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"You vowed that!" Hermione exclaimed in shock after reading the copy of the vows Hadrian handed over.
"Yeah, my spouse and I made identical vows" Hadrian replied. "Tim used these vows for his wedding too." He said letting Ron assume they were talking about two separate weddings.
"That's so romantic! But what effect has it had on you?" Hermione asked guardedly.
"None that we've noticed" Tim replied. Hadrian smiled and nodded his agreement.
"So if they won't have any effect, why are you insisting in me making them?" Ron asked confused.
"These vows had no effect on the way Tim and I feel about our lovers or they feel about us or the way we treat each other because our relationships were already based on communication and respect for each other's needs, wants and opinions" Hadrian answered. "Your vows allow you to totally dominate Hermione and it's turned into a much bigger problem than Hermione and I expected because you're so happy to do it. You don't consider how your decisions affect her happiness or wellbeing. Therefore, if you won't treat her like she should be treated then Hermione needs marriage vows that protect her from your selfishness."
"I'm not selfish, to want my wife to behave like a traditional witch" Ron said belligerently.
"If you wanted a traditional pureblood wife, you should have married one! You knew before you got married that this wasn't what Hermione would ever want" Hadrian retorted.
"Now you two need to talk this over and come up with the vows you want to use so we'll call it an evening" Hadrian said waving his wand over the portkey they'd used to get here.
"I'll see you sometime next Saturday. And Ron, if your family is all there waiting to ambush me you will truly regret it so keep this to yourself" Hadrian said.
"Thank you, Harry," Hermione said tackle hugging him fiercely.
"Need to breathe, Hermione" Hadrian gasped.
Ron frowned as Hermione returned to his side and activated the portkey with only a curt 'see you'.
"You know Ron's never going to forgive you for forcing him to do this?" Tim said as the portkey took them out of hearing.
"Yeah but honestly he hasn't been much of a friend in recent years and I can't see the point of trying to fix our friendship if I have to lie to him about you and who I am to do it" Hadrian said wearily.
Tim hugged him tightly. "I'm sorry" he said.
"Don't be, it isn't your fault that the boy I befriended at eleven turned out to be a homophobic bigot" Hadrian said returning the hug. "even if I lost all my old friends I wouldn't regret being with you."
"Are you sure it will be safe to visit Ron on Saturday? You did just threaten to kill him" Tim asked.
"No, that's why I'll go Friday in full battle armour" Hadrian replied.
"You mean we will go" Tim said fiercely.
Hadrian smiled at his husband. "We will go" he agreed, planning to also take a house elf tasked with staying invisible if possible and protecting his husband against any attack.
-o0o-
After a busy week at work and with the children, Tim cringed at the thought of another international portkey ride but he wasn't going to let Hadrian face his former friends alone. They landed in the alley near Grimmauld place and used their time turner to go back twenty four hours before collapsing into bed to recover from the trip. It felt safe to stay there now that they knew the Weasleys thought the building had been sold to the developers.
They arrived at Ron and Hermione's flat under the invisibility cloak and watched Ron leave for work before knocking on the door.
"Harry" Hermione said hugging him on the doorstep. Harry lifted her up and stepped into the flat. Tim followed closing the door behind them.
"Hey Hermione" Hadrian said grinning.
"Hello Hermione" Tim added.
"Oh hi" Hermione said blushing a little at her poor manners in ignoring Harry's husband before turning back to Harry. "You said you'd come tomorrow" she accused.
"Will it be safe for me to come tomorrow or is Ron preparing an ambush?" Hadrian asked.
"I think it's safe, he hasn't mentioned anything to me" Hermione replied uncertainly. "Is that why you came today while he's at work?"
"Partly, we wanted a chance to talk to you alone" Hadrian admitted.
"Yet you're not alone" Hermione said glancing at Tim.
"No and he will not be alone with you until I'm absolutely sure you're not a threat to him" Tim replied bluntly. "He's the most important thing in my world you see and I won't let him put himself at risk if I can prevent it."
