AN: Okay, I may have taken a few liberties with Severus' personal history, and his younger personality, but I promise it'll blend in along the way, so if it seems completely off to you, I'm sorry, can you just try to maybe skim over the not so blended edges? Just for now...

Again, thanks to everyone who reviewed and whatnot; it's quite silly how happy knowing people are reading this and not hating it makes me :)

Disclaimer: If it sounds familiar I don't own it.

Chapter Three

"From the top, Mione, tell me everything." Ginny leaned eagerly across the kitchen table at the Burrow, keeping her voice low. Hermione sipped her hot chocolate and thought for a moment. When she had announced yesterday that she was going to the ministry to get herself out of marrying her once professor, she had not expected to come out vowing that she would marry him if it was the last thing she did. She also wasn't too certain how Ginny would take the news of her dramatic turn around.

"Well, it didn't exactly go to plan, you see, when I got there, he was already there." She then proceeded to outline the morning's events. Ginny, who was a well practiced audience, made all the right comments in all the right places. Until finally, "and then he said he'd 'rather become one of the muggle homeless than marry you'." Hermione declared in her best angry potions master imitation, reassuring her friend that she was not upset by this.

"Ouch." Ginny responded, but the moment passed quickly, "what did you say to that?"

"Well, nothing really, because he stormed off, you know, how he does, only he wasn't wearing his billowy robes so it didn't quite have that 'I'm a giant storm cloud' thing going on." They shared a moment of laughter, quickly hushed by Mrs Weasley glancing over at them. "Anyways, turns out that if he won't marry me, I'll either be banished with him, or I'll be forced to marry some random Death Eater." She said, skirting neatly over the fact that she had already decided she was going to marry him just to prove her point.

"News flash, he is a Death Eater!" Ginny reminded her, a little louder than she had intended.

"I hope you two aren't talking about Severus Snape because you know very well –"

"yes, mum, we know, he was on our side all along and we should be very grateful for all he sacrificed" Ginny placated her mother in monotone, before smirking at Hermione and saying in a much quieter voice, so that Hermione also had to lean in to hear her. "so, how are you going to get him to marry you?"

"I just don't know, I mean, I don't think that trying to guilt him with getting me banished would work and while I don't believe he would force anyone to marry one of the rabble in Azkaban, that's not really something I want to push my luck with because, as you pointed out, he could easily have been one of them. I don't want him to think that that side of him horrifies me, you know, I want this to be a good marriage. I know it's not ideal circumstance, but I reckon we have enough in common to at least be able to stand each others company." Hermione paused in thought for a moment.

"You could always just try to seduce him." Ginny suggested with a determinedly straight face.

"Do you not think that might be a bit, well, obvious? No, it needs to be subtle. We'll just have to have a think while we're out shopping, maybe something in Diagon Alley will give us inspiration."

Right on time, Mrs Weasley called, "Okay Girls, here comes Minerva, are you ready to go?"

Ten minutes later the four witches were wandering between the shops. Hermione and Ginny hanging back a little and still muttering to each other, so engrossed in their plots that they failed to notice that Minerva and Mrs Weasley had a very similar topic of conversation.

"You know, I could have guessed they'd be paired together, Molly," Minerva said conspiratorially, glancing over her shoulder to check the girls weren't listening. "I taught both of them, after all, and all their test scores came back within a few points of each other and way ahead of everyone else. Then there's all the time they would spend in the library, reading and researching. I've never known two students who put as much effort into their work and enjoyed doing it. "

"But, Minerva, he's so... cold and shut off and Hermione's so bright and bubbly. They may have a similar intellect but you can't honestly say they're a match on personality." Molly replied a little anxiously. It wasn't that she disliked Severus, in fact, quite the opposite; she had always had something of a soft spot in her maternal nature for the man when he was younger. It was just that she couldn't see either him or Hermione being truly happy in their marriage.

