Hermione took a deep breath and bit her lip, looking at Ginny. "Well?"
The redhead grinned but shook her head. "Just a minute, your hair's coming out here," and she reached up, tucking a pin expertly into Hermione's curls. She studied her best friend's face and hair for a moment longer before nodding finally. "Okay."
Hermione heaved a sigh. "Finally," she said, feigning exasperation. She turned around to see herself in the mirror and bit her lip again when she did; Ginny had done her hair and her makeup, and when Hermione looked at her she saw that the younger witch was frowning.
"Thank goodness I didn't put anything on your lips," Ginny said, shaking her head and smiling. "Well, what do you think?"
Hermione turned her eyes back to her own reflection. Ginny had pulled her hair back and tied it loosely so it was a mess of perfect curls falling down her back and several thinner ringlets framed her face. Her face was pale, as always, though there was blush on her cheeks and light, natural beauty-enhancing makeup around her eyes. She blinked and scrutinized Ginny's work, finding nothing wrong with it.
"You can't bite your lip after this," Ginny said as she grabbed Hermione's arm and spun her around away from the mirror again.
Hermione was still in her regular muggle clothes, a large shirt and shorts, but now that her makeup was done it was time for her to change out of those. Ginny waved her wand at the carefully covered piece of clothing hanging on the door and it floated to them. She pulled the draped fabric cover off of the still-floating garment and smiled along with Hermione at the beautiful white dress before her.
When Hermione was in the dress, Ginny secured the veil in her hair and made some final touch-ups to Hermione's makeup and hair before she nodded. She hadn't let Hermione turn around to see herself since putting on the dress, and when the older girl did she blinked a couple of times and stared at herself in the mirror. The bodice of the dress was closer-fitting to her form but not too tight, and from her waist down the skirt flowed out beautifully. It was a deep cream, light coloured and beautiful against Hermione's pale skin. It had long sleeves and was modest while still lending attractive flare to her womanly figure.
Hermione wasn't wearing her shoes, and she lifted her skirts above her ankles while Ginny helped her step into them. They exited Hermione's bathroom together and both of them looked at the clock at the same time. Things were going smoothly and as planned; there was enough time for them to go up to the Great Hall, where the wedding would take place.
Ginny was dressed in a white and lavender dress, looking beautiful herself. Her hair fell loosely down over her shoulders, and Hermione had pinned a delicate white rose in the back of it. She had been with Ginny when they chose their dresses, and they had done each other's makeup and hair.
The two girls linked arms and left Hermione's rooms, passing through the empty teachers' lounge and making their way along the corridor beyond.
As they walked, Hermione thought back to the past year of her life. It all seemed to have gone by in a blur, and at the same time every detail and memory was sharp and vivid, clearer even than the day it had happened. It seemed like only yesterday that Severus was kneeling in front of her, asking for her hand. The last weeks of school had seemed to go by the fastest of all of them, and now Hogwarts felt empty without all of the students hurrying around all of the time. Only the staff members were left, and the people Hermione had invited to the wedding had all arrived that morning.
Hermione had been relatively calm, numb really, back in her rooms getting ready with Ginny. But now, now she thought her heart was beating loudly enough for everyone in the castle to hear it. Now she was a bit nervous. She wasn't having second thoughts—nothing could be more desirable than a life spent with the man she loved—but now she worried that something might go wrong. And there was just the general shock, the realization that she was really about to give herself, completely, entirely, to someone. She was about to pledge her love for him and promise to love him until the end of her life. It was a very big thing, and it was finally dawning on her just how big a decision and act it was.
They reached the doors to the Great Hall, which were closed. The entrance hall looked just as it had all through her years of being a student, but Hermione knew that the Great Hall was decorated beautifully even though she hadn't been allowed to see it. Ginny gave her arm a squeeze and then let her go, stepping away just a bit to give her some space. "Ready?"
Hermione stared at the doors for a moment before turning to look at Ginny. She swallowed the suddenly-there lump in her throat and nodded. "I think so."
Ginny smiled and stepped forward, opening the doors and stepping aside to let Hermione go by. All eyes were on the bride as she walked in and Ginny closed the doors behind her, but she didn't see a single face of anyone around her; she was gazing around at the Great Hall.
There were white streamers and snow-colored silk hangings draped across the walls with white roses and lilies everywhere. More flowers floated high above their heads, whites, light pinks, creamy yellows, delicate shades of purple and blue. Their scents mingled and drifted down onto the people below. Only two tables were in the vast room, and they were on either side of the doors to the entrance hall, near the wall to give space to the room. They were blanketed in brilliant white cloths and even more flowers. Chairs had been set up in rows facing the place where the staff table usually stood but was now replaced by a slightly raised podium. The aisle between the chairs that let up to the podium was lined on either side with more flowers. The platform itself was draped in white.
