AN: Hello new readers, I hope you enjoy. I am trying to make the characters as true to form as possible, but as you know, its fanfiction, so there is bound to be some deviation. Anywho, the characters and the plot and the universe is not mine.
Hermione gathered around the too-quiet table at the Weasley residence. She had woken up late, she knew by how bright the sun was through the small window opposite the fire place. Hermione stayed up late packing the night before. The horcrux hunt was all too soon, she knew, and she wanted to be ready. Ron and Harry were big-picture guys, which want Hermione was left with all the details.
She carefully set her beaded bag on the table. The expansion charm was good enough, by her own standards, but her stabilization charm… She didn't want to risk anything quite yet, especially because she had many volatile potions in breakable glass bottles.
Hermione jerked herself out of her thoughts and realized everyone was staring at her.
"Oh no, did the Order's headquarters get attacked?"
Ron shook his head and handed the Daily Prophet to her reluctantly. She looked at the front page, and she knew her face resembled all those gathered at the table.
Pure-blood/Half-blood Muggleborn Marriage Law
By Rita Skeeter
A shock came this morning when the Wizengamot passed the Muggleborn Marriage Law early this morning. Scraping by on a 61-60 vote, this new law will change every unmarried witch and wizard's life.
"A month from today," states Lucious Malfoy, the head of the committee which formed this law, "every Muggleborn witch or wizard over the age of 17 must be married to a pure-blood or half-blood." Various ministry officials state this law is a necessary evil needed to combat falling birth rates. Though no form of the law has been released yet, a source on the Wizengamot says that there will be "mandatory copulation a year after the date of marriage."
The couples will be chosen by the Ministry of Magic on July 7th, however, all Muggleborns affected by this law must report to the ministry by July 4th in order to be tagged…
Hermione's vision went blurry and she was no longer able to read the horribly written article, not that she expected much from Rita Skeeter. She sucked in her breath and squeezed her eyes shut. She had not cried in front of anyone since first year.
The young woman turned her eyes to Ron, who had a hard look on his face. He returned her gaze and his eyes held the same pain as hers.
"What are we going to do?" Mrs. Weasley asked to the air.
Her question broke the silence as thirteen voices all rang out in outrage. Harry, Hermione and Ron all looked at each other before silently slipping away from the bustle of people shouting around the table. They headed up to the attic, where Harry and Ron were sleeping for the time being.
"They can't do this to us!" Harry shouted.
With this exclamation, Hermione quickly cast "muffliato" so no prying ears could hear their conversation. She turned to Harry, who looked distressed. Then she remembered. Ginny was a pure blood.
"I'm so sorry Harry," she said, reaching out to hug him.
All three of them collapsed into a pile on the floor. Hermione could tell all three of them were holding back tears.
"You could run away," Hermione told him.
"But I can't , I have a responsibility to stay and fight Voldemort."
"Why are they doing this, birth rates aren't falling that fast, I mean, look at my family," Ron stated.
Hermione thought for a moment.
"That was most obviously a lie," She paused briefly, "It's obviously to keep track of muggleborns, hence the trackers, and I'm guessing registration will come along with it. I expect that they have calculated they will win within a year's time, that's why you don't have to copulate until then, and then muggleborns will be easy to find and subsequently kill."
"But the whole marriage thing doesn't make any sense. Why do it? It complicates things even more."
"Even if the government is corrupt, there still needs to be a precedent for the law, it makes it easier to pass. There's never been any registration for Muggleborns, but there have been marriage laws, three in fact, where the women were forced to register so they couldn't fee the country," Hermione responded, looking at harry, "In any case, you don't have to worry, Harry, Your birthday isn't until the end of the month, so I'm sure that you'll be exempt, at least for now."
Harry tried not to smile at this, knowing his two best friends were actually affected by this. He looked between the two of them, looked back at Ron, then gave a quick excuse, something about finding Ginny, and left the attic.
Ron turned to her and took a deep breath.
"This is the wrong time, I know. And I know I'm messed up, and I have jealousy issues, and I have been a finicky friend in the past, but Hermione Granger, I am in love with you, and I have been since third year. You're the brightest, most beautiful, and the most compassionate person I've ever met," He pulled out a small box and inside was a ring, "After this whole war was over, and if we were both still alive, I was going to propose to you. I cant live without you, Hermione, I really cant," his voice caught, "I know the odds are stacked up against us being paired together, but I just wanted you to know how I feel, and what I wanted for us."
