Severus paced the narrow space between his coffee table and the hearth.

While his home had been updated significantly, it had not increased in size and old habits die hard. For Snape it was the comfort that came from watching his strides over the barren hardwood floors. The slight clicking of his boots worked to comfort his nerves. He glanced longingly towards the place where he had once kept copious amounts of liquor. No longer would he drown his sorrows or worries. The healer had told him that alcohol would just exacerbate his stammer so he had weaned himself off of it. Not that he didn't casually imbibe from time to time, but no longer was it a means of forgetting the world because no matter how drunk he got, the world would always be there when he awoke.

The entire day had been one oddity after another; it was a surreal feeling that he wasn't really awake. The encounter with Hermione Granger had completely rattled him, for one. The intimate way she had touched him, the way she'd spoken to him had left him wondering where the once knobby kneed buck tooth student he once had was. She was a vision of confidence and womanhood.

He shook his head from the inappropriate thoughts that threatened to take over his mind. There was no reason she would notice a man like him. He was not worthy of anything but disgust. He chanced a look in the small ornate mirror that hung over the brick hearth and saw nothing of value. He was unworthy of notice, he had been found wanting. The words of his father came back to haunt him. Even before his birth he had been a mistake. Life made sure to remind him of this daily. His hair hung limply, thin and greasy with further inspection showed some streaks of grey. His eyes were as dark and listless as they'd ever been and his nose was much too large for his gaunt face. His face was pale and his lips too thin. In all honesty, he looked like a walking dementor. Even the mirror knew better than to disagree with his assessment and remained quiet on the front.

There, sitting on the center coffee table was the file from the Minister. A looming reminder of the day's surreal events, it held either a new life or a curse. He was uncertain at the moment and unsure of how to proceed. What he had imagined would be a routine update of his work had turned into something completely different. Severus's hands still trembled a bit and he imagined that he would not soon get over the shock of the Minister's request. What were more daunting were the conditions and participants in the elaborate plan. Having momentarily decided he decided to return to work and ignore the file. He descended into his lab to work off the days' events.

Later on that evening…

"Bloody hell!"

After the fifth ruined batch of Pepper Up potion he decided against working. His chopping was affected, his timing was off, and there was no helping the jittery feeling he was having. Not even as a first year student had he made so many mistakes. As a child he had helped his mother prepare ingredients and never had he been this careless. Vanishing away the remains of the ingredients, he wiped his hands on his black work apron and made his way back upstairs.

There again the file awaited his return. Like some sort of sentinel keeping watch. The smooth material of the envelope called to him but he wished to avoid it as long as possible. The decision would change his life and he was reluctant to even take another step towards the table.

The Ministry wanted changes and it seemed every time they planned something big, Severus found himself reluctantly thrown into the fray. This time it was an initiative to encourage Ministry approved marriages. It wasn't a Marriage Law per se as they were not forcing witches and wizards to marry, just enticing them towards a program of ministry approved couplings.

The war bought with it many changes and some of those were the dwindling numbers of new marriages and subsequent births. Everyone seemed to revel in the fact that they had managed to survive the war and wanted to make the most of every moment alive, therefore instead of settling down, many decided to live the old fashioned way-in sin.

Severus on the other hand had not had the opportunity. He was recovering for months in the Intensive Care department at Saint Mungo's and another six months in Saint Mary's Home for the Magically Mangled. The potions needed to save his life drained a lot of his magic and with many trying to kill him he needed to be cared for by the Ministry almost around the clock.

Once he was well he was given the accolades he'd always desired but it seemed for him almost an afterthought, after the joy of having his life free of any masters. The stammer and nervousness had become commonplace after Nagini's attack and he feared he would never get rid of them. He had even seen a muggle psychologist and found that nothing could help him.

He sat at his sofa and leaned forward, his elbows on his knees as one long finger traced the edges of the envelope. In there, were the list of Ministry approved candidates for this project. His fate was sealed on within those papers. He, Severus Snape, had been chosen as the ideal candidate for the Ministry marriage initiative.

