And here it comes ...

I'm once again the happiest bunny in the meadow: shiv5468 did the first beta-ing and she really did a great job and I love it and I could kiss her (I've already warned her - probably she's on the run by now) and ... I read what she did it and I compared it to what I've written and ... actually ... I mean, she had a lot of correcting to do for getting my English straight, but ... I feared much worse. Obviously I'm not making such a mess as I was afraid I'd do. Anyway: I'll go to learn again how to do this "lj cut" thing - and then I'll see if my dear and patient dearie madamsprout really is the only one interested in this strange story of mine. I must admit: I wouldn't mind if someone would ask me for a bit more of the story (and there's already more - only it needs Shiv working on it)A Winter Tale-----------------------------------by: MaxInspired by the WIKTT Marriage Law Challenge, but not following it exactlyEverything you recognizes her is owned by J.K. Rowlings. I only want to play a bit with her toys, but I promise I'll give them back after having a bit fun with them ...In the memory of R.H.and ... of course: To P., my very own wizardChapter 1: Desperate times, part 1A winter storm roared over the Scottish highlands, gripping with icy hands the towers of the Hogwards school of Wizardry and Witchcraft, pushing against the ancient windows, letting them rattle and making the candles in the rooms behind flicker. The tall, bony woman in front of the fireplace didn't like the storm. Although the room was almost too warm, with dozens of candles flickering in the air and the fire blazing heat, she seemed to shiver. Whenever one of the windows was struck by the wind, she wrapped her dark green robe closer against her frame and looked worriedly into the darkness behind the windows.Her companion, a very old wizard with a white beard so long it reached to the belt of his gorgeous burgundy robe, tried to look relaxed with his long legs stretched to the fire. His head, with a long, silvern mane, was slightly tilted to the side and rested against the high back of his chair. Yet his long, elegant fingers, bony from age, betrayed his pose. They couldn't stop playing with the hem of his sleeve. They almost seemed to have a life of their own, uncontrolled by the wizard, doing a gracious dance with the fabric. Once again the wind raised its voice to a roar. The purple bird who had dozed on the mantlepiece raised his head, flustered, made a melodious sound and sank with one, gliding movement down to the wizard's shoulder. It nipped tenderly on the old man's ear. He stopped playing with his sleeve and gently stroked the bird's head. "Yes, Fawkes, I know," he said quietly. "You worry about the boy. So do I and so does Minerva even though she'd rather swallow her tongue than admit it in front of him.""The boy," Minerva McGonagall, transfiguration teacher, master of the house of Gryffindor and deputy headmistress, said a bit stiffly, "is a grown man. He's old enough to look after himself.""Yes, yes," the old wizard answered thoughtfully. "Only he's confronted with evil and tortured by it on a regular basis ..." His voice became almost a whisper as he spoke."You don't have to remind me, Albus." Minerva rose up and went to the window. With the back to Albus Dumbledore she said: "He's late ...""Hagrid is at the gates, waiting for him. If he comes back injured, Hagrid will help him ..."For a few moments, both wizard and witch were silent. Then she said, her voice soft and sad: "I'm afraid, Albus. One day he won't come back. One day this monster will kill him - slowly, painfully. We will lose him - his brilliant mind, his thirst for knowledge, his courage, his ...""One could think you will miss me," a deep voice broke in. "How Gryffindor of you, Minerva."Minerva McGonagall turned around and looked to the dark shape, lingering tiredly against the open doorframe. "You're back, Severus," she said."Stating the obvious, Minerva? Considering the amount of sugar Albus fed you tonigh, your brain should actually be working on overdrive by now." Hogwarts Potions Master Severus Snape staggered in the room, throwing a black cloak and a silver mask in one of the unoccupied chairs and sinking on an old leather sofa.Albus Dumbledore raised his head. "Are you hurt, child?" he asked.Snape shook his head. "No, this time I'm not. So a bit of your old Ogden's will be enough