Chapter Forty-Two: An Oath-bound Announcement
Narcissa organises their formal marriage ceremony. Their nuptials are announced secretly. The happy couple spend the Yule holidays together.
(i) The characters and world of Harry Potter are the property of J.K. Rowling. I make no money from this.
(ii) Thank you to all the readers who have stayed with me through the writing of this tale. I am so sorry for all the time it has taken in posting this chapter. Your patience has been amazing and your continuing reviews are so appreciated.
(iii) Thank you to my wonderful alpha-beta Beaweasley2 for taking on this project. I do appreciate all your time and effort. You are a star. The errors that remain are my own.
While the term at Hogwarts was coming to an end, Narcissa Malfoy had been busy planning Hermione and Severus' more formal wedding ceremony. The first meetings had ensured that the guest list was to be kept small. Once that had been cleared, Hermione had allowed her mother and sister-in-law-to-be to do the planning. They loved that kind of thing, and she was enjoying Severus too much to really be bothered about a party.
Nothing pleased her more than to hold him each night when he finally came to bed. He was an amazing lover, inventive, tender and totally attuned to her needs. Even when he was so tired he could barely respond to her questions, he would mould himself to her and hush her to sleep with kisses. It had made their return to Hogwarts more than bearable.
The madness that was the planning and execution of a successful Yule Ball and end of term exams worked only to increase Hermione's admiration for her new husband. She knew the teachers worked hard, but this level of commitment was not what she had expected. Given that she herself was a workaholic, she realised that once she took her official place beside Severus that she had enough and more to keep her mind engaged. There was never going to be a chance that she would grow bored or complacent. No wonder they were soul-bound, they were attuned in their desire for knowledge and in their yearning to give Hogwarts their utmost in allowing it to shine.
Thus, when Hermione returned to Malfoy Manor with Astoria when school closed – Severus was to join them later that evening, she was startled to learn about the complete turn-around of the wedding party plans. Narcissa had invited everyone in the Order who had already been wand-bound to secrecy to the event, as well as many of the Malfoy kin. Julius was to be there, as was Tisiphone and the three Malfoy cousins from Portugal. So too were some of Draco's closest friends like Theo and Pansy, as well as the Greengrasses with Roger Davis and his family. Then she'd gone ahead and invited most of the DA and their families, as well as partners and spouses of Order members where appropriate. Even Madam Maxim had been invited from Beauxbatons. From it starting out as an intimate wedding celebration, the guest list had grown and grown.
Hermione was at first aghast when she was told of the alterations to the guest list. She had not wanted the news of their wedding to spread and she thought Narcissa was mad to imagine that something this sensational could be kept quiet if so many people were invited. But Narcissa assured her that they had only been invited for a pre-Yule celebration, and that the Manor's wards were set to act as a conduit for an involuntary oath of silence. Nothing anyone heard or saw at the Manor could be revealed to anyone who wasn't present in any way. Nor, could anyone discuss the event outside the Manor until the oath was lifted when a proper public announcement was eventually made. This kind of spell work was extremely tricky, but because there was a definite time limit on the oath of silence, it was still possible to manage. A more generalised oath of silence was harder to enforce. Dumbledore, for example, had by the way he'd worded his questions to Severus often avoided oaths of silence imposed by Voldemort. But because this was not only time bound but about a specific event and involved definite individuals, the warding could be made exact. A permanent or eternal oath of silence was nearly impossible to enforce though there were some historical presidents of such vows. But these had been crafted for love, and as Voldemort had never understood that concept, he'd never been able to enforce something of that nature on Severus.
Nonetheless, Hermione was glad that Lucius and Severus were now tasked with refining and enforcing the warding together. She shuddered to think how Severus would react if the information leaked out before they were ready for their big reveal. He would never forgive himself for tarnishing her scholastic record in her final year.
Hermione had now grown used to large balls and parties. She'd been to enough glittering functions to feel she could manage one in honour of her coming together with Severus. But nothing had prepared her for the sheer over-the-top preparations for the event planned by Narcissa. It made her wonder what on earth was going to be planned when the formal, public ball was held. And when Draco and Astoria's wedding was held, it would probably rival a royal wedding, or given the Malfoy's enjoyment of over-the-top entertainment, even probably exceed such an event.
