A/N down below.

As always, enjoy

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Impetus

Chapter Two

The Darkness

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*.-"-.*

Tis the hope that almost went missing,

before the ship has yet to sail

that kept the young woman anchored

and afloat for a tale.

*.-"-.*

Sunday September 1st, 1996

A dark cloak of clouds had been placed over them. What was supposed to be a happy occasion was marked with dread. There, with his hands held out in offering was the sense of foreboding; the weather seemed to have sensed this dismay, and opted to play out their most terrible of fears in hopes of setting them up for disaster. King's Cross Station, which always seemed to be filled with noise and laughter, was now in shambles. It was as if the very essence of happiness had been stripped away from its walkway, the walls and the railing itself and replaced with nothing but emptiness. Anyone who was familiar with its joyful embrace could feel the shift; something dreadful was coming, and it was only a matter of time before it did.

The four of them stood facing the entryway, their backs turned, and their knuckles resisting the urge for blood. They looked blanched and hesitant and it was with the guidance of the matriarch of the home that they were able to throw away their fear and step through the parting, even for a moment.

Harry was the first to go, followed by his best mate Ron and his little sister Ginny. There was only one left out of their group that almost refused to step between the boundary of the Muggle world and that of the Magical.

Hermione Granger was a sensible woman. She liked to believe that she was. Although she was far from impudent and graceful swan, she was thought more beautiful for her intelligence and outlook rather than her appearance. At the tender age of sixteen, she was able to make sense of a lot of things. From being the Muggleborn that she was to the gift that she had been given had been a profound effect on her life; her ability to understand and to learn from what she was reading or being taught and to stand in what she believed in was one of the greatest aspects to have. While she was book smart, she was more or less at a disadvantage. She knew that this notion was deprived simply from her lack of experience, of even travel and exploration. Her mind worked in mysterious ways, and faster at that. So when an owl arrived with the Daily Prophet one bright afternoon, the new law flashing like a neon sign right before her eyes as the Minister of Magic read out it in front of the press, all she could do was laugh senselessly and shake her head.

The marriage law had been proposed at the end of the last term. It stirred quite a bit of commotion around the world, not to mention the ancient halls of Hogwarts and the only reason that she wasn't so concerned about it because it seemed implausible and unproductive. She didn't worry about it too much until she received a letter that her name had been selected out of all the participants and had been placed on the waiting list for a husband of equal standing. That was when all her fear came to light.

It was as if she had been thrown into chaos with the expectation that she defend for herself without weapon and armor. Since learning about the Marriage Law and those who were chosen, Hermione has been trying hard to make some sense of it but to no avail. She didn't understand the Minister's reason for establishing such a ludicrous law. She supposed she understand where he was coming from, but it was the final destination that she couldn't quite picture. Not that it was the easiest or simplest thing to envision. She was just not that artistically prone to see it as something that could be constructive for their kind. It would lead to tragedy.

She just didn't understand.

She has tried denying the entire manner, denying that something so fruitful and stupid could ever be a law in the first place. The Minister was a nutter, and it seemed like everyone else was boarding the same train. Harry and Ron tried unconvincingly that things were bound to work out, but she paid them no mind. She knew it was a delusional dream and that she ought to be more realistic, but come on. No one in their right mind would just give their lives away, all their hard work and aspirations just for some stupid law. This hatred came the day she learned that she could not escape this horrible fate. She had a whole life to live, and being chained down by someone she did not love was definitely not what she had envisioned.

Hermione sat in the small kitchen of the Burrow, her fingers going over the final words set before her. Her heart beat rapidly inside her chest. It had been from the solemn looks that her friends had given her and from the hopeless expressions of Mr. and Mrs. Weasley that lead to such a daunting atmosphere in the first place. Though well placed, she could get the since of unwelcome longing from creeping its way underneath her skin and nestling in the depths of her heart. She did not wake up that morning thinking that she would be presented anything that would ultimately change her life. It came as a surprise for all of them.

"Hermione," Mr. Weasley began, troubled.

