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Chapter Fourteen
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Hermione's heart pounded. It was already half-way through the lunch hour, and she'd just finished spilling her story to her two best friends. She hadn't had the courage to look at them the whole time. Amazingly enough, they'd followed her beginning instructions and not said a word the entire time she blurted everything out -- aside from some rather interesting squeaks and assorted groans.
Timidly, she raised her eyes -- wide-eyed shock on two faces, both of them absolutely still, staring at her. Harry's hand was over Ron's mouth, however, the color of the red-headed boy's face almost matching that of his hair. After a moment that seemed to last forever, Ron impatiently shrugged off Harry's hand.
Worry in his eyes, he still took the time to take a deep breath before he spoke. "Do you know what you've done, Hermione?" he asked, far more quietly than Hermione could have reasonably expected. She'd really thought Ron would lose it completely at first. She had counted on needing every spare moment to convince him to calm down enough to cooperate. This was a very pleasant surprise -- either that or he was even more upset than she could imagine.
She nodded. "Yes, I'd already done some reading on it, and then Professor Snape made sure I knew more of the details."
"How could you do it, Hermione?" he asked then, shuddering. "I mean, yeah, he's in danger and all that, but you could end up *really* having to marry him, and then there'd be *NO* way out."
Then came what Hermione had been expecting all along.
"ARE YOU OUT OF YOUR MIND?!" he exploded.
She started to retort, hoping she managed to keep her own temper in check, when Harry interrupted with a quiet question.
"There wasn't anyone else that could, was there?"
Distracted from her own retort, she shook her head. "No, not that wouldn't take advantage of the situation *and* could be trusted to keep their mouths shut about how it really came about, *and* would be believable."
"Harry," Ron began angrily, but Harry cut him off.
"He doesn't like me, but he saved my life anyway. How can any one of us do less?" he asked carefully. His expression said clearly he didn't like that it was Hermione that was doing it, but he just as clearly couldn't begrudge her the doing of it.
Ron glared at both of them, threw his arms across his chest, and slumped backward into his chair. It was as close as they were going to get to him admitting that he agreed -- with great reluctance.
Harry shook his head and Hermione grinned. This was going way better than she'd anticipated.
"Is this why your parents are here?"
"Yes, this morning in the front hall was act one," Hermione nodded, then frowned. "I was *supposed* to have time to let you two know about it first, though." Shaking her head over that, she quickly filled them in on the rest of the plan.
"You mean I get to yell, and rant, and generally behave like a prat and *still* be supportive," Ron asked, suddenly grinning.
Hermione couldn't help but snicker. "Yes, Ron. That's *exactly* what this plan means."
"Oh, good. I can handle that. I'm not sure I could act all happy about it."
Harry laughed then.
"Even both me and Professor Snape are supposed to act all pissy about it. Our parents supposedly acted without our consent after all."
"And this is only going on long enough to be convincing, right? If there's anyway out, you're taking it, right?" Ron double checked.
Sighing, Hermione nodded. "That's why Professor Snape and I made the agreement before his mother got to the headmaster's office -- to prevent her from getting any strange ideas."
Harry frowned in confusion, looking from Ron to her. "What do you mean, 'strange ideas'? What's she got to do with it?"
Ron launched into the explanation for her, to Hermione's relief. She was tired of explaining it all, and was glad that at least one of the two boys knew exactly what she'd gotten herself mixed up in. Harry, however, was looking sort of green by the time Ron finished explaining all about Head of Line rights and Marriage Agreements.
"That's positively medieval!" he exclaimed in horror.
"I think that was supposed to be my line," Hermione replied, grinning again. Hey, at this point, she had to take her amusement where she could find it. It was either that or go insane from the fear that was beginning to boil up inside her. **What the hell did I think I was doing!?**
Ron shrugged. "That's just the way it is."
**
As the trio hurriedly approached the Great Hall, hoping to have time to at least eat *something* before heading to class, Professor McGonagall strode toward them, her face as stern and imposing as they'd ever seen it. "Miss Granger," she said as she stopped in front of them. "You need to go directly to the headmaster's office. The password is currently kitkats."
"Is something wrong, Professor?" Hermione instantly asked, absolutely certain her tone was all wrong.
Professor McGonagall's frown deepened as she stared down at Hermione. "You tell me," she replied disapprovingly. "I have yet to be informed as to *what* this is about."
