a.n. Thanks to everyone who followed and reviewed! I think I responded to everyone, but if not, just know that you have my thanks.

Because I was an idiot and signed up for a summer writing fest, the updates on this one won't be as plentiful as I had once hoped. I'm shooting for once a month. I'll try to make sure that the chapters are long enough to make the updates worth it.

Thanks to StruggleMuggle for looking this over and making sure that it's not jibberish.

Finally, the POV in this story is going to shift. Kind of like a TV show. That said, not everything you see from the characters is 'on camera' so to speak. Usually what's on the show will be done from a third-person perspective or a narrator of some kind. I hope to not make this confusing. Let me know if I'm succeeding.

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter. Like at all.

-:::-

The vows didn't last long. Granted, all they consisted of were a few words by the 'priest' and asking them if they swore to honor each other for the rest of their lives. The thought almost made Hermione snort out loud. This wasn't for the rest of their lives. This was for six months and then a quickie divorce. No long drawn out affair over possessions, no hurt feelings, nothing like that. While she was pretty impressed that they managed to somehow convince an Earl to get married on a TV show – and he was quite good looking – Hermione was almost 100% positive that in six months she'd be back to her normal, boring life.

After all, that was really all she wanted.

Once the priest proclaimed them husband and wife, they were asked to kiss. That made her blush. Hermione could actually feel the blood rushing to her face. They had to kiss? Like on the lips? How had she not known about this requirement?

Unsurprisingly, her new husband looked equally embarrassed, if the flush on his cheeks was anything to go by. But, he squared his shoulders and lent down – he was quite a bit taller than her after all – and pressed his mouth against hers. Hermione froze. It felt almost as if she had touched an active powerline. Electricity like she had never felt before flowed through her. The feeling was incredible and terrifying. It made her pull back, even if it was the last thing her body wanted to do.

Hermione knew her eyes were wide with shock. The look was mirrored on Harry's face as well. So he'd felt it too, Hermione thought idly. It took every ounce of her willpower to not pull her hands away from him – likely so that she could press at least one hand to her lips, which still felt like they were on fire.

There was a smattering of applause from their family and friends, which brought Hermione out of her reverie and back into reality. Right. People were watching. And there were cameras. A lot of cameras. All of them recording the way she was behaving after a simple kiss. Get a grip, Granger. Potter. Whatever.

Hermione grimaced. That was one thing she hadn't thought about. Taking his name. Was she going to take his name? She'd always been kind of traditional in that regard. She always thought that when she finally found a husband, that she'd end up being Hermione Whatever. Well. Now here she was – married, with a ring to prove it. Was she going to take his name?

She didn't have a lot of time to decide. She gripped Harry's arm tightly as he led her back down the aisle, the cameras following them the whole way. She knew they were almost done. All that was left was singing the marriage license. That was when she'd have to make the decision.

Hermione Potter.

Well, at least it didn't sound hideous. And when this farce ended in six months, it wouldn't be a huge deal to go back to her maiden name. And if she was going to do this, she might as well do it the way she wanted it done.

The director cut the cameras when they reached the end of the aisle. Hermione let go of her new husband and took a small step back. She just needed a minute to breathe away from all of this.

"Hey, you okay?" He asked.

Hermione nodded. "Yes."

"Well, it's nice to meet you," Harry joked.

"Nice to meet you too," Hermione said with a laugh. "I can't believe we just did that."

Harry laughed with her. "I can't either. I'm Harry Potter, by the way." He reached out a hand, which Hermione shook good-naturedly. After all, they'd already kissed.

"Hermione Granger."

"So, how did you get roped into this?"

Hermione narrowed her eyes. "How do you know that I didn't sign up for this all on my own? Maybe I wanted to marry in front of the entire country."

"No, I don't think so. Your face said it all when we were up there. You wanted to be anywhere else. I don't really blame you. I didn't want to do this either."

"Oh? Then why are you here?" Hermione asked.

"My Godfather and his husband pranked me and then told me I would be a coward if I didn't sign the contract."

"Well, it was kind of the same for me. My best friend signed me up and then convinced me that it was 'going to be fun.' Whatever that means."

"Sounds like we both need to spend time with other people," Harry joked.

"True."

"So what happens next? Why are they just letting us stand here?"

"I think they're moving the cameras into position," Hermione replied, looking around. Sure enough, the cameras that had followed them down the aisle were now being set up surrounding a table with a fancy table cloth thrown over the top of it. Two chairs were set up next to the table.

"So that's where we make this official. It seems a bit tacky."

"The whole thing feels tacky, if you ask me," Hermione said softly.

They were interrupted when a fairly large group of people approached them. The director was at the head of the group.

"We're going to get some shots of the two of you meeting each other's families and friends after you sign the marriage license. Then we'll be done and the two of you can mingle for a while off camera before we take you to your flat."

Harry offered his arm. "My lady? Off to sign away your next six months."

Hermione laughed and took his arm. At least he wasn't expecting anything more out of the marriage than she was. That was good news.

