All characters belong to JKR
Chapter 21 – To say This Story isn't Good Merely Because it isn't a Dramione is a bit Audacious
Marcus woke up early that Monday morning, after having only slept a couple of hours. It was twenty-seven minutes after four in the morning when he woke up. He would shower and dress, and then he would Floo right to the Ministry. He wanted to be sure that he would be the first person to see the Minister that morning.
After he left Hermione's flat last night, he went straight to bed, but stayed awake until almost three, so in reality, he barely slept at all, not that it mattered. He didn't need a clear head this morning. What he needed a clear conscience.
When he did go to bed, he spent most of the time staring up at his ceiling, with his German shepherd, Fritz's, head on his chest. He couldn't get over how badly everything had turned out, and how it was his entire fault.
First, he had forced himself on Hermione, convinced that he was the right choice for her, which was egotistical and selfish, since he didn't consider her feelings on the matter. Then, he claimed, nay, promised her that he would protect her and watch out for her, even if he had to protect her 'from himself', yet in the end, he acted like a hurt child and in return, he hurt her, when she was only being truthful to him.
When he had time to consider things, he realized that her confession was not that bad. She merely said that she knew her tests had some flaws. So what if she wanted to protect her reputation? That wasn't a bad thing!
She also said that she no longer loved her fiancé, and she didn't want to hurt him by breaking things off with him, so she knew the marriage law would take care of that for her. Where was the harm in that?
Likewise, she said that she would have gone along with whoever's name was in her envelope – and seriously, would she have had a choice? It was a bloody law. She had to comply, whether it was Malfoy's name or Marcus' name. The mere fact that she admitted that she wouldn't have revealed that her tests were flawed no matter who's name was in the envelope really shouldn't have hurt him so much.
After all, she didn't love him before all of this, the way he loved her. She fell in love afterwards, didn't she? Or did she? Did she really fall in love only this week? Or had she only told him that because he told her that he loved her?
That was his biggest regret and crux of his anger. He felt remorse for the fact that his love for her wasn't enough of a reason to be selfish for putting his name in her envelope, yet he blamed her for not loving him enough to want his name in the envelope!
Yes, it was a confusing thought, but it was the one that stuck to him like glue. He found it hard to forgive her for not wanting him and him alone. His pride was hurt. That's what it was. He wanted her to love him as much as he loved her, and when she said that she would have accepted any name in that envelope, his pride was hurt.
He was a fool. She called him a wanker. He was much more than that. He wasn't sure she could forgive him, or even if he wanted her to at this point. The only thing he wanted was to tell the Minister that he falsified the results in HIS individual envelope. He wouldn't implicate Adrian. He wouldn't tell the Minister that Malfoy's company played with the results. He wouldn't tell him anything regarding Hermione. He would take responsibility, take his blame, pay his penance, and be done with it all. Later, if the law was repelled and Hermione decided on her own that she loved him and that they might have a future, so be it.
Hermione walked into her flat last night, dazed and confused. She went to her bathroom, changed into her pajamas, put out new water and food for her cats, Salt and Pepper, and then she sat in a chair in the corner of her living room with a glass of red wine and she ruminated over all the events of the last week.
Marcus was so angry, but why? Why couldn't he see reason? Was her sin worse than his? No bloody way! She felt guilty now for some of the things she had said over the past week, things such as, "Perfect match this," and "Perfect match that," when she knew there were no such thing as a "PERFECT MATCH". And when she claimed that at least the Ministry decided to enact the law using her formula instead of making poor choices for everyone, when she knew that her formula wasn't perfect, was terribly wrong of her!
Though, there were moments when she dared hope that perhaps her potion had worked after all, because she felt such a true connection with Marcus.
Her black cat jumped into her lap as the white cat lay by her feet. She petted the one and rubbed the other with her foot, and then she cringed recalling that Marcus stated that he hated cats, and then he apologized for being honest about his 'cat hatred', and she said, "I can't fault you for being honest. Honesty is something that I hold sacred. It's one of the most imperative ingredients to a relationship." Just the thought of her hypocritical words made bile rise to her throat! She was such a fraud! Telling him how truthful she was, how important honesty was, when she had kept secrets from the beginning!
Secrets that if she had exposed long ago would have saved them all a lot of heartache and pain.
She pushed Pepper off her lap and reached over for the book of poetry by Browning, opening it back up to the one she read for him. She recalled how each line seemed to connect to their situation, regarding how things looked perfect in the beginning, but once you got past the 'exteriors' you could begin to see the imperfections, and how sometimes the imperfections were better than the perfections!
