Dear Miss Granger:
We have set the date of court in which you are ordered to attend for the trial against Ronald Bilius Weasley for rape and aggravated assault. You are allowed to bring one witness to stand. The date is August 20th. We anticipate your arrival.
Sincerely, Ministry of Magic.
Hermione gripped the note tightly in her hands. She wanted to cry. And scream. And kill Ronald Weasley. She felt Severus place a hand on her shoulder.
"What's wrong, love?" His voice was still thick with sleep; they'd just gotten up.
"We have to go to court. Well, I do, but I'm allowed to bring one witness, and that's you." She stared at Severus.
"Well, I'll go with you, of course. I want to see that bastard locked up more than you do. Okay, maybe not more, but about as much." He told her. She smiled at him gratefully.
"Thank you, Severus. Thank you so much." She wrapped her arms around his waist and hugged him tightly. Severus rested his chin on the top of her head.
"You're very welcome, little one." She breathed in his scent, never able to get enough. His scent was addictive, pure, and simple. It was merely him, there wasn't much more to that. It was simply Severus Snape that she was smelling with every single breath. She loved it.
"I wish that they would just throw him in Azkaban, but, of course, they have to have a dramatic court trial, where they'll no doubt be hoping for a dramatic confession, tears, apologies, and then a Ronald Weasley screaming at the court while being drug away to where he truly belongs." Hermione said sourly, while Severus snorted in amusement.
"Well, that's how they've always been, love; we can't change how they're sick, twisted, minds work, only deal with it, and hope that they don't stay in position for very long." Hermione smiles, grateful that Severus has at least tried to make her laugh and be happy. It almost worked, actually. Almost.
"I just want this all to be over with." She whispered, hugging her arms to her chest. Severus's eyes softened when they met hers, and melted when their lips met each others.
"I know, love. I know." He murmured.
"I'm afraid." She told him with tears flowing from her eyes.
"Of what, little one?" Severus whispered in her ear, running his fingers down through her hair.
"I'm afraid that they'll let Ron off of the hook, and everyone will think that I'm a fucking whore." Hermione told him angrily, even through her tears.
"Language," He chided her gently, rubbing the small of her back comfortingly. She snorted, but quieted for a while, leaving them both to their own thoughts; a very dangerous thing to ever do.
"If he gets off the hook… what would we do then?" She asked him quietly. He looked at her, slightly concerned.
"Well, I suppose I would seriously hurt him, and most likely murder the bastard." Severus mused. Hermione snickered and sighed.
"I don't want them to just give Ronald a pardon. Plus, all of my students will know about the trial from the Daily Prophet, and I don't want this getting out. I don't need their pity." She said viciously. Severus stifled a laugh at his fiery little Gryffindor.
"I'll do everything in my power to make sure that no one tells anyone. Especially that Skeeter bitch." Severus hated the woman as much as Hermione did; Skeeter was the one who thought it'd be hilarious to write an excruciatingly long anecdote in the Daily Prophet about his work for Voldemort. Nosy chit.
"What would I do without you, Severus?" Hermione wondered out loud.
"You'd get through this yourself, because you're just that good." He told her, giving her that irritating smirk that she had grown to love/ hate.
"I highly doubt that, but whatever." She shrugged.
"You can think what you want, little one, but you are a very formidable woman when you need to be." Severus told her. "Now, it's lunchtime, and you didn't eat breakfast. Get up." He planted a teasing smack on her arse, grinning when she turned to glare at him.
"Remember who the one was who set your robes on fire in her first year. Think of what she could do to you now that she's ten years older." Hermione snarked. Severus looked reasonably embarrassed, therefore, her job was done.
"Just get into the kitchen, little one." Hermione just crossed her arms.
"I'm not hungry." He sighed.
"I'm not going through this with you again. Oh, and after you eat, you aren't going to the bathroom. I may be a man, but I'm not as stupid as you think." Hermione blanched. He knew?
"I- I never said that you were stupid. I j-just really had to use the bathroom. After meals." That even sounded stupid to her. Severus raised an eyebrow in disbelief, but said nothing, merely dragged her into the kitchen, plopped her down into a seat, and began cooking food. Hermione sighed. Here we go again….
"And, did you, Severus Snape, see what happened?" The judge asked, while Hermione looked at her shoes, unable to make eye contact with Ronald, for she knew that he'd make her sick. Or breakdown. Or both.
"I saw Weasley defiling Hermione in the Shrieking Shack, but I didn't see how it all happened. I knocked him out and brought him to the Ministry." He answered calmly. The judge nodded thoughtfully.