Severus and Hermione were, supposedly to be feted together with Draco and Astoria at one of the opening celebrations of the summer wedding. Hermione knew that the wedding of her friend and brother was to be one enormous week-long party where friends, colleagues, associates and family connections, seven generations into the past, were to be included in the celebrations. She wondered if the whole of the wizarding world were to be invited. She couldn't imagine anything more ostentatious.
And yet, she knew Narcissa and Astoria were in their element. They wanted to have one of the largest weddings of the decade, if not the largest. Given that she and Severus had forced this small and secretive ceremony on Lucius and Narcissa they had agreed to allow Narcissa to do what she wanted with the summer celebrations. She supposed the political statement such a show would make was something that would also be on the Malfoys mind a year following the end of the war.
In any case, for this supposed pre-Yule Ball Narcissa had roped in most of the elves from Lestrange Manor and Hogwarts, too. Both establishments were so closely linked to Severus that the elves had been more than delighted with the tasks given to them. It allowed the matriarchs to feel that they were an instrumental part of the celebrations being held for their Lord and Master's nuptials.
Hermione gazed in amazement at the literary armies of elves in charge of each task. The whole garden had been covered in fairy lights, so that as far as the eyes could see from all the windows of the house, the grounds glittered under a soft golden glow. The entire house was decorated for Yule in gold and white, and where appropriate soft misty silver. Everything was shined and polished, cleaned and replaced where necessary. This was the first time the Manor was going to be thrown open in such a manner.
The Malfoys, she knew, wanted to show everyone how much things had changed. Besides which, the family as a whole was celebrating the end of the darkness and pain they had all undergone for so long. This was to be a celebration, a real one, of freedom and joy, of peace and of the hope that the winter solstice and Yule symbolised for the older traditions of belief.
The colours that had ultimately been agreed on were white and gold. The white symbolising the couple's commitment to purity, honesty and openness in their marriage. It also stood for their desire to embrace the Mother Goddess in her form of the Crone, awaiting the kiss of Father Sun, symbolised by the gold. The gold also stood for the prosperity and warmth wished for from the union. It represented the coming together of old and new, of two opposing ideologies and sides into one collective whole.
Severus mostly focused on the wards and the protective enchantments to the Manor. He and Lucius tried to do their best to avoid the manic preparations. Draco though was completely roped in by Astoria and he could be seen helping her charm satin bows and chiffon swags to banisters, windows and other odd bits of furniture. Thankfully, Hermione was spared all of this. She was supposed to rest, to have herself pampered and prepared for her big event by the elves trained in these things. Tansy, of course, was in her element bossing Hermione around.
Eventually though, the two mad days of preparations that followed the closing of Hogwarts drew to a close. The Manor was ready, and apparently so was the blushing bride.
Severus had insisted on sticking to his customary black, but he'd agreed to having Narcissa tailor an appropriate evening dress for him. Hermione hadn't seen it, but she knew it was bound to be utterly elegant and over-the-top.
Hermione's dress on the other hand was in shades of rose and antique gold. The under-dress was in almond hued off-white; an almost nude coloured chiffon that was soft and romantic. Then came yards and yards of gossamer thin silk in rose and antique gold that formed beautiful flounces that began in tiny rose rosettes at her waist and slowly grew larger as they reached the floor where they formed a large full skirt and train. It was elegant and everything Hermione had imagined a princess' ball gown to be.
The bodice of the gown was made up of clever bands of almond-white, rose and antique gold that wrapped around her torso. The neckline was a simple off the shoulder style that showed off Hermione's delicate collar bones and shoulders. The dress was a dream, and only someone like Narcissa with her eye for detail could have helped design and craft something so utterly beautiful, romantic and pure.
Hermione couldn't believe how wonderful the dress looked on her. She knew that she had never looked better. There were bitter-sweet tears in her eyes as she was finally fitted into the gown by Tansy, Narcissa and Narcissa's own Topsy, who held pins and needles and waited in the wings to help if, need be. If only her parents could see her now.
