Disclaimer: J.K.Rowling owns everything, I don't. No copyright infringement is intended.

Chapter 9

As Dumbledore scanned the crowd outside the Ministry courtroom, he quickly located his missing Professor. Under ordinary circumstances it would have been hard to miss the glowering man advancing toward him, but the older wizard was much more interested in the equally irate glare that came from Lucius Malfoy -- just before he stormed away. Despite the outcome of the meeting, he surmised that Malfoy would continue to cause problems for his young charge; he just hoped that his trusted ally would be able to keep her safe.

They had planned on returning to the school immediately, but with the attention of the post gallery crowd still upon them, the Headmaster changed tactics -- albeit rather awkwardly. "Severus, there you are. I thought perhaps we could take advantage of our time away from school to relax over a bit of lunch. I do believe we have a wedding to discuss."

Hermione took a deep steadying breath when she overheard the Headmaster's suggestion. To sit down at lunch and calmly discuss invitations, multi-tiered cakes, and bridal attire -- she couldn't believe that the old man was suggesting such a thing. She was just extricated from the clutches of one evil madman, couldn't she just enjoy the moment before being thrust into the hands of another?

Ignoring the crowd of mildly interested bystanders, it took Snape but a moment to assess that the plan was as objectionable to the two women as it was to himself. Professor McGonagall was glaring at the Headmaster and holding onto her favorite student with such ferocity that he wondered if her captive companion could breathe. A quick glance at the younger woman indicated a wariness that spoke volumes of her desire to stay away from wedding plans.

For his own part, Snape was certainly not interested in an awkward lunch to discuss something as insignificant as a few spoken words and some Ministry paperwork. What he really wanted was an explanation from the Headmaster, but he knew that would not be forthcoming. The old man had a plan, and as usual, the skilled puppet master seldom found it necessary to enlighten his marionettes as to the roles they would play.

"I am sorry Headmaster," his cool tone belied his bitter emotion, "but I have some supplies to pick up -- perhaps another time."

The spark of appreciation in the young woman caught his attention and he found himself unable to look away. Despite the fact that their fate was entwined, he knew little about her. Her intelligence, her friends, and her inability to follow the rules -- these he knew well; but beyond that she was a mystery to him.

Hermione had been trying to politely free herself from McGonagall's firm grasp when Snape attempted to squelch the luncheon idea. She was so grateful for the small sign of support that she immediately scolded herself over her earlier thoughts. He may have always been foul and overbearing to her and her friends, but he was certainly not a madman. They had been thrust together in an impossible situation that appeared to grow more bizarre by the moment. As it was obvious that the headmaster had duped them both, perhaps (in the spirit of mutual payback) he would be willing to work with her on a solution to their plight.

Unbeknownst to her, Snape had been carefully watching as each expression crossed her face. She had moved from appreciative to apologetic -- about what he didn't know -- before her expression finally settled on hopeful determination. She was so open with her emotions that watching her face was like reading a book, and he was immediately struck by how that was an apt analogy for his required level of detachment. He didn't need to remind himself that regardless of when or why the Headmaster submitted the marriage petition, he had agreed to protect her and nothing more.

As the feared Potions Master, he had never been interested in the private lives of his students; but as a veteran spy, he knew that to be successful he needed to learn all he could about the young woman. His earlier research on his bride-to-be, quickly assembled after the Order devised their marriage, showed very little additional insight into her life. He had already known of the academic achievements found in her school records, and his fellow Professors' never-ending praise of her many virtues was reminiscent of the endless conversations he had been forced to endure from members of the Order.

However, throughout his (admittedly hasty) investigation, there was one suspicion that he was unable to shake. Despite his own multiple explanations, he thought that the prolonged withdrawal after her parent's death was... peculiar. Although a certain amount of emotional distance was understandable, there seemed to be more to it than just that -- it was as if she were hiding something. He knew that Minerva had made sure that the young student rejoined her daily activities, but he still felt that the underlying detachment remained. From the reports he had received, it apparently wasn't something that others had noticed, but then as a spy he hadn't survived this long by missing subtleties.

