Disclaimer: Don't own it. Belongs to Rowling
A/N; let me know what you think.
This is the way the world ends
This is the way the world ends
This is the way the world ends
Not with a bang but a whimper
The hollow men by T. S. Eliot
Hermione thought of herself as a reasonable person, she knew she had many flaws she wasn't blind too them. She was bossy, could nag quite a bit, had a bad habit of correcting people when they were wrong, was a bleeding heart, but her most brilliant flaw that she embraced from time to time was her vindictiveness. Hermione liked to give people second chances and always tried to look for the good in people especially the ones she loved. But when Hermione was crossed, when someone was hurting someone she cared about then the gloves were off. Just ask Rita Skeeter, Dolores Umbridge and Marietta Edgecomb, and at the time she was only trying to scare them. But this time, she was going to go beyond just scaring them in an attempt to prove a point, oh no she was going to bring them to their knees. The wizarding world was going to pay for its bigotry and racism she was going to make sure of it. They would pay.
0~0~0~0~0
Hermione was a planner, she had made plans for various scenarios throughout her life, the current plan had been forming since the end of her third year when she saw how professor Lupin had been treated. The summer before fourth year she had asked Mr. Weasley about the ministry and the wizarding population, she had asked if it was possible to get a census of hiring practices in England claiming she was just curious. What she saw had shocked her the statistics of the unemployed or those on the lower rung employment scale were made up of entirely muggle borns. Going up the chart were half blood who held entry level, some mid level jobs then the purebloods who held all the top positions and majority of middle level jobs. She had then found the laws that penalised business for hiring muggleborns and unfair taxes that were aimed at muggleborn owned business. The message was clear muggle borns didn't have a future in wizarding Britain.
Her first stop in her plan was going to be Hogwarts. Hermione made her way to the apparation point, spun on her heel and with a pop she was gone. It was a cloudless sunny day on the Scottish highlands when she arrived, Hermione didn't stop to look around with hurried steps she made her way up the castle. She had bumped in to Flinch who had given her the password to the headmistress office. Hermione was soon upon McGonagalls office door, she knocked and waited to be invited in after no response she knocked one more time before going in to the office.
Some of the portraits were asleep while others were conversing with other portraits in the room. The book that registered every magical birth in the country was placed next to the window, the quill was currently adding a new name to the book, that's what Hermione had come for. She wasn't going to steal it, no that would give away what she wanted to accomplish, she just needed to place a charm that copied every old name and new new one that appeared in the book. She knew she didn't have long before McGonagall would come back to her office, it was pure luck that Hermione had found it unoccupied. Discreetly palming her wand she cast a detection spell to see what kind of protection the book had surprisingly the only thing she detected was an anti theft charm. Hermione shook her head, wizards stupidity and arrogance never stopped amazing her. With another discreet flick of her wrist she placed the duplication charm and sat back in the chair waiting for the headmistress.
Severus had been watching her since she had entered the room, he had noticed her trying to discreetly use her wand. Anyone else would not have noticed but he wasn't just was good but he had been a spy for twenty years if he wasn't observant he would have died a long time ago.
"Miss. Granger may I ask what brings you to the headmistress office today?" drawled the silky voice of her ex potions professor. He placed the book he was pretending to read on his lap and looked down his nose at her.
"Good afternoon Master Snape," Hermione said while dipping her head in respect. "I wanted to see professor McGonagall about using the restricted section for some research." It wasn't a complete lie she did want to double check some information before she went on with her plan.
Snape couldn't detect an outright lie But he was currently a painting a shadow of his former self so he might be wrong. He picked up his book and went back pretending to read it while watching her.
Minevar had been alerted to someone entering her office, she made her way from the forbidden forest to her office to be met with the sight of one of her favourite students. Hermione asked about using the restricted section which she agreed to before they sat down to some tea to catch up on what has been happening with the school.
When Hermione left McGonagalls office her anger had been restocked. That woman had lied to her just like everyone else she had once respected had. Hermione's cloak bellowed behind her as she made her way towards the gates. The sun was setting casting an orange glow behind the forbidden forest making it appear as if it were on fire.
Promises of her having a promising future in wizarding britain rung through her head, promises made by countless teachers, "lies!" She spat out angrily. Hermione stopped in her tracks suddenly, the only teachers who hadn't ever spoken those words were Flitwick, Snape and Sloughgarn. Did they know? And if they did why didn't they tell her. She resumed her quick pace and was soon at the gates, with one last look at the castle she popped away.
Arriving at Diagon Alley, and quickly stepping behind an alley she cast a glamour charm, changing her hair and eyes. Checked her wrist watch and noted she had twenty minutes before the owl post office closed. Hermione had to get in touch with the others, but she would start small, first a few muggleborns from the DA and a select few muggleborns who she knew from Hogwarts. If they seemed receptive she would ask them to invite others to the next meeting. Hermione was going to go through with this with or without them, but she hoped they would join her.
There were a couple of people in the building, she quietly moved to an empty table that people used when filling out orders and wrote the messages she needed, placed a few security charms ensuring only the intended person read the message. Hermione stepped up to the counter and placed her twenty three envelopes on the counter and slid them to the attendant. She watched as he placed them on twenty three owl and watched them fly away. Once she was sure they were truly gone she made her way for home.