"You really love him" Hermione realised smiling. "And he's happier being with you than I've ever seen it. Even Ron noticed he's different, more calm and relaxed in spite of his threats and arguments the other night."
"I do love him" Tim agreed.
Rose Weasley woke up and started to grizzle, Hermione sighed. "I'll be back in a minute."
Hadrian looked over the potion ingredients and instructions Hermione had laid out on the table and started prepping ingredients.
"Can I help?" Tim asked hesitantly.
Hadrian nodded and carefully counted out 10 beetles into the mortar and pestle. "Grind these to a fine powder" he said handing it to his husband before going back to slicing whatever he had been doing.
Hermione soon came back with the baby in her arms. "Thanks Harry" she said surprised. She put Rose into the playpen, handed her some toys and joined them prepping ingredients.
"How many potions do you need to brew today Hermione?" Hadrian asked.
"Just these five. This first one has a one hour rest time between ingredients so when I get there I'll have time to talk. I was hoping Rose slept until then but Little Missy has a mind of her own" Hermione said fondly.
Hadrian helped Hermione brew while Tim kept the baby amused taking her out into the back garden for a while once the fumes started to bother him.
He called for Tollie to help set up a baby enclosure in the yard like they had for Rosie and the elf then popped Rosie into the enclosure with Rose. The two babies were too young to play together but Rose Weasley was at the stage she was fascinated by the younger baby. When she started to fuss Tim left Tollie in charge and went to ask Hermione for a bottle.
"I'm still feeding her myself" Hermione said tiredly, can you try to distract her for another five minutes.
"Sure I can try, perhaps she'd like some water or does she have a pacifier?" Tim asked. He checked in the playpen and collected it. "Got it."
He tried to settle the now crying baby, fortunately his own Rosie wasn't upset by the sound of crying or the sight of her father holding another child.
"She be's hungry Master Tims" Tollie said.
"I know Tollie but she's breast fed and her Mom can't come for another few minutes" Tim explained.
Hermione came out anxiously looking for her child about ten minutes later. "Why'd you bring her out here?" she asked scooping her out of Tim's arms.
"The fumes were bothering me, I know there are less fumes down at ground level where she is but are you sure it's safe to have a baby in the room while you're brewing?" Tim asked.
Hermione flushed guiltily, she wasn't sure, nowhere she'd read in potions books or child care books did it mention that it wasn't safe for a child to be in the room while brewing potions but none of her books said it was safe either. When she'd started brewing for the twins she'd been careful to cast air freshening charms in Rosie's direction every time the potion allowed her to stop for a moment to do so but lately she hadn't been as careful.
Tim turned away as Hermione unbuttoned her dress and prepared to feed the baby. Hadrian came out and joined them picking up his own daughter and sitting beside Tim bouncing her on his lap.
"Where's Teddy, Tollie?" he asked.
"He be's still sleeping peaceful, master Hadrians" Tollie replied.
"Thanks Tollie, let us know when he wakes up and we'll decide what to do then" Tim said.
"You'll let me see Teddy?" Hermione asked excitedly.
"Of course, so long as he isn't hurt by your actions" Hadrian said. "Be prepared though, I doubt he will remember you at all."
Hermione looked sad. "I wish I could blame you for that but you were right the other day. I barely have the time to look after Rose the way she deserves."
"Have you have time to think about doing the marriage ritual and what vows you and Ron want to make?" Hadrian said, unable to disagree with her.
"I don't know about Ron but I want to do the ritual" Hermione said impulsively.
"And have you thought about what vows you want?" Hadrian asked.
"Yes, they're written on a parchment in the front of the potions book on the table" Hermione said. Hadrian collected it, read it through, then handed it to Tim.
"I vow to obey Hermione Jane" Tim read out the first proposed vow, frowning.
Hadrian looked at his friend in horror. "Hermione this will destroy you both" he exclaimed crossing out the vow. "If he gives you orders you resent so you give him orders to punish him and he then tries to punish you, you'd be lucky not to end up hating each other."
"Or near killing each other" Tim added.