And yet, although Hermione knew that they had been sent an invitation by Narcissa, no response had been received. She was grateful that her parents had taken the trouble of reaching out to people they thought of as inferior. Not only because of Lucius' still apparent disdain for Muggles, but also because she knew the older Malfoys were extremely angry on behalf of their new daughter at the way Hermione had been discarded by her blood.
Blood was everything to the Malfoy creed. Lucius would kill without a thought to protect his family. Now that Hermione had been taken into that hallowed embrace, she knew without a doubt that there was nothing the Malfoys wouldn't do for her. But, her biological father who had loved her so much had walked away. Lucius couldn't understand that kind of cold indifference. His love was a never-ending kind.
Finally though, once she was dressed, her face made-up and her hair arranged in an artful up-do that left her neck bare, but wonderful soft curls framing her face, Lucius and Draco were ushered into the room. This was the final time she would walk in on her father's arm as a Malfoy. After this, she would be officially a Snape.
"You look beautiful," said Lucius simply, reaching out and taking hold of her own outstretched hands. "I'm so proud to have the opportunity to present you formally and give you away."
Hermione embraced her father. She's stopped thinking of the fact that she was adopted. Their love, their commitment to her was so genuine that she did not feel like a fraud when she thought of the Malfoys as her family now.
There were no words to express the myriad of emotions coursing through her. She who had been unwanted almost her whole life had been given more than she could ever have dreamed off. Less than a year ago she'd been afraid, hungry, cold and on the run. Now she was warm, safe and in the bosom of people who had watched her being tortured. Life was strange to say the least.
Once they broke apart, Flitty, Lucius' personal elf and the most senior in the Malfoy home barring the matriarch, stepped forward with a small chest of jewels. From this, Lucius personally began to adorn Hermione with the Malfoy heirlooms. These would now be hers. She would take them with her to Severus' home.
First out of the chest came a glittering diamond and pearl tiara. Tansy and Topsy carefully secured it on to her hair once Lucius had ceremoniously placed it atop her crown. Then, a necklace, made of five strands of pearls, and an elaborate broach encrusted with even larger pearls and diamonds to hold the strands together was placed around her throat, and fastened. Then, simple diamond and pearl studs were slipped onto her earlobes. Long, almond-white silk gloves were then painstakingly pulled onto her hands and up her arms, which were then adorned with pearl and diamond bracelets. Finally, her bridal gift from Severus was presented. This had arrived earlier that afternoon, and it was a perfect princess-cut pink diamond, surrounded by white diamonds on a platinum ring.
Hermione also openly wore the ceremonial white and yellow gold ring she'd been given at their soul-bonding, which Severus had magically made invisible before her return to Hogwarts.
Then, after much hugging and kissing from Draco, Narcissa, and elfish felicitations by everyone who was in the room, Hermione made her way to the ballroom.
As she walked carefully down the stairs, Lucius just a few steps behind because her skirts were so wide, she could see Severus waiting for her. He looked extremely dashing. He was dressed in Regency style evening dress. His black silk suit had beautifully tailored tails, but the magic was in his white silk waistcoat. Embroidered in silver and gold, real diamonds had been sewed in to make it glitter. All of his buttons were diamonds, too, as were the cuff-links. These Hermione had chosen for him with the help of Narcissa who had said they would suit the suit she was having tailored for him. What Hermione liked the most however was the neckful of linen that was his cravat. It was so very him, and it gave him a rakish, yet utterly serious and proper appearance.
She sighed as she approached him. "You look gorgeous," she murmured. "I think the Veela magnetism is definitely starting to make itself known. I will have to keep a very tight hold of my wand in case anyone gets too frisky with you."
Severus chuckled at her jealous pronouncement. His shoulders visibly relaxed and the creases in his brow eased. His mouth relaxed enough to smile tenderly at her. "You are a vision," he said quietly. "Thank you, my love. I have no words to say how glad I am that you chose to bind yourself to me."
Hermione squeezed his hand. "I love you."
