Draco's POV
"Blaise!" I yelled out as I ran to catch up with him.
"Morning Drake, so how was your first night with Granger?" He asked.
"Hermione." I corrected and he grinned at me.
"Okay… how was your first night with Hermione?" He repeated and I rolled my eyes at his playful way.
"It was fine, we talked a little and we decided to call a truce… I mentioned the thought of being friends and she didn't turn the idea down so I guess that's a start." He nodded and seemed pleased.
"Well want to know what I got up to last night after you and Hermione left." I smiled and shook my head, he really was a devil.
"You got your girl huh?" He frowned a bit.
"Well no not quite but it was a very good night and I plan to ask her out properly. Damn she's wild!" I made a face that told him I really didn't want to know.
"Seriously dude, I'm not talking about the bedroom so don't make that face, I meant personality wise. She's really cool and besides she let me in on a secret." I was curious now as I looked up from my pancakes.
"Oh yeah what's that?"
"Well I could tell you but then it wouldn't be a secret would it?" He teased. I rolled my eyes and shook my head smiling knowing he would cave and tell me.
"Blaise you can't keep a secret to save your life so spill what is it?"
"Hermione liked you a couple of years back and Ginny said she thinks that those certain feelings might not be completely gone. If you get my drift." He said smirking and I smiled.
"Really?" I asked trying to keep the smile off my face making him smirk even more.
"Really." He confirmed.
"But she doesn't know for sure." I pointed out and he shrugged.
"She seemed nearly one hundred percent positive." He mentioned and I flicked my eyes to where Hermione and Ginny were.
"You didn't tell her anything about me liking Hermione did you?" I asked quietly noticing that Parkinson was trying to listen in. He looked guilty which gave the answer away. I sighed heavily.
"Sorry Drake. I mean if it helps any she was ecstatic about it. We kind of…maybe mentioned a few scenarios to push you two together. " I smirked as Parkinson got red in the face. She had obviously heard Blaise mention another girl but I was glad she hadn't heard who. The whole school would know about it by the end of the day.
"Nice man… Listen are you sure? She might be mistaken." I asked starting to get a bit nervous, maybe he misunderstood.
"Dude she seemed to be positive and besides even I kind of noticed it years ago. You both have this… connection with each other. There's no one else for the two of you. You guys are compatible in every way." He shrugged and continued to eat his breakfast.
I looked over at Hermione and saw her with Ginny talking quietly. She was picking at her breakfast not really interested in it anymore and I wondered silently if ginny had spilled the beans about what Blaise had told her. Blaise followed my gaze and smiled.
"Drake, just work on being friends and go from there. I'd bet you all my money in my vault that once you establish a friendship with her she won't knock you back." I nodded and blushed slightly as she caught me staring.
Hermione's POV
"Ginny!" I hissed quietly as she told me through breakfast who'd she spent the night with.
"What? He's hot and besides it wasn't just sex, we actually did a lot of talking. Oh Mione he's a really nice guy and I really really like him." I smiled despite myself and shook my head.
"Jeez girl it didn't take you long did it." I stated quietly and she grinned..
"No but like I said what I feel for Blaise is real and I just know he's feels the same." I just smiled at her as I caught the dreamy look she had on her face. At this moment she reminded me of Luna.
"Oh and you know what? Blaise let me in on a secret last night, mind you I may have coerced it out of him." She smiled wickedly, I cracked another smile even though I knew exactly what she was talking about.
"Oh yeah and what secret would that be?" I asked interested.
"Draco likes you… Blaise picked it a couple of years ago. Then when they saw you yesterday after you two ran into each other, Blaise just knew Draco still had feelings for you." She said smirking as she licked her spoon.
"Don't be silly Gin, he was probably just messing with you." I said quietly.
'Why would he like someone like me when he could have any girl he wanted?' I thought to myself as I watched him and Blaise in deep discussion. A thought suddenly hit me and I turned to Ginny accusingly.
