My Bittersweet Life

-Edalene

Summary- Over the summer of 6th year, Dumbledore asks Hermione Granger to marry her arch nemesis: Draco Malfoy. But the biggest problem is that he won't let her get the annulment?

Author's Note- Greetings! You can call me 'E', 'Edalene', or 'Elise'. Please read after you read my story! I know there are many fics like this, but I hope to make it the best 'marriage' one. Please don't accuse me plagiarism, because I'll make it different from the other ones. So please help me improve it by reviewing. This isn't my first fic, I've written tons before but this is a new penname. Anyways.. I hope you enjoy. Should I continue it? If not, then just flame me. I had flames before, although I had more positive reviews than flames. However that isn't important right now. so let's just grab some chips and start reading. I know this is short, but I promise more satisfying chapters later! I characterized and sorted this fic into the humour group. So please tell me how you think of it! Toodles!

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 Rated R for many, juicy reasons. Hehe. ^-^.

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 +++ Chapter 1- Incredulous Glances +++

Hermione Granger gasped. "I beg your pardon, Professor. Perhaps I heard you wrong… but did you say Draco Malfoy? The Draco Malfoy?" she asked.

"No, Miss Granger. I'm afraid you heard me correctly, for I said 'Draco Malfoy,'" replied the wise old wizard. It was a lovely day at Hogwarts. Hermione Granger had been called to school a week earlier before term to discuss some imperative matters with her Headmaster. He owled her saying it was urgent and he needed her to be there within an hour. So traveling by floo powder she managed to borrow from the Weasleys, she apparated to Hogwarts.

Hermione clutched her hands tightly and started walking around in circles. "No offense or anything, but have you gone mad? Why would you want me to marry him?"

"Look, Hermione… I know you two aren't the best of friends. But it's a year after the war. We need pacifism, and whom other muggle-born can we ask? You're perfect, and you are the girl I've been thinking about testing this with! You are the smartest student in the school, not to mention you are brave…" and on and on the old man went with all the qualities the new Head Girl portrayed. Hermione tapped her foot and then eyed her headmaster skeptically.

"Why? I don't even love him!"

"I know that--…"

"I HATE HIM!"

Dumbledore sighed. "I knew this was how it was going to be…" he muttered. Taking a deep big breath, he regained his composure. "Can you just… give it a little thought?"

"We're not even of age!"

"In the wizarding world, you are." Dumbledore answered bluntly.

"But… this is my life you're talking about! I don't even want to have his kids!" She bellowed.

Dumbledore chuckled.

"There will be an annulment if you're still not fond of him." He answered.

"Annulments only last for three days!" Hermione answered smartly. Then she smirked.

"Not here. Annulments last a month."

Hermione started fuming. She thought of all the excuses she could make for getting out of this.

"We both hate each other," she started. "We are each other's nemesis. You can't possibly make us do this! You'll ruin my life! Why couldn't it have been Neville instead?"

Dumbledore looked at her acutely. "I know this is hard for you. This will change our lives, Miss Granger! You are muggle born, whilst he is a pureblood. They cannot mix and match, and that is why I want to experiment!"

"Experiment? Excuse me?" Hermione asked putting her hands up to her hips as she looked at the man skeptically. "Why us?"

"I told you."

"Can't you think of someone else?"

"This marriage doesn't have to be perpetual…"

"But- marriage is the best part of life, isn't it?" she asked him. "I- I can't just throw that all away!"

"Hermione, I know this is difficult… But, Draco has changed. He has a new light to him. So why don't you just… try to be his angel and find the light." Explained Dumbledore, although he did stutter. Dumbledore never stuttered. You could tell this was definitely new to him as well as i was to her.

"What if I don't want to?" she snapped.

"Think about it, Miss Granger. Think of what our school would think. If not for you, do it for the people. Do it for our world…"

Hermione sighed.

Dumbledore looked at her amusedly.

"You think this is funny? Ha!" she joked.

"Please don't make me explain this again…"

"Alright. But what about the wedding?" She asked.

"Oh… about that. You… wouldn't have to." He answered.

Hermione blushed a deep scarlet.

"In a few days you'll just forget about it! But this is something I want you to take part in. If you're still not convinced, think of this as a personal favour for me…"

"Some personal favour, Headmaster! If you're so fond of him, then why don't you marry him?"

"Hermione… face veracity." Dumbledore said quietly and solemnly. And with that, he sent her out of his office.

 ~~

"So, it looks like he told you too…" drawled the infamous tone of the man Dumbledore tried to set her up with. Draco Malfoy was sitting on one of the stone benches, watching Hermione come down the steps of the gargoyle. His hands were sitting on his lap as his fingers continued to twirl about. For a moment, he looked almost feminine. His hair was gently framing his face, and with the shirt he was wearing, you could definitely tell Quidditch did him good. While most girls would start drooling over his sexy grey eyes, Hermione was not one of them, although she did like to stare.

"What do you want, Malfoy?" the brunette spat out his name.

"Granger, as much as I hate this I want to do it. Won't it be amusing to see the look on the faces of other people? Can you believe what this will do to my reputation?" he asked with a smirk.

"Reputation my ass. Is that all you care about? Because there is a lot more to this life than--."

"Shut your gob, Granger. I don't feel the need to listen to another word from your disgusting little mouth."

"Fine."

"Fine."

There was a two second silence.

"So… how's your love life?"

"Pardon? That's none of your business."

He growled. After a few awkward moments, he continued to talk. "Come here. Sit next to me."

"What? Why?"

"If we're going to be doing this in public I might as well get used to it now. C'mon," he patted to the spot next to him.

