Lemons to Lemonade
Chapter 2 - The Negotiations
"If yous to be following me, sirs, the Headmaster be requesting your presence," announced the house-elf who showed up in Harry and Draco's quarters.
Draco snarled, "It's about bloody time he got this sorted out."
For once, Harry agreed with the blond. This had been an awful week, the two teenagers trading insults and hexes back and forth at every turn, even when it became apparent that any pain inflicted would be felt by both parties.
That had led to hexing their rival's belongings. The room they were assigned now looked like a demilitarised zone as the house-elves had given up fixing it halfway through the week. "Yeah, I don't think this room would last another day with us in it." He couldn't even imagine what would happen if the spell could not be lifted; they would kill each other before a month was out.
As they walked to the Headmaster's office, the boys were joined by Luna and the other Gryffindors. Pansy and Professor Snape were not around; Harry figured they would be coming up from the Potions Lab, as it was just before the first class of the day.
What they witnessed filing into the circular office was a teenager's worst nightmare. All of their parents – plus Snape and Pansy – were standing around looking incredulous or extremely upset or both. The one exception was that the Dursleys were not present. Harry hoped this was a good thing, but he couldn't be sure. It felt like they were all in trouble, and yes, they just might be, having snuck out in the middle of the night, but their parents couldn't hold this spell over their heads, could they? The sternness in their expressions had all of the students cringing.
"Well, now that you are all here, we can begin," started Dumbledore. "Students, I have contacted each of your parents over this last week, and we all agreed to meet here today to work out details of the bonding spell."
"You're sure that's what it was?" piped up Ron, hope fading in his eyes that this was all just some elaborate ruse.
"Yes, Mr. Weasley. I found more references to it in older Italian scrolls. It is both a slavery and a marriage spell. The master and slave would be bound to each other for life, although the master was allowed multiple bonds, one with each of his slaves as well as a pure marriage bond with his spouse. The slave may perform any service the master has need of, from cooking and cleaning to simple companionship to sex and bearing of children."
"Bearing children?" Hermione's eyes were wide with concern. "None of us except Professor Snape are at an age appropriate for that."
"Yeah. Besides, Ginny and Luna aren't legal; they're both still underage," Ron pointed out, looking to his parents for confirmation.
Mr. and Mrs. Weasley had pinched expressions but did not back Ron up on his outrage. "Son," said Arthur, "that is part of why we are here. It is not unheard of for adults to make arrangements for underage minors."
"Dad, are you saying you approve of this?" Ginny looked horrified. She had had plans of her own to get married someday.
The Patils entered the conversation. "It is still very much practised by our countrymen in India and in other places in the world. We, too, have debated arranging marriages for our daughters, as we prefer their spouses be in a similar caste."
"This is what we have come to discuss," interjected the Headmaster. "The bond is not fully formed or legitimate until it is consummated, but once it is, it will be a full marriage, thus we will need the agreements of your parents. You all were very lucky that there was no compulsion within the spell to push for the joining right away, only the pain of separation, which will diminish upon completion of the bond."
Luna said, "Is there any way to break the spell, lift the curse?"
All the students nodded their heads enthusiastically, but when they looked at Dumbledore, their hearts sank, and many went as pale as their parents, who must have already had this news.
"I'm sorry, my dear, but, alas, no."
Dismay crossed everyone's features. Harry's heart had stopped and his lungs would not move to take in new air.
It was Lucius Malfoy who reacted first. "There is no instance in which I will allow my son to marry a half-blood whelp," he snarled in Harry's direction.
"Yes, I thought you might feel that way," Dumbledore mused. "I do have an ounce of good news. Before the bond is consummated, it can be transferred. The transfer requires that all parties have sex with the intended new partners at the same time. The bonds are swapped and consummated in the same instant. It was not often done, but it was mentioned in some slave trader journals if a master was not immediately pleased with a new slave."
"So," Neville said, trying to piece it all together, "we can choose new partners from amongst all of us here and have sex with that person, the bond will switch, and we'll all be married?"
"That's the gist of it, yes."
Pansy was visibly shaking, but she managed to ask, "Who is the master? Who is the slave? How is that determined?"
All eyes watched intently on Dumbledore.
"Well, in this case, there's not, really. The master/slave aspect was mostly economic and political, not magical. The slave was bought and paid for and was the legal property of the master. The master, in turn, was responsible for the slave's health and welfare. Because of the mistreatment of slaves in those days, the government set up this spell to enact consequences for pains given between master and slave, so one would not be able to hurt the other without feeling it oneself. Although, some of you have discovered …" he said this while looking pointedly at Harry and Draco, "... that the pain retaliation clause is still in effect, the practical aspect of slavery is not. It has no relevancy to the equal footing you will experience with your bonded partner."
Ron snorted, then voiced under his breath such that only Neville and Harry could hear, "Unless you're the unlucky sod who gets bonded with Snape."
Neville began shaking in dread.
Harry tried to reassure his friend. "It'll be alright, Neville. We won't let that happen."
Neville met Harry's eyes and visibly pushed the panic back down. "Okay, yeah. Thanks, mate."
The rest of the room had erupted into multiple conversations between parents and students.
