Chapter 2
Hermione looked at the window with some trepidation. The owl kept tapping.
"Hermione-hadn't you ought to?" Ron asked.
"I know, but now that I've gotten the first one, I'm almost afraid to receive owl post. What if I get something worse than Malfoy's?" Hermione shuddered at the thought.
"What could possibly be worse than Malfoy?" Harry asked her.
"Well, I think we should find out" Ron got up and headed towards the window. "You want us to help you through it, so the least we can do is be here when you open your offers."
Ron opened the window and in came a sleek black owl carrying a scroll with green and black ribbons. He dropped it in Hermione's lap. She opened and turned white.
Harry took it from her and read it aloud.
My Dearest Hermione,
I hope by now that you have had time to read my offer and think it over. I notice that my portion of the contract has not appeared to me yet, which means you must still be thinking it over. As I said to you last night, I think you'll find it is the best offer you'll get. I already know that your precious Ron will not offer for you as he is quite in love with another young mudblood. The only pure-bloods that are left are ones that you would not be happy with, those that would not appreciate you for your mind. As you well remember, one of the stipulations is a child within 2 years of marrying. I would let you keep your stupid little job part time and I'll let you keep your little golden trio. I cannot say the same for most of my peers. So again, I'll ask you to think about it. I will come by and visit tonight, so that you may take some time to get to know me. I do hope you will wear something other than black for the occasion.
Until Tonight,
Draco
Harry turned red and started to scrunch the scroll up in his hands. Hermione reached over and took it out of his hands before he destroyed it. "I'll kill him Hermione! How dare he! Thinking he can tell you what you can and can't do!"
"UHHH, Harry. What do you think this law does? It gives the pure-blood complete control over the muggleborn. Why do you think the Daily Prophet called it a law of slavery? In essence, it does turn the muggleborn witch into the pure-blood's slave." Hermione said sadly. Her friends obviously wouldn't understand since they would not be the ones put in that position.
"She's right you know Harry. Unfortunately, she'll have to do anything he tells her to do because of the binding process. If she disobeys, she'll fall under an unforgivable. Though, if the ministry is using it, I guess it's no longer an unforgivable?" Ron said confusedly.
"No, it's okay to use it in that situation, according to the ministry. What a bunch of hypocrites." Hermione said bitterly.
"Well, you still have 6 days. Maybe something unexpected will happen between now and then." Ron said hopefully.
Harry looked at Ron, then at Hermione's fallen face. "I hope so Ron." He said quietly.
Hermione looked at her friends. She was glad that they had stayed in touch and were still able to be there for her in times of need. They had been through so much together with the war and other times in the past.
"You guys had better go. As much as I don't want that ferret here tonight, if he's going to come, I'm going to show him that just because I am muggleborn doesn't mean I don't know how to keep a clean flat."
"Uhhhh, Hermione-before we go, do you want to open his offer? That way you aren't by yourself when he displays his nastiness?" Harry asked her gently.
"No, Harry. I'll face it by myself. If I need you, I'll let you know. But I'll clean the place, then read it before he gets here. Then I can tell him to take his offer and sod off with true feeling." Hermione said vehemently.
"If you're sure Hermione." Harry looked at her searchingly.
"Go Harry, I know you're anxious to be with Cho and Ron's anxious to go make an offer to Aurora before someone truly hideous does. I'll be fine." 'I hope.' she thought.
"Well, call us if you need us then!" Ron said worriedly. There was a flurry as they all hugged each other.
Hermione spent her day trying to get the place ready. She couldn't believe she was being stupid enough to clean the place up for Draco, but she wouldn't have him thinking he was more above her than he already did. Okay, so it was probably wishful thinking on her part, but she would still show that snob that she was a good housekeeper, even if she did work full time. She avoided the scroll laying on her coffee table for as long as she could. She knew she wouldn't like what she found inside it. She could just imagine all the stipulations that he would put in his offer. It was about 4:00 when she finished all of her cleaning. Nothing was out of its place. Her flat looked perfect if she did say so herself.
She had no idea of when he would be there. But she knew she couldn't put the scroll off any longer. She reached down with some trepidation and slowly sank onto the couch. She sat there for a while just staring at the seal, wondering what she had done wrong in a past lifetime to be tormented like this. She broke the seal and sat back to read.
'I Draco Andrew Malfoy do hereby offer Hermione Jane Granger matrimony. I do promise never to abuse her under the Marriage Law passed by the Ministry of Magic. I hereby make the following stipulations on our marriage and to obey the strict structure of the law that was passed....' What followed were things Hermione never expected from Draco. There were some things that she had expected, like she had to be 'draped' over his arm at any social function, like a glittering piece of jewelry (her-glittering, he was dreaming wasn't he?). She was to sleep with him every night unless his job called him away. There was the obvious provide him an heir, which was a part of the Marriage Law anyways. Some of the things she didn't expect, such as him being true to what his letter said, that she could work at her job part time (oh, gee-part time-how fulfilling) and that she had his permission to continue to hang out with her friends at times he didn't require her to be somewhere else (which she had a feeling he would use as a weapon). She also had permission to go see her parents during holidays. She didn't like the word permission being used, but that was a nasty side effect of the law as well. She stared at the document slightly shocked. She had hoped for less of the idea of slavery, but reading his offer, she knew that whatever else she got from complete strangers would probably be far worse. Well, she would hold onto it and hope for an eleventh hour rescue before she had to commit.
She knew she needed to go get ready, so she reluctantly pulled herself off the couch and went to her bedroom to see what she could find that wasn't black, even though she was sorely tempted to show him what he was getting himself into. She just might at that.
