An Unexpected Twist of Fate || Dramione

CHAPTER 29 - The Invitation

"HERMIONE! Get your lazy arse out of this bed!" Ginny yelled and whipped the door of Hermione and Draco's room open with blunt force.

"What the hell, Gin. It's Saturday for Merlin's sake, get out!" Hermione groaned and covered her bushy head of hair with the duvet. Ginny huffed and walked to the end of Hermione's bed, standing with her hands on her hips. Her patience was running thin.

"Listen here, young lady." She said in a mock mother tone. "We have Family Studies today and, despite my opinion, it's mandatory for ALL of us to be there. Bloody ministry, now they take our Saturday's away too!" She yanked the duvet off of Hermione and dragged it into the common room, the groaning protests of Hermione behind her.

"Ginny, you can't do this to me!" Hermione fake cried. "I thought you were my friend!" This is not how she planned to spend her morning.

"I can and just did. Now, if the rest of us have to suffer through this madness then so do you. Pansy says you should go shower before she does and let me warn you, she'll spend at least an hour in there." Hermione reluctantly shot up and shut the bedroom door.

"Okay, okay!" she yelled. "Bloody ministry. Who do they think they are?" Hermione muttered under her breath as she stripped out of her PJ's and threw them into her cupboard without bothering to fold them. "I'll do that later." She said to herself and wrapped a towel around her body. The water was relaxingly warm and massaged her skin gently while she stood with her eyes sealed shut under the running water.

"Granger! You're using up all the bloody warm water!" Pansy banged on the door.

Hermione shut off the water and dried her body. She scanned through her limited selection of clothing and settled on a knee-length denim dress and a pair of cute boots; her hair is pulled into a messy bun. Hermione gave her look a once-over and ran into the common room.

"Thank Merlin. I thought I was going to have to shower at Daphne's dorm." Hermione failed to hold in her laugh at Pansy's words.

"Looking good, Mione." Ron whistled and received a death glare from both Harry and Draco.

"Geez, just complimenting her." He shrugged and leaned back into the couch. Draco was watching some sort of muggle program and Blaise was finishing his transfiguration homework.

"Finally, you're awake. Sleep well?" Ginny asked.

"Yeah, could have slept some more though," She gave Ginny an accusing glare, " You?" Hermione sighed out, looking out the large window.

"I slept like a baby, thanks." Ginny cuddled into Harry's side.

Luna walked into the common room wearing her long hair in a French braid and a beautiful flower dress with a pair of sandals to finish off the look.

"You look beautiful, Luna." Blaise complimented her and she blushed slightly. He was wearing a simple black polo shirt with jeans and converse.

"Thank you." She squeaked.

"Gosh, can you all just shut up. I'm trying to watch this." Draco was beginning to get annoyed with all their constant chitchat that drowned out to words of the actors on the telly. Ron shot glares at him and turned to Hermione, patting the empty place next to him.

"Come sit here Hermione, I need your opinion on something." Draco was watching them from the corner of his eye. He didn't trust Ron around Hermione, he was too comfortable with her for his liking. Hermione fell down onto the plush cushions of the couch.

"What's up?" She watched as Ron pointed at a certain potion and she explained what it was and how it was made.

"Alright, let's go!" Pansy walked out of her room looking as fresh as a daisy and they all walked out of the common room. The corridors were mostly quiet as there were a few lucky students who got the chance to sleep in and not have to attend the awful Family Studies class.

***

The Family Studies classroom is anything but calm. Couples were still arguing and Madame Hooch was screaming at the students, trying to get their attention.

"QUIET! I have asked you plenty enough times to –"

"WOULD YOU STOP POKING ME!" Millicent Bulstrode was at it again, bullying little Ernie Macmillan. Madame Hooch gave an exasperated sigh and turned to the door.

"Sorry we're late." Ron muttered as he and Pansy scurried to their tables.

The other three couples had the same idea and hurried of to their seats to avoid another episode of yelling from the obviously furious professor. The class was in utter chaos. Hermione looked at Draco who seemed somewhat amused by the partners' childish bickering.

"Would you all just settle down. NOW!" her voice held so much anger that it caused an instant silence to consume the classroom. Everyone, including Millicent Bulstrode, stared at the professor with wide eyes.

"Thank you," Madame Hooch sighed out, "The ministry has sent an owl stating that all couples are invited to the Ministry Ball tomorrow. Before I tell you more about that, I want each couple to write an essay on their experiences in the law thus far. Chop-chop." The students groaned and grabbed their parchment and quills.

"Here, you write." Draco handed Hermione a piece of parchment and his quill. She glared at him and then at the parchment before grabbing it.

"You are bloody lazy, Malfoy." Draco smirked at her remark.

"I know." He winked

"How do we do this anyway? What do we even write about?" Hermione groaned and banged her head on the table. Draco chuckled and lifted her head from the desk, moving the strands of hair from her face.

"Take it easy, Granger. Write something about how much we hate each other or about how we agreed to try this whole marriage law nonsense. Aren't you supposedly the smartest witch of your age?" Draco teased as he looked at her with a smirk.

Hermione smiled softly and started writing.

"OK, how about this, Draco and I have agreed to, despite my personal feelings and opinions, try this relationship thing. So far, we've managed to tolerate one another without hexing each other or accidently using the killing curse. In both our personal opinions, it is a miracle that we both are still in one piece. Other than the previously mentioned points, no other progress has been made. You'll be the first to know if one of us dies. With much hatred and loathing, Draco Malfoy and Hermione Granger."

"I think it's brilliant!" Draco laughed as he read the short paragraph. Hermione smiled at his compliment. The paragraph was snarky but true.

They sat in silence and watched as some of the couples got into some rather funny arguments.

"Time's up! I'm now going to hand out your invitations to the dance." Each couple received an envelope sealed with a scarlet stamp. Hermione ripped the seal open and took out the neatly folded piece of parchment. The invitation was professionally written in an elegant cursive style.

Dear Mr Malfoy and Ms Granger

The ministry hereby invites you to the annual Ministry Ball on September 21st.

Carriages will be sent courtesy of the ministry to transport you to the ball. It shall be a formal event.

We look forward to seeing you there.

Kind regards,

Minister J. K. Poppins

Draco clenched his jaw and balled his fists. He knew exactly what the ministry was doing.

"This means they'll be watching us like bloody hawks!" His words were fierce and made Hermione flinch.

"They know about the prophecy. It's all part of a plan." Draco leaned over and whispered in Hermione's ear.

She flushed as his warm breath lightly tickled her neck but her flustered expression quickly turned to frustration and anger. Draco knew exactly what the ministry was doing, he knew it from day one.

"What do we do now?" Hermione looked at him anxiously.

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A/N

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