Chapter 2: The perfect wife
Percy could not be happier about his Ministry-chosen match, as Hermione Granger epitomised the character traits he deemed most desirable in a wife. She didn't only receive the best grades in her year, very much like himself, she also had repeatedly voiced an interest in starting a Ministry career or one as an independent researcher, both very good career choices. Among the students of his house, she was probably the woman matching his character the most and apart from that, she was also a years-long friend of his family already. Hermione Granger was perfect, but considering the calculation of their match based on no less than three hundred different variables, extracted from a long questionnaire they had to fill out, nothing else was to be expected.
As soon as he learned of his match, he waited patiently for Hermione's return, tirelessly making arrangements so that his future wife would have nothing to worry about. Then he waited, knowing that the girl would soon return from her trip from Australia which was when she would learn of the Ministry's decision. Until then he'd keep their matching a secret, especially from his family, as he could imagine what would happen if his mother spoke to Hermione first before he had the chance to. Only, time had never passed so slowly and when her international portkey finally brought her back to Britain, Percy was barely more than a bundle of nerves.
It wasn't that he was afraid to be spurned, their match was made by the Ministry and therefore it was as good as set in stone. But he wanted to make a good impression on his future wife, as he knew her happiness would be crucial to the success of their marriage. Apart from that, he had wanted Hermione ever since he'd seen her again after the Battle of Hogwarts, even though he'd taken notice of the girl way before that, when they were mere children. But even then he'd been able to see her potential, her brilliance, and realising that they both saw the necessity of following rules, he'd decided that they would make a very happy couple. Would she think so as well? Percy didn't know but he was determined to find out and learn as much about his new partner as possible.
Coming to The Burrow tonight he hadn't known what to expect. He hoped that Hermione had already opened her letter and when his mother greeted him with a teary smile and a hug, he concluded that she must have done so. His suspicion was further confirmed when he found his future wife and Harry sitting in the kitchen, Hermione seemingly seeking the boy's advice or comfort. It was difficult to read her during their short exchange of words but in the end she agreed to accompany him to a cafè. Percy took that as a good sign but then again, this was Hermione Granger. She wouldn't be unreasonable about this; she, like him, had always respected the rules and she'd certainly do so now.
As soon as Hermione stepped out of the kitchen, he gallantly offered her his arm, saying, "It will be easiest if I side-along you with me. I…"
"No, thank you. I can apparate myself. Just tell me where you want to go and we can meet there…" she said, ignoring his offered arm.
For a moment Percy stalled, unable to understand why she wouldn't want to be the most efficient, but he quickly shook the feeling off. "But it would be so much easier if we just…"
"No." The woman's voice was firm when she looked at him with defiant brown eyes. "I will not side-along with you or anybody, ever. Since the war…" She shook her head, obviously searching for words. "Doing so makes me feel very uncomfortable."
Ah, of course. Hermione was a war hero and the things he'd learned about her ever since the end of the war probably only scratched the surface. He should have considered that. There was so much he didn't know about this brave young woman, yet.
"I understand," he replied, filing away that new bit of information. It sounded important so he couldn't risk forgetting it. "How about we floo to The Leaky Cauldron instead. We can walk the rest of that from there if you prefer?"
Hermione nodded, relief shining in her eyes. "Yes, please."
Percy perked up as she relaxed. He should have known she would be amenable. He just stumbled a bit was all, easily recoverable.
Soon, they were walking across Diagon Alley, Hermione being greeted and stared at by almost everyone they met. It made Percy realise once more what a good catch he'd made, marrying not only a brilliant mind but a renowned war-heroine as well. Without the law, he wouldn't have had a chance to even go on a date with her, especially as Hermione had never shown an interest in him.
"What can I get you, dears?" Madam Silverberry, the owner of the small cafè he'd led them to, stared at them with a wide smile as she waited for their order. Percy had been to the place only once before, with Penelope who'd claimed it to be the most romantic wizarding cafè there was in London. Percy hadn't seen the appeal of it back then and even now he wasn't so sure about the place. But he would trust a woman's judgement on this because he certainly couldn't see the romantic appeal of pink, cushioned sofas, white roses and an old lady that clearly smiled too much.
