"I can't do this."

"Try to look on the bright side, Harry. You've always refused to date, because you were worried that no one could look past your fame. This could be your chance to fall in love with someone that you know doesn't care about that," Hermione said.

"This whole thing is ridiculous! They want to marry me off to a Death Eater! One of the people who spent the whole war trying to kill me!"

"I know it doesn't seem fair-"

"Doesn't seem fair? I wanted to have a normal life. With a wife. And kids. I thought that once I won the war, I could finally make my own choices. I don't even get to pick who I get married to. They don't even care if it's a man that I end up married to. Then what? I'll be stuck in a loveless marriage with no kids unless I adopt."

Hermione pinched the bridge of her nose. "Harry, I think you are a very intelligent being. That being said, you are a complete imbecile."

"There's no need to get nasty."

"This isn't the muggle world. Men can get pregnant."

"What?"

"Didn't you see Professor Flitwick's stomach before we left school?"

"I just thought he put on some weight."

"No, he's expecting. He's been trying for years with his husband."

"That doesn't make everything better."

"You're thinking about this wrong. You're only thinking of the bad. Think of the good. You don't have to worry about dating or ending up with someone that wants to use you for your money or fame. You don't have to go through terrible first dates trying to find someone you click with. You might even fall in love with whoever you end up with. You don't have to worry about kids. You can put that as a clause in the marriage contract."

"I'm not going to add that to the contract. I would never make someone have kids if they didn't want them."

"Look, Harry, just try to-"

A door down the hall opened and an Auror gestured for them to come in.

"Let's go find out who they agreed on. It can't be all that bad."

"I'm just glad Ron isn't here to see this. He would probably curse whoever it is."

"Yes, yes. We're all lucky Ron couldn't get out of work. He'd land himself in Azkaban."

It took Hermione a few steps to realize that Harry wasn't following her. She rolled her eyes before grabbing his arm and dragging him to the room. They got in the door and saw the Aurors and Ministry workers sitting on one side of a large table. On the other side, were all of the Death Eaters who had escaped a fate in Azkaban. Harry felt like he was going to be sick.

"Ah, Harry. Welcome. We've interviewed all of the potential candidates and chosen one that we feel would be best suited," Minister Scrimgeour said. "Congratulations, my boy. You'll be marrying Lucius Malfoy."

"You've got to be kidding me," Harry muttered, before walking right back out the door.

5 Years Later

It had been a long 5 years for Harry. He had resented his fate at first. He had signed a contract with the Ministry, essentially giving them the power to make decisions for him. He hadn't known that at the time. He had thought that they would just want him to make some appearances. Tensions had been running high between the Light side and the ex-Death Eaters. They had hoped that Harry marrying one of the ex-Death Eaters might help, that if the people could see that their hero was moving on and accepting them then everyone else could, too. It had surprisingly worked. Harry had married Lucius Malfoy in a very public ceremony. Narcissa Malfoy had died during the final battle, and Draco had resented Harry's place at his father's side for months afterwards. It had taken a good year and a half before the three of them had peacefully co-existed. While Harry and Lucius had never fallen in love, they were quite fond of each other. They had grown to respect each other, also. Harry and Draco had even managed to put aside their bad feelings and ended up as good friends. Harry considered Draco one of his best friends, right alongside Ron and Hermione.

Harry's life had actually turned out pretty good, all things considered. He was married to a man that he knew wasn't using him for his fame or money. Lucius had more than enough of his own money and quite a bit of notoriety. Harry lived in a beautiful house. He had moved into Malfoy Manor after the wedding, and Lucius had made several changes to the décor. It was no longer dark and gloomy. The sun shone through the many windows and the furniture had been changed to lighter colors. Despite the abundance of space, priceless heirlooms, and expensive decorations, it gave off a cozy and homey feel. Harry had a Quidditch partner in Draco. They had their own pitch, so they played Seeker games at least every other day. He had also stayed really close to Ron and Hermione. They came over for dinner every week. The dinners had been tense and awkward for ages. Once Harry had accepted Lucius and Draco, it wasn't much longer that Ron and Hermione had, too.

There were only a couple things missing. Harry had tried to fall in love with Lucius. He would constantly remind himself of how good Lucius treated him once they got used to the situation. They had sex on a regular basis, almost every night. Lucius always made sure he came before finishing himself. He was given gifts all the time for no reason. He was given a private wing for when he needed space. Anything he asked for, he was given. Except children.

When he had expressed his desire for a child, Lucius had gone quiet for several minutes before quietly explaining what his ancestor had done. He had told Harry that since he had Draco, he couldn't father another child, though he had tried his best when Narcissa had been alive. Harry had accepted the explanation with a smile and said that it didn't matter. However, Lucius noticed in the days that followed that Harry was quieter than usual and his smiles never reached his eyes. He gave excuses when Draco asked him to play Quidditch. As a result, Draco spent less time at home due to boredom. He went out to clubs or on dates, only coming home the next day reeking of alcohol and sex. It wasn't proper for a pureblood to act like that. He expected more of Draco.

Lucius knew that something needed to be done. He searched through the thick tomes in his library trying to find a way to reverse what Cepheus had done so many years ago. There was nothing to be found. He thought and plotted for months trying to come up with something to give Harry what he wanted. Harry didn't ask for much, and was always much more appreciative of what he was given than Narcissa and Draco ever had been. It had been obvious in the beginning that Harry resented having to marry him. Lucius hadn't been thrilled, either. It had come down to a choice between him and Draco. The Ministry had let them talk it over and decide themselves which one it would be. Draco had told his father that he didn't want to get married ever. He liked being single and doing what he wanted. He had never had any interest in marriage or having a family. Lucius had agreed to marry Harry so that Draco could be free to do as he liked. Despite the fact that Harry resented the marriage, he had never really taken it out on Lucius or Draco. He would mostly stay silent, and he would always stay away from them. The rare times that he was in the same room as them, he would remain tense until he or they left. He always seemed to know when Lucius needed to talk, and when he needed to be left alone. He always asked Lucius to walk in the gardens with him and always sounded as though he expected to be rejected. Even if they weren't in love, they were a good match.

It took him 9 months to come up with a plan. He had no idea how it would be received, but it was the only way to give Harry what he wanted.