A/N: To those of you who pointed out Hermione's detention first year - thank you. I did mix up the movie and the book. Oops.

Moi - you raise some very interesting (and paranoid) points. I think you may have a story in there.

Lyra Lupin - *puts head down in shame* You're right. There will be advice to come, I believe. Though, with Tonks... well, she's rather young and inexperienced herself.

Thank you weaselette01, JenniferLupinBlack, Icelynne, Li-Li-ThePinkbookgirl, Fanfiction fan, DedicatedReader, ButterflyGirl89, JeniDRalph, Ally Manuso, Mel, gossipgirly222, TBug, miranda c, articcat621, BlooDsucKkerR69, roon0, lunar47, mEEEm, vaila, Moi, ptite mac, AllyZ, knitchick, callalily32, Eleantris, Lyra Lupin, lloralalluvia, Startled Boris, Lanie Kay-Aleese, Catherine-PL, and the guest reviewers!

Chapter 6: The Big Night

As soft music played from the charmed flowers adorning every possible hard surface, Snape glanced up at the miniature doves flitting about the rafters and scowled. The entire décor of the small chapel-like room reeked of Dumbledore's influence. Then again, given the ponce-ishness of the handful of workers he had run into in the short span of time he had been at the Department of Marriage, Births, and General Population Services, it was entirely plausible that the room was perpetually decorated like the back of some teenage witch's trashy romance novel.

As one of the doves cooed softly and pecked at the edge of a white ribbon, he wondered briefly if charmed birds were as prone to creating excrement as the real ones were. Filius had never discussed that topic in his lecture on the Avis charm. On the off chance it was possible, though, Snape narrowed his eyes at the bird in warning. If anything were to drop onto him from above, there would be nothing but a pile of scorched feathers left for the house elves to sweep up.

"Happy day, Severus," Albus whispered in his ear. "You're supposed to look happy on a happy day."

Rolling his eyes, the Slytherin Head forced the frown from his countenance and thought of pleasurable things as Tonks appeared at the start of the white carpet. He pictured Lily smiling at him… Lily kissing him… Minerva cursing him out after a Gryffindor loss… Sirius dropping onto his head… Hermione walking down the aisle towards him…

His eyes widened briefly and his lips parted in shock as he watched Arthur Weasley escorting the girl on his arm. Gone was the awkward teen desperately waving her hand to get his attention in class. Gone was the giant bush growing on top of her head. Gone were the homely student robes and frumpy Weasley-made jumpers. In their stead was a beautiful, young woman who undeniably held his attention. Her hair was smoothed back and pulled up, allowing his focus to rest for the first time on her face. Her features were youthful, but striking nonetheless, and her neck was slender and delicate. Her dress fit her perfectly, hinting loudly at some of her curves, and allowing her shapely arms to be exposed. With the ageless grace she was suddenly exuding, he would not have disputed anyone who claimed her in that moment to be an angel.

Suddenly aware that he was about to channel a young Harry Potter, Snape closed his mouth shut with a snap and swallowed the excess saliva that had gathered in his mouth. Angel or not, he knew she was not really his. He did not deserve her.

"Perhaps now you might reconsider your arrangement," Dumbledore chuckled softly.

A shiver rippled through him at the realization he was gaping at a student, and he shot a small glare to the man at his side. "Continue meddling in my marital affairs, Albus, and I will not hesitate to chuck you off the Astronomy Tower."

The Headmaster's eyes twinkled brighter than the candles floating above their heads. "Indeed you wouldn't, my boy. I shall renounce my meddlesome ways from here on out."

"Bloody unlikely," Severus whispered as he turned his attention back to the woman – girl, he reminded himself – stepping nervously towards him. Finally remembering to blink, he watched as Arthur leaned down to whisper in her ear. Whatever was said caused her to nod almost imperceptibly and glance in his direction.

Granger blushed slightly and offered him the smallest of smiles. Before he even recognized what was happening, the corners of his lips turned up in a mirrored sentiment of hers. In what felt like an eternity, but had really only been the matter of a few seconds, the bride and her escort were at his side.

"Take care of her," Arthur said quietly as he held out the girl's hand.

Severus nodded as he took her hand in his. "You have my word."

The Weasley patriarch smiled at him and briefly pressed a kiss to the young witch's forehead before he scuttled down from the dais to stand by his wife.

