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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
- 7
- 8
- 9
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 Seven Preparations

Hermione was relieved to see both her parents safe and well
at breakfast next morning. She had left
her mother before her father had returned from his meeting with Snape. Whatever he had said relations seemed to
have improved for it for he and her father were having a spirited conversation
up at the top table. Hermione was
sitting with Harry and Ron at her usual place.
Other students were letting her alone which camea rea relief although a
surprising one. Even the Slytherin
students were giving her a wide berth.

�So what happened with your father and Snape last night?�
asked Harry.

�I don�t know. I
sorted things out with Mum but I went to bed before he came back. I didn�t leaveil 1il 1.00am so they were
alone for quite some time. They look
all right though don�t they?�

�As long as your Dad isn�t acting under Imperio,� jibed Ron.

�No,� said Harry, �I�ve never seen him rein it in as well as
he did last night� until he finally snapped that is. He did put up with a lot.
I can see what you meant about him being different when you�re alone.�

�What�s on the agenda for today?� asked Ron.

�I�m going shopping with Mum in Hogsmeade. Severus wants me to have new dress robes for
the ceremony and other informal clothes for when we go out together.�

�That�s going to cost,� said Ron with a wince.

�He�s paying for it all.
He says he doesn�t want anyone to look down on me or think he doesn�t
value me. Plus I suppose he doesn�t
want me to look like a schoolchild when I�m not in classes.�

�That would be creepy,� said Harry.

�Ohhh yes,� said Ron.

�They�re getting up,� said Hermione, I�m going to slip out
and meet them outside.�

Hermione hurried out into the corridor and found her parents
and Severus waiting for her. She
greeted her parents with a kiss and was surprised when Severus gently pecked
her cheek to the amusement of a group of Hufflepuff first years that were
passing. Severus flushed and pulled
himself back up to his full height.

�Hermione my dear,� he began, �I have decided that we should
make thifamifamily outing into Hogsmeade.
Lucius is running out of time and may try something reckless so your
father and I will accompany the two of you.
Molly Weasley will be joining us in Hogsmeade at about nine o�
clock. That way there will be more of
us to oppose him if he puts in an appearance.
Molly was also muttering about baby clothes. I gather Bill and Fleur are due to produce the first Weasley
grandchild at the end of the month and have decided to settle down in England
so Molly is getting things prepared.�

�al>�I understand why you�re going to come Severus but why is
Dad coming? He can�t fight Lucius.�

�Your father is coming to keep me sane. I have no interest in shopping unless it is
for potion supplies and three women clucking over dress robes, underthings and
Merlin aid me, baby clothes may drive me over the edge. Now, are you ready?�

�Yes Severus, let�s go.�

The party made its way through the school grounds down to
the village. Hermione�s parents had
never seen the community before and were amazed by it. They passed the local school on the way to
the first dress shop and saw the little witches and wizards piling into the
playground before school. Many carried
toy wands and broomsticks. Hermione�s
mother was fascinated.

�Are they learning spells at this age?� she enquired of
Severus.

�No. Formal magical
education does not begin until a child enters Hogwarts. However we expect our children to be able to
read and write and do calculations when they arrive at Hogwarts as we do not
teach those skills. Most children learn
from their mothers unless they live in Hogsmeade and they can come here. This is the only magical community of
sufficient size to have a school. Most
witches and wizards live in more isolated conditions. There are a fair few living in London but
they are spread around in disguised dwellings.
Diagon Alley is a useful commercial centre but has few actual residents. The ability to Apparate means adults don�t
have travel problems� Ah here�s Molly.�

Molly Weasley spotted them and ran over to join the group.

�Hello lovely to see you again,� she yelled
enthusiastically. �Arthur got himself
tied up at the Ministry today but he�s coming up this evening ready for the big
day. How are you Hermione? Nervous yet? Are well it�s only natural.
Come on I know just where to start looking.yes"> Malfoy�s face was full of fury as he rounded on Severus. Severus forestalled him in the conversation.

�Why Lucius, another unforeseen encounter. Why so far from home?�

Mr Granger discretely edged himself and his wife away from
the confrontation as he realised who the tall blond was. They retreated into the doorway of the
tavern and listened carefully to the exchange.
Both witches and wizards held on to the ends of their wands in case it
should prove necessary to draw them.
Severus kept his posture relaxed but danger lurked behind his dark
eyes. Lucius was white with rage.

