Title: Turn Back Time (2?)

Author: granger2malfoy

Pairing: Blaise/Hermione

Rating: PG (this part only)

Archieve: Yes

A/N: This is a sequel to a fic I wrote for the 30min challenge#4 entitled Turn back time and can be found in the files as well as on post #2300). This fic is for the marriage challenge and will be followed by at least one more part (the wedding night :) )I hope you enjoyed.


Chapter 2: Choices

The morning was beautiful with the birds that chirped in the background and the sky a perfect sky-blue. A bride dressed in a long, simple cotton white dress with a white velvet cloak stared out the window. Yet, she saw none of those things because she was felt as if she wasn't there and that it was all a dream, a bad dream.

Mrs. Weasley was just finishing up placing some small white flowers into Hermione's braided hair. Ginny stood next to the window as she had just gone through the same process just two months ago when she became Mrs. Harry Potter. Hermione Granger's mind was working on overload as it went through different information about what got her to wedding a man she was not in love with.

The Ministry had passed a new law to solve the problems of the increasing rates of squibs being born within their community. The law stated the oldest child of a wizarding family (pureblood, half-and-half, or the oldest muggleborn witch/wizard) in a family, the age of eighteen or older and single must be married to a muggleborn within a year of the law coming to order. The day they turn eighteen they must've been married or be married on their birthday. If any one who did not get married, the Ministry would step in and they would be forced to married someone of the Ministries choice. The law also stated that the couple must be with child or have proof of complications within one year of the marriage.

For Harry, he was lucky enough to have been dating Ginny for almost a year and a half when the law was passed. They both loved each other very much and of course the Weasley's took him as a part of their family with open arms; even if Ginny was a year younger. With Voldemort still on the loose, Ginny Potter became a primary target for anything to get at Harry and was just finishing up for seventh year private studies during that summer, so she wouldn't have to go back to Hogwarts. The couple lived in the suite at Grimmauld Place with most of the Order and Ginny was great to have around for Hermione had a rough summer.

For Hermione, the prospect of marriage was less ideal because she had only had two boyfriends in life, Ron and Krum. She loved both of them and still remained close friends after their break ups. Hermione's eyes had been on another young man, who had become a Prefect to replace Malfoy when he got the title of Head Boy. Luckily, she had turned down the Head Girl position with its additional responsibilities. With the war, Hermione felt it was best to stay by Harry's side and be there when he needed her and for her to concentrate on the NEWTs.

Yes, she may have even said that she really liked the curly head Slytherin despite his house and his quiet demeanor. Hermione had gotten to know Blaise Zabini over the last year and fell hard for his good looks, intelligence, charm, and maturity not normally found at seventeen years old.

Both of their houses had known of their friendship and, yes, rumors had started about a sordid romance between the two. But neither of them paid any of the rumors any attention, even though a few about them on a table in the library sounded fun. Even, Harry and Ron started to like Blaise when he helped them with new bluffs for Divination and tips for the NEWTs.

Yet, Hermione was still the best friend of the boy-who-still-lived and the most intelligent witch of her age. Those two things made her a valuable commodity to an evil, power hungry dark lord. From the information obtained for Professor Snape, Voldemort wanted one of his Death Eaters to take her as a wife or kill her, if she refused.

The options of marriage from the single, eligible Death Eaters were Draco Malfoy, Vincent Crabbe, Gregory Goyle, Theodore Nott, and Severus Snape. When Hermione heard that she was seriously considering death as a possible option. But neither Dumbledore nor Harry agreed with her thoughts of her own death on her terms.

One night during spring holiday, Severus Snape appeared at her dorms in a casual white shirt with black slack and asked Hermione to come with him, so they could talk. Without his normal robes, he seemed less threatening and they talked in his private chambers for several hours on the possibility (last resort) of marriage between the two of them. Under settling terms and agreements, an understanding was made and Snape began to court Hermione once a month to enable both to get used to each other. She didn't really know what to think at first about dating the snarky Potions Master, but he treated her with respected and listened to her when they conversed. At times, they disagreed over something and they would not speak a word to each other for days at a time; they'd always come back and work on the word COMPROMISE.

