Chapter Two:

"Trevor, would you mind giving us the room?" Yaxley asked as he grasped the Auror's hand.

"Of course, sir." Trevor said with a smile. He gave me a glare as he left.

"Olivia, so wonderful to see you. I'm a big fan of your work." Belinda said warmly as she grasped my hand in both of hers. I was a little dumbfounded. Belinda Harris and I weren't friends – we'd barely interacted. I guess she read my face because she laughed. "I started out as a secretary as well, Olivia. I know that half the work Artemis produces is actually your work. You think I didn't recognize your fingerprints all over the Reparations Act proposal?"

I flushed and glanced around the room nervously. Yaxley had taken Trevor's seat behind the desk and Malfoy was in front of the door, leaning back against it languidly, his eyes boring into me.

"Fat lot of good the Reparations Act proposal got me, right? Instead of trying to get Muggleborns back into Britain, you're just making those of us that are here prisoners." My mouth was really going to get me in trouble one day. My father had tried to beat it out of me, occasionally literally, but it just never took.

Belinda didn't miss a beat. She patted my hand gently. "Oh it won't be that bad. You can finally move out of that one room flat you live in in Muggle London."

I jerked my hand out of her grasp. "What?"

"Really, Olivia, do you think that we didn't do our research? We've had this in motion for years, and it was only now that we finally had enough support to get it passed." Belinda waved her hand at me in dismissal. "Now, the real problem that we have is that you are trying to leave Britain."

I gaped at her, blinking rapidly.

"Wh- how – I'm just here to withdraw the rent for my flat, Belinda. Really. I've been a loyal Ministry employee for three years and you're accusing me of trying to break the law?"

A quiet chuckle came from the area that I knew Lucius Malfoy was standing in and I ignored it.

Belinda smiled serenely at me, her hands clasped lightly in her lap. "I would never accuse you of that, Olivia. Lucius made me aware that you just happened to be in Diagon Alley, and he just happened to also be coming into Gringotts and saw that you were here."

"So Lucius Malfoy is now a snitch." I said darkly, cutting my eyes at him, and he raised one pale eyebrow at me.

"It seemed like as convenient a time as ever to introduce you, formally, to your match."

I felt the air go out of my lungs and a ringing started in my ears. I could vaguely hear Belinda speaking but it sounded like I was underwater, and then my vision narrowed and went black.

I was distantly aware that I was moving, but that didn't seem like it was possible, considering I was fairly certain that my legs wouldn't work right now. There was a pause, a whoosh, and I felt the familiar feeling of traveling via Floo Powder.

"I can tell you're awake, Olivia."

Lucius Malfoy.

With a yelp, I jerked out of his hands, surprising him, and fell onto the floor. Hard. With a groan, I opened my eyes and realized that I was in my flat. I looked around and my eyes landed on a pair of shiny black loafers before traveling up the body of Lucius Malfoy, landing by locking eyes with him.

"As much as I enjoy the vision of you at my feet, you might be more comfortable on the couch."

I choked on my own spit and scrambled to my feet, pulling out my wand from my pocket as I went and pointing it at him.

"Get out."

He make a tsking sound with his tongue before walking around my small flat slowly.

"Now what kind of fiancé would I be if I left you now? You called in sick to work today, showed up at Gringotts talking about a family emergency, and then promptly fainted. It would be irresponsible to leave you alone."

"Fiancé?!"

He looked over at me and glanced down at my left hand, and I immediately lifted it to see a large diamond ring on my left ring finger. With a shriek, I grabbed it and tried to pull it off, but it wouldn't budge.

"No." I whispered, stifling a sob as I continued to pull at it. "No, no, no."

"Yes." Lucius said as he stepped over to my packed suitcase on the bed. "You were going to run."

My mouth was dry again.

"I don't – I don't understand how this happened. And so fast." I choked out, slowly making my way into the kitchen. Grabbing a glass from the drainer, I filled it with water and took a few gulps.

"I planned it."

