Disclaimer- I do not own, nor have I ever pretended that I owned, J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter.

Author's Note- Just a short little yoo-hoo to explain that this chapter is not one of my best. It's a filler to bring the story into other events. I just finished writing chapter 11 and I can't wait until I get to post that one. Enjoy lovelies!

Chapter 5

Contrary to popular belief, Hermione did like parties and dancing and although she loved working and being fully prepared, partying could always steal her away briefly from her work. Today was another story altogether. Her head was pounding and she was in no mood to let loose. Regrettably, this was not how the other Gryffindors felt and they had a party in full swing when she walked through the door.

Hermione tried to walk through the common room to her bedroom. She decided that she would put a silencing charm on her door to drown out the noise. There was no reason to stop her friends from having a good time. This might have worked if she had been able to get across the room but she couldn't get through the throng of people celebrating.

She again tried to push through the hunk of Gryffindors in the common room but due to enthusiastic party goers she still stranded on the wrong side.

She began to get irritated and made one last attempt to walk through the crazed dancers. She couldn't make it. "Excuse me!!" She screamed. Either no one listened or no one heard her. Her head was pounding harder, and it wasn't just from the music. She raised her hand and flicked it and the music turned off. The room slowly grew quiet as everyone turned to face a small ball of light shouting angrily from the corner, "Shut up! Excuse me! Shut up!"

Seamus put on his brave face and walked over to it.

"Hermione? Hey! Come on! We can dance!" Hermione flicked her wrist at Seamus and he was forced backwards. She moved her hand and pointed to the couch and Seamus swiftly flew through the small crowd to land on two Gryffindor 5th years snogging on it. The room watched in awe. Dean gulped and spoke up next.

"Awww, Hermione, don't be such a party pooper." He joked.

Hermione was in no mood for jokes.

"I'm sure you would want to party if you just found out that you were going to be married to Draco the ferret Malfoy in a week. OR, if you just happened to know that you were bound to him for life. OR if you just found out you are one of the strongest witches alive. OR if you found out you have to bloody unite the wizarding WORLD." Hermione took a deep breath and stomped over to her room. Her shine was going down to a dull glow, she turned to the people in the room who were staring at her with a great intensity, "Goodnight everyone."

No one knew what to make of her.

Hermione awoke late Friday morning to a heavy and painful pounding in her head. She stretched as she dragged herself from her bed and into the bathroom for a quick shower.

After her shower she was beginning to get irritated. Her headache wouldn't go away and she had tried casting a few pain reliever charms .The headache, instead of ebbing, seemed to be getting more painful. Hermione's face contorted in agony as she began to examine her body for any type of miniscule change. She had now been keeper for almost one day.

She noted that her skin had become slightly paler and her hair had lightened a bit. It looked a little less bushy to her too. She turned around again and gave herself a last once over. Realizing that she was happy with the changes, she strode across the bathroom floor into her room.

Hermione collected herself and dressed quickly grimacing at the pain that was ricocheting through her body. Something was wrong, this wasn't normal. It was a harmful ache that was now sending what felt like pins and needles up her arms.

Trying to ignore it, she walked through her door to see an anxious Harry waiting for her. He jumped up when he saw her grim face and decided it was best not to press matters any farther for the time being. He scooped her up in a hug and she shuddered. He glanced down at her. "Hermione," he asked worriedly, "Are you okay? And what happened yesterday?"

"I'm fine Harry, just fine. I don't know what's going on. I'm a little confused myself. I'll tell you while we are eating what happened in the headmaster's office. Let's go and get breakfast."

"You mean lunch. We figured that you wouldn't want to wake up early with the way you were acting yesterday evening so we didn't wake you up for breakfast."

"Okay, that'll do. Where's Ron?"

"I told him to go. After charms we came here to wait for you. We were sitting here and he was starting to get hungry. He didn't want to go but I made him. He is waiting for us now at the table." As an afterthought Harry added, "You know, you look different, a good different."

"Thanks Harry! Come on, I'm hungry." As she unlatched herself from Harry she began to feel limp and she quickly grabbed onto his robes. He looked at her with fear in his eyes.

