MARRYING SNAPE- mypseudonym
Disclaimer: Just like last time, anyone you recognize isn't mine.
AN: I'd just like to thank you all for all the awesome reviews. I got one special review last week that caused me to revamp what remains of the story. I realized that the last few chapters have been solid fluff, which wasn't what I was striving for, but it's the easiest way to introduce new characters. I'm going to start moving back to the writing style of the early chapters. I nearly forgot about the Dark-Light tensions!
Chapter 8
Hermione was unusually warm and uncomfortable when she awoke. It took a moment for the young woman to recall where she was and why she was sharing a couch with her fiancé. Hermione slipped out of her fiancé's embrace and off of the couch. With a quick clothing check, Hermione was able to reassure herself that nothing had happened. Alex woke slightly and opened his eyes.
"Mione, don't leave. Come back to bed." He said groggily. Hermione kissed his forehead.
"I'm not leaving. Go back to sleep Alex." she whispered. Hermione ran her fingers through his hair until he slipped back into dreamland.
Part of Hermione was astonished that no one seemed to know that anything had been different last night- that she hadn't slept in her bed. The rational part of her kept saying that it was impossible for them to have known unless someone stepped into Alex's study or her bedroom late at night. Her room was blissfully empty and quiet when Hermione entered to shower and change in her own bathroom. It was full of little girl cheerfulness when she emerged, clean and changed. The girls had wanted to visit Hermione and chat on her last day in the manor house. She hung out with them for awhile before they all went down to breakfast. Julia was present this morning, but she looked pale and tired. Severus watched his wife with a mixture of love, worry, and sadness. He pulled Alex and Hermione to one side after breakfast.
"There is a meeting in two hours. Meet me in the foyer in an hour and a half. Don't make a big deal about leaving or you'll have to deal with the children." He said. "Miss Granger, be ready to return to school after the meeting."
"Severus, what if we just told the children that we were taking Hermione home. That way, she can still say good-bye to the kids. You'll be going back to the school too, so you'll need farewells and I could have decided to accompany Hermione back to her room." Alex offered.
"That would work." Severus said.
Hermione went upstairs, packed her things, shrunk them, and put them in the pockets of her not-too-adult clothes. She then met Alex and went to bid the children good-bye. They were all in the playroom. She got a hug from each before heading downstairs. Severus was waiting for them in the foyer, dressed in his best starched black teaching robes. They walked outside and Apparated to Grimmbauld Place. Severus handed Alex a scrap of parchment.
"Memorize what is on this parchment." He said. Alex read it and handed it back. Severus burned it with the tip of his wand. "Think about what you just read." He said. They watched the astonished look on Alex's face as numbers 11 and 13 moved aside to allow number 12 to push through. Hermione and Severus had been able to see it anyway. If it hadn't been for Alex, they probably would just have Flooed into the kitchen. It was a bit dangerous to be outside number twelve, so they quickly ushered Alex inside. Harry and Ron were on the stairs, waiting for them. They pounced on Hermione as Severus walked further into the house. Alex looked from his fiancée to his brother, wondering whose behavior he was to emulate. He decided to stay with Hermione and meet her friends.
"Harry, Ron, this is Alex. Alex, Harry Potter and Ron Weasley." Hermione said as soon as they left her alone enough.
"Hello." Harry bid quietly, Ron simply glared.
"Hermione, why are they staring at me like that?" Alex whispered.
"They think you're going to be like your brother." She whispered back. Alex laughed heartily. Harry and Ron looked shaken. Professor Snape would never laugh, especially not in public. They didn't have time to really react to hit as Professor Snape appeared at that moment and told them all in no uncertain terms that they were expected in the dining room.
The Order of the Pheonix had grown some since two years earlier, when Hermione had first heard of the Order. To accommodate everyone took the entire table, crowded with chairs, and several chairs had to be moved in from the library and placed around the edges of the room. Severus seated himself in what was undisputedly his chair. Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Alex took seats at the table. Albus Dumbledore sat at the head of the table, conversing quietly with Tonks and Lupin.
"Well, hi Rook. I was wondering when he'd let you come." Tonks said, smiling down the table at Alex.
"Rook? The infamous Rook? Good to meet you, kid, Kingsley Shacklebolt, Missing Persons.
"Alex Snape, Unexplained Occurrences." Alex said, shaking the man's hand.
"Don't worry kid; you'll get out of there in a few more years. Maybe you can be up in Missing Persons with me and Tonks." Shacklebolt said. Alex nodded.
"I sincerely hope so. It's almost impossible not to get hurt every day down there." Alex responded.
"I know, I once got thrown off a cliff by an Erumpent, got me in St Mungo's for a week. What's your worst injury yet?" the older Auror asked.
"I got attacked by a hippogriff once. Needless to say, I came home carrying my arm." Alex said. Tonks laughed before Albus called the meeting to order.
"Well everyone, there was another DE raid last night, this time on the Weatherfalls. They were all killed." Albus said, somberly. Everyone sat in silence for a moment before the meeting continued.
"Severus, do you have any new information for us?" Albus asked.
"The DE have been practicing lately. That's what the Weatherfalls were. They were targeted because they are a little known wizarding family of mixed heritage that defied the Dark Lord. I was invited to go sporting Tuesday night." Severus reported before sitting down.
"Miss Granger, what do you have to report?" Albus asked.
"Albert Fletcher has abruptly changed his voting policies. He's starting voting under the influence of Lucius Malfoy. This puts him on the watch list, so be careful around Albert Fletcher." She reported before sitting.
"Does anyone have anything else to add?" Albus asked. No one said anything. Albus then adjourned the meeting. They quickly headed upstairs. Harry, Ron, and Hermione had to change into their school robes. Alex waited with Severus in the library. Before long, the three emerged, dressed in Hogwarts robes. It was difficult for Alex to see Hermione in school robes; she looked so different from the woman he spent his weekend with. They said there goodbyes and Alex Apparated back to Snape Manor as Harry, Ron, and Hermione flooed back to Hogwarts.
AN: Okay, that's Chapter 8. I know I usually post two chapters on Tuesdays, but I don't know if that will happen this week. We'll see. It looks as thought there are going to be 15 chapters to this story.