the_debt_of_time

To this House at least. Those bonds are a one-way vow. Unfortunately, some older
marriages use them similarly."
"Sirius and I attended Narcissa's wedding." Mia flinched, forgetting that she was
not supposed to tell anyone that. "Well, I mean... we sneaked in."
"He took my daughter to a Black-Malfoy wedding." Dorea chuckled, more amused
than anything else. "That boy has moxie. I bet Walburga was beside herself."
"She never saw us. We only spoke with Narcissa." Mia almost told her that they had
seen Bellatrix as well, but she was not in the mood to deal with the possible outcome
of that bit of information let loose. "Her vows were one-sided, and they were all about
obedience and loyalty."
"That sounds like a typical pureblood wedding. At least among those who practice
the old traditions." Dorea sighed as she sat back down, shaking her head. "Embarrassing,
but it brings up the next bond which is Marital. Marital Bonds are sealed during a wedding
ceremony, prepared by the interest of love or desire, and provoked either by a proper
engagement or.. ." She cleared her throat. "Intimate matters."
"You mean a Marital Bond can be provoked," Mia clarified, eyes wide in shock.
"Just when two people... are intimate?"
"Yes and no. When two people become involved romantically, the bond that already
exists is manifested into defining itself, preparing itself for eventual sealing. If the pair does
not eventually marry, the bond remains unsealed and essentially void." Dorea shrugged her
shoulders as if it were nothing of consequence. "It is the marriage ritual that seals the
bond."
"What's the difference between a sealed bond and an unsealed bond?" Mia asked.
"Sealed Marital Bonds can only be broken with death. There is no divorce in the
Wizarding world, and bonds are the reason why. If a man was bonded in marriage to his
wife and then left her for another, the new marriage would be rejected by his magic and by
society. Sealed bonds of any kind amplify our magic. It's the reason witches and wizards
generally live much longer than Muggles and why, when we're injured, we can tap into our
magic and our bonds to heal ourselves."
"I never knew any of this," Mia said, enthralled and annoyed at the same time. "You
would think that at least some of it would be beneficial to teach at Hogwarts, especially to
Muggle-borns who don't have parents to pass down the information. How many Muggle-