Severus glared down at his plate, spearing bites of roast beef as if they were his wife. He resented her for standing up to him, but more than that he resented the fact that he would have to face her again tonight.

It was no easy thing, having a girl in his rooms. Severus Snape had always been a very private man. And this was his student. And she cleaned my bathroom. The very thought filled him with shame. How was she ever going to respect him now that she'd cleaned his shower for him? But that was ridiculous, of course. If anything, she ought to respect him more.

What had he looked like to her when she woke that morning? The thought made his shoulders tense with humiliation. Maybe he shouldn't take Dreamless Sleep again tonight.

The truth was, Severus had never lived with anyone before; not since his parents, back before he'd joined the ranks of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named. And he'd certainly never slept with another person in his bed. The very thought made him cringe in disgust. If it hadn't been for that potion, he did not doubt that he would not have slept all night. It was… strange. Two people stretching out beside one another for the sole purpose of getting some rest. Was there some way that he could avoid it?

Noticing that the girl had pushed her plate aside and sat sitting there with nothing else to do, Severus smirked maliciously. He leaned back in his chair and slowed his pace. There was no hurry, after all. Let her wait.

Hermione half wanted to leave the Hall and find some better way to occupy her time. But how on earth was she to get back in their rooms if she didn't follow her professor? He hadn't taught her the wards yet, so she was helpless without him. Briefly, she considered the possibility of spending the night in the Room of Requirement. It would certainly be more comfortable than their dingy dungeon chamber. But Snape would probably find some way to punish her for it if she did. And so she sat there, waiting for what felt like forever for her grouchy husband to sweep from the hall.

And sweep he did. Right past her. She was so taken off guard that she practically tripped over the long bench as she reached for her half-open bag and hurried after him.

Snape didn't stop until they reached the entrance to the rooms they now shared with each other. Oh, he knew she was there, panting in an effort to catch up. He just didn't care.

"You need to… teach me… the wards," she panted, leaning over with her hands on her knees when they finally entered his rooms. He spun around to face her, making her lose her breath all over again.

"Don't tell me what I need to do, Miss Granger. You need to learn your place!"

Hermione scoffed, disbelievingly. "And where is that?"

He didn't answer right away, apparently not knowing exactly what to say. "You are my wife now, Granger. You are to do as I say. I will not be made a fool…"

"Ridiculous! If the Minister of Magic wants Muggleborns to marry into the general population, he'll just have to accept that we come with a few cultural differences." Snape sputtered, but didn't know what to say. "For one, in the modern Muggle world, men and women are seen as equal and wives do not submit to their husbands."

"Well this… this isn't…"

"Really, I don't know why on Earth you expected me to be submissive."

"Hardly," Snape scoffed.

"Then you can hardly be surprised…"

"Miss Granger, you openly defied me in front of everyone tonight."

Now it was Hermione's turn to scoff. "Most of the school isn't even back from holiday."

"Be that as it may, you undermined my authority…"

"But that's just what I've been trying to explain, Professor. In a Muggle marriage, the husband doesn't have that authority."

Snape glared down at her, his face growing red with restraint and anger, and Hermione almost felt the need to take a step backwards. It was hard to reconcile this man with his robes and piercing eyes with the one stretching lazily, still in bed at midmorning. The angry professor act was almost enough to make her believe he didn't have pubic hair. Gods, Hermione, will you stop with the bloody hair? For Merlin's sake. She bit her lip.

"Granger," Snape began at last in his deadliest tone, "I have enough concerns at present without you making my life more difficult. At least Nymphadora would have understood the necessity of not fighting with one's husband in public."

Hermione flushed a hot red and glared back at him, but the fight had gone from her with his words. He was right. "I'm sorry, alright? I shouldn't have done that with everyone watching, but you shouldn't have put me in that position!"

"Excuse me?"

"I tell you what, Professor, I'll make you a deal. I won't defy you in public if you don't order me around."

For a long moment, Snape glared down at her, searching his mind for some way around what she'd said. "Fine," he spat at last. "I will attempt to withhold my demands, but in return you must obey what I do ask of you without question. I will not waste time explaining my every motive to you, so you will just have to trust me."

"Alright," Hermione agreed readily, smiling slyly up at her husband. "In that case, you must be willing to trust me when I give you a command."

"WHAT?"

"It's only fair, Professor. I may have just as good a reason to ask something of you."

"Fine. I will… endeavor… to adhere to any wishes you make known to me in public, if I believe they have sound reasoning behind them."

Hermione nodded shrewdly. "Yes, and I will listen to you, if what you ask isn't completely ridiculous."

"No. You will listen to me without question…"

"Then you must listen to me without question."

Snape was sputtering again, clenching his fists at his side. "That's not how it goes…"

"But it is what I am proposing. I'm not your student anymore, sir. I'm your wife. Like it or not."