"Minee, tell me what's wrong."

"I just need help walking for the time being. I think it's a side affect of this keeper thing. I just need a little support."

"Sure Minee, anything." Harry placed his arm around her waist and helped support her as they slowly made their way to the great hall. As she was walking she began to feel stronger. Whatever was happening with her was taking her by surprise. She didn't know that one person could have so many feelings in one decade let alone one minute. She glanced up at Harry who was looking somberly towards the great hall. "Feeling better?"

"I don't know what it is Harry, but it feels like as soon as we started to get close to the great hall I got my strength back. Let's head in."

"I'm going to let go so we don't attract extra attention to ourselves. Don't worry though, if you need support just grab my robes and I'll help you."

They walked into the great hall and the conversations quickly diminished into exaggerated whispers. Hermione, with her head held high, began to walk to her table. She caught Draco glaring at her. She briefly wondered what he was so aggravated with her about and then sat down, forgetting her worries.

She was hounded with questions from her classmates and explained, in a shortened version, everything that had happened in Dumbledore's office. At the mention of Malfoy, Ron sprung from his seat and fumed at her, "Malfoy? Minee you had to choose MALFOY? Why….?" He whined.

"I don't know Ron."

"Oh Hermiiiiooonnneee, He's so dreamy, you're sooooo lucky!" Lavender giggled as she made provocative gestures at Malfoy from across the tables. Draco, Hermione now noticed, was still looking at her and she glared at him, unable to fathom what she could have possibly done now.

Just as she was about to offer Malfoy to Lavender, Dumbledore stood up, "Mrs. Granger, will you please come up here for a moment!"

"I'm going to be sensible, guys." Hermione said trying to placate Ron, "I don't want to be with Malfoy at all but it seems as though I have no choice. I'm pretty sure he wouldn't want to be with me either. I can't do anything about it. I don't want to upset you so I'll let you sit on it for a while. Just remember that I love you guys like a sister loves her brothers and nothing he says will change my views on you." They both smiled at her and urged her towards the staff table. Hermione blew them each a kiss and slowly made her way up to the headmaster.

Draco was in a bad mood. He had stumbled into his dorm room last night to Crabbe and Goyle's inhumanely loud snoring. His head had been pounding and he figured it was from all the new information he had to process. He, Draco Malfoy, was marrying the Gryffindor bookworm in a little over a week. When he had chosen what Hermione was offering he had thought he'd be receiving power, which was slightly correct.

He was not expecting marriage.

And now, apparently, he had accepted pain too, since last night he had experienced a pretty awful headache. Deciding to sleep it off he had lied down and had fallen asleep only to awaken to even MORE pain.

He had felt as though he would faint from something. His head had been pounding and he had tried to wake Crabbe and Goyle. This used up the last of his energy and when neither had responded he had pointed his wand at them and shot water through the tip, startling them both into waking up. They had lumbered over to where he was sitting on the floor and when he explained to them that he needed help, they had obliged.

Vincent Crabbe and Gregory Goyle really were not as dumb as they looked. In fact, when they wanted to be, they were quite clever. Draco had been surprised when they had passed first year. During second year he had realized they were more then just good- to- have- around- brawn. They both had a bit of a brain and he had become a tad friendlier.

As the years passed, Draco, Crabbe and Goyle had become closer. Crabbe and Goyle were a few of his few friends in the Slytherin house. They were some of his few friends in any house. Now, he was glad he had been friendly to them.

Crabbe had hoisted him up and put his arm around his shoulder and they had lumbered through the halls to the dining area where they had eaten a fast breakfast. Draco had asked them to bring him back to his dorm and they again helped him. When they told him they would pick him up for lunch, Draco was in too much pain to insist on anything else. He had nodded and they continued on their merry way.