"Ginny you didn't tell him about my feelings did you?" I demanded and she squirmed in her seat. I groaned knowing Blaise was probably over there now spilling his guts to Draco. How was I going to show my face now?
"Ginny..."I whined.
"I'm sorry but he kind of got it out of me too." She confessed guiltily.
"Urgh I don't know how I'm going to show my face in our rooms when he knows." I said moodily as I ran a hand through my hair.
"Blaise wouldn't tell him." She said slowly.
"Really? You told me didn't you?" She pursed her lips as she looked between me and the Slytherin table.
"Okay so he might have told… but you know what? I'm not sorry." She said confidently making me stare at her in disbelief.
"I know you. You wouldn't have done anything about it had Blaise not told Draco just like he probably wouldn't have done anything about it if I hadn't told you. You two are as bad as each other. You're both stubborn. You would have gone around the whole school year and probably after graduation thinking of the what ifs." She said smugly knowing she was right. I glared and stabbed at my breakfast moodily.
"Ooohh." She said loudly as I continued to play with my food.
"What?" I asked moodily still annoyed with her.
"I heard a rumour about this new class you guys have this year. Well we have." I looked at her confused and she smiled slightly.
"Oh that's right I forgot to tell you. Luna and I were asked to join your class because there weren't enough females." That tweaked my interest.
"Really? Do you know what it is then? We have it right after breakfast in the infirmary" I asked I was desperate to find out anything about the class. All the teachers were keeping it hush hush and it drove me insane not knowing.
"Well apparently it's like a life skills class but with a twist. I heard a rumour you and Draco have to be paired together because your heads. Apparently it's a paired project that lasts the entire school year… at least that's what I heard." I sat there and processed everything.
"Great it'll probably be boring then." I added in thought. I stood up along with Ginny when we heard the bell chime 8am. Breakfast disappeared leaving a couple of students grumbling that it was gone.
"Girls wait up." Blaise called out as he and Draco came through the great hall doors behind us. I looked around and noted the looks of confusion from some of the younger students, then there were some stronger glares from the few seventh years that were left. This year was going to be difficult.
"Morning." Draco said smiling lightly at me.
"Morning" I said turning slightly pink.
'Damn Ginny to hell' I thought shooting her a look as she and Blaise walked along just behind.
"So what do you think the new class is going to be?" He asked striking up conversation and I was glad for the distraction. Maybe he would have some ideas on the class. I informed him of what Ginny told me and he seemed just as curious and frustrated as I did.
Draco's POV
"Welcome students." The head mistress said as she waited at the door for all the seventh years.
"Before we tell you your project and the classes name here are your partners..."
"Malfoy and Granger, Parkinson and Crabbe," I silently laughed as Crabbe looked on in horror as his name was called out along with Pansy's. I pat him on the back as he walked past in a good luck gesture and silently cheered at the fact that I had to be paired with Hermione. Blaise and Ginny looked happy when their names were called out together. Astoria Greengrass was paired with Potter which surprised me seeing as he wasn't here and Weasley got paired with Brown which again confused me. Blaise shot me a what-the-hell look and I shrugged. I had no idea either.
"Madam Pomfrey and I along with professor Flitwick and professor Snape have had a great deal of training in the area during the holidays. The situation we have found ourselves in isn't easy on anyone, least of all the students of the wizarding world who are of age this year. Of course there have had to be a few exceptions." She said looking at Ginny and Luna. I looked around nervously and noted a few people were shifting uncomfortable in their chairs.
"We're going to make this as simple and as stress free as we can." Madam Pomfrey said soothingly but it just made me even more nervous. Something big was happening.
"So there has been a new law granted by the Ministry by the Minister of Magic. It has been put in place for a honourable reason and as much as some people want to fight it, the Ministry has had no choice. You have all been statistically matched by your intellect, personality and other such qualities that the ministry thought were important. I would just like to point out that it is not only Hogwarts that has been chosen but the other two magic school in the area as well due to the effects of the war." The head Mistress let her last comment hang for a moment before she started once again.
