A/N: Thank you so much for all the reviews; it really makes my day knowing that people are enjoying this. The time jumps weren't planned originally but seemed to fit with the story so they stayed, glad that someone (or sometwo) else thought they worked too. I don't know how long they're going to last though as pretty soon the past will catch up with the rest of the story.
Another thing brought up in the reviews was how they got together in the first place. I have an idea so I might write it as a prequel to the story once I've finished it (or if I end up with writer's block trying to write anything but angsty stuff) especially if other people want to know.
Last but not least - I am going to try and upload as often as possible (and at least once a week) as I do have a good idea of where this is going and like writing it as well.
I don't know why I bother with all this as no one reads it…
Now on with the show…
Severus Snape found himself staring straight at Lucius Malfoy, an angry Lucius Malfoy at that. He supposed he should have expected nothing less from him but to this extent? Hermione was stood in the doorway, Severus was noted she was shaking slightly but appeared more than interested in proceedings. "Yes Lucius?"
"You know full well what I'm here for, well actually I was going to speak with the girl but you are a bonus." The way he said 'speak' suggested that he was going to do anything but that.
"I'm glad you think so." Severus replied sarcastically.
"What do you think you're playing at? At least I assume it was you since you're here." Lucius continued.
"If you are referring to my recent betrothal to Miss Granger, then I'm not playing at anything."
"What do you have to say about this?" Lucius barked at Hermione.
Hermione stood and looked Lucius in the eye, "I've made my choice and I'm sticking with it." Lucius just laughed, at which Hermione looked puzzled.
"I was assured you had a reasonable degree of intelligence, something I value if my son is to be married to a mudblood…" Lucius said until he was interrupted by Severus.
"Don't you dare say another word." He said with an edge to his voice.
"Aww, it's nice of you to defend the little whore, Merlin knows no one else will." Lucius said full of spite. The smug look on his face soon disappeared as Severus took a swing at him. Lucius' nose audibly cracked as Severus fist met it.
"Don't say I didn't warn you."
"What? Have you just forgotten you're a wizard or is it that talentless excuse for a witch rubbing off on you?" Lucius was clearly determined but Severus' actions had taken away Hermione's fear. She slapped Lucius square in the face, just as she had to his son in her third year.
Severus used his hand to cover the smirk appearing on his face. "I think that Miss Granger has just made her feelings on this subject perfectly clear and if you do not wish me to regain certain magical abilities you'll take notice and get out of here."
Lucius stood up to his full height seemingly unwilling to allow Severus win. The effect was somewhat diminished due to his bloody nose and reddening cheek. However he turned on his heel towards the door. Stopping in front of Hermione he said, "I'm glad I've had the opportunity to realize my mistake. I'm not sure however whether this is the last you'll hear about this from me." The slam of the door a moment later signalled his departure.
Hermione looked towards Severus with a frown on her face' "What did he mean by that?"
"Nothing, he's full of empty promises." Severus assured her. Holding up his fist he asked, "You don't happen to have any ice lying around do you?"
* * * * *
Hermione woke to find herself in a strange environment, well it wasn't her flat anyway. It dawned on her then exactly where she was, Snape's room, at Hogwarts. She turned around in the bed expecting to see… her husband but was confronted with an empty space. She was desperate for a bath or even a shower but realised to her surprise she had no idea where anything was. She had come straight here after… after the wedding. Oh God, she had just left Severus. The situation might be less than ideal but Hermione didn't believe that allowed her to be so inconsiderate towards Severus, considering how nice he was to her. She got up out of the bed and headed towards the door. Her hand went to her head in an attempt to straighten her hair - she believed she should at least make an attempt to look halfway decent to see her husband. Than again it was pretty hopeless.
Hermione walked out of the room quietly, she wasn't quite sure if Severus was going to be asleep because as there was no sign of him in the bedroom he must have slept somewhere else. Hermione didn't get to find out if he had though as he came out of a door to the left of her very much awake. "Morning," she said a little sheepishly.
"Sleep well?" he asked.
"Yes, thank you." Hermione managed to stop herself from asking after Severus' sleeping arrangements of the previous night.
"How are you feeling about… well…?" Severus question trailed off but his meaning was obvious and seemingly hung in the air around them.
"Ah, I was going to talk to you about that." Hermione answered, "I am so sorry about last night, I guess I must just have nodded off and…"
Severus hesitated slightly before holding a finger to her lips, "Sssh it's OK. We can talk later. It was a hard day for both of us." Hermione only nodded and moved closer to him. She slipped her arm around his waist gently and looked up into his eyes. She smiled to show her thanks. Severus returned the embrace, something she found extremely comforting. "I was just going to get breakfast. Would you like me to bring anything back for you?"
"Please. I'm not bothered what really." Hermione replied.
Severus loosened his hold on Hermione. "Anything else?"
"One small thing," Hermione replied, "where's the bathroom?"
