I am not JK Rowling, no matter how much I wish I could be.

The Marriage Flaw

When marriage goes horribly wrong for the Wizarding World.

A marriage law puts everyone in the wizarding world into a tailspin. Hermione is busy fighting her own demons and the ministry when containment housing is introduced and all hell breaks loose.

Brief note: When I got the bug to write a Marriage Law fic I decided I wanted to to be different from the normal ones I read … so I asked my wonderful Tumblr followers what they would like to see incorporated into a fic and this is what they came up with. It's a wonderful compilation of their ideas and mine and I am so very excited to share it with you. It isn't your typical WIKTT fic – the only guidelines I am following really is that the law is put into place. Enjoy the story – ONWARDS!

Chapter 1

The sunlight was a very different contrast against the crumbled remains of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Less than 24 hours ago, Harry Potter himself had finally defeated the Dark Lord, Voldemort. It was 17 years in the making and finally his destiny was fulfilled and all was quiet.

Hermione Granger was sitting silently with her hands folded in the Great Hall. She had a lot to think about, and was trying to process the events of the past few days. So many lives had been lost, but in the end it was worth it because the greatest threat of their world was now vanished, this time for good. Ron Weasley came up to sit beside her on the bleachers. He placed an arm around her shoulder and they sat quietly, lost in thought.

Finally Ron said, "Can't believe it's really over. Bit surreal, isn't it?" Hermione looked up and gave him a sad smile

"It's over. If I say it enough, maybe I will finally believe it. How is your family holding up?" she asked

"Mum's taking it the worst. Percy has been following her around to keep an eye on her. She seems to be in her element though; mothering kids left and right that need a parent right now. Dad seems all right. He's gone with Harry to look for survivors; 'fact I am joining them in a minute. I just wanted to check on you first. George is beside himself. I don't know if the poor bloke will ever be the same. Ginny, she seems to be alright, just quiet."

Hermione rubbed some dirt off of his cheek with her thumb. "You better catch up with them then. Go! I hope you find at least a few." Ron stood up and kissed her cheek and gave her braid a playful tug.

"I'll be back then. Find something to do – don't get lost in your thoughts." He smiled at her and then left to find Mr. Weasley and Harry.

Hermione was unsure how long she sat there thinking. She thought of her parents, and replayed people's deaths in her mind. The screams were still fresh in her mind, even though the hall around her was silent. Finally Poppy Pomfrey broke her of her thoughts.

"Hello, Hermione. Would you be a dear and help me out? I am afraid I'm a bit short staffed at the moment. I have too many to attend to and I need some help. I have the less critically injured patients down here and stationed in the infirmary are the more critical. Luna Lovegood is up there with some house-elves, but I know the poor girl must need some help or possibly even a break. I just can't be two places at once … what I wouldn't give for a time turner right now."

It had taken Hermione a bit of time to process what the nurse was saying. She just sort of spoke, clearly in her element, and was completely oblivious to the fact Hermione that hadn't responded. This clearly wasn't so much of a question as a direction.

"Sure, I'll head up there. Need me to take anything before I go?" she asked, standing for the first time in a while. Her right leg had apparently fallen asleep some time ago, as it was numb and tingly.

"No, dear, the supplies are up there. You may want to talk to Minerva first though; one of the patients up there is of … well, a sensitive nature." Hermione gave Pomfrey a puzzled look, but she had already gone back to bandaging a nearby student.

Hermione left the Great Hall and wandered around some of the staircases when finally she found Minerva McGonagall standing in a hallway, overseeing the clearing of debris. She was the acting Headmistress and had taken her duties very seriously.

"Professor McGonagall!" Hermione called out to the stern woman with the mussed hair and dirty robes. She hadn't bothered to fix her appearance; instead she dove head first into repairing the school she had served for so long.

"Hermione, dear! What do you need?" She said expectantly while still moving rubble with a stable movement of her wand.

"Madam Pomfrey sent me up here. She would like help in the infirmary, but said there is a delicate nature to one of the patients and I may need to speak to you first. Honestly I haven't the clue, so here I am."

Minerva finished lowering the boulder she had lifted with her wand and turned to the brunette "Oh, Hermione dear, I believe she may be referring to Professor Snape."

Hermione's eyes grew wide.

"Pro.. Professor Snape? But Headmistress, we watched him die in the Shrieking Shack! We… I …" she stuttered completely dumbfounded. How can that be? she thought.

"Yes dear, I am well aware of what happened, you see I just finished up a conversation with Harry Potter a moment ago. Severus was apparently as sly as ever, even in death. He is very critical mind you, but the sensitive nature of his situation is why we aren't advertising his vicinity. There are Death Eaters still on the loose and we must protect him as long as possible. Those monsters- swooping in on a gravely injured man like that. The indignity of it!"

"I simply don't … I just don't understand. He is still a Death Eater, is he not?"

"I can't fully answer that question for you, dear. All I can say is his allegiances may not have always been where we once perceived them to be. If you want to know more, I would find Harry. I don't feel it is my place to share Severus' story." She gave Hermione a pat on the shoulder and turned back to her work.

"Over there Mr. Finnegan – put that fire out! No horsing around, we have work to do!" she shouted at the group of young men playing due to the short break.