Now he was sitting at lunch. As soon as Granger had entered the great hall, his pain had begun to dissolve. Startled with the revelation that the bookworm really was the cause of his pain he had glared at her. She sent him a haughty look and continued on. He stole glances at her throughout the beginning of the lunch period, finding it mildly amusing that her girl friends were openly ogling him. (Especially Lavender Brown)

Hermione had caught him eying her once. She had glared at him and he had almost almost laughed out loud. She glared at him?! He should be glaring at her for causing him all sorts of new troubles. He had begun to seethe with anger as Dumbledore called out to her and asked her to the staff table. Now he realized that Dumbledore was motioning for him to come up too.

With a sigh, he climbed from his seat on the Slytherin bench and strutted to the headmaster.

"Mr. Malfoy, Ms. Granger." They nodded, "Has anything strange occurred in the last 12 hours? I noticed you both missed your charms class." Hermione shrugged, debating internally whether or not to tell him of her experience. She was just about to respond when Draco cut her off.

"Sir, I experienced a terrible pain and could barely walk. It's her fault. I'm too good for her, she shouldn't cause me pain."

"You really think that Malfoy? If I recall, I'm the better one here." She retorted.

"You only wish."

"Correction, you only wish."

"Oh that was clever, you sorry excuse for a witch."

"I know you are, girly-boy. But remember," with a swish of her hand Malfoy began to raise upwards, "I'm still better than you." Malfoy shuddered and as she placed him down he mumbled something incoherent to her.

"Students" Dumbledore said sternly, the twinkle in his eye giving away the mock seriousness in his voice. "Hermione, did you experience the same pains?"

She bit her lip. "Yes headmaster."

"The pains you felt were only the beginning. Keepers and their mates are held together by a special bond. While this bond is not sealed, such as last night, you feel pains when you are separated on bad terms, as I explained before. By consummating on your wedding night you confirm the bond. This bond can not be broken by any means other than death. Because you both don't like each other we'll try to keep you within a certain distance of each other." He turned to Hermione optimistically, "I am guessing that you will want a wedding dress for your wedding, no?"

"Yes, I guess so" Hermione let out a defeated sigh. "When is this wedding going to take place?"

"We'll plan it for next Sunday." Draco gravely nodded.

"Are you going to be our minister?" Dumbledore shook his head yes and grinned at Hermione.

"I'll tell you what, you can go down to Hogsmeade today and pick up a dress. I'll permit you to miss classes just this once as you have already missed your first class of the day. You may choose one girl to go with you. I do not think that Mr. Malfoy will be much help picking out a dress, but he must go too. He can shop for his own clothes and perhaps you can get on better terms?" Dumbledore chuckled at the defeated expressions on his students' faces. "Who's your closest friend?" He asked Hermione.

"Harry and Ron are my closest friends sir."

"Ms. Granger, I'm not going to let two boys go to Hogsmeade and watch you try on dresses. I realize that you are head girl and while I know you would be highly responsible, I can't say the same for those two. I know for a fact that they would end up going into the quidditch store and leave you to wander alone." Hermione let out a laugh and Draco cut in.

"Do you even have a girl friend, Granger? Any one at all."

"I have plenty of friends Malfoy."

"Well then Ms. Granger." Snape cut in from the left side of the headmaster, "Do tell us who it is so we can continue on with our day." Hermione chewed on her lip as she mumbled something.

"What?" Draco rudely asked.

"My closest girl friend," Hermione stated looking into Draco's eyes, "Is Millicent Bulstrode."

A/N- Millicent Bulstrode? What was I thinking!? Well, I'll tell you, anyone who has to go through life with the name Millicent Bulstrode deserves to have some redeeming qualities. Because Ms. Rowling put her in the Slytherin house, stories tend to make her seem mean and rude and (while I do not doubt that she very well could be) I like to think that she just has a gruff exterior and when broken through, is really a pleasant girl. It is true that we haven't had many displays of kindness by Millie, but people can change.
Oh! I also made Millicent Hermione's friend because I like to believe that while Hermione has a prejudice against some people in the Slytherin House she will also accept them and not hold grudges. This would prove the fact that although there are challenges to having a relationship with one another, Hermione is willing to take the chance even if it could somehow disrupt her life. Now doesn't that make her seem like a good candidate for Keeper?

No dorky goodbye this time,
Unspotted Giraffe

P.S. REVIEW ME!