I'm so sorry guys. Nobody is really going to believe this excuse but the doctors tink that my boyfriend might have cancer so I've been spending a lot of time with him. The only reason I could finish typing this was because I had him on the phone playing video games the entire time. I promise to try to update soon. I just wanted to get this chapter out there so its pretty raw, I only read it over twice so there's bound to be plenty of mistakes but I have no idea when I'd be on the computer left. Oh, and I'm still betaless, volunteers would be appreciated!

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter of any of the recognizable characters and setting, all of this belongs to J.K.Rowling. All I own is this broken laptop, I don't even have money for Christmas presents because work screwed me over pretty badly.

"I had a wonderful evening dear." yet another guest told Hermione as she shook the bride's hand. "Thank you for having me."

"No, thank you attending." Hermione told the woman as she handed a glass rose to her, the wedding favor, "Have a nice night."

When the guests arrived at the castle they were ushered into the Great Hall where small round tables with magnificent flower arrangements of white and red roses had replaced the long House tables. They ate a feast of minestrone soup, pasta with vodka sauce, chicken with vegetables and rice, and dessert which consisted of coffee, pastries, pies, and of course the wedding cake. During the night Hermione sat silently by Severus' side as they watched everyone else dance but never dancing themselves, in the wizarding world the other members of the bridal party were to open the dance floor with the first dance so Ginny and Draco became the light of the party after they decided to open up with a tango.

At one point during the evening Sevreus had decided to become a social butterfly. He dragged his bride around to be introduced to his colleagues and friends. Hermione's head spun as she frantically tried to remember the names of everyone she was being presented to. Tonight was not as fun as Hermione planned and she felt that she couldn't do a thing to change it.

Now it was almost two in the morning and she was bidding her guest farewell, only a few were left but Hermione felt that the night was going to go on forever.

"Hermione tonight was amazing!" Ginny squealed as she through her arms around her best friend, "I hope the rest of your night is just as great as this!"

Hermione forced a chuckled as she hugged the redhead back and handed her a glass rose, "Goodnight Ginny."

Ginny's waist was wrapped around Draco's arm as he led her to the corridor so he could walk her to her common room.

"Nightynight Hermione!" Ginny twisted around in her boyfriend's grip, "I'll stop by tomorrow to help you fix the place up, God knows what state that place is in. So tomorrow at two. . . that is if you're not to worn out!"

"Goodnight Madame Snape," Draco called over his shoulder as his girlfriend giggled and waved goodbye as they disappeared around the corner.

Fidgeting with her necklace/wedding ring she realized that she was becoming increasingly worried about what would come next. Ginny's words kept running through her head. What type of attitude towards her would Severus have when they were alone? She was becoming so tense that she jumped when Severus placed his hand on her shoulder, she had been too deep in thought to hear his footsteps.

"Are you ready to go?" he asked in a tone Hermione could not understand and with unreadable, cloudy eyes.

Nervously she nodded as Severus scooped up the bouquet of remaining roses. As she followed he husband down to the dungeons she became frightened Her breathe quicken and then became trapped in her throat. The corridors were a labyrinth that Hermione was sure she would get lost in.Damp and musty was the thin air, her eyes teared as she tried not to sneeze.

Serveus led them into a large alcove in the wall.

There was an oil painting guarded by two suits of armor on both sides. The long landscape was of stormy day at the sea side with a ship crashing into the rocks and a woman standing at the edge of one of the cliffs. It really was a dreary, depressing painting.

Hermione's first thought of it was 'Well isn't this home going to be lovely' , to her surprise it was.

After stating the password, nyoka, Hermione stepped through the entrance and stared at her new home.

When you first walked in you could feel the heat of the roaring fire heating you up from the cold damp dungeons. Facing you was the back of a black leather couch that was set in front of the fireplace with a coffee table on top of an oriental rug, completing the square was two blue armchairs facing into the coffee table. Snakes of all sizes and designs were printed onto the hardwood floors, Hermione quickly decided that it would take some time to get use to how the snakes randomly wiggled and slithered among themselves. Much to the brainy girl's delight all four walls were covered in bookcases except for the space the fireplace occupied as well as the part of the wall on either side of the main entrance where an ancient grandfather stood to the right and an elegant desk with a matching green upholstered chair at the door's left side.

