Six months till marriage

Chapter one: A life changing owl

The door squeaked open and a young beautiful blonde witch popped in looking rather apologetic at Hermione as she slowly opened her eyes.

"Oh uhm sorry, was jus' looking for the bathroom.." the unknown witch quickly mumbled as she closed the door to leave.

"Three doors down on your left hand."

"Thanks"

Hermione, though still not totally awake, had said this enough times to enough different witches to answer without bothering questioning her about who she was and what the fuck she was doing in her room.

After all she had lived at Grimmuald place with the womanizer Sirius Black for five years, why she ever had the stupid idea it would be a great idea to live at the same floor of the house as him was a mysteri to her. Okay if she was being honest it might have a bit to do with her wanting to enjoy the wiew of her handsome floormate, but not only she told herself. She knew after having camped with them for a year, that Harry Potter and Ron Weasley wasn't the most keen people to clean without someone forcing them. For a majority of the time that person forcing them was her, she didn't mind though. That Remus choose to stay at the same floor as those two had always been funny to her, but maybe that was down there because of the exact same reason Hermione had been woken only seconds ago. He had after all lived in the same room as Sirius for seven years at Hogwarts. Maybe he just knew what to expect.

Sirius had come back from behind the veil when Molly Weasley killed Bellatrix LeStrange and for that she was so thankful. Molly Weasley truly was an angel. Sirius had been so generous to let Hermione live there with him, Remus, Harry and Ron. It was a man cave, but she enjoyed the company, it was better than living alone with the constant paranoid thoughts about the people she cared about. Reflects of a life in war.

Now that she was awake Hermione figured it would be hopeless to go back to sleep and after a quick look at the clock, which said 06:30, she made her way to the bathroom. Putting on some sweatpants and a t-shirt she made her way down to the old dark wooded kitchen table and made herself breakfast.

After a couple hours the other residents of the house slowly began to join her for breakfast. Remus sat with a cup of coffee and a book, he was already dressed in his old pacthed robes and looked better than usual, maybe he visited Tonks yesterday? Harry made a batch of bacon, sat down and started reading. Just how he could have a breakfast consisting only of bacon and not feel the even the slightest bit uncomfortable. His black hair was as messy as always, he was wearing black jeans and an army green t-shirt.

Hermione had just stood up to get another cup of tea, when a big tawny owl knocked on the window. Oh the Prophet how lovely, even though the Prophet wasn't the most relayable source Hermione kept it anyway, how else were you going to get any news?

Harry and Remus both stood up to open the window, but seeing the older man rise, Harry quickly went back to his bacon. The owl dropped the newspaper roughly at Hermiones feet and left.

"Moody bird", she mumbled as she picked up the newspaper from the floor, wich was not as clean as it had been when Kreacher was still alive. She would have do something about that later. Grabbing her teacup, she sat back down at the table and opened her newspaper. She skimmed the title, her vision started to blurry, she felt dizzy and then everything went black.

"Hermione! Hermione!" she could hear Harry shouting at her. She squinted her eyes and took in her seroundings. She was laying on the hard cold stone floor on her back and was looking up at Harry and Remus's worried faces. Why was she laying on the floor, she wondered... then it hit her like a buss. The marriage law.

"Fuck", she mumbled under her breath and the looks on the men's faces became even more worried. Hermione never ever swore unless something was seriously wrong. Slowly she sat up and with the help of Remus and Harry she settled back into her chair.

"Give me the Prophet," she commanded and shocked as they still were nor Harry or Remus said anything, they just did as told.

"Hermione, what" Harry began, but she cut him of with a shush and began reading newspaper growing paler and paler the further she read.

—

New law about marriage

As it was decided by the Wizengamot late last night the ministry have now passed a law that requires every witch between the ages 17 and 45, and every wizard between the ages 17 and 60 to marry. The minister of magic, Kingsley Schaklebold, stated; "Due to the war and many years of inbreeding between the pureblood family's in Britain, we are experiencing a fall in the number of births of magical children and a rise of squibs. This is a matter we must take seriously as our society cannot function without enough wizards and witches."

The new law means that every witch or wizard of age must marry in the next six months or else they will be paired by the ministry. A year after the marriage is consumed, it is assumed that at least one child is born or in the womb of the given witch.

Purebloods may not marry other purebloods, they can marry either half bloods or muggleborns.

Halfbloods may marry either a pureblood, another halfblood or a muggleborn.

Muggleborns may marry a pureblood or a halfblood, but not another muggleborn.

Women or men who either can't understand the law because of mental damage, are unable to bear children or are already married and have at least one child are not affected by this law. We will give you updates as this new law goes into action. The ministry will be hosting party's for people to look for their future

partner, the first one will be held the coming Friday afternoon at seven o'clock.

—

Hermione pushed the newspaper over the table for Harry and Remus to see, staring blankly out in the room. They both cast an anxious look at her before reading the article.

She was going to get married AND have kids within a year and a half from now. She was 22 for God's sake, she had never even given children a real thought before, and now she was having one so soon, and getting married, to perhaps a stranger, if she wasn't capable of finding a partner in the next six months! What was she going to do?

In the meantime of Hermiones small panic attack, Remus and Harry had finished the article and looked almost as gobsmacked as Hermione. They sat in complete and utter silence for 10 minuets before somebody began talking, however it wasn't one of the residents of the table.