"Great care has been used in this matching process and this is because the future of the wizardry world in this area now rests in your hands. Take a good look at your partner students because based on statistics this person is the most compatible to you… and for the next three years this will be your spouse." McGonagall stopped completely to allow it to sink in.
"Are you kidding me? I'm stuck with HIM! ARGH! My parents will not stand for this… this… disgrace to my family name. There's been a mistake." Pansy shouted. I was too far into my own thought as she ranted at the teachers. A few others made their feeling known loudly but ignored it all as I sunk in my chair.
"Are they being serious?" I asked suddenly as I looked at Blaise. He looked as shocked as I felt. He glanced at Ginny who was sitting next to him as she stared at the teachers in shock. I chanced a glance at Hermione and found her with her head in her hands. She looked up when she noticed me and I paled a little as the situation sunk in. Spouse? Shit. We had to get married and not for a school project but actually married. For three years. Then what? What happened after that?
"What happens after three years?" I asked shakily to the nearest teacher who happened to be Snape. Hermione turned away from me but she was still listening.
"You have the choice of going separate ways but not before three years are up." He said quietly patting me on the shoulder as he walked behind me. I looked up to my god father and he looked between me and Hermione and gave me a small smile.
"We know this has come as a shock to you all and it'll take a while to sink in but we don't have a lot of time as we have other things that need discussing. Those however can be done at a later date when you all get over the shock of this news. At some stage throughout the day you will all receive a letter outlining the time of your… service." Snape said looking uncomfortable as he used the word service.
"We're getting married today?" Ginny demanded.
"Yes we need it all done as soon as possible." Professor McGonagall spoke.
"You said there was other news, what is it?" Hermione asked while there was a murmur of agreement amongst the class.
"That will be discussed in next week's class." She said with an air of finality knowing Hermione would want to fish for details.
"Right well that will be all for this lesson, we'll see you all later. Please make your way to your next class." They dismissed us and I noted that many people stormed out.
"Hermione…" I said quietly as the four of us stood and made our way out.
"What?" She asked angrily. I frowned what was I going to say?
"Nothing never mind. I'll see you later." I said as I pulled Blaise towards our next class.
"What the fuck." I muttered quietly as we walked.
"I know…I mean shit. I know I feel something for Ginny but marriage? What the fuck were they thinking?" he said in disbelief.
"Surely they can't do this? There has to be a loophole." I said.
"Loophole? I doubt it. They would have covered everything." He said shaking his head as we walked towards the potions room.
"I don't even know if I like Hermione like… THAT. Now I have to marry her?" I muttered.
"Dude you like her, trust me. However I agree with you. This is way too soon"
Hermione's POV
I walked to my next class by myself in a daze. Ginny had been called back in to speak with the teachers but I had no idea what about.
Marriage? I liked Draco but to marry him? This was… fuck. What was I going to do? What was I going to tell Harry and Ron…My parents. Oh god what were they going to say?
I started hyperventilating at the thought so I rushed into the nearest girls bathroom and into a stall. I sat down with my back against a wall and my head between my knees.
"I can't do this." I muttered over and over again.
Two hours later
I was in the middle of slowly copying down the theory written on the board during charms with Ravenclaw. Ginny sat almost still beside me. Turns out she and Luna had been accelerated back into their seventh year like they were meant to be but because the war disrupted most of the school year all students were made to repeat the year, except the new lot of first years. The professors were in for a busy year with us seventh years and a double lot of first years.
"Miss Granger I've just received a note asking you to report to the great hall." I felt a sense of dread wash over me and Professor Flitwick patted me gently on the arm giving me a small smile. I packed up my things slowly and got up looking sadly at Ginny. She gave me a small smile but I couldn't manage one back.
Making my way down to the great hall seemed to take a life time but when I got there Draco was coming towards me. We both paused outside and looked at one another.
"We'll make it work… I don't know how but we'll try." He said softly and I gave him a small smile nodding my head.
"Yeah we'll try." I said as we both stepped through the doors and into the great hall.