"Why don't you take a seat?" her husband asked Hermione while gesturing to the leather couch, " I have to check on something in my office."

Without waiting for a reply Snape silently disappeared down a narrow hallway on the left that Hermione hadn't previously noticed.

Nervously she straighten out the nonexistence wrinkles in her pure white dress. At the moment Hermione could have sworn that she was just a few minutes away from an anxiety attack. In just a matter of time she was going to be forced to have sexual intercourse with her greasy, emotionless potion's master who also happened to be her husband! She had always thought that when the time came she would be ready but Hermione was far from ready for what was to come.

Characteristically swooping into the room in his bat like way Severus set a basket of colorful bottles on the coffee table before disappearing through a doorway opposite from the one he exited.

Hermione eyed the bottles curiously as she wondered what was in store for her. She wanted to scream or run away but she felt pinned to that spot. Was there really no other way?

'It's a little too late for that now,' she thought, 'I should have tried to find a way out before the ceremony. But then again Dumbledore said that this was the best way and I trust Dumbledore, he would never do anything that he wasn't sure would work out. Can I really stand being married to Severus Snape for the rest of my life?'

Maybe she would take McGonagalls advice and request a private house in a small village where she could spend her life doing whatever she pleased. In all honesty, the future didn't seem too dim but it was wedding night that had to be worried about at the moment.

Clink, clink.

Wine glasses tapping each other broke Hermione from her trance. Severus had brought a two bottles of wine and two wine glasses from the other room.

"I wasn't sure if you liked red or white so I brought both," the greasy haired man told Hermione without meeting her eyes.

For a what seemed like an hour but must have been only a minute or two the newlyweds sat opposite of each other and spent a bit of time looking over the other.

"It doesn't matter to me," Hermione finally replied.

Severus opened the bottle and poured two glasses of red wine. Once he handed over one of the glasses to Hermione, the two once again fell into an awkward silence where they stared at each other while occasionally sipping their wine glasses. Not a word was said for ten minutes. Now usually ten minutes doesn't seem that long but when stuck in a silent room with you wife/husband who you know nothing about it feels like a lifetime.

When Severus was pouring her second glass of wine Hermione killed the silence, "So tonight. . . . what are we going to. . . . how are we going. . . "

Severus looked at Hermione in what could only be described as a look of distorted confusion and pity, as if his face could not fully show what his mind was thinking.

"I'm not going to rape you." was all he had to say.

The brown eyed girl bit her lip, this was going to be more difficult then she hoped. Right then she just wanted to get out of her complicated dress and go to sleep but because of the Ministry's annoying laws she had to go through this first.

"In all honesty I just want to get this over with." she mumbled.

Perhaps Severus actually noticed his wife's uncomfortableness or maybe he just wanted to get it over with himself but he then began propose a plan to the frightened girl, "How would you like it if you didn't have to do this?"

"Oh but we have to! The Ministry will find out if we don't and then we could be in a lot of trouble." Hermione interrupted.

"That's not what I was getting at," Severus explained, "If you don't mind taking a few potions you won't have to go through this. Here I have a potion of my own creation. Its colorless, odorless, and tasteless. The Ministry can't know about it because in their eyes it's a date rape drug. When you take it you will feel like your mind has left your body, it then sexually excites you but it insures that every second after you take the first sip will be completely erased from your memory. Wether you decide to take this or not I would like you to drink this fertility potion, it almost guarantees pregnancy the first time and I'm sure that both of us would rather not go through this any more times than we have to."

Pondering it for a moment Hermione asked, "So I won't remember anything in the morning?"

"Not a thing, I promise."

Drinking a potion and just waking up pregnant didn't seem that bad to Hermione at the time. Even if the child looked like him it couldn't be that bad could it? With some sunlight to cure the sallow skin and regular bathing to insure that the child's hair wasn't that greasy it may not even remind her of the potion's master. He obviously wouldn't want to be involved with the raising of his own flesh and blood so Hermione figured she could think of it as a blessing from God. Looking at other scenarios she realized her life could be much worse.

