Author's Note: Liked the idea of a Marriage Law, so tried to give it my own take.
Oh and none of these people are mine….
What Might Have Been
Chapter Fifteen
"They - they want to - to what?" Harry stuttered, feeling unable to comprehend exactly what was going on.
Ginny and Ron had stood as one from their seats across the room, unsure up to that moment exactly what they were doing there. They were both shouting at the same time. Harry caught something about "bloody nonsense" and "everybody hates Malfoy anyway."
"It's - it's not a secret that Malfoy and I were not friends," Harry began tentatively, his voice strengthening as he continued to talk. He felt Hermione's reassuring presence close behind him, although they were not touching. "But…that could be said of Malfoy and a lot of people." Narcissa let out an angry noise that sounded like half-sob, half-sigh.
"We've been in Diagon Alley all day," Hermione said stridently. "We left after… after…" her eyes flickered over to Ron, and everyone in the room turned to look at him. He flushed slightly.
"They came to visit me in the hospital wing this morning…together," he admitted, then swallowed, adding, "Then they told me they were Flooing to Diagon Alley… for wedding s - stuff." He cleared his throat awkwardly.
"Harry was with me early this morning," Ginny added, her face defiant. "We were studying in the library."
"When did Malfoy disappear?" Hermione demanded. "What time was it?"
"I assume there are people at the shops who can verify your presence?" Cornelius Fudge was looking a little discomposed, ignoring Hermione's question.
"I - " Hermione hesitated. They hadn't been anywhere near any kind of shop that could be construed as having anything to do with weddings.
Cornelius Fudge flicked his fingers toward Harry, with a glance at the Aurors, who stood up, and advanced toward Harry. They did not look terribly thrilled at the prospect of arresting the Boy Who Lived.
"We went to Gringotts," Hermione burst out suddenly. "And the Daily Prophet." Harry looked at her, but she continued. "I wanted to have a wedding announcement posted. And we went to the bookshop."
"Trust Hermione to go in a bookshop if there's one around," Ron interjected, and she smiled gratefully at him.
"I didn't really see anything I liked at Madame Malkin's," Hermione admitted. "We just looked in the window, but I think I'll try Hogsmeade tomorrow."
The Auror flicked his wand, and Harry was immobilized. The other Auror relieved Harry of his wand. Harry and Hermione exchanged frightened, angry glances.
Dumbledore stood suddenly, in a surprisingly agile move for such an old man, and began to place himself in between Harry and the Aurors. At the same time, a shocked voice said suddenly,
"Cornelius!" It was Amelia Bones, who had just entered the common room through the Floo, evidently having found out where her boss had gone and what he was up to. "What is the meaning of this?"
"This young man," Fudge gestured toward Harry with some distaste, "is under arrest for questioning regarding Draco Malfoy's disappearance." Amelia's eyes snapped dangerously.
"As head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, why was I not informed of this?" Fudge opened his mouth to speak, but Madame Bones continued, "I could have saved you a lot of time and effort, Cornelius. I know that Harry and Hermione were in town today about the…wedding. They came to see me, as a matter of fact."
"You?" Fudge said incredulously.
"My niece is quite good friends with them. They stopped by for a visit." She turned toward Harry and Hermione and smiled. "You must do it again sometime." Then her attention was on her Aurors. "You will release him at once, and return his wand to him."
The Aurors wavered, their eyes flicking uncertainly back and forth between Fudge and Madame Bones. Finally, the one holding Harry's wand extended it back out to him. Fudge grew red in the face, looking apoplectic.
"This will mean your job, Wilkins!"
"That falls under my jurisdiction, Cornelius!" Madame Bones interposed. The spell on Harry was removed, and he moved his limbs around experimentally.
"Excuse me!" Narcissa had stood to her feet, looking imperiously haughty. "But what about my son?"
