Chapter Text

~CHAPTER 1~
The Beginning

12 GRIMMAULD PLACE, 18TH MAY, 1999

“F or Godric’s sake, cease fire! Call it off!”

 “Harry, please understand–”

“No, I’m not going to let anyone sacrifice themselves on my account–”

“Potter! Assess this situation with tactical clarity–”

“WELL, THINKING TACTICALLY IS MAKING US LOSE THIS FUCKING WAR! I DON’T WANT ANYONE DYING FOR ME ANYMORE!” Harry yelled, causing the meeting room in Grimmauld Place to go silent. His chest rose heavily as he panted. 

Kingsley Shacklebolt looked at Harry with anger in his eyes. “This war is bigger than you, Potter. We’re all fighting for the Light, for the greater good of the wizarding world!”

“Well, you can take your greater good and shove it up your arse! We will storm Hogwarts in two days, and that’s final. Anyone who doesn’t agree, don’t go! It’s that fucking simple!” He went out of the door, making sure to slam it loudly on his way out.

He let out a sigh of frustration, going towards a familiar room to seek comfort. The war had been raging on even after Harry had tried to kill Voldemort at Hogwarts. The year was 1999, and the Battle of Hogwarts had officially crossed a year, while the war, four.

Harry reached the Black Tapestry room, and traced his fingers on the vines on the wall. So many names, so many people with so many different stories. Alphard, Walburga, Orion, Druella, Cygnus, Narcissa, Andromeda, Bellatrix, Regulus, Sirius, Draco… 

He reached for Sirius’ blackened image and rested his forehead on his picture. He then looked up at Regulus’ image, thinking of the way he hid the real horcrux, which Ron had destroyed, and the fake note he had placed. The way Regulus’ story never came out, the way he risked his life to kill Voldemort… 

“R.A.B. Regulus Arcturus Black,” His voice was soft as he looked at a mini version of Sirius, his grey eyes piercing Harry’s green ones. He shook his head and went out, going up to his sister’s room– perhaps she would be more rational about the situation.

Harry knocked on the door and pressed his ear to the wood. After casting homonum revelio , he realised the room was empty. Where could she be? 

The library, of course! His feet moved faster than his brain could comprehend. Within seconds, he reached the beautiful doors of the library.

Harry’s eyes looked at the open door in front of him, raising his hand to hesitantly knock it, but before he could even touch the wood, he heard voices inside the room. He instantly put up a shield and cast a disillusionment charm on himself as three figures approached the doors of the library.

“Malfoy, you really can’t expect us–”

“Oh, I absolutely do.” Harry could hear the all too familiar drawl of Draco Malfoy.

“Theodore!” Hermione Granger, his best friend and sister hissed. “Back me up here!”

She hadn’t attended the meeting– Kingsley had to put her on house arrest himself due to the damage her ‘inventions’ (bombs, modified guns and spells) were causing to the other side. Nonetheless, she was still operating in secret, having teamed up with Nott and Malfoy, who were there to ensure she was not doing anything wrong. Ironic, huh?

“Sorry, I side with him.” Theodore Nott shrugged as Hermione performed a spell to apply wards on the room, and closed the very door Harry was about to knock on. The three of them slipped outside as they took short strides in the corridor.

“Hermione,” He saw Draco murmur and go up to his best friend, who had stopped on the way and was vacantly standing in front a window, placing both hands on her shoulders from behind her. The blonde was moving his hands up and down her arms and gave her a kiss on the neck, to which she gave an imperceptible flinch to. “Aww, don’t be that way, love.”

“Don’t call me that,” She snapped and turned her head to the curly haired boy, “Theodore, I believe he has to go back home to his wife ?”

“I’m already home with my life,” He whispered into her ear, causing her to go red. “Isn’t that enough?”

“Ask yourself that.” She shook herself off of his grip.

Nott chuckled as he took out a cigarette from his pocket and lit it with a snap of his fingers. “Damn right. How is Astoria, by the way?”

Malfoy shot him a glare. “I wouldn’t know, you can go ask her yourself. Granger, she’s my wife by name. We’re not even married. You know that you’re the only one I want.”

“But do I really know?”

“What?”

“Do I really know that I'm the only one you want?” She repeated her sentence with a scoff, “I found out about the seven girls in Edinburgh." She remarked coldly.

Malfoy seemed very calm for someone who knew they were probably going to get hexed. “Oh? And what exactly is it that you found out about them?”

