A/N: Hey guys this is my first fic so be nice. Constructive criticism is welcome. It's a Hermione/Oliver pairing and takes place in Hermione's 7th year. Thanks so much for reading and I really really hope ya'll like it!!!
It was the first day of Hermione Grangers 7th Year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry and things were starting to become normal for the first time since she had entered the strange new world. The war was finally over, but not without costing so many people their lives and innocence. Families were still trying to pick up the pieces and move on after they buried their loved ones, while the entire Wizarding World mourned the loss of friends, heroes, and comrades. In the end, Harry had defeated Voldemort in an epic battle between good and evil killing the mass murder with the help of his two best friends and the love his parents had bestowed on him. The true loss of lives was apparent if one were to look around the Great Hall. Each house was now only half full and the eyes that stared back at you held evidence of youth that had seen more than beyond their age. But as Hermione sat at the Gryffindor table in stunned silence that morning, the semi-normalcy that everyone was starting to settle into was completely thrown out the window. The Marriage Law had actually been enacted and she had 3 months to find a "husband" or she would be banished from the one place where she truly fit in.
Being the intelligent witch she was, Hermione had already started racking her brain for possible suitors. Ron was already out of the question after an awkward month back in their 6th year where they had attempted a relationship that eventually ended in the two of them mutually agreeing that they were more like brother and sister than anything else. Harry didn't fit the rules of the Marriage Law, which stated that all Muggle-borns or Half-bloods age 18 or older must find a Pureblood suitor to marry within 3 months of either the inaction of the law or the day of their 18th birthday and then produce a child or documentation of why they could not reproduce within 1 year of the wedding date.
There had been talk for awhile about including a petition system for the purebloods to use in order to pick a Muggle-born or Half-blood of their liking, but in the end the Ministry decided that such a stipulation would be barbaric and impersonal for the parties involved. The finished rules for the law allowed for everyone to have a say in who they marriage. Hermione's thoughts were interrupted as Professor McGonagall stood to address the Hall.
"Students please, please give me your attention for a few short moments and then you may get back to the important conversations you are having about the recent front page of the Daily Profit." With this the entire hall became silent and every eye turned towards the older witch demanding their attention at the front of the room.
"Now before I address the new law that was put into effect this morning, I would like to welcome our first years to the school and wish them the best of luck with their future education. Also, I hope you are settled in and ready to start your first day of classes and the older students did not give you too much trouble on your first night in the common rooms."
With this the Professor gave a pointed look towards Harry and Ron who she already had to deal with over two pink first years and one of the Weasley twin's inventions.
A light shade of pink began to creep up Ron's neck while Harry refused to look anyone in the eyes. They hadn't meant to cause any trouble; honestly, they just wanted to welcome the young impressionable 11 year olds to the Gryffindor dormitory and have a little fun now that they didn't have the weight of the entire Wizarding World resting on their shoulders.
"Now I would like to introduce to you our new Flying Instructor, Oliver Wood. Some of you may recognize him as the Keeper of the Gryffindor Quidditch who graduated 4 years ago." With this the Gryffindor table erupted in applause.
"Please everyone give Professor Wood the respect he deserves and make him feel welcome this year." Hermione eyed Oliver with a slight hint of interest. He still looked exactly the same as he did when she was in her third year, except for maybe the fact that he had aged a few years. She pondered to herself why he was at Hogwarts when she could have sworn she read an article in the Profit about him becoming a professional Quidditch player for some team or another.
Hermione tuned back in when the Professor began talking about the Marriage Law. "Students, I know this law is going to take some getting used to and there are going to be a lot of changes around Hogwarts to accommodate those affected by it but as a school you need to stand strong and try and support your fellow classmates. The Wizarding populations took such a blow during the war and we need to ban together and rebuild. I know this law seems absurd and most of you have already gone through so much to protect our safety and wellbeing but the Ministry must ask this last thing of you to insure the survival of the Wizarding race, so to those that the law applies to, please take this seriously and choose a mate that you can best see a possible future with." And with those finale words McGonagall sat back down to finish her breakfast before the long day of classes began.
Hermione looked across the table at Harry and Ginny who were involved in a very private, yet very obvious discussion about their relationship and how it was going to be affected by the Marriage Law. Ginny was only 17, but since Harry was 18 he was not exempt and Hermione knew that the two would probably end up marrying after spending a lot of work to get Ginny's parents to agree. It wasn't that The Weasly's didn't like Harry because in actuality they loved him like a son and prayed for the day that he would become one on paper too, they just didn't want to give up their only daughter before she even graduated from Hogwarts.
Turning to her side Hermione found Ron staring at her with his mind reeling. Just one look and Hermione knew what was about to happen and wished beyond anything that what followed could be prevented. But before Hermione could even formulate a way to turn Ron's attention away from her he asked the words she dreaded he would.
"Hermione I know that things didn't work out well last year between us but we can be happy together as friends and maybe things will work out and a relationship will form." Cutting Ron off was probably the best thing Hermione could do before Ron got farther into his speech and cause a seen in the Great Hall.
"Ron, I really do love you, but I just can't ever fall in love with you. You're too much like a brother to me and that will never change. I truly am sorry, but I just can't do it. I want you to find someone that you can potentially love in the future and that isn't me. I don't want us to end up hating each other because of this law. You and Harry are my best friends and I can't put that in jeopardy. I want you to around for a really long time and I am afraid this law will change that. Thank you so much Ron for trying to be my knight in shining armor but I don't need saving. It means the world to me though to know that your there for me whenever I need you." The two friends shared a comforting hug but the one thought that ran through both their minds was where they were going to go from there now that they didn't have each other to fall back on.