A/N: Ah, yes, my first foray into Harry Potter fanfiction. I'll get better,
I promise. (I mean, it can't be THAT much harder, right?) This is dedicated
with thanks to all those writers who toil endlessly producing all the
wonderful stories I so look forward to reading. The gift you give with your
words is greatly appreciated, much more than you know.
DISCLAIMER: Hermione, Severus, Draco and all their friends belong to JK Rowling, Scholastic Books and everyone else with a copyright. I'm just letting them out to play a bit 'til the next book or movie comes out and they have to get back to their day jobs.
"Love is a feeling, Marriage is a contract, and a Relationship is work."
- Lori Gordon
Chapter 1
Hermione hummed as she strolled down the corridor to the headmaster's office. Really, this was turning out to be an absolutely wonderful year. After the fall of Voldemort at the end of the last school year, it was like a black cloud had lifted from the school. The teachers smiled again, inter house rivalries lost their deadly edge and Harry, well, Harry was free, and for the first time in his life, he could plan on a future he knew he would live to see.
And of course, she thought happily, she was Head Girl, which was no doubt why she was on her way to see Dumbledore. Since school had started last September, she'd been called to his office at least weekly for private meetings. She loved the little tea time chats where they would discuss student concerns and activities, the rebuilding of the wizarding world, and the bright future that lay before her.
"Parma Violets." Hermione dutifully recited the password to the vigilant gargoyle and stepped onto the staircase, quickly ascending to the headmaster's office. Stepping briskly out of the staircase alcove, she searched for any sign of her host. "Professor Dumbledore?"
"Ah.Miss Granger." The headmaster suddenly appeared before her, and she jumped a bit, startled despite herself. "Thank you so much for coming on such short notice. Please, come in and have a seat." She soon found herself ensconced in her usual comfortable armchair in front of his desk, surrounded by a cup of tea and a plate of tea sandwiches and sweet treats.
She sipped and nibbled, waiting politely for him to begin the conversation. When the silence dragged on, she looked up at the man sitting across the desk silently with his fingers steepled in front of him, gazing at her solemnly. What she saw almost made her heart stop.
Professor Dumbledore wasn't twinkling.
Hermione could count on one hand the number of times in the last seven years she had seen Professor Dumbledore without the patented twinkle in his eyes, and they had all had something to do with death, destruction or Voldemorte.
Her mouth suddenly dry, she struggled to swallow the bit of biscuit caught in her throat as she carefully placed her tea cup on the table next to her.
"Professor...what's wrong?" Her mind flew, considering and discarding possibilities. "Is it my parents? Has something happened to them?" She congratulated herself when her voice didn't shake, and folded her hands carefully on her lap, preparing herself for the worst.
Dumbledore leaned forward and stretched out a hand as if to banish her worries, gazing at her benevolently over the top of his glasses. "Calm yourself, child. Your parents are fine, I assure you. I asked you to come here today because we need to discuss something that concerns your future."
Hermione relaxed in her chair a bit. They'd had many long discussions concerning her future: university study vs. apprenticeship, the pros and cons of various specializations, how her talents could best be used in the coming years to help rebuild the world she had come to call her own. "What exactly did you want to discuss, sir?"
"What do you know about the new Marriage Law that was enacted by the Ministry last week?"
