AN: I want to thank everyone who has taken the time to read my story, and especially those who have reviewed! Each and every alert makes me smile. Thank you all!
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Chapter Twenty One
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Hermione sat utterly still -- except for her hands. She couldn't seem to hold them still. She tried grasping one with the other, both of them folded together in her lap. That didn't help long. Then she lay them across the arms of the chair she was in; a position that lasted all of about ten seconds. Finally she tucked them both beneath her, in the space between the sides of the chair and her legs. Maybe if she *sat* on the bloody things she could keep them still.
Hermione had just had the most surreal conversation she'd ever had in her entire life. She still hadn't really absorbed what the headmaster had just told her, nor what she'd agreed to. She'd agreed to actually *marry* Professor Snape! Her eyes widened involuntarily as that thought flashed through her mind, actually *registering* this time.
Oh, God! She was shaking now. Her breath was coming in short quick pants as panic began to set in. What had she done? Heart flittering rapidly against her ribs, Hermione shook her head. When the headmaster had told her what had happened, and he'd asked her point blank if she would be willing, it had seemed the logical thing to do. She couldn't very well let the professor's mother stay in danger could she? Alternately, she couldn't very well put Professor Snape right back where he'd been the night she'd had those so-called vision dreams -- she still wasn't happy about his mother's part in *that*!
She had agreed it was the only thing to do in a kind of numb detachment. It hadn't been until after the headmaster had left his office to find Professor Snape--
Probably out taking house points from unsuspecting students, she thought uncharitably.
--that the enormity of what was happening had set in and she had begun to panic.
Hermione stilled suddenly, taking in a slow, deep breath. She couldn't remember the last time she'd been this stomach churning nervous in a non life and death situation. Actually, truth be told, even the dangerous adventures she'd had with Ron and Harry hadn't made her feel this bad off. This was different, though, she thought. This wasn't something that skill and bravery and the help of good friends would get her through safely. This was something of another sort entirely and she was now very, very glad she'd been called to the headmaster's office *before* eating breakfast, because she suddenly was not entirely certain it would have stayed down had she already eaten.
She had agreed to marry *Professor* *Snape*! Her breathing sped up again and she had to force herself to slow back down. It wouldn't look good if the headmaster and Professor Snape walked in on her gasping in huge gulps of air just because she was having a panic attack.
She laughed suddenly, the sound a little on the hysterical side she realized immediately. Jumping up from her seat, Hermione paced from one end of the lower level of the office to the other, noting with a detached part of herself that Fawkes closely watched her every move. It almost seemed as though he was amused at her nervous agitation.
"Okay, Hermione Elizabeth Granger, pull yourself together!" she told herself firmly. "This isn't the end of the world." She swallowed convulsively, willing her heart to slow, willing herself to calm down. "You've agreed to marry Professor Snape. So what? It's not a big deal."
She groaned. Not a big deal?! It was a *big* friggin deal! She just wouldn't think about it. That was the ticket. She would do her part to thwart Voldemort's plans. She'd always known that. She had just never realized, never *imagined* that who she married would *ever* be part of that effort.
The groan of stone on stone of the stairwell moving startled Hermione. She jumped, her heart leaping inside her. Hurrying back to the chair, she sat down, locking all of her apprehension inside where it couldn't be seen -- she hoped. She would make her house proud with how she carried herself through this.
**
Severus stalked behind the headmaster, glowering. He could *not* believe it had come to this. When he'd left the headmaster's office last night, Albus determined to put this plan to Miss Granger, he'd been certain she would balk. Consequently, he had not given a single thought to what he would do, how he would feel, if she actually *agreed*. The very fact that Albus had sought him out suggested she had done just that, and now he was at something of a loss.
Truth be told, he was in a kind of numb shock, and he wasn't entirely certain he knew *what* he felt. Marriage hadn't been something he had seriously considered since, well, since before he'd graduated from Hogwarts.
"Reese's Pieces," Albus said quietly, the stone gargoyle sliding open smoothly at his password.
Severus had always pictured himself a man who could face anything without trepidation; after all, he willingly placed himself within easy reach of Voldemort on a regular basis -- *spying* on the megalomaniac. As they stepped onto the rising staircase, Severus' stomach flipped, and he swallowed hastily, berating himself silently. He was just going to face a *student* for Circe's sake! He had absolutely *nothing* to feel intimidated about.
Yes, a student who is your *fiancee*. Nothing intimidating about that at all.
