I love that you guys love this story. Thank you for the reviews and messages and favorites and follows and all that jazz. I know I have been remiss in my update activity and I thank you for your continued patience.
And to be honest, you may be waiting awhile between updates on this and my other stories because my life is a hot mess right now and while I enjoy writing and I probably have the time to write, I don't much have the emotional capacity to do so at times. I'm focusing on my family at the moment and just really that's so important. I promise not to go more than a month, and if you are eager for updates, you can send me a message and I'll try to get to it, but still.
Additionally, it's November, which means NaNoWriMo! Woo! And I'm taking on a Harry/Hermione ABO fic for that, and it's also slow going but I want to FINISH it in November, so that's another stupid focus of mine.
But, I digress. Here's more!
Enjoy :)
Daily Prophet
August 19, 2002
Special Monday Evening Edition
Wizengamot Instates Marriage Law!
War Heroes Already Matched!
Padma Patil, Journalist
The Wizengamot held a fully seated hearing today to announce the passing of Marriage Law legislation.
The esteemed body invited 20 members of the press, including myself, to sit in the closed session and report on the newly passed law.
Here at the Daily Prophet, we report the facts, and only the facts, something our new ownership has been incredibly proud to do following the Second Wizarding War.
Here are the facts, ladies and gentleman.
1. Witches and Wizards between the ages of 21 and 65 will be required to participate. Those between ages 66 and 80 will be encouraged to participate, though it is voluntary. Anyone over age 80 is exempt. Those under 21 are exempt until they reach age 21, at which time they will be required to participate. Parties will be matched within a 25 year age range. Matches outside of that range would be within the discretion of individual parties.
2. Individuals will be summoned to the ministry to cast a specialized spell designed to pair them with their best magical match. This will occur randomly, and individuals must respond within 30 days of their summons. Parties will then have 10 days after their summons to either accept their match or be interred in Azkaban until they are willing to accept their match.
3. Parties will have six months from accepting their match to finalize their marriage.
4. Parties will have one year from their marriage date to become pregnant with their first child.
A second child must be conceived within five years after the birth of the first child.
5a. Married couples will be required to report to St. Mungo's for genetic fertility testing. Those with compatible results will be required to produce two children within the same timeline regardless of prior children born to that marriage.
5b. Couples who do not have compatible results will be required to cast the magical matching spell. These couples will have two options.
- Couples may dissolve their current marriage bonds and cast independently of one another. They would fall under rules 1-4 above.
- Couples may continue their marriage and cast together to find matches compatible with both magical lines. They would both fall under rules 1-4 with any/all matches found.
Those are the guidelines, and we'll be covering the public opinion of those rules in the days to come.
BUT FIRST.
There's more you need to know!
Set into the guidelines of the law is a series of bylaws designed to protect the casters and ensure healthy matches.
They are as follows.
1. The casting of the matching spell is intent based, meaning that matches will be made according to the preferences of the caster. This can include heterosexual and same-sex preferences. Casting may also include both preferences for those that wish.
2. The Ministry of Magic will subsidize care at St. Mungo's Hospital for couples choosing to utilize fertility treatments or sexual performance enhancing potions.
3. St. Mungo's Hospital will also be providing potions and long-term transfiguration to assist same-sex couples conceive, as well as couples who wish the male partner to carry and birth their magical children.
4. The Ministry of Magic will cover the entirety of the medical cost for pregnancy, childbirth, and well-child examinations for the first two children born of each magical match. Additional children born out of the magical matches would not be subsidized.
5. The Ministry of Magic will pay entirely for the educational costs of the first two children born of each magical match, prior to formal Wizarding schooling, this will take place in specialized primary schooling environments to be developed in the next two years. Formal schooling, beginning at age eleven, will be fully compensated Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, Durmstrang Institute, or Beaubaxton's Academy.
6. Long-term patients at St. Mungo's and those interred within the walls of Azkaban Prison will be excluded from the magical matching spell. Should a patient be released from care, or a prisoner released from their sentence, they will be required to cast for a magical match.
But perhaps the most important part of the law is the last clause buried within the legislation, dear readers.
With the threat of war barely behind us, it seems the Ministry is willing to garner no risks to the safety of our populace.
The magical matching spell is designed to create only safe, nurturing matches. With lingering fanaticism of blood purity on the fringes of society, the Wizengamot is taking precautions to ensure those who may harbor malicious or fatal intent towards another are not matched.
Those with darkened or fractured magical cores will have no matches when casting the spell. These witches and wizards will be investigated thoroughly for the use of dark magic, as the fracturing of a magical core only comes from an inherent darkness within a magic user.
For more information on the magical matching spell, it's creators and our predictions on upcoming matches, see page six!
Severus tossed the paper down onto the large oak table that he'd gathered around with the four members of his soon to be family. Frustration was evident on his face, and the room nearly crackled with the tension.
"How bad is it?" Hermione asked gently, not daring to pick up the paper herself.
Severus snorted back a laugh. "It's not." he drawled, "Not really. But, they know that Sirius and I developed the original spell and that you made nearly a million modifications to the spell and the law."
