Chapter 17

A few bit later on

The roar of the protesters filled the lobby with soaring shouts and cries. They pounded on the marble floor with their feet and pumped their fists in the air whenever Harry made a good point or led a chant. They had loved Ginny too, who spoke simply and passionately about people making their own choices, especially after the war.

" Repeal the Marriage Law! Repeal the Marriage Law," Hermione called into the fray, passing out brightly colored fliers to the incoming ministry workers. Many of them were much older than her, and they looked at the fliers as though they were covered in dragon droppings.

An older woman stopped her, " Your generation has lost us so many people, and now you refuse to do your duty for your country."

" Voldemort lost us so many people, should we repay our country with sacrifice of our very selves?" This woman chose the wrong day to mess with Hermione. If there was ever a time when she needed to believe she could make her own choices it was now.

" When you meet your soulmate, that will change," The woman raised her chin pompously, " After all, that's why the ministry implemented the Maritare charm."

Hermione did not appreciate being spoken to like a child, " What about Hannah Abbott, the young woman who was matched with a death eater serving time in azkaban? What would you say to her?"

The old woman sniffed, "I would say that it isn't the ministry's fault. But it's also no reason to run away from her duty to Britain."

" It is not duty, it's entrapment," Hermione shot back.

A large warm hand rested on her shoulder, " Uh… there's another person wanting a picture. You busy?" She turned her head and was greeted with Ron's grimacing face. Photo ops were really taking a toll on him.

" See, young lady, what do you have to complain about if you've already met someone?"

Ron stiffened, " I'm just her friend, Madam."

Madam? Hermione thought, what an odd thing to say.

The old woman waved him away, " Wouldn't your soulmate be ashamed if he knew you were here young lady? Saying bad things about him?"

Hermione ground her teeth, " I hate to disappoint you, but he would have absolutely no problem with me being here." No need to state that he would also have no problem if she were locked in a dungeon with no hope of escape.

Ron chuckled, " And anyway, who's to say it's a him?"

The old woman reared back in shock.

" Oh, my, how rude of me. You'd better get away as quick as you can," Ron said with a grin, " Go ahead."

The old woman raised her nose in the air and walked off in a huff.

" Thanks Ronald," She sighed, looking up in his blue eyes. Learning about Malfoy seemed to have brought out his protective side, because he was behaving very strangely today. It almost reminded her of their early days of dating, when Ron had stood by her in that emotional time.

She smiled up at him, "Ready to go take a picture?"

He stared at her blankly, as though he had never seen a smile before, " Uh…"

" Are you feeling alright, Ron?" She asked.

" Yes… yes, yeah I'm fine, just was thinking I left a croissant out on my counter this morning and it's going to be all hard."

She lowered her eyebrows at him as he led her over to those wanting photos.

" Sorry Harry's so busy," He apologized to the couple.

" Nevermind, you're just as good," The woman said, batting her eyelashes at Ron, who, contrary to his usual bumbling self, winked.

" You know it," He said, resting his hand on Hermione's waist as well as the woman's, while the man snapped a picture.

" Thank you so much," The woman exclaimed, rushing over to her partner.

" I think it's very nice that you and your husband came out to support us."

The man, an American, laughed, " Oh, we're not married. We just met."

" We were matched by the charm yesterday. I proposed that this would be a fun first meeting," The woman said with a wide smile. She was sublimely gorgeous, and it was plain to see that the man, who was good looking in a boyish sort of way, was completely dazzled by her.

" So you're not… upset by being matched?" Ron asked.

" I guess I just thought if I didn't at least give it a shot," He said thoughtfully, " I'd always wonder. I mean, she's got to be the ultimate, right?"

The woman smiled, a shyer more private thing. Maybe the dazzling went both ways.

Hermione could feel her eyes tearing up slightly.

" Oh, will you excuse us," Ron said to the couple, " It was nice meeting you."

" You too," said the woman, grabbing the man's hand to walk away.

