Chapter 17: Mix Of Emotions
{A/N: Just go with it}
My thanks to all my readers and reviewers...Enjoy-S.S.
The Infirmary, Hogwarts...
The last thing Hermione Granger-Snape recalled, she was standing in the middle of a corridor arguing with her husband about his supposed affairs with random women including Draco's deranged aunt Bellatrix LeStrange. She slapped him across the face. After taking in the shocked expression he wore she collapsed in his arms. She had been rather surprised to see him sitting across from her in a chair with his lean arms folded across his ebony clad chest. His pale face had been seemingly frozen beneath a mask of indifference as he watched her still silent. As her vision focused she narrowed her amber eyes at her husband.
"Why are you here?" she asked in a bitter tone.
Snape had not understood her sudden coldness.
Is she angry with me?
What the hell could I have done to warrant this?
"One would think that being married one's spouse would be contacted to look after them." he said annoyed at her coldness.
"I'm fine." said Hermione still in a bitter tone. "You can go back to your "appointments"...I'm sure they're more important."
Snape arched an eyebrow at this.
Something is definitely up.
She's never actually...
Suddenly Hermione felt the less than subtle intrusion of someone invading her mind. Snape sifted through her thoughts and memories and found the source of her sudden disdain for him.
So she knows thanks to my so called godson...but not the whole story.
Seeing all he needed to see Snape pulled out of her mind and got to his feet.
"In the future Mrs. Snape, I would suggest that if you were going to spy you'd better be sure you have all the information before you make the decision to act." he said with some bitterness of his own. "That meeting was to tell an old friend that I have my attentions elsewhere...and what passed between us has ended."
"Looked like it was a continued affair to me." snapped Hermione bitterly.
Snape glared murderously at his wife.
He couldn't believe they were actually discussing infidelity, like this was some sort of real marriage.
"It may interest you to know, Mrs. Snape that due to our marriage I have not touched any other witch of my own free will." he said making sure to keep his expression neutral given his rage at Draco's interference.
"What does that mean of your own free will?" asked Hermione annoyed.
Before Snape could answer Madam Pomfrey entered the infirmary with a hesitant look about her. Snape observed this and arched an eyebrow at the peculiar scenario. The Med-witch had been completely stunned when Dumbledore told her that Hermione was to marry Severus Snape. She had thought the whole thing was crazy but seeing as they seemed to function like any other married couple, she put aside her personal opinion as it was made clear Severus had been against this from the very beginning and it was only an attempt to keep the young Gryffindor witch safe from the irreparable harm the Marriage Law would have caused her had she been married off to a more devoted death eater at Voldemort's behest.
"Hermione dear." said Madam Pomfrey in a calm tone. "There is an urgent matter, I must discuss with you...I'll give you time to..."
"No need." Hermione said cutting her off. "My so called husband was just leaving."
Snape glared at her once more, obviously hurt by her coldness.
"It seems my company is unwanted." he said in an emotionless tone despite the flicker of pain behind is obsidian eyes. "Perhaps, I should stay away altogether if that would please you?"
"Don't do me any favors." said Hermione still bitter about what she witnessed in the field.
The Potions Professor got to his feet and left the infirmary without giving her so much as a sideways glance or another word passing from his pale lips. Madam Pomfrey sighed as she recalled the flicker of uncertainty on the Potions Master's face. To be honest, she felt for the poor wizard. He had no idea what he was in for given all the implications of his marriage to such a young witch not to mention what he would have to endure with Voldemort back and causing all kinds of havoc.
"I really wish you wouldn't be so hard on him dear." said The Med-witch sadly. "Severus, is not use to having to account for someone other than himself."
"I'll say." said Hermione before she could catch her tone.
Thankfully, Madam Pomfrey didn't take offense.
"I'll not inquire as to how he's earned your ire but there is something you must eventually discuss with him." she said with a serious expression.
Hermione suddenly caught her words.
"What do you mean?" she asked suddenly fearful.
He couldn't possibly have given her some kind of disease could he?
It wouldn't be that much of a surprise considering his taste in unsavory witches.
If he did I am so going to kill him.
"Hermione." said Madam Pomfrey with a strangely maternal look in her now shimmering eyes. "Miss Granger...I don't know how best to tell you this...except to come out and say it."
Hermione's eyes widened in terror.
Oh Merlin he has given me something.
I just hope it's curable.
Madam Pomfrey took her by the hand and offered her a warm smile.
"You're pregnant my dear." she said in the warmest tone possible.
Hermione's mouth dropped open much like Ron's when ever someone said something that caught him by surprise. The bushy haired witch blinked and layed back down on the bed. She couldn't believe what she had just been told.
She was pregnant.
The greasy git had gotten her pregnant.
And after all he had done with Bellatrix the last thing she wanted was to have the insufferable git's child.
Tears streamed down the cheeks of the young amber eyed witch. She didn't know the first thing about being a mother and what was worse, her pregnancy would have to remain a secret from even her closest friends.
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The Corridors, Hogwarts Castle, Wizarding World...
Snape had been irate as he made his way down the hall snapping at whatever student was unlucky enough to cross his path giving out numerous detentions just because the wind blew in his direction. He had been well on his way toward his quarters when he caught sight of Draco. The little snake had darted around the corner as soon as he noted his godfather's murderous gaze falling upon him. As fast as the young wizard had been Snape was much faster and he descended on the boy in seconds like a panther capturing it's prey.