Ron had grabbed Hermione's hand and jumped up to face his parents, Hermione following. "Mum, Dad, I want to marry Hermione. We're the best of friends and I've been dreaming of her for forever."
"I feel the same way about Ron," Hermione joined in, looking beseechingly between the Weasleys and the Grangers.
Arthur and Molly smiled gently. "Yes, we were already accepting of you two."
"But they haven't even finished school," cried Dr. Granger.
"This is true," agreed Molly, "but with magic the way it is, these things happen."
"And anyway," said Ginny, "Ron and Hermione are both of legal age for consent. They don't need permission, just a blessing. But what are you going to do about me? I want to marry Harry."
"Yeah, but then who's going to take Draco?" Harry asked.
"Oh, no," rebounded Neville. "Our family's hate each other. Besides, I don't generally like boys; I'd rather have Ginny or Luna." He looked over at the girls.
"You would make a good husband," Parvati's father hinted at him.
"Actually, Father, Luna and I have been discussing this all week. We would like to stay together," Parvati said, holding Luna's hand. "We compliment each other well and like each other a great deal."
"Luna, my love, is this the path you wish to follow?" inquired Xenophilius Lovegood.
"It is, Father."
The Patils looked at each other. "It is a good match. Mr. Lovegood, if you would please converse with us on the contract."
"Of course."
The Patils and Lovegoods secluded themselves to discuss marriage details at Dumbledore's insistence.
The rest of the room had watched with stunned silence. Turning back to each other, they counted up the possibilities. Snape stood glaring at them all.
Draco sneered, puffing himself up to his most aristocratic height. "Well, the only one here worthy of marrying me is Pansy. Do you concur, my dear?" He turned to offer his hand.
Pansy perked up at this, took a breath, and placed her hand in his. "I accept. Mum? Dad?"
"Let us work out some details for your estates, but yes, this is acceptable," they returned.
"So, what about the rest of us?" Harry asked, glad that he wouldn't be married to Draco. He looked around at who was left. He couldn't deny Ron and Hermione marrying each other, but that only left himself, Ginny, Neville ... and Snape. Gods, this was impossible!
"Headmaster, this is preposterous. I'm not joining with any of them!" Snape exploded.
Dumbledore countered, "You don't have a choice, my boy. You were caught in this as much as they were; now you have to make the best of it."
The Potions Master seethed, his eyes hard and hot with anger. "The only one I could possibly stomach for any length of time imaginable is Miss Granger."
Ron jumped up. "Over my dead body! You're not going to lay a greasy hand on her or my sister."
"Settle down, Mr. Weasley," prompted Dumbledore, who seemed mostly interested in letting the prospective parties work this out on their own. "He is still a professor at this school, and you need to show respect for that."
Arthur spoke up next. "That is precisely why my son is correct in his outburst. I cannot condone a marriage between a teacher and one of my children, who is still that teacher's student."
"And I won't see my little Neville married off to someone who causes him to tremble everyday." Gran was putting her foot down as well.
It was obvious that Ron would be with Hermione and Neville with Ginny, which just left Harry and Snape.
Harry recoiled. "Wait, what about me? Do I not get a say in this just because my parents are dead? Headmaster, you know the Dursleys are never going to go for this."
Dumbledore looked on the scene with growing amusement, for which Harry could kick him. "Actually, my dear boy, I have already discussed the matter with your relatives. They have already signed over discussions of the marriage to me and the authority to transfer your guardianship to your spouse's parents or, as the case now appears to be, to your spouse himself. Really, I like these arrangements. They clear up a lot of difficulties, one of which is your own safety."
Snape exploded again. "You cannot be serious! He is an insufferable brat whom I loathe and is twenty years my junior. I will not have him invading my privacy and being a wand at my throat for the rest of my life, which may be very short indeed with Potter around."
"Oh, poppycock, Severus. It will take some adjustment, but I think it's a good match. Now, let's get to work, everyone, on those marriage contracts." He transfigured several objects into tables and chairs around the room.
Everyone looked incredulously at the Headmaster.
"Come on. We haven't got all day."
The Slytherins recovered first, heading off to one table after first giving Snape a dour glance. Pansy was relieved and looked pityingly at Harry; Draco sneered.
"Hope you have a grand time with the professor, Potter. I guess you can't always get what you want, but I can." With that he plopped down in a chair and proceeded to ignore Harry.
Harry couldn't say anything in retaliation he was shaking so badly. A comforting hand came to rest on his arm.
"It will be alright, Harry. You'll see. These things have a way of working themselves out." Dumbledore steered Harry back to his office desk where Snape was seated. Snape refused to look at him, instead dealing directly with the Headmaster. Harry followed suit.
The negotiations went on and on until everyone was sick to death of talking about them, except the Malfoys and Parkinsons who seemed to be enjoying the back and forth banter, much like a political debate. Eventually, they all managed to come to agreements before lunchtime.
With the close of the contract writing, Dumbledore ordered the house-elves to prepare a feast to be held that evening. Wedding arrangements would take all afternoon with the ceremonies performed in the Great Hall at dusk. Albus would print up the invitations and send them by owl within the hour, while all the families would troop down to Hogsmeade or Apparate into London to acquire formal dress robes. McGonagall, Flitwick and Sprout would all be notified of the proceedings and would decorate the hall. It would be beautiful.