The Marriage Decree

Chapter 5: Thanks for the apple

The first few months of Hogwarts fly by and before Hermione knows it, it is the Easter Holidays. She had spent the last six weeks between her lessons, the great hall, the library and her dormitory. She barely had time to think about The Marriage Decree with all the studying she was doing for her NEWTs. She had to do her best if she wanted to become a Hogwarts professor at some point in her future. She had spent so much time studying that she barely had time to hang out with her friends, which was why she had promised them that she spend a whole day with them during the Easter Holidays. They had chosen the Hogsmeade trip day which she was thankful for since she was in desperate need of a few books and school supplies that she just hadn't had time to go and buy.

Hermione ended up staying in the library until well after the closing time the night before just to make up for the many study hours she would be missing today. By the time she makes it to bed, she only gets a few hours' sleep before Ginny is dragging her out of bed and down to breakfast. Ginny pours herself and Hermione a large goblet of strong coffee to help wake themselves up which only helps a little.

Harry and Ron were apparently on the Quidditch pitch getting a few hours of practice in before they set off for Hogsmeade at ten. Hermione's annoyed that they get to practise Quidditch for a few hours but she doesn't get to spend any time in the library.

On the walk down to Hogsmeade, Ginny and Harry dawdle behind whispering to each other leaving Hermione and Ron walking ahead awkwardly making small talk about exams, the weather and Quidditch. She can tell that Ron is trying to make conversation so she tries as well but it doesn't make it any less awkward. When they actually make it into Hogsmeade, Harry and Ginny tell them they have a table booked at Madam Puddifoot's Tea Shop so they leave, leaving Ron and Hermione stood awkwardly staring at each other.

"So, er... Where do you wanna go?" Ron asks her shrugging.

"I need to go to Tomes and Scrolls then to Scrivenshaft's Quill Shop," She tells him which results in a deep, bored sigh.

Hermione rolls her eyes. "If you want, I'll go to my shops, you can go to Spintwitches or Honeydukes or where ever you want to go and then I'll meet you at The Three Broomsticks in an hour?" She offers.

Ron smiles thankfully at her. "You know me too well." He laughs. "See you in an hour." He waves her goodbye before running off towards Honeydukes.

Hermione stares after him shaking her head. He's right. She knows him too well. So well that she can read him like a book. That she has nothing else to learn about him. She finds herself thinking about The Marriage Decree properly for the first time in weeks and she finds herself hoping behind hope that she isn't paired to Ron because honestly, she can't imagine a life more boring than being married to and spending the rest of her life with someone she knows as well as herself.

When she enters Tomes and Scrolls, she greets the owner politely then goes straight to the back of the shop where she hopes to find a book on The Marriage Decree. Her search of the library at the start of the term had turned up nothing. She asked Madam Pince but all she would tell her is 'The Ministry has ordered all books that mention the decree to be sent to the Department of Registration.' When she asks what for Madam Pince had simply turned her back on her and refused to answer which she found rude.

She spent ages looking up and down every aisle of the bookshop looking for any book that even references the marriage law but there was nothing. She went up to the front desk to ask the owner and suspiciously, he gave the same answer as Madam Pince. Exactly the same answer.

"What is The Ministry up to?" She mumbles to herself as she goes back to the back of the shop to look for the transfiguration book she needs to study how to transfer a strand of animal hair into a perfect clone copy of the animal. She remembers Professor McGonagall telling them it was one of the hardest spells a wizard or witch could learn when they were in their first year. She is hoping to impress the examiners during their 'self-taught presentation' but she may have left it too late.