Establishing Mates
-:-
"You suppose that marriage project is true?" Makoto questioned absently in the dimly lit Gryffindor common room, stretched out lazily across a cushioned settee with her leg propped over the arm.
Seated near by on the floor below, Hermione scribbled away at the open book below her, face pensive with thought as she finished the last of her homework. Soon after she dropped her writing utensil in between the crease of her book, slamming it shut with a satisfied sigh.
"I believe so." the brown-eyed Gryffindor responded to the prior question, neatly tucking away her books back into her leather knapsack.
Makoto opened her mouth to say something, but shut it a moment later, thinking it better she keep her next thought to herself.
If they DID happen to proceed with this marriage project…just who exactly would her pseudo husband? There were plenty of handsome fellows at Hogwarts, but none of them really caught her attention in the seven years she had been here.
Well, save for one.
Oliver Wood was his name, the captain of the Gryffindor Quidditch team for the first three years of her high-school life. He was a handsome one, with a short-cropped mane of warm oak and a pair of sultry hazel eyes that could entrance a girl within three seconds.
It was fatal attraction at first sight, deciding one day to attend one of Harry's Quidditch practices with Ron and Hermione. The devastatingly handsome captain was astride a broom, upper half bare due to the sweltering heat of that spring-summer day.
Her bright green eyes bulged at that, two bright spots sprouting on her cheeks before Makoto ended up tumbling down the bleachers. And thankfully her said crush was too preoccupied drilling the game strategies into the team's head to notice.
Now she wasn't fancying the boy based solely on his looks, which in her mind were a VERY good reason, but on his skills. Not only was he the Quidditch captain but one of the smartest blokes in the entire school.
Which was immensely odd since she never found the brainy honor roll students all that attractive. But either way, by the time second year rolled around she was near obsessive with the boy, who was two years her senior.
She made it her goal to at least see the boy once a day, even if it were a mere five-second glance. She made excuses if she had too, often having to serve detention for being late to her class for getting a quick glimpse of the Quidditch captain.
Then, on her third year, she mustered up enough strength to try out as a beater for the team, even though didn't find Quidditch all that wonderful. Her swift movements and quick thinking one her the position as beater, the then thirteen-year-old not minding the long, dragging hours of practice in the rain and snow.
And no matter the condition, she always opted to linger afterwards to aid him in putting away the equipment. It was a short task between the two, spanning a maximum of ten minutes if so. But Makoto would take that much, savoring the ten or so minutes where he would rattle of the faults in her swing. She felt special then because he was talking to her and only her.
Then, one rainy Spring day after practice, the brown-haired boy stopped in mid walk and dropped the trunk which held the snitch and quaffle balls to his feet. He spun around to pin Makoto with the strangest stare, which in turn caused the thirteen-year-old to freeze on the spot.
It was a dark, sort of stare…hunger glinting in their depths.
Sheer terror ran through her bones as she tried feebly to see what she had done or said to offend him. It played out like that for five or so minutes, just gazing at each other in the pelting cold rain, the thought of pneumonia the least of their worries.
Suddenly, completely out of the blue, the tall fifteen-year-old cupped either side of Makoto's round little face and smothered it with his own.
It was her first kiss, a brush of heat that dissipated as soon as it arrived.
Oliver then released her, stepping back and swiping the snitch trunk off the floor, proceeding to finish his trek to the storage room. And Makoto was left there gapping like a fish, eyes round as an owl's and face ablaze.
She never really found out WHY he had kissed her, receiving a simple 'I just wanted too' as an answer. But she figured more to that. And she wasn't sure whether or not to take it as an insult or compliment.
But all worries faded away when the fifteen-year-old requested her hand to the Yule Ball, which she happily agreed too. They had a surprisingly fun time, dancing the night away while he rambled on about Quidditch strategies and badgers.
He really liked badgers for some reason.
Love was definitely in the air for the young couple, spending every waking second with each other. But the young romance want awry when Oliver received a letter of request to join Puddlemere United, THE most prestigious Quidditch league in all of Britain and Ireland itself.
