Chapter 13
It didn't take long for Hermione to remember why she actively detested Malfoy. He disagreed with everything she said or stood for.
They had walked into the Royal Blue Room to a very familial sight. The sisters sat next to each other, cooing excitedly over Teddy. It appeared that they had reached some form compromise and much later, this scene would stand out to Hermione as the calm before the storm. Narcissa had a lot to say about the engagement party and even about their eventual wedding. She excitedly welcomed Hermione, introduced Teddy to his uncle and sprouted nonsensical sounding words such as Zinnias, gobos and nosegays. Draco sat a little to the side and spent most of his time warily staring at Teddy even as Andromeda observed her own nephew.
Hermione didn't really mind. To be honest, she didn't care. It was agreed that the engagement party would be held on the Saturday before they were due in Hogwarts and that was the only thing Hermione cared about. The problem began when Narcissa recommended that Hermione have her dress fitting for the engagement party at the end of the week. She subtly tried to avoid it, citing other engagements and assurances of already owning such garments. And perhaps it was her tone that set him off, but Malfoy decided to get involved!
"Which is it? Looney's tea party or that periwinkle dress you bought eons ago?"
Hermione darkened at Malfoy's words. The worst part was that he was absolutely correct in his assessment that she had been referring to her Yule ball dress when she made the comment to his mother.
"How does it matter?" she snapped loudly.
"Because you are lying and that usually means that you are hiding something" he continued in a drab tone.
"You know nothing Malfoy, so stay out of it!" Hermione flushed and looked away as Teddy began to fuss hearing her raised voice.
Narcissa picked Teddy up and began rocking him gently as she attempted to distract him from the conversation. Draco continued staring at Hermione, a question in his eyes while Andromeda gave her a more reassuring smile.
The silence stretched on until Hermione finally whispered "The appeal is on Saturday."
Malfoy got up instantly and began pacing. "The appeal for the Poena Magnus Matrimonium or the engagement clause?"
"Poena Magnus. I requested for an appeal minutes after signing the contract. They scheduled it for this Saturday and I intend to win it." Hermione replied hotly.
Malfoy stopped pacing and faced Hermione, "That's the stupidest thing I have ever heard. Do you really think you will win an appeal? And what do you think happens to me if you win the appeal?" he retorted loudly.
"Draco" Narcissa interjected. "Be nice! She is your betrothed!" she hissed.
Hermione managed to just stop herself from rolling her eyes. "Not yet I am not, and I intend to prove to the tribunal that the Matrimonium clause is outdated and unnecessary."
"Did you even do any research?" Malfoy countered, visibly annoyed, an annoying red creeping up his neck.
Hermione bristled under his accusation. She hadn't actually studied much about the appeal process but she had done her fair share of research on the Poena Magnus and was convinced that she had enough anecdotal evidence to persuade the tribunal to release them from their marriage contract.
Hermione got up from her seat in a huff and faced Malfoy head on. She tightened her grip on her wand and opened her mouth to respond unkindly when Andromeda finally broke her silence "Why don't you show her your research on the appeal process Draco? Your mother tells me that you have spent all your free time cooped up in the library."
Draco blinked. Hermione shut her mouth and tucked her wand into her bag. This was ludicrous and Andromeda was correct. They both wanted the same thing. She turned to Malfoy questioningly.
"What do you know about the appeal process?
Malfoy led her through long passages and winded stairs before stopping before what Hermione assumed was the House's library, but while she had expected grand, she was not prepared for what stretched before her.
Towers of books.
Shelves of tomes, diaries, journals, newspapers stretched out in all directions. Hermione realised that this library while functional, was designed to impress. Malfoy appeared smug as he led her to the centre of the room where a long table with a large box was located. She recognised the box at once, the Hogwarts library used a similar recalling device so students didn't have to personally search the shelves for a book they need. The table was littered with various books all in neat but haphazard piles.
Malfoy stopped before a selection of loosely bound journals and pointed to them. These are transcriptions of every single Poena Magnus Matrimonium appeals in the last century. Hermione's eye widened but then she sniffed and only offered "There are only 3 documents".
"Because very few people are dumb enough to try" Malfoy muttered.
Hermione sniffed and said "Why are you against the appeal? I thought you wanted out as much as me?"
Malfoy snorted and sat down. "Why are you appealing the order?"
"Because it is unjust, outdated and improper" Hermione retorted rolling her eyes.
