That evening, Hermione and Harry sat down with Ron, explaining that they had been matched with one another and planned to register with the Ministry the following morning. Hermione twiddling with her thumbs as she bit her bottom lip, while Harry hunched over, his hands threaded together just waiting for his best mate to explode. Harry knew Ron had fancied Hermione for quite some time during the six years at Hogwarts, hell he and Hermione dated for a brief period once the war ended until they decide they were better off as friends before the month was over.
Harry's foot bounced up and down, awaiting to hear how much of a fucking backstabber he was by marrying the girl he had loved many years ago. But instead, Ron looked at his two best friends, grinning from ear to ear. "I had a hunch the ministry paired the two of you together, seeing as neither of you spoke of the third person you were matched with." Ron told them, causing the two of his friends to let out a deep breath.
"You mean you're not angry?" Hermione asked, shock etched on her face. If they would have told Ron two years ago that they were planning on getting married, steam would have erupted from his ears.
"Why would I be angry? This marriage law is making all of us do shit we don't want to do. Honestly, I couldn't think of a better man to marry my ex-girlfriend, let alone father her children." Ron winked at his two best friends. He went on to explain that he had owled Luna earlier that day on his lunch break, asking her to dinner the following evening to discuss a possible marriage between the two. She returned his owl a couple hours later, agreeing to meet with him.
Harry had made the mistake of asking how Molly and Arthur took the news of Ginny's engagement to Draco Malfoy, when Ron quickly jumped up off the chair, aparating away to where they could only assume was The Burrow.
Hermione smacked the back of his head, before placing a kiss on his cheek and heading off to her room, turning in for the night since they had an early morning ahead of them.
Morning came quickly, as Harry and Hermione stood outside the red-brick two story home her parents had bought once they moved back from Australia two years prior. Harry couldn't help but feel rather anxious to meet his future in-laws, give the fact he had hardly spoken to her parents except for on two separate occasions, once when he was twelve and then again at the age of sixteen. He could feel a lump forming at the base of his throat, his pulse quickening as he pictured the look on her father's face when they told them of their engagement.
"Relax, Harry." Hermione told him, linking their fingers together as she gently squeezed his hand, reassuring him that everything was going to be okay. She lightly knocked on the door three times, waiting patiently for one of her parents to open the door. Less than two minutes later, they heard the door unlock followed by a petite, older woman, in her early fifties smiling broadly. Harry couldn't help but gawk at the resemblance Hermione and her mother shared. Her curly brown hair was streaked with a small bit of grey, fell to the middle of her shoulders. Her brown eyes were a bit lighter than Hermione's, yet they were just as kind.
"Hermione!" Karen shrieked with joy at the sight of her daughter. She stepped out of the threshold, pulling her only daughter into a warm embrace. "What are you doing here this early? Your father and I weren't expecting to see you until next weekend!"
"Well I had the day off and I figured I'd come by and say hello." Hermione replied, smiling at her mother. Karen eyed her daughter curiously, a gut feeling telling her there was something more than what her daughter was telling.
"Well come in, come in." Karen said, ushering the two young adults inside. "Darling, Hermione is here! She brought a strapping young lad with her as well!"
Harry nearly blushed at the comment Karen Granger made, averting his gaze from her as he looked around the first floor of their home, taking in the beautiful scenery before him. The family room was decorated beautifully. The walls were painted white with various pictures, encasing the many memories of Hermione's childhood. Crème colored sofa and loveseat sat across from one another, with a brown, rectangular coffee table centered in the middle as toffee brown carpet rested on the floor.
The sound of footsteps descending the staircase broke Harry of his gaze, turning his attention to the elder man before him.
"Pumpkin!" her father exclaimed excitedly as he pulled his daughter into a hug.
"Hello, Daddy." Hermione responded, placing a kiss on her father's cheek.
"And who might this young man be, dear?" Roger Granger asked, nodding to the young man who stood quietly behind his daughter.
"Mum, Daddy this is Harry. My best friend from Hogwarts." Hermione explained to them as she grabbed Harry's arm gently, pulling him closer to her parents.
"It's a pleasure to meet you both." Harry told them with a smile, holding out his hand.
"So, you're the Harry that Hermione raved on about each summer she returned home." Karen said, winking in her daughter's direction.
"Mum!" Hermione exclaimed embarrassed that her mother would say that in front of Harry.
"What?" Karen asked innocently. She turned back to Harry, ignoring his hand as she pulled him into a hug, taking Harry by surprise.
"Welcome to our home, Harry. I'm Karen, and this is my husband Roger. He's more of a hand shaker than I am."
Harry eyed the older man, unsure what to feel now as Roger stared at him intently, his grey eyes burning deep into Harry's soul.
