Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter
Summary: In this chapter, we see how Arthur Weasley takes the news of being the new Minister for Magic. We also see his reaction to the new Marriage Law, which we can assume will be a horrible thing. Also a bit of Draco/Hermione interaction at the end.
Warnings: Minor character death.

Recap

Albus Dumbledore raised his eyebrows in surprise; he had not been expecting this. "If I may inquire: who did you choose to be your successor?"

"Arthur Weasley."

"And the spell?"

"All in due time, Albus," Fudge whispered, twisting the doorknob. "All in due time."

End Recap

CHAPTER ONE
THE RAGE OF A WEASLEY

Arthur Weasley jumped as the door behind him closed with a loud bang. He stared at it suspiciously before looking at the spacious room before him. Wednesday's events still were such a blur to him... he couldn't believe that he, out of all people, had been chosen to be the next Minister for Magic. Not only that but he had been chosen by the Minister for Magic himself. It was quite a shock for him and the rest of his family seeing as how he had always protested against Fudge's actions. However, he didn't have time to ponder about that at the moment. He was soon going into office and he and Fudge still needed to discuss a few things. Arthur thought that they had gone through everything that they needed to talk about yesterday but the Minister for Magic thought otherwise.

Arthur smiled to himself ― despite everything that happened ― as he looked around the airy office. Soon this office would be his for the taking, something he wasn't going to take for granted ... like most things. His smile faded quickly as he remembered why he'd taken the job in the first place. The thought of his sons and daughter flashed into his mind quickly before disappearing in a slow heart wrenching fashion. The fact was only five out of his seven children were alive and amongst the living.

Ginny and Fred had come out of the Final Battle safe with minor injuries. The others weren't so lucky. The werewolves on You-Know-Who's side had bitten Bill on the neck... needless to say his son was no longer human. Bill would no longer be able to have natural human rights because he was a werewolf, now. That was all he could think about when he found out but soon his attention was brought to other matters...

He was in the Hospital Wing of Hogwarts sitting next to his sobbing wife and daughter-in-law. They were sitting over Bill's still form, and the two women had been crying together ever since they had found out of Bill's condition. The two women were shaking uncontrollably and Arthur ― who was not too good with emotions ― patted them awkwardly on the back from time to time. However, his attention was diverted when Healers rushed in an unidentifiable body. Arthur was able to catch a quick glimpse of the body and as he did so his face lost its entire colour. The body on the stretcher was his son, Ron Weasley.

He shot up from his seat, yelling to the Healers to stop. Yelling for them to pay attention to him. That was his son! That was his son damn it and they better stop if they knew what was good for them. They didn't pay any heed to his yelling and they moved the floating stretcher quickly along the open space. Molly had stopped crying and was by his side in a heartbeat as the Healer's stopped. Before he knew it he was pushed away by some Healer he did not know and wards were placed up. That didn't stop his shouting like they had hoped; it only increased it. How could they? Ron... Ron, his youngest son was in there; possibly battling for his life and they would not let them see him.

Before he could pull himself together another floating stretcher was brought into the wing. Arthur eyed it carefully and once again his emotions got a hold of him. The glimpse of unmistakable red hair clued him in that that another one of his sons was lying there. The Healers didn't bother to stop him as he roughly shoved them aside. He could barely feel the comforting pat of one of the Healers as he fell onto his knees.

"My son," Arthur whispered brokenly, tears forming rapidly in his eyes. "George..."

There, lifeless on the stretcher lay George Weasley. The shirt he wore was tattered and filthy; his Muggle jeans had a tear in them from the knee down, showing his pale leg with red hairs. Arthur closed his eyes and dared to look at his son's face. He threw himself onto the dead body and sobbed. His hands tangled themselves in his son's shirt and pulled him close. He didn't know what he expected by doing this. Somehow he hoped ― or expected ― that pulling George closer to his body would bring him back. Somehow he thought that George would wake up, crack a grin and say that he was playing one of those pranks on him. He didn't. So why was Arthur so surprised when George didn't move? Slowly, but surely, the thought that his son had died hit Arthur hard.

