All Characters belong solely to JK Rowling...

The war had been over for well over a year now and most of the Wizarding World had tried to move on. Hermione, Harry and Ron were heralded has heroes of the Wizarding World, and they were followed wherever they went. Harry and Ginny had managed to make their relationship work, despite the constant barrage of attention, but Ron and Hermione couldn't seem to find common ground. Hermione's decision to return to Hogwarts hadn't been popular with Ron. After the final battle, the dead had been buried and then the accolades had come. Order of Merlin First class awards for her, Harry and Ron. Harry and Ron had decided to go directly into Auror training and Hermione had decided to go back to school to take her exams. After she and Ron had ended their relationship, she had gone to Australia and returned her parent's memories and after their initial anger, and lengthy explanations and pleas for forgiveness—Richard and Helen Granger had forgiven their daughter. They'd remained in Australia for a bit, until they could get their affairs in order and move back to Britain.

When Hermione had returned home about two weeks before school had started—there had been a subdued victory celebration where the Golden Trio had been honored as heroes of the war and (along with her Order of Merlin), a generous monetary reward had been given to all three of them. Hermione had taken her reward and converted it into Muggle currency, before depositing it into her bank account in London where her grandparents had set up her trust fund. She was quite well off now. Nothing overly substantial, but enough to live comfortably on should she choose to do so.

Ron had moved on fairly quickly after their breakup and started dating Susan Bones before Hermione had finished her NEWTS. Hermione on the other hand, was more interested in finishing school at the top of the class and possibly getting a mastery in Potions or Arithmancy...or both.

However, once her NEWTS had been completed, a missive had come out weeks later from the Ministry of Magic. Apparently, the recent deaths from the war were more massive than the Ministry had initially thought. The Magical population was down 40%, but what was worse, was that those between the ages of 17-30 had suffered the greatest casualties...nearly 60% decimation according to the Department of the Minister in conjunction with the Department of Mysteries and the Department of International Magical Cooperation. The increased casualties weren't just allocated to Britain, although it did seem to be hit the hardest.

So, in light of this information, the Ministry of Magic and the Wizengamot passed the Marriage Law of 1999. The parameters were fairly simple—matches would be based on magical compatibility and those with the highest rankings would be paired accordingly. This was to produce the most magically powerful offspring. The Department of Mysteries would come up with the necessary testing to be done to determine magical compatibility and anyone refusing to comply with the edict would be stripped of all wand privileges and obliviated—only to be banished to the Muggle World.

The uproar had been fierce as witches and wizards both Pureblood and not had come out in opposition to the new law. All betrothals of Death Eater families had been vacated due to the war, and those Pureblood families that had been hoping to circumvent the new law, found themselves without a pot to piss in.

The testing procedures looked closely at Magical capability, strength of Magic and general aptitude. Questionnaires were sent to all witches and wizards between the ages of 17-30 in late July of 1999, and rumor had it that Pureblood's would be matched with a Half Blood or Muggleborn. When the pairings came out a week before Hermione's birthday, she had been sitting down to dinner with her parents when her results were owled directly from the Minister's office himself.

When she opened the letter, her face turned to ash and she felt the air constrict in her lungs...this had to be some kind of joke...right? There was no possible way she could be paired with...him?!

Dear Hermione,

I wish I had better news. I wanted to send you the results myself and as you can see, your match is Draco Malfoy. The compatibility was rather astonishing, nearly 90%...the highest of any of the designated matches.

Mr. Malfoy will receive his paperwork on the morrow, but I've sent an owl this evening to his Father. I wanted you to know that the mandated law prevents any witch or wizard to be harmed by their spouse of that of the spouse's family. I also know that due to what you experienced in the war, that the likelihood of you wishing to live at Malfoy Manor would be in the negative.

I have taken it upon myself to contact Lucius Malfoy directly, to help him understand that any retaliation on his part would be a direct violation of his probation and a one-way ticket back to Azkaban. I wish there was more that I could do for you. Please let me know if you need anything.

Kingsley Shacklebolt

Minister of Magic

Hermione held her head in her hands, not believing that this was actually happening to her. She had taken an internship with Professor Vector this past July, after she'd taken her NEWTS results, to get her Mastery in Arithmancy—but the marriage law made it clear that couples were to have two children within five years of marriage and that there would be no divorce nor infidelity due to the bonds that would be administered as part of the marriage ceremony. The thought of being intimate again with Draco Malfoy after everything that had happened between them, made her cringe.

