Malfoy glanced down at his watch and noted the time. "I do have just a few things to do regarding tomorrow's ceremony while I'm here. Please, make yourself at home. I'll have someone bring tea." He turned neatly on his heel and strode away in that swift purposeful way of his, and she stood there until he reached the end of the open space and turned to his left, leaving them alone in his house.
Hermione looked over at her friends, expecting to see them all staring at her open mouthed. But they were all huddled together, whispering quietly. She frowned and crossed her arms, watching them but unable to hear them due to the silencing spell. They had that 'hatching a plot' look about them, and she wondered if they planned on letting her in on this one. Lately it seemed that Ginny was in on all the plans and Hermione was being left out and it left a sour taste in her mouth. What, there could only be three? Ginny was probably a lot more likely to go along with stupid, while Hermione would question everything and make sure there wasn't a better, safer, smarter option. Where was the loyalty? Hermione questioning stupid plans had certainly saved their hides more than once.
She took a deep, fortifying breath, pushed her jealousy and pettiness down deep where it belonged and walked firmly into the parameters of the silencing spell. The three of them jumped a bit, clearly startled, and looked around, noticing that Hermione was alone.
"Where's Malfoy?" Harry asked in a low whisper, despite the continued privacy spell.
"He said he had some ceremony details to attend to and we should make ourselves at home," she informed her friends, snorting out a little laugh at the thought of them making themselves at home in the giant manor. Yeah right.
"He probably had to pee after drinking all that whisky," Ron added, letting out a little laugh of his own, and Ginny twittered along with her sweet girlish giggle.
"Okay, so we have a few minutes," Harry interrupted, the more serious of the three as usual. "We were trying to figure out ways to get you out of here if you don't want to go through with it. The contract you signed is not actually binding without the magical counterpart."
"The ceremony doesn't matter. All it does is buy me time so I can get the law repealed." She felt like she was repeating herself, but they still looked equally unconvinced.
The three of them shared a look before Ron spoke tentatively, "We kind of think the Ministry has a point. We are dealing with the Malfoys here, and I'd never forgive myself...what I mean is…" His ears had turned bright red, and if she didn't think he was so cute when he was floundering like this, she might have been angry.
"What are you trying to say, Ron?" Hermione asked in a gentle voice. She could be gentle sometimes, despite what everyone thought. She just needed to work a little harder than the average girlie girl to achieve soft sweetness.
"We want to check you for mental manipulation spells," Ginny broke in, her usual candor not at all refreshing in this instance. "You're clearly not under the Imperius, but the Malfoys might have done something else to make you more compliant."
Hermione sputtered angrily, quite insulted, and Ginny pushed on. "Look, we don't think that you are being magically controlled. You seem to be your usual logical self. But what if we were wrong and let you do this ceremony without being sure?"
'Okay' she told herself, 'stay calm. This is just your friends trying to look after you.' She took a deep breath and forced herself to look at the situation from their point of view. The cold hard fact was that they did kind of have a valid point.
"Have any of you practiced these types of spells?" she inquired.
"I know a revealing spell that I practiced a lot after I was possessed by Voldemort in my first year," Ginny said, a slight choke to her voice when she mentioned the vanquished wizard.. "It won't hurt you, and it will glow purple if there are any enchantments affecting you right now. Have you cast any Glamours or other spells that need to be disabled?"
Hermione thought back through her day and could think of no spells or charms that would still be attached to her person. She shook her head, trying to portray complete confidence in her friend. She was hotly aware of the ring in her pocket but did not mention it. This was the perfect way to double check. She was reasonably sure that the ring was not affecting her, but this was a good way to make absolutely sure. Still, she braced herself when Ginny stepped forward, pulled out her wand, and cast. The younger witch cast several times, with big, sweeping circles, as she walked a complete circle around Hermione. Finally, she came to a stop back where she had begun and shrugged her shoulders.
"You are completely clean. No charms, hexes, or Glamours."
"Well, I guess that is settled then." Hermione said briskly, wiping her clammy hands down her skirt. "Thank you for your concern."
"No need to go all formal on us," Harry laughed as he threw a friendly arm over her shoulder, giving her a firm side hug. "You are not a Malfoy yet!"
