The Marriage Law

The New Law

Hermione's POV:

"Get back here you mudblood!"

My voice caught in my throat. Finally I screamed, "Ronald Weasley you are an absolute arse!"

Breaking free of Ginny's grip on my arm, I lunge forward and punch Ron in the nose. Just like I did to Draco Malfoy in third year. 

"You bloody whore-" Ron started towards me, but Harry got in between us while Ginny wrestled me into her room.

"Ron, stop! She has every right to be furious at you. You don't own her so just-"

The rest of Harry's lecture was cut off when Ginny slammed her bedroom door behind us. I collapsed on her bed, thankful for the privacy from Ron and Harry that meant I could finally cry in peace. 

"Ron is an absolute git," Ginny said vehemently. 

"He called me mudblood, Ginny! Mudblood! It's like he's turned into Malfoy!"

"Oh, please. He's just made that you finally came to your senses and broke up with him. He'll get over it. "

I sniffed, drying my eyes with the backs of my hands. 

"I just felt like I had to. After the announcement in the Daily Prophet...there was no way I could marry Ron. No way."

(Earlier that day...)

"What's going on?"

"Is everyone okay?"

"We heard a scream."

"Ginny, what's wrong?"

Harry sat down next to his girlfriend, who had collapsed onto the couch. Wordlessly, she handed him the Daily Prophet that had just arrived. Harry silently aloud the article Ginny had been reading. When he was done, he let out a strangled sort of sound and handed the newspaper to Mrs. Weasley. Fred and I read it over her shoulder.

Ministry of Magic Passes New Marriage Law

In a statement to the press today, Minister of Magic Kingsley Shacklebolt announced the implement of a new marriage law. Due to the wizarding population being reduced by more than half during the war, all single witches and wizards wizards between the ages of 17 and 40 are required to marry a partner of the Ministry of Magics' choosing within the next year. After two years the couple is required to have conceived their first child.  The Minister says that letters will be sent out no later then by sunset tomorrow. 

Minister Shacklebolt has said that any witches or wizards already married, engaged, or unable to reproduce are exempt from the law. No further information has been disclosed that this time. 

I sunk down on the couch next to Harry. I was suddenly very shaky and dizzy. My entire future had just crumbled before my eyes. 

"This is an outrage!" Mrs. Weasley turned her signature shade of red. "The ministry can't simply force people to be married! It's unethical!"

"While it may be unethical, it's certainly necessary." Mr. Weasley had just returned from work. He looked exhausted. "I just spoke to Kingsley. He told me that the magical population is only 43% of what it was before the war. If we want any chance of not dying out, we need to go through with this law."

"But it's insane! We get absolutely no choice in who we marry!"

Numbly, I turned to face George. As if reciting from a textbook I stated,

"Anyone already married, engaged, or infertile is exempt, George. If we want a say in who we marry, we have to be engaged by sunset tomorrow."

"Hermione's right." Ginny turned to look at Harry. She must have sensed something in his green eyes because she slid off the couch, knelt in front of him on one knee and said, "Harry, I know this would traditionally be your job, but let's be honest you're a chicken. And I love you anyways. I love you more than I've ever loved anyone else. I always have. Will you marry me?"

Harry stared at Ginny shell-shocked. Eventually, I punched him on the arm to get him to snap out of it. He startled a bit, then nearly crushed Ginny as he hugged her. Soon they were both sitting on the floor hugging, crying, and kissing as Harry said over and over,

"Yes, Ginny! Yes, yes, yes, of course I'll marry you!" 

Mrs. Weasley was crying into her husbands shoulder. She couldn't stop saying how happy she was for Ginny and Harry. 

Once the initial excitement wore off, Harry turned to Ron.

"What about you, mate?" He asked.

"Oh, yeah. Um," Ron cleared his throat. Awkwardly, he knelt down in front of me. My pulse raced as I realized what he was doing. Stuttering Ron said, "Hermione...will you marry me?"

Like Harry, I sat in silence for a few minutes. But where Harry said yes and started hugging Ginny, I shook my head.

"I...no. I'm sorry, Ron, but I...I can't marry you. My answer is no."

(Cut back to Ginny's room about 5 minutes later)

"Hermione...if you're not marrying Ron...does that mean that you're letting the ministry choose your partner?"

I stared down at my hands. The knuckles of my right hand were still red from punching Ron's hard head. 

"I guess it does, Ginny."