The room was stuffy and badly lit, but that was to expected considering she was in the bowels of Gringotts. Only the oldest, most prestigious families had vaults at this level which is why she was confused as to why she was here. Ginny was a Weasley, yes. And a member of the sacred twenty-eight, not that she had ever paid that any mind. Hers was a family of so called blood-traitors, and yet she was still a pureblood witch. True she was the first girl to be born to the Weasley clan for some time but Ginny didn't consider that to make her special, if anything her brothers drove her barmy because of it. No, Ginny had no idea why her presence had been requested here at the bank at all.
True, in the three years that followed after she had completed her education at Hogwarts, having received rather exceptional grades she had built herself a career as a professional quidditch player for the Holyhead Harpies. She loved playing chaser and playing across the country and some of Europe. But she had not amassed a great wealth to get her invited to the use of any of these vaults. The dragon that Hermione had told her about had been replaced, she had walked passed him only moments ago, accompanied by the rather grim faced goblin called Arnblade. There was now a young chinese fireball dragon who had purred as she passed, blowing smoke rings to amuse itself. It seemed they had learned their lesson from the break-in. Do not mistreat your assets or they will aide your enemies.
To say Ginny was confused as she looked around the room would have been an understatement. She had received a letter that morning requesting a meeting with Arnblade. The letter had given no details as to why he wished to meet, or why the matter was so urgent it had to be that day. Ginny had only had a match the day before and had planned to snooze until the afternoon had that pesky owl not woken her so early. A part of her wished she had simply rolled over and ignored its repeated hooting as her shoulder still smarted from a mid air collision the day before. It couldn't have anything to do with Harry either, they had not been together for years. After the war they had tried again that summer but so much had changed between them. She had waited for him to come back to her, and he had, but they just didn't work.
She still loved him sure, he was one of her best friends, but that brief romance they had shared hadn't kindled into anything more and they both knew it. And so Ginny had ended it and returned to Hogwarts with Luna and Hermione. Harry and Ron had gone on to train as Aurors and they were both happy. Hermione had kicked her butt into gear and pushed her to get better grades than she thought she could in her NEWTs. She and Hermione had become much closer that year, and they with Luna often still met for girly nights. They were her best friends and such a nice reprieve from all the testosterone idiocy of her brothers.
Ginny had moved in with George above the joke-shop when she left Hogwarts, he needed the company and Ginny didn't want to be living at home whilst her parents were renovating the Burrow. He had been speculative about why she had chosen him at first, thinking their parents wanted her there to check on him. When she hadn't done any of that, and instead had helped him with the shop between tryouts for different teams and searching for a job just in case he had warmed to having her live with him. Ginny had been the one to make George start dating again, to live his life for more than just the shop. George had dated several disastrous women before Luna caught his eye. They were inseparable now, sickeningly adorable and Ginny loved teasing them. Ginny would forever love Luna, her best friend, for bringing her big brother back to life.
Ginny coughed and was met with a glare for upsetting the silence of the room. Sighing she shifted in her seat and proceeded to look around once more for something to give her a clue as to why she was here. She was quickly losing patience at the long wait and being kept in the dark, but she knew that if you tried to rush a goblin they had ways of making the visit extremely unpleasant, so she stayed quiet. Instead she crossed her right leg over her knee and leant back in the chair, bouncing her ankle in agitation. To amuse herself from the boredom that was setting in she started changing the colours of her nails, picking different hues from her blue and green summer dress. She had just started creating little wave patterns when the door behind her opened.
Turning her head she was surprised to see a ministry official walk in, followed by another goblin. The official was clearly in his late fifties, rotund with thinning grey hair and a mustache. He reminded Ginny of a walrus and she had to bite back the smile that threatened to appear on her features at the thought. He took the seat next to her and the goblin accompanying him inclined his head to his colleague before shutting the door behind him as he left.
