Again, POP is heard throughout the house, "They're here," I say quietly.
"Hermione? Hermione where are you?" someone cries, sounding panicked.
"I'm in here Ron." A flash of red runs into the kitchen. Then grabs me around the waist and pulls me into a tight hug, which I return wholeheartedly.
"Thank Merlin you're all right," he breaths with a sigh of relieve and kisses my forehead.
"Why in the world would I not be?" I ask him blushing at the kiss.
"Well.." he starts, also starting to blush.
"Hermione, wonderful to see you again," Mr. Weasley interrupts him walking into the kitchen. "Mr. and Mrs. Granger nice to see you again as well," he says brightly shaking their hands.
"Nice to see you too Mr. Weasley. Now, why would I not be okay?" I inquire again.
"Well….you see….um." I stare at him, urging him to go on. "Ah, it is quite complicated. You see….um.."
"For God's sake, Ron, spit it out," I almost yell at him because I am starting to get irritated, and I want to know.
"There's been a marriage law passed in our world and any muggle-born between the ages of sixteen and thirty has to marry a pureblood by the end of next month, and if you do not get married they will assign you to someone or if you refuse, they will kill you," he tells me and everyone in the room in a great rush. I sink into the closest chair.
"It has not even been announced yet, Dad found out at work last Friday. They are going to announce it this Friday," he tells me while walking toward me. My head has fallen into my hands.
I sit up straight in my chair, roughly wiping the tears from my eyes, and look at him. "Thank you for telling me," I whisper.
He sits down next to me, "I would have come sooner, but I spent the weekend trying to figure out what to do."
"And?" I question still hopeful.
He sits there a minute just looking at me, "Well, I thought that, um, well we could, ah."
"Ronald, tell me," I command him, kind of already knowing the answer.
"I thought that you and I could, um, you know."
"Get married?" I say more as a statement then a question.
"Yeah, but only if you want to," he finishes quickly. "Dad and I talked about it, and he agrees that it is one of the only things we can do, unless of course you wish to marry Malfoy." I snort. " Didn't think you would like that. Dad even said he would perform the spell himself."
I sit in my chair unable to say anything. Just thinking. Ron and I get married, but we're so young. But what else is there to do? I mean, Harry needs me and…so does Ron. Do I even have a choice? Yes, him, Malfoy, or death. Harry is too much of a brother and I do not need to give him something else to worry about and he loves Ginny. What am I to do? Say yes? I mean I would marry Ron when I get older. I would? Yes, I would. Well, I just admitted THAT to myself. And, what? I am just going to go and tell Ron, "Sure, why not? I love you." And then what? Hope he says, "I love you too." I mean this is Ron here, hardheaded, emotional range of a teaspoon, jumps to conclusion, Ron. Not sweet, romantic, funny, Ron. Is it? Oh, I am so confused. I don't know what to do. I don't know what to think.
"She can't get married. She's but a child," my mother says talking while I am still speechless.
"I'm sorry Mrs. Granger, but there is no other way. Unless of course you want her to be killed or assigned to a different person," Ron tells her kindly, looking at her somewhat sadly. My mother says nothing in reply.
"How do we know you are even telling the truth boy?" my dad asks sternly.
"Sir, I would never lie to you or your daughter."
"Well, then we will just not let her go back to your world," my dad informs us emphasizing the word your.
"What do you mean by your world?" Ron questions starting to get upset.
"Ron," I mutter cautiously to him.
"No, Hermione. What does he mean?"
"I mean, your unnatural world. Where they do witchcraft and stuff like that."
"Dad, I thought you didn't mind me being a witch."
"Your mother and I never wanted you to go to that school, but you want to go so badly, we could not say no. But now I am saying it. You are never going back to that world you call your home. I will not allow it. No daughter of mine is going to get married to some, some, some," he says searching for a word.
"Some, wizard?" Ron questions looking as though he is trying hard to hold in his anger.
"Yes, some wizard. Hermione is going to marry some nice gentleman who comes to her father to ask permission to marry his only daughter."
"If that is the way you would like it sir. Then, may I marry your daughter?" Ron inquires of my father.
"NO!"
"Why not sir? Do you think we have a way around this problem?"
"Yes, she never goes back to that world."
"You cannot do that to me," I yell at my father.
"And why not? I am your father and you are still living under my roof."
"They need me. How else will they save both my world and this one?"
"What do you mean save? We are quite fine here."
