Harry scowled.

"Please pup, I'm certain!"

"And if you're wrong?" she asked.

"I'll kill him for betraying us both," Sirius replied, face grim.

Harry stared at Sirius for a few minutes before nodding.

"Fine. Go and bring Lupin over."


Harry snarled in frustration as she watched the unconscious form of one Remus Lupin who was getting various compulsions off of him.

"That's it! I'm certain he's scheming something, that goat!" Harry told Griphook.

"I believe you," Griphook replied. "The man obviously wishes you to get married to the Malfoy heir."

"The question is why?" Sirius muttered out loud.

Harry bit her lip, confused.

"We'll find it out," Griphook told her, spotting her worried look.


"What is this?" Harry asked, taking the letter Griphook silently handed over with a frown.

"From Messrs Weasleys."

She stilled. Thee twins? She had rather thought they wouldn't want anything to do with her by now. She had been very cold. And rather mean.

It had taken her a full three hours of completely destroying her bedroom in Sirius' old hideaway apartment before she had managed to cool down enough to think about what the twins had actually been trying to do.

Which was help her in the only way they knew how under such a stupid law.

Sirius had talked with her afterwards and pointed out reasonably that the twins had given her the best way out, if she thought about it. They would sign any contract with her without hesitation, being good, loyal friends. She knew that. She could be married to them in name and never expected to do anything against her will, despite the law's existence. Merlin knows most of the remaining purebloods used that same scheme to escape the law.

Plus, being magical twins, Fred and George were both allowed to marry the same person so long as they themselves didn't take part in incestuous behaviour. Which meant Harry would have double the protection if she married the twins. Even if Dumbledore did some scheme, he would have to get rid of both the twins – a hard thing to do because the twins have earnt to survive a war and their ever-hazardous joke shop. It was going to take a lot to skilfully take those two out. If she was not honestly so hell bent for revenge, she would have snapped up their offer quickly, taking the opportunity to regain her freedom through them.

Harry sighed.

"I shouldn't think like this," she thought sullenly.

It was honestly not nice. She knew more than anyone what it felt like to be used as a means to an end. A tool. The twins didn't deserve her callous side. Not when they still were good friends to her. Good friends that she very much brushed aside and lashed out her anger on.

She stared at the letter in her hands with a grim expression.

It was testament to the twins' loyalty and stubbornness that they were still trying to get into contact with her. This was certainly not the first time they had tried to contact her after the Knockturn Alley incident. They had ceaselessly sent her letter after letter since she took down the mail wards around her. She had never opened any one of them. In fact, she had burnt the first few and sent the ashes back to the twins, uncaring of how that would hurt their feelings. Yet, they had persisted. To the point that Harry had applied her own mails wards around herself. Against the twins' contact.

Yet here she was. Holding another letter that the two redheads had once again managed to send her way.

Those two certainly never let anything stop them.

The plain envelope crinkled slightly as she ran a finger up and down its spine.

She wasn't honestly proud of how she had treated the twins that day they ran into her in Knockturn Alley. Not at all.

Still, deep down, Harry was certain she wouldn't try to take back what she did and said that day. As much as a part of her still loathed it, this was her now. A girl who was no longer patient, trusting or kind. She had burned too many times.

And she'd rather stay this burnt version than ever revert back to the person that she had been previously. A person who simply took what was dealt to them without fighting back.

No. She was tired of dishing out justice for other but never getting her own. She was tired of being the heroine. Heroes and heroines were never allowed to do what was right for themselves. And she wanted happiness.

"Are you ever going to open it, witch?"

Harriet looked up at Griphook's expectant face.

"I don't particularly care for what they have to say," she replied honestly.

"Well, I think you should open it either ways."

She narrowed her eyes.

"You know what they have to say."

Griphook nodded.

"What is it?"

"They wish to court you," Griphook replied bluntly.

Harry stilled.

