On Marriage

Hermione was still terribly unused to the awkward feeling associated with Apparating. It wasn't as dizzying as traveling by Floo, but was unnerving nonetheless. When she and Snape - Severus, she corrected herself quickly - Apparated behind a tall hedge in front of her parents' house, she very nearly lost her balance. A hand on her elbow kept her from tipping over into the shrubbery.

"Thank you," she murmured, straightening herself. Snape, Severus, removed his hand as soon as she was stable. Nervously, Hermione checked to make sure that her dress hadn't gotten twisted around funny in the split second since they'd left Number 12 Grimmauld Place, but she appeared to be in order. Snape had turned a rather unimpressed eye on the house in front of them.

"It's not as impressive as Hogwarts, but it's not at all bad for Muggle housing," she said dryly. Snape nodded almost imperceptibly.

Hermione took the lead and closed the distance to the front door. She was vaguely aware that Severus was only a step behind her and she found it incredibly unnerving. True, she was engaged to the man, but prior to that morning she'd never really had much of a conversation with him. She wondered if it would be possible to convince her parents that she wasn't making a terrible mistake. Taking a deep breath, Hermione pressed the doorbell.

Muted chimes sounded from the other side of the front door, followed by an equally muffled "They're here!" Hermione's stomach tied itself into a knot. A moment later, the front door opened to reveal an older version of Hermione.

"Mum!" Hermione cried, launching herself into her mother's arms. A chuckle announced the arrival of her father, so Hermione extricated herself from her mother and gave him a hug as well. Familiar greetings taken care of, and invitations to enter the comfortable living room extended, Hermione stepped back and became painfully aware of Severus, still standing only a foot or so away.

"Mum, Dad, this is Severus Snape," she said. "Pr- Severus, these are my parents, Margaret and Daniel Granger."

"It's a pleasure to meet you both," Severus said, shaking hands with both of Hermione's parents in turn. The Grangers murmured the appropriate niceties and everyone smiled politely. Hermione was tempted to glance out the front window to see if the world was coming to an end.

"Snape?" Hermione's mother asked as she urged Hermione and Severus to relax on the sofa. "I think I recognize that name..."

Hermione shifted uncomfortably, feeling even more awkward when her elbow brushed against Severus'. "You should," she began.

"I am a professor at Hogwarts," Severus supplied.

Hermione's father nodded. "Ah, that explains it, then. What is it that you teach?"

"I teach Potions."

"I suppose that would be rather like Chemistry?" Hermione's mother asked. Severus stared at her for the briefest moment, expressionless.

"It's a bit more involved than that, Mum, but not dissimilar," Hermione said quickly. "Severus is actually a Potions Master. That means he has quite a lot of specialized knowledge and is particularly talented in his field. There aren't as many Potions Masters around as you might suppose; it's not really something that just anyone is capable of."

"I see," her mother replied, sounding as though she was truly trying to comprehend the difference. Hermione was quite pleased that although her parents often did not understand the differences between the magical and Muggle worlds, they did at least put forth the attempt.

"So what is it that brings you by today?" Hermione's father asked. "We had hoped to see Hermione again before her school term started, but Dumbledore's letter made it sound as though this was more than just a social visit."

"Yes, I suppose it is." Although Severus had spoken, she knew she couldn't very well leave him to explain the entire situation to her parents. If she wanted them to believe that she had had any decision to make, she needed to be the one to break the news to them.

"Mum, Dad, I have some exciting news." Hermione thought she saw Severus raise an eyebrow slightly, but didn't dare turn to look at him.

Hermione's mother gasped and smiled and her father grinned from ear to ear. "You made Head Girl!" he exclaimed.

"Oh, we just knew you would, sweetheart," her mother said. "We're both so proud of you."

"Erm." Hermione shifted in her seat again. "Actually, no. Those letters haven't been delivered yet so I'm not sure if I'll be Head Girl or not."

The Grangers looked a little sheepish for having gotten ahead of themselves. "What is it then, darling?" her mother asked.

Hermione cleared her throat and smiled. "I'm getting married."

Although she knew it lasted only a second or two, Hermione thought the silence felt as though it lasted an eternity.

"Married?" her father asked, as though he had no idea what the word meant.

"To whom, Hermione?" her mother questioned. "I thought you had broken up that Krum boy quite awhile back."

"Not to Vicktor, Mum. I'm engaged to Severus."

Her announcement was greeted by another monumental silence. She shifted uncomfortably again and Severus opened his mouth as though to speak, but was cut off when Hermione's father got to his feet. It seemed to startle everyone in the room.

"You can't possibly marry this man, he's twice your age," he declared.

"Dad-"

"No, Hermione, listen to me. I forbid this to happen. You're seventeen years old, you're still in school. You can't possibly expect to have any sort of future if you marry now - much less if you marry one of your professors!" He had begun to pace, and his face had turned a brilliant shade of angry red. Hermione's mother had gone deathly pale.

