Ghost story
First draft Chapter one
Hermione shifted a bit, her bum fallin asleep as she was sitting on the hard bathroom floor. She shighed, shifted a bit more e and winced at her sore mucels. This had to be one of the worst nights of her lifem and she had had a fiew. Plau, when she thoughtábout it ´, maybe the fourth worst night ´, This third worst had been when she dounf out her parents had died. That had been preatty horried. But Ron and Harry had been there and helped her thorugh it. She wuiculy swallowed. The lump that had stated forming in ther throught. Even after 5 years it still hurt to think aboutthem. She missed them something firce. The abesluite worst night had been the night noe refered to as the final battel. She had read some of the newly published history books where some anicent wisard or with who hadn't even been there glorigied it all. It mafe her sick. Non of them mentinoed the stink of death that had reahed every ehere and been over powering, Nor that the the relif that had some when they liixed it was finaly over had been nothing compeasad to the exsastion and sowwor over all the ones they had lost. And later, she and Ron had gone looking for Harry. He hadn't been anywhere. They had found Voldemorst corpse but Harry was gone. Parcticly as soon as this was known, there started rumors or ledgen Harry began, oainting him as King Arhir. It had made Hermione sick.
A noice form the other roomm pulled her out of her thoughts and baack to the present. She sat nervously, all her mucles tensed, readdy to move if the door did, but there was no footselts nust the continuations of light norring noicec. Relacing and then forwingn at the state of her bun she conjusred up a pillow
"now,why didn't I think of that beofre" she muttered to herself.
Yes, this was defintly her fourth worst experince. The fifst one had been reading about the marrige lawy ackt. She had been apppaled at it and even more appaled when she had found so little suposrt among her fellow witches. Some of the muggle bron ones had agreed that it seemed odd and a little worng, but the did no waint to stand up to the mistery. Hermione had, but ut ahd been just as afactive as her S.P.E.W, campaint. She had gotten some sympathetic noises form some, but most people har just brushed her aside, sauing that she just didn't understand fully the magical comunity. She could still heat the ofical lettering being read out load.
It has been declared but the Wicengamot to reinstate the Marrige-Ackt from 1892. All
Wizards and witches have 5 years from the
time they come of age to find a spouse. If
they are unable to do so, the Marrige Ackt
apointed department will find one for them.
Anny marriges not arranged throught the
Minserty need to be approved by the apointed
department.
The only expections to the five year rule, at
this present momsnet, is if one is engaged to be
married to some one who is yet of age. They
then need to marry within a month of the
youngest comming of age.
For all through who have alreaddy come of age
have 5 years from the time the ackt is passed.
The Wizengamont
26.09-2003
There had also been a 5 page long edetorial on why the act was reopended, what had been the reason the firs time when the act hav been passed. Alot had been about all the sucsess storied that the old act had given life too. She had made a lot of fuss on her own, and because of that she had gotten a letter one day, which basicly said that sice she was a threath to to the act they where going to make and exception for her, and pait her off right away. She and Ron had been living togeather by then,. And when she showed him the letter he had proposed. It had been a nive wedding, despite it being rushed. He had looked abslutly spelindid in his formal dress robes. The only dow point had been that her parent shadn't been there, she suposed that they would have had a finde marrige if he had lived.
