Salt and Pepper Fest: Hedging Bets

[hpgoldenage_mod]

Title: Hedging Bets
Author: enchanted_jae
Characters/Pairings: Harry/Draco, Neville/Luna, Ron/Hermione, Theodore/Astoria, Pansy/Ginny, omc/Rose
Rating: PG
Word Count: 2,121
Content/Warning(s): Nothing but fluff and romance
Prompt: Do they love each other? Hate each other? None of their friends are exactly sure and have been waiting for them to divorce for years. But their marriage has been going strong for decades, even though no one understands how or why.
A/N: Many thanks to gelsey for cleaning up my commas.

Read on AO3 or below:



The wedding of Rose Weasley and Theoren Nott was a gala affair. Following their touching marriage ceremony, the after-party was in full swing. Once the bride and groom enjoyed the first dance as a married couple, the other guests joined them on the dance floor

"Rose is such a beautiful bride," Luna sighed, watching the happy couple as they danced.

"She certainly is," Neville agreed. He reached for his wife's hand across the table where they were seated and gently squeezed her fingers. "Next year, it will be our baby girl getting married."

Luna smiled at him. "Does that make you nervous?"

"A bit, yeah. You?"

"Not at all," said Luna. "I knew Blaine was right for her as soon as she first introduced us. They'll have a long and happy marriage, just like we do."

"And just like Harry and Draco do?" Neville asked, grinning at their friends. "I can't believe those two are still together, after all these years."

"Don't be silly, Neville," chided Luna. "They were always meant to be together, exactly like Nuala and Blaine."

"I should have taken your word for it way back then and accepted George's wager," said Neville. "We'd be three Galleons richer."

Luna giggled at Neville's humor. "I don't think Draco and Harry would have appreciated you making a wager on their relationship."

Neville drew himself up straight in his chair. "I will have you know, wife of mine, that Harry himself placed a wager with George."

A loud peal of laughter escaped Luna this time. "Harry always was the daring one."

"I think it gave him extra incentive to stick with Malfoy," Neville said, raising his shoulders in a shrug. "Whatever the reason they've stayed together all this time, more power to them," he added, clinking his glass to Luna's.

She smiled and took a drink.


Hermione wound her arms around Ron's neck and swayed to the music with him. She smiled up at her husband, still finding him as handsome as when they were teens. Hermione glanced over at her baby girl, and tears pricked at her eyes.

"Don't go getting all soppy on me," Ron chided. He turned them, deliberately putting Hermione's back to their daughter and her new husband.

"Our baby isn't a baby any longer," Hermione whispered.

"And thank goodness for that," said Ron. "Her nappies were the worst."

Hermione choked out a laugh before sighing. "Our guests seem to be enjoying themselves."

"That's because George poured alcohol in the punch."

Hermione swatted Ron's arm. "You were meant to be keeping an eye on him."

"No one can stop George," Ron protested. "He's sneaky. Besides, no one seems to be completely pissed. Even Harry is dancing well, and he's a lightweight."

"I think anyone could dance well with Draco leading," said Hermione, looking to where her friend and his husband were waltzing gracefully around the dance floor.

"Would you like to punch him in the nose, for old time's sake?" teased Ron.

"Honestly, Ronald! Behave," Hermione scolded. "Harry would never forgive me if I socked Draco in the nose again."

"Yeah, who would have thought they'd still be married after so long?" mused Ron. "I lost a lot of money, betting on Harry getting tired of Malfoy and throwing him over."

"Ronald Weasley, you did not take bets on your best friend's love life."

Ron shrugged and grinned. "It seemed like a sure bet at the time. I reckon what they say is true, that opposites attract. That was certainly true in our case."

Hermione smiled up at him. "Oh?"

Ron offered a lopsided smile in return. "Yeah," he said. "You're the brilliant one, and I'm the pretty one."

Hermione laughed out loud, much to the delight of their guests.


Astoria was pleased to see and hear how much Hermione was enjoying herself at the wedding. The fact that she and Ron were still so happily married boded well for her son and his new bride. "It's good to see them so happy together," she mused.

Theo cocked a quizzical brow at her as he led her flawlessly through the steps of the waltz. "Theoren and Rose?" he asked.

"No," replied Astoria. "Well, yes, but I meant Rose's parents. That they're still so obviously in love is good for our son. It means that Rose had a wonderful example, growing up."

"Are you suggesting that Theoren didn't?"

"Of course not, darling," said Astoria. "I believe we provided an excellent example for him to follow, as well."

"That's because I simply bit my tongue, nodded my head, and said, 'Yes, dear' whenever you wished to quarrel."

"Theodore Nott!" she gasped in feigned dismay. "Are you insinuating that I was quarrelsome?"

Theo shook his head and said, "No, dear." The sparkle in his eyes and the twitch of his lips betrayed him.

"Git," Astoria muttered fondly.

"I'm your git, darling."

Astoria smiled up at him, her good mood restored enough to tease him back. "Draco was initially meant to be my git, you know."

"Yes, but I nicked you out from under his nose, and he had to settle for Potter," Theo responded in dramatic fashion.

This time, it was Astoria's merry laugh that drew everyone's attention. "I dare say it worked out well for all of us," she said, nodding to where Draco and Harry were dancing, their heads bent close together.

"I must admit, I didn't think they would last this long," said Theo. "Not due to any lack of esteem for one another, but rather due to outside influences. The hero with the son of a villain? Oh, the scandal it caused!"

"I give them credit," mused Astoria. "They withstood it and stuck by one another. We couldn't have chosen a better godfather for Theoren than Draco."

"He's a good man," said Theo. "We knew it all along, and so did Potter. It just took the rest of society longer to figure it out."

"Here's hoping they have a hundred more years of wedded bliss," said Astoria, her eyes shining with happiness.


