A/N: Sorry this took a while to get out…School and all, plus I was waiting to make sure people wanted it to continue. I absolutely could not believe the response I got to this fic, thanks guys! I've never gotten so many reviews in my life…I will do my absolute best to make sure this fic is as original as possible, so fear not. Also, I will be at least trying to put a song verse relating to the chapter at the beginning of each chapter. I welcome song suggestions, I'm always looking for new music!
Review Responses:
Christy: Haha thanks! And, as for your question…Ron and Ginny are Weasleys and thus purebloods, but Harry's mother was muggleborn, so he is actually half-blood.
SemiCharmed: Yes, I'm still looking for a beta. Feel free to email me or leave your email in a review if you're interested.
Juliana Olstad: As I said to SemiCharmed, I am still looking for a beta. Thanks for the offer, please drop me an email or another review if you're still interested.
vanityfair: I would just like to thank you especially for taking the time to read my fic, considering your MLC story is pretty much what first inspired me to write my own. As I said, I will do my absolute best to make my story completely original and different.
I would also like to extend a hearty 'Thanks!' to: Elizabeth Malfoy, noone special, Nee, Transylvanian, Nore, Merewen/Itarilde, Tigerfanfrv, Sexy Severus, Nerual, pi-nk23star, and Nina.
As always, please review! Enjoy!
Hello, good morning, how ya been?
Yesterday left my head kicked in
I never thought I could fall like that
Never knew that I could hurt this bad
I'm learning to breathe
I'm learning to crawl
I'm finding that You and You alone can break my fall
I'm living again, awake and alive
I'm dying to breathe in these abundant skies
Many people would come completely unhinged at being told that they had to marry their Potions Master, but not Hermione. She had kept a cool, nondescript demeanor when Lavender and Parvati had come to her dorm to ask who she was to marry at five o'clock in the bloody morning. Not that she'd been asleep, anyway. She had tossed and turned most of the night, mulling over every way she could think of to get out of the law, each more extreme than the next. Appeal. Try to find someone else. Run away. But, she knew each idea was flawed. the law was set in stone, there was no one else, and, no matter how much she thought about it, she knew she could never leave the wizarding world. It was her home now, there was no going back. Finally, after shooing the other girls away and attempting (unsuccessfully) to fall back asleep for about 2 and a half hours, she gave a resigned sigh and dragged herself from the bed. Stretching in an unnervingly catlike way, she walked briskly over to her window and threw back the curtains.
Sprawled out before her was the grounds of Hogwarts in all their glory, still pristine white with the night's snowfall. She smiled in utter fondness for her home of seven years, taking in the site if the crisply frozen lake and white-capped mountains rising behind it. If she had risen any other morning to a sight like this, she would have been elated. However, the memory of the newly passed law and the meeting she had to attend in neigh on an hours hung drearily over her head, dampening her joy. She remained in her place for another few minutes before turning and heading into her bathroom to shower and prepare for the meeting she was looking forward to so little.
The shower, she had to admit, lifted her spirits considerably. The hot water mixed with the soft scent of her soap helped to relax her, leaving her feeling a bit less tense, if nothing else. This feeling didn't lat forever, though. As soon as she was dressed again, with her hair pulled back into a knot at the base of her neck in an attempt to tame it, her anxiety returned. She took one last look in the mirror, pulling her hair out of the now-useless know and letting it hang wildly about her shoulders, before clearing her dormitory door and heading out of the common room, dungeon bound.
She found the entrance to Snape's office exactly where Harry had told her it would be, and braced herself slightly before knocking timidly. Her efforts were immediately rewarded when the door swung inward and Snape greeted her.
"Miss Granger. Punctual as I expected. Well, come in, foolish girl. Don't stand there like an imbecile." She gaped at him for a moment, trying to decide if he had seriously just complimented and then insulted her in the same breath. His piercing gaze brought her back, however, and she quickly stumbled into the room, taking the seat at his desk whilst he sat on the other side of it.
"Uhm, Professor…well…what I mean is…err…" she stuttered, trying to find something to say. He merely displayed his usual, condescending smirk, before stopping her flow of blabbering.
"I have asked you here today, Miss Granger, to discuss your recent decision concerning the Marriage Law." She nodded, somewhat glad that he had silenced her. He took this as permission to continue. "Well, I must admit, I was quite surprised to find that you chose. Me. Not entirely pleased, I'll admit," he grimaced. "But, nonetheless, what's done is done. You've bound us to this thing now, Albus has already sent in the application, prat of a man. we're rather stuck." She looked puzzled.
"Professor, if I may ask, why in the world did you put in to have your name my list if you did not expect to marry me?" He smiled harshly.
"That was Albus's idea as well. It was only a safety precaution, really…in case something went wrong and only Death Eaters ended up on your list. I had assumed you would choose Weasley or Potter." Shaking her head, she replied.