She laughed with her friends, pretending to be okay. But inside she was freaking out, just a little bit. Malfoy was off arranging right now for this binding ceremony, and she was still almost completely in the dark about it. He had said the vows were about three things. Fidelity...fine...she didn't care about sex, and it would be kind of a relief if Malfoy were not humping his way through the castle while he was supposed to be engaged to her. Loyalty...that was a little more foggy...how was she supposed to be loyal to him? Do whatever he said? And what the hell did binding her fate mean? She knew magic sometimes had far reaching and unexpected consequences, and she valued her consistency in making sure that she understood the ramifications of every spell she performed. Her experience with Polyjuice had stayed with her long after her furry face had been fixed.
"Ron, what do you know about old Pureblood binding rituals? Malfoy said Fidelity, Loyalty, and Fate bindings would be used," Hermione interrupted the idle chatter, anxious to understand better.
Ron gave it a few seconds thought before answering. "Those are pretty typical. Basically, it means you can't fool around with anyone else, you can't betray your fiance, and you can't murder him." Ron mimed strangling and started laughing, and Hermione wasn't even able to fake a giggle. If she had to marry Malfoy, then the possibility of snapping and trying to kill him was a distinct possibility.
"Is it really murder when you are doing it for the good of humanity?" Ginny asked, making a face and starting another round of laughter.
"Betray," she jumped on that word, ignoring the silliness. "So I can't go against Malfoy while I'm fighting this law?" She didn't need to be bound like that.
"Uhm, I think it mostly means you can't tell lies about him."
Great, Ron wasn't sure and she didn't really have time to research. At least, she had a good way to pass the time. She would spend the evening in her library going over those particular binding spells and seeing what their parameters and limitations were. Hermione couldn't really see any added value to sticking around. She had probably more information than she had bargained for, the boys needed to get back to school, and she needed to get home to sort this all out in her mind. Just as she was about to suggest cutting out before Malfoy got back, she heard him returning.
She spun around, startled despite herself, as Ginny whispered a 'finite' to end the privacy spell. Malfoy had a very old, very short, very white haired man with him. After a handful of seconds spent staring his features coalesced into a recognizable figure, Nicolas Flamel.
"Harry Potter!" Flamel boomed excitedly, bounding up to them and pumping Harry's hand in a friendly way, while smiling at them all. Flamel had visibly aged since he had surrendered his Sorcerer's Stone but was still surprisingly spry, and his deep, resonant voice seemed out of place coming from such a wizened old man. He also greeted her warmly, and she shook his hand with a polite smile, trying to figure out a way to exit the situation gracefully. She had things to do, but Malfoy was making noises about having tea and ushering them along, and she didn't want to be rude in front of such a well-respected Wizard.
She drug her feet a bit, looking longingly back at the Apparition room over her shoulder and falling behind. Malfoy immediately shortened his stride to come alongside her and leaned down to murmur quietly to her, "Thinking of escaping?"
"The boys have to be back to school," she replied, relieved that he was the one who brought up leaving. "And I have a lot to think about."
"I can unseal the manor so you can leave at any time," he said with a shrug, as they approached a table. At some point, someone had laid out a nice tea, and she hadn't even noticed them, that was how distracted he had her. "However, I've brought Mr. Flamel here to answer your questions about the vows tomorrow, so you might want to stay."
Draco sidestepped her so he could pull out her chair, and Hermione sat down eagerly, suddenly much more interested in visiting with the new arrival. "The Malfoy binding ritual requires the participation of twelve Elder Wizards." Malfoy continued in a louder voice so everyone could hear. "Nine Wizards maintain the magical net over the sacred space and direct and amplify the magics used, while three additional Wizards preside over the ceremony and bind us. Mr. Flamel has consented to head the binding tomorrow and was so kind as to Floo right over to do a quick bridal consultation."
A servant materialized, a young lady dressed all in black, to pour the tea as they all settled in, and Hermione gratefully gripped her cup and sipped it black, while everyone else went through the ritual of honey and milk and small talk. She even selected a finger sandwich to munch on.
It seemed to take forever for Flamel to get his tea situated just right before leaning back a bit, cradling his cup, and smiling at her. "Part of the magic you have the privilege of participating in tomorrow may even pre-date the Malfoys," he began enthusiastically. "It's a magical awakening that few people ever get to experience. I, myself, have not been indulged as it's reserved for family. The only foreknowledge you can have is that you must only bring the magic inside you."
