"You're kidding, right?" Matt asked, blinking at Ron. Ron shook his head.
"No, mate. Dad told me all about it. After Fudge got sacked from the Ministry, Scrimgeour and Wizengamot fined him. He lost it all. Had to move out of his home and everything. Well, in order to pay the fines for corruption and incompetence, he had to go to work, like everyone else. He opened a shop in Diagon Alley, practicing magical law. It was the only thing he was qualified to do, wasn't it? Anyway, dad says he still works on contracts mostly, easy stuff." Ron explained.
"We've got to go see him." Hermione said, possessively gripping Matt's hand that was still in hers tightly. He grinned at the affection, either consciously or unconsciously, he was not sure if Hermione even knew she did it.
"What, now?" Harry asked, looking bemused, it was already getting late, and the sun was down.
"Yes now! You heard Malfoy, Matt has to stop his research at St. Mungo's tomorrow! It can't wait." Hermione insisted and Matt sighed.
"She's right Harry, if this is going to happen, we've got find all the loopholes." Matt added and gave Hermione's hand a reassuring squeeze.
"Then it's settled. Matt and I will go to Diagon Alley. Harry, you and Ron should go home, get some rest. Ron, will you fill in your mum and dad what's going on?" Hermione said.
"Sure thing, Hermione. Just be careful, yeah? Diagon Alley gets a little rough sometimes after dark." Ron said as he and Harry Disapparated.
"Ready?" Hermione asked and Matt smiled.
"With you? Always am." He replied and grabbed his jacket.
The pair of them turned on the spot and Disapparated from Matt's apartment as well.
A moment later they appeared with a crack in the middle of the Leaky Cauldron. Hannah screamed since the pub was dead quiet and empty on a Sunday evening.
"Merlin's testicles Hermione! Matt!" Hannah said leaping from the bar and crashing into the liquor behind her, the bottles rattling and a few toppling over. "What are you doing in here at this hour! Trying to kill me, are you?"
"Sorry Hannah," Hermione began, Side-Along Apparition was noisier than normal and even though Hermione's skill was adept, it was not enough for it to be entirely silent. "We've got urgent business."
Matt tossed Hannah a couple of sickles as they exited to the courtyard and tapped on the bricks to enter the alley.
Diagon Alley was only partially lit up, with some lanterns and candles having flared to life when the sunset. Hermione drew her coat around her as Matt slipped an arm around her shoulders to huddle her against him. She allowed him to draw her near as they walked down the alley together. The early December chill was ever present as was a dusting of snow.
"So, we're a couple now?" Matt asked as they made their way past the windows of various shops, most of them closed.
"I guess so, if you'd like?" Hermione replied, her voice full of hope.
"Yeah, I'd like that very much. It's what I've always wanted and hoped for." Matt replied quietly. Hermione looked up and could see his cheeks were heavily flushed, and not from the cold nor the glow of the lanterns in the alley.
"Well, now that that's settled…" Hermione paused in the alley and turned to face Matt. She stood on her tiptoes and wrapped an arm around him, her hand cradling the back of his head and she drew his face down to her own. Their eyes closed as their lips met in a quiet kiss. Matt's own arms slipped around Hermione and drew her close to him, holding her against his body as they felt their way through the kiss.
After several long moments, they finally drew apart, their eyes fluttering open to meet one another. Matt smiled, at first it was very small, but it quickly grew into a beam. Hermione beamed back at him, and he leaned down to gently press his forehead against hers.
"I liked that." Matt whispered to her.
"So did I." she replied.
"If I've got to be married by the end of the year, I want it to be to you…"
"I'd like that very much. And the rest of our lives?"
"That too."
Neither were willing to continue on, but both knew they needed to. Reluctantly, Hermione slipped her arm through Matt's and leaned against him as they continued past Gringott's to the south side of Diagon Alley. Nestled between Whizz Hard Books and Obscurus Books was a small dingy shop with the lights still burning. The sign above the doorways simply read 'Fudge's'.
Hermione rapped on the door and waited. After several long moments, Matt tried, knocking a little harder. The couple exchanged looks with one another. They knocked together again, harder still this time.
"Alright! Alright! I'm coming…" came a voice and finally the door swung open. Inside stood a portly little man with gray hair that was rumpled. They instantly recognized the former Minister for Magic Cornelius Fudge. "Oh my…Mister Santini, Miss Granger, what a…surprise to see you both here." Fudge said stumbling over his words.
"Yes, former Minister, we need your help." Hermione said.
"If you could?"
"It's very late, why don't you come back a week from Thursday I'm very busy you see…" Fudge began and tried to close the door. Hermione stuck her foot out to stop him.
"No, we can't! It's urgent, we need help, tonight." Hermione's tone brokered no argument.
"Please, Former Minister?" Matt implored.
