Falling

A/N This is my take on the Marriage Law. Thanks for reading and enjoy. Let me know what you think, please??? :)

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The Ministry Of Magic have come up with a way of adjusting all the problems the after effects of war has caused the Wizarding world - or so they think....

Marriage Law Decree

All un-married or un-betrothed purebloods between the ages of seventeen and forty, must approach the ministry to be united with a Muggle born Witch or Wizard.

A sample of a Pureblood’s DNA will be added to a potion and then samples of Muggle borns will be also added till a compatible match is found.

Within forty eight hours of requesting a match the ministry will contact both parties with a contract that must be signed and sealed. Under Marriage Law number eighteen both parties can protest the match and new match will be found.

The matched Pureblood and Muggle born then have twelve months to marry - if that time lapses then the ministry can take legal action against both parties.

Now, Witches and Wizards is it me or is this new decree ridiculous? Oh, I understand what the ministry are doing and why, I just don’t agree with it

Marriage Law? I don’t think so. This new decree should be renamed to the Ministry of Magic’s breeding program! The Ministry think that by alining all Purebloods and Muggle born Witches and Wizards it decreases the chances of ever having another insane dark wizard trying to take over. Wrong, do they not remember that He Who was Defeated (as I like to call him) was a half breed? I guess not!

The new law is causing lots of speculation and rumours. Some favour the law and some want it demolished. There is a fair few Pureblood families who think that following the law will win them new favour with the ministry after their downfall, whether or not this is true we can only wait and see.

The ministry know the law is being received negatively and yet are not prepared to listen to the public’s views. Even the golden boy has no power over this and is in fact in the process of being matched.

It seems there is no way out of it and although some are prepared to fight, they are losing a endless battle. The ministry have spoken and the fair and free world we have just fought for is slowly closing in and suffocating the free will out of us all.

Madame Golding, Daily Prophet.

Hermione Granger re-read the four week old article and cringed. It was nearly three months since the decree had been announced and still as of yet no amount of protesting or fighting had had the ministry change it’s mind. The marriage law was set and would continue to be followed for the next twenty years until the ministry deem it safe.

And all because they where scared history would repeat it’s self and a dark wizard will try and take over the world again.

The Ministry should be working for the greater good! They should be listening to the Wizarding community and working together with the people to make the Wizarding world a safe place, not bringing out stupid ridiculous laws that ruin peoples lives!

Hermione’s life! It lay in ruins at her feet. All her plans for the future had turned to dust. And all because of one stupid law.

Ron. Her stupid, silly, adorable Ron had done the first thing that had come into his head when he had realised he couldn’t change or fight the law. He had ran. Left her.

So their relationship was still new, they had still been discovering each other and it killed Hermione to know that Ron had left her to face this on her own. Oh, if she sat and seriously thought about it she could admit that it was what she, and everyone, expected of him. Ron ran when things got tough - he had proven that in the past. But didn’t he love her. Didn’t he want to support her and watch over her to know that she was safe?

“I can’t stand by and watch someone else marry the girl I love. Nor could I marry anyone else when it’s you I want as my wife!”

The words he had wrote in his goodbye letter floated through her mind and Hermione closed her dark brown eyes. Keeping the tears at bay.

It was all wrong!

Her fighting and protesting had got her no where and had even lost her her job at the ministry! A job she had worked so hard to achieve. She had wanted to make a difference. To help bring about changes. And now she was no-one. Her work would go un-noticed and she wouldn’t help.

The law had cost her a lot. Her love, her job and now, because of the way things had turned out, her self-respect!

A knock at the door had her lifting her head and blinking. She hid the article in her hands in the dressing table drawer and spoke quietly.

‘Enter.’

The handle turned and a small redhead entered. Ginny gave Hermione a sweet smile and came and sat next to her on the dressing table bench. They looked at each other through the reflection of the mirror on the dressing table, in front of them.

Ginny gave a sigh and her eyes welled. ‘I want to tell you that you look lovely, and you do, you really do! But I know it’s not what you want to hear.’

Hermione looked at herself in the mirror and nodded her head. She supposed she did look nice. Magic was very clever and you could work wonders with the right cosmetic spells but Ginny was right, it wasn’t what she wanted to hear.

Her hair was swept back and held against the back of her end with a endless amount of pins. Her face was painted but no amount of make up could hide the misery in her brown eyes.

She wore a long white gown, empire style and very flattering to her figure,she had been told by the dress maker. Hermione didn’t care. It could be straw sack for all she cared about it.

‘Everyone is ready when you are?’ Ginny said softly.

‘I doubt I’ll ever be ready.’

Ginny sobbed! ‘Oh, ‘Mione!’

Hermione quickly turned on the bench to face her friend. ‘Stop it! Stop feeling guilty!’

‘I ca-can’t help it! It’s so unfair and cruel an-and...’

