Thank you for taking the time to read my first ever fic. Because the life I live includes 2 very active little girls under the age of 2, my updates will be sporadic at best and I apologize ahead of time for length between updates. I will make sure to post a disclaimer before there are any sexual scenes. I know not everyone reads them. It is rated M for content remember so if you don't like detailed sex descriptions, please skip over it.
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter and Co. I just play with the characters like I did with Colorforms :)
"Oh hell no!" came from behind a newspaper sporting frizzy brown hair.
The table of 12 Grimmauld Place were looking at a very angered Hermione Granger. No one moved or asked what was wrong. They knew she'd start a rant in any moment. The witch had a hard time keeping emotions to herself.
"What the hell do they think they're doing? Saving the wizarding population my ass. I'm sure its just one of Lucius Malfoy's disgusting attempts to be allowed to torture and rape muggleborn witches legally. This is disgusting. Honestly!" She looked around at the table with fire in her brown eyes, normally soft and caring.
The table looked at Molly Weasley. I suppose I should say something, the Weasley matron thought.
"Hermione dear, what ever is the matter?" She had hoped she said it caring enough. No one wanted Hermione's anger directed at them.
"Oh nothing Mrs. Weasley unless you consider forcing muggleborns to marry pureblooded sots a problem" she said dripping with sarcasm.
"What Hermione? You don't mean..." Mrs Weasley looked at her pitifully. Then she remembered something. "Oh Hermione you don't have to worry about that dear. Not yet at least. That should give you some time for Albus to find a way our or around this."
Hermione looked at Mrs. Weasley. She didn't know about the time turner in her third year did she? Oh this wasn't going to be pleasant."Um, Mrs. Weasley? I don't get a way around this. I turned 17 at the end of 6th year."
All eyes were on her as she turned a bright red and ran off to her room.
"Hermione? Hermione can you open up please? Its Ginny."
"Go away Ginny. Just go. I want to be left alone right now. These may very well be my last days to be by myself. Soon I'm just going to be some brood mare for some uppity pureblood idiot."
"C'mon Hermione. Let me in. We can talk. You know Dumbledore will find a way out of this."
Hermione sniffed. "That's Professor Dumbledore Ginny and yes, you can come in. The door is unlocked."
The door opened and the red head walked in. She sat down on the bed and hugged the distraught witch while rocking back and forth. Ginny didn't know what to do. Why did Hermione have to mess with the time turner? Now she's going to be forced into a marriage she doesn't want. Ginny sighed and looked at the witch sadly.
"Hermione, you could marry Ron. You could marry any of the boys except Bill. You know they would do it for you. At least you'd be in a marriage where someone cares about you." she said softly and with a slight hint of hope.
Hermione gave a little laugh. "Oh yes. I'd just love to listen to talks of Quidditch all day with Ron. Living with constant vigilance in the case of the twins, or living in Romania with Charlie. And Percy? The great prat is married to his work already. He'd have no time for me unless I was a report on cauldron bottom thickness. No Ginny, I can't marry one of your brothers."
Ginny looked at Hermione with both hurt and anger. Hermione felt horrible for putting the family down like that but she was too angry to be nice. She didn't care for any of them enough to be happily married. She snorted at the thought of matrimonial bliss. Well, that's something I'll never see, she sighed.
She looked over and saw Ginny reading the rest of the article. Hermione started getting anxious when she noticed Ginny's eyes getting as big as saucers. This could not bode well. Ginny was never shocked by anything. Even the stories of late night trysts with the male population of Hogwarts from Parvati and Lavender didn't seem to faze her.
"Ginny, what is it?" Damn it. I knew I should of read the entire article. Please not let it be that bad. She looked at Ginny intently and felt like a huge weight had just been dropped in the pit of her stomach. "Ginny please! What has got you looking like you saw a bogart?"
"Oh Hermione. I don't know how to tell you this-"
"Ginny just tell me. It can't be worse than being forced into marriage."
Well, here it goes. "Hermione, did you read the marriage requirements? Consummation is required within 24 hours of the binding or the marriage is void." Ginny cringed as she read the next part. "And conjugal relations have to be made once a week and once every other day during the fertile window and-"
Hermione moaned. Oh gods! "Merlin, what else?!"
"Um, a child has to be conceived within 6 months of marriage."
Well, that explains the rule about the fertile window, Hermione thought to herself. Good Merlin! I'm going to have to lose my virginity to someone I don't care for. She sighed.
