AN: I don't own any characters of canon plot. I only can take credit for the liberties that I have taken. Please review!
"You wanted to see me, sir?"
Three sets of eyes met Hermione as she stood in the doorway of the headmaster's office.
"Come in, dear", Minerva McGonagall said, stiffly patting the seat of the chair between herself and Professor Snape. Professor Dumbledore sat in an ornately carved desk chair behind a wide expanse of richly colored wood. Hermione hesitantly took the offered seat and glanced up at Professor Snape. He had not acknowledged her presence in the room yet, and his eyes did not move from their position on the headmaster. After she was settled, Professor Dumbledore paused for a moment and started speaking.
"Did you have a nice birthday, Miss Granger?"
Hermione smiled nervously. She had been summoned rather urgently less than half an hour ago, and he was asking her about her weekend.
"I did, sir. My parents were able to meet me in Hogsmeade for dinner to celebrate."
Professor Dumbledore smiled, his eyes sparkling as they usually did, but Hermione thought they seemed more pensive than usual. Professor Dumbledore continued.
"Turning seventeen represents your coming of age in the magical world, I'm sure you know."
"Yes sir, not in the muggle world, though. That will come next year when I turn eighteen."
Professor McGonagall started speaking.
"Hermione, you know that our world is coming upon what could be a very pivotal point. With he-who-must-not-be-named rising in power every day, the Order of the Phoenix is looking to induct more capable witches and wizards. Your coming of age makes you eligible to join."
Hermione eagerly leaned forward, a bright smile illuminating her features. She was eager to do anything asked of her for the war effort. She spoke animatedly.
"I would love to join the order. I'll do anything required to keep Vold-"
Professor Snape hissed in displeasure. Hermione apologetically looked at him, but his eyes remained trained on the headmaster.
"he-who-must-not-be-named from gaining more power."
Professor Snape spoke for the first time since Hermione had entered the room.
"Your enthusiasm for putting your life at risk is admirable."
His words dripped with sarcasm. He was not impressed with her Gryffindor bravado. Professor Dumbledore ignored him.
"We would like to initiate you tonight. You may of course take a few days to think about it."
Hermione shook her head and responded, "I don't need time. The sooner I can serve the order, the better."
Professor Dumbledore smiled.
"We shall proceed immediately."
The three professors stood, and Hermione followed their cue. Professor Dumbledore pulled a four-handled goblet from a drawer in his desk and looked expectantly at Professor McGonagall. She brandished a carafe of clear liquid and carefully poured until the goblet was half full. Professor Snape pulled a vial from his pocket and precisely deposited a single drop of gold shimmering liquid that Hermione recognized as phoenix tears. Professor Dumbledore, Professor McGonagall, and Professor Snape each grasped a handle of the goblet. Hermione stared for a moment. Professor Snape took hold of her left hand with his right one and guided it to grasp the remaining handle. Professor Dumbledore whispered an incantation, and the room was bathed in darkness. Professor Dumbledore started speaking, and a single candle illuminated, floating over him.
"Your membership in the Order of the Pheonix represents your desire to combat darkness with light. In this membership, you will share a common goal with other order members. You may not always agree with your comrades on the methods by which this goal is attained, but it is imperative that your actions always represent a turning away from darkness in favor of light."
Professor Dumbledore looked at Hermione and reached for her hand that was not holding the four-handled goblet. He held her hand and used his index finger to apply pressure to the inside of her wrist. He spoke softly.
"I Albus extend to you Hermione the grip of our order and drink with you the bittersweet tears of phoenix and waters of purity."
He brought the goblet to his lips. Hermione stared at her three professors, not knowing what to do. The three professors guided the goblet to Hermione's lips, and she obediently sipped the bittersweet liquid. Albus released her hand, and Professor McGonagall took hold of it. She started to speak softly, and a floating candle illuminated over her head.
"I Minerva extend to you Hermione the grip of our order and drink with you the bittersweet tears of phoenix and waters of purity."
She brought the goblet to her lips and drank. The three professors once again guided the goblet to Hermione's mouth. She obediently drank once more, and they returned the goblet to the center of their huddle. Minerva released her hand, and Professor Snape took it. Hermione flushed a bit at the pleasant warmness of his hands. She had never thought of her potions professor as a particularly warm or pleasant man, but the feeling of her small hand in his much larger one was certainly…pleasant. He started speaking softly, his deep voice resonating off the office's high ceilings. A candle illuminated above his head.
"I Severus extend to you Hermione the grip of our order and drink with you the bittersweet tears of phoenix and waters of purity."
He brought the goblet to his lips and drank the shimmering liquid. Albus and Minerva helped him guide the goblet to her lips and she closed her eyes, drinking the remaining liquid. As soon as she opened her eyes, the room was bathed in bright white light. An orb like a miniature sun illuminated the room, and the room's lighting fixtures ignited brighter than Hermione had ever seen.
The goblet was set down and the three professors guided Hermione to kneel. Minerva conjured a crystal goblet filled with water. Severus pulled a jar out of his pocket. Hermione looked closely to determine what the glass container contained and was surprised to see that it was the same ink that most wizards used for their quills. Minerva started speaking.
"Having been invited into this order, there are expectations that we have of you, and there are expectations that you have of your fellow order members. This water represents our order. It is clean and bright, unsullied."