"That is what you think, sir. But the wizarding world is at war and IF we lose your world as well as ours will be destroyed. And Hermione is one of the only people who can save us."
"How can one person save a whole world."
"She and I are Harry Potter's best friends and we are the ones who will help Harry destroy He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named," Ron states starting to blow.
"And that is my problem how?"
"Sir, if He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named takes over our world, he will take over yours as well."
"I do not believe that. It is all lies to take my daughter away from me."
"No, it is not sir."
"Yes it is. I will just not allow her to return to your world. Simple as that."
"Not really. She is a muggle-born. A very well known muggle-born. She is the brightest witch at Hogwarts most likely all of the wizarding world and Harry Potter's best friend. You can take her out of the wizarding world, but you cannot take the magic out of her. And if she does not get married they will hunt her down and force her to or kill her. Honestly, you have not choice at all."
"Hermione will not be leaving and will most certainly not marrying you," he declares pointing at Ron.
"Stop talking about me like I am not even here," I shout at my father. "I am going back to my world, I have to."
"No you're not!" my father bellows back.
"Yes I am! In my world I am of age, meaning I am an adult. I can do whatever I want."
"While you are still in my house you are a child."
"Well, then I will have to leave."
"And don't ever come back!" I look at my father surprised, but nod and turn and leave. I do not even look at my mother as I leave. I walk into the main lobby by the front door. "And take all your stuff with you. We do not want anything to do with you or your world anymore." I walk up stairs and Ron and Mr. Weasley follow.
"Hermione, I shrink everything and bring it to the Burrow. Ron, take her chest and both of you go. I will be there as soon as I can," Mr. Weasley tells us.
"Thank you," I say quietly to him. And Ron and I walk back downstairs. He grabs my chest and closes his eyes, I do the same. I think very hard of where I want to go.
I open my eyes and find myself in the middle of the kitchen. I guess this is where I wanted to go. I turn around, and am yet again squeezed by a red head. I do not even say Hello to her, I just run out of the house holding back the tears for a few more moments. But I cannot do it; I fling myself down right by the lake and cry my eyes out. "I never thought they didn't want me to be a witch. I thought, I thought. I don't know what I thought," I say out loud and cry like there is no tomorrow. When suddenly someone is rubbing my back, and I fling myself on to the person and sob into his shoulder. "Oh Ron!"
"Shh. Don't cry. Everything will work out fine."
"But I don't have a family anymore or anywhere to stay."
"What are we?" he asks.
I think for a moment, "Family."
"Exactly."
"Well, that still does not solve where I will be staying."
"Hermione, do you really think family would throw a member out."
"Mine just did," I sob even harder into his shoulder.
"Well," he pauses for a moment, "we won't. We would never do that to you or anyone."
"What about Percy?"
"We did not throw him out he left."
"I know." I hug him as tight as I can and he squeezes me back just as tight.
He whispers in my ear, "Everything is going to be fine Hermione. I promise. I am not going to let anything happen to you." We just sit in our tight embrace for a while longer.
Nothing is going to happen to me. I have Ron and he said he is going to take care of me. So why am I still crying? Hermione, stop it. Your family is not longer your family. They are just regular people you will pass on the street. They do not love you so why should you love them? Snap out of you, you have a lot to figure out now. When I have stopped crying I stand up and put Ron up with me.
"You ready to go back inside?" he inquires.
"Yes. I don't know why I was even crying in the first place. I have a new family now."
He smiles at me and then his face looks as though he is scared, "Oh, I kind of forgot to mention, I haven't told Mum yet."
"You haven't?"
"Um, no." We start back to the house and I actually start laughing. "Hey, don't laugh, it's not funny. She's gonna kill me." We walk back into the house, and I see Ginny sitting at the table looking upset.
"Hey Gin!" I state happily.
"Oh, Hermione," she says as she comes up and hugs me. "Are you alright?"
"I am now," I spill to her looking at Ron.
"Good, so now we can talk. I have a bed set up for you in my room and everything." POP.
"That must be Dad," Ron notifies us.
"Yeah, why wasn't he here when you go here?" Ginny asks us, but we do not answer we go into the family room. "Hermione! Why in the world is all your stuff in the middle of the family room?"
"Oh, I forgot to mention, my parents kind of threw me out," I utter to her and Ron rubs my back for support.
"They did what?" Ginny shouts very loudly.
"They disowned me."
"That's why you came in crying," she yells yet again.
