Never the Twain Shall Meet

The school year continued, each progressive class getting more and more monotonous. Pansy and Harry were inseparable, the two cooing at each like love birds.

Blaise made an honest to make his wife comfortable, even though he hated every moment of it. He went to each Healer visit with her and if she expressed a craving he walked down to the kitchens to retrieve it.

Ginny refused to speak to Hermione, instead shooting her glares across the great hall during meal times.

Astoria had gotten so sick of the red-heads childish behavior she cursed Ginny with a Babbling Hex. It lasted 18 hours straight. Draco was very proud.

For the first few months after Christmas holidays Adrian spoke more to Hermione over the phone than Marcus did, setting up the business and asking Hermione a million questions about Daphne. His continued interest in the elder Greengrass girl had Mya and him talking for long periods of time, until Marcus put a stop to Adrians' constant need for information and called him out on it.

Hermione had hung up the phone that night angry at both of them. She also marched right over and gave Daphne Adrians phone number commanding her to call the sneaky and sinfully handsome Wizard.

Daphne did right that second, effectively ending Adrian and Marcus' argument.

It was now uncommon for one to be seen without the other on free time or one without a phone pressed up against their ear. Hermione supposed she and Marcus looked similarly.

Draco and Astoria had finally gotten approval to marry after Draco completed Auror training.

Greg still hadn't found a girl friend and Hermione worried for him.

While not with a phone to her ear and not with Marcus, Hermione spent her time with the group or alone with Blaise.

She was his life line. They partnered together for the end-of-year project and won first place, with Draco and Harry coming in second and Pansy and Daphne coming in third.

Draco and Harry did not take losing well.

They cooked up some plot for revenge and ended up turning Hermione's hair Chudley Canon Orange. It was an accident of course; they didn't really mean to turn it orange.

Harry and Draco are unable to attend classes for the next two days as they were recovering in the infirmary. Madam Pomphrey had no idea how to turn Hermione's hair back to its original color or how to remove the second nose from Malfoys forehead and the third eye from Potters chin.

She pulled out the big guns and recruited Minerva McGonagall; Hermione's favorite teacher. They ambushed the orange haired harpy and begged Hermione to fix the boys' facial features.

Hermione harrumphed. After she took a picture and after her hair returned to normal she waved her wand and removed the unsightly facial additions. She also told everyone who would listen.

Draco and Harry didn't speak to her for days. She was strangely comfortable with that.

It's the day before graduation and Hermione and Draco are co-valedictorians. They must make speeches, "I'm nervous, Draco," she said, rubbing her hands together and pacing.

"Why? It's just our graduating class," he says, nonchalantly.

"… and their parents and teachers… ugh! This whole public speaking business is just nerve racking," she complains, bringing Draco out of his quiet state.

He looks at her and takes her hands gently in his, "We are moving to Surrey tomorrow. We have the summer to goof around and then we have to start life. You are one speech away from being whatever you want to be and doing whatever you want to do. I've heard your speech it's great; you're great. Now let's go," he said.

She smiled and blinked her eyes to keep from crying, "I love you, you know?" she said, hugging him.

"I know," he said, turning around to walk onto the stage.

Draco

They were all seated quietly out by the lake. The sun was shining and the birds chirping, Draco was sweating. In spite of the pep talk he gave Granger, he was pretty sure that he would be wearing his breakfast in the next few minutes if the herd of hippogriffs in his belly didn't settle down. He wasn't listening to the Headmaster… er, Professor McGonagall…

He shook his head and looked up when her heard his name, "…Draco Malfoy," clap clap clap clap.

He smiled and looked out at the audience; he was the picture of cool and collected; Hermione hated him at that moment.

"When I was a kid, my dad and I were in Muggle London. We walked around a corner and saw a house burning. Flames were everywhere; it was chaos. The firemen ran to the house with a large hose and began assembling their metal ladders putting them up against the house," he paused for a moment then continued after a wink from his father.

"The next door neighbor, an older woman, stood on her porch with an armful of linen taking in the scene in front of her.

