Disclaimer: J.K. Rowling is the genius who came up with these characters,
not me!
Author's Note: Many, many thanks to all my wonderful reviewers - you guys are the best! Keep them coming, please!
Chapter 4 - Apprehensions
Minerva McGonagall knew who was knocking on her door before she even opened it. Moments earlier, Dumbledore had appeared in her fireplace to inform her of the events taking place between Severus and Hermione. "It is my belief that Severus will send her to you in hopes that you will aid her with wedding preparations, as he clearly wants nothing to do with the whole occasion, and surely not the minute details involved. And neither party was overly pleased with the event...I believe Hermione will be distraught, and comfort from you may be exactly what she needs," he had said. Being the head of Gryffindor, Minerva had always felt somewhat maternal towards her students, and a growing desire to protect Hermione was growing around her heart as she heard of the disastrous effects the Marriage Law was having on her life. She was so intelligent, definitely a promising young witch who had so much of her life ahead of her to live, and was truly capable of changing the world with her brilliance. It was truly a shame to think of her being locked away inside a house, a wife and mother before she even reached her twentieth birthday. But given her options, Minerva was positive Hermione had made the right choice. There was no way out of the impending marriage, and the clutches of Draco Malfoy, and, most importantly, his father, would prove to be an unbearable life for her. Although Severus was by no means an extroverted and charming man, he would at least respect her dignity, which is more than she could say for the former of the two gentlemen. Opening the door, she smiled grimly as she let a trembling Hermione into her rooms.
The moment she was inside Professor McGonagall's rooms, Hermione burst into tears, enormous wracking sobs finally being allowed to come out as she let go of all her pent-up emotions. Rather than try and talk to her and console her, Minerva simply came over to Hermione and gently wrapped her in her arms, allowing her a shoulder to cry on. When what seemed like hours had passed, Hermione finally stopped crying, blowing her nose and wiping her eyes with the handkerchief Professor McGonagall had handed her. "What am I going to do?" she asked softly. "I don't know how to talk to him, how to work with him, let alone how to live with him...I don't know how to be a wife, I'm not ready to get married or...have children," she shuddered, nearly choking at the thought of being intimate with Snape.
"I know, Hermione, I know. Believe me, if there was anything I could do to make this disgusting law is repealed, I would, but it is entirely beyond my power. But I can help you get ready for your wedding, I can be your confidant when you need somebody to talk to, and I can assure you of this - you will be alright, Hermione. I can't promise you'll be happy, I can't promise you'll be loved by your husband, but I can promise that you will survive, day to day. That your strong will, your intelligence, and your spirit will not be broken...I actually believe that Severus sees them as some of your greatest assets. Although it may not appear so, he does respect you for your consistent cleverness and enthusiasm. It is my belief that he is a kind man deep down, Hermione, but over the years he has built up a resistance to emotion - he has a very painful existence here, and I have to think that maybe some social interaction with you might be very good for him."
"I hope you're right," Hermione answered with a sigh. "I had so many plans for my life, and it's like I'm desperately trying to clutch to them, to keep them from falling away altogether. But now...it seems impossible."
"I think we all understand that, it's why it's so heartbreaking to see this law put into action. But I think you have a chance at accomplishing your dreams still. My suggestion is this: you and Severus both need to enter this marriage with a blank slate, without former judgments and opinions which may have tainted your opinions toward one another," said Minerva gently. Seeing Hermione's indignant expression, she added "I know it will be difficult at first to forget all the disagreements you've previously had, and trust me, child, I'm not blaming you for many of them. But if you can get past your former prejudices, the two of you might end up enjoying each others' company. And in the meantime, you know that I will always be here for you, dear." Minerva squeezed Hermione, hugging her tightly, and then stepped back to take a look at her tearstained face. "Now, we have many things to do before the wedding, which Dumbledore informed me is to be next Wednesday. Since today is Friday, that leaves us only 5 days. I take it you wish to go home and discuss this arrangement with your parents?"
"Yes. But I don't think it would be necessary for this visit to be a long one - it's bound to be uncomfortable enough as it is."
"Alright, then. Here's what I would recommend you do. Tell Harry and Ron about your situation as soon as possible - they are your best friends, Hermione, and they have a right to know your predicament. The two of them are already worried enough as it is. I will have Dumbledore inform the three of your parents that you will not be traveling on the Hogwarts Express this afternoon due to unfinished business, and you may use the floo network to travel home later this afternoon. Tonight, I would just spend some time with your parents - you've been gone all year and I'm sure you have many other things to discuss...I would not even bring up this marriage law. Spend the night there, and then tomorrow afternoon I would tell them about your marriage to Severus. Perhaps later tomorrow Severus can come over and you can introduce them - I know it will not be a happy meeting for you, Severus, or your family, but it is something that simply must be done. Afterwards, you can either stay with your parents another night, or come back to Hogwarts with Severus. Monday and Tuesday I will help you make wedding arrangements - we will find you suitable attire and attend to the ring, your living arrangements, and other such matters. Wednesday evening the two of you will marry. And then we'll take it from there, alright?
