AN: Thank you all for such kind words of inspiration. Special thank you to TabbyRox for the amazing drawing she did based on preliminary descriptions of Minerva & Hermione's wedding picture. I posted it on my facebook page and with her permission, I am also including a link here where you can see it as well... http://i22 dot photobucket dot com/albums/b303/LavenderElegance/Artwork/mmhgwe
Hopefully that link will get you there. This website doesn't allow links so I'm sure you guys can figure this out. If not, send me a pm with your e-mail address and I'll send it you. It really is an amazing piece of work! ;D
THE TIES THAT BIND
Chapter 18
OLD GRUDGES & NEW BEGINNINGS
Rita Skeeter smirked to herself as she made her way to face Hermione Granger... no, McGonagall. She remembered back to the Tri-Wizard Tournament when she'd caught the bushy haired young witch leaving McGonagall's quarters very early in the morning. She'd nearly been hexed for her lewd accusations...* She couldn't believe how much had happened since then. When she'd read of the young witch's amazing graduation from college she had to admit, she'd been impressed. Yes, this young woman was going to be a star.
The reporter grinned as she watched Hermione patiently endure the pompous prattle of ministry toadies sucking up. She covered her snickers with her large hand when she caught Minerva McGonagall's facial expression and the rolling of those amazing green eyes.
Finally the borish man moved off and Rita moved to face the McGonagalls.
"Congratulations." The platinum blonde stuck her hand out expectantly.
Hermione eyed the outstretched hand warily and after a moment, cautiously took the hand. Not surprised at the firm grip.
Minerva raised an eyebrow, "Thank you Ms. Skeeter." Her voice was neutral but there was a warning flashing in those intense emerald eyes.
Rita caught the unspoken meaning, 'Do not harm my wife or you will deal with me.' She shot the two witches a sincere smile saying, "That was a lovely dance you two did." She took in the magnificence of the newlyweds attire and added, "You two look spectacular." The reporter hadn't realized that Minerva McGonagall was a direct blood descendant of Merlin until she saw her entering the great hall wearing the headpiece. Only the true heir of Merlin could wear it.
Rita Skeeter was impressed.
Hermione's dark eyes reflected a sudden impishness, "Did I see you snogging Rosemerta?"
Skeeter grinned through a bright blush, "She's my partner." She noticed Minerva's bright green eyes take on a bit of a twinkle.
"I fully expect to see you in that confused rush of mad women struggling for Hermione's bouquet then."
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Draco Malfoy and Pansy Parkinson greeted the newlyweds with polite bows, "I guess I can't call you names anymore... your wife might hex me." There was a hint of teasing malice in his cool grey eyes as he focused on Hermione.
The young witch's dark eyes glinted a slight warning of her own, "She won't have to. I can take of you myself." There was a slight crackling of magic snapping and popping along the young witch's extremities. She was not about to take any crap from Draco Malfoy. Pompous ass that he was.
Young Malfoy realized in that split second the truth in her words. Hermione McGonagall was NOT a witch to be trifled with.
NOT ANY MORE!
Pansy stepped in front of Draco and extended her hand to Minerva, "Headmistress, congratulations!"
Graciously Minerva returned the handshake, eyeing her wife with astonishment and a wee bit of pride.
Pansy grabbed Draco's hand and pulled him away muttering, "Come on! Let's go to the Three Broomsticks."
Minerva raised an eyebrow, "Aren't you going to stay and battle over the bouquet?" There was a dry, sardonic tone in her brogue and a smirk on her face.
Pansy shot Minerva a smirk of her own. She eyed Draco and replied with a snort, "Hardly."
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Rolanda Hooch squirmed under the relentless "fish eye" she was getting from her lover. The muggle woman's eyes were narrowed to slits of the purest black as she stared the flying instructor down into a quivering mass of nerves.
"All right then! I'm sorry for pity's sake!" Hooch blurted, blushing madly.
Jean Granger snorted, "That was THE most piss poor excuse of juvenile behaviour I have ever been the unfortunate receipient of." Her voice was pitched low and steady. The "take no prisoners" tone causing Hooch to fidgit even worse.
Disgusted, Jean glanced around to see if anyone was watching. Thankfully nearly everyone in the great hall was either eating or clustered around her daughter and Minerva. Occasionally Dumbledore would glance in their direction with a raised eyebrow, but upon a warning look from Jean, he would quickly focus elsewhere.