He rolled his eyes at his inner voice. Of course, this, coming on the heels of the arranged fight with his mother -- which had been far more nerve wracking than he'd suspected it would be -- he supposed it was only natural to feel a tad . . . unsettled. That's all this was. He was just grateful that he and his mother had decided to stage the fight at breakfast. As overly public, and humiliating, as that had been, it had served two purposes. One Miss Granger had, conveniently, not been present to hear what he said against her, and two, he hadn't had a chance to eat anything. So, at least he didn't have to worry about food that wouldn't settle.
~~~~Severus sat at the head table, his expression darker than usual -- an accurate representation of what he was feeling. He stabbed at his food as if it were the enemy. Not feeling much like eating this morning, he made sure to glance around the great hall every couple of minutes, glaring evilly at anyone who had the temerity to actually look his direction. It wasn't long before not even his Slytherins would do so.
His morning . . . chat with his mother had been illuminating. Hoping to convince her to let him, and Miss Granger, out of this predicament, he'd been surprised to find she had been a busy little *witch*. While he had been wrestling with such things as Hermione's attack on Sybil and his own visit with Lord Voldemort, his mother had been *socializing* with the students. *Socializing!*
When he'd put to her that this so called marriage-to-be would put Miss Granger's life in danger, Serapha Snape had laughed, pointing out the same things Albus had. Ensconced here at Hogwarts, Hermione Granger would be in no more danger by being married to him, than she was in being one of Harry Potter's best friends.
Serapha had gone one step further, saying that the girl would be safer, since it would mean she was *stay* at Hogwarts over the breaks. Severus' eyes had widened at that. Merlin! He hadn't thought about *that*!
Of course, I hadn't! he thought sourly. I never thought it would get this far! Why would I have thought about it? In the end, he'd told her about the *other* plan, the one where he fought with her about 'her choice' of bride.
He tensed as the staff door opened. There was only one person it could be. It was show time.
"Good morning, Severus," Serapha Snape said brightly, taking the seat next to his.
"Morning, Mother," he replied shortly, "but there's nothing *good* about it."
"Oh, come now, Severus," Serapha laughed lightly, "surely it can't be *that* bad."
Wincing when her words were loud enough to carry, despite knowing it was necessary, Severus dropped his fork and turned to glare at the woman fully.
"You are forcing my hand, Mother," he growled, his own voice just loud enough to be heard. He fought the wince as the noise level in the Great Hall dropped *immediately*. "You are using your position as head of Snape to order me into an absolutely *untenable* position. There is *nothing* good about this day at all!" he continued, allowing his voice to rise.
"Be reasonable, Severus," she replied, shaking her head slightly, her voice absurdly calm. "You'll be happy to know that I've just finished arranging for the banns to be posted. They should appear in the Daily Prophet today."
"Happy!?" Severus shouted, launching himself to his feet, shock coursing through him. They hadn't discussed *that*! What the bloody hell did she think she was doing? "You're destroying my life, you bloody, interfering, *busybody* . . . *Witch*!" he snapped, enraged.
The gasps of most of the student body, as well as more than half his colleagues, was his exit cue. He spun away from the horrified look on his mother's face, squelching down *hard* on the immediate sense of guilt he felt. How could mothers' *do* that? His robes snapping sharply as he spun, Severus strode from the now silent room with nary a backward glance. He did not breathe easily until the staff door closed behind him. That lasted all of about twenty seconds, however, as the headmaster found him there before he could so much as even *think* about heading back to his chambers.~~~~~
Face schooled into a neutral expression, Severus followed Albus into the man's office.
'Welcome to my parlor,' said the spider to the fly, Severus thought snidely, feeling a strange sort of empathy for the fictional fly. All thoughts flew out the proverbial window, however, when he caught sight of Miss Granger. Wide-eyed, Miss Granger stared at them silently as they entered, her eyes locking on his. Not a one of the three of them said anything to disturb the tense silence for several long moments.
"S-so," Miss Granger began, questioningly, her eyes never wavering from his.
Severus drew in a deep breath, fully intending on berating her for her less than . . . articulate beginning. The words wouldn't come, however, surprising him. "Right," he replied *just* as smoothly. He fought a groan. That could have gone without saying.
"I'm thinking the sooner the better," Albus said suddenly, his voice resounding loudly into the quiet.
Severus jumped -- grateful to note that Miss Granger had as well -- and turned to face the headmaster. "Pardon me?" he asked.