Hermione nodded, fascinated. She loved reading about old ancient rituals and magical ceremonies and was slightly excited to hear that this magic was so old.
"Once you reach the binding potion of the evening, things are pretty standard. You will be asked if you are there voluntarily. You will then be asked to vow Fidelity, Loyalty, and Fate...all traditional. Then we will bind you magically to your vows. You will be unable to break the vows unless a disavowing takes place. Finally, Draco will be asked to do his portion and will present you with a token, usually a ring."
She fired off her first question. "What exactly is involved with the three vows, Fidelity, Loyalty, and Fate? What precisely is it that I am vowing? Those are very broad terms."
Flamel gave her an approving nod and took a quick sip of his carefully prepared tea. "Well, that's the thing with magic. Intent matters. The people involved will determine the parameters of the spell. The person who is directing the magic, me in this case, you, and your binding partner. What I mean when I ask, what you mean when you agree, and what your partner thinks you mean when he accepts your vow. You should spend some time thinking through exactly what these vows mean to you, what you want out of them for you and your partner, and clearly define them in your mind prior to the binding."
That was certainly a bombshell. She was hoping that the definition would be something less than her own ideals about loyalty and intertwining of fate. There was no way that she could vow loyalty to Malfoy and then damage him or his family in the process of breaking this law. He would become like the boys to her, always taken into consideration.
"You mentioned a disavowing, what exactly is involved in that?" She asked, carefully keeping her tone neutral.
Flamel gave Malfoy a sidelong look.
"It's not usually something I bring up in a family bridal consultation when acting as an Elder at a binding, you understand," he went on at her impatient nod, "However, I felt that due to your unusual circumstances it might be prudent. You are not undertaking Unbreakable Vows. If you were able to obtain Draco's permission and participation, and find at least three Elders who were present at your binding to oversee, then we could undo your vows."
"Would it be difficult to get three Elders to agree?" Hermione asked anxiously, she needed to be sure that this thing could be undone before she went through with it.
"Not necessarily," Flamel took a casual sip from his tea and continued on as if they were discussing the weather instead of powerful magic that could literally change her life. "I would be willing, provided you had not yet been married and there were no children involved. And I know three or four others who might be persuaded. It's generally bad taste to discuss it prior to even binding, but we all know your circumstance, and there has been talk in the shadows amongst us." Hermione nodded, feeling tears burning behind her eyes that she ruthlessly held back. The old man looked down at his tea, taking another sip and giving her a moment to regain her composure.
"In the vein of full disclosure," Flamel looked back up and made eye contact, his voice deadly serious. "I should tell you that magic of this nature, depending on how powerful it is, will leave a permanent mark on your soul that cannot be completely undone. You will carry some remnant of this magic with you forever."
"Twelve Elders probably generate a lot of magical power," Hermione remarked, slightly discombobulated at the thought of having a piece of her commitment to Malfoy with her forever.
"Oh, the magic comes from you. The bride powers the engagement binding, the groom the wedding binding. Each of you must bring your magical signature and strength to the union." Flamel told her enthusiastically, his excitement breaking through again. She processed that for a few moments, felt the enormousness of the whole thing, and decided to move on.
"What exactly is Malfoy...I mean...Draco's portion of the ceremony?" Flamel had been so respectful and honest, she didn't want him to think she was so disconnected from Malfoy she couldn't even call him by his name while at the same time expecting him to preside over a binding ceremony.
"That really isn't something I can answer questions about."
Okay, another hole in her knowledge.
She gave Malfoy a look out of the corner of her eye, wishing that he was not sitting there, listening to every word. He was sprawled back in his chair, this time with tea in his hands, giving her that odd challenging stare of his. The look that seemed to leave her stripped bare of defenses and insanely curious to know his thoughts. The look that made her want to squirm with discomfort and awareness and the feeling that he was judging her from the tip of her curly head to the edge of her sensible mary jane shoes.
"I have to know, are there any spells or enchantments or rituals that could be considered dark magic that I need to be wary of or insist on being changed?" There, now it was out, words and sounds that could not be taken back. She really did not want to insult Malfoy, especially after earlier, but she knew the kind of people she was dealing with and would not consent to dark magic under any circumstances.
Flamel's eyes narrowed slightly, and Hermione held her breath and very deliberately did not let her gaze drift over to Malfoy to see his reaction. It didn't matter. If he didn't want to be associated with dark magic, then he should have taken care to never indulge in it. She hadn't counted on Flamel being offended, but based on his hard expression, his suddenly stiff posture, she'd managed to upset him as well.