With no other argument to offer the girl, Severus dismissed her, remaining in his laboratory while she strutted obnoxiously into his bedroom. He had shown her the wards, so she would not feel the need to follow him around anymore. Unfortunately, there wasn't much brewing to accomplish this evening, as he had done so much during the day. But Severus was desperate for some excuse not to spend time with her. And so, having nothing else to do, he sat on his stool and poured over the contents of the Law, searching desperately for some way around it.

When, at last, he decided to brave the bedroom, the girl was already asleep. Severus felt immediately uncomfortable. She was at home in his rooms, now, sleeping without being given leave to do so. Not that she needed his permission. And yet, for her to presume… but that wasn't fair. This was her bed too, now. He couldn't control her. Really, he didn't want to.

Severus readied himself for bed, debating the linen shirt again before grumpily pulling it on. No need to shock the girl. Not yet anyway. He hesitated by the side of the bed, holding his breath. She was fast asleep, stretched out on her back, her lips parted and her outrageous hair spilling all over the pillow. Slowly, he reached for the edge of the blankets, pulling them back so that he could slip beneath them. And her knee was sticking right into his half of the bed. He froze. Should he push her? Nudge her? Wake her? Oh, he really didn't want to do that.

Steadily, Severus slid into the bed, gently pushing her knee with his own (it felt too intimate to use his hands) until it was safe on her side of the bed. He was so preoccupied with her errant leg that he hadn't noticed how far he'd pulled the covers off of her until, upon settling down, his eyes suddenly snapped to her breasts. Oh dear Merlin. Unhindered by undergarments, the soft orbs rested farther apart than when she was standing, the pert tips pointing outward. They were deliciously full, their organic shape so obvious beneath her simple white shirt, coming to more of a point than he had expected. Not that he had been imagining her breasts. Well, at least not on purpose. And oh gods he was staring. What sort of pervert was he? If she woke to find him looking at her like that, she'd be disgusted! What was he when compared to her youth and beauty, if not old and ugly? Merlin. And he was going to have to have sex with her.

Severus pulled the blankets up and turned onto his side, facing away from her. Desire and self-loathing were throbbing inside of him, fighting for dominance. And he didn't want either side to win. It seemed the only solution would be another dose of Dreamless Sleep. He hoped to the gods that Granger didn't wake up first again.

…*~*J*~*…

She dreamt that she was stirring a potion in the familiar dungeon classroom. The other students were blurred impressions in her peripheral, but the scent of the potion was clear. And yet, she could not define it. Somehow it just made sense that this was a generic 'Potion.' She was brewing it perfectly, as usual, and wanted the professor to notice. And suddenly he was behind her, leaning over her to gaze into the cauldron, placing a hand on her waist and one on the stirring rod as he pulled her back against him. The sudden closeness made her insides melt and she gasped, wondering if he could stir her the way he stirred a hot cauldron. She was tight in his embrace, melting right into the man himself.

When she woke, she was on his pillow. That infamous, long, black, greasy hair was tickling her nose, teasing her with the scent of the potion from her dream. Her insides twisted pleasantly at the thought. And then shock and embarrassment fell over her as she realized that she was practically spooning her professor. She rolled away in humiliation, heat rising through her skin, fanning off of her in waves. She sat up, staring down at the sleeping man. If she leaned over far enough, she could see his slack expression. His mouth was slightly open and long lashes rested against the dark bags under his eyes. He's not so bad when he's asleep, she thought.

Quickly and quietly, Hermione rose and got ready for the day. Perhaps she'd spend it in the library, preparing for the term and watching snow drift by the windows. She loved to watch the snow fall. Anyway, she ought to be spending the time on something productive. Tomorrow, her friends would return to Hogwarts, and they would want to know all about her marriage.

It was nearly time for lunch, as Hermione poured over her Arithmancy notes from the comfort of her favorite table in the back of the library, when the sound of another studious person rifling through papers met her ears. She didn't think much of it until said person appeared, arms laden with books and scrolls, frowning in concentration at one of the papers. Professor Snape stopped short when he saw that she was there, hesitated, then turned on his heel and went in search of another table. She couldn't explain the odd emotion that came over her at that. Why on Earth should she feel so put out?

It was hard to concentrate on Arithmancy with her husband audibly rifling through parchment at the other end of the library. The sound made her inexplicably angry, as if every rustle were a reminder that he hadn't wanted to sit with her. And that was ridiculous, obviously, but it hurt all the same. Rather than her homework, Hermione found herself contemplating their relationship and how she was ever going to make it an agreeable one. Maybe it was time to extend the olive branch.

Packing up her belongings, Hermione lifted her chin and marched across the library. Every step seemed heavier and her resolve began to melt away the closer she came to him. And yet, when she finally reached his little nook, and he lifted his face to greet her with an annoyed expression and one eyebrow raised, she hadn't yet lost all of her nerve.

"What are you working on?"

His lips twisted with annoyance and he bowed his head once more. "That, Miss Granger, is none of your business."

"I was only curious," she continued in what she hoped was an encouraging tone.

"Far be it for me to leave your curiosity unsatisfied," he grumbled. "Very well, I am searching the Law in the hopes that something will provide an escape from our current predicament."

