The Games People Play

AN: My response to the WIKTT Marriage Law challenge with my own personal
twist on things






AN: My response to the WIKTT Marriage Law
challenge with my own personal twist on things.

 

 

The Games People Play

Prologue

 

 

Excerpts from the diary of Hermione Granger

Sixth Year of Hogwarts

 

September 1

Another school year has begun. It seems so strange after
being shut up at the Black house all summer to hear the news of the war. Even
though the Order used the building to house their meetings, it was decided by
the ‘adults’ to keep us uninformed. The Dark Lord has begun his attacks openly
now that the ministry has announced his return. The students are somewhat more
nervous than I can ever recall before. Not even our second year, when the
Chamber of Secrets was opened, were things this tense. I can only hope and pray
that Harry will fulfill the prophecy and bring this nightmare to an end.

 

September 5

A day doesn’t go by that we don’t see a black
notification letter from the ministry during evening mail in the Great Hall.
Even the Slytherin’s aren’t immune from the sheer destruction that the magical
community is being subjected to on both sides. After only four days of classes,
each and every house has been marked by death. The students here don’t laugh
any more. Classes themselves are quiet and I can see the strain on the
professor’s as they wonder how to handle things.

 

September 15

Bill Weasley is dead. Ron didn’t have any details on how
it happened, but he was told that his brother died a hero, taking three Death
Eaters with him. I’m worried about Ron now. He’s pale from the shock I suppose,
but he doesn’t want to talk. I tried to get him to do some homework and he gave
me such a strange look before he turned and stared at the wall. Harry has
become even more uncommunicative than normal. He just walks around with a blank
expression on his face while his piercing green eyes flit from person to
person. I can’t suppress the shiver that races down my spine when he turns
those judging eyes on me. Does he find me wanting?

 

October 5

Ron seems to have regained some sense of himself, but
he’s changed. He keeps trying to pressure me into going ‘steady’ with him, but
I don’t feel right about it. Is something wrong with me? I know that he’s had a
crush on me for several years, but there doesn’t seem to be anything in me that
return’s it. I can see the looks from my housemates, and to a person, they all
agree that we would make the ‘perfect’ couple. I don’t know what to do. On the
other hand, the number of death notices has decreased. Current theory states
that both sides need to lick their wounds and re-plan their campaigns. Both the
Light and the Dark have taken heavy losses so far.

 

October 8

Harry and Ron fought today. I can barely keep the tears
from falling as I write this down. Ron has been really aggressive towards me
lately. He just won’t take no for an answer and I’m scared. I don’t want to
loose his friendship, but I’m not ready for anything more, least of all with
him. Harry cornered me this morning and forced me to talk about it. I don’t
know how he did it, because I was determined to maintain my silence. Anyway,
he’s appointed himself my protector and faced off against his best friend on my
account. Everything’s falling apart and I can’t help but think that it’s all my
fault.

 

October 28

Ron still hasn’t spoken to me. I can catch the glares
that he sends my way, but he refuses to speak to me at all. Harry told me that
he’s dating a Hufflepuff now. I don’t know whether to feel hurt or relieved. I
appreciate everything that Harry’s done for me, but I’m starting to worry about
him even more now. I caught him standing guard outside the girl’s bathroom
while I was inside. My safety has become an obsession with him and I’m not sure
whether I should say anything or not. Should I go to Professor Dumbledor about
this or not?

 

November 5

I spoke with the Headmaster today about Harry. I didn’t
really have a choice in the matter because things came to a head rather
unexpectantly. Malfoy had decided to bait me once again but he hadn’t counted
on the new and improved Harry at all. I wasn’t even aware that Harry had
studied transfiguration that seriously until I turned around and saw Malfoy the
ferret scurrying down the hall. It just happened so fast. One second Malfoy was
insulting me and before I could even finish turning around, it was over. Total
silence fell over the students that had seen what happened as Harry just calmly
tucked his wand away, gently grabbed my elbow, and steered me to class. I think
that I was given a unique view into what makes Harry tick, but I need more time
to analyze it before I put it down in my writings. Plus, that’s what the
Headmaster hinted that I do anyway. Well, Harry was given detention for
unauthorized use of magic in the halls by Professor Snape. The Headmaster
knocked the sentence back from a week to just one night after I told him about
Malfoy’s verbal attack on me. Of course, he couldn’t just let me wander about
while he served detention, now could he? No, he got Dean and Neville to guard
me until he could return. At least they seemed to find this amusing.