"Your son," Madame Bones began, but then stopped, obviously trying to compose herself. She started anew, "Your son is seventeen years old. He has been missing for less than a day. It is much more likely that he has run off to do something irresponsible than this thing of which Harry is being accused. Without evidence, I might add." Her voice rang across the common room. "It is a shameful way to treat someone who saved our lives and preserved our way of life for us. Where would we be without this young man here?" Harry began to grow red in the face at Madame Bones' praise. She looked reprovingly at the Minister of Magic, who, Harry began to suspect, was a little afraid of the head of MLE.
"Amelia, this young man is dangerous," Fudge protested. "He is a rebel, a malcontent. There have been reports that he is helping young ladies break - "
"What reports?" Madame Bones overrode him smoothly. "I have seen no such reports. I suspect such rumors probably began at this school…and probably in Slytherin House." She glanced disdainfully at Narcissa Malfoy, who bristled. "The next time you decide to arrest a student, Cornelius - "
"He's of age!" Fudge interposed hotly.
" - make sure you have evidence first," Amelia continued as smoothly as if Fudge had not even opened his mouth.
"I think it would be best if you leave, Cornelius," Dumbledore said softly, looking slightly saddened by this turn of events, but his eyes still flashing with the force of someone to be reckoned with. Fudge looked as if he would like to speak again, but his eyes darted around to the audience present in the common room, and he appeared to think better of it.
"There will be an investigation into this disappearance, Mr. Potter!" Fudge said, as threateningly as he could, while quite obviously retreating. "If we find the slightest hint of your involvement…."
"You will be quite welcome to come arrest me, Mr. Minister," Harry finished for him, somewhat cheekily.
Narcissa followed Fudge and the Aurors out of the portrait hole, looking at Harry as if he had been found standing over Malfoy's bloody corpse, with green smoke still trailing from his wand.
Harry quite visibly relaxed as the portrait hole snapped shut behind them, and he sank down onto the cushions of the sofa. Hermione was sitting next to him, one arm around his shoulders, protectively.
"Is it - is it true, Professor?" Hermione asked quietly. "Malfoy's really gone?"
"I'm afraid so, Miss Granger," Dumbledore answered. "He did not arrive at his Potions class this morning, and there has been no trace of him seen since."
"Do they - do they really think that somebody…did something to him?" Harry said, his voice sounding a little strangled.
"Wouldn't surprise me," he heard Ron mutter, as the Weasleys came over to join the gathering near the fireplace. He felt Hermione's arm slide off of his shoulders.
"No one really knows anything yet," Dumbledore admitted. "What the Minister did was ill-thought out and extremely premature. Apparently, he feels somewhat threatened by you." Amelia Bones grunted in agreement. "Slytherin House isn't talking, of course, but we have had a few students from other houses report that Malfoy was boasting about something big that was going to happen soon."
"Something big?" Hermione asked, her eyes wide. "What could he possibly do? The Death Eaters are in jail, or scattered. His father's in Azkaban. Voldemort's dead…"
"Well, if he left on his own, he's certainly not up to anything good!" Ron declared.
"And if he didn't?" Hermione said quietly.
"Good riddance!" Harry and Ron snorted in perfect unison, and then looked at each other sheepishly. Hermione looked at them reprovingly.
"I'll have the Department take a look at this," Madame Bones said. "I feel that it's safe to say that nobody here is going to be arrested."
"I would not have allowed them to remove you from Hogwart's," Dumbledore said gently, looking intently at Harry, who nodded.
"I know, sir."
Dumbledore stood then, and gave Harry another enigmatic look. "I trust your and Miss Granger's errands were… productive?" he asked. Harry stared back at him gravely, and gave one solemn, slow nod. Dumbledore gave him the slightest of smiles, before turning to the portrait hole.
"Madame Bones?" Harry asked in a low voice, as the MLE director stood and headed for the fireplace.
"Yes, Harry?"
"Do people in Azkaban - can they get owl post?" he asked. She gave him a wondering look at his seemingly bizarre question.
"Well, there are a couple of Aurors who guard the island that receive mail, but they don't actually stay in the prison itself. The dementors would make that quite impossible," Madame Bones said thoughtfully. "I guess friends or family might send owl post from time to time, but the prisoners aren't really going to be in a mental state where they could respond."