Sirius Black slided elegantly into the room whistling, in nothing but his plaid pyjamas pants. His upper body and arms were muscular and covered in tattoos and a decent amount of black hair covered his chest. The line of black hair that went from his navel down the elastic of his pants made Hermione make a small sigh. Even in her shocked condition. Sirius Black was all in all a pretty got looking man, if you asked Hermione at least. Okay maybe pretty good looking was not the right word to describe how Hermione thought he looked. The words she was thinking were more in the direction of pretty damn hot! NOT that she would ever admit that to anyone. It was simply embarrassing that such a practical and smart witch had a huge crush on a man who shagged a new woman every night.

Sirius's P.O.V

Sirius started making some toast but stopped when he noticed the expressions on their faces. Hermiones brown bushy hair was even bigger than usually, which probably meant that she was either upset or stressed. Remus looked almost as bad as the night after a full moon and Harry just looked as his bacon with a stunned expression.

"What's wrong fellas?" Sirius asked confused. When nobody answered he continued, "Really you're not even gonna tell me? Is it a surprise party you were planning when I got here, I can assure you that is no longer secret, you're extremely bad at hiding it."

Sirius grinned, but when the room was still as quit as ever, his face fell. The usual mischievous sparkle in his silver gray eyes gone.

Remus slowly pushed the Prophet towards Sirius, the look in his scarred face warning him not to freak out. What was going on? He quickly snatched the Prophet from the big table and began reading, he immediately frowned and started sneering. When he reached the bottom he looked like he would he able to set the whole house on fire with his eyes.

"Fuck! That damn ministry! Fuck!"

Sirius slammed the Prophet down on the table with a loud thud and ran from the room and out the door. When nothing made sense it always helped him to be in his animagus form. The trees was a blurry and the wind felt harsh against his black fur. As he ran along the path of leaves in the forest. How was Sirius Orion Black ever going to be able to settle down, get married AND have children? He enjoyed his life as a rich womaniser without a care in his life except to convince a beautiful woman to continue their evening in his bed? Guess that lady last night had been the last one night stand he would ever have. What was her name anyway? She was not important, she was just one out of many, but she WAS important, because she was the last woman he had shagged as a free man. Fuck! A realisation hit him. And it hit hard. No decent woman would ever want him, not with his reputation. Who would want a man they knew to shag every witch he laid his eyes on? He howled as loud as he could in agony. Oh how these last minutes had changed his life.

Hermiones P.O.V.

Right after Sirius had left Ron walked in to the kitchen, still wearing his pyjamas. His red hair stood out in every direction and his eyes were heavy with sleep. Yawning Ron picked up the Prophet from the floor, his sleepy eyes skimmed it while he scratched his head.

"Bloody hell", was all he let out before joining the other stunned people at the kitchen table, "bloody hell".

Suddenly Hermione had enough of the thick silence, she jerked up on her feet and marched out of the room.

"I'm flooing to the Burrow I need to talk to Ginny," she yelled over her shoulder. The men looked after her with surprised faces, Harry with a piece of bacon hanging from his mouth.

Hermione stumbled out into the Weasley's kitchen. Molly Weasley stopped from her stressed pacing back and forth in surprise.

"Hermione my dear, welcome," Molly said and embraced her in a much needed hug. Hermione could feel her muscles relaxing after being tense for quite a while. Though she hadn't noticed that her shoulders was up by her ears until now.

"Molly, how lovely to see you." Molly still held her in her arms, but had moved on from hugging to grabbing her by her shoulders and studying her with a firm look.

"Oh, it's lovely to see you too, my dear. You should visit more often. And when did you become so skinny? I'll make you breakfast, you look like you need it."

"No, it's all right, I'm not hungry. I read the Prophet and... well I just really need to speak with Ginny. Do you know were she is?" Hermiones eyes flicked towards the staircase.

"She's upstairs in her room darling." Molly got a distant look on her face and started pacing again. Hermione took that as her sigh to leave and quickly climbed the stairs to reach Ginnys room.

"Mione!" Ginny burst out the door and dragged her with her back inside.

"Ginny!" Hermiones face lit up when she saw her friend and a big smile appeared on her face. But just as fast as it had appeared it was gone and her face looked dead sirius again.

"What are we going to do Ginny?" She said with a small voice. Seing the usual put together and not easily shaken witch in this state was a shook to the redhead. Her eyes widened and her mouth formed a small o, however her face didn't stay like that for long. Her delicate features became stern looking. Reminding Hermione shockingly much about professer Mcgonagall. Staring in anticipation, she watched as Ginny opened her mouth.

"Hermione Jean Granger! Get yourself together! We a mission to accomplish..." she ended with a smirk. What was this witch talking about? A mission? Well, they both had to get married within six months, but Ginny had Harry and her tone indicated that she was talking about something else, but what? And just why was she smirking.

"Well, let me state the obvious, since you look about as confused as a pureblood trying to use the subway. I'm getting married to Harry soon... and you're gonna be my maid of honour of course, but that's not what I'm talking about," she stated in the no nonsense voice Hermione often used.

"Oh, Ginny thank you, I'd love that. But... what exactly are you talking about then?" She looked even more confused now.

"You getting married to Sirius Black, what else?"

"Why on earth would I marry Sirius Black?" Hermiones cheeks had become slightly rosa as she thought about the handsome wizard, who was her roommate.

"Oh come on, didn't you think I would know? After all you have confessed to me how handsome you thought he was. But then again I don't think you remember that, you were quite drunk," Ginny giggled. Hermiones cheeks were now a very deep shade of red as she tried to remember what exactly she had told Ginny.

"You are gonna seduce Sirius Orion Black so slowly and subtle that when he notices he has fallen, it will be too late" Ginnys face were now wearing a devilish smirk and to her surprise Hermione felt her face form one similar.

"What do I have to do?" Hermione asked. She always felt better when she had a plan.