"Messrs Weasleys are hell bent, from what we have observed, to prove to you that they don't view you as only a prize to be passed around. They have decided to prove this point by going about the old courting ways –"

Harry tensed more.

" – With a twist," Griphook finished.

She raised an eyebrow.

"The twist is that they have drawn a binding contract, that essentially leaves them at your mercy for the whole process and also very much frees you from playing to the expectations of the accursed marriage law."

Harry blinked, surprised.

"Yes. A genius contract indeed. My nation has looked through it. It is very well drafted. We had little to change and what we have changed only makes you more advantageous."

Harry didn't reply. Instead, she opened the envelope she held and tipped its content out. Two things tumbled on her lap. Ignoring the letter that held the twins' messy handwriting, she reached out for the thick contract that had fell out second, skimming through its clauses and conditions quickly.

"They are as good as slaves to me if I sign this," she muttered aloud in disgust.

Griphook nodded.

"That would be our doing," Griphook confessed. "That was the only thing my nation had changed about the whole contract, truthfully. Made your power in this whole matter absolute."

Harry stared at Griphook in incredulity before looking down at the signatures at the bottom of the contract again in shock.

"And those idiots still signed this? Are they aware of these changes?"

"Yes. They were aware. They didn't even hesitate."

Harry frowned, ignoring the way something in her chest squeezed at Griphook's revelation.

"This is ridiculous, Griphook," she told her account manager in a terse whisper.

"I'm aware."

"Then why?" Harry asked exasperated. "Why the bloody hell did you do this and why did they sign it?"

"To prove a point. And I think you know exactly what the point is."

Harry clenched her teeth.

Yes. She did know.

And she hated it.

We trust you to take care of us, the twins were telling her. And we want you to trust us to do the same for you, they were pleading with all their actions.

The contract in her hands burst into flames.

"Stubborn fools," she muttered sullenly into the silence in the room. Her eyes started to bore a hole into the letter on the lap now that the contract had been destroyed, refusing to make eye contact with the goblin seated across her.

Harry knew the being was grinning without even looking.

"So," came Griphook's voice. "Shall I arrange a meeting with those twins while you read the letter?"

"I'm not going to read it," Harry replied back tersely.

"You need to learn to lie better, witch," Griphook replied blandly.

Harriet sighed.


When her seventeenth birthday dawned, Harriet wasn't surprised to find a Ministry owl stating that she was bound under law to marry a wizard soon and birth an heir within two years of the marriage flying to her.

She was even less surprised when an owl followed that bloody letter an hour later, from Dumbledore, stating that he could arrange for her to speak with Draco and his mother if she wished to discuss wedding preparations and date.

Harry scowled at the letter.

"How nice of him to let me choose the wedding date with restrictions," she muttered as she read the line "suggesting" for her to be married before end of August so that she wouldn't have to worry about it during her last year of education at Hogwarts.

Sirius snorted.

"Are you going to go?"

Harry shook her head.

"No. Griphook has already called the Malfoys to discuss contract terms for the marriage. I don't care where they have the wedding so long as it isn't the Malfoys' place or the Burrow."

Harry frowned.

"You know what, I think the Ministry will be the best place. I'll owl Griphook to mention that as the location for whatever mother-in-law ," Harry spat, "wishes to plan."


Harriet hid a smile as she bumped into one Rita Skeeter.

"Oh, sorry I didn't see –" she cut off her sentence as she lifted her head, pretending as though she had just noticed who she had knocked into.

"Ms Skeeter! Hello!" she greeted pleasantly.

"Miss Potter! How lucky of me to bump into you!"

Harry smirked internally while giving an embarrassed smile outwardly.

"Oh no, Rita. It's my luck to bump into you," she thought viciously.

"It is rather surprising to see you around in the Wizarding World, Miss Potter," Skeeter continued pleasantly. "What brings you here today?"

Harry snorted mentally at the not-so-subtle inquiry. She was distracted however by the light burning sensation that was spreading near her abdomen.

