Here's another one! I just wanted to thank everyone who has contributed in some way, whether it be through a follow, favourite, or review. Your support gives me incentive. Shoutout to Lovewriting12 who has reviewed every chapter!

Props to the genius JK Rowling

Hermione and Draco bickered all the way through their respective nightly routines. Later, Draco lay tossing and turning, unable to sleep. The severity of his situation had finally caught up to him. How could he marry a woman with whom he couldn't remain in a room with for five minutes without fighting? He had to pledge lifelong commitment and celibacy from all other women to her? He had to impregnate her, and raise a family with her? The truce suddenly didn't seem like such an unreasonable idea. But this was Granger he was talking about. They had been rivals, enemies quite frankly, since their first year. She had caused him much ridicule, for being beaten by a muggleborn in all his classes, and hated the ground that he walked on. Furthermore, she now symbolized all of the pain and suffering he had undergone the year before, as well as causing him gut-wrenching guilt whenever he looked at her. All he could see was her writhing on the ground under his aunt's wand. He could still hear her piercing, agonized cries as the fiery pain of the cruciatus curse consumed her. He had stood by, unable to do anything to stop her torture. She represented the worst side of him, and now he would have to look at her every day. Look into her eyes and know that he had done nothing. Needless to say, Draco had a very restless night.

The following morning, he was woken from his fitful sleep by the sound of impatient tapping. Peering blearily at the window, he saw one of the school owls hovering, a scroll attached to each leg. For a moment he wondered why it only had two scrolls attached, had the other boys already gotten their schedules? Glancing around sleepily, he was jolted fully awake when he realized that the only other bed in the room was occupied by a sleepy woman with an unmistakable unruly mane of curls. At this, he felt the last bits of hope ebbing away—this had not all been a nightmare, he was in fact engaged to Granger.

Opening the letter addressed to "Mr. Malfoy" (After making sure that the other letter wasn't addressed to "Mrs Malfoy—he wasn't ready for that yet) he saw that it contained his class schedule. "Marriage Prep 101" was among his classes. In fact, he had it first thing. He sighed. Unfortunately, he needed Hermione for that class.

"Granger! Get up." Hermione groaned but didn't budge.

"Granger! Wakey wakey!" Still nothing. Draco was beginning to lose patience. God she was a pain in the ass. Then, he had an idea that put a wicked smirk on his face.

Making his voice sound panicked, he cried, "Quick! Class starts in five minutes!"

It seemed as though before he could blink, Hermione had jumped out of bed, run into the bathroom, and come back out dressed, brushed, and ready to go.

"What do we have first? Oh God where is that owl with my schedule?" Hermione looked distinctly flustered.

"Ready for breakfast?" Draco smirked.

"Breakfast!?" I don't have time for breakfast! Class starts in—"

"One hour." Draco cut in smoothly. Handing her her schedule, he strutted into the bathroom with the intention of taking a looooong leisurely shower, leaving behind an enraged Hermione. Maybe this would be more fun than he had originally thought.

xxxxx

"Oh my gosh he's so unbelievably annoying!" Hermione bemoaned to Parvati and Ginny at breakfast. (Harry was sitting with Ron, who was refusing to sit near Hermione) "I mean I didn't think that he'd be loveable or downright nice, but he's so incredibly irritating. I offered him a truce and he laughed in my face, and then he purposely woke me up early by scaring me half to death."

"How did he do that?" Ginny asked with concern.

"He told me that classes were in five minutes!" Hermione proclaimed sounding outraged.

Ginny and Parvati exchanged a glance before bursting into laughter.

"It's not funny!" Hermione said adamantly. "Have you forgotten that I have to marry this twit!?"

Her two friends immediately became somber. "Right, sorry Hermione." Ginny tried to comfort her friend.

"How was Blaise?" Hermione asked Parvati, in a clear attempt to change the subject.