Roger stuck out his hand to Harry, who shook it in return. "Nice to meet you Harry. We've heard so much about you."
"All good things I hope." Harry laughed nervously. "Hermione has told me wonderful things about the two of you." Roger continued to stare at him, as if he was trying to decide whether to kick him out of his house or invite him in for tea. Karen could sense there was a bit of tension filling the air between her husband and Harry. She rolled her eyes at her husband, wishing he would stop gawking at Harry as if he was here to tell him he was taking Hermione away and never returning.
"Roger, why don't you and Harry sit down in the living room while Hermione and I collect tea and scones from the kitchen."
"Is that alright with you, Harry?" Hermione asked him, sensing that he was a bit nervous of being left alone with her father, who could be a bit intimidating.
"Yeah, sure." Harry told her.
"Right, this way Harry." Roger told him before taking a seat on the loveseat across from Harry.
Meanwhile, Karen was pulling the tea off the stove as her daughter placed an array of scones on a china plate.
"Harry sure is handsome, isn't he?" Karen noted, a smiling forming on the corner of her mouth.
"Mum!" Hermione scoffed playfully, her cheeks blushing profusely.
"What? Oh, come on Hermione Jean. I may be fifty-one but I'm not blind and senile. He's a good-looking man."
"He is rather dashing, isn't he?" Hermione sighed, a small smile forming in the corner of his mouth.
"Very. Have you told him how much you love him yet?"
"Mother! This not the time nor place for this conversation."
"Why not? Sweetheart, this is me you're talking to, not your father. I've known how you've felt about that young man in there ever since you were fourteen years old. A mother knows these things. You can't tell me I'm wrong, can you?" Karen asked her, coming to her daughter's side. Hermione turned to look at her mother, her face telling her everything her mother already confirmed.
"Just like I also know there is something else you've come to tell me and your father, don't you dare try to tell me otherwise." Karen told her, holding her hand in front of her daughter who was about to protest.
"You're infuriating you know that?"
"It's part of motherhood." Karen shrugged before placing a gentle hand on her daughter's shoulder. "Is everything alright, sweetheart?"
"Everything is fine, Mum. But yes, there is something I've come to discuss with you and daddy."
"I thought as much. Why don't the two of us hurry along and get back in there. I'm worried that your father might make that poor boy run for the hills." Karen and Hermione walked into the family room, surprised that Roger seemed more relaxed as he and Harry were talking about sports.
"So, you played as a seeker, right? I believe Hermione told us your job was to chase after a tiny, golden ball with wings?" Roger asked Harry, trying to recall the word his daughter had used to call the ball.
"Yes, sir. It was my job to search for the Golden Snitch and catch it before the other team's seeker, ending the game and earning one hundred and fifty points for my house."
"That's right, the Golden Snitch!"
"What in heaven's name are the two of you chattering on about here?" Karen asked her husband as she and her daughter placed the tea and scones on the coffee table.
"Quibbige. I asked the lad if he ever played sports and he was telling me about the time he played for his house's team while they were at Hogwarts."
"It's called Quidditch, Daddy." Hermione corrected as she took a seat next to Harry, pouring herself a cup of tea.
"Right, right. Quidditch sorry. Maybe one day, you and I can go to a game so I can properly see this game for myself." Roger stated, surprising both his daughter and wife, neither of them expecting for him to taking a liking to Harry so quickly.
"I'd like that, Sir." Harry responded, nodding his head as he picked up a scone.
"So, Roger, Hermione was just telling me in the kitchen that she has some news for us." Karen stated to her husband, who looked at his wife curiously before looking at his daughter.
"Is everything alright, pumpkin?"
"Yes, Daddy. Everything is fine." Hermione told her father, taking a deep breath as she found the courage to discuss what she came to tell them. "You see, two days ago the Minister for Magic, he's like our Prime Minister, enacted a marriage law that affects everyone nineteen and up."
"A marriage law?" Karen gasped, coming to an understanding of where the conversation was heading.
"Yes, a marriage law. You see, there were many lives lost during the war. In fact, too many were lost which then caused a huge decline of our population."
"Meaning you're having to get married." Karen spoke softly.
"Yes, not only do I have to get married, but I have to have a child within two years."
"A child! But Hermione, you're just a child yourself! You're telling me they're not only forcing you to marry but procreate! That's ridiculous!" Roger exclaimed, his calm demeanor disappearing, replaced with anger towards the community he entrusted to take care of his daughter years ago.
"I know, but I don't have a choice. None of us do." Hermione replied, sadness filling her voice.
"Sweetheart I'm so sorry."
"So, who is it exactly are you having to marry?" Roger asked irritably, praying he wasn't about to meet a new bloke within the next few days. He was barely getting to know the young man she brought home today.
