Disclaimer: I nothing of the wonderful Harry Potter series. I'm just kidnapping the characters for awhile.

AN: This another Marriage Law fan fiction, but with a different kind of twist.

Rating: Mature '

Parings: RL/HG (MAIN FOCUS IN THE STORY) HP/NT RW/LL

Era: Post Hogwarts

Love of Friends

By:

hermione snape

Chapter 1

Life Changing

~*~

The Order of the Phoenix gather at Number Twelve Grimmauld Place or better known as Headquarters for the Order. They sat around the large dinning room table waiting for the meeting to be called to order. Remus Lupin, werewolf and friend was named head of the Order after Albus Dumbledore's death five years ago. It was rumored that an old law was placed back into activity starting on September 1st.

Molly Weasely moved back forth from the kitchen to the dinning room fixing dinner. She saw herself as mother hen and that the members were her chicks. The members never complained because they had a wonderful meal each time they had a meeting.

Ron Weasely roll a muggle pencil back and forth bored waiting of his best friend, Hermione Granger to return with the copy of the Daily Prophet. It had been nearly three hours since Remus sent her out to get the morning edition.

Harry Potter, known as the boy-who-defeated-you-know-who sat down next to his best friend Ron and also waited on his other best friend Hermione. He sighed and listened to the other members conversations.

Hermione ran into the dinning room dripping wet with a copy of the Daily Prophet under arm. "Sorry. It was murder to get a copy." she told them and cast a drying spell over herself and the paper.

"It's alright." Remus told her with a smile and took the paper from the witch.

Hermione sat down next to Harry. She kindly took the hot cup of tea from Mrs. Weasely. The room got quiet for the news to be read.

Remus searched for his reading glasses and Hermione told him right breast pocket. He smiled and slipped them on and opened the paper. He sighed and read the paper out loud.

"Due to resent study over the past year has shown a dramatic drop of the wizarding race. The once active marriage law that was practice up in 1813 will take affect on September 1st. The law will allow the wizarding race to thrive like it once had been.

The Ministry will send each single witch and wizard a form to be filled out to determine who is compatible with whom. The forms must be returned to the Ministry Affairs Office by August 1st or will have their wand snapped and banished from the wizarding world. The couple must have at least one child within the first two years of marriage."

Remus looked up from the paper and saw Hermione's face go white. He sighed heavily. It was going to be extremely hard for the woman to become pregnant. He was the only one that knew the reason behind it. Remus had found Hermione in agonizing pain and rushed her the hospital and found out she had cervical cancer. They had to remove her right ovary and also had a bleeding disorder known as Menorrhagia. She would have to take many hormones and medicines to help her chances, but she still had a chance with the drugs. He knew that the wizarding world didn't have the technology to help her. She would have to go to a muggle doctor.

Remus turned back to the paper. "Well, I believe that's it for now. The Ministry will send you the forms and don't forget to send them in by August 1st. I don't want to see anyone banished. You are free to leave if you wish. I know Molly has supper ready for any of those that wish to stay." He told the members and put his glass back into his right breast pocket.

Hermione quietly left the room to go to the library. She needed some time alone. Remus watched her leave with worry.

~*~

Hermione sat down on the couch and pulled her knees to her chest. She stared into the dancing flames and let the tears fall down her cheeks. Remus quietly walked into the library and closed the door behind him with soft click. He sat down next her and pulled his friend into his arms. Hermione buried her face into his chest and her body shook with sobs. Remus knew he couldn't promise that they'd be together where he'd be with her every step of the way. It would be her husband's job to be with her and it would make it so hard on her when she'd have to explain her medical disorder.

Remus held Hermione close and rocked her side to side whispered words of comfort. The best comfort he could offer was that of a friend. He couldn't truly be with her at the medical appoints unless given permission from her husband.

"Promise you'll go with me on my first appointment." Hermione whispered.

"I promise." he kissed her hair line.

"I'll contact my Granddad." Hermione said pulling back and brushed the tears from her face. Remus held out a handkerchief. "Thank you." she took the soft cloth from him.

"Come on let's go get something to eat." he told her. She nodded and handed him back his handkerchief. He took it and stuck it inside his pocket. They left the library.

~*~

The next morning Hermione had her old school trunk packed for her vacation with her parents. They were visiting her grandparents, Sean and Cora Young at their summer cottage. She was ready to get away from work for awhile and a break from the drama of the wizarding world.

She kissed Harry on the cheek and told him not to work too hard. (Auror.) He smiled sheepishly knowing he did work too hard. Hermione turned to Remus.

"Contact me when you have appointment set up." Remus whispered and pushed her hair from her face. "I'll be right there." Hermione nodded her head. "Be careful." he kissed her forehead.

