"I forgot how bloody terrifying those things are." Theo mumbled as he and Draco disembarked from the Gringotts cart. The goblin that had been leading them on the treacherous adventure that was accessing the Malfoy family vault gave the two young wizards a disapproving look, before speeding off.
"Will you shut up?" Draco complained, throwing Theo an annoyed look as he searched his pockets for the key to his family vault.
After his unexpected coffee excursion with Granger the previous day, Draco had decided that he should get started with the preparations that were expected when a betrothal contract was signed. The meeting had officially been scheduled for the next morning, promptly at nine a.m., so that privacy could be allowed. Narcissa had sent her son an owl, reminding him that he needed to decide on a ring. There needed to be time for a Cursebreaker to look over any selection he made, so here he was, early on a Friday morning with Theo in tow.
Thankfully, Theodore Nott had exquisite taste in jewelry. Draco knew that he would be relying on his best friend for guidance on such a matter.
"I will when you open the damn vault." Theo retorted. Draco shook his head in irritation, but finally located the ornate golden key in the pocket of his wool coat. He stepped in front of the vault, inserting the key into the lock with a click. Watching the gears turn, the vault door creaked open with a mechanical groan.
"Are you coming or not?" Draco asked his best mate, and both of the men entered the expansive space with a determined stride.
The Malfoy family vaults were more than just filled; they were physically exploding with wealth. Rooms teaming with gold and ancient treasures, family heirlooms and uncountable riches. Each room seemed to be housing something different. While much wealth remained, many of the darker artifacts and tomes that had been part of the Malfoy family trust had been surrendered to the Ministry after the war. Draco was thankful for that. He knew the trouble that some objects could cause. One had determined his very fate, after all.
"Do you even know where you're going in this labyrinth?" Theo asked, eyeing the alarming large pile of swords that were casually piled in the corner of the room they occupied.
"My mother informed me of the room that houses the Malfoy family jewels. It's through here." Draco motioned to the left doorway, and Theo followed him through the stone arch. Narcissa had instructed her son to be on the lookout for the horseshoe of wooden chests. Within seconds Draco spotted what his mother had been describing, and made a beeline for the center chest.
"Help me open this." Draco asked, and Theo came to aid him in removing the heavy lid from the aged wooden trunk. Once the heavy covering had been removed, rows of rows of glimmering rings were revealed. There had to be over a hundred options in just the first tier. With a flick of his wand, Draco raised multiple levels of trays out of the chest.
"This is certainly going to be easy." Theo commented, placing his hands on his hips. Draco nodded, already exasperated with having to make a choice. He barely knew Granger. He did not know her tastes, likes or dislikes when it came to jewelry.
"Well, let's tackle the basic questions. Gold or silver?" Theo asked. Draco had to ponder the options for a minute. Gold was the obvious choice, as Granger was a Gryffindor after all. But silver seemed more of an unanticipated choice.
"Let's go silver." Draco decided, and Theo moved on to another go of eliminating questions.
"Obviously Granger is the sensible sort, so the gaudy and tacky nightmares can be discarded. Would she be more of a colored stone or a traditional diamond?" Theo scanned the rows of rings.
"I think she'd go with a traditional diamond. Solitaire maybe, but something with accents could also work. Something no bigger than a carat." Draco joined Theo in studying the various ring options laid before them.
Looking down through the multiple rows of glittering jewels, Draco's eye was caught by a ring tucked into the corner of the fourth row. It was simplistic in nature, which was quite a difference compared to many of the other Malfoy family rings. Reaching down, Draco removed the ring from its nestled position. He raised it to eye level to closely observe its overall appearance.
"How about this one?" Draco showed the ring to Theo. Theo glanced at the ring in question.
The ring was silver, as Draco had wanted. Its design was effortless and understated. A singular, oval cut diamond was centered, flanked by one smaller diamond on each side. The band was thin but substantial. Delicate floral motifs created an almost filigree type effect for the setting.
"I think that it's perfect. Good job, mate." Theo nodded his head in approval.
Draco smiled. The ring really did seem like something Granger would approve of. Not too flashy, practical, and just whimsy enough. Much like Granger herself, in a way.
"Now that we have the goods, can we get out of this miserable place?" Theo requested.
The young Malfoy laughed, but obliged his friend.
—00000—
Hermione sighed. She hated canceling plans. She really did. But apparently Narcissa Malfoy had dictated the young witch's weekend schedule with her even knowing. An owl had arrived promptly after she had returned home from work, embossed with Narcissa's personal stamp in emerald wax. While Hermione hadn't dreading opening said envelope as much as she had before. It was the contents of the letter that had overturned any plans that Hermione had made.
