NOTE: Sigh. I forgot to mention that the last chapter put us at the halfway point in this story. Time is flying! Beta thanks, as always, go to eilonwy. However, I added over 600 words since she saw it, so mistakes belong to me. I've never done that, added so much after I thought a story was "finished," but I find when I reread in order to prepare to post, new things keep wanting to be said. So there's nothing for it!

ooo

CHAPTER FIVE

September 23

Two months later, over a full year since the Marriage Law was passed and five since Draco had tracked her down, Hermione had received a total of five issues of the Quibbler from Luna. None of the latest four had anything nearly as extensive as the initial interview, but they contained little pieces of the progress Draco and Blaise were making.

It wasn't much, but it was steady. She and Luna had communicated a little, mainly with respect to the information published. Though there had been the one time she'd asked Luna if Draco were really sincere, which Luna had eagerly affirmed. Then Hermione had wanted more information on one of the updates, and Luna had provided more than she'd asked for.

Luna's last note, sent with the fifth issue, had unsettled Hermione, however.

Hermione – Here's the latest on their efforts. I think it's coming along nicely. We'll be publishing a new interview in our next issue, so that will be headed your way soon. We get at least ten inquiries a day at our office from witches around the world wanting to know more about our hoping-to-soon-be unattached bachelors. I suspect they won't be single long, if these witches are successful.

Why she had mentioned anything about witches being interested in Draco—and Blaise—Hermione couldn't imagine. Had there been something unintentionally obvious in Hermione's notes to Luna? She didn't think so, but Luna had a way about her, an insight that constantly caught people off guard, even those who had known her a long time. And so, she remained unsettled.

Not to mention that she hadn't anticipated the interruption to her thought life the original article would produce. Simply put, Hermione couldn't stop thinking about Draco. She had been attracted to him before the Law, had hoped for more than friendship, but she'd done her best to shut that down once the Law was passed. She'd put space between them in her daily life and in her mind, and when she left England, she'd been confident that she'd managed to put him behind her.

She'd only thought of him once or twice in the seven and a half months between when she'd left and when he'd found her. Those instances were completely benign in nature.

But then, he'd found her. He'd bloody found her. He'd gone to her friends, to her parents, and who knows what other lengths, to find her. Only her parents had known her location, and they only knew the city, one of almost two million people. Draco had managed to find her at her favorite café. He'd just slid into the seat across from her as though they'd planned to meet, right then, right there. It was truly a romantic gesture, one that never ceased to send her nerves into flutters whenever she thought about it.

It hadn't been nearly enough to make her consider returning, of course. No, it was just enough to distract her and complicate things with Luc, her very casual boyfriend of three months whom she'd met many years previous at Hogwarts during the Triwizard Tournament. They'd become reacquainted through their work at the French Ministry.

After seeing Draco at the café that day, Hermione had allowed herself a moment to mourn what might have been, the relationship she'd unknowingly turned her back on when she'd left England. She'd thought that brief indulgence would be the end of it, but days later, she'd found herself thinking about him. Specifically, her mind wandered to his hands. She remembered the way they'd held his teacup.

Granted, Hermione might have inquired after Draco's health in her brief correspondence with Luna over the previous two months, but surely that wouldn't be enough to encourage Luna to write what she'd written. Why Luna thought Hermione should be aware that witches were submitting inquiries about Draco and Blaise, she couldn't fathom.

Hermione was home alone on a Friday night. She just hadn't felt up to going out with her coworkers, and Luc had planned a night with his friends. It was all well and good, as Hermione had wanted to try and process how she was feeling. She gathered all of the Quibbler issues she'd been sent, made herself a cup of tea, and settled on her sofa to read and think.

Just as she opened the well-worn initial interview for the hundredth time at least, there was a tapping at her window. Hermione instantly recognized Luna's owl and hurried to admit the bird and retrieve the newest issue.

Hermione – it looks like they are close. The atmosphere here is really changing; it's quite charged, with strong opinions on all sides. I admire Blaise and Draco more than I can say. Wish you were here. You'd be smitten.

As always, Luna's choice of words made Hermione question the other witch's perception. How was she able to read between the lines of Hermione's brief notes? There was barely even anything there, mainly rampant curiosity and the (she thought) well-hidden desire for some tidbit of information, anything, about Draco.

The sixth issue of the Quibbler contained another interview with Draco and Blaise. It wasn't as long as the first, but again, Luna was the one who conducted it.

\\\

LL: Welcome back, Draco Malfoy and Blaise Zabini.

DM: Good to be back, Luna.

LL: The deadline for marrying is just over two weeks away. It's been two months since we last sat down with you. What's been happening since then? I know we've printed a few updates, but I want to hear it straight from you.

