Here you go: the end of the Order meeting (uggh, Kingsley...) and some sweet moment between wife and husband... Thanks for your reviews, keep them coming!
Bluefirefly5 is still the best Beta ever, always helping me with this story in so many ways. Thank you so much!
Becoming One
Chapter 8
Her ears were buzzing. Why was Severus on the map? She was repeating the same question over and over again in her head, but she hadn't found an answer yet. He was a good man, even Molly Weasley had told it on Hermione's wedding day. He truly was. Even if he was rude to her, he had been with them during all these years. Dumbledore's death had been planned, Harry had seen it in Severus' memories through the Pensieve.
Suddenly, she turned and met Harry's gaze. He seemed to be as disturbed as she was, and she saw him frowning.
"Tell them, Harry...," she said slowly, trying to keep a steady voice. It wasn't the moment to let them see how confused she was.
"Severus Snape is on this map for a reason," Kingsley snapped. "I know the whole story, Hermione, Harry doesn't have to repeat it again. Severus Snape, the hero, isn't it? The man who killed Albus Dumbledore by charity. Right, we all like this story for sure," he let out with a derisive laugh.
"But it's the truth!," she shouted. "I know that he did some mistakes in the past, but I know that he is as good as we all are in this room. Trust me, Minister..."
"Minerva," he interrupted Hermione without even a glance to her, "I told you that it wasn't a good idea to let her stay..."
Hermione opened her mouth, but Minerva was faster.
"Kingsley, what is the problem with Severus exactly? From what I heard from Harry Potter, he was with the Order during all this time, spying on Voldemort for us. Of course, I thought, like we all did, that he killed Albus because he wanted to, not because he had to," she said in a whisper, lowering her head a little. "But the fact is that it was Albus' choice to die this way, you can't hold it against Severus," she finished.
Kingsley made a face, visibly irritated to see that the Hogwarts' Headmistress wasn't taking his side.
"So can you explain why he was with these Death Eaters last night? Do you think that he still have an explanation to his closeness with these people?"
Everyone around the table remained silent, Hermione included. Kingsley gave her a side glance, and smiled.
"I see that even his wife doesn't have an explanation for this, I'm afraid. Tell me, Hermione," he continued, looking right in her eyes, "do you have any valuable information about your husband?"
Hermione looked at the Minister of Magic for long seconds, thinking about the answer that she was about to give him. To be honest, she didn't have anything against Severus, but she didn't have anything to defend him either.
"I have nothing to tell you about him, Minister," she finally said. Her heart was beating faster and faster, and even if she wanted to learn more about her husband, she wasn't comfortable enough to ask some questions about him. In desperation, she turned her attention to Harry, seeking for his help. As if he had understood her, he stood up, his hands firmly posed on the wooden table.
"Kingsley, as you already know, I was the one who discovered Snape's memories two months ago. He let me take them, and I used a Pensieve to see them. I have to say that, at first, I was quite disturbed by what I saw. Some memories from his past with my mother, some with Dumbledore. But all of them, all of them," he insisted, "were a proof of Snape's loyalty to Dumbledore and to my mother. I have to say that it hurts a little to admit that during all this time, I was, we were wrong. Snape was a spy, oh yes, he was. But he was our spy. He always has been."
Kingsley squinted, and Hermione nodded to Harry, happy to see that he was taking her side. She didn't know why, but in the bottom of her heart, she wanted to think that Severus was a good man. It wasn't an option to think that she was married with a criminal, with... a real Death Eater.
"Tell me, Harry," Kingsley finally said, with everyone's eyes on him, waiting for an answer from the Minister, "what do you know about memories? What do you know about the Pensieve's use? I guess that you used it several times during your schooling, didn't you?"
Kingsley's voice was calm, but Hermione could distinguish a little impatience in his voice. He'd found a weakness in Harry's story, she was sure of it.
"Of course, I do, Minister," Harry answered, suddenly uncomfortable.
"Well, that's a beginning... But I want to know, Harry... Have you heard about the fact that a memory can be falsified?"
Hermione saw Calypso Perkins nod.
"Yes, I have. But..."
"But what, Harry?," Kingsley shouted. "But you want to trust the story of the man who killed Dumbledore? You want to trust the version of the man who hated you so much during so many years at Hogwarts?"
Harry stayed still, and finally sat down. Hermione shook her head, surprised to see her friend giving up so easily.
