The marriage law was announced at 2pm on a Tuesday.
By 2:15 Hermione had already drafted a motion to dismiss the law entirely. It was a good motion, too. If sheād sent a copy to Ron, he wouldāve replied with: wow! lots of words! good stuff!
At 2:17 her motion was denied.
āItās best to just accept defeat.ā Malfoy said from his side of the office, bookshelves neat, papers all stacked in order. āYou wonāt win this one.ā
āIām not in the habit of giving up.ā Hermione snapped. Her side of the office was cluttered, less pristine. Her bookshelf had a nasty habit of overflowing all over the floor, stacks of books balancing precariously on every surface. āA fire hazard.ā Malfoy had sneered at her once, āBreaking several codes.ā
āHm.ā Malfoy said, āI hadnāt noticed.ā He was smiling softly, like heād just told the funniest joke in the world. Waiting, almost patiently for her to smile. Stupid man with his stupid grin, Hermione wanted to throw a book at his head.
āThis is archaic.ā Hermione hissed. āThe Ministry has gone too far. They can't force us to marry anyone.ā
Even as she spoke, a squirming feeling of doubt was beginning to take root in her chest ā being friends with Harry came with many things. Companionship and love, but it also came with a healthy distrust of the government (like a free gift basket! but terrible one).
Malfoy ignored her complaints. "Marriage Acts aren't as mid-evil as you're making them out to be." He said, with that annoying voice he used when he knew he was right about something, "They serve a purpose."
"A purpose?" Hermione could practically feel the beginnings of an aneurysm. A fitting death, slumped over her desk, surrounded by unfinished documents and discovered by Draco Malfoy, "Are you actually defending this?"
She would have to find a new partner. A new office, one where he wasn't constantly surrounding her, swimming on the edge of her peripheral vision. Maybe Dean Thomas would let her set up a current workplace in his records closet, he was always bragging about how it was big enough for him to take naps in during work ā
"No." Malfoy said, somehow even more amused now, "I don't support it."
"Oh." Hermione said, very eloquently, "That's good."
"But," Malfoy continued, still distinctly unruffled while Hermione was very ruffled, "Most people will be unfazed. It's a Pure-Blood tradition. My parents have always planned to arrange a marriage contract.ā Malfoy shrugged, āItās not absolutely unheard of.ā
āWell," Hermione said, out of breath from all the pacing she was doing, "Your parents are terrible.ā
āOf course.ā Malfoy said, like it was obvious. āThey would never allow me the opportunity to sully the Malfoy name. Producing the correct heir is the only thing Iāll ever be good at.ā
Hermione frowned. āHearing about your family isnāt good for our working relationship. It makes me feel bad for you.ā
āWe canāt have that.ā Malfoy said.
āNo,ā she agreed with a sigh, āwe canāt have that.ā
āSo, tell me Granger. What is your plan?ā His grin became less self indulgent, more fake. āYouāll have to marry someone. It'll undoubtably be the event of the season ā have a fiancĆ© youāve been hiding from me?ā
Hermione narrowed her eyes. āDo you think I could hide anything from you?ā
Malfoy knew when she changed the scent of her shampoo, when she switched up her coffee order ā he even knew if she was sleeping less than usual. It was impossibly annoying to be around someone so observant, someone so intent on cataloguing her every move.
"If I had a secret fiancƩ, which I don't, I'm confident that you're competent enough to have sniffed him out by now."
Malfoy responding grin was slow and syrupy. "You think I'm competent?"
āPiss off, Malfoy.ā
āIs he shorter than me? Is that it? Didnāt want to introduce us because you knew heād feel bad?ā
āYouāre taller than everyone.ā Hermione said, annoyed, again, āYou would obviously be taller than my imaginary fiancĆ©. Youāre like an angelic giraffe.ā
āYou think Iām angelic?ā
āNo.ā
"Two compliments on top of each other, are you feeling alright, Granger?"
"Shut up."
At 2:20, Hermione began to clean her side of the office, desperate for an excuse not to talk to Malfoy.
At 2:22, Harry slammed through her door, completely demolishing the (very little) progress Hermione had made in cleaning up her side of the office.
āIāll marry you.ā Harry said, slightly out of breath, like heād sprinted all the way to her office, āDo you think we can kiss without making a face? Weāll have to practice.ā
āIām not marrying you.ā Hermione said from the floor behind her desk, āYou are engaged to Theo.ā She was laying on her back with a book covering her face, feeling rightfully sorry for herself.
āTheo wonāt mind.ā Harry said in the voice he reserved for whenever he wanted people to listen to him (i am harry potter! and i did not spill mustard on the couch! you have to believe me, i saved the world!) āIt will be quick. I can get us rings before the day is over.ā
"No." Hermione said, still on the floor, "I've gone along with enough of your stupid ideas. This is too much."
Because, despite it all, Harry would do this. Without hesitation, blind loyalty and unwavering determination ā Harry would marry her and be pleased with his choices. He was lovely, but at times, Harry could be a misguided idiot.
"This is where you draw the line?" Malfoy hummed, "Interesting to catch a glimpse into the inner workings of your mind."
Finally scrambling to her feet (after a few more seconds of wallowing) Hermione was horrified to find a familiar look on Harry's face ā one that promised something stupid.
