I do not own any contents in this story, all copyrights belong to JKR!

1st September Hermione POV

Breakfast at the burrow has always been a busy affair, Having children young and old around was something Molly loved, the noise and the trouble to cope with could become to much but Molly wouldn't want it any other way, watching the older witch from my seat at the kitchen table I watched in awe as she went to work with getting breakfast ready before anybody else woke up. Arthur Weasley was always the first person after me and Molly to greet us with his presence at the breakfast table in a morning.

Today was a different matter; Percy had come over last night to ask everybody to be up early as the ministry was sending out details of a new law passing. Unfortunately he wasn't able to reveal to us the law but I knew for a fact Arthur knew more details with him working within the Ministry, which meant Molly knew also.

I piled my scrambled eggs onto my brown toast and seasoned my breakfast with a little salt and pepper. The brown oak bench table was filled with red headed pure bloods ... and me and Harry. Harry and Ron were currently training at the ministry to become Auror's, after the battle of Hogwarts we returned with Ginny to complete out last year. Fred and George still owned the Joke shop and have currently purchased another store down south to renovate. Ginny and I are interns at St Mungos training to become Medi Healers, Bill still worked at Gringotts as a curse broker and his wife Fleur, was a stay at home mum to their two year old daughter Victoire.

A full half an hour had passed before the Ministry owl came through the window and sat at Arthur's plate. Everybody put their forks down on their plates to listen to what it is they are planning to do now. Arthur took the scroll from the black owl and read aloud.

Dear citizens of the magical community,
Since the downfall of the Dark Wizard, Voldermort, our Community has suffered terribly, many great wizards and witches sadly passed before the war came to a brutal end and the magical population is down thousands, worse it has been for centuries. We therefore take no pleasure in reinstating the Marriage Law of 1645.

Any wizard or witch aged 18-50 will be expected to be betrothed; pairs have already been made by the officials here at the ministry of magic. Once the betrothal is announced each couple will have a week to move in with each other and then only 6 months to the bonding ceremony. Consummation of the marriage must take place within 24 hours of the marriage or the marriage will be immediately under investigation.

Anybody whom refuses to comply with the law will either be sent to Azkaban for 5 years or stripped from their magic for 2 years. Every couple will be in the ministry's eyes betrothed once this letter has burnt to a crisp. Expect your individual letters revealing your spouse to be sent out within 24 hours.

The ministry of magic.

Once the older wizard finished reading the ministry's letter and we watched it burnt to ashes, Arthur looked expectedly up at all of us staring at him, Everything was quite for a moment before the uproar began.
"Why hasn't this been stopped already"
"This isn't right"
"Can they do this?"
"This is ridiculous I am already with Angela"
"What if they don't pair me with Harry"

"If your all quite for a moment, your father might be able to explain" Molly came away from the stove and placed her hand on Arthurs shoulder in an encouraging matter
"Ron we tried to stop it, the ministry board had already voted for the law before our opinions mattered. Bill, personally me and your mother do not think it is right but there is nothing we can do until they realise the law won't work. Fleur they are going to give it their best shot. George the ministry have apparently taken into consideration current relationships and Ginny there is nobody suited perfectly for each other then you and Harry" Arthur answering the questions one by one slumped back into the chair.

At dinner later that evening, everybody ate in silence, which happens to be unusual in the Weasley household, Nobody wanted to think about the impending arranged marriages and the effects. I offered to help Molly clean the dishes once everybody rushed off to their own sanctuaries but as always she thanked me for the offer but refused any help, so with a book in hand I sought out my own Sanctuary. Ginny, Harry and Ron were up in the Sky flying, Fred and George were coming up with new products for the shop in their room, me I preferred the silence of the Orchard in the Burrows yard there was something peaceful about having the grass twine in-between my toes, the fresh smell of freesias and gerbera daises was exquisite .

I took off my shoes and let the grass run freely around my newly pedicured feet. Having spent the afternoon with a high rate Ginerva is never a pleasant experience especially when she says 'Please Hermione, me doing your nails will keep me occupied and it will keep me busy, please let me do them' The wind whistled around me in a soothing motion and gently pulled me away from my own as I sat below my favourite tree, I leant into the tree and opened my book at my bookmarked page.

Looking at the cottage I call my second home, I cant help but think if the crazy construction is held up by magic, Molly had wanted the Burrow to look exactly the same as before the war had started, it was a challenge but we managed to make it look near enough the same, give or take a chimney or two, nobody can actually remember how many they were on before.

After the war my nerves were on a high and I found comfort in the willow tree placed in the corner of the garden. From this spot everything is in view, the house, the garden and most importantly the apparition spot. I can see people come in and out of the burrow and the grounds before they have a chance of even seeing me. I suppose my sanctuary helps me feel safe so we cannot be under attack without me knowing first.

Two dark shadows crept over my book, blocking the sun from my view. I peered up to see two identical red heads standing side by side smirking down at me.

"Hermione what is a lovely lady like yourself ..." Fred started
"Doing out here all by your lonesome …" George picked up
"When you can be inside where …" Fred interrupted
"You will be in our company" and finally George finished

A laugh emitted from my chest, keeping up with the two of them can be a tricky job thankfully I have 6 years of experience.
"Sorry, I am just collecting my thoughts … What if they pair me with somebody I don't like or worse … Somebody I don't know" I looked up through my eyelashes to the twins looking uncomfortable between themselves, obviously this hadn't crossed anybody's mind yet but my own.

