Here we go again. ;) Another new story, but this time steering away from Draco/Hermione and back to Severus/Hermione (my favorite pairing). I couldn't resist giving the marriage law concept a try, despite how thoroughly overdone it just might be. I have several others in the works and a number of chapters in this one completed, but I finally decided that the only way my muses were going to cooperate would be if I began posting chapters and getting feedback. lol.

Enjoy!

Full Summary: MoM passes new marriage law, which permits people to choose their mates so long as they score high enough mutual scores on a magical test to be considered "compatible." When Hermione and Ron fail the test miserably, Hermione has to face facts that Ron could never have made her happy and find another wizard who can. AU/AR.

Compatibility

Chapter 1: I'll Take It If I Have To

It was a beautiful summer day at the Burrow when Hermione sat down at the breakfast table and reached for the Daily Prophet. She'd opted to spend her last few weeks of freedom with the Weasleys before returning to Hogwarts to complete her seventh year. Hermione was still hoping to convince Harry and Ron to join her, though they were probably going to accept Ministry's offer of 'honorary N.E.W.T.s' for their sacrifices during the war. Hermione refused to even consider it. To her mind, it was the learning that was important, and honorary N.E.W.T.s meant nothing if you didn't have the knowledge to back it up.

With these thoughts in mind, Hermione didn't notice the faces of everyone else around her. She was completely absorbed in her thinking. That is, until she unfolded the paper and read the first headline.

MINISTRY OF MAGIC PASSES MARRIAGE LAW

To combat the recent decline in magical population due to war, the Ministry of Magic
has passed decree 4893, commonly known as the Marriage Compatibility Law. This
law was passed quietly and quickly, being signed into effect by Minister Shacklebolt
late last night. All single wizards (between the ages of seventeen and sixty) and
witches (between seventeen and fifty) will be required to find a suitable match to
marry within the sixty day period provided by the ministry. Those affected by the law
will soon be receiving letters from the ministry with further details.

Hermione's mouthed dropped open slightly, horrified by the thought of forced marriage for the magical population. "This is horrible," she said to no one in particular. "I can't believe they are doing that to people. It's... it's..."

Molly walked over to the table and pulled out a chair next to Hermione. "Now, dear, we just have to believe this is for the best..."

As Molly paused to carefully select her next words, Hermione started rambling. "Thank Merlin we are the Golden bloody Trio, or we might have do to this too. I mean, to think--"

Her words were stopped short by Molly reaching for a letter off the table and handing it to her. "I'm sorry, dear. I was hoping to break it to you a little more gently. This was delivered by Ministry owl this morning."

The letter was crisp and white, with a large Ministry seal adorning the outside. Hermione reached out robotically and took the letter, opening it slowly and staring at the page.

1st August 1998

Dear Ms. Granger,

This letter is to inform you of your duties under the recently passed Ministry of Magic decree 4893, of which we have included a copy for your convenience. Under this decree, it is your responsibility to find and marry a suitable wizard within sixty (60) days of this notice. Suitability will be determined by a magical marriage aptitude test which may be administered to yourself and your prospective match in the Domestic Relations Office, located on the second level of the Ministry of Magic.

Should your desired match be found unsuitable, you will have the remainder of your sixty (60) days to locate another prospective match and complete the test. If after those sixty (60) days you have failed to locate and marry a suitable wizard, then this office will locate a candidate for you and you will have an additional fifteen (15) days in which to plan and perform the marriage ceremony.

Under this law, you will be required to include fidelity charms as part of your marriage ceremony. For the first five (5) years of the marriage you will be required to live with your spouse, after which time you may choose to live separated. You are, however, required to give birth to a minimum of one (1) child within the first two (2) years of marriage, and a minimum of two (2) children within the first five (5) years. Couples may only be excluded from this requirement if, after the first two (2) years of their marriage, they are certified unable to produce children due to natural or other causes beyond their control by a Ministry approved healer.

Failure to comply with this decree will result in the destruction of your wand, as well as expulsion from wizarding society and/or up to ten (10) years in Azkaban.

