Disclaimers et al in part 1.
Chapter 7 - Wedding Bell Blues
Draco had been trying see Harry all week but the dark haired boy managed not to get caught alone. He knew Draco would never approach him when he was with someone. Draco had one option left.
The sixth years were busy with a potion that wasn't particularly difficult but it did require a great deal of attention. Unfortunately, Harry's mind was elsewhere. He didn't even notice Severus standing over him until he spoke.
"Mr. Potter, what potion are you brewing?" he asked, smoothly. He picked up the ladle and poured its contents back into the cauldron. "Because this is not what the rest of the class is brewing."
"Yes, sir."
"Let's see if you can manage it tomorrow night in detention," Severus said. "Eight p.m. Don't be late."
"Yes, sir." Harry didn't see the look that passed between the professor and Draco.
Class was finally over and Harry followed Ron and Hermione out of the classroom. "Harry, are you all right?" the brown-haired girl asked. "You've been distracted all week."
"Just a lot on my mind," Harry shrugged.
"At least the greasy git didn't take any points," Ron said.
"You didn't have to take potions this year, you know," Hermione chastised him.
"What! And miss all the fun?" Ron asked. "I have to have it for Auror training. What about you, Harry?"
"It drives Snape barmy," Harry said with a small smile.
"I can't believe he gave you detention tomorrow," Ron said. "At least you can go to Hogsmead with us first. Should make up for the time you have to spend with him."
"Come on, you two," Hermione said. "It's almost time for lunch." They hurried up the stairs to the great hall.
Draco was already in Severus' quarters when Moria arrived Saturday night. Looking around, she didn't see Harry. She gave Draco a puzzled look but the blond boy just shrugged.
"Detention was required to get Potter here," Severus explained. "He will not arrive early."
"I tried to get close to him, to talk to him," Draco said, "but those friends of his were always there."
"Friends tend to do that," Moria chuckled. "Your father will be here next weekend."
"Why?" Draco asked. "I thought he was leaving everything up to you."
"I don't know why," she said. "Any further attempts on my part to understand your father and I'll have your godfather hex me. It would be quicker and far less painful." That got a chuckle out of Severus. "He did say that he wanted the bonding to happen before Christmas on Christmas break."
Before anything else was said, there was a knock at the door. "Enter," Severus said. The door opened and Harry stepped into the room. "Do come in and shut the door behind you."
Harry shut the door then walked over to the front of the room. It was then he spotted Draco and his aunt. "Malfoy," he said. "You have detention as well?"
"Neither of you has detention," Severus informed him, "but that can change if you annoy me too much."
"If this isn't detention, then why am I here?" Harry asked.
"That would be my fault," Moria said. She crossed the room and held out her hand. "I wanted to me you and Draco said this would be the only way to guarantee that it would happen."
"And who are you?" Harry asked as he took her hand.
"Moria Malfoy," she introduced herself. "I'm Draco's aunt."
Harry barely refrained himself from jerking his hand back. "A pleasure," he finally managed to say.
"I'm sure," she chuckled. "Severus, may we borrow your office?"
"You may, but please put a shield up should you need to leave them by themselves," Severus said. "There are a great many items in there I would hate to lose should they decide to start hexing each other. I'll have a house elf bring you tea." Moria nodded at him as the trio walked into the office.
The boys took seats in front of the desk while Moria sat behind it. An elf popped in, leaving tea and biscuits then popped out again.
"First things first," Moria said. "Lucius still remains firm in his resolve for the two of you to bond. I have tried to dissuade him but to now avail."
"So what happens now?" Harry asked.
"Now we plan your bonding," Moria smiled.
"Couldn't we just show up and get it over with?" Harry asked.
"I asked that already," Draco said as Moria glared at Harry. "I got the same glare."
"What's to plan?" Harry shrugged. "No frills, no party and very few people there."
"First, there are several things that must be done for the bond to take place," Moria explained. "The headmaster will take care of the bonding spells that are needed. You two will have to worry about things like dress robes, bonding gifts, rings and the like."
"Dress robes?" Harry asked. "Why dress robes?"
"Because Lucius wants it that way," Moria informed him. "And considering what he could have insisted on, this isn't much."
"Bonding gifts?" Harry asked. "Rings?"
