Disclaimer: JKR owns all. I am but a peasant in her kingdom of fancy.
While waiting in the Ministry Atrium for Shacklebolt's assistant to arrive, Severus spotted a head of curly brown hair making its way towards him. Of course.
"Good afternoon, Severus! What are you doing here, today?" She said with a genuine smile as if she were truly happy to see him. She was a bundle of Gryffindor gladness. He nearly grimaced while feeling a tiny bit flattered at her pleasure in seeing him.
"I am here for an appointment with the Minister. Shouldn't you still be at St. Mungos making lovebirds out of every citizen?" She rolled her eyes at that. It was an amusing look.
"Oh! No, the process is still going, but in a smaller laboratory on the 2nd floor here."
"I see." She seemed calmer and more collected than the last time he had seen her on the first week of trials. He supposed the approval of happy couples all over Britain had something to do with that. There were those who were angry or struggling of course, but that was to be expected. The Amortentia pairing concept saved wizarding Britain from what pandemonium it could have been if the law were enforced the old-fashioned way.
"And where is your assigned beau?" He wasn't sure why he asked. It's not as if he cared. He was merely curious. At least that's what he told himself. What he wasn't expecting was the look of solemn assignation that crossed her face.
"It seems that I am… unmatchable for the time being."
Severus had not foreseen that. She was intelligent, fine looking, and pleasant as far as he knew. She had been a nuisance as a child, but at just under thirty she had matured into a lovely mature woman. He wasn't blind, she was objectively attractive. Surely someone's ardent desires matched hers. Maybe she had a strange taste in men. Not that he cared. He realized she was staring at him in anticipation of some response. He didn't know how to reply to her confession so he changed tactics.
"Hmm..it appears as though Kinsley's assistant is preoccupied. Would you show me the way, Miss Gr – Hermione?" At this, her face brightened.
"Of course, Severus." She said happily. "Follow me."
Despite her instruction to follow, she walked with him side by side. After they entered the elevator, eight other people crammed their way in the small chamber. As the crowded elevator crawled up to the upper floors, a particular odor drifted into his nostrils. There it was again! He sensed the same smells as he did from the new Amortentia potion weeks ago, though far less potent. Could there be an element of his true desires in this stuffy elevator? He looked around at the dowdy middle-aged Ministry officials waiting impatiently and scoffed in his mind. They vacated the elevator a few at a time until he was alone in the elevator with Hermione Granger. And he still smelled the same fragrant notes.
No. Not possible. No no no, it cannot be.
Surely his imagination was playing tricks on his senses. Or he was having a stroke. Yes, something of the sort.
There must be another explanation. She can not possibly be the source of those alluring aromatics.
He had been going over the details in his head for weeks trying to identify the memories or experiences associated with the scents from the Amortentia potion. As a Master, he knew he brewed perfect renditions of the potion. The entire team was surrounded by the spiraling steam from the potions all week long, perhaps the smell had rubbed off on her? Even as he thought it, he knew better. His exhaustive experience with rare potions informed him that no such thing was feasible.
He knew the truth. As much as he wished he could deny it.
"Prof – Severus, are you alright? You look rather pale." She looked at him with concern.
"I am perfectly fine." He snapped at her, internally flustered. He angled his body away from hers hoping she wouldn't notice. Her close proximity to him was now unbearable.
"Well, alright then. I didn't mean to offend you, sir –"
"How far up does this bloody elevator go?" The doors of the elevator opened as if in answer to his question revealing Kinsley's assistant.
"Ah, Master Snape! I am sorry for the delay. Please, come with me."
"Good day, Granger." He blew past her without looking back. If he had, he would have seen her look utterly lost and confused.
The meeting proved short and simple. The Minister merely wanted to thank him for his assistance in the project and offered him a favor should Severus ever have need of his political or personal connections. Snape was mostly silent through the meeting, offering some muttered comments, but inside his mind raced over the last ten minutes of his interactions with her.
Hermione Granger of all women. The implication that she could be his desire was preposterous in the extreme. Even more preposterous was the incontestable "sign" he didn't really believe would materialize. There was no question. The sudden appearance of that blasted scent's source was the sign from fate he had arrogantly dared to ask for. The unknown origin of the smell had been tormenting him mentally for weeks. And now Fate reared its ugly head. Very well… he would keep his private pledge.
Severus would enter his name into the pairing.
What did he have to lose? He didn't have much hope for a positive outcome, but at least he might have a few decent dates with a bearable female companion. Maybe even a shag or two. What the hell, he was man enough to admit he was lonely. Though never aloud.
After promising to owl Kinsley with any requests, he rushed down to the 2nd floor and burst into the laboratory unannounced. Mercifully, there was only one pair of Legilimens and potioneer left for the day.
"Master Snape!" They both looked up from their work and stood at his sudden entrance.
"Did we have a meeting scheduled? I'm afraid most of the team has left for home already." The potioneer looked concerned and a bit intimidated at his unexpected arrival.
"No, I had a meeting upstairs and I thought –" This would be harder than he thought. He swallowed and pushed through. Act casual. "I thought I would offer my name to the program."
The potioneer's jaw hit the floor. If the Legilimens expert were not well-practiced in Occlumency, his face would have betrayed him further than his widened eyes. If Severus were in a humorous mood, he might have enjoyed their dumbfounded expressions. He was the first to recover and speak, "Y-yes, of course, sir. Would you like to do your trial today?"
"I trust you will both be discreet in this matter. Let's get on with it before I change my mind." The two collected themselves and reinvigorated the potion from its stasis spell. Snape closed his eyes to prepare himself and took a deep but cautious breath from the whorls of steam.