Naturally he signed onto the team and left Hogwarts, as well as Makoto. She was utterly heart broken, spending her summer nights lying in bed and just wondering how he was faring.
Most said it was a bit mellow dramatic and that she should have gotten over him sooner, too much for a mere relationship that only spanned a scant three months. But to Makoto's young mind, it was everything.
They always said you never forget your firsts.
"Makoto?"
She wrenched with a start as she was suddenly yanked from her retrospection. Her bright green eyes blinked curiously up at Hermione's now worried face.
"Y-yeah?" Makoto stammered softly, yanking herself up into a sitting position.
"It's time for bed call. We better had back to the dorm before Filch finds us." Hermione murmured with a slightly concerned expression, extending her arm out.
The tall brunette blinks and just stares at her hand with wonder for a moment, before taking grasp of it. And the two friends strolled leisurely back to the chambers that they shared, silently enjoying the scenery just out the vast open windows. Then, suddenly, Hermione broke the silence.
"Hey Mako, could you tell me something?" she asked somewhat hesitantly, taking a nervous glance at her much taller friend out of the corner of her eye.
"Sure thing, Herms. Shoot." Came the auburn-haired girl's nonchalant response.
The slight intellect paused for a moment, chewing her lower lip with uncertainty as her gaze fall down and aside a little. It took another five minutes before she could finally respond, eyes boldly fluttering back up.
"You think Ron and I might get married someday?"
Makoto stopped walking all together, turning about to face the red-faced girl at her side fully. Her bright green eyes blinked with surprise down at her friend, brow quirked.
"I thought you guys weren't thinking bout marriage."
Hermione flustered at that, shifting her weight from one foot to another in a nervous manner. She could no longer stare her tall friend in the eye, too chagrined to do so.
"W-we aren't its just with t-this sudden mention of marriage…" she stammered with scorching cheeks, glaring hard down at the tops of her shiny shoes.
The seventeen-year-old chuckled at that, throwing a supportive arm about the shorter female's slender shoulders.
"It's got you wondering about the future." the green-eyed brunette finished with a grin.
The all-logic Gryffindor nodded, gaze still downward, unable and unwilling to meet her friend's amused peer. Where in heavens where did this come from? The idea of marriage…with Ron.
The quirky, red-headed goof who tripped over his cloak and knocked over the bin of bumbleflies. He definitely wasn't the time of fellow she had envisioned courting with, let alone marry. A suave, coolly-collected intellect with edge and a humorous wit is what she originally had planned.
She blinked as she was suddenly able to foresee a future with her adorable little Ron…hand in hand, laughing uproariously with their friends about them…
"But in complete and utter honesty, I do think you and ole Ron will get hitched someday." Makoto answered to the previous question, teasing grin softened into a gentle smile.
"He'll probably take you to some fancy restaurant or another, the whole place riced out and stuff. And as he's about to fall to his one knee and ask you to marry him, he'll probably trip over something and knock over the table."
Hermione let out a heart laugh at that, more so funny because that was what would most likely happen. After a moment, she let out a content breathy sigh and smiled up at her friend.
"Thanks Mako."
-:-
The next morning was met with Makoto, along with the other seventh years of the four houses, forced to remain in the Great Hall instead of their first period class. Many of the students released a sigh of relief as they settled back down into their seats, returning to their prior conversation.
"What do you think this is about?" Neville asked to the ring of friends that sat around him, taking a nervous side glance at the giggling girl's near by. "You don't suppose it's that marriage thing, do you?"
"It obviously is, Neville." Came Ron's muffled reply, head tucked snugly on the shoulder of his slight girlfriend, only giving half an ear to his surroundings.
"It could be about the annual seventh year field trip." Harry piped up sensibly from where he sat next to Neville.
"It could be," Makoto murmured, slight skepticism in her tone. "But that wouldn't explain these."
The auburn-haired Gryffindor then extended her closed fist, a thin gold chain dangling down from her tight grip and in front of the two boys. A pendant was strung through the chain, made of deep burgundy red jade and cut into the shape of a jagged-edged, half torn heart.
When they arrived to breakfast that morning, the necklaces were placed next to their plates. Every seventh year had gotten one, each differing in color according to their respective house.