Glancing down, Hermione reread the schedule that had been made for her against her knowledge.
Saturday
9 a.m. - Solicitor Meeting to Sign Betrothal Contract
12 p.m. - Reservations for a light lunch at Ludenvere's for Draco and Hermione
Of course Narcissa had made them dining reservations at one of Diagon Alley's most premiere resturamts. Hermione highly doubted they would have anything on the menu that she would possibly want to eat, nevertheless pay for. She knew that the Malfoy matriarch was trying to get Malfoy and she to bond, but they needed to take this at their own pace. A quickened pace, yes, but still their own. Flipping the parchment over, Hermione viewed the plan for Sunday.
Sunday
8 a.m. - Prep for Engagement Photos
9 a.m. to 11 a.m. - Engagement Photos and Portrait
11:30 a.m. - Interview with The Daily Prophet
She had figured that Sunday would be a day of rest. Apparently not. Normally, Hermione would attend brunch at the Weasley's before returning home to work on research or read. Instead, she would be posing for a portrait with her newfound fiance and interviewing with The Daily Prophet.
What has my life come to? She mentally asked. Shaking her head, Hermione determined that penning a letter to Molly saying she would not be attending Sunday brunch was the first thing on her list.
Gathering supplies, she quickly jotted down an apology, sending it off with Elma. Hermione then began tidying her apartment. The week had left her beloved flat in an untypical scene of disarray. Cloaks were draped across her dinette chair, dirty dishes littered the counters and the sink in her kitchen. Her clothes were piled in the corner of her room instead of in the hamper. It was overall chaos that Hermione disliked. Spending a few minutes in each room of her flat, the witch tidied what she could.
She was wiping down the coffee table in her living room when her Floo unexpectedly roared to life, nearly scaring Hermione into dropping the glass candy dish she had lifted to dust. Looking to see who had entered her home, Hermione was greeted with a familiar pair of dark toned eyes.
"Hermione Jean Granger, you have some explaining to do!" Nymphadora Tonks strutted into Hermione's living room, still dressed in her Auror's uniform. Hermione instantly knew what had the former Hufflepuff flaring with discontent.
"I'm guessing from your reaction that your mum told you my situation." Hermione admitted, giving Tonks a guilty look. The older witch nodded, her currently blue curls morphing to a fiery red to match her temper.
"It wasn't my mum, Hermione. It was Harry. He spoke to me today at work. Ron and him were acting off, so I asked him what the deal was. Then he informs me that you, the brightest witch of our age, has gone off and gotten yourself engaged to my cousin, the former Death Eater. Care to elaborate?" Tonks ranted, and Hermione had to keep herself from wincing at the sharpness of her friend's tone.
"There is a lot more to the story than that, Tonks. But to paraphrase it, if I don't marry Malfoy by his twenty-first birthday, he'll die. So I agreed. Okay?" Hermione was exhausted from her work day, and really did not want to go into the specifics of her predicament right at that moment. But Tonks still seemed unimpressed.
"Then let him die! He was a Death Eater, Hermione. He and his fellow miscreants are the reason that I don't have my father, and Teddy doesn't have a grandpa." Tonks argued, her hair turning an even deep red as their temper once again spiked. Her words hit Hermione hard. They had all suffered loss during the war, but Tonks especially. Losing Ted had nearly broken Andromeda and Tonks both.
"I'm not saying that what Malfoy did during the war was justified. But he was just a boy, faced with an impossible choice. Like Harry." Hermione didn't know why she was defending Malfoy so fiercely. But she felt like she had to. It was understandable that Tonks was angry with her decision.
"Don't you compare that slimy git to Harry. What Harry did was noble. Brave. Malfoy was a coward." Tonks' voice was starting to rise again. Wanting to deescalate the situation as soon as she could, Hermione tried to reason within her brain what she could say.
"You're right. Malfoy was a coward. But it was Lucius who did those terrible things. And yes, Malfoy went along with it. But he didn't really have a choice, Tonks. And once again, he doesn't have a choice. He has to marry me, or he dies. So I am doing what I know. I'm being the thing that he couldn't be on that battlefield. I'm being brave. I'm not being a coward." Hermione had to keep the overwhelming emotion that she was feeling from seeping into her words. The air was still thick with tension, but Tonks seemed to settle a bit with the potency of Hermione's words.
"Is this really what you want then, to marry Malfoy to save him?" Tonks finally asked after a few beats of stillness. Hermione nodded. While it wasn't what she had envisioned at all for her future, it was exactly as she and Malfoy had agreed yesterday.
"I'm learning to be okay with it." Hermione said softly, and slowly Tonk's form began to relax. Her hair returned to a muted pink color, and she slouched from her rigid posture.
