Disclaimer: I still haven't figured out a way to claim ownership of the Harry Potter characters.

Author's Note: Special thanks to my lone reviewer, Rhyanna - glad you liked the opening chapter. And no, I never did the Harry Potter roleplay, "snickerdoodles" was just the first Dumbledore-like password that came to my mind when writing it. To all my other readers - please review, I love to get feedback, it's truly helpful and motivating. And on with the story!

Chapter 2 - The Impossible Decision

"WHAT!" Hermione was now beyond the point of tears, but fully assured that vomiting would be an event in her near future. "How can those two be the ones that petitioned for me at the same time? Why me? Malfoy and Snape hate me, they'll never agree to this."

"Miss Granger, although I believe your assumptions of hatred, at least towards the latter of the two gentlemen, are untrue, you must remember that neither Draco nor Severus selected you as their wife. It is the patriarch of the family who selects a wife for his pureblood son, and was therefore Lucius Malfoy and Curtius Snape that petitioned for you," Dumbledore answered calmly, although she could see concern reflecting in his eyes.

"But Lucius Malfoy definitely hates me! And Snape's father doesn't even know me! Malfoy thinks I'm a mudblood, a filthy muggle-born. Why on earth would he want me as a daughter-in-law?" she spat, cringing at the thought of being either man's daughter-in-law.

"Lucius Malfoy wants somebody to carry on the family name. The point, I'm sure you realize Hermione, of this preposterous law is to produce magical offspring, and Malfoy is horrified at the idea that the family name and honor may not be carried on should Draco and a pureblood wife be unable to conceive a child. I'm sure thought was present in Snape's father's mind when he petitioned for you as well."

"But why would they want me?" Hermione asked, tears now freely falling down her face. "I'm not pretty, have talents for nothing except schoolwork...I just don't understand."

"Your intellect proves you attractive to both men, I am sure. You are brilliant Hermione, and it is to be assumed that your cleverness will be transferred to any child you bring into this world. That, my dear, is why they want you above any other young witch in this school."

"I wish I wasn't then, all its caused me at this point is trouble. And you truly need a decision from me by the time I leave this room? Never in a million years will I be ready to decide between the two men I dislike so much."

"I'm sorry I have to require it from you this evening, I understand how hard of a decision it must be to make. But think it through my dear, there must be one that you dislike less than the other."

Flashbacks went through Hermione's mind. She thought of Draco's cold sneer every time he saw her or any of her friends. All of the times he had called her a "mudblood", his attitude towards Gryffindors in general, and allegiance towards Voldemort. Surely if she married him, her body might live but her soul would perish the moment she said "I do". He would mistreat her, using her only for his own pleasure and purposes, and the moment an heir was born, she would be abandoned, never truly loved by him. While legally being called a wife, she knew what she would truly be - his whore. And she refused to allow herself to become that, at all costs. But could she ever marry Snape? He wasn't a Deatheater, but that didn't mean he was the nicest of men, either. For years he had been cruel to her, unfairly taking points from Gryffindor, assigning her detention...a particular occasion during her 4th year stuck out in her mind. Draco had hexed her, making her front teeth grow bigger and bigger until they were digging into her skin. Rather than punishing the offender and coming to her aid, that bastard Snape had simply claimed "I see no difference" and coldly turned his back. How could she ever be expected to live with him?

"Have you reached any conclusion as of yet, Miss Granger?" Dumbledore inquired softly.

"I cannot marry Draco," she said simply, unwilling to complete the thought by saying her final decision.

"And so you have decided that you will accept Snape's petition?"

"I suppose I have no choice," she answered coldly.

"Hermione - I know that this must be difficult. It is hard for me to even have to watch you attempt to make this decision, and it isn't right for someone like you to have to go through this. But please be comforted by the fact that I believe you are making a good choice. I know your experience with Severus has not been a pleasurable one, and I myself still do not understand his need for cruelty towards his students. However, to make this marriage work you have to learn to see behind the mask that he creates for those he does not care to associate with. He is a good man, Hermione. He would never dream of abusing or hurting you, he will treat you well. Although there is a substantial age difference between the two of you, your maturity and intellect are great enough to close the gap that divides you. And so I ask you, if this be your final decision, to please sign this petition. Once you have signed it, it will immediately be transferred into wizarding record, and you and Severus will marry within a fortnight."

"Okay," was the only answer Hermione could mutter, her whole body shaking too much to say anything more. Picking up the quill, she made a distinct, if wobbly, signature on the line indicated. Gold light shined out immediately after the letters were written, and signified that the magical contract was complete. "Is that all I need to do, Sir?"

"Yes. You may go to dinner Miss Granger. But later tonight, I will summon you by owl to my office, where you will discuss arrangements with Severus."

"Excellent. I will be looking forward to it," she replied, her voice dripping with sarcasm. "And by the way, does Severus know of his petition at all?"

"Not yet...I'm afraid that is my next headache. Dumbledore sighed as Hermione left his office, shutting the door a bit too calmly to be believed.

Severus's reply to the news was similar to Hermione's. "WHAT!" he exploded the moment Dumbledore came forth with the news. "You have got to be more insane than I ever believed possible if you truly think that I am going to be stuck with that insufferable know-it-all goody-goody from now until death do us part!"

"I'm afraid, Severus, that you don't have a choice. Your father sent in the petition, and for you there is no way out. Believe me, she is no more thrilled at the prospect of marriage than you are."

"I could kill my father! Is there nobody else she could marry? No loophole that could get her out of my life?"

"There is, in fact. Hermione was stuck in the rare occasion in which two fathers petitioned for her to marry their sons at the exact same time. She got to choose between the two prospects."

"And I am truly to believe that she chose me? I've known the girl for 6 years, and I have acquired enough knowledge of her personality to learn that marrying me is not in her character."

"The two men she had to choose from were you and Draco Malfoy. Now do you understand her decision?"

"Oh." Severus was silent for a moment. Although he was by no means thrilled at the idea of being bound to her for all eternity, could he truly send her into the lustful grasp of Malfoy? A Deatheater with no visible good inside his heart, that boy would rape her and beat her until she either conformed to his definition of what a wife could be (impossible of the Hermione Granger he knew), or he would kill her. What Dumbledore said was true. He had no choice but to marry Hermione.