DISCLAIMER: I own nada…!
Chapter 2
September 1st
Greetings!
At this point I am sure you have entered your dormitories and may or may not be surprised to find who your new roommates are. Yes, as you may have presumed, your new roommate will also be your new spouse. As of midnight tonight, you are officially engaged and will remain so until your ceremony the following week. I do hope that you find yourself and your partner well. I encourage you to read carefully the full decree, understand that the ministries intentions are anything but malicious. With the current state of the wizarding world, we simply have no choice. We have paired you with the wizard or witch that we found would suit our reproduction issue the best, and have also found you to be the most compatible with. Examinations will begin tomorrow, best of wishes and a great school year to you all.
-Kingsley (Minister of Magic)
Hermione cringed as she turned the letter over to find another, longer piece of parchment. Her vision was beginning to blur with tears of frustration, she looked up at everyone else at the table. Ginny was staring wide eyed at the first letter, her hands
were shaking. Blaise had an odd look on his face, like he was beginning to realize this wasn't a joke. Malfoy glared at the letter rolling his eyes as he reached the bottom he stopped to scowl at her in disgust.
Hermione didn't meet his gaze, she looked back down at the second letter and began read.
"THIS LETTER IS ADDRESSED TO HERMIONE GRANGER,
YOU ARE HEREBY ENGAGED, AND WLL MARRY DRACO MALFOY ON SEPTEMBER 7TH.
IF FOR ANY REASON OTHER THAN DEATH OR FATAL ILLNESS YOU FIND YOURSELF UNABLE TO ATTEND YOUR OWN CEREMONY AND THEREBY WITHDRAW FROM THIS UNION, YOU WILL BE ASSIGNED TO A CELL IN AZKABAN PRISON, WHERE YOU WILL AWAIT TRIAL AND DEATH.
THE CURRENT STATE OF PRODUCTION IN OUR COMMUNITY HAS MADE IT NECESSARY FOR EVERY UNMARRIED WITCH AND WIZARD AT HOGWARTS SCHOOL OF WITCHCRAFT AND WIZARDRY, ABOVE THE AGE OF SEVENTEEN, TO PARTICIPATE IN ARRANGED MARRIAGE CONTRACTS TO ENSURE THE SURVIVAL
AND CONTINUED GROWTH OF OUR POPULATION. WE HAVE EXHAUSTED ALL OTHER RESOURCES AND CAN ONLY HOPE THAT THIS MARRIAGE ACT WILL PRODUCE POSITIVE RESULTS AS IT HAS IN THE PAST.
BY SIGNING THIS CONTRACT YOU AGREE TO THE FOLLOWING:
You will marry and live with, as well as share a bed with your husband (Mr. Draco Malfoy). You are expected to live with your husband, wear your engagement and wedding rings at all times. You will be granted six days in between your engagement and your wedding ceremony. In those six days you are free to sleep in the twin beds that have been provided for your comfort at Hogwart's School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, where you currently reside.
You are required to produce 2 children in the duration of your marriage. Divorce will be provided to those who apply and qualify after reproducing.
While living at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry you are expected to follow all rules and meet curfew. During the six days till your wedding ceremony you are required to meet curfew at 9:00pm, where you are required to be in the same room as your partner. There are no exceptions to this rule. Once you are married your curfew will be extended to midnight.
When the school year ends you are required to live with and raise your children in the same residence as your spouse, where you will also be required to share a bed and living quarters.
You will acknowledge that if the ministry does become suspicious of your actions or believes you are breaking this Marriage Act, we will undergo investigations, if you are found in violation of breaking the Marriage Act, you will be tried and upon guilt be put to death.
WE HOPE YOU FIND YOURSELF AND YOUR NEW SPOUSE IN GOOD SPIRITS. CONGRATULATIONS!
Sign below.
Hermione choked when she read "congratulations". She could not believe what she had read. She was for the first time in her life completely speechless. Not only had the ministry managed to ruin any spark of life she had left, they were doing so smugly
and ignorantly. It was blatantly obvious that the ministry had no one's best interest in mind. They wanted more witches and wizards, and that meant destroying the happiness of the ones that were left.