Hermione winced. It was incredibly obvious that their Head of House was *not* happy about being 'out of the loop'. She screwed up her courage, looked her favorite Professor straight in the eyes, and lied through her teeth. "I have no idea, Professor."
McGonagall hmph'd in disbelief, but turned toward Harry and Ron. "You two hurry on to lunch. You don't have much time left."
Giving Hermione sympathetic looks, both boys hurried off. She watched them go with a sigh, wishing she could either go with them, or they with her.
"Well," McGonagall urged firmly, "off with you. Best not to keep the headmaster waiting."
Hermione nodded and complied, heading quickly toward hall containing the gargoyle guarded entrance. Unfortunately, it didn't take her long to reach it at all.
"Kitkats," she murmured, stepping forward as soon as the spiral staircase began moving upward.
Silence greeted her as she reached the office. That, however, lasted only a moment. As soon as she stepped into view, both her parents jumped up and rushed toward her.
"Hermione!" her mother exclaimed, pulling her instantly into a hug. Pulling back just enough to look at her, Hermione's mother frowned. "Are you sure about this?" she asked as almost at the same moment her father spoke.
"I'm not sure we should allow this," he said stiffly. "I really don't like it one bit."
Hermione sighed. "Yes, Mother, I'm sure. I know what I'm getting myself into."
Her mother hesitated, staring at her measuringly for a very long time before nodding once and moving back.
Hermione turned to her father, ignoring the others present, the headmaster, Mrs. Snape, and Professor Snape -- who surprising was keeping very quiet. "Dad, this is something I have to do. I'm sure it's been explained?"
He nodded with obvious reluctance. "But that doesn't explain why it has to be you, especially with the added magical complications we were told about. It just doesn't seem--"
Hermione ground her teeth together, wishing *fervently* her parents hadn't been told about the magical part of it at all. Their knowledge just added more complications. "Dad, those magical complications you just mentioned?" she asked, continuing without waiting for an answer; though the quiet groan from Professor Snape worried her. "They're already in effect. Professor Snape and I agree to do this last night."
Hermione winced as the office exploded in angry noise. Her dad was *furious*. Her mum wasn't too happy either, actually, which didn't help her calm her dad down. Thankfully, the headmaster managed to pull their attention from Professor Snape, and the volume decreased . . . a little.
Her attention squarely on the debate between her parents and the headmaster, Hermione jumped when Professor Snape suddenly appeared at her side.
"I wasn't actually going to mention that little tidbit to anyone, Miss Granger," he hissed quietly.
She frowned up at him, still paying more attention to her parents than who she was speaking to. "Well, then, you should have remembered to inform me of that fact, shouldn't you have?"
Glaring, his frown deepened. "I am *not* accustomed to explaining my actions to *students* Miss Granger."
"Well, then," she snapped, only just remembering to keep her voice down, "you'd better get used to having your plans upset. I can't do what you want, if you don't tell me what you want."
She almost grinned when he didn't immediately retort, obviously there was nothing he could say to that. To hide her reaction she looked quickly away -- his expression was disconcerting her anyway.
"Um, Professor?" she asked hesitantly, staring across the room.
"What?" he demanded lowly.
"Why is your mother smirking like that?"
Professor Snape's head snapped up and he glared across the room. "I don't know," he replied warily after several seconds.
Hermione glanced up at him in surprise. "That worries me," she whispered.
Blinking as he looked down at her, Professor Snape surprised her with a smirk that wasn't *completely* disdainful. "Welcome to the club," he muttered as he moved away, making a beeline for his mother.
Trying to return her attention to her own parents, Hermione was glad to note that the furor of that conversation seemed to be dying down. She watched as the two of them reluctantly gave in and signed the necessary forms that would make this all as legal in the muggle world as it already was in the wizarding one.
Unfortunately, her ease of mind didn't last long. Her attention caught by Professor Snape's emphatic hand movements across the room, she couldn't help but notice the absolute fury in his expression. She gulped. Harry and Ron had described the Professor in this kind of mood before -- the time they'd crashed into the whomping willow at the beginning of second year -- but she'd never seen it before.
Somehow, she didn't think it boded well. Unfortunately, she was pretty sure, that she and Professor Snape hadn't managed to outsmart Mrs. Snape after all and she found she didn't like that thought, she really, really didn't.
TBC
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