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Disclaimer: J.K.Rowling owns everything, I don't. No copyright infringement is intended.
Chapter 7
The group of four arrived at the Ministry, and worked their way through a labyrinth of corridors towards courtroom five and their meeting with the Marriage Registry Bureau's Review Board. When Hermione heard they were headed to a Ministry courtroom she expected to be hauled off to the dungeons and forced to face an imposing board in an oppressive chamber. She was happy to learn from Professor McGonagall that the lower ranking courtrooms were more like informal conference rooms. She was relieved that she would at least be spared the nervousness of a dungeon inspired production.
Despite that small concession, the trip wasn't without its moments. She angrily remembered the incident at the security post as the others stood to have their wands weighed. At one point the guard demanded her wand and she froze. He was at first angry at the delay, then surprised when Severus announced she had no wand. However, after asking their destination his expression quickly turned into a smirk that Hermione was itching to slap. The guard made it clear that he suspected her wand had been taken away in preparation for her life of servitude to a pureblood wizard. As she knew that this was not the time or place, she just pasted on a smile and wordlessly repeated to herself that she would never let that happen.
Minutes later they hurried past a morning coffee cart and Hermione's stomach growled. Unmistakably aware that she had missed breakfast, she began to imagine the large morning meal that she would have been enjoying in the great hall when it finally hit her -- 24 hours. It had only been 24 hours ago that she had been sitting with Harry and Ron, looking at the brides in the Daily Prophet. She couldn't believe all that had happened in those short hours: Draco leering at her, secretly knowing her matrimonial fate; Snape petitioning for her hand; and Ron proposing out of the blue. It was like a day in muggle soap-opera hell, with everything happening at once. She quickly reminded herself that actually only one thing had happened, the rest were just horrible chain reactions to that event.
She was now 18. Well, 18 and a day she thought petulantly. Yesterday should have been a day filled with happiness, celebrations, and promises for a bright future. She spared a moment -- in what had become a regular occurrence since her third year -- to rue the day she had ever heard of that blasted time turner. Her remorseful thoughts quickly turned to anger as she thought of the Ministry and their inane Marriage Law. Even without her use of the timeturner, they were the reason she was in this mess.
When they finally rounded the bend towards the designated courtroom, Hermione saw Lucius Malfoy talking with a rather spindly looking wizard. She was hesitant to ruin the companionable silence that the group had formed, but her inquisitive nature got the better of her and asked, "Is that Malfoy's lawyer?"
"No dear," came Professor McGonagall's curt reply. "He is a member of the review board." Her lips pursed to a slight scowl as she explained that he would soon be ruling on their case.
Although a slight panic shot through her, Hermione was determined to remain strong. "What's he doing with Malfoy then? Isn't that against some rule?" If all she had heard of the elder Malfoy was to be believed, it wasn't like him to leave anything to chance. She surmised that he had paid a rather large sum to the man in exchange for a favorable vote.
"Why, Miss Granger," the Potions Master began, "upset that someone else is not following the rules? Perhaps you should go over and give them a good scolding. I'm sure they will feel suitably chastised and then we can all just go home. I personally know how well that works on you."
Hermione glared at the older man and was about to give a scathing retort when Professor Dumbledore quickly intervened. "Now, now children -- stop bickering. Severus, I think it would be wise if you keep your temper in check in front of Lucius. We don't want to set him off more than necessary."
"Thank you Headmaster, but I am quite aware of how to handle myself in front of Lucius," was his acidic reply. "Perhaps though, we should think about placing a Silencio spell on Miss Granger. I've rarely seen her at a loss for words."
"Severus..." the older wizard said with a deep sigh. He wanted to dispute the claim, but in all honesty there was some truth to his words. "Hermione," he began instead, "both of you please keep your tempers in check."
After enduring a volley of childish glances thrown between the pair, the group continued their journey towards the courtroom. Hermione was visibly seething under the intense scrutiny of the stoic Potions Master. All she wanted to do was get past Malfoy and his accomplice and into the courtroom. The sooner this meeting was over the better.
The actions of the two wizards, as they turned and saw the advancing group, confirmed Hermione's fears. It was clear by the look on the board member's face that he was caught in a compromising position. Normally she didn't think this would bother him, but with Albus Dumbledore looking on this was not a normal situation. With a succession of quick head bounces to nowhere in particular, he turned and headed into the courtroom. She thought of how silly he looked trying to pretend that their improper meeting had not been witnessed. Malfoy should have paid off someone with more finesse.
