A/N: Another Severus/Hermione One-shot. Inspired by the opening scene of "Pirates of the Caribbean 2" and my cousin playing "Ironic" by Alanis Morissette.
I do not have a beta and I know I write American English. Don't stone me, please.
None of this is mine, it all belongs to the woman, who had to kill Severus Snape.
This is dedicated to my cousin and Lauri4Snape, cause you really were right. Sadly you have the Pm thing disabled^^
Rain On Our Wedding day
It was raining outside. Heavy drops fell from the sky and made the world seem dull and gray. Everybody had fled into their houses, leaving everything strangely empty.
But this went by unnoticed by the young bride inside the small room, sitting on a stool in front of a dressing table. The dark piece of furniture was laden with hairpins, a brush, small fragile white rosebuds and amidst all that lay a silver ring. The bride's gaze lay on this pretty piece of jewelry without actually seeing it. Her bright, brown eyes were unfocused, staring into nothingness and the last tears were drying on her pale cheeks.
She was dressed all in white. A perfectly fitting wedding dress underlined her delicate form and the silky skirt played around her ankles. Her feet were bare and barely touched the carpeted floor.
Her usually unruly hair was pinned up into an elegant knot at the nape of her neck. A few small curls framed her face.
Hermione Granger had taken the utmost care when picking her wedding dress and doing her hair. The first mission had taken two days - two days filled with bridal shop after bridal shop and hour after hour spent in a much too small changing cubicle, listening to the pestering of saleswomen. Doing her hair had been, at least in comparison to finding a dress, been rather easy. Half a bottle of Sleakeezy's best and it was as tame as it would ever be. And the rest of it had been Ginny's work. She really had a hand with hair.
But now it appeared that all the work had been in vain: Severus Snape, supposed groom, had not shown up.
And Hermione sat in the small room and didn't quite know what to think. Severus had admitted that the idea of getting married made him nervous; the thought of having to declare his feelings in front of a large crowd, show affection in public, had unsettled him.
But in true Slytherin fashion Hermione had coaxed him to agree to her idea of a perfect wedding, which was, after all, just a small thing with a few of their closest friends and family.
Hermione had thought that he had seemed almost content with everything. Their life together, the small business they had built up and the marriage. It had taken her long enough to get him to come out of his shell and it had been his idea to get married in the first place!
And now he wasn't there.
„Maybe that's the revenge for my being late so many times", Hermione thought with a sudden trace of dark humor, but banished the notion almost immediately.
Severus Snape didn't play tricks and he would never -
Suddenly the door was wrenched open and a disheveled Ginny Potter stood in the door frame, red spots on her cheeks, her hands on the skirt of her jade green bridesmaid dress as to not step on it.
„Hermione- ", she panted, „You must … there is- "
Ginny didn't even finish her rather cryptic sentence. Instead she took Hermione's hand and dragged her to her feet. Then she hauled her through the narrow hallway of the small chapel they were still in, to the big oak wing doors.
Just outside the chapel stood two men, both dressed in black robes, wearing almost identical haircuts. Their facial expression was also very much alike. It would have been comical, had not Hermione's heart been beating like a humming bird's wings.
Afraid that these men would bring bad news, Hermione stood beside Ginny and Harry, who had already started talking.
„ -can't be serious! He was cleared ages ago! On what grounds do you keep him?", Harry asked furiously.
„We have been provided with new information", the right man said without the slightest hint of emotion in his deep voice.
„By whom?", Harry demanded to know, looking angrier by the second.
„An anonymous source, which wants to remain unstated", now it was the second man's turn to speak. It was obvious that the conversation was over for him.
Finally - Hermione had never been that slow ever before - everything clicked into place in Hermione's mind.
„No!", she gasped as realization hit her, „You can't do that! Where is he?"
She was starting to shake and she was gasping. Someone, Harry or Ginny, she couldn't say, put an arm around her shoulders but Hermione shook it off.
It had taken her five years to clear him of all the charges. And now they just took him away like the criminal he had never been.
„And you are?", Mr Right asked.
„I am his fiancée", said Hermione and her voice didn't waver, „We were supposed to get married today! I want you to take me to him."
„Well, Miss, I am afraid that is- ", Mr Left started, but was interrupted as Hermione's wand almost jabbed him in the eye.
„I am Hermione Granger and I have fought far grater wizards than you are one. So you better take me to Severus Snape this instant if you value your life."
SSHG
The Ministry had never seemed more deserted or unwelcoming to Hermione. The sounds the heels of her shoes made echoed through the long hall.