"Could you - " Harry began, and hesitated, still unsure of how many liberties he should ask for. Madame Bones put one hand on his shoulder, and looked directly into his eyes.
"Harry, if it is in my power to do, I'll do what you ask. Now tell me," she said encouragingly.
"Could you make sure Lucius Malfoy is actually imprisoned?" he asked. "And can you find out if anyone is sending him anything, and who it is?" Madame Bones seemed surprised at his requests, but considered them gravely and nodded.
"I'll let you know if we find anything," she said, before Flooing back to her office.
"So where were you today, really?" Ginny asked, her eyes flashing in excitement. "Did you get it?"
A grin made its way, unbidden, over Harry's features. "Yeah," he said, smiling back at her. "You were right, by the way," he added, as he reached into the inside pocket of his jacket, and pulled out a small packet. "Buying the Prophet was a good idea."
"Wait a minute," Ron said, looking confused. "You told him to buy the Prophet? And you," here, he looked at Harry, "did?" Ginny and Harry nodded. "Why?"
"I wanted to look at a back issue, and they wouldn't let me," Harry said, as if it were the most natural course of action to take.
"Right," Ron said, his look obviously saying that Harry was quite mad.
"Let me see it," Ginny said, as Harry unfolded the paper carefully. He had magically made a duplicate of the page, which contained a fairly large photograph. Underneath read the caption "Yorkshire Chapter of the Pureblooded Alliance." Every now and then, someone in the photo raised a clenched fist, or shouted a soundless taunt.
"There he is," Harry said, pointing at a young man in the middle of the group. "Cornelius Fudge…third row, fifth from the left."
"And look," Hermione added, leaning in over his shoulder to point at the picture. "That's got to be a Malfoy…it must be Lucius's father." The white-blond hair and haughty demeanor were undeniable.
"What's the Pureblooded Alliance?" Ron asked.
"It's what the Death Eaters used to be called," Hermione told him flatly. Ron swallowed, and his Adam's apple bobbed visibly.
"Oh," he said, not knowing what else to add. The awkwardness from that morning had been shunted aside in the fear of Harry's imminent arrest, but it had not disappeared. "So, what're you going to do now?" he asked, trying to sound natural.
"Can't do anything right now," Harry said laconically. "I'm still waiting on something from Gringotts, and I'll have to hear from Madame Bones too."
"Isn't the picture good enough?" Hermione asked, her voice strained. She darted a glance over at Ron, who wouldn't meet her gaze. Harry understood. She was trying to tactfully ask if the wedding would have to go forward anyway.
"No, not really," Harry said reluctantly. "It might make a good story in the Prophet, and everybody would talk about it for a few days, but Fudge would just say he was young and foolish, and that was before everybody realized what the Alliance's agenda was. We've got to have proof of Fudge doing something wrong now."
The four teenagers sat glumly for a moment. Ron was slouched against the arm of a chair, one hand flat against his side. Harry wondered if his ribs were bothering him.
"Damn Malfoy anyway," Ron swore, as he shifted positions and winced. "We still have a score to settle."
"You don't think he's planning something, do you?" Ginny asked, darting a quick glance at Harry.
"I wouldn't put anything past Draco Malfoy," Harry said gloomily.
"Well, Luna said - " Ginny began, but stopped abruptly, when Harry suddenly sat up, and slapped his hand on the arm of the sofa.
"Luna! Dammit!" He exclaimed, and stood to his feet, looking frustrated and annoyed.
"What?" Ginny and Hermione said together, when no further explanation seemed to be forthcoming.
Harry rolled his eyes and looked self-conscious. "I was supposed to … our deadlines - mine and Luna's - are up tomorrow. I have to - Dumbledore said - "
"You're going to propose to Luna," Hermione said dully, even as she tried to smile.