"Okay," Hermione agreed, voice quivering.

'If this really is okay why is my heart beating so fast?' Hermione though as she watched her husband mix the clear contents from a blue bottle into her wine glass.

Then, Severus handed the nervous girl a crimson bottle and instructed her to drink it all. This was the fertility potion Serveus mentioned and Hermione found out the hard way how vile it tasted.

In extreme exhaustion Hermione downed the entire bottle. An automatic gag reflex occurred which sent Hermione reaching for her wine glass to wash what disgusting liquid she had forced down her throat with.

Suddenly everything began to buzz. Tension left her body in a heartbeat and her body loosened up. Without fighting back Hermione let her world turn black.

Bright light flooded into the room at burned the sleeping girl's eyelids forcing her to wake up. Big brown eyes opened then instantly clenched shut. Flexing her toes and curling her body closer together Hermione realized that even though she was comfortable and relaxed it felt like she was just as exhausted as she had been the previous night. As she sat up, clutching the sheets around her naked body, she blinked several times to adjust to the light.

Leaning back on the pile of pillows behind her she took in her new bedroom. When she looked up she took in the sight of a majestic, royal blue canopy that topped the mahogany bed frame. On both sides of the bed there was an end table, the one on her side held a folded nightgown and a lite candle while the one on what she presumed to be his side also had a candle but nothing else. At the foot of the bed was a trunk that had been left open, extra blankets flowed out of it. To the right of that lay on her right was an elegant vanity that already had her perfumes on it. In the far left corner there was an overstuffed armchair with a side table that had a tower of books that looked like it would fall if you added another. On either side of the main door was a dresser, one bare and one cluttered with boxes and papers. The door was directly across from the bed was open a crack, just enough to let light in.

Gently she swung her feet over the side of the bed and slid her feet into a pair of slippers she hadn't known were there. As she stood she grabbed the nightgown and slipped it on as she shuddered from the cold. A slip of paper gently floated in front of her face, it had fallen out of her nightgown.

Dearest Hermione,

The bathroom is to the left of the vanity, please prepare yourself for the day and meet me in the kitchen for breakfast. The kitchen is to the right on your left hand side.

-S.S.

As soon as Hermione finished reading the note it flew away into the wastebasket next to the vanity. Assuming the bare dresser was hers she went over to it and opened the top draw, her neatly folded panties, bras, camisoles, socks, stockings, and tights shared space with her pajamas, nightgowns, and some new lingerie. The second draw had her shirts, sweaters, and light jackets. The third draw held pants, jeans, and skirts. The fourth draw help colored robes while the fifth held her many black robes. Hermione frowned as most of the clothing in the draws should have been hung up to prevent wrinkles.

Quickly she grabbed what she needed and headed off to the bathroom. Severus Snape's bathroom was by far the most amazing room in all of Hogwarts. The tub was sunk into the ground and designed to look like a pond with mud, plants, and mushrooms around it, there was even a waterfall and stream that magically pulled the bath water up to the waterfall the water was continuously flowing. There wasn't really a sink but a pitcher with water at the perfect temperature and a basin that just banished the water to elsewhere. Cloud floated around the ceiling that was magicked to always look like a perfect spring day. Because there wasn't a shower the clouds would bunch together over the shallow edge of the pond and rain down on the person. The floor looked like clay tiles with bits of grass randomly growing out it. Just the sight of the bathroom relaxed her, she automatically labeled it as her new favorite place.

After a relaxing soak and quick shower Hermione slipped on her set of plain pink underwear and one of her regular black robes.

She sat down at the vanity she pondered if this was going to become her daily routine or if this was special treatment. Thoughts of what Severus might expect of her made her shudder.

When she finished she brushed her unruly hair, lightly applied some powder foundation, nonchalantly put on a bit of nude lipstick, and sprayed herself lightly with her favorite perfume she got up from the vanity with a hand pressed to her lower stomach. Hermione was afraid of how she could finish her schooling if she was pregnant after missing so much already. She refused to let herself wonder if she would even be able carry a child after her mother's history of miscarriages, of seven pregnancies she was their miracle baby.

