Harry was still staring at the folder in disbelief. He took a deep breath and placed it back on the table.
"We have to get to the ministry and tell them this was all a mistake." Harry said, his voice low. Hermione shook her head.
"They won't believe us, Harry. And even if they did…we could get Draco into some serious trouble if they found out he lied to get Lucas released." She added. Harry hadn't thought about that part. He closed his mouth, then opened it again.
"I'd rather have him in trouble with the ministry than with Lucas. Whatever he's done, he's managed to scare Draco into leaving me." He said. The ministry, he could deal with. He had Ron's help all the way when it came to matters like that.
"I believe you, Harry." She said suddenly. Harry looked up.
"What?" he asked, bewildered.
"I believe you that Draco didn't leave of his own accord; I was wrong." She said reproachfully. Harry nodded curtly; glad Hermione had finally come round.
"What made you change your mind?" he asked. She was looked at the folder on the table. She waved her hand at it.
"You told me that Lucas had something to do with this, then Ron comes running in telling us Lucas has been released. And of course Draco wouldn't willingly make a statement freeing Lucas," she added. She was just sorry she didn't believe Harry in the first place.
"What are we going to do, Hermione?" he asked worriedly. She thought for a moment, but her mind came up blank. They only had one plan, and that was Harry's. She had doubted him once, and she wasn't going to do it again.
"We'll go to the ministry, then. Like you suggested. There has to be something there telling us where Lucas is right now. I'm betting he's going to have Draco with him." she said. Harry grabbed his coat and followed Hermione through the floo.
Yet again, they made their way to the ministry, desperate to find information on Lucas.
Much to Draco's chagrin, Lucas seemed to have brought up the idea of marriage all over again. He was handing Draco photograph after photograph, each of them a picture of a different church.
"How about this one, angel? It's my favourite, but I wanted to give you a chance to look at all the other ones first." He said. Draco looked down. The church was beautiful. The kind of place he would want to marry Harry. He put it down and swallowed.
"I thought we weren't going to think about this so soon?" Draco asked, remembering his little scene in Azkaban when Lucas first mentioned the idea. Lucas gave him a soft, reassuring smile.
"I know you want to feel more worthy of me, beautiful, but it doesn't matter. I want you to be mine, and that's all that counts." He said, leaning forward and stroking the side of Draco's face. Draco knew he had pushed it as far as he could; there was no getting out of this.
"Well…if you're sure," he said hesitantly. Lucas beamed and pulled a small box out of his pocket. He presented it to Draco. The ring was nice, but nowhere as near as nice as the one Harry had bought him.
Draco had tears in his eyes as he remembered Harry's speech when he had proposed that final time.
It was that moment he just knew he wanted to be with Harry forever.
"It's okay to cry," Lucas soothed, not knowing that Draco's tears were not ones of joy. Lucas plucked the ring from the soft velvet pillow. He pushed it on Draco's finger. The blonde gasped and yanked his hand back.
"What was that?" he asked, his finger now stinging. Lucas just smiled.
"It's a charm to make sure the ring never comes off." He said. Draco sighed softly. He was well and truly stuck now, in more than one sense. He just hoped he would be able to go through with the ceremony. Lucas winked at Draco.
"Let's go and make this official, shall we?" he asked happily. Draco blanched.
"W-what? Now?" he asked incredulously, not knowing things were going to happen so soon. Normal weddings took months to plan, and Lucas had only just proposed. But then again, nothing was normal when it came to Lucas. He laughed.
"Don't look worried! Of course I'm going to let you help me plan the wedding. I just thought, why wait? I love you, and you love me, so we can register at the ministry and just have the ceremony after!" he said, as thought it was the most simple plan.
"Besides, that means we can have two wedding nights." He purred. Draco was crying again. Twice. He would have to marry the one man he loathed the most...twice.
"We can't let them know about Ron's connection in all this," Hermione said quickly as they sped through the ministry. Harry nodded. As they turned a sharp corner, Hermione stopped dead and Harry ran into the back of her.
"Why did you stop?" he asked grumpily. Hermione looked shocked.
"I've found them," she breathed, pointing across the room. Was Lucas stupid or something? He knew Ron worked at the ministry, yet there he was out in plain sight, where he could be seen by anyone. Harry dashed forward, Hermione hot on his heels.
Lucas was leaning forward, signing a certificate.
"Draco!" Harry yelled, diving forward. Draco's head shot up. He knew it had been a bad idea as soon as Lucas had mentioned the ministry. Ron probably spotted them, and tipped Harry off. This was bad.
