DISCLAIMER: None of the Harry Potter Universe is mine. Shame!
Chapter one
A Letter of the Unfortunate Sorts
The dormitory was still seeped in silence when the deep brown, almost black, owl flew into the dormitory. The red bed curtains hid from the owl's big yellow eyes the occupants of the four beds. Slowly one of the curtains was pulled back to revile the bed's occupant.
Two brown eyes met the yellow eyes of the owl, before the eyes of Hermione Jane Granger mover to her muggle style clock beside her bed, which flashed six am. Scratching her sleep filled eyes the brown haired seventh year girl returned her gaze to the brown owl.
The owl tilted its head as if to consider the woman in front of him. Slowly the owl hopped of the mahogany dresser on which it had previously perched, and flew silently over to a bewildered Hermione. After plopping the yellowish envelope on the red bedcover facing Hermione, he took of out the window, which magically shut behind him.
Hermione looked from the now closed window to the letter, which lay facing her. Slowly she stretched out her hand and grasped the letter. On the front of it was written her name in the obvious black script of Albus Dumbledore. Trusting it was from someone she reliable she opened the envelope.
On opening it she found one small piece of yellowed parchment on which was written a short note to the seventh year.
Miss Granger,
Please come to my office as soon as possible. Thank you.
A.D.
Hermione read the parchment a few time over before uttering the words to distinguish her bedside lamp. She left the parchment lying on her bed as she went to retrieve a muggle t-shirt and jeans; as it was a Saturday she was not required to wear her regulation school robes. She proceed to the bathroom; once inside she tried to make herself presentable at this god-forsaken hour. Still confused about what the headmaster would want at this time of the morning she pulled on her t-shirt and jeans. She used a spell she had been perfecting over the summer to straighten her hair, well sort of. It looked better than usual but she still pulled it back into a band at the base of her neck.
She studied herself in the mirror and agreed with the mirror comment that her hair was slightly better looking than normal. She smiled and thanked the mirror before grabbing her cloak of her trunk where it lay and heading down towards the Headmaster's office.
The stairs creaked as she slowly descended towards the Headmaster's office. She expected to see someone on her journey but she came upon no one. It was strange to see the castle so silent, so void of life. It was normally bustling with noise and excitement from hundreds of pupils. Now silence reigned over the darkened school. The beautiful bird which guarded the entrance to her Headmaster's office, now in the early October morning looked like a ferocious beast father than a beautiful harmless bird.
"Jelly bean." Hermione whispered with a silent giggle.
The statue swung open to reveal a twisting staircase, which Hermione climbed. She was only in front of the large door for only seconds before she heard herself being summoned from within the door. Taking a final deep breath she grasped the handle on the door and strode inside.
"Miss Granger, thank you for coming so early this morning, but this couldn't wait." Said Professor Dumbledore as Hermione entered.
He wore a bright blue robe with matching nightcap. His eyes seemed to Hermione not to sparkle as normal and his brow was knitted with lines of worry. He motioned for her to sit down in one of the chairs opposite the desk. The other chair across the desk remained unoccupied.
"I'll tell you why I have called you here momentarily but if you don't mind we are still waiting on someone." Said the Headmaster surveying her over his half-moon glasses.
"No of course not." Said Hermione gazing around the room as she waited for whoever it was the Headmaster wished to be here.
The room was as ever full of small trinkets of gold and silver. There was a large collection of these trinkets on top of one of the filing cabinets; there were various things such as scales, weights and tiny model dragons sitting on top. A yellowy-red light began to leak through the eastern window, giving the Headmaster and his silvery-white hair an eerie quality.
A sudden knock at the door surprised both of the room's occupants. Professor Dumbledore looked at the door for a second before summoning in the person on the other side of the oak door. It was a surprise to Hermione when her Potions Professor walked in, thought he looked different from normal. His hair, which he grew slightly longer over the summer, lay in a short band tied at the base of his neck. He wore a black shirt with the cuffs unbuttoned and the first button undone reviling the beginning of the sallow skin on his neck. On his bottom half he wore loose black trousers and black shoes. All these things together, Hermione thought, made him look more…more human. He also didn't seem to have his mask of anger or sadistic glee on his face but, he looked tired, obviously caught as unaware as Hermione. After a scan around the room he sat down without a word to either of the rooms other occupants.
