WARNING: This is a Dramione centric pairing fic, with side pairings including Ginny/Blaise and Theo/Luna. If those things are not your cup of tea then I do not recommend this fic for you. This is also a Marriage Law trope, so if you're not into the dub-con elements of that, probably don't read this story either. There will be mentions of smut, foul language and other fun things in this fic if you do dare to venture onwards.
A/N: I know, I know. I've got another Marriage Law fic that is Dramione centric. What am I doing writing another one? Those of you who have read 'Howl for Me' will know that it is currently an incomplete WIP that I am still pecking away at. I promise it will be finished soon, as I've been working on some new chapters. This fic has been an annoying little niggle inside my mind and turned into something of a sandbox for many of the cutesy moments that seem to worm their way out of my other plotlines. Something easy to peck away at whenever I had some spare time. I hope you enjoy it. Most of it is pre-written, and there are some parallels between this fic and 'Howl for Me'. Don't be alarmed, they have wildly different plotlines after the first chapter. Much love! xx-Kitten.
Little Do You Know
By Kittenshift17
Chapter 1: First Heartbreak
"Your attention!" Headmistress McGonagall called over the many voices talking and laughing in the Great Hall, "Your attention please!"
Hermione Granger nudged her friends to alert them to the need for silence. The feast was over, the dessert all cleared away. Hermione sat at the Gryffindor table beside Ron Weasley and opposite Ginny Weasley and Harry Potter. It had been quite the task to convince both boys to return to school after the war, but she had done so.
"Now, I'm sure you are all wondering why I have asked the senior students to remain behind after sending the others off to bed for the evening," Professor McGonagall said, standing at the announcement podium used for speech-making within the Great Hall. Hermione nodded her head in agreement with the Professors words. She had been surprised when the woman had requested all students in sixth and seventh year remain behind after the feast in order to be addressed about something.
Idly Hermione wondered if it might have something to do with the idea of ensuring they all knew that inter-house unity was a large focus this year and that old rivalries left-over from the war would not be tolerated. She crossed her arms over her chest at the notion. She was all for the idea of moving on and never allowing something as trivial as blood prejudice to interrupt their lives in such a way ever again. Of course, she was also still smarting about having collided with Draco Malfoy on the train just before she'd stepped onto the platform at Hogsmeade earlier that evening.
The fact that the blonde git had snatched hold of her and twisted her in his grip until her back was pressed into the wall of the compartment rather than allowing her to fall to the ground at his feet had been unexpected. The fact that he'd peered into her eyes for a long moment in total silence as though looking into her very soul had unnerved her and the fact that he'd released her without a word but instead a brush of his thumb over her right cheek as he swept a dislodged curl out of her face had made her shudder.
For a terrible moment she had feared he was going to do something barmy, like trying to snog her. And another momentary fear had been that he was using Legilimency on her with the way he eyed her so shrewdly. She couldn't say she was overly friendly towards the boy who'd been such a git to her for all of her schooling career. Even if he had sort of saved their lives by lying about their identity last winter.
"I have been asked to address all of you regarding a very important manner," McGonagall was saying, "The Minster for Magic and the Wizengamot have recently passed a law pertaining to marriage within the magical world."
A ripple of murmurs overtook the Great Hall at the Professor's words, muttering voices exclaiming over the notion and what a law about marriage might have to do with them. Hermione felt a terrible twist in her stomach as she pondered the notion and came to a startling realisation.
"As a result of the casualties sustained during the war, the wizarding population of Britain has greatly fallen. And while an increase in the amount of births is expected in the coming months and years – as is always the case when a war is over – the Ministry have seen fit to pass an ordinance regarding the… compatibility of wizarding Britain's young people," McGonagall told them delicately.
"What's she trying to tell us, Hermione?" Harry asked in a low voice from across the table, his hand clasped in Ginny's but his green eyes fixed on the brains of the Golden Trio.
"I think she's…" Hermione began but McGonagall cut her off.
"As of last week a Marriage Law was brought into effect, by order of the Ministry," McGonagall told them strongly, "The nature of this law is to ascertain the most compatible matches for all young people between the ages of seventeen and twenty-five. Through a harmless testing procedure Hogwarts' own Sorting Hat will look into each of your minds and ascertain whom among your age bracket is the best match to you. At which time the Ministry will be requiring you marry the person the Hat chooses for you."
"WHAT?" the general populace within the hall roared as Hermione sat there, reeling in shock.
"You can't do that!" Ron was shouting, having leapt to his feet.
"This is an outrage!" Ginny screeched, also on her feet.
"That's totally barbaric!" Susan Bones squealed from the Hufflepuff table.
"Where are our rights?" Ernie MacMillan was ranting at the Ravenclaw table, "We didn't go to war for human rights only to be ordered into marrying someone not of our choosing!"
"What is the Minsitry thinking?" Padma Patil yelled while her twin at the Gryffindor table seemed to have gone into shock.
