Forever

*~*~*~*~*~ Chapter Two *~*~*~*~*~

Hermione followed the Potions Master to the front door of the Ministry with her best friend by her side. During the trip from the bookstore, her thoughts had been going over the short run in with the two very, very different Slytherins. Malfoy and Zabini may have been in the same house but were completely different, except for their respect for their Head of House. Draco respected Snape for playing both sides and coming out with an Order of Merlin first class. Blaise respected him for being a strong leader within the Order, who taught Blaise everything he knew: from how to be silent and unobserved to dueling and winning every time.

She had gotten to know the silent Slytherin during the sixth year as they became paired in the DA together. He was the first from his house to become a member but he was not the last, thanks to his efforts. Over time, they had several conversations but they had not become close since he needed to stay unobserved for his purpose of spying for the Order. If he openly confessed to befriending Harry, Ron, and herself, he would've been the object of much unneeded attention from the dark side.

From the few run-ins at the few Order meetings since the end of the war, they had only exchanged a few words but something had seemed to change between them. Hermione could not completely put her finger on it. She was dealing with the death of her finance', who was also a close friend of ten years. Her heart started to ach whenever she thought about Ron. Luckily, Harry and Ginny were there for her as they all shared a flat since they left Hogwarts. All three of them held each other up when they started to feel down. Ginny and Harry had been dating for the passed two years and with Ron gone, she felt like a third wheel.

Ron would always be missed but to her his death came hardest. They had only been engaged for a few weeks but she had hoped for more years that she'd ended his wife. She had always assumed that they were meant to be together but it seemed that was not what the Fates had in mind for her.

But what she had never confided in anyone that was her sudden doubts she gotten a few weeks before he had asked for her hand. Hermione's dreams had suddenly started to have another man in them. The dreams were nothing naughty or steamy but comforting to some extent. Some man, that she was never able to see his face, made his way into her dreams and reluctantly into her heart. She longed to know who the man was as he held her in his arms, rubbed her shoulders at her desk, or walked hand-in-hand under with moonlight, all within her dreams. His strong body and heated gaze, just in his nightly visits, felt like finally coming home to which she desperately wanted to always come back to.

A touch on her arms brought her back to reality and away from her dreams. The Potions Master took her arms as he led her into the office of the newly promoted Head of Muggle Relations, Mr. Arthur Weasley. When the door was opened, it revealed all the top members on the Order around the office and the desk, where the senior of Weasley's sat rubbing his temples behind his desk. He looked up at the new arrivals as they walked through the door and stood to greet them. Albus was the first to walk over and take her hand as he led her to the chair right in front of the large, cleared desk. Okay, now Hermione stared to worry.

Severus took a spot to her right and Moody took her left side as Ginny walked around the desk to hug her father. Once everyone else was seated, Arthur leaned on the large desk in front of her and asked," Mione, how are you, my dear?"

"I was fine till I saw all of your worried faces. What's going on?" Hermione replied as she sat back in her chair to mentally prepare herself for whatever was coming, that had all of these people worried.

Mr. Weasley let out a heavy sigh as he clasped her hands in his and started, "At ten o'clock this morning, the Marriage Law was passed by the Minister of Magic. You have already received two petitions for your hand in marriage and I suggest you sign off on one of them now. Because we are expecting..."

He was not able to finish as an eagle owl swooped into the office and landed next to him with a scroll in its claw. The redheaded man cringed as he untied the parchment and read it to. After freed from the note, the bird of prey swooped out of the office but all eyes where on Mr. Weasley as he read the scroll of parchment. Then he thrusted it to Snape's hand as he got off the desk and walked to the window. Severus scanned over it and then looked down to Hermione as he announced, "Malfoy has made his petition for her. I don't know how it leaked out but it's done."

"Malfoy?" she whispered and then the meaning it her. "Malfoy! He wants to marry me?"

Snape raised an eyebrow, as he stated, "No, he wants to have power over you by being his wife. Plus, whatever else that twisted mind comes up with. Having the title Mrs. Malfoy would only be the beginning to worse happens and much worse, I assure you."

"I'd rather my wand broken before marring that despicable ferret!" she shouted as she got to her feet.

Mr. Weasley turned to her as he placed his hands on the back of his chair and explained, "There is another way and all of it can begin to be over today. If you decide on one of the other petitioners, then you can keep your wand and your future in the Wizarding world."

Hermione raised her eyes from the desk as she looked up to the man that was going to be her father-in-law and saw the heart break in his eyes. With a feeling as if she was being defeated, she whispered, "Who are my other two options?"

"Anthony Goldstein," Albus replied as he took a seat by the window and watched her over the thin-framed glasses.

"Great, the Head Boy turned Death Eater, who just happened to get cleared of all charges. Even though, I personally hexed his arse at the finally battle. Bloody great. This is just getting better and better. Who is the other? What did Voldemort petition for me for himself before he died?" she exclaimed as she hung her head even lower and fought the tears that threatened to seep out of her burning eyes.

"Blaise Zabini is the other and really, your only option, Hermione."

Blaise? Blaise. His name went in her mind over and over again as the room went silent to her ears. Blaise petitioned to marry me? Why?

Hermione was not sure how long it she had sat in silence when she felt a cold hand on her cheek and realized that she was crying. Snape stood in front of her and true emotions showed in his eyes for the first time that she had ever seen. "He's a good man, Miss Granger. Have no doubt in that. What's your decision, Hermione? Breaking your wand or giving your hand to Blaise Zabini in marriage?"

She looked down to the petition from Malfoy and then to Mr. Weasley, who looked as bad as she felt. Ron would never want her runaway. She had never run and she was not about to start now. Plus, Snape was right. Blaise was a fine man and handsome to boot. Hermione just wished that this had been her idea at her own good time but there was no time for wishing for what could not be. "Where do I sign?"

~*~*~**~~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Later that night at Malfoy manor, a figure stood in front of a blazing fire with an official Ministry letter in their hand. The parchment was crushed tightly in the man's pale hand as two veins pulsed quickly on the top of that hand. Draco Malfoy looked up to the portrait of his father above the marble fireplace and then back to the flames. He threw the paper into the flames. The paper wiggled in fire as the last line read:

Miss Hermione Jane Granger has chosen to wed Mr. Blaise Dominic Zabini.

"This marriage will not happen," he said as he picked up his neglected glass of Firewhiskey and threw back the rest of the liquid. Draco slowly wiped his thin lips with the arm of his black silk shirt and then quickly threw the heavy glass into the fire as he yelled, "I swear it!"