BZ: {Heavy sigh} To be honest, we're still working on those signatures.

LL: The one thousand signatures you want to gather before you go back to the Ministry.

BZ: Yes, indeed. All one thousand of them. Draco was able to secure a promise from the Minister that, if we achieved our aim, the Lesser Court would see us.

LL: You seem... I won't say defeated, but—

DM: Let's just say we've hit a rough patch.

LL: Can you elaborate?

DM: Sure. One thousand is a very intangible kind of number. It's so vague and round that it almost doesn't feel real. However, we quickly learned that it represents one thousand people. One thousand people! People with whom we have to initiate the conversation. Many people had either never thought about it or are strongly in favor of the Law. It requires a lot of time from us.

BZ: It comes in waves. After the first article, we had maybe, what, two hundred? Yeah, so that was very exciting. Then the signatures trickled in, then seemed to stop at about three hundred. After each update your magazine publishes, we'll get another fifty to seventy-five.

LL: Tell me how many you have now.

BZ: We're at about eight hundred or so.

DM: Eight hundred twenty-four, I think.

LL: Are you trying to get all the signatures before the October eleventh deadline?

BZ: The sooner we get the signatures, the sooner we get to go before the Ministry, so there's that.

DM: We simply want to have the goal met, so that we can hopefully further this project and see an end to the Law.

LL: Are you alone in this effort still? I'm also anxious to hear how your family in particular, Draco, has responded.

BZ: {chuckles} You can take this one, mate.

DM: I've been... surprised by their response. It hasn't been one of acceptance, exactly, but... I'll just say... Yeah. They haven't disowned me yet, or tried to get me to stop. That's something. I don't expect anything from them, but at the same time, they've left me alone.

BZ: {more chuckles} To your other question, Luna, there's... one other person who has been working with us. Anna, my, er, reluctant intended—for lack of a better word—is actually quite important to our work. She is very good at starting the conversation with people who are initially resistant. She brings her story—our story—into everything she does, and she's passionate about getting out of our match.

DM: Talk about an understatement.

BZ: Anna brings a different dimension to our work that two blokes couldn't achieve.

DM: She's been really great.

LL: Has there been any sort of reconciliation between you and her, Blaise?

BZ: Oh, absolutely not. She has toned down her abject hatred of me enough that we can work together.

LL: Last we spoke, she wanted nothing to do with you. How did she come to work with you?

BZ: Draco convinced her it would bolster our cause, giving more weight to what we're doing. That we're working together, despite our history, despite the animosity, shows just how serious we are. How important this is. People respond to that.

LL: So what comes next? There are those remaining signatures...

BZ: {groans} Trust me, we know.

DM: I dream in signatures. They're the first thing I think about when I wake up, and the last thing on my mind when I go to sleep. This work is...

BZ: All-consuming.

DM: But in a good way. I don't mean to sound like I'm complaining. There's nothing I'd rather be doing.

BZ: So that's what we'll be doing. We naturally hope for another jump in the numbers after this is published, but if the trends hold, it won't be the giant spike we saw the first time. However, we've got some leads we're pursuing.

LL: Good luck with all of that. Draco, as I mentioned, the deadline is rapidly approaching. Has anything been decided about your fate?

DM: I haven't heard anything, though I think it's too much to hope that they've, er, forgotten my situation.

BZ: {laughs} You mean because we're constantly bringing it up?

DM: Could be.

LL: And Blaise, you're still set to marry Anna, is that correct?

BZ: Yes, we've got a court-mandated appointment with a judge. You'd be surprised how many grudging couples there are, actually. Apparently, they had to bring in an extra judge for the day to handle all the nuptials.

LL: That sounds promising.

DM: It is. I believe our efforts have emboldened quite a few couples.

BZ: Not that anyone at the Ministry acknowledges us or what's going on.

LL: That would mean they'd have to say why you're fighting the Law, which would only give more attention to your efforts. It's just so absurdly ridiculous. I—I think we should end here. Thank you for stopping in today to give us a quick update. I don't want to keep you, as I know you've got a lot of work ahead of you. Before I close, I have to ask you, Draco. Have you heard from Miss Granger?

DM: Nothing has changed since we last spoke. She's made no effort to contact me or Blaise.

LL: So you don't even know if she knows what you're doing.

DM: No. How would I?

LL: Fair question. We'll end here, I don't want to take up too much of your time. Thank you again, Blaise and Draco, for talking with me. I wish you all the best in your endeavors.