�You have caused me aat dat deal of trouble!� snarled Lucius. �I do not appreciate being made a fool of in
this manner!�

�I really don�t understand why you and Draco have reacted so
negatively to my forthcoming wedding. I
am at a loss to account for your family�s petition for her. I can see why I want to marry her. I�ve been a widower for far too long and
I�ve always had a taste for scholarly women, as you well know. I can�t see why Draco wants to or why you
would help him to. I can�t recall the
last time either of you referred to her as anything but a Mudblood whore. If you cannot wish us well then I would
suggest you leave us alone. You do not
wish to lose my friendship I am sure.�

�I need her.�

�Explain yourself Lucius.
What exactly do you need her for?
I�m a reasonable man. If she can
help you in some way and her honour is not compromised we may be able to come
to a civilised arrangement.�

�You are joking. You
don�t want to marry her. You�re just
doing this to thwart me. Give the whore
to us or things will go badly for you.�

�If you are threatening me Lucius you are making a grave
mistake. We have known each other a
long time. You know I am not a man who
can be messed with.�

�I�m not afraid of you Severus. I knew you as a boy.
Intimately one might say.�

�I�m a man now Lucius and I don�t intend to lose a second
wife.�

clasclass=MsoNormal>�You can�t put that filth in the same category as my
sister.�

�Oh but I can.
Hermione is the most brilliant student and most powerful witch I have
taught at Hogwarts and you have to admit Olivia was the most outstanding product
of your family in recent centuries.�

&;

�It didn�t save her though did it?es"> Not when it mattered?
It�s not enough to have the power if you�re too insipid to use it. Olivia hadn�t the stomach for a fight. Didn�t even go for her wand when it came to
it.�

ndifndif]>

�Lucius, perhaps I am not making myself clear enough. Hermione is about to become my wife of her
own free will. You have lost on this
occasion. I would advise you to go back
to your home and stay there before I remember you were never held accountable
for Olivia�s death.�

�It�s as though you�ve never killed anyone yourself. Does your little whore know all the things
you�ve done?�

�Hermione is aware of my past, as are all those I call
friends. They place more weight on the
greater good I achieved for our world afterwards.�

�You were never held accountable for that were you. Perhaps it�s time you were. I can tyou you down here and now in a
duel. If you surrender the whore to me
I won�t need to.�

�Hermione are you willing to marry Draco after all?�

Hermione�s stomach churned.
�No!� she cried, �Never!� He wasn�t going to turn her over was he?

�Well then Lucius, it appears we must duel. I trust the usual rules will suffice. No Unforgiveables and no permanent
impairment. Molly can see that the rules
are observed.�

The two wizards drew their wands and held them
vertically. They stepped slowly towards
each other and bowed formally. pan>pan>Molly
stood to one side, her own wand drawn and Hermione stood behind her mingling
slightly into the growing crowd.
Hermione�s heart was beating rapidly as the tension mounted. What would happen if Severus lost did not
bear thinking about.

�Now gentlemen,� said Molly, �No Unforgivables. Cast your first spells on the count of three
and alternately after that. Take five
paces now!�

The two men solemnly paced the required distance and stood
backs facing as Molly began to count.
The crowd watched with bated breath.

�One�.Two�.�

On �two� Malfoy whirled around, robes spinning, brandished
his wand and yelled, �Avada��

�Expelliarmus,� cried Molly.

It worked. Malfoy�s
wand was out of his hand before he could finish his Killing Curse. An instant later both Hermione and Severus
followed up with �Stupefy.� Malfoy lay stunned from the double blast.

Hermione ran over to Severus and he encircled her with his
arms. Molly went over to have a closer
look at Lucius. Mr and Mrs Granger
inched out of the doorway and watched as Molly and a man from the crowd tied
Lucius up with rope transfigured from a handful of grass. The crowd were muttering amongst themselves
and showed no signs of dissipating.
Molly looked up and recognized a familiar face in the crowd.

