A/N: This story is completely AU. Please don't expect something light and fluffy, this is not a love story but something full of angst.

I hope you enjoy it.

"MARRIAGE LAW TO TAKE IMEDIATE EFFECT. PROTESTORS ARRESTED OUTSIDE MINISTRY OF MAGIC".

"Today the Minister of Magic, Rufus Scrimgeour introduced the highly controversial Marriage Law. In a statement read earlier today he defended his decision to bring in a law that forces unmarried witches and wizards to be wed. He described a worldwide crisis that needed to be urgently addressed, speaking from his home in West London the minister told reporters "It is every witch and wizards duty to repopulate our dying breed, if we do not act now then the evil He Who Must Not Be Named committed, can never be undone." Fears have spread through the wizarding community that people will be forced against their will to marry whoever the ministry deems appropriate. Scrimgeour mocked these fears stating "The decision will be kept open for a period of two years, if a witch or wizard has be unable to find a suitable partner then one will be assigned to them". Protestors flocked to the Ministry of Magic to try and stop the law being railroaded into parliament, their attempts however were fruitless when the minister himself announced that the law had come into immediate effect. The wizarding world is now in uproar at the prospect of forced marriage. The Daily Prophet interviewed one witch, Emelda Jacobs (45), who talked of her horror of the new law being passed into parliament, "I have two lovely daughters, one nineteen and the other about to turn eighteen, because of this ridiculous idea I'm going to lose them both to strangers, it's evil what this man is doing!". Of course the Marriage Law only applies to wizards when they reach the age of eighteen and is disapplied to those who are aged 50 and over. For more turn to page 7."

I breathe out a deep sigh, throwing the newspaper on the floor.

What utter trash.

I cannot deny that my heart is beating hard in my chest, in a few days I myself will be turning eighteen and then what?

I won't get to finish my education.

I'll be forced to be someone's pretty little housewife.

To be seen and not heard no doubt.

I swallow the lump in my throat, and close my eyes.

I mentally count to seven whilst breathing in, and then exhale for eleven seconds trying to calm myself down.

Opening my eyes, I look about the room of the burrow I'm sharing with my friends Hermione Granger and Ginny Weasley.

It's all right for them I can't help but think bitterly.

You see Hermione and Ginny are younger than me and both are in love with people that truly care about them.

And me?

I was forced to repeat my first year due to my mother dying as I couldn't cope with being at Hogwarts.

Well that's what I got told, I know I must sound pretty heartless but I did not care for her.

She was evil.

There is no way about it, my father died when I was three and they were both Death Eaters I swear it.

She would always talk about how I was such a disappointment to her because I was sorted into Gryffindor and not Slytherin like her and my father.

I got beaten once for letting slip that I was friends with Harry Potter. Oh how she loved that one, one day during the Christmas holidays I told her about Harry, Hermione and Ron Weasley. She looked at me with such coldness in her eyes then she got up and slapped me three times hard around the face, one for being friends with a "blood traitor", one for being friends with a "mudblood" and the final slap for being friends with the "little bastard who destroyed our dark lord and saviour". She proceeded to lock me in my room, taking my wand off me and starving me for the remainder of the holidays. I remember screaming at first, then I became so weak from hunger, I thought she would never let me go back to Hogwarts.

However she did, and three weeks later I found out that she was dying.

Now as I said I was deemed unable to cope with my studies, but it wasn't the thought of her dying it was the thought of me being truly alone with no-one to look after me.

I was discharged from Hogwarts to spend the last bit of time she had left on this earth.

When she died, Molly and Arthur Weasley agreed to take me in.

I couldn't believe such kindness, I had only met them briefly on Platform Nine and 3/4 but it turns out Professor Dumbledore had told them about my situation and they had heard lots about me from Ron, so they felt obliged to take me in and give me a home.

For that I am truly grateful.

I wasn't allowed back at Hogwarts as the staff thought I had missed too much stuff to come back near the end of the year, so it was deemed that I would repeat my first year.