"As far as I know, Minister, you have no proof that Severus falsified his memories. Of course, we don't have the proof that he didn't, but neither can you prove that he did. You cannot accuse someone like that, and I'm sure that, as the Minister of Magic, you're quite aware of this."
She wanted to protect her husband from this injustice. And obviously, even if Minerva and Harry had tried to help her, Kingsley didn't seem to be open to discussion. He eventually sighed, knowing that it was a lost cause.
"Look, Hermione, I know that you're not on our side this time..."
"On your side, that's a difference," she interrupted him, crossing her arms on her chest.
Kingsley pursed his lips. "As you wish. But this is a Ministry's matter, not an Order one. As the Minister of Magic, I have to investigate on Severus Snape's case. His sudden "resurrection" thanks to a phoenix is something that not all of us believe in, to be honest."
"What kind of investigation do you plan to conduct? Would I be involved?"
Kingsley seemed to think about it, but he eventually shook his head.
"I don't want you to be a part of it, to be honest. You aren't even supposed to know that we find his story suspicious in the first place. You have to understand that this is a secret file, and..."
"I know," she cut him off, irritated to be treated like a child. "Are you going to see me as a Death Eater now since I'm married to him?," she said ironically.
"Don't be silly, Hermione," Kingsley snapped at her. "This is not a joke, far from it. And I'm sure that you know that there are some dark shadows in Severus' story, don't lie to yourself. Since we saw Severus at Mulciber's house just last night, I'm sure that you find something suspicious. You're sleeping with him, after all, how couldn't you notice that something was wrong with him?"
Kingsley raised an eyebrow, and Hermione swallowed hard. Of course, she knew that something was wrong with Severus. She had thought that he was seeing prostitutes, but obviously it wasn't the case. Obviously, he was still seeing his old Death Eaters friends... But she knew that it wouldn't be a good idea to say it to the Minister. She then tried to change the subject.
"By the way, I was wondering how the Ministry would know that we are sleeping together. I have checked, to be honest, and there's no camera of any sort in our bedroom."
"Trust me, Hermione, we have the opportunity to know. Do you remember your binding ceremony?," he asked with a little smile on his face.
"Of course, I do, but I don't see the...," she began, before shaking her head. "Are you telling me that we weere linked to the Ministry back then without our knowledge or consent, and that you can still spy on us?"
"Exactly. That was an idea of Calypso, to be honest," he said with a proud look at the young Auror. "How else do you think that we would have known that you had consummated your union on your wedding night?"
Hermione blushed like she never did before, and didn't find the strength to answer. She was mortified to see everybody looking at her, as if they had just realized that she had had sex with her former Potions professor, with the man that none of them trusted.
"Anyway," Kingsley resumed with a wave of hand, "yes, we know what happens in your house, Hermione. And since you seem to be so surprised, I think that you and Severus didn't fulfill this law so far. I recommend that you fix this as soon as possible, before your monthly appointment with a Ministry employee...," he finished with what seemed to be a paternal smile.
Hermione lowered her eyes, her teeth clenched. This conversation was highly inappropriate, and even more when it was the Minister of Magic who was talking about it.
"Well," Kingsley eventually talked again, "do you have any more questions?"
His gaze left Hermione, and he was now looking at everyone else in the living room. None of them talked, as if they were frozen in their seat. Hermione looked at them too, and she was surprised to see that Molly seemed to avoid her gaze. Suddenly, she remembered that the Weasleys' matriarch hadn't talked during all the meeting, letting Hermione defend her husband during all this time.
What was her problem?
But Hermione didn't have the time to think about it, since Kingsley took back all of his documents on the wall and on the wooden table.
"I guess that this is the end of this meeting then. I was glad to hear all of your opinions," he said, quickly looking at Hermione, "and be sure that there will be other reunions like that."
"I thought that this one was the last of the Order?," Harry finally asked.
"It was supposed to be the last one, indeed. But I think that all of you have to be aware of some of the Ministry's work. I know that you expect a lot from me as the Minister of Magic, and I don't want to disappoint you."
Hermione let out a sight, and went toward her chair to grab her bag. She put it on her shoulder, and looked at Kingsley before heading to the door.
"Too late, Minister," she said in a slow voice. With a nod to all of the Order members who were still sitting at the table, she turned around and left 12, Grimmauld Place, her head full of information.
XxX
"It's quite late..."
