"Good morning, Sigyn! Wake up! It's seven-thirty!" Dora said in a sing-song tone, irritating Sigyn.
"I hate when you do that, Nymphadora!" she growled, making Dora both fume and laugh at the same time.
That girl was a full package of Slytherin traits. Dora always wondered how she ended up in Gryffindor. 'But that's better than ending up in that disgusting house', Dora thought. Sigyn opened her eyes.
"I swear, if you do that again you are going to be dead," she hissed venomously.
Dora chuckled.
After Sigyn brushed her teeth and hair, both of them headed to the breakfast table.
"Good morning, Mum!" Dora greeted the woman.
"Good morning mum, Good morning Dad." Sigyn greeted both.
Though both of them were too sweet and caring she always wondered how her real parents would have been. Not that she had too much difficulty to know that. Uncle Remus visited her every Saturday when there wasn't a full moon and when she wasn't at school. His letters arrived weekly, addressing her. She sometimes felt jealous of Dora, she had everything Sigyn wanted. Her own parents, a nice suitable and house of her own choice, and Sigyn craved. Metamorphic ability, ability to change the appearance. Not that she saw herself ugly. But this is the ability that everyone envies.
"Why haven't you finished anything, Sigyn?" Andromeda asked.
Ted was worried as well. Sigyn looked at her plate. Was she thinking too much? She had a lot of things as well. Ability to adapt anywhere, having a silver-tongue, two loving parents and uncle, good grades without hard-work, creativity. She looked at the two worried faces in front of her. They literally doted on her. Her eyes became slightly damp. A pang of guilt hurt her heart.
"I don't have apatite." She said nonchalantly.
Ted seemed to be relieved, but Andromeda knew something was going wrong. There was something on Sigyn's mind.
"I hope this is not about her being adopted" she whispered to Ted as both Dora and Sigyn were engrossed in the Daily Prophet.
"Don't worry honey, she won't be thinking about that." Ted soothed her.
"But-" Andromeda was disturbed by a white snow owl.
After seeing the Ministry's stamp, she handed it over to Dora without any other glance. Tonks took the letter and opened it.
"It's addressed to you Sig!" she said with confusion written all over her face.
"How many times do I have to repeat that my name is Sigyn and not Sig?" Sigyn muttered, taking the letter in anyway. She began to read the letter:
Dear Ms Sigyn Athena Howell,
New marriage law is passed. Every half-blood or muggle-born witch and wizard is to be married to a pureblood or half-blood wizard or witch at age of 17 (maximum 18) and no further, as per the new marriage act passed by the Ministry of Magic. Those who are above 17 have the right to choose their own partner, however, the Ministry will suggest some names as soon as possible and every witch and wizard is to be married to whom the Ministry suggests and not to anyone else. Not following the instructions can be considered a severe crime and the one who dares to do so must face the punishment the Ministry of Magic will give.
Yours Sincerely
Mafalda Hopkirk
Ministry of magic
Sigyn's eyes went wide and her vision flooded with tears. What the fuck? She was just 16, in her 7th year. She wanted to opt for the N.E.W.T. s, she wanted to her career and not marriage. She never gave preference to such things. She wanted to continue her studies, build a career and marry the man she wanted and there was no fucking way she'd have that if she was married so soon. She wasn't even going to have any choice. Damn, she hated this.
"D-dad?" Sigyn said, her voice slightly wavered. Ted looked at her, surprised and confused about why she was at the edge of crying out of fear. Because last time he saw her like this was ago 6 years. Andromeda and Dora were surprised as well because however close they were to each other, Sigyn always shielded her emotions from them.
"What happened, Sig?" asked Dora softly.
"M-Ministry" she barely said and buried her head in her hands.
Dora took a letter from her hand and her eyes widened.
"When the fuck this happened?" she said to herself. She was a fucking auror. And she didn't know.
"What has happened, Dora?" asked Ted.
