Harry made arrangements to meet Cousin Andromeda for afternoon tea. He was thankful that Lord Greengrass' letter had come on one of his days off from tutoring – he couldn't imagine having to sit and listen to Cousin Narcissa teach him about proper comportment with the idea of the betrothal contract bouncing around in his head.

He flooed to Cousin Andromeda's house at three fifteen and was relieved to see that neither Cousin Ted, nor Tonks, were present. He really didn't want to have to talk this through with an audience.

Cousin Andromeda greeted with a polite curtsey before leading him to a small spindly table outside where afternoon tea was laid out.

"Tea, Harry?" Cousin Andromeda asked.

"Yes, please." Harry inclined his head, sitting in one of the chairs. They were much more comfortable than they looked.

Harry watched silently as she poured them both tea and focussed all his willpower on not fidgeting. Normally it was natural for him, well it had been ever since Cousin Narcissa had forced him to learn how to sit still, but today it was harder than usual.

Eventually the tea was poured and the pleasantries had been completed, allowing Harry bring up the subject he had come to discuss.

"A betrothal contract?" Cousin Andromeda asked, setting her tea cup down on the table.

"Yes, ma'am." Harry nodded. "With the eldest daughter of the Lord of the Ancient and Noble House of Greengrass."

"The House of Greengrass has always had an excellent reputation." Cousin Andromeda nodded. "I am surprised that she is not already betrothed."

"She was betrothed to the eldest son of the Heir of the Most Ancient and Noble House of Odgen." Harry explained. "But he died of Dragon Pox a few years ago."

"I see." Cousin Andromeda inclined her head. "And what are your thoughts about being betrothed to this young lady?"

Harry sighed and sipped at his tea. "I don't know. She is my friend, but it seems like a really big decision."

"It is." Cousin Andromeda agreed. "It is possibly the biggest decision you will ever make in your life."

Harry's stomach twisted. "What do you think I should do?"

"I think you should eat a scone." Cousin Andromeda told him kindly, pushing the plate of scones towards him.

Harry felt too nervous to want to eat, but he selected a scone from the plate and bit into it anyway.

"I presume that you are aware that I was contracted to marry Lucius Malfoy?" Cousin Andromeda asked.

Harry nodded, before swallowing his mouthful of scone. "Yes, ma'am."

"Unfortunately, Lucius and I never got along." Cousin Andromeda told him. "I found him terribly boring and, I suspect, he believed the same of me."

"Boring?" Harry asked in disbelief. He couldn't imagine anyone describing either Lord Malfoy or Cousin Andromeda as boring.

Cousin Andromeda smiled. "Yes, terribly. But to Narcissa, Lucius was the most fascinating man she had ever met. It's all relative you see."

"But how will I know if I will find her boring in the future?" Harry asked.

"Do you find her boring now?" Cousin Andromeda asked.

"Not at all!" Harry denied. "She's brilliant."

"Well, that is certainly a good start." Cousin Andromeda smiled. "And when you imagine yourself marrying her, what do you feel?"

Harry frowned. "I can't imagine being married to anyone, but I think I'd rather it was Daphne than anyone else I know. I love Luna, but she would drive me crazy and Pansy is crazy and all the other girls I know are really boring."

Cousin Andromeda's smile grew. "Then what are your concerns?"

"What if I change my mind?" Harry asked. "What if I meet someone when I'm older, like you met Cousin Ted or my father met my mother, who I like more than Daphne? But what if I say no, and she gets betrothed to someone else and I never meet anyone better?"

"Changing your mind is not an option." Cousin Andromeda told him. "That is why it is the biggest decision you will make in your life."

"You changed your mind." Harry reminded her.

"It was never my choice to be betrothed to Lucius." Cousin Andromeda countered. "It was my grandfather's decision. I made the choice to marry Ted and, while it is not a choice I regret, it shamed both my family and Lucius. How do you think he felt to hear that I had run off with another man?"

Harry winced. "Not so good."

"Once you make this decision, you must live with it for the rest of your life." Cousin Andromeda told him. "So you must decide which of your 'what if' scenarios you think is more likely: that you one day cease to find Miss Greengrass to be interesting, or that you never find someone you like as much as her."