Hesitantly, Hermione strode over. "You know that we're not shagging, right?"

"What? Oh come on! You're going to be my wife! That's also another reason why I agreed to this."

"So you can shag women? In your dreams."

"You can be another one of my conquests…How can you be so damn stubborn?" he asked.

Hermione smiled. "Hell no! I'm not going to be one of the girls that you dumped after sleeping with them. I was born with it, just like your infamous smirk."

"Oh yea. Well my smirk is the Malfoy trademark. And it is going to be for the next couple of years. And make sure you get me a good, healthy boy who can have the same smirk as me." Draco said, smirking again.

Hermione looked at him.

"I'm not getting you any child. Put it that way." She answered.

"Oh I see where this is going…wait, are you a virgin?" he asked sexily, huskily into her ear. When he leaned over, he smelt her hair and almost died in heaven. 'When did a mudblood smell so nice?' he wondered.

Hermione uncomfortably inched her away from him. "N.O.Y.B." She answered.

"Interesting letter combination... hmm… N.O.Y.B. What's that?"

"None of your business." Explained the muggle-born, smiling.

"Fine. Then I'll make it my business." And with that, he licked her neck, making her shiver. Hermione couldn't tell if it was a pleasurable sensation or an annoyed one.

"You sickassed pervert! Go away! And you didn't get me."

"It's my job to be a pervert. That's what hubbies do. What do you mean 'I didn't get it?'"

"I meant… N.O.Y.B. means none of your business. You thought otherwise," she explained.

"I don't even count you as a husband, or fiancé at the matter! You're .. you're a mongrel!" And with that, she completely got off the bench.

"Listen, Granger. Either way, we're going to have to start over."

Hermione turned her head. "No, we're not. Because I'm not marrying you!"

"Yes you are. And you're going to be and loving to me. Don't even think about cheating on me."

"Then will you be loyal to me?" she asked.

"Depends…" he said.

"Well if you're not going to be loyal to me, then I can't be loyal to you either."

 "Yes you can. And you will." He whispered.

"Why?"

"Because I want you."

"Cut the crap, Malfoy."

"If you're married to me Granger, then I can't cheat on you."

"What?" she asked in utter disbelief. Never in a million years has she thought Draco Malfoy would have said that. "Why not?"

"Oh…so you don't mind me cheating. Alright. That's fine with me!" he said.

"Wait! No!"

Then he smirked.

"Because Malfoys are extremely devoted to their wives as they are to them." He answered simply. Hermione nodded, understanding.

"Oh, and about those friends of yours…"

"What about them?" she asked curiously.

"They can't know."

"About?

"About us," Draco answered.

"Why not? I can't just keep something like this away from them!"

"Well we're going to be Head Boy and Girl soon. We are the oldest students of the school. Imagine the stories they'll make of us. Wouldn't it be interesting?" he asked. "We can act you know… to pretend we're in love."

"Pretend we're in love? No way." She answered, looking directly into his eyes.

"Imagine the looks on Potter and Weasley's faces!" he smirked.

"Oh you are so egotistical! Is publicity the only thing that matters to you?" she asked with an angry face.

"Umm… Yes?" he answered doubtfully.

Hermione sighed. "I can't believe I'll have to marry you."

"Wait. So you'll do it?"

"I never said that!" she hissed.

"Aww… Hermione you look so pretty when your cheeks are flushed, my love." Draco said, smiling.

"Cut the crap, Malfoy. And don't ever say my name."

"Hmm… that's interesting." He answered sarcastically. "Envisage the nuptial night when we start shagging. GRANGER! GRANGER! I call. 'Oh, Malfoy…' you answer," he pretended to use a girl's voice, making Hermione laugh. Suddenly his voice was once serious. "You should laugh more often, Herm-, I mean Granger. Laughing is good for the soul."

Hermione looked up at him, her curls falling down freely over her face. Draco leaned over and brushed them back, leaving them both stunned for the moment.

"I should get going. I just know this isn't going to work." Hermione started, standing up. Draco stared at her blankly.

"But I want to do this!" he said. Hermione turned back on him.

"What if I don't?" she asked, quietly.

"Hermione I know I've been such a prat to you all these years but I was just nothing but an innocent little schoolboy who pulled on your pigtails and called you names. Please give me a chance," he begged.

That's when Hermione started smiling, smirking at the same time. "Are you begging me?"

"No… just asking for a chance," he said.

She sighed. 'What should I do?' she asked herself.

"You know, forget it. You should even be honoured that a pureblood is talking to you- someone so dirty and filthy and is a Mud--…"

SLAP. Hermione slapped his face so hard that there was certainly going to be a red mark just to prove it.

"Ow…" he said sardonically, candidly at the same time. He rubbed his cheek gingerly. "What'd you do that for?"

"Blood is all that matters to you, isn't it?" she asked. 

"Well it's the only thing that's worth living for, isn't it?" he asked indecisively.

"No Malfoy. No it's not," she whispered. "There's a lot more to life than the blood flowing in your veins."

"If you say so…show me."

"Show you what?" Hermione asked.

"Those things. Why I should live life." He answered honestly.

"I-I-I can't." She answered brokenly.

"Why not?"

"Because… because I'm not marrying a Death Eater!" she exclaimed.

"I'm not a Death Eater." He answered. "Fine then. Go run off to Dumbledore, let the old man down."

Hermione thought about it. She had just had a half an hour talk with Draco Malfoy… civilly. Maybe this wasn't so bad… before she had time to finish, he finished for her.

Then he smirked. "I knew you couldn't resist…"

~~End of chapter 1~~