"Uh….yeah…" Harry said, running one hand through his chronically disheveled hair. He couldn't look at Hermione, but noticed that Ron seemed slightly more cheery. "I'm going to tell her…I mean, that it's just in case - you know, if nothing - if Saturday - " He was unsure as to how much he should say in front of Ron, so he just blundered to a stop. "I guess I should get something to the Ministry, and then go talk to Luna." He proceeded over to his desk, and dipped his quill in a bottle of ink, and carefully wrote a few sentences. "I should take this over to the Owlery," he said to nobody in particular. "Ginny, can you get me in Ravenclaw's common room?"
"Sure," Ginny said cheerfully. "But you're Head Boy….you could get in there yourself." Harry looked at her blankly, holding a scroll rolled up in his hand.
"Oh," he said airily, as if he'd just forgotten that particular item, "of course." She looked at him wryly for a moment, not fooled.
"But I'll go with you anyway," she said, jumping to her feet, and opening the portrait hole.
It had been Hermione and Tonks who had found him.
The battle was over, the dead had been removed, and the injured had been evacuated. Harry and Ron had both been transported to St. Mungo's. Hermione had dashed away protests that she was hurt too, accepted a bandage for the cut on her head, and then proceeded to accompany Tonks, as the Aurors searched Hogwart's.
"I have to," she said, simply, as Mrs. Weasley all but ordered her to St. Mungo's. "If - when Harry wakes up, he's going to want to know. I have to be able to tell him that we got them all." Mrs. Weasley had fluttered her hands a little in protest, but had let her go.
And there he was…just around a corner, just out of sight enough so that Hermione nearly fell over him sprawled there in the hallway. Hermione's mouth curled downward as she took in his prone form. Draco Malfoy.
He was unconscious, legs and arms akimbo, as he lay where he had fallen or had been thrown. One lock of white-blond hair tumbled down on his aristocratic forehead. She knelt down beside him.
"He's been stunned," Hermione announced." Tonks located his wand, where it had rolled just a few feet away from him, and tested it.
"He didn't cast any Unforgiv…" Tonks trailed off, and Hermione gasped, as they both noticed the pool of blood at the same time. Malfoy's shirt sleeve was soaked in it. Tonks pushed it up to see a jagged, bleeding weal, slashing its way down the Slytherin's forearm, curving from his elbow to his palm.
"What're you going to do with him?" Hermione asked. Tonks pocketed Malfoy's wand.
"Take him to St. Mungo's," she replied.
Hermione looked almost disappointed.
Harry had never been in the Ravenclaw common room before, and stood still for a moment, taking in the tasteful blue themed furnishings. Mahogany bookshelves lined a couple of walls, and there were several desks at the far end of the room. Typical Ravenclaw, Harry mused, and then grinned, as he thought how envious Hermione probably was of their common room.
Ginny stopped a younger student. "Is Luna Lovegood upstairs?" she asked, after not seeing her in the common room. The second-year went to go see, and a murmur threaded its way around the room. Harry flushed as he felt the weight of curious eyes on him. It would be quite obvious that this dealt with the marriage law, if he and Ginny were approaching someone together.
"How about a nice public proposal, Harry?" Ginny hissed in his ear, teasing.
"Sod off, Ginny," he whispered back, and she snickered at him.
Luna came down stairs a moment later, appearing, as always, to drift rather than walk. Her hair was twisted into a spiky knot on top of her head, and her earrings were blinking red and yellow lights. Her eyes were as vague and dreamy as ever.
"Hello, Harry, Ginny," she said with an ethereal smile. "Are you here to marry me off?"
Harry swallowed, having not expected her to be so forthright.
"Actually…" he began, and then paused, acutely aware of the observation of the other Ravenclaws. "Could we step outside?"
"Why not?" Luna said, showing no curiosity whatsoever. The three of them clambered through the Ravenclaw entrance, and stood out in the corridor.
"I wanted to let you know that I would be sending a scroll for you, Luna," Harry said, in a rushed voice, trying to get it all out in one breath.
"How lovely," was Luna's surprisingly normal response. "Thank you, Harry." Ginny and Harry exchanged dubious glances. This was it? No remarks about Snorkacks or Nargles?
