Chapter 1: Torn

Article 565

"All those who are not male must leave the workforce immediately.

All those who are not male must leave any form of education immediately.

All those who are not male must hand over any "belongings"- as they are not rightfully theirs- to local authorities.

All those who are not male must not go anywhere without a male escort. The male escort must be related, or married.

All those who are not male must marry one immediately and produce children (male being preferable).

All those who are not male may not enter any sexual relations with those whom they are not married to.

All those who challenge the new laws will be subject to appear in front of the Wizengamont and face their charges.

All those who are not male who challenge the new laws will be sent their execution without trial.

All those who are not male must not use magic outside of their own home.

The Trace will come into effect fully within one week.

Signed the Minister for Magic, Mr Adhelm Decimus.

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"I love you."

Hermione let out a small sigh, her fingers running shakily through her hair before she cupped her forehead and allowed her smooth eyelids to slide to a close. "I love you too, Harry."

"Then please," he switched to begging her rapidly, moving to sit beside her and clutch her hand. "Please reconsider this."

"Harry," She squeezed his hand gently and looked into his beautiful, piercing emerald green eyes, sighing as she stroked his skin with her thumb. "I'm not going to hide away. I'm staying here, with the Order."

"But-

"-When have I ever proven incapable?" She demanded, sighing when he groaned in frustration.

"You haven't! But… look, 'Mione, you wouldn't be able to leave, not unless you married-

He stopped, just as Hermione felt herself tense up. With another sigh, she dropped his hand and pushed her chair back, rising from her seat to walk over to the sink and begin to wash the dishes, knowing Harry was watching her every move from behind.

"Mione…" He started hesitantly, but stopped when some people started to walk into the kitchen. Hermione turned her head and caught her eye with Sirius, who had stopped in his tracks and was looking right back at her, his hair beautifully ruffled and his expression hard to read: as ever. Next to him, Lupin had stopped too, and both men simply stood, staring at her. She swallowed, but said nothing, only shuffling away from the sink to turn on the kettle, watching it as it hissed in reply.

She didn't realise that Sirius had approached her with sure, steady steps, his stomach an inch away from her elbow. Carefully, he raised his right arm- the one closest to the small of her back and the one the others could not see- and caressed her gently.

"Alright?" He murmured low in her ear, causing her to shiver a little, but nod her head quickly.

"Fine."

He didn't press her, only squeezing her elbow gently with his left hand before moving past, brushing her body as he did so, to take two mugs and slide them in front of her. He reached above their heads to the cupboards, opening the small doors to take out some tea bags and plonk them into the mugs before leaning against the counter casually, crossing his arms as he watched her.

The apples in her cheeks started to glow a beautiful blush pink as his dark eyes continued to gaze across at her and Hermione cleared her throat, pouring the water into the mugs before pushing his towards him and taking her own, flicking her wand so the milk moved to pour and a spoon stirred in the sugar.

"Right," Kingsley had now entered, throwing some files down onto the kitchen table before taking a seat. "Let's get started, everyone."

Hermione turned obligingly to the table, suddenly finding eye contact with Lupin, who was staring at her intently. The corners of his lips lifted slightly as he tilted his head towards her, allowing Hermione to return his assuring smile and moved to sit next to him.

Waiting.


"What do you mean, I have to choose a husband? I don't have to do anything."

Kingsley let out another sigh, shaking his head a little as he leaned forward, pausing as if pondering carefully of his next words. "Hermione…"

"I'm sorry, but this is outrageous," She stood up suddenly, slamming her hand down onto the table in her frustration and not caring how unlike her violent actions were of her character. "You're saying the Order has all of these plans to help bring down this stupid regime, but now Ginny, Tonks and I must marry anyway?"

"Or else," Lupin interrupted softly, his amber eyes glowing softly in the dim light as he moved his hand to lay it over hers gently. "Hermione, you know there is nothing else to be done."

"Wizarding marriages last forever," she pulled her hand away to start pacing the kitchen, feeling all of their eyes upon her. "I didn't envisage having to marry this way, it's the bloody twenty-first century for Heaven's sake!"

"Come now, my dear," Molly stood up, padding over to her and trying to usher the young girl back into her seat, her warm hand rubbing soothingly into Hermione's back. "This isn't good for you. None of us are pleased with the idea, but you really must calm down."

Hermione met Ginny's eyes, who smiled sadly at her slightly before Hermione let out a small, exhausted sigh, suddenly feeling overwhelmed and slowly lowering herself back into her seat. There was a brief moment of silence in the kitchen, before Kingsley cleared his throat.

