The Austere Stonewall, Book 1: Hermione
Chapter 7: Decisions
The meeting began a little stilted with Hermione offering him a seat and tea and with him being stiff and formally polite.
He wore his usual black but he had left off the voluminous robes that he often wore when teaching. His black dragonhide boots were the same as was the frock coat that he wore over his white button up shirt but the neck was unbuttoned. With his new shorter haircut, he looked less severe even though Hermione knew from personal experience recently that his personality was much the same. He had the same hint of a beard from not shaving and Hermone wondered if that wasn't so much a personal choice as it was a skin sensitivity issue.
"Congratulations on your NEWTs, Miss Granger. 8 is an accomplishment so few achieve," Snape intoned in his silky baritone.
"Thank you, sir. You may call me Hermione, if you like. I'm no longer your student," she offered.
He cleared his throat. "Yes, about that. Did you take your NEWTs in response to our last discussion or for another reason?"
Annoyed at him for demanding an answer with his tone rather than simply asking, she ground out, "It occurred to me that being married and possibly pregnant during the school year would be highly likely. I wasn't going to get the finish to my education that I wanted, no matter what, so it didn't really seem to matter. I took my exams and I have test scores. Graduating from Hogwarts is just another sacrifice necessary due to the way times are."
"I apologize for assuming," was all he said.
Shifting in her chair at his eye contact, she raised her occlumency barriers and accepted his apology, knowing he didn't offer them often.
"I'm sorry for proposing to you," she responded, biting her bottom lip.
Raising his eyebrow, Snape drawled out, "Are you?"
Thinking on it, she shook her head. "No, but I am sorry to have offended you."
A pause. "You didn't. I've had time to reflect on it and after learning you had sat your NEWTs and were not returning to Hogwarts as a student, I had a chance to see the offer more clearly."
Hermione was entranced, watching him speak. Her fingers were so long and graceful as he held his tea cup, tracing the rim with a finger. She'd never really paid them much attention before. He had a grace that most men did not possess. She was surprised to realize that she liked that quality in a man.
"You have?" She was dumbfounded by his admission.
Clearing his throat softly (when did Snape start to clear his throat so often?) Snape plainly said, "Yes. Your proposal has...some merit."
Seeing an opportunity, Hermione felt a rush of hopefulness in her chest. Perhaps she wouldn't be left on a list for months, suffering owls from strangers and weirdos looking to marry a member of the Golden Trio.
His long fingers placed his tea cup on the table between them and sat back. "I will allow you a chance to actually explain what it is you think a marriage would entail and then I'll give you my thoughts on the matter."
"With respect, sir, you already have heard my thoughts. Albeit, they were rushed and not as articulate as I am capable of," she spoke carefully, holding what few cards to her chest that she had. Why should she have to divulge everything when she knew nothing about his opinions? She'd already been embarrassed in front of him once in the last week.
"While that may be," Snape said with that eyebrow back up, "You are no longer a student of Hogwarts meaning that the nature of our relationship would be different than the one you originally proposed."
A breath in and a breath out, she gave in to his demands with her famed Gryffindor courage.
"Well, I imagine that the only thing that would change would be that I won't be living in the 8th year dormitories, saving us both humiliation. As you can see, I have a house not far from Hogwarts. I won't need to rely on you to provide a roof over my head nor food in my mouth. Once married, I will give you whatever space you desire. I've not read anything in the law about dual domestic residency being required so long as the other demands of the law are met, it should not matter."
"And how," Snape interrupted, "do you suppose that we would meet those demands living in two different places?"
With a shrug, Hermione felt on display. She wrapped an arm around her middle. "I suppose with the use of the floo network and a schedule unless you have a better idea."
Snape stared at her but she hadn't said the last sentence with a negative tone. She'd really meant that she thought he might have a better idea. She let her eyes drop to her knees as Snape considered her words.
"What do you plan to do for work?"
That was not what Hermione had expected him to say, causing her to look up at him.
"With scores like yours, and a reputation like yours, you will have offers for practically every job available," Snape informed her. She looked at his dark eyes and the way in which he focused on her. She flushed at his attention and checked her shields unconsciously.
"I had thought to go into mediwizardry. I want to be more than that, though. Most healers don't know much about potions or how they interact with the human body. I want to do better than the average healer in regards to medicinal uses of potions."
When Snape refused to unfocus his gaze on her, she continued in a rush. "I have written to St. Mungos about beginning an internship there and I will figure out how to further myself towards my goal after I complete it. For now, I'll be lucky to maintain an internship with this damnable law in place. I may not even be allowed to do that."
She looked away to avoid seeing his reaction. She heard rather than saw Snape pouring them both a second cup of tea. She turned back when she heard the sounds of him preparing her tea the way she had earlier.
"Thank you," she said a little shyly. She was surprised and pleased that he took note of how she took her tea.
"I see no issues with that course of action," Snape reasoned, "but I would recommend Poppy Pomfrey instead, for an apprenticeship. With the current mood of the public, I can foresee many complications with you working for St. Mungos at the moment. Madam Pompfrey is a fully qualified healer, more so than most of those healers that Mungos employs these days. An apprenticeship between you would be mutually beneficial for you both as well as myself and the students of Hogwarts."
