A/N: Whew! Difficult chapter, but I've muddled through. Thanks for the encouraging reviews. Almost up to 200! Love the feedback, good or bad; just don't flame 'cause that's not nice. Enjoy the drama!

: P

Severus awoke Sunday morning as a result of someone with very frizzy hair shifting into a position that limited his breathing. He moved his head and slowly opened his eyes to look at Hermione. She looked quite peaceful in her sleep and he hated to wake her. Separating himself from her very carefully, Severus slowly made his way out of the bed. Hermione slept on. He felt sorry for her. It really was unfair that she would have to go through the difficulty that lay ahead. No doubt the whole school would be on her case within the week. Plus, she had to put up with him for the rest of her life. Nope, life had dealt a cruel hand to Hermione Granger, nay, Snape.

Several hours later Hermione wandered into the bathroom catching her husband's eye on her way. He was settled in front of the fire with a book and a cup of tea. When her business was finished, she found a seat next to his and distantly watched the fire for a few minutes. Finally, she said, "Severus, I'm ready."

He turned to face her. She was not looking at him. "You're sure?" She nodded her head and looked him in the eye. She got up and walked to the bedroom. He followed.

Hermione would have look back on their first sexual encounter as a married couple fondly had it not been for the torrent of memories that flooded her part way through. Severus had been gentle and slow, taking it at Hermione's pace. However, everything about their first night together came back to her and she started crying. Severus looked at his wife and knew she was feeling the same. He gently wiped her tears away and tried to comfort her the best he could. Needless to say, that brought an end to the consummation of the marriage. Severus checked both their ring fingers. Fortunately, fate had been kind to them in that regard. The glow was gone.

"Hermione . . .'

"Please, Severus, I just need some time to myself."

Slowly he left her. As soon as the door clicked, she started sobbing. On the other side of the door, Severus had his back to it and slid down to the ground, head in his hands.

- - - - - - - - - - -

Time passed slowly that day for the newlyweds. Neither left their quarters. In fact, Severus hardly saw his wife other than for her personal needs once in awhile. She briefly appeared once to inquire about food, but neither talked to the other. He knew she had spent most of her time in the bedroom crying. He wondered how she could stand to be in there with all that had happened, but Hermione Jane Granger had always been an enigma to him. After awhile he grew restless and needed to get out so he left a note that he was flooing to Diagon Alley for a bit. Hermione never saw the note though, nor was there need as Severus was back within the hour of leaving. News of the marriage had spread quickly and anyone and everyone who crossed his path hounded him about it.

Around dinnertime, Severus was startled by the sudden appearance of Dumbledore's head in the fire.

"Ah, Severus, my boy, how are things?" Implication was thick on the headmaster's voice. Noticing the glare he received, he inquired, "In the doghouse already? That's a shame. You're so well matched for each other."

"Albus, I'm not in the mood."

"Right, sorry, but you have consummated the marriage I see." Severus looked as if he was about to pummel Dumbledore. "Hold on, I'll come through."

"That's quite," Dumbledore's body came through the floo after his head, "unnecessary," Snape finished saying. "Albus, really . . ."

"Come now, Severus. Where is your wife and how is she?"

He did ask and Snape was in no mood to lie either. Better that the headmaster know the results of his actions. "In the bedroom crying, if you must know."

"What? I don't understand."

Albus, if you insist on staying, take a seat." Exasperated, Severus sighed heavily as the headmaster comfortably placed himself on the couch opposite the Potions Master. "If you must know, something occurred whilst we were . . . consummating the marriage."

"Go on."

"The memories Hermione and I were supposed to have completely lost came back."

"You mean while you were . . ."

"Yes, Albus. While we were having sex. Do you see what you've done?" He was on his feat by now and nearly yelling.

"What I've done? I don't know of what you speak Severus."

"You damn well do you meddling fool! The trust that Hermione and I had begun to build is completely gone because of you! We were going to take it in our own time, but you seem to have had a different idea. I can just hear you and Minerva: 'Severus needs a good shag so lets implement the old system and force them to make their marriage absolute.' Well done, Albus! Look at the mess you've created!" Severus motioned to the bedroom door as he finished. Hermione, curious about the sudden ruckus, appeared in the doorway, arms crossed and not looking happy.

Concerned, Dumbledore rose and went to her. "Hermione, are you alright?"

She pushed past the headmaster and walked over to her husband. "Severus, there's no need to yell. I'm just as upset as you, but he couldn't have known this would happen. None of us knew." She then turned to Dumbledore. "Headmaster, please leave. You have no right to be here at the moment. You have meddled in someone else's business. I speak to you not as a student, but as the wife of one of your employees. Please respect our personal space. If this marriage is to work and be believable, Severus and I need our own space without interruptions from anyone, including you."

To say Severus was impressed with Hermione at that moment would be an understatement. He was astounded and completely at a loss for words (a rarity in his case). He knew she had it in her, he just had not expected her to use it.

For how shocked Severus was, Dumbledore was even more so. Hermione had completely and utterly shocked him with her words. They were not unwarranted though. Albus knew he was prone to meddling at times, but the impropriety of the situation finally hit him. Wordlessly, he began to leave.

"Headmaster," Hermione called, "I'm sorry."

"It is I who is sorry, Miss, Lady Snape. Allow me to make arrangements with the house elves for your dinner."

"Thank you, Headmaster. It is much appreciated."

"Good night, Lord and Lady Snape."

Severus winced quite openly at the use of the title. "Good night, Albus," he called as the door closed. Turning to Hermione, he said, "Thank you for your help."

"Your welcome. We'll talk more after dinner, okay? I need to take a bath right now."

He just nodded before placing himself in front of the fire again to contemplate while Hermione went to take her bath.

Severus thought about many things in the short span of time between Hermione taking a bath and eating dinner with her. He contemplated the fates and how cruel or kind they had been to him over the years. It was true that he could say more or less that he had his health. He could also say he was fortunate to not be dead or locked in Azkaban at the moment. Life as a spy had been difficult, perhaps the most difficult thing in his life. It was a career he had never planned to have, but then, he never had planned to marry a beautiful younger woman who just happened to be a student of his. Students were strictly off limits in his books, yet he had openly disobeyed that rule. Then there was the child. Would it be a boy or a girl? Would it have his nose or his eyes? Hopefully not. Of course, he could thank the turn of events the night Voldemort died for the majority of his thoughts and contemplations, as well as current complications. He could not think of some of the things that he had done to Hermione that night. No wonder the poor girl had been so frightened when she regained those memories. The worst part of it was that he could never look at sex, especially with her, the same again. Severus Snape was indeed a man of integrity, but he had not acted that way all those many nights ago. He had taken what he wanted and not looked back. She had been a conquest, plain and simple. It was not fair, not fair to him or to Hermione, especially Hermione. How could he ever regain her trust when she knew firsthand the evil he was capable of? While it was true that he was not the man he once was, somewhere he was capable of horrors too awful to mention if pushed to it. That, more than anything scared Severus Snape. He softly began to sob at the thought, which is how Hermione found her husband shortly before dinner.

End Chapter 13