Hermione snorted delicately then flushed, somewhat embarrassed at letting her opinion be known in that fashion. Sitting up straight, she tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear and began to recite, unconsciously mimicking what she had done a thousand times in the classroom. "The "Preservation of the Wizarding Population Act", commonly called "The Marriage Law," was enacted by the Ministry of Magic in response to the recent loss of life resulting from the fall of Voldemorte, and to address concerns raised by the recent study by researchers at St. Mungo's regarding the low birth rate, high infant mortality rate and dramatic rise in the number of squibs within the wizarding population. The Ministry determined that the best way to insure a strong, healthy increase in the population was to make sure that individuals of child bearing age were given an incentive to have children, and that the best way to insure that those children would be born healthy and with demonstrable magical ability was to eliminate the inbreeding that has been the hallmark of wizarding society. The Act therefore states that all males and females currently between the ages of eighteen and fifty who were not married or betrothed by magical binding on the effective date of the Act must marry within six months, or within six months of turning eighteen. Wizards and witches of pure blood families must marry a wizard or witch of muggle or half-muggle extraction, and all marriages will remain intact, the individuals magically bound, until at least two children are born of the union; after the birth of the second child, marriages may be dissolved in accordance with wizarding law. A list of all eligible wizards and witches in the age range cited in the Act will be updated weekly, and access to that list and pertinent biographical data will be granted to all individuals on the list as well as their family Head of House. All offers of marriage must be made through the Ministry, and wizards and witches with multiple offers received within 14 working days of each other will be given the option of choosing their spouse from the offers approved by the Ministry. Refusal to comply with the law will result in the immediate confiscation of the wand belonging to the individual in question and the revocation of all magical licences and permits issued by the Ministry."
Hermione sat back, pleased with her memory. "Did I forget anything, sir?"
Dumbledore chuckled, and a shadow of a twinkle reappeared in his eyes. "No, Miss Granger, as usual, your grasp of the facts was thorough and your recounting concise."
She smiled. "I am, for obvious reasons, particularly interested in the Marriage Law; all the seventh years are. Believe me, I'm not the only one totally incensed that the Ministry sees fit to treat us like breeding stock! But Ron, Harry and I got an owl from Mr. Weasley the day the Act was passed, and he assured us that people within the Ministry are working night and day to put an end to it, and that with all the opposition that has come forward, it won't last more than the six months it takes to get a law repealed."
The headmaster sighed. "Yes. Well. Much can happen in six months, I'm afraid." He removed a roll of parchment from somewhere in his voluminous robes and slid it across the desk towards her. "This arrived for you this morning."
Hermione stood and reached for the parchment, puzzled. Her breath caught as she turned it in her hands and recognized the official seal of the Ministry of Magic. She broke the seal and opened it carefully, read it over quickly, then dropped into the chair behind her and reread it again, slowly. "I don't understand. This can't be correct. I can't be on the Marriage Eligibility List! I won't be 18 until September!
"I am afraid, Miss Granger, that that is not quite accurate. Though you will, indeed, celebrate your 18th birthday this coming September, you were eighteen years old as of yesterday."
"But - " Dumbledore held up a hand and Hermione cut off the rest of her protest.
"You remember the Time Turner you used your third year, do you not, Miss Granger? It seems you did more than simply add a few hours a day for your classes. According to the Ministry, which automatically keeps track of such things, you managed to add almost 8 months to your life."
Hermione's eyes opened wide in surprise. "Oh. I didn't think...I didn't know I had used it that much. I just needed to study more, there was so much homework with all the extra classes, so much I wanted to research.. ." She thought over the ramifications of this new bit of news, and shook her head. "Nevertheless, this is ridiculous! They can't change a person's age just like that! What if I had used my Time Turner to somehow go back in time? Would they have deducted from my age?"
Dumbledore chuckled. "No, my dear, I'm afraid not. Though you certainly raise an interesting point, I am afraid it is moot. You know the rules regarding time travel. No one is allowed to use a Time Turner to go back in the past; it is forbidden. The fact remains that according to Ministry records you are, indeed, eighteen, and therefore subject to the Act."
Hermoine placed the Ministry notice carefully on the edge of his desk and took a deep breath. "Okay, I'm on the list. But that doesn't mean anything. The Act should still be repealed before my six months is up. It's not like I've received an actual offer."
Her eyes widened as Dumbledore pulled out another parchment and slid it across the desk towards her. "This arrived for you an hour ago. I am afraid, Miss Granger, that in addition to your sterling academic achievements, you have achieved a certain amount of notoriety thanks to your part in the unhappy events of last spring. I expect you will be receiving quite a few offers in the coming days, and that this is merely the first of many."
Hermoine stared at the offending parchment in horror for a long moment before her Gryffindor courage surfaced and she reached out and snatched it up. Opening it, she scanned the contents quickly.