Her throught closed up again and this time she couldn't just swallow it away. Four months, just four months. Both Ron and her had aplied to The Aouror Traningng Acadamy, and bot had gotten inn. They had both been promosted to junior Airors before they had gotten mattied, Thank night, the second worst of her life had been their first big asigmne . They had been the only juionr Auror s htere and that had been a great honor. They where trying to chatch a group who had aperantly started experimenting with some dark magic, though what kind of sark magic was unknown. They had observed the hodded figures for some time, and when it had been ovious what they where doing, enough evidence gathered, they had moved in. Ron had been in the front, despite the clear orders that he was to stay behind the more experinced Arours. He did bring down six before he was hit. It hand't been the killing curse, but there hadn't been enough time to save him. At St. Mungos he had been declared dead on arical. Hermione had stiken around after that. She ahd gone back to the site. The Arours had been over it. It have been an abondond muggle warehouse. On random Hermione had wandered over to some of the old card board boxes clearly overlooked bu the Aruors. Systematicly she had levitated and clasted each and every one of them. Then she ahd corken down and cired. She didn't know how long she had layed on the hard concreet floor. Before she got up and that had been when she noticed it. Among the ahses and pices of durnt carboard pices where a book. It wand't big, and it looked really old. She picked it up and opened it. The script was compleetly uniteligble to her and sis not lik anything she had ever seen before. Some of the drawing she reconginced as drawings of certain magical plants. She had relised that this must be an old magical text and probably very relavanet to the thing taht had happened that night, She had planned to give it to the department leader too, but then she ahd been infored that she was going too be taken off the case. There had been unthieable to leave the revenge of Ron to any one else. With him had her last bit of damily gone. She had no living relations left. No close friends left. There where no way she was just going t oleave that to any one else. So she had kept the book . Not much good it had her, no tanslation spells, nor any de-crypt charms worked. Nither fire, nore water had any efect on it. It wasn't very much to look at either, just a dull brown color on on the leather that bound it. It had a slightly self made air about it, as it had been bowned bu an amature. The only spell that had worked on it where a chamr to let her know how old the paper and leather was. From that she ahd deducted that it had been wirtten in early 15 hundreeds. It was a fine hundread year old book. She suposed that if she helt comming up short with the tran saltion of it she would have to show it to some one. She tood firm on not wanting to show it to any one in the department. They would only take it from her after all. Also, a small, vain part of her doubted that if she couldn't solve it, any one else would be able to.
Another snort from the bed toom jereked her once again back to the present. Yes, this was a fine mess indeed. Barylu three months after Ron's death she had gotten another letter from the Marrige Act Department. Since she ahd not had any children with him, she was back under the lay and the hurry up decree that had been apleed to ther file still applied, If she did not marry with in a month the minestry would take matters into their own hands. She had been shocked and outraged at this prepostures atidtude. She had no way of finding a husband that quick. She had spent the time filled out a lot of forums, and visited up to five difernet depmatrments but to no avail. It would take two months before any of her aplication for an extention was even looked at . And by that time she woudl allready be married. She ahd seriously consiedred fleeing, when the day came. She could break her wand and leave this misery world behind. Go to france and start a new life as a muggle. She ahd nothing left in the magical world. And then her eyes had fallen on the mustery book. If she left, then she would never fin out who had killed Ron. She had very little faith that the Aurors would managae it bu themselves. Especially with out the book. For an agoncing moment that seemed to sreach out forever in fromt of her she didn't know what to do. Then a little pice of her cliked into place. Ron had made agreat scrifice and there she was, wondering if she should leave him unavenged. Who ever killed him would get away with it, and she simply could not allow that. He had made acrifice and this was hers. How she reggeted the decision now. She had from the moment she had laid eyes on her new husband. She had wanted to feel right then. But she was at the mistery bu then and two bulky wizards where guarding that doof. He had not looked ecactly pleased himself. She had been extreemly greatfull that there had been no kissing involved in the seremoney. She had felt like through up later, when they where in the hotel room. They had hardly said a word to each other the whole time, and Hermione decided that despite the nause she was ecperingin she was not about to make it worse bu not comincating with the man.
"okay, so what ecactly is needed to make this marrige ofcial? What was it is said" she continued whe he had not said anything. She thought for a moment. "Oh, yes. "The man need to penetarte to woman and sill his seeds ino her woub" there there where all these coualse that made sure one couldn't interpeated it to mean any thing but sex."
He had been walking around the room, as she had been talking, and he had dleared at her at that last coment.
"Indeed," he had snarled, snd then had pciled up some bottels from the table where he had been stadning. "And they have even probided uss with aphordidicas in case we didn't want to jump at each other and shad like bunnies."
She had felt herself redden a bit a t that, bit redued to be put compleetly of balance.
"Well, I am deinitly not akeing any aphordiacs potion, One this is that I have ot do this, it is wuite anotuerh to have miced emotions about it later. You reooulce me and I don't think even a potion could make me forgett that."
He had snarled, his upper lip curinlign up to show his crooked yellow theeth.
"Well aren't you lucky that I feel exactly the same way, and I have abslutly no intetion to lust after you" Then he smirked and continued "I also happen to know that this partictiular opotion enhances the chanse of getting pregnagnt by quite a big procent."