 

November 22

Ron finally spoke with me today. He said that he’s sorry
for everything that happened and I forgave him. Harry said that he forgave him
too, but there was something in those green eyes that made me think that he had
reservations. I was never so glad in my life to hear a conversation about
quidditch, though. I think that their friendship will recover from this and it
eases my heart a little. It felt fantastic to herd all of us to the library to
do some research for class. Both boys rolled their eyes while Ron kept
muttering that I was ‘mental’. I just didn’t care. I had both my friends back
and couldn’t keep the stupid grin off my face. I feel safe again. Finally.

 

November 30

There hasn’t been a single death notice from the Ministry
this month. Has the Dark Lord’s forces been that damaged? If not, what does he
need all this time for? Reactions here at school are mixed. Some people are
starting to relax and return to their old habits. I can’t even begin to
describe how odd it is to hear laughter ringing about in the halls once again.
I only wish that I could join them. Most of us are more frightened by the
silence than anything else. Those of us with a Muggle heritage can’t seem to
shake the old saying: it’s always calmest before the storm.

 

December 6

There’s still nothing to report on the war. Even the
students who had been relaxing have become a little paranoid. Defense class is
now nothing more than how to face human opponents and live. Dark creatures
themselves aren’t even mentioned. On a side note, Harry spoke with the
Headmaster and my life has changed again. I have my own room now, even though I
should be sleeping in the sixth year dorm. Every night when I go to sleep,
Harry and Ron are with me. Ron sleeps on a small bed by the window while Harry
shoves a full four-poster in front of the door every night. Neither of the boys
will talk about it, but I can only assume that a credible threat has been
issued against me.

 

December 15

Rumors of a new offensive by the Dark Lord are starting
to spread around the school. Everywhere I turn, I can overhear people talking
about when the war is going to pick back up. I think that even the Professor’s
are worried, because the Headmaster has issued orders to keep all the students here
for the Christmas holidays. I was hoping to go home this year because I was
kept sequestered last summer. In fact, the last time I saw my family was the
summer before fifth year. The bad thing about it all is that I’m having trouble
trying to visualize what my parents look like. I can remember general details
about their faces but not all of them. I hope that this war ends soon. I want
to go home.

 

December 25

I received the dreaded black letter today. Sometime
during the night, Death Eaters broke into my parent’s home and murdered them. I
feel so lost and aloneht nht now, even though Harry hasn’t left my side. I feel
like throwing myself down on the floor and screaming, “I want my mum!” over and
over again until she shows up to comfort me. I can’t take much more of this
nightmare. Not too many people are feeling overly sympathetic because the
Ministry owl’s arrived in the Great Hall delivering black letters like a
rainfall. The war is back and with a vengeance.

 

January 1

My name is now Hermione Potter. I suppose that it’s going
to take some getting used to, but I’m sure that I will in time. Harry is
definitely the greatest guy in the world. It’s almost frightening how well he
knows me at times. On Christmas day, right after I fell asleep after crying, he
went to the library and retrieved a book on bonds. He didn’t explain how he
knew, but apparently I’m the type of person who can only flourish and be happy
with family. I never thought of it before, but I can see the truth in the
matter. Anyway, he sat me down this morning and knelt in front of me. I was too
sad and depressed to really understand exactly what he was giving me at first,
but once I did, there was no way in hell that I would turn it down. After his
little speech, he calmly whipped out a knife and scored both of our hands until
the blood was flowing freely. Placing the cuts together, he performed the
binding spell. I had originally thought that I was a powerful witch, but I was
wrong. When he cast that spell, his power washed over me in waves that would
have sent me crashing to my knees if I weren’t already sitting. Even Ron and
Ginny (our two required witnesses for the spell) were watching him in wide-eyed
awe. I was dumbstruck. I hadn’t even imagined the sheer amount of magic that I
had witnessed actually existing inside a person before. Anyway, to make a long
story short, I am now bound flesh, blood, and soul to my new brother. He then
gave me the book to read up on what exactly happened. It seems only the head of
a clan can magically adopt another witch or wizard and only very powerful ones
even attempt the binding. From now on, any identifying spells cast on my body
will mark me as a Potter. It’s not the same as what I lost, but it helps.

