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Marriage Vows	By : selened Category: Harry Potter > Het - Male/Female > Snape/Hermione Views: 23720 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 1
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, nor any of the characters from the books or movies. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Chapter List
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Marriage Vows

Disclaimer: This
story was inspired by the Marriage Law Challenge on WIKTT. All Harry Pr chr characters belong to JK
Rowling and those with whom she has agreed contracts. This story was written for practice not profit>

>

Chapter Fourteen
Diagon Alley

By the time Hermione had got to lunchtime on Monday she was
ready for the day to be over. The day
had begun on a positive note after a good night�s sleep and a good breakfast
with Ginny and Neville. The problems
had begun during Defence Against the Dark Arts. The teacher Professor Martin was, as ever, a new addition that
year. He was faced with a Seventh year
class who exceeded him in knowledge and practical experience and Hermione
wondered how he had ever achieved his appointment. Ron was in the class and so far showed no signs of wishing to
mend any fences. When the time came to
divide into pairs he had ignored her to go with Blaise Zabini, forcing her to
work with Professor Martin. The task
should have been simple enough they were practicing two blocking spells, which
Hermione had easily mastered back in fifth year but could not manage
today. She had taken three rather
painful hits before having to sit out.
Transfiguration and Charms had also proved to be beyond her. Hermione was used to instant success in both
subjects and was extremely vexed to find herself unable to manage them.

She was feeling exhausted as she sat down to eat so she ate
as quickly as she could and decided to go to her quarters to lie down before Arithmancy. Severus was there when she arrived and he
greeted her with a kiss. Hermione
started spilling out the details of her awful morning and he listened carefully
petting her hair as she spoke. When she
had finished he sat her down in a chair.

�Give me your wand,� he said. Hermione pulled it out and gave it to him. He examined it carefully and laid it to one
side.

�Hermione you can summon without a wand can you not?�

�Yes, as long as I can see the item I�m summoning.�

�Summon my quill box from the table.�

�Accio quill box.�
The box flew into Hermione�s hand.

�How did that feel?�

�Fine. It didn�t
take any effort.�

�I think you need a change of wand. Some times when a powerful witch or wizard
matures they need a new wand.yes"> I�ll let the Headmaster know we�re going out for a couple of
hours. We can floo down and perhaps get
you some more robes while we�re near the shops.yes"> Seen battle recently of course.
Now let�s see, here. Eleven
inches, ash, Centaur tail hair, no obviously not then. Twelve inches, yew, thestral hair and
dragon�s tendon. I think that�s
it. Amazing.�

�Why amazing?�

�It�s the same combination as mine,� said Severus.

�I made it at the same time. Sibling wands for newly weds.
No better omen than that. Just
think all these years it�s been on my shelf waiting for its owner.�

�Are you happy with it Hermione?�

�It feels right.�

�We�ll take it.� So saying he fished out the required number
of galleons and placed them on the counter.
�Good day.�

Outside in the street Severus steered Hermione into Madam
Malkin�s. Once inside he asked the
clerk to set up an account facility for Hermione. Hermione picked up two sets of plain black robes, which were put
on the account.

Next stop was the bookshop.
Severus told her to take a good look around to see if there was anything
she needed. They spent an hour in there
and Severus had Hermione added to his account.
They both made purchases and went back to Hogwarts.

They agreed to have dinner together in their rooms at seven
thirty. Severus went of to work in his
classroom and Hermione went to do her homework in the Library. Harry was in the Library and Hermione showed
him her new wand. Harry was interested
to see it and suggested that they tried to put it through its paces. At about a quarter to seven they slipped off
to the room of requirement for half an hour.
Hermione could not fail to notice the difference her new wand made. Everything she tried including her morning
failures were virtually effortless.

�Crikey Hermione,� said Harry breathless from his
exertion. �I bet you could take Snape
on with this.�

�I don�t think so.
For one thing I don�t ever want to see him set up for a duel after last
time and for another our wands are siblings.
They won�t work against each other.
It�ll be Priori Incantatum if we try.�

�Sibling wands. I
wonder what the odds are on that?�

�I don�t know. Mr
Ollivander thought it was a good omen.�

�I�m not sure I�d trust his opinion on that.�

�Have a good evening.
I�ll see you tomorrow.�

�So did you try your new wand yet?� asked Severus, pouring
Hermione a second glass of wine.�

�I did about half an hour with H goi going over stuff from
earlier. It seems to be working really
well. I�m not having to make much of an
effort at all. Harry was really impressed.�

�It�s possible that your old wand was not working well for
some time. The binding and your loss of
virginity merely completed the process that had already begun.�

�Did you need a new wand when you matured?�

�I had two.
Voldemort found me one when I began brewing for him. Then after Olivia�s death I needed another
which is the one I have now.�

�I told Harry about the wands being siblings.�

�There is a certain poetry in us being unable to use our
wands against each other.�

�I know what you mean.
Not that I would have wanted to use it against you.�

�You may change your mind about that when we�ve been married
for a week or two,� he laughed.

