CHAPTER 23
A/N: I noticed a little too late when I re-read through chapter 22 that I made a few mistakes. Mostly they were spelling errors . I have corrected and re-edited through the last chapter and the mistakes should now be erased. I got another review last chapter, so I was inspired to begin chapter 23 earlier than normal.
Thanks danidropdead for the stellar review. (The hearings are about to get really tense and sooo good.) And anyone else who wants to comment or leave a review…jump right in. Reviews are what inspire me to write faster and better. So please keep the reviews coming. Cheers and Happy reading gang. Enjoy chapter 23!
Samuel Chase sat in his office, trying worriedly to ignore the invasion of privacy he now experienced. He had naturally expected the hordes of reports and slanderous headlines during his bid to be Minister, but now he found it far too much of a ubiquitous presence in his already crammed and wildly scheduled life. He hadn't expected this kind of craziness when Mackenzie had come to stay with him, not that he was complaining…much. She certainly did add surprise to an otherwise mundane existence. He placed as little blame as possible upon Mackenzie and George , and most of it onto Draco Malfoy. In reality however, George and Mackenzie willingly did accept much of what he felt could've been prevented. Mackenzie however, being a phenomenal arguer made points to do just that, in turn changing a few potential points to turn in her father.
Samuel's real unease started when the barrage of questions, and the loud banging upon his office doors halted. When things went silent for him, it made him far too aware that Mackenzie and George had now arrived at the Ministry. It was now fifteen minutes before their preliminary arbitration hearing. Samuel had full faith in his daughter's defensive strategies, but constantly worried for her state of mind through everything. She had never experienced such a violent assault on her character, her life, or her family. Even as she had first arrived to Chase Manor, and people stood collectively waiting for a first glance of her, she'd never once lost control or made a point to recognize her standing. Now he feared she would experience all of those things in a snapping, biting, shouting package. Could she handle it though?
He was incredibly grateful and visibly contrite when Harry Potter knocked on his doors, informing him of the early morning greeting with his daughter. Harry also quickly explained his idea to shield Mackenzie and George with a strong circle of protection this afternoon. Samuel instantly agreed, thanking Harry.
Samuel feared for Mackenzie's safety, and George's, despite the fact that they were now inside the building. He had to an understanding view however that the Aurors and George would never ever let any harm come to his daughter. He didn't hear the next few knocks at his door. He nearly jumped from his chair when the explosion hit his doors, throwing them open. He stayed where he sat, keeping his hand to his wand, at the ready. He was not surprised to see who came swaggering into his office.
"Minister Chase." The entering man growled as he antagonistically expressed his presence.
"What is the meaning of this?" Samuel sprung to his feet, growling in return, his wand now drawn at the man. "I suggest you leave at once!"
The man standing arrogantly before him was former Minister of Magic, Rufus Scrimgeour, a man whose existence and company Samuel had never appreciated. The man boasted his power, priding himself on his rank and established reputation, no matter how tarnished it had become. Scrimgeour had run for Minister of Magic once again after his first term, never expecting to be defeated by Samuel Chase through their race. Samuel found that fact increasingly entertaining.
Samuel's defensive demeanor did not change any as his predecessor backed up only a foot. He knew that this was the very man who had picked up the bid to decide his daughter's marital fate. Samuel had never actually trusted the man, which caused great concern in knowing why the former Minister had chosen to come back now.
"This is not the best time Rufus." Samuel lowered his wand an inch. "My daughter is…"
"I know all about your daughter." Scrimgeour indignantly said the last word. "It is such a shame about what she has done to our fine laws. Laws that have been in place and readily followed until recently." He shook his head back and forth. "Such a disgraceful and undignified display of her "power" and yours."
"Now you wait one minute!" Samuel shouted, pointing at the disrespectful man who showed no consideration for the truth of the matter.
"I see you are having a difficult time trying to sort your daughter as well Minister." Scrimgeour chuckled darkly.
Samuel felt his skin go hot with anger. "How dare you!" He had no intention of controlling his temper if this continued. Consequences be damned. "You will see yourself out of my office and the Ministry this minute before I have you arrested!"
