the marriage arrangement | dramione

chapter four

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hermione had a nightmare.

she was at the alter, standing across from ron with a smile etched across her face. "you may kiss the bride," the pastor said, and the crowd went wild. hermione grinned as ron dipped her down, claiming her with his lips. except they felt... different. firmer, more passionate. he stroked her face as he kissed her; and when hermione pulled back, her grin disappeared into thin air.

for ron's smiling face had been replaced by the cold exterior of draco malfoy. he smirked at her. "you're mine forever, mudblood," he cooed, and he promptly shot the dark mark into the air.

"NO!"

hermione bolted upright. she was still on the couch, and she tried to steady her uneven breath as she wiped the sweat off her forehead. the reality of where she was set in. that nightmare was real life.

she was so sweaty. she pushed the blanket off her legs- wait. she didn't remember exploring to find a blanket, and she started at it, bewildered.

had draco brought her a blanket?

it seemed an awfully kind thing to do after he'd called her a mudblood and shoved her against the counter. she rolled her eyes as she crawled off the couch and padded towards the kitchen. she opened the fridge to see fully stocked shelves. she gasped a little as she noticed all her favorite things tucked inside. after checking the cupboards, she noticed the same things. her favorite meals, snacks, and drinks were all inside the apartment already, along with extras that she assumed draco must like.

she poured herself some cereal and pulled out a textbook from her bag while she ate, perched on a seat at the kitchen island. there was a large window facing the grounds of hogwarts, and she stated out of it gloomily. her predicament stumped her. there was no possible way out, even if she thought about it for hours. she already had.

she pulled out a piece of parchment and got started on an assignment for charms, but paused when she heard a shower start in the bathroom. now's my chance!

hermione crept slowly inside the bedroom, her eyes widening as she noticed the greenery surrounding the room. plants filled it, the headboard of their bed was large and wooden, giving the room a comforting feeling. she puffed out a breath. this is my home.

she walked over to the closet and pushed it open, noticing that it was walk-through. the closet was filled with robes and casual clothes, pajamas and shoes. not only hermione's belongings, but some new things she hadn't seen before.

the ministry seemed to be making up for the predicament they'd forced them into. it's the least they can do, hermione thought as she pulled some fresh robes and flats on her feet quickly.

the shower abruptly turned off in the bathroom. hermione had no intent of facing draco yet this early, so she hurried out of the closet, intending to head straight outside. instead, she faced an almost naked draco, a towel wrapped around his waist.

hermione stopped dead, a blush creeping up her neck. "so-sorry," she muttered, avoiding eye contact with him. she couldn't help but notice his wet hair, curly and dripping down onto his chest.

he raised an eyebrow at her. "like what you see, granger?" he chucked as hermione's face turned even redder. she had to admit, he was attractive. his chest was ripped, his arms veiny and strong. her eyes lingered for only a second before they met his.

"did you bring me a blanket last night?" hermione spoke, and draco's smirk faltered. "what if i did?"

she smiled a little. "thanks. you didn't- you didn't have to do that. i don't expect you to go out of the way to be nice to me. i didn't mean to raise my voice at you last night. it's just-," she sighed and faced the window, staring out at the students trekking across campus. "you've always treated me so poorly." her voice shook a little. "you called me mudblood for years, you still do. you know how many times i cried myself to sleep after the things you would say to me?" she turned, shocked to see that draco was staring right at her.

"i'm sorry," he said.

hermione raised an eyebrow. "are you? because i think you liked it. you loved tormenting me, because you're an evil person. and how i got stuck with you, i'll never know. i'd sooner die than have your child."

she raised her chin at him, and he blinked at her. "you're right. i'm not sorry." his eyes burned into hers as he glared. "i'd sooner die than ever touch you." his words echoed a little in the room, and hermione walked past him and out of the bedroom.

she walked quickly out of the apartment and blinked back the tears growing in her eyes as she finally left malfoy alone in the apartment for the first time since they'd arrived there last night. her mind was whirling. what was wrong with him?

he was so irrational. so terrible. so- attractive.

hermione refused to follow that train of thought, so she forced herself towards the library to finish her homework before class started. as soon as she stepped inside the book filled room, she breathed a sigh of relief.

the library had always relaxed her. the one quiet place on campus, a place where she could throw herself into her studies and finally relax. she took a seat and pulled out her books and parchment, lining up her quills next to it. she glanced up to see ginny stalking across the library towards her, throwing herself into the seat across from hermione.

"so?" ginny was out of breath.

hermione didn't look up from her assignment. "so what?" she asked, a tinge of amusement in her voice.

ginny raised her eyebrows. "what do you mean? so what?! what happened? how do you feel? how did he act? did you guys sleep in the same bed? how,"

"slow down," hermione groaned. "i was trying to forget about it for a moment. so, it's obviously terrible. we just bickered the whole time. i feel even worse than when i drew his name out of that stupid goblet. he acted like a git. and no, we didn't sleep in the same bed. i slept on the couch."

ginny looked horrified. "he really is a git."

hermione inclined her head slowly. "yeah. he is." silence fell between them as hermione's quill scratched on the parchment, lines of perfect handwriting and perfect sentences. ginny was still staring at hermione with a funny expression on her face. "what?" hermione asked, glancing up at her again. ginny frowned. "you're acting weird," she decided. "what's wrong?"

"other than the fact that i've been forced to marry my mortal enemy and that i have to give birth to his child? oh, nothing." hermione's voice shook a little, and ginny slid in the seat next to her, putting her arms tightly around her. "i'm sorry," she said, and it reminded hermione of draco's words this morning.

i'm sorry.

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