* * * * *
Calm had once again descended in Hermione's flat. Only a few minutes had passed since Lucius had stormed out of the door. And now as far as Hermione was concerned there was only one immediate problem remaining in her life, Severus, and he was going to be the hardest to get rid of. After all they were to be married … and they had spent the large majority of the previous night doing somewhat unspeakable things to each other. Wonderful things at that. Maybe things wouldn't be so bad after all.
Hermione glanced over at Severus, wondering what his thoughts were. The depth of his eyes told Hermione that it was more than the pain in his hand. She coughed quietly to disguise the smile at the memory of Severus hitting Lucius.
Severus stood from the table in Hermione's kitchen where he had been quietly nursing his hand; apparently he had taken Hermione's cough to mean something entirely different – that she wanted his attention. He came closer to her as she continued to lean against the kitchen countertop. As Severus reached Hermione he moved his hand forward and drew it down the side of her face tenderly. Hermione leaned into his touch – glad of another's warmth – however she did not return the touch. Severus tilted her face upwards so her eyes met with his own and saw all the questions contained within them. Questions directed solely at her – about what they were to be, whether he could touch her. To this question she nodded, almost imperceptibly, yes, he could.
His hand moved downwards to her neck where it played with tendrils of hair at the nape before moving further down her back. Hermione stood still feeling his touch migrate until his hand lay motionless around her waist. He planted the most gentle of kisses on her lips and she shivered. He then turned his attention to her ear. After teasing the light brown strands covering it out the way he nibbled the lobe gently, just the way he had the night before. He then whispered gently, "It'll be OK, I promise." Hermione's breath hitched at the words, it was as though everything that would happen had become clear to her. With only one more tug on her ear Severus caused another shiver to run through Hermione's body. She couldn't help but notice how her body was responding to this far from terrible ordeal. He moved once more to face her. She looked into his eyes – deep, intense, eternally inviting to her and still searching for something. This time it was Hermione who moved first, capturing his lips with her own. It was but a moment until she felt his tongue willing her to allow him access, something she gave freely to him, as she had the night before. They kissed with a passion Hermione had felt with no other man. Her hands however remained at her side, clutching to the cabinet as though to prevent a fall, although possibly making a point of not touching the man in front of her. Severus must have noticed, even through the kiss which threatened to encompass him entirely. He suddenly stopped kissing the woman who had but an hour before had become his fiancée.
Hermione wanted more. Her lips missed his, could she have him back? She moved her lips once more towards his – his hands withdrew from her waist and he took a step back. She looked up at him for an explanation and found an unexpected sadness in his eyes. "Shall I see myself out?" he asked gently.
Hermione was sure his words had not been intended to hurt but they did none the less. Not that she was prepared to admit it. Severus hadn't waited for an answer - he had headed almost immediately for the kitchen door. Hermione followed him, there had to be something she could do to stop this. Did she want to stop this? Why was it even happening? Hermione was sure she would have asked if she hadn't seen Severus' determination – nothing short of her collapsing would have stopped him and that wasn't something she had in mind to do. There was only one question left for her to ask, "What are we going to do about … well, you know?" Why did all her eloquence and intelligence disappear around him? Did she have to be made such a fool of? It wasn't as though she hadn't grown at all since she had been his student but she showed evidence to the contrary so often surely he would begin to question it sooner or later… if he hadn't already.
"The wedding?" Severus asked. Hermione nodded despite having shied away from the word before. "I could sort it out if you wish."
Hermione thought about the idea. Her childhood dreams of a big, white wedding were wholly inappropriate for such a situation but relinquishing all control? Part of her realised she would be grateful for the opportunity. If only because it would offer her a chance to forget. Quietly she responded, "Please, but keep me informed."
"Of course. Severus said simply. He lit a fire in the empty fireplace. Taking a pinch of the floo powder resting on the mantel in front of him and throwing it into the flames he disappeared to a location which Hermione had not heard.
* * * * *
As Severus returned to his chambers he was immediately able to ascertain that Hermione was no where to be seen. The sound of running water told him that she was still making use of the bathroom facilities. He realised himself that that did not sound right – Hermione was no guest, she was here for the foreseeable future. The water shut off, abruptly dragging Severus from his thoughts on the matter. Hermione walked out of the bathroom a minute later, her hair dripped slowly onto the white towelled robe she wore. She seemed unsure of what exactly she should do next and had appeared to opt for stand, do nothing and chew her lip. Despite how much he loved it when she did that, it made her lip so much more kissable than it already was, Severus beckoned for her to take the seat opposite from him. He only hoped that it couldn't be considered too intimate. Hermione didn't appear to think so, or at least she didn't let it show, as she took the seat.
"Take whatever you fancy, there's more than enough and I can always get more." Severus said.
"I thought we were going to talk." Hermione stated simply.
Why on earth did she feel the need to push things so? Severus wondered to himself, aloud he replied, "We can eat at the same time if you need to talk now but we could wait."
Hermione shook her head slowly at the last suggestion. "It's better to know where we both stand don't you think?" Severus could have happily cursed her at that moment for her need to know everything. "You can go first if you want." She added as an afterthought.