"I'll take a cup of tea, please," Hermione told the woman, smiling politely at her. "And one of your scones with whipped cream."
"And I'll take a cup of coffee with only three drops of milk, please. No sugar," Percy added calmly.
Madam Silverberry noted their orders on a small notepad before she hurried away with a knowing smile in their direction. Percy waited until she was out of earshot before he cleared his throat, saying, "Now, Hermione. As the ministry assigned us as spouses, I believe it to be beneficial if we discuss some things before we get married. While you were travelling, since I was already aware of us being matched, I used the time to research some information. I am familiar with your love of research and have my own propensities towards information myself. As such I drafted some documents that we may need."
The girl blinked at him, her face an unreadable mask. "Research? What kind of research?"
Percy smiled at her, pleased by her interest in his doings. It gave him the chance to make her realise how had taken steps to make her life easier before she even had to think about it. It was very thoughtful of him.
"As far as I learned, you do not have any permanent residence other than The Burrow," he explained calmly. "While we could relocate there I would imagine you would want some space from my… exuberant mother. Therefore it might be easiest if you move into my apartment as soon as we are wed. It is situated close to the city centre of London making it well-suited no matter if you decide to start a career at the Ministry or, for example, work in Diagon Alley. Also, its size should be sufficient even when our first child or even our second child is born."
Hermione's eyelid twitched at his words but she stayed silent, probably waiting for him to finish his first presentation of results. How polite! This was going so well.
Percy pushed his glasses up on his nose, mostly to mask his nervousness before he continued, "Furthermore, I picked some dates suitable for our wedding reception as well as a variety of locations. I prepared this folder for you, organized categorically, so that you may easily review and select the options that you prefer. All are acceptable on my end. "
He pulled said folder out of his bag, positioning it on the table between them. Hermione didn't have time to take it though, as this was the moment when their food and drinks arrived. His fiancée quietly prepared her tea with milk and sugar and Percy watched her concentratedly, memorising her exact preferences. Two sugars and one spoon of milk. Perfect. They wouldn't have to keep much milk on hand until the children were born. Percy hated waste.
When she took the first sip of tea he also took some time to drink his coffee, mostly to gather his courage for the next part of his little monologue.
Reaching into the inner pocket of his robe he pulled out the small jewellery box he had obtained last week, putting it onto the table, right on top of the folder he'd put together for her. "I also took the liberty of picking a ring for you. It should be sized to your finger when you put it on so you can start wearing it immediately. I will be the first to admit that I am not particularly well-versed in jewelry design so I chose something simple but classic, however, if it is not to your taste we can easily exchange it for something that's more to your liking. Now on to the financials-"
Hermione blinked at him, putting her cup down a little too abruptly. Then she took a deep breath and made eye contact with him before she said, "Why would I wear an engagement ring when we aren't engaged? I don't remember any of us asking or agreeing to enter any form of commitment."
"Pardon?" He stared at her, unable to comprehend what she was saying. He had expected some push back of course, his colleagues had warned him as much when they discovered him planning. They claimed that a woman wanted to plan her own wedding and he was wasting his time. But it wasn't as if Percy was inflexible. He had offered her options after all. And it was Hermione, he had figured that she wasn't one for ostentatiousness. Was it something else? "Are you suggesting that you're considering breaking Ministry law by not entering a matrimonial connection with me? I'm sure you are aware of the consequences of a refusal and therefore I don't believe that you would…"
She shook her head, frustration evident in her features. "I didn't say I would not marry you, Percy. I am well aware of the consequences," she stated, shaking her head at him. "I was merely observing that neither of us voiced a question yet and therefore no form of agreement has been formed. You'll have to excuse me, but I find it a little preposterous of you to make assumptions without even asking me what I wanted. What if I don't want children? Or if I want to live in the middle of nowhere?"
