Disclaimer - I don't own it, if you do *pulls out army tank from void* hand it over
SLASH Merlin/Arthur Merlin/Draco and other pairings.
Chapter 1
"We are gathered here today for the 'Ceremony of Hearts' where will find one Draconis Malfoy a mate" said the formal speaker ministry personal.
The person in question of the soon to be married was looking between murderous and disgusted, and a small amount of fear if you knew him well enough, with aurors behind him so he didn't suddenly run off, as well as his parents.
How this situation came to be was that Malfoy Sr. got caught and arrested after the incident at the Ministry of Magic, after he once again, pleaded the imperious curse.
As this was not the first time and there was now members of the Order now within the MOM it was now they could get Malfoy Sr. into trouble.
As with everything the MOM does it was all muddled up, and went completely wrong.
The final product was in fact to keep the Malfoy line going, to marry Malfoy Jr. to someone so he can be of age and older enough so he can become the new Lord Malfoy and they have no problems with You-Know-Who getting the families fortune.
It was decided that they would use the 'Ceremony of Hearts', where the person in question would place blood into the cup – like the tri-wizard tournament cup – and suitors can put their names in to it to for extra chance.
So the MOM looks like it is not trying to manipulate anything.
Draco Pov
Draco looked out over the crowd, and there was a crowd, of reporters to high and low ministry personal, even Dumbledore was there, to make it look like he was agreeing with the MOM – which he probably is.
My parents and Godfather was behind me as well to bring comfort, but it does not get rid of all of my anxiety of the impending.
My Godfather ensured me that the ministry or anyone else could choose the outcome as it was used to find soul mates and perfect couples and good match ups, which is the only good news so far.
I walk up to the podium head held high like all Malfoy should, taking the small knife – definitely not a dagger, I sneer in my mind – and cut my finger and let three drops of blood go into the goblet as I was previously instructed.
Merlin Pov - 3 days before
Merlin was having a nice read outside in the grass with a picnic hamper of food, thanks of the house elves living in Camelot Castle, out in a field close to the castle and over seeing it, laying on a rug.
It was a beautiful, peaceful day and I was planning to not do anything today, no going outside the Barrier, and just read relax and maybe sword fighting practice a little.
I felt one of my personally made portkeys activate and summon someone to me. Unsurprisingly one Severus Snape landed close by as one of the few who have a portkey made by me and one that allows the user to come through the Barrier, the person who visits me most.
Once he brushed off the landing and dirt, I realised by his barely concealed worry this was not his normal social calls, if he can be called social, or potions collecting.
"Okay, what's wrong?" I asked immediately.
"It's Draco" Severus replied "they're making him marry so he can and will become the next Lord Malfoy to keep the family fortune with the ministry, and not with the Dark Lord"
"Well" I replied thinking quickly "How are they choosing whose he is marrying?"
"It's some type of cup called the 'Cup of Hearts'" Severus then insulted "the ministry have the combined brain of a flobberworn, but they're going to try to make it so they choose who he is going to marry, and the Order is not going to stop them!"
Recalling said cup and fixing it for the better, Merlin tried to comfort him "Don't worry, they can't, I had a hand in it and so they can't change or trick the cup, it will always come up with the match it is suppose to".
After more consoling and, yes, the cup can only give the right answer, and then sending him with fresh potion ingredients so he can brew to calm down, he sent Severus on his way to tell the Malfoys.
The flames changed from deep purple to a pinkish red and rose higher, starting to spit. Suddenly a slight tug on Draco's magic, and just like the tournament cup the flames of the cup turned bright blue and spat out a piece of paper, which the ministry personal from before stepped up to the goblet to catch the piece of paper.
The room was deadly silent as they waited to see was to marry the Malfoy heir.
"Merlin Ambrosius" the ministry idiot called breathlessly, before he fainted to the ground.
woke up this morning half asleep with a cat on me, its bad? don't blame me
