Year 1
"Are you Harriet Potter?"
The door to the carriage burst open and a small, tow headed boy stared at the two first years seated inside. For the second time that day, Harriet lifted her bangs to reveal the apparently famous scar but received an unexpected response.
"Oh." The boy glanced over her and sighed. "Well, I'm Zacharias Smith, of the Hufflepuff line you know, and we're engaged."
"What!" Ron Weasley, her first friend, gaped at the boy. "Are you serious?!"
"No, I'm Zacharias. Please listen because I dislike repeating myself." The boy marched into the compartment without a by your leave and took a seat next to Harriet, before glancing at the boy critically. "You're a Weasley then? Generally good lot, my mum says, but you haven't any money sense. And apparently can't hear well. Going into Gryffindor like your brothers too, I suspect. What about you Harriet? Any idea where you're going?" The bizarre boy turned to her.
"Um…" Harriet started.
"Probably Gryffindor like your parents?" He interrupted. "That's probably for the best. It would be a bore to be in all the same classes, you know. Mum says a bit of distance is healthy for the heart. That's why she's always going off to the spas. Do you like spas, Harriet?"
"Um…" Harriet hesitated.
"Probably do," Zacharias answered for himself, "You're a girl after all. Probably will want to go off to them all the time. Leave me alone with the kids. Well, can't say I'm not used to it. I've got four little cousins and I take care of them all the time. Mum says I'm quite responsible and the only one she trusts to watch over them."
"Ah.." Harriet began.
"Are you trying to say something Harriet? Don't hesitate. I don't want to be the only one talking after all and the sooner we establish good rules of communication the happier the marriage will be, my Mum says." The boy reached out and patted Harriet's hand firmly.
"We're engaged?" She finally pushed the words out before he opened his mouth to continue speaking. She spared a quick look at Ron who seemed as completely flabbergasted as she.
"Oh yes. Have been since we were born. Imagine the pressure on me growing up- engaged to the great Harriet Potter- defeater of you-know-who and child savoir of the wizarding world. Gave me quite a complex until I got my head on straight, let me tell you."
"We're engaged?" She repeated a little more loudly.
"Yes. To be married when we graduate Hogwarts or turn 17, whichever comes first. Now, remember, I don't like repeating myself, but I shall forgive you." He bopped her on the nose gently, "Forgiveness, my mother says, is the cornerstone of a good marriage."
Harriet would later come to the conclusion that Mariah Smith lived in hyper-dimensional house for the number of cornerstones she lay claim to. But at that time she could only nod minutely. Never in her life, either then or after, would she meet someone like Zacharias.
"Right," Zacharias began after a minute pause, "You're Harriet Potter. I'm Zacharias Smith. That's a Weasely. We're to be engaged. You two are making friends. If you don't have any more questions, I'm going to leave you two to that. It's important, my mother says, to have separate groups of friends. Keeps you sane apparently. So I'm going to go do that. See you at the feast, Harriet." He took Harriet's hand and while he went in for the kiss, she went for the handshake and his nose ended up smashed as a result.
With a final, cheerful wave he disappeared from the carriage, leaving the two other first years staring at each other in shock.
"I'm engaged?" she asked Ron. He just shrugged.
"First I've heard of it."
0X0X0X0X0
Harriet learned many things about Zacharias this year. Namely, that he had strong opinions about everything.
He had an opinion on house pride.
"Of course, it's great and all Harriet," He told her at the sorting feast, "But the people matter more. That's why I was cheering when you got into Gryffindor even if it's not Hufflepuff."
He had options on food.
"That's really not enough Harriet." He told her slipping into the seat next to her at breakfast, "You need to eat more otherwise you're going to waste away. You're bony enough as is."
He had opinions on her hair.
"Now I'm not saying that Muggles are barbarians, but I'm not saying they aren't." He handed her a package, "This is a brush. I want you to have it. And use it." He added as an afterthought.
He had opinions on Quiddich.
"You've put me in a real bind, Harriet. On one hand, it's great that you're the youngest seeker in a century. But on the other hand, who am I going to cheer for when Gryffindor plays Hufflepuff?" He told her as they stared down at the broom the owls had just brought in, but he glanced over and added "Oh, don't look like that. Of course, I'll cheer for you. We're engaged after all."
He had opinions about wizarding duels.
"Pointless shows of power and completely worthless. You either end up dead or humiliated, mother says. Just ignore Malfoy. He's a prat."
He had strong opinions on her bravery.
"You, Harriet Potter, are going to be the death of me. Imagine me having to learn from Seamus of all people that you fought a troll." He grabbed her arm and forced her to look him in the eye. "Next time, tell me and I'm coming with you. If you insist on dying, we're going to die together. That's loyalty, according to my mother."
He had opinions on dragon smuggling.
"I'm just saying Ronald, that if your brother can fly past the wards and to the astronomy tower, why can't they fly a bit lower and come to the hut directly?"
He had opinions on detention.
"Absolutely not." He reached out and grabbed her hand tightly, "I will be accompanying Harriet in this excursion into the forest commonly known as forbidden. Malfoy may go with the others."
He had opinions on the philosopher's stone.
"It doesn't exist." He paused and glanced at Hermione over the library table, "Does it?"
He had opinions on going after the philosopher's stone.
"Absolutely not. This is sheer stupidity. We are getting a teacher and that's- put your wand down Har-"
He had very strong opinions about being left petrified on the floor while she went to defeat voldemort.
"NEVER. EVER. AGAIN. Do you understand me Harriet Potter! NEVER AGAIN."
He had opinions about staying by hospital beds.
"Of course I'm here." He dropped his book bag and plopped down in the chair, " Just because I'm mad at you doesn't mean I'm going to abandon you while you're recovering. Here's the notes you missed in charms."
He had opinions on sharing chocolate.
"I don't care if they're meant for you." He pulled the chocolate bar out of her reach. " We're going to be married in six years and share everything- I'm just getting a head start. Don't throw your pillow at me- you're sick. Good. Now, tell me what you're doing for summer break."
He had opinions on the Dursleys.
"They're absolutely beastly. You're never to go back to them again." He crossed his arms.
He had opinions on blood wards.
"They're absolutely barbaric. I shall write you every day and visit once a week." He gave her a tight hug as they left the train.
It was not so bad, Harriet reflected stepping through the wall to the Platform of 9 ¾, to be engaged to Zacharias Smith.
A/N: I wanted a story with a Fem!Harry and a marriage bond- so this exists. I also want to complete a story on a regular update schedule. So, there will be seven chapters. One posted every two weeks. So this story will be finished in 14 weeks. I am committed. I am going to do this.