It was near time.

"Oh, I decided to do some shopping, Ms Skeeter. I was invited for breakfast today at –" she pretended to hesitate. "– at the Malfoys', you see."

She almost laughed at how Skeeter's eyes brightened.

"I thought I might as well get some shopping done since I had travelled into the Wizarding world today."

"Pardon my probing Miss Potter, but I was unaware that you and the Malfoys' were close."

Harry shrugged.

"Well, we are not. But I suppose since I'm going to be married to Draco Malfoy, I have to get to know him and his mother better."

The shock was genuine in Skeeter's eyes.

"M- Marriage?"

Harry gave sad smile, tinged with a bit of pain. The burn – which was no longer mild – in her stomach helped her acting.

"Oh, I suppose you haven't heard it yet, since the invitations haven't been given out. I'm marrying soon. It's a result of the new law."

Harry didn't miss the way Skeeter's eyes travelled over her bare left ring finger.

"There is no engagement ring, Miss Skeeter," Harry told her blandly. "This isn't a conventional marriage, you know?"

Harry twiddled her thumbs slightly, pretending to be lost in her thought.

"Not even a mutually agreed marriage if I were to be honest," she mumbled despondently under her breath, acting as to forget Skeeter's presence.

But she knew from the way Skeeter tensed that she heard her words with how close the woman was to her.

Harry blinked, pretending to jolt out of her thoughts.

"Oh right sorry I – I had a lapse," she told Skeeter, giving the blonde woman an awkward smile as she met her eyes again.

The woman's expression was unreadable but Harry didn't miss the brief pity that flashed across Skeeter's eyes before her face had gone neutral. Licking her lips in a show of nervousness, Harry resumed the twiddling of her thumbs.

"Right, I should return back to my shopping, Ms Skeeter," Harry told the woman with an obvious fake smile. "Have a lot of things to buy for the wedding after all. Sorry for bumping into you by the way. See you around – "

Harry blinked as her vision wavered slightly when she moved away from the silent reporter. A pounding was starting to fill her head. She brought her hand to rub her temples.

"Are you alright, Miss Potter?"

Skeeter's voice seemed far away.

"Oh yes," Harry replied with a pained smile, looking back to the older woman. "Just feeling a bit out of sorts. I suppose I'm a little tired."

Harry staggered a little, grinning inwardly as she felt Skeeter reach out to catch her out of instinct.

"You're very pale, Miss Potter."

Skeeter's voice was tinged with concern and her hands were gentle as they steadied Harry. Harry almost laughed at that. Never had she thought she would make the gossip-seeking, vicious woman care for her well-being, even for a moment.

Her vision wavered again and Harry forgot what was funny about her situation.

"St- stomach hurts," she told the reporter with a groan as the pain in her abdomen became unbearable.

A cough bubbled out of her and she saw something red spill out of her mouth.

"Mis Potter!" Skeeter's voice called out with a touch of hysteria.

Harriet's vision went black.


Waking up to see two sets of identical faces was not what Harriet expected.

She frowned, taking in the sight of the twins who were seated near her bed, sleeping on their chairs. The position did not look comfortable and the grim expression on their faces were even worse to look at. Solemness was not a good look on the twins. It made everything seem wrong somehow. She was too used to see those two redheads be happy and carefree.

Looking away from the twins, Harriet spotted a glass of water that was placed on the stand near her bed. She swallowed, feeling how dry her throat was. The glass of water seemed very appealing all of a sudden. Gingerly, she tried to sit up from her position on the bed and abruptly regretted her actions. Her vision wavered dangerously and her muscles protested vehemently.

Right. She had just recovered from poisoning. Her body was weak.

Harriet smacked herself internally for forgetting that. She glared at the glass of water that remained motionless nearby her. Damn it, she was feeling really parched.

With a sigh, she slumped into her bed dejectedly. She supposed she would just have to wait for –

A hand holding a glass of water crossed her vision.