TBC
Kiristeen
Feedback: ooooo! I like it! : ) What can I say, I'm addicted to it. LOL
Kiristeen@kiristeen.com
**********
Chapter Twenty One
**********
Hermione sat utterly still -- except for her hands. She couldn't seem to hold them still. She tried grasping one with the other, both of them folded together in her lap. That didn't help long. Then she lay them across the arms of the chair she was in; a position that lasted all of about ten seconds. Finally she tucked them both beneath her, in the space between the sides of the chair and her legs. Maybe if she *sat* on the bloody things she could keep them still.
Hermione had just had the most surreal conversation she'd ever had in her entire life. She still hadn't really absorbed what the headmaster had just told her, nor what she'd agreed to. She'd agreed to actually *marry* Professor Snape! Her eyes widened involuntarily as that thought flashed through her mind, actually *registering* this time.
Oh, God! She was shaking now. Her breath was coming in short quick pants as panic began to set in. What had she done? Heart flittering rapidly against her ribs, Hermione shook her head. When the headmaster had told her what had happened, and he'd asked her point blank if she would be willing, it had seemed the logical thing to do. She couldn't very well let the professor's mother stay in danger could she? Alternately, she couldn't very well put Professor Snape right back where he'd been the night she'd had those so-called vision dreams -- she still wasn't happy about his mother's part in *that*!
She had agreed it was the only thing to do in a kind of numb detachment. It hadn't been until after the headmaster had left his office to find Professor Snape--
Probably out taking house points from unsuspecting students, she thought uncharitably.
--that the enormity of what was happening had set in and she had begun to panic.
Hermione stilled suddenly, taking in a slow, deep breath. She couldn't remember the last time she'd been this stomach churning nervous in a non life and death situation. Actually, truth be told, even the dangerous adventures she'd had with Ron and Harry hadn't made her feel this bad off. This was different, though, she thought. This wasn't something that skill and bravery and the help of good friends would get her through safely. This was something of another sort entirely and she was now very, very glad she'd been called to the headmaster's office *before* eating breakfast, because she suddenly was not entirely certain it would have stayed down had she already eaten.
She had agreed to marry *Professor* *Snape*! Her breathing sped up again and she had to force herself to slow back down. It wouldn't look good if the headmaster and Professor Snape walked in on her gasping in huge gulps of air just because she was having a panic attack.
She laughed suddenly, the sound a little on the hysterical side she realized immediately. Jumping up from her seat, Hermione paced from one end of the lower level of the office to the other, noting with a detached part of herself that Fawkes closely watched her every move. It almost seemed as though he was amused at her nervous agitation.
"Okay, Hermione Elizabeth Granger, pull yourself together!" she told herself firmly. "This isn't the end of the world." She swallowed convulsively, willing her heart to slow, willing herself to calm down. "You've agreed to marry Professor Snape. So what? It's not a big deal."
She groaned. Not a big deal?! It was a *big* friggin deal! She just wouldn't think about it. That was the ticket. She would do her part to thwart Voldemort's plans. She'd always known that. She had just never realized, never *imagined* that who she married would *ever* be part of that effort.
The groan of stone on stone of the stairwell moving startled Hermione. She jumped, her heart leaping inside her. Hurrying back to the chair, she sat down, locking all of her apprehension inside where it couldn't be seen -- she hoped. She would make her house proud with how she carried herself through this.
**
Severus stalked behind the headmaster, glowering. He could *not* believe it had come to this. When he'd left the headmaster's office last night, Albus determined to put this plan to Miss Granger, he'd been certain she would balk. Consequently, he had not given a single thought to what he would do, how he would feel, if she actually *agreed*. The very fact that Albus had sought him out suggested she had done just that, and now he was at something of a loss.
Truth be told, he was in a kind of numb shock, and he wasn't entirely certain he knew *what* he felt. Marriage hadn't been something he had seriously considered since, well, since before he'd graduated from Hogwarts.
"Reese's Pieces," Albus said quietly, the stone gargoyle sliding open smoothly at his password.
Severus had always pictured himself a man who could face anything without trepidation; after all, he willingly placed himself within easy reach of Voldemort on a regular basis -- *spying* on the megalomaniac. As they stepped onto the rising staircase, Severus' stomach flipped, and he swallowed hastily, berating himself silently. He was just going to face a *student* for Circe's sake! He had absolutely *nothing* to feel intimidated about.
Yes, a student who is your *fiancee*. Nothing intimidating about that at all.
