The Plan

NOTE: THERE WAS A MISTAKE IN THE SUMMARY! This story contains NO M/F/F. That was an accident. This story is purely Hermione/Draco and contains only M/F. :) Thank you.

Hey There! This fic was written for the DMHGFicExchange on LiveJournal. It is a marriage law fic, per the request of my recipient. I loved writing it and I really hope she likes what I’ve got for her. And thanks to my beta me_4_ever. You truly are super-beta! I’ll make you a spandex superhero suit. :D

This was the request.
Would you prefer an art or fic gift?: Fic please
Song, Poem, or Quote (title/original creator): "A great marriage is not when the 'perfect couple' comes together. It is when an imperfect couple learns to enjoy their differences." - Dave Meurer
Describe your ideal gift in as few words/keywords as possible (plus rating): NC-17 if possible. I love fics about the marriage law where purebloods are forced by the ministry to marry muggle-borns.
Dealbreakers (absolute no-no's): No drunk!Draco/Hermione, no Lucius & Narcissa who suddenly love muggle-borns because Draco and Hermione are together

Enjoy!

---

Chapter 1: The Proposition

The freshly brewed coffee sloshed around in the Styrofoam cup as she walked down the sidewalk. A light blanket of snow covered the streets already but flurries still fell from the morning sky and the steam rising from her cup seemed much thicker because of the cold. Hermione stopped at the stand on the corner by Flourish and Blotts. She supposed she could have had her Daily Prophet sent to her every morning but for some reason, she preferred to pick it up on her way to work. Smiling at the tender, she paid him his sickles and took her paper. The headline glaring from the front page made her freeze in place.

MARRIAGE LEGISLATION VOTE: NEARLY UNANIMOUS

Hermione’s eyes refused to glance any farther below those possibly condemning words. Nearly unanimous didn’t mean it passed. They might have fought against it. They might have realized how crazy it was. Right?

Wrong. She knew it without a doubt. And with a quick scan over the article, she found herself correct. The new legislation passed, just like they all feared it would. Hermione’s heart stopped in her chest and a hollow ache began.

The marriage legislation wasn’t a law. It was more of an act; a Ministry endorsed decree suggesting that all persons out of school and of age get married, specifically to someone of another blood status, to help the rebuilding of Wizarding society after the Second Great War.

It was bullshit. The Ministry claimed it had reasons. Because of the immense amount of deaths during the war, the population definitely needed a jumpstart of some sort and encouraging marriages would no doubt help with that particular issue. And the fact that these marriages would be of purebloods and muggle-borns would help the more pressing matters weighing down on everyone. Even though the light side had won the war, nothing was suddenly peaches and cream. Along with the all of the houses, buildings, and other destruction that needed to be rebuilt, society’s views and opinions needed to be as well. There was still a division among wizards and witches and the time it would take for those gaps to be bridged was more time than they had. So the new government had to do something to help it along.

The color on Hermione’s cheeks flared as quickly as her anger. She was beyond furious, she was beyond mystified. And she was far beyond disgusted. Manipulating people into marrying against their will? She, as someone who fought for equal rights for people and creatures everyday, certainly didn’t approve of what the new Ministry was doing.

The problem wasn’t necessarily the act itself, though. Sure, she absolutely disagreed with it, but she did understand that the new Ministry, and the new officials, were attempting to do something… anything. They were trying to be active, productive, and effective. But it was the way they were going about it; she hated the fact that people were being forced into something they had no say in. The problem was, no one was being forced. Not technically, anyway.

The way it worked was, the Ministry made this suggestion and everyone who met the qualifications had a certain time frame to find a partner. Both adults had to be consenting and after they agreed, they would go to the Ministry and fill out the paperwork. The Ministry even tried to make it as painless as possible by offering matchmaking services to those who weren’t sure of their options. This service would match people up with the most compatible wizards or witches and the person seeking a partner could go from there.