For his own part Malfoy looked unabashed and eyed the headmaster with feigned disinterest. Hermione wondered how, after only a short time, he could go from a prisoner at Azkaban to a respected member of the wizarding community. It wasn't just anybody who felt comfortable enough to risk the wrath of the Wizengamot's Chief Warlock. She quickly chided herself as she remembered that lining the pockets of Cornelius Fudge, always a profitable venture, accomplished much more these days.
With the hasty departure of the Ministry official an uncomfortable silence enveloped the small group. Malfoy eyed the young girl, briefly skimming her body without any flickering of interest. Draco hadn't been particularly thrilled when he found out his father had chosen her, but Lucius was determined to present her as an early Christmas gift to his son anyway. Besides, stealing her out from under Dumbledore's nose was the real prize in his opinion.
Aware of the headmaster's gaze on him, he carefully broke the tension with a well-timed olive branch. "Hermione darling, I do hope that we can resolve this sticky issue and welcome you to our family. We are all so looking forward to seeing your smiling face at our family gatherings." He said this as he held his hand out to her, his wrist slightly limp with only slightly disguised distaste.
As she had no plans to allow the despicable man to touch her she resolutely kept her hands to her sides and looked him straight in the eye as she responded. "Sod off Malfoy. I wouldn't become part of your family if my life depended on it." She didn't care what the Headmaster said. She wasn't sure how this day would unfold, but if she was going down with the ship she was going to enjoy the ride. There were a few things that she wanted to say to this man, and as far as she could tell this was her golden opportunity.
She wasn't totally unaware of the sharp intake of breath to her right and knew that Snape didn't particularly enjoy her outburst, but his sharp grasp of her upper arm was enough to convey his warning that she should stop before her full tirade began. Defiant, she decided to ignore the fingers tightening around her arm and she opened her mouth to continue.
Just then the door to the courtroom opened and a short Ministry witch stepped out and called their names. The administrator looked about uncomfortably when she noticed that she had failed to garner any attention. The group before her appeared to be focused in a battle of wills, and it became apparent that she was interrupting something rather important. Wondering if security would have to be called, she repeated the docket number and case participants and stood back to wait them out.
After the briefest of hesitations Dumbledore gestured towards the door and said, "after you Lucius."
At this breech of familiarity Lucius Malfoy looked away from Hermione and, with a swish of his expensive robes, followed the Ministry administrator into the courtroom. With the briefest of looks between themselves, Professors McGonagall and Dumbledore followed him inside.
Snape continued the crushing hold on her arm and stood his ground for a moment to assure that they were a few paces behind the others. Bending slightly he brought his lips close to her ear, and she could tell that he was fighting to control his temper before speaking. The result of his internal battle was incendiary on her overwrought nerves. Her eyes, at first wide with shock, soon fluttered closed as his warm breath tickled her ear and sent delightful shivers down her spine. With each unsteady rustle that forced itself from his lips she found herself gasping to match his rhythm. She almost cried out as she sensed his tongue dart out to refresh his dry lips.
"I think--" He brokenly whispered the words, his smooth voice harsh under the force of his wrath. An almost inaudible moan escaped her as she waited for him to continue his verbal assault, but instead he moved his lips closer to her heated flesh. The subtle change danced across her skin like bursts of fire, melting away the last of her angry facade. He allowed his fiery onslaught to work her anew, his breath becoming more expectant with each passing moment. As his coerced exhalations reached an intoxicating level she willed herself to resist the temptation to lean back and pull from his strength. After a moment of blissful torture he growled at her, "You would do well to remember that your life might very well depend on the outcome of this meeting."
He didn't allow time for his chilling words to fully sink in before he snapped his head up and propelled her forward into the room.
Unbeknownst to Hermione, her entrance into the courtroom looked very much like every other Imperio bride -- a slightly flushed and disoriented look on her face, and accompanied by the forceful guidance of her fiancé. Snape knew that, had she been aware of the implications of her appearance, she would have been horrified. There was no doubt in his mind that she would have immediately set out to correct the misconception. He was eternally grateful that, to the casual observer, he appeared in control.
