An Unwanted Marriage, But An Unexpected Love

An Unwanted Marriage, But An Unexpected Love


Before everyone was due to head outside, near to the lake to begin taking wedding pictures, Barty took Hermione to one side, and Sirius did the same with Sara-Jane. They explained the situation to Albus, who informed them that they could use the head boy and girls bedrooms.

But he wanted them back within the hour, as it would take that long to settle everyone outside near the lake. Plus that was only how long he and the others would be able to hold off all of Hermione’s and Sara-Jane’s muggle relatives, without them becoming suspicious.

Barty took Hermione into the head girl’s quarters, while Sirius took Sara-Jane into the head boy’s quarters. Seeing as Harry and Hermione had made head boy and girl, Harry allowed Sirius and Sara-Jane to use his quarters for the up and coming year.

Barty closed the door behind him, and placed a silencing charm around the room, and charmed the door locked. He then turned to face Hermione, who was busy waving her wand over her bouquet.

Barty gave her a bemused smile, and asked her “Hermione, correct me if I‘m wrong, because I’m seriously hopping I am, but are you by any chance placing a few nasty hexes on that floral arrangement. So when the witch who catches it, ends up with something worse then seven years worth of bad luck?”

Hermione snorted and replied “I’ll just go on and continue to pretend you didn’t just even think that, never mind actually have the sheer balls to ask in the first place.”

She added as she finished waving her wand over the bouquet, and said “For your information, I and Sara-Jane decided to charm our bouquets, so that the witches who catch them, grantees they’ll be the next to get married. And that they’re given seven years worth of good luck.”

Barty smiled apologetically, as he closed the remaining distance between himself and his wife. He pulled her into his arms and gently kissed her on top of the head, and said “Sorry about that love. It’s just that it is unfortunately not unheard of. Mainly dark witches tend to do it.”

He added “Sirius mentioned Snape attended Bellatrix’s wedding to Lestrange. Said that Snape was taunting him over what a raving lunatic his cousin was. Sirius was pissed over the fact he was related to such a mad and sadistic bitch.”

He added at Hermione’s questioning look “She hexed her bouquet, so that the unfortunate and unknowing witch who caught it was dealt seven years of bad luck. That whenever she’d look in a mirror it would crack. And for the first seven years of her marriage, she had been unable to conceive.”

Hermione gasped and placed a hand over her mouth. She hissed venomously, as she removed the hand from her mouth “Ooh, that foul hag. The woman is positively a psychotic monster. I cannot believe Sirius is related to that lunatic.”

She continued “Sara-Jane and I had read about people charming or hexing their bouquets. But not all of those charms were designed to mean any ill will. Most increased infertility, or if the witch was unattached, then a spell would show the witch in her sleep, whom their true intended husband and lover were meant to be.”

She concluded “They are the two spells, along with the seven years worth of good luck, which I and Sara-Jane have cast on our own bouquets. We’re hopping Ginny and Tonks are the ones to catch them, or Blaise.”

Barty nodded, before placing a gentle and sweet kiss on her lips. He asked as he pulled back slightly to look her into her eyes “Hermione, what was with that conversation you and Sara-Jane were having outside of the great hall before you entered for the ceremony?”

Hermione’s eyes widened, as she asked “What do you mean?” Barty replied “Whilst we were all waiting inside of the hall, I and Sirius, along with everyone else overheard you and Sara-Jane commenting on how you felt inferior compared to me, while Sara-Jane felt daunted by Sirius’s past experiences.”

Hermione paled, and replied “I’m sorry, no one was supposed to have found out about that, never mind actually overheard.” She added “I cannot help but feel inferior compared to you. You’re older, wiser, and a success, whereas I have another year of Hogwarts left to complete. And all of my knowledge comes from reading books.”

Barty told her firmly, but also gently “Hermione I won’t tolerate you talking or thinking like this. Excuse my French, but it is all complete and utter bullshit, and your fears are completely unfounded.”

He added at her indignant look “Now let me finish, before you starting getting your knickers in a twist. You are not by any means inferior to me. In fact I see you as my equal and counterpart in everyway.”

He went on after a brief pause “You feel you have nothing worth offering me” he added at her shocked look “I know your feeling that, seeing as you’re unknowingly broadcasting your emotions and thoughts down our newly created link.”

Hermione flushed brightly at this. Barty chuckled slightly, as he said “Not to worry, we’ll both work on constructing barriers as soon as we come back off of our honeymoon. Those barriers will help conceal our emotions and thoughts, in less we want to give each other access.”

He added after her small nod. “Hermione, you honestly don’t realise what your going to give me, do you?” He shook his head, smiling at her gently. He said “You’re giving me the chance to continue on the Crouch bloodline in years to come.”

He continued “You’re providing me with companionship, and an intelligent conversation. Your love of potions like my own, your love of books and thirst for knowledge, they match my own completely. And I agree with Sara-Jane, we could possibly make it a family business. I’d love nothing more then to take you on as my apprentice, teaching all I know.”

He added, as Hermione beamed in delight at him. “And finally, you’re giving me the chance to become a father. I have always wanted children to love and care for, to pass down my knowledge and love of books, and the thirst of learning new and wonderful things.”

He concluded “And as for me being a success, well, how else do you suppose I gained all of that knowledge, hmm? I’ll tell you how; I did exactly as you yourself have done. I studied hard. I read practically every book I could get my hands on, no matter its size or content.”

He laughed as he told her “Merlin, I and Remus practically lived in the library when we weren’t helping the others plan a prank, or transforming to keep Moony company during the full moon.”

