Disclaimer - everything recognizable belongs to JKR all else is mine as I play in the world of HP.
This is an EWE story, a bit AU.
This is an idea I came up with reading some of the marriage law fics all which seem to suggest a muggle born had to marry a pureblood after the war or something like but since the light won what if they wanted to prevent anyone having pure blood supremacy ideas in the future? What if they decided to knock out pure bloods entirely and flood the wizarding world with a stronger and larger mixed blood population? Here is my take on the marriage law and its effect on some of our, ok my, favorite characters. Hope you all enjoy!
Please leave reviews. :) Feel free to make suggestions, who ends up with who? Who survived the war? Who does bad things? Who does good ones? Who gets knocked up first and is it by their betrothed? LOL. This is going to be fun! I'll post as soon as I have anything.
The recent victory celebrated around the Wizarding world has not yet wound down but the Ministries of Magic all over Europe have already turned serious thoughts to preventing such an occurrence ever repeating. To promote unity and dispel all blood purity notions a new law has been passed throughout the Wizarding world, a marriage and procreation law. The law will affect all Wizards and Witches beginning and most notably for Purebloods. The first child of a Pureblood Family that is currently unwed between the ages of 17 and 50 are required to find a Muggle Born or alternate humanoid species such as a Veela mate. Second children will be required to marry of mixed blood, a half blood, the child of a muggle born or alternate humanoid species. Half bloods and children of muggle borns are simply required to marry post haste to promote repopulation and are urged to marry outside their supposed 'blood status'. All previous betrothals made by pure blood families are now null and void. All marriages must take place within the next six months and all couples must produce offspring within the next two years. Full details of the law are to be made available by Ministries everywhere Monday morning.
Draco read the article with part dread and part relief. He had no desire to marry Pansy but who then would he marry? What muggle born witch would have a Malfoy?
Blaise read the article and felt ill. Most of his friends were only children and most of them wouldn't easily find a muggle born waiting with open arms, himself included. Sure he hadn't taken sides in the war and it was a point in his favor he wasn't a Death Eater but he also hadn't been a force with the light either and that wasn't in his favor. Lots of witches liked him well enough but he'd always been a shag to them not actually dateable or marriageable. Something he'd always pretend was great in his head but in his heart he'd always felt a little… lacking and… used.
Pansy read the article and started screaming. She had been set to marry Draco since infancy! It was her right to be the next Lady Malfoy!
Daphne read the paper and smiled softly to herself. She'd never had such good news in her life. Not that she had anything against Theo, she liked him very much but she was in love with Ernie and telling her father she wanted to marry a muggle born would have had her locked in a dungeon.
Theo smiled as he tossed the paper on the desk. This was brilliant for Daph, of course it meant he'd need to find a woman of his own now. He frowned in thought, he'd never really considered marriage before. He'd always just known he'd marry Daphne and they'd have a companionable marriage.
Oliver read the paper and felt his stomach turn, marriage? Bloody hell, he hadn't even been on a date since a year before the bloody war!
The Order of the Phoenix assembled in the kitchen while Minerva read out the article though they had all previously read it.
"Bill's already married. And to a Veela so all is fine for us then." Ron stated loudly.
"Charlie isn't married and besides it says all witches and wizards have to marry." Ginny corrected him.
"We'll just have to wait and read the law when it comes out." Arthur suggested calmly. "For all we know this article is complete bunk and Kingsley will be back tomorrow from the summit of leaders laughing his arse off at all of us."
"Right." The others nodded doubtfully.
Kingsley wasn't laughing. A law to dispel all notions of blood purity by dispelling blood purity itself was proposed and voted in. It also had a lot to do with the rising squib and miscarriage rates among pureblood families and low population before the war made so much worse now. All Wizards and Witches 17 to 50 were required to marry. Only Purebloods were restricted on whom really but it didn't make it easier for Hermione or any other muggle born or half-blood.
Harry of course proposed to Ginny right away and Molly was ecstatic, all the rest were putting it off and grumbling.
Except Ron who was currently sat in a field with Hermione.
"I love you Mione."
"I… I love you too Ron." She responded her heart beating to fast and her stomach twisting. They'd been together since the war ended five months before.
"You know I do, I always have and well I always will… but…"
"But?" Her breath caught.
"I don't think we should get married." He rushed out turning red and watching her wand hand.
