Once again, thank you to everyone that has followed/favourited and reviewed the story, I read all my reviews and I'm so thrilled that you like it! Now, onto the next chapter!

Chapter Nine

Running his hand through his hair, Harry sighed in frustration as he tried to find the correct words for his new proposal, but everything he thought of sounded …wrong.

Needing a break, he stood and left his office and decided to take a walk around the Wizengamot floors to try and clear his head. Yet he found that his feet carried him in the direction of Daphne's office, without him even realising it. Since their dance at the Ministry Gala, he'd not been able to get her out of his mind; his hand still tingled from where he'd held her bare lower back as the danced, at moments completely lost in one another, much to his surprise and joy. If he thought he was developing feelings for the gold-haired, blue-eyed beauty before, he was almost certain of it now.

Arriving at Daphne's office, he was surprised to find the lights all off and no signs at all of it having been occupied for at least two weeks, much to his shock. Not knowing what to do in Daphne's absence, Harry merely stood in the doorway as he contemplated what he was going to do next, when he was joined by someone he'd never actually spoken to before.

"She's not here," Rowan remarked obviously, capturing the young mans' attention.

"Do you know when she'll be back?" he asked, turning to face the older man.

"Afraid not. Cassius has taken her away on a bit of an extended holiday before they get bonded," he informed him before adding with a sardonic smile. "That is if Daphne can finally settle on a date?"

"Given that she's postponed twice already, do you think that she will pick a date?" Harry asked curiously. "It's clear she isn't actually all that bothered about marrying Cassius," he pointed out, knowing it wasn't actually his business, but not being able to help himself.

"I hope she knows that whatever she decided, I'll support her," he said before turning to go back in his office, leaving the door open as a silent invitation for Harry to join him.

"You know that's rubbish, right?" Harry told him as he leant against the door frame. "Daphne doesn't believe that you'd support her no matter what. Honestly, I'm pretty sure she believes you're just trying to fob her off onto Warrington."

"Who exactly do you think you are?" Rowan asked, his voice dangerously calm as he faced off against the younger wizard. "How dare you speak to me of something you know nothing about!"

"Believe me, I know more than you think. Daph and I don't just talk about the ins and outs of the Wizengamot and it's various members," Harry pointed out, motioning for Rowan to sit down before joining him at his desk. "Don't doubt the fact that Daphne loves you, she does. But she also knows the limitations placed on witched by the Wizengamot and she's a realist," he pointed out to him.

Signing, Rowan leant back in his chair, his head resting on his hand as though talking about his eldest child physically exhausted him. "She never did like fairy tales, even as a child," Rowan told him, a soft smile on his face as he reminisced. "Her bedtime stories were always tales from the family grimoire, only about the witches mind. I like to think she used to dream about her own chapter and what it would include."

"I bet her chapter will be amazing," Harry told him with a smile, before throwing Rowan a loaded look. "It just seems a damn shame that she won't be allowed to reach her full potential because of the backward rules still in place," he pointed out, feeling slightly guilty when Rowan's happy expression faded, though it told Harry everything he needed to know.

"You're talking about Daphne's fantasy of there one day being a Witches Rights Bill," Rowan remarked, pulling open one of his desk drawers and removing a thing magenta folder and throwing it onto the desk between them.

"But you've not put any of the motions forward?"

"I've tried, but nothing has ever come of it," he told him, picking up one of the failed proposals. "If it doesn't get badgered with inane remarks during the debate, there is always some reason not to go forward with it. This one for example, was supposed to allow a witch to be business owners without their fathers or husbands holding a majority share automatically. It was rejected because they believe witches are too simple minded and it would be too much for their delicate sensibilities to handle. Obviously, not taking into account that most witches born into this society are taught how to manage an entire household so an independent, small business wouldn't be an issue. And a muggle-raised witch would more than likely have even less of a problem running a business," Rowan explained, handing over the folder before picking up another. "This one would grant a witch the right to pursue a higher education in any subject they wish, without first getting permission from their father. But this was rejected because it was thought they'd select a subject based on emotions rather than logic and as we all know, logic is something a witch has either too much or too little of depending on the context of the conversation," he said with a roll of his eyes, again handing the folder to Harry.

Picking up last folder on the desk, Harry could hear a sigh come from tired older wizard. "This one has always bothered me with the illogical nature of its rejection. I don't know if Daphne's ever mentioned this or not, but a witch isn't actually allowed to withdraw gold from their family vaults without their husbands or fathers' permission. They need to present Gringotts with a signed parchments that the Goblins must check isn't forged and if it's an ancient family it must also family seal on it," Rowan explained, holding up his left hand where Harry could see the Greengrass family ring on his ring finger. "Now, the Goblins themselves don't like or approve of this law, but as dictated in the Treaty of 1854, they have to do so or risk the removal of what little rights they hold themselves. And as a father of two daughters, constantly having to write, sign and seal permission slips is also rather inconvenient. Though not nearly as inconvenient as it is to my girls. But despite this, the proposal was ultimately rejected because it was thought that women didn't know enough about the world to be able to access gold without becoming too emotional and just spending without forethought or logic. Of course, what it's really about is wizards are worried they'd lose control and power over the witches in their lives," he explained with a sad shake of his head. "So, despite my best efforts and the logic behind what I've tried to propose, I've never been able to garner enough support from the other members to push anything through." Rowan admitted, looking embarrassed to admit such a thing. "Despite what you may think, it breaks my heart that my daughters are held back by the archaic ideas of old men, long past their prime."

"Yeah, I have noticed that some of the old guard are very set in their ways," Harry remarked as he read through the files he held. "The innocent and naïve younger me wants to believe that they don't fully realise the damage they're doing, but I know better now."

"There's nothing wrong with wanting to believe the best of people."

"No," Harry agreed, grinning as he looked through the files, picking up on just how much of Daphne's handwriting was spread across the documents, a plan forming in his head. "There is also nothing wrong with playing them at their own game," Harry pointed out, a mischievous smile on his face as the older man looked over at him, taking note of the grin, which he slowly reciprocated with one of his own.

"What did you have in mind?" Rowan asked, before the two leant forward over the desk, the file of failed motions spread between them as they devised a plan they hoped would finally result in some much-needed change.

Just a quick note, all the reasons Rowan gave as to why the witches rights proposals have never been passed are based on actual reasons me gave as to why women's rights shouldn't be passed in the past. Though, the whole women are too emotional to be president is still used today, so we've still got a ways to go.