.Beta: Ms. Marauder-Cullen
Endearment
Hermione lay in her bed starring at her engagement ring. Ginny had giggled with glee that the "bat of the dungeons" had proposed with an amazing ring. Hermione couldn't help but shake her head when her best friend was throwing her wedding ideas. She had stopped the red head from going over board. She and Professor Snape hadn't even set a wedding date.
Hermione sat in the back of the potions class next to Harry brewing a potion for class. Hermione looked up from her potion and watched her future husband brew an advanced potion. She couldn't help but notice that his hands worked liked a dance.
Severus looked up when he sensed someone was watching him. He saw his future wife watching him. He raised his brow at the woman. Hermione let a smile cross her face. He returned her smile with a smirk. They broke eye contact and went back to work.
Severus dropped an empty vial, causing it to shatter on the stone floor. He quickly grabbed his left arm. Hermione's head snapped up when she heard glass shatter. She turned to Harry and whispered that he was being summoned to Voldemort. He looked at his best friend with worry.
"Get out everyone! Now!" snapped Professor Snape.
The class quickly grabbed their things and left the classroom. They were glad that there was no homework and that they didn't have to finish their potions. Harry looked at his best friend. She kissed his cheek and told him to go. He nodded and left the room, leaving her with the Potions Master.
"Severus," whispered Hermione as she walked up to him, "be careful."
He summoned his death eaters mask and robes and caught them in his outstretched hand. She helped him put them on and handed him his mask. "I don't know what will happen but I'll return."
"Just return to me safely." she whispered, surprising herself when that left her lips.
Severus caressed her cheek and swept from the classroom. Hermione watched his robes vanish. She closed her eyes, praying for him to return safely. She slowly made her way to the upper part of the castle.
Severus bowed to his master and kissed the hems of his robes. He looked up into the ghost white, snakelike face. Voldemort narrowed his eyes in anger.
Voldemort raised his wand and said, "Crucio!" Severus fell to his side in pain.
He gasped out in pain but didn't scream. He kept his images of Hermione from his mind. He prayed she would remain safe. Voldemort lifted the curse when he didn't get a scream.
"I have received word that the mud-blood received a heart." hissed the Dark Lord. "I want her dead!"
"I had no choice my lord. Dumbledore found the heart for the mud-blood." said Severus, lying smoothly.
Voldemort ran his index finger and thumb up and down the smooth wood of his wand in thought. "Then you shall marry the mud-blood and force yourself as her husband to join my ranks."
Severus bowed his head and said, "As you wish my lord."
The rest of the meeting was of Voldemort beating and torturing his followers and then planning Potter's destruction.
Hermione paced in front of the great doors waiting for Severus to return from the death eater meeting. She stopped mid-step when the front doors opened. She sighed when she saw Severus enter the castle. She could tell he had been placed under the torture curse.
"Severus," Hermione whispered, wrapping her arm around his waist.
He narrowed his eyes and pushed her away from him. "I don't need your help." He gasped and quickly grabbed his right side. He pulled back his hand and saw blood.
"You're bleeding." Hermione said, and helped him down to the dungeons.
"Let go of me. I do not need your help." hissed Severus.
Hermione ignored the Potions Master's ranting and walked into his private chambers. She eased him onto the bed. She slowly unbuttoned his robes.
"Stop." hissed Severus, grabbing her wrist.
"You listen to me Severus Snape. You better get used to me taking care of you!" Hermione hissed in return. "I care too much about you to see you in pain." She threw his torn robes onto the floor. "I'm going to be your wife, and I am going to be taking care of you."
Severus sighed and sank down deeper into the mattress and let Hermione heal his wounds. He sighed at her touches when he felt her hands rub cream onto his sore muscles. He gently took her hand into his own.
"Thank you, Hermione." he whispered before he fell asleep.
Hermione put the closed jar of soothing balm on the table. She covered Severus up with the sheets. "Sleep well, dear," She kissed his brow before she left the bedroom to sit in the sitting room to read a book.
Hermione spent time reading one of the Potions Master's research journals and saw that he had found a cure for Lycanthropy. She wondered why he hadn't given it to Remus. She read further down that he was having preambles with the permanent status.
Hermione sat the book down on the coffee table and walked into Severus's bedchambers over to the bed. She pressed her hand against his forehead and found him with a fever. She summoned a cool bowl of water and a rag. It landed neatly on the bedside table.
"Severus, don't worry, I'm not leaving you." whispered Hermione.
Severus opened his eyes weakly and saw the one woman he was hoping to see. He didn't want to see Poppy. He sighed when the cool rag hit his feverish face.
"He wan-wants you to join the death eaters." whispered Severus.
Hermione pressed the wet rag on his cheeks just as Professor Dumbledore walked into the room. Albus' eyes twinkled at the sight of the couple. The small action of endearment shone from both of them.
"Then once we marry, I shall join the Dark Lord. I will not see you be discovered."
"I can't let you do that." he told her.
"Severus is correct my dear." said Professor Dumbledore.
Hermione looked at the elderly wizard and narrowed her eyes. She was no longer going to be told what do by the man. He was living her life. She knew that he was doing the same with Severus. He had made an Unbreakable Vow so he had no choice. She was no one's puppet.
"Hermione don't." said Severus grabbing her hand just as she rose from her seat. He had seen her temper before.
"How dare you tell me how to live my life! I am not your puppet. You use Severus for your own means. Damn, you even use Lucius!" hissed Hermione.
"You shouldn't have done that." said Severus warningly.
"This is my life old man. I want Severus safe, and if my joining Voldemort will keep him safe, then I'll do it."
"I will not see you follow down that evil path."
"I am not following down that evil path old man!" she hissed. "I'm keeping him alive."
"I've done everything to prevent you to joining Voldemort."
"I'm doing this because I love him!" yelled Hermione. She covered her mouth. She didn't mean for that to slip out.
Severus shakily pushed himself up and rested against the headboard. Hermione turned around and faced him with tears in her eyes.
"I'll just leave you two alone." said Albus and he quietly left the bedchambers.
"Hermione," said Severus and patted the empty area on the mattress. "Come here." She walked over to the bed and sat down next him. "You don't love me." he said gently. "I'm a death eater. I'm too old for you. I'm marrying you to protect you."
Hermione blinked and the tears she had been holding back fell. "But I do love you." she whispered. "I don't care that you're a death eater. Age is just a number. I know you're marrying me not just for protection. I know the real you Severus. Not the mask or part you play. I've seen it here and there. I love your dry sense of humor. I love your bastard streak. I can't help if I've fallen in love you."
Severus caressed her cheek with a slightly shaky hand and thumb, wiping away a fallen tear. "A life with me won't be a bed of roses, Hermione. I have a dark past."
"So? Everyone has done things they're not proud of." she said with a slight smile. "You don't have to love me. I understand-"
"Ah, but you see that's kind of hard. Considering that I have fallen for you. I was terrified when I saw you stop breathing when Luicus was replacing your heart."
"But I-"
Severus placed a finger over Hermione's mouth. "You talk too much."
He slowly filled the gap between them and captured her lips with this own. Hermione stiffened but slowly relaxed and returned the kiss. He ran his tongue across her bottom lip and she opened her mouth. Their tongues battled each others. He buried his hands in her chestnut hair and deepened the kiss. They pulled back, breathing heavily.
"It's funny how endearment can change a life." she said, but she was silenced when he claimed her lips again.
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