Marriage Law

AN: Kudos to anyone who figured out the Are You Being Served
reference in the last chapter. It was pretty obscure. Any public guesses in the
review sen?

Once again: John Inman rocks. One day I’m going to camp
outside PBS and meet him.

Thanks to the reviewers. Shame on you if you don’t review :(

Marriage Law Chapter 27

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Severus threw more brown powder in the small hearth built
into the wall.

“What in bloody hell is going on?!” Severus shouted, his
head submerged in green flames.

He was silent for a moment as if he was listening to a
reply.

“Well, I figured that out, Remus,” Severus said dryly. “Do
you have anything to add to that observation?”

If the situation were not so dire Hermione would have
laughed. At the moment she felt the need to be clothed and ready for combat.

Severus stared into the kitchen of 12
Grimmauld Place and fixed Remus Lupin with a stare
that would melt steel.

“The orb had been orange for a total of 30 seconds,
Severus,” said Lupin, visibly annoyed. “Obviously I don’t know anything more
than you. Just be prepared to receive casualties, if needed.”

Severus nodded sharply. At least it gave him something to
do. He pulled his head back in his laboratory and turned to look at Hermione.

“Goodness me, that would make me think twice,” said Severus
sarcastically, an eyebrow raised.

“It isn’t funny!” shouted Hermione. Severus took a step back
in spite of himself. “Your friend isn’t out there, part of a stupid prophecy
out to wreck his life before it really started!”

“I did lose friends in the first war, Hermione,” Severus
said in a deadly calm voice. “Now I suggest we follow the measly orders we were
given and stop bickering while our friends may be falling.”

Hermione swallowerd ard and nodded. She slipped her wand in
a long pouch she had hung on her belt, turned abruptly around and marched out
of the laboratory.

Severus looked heavenward and sighed. She didn’t even know
their orders yet.

***

Hermione sat in an armchair near the ballroom fireplace
biting her fingernails.

“Stop that,” Severus chided her gently. She glared at him
but took her fingers out of her mouth.

Cherv poured Hermione a cup of tea. She sipped at it
nervously and set it down on a small table near her. Cherv patted her hand
wordlessly before he left.

&;

Hermione watched Cherv leave the room and wondered if Dobby
and Winky were safe at Hogwarts. Where was Dumbledore, anyway? She frowned at
her thought.

“I’ll be right back,” she said getting to her feet and
throwing floo powder into the hearth.

***

Hermione ran down the great drawbridge to the Bibliotheque
oo Amazon to the table set for lunch.

“Hermione, do join us,” said Sophia as she grew nearer.

“Thank you,” said Hermione, her breath coming in great
heaves. “But I have to talk to Dumbledore. I’m sorry for ruining your lunch.”

“What’s wrong?” Dumbledore asked sharply. He threw his
napkin on the table and rose to his feet.

“The Ministry,” said Hermione. “It’s under attack.”

“Duty calls,” sighed Sophia.

“I’m going with my father,” said Alexandra abruptly, rising
to her feet. “We have sworn feud with the Dark One as well, it is acceptable
for me to go.”

Sophia closed her eyes and took a deep breath. The girl was
far past her age of ascension. She was free to go. She opened her eyes and
looked at her daughter.

Alexandra’s chin was set in a stubborn expression that
reminded Sophia of Albus when they had been much younger.

“Yes, it is,” said Sophia, reluctantly.

“I have to say good-bye to Kari first,” said Alexandra,
running up the drawbridge.

Sophia watched her daughter go with a soft expression that
turned to panic.

“Hermione quickly,” said Sophia. “Go to the hall and blow the
silver horn.”

Hermione didn’t question, but ran up the drawbridge.

“What does the silver horn signify?” Dumbledore asked,
quickly embracing Sophia as he drew his wand.

“It evacuates the bastards,” said Sophia. “You found your
way here, didn’t you?”

Dumbledore looked as if he were going to argue, but shook
his head and apperated with a loud pop instead.

Sophia stood on the glass drawbridge alone.

***

Severus sat is cis chair near the ballroom fireplace biting
his nails. The silence was nerve wracking. When the flames leapt up in the
hearth he jumped and upset his untouched cup of tea.

Hermione walked through the flames with a pretty blonde girl
in a light yellow toga behind her.