"Please explain" Malfoy said in a firm official voice.
Hermione straightened up and stared at Malfoy. He sat tightlipped, a half sneer on his face and Hermione suddenly realised that he was pretending to be a tribunal member and giving her a mock trial. She wanted to sneer back at him and ask him to mind his business but the competitive side in her won out and she sat down across Malfoy. She schooled her face into a blank canvas, placed her hands directly in front of her and looked steadily into Malfoy's eyes before responding.
"The practise of providing a plea bargain to a defendant by course of arranged marriage is archaic and barbaric. It is unfair to the defendant, the other party involved in the matter and is a grave violation of human rights."
Malfoy was openly sneering at her now.
Hermione went on "The Poena Magnus was originally used to settle land disputes and was created during a time when there was a strong need to continue wizarding lineages due to fear of muggle attacks."
Malfoy rolled his eyes and looked around bored. Undeterred Hermione continued.
"This was also a time of patriarchy where women's rights were not valued. To continue the same practise shows how backward and conservative we still are!"
"Ms Granger, are you implying that you stand against this court and by association, the Ministry?" Malfoy fired in a drawl.
"What?"
"You have thrown the terms archaic, patriarchal and backward among others at the court in your opening statement. Is it your intention to undermine this court and therefore the Ministry?"
Hermione looked flummoxed but she narrowed her eyes and continued "Of course not, I am here to appeal the Poena Magnum order, which I think is archaic and all those other things."
Malfoy got up and walked the length of the table slowly. He glanced back at her and said "Ms Granger, these are serious accusations. The Poena Magnus is a revered and ancient tradition which settles internal matters in a convenient and unshameful manner. To say that we are conservative and patriarchal.." Malfoy snorted and continued "it was your choice Ms Granger, to bind yourself to Mr Malfoy. To act like we forced you into it is a false allegation."
"Okay stop!" Hermione shouted, standing up. "What the hell are you doing?"
"I was going easy on you" Malfoy responded sitting down again. "You have no idea what you are against! Did you really think that going in and teaching them the history of the law would help!"
Hermione slammed her palms on the table and stared at Malfoy. Through gritted teeth, she spat "Then what?"
Malfoy calmly pushed the transcripted appeal documents towards her. "Read these first, find out about the jury members of the court and lets' practise tomorrow."
Hermione scrunched her nose and said "But you still think that I can't win the appeal?"
"No Granger, you can't! But this is a public event and the media are going to eat up all your words. You may not win but at least you can make a point. We just need to carefully consider what the point is going to be."
Hermione bristled. "We?" she asked incredulously.
"I am not your fucking enemy! Like it or not, this" he gestured wildly to the documents "this is our problem"
"You could have fooled me" Hermione responded coldly.
Malfoy breathed out slowly. "I know some of these men. They may have sided with the winning side, but they themselves are archaic, cold and cruel so your direct Gryffindor methods are not going to work on them. They are smart and calculating and they will find a way to use everything you say against you" he paused, looking away, before adding "and me".
"Like whom?" Hermione asked, her curiosity getting the best of her.
"Later." Malfoy abruptly got up and turned as if to usher her out. "Read first, then we will talk".
Hermione grabbed the books and stormed off without waiting for Malfoy. He was far too smug and sure of himself and honestly he just pissed her off. If she had but turned around, she would have seen the worry etched in his eyes as he clumsily leaned on the table, hands held tight against his week-old dagger wound. Malfoy was excellent at facades after all.
"But why didn't you take us with you?" Harry sounded like a petulant child.
"Because it was hard enough for me not to kill him and I don't think you could have done better" Hermione offered.
Hermione had left without Andromeda. The sisters had been discussing guest lists and Hermione felt suffocated. Malfoy had stayed back in the library so she had navigated her way back to the gardens and disapparated back to Grimmauld Place, only to find Harry and Ginny waiting for her with worry in their eyes and questions in their mouth.
Ginny grinned. "Are you going back tomorrow?"
Harry scoffed. "Like we need his help." He turned to Hermione "You aren't are you?" he asked, silently hoping that he was right.
Hermione grimaced. "I don't want to but.." she bit her lip and stared at the open transcripts in front of her. "But I think he's right." she muttered quietly.
"At least it would be good to learn more about the jury members and he is excellent at winding me up so it would be good practise."
"We'll come" Ginny suggested, "to help!"
