They retreated to Hermione's quarters, as they were closer. Most of the 8th year students were combined in dormitories with the remaining 6th and 7th year students - there were few enough as there were - but as Hermione had started logging hours on her Transfiguration apprenticeship early, the Headmistress had decided it was not appropriate for her to be housed amongst students that she may end up grading the essays of.
The age difference between herself and her peers was starker than ever as well, with the 8th years being a mix of two original years - Neville and Ginny sharing classes and homework for the first time. But with how long the repairs to Hogwarts had taken and the limited returning numbers there was little that could be done. In addition to that, the added time from the time turner set her a full year ahead of most of her peers.
Hermione had been eager enough to have a space of her own, delighting in the privacy and silence. Since sharing a dormitory with the likes of Lavender and Parvati- not to mention the tent with Harry and Ron - a room of her own was paradise. She supposed she would have to get used to an entirely new roommate shortly and wondered what challenges that would bring. She tried not to think of it negatively. Her roommate would be an ally. An ally who would help her circumnavigate the requirements of this ridiculous law as much as humanly possible.
She gestured for Professor Snape to take a seat as she cast a spell to light a fire in the grate and set a kettle to boil. She spared him a glance. He sat rigidly on her couch, looking decidedly uncomfortable and out of place with his feet squared off in front of him and his knees at sharp 90-degree angles.
When their tea was ready, she finally joined him on the couch, curling her legs up underneath her to warm her toes, the fire still warming the room.
"So," she said finally, into the silence that stretched between them.
"So," he repeated, and sipped his drink, seemingly refusing to speak first and set the tone.
"I'm glad you'll be staying, in any case," Hermione offered him a light smile. "I would have been right miffed if you'd ruined my chances at getting my potions NEWT."
"So, there was some ulterior motive to your act of martyrdom after all," he responded without missing abeat. Hermione laughed.
"Getting married is hardly martyrdom," Hermione quirked her lips. "In fact, between you and George I think you're far less likely to poison me - or at least with something you don't know how to cure, so perhaps you are the better option after all."
He gave her another odd look she couldn't quite interpret.
"Would you mind explaining just how you are old enough to be subject to this law in the first place?" He asked finally. "It was my understanding that the law would only be effective from those aged twenty and above."
It was true, and Hermione appreciated that the Ministry even while overstepping its bounds in one way was at least allowing students to finish their studies - in most cases that was. Hermione was an awkward exception.
"Time turner in my third year," Hermione shrugged and sighed. "I turned twenty shortly before the law passed. Kingsley sent me a letter explaining my inclusion. I get a delay on the child requirement by an additional seven months by the way. They felt they could make an exception for me until after graduation. That and a heavily pregnant student would have been bad press for their law."
He paled and looked away, clearly uncomfortable with the image.
"With any luck the law will be repealed by then anyway," she reached out and patted his knee comfortingly. He stared at her hand like it was an alien appendage and swallowed.
"You realize we will still have to consummate the agreement," he said darkly, still not meeting her eyes.
"We've got a week from tonight before we need to be married, and a month from then to... finalize it," she said awkwardly, watching his inexpressive face in the flickering firelight. "Although if the aurors are already trying to sabotage you, maybe we shouldn't leave it until the absolute last minute. It will be better if it's not rushed as well, I suppose."
He gave her that odd, pained expression again, a strange mixture of shock, humour, and despair.
"You are not... are you?"
Hermione stared at him, uncomprehending.
He swallowed again. "Have you... have you experience in these matters?"
"Oh! Yes, I have. Not that much though, but I have before. A few times."
"That's good," his relief was palpable.
"I must apologize that you have been caught up in my inability to sufficiently prepare..." he trailed off as she squeezed his knee again. "I was naive to think I would have a few more days."
"That's not a word I would associate with you," Hermione offered softly.
"And yet it appears I have been caught out. And you an additional casualty," he met her eyes. "You do have my thanks. I don't desire to revisit Azkaban."
Hermione placed her cup on the coffee table and scooted closer to him, wrapping her arms around him firmly and he sank back into silence once again, his body stiffening in shock, not particularly accepting her embrace but nor did he reject it.
"Please stop talking about me like a martyr or a casualty," she begged a little bitterly. "I'm not dead yet, you know."