Glancing at the soft hand now resting in his, he then raised his eyes to find hers staring up at him in anxiety. A smirk crossed his face as he bent his head towards hers and whispered, "What happened to your hair?"

A small spark fired in her eyes and she bit her lip slightly before leaning against him. "What happened to yours?"

He gave a nearly silent snort and his eyes crinkled in a laugh as the Ministry official began the wedding ceremony. The truth was he had not had to do any brewing for the past three days, and had had nearly the entire morning to himself. As such, he was able to find the time to dedicate an exorbitant amount of energy to his hair. It was not something he could afford to do every day, but seeing as it was technically his wedding day, he had put forth the effort.

As the official prattled on about the power of love, magic, and the treasure of marriage, Snape felt his eyes beginning to glaze over. It was a variation of the same speech given at every matrimonial union he had ever attended. Glancing out of the corner of his eye, however, he noticed that Granger was at rapt attention. He choked back a laugh, which managed to catch her notice.

Hermione glanced up at him in surprise. Severus Snape was laughing at the marriage official, and she did not know why. There was not anything remotely funny about – oh. He was not laughing at the official; he was laughing at her. Feeling suddenly embarrassed, she grinned awkwardly and dropped her gaze to the floor. When he squeezed her hand, however, she met his gaze and recognized that he was actually smiling at her.

Her stomach fluttered at the realization that she liked how warm his eyes could be. It made him seem younger and less…Professor Snape-ish. It made him easier to stand next to, and made it easier to hold his hand. Arthur had reminded her of the fact she was supposed to be pretending to be in love, and until now, it had seemed too daunting a task. Seeing him smile, however, made her begin to think that perhaps she could manage it after all.

Biting her lip nervously, she wondered how people who were in love were supposed to act. The student couples she had had the honor of breaking up in dark corridors had been all over each other with hands and tongues in all sorts of places. She was not that type of person and she highly doubted that Professor Snape was either. A brief image of the scenario appeared in her head, though, which caused her to blush a deep shade of crimson. She closed her eyes to push the pictures away, and when she opened her eyes, she noticed that he was staring at her with a curious eyebrow raised.

Wrinkling her nose, she shook her head briefly and glanced away. She had no idea how she was going to get through the wedding night. Losing your virginity to the one you loved seemed intimidating enough, but sacrificing it to your professor for the sake of the Order was an entirely different matter.

A few seconds later, she felt him tug on her hand gently. Shifting her gaze back towards him, she realized that the official was reaching the conclusion of his lengthy monologue.

"… And so it is today that a wizard and his bride stand before friends, family, and the Ministry, declaring their intentions to be bound in the greatest magic of all – love. Are the witnesses prepared to offer their testimony and support?"

"We are," Tonks and Dumbledore stated in unison as they stepped forward and each grasped one of the two peacock feather quills resting on the marble altar where the marriage document had been placed.

Hermione watched curiously as the Headmaster signed his name with a dramatic flourish first, and then as Tonks quickly penned hers beneath his. With a smile, they each returned to their respective sides of the celebrated couple.

"Now that the intended union has been witnessed before the Ministry, do you, Hermione Jean Granger, vow to love, cherish, honor, and obey your husband?"

"I do…so vow," she recovered quickly after Snape had pinched her finger, and the official had stared at her expectantly.

"And do you vow to care for Severus and tend any children resulting from your union?"

"I do so vow." She breathed a quick sigh of relief over remembering to use the correct phrase this time.

"Severus Tobias Snape, do you accept Hermione's vows?"

"I do so accept," he answered silkily.

"And do you vow to love, cherish, protect, and provide for your wife and any children resulting from your union?"

"I do so vow."

"With that, I ask that you bring forth and exchange the rings with which you wish to bind yourselves to one another."

With a nudge, Tonks dropped a ring into her palm and gave her a wink. Hermione sucked in a calming breath and, when Severus extended his left hand, slowly slid the simple silver band onto his ring finger. In a slightly quivering voice, she stated, "I, Hermione Jean Granger, choose to bind myself to you."

Snape cleared his throat and caught her left hand before she dropped it to her side. While slipping the diamond-accentuated emerald ring onto her finger, he spoke in a confident tone. "I, Severus Tobias Snape, accept your bond, and in return, choose to bind myself to you."