Dim candles on the wall made the hallway seem even narrower. There was a door across from the bedroom which was a simple bathroom, and then there was a door on each side of the hallway that she continued down it. Both rooms were empty and seemed relatively new, she assumed those rooms had been put aside for her or their children. A few feet from the empty rooms a short staircase lead her up to a better lit and more open landing with a large arch leading into large rooms.

The arch to the left led into a less formal feeling living room with fewer bookshelves and much more room to move around. A sliding glass door seemed to lead to a patio garden with a metal table set with breakfast for two.

"Hermione?" a voice from room opposite of the one she was in called out to her.

For some reason she jumped as the silence was broken. Once she composed herself she replied that she was coming and walked into what she now knew was the kitchen.

To easily describe the kitchen you only need to use one word: white. White walls with white tiles and a white ceiling, white countertops, white cabinets, and a white table with four white chairs. Obviously someone must have tried to make it to her liking because there was a white refrigerator, white stove, white microwave, and white toaster. There was lots and lots of white, to the point that it was eerie.

'This has got to go.' Hermione thought to herself, 'There is much to much white, its almost hospital like.'

Hermione faked a smiled as Severus looked up at her and asked if she like strawberries. He was cutting a slight variation of fruit and sliding it into two small bowls.

"I'm glad you're awake," Severus said to her as he took the bowls and led her to the sliding glass door, "I trust that you slept well, you've slept over ten hours. To be honest I wasn't sure if I should wake you or not. I hope you're still in the mood for breakfast, if you're not I can call a house elf to bring us lunch."

"No, this is lovely." Hermione told him without meeting his eyes as she slipped into the chair Severus had pulled out for her, "Did you make all of this yourself?"

In front of her was every breakfast food she could have imagined. She almost giggled in her mind as she imagined Severus Snape, dreaded potions master labouring over a hot stove to create a beakfast.

Severus looked down at his plate yet spoke to her in a clear strong voice, "Yes, I rather like cooking breakfast though I'm not good at making anything else. I wasn't sure what I make for you so I just made everything I knew how to."

After she finished chewing her strawberry she reassured him that everything was wonderful and that she was very thankful for it.

"I do hope to please you Hermione, you know that right?" he asked with his eyes locked on hers in a stare that she couldn't break, "If there is anything you ever want of feel you need please ask and I'll try my best to get it for you. Is there anything you'd like to change about our home? I really would be happy to do anything that would make you feel more comfortable here."

After pondering on it for a few minutes the bushy haired girl asked for two things, "Can Ginny and I redecorate the kitchen? Also I rather hang up most my clothing, can we have a wardrobe in our bedroom?"

Severus let go of a breath neither of them knew he was holding, "Yes, of course. I'll go the wardrobe today, would you like to invite Ginny over whiile I'm out?"

Hermione nodded and continued with her meal in silence as Severus wrote a note on a piece of paper he conjured. His wife jumped slightly as he let out a low whistle and a small brown owl flew out of the tree.

"Did I startle you? I'm sorry, I should have warned you. I'll remember you don't like loud noises."

"I'm not-"

Severus stared her down and she quickly shut her mouth.

As he tied the letter to the owls leg and fed it a piece of bacon Hermione took the chance to look around the garden. There was a path from the sliding door to a gate in the white picket fence. The square yard contained a sundial, a birdbath, a large tree in the right corner, a few flower beds, and pots with herbs growing in them.

"I had the house elves do it for you," Snape told her sounding pleased with himself, "Before there was just the tree."

What had actually caught her attention was how it seemed as it they were on a house lined street as there was yards similar to theirs to the sides and across from theirs.

"Where exactly are we?" she asked him curiously.

Severus seemed relieved that they know had something to talk about. "These are the yards of the other professors. We live in sort of a community together, that way our spouses and children could live somewhat normally. Would you like me to show you around?"

Hermione nodded so small that it was barely noticeable. Her husband called a house elf to clean off their breakfast took her arm to escort her down the block.

It truly was a homey place to live. The houses were set in a semi circle that had a park with a playground for the children and the visiting grandchildren of the professors. A short path led down to Hogsmeade where there was access to the shops, boutiques, eateries, and local wizarding children school. There really wasn't that much but then again this was Hogwarts, there wasn't that much you needed

As they walked back home Hermione brought up the awkward subject of children.

