Prologue
The Ministry of Magic announces the new marriage law, which becomes immediately effective:
Each muggle-born wizard or witch has to marry a half or pure blood within two month after his 17th birthday. If somebody does not follow this law, he or she will be threatened with a forced marriage, if he or she does not attracted you-know-who's and his follower's attention first. The law was passed because of a range of young muggle-born wizards and witches, who were killed by death eater attacks.
The small chapel stood on a hill next to the cliff and the roaring sea.
A mighty storm raged, tweaked the roof shingle of the church as much as to say it wants to tear it to pieces and whistled trough the chrinks of the stonewall inward.
Rain fell from the sky,turned the surroundings into a damp cold and left his dirty traces.
The chapel was shaken by lightnings and rumbling thunder , which were giving the ceremony inside an eerie whiff.
When the wooden gates, which were closed in view of the raging weather, were opened, you entered a large aisle lighted by candlelight.
On the right and left side of this aisle there were wooden benches, on which the wedding guests were seated.
They all entracedly stare at the small door next to the entry, which would be opened very soon to let the bride enter her way to the altar.
The excited murmur died down and the soft loud of a violin suffused the room dispeling the eerie outward noises.
And there she was – swathed in a dream of snow white silk – her head proudly held high. She entered the room facing her destiny.
Only on closer consideration you could see that she was anything but happy and that her inside was in an uproar.
Her fingers were grasped the bridal bouquet desperately, so that her knuckles came almost forwarded.
Her eyes were glistening suspiciously and if her veil covered her face not that skilful, you would see that the bride tried not to lose her temper.
She bit her lip, when the man, whom she had to marry in the next few minutes, appeared in front of her tear-dimmed eyes.
She wished to be far away from here. She forced herself to avert her gaze and faced the briliantly designed altar, on which two golden rings bedded on a pillow semmed to wait on her soon duty.
Again she looked at her fiance with her fawn brown eyes, who looked daggers at her with his black eyes.
He seemed to wish to be far away from here, too. The only thing they seemed to share.
They were as different as day and night. However, they were forced to marry.
She stepped at his side. While the priest began to speak, she looked at the man, to whom the place beside her was actually predetermined.
His eyes look like he was almost passing out with pain.
She knew that this situation was also a torture for him.
She cringed, when her soon-to-be husband dug his fingers into her lower arm to attract her entirely attention.
"Today we come here together to let two humans enter into the bond of marriage," the priest said and his voice nearly bored into her mind and exhausted her.
She felt that she was about to lose her composure and suppressed a hiccoughing sob narrowly.
But she had to sit through it because she owed the people in this room this.
Also this situation and the thought that she would be together with this man almost killed her.
She cleared her throat trying to get rid of the lump in it. Then she answered the priest's question with a cumbly "Yes", which sounds like wrong to her.
With this simple word she accepted her fate. She looked expectanly at her fiance which was next in line to give his consent.
But he hesitated and pursed his lips. His eyes signified his discontent that stired up her hope that anything wasn't even lost.
He sensed the view of his groomsman, whose bright blue eyes looked at him fixedly to remind him of his promise.
Finally he gave in and muttered a unintelligibly "Yes".
She couldn't even hide her disappointment, when he grabed her hand rudely to put on her ring.
"You are man and wife – you may now kiss the bride," the priest said and his words were like poison for her ears.
She got weak in her knees. At the last moment he rescued her and whispered into her ear: "Control yourself."
She nodded weakly and kissed him very gently on his check.
After that they went to the gates with a simper, where their friends and relatives wait to congratulate them.
She didn't even take notice of the huges and congratulations – her mind was in a haze.
She was no longer Hermione Granger, Harry Potter's best friend and Ron Weasley's girlfriend. Now she was Hermione Snape and Severus Snape, her mean potion teacher, her husband.