Marriage, Muggle life, and Babies
By jessebelle
Chapter 2: The Assignment and Explainations, Sorta
After what seemed like forever, the rest of the Hogwarts students filed out. The seventh years all cautiously made their way up to the high table. The teachers all had amused grins and the scared faces of their students only made it worse. Dumbledore as usual had a mysterious twinkle in his eye.
"Now seventh years, I am sure you are all wondering why we've asked you to stay, and probably what your professors find so amusing. Now as is tradition, there is another graduation requirement that had to remain a secret. The time for you to complete it however, is now. Professor McGonagall, if you would kindly explain."
"Certainly Albus, now children, all of you will once again try on the sorting hat, it will than explain the basics to you, then give you information you will need to remember." As she was talking, Professor Dumbledore entered with the familiar hat and stool. "Now as I call your name, please… well I assume you know what to do."
As the first names where called, Draco made his way over to the infamous trio. Harry and Ron immediately stood guard.
"What do you want, Malfoy?" Harry didn't look pleased.
"Nothing that concerns you, Potter. Granger, a word?" Ron stepped in front of Hermione.
"Leave her alone, ferret." As he said this Hermione rolled her eyes and moved Ron so she was face to face with Draco.
"Honestly, guys. What did you need, Malfoy?" Her heart was beating fast. Throughout the announcements her mind had only focused on her latest revelation.
"I was wondering if you had any idea of what's going on?" the sincerity of his voice shocked all of the surrounding Gryffindors to silence.
"No, I'm just as surprised as you are. Didn't your parents tell you everything?"
"No, I guess they really meant secret. Do you have any ideas?"
"Not a one, but all the people who have tried on the hat look kind of sickly. They're all blushing too."
"You noticed that too?"
"I really hate not knowing what's going on?" Draco smiled, really smiled.
"Yeah, Granger, I know." He rolled his eyes playfully and walked back to the Slytherins. The entire Gryffindor house was silent, not believing what had just occurred. Finally Ron found his voice.
"Mione, what just happened?" Before she could make an excuse, Professor McGonagall called her name.
Slowly she walked to the stool ignoring the stares of her housemates and met the eyes of a grinning Slytherin. He laughed at her nervous look, and then mouthed, well, you wanted to know. She shook her head and sat on the stool. Slowly the hat was placed on her head.
"Ah, Miss Granger, we meet again. Yes, the Gryffindor princess. Now I can see your dying to know what's going on. All students will be paired off with who I pick as your match. I will be giving you information that you need to remember. You will get a location of where you and your partner will live, a number of how many children will be place in your care, and the name of your partner who will in turn act as your spouse. The project will be further explained once the professors get everyone together in groups along with your chaperones. Now, looking at your mind I only see one match for you. Hmm, interesting, it seems you are one of the few that tend to break the tradition. Why, you're only the second group to ever have done this before. Well remember, your location is in America, you will only need to raise one child, and your husband, oh dear, is Draco Malfoy."
The last part had been said aloud to the professors gathered around the hat. All at once the two heads of Gryffindor and Slytherin both gasped causing everyone to direct their attention to the Head Girl, who had just taken the hat off and promptly fainted from shock, only to be caught by the nearest person, Professor Snape.