J.K. Rowling still owns the Harry Potter universe. I own a nifty new set of collapsing measuring cups!

Chapter 10: Rings of Change

Hermione slowly woke up, lying comfortably in bed with Severus. Loathe to wake him yet, she just lay listening to the sounds coming from outside and to Severus' even breathing. When one of Severus' long hairs tickled her nose, she sneezed which instantly wakened the wizard beside her. His immediate reaction from sleep to battle stance with wand at the ready caused Hermione to giggle.

"I'm so sorry, Severus; I didn't mean to startle you!"

Severus grumbled and then shuffled off to the loo. Hermione got up and straightened the bed covers and when Severus returned, the couple ventured downstairs to prepare dinner. Severus decided to roast the chicken they had bought along with some new potatoes and carrots and to drink, the bottle of white wine chilling in the fridge. For afters they still had some custard tarts.

While Severus was in the kitchen preparing the chicken, Hermione was puttering around the sitting room flinging cleaning charms here and there. Severus joined her and as they cleaned, they chatted about the many books Severus owned, eventually forgetting about cleaning to select a few titles and discuss them. When the smell of roasting chicken wafted into the sitting room they remembered they were preparing dinner. The couple retreated to the kitchen to ensure their meal had not burnt to a cinder. The chicken was roasted to perfection, and as Severus carved it and put the vegetables in a dish, Hermione laid the table and soon they were sitting down eating.

"Are you all right now, Hermione?" Severus asked as he looked over the rim of his wine glass at her.

Hermione poked her forked around her plate half-heartedly. "It's feels like a huge part of me has been torn away. We've been friends for so long; I just can't fathom how he could so easily throw it all away," her voice shaking as she spoke.

Reaching out to take her hand and give it a squeeze, he responded, "He is as reactionary as I remember his father being. He doesn't realize that what he does now only hurts those around him. He won't realize he has hurt himself until later. I am sorry for you Hermione; I know what it's like to lose a best friend."

Hermione looked at him thoughtfully. "Yes, I guess you do. Are you ready for dessert?" she said in an attempt to change the subject. It's not that she wanted to forget about it, she just didn't want to talk about it yet.

"Let's take them and some tea into the sitting room, shall we?"

"That sounds nice."

Once settled on the sofa together, Severus offered to read from Paradise Lost, a title grabbed at random. As he read, Hermione snuggled into his side with his arm wrapped around her and gazed around the room thinking about what changes she'd like to make. She interrupted Severus. "What's that bag on the mantel?"

Severus marked the page, closed the book and followed Hermione's gaze toward the fireplace mantel. "Those are the rings we bought this afternoon. I forgot I put them there in light of what happened when we got home." He stood up and retrieved them. "It was remarkable when I saw them and recognized the runes. I take it you felt the magic as well?"

'I did," said Hermione standing to join him by the warmth of the fire. "But how would they have gotten into a Muggle shop?"

Severus opened the bag and dumped the rings into his palm. "I would speculate that perhaps during one of the wars a wizarding family, in an attempt to flee England, would have needed Muggle money so they were pawned."

"That's so sad!"

"Indeed. Here is yours, would you like to put it on?"

Hermione flushed and smiled shyly. "Would you think I was overly sentimental if I asked you to put it on for me? I know we didn't have a formal wedding, but if you put it on me, it will make it seem as though we did."

Severus looked into Hermione's brown eyes, glistening in the light of the fire and with a slight put upon smirk on his face said, "Silly woman," and as he did as she asked, he spoke,

"I give you this ring as a sign that I am committed to you, Hermione Snape. I commit to you so that we may learn to respect, cherish, protect, and in time love one another." Severus pushed the ring down her finger where it automatically adjusted to fit.

Hermione was momentarily speechless. She never expected words of commitment like that. She took the other ring, placed it on Severus' left ring finger, cleared her throat and spoke,

"I give you this ring as a sign that I am committed to you, Severus Snape. I commit to you so that we may learn to respect, cherish, protect, and in time love one another." Hermione pushed the ring down his finger where it automatically adjusted to fit.

Leaning forward, she kissed Severus. As she did so, he reached up and tangled his hands in her hair, pulling her closer. After a few moments of caressing and kissing, he steered her over to the sofa where he pushed her back onto it as the kiss went from a seal of their commitment to a fire of passion. He began to work the buttons of her blouse as his lips moved down her neck. He bit at her skin thrilling at the response of her body. Once the blouse was open, he wasted no time in removing her bra and moving to suck her nipples.

