Disclaimer: Not mine. This is, after all FFnet, so of course there is no way that this is mine.
A/N: This story is AU in case you haven't noticed quite yet and it's going to stay that way for the rest of the show.
Hermione gripped Minerva's hand like a vice grip as they walked into the Ministry of Magic and straight to the Department of Genealogical Suitability.
This was it, this was the Big Day, and like every bride before her, Hermione was nervous about what kind of man would be waiting there for her.
Hermione, of course, was dressed for the occasion, having picked up a simple floor length white dress just one day before. In her free hand she carried a small bouquet of red roses and baby's breath. In a small white silk pouch at her waist was a ring, The Ring. A ring meant for her husband. It had taken her hours to select something for her future husband. In the end she had settled on a band that matched her engagement ring. On the band, there was a Celtic design engraved and set with emerald shards. On the inside of the band she had their wedding date inscribed. It made her giddy just to think that her husband would wear this ring that she selected for the rest of his life. From this day forth, he would be marked as her property. A thought that was quite pleasing.
They came to a stop at the Department of Genealogical Suitability, and found a plump woman dressed in lime green robe sitting behind a receptionist desk. A mahogany name plaque with her name, Josephine Jennings, was proudly displayed for all to see.
"Miss Hermione Granger, I presume?" Ms. Jennings asked with a beaming smile. Hermione wondered idly if the woman bleached her teeth, for their color was unnaturally white.
"Yes," Hermione said with a smile of her own, her teeth she knew would never seem to glow such as her did.
"Thank you for being on time. I would like to thank you for having your ceremony here with us at the Department of Genealogical Suitability. The YLC has never gone wrong," Ms. Jennings said, coming around her desk. "I trust this is your witness?"
"Yes. This is Minerva McGonagall." Hermione said introducing them.
"Wonderful." The receptionist beamed. "We can start now. Your gentleman just arrived before you. Let's get this started, shall we?" She opened a double set of doors into a small adjoining room.
Hermione clutched Minerva's hand even tighter as they were led into a fairly plain room. There were windows all along the left side. There were three rows of seats, mimicking an isle down the center to where there was an elderly wizard standing behind a simple wooden podium.
The second elderly wizard though had Hermione questioning the reason he was there by the time she walked past the first row.
"Albus?" Hermione squeaked. A sudden wave of fear tickled the hairs on her back. Surely she wasn't here to marry him of all people. He was, well he was, so…old.
The aged wizard turned around. Even at that distance Hermione could see his eyes sparkling. It didn't help that he laughed once he saw her as well. Laughing was never a good thing. Perhaps he was as shocked by the circumstances as she was.
But Hermione's eyes then fell on the wizard standing to his right. The one that she was there to marry. She could tell, because he was dressed in some gorgeous black dress robes. Dress robes that were so black that they seemed to shine blue. He even had long black hair tied back in a silver clasp. But when he turned around, Hermione thought she would surely faint.
Yes, she was going to faint. She could feel the blood draining from her face so fast that it was no doubt all circling down at her feet at that moment. She couldn't breathe either. The simple task was near impossible after seeing who was standing there next to Albus.
"Fancy seeing you here Hermione," Albus chuckled. He playfully slapped the wizard next to him on the back hard enough to make him take a step forward. A feat which must have been hard seeing as how the wizard next to him was at least a foot taller.
"Well, my word," Minerva chuckled as well seeing who it was standing next to Albus.
Minerva pried Hermione's fingers from her own and joined Albus at the front of the room. Hermione, somehow, was compelled to follow. Perhaps it was just a strange sense of curiosity that drove her forward. She was even half tempted to pinch herself, or perhaps pinch him to make sure she wasn't dreaming.
"Hello, Severus," Hermione whispered, her throat having suddenly gone dry. She could feel her face heat at the thought of marrying this man before her. The implication of what she was about to do caused a sudden spike of pain to shoot across her forehead.
Sweet Merlin, she was about to marry Severus Snape.
"Hermione." Severus replied in his naturally low silky voice.
Hermione could feel his eyes travel upon her person. He started at her feet, paused to look at the flowers she held, lingered on her face, and finished looking at her hair.
"You looking stunning, Hermione," Severus said, holding out his hand. Hermione could see his Adam's apple bob up and down. Yes, indeed he was nervous, yet here he was holding out his hand to her.
"Thank you," she replied, placing her left hand in his. Hermione couldn't help but see him inspect the ring on her finger. Severus had to concentrate on breathing, realizing that his family ring was really on this witch's finger. The witch that he wanted. The perfect witch. "I didn't know. In case you were wondering if I did, but I didn't, did you?" Hermione gushed on in nervousness.