�I don�t think so.
The wands cancel each other out.
It means our differences are down to us to resolve. In Muggle relationships they say, �If I
could wave a magic wand� or �if I could turn back the clock,� when they have
made each other unhappy. But they have
to solve their problems without magic and so do we.�

�Do you think we can?�

�Professor Trelawney will tell you I�m no Seer, but if we
want to stay together we will.�

Severus stood and held out his hand. She rose and he led her to the sofa in front
of the fire. He settled down into it
and tugged her down on top of him. She
nestled against him and made herself comfortable. Their lips met and they began to kiss. The kiss lasted and both of them lost themselves in it. Eventually Severus began to caress her,
first over her robes and then seeking to loosen them. They shifted so she was laid out beneath him and he was pinning
her to the sofa. At that moment Albus
came spinning into the room using the floo.
Severus swore loudly and Hermione hid her face in his shoulder.

�Albus, don�t you know better than to burst in on newly-weds
like that?� demanded Severus angrily.�

�I�m sorry both of you.
I�m just not used to finding you indulging in amorous activities in your
sitting room.�

�I can�t retire yet.
I have to do rounds at eleven o�clock.
That is no reason for us not to enjoy our time together. Why are you here?�

�This afternoon I received notification from the Minis
tha
that Lucius Malfoy�s trial is set to begin on the second of October. Arthur Weasley has managed to get the
business of Lucius manipulating the new law included as a charge. Obviously this will be easier to prove if we
have a clear idea of why he was so keen to secure Hermione. I would like the two of you to research the
matter. I would also like some kind of
answer to the riddle of little Miss Abbott before the case comes to trial. I am aware this is putting a lot of pressure
on you but I know you appreciate the urgency of the matter. I apologise for the interruption and I will
cover your rounds for you tonight Severus.
I will see you both tomorrow.
Enjoy the rest of your evening.�

With that he left the room in the same manner as he
arrived. Severus eased off of
Hermione�s body and knelt at the opposite end of the sofa. Frowning Hermione pulled herself up into a
sitting position and looked at him curiously.

�Sorry,� he said.
�Seeing Albus at that moment was something akin to having a bucket of
cold water thrown over me.�

�You don�t have to apologise Severus. Hopefully he will think twice before he
comes down here next time. Do you want
to finish the wine?�

�Yes, I think I will.�

Hermione stood and retrieved the abandoned wineglasses from
the dining table. She handed one to
Severus and took a seat in the armchair facing him.

�We could discuss our assignment if you like,� suggested
Hermione. �What was Lucius Malfoy�s
intention? What did he want so badly
that he went to these lengths to get it?�

�I have thought about this but I still don�t know. It rec reckless behaviour even for him.�

�Did he want to use Imperio to force me to do something?�

�I can�t see you being susceptible to Imperio for long. Granted he�s practiced, but you are more
powerful than he. He would only need to
have kidnapped you to try it anyway.�

�So the answer must lie in the rights a wizard has over his
wife. I take it Draco would not have
married me in the modern form as you did.�

�No. They would have
put you under the contract. You would
have had no rights beyond those he chose to give you. You would have been legally in his power. However, that being said, he would have had to
control you. Knowing you as I do he
would have to keep you in stasis or unconscious to even keep you on the
premises.�

�In a strange way that�s almost flattering. So he couldn�t make me do anything against
my will.�

�From what I have seen of that type of marriage the husband
is able to abuse the wife because she adapts to it. If she has been brought up to expect a contract marriage she will
see it as her duty to obey her husband and establish an atmosphere of normality
within the house. The husband then
punishes her by disrupting the routine and order in some way. Generally a wizard would not wish to risk
the wrath of a more powerful wife, so he would choose someone vulnerable.�

�He could not force me to use my power. Is there anyway he could have taken it?�

�Taken it from you?
I don�t think so. I remember
reading once about an obscure dark ritual whereby a wizard may leach power from
a willing volunteer but power cannot be taken.
I heard that the Dark Lord tried it at some point back in the early days
but I wasn�t there if or when it happened.�

�Do you know how we could find a copy of the ritual? Perhaps Lucius knew how to adapt it?�

�I don�t have a copy of it here. My father did have it as I recall but I don�t know where it would
be. I read it as a child. I could follow the Latin but not the other
language involved. It wouldn�t be in
the Restricted Section either. I could
ask Professor Martin. He has a
selection of Dark Arts texts in his quarters.�

�What do you think of Professor Martin?� asked Hermione.

