A Marriage of Convenience

Hey readers, it's Perky_Thief here, bringingyou Chapter 2 of a Marriage of Convenience. Not too much to say here, but I hope you like it!

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Title: A Marriage of Convenience

Chapter Two: Petitions

The walk towards the Headmasters office wasn’t a far one, not at the pace Hermione walked. She practically jogged the whole way there; the quicker she got there, the faster it would be over and done with.

After a few sharp turns around the corridors, Hermione could see the gargoyle guarding the entrance to Dumbledore’s office. Yet, to her surprise, Professor McGonagall stood before the large statue, beckoning her to move quicker. “Quickly, Miss Granger. We haven’t got all day.”

“Sorry, Professor,” Hermione mumbled, as she followed her Head of House inside and up the long spiral staircase into the office. She entered the Headmaster’s office and took a seat in one of the two large, red cushioned chairs seated before his desk.

Dumbledore turned towards her almost as soon as she entered. “Ah, Hermione. Please, please, make yourself comfortable. Lemon drop?”

“No, thank you, Professor.”

Dumbledore’s face looked tired and strained, as if he had been working non-stop to deal with an unfixable problem…a problem such as the new law. Putting a smile on his face, he sat down behind his desk and rubbed his temples slightly before speaking again. “Hermione, you’ve no doubt heard of this new marriage law that Fudge has enacted, correct?”

Hermione swallowed hard. She had been afraid of something like this. Apparently the Headmaster had been informed of her recent change of age, thus making her eligible to be affected by this law. “Yes, sir. I’ve been following it all summer.”

“Yes, I see. Then you’re obviously aware that it applies to only those above the age of eighteen. Now, you may or may not know this, Hermione, but the Ministry informs me that-”

“I know, Professor; the Ministry has legally changed my age. I know what this means. I’m eligible.”

Dumbledore smiled suddenly vanished. “Ah, yes…then I take it that you know why you’re here…” He clasped his hands together and let them fall to rest on top of desk.

Hermione straightened up a bit. “Um, I assumed that I was only here because you discovered the Ministry’s decision to change my age. But,” she said, taking a deep breath, “there’s something else, isn’t there?”

“Always the clever one, I see,” the Headmaster said with a sad chuckle. “I’ve been working effortlessly to have this law repealed, but sadly, the Ministry continues to stand firm on the idea. Perhaps, by the end of this year, this blasted law will be no more, but for now…I’m afraid for the time-being, those affected will have to simply ‘grin and bear it,’ as they say.” Dumbledore stood up, clearing his throat as he did so. He gestured to two rolled up pieces of sealed and bound parchment resting on top of his desk. “These,” he began slowly, “are official Marriage Contracts, both sent in to and approved by the Ministry. I will fully explain their purpose momentarily, once our final guest arri-”

At that moment, the door to the Headmaster’s office flew open, allowing Professor Snape to enter, his robes billowing behind him. He advanced towards Dumbledore and thrust a similar looking piece of parchment into his hands, all the while keeping an angry scowl on his face. He took a seat next to Hermione in the other large chair, looking thoroughly annoyed and irritated.

“Ah yes, thank you, Severus,” Dumbledore said, taking the next scroll and lining it up next to the other two. “Now as I was saying, these contracts have all been approved by the Ministry, and furthermore, they are all directed towards you, Miss Granger.”

“But, sir? I don’t-”

“Please, Hermione, allow me to finish. I have here three marriage petitions all in the name of Hermione Granger. Now, based upon the specifications of the law, and seeing as how you have more than one petition, I do believe that you are given the right to choose whichever suitor you desire.”

“But, sir! You haven’t even told me who sent in these petitions. Shouldn’t I at least know who sent them in before I decide on choosing one of them?” Hermione’s patience had become exceedingly thin with each passing word from the Headmaster’s lips. This day had become very complicated within a matter of minutes, and Hermione wasn’t enjoying any of it.

“Yes, quite right, my dear. But I do believe that you should be the one to open these, seeing as how they are your marriage proposals.” Dumbledore gently pushed the three bound and sealed parchments towards the edge of his desk, indicating that she should take them.

Hesitantly, Hermione opened the first scroll, slightly squinting her eyes in the process so as not to completely see the dreadful name at the top of the page. Jordan Goodman. She knew that name. He had been a Ravenclaw prefect back when they were in their 5th year; currently, he trailed a few spots behind her for top marks in all their classes.

It had been a while since Hermione had spoken to Jordan, usually only doing so at the prefect meetings. As far as she remembered, he had been quite good looking. Hermione smiled a bit at the thought of having to marry him. ‘At least he’d be fairly nice to look at,’ she thought to herself.

Placing Jordan’s petition back onto Dumbledore’s desk, Hermione reached for the parchment that had been in the middle. Moments after scanning the parchment, the color drained completely from Hermione’s face, a mixture of shock and disgust replacing what had once been annoyance. Draco Malfoy. The one name she had prayed not to receive. Yet there it was, written in thick black ink at the top of the page.

Her face must have clearly portrayed her emotions. “Miss Granger,” Professor Snape began. “What you hold in your hand is the one thing that we have worried about most. It was our belief that Malfoy would use this new law to his advantage in securing you as a wife. That petition proves our suspicions to be correct.”

“Why? Why would Malfoy desire me as a wife?”