"Don't they always say 'ladies first'" Severus replied. Hermione smiled at that. "After all I'm not too sure what exactly it is that you want to hear."
"It's not what I want to hear but what you want to say." Hermione said in a voice that could have rivalled his own 'you stupid child' admonishment voice. A smile tugged at the corner of his mouth at the thought, unfortunately Hermione must have thought he was doing it because of her. "Well if that's how you want to be, then fine, but I don't know why I bother." Severus tried to cut her off but he appeared to have made a fatal mistake – let a woman get into her flow. "I'm very sorry you find this amusing but one of us had to say something. Believe it or not I actually want to at least try and make this work. I see now I might be the only one -" Severus tried to say she wasn't, "but that was what I was trying to find out. I'll say it again that I am sorry about last night but we cannot continue to sleep in separate places – especially if we have to fulfil the 'children' part of the law. I mean have you even considered when we're going to… consummate the marriage?"
Finally a chance for Severus to get a word in edgeways and she had succeeded in doing what so few other people ever could – shocking him into silence. However the look on her face said she was prepared to wait – Merlin she was gorgeous when she was angry. "Hermione," her defiant stance seemed to falter at his use of her name, "I can assure you that I to want to 'try and make something' of this marriage as you put it, and I would have said so sooner if you had let me." At least she had the decency to look apologetic at her earlier burst of dominance. "The sleeping arrangements are not a problem I can assure you and I can wait as long as you need to consummate the marriage." Something within Hermione broke at this last sentence which caused Severus to appreciate what a fragile woman she actually was – considering how confident she appeared. He reached his hand across the table and took hers within it.
"You mean you don't want to?" Hermione asked.
"Of course not. I thought I would have made my views on the subject quite clear already." Severus replied. His thumb was currently stroking the palm of Hermione's hand absentmindedly. "I simply meant that I would wait until you were ready. After all I have waited for you before and I can do it again. That way it will be so much better than something you believe you were forced into."
"You mean like this?" Hermione asked.
"Exactly." Severus replied.
Hermione continued as though she hadn't heard him, "I didn't mean that, you didn't force me at all… What did you say?"
"Exactly. I may not have been the one who forced you into marriage, indeed I am as much of a victim as you, but anything further would be entirely our choice. I would rather wait than have later regrets or cause you to resent me."
"Oh." Hermione replied. She then nodded and became interested in breakfast once more.
* * * * *
"Hermione!" Ginny said whilst flying at her in order to hug her, "I haven't seen you in a while."
"I know and I'm really sorry about that but I wanted to talk to you so much about everything." Hermione replied.
"I wasn't complaining. And come in – you know I love a good girly chat. Especially since Lizzie takes up quite a bit of my time and she doesn't talk that much." Ginny said – the Lizzie she was referring to was her 6 month daughter. Hers and Harry's daughter that is.
When the pair were comfortably seated in the living room complete with steaming mugs of chocolate, Ginny turned to Hermione, "So what is it then?"
"Have you seen today's Prophet?" Hermione asked Ginny.
"You mean we're going to pick you a husband? Where's the pile of letters then?" Ginny asked. Hermione was almost shocked to realise Ginny was being serious.
"I only got one letter." Hermione replied.
"That good, eh?" Ginny asked.
"What do you mean?" Hermione asked genuinely confused.
"Well they'll stop coming when you accept won't they?" Ginny said as though it was obvious. "So who's the lucky guy?"
Hermione didn't answer immediately as she realised that Malfoy's proposal may not have been the only one she received if she hadn't agreed to marry Severus. Had Severus known that though? "The letter came from Malfoy, if that's what you mean."
Ginny appeared surprised, "I was expecting Snape to be honest. Didn't you two have a thing going on? Does he know?"
"Severus was there when I got the letter. You can probably gather from that than we did still have a thing going on." Hermione replied.
"What happened next?" Ginny asked. Hermione then delivered the best account she could of the morning's events considering her own confusion over what exactly had happened. Her version of the story ended after Malfoy left her apartment.
"I wish I could have been there to see Snape hit that bastard." Ginny said with a small laugh. Then she asked seriously, "When's the wedding then?"
"I don't know. Severus is planning everything." Hermione replied.
"I don't mean to be nosy… but then again isn't that what I'm here for? But don't you want to help? – it's your wedding too."
"It doesn't feel like it. I'm not even sure I want to marry him." Hermione replied.
"Three weeks ago you weren't sure you wanted anything with him… that seems to have changed soon enough." Ginny pointed out.
"This is a bit different – we're talking the rest of my life here." Hermione pointed out. "Besides after Malfoy left we kissed and it just felt… wrong." She shrugged at being unable to find a better word.
"I bet it didn't feel wrong, just different." Ginny suggested, "You've just got to get used to the idea."
"How can I?" Hermione asked.
"I can't help you there. That's between you and Sn… Severus." Ginny replied. She accompanied her words with a weak smile. Hermione just sipped her hot chocolate.