The couple smiled at each other. Then they broke apart as the three Malfoys made their way down. Together, the family made their way to the entrance of the ballroom. The receiving line was to be led by Lucius and Narcissa, with Draco and Hermione standing with them.
Hermione had, of course, over the course of the summer met most of the people the Malfoys were close to. But as more and more people were introduced, Hermione began to lose track. So many invitees! Thankfully, the DA and Order members made things feel less formal. Meeting many of the DA and Order members' spouses, partners, parents and family helped, too. They were people Hermione had previously been introduced to.
Once the long receiving line was concluded, Lucius led Hermione into the ballroom. Narcissa followed on Draco's arm. As they entered, the string quartet that had been playing softly in the background fell silent.
Everyone turned in hushed silence to look at Lucius. He was magnificent in antique gold Louis XIV evening robes. His long coat with wide turned back sleeves was embroidered with seed pearls and his waistcoat of golden silk damask was again encrusted with seed pearls. With his lace cravat, tight fitting breeches that showed off his very toned calves, Lucius was the elegant peacock he wanted to be.
Hermione's lips twitched. She knew her father loved to dress up and this was one of his finest moments. No-one else could have managed to pull of that look and still retain the dangerous and sardonic edge that he did. Together with her gown, they looked like the old and the new, their styles, symbolising the two different traditions of magic they hailed from.
Squeezing Hermione's hand, Lucius addressed the gathering. "You have all, I know, heard about how proud and happy we have been to welcome Hermione into our family. Today, however, I must give my daughter away to my dear, dear friend. Hermione has been bound to Severus, blessed by the Goddess and Consort according to the rites of Hera."
There was stunned silence by people who were not in the know. Then applause broke out as Severus stepped forward from where he'd been standing to take Hermione's hand from Lucius'.
Lucius continued. "By the power vested in me as her adopted father, I give my blessings to the union of Hermione and Severus. I welcome you all in joining me and my family," here he turned and drew Narcissa and Draco into the grouping, "in wishing them all the very best."
As he finished speaking, the many elves circulating the ballroom ensured that everyone was given a goblet of the Malfoys' finest elf-made champagne. Once the toast had been drunk, a priestess of the Daughters of Brighid in her customary scarlet robes placed a circlet of magical ice-cold, immortal flame representative of light, inspiration and all skills associated with fire on Hermione's head. This was the blessing of the Goddess, considered by many in the British Isles to be identical to Juno of the Roman Pantheon.
With the circlet of magical fire, the priestess of the Daughters of Brighid bestowed upon Hermione the blessing of fertility and creativity, but also in her aspect of the Queen of Heavens Brighid's blessings ensured that the couple's commitment to each other was enhanced and protected.
Once the blessing had been bestowed, the orchestra began to play, and Severus led Hermione to the floor to open the ball in her honour. Once they took to the floor, Draco and Astoria followed, eventually being followed by Lucius and Narcissa. Once the opening waltz was well and truly under way, the guests took to the floor.
The official blessing by the priestess had been a brief and token affair. This was generally only done in a more detailed and elaborate manner if the soul-binding did not take. The choice of which pantheon to approach for blessings was purely an individual decision. Some witches and wizards didn't adhere to any such belief system, and were more like Muggle Agnostics. The Malfoys despite their Norman roots had inherited many of the Saxon practices on their arrival to British soil. They tended to follow the Celtic Pantheon in times when official customs were required. The Princes, meanwhile, were still adherents to the Greco-Roman Pantheon which explained why Severus had turned to the Priestess of Hera to aid in their soul-binding with the blessings of the Goddess and Consort.
For Hermione, who had grown up within the Christian church, this kind of laissez-faire attitude to religion was a bit alarming. But given the history of the pure-bloods, Christianity was such a young religion that that type of practice was often seen as a mere copy of the older forms of worship. Besides, Hermione was not really surprised to learn that some families went even further back in their choice of Gods, taking their worship from the Egyptian and the Mesopotamian. Even at Hogwarts, the Patel twins had often performed ancient Hindu rituals for sacred ceremonies, Parvati having come to school with a tiny shrine to her chosen goddess which she'd set up on her chest of drawers.