"When will we know if I'm . . . you know, pregnant?" she asked quietly.

Severus almost tripped with surprise, "The earliest we would be able to detect it would be in a week."

"Oh." Hermione said quietly.

"We must engage in sexual intercourse two more times before that, I'm sorry." Severus informed her. "The law calls for us to have sex three times a week until a conception is definite, I reread the law this morning when I waited for you to wake."

"Oh."

"And even once you conceive we must share a bed until you produce a second child. After that, if you wish, you can live in one of the Snape mansions with the children or if you'd like I can hire a full time nanny for the children and you'd be free to do what you wish. Wizards didn't believe in divorce as muggles do, there is a slight chance of annulment once this idiotic law is repealed but I doubt it."

"To be honest . . . . . .I rather sat with you. I'd prefer that my children know both of their parents, if that is alright with you." the small young lady asked shyly, "Are those empty rooms for the children?"

"Yes they are." Severus told her, "Dumbledore added them in yesterday."

Severus opened the door for his wife. The couple was greeted by the sight of Ginny Weasly sitting on Draco Malfoy, locked in a passionate kiss.

Severus cleared his throat and Ginny moved to separate herself from her boyfriend but Draco pulled ger back on his lap.

"Hello godfather," Draco spoke to Severus in a nonchalant and cheery voice, "you asked for us? You didn't answer so I let us in."

Severus put his hands over his eyes in a frustrated way, "Draco you can't just waltz into other people's home and make yourself comfortable on their sofas. What were you thinking?"

"You're the one who asked for us and you're the one who was late."

Leave it to Draco to turn the situation around so that they seemed like the bad people. Too much of Draco was enough to make even Severus Snape nauseous.

"How you're parents put up with you is beyond me," Seveus muttered before turning to them and in a stern voice explained that Draco was to come with Severus on business while Ginny was to assist Hermione with the redecoration of the starch white kitchen.

Both couples exchanged their goodbyes. Draco and Ginny's goodbye consisted of a few deep kisses and murmured words. Severus awkwardly kissed the top of Hermione's forehead and asked her not to turn the kitchen into something atrocious like hot pink with spotted chicken. Hermione assumed he was trying to joke but he was just obviously bad at it.

Once the men left Ginny practically jumped on Hermione. "Are you alright? How was last night? This is a really nice place, I never expected Snape to live in a place like this. Did he fix it up for you? Where were you? Is he treating you well? Does he actually love you or is it a show? How di-"

"Slow down Gin!" Hermione exclaimed after she realized the redhead was no where near stopping. "I'm fine, really. He treats me very well but I wouldn't call it love, I think its more than toleration but definitely not love. Don't quote me on this but I think he's just acting this way to please me because he believes that this is as close the normal life I wanted. The house elves probably cleaned this up because there are a few places of clutter. And last night, I don't remember it."

Ginny tilted her head to the side, "Like you're repressing it? Or is it all fuzzy? He didn't erase the memory did he?! No, wait you wouldn't remember that either." She said with a chuckle.

"We both agreed that it'd be best if I didn't remember it in the morning."

"Oh" Ginny said quietly.

"Yeah" was all Hermione could reply.

There was an unusual silence between them, that is until Ginny either couldn't stand it for much longer or just couldn't contain her peppy personality.

"So where's the kitchen?!" Ginny exclaimed as she jumped up off the couch and bounced her way out of the room without waiting for an answer.

After many pointless hours of Hermione changing the colors to practical colors as Ginny changed the kitchen to ridiculous colors like olive green and sunburst orange and aquamarine, all at the same time, they agreed on a color scheme. A nice forest green and off white oak colored wood was decided on.

It was then when Ginny decided that she wanted to bake cookies. To put it in a kind way one could say that Ginny did not inherit her mother's cooking skills. Flour covered the walls and sugar was sprinkled on the floor. Batter and eggs were splattered on the counter. Frantic house elves tried to clean the kitchen before Severus arrived but they failed to do so.

"Honey I'm home!" Draco called from down the hall.