The stars were out when she arrived at the steps of Grimmuald Place. She looked for any signs of danger before letting herself in. This was where she had been staying since coming back from Australia, she had done a short stint after the war at the burrow but had needed to escape the grief surrounding Fred's death. Her and the twins had never truly been friends, she thought of them as slackers not living up to their full potential. She had seen their products at work and knew the complex magic and time that went in to their products. They had invented and perfected potions, charms and transfigurations. At the time she thought they had wasted their intellect and time on childish endeavours. She had been wrong but it was a bit late now to make amends, George had locked himself in their old room at the burrow and the only person who was allowed in was his mother and he didn't even speak to her.
" Judgemental, another flaw to add to the list," she thought as she took off her coat and placed it on the coat rack. There were voices coming from the kitchen. Hermione walked in and spotted Ron and Harry sitting at the dining table, Harry stopped talking when he spotted Hermione. Harry rubbed the back of his neck a sign on nervousness. Hermione sat next to Ron, "hey Mione."
Hermione sighed, "Ron I told you I don't like nicknames." "You okay Harry?"
"Yeah I'm fine, Hermione." Harry pushed his glasses up his nose. "Hermione I heard a rumour that the ministry passed a...marriage law."
Hermione already knew this, this is what had ignited her plans. This was what had pushed her too far. "What does it entail, what are the conditions?"
Harry rubbed the back of his neck again, looking anywhere but at Hermione. Hermione waited for Harry to tell her what she already knew, she could hear Kreacher shuffling his feet against the stone floor, the ticking of the clock on the wall. Hermione looked at Ron who was also avoiding making eye contact with her.
"We took many loses during the war and ministry doesn't think their will be enough of a population for the wizarding world do survive." Harry quickly glanced at her her before looking away immediately, "so they are implementing a marriage law, pairing muggleborns and half bloods with purebloods."
"They expect paired couples to have children within a year, and a minimum of two kids."
"How long do I have,and what happens if I refuse?" Hermione knew the answers to this questions but she wanted to see how much Harry knew and what he thought of it.
"The announcement goes out in two days...so Monday. We have three months before the ministry picks someone for you." Harry run his hands through his hair, "lack of compliance will mean, having your magic bound, memories erased and sent back to the muggle world." he finished uncomfortably.
Ron grabbed her hands and looked at her earnestly, "you have nothing to worry about Mione, I will marry you." he smiled at her, " everyone knows we were always meant to end up together."
Hermione internally sighed, this was one of the reasons why her and Ron would never work, he didn't know her. Ron wanted to marry someone like his mother and the only thing her and Molly Weasley had in common was the nagging. She turned to look at harry who was waiting for her reaction.
Hermione knew Harry better than anyone she could confidently say, and she knew Harry would be gong along with this ridiculous law. What Harry had ever wanted more than even killing Voldemort was a family. He was an unofficial son to Molly and Arthur, dating Ginny and she knew he wanted to marry her. Harry had everything he wanted and the law was just speeding things up. He had his family and she knew that he wouldn't risk it for her.
The thought hurt. Harry was terrified of losing his relationship with the Weasley's. They were the people be saw being able to help fulfil his biggest dream. Parental love from Molly and Arthur, first friends from Ron, wife and children from Ginny and siblings from the rest of the Weasley's. That's why he never came to her defence against any Weasley. Not when Ron had made her cry multiple times during their friendship, or when he had belittled her views, insulted her intelligence and bullied her. Not when Molly had given her the cold shoulder at fourteen and passive aggressively accused her of being lose. She knew she was alone in this.
"I know it's not ideal, but we will be fine, we will be officially brother and sister now," he said laughing nervously. "well you know what I mean."
"Yeah I do."
"I'm going to go to bed, see you tomorrow." she stood and kissed the boys on the cheek and exited the kitchen.
Once Harry couldn't hear Hermione's footsteps anymore he turned to Ron, "do you think she is okay?"
Ron looked at his best friend confused, "Mione? Why shouldn't she be?"
"Hermione doesn't normally like people planning her life for her and this is what the ministry is doing."
"If Hermione had a problem she would loudly let us know." Ron said as he grabbed another butterbeer.
The room was dark, she didn't even bother lighting the gas lamp in her room. She crawled under the covers fully clothed and tried holding back her tears. The room didn't hold any of her personal effects, their wasn't a single picture, an item of clothing, book or even stationery in the room. She still had everything in her beaded bag, which she carried with her at all times. One year after the war and she felt like she was still running and fighting. After the funerals hermione had left to go find her parents. She had had spent four and a half months in Australia looking for them before finding out they were dead.
Four and a half moths in which they had conducted the trials for the death eaters, snatchers and anyone who had helped Voldemort. The whole thing was just a huge farce. Hermione had read the trial postscripts. She didn't want to think of that now, Hermione squeezed her eyes shut wrapping her arms around her abdomen looking for some sort of comfort.
Hermione thought of the true reason why the marriage law was actually being put in place. Even with the losses that the muggleborns had suffered during the war, they still held the majority in the wizarding world. So when Martin McAdams had confronted and killed the ministry snatcher who had not been imprisoned for killing his muggle parents then going on to torture, rape and kill his muggleborn 19 year old ministry and wizengmot had seen the potential problem, if the muggleborns decided to go after the purebloods they didn't stand a good chance of surviving. Marrying muggleborns to purebloods and having them have children would hopefully reduce this risk. It was hard killing the mother, father of your child.
Hermione buried her face in the pillow, " This is the way the world ends, not with a bang but with a whimper," she thought as she fell asleep.
