Hermione awoke from her troubled slumber when she heard some noises coming from the bathroom. She stood up and walked towards the door. Her hand trembled as she reached out and turned the doorknob. Steam emerged as she slowly walked over to the bathtub in the middle of the large room.

"Do me a favor and close the door from the other side, Miss Granger!"

She could tell that something was wrong with him. His voice lacked its usual strength and he had also called her Miss Granger. He just called her that when he was in a bad mood or wanted to put her in her place. She went back and closed the door.

He sighed. He couldn't bear to see her now. He needed to tell her about the handfasting, and he didn't want to see the disgust in her eyes, yet. Suddenly, he felt a soft sponge being moved over his shoulders. Severus closed his eyes. "Didn't I tell you to leave?"

"What makes you think I listen to you?" she teased, before she reached over to grab her favorite herbal shampoo. She carefully poured some of the liquid into her hand and bubbled it up, before she started to massage his head gently but firmly. Severus, too tired and too worn out to argue with her, let her continue. She took her time washing his hair, and then she lowered her hands to stroke his neck and shoulders. She felt the tenseness in his muscles and tried to work the knots out. After nearly ten minutes, she told him to sink down so she could rinse his hair. He did as he was told but not before he opened his eyes a bit and gave her an: 'I am not a toddler' look. As he came back up, he rested his head against the tub. They sat together in silence for the next few minutes. She knew not to push him.

Finally he spoke to her in his deep rich voice with his eyes still closed. "Ernestus told him about our engagement and my reasoning for it. The Dark Lord questioned me for almost three days before he was satisfied." He stopped and rubbed his face with his hands. Now he had to tell her the difficult part.

Hermione waited patiently for him to continue; she felt that there was more. Much more.

"He wants us to perform a handfasting." Severus waited for her shocked outburst but it never came. He opened his eyes and looked at her.

She wasn't looking at him, instead, she was staring at a point on the wall. Finally she looked back to him. "When?"

He almost asked her to repeat what she said, so surprised was he by her response. That was her only question? When? "Before the new term starts."

"We won't have much time, then." She stood up and smiled weakly at him before she left the room while he remained, thoughtful, in the tub.

I am not going to cry, she told herself, as she sat down on the bed. A handfasting! She controlled her breathing and slipped under the covers, turning to face the wall. Some time later, she heard him enter the bedroom. He turned the lights out completely and slipped under the covers, next to her. By the way she was breathing, he could tell that she wasn't asleep at all.

He argued with himself whether he should say something or not but decided to let her rest. They could discuss the matter in the morning. Severus awoke a few hours later and was surprised to find the place next to him empty. He rose up and instantly noticed the light that emerged from the closed bathroom door. He went nearer and heard someone talking. Casting an eavesdropping charm, he listened to the conversation.

-

"No, Ron. I'm fine. Really. Would you please hand the mirror over to Harry?"

"Hermione, we just heard about it. Ron's mother was – well - she is furious about this. She even wanted to come over to Snape Manor. I don't want to be in his shoes when they meet. I can tell you that. So, how are you? I mean, wasn't it bad enough that you had to pretend to marry him? And now you actually have to do it!"

"It isn't a marriage, Harry. It is a handfasting."

"And?"

Severus could hear her sigh.

"A handfasting is a bond between a witch and a wizard, which allows them to live together as IF they were really married, without actually doing so. It's like a test marriage for one year to see if the partners really fit together. You see, we won't really be married."

"But that's great. Right?"

"Sure, if you find it great that I am not completely, legally living with an older man."

"Oh, come on, Hermione. This is great; just think about the wedding night. In a wizard marriage you need to, well…you know, to consummate the wedding."

"Harry, you need to do that with a handfasting, too."

"Oh."

"Yes. Oh! And now, tell me again why it's so wonderful to not be married to him! What is so great about the fact that I won't be legally married to the father of my child?"

"What child?"

She sighed again and he could tell that she was starting to lose her temper. "During the consummation of a handfasting, contraception charms don't work. Neither on him nor on me. Which means that after the year is over and I have a child with him he will have no other choice than to marry me. And, if I am not with child, then we can go our separate ways, which will reduce me to being a scarlet woman! A woman who lived with her professor - for god's sake - unmarried!" she said, getting more furious with every word and in the end nearly shouting.

"Oh!"

Severus could tell that Potter's voice sounded really helpless.

"But, you would be free again, right?"

"Just give me Ginny, Harry."

He could now hear Ginny Weasley's voice through the door. "Hermione."

"Are the boys out?"

"Yes, I think you really scared them! So, care to tell me what's really bothering you?"

Severus heard her inhale deeply before she spoke. Her voice sounded much calmer now but it also sounded rather sad. "It wasn't supposed to happen like this. It was supposed to be the most romantic moment of my life. It should have happened after I spent a wonderful day with the man I love, a day, which should end in a moonlit walk, under the stars with the man I love and who loves me, kneeling before me with a simple but beautiful white-gold ring. I want him to look up at me with love in his eyes and a complete trust that I won't reject him. He should simply ask to marry me." Her voice nearly broke towards the end.

"And you will get all this! Not now but someday your hero will come along, Hermione."

Suddenly he could her Hermione laugh. "Oh, Ginny. You are a hopeless romantic. A hero? I don't want or need a hero! All I want is a man who loves me."

They were quiet for a few seconds, then he heard the Weasley girl again. "So, are you coming tomorrow?"

"Sure. If I can't have a decent wedding I will at least have a decent last unmarried girls' night out!"

"What about the Professor?"

"Do you want him to come along?"

The idea was so ridiculous that he actually had to smile.

"Certainly! I'm sure he will cut a good figure between giggling students," Ginny joked as she and Hermione laughed at the picture.

"I will tell him tomorrow."

"Are you sure he will let you go?"

"I will find a way, Ginny, even if it kills me!"

-

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