He couldn't let Harry fight for him. If he did, Draco knew he would want to go home with Harry, away from Lucas. If that happened, Lucas could easily send someone after Harry.
It would be the imperious curse scenario all over again. Then he noticed the ring on Draco's finger. He frowned, reaching into his pocket. He was holding the ring in his hand…so what was going on? Then everything began to click at once. The new ring, the department they were in… Draco was getting married.
Lucas calmly handed Draco the quill.
"It's your turn to sign," he said softly. He pointed out the line where Draco had to sign his name.
"No!" Harry yelled. The woman behind the desk sighed and looked at her watch. Her blonde hair was pulled up tight.
So tightly, Draco had idly wondered if it was giving her a headache. This kind of thing happened all the time and it made her late for lunch. Her mouth was opening and closing rapidly as she chewed her gum loudly.
"I'll give you some time," she said, leaving the room. Many times she had seen old lovers break in during the ceremony, trying to stop it from happening. It was intriguing at first, but now it was just plain boring.
Harry pulled out his wand and pointed it at Lucas. Draco rushed forward, standing in front of Lucas.
If Harry hexed him, Lucas would be furious. And Lucas's fury was exactly what he wanted to avoid if he wanted to keep Harry safe.
"It's over, Draco." Harry said gently, lowering his wand. "We know he forced you to make the statement. I don't know how he made you, but if you retract it, he'll go straight back to Azkaban." Harry said. Hermione was nodding. Draco wished it were true. Azkaban was no longer the solution; Lucas was just as much a threat in there as he was outside.
Now Harry had found them, he knew he wouldn't give up.
"He didn't force me to give the statement," Draco lied quietly. Harry blinked.
"Draco. You can come home." Harry said, stepping forward. Draco turned his back on Harry and signed the contract. Lucas smiled at him happily.
"My home isn't with you anymore." It pained Draco to say it, but he really needed Harry to leave him alone. He saw Harry's eyes widen. Even Hermione looked shocked.
The contract behind Draco and Lucas was glowing yellow; their marriage had been confirmed. Harry stared at the contract in disbelief. He was supposed to be marrying Draco, yet somehow Lucas had got there first.
Lucas wrapped his arm around Draco's waist, and they Apparated out. Harry raced forward and tore the contract into tiny pieces. Hermione grabbed his arm.
"You can't do that, Harry! Its not legal!" she said. The contract was still glowing, meaning it hadn't fully finished affirming itself. After incinerating the small remaining pieces, he stood back, satisfied.
"Will that have done it?" he asked Hermione nervously. She nodded; there was nothing left of the contract. Harry smirked.
"Good." He said. Lucas thought he had married Draco. He couldn't have allowed that to happen. The smirk slid off his face.
He then remembered that Draco had signed the contract and he had also looked strangely willing to do so. He had also jumped in front of Lucas, protecting him from any curses Harry felt like throwing.
And then there was what Draco said…'my home isn't with you anymore.' What exactly did he mean by that. He was confused. Draco had been safe. They could have brought him home safely, got him away from Lucas. Lucas was outnumbered.
"Hermione, I don't understand. Why did he leave? He had the chance to come with us, but he still left with him." Harry asked her, confused. For once, Hermione didn't have the answer.
She too was confused by Draco's actions. She had seen the look on his face when Draco thought Harry was going to hex Lucas.
It was panic. What could that have meant? It was obvious he wasn't under the imperious curse, so why had he protected Lucas in such a way? Draco had also said he hadn't been forced to give the statement. She looked at Harry nervously.
"Harry, you don't think…" she trailed off, gesturing with her hands a little. She didn't want to doubt Draco, but things didn't add up.
If Draco had been desperate to get away from Lucas and come home with Harry, he wouldn't have acted they way he had. Harry seemed to understand what Hermione was insinuating.
"No. Don't even go there." He snapped quickly. She sighed sympathetically.
"Harry he signed the contract. He had the perfect opportunity to get our help, yet he still signed the contract, protected Lucas, and then left with him." she said. Harry shook his head.
"The imperious curse." He said simply. "Draco has never been any good at fighting off that curse." He added.
"He wasn't under the curse and you know it, Harry." Hermione said. She didn't want to be too hard on Harry, but she couldn't let him carry on the way he was. Harry was staring at the floor.
The woman returned, carrying a large sandwich. She didn't even seem to notice that the contract had gone missing, and unwrapped her sandwich, spraying crumbs across the desk.
How professional, Hermione thought. Harry stormed out of the room, the double doors slamming loudly against the walls as he walked out. Hermione didn't follow him; he needed some time alone.