The party over, the quiet days of relaxation at Lestrange Manor were a healing tonic to the newly married couple. They finally had time to do nothing but be together. They talked and read late into the night, only to wake up late the next day, to cuddling and love-making, and yet more relaxing activities.
But four days of such laziness seemed to be their personal limit. Soon Hermione was rested enough to start exploring the Manor in earnest.
Severus laughed and waved her off. He'd spent enough time over the summer to ensure anything that was intended to be anti-Muggle or anti-Muggle-born had been removed from the house. Besides, there was no denying that the house-elves would be ever vigilant.
Nonetheless, once Hermione had vanished off towards the as yet unexplored reaches of the house, Severus called for Twilly, his personal Manor appointed elf. "Madam has gone exploring. Please keep an eye on her and make sure she does not come to harm in any way. If I'm needed, come to me immediately."
"Of course, Master," said the elf. His eyes shining with delight at being given such a grave responsibility the elf vanished to watch over his mistress with an almost silent pop.
Severus felt his lips twitching in silent mirth. He couldn't believe the delight the elves seemed to take in his orders. He couldn't help but be thankful that the Dark Lord had never truly understood the power and the devotion that he could have gained from the elves.
Even Dumbledore for all his talk of dealing kindly with the elves hadn't grasped how much they had to offer, and how much they wanted to do for their masters and mistresses. But when Severus had suddenly been made responsible for so many elves, both at the Manor and at Hogwarts, it had forced upon him the need to learn and understand. The matriarchs of both the Manor and the school had been delighted to meet with their master, and their insightful comments, their frank opinions, once painstakingly drawn out had really helped Severus come to terms with the details of their enchantment, and understand their motives and aspirations.
Hermione didn't know of Severus' precautions, of course, but she too was aware that the house was old. Even if Severus had managed to clear everything, one could never be sure with families like the Lestranges' what cursed objects or enchantments lingered around the house. Making her way to the grand library, she called for Tansy.
When the elf appeared, she explained. "I want to learn more about the house. Is there a proper plan or blue-print to be had?"
Tansy wiggled her ears. "I don't know, Hermione, but Tansy can be asking Empy. He be the late, late master's elf. He will be knowing about something of use."
Hermione smiled. "Could you please ask him?"
Tansy vanished with a pop. A short while later as Hermione stood gazing out of the window across the lawns a discrete cough broke her concentration. It was the cough of the most noble of servants. Human butlers everywhere could only hope to emulate such a reserved, respectful and knowing cough.
Hermione turned to look around her. When her eyes fell on the ancient elf, she realised that she had never met an elf of this age. He had not been presented to her when she had taken over as Mistress of the Manor, possibly because he had retired from active duty at the death of his master. He was wizened to say the least. His eyes were a pale, myopic blue and he wore what appeared to be a monocle. His skin was almost leathery, and the many, many wrinkles bore testimony to his age. His white toga-like garment was neat and clean. But wrack her brain as she would, she could not imagine what it was made off. Then it finally dawned on her. It was a linen cloth that would probably have been used as part of a Regency period shaving equipment accoutrement.
Pleased she'd identified what he was wearing, she smiled. "Hello. You must be Empy."
The voice that replied held the sound of dry leaves. "Yes, Madam. I am Empy. I served the Lords Lestrange, and old Lord Lestrange. How may I be of service?"
Hermione tried not to grin at the gravity with which the elf spoke. He was so dignified. She could imagine how he would have been during the time of the old Lestrange patriarch. Like an old butler of the best possible families, very conscious of his own and his family's status.
"Empy," said Hermione walking to talk a seat on the sofa. "Please, sit. I'm sure you'll be more comfortable."
The elf's eyes grew large at this invitation. He hesitated, then, as though realising that her request was an order, he stiffly settled onto a low footstool.
Hermione wanted to admonish him, but she could guess how difficult it was for an elf of the old school to sit in his Mistress's presence.
