Chapter 5 : More Bloody Madness
"I think I just lost my appetite for a week." Ron deadpanned as he took a seat next to Neville for breakfast the next day. Noticing that one particular Slytherin witch was also marching furiously to the Slytherin table, even Neville was able to guess what is the cause without asking.
"Welcome to the club." Seamus retorted back, having accidentally heard the other. He was currently tossing his food around in the plate, an obvious proof of his words.
"I don't get what are you even complaining about, mate." Dean interrupted. "Lavender is not that bad."
"True. At least, you don't have to marry a Slytherin." Nevilled added.
"Preach." The Weasley twins said in unison just as they appeared and sat across the table.
"You're marrying a Ravenclaw, Fred."
"Oh, I know that." Fred said while reaching for the pumpkin juice. "But it's just as bad anyway."
"Bad as in how? You got the Ravenclaw princess!" Seamus exclaimed in disbelief.
Fred raised a brow. "Do we look like we belong to each other? Like seriously."
Nobody had an answer to that. Obviously, the Sorting Hat was not thinking straight when it decided to throw the two into a mariage. They hated to admit it but most of the couples did made sense in one way or another but Fred and Cho Chang were simply a mind-boggling puzzle.
"Actually, I think you guys look cute together." Ginny commented as she arrived with Harry and Hermione in tow.
"Things are looking good too for you and Zabini it seems." Fred said sarcastically. He saw how the Italian almost toppled out of his seat yesterday when Ginny snapped and directed her wand towards his family jewel under the table. He didn't quite caught the exact words but Ginny was not known to hex anyone out of blue.
Ginny faked a gag almost instantly. "Hell no, tell them to have fun dragging my dead body to the altar."
"He can't be that bad." Hermione said.
"Hermione, the first question he asked me yesterday is would you be open to a threesome." Ginny had a disgusted look on her face. "Apparently, he is a very sensitive Italian man and leaving your fangirls just like that is extremely heartless and bad manner."
Hermione was left with her mouth wide open.
"I'll kill him."
"Not if I do it first."
"We'll get his grave ready."
"Guys, no." The boys stared in confusion at the calm redhead. "I got this." Ginny calmly grabbed a toast and took a bite. She was staring at the Slytherin table and everybody immediately followed suit. Blaise Zabini can be seen eating his breakfast, albeit a little bit strange because he was sitting in a very odd position. The Weasley twins though, grinned almost in unison.
"Nice." George commented
"That's got to hurt big time." Fred added.
Ron furrowed his brows in confusion. "He looks like he has a massive pus-filled boils-" He stopped mid-sentence and blinked at Ginny.
"That's what it is, isn't it?" Harry helped to inquire. Ginny just shrugged and chuckled. The Gryffindors exchanged a look with each other before they began laughing loudly and pounding their fists on the table.
"Brilliant!"
"Damn, you go girl!"
"So, that's what it is. You gave me quite a sleepless night listening to his whimpers, Weasley." The laughing stopped all at once when Draco Malfoy suddenly appeared uninvinted at the table. His face was void of any emotion but there was a small amused smile playing on the corner of his lips. He nonchalantly took a seat next to Hermione and helped himself to a bowl of porridge. The Gryffindors stared at him with a dumbfounded expression and just trailed after his every move.
"Okay, confess!" Ron spoke first. "Which dunderhead told this bouncing ferret it's perfectly fine to sit here?"
"If there's any dunderhead here, that would be you, Weasel."
"No fighting." Hermione reprimanded. "It's me, Ron because-"
"Why would you even do that?" Ron shrieked, not allowing Hermione to finish her words.
"Shut up and let her finish if you want to know, you birdbrain."
"He - called - me - a - birdbrain!"
Hermione did a major facepalm when it escalated quickly and the two began throwing insults to each other. Hermione leaned slightly closer to Ginny and scoffed.
"I guess this is a bad time to tell him about the engagement ball then."
"What engagement ball?" George questioned in horror. "Please tell me it's not what I'm thinking."
"Unfortunately, it is." Hermione replied with an apologetic grin.
"Bloody hell." George dropped his spoon in an instant. "I think I'm going to go and drown myself now." He said, making a move to get out of his seat and sprinted out of the Hall. Fred quickly went after him while Seamus and Neville dropped their heads onto the table in defeat.
"Where are they going?" Ron asked with a huff just as Harry managed to cease his fight with the Slytherin.
"Somewhere George can drown himself."
"Why?"
"Because of the upcoming engagement ball." Dean supplied with a grin. Ron felt his jaw hit the floor at this statement. Needless to say, his first reaction was to scream his head off.
"You're joking!"
"No, he's not, Weasel." Draco snapped. "That's why I'm here in the first place, you dunderhead ball of deaf ignorance."