Hermione headed toward the courtyard area of the school where everything had ended. Harry was standing there staring at the ground with his hands in his pockets. Hermione quietly approached him.

"Knut for your thoughts?" she said, placing a hand on his shoulder. He looked up at her and gave her a smile-a real one.

"We found a few survivors. They were mostly badly injured, but I suspect some will pull through." He looked back down at the ground again. "I can't help but feel that all of this is somehow my fault. That everyone died because of me."

"Oh Harry" she said and pulled him into a hug. "Listen to me, alright? NONE of this is your fault. That maniac you defeated, Voldemort, this was his mess – not yours. You are a good man Harry Potter. You have fought and sacrificed for years. This time though everyone had your back."

Harry looked up at her again "You are a great friend Hermione. Really." He put his arm around her shoulder and pulled her close. "Now did you need anything or did you just come to find me and my pity party?" he said to her with his half smile.

"Professor McGonagall said I should come speak with you. Harry! Did you know? Professor Snape is … alive!" she exclaimed with excitement, the sad moment from before now lost.

"I'd just found out, yes. I had to pull the Aurors off him – almost literally. They were trying to arrest him while he was unconscious, can you believe it?"

"Yes, but Harry, that doesn't explain what Professor McGonagall said. She said 'his allegiances may not have always been where we once perceived them to be.' What does that mean?"

"Do you remember when he gave me the memories? When I went to the pensieve?" Hermione nodded. "Well I didn't have time to tell you and Ron, but Hermione, he was innocent all along. We were … well, we were wrong."

"What? But Professor Snape… he … you said you saw him kill Dumbledore. He used the killing curse, Harry, and we know you have to mean it."

"I know Hermione but … well I can't explain that aspect but just trust me Hermione, he was on our side all along. I don't want to reveal too much out of respect but I can tell you Dumbledore is the one that instructed Snape to kill him. Do you remember me discussing how Dumbledore's hand had changed? When he was seeking the Hallows, he placed the resurrection stone that was placed in a ring setting on his finger. Since it was a horcrux, Voldemort placed a curse on it, which in turn caused the damage to Dumbledore's hand. Professor Snape was able to delay the curse, but it was slowly killing Dumbledore. He suspected that Malfoy was going to be assigned something, and he ordered Snape to kill him Hermione."

"Professor Snape, Harry." She teased, intently listening to the story.

"Professor Snape, right. Anyway, basically he was forced to kill Dumbledore and maintain his cover. He had to cut all ties with the Order to completely solidify his spot with the Death Eaters and Voldemort. Plus, he had other reasons. He was helping me all along Hermione, but that's all I will say."

Hermione wanted to ask him what he meant by 'other reasons' but she knew better than to ask. If Harry wanted her to know something, he had always shared the information freely.

"Professor McGonagall said that he is critical. Do you know how he even survived?"

"Not a clue, but he's a sneaky bastard isn't he? Fooled every last one of us."

"Harry!" she admonished. "Don't call him a bastard! The man saved your life for heaven's sake."

"Don't take offense; it's a term of endearment really. Who else could have fooled every last one of us? Until the very end he was Dumbledore's man. Voldemort thought him dead, we thought him dead. I am just glad I told Voldemort that Snape was never his. The bastard – Voldemort, not Snape."

Hermione rolled her eyes and chuckled at him "Oh and Harry … it's Professor Snape," she couldn't resist giving him cheek and smiled impishly at him.

"PROFESSOR SNAPE" he overcorrected, laughing at himself. "Whoever he is we need to keep him safe Hermione. The Aurors are bloodthirsty- they are ready to take anyone in they suspect may have been tied to the Death Eaters. Kingsley has just been appointed Minster of Magic and I had him pull rank. He ran them off – for now."

"Well, I better get to the infirmary. Luna has been up there tending to the critical and Madam Pomfrey sent me up there to help her or give her a break."

"Take care of him, Hermione. I … well I owe him a lot," Harry said very quietly.

Hermione wondered what would cause Harry to suddenly express gratitude towards a man he had openly hated for so long. Whatever it was, it must have been a big deal.

AN/: I just want to make it clear that this will most definitely be a Severus Snape/Hermione Granger fic. However, I am not rushing this fic and I feel like I need to set some things up in the world you are familiar with before I send us all for a loop ;) So for now Hermione is with Ron … but just you wait ;) Feed back is much appreciated. Constructive Criticism is helpful. Still only my second fic so be easy on me. P.S. This is AU. I loosely follow cannon, but it's just borrowed stuff not exact. Oh yes and thank you tons to the wonderful OneCelestialBeing for reading through this and correcting it and to Laura for giving me feedback as well. It's very much appreciated : )

AN 2 Updated 9-9-12: Someone asked why Hermione wasn't aware of his situation because in canon Harry briefly fills them in. I must admit, typically when I write, it's a combination of book AND movie so this time around it was more movie that influenced what I wrote. This story will try and loosely follow cannon, but it isn't cannon right off the bat because ... well Snape's alive in this story. I do dabble in it, but I can't promise I will follow the book or movie's exactly. I hope that clears some thins up AND you all still enjoy the story!