MINISTRY PLANS MARRIAGE LAW? The headline screamed. Around the scared table of Number 12, the occupants looked pained.
"We knew they were considering it," Harry muttered, his hand rubbing tiredly over his now-inert scar.
"I didn't think that they were serious," Hermione whispered.
He reached out to squeeze her hand," They've not done anything about it yet. Nothing's official." he soothed, not looking convinced, "Maybe Kings…."
Ginny scoffed, "Kings won't do bloody anything and you know it. Hermione sent him a list of other options the first time this was mentioned."
"I know," he groaned, not wanting to believe it. "But he's reasonable and there'll be backlash."
"Is he reasonable"? Ron muttered. "If he was reasonable he'd have listened to one of 'Mione's other options."
"So," Seamus muttered, not looking at any of them, Percy had warned them and as jarring as it was to see in black and white, they had known on some level that this was coming. It was, after all, why they were all here. "What are we going to do?"
Hermione blew out a breath, summoning parchment, "We need a list." she announced, "A list of people to talk to, a plan. And…" she swallowed harshly, "We need a plan B, for what happens if they go through with it. I wont…I…I gave up my childhood to fight their fucking war, I have spent years being told that I'm worthless, powerless. Well, I'm not fucking powerless now. I will not allow them to tie me to someone, force us to endure Ministry mandated rape to satisfy their need for more magical children, I will not become a fucking broodmare."
"What are you saying?" Harry demanded, his face pale. He'd known, of course, what Hermione's stance on this was. How could he not? And he agreed, of course he did, but the hypothetical conversations were all well and good, until he was being forced to consider that none of it was hypothetical at all.
"I will accept whatever sanctions they dole out," she smiled sadly, "But I will not be forced to marry someone I haven't fucking chosen."
He watched as her words were greeted with nods around the room. "Right," he croaked as he was forced to confront the fact that he might actually lose her. "I…fuck. Right."
"Now," she continued, visibly shoving her emotions down, "Those who had planned to marry anyway should probably do so. Now."
Harry's eyes slid to Ginny; she nodded imperceptibly. Hermione caught it, along with the way Lavender clutched Ron's hand, smiling sadly. "Good, those who are getting married piss off to the living room and sort it. The rest of us are going to stay here."
Several eyebrows shot up at that but they complied. Harry the most reluctant of all. "You'll tell me the plan," he checked.
Hermione sighed, "Eventually," she agreed, "But perhaps not all at once?"
"Hermione!" he growled.
"This is going to be delicate," she murmured, "We know they won't take our refusal well. We'll need to be so careful. I won't put you or us at risk just to appease your saving people thing. If we can't convince the Wizengamot and the Minister you won't be able to save us anyway, whether you want to or not. We'll need another plan." she gentled her voice at Harry's devastated expression. "I'll tell you what I can."
Nodding shortly, he left the room, desperately trying not to cry.
"Right," Hermione blew out a breath looking around the room, "What the fuck are we going to do?"
With a grimace, Dean sighed, "What do you think the sanctions will be for refusal?"
"Previously, binding of magic and obliviation," Susan supplied.
"Right, and we're accepting that?" he asked incredulously.
"No.'' Hermione shook her head, "We're going to give the illusion of accepting that. We're going to acquire new wands that we'll hide and we're going to figure out how to get out of here. They'll be monitoring us so we can't just disappear. And…I think we're going to need Snape."
"What?" Seamus demanded, staring at her as if she'd lost her mind.
"Snape. I think we're going to need him. He's quite possibly the most skilled wizard in mind magics alive. We're going to need someone competent to break through the obliviation."
"Ok," Dennis nodded after several beats of silence, a move that was slowly mirrored around the room. "I don't trust him but I do trust you. Speak to Snape. We'll need somewhere to go."
"Not in the country." Dean cut in.
"No.'' Hermione agreed slowly, a plan beginning to form. "How do you all feel about Bulgaria?"
Slow, vicious grins spread around the room. "Gods they'd hate that, wouldn't they?" Dean laughed.
"I'll owl Viktor," she nodded.
"Good. Now, how about we get a list going for those who we can speak to," he grinned suddenly, a wicked, sharklike thing, "We'll be needing your charmed parchment of course, Mya. Harsher consequences this time though."
Hermione hummed, "You and I can work on it." she agreed. "Now who are we speaking to?"
"Justin," Susan replied immediately, "Sue Li."
"Samuel Connor and Sarah Lewis," Dennis supplied, "My year."
And as they began to list all those who they thought would fight this law, Hermione felt the weight of the task ahead settle on her. She startled when Dean squeezed the hand not writing. "We can do this," he murmured, "Look at those numbers. You'd think they'd have learned not to underestimate us."
She gave a wan smile, "This world always has been a bit short-sighted."
He hummed his agreement, "All the better for us then." he muttered.