"Thank you," started Kingsley, "for this wonderful night. Before we let you go home, the Ministry and I wanted to take tonight's opportunity to announce a new law that will get publicly known and effective tomorrow. I'm here to present you the Preservation of Magic law."
Confused and uncertain of what was about to come, the guests attending to the one year celebration of the end of the war listened quietly to their Prime Minister. Shacklebolt had news he knew would be hard to take, but it was his duty to protect England's magical community. He was doing what was right. As he explained the details of the new law, his eyes scanned the room for reactions.
"The war we just overcome was devastating for our community. Today's celebration is also a reminder that we, as a nation, are facing yet another challenge. But I fear not for our future, as I know we will face it hand in hand, together."
Kingsley could see the journalists in the room writing down every word he said, waiting avidly for the scandalous story they hoped they'd be publishing the next morning. They were going to be happy, he knew it. He also knew that the puzzled look he could see on most of the other guests would soon turn to a frown.
"We all know the final battle took place at our beloved Hogwarts. Sadly, even though we did everything to protect the children, a lot of innocent blood was spilled in our last efforts to defeat the enemy. We also cannot overlook the impact the war had on our pureblood families. Most of the Death Eater arrested were purebloods, reducing their population in the community quite a lot. We fought with all we had to protect our community and our future, and now we need more than ever to guaranty the next magical generation."
The room was still silent, the Prime Minister's proposition still unclear, but Hermione began to worry. Kingsley hadn't told him anything about this speech and the whole thing smelled bad. He talked about families, about magic blood and about future generations. The brightest witch of her age could only see one way this speech would end.
"We need an incentive for the youth to start on that next generation. We need to make sure that there will be enough children to support our aging population. For exceptional needs, there need be exceptional actions. That's where the Preservation of Magic law comes in." The Prime Minister continued.
"I can't believe this is happening," Hermione whispered to Harry. She didn't need to hear more, she thought, as she turned around and apparated away. The remainder of her friends gave each other looks; not knowing what that was all about. As always, Hermione figured it all out before them.
In the living room of her small apartment, the curly haired woman was pacing. The government was inviting itself in their bedrooms. That was crazy, Hermione thought, what on earth was Kingsley thinking! "An incentive to start on that next generation", sure! Being forced to reproduce, that's hot!
The witch was angry. None of this made sense, but the law had past, it was done. No doubt that she would have to face its consequences faster than she thought. She was furious, but a more disturbing feeling started to erupt from inside her heart: emptiness. Hermione felt empty. She felt alone, because this law didn't only mean that the government felt the need to control every aspect of their lives, it meant she was being forced to reanimate a certain aspect of her life that she didn't feel comfortable with just yet.
Ronald and her hadn't work out because she wasn't ready, so how could a law change things for her? The war had left her all sorts of scars. She had a few here and there on her body to tell the tale, like the "mudblood" engraved on her arm by Bellatrix Lestrange, but she had to suffer through a much deeper, scarier pain: the emotional kind. The loss, the constant fear for her life and, worse, fear for her loved ones… It wouldn't go away. When she would lie at night and close her eyes, she wasn't in her bedroom anymore. She was in the tent in the forest with Harry, sleep depraved, in a constant state of fear and worry. She took potions to calm her anxiety, but still, the best coping mechanism her mind developed was to block out all emotions. It was to be empty and alone. She would love it, if it didn't make her feel so miserable.
All of her friends, hell even the whole magical world, were moving on. But she couldn't. She couldn't because she bottled up her feelings so much that she ended up in the bottle too. She was damaged goods. How could she be with someone when she couldn't even stand being by herself? Worst than that: who could she be with? There was no one in her life right now for whom she felt anything more than friendship. Surely the government couldn't expect her to fall in love just like that?
Her thoughts were interrupted by a knock on the door. She wasn't expecting any company, but judging by the clock on her living room wall, the celebrations were probably over by now and it was most likely her friends, coming to check up on her. She went at the door and invited Harry and Ron in.
Quietly, the three of them sat around the wooden coffee table. The boys were sitting on a black leather sofa against the wall. Hermione, on the matching couch perpendicular to them, sat comfortably, her legs up against her chest, arms around them.
"It's bad, isn't it?" She asked, looking at the stern face of her friends.
"It's ridiculous!" Ron answered, shaking his head from left to right. "Kingsley must have brain damage from the war no one knew about!"