Hermione sighed but agreed, crossing it out on her copy of the list too.
"I vow to be faithful to my wife Hermione Jane in thought and in word and in deed" Hadrian read smirking. He let that one pass and moved on. "I vow never to order Hermione Jane to do anything ever again."
"That's dangerous, what if he need to tell you to do something quickly without arguing about it in an emergency" Tim said frowning.
"Even Tim and I would bark an order at each other if we noticed that Teddy was in trouble than the other person was in a better position to deal with it quickly" Hadrian agreed. "You should try to think of ways to limit what orders he can give you while still allowing for emergencies."
"Could the vow be reworded to only giving her orders in an emergency or dangerous situation?" Tim asked.
"Yes, though that would still leave it open to Ron's interpretation of an emergency" Hadrian replied rewriting the vow. "Still it's worth a try. It might help and it can't do any harm."
"Why do you even get a say? You're not going to be part of the ritual" Hermione snapped at Tim as Hadrian agreed and crossed out the vow.
"No but we are the ones that are going to force Ron to go through this ritual at all, and I want Tim here. He has a different way of seeing things and as a writer he has a better knowledge of the nuances of words than I do so he might see consequences that you and I miss. I don't want to risk making things worse for either of you. As angry as I am at Ron at the moment on your behalf, this ritual isn't about revenge. It's about evening the field between the two of you so you can have a successful marriage with the possibility of both being happy" Hadrian stated firmly.
"I think it might be too late for that" Hermione said sadly.
"Hey, Ron was our best friend for years and you loved him enough to marry him. I know you still love him because if your vows, isn't that worth giving it another try?" Hadrian asked. "If we do the ritual and you still find that you cannot live with him after a decent trial, then I can help you to disappear. But this is your only shot at a relationship, even if you never see him again you won't be able to fall out of love. Do you really think you'd be happier on you own in hiding for the rest of your life?" He chose not to mention the fact Rose would be better off if they managed to work things out. He didn't know whether that would help or not.
Hermione sighed. "Okay" she agreed. "Is there a way for him to make a vow that stops me from having to obey him?"
"No, Tim and I thought hard about this and I'm afraid that I couldn't find a way. We even asked the goblins and they couldn't help either."
Tim reached for the paper and read out the next item on the list. "I vow to let Hermione Jane think for herself and form her own opinions and never tell her what to think." Neither he nor Hadrian had any disagreement with that so he moved on pausing between each vow to consider it. "I vow to never lie to Hermione Jane. I vow to listen to Hermione Jane and respect her opinions. I vow to let Hermione Jane choose when and if she has more children without trying to influence her decision. I vow to never give Hermione Jane any order that she will find humiliating. I vow to never give Hermione Jane any order that will cause her serious misery."
Tim had nodded at each vow until this last one, he frowned.
"Um I think we better put a limit on that one" Hadrian suggested. "Sometimes things that make you miserable in the short term might be necessary in the long term."
"Like what?" Hermione demanded.
"Like breaking my engagement and leaving the country without telling my best friends where I was going" Hadrian replied.
"Yeah but none of us could have known it would work out the way it did" Hermione argued. "You were lucky to meet Tim."
"Hermione, even if I hadn't met Tim or anyone else, I love the freedom and sense of safety that living outside Britain gives me" Hadrian said gently. "If I hadn't had all that fuss from the Weasley's going on because I'd just broken my engagement, I would have fought this transfer with all I had and I would have won, Robbards would have sent someone else and I'd still be stuck here thinking twice about leaving the house every day because of the likes of Skeeter and how she might twist anything I said or did. I was feeling pressured and harassed by the public scrutiny but I had no idea how much stress it was causing me I walked around the magical area in my new home and nobody paid any attention. I don't get strangers coming up to me in the street to thank me for killing him, or to tell me what my parents would have thought about this or that or expected me to do."
Hermione huffed. "How do you want to put it then?"
"I'd suggest making him vow to never give you any order that he doesn't honestly believe is in the best interests of you and your children" Hadrian replied. "That will make him think twice about his orders."