STILL – she felt indignant! He had apparently loved her for a long time and he never told her! If he had, all of this would have been for naught, right? Wouldn't she have been brave enough, if he had confessed his love before the marriage law, to give him a chance, to break things with Ron, and to confess that the marriage tests didn't work?
At this point, she had no clue. Foresight and hindsight were two things that were hard to question.
Bottom line still - she did lie to him. When she was waiting for the healer to come to Malfoy Manor, she told him that she loved him. That part wasn't the lie. The lie was the sentence she said after that. She said 'we are each other's perfect matches. It's fate.' She was such a liar, because she knew that they weren't! He had every reason to hate her now.
She would make all of this right. She couldn't wait until morning. She had to get to the Minister before Adrian, Malfoy, or Marcus. First thing she did was dress. Then she picked up her mobile phone and called an old friend. It was close to four in the morning, so it rang several times before he answered.
Finally, a voice on the other end said, "Is something wrong, Hermione? Why are you calling so early?"
"Oh, Harry, I need your help."
Draco closed the door of Anna's bedroom and began to pace around her small living room, before he finally went into her kitchen to start a pot of coffee. They had spent the entire night talking! TALKING! On her BED, no less, and though they kissed a bit, and touched, and flirted, that was the extent of the physicality of the situation, yet Draco would describe last night as the most intimate night of his life.
Her dogs stood by the back door and stared at him as he drank his coffee. He rolled his eyes, but opened the door and let them out. Then he found himself pouring cat food into three cat bowls on the floor by the back door. He peeked outside, saw dog food on the back porch, so he fed the damn dogs, too. Might as well let Anna have a sleep in today.
Anna. Anna McAllister. Anna McAllister Malfoy. No, that didn't sound right to Draco. He liked Anna Malfoy better. He was a traditionalist. None of those women keeping their maiden name crap. He wondered what his parents would think if he brought all these animals to the Manor. He laughed aloud at that thought. His old man would have an apoplexy fit. He would love to see that, yes in deed!
Wait, was he seriously thinking of marrying a woman that he hadn't even slept with, hadn't even dated, and hadn't kissed more than a few times?
Yes. He was. He would. No matter what. That meant he had to get to the Ministry before anyone else and stop the Marriage Edict from being overturned. He would rather everyone think he was marrying her because of the law, not because of some silly sentiment such as LOVE. Ha. Love. Draco Malfoy was in love.
And look at the damn time! It was already almost five in the morning and he hadn't even showered yet! He opened the back door, shouted for the dogs to come back inside, ran down the hallway, opened the door to Anna's bedroom, saw that she was now wide eyed and sitting up in bed, and he shouted, "I love you. There. I said it. I've got to go home, shower and change and then get to the Ministry and stop Adrian and Marcus from stopping that damn law, because I'm going to marry you, Anna McAllister!"
Then he Disapparated away. Anna opened her mouth to say something…anything, shocked as she was, but he was long gone. She went to her fireplace, picked up some Floo powder, and Floo'd Theo Nott right away. Draco Malfoy was going crazy apparently, and she needed Theo's help.
Adrian placed his jacket over the back of his chair in his office and sighed. Blaise walked into the office right after him, blurry eyed, and said, "I don't think I've ever been here this early. There's barely another soul in the whole Ministry."
"I thought Malfoy would be here by now," Adrian assumed. "And I don't know where Marcus Flint is. He was supposed to be at his mum's, but the elf there said that Hermione and he didn't stay, so then I went around his flat, and he wasn't there."
"Perhaps he stayed with Granger," Blaise regarded, throwing his long, lean body into a chair across from Adrian's desk.
"I checked there, too. She's not home either, and it's only a quarter after six in the morning! Where would they be?" Adrian went to his door and shrugged, adding, "Never mind, let's get this over with. We'll go to the Minister by ourselves. I know he's already here, because I checked. Come along, Blaise."
"I'm at your beck and call," Blaise answered, closing his eyes and remaining in the chair. Adrian walked out of the door, noticed Blaise wasn't with him, and walked back into his office. He kicked the chair hard. "What?" Blaise asked, alarmed, waking.
"Come on," Adrian insisted.
"Oh yes, we have noble, righteous things to do this morning, almost forgot," Blaise remarked, leaving the chair regrettably, and following in Adrian's wake.
Marcus Flint ran up to the Minister of Magic's office, never once thinking the man would even be there yet, only hoping, so imagine his surprise when he found the door closed, but a sign out front that said, "Meeting in Progress". Marcus knocked on the door anyway. He was further shocked when none other than Harry Potter poked his head outside the door.
