Hello all! I am so sorry for the delay, I have been studying and writing all of my big exams for the past month. I am now on vacation for several months however, and am looking forward to frequent updates! I can say that we are nearing the end of all of the angsty stuff, and I am still deciding how I want to proceed from there-should I do a detailed account of their engagement/marriage/pregnancies or should I just write one major epilogue? Let me know what you all would prefer, and once again thank you so much for your patience!

Dear Secret Admirer, (is that what I am to call you?)

Thank you. You are absolutely right-I do need a friend right now, someone who is more removed from the situation than my other friends. I am sure that you have heard what has happened between me and my fiancée-no doubt everyone in the school has heard, given the way gossip travels in this castle, and the level of juiciness to this story.

If you have heard about the incident between me and Draco, could you maybe shed some light on the situation? For I really don't know what to think. The truth is that...(Here she had scratched out the beginning of that sentence,) Anyway enough about me for now. How about you? I would feel more comfortable if I had at least some inkling of who you are.

Yours,

Hermione

Dear Hermione,

Hmm...what to tell you about me...Well, I am tall, male, and incredibly good looking...Seriously though, I think in order to describe myself accurately, I need to describe two people. Who I really am, and who I present myself as. The real me is a very insecure person who hides behind a carefully constructed façade. I wasn't raised in the most loving home-my parents loved me and each other greatly, but we never showed it in the kindest of ways. I love flying, and secretly, absolutely adore reading and potions. I have a very dry sense of humour, though it often manifests as incredibly cruel when I am hiding behind my façade. The person I present myself as-well, let's just say that maybe I can sympathize with your fiancée, as no doubt his outward cruelty is a façade as well. I present myself as an arrogant, mean-intentioned individual, but it is because I am fearful of looking weak or vulnerable. I realize now that I have unintentionally made myself to be exactly the characteristics I fear the most through my actions. I realize that this probably hasn't helped you much.

As for your problems, I have indeed heard about them, as has everyone else as you suspected, though have no fear, it seems that most of the negativity is falling on Draco not on you.

Truthfully, while Draco's actions were most despicable and cruel, they are unsurprising. And I don't mean because he is always despicable and cruel, though indeed he is, but because it would be hard for him to be anything else, particularly towards you, given the upbringing he has had. I said that I understand Draco better than you might expect, and that is because I suspect that he too leads a double life in how he presents himself versus who he really is. His parents were death eaters don't forget, and he was raised to be one too, as well as to be prejudicial, powerful, and cruel. While I suspect that he can change, it can't happen overnight, and it will require much patience and kindness on your part.

I think that you are also willing to put the time and effort in, whether or not you are ready to admit that or not. I'm guessing that those crossed out words in your previous entry were the beginning of a confession of some sort...do you harbour feelings for Mr Malfoy? You did refer to him as Draco after all...(Draco smiled as he penned, this, and had purposely worked in this observation as he had spent a good few minutes staring at the five letters forming his first name...she had called him 'Draco,' not 'Malfoy,' or indeed any bad name!) Maybe I am wrong or out of line, but I couldn't help wondering...

Sincerely,

Your Secret Admirer

PS, you can call me whatever you wish, 'Secret Admirer' included, for that is what I am. ;) I hope that someday, I will be able to remove the 'Secret' part of that title...

Dear Friend, for that seems fitting,

While your self-description didn't help me in deducing who you are, it was most informative! I thought long and hard about your words, and I have come to the realization that you are right, and that the problem that you claim to have is most certainly shared by Draco. I realized how obtuse and self-absorbed I have been. While Draco's actions have been most inadmirable and are truly inexcusable, they are explainable, and that is enough. I suppose I had no right to assume that someone with his upbringing would just magically become kind and non-prejudicial. I also realized, that he is not alone in his prejudice. Not only along with the other Slytherins, but with me as well. For I have been completely judgmental toward him, and have given him no benefit of the doubt. As I sat and pondered the relationship that he and I have shared over the past several weeks, I noticed a pattern. Anytime that he displayed true cruelty was in front of the other Slytherins. When it was just the two of us, he was quickly becoming consistently kind and comfortable with being around me. Maybe there is hope for us.

However, there is still the fact of the matter; that he is consistently unkind to me in front of his fellow Slytherins, and that I still believe that he strongly dislikes me, and we have nothing in common. Oh if only he were more like you, you seem so sensitive, and love to read and enjoy potions-I feel that you and I would get along most well!

