Draco Malfoy stood still with his hands in his pockets. His face was drawn and unreadable, his eyes a steel gray. They bore into a place just over the head of Wimberly Wilmont and onto the blank stone wall, his mind reeling.

He stared without blinking despite the fact the crowd around him had suddenly broken out much louder than any of their previous interruptions. It was as if he hadn't heard her, standing there unmoving. But she had said his name. She had said it loud and clear.

Theo nudged him with his elbow and Draco was shaken from his stupor. But he still couldn't move, not yet. A witch and wizard in golden robes nearby eyed Draco viciously, looking antsy with his inaction. He glanced at the floor as the overwhelming worry flooded his senses.

Hermione Granger. The Hermione Granger, of the Golden Trio. He gulped. Hermione Granger was just chosen as my wife… Theo nudged him again. He blinked, coming to his senses.

Slowly he began to walk forward, keeping his face as unreadable as possible. Despite that he knew he had worked hard to repair his life after the war, there were still plenty here who were doubtful. He couldn't let them think he was about to start an uproar. And he couldn't let them decide ahead of time that he was still a prejudiced prat. Which, he really believed he wasn't anymore.

Granger had caught a glimpse of his changed personality, however brief, in the past few weeks when they'd met at the Ministry and in town. Would that be enough for this marriage to work? Would that be enough for her to trust him? The thoughts wouldn't stop as he kept walking. How would that ever be enough?

When he looked up to the Goblet, he saw that Granger had managed to make her way up front already. The purple of the flames made her skin look gray and she wasn't smiling. She had her arms crossed and Draco wondered if she was nervous. If she was, she wasn't showing it. Her back was straight, she stood tall and proud.

People whispered exchanging nasty glances as he walked passed. Pansy smirked bitterly and Crabbe tried to hide a laugh. The Patil twins avoided his gaze as he walked by them while several Ravenclaws a year younger stared, mesmerized.

As he continued through the crowd, the words death eater and dangerous and worried and muggleborn made their way through the whispers.

They've always hated each other, but they're somehow compatible?

He kept his chin up against it all. It really wasn't a bad match, the more he thought about it, but the overwhelming shakiness of the past lingered with everyone's words.

Think she's scared of him? I would be…

Once a death eater, always a death eater.

Maybe Granger's always been a masochist…

He kept walking. While he was used to the backlash and rude remarks, Hermione Granger surely wasn't. Their pairing would be tough on her and he actually felt kind of bad about it. He had to keep stoic and poised, for her sake at least. Draco took a deep breath and put on his best smile. What a day to be brave.

He stepped into the vacant spot on Hermione's right side and nearly startled her. She had been staring at Ginny, who looked utterly concerned. When Hermione turned to look at him, his smile threw her. She eyed him critically before realizing he was directing her attention to the cameras. She looked away annoyed but forced her own mouth to curve up. The cameras clicked away.

If Draco hadn't known their past, known of the insults and the blood statuses, the general history of utter dislike and the war for Merlin's sake, he would have guessed she was just being indifferent or particularly shy. But he knew better. Of course he knew better. And he knew she knew too.

Draco glanced to where Ron and Daphne had joined Harry and Ginny at the tables. Daphne was in much the same boat as himself, although her reputation hadn't been smeared quite so brutally in the war. She sat with her shoulders slumped not talking to anyone.

Harry and Ron had their heads together, Ron practically out of his seat trying to spot Draco. Ginny looked wide-eyed, still staring at Hermione, a hand over her mouth.

The sound of Wimberly's voice shouting, "Exciting, exciting!" brought him back. She was smiling that giant grin next to them and it flashed in an ugly way against the purple flames. Several cameras went off again, snapping photo after photo of the newest, most interesting pairing yet.

Draco leaned to whisper to her, but Hermione eyed him fiercely, a look he hadn't been expecting. He took her hint and closed his mouth abruptly. Instead he offered his arm, the respectful thing to do in the situation and all he could think of.

