SORRY ALL! I had chapter ten ready two weeks ago but when I tried uploading it, the screen always said "Error". Now it's finally working! Comments please! I do not own HP!
Hermione had been in the study all morning after she had made Severus breakfast-on-the-go. Classes were resuming and he hastily ran out of their living quarters even though she knew he had more than enough time to spare…but that was Severus. Even in her time, he was always in his classroom at least a half an hour before his students were expected to be.
It was a particularly windy day and Hermione loved sitting on the loveseat directly in front of the fire. She was sipping on her daily lavender tea reading one of the books she had piled up on the floor and she felt relaxed. She had to admit – the kiss was amazing. She had daydreamed about it ever since and it was becoming more difficult to concentrate on the dusty volume in front of her rather than his lips on hers. They hadn't kissed since. It had terrified him; she knew it and they were now reduced to smiles (one of the few she had ever seen from Severus in her entire life) and awkward pats on the shoulder as he left her in the study for bed.
Hermione was determined to get to know Severus better and she would have to. As she thought about it, her stomach tightened…they only had days before the ministry would knock down their door wanting to know why the marriage hadn't been consummated. Neither Severus nor Albus had technically arranged the marriage…unless you counted the Albus from the future…but Severus would be asked why he hadn't made the marriage viable and concrete if he was the one who initiated the marriage itself…and he hadn't. To Hermione, questioning like that from the Ministry would only add further suspicion about her.
And as for her mission…who was she supposed to find? What was she supposed to do? Someone Albus knew…a professor, staff members…someone within the school. Albus told her to follow her heart…
"Well, Albus, I'm following it…" She rolled her eyes and collapsed on the couch. She'd have rather taken another test or her OWLS over again…something other than this mind fuck…which, admitting to herself, was what it was. She would need to start snooping around the castle, perhaps suggest to Severus that they eat in the Great Hall. Maybe if she initiated socializing there, she'd get somewhere.
"Riiiight after you and I go play ball." Coonan's ears pricked up. Before Hermione could even heave herself off of the couch, Coonan bounded out of the study to sit impatiently by the back door.
Severus watched his wife play with Coonan through the French doors leading to the vast fields and Dark Forest. It had snowed that afternoon and the wind carried her fits of laughter and Coonan's barks away. She'd been a walking bundle of clothes when she traipsed out of the mud room, but she was, as Severus hated to admit (and found himself doing that quite more often), adorable.
He could see that the blistering wind had made her cheeks rosy and silently laughed to himself as she tried in vain to keep her straight black hair from getting in her face. Somehow she had rummaged through Coonan's pile of things and found an adequate ball (an old quaffle from his Quidditch years) and began tossing it as far as the wind would let her.
Her burgundy scarf was wrapped loosely around her neck and she had a glove and hat set to match. Her jacket, which she had zipped just above her cleavage line, was a dusty gold color. How the girl dressed like a Gryffindor….was she? He had never thought to ask. Filing the question away, he was determined to find a green scarf or piece of clothing in the village. He would share his own house color with her. Perhaps she wouldn't like that…but…don't women like getting presents? This was why Severus had never thought of marrying before. Women were too damn hot-headed and confusing to understand…but watching his wife play with his oversized wolf made his heart, the organ that he had never given or let another woman touch, began to open and take her in…her smell, her laugh, her pretty face… He wanted to get to know her – all of her.
Hermione laughed as Coonan caught her last throw of the day. Her arm was aching and she was shivering. It was already dark out and the wind was insatiable; it blew right through her.
"Come, Coonan. Time for supper."
She ran towards the French doors and opened them with the blustery, howling wind at her back. As she bustled in, Coonan just inches behind her, she ran straight into a strong, hard chest and slipped backwards as Coonan hit her square in the knees. Just as she was about to slam her head off of the floor, two strong arms lifted her right side up.
"Severus!," she said with a smile.
"Hermione."
"How were classes?" Hermione listened to Severus prattle on about "dunderheaded" students and lab projects while she took her mud caked flats off.
"And you, sweetheart?" Did that sound right? The word itself felt funny as it came out of his mouth.
Hermione blushed and looked down at her socks.
"Oh, Coonan and I had lots of fun. We were thinking you could possibly join us next time."
"Of course…" He felt like a young school boy again, being asked by another schoolmate to play. "I'd like that."
As Severus started back towards the kitchen, Hermione built up the gumption to grab his hand and pull him close to her.
"Would you mind, terribly, if we ate dinner in the Great Hall?"
Severus had planned on staying in that night, asking all the questions that he had listed and filed away for supper time. The Great Hall wasn't the exact location where he'd ask her personal questions and reiterate answers himself…but if that's what she wanted...he didn't want to disappoint her.
"If that's what you'd like, then of course."
The students had heard through the grapevine that Professor Snape had taken a wife, but they had yet to see the teacher with a female they had not seen before.
As Severus and Hermione walked into the Great Hall for their evening meal, most of the students, including the Slytherin House table, gawked at their professor's new bride. Hermione greeted the other teachers and their spouses and sat next to Minerva. The older professor noticed that she was wearing the emerald jewelry that Severus had given her the day of their wedding.
"How are you, my dear? Is our Severus treating you well?"
"Oh, fine, thank you. He's a real gentleman, Professor McGonagall. You did very well with him."
"Minerva, please. Only students address me so formally."
The plates had appeared in front of the staff first and then on the house tables. As the Hall got louder, Minerva leaned over closely to Hermione's left ear.
"My dear, it's not my intention to pry, but the Headmaster has somewhat, how you say, "filled me in" on his letter. You, love, have only tonight to consummate the marriage until the Ministry will get involved." Minerva was blushing herself.
"What? I…no…I must have…forgotten." The food she had ingested was threatening to come back up.
Minerva could see how upset the girl was – but these things couldn't wait and she had to "get a move on", if you will.
"Hermione, you mustn't become too upset, you'll make yourself sick. Calm yourself, dear."
Even before Hermione's last words left her lips, Severus stood from his chair and intervened in their conversation.
"Hermione, if you're finished, love, we must be going. Good night, Minerva."
Love? Hermione stood up meekly from her chair and bid Minerva a good night and walked out, students staring, with Severus. Once they turned the corner, Severus gently grabbed Hermione's hand. "She told you, didn't she?"
"Yes."
"We could get the marriage annulled."
"What?" She stopped walking and looked at Severus.
"I didn't mean to offend. I'm suggesting it as an option if you'd rather not be intimate with me."
"Severus…it's not that, it's just-"
Severus cut her off "I understand. We'll get the marriage annulled in the morning, before the Ministry butts their heads into your or my business." Severus started walking towards his classroom, en route for the dungeons.
Hermione had never felt so defeated. She could see his black hair hiding his eyes. Once she saw the sadness, her heart broke for the man who had never known love. The one who was so severe and strict in her own time... Hermione quickened her pace and once she was able to catch up to him, she pulled on Severus's hand, turning him towards her.
"Don't go." Releasing the inhibitions that had kept just slightly at bay, she tangled her hand in his messy hair, resting the other on his shoulder and kissed him.
Severus, astonished, closed his eyes and kissed back. Slowly, he wrapped his arms around her torso and pulled her close to him. Her tiny figure pressed hard against his chest – Hermione could feel her stomach rise and fall with excitement. She slipped her tongue inside and teased by slowly caressing his own.
When Hermione pulled away, Severus could see in her eyes that she wanted to speak…
