The Wedding

Disclaimer: The characters and their stories belong to J.K. Rowling and Scholastic Publishing and the like… The quotes belong to their respective authors, as well. I own the all-true tale this story is based on.

Rating: Suggestive

Summary: This is a truly inspired work. I happened to attend the wedding recently of my bosses' daughter. I can't help but think of this couple (my bosses that be) as perhaps a real-life version of my favorite pairing. They inspired this story and it is written in their honor and sheer hope they never have to see their 'in-laws' again.

A/N: A special thank-you to my beta, GoodWitch for help with this story.

Nothing so ruins a marriage as a wedding.

-Anon.

"I am going to kill her."

"Of course, dear."

"I just haven't decided how…"

"Right."

"There's the obvious Unforgivable Curse but that's too dramatic. A good potion would do it and no would be the wiser. Slip it into her bloody 'pure-natural-springs-water' bottle. Watch her die; slowly and painfully…maybe take a picture to capture the moment."

"Are you going to frame it, too?"

"No. I am going to use a very old-fashioned plain Muggle tack on our door and then I might throw darts at it!"

"Hermione…"

"Yes?"

"Are you going to do this before or after the wedding?"

"One more second of her-"

"And you'll what?"

There was a begrudged and final sigh in the room.

"I'll do nothing. Damn my Gryffindor sense of wrong and right!"

"I do not think this has anything to do with your Gryffindor nobility. You are a mother. A very good and wise mother- a mother who would do anything for her child- a mother who has done anything for her child; even put-up with her daughter's future-in-laws for the sake of said daughter's marriage."

There was an absolute silence before she replied flatly, "I hate it when you're right."

"Yet you have managed to stay married to me after all these years…it's a bloody wonder you didn't leave me sooner."

"A wonder to you and the rest of the wizarding world, our peers here at Hogwarts, and need I remind you, your own in-laws."

"How are your Mum and Dad, by the way?"

"Fine, they are driving Lyssa quite mad right now since they are staying with her…"

"You let your parents stay with our daughter?"

"Let's just call it pre-emptive-forced-chastity."

"That's quite brilliant."

"Yes, I know. But really Severus, the woman has to go. She has locked herself in the bathroom for over two hours pitching some temper tantrum about the location of the wedding reception. How about a nice hex? Just one little hex…"

"Hermione, the woman is a Muggle. Her husband is a Muggle. You, more than anyone, should realize they do not fully understand the significance of neither our traditions nor the reasons behind them. There is no appreciation for them and you cannot expect any thing else."

"I love Brendan. He's a wonderful wizard. He'll make our Lyssie a wonderful husband but I cannot bear anymore of his narcissistic-over-bearing mother!"

Severus Snape, finally placed his book down and set his glasses on top of the book he was not going to get to finish. He stood-up with the grace and slyness he had even maintained at this season in his life. He walked over to his riled wife and wrapped his long lean arms around her; pulling her into his broad chest.

Hermione Granger-Snape responded and wrapped her arms around her husband's waist and leaned her head into him. It was always in moments like such she remained amazed. To the outsider-one might be amazed at the sight of an older 'greasy-git' former-Potions-master with a definitively younger less-bushy-haired know-it-all-Charms-professor embracing one another in an intimate manner. To the wizarding community- it was the sight of Severus Snape and Hermione Granger anywhere in close vicinity of one another that amazed them. To Hermione- it was the fact that when he embraced her she felt so safe, so protected, so…fearless.

"Severus, I love Brendan. I love how Lyssie lights up when he comes in the room. I love how we've watched them grow-up together, grow apart and back together. I love how we witnessed the love story of our wonderful perfect daughter." She sighed contently. "But what I do not love is Susann-I'm-A-Muggle-Snob-Brull and her self-aggrandizing-wife-whipped husband! Her friends are rude to Lyssa and her family is completely obnoxious! She will not ruin my daughter's wedding- come ALBUS DUMBLEDORE!"

With the flare and dramatics that only a Granger could fully posses, Hermione pulled from her husband's embrace and marched out into the cold halls of Hogwarts, storming all the way.

Severus pinched the bridge of his nose, as he was in the habit of doing when his wife was anything but well. He loved her-and no doubt could be ascertained to what measure-but hell-if he didn't bear her temper rightly or at all. He was rather grateful it was summer holidays and he'd not have to actually give out House points to make-up for his wife's foul mood and tirades. He didn't like giving House points, it was against his nature…even if he was Headmaster.