"Do you know what this is!?!" Hermione's cheeks had flushed pink, creating bright spots of colour on her otherwise pale countenance. "It's an offer of marriage from that arrogant git, Draco Malfoy!"
DISCLAIMER: Hermione, Severus, Draco and all their friends belong to JK Rowling, Scholastic Books and everyone else with a copyright. I'm just letting them out to play a bit 'til the next book or movie comes out and they have to get back to their day jobs.
"Love is a feeling, Marriage is a contract, and a Relationship is work."
- Lori Gordon
Chapter 1
Hermione hummed as she strolled down the corridor to the headmaster's office. Really, this was turning out to be an absolutely wonderful year. After the fall of Voldemort at the end of the last school year, it was like a black cloud had lifted from the school. The teachers smiled again, inter house rivalries lost their deadly edge and Harry, well, Harry was free, and for the first time in his life, he could plan on a future he knew he would live to see.
And of course, she thought happily, she was Head Girl, which was no doubt why she was on her way to see Dumbledore. Since school had started last September, she'd been called to his office at least weekly for private meetings. She loved the little tea time chats where they would discuss student concerns and activities, the rebuilding of the wizarding world, and the bright future that lay before her.
"Parma Violets." Hermione dutifully recited the password to the vigilant gargoyle and stepped onto the staircase, quickly ascending to the headmaster's office. Stepping briskly out of the staircase alcove, she searched for any sign of her host. "Professor Dumbledore?"
"Ah.Miss Granger." The headmaster suddenly appeared before her, and she jumped a bit, startled despite herself. "Thank you so much for coming on such short notice. Please, come in and have a seat." She soon found herself ensconced in her usual comfortable armchair in front of his desk, surrounded by a cup of tea and a plate of tea sandwiches and sweet treats.
She sipped and nibbled, waiting politely for him to begin the conversation. When the silence dragged on, she looked up at the man sitting across the desk silently with his fingers steepled in front of him, gazing at her solemnly. What she saw almost made her heart stop.
Professor Dumbledore wasn't twinkling.
Hermione could count on one hand the number of times in the last seven years she had seen Professor Dumbledore without the patented twinkle in his eyes, and they had all had something to do with death, destruction or Voldemorte.
Her mouth suddenly dry, she struggled to swallow the bit of biscuit caught in her throat as she carefully placed her tea cup on the table next to her.
"Professor...what's wrong?" Her mind flew, considering and discarding possibilities. "Is it my parents? Has something happened to them?" She congratulated herself when her voice didn't shake, and folded her hands carefully on her lap, preparing herself for the worst.
Dumbledore leaned forward and stretched out a hand as if to banish her worries, gazing at her benevolently over the top of his glasses. "Calm yourself, child. Your parents are fine, I assure you. I asked you to come here today because we need to discuss something that concerns your future."
Hermione relaxed in her chair a bit. They'd had many long discussions concerning her future: university study vs. apprenticeship, the pros and cons of various specializations, how her talents could best be used in the coming years to help rebuild the world she had come to call her own. "What exactly did you want to discuss, sir?"
"What do you know about the new Marriage Law that was enacted by the Ministry last week?"
Hermione snorted delicately then flushed, somewhat embarrassed at letting her opinion be known in that fashion. Sitting up straight, she tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear and began to recite, unconsciously mimicking what she had done a thousand times in the classroom. "The "Preservation of the Wizarding Population Act", commonly called "The Marriage Law," was enacted by the Ministry of Magic in response to the recent loss of life resulting from the fall of Voldemorte, and to address concerns raised by the recent study by researchers at St. Mungo's regarding the low birth rate, high infant mortality rate and dramatic rise in the number of squibs within the wizarding population. The Ministry determined that the best way to insure a strong, healthy increase in the population was to make sure that individuals of child bearing age were given an incentive to have children, and that the best way to insure that those children would be born healthy and with demonstrable magical ability was to eliminate the inbreeding that has been the hallmark of wizarding society. The Act therefore states that all males and females currently between the ages of eighteen and fifty who were not married or betrothed by magical binding on the effective date of the Act must marry within six months, or within six months of turning eighteen. Wizards and witches of pure blood families must marry a wizard or witch of muggle or half-muggle extraction, and all marriages will remain intact, the individuals magically bound, until at least two children are born of the union; after the birth of the second child, marriages may be dissolved in accordance with wizarding law. A list of all eligible wizards and witches in the age range cited in the Act will be updated weekly, and access to that list and pertinent biographical data will be granted to all individuals on the list as well as their family Head of House. All offers of marriage must be made through the Ministry, and wizards and witches with multiple offers received within 14 working days of each other will be given the option of choosing their spouse from the offers approved by the Ministry. Refusal to comply with the law will result in the immediate confiscation of the wand belonging to the individual in question and the revocation of all magical licences and permits issued by the Ministry."