"Severus," the old man began his heartfelt plea. "Come now -- you must have lunch, and we do have much to discuss. Surely the supplies can wait until after we've eaten?"

Standing just outside the Ministry courtroom where his most recent fate had been sealed, Snape knew that he had little choice but to comply. Years ago Dumbledore rescued him from a destructive life and since then his life had not been his own. With a curt nod of his head he agreed and caught the quick flash of betrayal on his student's face. 'You will learn,' he thought ruefully, 'that there is a time and place for everything -- and this is not the place to disobey.'

With Dumbledore leading the way -- and leaving a path of awestruck admirers in his wake -- it was a quick walk to the Ministry's central transference lobby. Once there, they easily secured a Ministry floo and headed to the Cascading Hills Inn, a private establishment situated on the outskirts of Hogsmeade. The discreetly located restaurant was as well known for its strong wards as it was for it's fine deserts -- the perfect combination in Dumbledore's opinion.

As soon as the group arrived, they were greeted by cheerful House-Elves who efficiently ushered them into a private room. Hermione couldn't help but stare in awe of her surroundings. As she sank into the luxuriantly covered furniture, she took note of the perfect balance that had been achieved between the symmetrical Persian rugs and the intricate tapestries that covered the walls. The table had been exquisitely set with the finest china, and as they all took their seats, the crystal goblets immediately filled with celebratory wine -- courtesy of Professor Dumbledore.

With a quick wave of his wand, the Headmaster added his own reinforcement to the already impeccable wards. To Hermione it confirmed that he was a regular visitor to the opulent establishment. There was no question in her mind that -- just as if they had been summoned to his office -- they were on his turf and he believed he was in complete control.

'Well,' she thought, 'after the stunt he pulled earlier, her acquiescence would not come that easily.'

As the group perused the extensive menu, Dumbledore took a sip from his glass and then attempted to discuss the plans for the upcoming wedding. However, for each of his ventures, Hermione and Snape hastily interrupted him in an un-orchestrated attempt to delay the inevitable.

At first, they halted the conversation with a flurry of last minute luncheon changes, which caused a very frustrated Dumbledore to order for them all. When the food arrived, much quicker than the old man had envisioned, they made sure to quell any further discussion with fortuitous mouthfuls of food. Aside from those rare occasions though, they were no more interested in eating their meal and drinking their wine, than they were in discussing wedding plans.

Finally when enough food had been pushed around on their plates, Professor McGonagall began the difficult, but necessary, conversation. "I know that this isn't something that either of you would choose, but it is something we must deal with." She ignored the treasonous looks emanating from the betrothed couple and went on. "For the sake of expediency we can have a private ceremony in a few days-"

"A few days?" Hermione gasped at the thought of how fast this was moving. "According to the law I have six months. Why do we need to rush this?"

The older woman looked a bit flustered and reflected, "We just thought you would want to get this over with as soon as possible." She looked around the table to gauge their reaction to the young woman's reluctance, "once this has been settled there will be much less to worry about from... outside influences." She didn't need to specifically call out Malfoy's name to have it hang in the air around them.

Regardless of any problems she might encounter by delaying the wedding, Hermione was determined to give herself as much time as possible. In six months the law could be repealed, she could be accepted to an overseas university, or she could convince Snape that there were alternatives to this marriage. She knew that she would have to tread lightly in his direction, as there were obvious trust issues -- on both sides.

Besides, she also had to think of Ron. The others at the table had no idea of his intentions, and she thought it best to keep it that way. Even though she had decided to decline his proposal for his own safety, she couldn't just turn around and taunt him with a marriage to another man. He was much too good a friend, and he deserved better than that.

Gathering her convictions, Hermione took a deep breath before calmly addressing the group. "I understand that there are forces working against me, however, after hearing the Ministry's decision I believe them to be minimal."

With an ungentlemanly snort, the resident spy interjected his opinion. "I can assure you Miss Granger, Lucius Malfoy has no interest in bowing to the Ministry's decision." He actually knew that for a fact, but it was perhaps not prudent to scare her too early in the conversation.