Hermione looked at the window with some trepidation. The owl kept tapping.
"Hermione-hadn't you ought to?" Ron asked.
"I know, but now that I've gotten the first one, I'm almost afraid to receive owl post. What if I get something worse than Malfoy's?" Hermione shuddered at the thought.
"What could possibly be worse than Malfoy?" Harry asked her.
"Well, I think we should find out" Ron got up and headed towards the window. "You want us to help you through it, so the least we can do is be here when you open your offers."
Ron opened the window and in came a sleek black owl carrying a scroll with green and black ribbons. He dropped it in Hermione's lap. She opened and turned white.
Harry took it from her and read it aloud.
My Dearest Hermione,
I hope by now that you have had time to read my offer and think it over. I notice that my portion of the contract has not appeared to me yet, which means you must still be thinking it over. As I said to you last night, I think you'll find it is the best offer you'll get. I already know that your precious Ron will not offer for you as he is quite in love with another young mudblood. The only pure-bloods that are left are ones that you would not be happy with, those that would not appreciate you for your mind. As you well remember, one of the stipulations is a child within 2 years of marrying. I would let you keep your stupid little job part time and I'll let you keep your little golden trio. I cannot say the same for most of my peers. So again, I'll ask you to think about it. I will come by and visit tonight, so that you may take some time to get to know me. I do hope you will wear something other than black for the occasion.
Until Tonight,
Draco
Harry turned red and started to scrunch the scroll up in his hands. Hermione reached over and took it out of his hands before he destroyed it. "I'll kill him Hermione! How dare he! Thinking he can tell you what you can and can't do!"
"UHHH, Harry. What do you think this law does? It gives the pure-blood complete control over the muggleborn. Why do you think the Daily Prophet called it a law of slavery? In essence, it does turn the muggleborn witch into the pure-blood's slave." Hermione said sadly. Her friends obviously wouldn't understand since they would not be the ones put in that position.
"She's right you know Harry. Unfortunately, she'll have to do anything he tells her to do because of the binding process. If she disobeys, she'll fall under an unforgivable. Though, if the ministry is using it, I guess it's no longer an unforgivable?" Ron said confusedly.
"No, it's okay to use it in that situation, according to the ministry. What a bunch of hypocrites." Hermione said bitterly.
"Well, you still have 6 days. Maybe something unexpected will happen between now and then." Ron said hopefully.
Harry looked at Ron, then at Hermione's fallen face. "I hope so Ron." He said quietly.
Hermione looked at her friends. She was glad that they had stayed in touch and were still able to be there for her in times of need. They had been through so much together with the war and other times in the past.
"You guys had better go. As much as I don't want that ferret here tonight, if he's going to come, I'm going to show him that just because I am muggleborn doesn't mean I don't know how to keep a clean flat."
"Uhhhh, Hermione-before we go, do you want to open his offer? That way you aren't by yourself when he displays his nastiness?" Harry asked her gently.
"No, Harry. I'll face it by myself. If I need you, I'll let you know. But I'll clean the place, then read it before he gets here. Then I can tell him to take his offer and sod off with true feeling." Hermione said vehemently.
"If you're sure Hermione." Harry looked at her searchingly.
"Go Harry, I know you're anxious to be with Cho and Ron's anxious to go make an offer to Aurora before someone truly hideous does. I'll be fine." 'I hope.' she thought.
"Well, call us if you need us then!" Ron said worriedly. There was a flurry as they all hugged each other.
Hermione spent her day trying to get the place ready. She couldn't believe she was being stupid enough to clean the place up for Draco, but she wouldn't have him thinking he was more above her than he already did. Okay, so it was probably wishful thinking on her part, but she would still show that snob that she was a good housekeeper, even if she did work full time. She avoided the scroll laying on her coffee table for as long as she could. She knew she wouldn't like what she found inside it. She could just imagine all the stipulations that he would put in his offer. It was about 4:00 when she finished all of her cleaning. Nothing was out of its place. Her flat looked perfect if she did say so herself.
She had no idea of when he would be there. But she knew she couldn't put the scroll off any longer. She reached down with some trepidation and slowly sank onto the couch. She sat there for a while just staring at the seal, wondering what she had done wrong in a past lifetime to be tormented like this. She broke the seal and sat back to read.
'I Draco Andrew Malfoy do hereby offer Hermione Jane Granger matrimony. I do promise never to abuse her under the Marriage Law passed by the Ministry of Magic. I hereby make the following stipulations on our marriage and to obey the strict structure of the law that was passed....' What followed were things Hermione never expected from Draco. There were some things that she had expected, like she had to be 'draped' over his arm at any social function, like a glittering piece of jewelry (her-glittering, he was dreaming wasn't he?). She was to sleep with him every night unless his job called him away. There was the obvious provide him an heir, which was a part of the Marriage Law anyways. Some of the things she didn't expect, such as him being true to what his letter said, that she could work at her job part time (oh, gee-part time-how fulfilling) and that she had his permission to continue to hang out with her friends at times he didn't require her to be somewhere else (which she had a feeling he would use as a weapon). She also had permission to go see her parents during holidays. She didn't like the word permission being used, but that was a nasty side effect of the law as well. She stared at the document slightly shocked. She had hoped for less of the idea of slavery, but reading his offer, she knew that whatever else she got from complete strangers would probably be far worse. Well, she would hold onto it and hope for an eleventh hour rescue before she had to commit.
She knew she needed to go get ready, so she reluctantly pulled herself off the couch and went to her bedroom to see what she could find that wasn't black, even though she was sorely tempted to show him what he was getting himself into. She just might at that.