Lavender Brown had burst into tears. Seamus Finnigan was cursing colourfully in Gaelic and Neville Longbottom was on his feet, shaking his fist in McGonagall's direction as he shouted something Hermione couldn't hear over the rant Ron and Ginny were hollering. Amidst the chaos that immediately ensued Minerva McGonagall stood stoically before the podium while mayhem reigned amongst her charges.
Hermione turned slowly in her seat, surveying the chaos and she felt her eyebrows rise slowly when she saw that not one person at the Slytherin table was on their feet. None of them shouted. None of them even spoke. They all simply sat there in silence, looking grim. She realised with a jolt that many of them belonged to pureblood families who might otherwise have arranged their marriages anyway. She supposed, in her shock, that many of them might even be relieved by a Marriage Law that dictated the Ministry – the Sorting Hat – could choose someone for them that they might be compatible with.
Across the table from her, Harry Potter sat in silence as well. He too looked grim. He was staring directly at Hermione as though waiting for her to explain the situation to him in simpler terms. Hermione knew his expression well. Since the Horcrux within him had been destroyed, Harry Potter had become extremely difficult to anger and harder still to rattle. He was surprised, Hermione knew, but not yet outraged. Not like his girlfriend and his best mate were, anyway.
"ENOUGH!" McGonagall shouted after she allowed them five minutes to screech and shout their protests.
Everyone fell silent beneath her shout and her stern glare, recognising that while they had every right to be outraged, the Headmistress would not tolerate their poor decorum for long.
"Now, I understand and sympathise with your outrage and your protests on this matter," she told them sternly, "I can assure you that I was among the many voices upon the Wizengamot who protested this Law."
"Why have they passed the law, Professor?" Harry asked calmly, getting to his feet – now the only one on his feet in the hall.
"The Law has been passed with the intention of growing the Wizarding population once more after such grievous losses during the war, Potter," McGonagall smiled at him tightly, clearly appreciating his lack of hysteria. Lavender was sobbing loudly in the silence that followed her answer. Hermione reeled. This couldn't be happening, could it?
"They mean to whore us to someone of their choosing for the sake of reproduction?" Hermione asked evenly despite her growing fear, her voice carrying over the hall as she stood as well, "The Ministry, in their barbarianism, actually means to tell us – all of us – whom we ought to marry? Whom to reproduce with?"
"Essentially, Miss Granger," McGonagall said, suddenly looking very tired, "The law was passed with one very important idea in mind. You – all of you – are the future of the wizarding world. The age-bracket of people selected for this law – those of your between seventeen and twenty-five – was determined to be the most influential and important group within our population at present. You are the future. Do you understand? Without all of you beginning to seek out relationships, marry and yes, have children, the wizarding world will collapse."
"And that means they want to determine who the hell I should have to marry?" Ron asked, on his feet once more and sounding furious.
"That means that the Ministry wants to ensure that those of you within that bracket will be paired with someone they might not otherwise have chosen, but that they have a number of things in common with. Do not misconstrue this law. The Sorting Hat of Hogwarts will be looking into each of your minds and will be determining whom among everyone within the age-bracket is compatible. Whom you are most likely to have the most cohesive and prolific match with. We are not simply putting names on a list and randomly sticking people together in this venture, Mr Weasley."
"But the Ministry is dictating that whomever the hat pairs are to be married?" Hermione clarified.
"Yes," McGonagall sighed heavily, "The Ministry has decreed that each of you who are paired will be given until the education of both parties is complete to be wedded."
"WHY?" Ginny shouted, "Why are they doing this? It's the end of the bloody war – half the people I know are already pregnant and having kids. Why are we being subjected to this ridiculous law?"
"Because the Wizengamot from five hundred years ago, in their wisdom," McGonagall's voice dripped with sarcasm as she said that, "Implemented a clause within the Old Magic of our world. A clause that states that should the wizarding population of Britain fall below a particular number of individuals, an automatic and much more barbaric law will come into effect. Essentially – should that happen – should the population of our world in Britain fall below one thousand individuals, an automatic law will be passed forcing children as young as thirteen into reckless copulation for the purpose of regrowing the population. With whomever the Old Magic deemed to be appropriate for conceiving magical offspring."
Hermione wasn't the only one in the hall who gasped at the very idea.
"Five hundred years ago it was common practice that children as young as thirteen were wedded and subsequently began having children of their own. Should that clause kick in children much younger than all of you would be forced to begin reproducing immediately. That clause makes no allowances for the completion of education or for the notion of making compatible matches. That clause sticks thirteen year olds with forty year olds and demands they have babies immediately," McGonagall informed them.
Hermione felt ill.
"I understand the outrage every single one of you is feeling over this law. It is barbaric. It is unfair. It is horrid. But if something isn't done, children will be forced into matches and demanded to have children of their own. That cannot be allowed to happen. This law allows each of you the chance to finish your education. Allows that each of you to be of age before being wed. Allows for the chance at happiness with the spouse the Hat chooses for you," McGonagall told them all, "I know it's unfair on each and every one of you. I understand that many of you are still just children, but this was the compromise the Ministry was forced to make."