"Tonks-

"-I know," Tonks interrupted quietly, her eyes connecting briefly with Lupin's. "How long do I have?"

"The Minister has granted you only three days because you are of the right… age." Kingsley finished this awkwardly as he passed Tonks a piece of parchment, before handing over one to Ginny, the official Ministry ink stamp on the back. Ginny took it with shaky fingers, but Hermione saw Harry squeeze her leg gently as both scanned the page.

Kingsley looked up at Hermione, sympathy etched into his deep brown eyes. "Hermione…"

He did not know what else to say, simply handing her hers. She looked down at it quickly, not even blinking in the process as she read it.

"Dear Miss Hermione Granger,

As you are aware, the Ministry has passed several new laws, which will affect you if you wish to remain in the Wizarding World. Article 565 states that all unmarried women must marry and we are fully aware you are still single. You have one week to choose a suitable partner, who must be approved by the Ministry, and marry. You are expected to produce a child within the next year- failure to do so and there will be consequences.

We are also aware of your old position here at the Ministry, in the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, and write to inform you- to which you will not be surprised- that you have been replaced. We have also taken the liberty of closing your Gringott's account: this will be opened once more for your husband, whoever he shall be, to transfer into his own. All money you require will be from him in the future.

Wishing you a pleasant day,

The Minister for Magic,

Mr Adhelm Decimus.


It was late that evening when Lupin realised it was very, very quiet. Everyone had gone to bed in extremely low spirits, with Molly sobbing of her daughter's- and indeed, the rest of the girl's- futures doing nothing to help. Ginny and Harry had exited quietly to the library, where Lupin assumed they would need to have a very long discussion.

But all he needed to see was Hermione.

She was downstairs, of course, in the kitchen as she always was whenever she felt sad. He had always found that strange and pointed out to her one day that he would of thought she'd retire to the library whenever she needed to be uplifted, but she had turned to him with those big, brown eyes and smiled, claiming the small view from the tattered window of the kitchen of Grimmauld's Place was beautiful.

He quietly entered the kitchen, stopping at the door when he saw the young woman with her back turned to him, silently looking out of the said window, her big, bouncy curls tumbling down her back, little hints of golden blonde shining in the seedy light which he couldn't help but admire.

But then he turned and noticed the man next to her- his best friend, Sirius- with his arm draped around her waist, his face buried in the crook of her neck and his other hand moving rather vigorously at Hermione's front, tucked down into her jeans.

Lupin's eyes widened as he couldn't help but look a little closer and realise that Hermione's hair tumbled back so because her head was back a little and from her full, pink lips, Lupin heard her let out a small, breathy moan.

Sirius raised his head to press a kiss to her forehead as she stilled before shakily collapsing into his arms. He caught her easily, his hand moving out of her jeans slowly to wrap around her stomach as he lifted her to him- their heads raised and sure enough, their lips met.

Lupin felt something growl in the pit of his stomach, felt sick rise in his throat and his heart plunge into the depths of his gut and before he realised what he was doing, he had quickly turned on his heels and left the room, sprinting up the stairs and to his room and slamming the door behind him before leaning against it, breathing heavily.

And then he threw up.


"Remus? Are you alright?"

Lupin closed his eyes, breathing heavily through his nose as sticky strands of his blonde hair plastered against his forehead and the smell of sick hung in the air. He leaned against the door, sitting ungracefully upon the floor before he forced himself to reply.

"Tonks, I'm fine, really-

"-Let me in, I heard you throwing up."

He groaned inwardly but, with a great effort, heaved himself up onto his feet, grabbing his wand to vanish the sick and eliminate the smell before opening the door slowly.

Tonks met his eyes worryingly, her lip tucked in under her front tooth as she gazed up at him uncertainly. He tried to smile, but it probably came out as more of a grimace. Deciding not to insult her intelligence by pretending he was fine, he sighed and lifted an arm.

"Come in, Tonks. But firstly, I want to make it clear I have no intention of talking about me: I have nothing but a stomach bug."

She nodded quickly and slid past him to the expanse of his bedroom- to which he frowned to a little. Tonks always argued with him, no matter what. He didn't comment, however, and let it go as he turned to face her.

"Harry and Ginny are going to marry," Tonks announced suddenly.

Lupin said nothing. He had been expecting it and knew he would talk it over with Harry later- if he needed to. Both Harry and Ginny were far too young to marry, but there was nothing he could do, and he knew they were very well suited to one another. As he drifted off, starting to think into the young couple's case, he noticed Tonks had moved closer and forced himself out of his thoughts to nod at her statement.

