Legal Disclaimer: I own my stuff, but not the original source material. That belongs to whoever. Also, the opinions and interpretations I use here may not reflect the same in said whoever that owns the source material. Look, I'm just a poor college librarian. Suing me isn't going to get you anything but tears.
Warning: This work may be offensive to some readers. Feel free to back out if need be.
Author's Note: So my friend Magi did this little series about a Hufflepuff! Harry who ends up getting adopted by the Abbotts. I fell in love with her headcanon that the Abbotts were unapologetically Jewish. I've officially extended this to the Bones (at the very least) as well. Don't blink or you'll miss Harry being Desi (just assume this from me at this point).
Jewish Marriage (Quick & Dirty Notes): Bashert is the Yiddish word for fate/destiny and typically is used to refer to the concept of "soulmates" (as in the RL version) but can also be used to describe any really fortuitous meeting/find. A wife may be acquired by her accepting any combination (though it's typically all three but can be just one) of a sexual act, a contract, or money (typically symbolized by a ring). A perutah is a copper coin of the lowest possible value, and also happens to be the cheapest monetary exchange possible to acquire a wife under religious doctrine. Because marriage can be done so simply & easily, to not enter into one with "proper planning and appropriate solemnity" is a punishable offense. A tichel is a headscarf and is traditionally worn by married women as only her immediate family should look upon her hair. It should be noted that while married, the girls are, like, first tier married and cannot reside in private residence together until they go through the next part. "Betrothed" or "engaged" are really too weak here, because they would have to get divorced (or die) in order to not be legally bound together anymore (under Temple law). Oh, and l'chayim literally translates as "to life".
Submitting Info:
Stacked with: Hogwarts (Term 12); MC4A
Individual Challenges: Rainbow Focus; More than England; Fore-Touch; Sapphic Bribery; Cete (Y); No Heterosexual Explanation; Hufflepuff (x6); Badger Sow (x2) (Y); Seeds; Shipmas; No Proof; By All Rites (Y); Interesting Times; Golden Times; Old Shoes (Y); The 3rd Rule; Ethnic & Present (Y); Booger Breath; Booger Breath Rider; Neurodivergent; Quiet Time; Letter of the Day; Rian-Russo Inversion; Flags & Ribbons; Hold the Mayo (x3) (Y); In a Flash; Yellow Ribbon; Yellow Ribbon Redux; Green Ribbon; Greatest Gift
House: Hufflepuff
Assignment No.: Term 12 – Assignment 2
Subject (Task No.): Amulets & Talismans (Task#4: Write about someone practicing religion.)
Other Hogwarts Challenges: Insane Prompt Challenge [401] (Hannah Abbott/Susan Bones); 365 [201] (Married); Sweet Dreams [Hummingbird] (Someone experiencing great joy.); Little Women (Accepting/rejecting a marriage proposal.)
Other MC4A Challenges: Fa Bingo [2C] (Dusk/Sunset); Wi Medium 2 (Traditions); Clothing 2 (Lime Green Fashion Scarf)
Representation(s): Hannah Abbott/Susan Bones; Adopted Families; Friends as Family; Thresholds into Adulthood; Jewish Women; Desi Harry Potter (Converted)
Bonus Challenges: Lettuce Hold Hands; Sailor Delight; Tied & Died; Second Verse (Bechdel Test; Not a Lamp; Found Family; Nontraditional; Clio's Conclusion; Deadliest Catch; Lovely Coconuts; Casper's House; Hot Apple); Chorus (Wabi Sabi; Machismo; Peddling Pots; Mouth of Babes; Tomorrow's Shade; Larger than Life; Abandoned Ship; Surprise!; Piper Mix; Turtle-Duck)
Tertiary Bonus Challenges: T3 (Terse; Thimble); SN (Rail; Negate); FR (Satisfaction; Affirmation); O3 (Oath); SS (Schooner; Shout); SHoE (Terse; Onus)
Word Count: 733
(^^)
All the Same
(^^)
The gift was delivered by a pied raven at dinner during their seventh year. No one at the Hufflepuff table wondered at the arrival of the Abbott family raven, even though it was the only delivery being made due to the time. Zipper had become a normal sight against the mimicry of dusk across the ceiling in the years since the Abbotts had formally adopted Harry Potter (the Boy-Who-Lived to become the Unexpected Hufflepuff). Zillah Abbott doted on both her children, especially in the form of frequent care packages.
This time, however, Zipper landed in front of Susan Bones instead of Hannah Abbott or Harry Potter. Given how Susan always sat with Hannah and Harry, this difference was not readily apparent to anyone in the other Houses. Only their group of friends noticed how the raven held out the small box to the redhead rather than either of the expected people. Susan spared them a quick glance, feeling her curiosity spike when she noticed how they were all watching her intently.
"What's going on?" Susan demanded suspiciously. Ernie, Zacharias, and Justin gave her matching grins as Hannah turned a sickly yellow. Harry wrapped an arm around Hannah's waist as he tucked himself against her side. Despite everything, something inside Susan melted at how easily Harry performed the action. Back in their first year, he had always looked so scared even when it was clear how much he craved physical affection. "This had better not be about to explode into one of the Weasley Wheezes!"
"That glitter was pretty," Harry commented idly, "but I will personally assure you that this has all been planned properly and solemnly."
Something in the way that he said that, along with how nervous Hannah looked, made Susan's breath hitch. Could it be…? She had hoped, of course, because she and Hannah had both agreed for years that they were each other's bashert, but then it was also clearly bashert that Harry had been Sorted into Hufflepuff and brought them all together in ways that went beyond the magic of the Hufflepuff ritual. It didn't help that they were both girls in both body and spirit, which always twisted the concept in unpredictable ways.
Her hands shook as she untied the pale blue ribbon holding the box closed. She could feel her heart pounding against her sternum as she lifted lid. Sitting on bed of violet cloth was a single Knut that had been polished until it shone. Even as bright as the copper was, she could clearly see the imprint of the year it had been minted—the same year that she and Hannah had met when they were children. She could feel her eyes filling with tears.
"A perutah? Really?" Susan managed through the emotion clogging her throat.
"It was my idea," Harry whispered. "I thought you'd like it better than just a ring. I didn't mean to make you cry. Don't reject her just because I was stupid."
"Oh, you silly—" Unable to articulate further, she shoved closer to the siblings and kissed Harry's scarred forehead. Then she pressed her lips against those of her bride. "I would sooner reject the entire sett than reject her. I would sooner reject all of magic."
"Told you that you would need a tichel, too," Harry crowed as he wiggled out from between the newlyweds. Susan couldn't help the huffing half-laugh that escaped her at his smug tone, as if he hadn't just been afraid that Hannah wouldn't have needed one. He was pressing a folded scarf of lime green into Hannah's hands. He grinned at Susan, his teeth bright in contrast to his dark face. "Yours is under your coin."
"Very properly planned indeed," Susan agreed as she carefully extracted her own folded scarf from the box. Only now was she realizing that Hannah had put her hair into a bun today rather than her customary ponytail. It had taken literally moments for Hannah to don the head covering that would mark her as a married woman. Being unprepared for such a sudden change (no matter how welcomed), Susan was less prepared. Fortunately, there was a simple solution for that. "Help me, my wife?"
"Nothing would make me happier, wife," Hannah said.
"L'Chayim," Harry yelled, raising a goblet of pumpkin juice, "and to getting another sister! May this one not threaten to shove me in her pockets!"