"So what did you learn last night?"
"That Sirius has a near-supernatural ability to tell when Blaise gets near me sexually and intends to create business cards labeling him as a professional cockblocker extraordinaire?"
"No Haylan. You are in a betrothal contract, that you had wanted I may add, and are meant to be celibate until you get married." Narcissa lectured as she paced back and forth in front of Haylan's desk in his private study.
"Well, I wasn't expecting to be jumped as soon as I got out of the shower. Emperor I may be but Blaise's lips are much more powerful in riling up my hormones than I am in controlling them." Haylan pouted.
"Do not make me cast a chastity ward on you and your rooms Haylan. I will and Lady Zabini will back me in this. If you and Blaise decide to proceed with your marriage, you will not be saying your vows having been sullied because you couldn't handle saying no to your betrothed!" Narcissa was venting now, she hadn't gotten this aggravated with Haylan since the time he blew up a cauldron by attempting to brew potions without supervision.
"I don't know about Blaise, but I fully intend to marry him. I don't want anyone else. He doesn't care for how much power I have unless it is to make him hot and bothered, he doesn't care about my past, he makes me laugh, he reminds me of the good things in life and I just feel warm and complete with him around. If I could I would marry Blaise today." Haylan admitted which melted some of Narcissa's ire.
"I will go speak with Lady Zabini to see if there will be any repercussions from this…event. Stay here and finish your work. I'll send Andy by later to check in on you." Narcissa sighed before leaning over and kissing Haylan's forehead. "I just don't want you to lose the best thing that has happened to you recently just because you couldn't control your hormones."
"I know Aunt Cissa," Haylan said with a small smile watching her take her leave. Alone in his study, staring at piles of paperwork, Haylan hoped they hadn't messed up too badly. He would fight the world to keep Blaise in his life.
"You really fucked up now," Draco said casually, laying back on Blaise's bed where he was currently sulking.
"Not now Draco," Blaise begged quietly.
"I have never seen my mother as livid as she was when she received the floo call from Uncle Siri telling her what you had done. What were you thinking going into your betrothed's bedroom, without a chaperone, late at night while the man was practically naked?" Draco of course continued without a care for Blaise's sanity.
"I wasn't thinking. I just couldn't stand to be away from him. I had to watch him destroy Dumbledore! Not just politically but he stole his magic and ruined him in the afterlife! It was hot as hell, I couldn't not see him." Blaise protested, still frustrated and maybe still very much turned on.
"I don't need to hear about your power kink Blaise. Don't think such a weak defense is going to work against my mother or yours."
Blaise sighed and buried his face in one of his large pillows. He knew he fucked up, but his magic itched to be closer to Haylan. It was getting harder to be away from the man and last night he couldn't stand to be away from him, it had felt like his magic had been screaming at him for hours by the time he managed to wrap himself around Haylan and finally soothe the pain of being separated.
Blaise and Draco were summoned to the dining room an hour later for lunch and chat. Vivianna and Narcissa sat at the table next to each other, serious looks on their faces making Draco cringe and he wasn't even the one in trouble. They sat across from their mothers silently waiting for one of them to speak first. The house elves popped in a light lunch but no one made any moves to eat.
"We have spoken about your actions Blaise and come to a conclusion." Vivianna started as she filled her plate with salad.
"Since both of you are at fault the contract will not be broken at this time," Narcissa said next, Blaise relaxed a little at this statement.
"But there will be repercussions." Vivianna continued. "You will continue to have your dates once a week with Lord Caliban but under strict supervision, two chaperones will be with you at all times."
"Other than your weekly dates you are being ordered to stay away from each other. Continue your letters but floo calls are now forbidden and you have been locked out of the Castle's floo." Narcissa said gravely and Blaise had to work to keep his face blank. They were separating them.
"This will continue until you either end your contract or see through your marriage. I do not like doing this caro mio. But since you cannot control yourself I will make sure for you that you go into this marriage properly. Your vows to magic will be stronger if you do this as hard as it may be." Vivianna said in a softer voice.
Blaise knew that his mother was doing this out of love and protection for his future but he couldn't help but feel frustrated that it had come to this.
"Haylan is also incredibly busy with his new duties to the public in the wake of the mess with Dumbledore. The Order will be targeting him, Spain already wants to see his downfall, and my husband's Lord has been suspiciously well-behaved. Haylan does not need any more distractions until he has his empire more firmly under control." Narcissa mentioned trying to soften the news.
"I understand mother, Aunt Cissa…I will be in my room if you need me." Blaise said quietly before quickly leaving the table even though he had not eaten anything.
He couldn't be around anyone right now.
It was three days after their respective relatives had enforced their separation that Blaise and Harry met for their next date. Under the watchful eyes of their chaperones Tonks and Sirius.