He rolled his eyes at his inner voice. Of course, this, coming on the heels of the arranged fight with his mother -- which had been far more nerve wracking than he'd suspected it would be -- he supposed it was only natural to feel a tad . . . unsettled. That's all this was. He was just grateful that he and his mother had decided to stage the fight at breakfast. As overly public, and humiliating, as that had been, it had served two purposes. One Miss Granger had, conveniently, not been present to hear what he said against her, and two, he hadn't had a chance to eat anything. So, at least he didn't have to worry about food that wouldn't settle.
~~~~Severus sat at the head table, his expression darker than usual -- an accurate representation of what he was feeling. He stabbed at his food as if it were the enemy. Not feeling much like eating this morning, he made sure to glance around the great hall every couple of minutes, glaring evilly at anyone who had the temerity to actually look his direction. It wasn't long before not even his Slytherins would do so.
His morning . . . chat with his mother had been illuminating. Hoping to convince her to let him, and Miss Granger, out of this predicament, he'd been surprised to find she had been a busy little *witch*. While he had been wrestling with such things as Hermione's attack on Sybil and his own visit with Lord Voldemort, his mother had been *socializing* with the students. *Socializing!*
When he'd put to her that this so called marriage-to-be would put Miss Granger's life in danger, Serapha Snape had laughed, pointing out the same things Albus had. Ensconced here at Hogwarts, Hermione Granger would be in no more danger by being married to him, than she was in being one of Harry Potter's best friends.
Serapha had gone one step further, saying that the girl would be safer, since it would mean she was *stay* at Hogwarts over the breaks. Severus' eyes had widened at that. Merlin! He hadn't thought about *that*!
Of course, I hadn't! he thought sourly. I never thought it would get this far! Why would I have thought about it? In the end, he'd told her about the *other* plan, the one where he fought with her about 'her choice' of bride.
He tensed as the staff door opened. There was only one person it could be. It was show time.
"Good morning, Severus," Serapha Snape said brightly, taking the seat next to his.
"Morning, Mother," he replied shortly, "but there's nothing *good* about it."
"Oh, come now, Severus," Serapha laughed lightly, "surely it can't be *that* bad."
Wincing when her words were loud enough to carry, despite knowing it was necessary, Severus dropped his fork and turned to glare at the woman fully.
"You are forcing my hand, Mother," he growled, his own voice just loud enough to be heard. He fought the wince as the noise level in the Great Hall dropped *immediately*. "You are using your position as head of Snape to order me into an absolutely *untenable* position. There is *nothing* good about this day at all!" he continued, allowing his voice to rise.
"Be reasonable, Severus," she replied, shaking her head slightly, her voice absurdly calm. "You'll be happy to know that I've just finished arranging for the banns to be posted. They should appear in the Daily Prophet today."
"Happy!?" Severus shouted, launching himself to his feet, shock coursing through him. They hadn't discussed *that*! What the bloody hell did she think she was doing? "You're destroying my life, you bloody, interfering, *busybody* . . . *Witch*!" he snapped, enraged.
The gasps of most of the student body, as well as more than half his colleagues, was his exit cue. He spun away from the horrified look on his mother's face, squelching down *hard* on the immediate sense of guilt he felt. How could mothers' *do* that? His robes snapping sharply as he spun, Severus strode from the now silent room with nary a backward glance. He did not breathe easily until the staff door closed behind him. That lasted all of about twenty seconds, however, as the headmaster found him there before he could so much as even *think* about heading back to his chambers.~~~~~
Face schooled into a neutral expression, Severus followed Albus into the man's office.
'Welcome to my parlor,' said the spider to the fly, Severus thought snidely, feeling a strange sort of empathy for the fictional fly. All thoughts flew out the proverbial window, however, when he caught sight of Miss Granger. Wide-eyed, Miss Granger stared at them silently as they entered, her eyes locking on his. Not a one of the three of them said anything to disturb the tense silence for several long moments.
"S-so," Miss Granger began, questioningly, her eyes never wavering from his.
Severus drew in a deep breath, fully intending on berating her for her less than . . . articulate beginning. The words wouldn't come, however, surprising him. "Right," he replied *just* as smoothly. He fought a groan. That could have gone without saying.
"I'm thinking the sooner the better," Albus said suddenly, his voice resounding loudly into the quiet.
Severus jumped -- grateful to note that Miss Granger had as well -- and turned to face the headmaster. "Pardon me?" he asked.
TBC
Kiristeen
Feedback: ooooo! I like it! : ) What can I say, I'm addicted to it. LOL
Kiristeen@kiristeen.com