She looked up to Malfoy staring at her in bewilderment, clearly speechless as well. She'd wanted an explanation so bad she'd skimmed right through the top of the page where it revealed just who her spouse was going to be. Draco Malfoy. She was
going to be a Malfoy.
She felt sick to her stomach.
…..
Draco swayed as he pulled a shirt from his trunk. He felt light headed and weak. All of this news was hitting him like daggers. Two weeks ago he'd said goodbye to his father, who was convicted and sent to Azkaban indefinitely, but most likely for the
rest of his life. He'd been forced to leave his mother after signing a plea deal that stuck him back at Hogwarts for his 8th year. He was sure this was all punishment, a cruel, endless punishment the ministry was shackling his family with.
He couldn't wrap his mind around being engaged to Granger.
"You of all people." He muttered quietly, but loud enough for the bushy haired girl on the other side of the room to stir.
"Do you think I want to be here with you, Malfoy?!" She was standing over her trunk as well, slowly lifting things and setting them down, she stopped to look at him. Hatred and disgust drawn all over her face, she was obviously unnerved, and he could
tell she was one insult away from hexing him straight to thehospital wing. Gripping his wand in his pocket, he thought better of it and shook his head.
"Just don't speak to me, alright?" His voice shook as he rolled his eyes and stomped into the bath. Meaningfor his words to sound menacing, at least threatening, but he knew what left his mouth was fear. He couldn't hide that his own nerves were
going crazy.
This was real. He was really expected to marry and have a child, children, with someone he hated.
….
Ginny knew she was tough. She was tough, she was brave and she was resilient. This however was not a brave, tough or resilient moment for her. She sat, her legs pulled up into a ball at the top of her bed, sobbing softly, staring at the wall in front
of her.
There was nothing she could do in this situation, but all she could think about was how much she wanted to be home with her family, enjoying her single life and the freedom that came with it. How had twelve hours changed all of that and turned her into
a bride. She was heartbroken and confused as to why she'd yet to receive an owl from her parents, they must know by now.
Her sobbing grew louder and uncontrollable. All she could think about was being in her mother's arms at the Burrow.
"You know I—I don't know if we've ever properly spoken."
Ginny, lifted her head from her knees, trying to catch her breath. Blaise had crossed to her side of the room, his arm was now awkwardly out stretched to her. She stared at it a few moments before realizing he was trying to introduce himself.
"Blaise…Blaise Zabini." He shook her wet hand, and withdrew quickly, stepping back towards his bed. Shaking his head he took the handkerchief from his side pocket and gave it to her. "This is all ridiculous.." He stood in silence watching her slowly wipe
her eyes, then blow her nose loudly.
"Thank you." Ginny was in no mood to speak to or look at Blaise but the fact that he was interested in being cordial calmed her. "I have seen you with...uh, Malfoy before." She blew her nose again and straightened, she turned to him sheepishly offering
the handkerchief back.
"No, please…and uh, Slugclub…I remember." Blaise sat at the foot of his bed and held his head in his hands. A few seconds went by before he looked at Ginny again. She hadn't responded to his mention of meeting before, it hadn't been a pleasant interaction
they'd had. He decidedly changed the subject. "I can't imagine what my parents must be thinking."
That was the alarm for the flood gates in Ginny's eyes to start. She sank down into her bed, sobbing, loudly now. Blaise looked away awkwardly and began to gather his toiletries. He went into the bath and walked out with napkins, he sat them next to Ginny's
bed and walked back into the bath.
The only comfort Ginny had was knowing that she wasn't engaged to Draco Malfoy.
…..
Hermione woke with a start, she'd fallen asleep on the foot of her bed, fully clothed. She squinted, hoping everything that happened last night was dream. Turning to her left she found out immediately it was not. Draco Malfoy was engulfed in green and
black blankets, sound asleep.
He hadn't said much to her the night before, not that she wasn't grateful. She had expected a duel from him the moment they'd shut their room door, no way was he, a pure blood wizard going to put up with living with her. Instead they exchanged threatening
glares till they'd both fallen asleep.