"I assure you, Miss Granger, I have never participated in any spells or rituals that would be considered dark by even the most enlightened of standards. Old magic, blood magic, does have its own mind, and magic of this nature tends to shift and change according to the participants. With that being said, the definition of dark magic usually includes coercion, manipulation, mind control, or harm. The Malfoys highly value their brides, and the spells they use in both the engagement ceremony and the nuptials reflect that deep respect."
He took pity on her and went on in a slightly lighter tone. "In fact, being honored by being asked to participate in any Malfoy magical proceeding is always a joy. Their family spells and rituals are some of my favorites out of all of the old families. You can rest easy knowing that." Hermione nodded, quick to accept his take on things and relieved.
"Thank you for your candor and honesty," she murmured, slightly flustered. Insanely grateful to have a cup of tea to bury her face inside while taking a quick drink in order to break eye contact.
Ginny took advantage of the lull to ask a question of her own. "Is the time and date of the binding ritual restricted? If not, maybe we should just go ahead and get it done. A day doesn't make that big of a difference. Unless one of you has some plan to squirrel out of it, I don't see the point in waiting."
Everyone turned to stare at Ginny, flabbergasted, with the exception of Flamel who just smiled serenely into his tea.
Finally, Malfoy shattered the silence with a non-answer that sounded like an excuse even with his calm, even tone. "Hermione's parents aren't here."
"They aren't coming," Hermione stated, deciding to ignore the downright tingle hearing her first name roll off his tongue sent through her. She let the statement stand alone, having no intention of explaining herself, and she used the moment of discomfort while everyone looked away from her to think it through. If she went ahead with the binding ceremony, then the ministry had no power to reverse her decision. The deal would be final, and the only ones who could reverse the decision would be her and Malfoy.
"Ginny's right," she sighed. "Let's just get it over with."
"As flattering as your enthusiasm might be, this isn't a handful of charms said in front of a ministry drone. We are talking about a very involved highly magical ceremony. My mother can't just jerk the time around to suit you," Malfoy bit out, setting his tea down with an angry click and sitting up straight.
"How much additional jerking around does she need to do?" Ginny pressed the matter, leaning forward menacingly, her irritated scowl preceding what Hermione knew to be a very foul temper meltdown. "You'd prefer to have everyone sit here cooling their heels for an entire day so as not to upset your mother's schedule?"
"What's the matter, Malfoy?" Hermione taunted, drawing his attention off her friend and back onto her. "Having second thoughts?"
"Hell, yes! Aren't you?" His blunt honesty bled off everyone's tension, and she found herself letting out a genuine laugh of startlement soon joined by her friends. He scowled around at them. Malfoy never had enjoyed being laughed at. "I'm not saying it can't be moved up, I'll just need to check with Mother and see what needs to be done. If that's what you really want."
"What good will postponing the inevitable do?" she asked, genuinely curious.
"Well, I personally was planning on a long satisfying night of panic to get it out of my system before I pledged myself to you indefinitely and sealed those vows with magic." His bleak off color humor kind of hit her from left field. She'd never heard him make jokes before and wasn't sure what to think. Then again, based on the serious look on his face, maybe he was completely serious. Still, she decided to go with the lighthearted bit.
"I've already done my panicking, Malfoy, try not to procrastinate in the future and you won't run into problems like this." He barked out a half laugh, shaking his head and looking away from her. Ron apparently thought she was hilarious and began to laugh along, but Harry remained silent and tight lipped. She met his eyes, and he gave her a half shake of his head. Harry was right, she probably did need to give this a bit more thought. She couldn't really see any alternative that was appealing, but she didn't want to make another mistake by rushing. And she could definitely understand and empathize with Malfoy's hesitation.
"I suppose tomorrow is soon enough," she said softly, hesitantly. "I do have a lot of thinking to do."
Ginny was not having any of their excuses however. "We just did this big whole escape from Hogwarts thing so the binding could go forward, and now you are both dragging your feet?"
"If I may interject," Flamel reached for another finger sandwich as he spoke. "It shouldn't be all that difficult to pull in the remainder of the Elder's scheduled for tomorrow early. It would be my pleasure to arrange." He nodded politely at all of them, going on. "I've spoken to Narcissa and been assured that all the preparations are in order."