The words came from directly behind me and I shrieked, dropping the glass. It shattered in the sink and I whirled around to find Lucius directly behind me, so close that our bodies were almost touching.

"Why are you doing this? I don't even know you." I gasped out. I felt like an elephant was sitting on my chest.

Lucius looked down at me and shook his head slightly. I flinched, again, when he reached up and put his hand on my cheek.

"Because I can." He murmured quietly with a shrug. He ran his thumb along my lip gently before turning on his heel, walking to the fireplace, and Flooing out.

I stood there in the kitchen, blinking dumbly, before I realized that there was an owl pecking repeatedly at the window. I walked over and took the letter from it.

DO NOT RUN! They're watching Gringotts! Please come over to Grimmauld Place at 6 – we can talk then.

-Hermione

"You're a few hours too late, Hermione." I muttered darkly as I crushed the piece of parchment in my hand.

I spent the next few hours wallowing in the house. I cried, I screamed, I broke a few things – okay, I have a slight anger problem; you can chalk it up to my childhood trauma and lack of ability to regulate my emotions. I also sat and stared at the diamond ring on my finger for at least an hour. It had to be a three carat diamond, princess cut, with emeralds inlaid on both sides. It was gorgeous. And obviously spelled to stay on my finger. No matter what I tried – lotion, water, butter – the damn thing would not come off. I could spin it around, but I couldn't remove it. I took a shower and pulled on jeans and a t-shirt, then Floo'd over to 12 Grimmauld Place.

Harry and Ginny had been living there together since they married six months ago, and Harry had been renovating it for a few years before that. The townhouse had quickly become the usual hangout for the group.

"Olivia!"

Hermione pulled me into a hug as soon as I stepped out of the fireplace.

"I'm so sorry for what I said yesterday. You know I don't blame you for leaving, and I know your parents didn't really give you a choice."

I snorted and hugged Hermione back before pulling away and throwing myself into a chair at the kitchen table. Harry, Ginny, and Ron were already seated there, and I gave them a wave.

"Well, I think the universe has officially gotten back at me." I pulled the bottle of Ogden's Firewhiskey that was on the table toward me and tipped it back, swallowing a few mouthfuls. I coughed harshly before continuing. "My match is Lucius Malfoy." I held up my left hand to the table.

Hermione landed hard in the chair beside me, her mouth open in shock.

"Lucius Malfoy?" Harry repeated, continuing to stare at my hand.

I nodded, swallowing a few more gulps of whiskey.

"Holy shit." Ginny whispered, shaking her head.

We sat in silence for a moment, passing around the bottle.

"So, are you going to petition for Hermione?" I asked Ron.

He flushed and nodded, and Hermione took another swallow of whiskey.

"Well that's just wonderful. Harry and Ginny are married, you and Hermione are already in love and I'm sure they'll honor your petition, and I'll be stuck with Malfoy."

"How did you even find out already?" Hermione asked as I took the bottle from her. "Letters aren't supposed to go out until next week."

I snorted and took another swallow of whiskey. It was really starting to go to my head now. With a sigh, I launched into how my day had unfolded – from receiving my letter from the Ministry to Lucius Malfoy carrying me into my apartment.

"He was watching you." Ginny slurred, pointing her finger at me.

I giggled, shaking my head at her. We were all right and properly sloshed by this point.

"But why? And how? How could he have known already?" Harry slapped his hand against the table and I startled. I really hated sudden movements and loud sounds. My father's preferred method of punishment was a quick backhand to the face, and after nineteen years of it, the response was ingrained in me.

"He's a fucking asshole that throws around his money like he's a goddamn Kennedy, that's how." I moaned, my head in my hands. I was aware that my American accent was coming through, as it usually did when I was drunk, but I couldn't help it. I had spent too much time in the States as a child. "I just don't understand why he seems so happy that it's me. I'm nobody."