While officially the occupants of the room believed him to be nothing more than a teacher with a chequered past, there were a select few in attendance that were followers of the dark. For them he had a reputation as a feared Death Eater to uphold, and for this ruse to be successful he had to appear the part. It would certainly not do to be seen as the hen-pecked fiancé trying to reign in the temper of his betrothed, or worse yet, as Dumbledore's lackey. Realizing just how successful his little chat had been on her, he mentally stored away the location of her delightfully sensitive spot. If the old wizard had his way she would be around for a while, and it was never too soon to start preparing his arsenal.
As they reached their table, Snape pushed Hermione into an empty chair before settling in beside her. He was well aware that, aside from showing up, his services would not be needed at this meeting. This was Dumbledore's production and he was ready to enjoy the show.
As they arrived late, the court administrator had finished handing out the necessary paperwork to the assembled board members and officially called out the case in question. "Docket number 4286 -- Lucius Malfoy versus Albus Dumbledore in regards to the legality of the marriage petition for Severus Snape to Hermione Granger. All parties in question are present..."
Dragging herself out of her stupor, Hermione listened as the administrator droned on with the official legalities. She knew there was something strange about the way the petition was presented, but her mind was still a bit flustered and unable to initially grasp the flaw. Although she was embarrassed by her reaction to the man beside her, she was also reluctant to leave her current state of arousal without further exploration. After a moment her brain appeared to kick in, and she looked up, confusion written on her face. She wondered why Malfoy had brought the case against Dumbledore and not Snape. She warily came to the conclusion that as her guardian, the headmaster must have been the one to accept the petition -- she knew she hadn't accepted anything.
Normally she would have continued to listen intently to the presentation of something so important to her life. In the past she might have even taken notes. But try as she might, she still couldn't make sense of the fact that this was really happening to her. Her mind just disregarded the event as something that she would have to endure for a short time, but not for a lifetime. With her attention wavering her thoughts strayed to her Professor and his actions outside the courtroom. Her breath hitched slightly, and she quickly willed her thoughts elsewhere.
In an effort to find something to keep her alert she glanced around and took in the details of the rather unofficial looking room. She quickly assessed that the dimly lit chamber held little interest to anyone. The gallery behind her was sparsely populated with disinterested witches and a dozing court reporter. 'I guess Death Eater brides are pretty common place these days,' she thought. 'This doesn't even warrant a conscious reporter.' Her eyes slid around further, and she came across the intended focal point of courtroom number five -- a long ornate table that adorned the head of the room. Once a thing of intricate beauty, it now served as nothing more than a makeshift leaning post for a group of bored Ministry officials. Well, all but one of them was bored.
She noticed the spindly man from the corridor as he tried to exude an air of bureaucratic interest while his eyes darted between Lucius Malfoy and Albus Dumbledore. She was right the first time -- the man had no finesse. As she thought about him she decided to play a little game -- 'let's find the corrupt officials.' Malfoy certainly had to have more than one on his payroll. She carefully examined each member of the high table and noticed that, although most gave off the appropriate air of legal boredom, a few of them were acting a bit peculiar. A rather autocratic witch, her decision clearly already made, was not paying the slightest bit of attention to the proceedings. Yes, a payoff had taken place there. An older wizard wrinkled his nose at her as though her 'mudblood' stench offended his senses. A payoff not even required for him. Another witch was staring rather intently, and angrily, at Malfoy -- it was obvious that a more physical payoff had been exchanged there.
Hermione wondered what had made the witch so angry, and let her gaze wander towards the man in question. Before her eyes had time to adjust, she saw him staring at her. As he caught her attention he slowly devoured her with his eyes before tilting his head and blowing her an obscene kiss. She immediately looked away -- shocked and disgusted by what she had seen. Unfortunately, though her eyes were focused on the fingers entwined in her lap, she still caught his low chuckle of enjoyment at her obvious discomfort. She remembered that Draco had boasted about his father plans to use her as his teaching tool, and was freshly sickened by the thought. Snape's parting words echoed in her ears and from that point on she became very interested in the outcome of the case. It would be one thing to fend off Draco's advances within the safety of Hogwarts, quite another to attend family gatherings at the Malfoy estate.