Albus finished what ever he was writing before he looked up at both of them. The Headmaster was about to talk when Professor Snape finally spoke up.
"So Albus, why the hell did I have to get up out of my bed to talk to you at six in the bloody morning for?"
Albus sighed and looked at the two figures over his half-moon glasses.
"I'm sorry for calling you here so early but it could not be helped," The grey haired wizard began, "I was informed in the early hours that the Ministry just passed law number seven hundred and two also know as the Marriage Law." At that Hermione looked at her Potions Professor to see if this meant as little to him as it did to her. By his slightly blank expression she guessed not.
"To cut a long story short the law demands that the head of every pure blood family pair their sons or daughters with a half blood or muggleborn to marry." The Headmaster stopped his to let the news sink into the two people in front of him.
"Why would they want to do that?" Asked Hermione with a bewildered expression on her face. Professor Snape also looked curiously at the Headmaster.
"Well," Said the Headmaster slowly, "because of centauries of inbreeding between pureblood the number of squib children has steadily grew over the years, so the Ministry decided to step in and put a stop to it through the law."
"What has this go to do with myself and Miss Granger?" Professor Snape inquired leaning back in his chair and giving the Headmaster a calculated look.
Professor Dumbledore sighed. He reached behind him and took two scrolls from where they sat on the bookcase and sat them in front of him.
"I am afraid Severus that you and Miss Granger come within the Ministry guidelines for marriage." The old man stated sombrely. "We are quite lucky if you think about it you are the only two within Hogwarts and The Order who come within the guidelines at the moment."
Hermione looked blankly at the Headmaster. He had to be joking she thought before she looked at the Headmaster's solemn eyes. She didn't know what to say or do. What could she do but wait for a proper explanation of the situation she found herself in? She had learned from being Harry and Ron's friend that being reckless and acting without thinking was never the best idea.
Severus on the other hand stared blackly at the headmaster before he exploded.
"Lucky!? You think myself and Miss Granger are lucky!?"
"Severus please calm down, things are as they are and we have to make the best of it." Stated the headmaster as if he were talking to a first year.
"I am calm Albus." The younger man stated not looking very calm at all. "Well, what do you suggest we do?"
The Headmaster again sighed.
"It seems Severus your father has already answered that question."
If it was possible the Potions Professor paled even more. Hermione looked back and forth for the two men. Professor Dumbledore looked in hopelessly at the dark haired man in front of him. The Potions Professor stared wide eyed at the Headmaster as if trying to persuade himself the Headmaster was playing a stupid joke.
"What has that bastard done now?" The angered man spat at the Headmaster.
"Language Severus." The Headmaster reprimanded half-heartedly.
Hermione continued to stare from one of the man to the other, unsure of what to do or say. Finally deciding to be the one who spoke up.
"Can you please just tell us the whole story please Headmaster?"
"I was waiting for one of you to ask." He said trying to smile.
Him hand grasped the two scrolls in front of him and handed one to Severus and one to Hermione.
Hermione looked at the emblem on the scroll as the man beside her tore it open without looking at the mark. Hermione recognised it as the Ministry seal but couldn't recognise the department. After hearing her Potions Professor mutter some obscenities concerning his father she continued to open the scroll she held in her hands. After a brief explanation of the law a letter follower. She could never imagine that one letter could shock her so.
Dear Miss Granger,
Today the marriage law had come into effect, as you know. I am happy to inform that a petition has been entered for your hand in marriage. Unless another pureblood family forms an appeal within the next 24 hours the petition registered by Flavius Astre Snape on behave of his son Severus Marcus Alexander Snape shall stand. Congratulations.
Yours,
Yvonne Cadogan
Operator of Law 702
The silence vibrated around the room, until Hermione broke it in a most unladylike fashion.
"What the hell!" She said louder than she meant to.
"Well said Miss Granger." Said Severus, his eyes still scanning the parchment he much harder than need be as if trying to squeeze the life out of it.
"What are we going to do Albus?" He asked the paper still crumpled in his hand.
"I'm not sure Severus, Hermione. I'm sorry but I'm no sure." Said the old man looking very sadly at the both of the. Hermione had never seen him looked older. Silence again settled in the room. A silence of uncertainty.
Author Note: I have reposted this chapter in my new username and from this chapter onwards the ideas and contents have been changed. I hope you like it, and please review with any ideas and suggestions.
Thanks
Nanny
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