Note: Why, hello there! So... yet another chapter! And, finally, after the wait (which was NOT long at all), the mysterious law is revealed... Mind you, I love the title of this chapter! XD Anyway, thanks again to wonderful D and Firnoviel... I couldn't do this without you guys! Okay, here goes!

Chapter 3: I Hate You. Let's Marry!

The rest of the night went great with the exception of the last hour. Hermione had seen fathers, mothers, sons and cousins; she hoped it would finish soon. She was really getting bored by all the stupid conversations everyone seemed to enjoy. Politics weren't the subject she would have chosen at this hour of the night when all she could think of were her growing headache and lack of sleep. She needed her 10 hours of sleep right away.

"Are you okay, Granger?"

The sound of that voice seemed familiar. She wondered who already knew her middle name –now her ex-last name– so well to use it so normally... until she saw who it was and mentally slapped herself to have forgotten about him.

"Malfoy. How... surprising to see you here."

She tried her best to stay calm. Was he to make fun of her again? He couldn't use the mudblood subject anymore, nor could he with 'buckteeth' for some years now. What would he find now to annoy her?

"Tut tut, Granger. I know you wanted me to come," he said with his annoying trade-mark smirk and confident tone.

"Oh, yes, you're right," she responded with a fake smile. "So I could literally swoon over you like a mad squid and squish you like a puppy until you couldn't breathe. Yes, after all... you just might be right."

"Granger, you hurt me right there," he said pointing his heart.

"Good. So can you go to the infirmary and stay away from me?"

"No."

That, she expected a bit. He was here to annoy her, after all. And his mere presence alone was sufficient to annoy her greatly.

"In fact... I came here to see you." He flashed her a cocky smile.

"Hurray. Let me jump of joy in the middle of my room upstairs where you won't be with me."

She made a move to go away, but he took her firmly by the hand.

"No, Granger, you can't leave me like that. I need to talk to you of important matters."

He leaned in so he was inches from her face and murmured dangerously:

"And you need to listen to me, my dear, if you know what is good for you."

He looked her in the eyes. Pool of icy metal into a swirl of chocolate ones; time seemed to stay put for a moment, before he stopped his gaze and led her to an empty room near them. What had she gotten herself into, now? Where was Harry when she needed him, anyway?

He closed the door, locked it –at that point she became nervous– and stood before her. He was taller than she remembered. He had stopped smirking the moment they were alone; a serious expression was now across his face.

"You see, Granger, my father is in jail―"

"I wonder why," she said, rolling her eyes.

"As I was saying," he said looking at her menacingly, "since he's in jail, my family has lost some... reputation. And we don't like that. And, as you're so amazingly brilliant, I'm gonna ask you a question: what would the son of a Death Eater do to regain some good reputation with the ministry and magical world in general?"

"Hmm... He would prove he isn't a Death Eater like his father?" she tried uncertainly. She didn't know what was so important about it. What was she to do about it?

"Yes, exactly. That's where you come in, Granger."

"Oh, really," she thought bitterly to herself.

"You," he said pointing her, "are a pureblood, but everybody thought you were a mudblood for quite a long time. Plus, you're Potty's best friend, and you are sure to fight against the Dark Lord. So, in order to save my reputation, I will make you an offer."

"What is it, Malfoy?"

"Marry me."

"WHAT? This is all in my head. Or it's a nightmare. Or another dimension where people are crazy. This is not my reality, there's just no way it is..."

"Let me explain: if I marry you, my reputation is safe. And Pansy will stop bugging me. And," he added as she was ready to protest, "it has good impacts on your life too, Granger."

"Oh yeah?" she snorted. "Like what?"

"Like the fact you won't have to marry Longbottom. Because I know for a fact that you wouldn't like to marry him, would you?"

The thing is... he was right. But she didn't want to marry him either, so...

"And I'll be the best husband I could be, even if it involves no adultery."

"You are so wonderful..." she rolled her eyes at him again.

"And," he added finally, "I'll even push the luck as to ignore the 19th law of the marriage contract."

"Which is?" she asked, eyebrow raised in suspicion.

"To make an heir before the husband is 21 years old."

At that, her eyes went popping out of her head (actually they didn't, but... well, that's what she imagined they would do in a comic). A murderous thought went to her brother who decided to put the whole 'marriage contract' thing in action, brother who, even if not near her, sensed shivers going down his spine for a strange, unknown reason.

"So, what do you say?" Malfoy asked her.

"Do you actually think I'm gonna marry you just now?" she practically cried in frustration and disbelief.

Oh, boy was she in a big mess now. She had to think. Quickly. True, she didn't want to marry Malfoy. But, she didn't want to 'produce an heir' to the first guy who would please her parents enough. She didn't want to marry Neville, even if she knew him; she would feel like marrying some foreign sea monster or something. Definitely not what she wanted. But Malfoy... Malfoy was Malfoy. Why, yes, why would she help him by marrying him? Shit. Shit, shit, shit, shit. And the hell with swearing now!

"I'm gonna marry you..." she started, catching a glimpse of a smile on his abnormally pale face, "if my parents accept you amongst the others."

Ha! Now she was quite sure he wouldn't go after her for a while. You get in trouble, you get yourself out, she thought. She got out; now it was his turn. And she surely wouldn't help him in any way.

He unlocked the door beside her and let her pass. But, just before she was going away from him, he added something she didn't expected at all.

"You do know Crabbe has a crush on you, right?"

'Aaaaargh!' was all she could think of. Her mind was spinning out of control and the only thought she had available was that cry of despair. Aaaaargh.

"I'm not gonna help you, Malfoy, if that's what you want. But I won't help the others. Deal?"

"Deal."

They shook hands, and parted their ways, her with murderous thoughts, him with a contented smile, for he had done a pretty good job in his opinion. The rest of the ball went slowly, as she dreaded the day after. She knew her parents' decision about the marriage of their child would be known about one or two days after a ball of this kind. Lucky Malfoy, who doesn't have any parents to make a decision like that for him... or a brother for that matter, she pondered before going to bed. Everyone was gone; Ginny had offered her some sympathy after she heard everything, but it wasn't big enough. She needed comfort, but she couldn't find any. Harry kindly told her he would beat the ferret to a bloody pulp if it would help, and Crabbe too for that matter, but she refused. 'Violence is not the solution,' she had said. But, now that she was thinking about it... Maybe it could be a solution... Hey, wait a minute. Was she actually thinking that? She surely was more shaken by everything happening then she first thought.

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Oooooh what a looooong paragraph! O.o And, what a chapter! (if I do say so myself) Anyway, hope you liked it, that's the only important thing... please review!

Featherstrike

...and D and Firnoviel :P