She eyed him curiously, before she cut straight to the point and stated simply: "Remus, I must choose someone to marry and I only have three days. In that time, the Ministry needs to approve of the match, I need to organise a wedding, my new home, everything…" She broke off to breathe before quickly resuming her speech. "And I need it to be somebody within the Order, somebody I can trust. I know you rejected me before, but I'm asking you, please, to… think about it."

He was surprised. Not by her words, but by his reaction. He barely blinked before he found himself nodding slowly and saying: "I will… think about it, Tonks."

She let out a sigh of relief before smiling up at him and moving past. Lupin did not acknowledge her go, suddenly rigid and still.

What the hell had he just said?


The next day, Lupin closed his eyes as he sipped at his tea in relief, thankful for the early morning quiet. He had not slept last night after the incident in the kitchen- where he happened to be now- and Tonks's request.

Lupin had always done the right thing. Indeed, he was a Marauder and broke the rules along with James and Sirius, but not all the time and not as badly as them. And Tonks was not a school rule. Tonks was a human being, and he was her last hope.

Well, perhaps not last. But he was certainly a comfortable option for her.

It didn't mean he wanted to do the right thing now.

He couldn't marry- couldn't give Tonks what she needed, which was safety. He was a werewolf, and somebody like Tonks simply wouldn't be able to handle that, despite what she had insisted in the past. His feelings for Hermione were irrelevant: he knew it must be a small fancy, nothing at all to be taken seriously. So he had thrown up after seeing Sirius and Hermione together- it was purely coincidental.

He groaned and moved to bang his head against the table, before freezing when a voice wove into the kitchen.

"Honestly, Remus, what on earth could be causing you to be having a bad day? Got to marry someone by force or something?"

He raised an eyebrow at Hermione when she entered, wearing nothing but a small tank top and pair of shorts, accompanied by a bare-chested Sirius, who grinned cheerily at his friend. He returned his smile before turning to Hermione with an expression of disapproval in his eyes.

"Was that your attempt at a joke, Miss Granger?"

"You always were bad in the humour department, darling," Sirius lovingly rubbed her back before moving past to sit beside Lupin, grabbing the pot of tea and a mug for himself. Hermione sniffed.

"Well, nobody here finds anything amusing, despite my best efforts. We need to try and pull together through this."

"Just yesterday you were screaming at Kingsley," Sirius reminded her, as Lupin couldn't help but chuckle. Hermione only narrowed her eyes.

"I was not screaming at him. And he understood, I was just a little touchy after hearing of my future. Nothing wrong with that, is there?"

"Of course not," Lupin interrupted smoothly as Sirius opened his mouth to reply. "I am glad the new regime hasn't crushed your high spirit, Hermione."

"It never will," came the reply. She slid into a chair opposite the two men as she watched them drink their tea with careful, small sips. "I still need to find myself a partner, though."

Lupin couldn't help but sneak a glance at Sirius, who was looking across at Hermione carefully with an unreadable expression on his face. Saying nothing else, Lupin nodded and went back to looking hard at his tea, finding himself desperate to leave, but stay to put an end to whatever he presumed would happen next.

As Sirius opened his mouth again, Lupin seized his chance. "Hermione, you know that anyone in the Order would do anything for you."

Sirius turned his head slowly to look at him, not missing Lupin's hasty comment, but Hermione smiled at her old Professor and reached over to pat his hand.

"That's very kind of you, Remus."

"Yes," Sirius agreed slowly, his eyes still upon Lupin. "Very kind."

Lupin only stared right back at him.

Hermione now frowned, looking over at the pair. "Am I missing something here?"

"No," both men replied, eyes upon each other.

"… Well, I'm going to take a shower, then talk to Harry about my options. See you two later."

"Bye," Sirius replied quietly. Once she left, Sirius pushed his mug away and leaned back.

"Right, Remus," Sirius started confidently, moving to cross his arms. "I think it's time to have a little talk. As old friends do."

Lupin swallowed a little, now feeling apprehensive. "Why not-

"-So cut the bull, and tell me what the hell that was about."

"What what was about?"

"Don't act stupid, it doesn't suit you," Sirius said quietly with a sigh. "To Hermione. How anyone in the Order would do anything for her."

"Well, we would." Before he could stop himself, Lupin found he had said it. He immediately winced at the term and Sirius raised an eyebrow. He hadn't missed that vital word.

