The room they sat in was somewhat bleak for being such a formal place of meeting. Hermione had expected more lavish accommodations when Malfoy insisted on having a full meeting with their solicitors to properly discuss the betrothal contract before signing. While the idea of such a contract did not thrill the young witch, she knew that it was customary and a tradition amongst the pureblood families of the wizarding world. It was also needed to make sure that the marriage was actually magically binding. Her conversation with Malfoy on Thursday had somewhat prepared her for what to expect, thankfully.
Not wanting to cause any issues, she had civilly agreed to attend a meeting with the Malfoy family solicitor, Mr. Whittlesbeak, Malfoy and herself. It was bright and early on Saturday morning, and the office was quite empty. Most likely due to the need for privacy for such a high profile situation.
Hermione sat quietly at a conference table, her ankles crossed and her spine straight. Malfoy sat across from her, his own posture as perfect as ever. His clothes were freshly pressed, and she could smell his intoxicating cologne from across the room. She somehow felt out of place in her muted sweater and khaki chinos. Malfoy was always so formal, and she was quite the opposite.
Mr. Whittlesbeak and Mr. Jespers, Malfoy's solicitor, had been hashing out details in a quiet manner for a while. Both of the young individuals involved in the proposed betrothal contract had remained somewhat silent for a majority of the meeting. Though, it was almost time to read the requirements of the document, and Hermione was taking the time to mentally prepare herself.
Draco shifted uncomfortably in his chair, also knowing that the requirements that were to be read aloud were more than personal. Hermione watched him carefully, catching his gaze for a few moments. He offered her a closed lip smile, an attempt to be reassuring, she assumed. When Mr. Jesper finally announced the reading of the requirements, the young witch's attention was immediately drawn back to the matter at hand.
"The terms of this betrothal contract are not only guidelines for the foundation of a wizarding marriage, but also for the properly conditioned union of two families. I will read the base requirements, and the two involved parties may add to the contract further if they wish. Shall I begin?" Mr. Jesper explained, looking to both Hermione and Draco for confirmation before starting. Both of the young adults nodded, and the older gentleman cleared his throat before reading.
"It is here, on this day, that the intended wedded union of Draco Lucius Malfoy and Hermione Jean Granger had been declared. The following requirements for said intended betrothal and subsequent marriage." Mr. Jespers read out the opening paragraph of the document before continuing on.
"The first condition of the union is that once the marriage is sealed, Ms. Granger will assume the name of Malfoy on official documents, and will benefit from the benefits of such a name within. That includes access to all Malfoy family vaults, stocks, properties, and belongings both of monetary and physical existence." Mr. Jesper looked to both Draco and Hermione for their approval of the first clause. They both nodded, and Mr. Jesper motioned to Mr. Whittlesbeak to note such approval before continuing on.
"The second condition of the union is as follows. Both parties will be magically bonded to one another, in an oath that will last until death. Neither party shall be involved in any occurrence of infidelity or unfaithfulness, and each party will be devoted solely to said intended marriage."
Once again both Draco and Hermione gave their approval, both knowing what would happen to Draco if either of them even attempted to stray from the marriage. Mr. Jesper motioned again to Mr. Whittlesbeak, who made another note before they moved on.
"The third condition of the contract is that of magical bonding. Once the marriage ceremony, both parties will be bound in a magical covenant. Their magical cores will be united as one, and cannot be separated."
Hermione couldn't help but clench her hands together under the table, anxious from the words that she was hearing. She had attended Bill and Fleur's wedding. She knew what a magical binding looked like. It was still absolutely terrifying to her. Binding her magic with someone for the rest of her life. Her magic was a part of her identity. The thought of it being tethered to someone else was somewhat more than she was able to process.
"Ms. Granger, that is alright, isn't it?" Mr. Whittlesbeak's question drew her back to reality. Looking at her solicitor, Hermione nodded numbly.
Just keep calm. This is almost over. She thought to herself.
Draco was watching her with what seemed to be a concerned glance, but his attention shifted back to their solicitors when Mr. Jesper began speaking again.
"The final clause of the betrothal contract is the agreement between parties that once the marriage is sealed, an heir to the Malfoy name will be born within five years of the marriage binding. Are you both comfortable with this?" Mr. Jespers asked, and Draco looked at Hermione with an apprehensive glance.