 

January 9

I now have another secret that I’m not sure who to tell.
When Harry bound me to his clan, something happened during the blood transfer.
I don’t know exactly what, but my own power has been increasing on an almost
daily basis. Spells that used to tire me out don’t even make me blink anymore.
Other spells that I never had the sheer power to cast before are now done with
relative ease. Harry tells me that my power level should top off somewhere
below his. He’s also decided that I need to learn how to fight more
effectively. I tried to talk him out of it, but he put his foot down. I was
going to simply ignore him, but I found out that the magic wouldn’t let me. As
head of our clan, he has the right and the power to just order me to do certain
tasks. I’m just thankful that it only works on clan related matters. I can
still force him to study when I want to, despite how loudly he protests. On
another related matter, my brother now sleeps in my bed with me. Both Ron and
Ginny have explained to me that it doesn’t really matter in the Wizarding
world, but I still have a hard time talking about it. Granted, there’s nothing
sexual about it, but it seems a little ‘dirty’ to me even when I write about
it. I do have to admit, however, that I don’t suffer from any nightmares
anymore. Plus, Ginny now sleeps in my room also.

 

January 12

The Ministry Auror’s led a daring raid on Malfoy Manor
last night. Narcissa Malfoy was captured and charged with aiding and abetting
the enemy. A trial on the spot declared her guilty and a Dementor gave her the
kiss. Among those that were killed in the raid were Goyle, Crabb, MacNair,
Nott, and Petegrew. The Dark Lord was wounded but managed to escape. The news
was well received by the students for the most part, but the Slytherin table
was pretty quiet. Professor Dumbledor was quick to point out that the war was
not over and to not celebrate yet. His words helped to put a damper on the
jubilant feelings but I believe that it was necessary. It wouldn’t do to relax
our guard yet. Still, I feel somewhat satisfied this evening and can only hope
that those that died were among the bastards that killed my parents.

 

January 20

The Dark Lord was delivered another deadly blow last
night. Minister Fudge, under pressure from anti-Voldemort forces, secretly
ordered that all imprisoned Death Eaters be given the kiss. Needless to say,
his order was carried out within hours. I can only wonder if it was in response
to rumors that the Dark Lord was going to raid Azkebhan and free the forces
that were being held. Either way, Ron can’t keep the smug grin off of his face
whenever he meets up with yet another quiet Slytherin. I can only wonder if
he’s still hurting about loosing his brother. Harry is as impassive as ever,
but his eyes seem to gleam a little brighter now.

 

January 29

Ron has lost another brother. Percy Weasley was tortured
and killed in a daring daylight raid by the Dark Lord himself. In a bid to gain
intelligence, Voldemort joined his forces in the action and breached Ministry
wards right at the time when most officials were reporting to work for the day.
Confusion prevented an organized resistance from forming, but the Death Eaters
left a lot of their fellow members behind when they were finally forced to
retreat. The Daily Prophet reported over two dozen dead Death Eaters and nearly
thirty captured. Losses on the other side, however, were even stiffer. In
response to this attack, the ban on the use of the unforgivable’s has been
lifted provided the target is an actual Death Eater. Although this news brought
a mirthless smile to Ron’s lips, I can’t help but be worried. When I told Harry
about it, he just nodded thoughtfully.

 

February 4

Hogwart’s has been sunk into a deep depression. It has
become readily apparent that the Dark Lord was successful in his attack on the
Ministry. Over the last few days, it seems as if every single student who has a
Muggle parent or two has had their families attacked. We can only thank the
quick response by the Auror’s for the fact that any survived at all. Most did
not. Tears are becoming suchommoommon sight around the school that some don’t
even notice them. We’re becoming jaded for the most part and I just know that
it doesn’t bode well for the future.

 

February 13

The Daily Prophet has finally released information about
several known vigilante groups in action. These groups attack, interrogate, and
kill suspected Death Eaters and their families. The article accuses the
Ministry of not trying to bring these people to justice while the government
claims that they’re a little busy with a Dark Lord running around the
countryside. It would almost be amusing if not for the fact that innocents are
being killed right alongside the guilty. I talked about what was happening with
Ron and my brother and was a little surprised by the responses. Ron was all for
anything that could hurt the Dark Lord, no matter who got hurt in the process.
Harry was his quiet and thoughtful self when he whispered that he wasn’t sure
if he wanted to stay in Europe when the war was over. He said that he was
thinking about going to the colonies for a few years and just getting away from
it all. Now that he’s said it, I’m giving serious consideration to joining him
when the time comes.

