Disclaimer: I own nothing. I make no money from this. Yada yada yada. *ON WITH THE SHOW* Oh ok if you insist.

A/N: Kiddies are finally in bed so I can finally finish and post the newest chapter. As I've said before there is going to be a lot happening in these first….probably 6 or 7 chapters but then I plan on elaborating more with each. You won't get to know anything until our wonderful characters do so please bare with me. All of the following and reviews are wonderful and I appreciate them so much so please by all means…keep them coming J Oh yes, no beta so all faults are my own.

Ramyfan: I do believe that Hermione (especially Emma Watson) is undeniably gorgeous, however my favorite little Slytherin doesn't agree too much. Or perhaps he doth protest too much. Tee hee hee. Sorry about insulting our favorite girl, but it simply had to be done so we could all see Draco for how he is at this point. He will change later, maybe, hopefully. Let's just cross our fingers and hope for the best.

Grovek26, ellie1788, kimandjackKickinit and Kermit 304: I don't think I've said hi yet, so hello and thank you for the wonderful reviews. Hope you all like the newest developments.

Saving The Malfoy Line

By: thenext_Austen

Chapter 4: How To Deal

Never had Hermione thought that things could ever escalate so quickly. It was as if she was on overdrive, her mouth and head simply would not listen to reason. She had no idea what had come over her. She was well aware that she was already a little peeved at how life was playing out up until this point. Today she had been had hexes thrown at her, was covered head to toe in dirt and shards of glass, was threatened and propositioned by a Death Eater and lastly she was publicly insulted. Enough was enough. She was beyond fed up with any and every person with the surname of Malfoy. They were both egotistical arseholes and she was sick of dealing with them.

Of course after all of the action in the Great Hall had settled down and Harry and Ron both had finished congratulating her on her payback to Malfoy they were all finally able to sit down and discuss Lucius' letter. The boys' reaction was exactly what she had envisioned. A massive blowout. Both of them had deemed the senior Malfoy mental and had declared rather vehemently that it wouldn't ever happen. She wanted to agree, she wanted to throw the biggest temper tantrum that any of them had ever seen but the logical part of her brain kept that at bay. She just remained seated across from Dumbledore while they both had watched the boys finish their tirade. With mumbled apologies to the Headmaster they both finally sat back down to listen to what the man had to say. He politely asked the two to head back to their dorms and assured them that no decisions would be made until he was able to speak with her privately and then for her to have a chance to speak with them if she wished. She wished, she really did. She never made any major decision without asking her friends for their opinion first.

She now found herself sitting in Dumbledore's office, alone with the elder wizard and was beyond curious as to what he was scheming in that head of his. She understood the potential of a deal made with the Malfoy's, she really did. It made all the sense in the world. They knew the inner workings of Voldemort's closest allies; they were strong and able beings not to mention that they had money and let's face it, at this day and age, money talks no matter who you are. The only downfall of this allegiance was her. She would have to give up everything for this to come about.

They had sat in silence for a time. Her friends were not going to be reasonable about this. They wouldn't see the strategic stand points at all. Harry would see it as she was being thrown to the sharks and Ron would only see that something he wanted so badly would be going to a Malfoy. That thought irritated her a bit. She wasn't a prize to be won and she would make sure he knew that. His reaction was expected though. Hermione was certain that once Voldemort was gone and the dust had settled that she and Ron would be together the way she had always hoped. She had been in love with him since second year and knowing that there was a possibility of it not happening was a little more than heart breaking.

"Galleon for your thoughts Miss Granger."

"Oh I'm sorry Headmaster I must have lost myself there for a minute."

"That's quite alright dear; we all need to be a little lost sometimes so that we can be found again."

He was going somewhere with this, of that she was certain but she just didn't have any clue where. "Headmaster, what are we going to do about this…this…Malfoy thing." She didn't have the slightest clue of what else to call it so that's what she went with and that's what stuck. "Well Miss Granger I wish there was a simple answer for that. Unfortunately this is a situation where the decision lies completely on your shoulders. I can understand your hesitation to the whole ordeal considering your past with both Malfoy men but I would be lying to you if I said that this idea didn't have merit. Being able to have access to all of the knowledge that Mr. Malfoy has been privy to would be a great asset to our cause." She knew he was making sense but seriously?! "Headmaster? What exactly is hand fasting?" "I'm surprised you wouldn't know Miss Granger. We happen to have a lot of reading material here that goes into all different details being how it is an ancient ritual for Scotland as well as something that most Pureblood wizards and witches still partake in today." She huffed in some what annoyance. "I haven't had an exact reason to really look into the ins and outs of archaic Pureblood wizards now would I Headmaster?"

