A/N- Here is the chapter you've all been waiting for! The results are in, and you'll finally find out who's been matched! Some of you guessed correctly, while others, I am sure, will wonder why I chose some of these pairings. Hopefully, as the story unfolds, you'll see why I made the decisions I did. Enjoy!

Chapter 4: The Results Are In

October 1, 2003

As luck would have it, the day the Ministry-appointed spouses were to be delivered was unseasonably warm. Molly thought it might be nice to invite anyone to the Burrow who didn't want to find out their matches alone. In addition to the Weasleys, Harry, Hermione, and a few other old Hogwarts friends gathered at the feast for the grand reveal. Though Ron was still sort of upset with Hermione for not choosing him, Mrs. Weasley insisted he behaves because she would not turn any of her children away, biological or otherwise.

"Welcome to our home," Arthur announced from one end of the extended dining table by the garden. "We know this gathering might not be under the most favorable circumstances, but Molly and I are happy you are all here nonetheless," he smiled at his wife. Though she'd been cautiously watching her children, Mrs. Weasley offered her husband a watery smile. Five of her babies would find out the names of their future spouses today, and it tore her apart that they wouldn't get to marry for love as she and Arthur had. For some reason, the woman was also still holding out hope that Hermione and Harry might still officially become part of her family. "Let's eat!" Arthur declared just as mismatched place settings appeared in front of each person. At Molly's command, an entire feast spread before them, and the group tucked into their meals.

At first glance, one wouldn't be able to tell the immediate anxiousness looming over the group of friends and family. To an outsider, George and Lee Jordan were the pictures of ease as they joked about being matched with a one-eyed harpy, but Hermione couldn't help but notice the way George stared longingly across the table at Angelina Johnson from time to time. As she looked around, her friends' silent tells showed how nervous they all truly were. Of course, Ron always showed all of his emotion through anger as he slammed his cup to the table and cursed when some spilled over the side. Harry, in turn, put all others before himself, engaging in small talk and spending most of the meal talking Ron down from an inevitable explosion. Across from her two best friends, Percy's left leg bounced uncontrollably under the table, which was odd for a man who had never fidgeted in his entire life. Beside him, Charlie sat with a scowl due to his fear of having to move back home, away from his dragon sanctuary. Hermione feared that whoever became his bride would have to want to move to Romania, or he'd resent the witch forever. Finally, there was Neville, who'd been granted special leave from his Herbology professor position at Hogwarts for this day. He looked as scared as he had the day she'd met him on the train all those years ago. The only difference now was that instead of the chunky, awkward boy he'd once been, Neville had blossomed into a confident and handsome wizard. He politely listened to Mr. Weasley prattle on about various Muggle technologies while hardly taking a bite of his meal. His grandmother had passed the previous year, and he was essentially all alone.

"Are we too late?" Luna's dreamy voice somehow carried over the hum of the small crowd from just beyond the garden. Her father wasn't too far behind her, gliding toward the gathering with a serene smile upon his face.

"Of course not. Please sit and eat," Arthur offered as he extended the table and added two place settings. The Lovegoods were the picture of calm as if finding out one's government-appointed spouse was an everyday occurrence.

"I hope my new husband enjoys making love by starlight," Luna commented matter-of-factly to Ginny, who'd choked with laughter on her pumpkin juice at both the topic of conversation and the sight of Xenophillius Lovegood nodding in agreement. The ginger witch had tears running down her cheeks and burst into a fresh bout of giggles when Arthur asked her what was so funny.

"George, what did you do?" the Weasley patriarch accused his son with his arms crossed over his chest.

"I didn't do anything! I swear it!" George held his hands up in surrender. "Though it gives me an idea for a product we can start creating," he whispered to Lee conspiratorially. "Maybe a little twist on Bertie Bott's Every Flavour Beans," he smirked as he began writing notes on a napkin while Lee occasionally chimed in with his thoughts.

Suddenly, the sky seemed to darken just as Ginny's laughter died. A parliament of owls was headed straight toward the Burrow. The previous uninhibited moments disappeared as the table settled into palpable nervous tension.

One by one, the owls dropped thick envelopes in each recipient's lap and swooped away into the clouds as if they hadn't just delivered the most life-changing post the young witches and wizards had ever received.