"Apologies-" he said again, but Hermione pulled back and looked him fiercely in the eye.
"And you're not dead yet either. We can deal with each issue as it comes up, but right now we are in a good situation. We'll both be married to allies at least. We have several months longer than anyone else to worry about procreation - and I'm hoping you'll be as amenable as I would to try and skirt the birth control ban."
"You don't want children?" He asked her hopefully.
"Not at twenty – or twenty-one for that matter. I won't be allowing the ministry to make my reproductive decisions. As my spouse, however... Considering breaking the law would come with the risk of time in Azkaban, I'd be hoping you would be able to use that Slytherin brain of yours to come up with something that wasn't necessarily against the rules."
He perked up a little. "There are several potions that were excluded from the list as impeded fertility is more of a side effect than the main design -"
Hermione shifted her hands to grasp his and grinned.
"I knew I could count on you," she enthused honestly. "I wasn't kidding when I said I would have talked to you if you were on my shortlist, you know. I was just under the impression that you had already matched with someone."
He gave her another curious look, and Hermione suddenly wondered if he was restraining himself from making a judgment until he could figure out her motives.
"I value my independence," she elaborated. "And I know you do too. I'm hoping that shared value will make our expectations... compatible. I mean, even George was expecting I'd go join him and get started on a family right after graduation. It would have meant I'd have to give up my apprenticeship. I had always hoped I'd get to pursue further education-"
"Of course, you will continue," Severus jumped in on the thread. "I would want to see you complete your mastery. I'm sure Minerva would have my head if you didn't."
Hermione smiled at him in good humour.
"I'd like to get to know you first," she added, bringing them both back to the point of their talk. "We don't have to work it all out tonight, but if we are to be married...and all that that entails... I'd like to spend some time with you before then. Do you think we could spend some evenings together?"
He raised an eyebrow. "You think I will improve on extended exposure?"
She laughed. "I'd like to give it a chance. Minerva said I could retain my rooms here, although they would be connected to yours by floo after the wedding which should meet the cohabitation clause, as long as we considered both spaces as belonging to the pair of us. But until then we could spend some evenings together, even if we're just doing marking or research. You could tell me about your apprenticeship."
"You want to hear about my apprenticeship?" He looked at her doubtfully.
"Well, I thought it would be a safer topic than some other things," she blushed and looked down at her lap. She didn't imagine he would want to discuss his early childhood with her, nor his Death Eater years, and it seemed less banal than trading their favourite colours and foods. And with her own apprenticeship looming it was keen on her mind. She wanted to know what her future would look like. Her future as an apprentice, and also… as a wife.
"And this would help you?"
"Will you kiss me now?" she asked suddenly.
"Excuse me?" He looked bewildered and slightly ill at the suggestion.
"Well, at the end of the week we will have to regardless, so unless we try to get to know each other before then it's unlikely to get any easier," she said a little peevishly, a blush tinting her cheeks. "And I'd rather we didn't leave our first kiss until it had to be witnessed by notaries."
"I will return tomorrow at eight in the evening," he said, and stood up quickly then seemed to hesitate again. "Anything else can wait until then."
Hermione sighed. "That's fair. I suppose it is a bit much all at once, isn't it?"
"Quite," Severus frowned at her, an inscrutable expression on his face. "I am quite surprised you are so... eager."
"It's not eagerness as such," Hermione blushed again. "It's anxiety. Believe it or not but I do find the whole idea quite intimidating, and I'd rather have some evidence to base my fears on rather than my imagination."
"I see."
He lingered by the door but didn't open it.
"Eight tomorrow?" Hermione prompted.
Instead of answering, he took two steps towards her to close the distance and reached his long fingers up to cup her chin. His touch was soft and feather-light.
"Wha-"
"You don't have to be afraid, Hermione," he said softly, and leant in close to her, dusting his lips across her cheek in a chaste kiss. "I am very grateful for your actions. And I promise to be very gentle with you, and respectful of you. I will always listen to your requests. You have my word."
Her breath escaped with a shudder, and she reached her hands up to lie flat on his chest. Desire rose within her and all she wanted was to kiss him more.
Then, with a light squeeze on her shoulders, he was gone, and she was left staring at the door trying to catch her breath.