A/N: So life has been a mess, I know it's been a while since I have updated. Things are finally settling down again for me though, and I have time to write again. Also, I am looking for a Beta, while I have time to write again, I do not have time to edit. So, if anyone is interested, then please PM me.

"Just because someone says that it is so does not mean I am going to stop looking. All magic can be undone, you just have to find out how to "undo" it, so to speak. And I will be looking for that "out" up-to-the-minute I have to say, "I do". I will not stop fighting, Mrs. Malfoy." Hermione tilted her head and started down the Malfoy matriarch, daring her to tell Hermione otherwise.

"I see." She pursed her lips. "I can tell that you are a Gryffindor through and through Ms. Dolohov. Despite your proclivity towards all things academic, it seems to have escaped you that you are as bound to this betrothal now as you were when your parents signed the documents with their blood and magical signature."

She stood up, tall, almost towering.

"Fight all you might, you will not find an out to this. All you're doing is wasting your time and energy. If there was a way to "undo" this bonding, to emulate your diction, it would have been done centuries ago if it could have. You're not the first young witch to be stuck in a loveless betrothal to a man you hate. And you will not be the last." With that, she swept from the room leaving the three children staring after her in shock.

Malfoy turned his head towards Hermione, his eyebrows still raised in surprise.

"She's right you know." Hermione sighed heavily at his words.

"Be that as it may, it doesn't stop me from trying, they don't call me the brightest witch of our age for nothing." Her words were strong, but her shoulders slouched, as if her body had already given in to what her mind refused to acknowledge.

"Well, as much as you want to fight this Mia, we do have more planning to do. However, it seems as if Mrs. Malfoy has the right idea. It might be time for a small break. But we need to finish out the planning and fast because there is more to this wedding than just saying what needs to get done."

Nodding her head, she knew there was no use in picking a fight with Theo. She knew deep in her heart that there was no "out". She just did not want to admit it quite yet. Turning towards the dark-haired man she let him rattle off his ideas for the bonding ceremony. Not truly listening to him.

After a couple more hours of the monotonous planning she was ready for the night to be over. They had planned well over half the wedding in one evening. It seemed with just one planner and a bride who truly did not care what her ceremony was like, the planning process had been a breeze. All that was left was the cake tasting, getting her bonding gown made, and the most disconcerting task of all, choosing the guest list.

Theo had wanted to do that immediately, but Hermione truly could not stand the thought of going through the list of her friends and the pureblood elite that Rowle and Dolohov would force her to invite. It was a daunting thought. Creating a list of guests and choosing the invites. It made the bonding all too real.

It was one thing to plan a ceremony, you could distance yourself from the planning process, able to pretend that the ceremony was meant for someone else entirely. But the invites made it personal. Put a stamp of acknowledgement that this was her wedding. Her marriage. Her duty.

She used to sneak romance novels when she was younger. They were her guilty pleasure. The bodice rippers, the outrageous tales of forced marriages and escapee brides to be. She used to envy their love, their dedication to family and sense of belonging in the world. They spoke of a simpler time. When you weren't forced to fight for your life at the ripe age of eleven.

Hermione sighed and stood from her place on the couch in the library. Draco had long since gone to bed. Complaining of boredom after the fourth hour of planning. Soon after she had demanded time to relax, and upon realizing the time, Theo relented. But only with the promise that she would pick back up where they left off tomorrow morning.

They had read together for a couple more hours until Theo also decided to call it a night. Glancing up at the clock she was shocked to learn that time had slipped through her fingers. Her "one more chapter" had turned into finishing the book of her raunchy romance adventure. It was well past two in the morning, flowing almost seamlessly into three.

Stretching with a groan she stood and adjusted her shirt that had ridden up during her visit to the world of highlander glory. She padded as quietly as she could to her room. Passing Theo's on the way up.

The light was on, and she heard the soft baritone of her friend murmuring to someone on the other side.

"I don't know how else to help her Blaise." Hermione paused, only feeling slightly guilty about spying on her friend. "She is just so stubborn about this entire thing. You and I both know that the only way to break a blood contract is through death. And even then, if there is another living witch or wizard that can fulfill the contract it simply gets passed on."

He was talking about her, there was a strain to his voice that she had never heard before.

"I love her to death, despite all her Gryffindor attributes. But I worry that those same traits that I adore in her are going to lead her to her death. I have a feeling she is going to run, sometime soon she is going to realize there is no way out of this marriage, and she is going to try to run away from it, and it is going to get her killed."

The strain in his voice was apparent. That's what she was hearing in her usually upbeat friends voice.

"Theo, there is nothing you can do but be there for her. I don't think any of her friends are going to let her throw her life away just because she doesn't want to marry the prick." Zabini kept a light tone, trying to lighten his friend's mood. "The-Boy-Who-Won't-Die isn't going to just let her give up, he's got that savior complex. They are more likely to drag her down the aisle screaming and fighting than to let her die."

Theo chuckled.

"I will drag her down that aisle kicking and screaming myself if I have to. I will not lose another person in my life to poor decisions."

Hermione had to tear herself away from the door. It hurt to hear her friend speak like that. As touching as his loyalty and love for her was.

She quickly made it the rest of the way to her room not wanting to dwell on the impact this event was having on the ones she loved most.

The next morning, she was woken to a blinding light streaming through her window. Her eyelids fluttered in confusion as the previous night flooded back into her mind. With a groan, she shoved her head into her pillow and rolled over with a huff.

She wanted to scream; it was so unjust! The newfound unwanted heritage, the unwarranted betrothal, and most of all the absolutely distasteful guilt she felt at letting her friends down. Theo's breakdown the night before opened her eyes. She was being selfish, fighting so hard and making everything so difficult for the ones she loved.

With one last groan, she rolled herself over the edge of the bed landing on smoothly on her feet. Stretching her arms over her head, she paused as her mind made itself up, without any input from her. With a huff, she let her arms fall.

"Fuck."

After she had dressed and showered, she met Theo downstairs. He was sipping on a steaming cup of, what she was sure was, premium coffee.

Stomping over to the chair next to him, she slammed herself down, making a show of it. Even though she had made a decision, it doesn't mean she was happy with it.

Theo raised a brow but didn't look at her spectacle, too familiar with her mood swings.

She sighed heavily, drawing it out to pull his attention away from the morning paper. He kept reading ignoring her tantrum.

She sighed again this time longingly, looking sullenly in his direction. He finally looked up, a disgruntled scowl on his face.

"What?"

She looked on wanting to draw this out as much as possible. It turns out that nasty streak she developed in school carried on to her life afterwards.

"What?" This one was much more forceful, filled with irritation.

After a couple of heartbeats she finally responded.

"Fine."

"Fine?" She wondered how high his eyebrow could truly go.

"Fine." It twitched as if trying to move up more, but it reached its limit. "Fine, fine! Fine! I'll do it! No more arguing, no more fighting, no more research!" She let it all out in one breath.

His mouth dropped, "no more research?" He didn't believe her, not for a second.

"No more research. I give up." There was a beat of pure silence.

"Good."

"Fine."

"We need to finish the wedding details. Then we go dress shopping."

She groaned and knocked her head against the table. He was smirking, she knew it was.

"Fuck my life."