My Happy Ending

Let's talk this over

It's not like we're dead

Was it something I did?

Was it something you said?

Don't leave me hangin'

In a city so dead,

Held up so high

On such a breakable thread

You were all the things I thought I knew

And I thought we could be

You were everything, everything

That I wanted

We were meant to be, supposed to be

But we lost it

All our memories so close to me

Just fade away…

Written and Performed By: Avril Lavigne

The Official Engagement and the Jealous Rage

When the three adults entered the back yard, everyone fell silent, knowing that the announcement would be made shortly. Bryan and Jane found Hermione and joined Narcissa and Draco in the middle of their back yard.

"As you all know, you have been asked to attend this party for our daughter Hermione's seventeenth birthday, however, this joyous occasion is to also celebrate her engagement, to none other than Draco Malfoy." Bryan announced as the crowd of teenagers slowly began to clap and cheer for them.

"As you may also know, we Malfoy's never marry outside of purebloods," Narcissa continued, "so it is my pleasure to announce that Miss Hermione Granger is of a pureblood clan."

There were more cheers from the Slytherins that had come in attendance to the party. "Please, enjoy the rest of your evening, we need to take you two guests of honor and speak of the Betrothal rights, and laws. However, Ginny Weasley, and Blaise Zabini need to come with us as well." Jane Granger called as the teenagers went back to their chattering and various other activities.

Blaise and Ginny followed the group into the house where the sat at the kitchen table. "Alright, you two, I know that you must be shocked to find out all of this information so quickly, and so close to school, but it is the way of the Betrothal Traditions." Narcissa explained. "There are a few rules you need to be aware of, firstly in public the two of you must act as if you are the happiest couple in the world, and completely in love with each other, even if you are not."

"Secondly," Jane continued from Narcissa, "it is very important the at the two of you are faithful to each other, if you let your lust get the better of you, the one committing the act of infidelity will die, and that in turn will cause your partner to die of a broken heart." Draco and Hermione looked at each other.

'I can stay true if you can,' he commented.

'Then you have nothing to worry about, because I'm not the cheating type,' she answered.

"Thirdly," Bryan sighed taking his turn, "until you are married, the two of you must seem to be inseparable, and that means that you will have to spend all of you time together when you are not in class, sports, or sleeping, this is to ensure that you two can find a way to tolerate each other's antics if you don't, can't, or won't fall in love with each other."

"The last thing, is that after you are married, it is required that you have at least one child to continue the pureblood race. I now that you don't agree with this law Draco, but these laws were forged long before you came around, and I'm sure that you don't agree either Hermione; but dire consequences will result if you do not conceive with in the first five years or marriage." Narcissa finished.

"So, when is the wedding going to be?" Ginny asked nervously, as Hermione shot her a death glare.

"That is for Draco and Hermione to decide, but it has to be before the end of next summer," Jane answered. "Oh, one more thing, Blaise and Ginny, you two are to keep an eye on Hermione and Draco, and remind them of the rules they must follow. Alright you four go and enjoy yourselves,"

The adults left the table to join the festivities outside, and left the four of them to sit in awkward silence, and just look at each other. "Before I forget, this is for you Hermione, it was my mother's and my grand mother's, it goes back a few generations, I'm not sure how old it is, but it will change itself into what you like…" Draco remarked handing her the black velvet box after breaking the silence.

She reluctantly accepted the box and opened it to reveal a large oval shaped diamond ring with rubies and emeralds surrounding the band. "Its beautiful," she gasped, as he saw the diamond's sparkle glint in her eyes. She placed it on her left ring finger, fitting her perfectly, and they rejoined the group that was outside.

Draco and Hermione stayed inside for a moment longer than Blaise and Ginny, and as she let out a sigh, she took Draco's hand in hers, and smiled weakly at him as he looked deeply into her eyes. 'We don't have to do this just yet…' he started thinking.

'Yes, we do,' she interrupted him, as they walked out of her house, hand in hand. A few of their guests let out gasps of confusion, and Pansy Parkinson went as far as to faint.

Ron and Harry were among those who were shocked beyond belief, and Ron was so infuriated that he had unknowingly snapped the plastic fork that he had been using in half. "Why did he have to pick her?" he snarled bitterly.

"He didn't pick her Ron, their parents made this arrangement before they were even born." Harry reminded his friend, "it was a blood pact between two families that trusted each other unconditionally, there's nothing that the two of us can do about this arrangement, so just let it go," Harry advised, knowing that sooner or later Ron would try to formulate a plan to try to get Hermione out of the undesirable situation, but Harry also knew that some things no matter how bad, had to be left to be figured out by those involved, instead of those who disapproved of the situation.

"How can I just sit by and watch the girl that I love, go off and marry someone I know to hate her and who will probably hurt her in ways unimaginable? It's not right for me to just sit by and let this happen," Ron protested.

"Look, I know that this bothers you, it bothers me too, but this is for Hermione and Malfoy to figure out themselves. For all we know they could really be happy together, you know that Hermione doesn't talk about her personal life with us, which means that she doesn't want ups involved in it alright, now, if she were to come to us asking us for help that would be a completely different story," Harry explained to Ron hoping that this time he would understand, and try not to mess things up unless asked to by Hermione.

They watched as the other guests went up to Draco and Hermione and congratulated them by shaking their hands or hugging them, Ginny and Blaise were the first to do so, and then Lavender Brown and Dean Thomas, most of the Gryffindors followed suit after that, and then the Slytherins as much as they hated to do so. Most of them came to the decision that they were not about to be out done by Gryffindors. Harry went up to hug Hermione, but Ron sat stationary in his seat until she came to him, with Malfoy close behind her. "Ronald, aren't you going to even say hi to me?" she asked, very hurt by her best friend's actions.

"Why should I? You are about to marry the enemy…"

"Draco is not his father Ronald! What he has done or said to me in the past has been forgiven, because he came to me and apologized to me for everything. If you can not accept me as your friend because of something that was decided before my birth, then you don't deserve to be my friend," she was fuming as she said this, "so, please remove yourself from my house…" She whispered as a tear trickled down her cheek.

"WHAT, Hermione you can't honestly mean that can you?" Ron questioned feeling his heart sink into the pit of his stomach.

"You heard me Ron, leave." She repeated coldly, "if I have to I will have Draco escort you to the door,"

He stood up gingerly, with a scowl plastered on his face, "I can't believe that you would choose Malfoy over your friends," he muttered.

She turned to face him, "As I said before, I did not choose this, my parents did, and by accusing me of doing so you have lost my friendship!" she hissed angrily at him. "I thought that you of all people would understand that I didn't want this, but I guess that I was wrong, and so was everyone else that swore to me that you loved me,"

"I do love you Hermione, more that you will ever know, but I can't come to terms with you having to marry the enemy, if I had it my way, it would be me that you were engaged too, but it's clear to me that he means more to you than I do," Ron shouted as he stormed off of the Granger property.

"What was that about?" Harry asked, looking at Hermione with disappointment.

"He accused me of choosing Malfoy over him, you and Ginny, as well as others, I hope you don't think ill of me Harry, and I hope that you wouldn't believe that." Hermione whispered, sadly as she went back into her house. 'This day has been the worst one of my life so far, is anything ever going to go my way for once…'