He continued after a brief pause, and a small kiss, which he placed on the tip of her nose. “I and Remus weren’t interested in shagging a new girl every week, like Sirius had been. We also hadn’t been constantly asking out one girl and only one girl, since our fifth year. Nor were we popular, and the captain of the quidditch team, like James had been.”

He finally concluded “So no you are not inferior to me, Hermione. Please believe that.” Hermione nodded in understanding, before reaching up to kiss him. Barty wrapped his arms around her, and deepened the kiss.

After a few minutes of just kissing and holding each other, Barty said “We should go and join the others, as there are still the wedding pictures to be taken. So we better go now, before I am tempted to just lock us in here for the rest of the night, until morning.”

Hermione nodded in agreement, before picking up her bouquet, and then allowing Barty to remove the silencing charm and locking charm from the door, before leading her out of the room by her right hand.

Meanwhile in the head boy’s quarters, Sirius and Sara-Jane were having a similar conversation to Barty and Hermione. Sirius stood near to the door, his arms crossed, watching as his wife muttered under her breath, as she waved her wand over her bouquet.

Sirius cleared his throat before asking “Please tell me you intend to give the bride seven years of good luck and not bad. And please tell me the witch who catches that bouquet is not going to end up cracking every mirror she looks into for the next seven years. Or end up infertile for the first seven years of her marriage?”

Sara-Jane finished casting the last charm on the floral arrangement, and then turned to face her husband. She frowned, and said “Of course I’m planning on giving whoever catches my bouquet seven years of good luck, and not bad.”

She added her frown deepening as she asked “Do you mean some brides actually do render the witch who catches her bouquet with seven years of bad look, as well as the ability to crack mirrors, or the inability to conceive during the first seven years of her marriage?”

Sirius nodded scowling darkly, as he replied “Yeah, my cousin Bellatrix for example. Snape took great and fucking sick pleasure informing me of my cousin’s sick lunacy. He attended her wedding, and was even present when she hexed the bouquet before the reception.”

Sara-Jane looked a little green, as she asked “Does stark raving mad lunacy run in your family by any chance?” She added at Sirius’s truly pained looking smirk. “It seems you managed to escape with a less dangerous and none sadistic lunacy, when compared to the rest of your relatives.”

Sirius chuckled in reply, shaking his head in pained exasperation. Cursing the fact for the billionth time, that he was a Black, whose name and reputation was associated with the dark arts and all out sadistic lunacy.

He said “Ok, we’ll changed the subject just as soon as you tell me what your planning with that bouquet, and whether a certain Mrs. Crouch is in on it as well.”

Sara-Jane picked up her bouquet off of the bed, and said “Yes, Hermione is involved. It was her idea to use the charm, which increase fertility in the first seven years of their marriage. And also to give unattached witches the ability to have one dream, in order to see who their intended husband and lover should be.”

She concluded “I cast a spell to grantee the witch who catches my bouquet will get married next. I also added an extra strong seven years good luck charm into the mix. As I feel every new bride could use some good luck to start with.”

She concluded “And I agree with Hermione, that every witch with even the smallest ability to love and to care should have extra help being able to conceive.”

Sirius nodded and said “Good. I’m glad both you and Hermione feel like that. I’m glad neither of you are vindictive little psychotic bitches.” He added “Oh and we need to have a little chat, a chat about certain insecurities of yours and Hermione’s. Barty’s having a similar conversation with Hermione next door, right now.”

Sara-Jane asked “What are you talking about?” Sirius pinched the bridge of his nose, sighing wearily. This was the last conversation he ever expected to be having with his wife, his very young wife. Not even half an hour after exchanging I do’s, rings, and vows, as well as joining their lives, minds, magic, and souls.

He replied “I’m talking about the conversation you and the newly Mrs. Crouch were having outside the doors of the great hall, before the ceremony had started. Not only I and Barty heard, no, all of yours and Hermione’s relatives did as well.”

He continued on quickly at his wife’s look of slight alarm. “We heard you both talking about how you feel intimidated by my past experiences. And of course how Hermione feels inferior compared to her new husband.”

He added, not giving her a chance to even open her mouth to speak. “I realise I am a lot older then you, and have lived and done things you most likely can’t understand or even grasp. But I don’t want you to feel that you have to be intimidated by me.”

Sara-Jane spluttered, at a loss for words, as he went on “I don’t want you to feel that you’ve got nothing to offer me. You have no idea what you’re giving to me. You’re giving me the chance to be somebody’s husband, and hopefully a father eventually.”

He continued after a brief pause “I never thought I would ever have the chance to marry and possibly grow to love another and care enough to want to spend my remaining years with, and someone to share several years of companionship to come.”

He went on “After Azkaban, I was under the impression and strongly believed I would never find someone to marry and settled down with, have many children with. I honestly believed I would spend the rest of my remaining days, travelling from one witches bed to another, one after the other.”

He smiled gently, as he told her “So thank you. You are giving me a new lease of life, a new meaning and desire to be better. You’re giving me the chance to teach you the ways of the world. You are still so young and innocent.”

He concluded softly “I’m honoured to be the one who will be there to watch you complete your transformation from a young girl into a grown woman, and my wife, and hopefully to a couple of years time, the mother of my children.”

Sara-Jane was stunned and touched beyond belief. Her green eyes filled with tears, as she stared at him in awe. Before Sirius knew what had hit him, he had his arms full, and his lips with being covered by another set.

He froze briefly, his eyes going wide at the unexpected movement on his wife’s part. After a moment he relaxed, closing his eyes, as he wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her closer and deepening the kiss.

After a few minutes, Sirius broke the kiss and said “I think we better get out of this room immediately, before I no longer have the self control to not jump you. We do after all still have the wedding pictures to take near the lake outside.”
Sara-Jane nodded, and allowed him to lead her out of the room until later on that evening.