A/N: So, I'm still alive. Don't really know how far this story will go. Its core value comes from the interactions between our two brilliant but scary heroines. I've had some ask for more of Harry and Hermione, and it will touch on them, in this chapter even, but most of what I have in mind is indirect.

I will say that I have a background in the Anime fandom that predates my sojourn in Harry Potter.

Disclaimer: I own nothing you recognize. And, despite what some people may think, the Barkeep's Bind is not based on something similar from a show about diminutive pastel horses. It does; however, share a common root and I admit that I chose the alliteration for its name based on the show, but I wrote the actual text before I learned it existed.

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"You won't believe what Hermione said the other day."

"Oh, tell, tell."

"She said, and I quote, 'I'm going to marry that boy someday'."

Lily nearly choked on her pouilly-fuisse. "You're not kidding are you?"

"Cross my tumblers, shakers dry, stick a stir stick near my eye."

"Isn't that supposed to be IN the eye?"

"Well, maybe I've been hanging around magic users too long, but I thought perhaps that little oath was a little too similar to a spell chant for my liking. No sense in tempting fate.

Lily sipped at her wine for a moment. "That's seems oddly childish for you, Emma."

"I know, but there it is."

"It's also a wise precaution. A major part of magic is belief and will. If you use a saying long enough, it begins to become ingrained and over time it can become a sort of self –fulfilling prophecy."

Emma took a large swallow of her red. "Anything like that prophecy that Dumbledore fellow tried to scare you with?"

"Perhaps, but you only heard his revised version. Originally, it sounded a bit different."

"Do prophecies actually change or is he just blowing smoke trying to cow the gullible?"

"Not anywhere that I've heard of such a thing, but it's hard to say. I'm no expert on Divination, that's the art of telling the future through cosmology, astrology, portents, and old fashioned fortune telling. The truth is, that for a long time now, some of us have been starting to feel as if perhaps, and this is only perhaps, Dumbledore has been doing too much for too long. We're beginning to wonder if his mind might be a bit…" She struggled to find the right word. "-overtaxed."

Emma set her wineglass down. "So, what you're telling me is that the head of the International Confederation of Wizards, your multinational oversight organization; the Wizengamot, your law making and judicial body; and the headmaster of this Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and wizardry, the finest institution of magical education in the country, is going senile?" She was not pleased.

Emphatically shaking her head, Lily said, "No, that's not what I'm saying."

Emma raised an eyebrow. "Then what are you saying?"

"I'm saying that he's getting older and we think he's getting tired," Lily answered lamely.

Emma's face hardened. "So even though what I said was exactly what you meant; though, perhaps not what you said, you're going to keep repeating that rubbish line and hope that your child doesn't have to suffer from the mistakes of this 'Great Man'?

"It is a very complicated situation."

"Please tell me you aren't just waiting around for him to finally drop dead of old age while at the same time hoping that no one will get killed?"

"Misguided doesn't equate to evil, Emma."

"Nor does it equate to good or even safe, Lily."

"You know, you're the only one who talks to me like that."

"That's because you're scary, Lils. No one wants a scarily smart witch with a talent for charms angry with them."

"And yet you don't seem to mind."

"I'm your best friend. If I don't tell you when you're wrong then who will?" Emma gave Lily the look even as she said it.

Lily Potter, never one to back down in a fight, simply smiled despite the shiver inducing look directed at her.

"And you said I was the scary one." Emma said with a smirk.

"Yes, but I didn't say you were the only one."

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"Em, be reasonable. He's well over one hundred years old. That's getting up there even for a magical. He's been in government for a long time and he's got a reputation for being fond of other races and non-magicals. Hermione and Harry won't be under his direct care for years to come and even then, they'll have us watching out for them. James has more clout than you might suspect under that good-natured, pranking exterior."

"Longer… How much longer?" Emma asked, suddenly sounding much more melancholy.

"Well, there's a magical examiner for the Magical world equivalent of A-Levels that has to be at least 20 years older than Dumbledore, since she administered the test to him when he was about 17 years old."

"And that's not the upper limit?"

"No, I'm afraid not."

Emma closed her eyes. "And will this longer life and apparent enhanced durability apply to Hermione as well?"

"Yes, that's what I've been told. I'm in the same situation, you know."

"Lils, I'm sorry to bite your head off about Dumbledore. There's some things I really like about the Magical World you've shown me: You, Harry, James, that Madcap Sirius you told me about, and his sidekick Remus, but there are a number of things I don't like. No, there are a number of things I don't like at all. Dumbledore seems to hold much too much power, my husband and I are non-entities, and our daughter is going to face difficult prejudices because of her birth circumstances, and now you're telling me that I've got to hope a man dies before too long or my only daughter, the apple of my eye, will be thrust into his demented world?"

