Serenity - HP

- ᴛᴡᴏ -

if you were born with
the weakness to fall
you were born with
the strength to rise
- Rupi Kaur.

Hermione
_

Hermione took her first step inside the old library, the dust causing her to sneeze as soon as she took a breath. The rain battered off of the windows and she ran her finger over the spines of the books, smiling to herself.

Next thing the girl knew, she was being dragged out of the book filled room by Ginny. "Mcgonagall wants to see all of us in the Great hall!" she said at least twice before Hermione understood her through her breathlessness.

Hermione wriggled her arm out of the red heads grip, giggling softly. "Calm down!" She said before they entered the hall,  heads turning to them as they caught up on their fit of giggles. It would seem they were the only people late.

Hermione looked at the floor and rushed to the seat next to Harry, giggling still. She hadn't noticed the icey grey eyes still on her, smiling slightly at her almost reckless behaviour as the Headmistress scowled at them.

Hermione stopped her giggles and let the headmistress talk, raising her eyebrow inquisitively. The ghost of a smile tugging at the corners of her mouth as the older woman cleared her throat.

"Quiet!" Minerva Mcgonagall bellowed over the whispers, causing everyone to hush and by then, a pin could be heard. The headmistress smiled, as though she had just won a trophy. "Now, you may aswell be wondering why you are here, and all will be explained momentarily... First I'd like to say, welcome back, I know it mustve been hard to face the burdens of coming here but thank you, Hogwarts would truly not be the same without your faces."

The room of students smiled sadly, rubbing their friends shoulders sympathetically. "A new law has been set" That statement alone caused the whole hall to turn in her direction. "During the war we lost a lot of wizards and witches, almost a half of the population, and this new law is an attempt to fix this. A marriage law." She told them, not to confidently as she had been previously. Many of the seventh years had stood from their seats, shouting obscenities.

"You can't marry us off!" came from Seamus Finnegan in his thick Irish accent.

"I will not be forced to marry one of these imbeciles! especially if they're  a mudblood" shouted Pansy Parkinson, glaring at Hermione as she emphasised the 'mudblood' part. Hermiome couldn't help but raise her middle finger. "Get over yourself, Parkinson" she mumbled and frowned at the head teacher.

"You will be sorted with your partner according to the things you have in common, intelligence and personality wise. I will call each of the girls in the hall to come to the front, the sorting had will be placed on their head and not only will they be resorted but a small tattoo will appear on their wrist, the boy with the same sort of mark will stand and Mr.Filch will direct you to your living quarters where you will stay with one other couple." Mcgonagall told them, not letting her students get a word in edge ways.

The hall stayed quiet, some sobbing could be heard from the Gryffindor table, Lavender Brown of course. Hermione rolled her eyes but she felt like crying herself, of course she wanted a loving husband and family but not yet! she was only nearing her eighteenth birthday.

"Now before I start the sorting. The deadlines for engagement are two months from now, marriage is at least six months and pregnancy within three years. I'm very sorry." Although, there was no remorse in the woman's voice.

Now, the room was silent again except for the odd strangled sob coming from the Gryffindor drama queen.

The sorting began not long after, giving the students no time at all to process it. Hermione started to shake as her name was called. "Granger. Hermione!" is what the older woman said, not a hint of sympathy in her tone.

Hermione stood, calming herself down the best she could before walking towards the front of the large room. "Oh fuck" she mumbled before being directed to sit on the stool which she did with no arguments.

The girl stared down at her wrists as the hat was placed on her honey waves. A rose appeared on her skin, the stem intricately twirled around two letters written in a cursive font..

'D.M'

What happened next took the whole hall by surprise, Hermiones eyes clouded over as the tattered hat let out a loud bellow of "Slytherin". The girl started to feel hazy, and just as she looked up, she noticed a certain blonde haired boy standing, his breathing heavy.

Hermiones breath hitched as Draco walked towards her, holding his hand out to help her from the podium. She looked at it for a few moments before hesitantly taking it, she managed to get a quick glance at his tattoo as such, noticing it was just as hers was except the initials were different.

She has his
He has hers.

It felt like forever before they reached Filch, the two tried their hardest to ignore the stares, some envious and some disgusted, looking between their somewhat emotionless faces and their hands which were entertwined.

Hermione hadn't even noticed her tie change from red and gold to green and silver, and the lion transfigure itself into a small green snake, another thing that most Gryffindors were staring at.

Once they had reached their living quarters, Hermione let out a long, strangled sigh, one she had been holding in. Draco didn't even flinch, he muttered the password and walked in, still holding onto her shaking hand. This weirded Hermione  out just a little, but none the less she walked in behind him.

Draco looked down at her, watching her look around their living room, maybe not in awe but something akin to it.

The ceilings were high, the walls were the same shade of grey as the, carpets. It wasn't as elegant as Draco had hoped for but it was definitely cosy. When Hermione turned around, Draco was already sitting on the sofa, his feet resting on the coffee table. The new Slytherin couldn't help but roll her eyes and walk into the kitchenette.

After flicking on their kettle she walked into the sittng room again. "I don't think I want to know what's up there yet" she stated as she placed her boots neatly by the portrait. Draco let out a chuckle. "Probably, our room and the bathroom" He said, turning to face her.

"Yeah..." She nodded and sighed, trying her best to stay strong. "Would you like tea...coffee?" Hermiome asked him, hoping to keep the conversation going. Draco pursed his lips and nodded. "Coffee please, no milk, three sugars." He told her as she made her way back into the kitchen.

Draco joined her after a few minutes, sitting at the kitchen table. She hadn't noticed him come in and began to hum softly as she tied her hair into a bun. Hermione started to make their drinks and turned around, stopping as she saw him looking at her with an amused smirk. "Nice humming, Granger. Who knew you sounded like a cat being ran over with your mouth closed aswell as open" he teased.

"There it is! the arrogance and rudeness that's been dying to find it's way out of your paper white body ever since that god foresaken mark made itself known." Hermione retorted, her face, expressionless.  She placed the mug with his overly sweet coffee infront of him on the table and left the room.

She couldn't stand him, and he knew that.