Percy tried to make sense of the girl's words, confused by her sudden resistance. He thought he had been doing well. "You don't want children? The law clearly says…"
"I know what the law says," Hermione interrupted him, her voice louder than it was common in polite conversation. Percy found that the first patrons of the café were staring at them already and flinched under the stares. He hated being stared at, more than anything.
He did his best to calm her in hopes that it would cool her temper and cool the scene. It wouldn't do for them to land themselves in the press because they were found quarrelling in the middle of wizarding London. "But I am still a person, not a doll for you to marry."
"I don't think of-" Percy sputtered. The very idea was ridiculous.
"And yet you assumed everything about this, from the band, to home, to the ceremony itself, not even considering my input," Hermione snapped.
"But I gave you options!" Percy protested quietly, gesturing towards his folder. "If you just look-"
"Oh yes, 'options'," Hermione said, glaring at the book. "My life planned out on pieces of paper for me, but don't worry, I can still choose the table cloths. Is this how it's going to be, Percy? You making all the actual decisions instead of simply talking to me?"
"I merely wanted to-"
"I don't care what you want, and you clearly don't care what I want either."
"This is not true," Percy protested, his cup of coffee forgotten. He glanced around as he struggled to keep his voice low, forcing her to match his tone. "I wanted to make things as easy as possible for you since you've faced enough challenges already. I was trying to be considerate, not to patronize you. I apologize if my actions indicated otherwise."
Hermione stared at him, her lips indicating a pout. Percy took a deep breath in the hope to calm his nerves a little before he continued, "One month until we're due to be wed isn't a very long time. I was trying to make things easy for you. That is all."
She sighed, her shoulders sagging. "Alright, sorry. I understand and I do appreciate the effort. It is just that I am used to making decisions on my own and I'd rather keep it that way."
"Of course." Percy made another mental note. Another foolish misstep of him really. Of course she was independent, it was one of the things he had admired about her. He didn't think she minded him doing the research, but he'd be careful to formulate his suggestions more openly in the future. "If you truly have a wish of moving to a more rural area, I suggest you take a look at my apartment first. If it doesn't meet your requirements, we can use the next month to look for something new. What do you think?"
Hermione nodded. "Yes, please."
He relaxed, glad that they'd seemingly reached a point where they could compromise. He didn't really care about their living arrangements, as a Floo would enable him to get quickly to the Ministry wherever he was. He'd just always viewed himself as a city person, but considering they were to have children it maybe wasn't such a bad idea to move somewhere with a little more space and privacy. "Very well. Would you like to take a look at my apartment after we finished here?"
"No!" Again, Hermione's answer came too quick and a little too loud. Percy couldn't help but frown at the girl's insistence. Was she afraid of him? Did she think his home a sty?
"Perhaps tomorrow then? We could have dinner at my place together or…" He broke off when he saw her face, her eyes wide with panic. Suddenly she looked like a wild animal, a caged lioness or maybe a proud hippogriff, ready to strike. He winced. This was going poorly. "Not tomorrow?"
"How about the day after?" Hermione suggested, taking a deep breath. "Or maybe on Friday…"
Percy wanted to protest. Couldn't she understand what a tight schedule they were on? There were so many things they needed to organize and if they had to find a new home on top of all things…
He grimaced. "The day after tomorrow will do," he agreed, even though his inner voice loudly protested. He knew entering a marriage would mean he'd need to learn to compromise, even if it wouldn't always be easy. Especially as things appeared like they wouldn't go so smoothly like he'd hoped they would. Flexibility was always the hardest skill for him to utilize.
"Alright."
They finished their food and drinks in silence and Percy found that the tension between them had grown tight. He didn't know what had happened but when Hermione left the café soon after, refusing to accept his offer to pay for her meal as well as leaving the folder and engagement ring behind, he felt he must have done something wrong. Only did he have no idea what it was and how to do better next time.