At least that's what he wanted them to believe.
Jean turned back to Ro, "What I want to know is what the bloody hell were you thinking?"
She watched as Ro's yellow eyes flickered over to where her ex-husband was standing chatting with Arthur Weasley. She saw Hooch's jaw clench as she stared at John Granger.
Raising an eyebrow, Jean asked, "Was that some kind of statement to John then? Well I hate to burst your bubble, but he never saw it."
Hooch whirled back to the muggle woman, "I just wanted him to get the message."
Jean's eyes widened, "What message? That I'm taken? Dammit Ro he know's I'm not interested in him." She glared as Rolanda looked away, "Or is it you? What? Staking your claim? Is that it?" Jean Granger was working up a right powerful mad. She poked her lover in the shoulder and hissed, "I am not a piece of property! Get that through those spikes!" With that, she stood and stormed out of the great hall.
Her exit didn't go unnoticed.
Dawn had been watching as well as Dumbledore. Seeing her mother's expression as she walked out, the youngest Granger excused herself from the table she'd been sharing with Ron, Harry and Ginny and headed after her mother.
Dumbledore, in the meantime, had wandered over to sit beside Hooch, "That didn't go very well at all." He mumbled seeing the Flying Instructor's totally dejected expression.
"I messed up Albus." Ro whispered slouching in her chair, head in her hands.
The elder wizard reached out and patted her shoulder, "Groveling helps a lot." He grinned as Hooch's yellow, hawk-like eyes immediately fastened on his face.
"What? Am I supposed to go begging her to forgive me?" She pierced the older wizard with an intense glare.
Nonplussed, Dumbledore nodded, "Actually yes. On your knees would also help."
Hooch rolled her eyes, "Shite!"
Grinning the former Headmaster replied, "Indeed."
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Dawn didn't have to go far. Just outside the main doors of the castle, she found her mother standing on the steps of the grand monolith staring off towards the forbidden forest. She marveled at the rugged beauty surrounding this amazing place. It was easy to see why Hermione loved it so. Minerva too.
"Hey."
Jean turned at the sound of her daughter's voice, "Hey."
"Are you ok?"
Mother shot youngest daughter a rueful smile, "Just a small spat is all."
"About?"
Jean's expression darkened noticably, "Marking territory."
Dawn frowned at this thinking about earlier, when Jean and Ro had first entered the great hall and how Molly Weasley had fussed about something waving her wand at Jean, "What happened?"
Frustrated, Jean Granger heaved a sigh and explained to her daughter about what Rolanda had done. Her manner became increasingly annoyed as Dawn's pretty face screwed up into hysterical laughter.
"And you're snarked off because Ro gave you a hickey?" The youngest Granger howled her laughter.
Totally miffed, Jean faced her daughter and said with hands on hips, "She only did it to send a message to your father!"
"What? That you're off limits?"
The older Granger nodded silently.
Dawn smiled, "Well aren't you?"
Jean nodded, "Of course I am but that's not the point! I'm not a piece of property! Ro was acting like some kind of cave witch or something!"
Hearing this set Dawn off into another fit of giggles, "Oh mum!"
Jean's stern face cracked into a smile smirk, "I kept wondering where her club was."
Dawn threw her head back, her laughter echoing thoughout the area, "I think you might want to substitute her wand for the club."
Unseen by the two women, Rolanda Hooch stood just outside the grand castle doors listening. She brightened as an idea popped into her head. Tranfiguring her wand into a club, she laid it over her shoulder and stepped out. Clearing her throat loudly, she smirked when she saw both women turn. Then she grasped her club and banged it on the steps grunting, "Unga Bunga!"
Dawn burst into mirthful giggles as she patted Hooch on the shoulder and whispered, "Nice save!" The young woman grinned and headed back into the castle to find her own cave wizard.
Jean sighed quietly as she watched Hooch drop to her knees and gaze up at her with puppy dog eyes. It was rather unnerving though, seeing as Hooch has piercing yellow eyes.
For good measure, Rolanda stuck her bottom lip out in a quivering pout and began whimpering.
The tall brown haired woman sighed dramatically and said, "Oh well fine... just come here!"
Grinning brightly, Rolanda jumped to her feet and into her lover's embrace, "Am I forgiven?"
