Yo. This is dedicated to Rainbow Breaker. This is a marriage/ veela fic. One I'm hoping turns out ok. This is only the first bit, so reviews would be great! No honest idea where this is going, so opinions are highly welcomed. R&R Enjoy! Chisicet

"Hey guys…" two sets of eyes look up from their lunch, their plates nearly empty, to look over at the female that had spoken.

"What's it, Gin?" Ron asks and at the look on her face he frowns. Harry reaches over and takes her hand gently before nodding for her to keep going. She gave him a weak smile before nodding at the paper in her other hand.

"'All persons born from 1978 to 1982 have been predetermined to be paired up for the new Marriage Law. Any prior relationships, marriage contracts, or engagements of any kind will be, here forth, dissolved as of today. The following is a list of rules you and your new spouse are to live up to for your upcoming wedding and marriage. If you do not comply, or attempt to marry anyone else without approval from the Ministry and the spouse you have been paired with, the consequences have been implemented into the rules below. As following said list, is who you have been paired with.'" Ginny looked up from the paper, a tear in her eye before she put the paper down and turned to Harry. "I'm so sorry Harry. We weren't matched."

"Who are you with then Ginny?" The three at the table jumped, not having heard Hermione enter the room. Ginny looked down at her paper, gave a sob and shifted to the second page.

"Blaise Zabini." Hermione nodded and Harry looked down into his lap, pulling his hand from Ginny's. Ginny tried reaching for his hand, but he shook his head. He stood and turned away before reaching for his letter and moving into the living room. Ron looked ready to explode.

"A Slytherin? They paired you with a snake? Are they mad!" He stood, slamming his hands down onto the table. Hermione moved forward and grabbed her letter before handing hers to Ron.

"Read yours before you get too upset, you never know who you've been paired with until you read it." He nodded at her, his hands moving mechanically to grab the innocent looking letter. He was looking at the thing like he would rather kiss a spider. Hermione moved to lean against the door frame as she opened hers and went straight to the second page. A pin could be heard for a few moments after she looked upon the name. As she turned to look into the living room she dropped the letter. Harry was sitting there looking dumbfounded and he slowly looked up as well.

"'Mione… No…" Was all that was heard from him. He stood and hugged himself before turning and walking out of the Burrow. Hermione covered her hand before a sob could escape her and a moment later Ginny had her arms around her.

"It's ok Hermione. It'll be ok, things will turn out fine in the end." The girls couldn't tell who Ginny was trying to convince more, Hermione, or herself. Hermione though, clutched to those words as she nodded, taking the letter from Ginny as she turned back into the living room. Soon enough the rest of the family had come down to investigate the noise that was Ron throwing a fit.

"Ronald Weasley, you calm down right this instant or I will do it for you!" His mother yelled over him, which in turn got him to shut up easily. "Now, what is it that you are yelling about in here?"

"I've been matched up with Astoria Greengrass for this Marriage Law that's been passed." Ron said sitting down heavily in his chair and Ginny gave him a weak smile.

"At least I'm not the only one to be matched up with a snake."

"Yea, yours is just worse than mine is. Who is Astoria anyway? I mean, the last name rings a bell, but not the first." Ginny shook her head and sat down. George walked closer and motioned for her to hand him his letter. She did so before turning back to Ron to answer his question.

"She's the younger sister of Daphne Greengrass. Both are prominent pure-bloods. Astoria, I heard, is actually engaged to Draco Malfoy. But that's rumors, according to a friend their just dating."

"Why do they have this set up as a 4 years gap?" George whispered from behind his paper. Since Fred's death a year ago he had been more quiet, less of a trouble maker, though he had his moments. "'From 1978 to 1982' That's rubbish!" He exclaimed and threw his papers down. "Katie is not going to like this much…" He sighed and sat down next to Ron. Molly Weasley picked up the second page of all three of their letters and read the names before turning to look at Hermione that was still apparently sitting catatonic in the living room.

"Who is…" Before she could finish her sentence Ginny answered, officially silencing the room.

