"So you see, my dear, I'm afraid you will have to choose a spouse before the week is out," Albus Dumbledore said, his blue eyes looking gravely at her from across the large desk. Hermione sat rigidly in the chair she had been offered, disbelieving of this new development. A marriage law? What nonsense was this?
"I may choose whoever I want as long as they are from a Pure-blood line?" she asked stiffly, and Dumbledore shook his head sadly.
"Alas, they have to express an interest in you first." Opening a drawer, he pulled out a scroll. Here is your notice, and the people who have stepped forward to claim you."
Hermione accepted the parchment, trying to remain calm, and unfurled it. Staring at the names on the parchment, it only took a few seconds before she erupted.
"Gunter Gerpdinkle? Fuy Hemster? Lucius Malfoy? Severus Snape?" Shooting out of her seat, she slammed the parchment on the desk. "The first two are over a hundred years old and have done nothing of note in their lives, Lucius Malfoy is MARRIED and a Death Eater, and Severus Snape is my PROFESSOR!"
Suddenly a hand came to rest softly on her shoulder, and she spun with a snarl to face her best friend.
"Hermione," Harry said, his voice soft but with a note of steel in it, "I am Lord Potter."
Hermione actually blinked at the non sequitur before her mind caught up. "Oh, Harry," she exclaimed, throwing her arms around him. "Do you mean what I think you do?"
"Hermione," he said again, more gently this time as he loosened her hold on him and sank to one knee. "Will you marry me?"
By this time Hermione could barely see through her tears. "Of course," she managed to say, and abruptly found herself in the strong arms of a young man with his lips on hers. When they pulled apart she laughed.
"I'm sorry - that kiss must have been reminiscent of Cho," she said, beaming as she wiped her eyes and cheeks with her sleeve.
"Eh, well..." Harry responded eloquently, and Hermione gave him a soft kiss.
Turning back to the Headmaster with a hard look, she declared, "I have made my choice."
"Excellent, my dear!" the old man exclaimed, a renewed sparkle in his eye. "I will let the Ministry know immediately!"
Two days later all the Half-bloods in the castle received a missive informing them of a new marriage law allowing them to marry only other Half-bloods or Pure-bloods. A week after that a furious Boy-Who-Lived staged a coup in the Ministry, having decided that it was time they cut the crap. With the backing of all the Muggle-borns, Half-bloods and Light Pure-blood families he made quick work of Voldemort and his Death Eaters, living a long and prosperous life and being known after his death as the greatest Minister of Magic Britain had ever seen. He and Hermione had many children, all of which were fiercely intelligent and very accident-prone. Whenever his wife complained about the troublemakers, Harry shrugged and told her that she shouldn't have married him if she couldn't handle it. She would grumble about stupid marriage laws and kiss him lovingly.