Fudge shook his head and attempted to close the door, but Hermione's foot was like a boulder and the door would not budge.
"Oh, very well." Fudge relented and opened the door and ushered the couple inside.
"Thank you." Hermion said in a forced tone.
"Alright. What is this about anyway? Something the greatest Muggleborn witch can't accomplish herself?" Fudge said and led them into a tiny office across from a steep staircase leading to what had to be small living quarters above the shop.
"Yes, as a matter of fact, it is." Hermione said as she and Matt pulled up chairs across a small desk as Fudge squeezed behind it and sat down himself.
Fudge regarded her for a moment, studying her look and wrinkled his nose. Matt knew Fudge was a Pure-Blood supremacist, and his ineffective leadership had caused a lot of damage even after Voldemort's return and his removal from office. Hermione's expression, however, must have sold Fudge on her desperation.
"You must be desperate to come to me on such a late hour on a Sunday…" Fudge said as Hermione drew out the marriage contract. Matt proceeded to explain his situation regarding his mother, her threat, and eventually Malfoy approaching him about the marriage contract.
Fudge listened to Matt and nodded along before inspecting the document. He looked it over and thought for a long time before he spoke.
"I'm afraid, there's little to be done here, Miss Granger," Fudge said with a shake of his head. "This contract is straight forward, little room to wiggle, as they say."
"There's no way to dissolve it?!" Hermione looked horrified.
"Wait, what about vacation? What if I went into work in the morning and took vacation?" Matt asked.
Fudge studied the contract again and rubbed his chin.
"It does say next working day. So, yes, if you went in and took time off work, that would not bind you to halting this top-secret research, until your vacation expired." Fudge replied. "But can you afford to wait that long? Can your patients?"
"Yes, they'll hold."
Hermione breathed a sigh of relief next to him.
"What about the marriage itself?" she inquired.
Fudge shook his head.
"No, no, there doesn't seem to be a way around that. Not unless…it'd be a long shot though…and based off what you've told me, you've only just gotten together, no, no, no recourse I'm afraid."
"There is." Hermione said. She realized what Fudge was driving at. He sighed and leaned back in his chair.
"Well…alright, yes, there is one way. If you could prove that there was true love between the two of you prior to the signing of this contract, the Minister for Magic and the Wizengamot could declare that the contract was made in bad faith by a third party, in this case Mr. Malfoy, as an effort to undermine your relationship and compromise the groom's integrity under duress."
"Then there's hope!" Hermoine's voice was bright as she grabbed Matt's hand and squeezed.
"You must understand Miss Granger; these types of cases are nearly impossible to prove. You would need something like a memory or an artifact of your relationship. Given you've only just started it…"
"An artifact? Like what?" Matt asked.
"It would be something you both shared and put your love into. Magic leaves detectable traces of strong feelings, such as love and hatred." Fudge explained.
"Oh…" Matt's expression fell. "Wait, what about our jackets?"
"Only if you've both worn them together and your magic has rubbed off on them."
Matt hung his head. He could feel his only chance at happiness slipping away.
Hermione gasped suddenly.
"The tent! Of course!" she exclaimed.
"Huh? I'm lost…" Matt looked bemused.
"The tent we used when we were hunting Horcruxes!"
"Hunting Horcruxes?" Fudge looked confused and concerned.
"It's a long story." Matt said. "We don't have seven hours to explain it; just know it had a lot to do with Harry bringing down Voldemort."
Fudge nodded his understanding.
"What about the tent?" Matt asked.
"The blanket! We shared the bed, remember? And you told me about your feelings…"
Matt's eyes widened and understanding dawned on him.
"Yes! That would work! We slept under those sheets for weeks."
"Well, if you've been together this long, I don't see why you need— "
"We didn't have sex! We were merely sharing the bed together. But I didn't realize it until recently, my feelings for Matt were changed when he offered to comfort me. It just took a while for me to…"
"Yes, yes, that might be enough. Where is this tent?" Fudge asked.
"Lost. We were taken by Snatchers, and we left it behind." Matt explained. "But it was in good condition and secured. It might still be there; it was pretty far off the beaten path."
"We could try to find it!" Hermione was hopeful.
"If you can recover this bedding, you both shared, then it may be possible to use a spell to establish a pre-existing sentiment of love. It could be enough. But it's a long shot, I must warn you." Fudge said.
"It's our only chance." Hermione said resolutely.
"Thank you, Former Minister." Matt said and stood to shake Fudge's hand. Fudge stood as well as Hermione, shaking both their hands.
As Matt and Hermione moved to leave the shop Fudge called them.
"Ah, there's my fee…" Fudge began. Matt rolled his eyes and dug into his pocket, throwing a handful of galleons on the desk.
"Send me a bill for the rest." Matt said as he and Hermione slipped off into the cold December night.