"In other words, we're to be sacrificed for the sake of the younger generation?" Neville protested, "As though those snotty little shits deserve our sacrifice? Forgive me, Professor but I didn't go to war for our freedom only to be told I'm to sacrifice my happiness for those disrespectful little brats."
The sentiment was echoed around the hall and Hermione held her breath, waiting for another uproar.
"Unfortunately, Mr Longbottom, none of you have a choice. The Ministry have made it a law. And those who break the law face the consequences. In this instance that consequence is to spend an uncapped amount of time in Azkaban until you follow the law. Violent and otherwise ill-tempered response to the law will result in imprisonment. Continued revolt will see the guilty parties forced to give up their magic. If you do not agree to cooperate on this, you will be forcibly removed from the magical community and deposited, sans you magic, in the muggle world where you will be left to fend for yourselves."
Hermione sat in stunned disbelief, her eyes wide as she stared across the table at Harry. Harry stared back at her, looking equally disturbed.
"Professor?" Hermione asked cautiously as everyone began to mutter and more people throughout the hall began to cry. The shouting – indeed the fury – seemed to go out of everyone's sails at the punishment should they refuse the law.
"Yes, Miss Granger?" Professor McGonagall asked, giving her a tight smile.
"What, precisely, does this law entail? We're to be sorted into supposedly agreeable couples and to be wed as soon as the youngest member of each pairing completes their education. But then what? I assume a law based on needing to replenish the population comes with a reproduction clause?" Hermione asked, her voice carrying over the hall as her gaze scanned the faces of her classmates. She could feel their mounting horror as she spoke, her mind always five steps ahead and focusing on things they'd yet to even consider.
"Indeed it does, Miss Granger," McGonagall sighed again, "The Ministry has decreed that each pairing will be required to begin trying for children immediately after the wedding of each. Those who have already left the realm of education behind are expected to be wed within one year of their match being decreed. Each couple is expected to produce a minimum of four children."
"Four?" Harry asked, raising his eyebrows and clearly wondering why that number had been selected.
"Four allows each couple to replace and double themselves within the next generation," McGonagall informed him tightly while even more people began to cry now. Most of the girls in the hall were crying over the notion of being teenage mothers within the next year or two.
"Erm, Professor?" a shy girl from the Hufflepuff table named Stacey Wiggins stood up, "What happens in instances where a person within the age-bracket is um… homosexual?"
"Anyone within the age-bracket who prefers the same sex will also be Sorted by the Sorting Hat and paired with anyone else of homosexual inclination. Those among you that do prefer the same sex will still be expected to marry someone of your sexual preference," McGonagall said.
"But Professor, how will…?" the girl trailed off, clearly blushing over the concern of how same-sex couples might reproduce and thus contribute to the law.
"Due to the unfortunate circumstances of the war, Miss Wiggins, a number of magical children are currently orphaned and even more are being given up by mothers who were sexually assaulted," Professor McGonagall informed them all tightly, causing more people to gasp, "These children need loving homes and families. Same-sex couples are to adopt from within the growing number of children currently in the care of the Ministry after being abandoned. With the aid of some muggle science, pregnancy is still achievable amongst same-sex pairings for those of you wishing to conceive children of your own. In those instances male same-sex partners wishing to participate in procreating will meet with female same-sex partners willing to conceive and birth children and go from there."
More crying ensued over that notion and Stacey retook her seat, her cheeks burning red. Hermione supposed that Stacey might prefer women to men and hadn't intended to so publicly announce her preference but didn't want to let her questions go unanswered.
"Several clauses of this law call for the cooperation of each pairing once the couples are all determined," Professor McGonagall went on, "Which include daily interaction and a number of classes and activities that you will be advised of later. For the time being the Ministry has requested of me that all of the boys currently in the room be scrutinized by the Sorting Hat before I can let all of you go to bed this evening. Keep in mind that you will only be required to come up here and sit on the stool with the hat on for a few minutes. The hat will examine each of you and store the information. In the coming days everyone else of wizarding Britain will be coming to the castle to be similarly sorted. As such we will be accommodating many new guests as of tomorrow."
"You want to sort us all right now?" Harry exclaimed.
"Just the boys, Potter," McGonagall told him, "Once all the boys are out of the way, the girls will take a turn and the hat will call out regarding the name of whichever boy or girl is best suited to and most compatible with that girl."
"This is a nightmare," Ginny informed Hermione seriously, "Not only do we get forced into a marriage, but I've got to sit up there and let that manky old thing tell me who I belong with? What if it does something awful like tries to put me with McMillan or someone? And in front of everyone. This whole lot and everyone else under twenty-five, all of them staring at me while the hat declares me fate? I think I'd rather off myself!"
Hermione nodded her agreement, unable to believe this was actually happening.