 

February 27

The war is not going well for the Dark Lord. His
better-known Death Eaters are afraid to go home and large groups of people are
quite difficult to hide from the Ministry. During the last week, his hiding
places have been raided three times, each time forcing him to run. Exact
numbers of casualties aren’t being discussed, but Ministry officials are acting
arrogant in public. On the other hand, students who have been identified as
having loyalties to the Dark Lord have disappeared from school. One of the,
Goyle, was killed during the last raid. I’m a little surprised that Draco Malfoy
is still here at school while his housemates keep steadily disappearing. When I
mentioned this to my friends, Ron and Ginny just snorted while Harry shot me a
small s.
.

 

March 6

The war is definitely going badly for Voldemort. Not only
has he taken heavy losses, but also people are openly saying his name now. It
was even reported by the press that Minister Fudge referred to the Dark Lord as
‘that megalomaniacal mud blood ’. When I read the quote out loud over dinner,
both Ginny and Harry fell off the bench in laughter. Ron looked more
uncomfortable than ever, however. I didn’t show it, but it doesn’t feel right
to me to refer to my parent’s murderer in a joke. Meanwhile, wizards and
witches are still dying in droves on both sides of this horrible conflict.

 

April 22

The war is over. At approximately midnight last night,
the Dark Lord led the rest of his forces against Hogwart’s in a desperate
attempt at staving off the inevitable. I can almost wish that the war was still
going on because the destruction and death here is unbelievable. The Slytherin
house is just gone. The only survivor, Draco Malfoy, has been sent to St.
Mungo’s where they are unsure of the possibility of recovery. aft after all
these years, too much exposure to the Cruciatus Curse is thought to be
incurable. I don’t know what the ramifications are exactly, but I know that
they have to be horrible. Draco isn’t quite insane, but he’s close. As for the
rest of the school, casualties were fairly light. It seems that the only Death
Eaters available were of the more unstable variety. After finishing with
Slytherin, the Dark Lord made his way to the Gryffindor tower in search of the
common room door. Harry had placed some sort of ward in the hallway that
allowed us to awake the house and have them prepared for action by the time the
portrait was breached. Voldemort sent his forces in and they were slaughtered.
When the Dark Lord finally entered himself on the footsteps on his most loyal
followers, the drawn wands of over sixty very angry Gryffindor’s met him. I was
so proud of Harry and the others because they didn’t give him the chance to
surrender. Without a single pause, my brother and the rest of the seventh years
cast the killing curse in unison. I’m not sure if Voldemort was shocked or just
accepted his fate, because he didn’t even try to avoid the deadly green lights
as the rushed towards him. Nobody knows whose curses were the ones to strike
him down, but we witnessed the total disintegration of his body by the first
ten. We all thought that the end was rather anti-climatic until Professor Snape
rushed in and found the dead Death Eaters that we had casually stacked against
the walls as we congratulated each other on a fine victory. That was when we
learned of the horror’s that had taken place in his house. I remember watching
his face as he realized that he was cheated out of his revenge. The hurt,
betrayal, and rage in his black eyes were left without a recipient. He sent us
to the Great Hall and we left quietly, no longer celebrating our prowess in
battle.

 

March 23

Harry surprised everyone today. After having our common
room cleaned up, we were finally allowed back in at about ten o’clock. Calling
everyone together, he made sure that everyone was seated before taking center
stage. He placed me behind him to show my status as family. Ron was asked to
stand with Ginny in front of him, which they agreed to. I wasn’t sure what was
happening, but Ron seemed to grow uncomfortable while Ginny just glanced around
in bewilderment. Then, Harry dropped to one knee and delivered this beautiful
speech about how he was afraid to become close to anyone while Voldemort could
use them for revenge. Then he whipped out a ring and asked Ginny if he had her
permission to court her with the intention of marrying her upon her graduation.
Ron opened his mouth a few times but remained silent. Ginny, on the other hand,
gasped and brought her hand up over her mouth. She had tears in her eyes as she
scrambled to accept. After he had her safely tucked into his side, my brother
assured Ron that he would do things properly by going to his parents and that
he wouldn’t do anything serious until they were married. Ron seemed to doubt
him at first, but accepted everything when Harry offered to swear an oath. Wow.
My brother is now engaged, providing that he’s able to secure the permission of
her parents. I am happy for him, but it makes me wonder. Is there something
missing within me? I can look around and see everyone pairing up and being
deliriously happy except for me. Why don’t I have anyone who wants to look at
me the way Harry looks at Ginny or even the way Ron looks at Melissa?