When she stared confused, he leaned towards her whispering, "I'm only being cordial Granger, take my arm before those guards over there make you."

…

Hermione's mouth dropped open slightly. He had noticed the gold cloaked witches and wizards around the room too? She blinked at him before mechanically placing her arm in his. She felt Malfoy walk her away from the Goblet and suddenly Kingsley was in front of them, thrusting a large hand into hers with too much enthusiasm.

"Wonderful! Congratulations, you might be the perfect lady to tame the beast after all!" he said with a laugh as he shook Hermione's hand with vigor.

She hardly had time to comprehend, everything was moving so quickly. Kingsley snatched up Draco's arm too. "Ah, mighty well placed my man. You watch it now, she is not one to reckon with," he said rather accusatively.

"Right you are, Minister," Draco replied sincerely, ignoring the insult. "While I already know well of Miss Granger's brilliance, I'll be sure to remember."

Hermione would have been interested in Malfoy's compliment, but when she finally found her voice it was the fakeness of Kingsley's show making her sick that bothered her more.

"Minister, I must insist, we need to talk, this is-" she started, but they were suddenly pushed away. Two golden robed wizards had moved the pair back from the Minister quite quickly, directing them to the table instead. The two guards followed close behind them, making sure they didn't think to turn around.

"So sorry, can't talk! Congrats again," Kingsley said, not bothering to look back at them. His attention instead turned back to Wimberly and the Goblet, now firing off another round of names.

"Mr. George Weasley and Miss Angelina Johnson," were next and Hermione at least felt some relief in that pairing. But her anger was still billowing, if not even more so than before. How could Kingsley just brush her off like that!

Draco led them to the table of rings and she let go of his arm and crossed her own instead. She couldn't believe the audacity of those fake aurors and she couldn't believe for one more second that he was the real Kingsley Shacklebolt.

Draco noticed the change in her immediately. "You've got to get better at hiding your emotions Granger," he whispered under his breath, his mouth still smiling, "this isn't the first time a Minister has been faking it, but it certainly isn't the place to bring it up."

At that Hermione perked up. Did Malfoy know something more than she did? He wasn't behind this, was he? No, she conceded, that was ridiculous. So ridiculous she felt bad for thinking it. But she was desperate to find out, so maybe this pairing wasn't for nothing.

She turned back to Malfoy, who was pretending to look over the box of rings interestedly. She huffed but he gave a nod behind her, still looking. Two guards were still watching them. She sighed, turning to the table and trying to relax.

McGonagall would tell her not to act up now. McGonagall would tell her to keep her head. And McGonagall would want to hear about all this, no doubt. It was a wonder she wasn't invited. She would have to get in touch with the witch as soon as possible.

Turning her attention to the box of rings, she saw the spots on the velvet where Ron, Daphne, Harry, and Ginny had already taken theirs. Looking at the exposed velvet, the gleaming silver of rows and rows of wedding bands appeared eerie.

She thought about what Ernie told them about the rings. Would anything happen when the rings actually got on their fingers? Or was it just some hidden magic, used by the Ministry to track the marriage? And how would it even do that anyway? It was unnerving that they kept that part a secret.

She didn't know if Malfoy knew about the rings or not. She watched him snag two from the center, despite the fact the others had taken from the first row. She rolled her eyes at him.

"Definitely nothing like any of the Malfoy jewelry I could give you, but it'll have to do for now," he said as he looked at them closely. A small smirk came to his lips as Hermione frowned, unsure if he were kidding.

"Cheer up Mrs. Malfoy," he said as he took her shaking hand, "I promise you'll get used to my kindness."

His touch steadied her, much to her annoyance. He slid the ring down her finger easily and it magically resized itself as it went. She pulled her hand back and stared at it.

…

Draco watched as she looked at the ring on her finger. She was still trying to hide her nerves, whether from him or from the whole crowd, and he didn't blame her. Being paired with an ex-death eater was not high on most people's wish lists tonight. Definitely not on hers.