"How shall we do this?" Arthur stood and clapped his hands together awkwardly with a forced smile. "All at once or one at a time?" he asked the anxious group. Even the ever-present smile on George's face had faded into pursed lips of apprehension.

"I'll go first," the Weasley family jokester volunteered, swallowing hard as he held up his letter. Every pair of eyes turned to him expectantly. He stood before the group, attempting a smile that faltered as soon as he opened the folded parchment. George sucked in a deep breath before he scoured the letter, his pupils darting across the page quickly until he reached a certain point where they halted abruptly. A handsome grin stole his features, and he sat down without a word.

"Are you going to tell us your match or not, you bloody tosser!" Angelina demanded, bracing her hands on the table as she sat on the edge of her seat. George folded his letter and stuffed it back inside the envelope.

"I'll tell you mine if you tell me yours," he smirked, casually kicking his shoes up on the table, appearing relaxed and a bit smug.

"Feet down, or I'll hex them off!" Molly warned out of habit. Without breaking his challenging stare with Angelina, George's feet shot off the table as if his mother had already aimed a curse at them.

Ignoring Mrs. Weasley, Angelina scowled at George before tearing through her envelope, failing to notice his demeanor change as he rested his elbows on his knees in anticipation. Her eyes grew wide midway down the page. Angelina's mouth turned up into a coy smile, slowly glancing up to the wizard watching her reaction intently.

"The name of your appointed wizard is George Fabien Weasley," she read aloud as family and friends exploded into clapping and cheers. Without further hesitation, George ran around the table to kiss his future bride for the first time. The two had remained friends since their Hogwarts days but never dated. Hermione suspected they'd harbored feelings for one another for quite some time, but George had held back out of respect for his late twin.

"Excellent!" Mr. Weasley yelled. "Perhaps this occasion isn't so ominous after all," he said as he wrapped an arm around his wife. "Welcome to the family, Miss Johnson!" he cheered, raising his glass to toast his future daughter-in-law.

"It only took an act of the Wizengamot for you to finally get your head out of your arse and see what's been in front of you the whole time," Angelina whispered loudly with a smile. George simply shrugged and kissed her again.

"I'm next!" Lee Jordan was already standing and ripping into his letter. His cheeks brightened as a grin split his face. "You won't believe this, Georgie," he punched his friend's shoulder and handed him the letter.

"Katie Bell!" George announced happily. "It'll be just like old times…" he trailed off, "Almost...not quite the same," he said sadly, undoubtedly thinking of how Fred wasn't there. Angelina reached her hand across the table and squeezed her future husband's forearm. He offered her a meaningful look and forced a smile toward Lee. "This will be great, mate."

"I just hope she thinks so," Lee chuckled. "Now, let's see who's meant to be the lucky bride of Percy Weasley," the younger wizard snickered, relief passing over him now that his turn had passed.

"Right, let's see," Percy answered with a startle. Always the opposite of his younger brother, he opened his envelope carefully, the same way he opened presents, trying not to rip the paper.

"Just open it already!" Bill called down the table playfully. Percy wouldn't be rushed; he simply sneered at his oldest brother and continued to take his time. Impatient groans erupted around the group as he proceeded to read his entire letter.

"If he's going to take forever, I'm just going to get this over with," Charlie announced, standing up for his turn. As he read the thick parchment, his brows furrowed in confusion. After his eyes scanned the same line several times, he glanced up and cocked his head to the side, staring into the knowing eyes of Luna Lovegood.

"Tell me, Charlie, can one easily see the stars at night in Romania?" the blond witch wondered dreamily, smiling serenely at him.

"-Er,...yes, I suppose," he answered awkwardly as he carded his hand through his hair.

"Then I think we shall be quite happy there," her voice floated across the table, realization hitting the rest of the party as they caught on to the implications of Luna and Charlie's conversation. Ginny's shoulders began to shake while she tried to hide her laughter.

"It looks like your dragons will be getting quite the full moon view of your white arse, brother," George burst into a fit of giggles.

"You want to move to Romania?" Charlie asked cautiously, ignoring his younger siblings' laughter, a rush of crimson staining his cheeks.