 

May 6

The final census was released to the public today and the
Ministry was in an uproar. The Wizarding world had been decimated by the war.
Most pureblooded families didn’t even exist anymore. Most Muggle-born witches
and wizards were now orphans. Even the half bloods were hit hard. This
graduating class along with the next few will be the only ones in history that
won’t have to search for a well paying job. There are so many vacancies
available in the Ministry that most people there are trying to fulfill two or
three jobs at the same time. When the business world is thrown into the
mixture, there are serious concerns about the real lack of available witches
and wizards to work. The Daily Prophet reported that Minister Fudge has called
a special meeting of the Ministry to try and work out a solution that will
increase the numbers in the Wizarding world quickly. Since there is only one
way to increase the number of witches and wizards, I’m starting to get a little
worried. After all, the Ministry isn’t exactly noted for calm and rational
behavior.

 

May 7

No new word from the Ministry, but Harry has secured
permission to court Ginny from her parents. Molly Weasley actually showed up in
person to deliver the family verdict and my brother couldn’t have been happier.
It’s nice to see him this way although Ginny is becoming a bit annoying the way
she gushes out her feelings to anyone who will bother to listen. Of course,
having her ‘true love’ retuer fer feelings for the first time must be a heady
feeling. I wonder what it’s like? I would like to talk to Harry about my
feelings on this matter, but I don’t want to interfere with his happiness. I
honestly believe that this is the first time that he’s been truly happy in his
life and I don’t want to mess that up. So while he becomes more comfortable
with Ginny, I’ll keep this mess to myself and allow him to explore his
relationship. I can be happy enough for him that my own unease will be easily
buried.

 

May 9

I’ve finally convinced everyone to start studying heavily
for the end of year exams. Ginny has been cramming at the last minute to do
well on her OWLs, but she’s lost a lot of time fawning over Harry. Ron and Melissa
are studying together, but I don’t know how effective they will be with their
frequent snogging breaks. At least Harry is taking this seriously enough with a
little help from me. Oh, I almost forgot. The paper had an article in it this
morning announcing an important address from the Ministry will be coming soon.

 

May 12

Final exams are almost here and I’m so excited about
taking them. Ron still mutters that I’m ‘mental’ while Harry and Ginny just smile
indulgently at me whenever I mention them. I suppose that in some ways I’m a
pretty simple person. After all, I love to learn new things and simply feel
that tests are proof that I did it well. Not like Ron who thinks that tests are
there to torture him in addition to actually attending classes. The Ministry
has put out a release to the public that said a solution to the low population
would be enacted shortly after graduation. By the way that the Minister is
reported, I’m feeling more and more ill at ease as time passes. Surely the only
solution would be to encourage more reproduction amongst the community, right?
But how could he possibly force the matter? I really don’t want to think about
that too much. I’re tre that despite the past, the Ministry wouldn’t do
anything too stupid.

 

May 18

Finals are finished and I’m sure I did exceedingly well.
Ron, however, has been sending a litany of prayers to anyone he can think of to
improve his marks. I’m not sure whether to help him pray or just pat him on the
back in support.

 

May 20

Well, another year finished. We’re on the train
celebrating the successful completion of the year, but I’m not too happy. From
the looks of him, neither is Harry. Emotions were pretty raw when we looked
around and saw the empty table under the Slytherin banner. I watched Professor
Snape and noticed that he was either staring at the empty table or at his
dinner the entire time. He looked broken in a way that I had never seen anyone
before. Defeated in a way. When he finished his meal and left, there was no
swirl of his robes or confident swagger to his stalk. It was like he was
trudging through thick snow instead. I glanced at Harry and saw that he noticed
it also. It was then that I realized that Professor Snape had been acting depressed
ever since the night of the final battle but that I had been too wrapped up in
my own needs and wants to notice. Why didn’t I see that potions class was more
subdued than normal? I didn’t have any friends among the Slytherin’s, but they
didn’t deserve to die in a wholesale slaughter. I can only thank the Lord that
Harry had been alert enough to rouse the Gryffindor’s or we would most likely
be gone as well. The mystery is still this: how did Voldemort manage to gain
access to Hogwarts without anyone knowing? It should not have been possible for
him to create the sheer amount of damage that he did without alerting the
staff, but he managed it somehow.