"We?"

"Yes," Lupin started desperately, feelings his palms sweat. He hated confrontations, and even more so with someone he regarded as a brother. "Sirius…"

"You love her," Sirius stated simply. "I've known you all my life, Remus. You love Hermione."

"I don't," Lupin denied instantly, shaking his head. "Honestly- truly. All I said… it was to comfort her. Anyone would do anything for her, for Tonks, for Ginny. It was not meant to be anything of a big deal. My feelings for Hermione are those I would feel for a friend."

There was a moment as Sirius reflected upon his words carefully. Lupin shifted in his seat, feeling his neck heat up and his cheeks flush considerably as he played with his fingers under the table. Finally, Sirius spoke.

"You really would do anything for any of them, Remus? Not just one? You'd marry any of them if they asked you- as a friend?"

"Oh Remus," A voice interrupted, causing both men to jump and face the door, startled. Tonks stood there, dressed in nothing but a large shirt, her wild green hair for today sticking up randomly on her head, but a huge beam on her happy, shining face. "I knew you'd do it! I knew you'd help me!" She ran over, throwing herself into Lupin's arms before he could say or do anything to stop her.

Over her shoulder, Lupin met Sirius's eyes.

He raised his hand slowly, to pay awkwardly but firmly at Tonks's back. "O-of course, Tonks. Consider it nothing."

He refused to meet Sirius's eyes after that.


A/N: No, Remus, why why why...

Thank you for all of my reviews! I am very sorry I didn't reply to them (I will now, keep reading on) because I really do appreciate all of the feedback I get. Thank you also for the offers of beta's- I know I should have this one beta'd but I thought you'd all probably appreciate me posting this first as it's been a week.

RamxBlack and javalon 14- you both offered to be betas so here's the deal: if you're both happy with it, I will send you alternating chapters so you both have a chance to read it, and also so you don't always have to be a beta because i know how busy everyone can be. Is that okay? Please let me know if it isn't. I would have PM'd, but I thought it was fine to just say so here! Thank you very much to both of you for your enthusiasm for this story, it's really sweet to read your reviews.

Thank you to those who reviewed, here are my replies:

Anonymous- Do you know there's a film about Shakespeare called that that's coming out? I really want to see it! Anyhow, thank you for your review: I'm sorry it can't be a combined pairing. I haven't ever written a threesome and probably never will, but I hope you're satisfied all the same!

Laila- Thank you, that's very sweet of you! I hope you liked the update!

RabxBlack- Thank you! I'm glad you think so and you enjoyed it. Hope you enjoyed this chapter, and thank you also for offering to beta my story.

Preetoaka Raven Potter Weasley- Wooo, long name alert! I'm glad you think it's interesting, that's always a great start. Yes Molly can definetely be a bitch to Sirius- as we all see in the 'Order of the Phoneix'- so I wanted to portray it here. And I'm sorry you don't want Harry and Ginny together and there is Harry and Ginny here- please be aware, it doesn't necessarily mean they will be a pairing in the future, or that I'll focus on them much. I hope you enjoyed this chapter anyway, and thank you for your review!

RedRoseBlackThorns- Thanks for your review- hope you enjoyed this chapter too!

pen7sword- Thank you for your offer to be a beta, but don't worry, i know you're probably busy, we all are! And thank you for your review- It's interesting to write the competition, I'm excited about it! I'm glad you think it's promising and hope you continue to do so.

Melinda James- Here's moreee. Hope you liked it and thank you!

DeanCastielSam- I'd hate it too. Ah well, beggars can't be choosers i suppose. Thank you very much!

javalon 14- Thanks for your offer and review! And yay, you've come to the write story and you are definetely tempting there with your offer- i'd love to have both of you to be a beta. Hope you enjoyed this chapter!

Booklover9477- I'm glad you think so! Thank you very much- hope you enjoyed this.

Thank you also to other peope- the response for this story has been huge by way of alerts and even some favorites (what confidence, I've only posted one chapter!)

If you do have the time to review, please please please do so, because every writer loves them. Just like when you write, you're eager to hear feedback, and I am no exception. It's admittedly frustrating when I see all these alerts but one review will pop up every now and then. But I appreciate not everyone wants to: I certainly can't, and don't want to, force it.

I'm joking. Really. Review or I'll... Oh i don't know... Kill Remus off or something!

Which also leads me to my next point- who does everyone want Hermione to "get with" in the end? It'd be really interesting for me to see. You never know- my mind could change...

Until next week! Take care, everyone!