𝐾𝑒𝑒𝑝𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑆𝑒𝑐𝑟𝑒𝑡𝑠 𝑆𝑛𝑎𝑚𝑜𝑖𝑛𝑒 💚❤️

Chapter 2

CHAPTER 2

Dumbledore cleared his throat, "Perhaps it would be best if you went to go get rings now? I would suggest some sort of invisibility spell until it is safe to reveal your marriage. In fact, as a sort of marriage present, if you get the rings, I will place the protection charms over them."

Severus leaned forward and put his head in his hands. Breathe in and out Severus, and get your act together he berated himself. Clearing his throat he stood, "sounds fine." With that he turned and left, disguised, to go buy some rings.

Severus' memory ended as his first student, Hermione Granger herself, entered the classroom. He sighed; this was going to be interesting.

The class finished with no cauldrons exploding or robes catching on fire. It seemed that the sixth years finally were learning how to handle their potions making. The students were clearing up when he called out to Miss Granger.

"Miss Granger, a word?" Hermione nodded her head as she followed Professor Snape to the front of his classroom and through a door into his office. She found it odd how, for lack of a better word, kind he seemed at the moment.

Snape cast a muffliato as soon as the door shut behind her, "Sir?" Snape did not acknowledge her questioning glance about the muffliato and pointed to the chair in front of his desk, "If you will please sit down." She sat and waited as he sat too and stared at her a moment before sighing. She could tell he was a bit uncomfortable with the conversation soon to come.

"Miss Granger what I am about to tell you must remain a complete secret, no one may know of what we are about to speak; not even Potter and Weasley may be told in any way." He put up his hand as her mouth dropped open to protest, "The conversation is extremely important and if others hear of it, it will change the outcome of this war. It is extremely necessary that you never utter a word of it ever again to anyone. Can you promise to keep a secret Miss Granger?"

Hermione sat back in her chair. Professor Snape had never spoken so plainly or so much in the entire time she had known him. He was not sneering or rude, he was entirely serious. Hermione took a moment for self-reflection; could she keep a secret from Harry and Ron even if it would impact them? Did she truly trust Snape enough to make this promise before knowing what it was? Her answer was a surprisingly strong "Yes."

Snape nodded. "Miss Granger the Dark Lord has slowly been infiltrating the Ministry of Magic for some time. It is no longer governed by morals or ethics, rather galleons and threats. This morning the Ministry of Magic has secretly passed a new law which will be announced tomorrow. It is a new marriage law. It requires all muggle borns to marry either a pure-blood or a half-blood within a month. The only decent outcome of this is that the Dark Lord will not be tracking who joins together in marriage; he simply will monitor if muggle borns are married or not, in order to ensure the wizard world will soon 'breed out the filth'."

At this point Snape stood and walked to the window, "I will not beat around the bush; the headmaster has asked that we marry so that the corrupt ministry does not force you to marry a death eater. There has been tampering, so you are not allowed to marry a Gryffindor." Snape turned to look at Hermione who was frozen in shock in her chair. He walked over to the side table where a bottle of firewiskey and some butterbeers were placed. He poured himself a glass of firewiskey and carried a butterbeer to her. Hermione seemed to unfreeze as he offered it to her, "If you don't mind professor, I think I could use something a bit stronger." Snape simply raised an eyebrow for her, returned the butterbeer and set her own small glass of firewiskey in front of her before returning to his seat before her to drink his own with the bottle close by.