to give me the strength to pass on the information you have been longing for all evening."The headmaster lowered his head and sighed. Silently he looked to a small cupboard behind his paper-laden desk and raised his index finger. The cupboard opened, a bottle and a tumbler sailed through the room and landed with a soft "pop" on a little table next to the sofa. "Please serve yourself, Severus," Dumbledore invited the younger wizard.The potion master poured himself a generous amount of dark brown liquor, rotated the glass so that the liquid circled in it and watched out of tired eyes how the firewhiskey changed its colour to a deep red. Smoke filled the glass, as the potion master raised it. "To you, headmaster! To you and Voldemort - the masters of my fate!" He swallowed the liquor with one gulp. "I'm going," broke Minerva the silence, walking to the door. "It's late, my husband should be back by now and you don't need me any ...""Stay, Minerva," the potion master said without looking to his elder colleague. "I promise: My story will be worth your while."Minerva sighed and came back in the room, seating herself in the chair next to the fire place again. The headmaster watched his potion master pour himself the second glass and drink it. "So bad, Severus?" he asked then, his old voice full of worry."Worse, Albus." The younger man crossed his arms over his chest. "Ministerial announcement No. 1126 - does this ring a bell?" "The marriage law." Albus suddenly looked very uncomfortable."We discussed it all evening while you ..."Minerva couldn't finish because Severus cut in, his voice cold: ".... amused myself at one of this wonderful social gatherings Voldemort always so nicely invites his friends to." Venom dripped from every word he spoke, his pale face looked as if he'd feel sick. "Today it really was a wonderful party with Voldemort doing the honours, Lucius Malfoy providing the best champagne from his vineyard, Narcissa Malfoy showing off the newest extravagances her husband's wealth bought her - like a ring with a diamond bigger than her son's brain and a obviously heavily drugged muggle boy who's her new play mate. Only the messieurs Goyle and Lesley spoilt the fun a bit - they were so eager in raping and butchering a muggle girl they didn't pay proper attention to Lucius' marble floor. You know, blood stains are so hard to remove, even with good potions. "So Lucius wasn't pleased and because he's our dark lord's favourite lapdog at the moment, his grace himself crucio'd the two culprits a bit. Unfortunately Lesley couldn't stand it and cried in the end for his mummy, but who's Lesley to think that Lucius Malfoy would allow him to spoil all fun? He ended as dust - the Malfoy house elves certainly will have taken care of it by now. So it was a great occasion, really. But what the two of you will like best was the reason for this celebration ...""The marriage law?" Minerva asked, but didn't wait for an answer. "I fail to comprehend what You-know-who gets from it. He wants all muggleborn witches and wizards dead, so the purebloods are the only keepers of power again. He and his followers certainly can't support a law which forces purebloods to marry muggleborns. It's against every thing they stand for, isn't it?""Oh, Minerva!" sighed Severus Snape. "You're so disgustingly Gryffindor, you'll never understand how a Slytherin's mind works."Albus obviously understood. "Who do they want to get for whom?" he asked shortly."Minerva won't like it ..." answered Snape. "It's an idea from Lucius - and Voldemort loves it. He probably even wants to become best man - or he'll act as the father of the bride, walking her down the aisle. Two flies killed with one stroke: One of the most talented witches of her generation out of the game and Harry Potter weakened because she can't do all his thinking anymore.""So we're talking about Hermione Granger," stated Albus, his blue eyes behind the halfmoon spectacles sad and tired."Are we ever talking about anybody else other than a member of Gryffindor's golden trio?" replied Snape."Who is she to marry?" Minerva McGonagall sat stiff in her chair, her lips so pursed that they were hardly visible."Draco Malfoy." Snape looked provocatively at Minerva. "Don't you think, that they'll make a sweet couple? Your bushy haired Gryffindor know-it-all and Slytherin's pride, the most spoiled brat on this planet - with the exception of one