Sorry it's been so long, y'all! Life has been crazy. Hopefully I'll be back to updating about once a week now. As always please tell me what you think!

Severus Snape pushed through his classes with venom and icy glares. In the moments between the end of classes and his meeting with Hermione he skipped dinner in the Great Hall, finding his stomach oddly unsettled. He utilized the time to alternate staring deeply into whatever inanimate object happened to be in front of him, and pacing rapidly across his classroom. The space between his ribs fluttered slightly with a cocktail of dread and nervous anticipation. He refused to imagine Hermione agreeing to the barmy plan proposed. She would see reason and he would be rejected. They would return to the teacher-student relationship they had never truly known, but that would be more appropriate. His jaw clenched. Resolved to get something productive done, he forced himself to pen red ink over the third-year essays. At exactly half-passed curfew Hermione tip-toed into the classroom, eyes slightly downcast. Severus's chest warmed and his ribcage rattled. Clearing his throat he called the girls attention. He stood from his desk and lunged himself around the room.

"I find I am in need of some fresh air. A walk?" He queried. Hermione smiled gently, her anxiety eased at the sound of his voice.

" A walk indeed." Snape regarded her with dark eyes, then turned on his heels and held the door for her to exit. His usual pace required a jog for Hermione to keep up with, but sensing that the man she had come to know was far away in the depths of his mind, she made no protest. They strode up the winding stairs to the astronomy tower. Once at the top Severus strode to the railing, leaving Hermione to seat herself on the wooden benches that lined the tower.

"Miss…Hermione…there has been a development that we need to discuss." Snape spoke in graveled tones.

"Alright." Hermione stated, slightly wary but still calm in the presence of the trustworthy Severus. Snape turned toward the young woman his heart ached for. He searched for the words.

"I…that is Professor Dumbledore….has devised a plan to keep you safe. Safer than we are able to keep you presently." Severus stumbled through his first explanation. Hermione nodded, not wishing to interrupt his thoughts. Snape cleared his throat before continuing.

"You see Hermione this plan…it…it requires you and I…the Headmaster believes that….Holy Merlin!" Severus growled deep in his throat in frustration. Hermione stood swiftly and strode to him. She didn't quite touch him, but hovered close enough to his body that her intent of comfort was clear. Snape met her eyes somewhat helplessly and gestured with his hands. What was he so afraid of? He already knew her answer would have to be no. He would lose her, lose their close relationship, but that would have happened anyway with time and circumstance. This was just ripping the bandaid. But his words were failing him. A thought struck, that terrified Severus while simultaneously providing a solution to his loss of adjectives. He spoke once more.

"Hermione I must ask something of you. That is, I must ask even more of you."

"Anything, Sev- Professor. You must know that." Was her swift and honest reply. Snape nodded and his lips turned upward slightly despite the situation.

"This idea, you must understand it first before you make your decision. You must not allow anyone to bully you into a choice that is not theirs to make." Hermione nodded, tracking his tone.

"You will speak the incantation that will give you access to my memories…to my mind. I will show you a conversation with Dumbledore. And then, when you have seen it, I will provide you with the context….if you are agreeable. If not, we will find another way." He added softly.

"I am agreeable Sir, but I fear it is invading your privacy. I know we haven't had the strictest of boundaries of late, but the last thing I would ever want to do is to… to invade such a profoundly personal place." Severus met her eyes.

"You have my consent Hermione….you have my trust." The words were quiet against the wind whipping through the tower, but they reached Hermione and warmed her against the chill. Hermione reached for Snape's hands and wrapped her smaller ones around his as much as she could. She was grounding them. A thousand scenarios played through her mind requiring her to force them aside and focus on the task at hand. She would find out soon enough what the man before her was so distraught over. Meeting her eyes, he nodded and squeezed her hands. Hermione muttered the incantation, and slipped into Severus's mind, his defenses lowered for her. The scene in Dumbledore's office played out before her as she watched through Severus's eyes. He had altered the memory slightly, to leave out the mentions of his love for her. The rest he did not censure, knowing she would still have questions but that she would be able to infer most of the subtext. When the memory had run its course she eased out of his mind with none of the blind panic or anger he had suspected. Instead he found himself standing in the present once more, her hands still enclosed in his. She was not pulling away. She was not running or screaming or telling him to get the hell away from her. She was staring deep into his eyes. Finally she voiced her thoughts.

"You would do that? You would marry me? You would give up your life, your privacy to keep me safe?" Snape was thrown. She should have been screaming no by now. All he could do was answer.