\\\

There was another note admonishing readers to sign the petition, along with the blank page for magically recording the signature. Hermione strongly considered signing, but decided against it. She had to laugh a bit at Luna asking Draco if he'd heard from her. Luna's last statement was particularly amusing, since she, herself, had made sure Hermione knew what was going on.

She reread the new interview, then went through everything she'd received from Luna, starting at the beginning. The amount of work Draco detailed in that first interview was astonishing. Every time she reread it, Hermione's admiration for him grew. She wished desperately that she could tell him, let him know, somehow, that she did know what he was doing, that she appreciated it, that she hoped beyond hope that he was successful so she could come home, that he might still harbor some tiny sliver of hope—

But he'd abandoned hope. He'd said so from the very beginning. His tone in the articles suggested that he meant every word he said when he indicated that he wasn't hoping for anything between them in the future.

A knock on the door startled Hermione. For a wild, fleeting instant, she hoped it was Draco. Her heart thundered in her chest, then settled into a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach at the realization of who she wished was on the other side of the door. She needed to end things with Luc; it wasn't fair to him anymore.

Hermione padded to the door and looked through the peephole. She swallowed hard, closing her eyes in resignation. Speak of the devil.

ooo

October 11

Draco stood with his hands clasped behind his back. He stared straight ahead while the Judge went through the marriage script for Blaise and Anna. He'd agreed to be one of their witnesses; Luna was the other. It was a strange occasion, since no one wanted to be there. Blaise had worn a pair of shorts and a t-shirt, Anna her pajamas. Luna smiled serenely through the whole thing, but Draco knew her well enough to know that her mind was a million miles away.

After the vows were exchanged, the Judge suggested they kiss. Anna looked as though she'd rather drink poison. Blaise just sighed and kissed her hand, though he had to physically hold her to keep her from backing away. Draco was usually quite amused by the girl's repulsion, but today he only wanted it all to be over.

The Ministry had given him an extension on the requirement to marry. On January first, he was scheduled to appear before a Judge with a witch—where he might find one, no one could say—to be legally wed. When he'd received the letter, Draco immediately sympathized with Anna's plight. He couldn't imagine having to marry someone he didn't love, much less someone he didn't even know.

When the Judge pronounced the ceremony complete, Draco gave Blaise a brief nod and hurried away without a word. As the only single wizard in all the English Isle, he desired nothing more than to wallow at home with a deep, strong bottle.

ooo

October 12

Hermione had marked the date of the Marriage Law, not with a glass of wine in her flat, as she'd always planned, but by taking an evening stroll through medieval Lyon. It was always lively, but at night, in the cool, crips Autumn air, with lights strung from building to building, musicians sprinkled along the main thoroughfare, it was enchanting. And Hermione had needed to feel enchanted.

The next morning, she bought a copy of the Daily Prophet at work and wasn't surprised to see that articles about the Law were plastered all over the front page and continued throughout the paper. Hermione hadn't kept track of what was said about the Law; she rarely purchased the Prophet. Today, however, she hoped to read something about Draco, his work to fight the Law, anything that might fill the strange emptiness inside her.

Everyone in England affected by the Law was now married. Draco had been right, she'd be the only one left. It wasn't that she was sad that she wasn't marrying Draco, but she did feel something. She wondered what he was doing. Had he been forced to find someone? There was always the possibility that the Ministry had made a decision since the last Quibbler interview, and he was now locked into the Law. The idea that he could be married to someone else—that made her sad. And very, very confused.

Buried deep inside the newspaper was a list of the couples who'd been married the day before. Hermione carefully scanned it, looking for Draco's name. She found Blaise's name, beside Anna Webber. After going over the list three times, Hermione felt confident that Draco's name was not there.

In fact, his name wasn't anywhere in the entire issue. It infuriated her that in all of the coverage about the Law, the Prophet hadn't written a single word about the fight against the Law. There wasn't a hint of dissent anywhere, only glowing reviews—though Hermione noticed those reviews didn't come from any of the newly wedded couples. Disgusted, she tossed the paper into a bin.

ooo

November 1

Draco was in a terrible mood. It was a brand new month, and despite the fact that he and Blaise had collected nine hundred seventy-nine signatures, they were at a total loss for where to go next. They'd spent days brainstorming, but it would appear they'd reached the end of their contact lists, their friends' contact lists, their acquaintances, their distant relations, and any hope for personally getting a signature. They would simply have to wait, either for some stroke of inspiration leading to an untapped resource, or until they could convince someone they'd already approached. Unexpected signatures had dried up long ago.

Whoever signed had to be a resident of England. One noticeably absent signature was Hermione's, but then again, there was no reason to think she knew anything about what he and Blaise were doing. It was unlikely that a wizarding publication in Lyon would have much to say on the matter. Besides, she was wanted by the Ministry; he doubted they would accept her signature as legitimate. And it was only one. They needed twenty-one. Nevertheless, he wished to see her name.