 

May 21

We woke up at the Burrow and put all thoughts of the
recent conflict behind us. While the Weasley family is still mourning their
lost sons, they recognize the fact that life goes on. Harry is spending the day
with Molly while Arthur works. Ginny cornered me early and wants my help with
planning her wedding, despite the fact that it’s still two years off. I think
that she’s getting frustrated by having to wait, but it’s a simple rule that
entsents married students from attending Hogwarts that she can’t possibly avoid
without dropping out. When Arthur came home late, he told us that tomorrow
would be a holiday to rest up the Ministry. Apparently something big is going
to happen because he instructed us to listen to the wireless at noon. That
feeling of dread has crept back in to my stomach. Thankfully, Harry is there to
hold me during the night and keep the feelings at bay.

 

May 22

Those stupid, selfish, fucking bastards! I can’t believe
what I’ve just heard! Every single witch and wizard of breeding capability and
age is to be married within the next year and have a suitor within the month.
This is the great plan for repopulating the Wizarding world? Forced marriage?
They didn’t even take into consideration the fact that some of us simply don’t
want children to begin with! I want to read and learn and research because it’s
something that I enjoy immensely. I don’t want to give birth and raise
children. Bloody hell, I’m still a child myself! Molly is beside herself in
worry over Ginny and Harry. The only way they can possibly marry would be if
Ginny decides to not finish her schooling. On the other hand, if Harry is to
obey the law, he must marry a year before she’s available. He didn’t look too
worried, so I have to assume that he knows what he’s doing. I don’t know what
I’m going to do though. I absolutely refuse to have children, no matter what my
future ‘husband’ has to say about the matter! I am not ruining my life to bare
and raise the li bea beasts! I don’t like children enough to even bother
helping the first years if I can possibly avoid it. Why would I want any of my
own? I think that I need to get a copy of the actual law and find out what
rights I still have to determine my own future. I’m also thinking about joining
Harry in the colonies rather than spend the rest of my life here under Ministry
rule. Harry has stated that he is definitely spending the Ginny’s seventh year
in Boston and will wait for her to graduate and join him rather than be forced
to marry someone else. My only problem is that I do want to return eventually.
My parents are buried over here and I was raised amongst these people. I’m not
sure that I could leave it behind for the rest of my life. Ginny has already
promised that she would join Harry in exile rather than allow the new law to
overrule her newfound happiness. Molly and Arthur understand, I think, but
aren’t too happy with the solution.

 

May 25

Well. I’m not sure what to write today. I think that I’m
still in a state of shock. Harry and I received a visitor today that threw my
life into turmoil. Sara Selena Snape. She’s the matriarchal head of clan Snape
and Professor Snape’s stepmother. With his father and birth mother dead, she
haken ken the reins of family rule and began to search for a way to fulfill her
duties regarding her stepson. The entire situation is just too surreal to even
take seriously. This just has to be a nightmare. I sat there in shock as she
calmly explained to my brother (head of clan to head of clan) that a match
between her son and me would be a good thing. How it could possibly be a good
thing, I simply do not know. The nightmare continued when she calmly explained
that we were well matched in intelligence and interests. I pointed out that we
didn’t even like each other and she rebutted by saying that most people in
arranged marriages didn’t. After all, she told me, if we knew each other, we
wouldn’t need the marriage to be arranged. I pointed out as calmly as I could
that I had no interest in marrying to begin with, much less someone my father’s
age. Harry told me to calm down and not to go into hysterics while Mrs. Snape
pointed out that our age difference was only sixteen years and it wasn’t an
insurmountable obstacle. I told her that there were no other emotions besides
loathing and hatred between us. She pointed out that feelings change over time.
I said that I didn’t want my feelings to change and she simply smiled at me as
if I were a child to be coddled. I asked her if she had informed her son of her
plans and actually enjoyed the way she blanched. Mrs. Snape said that he
wouldn’t be informed until she had arranged a proper bride for him. When I told
her about the rule against married students at Hogwarts, she replied that she
could arrange for me to take my NEWTs at the Ministry whenever I wished. She
also said that she had used her political contacts to arrange for a year long
extension for Harry, providing the document to prove her point. Sure enough, it
bore the Minister’s signature and agreed with what she had told us. It was at
this point that I left in a snit. I dug up Ginny and sobbed onto her shoulder
for awhile before Harry found me. We didn’t talk about it and headed for bed.
I’ve never needed to be held so badly in my life before, but I needed it
tonight.