"That's the thing, though, isn't it, just imagine for a moment that Severus hadn't been completely isolated during his last few years at school. Just imagine that Lily, god rest her soul, could have fond it in herself to forgive him, or that those marauders hadn't made his life quite so difficult. Imagine that Lily had lived and he didn't have to carry around that burden with him. Don't you think, that had that bright young man been able to flourish, just as Hermione has, that he might not be quite so cold and shut off? You must remember what he was like when he first joined the order, even."

"Oh, he was such a polite young man, wasn't he? always please and thank you, and let me help you with that." Molly smiled indulgently. "I remember, when he came back to the burrow for that meeting after he'd been to that revel,"

"The one where they caught the spy?"

"Yes, that one, paler than a ghost he was and shaking so bad he couldn't hold the calming draught Poppy had made him. I told Dumbledore, I said, he's too young, Albus, you can't ask him to go back knowing that's what they'll do to him if he gets caught, or even suspected. Then, not a month later he lost Lily. Dumbledore brought him to us, you know, after he told him. I looked after the poor lamb, but he didn't speak to anyone, he wouldn't eat anything, just sat there, it was like he was just a shell, you know, just like he'd had the kiss or something."

"Poor boy" Minerva echoed, nodding understandingly.

"Then, just when I thought he'd never speak again, Dumbledore turned up and suddenly he's off back up to the school to teach again! Well, I thought maybe that'd bring him back to himself a bit you know, but then next thing I hear is when our Bill started at Hogwarts and all he can go on about is this horrid potions master who'll knock points off if you blink too frequently."

"Oh, he's not that bad, you just have to know how to... handle him. I know he terrorises the students and I know that when he was on the staff at Hogwarts many of the teachers found him to be, unapproachable at best, but he's never really crossed that line; you only ever get defensive wounds from going against Severus. He's a powerful individual and I'm certain that he could have done allot more damage in that year when he was headmaster than he did. Of course, at the time it didn't seem like it, but hindsight is a wonderful thing."

"I suppose I'll just have to try harder to see the young man he grew out of." Molly sighed, "But for now, how are we going to help him and Hermione along the way? I heard her telling Ginny earlier that he's actually threatened to go muggle rather than marry her. You don't think he means it do you?"

Minerva shook her head emphatically, "of course not, you know Severus, it has to be on his terms or it's not happening. He just needs to think that it's all his idea, Hermione's an intelligent girl, I'm sure she'll figure that out soon enough. In the meantime, I have a couple of plans I can put into action, just to prod them in the right direction." Molly had always thought that it was just Albus' nature to meddle in other people's lives, but now she wondered if maybe it wasn't somehow woven into the contract of being head of Hogwarts.

-#x#-

Severus needed to get out of the house. He needed a distraction. He needed something to stop him from hearing her confident, challenging voice in his head, Do you know, I think I might quite enjoy being married to you, obviously someone needs to show you that not everything in life is black and white, or more, red and green. How dare she? He most definitely did not need anyone to show him anything. Who was she to presume that she could change his views of the world? More over, what the hell made her think he would marry a... a... a Gryffindor like her.

He would go to Diagon Alley. He had received an owl informing him that his latest ingredients order was ready to be collected, he could browse the book store for a while, maybe have lunch in the Leaky Cauldron, then he would come home, calm and refreshed and he could get on with some serious brewing, maybe finalise the latest of the recipe alterations he had made in his research. Yes, that was it; he would throw himself into his research and forget all about his... marriage problems. Wait, marriage problems? He wasn't even married yet! He wasn't even getting married! That was it; he had to get out of the house. Now. With a swish of cloak and a crack like a whip, Severus left his home at Spinners End for the hustle and bustle of the main shopping district.

It was quite gratifying to stride down the middle of the cobbled street and see the crowds part before him. What was not so gratifying were the seemingly ever present whispers behind hands and the occasional open pointing. That's what you get for following orders that shock the world. He knew there was still some out there who disagreed with the ministry's decision to give him his freedom, let alone return his wand. The display in the window of Flourish and Blotts caught his eye, perhaps he would call in there first; it was on his way to the apothecary after all. Turning off, he inwardly smiled as people pretty much scrambled out of his way. He may not be a teacher anymore, but by Merlin, he still had it... whatever 'it' was.

