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Waiting to Exhale	By : Wolfling1972 Category: Harry Potter > Het - Male/Female > Draco/Hermione Views: 13149 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: The worlds of Harry Potter, and all properties thereof, are my playgrounds. This means that I own nothing beyond my own poorly conceived plot and OC characters. In no way am I making money from this.

Chapter List
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AN: This is the last of my pre-written chapters and it looks like we are finally getting somewhere! Once again, this is a SLOW BURN. Do not expect people to fall into bed all willy nilly. Won't happen for a while yet. Patience IS a virtue, you know. By the by, sorry for the influx of words. My chapters hover around a thousand words a piece. This one went over 1300 words. Sorry! As always R&R
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It was the middle of November and school had settled into something like calm. That was not to say that the coursework was easy. Homework for N.E.W.T. levels was almost impossible to be prepared for, though Hermione managed to stay at least a week ahead. Most of the other seventh and eighth-years had not done so well. Instead, they struggled to get their essays in on time. Even so, the sameness of each day lulled the young men and women into a false sense of security.
That was broken upon the morning of November 23rd. Of course, this happened to be a Monday. Every bad thing always happened on a Monday. As per usual, owls flew into the Great Hall bearing newspapers and gifts, dropping them off to each student before fluttering away. Perhaps the owls knew something those self-same students did not? After the yelling started, most people believed that to be true.
"Shit! Can you believe this!" was the general consensus as students above the age of seventeen laid eyes on the Daily Prophet's lead story. The story itself was disturbing, more than disturbing, it was vile, hateful, unbelievable. A marriage law. The Ministry, in its so-called wisdom, had reinstated a proviso from the seventeenth century, one that was supposed to encourage new births as a way to offset the deaths that had occurred in the past year due to the war.
Everyone between the ages of seventeen and forty would have to submit if they wanted to be allowed to continue to be part of the magical world that had housed them. Failure to do so would see them stripped of magic, wands snapped and sent out after obliviation to live as a Muggle. For those who were pure or half-blood, this would be a fate worse than death and not to be born. For muggle-borns, those who had finally been accepted into a place that allowed them to be who they were? It was heartbreaking.
Minerva McGonagall stood and used a Sonorous charm upon herself and spoke. "All classes for seventh-year students are canceled for the day. Please stay behind so that discussion can be had. The Minister will be joining us shortly."
First through sixth-year students rose en masse, leaving the young men and women, behind. Ginny, red hair streaming down over her shoulders, hurried to Hermione's side, her bright brown eyes filled with questions.
"Why, why would they do this?"
Hermione could only shake her head. For once, she did not have an answer, though she wished with all of her heart that she could provide something to ease the pain of the others who surrounded her. Neville also ventured closer, his face a study in misery, hazel eyes almost closed as if expecting a punch to the face.
"Gods, have we not given enough?"
"Apparently not, my friend," was the answer.
After no more than a few minutes, Kingsley Shacklebolt appeared and stepped to the edge of the small stage that held the teachers' table. He was met with a veritable wall of noise as the students spoke in a clamor, all trying to be heard above the rest. He waited until the noise ceased and then spoke, his voice easily heard due to Sonorous.
"I can see that you've all read the newspaper this morning and I am sure that each of you has questions. If you give me a few minutes of your time, I will endeavor to explain the whys and wherefores of this new decree." The dark-skinned male paused, his eyes scanning the large body of students before him.
"This law has been argued since the War ended. The loss of lives, on both sides, has caused a dramatic dent in the Wizarding population. This can not be borne. If we do not do something to fix it, we will lose Wizarding Britain within a few short generations. The easiest and quickest fix would be an increase in both marriages and propagation. Thus, this law."
Hermione raised her hand and waited until Shacklebolt acknowledged her. Her words, while calm, did not match her facial expression and those students who were nearest to her stepped away, giving her room. The young woman paid the shifting of bodies no mind, the entirety of her formidable intellect fastened upon the man who had come to deliver such hateful news.
"So the Wizengrot, in its infinite wisdom, did not believe that we young people have suffered enough? They have chosen to institute a law which would NOT be needed in a few years as most of us would end up married anyway to someone that we chose? How, pray tell, is this going to make us more than breeding stock?"
There were murmurs of agreement from the others as they turned their attention back to the personage that supposedly held all of the answers. For his part, Shacklebolt did not look as if the queries offended him nor did he appear to be put out. Instead, he waited until the sounds of annoyance faded into silence.
"You WILL be breeding stock, I can not deny your assertation. However, the cause is a good one and sorely needed if we are to stop our selves from becoming no more than legends some day. We, myself included, will be forced to join with one that is chosen for us. It is the Ministry's hope that~ by the process of a questionnaire and magical typing~ each person will be matched with another who is their equal in intellect, breeding capabilities, and personality." Another pause as disbelieving laughter swept the hall.
Draco spoke then, "And what of those who are already promised to be married? My mother has already chosen a wife for me and I am sure there are other pure-blood wizards and witches who can and will, say the same."
Kingsley glanced at the young man before once again speaking. "All pre-existing arrangements will be null and void unless the arranged match equates with the Ministry's own choices. Failure to comply will result in the very outcome you've all read about. And so, before you are allowed to leave this Hall, you will each be asked to give a few drops of blood and to fill out the questionnaire. To refuse either one will result in the circumstance I am sure you wish to avoid."
Another query, from Tobias, the head boy. "What if a pureblood is matched with a muggle-born? How will that help those of us who wish to keep our family lines free from defective blood?"
Murmurs.
Kingsley glared at the young man, his face a study of disgust. "There is no such thing as defective blood. Quite frankly, all of the rampant inbreeding within the Sacred Twenty Eight," here a sneer worthy of Draco, "Has caused a rise in non-magical births within the last fifty years. Perhaps it is time each family received an influx of outside blood."
Cursing.
Moments later small vials~ no more than a few centimeters in size~ appeared in each students hand along with a few sheets of parchment. Those parchments were covered in questions; both essay responses and multiple choice, which ran the gamut from favorite color to what would be required of an ideal mate. Headshakes abounded, even as the students returned to their tables. Self-inking quills and a small needle-like tool settled themselves near each filled seat, waiting to be used.
Forty-five minutes later~ all vials, quills, parchments, and tools were whisked away with various pops, never to be seen again. Minister Shacklebolt looked at the crowd of young people with a sad expression upon his war-worn face. His words, soft and emotional, carried throughout the vast space.
"I am sorry that you have to give even more. I wish that it did not have to be this way." With those final words on the subject, he departed.
The students left soon after.
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Waiting to Exhale