Hermione shook her head. "Actually can you help me uncover details about the judge and the jury? Percy may know and Harry," Hermione looked into the troubled eyes of her best friend "Perhaps you could check with Kingsley and let me know?"
Harry nodded vigorously. "Of course, but Hermione just let me know if you need me to come with you."
Hermione smiled and started flipping through the first appeal transcript for a second read. "You can help me with going through these notes in the meanwhile" she smirked.
"Ahhh homework!" Harry declared dramatically before opening the book closest to him.
"Hermione! Before we start, tell us how Malfoy's wand followed you to Grimmauld Place again!" Ginny asked with a quiet smirk.
Hermione laughed. "That wasn't me, it's the conditions of his release. If we aren't within two grounds of each other, the wand returns to me."
"I wish I could have seen his face" Harry smiled wistfully.
"Are we all sadists?" Ginny clarified, biting into a chocolate frog, which Harry immediately wrestled out of her grasp.
Even as Harry and Ginny squabbled over the chocolate, Hermione couldn't help feeling grateful for her friends, despite her circumstances. She had spent an entire week feeling bad for herself, guilty that Malfoy had been stabbed because of her, angry that Ron was mad at her, jealous of Harry and Ginny's companionship and terrified about her parent's slow medical treatment. But now, she remembered her priorities. She had a new purpose. It wasn't just about appealing the law anymore. She was going to reform Magical law, and the Ministry, however long it took her to do so.
Ginny howled as Harry finished the last of her chocolate frog, bringing Hermione out of her heavy thoughts. She had friends who cared about her and she was done pushing them away. Hermione reached into her beaded purse for another chocolate frog and placed it on the table. "Now now, share children" she said, a smile in her voice as she watched Ginny grab it and run, Harry right on her tail.
"Why did you sign the contract if you believe it to be unfair, Ms Granger?" Malfoy was drinking tea today which was new but her annoyance at his incessant questions was not.
"Because there was no alternative!"
"The terms state that Mr Potter had a year to find a suitable companion for Mr Malfoy, a companion who satisfied the Poena Magnus rules but didn't consider the match to be an issue."
Hermione scowled at Malfoy.
"And you cannot talk about my..the attempted assassination, that's in the contract." Malfoy continued in a deep drawl.
Hermione mulled at his change in pronoun, instead of answering straight away. The last two days of practise had depleted her spirits. Malfoy found a way of twisting everything she said and she was tired. They had figured out the answers to most questions except this one and it seemed as if they had run out of steam.
"Why did you sign the contract Ms Granger?"
"Because it was the right thing to do, under the circumstances."
"What circumstances?"
Hermione mumbled. It was weird to talk about Malfoy in the third person, right in front of him, so she didn't.
Malfoy sighed. "Say you didn't think anyone would volunteer. In fact you didn't find any volunteers and your bleeding heart didn't want anyone to else to suffer this atrocious bond with me or something of that sort."
Hermione's eye widened. She had never heard Malfoy talk like that about himself before and she was startled by the vulnerability in his voice. Perhaps he recognised her curiosity because Malfoy abruptly got up and gestured to the door. "It's nearly time for your dress fitting anyway. Mother will have a fit if we are late.
Hermione ad surrendered to Narcissa's insistence that she be fitted for a new dress. In reality she had also realised that she no longer possessed the Yule ball dress and had no idea where it had disappeared. They had compromised on having the seamstress visit for measurements and Narcissa had promised to work out all the details of the dress herself. Andromeda had been a real blessing through everything. From guest lists to floral arrangement, Andromeda was acting as a screen, protecting Hermione from taking part in the planning. That the sisters were slowly bonding had been a real silver lining, although Teddy seemed to be playing a major role in this.
"Mother. Aunt Andromeda" Malfoy had led Hermione to the tea room on the East side of the House. Hermione nodded at the sisters before sitting next to Teddy.
"How's the appeal practise going?" Andromeda asked, as she passed Hermione a scone.
Hermione spared Malfoy a glance before responding wish a shoulder shrug.
"Dismal" Malfoy answered for her and Hermione tightened her grip on her cup.
Narcissa immediately cut in "Madam Xenia will be here shortly for your measurements Hermione.". She had been playing the role of mediator as she constantly found ways to change topics that may lead to potential arguments. However, no sooner had Narcissa uttered the words, Miffy arrived with a pop, announcing the arrival of the seamstress.
