Disclaimer: I still don't own Harry Potter. All rights go to respective owners.
Chapter Summary: Harry is attending Ron and Hermione's wedding, but is filled with regret. Sometimes in life, you can't always get what you want. Marriage Law! AU.
Prompt (Year Long Scavenger Hunt — Harry Potter Fanfiction Challenges): Write about a wedding [20 points]
Prompt (The Idioms Challenge — Harry Potter Fanfiction Challenges): "You can't always get what you want."
(Word count: 310; not including title and author's notes.)
Forever Wasn't Long Enough
He had promised her forever. They had both known that was a promise he would not be able to keep — they were in the middle of a war, constantly being hunted by dark wizards and chasing Dark artifacts — but deep in the forests of England, they had tried to make it work. And, despite all odds, they had been happy.
But they quickly learned that forever did not last as half as long. To be exact, forever had lasted exactly 5 months and 16 days.
It had all fallen apart with a letter from the newly reconstructed Ministry. A marriage law, determining the futures of all eligible witches and wizards. They were to be paired with a partner of the Ministry's choosing. The only way out would have been an established engagement, which Harry and Hermione did not have. No one had even known that they were dating; they hadn't been ready for people to know, and now they never could.
The law was incredibly restrictive and, due to political pressures, they ended their relationship.
And now she was marrying Ron.
Ron Weasley: his best friend and brother in all, but blood. Here he was, standing at the front of the gathering, standing next to Ron as his best man. He was the best man and he only had eyes for the bride.
She was stunning. He watched as she recited her vows, with a smile that didn't quite reach her eyes, and looked on as she kissed her new husband. He felt betrayed. Not by her, of course, but by the entire Wizarding World. He had sacrificed everything for them — he had died for them — and his last chance at true happiness had been snatched away.
You can't always get what you want, but as the wedding transitioned into the reception, Harry wished, just for once, that he could.
A/N — Marriage Law! fics are not necessarily my favorite to read or write, but this idea just got stuck in my head. So I thought, "Why not?" and wrote it.