"Small tokens of your... affections for each other," Moria said with a wave of her hand. "They don't have to be rings. You can use bracelets, if you like, although rings are traditional. Since the students will leave for the holidays on the eighteenth of December, the bonding will take place on the twenty-second. Do either of you have anyone you would like to invite?" They both shook their heads. "Oh, and I need to take both Christmas shopping as well. If we order your robes week after next, they should be ready by the nineteenth. We can pick them up and do some Christmas shopping then."
"Did you have everything planned before you arrived?" Draco asked, trying not to smile.
"It saves everyone time and trouble," she answered, "and keeps your father from interfering. If it were up to him, this would take place during a winter ball and banquet." Harry's eyes grew wide. "Be thankful for small favors."
The three of them talked for a little while longer before deciding to call it a night. As the boys got out of their chairs, Moria told Harry to stay behind. She sent Draco on his way with a kiss and a reminder that his father would be owling him about his visit next weekend.
When the door shut behind the blond teen, Moria turned to Harry. "I do hope you won't judge me by my brother's actions," she said. "Lucius can be an insufferable git sometimes but he is family."
"You haven't tried to hex me yet," Harry said. "That's a point in your favor." He looked at her. "I don't know you well enough to either like or dislike you yet."
"Fair enough," she acknowledges. "I dare say you don't know Draco that well either."
"Well enough," he growled.
"Somehow, I doubt that," she said. She looked at him. "Harry, for whatever it's worth, Draco doesn't want this bonding any more than you do." At least, not on these terms, she added silently.
"Then why didn't he say so?" he asked. "When Dumbledore asked him, why did he say he agreed?"
"Would you disagree if Lucius was your father?" she asked. "Lucius' word was and is law in his home and the price for forgetting that can be quite... severe. Don't get me wrong. Lucius loves Draco very much and would protect him with his own life if necessary but very few people can get away with crossing him. Draco is not one of those people."
"Are you one of those people?"
"To a certain degree, yes," she said. "but even I know when not to cross him. This bonding is one of those things."
"And his other interests?" Harry was trying to be diplomatic.
"If you think Lucius is bad, you should have met our father," Moria said, softly. "It's one of the reasons he and I are so close. Those other interests were never what Lucius wanted but to cross Father in this would have been... dangerous."
"So why doesn't he leave?" Harry asked, genuinely curious.
"You would have to ask him that," Moria said, "but know this, Harry. Once you're bonding to Draco, Lucius will consider you family. The same protection he gives Draco will extend to you and the child."
She stood up and walked over to him. "Harry, I know this is a lot to ask of you," she said, kneeling in front of him. "I also know why you're doing it. You have nothing to fear from me, I promise you. If you doubt me, ask Severus or the headmaster. I will help you however I can."
"I can't help but think what my parents would say about this," he said, quietly. "Of course, if they were alive, this wouldn't be happening."
"Have you told anyone?" she asked.
"I won't until I have to," he said, shaking his head. "Lucius and I have a deal. The bonding and baby for my godfather's freedom. Merlin help him if he breaks his promise."
"He won't," she said. "For whatever reason, this means too much to him and breaking his word to you would ruin that." He nodded as she stood up. "It's almost curfew," she said. "Better head back to your dormitory."
He stood up and got ready to leave. "I'll think about what you said," he told her.
"That's all I ask," she said. "By the way, you can owl me if you ever need anything." He nodded again. Gathering his things, he walked out of the office.
A few minutes later, Severus walked into the office. "How did it go?" he asked. She started to get up but he waved her back down. He leaned on the desk next to her.
"Better than I expected," she said with a sigh. "They both seem resigned to the fact that there is nothing they can do to get out of it. Harry didn't seem to know much about bondings, though."
"He was muggle-raised, remember?" he said. "If it hasn't been taught, he doesn't know about it."
"I have told Albus on more than one occasion he needs to do something about that," she said. "How can muggle-born and raised be expected to live in the wizarding world if they don't know anything about it." He just chuckled. "Now, there's a sound I don't get to hear often enough."
"That's because I have very few reasons for it these days," he said.
"The bonding is on the twenty-second of December," she told him. "Can you have the potion ready by then?"
He nodded. "It'll be everything Lucius wants," he said.
"Good. Now," she said, standing up. "Do you have any plans for tomorrow morning?"
"It's Sunday," he said. "No plans. Why?"
