for the better or the worse, though.