Choices and Consequences

Harry couldn't help but smile at the reason. "My grandfather apparently gifted his father the cash to open the restaurant, and Potters are always welcome here." Harry was actually pleased to see her mother take Hermione by the arm and ask where the rest rooms were. She clearly wanted a private chat with her daughter.

This was an attitude Harry thought seemed much more natural than Dan's devil-may-care approach. It was Dan's attitude that first alerted him all was not as it seemed with her father.

They sat at the table and waited on the ladies returning. Dan almost had a fit when offered the wine list. "There's no prices on here. Is this restaurant that exclusive?"

The waitress was quick to answer though. "Sir, that wine list hasn't been used in over a decade. The Potter family has it's own private wine cellar here, a cellar that is not available to anyone else. You won't be charged for something that already belongs to Lord Potter."

Harry was more sure than ever Dan was portraying a character he wanted the world to see. His shock was genuine before he recovered and once more played the joker. "But how am I supposed to boast about how expensive the wine is if I don't know the price?"

He received a knowing smile from the waitress. "The Potter family never boast about their wealth, sir. Just mention the name and year on the label, anyone who knows anything about wine will certainly get the message."

With a genuine smile, Dan handed the wine list back to the waitress. "You obviously know far more about this than me, I'll be happy to drink anything you bring to the table."

Sirius was chatting away to the waitress while Harry was listening in to what was taking place between Hermione and her mother.

"He seems very nice, but what exactly does this betrothal mean?"

"Bluntly, it means you're meeting my future husband today."

"Hermione, you're fifteen!"

"I did say future, mum."

"And just how far into the future are we talking about here?"

"We haven't really had time to discuss that, not anytime soon though. We're not rushing into anything here. This ring and these robes offer me a form of legal protection in our world."

"I'm assuming that they have other forms of protection in that world too, and I sincerely hope you and Harry are using them. I have no wish to become a grandmother."

Hermione could feel Harry getting out of his chair as his anger spiked along with hers. Trying to calm him down over their bond allowed Hermione time to form an answer for her mother. Harry's anger though did bleed into her own ire, making Hermione's reaction harsher than her mother had seen from her before.

"Harry and I are nowhere near the stage of needing protection. Rest assured though, mother, when we need it - we'll use it. The children we eventually have will not only be wanted, but loved and cherished too. They certainly won't get any of that from their grandmother."

Storming out of the bathroom with tears forming in the corners of her eyes, Hermione almost sprinted into Harry's waiting arms. The three adults at the table were also on their feet as Emma came back and walked right past the couple standing holding tightly to each other.

Emma sat by Dan, and Harry led an upset Hermione to the other end of the table - placing Remus and Sirius between them and Hermione's parents. Platters of exquisite food were placed on the table and wine glasses filled but there wasn't much appetite left. You could have easily cut the oppressive atmosphere with the supplied cutlery.

After taking two forkfuls of something Harry couldn't even taste, he put his fork down and started to speak. There was a power radiating from Harry that was felt by the other three magicals at the table. Some of this power might have reached the Grangers too, since they sat and listened without interrupting.

"Mr and Mrs Granger, I really wanted this meeting to go well but you only have to glance at Hermione to see we're off to a bad start. I love your daughter with all my heart, these rings we wear tell everyone in our world that Hermione will one day become my wife. There are those in our society who look down on my wonderful betrothed, simply because her parents aren't magical. They call non magicals 'muggles', I believe you met a sample of these morons as you entered the restaurant…"

Harry could see Dan got it, and clearly wasn't happy that 'filthy muggle' shout had been aimed at himself and Emma.

"We wear these rings because your daughter and I are in love. They also offer her protections from these same type of morons. The main problem is though that our society is run by, and full of people, with the same opinions as those morons. So much so, Hermione and I intend to leave Britain - we'll be studying and living abroad."

Holding up his hand, Dan stopped his wife from charging in all guns blazing. They really needed to know more before adopting that approach. "You're talking here as if we, Hermione's parents, don't have a say in this matter. To be perfectly frank, I'm prepared to listen to what you have to say, but will not sit here and be dictated to by a teenage boy."

"I am Lord Potter, Head of the Potter Family, and legally responsible for my betrothed, Hermione Granger. This country didn't learn any lessons from the last magical war, and look to be repeating all those mistakes again. I lost my parents in the last war, no one is touching my family this time. Just by being Hermione's parents, you are now in danger too. We had hoped to sit and convince you to leave the county with us today..."

There was no holding Emma back this time. "Don't be preposterous. We have responsibilities, commitments, lives to lead. Surely you didn't expect us just to walk out of here and head off on some sort of wild adventure because you think we're in danger? These are real lives Dan and I lead, not some fantasy…"

Emma's rant was halted by Harry tossing an envelope that landed right in front of them. Dan opened the envelope and his hands started shaking when he realised what he held. "I'm going to need an explanation for this before I get very angry..."

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