"Good," she said. She took his hand and led him out of the office. "We can sleep in."
Ron and Hermione were in the common room when Harry returned from his 'detention'. He knew if he didn't talk to them on his own, they would ask. He walked over and sat in the chair by them and next to the fire.
"How did detention go?" Ron asked.
"Just like it usually does," Harry said. He hated lying to his friends. "I kept hearing him mutter the words 'idiotic students' under his breath a lot."
"Did the potion come out all right?" Hermione asked.
"He said it was passable, just," Harry said. Time to escape. "Listen, I'm going on up to bed. Being in the same room alone with Snape sucks all the energy out of me."
"All right," Ron said. "I'll be up in a little while."
Harry nodded and headed for the stairs. Hermione said goodnight as he disappeared. When he got to the dorm room, he saw that Neville was already in bed but Seamus and Dean were nowhere to be seen. Harry was grateful for that. Changing into his pajamas, he crawled into bed. He pulled his curtains. He had to think and he didn't want to be disturbed.
Moria had given him a lot to think about. According to her, Draco was in the same position he was. He didn't want this bonding either but was too afraid to go against his father. He remembered the day Lucius had dropped the bomb in the headmaster's office. There was a look of shock and surprise on his face before he managed to cover it. That meant he hadn't known anything about it either.
Moria was something of a mystery as well. She had said to ask the headmaster or the professor about her. He wouldn't ask Snape but Dumbledore... if she was anything other than what he claimed, he would know it. If she was a danger, he wouldn't allow her anywhere near him. After all, Lucius didn't see him outside of the headmaster's office.
She wasn't like any of the other Malfoys he'd met. He was almost certain she had told him more about her brother than Lucius would have liked him to know. Like everything else about this, he would just have to take a wait and see attitude with her.
With the date set, it was becoming more real and less like a nightmare he couldn't wake from. He needed to talk to someone but there was no one around he could trust with this secret and he didn't feel like talking to the people that already knew. He finally drifted off to sleep with all the thoughts still running through his head.
TBC
See, I told you they would get longer.
I need some help... or some help to choose. I'm trying to choose the sex of the baby, name or if it should be twins. If you have any suggestions, they would be most appreciated.
Chapter 7 - Wedding Bell Blues
Draco had been trying see Harry all week but the dark haired boy managed not to get caught alone. He knew Draco would never approach him when he was with someone. Draco had one option left.
The sixth years were busy with a potion that wasn't particularly difficult but it did require a great deal of attention. Unfortunately, Harry's mind was elsewhere. He didn't even notice Severus standing over him until he spoke.
"Mr. Potter, what potion are you brewing?" he asked, smoothly. He picked up the ladle and poured its contents back into the cauldron. "Because this is not what the rest of the class is brewing."
"Yes, sir."
"Let's see if you can manage it tomorrow night in detention," Severus said. "Eight p.m. Don't be late."
"Yes, sir." Harry didn't see the look that passed between the professor and Draco.
Class was finally over and Harry followed Ron and Hermione out of the classroom. "Harry, are you all right?" the brown-haired girl asked. "You've been distracted all week."
"Just a lot on my mind," Harry shrugged.
"At least the greasy git didn't take any points," Ron said.
"You didn't have to take potions this year, you know," Hermione chastised him.
"What! And miss all the fun?" Ron asked. "I have to have it for Auror training. What about you, Harry?"
"It drives Snape barmy," Harry said with a small smile.
"I can't believe he gave you detention tomorrow," Ron said. "At least you can go to Hogsmead with us first. Should make up for the time you have to spend with him."
"Come on, you two," Hermione said. "It's almost time for lunch." They hurried up the stairs to the great hall.
Draco was already in Severus' quarters when Moria arrived Saturday night. Looking around, she didn't see Harry. She gave Draco a puzzled look but the blond boy just shrugged.
"Detention was required to get Potter here," Severus explained. "He will not arrive early."
"I tried to get close to him, to talk to him," Draco said, "but those friends of his were always there."
"Friends tend to do that," Moria chuckled. "Your father will be here next weekend."
"Why?" Draco asked. "I thought he was leaving everything up to you."
"I don't know why," she said. "Any further attempts on my part to understand your father and I'll have your godfather hex me. It would be quicker and far less painful." That got a chuckle out of Severus. "He did say that he wanted the bonding to happen before Christmas on Christmas break."
