Okay, before I let you rush onto the story, I just want to say three things:

One- I made a mistake in the first chapter, and when I had Hermione's dad say, "Until you turn seventeen in September, you are under our supervision and rules," I meant eighteen instead of seventeen. (Hermione is already seventeen.)

Two- I changed the title of this story from "Arrangements" to "Permission to Flee" because I decided the original title was boring. It was too general and I only used it in the first place because I couldn't think of a better one. (Forgive me? Please?)

Three- A huge, big, capitalized THANKYOU to the people who reviewed! You were all really supportive, and knowing that someone actually likes the story's beginning made me sure that I wanted to continue it. While I'm on that subject, I will most likely be updating once a week on either Fridays or Saturdays.

Chapter Two

As the time until the wedding grew steadily shorter, Hermione had less and less time to hole herself up in the Library and look for evidence that this was not allowed to happen. During the day she was constantly being fitted for different wedding dresses, sitting by her mother and pretending to be interested in the arrangements, or hearing tales from Alex about Draco Malfoy's accomplishments.

When the wedding was two weeks away, Hermione's brain had started to nag her. She couldn't give up, but all the books she had read contained nothing against arranged marriages. It seemed as if marriages arranged through parents had been tradition for thousands of years in wizarding society. With each passing moment she spent searching through dusty volumes, her desperation reached new levels. What if she couldn't find something in time? Would she be forced to stay with a man she didn't know for the rest of her life?

In her investigation for legal support towards her predicament, she had found out exactly what traditional wedding vows were between a witch and a wizard. After reading about it, she had become more panicked than ever. It turned out that there was practically no divorce after being married to a wizard- the vows were magical and could not be broken.

Fortunately, (or unfortunately- it depends on how you see things) there was a modern version of wedding vows, created in 1924 because the old vows put many more restrictions on women than men. The old vows, which had been used since before the sixth century, among other things, made brides swear to obey their husbands under all circumstances. The grooms were much less limited, and as long as they respected their wives, they were very unlikely to break the vows. The new vows, however, merely required both the bride and groom to love and respect each other.

Both versions looked dismal to Hermione; if the wedding used the old vows, she would have to do everything he said; if the wedding used the new ones, she would be forced to love him. She didn't know how it could make her feel love for someone she already hated, but she couldn't doubt the power of magic.

When the time was dwindling to a week and a half, Evelyn gave Hermione another unpleasant surprise.

"The wedding shower is tomorrow," she informed Hermione one day over lunch.

"Wedding shower?" Hermione's words came out incredulous, and she dropped her fork on the plate with a clang.

"Of course, dear. Every bride-to-be has to have a wedding shower. It will be delightful- all my friends are so happy that you're getting married! We're going to decorate the Dining Hall with.." Hermione let her mother's cheerful words wash over her. It wasn't until she heard Evelyn's last sentence that she was pulled out of her thoughts. ".Mrs. Malfoy will be so glad to finally meet you."

"I'm going to meet his Mother?"

"Well, of course. I wish you could meet Draco and Mr. Malfoy before the wedding, but it's simply out of the question."

Hermione had actually been relieved when her mother had told her a few days earlier that she wouldn't meet Draco until the day of the wedding. Not knowing the man she would marry actually made it easier for Hermione to imagine that he might not be as terrible as he would most likely be.

Hermione had taken to reading late into the night at the Library, and as a result was getting little sleep. So she was understandably grumpy when a maid awoke her at seven the next morning. The servant was quite persistent, and eventually Hermione dragged herself out of bed and started to get ready for breakfast with Evelyn and Alexander.

At breakfast Hermione was given a detailed description of how to behave at the wedding shower, who was who, and what to expect in the form of congratulations. It had been hard enough trying to act agreeable around her family when the topic of the wedding came up, but keeping up the charade for four hours straight with complete strangers might just push her over the edge.

Once the servants had whisked the dishes off the table, Hermione was ushered up the stairs by her mother. Getting ready proved to be a more tedious task than it normally was. Evelyn had ordered a very fashionable, custom-made dress from an expensive witches boutique. From the first glance of the light pink dress, Hermione knew she hated the outfit. However, no matter how loud she pleaded that the dress was too short, tight, and thin, Evelyn insisted that she put it on.

Standing in front of a long mirror, Hermione looked at her reflection with uncertainty. She no longer looked like the Hermione she had always known. Now, with her long auburn hair twisted on the top of her head, the dress hugging her every curve, and wobbling in three-inch high heels, Hermione knew it was too much.

She tried to beg her mother to let her wear something else, but reached dead-ends with every argument. Sighing, she picked up the matching purse and walked slowly (she was trying not to trip) down the staircase and into the Dining Hall.

At eleven forty five, fifteen minutes before the rest of the guests were to get there, a carriage arrived in the drive and Evelyn called Hermione to the front doors. They watched as the carriage's driver got out to help a thin blond lady down.

"I thought the guests would be coming at twelve," whispered Hermione to her mother.

"Yes, they are, but Narcissa Malfoy was to come earlier," said Evelyn quietly.

"Why?"

"Well. Every bride has to have an engagement ring, so she'll be bringing you yours."

"Engagement ring?" Hermione's head began to spin. She was pretty sure it was a bad omen if one's engagement ring didn't come from your fiancée, but from his mother.

Narcissa Malfoy walked gracefully up the front steps, and Evelyn opened the door to greet her. After her mother hugged Mrs. Malfoy, Evelyn stepped aside and introduced Hermione. "Nice to meet you, Mrs. Malfoy," said Hermione, forcing a smile onto her face.

"The pleasure's all mine, Hermione. Lucius and I haven't seen you for years- you've certainly grown up." Her eyes lingered on Hermione's dress and she added, "Where did you get that dress? It's stunning! All it needs is some jewelry to compliment it."

Reaching into her handbag, Mrs. Malfoy took out a black jewelry box and handed it to Hermione. "Draco picked it out and wanted to present it to you in person, but I told him he'd have to wait to meet you."

Hermione's smile faltered, and she hoped it appeared to be because of her disappointment at having not met Draco. She eased the box open, and heard Evelyn gasp slightly from behind her. A golden ring sat on a bed of white silk, its surface shining with a large diamond. Surrounding the diamond were dots of sapphires. Hermione knew she should hate the ring because it was the symbol of a wedding she didn't want to happen. Nevertheless, its beauty drew her in, and she found herself thanking Mrs. Malfoy.

The other guests started to arrive at noon, all smiling and wanting to congratulate the seemingly joyful bride. Hermione spent the rest of the wedding shower wearing a fixed smile and wondering what time it was. By the time every woman had left, Hermione was ready to collapse from relief.

[A/N: Well, there's chapter two! If you want to make me glow and feel loved for the next few days, leave a review (even if its just one sentence- or a fragment, actually). Next chapter will include the wedding dress fitting. Have a good week and until next time, enjoy the anticipation!]