But Draco found himself in a different state of mind. He was unusually calm. Of all the matches he thought of, he did not expect this. Not to say he didn't consider it. He would be lying if he said he hadn't thought of being paired with Granger once or twice over the last few weeks. It was the perfect little tease for the Wizengamot to pull, but he didn't think they had it in them to do that to their Golden Girl.

But as he watched her calculated movements inspecting the ring now dwelling on her finger, he realized they could possibly make this work. As long as they worked hard at it. As long as her stubbornness didn't get in the way. Or his pride.

There was potential here in this pairing, or at least, he thought there was. And potential was a valuable trait to Malfoys. He watched her still, wondering what was going through her mind.

…

Hearing Draco Malfoy address her with his last name sent shivers down Hermione's spine. She was going to have to get used to that for sure, because Merlin knew she still didn't believe it. When she looked at him, she saw him watching her. He was calm and collected, like this whole Ceremony and their pairing was no big deal at all. She was both surprised and irritated.

He had mentioned in the elevator, what felt like ages ago, that time had made fools of them all. He said that he had taken the time to change. Should she believe him or was there still some of the old Malfoy, lingering deep down?

The other ring was still in his hand when she looked at him again, but his face was not scowling like the old Malfoy would have or shooting insults at her. No, he was smirking and it was a strange sight.

What did he think of this pairing anyway and was there actually a chance this could work? Was he really going to go through with this, no fussing? Was she going to be able to go through with this? The thoughts flooded her mind and she really wished she had answers.

"Hello? This is where you place the ring on my finger in return," Draco said, much to her annoyance. She rolled her eyes at his remark instead which only made him smirk all the more.

"Gimme that," she said, grabbing for the silver ring he held. When he put his hand out she held it and began to slide the ring down his finger. When the ring reached its new home, a jolt of magic rushed through her veins.

She instantly let go as Draco pulled his own hand away, his eyes wide. The feeling must have gone through him as well, she thought, as she watched him staring at his hands.

It was unlike anything she'd ever felt. It was like her blood was on fire, surging with a new kind of magic; a quick, energetic magic that flitted its way down to her toes and bounced to her shoulder blades as it continued to course through her.

The two stared at each other for several minutes before either of them could speak. The other pairs didn't seem to react this way, but had she really watched them?

"What… what was that?" Hermione asked, cautiously.

"I-I don't know," was all Draco could think. "Are these…" he stared at the ring on his finger, struggling to find the words.

"Enchanted? Yes, but I'm not entirely sure how and..." Hermione examined her own hand, mesmerized. It was like the metal gave off a slight glow and she could still feel the extra magic lingering inside her as it faded.

Hermione didn't have time to dwell on the rings however, as she noticed George and Angelina coming their way. "Come on," she said, taking his arm without hesitation this time. Malfoy blinked, still looking at his hands. She led them over to the table Ron, Harry, Ginny, and Daphne were seated at.

When they arrived, Ginny was already up and out of her seat. "Oh Hermione!" she said, embracing the woman in front of her so tightly Hermione practically couldn't breathe.

Hermione dropped Malfoy's arm quickly and he almost stumbled backward. When he turned to the group, he had regained his composure.

"Malfoy," Harry said with a nod. Ron's eyes squinted in his direction.

"Potter, Weasley," Malfoy said calmly. "I would say congratulations are in order, but the word seems strange when considering the pretenses."

"Easy Malfoy," Ron said under his breath, as he watched Malfoy pull out the chair next to Ginny's for his new wife. Daphne smiled at Draco, pretending not to hear her new husband or catch his wandering eyes. She waved genuinely.

Hermione felt a bit of magic flare in her hands just then. She looked at them confused for a second and glanced at Draco. He was still standing, his hands gripping the back of her chair a little too firmly, but he wore a bored expression as he looked at Ron. She decided to ignore it.

"Come on Ron, he's just being… nice," Ginny said, surprising herself with her own words.

