Love Thy Enemy
folder
Harry Potter › Het - Male/Female › Lucius/Hermione
Rating:
Adult +
Chapters:
48
Views:
57,042
Reviews:
442
Recommended:
2
Currently Reading:
3
Category:
Harry Potter › Het - Male/Female › Lucius/Hermione
Rating:
Adult +
Chapters:
48
Views:
57,042
Reviews:
442
Recommended:
2
Currently Reading:
3
Disclaimer:
I do not own Harry Potter, nor any of the characters from the books or movies. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.
Given The Choice
CHAPTER 34: Given the Choice
Lucius arrived at exactly eight thirty. He hadn’t slept at all and the dark circles beneath his eyes testified to that fact. She was waiting for him, stepping out onto the porch as soon as he appeared.
Hermione looked as bad as she felt. She had finally cried herself to sleep sometime in the early morning hours, only to have the alarm go off shortly after to wake her up for court. She was wearing a pair of Harry’s sweats and had pulled her hair back into a ponytail. She didn’t look at him, she couldn’t.
“I could have brought you some clothes.” He said, taking in the too big track suit that hung on her.
“Let’s just go to court so I can come back and go to sleep.” She said tiredly.
“Don’t you mean go home and sleep?” He asked, slipping his arm around her waist and disapparating them to the receiving hall of the ministry.
“No, I mean to go back to Harry and Ginny’s.” She said, making her way towards the courtroom.
“We need to talk.” Lucius handed the guard his cane and the items in his pocket, then followed Hermione into the courtroom.
“I tried to talk to you, Lucius. Remember?” She turned her back to him and waited for the bailiff to call them in.
Kingsley was already seated at the pulpit, the many secretaries that made up the cabinet sitting behind him. The bailiff escorted them to the center of the courtroom before returning to his post beside the door.
“Mister and Madame Malfoy, it has come to the courts attention that the spell cast as a sentence for your public displays has been broken.” Kingsley said with a smile. “It seems you are in fact a perfect couple. I had thought it would take you longer to come to that conclusion, but I am pleased with the outcome. I will confess that I have carried a certain amount of guilt over this case. I married you against your will and despite the favorable outcome; I could well have taken away your chance at happiness by taking away your right to choose. So, I brought you before the court today to give you that right. You may choose to remain in this marriage, if that is your desire, or you may choose to walk away and it will be annulled, but both parties must be in agreement.”
Kingsley noticed the obvious tension between them. Lucius stood stiffly, his lips tight and his fists clenched. Hermione stood with her head down, staring at her feet.
“Madame Malfoy? Do you choose to remain married to Lucius?” He asked.
“No sir, I do not.” She heard Lucius’s sharp intake of breath beside her, as well as the stunned whispers of the court.
“Hermione, the spell would not have broken if you did not love him. Why do you make your choice?” Kingsley asked softly.
“I will not stay married to a man who does not want me.” She answered.
“Hermione, don’t….I was angry and I didn’t mean it.” Lucius said softly so only she could hear.
“Mister Malfoy, are you in agreement with Hermione’s choice to annul the marriage?” Kingsley asked.
“No sir, I am not. Hermione is my wife and I intend that she remain so.” Lucius told the court. Hermione turned to stare angrily up at him.
“Don’t do this, Lucius.” She said through gritted teeth. “You don’t want me anymore remember? The novelty of bedding a mudblood had worn off, isn’t that how you put it?”
Lucius winced at her words. He had been harsh, and it was apparent that his hateful words had hit and stuck.
“I will not let you go.” He said, turning to face her.
“You don’t have a choice.” She spat.
“Yes I do. Kingsley just gave me the choice. You want out, I don’t. We aren’t in agreement.” Lucius turned back to the dais. “What happens now that we aren’t in agreement of the terms?”
“You remain legally wed and are given a six month continuance in which you will be brought back before the court and offered the choice again.” Kingsley said. He was somewhat surprised, they had seemed so happy the last time he had seen them.
“Fine! It seems I have no control over staying married to you, but the terms of the sentence were met, therefore I am not bound by them. I will be living with the Potters and I will thank you very much to stay away from me!” She said, stalking around him and heading through the door, Lucius hot on her heels.
“I didn’t dismiss you!” Kingsley called after them, but they were already at the guard station gathering their belongings.
“You are acting like a child!” Lucius growled.
“And you are acting like a sanctimonious prick!” Hermione said, making her way back to the receiving hall.
