The Thorns of the Serpent series by HPFangirl71

Chapter 2: The Serpent Attacks…

Lucius Malfoy looked angrily down at the parchment attached to his owl's leg. It was the fifth owl he'd sent to Harry since the dratted man had dropped the bloody bombshell that he was pregnant with his child, every one of the damned things had been returned unopened. Harry was making it impossible for him to take any responsibility for his and the baby's future. Not being in control of things was making Lucius agitated. This feeling of helplessness was something the Malfoy patriarch wasn't at all accustomed to and he was determined to remedy the situation. He tore the parchment from the owl's leg and attached a new parchment addressed to the Ministry; if Potter wanted to play hardball then he'd better get ready for the big time because Lucius Malfoy played for keeps and he wasn't above playing dirty…

"Please tell me he can't really do this…"

Harry was beside himself as he paced the law office of Hermione Weasley-Granger. His best friend was at her desk perusing the rather lengthy parchment he'd just received from a ministry official whom Harry had never even heard of until today. He'd barely read what the damned paper had said before taking the Floo straight to Malfoy Manor, only to be informed by a rather pretentious house elf that Master Malfoy was away on a business trip and wouldn't be home for at least several days. Harry had immediately departed to Hermione's office in a desperate bid to make sense of the sudden arrival of the official looking document. Since arriving, he'd watched her worried expression grow even more worried as she read the paper and he'd successfully worn a permanent path into her carpet.

"Hermione please, tell me there's some sort of recourse… Tell me Malfoy can't really do this to me?" he demanded again in a somewhat pleading voice.

"I wish I had better news for you Harry. Lucius is in his full rights to make this demand," she said with a slight shake of her head.

"Demand… by the sounds of those papers, he's trying to force me to marry him! How the Hell can that be right?"

Hermione looked at her friend with worry etched upon her face. She'd been shocked by Harry's news that he was pregnant but even more shocked by the fact that Lucius Malfoy of all people was the baby's father. Harry had gotten himself into some messes but this one topped them all. It was perhaps one predicament that the man might not be able to get himself out of…

"Magnis Matrimonium is an old magical law that dates back to the times of the feudal system. It was made to protect the ones who would invoke it. It kept young playboy lords of the manor from bedding with the servants and bringing in illegitimate children."

Harry gave Hermione an exasperated look as she continued to explain the archaic marriage law. The more she explained the law, the less he saw it being applied to his current situation.

"Harry this is serious… but there may be a way out of it."

Harry looked at her hopefully and nodded for her to continue.

"The law is contingent on both parties having no means of entrapment. All we have to do is figure out what potion or spell that Malfoy was using on you at the time of the baby's conception and you'll be under no obligations whatsoever"

Hermione seemed excited as she pulled a dusty book from behind her desk and began rifling through its contents.

"Can't I just demand my way out as the Chosen One or something?" Harry asked.

"No Harry that won't work here, this magic is far older than the whole Voldemort situation. Just think did you eat anything during the time you spent with Malfoy because he may have slipped you a love or lust potion. Then again maybe it was a nonverbal spell he used…"

"Hermione stop" Harry said as he placed a hand over his friends' as she began pulling more books from atop the shelves lining the room's walls.

"Harry what is it?"

"There was no spell or potion… I slept with Lucius willingly; in fact we were having an affair"

Harry's words came out in a faint whisper and Hermione could see the embarrassment clouding his face. She sat down in her seat and stared at her friend.

"Oh Harry… what have you gotten yourself into?"

"I don't know but please tell me you can get me out of it"

His eyes were pleading with her but he could already see the look of disappointment and worry within her brown eyes.

"I wish I could Harry but this law is set in stone. As archaic as it may seem, it was meant to protect muggle servants from being victimized by the wizards for which they knowingly worked" Hermione said in a worried tone.

"Yes, but I'm not a muggle. We're talking about a consensual relationship between two adult wizards" Harry persisted.

"You're right there but… well to be blunt, you are carrying Lucius Malfoy's bastard child Harry, which means the law still applies"

Harry still seemed confused so Hermione reached out to take his hands into her own.

"Harry this law was made for someone like yourself to invoke it as a means of protecting your unborn child. It would've forced a man such as Malfoy to provide for his illegitimate heir by making the child legitimate. He would've been forced to give that child a name, a home, and monetary support. So I'm sure you can see where this law was once a good thing…"

"Yes Hermione, I get all of that but I don't want or need Lucius' marital support so why would I be forced to endure it?"

The look on his friend's face was one of pity and slight exasperation as she continued to explain.

"The law was made to go both ways, to be invoked by either party. Some wizards were actually in love with the women they impregnated. Remember Harry, this was a time of arranged marriages so illicit affairs weren't uncommon. These men could prove their love and defy their parents by invoking the marriage law and thus laying claim to their beloved."

"Lucius doesn't love me… It was just sex between us…" Harry whispered in an embarrassed tone.

"Yes but he's still within his rights to invoke this law regardless of his emotional attachment" Hermione replied quietly.

She suddenly wrapped Harry in a warming embrace and that's when his tears began. He felt foolish for crying but things looked so damned hopeless at the moment. He was certain he wanted this baby. He just wasn't sure about the price he might have to pay to keep it…