"I'm sorry for shouting, by the way. I just got so worked up when I heard what Harry was saying. I've been stewing since lunch. I came here right after work." Tonk's explained, and Hermione nodded with understanding.
"I get where you're coming from, I do. But we have to learn that sometimes forgiveness is the best thing we can do to move on." Hermione spoke, and Tonks gave her a small smile.
"I know." She admitted.
"So now that we're in agreement, would you like a cuppa?" Hermione offered, and Tonks nodded her head. Hermione smiled, and motioned for the Auror to follow her into the kitchen. Grabbing the kettle on the stove, Hermione filled the vessel with lukewarm water from the tap. Placing it on the stove to heat, Hermione searched for the herbal tea blend that she knew Tonks favored.
Finding a few tea bags in her pantry, Hermione placed them in the kettle after she unwrapped them. Tonks had shed her heavy Auror coat and thrown it across the back of a chair, and was leaning against the island, watching Hermione.
"So how are Remus and Teddy?" Hermione questioned as she pulled two mismatched mugs down from her kitchen cabinet.
"Remus is well, and so is Teddy. Are you coming to the family brunch on Sunday?" Tonks questioned, and Hermione shook her head.
"I have my engagement photos. Narcissa made an entire schedule." Hermione directed Tonks towards the parchment that was magnetized to the fridge. Looking over the document, Tonks made a face of disgust.
"An interview with The Daily Prophet? That ought to be good." She remarked. Hermione responded with an uneasy grin.
"It's my life now, I guess."
"So have you even spoken to Malfoy? Gotten to know him at all?" Tonks inquired.
"We've had a few conversations. He's not all that bad once you get behind the cold Malfoy exterior. We had coffee yesterday and surprisingly, he wants a total prat." Hermione reminisced about the weird coffee date that she and Malfoy had attended a day previous. Tonks cocked her head in intrigue.
"Young Malfoy drinking coffee in a cafe. I just can't picture it."
"It was civil. We talked about the betrothal contract, and what I should expect. Nothing too dark." Hermione pulled the milk out from the fridge door, before beginning her search for her sugar container.
"Ah, yes. The Pureblood marriage traditions that my mother rejected." Tonks laughed.
"Yes, well. I have to sign a contract or my fiance dies." Hermione realized how morbid she sounded as soon as the words left her mouth. Tonks gave her an amused glance.
"So I know you've told Harry, Ginny, and the gang. Have you told Molly and Arthur?" Tonks handed Hermione the sugar dish that she had been searching for from the center of the kitchen island.
"I haven't even told my own parents." Hermione confessed, and Tonks gave her a concerned look. Hermione knew that sooner or later, her parents would need to be aware of her impending nuptials, but the later idea seemed more up her alley at the moment.
"You might want to make sure that you tell them before the Prophet runs the announcement. Molly will be devastated, you know. She's wanted you and Ron together for as long as I've known you."
"Oh yes, I know." Hermione thought of all the many times the eldest Weasley witch had expressed her desire for Hermione and Ron to be together. It just wasn't meant to be.
"I know that Ron acted like a total dunce when you told everyone. He was still in a mood as of today, but I'm sure he'll come around eventually. But I'll club 'em if need be." Tonks joked, making Hermione laugh. The kettle began to whistle, signaling that their tea was ready.
Removing the hot object from the sink, Hermione poured two steaming cups of tea into the mugs she had placed on the counter previously. Offering one to Tonks, they both prepared their teas as they preferred it before coming to sit at the dinette.
"I hope that eventually, everyone will see that I'm doing this because I want to, not because I'm being forced to. Does that make sense?" Hermione wondered, and Tonks nodded.
"It's your choice to make, no one else's. As long as you're happy, I will be there for you. And so will everyone else you love. It may take some time, though."
"I figured as much. Narcissa will probably press for the wedding to occur before the end of the year." Hermione took a sip of her tea.
"A grand Malfoy wedding. I can see it now." Tonks gestured with her hands, making exaggerated movements.
"You know I'm going to make you a bridesmaid. Poofy dress and all." Hermione teased the older woman, and Tonks scrunched her face in discontent.
"No poofy dresses. Maybe a jumpsuit."
Hermione laughed at the idea of Tonks wearing a jumpsuit to a Malfoy wedding. Narcissa would have a stroke at the thought.
"Thank you, for being okay with this. And supporting me." Hermione thanked her friend, and Tonks smiled before reaching to place her hand on Hermione's.
"You're welcome, love. But just let my cousin know that if he hurts you, I will kill him, no questions asked." Tonks threatened. Hermione shook her head, knowing the Auror was being truthful.
"I'll let him know."