"You're not nobody!" Hermione exclaimed beside me, pulling me into a hug by my neck. I choked a little bit, as her grip was a little tight. "You're brilliant, you know. We love you in the archives. I've asked Carissa to poach you a few times, but she says that Artemis won't let you go."

I blinked a few times at her, feeling like she had said something important, but I couldn't grasp onto it through the whiskey haze. We eventually moved on from the marriage law to talk about other things. Ginny was doing amazing as a chaser for the Hollyhead Harpies, and the rumor was that she would be captain before long. Harry and Ron were doing well as Aurors's under Kingsley, but they weren't sure they wanted to keep doing the job if it meant rounding up Muggleborns. And Hermione, who was making great strides as one of the foremost magical historians, was trying to keep her head straight while reconciling with the fact that some of her research had contributed to the reasoning that the Ministry used to pass the Marriage Law.

Against advisement, I Floo'd home absolutely pissed and passed out face down on my bed. When I woke up late Saturday afternoon, I crawled to the bathroom and swallowed a hangover potion before placing my cheek onto the cool floor. I had stumbled awake a few hours earlier to Loki yowling incessantly to be fed, but I couldn't be bothered to make it to the bathroom for the potion. Once it took effect a few minutes later, I slowly stood up and made my way into the kitchen, guzzling water directly out of the sink. I looked over to the window sill to see that a letter had been delivered at some point, as well as the Saturday edition of the Prophet, so I picked them up and regretted it immediately. My name was on the front of the letter, but when I turned it over and saw the Malfoy family crest on the wax seal, I dropped it onto the table with a groan. I was not mentally or physically able to deal with anything related to Lucius Malfoy. A moment later I did the same with the Prophet – I felt the same way about it.

I pulled out the mobile that I kept around for the bi-yearly phone call with mum, but more importantly, I kept it to order takeaway. There was a major perk to residing in Muggle London, and that was that I could have Chinese takeaway delivered whenever I wanted. After ordering, I pulled out the necessary notes to pay for it, and ironically, I did need to exchange some galleons for pounds if I wanted to order takeaway again. Then I remembered that I was engaged to Lucius 'Hates Muggleborns' Malfoy and that this might very well be my last meal of Muggle Chinese takeaway.

Flicking my wand at the radio, I turned it to a music station and forced myself to forget about the stupid Marriage Law. I wasn't going to let Lucius Malfoy ruin Chinese takeaway for me.

The next morning I started coffee brewing and made myself an omelet before sitting down to open the letter from Lucius Malfoy.

Olivia,

Enclosed you will find the standard Marriage Contract that the Malfoy family uses. Please review, sign, and return to me by 5PM Monday, October 7th.

Lucius

Since when were we on a first name basis? I stood up and made myself a cup of coffee before diving into the contract. I barely made it through the first page before I knew that I was in trouble. Slowly, I made my way through the contract, making notes as I went. Halfway through the day I took the time to reheat leftover Chinese.

Lucius Malfoy had made provisions for everything – stipulations on the names of our future children, how I would dress, how short I could cut my hair, control over my finances… the list went on and on. I was not going to roll over and sign this. How dare he?

I grabbed a clean piece of parchment and angrily wrote a note before throwing it into the fireplace with a bit of Floo Powder.

Mister Malfoy, we need to discuss this contract in person. - Olivia Campbell

A few moments later, a return note flashed out of the fireplace and I caught it.

Olivia, dinner at the Manor at six. I already took the liberty of having your Floo connected. Please dress appropriately. – Lucius

I glanced at the clock and saw it was shortly after four in the afternoon. I took a shower, dried and straightened my hair with a quick charm, and then got dressed in blue jeans with large rips, a tank top, and pulled on a blue and black plaid pullover shirt. I slid on a pair of socks and then shoved my feet into my black and white Converses. If Lucius Malfoy was expecting me to dress up for him, he had another thing coming. I gathered the contract, my notes, and a quill and ink and placed them in my bag with my wand before grabbing a handful of Floo Powder and saying, "Malfoy Manor!"