"Arrested for what Minister? For speaking the truth?"
It was not lost on the public that Samuel Chase and Rufus Scrimgeour were never going to be the best of friends, no matter who'd won the elections. Rufus Scrimgeour had intentionally and very often treated as an inferior child during the race and even now continued his unprincipled behavior. But Samuel refused to let the man to gain any power over him or his family. ALL of his family.
"If you think for one minute that I intend to allow you the privilege to decide my daughter's happiness or future, you are very wrong."
"What can you possibly do to prevent me from doing so while I sit as Wizengamot Head?" Scrimgeour provoked.
"That is a temporary seat. Remember your place Rufus. You are no longer Minister. That position and all of its power and privilege belong to me."
Scrimgeour huffed. "For now." He pulled out his wand, pointed it upward to the ceiling, and was gone in a second.
*****************************************************
Draco stood outside of the doors where the first arbitration hearing between he and Mackenzie would take place. He felt no guilt over his decisions, no matter how often or how aggressively Mackenzie had had Bailey pressing the issues at his door. He had humored Bailey by listening to her, but clearly had no intention of reducing his anger or lawful rights as he thought they were. He was not as ready however as he thought he was to see the woman confidently walking towards him.
"My day just got worse." He mumbled as his attorney, Nigel Kearney who came to stand beside him, creating as much of a united front as were needed.
Not only did Mackenzie show up to this hearing, looking smashingly gorgeous, dashing any hopes he had of her giving up and giving in, but she had shown up, comfortably standing under the arm of George Weasley.
"Nigel." Mackenzie offered, shaking the man's hand as they reached the two men. "Draco." She then acknowledged, receiving a terse nod.
"I would kindly appreciate it if you would keep your friends from harassing me at my home." Draco managed to sound as cold as ever.
Mackenzie turned back to him, kept under control by her husband's arm across her shoulders. "I have no idea what you are talking about."
Draco scoffed. "Don't play dumb Mackenzie. You are far from it and your friend Bailey is becoming quite the pest. I wouldn't want anything to happen to her, but hexes do…"
"You wouldn't dare!" Both Mackenzie and George stepped forward to the blond, George grasping his wife's waist to hold her back, but still managing to lose a lack of his own control.
"Tell her to back off!" Draco demanded.
"As it is," Mackenzie relaxed her tone and body, seeming almost casual now. "I really do have no idea what you are talking about, so I'm afraid it's something that you may just have to deal with on your own." She turned around to face him straight on again. "But I'm warning you, if anything happens to her, I'm holding you personally responsible, and there are not enough medi-witches in the world to save you from what I'll do."
Draco wagged his finger in front of her. "No threats Mackenzie. They could be construed as serious and hostile."
George pulled his wife behind him, protecting her, moving to stand in front of Draco. "Construe this as hostile you evil wanker." George pulled back and swung forward with his fist, missing the blond by an inch before Draco moved to attack the man in return.
The two were forcefully pulled apart by Nigel and Mackenzie.
"Mr. Malfoy, Mr. Weasley, this is unacceptable behavior." Nigel warned, looking at Mackenzie to support him.
"I agree." She said, looking over at Draco. "Not that I don't think it was necessary and appreciated." She leaned up and kissed her husband's cheek, knowing it would really goad Draco Malfoy.
Before Draco could protest any public displays of affection from the two, the door to the room they would sit in for the next few hours opened wide.
"Mr., Malfoy, Mr. Weasley, Miss. Chase, please enter." The three were told by another Wizengamot Elder. The name on the badge she wore read Griselda Marchbanks.
Mackenzie had studied the woman's file a bit, and knew she was not one to lightly step on issues. In fact, she was quite a hard ass. This would not be easy and that made Mackenzie very nervous. Still, she gritted her teeth when she had heard the woman call her Miss Chase. She would have something to say about that.
