Chapter One–Beginnings

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter, any of the characters in the book, or anything else related to the book.

A/N: Non HBP/DH compliant. It's a marriage-fic that takes place about five years after they graduated from Hogwarts so Hermione and Draco would be around 22 or something along those lines. The story starts on a cold December morning.

"What do you mean, Father?" Draco exclaimed, slamming his fist on the dinner table. Currently, he sat in the Malfoy manner having his weekly Sunday breakfast with his parents. He had come to hate these meetings. They always ended awfully with arguments, awkward discussions or pure madness. It was just last week that they fought over whether or not Draco should paint his bathroom yellow like he planned. His father insisted it be green.

"It is clear what I mean, Draco. It's like this with many families. If you don't find someone to marry before the twentieth of December we will be forced to choose for you."

Draco sighed viciously. Not that it mattered, but his status as most eligible bachelor, most eligible Ministry-working bachelor, and hottest single pureblood would be diminished with this new revelation. It seemed that in order to come into the money that will be left to him at his parent's demise he is required to marry upon their request. It was pure foolishness.

"Why now? Why not two more years? Give me time!" he demanded, standing up in a huff.

"It was decided. This is how it is. I won't hesitate to choose for you. I hear Pansy is still single." His father sneered lightly before taking a bite of his meal. He set his fork aside with a clatter to face his son of who had an expression of anger lining his face.

"That will not be necessary." He choked. There was no way in hell Draco would ever consider marrying her. He turned to his mother out of defeat, "I have to return to the Ministry. They're moving me to the Department of International Magical Cooperation."

"International affairs?" his mother commended, "Congratulations."

"Thanks, but I better get going. It's the first day on the job and I don't want to be late." He knew he wasn't expected until noon.

"I thought you weren't expected until noon?"

"Well, Father, I think that making a good impression would be beneficial. Plus, I should introduce myself to coworkers."

"Fine," his father exhaled, "But don't forget: two weeks."

Draco nodded before heading out the door in haste. It wasn't long before he pushed his way through a crowd of busy wizards making their way to work. He always hated the morning walk to the offices.

Hermione was scanning her desk in a state of panic. She couldn't seem to find the set of forms regarding an exchange of cauldrons that needed to be examined. She was never this unorganized but in the haste of getting a new office ready for an addition to their department she had neglected some of her work and was now struggling to catch back up.

There was a raspy knock upon her door and she uttered a weary, "Come in," Her eyes narrowed slightly when her visitor showed himself. "Malfoy?"

"Yes. It's me. Unfortunately I have been instructed to sit in on you for the day to…get acquainted with this form of work. Not that it's any different than what I was doing before. Paperwork, meetings, really bad coffee."

"I prefer tea." She commented. He snorted slightly and then returned to his slight frown. "You can sit wherever."

"Thanks for making me feel comfortable, mudbl—"

"Don't even think about it! I will not, and I mean WILL NOT, let you get away with vulgar, domineering and offending words in this workplace."

"Didn't have to be so harsh, muggleborn."

"Oh my. I'm so hungry."

"Quit complaining, Malfoy."

"No. I won't. I'm going out for lunch." He stood up and grabbed his coat, "Care to join?"

She tilted her head before agreeing. The office was becoming rather stuffy. They made their way to a small wizard diner on the corner where they each ordered a decent lunch. They sat in silence until their meal arrived.

"So, anything new happen lately?" she asked. Small talk was never her forte.

"Ha!" he scoffed, "Tons and tons of things. But what makes you think I'll tell you?"

"Small talk Malfoy, can't you make small talk without being rude?"

"Nope." He added with a grin. She attempted to figure out whether he was being nice or extremely rude. She settled for rude. It was more Malfoy-like. "How about you, anything new with your friends?"

Was he being civil? He hadn't even called them names. "Well, Harry and Ginny are on their honeymoon and Ron is traveling with whatever Quiddich team he's on now."

"You two dating?" he questioned.

"No!" he corrected, "He's not my type."

"Oh, so what is your type?"

She took a few seconds to consider his question. "I like badasses."

He raised his eyebrows slightly, "That's a tad uncharacteristic of you. I thought you'd lean towards nerds…or Ron."

"I already clarified that we weren't dating!"

"No need to get so offended. Was he bad in bed or something?"

"That's it Malfoy," She shook her head while fumbling through her purse for money. He noticed her attempt to pay.

"I'll get that. You don't have to pay," he prompted loudly.

