Back inside the bar, Theo ordered two more drinks before turning to Draco with a smug look. "So what in Merlin's sagging pants was that back there?" he laughed, taking up the glass the bartender left.
Draco tossed three more galleons on the counter. "Nothing," he said, not meeting Theo's eyes.
"Oh it's not nothing when I witness you actually speaking normally to Hermione Granger. No wait, not normally, nicely? Was that it?" Theo was egging Draco on. "And did I detect a hint of flirting or..."
"I wasn't flirting," Draco said quickly. "If I continue to be a prick, I'm no better than I once was. And I am better, a lot better. I wouldn't be making this any easier for us by holding grudges."
"True," Theo reasoned, "It's just amazing. I really never thought I'd see the day," he sniffed, looking around the bar to see if any other acquaintances were present. Draco gave a half-hearted chuckle.
"I'm still as much of a snarky arse as I've always been though. You saw how annoyed she was getting. But she was right, we have a week, that's it," said Draco staring at the liquid in his glass.
It wasn't like this law hadn't made him consider a lot of things in life. Yes, he had been making changes for the better, but it wasn't like he and Hermione Granger, muggleborn war heroine, were friends after the war. He wasn't friends with Harry or Ron either.
And he knew this law meant getting paired with some muggleborn, most likely. And it could very well be Hermione Granger as his wife next week. She had grown up to be a beautiful, respectable woman, it wasn't that; he just wasn't sure she would enjoy being married to an ex-death eater. He had thought about it a couple of times already but by all accounts it couldn't happen. The Wizengamot wasn't that heartless to its saviors, was it?
"One week until this bloody plan is in full swing and everyone is miserable just like us," Theo said with a frown. "Look at them all," he gestured to the clusters of witches and wizards now surrounding the bar, "they won't know what hit them."
Theo's words pulled Draco out of his own mind. He took a minute to observe the room. Two girls he remembered from the Gryffindor quidditch team sat at a tall table in the corner with the obnoxious commentator Lee Jordan. A number of Ravenclaws sat clustered at the opposite end of the bar with two short men who Draco recognized as Seamus Finnegan and Dean Thomas. One or two other old classmates milled about, saying hello and buying drinks for each other. A man in the shadows flashed gold eyes at Draco interestedly.
It was strange, thinking back on Hogwarts days and all the changes that would take place in the near future. The people before him looked almost happy, the remnants of war not reaching them now. He wondered how many bad memories would resurface next week if pairings ended up crossing lines. The tension would be thick and suffocating.
"Draco, Theo, not surprising finding you both here," Blaise Zabini's deep voice rolled up over the chatter. He was dressed in a regular black suit, his golden eyes standing out as he looked from Draco to Theo.
"How are you Blaise?" Draco put a hand out.
They shook before Blaise replied, "Not bad, could be better but…"
"And why's that? Meeting with clients all over the coast not as fun a venture as it used to be?" Theo laughed.
Blaise was head of investments for his father's company after his father died in the war. Now, Blaise seemed to always be traveling. They used to specialize in the sale of magical artifacts, a cover for all the dark magic goods his father could get his hands on. Now, they dealt with inventors and creators whose magical ideas needed help getting off the ground.
"Well, let me just tell you the most unlikely client just showed up in my office yesterday…" Blaise started, before making sure no one could overhear them. He ushered his friends away from the bar, "and he had the most disturbing news."
Theo and Draco exchanged a look of intrigue. Draco sighed. "Let me guess, did Kingsley Shacklebolt approach you too?"
Blaise blinked, "Yes, how did you know?"
"Malfoy Enterprise is also backing the Joining Ceremony," Draco stated distastefully.
"Welcome to our own little hell," Theo smiled as he sipped his drink. Blaise took a long gulp of his own before speaking.
"Shit, so this is seriously going to happen?" Blaise said incredulous. "I was hoping it was only tentative or a scare tactic or something. The Minister didn't share too much obviously, but he made it known I didn't really have a choice," Blaise said.
"Oh Blaise, you don't know the half of it," Theo drawled, rolling his eyes. "Just you wait."
~6 Days Until the Ceremony~
Saturday morning was foggy, gray and foreboding. It was the kind of morning that gives warning to stay inside and to keep warm. Summer was slipping away too quickly and fall was eager to take its place. The winds whipped around the city streets rattling trees and sending newspapers flying.
