Disclaimer: Do you see Fred alive? Or Snape living happily ever? Guess JKR didn't take my suggestions seriously. As such, none of them belong to me.
"What's your favourite saying?"
She snuggled deeper into his embrace as the fire crackled merrily, adding a gentle glow to her contented smile.
"Hmm." Severus rarely indulged in such a domestic activity, but as he had learnt, the bossy, endearing woman in his arms would settle for nothing less than ripping away his bitter, caustic and unhappy self to reveal this vulnerable and cautiously happy person struggling for air underwater. Sometimes he cannot help but wonder how he could have so completely mistaken and misunderstood life before - that someone as seemingly brilliant as him (and he was most certainly a brilliant man, if his certification or mastery were to serve as proof) could have confused giving up with being contented.
Nevertheless, as much as Hermione was aware of his grasp of languages, how could she understand the complexity of such a question? Not only was he well versed in various languages, the word "favourite" meant that he had to select something beyond simply meaning, sub-text or feeling. Not only would have to make his choice based on its definition, but the texture and depth of its meaning. Then again, such a bibliophile as the brains of the Golden Trio most assuredly would not miss the opportunity to finally have the authority to throw questions back at the man who previously asked the unanswerable questions in class. Oh, how the mighty had fallen.
And so, as he gently stroked his beloved's tangled mass of hair, he pondered his response. To search for a saying with beauty or a pedestrian phrase with multiple layers? It was times like this that he had wished he originally selected that blond brainless witch who simpered at his scars and drooled like an imbecile after seeing his Order of Merlin (First Class, thank you very much). If so, he would be lying naked on the couch with her pawing at his medal instead of this fully clothed, bewitching (pun intended) wench who had enough brain cells to save a third world country.
Nevertheless, her passionate kisses did curl his toes and her quick wit was the perfect grindstone to sharpen his rapier tongue. As such, she did deserve a well-thought out answer. Ah, he would select a phrase befitting of a Dwarf star - one which was concise yet ladened with sufficient density to reveal a glimpse into his (rumoured) blackened heart.
"...Ya'aburnee."
"What is this?" She turned the little velvet box over her slightly callused palm, trying to decipher if it was rude to open a box which you're not sure belonged to you. Still, if (as her ... boyfriend? lover? paramour?) Severus were to have a jewellery box lying around their bedroom for someone else, he would have quite a lengthy explanation and a week's worth of sleeping on the couch ahead of him. "Is this for me?"
The object of her query resisted the urge to roll his eyes at her inane question. It did not happen often but every now and then, the brilliant "witch of the century" would let her moniker take a break and put on the hat of "silliest girl of the year", certifying it with such frivolous inquiries.
"Most positively not. This is for another bushy-haired, quick-tempered harridan who promised a quick blowjob if I bought her a trinket. Could you replace that box on the shelf? I believe she might be returning soon. Would you kindly hide in the loo when she arrives?"
Hermione's irritation flickered sufficiently for her to wave a rude gesture to the acerbic-tongued Potions Master. Nevertheless, his mission was accomplished and message received. Her interest was piqued and instantly her attention reverted back to its proper place - the box in her hand.
"W-what's this?" Her words shook, but it could not accurately capture the extra thump of her heart against her ribcage.
There, against the rich color of velvet, securely fastened so as not to fall off despite the precarious angle she was tilting the case at, sat the most beautiful sapphire ring.
"Is this what I think it is?" Her breathing had shallowed, causing her to whisper the words, as if afraid that she was looking at a relection in the Mirror of Erised. She understood the language of the stone (1); that it represents truth, sincerity and fidelity. But what she could not have fathomed was that these were the self-same reasons that Severus had chosen the sapphire for her; for what better ring to choose so as to represent a promise and wishes of their future?
He nodded.
"Ya'aburnee."
Her fingers shook as tears cascaded down her cheeks. Though unprepared for her emotional outburst, the former spy reacted swiftly and strode across the room to embrace her just as she slipped the ring onto her finger. She sobbed into his chest, clutching onto him, as though he could save her from her torrent of emotions all the while fervently murmuring "no, me... not you, me."
"What does it mean?" Her thirst for knowledge never ends despite the warm, lulling steady thump of his heart where she was leaning against.
"Something the know-it-all doesn't know. Should I call Weasley to place my bet that the Cannons will finally win the Quidditch cup?" He could not resist the quip despite the scowling woman in his arms. After all, he had yet to discover an expression on her that did not endear her even more to himself. "If for nothing else, I'm sure he would appreciate the solidarity and respectability his stance would undoubtedly receive from support by an upstanding wizard of immeasureable brilliance such as myself."
Her snort and scowl in response warmed the cockles of his heart, seeing as how they were almost a perfect imitation of his own. He finally relented as he continued one of his cherished past time - weaving his fingers through her wavy locks.
"You bury me."
Her confused gaze turned to him as his explanation drew away the haze surrounding his curt reply.
"To love someone means giving them the keys to your being; to allow them to possess you so deeply and bury themselves in you that you cannot imagine a life without them. That life itself is meaningless, if it were to be lived alone. And so, this earnest desire is born for the one who you love to bury you; so you need never live without them."
Author's Note:
Written in a little less than 1 hour. Quite a shocker, that. I must thank all the wonderful HGSS authors who inspired this piece, and a brilliant author out there (my apologies for the gap in my memory bank) who introduced this beautiful arabic word to me. Further reparations must be made to arabic speakers out there if I have so completely butchered the word to fit my story, but I could not help wanting it to be told this way.
(1) To add to the note on sapphires, "in ancient times, lovers gave sapphires in the belief that the stone would not shine if the wearer had been unfaithful." - aussiesapphire(dot)com.
Please do not ask me which time line this is written in, can we just suspend time for a moment? Also, if I have failed to properly express the dry wit and humour of all that is wonderful about Snape, please blame this on my lack of talent and not my utmost intention to keep him in (as much) character as possible. Of course considering his more comfortable station in life (in love, at peace), he would be a little more sappy, but I would like to consider this a kind of sappiness that comes with contentment and happiness.
As always, reviews are love, especially since this is my first EVER HGSS.