CHAPTER FIFTEEN
Summary: The battle is over and a marriage law has been put into effect due to the rapidly declining wizarding population. Under the law, Hermione is forced to marry at eighteen or face being exiled from the Wizarding World. Join Hermione as she has to deal with her past, whilst looking forward to the future, with the help of The Weasley Twins and rising Quidditch Star, Oliver Wood.
Disclaimer: All original characters and canon events belong to J.K. Rowling. Non-canon events are my own ideas. I am not making any profit from posting this fanfic.
Updated: 06/12/19
Page count: 17
Diagon Alley – Monday 20th July 1998
She felt her eyes widen: she knew that voice.
"Crabbe," she said calmly. "And I presume that the idiot who pushed me is Goyle."
The robed figure before her pushed the hood down, revealing Goyle's smirk. "You miss us, Mudblood?"
"Not really, no," she replied meanly. "I'm sorry to say, you weren't a massive part of my life."
Goyle's smirk fell and was replaced by a cruel sneer as he closed the distance between them and raised his closed fist, Hermione clenching her teeth and releasing a pained groan when it sank in her stomach.
"You should be more careful with the way you speak to your superiors," he spat.
"You're not my superior."
He punched her once more and in the exact same place.
"My blood says otherwise!"
"Oh, you mean your father's blood? Isn't he in Azkaban? Yours too, Crabbe?"
Without warning, a Slicing Hex grazed her face, the skin of her cheek splitting and blood trickling down her face.
"You're going to end up the same way as your father if you continue with this," she warned him but he didn't listen and a second Slicing Hex was thrown at her, this one landing on her abdomen, slicing through her t-shirt. "Fine, have it your way."
She moved quickly, stomping on Crabbe's foot and elbowing him in the stomach until he grunted and automatically released her, taking a stumbling step back. She ducked the spell that left Goyle's wand and it collided with Crabbe, propelling him backwards and into the brick wall. Pulling her own wand, she threw up a shield to fend against Goyle's onslaught and with her annoyance growing and Goyle's form tiring, dropped her shield, and ignored the feeling of being hit with a hex, before she sent one of her own his way, colliding with him and throwing him sideways into the brick wall.
Spinning on her heel, her attention moved to a slowly standing Crabbe as he appeared to regain his bearings and with her distraction, she hadn't been expecting for a hex to slam into her back, sending her tumbling forward until she landed painfully on her knees. Taking a breath and breathing through the pain, she pulled herself to her feet and looked over her shoulder towards the entrance to the alleyway.
"You're not marrying Oliver, he's mine! He loves me!" The dirty-blonde witch said with a deranged look in her eyes.
Hermione sighed tiredly, barely stopping herself from pinching the bridge of her nose. 'Wonderful! Two Death Eaters and a crazy bint all in one day. Way to go, Hermione.'
"Oliver's marrying me because of the Marriage Law. We have no choice," Hermione replied. Why couldn't people see that it wasn't her fault? She didn't choose the matches or have anything to do with the implementation. She'd been just as in the dark as everyone else.
"There is a choice," she disagreed. You die, he can marry me. I love him and he loves me. We have something special, he gave me his jersey and family cuff bracelet," she said smugly.
Hermione eyed her carefully, more specifically, the wand clutched in her hand. "He did, did he?" She gave the woman a quick once over, from her dirty-blonde hair pulled into a ponytail, her dark eyes, small nose and thin lips, right down to her short stature, plain blue robes and the Oliver fan girl t-shirt she wore beneath. Hermione supposed she could be considered pretty, except her obvious stupidity and creepy personality took away from her looks. "What's your name?"
"Mary," she responded, a proud smile on her lips.
"Well, Mary, I think you have a few screws loose," Hermione replied honestly, not caring if she was offending or angering the witch. "Oliver's never mentioned you and I've more than one of his jerseys, an entire wardrobe full, if I'm honest. It doesn't make you special."
"He loves me and he's gunna marry me, not you!" She exploded in a shriek of fury, storming towards Hermione with her wand raised and eyes alight with fury.
Sighing tiredly, Hermione only had to give a lazy flick of her wand before Mary was stunned and crashing to the ground. She should've cast first before approaching. With Mary taken care of, she'd planned on seeing to Crabbe, only she wasn't fast enough and he'd used her distraction to his advantage, tackling her to the ground. She tried to push him off her, to break free, but he was dead weight and unmoving. He gripped her wrist so tightly, she both felt and heard the bone snap whilst he also hit her in the face. During the struggle, her wand had fallen out of her hand and she tried to reach for it but Crabbe prevented her from doing so.
]"It's about time you learned how to treat your superiors, Mudblood!" He snarled and with his fist raised, he paused in bringing it down when a dog's bark sounded.