Harry Potter, of course.""That's outrageous!" Minerva jumped on her feet and started walking through the room like a nervous tiger in his cage. "Albus!" she cried. "You can't allow that!""Unfortunately Albus doesn't have a say in this matter," said Severus - and seemed almost amused by it. His black eyes glittered. "Albus is neither the girl's father nor her legal guardian. And even if he was, your idea of giving her a time turner during her 3rd year makes her 18 in only 10 days. Then she's of age and will have to marry Malfoy - unless she's able to present another pureblood suitor, asking for her lily white hand.""Then we'll simply have to find a bridegroom for her!" Minerva said. "Albus, what do you think?""A lot," Albus Dumbledore simply answered, stroking the phoenix on his shoulder thoughtfully. "Harry Potter!" Minerva cried. "He shall marry Hermione. He's her best friend ...""... but he isn't a pureblood, if I may remind you." Severus sounded almost bored. "His mother was muggleborn.""Besides he's in love with the Weasley girl," added Albus. "Only he doesn't know yet.""Albus!" Severus got himself another firewhiskey. "You know, I hate it when you do that!""What, my child?" asked Albus, but his attention wasn't entirely with his potion master. He still stroked the bird on his shoulder, the tips of his fingers sorting the silken feathers."Calling me 'child' and claiming omniscience. It drives me crazy!" Severus complained.Minerva didn't take the bait. Instead she said with a bright smile: "Weasley! That's it! Hermione can marry one of the Weasley boys.""Good idea! Severus was all sarcasm. "There's only one little problem: Voldemort's wedding gift for the happy couple. Believe me, he won't send flowers. A Weasley's chance to enjoy the wedding night with your favourite pupil is probably even smaller than me winning Witch's Weekly most charming wizard award."Minerva looked desperate. She wrung her hands and shook her head. "But, Severus - even you can't wish to stand by, doing nothing when Hermione Granger has to marry Draco Malfoy! This can't happen. It wouldn't only destroy the girl, but Harry too. He couldn't stand losing another person close to him. It would break him ...""Oh yes - it's once again all about the boy-who-lives-for-being-a-pain-in-my-arse." Severus turned his eyes. "If not for your Gryffindors, Minerva, we probably wouldn't fight this war, would we?" He looked to Albus. "But Minerva's rambling rubs off on me. On my way back from the meeting I found myself thinking about a suitor for Minerva's darling. It has to be a pureblood wizard who has enough power to stand against Voldemort. A boy won't do, Albus."The old headmaster nodded, took his glasses up and started to rub the bridge of his crooked nose with two fingers. Severus Snape watched him for a moment, then he rose from the sofa and stood next to his employer. "Albus?" he asked in an almost tender voice. Once again the elder man only nodded. The potion master became impatient and his voice sharp. "Does your famous omniscience fail you or are you playing coy? You know as well as I do that it is the only solution for the Granger girl's problem - especially when we consider that we don't have the luxury of time to find another candidate.""You know, it's late and I'm tired - too tired to follow a Slytherin's cunning," said Minerva sharply. "May I therefore ask, about what you're talking, Severus?""You may not." The younger wizard turned around and looked to her. "But you may ask about whom.""Severus!" The old witch fumed. "Tell me!""Well, let's try it Gryffindor - slow and clear." The potion master sighed. "Your favourite student needs a husband, urgently. Yes?""Yes!" Minerva looked as if she'd like to jump in his face."Well then. The wizard in question must meet certain standards - like being unmarried, fertile, a pureblood, powerful and trustworthy enough you won't get nightmares every time you think of sweet Hermione sharing his bed. And if our wizard in question were a member of the order, it wouldn't hurt either. So - how many unmarried, fertile, pureblooded, powerful wizards do we have on our member's list?"Minerva thought for a moment, then she answered: "Four.""Five points for Gryffindor", the potion master praised her ironically. "And now, dear colleague, let's work out what Albus already knows - omniscient as he is. Your first candidate?""Remus Lupin!" Minerva shot out. "Yes - that's good. He's a good man, a gentle man, caring and sweet ...""Only he's a werewolf," Severus sank back on his sofa, stretching his long legs in black trousers."Oh, Severus, get over it!" Minerva grumbled. "Your old grudge against him ...""