Chapter 69: In Which We Discuss Love

This time, when he heard Severus' voice coming out of his Floo, Arthur was not startled. He was beginning to get used to the idea that Snape would soon be the newest member of his family.

That is, if the two of them ever get to it and actually get married. Ginny had told him that a date was in the offing, so maybe they were getting closer, but so too was the deadline.

"Hello Severus."

"Hello Arthur, do you have time to talk?"

"Not right this second, but I've got a free lunch period in two hours."

"Can I buy you lunch then?"

"I always accept offers of lunch." Severus named one of the new pubs in Diagon Alley, and Arthur gave him a time.

Arthur was running a tad late, so when he entered the pub Snape was already sitting with a beer in front of him. Arthur joined him, made his apologies, and waved for the waitress to join them. He gave the menu a quick glance, ordered, and in a matter of seconds had a drink sitting in front of him as well.

"Now that that's sorted, what can I do for you Severus?"

Severus looked at him, almost as if he was seeing Arthur for the first time. The man who entered the pub had been brisk and competent. Snape felt better about his best man choice by the second.

"I'm looking for a best man."

Arthur thought for a moment. "I suppose Harry would do it for you."

"No. I meant would you be my best man?" Both men looked surprised at the idea.

"I've never been a best man. Father of the Bride, Father of the Groom, eight times," he sighed. "Percy's got to stop getting married, and, of course, the groom himself, way back in the dark ages, but never a best man. What would I have to do?"

"Making sure I show up at the wedding, stand next to me when I say my vows, provide a sounding board for said vows, bachelor dinner hosting, and I believe there's a speech at the wedding. But I'll settle for standing next to me at the ceremony and someone to bounce vow ideas off of."

"Would I get to wear a suit? I've never worn a muggle suit, and I think I might look rather snazzy in one."

"Hermione tells me the Patil sisters are interested in making my wedding suit, I don't see why they couldn't do one for you, as well."

"Sold. So, what do you have?"

"What do I have?"

"Vows, man. What do you have?"

Severus was saved from answering immediately by the arrival of their lunches. He bit into a chip and thought while chewing. After swallowing he said, "Not much. I know what wedding vows are supposed to have. Love, honour, cherish, forsaking until we die. I get that. But, look, we're having a great time, and we're awfully fond of each other, but this started as an arrangement of convenience. And, I don't know if she sees me as anything besides a pleasant companion. And I do know I'm very much not Ron." Both of the men chewed quietly while Arthur thought of how best to answer Severus.

"No, you aren't. Molly and I love Hermione, she's more our daughter than Robert and Jean's. We love Ron. But, one thing we've worked long and hard at is seeing the person who is actually there. We've tried to hold no illusions about our children; we probably haven't fully succeeded, but we've tried.

"I don't think Ron and Hermione would have worked out, what's more Molly didn't think it would, either. They were a lovely couple for a first, young love. But he didn't make it home, and Hermione was left with a vision of her first love that didn't necessarily correspond with who Ron actually was. If they had had the chance to have a normal courtship, they would have noticed that they weren't suited for a long term romantic relationship. If they had had the chance to break up, she would have noticed that she was more suited to someone like you or Percy: someone more thoughtful, scholarly.

"I think she's finally noticed there are options outside of tall, ginger, and handsome." Arthur took another bite of his sandwich. "Do you love her?"

Snape didn't answer for a long time. He was also getting to the point of seeing more in the world than tall, ginger, and pretty. "I don't know. I like to think that I could. But, it's not like it was before."

"Severus when was the last time you actually sat down and thought about what love means?"

Severus didn't have to answer. Arthur knew the answer was never. "Your first love was effortless. You saw her and suddenly all was right in the world? You were in love, and nothing has ever quite lived up to it?" Snape nodded. Arthur continued, "But you're an adult now, and you must be old enough to know that nothing is really effortless."

