Chapter 73: A Thrilling Change

{A/N: Here's Another Update...}

My Thanks To My Readers and Reviewers...Enjoy-S.S.

The Bedroom, The Snape Residence, Spinner's End, Cokeworth England, Muggle World...

The heated swirling of emotions had threatened to overtake both Severus Snape and his young wife Hermione Granger-Snape as they ended up parting with various articles of clothing they arrived in all the way up the stairs and into the dreaded Potions Master's childhood bedroom. Heavy breathing and a series of searing kisses lead to them landing on his bed untouched from the last time they had ventured behind these very walls. Hermione had not questioned why he had always chosen to veer into his childhood bedroom as opposed to taking her into the master bedroom. She found the glimpse into the life of her closely guarded husband's mind via his chosen room all the more endearing. She had come to the conclusion that he'd been just like any other socially awkward teen age boy she'd known. At the present moment, Severus Snape the man had been more than willing to show her the difference in physical development as he gently wrestled her onto the bed pressing her back against the mattress amid the tossed about sheets still wrinkled from the last time they'd been together in this place.

Another heated exchange of kisses saw to Snape taking control up until the point where Hermione decided to wrap her legs around him causing him to groan outright. Snape seemed amused she'd gotten a lot more bold since their last encounter, Hermione was a far cry from the fumbling girl he'd brought up to his room to consummate their marriage just a few short months ago. While being forced into a situation that nearly guaranteed him a certain death had not been preferable, Snape could hardly deny that it had been well worth it.

She'd been his wife after all.

Given the amount of time they spent together already, it was still strange to take in the fact that this had all been arranged and that they had subsequently fallen in love, much to the chagrin of The Headmaster, as a result of it Snape found himself at an obvious disadvantage when it came to controlling these new wayward emotions. She'd been the reason, the undeniable truth dragged to the surface despite his best attempts to keep it at bay. Another series of heated kisses and he found himself losing control again. The things she could do to him were indeed mind-blowing. Never in a million years would he have imagined this little dance of theirs to be something he often looked forward to.

The memories of this place and the daunting task of his spy work as well as his duties as Head of Slytherin faded into the background as his ears registered the sound of her labored breathing. Every impulse he had was fixated upon her, his beautiful bold and daring witch whom had the gall to choose this life with him when none beyond her age had even dared to look in his direction. The weight of his past sins seemed to lessen as a familiar hiss escaped both their lips and she began to pull him closer.

"Severus." gasped Hermione as she clung to him needing him almost as much as he had needed her since their strange bond became more than marital connection.

The shame he felt for having nearly harmed her returned only briefly as he slowly began to direct his attention to the pressing business of atoning for his callous nature. He could feel her heart pounding, it was as if it had been attuned to the same rhythm as his own in the wake of all that was happening.

He had no means of understanding it nor did he wish to at the present moment. He simply made up his mind that he would do his best to please her if only to get through this miserable war.

While Severus Snape warred with his thoughts and his various emotions, Hermione trusted her husband completely.

A feeling that she had never known before hand but there had always been something about him even before they were wed. Something more to the dour man that lurked in the shadows and only spoke when he had a valid reason to. She longed since the day they met to know more about him. If she were honest, she'd have to admit that it became something that bordered on obsession of sorts. While Harry's dealings with him had been more hostile in nature, she wanted to know what had been beyond that harsh exterior he wore so commonly. On occasion she had gotten brief glimpses of the man she'd come to know as her Severus when no one else had. His occasional amusement during the Qudditch games, his secret devotion to keeping Harry safe coming off as father-like despite his raging comments.

There had truly been more to Severus Snape that met the eye and Hermione had been the one to discover it, albeit accidentally.

As the moment continued to intensify, Hermione noted the differences between her Severus and the death eater that had exposed his malice to her the previous night. Her Severus was kind, and unsure a teenager of sorts if she were to be honest while capable of demonstrating the utter brilliance of being a known Potions Professor, he'd been fumbling with his emotions quite a bit and as randy as a six year student whenever he let his passion overtake him. The unintended sweetness he exhibited when they were alone was a good deal worth his harsh tone when portraying his notoriously snarky demeanor around everyone else.

They saw nothing of his insecurities, nor should they given his status, nor the unspoken vulnerability she witnessed even before becoming intimate with him.

"Severus." she said once more clinging to him as their bodies began to meld in the wake of their unreleased passion getting the better of them.

The creaking of the bedsprings and the constant pounding of the headboard against the wall had been a clear indication that both unseemly intellectuals had been given over to their mutual needed for one another. Still, Hermione often got the feeling that Severus had something to prove as his pace quickened and his labored breaths became more pronounced. His pale fingers dug into the mattress as he found himself increasing the pace of his periodic thrusts.

No one.

Not even Ginny Weasley could understand what life had been like for her in that moment. Hermione continued to cling to her husband unable to silence the moans that burst from her lips and met his ear, spurning him on as his pace continued to increase. While time had lost all meaning before hand, she knew it wouldn't be long before the inevitable conclusion reached them and they'd find themselves making the trek back to 12 Grimmauld place and the prying eyes of those concerned. A bittersweet moment if ever there was one.

It had been here at last, the ferocity of his thrusts and the tensing of his body as he glared into her eyes. No words spoken in the fleeting moment that heightened their respective senses. Both dreaded and welcomed the inevitable conclusion of their act panting and desperate to be closer to one another.

Just as it had so many times before, the rush of warmth had set Hermione off to a place where there was only pleasure and the rapid breaths of her husband that filled her ears as he kissed the sweat blasted flesh of her neck and tickled her skin via his own slick raven hair coming into contact with it.

She did her best to hide her disappointment at the loss of contact from his body as he disengaged and rolled onto his side of the bed his back to her gasping for breath.

"Fuck..." he said getting ahold of himself.

Hermione smiled knowing all too well that his vulgar term had been one of endearment given what they had shared.

Snape mustered enough energy to roll onto his back unable to keep his eyes off the panting young witch beside him. She looked a mess with her notoriously unruly hair sweat slick and cast in wild directions but she'd been beautiful in his line of sight none the less. He had hoped he'd more than made up for his behavior the previous night and then some. It was a strange set of circumstances to be sure but for the first time in a long time, an emotion far beyond Severus Snape's ability to comprehend crept it's way to the surface. An old and almost forgotten emotion with a name he had not dared speak for years...hope. At the conclusion of their mutual act, Severus Snape found himself unable to suppress the feeling of hope for something other than the constant strain of misery that had plagued his life since birth and it was all due to Hermione Granger.

The change was a significant one, and all together thrilling if he dared to embrace it.

Never one to back down from a challenge, he made the conscious decision to do so. He'd survive this war and he'd have Hermione at his side if she so chose to be whither Dumbledore or the rest of the Wizarding World liked it or not.