‘Shush,’ Hermione whispered and shook her head. ‘It’s done.’ As she said it she realised what she was saying was true. ‘It’s over, Ginny. I’ve fought my hardest and lost. There is nothing you or I or anyone can do to change what is happening. I just have to live with it!’

A sudden sense of relief came over Hermione. She let go of Ginny’s hands and stood.

‘No matter what happens, Ginny, I will always have you and Harry.’ Hermione gave Ginny a smile, it was the first real smile that she had given in such a long time. ‘And knowing you two are happy makes me happy. Harry deserves your love so much, Ginny.’

‘I know, it’s just so unfair that Harry and I get to be together but that you and Ron don’t-’

‘It’s done!’ Hermione told her firmly. Luckily for her friends Harry had purposed to Ginny just a few weeks before the decree had been announced. ‘Now lets get today over with.’

Hermione walked through the doorway of the bedroom she had shared with Ginny since leaving school. After the war and some serious thinking Hermione had decided that it would be better to leave her parents where they were. It was safer not to reverse the spell she put on them. She did, however, keep a eye on them every few months so she knew they were happy. It was the best thing to do, she repeatedly told herself.

She swept down the stairs and walked out of the Burrow and into the sunlight garden. She heard the gasps of the Weasley’s and Harry as she walked past them and headed towards the garden gate.

‘Hermione!’ Harry shouted and she heard his footprints follow her. ‘Wait!’

‘For what?’ she asked him as he got to her side.

‘I have knew information. A witness has come forward. He states that he saw Lucius Malfoy pay one of the potion officials! You know what this means, Hermione?’

Hermione took a deep breath and looked at her best friend. Sweet courageous Harry Potter, saviour of the wizarding world, but he couldn’t save her from this, not now.

‘It’s too late, Harry-’

‘Don’t say that! It’s never too late-’

‘Yes, it is.’ Hermione reached out and held his arm. ‘Harry I don’t care anymore. So I have to get married, so I have to marry a Malfoy! I am past caring, pass fighting. I just want to get today over with so that I can try and live some kind of life. Everything I wanted is gone. And there is nothing I can do.’

‘I hate seeing the fight just leave you like that, ‘Mione, it isn’t you.’

‘What have I got to fight for, Harry-’ Hermione bit her lip to keep the sob that was building up in her chest from leaving her mouth. She took a deep breath. ‘Ron’s gone!’

‘He’ll come back-’

‘It’ll be too late...’ Hermione blinked back tears and took another deep breath. ‘Do you really think I would forgive him a second time for leaving me again?’

Harry slowly shook his head. They stood looking at each other, holding hands, for a long time. Eventually the other Weasley’s and Ginny walked over to them.

‘Don’t feel sorry for me,’ Hermione told them. ‘I feel like you’re all my family and I have a feeling I’m going to need each and every one of you - ‘

Molly Weasley gave a little cry and then Hermione was wrapped in her arms! ‘You need anything you come to me. I am your family and I’m, we’re, all here for you, Sweetheart! Forever!’

Hermione finally let the tears fall down her cheeks, hiding her face in Molly’s shoulder.

One by one they all apparated to Malfoy Manor. Hermione did so holding Harry and Ginny’s hands.

************

Hermione looked around the room she was in and sighed. It was bloody silver and green! She shouldn’t have expected anything different she supposed but really, this was too much.

It was four hours after leaving the Burrow and she was now a married lady! Hermione Malfoy. It just didn’t sound right in her mind, she thought.

It had been a long ceremony, with just the Weasley’s and Harry in attendance along with the Malfoy’s. Hermione had only looked at Draco Malfoy once during the ceremony and that had been when he had made his vows. His silver blue eyes had bore into hers and Hermione had had to use all her strength to will herself to look away.

After the wedding she had requested some time alone and after a sad goodbye to her friends she had been shown to this room by a little house elf called Tilly.

‘I am to be Miss Hermione’s elf! Such a honour for little Tilly, yes?’

Hermione could only nod at the little elf. She knew it was wrong of her but she couldn’t even think about S.P.E.W. at the moment.

Hermione had been in the room for over a hour. She walked from wall to wall. Found a large dressing room, the size of her and Ginny’s bedroom at the Burrow, male clothing lined one side and she had noticed that her belongings had been unpacked and placed on the opposite side. She had then discovered the silver and emerald bathroom that had her eyes popping it was that large. The bath was lowered into the floor and could fit Hagrid in it. Two sinks lined one wall and through a glass door was the shower, or shower room she supposed, it was that large.

Hermione had then gone out on to the balcony to view the gardens and had counted five peacocks before she had grew bored.

Now she was back in the main room and feeling so unsure she was shaking.

Should she go downstairs and find someone! Mrs Malfoy had been friendly when they had all arrived. Apart from Draco stating his vows she had been the only other Malfoy Hermione had spoken to that day. She had seen Arthur Weasley and Harry speaking with Draco and his father before the ceremony but hadn’t really cared what it had been about.