Tilting her head and arching her body the best she could to better see, she released a relieved heavy sigh as Quaffle bounded down the alleyway and without stopping, he leapt straight for Crabbe. The large wizard's reflexes kicked in last minute and he rolled off Hermione, Quaffle missing him by inches, only when Crabbe stood, Quaffle lunged for him, this time catching his arm, sinking his teeth into the flesh and locking his jaw, refusing to release his grip. Crabbe cried out in pain and Hermione slowly rose to her feet, leaning against the wall for support. Her eyes remaining locked on Crabbe and Quaffle, she used the scene to distract her from the pain of her injuries but once she heard footfalls, she looked towards the entrance of the alleyway. The moment her eyes locked with Oliver's, a relieved smile crossed her face before she felt herself going dizzy, everything went blank and she collapsed to the floor, passing out.
~000~000~000~
Since Oliver had told Hermione there was something he needed to collect from Diagon Alley, he thought it would look suspicious should he return home without anything and suspicious was something he didn't want Hermione to be. The ring he'd gotten her was to be a surprise, one he didn't want her knowing about until he was the right time.
So, after a quick pit-stop to Madam Malkin's, the witch practically falling over herself to help him, he left with a gift for his mother, and he made a quick visit to Flourish and Blotts to grab some new books for Hermione before he headed to the jewellers with twenty-five minutes to spare.
"Mr. Wood," the old wizard greeted with a smile. "It's nice to see you again, I have your ring just out the back, please wait a moment and I'll collect it for you."
Oliver patiently waited by the counter, perusing some of the jewellery on display until the returned a few minutes later. Opening the ring box, he handed it to Oliver to allow him to see the final product and make a final decision. Accepting the box, a smile tugged at Oliver's mouth as soon as he saw it. It was perfect, exactly how he'd imagined it. Despite the fact the ring was expensive and contained numerous gemstones, it didn't look too flashy or showy. It was beautiful and it wouldn't draw attention to it unless you were stood close by. The diamonds cast rainbows in the light, the ruby held a dark red tint and the tanzanites were a lilac-blue, meaning they'd been recently mined.
"Will the ring magically resize itself?"
"Yes, I added the feature as I was unaware of the ring size. e. "Would you like to purchase anything else? Wedding bands maybe?"
"Not right now," Oliver shook his head.
"Very well, the total cost is nine thousand and twenty-seven galleons, fifteen sickles and nineteen nuts," the owner said gleefully. Without hesitation, Oliver signed the receipt and gave the owner his Gringotts information so it may be taken from his vault. "Have a good evening, Mr. Wood."
Smiling, Oliver left the shop and stood by the door, looking down at the ring incredibly pleased with his purchase, the sun hitting the newly mined, carved and polished gemstones and reflecting a myriad of colours across his face. Crouching down, he tipped the ring box towards Quaffle.
"What'd ye think? Think she'll like it?" He asked the dog and Quaffle barked before licking Oliver's cheek. Oliver smiled and scratched the large puppy's head. "Yer right, it's perfect."
He rose to full height and snapped the ring box closed, slipping it into his robe pocket for safekeeping, and without warning, Quaffle lifted his nose, visibly sniffing the air before he barked madly, drawing the attention of not only Oliver but passersby as well. Whispers broke out as members of the public recognised him, expression of pity, amazement, shock and infatuation directed his way and he mentally groaned. That's just what he needed!
"What is it?" He asked Quaffle and as soon as he did, Quaffle dashed down the cobblestone street, darting in-between shoppers. Oliver's eyes widened but he was soon chasing after him. "Quaffle!" He called, gaining the attention of the shoppers as he pushed past people and made his way through the busy alley. "Quaffle, get back here!" He yelled once more.
Quaffle darted down an alleyway in-between two shops and Oliver halted to a stop to take a quick breather as he clutched at his side, a painful stitch having formed. Groaning in annoyance, he took another breath before he continued the chase.
"Quaffle! A'll have the twins shave ye!" He threatened, the already confused and stunned looks he received increasing.
He followed Quaffle's barks to an alleyway, putting on a burst of speed when he heard agonised yells mixed with the barks. He halted to a stop at the entrance, the breath being knocked out of him at the sight of two unconscious figures on the floor, Quaffle latched onto a third, and Hermione sliding down the wall until her body hit the ground. His eyes widening in horror, he absentmindedly drew his wand and cast a Petrificus Totalus, petrifying the third figure, and then rushing to Hermione's side just as Quaffle reached her and laid beside her protectively.
"Sparrow?"
He tried to wake her, gently shaking her shoulders but there was no response or movement. A few attempts later, the only thing that gave him comfort was the rise and fall of her chest, letting him know she was alive.
"Quaffle, get help, find Fred an' George," he ordered.