Ministry officials had busied themselves in the Owlery all night, praying none of the owls would get lost. At dawn, the first fifty tawny barn owls soared away from the open window in all directions with golden ribbons tied to their legs. The small gold envelopes they carried delivering the dreaded invitations for The Joining Ceremony.
~3 Days Until the Ceremony~
Hermione sat at her desk late into Wednesday afternoon, finally done with preparations for the Ceremony. Invitations had gone out and, to many people's dismay, arrived on Saturday morning. The excitement at what they thought was going to be another fun Ministry party quickly disappeared when they saw the words "Marriage Law."
When the tiny dark brown owl that delivered her invitation woke her up from her dreams of a disastrous wedding where she was marrying Vincent Crabbe, it didn't help her mood. Three other owls quickly arrived when she was making breakfast, all with letters from reporters begging for interviews. She threw the birds some bacon before tossing the letters in the trash.
The Daily Prophet went crazy with articles, fully supporting the Ceremony with eager anticipation while other newspapers and magazines showed mixed support. The Quibbler had much to say concerning a lack of confidence in the Wizengamot's abilities to lead the community, citing more than one example besides the law. Hermione smiled at this when it arrived on Sunday.
When she went to work on Monday morning however, she was displeased to find the mob of reporters waiting in the lobby for her. She was even more irritated by the three that sat outside her office door.
She shooed them away and made it a point not to make any comments on the matter at hand. Yet every day they were back to try to get anything they could out of her. She had taken to locking her office door.
The Goblet of Unity was going through its last tests and then it would be set to choose their fates come Saturday. While the invitations and newspaper articles had caused quite the uproar, she couldn't help feeling relieved to finally be back to her real job.
Hermione sat pouring over three different files open in front of her, hoping to make some headway. The first one detailed a string of thefts happening in several local potion shops, noting the most common missing ingredient as the very expensive bicorn horn.
The next was a murder report for a young muggleborn, Denny Curting, found dead in his barn three weeks ago. There were bite marks all over him and it appeared the work of werewolves. None of the bite marks matched the database the Ministry kept on known lycanthropy. This idea of new werewolves being spawned would not bode well for the Aurors when Hermione submitted this to their department tomorrow.
The last file was the one open in front of her that the owl had delivered to her last week on her way to work. It held a picture of a boy and a girl, smiling up and waving as they were running away. They had been reported missing three months ago but their reappearance was noted on two occasions by store clerks in London.
One of the clerks had actually managed to take the picture before they disappeared. As Hermione stared at the moving photograph, she saw a glimmer of light pass between the pair as they waved, shining off of what looked like matching bracelets.
Hermione had her elbows on her desk, her chin in her hands as she looked at the file. The boy in the picture had yellow eyes that reminded her all too much of Fenrir Greyback. It gave Hermione chills to look at him too long.
They both looked so young but the file stated each was of age. The girl had a nasty cut running up her neck all the way to her ear. Hermione remembered reading that a pair of clipping shears was found with Dennis Curting's body, like he had tried to defend himself. She wondered if that was the cause of the wound.
She began writing down notes, trying to come up with a plan of action to take so her mind wouldn't wander to the ceremony. She went back and forth between all the pictures, looking at the backgrounds and all their movements, identifying anything of importance she could as the faces continued to grin up at her menacingly…
Three hours later, she had a good four feet of parchment, a plan to submit to Harry, and a list of things she needed to research. It was the first time she felt like she'd accomplished something in a long time. Eying the clock on the wall, she saw it was nearly 7:00pm. With a yawn she began to close up all her reports and files and store them away for tomorrow.
When she was ready to leave, she grabbed her coat and bag and headed for the elevator. She almost didn't see the bespectacled tabby cat that sat outside her door and jumped back in shock when it meowed.
In seconds, the cat leaped forward and Minerva McGonagall was walking towards Hermione, a troubled smile on her face. Hermione sighed in relief before embracing the woman dearly. "Oh I'm glad you aren't a reporter. Professor, it's good to see you."
"It's been a while Miss Granger," Minerva McGonagall said as she hugged the young woman. Minerva McGonagall looked much the same as she had when Hermione had had her at Hogwarts; her gray hair was wrapped in her typical bun and she wore maroon robes.