“Do not walk away from me Hermione!” Lucius reached out and grabbed her arm only to find himself nose to wand.
“Do not touch me, Lucius, you gave up that right when you broke my heart.” He let her go and took a step back. She was still glaring at him when she vanished from his sight.
Lucius arrived at exactly eight thirty. He hadn’t slept at all and the dark circles beneath his eyes testified to that fact. She was waiting for him, stepping out onto the porch as soon as he appeared.
Hermione looked as bad as she felt. She had finally cried herself to sleep sometime in the early morning hours, only to have the alarm go off shortly after to wake her up for court. She was wearing a pair of Harry’s sweats and had pulled her hair back into a ponytail. She didn’t look at him, she couldn’t.
“I could have brought you some clothes.” He said, taking in the too big track suit that hung on her.
“Let’s just go to court so I can come back and go to sleep.” She said tiredly.
“Don’t you mean go home and sleep?” He asked, slipping his arm around her waist and disapparating them to the receiving hall of the ministry.
“No, I mean to go back to Harry and Ginny’s.” She said, making her way towards the courtroom.
“We need to talk.” Lucius handed the guard his cane and the items in his pocket, then followed Hermione into the courtroom.
“I tried to talk to you, Lucius. Remember?” She turned her back to him and waited for the bailiff to call them in.
Kingsley was already seated at the pulpit, the many secretaries that made up the cabinet sitting behind him. The bailiff escorted them to the center of the courtroom before returning to his post beside the door.
“Mister and Madame Malfoy, it has come to the courts attention that the spell cast as a sentence for your public displays has been broken.” Kingsley said with a smile. “It seems you are in fact a perfect couple. I had thought it would take you longer to come to that conclusion, but I am pleased with the outcome. I will confess that I have carried a certain amount of guilt over this case. I married you against your will and despite the favorable outcome; I could well have taken away your chance at happiness by taking away your right to choose. So, I brought you before the court today to give you that right. You may choose to remain in this marriage, if that is your desire, or you may choose to walk away and it will be annulled, but both parties must be in agreement.”
Kingsley noticed the obvious tension between them. Lucius stood stiffly, his lips tight and his fists clenched. Hermione stood with her head down, staring at her feet.
“Madame Malfoy? Do you choose to remain married to Lucius?” He asked.
“No sir, I do not.” She heard Lucius’s sharp intake of breath beside her, as well as the stunned whispers of the court.
“Hermione, the spell would not have broken if you did not love him. Why do you make your choice?” Kingsley asked softly.
“I will not stay married to a man who does not want me.” She answered.
“Hermione, don’t….I was angry and I didn’t mean it.” Lucius said softly so only she could hear.
“Mister Malfoy, are you in agreement with Hermione’s choice to annul the marriage?” Kingsley asked.
“No sir, I am not. Hermione is my wife and I intend that she remain so.” Lucius told the court. Hermione turned to stare angrily up at him.
“Don’t do this, Lucius.” She said through gritted teeth. “You don’t want me anymore remember? The novelty of bedding a mudblood had worn off, isn’t that how you put it?”
Lucius winced at her words. He had been harsh, and it was apparent that his hateful words had hit and stuck.
“I will not let you go.” He said, turning to face her.
“You don’t have a choice.” She spat.
“Yes I do. Kingsley just gave me the choice. You want out, I don’t. We aren’t in agreement.” Lucius turned back to the dais. “What happens now that we aren’t in agreement of the terms?”
“You remain legally wed and are given a six month continuance in which you will be brought back before the court and offered the choice again.” Kingsley said. He was somewhat surprised, they had seemed so happy the last time he had seen them.
“Fine! It seems I have no control over staying married to you, but the terms of the sentence were met, therefore I am not bound by them. I will be living with the Potters and I will thank you very much to stay away from me!” She said, stalking around him and heading through the door, Lucius hot on her heels.
“I didn’t dismiss you!” Kingsley called after them, but they were already at the guard station gathering their belongings.
“You are acting like a child!” Lucius growled.
“And you are acting like a sanctimonious prick!” Hermione said, making her way back to the receiving hall.
“Do not walk away from me Hermione!” Lucius reached out and grabbed her arm only to find himself nose to wand.
“Do not touch me, Lucius, you gave up that right when you broke my heart.” He let her go and took a step back. She was still glaring at him when she vanished from his sight.