The Missing Link

Betrothed

"So let me get this straight," Hermione said after everything had been explained to her. "Grandad was friends with a royal. Not only that, he promised his first granddaughter to the first grandson of a Royal."

"Yes," her parents said in unison.

"What if I say no?" Hermione asked, fiddling with the bracelet Drake gave them when they were younger—it was something she did when she was nervous.

"Your Majesty," his father began, but Mrs. Granger elbowed his side. "Hermione, this promise is important. You know how hard it's been lately. We don't have a lot of patients at the clinic anymore. We barely get by. Your becoming a princess could save us all."

"I'll stop going to Hogwarts then," Hermione said. "I've received enough money for being a war heroine. We could convert it to Pounds."

"Your schooling has a different fund," her father said.

"What do you mean?"

"Your grandfather saved all his money up for you," her mother said. "He wanted you to go to Hogwarts."

Hermione paled. "Why does he know about Hogwarts?"

Her parents looked at each other. "Hermione," her mother began, putting both her hands in hers. "Grandad's a wizard."

___________________________________________________________

"Do you know who I'm marrying?" Draco asked his grandmother while his mother was at the Headmistress's office.

From her bag, the Queen Mother pulled out a miniature album. She tapped her wand on it and it blew up to normal size. Draco began flipping through the album. It was a scrapbook of his Grandfather Cygnus and Roger Walters.

"Roger and your grandfather created that when they were still in Hogwarts," his grandmother explained. "He continued to send us photos of their family. Before he died, he was able to send one last picture. His granddaughter was eleven, and he gave us his picture of her. He was unable to tell her that he was a wizard. I hear she is a Gryffindor."

Draco made it to the last page of the scrapbook.

His eyes flew wide open at the sight of the girl he was marrying.

"Her?"

___________________________________________________________

"What?" Hermione sighed. "Grandad—he used to go to Hogwarts? So this—this royal I'm marrying is a royal of the wizarding world?"

"Yes."

"No! No! Absolutely not!" Hermione said indignantly. She refused to admit to her parents her dread of marrying Draco Malfoy. "H-how can we marry? We're still in school! A-and he's a pureblood and I'm a muggleborn! It simply isn't done! He wouldn't even touch me with a ten-foot pole!"

"Dear, you're being sarcastic," her father said.

"No I'm not!" Hermione was now taking deep breaths. She was on the verge of a panic attack. "He's in my class! And he's a Slytherin! And he's been bringing me over the edge for seven years! He has a girlfriend!"

Hermione put her face in her hands, trying her best to calm down. She wanted to help her parents, she really did. But marry Draco Malfoy?

"We'll give you time to think," her father said, kissing the top of her head.

It was not an easy decision.

___________________________________________________________

Pansy passed by the entry to their common room to see several students trying their best to listen in.

"He's to be married in a month!" the Ravenclaw said excitedly.

"I bet it's some princess from another wizarding royal family!" the Hufflepuff said. "Lucky bitch."

"Oh, please, it's someone from here," the Ravenclaw contradicted.

"Could there be another English wizarding royal family?" the other Hufflepuff asked.

Pansy shook her head and left the girls to their speculations.

Later, when the majesties left, she entered his room to confront him about what he heard from the snooping students earlier.

"Hey," she greeted, sitting down on his bed.

Draco looked at her to acknowledge her presence, then went back to his homework. "What, no curtsy this time?" He joked.

"I don't need to boost your ego, it's already blown up as it is," Pansy said. "Word in the castle is that you're getting married."

Draco's smile faded from his face. "Why yes. Yes I am."

"Draco," Pansy said. "You know what I feel about your proposal. My answer hasn't changed."

"I'm not getting married to you," Draco grumbled. "Apparently nothing's stopping me from getting married. Not even when the only one I want to marry says no. My grandfather betrothed me before I was even born."

"What?" Pansy said, her eyes wide. "To whom?"

"Hermione Granger."

Pansy was dumbstruck. She stood up and started to leave.

"I only agreed because they allowed us to get a divorce," Draco said, gripping her wrist. Pansy didn't resist. "We can still be together like we promised when we were kids. You'll always be my Minnie."

She looked at him as slowly tears began to fall on her cheeks. Draco stood up and wrapped his arms around her in a protective hug. He then kissed the top of her head.

Pansy smiled through her tears as the feeling of guilt settled itself in the bottom of her stomach.