Ginny skipped down the stairs and bounced into her boyfriends arms. Hermione sighed, cast a cleansing spell on her, and followed behind her.

"I take it your day was just as tiring?"

Hermione nodded, "You're lucky you've never had to deal with Ginny Weasly after she's had sugar. Apparently Draco spoiled her with chocolate before they arrived, it's get to wear off."

Severus frowned, "What sort of chocolate gives energy for hours?"

"Its not the kind of chocolate, its just chocolate. Ginny gets hyper easily."

"I see." Severus told her with one eyebrow raised at the couple, though he never imagined that he could see.

"Princess why you have flour on your cheeks? And is this eggs in your hair?" Draco pulled away and wrinkled his nose.

Ginny started bouncing up and down, "Hermione and I baked cookies!"

Draco cast a cleansing spell on his redhead darling and turned to Hermione, "You poor, poor thing."

Hermione chuckled in her mind, Draco and Ginny were just too adorable. Though they both seemed to behave more childish with each other.

"Did you get me a present?" Ginny asked with pleading eyes.

Draco smiled, "Of course I did princess. I always get you gift when I go out, you know that."

From his pocket Draco produced a golden locket with her initials engraved in script in the front and dotted with tiny diamonds.

"Oh Draco its perfect! I've always wanted a locket." Ginny exclaimed as Draco put it on her.

"It's enchanted," he explained, "on one side there is a picture of us but anyone who doesn't know about us will see it as your family portrait and on the other side is a mirror that when you call my full name it'll allowed you to speak to me through my hand mirror."

Severus put on a taunting look to his face, "You mean she knows you're full name? So all she needs to say is 'Draco Lucius Kr-"

"Stop!" Draco screamed out.

"Draco doesn't like his middle name but I love it!" Ginny said in a singsong voice.

Draco's pale skin began to turn red, "Ginny don't you dare!"

"I won't." She stated simply.

"Darling I believe its time for us to leave." Draco told his girlfriend quietly.

The redhead pouted, "Why?"

Draco steered her to the door and waved to the married couple behind him.

"Ginny dear, they're newlyweds."

Draco mouthed a thank you as Ginny told him that she wanted to spend more time Hermione.

"Maybe another day sweetheart." Draco said, and with those words the door closed behind them.

That annoying awkward silence returned again.

Severus looked at his wife, "Did you eat."

"Yes, the house elves brought us something to eat. Ginny's attempt at baking was disastrous." The silence momentarily returned until she broke it, "Where did you go? I mean, you don't have to tell me, its none of my business. I-"

Severus stopped her, "No its okay. I went to my family vaults to bring you this."

From his pockets he produced a small decorated box and enlarged it to its proper size. He presented it to her as watched her expressions carefully. She was shocked to say the least. Crammed in the box were necklaces, hairpins, earring, bracelets, pendants, rings, anklets, and other jeweled items.

"I can't accept this." she said, pushing the box back at him.

"Nonsense, its just a few of the family jewels and heirlooms, as my wife you're fully entitled to them."

"A few? As in there's more?"

Severus nodded, "I can get them for you tomorrow if you wish. I wasn't sure what you'd like so I brought a bit of everything."

"No that's not what I meant! I ju-" Hermione started flustered.

Severus shook his head to silence her and it was now Hermione's turn to be the one who does the surprising. Hermione stretched up to her tiptoes and quickly laid a light kiss on her husbands treat before claiming that she was exhausted and quickly bounding down the hall to their bedroom.

'What was that?' Hermione thought to herself as she slipped on a nightgown, 'Did that mean something? No of course not. It was just a gesture to show him my appreciation of the gift he gave me.'

She climbed into bed, cuddled up underneath the heavy comforter, and instantly fell asleep. It wasn't until hours later that Severus Snape stripped down to his boxers and joined her wife. She rolled close to him and he instinctively wrapped an arm around her. They both slept with the smiles that they had been trying to hide for so long.

Thank you for reading!

Please inform me of any mistakes or contradictions. After not writing for a while everything seems sketchy. This is by far the longest chapter I've ever written.

Please bare with me during these hard times, I promise to do my best.

Reviews are greatly appreciated.