"Don't say demented." Lilly shivered as she said the word.

"Why not?" Emma asked suspiciously.

"We actually have creatures, horribly foul, incredibly dangerous creatures known as Dementors. They exude hopelessness and fear, make the air chill and murky, and can even steal a man's soul if given the chance."

"That's awful! Could… they be here right now?"

"No. All the dementors we know of are safely kept guarding the wizard prison, Azkaban, out in the North Sea."

"Then why bring them up… oh, you were CHANGING the subject! Lils!"

"Whoops! You caught me."

"I am not prepared to risk Hermione going into a world that's seemingly run by a senile old man."

"He's the most powerful wizard in the world, Emma. He deserves some respect, even if he's gone round the twist… well, at least partway."

That's even better! The man who runs magical Britain is senile and he's the most powerful wizard there is. Can't you just see the recipe for disaster?"

"I get it, all right. I get where you're coming from."

"I don't think you do. You're married to James and he apparently has some political clout and as well as an old family name. Us, well, until you came along, we just thought our daughter had a problem. Then we found out about magic and realized there's a whole new world for her to experience, but because of us, she's going to be a second class citizen and we can't do a thing about it. Now we're finding out how dangerous your world is and us? We're non-entities. Do you even have the slightest inkling about how it feels to be so helpless; how I feel as a mother?"

-SLAP-

"I'm a mother too, Emma. I've had to deal with a homicidal psychopath going after my family. I would die for my son. I grew up in a non-magical family just like Hermione. But I didn't have magical friends* growing up like Hermione will."

I'm sorry. That was rude and ungrateful of me."

"It's not about being ungrateful. You're my best friend. I'm willing to forgive a lot of things from you. Just remember that I'm your ally and not your enemy. Especially since I have an idea how to help you with your fears."

"You have my undivided attention."

"I, well, James and I rather, can help by providing some 'pureblood' backing."

"I'm not giving up Hermione." Emma declared rather forcefully. "I'd rather move away first. America or Australia. Some place that starts with an A where they don't have this pureblood nonsense and Albus Dumbledore isn't in charge."

"He's the head of the ICW." Lilly reminded Emma. "He's got his mitts just about everywhere." She paused for a moment. "Maybe you're right. He does hold too much power and his mind isn't what it used to be."

"There's that euphemism again when what you really mean is senile."

"Yes, yes. Six of one, half a dozen of another." She said dismissively.

"So, what did you have in mind?"

"Well, I already know you don't want to lose a daughter, but what are your feelings at gaining a son… and a sister and brother– in-law, that is."

Emma wasn't sure how to take this. "I must be missing something, because no matter how odd I've found the Magical World to be, I cannot even imagine them condoning marriage at their age. Therefore, I can only surmise you know something I don't or I'm completely mistaken, or both."

"Are you familiar with betrothal contracts?"

"Oh no, no, no. I've read about what happened to Ranma. There's absolutely no way I'm subjecting my family to that level of insanity."

"Japanese comic books, really?"

"I've got a life outside of you."

Lily just continued to regard Emma with amusement.

"Well, as much as comic books from another country constitute a life."

"Qualifiers aside, it's nowhere near as archaic as you're imagining. There's a fair amount of leeway in the language of the contract, and I think we can make one that will allow both of our families to extract the maximum benefit from this arrangement while still leaving Harry and Hermione an out if they don't end up wanting to get married."

"No tricks?"

"Emma, would I do that?"

Now it was Emma's turn to regard Lily with amusement.

"All right. Yes, I might do it to someone else. I am certainly capable of doing something like this, but I wouldn't do it to you."

"And?"

"Covering all bases, I see. You are thorough, aren't you?

"Yes, now, all flattery aside, continue."

"I wouldn't do it to you and I'm not doing it to you. Satisfied?"

"Not even close. Keep going."

-Sigh-

"I'm not, I won't, I haven't, I wasn't, I will not, even though I could but aren't going to." She paused to catch her breath. "Satisfied now?"

"With that part, yes." She cleared her throat briefly before fixing Lily in her a gaze. "Now, I still have some questions about what you define as 'an out' that I'd like some clarification on as well as a few other things.

Lily shook her head wearily and used a small bit of magic to summon an unopened bottle to her from the side table. She had a feeling this would be a while.

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*She only had one magical friend growing up. Hermione will presumably have Harry, Lily and James at the very least and therefore the distinction between friends (plural) and friend (singular) is technically correct.