"Marriage law is forcing those who are under 17 to get married with whom ministry thinks they should be," Dora said quietly, putting her hand over Sigyn's shoulder.
Sigyn wiped her own tears. "I don't want to do this. What is the most punishment they'd give?" she asked a little confidently.
"I don't know," Dora answered truthfully.
"I don't know!" she answered her foster mother.
Uncle Remus squeezed her hand indicating that everything was going to be fine. But Sigyn knew better. Nothing was fine! How can it be when her fucking future was damaged? In all these years, Sigyn had only one goal. To be the best in her field. It was true that before she didn't know what her field was going to be. But now she did and she was working hard to achieve excellence required for it and suddenly this stupid, fucking marriage law appeared out of nowhere. What was she going to do if her to-be-partner didn't like the idea of women perusing her own career appropriate, like her mother's sister; Narcissa? Or what if the ministry brought the new law to be conceived within a year of the marriage? She knew she wasn't ready for this. Yes, she wanted to get married and start a family someday, but it was someday, with someone she wanted and not the fucking 'Suggestion' of the ministry.
"Sigyn, trust me, if Dumbledore wants to meet you, there must be some reason!" said Ted.
"Maybe he wants to help us with the marriage law!" exclaimed her mother hopefully.
"No mom, his influence won't work on the ministry. At least not now." Sigyn stated, her brows creased.
"Don't you know anything about a meeting, Remus?" asked Ted. "I am as clueless as all of you, Ted! But I am sure that it is for Sigyn's good." Remus explained.
"Where am I supposed to attend the meeting?" Sigyn snapped.
"At the headquarters, I believe.", Remus answered, "With me!"
She groaned.
"I hate this!".
"So, do I!" Remus murmured in his mind, unable to ignore discomfort the law was causing his niece.
"Do not worry, he will arrive in a minute!" Mrs Weasley comforted Sigyn.
"You really are generous Mrs Weasley!" she thanked the older woman, eyeing the tea and the snacks offered by her.
"Nonsense, sweetheart."
Sigyn was sitting there with her uncle for the past one hour. Sirius, Remus's old friend engaged her into the conversation, but soon with the topic of the new marriage law popped up. It bothered Mrs Weasley, who obviously was worried about her 4 children. Yet she tried to soothe Sigyn. She always wondered how a woman can live this happy when she has a lot on her plate to worry about. But Sigyn was different. Among all these Gryffindors she was the one who didn't care about the greater good or her rebellious nature, but how she was going to tackle the problem.
Just then Professor Dumbledore arrived, along with Professor Snape.
"Would you like to have something, Albus?" Mrs Weasley asked.
"Tea would be fine, Molly." The old man replied.
"And you, Severus?" She asked with the same kindness.
"Thank you so much, Molly, for your generous offer but I don't think I'd have anything." Replied Professor Snape, nonchalantly.
"Would you care to join us both in the dining room, Sigyn?" asked the headmaster.
"There won't be a problem, professor," said Sigyn.
"So, Ms Howell did you receive a letter by the Ministry new Marriage law?" asked Professor Dumbledore.
"Y-yes, professor."
"And do you know, what would be consequences of not abiding it?" he asked.
"I am not aware of them, sir." She said, hiding her fear successfully.
"Your magic would be stripped!" said professor, and Sigyn gasped.
Life without magic?
"But they cannot do that sir!" she urged.
"I am afraid, Ms Howell that they can!" he said.
Sigyn was terrified.
"Do you happen to know who you are supposed to wed?" asked Albus. Sigyn shook her head.
"Do you have the letter, Ms Howell?" she nodded, grabbing the letter from her pocket.
"Did you read the backside, Ms Howell?" he asked.
"No!" she whispered. Professor sighed and cast a spell on the backside. A sentence in the italic bold letters appeared.
Sigyn Howell has to marry Severus Snape before she turns 18.
Sigyn re-read those letters, with a false hope that these words were a lie.