The Marriage Decree

Chapter 34: That's a lot of Children!

Even though there's no one else in the lift with them on the way down to the Department of Registrations, Draco and Hermione stand close together. The lift comes to a stop at sub-level 12, a couple of floor before the one they need. Two witches enter, who are so engrossed in their conversation that they don't even notice them stood at the back until the lift stops at sub-level 19.

"Excuse us." Draco snaps when they don't move, announcing their presence as he pushes past the two witches, pulling Hermione gently by the hand, out of the lift.

The two women gasp, jumping aside to let them both past.

"Thank you." Hermione smiles at them.

He can hear them muttering to each other as the doors close, taking them up to their floor. They stop to look down the long corridor in front of them.

"Do you know which door is for registrations?" Hermione asks him but he shakes his head.

"There should be signs on the doors." He mentions as they set off walking past the Department of Transport, the Department of Noise Pollution and the Department of Charities.

The next door the come to reads 'The Department of Registrations'.

Draco's about to open the door when Hermione pulls on his hand, stopping him in his tracks.

"This is it." She states, taking a deep breath.

"This is it." He confirms with a nod. "Are you ready?" He asks, starting to feel nervous for her.

She closes her eyes, takes one last deep breath to compose herself, and then opens her eyes again, looking determined.

"Let's go." She walks past him, opening the door wide before entering, leaving Draco to quickly follow behind her.

The room is a lot different than what he expected. At the far end of the room is a large desk with what must be hundreds of pieces of parchment and files scattered across the top. He assumes the desk belongs to Mr Vyner, the Head of the department. Facing his desk are four smaller desks with even more scattered piece of parchment and four people sat working at them, trying to organise the parchment.

A man sat at the desk closest to the door glances up, over the edge of his glasses, at them. Upon recognising them, he jumps up, chair scraping against the wooden floors, bringing everybody else in the room's attention to them.

"Mr and Mrs Malfoy!" The man gasps in shock before scampering around the edge of his desk to greet them. "The name's James Stuart. What can I help you with?" He asks, seemingly pleased to be the first person to help them.

"Ms Granger." She quickly corrects. "We wish to speak with Mr Vyner." Hermione answers with a polite smile as Draco continues to glance around the room.

A woman sat at the desk next to James' is staring at him nervously clutching at a handful of parchment. He offers her a comforting smile but her eyes just widen in shock as she flinches.

"You all look very busy." He states, trying to make conversation but the woman just nods.

"Yeah, since the partner ceremony we've been busy sorting out all the marriage certificates and then updating the archives. That's actually where Mr Vyner is right now. As Head of the department, he deals with some of the more... high profile families in the wizarding world. I'm afraid you'll have to wait for his return. Would you like something to drink?" James offers but they both decline.

"No thank you, Mr Stuart. We'll come back in an hour and hopefully, he'll be back." Draco tells him.

"Oh, okay. I'll let Alexander know you were here." He tells them as they leave.