"Hmm. And what state was Miss Granger in?" He asked. Severus's face twisted at the thought of the woman he loved lying on the ground, covered in blood, and knowing that he didn't stop it.
"She was unconscious." He said stiffly.
"Miss Granger, rise to give your testimony." Hermione froze, but slowly and shakily, rose to give her say.
"I was reading a book, Wuthering Heights, and drinking some tea, when I felt myself being transported to god knows where. I then saw Ronald there, and he- he kept hitting me, and yelling. I was so afraid, that I- I just couldn't- I couldn't," Hermione felt something inside her snap, and she began to hyperventilate.
"If you would be so kind as to allow me to say this, but Hermione is having a panic attack, sir, meaning that Ronald Weasley took her peace of mind, which is against the law, as he has caused grief, anxiety, and depression in her. Along with the rape, which you all know about from the pensieve and Legilimancy, I don't think Hermione should stay here any longer." Severus told the judge with a polite, but very firm tone. The judge blinked. No one's ever stood up to him before; they've all been too afraid of what would have happened to do that.
"Very well. We do need to see the final consensus, however. Those in favour of sending the accused to ten years of Azkaban!" Roughly forty members stood. "Those in favour of sending the accused to a lifetime of Azkaban!" Ninety members stood. "Those in favour of letting the accused go free!" The rest of the court stood up. But it didn't matter. It wasn't enough. Ronald Weasley was going to spend a lifetime in Azkaban. Two guards took his wand and snapped it, then led him out of the courtroom. Severus ran to Hermione, and twirled her around.
"He's never going to touch you again, Hermione. Never," Severus breathed, almost afraid to talk too loudly. Almost as if he thought it was all a dream, and if he talked loud, he would wake up. He didn't want to end this, if it were a dream. It was too perfect.
"I'm free, Severus. I'm finally free." Hermione said, tears in her eyes. "It's all really over, isn't it?"
"It is, little one. It is." Severus kept his arms wrapped around his love, intent on never letting go of her. He'd marry her, then they'd move to the Prince Manor, and just stay there. They wouldn't need to work, but he still wanted to; scaring children was hilarious, and Hermione loved to teach. No, they'd still remain with their jobs. But… what about a child? To be honest, it would be interesting, although Severus didn't particularly care for children, he would give it a try. However, there was an extremely low chance that Hermione would be able to get pregnant…. Perhaps adopting would be easier? Severus wouldn't know until it happened, though. That is, if it ever would.
"Do you think that anyone will tell Rita Skeeter what happened?" Hermione asked Severus while they ate breakfast in the morning.
"No, I don't. Because they'd be unable to. Everyone who knows about any sort of trial dealing with rape or something of the same sort is sworn to an oath that nothing will ever be spoken of outside of the law." She nodded her head, somewhat understanding what he was trying to tell her.
"Oh, so it's physically impossible for anyone to tell anyone?" She questioned. He nodded.
"Exactly." Severus confirmed.
"That's good. I don't know how I could've lived if this got out." Hermione breathed, occluding her eyes, allowing no emotion to show. No one could know just how weak she felt.
"You would have lived, little one. I know this because you are a strong, young woman, and you will take the world by storm. Most likely by doing something deemed impossible, but who knows?" He told her.
"I love you, Severus." She told him, her eyes shining. Severus smiled and began to clean up, relishing in the fact that Hermione was helping him.
"I love you, too, Hermione." He still couldn't get over the fact that this little wisp of a girl- no, woman, had shattered all of his defences in a single month, and simply crushed every other wall that he kept up as their relationship progressed. It was almost impossible. Not even Lily had managed to do that. How curious. Love. A very strange phenomenon indeed. You see, love was like a drug. It made you do things. Say things. Strange things. Things you would never say if you weren't under the influence of the drug. Now, don't get him wrong; he loved Hermione and knew that she loved him back. It was just… interesting. Love. Severus Snape never even knew he was capable of it, yet here stood before him, living proof of love. Love that was requited. Yes, Severus Snape loved this woman. And his love was slowing coming back. Like the dead awakening. She was gaining weight, but didn't even seem to notice. Hermione is finally coming back. The real Hermione.
Both of them lay in bed after a gentle, but passionate night together, never wanting to leave the other's arms. They weren't intending to until they absolutely had to. Hermione snuggled closer to Severus, holding him and staying on top of him. He didn't really care, though. She barely weighed 7 stone 3, and even though that's more than before, she still needed to gain more. Severus would see to that happening. Neither one of them talked. They both just stayed with each other, basking in the perfection that was silence. Neither one of them could get enough of it, for they've never really had it. Severus was in love with Hermione. It wasn't that poetic, sappy love. It didn't seem so complicated that the poetry kind did. It was really simple. He loved her. That's all it really was. He was in pure, perfect love with the woman laying on top of him.