"Meh. He's not so bad." Parvati said with surprising indifference. "Kind of quiet to be honest. Definitely no chemistry as of yet, but I suppose that's better than pure spite and fighting….sorry Hermione." She added hastily. "I got an ab view, and let me tell you, those are a definite bonus!" She gave her signature eyebrow waggle. Ginny gave her the thumbs up while Hermione just rolled her eyes.

"Do you ever think you'll be able to love each other?" She suddenly asked softly.

Parvati considered the question seriously before answering, "I think that normally, if we hadn't been from different houses and such different social circles, maybe something could have happened. Now, because of this marriage law, it seems as though the impossible has become possible…I guess only time will tell." She finished thoughtfully.

Hermione mulled over her words. Could this marriage law really make a miracle happen? Could she find happiness with Draco Malfoy?

The first marriage prep course certainly didn't make her think so.

All couples had to sit together, and things actually started off alright because well, Hermione and Draco didn't talk to one another. Then however, the instructor, who was some ministry official, told the couples that they had to discuss their aspirations for their future with one another. That was when the problems started.

"What are your aspirations for the future Granger?" Draco sneered. "To find some miracle mousse that will tame that beastly hair?"

"What is with your obsession with my hair Malfoy?" Hermione snapped in exasperation. "Just because I don't drown mine in gel like you do doesn't mean I have problems. Oh and by the way, you really shouldn't slick it back like that. It only makes your abnormally pointed face even more extreme," she added casually, conveniently forgetting to mention that his pointed face had become increasingly handsome over the years.

"And for the record, I hope to pursue a degree in magical law enforcement, and had hoped to someday marry for love and eventually raise a family, but I guess that part has to go down the drain."

"Because the ministry is sticking me with you." Malfoy finished for her snarkily.

"Your words not mine." Hermione replied evenly. "Now please, enlighten me on your aspirations," she continued rather haughtily.

"I'm thinking about becoming a Healer," Malfoy said.

Hermione didn't quite manage to hide her surprise quickly enough. Malfoy looked at her contemptuously.

"Someone's judgmental," he said smugly.

"I'm just surprised…that didn't seem to be your kind of thing." Hermione said carefully.

"Well Granger, either you know me so well that you know what kind of career I want, or you don't and you're marrying a stuck up twit who's a half stranger. Which is it? Hermione said nothing. He'd gotten her and he knew it.

"I'm sorry." She said after a moment, deciding to be the bigger person.

"How about that truce?" Draco laughed, not unkindly, after a moment.

"I'd like that!" Hermione said excitedly.

"Too bad." Draco snickered.

Hermione sighed. Back to square one.

On the other side of the room, Blaise and Parvati were arguing as well.

"Two!"
"Four!"

"Two!"
"Four!"

"Two!"
"Four!"

"TWO"
"FOUR"

"ARGH!" They cried in unison.

"Damnit woman! Give me a break! Four kids? What do you think I am, a zookeeper?"

"What are you complaining about? I'm the one that has to push them out! If I'm fine with four than what's your problem?"

Blaise opened his mouth, closed it, then abruptly burst out laughing.

"What's so funny?" Parvati asked in confusion, not sure if she should be disgruntled or not.

"We barely know each other, have been forcibly engaged for barely a day, and we're already arguing—but about how many kids we're going to have!" Blaise hooted.

After a moment, Parvati joined him, before pausing and saying, "You know, given the situation, maybe that's not such a bad thing to argue about."

Blaise nodded in agreement then added, "You know, you're not so bad."

They grinned at each other.

Harry and Ginny were arguing as well—but about the next Quidditch match between England and Ireland. They had started talking about the future months ago, as they had already begun having discussions about building a life together before getting officially paired. They were confident in both their plans as well as in each other.

Surprisingly, Ron and Astoria were among the couples who weren't arguing. Unsurprisingly, it was because they weren't speaking due to previous arguments. She hated the way he snored. He hated how many clothes she had and how she was incessant in her primping. Privately they were both completely at a loss as to how they had gotten paired. They had absolutely nothing in common. They were both currently in the midst of privately brooding about a pair across the room—Ron about Hermione and Astoria about Draco. Maybe they did in fact have something in common.