"Good afternoon Miss Weasley, I was very pleased that you could make it on such short notice. I am Edward Ansleigh from the department of records. It has been brought to my attention that you, on the eleventh of August this year, just eight days ago turned twenty one. As such a rather peculiar document appeared on my desk pertaining to your family and one of another house. This house, having been caused to die out during the tragic wizarding war has…"
"What does my turning twenty-one have anything to do with the department of records or some house that died out in the war? Also, you called me here, into the bowels of this bank with no explanation and then don't even have the social graces to apologise for any plans you may have interrupted. Also if it has to do with my family surely they should be here." Ginny's temper, having always been a short fuse was wearing rather thin as the rather pompous wizard thought he could talk at her rather than to her. She was actually having to refrain from slapping the sneer from his face as he met her eyes.
"As I was saying" he continued as though she hadn't spoken "the decimation of one house has occurred, and a document appeared upon my desk on your birthday Miss Weasley. It is my understanding of the document, following a joint investigation with Arnblade, the manager of that family's accounts that there is a blood oath in place between your family and this one. The oath speaks of an unmarried pureblood woman of the Weasley family being bound in this oath. This witch must be at least twenty-one years old and capable of bearing healthy children. As you are the only female weasley of such standing we know that the oath is about you Miss Weasley.
"You, being the bound member of the weasley family through ancestral blood oath are here as a representative for your family as well. As there is no one of the direct descent for the fallen house Arnblade, as their account manager will represent the houses interests. This is the original document for your perusal Miss Weasley so that you may read for yourself that everything is as I have stated." He passed Ginny an old looking scroll and she opened it and began to read. She muttered to herself as she read, the language was old and formal making it a slow read. Twice she had to restart a paragraph where she got lost in the waxing that the writer gave to the importance of blood purity.
It wasn't until the last two paragraphs that the document started to make any sense whatsoever. But that did not make Ginny feel happy at all, no. The more she read the angrier that she became. "You have got to be bloody kidding me?! This is no way anyone is forcing me into this. Not only do I refuse I say good riddance to such backwards thinking. Do you have any idea how insulting this is?" Ginny had exploded from her chair and was now angrily pacing back and forth. When Edward Ansleigh went to speak she levelled him with a glare, which quickly had him closing his mouth again.
"Miss Weasley retake your seat." Arnblade was as calm as he had been since showing her to this room, and acted as though her outburst was nothing at all. He remained silent until she had reseated herself before leaning over his rather ornate desk and steepled his fingers together. "I regret I must inform you that due to the nature of this oath, having been bound in blood, you have no choice but to follow through with the agreement. I will assume you did not read as far as the consequences based upon your reaction so let me make myself clear. Should you refuse to meet the terms of the contract by the next full moon, which is three days hence from now, you condemn your family, in fact anyone of direct descent from the weasley line to the afterlife. I understand that your eldest brother Bill recently had a daughter and your brother Percy's wife is expecting their first child. It would be a shame for them all to die so young."
"You can't enforce this, blood oaths are illegal not to mention this is coercion. I can't believe that the ministry will condone this, this disgusting attempt at blackmail." Ginny had flushed with rage at the idea of her family being harmed because of some centuries old mouldy document. "You are correct Miss Weasley, blood oaths are illegal today, but those that were created prior to May eighteenth 1664 are perfectly legal and enforceable. The ministry regrets the delicate position that you have been placed in but that does not change the consequences. You do not have to agree now, you have some time to speak to your family and arrange what will happen should you refuse. I must say however I am surprised at your reaction." Edward raised his eyebrow in a disdaining manner that had Ginny wrapping her fingers around her wand.
"Let me get this straight in 1472 one of my ancestors a Johnathan Weasley signed, in blood no less that should the other houses' line die out, one daughter would be used to what exactly? Blood sacrifice to perform some necromancy to bring the line back. Or maybe some good old muggle voodoo to get pregnant with dead man's seed. Oh I know, I am a rent a womb for this family, ready to breed and provide those desperately needed heirs and spares." Ginny was fighting the urge to panic, she was a Weasley and a Gryffindor she wouldn't be cowed by some old lech in a suit.
"House Black is willing to compensate you and your family greatly for this service Miss Weasley. It is my understanding that you and the late Lord Sirius Black were acquainted and that many of your friends and family would be greatful as well for the service you would be performing." Arnblade waited for the revelation to sink in as Ginny ripped the document open again and searched for the family name and silently berated herself for not recognising the black family crest at the top of the document. To be fair she also didn't recognise her own family's crest having never thought of looking it up. She realised that Percy had this etched into all his stationary and shook her head in mild disgust. Pompous arse just couldn't help himself could he.