Harry blinked and looked up to find a bleary looking Fred standing over her. Beside him, George was rubbing away the sleep in his eyes.

"Drink," Fred told her softly. "You've been out of it for three days."

She looked away from the twins with a slight guilt. She had no doubt those two had already put together her plan. They knew what path she was remorselessly going down.

The glass was pressed to her lips and a gentle and held her face as she was guided to drink the offered water. She sighed through her nose as the first few sips soothed her dry throat. Then, she started gulping the water, her the thirst overwhelming her.

Fred took away the glass after a few beats, ignoring her whine.

"Slowly Harry. You need to breathe."

Harry scowled but followed the advice. When Fred gave her the water again, she was took measured sips instead of gulping it all down.

When the water was all gone, she slumped back onto her bed, continuing to avoid the twins' eyes.

"We won't talk about this, so you can stop avoiding our gaze," George's voice carried across the silent room.

Harry stilled before looking up to meet the twins' brown orbs.

"Why – ," Harry cleared her throat as her voice came out in a hoarse whisper. "Why are you two even here?"

She winced internally at the pain that flashed through Fred and George's eyes. She hadn't meant to be cold.

"I'm terrible at this," she thought.

"We care for you silly Harry," George replied back with a sigh. "How long will it take for you to get that through your skull?"

Harry averted her eyes again.

"And I keep telling you, I've changed. The girl you two confessed to have a crush on since fourth year is gone."

The feel of her mattress dipping down had her looking up to stare at Fred's serious face.

"And we told you. We are aware of that. And we don't care. We still like you. Genuinely."

Harry stared at Fred silently for a while.

"I don't think you do," she replied eventually. She cut in before Fred could protest, changing the topic without subtlety. "Where is Sirius? Or Griphook for the matter?"

Fred sighed, sharing a look with an equally despondent George before replying to her, letting their previous conversation topic slide.

"Dumbledore came to check on you again an hour ago. I suppose they are still keeping him away."

Fred's lips quirked upwards ever so slightly.

"They've made it a game, those two. Trying to see how long they can annoy the old man before he gives up and leaves."

Harry smiled softly at that.

"Go back to sleep Harry," George told her gently. "You still look very tired. We'll tell the healers you woke up. They can still check on while you are sleeping. And we'll make sure Sirius is here when you wake again."

Harry didn't protest against George's words. With a sigh, she closed her eyes, sleep claiming her without much fanfare. She was very tired like George had observed.


"Dumbledore suspects you did this on purpose."

Harry shrugged, uncaring.

It had been four days since she had awoken. While she was not fond of bedrest, it was fun watching Sirius and Griphook constantly thwart Dumbledore's attempts to visit her. The man was obviously not happy. Harry's plan had worked very well that Skeeter had written a whole article on the news of her marriage to Malfoy junior in the worst possible way – for the Malfoys of course. The fact that she had coughed up blood and fainted in front of the woman had helped. Skeeter, for all she was a gossiper, was genuinely convinced that Harry was poisoned during her breakfast session with the Malfoys. Funnily enough, the woman had developed some righteous fury on Harriet's behalf for the matter, so she had gone and had done what she did best in Harry's favour. Took a news she heard and make it seem ten times worse than it was. It was even better that the woman had not stopped at only tearing down the Malfoys. But she had gone a step further and blatantly called out the Ministry for placing such a stupid law in the first place, expertly highlighting the injustice it had for the nation's youth.

Never had Harriet thought she'd feel respect for Rita Skeeter, suffice to say. She was very impressed by the woman's guts. Plus, Harry was grateful for the way the reporter had swayed the public's sympathies to her even more.

Ever since she had defeated Voldemort, she had been generally worshipped as the 'Woman-Who-Conquered' – something that still made her cringe. (Honestly, she wasn't even of age when that had happened.) And with the revelations of her arranged marriage to Draco Malfoy, coupled with the assumed fact of the Malfoys poisoning her, people were very much out for blood for her sake. It was rather funny honestly. She had not expected this level of devotion.