While neither she nor Malfoy had addressed having children, she was not surprised that it was expected in such a situation. Personally, Hermione thought that she would never get the chance to become a mother. With the war, the thought of having children seemed silly to imagine. But she knew that with this marriage, an heir would be required as part of her duty as a Malfoy wife. She was not thrilled at the idea, but as she had heard Malfoy say once, duty was duty.
"That seems perfectly fine to me. Malfoy?" Hermione addressed her betrothed from across the table. Malfoy looked at her in amazement before agreeing.
"Um, yes. That sounds fine."
"Alright then. Mr. Whittlesbeak, please note the agreement of terms. That is all the clauses within the contract. Shall we finalize with signatures?" Mr. Jespers suggested, and both Draco and Hermione nodded in unison.
With a wave of his own wand, Mr. Jespers placed a single sheet of parchment in front of both Draco and Hermione, as well as a long feathered quill. Looking at the bottom of the document, Hermione noted the dotted line where she was expected to sign. Underneath said line was her full name.
"Please sign your names on the dotted line, and then we shall be finished." Mr. Jespers instructed, and both Hermione and Draco glanced at one another before picking up their respective quills.
The writing instrument felt substantially heavy in Hermione's small hand, but she adjusted her grip to accommodate. Taking a deep breath, Hermione placed the nib of the quill to the paper. With a few flourishes, she signed the document that would change her life forever. Draco did the same.
The ink of the paper glowed a golden hue before seeping in, and Hermione felt a tightening in her chest. Glancing at Malfoy, Hermione could see that he had felt a similar feeling in his own body. Mr. Jespers interrupted their moment with an announcement that echoed in Hermione's ear with lasting impact.
"I now pronounce Hermione Jean Granger and Draco Lucius Malfoy officially betrothed. Congratulations to you both."
Hermione offered the room a small smile, but inside, she was terrified. Looking at Malfoy, she noticed that he too seemed to be in a state of discomfort. His mother had scheduled lunch for them at Ludenvere's, and she knew that it was probably best that she didn't blow it off.
"Malfoy, should we head to lunch?" Hermione questioned Draco, who looked up at her with a fogged glance. He nodded, and both of them began to gather their things. With her jacket draped over her arm and her purse over her shoulder, Hermione followed her now fiance out of the blandish office.
They proceeded down the stairs, one after the other. Draco was in front of her, and when they reached the bottom of the stairs, he held the door open for her as they exited out into the busy streets of Diagon Alley.
—00000—
The walk to Ludenvere's was quiet. Neither Draco nor Hermione seemed to be in a talking mood. The impact of the morning's events seemed to have taken a toll on them both. When they arrived, the host sat them down without delay. Their table was secluded but airy, near the southside of the restaurant. A server named Marquis greeted them promptly and handed them menus, before skirting away.
They were both silent as they scanned the menus. Hermione started a conversation when she realized that the majority of the dishes were French, which she only knew a few words of.
"What in Godric's name is confit de canard?" Hermione wondered, and Draco had to keep himself from laughing at not only Hermione's confusion, but also her absolute abominable pronunciation.
"It's made of duck. I don't think you'd like it." Draco replied, and Hermione's face scrunched up in distaste. The young witch appreciated many things about French culture. The music, art, and incredible architecture. The literature as well. But the food left something to be desired for her personal palette.
"What is something that I would like then?" Hermione asked her dining companion, and Draco thought for a moment.
"I'll order us both some steak frites. It's steak and fries. Does that sound good to you?" Malfoy offered, and Hermione nodded. She was once again amazed at how polite he was being. It was like she had met an entirely new Draco Malfoy.
"That would be great, actually." She responded, and closed her overly complicated menu. When Marquis came around again a few moments later to take their order, Draco flawlessly spoke their requests in French.
I cannot believe how attractive that was. Hermione caught herself thinking as she watched Draco and the server exchange words. She was trying her best not to become too emotionally invested too fast, but seeing Malfoy in different elements of his life was starting to make that very difficult.
"Your French is magnificent, by the way." Hermione offered a compliment as their server walked away, and Draco gave her a small smile.
"My mother insisted I learn French from the time I could speak. It's become natural to me over the years." Draco replied.
"That doesn't surprise me." Hermione unfolded her napkin, draping it across her lap.
"One of the many Pureblood traditions of raising a child."
