DISCLAIMER: I do not own anything associated with Harry Potter that all belongs to the amazing JK Rowling, however the plot is mine (with some inspiration from the other fanfictions on this site) but I do not make any money from this.

Author's Note: This is my first fan fiction so please review and let me know your opinion on my story as it is for you that I write it.

Chapter One – The Headline

Hermione Granger was sprawled out over the floor in front of the fire in the Gryffindor common room surrounded by various tomes and notebooks filled to the brim with her neat handwriting. The seven fifth year Gryffindors sat in the corner kept shooting the clever witch evil glares as they struggled to complete their homework squashed around a small desk. Hermione checked over the last few paragraphs of her potions essay that had been set only hours ago, smiled at her completed work and picked up the Daily Prophet that had been left on an armchair. Harry and Ron clattered in through portrait hole as they returned from Quidditch practice, leaving a mess of mud, leaves and other debris in their wake. Ron chewed on a liquorice stick and offered one to Hermione as he collapsed into the armchair closest to the fire.

"Ron!" Hermione moaned and tried to wipe off the clumps of mud that Ron had sprayed all over her homework.

"Sorry 'mione." Ron said as he yawned, revealing to everyone his liquorice-gummed up teeth. Hermione shuddered in disgust at the fact that only three hours ago she had kissed the very same mouth, something she did nearly every day but with each day the decision to officially become Ron's girlfriend seemed to get more and more undesirable as Ron unwittingly revealed another flaw or 'quirk' as Hermione had forced herself to call them.

Harry saw the look Hermione had tried to cover up as she laid eyes upon Ron; a look of disgust. Harry remembered when that look had been one filled with love, kindness and possibility but since they had started to date, Ron had let himself go and shown Hermione the side of him Harry had known all along and this side didn't seem to agree with Hermione.

"What are you up to over the Christmas holidays Hermione?" Harry asked as he slid into the armchair opposite Ron.

"I was thinking of spending Christmas at Hogwarts this year. My mum and dad are in France visiting my aunt and uncle and so I thought, as I haven't spent Christmas at school before, I would stay here." Hermione said as she put down the newspaper and began to clear away her homework that still littered the floor.

"Why don't you come to The Burrow?" Ron asked grinning.

"Thank-you very much for the offer but I think that I will use the free time I have to explore the Hogwarts library. There is so much I want to read before we finish school and I just don't have enough time." Hermione laughed a little nervously. She really didn't want to spend the whole Christmas break with Ron, he would snort loudly at her jokes, he would charm mistletoe to follow her around and ,god forbid, he would expect more than kisses on their first Christmas together as a couple, but Hermione wasn't ready for that yet.

"Not even Christmas day at mine?" Ron pleaded.

"Maybe. I'll think about it. There's still three weeks left before the holidays anyway." Hermione said. She gathered up the rest of the parchment on the floor and turned to walk up to her prefects private bedroom.

"Hermione." Harry called after her. Hermione turned to look at Harry. "Have you finished with this newpaper?"

"Yes. I haven't read it, I was going to but I was interrupted by you two goons." Hermione teased, winking.

"Oh, haha." Harry replied sarcastically whilst Ron looked confused trying to work out what a 'goon' was.

Hermione walked up the stairs, skilfully balancing a mountain of parchment in her arms. She walked through her portrait hole after stating her password and dumped her homework on the desk that stood underneath the window. Hermione stared out the window at the black figure that stalked across the snow towards the lake. She knew that the figure was that of her potions professor, Severus Snape. Each day, come rain, shine, snow or sleet, Snape would stalk around the south side of the lake. Occasionally he would reach down and pick something up, Hermione could only guess he was collecting ingredients for his potions store. Once in a blue moon he would be accompanied by another professor, mostly Minerva McGonagall, but whenever this happened he walked so fast that whichever professor was brave enough to stand his constant sour mood had trouble keeping up with him and more often than not turned and walked in the other direction leaving him in the peace he seemed to crave so much.

Hermione was interrupted from her thoughts by a knocking at her portrait hole.

"Who is it?" Hermione called, she didn't want another episode of when she had assumed the caller had been Ginny and had called 'come in' and she had walked out of the bathroom dressed in a towel to find Colin Creevey sat on her bed snapping photos of her.

"Harry."

"Harry? What are you doing in the girls wing?" Hermione asked as she let him in to her room.

"Look." Harry shoved the newspaper Hermione had neglected to read earlier under her nose.