The three entered quietly to see a large room with one two chairs off to the side of the room while one chair sat alone in the middle of the room. It was meant to be an intimidation tactic. It didn't work. The only person in the room besides the Wizengamot Elder, and the three under questioning were three other inconsequential Wizengamot jurors. Mackenzie thought of them as inconsequential only because frankly at this point in the game, what could they do to her or George, or even Draco? They sat there with their notepads and pens like any other juror in a trial, waiting to condemn or absolve. Nothing new.
Griselda Marchbanks moved around the three to explain the process of their first hearing.
"Today I would like to with witnesses present, ask the three of you a few simple questions in order to properly assess the situation at hand, along with its severity."
The three all nodded.
"I'd like to bring forward Mr. Malfoy first, and ask for you two to sit off to the side for the moment." She waved George and Mackenzie off to the side of the room where they could still watch and listen to Draco being interrogated.
Draco followed behind the woman, confidently taking the seat in the middle of the room, looking at each "juror" who held tight to their straight faces.
"Mr. Malfoy, How long have you known Miss Chase?" Griselda asked the young man.
Mackenzie cringed at the name again. George held her hand tightly in his, listening to Draco answer his questions.
"I've known her just over a month I suppose."
"And you are so willing to jump into a marriage in such a short amount of time?"
Draco hesitated, glaring at the woman. "Not that time has anything to do with two people, but yes."
"Wow." George breathed. "She's even getting hard on Malfoy. This doesn't sound like it will be very easy." He mentioned to his wife.
"Yeah. She's kind of a stickler for the rules and her job." Mackenzie told George. "I've read through her Ministry file. She's good at what she does. She gets answers and results. We have reason for concern now sweetheart." She squeezed his hand in hers.
The two went back to listening to the examination going along.
"How long were you in contact, or had you known Miss Chase before the marriage contracts were drawn up?" Griselda went on to ask.
"Days." Draco mumbled.
"I couldn't hear you Mr. Malfoy."
"I said a few days." Draco spoke up.
"And since that time you have both been seen in public together. Had Miss Chase shown any reason or possibility of being married to someone else?"
"No." Draco's head turned to look over at Mackenzie. "She did not. She's proven to be quite good at hiding things."
Mackenzie lifted an eyebrow and glared back at the blond.
Nigel Kearney then handed a small piece of paper to the interrogator. She stopped and looked back at the man.
"Thank you Mr. Malfoy. That will be all for now." The woman placed the paper into a folder off to her side.
"Mr. Weasley, would you please join us next." Griselda requested.
George looked at Mackenzie as Draco stood and swiftly walked over to sit on the opposite side of his wife.
"I'm more than a little uncomfortable leaving you over here alone with him."
"It's okay honey." Mackenzie assured her husband. "I'll be here and safe the whole time." She smiled, kissing his hand. "What can he do?"
He hesitantly smiled back at her, kissing her hand in return before turning to take his place in the interrogation chair.
"Mr. Weasley, was it your intention to take Miss Chase into a marriage before or after the contracts for her and Mr. Malfoy were made?"
"Technically before." George shifted his weight in the chair.. "The day after we met, I had approached my family about considering a marriage proposal to Mackenzie."
Mackenzie swore the whole room heard her take in a deep breath. George looked over at her as if he'd heard her.
"I love you." The two mouthed.
"Technicalities are irrelevant Mr. Weasley. A consideration of marriage is not the issue here."
"Then the answer is after." His voice rose and became quite protective. "I asked her after she came to me in tears, distraught, telling me how Draco Malfoy had intentionally attempted forcing her into a marriage with him."
"So you asked her to marry you in order to console her." Griselda urged.
"No!" George stated. "I loved her. I love her even more now. She is everything to me. I asked her to marry me because in my eyes, in my every passing thought there was and never has been anything else I want."
Draco made a coughing noise and was immediately muffled by Mackenzie elbowing him in the side.
"So it is your opinion that you did not ask Miss Chase to marry you because you yourself were still nursing a wound of breaking off a previous engagement to a Miss Angelina Johnson?"
"Of course not. My personal life before Mackenzie had nothing to do with my reasons."