Hermione knew she wasn't in love with Severus Snape and knew he probably felt the same way about her. But there was a friendship and trust that began to grow as they talked more over the course of the summer away from Hogwarts, when he was not off doing his spy duties. Some how he also discovered the fact that she had a crush on Blaise. Hermione was not sure what to think when he mentioned it, but he was actually nice about it and that he understood the situation, which he mentioned Blaise was actually he favorite and had not choose a side of the war.

The night before she was to be married at Hogwarts, there was a knock on her door and it was Blaise with a red rose. He told her that Snape informed him of their situation and the reason Hermione had to marry the older Slytherin. Then he offered his services to the Order and Severus passed him a note with the password for her room, as it was Hermione's last night of freedom. Their entire night was spent getting to know each other's bodies as they made love till four o'clock in the morning. …

The sound of a door closing brought Hermione's attention back from her thoughts. She was alone in the room with the exception of Harry and stood next to her with a protective arm around her waist. He raised his hands to lift her white hood up and spoke as her tucked a loose hair behind her ear. "You look beautiful, Hermione. May I ask you a personal question and I need a honest answer."

"Of course, Harry anything," her eyes began to burn as she felt tears begin to form.

Harry took her hand and placed in the crook for his arm as he led the bride out the door toward the courtyard where the ceremony was taking place. "Do you love Blaise Zabini?"

Hermione stopped in mid-step about ten feet away from the corridor to the courtyard. She had not been expecting that question because she was not aware that he knew of last night. She hadn't even told Ginny, yet. With a defeated sigh, she replied, "Yes, with all my heart."

"Would you do anything for him? Stand by his side through the hard times? Be his wife, if you had the choice?" Harry asked as he continued their walk to the door that divided the small ceremony and them.

She shook her head and wiped away the tear that fell. "I don't have a choice, Harry. You know that."

"Answer my questions."

Hermione fiddled with the ring she had picked out for her husband-to-be, Severus Snape. It really reminded her of Blaise with its silver band with black words inscribed on the inside of the ring: love, trust, and forever. It was the ideal ring for her ideal husband but was going to be put on the finger of a man she just recently befriend and considered more like an older brother, than love interest. "Yes, I would do anything for him. I'd walk by his side through hell and back, if given the choice."

Her best friend gave her a kiss on the check and opened the door to the outdoors where a small crowd of about two dozen members of the Order and her parents waited in a circle for her. There was a gap between Ron and Lupin where she was to walk through. Harry held her hand but her eyes watched her feet as she was led to the center of the circle.

Hermione felt Harry's warm hand was replaced by the groom's cold one. She couldn't look at him or the tears would start again. His thumb ran across the top of her hand as he spoke, "Hermione."

Her head jerked up, as it was not the voice of Severus Snape, but her only love, Blaise Zabini. The tears ran down her cheeks any ways and he took his other hand to wipe them away. The questions were not finding there way out of her mouth but shined in her eyes.

"I decided to follow in Snape's footsteps because you are worth it and it was my choice," Blaise kissed her hand as he released to push up his sleeve where the Dark Mark was permanently etched into his skin. He got down on his knee and asked, "Now, it is your choice. Hermione Jane Granger will you marry me, now and in front of all your friends and parents?"

"Yes, oh yes," she pulled him up from the ground and hugged him tightly.

Behind him, Hermione saw Severus Snape stood next to her parents and gave her an approval nod. She might have been seeing things, but she could've sworn there was a tear in his eyes. She mouth in her ex-fiancée's direction, "Thank you."

He gave the first warm smile as he silently replied, "You're welcome."

Blaise released her as Dumbledore began the ceremony, which was of both cultures with a ritual of binding each other and an exchange of rings. Hermione was glad she made the choice to lead the life she was and decided to enjoy the ceremony and worry about his choice at a later time.

to be continued ...