He didn't know what was happening... and frankly he didn't care. His son... his son was dead. A heart-wrenching sob left him, a sob that he did not know belonged to him. His hands were shaking as he tried to bring his son closer to him, hoping that the warmth from his body would bring him back. Bring him back from the dead and give him back life... Life that wasn't supposed to be taken from him. A life that he should have lived.

He was brought out of his musings when he heard her scream.

"Molly," he whispered. Still holding his son close to him, he turned to find his wife. He didn't need to look far for she, too, was sobbing uncontrollably. Don't worry, he thought, George will come back to us, you'll see. He looked beyond his wife and saw what he least expected to see. No. This isn't happening.

Arthur put George back on the bed and staggered over to his wife. He heard someone gasp and he turned around to see who it was... and it hit him that he was the one who gasped so loud. His eyes scanned the body, wondering why his wife was crying over it. The person who looked quite dead did not resemble someone he knew. He bent down and put a comforting arm around his wife and stroked her hair lovingly.

"Ssshhh, love it's okay."

"Percy," Molly whispered stroking the hand of her son, who was lying there on the floor.

Arthur had a double take. That... Was that Percy?

Letting go of his wife he pushed the strands of hair away from the corpse's face, and closed his eyes realising just who it was. His shoulders started to shake again and this time he lost control. He punched the stone floor, not wincing as the pain hit him suddenly. Two of his sons were dead. Was Merlin punishing him? This had to be a joke, a cruel, heartless joke. Who would do this? Why was his family suffering so much?

He felt someone shaking him but he shrugged them off.

"Arthur, it's Charlie."

"Is he dead, too?"

"N-n-no," Molly stammered.

"That's good," he said smiling. At least one thing turned out right.

"No, Arthur it's worse."

"What is it?"

"He's... he's mad."

Arthur shook his head as he took a seat on the leather chair in front of the desk, patiently waiting for the Minister for Magic to appear. He didn't really want to remember any more from that day. That day he lost George and Percy, and he lost Charlie mentally. Charlie had amnesia and couldn't remember anything. He couldn't remember who he was, who his parents were, who his family was. It was heartbreaking, for the whole family, especially Molly. Arthur had never seen his wife that broken.

So when he was given the choice to be the Minister for Magic he quickly jumped at the chance. This was his chance to make things better. He would now be able to help his family, and everyone else who had been affected by the war. He was now able to change some of the laws that affected werewolves; this way Bill had a chance at being normal. Not only that but he'd be helping Remus. He owed Remus a lot over the pass few years, and the poor man was now confined in one of the Hospital Wings of St.Mungo's. Arthur winced slightly, he could still hear Remus's shattering screams that rang throughout the whole hospital.

It turned out that Remus never really fancied Mungo's much, then again who did? He had always seen Remus as a calm man, a very private man that kept to himself as often as he could. Yet the screams, the tears and the howls still could not be erased from his memory. Remus had tried to break out so many times... and then when Healer Rosemary came in ... Remus had lost control. He had to be sedated afterwards; tied up like a creature.

You ungrateful runt, you stay put. I still don't know why I have to care for you but I'm under orders. If it were up to me I'd lock you up in Azkaban and never let you out. Thing is, it's not up to me who gets sent to Azkaban... so I s'ppose you're lucky. Too lucky.

The words still haunted Arthur and he wished he could just erase them from his memory. He couldn't, though. No matter how hard he tried. And, in a way that was still very unclear to him, those words spoke to him. The words made him strive to make the Wizarding world better.

"Arthur."

Fudge entered the room with a weary smile on his face. Arthur Weasley smiled back broadly; the prospect of helping his family get better, as well as the rest of the Wizarding world was prominent in his mind's eye. Fudge extended his hand and Arthur shook it firmly.

"Cornelius, glad to see you."

Cornelius just shrugged at the man's cheery disposition. For he knew that it wouldn't be long until Arthur Weasley would change his mood, and he knew it would directly affect him.

"Arthur," Fudge started as he sat down, "I am asking you once again: Do you really, really want to take up this tedious task of being the Minister for Magic?"

"I've already agreed to be the Minister for Magic, Cornelius. I've consented twice, not only that but I've signed the papers that you gave me! Isn't that enough?"