"I think he's lying." Mackenzie heard Draco whisper to her.
"Go to hell." She returned.
"No really. Didn't you see how tense he got at the sound of her name?"
Mackenzie turned to Draco. "You have no right to be doing this to me or George. Shut your mouth before I shut it for you."
"I have every right to be doing this."
The two were staring each other down, commenting on the others behavior when their names were called out louder than usual.
"Miss Chase, Mr. Malfoy!" Griselda Marchbanks near shouted.
George returned to sitting beside his wife, looking only marginally less irritated.
"Miss Chase, you are next."
Mackenzie kissed George's cheek again, stood, and made her way to the same chair. She sat down and eyed Griselda, who currently looked a bit too smug.
"Miss Chase, how long have you been married?"
"My name is Weasley. I'm married to George Weasley." She pointed out her last name. "We've been married for a month."
"Thank you Ms. Weasley." Griselda changed names. "And were you dating Mr. Weasley before your wedding? If so, for how long had you been together?"
Mackenzie relaxed back into the chair, showing no sign of being intimidated.
"Oh, not for too long I suppose." She heard George chuckle at her behavior. Even Draco seemed somewhat amused. "If your definition of dating is meeting up to go out and spend time together while also creating a spectacular shagging life together, then yeah, I'd say maybe a week, perhaps two."
George and Draco were both laughing quietly now, aggravating the interrogator more.
"Were you paid to marry Mr. Weasley?"
"What!?!" Mackenzie sat up straight again. "No! Absolutely not."
"Were you at any time or are you currently under an Imperious Curse?"
"How Dare You!" Mackenzie grew angry , realizing that her anger was what Griselda Marchbanks was looking for. A reaction that was not humorous.
"Do you and Mr. Weasley currently have a prenuptial agreement?"
"No." Mackenzie answered matter-of-factly.
"Do you feel that was a wise decision?"
Now Mackenzie had become indignant again. "I certainly do not think that it is your concern or anyone else's for that matter."
Griselda shook off the insulted response the young woman gave, preparing to provoke her again.
"If you had not been forced to marry Mr. Weasley…"
"I WAS NOT FORCED!"
"Miss Chase, please calm down."
"It's Weasley!" She shouted again.
"I'll rephrase the question. If your circumstances had not been what they were, would you have contracted a prenup?"
Mackenzie turned to George. "No." She firmly stated.
Mackenzie sat through a few more questions while each man was called up to be questioned again as well before the three were told not to leave the country or the city without expressive consent from the Ministry before tomorrow. The questions had been rougher than expected, and even Draco now felt the weight and repercussions of taking this as far as he was. They all exited the room together, collectively breathing sighs before going their separate ways.
George and Mackenzie met with their Aurors again as Draco was picked up by a few as well. The two were protectively covered as they hit a slew of people shouting out questions and accusations at the pair. It wasn't until Mackenzie stopped still and turned her head around when George stopped too. He tried to pull her, but stopped when she broke out of his grip on her.
"Ms. Weasley, one question, please." Mackenzie heard a female calling out. She found the woman and went to her.
"One question." Mackenzie granted.
The woman looked shocked, as did George who rushed to her side, unwilling to let anyone get a hold of her.
"Kenny, what are you doing?" George inquired.
Mackenzie turned to George and back to the woman. "Anyone who willingly and publicly calls me Ms. Weasley, is welcome to my company. Hello." She held out her hand to the woman. "I'm Mackenzie Weasley. It's nice to meet you."
"I'm Rita Skeeter. I work for…"
"The Daily Prophet." Mackenzie finished. "We know. What question would you like answered?"
The woman stayed quiet, thinking and also enjoying the fact that the Minister's daughter had chosen to answer her question.
"Are you afraid of what may happen if this trial does not go in your favor?"
Mackenzie nodded only slightly before answering. She grasped her husband's hand and held it tightly.