And she certainly had not expected to receive so many letters of concern and support either.

"To think all it took was one little lie and a few drops of mild poison," she thought with a chuckle as she opened another 'Get well soon' card full of sympathies for her.

Honestly.

"He can't do anything even if he confirms I did this on purpose," she replied eventually to Sirius, a smirk on her lips as she met her godfather's eyes. "I'll just that Skeeter fabricates things like she always does. Besides, it's going to be my word against his from now on, if these letters of support are any indication."

Sirius chuckled.

"True."

Harry leaned back onto her bed, letting her eyes stray to the clock hanging on the wall across.

"What time are the twins' visiting today?" she asked Sirius casually.

"Six in the e," Sirius replied with a smirk. "Why? You miss them?"

Harry rolled her eyes. Sirius had officially joined the 'Ship-Harriet-with-the Weasley-Twins' club. From what she found out, it was founded by Griphook (of all people) and pretty much had most of the goblins Harry knew as members, which meant most of the Goblin Nation was involved. Remus had also joined the club since he woke up and was brought up to date. He had gone further than Sirius in his fury and enchanted mini dolls that resembled Albus Dumbledore before brutally killing them. But he too had eventually been coerced into the stupid club membership.

Harriet genuinely had no idea where the lot of them got the absurd idea that she would entertain the twins' courtship. A courtship the two had not rescinded despite her rejecting them non-stop. She also could not figure out how the twins had gained such popularity amongst her allies.

Seriously. It had been annoying to see them waltzing into her private rooms in Gringotts before the poisoning scheme. Apparently when the Goblin Nation ships you, you don't get privacy from the people you are being romantically paired with. She had almost hexed the twins' to the next year and back when they had almost walked in on her while she was changing.

"If you continue that vein of topic, Sirius Black, you'll find yourself without certain manly bits for the rest of your life," Harry told Sirius calmly, flippantly flipping through a three-paged letter from one of her very devoted well-wishers.

She smirked when she heard Sirius gulp.

Setting aside the letter in her hands, Harry spared another glance to the clock hanging across the room. If the twins were only coming over at six, then they would naturally miss the drama that was set to go off during three in the afternoon.

Which was splendid. Because Harry certainly did not want to rack her brain to try and find a way to distract the Weasley twins of all people. She had learnt from experience that those two just cottoned quickly to the fact that she was trying to keep them out of something. Harry blamed it on the fact that there were two of them. You just couldn't fool both together. One of the two would catch the deception going on.

"Call the nurse would you, Sirius?" Harry requested. "I need something done."


"What is it Harriet? Are you feeling any pain?"

Harry smiled up at Sofie Winters. The woman was the nurse appointed to her and she was honestly one of the sweetest souls Harry had met, if she looked past the sheer devotion the blonde had for Harry's 'Saviour' status. Although Harry had to admit, Sofie was professional enough that she had ever lapsed into her fangirl mode other than the first time she had seen Harry awake on her hospital bed.

"No. I was just hoping you'd let me get discharged?" she asked the nurse with pleading eyes.

Sofia rolled her eyes fondly, used to Harry asking the same question over and over again. Harry had to give the woman credit for not even getting annoyed by now. Most others would have gotten impatient with her.

"Come now, Harriet. You are still rather weak." Sofie's face soured as the blonde remembered exactly how Harry had (supposedly) been poisoned. "Though you have recovered quickly from the poison, we will need to keep you on observation just in case for a couple more days as you regain the rest of your strength."

Harry deflated.

"Come now," Sofie cajoled. "The ward isn't so bad is it?"

Harry bit her lip.

"It's lonely. At least move me into the general ward, please? Surely you cannot afford to keep me in the emergency one still, Sofie. I'm sure there are others who need this space more."