1-1-1

The next day Sirius took Harry, Draco and Neville to a Quidditch game in Bulgaria. Despite having lived in magical world for three years, Harry still found it hard to believe how easy it was to travel overseas when using a floo. Though admittedly, Harry was sure that the process was made easier because of their nobility. All five Floo Terminus' that they visit had dozens of people lining up in front of fireplaces. Fortunately for Harry, each Terminus also had several fireplaces for V.I.P.s.

They flooed from Grimmauld Place to the British Terminus', then to the Terminus in France, then the one in Italy, then across to the one in Greece, before finally arriving at the Bulgarian Floo Terminus which, thankfully, was within walking distance of the Quidditch Pitch.

"Urgh." Draco moaned as they exited the Terminus. "It's so bright. I can hardly see."

"It's a brilliant day for Quidditch." Harry grinned. "We'll be able to see everything!"

"Unless we're blinded by the sun first." Draco complained.

Neville looked amused. "You'd think he's never seen sunlight before."

Sirius chuckled. "Well, he is a Slytherin. Their common rooms are in the dungeons so I doubt they see much light."

Harry laughed as Draco glared first at Neville and then Sirius. Draco was right though, the sun seemed a lot brighter than it usually did at home. It reminded that he'd been meaning to buy himself a pair of muggle sunglasses since the previous summer. Maybe he would buy some for Neville and Draco as well.

It was short walk to the Quidditch Pitch and when they arrived, Harry took the lead - greeting the witch who was checking tickets in Bulgarian.

"Dobŭr den, g-tsa."

The witch smiled. "Dobŭr den. Vashata kutiya e v drugiya kraĭ na terena. Tryabva da se obŭrne nalyavo po tribunite."

Harry returned her smile. "Blagodarya."

Once they were a few feet away from her, Draco spoke up. "What did she say?"

"I'm not entirely sure." Harry admitted. "I've only been learning Bulgarian for a month and a half and it's much harder than German and French."

Draco rolled his eyes. "Well, can you take any guesses?"

"She said good afternoon." Harry said confidently. "And then I recognised the word for left."

"That's it?" Draco sounded horrified. "We should go back and see if she speaks English, or French, German or Italian. You know, a language that one of us actually speaks."

Harry glared at him as Sirius excused himself to find some information. "At least I'm trying to learn new languages. You only know four."

"Which is more than you know." Draco pointed out. "You know three and three halves."

"Technically that would equal four and a half." Neville put in with a small smile.

"Don't be stupid." Draco told him. "Two half languages don't make a whole."

"Well, you're both better than me." Neville sighed. "I only speak two."

"Really?" Draco looked surprised. "Which two?"

"Well, I'm going to go out on a limb and guess that one of them is English." Harry grinned.

"And German." Neville added quickly, before Draco could glare at Harry.

"What about French?" Draco asked in horror. "Everyone knows French."

"If any of my dorm-mates knows French I'll snap my wand." Neville shook his head. "In fact, let's make that any Gryffindor in my year."

Draco sneered. "Well, perhaps I ought to have said 'anyone of importance and good breeding'."

"That I'd be more likely to believe." Neville's shoulders slumped.

Draco rolled his eyes and hit him on the arm. "I wasn't meaning you, idiot. Though clearly someone in the Ancient and Noble House of Longbottom lacks good breeding. I can't believe they haven't taught you French."

Harry grinned. "Don't worry about him, Neville. He gave me a similar speech when I told him that I'd decided not to learn Italian this summer."

"Of course I did." Draco agreed scathingly. "You chose Bulgarian and Japanese over Italian. What use are they going to be to you?"

"Takashi is Japanese." Harry defended. "I want to visit him there one day."

"And Bulgarian?" Draco challenged.

"Sirius said I should learn it." Harry answered. "I have no idea why. He said something about how I would understand when school started up again and then mentioned that Bulgaria are probably going to get into the Finals."

"So?" Draco asked. "How is that a good reason to learn their language?"

"Maybe not," Harry admitted. "But Bulgarian is the fifth most widely known language in Magical Europe."

"Is it hard to learn?" Neville asked quietly.

"Very." Harry sighed. "Much harder than French or German."

"Or Italian, I'm sure." Draco added snidely.

Harry ignored him. "But it's easier than Japanese and Gobbledygook."