"As you have each expressed your intention, you may now finalize the bond by signing your name with the feather of the peacock, symbolizing the immortality of your love," the official instructed in an overly-rehearsed manner.

As Severus signed the document first, Hermione suddenly became nervous. Was she supposed to use Granger or Snape when she signed? No one had said when they explained the ceremony. Panicking slightly, she tugged on his sleeve and quickly whispered the question to him.

"Granger," he mumbled as he handed her the quill.

"You're sure?"

Snape fixed her with one of his characteristic stares, and she suddenly felt like a chastised student again. Swallowing nervously, she grabbed the feather and quickly scratched out her name on the indicated line. As she set down the quill and returned to his side, he wrapped his fingers around hers again.

"And to seal the bond?" the official eagerly intoned.

Bloody pervert, Severus thought as he noticed how the old, Ministry wizard's face lit up at the prospect of the required kiss. Glancing down at Hermione, he caught sight of her eyes staring up at him in fearful anticipation. Pushing the knowledge that she was a student out of his mind, he gently traced his finger along the side of her jaw-line and under her chin. Tilting her head back slightly, he lowered his mouth to meet hers.

Hermione sucked in a breath as his surprisingly soft lips pressed against her. As her eyes fluttered closed, she placed her free hand upon his chest and pushed back against the kiss. As the tip of his tongue teased her lips apart, she forgot all about her current situation. In her head, she was no longer joining her dreaded professor in a ruse of a marriage – she was simply having the best kiss of probably her entire life.

The flash of a camera bulb, however, brought her crashing back to the cruel reality of the world. Severus immediately pulled away from her, leaving her flushed, breathless, and wanting. She opened her eyes to see that Snape was equally flushed, with what looked like a trace of guilt in his darkened gaze.

She did not dwell on his expression much longer, though, as her attention was instantly caught by the marriage contract floating up from the altar. Their two signatures began to glow in a golden color, and amazingly enough, pulled up from the parchment to hang in the air above their heads. She watched in awe as her name shimmered like a sparkler, before changing from Hermione Jean Granger to Hermione Jean Snape. Her signature then collapsed into Snape's and they both disappeared with a flash, followed shortly by the contract itself. Simultaneously, a tingling warmth occurred in her left ring finger, and as she looked down she noticed the ring brightened slightly before settling back into its normal hue.

"Wonderful!" the official beamed and clapped his hands together. "As a representative of the Ministry of Magic, it is my express pleasure to pronounce the two of you wizard and wife!"

The clapping of the audience was louder than she had expected, and as she glanced over her shoulder, she noticed that a dozen or two Ministry workers had popped in to witness the ceremony and were now forming a long line. One by one, the guests came forward to shake Snape's hand and offer the couple their good tidings.

Kingsley had been one of the newcomers – though it was likely that had been by design and not happenstance as was the case with the rest. The newly appointed Head of the Auror Office gave Snape a firm handshake before clasping Hermione's hand and bringing it to his lips. She smiled at him softly, grateful to finally be personally recognized by someone.

"Thank you both," he whispered before disappearing back down the aisle.

"Oi, Professor," Fred grinned, clapping the glaring man on the back. "Don't let our Hermione push you around now."

"She can be a bit bossy," George smiled, grabbing hold of the groom's hand and pumping it heartily.

"Oi, Hermione." Fred winked. "Don't let our Professor push you around now."

"He can be a bit bossy," George smirked before kissing her hand.

Hermione glanced at the man beside her and was immediately thankful that their wedding had taken place in a public venue. The normally brooding man looked nearly ready to slaughter George and then use his lifeless body to strangle his twin. Tapping Snape on the hand, she silently reminded him of the need to keep up appearances. She knew he had understood, for after looking at her, he sighed loudly and donned a cheerier expression before politely shaking Arthur's hand.

The witch smiled at her success and was given a wink from the Weasley patriarch.

"If you ever are in need," Arthur whispered to her, "do not hesitate to ask."

She had barely managed an appreciative response before Molly pulled her into a crushing embrace. When her husband finally managed to tug the witch away, Hermione sighed and leaned slightly against Snape's arm for support. After another batch nameless Ministry faces passed by her without paying her much attention, she watched in amusement as Snape begrudgingly allowed himself to be pulled into a hug by Professor McGonagall.

"Don't let him bully you," the elder witch whispered into her ear as she, too, received a hug. "And if he does, you know exactly where my office is."