Yours,

Hermione

So the exchanges continued, with Draco feeling as though he was walking on air. Whether or not Hermione knew it, she and he did have a lot in common, and she was falling for him. This knowledge made their face to face exchanges much more bearable, for though she was flippant and blatantly angry at him, he felt comforted knowing that as soon as she flounced away, she picked up her journal and penned her "Secret Admirer," a letter, which he would immediately get, beginning a real conversation between them. Now all that was left was for him to find a way to bridge the two very different relationships. Unbeknownst to Draco, something was to happen which would effectively do that for him.

xxxxx

McGonagall announced one day to the seventh and eighth years that the ministry was having second thoughts about the Marriage Law. While it was determined to see it through, for the population problems that they were facing were quite pressing, it was regretting the difficult situations it had placed some of the students in, and was going to conduct some tests to determine which couples might have no chance of finding happiness together and was planning on re-matching those wizards and witches.

"I thought that the Sorting Hat was never wrong?" Ginny asked.

"After observing you all interacting, the Ministry has deduced that while the Hat is never wrong about sorting witches and wizards into their proper houses, it may not always be the most adept matchmaker." McGonagall explained.

Hermione's heart was soaring at McGonagall's announcement. Turning to Harry, she whispered, "This is it! This is my chance to be rid of Malfoy! Not only that, but maybe I'll get resorted with my Secret Admirer! We do seem to be well suited for one another!" Harry smiled at his friend. He had seen the resurgence of Hermione's happiness once she had started conversing with her admirer. He could tell that this boy, whoever he was, made her very happy. He hoped that the ministry would do the right thing and pair them together, though he had his doubts. It had already royally screwed up after all.

xxxxx

A few days later, McGonagall called all of them to her classroom, where they were greeted by her and none other than Percy Weasley, who McGonagall explained would be conducting the test. Percy, in his pompous way, instructed them all to split into their current pairings and sit together at a pair of desks. He couldn't help casting an approving glance at Harry and Ginny and a scathing look at Astoria. Once they were all seated, he waved his wand, producing what appeared to be a questionnaire in front of each of them, along with a quill and an inkpot. Hermione noted that the quills looked much like the anti-cheating quills that they wrote their exams with.

"The procedure is simple. Fill out your questionnaire, which will be compared with your current partner's questionnaire once you have completed them. The compatibility of the results will be deduced. Those whose compatibility is below 50% will be re-paired." Percy explained. "Begin!"

xxxxx

Once all of the students had completed their questionnaires, Percy collected them all into a pile with a wave of his wand and tapped the pile three times, telling the expectant and nervous students that it would take a few moments for the spell to process all of their answers and to sit tight. Those few minutes felt like the longest of Hermione's and Draco's life, which was saying something.

Eventually, bright blue sparks shot from the pile, causing several students to jump, as the accompanying bang resonated twice as loudly in the tense, quiet class. Lavender pieces of parchments materialized in front of each student. Gingerly, Hermione picked hers up and read it.

The top answers that indicated who your ideal match was were these:

1. On a scale of one to ten, how much do you enjoy reading? Answer: Nine

2. What is your favourite secret pass time? Answer: Writing in my secret two-way journal

do you most wish to accomplish? Answer: Becoming brave enough to show the world who I really am, not who I present myself as.

Hermione could barely contain her excitement. These answers had to have come from her secret admirer-she was going to be placed with him! She excitedly tapped the parchment with her wand where it said, "And your prince charming is..." Finally, she was going to see who her true match was. Her elated grin turned to open-mouthed horror when she read the name that appeared. Jumping up from her seat she whirled on Malfoy and cried, "You!"

Smiling up at her excitedly, Malfoy simply said, "Me."

"It was you? You were my secret admirer? But how? That was-"

"-the real me. And I'm sorry that it took so long for me to show myself, but I'm ready now."

Feeling weak-legged, Hermione sat down and studied Draco. For the first time, she didn't see his sharp, pointed chin, the fading dark mark on his left arm, or the coldness of his grey eyes. Instead, she saw how his eyes were lit with excitement, the delicate structure of his face, softened now that he wasn't sneering, and his lips...his beautiful lips, smiling at her. Hermione realized that she was finally, truly, seeing Draco Malfoy...and she liked what she saw. It was to him that she had poured out her heart and soul unabated for the past several weeks, who had understood her and made her laugh. She could see herself continuing in this same happy vein with him for a long time to come. So when he sucked in a deep breath, and bravely asked, "Hermione Granger, even though it is now clear that you absolutely have no choice, will you choose to marry me?" she replied, without hesitation,

"Yes."

And Draco Malfoy finally got to do what he had so been craving. Taking the ring out of his pocket, he slipped it onto the finger of the clever, kind, muggle-born witch who sat beside him. Smiling at each other, both looked down at the beautiful ring, bejeweled with emeralds and rubies, Slytherin and Gryffindor, side by side, united.