Tap…Tap…Tap…Tap. I awoke with a start, my vision blurry from sleep. Groggily looking around for the source of insistent noise, I finally spotted it by the window. Standing up and shuffling across the room, I cracked open the window just enough for the owl to hop in. A beautiful red barn owl, scooted into my room. The owl wasn`t one I recognized, and then I spotted the Ministry of Magic seal on the letter attached to the owls leg. Carefully detaching the letter from the owl, I broke the seal.
Dear Ms. Rebecca Harrison,
The Ministry would like to inform you of a new law passed that affects you. Due to recent decline in population as a result of the war, The Minister of Magic, Kingsley Shacklebolt, along with the Wizgamot have decided that in order to maintain our Wizarding population to what it once was, a Marriage Law is in Order. Due to the amount of people who died in the war, we have allotted that you and your fiancée are to have 3 kids.
The name of your betrothed as of now is "Mr. Fredrick Gideon Weasley."
As a reminder of the law and its intentions, your wand and others around you will be tracked. Any spells that prevent the birth of a child or prevent their partner or themselves from having intimate relations will be punishable by trial. Those of which that refuse the marriage will have their powers stripped and wands snapped, and either sent to Azkaban or have their memories erased and sent to the Muggle world.
You MUST conceive and birth a child at the maximum of two years after marriage. You're marriage date must be before "January 1st" of next year. Divorce is not allowed, nor is it permitted for one to cheat. It is advised you get acquainted with your fiancé as soon as possible and become comfortable with life as a couple.
The Ministry has provided you with a match that you know well and based on your personality profiles completed in your sixth year of schooling. Good luck to you and we wish you a Happy Marriage.
Hope you are well,
Maria Thompson
Department of Marriage and Couple Affairs.
"Damn, Damn, Damn, Damn-"
`Ello, I`m Rebecca Harrison, but I prefers to be called Bex. I figured before I told you about my… unfortunate marriage (well it didn`t turn out unfortunate, but the process in which I got married was.) It would be nice for you to get to know me a little. So here it goes! I`m a little small…
Okay I`m really small, like we`re talking 5'2 and barely making it a that. I`ve chocolate brown hair that hits right around my butt and takes a full ten minutes to brush in the morning (Or it did before I realized, in my 7th year mind you, that I could just use magic to undo the knots. I know, I know I`m a genius!) Unlike both my parents I`m extremely tan, but then again I`m adopted, so who knows what genes I have! My parents adopted me from America when I was eight! They were brilliant to me and spoiled me to death! Shipped me off to Hogwarts when I was 11 and I was homesick for the first 3 months. I begged them to let me come home, but they said stick it out till the ends of the year and if I still hated it then I could be homeschooled. Two weeks later I met Ginny Weasley and we became immediate best friends!
Then when I turned 15 my parents were murdered by a group of Deatheaters on Christmas Eve. You see they were Aurors, my parents and damn good ones at that, they spent their lives saving people, but in the end no one was there to save them. I was away at the tie it happened, spending Christmas Eve at the burrow with Weasley`s (by then I had spent huge chunks of the summer and Christmas vacation at their house and I was friends with the whole family.) When I got the news I cried and cried, blaming myself. I became very withdrawn my 6t year of Hogwarts, it didn`t help that Voldemort took over the school. I barley spoke to anyone and drifted through classes, almost unaware of the horrors going on around me. No you may be asking, well what you up? The answer to that would be the war. Yes it took a whole bloody war to pull me out of my self-pity. As soon as I saw all of my friends rushing out to defend our school, it was like a slap in the face. I immediately jumped in helping wherever I could and in the end we won.
Now, 4 years later, I live in a three bedroom flat with my best friend Ginny and my other best friend Hermione Granger (the second part of the Golden Trio, or if you talk to Ron she`s the third part.) Ginny and I opened a dress shop in Diagon Alley right next to Fred and George`s Joke shop. It was Ginny`s genius idea to set up there. She said we would get customers that were coming out of their store. I was against the idea at first, but once our business got started and we were making tons of money I had to apologize and tell her she was right (which she made me repeat several agonizing times times for her enjoyment.) So there you go now you know all about me and I can continue on with my story! Where was I… Oh yeah!
"Damn, Damn, Damn, Damn-" I was cut off by my bedroom door opening and my best friend and flat mate Ginny Weasley leaned against my door frame. "I see you got your letter then?" She asked, a smile playing across her lips.
"HOW THE HEL ARE YOU SMILING?" I bellowed at her, then it clicked, "You and Harry are engaged and they aren`t tearing apart engaged couples, are they?"
"Yep." Ginny said still smiling infuriatingly.
"I hate you." I muttered, pushing past her into the small living area.
"No you don`t." Ginny sing-songed, then she became serious, "Mum wants everyone at the burrow as soon as they receive their letters, so we can discuss are matches and wedding plans." She made a face.
"Okay is Hers up?" I asked heading towards the fireplace, and snatching the floo powder off the shelf (I hated apparating).
"She spent the night at Ron`s and her letter hasn`t arrived, so I assume they sent it to his place."
In nodded in response, "I bet they`re matched as well, the ministry wouldn`t dare break up part of the Golden Trio." I said, with a little bit of bitterness in my tone. Ginny didn't say anything, so assumed she either agreed with me or what she had to say wasn`t the nicest thing. Probably the latter.
Taking a pinch of floo powder in my fingers, I ducked into the fire place, "The Burrow." I said clearly and was instantly pulled through the floo system. The fire place at the Burrow spit me out onto the rug. Immediately began hacking up a mouth full of ash.