Hermione looked at the floor, " Oh, I don't know why I'm getting so emotional. They just said what you said a few days ago."

" I did?"

" You know 'If I didn't try being with my soulmate I'd always wonder' stuff…" She wiped away a tear on her sleeve.

" And that upsets you," He remarked carefully, handing her a rumpled wad of paper napkins from his pocket.

" Well, obviously," she cried, " Malfoy's just... I just don't understand how he's supposed to be the person I've been looking for all this time. Him! The most hateful man in the world."

" I don't know about that," Ron said gently.

She blew her nose loudly, " He is! I mean I know growing up in that terrifying family would do that to anyone, but..."

" Oh, Ronald, what did you say?" The Weaselette came from behind them and patted Hermione's shoulder.

" No, Gin, it's fine. Ron's been really thoughtful, it's not his fault I'm so…" She sniffed miserably, " Emotional today."

Ron looked fully alarmed, but Ginny scowled at him, " She has her appointment tomorrow morning, have a little compassion, Ronald."

" It was some people taking pictures," He said in his defense, but he was examining his arm with interest.

" I'm fine," Hermione took a deep breath and nodding at Ginny. You are Hermione Granger, she told herself, you will figure out what to do and you will do it.

" You sure, 'Mione? You seem really shaken up," Ginny rubbed her shoulders, " We don't need you here-"

" No! I want to be here," Hermione protested.

" Are you sure, 'Mione?"

" Yes! I really really want to be here," She said vehemently.

" Oh-okay, then I'm sorry," Ginny said with her hands up.

" Oh! Gin I'm sorry," Hermione's shoulders slumped, " I just got some upsetting news this morning and I haven't really had time to process it all."

" What was the news?"

" Well…"

" We're your friends! If something's bothering you, we'd like to know. Is it those dreams again."

"No," Hermione lied, " But... there was a prophecy made with my name on it, and I think it's about Malfoy."

Ginny shook her head, " No. No."

" Yes, unfortunately."

" What is it about?"

" Well I'm not completely positive, I want to sit down with it when I've cleared my head," Hermione bit her lip, " But it's about another… uprising of something evil."

" And?"

" Our child is supposed to stop it?" Hermione rubbed her eyes with her hands, " I need to listen to it a few more times, but unless I'm mistaken that's what it is."

" 'Mione!" Ginny said softly, enveloping her into a hug, " We'll sort it out together. You should have told us right away, right Ron?"

Harry shouted something and the crowd cheered.

" Ron?" Ginny broke the hug, " Huh? Where did he get off to?"

Hermione took advantage of her Friend's confusion to slip away for some privacy, " I'm going to head to the restroom, just to clean up, I'll be right back."

Hermione dodged out of the way of a big group of people and made her way over to the restrooms, wiping her tears. She just needed a minute in a stall to gather her thoughts, take a few deep breaths. As she walked past the men's room the door swung open and an older gentleman wearing pumpkin colored robes exited. She almost missed it because she wasn't paying attention, but Ron's brightly colored jumper caught her attention.

Especially when it was on Draco Malfoy.

She pushed past the pumpkin gent, pointing a finger accusingly " You!"

" Oh… I seem to have left my polyjuice potion in my other pants," He said, frozen, holding Ron's jeans, " What a hilarious misunderstanding."

" It was you, this whole time," She repeated, jabbing him repeatedly in the chest.

" If it makes you feel better," He reassured, " You weren't supposed to find out."

" How on earth is that supposed to make me feel better," She narrowed her eyes, " You saw me cry. Over you."

He rolled his eyes, " Believe me, I don't think any less of you. I would cry if I got me in a charm too."

She frowned, and almost asked him if he hadn't heard what she'd just said to Ginny. But before she could, a protester with a sign that said "I Didn't Fight Voldemort for This" exited a stall and froze when he saw them there, Malfoy holding oversized jeans and struggling to hold up boxers, and Hermione teary eyed and furious.

