CHAPTER 6

HERMIONE'S ROOM

Hermione's stomach grumbled loudly. She chided her stomach and rolled over on her bed. Her stomach protested again, this time even louder than the last.

She pulled off her covers, got out of bed and tip toed down the stairs to the kitchen. The house was so huge, every noise seemed amplified.

KITCHEN

She got to the kitchen and opened the fridge door. Milk. No. Vegetables. No. Fruit. No. She slammed the fridge door shut. What did she expect? This was Severus Snape's fridge. He could not possibly have chocolate or ice cream.

She went through the cupboards systematically. No. Nothing. This search was fruitless. She opened the final cupboard.

"Thank Merlin" she exclaimed. Maybe her hunger was making her see things. But she could see it. She could see it. Bertie Bott's Every Flavour Beans and bread on the top shelf!

And it had to be put it on the upper most shelf. She tried to reach it on her tip toes and just missed. She gritted her teeth in frustration. She tried to jump up and get it but her fingers wouldn't reach it.

SNAPE'S ROOM

He just stared at the roof from his bed. Maybe this was all a nightmare and he could wake up back to his normal life. He had had to let Hermione stay there. She had talked him into being civil and to deal with everything in the morning. In a fit, he had even ordered the elves to throw away the food. The elves were probably in their quarters sleeping. Now he was hungry.

KITCHEN

She tried again but to no avail.

Then she felt something hard and warm on her back and saw a male hand. As her mind registered whose hand it was, every hair on the back of neck stood on end. Every single one. His firm body pressed against hers as he reached for the food. It also registered that her professor was wearing a very thin shirt. Since she was only wearing a tank top herself, there was more skin on skin contact than she would have personally liked.

She turned around to give him a piece of her mind but he was so close that he lost his footing and fell backwards pulling her with him. She was on top of him. Caught off guard all Snape could do was stare into her eyes, his mind registering the brownness of her eyes. She swallowed her nervousness as she parted from him and got up.

"Why are you here?" she asked in a whisper, avoiding his gaze. She hadn't noticed the increase in her heart beat.

"Miss. Granger, I think you suffer from amnesia. This is my house." he was being his usual self again.

"I don't suffer from amnesia. It's called hope. I'm hoping that I will wake up from this nightmare of being stuck in your house and your life!"

She turned to go, when he stopped her and shoved the box of food into her hands.

NEXT MORNING

SNAPE'S ROOM

Snape woke to the batting of an owl on his window. Groggily he got up and let it in. It delivered a scroll and went its way. What in the Merlin's name couldn't wait? He opened the scroll to find out that the nightmare from yesterday followed.

"Congratulations on your marriage to Hermione Granger, Mr. Severus Snape.

We expect you to announce your marriage reception and ceremony for friends and family within a week.

Attached herewith is a copy of the marriage certificate.

Thanking you,

The Ministry of Magic"

HERMIONE'S ROOM

She put down the scroll in frustration. This definitely would get to the nerves of Professor Snape. And as expected she heard Snape's voice from across the hall, "MISS. GRANGER!"

Dejected, she exited the room to his hallway.

HALLWAY

"Professor Snape."

"We are going to the Ministry and get this thing over with."

"But, they can't do anything."

"So, what? We have to live together for the rest of our lives? Do you really want that, Miss. Granger?" his voice dripping with hatred. He was too close for her likeness.

She stepped back, "Professor…"

He stepped forward, "What, Miss Granger?"

She took yet a step backward, "I…"

He stepped forward, "Do you really want to be Mrs. Snape?"

She stepped backward, her back hitting the wall, "Prof…"

He stepped forward and jailed her between his hands and said in a whisper, "Mrs. Snape for the rest of your lives."

A shudder went down her spine. Not the scary one but an unknowingly comforting one. For some reason, she really did like the sound of Mrs. Snape. Her gaze traveled from his menacing eyes to his sharp nose down to his perfectly kissable lips. What the hell was she thinking?

Angry at herself for thinking like this, she freed herself from his hold, "Professor, I know a way out."

Snape breathed out a sigh of relief, "Why didn't you tell me yesterday?"

"Because you were not ready to listen."

"Ok. What is it?"

"When either of us has an affair with another person, the marriage breaks off but the person who gets cheated will have their mind oblivated."

"Why?"

"So that the person who gets cheated doesn't feel the pain of the treachery."

"Fair enough."

He wasn't sure if he liked the idea of his mind being oblivated of memories with Hermione.

He took a deep breath and said, "My dear wife, please go and sleep with someone."

(TO BE CONTINUED)