Draco groaned when Snape slung him against the hard wall by his collar.
"Ahhhh!" he shouted in reaction.
The junior Malfoy found himself dangling due to the strength and impressive height of his godfather.
"L-Let me go." demanded Draco mistakenly believing his Pureblood brat nature would serve him here.
"Enough." said Snape in a chilling tone that instantly quieted the boy.
The young albino blond's gray eyes widened with fear as he found them meeting the icy obsidian of his godfather's.
"You have done quite enough, Draco." said Snape still in the chilling tone. "You're little interference has set me back a great deal with my progress for the dark lord."
Draco's eyes widened further at the mention of this.
"I-I-didn't know...Uncle." he said frantic. "P-Please don't tell him...don't tell father."
Snape tightened his grip on his godson's collar effectively choking him with rage beyond that of the boy's comprehension.
"You stupid fool!" said Snape dangerously. "The dark lord cares only for his progress against Potter, you could very well have ruined my entire plan and whats worse he will start to issue out punishments...you know nothing of what he's capable of."
Draco's gray eyes glinted with the mist of would be tears but he refused to cry in front of his godfather.
"I-I apologize Uncle." said Draco dutifully once Snape eased his grip some. "I-I should have remembered my place..."
Snape sighed letting the boy fall to the cold hard ground below.
"You idiot." he said bitterly. "It will only be a matter of seconds before he knows and..."
The intense burning sensation from his right forearm went through him like electricity.
"Too late." finished Snape meeting Draco's eyes once again.
The junior Malfoy had not known what to say or do. He had seen when Lucius had been summoned before the dark lord and how much the agony affected him. Sometimes it was a crippling pain. Snape seemed to be managing well but then again the boy often heard his godfather had a high tolerance for pain.
"Get to your dorm." instructed Snape. "Quickly!"
"B-But Uncle..." started the boy.
"DO AS I SAY!" shouted Snape with urgency.
At this Draco took off as fast as he could. His chest burned and his neck heart but he was more worried about what the dark lord would do to his uncle once he got word of his evident failure with Hermione Granger.
Snape made his way into his quarters, got dressed in his robes and pulled on his mask.
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Throne Room, Unknown Location, Wizarding World...
The intense glare from one very enraged dark lord had been seemingly burning into the very being of one Severus Sebastian Snape as he stood before him bound and trembling from the effects of the unforgivable cast upon him. His body had been soaked with perspiration and the slickness of his oozing blood had not made it any easier.
The Potions Master had filled the dark lord in on his failure with Hermione but made sure to leave out Draco's involvement to spare the boy the dark lord's wrath much to both Lucius and Narcissa's collective relief.
Disgusted by Snape's evident failure Voldemort extracted a brutal punishment upon his Half-Blood subject, via Bellatrix LeStrange. As the deranged witch continued to curse him, Snape offered her a subtle smirk before he lost consciousness.
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Malfoy Manor, Wizarding World...
Lucius had been pacing the halls fearful of Snape's condition. He had not awoken in four days and it wasn't looking too good for the dour wizard. To ensure that no one suspected anything amiss on Snape's part Lucius had been using a Polyjuice form of Snape to cover his classes though he always left when the job was done and steered clear of both Dumbledore and Hermione Granger-Snape.
Severus had been tended to by Narcissa personally as Lucius had not wanted Bellatrix anywhere near him. Despite this Bellatrix still found herself locked in a room alone with a recovering Severus Snape.
The dark eyes of the pale witch were focused on the sleeping wizard. She had not meant to hurt him this badly. The thought of him leaving her after all these years to be with some Mudblood witch was just too much. He had been her unofficial lover since he was 17 years old and barely out of Hogwarts. They had even had a son together.
Bellatrix sighed as she shed her clothes and climbed into bed with the bandaged Snape. The scent of jasmine caught him and his mind traveled back to Hogwarts. His body reacted believing the witch beside him to be his wife.
"I'm sorry." said Snape weak and still asleep.
It was clear that Snape had been dreaming but given the delusional mind of Bellatrix, she had heard what she wanted to hear from the ailing dark wizard.
"I need you." said Snape still asleep.
In his mind, the dour wizard had been seeing Hermione Granger still treat him with a rather cold response.
Ironically, it was an old memory of him and Lily but for some reason his mental guilt had changed his old friend into Hermione. It certainly seemed like the same pattern of rage and contempt.
"I need you too." said Bellatrix pressing her lips into his pale ones.
She rested her head on his chest and fell asleep dreaming sweet dreams of violence and isolation.
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Snape's Quarters, Hogwarts Castle, Wizarding World...
Hermione had been staring up at the ceiling for what seemed like hours. Severus had spent most of the morning ignoring her and getting on with his classes as if she had not been there. She should have been relieved that he appeared to have taken the hint and left her alone but then she thought back to what Madam Pomfrey had told her.
Despite the obvious symptoms she felt of the past few weeks, the fatigue, tender breasts, and frequent urination. The more the bushy haired witch thought about it the more it all seemed to make sense.
There was even more binging on chocolate and toffee nut bars.
With a sigh Mrs. Hermione Snape turned her attention to the empty side of her husband's bed. It wasn't like him to be gone this long. She was fearful of how he would react to her once he found out that she was pregnant.
A marriage had already been forced on the clearly emotionally unstable man but how would he feel about a child?