Severus leapt to his feet and realized he didn’t know what
to do.

“Err…hello?” Severus said awkwardly.

“Hello,” said Kari holding her hand out to him.

As Hermione made introductions the flames crackled and
Charlie Weasley’s head appeared.

“Those fools stormed in, there was nothing we could do to
stop them!” said Charlie half-shouting.

“The Deatheaters?” Hermione asked, panic stricken.

“No! Ron, Harry, Neville and the young ‘uns,” said Charlie,
obviously under a lot of stress. “It’s all we can do to keep mum under control.”

Hermione breathed in.

“I have to go,” she said, pulling her wand out and appearito rto ready herself to walk into the flames.

“I don’t think so,” said Severus, grabbing her arm.

“You can’t stop me!” Hermione shouted at him.

“I most certainly can!” Severus said snorting at her.

“It’s my duty to go!” Hermione yelled.

“It’s not your prophecy, Hermione,” Severus said. “You don’t
have to die!”

Severus never saw it coming.

When he opened his eyes there was a loud ringing in his
an
and one cheek stung. He was also on the ground. He looked up to see Hermione
staring at him in shock with her hands over her mouth. Behind her Charlie’s
head conveyed an expression of shock and amusement. He threw Charlie’s head a
look that instantly changed his expression to that of innocence.

Kari shook her head and poured herself a cup of tea.

Severus looked at Hermione. She was 18 years old, and only
by pulling some strings. She looked vulnerable standing there in muggle
clothing, her hands covering her mouth in horror, her wand dangling forgotten
by her side.

My God, what was I doing at 18? Probably things best not
thought about. Things that could be happening to her friends right now.

“I’m sorry,” said Severus getting to his feet. “That was
uncalled for.”

“I’m so sorry,” Hermione said bursting into tears and
flinging herself into his arms. He was going to be stern with her, but he
couldn’t be heartless when she was under such duress.

“Couldn’t you have just hit me with a Jellylegs?” Severus
asked, patting her on the back.

She sniffled into his front.

“I hate to break this up,” said Arthur Weasley from the fire
near his sons head. “But we’re going to need your help.”

“Anything,” said Hermione turning around to look at him, her
face set in a mask of grim determination.

***

Hermione never saw a Disillusionment of that magnitude
before. She stood before the Bibliotheque oo Amazon with 100 Amazonian archers
Disillusioned, lined up on flying carpets behind her.

She gave a superior look to Severus, who was on the carpet
beside her, and they rose into the sky.

A bird-like scream ripped through the air and Hermione
looked up to see the sky ripple overhead like something huge was passing
overhead.

“What the hell was that?” Hermione blurted out as their
carpet rocked in the air.

“Probably K’pluur’s mother,” said Severus smirking her
superior look back at her. “He was just a hatchling, you know.”

Hermione looked at him blankly before remembering the tiny
snow dragon.

“We’re picking up some Jotuns on the way,” said Severus
conversationally.

“Why do you know all this?” Hermione asked, slightly annoyed
no one had told her anything.

“I’m driving,” Severus said.

***

Kebnekaise Mountainclass=normalblacktxt> in class=normalblacktxt>Swedenclass=normalblacktxt> rippled and a large door appeared in its side. Severus
shifted in obvious discomfort by her side.

“What’s wrong?” Hermione asked.

“Well,” said Severus
sarcastically. “They can only be killed by gods, haven’t been aground for
nearly 2000 years, and aren’t rumored to be very polite.”

“Jotun,” Hermione rolled the word
around in her mouth. “Like Loki
Jotun?”

“Well, I’m fairly sure he won’t
be showing up,” said Severus testily. “But the few like him that survived,
yes.”

“Severus,” said Hermione warily.
“According to legend the Jotun never had problems having children. The last time
you saw them was 2000 years ago?”

Severus leaned over to the next
carpet with Alexandra and Chloe sitting on it.

“Are you sure this is a good
idea?”

***

Hermione stared at the eight-legged horse flying next to her
carpet. She was desperately trying not to stare at the rider on its back, but
it seemed as fascinated with her as she did it.