She looked at him through half-lidded eyes. It couldn't be past six in the morning, and yet there she was. She had been drawn to consciousness, and she still couldn't figure out why. Even now, as she sat in the very room that she first learned of the Law, she could feel the tension between the feigned image and her present state of being. It was as if the kitchen was stamped with the same celestial makeup of that time, replaying for all eternity. She was destined to relive it every time she walked its tight corners or thought of its inviting atmosphere.

"I… er… believe that there is something that we ought to talk about."

Hermione looked between the two, wondering what on earth she had done. If she had done something wrong, she would have known. She looked at them with pleading eyes.

Mr. Weasley magically conjured a mug of coffee, sugar, milk, and anything else that he thought would ease the tension between them. Hermione took the mug, watching as the black liquid swirled like a little flushed basin until it filled itself to the brim. Three cubes of sugar soared to the sky and plopped into the mug alone with a healthy dose of milk. She wrapped her fingers around the mug and braced herself.

It was after they talked for some time that she learned the true purpose of the conversation.

"A suspect you've seen the paper."

She nodded, shaken by where he was going with this.

Mr. Weasley acknowledged her hesitance. "I didn't want to speak to you in front of the others, but we are… we want you to know that you shouldn't feel as if your life has come to a sudden halt."

"Then what do you want me to feel?" she whispered. "You must know how hard it is for me to even accept this, yes? If so, then why are you acting as if it's nothing more than some little task? This is my life we're talking about, Mr. Weasley. How can you be so calm about this?"

"It's not that we can't sympathize with you," Mrs. Weasley said softly, her eyes glittering with sadness, her brow furrowing. "We're just as shocked as you are. But there are some things that are just beyond our reach. We know you can't accept it. We would be quite surprised if you did."

"You're right," she murmured," I can't accept this."

"Then you ought to see it as we see it."

She thought they would be more understanding. He didn't have the highest government job, but she knew that he was more involved than he would ever let on. There was talk, there had to be. He should know something about the new Marriage Law, or so she was hoping. As she looked imploringly into his eyes, he wavered and broke. That was when he spilled more secrets that she even thought possible one person could keep, to which Hermione promise to recite back to Harry and Ron that evening.

"Hermione, we want you to know that were will stand behind you no matter what. This law… I don't know why they proposed it. Why it was even written in the first place is well beyond me, but I assure you that you will not be alone. We've talked to your parents, and even though you are of Muggle decent, I'm afraid that there is no way around it. I am so terribly sorry."

That was the one and only time that she broke out in tears.

When Mr. and Mrs. Weasley finally left the sanctuary of the kitchen, Hermione didn't bother looking up from it when a voice emerged from the depths of her enquiry. Harry was valuably known to perturb her even in the most silent of occasions. She sat with her hands around her coffee mug, the bitter substance swirling continuously gracious of Mrs. Weasley's pampering. It was just the right temperature and she was suddenly grateful that the older witch had casted the particular charm. Nothing seemed to stay down unless it was charmed, anyway.

It was still rather early, and when the trio finally came for breakfast, Mrs. Weasley was back to running around the kitchen and serving all sorts of nutritious treats. It was a nice distraction even if it still lingered in the back of her mind. They acted as if nothing was wrong, and she didn't give them any indication that there was.

Hermione pushed it back, forcing a rather well-placed smile on her face and proceeded to eat her breakfast as if nothing was wrong.

It has been almost three weeks since she sat down with Mr. and Mrs. Weasley, and she was nowhere near accepting her horrible fate. She steeled herself rather importantly and proceeded to read over anything that may serve her in any way. By the end of the month, it appeared to have been an utter waste, but she didn't give up hope. She knew she was onto something when she took another look at the Prophet and found something that would shake her world upside down.

She looked at the looming wall with accompanied fear. Biting her lip, she almost dared to look over her shoulder as if to ask Mr. and Mrs. Weasley if it was safe for her to go through. She was well rest assured that it was; if it was their encouraging smiles that had anything to do with it then she didn't know what else would have caused her to feel suddenly turned and heroic. In the back of her mind, she thought of her own mother and father and the embrace that they gave her before arriving to the Burrow and how much it meant to her then and would forever be kept as a treasure now.