"Don't worry Hermione, If that happens we will elope and get away from the law" George winked at me and took my hand to help me from the ground.
"Not fair, brother mine I already thought of that" Fred pouted
"But I was the first to say it out loud so I call shotgun on the beautiful brunette" George said over his shoulder as he led me inside.

Molly rushed all of us upstairs to bed after a supper of tea and crumpets.
I got ready for bed rather robotically, I braided my hair in a bun by hand to keep my hands and mind busy as I sat up in bed.
"Gin …" I took a peek to see if she was still awake after a while
"mmm" Ginny answered shortly
"You have been quiet all afternoon, are you ok?" Ginny flung her legs over the side of her bed as I lifted my covers to allow her to come in, a comfort we found in each other when both of us became scared.

"What if they don't pair me with Harry, I couldn't love anybody nearly as much as I love him, Mione he is my world, my rock"
I smiled kindly at my best friend as a fresh set of tears rolled down her face, I began to rub her arm in what I hoped was a comfortable manner.

"Ginny, If they don't pair you two together, I swear on Merlin I will bloody marry you two myself" Ginny burst into laughter and wiped her tears away"
"Oh Hermione, what about you? You are the only one without a partner" Realisation finally dawned on my young friend.

"Ginny I am sure they will put me with some body I know, as long as it is not a Slytherin I am sure I will cope, plus they have to take into account some common ground between the betrothals surely?"

"What about Draco, I mean he has changed and you both seemed more than friendly at Bill and Fleur's wedding"

A blush crept onto my face as my mouth moved up and down like a goldfish
"Come on, everybody knew you went behind the broom shed to get a cheeky kiss" Ginny smirked knowingly
"Ok, I will admit Draco is charming and extremely handsome now he is not completely on the opposite side, but I don't think even then I could be betrothed to him"

"The evening was spent going through possible suitors we wished the other would come up with, unluckily for me Ginny wouldn't let the possibility of me and Draco being betrothed and I feel asleep with the thought praying on my mind.

**Dream**
"Morning Mudblood" Somebody cackled down at me, I rubbed my eyes with my hands tightly into fists. My eyes fluttered open at the mad demonic woman peering over at me.
"No … No ... No your dead, I watched Molly kill you myself" The older witch cackled in my face showing her yellow, rotted teeth.
"Well obviously not because I am here and unfortunately I have to get you ready for your wedding"
Bellatrix grabbed my hair and forcefully pulled me from the four poster bed and shoved me down into a chair in front of a vanity table, slowly and painfully but surely Bellatrix got me ready for the wedding I didn't plan or want … Every now and then she would rag my hair or slap me hard across my face to make me concentrate … The scene switched with me walking down the aisle, Death eaters sat on either side of the aisle's smirking up at me, some even had the audacity to shout mudblood or spit at me. I reached the end of the aisle as Draco grabbed my wrist and sneered at me.
**End Dream**

2nd September.

"Girls breakfast is ready" Molly shouted through the door. My eyes fluttered open, thankfully coming away from the awful nightmare to the birds chirping happily at the window sill and the sizzling sound of cooking bacon and sausages.
"Ginny" My hand shook her shoulder gently
"I don't want to wake up, waking up means accepting my dreaded fate" Ginny said in a dramatic way with her hand over her heart. A small smile curled at the end of her lips although it never reaches her eyes. Looking at her pale face it was evident she had just as much sleep as I had.

Ginny sat by Harry keeping close contact throughout breakfast, neither one of them knowing their fate. We moved into the living room to keep ourselves occupied by playing a game of exploding snap.
At 11.05am 6 black ministry owls, one after another flew down from the chimney and placed a letter on everybody's lap.
"Mum the execution letters have arrived" George shouted through to the kitchen were Molly bustled in from with flour in her hair.

"Right then, Harry you go first" Molly suggested, Harry as white as a ghost let go if Ginny's hand to tear open his letter.
"Oh … um … ok … Sorry Ginny … I am so sorry … You're going to have to … spend the rest of your life with me"
A small smile of relief came from everybody as Ginny squealed and practically straddled Harry's lap.

"Well that was unexpected" Fred said rolling his eyes sarcastically
"Were next Freddie" George nudged Fred
The twins tore open their letters and looked at each other
"I have Angie" Fred smiled looking over at his identical
"I am paired with Katie Bell, finally she can't reject me" George laughed heartedly.

"Ron, do you want to go next son" Ron nodded slowly and opened his letter.
"Oh no … Oh this isn't good" I peeked over his shoulder and started laughing
"Lavender is going to be heartbroken" Ron said, giving me a dirty look at me laughing
"Well who are you paired with Ronald, come on spit it out" Molly said impatiently
"Luna Lovegood" Ron's ears tinged red with embarrassment
"Hey ... that's … good … You … have … been … crushing … on … Luna … for … a … while" Harry revealed in-between kisses with Ginny
"Thanks a lot mate" Ron spat towards Harry
"Hey don't get angry with me Ron, you might as well admit you like your future wife, it's not like it's a bad thing"

"Hermione dear who have you been paired with?
Molly asked noticing my unopened letter in my hand
I slowly opened the envelope and pulled the letter out. Skipping the two printed pages on the law's requirements I looked to the bottom of the second page for a name.
Oh no there has to be a mistake, I re read the letter over again in my mind.

"Hermione is paired with me" A rough voice came from the doorway behind Molly
"Oh Charlie your home" Molly smiled up at her son
"Mmm I took a week's leave once I received my letter"
I took the time to look up from my letter to glance at Charlie who was staring at me, I gulped and put my letter back into its envelope.