"Rose makes a lovely bride," said Ginny, watching her niece dance with her new husband.

"She reminds me of you at that age," mused Pansy, pausing to take a sip of her drink. "All that glorious red hair and those adorable freckles."

"I still have red hair," Ginny protested. "It just has some silver in it now."

Pansy smiled across the table at her wife. "Your hair is even more beautiful now," she said. "And, your freckles are still adorable."

Ginny wrinkled her freckled nose. "I reckon it was too much to hope they would fade as I got older."

"I would have missed your freckles!" Pansy exclaimed. She leaned over the table to kiss the tip of Ginny's nose, making her giggle.

Ginny looked back at the bride and groom and sighed. "I only hope they'll still be as happy as we are once they're old, like us."

"We are not old," Pansy said firmly. "We are...I was going to say 'mature', but that doesn't apply either, does it?"

Ginny laughed again and squeezed Pansy's hand. "We're more mature than my older brother is. By the way, go easy on the punch. I'm quite certain George added a liberal amount of alcohol to it."

"I would expect no less of him," Pansy said gravely. She followed it with a smile. "It was George, after all, who set up that wager on Draco and Harry's relationship."

Ginny rolled her eyes and sighed. "He and Fred also took up wagers on whether or not Harry would survive the Tri-Wizard Tournament. At least his relationship with Draco was a safer bet."

"Did you take the bet?" asked Pansy.

Ginny nodded.

"Dare I ask how you wagered?"

"I put my money on them lasting," Ginny replied.

"But you used to date Harry!"

"Yes, but I never captivated him the way Draco always has," said Ginny. "I reckon both of us were just falling into familiar patterns, doing what was expected of us. If Harry hadn't come out as gay, I might not have had the courage to do so, either."

"He has my eternal gratitude," Pansy said with a smile.

"What of you?" asked Ginny. "Did you take George's bet?"

"It may come as a surprise to you, but I bet on them making it, too," said Pansy. "My reasons were similar to yours. I could see how fascinated Draco was with Harry. When they first got together, after all they'd already been through, I knew they'd be tough and determined enough to stay together."

Ginny grinned and clinked her glass to Pansy's. "Just like us, yeah?"


Harry was enjoying himself. There was a time when he found formal dancing to be intimidating. Draco, however, was a wonderful lead, and Harry found it easy to relax in his husband's arms, trusting Draco to guide him through the steps of the waltz.

They made a turn, and Harry's heart warmed at the sight of Rose and Theoren dancing. Their heads were close together, and they were both smiling.

"Rose looks positively radiant, doesn't she?" he mused.

"Theoren can't take his eyes off of her," Draco agreed. He guided Harry through another turn. "They seem very happy with one another."

"Just like their parents."

"And us," Draco added with a grin.

"That goes without saying," Harry grinned back. "I reckon few people here thought we'd still be together, after all these years."

"Yes, as I recall, George Weasley was accepting wagers."

"I hope it cost him dearly when we passed the twenty-year mark," said Harry.

Draco drew back and fixed him with a stern look. "How did you know what the wager was?"

"Because I took his bet," Harry answered with a smug expression on his face. "I took you out to dinner with the ten Galleons I won."

"Your ten Galleons almost made up what I lost," Draco said musingly.

Harry stumbled to a halt. "Are you telling me that you bet against us?!"

"I'm a Slytherin, Harry. Hedging bets is in my nature," Draco replied. He eased them back into the waltz. "It was a win-win situation. I either won the man of my dreams or else fifteen Galleons."

"I want a divorce."

"Harry, we are not getting divorced at Theoren and Rose's wedding," Draco admonished him. "I was young and foolish when I bet against us, and I apologize."

Harry scowled at him. "You're a right arse."

"You love my arse."

"That I do," Harry admitted. He relaxed once more into Draco's embrace as they moved smoothly across the dance floor. "What did you plan to do with your winnings if I'd thrown you over?"

"I was going to send you a nasty bouquet made of Devil's Snare and oleander," Draco replied.

"Isn't oleander poisonous?"

"Yes."

"I want a divorce."

"Are you quite certain?" asked Draco, adopting a concerned expression. "You'll have to navigate the dating scene again. I reckon I can reintroduce you to Gregory. Now that he and Millie are divorced, I hear he's interested in exploring his sexuality."

"Never mind; I'll stick with you," Harry said quickly.

"Since Millicent is available again, perhaps I'd like to explore my sexuality," mused Draco.

"Don't make me have to feed you oleander," Harry warned him.

Draco snickered. "I think it's best we stay together," he said. "I've grown quite accustomed to you, I'm afraid."

"Hm, I reckon I've developed a fondness for you, as well," Harry admitted. "Aside from that, it would be a shame to waste all of that work we've put into our relationship."

"It wouldn't have been so much work if you would only do as I say."

"Berk," grumbled Harry. "I could say the same for you."

Draco smirked at him. "Let's be honest, Harry. We thrive on conflict. Each of us would have grown bored with anyone else."

"I only instigate conflict to get to the make-up sex."

Draco's sharp bark of laughter drew the attention of others in the vicinity. Many of them smiled to see the two of them obviously enjoying themselves.

Harry grinned at Draco and asked, "If you had to do it all over again, would you wager for us or against us?"

"I would wager on us," Draco replied. "I always knew we'd make it. That's why I had Theo place an even larger bet with George in favor of us making it to twenty years and beyond."

"You truly did hedge your bets, didn't you?"

"I'm surprised you didn't," said Draco. "You have some Slytherin tendencies."

Harry shrugged. "Betting on us gave me incentive to work at our relationship."

"That, and the make-up sex?"

"Oh, indeed," Harry replied. "The make-up sex made it all worthwhile."