As Quaffle barely glanced at him as he ran off, Oliver took inventory of Hermione's injuries, a few cuts to her face and stomach, a clear broken wrist and a possible broken nose, he'd seen enough in his line of work. He wanted to know what'd happened but it would have to wait.
Lifting Hermione from the ground, he settled her in his arms and leaning against his chest, muttering words of comfort in her ear, hoping she could still hear him.
"Help's on the way, ye'll be fine. The people tha' did this won't get away with it," he promised.
It wasn't long before Fred and George arrived, running down the alleyway and following behind Quaffle.
"Get the Aurors an' a healer," Oliver ordered before they'd even halted to a stop.
Breathing heavily, George sent his Patronus to the Ministry with a message for the MLE Department and notifying them a healer or two was needed.
"What happened?" George asked as he and Fred crouched down before him.
"A dunno, Quaffle ran aff an' a chased after him until he brought me here. By the time a got here, they were on the ground an' Quaffle had a hold af the third one. Hermione collapsed, a petrified him an' sent Quaffle tae get help," he answered, never taking his eyes away from Hermione.
"He's a clever dog, we were locking up when he started jumping up at the glass and barking to get our attention, he wouldn't stop until we followed him."
"Hermione's always saying he's intelligent. He saved her life. If Quaffle hadn't have sensed tha' something was wrong, she could've died," Oliver muttered.
"What were you doing in Diagon Alley?" Fred questioned, trying to keep Oliver talking before he decided to get up and deal with the unconscious bodies of Hermione's attackers himself, which was quite possible with the way he was glaring at them.
"A told her a needed tae pick somethin' up from Malkin's. She wanted tae come with mae so we separated an' agreed tae meet at Leaky Cauldron after an hour."
"But you didn't need to go to Malkin's, did you?" George said knowingly
Oliver shook his head. "A lied, a dinnae want her tae know where a was really goin'."
"Why?" They chorused.
Distractedly, Oliver slipped his hand in his robe pocket and removed the ring box, handing it to Fred. When he opened it, his and George's eyes darted between the ring and Oliver tenderly holding Hermione against him.
"You got her an engagement ring?" George muttered in surprise. He certainly hadn't expected that.
"She deserves a real engagement. A don' care what she said, she's gettin' a ring. Anno the wedding's in less than twa weeks an' it's not really necessary but am gunna propose tae her."
"You love her," they both stated.
Oliver's head snapped away from Hermione's face and to theirs. "What?"
"You love her," Fred repeated.
"I..." He hesitated.
"It's okay to admit it, she's very easy to love," he replied with a knowing smile.
Before any response could be given, Kingsley arrived with three Aurors and two healers, the port-keys bringing them silently to the entrance of the alleyway. The healers rushed forward and tried to get near Hermione but Quaffle wouldn't let them without growling at them, at which they were afraid to get closer.
"Quaffle, they aren't gunna hurt her," Oliver informed the overprotective pup, and although his growling stopped, he didn't move. Fred handing Oliver the ring box before he and George stepped aside to allow the healers and Aurors more room.
"What happened, Mr. Wood?" Kingsley asked.
Oliver sighed before quickly repeating what he'd told the twins not too long ago.
"She has two breaks, several cuts and a few bruises forming. All in all, she will be fine," a female healer said. "I'll give her a Pain Potion..."
"Naw," Oliver said quickly.
"I'm sorry?" The healer questioned in surprise.
"Don't give her a Pain Potion."
"Once she wakes, she'll be in quite a bit of pain."
"Don't give her a Pain Potion," he repeated, his anger building.
"That isn't your call to make, Mr. Wood," she said haughtily.
"A'll think ye'll find it as am her fiancé. Ye won't be giving her a Pain Potion 'coz she's allergic tae them an' it could kill her," he glared, not even bothering to stop himself from doing so.
"Impossible," she scoffed. "No one is allergic to Pain Potions."
"She's a war veteran; she suffered hours under the Cruciatus Curse. She's now allergic tae all Pain Potions as a result. Stop bloody arguing with mae an' do yer job befere a get me layers involved fer neglect!" He snapped, the healer looking both outraged and taken aback whilst the twins shared a proud smile.
"Healer Tole," the Minister interrupted. "Do your job and heal Miss. Granger without any more disruptions," he commanded in a clear and concise tone.
The healer averted her gaze and tended to Hermione's cuts and breaks. "I can't do anything for the bruises but improve the healing time," she said.
"We can," Fred gestured to himself and his twin.
"Healer Tole, attend to the other casualties along with Healer Kit."
"We've checked their wands, Minister," an Auror spoke. "Miss. Granger's wand along with the three suspects support the evidence of an attack and Miss. Granger defending herself."
"Thank you, Auror Hills, detain the suspects and prepare to transport them to a holding room."