"Wotcher, Professor," Tonks beamed, holding out her hand expectantly. When Severus defeatedly grabbed hold of it, she dramatically narrowed her eyes. "Take care of my girl, or else. I, too, know exactly where Minerva's office is."

Snape rolled his eyes, and the temporarily-brunette Auror moved on to embrace Hermione. "Owl me with anything, and I'll Reducto the door if I have to."

The Gryffindor laughed and squeezed the other woman in return. "Thank you for being there."

"No worries, love," Tonks smiled, stepping back. She then waggled her brow and gestured with her head towards the groom. "You know I'll be expecting details."

Severus let out an exasperated groan and glared at the chuckling Headmaster, who was thankfully the last of the line. "If you ask for details –"

"You'll pitch me from the tower, I am well aware," Dumbledore smiled. "I merely wanted to wish the both of you the best, and I shall see you in the morning. Sleep well."

With a twinkle of his eye, he escorted Tonks from the dais and went to stand with the rest of the crowd.

"What are they waiting for?" Hermione asked out of the corner of her mouth.

Snape sighed. "For me to throw you over my shoulder and drag you back to the cave."

"That isn't fun—ny—oh god!" she gasped as he suddenly swept her up into his arms. Instinctively, she wrapped her arms around his neck and tried not to panic.

"Granger, you're not even five feet off the ground," he hissed as she tightened her grip while he stepped down from the marble platform. "There is no need for hyperventilation."

"Promise you won't drop me," she whispered as they began their trek down the aisle.

Severus snorted. "For Merlin's sake, I have cauldrons that weigh more than you do. I think I am perfectly capable of lugging you to the Floo Station without straining anything vital."

"The Floo Station?" she panted nervously. "That's like three floors away."

"Four, actually."

"Tell me you're taking the elevator."

He smirked upon reaching the double doors of the wedding chambers, which opened on their own. "I don't think it wise to begin our marriage with a lie, do you?"

Hermione whimpered and slammed her eyelids shut before burying her face into his shoulder.

As he reached the edge of the sweeping marble staircase, he adjusted the placement of his arms slightly, causing his bride to squeak in terror. Snape rolled his eyes. "Out of all of students in my care, I had to be shackled to the only one with a fear of heights."

"It isn't a fear of heights," she muttered without opening her eyes. "It's a fear of falling from said heights."

"And who wouldn't be afraid of plummeting the agonizing distance of four feet? The possibility of a bruised arse is a harrowing one indeed."

"I can't tell you how happy I am to have my husband mocking my irrational fears on my wedding day," she sputtered, peeking through one eye. "It's been an absolute fantasy of mine ever since I was a little girl."

"Had I known that," he sneered, "I would have forgone the Floo entirely in favor of whisking you away on my broom."

"Only if you had rendered me unconscious first."

"A tempting suggestion, I must admit." He paused pointedly on the next landing and gestured with her feet. "I do believe the Department of Magical Games and Sports is on this floor. Undoubtedly they would have a spare broom lying about that we could borrow."

"One step in that direction, and I swear to God I will send Professor McGonagall a patronus on the spot."

"My, my," he scoffed, "it seems that the Weasley twins were right about you after all."

"Okay, we've made it to your cave," she sighed after they spun out of the fireplace. "You can put me down now."

"So be it," he mumbled, suddenly removing the arm from beneath her knees.

Hermione cried out in surprise as her feet fell back to the ground. "You dropped me, you arse!"

"I did no such thing," he chided, smacking her hip lightly where his other arm was still wrapped around her waist. "In case you failed to notice, you are still maintaining a death grip on my neck. There was little risk of you actually falling to your death."

Sucking in a frustrated breath, the witch yanked her arms down and pulled away from him. Spinning slightly, she glanced around the room curiously. The furnishings were sparse and practical. A forest green sofa faced the fireplace from which they had just emerged, while the matching armchair sat across the room near an overflowing bookcase. A long table was pushed against the far wall and was covered in tidy stacks of student work, undoubtedly organized by class section.

A number of doors punctuated the walls periodically, and she eyed them with interest. "Do I get a tour?"

With a sigh, Severus extended his arms and gestured to each door in turn. "That is the entrance to my office. Through there is the hallway to my private lab – and I say private for a reason, Granger. That door opens near the entrance to the Slytherin Common Room. My quarters. The loo. And your room."