"What do you want?" Harry asked, obviously annoyed.
"I need to speak with the Minister," Marcus relayed.
"Do you have an appointment?" Harry asked smugly.
"What?" Marcus looked around. "It's six-fourteen in the morning! No one has an appointment this time of the morning! Are you his bloody social secretary now? If he's in, tell him that I need to see him! It's regarding the Marriage Edict."
"Well, he's busy right now, in regard to the Marriage Edict," Harry said, mocking Marcus with the last part of the sentence. "So have a seat and wait your turn."
Marcus frowned and tried to push on the door. "Do I hear Hermione's voice in there?"
Harry pulled out his wand. "Do I hear an Auror about to arrest you for interfering with Ministry business?"
Marcus threw up his hands and sat down on a bench to wait. He was worried. Why was Hermione in there? She had better not take the blame for any of this! Not when everything was HIS fault!
Suddenly, Draco Malfoy came rushing down the hallway. He noticed Marcus sitting on a bench and Harry Potter standing outside the Minister's door, twirling his wand as if he were in a bloody parade, or conducting an orchestra, or something.
Nodding once to Marcus, ignoring scarhead, he started in the door. Harry flicked his wand and Malfoy landed on his bum, on the floor, before him.
"What the bloody blue blazes, Pothead!" Draco stood up and dusted off his suit.
"You can't go in there, Malfoy. The Minister is in conference, can't you read?" Harry said, smiling.
"At," Draco looked at his watch, "six nineteen in the morning?"
"Actually, he's been in conference since about five-thirty," Harry said lazily. "Form a line behind Marcus Flint there."
Draco looked at Marcus and asked, "Who's in there?"
"I think its Hermione," Marcus said softly.
"NO!" Draco shouted as loudly as he could. "She'll ruin everything!" He stomped his foot and rushed for the door again, ignoring the measly vermin that stood next to it, (also known as Potter). As soon as he touched the handle of the door, he was sent sprawling to the floor again.
"That was uncalled for, Scarhead!" Draco shouted from the floor. Harry started to laugh. Draco looked over at Marcus, and said, "Do something. Defend your friend."
Marcus merely shrugged and joined Harry's laughter.
Draco dusted off again and sat down next to Marcus. "I have to see him before you do," he pleaded.
"No," Marcus answered. "I have to tell him what I did. Everything's my fault."
"Yes, yes, you're so noble you might was well be an effing Gryffindor whore," Draco smeared. "Listen, I'll pay you a thousand galleons if you let me see him next."
"NO!" Marcus said with anger.
"TWO THOUSAND!"
"Fuck you, Malfoy!" Marcus hissed back.
Draco grabbed Marcus' shoulders and said, "In the name of all that's evil and unholy, as one of your oldest friends, please, let me make this right! I need the redemption! I feel so unclean! It's my fault. Let me do penance! "
Marcus laughed again, as did Harry from his post at the door. Marcus snorted and said, "You went a bit overboard. If you had only offered me three thousand, I would have let you go first, but the whole, 'let me seek redemption' shite was a joke."
Draco sneered and said softly, "Marcus, come on, don't ruin this! I don't want the marriage law overturned now!"
"Hmm?" Marcus peered at Draco, interested. Even Harry looked over, a bit engrossed.
"I want to marry Anna McAllister now," Draco said, while looking at the floor.
"What?" Marcus was shocked.
Draco tried to speak softly, so Potter wouldn't hear, and said, "I want to marry her now. I don't want the law overturned. Do a fellow a favour, and don't ruin this. You get what you want, I get what I want, everyone's happy."
Harry snickered from the door. Draco gave him a rude hand gesture, which Harry ignored, and Harry said, "For Merlin's sakes, Malfoy, if you want to marry the woman, ask her. What, do you think she needs a law to say yes? Is that it? Or is it to save face? Oh yes, can't have people think that Malfoy would lower himself by marrying a halfblood without a law to back it up."
"Again, in case you weren't able to read my hand gesture from a moment ago, shove it, Potter," Draco spouted.
At that moment, Anna and Theo came running down the hallway. Theo looked around and said, "My goodness, there's a lot of people here for 6:30 in the morning, and look, here comes more." Adrian and Blaise started down the hallway.
"What are you doing here?" Draco asked Anna as he stood. He looked back at the bench as Theo started to take his place and added, "No cutting in line, Nott. I'm after Flint."