Kingsley had known that Severus had not been completely forgiven by the public. Theirs was an old, set-in-their-ways culture. Many still believed the salacious reports of the Prophet and labeled him a traitor and a murderer. It didn't matter that he had been pardoned, there were those that would sooner spit on him than speak to him. Dumbledore had been beloved by many and his demise at the end of Severus Snape's wand would not soon be forgiven or forgotten.

Severus thought back to his conversation with Kingsley earlier that day.

"It isn't g-g-going to work K-K-Kingsley. I am sure that there are m-m-more suitable c-c-candidates."

"Don't be ridiculous, of course it will work. Who better to show unity and change than you? It will be a coupe and hopefully end all negative public sentiment. Think about it Severus, you will be the face of the new wizarding world, you and your partner will escort in a new era of change."

"D-d-don't be so d-d-dramatic…"

Kingsley waived him off and offered him another cup of tea; the man always had a smile on his face when dealing with Severus. It seemed he knew something Severus didn't, and Severus didn't like being in the dark.

Taking a seat again in his lush leather chair Kingsley took a long sip from his tea cup. Severus noted how comical the dainty cup looked in the man's large hands. He also watched for any tell-tale signs that Kingsley was being deceitful. When he saw nothing he relaxed slightly into the dark green wingback chair in front of the minister's desk and took a drink from his cup.

"You will be incredibly pleased with the candidates we have chosen," Kingsley said as he put his cup down. "Each one has been vetted and matched using Arithmanticcalculations based on interests, school house, and other compatibility factors. I am sure that any one of them would make an excellent match Severus, have a look." The dark man motioned to the envelope on his desk.

"Severus, we both know things have never really been good for you. After the war there was a lot of talk about whether you should be sent to Azkaban along with the remaining death eaters. It took a lot of Malfoy's money to grease the wheels."

Severus meant to say something but Kingsley held up a hand to stop him.

"We both know what your role in the war was Severus. I know you are a good man, unfortunately, you know how people are, especially in our world. There was a lot of outcry and Malfoy set a lot of people at ease. He is a good friend to you and owes you his life. He has become a friend and confident to me as well. He has turned a leaf in these last few years. Seems the fear of losing his family set him on the straight and narrow. He was instrumental in the research to get this program passed. It was his suggestion as well as mine that you be one of the first to participate."

"M-M-Malfoy said w-w-what?"

"You have been chosen to be a sort of poster child for the new program Severus. You will be paired with someone with an equal 'celebrity status', per se."

"N-n-no", he said horrified at the prospect of the marriage yolk.

"Severus, there is really no other way around it. Your reputation is in tatters, you have been a hermit for the better part of the last five years. The Ministry is offering you a once in a lifetime opportunity, a very lucrative one."

The program itself would help those that participate, find suitable partners. In exchange for their participation, the ministry would provide a home and a monthly stipend. For Severus and whatever poor unfortunate soul he was matched with, it would mean public appearances on behalf of the Ministry program as well as outings to show that they were in fact a legitimate couple. The two would also need to cohabitate for a few hours a day, time that would be recorded by the Ministry. This information would all go towards furthering the legitimacy of the program to the public. At first Severus had vehemently refused. However another stipulation that Kingsley had underlined specifically for him definitely made the idea more palatable.

The stipulations were simple. He could patent any potion and receive returns without Ministry intervention; he had carte blanch. This had been something that had held Severus back in his research. A small smile crept onto his face.

"I knew you would appreciate that. No more begging for approval or permission, you could work unregulated. We trust you Severus and want the public to trust you as well. Can you imagine what that could mean to your business?"

Severus knew that he could be wealthy in a matter of months if he could patent some of the potions he had developed in secret. He would finally be able to make something of himself. His hands immediately began trembling; the attention would be too much. Dropping the parchments to the floor he stood back from the chair, tumbling over in a heap of dark robes.

"Dear Merlin, are you okay man?" Kingsley asked as he helped Severus to his feet. Severus nodded and attempted to straighten his robes and glasses.

Kingsley put his hand on Severus shoulder and squeezed softly. "It will be okay Severus, the war is over. It is your time to be happy. It can be scary, but I know that this will be a good thing for you."

"C-c-can't," he hissed.

"Severus, please give it some thought. There is one candidate that specifically asked to be tested for compatibility to you." Kingsley cajoled him.