"You know you're supposed to close your mouth when you use the floo." A familiar voice said above me. I rolled over, so that I could see the person to whom the voice belonged to. "CHARLIE!" I exclaimed, jumping up and hugging the second eldest Weasley.
"I missed you." Charlie said hugging me tighter. Charlie had been like an older brother to me, as well as most of the other Weasley boys, but Charlie more so than the others. I remembered seeing him for a moth every summer and we would play pranks on Fred and George and put dung bombs in Percy`s room and basically have blast!
"Why are you here." I asked him, when we finally stopped hugging.
"The Marriage Law." He reminded me and I groaned.
"Who`s you "match?" I questioned him curiously, wondering if it was someone I knew. But at that moment the twins apparated into the room, as well as Ginny, Harry, with 4 year old Teddy Lupin in his arms, Ron and Hermione and our conversation was interrupted by the loud greetings. Normally I would have hugged both Fred and George, but I hung back.
Mrs. Weasley swept into the room a few minutes later, with Fleur by her side. In Fleur`s arms was 3 year old Victoire. At the site of Teddy, Vic slipped out of her mothers arm and ran over to him. The two children joined hands and ran off into the house, causing who knows what trouble.
"Alright everyone, settle down." Mrs. Weasley ordered un-necessarily, as everyone had fallen silent when she entered the room. "I figure we`ll announce are matches one by one in order of age."
"Youngest to oldest?" Charlie asked hopefully, looking pleadingly at this mother. She just smiled and shook her head. Sighing Charlie opened his rolled up letter and double checked the name, "Katie Bell." He announced.
"We know her." Fred, George, Ginny, Harry, Ron, Hermione and I said simultaneously.
"Wasn`t she the girl that got poisoned by that necklace in your sixth year?" Charlie question Ron, Harry and Hermione.
"Ya, she was on the quidditch team with us as well. Damn good chaser to." Fred said vehemently.
Tucking his paper into the back pocket of his jean, Charlie smirked at George, "Your turn mate."
Not looking in the least bit fazed, George didn`t even unroll his piece of parchment, "Angelina Johnson."
"Awesome." Fred congratulated his brother, not even fazed that his twin was marrying his ex-girlfriend, "You two`ll drive each other bonkers." He added grinning and patting George on the back, "Mum can I wait till the end to share my match?" he asked his mother. I winced, then it wasn`t a mistake, I was really matched to Fred.
"Oh bloody hell." I muttered under my breath
"Of Course Dear." Mrs. Weasley told him.
"But that`s not fair mum!" Charlie exclaimed, sounding like an angry two year old.
"Life`s not fair." Mrs. Weasley answered her eldest son, sending the rest of the group into laughter. "Alright, settle down!" Mrs. Weasley told everyone, "Ronald it`s your turn."
Ron smiled at Hermione and wrapped his arm around her shoulder, "We`re matched." He told his mum. Making Mrs. Weasley grin and everyone else cheer.
"You lucky bastard." Fred told his youngest brother jokingly and I agreed with my husband to be (bleh) completely.
Everyone`s eyes were on Harry and Ginny now, waiting for the news we all expected, but it was Hermione who posed the question, "Are you two…?"
"Of course we are." Ginny rolled her eyes, "The Ministry wouldn`t dare take away the one thing that makes their Golden Boy happy."
"Well I wouldn't say one thing…" Harry teased and Ginny smacked him, hard, on the arm, "I`m mean, of course the one thing Dear." He corrected himself quickly and Ginny smiled happily.
"C`mon Bex it`s your turn now, tell us who the lucky guy who gets to marry you is." George coaxed.
"Ya so we can beat him to a bloody pulp." Charlie added, menacingly. I saw Fred gulp put of the corner of my eye and a smile played across my lips
"Well you see it`s actually kind of-" but I was cut off, for the second time today I might I add, by Fred dropping to his knee in front of me and saying.
"Rebecca Andrews," Which wasn`t the best way to start, I hate people using my full name, "I`ve known you since you were a scrawny, tinier then you are now first year (not helping his case.) and I`ve treated you like a little sister since then. Playing pranks on you, teasing you, threatening guys who might have even had the single slightest interest in you and now due to this stupid law I`m going to marry you. So will you please do me and yourself a favor and marry me?" I stared at him.
"Is that your proposal?' I asked skeptically, "Really? You expect me to marry someone who called me "scrawny" and "tiny" and on top of that you used my first name!"
"I personally believe it was brilliant!" Fred said and George nodded in agreement.
"Ya well you were damn wrong and I expect a proper proposal, one with out insults. Some time in the future!" Sighing I extended my hand, so my fiance could slip the ring onto my finger, "Yes I will marry you Fredrick Weasley." I motioned, "Not like I have much of choice."
Ginny was staring at me, 'Your marrying my brother?" She asked incredulously, "You`re gonna be my sister." She squealed, her voice rising in pitch with each word.
"Gin, can you please not make us go deaf." Ron said, taking a step away from his sister and rubbing his ear.
"What am I chopped liver?" Hermione joked and all three of us hugged.
"I guess I am." I said, smiling slightly, "Pity I have to go through such drastic measures to accomplish that goal."
"Aww admit it you love the fact that you get to marry a hottie like me." Fred said coming up behind me and attempting to wrap his arms around me. I darted away.
"Try that again and I`ll hex you, Dearest." I said, in a sickeningly sweet tone of voice. Fred laughed, but he still took a hasty step backwards.
"Time to talk wedding plans!" Mrs. Weasley announced, "Anyone who`s fiance is not here, you can go." I noticed a very large planer in her arms, that had not been there before, "Fred and Bex. You`re up first.
I gulped and headed into the lions den.