"Don't even get me started on Gobbledygook!" Draco sneered.

Harry rolled his eyes.

"Alrighty." Sirius grinned as he approached them. "Our box is over there," He gestured to his right. "And we'll pass some food stands on the way."

"I was right!" Harry crowed. "She did say left."

"Yes, yes, well done." Draco told him sarcastically.

It took them twenty minutes to find their box, mostly because Sirius insisted that stop at every foodcart to make sure they weren't selling anything different. Of course, once they had stopped Sirius always insisted that they buy something.

Harry would have said that he had never seen so much junk food in his life, except that Sirius had done the exact same thing at every Quidditch game they had attended that summer.

"Wow!" Neville exclaimed looking over the side of the box. "We can see everything."

"There are definitely benefits to being Lord Black." Sirius agreed. "Even in Bulgaria."

"Come sit down, Neville." Harry told him. "We have something we want to give you."

"Give me?" Neville looked surprised. "Why?"

"Just come sit down and we'll tell you." Harry commanded, before waiting for Neville to obey before continuing. "Now, as you know this trip is our way of throwing you a birthday party."

"You really didn't have to do that." Neville said quickly.

"Don't be an idiot. Of course we did." Draco told him before sneering. "Especially since I'm not invited to your actual birthday dinner."

Neville looked shamefaced. "I'm sorry. I tried to get Gran and Uncle Algie to let me invite you, but they said no."

"It's not a problem." Harry promised him. "I'll be there anyway and everyone knows I'm the better choice out of me and Draco."

"Prat." Draco jabbed him in the arm.

"I have no idea why your father thinks that you're a perfect pureblood heir." Sirius commented with a grin. "Especially since you keep going around jabbing Harry like a muggle."

"If I was allowed to use my wand I would hex him." Draco promised haughtily. "Besides, my father is quite aware that Harry is the better heir."

"Oh I wouldn't say that." Sirius laughed. "Besides, I think you have the right end of the stick. Better to know when you have to be high and poncy and when you can jab your friends."

"That's why his father thinks he's the perfect pureblood heir." Harry pointed out.

"Anyway," Sirius started. "You two were sharing birthday greetings with Neville. My apologies for side tracking you."

"Right." Draco nodded briskly and pulled a pulled a wrapped present out of the bag that he had bought. "Happy birthday, Neville."

Neville looked at the present with a surprised expression. "You didn't have to get me anything."

"Obviously." Draco drawled. "But I did. So open it."

Harry watched as Neville carefully undid the silver ribbon that was tied over green paper. Draco's apparent need to constantly remind people that he was a Slytherin never ceased to amuse him.

When Neville had finished unwrapping the present, Harry had to choke down a laugh at the sight of a pair of golden omniocculars.

Neville looked to be having a similar reaction. "Are these made of actual gold?"

"Of course." Draco answered snootily. "Malfoys only buy the best."

"I can't wait to see Ron's expression when he sees these." Neville commented with a smirk. "Thank you, Draco, they're great."

Draco sniffed haughtily at the mention of Ron, but he looked pleased none the less.

2-2-2

Harry met with Cousin Narcissa the next day for tutoring and, while he knew it wasn't appropriate to bring up the subject during the lesson, he found it hard to concentrate with the idea of the betrothal hanging over his head.

"While the French system is very similar to our own, Bulgaria still have a reigning Monarch." Cousin Narcissa lectured. "King Aleksandar has held his title since 1943 when his grandfather died. King Aleksandar's heir is his oldest son, Prince Andrey, who currently holds the position of Minister of Magic."

"Mother?" Draco started. "Why are you teaching us about Bulgaria?"

Cousin Narcissa looked severe. "It is important for you to understand all the nations that our Ministry interacts with, Draconus."

"Of course, Mother." Draco agreed quickly. "I was only asking because Cousin Sirius has recommended that Harry learn Bulgarian. He told Harry that he would understand why when school started. Do you know why Harry might need to know Bulgarian, Mother?"

Cousin Narcissa raised an eyebrow. "You didn't tell me that you were learning Bulgarian, Harry."

"Sorry, Cousin Narcissa." Harry answered guiltily.

