A/N: I've had this idea for a while, hope you enjoy! Just so you know, This starts in 7th year for the trio, sp 6th for Ginny. And Hermione is Head Girl.
Bottled up is where my fears go, my fears go
I will never show my fear
They'll tear me up until my tears show, my tears show
Smoke and mirrors
Hermione Granger trudged obliviously through the thick January snowfall. The hem of her robes were soaked and her hair was quickly heading for the same fate due to the gathering flakes, but she didn't care. Her life, her entire future, everything she'd had planned, had just been taken away from her. Five words, and everything was ruined.
You must marry Professor Snape.
Dumbledore had said it. Just thinking of his apologetic smile after those words made her want to cry. He didn't want this for her any more than she wanted it for herself. She mulled over their conversation in her mind.
She'd been walking back from Hagrid's hut, having visited to bring him some Pepper-Up Potion from Madame Pomfrey, for he was feeling under the weather. She'd almost reached the castle, and not a moment too soon, for it was beginning to snow quite hard and the accumulation would soon reach her ankles. Just as she reached up to grasp the handle of the huge wooden door, it opened, and the headmaster was standing before her.
"Oh, Hello Professor," she greeted cheerily. She made to step past him, but he reached out to stop her.
"Miss Granger, could I please speak with you for a moment? Outside?" She looked up at him., puzzled. For a fleeting moment she noticed that his blue eyes looked somehow different, as if some of the twinkle was missing. She nodded slightly and followed him toward the lake.
They stood silently at the side of the lake for several moments before Dumbledore finally spoke. He rummaged around in the pocket of his robes, withdrawing a thick scroll of official-looking parchment, a broken ministry seal visible.
"I think you should read this, Miss Granger," he said quietly. She gave him that same, puzzled look and accepted the scroll. Opening it, she read meticulously through every word, her face growing increasingly pale.
By Order of The Minister of Magic
All muggleborn and half blooded witches and wizards graduating this year are henceforth required to marry to a pureblood spouse. Spouse's age is not important. The rest of the term will be given to choose a spouse, and weddings will be held the day after graduation. All weddings must have a ministry official present to approve the pairing.
Sincerely, Cornelius Fudge, Minister of Magic, Order of Merlin, 1st Class
As she read and reread the decree, hot tears gathered in Hermione's eyes. However, they were more tears of anger than anything.
"How dare he-Of all the nerve-I can't believe he'd.." she stuttered on. She turned to look at Dumbledore. "He can't do this, can he?" Dumbledore just nodded solemnly.
"Unfortunately, Miss Granger, he can. He is, after all, the Minister of Magic. There has been an alarmingly high number of squibs and stillborn born to pureblooded couples lately. It seems that all their years of interbreeding to 'keep blood pure' is finally catching up with them. They need to branch out, or the wizarding population will cease to exist. We need muggleborns and half bloods to marry with purebloods to save the race. However, I do not think this measure was needed. But, you know Cornelius, he thinks owns the world and is single-handedly saving it. And no one will be able to convince him otherwise. Believe me, I've tried. He'll have none of it. It looks like our student population is going to be forced into this…this ludicrous plan of his." Hermione gaped.
"But…he can't just pawn us off like pieces on a chessboard...we're human beings, not breeding cattle! How can we be forced to marry someone we don't love? Is it our fault that purebloods are breeding themselves into extinction? Damnit!" Her eyes widened at the fact that she had just cursed in front of the headmaster, but she was, after all, terribly distraught. He shook his head sadly.
"Do not forget, Miss Granger, that purebloods are being forced into this as much as muggleborns and half bloods are. They also are being denied the chance to find love. However, just because a marriage is, arranged, so to speak, does not mean it will be loveless. Companionship grows into trust, trust into friendship, friendship into admiration, admiration, eventually, so some form of love." She snorted at his words.
"Right." She pondered for a minute, until a thought struck her. "Oh Merlin…who am I going to marry?" She hadn't meant to say it out loud, but Professor Dumbledore had already begun to answer.
"Well… I assumed at first that you would marry Mr. Weasley, but seeing your reaction I gather that is not the case." She shook her head distractedly.
"No…I'm sorry, I could never marry Ron. I love him. But…it would be like marrying my brother. And, besides that, he's got a serious girlfriend. Hope Doyle...from Ravenclaw?" Dumbledore nodded.
"Well then, you see, what the ministry has done is compile a list of suitors for every muggleborn and halfblooded witch. And anyone interested in marrying that particular witch had only to apply to get their name on the list. Males who are currently students were placed on automatically." He withdrew the list from his pocket, handing it to her. She gaped at it, noticing that 90 percentof the names were those of known and unknown death eaters.
'Of course,' she thought to herself. 'They're only applying to get closer to Harry.' There were about ten students, but nine of them were Slytherins, people she knew were death eaters-in-training. The one left was Zacharias Smith, but Dumbledore, noticing her contemplating his name, shook his head.
"Sorry, Miss Granger...I accidentally walked in onMr. Smithand Miss Abbot in an empty classroom today…I'm afraid he is...err…spoken for, so to speak." She almost sighed with relief, until she noticed that she had now narrowed down the list to one.