"That sounds alright. I'm not looking forward to this meeting with my parents, but I don't want them to completely be shut out of my life forever. I guess this is something I have to do then."
"I know, Hermione, that if you were my child, I would want to know, no matter what man you were being forced to marry."
At 5 o'clock sharp that evening, Hermione found herself on the doorstep of the house that used to be her home. It had been many years since she'd even considered that place to be anything more than where her parents lived - Hogwarts was now her home, she didn't know where she'd be without it. Butterflies fluttered through her stomach as she warily stared at the door, her mind fighting with itself whether or not to go in and face the inevitable truth or apparate back to right outside the Hogwarts grounds. Or run and hide in a place farther than even that idiot Fudge could imagine and escape the upcoming marriage. Knowing that the middle option was wrong and the latter near impossible, Hermione opened the door, bracing herself for what was to come.
"Hermione!" Her mother stood up immediately from where she was sitting and flew to her, quickly wrapping her into a tight hug. "How are you? How was your year? Did you get top marks again? Do you have any plans for this summer? Why didn't you come home on the train with everyone else?" Although usually Hermione found her mother's inescapable twenty questions amusing, they now seemed overbearing and she felt claustrophobic.
"I'm fine Mum. I'll tell you about everything else in a minute. Hi Dad," Hermione said softly as her dad came over and also wrapped her up in his arms. Sitting down on the couch, she proceeded to tell them about the year and all its excitement, skipping over the most recent news, and explaining that her absence on the train was due to "unfinished business". It was amazing, how easily she could lie to her parents, when just a few years before they could easily read her face and emotions to detect untruthfulness. Luckily, her mother's chit-chat kept the entire family constantly conversing through dinner, and no silences compelled Hermione to dispel the truth of her visit.
After dinner, Hermione retired early, pretending to be exhausted from her final exams and from traveling, although she knew her mind was far from sleep. Around half-past midnight, when she was just about to finally doze off, a loud knock on her window startled her, and she was unsurprised to find an owl there waiting for her...not even in her parents' house could she hide from the wizarding world. She was, however, astonished at the owl's beauty - it was definitely no ordinary barn owl, and its dark eyes had a certain power in it that she didn't see in most other pets. Upon opening the letter, Hermione immediately recognized Snape's handwriting.
"Hermione, I have had your family's fireplace temporarily connected to the floo network, please meet me there at 1'clock am - we need to discuss a few things.
Severus
Sighing, she put on her dressing gown and brushed her hair, so that she looked somewhat put together for her future husband, even is she would have to live with in later, in various states of undress. Pushing that thought out of her mind, she quietly descended the stairs so as not to wake her parents.
Promptly at the hour, Severus' face became illuminated in the fireplace. "Hermione, first I want to apologize for my behavior last time I saw you...I'm sure it comes as no shock to you that this arrangement has caused me a considerable amount of unwanted stress, but it was wrong of me to be cruel. That very well may be the only apology I've ever made to a student, so please cherish it as treasured words from an antisocial man. At any rate, Minerva has informed me of your plans for the next few days, and I also have news of our living arrangements. Have you told your parents about our engagement yet?"
"You are forgiven for your behavior early, and I also apologize for my own, I know it was less than polite," Hermione said stiffly. "And no, my parents do not know yet. Professor McGonagall and I both thought it was better if they weren't informed until tomorrow - or later today, I guess. I intend to tell them tomorrow afternoon."
"And were you desiring my attendance at this little meeting? Minerva told me it was an option, but I received no word from you before you left."
"I think it would be good for my parents to meet you, but if you are uncomfortable with coming tomorrow, I would understand."
"I will come if you want to me to. I know that this is probably important to both you and your parents...although I'm sure they won't be any more pleased once they've met me."
"Probably not, but at least then they'll know who I'm marrying, you won't be a stranger. I plan on telling them after lunch, it's a Sunday, so neither of them will be working. If you could come over at about 3, then they could meet you and we could hopefully be out of her before dinner time. I don't plan on spending any more time here than I absolutely have to."
"Alright, I'll be there at 3." With those parting words, Severus disappeared with a quick pop, and Hermione returned to bed. Tossing and turning all night, she dreaded the coming of the next day.
