Rising from Ashes and tears

"Good morning, Sigyn! Wake up! It is seven-thirty!" Dora said in a Sing-song tone, irritating Sigyn. 

"I hate when you do it, Nymphadora" she growled, making Dora both fume and laugh at the same time. 

That girl was a full package of Slytherin traits. She always wondered how she ended up in Gryffindor. 'But it is better than ending up in that disgusting house', Dora thought. Sigyn opened her eyes and woke up. 

"I swear, if you do that again, you are going to be dead!" she hissed venomously. 

Dora chuckled.

After Sigyn brushed, both of them headed to the breakfast table. 

"Good morning, Mom!" Dora greeted the woman. 

"Good morning mum, Good morning Dad." Sigyn greeted both.

Though both of them were too sweet and caring she always wondered what her real parents would have been like. Not that she had too much difficulty to know that. Uncle Remus visited her every Saturday when there wasn't a full moon and when she wasn't at school. But his letters arrived weekly, addressing her. She sometimes felt jealous for Dora, she had everything Sigyn wanted. Her parent's house without compromising the sorting hat, ability to make everyone happy, choosing her career at the 2nd year and the talent of her that Sigyn craved. Metamorphic ability. Ability to change the appearance. Not that she saw herself ugly. But this is the ability that everyone envies. 

"Why haven't you finished anything, Sigyn?" Andromeda asked. 

Ted was worried as well. She looked at her plate. Was Sigyn thinking a lot? She had a lot of things as well. She can adapt anywhere, having a silver-tongue, two loving parents and uncle, good grade without hard-work, creativity. She looked at the two worried faces in front of her, they doted her. Her eyes became slightly damp, a pang of guilt hurtled her heart. 

"I don't have an appetite." She said nonchalantly.

Ted seemed to be relieved, but Andromeda knew, something was going wrong. There was something in Sigyn's mind, something was going in her head. 

"I hope this is not about her being adopted" she whispered to Ted as both Dora and Sigyn were engrossed in the Daily Prophet.

"Don't worry honey. Sigyn won't be thinking about it." Ted soothed her. 

"But-" Andromeda was disturbed by a white snow owl. 

By seeing the Ministry's stamp, she handed it over to Dora without any other glance. Tonks took it hurriedly and opened. 

"It's addressed to you Sig!" she said with confusion written all over her face. 

"How many times do I have to repeat that my name is Sigyn and not Sig?" Sigyn muttered, taking the letter in any way. She opened it and began to read:

Dear Ms Sigyn Athena Howell,

New marriage law is passed. Every half-blood or muggle-born witch and wizard is to be married to a pureblood or half-blood wizard or witch at the age of 17 (maximum 18) and no further, as per the new marriage act passed by the Ministry of Magic. Those who are above 17 have the right to choose their partner. However, the Ministry would suggest some names as soon as possible, and every witch and wizard is to be married to whom the Ministry instructs and not to anyone else. Not following the instructions can be considered as a severe crime, and the one who dares to do so must face the punishment the Ministry of Magic would give. 

Yours Sincerely

Mafalda Hopkirk

Ministry of magic 

Sigyn's eyes went wide, and her eyes dampened. What the fuck? She was just 16, in her 7th year. She wanted to opt for the N.E.W.T. s, she dreaded to follow her career and not marriage. She never gave preference to such things. She wanted to continue her study, build a career and marry the man she wanted, and there was no fucking way if she was married. She wasn't even going to have any choice. Damn, she hated this. 

"D-dad?" Sigyn said, her voice slightly wavered. 

Ted looked at her, surprised and confused about why she was at the edge of crying out of fear. Because last he saw her like this was before 6 years. Andromeda and Dora were surprised as well because however close they were to each other, Sigyn always shielded her emotions from them. 

"What happened, Sig?" asked Dora softly. 

"M-Ministry" she barely said and buried her head in her hands.

 Dora took a letter from her eye, her eyes widened too.

"When the fuck this happened?" she said to herself. She was a fucking auror. And she didn't know. 

"What has happened, Dora?" asked Ted. 

"Marriage law is forcing those who are under 17 to get married to who the ministry thinks they should be," Dora said quietly, putting her hand over Sigyn's shoulder. 