She looked around the room again and noticed, for the first time, the patches on the walls. It looked like pictures had been taken down. the wall paper darker in places. She frowned but didn’t let it worry her.

Sighing again Hermione moved over to the bed and sat upon it. Maybe five minutes rest and then she’ll go looking for someone, she thought and lay down.

She slipped her shoes off and closed her eyes.


**************

Draco Malfoy opened the door to his room and quietly slipped in. He looked around and the then his silver eyes fell on the figure by the bed.

His wife!

How he was ever expected to get use to that he had no idea. He had never really thought about getting married. And when he had he had never pictured his wife being Granger. They had hated each other in school. And rightly so as well. They had fought on opposite sides of the war!

And she had been on the winning side. Draco hated to lose and he had been losing to Granger since he was twelve. She had bested him in every class, and then she had attached herself to Potter and Weasel!

Now he was married to her and all because of some stupid law. Oh, his father might be pleased of course and being his usual self and using all his charm he had got his own way and swindled it so that his son had been paired with Granger!

To Lucius it meant redeeming himself in the eyes of his peers. After all he must be serious about being a changed man if he allowed and welcomed a Mudblood into his home.

All an act of course. His father still believed in the old ways. Nothing ever really changed and his father was prepare to tolerate Granger if it meant being respected again. After all it wasn’t he who would have to deal with her. Oh no, that task was left to Him, Draco!

And what was he meant to do about it?

After the war, the suffering, in fact during the war, Draco had slowly been losing his faith in the dark lord and his ways. Confused and scared he had followed the Dark Lord’s orders and tried his best to make his father proud. It was only afterwards that he could see what a fool he had been. Over the last year, why his father had been trying to save face by giving details of death eaters to the ministry Draco had been trying to re-organise his life.

His mother agreed with his father and thought his marriage to Granger was a good idea. After all being married to a war hero and one third of the golden trio had to account for something, didn’t it?

It was just a pain that it happened to be Granger of all people. How they were ever expected to get on he didn’t know.

He used his wand to move the green arm chair by the fire closer to the side of the bed and sat down.

He watched her sleeping. She looked so peaceful. So unlike she had looked during the ceremony. Then she had looked confused and wary... maybe a little scared, he wasn’t sure. She had also looked beautiful. He’d been surprised by that. He always remembered Granger with bushy hair and big teeth. Her slim body hidden under a baggy cloak.

The last time he had seen her had been just after the war. She had worn a t-shirt her presumed was owned by Weasel, it had been too large for her, her hair had been tied back and she still bore the scars from the war.

Today she had looked like a goddess. Dressed in a long white dress, her hair tamed, she had hardly been recognisable. Even his father had looked twice.

Her looks didn’t change things though.

Although right now he had to admit she looked quite tempting. Lying on his bed, relaxed. Her dress had ridden up her legs a little and the amount of smooth skin he could see looked inviting. The bust of the dress was also pulled tight across her breasts and every time she took a breath he saw a little more.

Draco quickly shook his head. These thoughts were wrong. This was Granger and she was as tempting as a detention with McGonagall!

He suddenly froze as she shifted on the bed. Her head turned in his direction and she slowly opened her eyes. She looked at him and Draco found he couldn’t breath. Her eyes were deep and dark and as she licked her dry lips he followed the movement of her tongue and felt a shifting in his trousers. Merlin! What was the matter with him, he needed to get a grip!

‘Wh - what are you doing here?’ she stuttered.

‘This is my room.’ He took relief that his voice came out clear and smooth.

Her eyes widened.

‘Don’t worry though, Granger,’ he continued, his gave her his signature smirk. ‘I’m not about to climb into bed with you!’

That seemed to wake her up and she shot off the bed with speed. ‘You jerk!’ she gasped. ‘I bet you’re loving this, arn’t you?’

Draco gave a cold laugh. ‘Loving what? What about this situation is to love, Granger? I don’t like this any more then you do.’
She blinked. ‘You could have stopped it. You’re father paid to have our names matched. Harry has a witness! You could have intervened.’

He shook his head and stood up. He moved away from the bed and took his cloak off, letting it fall to the floor. ‘I can’t stop my father from doing anything when he sets his mind to something. He had my Mother’s agreement on this as well so I was fighting a losing battle. Two against one.’

‘This is wrong, Malfoy! How are we suppose to be married to each other? We can’t stand one another?’

‘Your guess is as good as mine! This is all new for me too. I’ve been forced into this just as you have.’

He walked into the dressing room and without closing the door he stripped off. He heard Hermione gasp and out of the corner of his eye he saw her turn her back to him. He chuckled quietly and changed into green silk pj’s .

He walked back into the bed room to see her standing stiffly. He picked up his wand and turned the chair he had been sat on before into a bed. He then settled onto it and closed his eyes.

He heard her sigh and huff and tried to ignore her and the problems she caused.