The Granger parents were still worried about Hogwarts. Neither Harry nor Hermione could blame them, after having told them all they had already experienced and what they had found about Dumbledore. How could they not be? It was their daughter's life that they needed to entrust to that school and the life of the boy she had chosen as her life-mate (or had magic chosen for them?). It was their duty to be worried.
They were finishing dinner when Dave asked, "If I understood correctly, getting betrothed may help protect Hermione. How does one make a betrothal? I suppose it's more than a mutual agreement to wed each other in the future, isn't it?"
Luckily, the children already knew the answer, as a few chapters in the etiquette books were dedicated to betrothals and all the traditions around them. "Normally, the two families negotiate the terms of the betrothal and the future marriage. There's usually a lot of gold involved and even more prestige. Once they reach an agreement, they get a contract written by a lawyer, approved by both sides and then signed at Gringotts. There are already some standard contracts that Gringotts holds, where one only needs to add the names and the sums before the signing," Harry explained what he'd recently learned.
Dave didn't seem to like the idea but asked some more. "Are there any minimum sums or other requirements that we may need to know in advance?"
Hermione answered this time. "No. Since we already have a magical bond, the contract is only an official step. We could decide to have all the sums stated as a single Sickle or even a Knut and it would still be fine." Her expression turned mischievous. "It may even be a kind of prank to sign a contract with such insignificant sums, although nobody needs to know. The only thing that should be made public is the existence of the betrothal, to protect both parties from other suitors."
"Is there any reason for us not to go to Gringotts and sign such a contract tomorrow after breakfast?" Jean asked.
"I thought you had some work," Harry said.
Jean smiled. "We usually don't have many who want to spend that day at the dentist and this time, we made sure not to schedule anybody. Don't we deserve a day off?"
He smiled. "Sure! We can then go to London. It can be nice to spend the day as a family."
He didn't understand why Jean and Hermione were suddenly hugging him. It still felt very nice.
–..–
New Year's Eve promised to be quite a dreary day. The sky was covered with grey clouds, making it feel almost like evening, and there were scattered rains with some sleet too. It made driving to London unpleasant and even dangerous. "We'd better go by train," Dave told them. "It may cost more than going by car, but it will also save us paying for parking, so it will turn about even."
They only used the car to drive to the nearest train station, where Dave knew a free parking area. The bit of walking wasn't too pleasant, but once they reached the trainstation and boarded the train, Harry felt really nice, sitting with Hermione, holding her hand and talking to her parents about whatever passed their minds.
It was just as easy when changing to the underground. It was not as nice once they needed to walk to the Leaky Cauldron and then to Gringotts. Luckily, they were all well dressed and the weather was more of a nuisance than a problem.
–..–
Sharpclaw seemed amused to see the two children again. "Did you already miss me?" he teased them, unlike the way he would normally talk to wizards.
Harry took the lead. "It occurred to us that a betrothal contract between us may prove beneficial. We've read that Gringotts normally handles the signing of such contracts, so we came here."
Sharpclaw became serious at once. "Indeed, that's one of the subjects that Gringotts handles. Do you have a contract ready or would you like one of the standard ones?"
"We have nothing ready. Please bring some samples of contracts, taking in mind that we need one to protect us both from Dumbledore's intervention, in case we want to leave Hogwarts," Hermione answered.
Sharpclaw nodded. "Of course, Lady Ravenclaw. I can do that. Please wait while I go and bring the contracts from our judicial department."
It was probably quite close, since Sharpclaw returned almost at once, carrying several parchments. He put them on his desk and then unrolled one and turned it around for the humans to read. "I was informed that this one is the best suited for your requests. Once signed, it gives you some magical protection that disallows everybody from keeping you apart against your will. It also enhances your protection, but your Lord and Lady rings do that much better. Please read it carefully before we start filling in the names and the sums."
He then stopped to consider something. "There is some vagueness about who can sign the contract. A head-of-house is supposed to sign for the family when the betrothed is underage. Then, if the underage to be betrothed has no family, his or her magical guardians need to sign. Since your parents, Lady Ravenclaw, are alive and well, it's no problem for you, but Lord Potter, it may be claimed, cannot sign for himself. Still, as the Head-of-House, it's his duty to do just that. I suppose Mr Dumbledore would try to play this in his favour, however, the moment the contract is magically approved, there's not much he can do and the protection may still punish him."
Harry also gave it some consideration. He was already aware of the ambivalent laws, after checking them in some books since the matter had been first discussed. "He'll be able to do nothing if we leave the country, though. He has no authority out of Britain, if I'm not mistaken."