Severus' eyes widened. Someone would purposely pick him? That had to be a mistake. He shook his head. It couldn't be. He was nobody. Nobody wanted him. They didn't want him when he was a bastard, unworthy of love, of even a kind word. They definitely wouldn't want him now. He had been reduced to a bumbling mess of nerves and anxieties. Severus imagined it would be someone like Trelawney. She had been a right mess since making that prophecy so many years ago. Severus knew not everyone had made it out of these wars intact. Sure they were alive, but at what cost? He remembered multiple times he pulled the seer from the edge of the astronomy tower. To many the nightmares came during the waking hours as well.

There was no reason for him to go through this. That was however until Kingsley had mentioned that one possible candidate.

"Miss Hermione Granger asked to be tested as a possible candidate for you. As a matter of fact she was here earlier today filling out the required documents."

It would seem impossible, but Severus looked even paler at hearing the name of his former student. Kingsley watched with rapt attention at the scene before him. Severus fingered the envelope in his hand but didn't move to open it. He sat in silence for a few moments and Kingsley discretely followed the cues from Dumbledore. He needed to let Severus soak in the information at his own leisure; he would not yield to pressure. By the state of Severus' nerves, he looked close enough to falling part.

"You s-s-say M-M-Miss G-G-Granger volunteered?"

"Yes, she did Severus. Under the condition we only test her compatibility with you, as it turns out her compatibility with you is nearly perfect. Look for yourself," Kingsley motioned towards the envelope.

The envelope became somewhat heavier in Severus' hands. He couldn't look, couldn't see what the ministry had in store for him, it was all happening too soon, too fast.

"You do however have a choice Severus, no pressure, review the candidates and choose the one that best suits you. Once you have chosen you will find included therein the means by which to contact them. We do ask however if you wish to participate you let us know before this Friday because if not we will move on to our second choice for the program spokesperson."

"W-w-who would that b-be?"
"Gilderoy Lockheart," Kingsley smiled. He knew that this would rattle Snape a bit. The man had been a ponce clown that never rubbed Severus the right way.

At the sound of the ministry's second choice Snape scoffed. Shaking his head he pocked the envelope, shook Kingsley's hand and left the office.

Severus now sat holding the envelope in his hand, running one long finger under the clasp he felt the ministry magical seal open. Spreading the parchments on the center table he saw what candidates had been chosen and what their scores had been.

Firstly, there was Sybil Trelawney. His compatibility with her was a mere 45%. There were commonalities in that they had both been teachers and that they liked to read and drink, other than that, there was nothing else. Setting aside the smiling picture of his former co-worker he saw the second candidate, Milicent Bulstrode. His former student was a 65% match in compatibility. They both preferred solitude and enjoyed private research. One fact that they both shared 100% compatibility was that they both preferred women. Severus shook his head. He wondered what they had offered the Slytherin girl in exchange for her agreeing to being tested. Lastly, he saw the smiling image of Hermione Granger. Her smoky eyes looked up from beneath thick lashes; a riot of curls framed her small face as she demurely smiled at the camera. It wasn't a fake smile but one aimed at luring in the viewer. Severus watched the image look down and up and smile repeatedly. For a few moments he sat mesmerized at the woman she had become. Fearing he would get lost in his thoughts he turned the image over to review the statistics. Miss Granger had almost 100% compatibility in all factors. She enjoyed reading, researching as well as travel, and she valued her privacy. These were all points that were very important to Severus. It seemed that the Ministry had made these calculations based on magical Arithimancy which was why none of the candidates had needed to fill anything out. They merely needed to consent to the testing.

He remembered reading of Miss Granger's accomplishments in the paper. He was very impressed with what she had been able to do in their world as a Muggleborn witch in such a short time. He wondered what her agenda was in this instance. He could see no good reason for her to agree to this, the girl had her entire life in front of her. Maybe this was some ill-conceived notion to try and save him or maybe as a way to further her career. For whatever reason, these numbers could not lie. Hermione Granger was a near perfect match to him. His stomach did a bit of a flip flop remembering their encounter that morning at the ministry. The way she'd looked at him, the confidence with which she had touched him.

"Could it be possible?" he wondered aloud, gazing at the papers, but unseeing.