Chapter One
A heavy weight lay on Lucius' shoulders like a cloak. He made his way silently from the busy and overstimulating courtroom and down the hall to his Ministry of Magic office.
The head of his best friend, Severus, was waiting for him in the Floo. At the sight of Malfoy, Severus' brows rose. "How was it?"
"The marriage law passed." Malfoy sank into his desk chair, dropping his head into his hand. "Despite my best efforts."
"Surely it can't be that bad of an idea."
Malfoy shot him a narrowed glance. "Easy for you to say, you're sterile. It doesn't affect you."
"I expect I'll get an earful about it from Hermione." Snape rolled his eyes. "My daughter is as firmly against the marriage law as you are."
"Ugh." Malfoy lowered his head into his hand again.
"Ugh." And with that, Snape disappeared from the fireplace.
The Snape dinner table was oddly animated that night. Usually father and daughter spent their meal wrapped up in books, the only sounds silverware clinking against plates and the rustle of turning pages.
"I don't UNDERSTAND the reasoning behind this." Hermione jabbed at lettuce and tomatoes in her salad.
"Yes, you do, you've heard it a million times." Severus sighed and reached for his water glass.
"Of all the misogynistic, pea-brained things the Ministry could do..."
"At least the law is just to marry, my dear, not necessarily procreate." Severus selected a book from a pile of texts that was perpetually at his chair.
Hermione rolled her eyes. That mannerism was so obviously from the Snape side of her family that Severus inwardly grinned.
"Harry has Ginny and Ron has Lavender..."
Severus opened his book, his salad at his elbow forgotten. "You'll think of something, my dear, you always do."
"A three-month deadline or I will be fined."
Lucius strode into Severus' Hogwarts office and dropped into a chair.
Severus looked up from the papers he was grading. "Hello, Lucius. Make yourself at home," he said dryly. He turned back to his marking. "Is there really no witch you could ever see yourself marrying?"
Lucius was still in a huff. "No. I'm not taking just any empty-headed bimbo into my house."
Snape looked up, the corners of his mouth lifting. "Nor into your bed?"
"Argh." Malfoy scrubbed his face with his hands. His face still covered, he said, "So what does Hermione think of all this?"
Snape laid down his quill and pushed back his chair, propping his feet on an ottoman.
"She has very much the same feelings as you do, Lucius."
Lucius lowered his hands and met Severus' knowing gaze. "No. No, no, Severus. I would never."
"You two have more in common than you might think."
"Severus, she's your daughter. I have never thought of her in that way."
Snape leaned back and tented his fingers together.
"Wouldn't it be better to marry someone you do know and maybe halfway like?"
Lucius rubbed at his temple. "I... I don't know, Severus. There's a lot to think about here."
"You'd have no objections from me, you know that," Snape said as he lowered his feet and turned back to his grading.
"Just... just let me think about it. But I do appreciate it, I really do." Malfoy stood up, pulling down his jacket. "You won't... you won't say anything to her, will you?"
"No, of course not," Snape said firmly.
"Thanks." Lucius felt better after having had this conversation with his oldest friend. His long blond hair whipping over his shoulder, he turned, opened the door, and there stood Hermione Snape. Her curly brown hair had been twisted into a braided bun. She wore a sleeveless red dress, matching low heels, and a small smile on her face. She looked fairly pretty and oh so very young.
"Hello." She did a sort of awkward curtsy, and Lucius' stomach clenched in response. It had been a very long time since he had been even a little interested in the fairer sex. Hermione was half his age and the daughter of his best friend. Could this... could this even be possible? Embarrassed, he stammered out a goodbye and hurried away.
Hermione looked after him, confused, before turning to her father and taking the seat Lucius had just vacated.
"What was that all about, Dad? He seemed positively confused."
For the second time that afternoon Severus Snape put down his quill. He was not going to get any grading done that evening, at this rate.
"Have you thought any more of the marriage law, Hermione?"
Hermione swiveled in her chair to where Lucius had gone, and then turned back to her father.
"No. No, no, no. Dad!"
"I didn't say anything." He raised his hands in surrender and started organizing his students' homework assignments.
"Dad, he's so old!"