Before anything else was said, there was a knock at the door. "Enter," Severus said. The door opened and Harry stepped into the room. "Do come in and shut the door behind you."
Harry shut the door then walked over to the front of the room. It was then he spotted Draco and his aunt. "Malfoy," he said. "You have detention as well?"
"Neither of you has detention," Severus informed him, "but that can change if you annoy me too much."
"If this isn't detention, then why am I here?" Harry asked.
"That would be my fault," Moria said. She crossed the room and held out her hand. "I wanted to me you and Draco said this would be the only way to guarantee that it would happen."
"And who are you?" Harry asked as he took her hand.
"Moria Malfoy," she introduced herself. "I'm Draco's aunt."
Harry barely refrained himself from jerking his hand back. "A pleasure," he finally managed to say.
"I'm sure," she chuckled. "Severus, may we borrow your office?"
"You may, but please put a shield up should you need to leave them by themselves," Severus said. "There are a great many items in there I would hate to lose should they decide to start hexing each other. I'll have a house elf bring you tea." Moria nodded at him as the trio walked into the office.
The boys took seats in front of the desk while Moria sat behind it. An elf popped in, leaving tea and biscuits then popped out again.
"First things first," Moria said. "Lucius still remains firm in his resolve for the two of you to bond. I have tried to dissuade him but to now avail."
"So what happens now?" Harry asked.
"Now we plan your bonding," Moria smiled.
"Couldn't we just show up and get it over with?" Harry asked.
"I asked that already," Draco said as Moria glared at Harry. "I got the same glare."
"What's to plan?" Harry shrugged. "No frills, no party and very few people there."
"First, there are several things that must be done for the bond to take place," Moria explained. "The headmaster will take care of the bonding spells that are needed. You two will have to worry about things like dress robes, bonding gifts, rings and the like."
"Dress robes?" Harry asked. "Why dress robes?"
"Because Lucius wants it that way," Moria informed him. "And considering what he could have insisted on, this isn't much."
"Bonding gifts?" Harry asked. "Rings?"
"Small tokens of your... affections for each other," Moria said with a wave of her hand. "They don't have to be rings. You can use bracelets, if you like, although rings are traditional. Since the students will leave for the holidays on the eighteenth of December, the bonding will take place on the twenty-second. Do either of you have anyone you would like to invite?" They both shook their heads. "Oh, and I need to take both Christmas shopping as well. If we order your robes week after next, they should be ready by the nineteenth. We can pick them up and do some Christmas shopping then."
"Did you have everything planned before you arrived?" Draco asked, trying not to smile.
"It saves everyone time and trouble," she answered, "and keeps your father from interfering. If it were up to him, this would take place during a winter ball and banquet." Harry's eyes grew wide. "Be thankful for small favors."
The three of them talked for a little while longer before deciding to call it a night. As the boys got out of their chairs, Moria told Harry to stay behind. She sent Draco on his way with a kiss and a reminder that his father would be owling him about his visit next weekend.
When the door shut behind the blond teen, Moria turned to Harry. "I do hope you won't judge me by my brother's actions," she said. "Lucius can be an insufferable git sometimes but he is family."
"You haven't tried to hex me yet," Harry said. "That's a point in your favor." He looked at her. "I don't know you well enough to either like or dislike you yet."
"Fair enough," she acknowledges. "I dare say you don't know Draco that well either."
"Well enough," he growled.
"Somehow, I doubt that," she said. She looked at him. "Harry, for whatever it's worth, Draco doesn't want this bonding any more than you do." At least, not on these terms, she added silently.
"Then why didn't he say so?" he asked. "When Dumbledore asked him, why did he say he agreed?"
"Would you disagree if Lucius was your father?" she asked. "Lucius' word was and is law in his home and the price for forgetting that can be quite... severe. Don't get me wrong. Lucius loves Draco very much and would protect him with his own life if necessary but very few people can get away with crossing him. Draco is not one of those people."
"Are you one of those people?"
"To a certain degree, yes," she said. "but even I know when not to cross him. This bonding is one of those things."
"And his other interests?" Harry was trying to be diplomatic.
"If you think Lucius is bad, you should have met our father," Moria said, softly. "It's one of the reasons he and I are so close. Those other interests were never what Lucius wanted but to cross Father in this would have been... dangerous."