"No sir…Harry and Ron both have fiancés, and I could never marry either of them anyway. It would be like marrying a brother. However, I hadn't considered the other options…" she let the sentence trail off, implying that she was no more pleased with the situation then he was. There was an awkward silence, before Severus changed the subject.
"Tea?" he offered, causing her to look at him, surprised. She nodded dumbly, watching him pour the steaming liquid into a black teacup and hold it out to her. She quickly added some sugar and cream and busied herself with sipping the scalding liquid, anything to avoid looking at Snape.
"Thank you," she muttered into the cup. He simply nodded, seemingly lost in his own thoughts. Finally, he spoke again, startling her.
"I suppose, if we actually have to be….married, we should meet like this more often, get to know each other a bit…" he trailed off, obviously unused to making such proposals.
"Yes, that's a good idea," she agreed, quickly amending with, "sir." His brow furrowed momentarily, and he spoke again.
"Also, while we are alone you may call me Severus. It will not do to have my wife-to be call me sir, now will it?" she winced at his words, still not adjusted to the idea of being the future Mrs. Severs Snape. But then, who would be? However, she knew he was right. Nodding she replied.
"Well then you may call me Hermione, Severus," she declared. The corners of his mouth twitched slightly at her determined expression, but he quickly covered it with a slight frown.
"There is a Hogsmeade visit next weekend, is there not?" he asked suddenly. She thought for a horrified minute that he was going to say they should go together, but he merely rummaged around in his robes and withdrew a small pouch of coins, which he placed on the desk before her. "I imagine that most girls will be shopping for their wedding dresses and all, so you should do the same. Take the money, they don't come cheap," he mumbled. She simply stared at him in shock. Had he actually given her money? This was odd. He seemed too…nice. Nonetheless, she muttered a quick "Thanks" and put the pouch in the pocket of her own robes. Her tea was just about drained, and she was itching to get out of the small, confined office.
"Well, Prof-Severus," she quickly corrected herself, "I should really go, I have a few essays to finish and-" he cut her off as she stood.
"Wait! Before you go, there is something else I'm supposed to give you…" he rummaged around in his robes as if looking for something very small. His fist finally closed around what she soon discovered was a small black box, He held it out for her, and she timidly took it. Opening it carefully, a tiny gasp escaped her lips.
"Sir, you really didn't have to-"
"Of course I did, silly girl, you have to have an engagement ring!" Realizing his slip of tongue, he quickly amended with, "And it's Severus, remember?" She nodded.
"Yes, sorry…And, thank you," she said genuinely. He nodded and watched as she slipped the piece on her left ring finger, and then stepped around the desk to hold the office door open for her.
"Why don't we meet again, say, Wednesday evening?" He suggested. She nodded and stepped outside.
"Goodbye until then, I suppose," she supplied. He merely nodded.
"And don't be late!" he snapped before briskly closing the door. She gaped at it. For almost a full thirty minutes he had been completely civil, or as close as she supposed she'd ever get, and then he snaps at her and slams the door in her face? With a frustrated sigh, she headed back to Gryffindor Tower, completely intent on making up for the sleep she'd lost the night before.
Upon arriving at her dorm, however, Hermione found Ginny waiting outside the door, staring at her own left ring finger, which Hermione noticed had been adorned with a rather impressive ring itself. She wondered for a moment how Harry had gotten his hands on a ring overnight before Ginny noticed her presence.
"Hermione! I've been waiting forever, where've you been?"
"Visiting with my soon-to-be husband," Hermione replied grimly. The younger girl's face softened sympathetically, and Hermione unlocked the bedroom door and bid her inside before relocking it behind them.
"So," Ginny started. "What did he have to say?"
"Well, he didn't expect it, that's for sure," Hermione supplied. "But he was shockingly civil until right before I left. Maybe, somehow I'll find a way to live with him. But I doubt it," she added grimly. She took Ginny's silence as a chance to examine the ring on her own finger. It was made of obviously fine silver, with tiny entwined serpents carved into the otherwise smooth surface. One small diamond was set into the top of one of the snake's heads. This brought her back to her wondering about Ginny's ring.
"So, Harry proposed, I assume?" The attractive redhead nodded excitedly.
"Yeah, he did. This ring's an heirloom. His father proposed to his mother with the very same one," Ginny gushed. Hermione couldn't help but smile for the girl. She was so lucky, so in love. Ginny noticed the distinctly sad note in Hermione's expression, and she quietly reprimanded herself to her friend.
"Sorry, I'm being a prat…so, uhm…what are you going to do?" Hermione sighed.
"I don't know Gin, I just don't know."
A/N: Well, hope you enjoyed the first encounter. I realize Snape was a little OOC, but he was nervous, and still slightly in shock, realize. He'll go back to normal shortly, fear not.
As always, please review! Let me know what you think! The next meeting will be Hogsmeade, etc, so keep your eyes open for it!
XoXo Sadie