Yeah as you could imagine I was kicking and screaming about that one.

I'm sure you're thinking hang on, how is Harry, Ron and Hermione younger than me if we were to be in the same year?

Ha.

Don't get me started on that one and my bitch of a mother.

You see it wasn't the first time I got held back a year.

My darling mother didn't want me to go to Hogwarts because she would never allow me to be taught by "a muggle loving fool".

She thought she could teach me herself

Force her cold and sick views on me.

She wrote to Dumbledore telling him that I would not be attending Hogwarts and that I had a place elsewhere.

I cried so much the day she told me I wouldn't be stepping one foot in that castle whilst he was headmaster.

I begged and pleaded which just earnt me pain and suffering.

However I was in luck as one amazing morning in late October, there was a knock on the door.

Turns out the education authority found out about her plans to suppress my education.

My mother fought hard to keep me at home, even considering to move to France so I could attend Beauxbatons Academy of Magic, but alas she couldn't afford to just up sticks and move, and the following September, after her being threatened with me being removed from her care, I found myself on the train to Hogwart's where I met the greatest friends I had ever had.

"Lorelei" I hear Molly Weasley call me from downstairs

I take one last look at the newspaper on the floor, ignoring the knot in my stomach and head downstairs.

Going into the kitchen, I find Albus Dumbledore, Severus Snape and Remus Lupin sat round the oak table.

Dumbledore looks at me when I enter the room and gives me a smile.

"Hello Professor" I greet him.

Ignoring Snape, I turn to Lupin and smile "Professor Lupin".

Lupin raises his hands at me, smiling "How many times Lorelei?" He shakes his head laughing slightly "I'm no longer your Professor, just call me Remus".

Out of the corner of my eye, I see Snape roll his eyes.

I carry on ignoring Snape and catch Molly looking at me biting her lip.

"What's going on?" The smile falls off my face

"Professor Dumbledore wanted a word with you" Molly mumble's, no longer looking at me.

I feel my stomach drop

Oh god.

She brings over a cup of tea for Dumbledore

"Are you sure you didn't want anything to drink Remus dear?" Molly is ignoring Snape too I see.

Despite my fear of what is to come, I find myself smirking.

Lupin assures Molly that he is fine and thanks her for her kindness.

She rushes out of the room closing the door behind her, Snape is looking about the room with a sneer on his face.

Merlin how I hate that man.

"Please sit Lorelei" Dumbledore gestures to the chair, which is unfortunately opposite Snape.

I don't want to cause a fuss in front of them so I begrudgingly take the seat.

I notice that Snape is purposefully not looking at me.

Good.

Dumbledore clears his throat and peers over his half moon spectacles at me.

"Now Lorelei, I'm sure you know all about the current predicament that the ministry is in".

I bite my lip

"The Marriage Law you mean?"

I hear Snape snort and I clench my fists shooting him a glare.

Dumbledore ignores Snapes interruption and continues the conversation.

"You see it has come to my attention that you turn eighteen in two days time, and you then become eligible to be married".

My stomach drops for the second time.

All I can do is nod.

"Now I know getting married whilst you're in the midst of you magical education is not convenient ther-"

"WAIT" I suddenly interrupt, finding my voice "Is there nothing you can do Professor? Because I still have two years left of my education I can't be expected to drop out and never graduate!"

I look straight into Dumbledore's face, pleading with him.

He gives me a small smile

"Alas Lorelei, I tried to reason with the minister but he was proving quite for the better word, difficult about it".

I feel as if someone as just knocked all the air out of me.

I look at Snape expecting to see a smirk on his pale lips but find that he is looking quite fixedly on something behind me.

"However" I avert my eyes back to Dumbledore, my spirits raising slightly in anticipation "I have arranged for you to marry someone who will be quite suitable to you and will allow you to remain at Hogwarts safe and sound".

I blink, not knowing how I feel about the prospect of being married but at the same time being allowed to go back to Hogwarts.