Hoping you are well, Yours sincerely,

Patricia Umbridge

DOMESTIC RELATIONS OFFICE

Ministry of Magic

"I can't believe this," whispered Hermione once she'd gotten somewhat over her shock. As she continued to speak, her voice grew in volume, and soon she was yelling in anger. "This woman has to be related to Dolores bloody Umbridge. It'd take someone like that to think this is a good idea. How did it even get passed? It's barbaric! How can they do this? It's not like I have an objection to marriage, but I don't want to do it whenever the Ministry of Magic decides they are good and ready for me to marry. They have no right!"

Molly shrugged slightly and suddenly noticed that there were some dishes in the sink that were badly in need of being washed. "They are the Ministry," she said finally. "They can do whatever they wish. And, really dear, we all knew you and my Ron would marry in the next few years anyway. Is it really so bad that they are forcing you to move things up a bit?"

"Yeah, 'Mione," said Ron, speaking for the first time. "I'd planned on asking you before you went back to Hogwarts. I just hadn't had the chance. We can get married before the school year starts and I'll go back to Hogwarts with you so we won't be violating the decree. It'll all work out fine."

Hermione looked over and Ron and immediately softened, her anger dissipating to more manageable levels. If he was volunteering to go back to Hogwarts, then obviously he wanted this, and it was true that they'd probably be married in the next few years anyway. "Alright," she conceded. "We can go down to the ministry and take their test as soon as we finish breakfast."

Ron broke out in a huge grin and Molly started bustling about talking about all the wedding plans to be made. Ron and Hermione, Ginny and Harry, George and Angelina... there really would be a lot of planning to be done.

-x-x-x-x-x-

As soon as they were finished, a group of Weasleys and soon-to-be-Weasleys made their way to the Ministry of Magic. The Domestic Relations Office was unbelievably busy when they got there, with lines out the door of unmarried witches and wizards. The crowd varied in age from young people who couldn't have graduated school yet to older witches and wizards beginning to show signs of their age. A couple of their friends from Hogwarts were there, though it was difficult to get through the crowd long enough to say 'hello' to them. And to think, it was just the first day. It would be like this for two months.

"Merlin's balls," said Ron. "Who knew there were so many unmarried in Britain?"

"Watch your language, Ron!" scolded Molly, who had chosen to accompany them all. She herded them all through the crowd, alternating between waiting patiently and pushing themselves along until finally they reached the desk. "My children and their companions are here to take the compatibility test," she announced to the witch behind the desk.

The witch, a petite blonde who spoke in a monotone, pointed towards scrolls of parchment laying across the counter. It was obvious from her voice that this was a speech she'd been repeating continuously all morning. "Everyone who is here for the test should sign their names on this parchment beside that of their prospective mate's. Each couple will be called individually for the test. You can wait in the room through that door."

They quickly signed their names and went to wait in the appointed area. Harry and Ginny were called in first, returning about ten minutes later with grins on their faces and a scroll of parchment in Ginny's hand. "Compatible!" Ginny announced. "Not that there was any doubt, but the test was very favorable."

Next were George and Angelina, looking slightly less confident than Harry and Ginny had. They'd been friends for years, but though they loved each other they didn't really claim the sort of connection that Harry and Ginny seemed to have. Ten minutes later, though, they too returned with smiles and parchment.

Finally Ron and Hermione were called and went back into a small office where an elderly witch sat behind a desk. "Sit," she ordered shortly, motioning towards two chairs sitting opposite from her. Hermione and Ron obeyed immediately. At the witch's direction, Hermione and Ron clasped right hands and held them over the desk above a blank scroll. The witch took her wand and spoke a rather complicated sounding spell, waving it over their clasped hands and then touching the scroll. Instantly words appeared on the parchment, and the witch picked it up with many a mumbled "hm" and "oh" as she read it.

"I regret to inform you that your match is not deemed compatible by the Ministry," the witch said finally, handing the parchment to Hermione and Ron for their inspection. "Thank you for your time, and good luck in your search for compatible matches."

Hermione stared at the parchment and felt panic beginning to grip her. They walked out in a daze to the waiting room where half the Weasley family sat waiting for them. Their faces told it all, and everyone else began to exclaim disbelief the moment they saw them. Hermione handed the parchment to Molly who began reading angrily.

-x-x-x-x-x-

It hadn't been fifteen minutes since getting the results of the compatibility test when Molly Weasley and Hermione Granger arrived at the Minister of Magic's office. Ron had returned the Burrow with the others, and Hermione's anger would be turned towards him later for not putting more effort into getting out of this.