"My stars what is all this yelling about," Mrs. Weasley inquires walking down stairs. "Oh, Hermione I did not know you were here," she says to me, but then looks around the room. "What in the world is all this stuff?"
"Mum, it's Hermione's. Her parents disowned her," Ginny blurts out her mother.
"Ginny," Ron and I both yell.
"What? They did."
"Oh Hermione, come here," and she puts me into a bone crushing hug. "Oh dear, why would they do that to such a smart and caring witch?"
"That's just it, I am a witch and I have to obey the wizarding law."
"Well, can't you obey it in the muggle world?"
"No, not really."
"What she's trying to say Mum is that there has been a new law passed," Ron says starting to enlighten her.
"And what new law would that be?"
"A marriage law," Ginny screams not able to hold it in any longer.
"When did this happen?" Mrs. Weasley questions clearly confused.
"It has not been announced yet Molly," Mr. Weasley informs her gently. "I told Ron Friday after I found out, and he came up with this idea."
"What kind of idea?"
"He and Hermione get married."
"WHAT?" she yells. Ginny quietly leaves the room not wanting to know what happens next. "There is not way my baby is getting married. No, No, NO! It is completely out of the question."
"But Mum, if we don't then they will assign 'Mione someone or kill her!" Ron declares to her.
"I don't believe it. And I won't believe it until I have seen signed officially by the Ministry it, and am sure it is no lie."
"That will not be until Friday, Molly."
"Then Friday it is." She leaves the room in a huff.
I whisper to Ron, "That went well."
"Yeah, just wait until Friday," he warns me.
"Well, Hermione this is your entire room, sort of," Mr. Weasley states pointing to the four very large chests and my Hogwarts chest.
"I didn't know I had all this stuff!" I exclaim.
"Well, at least two of those are books," Ron jokes. I give him a dirty look.
"Actually Ron is right," Mr. Weasley says. I also leave the room in a huff, and I can hear both of them laugh behind me.
"Men," I express to no one but myself. I walk noisily upstairs to Ginny's room.
"Gees Hermione. That was scary," Ginny declares as soon as I am in her room.
"You're telling me."
"Are you sad?" she questions slowly.
" 'bout what?" I ask looking over her summer homework.
"Your parents?"
"I was, but they say they do not want me to be a witch. And Ron said he would take care of me."
"And that comforts you?" she inquires laughing.
I look offended, "Yes, Ginny, it does."
"O, sorry."
"Did I snap?"
"No, not really. I am so glad another girl is here. I have had no one to talk to all summer about girl stuff."
"You mean talk about Harry to?"
She blushes, "Maybe."
"Of course it is."
"Oh, alright, it is."
"When does he get here?"
"Friday."
"Friday is going to be a very busy and very tiring day."
"What do you mean?"
"That's when they announce the law."
"Oh."
"Yeah, and your mother say she would not believe it until she read some official paper. So Friday it going to be a very fun day."
"Well, let's not think about it, it's only Tuesday now, so we have a couple of days."
"Yeah, I think I should move all my stuff up here."
"Good idea, but I don't think all that stuff will fit in my room," she tells me laughing.
"Yeah, keep laughing." And she does, all the way downstairs.
"Ah, girls I was just going to call you down, we are going to put Hermione's books in Percy's room and two of the other chests in there until we figure out what we are going to do. Which one do you want in Ginny's room?" Mr. Weasley asks as we walk down the stairs.
"Um, my Hogwarts chest since I know what's in it."
"Of course. You and Ginny can start going through the other ones once we get them upstairs." Ginny and I grab my Hogwarts chest, and take it to her room while Mr. Weasley takes care of the other ones.
"Geez, Hermione. What did you bring?" Ginny questions out of breath.
"My room."
"Sorry," she apologizes.
"It's alright. I know it will take a while to get use to. Hey, where did Ron go? He wasn't down there."
"You know him, he probably needed to clear his head."
"Ah, yes. Quidditch. You know I will never understand him and flying."
"You know I like it too. Not as much as Ron."
"It must be a Weasley thing."
"I'm sure it is. Come on, lets go through your other chest."
"Alright, but you are not going to like them," I inform her thinking about what is in them.
We walk up to Percy's old room, and see the four chests in. We stand there looking, "Well, standing here looking is getting nothing done."
So, what do you think? So sorry it took so long! Please tell me what you think? Any ideas are welcome, not saying I will use them, but they may get my brain juices going.