Chapter Text
The war had ended four years ago. Life went on. Some Death Eaters ended in Azkaban, while other were released after paying fines. Harry had a hard time coping with everything and soon after the war left England for good. Hermione worked in the Ministry, while Ron was a semi professional Quidditch athlete and when not in training worked in George’s shop. Every few months he asked Hermione to marry him and she always refused. She was not the only one. Penelope Clearwater had also refused to marry Percy. Ginny has stopped talking to Hermione, after Harry left England, so as if Hermione was to blame for that.
Life went on, but the number of births in the wizarding world remained low, and so the Marriage Law was hatched. When the time to vote on it came, the Wizengamot was divided. It was Arthur’s vote which made the difference. He voted in favor of it. Molly suffered from stress ever since Fred’s death. All she wanted was grandbabies. She could not get them from Bill, who was banned from having children due to his affliction, Charlie was gay, George was traumatized. Her hopes were on Percy and Ron. Now Penelope and Hermione would have to marry them, Molly would finally get grandbabies to coddle and she would be healed.
When Hermione found out that she was obliged to marry a pureblood wizard and that she did not even have a choice on who he would be, she was furious. Even though she threatened Ron with killing him if he went on to submit an application for her, he proceeded with it. Hermione visited a lawyer to help her, but there was nothing to be done. As the lawyer explained, even if another wizard applied for her hand, Ron would have precedence, unless she had had sex with someone or that other wizard had a longer or larger claim in her. Hermione was still a virgin. She briefly thought of finding a pureblood to sleep with, but the lawyer explained that the claim would need to be older than the date of the application filed.
Penelope went into hiding to avoid her fate.
Hermione despaired but did not give up. On a cold afternoon she went to Malfoy Manor. She was immediately accepted by Lucius Malfoy himself.
“I came to ask for you help in finding a way out of this. I’m calling on the debt you owe me for the torture I received here,” she stated hoping that she look confident instead of terrified.
He did not smirk.
“The Marriage law is ill advised. I voted against it. I do not condone forced marriages. You can avoid marrying Ronald Weasley if you marry another wizard with a greater claim on you,” he said.
“I already know that, but I don’t know any pureblood wizard with any claim on me,” she exclaimed desperately.
“But you do,” he replied.
“Who?” she asked.
“It could be that it is better if you just marry Ronald Weasley,” he hesitated.
She stood up and faced him.
“Mr. Malfoy, the one thing that I detest is betrayal. I would rather marry Voldemort at this stage, than Ron. Am I clear?” she declared.
“I admire your stance Miss Granger. The wizard I am talking about is a complex man. He was a Death Eater, but not for glory. He is a true idealist. He believed in doing the best for the wizarding world. I am not sure it will be to your benefit to marry someone, who probably still believes that Muggleborn witches are inferior creatures,”
Lucius explained patiently.
“And you Mr. Malfoy, do you still think the same?” she asked curiously.
“No, not really,” he replied.
“So who is he?” Hermione asked.
“Antonin Dolohov has marked you since you were a teenager, Miss Granger,” Lucius finally revealed.
Hermione gasped and absentmindedly rubbed on the scar.
“How do I persuade him to marry me?” she inquired.
“Use his guilt against him. He never meant to harm you. The spell he hit you with is actually not a curse per se, apparently he was trying to keep you alive, because in his words not mine, children, even if they are of a lower race are not to be harmed.”
He gave her the address. Hermione apparated there.
She found herself outside a large estate. She walked on the gravel road from the gates to the manor. When she reached the house and knocked on the door, it was immediately opened by a wizened house-elf.
“I would like to see Mr. Dolohov, please,” Hermione said politely.
“I see if Master is receiving,” the elf replied but let her in the foyer.
Antonin Dolohov came into the foyer to see who the mysterious visitor was and was startled when he saw the young witch.
“Miss Granger, to what do I owe the honor of your visit, and how did you find my estate if I may ask?” he inquired with a raised eyebrow.
“Lucius Malfoy gave me your address, because he owed me a debt. And I think you owe me something, too,” she said and deliberately opened the fastening of her robes.
She had opened the first three buttons of her shirt before entering. Her scar was now fully visible.
He paled.
“So what are you seeking? Do you want money or something else?” he asked not letting any emotion show.
“Marriage. I want you to marry me,” Hermione told him.
He smirked.
“You would rather marry a Death Eater than one of the blood traitors?” he asked silkily.
“You are at least honest in your beliefs. They claimed that we are equals and then they voted in favor of Muggleborn witches being bought without any input. Don’t you see the hypocrisy of this?” she attempted to explain.
He looked serious.
“Miss Granger, did you know that I am knight of Valpurgis?” he inquired.
“No, but I don’t understand how this is relevant with the current issue,” she wondered.
“As knights we take oaths. Protecting children is one of the most sacrosanct ones. Your injury at my hands has been weighing heavily on me. So if you insist in this marriage I am honor bound to accept it, even as I think that it is a terrible idea. So I urge you to reconsider, please,” he implored.
“I will never marry Ron. I could try to run away, but Penelope did that and they arrested her and she will be sent to Azkaban. There is no other way out,” she told him.