It all sounded so wizard-friendly, but it wasn’t. The people who chose not to follow the legislation faced consequences. Nothing that would be seen on paper, of course, but if someone refused to marry, they would definitely suffer for their decision. They could get demoted, have a pay cut, have restricted access, and could even be refused help from the government if they ever needed it. And those were just some of the things people were quietly being threatened with if they denied the new legislation. The Ministry very clearly had ways of influencing people to comply with their wishes.

It was manipulation like nothing she’d ever seen.

Hermione had heard about the legislation months prior. It had been big news in the Wizarding World, obviously. Most people were shocked that the new Ministry would have ever even proposed such a thing. It sounded like such an ‘old Ministry’ thing to do; a Fudge-it, if you will. And as expected, many people protested. But even then, despite the original proposition and certain worker’s efforts to actually pass the bill, most people didn’t think it would ever really happen. Hermione was among them.

How wrong they’d been.

The words flaunted themselves mockingly, laughing their tail ends off at her distress. Her infamous temper was about to be unleashed.

Tossing the paper to the ground, Hermione huffed and stalked off towards the Ministry to talk to the new Minister of Magic: Kingsley Shacklebolt.

---

“There has to be a way out of it, mother, there just has to be!”

Draco slammed the Prophet down onto the table, causing his fork to fly into the air and land with a clank on the floor. He and Narcissa were having breakfast, waiting on pins and needles for the results of the vote. No one had known when the vote actually was, or at least, they weren’t supposed to, but Draco had pulled every string and called every contact he could to find out a general date. He’d been waiting for a week, tense and anxious. The results of the vote affected him more than he liked.

He and his mother were not the people they used to be. By that, he meant they didn’t exactly have the reputation they once had. For better and for worse. Because of the war and his father’s involvement with Voldemort and the Death Eaters (and his own involvement as well), the Malfoy name didn’t hold the power it used to. Lucius was still in Azkaban and probably would be for many more years. Narcissa managed to escape prison but only because she didn’t actually carry the mark on her skin. She did have to pay huge fines for her actions and secrecy but it was all they could get her on.

And Draco… he had taken over as head of the household. He hadn’t gotten of scott free, either, but after the incident with Dumbledore, Draco realized he just couldn’t do it. He couldn’t kill, he couldn’t torture, and he couldn’t follow orders blindly, knowing they would lead to his death. So he laid low as long as he was able and when he was finally forced out into the open, he switched sides. He became a spy, gave information to the Order and secretly worked with them up until the very end. Granted, he never gave any information that was world-shattering or anything but he supplied enough to keep him safe and keep them satisfied. And in the end he got off much luckier than most others.

But his name was tarnished as a result. The Malfoy fortune, though significantly smaller, was still intact, but they’d lost everything else. Now he had to fix it. His family had so much at stake and they were walking on glass around the Wizarding World.

Draco worked as a Law Assistant in the Department of Magical Law Enforcement. He aspired to become a lawyer, but like most others, he had to start at the bottom and work his way up. Unlike those others, his journey to the top was almost impossible; it was easily compared to climbing a mountain, in the middle of winter, with no shoes. He knew it was going to be difficult but if Draco Malfoy was one thing, it was determined. He had an incredible will to survive and he would do anything he had to, to be successful. And surprisingly, if that meant sacrificing parts of himself, then so be it. When he had the right incentive, Draco could do anything.

But that didn’t mean it was pleasant.

Draco sighed and ran his hand through his hair. The new legislation threatened his job, his future, and definitely his present. He was already on thin ice with the Ministry, the Order, and the Aurors. If he didn’t comply with the new bill, he would face dire consequences. Consequences he couldn’t afford.

They’d never let him become a lawyer, and that was unacceptable because he had to reach the top. He had to be one of the prosecutors who put the Death Eaters away. He had to clear his name. And most of all, he had to succeed. He was a Malfoy, damn it, and he couldn’t stand being at the bottom of the barrel. His pride could be ridiculously detrimental but it was still one of the most powerful forces in his decision making.