Xenia turned out to be like nothing that Hermione could have imagined. She was a short witch in combat boots wearing multicoloured layers of clothing. She watched as Narcissa managed a tight smile and enquired after Madam Malkin. Andromeda and Draco looked equally amused by the seamstress which did nothing to ease Hermione's nerves.
Xenia took one look at Hermione and gasped. "Oh I can already imagine it. It's going to be lovely! Do you want modern, combative, tacky or boring?
"Boring!" Narcissa squeaked. Draco sniggered as Narcissa corrected herself "Conservative my dear. This is the engagement of the year, the decade even. The very first prominent engagement party after the war."
Hermione had enjoyed seeing Narcissa flustered even if it was for just a moment but her face glowed now as she spoke, "I have sent Madam Malkin my instructions on the embedded diamonds and aplique work."
Hermione's eye bulged. "Narcissa I cannot afford all that." There was a short pause as Hermione's cheeks reddened in embarrassment before Narcissa replied "But my dear, you do not have to worry about the financing at all. You have the Malfoy money at your disposal now, to use as you wish."
Hermione saw red. She was not in this for the money and she din't like Narcissa's assumption that Hermione would be fine using their money. "I don't need your charity Mrs Malfoy." Hermione replied before she could think.
"That's not what I meant dear. It will not be charity. You will be a Malfoy soon and you will have equal access to the vault. Most women would jump at the chance to do so"
Hermione felt the anger funnel up. She had no intention of becoming the next Mrs Malfoy and she was most certainly not like other women. "Most women would not have nightmares of the Malfoy drawing rooms. Most women would not be marrying someone for legal reasons and most importantly I am not most women" she thundered.
Draco got up in anger ready to defend his mother when Andromeda spoke up. "Hermione, I'll be paying for your dress and before you say anything, it will be my pleasure. I never got to plan an engagement party for Tonks so please don't think I am doing you any favour here." Andromeda turned to Narcissa and whispered "Cissa, let's take a walk in the park while Xenia measures Hermione? Draco can keep her company."
Narcissa got up without a single retort, and walked out with Andromeda, only stopping to nod at Xenia.
Which is how Hermione found herself in a room with an angry Draco Malfoy, a fashionably mad seamstress and her magic measuring tape. It was only Xenia's presence that stopped Malfoy and Hermione from having any altercations.
The magic measuring tape was a spelled measuring tape that followed Xenia's order to measure certain body parts before calling out the number in a loud jarring tone. It helped to lighten the mood at the start when Hermione was still seething from her outburst and dealing with her embarrassing behaviour and judging by the increasing length of Malfoy's answers to Xenia's inane questions, he had cooled down too, not that Hermione spared him a glance.
"Heels!" Xenia barked at the tape before adding "Do you know what you are wearing Mr Malfoy?" Xenia's first fashion related question filled the room as she wrote down Hermione's measurements in her long notebook.
"Madam Malkin already has my measurements" Malfoy responded.
Xenia paused and stared at Draco until her continued "I don't know what it's going to be. Mother is working on it."
"Of course." Xenia responded, turning back to Hermione. "Overbust" she declared.
To Hermione and Malfoy's mounting embarrassment, the measuring tape wrapped itself around Hermione, ignoring her tiny yelp, before shouting out a number.
That night Hermione lay in bed, rereading a history book on tribunal laws. Harry had told her that the tribunal will be presided by the Chief Warlock, Macmillan Selwyn, the same wizard who had approved Malfoy's sentence. This did not bode well for them. The rest of the jury were selected from the top positions of the Ministry and according to Percy, most of them were from old families and were too traditional to reject the ancient law. Malfoy had been right, the only way to play this would be to use it as a publicity platform.
After the measurements, she had hastily returned to Grimmauld Place. She was extremely self-conscious that Malfoy now knew her body measurements and combined with the incident with his mother, she could not get out fast enough. She had later sent him a letter with details about the jury and judge. She didn't think he would be silly enough to not help her. Petty enough to make her beg but not stupid. So when she received a letter requesting her presence at breakfast to discuss the judge, Hermione found herself worrying about what Malfoy knew about Selwyn that could be so important.
Hermione fingered Draco's wand with her spare hand as she continued to worry about the appeal. There was one more day between her and the tribunal. One more day to learn more about the committee, one more day to practise her answers and even though she knew that the chances of a successful appeal were minuscule, she hoped she was one day away from freedom.
Author's notes: Please please review!