Hermione locked her door with several enchantments before turning to the woman. McGonagall gestured to the elevators and they started walking, her robes swirling as elegantly as ever.
"I'm quite sorry to startle you, my dear, but this isn't something we can simply ignore," she said, the concern in her voice evident in the quiet of the hallway. "I had to come straight away but it's been… difficult." She gave an irritated look.
Hermione sighed, already knowing what this was about. "The Marriage Law's got everyone in a bloody mess."
"Yes, and as I tried to come as soon as possible and was delayed, I found even more evidence to support my suspicions about this so-called Marriage Law," McGonagall said when she saw the look of fear that had crept to Hermione's face.
"Suspicions? Of what exactly?" Hermione asked, not believing what she was hearing. "I mean I know bringing back such an ancient law is preposterous, believe me I tried to fight it on several fronts, but when they said they'd already gone and done the enchantments I nearly lost it."
"I don't blame you at all, this whole thing is suspicious. For starters, someone is tampering with incoming Floo. I ended up several times in Yorkshire, three towns over and the other time I landed in Diagon Alley. It's almost as if on purpose because I was articulating perfectly fine," she reasoned. Hermione looked at her, confused.
"I don't floo in myself, I rather like to walk in the morning and I don't live far, but that isn't right, by any means," Hermione said nervously.
"You'd almost think someone didn't want people getting in," she looked to Hermione with raised eyebrows. "And then I noticed you cut off your own flat to the Floo, but I don't blame you- for good reason no doubt," she said before Hermione could apologize.
"Reporters not leaving you alone? Potter and Weasley too, I imagine…" she tsk-ed in obvious irritation.
"Anyway, then I thought about apparating and well apparition to and from the Ministry is heavily monitored now, after the war and all. But you used to be able to get to the visitor's entrance at least and I came to find it was gone," she explained further.
Hermione stared, wide eyed. "They haven't mentioned anything like that to us. No one uses that entrance and everyone who's a worker either comes in the main entrance or has a different access to floo. Professor, this… this is a big issue. Something is wrong," Hermione managed to say, the thoughts running fast in her mind.
"Exactly my thoughts. With this strangely archaic law coming back into play all of a sudden I knew I needed to speak with you Miss Granger. You are rational enough to understand the more complex implications of such a law," she stated, but the compliment did not make Hermione smile and nor did she intend it to.
"All I've done is think of the consequences Professor, you can just imagine. It's totally unethical and unthoughtful really, when you think the whole goal they are selling it on is mixing blood lines. Nowhere is there any proof it will do that at all!"
"I cannot believe Kingsley wouldn't fight harder to change the Wizengamot's decision," Hermione vented, still frustrated with his lack of care for the wellbeing of her and her friends. They had been through so much together, dammit!
Minerva McGonagall sighed. "Well, I will let you know that I spoke with Kingsley just last week, as friends are won to do in these situations. I think the Wizengamot plotted behind his back, to be truthful, but he didn't really seem that upset about it," she eyed Hermione.
"It was strange. I think we both know Kingsley Shacklebolt would whole-heartedly defend witches and wizards such as yourself to the death. In fact, he already has on more than one occasion," McGonagall reminded her.
"I know Professor, but he won't even meet with me or let us try to form a case against the Wizengamot," Hermione stated, remembering how many times Kingsley had been resilient and stubborn with the Wizengamot in the past.
As she thought about all their interactions over the past month, she remembered that she hadn't actually seen Kingsley in two weeks. He had avoided three meetings last week alone and this week his secretary refused to get back to her. "Wait, how did you even manage to meet with him?" she asked then.
"I caught him late in the night, had to sneak into his own house actually," Mcgonagall said then. "It was unusually heavily guarded by several witches and wizards I did not recognize," she said, cocking an eyebrow.
"When I asked about them he said they were newly recruited aurors… Kingsley Shacklebolt would not need brand new aurors guarding his house unless he had something to hide."
Hermione straightened. "What the hell? Harry would never stand for new trainees on Minister guard duty either. What is going on?" She started to walk towards the elevators, unable to stand still any longer; Mcgonagall followed her.
"I agree with you Miss Granger. We both know Potter too well for that and Kingsley for that matter. Please, do not blame him. He is acting under forced pretenses that he obviously couldn't talk about. We must uncover this sooner rather than later. That is why I came to find you, although I was half worried you had tried to flee the country when you heard of this outrageous law."
