the marriage stone (Discontinued)

Chapter 52 - Valentine

Draco Malfoy and Charlie Weasley were married on Valentine's Day. At the request of the Malfoys the ceremony was small and largely unpublicized, attended only by the immediate family. Albus arranged for the gathering to be held in the Room of Requirement that evening, with a private family dinner to follow, courtesy of the Hogwarts House Elves. The room itself looked like a spring-time garden - a pleasant change to the winter snow still on the ground outside the castle.

Albus, Severus and Harry along with the nine Weasleys were already waiting in the room when the Malfoys arrived. Lucius and Narcissa entered side by side, both elegantly dressed in formal robes that probably cost more than Arthur made in a year. The string of diamonds around Narcissa's neck could have purchased the Burrow and everything in it ten times over. But wealth aside, both looked unhappy. Narcissa, while beautiful and nearly unchanged since her own school days, had a pinched, arrogant sneer on her face that stood in stark contrast to the rosy-cheeked grin on Molly's face. Draco, trailing behind his parents in equally fine robes of Slytherin green, was nearly expressionless, only the sparkle in his eyes giving any indication that he was pleased to be there.

While the two elder Malfoys were obviously unhappy about the event, the Weasleys were all in good spirits. Though it was evident that Charlie's choice in mates had surprised them, the idea of a marriage and a new member of the family was clearly a joyful one for them. Molly actually shocked a rather baffled Draco when she gave the boy a warm hug, and then proceeded to straighten out his hair and robes that she'd ruffled. It was obvious from the look of utter shock on Draco's face that he had no idea how to deal with such behavior - a fact that made both Ron and Harry snicker in amusement. Again in contrast to the greeting Draco got from his new family, Charlie rated no more than a sneer from Narcissa.

Lucius paused beside Severus while Draco attempted to introduce his mother to the rest of the Weasley clan. "I thought this was to be immediate family only," Lucius remarked, glancing briefly at Harry who stood beside Ron.

Severus merely shrugged, having no intention of apologizing for his presence. Truthfully, neither he nor Albus trusted the Malfoys alone with the Weasleys. "They consider Harry a member of the immediate family."

Severus noted the odd look of speculation that flickered through Lucius' eyes at that. The idea that he was joining the Malfoy family to the Weasleys was probably unbearable - but Severus suspected that the pain was mitigated somewhat by the idea that Harry Potter was considered a member of the immediate family. No doubt Lucius would twist this to his advantage, hinting to the public that he had been more interested in the union with the Potter-Snapes than the Weasleys.

After the initial greeting Lucius insisted on seeing the wedding contract. Dumbledore had done a masterful job on the contract, and before the official ceremony could begin Lucius made a point of going over each line of the document. He argued some points, tried to change things to his advantage time and time again, but there was little room for compromise in the Cedo documentation. Still there were some minor points that were at the discretion of the two parties, and Charlie indicated that he was willing to discuss those openly.

Curious about what Lucius might try, Severus watched the negotiation closely. He knew that Charlie Weasley did not have a background in Wizarding Law. And while Arthur worked in Law Enforcement, legal contracts were not his area of specialty; young Percy who stood eagerly by likely had a more deep understanding than the rest of his family. Were it not for Dumbledore watching the procedure, Severus might have worried that Charlie would get himself in trouble entering any sort of negotiation with Lucius. But it became apparent very quickly on that Charlie had been coached in what to say. He seemed to know before hand every point Lucius would bring up, and had a counter to each suggestion - a flat out refusal of some points and a compromise for others that would not truly relinquish any power.