It was at this point that the administrator had finished her legal ramblings and had called for Lucius Malfoy to step forward to present his reason for contesting the petition. As he gracefully stood and arranged his robes, Hermione thought that it was probably a good thing that she didn't have a wand because she would have been tempted hex the bastard. Sure it would have made her feel great, but with so many Ministry officials around she doubted that she would have gotten away with it.
When Malfoy was finally done preening he turned, and with an intimidating smile to the board members he began. "I know all of you are just as concerned as I am with avoiding the impending catastrophe that is threatening our way of life." He paused then to hang his head in concern and stroke his chin with his long tapered fingers. It was all Hermione could do to refrain from lashing out at his double entendre. It was clear that the lifestyle he was protecting had nothing to do with healthy children, but furthering his racist views.
"With the future of the wizarding world at stake, I was extremely proud to be able to submit a petition on behalf of my son to Miss Granger," he said with mock sincerity. "Both are fine examples of our wizarding youth, and our world would surely benefit from their union." After looking for, and receiving, a number of adoring smiles he continued in a conspiratorial whisper. "I am also fortunate that my family's estate is rather large as I am assured that between the two of them I will be paying university bills for many years to come." Polite chuckles may have filled the courtroom, but Hermione was positive that she heard the derisive snort coming from her potions professor. It was clear that he believed Malfoy as much as she did. Under different circumstances she would have reveled in knowing that her future education was secure, but she was positive that such an idea would never really be tolerated. That is, if she even lived that long.
Like a maestro he listened for the delicate murmur of the crowd to diminish and then picked up his verbal baton to start his next movement. As he expertly played the board members, Hermione became more worried about the outcome of the hearing. "I can see no reason why the Ministry would want to keep these two apart..."
"Mister Malfoy," interrupted a younger witch who had been cleared by Hermione's earlier scrutiny. "While I appreciate your desire to find a wife for your son, would you please limit your remarks to the petition in question?" Another snort from the potions master could be heard, but this time with a definite hint of mirth. Ignoring the subtle outburst, and the glaring look from the refined wizard, she continued, "Do you have any reason as to why this claim is contestable?"
While he didn't appear to appreciate the interruption, he was fully prepared to answer her question. After the briefest of interludes, Lucius Malfoy -- recently paroled prisoner of Azkaban and trusted advisor of Lord Voldemort himself -- wrapped himself in a legal blanket that would have suffocated lesser ex-convicts. "I'm glad you asked that my dear," he began with a smirk. "The law quite clearly states that a pureblood wizard -- or -- the head of their household are the only ones able to submit a petition. As Albus Dumbledore is in no way related to Severus Snape, he was not able to legally submit the document on the other man's behalf. As I see it the petition is fraudulent and should be dismissed immediately."
She heard the sharp intake of breath, but after looking expectantly at the man by her side she realized it had been her own. Actually as her head darted to the other members of her table she was aware that she was the only one surprised by the news. Her insides filled with fear, she turned to Professor McGonagall and whispered, "I thought Snape put in the petition." She noted the Professor's quick shake of her head and felt the need to ask, "Are we going to lose this?" The Professor merely patted her hand reassuringly before turning back to view the proceedings.
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A/N: Thanks again to NegativeNine for her beta work and constant prodding. If she hadn't been such a nudge I don't know when this would have been updated! BTW - For all of you thinking that this is an evil cliffy blame her. I didn't want to, but she convinced me to end the chapter here... (Just kidding - she really thinks I'm evil for ending it here. Don't worry she's making sure that I work diligently on chapter 8 as you read. She's a great beta!)
Thanks to all that have read and reviewed! You make my day! Also thanks to Silvia S., Jenn told me that you love the story but won't give me the courtesy of reviewing ;-)
Sukkumbus: Actually I chose 18 as the age of consent because most people seemed to complain that younger than 18 was unacceptable (hence the blatant use of time turners) so I figured I would stick to that. I also decided that if Hermione had to be 18 then Ron should be also (actually I mentioned the age requirement in chapter 3 in Draco's library discussion.) If necessary then lets just say that it's the wizarding world's age of consent. FYI - Out of curiosity I did a quick Internet search for teen marriage license laws, and it's pretty similar across the US and throughout the UK. 18 is the usual age (some were 19 or 20), but with parental consent or a court document they can usually marry as young as 16 (I think Scotland may be 16 regardless of consent, but had trouble confirming that.)