"No…no I can't marry him…Never!" She thrust the list at Dumbledore, who nodded at each crossed off name until he came to the last uncrossed one. His eyes widened, but then seemed alive again with that damned twinkling light. And, blast him, he smirked.
"Ah...it seems that you must marry Professor Snape." Her eyes widened at his jovial tone.
"No I will not! That's the most ridiculous idea I've ever heard! He's twenty years older than me for Merlin's sake!" The headmaster just smiled that apologetic smile.
"Twenty years is not that many, Miss Granger. And Severus is a good man, he will take care of you."
"He HATES me!"
"He does no such thing. He may come off a bit harsh, but I believe his attitude toward you is really based on his distaste for James Potter…Besides, this marriage will be a great advantage to the Order. Voldemort will think he is another step closer to Harry…I don't know why I didn't think of it myself."
"But, Professor...How do you know Professor Snape will even agree to this idea?"
"He applied to have his name put on the list, Hermione," she gaped at his use of her name. "So, he obviously thinks it's a good plan. However, I severely doubt he thought you would choose him…I dare say he won't be too happy." She snorted in agreement.
"Professor is there no way we could-" he cut her off.
"No, Miss Granger. The law is passed. And, it appears that Professor Snape is the only choice. I'm sorry…But it won't be so terrible. You'll still be able to continue your education wherever you choose. You'll still be able to work for the order. The only difference will be that you'll be married to and live with Professor Snape." She nodded numbly. Only then did she realize how cold she really was, and that the snow was now around their calves.
"Professor, you should go inside, it's very cold out…you'll get sick." He smiled and nodded in agreement.
"Promise me you'll come in soon?" he offered. She nodded and attempted a weak smile, watching him trudge up toward the castle.
Some ten minutes later, she herself was wading through the snow toward the castle entrance. She could no longer feel her feet, but she didn't have the energy to care. She felt drained. She figured that by now the decree would have been posted in the castle, and everything would be an uproar. Sighing, she pushed on the heavy doors and headed up toward Gryffindor Tower to find Harry and Ron.
The common room was an absolute flurry of movement and gossip. Apparently everyone had now heard about the newly passed law. She fell onto a crimson armchair next to Harry and Ron, who instantly began fussing over her like overprotective brothers.
"Hermione, where have you been! You're soaked!" Ron exclaimed.
"Have you seen the Ministry's new law?" Harry asked worriedly as soon as they had established that she hadn't caught her death out in the snow.
"Yes I've seen the bloody ministry's bloody law, alright?!" Hermione practically yelled back at him. She instantly felt bad about it. "I-I'm sorry Harry, you didn't deserve that…" she stuttered. He waved it off. It wasn't the first time she'd yelled at him. He was more concerned with why there were now tears coursing uncontrollably down her face.
"Hermione, what's wrong!?" he asked, alarmed.
"I," she paused, leaning closer to them, furiously wiping at her eyes. "I have to marry Snape!"
Harry and Ron sat back mouths open wide. It was Ron who finally spoke.
"Bloody hell…who told you this?" He whispered, motioning for her to come sit between him and Harry on the couch they were occupying. She obliged, sinking dejectedly onto the plush cushion and curling up against Ron's shoulder as she had become accustomed to doing over the years.
"Dumbledore," she muttered. "Every witch gets a list of suitors or some rubbish like that…he was the only one not spoken for or a death eater."
"But he IS a death eater!" Harry exclaimed.
"He's a spy, Harry," she corrected. "He belongs to the Order, remember? Dumbledore thinks it's an absolutely brilliant plan, pawning me off to Snape. That way Voldemort will think he's closer to you, but in reality Snape will be feeding him false information. Dumbledore apparently trusts him to marry me, so I guess I have no choice."
"I'm so sorry Hermione," Harry and Ron said in unison. She shook her head.
"I'll pull through, somehow…maybe it won't be so bad," but her voice held no confidence. "What about you two?"
"I'm going to ask hope to marry me tomorrow," Ron supplied. Harry nodded.
"Yeah, I guess me and Ginny will get married, too." She nodded.
"You two are lucky. At least you get to marry people you love." She was silent for a moment, before deciding that she really needed to go to bed. "I'm tired...I think I'll head to bed. See you in the morning?" They both nodded, and she headed up to her dorm.
Thirty minutes and a shower later, she was changed into her pajamas and ready to climb into bed, when she noticed a large gray owl rapping on the dorm window. Puzzled, she opened it, took the letter, and sent the owl back off. The parchment was addressed to her, so she carefully slid her finger under the seal and opened the note.
Miss Granger-
It seems we have much to discuss. Please come to my office tomorrow, Sunday, morning, for tea.
Sincerely, S.S.
She sighed, tossing the note in her trunk and climbing under the covers. It was going to be a long rest of term.
A/N: Okay, I know this chapter was short, but it was pretty much just the opener, and I will do my best to make the next one longer. PLEASE review, I want to know if this is worth continuing. Thanks! Also--I'm looking for a beta…anyone interested?
XoXo Sadie