More Than Meets the Eye

A/N: Hi everyone. I am so sorry that it took me so long to update. It probably looked like I was abandoning the story, but I am not. I am having to type with only one hand due to the fact that my newborn daughter will not let me put her down. I hope to have another chapter posted tonight.



Chapter 12

Hermione fidgeted with her hair. The past couple of days had been amazing, but now it was time to face reality. As she put the finishing touches on her hair, arms went around her. “Draco,” she moaned when he caressed her breast. “We don't have time.”

“We can be fast,” he whispered in her ear.

She pulled away from him with a half laugh, half groan. “You are insatiable!”

“Its not my fault that you're so sexy.”

Hermione rolled her eyes. “Draco, I'm wearing a school uniform and robe. I am not sexy!”

“Of course you are,” he argued, backing her into a wall. “I can't get enough of you. I've been with other witches before and have never acted this way. Come on Minx, I promise you'll enjoy it.” He leaned in to suck on her neck.

“Draco, please stop,” she whimpered, trying to stay in control. “I'm already using glamour charms to cover all the marks that you've given me.”

“So cast another,” he murmured against her skin.

Using all the will power she had left, she pushed him away. “How am I suppose to convince our classmates that I was forced into this marriage if I show up at the Great Hall with a flushed face and messed up hair?”

“Oh alright. I suppose that I can wait until after dinner,” he conceded with a sigh.

“Stop pouting. You know that it won't work on me.”

“Minx!”

---------


Hermione silently joined Harry, Ron and Ginny as they got out of their carriage. Although some of her classmates knew of her marriage, she knew most would be shocked. Sitting down with the rest of her house she watched as the terrified first years came in and were sorted.

Dumbledore stood, welcomed the new students and professors, and reviewed the rules. “Now this is the time when I would normally announce who the head boy and girl are, but before I do so I want to discuss another matter with you. As all except perhaps the youngest of you know, the ministry has recently signed the marriage act into law. While this law is designed to ensure the continuation of the wizarding community, it does affect the students here, some more than others. Due to this law, we will be having married heads for the first time in the history of Hogwarts,” A soft murmur broke out as the students tried to figure out who the couple could be. Dumbledore held up a hand for silence. “It is my honor to introduce Draco Malfoy as our head boy, and Hermione Malfoy nee Granger as our head girl.

A collected gasp went through the group, followed by utter silence. Hermione inwardly cringed as she felt the glares coming from the Slytherin table, and the horrified looks from her own. She knew she would have a lot of explaining to do later that night. She only hoped that they believed her story.

“I know that their marriage might come as a surprise to some of you, but we live in a period of change. We must change with it.”

After a few more moments of awkwardness Blaise Zambini stood up. “As the prefect for Slytherin, I would like to offer the couple the congratulations from my house.” When he sat down the seventh year prefects from Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff also stood to offer congratulations.

Harry stared pointedly at Ron before sighing softly and standing. “I too, with the rest of Gryfindor congratulate our head boy and girl,” Dumbledore said a few more things and then the feast appeared before them. Soon the mouth watering food caused the shock of the announcement to fade. They were still given the occasional look of confusion or disbelief, but for the most part they were forgotten.


- - - -


Hermione looked around the common room nervously. There were a few nosy fifth years there, but for the most part the younger students seemed to understand that this conversation was for the sixth and seventh years only. Taking a deep breath she steadied her nerves and began. “Okay, let me try to explain what happened. I was on holiday with my parents when this whole marriage law came about. The first I heard about it was three weeks ago. With war looming, and my plans for the future, right now didn't seem like the best time to become engaged. I studied the new law, and figured that my best option was to qualify for the exemption. If I proposed to, and was rejected by three separate wizards, I would be free from this law. I knew two wizards that I could count on, but needed a third. I took a risk and proposed to Malfoy. I knew that he probably had scores of proposals, and I never believed for a second that he would accept me. I gambled and lost.”

“But Hermione, there are still a few of us pureblood wizards that aren't engaged yet. Why didn't you come to us, your house mates, first?” Neville asked.

“Neville, please don't think that I didn't consider you, but you're not seventeen yet. Your grandmother would have had the final say, would she have let you refuse me?”

Neville thought for a moment before shaking his head no.

“Okay, that explains why you got engaged to him, but why marriage? The law doesn't say you have to get married right away,” Seamus asked.

“When he accepted the proposal he informed the ministry that there wasn't a need to delay our wedding. I don't know if he used blackmail or bribery, but they quickly agreed with him. They said that since we would be sharing quarters this year it was only proper that we be married.”

“Why didn't you fight it?”

“What could I have said? Since we're both at Hogwarts I couldn't use my education as an excuse, and I couldn't very tell them that I didn't want to marry him. If they had found out that I had proposed hoping that he would turn me down, I would have either ended up in Azkaban or having a fiance' chosen for me. As bad as Malfoy is, at least I'm not married to Goyle!”

Shudders and nods of agreement went through the room. “I have no idea why he accepted me and pressed for a quick marriage. Maybe he thought he could drive me from the wizarding world, but I am a Gryfindor. There is no way I'd let a Slytherin win over me!” A cheer rand out and she knew she had convinced them. Her relief was marred slightly by the guilt she felt over lying to her friends. The deceit being just another necessary evil brought on by the war.