With her mind made up, Hermione tightened her grip on her trolley and ran forward. She fought through the barrier, stepping on the other side of the wall completely in one piece as she suspected she would. She only need reassurance that it would be alright.

"We better hurry up," said Harry as she joined his side. "The train will be leaving shortly."

"Do you suspect that there will be talk?" asked Ginny.

The Half-blood quirked an eyebrow and shrugged. "If there is, we'll handle it. No need to show them that we're afraid."

That was when Ginny looked over her shoulder and gave Hermione a soft smile to which she returned. It had taken quite a bit of acceptance, but she believed that she had finally found peace with something she couldn't control.

It all began with the Marriage Law, to which she harbored absolute resentment toward for the longest time and it was just several days ago that her fate had been completely seal and her life torn to pieces right before her eyes. She had been in the Weasley's kitchen when she thought she discovered something that would have kept her safe for the duration of one year. Oh, if it hadn't been for the smallest of facts, she would have had it, too.

"The law hasn't been passed," she said one day, alerting the attention of no one in particular. She was alone in the kitchen once again, being one of the few members to wake up at such an early time. She loved the mornings, finding it refreshing and boy did she feel refreshed!

Hermione's eyes combed over the words and her cheeks flushed with unbridled excitement. If it hadn't been for the restriction due to her age, her magic would have surely shot out of her body and whacked someone upside the head, that person being Harry as he clambered into the kitchen, heading straight for the pot of coffee. Hedwig was hot on his tail; she seemed overly content about something as well.

She looked at him with a large smile.

Harry asked if she was alright, and she then answered rather quickly.

"Yes," she chirped a little too enthusiastically," more than alright, in fact."

She could feel his gaze on her and she looked up. He knew he was questioning her sudden change in demeanor and she couldn't contain her excitement much longer.

Ron and Ginny walked into a short time later. Ginny was of course more presentable than her brother. She looked defined and bright and Ron looked as if he had rolled off the wrong side of the bed and fell face first onto the floor. It was odd. Not that they ever stood alone or apart. It just severed to scare and unnerve her. Ginny gave her a fleeting smile while Ron looked sickened. Neither of them spoke, of course. They were too frightened.

"What?" she asked rather impatiently. Hermione stood, grabbed her mug and proceeded to busy herself around the Weasley's kitchen.

Mrs. Weasley was out in the garden and the twins were due to arrive anytime. Bill and Charlie were upstairs and Hermione suspected that Fleur was either somewhere in the attic or got lost in the gardens with gnomes. Maybe Crookshanks had gotten a kick out of chasing her around, too. Good God, she knew she needed a good, humorous laugh. She was clearly not in a conversational mood; she hasn't been up for much of anything since receiving the owl that sent the awful article. What bothered her the most had yet to come given that there were less than two days of the month left to grovel.

In two days she would receive a letter. And not just any letter. It was the one that would tell her who her potential husband to be was, and if their union was valid or not. She could not stop thinking about it. Not even seventeen years old, she had to be one of the youngest witches to be carted off to some nasty old man in hopes of keeping the population of the Wizarding World safe. To even entertain the idea was laughable and it preposterous to even think it would work! How was this supposed to help the population? Either way she looked at it, people were sure to die. To think if she were to marry a man worthy of her and someone she could eventually come to love, she wouldn't only have them to think of. The law encouraged consummation like it was their business to know what they did inside and outside the bed. They would be marked by magic to ensure they were coming together as man and wife at least once a week.

Circe!

She had to curl her hands into tight fists and take deep, enduring breaths just to calm herself down. It was the second time today that she truly believed that she would be expelled. She was just that angry. Her magic played about her like an animal locked away in a dark cell. It was only a matter of time.

But, she really needn't worry did she?

The Law would affect her for another year, but that didn't mean they would withhold telling her who her potential husband was. It wasn't something she could say she looked forward to either way. She just hoped they waited and saved her the trouble of telling her too soon.

