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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 Potter
characters belong to JK Rowling and those with whom she has agreed contracts. This story was written for practice not
profit.

Chapter Two A
Suitable Candidate

Snape led Hermione through his dungeon classroom into his
private storeroom. Tapping his wand
sharply against a large stone jar he uttered the word, �Haven.� Instantly the stone wall at the back of the
storeroom swung open.

�I trust you will iscriscreet about this. I do not allow students in here as a general
rule. Members of my house know how to
locate the other entrance through the Slytherin staircase but I have no wish to
parade you in front of my students. No
sense in drawing unnecessary attention to your predicament. �

�No Professor,� whispered Hermione

�Come on then, don�t dawdle.�

He led the way into his drawing room. Looking round her Hermione registered her
surprise at the luxury of the room she found herself in. The room was well lit by enchanted windows
one on each wall showing unfamiliar views.
The furniture was antique Italian upholstered in floral tapestry. The floor was parquet and one long wall was
lined with books. A simple table was
positioned near the books and a small fire burned in the marble fireplace.

�Take a seat,� said Snape gesturing towards the table. Hermione sat down still gaping at the
room. Snape looked at her and
sighed.

�The room, Miss Granger, is a recreation of my Grandmother�s
house in Italy. I inherited the house
on her death and I brought some of her belongings over. Despite my reputation I do not hang upside
down in a cave during my free time.�

�No sir.�

�I need to eat. I
didn�t get to the Hall this morning because I was too busy acquainting the
Headmaster with your news. What will
you eat?�

�I�m not hungry.�

�I don�t imagine you are.
However going without food is not a solution to the problem and will
make you weak. I�ll get coffee and some
bacon sandwiches.� He rang the bell
over the mantelpiece and gave instructions to the young house elf who answered
it. He >He walked over to the table and sat
down opposite Hermione>

>

�Now Miss Granger.
To business. According to the
law any Wizard between eighteen and sixty five with seven generations of pure-blood
is entitled to propose to any unmarried Muggle-born Witch between the ages of
eighteen and fifty. This means that any
suitor we choose for you has to have the requisite seven generations in his
bloodline and be eighteen before the twenty first of this month. Is there anyone in Gryffindor who
qualifies?�

�No,� said Hermione softly.
Ron and Neville are pure blooded enough but too young. Harry and Dean don�t meet the blood
specification outright and they�d both be too young even if they did.�

�Hmmm well. Finnegan
was a half blood as well. Gryffindor isn�t noted for pure-bloods I
suppose. We�re not as common as we used
to be. This will likely be the last
generation of pure-blood Weasleys, looking at the matches the older boys have
made. Arthur never rated blood. It was pure chance he fell in love with
Molly. I don�t think he even checked
before he proposed. Shame the older
boys are taken actually. I�m sure one
of them would have felt sorry for you.�

�Sorry for me,� echoed Hermione. �I suppose I must look really pathetic, sitting here waiting for
a man to rescue me.�

�That�s not what I meant.
I have no intention of pussyfooting around your emotions all day. It�s a hard situation. Whining isn�t going to relieve this and you
can�t solve the mess alone. It would
render this session more productive if you remembered I am trying to help
you.�

Snape got up from the table and walked through a door in the
near wall. He came back clutching a
ledger. �It�s my old mark book. Let�s see if we can call anyone to
mind. I�ve got names and birthdates in
here for every student I�ve taught. Now
is there anyone in your year let�s see� Finch-Fletchley�s old enough � no, Muggle-born��

�Have you got that written in?� asked Hermione.

�Yes,� answered Snape.
�I got irritated with Lucius harping on about the superiority of pure-bloods
one night and felt compelled to work out some statistics. I selected a range of pure-bloods and Muggle-borns
and compared Potions marks.�

�What did you find?�

�Muggle-borns came out substantially ahead in your year.�

�So Professor, are you convinced of our superiority?�

� I�m convinced that Crabbe, Goyle, and Longbottom didn�t
help Lucius� argument,� replied Snape dryly.
�Speaking of Goyle, he does meet requirements. Are you tempted? No I
thought not�. Oh no! Draco� He�s
eligible. Lucius won�t miss this
trick. No wonder he didn�t contest.�

�Do you really think that he would make Draco marry me?�
asked Hermione bewildered. �He hates
me. They both do. Surely he wouldn�t want me tainting his
precious bloodline.�

�Hermione use your brain.
Since when has a Death-Eater worried about the pedigree of the woman he
rapes. You won�t live long enough for
children to be an issue.�

�Oh God.� Hermione
curled over on her chair. �I think I�m
going to be sick.�

At that instant the elf returned with a tray of coffee and
sandwiches. �Put them down there,�
ordered Snape briskly. � That will be
all.� The elf scurried away.

Snape got up and stood behind Hermione, who was now
beginning to weep. He reached down and
tentatively grasped her shoulders.
�Miss Granger, I understand your need to release some emotion. I�m going to leave you for a moment while I
floo upstairs to catch the Headmaster before he leaves.�

A tapping at his door halted his move towards the
fireplace. He strode over to the door
and opened it to find an owl carrying a letter addressed to Hermione. With a sinking feeling he noted the seal on
the scroll.

�Open it Hermione,� he said. �I think this may be what you dread but we need to know.�

Hermione clutched the letter in trembling hands and opened
it. She glanced at the contents and
fainted dead away.

Snape retrieved the letter from the floor. It was as he had feared. Lucius had petitioned on behalf of his son
Draco Malfoy. He glanced at Hermione
slumped in her chair. Sighing to himself
he stooped over her and lifted her into his arms. He carried her into his bedroom and laid her down on his bed. He regarded her thoughtfully as she lay
there wan with her hair loose over his pillow.
They had spent practically every free hour working together the previous
term but he had never before registered Hermione as a woman. However the
evidence in front of his eyes was undeniable.

After a few seconds Hermione began to come to. She struggled to rise and work out her
surroundings. Severus spoke to calm
her, �Stay down for a moment Miss Granger.
You just had a small fainting spell.
Do you remember your letter?�

At this Hermione let out a small cry of distress which
tugged straight at his heartstrings.
�Oh God Professor what can I do?�
Tears began to flood from her eyes.
�I�ll kill myself rather than let him do it!�

�Hush child. No talk
of suicide. You will not die. We will find a way. I�ve seen too many of my former pupils fall
on both sides these past years. It is
time the war was well and truly over. You will not die while I have breath in
my body. I will not allow it�

�What can yo?

�I know you and I know myself. I�ll marry you Hermione!�

Hermione looked at him in horror and closed her eyes in
another faint. Severus remained at the
bedside and wondered at the impulse that had just prompted his proposal. She was attractive enough he admitted and
very intelligent but marriage? The
fainting was not a good sign but she had little real choice in the matter. Was it the urge to frustrate Malfoy�s
intentions or could it run deeper? Only
time would tell.
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Marriage Vows