"Severus, oh Gods, yes." She reached down and began to pull at the jumper he was wearing. She managed to detach him from her breasts long enough to slide the garment over his head. He returned to her breasts while she reveled in the feel of his skin against hers; it was so hot. Her hands caressed every inch of his back she could feel. She slid her hands down his sides to feel the crest of his hips through his jeans, which sat low on his waist. She caressed his arse and then moved her hands between them and fumbled with his belt. She began to get frustrated so she shoved him up and off her.

He fell back against the couch and she moved swiftly in, straddling him while she finally relieved him of his belt and then worked on the zip of his jeans as she slipped to the floor between his legs. Severus was already humping his hips in anticipation of her mouth engulfing him. Once Hermione had the zip down, she pulled his jeans along with his boxers down, Severus arching his backside off the sofa to help. His cock stood waiting for her, the mushroom head already weeping. She reached forward and licked at the cum. Teasing his foreskin back, she blew cool air over the tip. Not giving him much time to process what she had done, she swiftly took him into her mouth and began to bob up and down, taking him deeper each time. As soon as her throat muscles relaxed she pressed him down. His hands flew upward to the top of her head, and she allowed it. He began to thrust his hips and guide her mouth up and down. Hermione hummed her approval and he growled. "Yes, take it witch, take it all," he gritted out through clenched teeth. She moved up off him, needing to breath. She swirled her tongue around the head and then plunged down again with him thrusting up to meet her. It only took a few more deep thrusts into her throat and he was coming. He nearly shouted himself hoarse as he orgasmed. Hermione sucked him until he was done and then looked up at him and swallowed.

"Gods you taste good." She stood up and began to strip the rest of her clothes off. He reached out and pulled her down onto his lap. He kissed her roughly on the lips causing Hermione to whimper in pleasure. He hands ran down her sides, caressing her hips and then moving to squeeze the flesh of her bottom. In one swift motion, he had them off the couch and headed to the stairs.

"I wonder, my naughty minx, just what other little kinks you might enjoy? What about another spanking, hmm?" Hermione shivered at the thought of being spanked. "Shall I tie you up again and have my way with you?" By this time, they reached the bedroom and were up against the wall. Severus looked deep into Hermione's eyes. "Tell me vixen, how do you want to play tonight?"

Hermione whispered in his ear, "As much as I would love to experiment with some of our mutual games, I think I would like it to be slow and sensual tonight."

Severus smiled in agreement and walked her to the bed. They both lay down and he began to kiss her slowly and tenderly. His hands caressed her face and moved to tangle in her hair, pulling her closer. Using his tongue, he traced the outside of Hermione's lips, which were plump and warm from earlier ministrations. Soon, he flicked his tongue at the seam asking for permission to seek out the warmth of her mouth. Hermione opened and Severus' velvety tongue slipped inside.

Hermione allowed him to take control of the kiss. She allowed him to stroke her tongue and tickle the roof of her mouth. She curled her tongue around his in response, her brain processing how warm it felt and how she could just feel the little taste buds with the tip of her tongue when she ran it over his. She marveled at Severus' unique taste; bitter from the wine, a bit spicy from the chicken, but she also detected a deeper more exotic taste that took a subtle control over all the other flavors. She determined that this taste was his true taste, and it was a powerful aphrodisiac to her. As her brain processed all of this, it began to detect other sensations.

Severus had stopped making love to her mouth and lips and had begun working his way down her throat. There was that one spot, he had discovered, right where her collarbone crossed in front of her throat that if he sucked juuuust like THAT, got a tremendous response from the woman beside him. She moaned very loudly, and her body twisted against his deliciously. His hands fluttered to various spots that he could reach; arms, torso, her upper thighs, but he carefully stayed away from her core knowing that by doing so, it would drive her to distraction.

Hermione enjoyed the sensations Severus was creating on her body, and she hoped that her own ministrations were as pleasurable. Remembering two nights' ago, she teased the depression where his shoulder joint and pectoral muscles lay with her lips. He seemed to really like it when she had kissed and sucked that spot the other night so she pushed Severus away from her so that he lay on his back. Straddling him, she reapplied her knowledge.

Severus was not usually a vocal lover, but something about the witch on top of him made him break his own self-discipline. In the past, it was never in his best interest to make noise when having sex as this could cost him his life, but that danger was no longer present, and his body seemed prepared to enjoy it and experience it in ways he hadn't before. His self-control continued to melt as he felt Hermione's tongue move from his shoulder and trace a path to his right nipple, circling the areola as it crinkled in response to the warmth of her tongue and then the cool wetness as her tongue moved away. Circling the nipple once more, Hermione then closed her lips on it to suck and bit lightly. A low growl murmured in his throat in response.