Author's Note: Many, many thanks to all my wonderful reviewers - you guys are the best! Keep them coming, please!
Chapter 4 - Apprehensions
Minerva McGonagall knew who was knocking on her door before she even opened it. Moments earlier, Dumbledore had appeared in her fireplace to inform her of the events taking place between Severus and Hermione. "It is my belief that Severus will send her to you in hopes that you will aid her with wedding preparations, as he clearly wants nothing to do with the whole occasion, and surely not the minute details involved. And neither party was overly pleased with the event...I believe Hermione will be distraught, and comfort from you may be exactly what she needs," he had said. Being the head of Gryffindor, Minerva had always felt somewhat maternal towards her students, and a growing desire to protect Hermione was growing around her heart as she heard of the disastrous effects the Marriage Law was having on her life. She was so intelligent, definitely a promising young witch who had so much of her life ahead of her to live, and was truly capable of changing the world with her brilliance. It was truly a shame to think of her being locked away inside a house, a wife and mother before she even reached her twentieth birthday. But given her options, Minerva was positive Hermione had made the right choice. There was no way out of the impending marriage, and the clutches of Draco Malfoy, and, most importantly, his father, would prove to be an unbearable life for her. Although Severus was by no means an extroverted and charming man, he would at least respect her dignity, which is more than she could say for the former of the two gentlemen. Opening the door, she smiled grimly as she let a trembling Hermione into her rooms.
The moment she was inside Professor McGonagall's rooms, Hermione burst into tears, enormous wracking sobs finally being allowed to come out as she let go of all her pent-up emotions. Rather than try and talk to her and console her, Minerva simply came over to Hermione and gently wrapped her in her arms, allowing her a shoulder to cry on. When what seemed like hours had passed, Hermione finally stopped crying, blowing her nose and wiping her eyes with the handkerchief Professor McGonagall had handed her. "What am I going to do?" she asked softly. "I don't know how to talk to him, how to work with him, let alone how to live with him...I don't know how to be a wife, I'm not ready to get married or...have children," she shuddered, nearly choking at the thought of being intimate with Snape.
"I know, Hermione, I know. Believe me, if there was anything I could do to make this disgusting law is repealed, I would, but it is entirely beyond my power. But I can help you get ready for your wedding, I can be your confidant when you need somebody to talk to, and I can assure you of this - you will be alright, Hermione. I can't promise you'll be happy, I can't promise you'll be loved by your husband, but I can promise that you will survive, day to day. That your strong will, your intelligence, and your spirit will not be broken...I actually believe that Severus sees them as some of your greatest assets. Although it may not appear so, he does respect you for your consistent cleverness and enthusiasm. It is my belief that he is a kind man deep down, Hermione, but over the years he has built up a resistance to emotion - he has a very painful existence here, and I have to think that maybe some social interaction with you might be very good for him."
"I hope you're right," Hermione answered with a sigh. "I had so many plans for my life, and it's like I'm desperately trying to clutch to them, to keep them from falling away altogether. But now...it seems impossible."
"I think we all understand that, it's why it's so heartbreaking to see this law put into action. But I think you have a chance at accomplishing your dreams still. My suggestion is this: you and Severus both need to enter this marriage with a blank slate, without former judgments and opinions which may have tainted your opinions toward one another," said Minerva gently. Seeing Hermione's indignant expression, she added "I know it will be difficult at first to forget all the disagreements you've previously had, and trust me, child, I'm not blaming you for many of them. But if you can get past your former prejudices, the two of you might end up enjoying each others' company. And in the meantime, you know that I will always be here for you, dear." Minerva squeezed Hermione, hugging her tightly, and then stepped back to take a look at her tearstained face. "Now, we have many things to do before the wedding, which Dumbledore informed me is to be next Wednesday. Since today is Friday, that leaves us only 5 days. I take it you wish to go home and discuss this arrangement with your parents?"
"Yes. But I don't think it would be necessary for this visit to be a long one - it's bound to be uncomfortable enough as it is."
"Alright, then. Here's what I would recommend you do. Tell Harry and Ron about your situation as soon as possible - they are your best friends, Hermione, and they have a right to know your predicament. The two of them are already worried enough as it is. I will have Dumbledore inform the three of your parents that you will not be traveling on the Hogwarts Express this afternoon due to unfinished business, and you may use the floo network to travel home later this afternoon. Tonight, I would just spend some time with your parents - you've been gone all year and I'm sure you have many other things to discuss...I would not even bring up this marriage law. Spend the night there, and then tomorrow afternoon I would tell them about your marriage to Severus. Perhaps later tomorrow Severus can come over and you can introduce them - I know it will not be a happy meeting for you, Severus, or your family, but it is something that simply must be done. Afterwards, you can either stay with your parents another night, or come back to Hogwarts with Severus. Monday and Tuesday I will help you make wedding arrangements - we will find you suitable attire and attend to the ring, your living arrangements, and other such matters. Wednesday evening the two of you will marry. And then we'll take it from there, alright?
