Guest: You're right, the Minister wouldn't be able to interview absolutely everyone, but he does do some of the interviews, and Remy's was one of them. Thank you for the review.

Notwritten: Thank you. I hope you enjoy this new chapter. Thank you for the review.

A/N: I would like to thank everyone who has favourited Bending Spoons so far, but I would absolutely love to know what you think. Please feel free to leave a review, the door is always open.

ooOoo

All our secrets are smothered in dirt, underneath paving stones, lying waiting to be told. Some stay hidden, whilst some get found, like a long lost soul, like a skull beneath the ground. Backyard skulls, deep beneath the ground, all those backyard skulls, not deep enough to never be found.

Backyard Skulls- Frightened Rabbit

ooOoo

Once she'd shouted herself hoarse, she took a deep breath, turned the car around, and decided it was probably best to drive back home. Yes, home was a good idea.

Being at home meant the opportunity to show her Mum and Nan the letter outlining a Blood Status hearing and a Marriage Law in a world they knew nothing about. How could she explain it without letting her emotions get the best of her?

Ah well, best to just grit her teeth and do it. Her Mum and Nan were rational women, surely they would understand. They might even offer advice…

Sure, if they didn't think she was crazy for agreeing to it in the first place.

Turning back into the driveway, she put the car in park and sat staring at the garage door, willing herself to open the door and go back in the house. The letter was sitting at the bottom of her bag under her Standard Book of Spells textbook. She'd have to rummage through her bag to actually find it, but perhaps that would buy her more time.

"Alright, stop being such an idiot. Get up." She scolded herself, turning off the ignition, locking the car doors and walking back to the front door.

"Is that you, Remy?" her mum called from the kitchen. "I've got the kettle on if you need."

"Yes Mum, I do need. Although I may need something stronger by the time we're done."

"What was that?"

"Nothing. Cup of tea sounds lovely, Mum!" she called. "I'll be right down. I need something from upstairs."

Charging up the stairs, she ripped out her schoolbag and dug through the mess to find the letter, and came back downstairs to find both her Mum and Nan sitting at the kitchen table, hands wrapped around mugs of steaming tea and biscuits laid out on the table.

"You sounded distressed, honey. What's troubling you?"

"Oh," she managed as she sat down at the table with the letter in her hands. "Um… I don't even know where to start."

"At the beginning, where most stories start," Laura offered.

"Thanks Nan," Remy swallowed. "Well, you know how Professor McGonagall came to talk to you about Hogwarts when I was eleven? Explaining all about magic and how I was a witch and how Hogwarts would help me control all those outbursts I'd been having?"

"Yes…"

"Well, just last year, there was a huge war all over Britain. All those murders and bridges collapsing… that wasn't worn out suspensions and carbon monoxide. It was absolutely nasty."

Both women were remarkably stoic. In truth, it was a little unnerving. She had just told them that she and millions of other had been at war for over a year, yet they said nothing. Strange.

"It was the Darkest wizard in over a century, called Voldemort. He came back, and this time he was obsessed with living forever. I don't know all the details, but finally, after about a year and a half, Harry Potter and his friends found a way to kill him. Since I was older and trapped at the school, I started finding ways to get the younger children to safety. Millions of people lost their lives. The toll wasn't so bad here because he hadn't really developed a taste for Muggles, that's non- Magic people, yet, but it was terribly close."

"But if it's all over like you've just told us, why are you so close to tears, dear?" Sophie reached across the table and took her daughter's hand. "What's happened?"

"Um…" she cleared her throat. "Because of the massive loss of life, the Minister for Magic, he's similar to your Prime Minister, is really paranoid. He's enacted this marriage law, and I have to marry by the time I'm eighteen."

Sophie's eyes went wide.

"Excuse me?"

"I have to…"

"I heard you the first time, honey," she assured her. "That's barbaric! No person knows their mind well enough at eighteen to marry anyone."

"I don't like it either, Mum, but I also don't like the alternative."

"What's the alternative?"

"Surrendering my wand," she answered. "I don't want to do that. Everything I know has to do with magic. I could, in theory, live just fine as a Muggle, but I don't want to. I've worked really hard, and I don't want to throw it away because I broke the law."

Sophie narrowed her eyes. "Would it really be so bad to live without magic, Remy? Are you absolutely sure you're prepared to give up the life you could have had to marry?"

"Well no, not yet," she admitted. "I have three choices as to who I might marry, so that's something, I guess."

"Three? Why would they give you three choices? Why not just match you with someone and have done with it if they're so desperate?"

"To give the illusion of control to the people involved," Remy muttered, laying the parchment on the table for easy access.

"Then who are your choices?" Sophie asked, picking up the parchment.

Remy took a sip of her tea. "Look on the second page."

Sophie did so, flipping it from front to back in order to see if it would reveal anything else. "Severus Snape… Michael Corner… Neville Longbottom… Remy, have you talked to any of these people?"

"Yes, I did. Only one of them, though," she might as well be honest about it, she just wouldn't say which one. She was sure her mother could make a logical deduction.