" Sir?" Malfoy drawled, " If you'd please excuse us, we're are having an argument."

The man hurried to wash his hands, while Hermione waited, seething. Of course, Malfoy hadn't heard about the prophecy, but this random man was about to tell all his friends that she was matched with Malfoy.

" Oi, Aren't you Malfoy?" The man interjected from the sink.

Malfoy tried holding up his boxers in a dignified fashion, " I am."

The man shook his head and muttered, " I don't know how you sleep at night, all those people in prison because of you."

Malfoy said nothing, but a scowl passed over his face.

" Don't you have better things to do than harass him in a bathroom? What business is it of yours?" Hermione burst out, " Get out of here."

" My cousin went to Azkaban because of him!" The man defended.

" Well then your cousin was a death eater, wasn't he?" Hermione retorted, " No one gets put in Azkaban just because someone says their name. This isn't the holocaust."

" The what?" The man's brow furrowed.

" The bloody… Oh, get out." Hermione growled.

The man gave her a nasty look and left.

His eyebrows went sky high as the door swung shut, " Well thanks, Granger. What did I do to have this honor bestowed on my humble person."

" I just wanted to yell at you in peace," She growled.

He shook his head, " I just wanted to come to the protest. Feel like I was doing something. It was Weasley's idea to use polyjuice potion, to avoid scenes like that all over the place. But Weasley failed to mention that it was mostly a glorified publicity call."

" Excuse me?"
" I've taken so many pictures my mouth hurts," He rubbed his cheeks and looked at her ruefully through wispy bangs, " It's almost a relief to find Weasley stole my clothes with the potion in them. If I get asked to tell a story about Potter one more fucking time I think I'll scream."

" Well I'm sorry it wasn't what you expected, Malfoy, but we're making a difference the best way we know how," She wrinkled her nose, " Oh for God's sake!" She gave his boxers a quick shrinking charm, to keep him from having to hold them up.

" I was just getting the hang of them, Granger," He said with a smirk.

" A thank you might be in order," She corrected him, " You were about to drop them."

" Well maybe if I was Weasley you've let me," He muttered, waving another charm over the jeans and putting them on.

" Excuse me?"

" I'm just saying, you're putting up this big show," He sneered, " But it's patently obvious you're just dying for Weasley to get off his arse and save you."

" I don't even know where you're getting that from!" She tossed her hair out of her face.

" Oh really? All it took was me wiping your snot off your face to have you staring up at me with big doe eyes," He switched to a high falsetto, taunting her, "' Oh, Ron, you're being so thoughtful today.'" He stuck out his tongue and gagged exaggeratedly.

Her jaw dropped," Well if I'd known who it really was I'd have told you to piss off."

" Tell me, Granger, if 'Weasley' had offered to 'comfort' you today with a little fuck down memory lane, would you have let him?" Malfoy shot back.

" I would have realized it was you and said no," She crossed her hands in front of her chest.

" And if it hadn't been me?" Malfoy asked acidly.

She walked right up to him, her boots echoing through the tiled room. She stopped right before she ran into the solid wall of his be-jumpered chest. He smelled like Ron's favorite cologne, a slightly woody scent, but underneath that was just the smell of expensive soap and something warm and mouthwatering, but elusive. Fucking soulmate stuff, messing with her head. Of course he smelled good to her. Probably to everyone else in the world he smelled like shit, but to her he had to smell maddeningly delicious. It was a smell that invited her closer, up into those icy eyes and high cheekbones, and strange embrace.

" Are you jealous of Ronald, Malfoy? Because that's what it sounds like," She met his eyes, challengingly. He wasn't as tall as Ron, and she didn't have to strain her neck to look at him.

" Jealous of Weasley? You'd have to be joking," He said, looking down at her condescendingly.

" Then why do you care?" She quirked an eyebrow, " What if I do want to be with Ron?"

" Do it, Granger. Gets you off my back," He replied with a growl, " By all means, have a passel of Redheaded know-it-alls. Nothing would please me more."