Then it all clicks into place.

I turn to Lupin

A half smile forming on my lips, a small tingle of butterflies erupt in my stomach.

I know it's not a perfect match but Professor Lupin is a lovely person.

Sure I don't love him but if I had to be forced to marry someone, I would happily chose him.

Who knows, maybe I could grow to love him?

My stomach flips at the thought of marrying my Professor.

Well technically my ex Professor as he no longer teaches.

I blink again and then my stomach drops as I see Lupin looking at me sadly and I take notice of Dumbledore talking.

"I know it's not convenient for either of you but I'm confident Professor Snape will make a suitable husband".

I feel faint

What the fuck did he just say?

Snape?

"That greasy haired git?" I clamp my hand over my mouth, that was definitely not meant to slip out

"You see Albus she is nothing but a child" Snape spits, still refusing to look at me.

I cross my arms in indignation at being called a child.

Dumbledore can't be serious?

How can he expect me to marry him?

I feel the tears well up in my eyes

"Now whil-" Dumbledore begins, but I can't hear anymore of this.

I stand up, wide eyed and look at Snape who is now starring at me wearing a look of pure disgust.

"Excuse me" I manage to stammer before running out of the room, the tears spilling down my cheeks.

How could I be so stupid to think I was marrying Lupin?

I run up the stairs and lock myself into the bathroom.

Oh fuck. Oh fuck. Oh fuck.

I can't do this.

I think about the prospect of spending the rest of my life with a man I hate.

Bile rises in my throat, and before I can stop myself I throw up in the toilet.

I kneel over the bowl, crying into my arm.

How could I ever love him?

My mind drifts back to a potions class I had in my third year.

I accidently added the wrong ingredient to my potion, causing the potion to explode all over my desk.

Snape came over to me, told me I was an insufferable dimwit whose mother should have been allowed to keep me away from Hogwarts, as then he wouldn't have had to suffer my presence five times a week. I remember the whole class laughing and he just stood there, one eyebrow raised, daring me to respond. I couldn't help myself, before I knew what I was doing I had drawn my wand, which he just smirked at before ordering me out of his class, giving me a month's detention.

I raise my head.

There is no way I can marry this man.

I wipe my tears away with the sleeve of my arm.

Maybe there is a way out of this?

My mind suddenly clears

I don't want to die but maybe death would be a sweeter escape than the hell that is planned for me.

I take out my wand and stare at it.

Tears starting to fall down my face again.

"Lorelei" I hear Lupin's voice call through the door.

I sit there staring at my wand, ignoring his voice.

Could I do it?

Could I actually end my life?

You never know, marrying Snape might not be that bad

The voice in the back of my head is right of course, but I still stare at my wand, the temptation great.

"Are you okay?" Lupin's voice comes through the door again

I sigh and put away my wand.

I could always divorce him right?

I feel a small twinge of happiness, yes that's what I could do.

Naive about the fact that marriage in the wizarding world is magically binding and the only "divorce" possible is death, I unlock the door and peer at Lupin's concerned face.

"I'm so sorry Lorelei, I tried to convince Dumbledore that I would take your hand, but he thought you would be safer with Severus as he is a teacher at Hogwarts and I alas am a werewolf, we can't risk you getting hurt".

I smile sadly at Lupin.

I'm sure marrying a werewolf would be less hurtful than marrying the monster that is Snape.

"It's ok" I mummer and look down at my feet.

Lupin rubs my arm in a comforting way, and tells me that Snape and Dumbledore have gone for now but will be back in a few days to discuss my impending doom.

How many more days of freedom have I got left I can't help but wonder.

"You alright Lore?" I look up and see Ron standing on the landing watching us.

I feel the tears rush back to my eyes

The feeling of dread swoops through me once more, now I have to tell everyone about the fact that I'm going to become Mrs Snape.

I shake my head at Ron "I need to speak to you guys" is all I can say before the tears flood down my cheeks.