Marriage of Inconvenience ***COMPLETED***

20 A New Friend

Hermione gasped causing Mr Gillan to raise his eyebrows somewhat. Eventually rereading the inscription a number of times she looked up with her eyes shining.

"You.... you know Minerva McGonagall?"

Arbuthnot's eyes flicked to her own.

"Well.... yes...." He gave a rye smile "A long time and another world ago. Are you.... from.... you know where?"

Hermione nodded hardly containing her excitement. Finding one of her own was almost too much to bear.

"Yes"

The bookshop keeper looked at her kindly. "Well, I should ask you how on Earth you came to be living here, but I feel your tale may take a while, so if you would like, I'll shut up shop and you can come and join me for a cup of tea in the back? I have HobNobs!"

The young girl reached for his hands and gave them a squeeze. "Thank you." She said "Thank you. That's so kind of you."

"Not at all. Not at all. I think we could both do with the company of kindred spirits. If you're as lonely as I am here then we could quite possibly be each other's saving grace.

He almost bounced to the front of the shop and turned the sign on the door to 'closed'. Grinning he then bounced past her into the small and equally dusty but most homely back parlour where he set a large kettle onto a blackened range.

Hermione moved a pile of books and sat herself down on the worn but comfortable settee.  Presently the old man handed her a cup and put an enormous plate of biscuits between them, and sat himself on a rickety arm chair opposite.  He studied her for a moment.

"So." He began "How come a beautiful young lady like you has turned her back on her world and I'd imagine everything in it?"

"You were right, it is a fairly long tale so so shall give you the abridged version.  Have you heard of the Marriage Law and the fact it has been ratified?"

He put down his cup and steepled his fingers together, not dissimilar to how a psychiatrist might sit and take notes.

"Yes I heard it's caused all sorts of problems."

"Indeed.  I was matched to a man a good few years older than me and initially I hated the idea but we got to know each other and realised that we had a lot in common. Eventually I realised I loved Severus and he loved me...."

"Wait.  Severus? Severus Snape?"

"Well yes, do you know him?"

"I knew him as a kid.  I ran a bookshop in Diagon Alley, and was friends with his mother Eleanor.  Well I never... ". He looked at her and smiled. "Sorry, go on."

"We fell in love quite quickly and had our wedding date set, when an old flame of his turned up.  She claimed she was pregnant by him. So legally he was obliged to marry her instead." She took in a deep breath, to steady herself.  Despite the passing of the  months, the feeling of losing Severus was still so raw. 

"I was teaching at Hogwarts with Severus, but we managed to tick on by as friends.  It was hard but we managed.  Then one day I received a letter from The Ministry to say I was to be re-entered back in the Marriage Ballot."

"Oh my dear girl.  I've heard that some of those matches are downright criminal.  So that's when you decided to leave the Wizarding World?"  She nodded.

"I couldn't stay, Mr Gillan.  I had to get away.  So I left Hogwarts and Severus and the only life I have known since I was eleven and on a whim I chose Winchester.  I'm Muggle born, neither of my parents were Magical folk, but they died in the Battle, so all of my friends are still living in The Wizarding World.  I have no one here."