"What?" Hermione asked a little startled. Harry opened the newspaper and held it up in front of Hermione's face for her to read.

"MINISTRY BRING IN MARRIAGE LAW?" Hermione cried incredulously. She grabbed the newspaper from Harry's hands and skimmed the article.

"...law 3456...marriage law...due to decrease in wizarding births...witches and wizards to marry within two months and reproduce at least two children within three years...applies to witches and wizards aged seventeen to sixty...future spouse must be selected and approved by ministry officials to maximise wizarding births!" Hermione sunk down onto her bed.

"This can't be right, it's not fair." Hermione said to Harry. Harry shrugged.

"I don't see why the Daily Prophet would make this up. It's not a very funny joke." Harry said.

"Have you told Ron?" Hermione asked, it would have been too much to think about if Ron had been told.

"No I thought we would go and talk to Dumbledore first. You're the one who will be affected first, you're older than Ron and me." Harry reminded Hermione.

"Yeah." Hermione said a little dazed. "Let's go and to Dumbledore, he might be able to get us out of this."

Hermione and Harry sneaked past Ron who was still sprawled in the armchair chewing on liquorice. They walked in silence to the wall where Dumbledore's magical staircase would appear with his password. All the way there Harry could almost hear Hermione's brain whirring as her over-worked brain tried to analyse the best way out of the situation.

"Marshmallows." Harry told the wall and Hermione giggled, you could always count on Dumbledore to brighten the day.

When the stairwell had fully materialised Hermione and Harry traipsed up the stairs and knocked on the heavy wooden door that separated Dumbledore's office from the stairwell. Harry knocked loudly and they were greeted by Dumbledore's low rumbling voice.

"Come in Harry, Hermione." Harry and Hermione walked into Dumbledore's lavishly decorated office. Fawkes, his phoenix, squawked at the pair.

"I gather you are here regarding the news?" Dumbledore said knowingly.

"Yes." Harry said as they walked over to Dumbledore's desk and sat down.

"We've just read the Daily Prophet, is it really true? Are they really bringing in this marriage law?" Hermione asked placing the newspaper in front of Dumbledore.

"I'm afraid it is Hermione. I am exempt from the law, but I know that this will affect the majority of the staff and the older students. Including yourselves."

"Yes. Is there anything we can do to avoid this law? Has the law even been passed yet?" Hermione asked. She was the eldest out of the 'golden trio' and would therefore be affected first.

"Unfortunately, Hermione, there is nothing to be done to avoid it, the law is being passed in every country and everybody within the designated ages must marry or the consequences will be severe. However, the law has not been passed yet, the law will be passed tomorrow night at 12 o'clock. From that time, as you are already seventeen, you will have two months to become engaged and then marry." Dumbledore told them. Hermione fell silent as her wonderful mind once again whirred with activity.

"I'm not seventeen yet, sir, when will this effect me? And Ron is seventeen in a couple of months but my birthday is not until next year." Harry said to Dumbledore.

"You are lucky, you have a long time to wait before you come under this new law. You will apply for this on the eve of your seventeenth birthday. Hermione, however, will be affected by this law as soon as it comes in, she will a caring friend in a time of need." Dumbledore said solemnly.

Harry nodded. Hermione jumped up from her chair like a tightly wound spring.

"You said this law doesn't come in until tomorrow night?" Hermione said looking as if she had just solved all the world's problems.

"Yes, not until 12 o'clock."

"And when this law comes in, the marriage will be unbreakable. But at the moment the marriages are still breakable?"

"Yes." Dumbledore agreed. He could see that Hermione had figured a way around being trapped in a marriage that had to be strictly monitored and must conform to ministry standards.

"Then why can't I marry this evening? I will marry someone that I won't mind spending the duration of this stupid law married to, and once the law has been repealed- which it will be- I will divorce them and then I will be free to marry whoever I wish." Hermione rushed out. She collapsed into one of Dumbledore's comfy armchairs that stood around the fire.

"I suppose that is a way around it. Yes. That is quite a well thought out idea, Hermione. You will indeed be free to re-marry if you were to marry under the current laws and your marriage wouldn't be monitored by the ministry and you wouldn't have to conform to the ghastly clauses that will be set out by this new law." Dumbledore smiled.

"Good." Hermione said looking relieved.

"Aren't you forgetting one minor detail?" Harry said, staring at the two fantastically intelligent people. "Who will you marry?"

"Ron, of course." Hermione and Dumbledore said at the same time as if it was the most obvious answer in the wizarding world.

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