Hermione watched the old man as he took another sip of tea, obviously enjoying the simple pleasure, slightly bemused.
She could learn a thing or two from a guy who just took the time to enjoy tea and sandwiches instead of getting all worked up about a hundred things he couldn't control. She wanted to improve herself, but maybe her goals were too scattered. Maybe she needed to focus on just one thing and work on that continually. For a moment, she considered possibly really putting some effort into being in the moment, soaking up enjoyment from the little things, instead of always looking ahead and twisting her mind up trying to plan. As content as Nicolas Flamel seemed with his tea and company, she thought maybe that sort of outlook would drive her batty in about four hours.
Hermione turned back to the group, only to find they were all staring at her. She hated being the center of attention, and it seemed like everyone's eyes had been on her all damned day. She pushed down an irrational spurt of irritation and opened her mouth to speak, only to be interrupted by Ron.
"If Hermione hasn't made up her mind, we don't need to rush her! Tomorrow is soon enough for this unholy ritual. I'd rather wait ten years till never if I had any say in it," Ron continued to snarl under his breath, wilting under a hateful stare from Ginny.
Ginny slapped him on the back of the head and spoke over Ron's grumbling. "If we have an information leak, then the Ministry will know when you had planned on the ceremony and be here to run interference. If we have it early, then we avoid all of that drama."
"I'd love it if the Ministry decided to show up here and disrupt an Official Malfoy Secret Ritual. This is Sovereign Malfoy Property, and there are special laws that protect us while we are on our private grounds. Just coming here uninvited with hostile intentions could technically be considered an invasion and invoke all kinds of unpleasant consequences," Malfoy drawled, with just a hint of that drunken glee he had displayed earlier. "Be the best engagement present ever to toss a handful of Ministry drones in our dungeon pending the court proceedings."
Sovereign Malfoy Property. What precisely did that mean? Just what kind of legal protection did Malfoy have? She would have asked such questions too, if Ginny hadn't pushed on relentlessly. Ginny could be very single minded when she wanted to be.
"If Hermione is vulnerable until this ceremony cements her protection, then we need to get it over with as soon as possible. It's stupid to risk her safety with delay," there was a real hint of distress in Ginny's voice, and Hermione knew that her friend was genuinely worried about her. She decided to shut this debate down, after all, she had already decided she was going home to think tonight and would not be persuaded otherwise.
"I'll be perfectly safe at my parents house. I want to give the vow portion of my engagement serious meditation as Mr. Flamel has recommended, and if Malfoy is certain that there will be no interference from the Ministry tomorrow, then I'd prefer to not rush the ceremony."
Hermione got that usual warm feeling in her stomach when Flamel gave her an approving nod. She always did like to have authority figures approve of her and had learned to give that need for validation less weight in her decisions, but it was still nice to receive it.
"I do think that is wise, Miss Granger."
She gave Flamel a nod in return and a grateful smile and got up from her seat, all business, now that a course of action had been decided. "You lot need to get back to the school. Harry, do you know if the Honeydukes' secret passage is still open? You should all be back in classes, pretending to be none the wiser about where I've been."
Harry climbed to his feet as well, a serious expression on his sweet face, a determined look she had seen before. "We actually have some errands of our own to run while we are out," he glanced at Ginny, reminding her that they intended to announce their pregnancy today. "Ron can come with us as moral support, we can all say we have been busy with our own drama."
She might have protested, tried again to get her friends to see reason, but their audience kept her quiet, and she turned to Malfoy instead. "Do you know where the Honeydukes secret passageway is then?"
"I'll be staying here," Malfoy announced, getting up and gesturing them towards the Apparition room. "Family emergency excuse works just as well for me as for you, and I won't be able to concentrate on my classes anyways."
Hermione had no comment about that. She made her way with the others to the exit while chewing over in her mind all that she had learned today and trying to organize her thoughts. There was a lot to think about, not the least of which was that she was embroiled knee deep in a political power play against her will. Pair that fact with the list of personal confessions she'd heard from Malfoy today, and her brain was likely to implode trying to process it all.