"That sounds alright. I'm not looking forward to this meeting with my parents, but I don't want them to completely be shut out of my life forever. I guess this is something I have to do then."
"I know, Hermione, that if you were my child, I would want to know, no matter what man you were being forced to marry."
At 5 o'clock sharp that evening, Hermione found herself on the doorstep of the house that used to be her home. It had been many years since she'd even considered that place to be anything more than where her parents lived - Hogwarts was now her home, she didn't know where she'd be without it. Butterflies fluttered through her stomach as she warily stared at the door, her mind fighting with itself whether or not to go in and face the inevitable truth or apparate back to right outside the Hogwarts grounds. Or run and hide in a place farther than even that idiot Fudge could imagine and escape the upcoming marriage. Knowing that the middle option was wrong and the latter near impossible, Hermione opened the door, bracing herself for what was to come.
"Hermione!" Her mother stood up immediately from where she was sitting and flew to her, quickly wrapping her into a tight hug. "How are you? How was your year? Did you get top marks again? Do you have any plans for this summer? Why didn't you come home on the train with everyone else?" Although usually Hermione found her mother's inescapable twenty questions amusing, they now seemed overbearing and she felt claustrophobic.
"I'm fine Mum. I'll tell you about everything else in a minute. Hi Dad," Hermione said softly as her dad came over and also wrapped her up in his arms. Sitting down on the couch, she proceeded to tell them about the year and all its excitement, skipping over the most recent news, and explaining that her absence on the train was due to "unfinished business". It was amazing, how easily she could lie to her parents, when just a few years before they could easily read her face and emotions to detect untruthfulness. Luckily, her mother's chit-chat kept the entire family constantly conversing through dinner, and no silences compelled Hermione to dispel the truth of her visit.
After dinner, Hermione retired early, pretending to be exhausted from her final exams and from traveling, although she knew her mind was far from sleep. Around half-past midnight, when she was just about to finally doze off, a loud knock on her window startled her, and she was unsurprised to find an owl there waiting for her...not even in her parents' house could she hide from the wizarding world. She was, however, astonished at the owl's beauty - it was definitely no ordinary barn owl, and its dark eyes had a certain power in it that she didn't see in most other pets. Upon opening the letter, Hermione immediately recognized Snape's handwriting.
"Hermione, I have had your family's fireplace temporarily connected to the floo network, please meet me there at 1'clock am - we need to discuss a few things.
Severus
Sighing, she put on her dressing gown and brushed her hair, so that she looked somewhat put together for her future husband, even is she would have to live with in later, in various states of undress. Pushing that thought out of her mind, she quietly descended the stairs so as not to wake her parents.
Promptly at the hour, Severus' face became illuminated in the fireplace. "Hermione, first I want to apologize for my behavior last time I saw you...I'm sure it comes as no shock to you that this arrangement has caused me a considerable amount of unwanted stress, but it was wrong of me to be cruel. That very well may be the only apology I've ever made to a student, so please cherish it as treasured words from an antisocial man. At any rate, Minerva has informed me of your plans for the next few days, and I also have news of our living arrangements. Have you told your parents about our engagement yet?"
"You are forgiven for your behavior early, and I also apologize for my own, I know it was less than polite," Hermione said stiffly. "And no, my parents do not know yet. Professor McGonagall and I both thought it was better if they weren't informed until tomorrow - or later today, I guess. I intend to tell them tomorrow afternoon."
"And were you desiring my attendance at this little meeting? Minerva told me it was an option, but I received no word from you before you left."
"I think it would be good for my parents to meet you, but if you are uncomfortable with coming tomorrow, I would understand."
"I will come if you want to me to. I know that this is probably important to both you and your parents...although I'm sure they won't be any more pleased once they've met me."
"Probably not, but at least then they'll know who I'm marrying, you won't be a stranger. I plan on telling them after lunch, it's a Sunday, so neither of them will be working. If you could come over at about 3, then they could meet you and we could hopefully be out of her before dinner time. I don't plan on spending any more time here than I absolutely have to."
"Alright, I'll be there at 3." With those parting words, Severus disappeared with a quick pop, and Hermione returned to bed. Tossing and turning all night, she dreaded the coming of the next day.