 

May 26

I discussed the entire thing with Harry and rather wished
that I didn’t. He told me not to take any other factors into consideration
except what was needed to make me happy. Lord, how is it possible to love
someone that much? I do, though. I think that I’m closer to Harry as my brother
than I ever was to my parents. He’s willing to sacrifice everything to make
sure that I’m happy and it’s leaving me feeling selfish and greedy. Still, I
can’t help but wonder about my prospective husbaI caI can still remember him as
I saw him at the leaving feast. I know that he’s lonely, that Harry doesn’t
want to leave England before being married to Ginny, and that the Ministry will
not want to let either one of us escape. Harry’s valuable for his power and
reputation while I’m valuable for my intelligence. Extremely valuable breeding
stock, that’s us. The reason he wanted to talk about it was the fact that
Arthur told him that Auror’s were watching escape route’s out of the country.
They were already in position and arresting witches and wizards that were
attempting to flee the country before they could be locked into a marriage they
didn’t want. He also told us that if we didn’t choose a suitor for me
ourselves, the Ministry would gladly step in and do it for me.

 

May 27

Arthur brought home my file from the Ministry today. What
makes this so absolutely terrible for me over others is the fact that I had
abused the time-turner when I was issued the bloody thing in my third year. I
never thought about it at the time, but the sheer number of times I used the
thing is quite staggering. Did I want another hour of sleep? Turn the thing
over. Did I want additional hours in the library? Turn the thing over. Did I
miss a meal? Turn the thing over. How in the hell did I manage to use the thing
to gain an additional 9,000 hours? That’s an additional three hundred
seventy-five days of aging that I went through and didn’t even realize it.
Throw in the fact that I started schooling at Hogwarts just shy of twelve years
old and I was left with the realization that I’m almost two years older than
Harry. He was turning seventeen while I was turning nineteen. How could I have
become a legal adult without even noticing? And as an adult, there was no way I
could get out of this law. I don’t think that even Harry could spirit me away
from the Auror’s. Even if he could, Arthur told us that Fudge had made
extraditioreemreements with other Wizarding communities to prevent this sort of
escape. How did he manage to set all of this up without anyone finding out
beforehand?

 

May 28

After a restless night wrestling with the fact that I
would be married within the year despite my wishes, I couldn’t see any other
solution. At least Professor Snape won’t force me into his bed. He’s much too
private of a man to even want this to begin with. Plus, we know that he’s brave
and loyal because of his years spent spying. And he did save my brother’s life
on more than one occasion. With a resigned heart, I told Harry to complete the
arrangement for as soon as possible. He stared at me for a while before
nodding. Just before he left, he handed me a book about the different bonds
available for married couples. I was too distraught to read it today, but
perhaps tomorrow.

 

May 29

Mrs. Snape apperated in early this morning to talk to me.
She was glad to see the book in my hands and we spent many hours calmly
discussing the different types of bonds and how they were set up. We both
agreed that we wouldn’t tell her son about the one we selected for different
reasons. I didn’t want him to have the chance to protest while she didn’t want
him to curse her into oblivion. I probably shouldn’t have even considered using
this particular bond because it had fell out of popularity centuries ago, but I
wanted it. I felt that it was the only way we could possibly come up with some
sort of life together without being at each other’s throats. After all, there
isn’t any sort of divorce in the Wizarding world. Marriage is for life with no
chance of parole, the magic sees to that.

 

May 30

All parties except for Professor Snape have been briefed
and prepped for action. Tomorrow I will receive my second name change of my life.
I will become Mrs. Hermione Snape and start my new lifecan can only hope and
pray that everything goes alright.