He knew he had made the right decision as soon as he stepped through the door and smelt that fresh yet slightly musty smell that can only be produced by hundreds, maybe even thousands of books all together in one place. Old books, bound in leather (and some other more exotic coverings). New books, freshly printed just waiting to be thumbed through. Severus took a deep breath and prepared to loose himself in the world of paper. Tracing the spines before him almost reverently with a long slender finger, Severus no longer cared about the continued whispering, nor did he notice that the very woman he was trying to avoid thinking about had just walked through the door, red-head sidekick in tow.

Hermione and Ginny, having left Mrs Weasley and Minerva outside Fortesques, had come into Flourish & Blotts mainly on Hermione's insistence that a new book would help her think. Ginny was not convinced, but then, Hermione had discovered instructions for stranger things in books. Upon entering the store, Ginny had to resist rolling her eyes as Hermione heaved a contented sigh and immediately vanished into the towering shelves.

Hermione read every title as she passed, grazing each title with her finger as she moved down the aisles, completely unaware of her surroundings, it was just her and the books. Suddenly, there it was, the book she was looking for, though she had not realised it until now. An old book, bound in dark brown leather, its pages frayed from years of faithful service to one owner or another. She reached out for it and closed her fingers over its delicate spine; only it didn't feel like a leather bound book should feel. In fact, she had never felt a spine feel quite so... tense. Very slowly as if rousing from a dream, Hermione realised that the spine of the book had changed colour, no longer was it dark brown, no, it was the colour of pale flesh, and it had changed shape too. Now it looked more like a row of fingers that a book. Indeed, said fingers were attached to a hand, which in turn was attached to an arm.

Swallowing in a slightly nervous manner, Hermione's eyes travelled down the length of that arm, in it's stark black sleeve, and then across a broad black clad shoulder, over a high collar and finally up to the pale face of her unwilling fiancé. He was not smiling. Hermione gave a nervous laugh and tried a smile. "Well, at least we know that we have our taste in books in common, right?"

"Let. Go. Of. My. Hand." He couldn't have put more rage into those five words if he'd yelled them instead of the barest whisper he used. She immediately complied. She may not have had a proper plan worked out, but annoying him more certainly wasn't in it. "Thank you." he responded with frosty politeness. He plucked the book from the shelf, turned on his heel and marched off.

"Whatever happened to Ladies first?" Hermione heard herself calling after him.

"Sounds like more chivalrous Gryffindor nonsense to me." the response came, just before he rounded the end of the bookcase and vanished from her sight.

"Still such a nice, kind-hearted gentleman isn't he?" Ginny commented dryly from Hermione's shoulder. But to Hermione, this was just the inspiration she had been looking for, now she had a plan.

Severus made his way from Flourish & Blotts directly to the apothecary. He hadn't bargained on encountering Hermione in Diagon Alley, though he felt that he had dealt with the situation well enough. She had responded to his unvoiced threat and removed her hand promptly. She had even had the good grace to look a little nervous when she had realised she was grasping his hand instead of the book. He was sure he had spotted it first, anyway; it was always first come, first served in these matters. Honestly, women only claim the whole ladies first rule when it's something good. Had anyone ever heard of a woman pushing past others and saying 'its ladies first you know' to be pushed into a vat of acid. No, he would not allow this to affect him in any way. He would continue with his day, browsing the shops, he would even stop in the Leaky for lunch. What were the chances of him bumping into her again, anyway?

He pushed the door to the apothecary open and was immediately greeted by the familiar scent of herbs and various other ingredients. "Ah, Mr Snape," Vincent, the owner, greeted him warmly from behind the counter. "Come for your package, have you? Yes, got it right here." He dipped behind the counter and produced a box, approximately the same size as a shoebox. "Hard work getting some of that list, Sir, hard work indeed. Tell me, what are you making?"

Severus arched an eyebrow, "A potion." He responded, unwilling to divulge further details of his closely guarded research. He handed over the correct number of coins and shrunk the box enough that he could fit it into his pocket. He was on his way back out into the crowded streets when the door opened once more, and of course, there stood Hermione. What, was she stalking him now?