As he handed Hermione's wand to Oliver, a groan sounded before Hermione's eyes fluttered open and she slowly looked about her surroundings in confusion, landing on Oliver's blinding smile.
"What happened?"
"We were hoping you could tell us," Kingsley replied with a kind smile.
"Minister?" She frowned, her eyes darting towards the entrance of the alleyway when she caught the camera flashes from the corner of her eye. "We've got company," she sighed, them turning to the scene of photographers, journalists and members of the public heading their way.
Kingsley quickly ordered the Aurors to stop the public from getting any closer and to erect wards around them until reinforcements arrived to help clear the alleyway.
"Miss. Granger, what happened?" He asked once more.
Hermione frowned once more before she pushed herself into a sitting position, away from Oliver's chest but he still kept his arms folded around her.
"I was on my way to the Leaky Cauldron to meet Oliver when I was pushed in here and someone grabbed me, it was Vincent Crabbe and Gregory Goyle. Words were exchanged, I was hit and I broke free, fighting them off. At some point, that idiot over there," she gestured to the girl on the floor, "Came out of nowhere, hexing me and saying she was going to marry Oliver because she loved him and he loved her. Apparently, they have something special, she even has his jersey and family cuff bracelet," she said sarcastically. The twins snorted and Oliver's eyes widened as he quietly seethed. He knew he hadn't lost it! "She said that if I died, she could marry Oliver."
Oliver's grip on her tightened and she winced. "Oliver, you're squeezing the life out of me."
"Sorry," he muttered, loosening his hold.
"Anyway, we had a chat, she got mad and tried to harm, so I stunned her before she could do any damage to herself," she continued and the twins snorted. "Crabbe tackled me from behind, pinned me down and he broke my wrist and hit me in the face. I tried to reach my wand but he was too heavy and I couldn't move. Luckily, Quaffle came, he attacked him and wouldn't let go; I wouldn't be surprised if you see a nasty bite on Crabbe. At that point, Oliver arrived and then I must've fainted because I remember being dizzy."
"We'll take your memories to prevent you from having to testify at trial. Both Crabbe and Goyle are on a probation period, if they don't steer clear of trouble for five years, they're sentenced to Azkaban. However, the case of this woman is tricky. Do you know her name?"
"Mary, I'm sure said it was Mary."
"Mary Hughes," Oliver's chest rumbled.
"You know her, Mr. Wood?" The Minister questioned with an arched eyebrow.
"She's me number one fan. She's the reason a moved; she kept breaking intae me old apartment an' following mae. A thought a'd just lost some stuff during the move, but apparently she stole it."
"She'll be brought up on charges, I can assure you. Do you know which belongings of yours she took?"
"A silver cuff bracelet stamped with me family's crest, a Puddlemere Quidditch jersey, a few af me shirts, me favourite book, Quidditch Through the Ages, an' a don' doubt there's other things."
"Her residence will be searched and we will return any belongings of yours that we find," Kingsley assured him.
"The only thing a want back is the cuff bracelet; ye can sell ev'rythin' else an' give the money tae charity."
"As you wish, Mr. Wood," he nodded before peering over his shoulder. "Ah, it's about time reinforcements arrived. Well, we better get the suspects back to the Ministry," he mused, before personally removing Hermione's memories and placing them in a vial in his robe pockets. "You may go home, Miss. Granger"
"Thanks, Minister," she sighed. "What will happen to Quaffle, our dog?" She questioned, reaching out to run her hands through his fur.
"Neither of you will be held responsible for his actions; he was protecting his owner which isn't against the law." Hermione nodded. "Before I forget, Rita Skeeter has been into the Ministry to make a complaint against you, accusing you of terrorising her." Hermione didn't bother plastering an innocent look on her face, he already knew it was her; he'd technically given her permission, after all. "I must say, reading the report of her official complaint was quite amusing. And some of the things you have sent her in the mail, quite ingenious, Miss. Granger"
"Thanks," she grinned.
"Am I right in thinking you have not yet finished?"
"Yes, you are. In fact, I picked up a few more products this evening."
He chuckled. "I look forward to reading the next report. You can't be arrested unless she has absolute proof that you are the one sending her the items in the mail," he said, before turning and leaving them alone.
"Are you sure you're okay?" George asked her, looking worried.
"I'm fine," she nodded, accepting Oliver's help in standing.
"We'll send you over some Bruise Removal Paste," Fred said before they both gave her a quick hug and then they returned to their shop, fighting their way through the crowd that surrounded them.
"Shall we go home?" Hermione asked and Oliver nodded quickly.