Harry rolled his eyes at Ron. To him, consequences from the war was not a laughing matter, but he knew Ron didn't mean any harm with his remarks.
"Apparently, the last census of the magical population was so terrible that now the government has to take action," Harry explained to his best friend. "Starting tomorrow, basically everyone will be forced to marry within the next month."
"The next month?" Hermione exclaimed. "Are you kidding?"
"I wish," the war hero sighted. "They say we must start 'working on the next generation' as soon as possible."
Harry and Ron grimaced all together. The announcement faced a lot of bad reactions earlier at the reception, but Kingsley was firm: he would not bulge; it was done. All they could do now was to familiarize themselves with the law and make sure they satisfied all the requirements before their monthly revisions with the ministry.
"So we have to get married. Okay. That sucks, but I guess we can live with that, right? I mean, it's only a ring and a signature…" Hermione tried to rationalize.
"Oh Hermione," Ron said, shifting uncomfortably on the sofa. "If only… It's not just…"
"That's not it," Harry continued. "There will be monthly check ups. Pregnancy tests."
"Oh my god," Hermione said, slowly. "They're really doing this."
The three of them sat there quietly. They could here the ticking sound from the clock above them and the humming coming from the fridge in Hermione's kitchen. It was almost relaxing. Except they could also almost hear Hermione's brain working too hard, Ronald sweating from stress and Harry's hair growing white way before its time.
"What happens if we don't?" Hermione dared ask.
"If we don't get married?" Ron specified. "Azkaban for a year and a huge fine."
"If women don't get pregnant after a year," Harry added, "various fertility tests and drugs. If it's nothing physical and it's non-willingness, the couple will be sentenced to Azkaban and a fine. With all those war criminals in Azkaban now, I must say it's not tempting."
"That's it then. There is no way out of this," Hermione stated, feeling doomed.
Ronald stared down to his feet, looking intently at them, as if he was trying to find out which one was the longest, while Harry eyes stopped about everywhere but Hermione. The witch knew why the guys felt so awkward talking to her about this. The solution was easy for them. Harry was to marry Ginny. It was probably sooner then they would have wanted, but these two were so happy together, no doubt a wedding would only make sense. Ron was very discrete about his love life since the two of them broke it off, but Hermione knew that he was seeing Lavender Brown again. Even if he didn't, though, their failed fling together proved that marrying and having children with her childhood friend was all but a good idea.
The young witch pondered on her other choices. Well, was there any? In the past year, Hermione had lost contact with almost all of her friends. She looked at Harry and Ron and wondered if they were the only ones she could actually call friends. She alienated herself in the past year and it only sunk on her now: besides her two best friends, she couldn't really say she had any social interactions on a typical day. How did she let that happen? What was she going to do?
"Guys I'm tired… Let's call it a night."
The three of them got on their feet. After a silent hug, filled with emotion and worry, Ron headed to the fireplace across the room, while Harry was going for the door. Old habits die hard, Hermione thought.
With her friends gone Hermione went straight to her bedroom. Unzipping the dark green dress she was wearing and slipping into an old t-shirt, the 19 years old witch laid on the bed. Starring at the star-shaped stickers she childishly applied on her ceiling when she moved in almost a year ago, Hermione let the darkness of the room enter her heart. That was it. She was doomed to a life of misery in a loveless marriage. She thought of another option. One she hadn't consider before: the Muggle world. If she gave up her wand, she wouldn't be under the legislation of the Ministry of Magic. She wouldn't have to comply to that crazy law. She could start over. But would it be better? Hermione had no one in the Muggle world. No job, nowhere to go, no friends… Deprived from using the gift that changed her life so much when she was young, unable to share her past with anyone…
No, it wouldn't be better, decided Hermione before drifting to sleep.
When she woke up, Hermione knew what needed to be done. She also knew it wasn't going to be easy. According to the alarm clock besides her bed, it was 5 o'clock in the morning. Good, she thought, it gave her some time to prepare. There was tons of fish in the see, but the one she was going for today would need a hook stronger than ever.
Author's note: I want to thank you all for the warm welcome you gave to my story. I'm really happy to know that you want to know what happens next just as much as I want to write it. Quick reminder that I'm really open to constructive criticism and discussions on my take on the characters and the story. If you want, you can send me asks on Tumblr under the username jackiedandcocacola, as well as review here.