"I'm not in love with you though," she said seriously, and Harry relaxed. Here it came. "So, don't get your hopes up."
"I won't," Harry said, equally as serious. Luna was a bit batty, but he really did like her. And he didn't like the way her housemates treated her. "I'm not in love with you either," he said, whispering it confidentially. Luna beamed at him.
"Oh, good. Since Hermione's not in love with Ronald either, maybe we can get together for tea after we're married. We can all four of us be miserable." She said this in a tone that sounded like she would not be miserable at all.
"How did you - ?" Harry asked, bewildered. Hermione and Ron had certainly not been dating before this marriage law came about, but there was supposed to be the at least generally agreed upon illusion that they were okay with it.
"Really, Harry," Luna said, and Harry thought for a moment that she was channeling Hermione. She leaned forward again, whispering conspiratorially, "They say I'm a bit barmy, you know…but I am in Ravenclaw."
"I know," Harry said idiotically, blinking at her.
"Well," she said, in that dreamy sing-song tone that she normally used. "I'll see you at the wedding - Ronald's, I mean, not ours," she added. "I expect you'll have gotten rid of Fudge before we have to get married." Harry looked completely flabbergasted, and Ginny couldn't keep back a snort of laughter. Luna continued to talk, as if this were a perfectly normal conversation. "Have you thought about spiking his punch with the Elixir of Leverenthalia?"
"I'll - I'll consider it," Harry stammered, not really knowing what to say. "You should get the scroll tomorrow." He walked away with Ginny, shaking his head as if there were cotton wool in his ears. Married life with Luna would never be boring, that's for sure, he thought to himself.
Harry had still been in the hospital when the article came out. He'd been able to hear Hermione and Ron arguing about it in the corridor.
"He should know about this," Ron said, his voice carrying quite clearly through the door. The silencing charms obviously needed to be renewed.
"He doesn't need this right now. It'll only upset him, and he needs to rest! There's nothing he can do about it anyway," came Hermione's practical tone. Harry was annoyed. He was almost an adult. He didn't need anyone coddling him, even Hermione…no, especially Hermione.
He picked up the nearest gift basket and hurled it at the door with all the strength he could muster. The bickering went silent at the heavy thunk against the door, and seconds later, two curious faces peered carefully inside.
Harry wanted to laugh. "Come in here, and show me that damn paper," he said, holding his arm out officiously. Ron and Hermione exchanged glances, and shuffled forward unwillingly. Ron handed him that morning's issue of the Daily Prophet.
"Hogwart's Student gives Exclusive Interview" screamed the banner headline. It had been scarcely 2 days since the battle, and the Order of the Phoenix was trying to keep a reign on the information that was going out to the public. They had had to give a statement to the press, though, after a rumor began to circulate that Harry was dead.
Harry looked to see what idiot gave an interview against Dumbledore's express wishes. "Heir of Malfoy Fortune Tells Of His Harrowing Story Inside Last Battle". He rolled his eyes. "Oh, that figures," he said sarcastically.
He scanned further down the page. There was a quote from Malfoy saying, "When I heard the commotion, I knew Hogwart's had been breached. I immediately ran to assist. I took out two Death Eaters, but then I got hit…twice. I just feel badly that I couldn't do more."
"I'm going to be ill," Harry said succinctly.
"Convenient that the cutting spell hit him right where the Dark Mark would be, isn't it?" Ron said dryly. "And the stupid prat probably stunned himself to avoid any fighting."
"The Malfoys have always known which side their bread was buttered on," Hermione stated grimly. "He'll stay out of prison, mark my words."
Harry awakened early on Saturday morning, with butterflies swarming in his stomach, and for a moment, he couldn't remember why. Then….it came back, sinking into him with a dull kind of nausea. Ron and Hermione's wedding was today. He tried to tell himself that it didn't matter, that Ron knew about his and Hermione's feelings, that the wedding would mean nothing, that the law would be overturned.