Sofie's eyes softened.

"The emergency wards have the highest security, Harriet. And you are a very important person to us–"

Harry shook her head.

"I don't want special treatment. Especially not in a hospital. I'm sure the general ward will do fine. Besides, I could use to see some more faces if I'm to be stuck here for a few more days."

Harry gave her best puppy dog eyes to the nurse, ignoring Sirius who snorted at her manipulations.

"Please? Sofie, come on. The general ward will be fine! You said it yourself, I'm mostly in the clear now."

Sofie sighed.

"Alright fine."

Harry brightened.

"But you'll have to wait for a couple of hours. If you're moving to the general ward, we're reinforcing the security there more."

"Surely there is no –"

"You're here because someone tried to kill you Harriet," Sofie cut in firmly. "There is very much a need for all that."

"She's right pup," Sirius spoke up for the first time since Sofie came over to the room.

Harry sighed.

"Fine, fine," she grumbled in acceptance.

Sofie smiled.

"Alright I'll make the arrangements."

Harry watched as the nurse left the room, leaving her alone with Sirius again.

"Alright, what are you scheming now, pup?" Sirius cut to the chase as soon as the door closed behind Sofie and he had erected a privacy ward.

"I've been informed that the Malfoys – or at least Draco Malfoy – is planning on paying me a visit this afternoon," Harry replied back serenely. "I thought it would be good to have some witnesses for the show."

Sirius frowned.

"Why didn't you tell me about it beforehand?"

Harry gave the man a deadpan look.

"Paddy, you won't have kept your mouth shut about it," she told the man bluntly.

"No I wouldn't," Sirius argued.

"Do I need to remind you that you blabbered to Lupin about the fact that I was going to drink poison willingly to trap Malfoy and his mother?" Harry asked coldly.

Sirius averted his eyes.

"He loves you like his own, pup. Give the man a chance.," Sirius muttered quietly.

Harry didn't reply. She knew that Remus cared for her. But unlike with Sirius, she couldn't bring herself to forgive the man as easily. Sure, the man's subservience in the marriage law matter could be explained away by Dumbledore's compulsions. But she had started to question on his absence in her life when she had been younger. And she didn't like that he hadn't bothered to pluck up the courage to look for her then, the excuses of Dumbledore thwarting him and his own insecurities as a werewolf being flimsy in her eyes.

His hesitance had thrown away opportunities to better her childhood. Thrown away chances for her to somehow have gotten a abuse-free life if only for a few years. She would not even have minded if the man had come when she was eleven years old at least, when she finally was reintroduced into the wizarding world. That in itself would have changed her life much more. To have an adult who would care for her and be there for her without anything restricting him (save for say the full moon that came every once a month).

But Remus hadn't done that. And Harry, now that she was no longer stopping herself from digging up her complains and bitterness, was not in the mood to be kind and forgiving.

Remus deserved the cold treatment from her end, in her opinion. He should honestly be grateful she was stopping her show on her resentment at just giving the cold shoulder. He and she both knew she was capable of making his life way more difficult if she wanted to.

"You blabber Black," Harry replied to Sirius with a flat voice, outrightly ignoring Sirius' last comment. If she saw Sirius sag at her calling him by his last name, she didn't bat an eye. "And I for one don't really want Fred or George to know about Malfoy's visit until it is over and done with. Understood?"

Sirius nodded.

"Good."

Harry leaned back onto the pillows prepped behind her, gut churning with slight guilt. She stamped the emotion down though. It was Sirius' own fault for bringing up the useless argument that they had gone over plenty of times.

She would resolve her conflict with Remus at her own time. Sirius could keep his opinions to himself.


If Harry thought her bait with Rita Skeeter had gone well, the bait she had laid out for Malfoy went out even more spectacularly.

