(GASPS!!) Oh n0es!!! Whatever will she do? What will Snape do? How will what she does affect him? You'll have to read on to find out.
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Ran was back in her office, holding the piece of parchment and tracing the ministry seal with her finger. She couldn't believe it. Severus Snape wanted to marry her. To tell the truth, she didn't like the marriage law much; she wasn't the marrying type. She wanted to travel before she even thought of marriage and children. She also knew that whatever Snape had up his sleeve, it had something to do with those creeps that called themselves Death eaters. Or maybe he was trying to save her from them? For she had read a disturbing headline in the Daily Prophet the previous day. The Ministry was beginning to give the muggle-borns away to the first witches or wizards that asked for them. They were having their choices ripped from them.
Whatever his intentions were, she thought she needed time to think about it. She was muggle born, whatever her family stock came from, and she wasn't exempt from this idiotic law.
She folded up the letter and stuck it in her desk to ponder over later and headed out to her classroom to prepare for her class tomorrow.
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The next day brought a veritable flood of similar petitions, and another Ministry letter ith a shock so horrid that she dumped her goblet of Pumpkin juice and her mouth fell, all the blood draining from her face.
"Good heavens, child, whatever's the matter?" said McGonagall from her right.
She thrust the letter at their Headmistress, who read it aloud to those around her.
"Dear Miss Halliwell, due to the new law, we are delighted to inform you of your new fiance, a mr. Lucius Malfoy. We expect you here at the Ministry no later than this wednesday, sincerely, Roary Buckley."
But she wasn't listening. She knew of Mr. Malfoy by reputation and knew for a fact he was a death eater. There was nothing for it. She had touched a foot into the waters of the unknown pertaining to this new law; now she felt she must swallow her pride and take the plunge.
She got up in the middle of breakfast, walked behind the staff at their meals and cornered the Defense teacher, who was eating scrambled eggs with a peckish appetite.
She grabbed his wrist and forced him to stand up. A few of the students watching stared but she didn't care.
Her face masked in what she hoped was an earnest expression, she said, "I accept."
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"I shall go with you to the Ministry this Wednesday, if you wish it, Ranikara. I have no qualms about meeting Lucius face to face," he repeated once again.
It was after classes and it had been with a leaden stomach and writhing insides that he had passed through the day. After how she had "accepted" that morning, his insides had been writhing all day. He wasn't sure if it was nerves or if it was just the fact that he was about to be married off to some woman in a matter of weeks because of some stupid new law.
"I'm sorry, Severus, I really am. I like you, but I thought I would have time to think things through, and then they started forcing us to marry first come first serve and I panicked," she tried apologizing again, but Severus merely smiled and settled both hands on her shoulders.
"I understand," he said, yet again.
Actually, the only thing he heard her say was "I like you", but he wasn't going to tell her that.
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That Wednesday, Severus decided to Apparate with her to the Ministry, as she had no idea where it was located. They appeared right in the entrance hall and they both headed over to the security desk to present their wands and get their badges.
"Silver Fur and Chimaera hair, 13 inches, in use ... 15 years?" said the man behind said desk, frowning slightly, then looking up at her young face. She took her wand back.
"I got it when I was 5," she said crossly, and Severus took his own wand back.
He led her into one of the golden-grilled lifts and they stood there among the very few shifty looking witches also there for what Snape could only assume had to do with the new law.
When they finally approached their appointment with the man who keopt writing the letters, it was to find Lucius Malfoy already there. He saw Ran and smield coldly. He saw who was with her and glared.
"No," he muttered under his breath.
"Miss Halliwell, pleased to meet you, my name is Roary Buckler and I am in charge of the Marriage Law Department, I-" began the timid looking red-haired man, but Snape held up a hand for silence.
"I believe I petitioned for Miss Halliwells's hand in marriage a full day in advance of Mr. Malfoy, Mr. Buckler," he said coldly, making sure to give Lucius the coldest look he could. At this, he was surprised to feel her put her arms around his free left arm, positively clutching it as a nervous date does at a dance. His confidence boosted and he stod a little straighter, daring the small, timid looking man to contradict him.
"I... well, that is to say, er... if you could give me the proof document, than I should of course be happy to... yes..." stammered the man, and Snape pulled said document out of the front of Ran's robes; it had been ticking out the whole time and he didnt have to grope. She didn't blush.
He handed it to him and stood there, his arm in hers, Lucius Malfoy looking positively livid at being thwarted. If looks could kill, he would have covered the entire Ministry in frost.
Roary Buckler unfurled it, his eyes scanning it once, twice, three times, then lowered it and cleared his throat nervously.
"I'm very sorry, Mr. Malfoy, but it seems he did petition for her the very day we enacted your idea of the forced hand law. I'm afraid I will have to grant them permission, and her name shall be stricken from the list of availables," said Mr. Buckler, and indeed, on the list of names behind his desk, another name was magically crossed off. Snape felt her hands squeeze on his arm and he took her hand in reassurance. Somehow, it felt...right. Not unfamiliar, not out of place at all. Like it was to be.
"Here you are, Mr. Snape, Miss Halliwell, and I hope you are happy," he said timidly, as if he knew that this law wasn't making anyone happy at all. He handed Snape a small square of parchment bordered in fancy calligraphic designs. It was a very hastiily done marriage license and had the hurried look of a magical copy of several thousand others.
"Thank you, Mr. Buckler," he said haltingly, sounding every bit as cold and evil as he did i n his potions classes. He turned to Lucius Malfoy and found himself face to face already.
"This isn't over, Snape," he hissed venemously.
"I thought it had just ended, Mr. Malfoy. Good day," said Ran clearly and firmly, glaring at him with wide eyes and she took a firmer grip on Snape's arm and Apparated them both back to Hogsmeade.
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