Sitting in her room later that night, Hermione was trying to think of how she was going to handle this when an owl started tapping on her window. Moving to the window and opening it, Hermione saw a beautiful grey Eagle owl perched on her balcony grate holding a letter. Reaching for it and offering the bird a treat, which it declined, Hermione watched the owl fly away before she looked closer at the letter in her hand.

Turning it over, Hermione's hand started to shake when she noticed the Malfoy crest on the seal. Staring at the letter with disgust, she sat down on her bed and pondered if she really wanted to read it or not.

Sighing in resignation, Hermione opened the letter, her eyes widening at first then narrowing in anger as she read it through.

Granger,

As I'm sure your aware, due to this ridiculous Ministry Marriage Law, it would seem as if we've been assigned to each other. I'm sure you're no more happy about this unfortunate turn of events than I am. Apparently, the Minister himself felt the need to contact my Father directly and inform him of the happy news. Needless to say, my Father and Mother were most displeased.

I hope I don't seek to offend you by stating that this union between us is less than ideal. The circumstances of our upbringings alone make it highly likely that we will not be happy long term and as such I hope you don't have any unrealistic expectations going forward. The Minister indicated your likely refusal to live in Malfoy Manor, and while I understand your reluctance, I'm afraid the terms of my probation make living elsewhere not possible for the foreseeable future. So unless we plan on living separate lives...except for the purpose of forced procreation...I'm afraid you will have to make due with Malfoy Manor as a place of residence.

I look forward to your response.

D.M.

Hermione looked at the letter in abject horror, reading it through a second time before she set it on fire. Of all the unmitigated nerve! Fucking ferret!

Placing her head into her hands, Hermione felt tears falling down her face. How in the world would she ever be able to tolerate Malfoy and his bigoted parents after everything that had happened?

Going into her bathroom, Hermione decided to take a long, hot shower...and as she sat down on the tiled floor of the shower, a devious plan started to develop in her mind. Her tears turned into an evil smile as she realized that she could turn this situation to her advantage and hopefully, if she played her cards right, she'd have Malfoy regretting he ever sent that blasted, hateful letter!

This was a nightmare!

Hermione sat on the shower floor thinking back to the moment a week ago that she had been staring at the small white plastic pregnancy stick and her heart had plummeted when she'd read the indicator window...two blue lines, and tears had formed in the corners of both eyes as she had continued to stare in abject horror at the piece of plastic.

Her whole entire world had imploded in on itself because of a fucking little white stick!

And now the marriage law!

Hermione was in denial as to how it happened and just wasn't quite ready to admit it to herself just yet.

She still wasn't either, despite the blasted marriage law.

Thinking back when the war had ended and she had returned to Hogwarts to finish her missed seventh year—she had actually looked forward to returning to the safety of Hogwarts, where the press couldn't find her so she could maybe get some peace and quiet for a while.

When she'd gotten on the Hogwarts Express September First of 1998, the surprise that awaited her had left her reeling. Headmistress McGonagall had pleaded with Hermione to take the Head Girl position, but what she'd failed to mention was whom her counterpart was and that gift had been waiting for her in the Head's compartment on the train when she'd walked in.

He'd looked different, but the same. Same white blonde hair, same expensive clothes, same grey eyes—but those same eyes were now even more closed off and cold and for Hermione—it felt like a slap in the face after everything she'd been through to see the bane of her existence—the one wizard in all the world who hated her, who had watched her being tortured—sitting in the compartment across from her.

She'd refused to engage him, refused to speak to him because she didn't owe Draco Malfoy the time of day and she was done trying to be the good girl—so when the train docked in Hogsmeade and the students had all disembarked, Hermione made her way to the castle to speak with the Headmistress.

Professor McGonagall had hoped that perhaps her favorite student might be willing to put aside her feelings for the 'greater good'—because as it turned out, the only reason Draco Malfoy had been allowed to return was due to his probation and the fact that he was being partnered with her. Hermione had been floored when McGonagall had told her that truth.

The Wizengamot had made his probation contingent upon her?

"And what if I refuse to work with him Professor? What if I can't do it?" Hermione asked harshly.

Professor McGonagall sighed sadly. "Then Mr. Malfoy will be removed from Hogwarts and placed in Azkaban for the next two years."