Hermione sat back, pleased with her memory. "Did I forget anything, sir?"
Dumbledore chuckled, and a shadow of a twinkle reappeared in his eyes. "No, Miss Granger, as usual, your grasp of the facts was thorough and your recounting concise."
She smiled. "I am, for obvious reasons, particularly interested in the Marriage Law; all the seventh years are. Believe me, I'm not the only one totally incensed that the Ministry sees fit to treat us like breeding stock! But Ron, Harry and I got an owl from Mr. Weasley the day the Act was passed, and he assured us that people within the Ministry are working night and day to put an end to it, and that with all the opposition that has come forward, it won't last more than the six months it takes to get a law repealed."
The headmaster sighed. "Yes. Well. Much can happen in six months, I'm afraid." He removed a roll of parchment from somewhere in his voluminous robes and slid it across the desk towards her. "This arrived for you this morning."
Hermione stood and reached for the parchment, puzzled. Her breath caught as she turned it in her hands and recognized the official seal of the Ministry of Magic. She broke the seal and opened it carefully, read it over quickly, then dropped into the chair behind her and reread it again, slowly. "I don't understand. This can't be correct. I can't be on the Marriage Eligibility List! I won't be 18 until September!
"I am afraid, Miss Granger, that that is not quite accurate. Though you will, indeed, celebrate your 18th birthday this coming September, you were eighteen years old as of yesterday."
"But - " Dumbledore held up a hand and Hermione cut off the rest of her protest.
"You remember the Time Turner you used your third year, do you not, Miss Granger? It seems you did more than simply add a few hours a day for your classes. According to the Ministry, which automatically keeps track of such things, you managed to add almost 8 months to your life."
Hermione's eyes opened wide in surprise. "Oh. I didn't think...I didn't know I had used it that much. I just needed to study more, there was so much homework with all the extra classes, so much I wanted to research.. ." She thought over the ramifications of this new bit of news, and shook her head. "Nevertheless, this is ridiculous! They can't change a person's age just like that! What if I had used my Time Turner to somehow go back in time? Would they have deducted from my age?"
Dumbledore chuckled. "No, my dear, I'm afraid not. Though you certainly raise an interesting point, I am afraid it is moot. You know the rules regarding time travel. No one is allowed to use a Time Turner to go back in the past; it is forbidden. The fact remains that according to Ministry records you are, indeed, eighteen, and therefore subject to the Act."
Hermoine placed the Ministry notice carefully on the edge of his desk and took a deep breath. "Okay, I'm on the list. But that doesn't mean anything. The Act should still be repealed before my six months is up. It's not like I've received an actual offer."
Her eyes widened as Dumbledore pulled out another parchment and slid it across the desk towards her. "This arrived for you an hour ago. I am afraid, Miss Granger, that in addition to your sterling academic achievements, you have achieved a certain amount of notoriety thanks to your part in the unhappy events of last spring. I expect you will be receiving quite a few offers in the coming days, and that this is merely the first of many."
Hermoine stared at the offending parchment in horror for a long moment before her Gryffindor courage surfaced and she reached out and snatched it up. Opening it, she scanned the contents quickly.
"Do you know what this is!?!" Hermione's cheeks had flushed pink, creating bright spots of colour on her otherwise pale countenance. "It's an offer of marriage from that arrogant git, Draco Malfoy!"