Harry and Ron were quite reluctant to talk about it. She knew that it was in their nature, more Harry's than Ron's, to act protective over her. They've been friends for years, and to see someone who clearly didn't deserve her even whisper her name or touch her infuriated them. She imagined, if it were up to them, they would have a table set outside the Great Hall, having interviews with potential suitors, going through the list of candidates as if it were a hearty debate. Even after choosing a worthy wizard, they would probably follow him around and do even more background checks just to make absolute sure.

She giggled wondrously at this thought. Leave it to her boys to be demanding and protective even in her imagination.

Her potential husband would to have to make it through them before they could even think about touching her that was for sure. They had better be able to put up with the overbearing nature. If he couldn't even do that, then she knew with certainty that they would no doubt be able to handle her. She could be quite the little know-it-all, and if her knowledge didn't deter them then it would be her inquisitiveness that would send them running. She had the entire marriage played out and it hasn't even been consummated!

"Wanna tell us why you're so happy?"

Harry had quite the audacity compared to his counterparts. It was something she dutifully noted. While she sat, her fingers playing with the rim of her mug like a little musical instrument, her focus was brought back to the moment. Hermione waved her hand, indicating that she didn't want anything of the sort. She was quite smitten by the idea of marrying a man that she didn't love. No, she was going to wait it out, but not without voicing her little discovery.

"There is nothing to say," she murmured, taking a sip of her coffee and smiled, "except that I think I found a way out of this ridiculous law."

"What the hell do you mean?"

It was so delicious that she actually wet her lips and let out a little chuckle.

"Did either of you care to actually read the new law?" When they shook their heads, she sighed and proceeded to explain what she found. "I'm not of age. I won't be for another month or so. They can't possibly hope for me to marry when I am not of age. I've read over the law countless times and it mentioned that the witch or Wizard who became of age before the date that it's been passed had to wait another year to be engaged to their potential spouse."

The bright witch giggled, took another sip of her coffee and let out a satisfied sigh. This scholar of an action wasn't well received as she thought it would be. Granted, they were probably as stunned as she had been when she first read it. Anyone who was chosen or had someone they loved up for market would be too. It was small little thing, indeed. One that she hoped would make a whole lot of difference.

Harry looked at her as if she said something in a foreign language while Ron continued to ponder what it meant.

"Are you saying that the new law doesn't affect you?" Ron asked sheepishly.

"Yes, Ronald." Hermione said, aggravated. "That is precisely what I said. The law doesn't affect me because my birthday is in September. Besides, it won't be passed until October. I don't see what it has to do with me. Right now, I'm safe and there is nothing they can do about it."

She almost laughed at it. It was just so scandalous to think that the Ministry tried to pull a fast one on her and anyone under the age of seventeen. She was indeed safe. At least for now and just as she was about to yelp in victory, something unsettling was casted over her.

"Hermione," Harry began, torn between being supportive and a good friend and telling her something that she knew she didn't want to hear," you might want to take another look at the Prophet. There's something there that you ought to see."

The Muggleborn frowned. She didn't want to be thrown something at the last minute and ruin her avoidance of being married to some old wizard due to the new law. She wanted to be free, remain free. No one was going to bring her down and make her into some house wife and expect her to submit to his demands.

There happened to be the latest issue of the Prophet sitting on the kitchen table between the four of them. Hermione had ignored it when Harry brought it in, thinking that there wouldn't be anything else on the matter of the Marriage Law.

Then again, it wouldn't hurt to at least look. Worse had come to shove because she was already chained to the law, to which that she knew for sure. There was nothing she could do about it. She wouldn't go down without a fight, however.

Harry handed her the Prophet and that was when all her troubles and woes began. Hermione opened to the page of the paper and her heart literally sunk to the bottom of her chest.

Unfortunately for her what she thought was a triumph was a bitter defeat.

She was terribly wrong.

It is under the Compliance of Magic Safety set by Minster of Magic that the Marriage Law has been established in hope of preserving the Wizarding World's most prestigious families and persons worldwide. Those who have been chosen for this wondrous task of uniting together and serving their magical communities with their cooperation are highly honored. Many have signed up, but only those truly worthy of serving have been selected.