Hermione’s face visibly hardened and she turned around to face the blonde prat in front of her, while Nott sat on a chair and watched the show with a grin on his face, legs stretched out and arms folded behind his head.

Her hair whirled along with her head, making sure to hit Malfoy on the face as she took a step towards him. “I think you know exactly what I mean.”

“And what is that?”

“That you’re a cowardly cheater.”

It was as if the playful mood got sucked out by a dementor. Nott straightened as his smile dropped and looked at the pair with an apprehensive look on his face as he took a deep drag.

“Easy for you to say, Miss Perfect. You think I don’t know about your muggle bars? How you have petty one nightstands?” He twirled a strand of hair between his fingers with a gleam in his eyes. 

“It’s not cheating for me since you’re the one who’s practically married. I’m not even in a relationship right now!”

Malfoy didn’t recoil back, rather, he took a step forward. He grabbed the nape of her neck and pulled her head towards him and he murmured something into her ear, and then tilted her head upwards. 

“I’ll break the contract with Astoria. I’ll stop all of it. But only one condition, and you know exactly what that is.”

“ Black in blood and Black in name . Never heard a truer statement.” She scoffed as she shook her head.

Malfoy gave her a cruel smile. “I’m giving you an option here, Granger. Come to the winning side. Not the Order, not the Death Eaters. My side . Such a pretty brain like yours must already know that I’m the only one who can control the outcome of this war. A few words here and there, and I get both sides killed in minutes . The choice is yours, should you stand beside me. Use me to perform your stupid ritual for all I care, but you’re sticking with me.”

Hermione let out a sharp laugh. “If you even think I’ll help you, you’re clearly more delusional than I thought. My allegiance is not with the Order, it’s with Harry. Right now, all I care about is breaking this marriage , one way or the other. Wait, I can’t even call this a marriage! It’s a fucking contract. So either you help me or I’m walking out of this room right here, and right now.”

‘Marriage?! What the fuck?’ Harry thought as his eyes widened, taking in the exchange.

“Go ahead.” Draco’s eyes glinted.

“With pleasure.” She turned around and walked out of the door, not looking back. Harry desperately wanted to follow her, but was too interested in the conversation between Nott and Malfoy.

“Draco, why do you have to do this?” Nott sighed.

Harry flinched as he felt the wards simmer through, indicating a person, which was probably Hermione, apparate out of. He could feel her anger all the way from the room. Perhaps it was only him?

“ I haven’t done anything. We have one common goal and only one way to do it, which we’ve both agreed to but she wants to stall this out. I’m going to kill her, I swear.”

“Draco, it will sever the b–”

“ Nothing will happen to it. Believe me, she’s tried.” He rubbed his jaw. Theo shook his head.

“You can’t break the contract. Those clauses you made have zero loopholes. Apparently, you two function more efficiently when you’re drunk out of your arses!” He snarled. “Fix this. Or I will.”

“Teddy–”

“The seven girls and Astoria are just rumours, right? You wouldn’t actually–”

“Merlin, of course not. I’m not like them .” He snatched Nott's cigarette and took a drag out of it. “She hasn’t done anything either. Just some silly rumours she’s spread to make me jealous.”

“Draco, he never– see, that was only my father. Yours didn’t–” Nott snatched the cigarette back.

“It doesn't matter, leave it. Besides, she knows they’re not true. How’re Blaise and Daph?”

Theo leaned his head against the wall as he took a deep drag and exhaled, his blue eyes tracing the white furls of smoke. “They’re doing well.”

“Are they still together?”

At that, Theo’s head snapped up. “When did they get together?”

“Three months ago? Astoria told me they broke up, and Daph’s with you…”

“What?!”

At that Harry had decided he heard enough and quietly went downstairs. 

He ran through the corridors and rushed downstairs to the kitchen, where he saw Hermione humming happily with a small smile on her face as she made a cup of tea. 

Harry frowned. What the hell is going on?!

“Hermione!”

“Hey, Harry. Do you want me to make a cup for you?”

“Don’t mind if I do,” He snatched her cup out of her hands and licked the rim of the mug, marking his territory while she grimaced at his childishness. “Where’s Ron?”

At that, Hermione rolled her eyes with a huff. “Where do you think?”

Ron had become impeccably mature after the Hogwarts Battle of '98, and had severely apologised, trying to make it up to the duo for leaving them while horcrux hunting, to which they had reassured him that he was forgiven. He had saved his ex, Lavender, from getting mauled by Greyback, and they had stuck together, having gotten closer ever since. 