"I think it's rather obvious, Roger." Karen told him, nodding her head at Harry who sat there quietly, watching the interaction between Hermione and her parents.
"Harry? You're having to marry Harry?"
"Yes, Daddy. Harry was on my list of potential suitors and honestly, he was the best choice for me."
"As your daughter was for me." Harry spoke, taking his fiancée's hand in his own.
Roger exhaled deeply, closing his eyes as his mind tried to wrap around the news his daughter had explained to him. He couldn't help but feel a sense of dread wash over him, his heart aching that another man was about to become the most important person of his daughter's life. Although he hadn't known Harry for long, his daughter would rave about how wonderful he was, he couldn't help but feel he was the perfect choice for his daughter.
Hermione's heart raced rapidly, anxious to know what was going on inside her father's head. "Daddy, please say something."
"Actually, I'd like to say something first. If you wouldn't mind." Harry said, looking between Hermione's parents. Hermione quickly shifted her body towards Harry, eyeing him suspiciously. 'What is he playing at?'
"Of course." Karen replied, nodding her head slightly.
"I just want to ensure the both of you that I love your daughter. She's not only my best friend, but the most important person in the world, aside from my godson, Teddy. I promise to cherish and love her as a husband should, she deserves the absolute best. I know my coming here and announcing our engagement was a bit of a shock, but I couldn't have asked for a better person to spend the rest of my life with. Not only did I come here today to give your daughter the emotional support, but I came to ask you for your blessing, for your daughter's hand in marriage."
Hermione's eyes shot wide open, her heart fluttering as Harry's words filled her ears. Each day he found a way to surprise her, to make her love him more than she had the previous day. Karen's face lit up in delight, amazed at the young man before her. Not many men in this day in age would come to the parents, asking for their blessing. She looked at her daughter, whose gaze was focused primarily on Harry. ``I've never seen her look at another man the way she looks at him. How I hope Harry truly loves her the way my daughter loves him.'
Roger's head snapped up, gawking at the young man. He hadn't expected Harry to ask for his little girl's hand in marriage. "You want our blessing?"
"Yes, Sir. I know this isn't the ideal way you expected your daughter to get married, nor start a family of her own, but I promise you I will give her the best life possible. Also, I know that the father of the bride is normally one to pay for the wedding, but if it's okay with you, I will take over all costs. Your daughter has been through my side, never once turning her back on me. She deserves the wedding of her dreams and I will be more than happy to give that to her. All I ask of you, is to take part in our special day. I know it would mean the world to her to have the both of you take part in our wedding, especially the wedding planning."
Roger was amazed at Harry. Sure, he felt like kicking his arse all the way to Egypt and back for stealing his daughter from him, but after that speech, how could he? It was clear to him that Harry loved his daughter with all his heart, even if he was scared to admit it to himself. He turned his head, looking at his wife whose expression contained nothing but excitement for their daughter. Karen caught his , nodding her head, signaling she approved of the young man before them.
He turned his gaze upon Harry, once more. A smile protruded from the corner of his mouth as his eyes flickered back and forth between his daughter and Harry as he stood up from the chair, taking his wife's hand in his as he helped her up on her feet. "You most certainly have our blessing, young man."
Hermione's eyes beamed as she leapt off the couch, flinging herself into her father's arms. "Thank you, Daddy." She squealed, her father embracing her tightly.
Karen walked over to Harry, pulling him into a hug. "Welcome to the family, Harry." She whispered in his ear.
"Thank you, Mrs. Granger."
"Mrs. Granger is my mother-in-law. You can call me Karen. Just so you know, my daughter has never been one to express her feelings well. I can assure you; she loves you just as much as you love her." She winked at him as she walked away to hug her only child, leaving Harry to contemplate her words.
They spent another hour at her parents, discussing the early stages of the wedding plans before the time came for the pair of them embark to the ministry.
"Please, feel free to drop by anytime you like." Roger told them as he shook his future son-in-law's hand, placing a kiss on his daughter's cheek.
"Yes please. Also, we'd love to meet Teddy one weekend that you have him. After all, he'll be our grandson within the month." Karen told them; excitement etched in her voice.
"I think that can be arranged." Harry laughed, smiling fondly. "You ready to go, 'Mione?"
"Of course." She replied. They waved one last goodbye, promising to visit soon before aparating to the Ministry of Magic.
"He's good for her." Karen told her husband, his eyes resting on the spot where his daughter and her fiancée departed.
"Yes, he is. Something tells me he will realize how much loves her within the year."
"I agree." Karen told him before placing a small kiss on his lips before grabbing the car keys of the hook and taking off to their practice that was due to open in half an hour.