Severus raised an eyebrow in her direction.
"Hermione, you've known him all your life. Wouldn't it be better to be paired with someone you know?"
"I... I guess."
"And you don't have a lot of time to figure this out. December 31 is the deadline. You must have a proposal in place by that time."
"I know, I know. You're making me feel like I was a kid again in one of your classes."
Severus looked at her fondly. "You're my greatest achievement, Hermione Jean Snape. Now let's scoot and get to dinner. I want to eat here at Hogwarts tonight. If Dumbledore snags the last piece of cheesecake again, I shall be very cross."
Severus and Hermione divided their time between Hogwarts, where they both taught, and Spinner's End. During the weekends they usually spent nights at their home, and during the week, they typically slept at Hogwarts, where they both had offices and private bedchambers. Hermione taught Defense Against the Dark Arts, and Snape taught Potions, as he always had. Hermione was the result of a one-night stand Snape had had with a Muggle woman who had no interest in magic or wizardry. She had subsequently broken his heart when she wanted nothing to do with him or little Hermione. When Hermione's Hogwarts letter arrived on her 11th birthday, Snape packed up his daughter to live with him and they never heard from the woman again. Hermione had been living with Severus Snape ever since. He was thrilled when, after graduating, Hermione accepted a teaching post at Hogwarts and they taught in neighboring classrooms.
In Hermione's first year of teaching, Snape was bitten by a snake while out gathering herbs for a Potions class. It had been touch and go for a while, but he slowly made a recovery with one small caveat -- the snake had made him sterile. There would be no more children for Severus Snape. It didn't matter -- Hermione was his pride and joy. She had inherited his intelligence, his quick thinking, and his talent in spellwork. She lit up his world every day, and she was all Snape needed in life.
Hermione recalled her years growing up as Snape's only child with fondness as she brushed out her long hair and wove it into two braids. Sitting before her vanity, she studied her reflection. Would getting married to Lucius Malfoy really be all that bad? What would it be like living with him as wizard and wife?
She looked around her bedroom. As she grew older and her tastes changed, her dad had helped her decorate however she wanted. The walls were now light brown, and a burgundy canopy hung over her bed, which was topped with a matching comforter. A wardrobe with a full length mirror inside sat in one corner and her vanity table in another. Beyond was a door to her private bathroom. Directly below her was her DADA classroom, and next to that was her adjoining office.
Hermione loved teaching. She loved seeing the sparkle in students' eyes as they finally figured out a difficult spell. She even loved grading.
Would Lucius make her give up his career? Would he want to have children? She wasn't sure how she felt about that.
She moved her perfume bottles to the side and moved her wand in the air as if she was writing. The name Mrs Lucius Malfoy appeared in deep blue lettering on her table. With one flick of her wand, the wording disappeared. Then she wrote Ms Hermione Jean Snape and smiled at her work.
An unfamiliar owl arrived at Hermione's place setting at breakfast. She had just put a piece of toast in her mouth and chewed as she took the rolled-up letter from the owl's extended leg.
"Who's it from?" Snape asked as he fed the owl a chunk of apple before it flew away.
Her toast turned to glue in her mouth as she read the letter. "It's an invitation. To go to dinner at Malfoy Manor on Friday. From Lucius." She made as if to pass the letter to her dad and then pulled it back. "You weren't meddling, were you, Dad?"
"Me? Never." He placed his hand on his heart and then snatched the letter from his daughter. He speedily scanned the short message and was privately impressed. Lucius' note was very polite and respectful. Yes, it was maybe a little odd that his best friend was romantically interested in his daughter, but Snape couldn't think of anyone he would rather have his little girl marry.
Hermione had managed to swallow the lump of toast and was washing it down with pumpkin juice.
"So what do you think, Dad?" she asked, when Snape had finished reading Malfoy's invitation.
Severus gave her back the note and began buttering a slice of toast.
"I think you should go, Hermione. Just... give him a chance. He's a good man." He peered at her sideways.
Hermione smoothed out the paper, pressing out the wrinkles.
"Okay," she said slowly, "I trust you."
She couldn't explain the lump that was back in her throat - if it was anxiety or excitement.