Due to the recent eligibility of witches and wizards, those whose birthdays fall on or before August 1st and are of age will not be added to the list until a more suitable date and are forbidden to practice the law until further notice. Those who fall afterwards and are of age will be added under special conditions. Those who are already of age and are legible have been placed on the list and are encouraged to wait for further notice of their acceptance. Anyone whose age exceeds that of eighty-five will not be eligible due to questionable circumstances.

The selected individuals shall be informed the first of September of their suitors. Marriage vows are expected to occur after the coming of age for the witch or wizard in question.

This law is binding. It has been set to ensure the safety and the continuation of a bloodline. Opposing individuals are bonded together in hopes the two will come together and produce an heir. Couples will adhere to the attached law that states that the must come together as a married couple at least once a week and that no contraception can be used after their first year of marriage unless the couple has come to an agreement to start trying for an heir before their first year has been completed.

Anyone who tries to oppose the law will immediately be taken up and sent to Azkaban if the offense is great enough.

It is the Minister's great pleasure to ensure the safety and corporation of the witches and wizards concerned, and hopes to ensure the quality of the treatment of all wizards and witches herby affected by the passing of the new law.

The Law is indefinite.

Established: August 17, 1996

Rufus Scrimgeour,

Minister of Magic

Her heart was beating so fast that she felt that it would jump right of her chest and run away from her. Her hands tightened around the moving picture of the Prophet as her eyes ran over the words again and again until they grew tired.

According to the law, there was absolutely no way she could get out of being shipped off to the most qualified wizard. The law was so airtight that it felt like it was suffocating her.

"H-how?" she gripped the parchment between her shaking hands. She reread the final page, making sure that she had read the paragraph right. Once she did, her hands tightened considerably more. She has never been this enraged in all her life. The law had already been passed, which meant that there was no way that she could be taken off. Her birthday fell an entire month and then some after the established date, ruining any chance that she thought she had of not being affected by the law. She was essentially doomed.

How could she have been so blind, so cocky? She had seriously thought she had found a way around the law! For weeks she's trying to think about a logic way around it. The law was airtight all except for the simple fact it hadn't been passed yet. Oh, but it had. Right underneath her nose, too! If it wasn't for the stupid law stating that one had to be of age, or that their birthdays had to fall before or after a certain date then she would have been saved! Even for a year, she would have been safe, wouldn't have to deal with the possibility of throwing her life away. Either way she looked at it, she was throwing her life away and there was nothing she could do to prevent it.

"What am I going to do?" she whispered, letting out a sound torn between a cry and groan. She brought her hands to her face and let a cry escape. "I-I th-thought…"

"Pray like hell that you aren't paired up with someone as old as Dumbledore." said Ron stupidly, trying to cheer her up. Ginny nudged him painfully in the stomach emotionlessly before turning her attention to the Muggleborn. He heeled over, coughing.

"You're not helping," she hissed before her eyes trailed back to the witch.

Hermione reread the entry through teary eyes, finding no loophole in the law whatsoever. If she were to marry someone she found absolutely repulsive, there was no way she could tear herself from him. Divorce did not seem like an option, something that wasn't directly addressed, but would no doubt be one of the great offenses that it spoke of. She would be tied to someone she hated, expected to have intercourse with them, and after a year, would risk getting pregnant every time they did come together as husband and wife. What kind of entrapment was that? Did she have any say in anything regarding this impending marriage?

Or, did she?

Perhaps, if one were to be infertile, the marriage would be annulled and she would be free from whoever was chosen for her.

Well, that was a pleasant thought.

Of course, it put it at risk if she were to perform a spell or charm that would leave her barren. It was still a little discouraging. She wanted children but not when she was still in school. Every merciful God she could recite came to mind and she began praying as if her life depended on it. And it did. Her new husband would surely have her head if she spoke out of terms. She thought of this arrangement more of imprisonment rather than a graceful union. There was nothing graceful or beautiful about it; she may as well have sold her body and soul to a demon. Her mind was running a thousand miles per second as she tried to solve this conundrum of a problem.

