Day By Day

1

Her heart began to pound in her chest as panic was setting in. She knew this day was coming. Hermione Granger, the witch who prepared for everything was in compete shock. She had faithfully believed that the absurdity of what was apparently happening would be resolved before it ever got this far. According the the scroll floating in front of her face the Ministry of Magic was actually going through with this complete and utter farce. All unmarried wizards, of child bearing years, would be placed into arranged marriages and require to produce at least one offspring of a magical nature. This was supposedly to preserve the decline in births of the wizarding population since the war.

Dear Miss Hermione Jean Granger OOM,

Greetings and congratulations,

By decree of the Ministry of Magic you will be required to appear before Sir Barnabas Bonnor, wedding Celebrant, this fourth Saturday in the month of June with your betrothed,  Mr. Severus Tobias Snape OOM.

Failure to comply will result in detainment for both parties.

Congratulations on your forthcoming nuptials.

Sincerely,
Hyacinth Bouquet
Assistant Secretary
Registry Office, Ministry of Magic

Hermione slapped her palm down on her kitchen table out of frustration. The Ministry Owl,  that had been patiently waiting for a treat, flapped his wings and screeched in the distraught witches face.

"Oh bugger off!"

The owl appeared to be scowling at her. Clearly perturbed, the nasty little bird left the crying witch a treat of his own before flying off through the kitchen window of her apartment.

Hermione snatched the scroll, wadded it up, and pitched it in the direction of the feathered creature.

How appropriate she thought. A shitty delivery from a shitty bird. It went perfectly with the current state of her shitty life. Severus fucking Snape. The wizard who enjoyed tormenting children, favored his precious little Slytherin brats, and generally made her and her friends school years a complete misery was now to be her husband...her husband! She'd have to live with the pompous brute. She's have to...oh gods she didn't even want to think about what other things she'd have to do.

How? How could this be her life! She didn't deserve this. She was Hermione Granger after all. Brightest witch of her age. Hermione Granger who played an integral role in saving wizarding Britain from the Dark Lord. This is how the Ministry repays war hero's? By forcing her to marry a wizard she didn't love, forcing her to bare his children, forcing her on a man who most likely still despised her. A man who treated her with contempt. A man old enough to be her father! No no no this could not be happening. Harry, she needed Harry. He was high up at the Ministry, people worshiped him. Harry could fix this. Harry could get her out of it.

Hermione floo called her best friend.

"Hermione!" Ginny greeted her at the hearth. "Come through! Dinner is almost on the table. Harry will be home any moment."

"Thanks Gin."

A moment later Hermione stepped out of the floo and brushed herself off.

She slowly lifted her eyes to meet Ginny's. Her tears already welling up.

"Oh god. The scrolls went out today?"

Hermione could only nod her head. She couldn't bring herself to even say yes.

Ginny, still holding Albus, wrapped her free arm around her friend, nearly squishing the little boy in her arms.

"Don't cry Hermione, we'll figure this out. They can't actually make you do this. We'll fight it! Harry can help I'm sure. There must be something or some loophole. Don't cry."