Wedlocked
Chapter 6: Powerful Words

Following the near ulcer-inducing stress of informing her parents, very little managed to annoy Hermione for the remainder of the summer. She stayed the rest of the July and August at the Burrow, visiting her parents on occasion. She hated being away from them, but the danger posed to her was too great in the Muggle world. The Order and Dumbledore insisted that she remain protected.

"I would have thought," she commented around the middle of August, "that The Bloody Law would mean I would be safe to stay with mum and dad."

They had all taken to calling the new marriage law 'The Bloody Law' as it was causing no small amount of grief for many in the Wizarding United Kingdom.

"Just an extra precaution, dear," Mrs Weasley assured her. "You never know what the Death Eaters might try next. They might even catch wind of our plans."

"Well, Ginny's not exactly been subtle about it, has she?" Ron said. He glanced over at his sister. The girl was elbows deep in bridal magazines and fabric swatches. Anyone in a fifty-mile radius was certain to know there was going to be a wedding.

"Let her be," Hermione chided. "The more she does, the less I have to worry about. You know I'm rubbish with that sort of thing. A single dress I can manage, but a whole wedding… no, thank you."

Ron snorted.

"What was that for?"

"You are the bossiest person I know," he laughed. "I don't care how rubbish you are, come September you'll be complaining that it all isn't just how you wanted it."

"Ronald Weasley, you leave that poor girl alone!" his mother punctuated her order with a sharp slap on his hand with the business end of her knitting needles.

While she hated being made fun of, Hermione was relieved that Ron was treating the wedding as he did any of her other endeavours. He was as snippy and whiney about her marriage as he was about her revision timetables, which was oddly comforting. Now that the initial shock and anger and depression had worn off, they all knew that nothing would change once Hermione Granger became Hermione Black.

So they loaded up Mr Weasley's Ford Anglia with their school trunks and drove off at far too late an hour of the morning on the first of September. Sirius was waiting at King's Cross to see Harry off. He nodded a greeting to Hermione, no different than the one he offered Ron. He was clever enough know they should behave as they always did to avoid arousing suspicion in whoever might be observing them. She was thankful her parents had to work, otherwise it would have made their lack of affection extremely difficult to explain.

Sirius focused his attention on his Godson, hugging him close. "Have a good year," Sirius smiled. "Try to behave yourself for once."

Harry snorted knowing that Sirius had probably never behaved himself a single day he attended Hogwarts.

"I mean it," the man warned. "I don't want to hear that you've been exploding toilets or setting dungbombs off in the Divination tower or…" he scratched his chin thoughtfully, "What else did we do sixth year?"

"Charmed all the crystal balls to show old black and white horror films," Remus said. "Replaced the barrels of the East Wing water fountains with ones full of Veritaserum. Those were two of my better plans."

Sirius ignored the awed look on Harry's face and continued with his fatherly warnings. "Yes, none of that tomfoolery. You're a bright young lad, clever enough to come up with your own pranks. If you can't think of any, borrow Hermione. I'm sure she's got a devious streak in her somewhere." He offered the girl an impish wink, the only outward sign that he thought of her as anything but his Godson's swotty little friend.

Ron was laughing himself toward hiccups and had to escape to the train before he lost the ability to control his bladder.

"See you in a couple weeks," Sirius said quietly, a faint smile pulling at his mouth as he waved Hermione and Harry onto the train.

"A couple weeks…" Harry repeated as the train's wheels screeched and spun and finally found traction on the rails. "It's come on quick, hasn't it?"

"It's not here yet," Hermione replied in a low voice. "Let's not talk about that. You don't know who might be listening." She nodded her head meaningfully toward the compartment that Malfoy and his friends were occupying. It was not her imagination that their malicious glares had taken on a considerably dirtier undertone.

"What are they leering at?" Harry scowled.

"Me," she said. "As far as they know I'm fair game to any pureblood wizard who asks."

"That is just disturbing."

"Imagine how I feel," she said, the sarcastic edge of her voice dulled after weeks of getting used to the idea of The Bloody Law and everything that would come with it.

"I'd rather not," he mumbled and pushed forward through the narrow corridor until he found a compartment. "Neville and Luna are in here."

"You go, I have to go to the Prefect car," she said. "Sorry. I'll come by later."

She left the boy looking dejected in the entrance to the compartment, and hurried to the front of the train. Ron was already sitting, saving a seat for her and looking slightly glum. Hermione soon discovered why. Among even these clever and responsible students, the marriage law was the only topic worth discussing.

"I heard they're setting aside private quarters for married couples," Lucinda James, a Ravenclaw, said conspiratorially and flashing a smile at her boyfriend who looked away quickly, clearly terrified she wanted him to propose.

The new Slytherin Prefect, a girl Hermione had seen in the halls but had never spoken to directly, snorted. "That is complete nonsense," she said, speaking with authority, though she likely knew no more than anyone else. "They'd never allow students to marry."

"They're of age, Hollie," another fifth year Prefect said, glaring his prejudice at the Slytherin girl. "In school or not, they're still legally able to marry. Just shut up since it's nothing to do with you."

The girl opened her mouth to reply, in typical Slytherin fashion, but Ron broke into the argument. "Legally required to marry, you mean," he muttered. "Bloody law."

Many nodded their agreement. "It is rather a strange law," Margaret Lucas, Hufflepuff, agreed. "And the timing… so soon after You-Know-Who's return. I don't know." She bit her lip and frowned as she considered it.

"Don't go spouting rubbish just because you haven't got any prospects," the cold drawl of Draco Malfoy cut through their discussion.

"That was uncalled for, Malfoy," Hermione glared at him.

"Maybe, but it's still true," he smirked. "What about you, Granger? Anyone been sniffing around you?"

