"Professor Dumbledore, you wanted to see me sir?" Hermione Granger asked as she knocked on the large wooden door to the headmasters office. "Yes Miss granger, please come in." Hermione pushed on the door and strode nervously into his office and took a seat in front of the large desk. Albus Dumbledore, the headmaster at Hogwarts, stared curiously over his half moon spectacles at the young girl before him. "First, I must congratulate you on becoming Head Girl, that is quite on accomplishment!" Hermione smiled "Thank you sir, I worked hard for this and I am rather proud of myself. I can't wait to begin my duties in my Seventh year after the summer." Dumbledore chuckled at her enthusiasm "Make sure to enjoy your summer. But I fear there is something I have to say. With Lord Voldemort slowly gaining power, it appears he has gained control over the Ministry of Magic." Hermione nodded and leaned forward "Yes sir, I remember from the last order meeting at headquarters." "Well I'm afraid he has enacted a new law that will affect many young lives, but it also affects you quite gravely." Hermione shifted nervously in her chair and push a lock of hair behind her ear "He has enacted The Marriage Law, which states that all witches and wizards who are over the age of 18, must marry before the end of the summer. And I'm afraid with your use of the time turner in your third year, your legal age is 19."
"I'm going to be forced to marry, in the next two months, before I return to Hogwarts?" Hermione all but yelled. Dumbledore nodded solemnly "I'm afraid so child. I tried everything to block this law, but he has enough influence now to get it to pass. The law has only been in place for 48 hours, as such there is already a long list of pure bloods who have petitioned for your hand." Conjuring a list with his wand, he passed it to the young witch who started to read. "There's only a few names on this list I recognize, Malfoy? Nott? Zanbini? Sir these are all death water families." Dumbledore nodded again "This law was enacted for a few reasons: wizarding population is on the verge of extensions, we must marry and have children. But also Lord Voldemort knows you are close friends with Harry Potter. If he can marry you off to one of his most loyal death eaters, he can use you to get to him." Tears sprang to Hermiones eyes "I can't sir, I can't marry these people. They will block my education, torture me and use me for their end goals. I'll end up dead before the end of next year." "I think we can prevent that Hermione. If you'll look at the bottom of the list, there is another name." Hermione sniffed and picked up the list once again to look at the last name but couldn't believe what she was reading. "Professor Snape? You can't be serious." Dumbledore smiled sadly "Unfortunately I am miss granger. Severus is a spy for us, he is loyal to the light, of that I am completely sure. By marrying him, he can offer you protection from the death eaters and even Voldemort himself. You'd be safe in the castle and allowed to continue your research. It was Severus himself who suggested this." Hermione shook her head "He's been foul to me for the last 6 years. Name calling, punishments, bad marks just because who I am friends with'". Dumbledore walked around his desk and put his hand on the young witches shoulder "Hermione, think. What other choices do you have? Surely you can see who this is the only viable option." Hermione didn't want to believe it but, she knew that the headmaster was right. Wiping the last of her tears from her eyes she said "I suppose I need to go meet with Professor Sn...Severus." The headmaster nodded "He is waiting in his private rooms in the dungeons. The door is a painting of a sleeping dragon. Good luck my dear."
Hermione walked slowly to the dungeons. Thankfully the castle was nearly empty as today was the last day of term and all the students were making their ways toward the Hogwarts express. Could she really do this? Marry one of her professors; one that has bullied her relentlessly for the past 6 years? The walk passed all to quickly for her liking and before Hermione knew it she was standing in front of the sleeping dragon painting "How appropriate for Snape's private quarters" she mused. He was much like a sleeping dragon, one never knowing what would incur his wrath. With a somewhat trembling hand Hermione knocked on the frame, it was but a moment when she heard his deep voice "Enter". Hermione tapped the frame and the painting swung open wide, allowing her to enter.
Snape's private quarters were nothing like she imagined: she thought there would be nothing but black and gray with perhaps a few spots of green, dingy and dark and depressing. But instead the rooms were a rich royal navy blue, the color alone was comforting. There were ever burning candles everywhere, casting bright light and flickering away merrily, the marble fire place roared with a large fire that kept the dungeon chill way. The floors were covered in large rugs that were almost a Slytherin green, but a few shades lighter. There was a large leather couch and several leather arm chairs to match, that Hermione just knew she could sink into with a large book. There were a few doors off to the right that were closed "Those most hide the bathroom and bedroom" hermione thought as she took in the large book vases that line one wall. There was a modest sized kitchen complete with stove, oven, sink, refrigerator and plenty of counter and canniest space. A small, dark wood, dining room table sat with two chairs around it and small bowl of fruit sat in the middle. It was all rather...domestic.