Hermione slammed her body back down on her bed. There was no way she was going to any class at Hogwarts before this was all sorted out. She needed more answers, she needed—
She stopped short feeling an uncomfortable stabbing at her neck. She had been lying with her hand behind her head now realizing there was a ring on her finger. "What the—
Malfoy mumbled something in his sleep shaking Hermione out of her thoughts. She rolled her eyes at the figure sleeping a bed away from her. Of all the people in the world. It was preposterous.
The ring was glistening, it was a simple gold band, she frowned down at the ring. This was the symbol of her new bond to Malfoy.
Groaning, Hermione got up and gathered her clothes. She was going to eat and get as far away from her future husband as possible.
….
Ginny and Blaise sat on opposite ends of the dining room table, eating silently looking everywhere but each other. Blaise looked up slowly as Hermione approached the table, saying nothing he nodded and looked back down at his plate.
Ginny watched Hermione stare at the table of food in disappointment, she obviously hadn't gotten the letter that the Great Hall would be closed for the rest of the week. The next six days were dedicated to couples getting to know each other and preparing
for their ceremonies. Unfortunately this translated to everyone sitting miserably in dorms with people they'd rather not see.
"There's bacon." Ginny whispered.
Hermione stared at Ginny, then Blaise, then Ginny again. It was obvious neither of them was going to start a conversation any time soon. It was awkward enough having Blaise here at all, she wanted to speak to Ginny privately and had no space to do it.
She sat down and began to fill her plate with bacon and fruit. She hadn't slept well or eaten the night before, finally a release she could take part in silently.
Biting into the bacon she felt slightly relieved, a little less stressed, hearing her room door slam shut she felt— as if the universe knew exactly how to remove even the smallest pleasures.
Hermione dropped her bacon and glared at Malfoy as he slammed the door to their bedroom and approached the table. His smug, self-righteous look had returned, a complete opposite of the fear she saw in his eyes the night before. He sat and turned to Blaise,
smirking.
"Did you sleep well mate?"
Blaise looked up from his plate to his friend, who had started to hum as he reached for the pumpkin juice. "I…. A nice bed it is." Blaise gave Malfoy a confused look, stealing a glance at Ginny who didn't look up from her food, his eyes fell back on his
plate.
"I take it you didn't whine the entire night eh, Weasel?" Malfoy chuckled as his eyes met Ginny, whose face turned bright pink. She glared at him and shot a quick glance to Blaise, she sighed and went back to stirring the food on her plate.
He smacked loudly on a piece of bacon and sloshed down his pumpkin juice. Obviously trying to make everyone else at the table uncomfortable and sick. Hermione rolled her eyes and met his.
"Well Granger… I guess we should be on our way to St. Mungos, our appointment is—
"I know when our appointment is!" Hermione huffed as she pushed her plate to the side. The last thing Hermione wanted to do was go anywhere with Draco Malfoy, the very bottom of that list was a physical examination to determine that they were both equip
to reproduce.
"I thought I'd remind you…." Taking a sip of his juice he gave her a sly smile. "This examination will serve you more than I…. I mean there's bound to some deficiencies in your blood." The words fell out of his mouth like daggers sending Hermione
over the edge. She threw her cup of pumpkin juice in his face and insults began to fly back and forth between them.
Ginny and Blaise retreated as food began to fly everywhere. Ginny pulled out her wand instinctively but hesitated. She couldn't imagine Hermione or Malfoy behaving any other way, she was surprised they were throwing food and not hexes at one another.
Blaise groaned as an egg hit him on the shoulder. He looked over to Ginny who signaled with her head towards their bedroom. This was not going to be an easy week to get through.
A/N: I'm not sure what I wanted the Marriage Act to say, in the end it's all supposed to be ridiculous! Haha, I loved the idea of a food fight, in a situation so unbelievable and difficult for two characters who hate each other so much, they're both still in a great deal of shock and at the end of the day they don't really want to kill each other, they just can't stand one another's presence. So I felt this chapter of awkward was necessary, next chapter physical examinations and meeting the parents! I'm excited, thank you for the follows/favorites, I have a lot of ideas, hoping you will all continue to support and like the story.
Edited 1/4/2016