“Draco, you’ve searched for loopholes for weeks, as soon as you got the information on the details of the proposition. And now that it has been passed, your time is quite limited.” Narcissa said calmly as she sipped her tea.

Draco could see through her façade. She wasn’t calm and she wasn’t encouraging him to give up. Narcissa was just as frustrated with the new act as anyone. She might not have agreed with her husband on all of the blood status issues but she certainly thought her family was better than others and she was quite insulted at the recent turn of events. But she was also a very realistic person and she knew, once the legislation was passed, there was very little anyone could do.

She wasn’t happy and neither was Draco.

“There has to be something. Couldn’t I tell them that I never planned to get married or have children at all? That I don’t want to pass on a destroyed legacy? I‘m sure they don‘t want any more Malfoys running around.” Narcissa looked affronted by his statement and he sighed again.

“Don’t you dare say that, Draco. You know how badly I want grandchildren. And not passing on our legacy? That is just utter nonsense. You have to pass on the Malfoy line. I know you don’t mean anything you just said.”

And she was right, he didn’t. But if he had to marry someone he didn’t like and have children with her, then he was almost willing to give up the idea altogether.

“Can’t I tell them that I’m gay?” He cut her off before she protested. “No, you’re right. I could never pull that off.” Silence settled over them as they pondered the gravity of the situation.

Draco felt defeated. He knew trying to find a way out of the mess was a horrible idea, anyway. Even if he did figure something out, and his reasons were completely valid, he’d still face the repercussions for defying the Ministry‘s orders. And, with all he had to lose, the one thing he risked the most, was the reputation of his family.

They were practically outcasts. But they still had money and they still had a bit of intimidation on their side and with all of that, Draco planned to fix everything. Build it back up and make it the way it was. The new Ministry was a threat to all of that and so if he wanted any sort of normal future, he was going to have to be a good boy and heel when they told him too.

Even if that meant marrying some mud… muggle-born.

Draco sighed one last time and left the breakfast table, heading off to work.

---

Hermione’s footsteps could be heard from miles away as she stalked down the halls of the Ministry, heading straight for Kingsley’s office. She could not believe that he, and that the Order, would allow this to pass. She knew that the Wizarding World would face many new reforms, and some of them quite liberal, but she never expected something so drastic.

The large wooden door came into view and Hermione sped up, her determination feeding her excessive anger. She ignored the calls from the secretary sitting at the nearby desk and went straight into the office. Surprisingly, the door opened easily, not barred by any spells or locks.

Kingsley sat at his large desk, papers in hand. The instant she came in, his eyes locked with her’s and he immediately set everything aside and stood up.

“Hermione Granger.”

“What the hell did you do?” He sighed, knowing exactly what she was on about and Hermione definitely didn’t miss the look of shame that crossed his face.

Good, he should be ashamed.

“What I had to do.”

“That is utterly ridiculous and you know it. You didn’t have to do anything. What you’ve done is unbelievable. It’s a crime against our civil rights!”

“Hermione, please understand-”

“No. I’ve already heard your explanations. And nothing justifies this. Nothing, Kingsley. This is something Fudge would have done.” That was the push that sent him over the edge. His hands balled into fists and he stepped forward, his stance full of purpose. Hermione had known Kingsley for years and never once had she seen him lose control but, with the way he stared at her, she figured it was only a matter of time.

“Miss Granger, I know how you feel. I do. I felt the exact same way when they presented this to me.”

“What?” She hadn’t expected him to say that and it was enough to keep her listening.

“When the other officials first proposed this idea, I laughed in their faces. I immediately refused, not even bothering to hear any details. But they persisted, and, eventually, I was persuaded. And do you know why? Because it makes sense.” He held up a hand to stop her from interrupting him. “Our society needs this. The war is over, yes. And we won, yes. But that hasn’t fixed everything. The prejudices and hate are still all around us! They won’t go away, either, and I think you know that as well as I do. We are doing something very… desperate. But we are desperate, Hermione.”

