Chapter 9

Careers

"Hermione, take a look at this case file, please? Maybe you'll see something we miss."

Hermione frowned at Harry and took the file from him, she saw the label, "L.M Avery?" -Arching her brow at Harry in question. He sighed and sat down in her visitor's chair.

"Avery's sister, Lucretia Maria Avery. She's slippery. I know she was an unmarked death eater, and very much active with Voldemort. Yet I can't pin her in anything. You always had an eye for detail and logic. Perhaps you can see something..." He trailed off to look at her pleadingly almost; Hermione placed the file on her table and relaxed back in her chair to look at the boy who lived.

"Harry I work in Magical Creatures department... It's not my place really."

Harry furrowed his brow and sat forward in the chair, looking intently at his best friend. "Hermione, I know you love working with the creatures, but you can do so much more in the Auror department or Magical Law enforcement department..."

Hermione looked at him in thought, her fingers tapping on the folder on her desk. She couldn't help it, she was curious about the case, especially as she still remembered the encounter with the woman months previously. She stilled her tapping fingers and opened the folder, still lying on her desk. She glanced cursorily over the first parchment, it was her basic profile and picture; within a few seconds she picked up the file and started to leaf through more intently, her eyes darting furiously over the parchments. After about five minutes she lowered the file in thought, just staring out in front of her.

Then she stood up, still deep in thought, and paced up and down; muttering under her breath.

Harry knew her well enough to remain quiet; he just watched her, waiting for her to speak. Eventually, she stopped in front of him. "Okay." Harry lifted his brow and smiled questioningly. "Okay?" He implored her, still smiling.

"Yes, I've been thinking of transferring to Law Enforcement for some time now. I'll submit the request tomorrow to Kingsley. And I'll take this file home and thoroughly peruse it tonight."

Harry beamed and stood up, hugging her quickly. "Great Hermione! Now we will have someone that can actually mean something in that department!" Hermione scoffed at him.

"Harry! There are brilliant witches and wizards in that department." Harry rolled his eyes and grinned. "Yeah... But not as brilliant as the brightest witch of our age."

Hermione laughed then, she couldn't help it, and he seemed so frivolous about her helping on cases. "Harry, I think I'll ask Severus to check this over with me, he knows Lucretia Avery, and all the old inner politics and stories. Maybe he can help with some angles."

Hermione frowned off into the distance again, chewing her bottom lip in contemplation. "As you feel Hermione, he should be able to help I think as well. But now I've got to go again. Let me know what your thoughts are tomorrow."

He pecked her cheek and waved at her door, then smiling he turned and left; Hermione looked at the watch, another hour before going home time.
She decided to write up her transfer request immediately, maybe Kingsley would have his response ready then by the next day already. So she sat dawn and started writing on a blank parchment.

SSHG

"Severus, I am home!"

Hermione called out as she hung her cloak and robes on the rack by the front door.
Then made her way to the basement door under the staircase, she saw it was open, indicating her husband being still in his lab. She entered and climbed down the stone steps, light lighting the basement brilliantly.

Reaching the bottom; she smiled at the dark wizard meticulously stirring a big cauldron that was billowing purple steam. He only gave her a cursory glance before fixing his attention back on his stirring. But he did speak, though, in a cool voice.

"Evening Madam, I'll be finished here in another thirty minutes. Binxy already prepared dinner, if you want to dine so long."

Binxy was the Prince house elf; after Hermione had returned to work months earlier, Severus had insisted the elf move in, due to their busy schedules not allowing them enough relax time if they still had to do house chores and cooking. After some bickering, or rather very heated arguments, they finally compromised; Binxy would be treated with respect and get a wage.

Hermione walked to her armchair and sat down, watching his nimble hands stirring his potion precisely, four counter clockwise, three clockwise and then two vertical and two horizontal, then the same sequence over again.

She loved watching him.

He did everything so precisely, and with such grace. And not just potion-making; it was how he walked, how he talked, how he used his wand, even in bed with her. "I'll sit here a bit Severus; you know I prefer to dine with you."