-:::-

Five minutes later, Hermione was officially Hermione Jean Potter. Lady Gryffindor. When Harry had called her that, Hermione had nearly lost it completely. Was that really her? She'd have to ask how Harry was even allowed to participate in such a thing when he was an Earl. Was it even legal?

Once the ink was dried, they were led over to a small area where their family and friends were waiting. Per the show's tradition – which was horribly sexist if you asked Hermione – they were to meet the groom's family first.

"Hermione, this is my Godfather Sirius Black and his husband Remus Lupin."

The man introduced as Harry's godfather was a handsome man with a Van Dyke beard on his face. His black hair was cut short and his grey eyes were almost boiling over with mischief. The man's husband was much more subdued. His blonde hair was thinning, but otherwise, he was nearly as handsome as his partner. Hermione shook both their hands.

"You two look lovely. They did a good job matching you up," Mr. Lupin said.

"So, pup," Black broke in. "Looks like you finally got yourself hitched."

"Can it, Padfoot. You know damn well that you're to blame for everything that happens from here on out," Harry said, his voice promising retribution. Hermione nodded, thinking that she may very well help her new husband get revenge on his godfather. If, that is, he'd help her get even with Ginny. She was sure that Harry would help. He didn't seem like the kind of guy who would leave a lady hanging, especially his wife.

"I can't believe I just stood through your wedding, Potter," another blonde haired man said. This was Harry's best man. Hermione hadn't paid much attention to the man when they had been getting married, but now that she had the chance, she could admit that he was very handsome.

"Malfoy, behave yourself. I stood with you through yours. Returning the favor was the least you could do. Hermione, this idiot is my best mate, Draco Malfoy. Malfoy, this is Hermione Potter nee Granger."

"It's nice to meet you. I'm sorry that you had to be tied down to this wanker," Malfoy said.

"Hey!"

Hermione giggled. "I'm sure he's going to be fine. It's nice to meet you."

"Let's go meet your parents," Harry said. "I'm sure they're going to be much better company than my side of the family."

They walked over to where her parents were waiting along with Ginny and Luna.

"It was lovely, Hermione," Her mother said. "They did a surprisingly tasteful job."

Hermione wanted to roll her eyes. Her mother was being polite – for the cameras, of course. Her mum thought that this was the dumbest thing Hermione had ever done and that she'd regret it for the rest of her life.

"They did," Hermione agreed. "Mum. Dad. This is my husband, Harry Potter. Harry, this is my mum, Dr. Helen Granger and my father, Dr. Robert Granger."

"It's nice to meet you sir, ma'am," Harry said confidently, shaking their hands.

"And you as well," Robert said. Hermione grimaced as her dad tried to squeeze the life out of Harry's hand. Harry just smiled but didn't say anything. That made her dad frown. Hermione wanted to hit him upside the head. This was definitely not the time for her father to get into a pissing match with her new husband. Not with cameras around, at least.

"Harry, these are my best friends, Ginny Longbottom and Luna Lovegood."

Harry grinned at them. "Nice to meet you, ladies."

They were joined shortly thereafter by Sirius, Remus, and Draco. The whole group spent the next ten minutes talking. Mostly small talk, though Hermione did notice that her dad and Sirius got into a serious conversation.

When the Director called the cameras to be shut off. Hermione breathed a sigh of relief. It was over. Well, at least it was over for today. There were no cameras in the car that was going to take them to their flat. Unfortunately, there were cameras in the flat itself. That was going to be hard to get used to. But at least there weren't going to be cameramen following them around the home they'd be sharing for the next six months.

"The limo is waiting for the two of you," The director said. "You can hang here for a bit if you'd like, say your goodbyes. The producers will meet with you in the morning to go over your schedules for the next week."

With that, the cameramen started to take the cameras away and the Director walked towards the front of the building, leaving them alone – with no cameras – for the first time since the episode started to shoot.

"Well, that was very interesting," Robert Granger said.

"Indeed it was," Sirius Black answered with a grin.

"So, honestly," Helen Granger said, "What do the two of you think about your son doing this?"

"I'm the one who got him into this," Sirius said proudly. "So I think it's a grand idea."

Hermione, who somehow found herself still holding Harry's arm, heard Harry groan. She turned towards him. "He's not exactly subtle is he?"

Harry laughed. "No."

"Hey!"

"We should go," Hermione said. "It's already late and we still have to get settled into the new flat. Goodness knows what will await us there."

"You'll call us?" her mum asked. "I know we're going to have dinner later this week, but we won't really be able to talk because of the cameras."

"I'll call."

Hermione pulled away from Harry and hugged her parents. Harry went to say his own goodbyes. A few minutes later, they were alone sitting in awkward silence in the back of a limo.

-:::-

The silence was heavy. Harry noticed it the moment the limo pulled away from the curve. They'd talked fairly freely back in the studio, but now? Now it was awkward. They were alone. Married and alone and what the hell were they supposed to talk about?

"Can I ask a question," Hermione asked, finally breaking the silence.

"Sure."

"How is it that a Lord can get married on a TV show?"