Draco had come alone, without his mother, which had heightened her scheme's success by a good seventy percent since she knew exactly how easily the blonde ferret could be agitated without people around him to control or warn him. The fact that Draco had raised a privacy ward around her and him during their conversation only made the whole thing more favourable for her. Words masked under the safety of the privacy wards and only appearance being in clear view of the other patients of the general ward, it had been too easy to taunt Draco into falling the rest of the way into the hole she'd dug out for him.

"What do you think you're doing, Potter, going around spreading false rumours about me and my mum?" Malfoy asked, voice icy despite his neutral expression.

Harriet stared calmly at the blonde, laying in a half-upright position on her hospital bed serenely.

"I don't know what you are talking about Malfoy," she replied in a quiet voice, taking care to meet his eyes and averting them almost immediately.

Malfoy took the action as confirmation for her guilt. He wasn't wrong. But Harry was not averting eyes due to being an open book unlike the blonde's conclusion.

"You're going to repeal what you said about me and Mother, Potter," Malfoy ordered coldly.

"I won't Malfoy. Because I haven't said anything against you and your mother," Harry replied evenly, voice strong. But she slumped herself back onto her bed ever so slightly, hunching her shoulders subtly in the perfect show of distress. "Besides, you shouldn't have tried to poison me, ferret."

Harry let her hair fall forwards to frame her face, hiding the small, defiant smile that she wanted to show Malfoy from the rest of the patients and nurses sticking around the general ward. Her smile turned to a smirk when she saw the Malfoy heir clench his jaw.

"You and I both know that's a lie, Potter," Malfoy hissed.

Harry had to applaud at how the wizard had yet to let his neutral mask slip. Malfoy certainly had better control over his emotions now than before, she'll give it to him.

"But that won't help you at all, ferret dearest," she thought viciously. "You lost the game the moment you came to visit me when you knew it wasn't the best move."

"As far as the people know Malfoy," Harry replied, curling further into herself casually, "That isn't a lie but a fact. You, my future husband, known Death Eater's son, tried to poison me."

Harry tilted her head slightly, smiling pleasantly through the curtain of her hair.

"Bad move, Draco darling. You shouldn't have done that."

Harry rather enjoyed how hard Malfoy was clenching his jaw. She wondered if he would just combust anytime soon. She certainly would like to watch that.

It would honestly make her day.

"You do realise, don't you, that no matter how desperately you do these underhanded, desperate schemes, you're still going to have to marry me, Potter?" Malfoy asked.

Harriet stilled. Malfoy's lips curled upwards in a triumphant smile, his mask slipping at what he saw was weakness.

"That's right, Harriet Potter. The marriage between you and me is still valid after this stunt of yours. You know that. I know that. The whole world knows that. You cannot use this as a way out because if you take this supposed accusation to court, you know you will lose. My mother and I haven't done anything at all to you."

Malfoy sneered.

"You made a pretty pathetic scheme, Potter. Just as expected."

Harry shot the blonde wizard a sneer of her own, face still hidden from others' view behind her hair.

"Oh, you think so poorly of me Draco darling. Do you really think I cannot escape from this marriage if I wanted to?"

"Then do it Potter. What's stopping you?" Draco taunted.

Harry didn't give a reply.

"That's what I thought."

This time, Harry hid the smile on her lips from even Malfoy.

"I won't be your wife, Malfoy. You know that."

Malfoy scoffed.

"I don't want you as my wife either, Potter. The likes of you don't even deserve to lick my shoe. Once we sign that contract, I'm going to show you exactly where you belong, Potter. Which will be down at my feet."

Harry clenched her fists, crumpling the sheets she was holding. Triumphant flashed across Malfoy's grey eyes.

"That's right, Potter. Fear it. Fear me. I'm going to make you pay for what you did to my father. Make you regret for breaking my family."

Malfoy gave a small, cruel smile.

"And here's a little insight to keep you on your toes in excitement," he called out in fake sweetness. "I'll even be inviting the Dark Lord to the party."

