"Now, though you two may have had a more extravagant idea for your wedding planned, we must do this secretly. After Voldemort is gone you may have a huge, fairytale wedding if you like. Only we know of this marriage, and I've made myself Secret Keeper about the prophecy. I'll be conducting the ceremony. Follow my lead, we must make this quick." Dumbledore clapped his hands and a hundred vanilla candles lit. Somewhere, slow symphony music began to play.

"Hermione Ann Granger, do you take Draco Lucius Malfoy to be your lawfully wedded husband?" Dumbledore asked solemnly.

"I do." She turned to Draco and felt the hot tears well up in her eyes. 'I will not cry. I won't show Draco how scared I am.'

"And do you, Draco Lucius Malfoy, take Hermione Ann Granger to be your lawfully wedded wife?" Dumbledore looked at the smirking Draco seriously.

"I do." Draco smirked patronizingly towards Hermione, who tried her hardest not to let her tears fall.

"Then I now pronounce you man and wife. Exchange rings." They pulled out the rings they'd bought by catalogue. Draco, being the rich prat he was, insisted they get the most expensive rings. Hermione's was silver with a large diamond, surrounded by emeralds. Draco's was a large emerald, surrounded by diamonds set in the same antique silver as Hermione's.

Draco slid Hermione's ring onto her finger, and the stones melted away. When Draco's ring lost its stones as well, Dumbledore told them that they could kiss when he wasn't here to seal the ceremony.

They left the Headmaster's Office and walked out into the deserted corridor, where Draco turned Hermione to face him.

"Well, we have to make the ceremony final. The sooner the better, I suppose." Draco told her. She bit her lip and looked at him, then murmured "Get on with it."

Draco gave her a soft kiss on the lips, and a single tear rolled down her cheek. "What's wrong?" Draco asked when they pulled apart, for Hermione had fallen against the wall and was sliding down it until she came to a rest on the cold floor.

"N-nothing. G-go to class. I-I'll meet y-you there." She managed between wiping her tears. He looked at her curiously then sat down beside her.

"It isn't that bad being married to me is it? I'll try not to be an ass. Stop crying. I hate it when girls cry." He was being so – sincere. Hermione looked at him and started crying all over again.

"It's just; I didn't want to marry you! I wanted to marry for love, and now it's all screwed up! And now I have to sleep with you. I didn't want to do that with someone I didn't love, either, but now I have to." Hermione put her head on her knees and breathed in a few times.

"But we had time; you could've done it with whoever you loved before the wedding!" Draco tried to be nice and understanding but on him, it just doesn't work.

"That's just it, I didn't love anyone yet!" Hermione cried, and hung her head once more. Awkwardly, Draco put one hand on Hermione's back and began rubbing small circles.

"Well, I won't have you crying when we do it, so I'll stop being a jerk to you. To keep up appearances, though, I'll still have to ignore you. But I'll try to be nice when we're alone, alright?" Hermione had to admire Draco; he was trying to be nice to her. And he hadn't called her mudblood in ages.

"That'd be good, I guess." She muttered, and he smiled. A small smile, albeit a smile.

"Good. You should skip Transfiguration. I'll tell McGonagall you were sick this morning, and you couldn't make it." There it was again! That damn feeling… compassion? Was that the word for it?

He pulled Hermione up and they began walking to their destinations. A few steps after, Hermione turned around.

"Draco!" She called. Her tear-stained face was blushing. "Thanks. For not being a jerk about this, and all."

"Hey, I have to keep my wife happy, don't I?" He answered with a wink. A wink? For Hermione? What the hell was up with him?

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