To a Better End

Chapter 45

February 20th 1977

"Marriage?!" Hermione exclaimed.

Regulus was stifling his laughter next to her while Draco held the same face of shock she did. His eyes were glued to the paper while Hermione glanced from Orion to Abraxas. Where Orion held a composed serious expression, Abraxas had a bright smile.

"Kai is a suitable wizard. He works as a potion apprentice and is well on his way to being a potions master," Orion reasoned.

"Why me?" She glanced over at Draco giving him an apologetic look. It's not like she was opposed to him, she just- Wait, what?

"Given his lineage," Orion said with a sneer, "He needs a witch of high standing."

Hermione scoffed. "So you chose the one that works in a little bookshop?"

"Mina," Walburga intercepted, "You realise that you don't have to work? You have access to our vaults."

Hermione stilled. That was a large gesture, and she might let herself explore that more later, but there were more pressing matters at hand.

"Walburga, that's beside the point. You can't just take away my choice."

The older witch shook her head. "The same was done for me, Mina. And if your father wasn't so set on disobedience, he would have had the same done for him." Under her breath, she heard Walburga mutter, "Then, maybe he would still be alive."

"I don't even know him," she lied, gesturing at Draco.

Abraxas scoffed but quickly composed himself. "You have most of the year to remedy that," he quipped.

Hermione and Draco met eyes. She looked at him expectantly, hoping he would protest as well, but he merely shrugged.

Bastard.

*****

February 21st 1977

After they came home from dinner, they silently walked into the bedroom and went to sleep, neither saying a single word to each other or Theo. Hermione clung to her side of the bed and barely had a wink of sleep.

The morning after was nothing short of tense and awkward. Observing them from the couch as Draco and Hermione huffed around the house, Theo sat comfortably with one of Hermione's night books and a cup of tea.

"Anyone going to fill me in on last night's dinner?" He eyed them from behind the book he was holding with one hand.

Draco and Hermione stopped in their steps and stared at each other. Draco was in the middle of buttoning his shirt, and Hermione was in the process of putting half of her black curls up. Hermione looked over at Theo and then back at Draco.

Letting out a huff, she turned back to the bedroom saying, "Draco can explain. It was his grandfather that was involved in it."

Hermione didn't even wait to hear Draco's retelling of the horrid event. She went into the bedroom to find her coat so she could leave for work and escape. Theo's bellowing laughter had her jumping so high she could have touched the ceiling.

"Congrats, Goldy!" he yelled from the other room.

Hermione stormed out of the bedroom and to the front door. Theo was still wheezing when she looked over her shoulder and muttered, "Fuck off."

She ignored Draco calling after her as she stepped past the wards and left in a swirl of apparation. She wasn't ready to approach this topic and she wasn't even sure if there was a way to solve it. They couldn't leave until 1979 at the earliest.