Draco had picked up the paper and flipped to the gossip rag featured on page six, barking out a loud laugh and exclaiming, "Oi, Granger, you should see these predictions!"
Hermione pulled the paper to rest in front of her, skimming along the predicted matches that the reporters at the Prophet had laid out.
Before she even realized it, she was giggling foolishly, breaking into hearty laughter as she clasped her hands over her mouth in an attempt to reign in control over herself. Draco had plopped his head onto the table and was clutching his sides guffawing loudly.
Sirius and Severus shared a glance, before each grabbing for the predictions.
Sirius got to them first and proceeded to read them out loud.
"Oh, sweet Merlin" he exclaimed, "Well they got it partly right, didn't they?"
Hermione exploded into another rounded of giggles, and Severus simply arched an eyebrow at the three of them, waiting to hear what it is they found so hilarious.
"Hermione Granger with Draco Malfoy, Harry Potter, and Ronald Weasley" Sirius choked out, "Oh god, Prince of Slytherin and the Golden Trio!"
"Keep going" Hermione gasped out.
"Sirius Black with Minerva McGonagall and Pomona Sprout" Sirius huffed, mock gagging at the idea.
At that, the loud, booming, warm laugh of Severus Snape filled the room. "Merlin," he whispered. "Minerva would have your balls for dinner, Black!"
"Just you wait, Snape!" Black retorted, sending Draco and Hermione into another fit of laughter. Hermione, in her mirth, had slid off her chair and was sprawled on the floor, tears running down her cheeks as she gasped for air.
"Severus Snape" Sirius announced, "with Poppy Pomfrey, Narcissa Black, and Molly Weasley!"
"For fuck sake" Severus huffed, "I would take Azkaban."
It was the idea of Severus, stoic, terse, tense Severus with the harridan Molly Weasley that sent Sirius into hysterics. "Oh god, she'd never stop putting food in front of you, mate." he laughed, "And all those damn sweaters. Can you imagine? Black ones with a big S? Do you think she'd make the S a snake for you?"
The next morning, the four were summoned once again to the Ministry, and as they sequestered themselves in the large conference room they'd become so familiar with over the past few weeks, they greeted the others who'd gathered in the space with them. Gone was the long table and stiff chairs, and in their place were comfortable loveseats, sofas, and lounges. Small tables peppered the room, with water and tea.
Harry sat next to Narcissa, an arm stretched on the back of the loveseat they occupied, fingers playing gently with the ends of her hair. Hermione had never seen the woman looked so relaxed, and it warmed her heart to see a smile playing on Narcissa's face as she chatted with her soon-to-be husband.
Hermione was lounging gracefully between Severus and Draco on a rich chestnut sofa, and Draco saw where her gaze was lingering and leaned over to whisper softly to her.
"Mother adores him, you know?" Draco said, "He's been going to the Manor, helping her move all her belongings out to the dower house they chose to keep as their family home. They've spent a lot of time together and apparently he's beyond kind and she thinks she could really love him, in time."
Hermione smiled gently. She felt the same way about Draco, Severus, and Sirius, and had really enjoyed the time they'd spent together. They each complimented her, and each other, in different ways that she knew could create a strong family for them.
She grasped Draco's hand tightly while leaning back against Severus. "I think I can understand that feeling," she whispered, sending him a small smile.
Before he could answer, Kingsley Shaklebolt strode into the room, but Hermione didn't miss the grin that had broken across Draco's face, either.
"Thank you for being here," Kingsley said, "again."
A small round of laughter went around the room.
"We're hoping to gain your permission and input on releasing the current matches to the Prophet tomorrow, and want to ensure we provide you with security, privacy, or whatever you may need during the chaos that is sure to follow." Kingsley explained, "I'm sure we've all had a good laugh at the proposed matches, but the Ministry feels the sooner we can get the jump on announcing current matches, the sooner we can implement the summons to cast. Our society is going to be looking at the current matches to determine the safety of their own matches."
Heads were nodding around the room, and Harry was whispering to Narcissa, who was nodding her head in agreement to whatever he was whispering.
"Minister," Harry interrupted, "Do you think it would help if some of us gave interviews to the Prophet as well?"
"Well, it would be useful for the public to hear of the success of your matches from your own mouths, I suppose" the Minister answered.
"We'll do it, then," Harry said, "We'll need to check with Ella to be sure, but we're willing."
It was Severus who offered on behalf on Hermione, Sirius, and Draco. The four had already discussed the probability of doing an interview and had decided that opening their new home to a reporter would be a great way to show the world that this was a real thing between them and that they were openly accepting and willing to go along with the Ministry's legislation.
"The four of us are also willing," Severus drawled, sarcasm dripping from his voice, although Hermione knew that was more a defense mechanism these days than anything else.
Kingsley nodded. "Perfect, if any other matches are willing, please speak with my receptionist on your way out and we'll contact you to schedule an interview and go over the basics of what should be kept in confidence in regards to the matching and law."
The remainder of the time was dedicated to each group discussing their matches with Kingsley's receptionist, who would be sharing that information in turn with the Prophet.
It was quiet, and the tension that was slowly creeping into the room only belayed the fact that each person in attendance knew the proverbial shit was about to hit the fan, come press time.