We all watched anxiously as the firemen struggled with the ladders.

Suddenly, she leans over the porch and shouts to the firefighter, 'Forget the ladders! Just point the hose at the fire!'

The firemen, to their credit, responded immediately dropping the ladders and pointing the hose at the fire. The blaze was extinguished in about a minute," he looked around at the baffled faces in the crowd.

"There are two morals to this story. One, never assume that just because it's someone's job, they know how to do it. Two, don't let yourself be intimidated. As the great writer James Baldwin said: 'Your crown has been bought and paid for. All you have to do is put it on your head,'

So don't hold back, it's our time to shine, find your voice and use it." He ended with a smile and a blush and roaring applause.

Hermoine was in tears, she was so proud of him. She smacked Blaise on the head when he leaned in, "Pussy," he whispered.

Draco chuckled at the sound of Hermione's hand smacking against Blaise's head.

Professor Flitwick, "…Hermione Granger," he said, clapping and watching her proudly as she walked up the stage.

Hermione

Marcus thought she was the most beautiful witch on the planet. He winked at her when she met his gaze.

She looked up, "I don't have a long speech, but I wanted to share with you a few things I've learned during my years at Hogwarts. Being a Muggle born witch it's been both rewarding and disappointing trying to prove to both myself and my peers that I was an equal. Over the last two years I learned to trust myself and in those around me. So here are my words of wisdom; it is with passion, courage of conviction, and strong sense of self that we take our next steps into the world. You must always have faith in people. And most importantly, you must always have faith in yourself.

To everyone I remind you that we must move forward in life remembering that first impressions are not always correct and friendship, support and love are usually found in the most unlikely of places," she ended looking at Marcus, Draco and Blaise, "thank you," she finished.

She winked at the girls and stepped off stage. (Legally Blonde, modified graduation speech)

Professor Flitwick hurried up to the podium, "It is with great honor that we are able to give this to Miss Granger," he held out a parchment for her to take.

She gave him a confused look and walked back up the stage to take it from him. Forgetting her enormous audience, she broke the seal of the parchment and read the note.

She gasped and looked in the audience for him.

He stood as she ran from the stage and down the aisle. He stepped out from his seat just in time to catch her as she jumped into his arms almost knocking him over… well not really, but still, he grunted on impact.

Draco shook his head and the girls giggled as the entire audience had their heads turned watching the two. Blaise could hear the collective gasp as many of the pureblood realized that it was Marcus Flint currently hugging the pretty Muggle born tightly and even more surprising was that she was hugging him back.

Attention returned to the stage when Professor Flitwick cleared his throat and chuckled, "What Miss Granger failed to mention was that that parchment was a written agreement by the most skilled and certainly most sought after master of spells, Kingston Meggers."

Applause.

Marcus set her down and returned to his seat while she walked back to the stage and gave Professor Flitwick a kiss on his cheek. The little Wizard blushed scarlet.

The rest of the day passed quickly, families and friends meeting, laughter, tears and Seamus spiking the punch.

Pansy got so drunk she cast a cleaning spell on the dance floor and ended up accidently giving Harry bunny ears and a fluffy tail. He was not happy.

Ginny didn't say much to anyone, keeping her distance from the group of friends. She was looking at Blaise laugh and joke and then glare at Hermione and Marcus.

She about seven months and quite large; Blaise had taken her shopping a month ago to purchase maternity robes that magically expanded as the pregnant witch grew, Ginny said she hated them and wanted something new.

As soon as she had the baby, she would be moving to her home in France to start training; Ginny couldn't wait.

"So when do you start Princess?" Marcus asked as they swayed slowly to the music

"He's agreed to let me start mid June," she said her voice laced with excitement.

He squeezed her closer, "What's the plan for tomorrow?" he asked, relishing in the feel of her small, warm body pressed against his.

She sighed, "see mum and daddy off, move my stuff to Surrey, eat, and then strip you naked and use you for my pleasure," she teased, but not really.

He smirked and looked down, "Minx," he whispered and bent his head so he could kiss her. A movement in his periphery stopped him and he remembered something, "Pucey entered into negotiations with Daphne's father," he told her.