"Who did you approach about this? And didn't you say Severus Snape was one of your teachers?"

"Yes…"

"Good Lord, it's like that Police song," Sophie couldn't hide her contempt. "First you tell me the new Magical Prime Minister has enacted a marriage law and now they want to match you with someone so much older… You're underage, Remy. They can't force you to marry, and marry your teacher at that!"

"Remember, this is at Hogwarts, and in the wizarding world. Once you turn seventeen, you're of age, and if you remember, I turned seventeen in October."

"I know when your birthday is, honey," Sophie reached over and once again took her daughter's hand. "Still, isn't this a bit much? Even if he is your first choice, why do they want you paired with Professor Snape so badly?"

"It's not as though I'm jumping into his bed, Mum," Remy couldn't stop herself. "Professor Snape was the first person willing to help me when I first found out about it. Anyway, there's nothing between us. The only thing we agreed on was that we would try to form a sort of friendship."

"Marriage is based on a lot more than just friendship."

"But it's one of the building blocks, isn't it?" Remy ran a hand down her face in frustration. "I don't care about age, Mum. Professor Snape is brilliant. He's a war hero, even if he won't take any recognition for it. For God's sake, he's stuck, just as I am. According to the law, he has to marry, same as I do. I thought perhaps he and I could help each other."

"Ramona," Laura chose that precise moment to speak. "While that's all well and good, wanting to help someone… sweetheart, you're only seventeen."

"Nan, please," Remy took another sip of her tea. "I'm trying to be rational about this. Do you really not think I'm absolutely terrified? Do you not think that I would rather wait; to be sure I loved someone before I married the person and spent the rest of my life with them? It's not so simple as to say no."

The two women were shocked into silence.

"I'm… I'm sorry," Remy choked out. "I'm going to go out for a walk…" she raced to the front door, pulling her jacket off a chair from the dining room and fled.

ooOoo

Zipping up her jacket as she walked, she made her way through the neighbourhood to the park where she had spent hours upon hours swinging and running about as a young girl, making up imaginary stories and climbing trees, keeping herself occupied. The swing set was still there, though it was considerably older and rustier than what she remembered. Still, it was there, and that was enough.

Walking over and sitting down, she rocked back and forth on her heels, digging into her pocket to find a forgotten pair of gloves. Pulling them on, she blew on her hands for warmth, pondering her decision to tell her mother and grandmother about her predicament. Perhaps it had been too early, especially when she hadn't had a chance to speak to Professor Snape about it. After all, they were both pieces of this very confusing puzzle, and they hadn't even spoken to each other at length!

The sound of boots crunching through the snow toward her caught her attention. Looking up, she saw none other than Severus Snape walking toward the swing set.

"Miss Coltrane," he greeted her.

"Hello Professor," she brought her hand up to shield her eyes against the glare of the sun bouncing off the snow. "Enjoying the sun?"

"Tolerating it would be more appropriate," he answered.

"That was an incredibly stupid question then, I'm sorry sir," she brought her hand down and looked away.

An uncomfortable silence swelled between them.

"I didn't even know you lived in Cokeworth, sir," she blurted, forcing her eyes back toward him.

"Spinner's End," he confirmed, crossing his arms over his jacket.

She gripped the chains on the swing to keep herself upright. "So it was you I saw the other day!"

"I beg your pardon?" his eyes narrowed in confusion.

"I want out for a drive the other day. I've got my Muggle driving license so I took the car out to practice and…" she paused to breathe. "There's an empty swing if you're interested, sir."

He accepted.

"Anyway, I was driving and I turned onto the street and I saw you walking down the sidewalk. Spooked me so much I nearly drove off the road," she shivered just thinking about the effect only seeing him had had on her. "I was so convinced that you wouldn't have been back from Hogwarts yet that I thought I was seeing things…"

He waited.

"May I ask what you are still doing in Cokeworth if you were only drving through, Miss Coltrane?"

"Oh I wasn't driving through. I live here," she answered, continuing to rock back and forth on her heels. "Two streets over, with my mother and grandmother."

"I see," he nodded. "Then I suppose it's a quiet Christmas break."

"We all deserve it after last year," she muttered. "I'm sorry for what happened to you."

"Why should you apologize, Miss Coltrane?" he responded, resisting the urge to bring a hand up to his neck, where the scar from the snake bite was safely covered from prying eyes. "It was my choice to do as I did."

"Perhaps, but no one deserves to be treated as a pawn."

"Would you not say that is what the Ministry is doing with our current situation?"

"That's precisely it," Remy reached into her pocket and pulled out the dark green handkerchief, twisting it in her hand. "I told my mother about the marriage law."

"And what was her response?" he kept his voice steady.

"She thinks the entire thing is ridiculous," Remy untwisted the handkerchief and folded it again, merely for something to do in order to overcome her nerves. "Although I can't say I blame her."

"I agree entirely," he answered. "We've already established that the entire thing is farcical."

"But she doesn't understand why we agreed to do it. Even with my explanation, she unfortunately still jumped to the wrong conclusion."