"That is your home, is it not?" Luna answered in confusion. "I'm sure there are all kinds of creatures there waiting to be discovered," the Ravenclaw witch sat contently as she pushed her unopened envelope away.

"Well, I've never heard of a witch named Audrey Smith," Percy interrupted, unaware that his older brother was just matched with a witch almost ten years his junior. "I wonder if she went to Hogwarts," the aloof wizard mused. "It says in her profile that she enjoys promptness, so at least I know I won't have to deal with a witch that makes me late to everything."

"Lucky you," Ron drawled sarcastically and rolled his eyes as he stood to open his own letter. His eyes impatiently bounced around the page searching for a name. As soon as he found what he was looking for, he beamed. "Hannah Abbot!" the ginger announced proudly. "At least I snagged myself a lush little bird," he elbowed Harry with a grin. Ginny and Hermione exchanged an annoyed glance. Though it wasn't an unexpected response from Ron, the curly-haired witch was overwhelmingly relieved that her name wasn't written on her ex-boyfriend's parchment.

"You were paired with Hannah?" Neville asked, looking a bit defeated. "She's a great girl, Ron. You're lucky," he said half-heartedly, staring down at his envelope as if it would burn him.

"I'm sure whoever you're matched with will be a sweet witch too," Hermione said, gesturing for him to find out. She couldn't help but feel bad for the disappointed wizard. He nodded and began to open his letter. For a moment there was hope until Neville's entire expression dropped into a frown.

"Daphne Greengrass," he said softly, but the table had grown quiet with the change in his demeanor. "But...but she's a pureblood too...I didn't think…," he trailed off as he read and reread his letter.

"I don't recall her being cruel like some of the other Slytherins," Ginny said soothingly. Neville peered up from the parchment and offered her a half-smile.

"And she was pretty fit too," Ron added encouragingly with his mouth full of food.

"You know, Neville," Hermione started. "I've actually become friends with Pansy Parkinson over the last few years," she admitted as Ron and Harry's surprised expressions immediately landed on her face, "and I know you remember how awful she used to be. If she can change, certainly Daphne can't be so bad," she said as her mind whirred. Since Nott and Greengrass had definitely signed up for the Ministry program, it made sense that others among the blood-purists did too.

"If Neville was matched with a pureblood, there is still a chance I was too," Ginny worried frantically, tearing open her envelope to find her appointed husband. Her eyes widened and she shook her head in disbelief when she found the name assigned to her.

"Who is it, Gin?" Harry coaxed gently.

"Theodore Nott," Ginny whispered with tears in her eyes. The dark-haired wizard immediately threw his arms around her as she cried into his shoulder. The entire Weasley clan quickly gathered around her, various threats and curses erupting from each of her brother's lips about a wizard they knew very little about.

"Ee can't be zat bad," Fleur said encouragingly.

"His father was a bloody Death Eater," Ginny sobbed, turning to her mother for support. Molly rubbed her back and whispered reassurances into her daughter's hair.

"Theodore Nott has a dreamy smile and eyes as blue as a Pixie," Luna's tranquil voice cut through the tension. "He once spent an entire afternoon helping me find my lost shoes." All eyes turned to the quirky yet perceptive witch.

"Luna is right, Gin," Harry insisted. "I saw him during the fertility testing, and he was actually nice to me. He even smiled."

"At least it isn't Malfoy," Ron patted his sister's back. "Whoever gets stuck with him will have whiny little pointy-faced children," he laughed. The sudden urge to defend her former enemy overtook Hermione. She couldn't explain the feeling, but it grew from the pit of her stomach and escaped from her mouth before she could suppress her sudden emotions.

"That's unfair, Ronald!" she exploded. "People change. The Prophet said he donated all of the profits from Malfoy Industries to the Orphans of War charity just last year," she declared to the surprise of her friends. "I've seen him around every now and then, and he's grown into his features quite well," Hermione added, unable to stop herself.

"Well if you fancy him so much, why don't you see if he's your match!" Ron challenged angrily. He hated being chastised, especially in front of a crowd.