"So why doesn't he leave?" Harry asked, genuinely curious.
"You would have to ask him that," Moria said, "but know this, Harry. Once you're bonding to Draco, Lucius will consider you family. The same protection he gives Draco will extend to you and the child."
She stood up and walked over to him. "Harry, I know this is a lot to ask of you," she said, kneeling in front of him. "I also know why you're doing it. You have nothing to fear from me, I promise you. If you doubt me, ask Severus or the headmaster. I will help you however I can."
"I can't help but think what my parents would say about this," he said, quietly. "Of course, if they were alive, this wouldn't be happening."
"Have you told anyone?" she asked.
"I won't until I have to," he said, shaking his head. "Lucius and I have a deal. The bonding and baby for my godfather's freedom. Merlin help him if he breaks his promise."
"He won't," she said. "For whatever reason, this means too much to him and breaking his word to you would ruin that." He nodded as she stood up. "It's almost curfew," she said. "Better head back to your dormitory."
He stood up and got ready to leave. "I'll think about what you said," he told her.
"That's all I ask," she said. "By the way, you can owl me if you ever need anything." He nodded again. Gathering his things, he walked out of the office.
A few minutes later, Severus walked into the office. "How did it go?" he asked. She started to get up but he waved her back down. He leaned on the desk next to her.
"Better than I expected," she said with a sigh. "They both seem resigned to the fact that there is nothing they can do to get out of it. Harry didn't seem to know much about bondings, though."
"He was muggle-raised, remember?" he said. "If it hasn't been taught, he doesn't know about it."
"I have told Albus on more than one occasion he needs to do something about that," she said. "How can muggle-born and raised be expected to live in the wizarding world if they don't know anything about it." He just chuckled. "Now, there's a sound I don't get to hear often enough."
"That's because I have very few reasons for it these days," he said.
"The bonding is on the twenty-second of December," she told him. "Can you have the potion ready by then?"
He nodded. "It'll be everything Lucius wants," he said.
"Good. Now," she said, standing up. "Do you have any plans for tomorrow morning?"
"It's Sunday," he said. "No plans. Why?"
"Good," she said. She took his hand and led him out of the office. "We can sleep in."
Ron and Hermione were in the common room when Harry returned from his 'detention'. He knew if he didn't talk to them on his own, they would ask. He walked over and sat in the chair by them and next to the fire.
"How did detention go?" Ron asked.
"Just like it usually does," Harry said. He hated lying to his friends. "I kept hearing him mutter the words 'idiotic students' under his breath a lot."
"Did the potion come out all right?" Hermione asked.
"He said it was passable, just," Harry said. Time to escape. "Listen, I'm going on up to bed. Being in the same room alone with Snape sucks all the energy out of me."
"All right," Ron said. "I'll be up in a little while."
Harry nodded and headed for the stairs. Hermione said goodnight as he disappeared. When he got to the dorm room, he saw that Neville was already in bed but Seamus and Dean were nowhere to be seen. Harry was grateful for that. Changing into his pajamas, he crawled into bed. He pulled his curtains. He had to think and he didn't want to be disturbed.
Moria had given him a lot to think about. According to her, Draco was in the same position he was. He didn't want this bonding either but was too afraid to go against his father. He remembered the day Lucius had dropped the bomb in the headmaster's office. There was a look of shock and surprise on his face before he managed to cover it. That meant he hadn't known anything about it either.
Moria was something of a mystery as well. She had said to ask the headmaster or the professor about her. He wouldn't ask Snape but Dumbledore... if she was anything other than what he claimed, he would know it. If she was a danger, he wouldn't allow her anywhere near him. After all, Lucius didn't see him outside of the headmaster's office.
She wasn't like any of the other Malfoys he'd met. He was almost certain she had told him more about her brother than Lucius would have liked him to know. Like everything else about this, he would just have to take a wait and see attitude with her.
With the date set, it was becoming more real and less like a nightmare he couldn't wake from. He needed to talk to someone but there was no one around he could trust with this secret and he didn't feel like talking to the people that already knew. He finally drifted off to sleep with all the thoughts still running through his head.
TBC
See, I told you they would get longer.
I need some help... or some help to choose. I'm trying to choose the sex of the baby, name or if it should be twins. If you have any suggestions, they would be most appreciated.