As he'd done every night that week, Draco was in his favorite sitting room, going over notes and charts and tables to see if he had missed something or someone he could approach the following day. The reality was, those who were going to sign had done so long ago. Anyone who hadn't signed at this point would require a whole lot of work to convince.

Draco was tired. He'd been fighting this fight for months now, saying the same thing over and over, to anyone who would listen. Three and a half months wasn't terribly long, but in some ways it felt as if he'd been trying to gather signatures for years. He could barely remember what his life had been like before his every waking thought was focused on where to get the next signature.

He was pacing before the fire, wracking his brain yet again and coming up empty. Of course he was; there was simply no one left he could personally approach. But it wouldn't stop him from trying—it couldn't. If only—

A knock on the door interrupted his frantic thoughts. "Come in," he said, distractedly.

"So you are in here," said Narcissa as she opened the door. She smiled serenely at him. "I'd already knocked once."

Draco stopped pacing. "Mum! I'm sorry, I didn't hear you."

"It's no matter," she said, entering the room. Her smile gave way to a look of concern. "What's got you so upset?"

He sighed and dragged a hand through his hair. "I'm not upset, exactly, just extremely frustrated. We've got nine hundred seventy-nine signatures, and we've had that many for about a week. Blaise and I have no leads, no ideas for how to get any more."

"How recently have you checked your numbers?" she asked nonchalantly.

The question, however, gave him pause. "It's been a few hours, I think."

"I see." She paced his room as though she'd never been inside before, slowly examining everything on the walls. There were pictures of him and friends, old Quidditch trophies, academic medals, and artwork he'd collected over his short adult life. She stopped to wipe a finger across the top of a frame. "Perhaps you should look again."

Draco's mind registered that the entire conversation was bizarre in the extreme, but he went to his logbook, which updated whenever their petition received a new signature. The total now stood at nine hundred ninety-nine. They'd received twenty in the last two hours. He didn't even try to hide his surprise when he looked up at his mother. "How...? What...?" There were no words. "I don't understand."

Narcissa shrugged daintily. "I reached out to a few people whom I suspected of being holdouts on your list. We had some hard conversations, but, eventually, I was able to sway them. Not all of them, mind you, but most."

She said it so lightly, as though her efforts hadn't been the equivalent of turning lead to gold.

Draco had to sit down. "Mother, I... I don't know what to think, or to say—"

"It simply turned out that you were right, Darling," she interrupted dismissively. "After you received that notice from the Ministry about your... extension... and the requirement to produce a witch to marry, I understood. The thought of a stranger in this house, in our lives, in your bed..." She shivered, a disgusted expression on her face. "I'll never again let it be said of me that I stayed silent when taking action was the right thing to do."

He shook his head, trying to wrap his mind around what she'd done. It wasn't even so much that she'd spoken to—and persuaded—likely the staunchest supporters of pure-blood ideals, but that she'd listened to him, considered his arguments, and opened her mind enough for it to change. He was speechless.

"We love you, you know," Narcissa said, her voice a touch above a whisper. "Your father and I both."

Draco forced his gaze to meet his mother's, despite the inconvenient burning sensation in his eyes and the giant lump in his throat.

She smiled warmly. "We have great faith in you, Son. We may not have always shown it, but we desperately want to be sure you know it now and always."

Despite the swirl of confusion and elation, there was one thing that stood out very clearly in Draco's mind. He distinctly remembered seeing that they were still one short. One was worlds different than twenty-one. Surely he could find one person to sign. Wait until he told Blaise, between the two of them, with Anna's help—

Another knock sounded on Draco's door.

"Come in, dear," said Narcissa, not giving Draco time to respond. "Good, you're just in time, Lucius."

"In time for what?" Draco asked warily, his gaze now darting between his parents.

"I heard you needed just one more signature," said Lucius.

Draco nodded skeptically, not at all recovered from the force of what his mother had done for him.

Lucius sat comfortably on the corner of Draco's bed. "Do you have any idea whom you might ask?" he asked conversationally.

Draco shook his head sharply in an attempt to clear the sludge in his head a bit. He shoved everything else away and forced his mind to focus on the bizarre question asked by his father. "I don't, but I'll talk to Blaise and—"

"Don't you?" Narcissa interrupted, an eyebrow raised.

He frowned and automatically started going over the lists in his mind. Had he missed something so obvious that his mother knew about it?

Then Narcissa did something Draco had only seen her do in a handful of occasions.

She smirked.