An Unwanted Marriage, But An Unexpected Love

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, or any of the characters you recognise. They belong to J.K. Rowling. I do own the plot and any up and coming characters you don’t recognise. I do not make any profit from the writing of this story it is for entertainment only, please do not sue.


An Unwanted Marriage, But An Unexpected Love


Hermione Jane Granger felt a sickening dread, which was caused by the fact she had just received mail delivered by a Ministry owl. Receiving mail from the Ministry had become the worst nightmare to half blood and muggle born witches, spanning from the age of eighteen and above.

A nightmare ever since a year ago when the Minister of magic Cornelius Fudge had passed a new law, a law declaring all muggle born and half blood witches had to marry a pureblood wizard.

But that was not the worst part. No the worst part was that each witch had a list of adult wizards to choose from. They only had a choice of four different wizards.

And of course most of said wizards usually ended up being old enough to be the father of said witches. This was of course expected when all the younger wizards were take and already married young usually straight out of Hogwarts.

So if a Wizard over the age of twenty was not already married, then they were either expected to come forth of their own accord, placing their name on the list of suitable and eligible bachelors. Or they were forced to place their name down, or they too would suffer the fate of having their magic drained and their wands snapped.

So in other words the unmarried pureblood wizards were just as much victims of this law, as were the young unmarried muggle born and half blood witches.

The only people in the wizarding world that was safe from this new law were half blood and muggle born wizards, and pureblood witches. This meant this half of the wizarding community was not looked upon appreciatively by those who were unfortunately subjected to the law.

It was the pureblood that the law applied to. The ministry, Fudge in particular believed due to the war, if they did not act now, then all wizards would die out. Muggle born and half bloods could only reproduce for so long before future generations started being born squibs.

Hermione who was staying at the Weasley’s for the remaining month of the holidays before returning to Hogwarts for her seventh and final year, cringed and looked to be about to burst into tears, as she read the official looking letter.

She read the words that would seal her fate, along with a wizard, that she had no such doubt of.

Dear Miss Granger

We the ministry are writing to you to remind you that your eighteenth birthday is due this up and coming month. In regards to this up and coming event, you are now eligible for the law that states all muggle born and half blood witches of the age of eighteen must marry. Four suitable and unmarried suitors are listed below. You will choose one of those four wizards two weeks before your eighteenth birthday. You are invited to attend the Ministry two weeks on Monday morning first thing. If you refuse to comply with this notice and this law is not abided by, then you will be stripped of your magic and exiled from the Wizarding world permanently. Please read through the enclosed list of eligible suitors.

Moira Warwick, Head of the marriage deaths and births department.


Hermione felt ill, and seriously so. She covered her mouth with her hand and let out a pain filled sob. Mrs. Weasley pulled her into a comforting embrace as she continued to sob.

Ginny Weasley, who was sat in her boy friends lap, none other then Harry Potter, took the letter Hermione had dropped and read through the choices her best friend had available to her.

She scanned the paper, and instantly went green with revulsion at the second name on the list, had to bite back a smirk at the first name, but nodded at the forth and last name.

She read out loud “your choices Hermione are”

1, Sirius Black
2, Severus Snape
3, Rupert Greenwell
4, Barty Crouch Junior

Hermione sniffled, as she looked up at Sirius who was sitting at the other end of the table next to Remus Lupin and his cousin Tonks. He was eyeing her thoughtfully, and desperately hopping she would not see fit to choose him. Not that he had anything against her. No, he just did not feel comfortable marrying one of his godson’s best friends.

Hermione shook her head and said “No offence Sirius, but I can not choose you, I cannot marry you. You are the godfather of one of my best friends. The whole situation is stressful enough without adding unnecessary tension and awkwardness into the mix.”

Sirius sighed, a sigh of evident relief. “Oh thank Merlin for that. I have nothing against you Hermione, but you’re like the daughter I never had. I just could not bring myself to make you my wife. And on top of that, as you’ve already pointed out, I am the godfather of one of your best and closest friends. It just won’t work.”

Ginny grimaced “Well, I guess that leaves you with Snape, Rupert Greenwell, and of course Barty Crouch Junior” she added “Snape, ewe how on earth did he end up considered as an eligible suitor?”

Sirius, Remus, Harry and Ron choked at the mere thought of Hermione becoming Mrs. Snape. Hermione could not suppress the shudder of displeasure that went through her at the mere thought of kissing Professor Severus Snape, evil potions master extraordinaire.

Remus said “I and Sirius went to Hogwarts with both Barty and Greenwell. Greenwell was a Hufflepuff. And Barty he was a Gryffindor, while his twin Benjamin Crouch was a Slytherin.”

Sirius added “No wonder he went bad and became a death eater. Then he goes and frames Barty, and he ends up being accused of being a death eater, when it was Benjamin that was pretending to be him. And Barty, who didn’t and still doesn’t have the dark mark, he was sent to prison.”

Tonks shook her head and added “Talk about giving the saying an evil twin a whole new meaning. He was Barty’s evil twin literately.” She went on “It’s just shocking to realise one twin remained on the side of the light, but the other didn’t. It’s just when I think of twins, I cannot help but always see the likes of Fred and George Weasley.”

The others chuckled knowingly at this. They knew exactly what she meant. The Weasley twins would die for each other before they even dared think of turning on and betraying someone as good as their other half of a none sexual nature. They were loyal to the other to an absolute fault.

Sirius added “Barty is a spitting image of Benjamin, but with better teeth, plus minus the murderous psychotic tendencies. Barty was and still is always the more laid back twin.”