Blinking, Hermione's mind ran rampant with his suggestions. She hadn't thought of that but she instantly preferred the option over St. Mungos. She felt a glimmer of excitement at the prospect of being Poppy's apprentice.
Looking him in the eyes, Hermione asked, "That would be okay with you? A...wife...apprenticed to the school nurse?"
A snort escaped him. "You're so young, that it would hardly matter if you became the Minister for Magic tomorrow. People will still talk of the Death Eater with a young wife. Any wife, to be factual."
He paused and looked out her window. "I find it acceptable to have a wife who is employed as an apprentice."
With that statement, Hermione set her tea down. Her fingers were starting to shake.
Was this really about to happen?
Swallowing, she followed his gaze out the window, looking to see what he was seeing before returning her attention to his face. His nose was very Roman and while she didn't think it was very handsome when isolated, it fit his face.
"You are amenable, then?" she whispered.
He didn't answer. There was silence which Hermione took to mean that he was still considering so she was patiently quiet.
"I am not a nice man. You will not find yourself happy," he decreed. "I am in need of a wife that helps me meet the law. The law says I must take a wife of magical blood. The law says we must engage in sexual intercourse once a week. The law states that we must have children. I am looking for someone to meet those demands and to leave me be as much as possible outside of that. Is that what you are looking for? Because I was under the impression that you were looking for someone whose personality was a bit more suited to yours which indicates a hope for a relationship."
None of this was said cruelly. It was said in his low, and silky voice with nothing but plain truth in his conveyance. She shivered and wrapped the arm around her middle tighter.
"You are mistaken. I don't wish to marry anyone that I know for a fact that I would be unhappy with nor do I wish to take away a chance for happiness from someone who has more options than I do. I can live comfortably with a husband who is content to keep to himself and vice versa."
Under his scrutiny, She crossed her other arm in front of her chest. She saw his eyes follow the gesture. Silence.
"You will be fine to have a relationship with a man who will cause you turmoil in your friendships? A man old enough to be your father? You are prepared to defend your choice to your family? They will accept this marriage?"
Another swallow, "My parents are not a concern. I am visiting them tomorrow, in fact, and after that it will not be something that poses any threat or concern to either of us."
Wincing when she realized how that statement came off, she did not elaborate. She was still ashamed of what she did to her parents and had no desire to inform anyone else ever again of what she'd done.
"What of our...children?" he said the last word of his question with such a smooth tone that Hermione could not make out if he was disgusted by the idea of children with her or if he was merely finding the idea distasteful.
She licked her lips nervously before chewing on her bottom lip. She had know babies would factor in. It was the whole point of the law, after all. She'd never given a thought to what happens to the babies after they were born. Well, aside what to do with the baby while in classes or working.
"What of the children? We'll have to have three to be free of the trace," Hermione breathed.
"Yes, I did read that in the paper," Snape said dryly. "I meant, how do you expect to raise the children when we are each living our own lives aside from sex with each other weekly?"
She shivered again in response to hearing Snape say "sex" but she decided it was attractive to see a man speak of uncomfortable things and not blush, stammer, or change the subject. She still had issues with it, for Merlin's sake!
I wonder if it's his age or the fact that he's a Slytherin that allows him to be so cool about it.
Swallowing, she chewed her lip as she responded, "Couldn't we agree to make that decision when we get there?"
He did not answer but he slowly inclined his head in acceptance.
Standing, Severus Snape walked over to the fireplace and stood for a moment, his back to her.
Hermione stood as well, following behind him a distance, unsure what the answer was if he was leaving already. He turned around to face her suddenly with an object in his hand. In two strides he was in front of her. She gazed up at him. It struck her now that the potions master was quite tall.
"Forgive me for ignoring your proposal so long with no definitive answer. I answer it with a question of my own and please be aware of the magical contract behind the question before you answer: will you marry me?"
She took in air sharply as she saw the ring box in his hand open to reveal a simple silver ring with a small diamond protruding from it. It looked unused but old. It was...perfect. If she were to choose something for herself, this would likely have been it.
Looking away from the ring and at his eyes instead, Hermione held his dark stare as she thought once more about what she was doing. Was she forgoing a possible relationship with someone else in which she could be happy and not just content? Was she forgoing all chances of romance for a life of being left alone? Safety and security from the deputy headmaster rather than being molested and abused by a potential husband?
It was with a self-depreciating thought that she told him, "Yes, please."
I'll never be able to find anyone better.
The ring was stiffly pushed onto her finger and a chaste pressing of his lips to hers had the magical agreement sealed before she could blink. He was in the floo telling her to owl him when she returned from her parents before she could register the feeling of his lips on hers. They were softer than she would have thought them to be.
The green flames disappeared before she could think about the fact that Severus Snape had just proposed to her rather than to answer her proposal to him. Perhaps there was a bit of hope alive after all.