"It could take the place of the one about orders that humiliate you too" Tim added. "The less vows Ron has to make the less he'll argue against them."
"Leave it on the list and when Ron objects to the vows we can agree to drop this one to make him think we're are accommodating his feelings and willing to negotiate if he has a reasonable argument" Hadrian replied.
"That's so Slytherin" Hermione protested.
"Just because at eleven I was stupidly brave and brash doesn't mean I wasn't loyal, cunning or intelligent Hermione" Hadrian said pointedly. "And I'm no longer ashamed of using all the gifts I have in my arsenal, I wouldn't have beaten Voldie without them."
Hermione blushed at the chastisement.
"I vow never to force or persuade Hermione Jane to have sexual intercourse when she doesn't feel like it" Tim read. "I think you might need to be prepared for some negotiation on that one too if you're going to make him vow to be faithful it isn't fair to cut him off completely."
Hadrian nodded.
"You talked him into this by telling him that ordering me to have sex was virtually rape, now you're okay with him raping me?" Hermione asked.
"I'm not okay with him using force ever but he has the right to try and persuade you" Hadrian argued. "How about we reword the vow to never force or order you to have sexual intercourse. That way he can try to persuade you and you can still say no. You never know you might enjoy his persuading." He winked lasciviously.
Hermione rolled her eyes but agreed rewriting the new vow.
"These were the other vows I thought of for the two of you" Hadrian said handing them over to Hermione. Tim had of course already discussed these vows and while it had never occurred to the two of them that they needed to make them themselves, both could see the advantage in forcing the other couple to put their daughter and any other children first while they tried to sort out the mess they'd made of their marriage.
'I vow not to let my pride be more important to me than you and our children.
I vow to always let my children know how much I love them.
I vow never to deliberately hurt my children through my actions or my words no matter how angry I am.
I vow to try to understand the effects my orders have on you and to feel the emotional pain they cause' Hermione read quickly.
"He loves Rosie, he would never hurt her. He's going to be really angry when he reads these" Hermione finally responded.
"If he truly loves her and wants what's best for her then he'd have no problem vowing to put her needs first" Tim offered.
Hermione just glared at him.
"Tim's right neither of you should have any trouble making this vow. I know Ron will object just because he's stubborn and doesn't think he needs to be told how to treat his children but there's nothing in this vow to object to and as much as you both love her your actions are harming her, Ron in refusing to let you work so she can be in proper day care and you brewing potions and not able to tell anyone you need help with her because of Ron's pride and orders" Hadrian said firmly, "If I am to force him to go through this ritual, these vows are not negotiable."
Hermione nodded dropping her face into her hands. "You think we're bad parents" she moaned.
"I think that Ron's orders have already caused you to neglect and virtually abandon your former godson I won't let him make you do that to another child who needs you" Hadrian said firmly.
"We will leave you to think and see you tomorrow but if there is an ambush then be prepared for us to go down fighting" Hadrian said taking his leave. "I am not above killing every Weasley on the planet if that's what it takes to keep Tim and my family safe."
-o0o-
Tim and Hadrian felt a little nervous approaching the Weasley's flat the next day but they had with them two bonded house elves ready to pop them to safety as soon as there was any trouble and a disillusioned Auror ready to back them up and call in reinforcements if Hadrian was attacked. Robbards had made it clear that though Hadrian had been on overseas assignment for years he was still considered a highly decorated British Auror and any attack on him would be met with all due force. Kingsley had been able to the fact that Harry had chosen to accept an overseas assignment and the record number of attacks on him to push legislation through the Wizengamot after Harry had left. Attacking an auror now had a ten-year minimum sentence in Azkaban. No exceptions unless the person could prove under veritaserum that they were being controlled by another, in which case the person ordering the attack would be jailed instead. The legislation had greatly cut down on attacks on Aurors both on and off duty and Hadrian didn't mind Kingsley using his fame to increase the safety of his former colleagues.
