Sleep was impossible that night. Hermione didn't bother getting into bed, knowing that she would just toss and turn. Her whole life had practically crumbled around her and the best solution her usually brilliant headmaster could come up with was "Marry Snape".

What rubbish!

It killed Hermione to know that Dumbledore expected her to do this for the sake of the order, and it also killed her that she was going to go through it, for the sake of the order.

If only she didn't love magic so much. She could return to her muggle parents and become a dentist. And look at people's teeth. Every day. All day long. For the rest of her life. No one would have to know that she knew a spell that would remove a cavity painlessly, or that she could brew a potion that would eliminate bad breath for up to 72 hours a dose. And given time, her magical abilities would probably disappear and she could just be normal. But, how could she go about being normal when she knew deep down that she was born to be special? And so, she gave up whatever notion she had to return to the muggle world, even if it meant she had to make some sacrifices.

Hermione chided herself for her lack of compassion. Snape was going to sacrifice as much as she was, maybe even more.

He was to have his life invaded by one of his most annoying little Gryffyndor students, and he wasn't even able to rid himself of her once the war was over. Wizarding marriages were for life. Sometimes even longer. Wizards lived extraordinarily long lives! Why, Dumbledore was 150, at least! Hermione couldn't imagine spending over 100 years with her surly potions professor. It would end in murder!

Hermione spent the rest of her last night as a single girl contemplating the number of fatal potions that her future husband could slip into her tea.

Severus Snape knew that trying to sleep that night would be futile. He would just toss and turn thinking of the next day's wedding to his annoying little Gryffindor student. Though, truth be told, it wasn't Miss Granger he was angry at.

Albus Dumbledore could take a flying leap off the Astronomy tower. Meddling old bastard! If it wasn't for that damned wizarding oath, he would tell his boss where to shove it. His requests had gotten so ridiculous lately that even the thought of his beloved Lily Evans wasn't enough to stop him from resenting the old man.

And how in Hell was he going to keep his spying secret from Miss Granger, and keep Miss Granger a secret from the Dark Lord? One false move and he could blow his cover and all of the work he had done over the years would have been for nothing.

Besides the obvious danger that the situation posed, there was the matter of the wedding night, and the three nights a week until she was with child. He was supposed to bed one of his seventeen year old students and try to produce a child with someone young enough to be his child. Bloody brilliant! As if he didn't attract enough stares in the halls, now the entire student body would think he was just an old pervert. And Merlin only knows what the students would say to his poor child-bride. She would have to experience what he had been through as an unpopular adolescent, and he could not wish that upon anyone. Severus didn't know who to feel sorrier for… Miss Granger or himself.