A/N: Hello readers. I want to give a special thanks to Trixie's Mom, sbolzzz, and LK-HoGwArTs-hEaDgIrL for all following my story. As well as any who followed after 8. It felt great to upload my story before 6:30 in the morning, and come to school only 2 hours later and see that in my email. I really hope that you all enjoy the rest of the story. If you have suggestions, I might even use them…with the proper credit of course. You will notice that Voldemort seems a little out of character, but I feel like while he despises the idea of feeling, and believes it makes you weak, I think he has a certain curisosity for it and doesn't mind the displays. He knows Severus feels nothing for Hermione, but I think there's more to Voldemort than we believe. Without further ado, here is chapter 1, where you will find out what these death eaters were doing, a wedding is mentioned and who knows what else.

Disclaimer: alas, I do not own the rights to Harry potter, Teddy would have at least one parent if I did.

Chapter 1

Hermione opened her eyes slowly, expecting there to be a bright light. When she did open them, she was surprised to find herself in a dimly lit room completely unbound. She patted herself down, partially in search of any injuries, but mostly in search of her wand. She found neither. Hermione looked around her, seeing many familiar death eater faces. She turned around in a circle, seeing Lucius Malfoy, Bellatrix Lestrange, and two people who must have been related to Crabbe and Goyle. She slowly turned, studying every face, familiar or not, until she found the most familiar of all. The face she saw almost every day for six years. Severus Snape.

"I see the mudblood friend of Harry Potter is now awake." A deep, hissing like voice called from the shadows. "You know, you gave my friends a bit of a hard time catching you. Normally I would punish you myself, but I have different plans for you."

As if reading her frightened mind, a figure began emerging from the dark shadows between Severus and Peter Petigrew. The flatnosed, bald, paled skinned face could only belong to one person. Voldemort.

"And what do you want from me?" She asked, searching for some bit of authority, but still sounded scared. Great going, Harry would be so proud to see his best friend sounding as scared as five year old girl.

"It's not what I want." Voldemort responded in a tone that Hermione couldn't quite decipher, but she felt as though he were mocking her for not knowing. "I think my death eaters would get more fun out of you. Lucius, How would you like a little mistress? Or you Crabbe? Your wife being sick and all. Or maybe Wormtail would like a plaything." Voldemort continued around his circle and finally came to Severus, "Or maybe Severus would like a wife, it is about time you got married. So, you decide amongst yourselves."

Hermione looked around her in fear. It was obvious who was contemplating having her as their toy. She had no clue what to do, so she blurted out before she could think about the consequences, "May I choose? Because if so, I choose Severus."

The room went quiet, Severus looked at his student with shock at the audacity she had to call him by his first name, and Voldemort seemed to smile. Hermione herself wished she could take back what she said, but even the look on Severus' face told her he would have fought anyway. He was a professor first and for most, and because of that he had to do anything to keep his students safe. Even if it meant marrying one, and being bound to them for the rest of his life.

The silence was abruptly shattered by one question, "What do you think of that Severus?" Voldemort's hissy voice called.

Hermione looked to her professor with pleading eyes, begging him to accept her proposal, as he was her safest option. Finally Severus spoke in his sneering voice, "Yes, I think that would be acceptable."

Hermione used all her will power to prevent herself from exhaling a breath of exhalation. Voldemort seemed to almost glow with a strange pleased demeanor. "Excellent. I suppose that means a party is in order, and Narcissa, you must plan the wedding. I'm sure Hermione would enjoy a mother's touch to her special day. Severus, You will take Miss Granger to a jeweler and by her whichever ring she likes, I shall cover the cost of everything, and then go straight to the ministry to get a marriage license."

Hermione was shocked at this. Voldemort seemed more human at the prospect of something that usually shows love, yet everyone knew he believed it made you weak. She made a mental note, because she knew she would be expected to follow her husband. She would get to follow her education. That was one prospect she liked the idea of.

Hermione was pulled out her thoughts by Severus grabbing her arm and apparating away.

"What were you thinking Miss Granger?" Severus shouted at her before she regained composure from landing. "He could have just as easily said no and given you to someone else, or even kept you for himself."

"I wasn't thinking, ok?" She yelled back. "I was scared and reacted out of self defense. Maybe you should have thought of that before yelling at someone who is completely innocent compared to you."

Severus raised his hand and slapped her. "I may not be innocent, but I am the reason you are not being locked up and raped brutally. I am the reason we know of his plans. I have sacrificed my morally, my PERSONAL and STRONG morals for your little friend. Now stop crying stand up straight and look happy."