Taking the hawk-eyed woman's face in her hands, she stared into earnest yellow eyes and said, "Don't ever do that again. You hear?"
The head in her hands nodded, "Yes mam."
Jean went on, "I'm not interested in anyone other than you. OK?"
"Yes mam."
Shaking her head, Jean finally said, "You're going to have to explain the cave woman thing and how it relates to magic folk ok?"
"Yes mam."
"Oh for mercy's sake just kiss me!"
"YES MAM!!!"
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Molly Weasley bustled around the great hall. She just couldn't help herself, she was just so used to fussing about and doing for her family. The house elves made a game out of who could accomplish a task first. Molly or them.
The red haired woman frowned as she saw and tiny elf wink in front of her, grab an empty platter and wink out with a high pitched giggle.
"So it's become a game has it?" She muttered changing direction and heading towards another table.
Arthur watched his wife with amusement. Every time she was thwarted in her clean up efforts, her face would screw up into the cutest pout.
George stepped next to his father watching the same scene. Finally he commented, "You think she might give up soon?"
Arthur chuckled and turned to face his son, "Where's your girlfriend?" He was referring to Candi.
Shrugging, George replied, "I guess I'm not so interesting after all." There was a hint of wistfulness in his voice.
"I think you are."
The Weasley men turned in surprise as the carmel colored arm of Angelina Johnson slipped into George's. Grinning, George winked at his father, then sauntered off with the lovely Angelina.
John Granger stepped up next to the older red haired man and smiled, "Well at least in this, the muggle world and the magical one is not so different."
Arthur chuckled, nodding his agreement.
Women? Go figure!
Molly finally decided to give it up. Besides, it was time to throw the bouquet.
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Hermione grinned wickedly as she surveyed the large number of women gathered in the center of the great hall. She looked up at her wife and whispered, "This is going to be memorable."
With a conspiratorial wink, Minerva replied, "We should be taking pictures of this." Her emerald eyes gleamed with mischief.
Snickering, Hermione cocked her head to the corner of the room. Minerva followed her motion and saw George Weasley with a wizarding camera. The older witch couldn't help but snigger.
The newlyweds looked up as Molly Weasley marched towards them with her arms waving. At the top of her lungs she was bellowing, "Alright you rabble! Listen up... I want Harpies to the left, Banshee's to the right, Trolls to the rear!" She narrowed her piercing blue eyes and added, "Oh yes... ministry personel can wait in the dungeons."
The great hall erupted with gales of raucous laughter.
Molly felt a tugging at her sleeve. She turned to find Hermione at her side. The young bride whispered something in her ear and stepped back to her wife. Grinning Molly stated, "One more thing... NO WANDS!"
There was a rumble of grumbles and the sounds of wood clattering into a basket that mysteriously appeared in front of the group.
Molly turned to the couple with a questioning expression, "Is that better?"
Hermione nodded and took a moment to survey the group of mad women elbowing each other for position. She spotted her sister and mother standing with the Harpies which also included Angelina Johnson, Poppy Pomfrey and Aurora Sinistra. Over with the Banshee's were Luna Lovegood, Rosemerta, Susan Bones and Rolanda Hooch. Several women stood in the center in the designated "Troll" area. They included Rita Skeeter and Candi Barr. The latter wore an expectant smirk on her pretty face.
Frowning, Hermione searched for her best friend but Ginny Weasley was no where to be seen. Shrugging, she turned around.
Minerva stood in front of Hermione. She could see the writhing mass of females but Hermione couldn't. An unexpected movement out of the corner of her eye caught her attention. Seeing what it was, she grinned mightily and whispered to her wife, "Throw it high in the air."
Hermione nodded and let her rip!
A mass of female flesh, magical and non-magical surged in almost slow motion. Eyes widened, mouths opened, high pitched screeching and squealing could be heard. Hands raised, fingers extended...
The white rose and Scottish Heather bouquet soared into the heights of the enchanted ceiling...
Hermione had quite the arm!
Suddenly a green blur with flowing red hair streaked across the great hall on a broom.
A firebolt to be precise, Harry Potter's firebolt.
Arm outstretched Ginny Weasley snatched up the prize and soared out of a window.
The maniacal mass stopped and gaped.
"You said no magic!" Angelina Johnson raged as the mass of humanity began to untangle itself.