"Yes." Hermione's eyes welled slightly and she moved one hand to brush a tear that Severus's thumb reached before she did.

"Hermione please do not allow a sense of guilt to dictate this decision. This is your life. It is not simply a conversation. You would have to share very…truly intimate things with me. I promise you I will find a way to protect you that does not rob you of your life. Of your happiness. I promise." The tears rolled freely down her cheeks as he spoke. Finally she turned her eyes to his once more.

"You could never and would never be robbing me of my life. I…I daresay you are my life now. I will always help Harry. And I will stand by him through this war. I will stand with Harry and Ron and we will fight. But you are my life. I have shared…far more with you than is appropriate. I will fight for my world and our way of life, for our freedom. But underneath that, it is you that I will be fighting for. I…I would never ask of you what the Headmaster has. For you to give up your privacy….to have your life so drastically altered. By me. Though you would not be robbing me of my life….I could not rob you of yours." Severus's heart hammered against his ribcage. She was saying yes. She was worried about him. She may not love him, but she was dangerously close. She cared. This beautiful, brilliant young woman cared for him. Snape allowed himself to indulge in a small moment of sheer awe, before he backpedalled. He had to be sure she knew what was in store. He had to protect her. Even if it was protecting her from him.

"Hermione. There are certain…practicalities…laws in a wizarding marriage that are enforced by the Ministry. Dumbledore is correct, we could evade certain…ceremonies with simulation potions and the like, however those ceremonies serve to strengthen the bond of protection provided by marriage. It would be your choice."

"Our choice." Hermione interjected. Snape furrowed his brow, confused by her statement.

"Our marriage. Our choice. Together." She clarified.

"I will not have a medieval marriage wherein one party rules. We will be equals. That is….if we are to be married." Snape nodded, continually amazed.

"You mentioned certain practicalities. Ceremonies that would strengthen the union. Give the Light the best chance against the Dark Lord. If you don't mind, I'd like to know them." Snape nodded and cleared his throat, happy to have some occupation other than gaping in awe. He still held Hermione's hands in his own as he walked them over to the stone bench that lined the edges of the astronomy tower.

"The engagement ceremony is essentially muggle. The marriage ceremony is performed by two parties, one male and one female, who are known to the couple. Often times they are mentors or family members. The ceremony is witnessed by a third party not performing the magic. The vows are written by the couple and an additional vow of binding is spoken by one of the performers of the ceremony. After the couple speaks their vows, they are bound to each other by ancient wizarding magic that calls upon their fundamental roots and ties them to one another. It is my understanding that although the ceremony seems like a lot of theatrics, it is in fact an important ritual. After the ceremony the reception can be much like any muggle marriage reception. The wedding…night is similar to muggle fashion with a Ministry twist. To procure a wizarding marriage that is recognized by the community the couple must…consummate the marriage. The Ministry places traces upon the couple as part of the wedding ritual. There are ways to evade this of course, potions to simulate the…action without actual physicality. However, the magical part of the wizarding marriage, the fundamental protection deal is left unsealed until the marriage is truly consummated and all ties are bound. Hermione, it is a practicality but you do not need to make this choice now." Hermione nodded, taking in all the information with a slight flush to her cheeks. She turned to Snape.

"Severus, what of the Dark Lord? Won't he have an opinion on a potential union?"

"So long as the Dark Lord feels that it was his scheme, and that it serves his purposes more than it serves the Light. You are Harry Potter's best friend and almost sole confidant. A union between you and I wherein the Dark Lord believes that I have…seduced you…would give him the false impression that he had an edge over the Headmaster."

"If we were to marry, would you be safer? Safer from him?"

"This is your choice. I will not manipulate it."

"Severus please answer me." Snape exhaled deeply.

"Yes. I would be favorable in the Dark Lord's eyes." Hermione smiled slightly, silently thanking him for his honesty. She scooted closer to him, placing her hand on his knee. He met her eyes.

"Then I think there may be a question you need to ask me." Severus questioned her eyes.

"You're sure? Your life will change drastically, Hermione. Please. I promise to protect you regardless."

"Then let me do this. Let me protect you. Let me fight for you…..let me marry you." Snape met her eyes and found clear honesty. She wanted to stand by him. She wanted to stand with him. This beautiful woman seemed ready to face far worse than the firing squad to protect him. Severus moved away from Hermione, he stood and then dropped before her onto one knee. For a moment Hermione looked confused and an acute flash of rejection ran across her face. Then comprehension and surprise appeared. Severus swallowed the intense fear that threatened to suffocate him, and attached himself firmly to her eyes. Taking a small silver band off of his right hand, he then grasped both her hands in his.