"Wait!" Ginny cut in. "Harry, I need to know I haven't ruined both our lives. I need to know you were given a witch who deserves you," she pleaded. He nodded at her, nervously opening his envelope to reveal the name of his appointed spouse. A grimace crossed his features briefly, but he forced a smile for the girl he once loved.

"S'alright, Gin," Harry dropped to his seat, clenching the parchment tightly with both hands. "It's not your fault."

"Who is it?" Ginny asked softly, unraveling herself from her mother's arms.

"Pansy Parkinson," he answered with a sigh, tossing his letter across the table.

"Oh, Harry! I'm so sorry," she cried, hugging him tightly around the shoulders as he held his head in his hands.

"I promise you, Harry, she's different now," Hermione assured him.

"Yet this is the first we're hearing about your little friendship with her," Ron chimed in unhelpfully though his two friends ignored him.

"Thanks," Harry peered up at her. "Your turn. Whoever gets assigned to you must be the most brilliant wizard in all of Britain," he offered her a genuine smile. One of the best things about Harry was his selflessness. No matter what happened in his life, he wanted everyone around him to be happy.

"Alright, I suppose I should get this over with," Hermione said in an attempt to gather her courage. Taking one last deep breath, she began reading her letter. Though she could feel everyone's eyes on her, she took her time.

Ms. Hermione J. Granger,

The Department of Magical Blood and Bonds has identified the best possible match for you to have a successful marriage. Through a series of Muggle and magical tests, including fertility, personality, intelligence, magical harmony, and attraction, we have determined your future husband.

In this packet, you will find a list of your match's basic facts and preferences, a photograph submitted by your wizard, and Ministry Form 8362.

Please return your Ministry Form 8362 as soon as possible, so we may know when the first contact with your appointed spouse has been established and the time/place of your first scheduled meeting. Once a wedding date has been determined, further appointment times and forms will be delivered via Owl Post.

We are pleased to inform you that the name of your appointed wizard is Draco Lucius Malfoy. Mr. Malfoy is the proprietor and CEO of Malfoy Industries, recently reclassified as a nonprofit charity organization. Please refer to page 2 for further information about Mr. Malfoy.

On behalf of the Department of Magical Blood and Bonds, congratulations on finding your perfect spouse!

Sincerely,

Magda Starvelle, Order of Merlin, Third Class

Head of Department of Magical Blood and Bonds

Ministry of Magic, Floor 7

"Good Godric, how could this be?" Hermione gasped, searching through the parchments in disbelief. A picture of Malfoy wearing a grey Muggle suit flipped out onto the table in front of her as she tried to make sense of everything. Everyone around her became a cacophony of angry and confused reactions.

"Is that…"

"No!"

"Oh, Hermione…"

"Malfoy? How could that be?"

Did she really believe the words she just used to defend him? Had Malfoy truly changed? It was true she'd seen him around and read about his philanthropy over the years, but she couldn't wrap her head around him being her match. Could he-

"Well, it looks like marrying Ronald Weasley isn't the worst you could do after all!" the ginger wizard's arrogant remark cut through her thoughts, and anger flooded through her entire being.

The next thing Hermione knew, her wand was out, and magic crackled all around her.

"Was Padma Patil the Ravenclaw or the Gryffindor twin?" Blaise slumped into the overstuffed sofa in Nott Manor's billiards room. "Either way, she's fucking gorgeous, but I'd like a witch with some wit," he held up the picture for Draco and Theo to see.

"First of all, I thought you were going to wait to open your letter with the rest of us," Pansy admonished the Italian wizard. "Also, Padma was in Ravenclaw. Like many smart witches, she chose me to style her for her photo shoot," she bragged, staring down at her nails as if she were bored.

"I still don't understand what that means," Theo shook his head and handed Pansy a drink.

"Don't worry, Nott," she patted his cheek, "you don't need to know what it means, you just have to pay me for it when I transform your witch, whoever she may be," Pansy winked, twirling away before he could reach out to tickle her.

"Let's get this over with," Draco insisted as he wiped his clammy palms on his trousers. He'd been both anticipating and dreading this day since the moment he decided to let the Ministry appoint him his bride.

"If you're that anxious, just open yours. We're all here," Pansy replied, laughing at her friend's discomfort.

He shook his head in response. "I'll go last. I'm not ready yet."

