Hermione left the room quickly. She knew that potions was still in session, yet did not head in that direction. She knew she would possibly have to face repercussions with Snape, but at the moment didn't care. Snape looked forward to any opportunity to take points from Gryffindor house. Beside Malfoy was in that class and she wanted to avoid him for the time being.
'Damned full blood,' Hermione thought. She certainly did not want him to ask her. 'What am I thinking? Why should I think he would ask me?' she thought.
She was sure he would though, and then he'd turn her over to his father to be tortured, or worse killed.
Hermione made her way to the portrait of the fat lady and mumbled the password (fezzelwig) and made her way into her room. She sat on her bed, where Crookshanks lays quietly sleeping near the end.
"What am I supposed to do?" She asked Crookshanks. "Maybe Ron was right with this marriage thing, it is a stupid law."
Crookshanks roused slightly and stretched, before going to see what was wrong. He walked up to her, his long bottlebrush tail held high. He gently sat on her lap. Out of habit, she gently petted the cat. He gently purred and curled up. Absentmindedly, she lay down and the cat slipped off her lap. She hoped this would clear mind, but alas it did not. She couldn't get her mind off the law. There were too many thoughts to comprehend them all.
She finally gave up and resumed her sitting position until a knock at the door startled her. It had to be a Gryffindor she deliberated.
"It's Professor McGonagall. May I speak with you in the common room?" the older witch asked.
This had only been the second time; make that the third time Professor McGonagall had been in Gryffindor tower in all of Hermione's years at Hogwarts.
Hermione pushed herself up from her bed and slowly walked to the door, where she met Professor McGonagall.
"Haw are you doing dear?" she asked Hermione.
Hermione shrugged unable to fully tell her emotions.
She was lead to a couch in the common room and took a seat. Professor McGonagall took the seat beside the young woman.
"You've had a long day. The Headmaster asked me to stop by and see how you were taking the law."
Hermione looked at Professor McGonagall and began to cry. Between sobs she managed to say, "What if it's Malfoy!"
"Very true, the Malfoy's are full blooded, but there are other full bloods as well. I'm sure that one of them would be willing to ask you. Even one that may be in your house."
Professor McGonagall took a breath before beginning again. Hermione listened attentively, eyes still read from all of her crying.
"It doesn't have to be Malfoy."
The last phrase made Hermione feel more confident.
"As the Headmaster has stated, I don't think anyone wanted this law in effect. It gives some people no say what so ever about their life and whom they marry. I hate to see the Head Girl like this."
Professor McGonagall stood up.
"I need to get to class. But remember what I said. There are full bloods in Gryffindor house."
McGonagall made her way out of the portrait hole leaving Hermione back to her thoughts.
'What is Professor McGonagall getting at? There's one in my house already that wishes to marry me?'
This idea stuck in Hermione's mind. She threw it around a couple of times. Even going about listing the full bloods in her head. It took her a few minutes but she soon figured it out. She knew that she would still have a bit of a wait before her class returned, and she didn't dare return with Malfoy there. She would just have to wait in the common room for everyone to return.