" Really?" She said knowingly, " Nothing?"

She hadn't planned for it to be a challenge. But his eyes dipped to her lips, just for an instant. Heat washed over her, making her knees weak. She jumped back as though scalded.

" You're jealous of Ron," She stated shakily, turning away from him.

He laughed at her, " And you're afraid of me."

She bristled. She wasn't afraid of anything. Least of all this fancified ferret.

" Of you?" She droned sardonically, throwing a longing look at the door, " Oh, right. What could you possibly do to me? You were Ron for hours and you didn't even have guts to do anything but take pictures like a trained dog."

" Come here, Granger," He commanded, ignoring her. She caught their reflection out of the corner of her eye. His face was a dark mask of lust, sliding up and down her body. He looked at her in the mirror, and she shivered.

" What would that prove?" She stalled.

" If you're not afraid, you'll come over to me," He reasoned. His voice was calm, even innocent, but the dare was very present.

She closed her eyes and spun around, walking up to him in a huff.

" See," She said quickly, turning on her heel to walk out the door. He stopped her with a gentle hand on her shoulder.

" Now that doesn't seem too friendly, Granger? Would your groupies out there think so highly of you if they knew you were running scared from little old me?" He intoned, coaxing her back so she faced him. She crossed her arms in front of her chest.

" I'm not afraid of you," She snarled.

" Now weren't you going to put me through the ringer for the polyjuice potion?" He prompted her, his hand tracing lazy circles along her arm.

She rolled her eyes, " I'm not going to yell at you up close like this."

" I don't believe you have anything to yell at me about," He responded placidly.

" You deceived me," She chastised, " You could have mentioned that it was you, but you deliberately led me to believe- will you stop touching me?"

" Why, can't you concentrate, Granger?" He inquired evenly.

" Of course I can," She replied, " It just makes me uncomfortable."

" Okay, what about this? Does this frighten you?" His hand slid up her arm and along her shoulders, then down her back at an agonizing pace to land in the small of her back. She gasped.

" I'm not afraid," She kept her voice remarkably calm, glaring at him.

" I can see that you are, so I'll set your mind at ease," He said smoothly, his voice vibrating through her, " I came to this protest for me, for what I wanted. I didn't tell you, because I didn't want you to think I was seeking your approval."

She regarded him warily. His face was open and honest, but his eyes, dominated by hungry black pupils, made her hesitate.

" Because I'm not," He continued, " Seeking your approval, that is. And as much as I enjoy throwing you for a loop-" His hand stroked up and down her back slowly, pressing her into him. His other hand came up and cradled her cheek.

" And I do, Granger. Watching you turn red with rage when I tease you… I like that very much," He growled, "As much as I want to press you back until you put that gorgeous ass up against that counter, and kiss that begging mouth of yours-"

He broke off, and his hands dropped from her, leaving her curiously cold, " I know when I'm not wanted. And I also know that as much as I want to mess with your head…." She flinched.

He stepped back and regarded her thoughtfully, " If this law is not repealed, I have a chance to start over, and find someone who makes my shitty life more bearable by being in it. I want that much more than I want to play with you. I can't promise I won't tease you, but I wouldn't get in the way of you getting what you want either. So you have nothing to fear from me, Granger." He concluded by turning away from her and disapparating.

Hermione reeled back for a second, resting her hands on the counter. Her heart was pounding so hard she thought it was going to leap out of her chest. She started into her brown eyes and tried to steady herself with facts.

Malfoy is a racist fuckhead, She told herself, who once called you a word so foul and derogatory people died so it would never be used again.

Who you have to conceive a child with, probably, her insistent logic reminded her.

Malfoy is a man who makes dirty comments about you at every turn, she thought vehemently, who escaped Azkaban through likely underhanded means and had the testimony of his trial sealed from public record.

You almost kissed him, her logic said.

Oh, shut up, she thought, exiting the men's bathroom with a frustrated sigh.