"I cannot deny that it should and does concern me to know what could happen to my family if things take a dark turn for us, but I'm also not one to find the worst in this situation. Whatever decision is made during this trial is what we will accept. But no matter what, I love and adore my husband." She smiled as cameras flashed at the two again. "Now if you don't mind, my husband promised me some spectacularly imaginative shagging, so we'll be off now." She laughed as George stood speechless along with the reporters who'd been yelling at her.
Mackenzie laughed, pulling on George who immediately moved back to protecting her.
"What was that about?" He asked her.
"What?" Mackenzie feigned innocence as their Aurors smirked at her bad acting skills.
"You know what. That last part."
She smiled up at her husband again. "I figured I should give them something to write about. They won't leave us alone, but at least now they can quote something real."
"You. Are. Trouble." George laughed at her.
The two continued to laugh with each other as they walked down the corridors. They were happy within each other's company, unconcerned about the disconcerted world around them. The two were forced back to reality when a shot rang out through the room and shots of light moved far too quickly in the direction of the happy couple. More than two Aurors all huddled around the couple out of nowhere, not realizing what had just happened. One the commotion around them calmed down, everyone stood.
George moved to his knees, to help Mackenzie up from the ground, but made a broken noise when he saw her lying on her back, unmoving. There was nothing to say she had been harmed, but her eyes were closed and she did not move.
"Kenny!" George shouted to her.
She still didn't move.
"Kenny, baby! What happened? Kenny! Kenny! Somebody get a medi-witch! Get the Minister!"
All at once about six Aurors went in separate directions.
"Kenny, honey wake up. Please Kenny." George pleaded. He was pleading , tears coming down his face when Harry knelt beside him, touching his shoulder.
"George, we have to let medical look at her." Harry calmly proposed.
"Why won't she open her eyes? What's wrong with her?" George questioned. He held his wife close to his chest, unwilling to let her go when others came over to try and take her from him.
"NO!" He shouted at them.
It was Minister Chase who was able to finally release George's hold on Mackenzie. George gave Mackenzie to her father just before turning to his own father who held his son tight.
"It'll be alright George. It's Kenny. She's a tough one." Arthur comforted his son. "Come on. We should follow them to be sure she's alright."
George nodded as Harry and Arthur guided him to a room where they had to wait for news on Mackenzie after she was looked at.
It was determined to Minister Chase after he'd entered the same room that Mackenzie had been shot by the curse that had been shot from across the Atrium. She hadn't been hit by the full force of the curse. Most of it had missed her, but the medi-witches of St. Mungo's had immediately flooed to the Ministry to care for Mackenzie. Her father and husband were told she could go home tonight, but would likely not wake up for a few hours.
"She's okay?" George's voice broke as this information was given to him.
"She will be." Samuel told his son-in-law.
The two men embraced and stood thankful that they had happy news.
It was late evening when George, Harry, and Samuel all brought Mackenzie home, placing her onto a couch as the rest of their family showed up not long after. Molly of course fussed over Mackenzie, making certain she was comfortable, warm, and in her sight at all time. George naturally sat beside and unmoved by his wife as he held her hand, moving his other fingers through her hair, and along her face. Samuel checked on his daughter every thirty seconds it seemed, as did the rest of the room.
Hours passed by without a word or a movement from Mackenzie. It was now ten o'clock at night and not one person had moved from the house. It was Fred who without warning had managed to get the first words from his sister-in-law. George had followed his father, Harry, and Samuel into the next room to discuss Ministry strategies versus what Mackenzie was capable of.
Her hand squeezed on Fred's and he jumped, looking over at her. She didn't move, but opened her eyes just enough to see who sat with her.
"Fred I appreciate you holding my hand, but where is George?" Her voice came out in a painful whisper.
"Kenny." He said, jumping up letting go of her hand. "I'll get him." He left Mackenzie on the couch and casually made his way into the other room. He cleared his throat. "George, there's someone in the other room who is asking for you." He mentioned.
"She's awake?" George asked, not bothering to hear the answer. He sprinted into the Living room and picked his wife up into his arms. "I thought I had lost you. Kenny, honey, Oh my God."