Fudge put up a hand stopping Arthur Weasley from stopping; he offered the aging man a tired smile. "I just wanted to make sure that your heart was in the right place, Arthur."

The other man nodded but still looked angry.

"I know I'm probably the least suitable man for the job, Cornelius but I'll try my best to please everyone. I've got to take this job... for my family, for my friends..."

"Ah, such a Gryffindor answer." Fudge smiled knowingly. "I know that your heart is in the right place, Arthur. One look at you and there is no questioning it. However, everyone's going to be questioning my state of mind. Putting you in charge of everything whilst still trying to pick up the pieces of the war. You have no political background whatsoever..." Fudge gave a long sigh. "Why did I choose you in the first place?"

"Listen here, Fudge," Arthur said he was starting to get riled up again. "You know that my background in politics isn't that polished as yours, or that idiot Rufus or even Lucius Malfoy! But I will learn. I take it I have the texts that are here in your office and I will learn from those. Don't worry about politics, Fudge I can stand my ground. However, I have what those other politicians do not have and that is the love and care that I have for my family. Now, I'm not saying that they don't love their family, but they have not been in the position that I was for the war. I experienced the war first hand and I was at the battle! They were not. They hid their sorry arses from You-Know ― oh, hell with it! Voldemort. They didn't lose their sons in the battle... both mentally and physically.

"Cornelius, I need this job to help heal my family. They've been through so much―"

"And are you saying that the others haven't?"

"No, I'm not saying that. I'm not one of those extremely posh people like the Averys, for example. I was one of those simple folk, I still am. You're putting me in the office because I am one of those that have suffered, and I do have sympathy for those just like me."

Fudge smiled broadly. "I knew that, Weasley... just making sure that you knew what you were getting into. The media's going to be harder on you then I was. Especially The Prophet, that Skeeter woman will tear you apart piece by piece."

"You mean you got me riled up for no apparent reason?"

"Basically."

Arthur shook his head in disbelief. "Very Slytherin of you," he retorted

"Now," Fudge said in his most business-like tone, "we have matters to discuss that isn't pretty."

"I don't like the sound of this, Cornelius."

"And you shouldn't, Arthur. In fact, I expect that you'll be very, very angry with me."

With that said, Fudge once again told his tale. Arthur stayed quiet for the most part he didn't say anything. So, when Fudge was done explaining Arthur opened his mouth to speak. Nothing came out, just like he expected. Trying once more would be futile... he didn't even want to try.

"Is this why you decided to retire and put me in office, Fudge? So that you wouldn't have to face the consequences? So that I would?"

"No, not at all, Arthur. I know what you're thinking right now and―"

"You know what I'm thinking? I hope you know that once I go into office that I will abolish the law before it comes out."

"I thought of that already and you do not have the ability to abolish the law, Arthur. When you signed the papers there was a line that read, 'You will not be changing the Squib Marriage Law and by signing these papers, you adhere to this.' And you did sign the papers. Therefore, you cannot change it."

Arthur's face turned red, his breathing wasn't stable. "How dare you! Why, in the midst of trying to put our lives back together, do you do this? We're all trying hard to rebuild our lives that were ruined and now... now we can't even do that!"

"Now Arthur, be reasonable!"

"No! How do expect me to handle this? You're putting my sons and daughter in danger! You're putting the rest of the world in danger... how do you think they're going to take to this?"

"They're going to react just the way you are now, and I don't expect anything less from them. However, what I do expect is for you to calm down and act like the adult that you are. The reason you were chosen is because you are—as you put it— a simple man. Your children will be thrown into the Marriage Law and when you hold your head up high—because I know you will—everyone will look up to you! They will hold their head up high, too... because their Minister is strong.

"They won't cower in fear, they won't pick up their picket sticks and march around the office. No, they will turn to you because of what I, and the other Ministers did. They will blame the others and me and frankly, I could care less. What matters is that you will help those who need it and offer it to those who got lost along the way. Arthur, you will be seen as the hero in this not the enemy."

"How will you pair up these children together?"

"Compositoris amor."

"Forgive me if I don't understand just what the bloody hell that is!"