"Are you done gawking my rooms Miss. granger?" Hermione's head whipped around and she was embarrassed to say she had completely overlooked the man she had come to see. He was sitting in an armchair tucked away in a corner, reading a book next to a candle. It would seem he was observing her as she was observing her surroundings. "I'm sorry professor, that was rude of me." Snape sneered at her as he polished off his glass, Hermione assumed it contained firewhiskey, and stood up. To her surprise Snape was without his usual billowing black robes and wore jeans and a black button down shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows. "Your rudeness aside, I assume you've just come from a meeting with the headmaster." He said with a sigh. Hermione nodded and shuffled nervously on her feet "Yes sir. This blasted marriage law. You petitioned for me?" Snape nodded, slowly and looked at the young witch before him with something close to disdain "I did. Though it is not a thought I am fond of." He said as he moved to an armchair in front of the couch and motioned for Hermione to take the other. Slowly she moved to take a seat and was surprised to find that she melted into the chair and was almost at ease; if not for the man sitting across from her. "Then why did you?" He threw a look at her "we are not married yet, you'll still address me as sir." Hermione gulped down her anger and refused to break eye contact "then why did you, sir?" Snape sighed once again, as though already bored with the conversation "I knew of this marriage law only twelve hours before it's inception. Voldemort filed me in on his plan to gain control of you to gain control of Potter. While he named off everyone who would apply for you hand, he mentioned me as well. It makes perfect sense; my position of a spy allows me to be able to protect you and still pass back information that the dark would take as valuable. Any other name on that list, if you marry them, it sends in your death; of that I can assure you." He said all this so nonchalantly, as if he was discussing the weather.
Hermione stared at the man for an increasingly long period of time until he snapped "are you going to say something or not, you stupid girl!" Hermione was snapped out of her deep thought and brought back to the present "Name calling will get you nowhere. I have your word, you'll protect me? No matter which side wins?" Snape nodded "yes Miss granger. Despite opinions to the contrary, I do not hate you or wish you ill." They both stared at each other for a few minutes, the fire crackling merrily in the background "you do know that wizard marriages are for life?" Hermione gulped and nodded "Yes sir, I'm aware." Snape continued " as my wife id expect you to be loyal to me? There will be no relationships on the side." Hermione was hurt by the accusation "I'm insulted you would suggest that, but of course I'd be loyal, and I'd expect that same in return from you." "Naturally" Snape drawled. "There's also the expectations of children. I want a family...Severus." Snape scowled at the use of his first name: it created an air of intimacy he was unaccustomed to. "Naturally, it's written into the law, we must have at least one child before the end of two years of marriage...Hermione." Hermione nodded "Then I guess it's decided, we are to be married." Snape was unmoved by the decision "would you like to pick a date?" Hermione pondered this for a moment "August 1st? That gives us a month to plan the wedding and a month to get used to living with each other before then." Snape nodded seemingly agreeable "Very well then. I'll contact you by owl in a few days Miss granger." Hermione nodded as she stood to leave "I look forward to it, I need to catch the train. I'll be staying with the Weasleys at the burrow this summer, you can reach me there." With that she turned and walked out the room.
Snape turned his back and poured another glass of firewhiskey as he heard the floo activate and someone step into the room. "How did it go Severus?" Taking a drink form his glass, Snape turned and saw the headmaster in his quarters "as well as you can expect. I am engaged to be married to one of my students. She doesn't seem as revolted by the idea as I'd have thought." Dumbledore shook his head at the man before him "you are not a bad man, Severus. In fact you are quite a catch: potions master, author and a tenured professor at Hogwarts!" Snape scowled "I'm 20 years her senior Albus, and she didn't catch me: circumstances threw us together." Albus smiled "Nonetheless, you together now. You must consider her feelings as well; this will be a real marriage. I believe you will both be good for one another. One last parting bit of wisdom; in muggle tradition it is customary to give your fiancé an engagement ring." Before Snape could say anything Dumbledore stepped into the fire place and was gone, he has reached the end of his rope "blasted old man!" Snape yelled as he threw his glass into the fire and the flames roared.
"YOU'RE GOING TO MARRY WHO?" Harry and Ron roared as Hermione filled everyone in at the burrow. The rest of the Weasleys look on in shock, "I'm going to marry Snape" hermione said with a sigh. "Like bloody hell you are!" Ron yelled. It had been common knowledge that he had long held a candle for hermione, but he had never done anything about it. "Ronald! Stop yelling. Hermione dear, will you please explain it again?" Came the kind voice of mrs. Weasley, who was sitting to her right. Hermione smiled at the kind older woman who was a second mother to her "Basically, he who shall not be named, has enacted a marriage law. The main goal is to increase wizard population. But he sees this as a way to get closer to Harry. If he can marry me off to one of his death eaters, he controls me and Harry. But both Snape and Dumbledore agree that that happening will end of my death, sooner rather than later. If I marry Snape, I'm protected; I can keep my education and he can pass along seemingly valuable information to the dark. He swore to protect me, no matter what happens." Mr and Mrs Weasley shared a look but soon nodded "it's not ideal by any means, but I have to agree this is the best course of action." Hermione smiled a watery smile "thank you both, your support means the world to me.
Ron opened his mouth to complain again, but Hermione stopped him before he could start "Enough Ron! No amount of your complaining or yelling is going to change this, you either accept it or don't!" With the she got up and stalked out of the room to the flower garden. She wasn't alone for long, Harry was suddenly beside her. "Mione I won't say I'm overly thrilled by this, but I know it's the best course. Snape's not a bad guy, he'll protect you." Hermione nodded stiffly while still starring at the flowers "you know you're like a sister to me, I support you and I love you." Tears broke free from her eyes as she turned to hug her best friend "Thank you Harry, I really needed to hear that." Harry hugged her back tighter "So when's the wedding?" Hermione couldn't control the slight shiver that went through her "August 1st. A little less than a month away." "We will be there for you." Bother Hermione and Harry turned to see Ron standing there, smiling. The golden trio shared one last hug before heading back inside the burrow for dinner.