Title: Work With Me Baby, Work With Me!
Rating: R
Pairing: DM/HG
Summary: Draco and Hermione must race against time in order to prove a prophecy wrong. If they can't, it will cost them their freedom. But will they really mind?
Disclaimer: JK Rowling owns Draco, Hermione, and oh yeah, Harry and the rest.
2: The Problem with Prophecies
For once, Draco Malfoy found himself at loss for words. His mind was racing. Surely they couldn't be serious? Oh, but this was absurd.
"Professor Snape, a word, if you please," he said, gritting his teeth.
Snape looked amused. "But of course, Mr. Malfoy. Excuse us." Draco surged to his feet.
"No."
Draco paused, his hand on the doorknob, and turned around. Hermione was shaking, her hands clenched in fists at her sides. "If you have to say something… if any of you have to say something…" she lifted her chin "… you say it here. To me… and… and to Malfoy."
"Fine," Draco bit out. "This is absurd. You drag us all into the Minister of Magic's office and expect us… to… to marry each other?"
Thus far Dumbledore had remained quiet. He spoke now. "Yes."
Hermione fumed. "Arranged marriages went out of fashion in the 18th century! This is ridiculous, this is…"
Dumbledore held up his hand. "We're not forcing you."
"I thought we were?" Remus said. "Wasn't this the whole point?"
Dumbledore flashed him a Look. Remus quieted down.
"The reason you're here is to make you aware that the prophecy exists. So far we've been trying to find out who the Dragon and his mate could be, and…" they shrugged.
"I know who it is! It's Ginny!" Hermione said excitedly.
Snape snickered. "Ginny's married. I don't relish telling Potter that he has to marry his wife off to his childhood arch-nemesis, but go ahead if you really have that big of a death wish."
Hermione pouted.
Draco laughed. "This really is getting ridiculous. No one has to marry anybody. It's just a prophecy. Prophecies are open to interpretation. It all depends on who's reading them. That's why they're so bloody vague. That's the problem with prophecies. You can't really be sure what the bloody hell they're talking about. Stop sneering at me, Professor Snape."
Snape was lurking right behind Draco's right shoulder.
"And stop lurking!"
Snape pouted. "Well I happen to know you've been in love with Hermione Granger since you were thirteen years old. So it's not like it would be that bad, on your part."
A slow flush crept up Draco's neck. "That is beside the point." He risked a glance. Hermione was looking at him with her mouth open.
"What is this, Astonishing Revelations Day?" Remus marveled. "Oh, close your mouth, Hermione. We wouldn't want anything flying in. There's my girl." He gently pushed her jaw up.
"I… I can't…" Hermione grabbed her pouch and flew out of the room.
Draco's hands clenched into fists at his sides. He exhaled loudly. "Now that my lovely bride to be has exited the room, will you please tell me exactly what it is you want?"
Dumbledore's eyes were twinkling even more. Draco longed to bash his head in. "It's simple, Mr. Malfoy. You and Miss Granger were two of the best students Hogwarts has ever seen. If it is indeed not you and not she who are referred to in this prophecy, we need to know who is. And time is running out. If anyone has a desperate need to know what indeed is meant by it, it is you two. You who are the obvious persons being referred to by the prophecy."
Remus smiled broadly. "In short, we want you to do research or we're going to force you to marry anyway. Oh, and it's not like you can't get divorced in case you don't get results on time," he assured him.
Draco raised one eyebrow at him. "Thanks a lot."
* * *
Hermione leaned against the wall next to the Minister's office. She was breathing funny. People kept giving her weird looks and keeping a wide berth as they passed. A particularly brave wizard passed close to her. She snarled at him and he moved hastily away.
Her hands were shaking.
She had always been prepared to fight for the cause. Die for it, even. Never in her wildest dreams did she ever think she would have to marry for it. It would almost be funny if it weren't so dire. What a cliché it was! She fingered the end of her ponytail and scowled. Damn Sybil Trelawney! Damn Voldemort! Damn everybody!
"Is this a private conversation, or can anyone join in?"
She gave Draco a grumpy look. "It's not funny."
He leaned on the wall next to her. "The good news is we have eight weeks to figure out who the prophecy is actually referring to."
She sighed. "You know it's us, Malfoy. Who else could it be?"
"How many times have I told you, Granger, that Gryffindor isn't the center of the world? It's a bloody prophecy, it didn't name names." He shrugged elegantly. "There must be other people named Draco scattered around Britain who are destined to marry the sweetheart of his childhood arch-enemy."
In spite of herself, she laughed.
"And anyway," he continued, taking her arm and steering her down the hall, "Remus Lupin assures me that we could just get divorced right away in case we didn't meet our deadline."
She shot him a look. "Not funny," she said again.
"Well I'm not exactly jumping for joy here, darling," Draco shot back, exasperated.
"Don't call me that!"
He sighed. "We'll never find a way out of this if you don't cooperate, precious. Now will you listen to what I have to say? Dumbledore had quite a lot of things to add after you made your dramatic exit."
She was still staring mutinously at him.
"I'm beginning to see why you Gryffindors were in trouble all the time," he said conversationally, steering her down the hall. "All that impetuous energy, tsk tsk, acting on the spur of the moment, never stopping to think and plan…" he shrugged. "Slytherins were always up to no good, but I'll tell you this, we did it in style."
Hermione looked at him in shock. To his surprise, a small smile crept across her face. "Merlin," she said, shaking her head.
"What?" Draco was puzzled.
She was laughing softly now, her hand over her mouth. "Oh, Malfoy," she gasped. "That was spot on! You can't imagine how many times I told-" her eyes widened in shock.
"Oh, my my," Draco drawled. "Why do I have a feeling I'm in for another Astounding Revelation?"
Hermione wailed, "Harry! Ron!"
Draco rolled his eyes. "I knew you couldn't go through another 5 minutes without mentioning those two," he started.
"Shut up, Malfoy," said a voice, positively dripping with derision, and unmistakably Ron Weasley's. "Is he bothering you, Hermione?"
Draco tensed at the feel of what was also unmistakably a wand- pointed right at the small of his back. He locked eyes with Hermione. "Sweetheart," he drawled very calmly, smiling a little as he heard Ron's snarl, "call off your hounds will you? I mean, you wouldn't want their impetuous Gryffindor hides strung up for the likes of me, would you? Especially as it turns out I'm so… special."
"Ron," Hermione said in a strangled voice, "put your bloody wand down!"