"Fine. I'll go," the confident witch beamed, holding up her letter as she opened it. She ripped the envelope open so quickly that the contents spilled all over the coffee table where Blaise casually had his feet propped up. Silence ensued as a picture of Harry Potter smiling in his Auror robes slowly floated to the top of the pile of parchments.

"No fucking way!" Theo shouted, breaking the silence.

"I thought he was with...this isn't...do you know what this means?" Pansy shrieked, picking up the picture and staring at it in disbelief.

"No. Tell us what it means, Mrs. Potter," Draco smirked as Blaise and Theo broke into howling laughter, but the dark-haired witch wasn't listening. She was still intently watching the picture loop over and over again. The three wizards exchanged an uneasy glance.

"Pans?" Theo called softly. "Wondering how you're ever going to fix that mess that is Potter's hair, darling?" he said in a slightly raised voice, finally breaking her from her trance. A coy smile emerged on Pansy's face.

"Actually, I was thinking of how I'd like to mess it up first," she grinned as the boys reacted with disgusted expressions and gagging sounds. "What? He's rather fit now that he's all grown up," she beamed, running her finger across Harry's face in the picture. "It'll be fine...obviously he chose to be in the program," she said softly, more to herself than the wizards surrounding her.

"So, what? We'll have to be friendly with him now?" Draco whined, sitting forward in his chair with his elbows resting on his knees.

"One step at a time. I have to get him to accept me first before he has to play nice with my friends," she joked though her smile was uneasy. It kind of worried Draco that Pansy was actually this nervous about Potter and how easily she'd accepted him as her match. The blond wizard hoped he'd accept his witch just as effortlessly. "Your turn, Theo," she sang, collecting the fallen contents of her envelope and unconsciously clutching them to her chest.

"Alright, let's see which lucky woman will be the next Lady Nott," he said before swallowing back the rest of his drink. Never one to enjoy the limelight, his hands were shaking slightly and his cheeks were bright pink. As Theo unfolded his Ministry letter, he sucked in a deep breath. Over the last few months, his mantra had been "whoever I get, is who I deserve," as if he was ready to pay for his father's crimes. Draco hoped that the witch that was lucky enough to marry Theo would just love the shite out of him and help build his confidence.

"Not to rush you, but we're all waiting," Blaise drawled when Theo's eyes widened midway through the parchment.

"So much for ending the Nott line with me," he seethed, crumpling his letter and throwing it on the coffee table. He stormed over to the bar and poured himself two shots of Firewhisky, downing them one after the other.

"How are you mad about being matched with Ginny Weasley?" Blaise asked in disbelief while ogling the picture included in Nott's packet. "Can we trade? I mean, how many times have either of you wanked to her pictures in Quidditch Weekly?"

"It's not about her looks, mate!" Theo screamed. "Of course, I can see that she's bloody gorgeous, but she's a pureblood, which means my father wins again," he slumped into a barstool and poured himself another drink. "The Nott line will stay pure for another generation, and I've given him exactly what he wanted."

"I knew your father, Theo, and he'd be furious that you're marrying a Weasley, pureblood or not," Draco assured him. "Aside from that, you think that witch is raising your children the way we were raised? Of course, not. They'll probably be affectionate and loving as fuck!" he continued, walking over to Theo and taking his whiskey away. "I mean, look at her and all her brothers. They're all practically best friends. I'll have to walk around Nott Manor with a Notice-Me-Not Charm when I visit just to avoid your future ginger children trying to hug me all the time," he chuckled, trying to imagine little half-Weasley and Nott babies running around this old, Dark home. Theo seemed to relax slightly with Draco's words, possibly picturing the scene he'd described as well.

"Salazar's balls, this will all be worth it just to have my little Potter babies calling you 'Uncle Draco' and trying to play with you!" Pansy giggled. "We'll make you godfather!" she squealed, laughing so hard she was gasping for air. The thought of it had Blaise and Theo joining in her fun, and Draco rolled his eyes trying to ignore all of them.

"Potter's children will not ever refer to me as uncle," he sneered, which made his friends laugh even harder. The blond wizard sat back down in his seat and waited for them to stop antagonizing him before he asked, "Are you quite finished? I'd like to find out my match today please." Pansy nodded emphatically as she tried to hold back more laughter.

