Chapter 5

The letters from Gringotts came the first morning they were back at school.

"Wonder what this is for?" Susan studied the Gringotts crest on the envelope. She glanced around the House tables, and saw several of the older students with similar notices.

Ernie waved his own letter at her. "I'll bet it's notification of the marriage contracts. It looks like quite a few people got them. Most will activate at the end of the year, when we graduate."

"What!" Susan gasped. "I don't have a marriage contract!"

"That you know about." Ernie was unperturbed. "They can be handed down over generations, you see."

With trembling hands she tore open the letter, glanced at the contents…and fled the Great Hall.

She dived into the first empty classroom she came to. Tears were streaming down her face, and she felt she couldn't breathe.

The door opened, and Hannah, Daphne, and Hermione rushed in.

"It's going to be all right," Hermione insisted. "Don't cry, Susan."

"B..but this says I have a marriage contract…with Harry Potter! It was signed by Henry Potter and Roderick Bones."

"Harry's great-grandfather," nodded Hermione. "It's a generational contract?"

Susan grimaced. "Yes, it's not specific, it's one of those first two family members of comparable age agreements. What am I going to do?"

"It will be fine," Daphne soothed. "Can you imagine any of the Potters not including an escape clause? I'm certain they did."

"You really think so?" Susan wiped her eyes.

"It's true." Harry was standing in the doorway. "Don't worry, Susan. All we have to do is hold hands, and make an unbreakable oath to declare the contract void by mutual agreement."

"Oh Harry, thank you!" Susan was overwhelmed with relief. "It isn't you," she said hastily. 'It's just…I am in love with someone else, and…"

"No need to explain." Harry chuckled. "I understand."

"Why not void the contract right now, so Susan doesn't have it hanging over her head?" Daphne suggested. "I'll be your binder."

"Hannah and I can serve as witnesses," offered Hermione.

It was a simple matter: a magic ribbon twined over their clasped hands, then dissipated in a flash of light.

The contract Susan had been clutching vanished entirely.

"There! Feeling better?" Hannah hugged her friend. "Now you're free."

Susan did feel much happier now that she was free to marry the man she loved. She was very grateful to her friends, and followed them back to the Hall, where the others went to the Gryffindor table and she rejoined Justin.

"What was that about?" he asked curiously.

"Oh nothing," she told him. "Nothing at all."

The night before their Easter break, Hannah rushed into the Hufflepuff common room to announce that she was engaged! All of the girls clustered around her to admire the ruby engagement ring Neville had given her.

"We're going to be married in the gardens of Longbottom Manor," Hannah said excitedly," on Neville's birthday, July 30!" She giggled. "That way he might remember our anniversary!"

Susan readily agreed to be Hannah's bridesmaid, along with Hermione, Daphne, and Megan Jones.

She felt happy for her best friend, but couldn't help wondering why Justin hadn't yet given her any indication of future plans.

Her unease wasn't helped by the fact that, all around them, couples were beginning to make wedding arrangements.

Among them were Hermione and Ron, although Hermione said they would wait to marry until the following summer.

"By then my parents will have returned from Australia and life will be back to normal. Or, as normal as it ever gets for us!"

Easter Break wasn't much of a break at all, since Hannah corralled them into wedding preparations. Overnight, she turned into a dithering mess, agonizing over the most minute detail. She was unable to decide anything, so Hermione, with help from Daphne, took over as the unofficial wedding planner.

"Neville wants to create a riot of bright flowers, so the dresses should be simple," Hermione mentioned. "Perhaps an all- white wedding?"

"But I want to be the only one in white," whined Hannah.

Daphne stepped in. "Then how about the palest blush pink? Enough to differ from you, yet serve as a backdrop for Neville's bouquet design?"

Susan approved, and still more when Daphne steered them to slip dresses that were the most attractive bridesmaid apparel she'd ever seen! Justin was sure to be impressed; perhaps impressed enough to propose?

But it was Harry who proposed- to Daphne.

They didn't tell anyone until it was announced in The Quibbler a week later.

"We didn't want to detract from Hannah and Neville," Daphne confided, flashing an eye-catching sapphire ring. "Ours will be much smaller than theirs, anyway. Probably over the Christmas holidays."

"Meanwhile," Hermione said happily, "Harry has rented a place in the South of France for the last fortnight in August, to celebrate his engagement. We're all invited!"

"We are?"

"It's really a celebration for everyone, now that Ron and Hermione are engaged too! Also George Weasley and Angelina Johnson! A pre-honeymoon!" Daphne put in.

"But," Susan said slowly, "Justin and I aren't engaged, and the rest of you…"

"I'm sure it's only a matter of time," Hermione said quickly. "You might just mention it? If nothing else, it's an opportunity to relax before starting our new jobs."