There had to be way out of the marriage. If she couldn't prevent it, then there was still the possibility of adultery. She knew she had no choice but to be loyal to the man that was picked for her, but the law didn't have anything to say if the man in question wasn't. It seemed like the law was more suited for the young witches that ran around so fertile, so inviting that the law had to protect them at all costs if they were chosen and selected as a candidate. As a young witch herself, she saw it as something so low and sickening that she hoped that whoever was landed with her was prepared. There was no doubt she was quite a handful; no wizard in their rightful minds would cross her, even someone as civil as Ron would be that foolish. Anyone who tried would be set in their place that was for sure.

The only thing she could hold onto now was the threat of infidelity. If they tried to hit her, that would be grounds for arrest as well. She would be able to defend herself if the worst possibility ever came. She didn't want to think this way, but she actually hoped to God that her husband had a penchant for rule breaking. Even if that made having to bear the news that he had touched someone else, she didn't care. In fact, she could care less if he took another witch, so long as she found some way out of being married. No one would keep Hermione Jean Granger locked down. No one.

Of course, she didn't have to worry about that now did she? She would be expected to follow any requirement set by her new husband. He would have rules to adhere to as well. And then there was the possibility that she would eventually grow to accept the arrangement. Now that would be cause for great alarm.

Gods.

What the hell was she about to get into?

If not for freedom, then for a bright future that she knew she had. If she couldn't prepare herself for the worse, she had no choice but to battle it head on. She knew she had to fight it, even if that meant be reprimanded in the long run.

Hermione dropped her head into her hands. The thought of it was all too unbearable.

Ginny came up to her, offering her condolences as she sat down beside her and took her hands into hers. There seemed to be a disconnection between them that had only been mended by the kind words she offered. Only Ginny felt it necessary to extend that service; Ron and Harry simply could not understand the heart of a woman who was about to embark a journey that she didn't want to take.

"It'll be alright."

Hermione didn't seem like she wanted to be consoled in any way. She was more concerned about the little detail that she somehow overlooked.

"How could I have been so foolish to think?" she began before burrowing her head in her hands once again.

"It was a simple mistake," she murmured. "I would have done the same."

"That's not it, Ginny." She cried. "I thought I had some time. I wanted to be prepared at least for the inevitable. Now, I don't have that luxury."

Ginny smiled inconsolably. She truly did feel for her.

Harry took the seat next to her, followed closely by Ron. They sat around her, their eyes conveying worry, their expressions somber.

"The Minister seemed to have come to a rather quick decision." said Harry ponderingly after some time. He had tried to convince them all that there was something rather strange about the law, and he was determined to make them understand. "Have you once thought about the convenience of the new law and the war?"

Hermione shook her head. None of them seemed to have noticed that rather interesting detail. She seemed to questioning a lot of things as the words settled unnaturally inside her. She was still trying to wrap her head around it. Sure, it had been a topic between the four of them for some time, even more so since the bloody law had been passed. She just didn't think there was any sort of connection until now.

"It is," agreed the witch as she rubbed the corners of her eyes," rather interesting, but what are you trying to say Harry? That Rufus was forced to push for the law's passing?"

"It may seem so, yes." Harry looked at each of their faces and anger lit up in his eyes. "Don't you see? Someone is controlling him. Someone wanted to make sure that the law was passed quickly and without hesitation. For all we know, it was being debated for months and wouldn't have passed at all if it wasn't for someone interfering with the votes. I… you know who I suspect, but I don't understand why he would want to protect Muggleborns and Half-bloods."

"Maybe it's not his intention?" Hermione quipped. During the interim, she had regained some sense and was now seeing this whole situation in a new light. "Only qualified individuals were selected for this horrendous law. I-I may not be the blood status that they want, but they found something noteworthy inside me. Be it my intellect or abilities or what have you. They're trying to protect something, but it's not the one who are affected or going to be affected by the law."

"They're trying to protect what can be given them." Harry said softly. "They're hoping whoever these witches and wizards are paired off to produce viable offspring. Why else would they do it?"

