2000 AD, the start of 21st century. Some 21st century it was. The Ministry of Magic had thrust them back into the middle ages with his new law, and Lucius Malfoy detested it. The ministry was forcing all single, fertile wizards into marriage due to the dangerous drop in wizards after all the deaths during the war.

Under most circumstances this wouldn't have affected him at all, but the war changed many things. Everyone was relieved after the Dark Lords defeat. The importance of blood status, or what little importance it had left, seemed to vanish overnight. Something changed within his wife and it was only days before Narcissa decided to leave him to find someone she loved. They had been loyal, affectionate even, but they did not love each other. And that was fine with him, he had Draco to continue the Malfoy legacy, Draco had even married Astoria Greengrass right out of Hogwarts, which Lucius also approved of.

But then there was this damn law.

He had fallen right into the lot that the ministry was choosing partners for. They didn't even know who they would be, just that they had to meet them in a specific place at a specific time, or they'd invoke a no compliance act which would more or less restrict every use of magic and cause one to be thrown out of the wizarding community and into the muggle one.

Only thing was, whoever he was supposed to meet was late. Fine by him. Maybe if they didn't show up at all he'd be left alone.