Wand and gun out, they approached the flat after casting a spell to determine the number of individuals inside, well aware that the three life signs they detected could be Molly and Ginny or Ron's brothers instead of Hermione and baby Rose.
They breathed an inward sigh of relief when Hermione opened the door looking tired and harassed but not worried to see them.
"Come on in" she said. "Tea? Do you even drink tea?" she asked Tim.
"I prefer coffee but I can ask one of the elves to bring me some if you don't have any" Tim replied as they entered the lounge room.
"How can you ask sentient creature like that to fetch and carry for you?" Hermione huffed.
"Hermione, we're not having this conversation" Hadrian said firmly. "We're here to help you."
"Interfering bugger" Ron mumbled.
"Hello Ron" Hadrian greeted him calmly.
"I see you brought your bodyguard with you again, it's bloody insulting that you don't trust me" Ron accused.
"I trusted you and I trusted your family. It hurt to learn they weren't trustworthy. I'd rather not put myself in that situation again" Hadrian replied wearily. "We are here to discuss the ritual."
"You mean you're here to tell me what vows I'm going to be forced to make" Ron said bitterly.
"We will discuss it, along with the logistics of where and when you will complete the ritual" Hadrian stated firmly. "Have you looked at the list of vows Hermione is suggesting?"
"What's the bloody point?" Ron ranted.
"The point is, if you calm down and read them and have a reasonable objection to a vow or a suggestion of a better way to achieve the outcome Hermione wants we will listen. You're the only one here who grew up in a magical home with parents who were magically bonded. You might know some of the pitfalls we've missed" Hadrian countered. "Are you willing to sulk instead of negotiating and risk that?"
Ron grunted and snatched the list of vows off the table.
"'I vow to be faithful to my wife Hermione Jane in thought and in word and in deed' What the bloody hell is this?"
"Are you cheating on you wife? Tim asked.
"No of course not" Ron exclaimed. "I have never cheated on her"
"Are you planning on cheating on her in the future?" Tim asked.
Ron looked at Tim murderously. "No" he growled.
"Then what's your problem with vowing not to?" Hadrian asked. "Hermione's already had to."
Ron couldn't think up an answer.
"The vow stays" Hadrian declared writing it down in his notebook.
"'I vow to only give Hermione orders in an emergency or situation where it would put Hermione and our children in imminent danger not to follow my orders'. Yeah okay can see why she wants that one" Ron agreed.
"'I vow to let Hermione Jane think for herself and form her own opinions and never tell her what to think' Ron read growling. "I vow to never lie to Hermione Jane." He threw the paper down on the table and clenched his fists menacingly.
"Again unless you make a habit of lying and manipulating her, you shouldn't have a problem with either of those vows" Hadrian pointed out.
"I vow to listen to Hermione Jane and respect her opinions."
"I vow to let Hermione Jane choose when and if she has more children without trying to influence her decision."
"I vow to never give Hermione Jane any order that she will find humiliating."
"I vow to never give you any order that he doesn't honestly believe is in the best interests of you and your children
I vow never to force or order you to have sexual intercourse' You want me to give up sex?" Ron demanded.
"Not at all, just to make the effort to make Hermione want it too" Hadrian said. "To ensure she's in the mood and enjoys the experience enough to want to repeat it."
"You never feel like it" Ron snorted to his wife.
"Maybe because you're so selfish about it" Hermione complained.
"Harry if you let her make me make a vow like that I'll never get any" Ron almost begged.
"What about if we compromise, Hermione and he'll make that vow while you vow to agree to sex at least every seven days" Hadrian suggested.
"At a mutually convenient time" Tim added seeing the loophole that Hadrian had missed. Hermione could declare herself willing at a time she knew Ron wouldn't be able to stay and take advantage of the offer.
"How is that not still rape if I'm forced to have sex with him whether I want to or not?" Hermione demanded .
"Hermione you don't have to choose that vow but if you're demanding that he vow that he be faithful you cant then deny his sex with you as well, it isn't fair" Hadrian pointed out.
"Besides you still get to choose when where how and whether you use contraceptives" Tim added.