She nodded briefly as if weighing his advice and continued, "I understand that you have more knowledge of the man, but I still feel that while at school I am perfectly safe." Knowing that she would need their support, she let her gaze rest on each one as she stated her case. "I have no desire to push this volatile situation any further than is necessary. To say that this has been quite a shock is an understatement and I feel a cooling off period would be best. Unless there are any objections, I suggest we look at the Easter holidays to hold the wedding."

When Professor McGonagall began to interrupt, the Headmaster held up his hand and bade her to stay silent. He understood that it was important to the young woman that she be heard -- not as a student -- but as a peer.

Seeing the exchange but choosing to ignore it, Hermione continued, "It's still within the six month time frame," almost to the day she thought shrewdly, "but far enough into the school year to cause the least amount of disruption."

The visibly agitated Potions Master quickly chimed in, "I believe that complete disruption has already been guaranteed. I would guess that Lucius' courtroom antics have already made it half way around the wizarding world."

"That's all the more reason to give it time to die down," she returned calmly.

After waiting a moment for another retort -- and finding none -- she continued, "I think that a private ceremony is best so as to not call attention to the fact that a student is marrying a teacher." At this point she couldn't help but glance at the Headmaster and wasn't sure if she was gratified or dismayed by his inability to meet her eye. Perhaps he was sorry about deceiving them, but probably not. "That aspect alone is going to be difficult enough to handle; and the fact that many students will be home for the holiday will make it easier to avoid additional... awkwardness."

Snape paused in exasperation before remarking, "It was inevitable that the entire school would find out about this marriage. There are far too many followers of the Dark Lord to think it could be kept a secret. Since it's impossible to avoid that, perhaps we should just get it over with."

In her opinion, to immediately barrage the school with a constant supply of marriage fodder was unacceptable. "If we do nothing to fuel the fire they will move onto another scandal, but if they have the entire school year to gossip about our marriage, who knows what kind of rumors will be bandied about."

She couldn't help but cringe over the inevitable questions she would be expected to endure. How long had the relationship really been going on? Was he as good in bed as they had all suspected? And worst of all, When were the children coming? Although it wasn't her primary reason for postponing the wedding, a six-month reprieve from being the center of attention was an enticing by-product.

Taking note of the conversational lull, she couldn't help but feel rather proud of herself for stating her case calmly and decisively. Looking around the table, she willed herself to sit back as she waited for further questions. She was determined to handle all of them with the same ease and confidence, even if she didn't feel that way.

Dumbledore had decided to remain silent on the issue and allowed the couple a chance to make their own decisions in the matter. Waiting the full six months wasn't the direction that the Order had discussed, but he knew he was not in a position to argue. He had requested a private meeting on the marriage petition so the true submission date would never be made public; he knew that its inadvertent disclosure came at a high price. It would be some time before the couple fully trusted him again. Although he thought that his young charge's desire to postpone the wedding was a mistake, there was still time to rectify that decision.

Watching as three pairs of eyes landed on him, Snape merely lifted his glass in a mock toast and said, "Whatever my bride wants, my bride gets," before taking a large gulp of wine. This was Dumbledore's show after all, if the old man didn't have a problem with it then why should he?

Professor McGonagall also took her cue from the Headmaster and, for the most part, held her tongue. Reaching out to grasp the younger woman's hand she said, "I think you may be making a grave mistake; but I'm not going to force the issue." With a mournful expression on her face she said, "Just remember that if you ever need anything I am- well, we are all here for you."

Hermione couldn't contain her joy. For the first time since she heard of this fiasco, she was finally able to take a full breath and relax. She still had a long road ahead of her, but at least she now had time to plan her next move.

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A/N: Thanks to all for reading and especially to those that have reviewed. It's nice to know that you've been enjoying the story so far, and all of your comments have been very helpful in tightening up the story. Also, thanks again to NegativeNine for her beta work. She's been a big help in getting me over this last writing hurdle!!

Wonk: Thanks for the catch -- that wasn't my beta's fault though it was mine. Put that in after the last beta (I am bad that way.)