Hermione’s nostrils flared and she crossed her arms over her chest in silent defiance. She’d heard it all before and knew about their supposed reasons but she still disagreed. There were better ways to get what they wanted.

“You must understand. We aren‘t forcing you to marry someone you hate. Nor someone who is disgusting or despicable or dangerous. You can marry whoever you want to, if they agree.” She held her breath for his next words. “He just has to be a pureblood.”

---

“You know I have do not have any say in the matter.”

Hermione sat in her boss’s office, her legs crossed, and her body tense. She’d finished her conversation with the Minister and she was still furious. Kingsley’s words repeated in her head over and over but she refused to let them get to her. He tried to make it sound so nice, so… agreeable. Like everyone had numerous options that justified government control simply because they got a choice in their partner.

She saw through their lies. Just because they were trying to make it as peaceful and least confrontational as possible, didn’t mean that they weren’t taking advantage of their power and oppressing society.

“You cannot expect me to just get married and have children because the Ministry has ordered it.” She said sternly, her ‘McGonagall’ voice coming out.

“Actually, Miss Granger, yes we can.” He said, calmly. Hermione was dumbfounded.

“That is so-”

“Miss Granger, I know you are very unhappy about this new development but you are incredibly intelligent. I’m sure you realize the consequences if you choose to disobey this piece of legislation.”

Hermione sat perfectly still, staring at her elderly boss across from her. She was being threatened, she knew.

“You just started The Freedom and Liberation Committee less than a year ago and though you have already come a long way with it, the head of the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures will not hesitate to cut your funding if you do not comply. I’m sorry. You are a great asset to us, more than you know, but we can’t afford to go against the new Ministry’s wishes.”

And that was that. He dismissed her with a sad smile and turned to gather papers for a meeting. Hermione numbly walked out of the office. She couldn’t believe the conversation she’d just had.

They would cut her funding, disband her committee, and toss away years worth of work just because she refused to marry.

Hermione had started the committee soon after the ending of the war. She’d originally made it an extension of S.P.E.W., for the protection and liberation of House-elves. The entire thing soon escalated to include all magical creatures, centaurs, wolves, vampires, and more, fighting to get them equal rights. But her ambition knew no bounds because she had every intention of one day expanding to include wizards and witches as well. So anyone, despite blood, race, economic status, or anything else, would have equal rights and freedoms and be treated fairly in society.

It was her passion, her devotion. And she could lose it all because of one decision. It made her heart ache. And her blood boil.

---

The fourth level of the Ministry was windowless but even still, Draco knew it was dark outside. He’d worked late, again. Though it was a particularly common occurrence for him, he’d been quite frustrated at the many hours stuck inside the confining stone walls. He was angry enough at the ministry and having to go the day trying not to act on that anger had been quite a challenge, even for him.

But he’d made it. And now he could get the hell out.

He had a lot of thinking to do. Or more like a lot of scheming. The marriage legislation had just gone into effect less than twenty-four hours before, yet time was definitely of the essence and Draco was running out.

The halls were dark and Draco used his lit wand to navigate his way through but the farther he walked, the less he needed it because light spilled from a corner office up ahead of him. It wasn’t the light that caught his attention, though, but rather the sounds of massive destruction he heard coming from inside the room.

Sticking his head in, he witnessed something he’d never imagine seeing.

Hermione Granger was losing it. Her office was trashed and when she picked up the empty vase on the corner of her cabinet and tossed it to the ground, he realized it was her own doing. When she wasn’t muttering indignantly to herself, she was huffing and groaning in frustration.