“But is marriage to me a way out, or will it be a disaster for you? I can’t promise to be a good husband, I can’t even promise to cherish you. And if we marry there will come a point that I will need to have an heir,” he tried once again to persuade her to leave.
She fell on her knees before him.
“Please, Sir,” she begged.
“Damn," he muttered and he gave her a hand to get up.
He left her in the lobby, while he went to get his formal robes.
They travelled to the Ministry in silence.
He submitted his application for her hand and demanded an immediate response, because she was scared that Arthur would so something for his application to get lost in the system.
Not quite a quarter of an hour later Arthur arrived together with Ron and the Minister of Magic himself.
‘What nonsense is this, about you having a larger claim on Miss Granger than Ron who has been her friend ever since she was eleven!” the Minister shouted.
Hermione stepped back against him, pale in her distress. He steadied her with an arm around her waist and used his other hand to pull the front of her robes to the side so that her scar became visible to everyone.
“I have marked Miss Granger as mine and she accepts my claim,” he stated formally.
“Just because you cursed her, it does not mean that you have a claim on her,” Ron shouted.
Antonin raised an eyebrow while the Minister looked suddenly uncomfortable.
“Minister, will you tell the boy or should I?” Antonin asked silkily.
“The scar, it is not a curse that found her. It is actually Dolohov’s family magic, which he sent to her to keep her safe because he was afraid that she would die, if one of the lethal curses found her. The Dolohovs don’t kill children, ever. It is actually one of the reasons he did not end up in Azkaban,” Kingsley explained.
Hermione did not know this. No one had ever told her. She was once again angry at how much she still did not know about the wizarding world. She relaxed against Dolohov, who for better or worse was right now her only ally.
He noticed and his arms around her waist tightened like he was warning her to maintain her vigilance.
The Minister turned to Arthur.
“I’m sorry, but his claim takes precedence,” he said.
Ron raised his wand towards Hermione.
“If I had slept with you, he would have had no claim, but you never wanted to, you bitch. You would rather go to a Death Eater, you don’t deserve anything,” he spat and prepared to fire a spell.
Hermione tensed, but Antonin had disarmed him, before she even realized that he had pulled out his own wand.
“Minister, we would like to get married immediately,” Antonin stated regally.
“You could go to the office of marriages downstairs and do it right now, I guess,” the Minister proposed.
“I am a knight of Valpurgis. Marriage in the office is not appropriate. It will be a full ceremony, with every pomp and ritual,” Antonin demanded.
Arthur startled.
“But she is not a pureblood,” he protested.
“Nonetheless, she will be wife to the last scion of one of the oldest magical families in the realm,” Antonin did not leave any window for dissent.
Hermione once again realized how lacking her knowledge was.
The Minister did not want to be accommodating, even if he signed the decree of their marriage. So they went to Malfoy Manor which boasted a wedding circle and married there with Lucius Malfoy and Rabastan Lestrange as their witnesses.
Narcissa helped Hermione prepare.
“I hope you realize Miss Granger what a sacrifice this marriage is for Antonin. Family tradition and honor have always been his guiding star, and now he is forever sullying the bloodline by marrying you,” the older woman had said and Hermione had listened, because Narcissa’s words were devoid of malice and sarcasm, just explaining how her husband to be felt about her.
When the time for their oaths came, both were hesitant as to what they could say. In the end Antonin declared “I will always protect you” and she said “I will always remember that in this day you saved me.” The ceremony came to an end and he kissed her lightly on the forehead and then on each eye and in the end on her mouth.
They apparated back to his house.
“Ms. Dolohov, Hermione, I would not rush this and I can understand if you are not ready, but you need to know that you are not safe from Weasley until we consummate the marriage,” he said hesitantly.
Hermione made a grimace.
“I am willing to do everything required to eliminate this risk. And for better or worse we are now married, so the consummation is part of it,” she tried to appear nonchalant.
He put his arms around her and held her. In a way he was lucky. Several of his friends had married purebloods who were supposed to be innocent, but had been sullied, having had relations before marriage. At least he knew that his own wife came to the marriage bed a virgin. Maybe this would offset, the drawback of her being Muggleborn.
He gently removed her robes and dress.
He traced the scar and he could swear that he felt his magic lingering on it. However when he saw the scar on her arm forming the word Mudblood his anger rose.
“Does it bother you?” she asked.
“Yes, but not for the reasons you might think,” he replied and left it at that.
He took her to the bed, and removed his own clothing.
He put his hands at the sides of her head and looked into her eyes.
“Do you freely give your self to me?” he inquired.
“Yes,” she replied and she felt the magic of their binding.
He was tender and careful with her. She could sense that he was holding back.
He entered her and the moment her hymen broke he shouted in triumph.
He remained gentle and soon he had filled her with his seed.
Hermione thought that It had not been too painful, but it had not been particularly pleasant either.
He fell asleep next to her and in his sleep his hand grasped her breast and he held tightly. His other hand tangled itself in her hair. Soon, sleep claimed her too, and the last thing that she saw before falling asleep was the dark mark on his forearm. She felt like the skull was looking straight at her.