"Perhaps that's better," he stood and waited.

"You want her to think you're a pervert?" Remy asked.

"Pardon?"

"She thinks you have inappropriate designs on me," she explained, again shielding her eyes from the sun's glare. "Something about the age difference."

"I see," he offered her his hand. "Walk with me, Miss Coltrane."

She took his offer and stood up, a little bolt of electricity shooting through her hand.

She cleared her throat and let go, settling in to a comfortable walk as they walked together in silence for the first few minutes.

"I can understand why she might be worried," he finally spoke. "It's a twenty year difference, Miss Coltrane, and that's worrying for any parent."

"I don't care about the age difference, Professor," Remy insisted. "If experience has taught me anything, it's that one can have friends of any age and still have plenty to talk about. Besides, isn't that what we agreed on, that we would at least try to be friends?"

"Yes indeed," he nodded. "However, I find it strange that you do not have reservations beyond the fact that your mother is so worried."

"Oh I have plenty, I'm just very good at hiding them," Remy insisted. "I'm sure you have some as well, but neither of us are willing to share quite yet."

He said nothing.

"I think she's also worried because I'm an only child," Remy continued, sticking her hand in her jacket pocket, making sure she hadn't left anything behind in the park. "Oh…" she gasped in surprise, finding a few coins that she'd sworn wasn't there before. "Surprise money! That's always nice to find."

He smirked.

"I believe you said your father passed away when you were very young, isn't that correct?" he asked her, changing the subject, his hands clasped behind his back.

"Yes," she answered, replacing the coins and shoving her hands deeper into her pockets. "My grandmother moved in with us to help just after."

"May I ask why your mother never remarried?"

Remy shrugged. "There was one love in her life, I suppose."

ooOoo

Severus could certainly understand that notion. After all, his own father had been an abusive, drunken lout, but his mother had loved the man. How much of that love had slowly turned into obligation as they had no means of escape, he would never know. And Severus himself had loved Lily Evans since childhood, living only to protect her son after her death.

That being said, he no longer loved her as fiercely as he once had. In September, barely five months after the Battle of Hogwarts, Severus had made the decision to return, if only to postpone retirement and the boredom that would surely come with it. Lily's son Harry now had his own life, and was safe, thus releasing Severus of any further obligation and promise toward him and his family.

"I can understand the notion," he finally answered her. "Do you know anything about your father at all?"

"Some," she nodded. "I have pictures, and my Mum and Nan have told me stories about him and what he did and what he was like, but it isn't the same as having him there, you know?"

"Yes I do," he answered her.

"But I don't know anything different," the young woman answered him, reaching for her handkerchief he had seen in her hand earlier. They turned the corner back onto Spinner's End. "How can I miss the man if I never had him around in the first place?"

"I suppose," he agreed as they walked past his front door. "Miss Coltrane, you do realize that we do not have to marry immediately. We still have a year to decide what our best course of action would be."

Her eyes went wide. "Until I'm eighteen, correct?" She turned away and sneezed.

"Bless you."

"Oh, thank you," she dabbed at her nose with the handkerchief. "Excuse me, sir, I hadn't expected that." They continued walking together as she gathered her composure. "Do you have something in mind?"

"Not as yet," he admitted as they went around the bend, passing the stream and one of the old factories that stood dormant, and had done for many years.

"Could I make a suggestion?" they crossed over the bridge that formed the beginning of the path back to her own street.

"By all means."

"Well," she paused and drew breath. "When we're not at Hogwarts, and speaking one and one, could we perhaps call each other by our first names?"

It wasn't long before they reached her driveway. She stopped and leaned against the car's bonnet, crossing her arms over her chest.

"That seems reasonable," he stood in front of her. "I'm not going to assume you do not know how to pronounce my first name."

"It's pronounced Severus, is it not?" she asked in confirmation. "I never thought it was that difficult, even if I'd only ever seen it written in newspapers and articles."

"Yes you're correct," Severus turned and leaned against the car beside her. "I must say, I'm quite impressed with your pragmatic approach to this law, Ramona."

She shuddered.

"You dislike your name?"

"No, it's just that I've always preferred my nickname. I only use Ramona on legal documentation and at school to avoid confusion."

"Then what name would you prefer?"

"Remy," she told him. "Apparently I had trouble saying Ramona when I was young, so one day I said my name was Remy and it stuck."

"It seems simple enough," he agreed, still not completely comfortable with the arrangement they currently had, but he could not deny they had made some progress in their so called relationship outside of the school. He stood up straight and once again, silence fell between them.

"Severus," she stood up to follow him before he turned to go back home. "I'd like to thank you."

"Whatever for?" he asked.

"This talk we've had," she explained. "As surprised as I was to see you, I'm glad I did. Thank you."

Severus nodded, moving his hair out of his face.

"Happy Christmas, Ramona."

She didn't bother to correct him.

"Happy Christmas, Severus."

She waited against the car as he continued walking, and smiled as she went up the front steps and back into the house.