Severus' voice came from the living room, and Hermione locked the door behind her. She let out a sight and quickly closed her eyes. The last thing that she wanted was to confront him with the information that Kingsley gave them not so long ago. She didn't even know what to think about it to be honest, and it would have been a big mistake to have this discussion with Severus. He was concerned with all of it, but she couldn't speak to him, not now, not never. "You swore, Hermione", she said to herself before heading to the living room.
Her husband was there, a glass of wine in his left hand, and a book on his knees. The room was just lit up with a little lamp next to Severus, and Hermione wondered how he could read with a light so weak.
"Hello to you, too," Hermione said to him, with some irony in her voice.
Severus raised an eyebrow, but didn't talk back. He just kept his eyes fixed on her, and suddenly embarrassed to be stared at like this, she dropped her bag at her feet and went to the kitchen.
"I'm starving," she explained with a glance at Severus, but the latter didn't move.
"I didn't wait for you to dinner," he drawled, returning his attention to his book.
"It's okay."
Yes, it was okay. She was almost relieved to know that he had eaten already. That way, she didn't have to put up with eating with him and therefore, having to talk about her meeting. Because she knew that Severus would ask her about what she had done today if they ate together.
She grabbed a plate and put a piece of hot meat on it, with some vegetables that Gretchen had cooked in the evening. She ate in silence in the kitchen, just disturbed by the noise of the pages that Severus was turning from time to time in the living room. Eventually, she rose from her chair, and, after drinking a glass of water, she put her plate on the sink and returned on the living room. It was almost ten in the evening, and she didn't know what to do; stay in the living room with Severus or lock herself on her bedroom?
Her bedroom... Hermione sighed, remembering her conversation with Kingsley Shacklebolt. She was lost on her own thoughts when Severus' voice came to her ears.
"What are you thinking about?," he asked in a low voice.
Hermione jumped when she heard his voice, and eventually sat in the armchair next to Severus' one. She put her hands on her knees, spending long minutes looking at them. Severus was obviously waiting for her to answer his question, and she knew that she just had some seconds before he would become impatient. She finally managed to look up, and met his dark gaze.
"I learned some things today...," she began, wringing her own hands. "Things that I think you should know."
Severus didn't move or talk, and Hermione understood that he was waiting for something more. He wanted her to explain what she had just said.
"It's about the Marriage Law," Hermione resumed in a whisper.
"What about it?," Severus merely asked, his eyes still on her. Hermione felt a shiver down her spine, as she was worried to talk about it.
"I had a conversation with... a Ministry employee..."
"Why didn't you tell me? I would have come with you!," Severus spat, bending over to come closer to his wife.
"It wasn't supposed to happen," Hermione said quickly, frowning. "Anyway, I was able to ask him a few questions about this Law and what it implies."
"Him?," Severus noticed.
"Yes, he's a friend of Arthur, actually," Hermione lied with ease. She didn't think that he would ask her further about this "Ministry employee", but it was Severus Snape, after all. Severus nodded slowly, as if he was satisfied with her answer.
"Go on," he finally said.
"So yes, I was able to ask him some questions about the Marriage Law. Especially the "you would have to sleep together" part. I think that it's something important to you too," she said with a shy smile.
"Sure it is." Severus' voice was soft, and it helped her to relax slightly.
"I've got bad news about it. It seems that we were "bound" to each other during our marriage ceremony, but it's not the only thing that happened that day. Unfortunately, we were also bound to... another thing."
"The Ministry," Severus ended slowly.
"How do you know?," Hermione asked, suspicious. "Why didn't you tell me?"
"I didn't know," Severus said with a wave of hand. "I swear, I didn't, Hermione," he repeated when he saw that she was still frowning. "It's just that it seems obvious when you consider it, don't you think?"
She nodded. Sure, it was obvious, and she was cursing herself for not having thought about it before. Indeed, the main purpose of this law, or at least what the Ministry had told about it to every wizard and witch, was to repopulate the England Wizarding World. Of course, it was just a lure, but it was what everybody believed.
"And what more did your little friend teach you?"
"Not a lot more, actually. I just know that they are looking at us, every day, every night. Especially every night...," Hermione articulated slowly, giving him time to think about what she was saying.
"What do you mean?" Severus uttered.
"I mean... You know what I mean," Hermione said, blushing.
"Don't be silly," he snarled. "Go straight to the point, please."