She scanned the text down to the last paragraph and read aloud. "Should the last male heir of the House Black die without an heir this oath binds the first eligible daughter of House Weasley to perform the below ritual and help in the restoration of house Black. Should they fail to perform this ritual in time then this curse I, Lord of House Black so cast on House Weasley. All will wither within the year, your minds will rot and your widow's wail. Your unborns cries will never be heard, for House Weasley have betrayed their word."
Ginny felt a chill sink into her very bones as she read the ritual below, she knew about this kind of magic, it was ancient, the kind that had helped create Hogwarts itself. She would be bound to House Black and whilst Hermione had cared a lot for Sirius she could not say she felt the same about the rest of his family. Having lived in Grimmauld Place she was very against the idea of even being associated with members of that family. "So you're telling me that I am expected to what exactly?" She looked inquiringly to Arnblade, refusing to look at Edward the walrus who was red faced with anger and breathing rather loudly in the chair beside her.
"Perform the ritual Miss Weasley and then what follows is between you and house Black. I understand that this had not been made aware to you prior to this meeting, but I am afraid it is still binding. I have sent for a member of your family to provide counsel to you and help you decide the fate of your family. I feel I would be remiss if I did not inform you, that you are now in the custody of Gringotts bank until such a decision has been made. You may not leave this bank, and you are free to roam the public areas, I would advise against leaving for your own safety. There will be many people once this becomes public that will want you harmed and as such, as manager of the Black accounts your safety is now my utmost concern."
Ginny was about to chew the goblin out when the door behind her opened and her father and brother walked in, both looking confused. Arthur took the seat free on the other side of Ginny, whilst Bill stayed standing behind her. Ginny couldn't listen to the ridiculous contract being read again, she wanted to rage against the unfairness of it all, hadn't she lost enough, been through enough already? She didn't hear them talking around her, she didn't even flinch as her father, normally the calmest man she ever knew, began to rage at the top of his lungs. She had only ever heard him yell once, just once before. Now as he shouted down the ministry walrus Ginny found she didn't even hear him, not really. Instead she stood and walked into Bill's arms.
She let him cuddle her like he used to when she was little, because at this moment Ginny was scared. She knew she would do this, she loved her family far too much to ever let them be hurt again. Losing Fred had almost torn them all apart, she couldn't bear to be the reason they all died. Bill and Fleur had little Victoire, she was almost three now and Ginny loved her so very much. Bill often brought her to see Auntie Ginny play quidditch and she had so many hopes for her little niece's future. Charlie was still working with dragons, he was now one of three senior wardens at the reserve and she knew he had never been happier. Percy had a child on the way, George's life was getting back on track and Ron had so many plans for his future.
She looked up at Bill and gave him a wane smile, before walking back to her father and taking his hand. She took a deep breath and thought of all the sacrifices he and her mother had made to raise her and her brothers. She owed them better than a life cut short so wickedly. Yes it meant her future was uncertain and possibly in danger, but Ginny wasn't a child anymore. She was more than capable of fighting her own battles, in a way she had always been capable. "I'll do the ritual." She spoke quietly and had to repeat herself twice before all eyes were on her.
"I'll do the ritual. If that is what it takes to keep my family safe then I will do it. However I want the ministry's involvement to end now. I don't want you involved in what is clearly an interhouse matter, nor do I want the ministry that failed my generation so disgustingly with its ineptitude from attempting to gain anything from this arrangement. So please, Mister Ansleigh feel free to close the door behind you, you are no longer required." She waited silently as the official fumed and huffed on his way out, cursing under his breath until she was alone in the room with her family and Arnblade. "I want assurances from you for my family's safety, and I do not consent to being beholden to house Black following this ritual. The contract says that I must perform it, there aren't any other legally binding stipulations."
"You have my assurances Miss Weasley, however as to you not being beholden to the house of Black it would be remiss of me if I did not tell you. The ritual is a marriage contract, by performing it you consent to being the bride of Lord Black and bearing his future children. So in a way you won't be beholden to house Black as much as be a member of it. Complete the ritual Miss Weasley and you will be Lady Black." Ginny stared at him in a state of shock before uttering "Well, fuck."