He gave her a quick glance before stirring again."As you wish."

After that there was silence, Hermione closed her eyes and rested her head back, the smell of vanilla filling the basement from Severus's cauldron.

Hermione came to when she felt a hand on her shoulder; opening her eyes she blinked confusedly at the light blinding her. Severus was standing over her, grasping her shoulder to wake her. She glanced at the table and saw it was clean and empty now, except for newly marked potion bottles standing there, filled and sealed and ready for dispatch.

"I'm done, As well as famished so let's go dine." Hermione yawned, then smiled brightly and made to stand up, but was surprised to see him holding out his hand to assist her up.

He only did little gestures like that in rare moments. She happily took his hand and let him pull her up, then she held on to his hand and walked next to him, very aware of his impassive yet questioning glance at her when she held on to his hand. She chuckled at him, and let go of his hand when they reached the steps that would take them back to the ground floor of their house.

"Mistress Snape! Binxy did not hear mistress come home! Binxy must show mistress how sorry she is! Let Binxy get mistress some pumpkin juice!"

Hermione giggled at the very flustered elf, she was very sweet but refused to call Hermione on her name. She is what she termed herself 'a proper house elf'. They had just taken their seats at their dining table and started to eat when a ministry owl swooped inside and dropped an envelope at Hermione, without waiting for a treat the owl quickly left again.
Severus placed his fork down again and looked at her with an arched brow. "Bit late for ministry mail."

Hermione frowned and picked up the envelope, she recognised the Minister for Magic's official seal, and immediately broke the seal open, a smile starting to form on her face. "I think dear... I think it's ..." She trailed off reading the letter.

Not noticing the scowl on her husband's face at her half left off answer. He hated the ministry and hated if it intruded on his private time, to him it was already bad enough that she had to work for them.

"Yes! Kingsley personally approved it! I start next week Monday!" She looked up to beam at her husband in excitement.

"And what, pray tell, wife, did that blockhead approve that you will start on Monday?" He quirked his brow at her, a typical sneer on his face at the mention of the blockhead, as he termed the Minister.

She just passed him the letter, a small smile playing on her lips. While he read; she informed him of her decision. "Well, I've been playing with the idea for a while to move to a more challenging department, and today Harry asked my input on a case, and reminded me that I would do good in his department or Magical Law Enforcement, so I decided to request a transfer, and Kingsley now responded."

She was grinning very happily, he handed her back her letter and frowned for a moment.

"Why did you not discuss this with me first?" He seemed less than pleased, his face cold and hard. Hermione's smile faltered and a frown replaced the happy expression of moments earlier. "Excuse me; I did not feel it necessary to have my career choices approved by you first."

He hissed and once again placed his utensils down, very deliberately. "You don't, wife. Except when it would influence our family."

Hermione gasped in surprise; what could he mean? How would this influence the two of them? "I don't understand Severus."

He glared at her then jabbed his index finger down on the table, as if to make a point. "Well, when the expected offspring arrives it will. By putting you in danger and keeping you from home at the most atrocious hours of the night. Did not think further than your own interest I see."

He sneered, Hermione couldn't help but realise he had a point, so she frowned and quickly thought of possible alternatives. "Well, when that happens I can request a desk job in the department Severus. My brain is after all the important factor, and why Kingsley immediately approved the request."

He still glared at her, but she could see he seemed to be placated. She was pleasantly surprised that he had immediately thought of their future children first, though. That warm feeling once again spreading inside her that seemed to happen all the more every now and then.

"Will you read a file for me after Dinner Severus? It's a case Harry is busy with; I think you might have some input for him." She smiled innocently at him, very aware of his possible reactions to seeing it was on Lucretia Avery.

He had only picked up his utensils again and started to finally eat their lamb and rice with vegetables. Nodding, he didn't look up when he responded. "Understand this madam; I am not interested in your ministry cases. But as you asked me, I will."

Hermione smiled happily and resumed her eating also.

