A/N: Here is another one! hip, hip, hooray! I am sorry that I have been gone such a long time again, but I can't seem to control when I want to write this one. It's different to what I had originally planned for this chapter, but I think it was something long overdue really.

Hermione was sat at her desk starting to research another spell she could develop when she received an owl from Rabastan.

Dearest Hermione,

I have made a reservation at The Spice Garden at eight thirty tomorrow night, and I have already contacted Bill Weasley so you don't have to notify him. I cannot wait to see you again.

All my love,

Rabastan

Hermione smiled when she read the word 'love'. She wasn't in love with either of the brothers yet, but if things kept going the way they were, then she could see herself doing so.

It had scared her the previous night when she realised just how much she had enjoyed the brothers company. Rodolphus' hot and cold attitude made her feel uneasy still, but Rabastan was clearly enamoured by her.

Hermione's thoughts then turned to what she would wear the next night. She had decided that she would wear the red dress for Ginny and Malfoy's engagement ball. She settled on a dark blue Grecian style dress with silver straps and braiding into it under the bust. She had bought the dress last summer but had not worn it yet, and thought that it was perfect for tomorrow night.

Hermione looked at the clock and realised that if she didn't start getting ready at that moment then she would be late for dinner with her parents.

She hadn't told her parents of the development in the wizarding world, and hoped that they would not freak out about it. Hermione knew that it was an impossible wish to come true though.

Ever since Hermione had wiped their memories and sent them to Australia, they had been fully aware of the dangers magic could present. They had eventually forgiven her as they saw that she had genuinely wanted to keep them safe and happy, but they did not like the fact that someone could have their choice taken away from them.

The marriage law was an example of what her parents had feared would happen, and Hermione knew that her parents would beg her to leave the wizarding world and carve a life in the muggle one. They wouldn't understand that magic was a part of her and that she would not sacrifice it.

After making sure that she had everything, Hermione Apparated into a sheltered bit of her parent's garden.

As she walked up to the back door a figure came out to greet her.

"Hermione I thought you were going to be late," her father said jovially.

"Never, dad, never," Hermione said smiling at him.

"How are you? We haven't seen you for a while and your letters have been vague. It's got your mother worried," her father informed her.

"I do have some news for you and mum, but I think I should leave it until after dinner," Hermione told him.

"William, is that Hermione I can hear?" a voice asked from within the house.

"Yes dear and she has some news for us," he called back.

"Good. We have been lacking any proper news for too long."

As Hermione climbed the steps and walked into the back door the smell of roast chicken engulfed her senses. The delicious smell went straight to her stomach and it rumbled in response.

"Someone's hungry," William quipped.

"I hope so because there's just the three of us today. Your grandmother decided she wanted to stay at home instead of coming here."

"How are you, mum?" Hermione asked.

"I am very well, sweetheart. I have been a little worried about you since you have been very vague in your letters. Has something happened?" she asked concerned.

"Yes, but I would rather talk about it after dinner. It might spoil it otherwise," Hermione replied.

Hermione's mother nodded.

After they had finished dinner and the cleaning up, Hermione and her parents headed for the sitting room.

"What is it that you want to tell us, Hermione?" her mother asks as she sits down.

I don't really know how to start," Hermione confessed.

"Start at the beginning if you can, sweetheart," her father said encouragingly.

"It started about two months ago. There were rumours floating around about a possible marriage law coming into effect. Nothing was confirmed until two weeks after the rumours had started circulating. The marriage law was going to be enacted, and all single or widowed people between the ages of nineteen and seventy would be subject to the law. If anyone without a good reason objected they would get a small stay in Azkaban and if they persisted then their wand would be snapped and they would have to live in the muggle world," Hermione informed them.

"So they are taking your choice away from you?" Her father asked angrily. "I always knew that it would be a matter of time before they did."

"Why are you only telling us this now?" her mother asked.

Hermione sighed.

"I am telling you this now because you won't be able to persuade me not to go through-"

"You're not going to object to this? That you're not going to stand up for your rights?" her father asked disbelievingly.

Hermione shook her head.

"They decided who you're paired with through testing your blood. They match you with whoever is supposed to be the most compatible with you."

"Do you know who you are paired with?" her mother asked in a calm voice.

"Yes, I do. I am paired with two wizards; Rodolphus and Rabastan Lestrange," Hermione answered hoping that neither of her parents would recognise their names.

"They were Death Eaters, weren't they? Didn't you say that you were tortured, by a Lestrange?" her mother asked horrified at the thought that her daughter could be marrying her attackers.

"Yes, mum, they were. It was Rodolphus' dead wife, Bellatrix who tortured me. It was found that they had been under the Imperious curse though when they had taken the Mark, and committed the crimes that they did. Do you remember what I told you about the Imperious curse?" she asked them.

"Yes I do. It gives the caster complete control over their victims," her father answered automatically as he sat back down.

"I know that you don't like this, and I didn't at the beginning either, but I've met the brothers several times since they were released and they have been nothing but pleasant to me. In fact, the only thing which has happened since they were released has nothing to do with them," Hermione stressed as she tried to convince her parents that she was in safe hands.

"What happened?" her father asked.

"I was attacked by Dolohov. It was nothing serious," she said hastily at the look on her parents faces; "He just knocked me out and have me concussion. It happened on Friday morning and I spent the night in hospital, and was released yesterday morning. Harry, Rodolphus, Rabastan, and Bill updated the wards and made sure that my flat was completely secure so Dolohov couldn't get me there. I even have to have a chaperone when I'm out in public in case he tried to attack me again."

After a moment of silence, her father said, "I'm glad that they are going to be looking out for you. There really is nothing we can do to change your mind, is there?" he asked her.

"No, dad, there isn't. My place is in the wizarding world, and as much as I don't like the marriage law at least they are matching people with the person or people they are most compatible with," Hermione answered.

"We will support you no matter what you decide, Hermione, but we do want to meet you fiancés at some point before you get married," her mother said softly.

With the discussion over, Hermione asked about things that were going on in the muggle world. Hermione learnt that the neighbour's daughter recently had a baby, and that someone else down the road had been abandoned because her husband had run off with her sister. It was nice to hear that other people had problems in their lives, not just her.

Once Hermione was home, she took a deep breath and realised that another weight had been lifted from her. She hadn't realised just how much she had been dreading her parents about her situation.

Once again she slipped into bed and fell asleep immediately.