"George, I can't breathe." She said before he released her enough to look at her. Their eyes met again and no time had passed at all.
"Oh how I missed that face." She kissed her husband.
"I missed you so much." George confessed.
"How long was I out?" Mackenzie asked.
"About six or seven hours." Samuel was next to come into the room, feeling a minute was enough time for George to be alone with his daughter. "I can't tell you how frightened we were when we found out you'd been hit by a curse." Samuel hugged her next. "How are you feeling? Any side effects? Are you in pain?"
"I'm fine daddy. Thank you. And what do you mean a curse? What sort of curse?"
The rest of the family soon piled into the room to see Mackenzie sitting up beside George as Arthur explained that it could have been a random shot, but that the family and the Ministry were not taking any chances. If someone had meant to harm Mackenzie with a curse, then it was best they gave no opportunity to try again. And even if today's event was at random, it was still best not to take chances with safety.
"I've stationed Aurors at Ron and Hermione's, The Burrow, I have help over at Grimmauld Place, and Chase Manor is heavily secured, as is this place ." Harry informed both George and Mackenzie.
"Who did this?" Mackenzie asked. "Who would do this? Why would they harm me?"
"We have an idea of who might be behind this Kenny." Fred said, leaning down to hug his sister. "Don't know what we would've done without you."
She kissed his cheek. "Are you able to tell me who you think is behind this?"
Fred swallowed hard, not answering.
"Can you think of no one dear?" Samuel said.
Mackenzie thought about it, and looked at her family members. "Draco had nothing to do with this." She stated. "I have to believe that."
"Why?" George questioned her.
"Because despite all of the hell he's putting us through, he's doing it out of pain over a loss. But somewhere in him is my friend. I believe that. I have faith that tells me that that is true."
"Way too much faith in that man." Ron commented.
There was another long silence before Mackenzie spoke again.
"But on the off chance that it was Draco, or anyone in connection with him. I wouldn't put it past him to not want to get his hands dirty. If he does have anything to do with this attack, there is someone else I'm worried about. He threatened her today, and…"
"Bailey." George spoke.
Mackenzie nodded. "He threatened to hurt her, and what if… if he can't hurt me, he goes after her? I…we can't let that happen. What do we do?"
"Kenny, she's a muggle." Arthur said. "We can't interfere with…"
"I don't care if she's the bloody Queen of England. I won't see her hurt because of me." Mackenzie was nearing anger and fear again.
"I'll figure something out." Harry said, pulling the Minister aside to figure out a plan.
The two were back within minutes.
"We can only place Aurors with Bailey if she willingly accepts them."
"Do it!" She insisted.
"Will Lilah be okay?" Ginny was the next to speak.
Even before the women had time to say anything more, the men were a step ahead.
Forty minutes after Mackenzie had been awake, forced to eat by Molly, and checked on another hundred times by her father, George and Mackenzie's house was silent. George carried Mackenzie to the bedroom, carefully placing her into bed, kissing her unable to take his arms away from her body.
"I don't know what I would've done if…"
Mackenzie stopped him. "I know. But we don't have to worry about that now. We got lucky and now we are more than overly protected. " She smirked, lifting her eyebrows. "And speaking of getting lucky, I do believe my husband promised me imaginative shagging."
George's head turned to hers in a flash. "You've been in pain."
"I'm not in that much pain. And why are you arguing over shagging your wife? That's a problem we haven't come across yet, and frankly it just can't happen. Ever."
"I'm not arguing." George smiled. "If you insist you're not in too much pain…"
"I'll insist a hundred times." She sat up as George stood, kicking closed their bedroom door.
"I think we're going to give our security team a reason to want to not be around us." George commented.
"That's their problem." Mackenzie insisted. "My problem however is that my husband is still fully clothed."
"A problem to be rectified." George said, climbing onto the bed with his wife who giggled when he kissed along her neck.
The couple spent the rest of their night as close as possible to one another. Mackenzie worried about what the morning would bring but did not yet have the heart or desire to express it to her husband or family members. She fell asleep repeating the mantra 'Whatever comes will come. '