"I want to explore the house," said Hermione. "I want to learn about it, to understand it so that I can do a better job at taking care of it. It's so beautiful, but some of it I'm sure could use a little up-dating. However, I don't want to do anything that would displease the house too much."
The elf starred at her. Then, seeming to come to some kind of decision the elf spoke. "I shall fetch the plans, My Lady."
The title of My Lady surprised Hermione. She guessed it meant she'd passed some kind of test for the old elf.
While Empy was off doing his fetching, Tansy brought tea. She seemed to delight in feeding Hermione.
"Mistress must have a cup of fruit tea," said Tansy. "It is warming."
Hermione smiled. She was learning to get used to the managing of her elf. Tansy was a bossy-boots, especially where her Mistress's well-being was concerned.
Once the plans were unearthed Hermione began exploring. The old Manor seemed to have dozens of rooms, and even more that were magical and hidden. Severus was surprised to say the least when Hermione found a whole wing on the east side, completely hidden behind a large stone arched window. He had thought he'd explored the house during his taking-over investigations.
The heavy oak furniture in the hidden wing was completely covered in Holland covers, but dust and dirt had not penetrated it despite the many decades of disuse. Magic had protected it and all its contents. Dating back from the fifteenth century, they finally found a portrait that was willing to tell them about it.
Lady Héloise Lestrange was regal. Assured of her nobility, even though she was nothing now but oil paint and canvass, she explained how the castle had been surrounded during the fifteenth century by wizards on the side of the House of York. The Lestrange family having had connections to the House of Lancaster, of course, meant that their castle had seen some fighting. At that time, the magical part of the castle had been hidden away, and only the most obvious part of it was allowed to be included in the actual skirmish. Because the whole manor hadn't vanished, the York wizards had not suspected the ingenious magic carried out by the Lancaster wizards. Eventually, the strong outer walls had suffered some damage, but the siege had not come to much, and the fighting had moved on. The threat though from spies and a returning force had meant that the vanished wing was not exposed. Eventually, the family forgot about it, and no one really missed the rooms. They hadn't been anything the rest of the manor did not already contain. Besides, newer building work was always going on, more and more additions altering the manor's appearance during each generation.
Hermione was entranced. The wing was a time capsule, giving a glimpse to how the Lestranges had lived hundreds of years ago. Clothes, even odd pieces of jewellery were unearthed inside still intact cupboards and chests. But it did make it even more necessary that the house was properly studied. There was no telling what more was hidden both by time and magic.
Unfortunately, there wasn't a vanished library. Hermione and Severus both had thought there'd be some hidden chamber filled with the most dangerous of lost texts. But this was not the case.
"Never mind," said Severus, going through the chest they had uncovered in what could only have been the wing's Master chamber. "These letters, diagrams and folios will at least provide plenty of interesting reading when we want to know more of what was going on."
Hermione sighed. "I suppose. It would have been exciting though."
Severus smiled. "What, a whole hidden wing isn't exciting enough?"
Hermione blushed. A part of her delighted in being able to make her taciturn lover smile. But, he was right, damn it. Nonetheless, a hidden library, now that would have been amazing. Imagine if some of the lost texts by Merlin had turned up.
Their days alone in the Manor were a kin to the more traditional honeymoons of old. They spent hours and hours in bed, making love and most importantly talking. They read all they could find in the Lestrange and Snape libraries combined about the Veela and enjoyed the peace of exploring their binding in private. The elves seemed to read their minds, and despite the attention and care they received, they were also given isolation and space. Not once did Hermione see the elves, not even Tansy unless she called for her specifically. Her bath would be prepared each morning no matter what time she left their bed, but Tansy would merely be an unobtrusive shadow who pampered and cared for her mistress.
Yule itself was a magical night. Severus and she observed the old customs by going to the sacred grove and offering sacrifices of mead, smoked meat and grain to the ancestral gods and goddesses. The house was decorated in holly and mistletoe, boughs of greenery scenting the air with festive cheer. It was for Hermione the most magical Yule of her life.
A/N: I am so sorry this chapter has taken so long. The next one should hopefully be posted a lot faster.
Reviews and comments are definitely welcomed!