She gasped, "Really? That's great! I bet she's excited," Hermione said, looking at the two across the room dancing slowly together, eyes closed, holding each other tightly.

"She doesn't know, yet," he said, quietly, willing her not to say anything.

She looked intrigued and happy to have a secret, Marcus shook his head and he loved this little witch.

*** Aug 16

Hermione had been training for two months, the boys had been in training for one month and they barely saw each other even though they lived in the same house.

Hermione walked in ready to drop. She was tired and dirty and her mood stunk. She entered the den to find Blaise, Harry and Draco still in Auror training robes flopped on the couch, heads back, eyes closed looking like she felt. Marcus and Adrian were on the chairs smirking in their direction.

Adrian noticed her first and gasped, "What the hell happened to you?" his eyes roaming her soot covered face, frizzy hair and wrinkled, tattered clothing.

The three on the couch lifted their heads and opened their eyes to see the burnt witch fall into her favorite chair with a sigh, "I was working on this curse. It was perfect, I did all Arithmancy calculations, figured out the layers, almost had it… then, Meggers…" she spat, "that sadist, added another curse at the last moment and I blew up the vase, its ashes… probably some ones remains knowing Meggers' macabre sense of humor, ended up all over me," she told them sniffling, holding back frustrated tears.

She felt the tingle of magic and looked up to see Marcus putting away his wand. She let the tears fall, "you cleaned me up," she sobbed happily and held her arms up for him to hug her, like a child would its mother.

He snorted and picked her up and sitting down with her snuggled on his lap. The others were all used to how affectionate the couple was; and with the exception of Blaise, the others were just as affectionate.

"Did you read the Prophet today, Mya?" Blaise asked, his eyes closed again and head back.

"No," she mumbled into Marcus' chest. She wouldn't have thought anything, but felt her warm and comfy boyfriend stiffened, "What?" she asked, lifting her head.

Adrian plopped the paper down on her lap.

She sat up slightly and opened it:

Magical Community in Peril!

The Minister of Magic, Tolstoy Pudding, made the announcement today that the Ministry is reinstating Marriage Act 12073. 'More and more non-magical children are born from magical beings every day,' he says, 'The Wizarding world is suffering.'

The Act requires each pureblood witch or wizard of consenting age (17) marry a half-blood or Muggle born within six months of Ministry notification. Any marriage petitions, common among purebloods, which have been agreed to and signed off on, will remain valid, though proof of contract is required.

If marriage is not forthcoming inside of given timeframe, the Ministry will either appoint you a spouse or snap your wand and remove your magic.

It is the Ministry's hopes that once blood lines are mixed, babies born from these unions will be even more powerful than their parents.

She couldn't speak anymore after reading the article aloud. She just stared down at the paper.

They were all watching her; waiting.

After what seemed like hours, when only it was minutes she spoke, "This only affects Marcus and me, right? Adrian you have a contract with Daphne, yeah?" she asked hoping he could marry who he wanted.

He nodded.

She sighed, "Well, a good thing is that in about a year, our business will be booming," she told her partners.

Marcus and Adrian were puzzled, but Draco smiled at her, "that's right… all those pureblood curses and wards. They're generations old. In order to keep the non-pureblood spouse safe, the families will need someone to dismantle the curses and create new wards," he said leaning back nodding at her.

Marcus squeezed her, "I love you," he whispered.

She smiled and cupped his cheek, "enough to buy me a chocolate sundae?" she asked

He grunted, "Enough to make you the chocolate sundae," he replied, his voice husky.

The floo activated and Alexandra walked in, "Blaise, your wife is in labor. Mya, Draco, you should come as well, to see your Goddaughter when she arrives."

Mya jumped up, suddenly full of energy; Draco and Mya floo'd first eager to meet their God daughter, Blaise showed up a few minutes later grumbling about being pushed out of the way and how he was her father.

They walked into the maternity wards hearing shrill screaming and overt threats to get this baby out of her.

They looked at each other and pushed 'the father' into the room.