There was no longer any doubt. That fragrance was reminiscent of one peculiar witch and a myriad of vague memories. It smelled of the Gryffindor Know-It-All, brains of the Golden Trio, Head of the Amortentia Pairing Project, the beautiful and intelligent Hermione Granger. He was furious.
He was in deep trouble.
One week later, Hermione put her elbows onto her kitchen table and dropped her head into her hands. She reread the letter to make sure she wasn't hallucinating.
Dear Miss Hermione Granger,
We at the Specials Project Teams of the Ministry of Magic wish to congratulate you on a successful pairing based on personality questionnaires and Amortentia Compatibility Ratings! We apologize for the delay of your pairing. The Ministry holds high standards for the best chance of success for every couple. Therefore, the Arithmancy records must show a Compatibility Rating of 90% or higher. Your pairing succeeded with a 99.7% ACR! A new record for the program! Please be assured that all project records are kept private and confidential.
You are paired with the following candidate:
Severus Snape
Age: 48
Occupation: Potions Master and Business Owner of Sertain Solutions
Current Residing Location: Surrey
Availability: No other marriages or ACR matches higher that 90%
Please notify the Department should an engagement be made official. You have one month in which to marry, or notify us and we will pair you with your next highest match.
Sincerely,
Alyssa Elgar
Special Projects Team - Registrar
Ministry of Magic
Hermione stared blankly at the roses on her wallpaper for ten solid minutes. Her thoughts were fighting over each other for precedence. She was determined to sort through them. Primarily, she worried that there had been some mistake.
What could compel Severus Snape to submit himself to this situation? It's not as if he cares about public opinion enough to be pressured into it.
But what if it wasn't a mistake? The science had been sound. There was no reason to doubt that.
Hermione pondered for a moment, gauging her feelings….the emotion that bubbled to the surface was relief. First of all, she wouldn't have to live with a complete stranger, but rather someone she had known for over twenty years. She knew he was brilliant, successful, and talented. Her experiences with him following her schooling years were agreeable and sometimes even enjoyable. And if the compatibility records were accurate, then they should be able to have a gratifying relationship.
Hermione did not fear being in close quarters with the dark, brooding wizard. She saw past the persona he put on for public appearances, and she could see why their personalities matched. Her main fear was that their marriage would be business-like and formal. Could such a straight-laced man ever let himself open up to someone else? Especially to a former student and best friend of Harry Potter?
Oh Merlin, my friends are his nightmare. And what would Harry say about this? And Ron?
Hermione poured herself a glass of wine to calm her nerves. She had letters to write. The vintage writing desk in the corner of her flat was her favorite place to write correspondence. She felt like a character from a past century when she sat there. Settling into the faded chair cushion, she decided to write to him and see if he would meet.
Severus put down his book after realizing he had read the same paragraph ten times. It was no use, he could not focus on anything this week. After returning home from his meeting with the Minister, he berated himself for an hour over making such a drastic decision on so little evidence. What if he was paired with some dunderheaded chit who made his life a misery? Or heaven forbid, a Weasley relative! He knew Arthur had a myriad of cousins from the Potter wedding Minerva had forced him to attend. He had attempted to leave directly after the ceremony but not before he was accosted by red-headed nonsensical small talk. Severus shivered at the horrifying recollection.
Sod it all, he thought. What is done is done. I should not torture myself waiting for the results.
Easier said than done. There was little that could distract him from envisioning a parade of imaginary women coming to destroy his quiet lifestyle.
Hence, the frustrating evening spent switching from potions book to account ledgers and back. In fact, Severus was so tied in knots that he didn't see the large tawny owl fly past his kitchen window or the letter in the windowsill box until he went into the kitchen to help himself to a hearty pour of Ogden's finest. He picked it out of the box and ripped through the Ministry seal.
"About bloody time." He mumbled to himself.
Dear Master Severus Snape,
We at the Specials Project Teams of the Ministry of Magic wish to congratulate you on a successful pairing based on personality questionnaires and Amortentia Compatibility Ratings! The Ministry holds high standards for the best chance of success for every couple. Therefore ,the Arithmancy records must show a Compatibility Rating of 90% or higher. Your pairing succeeded with a 99.7% ACR! A new record for the program! Please be assured that all project records are kept private and confidential.
You are paired with the following candidate:
Hermione Granger
Age: 29
Occupation: Executive of Special Projects at the Ministry of Magic
Current Residing Location: London
Availability: No other marriages or ACR matches higher that 90%
Please notify the Department should an engagement be made official. You have one month in which to marry, or notify us and we will pair you with your next highest match.
Sincerely,
Alyssa Elgar
Special Projects Team - Registrar
Ministry of Magic
For a moment, his entire body slacked in relief. There would be no Weasley cousin, no stranger, no unknown danger to his temperament. Instead there would be a Granger. He pictured Hermione quietly reading a book by his fireplace with her feet draped over the arm of his velvet couch. The idea of this domestic bliss intrigued him. His moment of solace was brief, however, because he realized that if he just received a letter, then so had she. At this same moment she must be staring down at his damn alliterated name. He tried to imagine the shock on her features. Perhaps even disgust or terror. He was not a well-liked man by the majority of those in his acquaintance. He had even been her dreaded dungeon-dwelling potions professor for many years. Should he write to her? Or wait to hear from her first? Forthright actions weren't exactly his strong suit. So, he would wait it out. The worst was over. Now he knew for sure. As part of the trials, he knew that a rating of 99.7% was superlative. It was reassuring to know that on that note he had been correct. The scent was about her. Even now, the mere thought of it sent waves of desire through him. Not merely a physical desire, but a psychological yearning to belong in the presence of one who could bring the peace and affection represented by the fragrance. If only…