Her eyes widened slightly in surprise. "I have my own room?"

"You entertain the notion that I would suffer sharing my sleeping quarters with you?"

That he emphasized the word 'suffer' did not escape her, and she folded her arms indignantly. "I just assumed it would be expected of us, that's all."

"I would argue that we are submitting to enough expectations as it is."

That's certainly true, Hermione agreed as she stifled a yawn.

Snape glanced towards her room briefly. "The house-elves were to set out your things. If you wish a different arrangement, you may take up your complaints with them in the morning. As it is, I suggest you retire for the evening. The Board of Governors will be expecting us following breakfast."

As he turned to open the door to his bedroom, she bit her lip in confusion. "Wait!"

The wizard faced her with a raised brow.

"Don't we, erm, have to –"

"No," he answered firmly. "There will be no marriage bed. You may rest assured, Miss Granger, that this union will remain in name only."

"They won't know?"

Severus folded his arms and frowned at her. "The only way anyone would know is if you or I tell them."

"You're sure?"

He snorted and rolled his eyes. "Did you imagine a Ministry official standing over us with a clipboard waiting to check off on whether or not penetration has been achieved?"

Hermione flushed red and dropped her gaze to the floor.

"Or maybe some poor sod staring at a bell, waiting for it to ring in our joyous consummation? If that were true, the Weasleys would have worn out half a dozen bells at least. The Malfoys' bell on the other hand would be gathering dust. Honestly, Granger, do you really think the Ministry has nothing better to do than keep track of how often its constituents copulate?"

"Well how am I to know?" she muttered. "I have no bloody idea how wizarding marriages work! Fourteen hours ago I was being marinated like a piece of meat, for Merlin's sake! And just now you hauled me through the Ministry like a prize won at some stupid carnival!

"I may read a lot of books, Professor, but never any on marriage – magical or Muggle. It wasn't exactly an interest of mine. So forgive me if I'm a little behind the times."

Snape inhaled loudly but inclined his head in acknowledgement. "Barring a physical examination of your person – no, they won't know."

With that, Hermione let out a relieved sigh and felt as though a weight had been lifted from her shoulders. She closed her eyes for a second before in the direction of her room. "Good night then, I guess."

The Potions Master grunted in response and disappeared into his bed chamber, closing the door behind him with a click.

Pushing open her door, she peered in to find a comfortable-sized room with a double bed, wardrobe, full-length mirror, and bookshelf. Her books had all been tidily shelved; her chest was placed neatly at the foot of the bed; and her own bedding had been tucked onto the mattress.

Kicking off her shoes, the girl let out a small gasp at the feeling of the cold stone on her bare feet. She quickly set to finding her slippers, but paused upon seeing her reflection in the mirror. Straightening to her full height, she carefully examined her profile. She really did not look any different than she had that morning. There was nothing but the wedding gown and sparkling emerald on her left hand to indicate she was no longer the same, unattached student.

Hermione Granger was gone, and in her place was Hermione Snape.

"Mrs. Snape," she whispered before crinkling her nose. She certainly did not look old enough to be a Mrs. Anything. Blowing out a breath, she began to turn away from the mirror, stopping in horror upon catching sight of the long row of buttons down her spine. Wincing, she tried contorting her arms to reach them, but sighed with the realization that her elbows simply did not bend that way.

She bit her lip as she considered what to do. She knew there were charms for removing clothing, but having never performed them before, she was not about to do it on an irreplaceable garment that did not even belong to her. As the bodice was fitted, pulling it over her head or slipping it down her hips was completely out of the question.

"Well, shite."

There really was only one option left.

Severus had just removed the outer layer of his dress robes when a quiet knocking sounded on his bedroom door. Grimacing slightly, he stood from the edge of his bed and yanked open the door to stare down at his sheepish-looking bride. "What?"

"Erm," she blew out a deep breath and mumbled something intelligible.

"If you expect for me to understand what you're saying, the actual enunciation of your words is required."

Hermione frowned and stared at the ring on his finger as she fumbled with her skirt. "I need assistance with my buttons."

"Your buttons?" When the girl gathered up the short train of the gown and slowly spun her back towards him, he groaned softly. "Why in all that is holy do you have so many buttons?"