Hermione was enjoying herself. As she moved from his right nipple to his left, she thrilled at his vocal response. After she applied herself to the left nipple, she began to flick her way down Severus' torso outlining various scars and muscle ridges as she went. She wiggled down as she went until her knees had pressed his thighs apart and she nuzzled his warm stomach, which was covered with soft, black hairs. As she kissed and licked his stomach, he tensed in response. She knew his sides were quite sensitive, and she quickly attacked the spots right above his iliac crests with deep sucking kisses, leaving large purple blooms.

"Maybe we should tattoo my name along your hip," she pondered as she fingered her 'artwork'. "That way if you ever get lost, they know whom to return you to."

Severus laughed and sat up catching Hermione by the arms and dragging her into his lap. "While I am amenable to your name on my hip, I will not have it within a lion," he spoke between kissing her throat and neck.

"I seem to be partial to snakes for some reason," came her gasping reply. As Severus worked her neck with his tongue, his hands had begun kneading her breasts causing Hermione to grind against his cock nestled between their bodies. "Severus, no more please. I need you now," she whimpered.

"But I haven't tasted you yet, and you taste so sweet, witch." He rubbed her nipples with his thumbs as he spoke.

"You have your whole life to taste me; I need you so much more. I need you in me, filling me, making me feel like I am yours."

Severus looked into Hermione's eyes a moment before responding. "There will never be any mistake whose you are, Hermione." He pulled her closer. "You are mine. Always."

While they were still facing each other, he lifted her hips and moved his cock to her slit. He rubbed along her wetness and Hermione tilted her pelvis to make entry easier. With one thrust, he filled her, both moaning with pleasure.

For a moment, neither of them moved. They sat kissing and caressing as Hermione adjusted to his size, and Severus enjoyed feeling her muscles pulse as they accepted him. Before long, Hermione began to rock her body on her husband's cock. Severus responded slowly at first, thrusting a little deeper every third or fourth thrust. He was amazed at Hermione's rather eloquent response.

"Deeper, Sev. Oh, fuck!"

"Stop a moment," he quietly moaned. "I want you beneath me. I want to feel your entire body under mine." The couple moved quickly, and Severus pushed his cock back into Hermione slowly, enjoying her attempt to rush by pushing her hips upward, but he pinned her to the bed with his hands. "Not so fast, witch."

Finally, after what seemed like forever, he was deeply seated within her. They began their dance, slowly at first; neither was inclined to be acrobatic at the moment. Severus used shallow thrusts and Hermione met his rhythm languidly. The build-up was gradual. As they found an easy tempo, their hands and lips sought to bring pleasure as well. Severus, knowing that Hermione could orgasm if her nipples were bitten, made sure to only lightly nip at them and then lave them with his tongue. Hermione used her fingers and fingernails to flutter, flick and tease the spots she knew would draw a response from the man on top of her. After some time at this slow cadence, they subconsciously agreed to pick up the rhythm with a simple look into each other's eyes.

The only sound heard as their crescendo built was the sound of two bodies thrusting against each other and the vocal response; moans, requests for deeper movements and soon, the letting of the other partner in this ancient dance know that it was about to come to a delicious end.

"So close," Hermione panted. "So close." Severus watched as Hermione's face was scrunched in concentration and then diffuse with pleasure she chanted his name over and over before her orgasm hit her. The force of her muscles clamping down around his cock was more than he could take and with two final thrusts deep within her, his own orgasm overtook him. Hermione felt his cum warm her walls and she moved her hips to help him attain the most of his orgasm, and felt her own muscles shivering in response to his cock still within her.

Severus dropped down on top of her and felt her arms go around him, soothing his back and arms and squeezing his arse as she sought to maintain as much contact with his body as she could. Once he had recovered from the initial outpouring of energy an orgasm triggers, he propped himself up on one elbow, caressing her face with his other hand. He leaned in to kiss her, and she responded with gentle enthusiasm. They continued for several moments more before Severus moved to lie beside her. With a flick of his hand, the bedcovers flew to his grasp and he covered their cooling bodies.

Hermione quickly made herself comfortable on his side of the bed in search of a post coital snuggle. "I hope you don't mind me encroaching onto your side," she said with a giggle.