"It's Latin, Arthur. And translated literally it means: love of the arranger. We've already paired up everyone who is single from the age seventeen and up. The spell let's us see who is compatible with who. The Compositoris spell does not only pair up those based on personality but on love. Love that the two will have for each other in the future." One look at Arthur anyone could tell that he was murdering Fudge with his eyes, tearing him apart piece by sodding piece.

"Don't worry about the fate of your children, Arthur. They will be fine."

- - -

Hermione Granger looked at herself in the mirror again. The train ride to Hogwarts was quiet and it was, to say the least, abnormal. If there were talking it was done in hushed voices and whenever her shadow loomed over them they would stop their chatter. She didn't like all the hushed voices from everyone but it was a common occurrence. Ever since the whole law came out everyone had kept to themselves.

Well, if keeping to themselves meant gossiping and blaming everyone from the Ministry, then, yes keeping to themselves was the most appropriate term to use.

Hermione just didn't have time to care about what others thought of the law. It didn't take a whole lot to realise that she was caught in the middle of the whole thing. The Ministry knew how to bring people down when they were trying to find their happy places, didn't they? Then again, where was her happy place these days?

She looked at herself in the mirror again before hurrying off to the Great Hall. It was the first day of classes and it didn't do well to show up late to breakfast. Hermione berated herself again as she tripped over her feet. She shouldn't have been staring at herself in the mirror for more then five minutes, but she had. It was aggravating to say the least. All she could do was stare at herself, stare at herself ... stare at her goddamn eyes.

Ever since the Second War had ended she noticed that her eyes were different. Yes, it was still the same, bland brown colour that she loathed, but it was different. If you were to pick up a picture of her before the war you'd be able to notice that her eyes sparkled. Corny? I think not. Hermione's eyes had been full of life and determination to see Voldemort dead. Now that sparkle, that gleam was no longer there. The more she thought about it, the more she stared at herself in the mirror, and the more she thought it odd.

Now that the Law had been made official her eyes became duller then before. It was quite aggravating, yet amusing all the same. Amusing? Yeah, that's what she thought, too.

If only she had been watching where she had been going because then she would've avoided a rogue Slytherin. Hermione Granger tripped and accidentally bumped into said rogue Slytherin. It escaped noticed to both of them that he had wrapped his arms around her to keep her balance steady.

Looking up into his eyes Hermione felt like she stopped breathing. Without missing a beat, Draco Malfoy quickly shoved her out of his arms. He gave her a look that clearly showed his disgust at catching her.

"Watch where you're going, Granger."

"Sorry about that, Malfoy," Hermione whispered and made to push past him.

"Sorry? Granger, have you lost your bite?" Malfoy looked amused as he watched her.

Have you lost your bite…

Did she really lose it?

She shook her head and put a hand on the handle that lead to the Great Hall. She looked at him again to see that he was smirking. And, in that moment, the sparkle, that gleam that she had been looking for in her eyes came to life. Even if it was for just a flicker of a second, at least it was there.

END CHAPTER ONE
"He who lives without folly isn't so wise as he thinks."
–Francois de La Rochefoucauld

End Notes: Yes, I did change the title of the story again. I know I can get a bit tiring but I think the new title fits. I also changed the spell, so I had to go back and edit the first chapter because it had the wrong one. I know it's the same as the title, which is why I like it. I gave you guys a bit of Draco/Hermione action in the end, which is quite nice don't you think?

The whole, flicker of the eye thing is what happens when you read the likes of Cinnamon. Credit goes to her for giving me the idea of the 'eyes look dull' theme. Got it from her story, Beautiful World, which is love. It's found on FA, but is a slash fic – Harry/Draco. I've already started the second chapter so it shouldn't take as long as this chapter did. Well, hopefully. I should warn you all: I'm changing the minor pairings again, it'll go back to Ron/Pansy but Harry's going to get slashed and paired with a male. Just thought you should know. If the concept of male/male kissing or possible groping offends you, then I don't think you should continue to read this story from here on out. There will be male/male kissing as well as female/female kissing. If this concept offends you don't read the rest of what I've got planned for this story, thanks.