"That's dreadfull" Hermione exlamied.
"How ever," he continued "you can get away with not being aroudes, I can not."
She eyed him supicsoulsy, not entierly sure what he mant bu that
"And since I am very defintly not turned on bu you" At this he paised a fration of a second to look her qucily up and down as to confirm what he had just said.
"No, defintly not." He walked over to a small bad he had been causing with him. After shorlty rummeging around he stood up again, He put some thing in he pockets, and then he turned around two potions bottels and two spoons in his hand. One od the bottles where the one from the atable. He face her the otherr one, and a spoon.
"Take three spoons full."
Hermione raised a eyebrow.
"Why on eather would you think that I would willingly drink anythign you offer me?"
"It's not poison" he snarled. "There would be abslutly no sence in killind you where we are looked up in a room togeather."
"I didn't say i thought it was a poison. I think it's more liklu that it is.." she faltered, she had no idead what it might be.
"Yes, that is was it is, a ... potion."
Hermione glared at him. She considered to demand him to tell her what it was, but what was the point. She had no idea if he would lie or not ceardully, whle keeping her eyes on him she drew her want and with it cast a charm that would reveal the ingreadiance of a liqid, Snape rolled hi eyes as a ghost green imagest floated in the ari infront of her
"You could only have ask you know."
"And trust that you would tell me the thruth? I think not."
"Now," she thought to herself "that is asphodel, and powered ashinder egg. Bloodputers puuss." There weren't a lot of them, and she tired to figure out what kind of potion could have been made from them, but all she could really stablich was that three didn't seem to be any ingredients labaled as cark, nor enough of the kind that where in aphoscisica potions.
"There is aprocimatly 61 difenrlt potions you can make with these ingredents depending on the tempratures, amount, order and stiring tecnike. The color of the potion is pale blue, the most common color for healing potions and narrows it down to 24 . Most of which are healing potions. You quite done with showing of?" The little speach had been delivered inthe exast smae ovoice that she remembered srom her potion lessons at school and the under lying digust he ovciously help for her was quite obvious.
"Fine," she said exasoareted and anoyed "would you please tell me what kind of potion this is and what it'll do to me?" her tone was sugary sweet.
"Well," he sneered back "Since you asked so very nicly. It is a contreaptio potion, with a twist."
She narrowed her eyes, still suspicous.
"What kind of twist?"
"It'll make your body produce your own feminin juices," He smirked as she rilised what he was saying and she could feel the blush creep over her cheeks but she lifted her head defiantly.
"I meant it when I said that I didn't want to take an apfrodisiac."
"It is not an aphordisica, it mearly sreates the physical efects of being sroused, whit out actually getting arouded."
"Why on earth did you decided to make a potion like that?"
"I don't think I need to explain myself to you." Was all he siad.
Hermione was tempted to refuse on pcincepal but logic too over. That would just be stupid. She knew it would hust a lot less if there where natrual juces down there and she defintly didn't want getting pregnat. She glared at him again.
"You are really going to regrett it if this is foinf to be anything else that what you have wasi."
With that she swallowed the potion in one gulp.
Hermione shighed and lent back against the cool tieles. As far as her experience wnet it had been acwardly horrible. They had both been carefully detached are both saying as little as poisble. She knew, intelectially, that it could have been a lot worse. She had had lectures about rapes in her Auror training, and then later, in small groups, more intamete discussions about the topic . She rememered being embarresd at the bluntness of the witch, and proufundly happy that they had split the up in "boy" and "girl" groups.
She sighed yet agian and looked at her watch. It was a quarterpast 4. Perhaps a bit early, but early enough to pfically be morning. She wanted a shower desparatly, but she couldn't relax enough to take one with her new husband in the next room. Her new husband, her new husband. It was still sureal, she was tin shock. Her new husband, Severus Snape.
