Chapter 22: The Unseemly Difficult Nature Of Non-Courtship
{A/N: Here's another update...}
My Thanks To My Readers and Reviewers...Enjoy-S.S.
Spinner's End, Cokeworth England, Muggle World...
The stench of rancid air along with the eye sore that had been row after row of dilapidated brick houses had been the first thing Hermione Granger now Hermione Snape noticed as she was pulled rather unceremoniously through the closed in houses toward the last one located on the left side of the final row of ordinary muggle houses via her new husband still grasping her hand tightly. She didn't doubt that her appearance to onlookers had been more of a reluctant to be punished child rather than a young woman whom had just been wed and to an eternal git it seemed.
"I can walk just fine by myself thank you very much." said Hermione pulling away from Snape as they reached his childhood home in the impoverished muggle community of Spinner's End.
Snape rolled his eyes and set to work opening the door. He dreaded coming back to this place ever bit as much as he dreaded having to bed the mouthy little chit in it but following the illustrious Dumbledore's orders were his priory.
Once the door opened, Snape used his wand to reverse the rancid stench and do away with the possible dust and cobwebs that had collected since he had been last in the confines of the old walls of his childhood home. The memories remained of an unstable family life but the tormentor and his mother had been long gone, both before his initial first year as a fully teaching Professor at Hogwarts Castle.
"Come on." he said stepping inside the door to his former family home.
Hermione continued to stand outside with her arms folded across her chest.
"Did you not hear me?" growled Snape in annoyance.
"I heard you just fine." replied Hermione in defiance. "I will not be bullied on my wedding day not even by my git husband."
"You cannot be serious." said the Potions Master looking as if he was only seconds away from hexing the defiant Gryffindor witch.
"No...I'm Hermione and it's time you addressed me as such." she replied. "It's bad enough I have to put up with your snide comments and childish temper not to mention having to wear jeans and sweat shirt on the day of my wedding but despite what you might believe this is a real wedding day to me and the least you could do behave like a proper groom and carry me over the threshold."
"We have only so little time before the dark lord learns of my ill-conceived act of betrayal before he summons me to my possible death and you want to me to carry you into the house so you can live out some romanticized fantasy!?" growled the Potions Master enraged.
"Yes." replied Hermione not in the least bit intimidated by his tone. "It's the least you could do it's still my wedding day and I want some form of tradition to be preserved."
Snape's obsidian eyes flickered with absolute rage before he suppressed it entirely and stepped back outside of the house.
"As you wish Mrs. Snape." he said in a rather cool tone. "As you've said it's your wedding day and it is the least I could do."
Hermione had been surprised that he agreed to it so easily but thought little of it as he proceeded to pick her up and carry her across the threshold as a proper bride should be carried and entered the front door.
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The Front Room, The Snape Residence, Spinner's End, Cokeworth, England, Muggle World...
Snape carried Hermione as far as the sitting room before hastily dumping her onto the nauseating green threadbare sofa and made his way to the make-shift bar as she unceremoniously plummeted to the hard wood floor after bouncing on the cushions in the wake of his dropping her.
"YOU GIT!" shouted Hermione feeling every bit of the soon to be bruising of her backside after she hit the floor. "That's now how one treats a bride on her wedding day."
"I beg to differ." replied Snape pointedly ignoring her outrage and proceeding to pour himself a glass of firewhiskey and downing it in one go before pouring himself another. "If you have any further complaints I suggest you take them up with someone who gives a damn."
Hermione got up off the floor rubbing the painful spot on her backside as she narrowed her amber eyes at her rather barbaric husband.
"You are an irredeemable arsehole." she said glaring at him as he continued to sip his drink as if he had not a care in the world.
"So kind of you to notice." replied Snape not in the least threatened by her rage.
He finished off his drink and slammed down the glass before venturing toward the angry young witch.
"There's no way I'm letting you touch me after what you did." said Hermione backing away.
Snape smirked in what seemed like a momentary notion of amusement.
"Sadly dear little wife of mine, like I since this entire ordeal was thrust upon me...you have no choice in this matter." he said before scooping her into his arms as she attempted to run and throwing her over his shoulder before heading up the narrow stairs leading to the second floor of the surprisingly two story muggle house.
"Put me down!" shouted Hermione kicking and beating against his back with her fists as he continued to walk as if her antics had not bothered him in the least.
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Snape's Bedroom, The Snape Residence, Spinner's End, Cokeworth, England, Muggle World...
Spying his less than accommodating teenage bed, Severus Snape unceremoniously dropped his new bride down amid the dust covered sheets still draw from his unscheduled pit stop in a bid to recover from a long standing assignment. He used his wand to make it at least presentable before he dropped her, as crude as he was he had no interest in wallowing in filth no matter anyone else's opinion.
"Arsehole." said Hermione finding herself flopping onto the old mattress as she scrambled to sit up.
Snape continued to ignore her insults seeming as if he had been truly contemplating what to do beyond this point. His hesitation made it clear to Hermione that he had no intention of taking her by force but it still presented quite a problem for how either one of them was going to muster their mutual loathing of each other in a bid to get things underway.
The Potions Master sat at the edge of the bed unable to look at the young witch whom he had been forced to take as a bride.
"I...I don't know how to proceed." he admitted aloud. "I am not of the mind to bring you harm...Miss Granger despite what you may believe this isn't easy for me either."
Hermione couldn't take her eyes off the wizard sitting at the foot of the bed. She had almost forgotten that he had been celibate for a number of years and this would mean the end of that celibacy in favor of saving her from being defiled and eventually murdered by Death Eaters under Voldemort's instruction.
It seemed all of the games and intimidation tactics had come to an end and they both truly had to face the reality of their current situation as intellectuals in their own right they knew what must be done and the reason behind it but not how to accomplish such a means when neither had sexual feelings for the other, being given to lust isn't how they worked and this rapid means of forced consummation had not made their ordeal any easier.
Once her anger subsided, Hermione placed a trembling hand on Severus Snape's shoulder.
"We can do this." she said softly. "If this is to be your last day as everyone fears...I would be honored to share it with you sir."
"Your unseemly admiration for me is misplaced Miss Gran...Hermione." replied Snape. "But you are right at least in part...if this is to be my last few moments alive...it would be decent to feel something other than dread or pain."
Hermione wrapped her arms around the wizard, pressing her pink sweatshirt clad chest into his back right along with her youthful breasts.
Taking the lead she began trailing kisses along his neck as she aimed to show her appreciation for what this brave wizard had done for her even if this had been the last time she'd see him.
Snape closed his eyes taking in the simple soft pecking she had resigned her self to giving him as some of the pressure of having to take her innocence subsided. She seemed to be of the mind to ensure he know that he wasn't stealing what she was freely giving away to him no less.