It was a Sunday and that was reason enough - even for wizards - not to go to work.
Mr Right and Mr Left trailed behind Hermione like overlarge shadows. And she knew where she was going.
The deepest level of the Ministry, only known to the Unspeakables. An underground prison, used for those criminals classified as the most dangerous to the public. Some of the people who came here were never transferred to Azkaban; they would stay down in the dark and damp cells, away from anything living. After some time many wished to be brought to the Dementors, just so they would see something that was actually alive - more or less.
The temperature drooped distinctly as the elevator dropped down level after level. When it finally came to a halt, the doors opened with clattering sounds. Hermione could see her breath form small, white clouds in front of her face. Her hand was still closed around her wand, the only thing that made her feel remotely safe.
The two men in black now took the lead, though Mr Left stayed behind Hermione, while Mr Right showed the way.
After a walk through dimly lit corridors he stopped in front of a dark door in which a gilded grille was embedded. A big 1 was emblazoned on the wall next to the door.
Mr Right fumbled through his many pockets and finally produced a small key, which he put into the lock.
Before opening the door, he turned to Hermione.
„You can keep your wand, though it won't be of any use in there", he said with a malicious grin. Then he stepped aside to admit Hermione in.
SSHG
The air inside the cell smelled like mold and decay. Hermione had to suppress the urge to retch. Behind her the door fell shut.
It took her eyes a few moments to adjust to the spare light, but when Hermione was able to see, her eyes fell onto an unmoving figure in the corner of the room.
„Severus?", she tentatively and took a step forward.
Immediately the man's head snapped up and in one fluid movement he had stood up from the makeshift bed he had been sitting on and was by Hermione's side. Fighting the tears, Hermione put one hand to his chest and the other to his face. His arms came up to encompass her.
„Why is this happening", she asked. A tear made its way down her cheek.
„I don't know. But you look beautiful", came Severus' answer and he pressed his lips to her forehead.
„I don't think you can actually see anything in this light", Hermione pointed out, a small smile playing around her lips.
„You know I have been living in the dungeons; I can see like a cat."
„Unless you try to read the paper without your glasses." Hermione chuckled, „I think it's bad luck for the groom to see the bride before the wedding."
His grip on her tightened.
„How can I get you out of here?", Hermione wanted to know in a low voice, only too aware that there were two watchdogs outside.
„I don't know", Severus repeated, his voice icy, „They wouldn't even tell me why they brought me here. They just appeared at Spinner's End without so much as a warning."
„Somebody provided them with new information", Hermione quoted flatly, „No, let me rephrase that: Somebody told these bloody, stupid Aurors bloody lies and they took it at face value, only too glad to finally get you!"
„Hermione", Severus said, „We both knew that not everybody out there believed me; I was never a very popular figure."
„It was never about what people believed!", Hermione argued, her voice muffled by Severus' robes, „It is about the truth and there was enough evidence to proof that you were innocent! They can't blame you for what happened to them during the war."
„It's human nature. We need someone to blame; for our and other's mistakes."
„It's still not fair, Severus! How can I get you out of here?", Hermione asked again.
„There are strong wards on this part of the Ministry. I think no magic works here. No wand-magic, no Portkeys and of course there's no Apparating out of here", Severus admitted grudgingly, „I tried everything. Even wandless magic."
„I could just knock out the two watchdogs outside", Hermione offered.
Although Severus was tempted to accept that, he knew that Hermione's plan had one big weakness.
„And then?", he retorted, „And then, Hermione? We're just going to run for it? Leave Britain and settle down somewhere they won't find us? Would you really be willing to leave all of what you have here behind? Just for me? Your carrier, your family and friend, your moron of a cat?"
Severus buried his nose in Hermione's thick hair. She smelled heavenly. And just her scent made him feel at ease. Home and needed.
„Yes", she suddenly said and lifted her head to kiss him.
„What?", Severus asked flabbergasted against Hermione's mouth.
„You asked if I would leave it all behind for you. And the answer is yes. I said yes to you once before and I will do so again!"
Before he could even think of something to say, Hermione had turned around, knocked against the door and hexed both Mr Right and Mr Left as they opened the door.
With a satisfied grin she turned around to her fiancée.
„Now you can either come with me or stay here and take the blame for those two, too. Better decide fast, Severus", she said.
In an instant he had pressed her flush against his chest and was kissing her.
„You are insane, witch", Severus murmured.
„I hope that is a yes?", said witch inquired.
„Yes."
A/N2: I am thinking about taking this a bit further, write a second chapter. What do think?
By the way, who can find the PotC quote?