"What else did you learn? Growing up, I mean?" Hermione was curious about the life Malfoy had lived before Hogwarts and the rise of the Dark Lord. Certainly he had some sense of a normal upbringing, be it the wealthy version of one.
"I studied many things. Etiquette, dancing, calligraphy. I took special interests in things such as Latin and Astronomy. My mother insisted on French and piano, while my father made sure I understood the complexity of falconry and dueling. Personally, all I wanted to do all day was play quidditch." Draco listed off the many things that he had been tutored in as a young child. He had always favored learning the history of things. His reprieve after a long day of lessons had been playing around on a broom in the Manor gardens.
"You play the piano?" Hermione was a bit taken back by the image of a young Draco sitting at a baby grand piano.
"Yes, I did. I still do." Draco confirmed.
"Wow." Was all Hermione could find to say.
"What did you do? I assume that growing up with Muggles is very different from what my childhood was like." Draco asked her. Hermione was a bit taken aback by his question. She didn't think that Malfoy would really care what her mundane childhood had been like. But it was also the point of this lunch to get to know one another, so she answered.
"My mum and dad were very traditional, as you might put it. I went to regular primary school, and took ballet. I wasn't very good at it, so I quit when I was seven. It decipointed my mum. She had been a ballerina when she was younger. Most of my time was spent reading, I guess. The other kids thought I was weird, so I was by myself the majority of the time." Hermione felt odd revealing such intimate parts about herself to Malfoy, but no looks of judgment or disgust passed over his face. Instead, it was a look of intrigue and understanding.
"What did your parents do? For work?" Malfoy asked.
"They're dentists." Hermione answered, and Draco gave her a befuddled look.
"Dentists are like tooth healers. They keep people's teeth healthy without magic. Teeth and gum health is a very important thing in the Muggle world." Hermione explained, and Draco's confusion faded away.
"Did you ever want to become a dentist?"
"Um, no. Looking into someone's mouth all day? No thank you." Hermione laughed, and Draco offered her an amused grin.
The waiter interrupted their conversation with the delivery of their drinks. When Marquis placed the water in front of her, Hermione took a long sip to refresh herself. She had been parched.
"What about you? What did you want to be when you grew up?" Hermione questioned Draco, whose face morphed into a guilty smile.
"I dreamed of being a famous Quiddich star like every other young wizard. Now I just invest in them instead."
"Of course." Hermione laughed. Another gap of peaceful silence fell between them, but was broken by Hermione.
"So, I guess we're officially engaged now." she brought up the topic that she knew they'd both been avoiding speaking about. But they couldn't avoid it forever.
"I suppose we are." Draco replied quietly.
"Did you receive the schedule that your mother drafted for tomorrow?" Hermione knew that he most definitely had, but wanted to confirm with him the details for their engagement photos and interview.
"I did. Do you have any questions or concerns about tomorrow? It's going to be a long day, and my mother is quite picky about these sorts of things." Draco wanted to know if there was any confusion on Granger's end. She shook her head.
"What will happen after the engagement is announced?" Hermione was curious about the order of things to follow. She knew that she needed to be prepared.
"After the announcement is made, there will most likely be a more formal event. Most likely a ball at the Manor. My mother will most likely want to begin wedding planning immediately. If she has her way, we'd be married by the end of the year."
"That would be alright, I think." Hermione admitted, and Draco was a bit surprised by her answer. He thought that she would want to delay their wedding as long as possible.
"Really? You would be okay being wed so soon?" Draco was perplexed.
"It's going to have to happen sooner or later, is it not? Sooner is better than later." Hermione answered.
"I guess you're right. Okay then. I'll let my mother know about your enthusiasm to get started. She'll be thrilled." Draco smiled at Hermione. A real, brilliant smile that she'd never seen on him. It was handsome. Gorgeous even.
Marquis arrived shortly, carrying their deletable smelling food. Draco had obviously outdone himself with ordering. Once their plates were placed in front of them, Hermione decided to do something brave.
She knew that it was time to step away from the past. To offer an olive branch of sorts to the man sitting across from her. The man that was now her fiance.
"Hey Malfoy?" Hermione said calmly.
"Yes, Granger?" Draco responded, placing his now unfolded napkin across his lap.
"Call me Hermione." She said the words that she never thought she would share with Draco Malfoy. He looked at her with a state of shock, but slowly regained his demeanor. Gradually, he nodded his head. Then he did something unexpected as well.
"Call me Draco."