Harry smirked at the couple. He knew that Remus loved Hermione more than a friend. He had for many years. Remus wanted to be more and wanted to move it up from friendship to a romantic relationship. Harry sadly shook his head because it might not happen because of the marriage law. Or it might because he was looking in a woman was Hermione.

Hermione smiled and walked out of Number Twelve Grimmauld Place. That had become her home with her two boys, Harry and Remus. She was gone with a pop.

Harry squeezed his friend's shoulder. He knew Remus wouldn't know what to do while she was gone. It was the same every year. He just about pouted the entire time she was gone which was about six weeks out of the summer.

"Hey Moony don't worry about Mione. She'll write." Harry told him and lead him to the kitchen to get drunk like they did every time she'd leave for her grandparents.

"Yea. She strong." Remus said reassuring himself as they walked into the dinning room.

~*~

Hermione walked down the road from the park up to the house. She saw her father, John packing the car as her mother, Jane told him to move the bags a curtain way or they wouldn't fit. She couldn't help but laugh it was the same as every year.

John had short dark brown hair, tone skin, brown eyes and athletic frame. He smiled and few wrinkled lines formed at the side of his eyes.

Jane had chin length dirty brown hair, pale skin, bright honey eyes and nice womanly figure. She held a sweet loving smile that brighten up a bad day.

"You made it right on time." John told his daughter with a smile.

"Thought the boys would never let me go. They get worst every year." she said with a laugh.

"Dear where are your things?" Jane asked her daughter. Hermione patted her side pocket. "Oh right. Sometimes I forget you can do that."

John shoved the last bag into the trunk of the car. Jane smirked and told him that it wouldn't work. Hermione rolled her eyes and took out her wand and shrank the large bag. She sat her trunk in the small left empty hole. She looked at them and smiled.

"There. Now lets go. We have along way to go." Hermione said and ushered her parents to the car doors.

John climbed into the driver seat and chuckled. Hermione was always like a little kid when it came to visiting her grandparents. Jane and Hermione got into their seats and he drove away from the house.

~*~

John pulled up to a two-story long cabin surrounded by miles of pasture and large lake two miles away from the house, were Hermione did her fishing and swimming during her summer with her grandfather.

The front porch had three rocking chairs, a porch swing on the far left side and a long wooden bench. Their were several plants that hung from the porch ceiling and red roses that were plant in the front of porch. Sean and Hermione planted last summer.

Sean and Cora walked outside and stood on the front porch. Sean had short gray hair, tone tan skin, blue eyes, wrinkles around his eyes and mouth when he smiled. He had board shoulders. He had wrinkled rough hands were you could tell he worked with hands during his free time away from his medical clinic.

Cora had long wavy brown gray streaked hair, brown eyes, small amount of wrinkles around her eyes and mouth when smiled, and had nice woman slim figure. She wore an apron on all day showing that she baked pastries for sale for the fun and extra money.

"Hello there Shortcake." Sean said and quickly took his granddaughter into tight hug. "It's great to see you." He pulled back and noticed something was wrong but kept it himself. He was too close to his granddaughter to know when something was wrong.

Cora pulled Hermione into a hug and swayed her side to side. She told her that she had fudge in the house. Hermione laughed. She smiled thinking how Remus would be in heaven with all the chocolate she kept cooked around the house. She also knew he would make himself sick with the sweets. hermione had to keep an eye on him at home. Hermione kept a small amount of baked sweets around the house for boys.

They greeted John and Jane and ushered them inside the house. Sean told them that they could get their things out of the car later. Hermione walked back outside and waved her wand. The bags went up stairs to their respectable rooms. She walked back inside. Hermione smiled and slipped her wand up her sleeve into her wand holder under her left arm.

Sean chuckled and steered Hermione into the kitchen. They joined the family at the kitchen table. They spent the time with light conversation.

~*~

Hermione crept down stairs after several hours of tossing and turning. She slipped outside and sat down on the porch swing. She found her grandfather waiting on her. Hermione sat down next to him. He handed her a cup of tea.

"Alright Hermione what's wrong?" Sean asked with concern.

She sighed not knowing were to start too much had happened. He didn't even know about her having cervical cancer or the bleeding disorder. Than to top it off the marriage law and the fact she had to start treatment in order to hopeful to get pregnant. Hermione took a deep a breath and began her story.

Sean looked at Hermione sadly. He hated seeing someone he loved so dearly in pain. And with his own granddaughter's pain made it even harder. He knew how badly she wanted children when she was ready. The marriage law was forcing them into having a child.

"Well, this man Remus Lupin seems like a very special friend." Sean said and wrapped his arm over her shoulders.

"He is a great friend." Hermione whispered drying the tears from her face. "Will you help me with my treatment?"

Sean kissed her forehead. "Of course I will Shortcake. Can you sleep now?"

Hermione nodded. "Thanks Granddad." she nodded and she went upstairs grateful that she had someone that could help her.

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