... doesn't matter in the moment." Severus was once again breaking in. "But it matters to the ministry. A werewolf doesn't count as pureblood. So Lupin's out. Your next candidate?""Alastor Moody." Minerva's eyes became small. "Poor Hermione.""A paranoid former auror who doesn't trust his own shadow anymore. A very suitable husband for such a young girl, don't you think, Minerva? Only his ideas about a woman's place in society are a bit - how shall I say - old fashioned? Didn't he call your husband a weak coward once, because he allows you to teach?""Alastor is a chauvinist to the core," said Minerva with disgust. "He only wants women doing housework and having children.""A nice prospect for Hermione, isn't it? With Alastor as a husband she wouldn't stand a chance of finishing her education. Yet she'd have a chance to have a baby every year ...""This can't be." Minerva said energetic. "So ...""... to our next candidate - No.3: Mundungus Fletcher," Severus said."Uck!" Minerva looked as if she'd smell something rotten. "He's a dirty old man!""Besides I doubt he's a powerful wizard," stated Severus. "Oh!" Minerva jumped to her feet, her index finger pointing to Severus. "Albus! Don't you see what he's trying? He wants to get Hermione himself! Severus, you're a bastard! This sweet girl ...""I wouldn't want your head girl even if she'd give me head once a day," Severus said. "ALBUS!" Minerva gripped her employer's sleeve. "Say something!"Albus only sighed. Severus allowed himself a small grin. "Dear Minerva - always falling for a bait, always thinking the worse of a Slytherin. It must be nice to have such a simple vision of the world: Gryffindors are good, Slytherins are bad. Yet I will relieve you from your fears. Your sweet Hermione is not to suffer a fate worse then death: I don't suit the standards we set for the man, so I'm not the No.4 on our list.""What does this mean - you don't suit the standards?" Minerva still was fuming. "You're unmarried, pureblooded, a member of the order and - for Merlin's sake - you aren't being modest now, are you? So you won't deny you're a powerful wizard.""I certainly will not." Severus said. "But you forgot one point, Minerva. The wizard in question must be fertile - the ministry runs tests for that. And this I am not. Being a potions master, I know what one can do with a little sample of semen. Like every body fluid it keeps strong magic and I really wouldn't want Voldemort or his female followers playing around with mine. Besides I was never very keen on keeping the noble line of the Snapes alive. I'm the last Snape and that's fine with me. So I took care of the problem, visited a nice and discreet muggle hospital and got myself a vasectomy a few months ago.""Then who is the fourth man in our circle?" Minerva asked. Severus sighed. For a moment the room fell silent, then Albus Dumbledore spoke, his voice calm, but flat. "It's me, Minerva. I'm the man Severus is talking about - a bachelor, pureblooded, strong enough to stand against Voldemort, a guarantee the girl can finish her education ...""But that's outrageous!" Minerva cried. "You're the headmaster, she's a student. It would be highly inappropriate ...""Oh, Minerva, for heaven's sake!!" Severus became furious. "We're in the middle of a war, we're talking about a girl who's life is endangered. Doing something 'inappropriate' shall be the smallest of our sorrows. Besides it was done before - even under normal circumstances. Headmaster Phineas Nigellus Black married a student ...""He was a Slytherin!" cried Minerva as if this would explain every form of inappropriate behaviour. "Of course. And being a Slytherin made him automatically a lecherous old pervert." Severus shook his head. "Tell me, Albus - why I'm still trying to talk to Minerva? Am I getting used to being insulted? Am I a masochist, enjoying it secretly? It would explain a lot, wouldn't it?"Minerva wasn't so easily distracted. She didn't pay Severus any attention, but pulled again on Albus' sleeve. "Do you want to marry the girl?""Do you have a better idea?" Albus asked back."The girl is hardly 18." Minerva was almost crying. "And you're 163, Albus Dumbledore!""Isn't