"How many orders did you get to fill today?" Hermione always made a point over dinner to discuss his business, trying to encourage the agreed upon mutual affection to develop, by showing interest in his activities. He usually responded in kind by informing her passively of the day's business activities. "Three orders for St Mungo's and one for Hogwarts, but I did receive a strange order request today."

He shrugged the last off as if discouraging her to question him further. Naturally curious, Hermione immediately questioned him further. "Strange? In what way? And from whom then?"

Severus gave her a probing glance as if determining to answer her or not. "Well, it is for Polyjuice potion, as for the who... No idea. It's anonymous."

Hermione frowned, well that was odd, and also very obvious.

"Well someone wants to impersonate someone ... Completely illegal of course, which would explain the need to remain anonymous? I trust you will report this Severus?" She looked at him in question, always a sucker for rules.

Severus just chewed, in deep thought. "Already did madam wife. I have no interest in drawing untoward attention to myself. The more I'm left alone, the better for everyone."

Hermione smiled, he really did remain out of the public. Only ever left their house when he was forced to compromise, a dinner date once a month; Hermione insisted on it. And friends dinners every now and then; so far in the four months of their marriage, they had had dinner at the Malfoy's and the Potters. Harry and Ginny having gotten married two months prior, and Ron and Trisha only the previous month. There had been only one other dinner at their house again after the first, only the week prior.

This dinner was more successful; Draco and Ron and even Harry, having formed some sort of friendly understanding since the first dinner. The other three witches even being friends now, Hermione and Astoria were also fast approaching being friends, she was a good woman.

SSHG

"I want you to not get involved with this case, Hermione!" Severus glared at her menacingly; Hermione couldn't understand what had come over her husband, he seemed to become fiercely angry the moment he took the file to read and saw it was for Lucretia Avery.

He flat-out forbade her to become involved in this case, and when she probed him about why not, he only stated the previous. "But why Severus? What is it you want to protect about that woman?"

Hermione naturally had immediately felt jealousy; why would he protect Lucretia? She immediately regretted her words though when she saw his sharp intake of breath, his black eyes then turning into cold obsidian marbles that seemed to pierce right through her in black anger.

His voice hissed out quietly, deadly. "Never insinuate that I would protect that repugnant witch. I am protecting my future offspring, by protecting their mother. Potter is right. She was more involved than she seems. She is dangerous. She is a cleverer type of Bellatrix Lestrange, without the madness. You will stay away from this case wife. I will not have my life infiltrated by that witch."

Hermione gulped nervously, he seemed murderously angry; she did not doubt that he would not budge from his position on the matter.

Neither would she.

So, lifting her chin, squaring her shoulders, she looked him in the eye squarely. "I will help as and when Harry requests my help, you cannot forbid me to. My work, my choice Severus Snape. Remember that. You can help if you want to solve it quicker as to get it out of our lives quicker. But I won't ask you for help again."

Then Without waiting for an answer, she turned and stalked off to their bedroom.

SSHG

It was an hour later that she heard her husband entering the room and going to the bathroom to take a shower. Another twenty minutes later she felt the mattress sink as he slid into the bed next to her, she held her breath, waiting to see if he'd initiate intimacy.

They had a flourishing sex life, and she found herself taking as much as giving.

"Are we on speaking terms madam wife?" Hermione smiled in the dark, his voice was back to the smooth silky impassive tone she knew. So she turned around to lie on her side facing him, him being in the same position already. The room was dim enough for her to see his face in shadow.

Lifting her hand she brushed a stray string of his hair behind his ear, she smiled at him tenderly, not realising it. He frowned seeing it, but decided to not make anything of it, Severus had a secret you see; he firmly believed he wasn't good enough for this witch that was his wife. And he would never admit it to anyone, especially not to her.

"Severus... In the bedroom, we leave everything outside of the bedroom, outside..." Then she leaned forward and let her lips brush over his prominent nose.

"Acquiesce wife..." He murmured huskily against her mouth, before claiming her lips
with his.