It was as if someone had dropped lead into her stomach. "Oh," was all she could say. Was he really so disgusted by the thought of sleeping with her that he would spend hours of his time studying legal documents and looking for a loophole? She brushed the thought aside, determined not to let him see the effect it had upon her. Resolved, she remembered why she had come over. "It's about time for lunch," she told him, biting her lip. It was important that she phrased this exactly right. "I was… wondering if you still wanted me to sit with you."

Severus Snape grew very still. She had the distinct impression that he had stopped himself from denying her outright and was now seriously considering all of the nuances of their situation. "I suppose it would be healthy to seek nourishment at some point today. Very well, Miss Granger. I will meet you in the Great Hall."

Hermione shuffled her feet. She wasn't about to march into the Great Hall and seat herself at the Head Table all alone, Gryffindor bravery or not. "Actually, sir," she began uncertainly, "I was hoping we could go together."

Those fiery black eyes snapped up to hers and seemed to take her measure for a long moment. She was almost culled into forgetting the whole thing by the time he spat out his answer. "Fine."

Every step toward the Great Hall seemed to weigh on Severus's nerves. Why had he accepted the silly chit's offer? Why hadn't he told her to go on without him? It would have given him the upper hand. He would have entered independently. Not to mention, had he changed his mind, he could have simply not shown up. But here they were, headed toward those double doors, side by side. He was careful to keep his pace just swift enough that she was stumbling along in his wake. And yet, they still were so obviously together. It hardly mattered, of course. By now, the entire school probably knew (even those away on holiday). Two high-profile figures of such striking contrast to one another getting married just after the passing of the Law? Of course it had been in the Prophet. Fortunately, so far they had only put in a standard announcement. He dreaded the day Skeeter decided to pick up the story. And what would happen if they failed to consummate the marriage properly? Could news of that get out? Would they turn it into a scandal? He would be humiliated.

Severus forcibly ejected Skeeter from his mind as they swept through the double doors and made their way down the length of the Great Hall. Granger was doing her best to look dignified while practically running to keep up with him. He smirked. There should be no doubt who had the power in this relationship. He would not have his students questioning his authority over his own bride.

When they reached the Head Table, Granger slipped him a secret scowl. Oh yes, she had noticed. He probably hadn't heard the end of it, either. Ah well. It was a small price to pay. He could deal with her, after all. She was no threat to him.

He caught Albus's eye and the old man winked at him. Severus froze as if he had been caught at the feast in his underwear. Then he scowled at his employer. No need to encourage the girl.

The few students sitting out in the Hall were whispering and shooting them curious glances. Severus scowled as he filled a plate. Miss Granger seemed thoroughly unbothered by the attention, which only annoyed him more. Of course, upon closer inspection, she did seem a bit tense, particularly when Minerva McGonagall arrived.

"Professor Snape," Minerva greeted formally, seating herself to the left of the girl. "Miss…" but the Transfiguration Mistress stopped herself, seeming to realize that the girl no longer went by that name. There was an awkward pause, but Minerva never got the chance to establish just what Granger's new name was before Filius Flitwick entered.

"Ah yes, good day Minerva, Severus," he said cheerfully, pulling out the one tall chair at the table. He paused to wink at the girl and added, "Hermione, dear. Welcome to the table." Hopping up into his seat, Filius rubbed his hands together eagerly. "Oh, I do love a good Shepherd's Pie. Minerva, would you pass the pumpkin juice?"

Pursing her lips together, the stern woman passed the jug without a word to her associate. Severus had the impression that she was trying very hard not to voice her opinion on the matter. And he didn't think the matter was the pumpkin juice.

He chanced a glance at his young wife. She was frozen with her fork halfway to her mouth, staring down at the table before her, lost in thought. Seeming to sense his gaze, the girl came to, looking up into his eyes. She seemed confused and a little worried.

"Professor," she addressed him, much to his immediate embarrassment, "I am still a student here, aren't I?" Severus was taken aback by her question, and it must have shown on his face. "I mean," she continued in a hurried tone, "I can understand not being able to continue my classes with you, but… surely my other classes…"

"You will not be withdrawn from any of your classes, M-," Severus cut himself off. He had been about to call her 'Miss Granger.' "So long as you receive your education, no one cares if you may have had an advantage."

"But…"

"Your NEWT scores will reflect your skill and your ability to retain information. Marriage to a professor will give you no advantage there." His lip curled back as a wicked thought occurred to him. "I hope you were not harboring such delusions."

Her wide eyes suddenly narrowed as her mouth slammed shut. "Of course I wasn't," she hissed. "The thought hadn't even occurred…"

"Yes, that much is obvious. One has to wonder just what did occur to you, Miss… That is, what did you expect to happen?"

Frowning, the girl turned away from him, choosing not to answer his impertinent question. He had the sudden impression that she was thinking of him as she speared her potatoes, and he allowed the faintest smile to touch his lips. Yes, he felt much better when he had the upper hand.

…*~*J*~*…

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