Dumbledore couldn't help but chuckle at the feisty young witch in front of him. Maybe a Granger, Malfoy pairing wouldn't be so bad after all. "I apologize Hermione. That was a bit presumptuous of me. A hand fasting is a type of betrothal. It is the courting process in which a marriage is soon to follow usually within a few weeks at most. The hand fasting itself is a time for the couple to officially announce their engagement and for a dowry to be paid for the witch." "You mean to tell me Malfoy wants to pay for me! Like I'm some type of slag? Oh I think not. I'm sorry Headmaster but it's never going to happen." "Miss Granger, please calm down. You misunderstand me. A dowry is not a payment for a witch as more of a thank you for allowing the witch to join said wizards family. The wizard's family pays a certain amount for the dowry consistent to how much worth the witch will be bringing to her new family. It's not as you would say 'a slag' by any means but a great show of respect for the witch and her family." "Oh…well…still". Hermione was more than a little flustered at this point. Then her mind finally started to play catch up.

Her parents?! Oh Merlin. There was no way they could know about this. Playing as a war stake was something that they would never consent to. She would have to pretend to be in love with the ferret. That's if she decided to do it. Maybe. Possibly. Oh bloody hell.

"Now Miss Granger, I can only expect that you will need some time to think this all through before you make a decision. Possibly do some research as well as make a time to meet with Mr. Malfoy in order to hash out some details. However, seeing as I am Headmaster and the head of the Order, I do feel inclined to give you my opinion. Going through with this union would mean a great deal to our fight. We would have information that we wouldn't have any clue of otherwise and it may also lead to the turn of a few other wizarding families should this go smoothly. Miss Granger, it is a lot to take it but I must ask you to think of the greater good. A small sacrifice could make such a difference."

A small sacrifice? He was joking right. It was her entire happiness and life that she would be throwing away. She would never marry for love or have children or be able to share time with her husband and friends after this stupid war were over. It was just too much, but then again. She could be saving lives. She could help to stop the war. Stop the death and torture of so many people. Muggle and magical alike. She needed to get out of here. She needed to think. Getting up from her seat she said a small good bye to her Headmaster and found herself walking down the stairs from his office and out toward the courtyard. It was well past curfew and she knew she should be heading back to her dorm but she just couldn't bring herself to go. The curious stares from the people waiting in the common room for her and the amount of questions that she knew would be coming all at once was just too much right now. She just needed time away to herself before all that happened.

That wasn't going to happen though.

"So mud blood, seems like it's just you and me now." He couldn't believe his luck. Leaving the hospital wing, Draco had to take the long way back toward the dungeons seeing as how Pansy had decided to park herself in the hallway waiting for him to leave. Merlin, you sleep with a witch once and she's planning your wedding. Back to the point at hand though. "I do believe I owe you for your lovely little rant in the Great Hall." He sneered at her. "Malfoy I simply don't have the time to deal with you right now so please, just bugger off." "You really think you can just dismiss me mud blood? Who the hell do you think you are?" She strolled up to him with an absolute casual look on her face and placed one hand on his shoulder so she could lean up to his ear and whispered something he never thought he would hear from a mud blood, let alone her. "Why I believe I'm the future Mrs. Malfoy if your father has any say in it." He shoved her back roughly.

"What the hell are you playing at mud blood?" "Seriously Malfoy, still mud blood? Either work on a new insult or at least use my name. Hearing the same thing from you for years on end is just so utterly annoying at this point. And I'm not playing at anything. Have you not spoken with your father?" He stared at her with a look of complete confusion. Draco really had no clue. She couldn't help but chuckle to herself. Of course Lucius would set this up without saying a word to his son about it. It was only his marriage and life, nothing important. Well she supposed it wasn't really that important. Dumbledore had seemed so…nonchalant about the entire situation that it must really be common place for pure blood families. "I think maybe you should have a conversation with daddy dearest there Malfoy."

Hermione went to walk away but he would be damned if she walked away from him again in the middle of an argument. He stalked up behind her and pushed her up against the outside wall of the castle, where he proceeded to push his wand directly into her face. "Now where the hell do you think you're going? I said I owe you for that little stunt you pulled. Trying to show me up in front of the school? I'm a Malfoy, you should know better than to try that shite with me." Backing away a few steps he told her to pull her wand. They were going to duel properly and he could show her just how much better he was than her once and for all. No one else might have been there to see it but she would know and he would know. That was enough for him. Well for this fight at least.

Hermione slowly pulled her wand and bowed. As soon as she started back up right the fist hex was sent at her. She just barely moved out of the way as bits of stone fell on top of her from where the hex hit so close to her head. Well obviously he has no intention on playing fair. "Expelliarmus" Draco dodged her attempt easily enough. Fucking Gryffindors were so predictable. However, her Impedimenta wasn't so predictable seeing as how he was now being thrown across the courtyard. He got up and brushed off his robes but seeing the blasted smirk on his face was too much. "Crucio!" Hermione was now lying in the grass writhing in pain. Her mouth was open but was emitting no sound. Almost as soon as Draco realized what he was doing he lifted the curse. He just used an Unforgivable curse, on a fellow student none the less. He ran over to her side and kneeled beside her. "Granger! Granger! Damn it say something! Please! Oh God, what have I done?"