Harry laughed. "I don't have much to do with the Queen. But honestly, there aren't any rules. At least for me. I'm not a member of the royal family. Something like seventy people would have to die before I would be close to taking the throne. I'm sure if I were a more public member of the aristocracy or if I actually served in the Parliament, then I'd have to follow some rules of etiquette, but as is, no one cares."

"I guess that makes sense. I was born here and I'd never actually heard of your earldom before."

"Not many people have. I'd love to tell you some of the history. It might give us something to talk about to break the inevitable awkward silences we'll have to suffer through."

Hermione laughed. "I think we'll do just fine."

"I agree. So what do you do for a living?"

"I'm a librarian, actually."

"Really?" Harry asked. He couldn't stop himself from imagining her with a sexy pair of eyeglasses and a short skirt. He blushed when he realized that the sexy librarian thing really did it for him.

"Is it so hard to believe?"

"No. Honestly, I had no preconceptions about what you did. I just kind of have a thing for librarians, that's all," Harry replied, his blush deepening. Thank goodness it's dark in this car, he thought.

Hermione laughed again. "Well, that's fortuitous. What about you, my Lord," she teased. "What do you do? Or are you at home running your grand estate making sure the servants don't run off with the silver?"

"My servants would never do anything like that," Harry said haughtily. Then he laughed. "I'm actually a doctoral student at Oxford."

"Really?" Hermione mocked. Harry reached over and poked her in the side which made her laugh at him harder. "What are you studying?"

"History with a specialty in ancient studies."

"Wow, that's deep. What got you interested in that?"

Harry shrugged. "I've always had a thing for history. I guess you could say it's a family trait. My parents died in a car crash when I was a baby, but my godfather has told me a lot about my family. It turns out both my father and grandfather were historians. So I grew up hearing stories about how cool they were, so naturally, I wanted to be just like them."

"That's sweet."

"What books do you like?" Harry asked, changing the subject.

"How do you know I like books," Hermione replied, her eyes narrowed.

"You're a librarian," Harry said slowly. "One kind of assumes the other."

Hermione laughed. "You're too easy. I love books. Always have. When I graduated from high school I wanted to do something with books. I considered becoming an author and I do write a bit, but I'm not great at it. I also considered working in a book shop, but the pay is only mediocre if you don't actually own the book shop and all the good little stores are being pushed out by the bigger brands. So, I decided to study Library Science at university."

"Sounds like you had a good plan. Do you work in a big library?"

"The London Library, actually, so yes. I'm an associate librarian there."

They sat in silence for several minutes. The limo was still rolling along the streets of London, slowly making its way toward the flat they'd share near Greenwich.

"Do you think this is going to work?" Hermione asked softly, chewing her bottom lip.

"Will what work?"

"This. This marriage?"

Harry thought about his answer for several moments. "I don't know. Do you want it to work?"

"I...I think that is a question that I can't answer. It's all just so crazy. Even if we were in this situation without the pressure of being filmed throughout the next six months, it'd still be crazy. I never thought that I'd get married to someone I don't know. I also never thought that I'd be married more than once. I never thought I'd get divorced. So maybe I want it to work. But that's crazy too, right? I mean, of course, this isn't going to work. We don't know each other, and even if we spend the next six months learning about each other, that doesn't mean we should be married for the rest of our lives. This is crazy! Why did I even agree to this? What are we going to do? I mean I even took your last name, and you called me Lady Gryffindor earlier, so that's something else I have to deal with, and…"

"Hermione! Breathe!" Harry shouted.

Hermione went silent, breathing hard. Harry reached across and grasped her hand. Hermione squeezed back as he interlaced their fingers. It felt good to hold her hand. It wasn't something he'd done often with his girlfriends in the past, not that he'd dated all that much. Tonks was his longest 'relationship,' and they were only shag buddies. His other relationships had all been short-lived flings. It turned out it was really hard to find someone who wanted him and not his title.

"It's going to be okay," he said. "I don't have an answer to your question. Do I think this will work? I don't know. Do I want it to work? Again, I don't know. I'm with you. I didn't think I'd ever be placed in a situation where I married someone I didn't know. It's not what my parents would have wanted and given the way your dad strangled my hand earlier, I expect your parents weren't that happy about it either. I guess what we'll have to do is just do our best.

"We can't really do this our own way. The show is going to control a lot of our relationship, and that sucks because I think it'll decrease the chances of this working out. What we can do is take the time when we're not being filmed or at least when we're not meeting obligations for the show, and really get to know each other as well as we can. Maybe it'll work. Maybe it won't. Let's see if we can get through it either way without hating each other's guts by the end of it."

Hermione nodded. Harry reached over with his free hand and wiped away a tear that had flowed down his wife's cheek.

It was only then that he truly came to terms with it. Only after talking with this girl about the chances of their new marriage succeeding that Harry realized that he was married. Oh, he had known it, but it hadn't sunk in. He was married to this interesting creature sitting beside him holding his hand.

She was gorgeous. She seemed smart. She was exactly the type of girl he would have wanted to marry if he had gotten to choose. So did he want it to work out?

Harry thought that just maybe he really did.

-:::-

a.n.2. Harry has always come across to me as a romantic. So it makes sense to me that he'd maybe want this crazy marriage to work.

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