Haylan had ordered them to stay back far enough to not hear their conversation. Watching them to make sure they weren't risking the contract was one thing but they still deserved some privacy to talk to one another.
"I have missed you. I am sorry that my actions have resulted like this Haylan." Blaise said quietly, holding Haylan's hand in his.
"I have missed you as well and it is partly my fault as well. We will make it through this. I do want to go into our marriage properly Blaise." Haylan admitted, squeezing Blaise's hand lightly.
"Going to propose to me already Haylan?" Blaise teased.
"If I didn't think that our relatives would lose their minds and I wasn't trying to secure my base of power then I would make you propose to me right now." Haylan grinned as Blaise unexpectedly blushed. "Plus it would stop others from continuously sending me courting contracts every day."
The thought of Haylan receiving courting contracts from other people made him growl a tad possessively.
"They can't have you, you're mine Haylan."
"And you are mine." Haylan agreed with a pleased smile.
"What if we went public?" Blaise suddenly asked catching Haylan off guard.
"What do you mean?"
"I mean I want people to know that you are mine and that I am yours. I want to tell my friends outside of Draco that I am dating the most amazing man and I intend to marry him." Blaise confessed as he cupped the side of Haylan's blushing face.
"It would be dangerous…" Haylan warned.
"It would be worth it."
Haylan searched Blaise's face and only saw certainty and affection. Haylan was nodding before he even knew what he was doing.
"Okay. We will need to talk with Narcissa. She runs all of my public relations at the moment. They will try to argue this."
"They may be able to keep us apart on the days we aren't on our dates, but this is our decision. I want nothing more than to be with you for the rest of our lives Haylan. I am so lucky to have you."
"You are going to make me swoon Blaise."
"Well, swoon where your godfather can't accuse me of behaving improperly."
"What do you think our chaperones would do if I kissed you right now?" Haylan wondered.
"I think your reckless Gryffindor self is coming to the surface if you want to test our chaperones so quickly." Blaise chuckled but was cut off when Haylan pressed his lips to Blaise's.
"Oi!" Sirius yelled from behind them, Tonks cackling.
They broke their kiss when Sirius dumped cold water over them again. Haylan just laughed brightly. "Worth it."
"Such a Gryffindor," Blaise said but he couldn't help but smile at Haylan's happiness.
"I'll have you know that the hat wanted to put me in Slytherin."
"You would have made a terrible Slytherin."
"No, I wouldn't have!"
"Whatever you want to tell yourself, Darling."
Tonks and Sirius were forced to go break them up when Haylan attacked Blaise to tickle him.
Apparently sitting on top of one's boyfriend and trying to torture them with laughter was one of their no-nos.
It took a week of arguments and a lot of letters before they made it clear to Narcissa that if she didn't help them show their relationship to the public that they would do it themselves.
Bella and Andy were firmly staying out of the arguments, their Slytherin self-preservation kicking in.
Sirius and Tonks only took a day to convince and they understood why Haylan was willing to do this.
So on August 16th Blaise and Haylan, along with their chaperones/bodyguards Bellatrix and Sirius, arrived together at the press conference Haylan was holding at the ICW building in Switzerland.
The press was already muttering in confusion as to who Blaise could be.
"Welcome members of the press. Thank you for accepting my invitation to this important press conference. I know many of you have questions regarding the Order and the war in Britain, so I will do my best to answer what I can." Haylan started with, drawing everyone's attention to him at the podium Supreme Mugwump had set up for Haylan to use.
"But first I would love to introduce to you Lord Blaise Zabini and my betrothed." Haylan dropped on them with no prep causing Narcissa standing at the side of the meeting room to shake her head in disapproval.
The press started yelling at questions at them and Blaise's pureblood upbringing was appalled at their behavior.
"One at a time otherwise I will dismiss you all without answering anything," Haylan ordered with a cold commanding voice that caused Blaise to shift as he felt himself start to get hard. Damn his betrothed was hot.
"How long have you two been together?" One of the reporters asked after the rest had gone silent.
"Almost nine weeks now, next?" Haylan answered.
"If you decide to see through to marriage will Lord Zabini become Consort Caliban?"
"Correct, but his control over the populace will be equal to mine."
"How were you two introduced?"
"We met at my Beautillion Ball back in June." Haylan was quick and efficient at answering the questions. Blaise felt like he was watching a tennis match.
They asked a few more questions before finally being dismissed and Haylan and his entourage were able to return to the castle, bringing Blaise along so they could discuss what the outcomes of the articles would be like once everything was published.
Blaise was just happy to be able to tell people now and he would be talking with his friends probably later that night after the newspapers came out with their story.
Everything would be fine.