Hermione felt as if her entire body was on fire while simultaneously having needles stabbed into every inch of her flesh. She had never felt so much pain. Her head was throbbing and she couldn't even fathom the fact that Draco had used the cruciatus on her. She knew that they were never going to be on the best of terms but this was, well simply put it was unforgivable. It was at that moment that she decided to hell with the prophecy. She could care less if the Malfoy line died out and they were never seen nor heard from again. He was just as bad as all the other Death Eaters.

"Get the hell away from me Malfoy." She used every ounce of energy in her body trying to put force in that one sentence but she really had no energy at all. Her body and mind were both completely drained. Closing her eyes for just a minute wouldn't hurt, would it? Once her eyes closed the darkness was almost welcoming. It was peaceful, serene. Now if only Malfoy would shut his mouth. Hearing him blabber nonsense was just starting to piss her off more. She wanted him to just go away. Luck, the way it would have it though, he wasn't going anywhere.

Panicking Draco did the only thing he could do. He pulled out his wand and placed it next to her temple. With her eyes closed this should be easy, she wouldn't have a clue of what just happened. "Obliviate". Granger's eyes opened once again with blankness to them so he was sure that the spell had done its job. "Malfoy what the hell are you doing in my face, oh God and why to I feel as if I was run over by a Hippogriff." He assumed that last part was rhetorical because there was no way in hell he was going to answer that one. "Hell if I know Granger, I was on my way back from the hospital wing, thanks to you, and I saw you laying in the dirt like the filth you are. I just assumed that someone else had put you in your place, I was just wondering who I needed to congratulate is all." Draco was nearly successful at keeping the quivering out of his voice. Shaking and nearing passing out himself, he put on more than likely the best acting of his life and stood up to walk away from the witch he had come absolutely too close to killing. "Since it seems you have no answers for me then I suppose I will be on my way. I'd watch you're back though mud blood. It seems as if I'm not the only one out for you." Putting on his blank face Draco finally found his feet carrying him back into the school and toward his dorm.

Finally out of sight and in the comfort of darkness Draco did the only thing left possible that he could. He dropped against the wall, placed his head in his hands and proceeded to cry. It was all just too much. Seeing the witch in pain, knowing he was pushing her to the brink of death and still having his task in mind that he was to take the Headmasters life was just too much. He broke, all of his walls came crashing down and he was finally able to show just how very scared he was of what was all happening around him. There was no way he could do this. It was just too much; all of it was too much. He may have hated Granger but he never thought things would come to this. He needed to write his father. He had to find a way out of this and if there was one person that could do it, it was Lucius Malfoy. Hopefully with talking to his mother and father at the same time he would be able to have her help in convincing Lucius that he couldn't do what was asked of him.

Lifting himself off the floor he started back toward his dorm with a renewed determination to end of this once and for all. No more helping Death Eaters to come in and start killing people. No more planning on murder. None of it, he wanted absolutely no part in it. Once he found solace inside his own room was he able to sit and think back to what Granger had said. "Now why in the world would she call her self the future Mrs. Malfoy?" He needed to speak with his father and he needed it to happen now.

Hermione didn't have a clue of what was going on. Doing the only thing she could do and the one thing that has helped her since day one, she started making a list of facts. Firstly, she was in pain. A great deal of it. Secondly, Draco Malfoy had found her, assuming unconscious since she didn't have a clue as to anything that happened since she left Dumbledore's office. And lastly, if it wasn't Malfoy that caused her to be in this state, then who? Knowing that she wasn't safe, Hermione found her footing and eased herself off the ground as gently as she could seeing as how any movement she made sent another round of pain radiating through her body. Needing to get to her room was a necessity. The person that hexed her could still be around and merely went into hiding when they saw Malfoy. She needed to move and she needed to do it now. With as much effort as she could put forth she started the not so long trip to Gryffindor tower. After what seemed like a millennia, Hermione had finally come to stand in front of the Fat Lady. Leaning heavily against the wall to the left of the portrait in order to catch her breath, she mumbled the password hoping she could get past the nosey woman before it became common knowledge to every portrait in the castle that something had happened. Luck was once again not on her side though. "My dear girl, what is wrong?" "Nothing mam, could you please just let me through?" "I think you should really go see Poppy darling, you're looking a bit pale."

Annoyance was pushing through now. "I'm fine. I just need to go to bed." "Well no need to get snippy. What's the password?" "Flobberworm." The portrait finally opened and she couldn't be any more relieved. Well that was until a certain red headed girl friend of hers came barreling through at her. "Mione! What's wrong?" She could see from her friend's reaction just how terrible she must look. "Just help me get to bed Gin, and I promise I'll explain everything. Well everything that I can."

Getting a great amount of support from her friend, Hermione finally found herself laying in the comfort of her own bed. This was exactly what she needed. With a day like today she just wanted to go to sleep and pretend that nothing had ever happened. No prophecies, no Malfoy's, no pain, no Death Eaters. Nothing. She wanted it all gone. One Weasley wasn't going to let that happen though. After casting a silencing spell around Hermione's bed, Ginny finally asked again what was going on. Well this was going to be a long night after all.