Harry's head shot up, eyes wide. Her hair fell back as she stared at Malfoy in confusion and growing horror. Malfoy smirked, evidently having forgotten where he was.

"Yes. You heard me right, Potter. The Dark Lord will be there to welcome you warmly as the new Malfoy Lady. Who know? Maybe he'll even take you to his bed for some fun."

Harry sneered at the blonde and dragged the sheets covering her legs higher till they reached up to her chest as Malfoy raked his body up and down her body.

"Wouldn't that be ironic? You ending up bearing his children under the marriage law? And mine too, mind. You're obligated you know, to grant me an heir. It's in the contract, Potter. Did you even bother to tell your goblin what to negotiate that day you sent him over in your stead to settle our marriage contract?"

Draco didn't wait for her reply.

"No? I didn't think so. He pretty much handed you over to us, you realise? And your fate has been sealed since the moment Dumbledore and my mother signed the thing as magical guardians."

Harry stared silently at the blonde.

"So drink more poison if you want, bitch. Scream for attention all you want," Draco sneered at her. "But you are not going to escape this."

Draco leaned in close to her, eyes boring straight into her own.

"Mark my words, Potter. You're going to pay like I promised."

With a dramatic turn, the blonde turned away from her, bringing down the wards around them with a slash of his wand.

"Get well soon sweetheart," he told her in a pleasant voice, almost fooling everyone in the room with his caring act. "I'll be waiting for you come August 29th."

He left after that. Harry curled into herself more, pulling the sheets over her head, expression one of pure distress. As soon as she had buried herself underneath the sheet however, she whispered out a spell the goblins had taught her. Her wand, buried underneath her hospital gown's long sleeve, responded to her whisper by shooting an invisible strand of magic to her cover.

Her sheet turned clear the next moment, providing a one way view to her surroundings despite her being under them. She watched as the patients around her – all mostly active for they all had almost recovered from their magical mishaps and maladies – frown and grumble. Some were scowling at their own bedsheets while others were fervently talking to their neighbours or the present nurses in whispers, brows furrowed in anger. One nurse, she spotted, had hurried out the door, obviously going to search for someone – likely Sofie. Most in the room kept sending her bed worried glances, pity written all over their faces.

Harriet took it all in with a blank face. Ever so slowly, a smile bloomed on her lips, vindictive and triumphant.

"Oh, you silly, silly, ferret," she thought with an internal laugh. "You're so stupid for a supposedly cunning Slytherin."

Harry's shoulders shook slightly as she valiantly repressed the giggles threatening to escape her. Her struggle worsened when the people around mistook her covered body's shaking to be silent sobs and watched her even more in concern.

With a silent sigh, Harry cancelled the spell on her sheets, not wanting to risk losing her control over her laughter as she watched the others. Satisfaction coursing through her veins, she curled into herself more under her sheet and smiled to herself. It felt great to have plans play out exactly the way she wanted.

The fact that Malfoy had given her more than she had wanted only sweetened the moment for her. She wasn't exactly thrilled to know bloody Voldemort was somehow involved in the whole thing again. But it was nice to know of a threat in advance.

And it certainly cleared her questions on why one Albus Dumbledore was intent of marrying her off to Malfoy's useless arse.

Because whenever the Dark Lord was involved, Dumbledore had depended on using her to get rid of the mess he had made.

Harriet closed her eyes. Ironically enough, she felt no fear at the prospect of facing Voldemort again. Somehow, killing him off so many times had made her realised the man was not as smart or problematic as he was portrayed to be. Whatever intelligence and skill he had had as a youngster had obviously been lost over the year. Likely due to his stupid actions of splitting his soul so many times.

"Well, whatever it may be, it doesn't matter anyways," she thought. "This time round, I'll not only finish him. I'll finish that old coot too."

Harry opened her eyes again, staring vacantly at her plain blue-green hospital sheet.

"That way, I won't have any Lords hanging around to threaten me anymore."


A/N: Pls read n review! 3