Crouching down, Hermione lifted Quaffle into her arms, holding her against him whilst Oliver banished Hermione's shopping bags back to the apartment. Looking to each other, they shared a nod before walking down the alleyway and stepping through the wards, immediately being hounded by journalists and flashing cameras. Oliver slid his arm around Hermione and pulled her into his side protectively, guiding her through the crowd as she had her head down and buried in Quaffle's fur.
"Miss. Granger, sources say you attacked a fan in a rage of jealousy, care to comment?"
"Mr. Wood, how does it feel to know that you're engaged to a dangerous woman?"
"Miss. Granger, do you feel any remorse for what you did?"
"Mr. Wood, are you concerned for your fans?"
"Miss. Granger, are you responsible for the disappearance of Harry Potter, and Ronald and Ginevra Weasley?"
"Mr. Wood, are you worried that you may be next to disappear?"
"Whose dog is that? Was he involved in the attack?"
Quaffle, sensing Hermione's upset, released a growl that had the crowd backing away from them, Oliver's mouth twitching into a proud smirk. He guided her to the Leaky Cauldron and once they stepped inside, Tom shut and locked the doors preventing anyone from getting in and following them.
"That should hold them off until you can get home," Tom grinned.
"Thank you, Tom, I owe you one," Hermione smiled.
"You owe me nothing, Miss. Granger, you're the reason I don't have Death Eaters threatening my family and roaming the Alley. And just so you know, I don't believe a word of what that Skeeter woman's saying."
Hermione smiled at him gratefully. "Thank you,"
He patted her on the shoulder and gestured to the floo with a tip of his head, Hermione and Oliver stepping into the fireplace and flooing to the safety of their home.
~000~000~000~
Wood Apartment
After stepping out of the fireplace, Hermione set Quaffle on the ground and crossed over to the windows, opening the balcony door for him, whilst Oliver observed her carefully, noting she was quieter than usual.
"Am sorry, Hermione,"
She spun to face him. "What for?"
"Mary, she attacked ye."
"Your number one fan, she seemed lovely," she said sarcastically and he couldn't help chuckling at her.
She left Quaffle on the balcony and headed for her bedroom, Oliver following after her and leaning against the door frame with his arms folded over his chest whilst Hermione climbed onto her bed.
"So, she's the reason you had to move?"
"Aye, she's nuts."
"I figured that out when she said I had to die so you were free to be with her. Apparently, you have a special connection, that's why you gave her your family cuff bracelet," she teased. Oliver made a scoffing sound. "Can I ask you a question?" She asked suddenly nervous. Oliver, picking up on the change in her mood, nodded slowly. "I know I said I didn't want to know about your past relationships, but, Mary, you didn't...Well, you didn't..."
"Naw," he said softly, pushing away from the door frame and crossing over to her, climbing onto the bed until he laid down beside her on his side, supporting his head with his hand so he could look down at her. "I definitely dinnae," he promised.
"So, she's just nuttier than a fruit cake and you didn't give her any reason to think the way she does?"
Oliver snorted at her. "Naw, a only met her once, when a first started on the team. It was during a victory party an' she was there, a smiled at her an' gave her an autograph, tha's it. After tha' she started following mae everywhere, she found oot where a lived an' she broke intae me apartment, evidently more than once an' stole me things. A moved here 'coz af her an' it's why no one but our family an' Coach Burton knows where we live," he explained, a small sigh of relief falling from her lips. "Sparrow, if ye wanna know aboot me past relationships a'll tell ye."
She shook her head immediately. "I don't want to know. I don't want to know their identities because knowing me and the luck I have, I'll run into them in Diagon Alley." He chuckled at her. "I don't want to compare myself to them and I don't want you to compare me to them either."
"No one is comparable to you," he muttered truthfully and he lifted her hand with his free one, lacing his fingers through hers. "A can promise ye now, a'll never meet someone like ye."
"Rule number ten," she muttered.
"Only make promises if ye can keep them," he stated and she smiled slightly; he'd remembered. "A promise yer one in a million, at least in me opinion ye are. Did a ev'r tell ye the team's jealous am marrying ye?"
Her brow furrowed in confusion. "Why would they be jealous? I'm nothing special and I'm nowhere near as pretty as their partners even if they do have horrendous personalities."
"Yer right, yer not pretty, yer beautiful," his eyes bore into hers, holding her gaze. "A've seen ye wear an old shirt an' been covered in paint an' ye were still beautiful. But yer personality is beautiful, tae. A've never met someone with as big a heart as yers, who's as kind an' selfless as ye. Yer able ae mae mae life an' it disturbs the team," he said, a smile tugging at her mouth in amusement. "Yer intelligent, witty an' thoughtful, ye charm people an' set them at ease withoot ye even realising yer doin' it. The team listens tae ye: a have tae yell at them if a want them tae do somethin'. Ye can sure as hell defend yerself; the only reason Quaffle had tae help ye taday was 'coz yer attacker was twice yer size an' weight, ye'd already dealt with twa af them." Her eyes shone brightly and he couldn't bring himself to look away from her. "A dunno what a'd do if ye weren't okay," he muttered, allowing some of his worry to seep through. "Tha's the third time yer've needed tae be healed in the space af twa weeks."
