A Dark Tale

~ Chapter 1 ~

There are rumors. Evil rumors. People talk. Even about things they should not be talking about.

I can hear them as I pass them by. I hear them in the classroom. I hear them in the Great Hall.

Sick.

Marrying your Professor.

No wonder she has such good grades.

I try to ignore them. What do they know anyway?

There is a good reason I married the second most hated man in the Wizarding World, Severus Snape. I did the right thing, even though he does not know it yet.

And that is why he hates me.

I have forced him into this. I insisted until he finally gave in. He is not the one to blame for all of this, yet people are still cruel to him. They talk behind his back. They accuse him of seducing a student, a girl half his age.

Even after the fall of Voldemort, even after the truth was revealed, people still have not forgiven him. Everyone knows whose side he was truly on, they know why he killed Dumbledore. But they still do not trust him.

I do.

I cannot get the image of him on the floor in his own blood out of my head. The way he looked at me and Harry, the hopeless look in his eyes. He was dying. He was sure of that.

But then I saved him.

Stopped the bleeding.

And he survived. He cheated death. He cheated destiny. He was supposed to die that day. He himself said that many times after that.

What did I expect from him? Gratitude?

I only got resentment.

Anger.

He was angry at me for saving him.

And my heart broke when I found out his whole story. Harry showed me the memories. The memories Snape gave up only because he was convinced he was going to die.

And now he has to live knowing that Harry knows about everything, that I know about everything.

He did not want to be the hero. He did not want to live after the War ended.

But he lives. Because of me.

And he is married to me. Also because of me.

God, he hates me so much.

If only he knew why I did what I did.

But he cannot know.

Not yet.

xxxx

I groan and lean against the wall, pulling my knees against my chest. Only a moment later, my stomach turns again and I make it to the toilet before vomiting violently.

I hate feeling like this.

My hand covers my mouth and I can only hope it's finally over. I close my eyes and wait in silence.

"What is the matter with you?" a cold voice cuts through me.

I look at him.

He is standing in the doorway, staring down at me, panic evident on his face.

"Nothing," I answer, "I'm just not feeling well."

He is silent and I know what he is thinking. I know what this situation looks like. He is even paler than usually and that is saying something.

Finally he gathers the courage to ask, "Are you...?" then he answers his own question, "You cannot be."

"I'm not pregnant."

There is still fear on his face. Fear and disgust.

"Are you sure?" he asks.

"I am."

Finally he seems to relax slightly. After a moment he clears his throat, "Then what is the matter with you?"

"It has to be something I ate," I say, slowly pulling myself up from the floor.

He is simply staring at me.

"Don't you have classes to teach?" I ask.

"I do."

Silence.

After a long moment he simply turns and leaves. I can hear the doors slam shut and I know I am alone.

We live together in his quartersat Hogwarts.

He teaches every day and I am finishing my seventh year.

Why do I even bother?

It is not like I am ever going to have a job.

xxxx

After the War there had been great loses on both sides. And to ensure the survival of the Wizarding World the Minister came up with a plan. A Marriage Law.

A stupid idea.

An excuse to terrorize people.

Any witch or wizard of age had to marry.

Anyone who opposed it and refused to marry was expelled from the Wizarding World. Their magic was stripped from their bodies.

I could not allow myself to end like that.

I had a mission. I still do.

And that is why I did not marry Ron or some other boy.

Only Professor McGonagall knows the truth and I wish for it to remain like that.

There is a very interesting sentence in the long Marriage Law letter we all received.

After a death of a spouse the remaining one is not required to re-marry.

That sentence made me seek out Severus Snape as my husband.

We have been married for two months.

Two months of ignoring.

Of fights.

Of humilliating moments.

Of cruel words.

And even though he hates me now, he will be grateful to me at the end.

A/N: Hi! I know the Marriage Law has been done many times by now, but I think I can make it different. Even though I should be finishing my other fic, this story would just not leave me alone. It won't be a long fic, but it will be angsty and dark. Tell me what you think. :)