"Exactly, Ron. Since Malfoy is the Head Boy and I'm the Head Girl, Professor McGonagall just told us this morning that we are instructed to supervise the whole thing so we have to use every moment possible to keep things on track. We are kind of short on time." Hermione explained.
Ron dramatically threw his hands in the air. "This is bloody madness!"
"Obviously." Ginny muttered under her breath. She was not particularly fond of the idea either especially since she was a prefect and required to participate in the preparations as well. Her first impression of her Italian husband-to-be was not exactly anywhere near convincing that the Sorting Hat knew what it was doing. Thus, participating in the preparation of announcing her doom was pretty much sickening.
"It's mandatory attendance for all of the couples." Hermione informed hesitantly. "Because the Ministry insists on publishing it in Daily Prophet."
"No fuck this, I'm done. I'm so done." Ron shook his head repeatedly in denial. "I'm not taking Parkinson to the ball."
"We're so having a Halloween Costume Ball. Couple costume on top of that." Draco commented out of nowhere while Hermione raised a brow. "What? It will be fun. Pansy and Weasel would be a sight to see."
"Great, I'm going as the Wizengamot." Ron hissed. "I'll be sure to burn myself and make the front page."
"It's on Halloween night?" Ginny asked, cringing at the thought of wearing a couple costume with Blaise. "Oh Merlin, Zabini better not try to force me into wearing something stupid."
Draco sniggered. "I doubt so."
"We are not having a Halloween Costume Ball." Hermione said while rolling her eyes. "It's unfitting for a formal event."
"We can add a formal dress code."
"Nice one, Malfoy. It will certainly take your mind off the real purpose of the event a bit." Harry remarked.
"Harry is right, Hermione." Ginny said thoughtfully. "And it'll be fun unless Zabini manages to find something stupid yet still fitting the dress code."
"Oh, trust me. He will."
"Fine then." Hermione stood up and grabbed her bag. "I'll talk with Professor McGonagall about this. Are you coming, Malfoy?" Draco shrugged and quickly stood up as well before they were off to the exit.
Dean blinked his eyes momentarily. "I just noticed something. Hermione and Malfoy are actually getting along just fine."
"They do indeed and Malfoy doesn't seems that bad anymore." Ginny said. "Awfully quiet than before though."
"Nobody plans a murder out loud, Ginny." Ron interjected.
Ginny rolled her eyes. "Much like you planning Parkinson's death in her sleep?"
"More like my death. I'm not going to Azkaban for that pug-faced witch!"
"I'm out of here." Ginny concluded. The boys instantly agreed with her, leaving the red-headed male still fuming all alone. Ron huffed loudly as he watched them, rolling his eyes with a rumble of resentful muttering. Taking a quick glance around him, he fished a hip flask from the inside of his robes and took a long draught from it before smiling in satisfaction to himself.
~~X~~
"Good evening, students." Professor Slughorn greeted as they marched into the Family Dynamics class for the day. "Please, take a seat now." He encouraged while gesturing to the many tables.
"Cool." George commented as he stepped in. "We are having multiple teachers for this blasted class?"
"Indeed, Mister Weasley because of the teachers' schedules and the variety of the lessons." Professor Slughorn responded, surprisingly having an extraordinarily good hearing at his age. He smiled as George shot an impressed look at him before proceeding to his seat.
"Ten sickles he is going to announce more to this bloody madness." Seamus said to Dean, scrunitizing the parchment in Professor Slughorn's hold.
Ron instantly glared at him. "Don't jinx it, you wanker."
"Alright, silence now." Professor Slughorn cleared his throat, looking down at the parchment in his hand. "Today, I was just informed by our Headmaster that he has decided to assist in improving all of your relationship with your future spouse." His eyes were fixed on Ron and Pansy as he said this.
"Professor Slughorn," Ginny raised her hand impatiently. "How exactly is he going to do that?"
"By assigning your own headquarters." Once the words left Professor Slughorn's mouth, a few books instantly came flying into contact with the back of Seamus's head.
"Screw you, Finnigan!" Theodore Nott yelled while shooting up from his seat.
"I will have to live with him?" Padma Patil shrieked in horror as she pointed an accusing finger at Goyle. Meanwhile, Neville instantly scooted even further from his own partner while Ginny jumped out of her seat and gave a dirty look towards her grinning partner.
"Now, now, children, marriage is a beautiful commitment between two souls and it is very important for you to have a strong bond with each other." A few scoffs resounded throughout the room. "Therefore, the Headmaster has decided to introduce you to the early stage of living together. Every couple will be assigned their respective chamber, where they will share a common room and bathroom together. But, with separate bedrooms of course until you're lawfully married to each other."
"Well, aren't I just blessed not to be lawfully married yet?" Ginny commented sarcastically in a very loud voice.
"Truly blessed indeed." Padma muttered before letting her head collapsed onto the table with a loud thud.