Severus started speaking as he used his wand to draw a single drop of ink out of the well.
"This ink represents the darkness that our order was established to eradicate. This drop is small, yet it contains the power to sully the entire goblet."
Professor Snape allowed the drop to fall into the glass. The ink marbled with the water and eventually, all of the liquid was black. Hermione looked at him in awe. He continued speaking, looking at her intensely.
"Protecting the order from infiltration of darkness is critical for our survival. One drop of ink, one evil person has the ability to sully the entire order with his or her actions."
Professor Dumbledore spoke softly.
"We have trust in you, though. We believe that you will do everything in your power to keep darkness out of our order. Do you promise to uphold strictest confidentiality in all matters of order business?"
Hermione didn't hesitate.
"I do."
Professor McGonagall continued.
"Do you promise to support every member of this order in their pursuit in protecting our world from darkness?"
"I do"
Professor Snape spoke with a sense of finality in his voice.
"I, Severus Snape, on behalf of the Order of the Pheonix and its associates, do induct Hermione Granger on this twentieth day of September in the year nineteen-ninety-six into our ranks."
The bright orb faded out and the light fixtures dimmed back to their normal brightness. Hermione was speechless. Professor Dumbledore spoke first.
"Well, now that that's taken care of, we have something we would like to discuss with you, Hermione."
The group all returned to their seats. Professor Snape went right back to his refusal to look at her. Professor Dumbledore started speaking.
"Hermione, you now know that Severus is one of our most trusted members of the order."
Hermione nodded.
Dumbledore continued, "He also is one of most trusted men among the ranks of he-who-must-not-be-named. He's a spy for us, you see."
Hermione smiled nervously.
"I knew that, sir."
Dumbledore smiled and spoke.
"You have always been a very bright girl. The reason I am telling you this is that an announcement will come from the ministry tomorrow morning, one that affects yourself and Severus."
Hermione frowned. She wasn't sure she was following.
"Why Professor Snape and me, specifically?"
Professor McGonagall answered her.
"Well not just you two, but all witches and wizards of child-bearing age. He-who-must-not-be-named has pushed an agenda through in the ministry to organize marriages to grow his ranks through procreation."
Hermione looked at Professor Snape whose steely gaze still rested on Professor Dumbledore.
"A marriage law?" Hermione inquired.
Professor Dumbledore nodded gravely.
"One of the order's sources in the ministry tipped us off. Of course, Severus has been briefed by the Dark Lord and knows more specifics."
The three turned to look at Professor Snape whose eyes finally slid from the headmaster. He started speaking.
"The Dark Lord is hoping that this marriage law brings politically strategic matches for death eaters. The ministry will match couples based on compatibility unless they already have a betrothal contract signed. Several death eaters have attempted to arrange matches with women twenty years their junior. They are taking this as an opportunity to…satisfy themselves."
Hermione's eyes widened.
"What if I get matched with a death eater?", she nervously asked Professor Dumbledore.
Professor Snape winced, and Hermione wondered if he had hurt himself. Professor McGonagall tenderly placed a hand on Hermione's arm and spoke.
"We were hoping that you would agree to sign a betrothal contract tonight to prevent that from becoming an issue."
Hermione nodded, her eyes still wide.
"Who would you have me marry?", she asked in a very hesitant voice.
Professor Dumbledore ignored her question but began to speak.
"We are similarly concerned for Severus. His unique position puts him at risk as well. If he were to marry outside of the order, he would not be able to continue spying. The Dark Lord wishes for him to marry strategically as well."
Comprehension dawned on Hermione. No one dared say it out loud, but they were setting her up to wed her potions professor. She shook her head slowly, rising from her chair and backing away from her three professors.
"I don't know about this", she said in a shaky voice as she navigated backwards through the headmaster's office. Professor McGonagall rose to follow her, cooing like she was attempting to dissuade her from jumping off a bridge. Professor Snape and Professor Dumbledore were whispering furiously to each other, having moved across the room in the opposite direction.
"Hermione, we know it's not pleasant for either of you, but it would aid the order in keeping Severus with us. He is invaluable to our progress. You too would be married in a strictly legal sense, only complying with the minimum standards set forth in the law."
Professor Snape must have overheard their conversation. He broke in in a mocking voice.
"Before you agree, Miss Granger, ask Minerva and Albus what the minimum standards are."
Hermione looked at her head of house, who had the decency to look squeamish. She spoke delicately.
"From our understanding, the marriage will need to be physically consummated withing twenty-four hours of the bonding."
Hermione nodded, listening. She spoke.
"And?"
Professor McGonagall continued, "And unprotected copulation will be required at minimum twice a week. Three children are to be born in the first five years of marriage."
Hermione paled. Sleeping with her potions professor twice a week for the foreseeable future? She wasn't disgusted. There was a certain appeal about the potions master that had made Hermione wake up gasping a handful of times from graphic dreams involving detentions with him. Hermione looked over at Professor Snape who still refused to make eye contact with her. How was he going to handle sharing a bed with her if he couldn't even look at her. She knew that he had little agency in the matter. His role in the order and among the ranks of Voldemort required that he marry someone suitable, and she was the only option. They wouldn't force her, but she knew she had to do it for the sake of the order.
"I'll do it."