Sharpclaw nodded hesitantly. "He has no authority, not even in his position at the ICW, but he holds quite a bit of unjustified influence. I'd suggest you choose to go somewhere out of Europe, if you decide to leave, since he has much less influence there."
With that matter understood, the rest went very well. They filled all the blanks in the contract, using the full names of all involved. Then they filled the sum of one Knut as the penalty for the side who breaks the contract. With that completed, Sharpclaw explained about the blood quill that is used for such signing and handed one to Dave, who promptly signed, grimacing slightly at the pricking pain. Hermione also signed, grimacing just the same. Harry had to sign at several more places since he had both the roles of the betrothed and the head of the family.
Once they all signed, the contract glowed bluish, making two more copies appear while the original vanished. "The originals are saved in our vaults," Sharpclaw explained.
They were all surprised when the teens started glowing a second later. The golden glow quickly intensified and vanished in a flash of gold.
"What was that?" Dave blurted.
Sharpclaw, who also looked surprised, took a moment to regain his control and answer. "I believe that the signing of that contract completed their bond without first consummating it. If I understand it correctly, they only stayed betrothed for a few seconds, before Magic made them a married couple."
"How can we be sure?" Jean, who was recuperating faster than her husband, asked.
Sharpclaw had a ready answer for that. "We can have them take another blood test, or just have Lady Ravenclaw try to silently summon the Lady Potter ring. If she's really married, it will come to her finger within a few seconds."
Hermione didn't need more than that. She concentrated, making Harry smile at her cute expression. A moment later, another ring appeared on her finger. She looked at it incredulously, unable to comprehend the quick change.
Harry wasn't affected that much. "Will that protect us from Dumbledore?" he asked.
"Definitely. This bond is now fully recognized, making you a legal couple, at least in the magical world. Even if you decide to stay at Hogwarts, the Headmaster can only use the very limited influence that role gives him. He's no longer your guardian. He can not even legally stop you from going wherever and whenever you want, due to your Lordships. He can't even assign any punishment to you without having it debated in the Wizengamot first. Of course, he may still try to use some illegal means, but that will only show him as a criminal." Sharpclaw seemed glad to tell them all.
Jean sighed. "I'm still not sure if they should go back there. Disregarding other things, just as a headmaster, Dumbledore's actions and decisions make me wonder if he's still in his right mind. He allows bullies to flourish, not punishing them at all. He brings in unworthy teachers, like that ghost, the Death Eater and the possessed man. I'm sure there's much more that we aren't even aware of yet. Why should we trust our children to such a man?"
Harry was unsure about the rest, but he noticed that she was referring to him and Hermione as "our children". That alone made him feel very happy.
Dave seemed to finally reconnect with the present. "Well before we do anything else, I believe congratulations are in order. Harry, Hermione – you may still be very young, but the connection between you two is undeniable. Welcome to the family, son. Still, I expect you both to act according to your ages and not rush anything, despite your change of status."
Hermione smiled. "Don't worry, Dad. We're still not ready for more than we have now and we also know all that we need to be cautious whenever we become more physical. It will take another year or two, at least, I believe."
Dave grimaced at that, but opened his arms for a hug, engulfing the two children. Jean joined the hug a second later, mumbling her congratulations as well.
Sharpclaw cleared his throat several times until he got back their attention. They all sat down, looking a bit embarrassed by their behaviour.
"Congratulations, Lord and Lady Potter. I feel very honoured to have witnessed such an unprecedented event. Now, I believe I should inform you of some of the privileges you will have, regardless of which school you choose to continue your studies at." Sharpclaw waited for a moment for them all to calm down before he could talk some more.
"As a married couple, you will have your own lodging. I'm not sure what it comprises of, and even that may vary. At a minimum, you'll have your own bedroom and bathroom. Most places also give you a living room, making it into an apartment. Now, since you're a Lord and a Lady, independent of your marriage, you could have asked for private lodging according to your position. That only holds true in European schools, since the others don't recognize nobility titles." He waited a bit for the others to understand.
"Then, in the muggle world, your titles and your marriage are not recognized. There, you're expected to act as children your age, although close friends are quite alright. You'll need to have a muggle wedding in order to be recognized as a couple there too."
Dave chuckled. "That means two separate rooms on vacation, and make sure to use both beds each night."
Hermione shrugged. "It's the middle of the winter, Dad. We still have quite some time before the summer holidays."
He smiled. "Of course, dear."
–..–
"We thought of taking you to the New Year Ball of the Dentist Association. Many parents take along their adolescent children, and you seem mature enough to fit well if you like," Jean told them after they left the bank.