Hermione breathed out a sigh of relief and laughed. Ron stared at her confused until she stopped, still grinning at him, "Merlin, I thought you were going to propose." She admitted her hand to her heart and relief filling her. Immediately she felt bad, "I do love you Ron."
"Just not like this." He said motioning between them, "Not in the have my babies way. I know, me too."
She laughed and hugged him. "Oh Ron."
He pulled back smiling at her, "I was afraid you'd be angry."
"No." She shook her head. "I've loved you for such a long time but…"
"We just aren't right together."
"No."
They grinned and hugged again, "Friends?"
"The best, always."
"Who will you marry Mione?"
"I haven't the slightest. I mean, I have six months to figure out who I want to spend my life with!"
"I know." Ron sighed, then turned to her, "It wouldn't be bad us being married, you know, if we couldn't find anyone we wanted, at least we'd always be friends."
"Yeah." Hermione grinned at him, "We would."
"Ok, so if say in five months we're both still at a zero point we can get engaged?"
"Ok." Hermione nodded, "That's brilliant Ron, a back up plan."
"You must be rubbing off on me." He smirked at her. She frowned, "Cause you're the one with the brilliant ideas." He filled in.
"Yeah but a back up plan is good strategy, that was always your area."
Ron grinned at her, "Thanks Mione."
"Ron?"
"Yeah."
"Do you think anyone would want to marry me?"
"A brilliant, pretty war hero? Who wont? We just need to find someone you want to marry."
"Right. You too."
"Come on, it looks like its almost supper."
Hermione took his hand and together they walked back to the house and into the kitchen where a very expectant looking group stood watching them.
Suddenly Molly burst out, "It's wonderful! I couldn't be more happy for you both!"
"Well gee, thanks mum." Ron blushed.
"Yeah , I didn't know Ron not proposing would make you so happy." Hermione pretended to look sad.
"Don't worry Mione, she just knows you don't cook." Ron pretended to comfort her.
"Not? Not proposing?" Molly questioned looking between them.
"It's a joke, eh mate?" George frowned at his little brother and both of them shook their heads.
"Ron and I have decided we aren't right for each other."
"We're breaking up." Ron told everyone nonchalantly, "What's for supper?"
"Breaking up?!" Ginny yelled.
"Yes." They both nodded.
"Um, er, well, if its what you, er, both of you want." Harry said stepping forward.
They both nodded.
"Who will you marry?" Bill asked looking between them as they both shrugged.
"We've five months to figure it out." Hermione told him.
"Six." Molly corrected with a sigh.
"Five." Ron told her shaking his head, "Mione and I have a back up plan for if we don't fancy being married to anyone."
"What?" Ginny asked almost nervously.
"We'll marry each other." Ron told them with a shrug.
"Better to marry a friend and have at least that than marry someone we don't like all that much." Hermione added with a smile at him.
Everyone was silent for a minute before Arthur urged them all to sit down and Molly's attention was back to feeding everyone.
The next week went by rather uneventfully as the Wizarding World alternately tried to absorb the information presented in the new law and pretend it didn't exist. This didn't work out so well, especially for the Pure Bloods who all received a special letter from the ministry.
Dear Blaise Zabini,
As the only child of a pure blood line you are required to marry and the blood line of your wife must be either muggle, muggle born or alternate humanoid species and a child produced in the next two years. All contraceptives will be deemed illegal and the wellbeing of the woman will be checked on in case any of the remaining evils of the war persist. Any harm or mistreatment of the woman in question will lead to your arrest, trial and subsequent sentence at Azkaban. All wealth, property and rights pertaining to your name will be bestowed upon your child and if there is no child the woman will be given all money and all properties, titles and other rights will revert to the Ministry of Magic leaving the Wizard one tenth of his worth upon his release from Azkaban. If you are making a case for homosexuality please refer to the laws sub-notes and report to the Ministry 15 October. All the best in seeking your wife.
Sincerely
The European Post-War Ministry Coalition
Similar letters found their way to all pure blood witches and wizards that day, several of whom met to discuss the matter, Blaise Zabini among them.
"Know any witch that would marry me?" He asked tossing the letter on the table.
"Please, I still have the blasted mark." Draco hissed, crushing the letter in his hand and the image of Hermione Granger screaming under his Aunts wand again surfacing in his mind.
"Is it true Hogwarts is reopening?" Theo mused.
"November first. Why?" Daphne frowned at him.
"Tell your parents about Ernie?"