Hermione sighed. "I thought about it, that's for sure, until I heard about the punishment for leaving…" They made it silently to the elevator landing and Hermione reached out a hand to push the button.
It wasn't the first time the idea of leaving the country was presented to her as a response to this stupid law; Ginny had tried to get them all to pack up and move to Romania with Charlie until Hermione found out it was impossible. The Wizengamot had seen to that.
Anyone of eligibility could not apparate out of the country and, if they were found leaving, they would have their wands confiscated and memories removed. No more magic forever.
Hermione cried all night thinking she'd rather be forced into a marriage than lose the only place that felt like home, than lose her magic. She didn't have her parents to go to anymore and she couldn't face not having Ginny and Harry and Ron.
It was a sad reality the Wizengamot was forcing on them and now with Mcgonagall's suspicions to back up some of her own ill thoughts, things were starting to look especially gruesome.
With a ding the elevator arrived and the women stepped inside. McGonagall turned to her when the doors closed. "Look Miss Granger, the Wizengamot has been continually restraining his power. He revealed to me that they did not wait for Minister Approval on this before enacting it, using an old form of enchantment to do it. It's binding magical law and now it cannot be undone."
Hermione looked suddenly furious. "What?! Why the hell would he hide that information, we can hold a hearing! We have to have those officials questioned. I'm not letting this as something they can get away with, the Order helped hand-pick more than half of them, I-"
"Miss Granger please, we cannot do anything, it's too late," McGonagall said reluctantly, but Hermione looked ready to explode. "Calm down my dear, look, there's something bigger happening here. Something more and we need to step up and get out of the dark about it."
"I just… I cannot believe this is real. How could I have not seen anything wrong until now? I've tried so hard to make this place peaceful, to bring justice back to the magical world," Hermione's face welled up in tears.
McGonagall's brown eyes grew very sad. "I am sorry Miss Granger, but do not blame yourself. We've all been trying to move on since the war ended. It is not a crime to believe that things like this were put to rest, even after people you trusted were put into position."
Hermione sighed. "Thank you Professor, for both your kind words and this information. I have given this some thought myself, many times actually, especially since this law came out. But I just don't know why it's started up all of a sudden, you know? Or who would be behind it all…"
"It is someone who is unable to let go of the past," McGonagall stated with a frown. The elevator had stopped and the doors clanked open. McGonagall followed Hermione out into the lobby and towards the main entrance.
They got outside and past the anti-apparition points without speaking. She halted and McGonagall looked around, trying to make sure they were alone. The shadows from the buildings on either side cast long lines on the street in front of them.
"I know Kingsley did not want to say anything, maybe he couldn't say more than he did, and that's why I'm coming to you. This is something bigger Miss Granger, we must take action, be alert. I believe this is only the beginning."
Hermione was at a loss for words. McGonagall wouldn't have come to see the Minister or herself if she didn't truly think there was an issue. Something wasn't right with all this and they needed to figure it out. Something was wrong with the officials of the Wizengamot; corruption, the Imperius, Polyjuice. Fear froze her voice in her throat.
It could be any number of things. The more Hermione considered it, the more sense it made. She felt guilty assuming this was all Kingsley and his stubbornness. There was no way she was blaming him now.
But that didn't stop her thoughts from racing: What sort of corruption had found its way into the Ministry, behind her watchful eyes and those of Harry and Kingsley himself? What did they hope to accomplish and who was actually causing all this to start?
Before Hermione could find a way to speak, a rustle of paper caught her attention from the alley. Both women whipped their heads around, their wands were in their hands.
A single piece of newsprint floated down to the ground, no one accompanying it; it was an eerie sight considering their conversation.
"Be careful Miss Granger," McGonagall said under her breath as she eyed the paper suspiciously. "We'll be in touch," and with that she turned on her heel and vanished.
Hermione quickly departed to the library near her flat. It was a habit she learned from Moody during the war, along with disconnecting your home to the main floo line. Using alternative locations made it more difficult to be tracked. She walked the rest of the way.
But that night she laid awake tossing and turning; what were they going to do? As her eyes finally started to drift closed late into the night, she remembered the stolen potion ingredient in the report. Bicorn horn- its most common use was in polyjuice potion.