"When has Malfoy ever been nice, Gin?" Ron asked skeptically, looking around the table. Daphne stifled a laugh and Ron smiled in spite of himself.

Hermione rolled her eyes. "It's been years Ron, relax. He hasn't called me a mudblood and I haven't slapped him."

"Yet," Ginny said under her breath but they all heard it. It was Harry's turn to stifle a laugh.

"I think we're safe," Hermione stated firmly, rubbing her temples. The magic in her hands had disappeared.

Ron looked around embarrassed as he took his seat. Malfoy smirked at her again, but when she really did look like she was going to hit him he stopped.

"She has a point, although I can't say 'nice' has ever been a word applied to me and I'm trying to keep it that way," Draco replied, glaring at Ginny. She gave him a fake smile.

"Okay, let's all just sit down, this night's stressful enough already," it was Harry, always trying to keep the peace.

Malfoy shrugged and pulled the chair out beside Hermione. "Anyway, excellent game against France last week, Weasley. You really have improved those left side blocks, finally. Merlin knows you need them against the French, those chasers are relentless."

Ron's irritation began to fade as he processed the compliment. "Er, thanks. I have- thanks." He couldn't seem to come up with anything more to say. Daphne just smiled.

Hermione shook her head at it all. "Harry, did you notice Kingsley?" she turned and leaned in with a hushed tone.

"Did I notice he's gone completely and totally mental? Yes," Harry offered.

"Oh he's totally bonkers," said Ginny, taking a second to look around the room again. The gold robed guards were still hanging about.

Ron glanced at Malfoy once more before turning to Harry and Ginny. "No doubt about that, man's never been this hyped for anything in his life."

"Well, that's because that's not Kingsley. It can't be. Looks a bit like polyjuice if you ask me," Hermione said.

Harry recalled their bouts with the potion previously and his eyes grew wide, "I mean, it makes sense."

Ginny nodded. Daphne looked very interested in the situation and kept glancing over at the Minister, unsure. Draco sat by, listening intently. Leave it to his new wife to already be coming up with plausible answers to all the night's curiosities.

Ron's eyebrows were knitted together. "Yeah, but who would it be then, what's the point in pretending to be the Minister now?" he quickly glanced at Malfoy, as if they shouldn't be talking about such things in his presence.

"Well that's just it, isn't it?" Hermione carried on quickly, not bothering to care who at the table heard her, "My guess is the real Kingsley was getting too close to finding out something or to stopping this whole thing. I don't believe the Wizengamot is truly all to blame. And whoever is really behind it all is not happy."

Harry brought his hand to his chin and rubbed at his stubble. Daphne was fingering her empty glass nervously. Malfoy leaned back on his chair, his features twisted in contemplation. It was Ginny who eyed her doubtfully.

"Hermione, are you sure? I mean, I know he's acting weird but it's just Kingsley. Maybe we're overthinking this…"

"I know. Considering things separately it's not much to go off of, but all together," Hermione explained, "the muggleborn disappearances, the werewolves. This archaic Marriage Law that has full Wizengamot support? And there's the fake aurors and someone impersonating the very reluctant Minister… it's starting to add up. We've got to tell McGonagall as soon as we-" Hermione was saying but her quiet voice was cut off as another pairing was made.

"Mr. Theodore Nott and…" Wimberly seemed to hesitate again. Malfoy perked up, searching the crowd for any sign of Theo. He was still over near Pansy and Crabbe, looking smug.

Typical, Draco thought with a laugh that made Hermione turn. She eyed him curiously but instead of saying anything he merely gestured for her to keep listening.

Wimberly blinked several times at the piece of parchment. People were looking around suspiciously. Whispers began to rumble over the crowd again as people glanced at Theo and considered his possible partner.

Harry and Ron exchanged curious looks. "What's going on?" Ron asked.

Wimberly looked back at the members sitting behind her with a raised eyebrow. Kingsley looked suddenly panicked. The Ministry officials just gestured to her to continue, not really comprehending her hesitation. "And… Mr. Cormac Mclaggen."