"Perhaps you ought to learn some Bulgarian also, Draconus." Cousin Narcissa said told her son. "Our Ministry has much to do with its Bulgarian equivalent. It would only be prudent."

Draco looked politely horrified. "Please don't make me, Mother. If I am ever in a situation where I need to understand the language, I will bring Harry in as a translator."

"Oh?" Cousin Narcissa asked, her tone dangerously light. "You, the Heir to the Most Ancient and Noble House of Malfoy, plan to bring in the Lord of the Most Ancient and Noble House of Potter to translate for you? Do you not think that people might find that peculiar? Or perhaps that Harry might have more important things to do?"

Draco looked like a deer in headlights. "He's not Lord Potter yet, Mother."

"Perhaps not," Cousin Narcissa agreed. "However, he will be in a year and three days. Do you only plan to interact with the nation of Bulgaria in that time, Draconus?"

"I do see your point, Mother." Draco acknowledged. "However, our Ministry interacts with a great many governments. Surely I cannot learn each of their languages?"

Cousin Narcissa eyed him. "Surely not."

"Besides," Draco continued. "Harry says that Bulgarian is very difficult. If I was going to learn another language maybe I could learn another one, that Harry won't know. Spanish perhaps."

"Excellent." Cousin Narcissa nodded in obvious satisfaction. "I shall arrange a tutor for you."

"Thank you, Mother." Draco told her, before waiting until she had looked away to glare scathingly at Harry.

Harry tried not to feel too amused.

"Now," Cousin Narcissa started. "The Bulgarian equivalent of the Wizengamot consists of much the same make up as our own, with one obvious distinction. King Aleksandar resides over it, rather than a Chief Warlock."

Eventually Cousin Narcissa finished her lecture and they stopped for elevenses. Draco stayed for a few minutes before leaving to receive fencing lessons from his father.

"Cousin Narcissa?" Harry asked, after she had poured them both tea.

"Yes, dear?" Cousin Narcissa acknowledged.

"Sirius has given me permission to discuss a sensitive issue with you." Harry started. "Lord Greengrass has approached him regarding a betrothal contract between me and Daphne. Sirius says that he will let me decide whether or not accept it."

"Miss Greengrass?" Cousin Narcissa sounded pleased. "That would be a good match. I must admit, I have been hoping that Samuel would contact Sirius."

"So you think I should agree to it then?" Harry asked her.

Cousin Narcissa considered him. "What do you think?"

Harry swallowed down a groan. Why couldn't someone just tell him what he should do? "I don't know what to do."

"Why would you say yes?" Cousin Narcissa asked neutrally.

"Because she's great." Harry answered with a smile. "She's smart and funny and really pretty and she's always very poised."

"All important factors." Cousin Narcissa agreed. "Why would you say no?"

"What if, in a few years, I don't like her anymore?" Harry asked. "What if I meet someone like better?"

"You cannot think of it like that." Cousin Narcissa told him reprovingly. "If you decide to accept a betrothal contract with Miss Greengrass, you must choose her every day for the rest of your life. I did not choose to marry Lucius, as you are now being given the choice to with Miss Greengrass, and yet Lucius and I have both worked hard to ensure that our marriage has been a success."

Harry leaned forward in interest. "You had to work at it?"

"Every couple has to work at it." Cousin Narcissa told him seriously.

Harry sighed. "I don't know what to do."

"Would you rather have Sirius make the decision for you?" Cousin Narcissa asked.

"No." Harry denied quickly. "I'm glad he asked me. I've just never had to make a decision this big before. What do you think I should do?"

Cousin Narcissa was quiet for a minute, then she spoke. "I believe that a betrothal between yourself and Miss Greengrass would be advantageous for the Most Ancient and Noble House of Potter and the fact that you enjoy her company makes the match even more auspicious."

"So you think I should agree?" Harry confirmed.

"I do." Cousin Narcissa said. "Have you considered that doing so would make you and Draconus brothers of a sort? You would be marrying two sisters."

Harry grinned at the thought. "That would be brilliant."

"But it is not a reason to choose to betroth yourself to her." Cousin Narcissa cautioned. "Neither is my approval of the match. This is a decision that you will have to live with for many decades. Discuss the matter over with Sirius. A discussion with Miss Greengrass might also be useful."

2-2-2