"I've got to keep you on your toes," she mumbled.
"Seriously, Hermione," he sighed, "When a saw ye collapse, a had the breath knocked oot af mae. A dinnae know hoo tae help ye, heal ye. Can ye teach mae?"
"How to heal?" She frowned and he nodded. "I'm a natural healer, that's not something you can teach."
"But as a natural healer, ye were born with knowledge af healing, ye know certain medical spells, spells tha' healer don' know, correct?" She nodded. "So teach mae them, then a can heal ye if a need tae." She nodded, looking thoughtful. "Why cannae ye heal yerself?"
"It's not the way it works, I can only heal others. I have my healing abilities, not for personal gain or personal use, but to help others."
"Okay, tell mae some more rules," he changed the subject.
"You can have three."
"A'll take what a can get. Twenty-five?"
"Surround yourself with the people and things you love."
"Thirteen?"
"If you're not happy, figure out what makes you happy. Don't settle."
"Last one, twenty-six?"
"Don't tell me to calm down. Not only will you likely get hexed and make me angrier, but never in the history of someone saying 'calm down' has anyone ever calmed down," she shrugged her shoulders and he snorted at her.
"Hang on, a've jus' remembered... Ye were disarmed," he said, a panicked expression crossing his face.
"No," she shook her head. "My wand was knocked out of my hand when Crabbe tackled me, I wasn't disarmed."
Hearing a tapping on the window, their attention turned to it, seeing a sandy coloured tawny owl. Flicking her wand, the window opened, the owl flew in and over to Hermione and she sat up, accepting the package.
"Hey, Crystal," Hermione greeted, the owl hooting and pecking her finger affectionately. "There's some treats by the window," she said. The owl hooted and nipped her finger before taking a treat and flying off into the distance, Hermione closing the window behind her with a flick of her wand. "Crystal's one of the shop owls," she told him, seeing his confused expression. "The twins named her after the Crystal Incantation Comet, all of their owls are named after their products."
Rolling his eyes, Oliver watched as Hermione removed the Bruise Removal Paste from the little wrapped box it came in.
"A'll do it," Oliver offered, taking the paste from her grasp.
"No, I'll do it," she said quickly, reaching and trying to take it from him.
"Hermione, a've seen the scars on yer stomach," he reminded her.
She nibbled at her lip contemplatively before reluctantly nodding her head and then reaching down to the hem of her shirt, lifting it to reveal two newly formed bruises. Oliver glowered at them as he opened the tub of paste and covered Hermione's stomach in it, Hermione hissing in pain when he touched her and he felt guilty for hurting her. When he was done, he put the lid back on the tub and set it on the floor before returning to his previous position of lying on his side and supporting his head on his hand as he watched Hermione staring up at the ceiling.
He allowed his thoughts to wander; he hadn't been lying when he'd said he didn't know what he'd do without her. Almost four weeks ago he met her for the first time. Who would've thought he would become so dependent on her? Not physically, of course, but emotionally and mentally. He didn't know what he was missing before he'd met Hermione. He had a routine and he stuck to it but since Hermione arrival, his life had turned upside down but he found that he actually liked it. He had a reason to get up in the morning that didn't revolve around his career. He laughed and smiled, he was well fed -overly so- and he was secretly sure she was trying to fatten him up. He always had company and the apartment always smelled like cooking food and on a morning her smell lingered in the bathroom and he always caught the scent as he walked past the bathroom door. She kept him on his toes, he didn't know what she would say or do at any given point, he didn't know what her responses would be and he didn't know if he was going to get hexed for something he said or did. She was a breath of fresh air for him, ironic given they both spent most of their time outdoors.
If he'd met her before the Marriage Law had been instigated, he likely wouldn't have gotten to know her like he did now, he likely wouldn't have met her at all. He wouldn't have fallen in love with her and he wouldn't see himself with her in the future, married and with children running around, making noise and mess but being happy. His mouth twitched at the thought and he was reminded of the ring in his pocket. Her ring.
He wanted to propose, he wanted her to have a real engagement even if it only lasted a week or two. He wanted her to have that because she deserved it. He wanted to propose because he wanted to know if she'd marry him without the Marriage Law forcing her to. If she said yes, he'd be over the moon and if she said no, he'd still marry her under the law. He wanted to do something special but he knew she wouldn't appreciate overly dramatic and huge actions. She would want something simple. He wasn't aware how long he'd been lost in his thoughts but Hermione brought him out of it.