"Mum-"

"Hermione, hush. And you!" He turned to Severus and took two steps closer to the couch. Hermione felt Severus stiffen in anticipation of a confrontation and nearly leapt to her feet herself. The last thing she had wanted was for this to turn out badly. "How many of your students have you attempted to seduce in the past? What makes you think you can get away with pushing yourself on our daughter? She's a child! And a very bright child at that! What kind of future do you think she's going to have if she gets married and starts a family now? It would be a complete waste of her talent!"

"Dad, listen to me for just a moment, please!" Hermione had gotten to her feet as well. She felt a hand on her arm and was surprised to see that Severus was standing beside her.

"I agree, Mister Granger," Severus said calmly, his smooth voice more calming than Hermione could have ever imagined it could possibly be. "Hermione has a very bright future ahead of her if things work in her favor. That is why we are engaged, to ensure that she is able to reach her full potential."

"I'm afraid I don't follow," Hermione's father said flatly.

"Mum, Dad," Hermione said, seizing the opportunity to jump back into the conversation. "You know that the wizarding world has been...in a bit of turmoil lately?"

"Yes?" Hermione's mother sounded as though she were preparing herself for either a punchline or bad news.

"One of the problems that our culture is facing is a thinning of bloodlines," Severus said. "Very old wizarding families, those who can trace their ancestors back for millennia, have a tendency to be selective when it comes to choosing partners. For so long, these families wanted to keep their bloodlines 'pure', and only married with other long-standing, pureblooded families."

Hermione's mother's eyebrows came together. "Wouldn't that eventually cause all sorts of problems?"

Hermione nodded, but Severus continued. "Precisely. The Ministry of Magic, in a misguided attempt to rectify the problems that have begun to arise, is requiring witches and wizards of pureblooded families to choose their spouse from those who come from Muggle or 'mixed-blood' backgrounds."

"Like Hermione."

Hermione nodded again. "Like me."

"Unfortunately, the Minister of Magic mishandled this as he has so many other things, and the law was written in such a manner that only the pureblooded wizards have any choice in the matter. Any Muggle-born witch or wizard over the age of eighteen who receives a marriage proposal must marry."

Hermione's mother gasped. The expression in her chocolate colored eyes showed that she understood the gravity of the situation that her daughter was in.

"But Hermione is only seventeen! She isn't old enough to be forced to marry yet, and there must be something that can be done!"

Hermione shook her head. "No, Mum. The Ministry included the term I used the Time Turner to calculate my age, so they considered me eighteen several weeks ago. I received two offers immediately and the only way I can avoid having to marry is to leave the wizarding world forever."

"You can always come home, sweetheart," her mother said softly.

"Mum, you know I can't," Hermione replied, just as softly. Her mother's eyes welled with tears, but did not spill over.

"Hermione received two offers immediately," Severus continued. "Both were from the sons of prominent Death Eaters." Hermione's parents both responded visibly to this news. She knew they didn't have a full grasp on what that meant, but she had told them enough for them to understand that it was a very bad thing. "Either choice would have, at the very least, dimmed her future considerably. Knowing the backgrounds of the young men who had petitioned for her hand in marriage, I can safely say that she would have likely been in grave physical danger as well." Hermione's mother paled again at this news.

"So, in order to save Hermione from this fate, you proposed to her yourself?" Hermione's father sounded somewhat skeptical.

Severus nodded. "In broad terms, yes. Hermione played a very large part in the success of the war against Voldemort, which would make her very valuable to the last vestiges of his followers. I used to be among them and know their tactics. I can stand against the Death Eaters and keep her safe."

There was a heavy silence in the room. After a moment, Hermione's father resumed his seat. He was followed by Severus and, finally, Hermione.

"Oh, sweetheart, we always hoped this would be such a happy occasion for you." Hermione's mother looked and sounded as though she were going to cry. Hermione felt a lump form in her own throat and wondered if she would be able to talk around it.

"Mrs. Granger, I am well aware that I am far from the man your daughter would have chosen to marry if the situation were something other than what it is," Severus said, his voice taking on that foreign-sounding reassuring tone again. Hermione narrowly resisted the urge to ask him if he was feeling well. "I am not a pleasant man. But I can provide Hermione with a safe atmosphere. I can provide her with the opportunity to complete her schooling and to reach her full potential in the wizarding world. Given time, we should be able to exist quite tolerably with one another."

"Hermione will be able to complete her education at Hogwarts?" Her father looked and sounded a bit shell-shocked.

"Yes, she will."

"What about after Hogwarts?" her mother asked. "Hermione has always talked about continuing her education."

"While I do not foresee leaving my position at Hogwarts at the end of the term when Hermione is finished with her schooling, there are several wizarding universities within Apparating distance. With Hermione's scores she should have no trouble getting into whichever one she chooses. Another option, should she choose to pursue it, would be to take on an Apprenticeship. Again, she is skilled enough to have options within that choice. I daresay that there are members of the Hogwarts staff who would gladly welcome her should she decide to continue her training without traveling someplace else."

Hermione openly stared at Severus as he finished. The man sitting beside her on her parents' sofa was a far cry from the man she thought she knew, from the man who took away house points without hesitation, assigned detentions with barely restrained glee and had never said a kind word to her before that very day.

"Take care of her," Hermione's father said after another silent moment.

"You have my word," Severus replied gravely.