A Marriage Law (Dramione)

6.

"Why did you come here?"

"Luna thought it I told you, you might be able to help me. To tell me what to do. I want to be able to give her time. I don't want her to be frightened of me, but...."

"Draco, Hermione is. She is upset."

"Of course she is! She has to marry me, The Ministry ripped her from Ron. She has every reason to be upset." Draco was standing and he went bright red. 

"Draco, sit, please. I can talk to Hermione. I won't tell her you came by. I will just see how she is doing and coping. Perhaps she just needs more time. It is kind of you to try and give that to her Draco. It is very kind of you to know why she is so upset."

"Alright," Was all Draco could say. He was realizing at that moment that not only did he want to be happy, but he also wanted Hermione to be happy. He didn't want to be the reason that she was miserable all her life. He wanted them to be okay. 

McGonagall walked to the Gryffindor tower contemplating how to tell Hermione all of this. Draco was right, if she knew that he had been to see her she would trust him even less. She shouldn't have to be pushed into talking to him if she didn't want to. However, she knew that Hermione couldn't ignore Draco forever. They were to be married after all, and living your entire life in silence is really no way to live. 

"Hello Headmistress, is everything alright?" Ginny was on her way out of the portrait hole when McGonagall walked through. To her, the headmistress looked deep in thought. Worried even. 

"Yes, I just need to speak to Hermione, and it couldn't wait. 

"Oh, well she is in her dorm," Ginny smiled and stepped around the old woman and through the portrait. 

McGonagall knocked on the door and heard Hermione's voice say she could come in. 

"Hello Hermione," McGonagall sat down on a bed and looked at the young witch in front of her. This was all so unfair for the lot of them. 

"Is everything alright?" Hermione skipped pleasantries. McGonagall didn't come up here often and Hermione figured this was not a social visit. 

"I came by to see how you were coping with everything."

"I...I am alright," 

"Really?"

"No," Hermione took a breath, she did not want the tears filling up her eyes to fall, "I saw Ron today for the first time since we had to break up and he was with Susan Bones. They both looked happy, and it made me incredibly sad. I thought I was meant to be happy with Ron."

McGonagall nodded for Hermione to continue. She doubted the girl had spoken these words to anyone. 

"Well I talked to Harry about all of it, and it didn't help at all. He just wants us both to be alright and to stay friends. I want that so badly, but I don't know how to look at Ron without being upset."

"Hermione, of course, you are upset right now. That feeling isn't going to last forever. Once you know Draco more and find things you have in common then you will realize that you can all be friends."

"I haven't spoken to Malfoy. Plus I doubt Harry and Ron would want to be friends with him."

"Do you think they would just abandon you to deal with Draco all alone? If you talked to them about it, and you all tried to get to know him. To start over it might go better than you think."

"At the moment they all think it is a great idea that I haven't spoken to him."

"Hermione, why haven't you talked with Draco. I know I said to take your time, but this is someone you are going to have to get married to before the year is up. Somone that you have to live with. Don't you think you ought to talk to him before all of that?" McGonagall was trying to be kind, but Hermione really did need to at least acknowledge that this was happening. 

"I am scared Professor." Hermione had started to cry. She didn't know what to say to Draco. She didn't know what he was going to say to her that might set her off. She was scared in general to be with anyone besides Ron, Harry, or Ginny alone. She was just a child. A child that terrible things had happened to. A child that had done terrible things, witnessed terrible things. She didn't want this to happen to her too.

"Hermione all you have to do is say hello. To let him know that when you are ready you are willing to try and forgive him, to start over. You don't have to be friends with him right away. That will take time, but it won't happen if you never speak."

Hermione nodded.

"By the end of next week Hermione. Give yourself a deadline. Give yourself an assignment if you need to. Or I can give you one. Speak with him for 5 minutes by the end of next week. Little by little it will get easier."

"I will Professor."

McGonagall got off the bed and smiled at Hermione. She thought that she had handled that rather well, and without giving Draco away. She hoped that Hermione would be alright. She didn't want to see any more of her students suffer.