"Ollie? Oliver?"
"What?" He blinked slowly, his eyes falling to her.
"I've been calling your name for the last five minutes, you alright?" She asked, concern clouding her eyes.
"Sorry, a was lost in me thoughts."
"Anything worth sharing?"
He contemplated his next move; maybe he could just do it now. Should he do it?
Before he could stop himself or even fully aware of what he was doing, he was hovering over her, supporting himself on his elbows and looking down at her shocked expression wh8ich soon gave way to laughter. He loved her laughter, it was one of the purest and infectious sounds he'd ever heard.
"Marry mae?"
Hermione's laughter halted, staring up at him with wide eyes. "What?" She whispered.
"Marry mae?" He repeated.
"But I am," she replied, a frown of confusion marring her features.
"Naw, marry mae. Marry mae fer real? Marry mae 'coz ye want tae. Am so grateful tae have ye in me life an' a honestly dunno what a did tae deserve ye. When a saw ye collapse a dinnae know what tae do with meself. A'd already made the decision tae propose befere the attack, but when a was waiting fer help tae arrive, me decision was cemented. A want ye tae marry mae 'coz ye want tae an' not 'coz the law's forcing ye tae. Anno a dinnae take ye tae dinner or oot on a romantic date, but tha' doesn't mean a love ye any less. 'Coz a do, Hermione, a love ye, more than a love Quidditch. A'd give ev'rythin' up tae make ye happy. Yer beautiful, inside an' oot, an' a love ye so much. So, will ye marry mae?" He finished, his gaze boring into her water-filled eyes as tears escaped down her face and a bright smile soon pulled at her mouth.
A sniffle-laugh sounded from her and he held his body rigidly, waiting for her response.
"I love you, too," she confessed, Oliver's heart swelling at the confession. "Yes, yes I'll marry you. Not because of the law, but because I want to."
Oliver's body sagged with relief and a dazzling smile appeared on his face, temporarily stealing her breath and making her feel dizzy. Lowering his head, he kissed her, his tongue running the length of her bottom lip until she parted, giving him access. Her arms raised, folding around his neck and tugging until his body fell under the force, pressing her into the mattress beneath her. She was soon rolling them until she straddled him, Oliver groaning into her mouth and his arms wrapping around her as he rose into a sitting position.
Remembering the ring in his robe pocket, he drew back from Hermione, chuckling at her less than pleased expression as she gazed at him questioningly. He shifted her from his lap and dug into his pocket, removing the ring box, a smile finding its way onto his face when Hermione's eyes locked on it, widening slightly in understanding. Opening the box, he plucked the ring from the silk cushion and grasped Hermione's left hand in his, slipping the ring onto her ring finger and it magically resized once it was in place. A gasp fell from her lips and tears welled in her eyes as she lifted her hands to better glimpse at it.
"I told you I didn't need a ring," she said quietly, not taking her eyes off the ring as she watched how the light hit the surface and projected rainbows around the room.
"Ye did, which only made mae wanna buy ye one more," he replied.
"I've never seen anything like this before," she said softly.
"Tha's 'coz it's a one of a kind. A had it designed especially fer ye," he smiled.
"Oliver, it looks really expensive," she noted, her tone uncertain as she nibbled at her lip.
"Not really, yer worth it," he denied.
"Oliver, how much did it cost?"
"Am not telling ye."
"I'll find out," she pointed out.
He sighed; he didn't doubt she would find out. "Jus' over nine,"
"Nine hundred galleons?" Her eyes widened.
He laughed at her, shaking his head. "Nae, Sparrow, nine thousand."
"Nine thousand galleons!" She cried.
To him, her reaction was both amusing and adorable as her wide gaze swung between him and the ring on her finger.
"It's not tha' expensive, Sparrow," he rolled his eyes. "There were plenty af rings in the jewellers tha' cost more than tha'."
"Oliver, that's roughly the equivalent to just over forty-three thousand muggle pounds. That's more than my parent's cars were worth combined!"
"A can afford it, it dinnae even make a dent in me vault an' am only gunna say this one more time, yer worth it. If a have tae use a Sticking Charm a will."
"I'll figure out how to remove it," she said stubbornly.
"Then a'll find another one, ye'll remove it an' the cycle will continue."
"Oliver, you should take it back and get one that's less expensive."
"Ye like it, don' ye?" He questioned rhetorically. He already knew the answer but couldn't resist asking.
"Yes, it's beautiful, stunning."