"We are here to see the Minister," said Molly to his secretary.

"The Minister is a very busy man," said the secretary snidely. "He is occupied at present but you are welcome to make an appointment to see him. I believe I have an opening for the twenty third of this month if you are interested."

Hermione glared at the slag. "I am Hermione Granger and he will see me."

It took a few minutes, but they convinced the secretary to ask Kingsley Shacklebolt if he'd meet with them, and it goes without saying he had her send them straight in. Once they'd gotten to the point, though, he began to wish he hadn't. "...pretty thick to think that we are going to go along with this," he tuned back in to hear Hermione saying. "We'd planned on marrying in the next few years and according to this little decree of yours, now we have to marry someone else!"

"I'm terribly sorry for the inconvenience, Hermione," said Kingsley calmly, "but it appears that your marriage would have been miserable anyway. Perhaps this could be a blessing in disguise?"

"Inconvenience? Blessing?" sputtered Hermione. "You were willing enough to give us honorary N.E.W.T.s, Kingsley, though we didn't ask you to. But now I am asking. Get us out of this!"

"I can't do that, Hermione!" answered Kingsley immediately. "People would notice immediately if the Golden Trio was exempt, and they wouldn't take it very well. I'm sorry, but I can't make any exceptions. It really is for the best, I promise you. Even I will be complying with the law."

"You don't have to let us stay single," Hermione pleaded. "We aren't asking for that. Just ignore the results and let Ron and I marry anyway. You know we'd planned on marrying. The populace wouldn't need to know, they would see us married and assume the results were favorable!"

"I'm sorry, Hermione, but I really don't feel that I can do that. I'm sorry, and I hope you and Ron find happiness, but not with each other."

Hermione's shoulders drooped in despair, and Molly was equally silent beside her. Neither knew what to say. All of their anger was gone, having been used in coming up with all the arguments of the last half hour, and now they didn't know what else to say. Hermione and Ron both had to marry, but they couldn't marry each other. That was that, and there was nothing to be done about it.

-x-x-x-x-x-

Several bottles of firewhiskey were brought out that night at the Burrow. While Arthur and Molly generally discouraged their children from the rather potent liquid, everyone seemed to agree that it was the perfect time for a drink. The group was a mix of emotion, happy for those who had passed the test and terribly sorry for Hermione and Ron.

Ron was pissed within twenty minutes of the bottles being brought out, and Hermione wasn't far behind. Right now they needed to forget all about their miserable day, and tomorrow would be soon enough to think of a solution. If they passed out from firewhiskey, well, that's what hangover potion was for.

-x-x-x-x-x-

Hermione moaned softly as she stretched her muscles that were still stiff from sleeping. It was early morning, well before anyone else would be waking, but Hermione found the idea of a hangover potion followed by a cup of tea to be irresistible at the moment. She reached out to the bedside table where she'd carefully set out hangover potion the night before, drinking the foul liquid as quickly as possible to get it over with. The potion worked quickly, and soon she was pulling on her robe and making her way downstairs.

She hadn't paid much attention to the time, but realized how early it must be when Molly wasn't even awake yet. That, and when she saw Ron sneaking out the door. "Ron?" she asked. "Where are you going?"

"Ah... oh... um..." he muttered in his attempt to formulate a full sentence. "I'm going to the Ministry."

"Kingsley won't budge, Ron. We tried everything we could think of to convince him."

Ron winced. "I'm not going to see Kingsley. I... er... I'm going to take the test again."

"That might work!" said Hermione happily. "Give me thirty seconds and I'll be ready to go with you. I don't know why I didn't think of it before. The first test had to have been an error."

"'Mione, stop," Ron said abruptly. "Just stop. We both know it wasn't an error. I'm going to the Ministry to take the test with Lavender."

"Excuse me?" said Hermione in disbelief. "Lavender? How the bloody hell did you already have it arranged to go with Lavender?"

"I owled her when I got back from the Ministry last night," he admitted, not looking her in the eyes. "While you and mum were talking to Kingsley."

Hermione opened her mouth to speak, changing her mind quickly as she began running her fingers along the wand in her robe pocket and contemplating which nasty hex to cast. She didn't have a chance to decide, though, because as soon as Ron noticed the look on her face his eyes widened and he disapparated with a loud 'pop.'