A round of loud complaints broke in the classroom when they were asked to follow Professor Slughorn to their new living quarters. Couples were dropped off one by one at their respective chamber before Hermione and Draco reached their own chamber. After muttering a quiet thank you to Professor Slughorn, they were immediately left to fend for themselves.
"You are taking this surprisingly well." Hermione said as she stepped inside and looked around the common room.
Draco scoffed in response. "As if I have another choice."
"True but I do expect you to put up a little bit of a fight." Hermione replied truthfully. "After all, you are marrying me of all people and now, we are even living together. If that's not enough to make you put up a good fight, I don't even know what to say."
He didn't replied and plopped himself onto the couch instead. His long legs were dangling off the couch as he placed his arm across his forehead and shut his eyes. Hermione stood there with her eyes fixed on the other, clueless on what to do with the abrupt silence. Eventually, she decided to check out the bedroom instead.
"Granger." He suddenly called out. Hermione stopped dead in her tracks and slowly turned around to give a questioning look at him. "You do know I'm not happy with this whole thing either, right?"
Hermione instantly crossed her arms. "And your point is?" She tapped her foot impatiently, getting gradually annoyed now. Did he seriously just implied that she was thrilled with the whole thing because she was certainly not and no amount of words can ever explained how much she loathed the Ministry for it. Even if he didn't meant so, his tone definitely illustrated the other way around.
"My point is I'm not marrying you by choice either, you know? The whole law is bloody mad if you ask me and pairing me up with you must be the most batshit insane thing that I've ever heard in my life. I meant, just because I'm being quiet doesn't mean I'm fine with it and not on the verge of barging into the Ministry to kill someone too." He rambled on and failed to notice the look on Hermione's face.
The witch was slowly getting exasperated by time. Sure, they were never on a good term with each other in the first place and he had spent the past seven years making her life a living hell but they were fine with each other since yesterday and Hermione was slowly getting used to the idea of actually being civil with each other. The Sorting Hat's decision was final and she was determined not to give up on her magic so she had half a mind to start getting along with him since a wizarding marriage was not given the luxury of a divorce and they were pretty much stuck on spending the rest of their life together once the binding spell took place. However, Hermione was definitely having a second thought now as she listened to every words that he uttered.
"Wow." She finally spoke through her gritted teeth. "And to think that I actually considered on being civil with you."
Draco stopped talking at once. He blinked once, twice. He furrowed his brows in confusion and appeared to be deep in thought for a fleeting moment before he suddenly snapped out of his reverie and gasped loudly.
"Merlin's beard, Granger, that's not-"
"Oh, I hope you choke to death by the giant squid, Malfoy!" Hermione snapped and attempted to run to her bedroom. But, she barely moved an inch when Draco quickly grabbed her wrist and pulled her in his direction. She stumbled onto the couch, where he instantly flipped her over on her back and positioned himself on top of her.
"Blimey, Granger, you are quite difficult at times." He said while shaking his head. "Look, that's not what I meant. I meant, I do mean what I said but not in the way that you thought."
"And just how exactly is my thought?" Hermione hissed.
Draco rolled his eyes. "Come on, Granger. I know you must be thinking it in the most horrible way possible."
"You don't know that."
"Oh, trust me, I do." He countered with a serious look. "You don't even believe me when I said I do fancy reading for Merlin's sake."
"That's because-"
"The point is, I just want you to know that I am against this as much as you are but we are in for good now and nothing is going to change that. No amount of yelling or cursing can change anything at all. Heck, even killing Shacklebolt or every single members of the Wizengamot will solve nothing." Draco slowly let go of Hermione and settled on sitting next to her, allowing her to sit up as well. "So, in the end of the day, we will have to make this work somehow. I absolutely refuse to raise my children with their parents firing hexes at each other at dinner."
Hermione grimaced at the thought. "Bloody hell, where did that come from?"
"If you haven't figured out, my childhood is not all rainbows and unicorns, Granger."
"Did your parents-" Hermione didn't finished her question, too petrified of the idea.
"No, my father never stoop that low and he loves my mother." Draco's expression hardened as he leaned against the couch. "But, I was raised to believe strongly in blood purity and social status and burdened with great expectations on my shoulders. You can hardly felt the love amidst all of that. I will never wish that kind of life upon my own children."
"You do realise your children," Hermione made an air quote. "will be half-bloods, right?"
"Children is children, Granger. Just because the Sorting Hat decided that it hates us, doesn't mean we can start putting the blames on innocent souls. Besides, I think blood status hardly matters nowadays."
Hermione huffed and crossed her arms defiantly. It was starting to freak her out a little bit with all of the honest talk.
"So, you are willing to go along with all of this?" Hermione finally questioned after a brief silence.
"We can start by being really civil with each other." He suggested. "It's better than nothing and since we are stuck with each other already, we might as well make the effort."
"You're right."
Draco extended his hand and lifted his brow. "So, deal?"
"..deal."