Disclaimer: All characters and things associated with Harry Potter belong to J.K. Rowling and Warner Brothers. This writing is for pure entertainment only.

Summary: Set around HBP. As the ministry falls further under Voldemorts control a new law is passed, forcing Hermione into a life she wasn't ready for. How will it affect the horcrux hunt and the fight against Voldemort?

Chapter 1

Dumbledore was dead and the world of every Hogwarts student had been changed with his murder. Hermione Granger's world was no exception to that, and maybe even more effected by that. She and Ron had decided they would not return to Hogwarts, but instead would begin a horcrux hunt in a few weeks, in order to fulfill Dumbledore's task and hopefully find a way to defeat Voldemort. That was why Hermione and Harry had returned to the Burrow. They needed to plan things out with Ron and the remainder of the Order of the Phoenix, though Bill and Fleur's wedding plans were somewhat overshadowing that sometimes.

"Ronald Bilius Weasley! Harry James Potter! Get down here right now or you will miss breakfast!" Mrs. Weasley yelled up the stairs, waking up anyone in the Burrow who was not already awake that particular morning.

"I'll go get them." Hermione offered, getting up from the couch in the living room that she and Ginny had been sitting on, busily going through photos of flowers for Bill and Fleur's wedding. Fleur had asked them to pick a few different ones out.

"Oh, thank you dear…" Mrs. Weasley smiled kindly at Hermione.

Hermione nodded and moved up the stairs, finding Ron and Harry already half-way down them.

"Bloody hell…does she need to yell so loudly?" Ron rubbed the sleep from his eye.

"Honestly, Ronald. It is nearly ten in the morning…" Hermione scolded, almost sounding like Ron's mother herself.

Ron made a face at Hermione but his ears burned red. He couldn't help how he felt, but he was certain he had feelings for Hermione. He as just too shy to act on them, especially with the given circumstances of potential death in the future surrounding them.

"Come on then…" Hermione called over her shoulder as she turned and led Ron and Harry into the kitchen where Mrs. Weasley was busy setting breakfast on the table. George, Fred, and Ginny were already seated.

"Where's dad?" Ron mumbled, taking his seat between Hermione and Harry.

"He had to go into work early this morning…" Mrs. Weasley looked at the clock on the wall that said where everyone in her family was. Mr. Weasley's was still pointing to him being at work though it was moving toward home.

"Looks like he will be here soon…" George commented, also watching the clock.

A second later an out-of-breath Mr. Weasley arrived in the kitchen of the Burrow.

"Arthur? What's wrong?" Mrs. Weasley could tell by her husband's face immediately that something was not right.

Mr. Weasley shook his head. "A new law was past…that could effect all of us…"

As if on cue Kingsley and Remus apparated into the kitchen.

"Arthur, have you heard the news?" Kingsley asked.

"Have you told them?" Remus glanced over to Hermione.

"Told who what?" Mrs. Weasley asked, clearly confused.

"I haven't gotten the chance yet…" Mr. Weasley said.

"Tell us what? What is going on?" Harry was standing now, worried that it had something to do with the horcruxes, something to do with Voldemort.

"The Ministry has passed a new law…" Mr. Weasley said, turning to look at Harry briefly, before his eyes rested on Hermione and Ron. "And it effects you, Hermione…and Ron…"

Ron glanced at Hermione, confused and bewildered. He could see she looked slightly frightened. He turned back to his father. "What law?"

"A marriage law. It was enacted to…rid the Wizarding Community of what they would consider blood traitors as well as muggle borns…" Mr. Weasley said, disgust in his voice.

"It states that all muggle borns must marry a pureblood…the ministry gets to chose." Kingsley said.

"And of course, none of the Dark Lord's purebloods are being forced to do this. It is only for ones like us…ones who want to fight against You-Know-Who…" Mr. Weasley shook his head.

"What does it mean, Arthur?" Mrs. Weasley asked.

"Ron and Hermione…are to be wed…" Arthurs slammed an envelope addressed to Hermione and one addressed to Ron on the table.

"Bloody hell!" Fred exclaimed.

"No kidding?" George added.

Hermione looked at the envelope and felt as if her stomach had folded in on itself. Her? Married? To Ron no less? She was certain she had feelings for Ron, but there was no way she was ready for any of that.

"Is this a bloody sick joke?" Ron asked, causing Hermione to look sharply at him. His ears were red but his face was pale. This, for some reason, annoyed her. He would be lucky to be married to her.

"No. It's Voldemort's way of punishing your family." Remus said.

"What do you mean?" Ron asked.

"Once this law is forced down…and Voldemort takes over the ministry completed, which we are sure he will be able to do if he hasn't already, though this law makes it seem that it has, then he will executed the blood-traitors, or any pure-blood married to a muggle-born as well as the muggle born…" Kingsley explains.

"And he will punish their families." Remus added.

"Which means he will kill you two, Ron and Hermione, and punish all of us…" Mr. Weasley stated simply.

"What? No! Arthur, we can't let this happen!" Mrs. Weasley spoke up.

"Of course we can't…and we won't." Arthur put a hand around Mrs. Weasley.

"But we need to play by their rules…until we can figure out a way around everything, we can't draw more attention to any of us. With Dumbledore gone, we don't need extra attention drawn to us until we have a better plan." Kingsley said.

"What are you saying? That Ron and Hermione actually have to get married?" Ginny couldn't help but giggle. She knew Ron and Hermione liked each other, but she also knew both were too scared to make the first move. Now it seemed that they had no choice.

"For now…until we can handle this battle and repeal all of this nonsense…" Kingsley answered.

"Bloody hell…" Ron mumbled. "Why me?"

"Excuse you?" Hermione seemed offended. She was not repulsive; why would Ron be that upset, aside the fact that they were only eighteen.

"Just wondering. Why me with Hermione? They could have picked any muggle for me…or any pureblood for Hermione…" Ron said, his ears red.

"Someone must be onto us. You're both Harry's friends, which only makes you easy targets." Remus said.

"Not to mention most pureblood families on…the Dark Lord's side…they have been after our family for years." Mr. Weasley added.

"Which only adds to the reason why we need to play by the ministry's rules…for now anyway." Remus said.

"Brilliant…" Ron mumbled.

"Ron! Could you possibly make it sound like more of a death sentence?" Hermione snapped.

"I…I didn't mean that…I just…I mean honestly…in the middle of all this, I am supposed to get married?" Ron asked.

"It's not a real marriage, Ron." Hermione told him sharply, thought some part of her wished it was.

Ron's ears went red and he glanced away from Hermione. Some part of him wished it would be real to, though he wished it were a few years off.

"Well, they are already fighting like they are married…" Fred comment.

"Shut it, Fred." Mrs. Weasley spoke up before Ron could snap at his older brother.

"Relax, you only need to play the part until the three of you leave for to find the horcruxes…" Mr. Weasley glanced between Harry, Hermione, and Ron. "After that, you will probably be fugitives and it won't matter what laws you listen to or break…"

"Great. Either way people will want us dead…" Ron said sarcastically.

"Ron, don't make this harder then it has to be." Mr. Weasley said before pointing toward the letters Rose and Ron and received. "Now, they want you to go to the ministry in order to complete the application and prove you are ready to marry…they want you to go tomorrow…"

"What if we aren't ready?" Ron asked.

"Then act it." Remus told the redhead. "Your lives depend on it."

Ron swallowed hard but said nothing else as he glanced sideways at Hermione, trying his best to read her expression. He couldn't be certain but some part of her smile made it seem as if she were almost happy.