Ginny watched as what she said was processed by her friend. Poor Hermione. Ginny reread to see if forced marriages applied to purebloods. She let go of a breath she didn't know she was holding as she read that she didn't. It was only the muggleborns that had no choice. Ginny was happy she'd be allowed to marry Harry if they got that serious but felt guilty that Hermione had no choice.
"Ginny, I have to lose my virginity to someone I probably will hardly know, I don't care for and-" with this said out loud, Hermione broke down and cried. She looked at her friend and said softly "-don't love."
Merlin the Ministry had really done it now. The aged and white haired wizard sighed. Too many will never be allowed to reach their full potential. Children will be having children. They'll be taking on responsibilities best left to adults. He grabbed a handful of powder, threw it in the fireplace, and politely asked Minerva McGonagall to please come to his office at her earliest convenience.
"Albus, whatever the blazes is wrong?"
"We may lose one of the best and brightest witches of the age to a ridiculous law the Ministry has just passed and I need your input and help to solve the dilemma." he said without his usual eye twinkle.
"Miss Granger Albus? I'll be right over" The severe looking, middle aged witch stepped through the green flames and into Albus Dumbledore's office. The look on his face surprised her. She had never seen him this sad before. Not even when the muggle candy store had been out of lemon drops.
"What law has Fudge passed? I was too busy with my Transfiguration Monthly and haven't read the Prophet yet."
Dumbledore handed her the magical newspaper and cast his eyes down. He would rather not see the shock and disgust in his colleague's eyes.
Minerva was furious. Forcing marriage on children? Children who haven't even graduated? Why is he concerned about Miss Granger though? She hasn't reached the age of majority yet.
"Albus, why are you concerned about Miss Granger? She hasn't reached 17 quite yet. We have time to figure this out." With this, Dumbledore gave her a curious look.
"You don't remember?"
"Remember what?" Then realization hit her."Oh my. She turned 17 at the end of the last term didn't she?" She watched as the old wizard looked at her sadly. I should never agreed on the time turner for the girl Minerva thought sadly.
"Minerva, please don't blame yourself. Had she not have gotten ahold of the time turner, we would have only had a few extra months anyways."
"But Albus, a few months could be the difference between graduating with her class or having a child! I know Miss Granger is quite mature enough to raise a child right now but she shouldn't have to. Albus, this doesn't give us any time at all! What if she's already been pre-contracted?"
"Oh she hasn't. As Headmaster, I have to be informed if the students have accepted a proposal since I would have to be aware of making any changes for the student if they were allowed to continue school. You are right though. She has no time to waste or to attempt to get around this. However, I do feel up to a challenge."
Minerva gave an exasperated sigh. "Albus, you're treating this like the poor girl only has to make up schoolwork!"
"My dear Minerva. I already have someone in mind for Miss Granger. All he has to do is send her the proposal." He smiled indulgently.
"Albus, who would wed and bed the girl that wouldn't attempt to kill her or make her quit her education? Where in the world do you think you'll find such a person?"
He looked at her with a twinkling in his eyes. He knew Minerva would not want her precious lion cub in the coils of the serpent but he really had no choice. He would trust no one else with Hermione Granger.
"Well Albus, who is it?"
"Severus."
Minerva gave him a sharp look and left the office. The snarky Potions professor for the greatest witch Gryffindor had turned out in years? I doubt he'll agree to this, she thought before she settled down to her desk and started the letters for the new term.
The evening was a quiet one at Order headquarters. They had all been sympathetic but Hermione didn't want sympathy. She wanted someone to go to Fudge and give him a swift kick in his arse after they shoved the awful colored bowler in it. They could castrate Malfoy senior while they were at it too. She really didn't want to get married. She had never planned on it. Sure, she had planned on losing her virginity at some point. Preferably in a long-term committed relationship but some she would actually care about and possibly love for sure. And then there was the child or children to consider.
Did she want children? She had never seen herself as the maternal type. She loved her baby cousins dearly but could never be a mother herself. How many would she expected to produce? Would she be a broodmare for some pureblood? Would they only keep one tainted child and kill the rest that were conceived so they didn't sully their bloodline with more than one half-blood?
She looked at the clock and yawned. Before anyone could say anything, she lept up and went to her bedroom. She had had an exhausting day and wanted peaceful sleep. After all, she thought, tomorrow is another day.
The last line of the story was indeed taken from Gone with the Wind. Thank you Margaret Mitchell.
Please R&R! I would like to know what you have to say and I do take c/c well. Thanks.