The Art of Deception: Chapter 15
Chapter 15: A Night at Cresswell manor is out for for The Art of Deception on AO3.
Three years after the war. The society of wizarding Britain is on the edge of another collapse. Birthrates are dwindling and the Ministry of Magic is struggling to contain the panic. Thus, one of the most invasive decrees in modern wizarding history is born. Marriage becomes law in all but name, binding couples under the Consumator to secure the survival of wizardkind. Old prejudices are replaced by new oppressions, and women bear the brunt of a society desperate to control them.
Faced with the grim realities of this new world, Hermione Granger finds herself cornered. That is, until Draco Malfoy unexpectedly offers her a way out.
She takes a breath. “You think I should marry someone?” His reflection holds hers and for a moment the only sound is the hum of distant conversation beyond the corridor. “No,” he says at last. “Not someone. Marry me.”
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