Severus turned when the doors opened and watched as Hermione walked in, unintentionally graceful as always. She was beautiful, her face hidden beneath her veil and because she was still quite a distance away from him, but he knew that if he could see it there would be a look of pure awe and wonder on it as she viewed the Great Hall. He knew she liked the decorations; Ginny and Minerva had done most of them, but he had asked for a certain addition. Now he wondered whether she would like the lilies that were placed alongside the white roses. He was sure that she would understand why had had wanted lilies; one final goodbye and payment of respects to the woman who he had loved first. The lilies were also a way of having her there with him on that day when he was finally ready to let her go completely and accept that he had come to love another, and that it was alright to feel as he did for someone other than Lily.
Hermione looked to the people around her and smiled at them, and they smiled in return. Ginny had disappeared into the small crowd and returned, leading two nicely dressed people. Their faces lit up when they saw Hermione, who gasped in surprise; her parents were walking towards her, on their own feet, holding onto Ginny's hands but not leaning on her. Hermione remembered not to bite her lip and smiled back at her parents as they stopped in front of her. Her mum reached up and touched one of her curls, smiling at her, while her dad smiled at them.
Hermione swallowed, reminding herself that she oughtn't to cry, and squeezed her parents' hands. Everyone moved to their seats and Hermione turned in surprise when her father offered her his arm. She looked to Ginny, standing nearby, for an explanation.
The redhead walked over and said, "We taught him to walk us down the aisle. I thought you would want him to." She handed Hermione a bouquet of white flowers.
Hermione had tears brimming in her eyes as she watched Ginny lead her mum to their seats. She looked up and saw Severus waiting at the end of the aisle for her, Aberforth Dumbledore standing beside and slightly behind him. She turned to look at her father, who was looking at her, waiting expectantly. She took a deep breath and smiled at him, looking ahead as they began to walk. Everyone rose from their seats to watch her father walk her down the aisle, and many of them were smiling at her as she walked by. She smiled back nervously.
When she reached the end of the aisle and the end of the rows of chairs, her father released her arm, kissing her hand before he let her go and sat down beside his wife. Hermione handed her bouquet to Ginny, who was standing nearby, and stepped up onto the small podium to stand in front of Severus. He took her hands in his and couldn't decide whether to smirk or look concerned; she was trembling slightly. In the end he decided to do neither, and simply gazed into her eyes for a moment. Hermione looked up into his face, and in his eyes she found the peace, the composure, the calm that she needed. She knew that Severus couldn't offer her expensive things or many pricy possessions, but he could offer his love and his heart, and that was all she wanted. They turned to look at Aberforth and Hermione found that Severus was trembling just as she was.
It seemed only seconds later—though Hermione knew it had been more—that the vows had been taken and Severus had lifted her veil from her face and leaned down to kiss her. It was the first time he had kissed her in the plain view of anyone, the first time anyone had seen them share much affection. Hermione took Severus' arm and turned to face the people who had stood and were smiling and clapping. She found the Weasley family among them, looking up at her. Arthur and Molly were smiling at her, George was shaking his head and whistling loudly, Percy was smirking but looking happy for her, Charlie and Bill were smiling and clapping, and Ron was looking as if he'd just been hit with the curse that made him vomit slugs so many years before.
Harry and Ginny were there, together, holding hands and beaming up at her. Neville was standing between his gran and Luna, the latter having locked arms with him. But Luna appeared to be gazing, awestruck, at something floating above her head. Hermione assumed that the girl had seen a nargle or something among the flowers. On Luna's other side stood her father, and he smiled at Hermione, nodding politely to Severus.
Hermione's parents were standing together, looking around at the happy, loud people around them with wonder. They were smiling, though, and beaming up at Hermione and Severus. Hagrid was standing behind the chairs in the back, wiping a soaking handkerchief under his eyes and crying loudly, smiling through his tears. The other staff members were among Hermione's family and friends, and they looked up at her, smiling politely. Minerva even wiped a gleaming tear from one of her cheeks and readjusted the glasses on the bridge of her nose.
Everyone moved back to the open area in the Great Hall after that, deserting the chairs, and Minerva waved her wand. The rows of chairs vanished and left more space for everyone to move around, and then the tables slid out into the middle of the room and everyone took a seat. Hermione and Severus were seated together at their own table at the head of and between the other two. A great feast appeared on all of the tables and everyone began to eat, toasting Severus and Hermione's marriage and wishing them years of happiness together. Filch appeared to have had a bit too much firewhiskey, as he raised his goblet and said loudly, hushing the din around him, "To the Snapes!" adding, "When'll we see little Severuses, hmm?" Then he muttered, "Bet they'll be nothing' but a heap of trouble, and little brats, too . . ."