Draco had never seen her this way. He had seen her angry, sure. First hand, in fact. Sometimes his face still stung from her slap all those years ago. And since they’d constantly fought, he knew she had a temper to rival his own. She had always been a very passionate person, though he supposed others would have called it fanatical. But he’d never, until this moment, seen her lose control like this.

Something had her very upset and he only needed one guess to figure out what.

“What did that poor vase ever do to you?” He asked, perching himself against her door frame.

Hermione jumped in surprise, turning on him and whipping out her wand with impressive speed. Her hair was as wild as her eyes and he swore he could feel the electricity spark in the room. She was pissed.

“What do you want Malfoy?”

“Just passing by and heard all the commotion. Came to see what annoying creature got loose in the Ministry this time. Well, now I see.” He said pointedly as he crossed his arms over his chest, looking completely at ease with her obvious stress.

“You’re despicable.” She spat.

“Yes, yes, I’ve heard before. And you’re a mental case who is demolishing her own office in the middle of the night, but I digress. You know why I’m here. Why is it that you’re here?”

Hermione huffed once more and slammed her cabinet door shut with such a force, the poor thing almost fell apart.

“I’m reorganizing. It’s what I do when I need to work out frustrations.”

If that was her definition of reorganizing, he needed to remember never to hire her for spring cleaning at the manor.

“Nice work, so far.” He smiled as his eyes scanned over the mess. Hermione shot him a disdainful look and began shuffling through papers that were scattered all over her desk.

“Well now that you’ve sufficiently insulted me, you can leave. It was awful seeing you and I hope you have a dreadful night.” She gave him a bright smile and turned away and he couldn’t help but laugh at her dismissal. She was so riled up that even if he’d told her she looked like a goddess, she still would have ripped his head off.

He didn’t leave his spot but instead watched her with curious eyes as she continued to bustle around her office, shattering things in her wake. Draco Malfoy wasn’t one to believe in fate but at that moment he had an idea so perfect, he was sure it had to be magic.

All of his problems were about to be solved.

“Granger? Anyone asked you to marry them yet?” She looked at him with fire in her eyes and he knew that he’d brought up the worst subject possible. He smirked.

“Even if they had, I would have said no.” She went behind her desk again and began packing up some of her files. “This marriage legislation is preposterous and I will have no part in it. It is a disgusting violation of our rights as citizens and I can’t believe they are getting away with it.”

“That’s a shame.”

“And why is that, Malfoy?”

“Because I was going to propose to you.”

That certainly caught her off guard. She stared at him, eyes wide, mouth hanging open. She had obviously heard him wrong. But before she could even ask, he interrupted her. Moving forward, he got down on one knee and clasped his hands together like in prayer.

“Hermione Granger, will you do me the honor of marrying me?”

He barley blocked her slap in time.

“What was that for?”

“Are you serious? That was for being an arsehole, Malfoy. You can’t just come in here and taunt me like that. I’m being serious. This piece of legislation is a true crime!” Draco stood mid-rant and scowled at her.

“I’m being serious, too.” Though he had to admit that his proposal was quite ridiculous, even for him. But what did he care? It wasn’t like he was asking because he loved her or something. That was just… sickening. “I think we should get married.”

“Malfoy, get out.”

“No. Listen, hear me out.”

“I will call security, I swear.”

“It’s the middle of the night, Granger. No one is here but us.”

“Then I will curse you and leave you here until morning, in your underwear, with only the Blast-ended Skrewts for company.”

“Will you just shut up and let me explain?”

“No!”

“Why not?!”

“Because you are crazy!”

If anyone else had been in the building they would have heard the yelling from the top floor. Draco obviously hadn’t foreseen this little setback in his plan. Sure, he’d realized that he’d have to do some convincing but he thought he’d at least get the chance.

“You hate this law as much as I do.” He demanded. It was enough to get her to shut her mouth. For a second, anyway.

“It isn’t a law.” She said icily.

“With all the silent threats the Ministry is making, it might as well be, and you know it.” Obviously she did because she simply glared at him, her hands on her hips and her stance rigid.

