Tying Knots

Hermione Granger is enjoying the respite of summer before coming back to Hogwarts for her last year. But one night, a letter from the Ministry of Magic turns all that upside down, when she finds out that she has become legally bound to get married. Will Hermione be left to the marital clutches of Draco Malfoy? What nefarious reason could he have for proposing to her? Who will provide the protection she needs when things get a bit more dangerous?

Hermione Granger is enjoying the respite of summer before coming back to Hogwarts for her last year. But one night, a letter from the Ministry of Magic turns all that upside down, when she finds out that she has become legally bound to get married. Will Hermione be left to the marital clutches of Draco Malfoy? What nefarious reason could he have for proposing to her? Who will provide the protection she needs when things get a bit more dangerous?

“Oh, by the way,” Hermione said as they worked their way to the kitchen, “happy birthday, and you’re officially seeking my hand in marriage.”

“I had to make a choice, and I made it.” Hermione cleared her throat and continued. “I know it’s dangerous. And I will never forgive myself for putting any of you in this kind of danger. But I had to make a choice and I made the choice that is most likely to bring me the most amount of happiness.” Tears welled up in her eyes but she ignored them as she rose and walked to the door. Her head was held high as she turned to address them on her way towards her room. “I cannot and will not apologize for my decision.”

Hermione turned swiftly to see Ron collapsing to the ground in a heap. Before she was able to process the image, she felt the sharp point of a knife at her throat. She looked down minutely and saw the curved blade of a dagger, etched with tiny scrolls, emanating from an ebony handle in the form of a snake striking at prey. “Wonderful little Muggle instruments aren’t they, Miss Granger?” a slick voice purred close to her ear.

Before Hermione and Ginny could begin to ask what was happening, Mrs. Weasley burst through the double doors. She was gibbering incoherently. “I had gone home for the night … and the clock …,” she mumbled. “ She continued much in this manner for several seconds until she scanned the room and found Snape. She practically ran to him. Much to Hermione’s surprise, when her voice left her, Mrs. Weasley was not racked or nervous, she was furious. “Where is he?” she demanded again, her anger simmering to a cold fury. “What happened to Ron?”

She fought to keep from sobbing hysterically again. Instead, she stretched herself out and laid on the mound of earth, beneath which lay Ron’s body. Without even glancing up, Hermione extended her open palm up towards Harry, inviting him to lay down with her. She noticed him, out of the corner of her eye, straightening his shorts and shirt nervously before laying down upon the earth. She turned her face inward – his facing hers, hers facing his – their eyes gazing back at each other as they laid hand over hand on the mound that they supposed covered Ron’s heart.

“Don’t know anyone else that could give me a ring like that, do you?” Hermione remarked, triumphantly.

"Mum, I hope this isn’t too terribly sudden, but I’m going to be coming home for dinner tomorrow evening. Also, if it’s not too big an imposition, I’ll be bringing a friend ... erm, someone spec--- someone from school with me as well. I have some excit---interes--- big news for you and Dad. Please return owl and let me know if this is all right.

“Who’s the one you’re marrying?” her father asked, his voice calm, but barbed. “Well, I did bring him with me—” Her father, however, rose from the chair and started to move towards the door. “Well, ask him in for goodness sake, Hermione. Where are your manners … leaving someone outside for hours?” Hermione gathered a deep breath. “Father, Mother … I’d like to introduce to you my fiancé… Severus Snape.”

“Well fine!" Hermione hollered back. "If you’ve all the answers, what would you do?”

If he had even considered his reaction he most certainly wouldn’t have sighed as he passed her while she commenced dabbing at the orange juice that had dribbled across the page she had dog-eared in a Muggle magazine as she poured over a description of a wizarding fidelity charm. He may have even spoken to her about this reaction had the kitchen not been filled with the other members of the Order, milling about and eating their breakfast. If he were a different man, he may have sat down next to her to keep the process from being so lonely; if he’d had it in him, he may have even offered help. But it wasn’t in him.

YES PEOPLE, YOU READ CORRECTLY!!! THIS STORY HAS FINALLY BEEN UPDATED!!! In the darkness of the hall, each candle sparkled not only with a pure flame, but glittering gold words written on the air, announcing the name of each of the remembered dead. Hermione would not have needed Colin Creevey’s camera to capture the sight. She stared so long at the gently shimmering words that she believed that “Ronald Weasley” would be forever branded across the back of her eyes.