Ron shifted uncomfortably in his seat. As one of the only Purebloods in the room, he felt obligated to feel guilty by his overwhelming emotions. It would benefit the Dark Lord greatly if Purebloods mated with each other, but what good would that do? There were so few of them, and their procreation would lead to more deaths and miscarriages due to the high risk. They were relatively safe. Half-bloods and Muggleborns, on the other hand, were not. Even someone as filthy as Hermione, or so some proclaimed, was worthy of such a high honor. It was a time like this that she would pray that no Pureblood was thrown into the mix, but she would be teasing herself.

Draco Malfoy was a known participant.

For what, they couldn't say.

The Slytherin could not be trusted for everything that his family was worth. He knew the circumstances of the arrangement before it even reached the public's ears. That was for certain, they knew. The image alone of him discovering this remarkable notary was enough to ignite an everlasting flame; the evil little bastard probably bribed his father to place his name among the worthy. They suspected so he could taunt Hermione every chance he got, but that would not be doing his own obsession with the witch any justice. Everyone including some of the Professors knew that Draco was enamored by her and it was not for any noteworthy reason. He was sick, twisted and vile and for whatever reason he wanted her. They hoped that he wouldn't be selected; it would be a cold day in Hell if the possibility of Hermione being a Malfoy ever came into fruition.

Ever since finding him in Knockturn Alley with his mother and following him all over the damned place, Harry's suspicions of the Slytherin had grown exponentially. It was almost like an obsession. His thought were ridden with whatever filth that he allowed to taint it. From accusing him of being a Death Eater to wanting to disrupt whatever foundation that Rufus was trying to build. His intentions toward the Marriage Law were nothing but nefarious. None of his actions were heroic or genuinely pure. They simply were not his own. He was acting outside his own accord, and whoever was pulling the strings was dead set on obtaining Hermione for their own glorified gain. Harry wasn't going to allow Draco to take her. A marriage between them would end in either a bitter divorce, or worse.

"You can count that bastard out." was Ron's ultimate reply. "Whatever he thinks he's doing, he has one thing coming to him."

"And what is that?" asked his sister curiously.

"Hermione won't be the one to submit to him," he said through a mouthful of food. He had gathered as much as he could manage, thinking it would sooth the young witch. "He'll be the one to fall to his knees first."

Hermione noticed the sly smirk that stretched across his face and she couldn't help return it. Her boys had entertained their more than generous plays if Draco were to obtain her as a wife. None of them were pretty. Each of them grew more grotesque than the last and she had to stop them before the images got too macabre.

They were only trying to cheer her up by projecting their protectiveness. Not that she didn't appreciate it; she just couldn't stand the thought of being tied to the evil little git for the rest of her life. She would rather die a horrible death to be honest then face one hour of being connected to him in any way.

"I believe you're absolutely right, Ronald." said Hermione, giggling. "I just hope whoever it is has more admirable table manners than you. Please close your mouth, or you'll capture more than just flies."

Hermione reached over and wiped his mouth with a napkin before settling into a nice pastry.

Ron's cheeks flushed with embarrassment but he didn't seem to understand exactly what she was talking about. It was still quite early for him in his defense. Hermione argued with him for a full twenty minutes about the importance of starting the day off right, which included getting a decent amount of sleep and eating right. That was something he could do without question, he had countered and proceeded to stuff his face full of food even after Mrs. Weasley came back from gardening and placed several skillets on the stove.

Oh, yes. Whoever she was paired off better know the difference between a fork and knife, otherwise the marriage was going to be a somber one.

All in all, she hoped ruefully as the rest of the house woke and came down for breakfast that whoever was picked for her was out of honor and not because he was compelled to do it.

If anything, that was all she really asked.

A/N: I hope this chapter met your standards. It's about 6:30 in the morning, and I've had several cups of coffee. It's edited, or as much as it can be at this point. I wanted to get it published before I tucked in for the morning. I hope y'all enjoy! I'll go back later and flesh it out more, but other than that, I am out.

Goodnight! :)

Note: Has been edited. Any mistakes found at this point is due to the fact I'm not perfect and I can't catch every little furbaby that hides in the text.

-Carolare Scarletus