From the bottom of the pile a very rumpled Albus Dumbledore emerged to the surprised gasps of many.
The elderly wizard struck a pose, "Whut? No one said men couldn't participate."
"Like gay guys you mean." Candi Barr blurted.
Albus raised a bushy eyebrow, "So?"
Candi shrugged, "Whatever."
The older wizard stuck his tongue out at the blond witch and sauntered over to the punch bowl.
Harry Potter stepped into the fray, "Actually what she said was no wands."
Someone's four inch stiletto bounced off his head.
"Ow!" The Boy Who Lived To Get Smacked By A Shoe, moaned rubbing his head.
Deep, rich belly laughs echoed throughout the hall and everyone turned to see Minerva McGonagall with her hands on her hips, head thrown back, laughing heartily. A higher pitched giggle joined in as Hermione wrapped her arms around her wife.
Soon laughter rang throughout the corridors of the grand castle.
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Draco Malfoy and Pansy Parkinson entered The Three Broomsticks. The young couple found a booth off to the side near a corner. Behind them another couple entered. Rosemerta walked up behind the bar and started mixing a couple of martinis while her partner, Rita Skeeter spied the young couple and decided to sit in the adjoining booth. She thought that maybe Draco would let slip a few ministry secrets to his girlfriend... if he got drunk enough.
Another patron entered the bar and took a seat by the fireplace. The person was hooded so there was no way to see who it was, unless you removed their hood. And that was just bad manners!
Rosemerta carried the two drinks over to her partner and slid into booth. She noticed Rita had her notebook out and was scribbling out something.
"What are you writing?"
Grinning, Skeeter replied, "How Ginny Weasley ingeniously stole the wedding bouquet... little shite!"
Rosemerta chuckled, "That was bloody brilliant if you ask me!"
Skeeter looked up to see Pansy Parkinson slip out of the adjoining booth and head to the loo. In the same moment, she watched as the hooded figure stood and glided rather gracefully to Draco's seat.
Instinct kicked in and Rita silently cast a modified amplification spell. It would allow for her and Rosemerta to hear nearby conversations but no one else.
Suddenly a conversation came across her table loud and clear causing Rosemerta to jump in surprise, "Merlin! Dammit Rita!"
She was silenced by a large hand placed over her mouth as the content of the clandestined conversation wafted into their ears.
"Hello cousin Draco."
"What are you doing in England?"
"Mother and I are fulfilling a family obligation."
"Oh? Does my father know of this?"
"Why would he? He's NOT a Pendragon."
"Yes and thank Merlin your mother is illegitimate."
"Don't mention that name in my presence! It's not her fault Abraxus Malfoy was a whore!"
"How dare you!"
"Shut up! IMPERIO! You will do what I say, when I say it."
"Yes cousin."
Rosemerta's eyes widened as Rita's mouth fell open. Both witches rose from their seat to see the hooded figure slip out of the pub and Draco Malfoy look up at them with a scowl on his face, "What are you looking at?"
Pansy returned to the booth to find Draco sullenly staring at Rita Skeeter. Taking his hand, she said, "Come on Lumpkins, let's go."
The young couple rose and strolled out of the pub.
Rita stared at the door, then at her partner, "I'm going after him!" She headed for the door calling over her shoulder, "Get in touch with Dumbledore! Tell him what we just heard!"
Rosemerta closed her eyes and apparated with a bang.
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Rita Skeeter burst out of the pub and saw Draco and Pansy walking down the street glancing in the windows of various shops. They disappeared around a corner and Rita was hard pressed to keep up. It didn't help that she was wearing four inch stilettos.
Rounding the same corner she wasn't surprised to find that they had vanished. Apparated to parts unknown.
"Dammit! I have to contact Dumbledore. It's illegal to use an unspeakable. Even on Draco Malfoy, scum bag that he is."
She turned and headed back to the pub.
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Rosemerta burst into the great hall to find it nearly empty. Looking around, she spied a table still occupied with Hogwarts staff. Trotting over, she recognized Aurora Sinistra, "Professor where is Dumbledore?"
The pretty Astronomy teacher smiled and replied, "Family of the brides are headed to McGonagall Manor for a smaller gathering."
The frizzy barkeep stomped a foot in frustration, "Shite!"
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-to be continued
*See "A Cat, A Kitten & Mice by Butterfly Rainbow