"Argus!" Minerva scolded, looking and sounding shocked.
Hermione lowered her gaze to her food, blushing profusely, while Severus set down his fork to glare murderously at the caretaker.
But George could apparently not keep from laughing, and he allowed a chuckle to escape, leading to the loud laughter of everyone in the hall. Hermione was able join after a moment, and when she looked smilingly at Severus, he frowned. She made a face and turned back to her food and he raised his eyebrows at her, amused, even though she wasn't looking at him.
After the meal the tables were pushed back up against the far wall and a shower of flower pedals fell from thin air above them. Severus offered Hermione his arm and she took it, allowing him to lead her into the middle of the room, where everyone stood back to give the couple space. Hermione couldn't breathe. What if she stepped the wrong way and stood on his foot? And she had never seen Severus dance before, so she wondered what he was thinking.
He reached up and plucked a flower pedal from her hair gently, tossing it aside and taking one of her hands in his. He took her waist with the other hand and Hermione bit her lip as she looked at him, trying to hide how terrified she was of falling. He smirked at her just as music began to play and then they were sweeping around, dancing, and Hermione couldn't take her eyes off of Severus' face. He was still smirking at her, and his steps were perfect and composed. He looked completely relaxed as he pulled Hermione gently along with him, and she realized that she hardly had to move at all because of his expert way of guiding her. Several more graceful steps and Hermione saw out of the corner of her eye as Harry took Ginny's hand and looked at the redhead questioningly. She nodded and let him lead her out and away from the crowd, and they began to dance.
After this Arthur and Molly Weasley joined them, and Neville and Luna came next, followed by nearly every other couple in the room. Aberforth looked to Minerva, and she blushed before taking his hand and dancing with him along with the rest of them. Ron was sitting alone along the wall, frowning and bouncing Teddy on his knee. George had asked Hermione if he could bring Angelina Johnson along, and the two of them entered the group of dancers. Hermione just caught Percy approaching his mum and stealing her from his dad before Severus had them spinning again.
It was late afternoon before the wedding was officially over, and after many well-wishings, most of the guests had gone. Only the Weasleys and Harry were left, besides some of the other staff. Fleur and Bill left after both of them congratulated the newlyweds, and Fleur actually threw her arms around Hermione and wiped a tear away from her face. Molly rushed forward and kissed both of Hermione's cheeks, pulling her away from Severus and folding her in a warm, motherly hug. She sniffed, blinking, and smiled at Hermione before nodding to Severus. Arthur came and shook Severus' hand before Hermione's and stepped back as well. George and Angelina were next, both of them hugging Hermione and Angelina giving her an extra squeeze and a whisper in her ear before she stepped away. Percy walked up and shook Severus' hand. Then he turned to Hermione, hand still extended, and stopped, seemingly undecided as to what to do.
"I guess I missed my chance," he said, grinning at her.
Hermione smiled back and stepped forward to give him a hug rather than shaking his hand. He nodded to both of them before stepping back to take Teddy from Ron, who had walked up. The youngest Weasley son was grimacing, but he offered his hand to shake with Severus. There was a tense moment of hesitation before the groom reached out and shook the waiting hand, looking Ron in the eye. Ron wrinkled his nose and looked like he might start vomiting slugs, but then he turned and saw Hermione. She was beautiful, but to him she was so much more; she was the best friend and the stunning, brilliant young woman whom he had managed to lose.
He offered his hand to her as well. She took it but pulled him into a half-hug before stepping away again. He took a deep breath and released her hand, probably for the last time. He moved out of the way just in time to miss Ginny, who flew into Hermione's waiting arms and hugged her, sobbing into the older girl's shoulder and smiling and laughing all at the same time. When they leaned away from each other, still in one another's arms, she reached up and wiped the tears from her cheeks. "Congratulations," she said, half-sobbing, half-squealing in delight. "I'm gonna miss you this summer at the house."
Hermione smiled back and wiped a few tears away from under her own eyes. "I'll miss you too," she said, blinking back more tears.
Molly stepped forward once more to pat Hermione's arm and say quietly, "Now don't make yourself scarce, dear," before she stepped back and linked arms with her Husband and their family turned away together and left the Great Hall.
That left the staff members, who mulled about together at the far end of the room, and Harry, who had been standing nearby and waiting. He walked up and shook Severus' hand, smiling and offering Hermione his congratulations, giving her a half-hug before turning and strolling towards the doors.
