Escape ↣ Harmione

Chapter Two

After dinner Hermione made her way to the Room of Requirements, there on a comfortable sofa she waited for Harry. He was on time and greeted her with worry in his eyes.

"Come sit down," she said, taking his hand pulling him down next to her giving him a quick kiss hello. "I've got something to tell you and something to ask you."

Harry settled onto the sofa next to her pulling her closer so he could wrap an arm around her while she leant against him. "Hermione."

"Please, Harry," she tipped her head up so she could see him better. Harry frowned slightly but nodded letting her speak first.

"I went to see Professor Snape instead of going to Herbology. He's never lied to me, and I thought. Well, I hoped, that he be enough of a git to tell me the truth in all its unpleasantness. He's not one for coddling after all. He did, after a fashion. The Headmaster has decided that he will offer Professor Snape to me." Hermione's voice faltered, and she felt Harry's arm tighten around her offering her support. She was grateful he was holding his tongue letting her say it all because she wasn't sure she was going to be able to explain it at all if she let the fear clawing at her stomach out. "He's going to wait until the last-minute when my options would be between Malfoy and Professor Snape, to make sure I pick the Professor. He's not going to look into why Fred and George's offers never came through. He's only willing to pull strings to get around the Ministry for Professor Snape it seems. I've still had no contact in regards to other submitted offers, and Professor Snape confirmed that the Ministry was acting at Voldemort's behest. Marrying the Professor would satisfy Voldemort as I would be married to a Death Eater, and be able to provide information to Professor Snape on what you are doing. It would also satisfy the Order. By marrying me to someone in the Order as powerful as him, I would be kept safe from Voldemort." She stopped, her teeth snapping together as the last words left her mouth, her courage spent.

"And Snape told you all this?" Harry asked carefully.

"Professor Snape, Harry, and mostly. Some of it was conjecture he confirmed. Some he told me outright." Hermione said rolling her eyes at Harry's predictable lack of respect for their teacher.

"That's all that the Order is going to do? Snape? Not the twins? You can't marry him!" Harry protested holding Hermione to him a bit tighter. His free hand curled into a fist as he fought all the things he wanted to say which would do nothing but upset Hermione. "Christ he's old enough to be your dad!"

That startled a laugh from her and Harry couldn't help the twitch of his lips at the sound.

"Well I can't no, but not because he's old enough to be my dad. Or an evil man, or an ex-Death Eater, or even because he's my teacher. I can't marry him because I don't love him and he's not my choice. It's sappy I know, but my parents didn't raise me to think arranged marriages are normal. Nor am I happy to be handed over to someone without a choice. So I'm making my choice." The smile on her lips from her laugh died as her chin jutted out and Harry watched as she gathered herself.

"Hermione if you don't marry they'll break your wand. Kick you out of the magical community." Harry cautioned, hating himself for saying it, reminding her again. "You've got to; you can't go through that."

"I know," she snapped at him. "I'm not treating this as anything other than as severe as it is. I know they'll take my wand away. Cast a spell on me that means I won't be able to cast any magic in the UK without the Ministry knowing, wandless or not. If I use magic, I'll be arrested and thrown in Azkaban, no trial, no first offences, just Aurors turning up and dying in prison. I know all that Harry, but I can't bow to this law." Hysteria caused her voice to break as she listed the consequences, the fear escaping her belly and causing her to shake.