Its skin was black and shiny like obsidian, although it felt
like normal skin. Its eyes were clouded over like storm clouds and if you
watched you could follow small bolts of lightning through them. Its mouth was a
toothless yawn of bloody saliva when it opened. Right now it was molded in a
smirk. Its straight dark hair was intertwined with small black adders,
slithering about. Hermione wondered if they grew from its scalp. Hermione
couldn’t tell if it was male or female.

All the Jotun were different and if Hermione didn’t know
better she would have thought they were all different species.

Some had more than one head. Some were fair, others dark.
Some no bigger than a cat, one reminded Hermione of Hagrid’s brother, Grawp. A
covered figure let her veil slip and Hermione was stunned into awe by the most
beautiful womae hae had ever seen.

They claimed their kind had a natural defense to Muggles. If
the Muggle disbelieved, they just didn’t see them. Hermione certainly hoped so.

***

After they arrived the battle was a joke.

Hermione had never seen or imagined anything like it.

The top of the Ministry had been blown off, leaving a mile
wide hole gaping in the center of London.
Muggles were running through the streets screaming. Smalres res burned here and
there and muggle firefighters had to fight the panicked crowds to get to them.

The Jotun barely had to do anything but growl and the
thousand well-drilled Deatheaters began breaking up in panic.

The few Deatheaters that took to the air seemingly vanished
into nothingness. Followed by loud crunching noises and the occasional wail, of
course.

Hermione was relieved to see Ron, unconscious on the ground,
a broken flowerpot by his head. In all the things that could happen to him in
battle he got conked.

She searched desperately for any sign of anyone through the
ruins. They could be anywhere. How many floors were there, anyway?

A hole melted in the floor of the entrance hall and
Deatheaters began flying out ttacktack. They were met with a volley of ebony
arrows with a pinkish glow to them. As they reached their targets instead of
piercing they encapsulated the target in a clear pink glowing egg. Their wands
were sucked from their person and expelled. Hermione watched as figures fell
out of the sky. The egg didn’t seem to cushion their landing and she was happy
to see some of them fall quite a distance.

Hermione was disappointed to feel her carpet fall back
behind the action.

“What are we doing?” Hermione demanded.

“Apperating to the hall,” said Severus shortly as he raised
his wand. Hermione joined him and there was a loud bang.

Hermione appeared near Ron and she assessed his wounds. She
was right. Just a bump on the head. She saw his wand on the floor near him and
put it in his hand so he could find it if he woke up.

Severus was dodging a curse from a small Deatheater and
jumping behind a bust of Lothar the Lucky.

“Petrificus Totallus,” said Hermione with a swish of her
wand and the figure fell to the floor.

“Thank you,” said Severus, brushing the marble powder from
his clothing. He walked to the figure and ripped the mask off. “Jones,” he
sneered.

Hermione was startled to see the face of a boy behind the
mask.

“Second year,” Severus said, kicking the boy aside and
marching to the melted hole in the floor. Hermione felt pity as she walked by
the form, but left him.

They found Neville in a room full of pensives with locked
covers. To Hermiones horror he was torturing a Deatheater crumbled on the floor.

“Crucio!” Neville screamed as the Deatheaters back bowed
violently.

“Neville!” Hermione cried out as she ran to him. Bellatrix
LeStrange panted weakly and her fingers convulsed as they scrabbled at the
floor. A thin line of drool fell from her mouth and pooled on her robes.

“One curse for each wrapper, you bitch!” Neville said madly
as he raised his wand again.

Hermione knew Neville kept the candy wrappers his mother
slipped him, but had no idea how many he had over the years. There must be
hundreds.

“Accio wand,” Hermione heard behind her. Nevilles wand flew
past her ear and she heard it thwap in a hand near her.

“I think that’s enough, Mr. Longbottom,” said Severus
sternly. The fury drained out of Nevilles face and he stood, shaking and pale
before them.

“Professor?” Neville whispered. His eyes were dilated.
“Hermione?”

“He’s in shock,” said Severus moving to him slowly.

They could hear the sounds of battle descending down into
the earth. The Jotun certainly were efficient. Hermione hoped they wouldn’t
cause any trouble once the battle was over.

Hermione heard a low rumble growing and the floor began to
shake. She looked at Severus who had placed a hand on Neville and was examining
his eyes. Severus looked up and turned to look at Hermione.

Just then a wave of green energy vibrated up through the
floorboards and hit them.

All they knew was blackness.