Arthur took a drink, ate a bit of his sandwich, and continued, "Look, I married my childhood love. I fell in love with Molly long before we went to Hogwarts. And I was lucky because the childhood love helped both of us to get past the less than perfect bits. We were so used to being in love, that it carried us through the early rough bits, and provided us with a foundation to build off of as we got older. But I can tell you, the childhood love, it's not there anymore. And it wouldn't be because we aren't children anymore.

"Will you honour her? Do you cherish her? Is your life better off for having her in it? Do you miss her when she's gone? Do you want her with you as you age? Do you want your children to be hers? Does her happiness enrich you? Will you take up her burdens and give her yours?"

"Yes." The answer came easily to Severus.

"Then what other word would you use to describe that? Look, Molly and I have been together a long time. The heart pounding passion fades. It comes back now and again, but it's not permanent. The stuff I just asked you about, that's what lasts. That's the heart of love. That's what keeps you going through the hard times. When you feel like your heart is so broken it will never heal, that's the balm that makes the pain bearable. If you feel that way about her, you love her man. So you might as well tell her, and trust me, sooner is better than later.

"In many ways a wedding, and the vows that go with it, are about hope. Hope that you'll be able to do it. Hope that you'll love each other in the years to come. If you're lucky, and I hope to God that you are, you'll never have to deal with anything more trying than burying her parents. If you're not..." Arthur's voice caught. He cleared his throat and kept speaking. "If you're not, that's when you'll know for sure. If she's still there when all has gone to hell and your heart is ripped into a thousand pieces, you'll know. Until you get there, it's all about hope.

"Think about that, come up with some vows, and I'll be happy to listen to them. Now, tell me about this speech thing, or better yet, tell me about suits..."

Snape sat in his study, thinking about what Arthur said. He had a pad of legal paper and his favourite pen (quills and parchment were great for formal correspondence, for jotting down notes, he was happier with his muggle writing instruments.) His chair was comfortable. The tea at his side was one of his own blends. All he had to do was figure out what to say and how to say it.

He drummed his fingers. The clock ticked. Inspiration hit. He went to his music collection, grabbed anything that could possibly be called a love song, and brought it up to his study. He loaded the disks into his CD player. Scarborough Fair from Simon and Garfunkel began to flow through the room. When did I buy this? He shook his head; it wasn't his usual musical taste. Nice enough though, 'she once was a true love of mine…'

Inspiration hit again. He wrote down his proposal.

Marry me, build a life with me, grow old with me, share my home, and my bed, and my name. Be my comfort and joy, and let me be yours until we quit this world.

Now, turn that into vows. He found himself doodling on the side of the page. Come on man! How hard can this be?

His pen flew over the paper. I Severus Snape, take you Hermione Granger to be my lawfully wedded wife, to have and to hold, for better or for worse, for richer or poorer, in sickness and in health, for as long as we both shall live.

He crumpled the page and tossed it toward his rubbish bin. New vows! Vows that say something about love! Not some tired retread that she heard at each of Percy's ten thousand weddings.

The sound of the song behind him made it through his mind and onto the page before he really noticed what he was writing. 'And wild, wild horses couldn't drag me away.' Crumple. Toss.

What are we doing? Getting married? Well, yes, any idiot knows that. It's a binding ceremony. Bind is a good word. He wrote it on a fresh piece of paper.

'I bind my life to yours.' He lifted his pen, and looked at that line for a good minute. I like that, it's a good start. That really covers all the hoops, do I need anything else? Depends, do you want her to all but swoon at your feet from the power of your deeply felt romantic words? If not, then yes, you're done.

He clutched the pen. Words poured out rapidly. I bind my hope to yours. I bind my joy to yours. I bind my sorrow to yours. I will honour you. I will cherish you. He stared at the paper, knowing what went next, willing his fingers to move. He felt his resistance break, and with it a surge of joy filled him.

I will love you.

He had done it, written it; all that was left was to say it in his own mind. I love you Hermione. I love you.