Hermione watched him go, and just before he reached them she left Severus' side, lifting her skirts and running. "Harry!"
He turned in surprise and had only just seen her coming when she threw arms around his neck and hugged him tight. He glanced past her shoulder at Severus, whose face was impassive, though he looked bemused. Then he hugged Hermione back just as fiercely.
"What is it?" he asked.
She smiled up at him through her tears and whispered, "Thank you. For everything. For always being there . . . and for understanding what no one else did."
He smiled back, feeling his own eyes getting wetter. "Nah," he dismissed her gratitude with a grin, "Thank you for being a best friend and a reliable source of knowledge I could always turn to."
She blushed and let him go, and he nodded, smiling one more time at her before he left.
Then she turned back to Severus, who had walked to where she stood. The staff members all congratulated her and Minerva and Pomona began waving their wands, changing the Great Hall back to its former appearance. Hermione took Severus' waiting arm and walked with him towards the teachers' quarters.
They reached the lounge and Hermione went towards her door, but Severus held onto her arm and shook his head. She looked at him questioningly, but he only said, "Tilly."
Hermione jumped when a small house elf with an appearance much like Dobby or Kreacher apparated into the room. She looked from the elf to Severus and then said, "You own a house elf?"
He smirked at her but addressed the elf. "Did you do as I asked?"
Tilly bowed low to the ground, her nose and the tips of her floppy ears touching the floor. "Yes, Master, Tilly did what Master asked."
While they were conversing Hermione thought back to all the times tea had been in her room waiting for her all those mornings she woke up. Now it made sense; Severus had been sending Tilly to bring the tea all along. Smiling, Hermione pulled away from him and went to her room, but he put a hand on her shoulder. "She's moved your things already."
Hermione nodded. Somehow she had known that much. "I just want to see it one more time . . . before we go."
He nodded and released her shoulder, letting her walk alone into her rooms. She would be back as the transfiguration teacher again the next year and the rooms would be hers again or she would move into Severus', but she was going to Spinner's end with Severus for the summer.
He waited in the lounge, giving Tilly more instructions and then watching the door for Hermione's reappearance. Meanwhile, she was walking around her room, turning and looking at it all. It seemed such a short while before that she had walked in for the first time and altered the room's appearance until she was satisfied. That had only been the beginning of her year at Hogwarts, and she thought briefly over everything that had happened, looking from the now-empty shelf to the place on the bed that Crookshanks usually curled up in. She wondered how he liked Spinner's End. She walked through the rooms, looking around at the places where things were missing; her trunk wasn't at the foot of her bed, the wardrobe was empty, and the things under her bed were gone.
Taking a deep breath, she turned and left her rooms for the last time for that summer, and as she stepped out of the door the doe carved into it faded into the pattern around it until there was no patronus there any longer. Hermione stared at her door, looking around at the other doors, some of which no longer bore patronus carvings. These included Severus', which looked bare without his doe bounding on it.
Hermione sighed, smiling up at Severus and glancing around the lounge again before they left it, walking together down the corridor and up the stairs, passing the place where Hermione had come careening around a corner and crashed into Severus. This brought back memories for both of them, though neither spoke. When they reached the entrance hall Minerva came and bid them congratulations and farewell, as did several of the other staff. Then they walked out through the grounds until they reached the boundary-point and when they had stepped over it they apparated to a muggle street and Hermione found herself looking up at a house that possessed a rather dark, dreary appearance.
She smiled to herself and tightened her grip on Severus' arm lightly; the place wouldn't be dreary for much longer. They walked together up the steps and onto the porch, to the door. Severus opened it for her and held it until she had stepped inside, and then he closed it behind them. He was worried that she would hate the place as soon as she saw it, but she was looking around, seeming rather pleased with everything that she saw.
One Month Later
Severus opened his eyes and looked around the bedroom. He glanced at the window, where large drips of water slid down the glass as the rain beat heavily against it. He reached instinctively to curl his arm around his wife, but found her place in the bed empty. Frowning, he blinked and sat up, searching the room for her. As soon as he sat up, the blankets slid down and exposed his neck and collar bone. He clenched his jaw when he was hit with the frigid air around him and fastened the top buttons on his shirt before swinging his legs over the side of the bed and standing up, throwing the blanket back over the mattress and hoping it would hold in the warmth until he could get back.
He walked to the door, which was slightly ajar, and stepped into the hall, moving down the stairs and scowling at the cold floor beneath his bare feet. Where was she?