Hermione and Ron’s kiss in the Chamber of Secrets caused any tension and feelings between them to disappear- it was something they laughed about now. 

Two months ago, Ron and Lavender had a small and sweet wedding ceremony, and spent almost every day together. At first, it was tolerable since they were newlyweds. But then, it turned into every. Single. Day. They could rarely talk to Ron about anything going on. And if they even had time, it was all used up during Order meetings, in which they couldn’t even talk in private about their own matters.

Harry sucked his teeth. “Right. So, Hermione..”

“Yes, Harry?” She mocked his tone with a teasing smile. Harry felt something in his chest, it had been so long since he had seen Hermione this happy, contrary to what he had seen upstairs. He frowned. 

Was this even Hermione? You could never be too careful… Hadn’t she just apparated out? He hadn’t felt her coming back through the wards…

“Uh, do you remember our kiss?” It was a long shot, but he had to know.

“No, Harry. Why?” Harry heard the alarms in his head ringing, and before he could think of anything, his wand was in his hand, and he shot a spell. 

“ INCARCEROUS! ” Harry felt an unexplainable rage inside of him. “MALFOY, NOTT! GET DOWN HERE RIGHT NOW!”

Five seconds later the duo approached, wand in hand. 

“What?!” Malfoy snapped, sneer plastered on his face.

Harry pointed his wand to Hermione. “This isn’t Hermione. Hermione was just upstairs with you two, and I just felt her apparate out the wards.” He added when he saw the pair subtly glancing at each other. “Who is this?”

“ Rennervate! ” Theo whispered. “ Revelare ign! ”

Harry’s eyes bulged out. “What the fuck are you doing?”

“Shut up, Potter.”

It was actually quite like magic. The fire caused Hermione’s hair and face to melt away, showing another face, burning the ropes away. Gone were the unruly brown curls, replaced with a shiny and slick jet black bob. He bent down to see a face he hadn’t seen in a long time. 

“Parkinson,” he breathed out.

“Yes. Pansy and Hermione have been switching places so she can gather information for you, while Blaise, Draco and I feed fake information to Mr. Crusty Feet. How do you think you’ve been alive for so long?” Theo taunted.

Pansy was already up on her feet, dusting her pants with her hands. “Theodore!”

Draco looked down at his wrist. “I must be off. Duty calls.” He winked at Pansy and Theo, giving them a knowing smirk. “Oh, and Teddy, remember that they always come back.”

Theo rolled his eyes. “Whatever. Now let's go!” 

Malfoy went out the front gate to walk to the apparition point. “I’ll see your boring arses later, then.”

“GIVE MY LOVE TO NARCISSA!” Pansy yelled as Theo ran out behind Draco.

“Oh, please. We all know I’m her favourite.” Pansy pulled out.. A flip phone?

“You have a phone?”

She gave him a weird look. “Looks like being with the Weasel has really dumbed you down, Potter. This is how we contact each other without anyone finding out.”

Harry turned red. “Ginny is a hundred times smarter than you!”

“Not the Weasel I was talking about.”

“So ty– wait what?”

Pansy cocked an eyebrow. “So you think your girlfriend’s dumb?”

“No– I– what?” Harry stuttered, stuck.

“Uh– I– Shut up!” She mocked him and took a knife out of a drawer and pointed it to him. “You’re such a little shite, Potter! Merlin knows how you men– oh, I’m sorry– boys , are so oblivious!”

“But–”

She walked up to him and placed it under his chin. “You better win this war, Potter, or I swear on Salazar that I’ll kill you before the Dark Lord does.”

He looked down at her with a sigh. “Alright, Pansy. Now can I go to Ginny?”

“Yeah. You can go fuck yourself, Chosen One .” Harry was rendered speechless. The conversation he had with Pansy was extremely confusing yet frustrating at the sane time. 

People were weird.

A few hours later, Harry sat at the kitchen table, once again, wondering where everything went wrong. Was it the moment he was born? Or the moment Dumbledore switched Secret Keepers? Or was it when his parents were killed? He decided that he should’ve died in that house along with his parents on Halloween ‘81.

Footsteps came near the door which made him lift his head. He saw his best friend, rather his sister, of eight years sink into the chair across him, looking apprehensive.

“Hi, Harry,” She greeted carefully.