Sigyn wiped her tears.

 "I don't want to do this. What the worst punishment Ministry can give me, Dora?" she asked a little confidently. 

"I don't know," Dora answered Truthfully. 

***

"I don't know!" she answered her foster mother.

Uncle Remus squeezed her hand, assuring that everything was going to be alright. But Sigyn knew. Nothing was fine! How can it be when her fucking future was damaged? In all these years, Sigyn had only one goal. To be best in her field. It was true that before this, she didn't know what was going to be her field. But now she did, and she was working hard to achieve excellence required for it, and suddenly this stupid, fucking marriage law appeared out of nowhere. What was she going to do if her to-be-partner wouldn't like the idea of women pursuing her career appropriately, like her mother's sister; Narcissa? Or what if the Ministry brought the new law to be conceived within a year of the marriage? She knew she wasn't ready for this. Yes, she wanted to get married and start a family someday, but it was when she wanted, with someone she wanted and not the fucking 'Suggestion' of the Ministry. 

"Sigyn, trust me, if Dumbledore wants to meet you, there must be some reason!" said Ted. 

"Maybe he wants to help us with the marriage law!" exclaimed her mother hopefully. 

"No mom, his influence won't work on the Ministry. At least not now." Sigyn stated, her brows creased. 

"Don't you know anything about a meeting, Remus?" asked Ted. 

"I am as clueless as all of you, Ted! But I am sure that it is for Sigyn's good." Remus explained. 

"Where am I even supposed to attend the meeting?" Sigyn snapped. 

"At the headquarters, I believe," Remus answered, "With me!" 

She groaned. 

"I hate this!" she muttered. 

"So, do I!" Remus murmured in his mind, unable to ignore discomfort the law was causing to his niece. 

__________________________________________________________

"Do not worry, he'd arrive in a minute!" Mrs Weasley comforted Sigyn. 

"You are generous, Mrs Weasley!" she thanked the older woman, eyeing the tea and the snacks offered by her. 

"Nonsense, sweetheart!" said Mrs Weasley.

Sigyn was sitting there with her uncle for the past one hour. Sirius, his old friend, engaged her into the conversation, but soon with the topic of the new marriage law which bothered Mrs Weasley given that her 4 children and Harry Hermione to whom she treated as her children, she was too worried for each of their future. But she tried to soothe Sigyn. Sigyn always wondered, how can a woman live this happy when Sigyn has a lot on her plate to worry about? But she was different. Sigyn was different. In all these Gryffindors she was the one who didn't care about the greater good or the rebel she would do, but how she was going to tackle the problem. 

Just then Professor Dumbledore arrived, along with Professor Snape.

"Would you like to have something, Albus?" Mrs Weasley asked. 

"Tea would be fine, Molly." The old man replied. 

"And you, Severus?" She asked with the same generosity. 

"Thank you so much for your generous offer, but I don't think I'd have anything." Replied Professor Snape, nonchalantly. 

"Would you care to join us both in the dining room, Sigyn?" asked the headmaster. 

"There won't be a problem, professor." Said Sigyn. 

"So, Ms Howell, do you happen to get the letter from the Ministry, about the new Marriage law?" asked Professor Dumbledore.

Sigyn's eyes wandered. "Y-yes, professor."

"And do you know what would be the consequences of not abiding it?"

She took a deep breath and masked her fear. "I am not aware of them, sir."

"Your magic would be stripped!" 

Sigyn gasped. Life without magic? "But they cannot do that sir!"

"I am afraid, Ms Howell, that they can!" he said. 

Sigyn was terrified. 

"Do you happen to know with whom you are supposed to wed?" asked Albus.  

Sigyn shook her head. 

"Do you have the letter, Ms Howell?" she nodded, grabbing the letter from her pocket. 

"Did you read the backside, Ms Howell?" he asked. 

"No!" she whispered. Professor sighed and cast a spell on the backside. 

Some letters in the italic, bold letters appeared. 

Sigyn Howell has to marry Severus Snape within she completes 18 years of her age.

Sigyn re-read those letters, hoping that she read wrong. But she wasn't.