"Harry." Ron looked like his face was trying to win a competition with his hair on which could be redder, his face was winning. George frowned and crossed his arms on the table before leaning his head on his arms. Their mother had a hand covering her mouth and she looked like she didn't know whether to cry or laugh.

Hermione stood slowly, having heard everything they had said but choosing to ignore it, and moved out of the house, going in search of her best friend. She found him a few minutes' walk away in the fields, only having spotted him because he chose to sit on a hill. When she approached she stood a few feet away until he noticed her, once he did he motioned for her to sit next to him, the frown never leaving his face though.

"Harry… You know, I don't want this any more than you do, but what choice do we have?" He shrugged but still said nothing. She lay down and looked at the clouds going by, trying to calm her thoughts down. She held out her letter before her face to read a few more aspects of the rules.

"I think, if I could Harry, these would be rules I would willingly break. They make no sense and they seem more like a lifelong trap than anything 'prosperous and in need for the wizarding world to bloom once again'." She glanced over at Harry and noticed the slight curve of his mouth that showed he found what she said slightly funny.

"I know 'Mione. I wish it were different. This past year we went through so much trying to make sure that people knew we held nothing for each other more than sibling- friendship. That'll be dashed now though, and the rumors will start up horribly. Not to mention… I've lost Ginny and you've lost Ron." He sighed and looked down into his hands.

"I don't think I ever truly had Ron though. I mean we… we were ok at first, but I think he still held a flame for Lavender. It hit him hard, you know, after she died. He never was the same." Harry nodded and lay beside her.

"I thought that was just his reaction to the battle." Hermione shook her head and looked at him.

"Nope. He confessed to me a few months later after a fight that he still loved her and he never should have broken it off with her. I, of course, was hurt, but I saw it coming. We haven't been the same since, and now, we aren't anything but friends." She saw him close his eyes as he nodded. "Come on Harry." She stood, brushed herself off and held a hand out for him. "Let's go in and face our destiny." He sighed and made to stand, using her hand on his final pull up. As they made their way down to the house, holding hands, they noticed two owls fly into the Burrow.

Draco had awakened that morning to his house elf setting his clothes for the day out. When the elf turned to him, noticing him awake, he bowed, and let him know he had mail from the ministry waiting with his breakfast. Draco groaned, sat up and wiped his face before getting up and showering. He wondered what the Ministry wanted with him now. He hoped, that after the trials had ended months ago, his mother and he would not have to hear from the Ministry for a long time yet. When he got out of Azkaban, because of the word of Potter for his mother and him, they moved out of the manor; hopefully to have it torn down and rebuilt within the next year.

"Morning Draco, come, have breakfast with your mother." His mother said from her chair at the table. He nodded and sat, figuring he'd ignore the letter until he was finished eating. "So, how's Astoria? Have you decided to mate with her yet?" He scoffed at his mother and her ideas.

"Course not Mother, she's not our mate." She looked at him with a skeptical look upon her face.

"Then why, pray tell, are you with her? You do know who your mate is right? I mean, you did come into your heritage uncommonly early. I blame your father and the stresses he put on you."

"Yes, I know who she is, no I will not try for her, I may just as well marry Astoria, but I doubt we'll have a child. My Veela is still mad at me for even dating and staying with her." He pushed his food around on his plate, full but not wanting to continue his day. His mother humphed from her seat but continued eating.

"Who is she dear?"

"Someone that father would not approve of." His mother gave him a shocked expression.

"Half- blood or Muggle-born?" He sighed, sitting back and picking up his letter, slowly opening it.

"Muggle-born." She went to say something but he pointed to his letter effectively stopping whatever she was going to say. He pulled the letter out and set the envelope down before reading and once he did start, he sat up straight at once, earning himself a curious look from his mother. "Are they mad? They have to be off their rocker to think that I would go through with this!" He threw the letter down before standing and beginning to pace behind his chair. His mother reached for the letter and read through it and reading who he had been paired with.

"Well, this is interesting."