�He reminds me a little of Quirrell pre Voldemort. His knowledge is academic rather than
practical and therefore unsuited to those of you who have been engaging
yourselves in battles since you were eleven.
He�s a good example of a reasonable ethical Wizard. He�s a member of an important French family,
which we are connected to, on my maternal grandfather�s side. I don�t know which branch he�s from. He will do no harm and will teach the
younger children well. He can teach and
we will fight and continue to fight when we are needed.�

�You know you said that the parties involved in a contract
marriage did not have to give consent?�

�Yes.�

�And when they get married, the wife has no rights.�

�That is correct.�

�So if his family wanted to use her power could her husband
give consent?�

�A valid and perceptive question. Let�s go and disturb Albus.
See if we can catch him out.�

A moment later Severus and Hermione tumbled out of the floo
in the Headmaster�s Office. Albus
regarded them with amusement.

�I suppose I can hardly complain about this can I children?�

�Headmaster, Hermione and I were talking about Lucius and
his plans for her. She hit on an
interesting idea. There is an obscure
ritual which can allow someone to voluntarily give up their power to another
wizard. If Hermione were to be married
under an old contract it may be that her husband or the head of the line could
volunteer for her to relinquish her power.�

�Do you have a copy of the ritual?�

�No. I read of it
years ago in one of my father�s books.
Voldemort was rumoured to have experimented with it at some point. It would take me some time to locate it. It was written in a mixture of Latin and an
old Italian dialect but I can�t remember which library it was in.�

�I am not aware of any such ritual. Perhaps we might send for Professor Martin
to see if he has any knowledge.�

�Albus knelt down in front of the fireplace and called for
Professor Martin. After a few moments
the Professor came through wearing a nightshirt and flamboyant silk dressing
gown.

�Excuse my appearance I was about to retire. Professor, Madam Snape, how may I be of
assistance?�

�Professor Snape urgently needs to locate a spell which
allows a wizard to drain the powers of a consenting witch.�

Professor Martin looked scandalised. �I cannot be party to such an
endeavour. I am horrified that you
would ask me to help in this matter.�

�No Professor,� said Hermione, �we do not wish to use the
spell. We are researching it on behalf
of the Ministry. A former Death Eater
is being put on trial and we suspect he may have tried to use the spell. We need to know all we can so he can be
questioned properly at his trial.�

�Oh that is a different matter. Can you give me any more details?�

�I have seen the spell in a medieval Italian volume. I don�t know if it exists elsewhere.�

�It does not ring a bell.
I will go back to my Library to check.�

�Severus, what happened to the books at Grimmauld Place?�

�They�re still there aren�t they Albus? Molly cleaned the room and closed it off so
none of the children would see the books.�

�I take it you two will go to London again to check? I�ll go with you. I�m sure Harry won�t mind if we bring back a few volumes. Let�s go!�

If Molly and Arthur were surprised to find Albus, Severus
and Hermione making an entrance at that time of day they didn�t show it. All five went upstairs to locate any useful
books. After a couple of hours they had
found ing ing until Hermione gave a cry of surprise.

�What�s that you�ve found?� asked Severus.

�It�s not what we were looking for but it contains spells to
determine ancestry. This must be how
Mrs Black conjured her Family Tree. We
might be able to use this to solve the mystery of Maria Abbott.�

�Well spotted Hermione,� said Albus. �This ind indeed solve the problem.�

�Severus, this looks like a mixture of Latin and Italian. Is
this what you�re looking for?� asked Arthur holding out a large nameless
volume.�

Severus grabbed it and began leafing through it. After a moment he found what he was looking
for.

�This is it. Thanks
Arthur. I�m going to have to do some
more research on it. It�s a rather
obscure dialect but the Latin text of the Incantation is what I remember.�

�Well we must be getting back. It�s late and Hermione still needs her rest. Thank you for your help we must bid you
goodnight.�

Hermione was last through the floo and she gave Molly a hug
and a kiss before she went.

On arriving back at Hogwarts they found Professor Martin had
left a book and a note in the Headmaster�s office. Albus read the note aloud,

�I was not able to find a text to the spell in my private
collection but I did locate a reference to it in this volume which purports to
describe the effects on the volunteer.
It comes from a Death Eater who was interrogated in France under
Veritaserum.�

�Let me see that,� said Severus abruptly, holding out his
hand for the book. He opened it at the
bookmark Professor Martin had left and read it quietly to himself. His face paled and Hermione was shocked to
see tears in his eyes as he finished and looked across at her.�

�Is it bad?� she whispered.

He gave the book to Albus and reached out to clasp her to
him and he held on as if he would never let her go.

A/N

Thank-you to my reviewers- GEmory, Phantasia, ancientgirl,
azulkan2, KAT1441, Sabrina and redsugg.
I appreciate the support especially as this is my first attempt at
writing for public consumption. Being a
new writer I have to confess I�m not particularly on the ball about technicalities
so if anyone sees anything in the story which merits a warning beyond the R
rating please tell me nicely.

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Marriage Vows