He reached the bottom of the stairs and turned a corner, opening a door and stopping in surprise when the temperature of the air changed drastically. It was rather warm in the kitchen, and he closed the door behind him, knowing before he even saw her that he had found her. He turned his back on the door and glanced at the clock before sighing and watching her for a moment. She was curled up in her favorite chair by the fire, a heavy book clutched loosely in her arms and the newspaper spread across her lap. A no longer steaming cup of tea was sitting beside her chair, where she had undoubtedly set it so that she could read.
He walked up to her and set a hand on her shoulder, and she stirred, opening her eyes and focusing on him. She blinked a few times and raised her eyebrows in surprise. "Morning," she muttered as she curled more closely around the book, causing the paper in her lap to fall to the floor.
Severus smirked at her for a moment before he took the newspaper and the tea from the floor and set them on the table across the room. Then he came and painstakingly extracted the book from Hermione's hands, sliding it back into its place on the shelf in the wall. She opened her eyes to look at him again and took a deep breath but said nothing. "What are you doing up at this ungodly hour?" he asked quietly.
She frowned. "I needed to get started on planning classes . . ." but she trailed off halfway through her sentence.
Severus looked closer and saw a crumpled wad of papers in her lap, and he took them and smoothed them carefully. Sure enough, they were the beginnings of her plans for the school year. He sighed; even he wasn't this meticulous and worried about classes. It was hardly the middle of summer! Smirking at her tired expression, he leaned down and put his arms around her, picking her up.
She shook her head weakly and mumbled something about transfiguration for sixth years, but he turned and carried her out of the kitchen against her murmured complaints. The floor didn't seem as cold with her warm in his arms, and he took her back to their room and laid her in the bed, pulling the blankets around her. She curled up, having fallen asleep in his arms as he carried her. He shook his head, smirking still as he turned and lit the fire in the room with a flick of his wand. Tilly was supposed to do that, but for Hermione's sake he would spare the old elf most of his wrath.
He slid into bed beside her and cringed at the cool touch of the blankets. Hermione curled up against him, molding herself to him even in her sleep, and he wrapped her in his arms, comfortable with her warm form pressed against him.
He buried his face in her unruly curls and fell asleep with her.
Though she thought he had, he hadn't yet stopped noticing the differences in his home since she had come to live with him. The windows were always clean and clear; there were even more books on the shelves that were built into almost every inch of free space in every wall; there were warm-colored, homely rugs on the floors of most of the rooms; the sheets on the bed were lighter and not so dark and dreary as before; the walls were a lighter brown and not gray wood as they had been before her arrival; the fires in every room burned in hearths that she had carefully cleaned and decorated with trinkets or small books; Tilly was walking around and acting happy and pleased and was more than willing to comply and do whatever was asked of her; there was a certain ginger cat that lent the house a good, welcoming feel; the outside of the house had received repairs and new wood; and everything about the place had been changed to give off a more cheery, comfortable feeling.
He often thought that Hermione's impact and changes to their home were much like her impact on and the changes she had made to him. He saw things in a brighter light when she was around, and since she had come into his life it was much easier to see things in a good way rather than a dark one. He had given her free reign to change their home as she pleased, fearing that she would hate the place. However, she had made changes that kept the old building and its appearance, changing it from the inside out into a warm home rather than an unwelcoming one.
Severus curled his arm more closely around his wife, pulling her closer. She pressed her face into his chest and sighed in her sleep; there was no place more comfortable than where she was in that moment. And Severus had never been so content to lie in bed and waste away the day without rising.
Later she would get up and make them tea, and they would sit and read together or he would go to the basement, which he used as a potions laboratory, and brew something for the Ministry or for Saint Mungo's while she sat in the corner and scribbled notes about classes in one of her many precious notebooks.
Severus had always hated returning to Spinner's End, but now he loathed leaving and despised being anywhere but there, unless Hermione was with him. She adored their home after she had changed bits of it, and could not have dreamed of a better home for them. Unbeknownst to Severus, she was dreaming of several small children curled up in their own beds in the bedrooms next-door and downstairs as she slept in his arms. She had gone so far as to pick out names for them, but had yet to speak to Severus seriously about having a family in a few years. She wanted to enjoy her time as a new wife for a while before she took on the responsibilities of being a mother, but her thoughts often drifted to the way that the rain hitting the roof reminded her of the patter of small feet running in the halls.
And she was unconcerned that Severus wouldn't want children; she was sure she could get him to come round to the idea after a bit.
Okay, please, please review! I would absolutely LOVE to know what you thought of this one. Thank you all so very much for reading my story, and if you were wondering, no, this is not the last chapter. We still have a few more things to include in their story before it's over, so stick with me! I love you all! ~Taelr