Chapter 38: The Reluctant Realization Of Need
{A/N: Here's Another Update...}
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{"Well I'm hating, all of this...I'm hating, all of this...All of this, all of this...Now I know why, I hide my love from you some days...No I don't mind keeping this bottled inside me...You came along, and tore this world out around me...Looks like you found me...Now I know why...I felt like shit when I woke up this morning...I've been a loser all my life, I'm not about to change...If you don't like, there's the door, nobody made you stay...There ain't a woman on the planet who can deal with it...Just how I wanted it, I'm hating all of this...Well I'm hating, all of this...I'm hating, all of this..."} Woke Up This Morning, Nickelback
The Bedroom, Snape's Quarters, Slytherin Dungeons, Hogwarts Castle, Wizarding World...
By the time Hermione had managed to get the formerly unconscious Potions Master down to his private quarters, he had stirred and canceled her levitation spell. She rolled her eyes watching him fall onto the ground further causing himself a good deal of pain despite his efforts to conceal it. Hermione's amber eyes flickered with fleeting rage in the wake of her annoyance due to her drunken husband's husband's antics. Snape scrambled to his feet tightly gripping his wand as his ebony frock coat trailed behind him with each of his swift movements. He glared in the direction of the young witch whom he had been bound to in matrimony feeling the bulk of his contempt for her and their current arrangement rise to the surface.
It wasn't in the least a secret that he highly resented having to have been forced into a marriage he wanted no part of and that he already had some lingering animosity toward the young witch due to her previous transgressions against him in the past. The seemingly ever brooding wizard had never wished to be married, least of all to one of his own students. He had not been forthcoming with his reasons for a lot of things due to the nature of his work and status but marriage was something he had been against ever since he'd been a boy.
He'd seen enough of Tobias and Eileen's clashing to want nothing to do with being stuck in a situation where his significant other either grew to despise him or vice versa and here with Hermione, it was evident that this was fast becoming a reality.
"Severus." began Hermione looking quite tired and emotionally weary from the events of the day. "Not tonight...please...you're hurt and utterly exhausted."
Snape's dark gaze focused on her for a few moments before he turned his attention toward his usual arm chair. Without another word, he managed to reach it, plopping down before the dimly lit fire.
The faint orange glow from the embers filled the front room of Snape's Quarters and provided some light despite not dishing out much heat. Hermione had been pleased that he saw to reason, at least as far as not picking another fight with her for the time being. She looked him over, recalling at last that he'd still been injured.
Without a word she began searching for much needed supplies to dress his wounds before getting him into bed.
Snape continued to glare at the fireplace taking an interest in the flickering embers as Hermione made her way toward his side gripping a warm, wet washcloth and a small bowl. Moving carefully, the young witch managed to make a mental note on how bad the damage had been as well as how stubborn the older wizard had been for not having it treated it immediately.
"I did not ask for a nursemaid." growled Snape once more narrowing his eyes at his young wife.
"Well too bad, I have to clean you up before an infection sets in." replied the rather determined witch.
While she had not been looking for another fight with the brooding git, she wasn't above giving as good as she'd get in this exchange.
"Why do you care if my wounds are infected?" asked Snape in an embittered tone.
"Last I checked "In Sickness and In Health" were apart of our wedding vows." she said narrowing her own gaze at the wizard sitting rather tense in the armchair before her.
"This matter is of none of your con..." he began feeling the intense sensation of heat against the bloodied wounds that lined his chest.
Hermione gently wiped away the blood and dirt from the stubborn wizard's chest wound unsure of how she'd get it to heal as bad as it looked. Snape found himself reacting to her soft touch despite the wash cloth being a big part of the warmth as she ran her hand along his damaged flesh.
The fact that he had closed his eyes in reaction to her touch had not been lost on Hermione whom had wordlessly continued her self appointed task of cleaning her husband's wounds via the muggle way for fear of causing him more pain if they had been caused by magical means.
"What happened to you?" asked Hermione breaking the easy silence that had fallen between them.
Snape seemed reluctant to answer for a few moments before finally giving in.
"They are the result of punishment, for a failed assignment and remnants of an after hours scuffle shortly before I arrived here." he admitted once more closing his eyes at the sensation of warmth moving along his battered flesh.
Hermione had not been at all pleased by his explanation.
"You are getting to be much too reckless." she said meeting his gaze with a look of well meaning concern. "It seems every other meeting you come back either bruised or broken in some form or another."
"I didn't ask for a nurse-maid." growled Snape wishing to pull away from her given his annoyance and relative stubbornness, but he lacked the will to do so.
"And I didn't ask you to be an arse just because we got married." replied Hermione once more running the cloth along his bruised and bloodied flesh.
"I didn't ask to be married, least of all to an insufferable know it all." growled Snape in reply.
"I didn't ask to have to be married, least of all to an insensitive greasy git." countered Hermione narrowing her eyes at him.
Snape had been far too exhausted and in far too much pain to continue this little spat, as he sat back in his chair glaring rather murderously at the young witch whom had continued in her efforts to tend to his wounds.
"There." she said at long last. "A few days of rest and you should be back to terrorizing the first years in the corridors in no time."
"The first years are little terrors themselves." muttered Snape in annoyance.
Hermione shook her head and attempted to take her leave of the half dressed and brooding wizard when he grasped her free hand and pulled her close. The result of being caught off balance saw to the young witch stumbling back and falling into the half naked wizard's lap as he moved to hold her in place.
"S-Severus..." said Hermione in a rather breathless tone.
Snape said nothing as he held her against him reflecting on how long it had been since he'd last been this close to her and it had not been for academic purposes. The familiar scent of jasmine from her notoriously bushy hair had gotten his attention and it only served to ignite something in him, he had tried so hard to suppress in the wake of their issue with one another.
"Stay." he said as she tried to get up off his lap only to be unceremoniously pulled back down.
"I have to go." replied the young witch not at all wishing to part from her husband any more than he wanted her to.
They had not been alone together in weeks since she'd decided punishing via the silent treatment was how she'd answer his recent callous behavior regarding her following their previous encounters.
"I apologize." he replied knowing full well what she had wanted to hear.
Hermione seemed to be giving him her full attention at the mention of his apology.
"I should not have treated you that way despite my disgust at our current predicament." said Snape still holding onto the attentive young witch whom had become his wife only a short time ago. "I should have taken into consideration how all of this might be affecting you, but I was much too invested in my own rage to do so...and for that I do apologize."
Hermione couldn't believe what she was hearing. Severus Snape was actually apologizing for his callous behavior and treatment of her since they had become husband and wife. What was even more astonishing had been the fact that it was sincere.
"I..." she began before sighing. "I accept your apology."
Snape relinquished his grip on her body and allowed her to get to her feet. He knew she still needed to get to Gryffindor tower before day-break but he'd still been reluctant to let her go.
Hermione ran one of her hands along the sallow pale flesh of his cheek. Snape made no sudden movements to stop her when she pressed her lips into his in something of a goodbye kiss before heading off to Gryffindor Tower.
"I'll see you later." she said softly before stroking his cheek a final time and taking her leave of him. "Do get some rest."
The exhausted wizard watched her go, choosing to spend the remainder of the night in his armchair by the fire as she disappeared out the heavy oak wood door.