"Ted sent me a modified standard agreement yesterday and I sent back the changes I wanted to see included.
"Just so you know what the gist of them are, they are: One; so long as nothing... physical... happens between us, both of us will have easy escape clauses we can activate at any time. Two; if something physical happens, you will still have the easy escape clauses, but I will not; mine will have significant financial penalties involved. Three; if we... if you... f-fall pregnant from s- physical activity between us, then escape clauses will still exist; but, such escape clauses will have serious financial penalties for the one who then breaks the agreement, especially me."
As he was talking he worked hard to keep from blushing, but wasn't completely successful. It was hard enough to get through saying it.
"There will not be a clause that requires you to... you won't be required to do anything you don't want to; understand?"
As she looked at him with wide eyes she couldn't speak. She just nodded back while staring fixedly at him.
"This is to keep you safe from those who would mean you and or your House harm―"
That was as far as he got before she mimicked a Hermi-Hug and jumped at him, throwing her arms around him in a tight hug.
"Thank you, Harry," she sniffled.
"You're welcome," he replied, finally bringing his own arms up to caress her back.
After a few moments he gently pushed her away to again look into her now watery eyes. "Now it just depends on your father. If he tries to use this situation to demand fiscal benefits... then, I'm sorry, I've instructed Ted not to proceed."
"He won't," she earnestly promised. "Father's not an idiot. He'll very quickly work out what you're doing and will approve."
"Good," he said, relieved. "I also want you to know that, if you want out because you've met someone and would prefer to be with them, I'm open to discussing that; alright?"
"Thank you, Harry," she replied.
"I don't ever want you to think that you'll be with me, or are with me, because you have to be with me. You get to choose."
She nodded and smiled, her eyes sparkling with brimming moisture.
When they pulled apart to turned back to the others, it was to see them watching back. Harry checked Hermione and saw not a hint of jealousy. If anything, she clearly approved.
_‗_
―==(oIo)==―
ˇ
After they'd left the antechamber and he was walking alone with Hermione returning to their apartment, Hermione looked to Harry and said, "You did good, in there."
"I don't think I could do anything else," he simply returned.
"No, I don't think so, either," she agreed.
As they approached the door to the Lords' Quarters, it was to see Malfoy and his pet bookends step out of an alcove with a smirk on his face. All three had their wands drawn. It was clear Malfoy wanted to 'start' something.
Harry sighed. He knew this was going to happen, sooner or later. Malfoy just couldn't help himself.
As a mutter loud enough for only Hermione to hear, he said, "Whatever you do, do not retaliate. Let the new wards do their job."
"Understood," she quietly replied.
When they were about twenty feet away, Malfoy raised his wand to a more ready position and said, "Potter. Rumour has it―"
But, surprising Malfoy, Harry didn't even pause as he expected. Instead, he kept walking forward; which brought Malfoy's little monologue to an abrupt and confused halt.
When he was about four feet away, Harry finally stopped. He chose the distance as it put him in reach to snatch Malfoy's wand out of his hand if the little white ferret tried to launch a curse or hex.
With a sigh, he said, "Mister Malfoy, is it your intent to piss off the Lord of the Noble and Most Ancient House of Potter, or the Heir Tertiary of the Noble and Most Ancient House of Black?"
When Malfoy looked confused, he continued, "I only ask as I'll need to know if I shall be contacting your father directly, as Lord Potter, to inform him how badly his Heir completely and utterly screwed up; or Lord Black, so he can have the honour."
When Malfoy still looked confused - Potter didn't retaliate, as he expected - Harry continued to explain, "And, I only ask because your father will want to know why it is he's just discovered his marriage contract has been irrevocably torn asunder, the Black dowry your mother received from the House of Black has been yanked out of his own accounts back to the House of Black accounts and your mother and you have been Disowned."
Malfoy went white. "Y-you wouldn't!"
"I would," he shot back. "And faster than you can say, 'Wait 'til my father hears of this'."
Malfoy stood there for a few moments more before his face flushed and he developed an angry scowl. "You'll get yours, Potter!"
"My Share? Oh, I intend to, Malfoy," he happily declared back. "I'm sure Lord Black will happily give me my share of what was part of the Malfoy fortune, when he yanks it out of your father's accounts. What do you think; is one fifth of it a fair cut?
"After all, I'll have been the one that pushed you far enough you engaged your wand and not your brain, didn't think it through and had a shot at me; which allowed Lord Black to legally take it.
"You see, Mister Malfoy; I do not think it's a matter of 'if' with you, only a matter of 'when'. And I'm happy to bide my time until your over-developed sense of self-entitlement exceeds your pitiful authority and gives me that excuse."
The whole time Harry was smirking at the boy in amusement, Malfoy could only stand there feeling impotent. And he now knew Potter knew that.
Harry chuckled and said, "I do not know why you bother to engineer these little incidences between you and me, Malfoy. Unless your godfather has been there to pull your nads out of the fire by swooping in and assigning me and others with me with spurious losses of points and detention, you've never won a single one of them; not on the grounds, not on the Express, not here in the castle. Even then, you never won; he did, by abusing his authority as a Professor.
"Well, he's now in Azkaban partly because of that abuse of authority. So, regarding him, I won in the end.
"Now, will there be anything else, or will you blurt 'Wait 'til my father hears of this' and storm off like you usually do?"
Clearly furious, Malfoy lowered his wand, backed up half a step started to say, "Wai―" before he snapped his mouth shut and stormed off.
Harry watched him go and looked to the two now confused bookends. "Well?" With a flick of his fingers he indicated Malfoy's direction and said, "Your lord and master went that way. Best hurry to catch up. Without you both standing there looking mean, someone's liable to laugh at him."
Both boys, still confused, turned and hurried to catch up with the blonde ferret.
Harry then heard chuckling and turned just in time to see an auror standing ten feet away dispel the last of a Disillusionment charm as he watched the three hurry away.
Turning his attention to Harry he said, "That was hilarious." And chuckled again.
"I'm glad you're amused," Harry smirked back. "And I'm sure you'd never consider sharing the memory of that with the auror bullpen. That would be shameful behaviour. Lucy Malfoy might find out about it if you did that and go into a right royal snit."
The auror laughed again and said, "You're an evil young man, Lord Potter." Then turned and walked away as he re-donned his disillusionment charm.
Once they were sure he'd gone, Hermione asked, "How'd you know he was there?"
"I didn't," he replied. "I just suspected he or another was. However, I'm also aware of the new and reactivated wards Headmistress Lady Marchbanks has activated. As soon as Malfoy fired a curse, the entire staff would have been alerted to it. All we both needed to do was avoid it and wait. That's why I specifically said, 'Don't retaliate'."
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