Married Life

Severus Snape sat at the head table sneering at the students below. His mind pondering on resent events, more specifically, Hermione Granger. The nerve of her, Snape thought, how dare she even think of trying to get the best of me. Snape looked down at Hermione, giving her a look that would have scared the bravest of men. Oh, how he yearned for revenge, to push her off the deep end. Patience, he said silently in his mind, you have all year. Yes Miss Granger, you'll get yours soon enough. Snape turned his attention back to the sorting with a slight smirk on his face.

Hermione was aware of Snape's glare. Well, she thought, if he wants to glare, I'll give him something to glare about! Hermione then started to put that brain of hers into use. She started to plan her year of pissing Snape off. Hermione, being the critical thinker she was, came up with some great ideas, but little did Hermione and Severus know, something was about to happen to make all the sweet plans of revenge even sweeter.

Albus Dumbledore stood up and addressed the students. "I have a surprise for all of the seventh years. This is something new that no wizarding school has done in the history of magic," said Dumbledore. Upon hearing this, the whole school started to talk excitedly amongst themselves. Dumbledore cleared his throat and the hall immediately fell silent. "I have decided to prepare you all for marriage. The sorting hat will pair you with the person whom you have the most in common with. I will call out a person's name from this list of all seventh years, and the sorting hat will shout out his or her name," said Dumbledore.

The reaction of all the seventh years was a mixture of excitement and fear. Hermione was one of the people who was excited. This is a wonderful idea, Hermione thought. I wonder who I'll be paired with and if this is going to count as a grade? Hermione looked at Harry and Ron, who were both looking excited as well. If Hermione had known what was about to happen, she would have retracted her thought.

Snape smirked at the students. This is going to be wonderful, Snape thought to himself as he looked at Hermione, his mind turning at all the new ways he could insult Hermione in class as well as out. I can't wait to find out who gets stuck with the know it all. I'm going to feel sorry for whoever it is, he thought. Snape had no idea how right he was.

Dumbledore walked over toward the sorting hat and stood to the right of it. "Now when the sorting hat shouts out your name, two rings will come out the tear of its mouth for the couple they belong to. The boy will put the ring on the girl's finger, and the girl will do the same to the boy. You will leave tonight with him or her and share a room, where you will sleep, cook and eat your meals with no magic. You will study and converse in this room as a married couple. You will also go with him or her to any dances or special events as a couple. You can of course, go to your common room and spend time with your friends. I'll also be issuing each couple a pet to take care of. You will also have your own bathroom, library, living room, and dining room. You will not only act as a couple, live as a couple, but also learn as a couple," Dumbledore said and the hall was unearthly silent. Hermione started to feel nervous. As Dumbledore's words played back in her mind, her stomach tied into more knots. The more knots she felt, the more nervous and sick she felt. Oh how she wished she wouldn't get paired with someone who she hated or despised. Her wish wasn't going to be answered.

Snape thought about Dumbledore's words, and silently wondered what the old man was getting at, and if he just lost his mind? Snape shook his head slightly. He knew Dumbledore was up to something, but that was always the question of the day. Snape was about to find out, but he wasn't going to like the answer.

Dumbledore went by houses. Ravenclaw first, then Hufflepuff, Slytherin, and last but not least, Gryffindor. Dumbledore called out in a loud voice "Jimena". The sorting hat was quiet for a few moments then it shouted "Ron Weasley". Everyone in the Great Hall heard a very loud "YAHOOOOOOOOOOOO" coming from the mouths of none other than Ron and Jimena at the same time. All the Ravenclaws and Gryffindors smiled at this, along with a few professors, for everyone knew how much Ron and Jimena loved each other. Dumbledore then called out "Luna Lovegood", the sorting hat as well as the people in the Great Hall were silent. Then the sorting hat shouted "Harry Potter", this was quite a shock for Harry and Luna, but they smiled and took it without a fuss. Dumbledore went through all the names of the Ravenclaws, Hufflepuffs, Slytherins, and now were on the Gryffindors. Dumbledore called out Hermione's name, the Great Hall silent as a winter's night. The sorting hat stayed silent for five minutes before it shouted the name that would change hers, as well a certain Slytherin's life forever, "SEVERUS SNAPE." At that moment everyone seemed too shocked to breathe.

Hermione felt her breathing quicken, as the world started to spin. Her mind repeating what the sorting hat had said. The world around her was spinning faster, as well as her breathing. The name Severus Snape kept flashing in her mind as her breathing turned to gasps of air, and her world was spinning faster and faster until everything in her world went black.