He added around a smirk “Although just because he is the more laid back of the two, does not automatically make him a pushover. No, Barty has one hell of a foul temper when provoked.”

Remus added “True, Padfoot. You and James learned that lesson the hard way” he was grinning deviously as he said it. This caused Sirius to glower at him, and was sure if James had been alive and present in the room, then he to would have been joining him.

Remus ignored the less then friendly looks from his long time friend, and continued on “But he never went out of his way to inflict that temper on others. He has a temper, but thankfully he’s not one of those wizards who have got a ridiculously short fuse. Although when that fuse of his does blow then I highly recommend taking cover.”

Sirius smirked knowing, knowing exactly how wise it was to take cover in such a situation. He asked Hermione “So who else was on that list of yours, didn’t you mention Greenwell?”

Hermione frowned “Greenwell, where have I heard that name before? I know I’ve heard it before, but where?” Remus told her what she wanted to know “Do you remember in your fifth year Hermione, when you took your owls?”

He added at her nod “Do you remember a young member on the examination board. He was blond, blue eyed, appeared as if he were not long ago out of Hogwarts himself?”

Hermione frowned before her eyes widened in realisation. She looked like she had swallowed something highly sour and foul. She shook her head No, no way. There is absolutely no way. No can do.”

The others were smirking as she shuddered and all but spat “He was like the Hufflepuff equivalent of a Malfoy. If it weren’t for the fact he did not have the psycho killer instincts of the Malfoy’s, then he could have been one of them quite easily.”

She grimaced as she added “He was stuck up and acted all high and mighty, acted as if he was god himself. I thought he was going to choke and die due to all of that forced pompous charm. Either that, or I’d end up dreadfully ill in the end.”

The other burst out laughing, even Molly could not help but chuckle, and patted Hermione sympathetically on the back. She really did pity the poor girl. She was just glad her Ginny was not eligible for the laws requirements.

Hermione added shaking her head again “And no, I can’t marry Snape either. I refused to be married to and bare the children of a man who would never respect me, and who believes me to be a worthless know it all.”

She added coldly “Besides, he is a death eater. Sure he is spy, yes, but it does not mean I wish to be involved with a man who will constantly be in the shadow of Voldemort. I would never be safe, nor would any children.”

Harry commented “I guess that leaves you with Barty Crouch Junior. I met him at the end of my sixth year; he was at professor Toffty's funeral.” He added “He looks like his brother, in fact they are identical. Which is why had a problem with being near him, that’s of course until he smiled at me knowingly. His smiled looked truly pained. I think it was he knowing his brothers own actions in his name had shown themselves again.

Harry sighed “But as far as his personality goes, he is nothing like his brother was. I liked him. He was willing to tell me things about my parents when he went school with them, Sirius and Remus. He was really nice about it.”

Sirius said to Harry “He used to be like a brother to your mother, he always stuck by her when neither James, me or Remus were able to do it.” Sirius’s voice was filled with evident respect.

Remus added “He is in fact a lot like Sirius. They have so much in common when it came to their siblings.” He went on “Sirius became a Gryffindor and never got along with his brother who became a Slytherin.”

He went on after a brief pause “And Barty he also became a Gryffindor. But he never detested his twin brother, until our sixth year, and he started acting in ways he hadn’t in the past. And as you can guess, he became a Slytherin as well.”

Sirius added "Both of our siblings ended up becoming death eaters. Barty ended up going to prison, whilst his twin paraded as him, blackening and destroying his reputation, his values and beliefs. What he stood for in short.”

He continued “I ended up going to prison because of Peter. In short we both went to prison for crimes we did not commit. And we also managed to escape."

Sirius finished with a grin. “Did any of you notice on the Marauders map that not only was there a picture of a stag, a grim, a wolf and a rat, but also a stallion?”

Harry nodded “Yeah I noticed whenever I activate the map, the names Prongs, Padfoot, Moony, Wormtail, and also Midnight would show up on the map.”

Remus smiled “You all only knew of four of the marauders, you just never knew of the fifth member, except for when you activated the map.” He finished “Midnight, he was and still is a raven black stallion, hence the name midnight. Midnight is none other then Barty Crouch Junior.”

Hermione smiled and shook her head, as she said “Not only one but two of my supposed suitors were and still are members of the infamous Marauders.”

She added with a giggle “Oh god, if I marry either one of you, then I’d never be safe, you’d be pranking me right left and centre. I’d become as paranoid as Moody, always checking my food and drink, and looking for little traps here and there.”

The others laughed at this. Sirius and Remus were nodding knowingly. Remus commented “Well, actually you would have most likely had that trouble with Sirius or James. I and Barty on the other hand, we were the less volatile of the group. We were more likely to think before we acted. And Peter, well, the less said there the better.”

The smile left Hermione’s face. “I do not want to follow this law, but I refuse to lose my magic and be exiled. So my only other option is to marry Barty Crouch Junior and become Mrs. Crouch.”

The others looked at her in sympathy. She and all those other wizards and witches did not deserve any of this. Fudge the pompous fool, his stupid and degrading law was ruining and making a mockery out marriage.

Marriage was supposed to be a bond and commitment between two people who loved each other, no matter their sex or sexual orientation. It was not supposed to be forced by a law. Marriage was supposed to be entered into with both parties’ complete consent and full dedication.

The law destroyed the whole meaning of pledging ones self through vows and rings to another. The law turned marriage into merely a piece of official looking paper and set of fancy and expensive jewellery. The vows were as good as null and void before the bride and groom would even get around to saying I do.