�Rosmerta,� she cried.
�We need to get an Auror here.
Lucius Malfoy tried to cast the Killing Curse on Professor Snape.�

Rosmerta nodded and went back into the hostelry. Within a few minutes two unknown Aurors were
in the midst of the crowd taking witness statements. Hermione and Severus continued to hold onto each other throughout
their interview.

After the Aurors had finished their questioning the group
stood together silently as the still unconscious Lucius was taken to the
Ministry via portkey. The crowd
dispersed and Severus extended his arm to include a now visibly shaken Molly in
his embrace.

�I knew he was going to do it. It was like I saw it in slow motion� I can�t stop seeing it.

�Thank-you,� he whispered.
�Thank-you so much. You saved my
life and I will honour the life debt to you and your family.�

After a moment the let let go of each other and turned to
face the Grangers who obviously had their own questions about what they had
seen.

>

�Was he about to kill you?� asked Mrs Granger quietly.

�Yes. He tried to
strike early and he was using an illegal curse, which causes death when
performed properly. If it weren�t for
Molly I would have died.�

�But how could he have hoped to get away with it when we all
saw it. Was he going to kill us all?�

�I don�t know if he would have chosen to kill you or merely
Obliviate you. There are memory charms
that can take away a specific memory from a group of people or distort the
memory so the witness remembers something else. The Ministry often makes use of such charms when Muggles witness
things they should not see.

He wasn�t thinking rationally and I am curious to know why
this affair has caused this level of tiontion.
He wanted to have legal rights over Hermione for an immediate purpose
and it�s not as if he appreciates her personal qualities.�

�Are you still going through with the wedding? Do you need to now? I mean surely he is going to be locked up
for this.�

�Yes Mum we will have to.
Don�t forget he was marrying me to his son. Lucius already has a wife.
Nothing�s going to happen to Draco sadly. Anyway Lucius has a knack of getting away with things. He never went back to Azkaban after he broke
out last year. rangrangled a favour
from someone too scared to refuse.�
Hermione renewed her clutch on Severus� arm and he rested his hand on
top of hers. Their eyes met and they
both coloured slightly.

�Oh for Heaven�s sake!� said Molly. �Just give her a kiss. Her parents will get over it. You�re getting married tomorrow after all. At this rate Hermione will be attending the
ceremony in her uniform but the ceremony is still going to happen.�

Severus and Hermione gave each other a chaste peck on the
cheek and parted embarrassed.

�Now let�s get these things ordered up to Hogwarts and then
we can be up at the school in time for tea.�

The three women crossed the road and went into the gown
shop. Severus and Mr Granger leaned
against the wall.

�It�s a dangerous world you two live in,� said Mr Granger
htlyhtly.

�I know. However we
are what we are. Lucius clings on to
the idea he is above all petty rules and traditions. He regards himself as a prince free to exploit other members of
the community. No decent Wizard would
be capable of delivering alingling Curse.
The intent is utterly malign.
The curse is not wielded like a Muggle wields a

�Have you done it?� asked Mr Granger regarding hntenntently.

Yes� but only in a battle situation. Death Eaters would often capture live
victims to torture and kill for sport.
The Dark Lord gave me a victim when I was seventeen. I was supposed to use the Curse but it
wouldn�t work for me. How can you hate
someone who has never harmed you? I had
to kill her and she wouldn�t have lived if I hadn�t done it�. I cut her
throat. It worked. She was unconscious in seconds. Her name was Elizabeth. She was sixteen.yes"> You have not been so lucky.
We have a saying that you need to walk a mile in another man�s shoes in
order to understand him and I know I would not have liked to make the choices
you have faced in your time. You nearly
died for my daughter today. She has
told me you have looked out for her before.
If Hermione is going to live in your society then I think her er aer and
I will rest easier knowing she has your protection.�

�I promise you she will always have it.�

A/N

>

hpz26- Thank-you for taking the time to leave a review.

GEmory- I quite understand about the posting problem. It�s not always easy to get from page to
page at the moment. I don�t know if
you�re reading �A Winter Tale� by Max on the main Harry Potter page but I think
you might find that Severus interesting.
He is not Hermione�s love interest at the moment theythey are developing
a relationship of sorts. Believe I
never thought I�d find myself liking a story with that main pairing but I was
pleasantly surprised.
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- 9
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Marriage Vows