Hermione stood and stared wide eyed at Severus. She could still feel his hand on her cheek and had no doubt that his hand had marked her face. Slowly she wiped her eyes of the salty tears and put the best smile she on. She noticed even her Professor wore a fairly convincing smile. "Shouldn't we cast a concealment charm? So people don't think you're abusing me into marry you."

Severus muttered something under his breath, and she assumed it was the charm, but the pain was still there. "It will be lifted at the ministry, you will say your father hit you when he found out about us. Then I immediately took you away and proposed."

Hermione just nodded. Normally she would exert her stubbornness, especially since she didn't like the idea of making her father seem abusive. But it was a convincing story to allow a professor and student to live together and marry.

Severus led her into a quaint Jewelry shop. She felt relieved it wasn't a big chain. Hermione found she hated the similar designs that they all carried. And she knew she would refuse a diamond. Diamonds were way too cliché for her taste. They walked over to a display case that had many quaint and simple designs. If she hadn't known better, she would say that Severus knew some of the more intimate desires she had.

Hermione had always imagined her wedding, like any girl, but for different reasons. She wanted it perfectly planned so that any necessary changes could be made as needed. Her ideal engagement ring was extremely ironic to her now. The band was silver, because gold was just too flashy for her. Then a round dark green emerald in the center with three black round cut onyx on both sides. As she grazed through the display case her eyes settled on her perfect ring. Even down to the 6 ½ ring size. Even more ironically next to it was a ring of the exact same design only with a gold band, and had a ruby with three garnets on either side.

"Have you chosen one?" Severus asked. To anyone else it might have sounded curious, but Hermione could tell he was just being impatient.

Hermione was hesitant to point out her ideal ring, as she didn't want Severus to make a snide comment about the Gryffindor choosing a Slytherin ring. Reluctantly she pointed to the one she wanted, and stated, "The silver banded emerald one."

She could Hear Severus chuckle, but it wasn't false. It was a true chuckle that made him seem sweet, and only put Hermione on guard. "Madame," He stated, calling the jeweler their way. "We would like to purchase a ring."

"Unfortunately that's the only ring in that form, and we don't offer resizing." The woman's voice said with a sneer.

Hermione felt extremely insulted and responded as such, "That's alright, is already to my size and that is my ideal ring."

The woman did not take kindly to Hermione's attitude, and Hermione could have sworn she felt a proud feeling emanating off of Severus. Maybe because for once her stubbornness wasn't directed towards him, or because she knew exactly what she was talking about and the woman was like the rest of his students. Nevertheless, the woman, though a tad slowly, grabbed the ring and handed it towards Severus. He took the ring and examined it closely.

"We demand full payment upon purchase."

While Severus reached for the money, Hermione couldn't help but think about how unconventional the woman was being. Before Severus could hand the woman the money, Hermione spoke up, "May please speak to your manager?"

"Excuse me?"

"I want to speak to your manager. I am extremely appalled with the service we have received, and I wish to lodge a complaint before we pay, especially as I can clearly read the sign behind you that states payment plans are available, and resizing is as well."

The woman failed to come up with anything to say and stalked angrily off to the back.

"I must say, Miss Granger, I am quite surprised at your demeanor." Severus commented emotionlessly.

"Well, I refuse to deal with awful customer service, no matter the circumstance."

A typical tall dark and handsome, yet slightly nerdish man walked out towards the two, followed by the unhappy woman. "I was told you wished to speak with me, and my employee seems rather put off by it."

While Hermione had planned on speaking to the man, Severus spoke up first, "We wished to speak with you because your employee has provided us with quite unsatisfactory service and told us lies. She spoke to us quite rudely, though we did nothing to her. Then she stated that the ring could not be resized and that full payment was due a purchase. The sign behind her, states otherwise." There was something admirable in the eloquence of his words. Hermione did respect him, and had to admit, she always imagined marrying someone like him, but still couldn't imagine marrying him.

Hermione was ripped from her observation the woman yelling out, "NOTHING WRONG? She can't possibly be older than 16. You are a pedophile forcing this girl to marry, I saw her crying just before you came in."

Hermione spoke up, "I am 18, and more than capable of choosing my husband. I was crying because my step-father did not approve and tried to convince my mother to disinherit me. And it is none of your business, nor any reason for you to be so rude."

The manager looked between the three of them, as if trying to decide who to believe. Slowly he spoke, "I apologize for my employee's behavior. She should not have pried into your business. I will also give you a discount, half off. I'm having trouble getting it to sell anyway. The gold rings barely stay on my shelf, diamonds, are gone in a flash. So please enjoy."

Severus handed him the money and turned to leave with the ring. Hermione felt bad about his callousness, and was reminded of only one reason she didn't like him at all. "Thank you very much, sir," She said with a smile as she followed after her 'fiancé'.