“Look, just give me five minutes and if you don’t like what I have to say, then kick me out. Hell, I’ll let you literally kick me out if you want to.” She raised her brow and he sneered. “Well, alright, maybe not literally but you know what I mean.”

“You have two minutes.” He rolled his eyes but didn’t argue. Two minutes was enough.

“I know we aren’t the closest of acquaintances… hell, we aren’t even civil to one another most of the time, but that is what makes this idea so great. We are being forced to marry and both of us hate the idea, for whatever reasons. But I know you can’t afford to pay the price for going against the Ministry on this and I certainly can’t risk anymore by defying them either. So we have to play their game. But that doesn’t mean we have to play by their rules.”

Hermione bit her lip and it was a clear sign to him that she was at least listening. He’d take what he could get.

“If we get married, we both get what we want, and so do they. We get the Ministry off our backs, we don’t suffer the consequences, and the fact that we don’t like each other makes it all worth while. It’s ideal. It will be a fake marriage. On the outside, we’ll be dutiful citizens of Wizarding society, following orders and whatnot. And on the inside, we don’t have to deal with an actual marriage.”

“I don’t understand. Your plan seems… interesting, but why me? Why not a random Half-blood or even a Mudblood that you are relatively attracted to or something?” She asked, leaning her hip on the side of her desk. Draco sighed and ran his hand through his hair.

“That is just it, Granger, I don’t want someone I’m attracted to. If I have to do this stupid thing, it’s best to be married to someone I don’t like. Because that way, there are no feelings. On either side. It will be a pure business transaction. We get to keep our jobs, our reputations, and we can still do whatever we want on the side, discreetly, of course. And there will be no hard feelings about any of it.”

Hermione was silent for a long time pondering over his offer. It made sense to her, to marry someone who wouldn’t really consider it a true marriage. That way, nothing would complicate her life. She’d have to pretend to be married to Malfoy in public but other than that and her name on a few contracts, there really wouldn’t be any changes. And she could still try and fight the legislation in the mean time. Besides, marrying Malfoy probably had its advantages.

“And I’ll pay you, of course. You’ll technically be my wife so the Malfoy estate would be part yours. I really don’t see any holes in the plan. Well, except the children part.”

It was well known that one of the main reasons for the marriage legislation in the first place was to help increase the population. So that meant having children. It was the same as with everything else. Couples weren’t required to have children but the longer they went without conceiving, the more consequences they faced.

“Actually, I could get around that.” Hermione said. Draco’s eyes lit up with surprise.

“How?”

“Well, we obviously aren’t going to sleep together and I definitely don’t want children with you Malfoy, but the issue is easily avoided. I have a friend who works at St. Mungos. I could always tell the Ministry that I have some sort of physical problem and am unable to conceive children and with my friend’s help, it wouldn’t be hard to convince them.”

Malfoy grinned widely, quietly impressed with her conspiring mind. He almost felt as if he were talking to a fellow Slytherin.

“See? Perfect.” She still looked doubtful. “Come on, Granger. What have you got to lose? Nothing. You have to get married anyway and this way, it won’t mean anything. Besides, we can use the time to try and find a way out of the entire thing altogether.”

“You know there are no divorces allowed, right? Not unless absolute evidence is presented that one or both partners is in physical or mental jeopardy.”

“Yes, well, we’ll have to worry about that later. That is the beauty of this, I think. Once we are married, we won’t have to worry about time anymore. We’ll have the ministry off our backs and we will be free to try and find ways out of this.”

Again, there was silence. Hermione fingered her bottom lip as she stared straight ahead at nothing. After a few minutes, Draco was certain she was going to say no. But she surprised him.

“Okay, deal. I will marry you. We’ll have a few conditions to go over first but, I think this could work.”

Draco smiled mischievously and shook her hand.

The Ministry was going down.