"I think you would have cornered me before now if you did, and vice versa." Severus replied, not able to take his eyes off of her.
She was really here. He was holding her hand in his. She wasn't a figment of his imagination, but a real live human being.
"Quite." Hermione nibbled on her lip and glanced quickly at the elderly wizard that was there to marry them. "Shall we get this going then?" Hermione asked. Severus' mouth fell open a bit, before it snapped back shut.
"We are ready then?" The elderly wizard questioned, flipping to the appropriate page in his book.
The bride and bridegroom both replied in the affirmative.
"Good. My name is Grindly Goodnight, and I will be the officer from the Department of Genealogical Suitability that will marry you today. After the short ceremony, you will then be required to sign a parchment. One copy will be made for you to keep, one will be sent to the Ministry, and one will be sent to Gringotts. Are there any questions?" He waited two beats before reading off the standard ceremony ritual before him.
While Mr. Goodnight droned on in a mono toned voice, Hermione gazed at the man next to her. She was tempted to pinch herself once again, wondering if it was a dream that Severus Snape was the man next to her. The man that terrified her for seven years. The man who ignored her for another three. The darkest man she knew, and it wasn't just his clothes.
But one mantra kept running through her head. He was perfect for her. Somehow, someway, he filled out the same questionnaire as she did and sent it in to the YLC. Now here she was, marrying a man she really didn't know anything about besides what was written on a piece of paper. Sure he had looked safe and fine on paper, but standing next to the blood and flesh man was a completely different story.
"Do you have the rings," Mr. Goodnight asked, breaking Hermione's appraisal of her future husband.
Hermione pulled on the band from the pouch at her waist, taking the time to pass her flowers off to Minerva.
"Repeat after me," Mr. Goodnight began, as Severus took her left hand more firmly in his and positioned a matching band on her third finger. She couldn't help the tremors pass through her, making her hand shake ever so slightly. She wasn't scared, no, excited perhaps was a better word for it. So she just smiled at Severus and waited for the ceremony to continue.
"I, Severus Snape," Mr. Goodnight began, but Hermione only heard Severus' words in her ears.
"I, Severus Snape, take you Hermione Granger to be my lawfully wedded wife. To have and to hold, through sickness and through health, through richer or for poorer, through death do us part." Hermione couldn't help the soft sigh that passed her lips as he slid the ring all the way on her finger.
Without breaking contact with his black eyes, Hermione repeated the same words of love and devotion to Severus. By the time she slipped the ring all the way down his long finger she began to feel light headed by the idea that she was now Mrs. Severus Snape. A thought that didn't bother her more than she initially thought it would when she first saw him standing beside Albus.
They clasped their hands together, and listened to the ending of the marriage ceremony.
"I now pronounce you, husband and wife."
Hermione could faintly hear the claps of both Minerva and Albus.
"A kiss is now customary," Severus said in barely a whisper.
"By all means, Severus," Hermione grinned, wondering how this normal inapproachable man would now proceed.
She watched as Severus slowly leaned down to place a kiss on her lips, but her eyes fluttered close the moment his lips touched her own.
Her head began to swim when his lips touched her own. Her skin felt like it was on fire, and all he had done was kiss her.
Severus gently kissed his wife, and when he pulled away he was pleased to see that her skin was wonderfully flushed and her eyes were slowly fluttering open.
"That was simply beautiful," Minerva said between a hiccup and a cry. Hermione glanced over, and the old matron was dabbing at her eyes with a white handkerchief. Though she couldn't help but notice that Albus was standing beside her with a smile plastered so wide on his face that it had to hurt.
Hermione turned away from them as Severus led her to sign the rest of the paperwork that would legally claim them to be a married couple. Minerva and Albus followed suit, signing their names as well as witnesses.
"Come, my wife," Severus said, leading Hermione from the room. "I assume there are things we need to speak of no doubt."
"Indeed." Hermione replied, willingly being led by her husband through the Ministry.
She tried not to giggle at the thought of what people must think to see them so dressed together. There was no doubt from what department they had just come from, and seeing as how Severus taught more than half of the people in the Ministry itself, the rumor mill no doubt already spinning.
Hermione was so enthralled in watching Severus as they walked, that she almost tripped over her own two feet when he suddenly stopped.
She couldn't hide the blush that reddened her cheeks when he grabbed her around the waist to keep her from falling over.
"Are you alright?" Severus questioned, slowly removing his hands from her person.
"Quite right," Hermione replied.
"Shall I Apparate for us? There is a place that we can go that is quite private."
"Of course." Hermione said with a small smile.
With in seconds, she felt the tell tale sign of Apparition as she felt like she was being pulled through a small hole, stomach first.