They came to a meandering stop, and Malfoy slapped his palm on a silver plaque on the wall and muttered a spell. She was reminded that he had casually mentioned that the manor was sealed, so one could assume that he was opening the manor for transportation. A shiver went through her as she contemplated the fact that she had essentially been a prisoner here, unable to leave, and yet had felt completely safe and secure. Despite her best intentions, and words to the contrary, apparently at some point her subconscious had decided that Malfoy was at least somewhat trustworthy. Tomorrow they would take vows declaring loyalty, seal that trust with magic. She ought to be terrified right down to her toes. Instead, she found herself almost looking forward to the event. At least it would be an end to this back and forth internal war in her mind about whether or not she could trust him. She'd have a magical vow protecting her.
Malfoy was shaking Flamel's hand, thanking him, and she pulled herself out of her thoughts to do the same. He strode to the middle of the Apparition room, gave her a final saucy wink that had her smiling fondly and was gone in a blink. She gave her friends each a hug, assuring everyone again that she would be perfectly safe and would go nowhere except her parents' secure location and back here. The three of them held hands, planning to side along, and Harry whispered a simple "see you tomorrow," before the three of them winked out of sight. Somehow, Malfoy had managed to earn a thimbleful of her friends' trust as well, since no one questioned leaving her alone with him.
"Are you certain you won't consent to having a security team escort you to your parents?" he asked, leaning casually up against the door frame, not really blocking her but enough in the way that she'd have to scoot by him to get out.
"You seem awfully sober," she commented dryly, noting his perfect balance and clear eyed gaze.
"Yes, my loose tongue convinced me a sobering potion was in order," he smiled down at her in a self deprecating way that was disconcerting to see on his face. She had never pictured Malfoy as the type who could acknowledge any self flaw or blunder. "I was an idiot to indulge in a mind dulling substance while I had you to contend with."
She felt herself blushing and looked away from him, biting her lip, embarrassed. She'd never been good at accepting a compliment and positive words about her intellect always filled her with a peculiar mixture of pride and self-consciousness. It was certainly mind altering to have Malfoy of all people say so many pleasant things about her in such a short span of time. She had a feeling she would be picking apart every word and glance and tone later tonight in her own neurotic way.
"I don't think poorly of you," she found herself confessing. He had been honest with her, admitted that he respected her. Hermione had spent days obsessing about getting engaged to someone who despised her. Hearing that Malfoy thought well of her, despite their differences, swamped her emotionally with relief. She didn't want him thinking that she hated him or scorned him. She wanted the air cleared before they got engaged tomorrow. "Your fierce loyalty to your family is something to be admired and I truly am sorry that I jumped to conclusions earlier. It wasn't personal, I was just distressed."
"Well, it's not like I've never been an ass," Malfoy admitted. "I'm hardly a saint so I shouldn't have been surprised. But thank you for saying so."
"Okay then," Hermione wiped her nervous hands down her skirt and was reminded that she wore Malfoy's cloak. She started to take it off, return it to him, but he stayed her hands.
"Keep it, it's cold out."
She didn't know what to make of that. Suddenly, keeping his cloak seemed like some sort of gesture. She was reminded of the muggle practice of girls keeping a boys jacket or sweater and wanted to surrender the cloak immediately but she couldn't think how without being rude. He reached out with gentle hands, pulling the hood up, adjusting it around her face. Words tumbled around her mind, haphazard and disjointed, but none made it to her mouth, and she felt like she needed to say something, react somehow, but she stood there still as a statue and let him straighten his cloak a bit before doing up the buttons.
Having sufficiently bundled her up, Malfoy leaned in close. Her heartbeat sped up, beating wildly, as time seemed to slow down. She'd obsessed constantly about being kissed by Malfoy since the moment she'd learned he had bid on her, and for a split second, she thought he was aiming for her lips. Paralyzed, she braced for it, half wanting it, half terrified, but he didn't kiss her. Instead, he placed those full lips of his next to her tingling ear and whispered, "Safe travels," before stepping back and aside.
Taking a shuddering breath, relieved and disappointed at the same time, she forced her feet to move. One in front of the other, until she reached the center of the room. She turned to face him, nervous and overwhelmed, and he nodded at her in goodbye as she turned on the spot and Apparated to her parents' house in Australia.
~ Armistice ~
Happy New Year to all my lovely readers. I appreciate all of you and your support so much, you have no idea how much it means to me that people are really enjoying this story.
Also, as always, I want to take just a quick second to send my love to Lightofevolution who read through this chapter quickly and efficiently to make it ready for human consumption. Thank you so much!