"Sorry," she said pleasantly, stepping to the side, the same side as he had stepped. She laughed moving to the other side, mirroring the movement he himself had made. Oh, this is ridiculous, Severus growled to himself, before reaching out, gripping her firmly by the arms and moving her out of the way. That was it, he was free.

It was definitely lunch time now. Severus headed to the pub that was the doorway between wizarding and muggle London. It seemed his luck was out, the pub was packed, not a single table to spare. Severus turned to leave, thinking he would just have to go home, fix himself something as usual. That was when he heard someone calling his name. He turned back and saw Minerva McGonagall waving at him enthusiastically. She seemed to be alone, and she had made it onto his very short list of people whose company he found bearable, so he made his way over to her.

"Severus, so good to see you out and about." she pushed the chair opposite her out, "won't you join me for lunch? It seems an absolute age since we had a chance to catch up." Only a little reluctantly Severus seated himself, draping his cloak over the back of his chair. Minerva informed him that she had already ordered, so he placed his own order with the bar staff.

He turned back to Minerva just in time to see Molly Weasley slip into the chair beside her, smiling broadly at him in her overbearingly motherly way. "Severus," she beamed, "how are you? Are you eating properly? You look a little tired, are you sleeping alright?" she barely restrained herself from reaching across the table for him; he sat straighter in his chair and moved his arms out of her reach on instinct.

"I'm fine." He said politely, though his response went unheard as Molly had just risen from her seat and was waving frantically towards the door. He didn't have to turn around to know who she was hailing, who else could it be on a day like today? Sure enough not a minute later, the chair beside him had been filled with Gryffindor know-it-all.

"Hermione, dear, did you get everything you wanted?" Molly asked, "and you, Ginny, got everything?"

Ginny nodded beside her mother, her eyes moving from Severus to Hermione and back again an almost wicked grin spreading across her face. "Everything except my new book." Hermione said brightly, but with a pointed glance in Severus' direction. Humph, declared Severus.

Thankfully the food appeared before any further comments could be made. Severus immediately set about demolishing his meal as rapidly as courteously possible, wanting nothing more than to escape, but at the same time not wishing to offend Minerva, who, excluding the year between his killing Dumbledore and the end of the war, had always been kind to him.

-#x#-

An hour later and Severus once again found himself sitting in his chair before the fire in Spinners End, a bottle of firewhiskey on the table and a glass in his hand. How had his plan to clear his mind of that insufferable girl and all the problems she represented gone so far astray? Surely it was not normal to go somewhere to avoid someone and then end up holding their hand, almost running into them and then eating lunch with them? Severus shook his head, closed his eyes and drained his glass. It refilled itself instantly, thus were the wonders of magic.

Over half a bottle later, Severus withdrew from the packages beside him the book. The Book. The book she had wanted and he had taken from her. What had caught her attention about this medium sized, average looking tome? He wondered. Probably the same thing as had caught his eye. For this book, for all its average appearance, contained a collection of charms that could be combined with potions to strengthen them and produce more rapid effects. This mingling of the different branches of magic was very rarely documented as there were very few witches or wizards who thought both branches equal. He himself had frequently condemned 'foolish wand-waving' and he knew for a fact that Filius Flitwick often referred to potions as 'glorified cookery' though he couldn't have said with any certainty how much Filius meant it.

He turned the book over in his hand, tracing his thumb down the worn spine, trying not to remember the touch of her hand against his, with her smooth, warm skin. He gave himself an angry mental shake and set the book aside. Clearly his mind was set on betraying him. Well, at least betrayal was something he was used to. Severus downed the final glass of firewhiskey from the bottle. Maybe sleep would offer him some respite.

AN: Apologies to anyone who was anticipating a huge plotting and scheming session from Hermione and Ginny, I thought I'd delegate it to the older generation. Fear not, however, there will be more from Hermione's own plan in the next chapter. Hugs and cookies, ForeverPandora