“Hey, Hermione. This is you, right?”

She scoffed. “Don’t be ridiculous, of course it’s me!”

“You wouldn't mind me testing you, right?” Harry levelled her with a gaze that made her squirm in her chair uncomfortably.

"Of course not, Harry. Ask away," She jerked her head in a nod, gesturing him to continue.

He took a deep breath. "Do you remember our kiss?"

Hermione stood up and grabbed a knife, pointing it towards his lower torso. "Harry James Potter, if you mention that drunken incident one more time, I will ensure you are castrated right here and right now."

Harry grimaced. "Yeah, you passed. Drop the knife and take a seat."

"Alright," she grumbled as she kept the knife back and sat down.

“So, now will you give me some answers?”

She nodded. “Sure, ask away.”

“How are you roped into a contracted marriage with Malfoy?” He asked, calmly.

Hermione did not look surprised, rather let out a deep sigh as she slouched on her chair. “Oh, Merlin. Where do I even start?”

“From the beginning, perhaps?”

“Alright. So, one day Malfoy and I had started competing with each other. During school, it was about marks and on the battlefield it was about who got the most kills, most injuries, fastest timing, that sort of thing. One time, on the day of the Avery Manor raid, we had tied twelve-twelve, and thought we should celebrate it. I mean, it was our very first tie!

"That caused us to drink too much, each of us too focused to outdrink the other to even realise how drunk we were getting. I vaguely remember myself calling him a shitty kisser, and well, one thing escalated to another.. Apparently, we had sealed this bond as we  drank each other’s blood…? Not in that way, of course.. We were already bleeding and didn’t heal our injuries,” she quickly added to his surprised and repulsed look.

“My memory’s a bit hazy… But, we even drafted this document. Or contract, whatever you want to call it. We both signed it and dropped our blood into it and he made me wear his signet ring, to which I have glamoured since I’ve not been able to get it off of me! He’s refusing to take it off and he has the gall to tell me to accept this marriage and use his blood for the ritual, which I instantly said no to. I can’t believe the audacity of that man!” She turned red as she ranted about him, standing up as she muttered some curses at him.

Harry gave her a look of disbelief. 

“So let me get this straight. You got married to him because you wanted to prove you’re better than him?” He took off his glasses and pinched the bridge of his nose as he rested his elbows on the table.

“Oh, Harry.” She tsked and leaned forward as she patted his shoulder and tilted her head, giving him a cold smile. 

“I already did. I fucking won and he knows it, since the only way he can win is if he kills me. Which, by the way, will never happen.” She got up, her skinny jeans hugging her legs as she strutted across the room, whipping her hair back.

“What?! Hermione, why’s he gotta kill you?” Harry asked with a panicked tone.

Hermione turned back and grinned as she leaned on the door frame with a beer bottle in her hand. “The bond cannot be severed, even by death. Our souls have been intertwined with each other since the very creation of magic itself, it goes that far. We choose each other in each lifetime and are expected to in this one, too.” At that, she scoffed, taking a swig of the drink. “While the bond cannot be severed, the marriage can. Only by separation of our magical cores, which is nasty stuff and too messy, or by killing each other. 

“I’m convinced he’s just using me, actually I am sure since he said it to me right to my face. It’s not like I’m not using him too, so it’s just a matter of surviving as long as you’re useful. And he doesn’t think I’m useful if I don’t join him.”

“You should join him.”

“What, why?” She immediately straightened up.

Harry let out a sigh. “Hermione, I’m with Malfoy. The Order is absolutely useless at this point, and he’s the only person after Snape, may his soul rest in peace, who can actually help us. I don’t know whether you have any other option. It’s clear you have some sort of affection for him, and you Parkinson using polyjuice to transfer information is not going to help us for much longer–”

“You know about that?"

He ignored her and carried on. “So, you should join forces with him. The two of you and Nott working together could actually help us. But , Malfoy could also be triple-crossing us, so just be careful, yeah?”

Hermione had a thoughtful look on her face. “Yeah, alright, I’ll be careful. This marriage wouldn’t be such a bad thing. Anyways, you’re right, as much of a bastard he is, we should settle our differences–”

“Woah, woah, woah! Wait a second, let me just soak this in. Hermione Granger just told me that I, Harry Potter, was right. This goes in the books, Granger! Oh wow, is this how it feels like to be you?”

She shot him a smug look and took a swig of her beer. “‘Dunno, I always feel this way.”