"No it's fine, really,"

"I've got it," he reprimanded before reaching for her hand and placing it firmly on the table. He hesitated for a couple seconds before going on, "The least I can be is a gentleman. Malfoys are taught to always be gentlemen." He boasted proudly, "Though I hardly consider myself a Malfoy these days." He added with a chuckle. He noticed Hermione's inquisitive eyes and quickly attempted to hamper them, "It's nothing to dwell on, just a passing comment."

She smiled sincerely before glancing downwards: their hands were still clasped on the table. Instead of pulling away she leaned in somewhat so that their noses were merely inches away, "I best be going,"

"We're going to the same place!" he whispered.

"So what?" She added before standing up and exiting.

He threw money onto the table and left, chasing after Hermione until he landed at her side. "Going to teach me anything new when we get back?"

"Well, I thought I could teach you how to submit trade forms."

"Oh, what fun!"

"Hermione!" A shout from outside her office door, "did you read the Prophet?"

"Not yet, why?" She replied as she pulled out her rumpled copy of the Prophet. It read: This Year's Most Eligible Bachelor is Now Taken. She glanced down at the moving photo, a picture of her and Draco at the café holding hands. And then a smaller one of the instant when she said goodbye. "Oh, my," she exhaled before leaning backwards in her chair. What would her friends say? Just more stress! She didn't need this. She got up and stormed into Draco's office throwing down the paper so he could easily read it.

"I saw it already,"

"And?" she protested. How could he be so dense?

"And? What am I supposed to do about it?"

"Get your fancy friends to stop the papers! I can't deal with this stress." Hermione cried out. Her thoughts pounding ferociously through her head. 'Fancy friends? Where do I come up with things like this?'

"You should consider yourself lucky. Girls would kill someone to be in your supposed position. I'm surprised there haven't been any death threats yet." He laughed before rolling slightly in his chair and picking at his quill.

"Funny, Malfoy, that's seriously funny." She added mockingly.

"Seriously, Granger. Just let it be. It'll pass in time. I have to go anyway, my father is expecting me. He just owled. I'll speak with you later." He watched her leave and exhaled gently. What was wrong with him?

"Son," Lucius Malfoy sat in a green tinted armchair in his library. His son had just entered upon request. He had recently read the newspaper and was concerned at Draco's current affairs. Lucius was not afraid to meddle.

"Father," Draco replied, taking a seat across from his father.

"Is there something you would like to speak to me about?"

Draco shook his head, "Not in particularly. Why?"

"I saw the paper." He paused slightly to take a sip of his drink. He hoped Draco would intervene now and dispel the rumors of the paper before he had to voice his opinion. "I prompt you to change your choice. I don't want my money going to a mudblood."

"Father, she—don't call her that—and I—" Draco was struggling for words. Why was it so hard for him to admit he wasn't actually with Hermione. Though he knew his father would hate it he still wasn't fond of lying and—wait, his father would hate it. Wasn't that brilliant payback?

"Come out with it boy!" He shouted before glaring outright with a sense of pure annoyance Draco had seen all too many times as a child.

"I believe Hermione is the right girl for me, Father. I do."

"Well," Lucius sneered, "Please, I advise you to reconsider."

Draco shook his head. "You told me to find someone and I found her. I am doing exactly what you want. Plus, she is brilliant, beautiful and would make an excellent mother." Malfoy comforted himself by repeating that he was lying. 'Hermione? Beautiful? What am I saying?' he thought while his father contemplated his next words.

"But she's a mudblood. She'll taint our bloodline."

"I will ask again. Please do not call her that. And what do I care? I'd rather have kids with her than Pansy," maybe everything wasn't a lie. He waited for his father's response. Surely he would protest his choice. Surely he would be disappointed.

"You're dismissed, boy. I've had enough of your nonsense. You have two weeks."

"You did what?" Hermione stood, arms crossed, brow furrowed and head cocked in her office with a very distraught Malfoy standing across from her.

"It's just a little lie. You just have to come to a few family dinners, parties and make appearances. That's it." He attempted to persuade her. But she was too intelligent, even he recognized that. She shook her head viciously.

"Malfoy!" Hermione exclaimed. "Why? This makes absolutely no sense!"

"Because!" He screamed, his face a blotch of red, "My parents are forcing me to get married and I know they would hate if it were to you!"

"So you plan on marrying me? That's wonderful! When was I going to have any say on the plans?" She stepped towards him, her arms flying in the air.

"It's just a favor. We'll break up. We'll have an argument. It'll be fine!" he demanded, grabbing a hold of her shoulders.

"We barely know each other."

"Then let's get to know each other," he suggested smugly. Effort was harder then he thought. He let go of her and headed towards the door before turning to her once more, "Oh and you're expected at my parent's for dinner tomorrow night."