Argh! I stayed up late finishing this chapter and then the site was down! Well, they say that good things come to those who wait, hope you find that to be the case here!

This will be the last 'setup' chapter before the real fun starts!

As always, much thanks to the amazing JK Rowling.

"It's okay Mione," Ginny soothed. "Everything will work out. The Sorting Hat must have known what it was doing when it paired you right?"

"Easy for you to say!" Hermione snapped at her friend. "You got matched with your true love I'm the one who got stuck with Draco freaking Malfoy! So don't sit there with your happy future ahead of you and preach to me!"

Hermione turned away, feeling both angry and ashamed. What a mess this all was. It was then that Ron interjected, and as usual, picked the wrong thing to say.

"Bet you wish you'd been paired with me now eh Mione?" he said sullenly. "Even I can't be worse than Malfoy!"

"Ron—"Ginny stood up angrily, but Hermione beat her to it.

"Leave it to you, Ronald, to lash out at someone for something that was entirely out of their control!" she shouted, eyes blazing. "What did you expect me to do? The pairings were final!"

"I expected you to put up a fight!" Ron roared. "To be upset! I thought—I thought that you loved me!"

"Ron, I…"

"Just forget it. I wish you and Draco all the best."

Hermione watched him stomp off before bursting in to tears. It felt as though in one day, she'd lost everything. Quietly, Ginny gathered her friend up into her arms and let her cry herself out.

xxxxx

Draco walked briskly to the Great Hall. He had skipped lunch and waited until the last minute to make his way to the meeting as he was avoiding all of his friends. He didn't want to face them right now. He was too embarrassed. He, the Slytherin Prince, had been paired with the muggleborn heroine who had brought down the Dark Lord. Even though privately Draco was relieved to have Voldemort gone, he knew that many of his classmates certainly didn't see it that way and hated Hermione.

Ever since his impending marriage proclamation, Draco had felt as though he was suffocating. He needed his space. In a few short minutes, everything would change, and Draco had no idea what to expect, something that he couldn't stand. Not to mention that in less than a year he had to marry and impregnate his arch enemy. There was that minor detail too.

xxxxx

Hermione sat with Parvati who had saved her a seat for lunch. There was a new bond between the two girls; it was as though there was an unspoken agreement between them that they would get through this process with their respective Slytherin…fiancées, Hermione forced herself to think the word….together. Hermione was relieved that Blaise's fiancée was someone with whom she already had the foundation for a friendship with. She also was coming to realize that Parvati was actually a pretty nice person, and that it had always been Lavender who Hermione had had issues with. Hermione remembered sixth year, when Lavender had dated Ron, and Hermione had neither spoken to her nor Ron. Ron, she thought, who was once again not on speaking terms with her and who, even though he was only sitting at the other end of the Gryffindor table, seemed to be miles away.

It was at that moment that Hermione spotted Malfoy rushing into the hall. She observed her husband to be thoughtfully. He held himself differently this year. He no longer seemed as self-assured, nor did he strut the way he once did, as though he owned the place. He was rather handsome, Hermione grudgingly admitted. The lack of sneer did wonders for his face. Suddenly, he looked up at the Gryffindor table and scanned it as though he was looking for someone. When his eyes landed on her, he held her gaze. Hermione stared back impassively, even though on the inside she was anything but calm. Finally, Malfoy raised an eyebrow, smirked, and swaggered off to the Slytherin table. The fact that he was showing off for her by swaggering did not go unnoticed by the clever Gryffindor. Clearly he was trying to cover up his insecurities about the situation under a layer of bravado. Well, he wasn't fooling her.

"Ouu maybe the Sorting Hat did know what it was doing!" Parvati wiggled her eyebrows at Hermione and giggled as she observed the exchange.

Hermione rolled her eyes before bursting into laughter at the sheer preposterousness of what Parvati was implying. The two women giggled until Professor McGonagall rose and called for attention. Their laughter ceased abruptly and an air of solemnity immediately came over them.

"Would all the younger students please depart from the Great Hall, I have some things to discuss with the seventh years."

As the younger students filed out, Hermione observed her peers. There were a few couples such as Neville and Hannah who were sitting together, attempting to make the best of the situation. Hermione knew that they would work things out, they were both just so nice. She was relieved to see however, that there were several couples who were avoiding each other at all costs. At least she wasn't alone. She shot a furtive glance at Malfoy, who was currently laughing as Blaise shot pellets at Seamus out of his wand. Some situations simply didn't have a silver lining she thought sullenly.