"I don't know how to dance," Harry said.
"You know how to hug Hermione and move slightly to the rhythm, don't you? That's good enough for now." Jean teased him.
"I'll show you at home. It's not difficult at all, especially in winter. When the women wear their summer footwear, one needs to be much more cautious, though," Dave told him.
Harry nodded his thanks.
They spent a few hours in London, doing some window shopping and visiting some of the more interesting shops, (and those near where the rain caught them,) buying only a few sets of elegant clothes, fitting for the holidays.
–..–
Back at the Granger home, Hermione officially moved to Harry's room. It didn't change much, as they had been sharing the bed since before going to school, but she felt proud of her new position.
Both couples took a nap in the afternoon, knowing that they would only be able to go to bed very late at night. They then got dressed. The children wore the clothes bought only a few hours earlier and looked quite dashing, in their opinions. The Grangers thought they looked really sweet, though.
"I expect you to properly kiss me at the stroke of midnight when the new year comes," Hermione told her husband.
He smirked. "Of course, dear. Isn't that one of the husband's duties? At least it's one I can already fulfil."
She frowned at him. "Don't be a jerk! It will all come in due time. We don't need to hurry. Besides, the way we sleep, we're bound to become extremely aware of our readiness whenever it will come."
He smiled. "Sure, dear. I was only teasing."
–..–
The Ball went well. They weren't the only children there and not the youngest either. Nobody needed to know they were anything more than good friends. Then, at midnight, everybody was busy kissing, not noticing these two children kissing much more intimately than expected at their age.
Harry realised that the slow dances were quite nice, as Dave had told him. He even managed not to step on Hermione's toes more than twice. Both considered it a success.
–..–
Albus didn't enjoy New Year's Eve. Normally, he would have spent it at the Ministry's New Year Ball, but the Minister annulled it this time. The official reason was, "We can't celebrate when so many families mourn their loved ones."
Albus suspected that the real reason was more mundane. He believed that most of the budget for these balls was "donated" by Malfoy. With Lucius dead, along with all the other marked Death Eaters, there was nobody to shoulder the expenses, and the original budget was too small for even a toast with all the ministry's employees. Of course, Fudge had already accumulated enough bribes to shoulder the expenses himself, but such a thought would never pass in his head.
Never mind! He wasn't in the mood to celebrate, either. He was still mourning Severus and feeling bad about all the deaths, although, deep in his heart, he knew they all deserved death, probably even much earlier. When he had allowed many to escape justice, it was mainly to not "rock the boat," as the saying goes. Now it was rocked even harder, and he couldn't take any credit for it. That damned Potter did it all, disregarding the Great Albus Dumbledore, making him totally irrelevant.
Could he salvage some of his reputation? It was not yet affected too badly, but he felt sure it was only temporary. With what was already found and what was sure to be found shortly, he did not doubt that many of his misdeeds would be exposed. Most no longer presented a danger to his life or his freedom. They could still badly tarnish his reputation. Some would never believe he was as bad, of course. Hagrid came to mind first, but there were quite a few more. Others wouldn't be as blind or as forgiving, though. Minerva would practically roast him, he felt sure, unless he managed to cast another compulsion on her, as he normally did, only she was lately becoming too suspicious. Could that be due to her friendship with Filius?
He sighed heavily. Currently, he was the only staff member at Hogwarts. Even that squib caretaker, Argus Filch, had gone to a New Year celebration, leaving him alone at school, with only a few fifth and seventh-year students who needed to catch up with their studies to be readier for the official tests at the end of next term. That was certainly not how he would have liked to enjoy the new year. He liked mingling with people, and most adored him, or respected him, at least. The Ministry's Ball was ideal for that, yet a far cry from the balls the Potters used to throw before Voldemort's rise. He was also younger then, of course, and even managed to entice some young men to spend the night with him. Some women had also shown interest, but he usually found some plausible excuse not to comply. A few times he didn't find such excuses and ended up spending the night with a woman, instead. It didn't turn too bad, but it was a far cry from how he felt with young men. Nowadays, neither men nor women were still interested, unfortunately.
At least he managed to persuade Slughorn to resume teaching. That was a small flicker of light in the darkness that seemed to engulf him.
It was too late to think. He would need to sleep on that and decide later, assuming he still had anything to decide on.
–..–
Harry learned that the Grangers usually dedicated the first day of the new year to the larger family reunion. He thought it should be something pleasant, considering how nice Hermione's parents were. He was wrong, as Hermione told him in advance.