Hermione fought to keep herself still in her seat, refusing to let him know how uncomfortable he made her. Dealing with Malfoy was like a game of poker – appearances were everything. She kept her face neutral as she looked at him and replied, "I don't see how it's any business of yours."

"So much for your being brightest in our year," he scoffed but said nothing more.

If only everyone else would have taken him as an example and let the subject drop. It took monumental effort on the Head Boy and Girl's part to move their meeting to a topic other than marriages. After what felt like an eternity, Hermione and Ron left the compartment for their rounds of the train.

"Is it me," Ron furrowed his brow as they walked past another compartment filled with chattering students, "or are they all freakishly well-behaved? It's unnatural." Hermione nodded, equally as confused as to why they had not yet come across a single dungbomb, Canary Cream victim, fight or even a minor skirmish. Usually they would have found at least three of each by this point in the journey.

The door to a compartment slid open and a third year Slytherin ran into the corridor, shouting over her shoulder. "I'll go ask Millicent about it. She'll set you lot right."

"Is there a problem?" Hermione asked politely. "Can we help?"

The girl sneered up at her, but her face quickly cleared into something almost pretty. "Yeah, is it true married couples will get extra Hogsmeade weekends?"

"How the bloody hell would we know?" Ron demanded. "Stupid Bloody Law. It's taken over the whole bloody school!"

The girl, too shocked by Ron's shouting to reply in the appropriate Slytherin manner, scurried back to her compartment and hid. Ron looked as if he was ready to follow her in to continue his tirade, so Hermione grabbed his arm and pulled him away. It only got worse. Every student they encountered had a question about The Bloody Law. Rumours were flying quicker than Snitches and no one knew what to believe. Hermione hoped Dumbledore would speak to them about it at the feast just to set everyone right. The Headmaster always seemed to know what was happening at the school, even when he barely surfaced from his office, so she knew he would be aware of the students' preoccupation. If he did not tackle it first thing, the students would be asking questions throughout classes, disturbing lessons and annoying every teacher.

A small smirk played on her mouth as she imagined some unsuspecting first year trying to ask Professor Snape about it.

"What's so funny?" Ron asked.

She shook her head and kept walking.

oOo

"The very best of evenings to you!" Dumbledore said with a broad smile. "To our new students, welcome, to our old students, welcome back!"

The man continued through a similar speech to the previous year's, kind welcomes from him and warnings from Filch, a new staff member – this drew some murmurs as they learned that Snape would be the new Defence teacher, but the ever-revolving post was hardly pressing – and warnings about Voldemort and his Death Eaters. Just as it seemed he was coming to a close, he cleared his throat and his smile fell away. "You will, I'm sure, have read all about the new law enacted by the Ministry of Magic over the summer," he said and a ripple of excited chatter ran down the tables. "While it has little bearing inside these walls, there are a number of you whom it will affect. Those of you who are now or will soon turn seventeen have no choice but to marry if petitioned to do so." He paused to give them time to consider his rather harsh wording of the law. "Consider carefully the decision you have before you. Marriage is a lifelong commitment, protected by oaths and spells that can never be broke, and ought not to be entered into lightly."

He let them mull over the weight of the responsibility before he continued. "Your Heads of House will be available for further discussion between classes…"

Whatever else he said failed to enter Hermione's brain. Marriages would be permitted at Hogwarts. She somehow thought Dumbledore might be capable of holding back the Ministry, keeping any students from being forced to marry and that the arrangements she had made with Sirius were simply a precaution. Clearly she had been wrong. Dumbledore couldn't keep the Ministry out forever. The feast ended and with it any hope Hermione had of getting out of marrying Sirius. She trudged the long route to Gryffindor Tower, performing her duties as Prefect with as much enthusiasm as she could muster before falling into bed.

Breakfast was torture as she had to listen to Lavender and Parvati whine that they would not be old enough to marry for another year. She grit her teeth and hurried to class.

"Snape," Ron grunted as if it was a swear word, leaning against the wall outside the Defence Against the Dark Arts room.

Hermione was actually curious how Snape's taciturn style would translate into teaching Defence full-time. His brief stint as a supply teacher while Lupin was ill might not have shown the man in his best light since he was using the position to reveal his rival's secret.

Snape appeared in the doorway, silencing their chatter with a glare.

"Inside," he said.

They entered quickly and, after several minutes of preamble during which Snape insulted every previous DADA teacher they ever had, he set them to work practicing nonverbal spells. It was difficult magic under the best of circumstances, but Hermione was soon distracted by the giggles and whispers of her two roommates. Instead of standing opposite and attempting to hex one another nonverbally, they were eyeing the boys in their class.

"Who do you think he would be best with?" Parvati whispered, pointing at Seamus.

"Ooh," Lavender giggled. "I wouldn't say no."

Parvati added her quiet giggle and they continued on.

Snape was too busy making Harry's life hell to notice, or so Hermione had thought. As end of class drew near, he slid up silently behind the two girls as they contemplated whether Ron or Harry would be a better marriage prospect for Lavender.

"Miss Patil, Miss Brown," he said smoothly, startling the girls into silence. "Since you were too distracted by your own company to adequately perform today, I suggest more practice. Perhaps during detention. I don't care how simple-minded you are, even you can grasp the concept of age. Until you are old enough to get married, you are not to discuss such things in my classroom. Ten points from Gryffindor."

Hermione ducked her head to hide the smirk on her face. Snape didn't know it, but his had just become her favourite class.

A/N: Lavender makes a few appearances in this story. I'm sorry to admit she's barely more than one-dimensional. One day I might try writing a story to flesh her out and do justice one one of JK's fab creations, but for now... she's just a silly teenager. Sorry. You have been warned.