An Unwanted Marriage, But An Unexpected Love

An Unwanted Marriage, But An Unexpected Love


Hermione sighed. It was two weeks before her eighteenth birthday. Today was the day she was due to go to the Ministry. That morning the wait was to come to an end. She was to meet with Cornelius Fudge, and her possible four suitors.

Only two of the four said suitors met her requirements. One Sirius, who she had no intentions of saying yes to, as it would be like accepting a proposal of marriage from her own father.

She loved and adored Sirius, she really did. He and Remus, along with Arthur Weasley were like second and third and fourth fathers to her, at least the wizarding equivalent.

Then there was Barty, who she had every intention of marrying. They had talked over the past two weeks, and had agreed to marry. And little did she know that Barty had already gone and bought her an engagement ring. A ring, which had not belonged to his mother, that was the kind of thing Benjamin would have gone and done.

He wanted Hermione to have her own ring, for her to be the first to wear it. For future Crouch’s to pass it down to future grandchildren, for them to give to their own spouses. In short a ring that did not have all of bad luck, that Barty believed the ring that his father had given to his and Benjamin’s mother.

Sirius, Remus, Harry, and Ron, they had already seen the ring, as had Arthur Weasley as well. Each male who had Hermione’s best interests at heart approved. They thought he had chosen well, and that Hermione would love it.

Hermione turned to Ginny and smiled weakly. She said bravely “Oh well, I guess this is it, time to go and collect myself a husband.” Ginny shook her head and added “I don’t honestly think I have ever been so relieved to be born a pureblood witch.”

She finished smiling gently “Just think, you’ll have Barty at the end of the morning. You’ve spent the last two weeks getting to know him. And if my suspicious are correct, I do believe you are already starting to develop a hefty sized crush on him.”

She giggled “Not that I can blame you of course. If I didn’t have Harry, and wasn’t head of heels in love with him, and I was into older men, I’d definitely go for him myself.”

Hermione blushed and smiled bashfully “He is handsome, isn’t he. Oh who am I kidding, he is drop dead gorgeous.” Hermione and Ginny burst into a fit of hysterical giggles. Ginny said between giggles “Oh, and that smile and those teeth, talk about dreamy.”

Harry and Ron knocked on the door. Hermione called out between giggles through the door. “We’ll be down in a minute.” Harry called back “Okay. But what on earth are you two giggling at now?”

Ginny being Ginny called back “Oh nothing really, just the merits of Barty’s lush mouth and killer smile and teeth. You know the usual.” Harry exclaimed scandalized and more then a little irritated, GINNY!” Hermione and Ginny roared with laughter.

Ron made a sound of disgust, and exclaimed “Ewe, I’ve heard enough. I’m going to owl Blaise and then go down stairs to breakfast, whilst I still have something resembling an appetite.”

Blaise Zabini was Ron’s girl friend since the beginning of sixth year. His parents agreed she could stay for the last two weeks of the holidays, then get on the train on September 1st, to go back to Hogwarts with Ron.

Blaise had been born male, but her mother having feared her son would have been forced to take the dark mark when she was old enough, panicked and used dark and extremely powerful magic to change her son’s sex into a female.

The magic she had used was not reversible. It was originally designed as a punishment for a wizard who lived in a culture where males were the dominate sex, where there was no equal rights. No one except for Blaise her mother, and now Ron, were aware of this, as the magic was undetectable.

She had been a Slytherin. Albus had allowed her to be resorted into Gryffindor, after Malfoy junior attempted to sexually assault her, to spite Ron. Although it was never proven or stuck, thanks to Lucius Malfoy’s money and pull over the ministry and the school board.

The entire Slytherin house had turned against her, all because of her relationship with Ron. And because what Malfoy said was law in Slytherin.

Harry huffed indignantly, and stomped down the hall in a foul mood. Ginny grimaced, realising she had perhaps gone too far. And that Harry was going to be a right sore old bear all day long, if she did not do something about it right now.

She rolled her eyes, turning to Hermione “Come on, lets go down to breakfast, before Ron and the twins eat everything, and Harry starts brooding.” She stood up and made her way towards the door.

Hermione gently told her friend “Be careful Ginny. If you keep on teasing Harry, he could really end up resenting Barty, as well as any other guy who looks your way.” She added “I’m not saying Harry’s is the overly possessive type, because he is not, and both you and I know it.”

Ginny sighed knowing Hermione was right. Occasionally she tended to forget how vulnerable Harry could be. He after all did not receive the love and care he should have as a child. Meaning that he now found it difficult to believe people could and truly did love and care about him. She suddenly felt very guilty.

They made their way down the stairs, and Ginny noticed Harry was brooding as she had expected him to be. She walked up to him and bent down, whispering something in his ear. She then took him to one side, and outside, out of the range of the deadly eavesdropping of her brothers.