"I mean," Hermione resumed, her cheeks red, "that we have to sleep together again. I don't know how often, but it's the main goal of this Law after all: to conceive children. So yes, I guess that our first time after our wedding wasn't enough for the Ministry."
"And what would they do to us if we don't? It's one thing to know that we don't sleep together, it's another to punish us for that."
Severus seemed to be angry at the Ministry at this exact time, and Hermione couldn't hold it against him, since she was as angry as he was, angrier even.
"The Ministry's employee was quite insistent about it. He didn't say it clearly, but it appears that we could face charges from the Ministry if they learn, during our monthly meeting, that we aren't sleeping together."
Suddenly, Severus rose from his armchair, letting his book drop on the floor. Hermione jumped for the second time of the evening, surprised to see him reacting in such a way.
"Who do they think they are?," he spat as he started pacing the room. Hermione was looking at him, worried to see how far he could go. "Do they expect to control our lives, my life like they do with Guinea pigs? Really, do they?," he repeated, his dark gaze fixed on her, but Hermione knew that it was more a rhetorical question than a real one.
"I thought that this Ministry would be better than the previous one, I really did," he continued, in a softer voice this time, "but I guess that he was right..."
Hermione frowned. "Who was right?," she heard herself ask.
Severus stopped, his hands on his back and pursed his lips. "No one, I was talking to myself. Forget it."
But Hermione couldn't forget it. Who was right? Lucius Malfoy maybe? Every moment of her discussion with Kingsley came to her mind, and she was trying to use what she had heard to understand what Severus had just said.
"Anyway," Severus said, interrupting her thoughts, "did he say something about... our sexual encounters' frequency?," he finished in a whisper, finally avoiding Hermione's gaze.
"No, he didn't. But he said that it was important to "fix" this mistake before our first monthly appointment."
She saw him nod, and he eventually began to calm down. A minute or two of silence passed between them, and Severus finally gave her his hand. Hermione looked up at him, a silent question in the bottom of her eyes.
"What are you waiting for, Hermione?"
"I don't know, I'm just... What do you want to do?," she said in a low voice.
"It's not about what I want to do. It's all about what we need to do. Both of us."
She swallowed hard, realizing what he wanted them to do.
Her first time with him hadn't been that bad, actually. It was a fact that she hadn't reached her orgasm, but after all, she didn't think that it was a priority for a first time. Severus had been nice to her, trying to spare her all the unnecessary pain, and it had been a success. She had almost taken what had seemed to be... pleasure. Not during a long time, but it had been long enough for her to enjoy it.
"Now?," she managed to ask, trying to forget about the embarrassment she was feeling.
"Our first appointment is in less than two weeks if I remember well... I don't think that it's a good idea to wait any further. Moreover, it's quite late already," he finished, while giving a quick glance at the clock.
"You seem to give up easily..."
"What else can I do, tell me?," Severus snapped back. "Do you want me to go to Kingsley's office, make a scandal and finish my old years in Azkaban? Trust me, this is an option that I'm trying to avoid."
He was right, of course. She had seen how paranoid Kingsley was. Oh, she didn't think that Lucius Malfoy and his friends were saints, far from it, but she wanted to trust Severus. She wanted to trust her husband. Their eyes met, and eventually, Hermione rose from her armchair and put her hand in his.
In silence, they went to their bedroom, and Severus closed the door behind them. Hermione swallowed hard, and let go of his hand.
"Just a minute...," she whispered, heading to the bathroom door. She closed the door and leaned back against the cold wooden door, her eyes closed. She was hearing Severus getting rid of his clothes, and it was hard for her to calm down. Suddenly, she removed her deep blue cardigan, and touched her right arm. It was late in the evening, so she knew that her glamor charm wasn't effective anymore. Indeed, her left fingers met the dark bruises on her arm. Hermione sighed, and after taking her wand in her pocket, she casted a glamor spell. A second later, the bruises were gone.
"Not for a long time...," she murmured before going to the sink in order to cool down her face.
"It's not your first time, Hermione, relax," she talked to herself before leaving the bathroom. Severus was in their bed already, with just a shirt and a pair of pajamas trousers on.
"Where is your robe?," Hermione asked. She wasn't used to see him in trousers, but she had to admit that it suited him well.
"I'm not used sleeping in robe, as you would have known it if we were sleeping together," he drawled.
