the_debt_of_time

More than half the table fell into utter silence. Andromeda and Narcissa each gasped
and brought their hands to their mouths in excitement. Draco eyed the letter with interest,
an amused smirk growing on his face. Both Harry and Ginny stared at it curiously, clearly
unaware of the content. Tonks sat quietly, bouncing Teddy on her knee while grinning,
and Remus smiled across the table at Sirius and Mia, who sat pleasantly watching as Harry
broke the seal and read what was inside.
"Lord Harry James, Head of the House of Potter.. ." he began, mumbling as he
read along, completely ignorant to the title that preceded his name. "Hermione of the
House of Potter—beloved sister... intention to.. ." He stopped reading and then
glanced immediately down to the end where he found Sirius's name officially signed, all
titles, properties, and vault listings included. "Sirius? What is this?"
"It's called a Letter of Intent," Mia said with a smile. "It's an old pureblood tradition
that's fallen out of popularity these days."
"Unfortunately," Narcissa commented, her attention turned to Draco, and he
inclined his head, as though confirming to his mother that, yes, when the time came, he
was certainly going to follow proper traditions and customs. "When a wizard wanted to
court a witch, he would write down his intentions in a letter and give the letter to her Head
of House for approval."
Harry's brows furrowed. "I don't understand. Sirius, you and Hermione are already
together. Did you send one of these to my grandfather when you first started dating?"
Sirius shook his head. "No. Remus did when he dated Mia."
Tonks turned and stared at her husband with wide grey eyes. "You did what? I never
got a bloody letter!" she said loudly, though there was a teasing smile on her face.
"Would you like one now, love?" Remus asked with a chuckle, smiling when Tonks
shrugged, both laughing as Teddy's hair turned a bright, distracting shade of green, vying
for his parents' attention. "Andromeda, please expect my owl within the week."
Everyone smiled at the scene until Harry re-read the letter in his hands. "So, what
does this mean? I've already said that I'm fine with your relationship."
"A Letter of Intent is very serious, Harry," Mia said. "When a wizard gives one,
asking for permission to court a witch, it puts the power in her hands. She decides whether
or not to accept or decline. Once declined, she can never accept an offer from that man
again. It ends their relationship forever."