And yet it did matter. Hermione would be walking up an aisle. In a beautiful dress. And she wouldn't be walking to him, but to his best mate. It stung, Harry had to admit to himself. You're jealous, a snide little voice said. What if you fail, and Hermione decides to stay with the status quo?
She wouldn't do that, another little voice answered back feebly. It didn't sound as if it quite believed what it was saying.
Harry sat up, and tried to blink the sleep out of his eyes. His eyes darted around, looking for some kind of receptacle, if in fact, he did throw up. His gaze landed on Ron's bed, where the redhead was lying, his arms under his head, and his eyes wide open.
"Can't sleep?" Harry asked.
"Would you be able to if you had to get up in front of a bunch of people and recite a bunch of ruddy vows that don't mean anything?" Ron said, with only a little bitterness in his tone.
"No," Harry replied, truthfully. There was a moment of silence. "Ron, I'm - " he started, but Ron waved his still bandaged hand at him, as if his apology didn't need to be said.
"You couldn't help it," Ron said, gloomily. "I don't reckon you can choose who you fall in love with. And you came and told me the truth, so…" his voice trailed off.
You told me the truth, you told me the truth, echoed in Harry's brain, and the guilt assailed him. He looked frantically around the room again, sure he was going to be sick, but Ron's next words distracted him.
"You - you will - I should've asked you this before, but…" Ron shrugged. "You'll… stand up with me, won't you, Harry?" he asked, sounding suddenly vulnerable and unsure. "You don't have to, if it makes you feel weird," he added hastily.
"No," Harry said, firmly, "I'll stand up with you, Ron." The two best friends exchanged glances. "I'm honored that you'd ask, considering…"
A scant handful of hours later found them standing under a kind of pavilion out on the grounds. They were both in black dress robes, and Harry found himself wondering vaguely if Hermione and Ginny had found what they were looking for in Hogsmeade. They had taken Auror escort, and had been gone for a very long time.
Mrs. Weasley had outdone herself in such a short amount of time. She wasn't any happier with the law than Mr. Weasley, but had been secretly hoping that Hermione and her youngest son would end up together. She was also aware that the Minister of Magic was going to attend, as well as several members of the Wizengamot and the press; this made her doubly determined to have a nice event.
Music began to play somewhere, and above the pavilion, birds soared into the air, singing beautifully. The murmur of the guests ceased, and Harry watched Ginny walk up the aisle, looking stunning in a jade colored dress robe. Watch Ginny, watch Ginny, Harry commanded himself, as he felt Ron shift nervously beside him. Nobody would fault you for watching Ginny.
But then he saw Hermione, and he was lost. She was on the arm of her father, who did not look terribly happy about his only daughter marrying at barely eighteen. Her robe was white, shot through with silver threads, and she had flowers in her upswept hair. She looked pale, but was smiling brilliantly. She was beautiful, and he loved her, and he was sure that his emotions were quite apparent to everyone there.
Up to that moment, he had been scanning the skyline anxiously, hoping to see the black speck against it that would be a Gringotts owl, or a message from Madame Bones, but nothing had come.
He had been hoping to avoid this altogether, and he could not help but glower at Minister Fudge, who was sitting on the front row, looking quite complacent at the success of his law. He could see several venerable looking old wizards, who he assumed were on the Wizengamot, but if Madame Bones had sent any Aurors, they were well-camouflaged.
Hermione had darted one quick, anxious, longing look at him, as she met Ron at the front of the gathering, but had not looked at him again.
Harry's heart sank, as Ron and Hermione turned to face Dumbledore. It was going to be too late…
TBC
Oh, these chapters keep getting so long. But I got everything I wanted in this one. The wedding scene and its aftermath are going to be long, so they need a chapter to themselves.
I was never seriously going to have Harry arrested. Just wanted to show that Fudge was an idiot, and a desperate idiot at that. I also thought it made a good way to disclose that Malfoy had disappeared. And it made for a nice cliffy too.
As for the wedding cliffhanger above…don't throw anything at me please!! Just wait….it's all about to hit the fan!
Only 1 or 2 chapters left…and maybe an epilogue....
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