"You were the one who didn't want to, should I remind you of that?"
"I guess not," was his only answer.
Hermione took a step toward their bed and eventually went around the bed, giving her back to Severus. Even if she wasn't able to see his face, she knew that he was looking at her. With a sigh, she dropped her dress at her feet, and quickly jumped in the bed, trying to avoid Severus' gaze as much as possible.
"So, where do we begin?," she managed to say in a shaking voice.
"Don't you remember?," Severus answered, with what seemed to be a laugh in his voice.
"Of course, I do, but..."
"Let me show you...," he whispered, before taking her head in his hands and kissing her slowly and sensually. Hermione closed her eyes and put her hand on Severus' arm. It was the first time that they kissed. Of course, they did it on their wedding ceremony, but it was not the same at all. That kiss had been quick since it had been a duty for both of them. But now... At the bottom of her heart, Hermione knew that it was a duty too, but, there was also something more; something stronger, something better than the first time that they had kissed.
Slowly, Severus' tongue passed the barrier of her lips, and she opened her mouth a little, just enough to let him caress her tongue with his. It was somewhat weird, and after some minutes, Severus' hands were all over her hips, gently stroking them.
But all of the sudden, her husband removed his lips from hers and shook his head.
"I don't know why I did this, I'm sorry, Hermione..."
"Don't be," she cut him off. "Actually, it helped me to relax, so..."
She was smiling at him, amused to see that he was embarrassed by what they've just shared. They had already had sex together, but it hadn't been that... sexy and pure. Sharing a kiss was so much more intimate, and Hermione realized that it was something that she wanted to do over and over again. Quickly, she put her arms behind his neck, forcing him to bend over her. Their lips met once again, and this time, Severus let out a groan. His body was on hers, and Hermione could feel his erection close to her womanhood. Severus let his hand slid under her panties, and Hermione moaned against his mouth. It was weird to feel two different things on her body. On the upper half of her body, Severus was biting her lips with fervor while his hand on her clitoris was soft and slow.
Eventually, they were both naked, moaning in pleasure close to each other's mouth. Hermione had been terrified to live this experience again, but now, she was wondering what had terrified her so much. What she was sharing with her husband was so exciting, so pleasurable.
"I have to do this, once again...," Severus whispered, releasing her lips.
"You have to, really?," Hermione said, a little smile on her lips.
"Maybe I also want to...," he admitted in a low voice when he pushed himself into her.
Hermione felt a little pain when he slid into her, but it was nothing compared to her first time. She relaxed her body easily this time, and after a few back and forth, she was moaning with pleasure. Severus was still kissing her and she enclosed his hips with her legs. She wanted him to go further, and Severus seemed to notice that.
"You want more, don't you?," he managed to say in a breath.
"Please...," Hermione whimpered.
"Your wish is my command for tonight..."
With that said, Severus pushed his hard length further into Hermione, and she opened her mouth, trying to catch her breath like she could. But it was hard to do so with her husband between her legs, going back and forth into her wet entrance, like he had been doing this during all his life.
Hermione didn't hold back her orgasm for a long time. Eventually, Severus felt her inner walls clenching around his cock, and it was the only sign that he needed to let his seed flowing into her sensitive core. It took him one or two pushes to fill his wife with his fluid, and he did it with a long moan. His wife was exquisite.
They stayed in this position during long minutes, but Hermione finally complained.
"You're crushing me...," she said in a laugh.
"I'm sorry," Severus said while falling on the side. He didn't know what exactly happened. He hadn't wanted to kiss her in the first place, but it had been... natural. Natural enough to want to do it again and again.
What is wrong with you, Severus ?, he thought, frowning. Maybe Lucius was right after all. It could be a good idea to take the best out of her, out of his wife. At first, he had been quite reluctant to do so, but when his lips had been crushed on hers, he had forgotten every doubt that had been on his mind.
She was beautiful, she truly was. Beautiful enough to have made him lose his common sense. He had been quite surprised to see her so receptive to his kisses. They weren't as close as a wife and a husband should be, but at least, Severus was relieved to see that their sexual encounters weren't that bad.
A side glance taught him that Hermione was falling asleep, and it was with a smile on his face that he did the same.
Well, Severus, I agree: sex is important in an healthy relationship. But it's not enough, unfortunately...
By the way, do you guys think that giving a title to each chapter is necessary?
See you soon!