"You're one to talk," she muttered quietly. "Not to mention the wizarding world hasn't exactly progressed to zippers – which I would have needed help with anyway. I would have asked Professor McGonagall, but seeing as I've been informed that the happy couple is not to be seen or heard from on their wedding night, I didn't think it proper. Now will you help, or not?"

Snape sighed, but leaned against the doorframe and set to work on the first button at the base of her neck. "There are no more than ten buttons on any of my regular articles of clothing, and my dress robes have only fifteen. You have a ridiculous forty-five."

"That many actually?" she asked, slightly interested.

"Yes," he huffed, cursing a second later when his finger slipped from the sixth button. "Just how exactly were you meant to get out of this bloody garment on your own?"

Hermione cleared her throat nervously. "I don't think the dress was designed with that in mind actually. I rather think it was intended for someone else to remove it."

The wizard froze suddenly with the realization he was actually in the process of disrobing his student. He grimaced and stared at ceiling for a long second before gathering enough strength to carry on in his present task. "And in the mad dash for your maidenhead, a dunderheaded groom is supposed to have the patience to carefully undo forty-five satin buttons?"

The girl blushed slightly and shook her head. "I suppose it wasn't that well thought out after all. Perhaps someone should introduce them to Velcro?"

Severus snorted at the thought of Albus Dumbledore cheerily playing with his robes while he sat at his desk – pulling apart the Velcro strips and then pushing them back together again. "As practical as that sounds in theory, I don't believe the execution would be desirable in the least."

She raised a curious eyebrow and turned to look at him over her shoulder.

"If you insist on fidgeting, I will leave you to rot in this gown."

Hermione rolled her eyes and faced the sitting room once again. As she took in a deep breath, it pulled the two sides of the dress apart, revealing a larger expanse of her bare skin.

The Potions Master swallowed uncomfortably as he pushed the next button through its hole. He glared above her head, blindly continuing his work. He was not going to look at her creamy flesh. He was not going to notice how its smooth surface immediately puckered into raised bumps upon exposure to the cold dungeon air. He was not going to think about the pleasant heat and energy exuding from her body. He was not going to –

Bloody buggering hell. He was looking. He was already ogling the backside of his student and still had another twenty-seven buttons to go. He tried closing his eyes, but found that the images behind his eyelids were worse than the one in front of them. And without his sight, he accidentally missed the next button.

Hermione shivered and tensed at the slight touch of his fingers against her spine. Severus immediately threw open his eyes and yanked back his hand.

Student…student…student… He began chanting in his head. Bushy-haired… know-it-all… arm-waving… incessant badgering…Potter worshipping…student…student…student…

Good god. He could not do this much longer. He cleared his throat loudly. "Can you reach the rest?"

"Erm…"

She reached back with one hand to check, and Severus scowled as her fingers failed to reach the highest six buttons. Groaning internally, he smacked her hand away and tried not to focus on what he was doing. "Remind me why we must preserve the sanctity of this dress?"

"Because it belongs to Professor McGonagall," she sighed.

Oh, sweet relief! If there was anything that could obliterate the rising tension in his trousers, the picture of the austere Deputy Headmistress was surely it. With the disturbing image of undoing Minerva's buttons firmly planted in his mind, he quickly completed his task and sent the girl away to finish the undressing process herself.

Slamming the door shut, he sagged against it and let out a pained growl.

"Student," he whispered, beating his forehead repeatedly against the thick oak door. "Student…student…student…"

After waiting long enough to assume that Granger had successfully made it into her pajamas and was securely tucked into bed with her virginity still intact, Severus finally deemed it safe to leave his room. Quickly he made his way toward the bathroom door, pushing it open just enough to slip through into the darkened room and then shutting it with a snap. He turned on his heel and made the familiar trek in the dark towards the commode.

When a loud crunch sounded beneath his foot, however, he stopped cold in his tracks. Wordlessly lighting the wall sconces, he glanced down in surprise to see that he had stepped squarely in the middle of a litter box.

"Of course she has to have a sodding cat!" he shouted heatedly. With a scowl, he kicked the box towards the far wall of the room, sending the tiny pebbles skittering across the floor. He blew out a frustrated puff of air, but decided to leave the mess for the house elves to deal with after he went to bed.

If he were to scoop it up himself, he would be hard pressed to stop himself from dumping the contents of the box in between Albus's bed sheets.