Chapter Two
It was early, to early to lease, to early to do anything. Severus had preteneded to fall asleep after wars, and not long after, she had climed out of the bed and looked herslef in the bathroom. ((insert spell creating sleeping noises? Heaving breathing?)) He had felt a moometer stab of guilt but it passed. It wan't his fault, any of this, He wanted less than her to be married. He especially hadn't wanted to marry her. Naivly he had hoped tht he would be exluded from the lay, like a lot of criminals where. But he was inforemed that since he had been cleared of all charges, he was tenicaly not one, despit public opinion, and therefore under the law. He had gotten a shorter time to find someone however. The resoning as far as he had manage to understand it was that he was a flight risk. It had been stated in a letter so obscure that it had taken him three goes before managing to comprehend the main points. He had been givien one year, which he thought was laughable. He might have managed to manitpulate some muggel woman to marry him within that timeperiod, but he didn't actually want that. He didn't want to share his life with any one. Then the year was up, and it turned out that the minesty couldn't find anyone, because the law was so new any one else under it still had 4 years. And as the months went by and he didn't hear anything, he has deared to hope that mabe he would have 4 years more. Then he had fotten taht cured letter. They hadn't even told him who it was, just told him to turn up at the minestry on time. To put imildfly, je became wuite shocked to fin that he wife to be was non other then Hermione Grnager. He wondered what on eath was had done to get her marrige pushed up. He had taken som pleasure from the look on her face as she had understood why he was there as well. He smirked at the sealing as he reclaed it. It warmed hi heart that he still had the power to scare little miss know it all even when she was a full fledged Auror. And it was wonderfull to think that that was the efect he had on most of his former students, That was the only thing he really missed about teachering, Well, not entierly, From time to time there had been tryly brilliant students, who had a love for potions equal to his own, They hav been a joy to teach. But they have een few an d far between. And country to poular belifs Hermione Granger had no been one of them. She had a good memory, but memorizing book was not the same as true knowledge or true brillance. And now he was going to have to live with the twit. He was happy that there had been no indercourse clause in the marrigge law. They where placed under a fidelety chamr, so while the law could not force them to have sec with one anothyer, it could force them never to have sec with anyt one else. This, of course, was not idelal, nit Severis har liced sulibate for everal years, and even if he hand't been under the spell he wouldn't exactly have found a line of eager people waiting outside his door.
He rolled over and grabbed his wand from the night stand where he had left it . Whith it he had silently summond he pocket watch. It hsowed it was nearly four. He new that he wand't going to get any sleep, so he stood up and put on his outer robe. Just buttoning up the from, and not bothering with any thing else. Silently he walked over the floor and let himself out on the tiney balcony conected too the room. After closing the door without a sound, he pulled out a pacet of sigaretts from his oicet and lit one with the tio of his wand, Leaning fromwards on the railing he tooks a deep drag and felt the firl slirmmer of relaxsaiton as the tocins started to work their way through this body. It was a great view, he had to five the minesty that,Londond ly speard out before him, wtinkeling with artefiall muggle lights, He felt his leg hurt as as he shited to mught weight on it a dn windered, Int he final battel it had been broken in five places and despite Poppys best eforts one of the spells that had hit him had loffed it's seld in one of the fractueds and every one and then it hurt to much to bear his weight properly.
To disract himself from the pain, he pulled out a letter from his old potions master. His name was ((what ever)) He had moved back to prauge right after Severus had finished his aprenticeship. He had seen him one time after that, the summer of 1982, and they established a corresponadance after taht, Unfortunatkym whe the second war had started the correspoandance had been broken. After all the trials Severus has been suprised to recive a letter after all that time. It was short, cryptic and very unlike most of the other letters. Mostly it practicly begged him to come to prauge something had happend, but he refued to put it down on paper, Looking at it again did not make him more inclined to go, He felt i rahter pointless, without a proper reason, The alst letters before he ha dbeen fored to end their conection had been strange as wll, elusing to thing s that did not exsist, Severus ondered if the old mand had inadvertenly sniffed somerthing he shouldn't have, The sound of the door opening behind him made him quicly put the letter back in hi pocet. Typical, he thought, just as I was wenjoying my solitude. As his sigarett was finsihed he flicked it over the railings and drea a new one out of the packet and proceded lighing it.
"You know," said the anoying voice of Hermione Grange "smokeing is a filthy habbit,"
Severus chose not ot answer. That was to stupid a coment ot even agnowledge. He could sence her sniffing behind him,
"Well," she said, in a cilpped tome after a while.