Daphne grinned, "Mum was relieved, dad's still in Azkaban and I swear I heard him screaming when the news came out."
"Congratulations." He smiled at her.
"So what about Hogwarts?" She pressed.
"You have a muggle born wizard Daph, we could go back to Hogwarts and try to find wives. You know, show people we aren't our parents."
"Every witch from here to Italy thinks I am good for nothing more than a quick shag or to make her bloke jealous." Blaise reminded him.
"Every witch from here to Hades thinks I'm a bloody Death Eater and coward." Draco spat.
"Think like Slytherins mates." Theo laughed at them. "No one is more charming than you Blaise and everyone knows your mum saved Harry Potters life Draco, that you switched sides at the last and helped fight the good fight and all that, so…"
"What if it doesn't work?" Blaise hesitated.
"I'd have better luck with the Veela." Draco added.
"If it doesn't work in say three months, we all still have no hope, we'll go search out Veela or Werewolves or… Muggles! Surely wealthy, attractive wizards could find a muggle wife!"
"Why don't we start there then?" Goyle asked with a frown.
"A witch would be better, you know, less culture shock… for both parties." Daphne suggested.
"I can't believe this is happening." Pansy moaned.
"Well it is." Astoria huffed, "I think its brilliant Blaise. I'll owl the school now."
"We go back to Hogwarts!" Ginny jumped up.
"Gin?" Harry questioned her.
"For Hermione and Ron!" She grinned, "They can find someone there."
"Right." Harry nodded surprised Hermione looked hesitant.
"Mione?"
"I don't think its such a good idea for me to be distracted by school right now is all, I mean you know how I get about learning and books."
"We wont let you Mione."
"Everyone at Hogwarts thinks I'm an ugly know-it-all."
"So we'll show them how pretty you really are."
"And how fun!" Ron encouraged.
"Come on Mione if anyone knows how to break rules and have fun its us." Harry winked. "Hogwarts will see the real Mione, behind the books!"
"Yeah!" Ron nodded in encouragement.
"I'm sending our letters." Ginny stated getting up.
Many others had the same idea and on November first the train was almost overfull of students from new firsties to all the students that ought to have graduated the previous year.
The trio, plus Ginny found an empty compartment and were surprised to find they were all looking forward to going back for a little while, it felt sort of like going home.
At the feast they welcomed seven new Gryffindors, all of them blushed and stared at the Golden trio.
"Good Evening." The headmistress called out, "I am Professor Minerva McGonagall, your Headmistress, to all new students, welcome and to all returning, welcome back." She smiled at a few of them before again addressing the group, "This is a very different year as we have last years returning seventh years but also several repeating fifth year as OWLs were rather impossible. Sixth year is thus very small and so all sixth years who've completed OWLs will be taking classes together regardless of house. Fifth years and returning fifth years will be taking classes within their houses but together as will all seventh and returning seventh years. Ginny smiled over at Harry happy they might share classes. There will be other changes this year to accommodate the new law which we will discuss with the seventeen and older kids as well as those turning seventeen before Decembers end, at the close of the feast if you would so kindly remain after the feast. Now please, all, enjoy."
They all ate and chatted, younger students much more exuberant than the older who had been reminded of their fate, though it hadn't entirely left their minds, for a moment it had been as though they'd returned to a normal year, almost normal.
After all students under seventeen or turning seventeen in December left the Great Hall the Headmistress again stood to address them.
"According to the law, everyone in this room must be married by the anniversary of the end of the war. That leaves us exactly six months from tomorrow to see you all happily, or at least reasonable happily paired." She grimaced. "In honor of yesterday the staff and I have decided on a special masked feast where you may all enjoy an evening without knowing each others identity until midnight so that we might break through some preconceived notions of each other. This will be held at the end of the month. You will be given special dispensation to visit Hogsmeade every weekend in which previous years students have been invited to events in the hopes to match as many as possible with someone compatible and they will all be invited to a special Yule Ball for you as well. I've added Life Preparedness classes onto all of your schedules to teach Wizarding Traditions, Muggle Traditions, Marriage Traditions, Child Rearing, Communication, Trust Building and other post graduate skills you might need. These classes will be as important if not more important than your NEWTS classes but are not curriculum and thus not required, neither are the events we will be holding both on and off school premises. We truly wish you all the best of luck and future happiness anything you need please do not hesitate to come to any of us, my office as the office of your Heads of House shall always be open to you."