Chapter 2 – The Aftermath
"What was that all about?" Bill wondered, running a hand through his long ginger hair.
"Did Dad just tell us that the Ministry are going to pair us off with some random chick and we'll have to marry her and then have kids with her?" George asked. "Or did I get hit very hard on the head with a bludger?"
"No he did tell us that George." Fred answered. "Worst bloody luck."
"See if I don't get matched with Harry, there will be hell to pay!" Ginny snapped.
"If anyone is going to be paired with the love of their life, it'll be Harry. He's the chosen one after all." Fred replied.
"He'll be the first one they'll pair. I'll bet you anything." George added.
"And if they pick someone completely different?" Ginny questioned.
"Then you appeal." George simply answered. "But since you are dating Harry, I don't think you'll have anything to worry about since its Harry and they wouldn't want to upset the famous boy who lived."
"They're not going to give me special treatment." Harry spoke for the first time.
"I shouldn't have to fight to marry the love of my life!" Ginny stated.
"None of us should, Gin." Hermione spoke. "We've got to have some rights in this."
"Are you going to go look it up?" Ginny asked.
"I could do but I wouldn't really know where to start." Hermione answered, sadly.
"Wizarding laws would be a great place to start." George suggested. "Surely there's something about marriage law in one of your many books."
"I'll have a look later. Ginny could you maybe give me a hand?" Hermione asked.
"Yes. I'll do anything if it means I won't have to marry some scumbag I hate." Ginny answered, sounding very angry.
"Bill, have you ever heard of a marriage law before?" Fred asked his older brother.
"I did have to do a little bit about it in History of Magic once but you know what those classes are like, dead boring so I didn't really pay much attention." Bill answered.
"I don't think even Hermione paid attention in that class." Ginny laughed. Her anger subsiding slightly.
"Sometimes I did, sometimes I didn't." Hermione answered.
"Is there any way we can stand against this?" Fred asked.
"Probably not but it wouldn't surprise me if it all kicked off again." Bill answered. "No one is going to agree to it. There will be an uproar."
"Unless they get paired with someone they're already dating or like." George added.
"I'd like to think the Ministry would be sensible about the thing and put a lot of thought into who they pair together." Bill said.
"You two are so lucky that you're both exempt from it." George sighed, referring to Bill and Fleur.
Hermione had been extremely quiet, appearing to be deep in thought, running her finger repeatedly around the rim of her glass of water.
"Hermione, love are you alright?" Fred asked.
"Yes, I guess I'm just in shock about the news that's all." Hermione answered, still looking at her glass. "It's one thing after another at the moment. We've just defeated you-know-who, then there's the issue with Ron and now this."
"The Ministry shouldn't be doing this at all. It's not fair." Bill complained. "It's not fair on all of you, who shouldn't be forced into marriage so soon."
"And we have to have kids as well. We're all too young." Ginny stated. "What about those of us who are going back to Hogwarts in a few weeks?"
"I wish I had all the answers guys but I only know what Dad told us all." Bill answered. "But I will try and help you all the best I can, that I can promise you. I won't be standing by and watching my siblings marrying people they don't like."
"I hope we won't have to fight. I've had enough fighting to last me a life time." Hermione said with a defeated sigh.
"I didn't have you down as one not to fight for what you believe in, Mione." Ginny spoke.
"It's not that, Gin. It's the fact that I've had to fight for what I believe in, fight to be accepted in this world since I was 11 years old and I'm just fed up with it all." Hermione admitted. "It's like the Ministry are taking a step back, rather than trying to help people get their lives back on track."
Molly began to tear up at Hermione's words. She had managed to keep herself composed throughout the whole thing but knowing that her children were going to be forced to marry someone they maybe didn't like, broke her heart. This was one battle she knew she couldn't help her children win. She would, however support her children in every single way she could and if they wanted to fight then she'd fight alongside them. Molly knew out of all of them, Hermione probably had it the hardest being muggle-born. She was constantly put down and bullied by her peers, being called a filthy mudblood and a know it all, amongst other things. Then there was the abuse she had suffered at the hands of Ron which she was slowly recovering from. Ron was now in Azkaban and she was trying her hardest to rebuild her live and move on from what Ron had done.
"Will Ron be included in this new law?" George asked, bringing up Ron's name for the first time that day.
"I don't know about that actually. There will be quite a few death eaters within the age range too. I guess that will be completely down to the Ministry." Bill answered.
"Heaven help the poor girl paired with Ron or any of the death eaters." Fred said.
"What if they pair Ron with me?" Hermione shrieked.
"They won't do that. They all know what he did to you so they wouldn't dare pair you two together." Bill answered.
"Look there is no point speculating about this until we find out more about it." Molly stated, pulling herself together.