"Hermione Granger, will you marry me?" Hermione swallowed the tears of excitement and anxiety.

"Yes. Yes I will." Snape allowed his lips to curl upward slightly in a gentle smile. He gently slid the rather make-shift ring onto her left hand, and with wandless magic managed to shrink the ring to fit her finger snuggly. Hermione smiled a watery smile. Severus smiled back.

"Then it would seem we have some plans to make."

"Yes, so it would." Hermione agreed. She summoned paper and a quill. Nerves still thrumming, she set to writing on the stone bench as Severus resumed his seat next to her. Severus watched in awe as Hermione took in all the changes that would affect her life, then quietly began making a list of all the things they needed to do. She spoke softly as she did so.

"Do you mind if I defer to you on the marriage ceremony? I will do some reading tonight, but I'm afraid I do not know what is required."

"Of course."

As Hermione wrote, Severus read the list and mentally added his own tasks. Their combined lists read:

Marriage ceremony arrangements

Reception

Guest List

Vows

Apothecary

Wedding clothes?

Harry and Ron…

Plant seed in Dark Lord's mind to allow the plan to move forward

Living arrangements

"I will be traveling to Diagon Alley tomorrow afternoon. I need to settle a few matters at Gringotts and pick up a few things. Can I make a trip to the apothecary for you?" Snape offered.

"It's alright. It can wait. Thank you, though." Hermione evaded.

"Are you certain?" He was met with momentary silence.

"I was just…remembering that I don't react well to contraceptive potions. I know we have not decided yet, or even truly spoken of it, but just in case I wanted to be sure that we had something on hand should we….should it become a possibility." Hermione stumbled. Snape cleared his throat.

"Yes of course…. I had thought of all the practicalities. But not the practicalities of the practicalities. It is your choice Hermione. I will not force myself on you."

"I know that, Severus. But I also think it needs to be a choice we make together. From what I understand, a wizarding marriage is eternal. I know our focus should be the war and the immediate future, but someday, I would love to have a career, children and a life that extends beyond fear and fighting. I haven't had the best experiences with….sex. But I don't want a life devoid of intimacy. Either way, it is not a discussion we need to have right this instant."

"Of course." Severus's heart hammered and his hands felt clammy. Sex. They were talking about a potential for sex. That thing he hadn't done in nearly two decades. The urges that he had suppressed for years because he lacked the disgusting appetite of his fellow Death Eaters and longed for something more that he could not have. Any thought of Hermione, or any of his students for that matter had not been entertained in the slightest when it came to acts of sex. They were his charges and he owed them his protection, not any form of sexual manipulation. However vile a man he may seem, he truly did wish to keep his students safe. But now that Hermione would become his wife, with apparent willingness he felt a stirring of desire, along with a surge of uncertainty. This was a complicated area for both parties. Both their experiences were limited and rather perfunctory. Severus would have to do some research. He wanted Hermione to know what it was to have more than just a one sided experience. He cleared his throat.

"I can pick up some…condoms while I'm out. Unless you would prefer to, in which case that is also fine." Hermione blushed and averted her eyes.

"Shall we flip a coin to decide who gets to blush in front of the chemist?" Severus smiled slightly at her quip.

"I shall go. Do you have a…preference for brand or….?" He let his question trail off. He knew there were many options for texture and even smell. Hermione turned scarlet. Snape occasionally bought condoms to have on hand for the elder members of his house. While he could not stop them from having sex, he could at least provide them with protective options. The infirmary also stocked contraceptives, but his Slytherins were much more likely to duck into his office and pull from the jar than to risk the wrath of Madame Pomfrey. Occasionally a red faced Slytherin would make his or her way to his office, usually in need of information or reassurance from a party with slightly more wisdom than the typical adolescent. While to many he seemed vicious, he was indeed an excellent Head of House.

"I don't know. Whatever you prefer is fine." Hermione's voice was slight. Snape nodded. He had never used a condom before. His single sexual encounter had utilized a contraceptive charm, and he mentally visualized the contraceptive aisle. There were a great many options to content with. It seemed more research was in store. Hermione took a calming breath. If they were to be married, there would be a great deal of intimacy far more personal than choosing a condom brand. Reminding herself of her trust in Severus, she began to re-order her list. She scooted closer to Snape, so that he could read her scribbling. They sat in casual intimacy as they discussed the tasks to come, both mundane and exciting. However fresh the idea of a wedding may be, the fact that their union was both a product and a ploy of war was not far from either of their minds. While their care may be mutual and a relationship with the potential for exploration before them, they still had a job to do.

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