He turned back to Anna. "Well? Why are you here?"
"Why are you here?" she repeated to him.
He bit his lip and said, "You knew we were all planning to come to the Ministry early today, to blackmail, (he looked over his shoulder at Potter and rephrased,) I mean, talk to the Minister about the flaws in the Marriage Laws."
"Oh," she said softly. "But I thought you said, before you left my house, never mind, I must have misunderstood." She went over to the bench and sat next to Theo.
Draco kicked the wall and turned to face her just as Adrian and Blaise made their way to them. Adrian looked at his watch and said, "I guess I'm late. Who's in there with the Minister, Potter, as if I need to ask?"
Harry merely nodded his head, which earned a nod in return from Adrian. Without preamble or permission, Adrian walked past them all, past Harry, and into the office. Harry allowed it, and then walked in as well.
Draco looked over at Anna, who now sat between Blaise and Theo on a very crowded bench. He threw up his hands, sighed, and went over to her. Bowing on his knees, he took her hands into his, which drew every eye of every person from the bench to his face. He said, "Anna McAllister, will you do me the service of dating me, so we might see if we might want to, I mean, if there's not a law you don't have to, but perhaps we might suit, you know?"
"Oh my stars," Blaise mumbled, with a small laugh. "And he used to be the smooth talking one of the bunch, next to me."
"Let's give them some privacy," Theo said.
Marcus frowned and said, "No, I'm not leaving my place, besides, I think he needs to be honest with her. We all need to be honest with each other. Say what you mean, Malfoy. Tell her how you feel!"
Draco stood, threw up his hands, and shouted, "FINE!" He pulled on Anna's hands, forced her to stand, and said, "I like you, a lot. I think I'm falling in love with you. I swear I've never felt this way before. You're so different from all the other women I've been with, and that's a good thing, I assure you. I originally thought I needed to marry someone like Granger, so I put her name in my envelope, because I thought I was such a bad person, and only someone as good as her could give me the redemption that I sought."
"But I was wrong, not about me being a bad person, because I can admit it, I am, but I don't want to be any longer. I want to be better, and I think you can make me better, because you make me WANT to be better. I don't need to find redemption. I don't need a perfect match. I just need happiness, and love, and Anna, I know in my heart I'll find those things with you, even if you do come with a menagerie."
She smiled and placed her hand on his cheek. "We can give it a go," she finally said. He smiled so wide that he thought his face might crack. He pulled her into an embrace and finally, in his happiness, which was something quite foreign to Draco Malfoy, twirled her around and around. Then he pulled on her hand and said to his friends, "I'll leave you all to clean up this mess. Let me know how it ends, but, you know, give us a few...days." He looked over at her, kissed her cheek, and they were off.
"Love wins out in the end," Blaise said, closing his eyes, folding his arms over his chest. "How quaint."
Theo knocked his arm into Blaise's shoulder and asked, "What about you and the girl Weasley. If the law is overturned, do you think there'll be something there with her?"
The black man didn't open his eyes, but he answered, "No. I thought so at first, but no. I think I'll hold out for my own Anna, or Hermione," he opened one eye and looked over at Theo, "or my own Astoria." Then he smiled.
Theo smiled back. "I admitted everything to her last night, and we're still going to get married, no matter what," Theo revealed. Blaise smiled again at his friend. Theo's glance went from his left side, to his right, to look at Marcus.
Marcus gave him a small, rueful smile, and he said, "Congratulations. You're a lucky man, to have found true, honest, love and happiness in this craziness."
"You're lucky, too," Theo remarked. "You and Granger love each other, right? Everything will work out."
"Sure," Marcus commented. "We love each other." He looked over at the closed door and wondered if Theo was right. He stood to stretch his legs, and started over to the door, when a messenger came up to him with a long white envelope.
"Mr. Flint?" the man asked. Marcus turned to face the man, as did his friends on the bench. "You have an urgent message." Marcus took the envelope from the man's outstretched hand, opened it smoothly, and peered at the note within. He took a deep breath, stuck the note in his pocket, and started to walk away.
"Where are you going?" Theo called out.
Marcus didn't answer.
"What shall we tell Granger when she comes out? Where shall we tell her you went?" Blaise inquired, standing suddenly, no longer languid and tired.
Marcus turned around, walking backwards, and held up his hand and said, "Tell her I'm sorry I lied and that I hope she has a good life. Oh and goodbye."
He turned back around and left. Blaise looked at Theo and said, "What do you suppose was in that message?"
"No clue," Theo returned, "no effing clue."
Only one more chapter.