"Alright, alright. Attention!"
The congregation of students perked up and snapped their head up to the front of the room. The head's of all four houses strolled into the room in a neat line, Albus Dumbeldore rounding the teachers.
"Good-morning." Albus greeted affectionately, smile warm to the masses before him.
"Good-morning." They called in turn, most of them returning the kind smile, other's scoffing at the thought.
"Many of you might be wandering why you have been withheld from first period," Professor Minerva McGonagall started with a somewhat haughty air, peering down at the students with one raised brow.
"Along with the necklaces at your dining placements."
The students nodded and motioned for the Gryffindor head to continue.
"You see, here at Hogwarts we pride ourselves on saying that we prepare you fully for adulthood. And in doing so, we must also prepare you for marriage life." Dumbledore finished, fiddling with his spectacles some.
This was met with several groans and exclamations of protest, several of them sinking down with dread in their seats. Unbeknownst to anyone; Ron, Harry, Neville and Makoto cast Hermione a nervous glance, swallowing thickly. The odd stares went unnoticed for her face was not so surprisingly planted firmly in the book from yesterday.
"You will be paired off with a spouse, of the opposite gender naturally, for the entire year. You will spend nearly every waking hour with that boy or girl, save for sleeping accommodations, get to know each other and learn about each other. Also, you will be expected to fill us in every two months with a detailed report of your financials and how the marriage is overall." McGonagall paused for a moment to give the teens sometime for the information to settle.
The Great Hall was abuzz with the fresh news, some elate by the announcement while the rest shuddered at the thought. More so was a now very sour Draco Malfoy.
"Wonderful." He muttered sarcastically, peering away from his prefects.
Who in hell would think of some hair-brained project like this? It was probably a Gryffindor, he reasoned bitterly in his mind, disgust forming. Only those muggle-loving buffoons would fathom such an idea.
And who was he to take as his bride anyway? There surely wasn't a female in this wrenched school suitable enough to serve as a Malfoy wife, let alone his. Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff, and Gryffindor were indefinitely out of the question.
Now while he was loyal to his house, a Slytherin to boot, the ladies of the snake-bearing group weren't exactly what one would call…attractive. Most of them held a sort of…manish tone to them, forever frowning with a brooding brow.
Though he wasn't one to talk. He was a brooder at times.
But these were females we're talking about; they shouldn't have more facial hair then the male mate. It was just outright creepy and disgusting.
"And to assure that everyone will be paired off and no fights shall occur over a particularly desired mate, we have already chosen your respective partner." A somber-faced Severus Snape added dryly, fighting the urge to grin with abject amusement as the younglings released loud grouses of disappointment.
"Which brings us to the necklaces," A bubbly Pomona Sprout piped up with a smile, all giggles.
"The necklaces you received this morning will reveal who your destined partner is. When you are near your 'spouse', the pendant will glow brightly and meld with their heart pendant."
Before the students could once again resume to their senseless prattle, diminutive half-goblin Filius Flitwick of the Ravenclaw house came forward.
"And to reduce the chaos in finding your mate, we've limited Ravenclaw to Hufflepuff and Slytherins to Gryffindors. With this in mind, go off and seek your mate!" he ended with a grin, swatting with his small, chubby hands to go off.
And chaos erupted, the students rising from their seats and dispersing to the adjacent tables. Girls and boys alike scurried about the masses in hopes that their crush would be their destined mock lover.
Meanwhile, back at the Gyrffindor tables, Makoto released a heavy sigh as she waved a good-bye to Hermione, who was currently getting lead away by Theodore Nott, one of the few Slytherin's she held some respect for.
And at that, the tall brunette let out another pained sigh. She was hoping that Theodore would be her counterpart, being as he really was the only Slytherin he respected in their year. What she couldn't seem to fathom is how some of the Gryffindor ladies seemed excited at the idea.
Pfft. Excited at the thought of being bound to some smug bastard of a Slytherin; mind, body, and soul? No reason to jump for joy, at least in Makoto's cynical mind. More like a reason to kill oneself on the spot.