Hermione's eyes were almost spilling over with tears. She took the ring out of the box and examined it. There wasn't a stone, but it was a real gold band. It must have cost Ron everything he had. She slipped it onto her left hand's ring finger and looked up at Ron, who was crying freely.
"I guess you do have more emotional range than a teaspoon," She blurted out.
Her and Ron both burst out into a hysterical laughter. A couple minutes later, when they had calmed down, Hermione looked into his eyes and took a deep breath.
"I love you too, Ron. I always have."
Hermione laid back on the blanket and looked up at the stars. Ron followed her suit and put his head next to hers, grabbing her hand.
"Harry and I are still going to go."
"I know," Hermione softly answered.
"You cant come, can you?" He asked.
"Everyone knows who I am, they'll avada me on sight."
"Yeah…" Ron trailed off.
"I thought you were in love with lavender brown," Hermione said, desperately trying to change the subject, "She broke up with you and you seemed so down about it."
"Well, you see," Ron sputtered. Hermione could tell he had turned tomato red without even looking at him. "Just after Viktor Crum,"
"That was two years ago!"
"And I saw you snogging Cormac under the mistletoe toe."
"That was after you and her got together," Hermione interjected.
"Let me speak, woman," He said with a laugh, "I just wanted you to see that people were interested in me. That maybe if a girl was willing to smog me, you would too."
Hermione propped herself up on her elbow and looked at him.
"This is coming from the person who didn't realize I was a girl until the day before the Yule Ball!"
"Hey! I didn't say it was the best plan."
"Hey Hermione," Hermione said, doing a bad impersonation of Ron, "You're a girl, right?"
She broke into giggles at her own joke.
"You asked me if I was a girl, like you didn't even know."
"I was thick, alright? I was thick, and blind and stupid, to not see what was right in front of me."
She kissed him on the cheek.
"You said you've loved me since third year, that was fourth year."
"I realize now I've loved you since then, silly."
Hermione leaned over and planted a solid kiss on his lips. She pulled back and looked worriedly into his eyes. Then he pulled down by the back of her neck and crap she'd her lips onto his.
"Ouch,"Hermione whispered.
"Here, let me kiss it better," the red-head replied.
They awkwardly kissed for a couple minutes. It was too hard and too wet, but in the moment, to Hermione, it was perfect. Once she was feeling more comfortable, she grabbed Ron's hands and pulled them up to her breasts.
"Hermione!" He exclaimed.
She pulled back, the courage she had felt before crumbled and she looked down.
"I'm sorry Ron, I thought that maybe we could," She blushed violently, "Never mind."
"No Hermione, wait," He grabbed her chin and moved her head so he was looking into her eyes, "I've never done this before—"
"What about lavender?"
"No not lavender," He shook his head, "I know I want this, but I only just told you how I feel. I mean I've fantasized about this—" He cringed at his wording but fumbled on, "For a long time, and I don't know if you have, and I just don't want you to regret this, and I just want you to be sure, because I cant do this and then have you be awkward with me for the rest of my life. I need you, hermione."
"That was the sweetest run-on sentence I've ever heard. Ronald Weasley, look at me. I've never done something that I haven't wanted to. I want you."
With that Ron's lips pressed against ear her own. One hand gently grabbed her breast and the other pulled her on top of him. She straddled him, rocking her hips back and forth across his erection. Their shirts were removed in a breathless frenzy. Ron's hands rubbed against her skin. She rolled off of him, much to Ron's displeasure, eager to get to the act. She pulled off her pants and underwear, as well as unhooked her bra.
Ron looked at her pale skin in the light of the waning moon with wide eyes. He stripped off the rest of his clothes and awkwardly climbed on top of her. Even in the dim light, she could tell he was blushing and struggling to find his words.
"You look magnificent, Hermione," he finally got out before kissing her once again.
He lined up his erection to her entrance and thrust in. She let out a cry and he froze.
"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry," He started to pull out.
"No no, its ok, just go slow,"
And he did just that. In the middle of an abandoned field with the burrow just out of sight and all the stars in the heavens shinning down upon them, they consummated their love.
The whole ordeal lasted about twenty minutes, after which Hermione promptly fell asleep. Ron was slightly embarrassed, but Hermione didn't seem to mind. He looked down at her sleeping form, his heart filled with happiness.
In the back of his mind, he knew that they weren't going to be paired together, but he did know one thing, even if she was married to someone else, even if they both moved on, they would always have this, and she would always be his Hermione.
He looked at the moon. It was well past midnight and they couldn't stay out here all night. He gently shook her awake.
"Come on Hermione, love. Let's head back."