"What can we tell the rest of the family?" Hermione asked worriedly before leaving home to meet the others at a posh restaurant.
"We can't tell them we're magically married, of course. They don't know of magic, do they?"
Hermione shook her head, letting Harry continue.
"In that case, we should just say that I'm a very close friend, maybe even your best friend. It's not a lie, although not the whole truth either," he suggested.
"You should know that most girls my age befriend no boys. This normally happens only a year or two later," she noted.
"And boys are even worse, so I heard. We can say we're more mature than our age. According to the books, it's even true, but we can't tell them why."
Hermione sighed. "It's quite frustrating to have to keep secret such an important part of who we are. I don't feel close to any of them, but they're still family, you know."
"Can you tell me a bit in advance?" Harry asked.
She sighed. "My Granger grandfather is a strict old man who seems to never even smile. No wonder his wife divorced him soon after Dad finished high school and moved to the States. She doesn't come to these reunions, of course."
Harry grimaced, unable to understand how a mother could willingly distance herself from her son.
Hermione seemed to understand him. "Oh, she keeps in touch with Dad. They exchange letters almost weekly, and she visits us about every two years, but she has built her life there and is no longer considering Britain her home."
Harry nodded understandingly.
"My other grandparents are slightly nicer, yet very snobbish. The fact that Mum works seems unacceptable to them, even though it is her choice and not a necessity since Dad can provide quite nicely even without her help. My aunt and cousins are just as insufferable."
They both dressed nicely, appropriate to their ages, before they all boarded the car and drove to the restaurant, where the family was meeting. Her grandparents were already there, when they arrived, and her aunt's family arrived a few minutes later.
Luckily, Harry and Hermione could stay together and support each other as needed. Their togetherness attracted a lot of attention, as expected.
"Why is he even here? He's not family!" her aunt exclaimed.
"He's my best friend and I wanted him to come," Hermione said calmly.
"But you're planning for more, aren't you?" her cousin Leah teased her.
Hermione tried to play it as if she was considering the idea. "Well, he's quite good-looking. I also know he's quite smart and he comes from a very nice family. I may just do as you suggest,"
Harry mock pouted at that and then held her hand even tighter.
He didn't enjoy that reunion even the slightest. Only Jean seemed to like spending some time with her birth family, not for too long, either. "They are really awful," he whispered to Hermione. "It's a wonder your parents and you turned out so well."
She smiled. "One can't choose one's family, you know, just like you couldn't."
They were still better than the Dursley, Harry thought, if only barely so.
–..–
As agreed, Gringotts released the information about the betrothal turned marriage in an official announcement that was published in the "Daily Prophet". Such announcements were never tampered by the editors. It was too risky to raise the ire of the goblins.
Gringotts is glad to announce the signing of a betrothal contract for Lord Harry James Potter and his good friend, Miss Hermione Granger. The contract was signed within Gringotts in the presence of two official witnesses. What happened next was unexpected. As soon as the contract was signed, duplicated and magically accepted, the betrothed started glowing and were soon engulfed in a bright haze that turned into a bright flash, making the two married. Lady Potter silently summoned her ring, proving the marriage valid. Gringotts congratulates the new couple and wishes both Lord and Lady Potter a long and happy life.
–..–
When the very young couple boarded the Hogwarts Express to return to school, both Potters felt even closer than before and more secure in their positions. They still felt unsure about what might happen when meeting the children of the now-deceased Death Eaters. Some might blame them for the death of their parents, no doubt, although there was no direct connection between the demise of the Death Eaters and Harry's deeds. Still, when have facts played a significant role in forming one's opinion?
Luckily, Neville joined them in the compartment, along with Susan Bones and Hannah Abbott. "We've known each other since early childhood, so we stayed close since," Neville told them apologetically.
"You don't need to apologize for befriending girls," Harry told him.
"I know. It's just… so uncommon at our age," Neville replied.
Harry chuckled. "I also befriended a girl, you know, and I only got to know her a few months ago."
Neville also chuckled. "That's certainly not normal, but it turned out quite alright, so it seems."
Both chuckled.
Neville then turned formal. "On behalf of House Longbottom, I hereby congratulate you, Lord and Lady Potter, for your marriage." His tone turned a bit teasing. "It's well known that Potters find their life mates early, but I think none of them found her as early as you."
Susan and Hannah also congratulated the couple. They were also quite eager to see Hermione's new ring.
The presence of the two girls served another purpose, although unplanned. When Ron came looking for Harry, he baulked at the sight of three girls in the compartment, leaving them alone. Both Potters felt thankful for that.