Her bitter contemplation was shattered when she felt a warmth on her chest. She blinked some with befuddled perplexity, slowly peering downward to see the problem. Her eyes grew round and wide as she saw her pendant a releasing a soft red glow.
Her mate was near.
She whirled about herself, scrutinizing the pendants about Slytherin's necks to see if theirs were aglow as well. Many were, though already melding with another Gryffindor and not her.
For some reason her heart beat had quickened and she could've sworn that she was a blush. All over what…a Slytherin? What in heavens! It was only a project with a Slytherin, A SLYTHERIN!
"You've GOT to be kidding me?" Came a rough yet soft exclamation above her, tone disdainful and incredulous.
And Makoto felt her hammering heart come to an abrupt stop, form going rigid and her curiosity turning into one of utter trepidation. Oh bloody hell, someone must be fucking with her immensely cause she could've SWORN that the voice belonged to…
The jade began to glow a blood red, floating up and off her chest to meet half way with a smooth green one. Blood red met with forest green in coalition, meshing as one and colors heightening into an intense white.
Both teens were forced to shield there eyes in order to save them the pain, suddenly being tugged even closer to each other. The glow began to fade soon enough and very slowly, with much uncertainty eyes fluttered open.
"Oh play hell," Makoto grumbled irritably under her breath, smacking her face with exasperation.
It took her all not to fall to her knees right there, in front of her entire class, and shake her fists madly at the heavens, screaming just WHY they intend on making her life a living, breathing, walking hell on heels. It was bad enough she had to see the egotistical prick more so then should be legal, but make him her pseudo husband?
She later figured that there had to be name for this, karma perhaps or she had it coming? Whatever the name, she didn't like it. Not at ALL.
"A mudblood." Draco sneered with complete disgust lacing his words, peering down at her with glaring, haughty look.
Makoto scoffed at that, twisting about only to have herself yanked back in place. She blushed though more so of anger then embarrassment, ignoring the Slytherin's teasing snicker.
"A bastard." She replied to his prior remark, glaring him straight in the eye with one brow raised challengingly.
"Alright, alright!" Albus called loudly, clapping his hands several times to gain the students attention.
After several moments, the room grew relatively hushed, a few whispers wafting through the cool air. This was received with a sharp, reprimanding glare from Minerva McGonagall, brow raising with challenge for someone to try her.
Man, if looks could kill.
"Since that it appears that everyone has found their spouse," he paused, glancing amongst the crowds to make good on his word.
And everyone was, though some grudgingly.
"It's time we establish the minor details. Gentlemen, you will be required to sit at your wife's house table. And in turn, ladies will serve as a wife to them, gathering their plate together and such. You will be expected to attend all social events together such as Quidditch matches, dances, and other festivities. Furthermore, everyone will have a mock wedding in two weeks time to give you leeway to decide on the song and so on."
Makoto glared hard at the floor beneath her, back turned to her of hubby with her arms crossed tightly over her chest. They already had a slight squabble which only ended with them turning away from each other, though still close cause of the blasted necklace about their necks. And they had been brooding ever since, refusing to back down to either party.
If that inconsiderate prick even THOUGHT she was going to serve him his food like a doting wife, well shit, he had something else comin to him!
"Now that is established," Professor Flitwick murmured, absently flicking his wand about in a fancy manner.
Simultaneously, the joined pendants sundered at the nexus, separating and tumbling back to lay limply on their respective owners chests. However, they no longer held their house colors, instead their counterpart's.
Which acerbated an already maddened Makoto Kino greatly. Having to wear something of a Slytherin, let alone that Slytherin being Draco Malfoy. It was just degrading in her mind.
The stupid necklace, a half torn heart of light green jade hung on a silver chain, was an announcement to the entire world that she was indeed fringed to the warlock.
"You can go disperse to your second period classes and live your life as a norm. But as for tomorrow, be prepared for you will then be of Mr. and Mrs."
-:-
Alright, I SWEAR THE NEXT CHAPTER IS BETTER AND LESS BORING! As stated in the first chapter, this and the chapter one were gonna be boring and overly detailed. So don't say I never warned you.
Review it holmes.