“‘Desire’ is not the correct word in this circumstance. You would not be something he ‘desires,’ Miss Granger; but rather, you would be merely a possession of his. A meager toy for him to do what he pleases with. Miss Granger, you would become a piece of property and nothing more. The name ‘Malfoy’ may be a powerful one, but it would not protect from the wide range of physical and emotional damage you’d receive. To accept his marriage petition would transform you into nothing more than a sad and pathetic plaything for the Malfoy family own.”

“Severus, that is enough.” Dumbledore’s eyes held an angry glint, showing obvious displeasure in the Potion Professor’s choice of words. “Hermione, we do not wish to scare you. We simply wish to inform you of the severity of the situation. Though graphic as it is, Professor Snape’s description of marriage to Mr. Malfoy is entirely possible.”

“I would consider it more than a mere possibility, Headmaster. More like a guarantee,” Severus interjected.

Professor McGonagall, whom had been silently listening the whole time, finally spoke up. “Yes, well, be that as it may, there are other options for you, Miss Granger. Luckily, Mr. Malfoy is not the only petition you have received.”

“I know,” Hermione stated confidently. “I’ll marry Goodman. At least with Jordan I’ll have a chance at a normal life.” After all, anybody would be better than Malfoy.

“Actually, Miss Granger, I’m afraid that Mr. Goodman is not a wise choice,” Snape stated.

Hermione furrowed her brow in annoyance. “And why is that? He’s obviously a wiser choice than Malfoy. Why can’t I marry him?”

“Because, Miss Granger,” Snape snarled, becoming increasingly irritated. “To accept Mr. Goodman’s petition as opposed to Malfoy’s would no doubt enrage the boy, as well as his father. By refusing Malfoy you are not only adding fuel to a violent fire, but you also place Mr. Goodman’s life in grave danger. Miss Granger, do you honestly believe that Mr. Malfoy would not take matters into his own hands if he was not able to have legally? Do you honestly think that he wouldn’t attempt to have Mr. Goodman permanently disposed of if it meant being gaining you?” Snape had approached Hermione and clenched his hands tightly around the arms of the chair she sat in. “Think, Granger! Use your head for once, and comprehend the lives put in danger by your decisions. Do not take this matter lightly.”

Hermione leant back deep into her chair. Her professor’s words had frightened her, but they made sense. Now that she thought about it, Malfoy did seem quite capable of using dangerous means to get what he wants. Even if those means required killing someone. Taking a deep breath, Hermione said, “then what am I supposed to do?”

Snape closed his eyes briefly before turning away from her. He reached for the third roll of parchment sitting on Dumbledore’s desk and thrust it sharply into her hands. Moving away from Hermione, Snape moved to stand behind the Headmaster, eyeing the bookshelves with a mock-interest.

Hermione studied the scroll in her hands, utterly confused by the current situation. Breaking the seal, her eyes instinctively jumped to the top of the parchment where the name ‘Severus Snape’ lay emblazoned in bold green ink. Hah. Marrying her Potions Professor? Hermione scoffed at the mere thought of it. She turned her head towards the Headmaster. “You intend to have me marry him? This must be some sort of joke. Surely there must be another alternative?”

“I’m afraid not, Miss Granger,” he replied. “it appears that this is our wisest choice of action. Surely you don’t find Professor Snape that disagreeable?” He held strange sort of amused twinkle in his eye, as if he knew exactly what her response would be.

Enraged, Hermione stood up out of her chair. “Disagreeable is an understatement,” she glared at Dumbledore. “How can you – how can anybody expect me to marry that overgrown bat? I’d rather jump off the Astronomy Tower than condemn myself to him.”

At hearing this, Snape turned towards the Gryffindor with a fierce glint in his eyes. “You make it seem like wanting to marry you is my choice. The only reason my name is on that parchment is because the Headmaster thought it best. I only have your best interests at heart.” He folded his arms across his chest, his lips in a thin, rigid line out of anger.

Hermione sat perfectly still for a moment, thinking of everything that had just happened, of everything he had just said. “You…have my interests…at heart?”

Upon her saying that, Snape immediately regretted his choice of words. He had not wished to give the girl some false sense of hope. “Miss Granger,” he started slowly, refusing to look her in the eyes. “By agreeing to marry me I can only offer you protection, and perhaps a chance at a normal life. Something, I guarantee, that you will not receive by marrying Draco.”

At this point, Dumbledore interjected. “Hermione, again I wish to stress how important it is that you make the wisest decision. I implore you to think of your own safety above all else.”

“Headmaster,” Hermione said, “the law states that I have at most a month to ‘courted,’ so-to-speak, by my petitioners?”

“Yes, I do believe that is correct, Miss Granger.”

A smirk fell upon Hermione’s face, “good. Then before I make my decision I would like to be ‘courted’ by each of my prospective fiancés. It’ll at least prepare me for what I am getting myself into.”

“Miss Granger, is that really necessary?” Snape snarled, a look of disgust masking his features.

“Now, now, Severus,” Dumbledore stated, “I think Hermione’s come up with a wonderful idea. The least you could do is give the courting a chance…”

“But, Albus-”

“Severus,” the Headmaster gave the Potions Professor a warning tone, accompanied by a stern look. Snape murmured something incoherent, all the while keeping a sneer permanently on his face. “Wonderful,” the Headmasters twinkling eyes shone exceedingly bright. “Minerva, dear, could you please fetch Mr. Malfoy and Mr. Goodman from their classes, please? I believe there are some things of which we all need to discuss.”

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