"Interesting? Interesting? This is in no way 'interesting'! They are highly aware that there is no way that this will last or go through. I bet the pairings did not even consider magical bonds or previous engagements. I'm going up there now." He moved away from his chair and faced the door. "Pipsky!" The house elf from before appeared in front of him and bowed. "I need my shoes in the parlor here in a moment, I also want you to look presentable, you're going with me." The house elf's eyes widened and he bowed low before popping out of the room. Draco stalked out and into the parlor a mere six feet away.

"Draco, darling, who is it that is your mate?" She called to him as she stood and followed him into the next room. He stood facing the hearth, which was not going as it was the end of summer.

"Hermione Granger." He turned abruptly and faced her, a look of horror upon his features. "How could my mate be a muggle-born witch, where in generations before there has never been anyone other than a pureblood!" His mother sighed and shook her head before sitting down on the love seat a few feet from him. She held the letter out to him and he folded it and put it in his pocket.

"Draco, not all of them have been purebloods. How do you think the Veela blood became part of the Malfoy line?" He shook his head and continued to pace, stopping now and then before continuing. Pipsky popped in shortly and placed Draco's shoes before him and bowed as he took a step back. Draco nodded and held his hand out to he little creature.

"The ministry, please, Pipsky." Said elf nodded as he reached his hand out and took his masters. Draco's mother waved at them before Pipsky snapped his fingers and they disappeared. Once they arrived in their location Draco let go of his elf's hand and bade him to stay close to him. He left and headed toward the lifts, he knew he would have to go to the Minister about this, as the people in the newly formed Department of Magical Nuptials would no doubt just give him the run around.

As he got off the lift and went into the Minister's office he noticed several people already there, looking as angry as he felt. Once inside the office he walked straight to the Minister's door, opened it and stormed inside glad now, after he'd slammed the door shut, that there was no one other than Kingsley Shacklebolt in the office. Said man looked up at the intrusion and smirked.

"Draco, there is such a thing as knocking you know. Did you have an appointment?" Draco shook his head and looked at his house elf and motioned for him to wait there. Draco moved further into the office and sat down before the Minister before answering him.

"No, I am here to talk to you about this new Marriage law and the pairings that have happened due to it." The man that sat before him put his quill down and looked at Draco with a curious look on his face.

"Marriage law? I've yet heard of this, and what pairings?"

"You mean you know nothing about this?" Draco reached into his pocket, where he pulled out the letter that had made him so upset earlier. He handed the thing over and waited as the older man read the letter, a frown on his face the whole time.

"No, I have no idea what this is about, but I will find out about it." He stood and paused before lightly shaking his finger at Draco. "Actually, would you accompany me? I have something I want to discuss with you." Draco nodded before standing and following the Minister out, Pipsky nearly attaching himself to Draco's leg.

"Now, as you know, there has been a lot of miscommunication or lack of communication here in the Ministry." Draco nodded waiting for the man to get to his point. "I want you to come work here under me and help me get the mess sorted out, you would be paid handsomely and regularly, as well as holidays, vacation and such as a normal job. Of course, getting the departments to cooperate and for this all to run smoothly, I suggest getting a few people to work under or with you on this, may I suggest working with Percy Weasley and Alicia Spinnet on this? They've done wonders here in their own departments already, but I think that they would be better suited for this job." Draco walked along silently with him the rest of the way to the Department of Magical Nuptials. Once outside the doors Draco spoke up.

"I will think this over and get back to you in a few days' time. This has been quiet sudden after all. Wouldn't Potter or Granger be better suited for this?" Draco looked away as he mentioned the two thirds of the Golden Trio.

"Perhaps, but I asked you first. As I'm aware Potter is going for Quidditch for a few years and Granger has chosen to take two years off of anything and won't respond to any such owl's concerning, well, most matters of any case." Draco raised an eyebrow at this but didn't make a comment. "When she does decide though, I have a project I'm saving just for her if she decides to join the Ministry, until I shall wait. Now, let's see to this business shall we?" Draco pushed open the doors out of respect and waited for the Minister to walk through before he followed.

"We shall."