Hermione groaned in anger. How could they do this to her? Didn't they know how much she and Malfoy hated each other?

"I don't think I can do it, Professor." Hermione whispered in pain. "Not after what happened in his home. He watched me being tortured by his aunt!"

Minerva sat there and stared at her favorite student with sympathy. "I do understand Miss Granger, how you must be feeling, but my hands are tied. Why don't you give it a few days and try and see if you can't make this work. If you can't, I will let the Minister know."

Hermione's face scrunched up in disgust, but she reluctantly nodded anyway. "Fine—I'll give it one week, but if he so much as calls me a 'mudblood' I'm not going to be held responsible for him getting thrown out of here."

Minerva nodded her head in understanding. "I don't expect you to be happy about this Hermione, but I do ask you to try for your own sake. Mr. Malfoy has suffered tremendously too. I'm not at liberty to discuss certain things, but the Wizengamot felt that perhaps due to his young age and the fact that Mr. Malfoy deserved a second chance."

Hermione shook her head in disgust. "I don't care what the Wizengamot thought! The only reason Draco Malfoy is getting this chance is either because he bought, bribed or blackmailed his way out of Azkaban! If it was anyone else I might have been inclined to offer my forgiveness—but not him, never him!"

"I can't tell you how to feel Hermione. I won't do that to you, but I do expect you to uphold the standards of the position you've accepted and remember that you're an example to the other students. Mr. Malfoy doesn't have many allies or friends left here at Hogwarts and as such, his life would likely be in danger within Slytherin House. His wand privileges are restricted, of course...so he's not able to defend himself should he be attacked. I don't understand why the Wizengamot would place such a sentence knowing that other students might retaliate. I've put the ghosts and Hogwarts elves on notice and Mr. Malfoy's personal elf...well, I've allowed her to come to Hogwarts as a guardian of sorts. Unfortunately I'm not ignorant of how cruel some people can be."

Hermione sat back in her chair shocked silent. Was this actually possible? Would the Wizengamot really be this cruel that they'd allow Draco Malfoy to come to Hogwarts with no way to defend himself. Hermione could abide many things, but she wasn't deliberately cruel or heartless, even if she detested Malfoy she didn't wish him harmed.

At least not permanently.

"I will try my best Headmistress, but I'm not convinced that Malfoy will want to work with me anymore than I want to work with him. But I will try."

"That's all I can ask."

Thinking back to that fateful day made a Hermione feel even worse and she wished with all her heart that she'd refused Minerva's request for unity and just had Malfoy sent back to Azkaban! If she had done so, perhaps she wouldn't be in this situation!

As water continued to fall over her body, Hermione pondered on how her life had gotten so complicated. She'd taken Minerva's words to heart eventually and had given Malfoy a chance. She'd gone against every internal warning inside herself that screamed at her that he was still the same bigoted prick he'd always been.

She'd ignored it and had slowly chipped away at Malfoy's hard shell, or so she'd thought.

It hadn't been until that last night at Hogwarts, before they were set to graduate the next day that she'd gotten drunk...so much so, that she hadn't really known what she was doing...well, more like forgotten to cast the damn contraceptive charm, but he hadn't remembered either. She'd dropped her guard for a split second and allowed her dubious attraction to Malfoy, that had always lived deep inside her psyche, to come out and play for one night.

He'd been drinking too and she'd thought that their desire had been mutual. It sure seemed that way at the time, as they'd fallen into her bed and torn each other clothes off in their haste to consummate their carnal desires, but in the morning when she'd awoken...he was gone with not so much as a by your leave.

She hadn't seen him in the Great Hall nor on the Hogwarts Express and the shame that had come, choked her in that moment, like a living breathing collar of regret.

Now here she was nearly three months later—thinking back on the past year, and now she was supposed to marry the ferret because of a stupid marriage law? Fuck that! She'd just started her internship with Septima and her parents had just moved back home a few months ago.

Merlin, she hadn't even told them she was pregnant yet, but knowing her parents as she did...they would support her decision...especially when she explained about this blasted marriage law.

Smirking again, Hermione had to talk to Kingsley as soon as possible. Perhaps if she could get a copy of the law, she could see for herself if her idea had any merit.

She could only hope so because if this law was solely about procreation, then there was a very real chance she wouldn't have to marry the ferret after all.

And he'd regret ever dismissing her like he'd done not once...but twice.