"We're ready," she said seriously, but when Draco looked up, she'd enlarged Potter's picture and sat it between her and Blaise on the sofa.

"Look how much happiness the Chosen One already brings to our group!" the Italian wizard managed to blurt out before the three of them were falling all over themselves laughing again. With a wave of his wand, Draco turned his chair, so his back faced his imbecile friends and began opening the letter. This was it. He was about to find out the name of the woman that would love and accept him regardless of his faults and family name.

"We'll be good now," Pansy promised, righting Draco's chair before he had a chance to unfold the parchment. When he looked up, he was happy to see Potter's picture was no longer facing him though he could tell it was still enlarged in the stack of parchment from Pansy's packet on the side table.

Draco nodded once before looking down to read his letter. Skimming through all the nonsense, he finally landed on the name, Hermione Jean Granger. He read it again, but the name hadn't changed. Hermione Jean Granger. It didn't make sense that her name was written here. Of all the tests they were put through, had the Ministry overlooked how strongly this particular witch hated him? In a brief moment of ultimate confusion, he idly wondered why he never knew her middle name before it all hit him at once. He, Draco Lucius Malfoy, had been matched with Hermione Jean Granger.

"Are you alright, mate?" Theo asked cautiously. "You look a bit sick."

"FUCK!" he shouted like a madman. His three friends jumped back in shock. "I killed him...for...for this!" Draco raged, throwing his packet across the room. Granger could never fall for someone like him. Too much had happened. "He's dead because of me...for...her! Her!" A familiar blanket of guilt fell over him. How could he face his mother and inform her that her husband of 27 years was gone forever because the Ministry assigned Draco to a witch who would never have him?

Before Theo could walk across the room to check the name, the blond wizard cast an Incendio Charm on his packet. Letting his wand drop to the plush carpeted floor, he fell back into the chair exhausted. To his dismay, the contents of the letter reappeared neatly folded and undamaged in his lap, but Blaise quickly snatched them away before Draco could try to destroy them again. The first sting of tears burned his eyes. Perhaps he was too damaged for love. He didn't deserve it.

"Sweet Circe! How are you upset when Granger looks like this now?" Blaise questioned suggestively, holding up her picture, but Draco refused to look. "Do you think the Ministry would mind if I just kept my chosen witch and the perfectly beautiful witches you two prats are passing over?" he chuckled, still staring at the picture she'd submitted. Something about the Italian wizard staking a claim on Granger didn't sit right with Draco, but only Theo seemed to notice the low growl winding its way up the blond wizard's throat. With a swish of his wand, Nott was now holding his best mate's packet of information and searching through it carefully.

"This might not be a bad thing," Theo said after a few minutes, ignoring the incredulous look Draco was giving him. "Look at this, mate," he held up a piece of parchment. "It says you and Granger have the highest compatibility rate of all the couples they matched with 98.3 percent. That's unbelievable."

"Of course, we have the highest compatibility. Merlin forbid Granger not be the best in absolutely everything," he drawled sarcastically, pinching the bridge of his nose. "I suppose I am to blame for us not achieving full marks. Apparently, being a former Death Eater and watching your future Muggle-born wife almost die on your drawing room floor only puts a slight damper on perfection," he shook his head in an attempt to erase the dreadful memory he conjured. Theo studied him with a concerned frown, but Draco couldn't handle one of his friend's pep talks right now. He had to think. Granger would be sure to reject him. There was no way she'd accept him as her appointed spouse without a fight. How should he play this?

A/N- Please let me know what you think. For those who were hoping for different pairings, I'm sorry to let you down. I do hope you'll stick with the story to see how things turn out for our couples.

Next week we'll find out about everyone's first encounters with their matches!

Also, I know I had a couple of people ask about a NottPott, but the marriage law here is based on increasing the magical population. That being said, the Ministry didn't force people into a relationship with someone they couldn't love. Their testing would have ruled out the possibility of pairing people they would never be sexually attracted to. (because magic! LOL!) In the next chapter, there will be a post in the Prophet about some witches and wizards being exempt from the law due to a multitude of reasons. One can assume that these people can freely marry and adopt if they so wish.