"This type of encroaching is thoroughly encouraged," he responded as he pulled the bushy haired woman closer to him. With a kiss to the top of her head he said, "Goodnight, Hermione."

"Goodnight, Severus."

Several months passed as the couple adjusted to married life away from the wizarding world. They did not completely abandon their magic, but attempts to return to Diagon Alley or Hogsmeade turned into such fiascos that they just as soon stayed away. What was discouraging was Severus' inability to find a job. Without her certificate from Muggle school, Hermione was only able to find a job waitressing in a Muggle café, and this was very disheartening.

The couple argued several times when they became overwhelmed by what had happened and their attempts to work out some sort of life together. Severus could be rather vindictive and vicious as he argued, and Hermione could be rather stubborn as she felt she was always right. When they read about what would have been Hermione's graduation ceremony in The Prophet, the resultant argument had Severus calling her an immature spoiled brat and an incensed Hermione left Spinner's End to go to Australia to visit her parents.

That was not an easy visit. In the time she and Severus had been together, she had not written or called her parents to explain to them what happened. Her parents did not react well to her explanation regarding her marriage and subsequent expulsion from school. They were still recovering from being oblivated. They were very angry, and this compelled Hermione to leave Australia and return home to Severus.

A discussion of their options led them to realize that Wizarding Britain held no more life for them, so Severus contacted an old colleague in America. The colleague, Newton St. John, wrote back stating that there could be a job for both of them in the community where he lived in New York. He would be able to obtain forged documents for them that would allow them to find jobs or even go to school if Hermione wanted. After many days of discussion, Hermione obtained a port key for New York. They put Spinner's End up for sale, packed their belongings and left.

The Daily Prophet had a brief announcement of the couple's move a few days later:

SNAPES LEAVE ENGLAND

By

Rita Skeeter

The Daily Prophet has learned that Severus and Hermione Snape have moved to America. Readers will remember that this war hero couple made a splash several months ago when their affair was discovered by Duncan Pillsbody, an employee of the Office of Marriage and Death. It was later learned that the couple had bonded themselves using an ancient bonding ritual.

While the couple had hoped to keep their affair undercover, the discovery of their marriage license led to the ultimate expulsion and sacking of the couple. Multiple attempts to reach the pair failed, and the Headmistress, Harry Potter, and Ronald Weasley have refused interviews, although it is well known Ronald Weasley has public renounced Mrs. Snape.

It is also known, from an outside source, that the couple lived in Mr. Snape's old family home in Spinner's end, just outside Manchester, and it seems the former Death Eater had no problem living a life of leisure while his wife was out of the house working in a dingy café. This reporter was able to catch a glimpse of the former Miss Granger while at work, see photo below (the photo was not very flattering showing Hermione with her hair unkempt and a soiled uniform as she had worked a double shift). It makes one wonder what other ancient ritualistic bonding Mr. Snape has forced his upon 'wife'.

Fortunately, while wizarding England was enjoying this obviously patent example of sensationalism, the Snapes were finding a very warm welcome in New York. Newton St. John welcomed the couple to his home just south of Lake Champlain, and he was able to find the couple immediate work; Severus teaching chemistry at the local community college and Hermione a job in the local library. In a few weeks, the couple found a small apartment not far from Newton's home, and the Snapes easily slipped into small town life. In the fall of that year, Hermione enrolled in the same community college to begin the nursing program. The couple was comfortable with this newfound homeland. Newton St. John and his family continued to be firm friends to the Snapes, helping them learn all the idiosyncrasies of the American way of life.

One evening, Hermione came home from her late afternoon class to find that Severus had gotten home early. As she came through the front door, she noticed that music was playing quietly in the apartment and the lights had been replaced with candles.

"Severus, what is this?" The man addressed stepped into the living room from the kitchen. He greeted Hermione with a loving kiss and welcomed her home. "Well, I certainly like this greeting," Hermione smiled. "What's all the fuss, Severus?"

"It's been a year since I kept you after class that night, and therefore, today is our wedding anniversary. Surely you haven't forgotten?"

"No, of course I hadn't forgotten," she curled around Severus as she kissed his cheek. "I just wasn't sure if you'd want to remember."

"No matter," Severus replied. "I remembered and have prepared a special meal for us. I thought we'd go see a movie tonight, if you'd like."

"I'd like that very much."

As they say down to eat Hermione spoke, "I can't believe it's been a year. So much has changed for both of us since then."

"I'll say" chuckled Severus. "It's been rough, but I am happy. And you?"

"Very happy, Severus, very happy."