"I'll figure it out. " Harry said, with a shrug that reminded Hermione of their childhood (occidentally, the stress headache she was feeling also reminded her of their childhood). He pointed a stoic finger at her. "Don't make a face when I kiss you."
Then, he left.
āTheo wouldnāt mind,ā Malfoy said in a helpful voice, āHeād probably marry you as well. Would it be Granger-Potter-Nott? Or Granger-Nott-Potter? Better figure that out soon. Potter seems eager to find those rings.ā
Hermione threw a book at his head.
Malfoy caught it with ease, his stupid Quidditch hands.
āI have an idea,ā Malfoy said after a moment.
Hermione ignored him. āThere has to be a way out of this.ā She was pacing again, sensible shoes kicked off to the corner (where sheād undoubtedly forget them) āI could write another motion? A longer one this time. With more quotes.ā
āMarry me instead.ā
Hermione stopped pacing. āExcuse me?ā
āIām your best option.ā
āI have many options ā
āWeasley already tricked someone into marrying him and Potter is engaged to my only friend.ā He frowned, in a mocking sort of way. āDid I leave anyone out?ā
āNo.ā Hermione said flatly. āYou didnāt.ā
āAlright then. Marry me.ā
āHah.ā She said, āHah. I take back everything Iāve ever said about you. Malfoy, you are funny.ā
āIām being serious.ā He said, looking annoyed. Fantastic, they were both annoyed. Like they always were.
āWe can get married before the law passes and then you can do what you do best.ā Malfoy continued, like that was a totally normal thing to say.
āWhich is?ā Without her shoes, the height difference was unbearably noticeable. She had to tilt her head back to meet his eyes. At some point he'd stopped being a willowy wraith of a person and began the unfortunate process of filling out.
He didnāt look away. āDestroy everyoneās expectations and free the downtrodden.ā
Hermione rolled her eyes. āWhat would you get out of this arrangement?ā
Malfoy shrugged, too practiced to be nonchalant. āIād be married to a war hero. It would do wonders for my reputation.ā
āAnd you would be married to me.ā Hermione said, beginning to feel like this was getting too real, āWe both know that would never happen.ā
āNever?ā
āNever.ā She agreed.
He wasnāt smiling that lazy smile from before, this one was different. Sharper. āI donāt think thatās true.ā
āBesides,ā Hermione continued on loudly, āyouāre no gentleman. No need to pretend. I donāt need saving, Iāll figure this out myself.ā
āYou donāt need to.ā Malfoy said, āI will help. I want to fuck over the Ministry for many reasons, but mainly because they declined your motion.ā
He was on her side of the office now, leaning casually against her desk, inches away from where she stood. He was too pretty up close, like staring at the sun.
āIt was very good.ā Hermione breathed.
Malfoy nodded, almost too good at pretending to be sincere.
āIām sure it was good. You touched it. Everything you touch is golden.ā
āYou truly want to help me?ā
āIāve only offered several times.ā
Hermione narrowed her eyes. āAll to fuck over the Ministry? No other reason?ā
āMaybe I want you all to myself.ā
Hermione's eye twitched.
"Don't tease me." She managed to hiss. "Not about this."
She saw when he realized, a flicker of excitement in his eyes ā when he noticed her apparent misery at how completely and helplessly she was drawn to him.
"I'd never dream of it." Malfoy said warmly, "You could kill me with ease, only an idiot would be careless around you."
She thought of all the long nights they spent together, crammed in their tiny little office. How she looked forward to her day, if only to see his stupidly pointy face. How she tried to date, but couldnāt. Because it wasnāt right ā her dates were too kind, too short.
Not him.
How, through everything, he was the first person she thought of in the morning, the person she thought of in the darkness of the night, when no one could see her wandering hands ā the person she looked at for a challenge, for relief and support.
Despite her best attempts, Hermione Granger had fallen in love with Draco Malfoy and now, here he was, seeming to share in her suffering.
āWeād have to consummate the marriage.ā She said, giving him one last out. āYouād have to see me naked.ā
āIām sure Iāll survive.ā
āIām very bossy,ā she said, āand I work all the time.ā
āGood thing we share an office.ā
āIām not easy to love.ā
Malfoy scoffed. āItās been easy enough for me.ā
He was close enough to touch, so uncharacteristically open. Looking down at her with fondness she didnāt know he possessed.
āIām selfish.ā Malfoy warned, āDo not forget that. I will help you destroy this law and anything else you want. Burn it all down if you want to. But I wonāt be letting you go. Not now, after I've gotten you."
āI suppose thatās fine.ā Hermione said softly, watching as his hand moved to touch her face, warm against her skin. "It'll be bearable to be around you, I suppose."
As he held her face in his hands, Hermione watched as his grin transform into something different, something new ā a smile she'd only seen glimpses of, one only for her. "I'll work very hard to make our marriage a tolerable one." He said.
"Good," Hermione breathed, stretching up to kiss him, to finally press her lips against his, "I can't wait."
Hermione was married at 3pm on a Tuesday.
It was a small ceremony.
Harry, although he'd never publicly admit it, was relieved.
Despite his best attempts, he would've made a face when Hermione had kissed him.