"Now then." McGonagall began in her no nonsense way. "The ministry insists that you all partake in a specialized course, much like couples counselling. The course will also aid you in your wedding planning, as well as dedicating some time to parenting skills. You will all take this class for the duration of the year. As far as living quarters, the wing where the Beauxbatons students stayed during the Triwizard tournament has been expanded to suit our purposes. Each couple will have a room to share in order to encourage familiarity. Five couples will live in a pod with a common area, much like our respective houses' common rooms. I want to make it clear that there are two single beds in each couple's room for a reason. There will be no namby-pamby business until you are wed." She glared at them all sternly.

"Aw come on Professor, don't be a party pooper!" Blaise called out.

Draco snickered. Parvati looked mortified.

"Thank you for your contribution Mr. Zabini," McGonagall said crisply.

"Clearly the hat didn't sort based on compatibility, otherwise those two would be betrothed to sex addicts!" Hermione whispered to Parvati.

Parvati wiggled her eyebrows again. "Aren't they though?" she giggled. After a moment, Hermione joined in.

"Now, if you will all kindly follow me, I shall show you to your rooms." McGonagall called out.

As they made their way to the pods, Hermione's nerves returned in full force. It was really beginning now.

xxxxx

It was official: Draco would be living with a muggleborn. And not just any muggleborn, but Hermione Granger. What would his father say if he knew?

Once the group arrived at the pods, McGonagall began dividing them up into their groups. Draco and Hermione were assigned to a pod with Harry and Ginny, Blaise and Parvati, Ron and Astoria, and Luna and Theo.

"Dear God, I'm stuck with the entire Golden Trio!" Draco sighed internally. Thank heavens for Blaise.

Once the five couples entered their pod, they were greeted by the sight of a comfortable looking common room decked out in Gryffindor, Slytherin, and Ravenclaw colours. The room was pentagonal, with a door leading to what Draco assumed to be the bedrooms t each point. Hermione walked up to the door with the sign saying, "The Malfoys" on it and sucked in a breath. Draco heard her whisper, "This is really happening."

"Yes Granger, it is. I'm really stuck marrying you."

"Malfoy, you can't possibly feel worse than I do." She snapped. Opening the door, she walked into their…bedroom, Malfoy shuddered….and slammed the door. Fortunately, the designers seemed to have had the foresight to think that this might happen and had not installed locks or passwords on the bedroom doors. Taking a deep breath, Malfoy opened the door and entered their…bedroom…as well.

Hermione was pacing back and forth, the air around her practically crackling with the force of her emotions.

"Don't say a word Malfoy," she warned.

Draco opened his mouth to retort, but snapped it shut, deciding to heed her advice for once. To be frank, the witch scared him when she was like this. Absentmindedly, he rubbed his jaw, remembering third year. Her punch would have only grown more forceful. He didn't want to experience how much so first hand.

"Now look here Malfoy. The fact of the matter is, whether or not we want to be, we are technically engaged now, and—"

I'm not an idiot Granger, I can speak English and I understood all the announcements," he interjected.

She glared at him for a moment, then plowed on.

"The fact of the matter is, whether or not we want to be, we are technically engaged now, and there's nothing that we can do to change that. I propose that we make a truce, and try to make the best of this desolate situation."

Draco smirked. Stupid, naïve, Gryffindor. How typical.

"Do you really think that I'm going to just get along with you? Act as though everything's okay? Marriage doesn't change the fact that I hate you. They can force me to marry you, but they can't make me love you!" He was shouting by the end, the situation finally taking its toll on his fraying nerves.

"I don't expect you to love me" Hermione said quietly. "I would like some respect and tolerance however. In fact, I expect it." She added firmly. With that said, she grabbed her toiletries and marched into their bathroom, slamming the door for good measure.

Harry and Ginny winced as they heard a door slam from within Draco and Hermione's room.

"They thought not to put locks, but they forgot to soundproof the walls," Ginny laughed.

Grinning at his fiancée, Harry cast a quick muffliato charm with a flick of his wand, and leaned in to kiss his wife to be, his love.

There we are—the stage has been set—let the fun begin!