that good for the girl? It means she's to become a widow soon - free and able to find herself a nice, young husband when the war is finally over." Albus had another look at his cupboard. This time two tumblers and a bottle flew through the room and settled on the mantlepiece. Albus crooked his index finger, the bottle opened, jumped in the air, hovered for a moment playfully over the tumblers, then finally filled it with a golden liquor before hopping back to its place. Albus took one of the glasses and gave it Minerva. "You look as if you were in dire need of a stiff Scottish whisky. Here we go ..."Minerva took the tumbler and sank back in her chair. "Oh, Albus!" she signed after a sip. "In what times do we live? A 17 year old student of ours, a child in our care - and we're talking about marrying her off to an 163 year old man!" She swallowed hard and a single tear rolled over wrinkled check."After almost seven years of teaching the girl in question my sympathy is rather with Albus than with Miss Granger", Severus stated coldly. "The law demands the couple to live together. If I were to live with Miss Granger and her endless questions and her showing off and her blabbering and those brainless friends of her I'd surely go mad after only a week.""Severus, sometimes you're a monster!" Minerva hissed. "An unfeeling, cold, heartless monster!""Only sometimes?" Severus raised one elegant black eyebrow. "I shall have to work on my manners then. There's another matter of this arrangement we'll have to discuss. The law makes it clear: the marriage contract requires the consummation of the marriage within 24 hours of the binding ceremony and from then on at least twice a month. If the marriage doesn't comply with these terms for more then four weeks without good reason for the delay then the couple become divorced automatically."In the case of a divorce both partners are free for other suitors again - the game starts anew. And no, Minerva, you don't have to think about 'good reason' for not consummating the marriage. Our dear minister of magic, the oh-so-wise Cornelius Fudge, wants to decide himself what is 'good reason'. I don't think Minerva McGonagall's feeling that sex between a student and the headmaster is inappropriate would count as a good reason in our minister's eyes. If he weren't married to his old goat, he'd probably get himself a nice, young muggleborn witch too - and he'd even feel that he was doing the world some good. "He wanted this law for breeding reasons, if I may remind you. He's afraid our community will die out or become weaker because of the near incestuous intermarrying between the old pureblood families. You can bet your wrinkled arse on Fudge being delighted about the idea of Hermione Granger and Albus Dumbledore having children together. He won't let them off. There isn't a loophole- I've read this section of the law very carefully and more then once. So the question is: Albus, are you up to bedding Hermione Granger on a regular basis?""Severus!" Minerva McGonagall thundered. "This is an outrage! How can you humiliate Albus like that?"Albus sighed. "I don't feel humiliated by Severus' question, dear Minerva. To answer it: I think I'll manage ..." For a moment he hesitated, then he spoke again. "It may need your help for this, Severus.""Oh sweet Merlin!" Severus hid his face in his hands.Albus' mouth smiled, but his eyes looked sad and very, very old. "It is the potion master's help that I may want, not the man's.""Severus knows that!" Minerva's glance sent daggers at her colleague. "One could think he enjoys this.""Right your are, Minerva." Severus' black eyes threw the daggers back - one for one. "My sense of humour was what made me join Voldemort's ranks in the first place. You can't deny it: He's got a marvellous style in providing amusement. Making the Potter brat a hero before he was home trained - that was strike of genius. Hiding himself in Quirell's turban - I've rarely laughed so hard before. And now playing Cupid for Hermione Granger and Albus Dumbledore - you must admit, Minerva: even if we three had set our minds for a fortnight to it - we wouldn't have come to a plan so hilarious as this."Minerva drank the last sip of her whisky, then she stood up, putting the glass back on its place with more energy than was necessary. "I can't think anymore. It's too late. Let's talk again tomorrow after we've all slept on it, shall we?"