Hermione felt the lean muscles of Severus's abdomen and chest move when she placed a soft kiss on his neck. She never thought that love would feel this way, really. She always thought that it'd be something like falling in love with a kind, sweet, but kind of stupid boy, who loved her. She imagined him sweeping her off into the sunset. But instead, she got something a million times better. She got someone who could keep up with the kind of intelligence that she adored. She got someone who loved books about as much as she did, if not more. She got a man who was brilliant and handsome. She got someone who was snarky, but very caring and protective towards her. She got everything and more than she could've ever hoped for, and she was happy that way. Finally, she could be herself. She wouldn't be stuck being a housewife, she wouldn't be constantly breeding children- one was enough for the both of them, to be honest-, and she wouldn't ever want anything; all she could need was right in front of her. Well, below her, but still.
She thought love would be sort of like a fluttery sensation like she read about, but instead, it was a raging wildfire burning in her heart, that she couldn't seem to control, nor did she want to. Love was like everything around her exploding every time they kissed, and her not knowing until she came to her senses. Love was like being on a roller coaster, and going up an extremely steep part, then crashing down. It was dangerous, but thrilling. It was beautiful, though. Beautiful like fire, roaring in the fireplace. Perfect, like the light that shone ever so subtly in Severus's eyes when he thought of something witty. Dangerous like being held up by a weak cord and jumping off of a mountain. Thrilling like learning how to do a perfect backhand spring, but not knowing if you'd make it. Love was love; that's just how it was. Hermione was terrified of losing him, though. She couldn't; it'd be like dying the most slow and excruciating death there was. She couldn't ever lose him. Her lips pressed against Severus's sensitive skin on his neck. Without warning, she bit him, though not too hard, reminding him that he was hers, and hers only.
"You are mine, Severus Snape. Understood?" She told him, for good measure. Severus smirked, then bit her neck, only harder, sucking on the spot to make the sting go away.
"I understand. As long as you get that you're mind and that I will never share you with anyone. Ever." The last word was a growl, making her shiver.
"I get it, Severus. I do." She told him, her neck hurting just a bit, but the throbbing between her legs growing stronger. "Gods, I love you." She moaned, sighing at the sensations running through her body, and trying not to concentrate on the prominent erection pressing into her non-clothed core.
"You're mine, now, Hermione. And you always will be." With those last words, Severus plunged into her, flipping her over, and claiming the woman he was madly in love with.
Hermione looked into the mirror and began to laugh. Sure enough, there was a dark red mark on the side of her neck, along with several running down her collarbone. She'd have to wear scarves for a while, which would be difficult, since it was the middle of August, but she couldn't wait to see Severus; she'd made sure to leave plenty of marks as a little reminder as to who he belonged to.
"What's so funny, love?" A sleepy Severus Snape showed up at the door frame of the bathroom, shamelessly naked, while taking in Hermione's bra-clad chest, and disapproving her shorts.
"Look at this! I'm covered in marks!" He raised an eyebrow at her declaration, and ran a finger along the five bruises spread along his collarbone, the dark one on his neck, and the many sprinkled along his abdomen. She blushed, and walked over to him, wrapping her arms around his neck and pulling him closer to her.
"I may not have as many marks as you, but believe me. I got your message loud and clear last night. Trust me." Severus smirked and began to nibble on her jawline.
"So I shouldn't leave your throat covered in my marks? Only because you understood my message loud and clear?" He murmured against her jugular.
"Mm, no, you shouldn't." She barely choked out. Without even realizing it, she soon found herself against the wall with the Hogwarts Headmaster biting and suckling on her throat.
"Unfortunately, I'm not one to do what I should and shouldn't do. I do what I please. And what I please is to mark you enough times that anyone who glances at you will know not to touch what isn't theirs." He growled in her ear, making her tremble. "I love you, and no one else will touch the one I love." Hermione pulled back to look at him in the eyes.
"Show me how much you love me, Severus. Please." She nearly begged him. Severus could never turn an offer like that down. The spent the better part of the day showing each other just how far their love and lust for each other went.
I did NOT die, I swear! I've been quite busy lately, what with school and stuff. I'm sorry if the mentions of sex and what not was suck-ish, but I'm not exactly the best at writing them. Review, please! They keep me alive.