State of the Union
Chapter 3
xmlns="http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40">
Still here, eh?
portrayed here, but the situations and wording are completely mine.
Enjoy Chapter 3.
**********************************************************************************************
Hermione normally would
have been surprised when the owl arrived at Number 12 Grimmauld Place with her
name on it, but then, important post was always delivered immediately. Harry
stroked the gray owl that had carried the urgent message as he untied the
scroll and handed it over to Hermione. When she unfurled it, it was Ron who
shattered the silence that they’d been sitting in since Hermione had arrived
for dinner.
“Who the hell does that
git think he is?!” Ron tore the parchment out of Hermione’s grasp and read it,
out loud:
as a descendant of a pureblood wizarding line of at least 16 generations,
hereby make this official offer of my name, house and bloodline to Hermione
Granger, verified muggleborn.
reside in my household until death, under the solemn bond of the wizarding
ceremony of marriage. Wizarding law states that the bond shall be consummated
within a fortnight of the ceremony and that children must occur within 1 year
of the consummation.
“Consummation?!” shouted
Ron. “This can’t be legal!”
“It is legal,” replied
Hermione, in the same calm tone she’d become known for the last day or so. “I
can’t refuse unless I have another offer that I want to accept in its place.”
“Then I’ll offer for you!”
Ron stated, suddenly. “You can accept me instead of that… that…!” Hermione
looked up at him, slowly, regarding him with blank eyes.
“No.” She said, glancing
down at the parchment in his hand. “I’m sorry, Ron. I don’t want to marry you.”
With that, she took the roll of paper and, to the astonishment and horror of
all in residence, signed her name on the line without even consenting to read
the rest of the agreement. With the indignant shouts of her friends and
surrogate family ringing in her ears, she tied the contract to the leg of the
gray owl that had brought it, stroked its feathers, gently and sent it on its
way.
No amount of arguing or
coercing could make Hermione change her mind about what she’d just done.
~~~~~~~~~~~
The gray owl flew
gracefully into the office through the open window and landed in the arm of the
chair before the desk. Draco untied the response, offered the owl a bit of tea
cake from the porcelain saucer before him and unrolled the contract. There it
was. Hermione Granger’s signature. No note, no message of any kind. Even her
signature was as neat and precise as ever, giving not a hint of the inner turmoil.
Draco sat back in his
chair, rubbing his temple, thoughtfully. Apparently the shock of the actual
proposal hadn’t brought her out of whatever state she was in. He wondered, now,
if she’d even read it. Surely the part about the husband being the one to make
all the house rules, including those governing his wife, would have gotten to
her. And what about the section on children? Not only had he added a clause
that the marriage had to be consummated within 6 hours of the bonding, but he
had added a little section stating that she wouldn’t be allowed to raise their
children once she’d born them; they would be given to nannies and servants, so
her duties as a mother wouldn’t interfere with her duties as a wife to him.
But she’d signed it. Now,
Draco was caught. He’d been almost positive that she’d reject it with her usual
display of Gryffindor courage, the law be damned. But, the offer had been made.
It was now signed and sealed. Draco would be a married man as soon as the
details were worked out.
He sighed and lifted to
the phone to begin the arrangements.
~~~~~~~~~~~
Hermione sat quietly in
the comfortable chair across from the large mahogany desk, behind which an
older man sat. Draco sat beside her. Well, beside her was far fetched. He sat
in a chair that would have been beside her had it not been scraped several feet
away from her before he sat down. They both faced the lawyer, now.
“Ms. Granger. You are
aware of what you are doing, are you not?” the lawyer asked, carefully. “Mr.
Malfoy has made no provisions for you, whatsoever, in the event of his death.
If he should die before you, you will be destitute and at the mercy of your
children, children that I would like to remind you, will not be raised by you,
personally. You are also being forbidden to continue your work at the ministry
once the nuptials have taken place.”
“I’m aware.”
“Ms. Granger-”
“Mr. Gerard, I don’t care
what the contract says. I’ve signed it. I’ll marry him.”
“Ms. Granger, I feel it
necessary to point out that Mr. Malfoy has a provision in this contract that
you may not leave him, regardless of what harm he may do to you.”
“I’m aware.” The lawyer
shook his head and, with a sigh, notarized the document after signing it. Once
both parties had signed, Draco, who had not spoken a word during the meeting,
quit the room.
“Ms. Granger, I hope you
know what you’re doing.”
“I do.”
**********************************************************************************************
There. This one’s a little
longer, right? I’d appreciate a review if you haven’t, already.
~