"Then yer keeping it. So, are ye gunna let mae why a chose these gemstones specifically or not?" He arched a brow and she scowled but nodded. "Good, in the Wizarding World gemstones are generally chosen tha' are believed tae represent both the witch an' the relationship. Yer gemstones are rubies, diamonds an' tanzanite. Rubies represent love, passion, commitment, prosperity, closeness, nobility an' protection. Diamonds represent new beginnings, perfection, faithfulness, courage an' purity. Tanzanite is one thousand times rarer than diamonds an' it's a stone af transmutation, it'll change colour. It starts as a lilac-blue," he reached out, tapping the ring with his index finger. "Then it changes to a sapphire blue and it finally settles on a deep violet-blue. Tanzanite represents protection, communication, overcoming fears, happiness, knowledge an' success. These stones represent what ye are, what we are an' what a hope we'll be in the future."
Hermione smiled and tilted her head, pressing a kiss to his lips. "I really do love you, so much that it both scares and hurts me," she admitted, resting her forehead against his.
"We'll get through this Marriage Law jus' fine," he assured her. "So, when do ye wanna go shopping fer wedding rings?"
"I told you, we get them given to us by the Ministry," she drew back from him.
"Ye did," he nodded, "But ye dinnae say tha' we couldn't have our own as well, there's naw rule against tha'. We can wear the Ministry bands on our right hand an' our rings on our left."
Hermione wrapped her hands around his neck and pulled him down so that he was hovering over her.
"You, Mr. Wood, are the Wisest Wizard of the Age," she muttered.
He chuckled at her. "Well, a have tae be able tae keep up with the Wisest Witch af the Age, Miss. Granger."
"Do we tell people that we're engaged because we want to be or not?" She questioned.
"Whatever you want to do, Sparrow."
"I think we should do an interview or hold a press conference," she nibbled at her lip.
"Tae head aff all the rumours an' set people straight aboot our relationship," Oliver nodded in agreement. "A can have the press office at the stadium set one up fer us, we can hold it there?" He offered.
"I think that's a great idea," she smiled. "So, Madam Malkin's?" She said knowingly.
"A lied, a was picking up yer ring," he said unapologetically. "A hadn't planned on proposing tanight, a at the very least wanted tae take ye somewhere," he sounded disappointed.
"Why? The best place you could've done it is here, in our home, a place where we have privacy and comfort. A place we're making into a home. The place where our future will take place. I told you, I don't need material possessions or fancy dining. I can't think of anything more romantic than you proposing to me here," she said honestly and he smiled. "Now, back to the story."
"A dinnae want ye tae suspicious so a went tae Madam Malkin's tae buy something'."
"What?" She laughed.
"A silk scarf fer mae ma," he shrugged. "A went tae Flourish an' Blotts an' got ye some new books tae."
"Books?" She pushed herself into a sitting position, Oliver laughing as she slid off the bed and dashed out of the room and into the one opposite. She soon popped her head back through the door. "I love you," she said, her eyes shining happily.
"A love ye," he replied.
She beamed and disappeared from view, returning to the library. Oliver released a sigh and flopped back onto the bed, staring up at the ceiling, a smiling pulling at his face.
"Am gettin' married fer real."
~000~000~000~
It was getting late and when he checked on Hermione, she wasn't in her bed. Stepping into the library, he found her perched on an armchair and sporting blue pyjama shorts and the matching button-down shirt. A book was propped open in her lap but her eyes were fixed on her engagement ring with a soft smile on her face, and he smiled before crossing to the armchair opposite and taking a seat.
"What're ye thinking?"
She tore her eyes away from the ring and smiled at him. "Rule fifty-four,"
"Rule fifty-four?" He arched a questioning eyebrow.
"Don't let others dictate your life. You make your own choices. This law may have forced me to initially marry you, but I chose to date you, I chose to move in with you, I chose to work for Puddlemere, I chose to marry you for myself, not because I was told to."
"A chose tae date ye, a chose tae ask ye tae move in with mae, a chose tae propose tae ye meself," Oliver smiled.
"The Marriage Law..."
"Doesn't affect us," Oliver finished, nodding in agreement and sharing a smile with her. "A floo'd Coach an' he owled the press office; we've got a press conference set fer three o'clock tomorrow."
"Okay, I'd better prepare for the vultures to attack." Oliver frowned. "Don't look like that; you know they're not going to be nice. You heard the things they were asking after the attack and you read the same article I did."
He remembered perfectly well what they'd said to her and it didn't sit well with him; he'd set them straight during the press conference.
"I've been thinking about the wedding," Hermione spoke.
"Hmm?"
"Would you mind if we had a ring bearer?"
"A what?" He questioned confused.
"Someone who walks down the aisle and holds the rings for us, they're generally boys."
"Who'd ye have in mind?" He asked, already having a feeling he knew who'd she'd suggest.
"Leo, he'd love to be a part of the wedding."
Oliver smiled knowingly. "Leo, it is," he agreed, Hermione smiling widely, putting her book off to the side and standing from her chair, closing the distance between them and hugging him tightly.