"How would your wife like it if she had to vow to have sex every seven days?" Hermione asked.
Hadrian blushed slightly, I don't think we've ever gone seven days without… Oh yes we need to change that. She can't vow that, maybe just make it a verbal agreement."
"What?" Ron exclaimed, "all of a sudden you're on her side again?"
"What happens if you're away, or one of you is sick, or recovering from childbirth or an injury? If we state every seven days then you'd have to fuck even if one of you were in a coma" Hadrian stated bluntly.
Hermione smirked and grabbed the form and wrote another vow.
'I vow to make sure Hermione Jane orgasms before I do every time we have intercourse.'
"That's magically binding right, he'll have to learn to make me come before he can?" she asked Hadrian.
"I think so" Hadrian said doubtfully.
"How the hell am I supposed to do that?" Ron asked incredulously.
"I'm sure Hermione would be happy to teach you what arouses her" Hadrian replied.
"Or there's some pretty good books and self help DVD's out there" Tim added.
"I'm not making such a ridiculous vow" Ron declared.
"I'm beginning to see why your wife doesn't like sex" Tim commented.
Ron leapt to his feet prepared to punch Tim when Hadrian petrified him and levitated him back to his seat casting strong sticking charms to keep him in it and it in place on the floor. He released the petrification and when Ron began yelling obscenities, Hadrian silenced him. "Tim's right, how can you expect Hermione or anyone else to want to have sex with you if your too selfish to care about their pleasure as well as your own?"
"I was a virgin when we met but I have to admit that most of my friends describe sex as more pleasurable and exciting than I've experienced" Hermione said.
"What slags have you been talking with? I forbid…" Ron began before Hadrian hurriedly silenced him again.
"We're here to even up the power in your marriage because it isn't right that you can even think that you have the right to decide who Hermione chooses to talk to and spend time with" he said furiously to his former friend. "Tap the table when you've calmed down and are prepared to have a reasonable discussion about the rest of the vows."
"You should have let him forbid me to talk to them. It would have been funny when he realised he'd forbidden me from talking to his sister and sisters-in-laws" Hermione said.
Hadrian chuckled and Ron turned purple trying to yell loudly enough to break the silencing charm.
Hermione turned her back on him offering everyone another cup of tea.
A/N: Thank you to Reader Ethiriel, Locket1, Fallow53 (Guest), Kourtney Uzu Yato, charm13insomnia, kimbarn30, serenityselena, Catus, xDarklightx, dobbys-stinger, DarkRavie, lilly-flower15, Lientjuhh, Selenity84, BeepKeeper, lgbtlovechick, Kaorilamb, veyronking995, , Rori Potter, Gottahavemyncis, acherongoddess, lia (Guest), Merlenyn, buterflypuss, Maben00, Firehedgehog, Vladimir Mithrander, Silvermane1, DS2010, BlazeVein, Serpent91, madnessdownunder2, Guest, Guest, MargaritaS, oro03910, .9, gabrieljuarezl, krr84, Hope (Guest), , Jewlz98, epoxiette, juliasejanus, ebonylakia, Creatively Inept, itanaru8, Christopher-Anastasia St. John, ajvb, archangelmika, Pushi19, Selene Aurelius, Mikado8219, 4680, dawnhallj, Sakura HanaYuki, Chocozoe, matsurisabaku9, miriel29, ahpotterlvr, Make war not love. war is fun, Darquise, debzerechillin, tattereddove, Heretogetthestory, WandCrossGryffindors, TillHate, Gemini no Vanou, ShatteredDragon, Apita4, moonchain12, chmaka456, harrypotterfan1977, TsunakoVongola, KasumiKeiko, azamariasp, ashlyn83, chi4ngo, TenTenDestiny101, daumae, Helensdragon, xoshortnsassy09, starkresurection, Riesenkrake, Sukura, jfss93, mysticalwarrior, sarcastic-pies, casszim, Unspeakable Jack, ren11sen, Emmikus, BloodyLonesome89, PotterB2utyElf and yumi2482 for your support.
