Summary: Severus awakens to find an unfamiliar person in his bed.

A/N: Yawn and stuff x10^23

Beta Love: Dragon and the Rose

Waking to the Unexpected

Life is full of surprises, and you need to be ready for everything.

Massimiliano Allegri

Severus groaned as he rubbed his head, his mind full of angry cotton and Cornish blue pixies running amok. He startled as he felt warmth beside him as a pair of arms wrapped around his chest, and someone snuggled into him—

He stilled, absolutely petrified, terrified, and borderline angry that someone had apparently laced his drink. And yet, even so, the dull ache in his mouth told him that other pangs of hunger had been whetted—something he had neither expected nor experienced in a very, very long time.

A warm slithering presence—the familiar feel of his Lethifold—caused him to look closer, and the creature was wrapped around his unexpected companion like a velvet cocoon.

A possessive, highly protective cocoon of Dark creature with so very many sharp teeth.

Impossible.

His Lethifold had not taken a liking to anyone—ever. It was how he had survived the war. Lethifolds did not take a liking to anyone attacking their bondmate.

Yet—

His Lethifold was two-timing with the person in his bed, obviously interested in exploring every nook, cranny, and curve—

And when he tried to extend his hand to brush the Lethifold over so he could see who was under there, the Lethifold—hissed at him.

He hadn't even known that a Lethifold could hiss, but it was obvious that his once stalwart companion was not remotely interested in his curiosity.

Severus realised in that moment that he was still angry about being drugged, and that had translated to possible harm to his companion—something the Lethifold was not about to tolerate. Whoever this was within the swaddle of living Darkness, they were someone the creature deemed important enough to protect—even from him.

But—

Why?

His Lethifold had never taken to anyone in all the years he'd had it.

Warm hands touched his skin in a very specific, needy manner and sent an immediate response through his body. Instinct more powerful than his confusion demanded he obey.

He drew one claw across the side of his neck to allow a trickle of blood to form, and immediately a warm, seeking mouth was attached to his neck.

A flood of pure ecstasy blew throughout his body, and he gasped and crumpled back onto the pillow, his arms securely caging the Lethifold-wrapped companion to his body. Everything from his head to his toes tingled, and his very soul said this was his mate.

His chosen.

His—everything.

His eyes rolled back in his head as the flood of sensual feelings and tender emotions rolled over him in an en masse stampede, far stronger than any mere orgasm. His fangs ached as they extended in his pleasure, and his muscles spasmed.

"Mmm," she whispered against his neck, her tongue sliding against his skin to close the wound and clean away the stray bit of blood around it.

The feel of it was achingly familiar.

Welcome.

Yet he couldn't remember who this person was.

But his Lethifold somehow did.

That implied an unshakeable trust—absolute loyalty.

Something he couldn't even remember having in anyone, ever.

"Mmm," she murmured, pulling him down for a kiss, and his body responded immediately, both heating and rising to the occasion—another thing he hadn't remembered happening, ever.

The taste of her mixed with the lingering tang of his blood caused him to growl, and he was on her in an instant, desire and possessive need combined to ensure his mate was well and truly claimed.

And he was putty to that driving instinct as his body remembered every single curve of her body, her scent, her touch, the feel of her erect nipple in his mouth, the feel of her buck against his hand before his cock found her, the heat of her neck as she bared it for him.

As he orgasmed, his fangs sank into her neck, and he drank from her willing neck, and a flood of ecstasy blew through him yet again, only along with it came the flood of shared memories of their time together.

His mate.

Hermione.

Her curls writhed upon the duvet like serpents, entwining around his fingers like Devil's Snare.

"Severus," she purred against him.

He kissed her passionately as all the memories danced upon his grey matter, filling in the gaps in his life—

Gaps he should not have had.

Gaps that his vampire nature and the very nature of the sharing of blood between mates would not allow to remain unchecked—

"Someone drugged me," Severus said as Hermione lay sated and satisfied by his side.

"What?" Hermione startled, her hand instinctively reaching to enclose his.

"I woke up with no memory of who you were, but—" Severus said with a furrowed brow. "But Walter set me straight."

The Lethifold curled around Hermione protectively, and Hermione soothed him with her fingers. "Walter?"

"I didn't remember you, and I woke up angry that someone might have drugged me, that I took home and bedded some unknown woman—" Severus frowned. "He hissed at me."

Hermione snuggled Walter. "He's such a good Lethifold."

"I didn't even remember I'd given him to you as a wedding gift—I didn't remember anything about us," Severus said, frowning.

Hermione frowned too. "And they apparently had no idea about vampire mating bonds—whoever this was." She seemed deep in thought. Then a rather dark smile tugged about her lips.

Severus knew that look well. "Wife?"

"I think you should come down with "amnesia" again, love," she recommended. "Publicly kick me out of your life. Make a big show of it. Reduce me to a sobbing ice cream-eating wreck."

"You realise that if this was real, it would literally kill me to hurt my mate, right?" Severus mused.

Hermione smiled, kissing the tip of his nose. "Narrows down the possibilities of who drugged you, hrm?"

"Your scales are showing, wife."

Hermione just smiled wider.

Severus gently kissed her, a soft purr radiating from his chest. "Let's reduce you to a sobbing ice cream-eating-wreck after I ensure our marital mating bond is solid."

Hermione chuckled. "You made sure of that the night we married, love," she said.

"Odd, I don't seem to remember that—" Severus said, and then he pounced on her with a deep growl of possessive desire.

Hermione squealed in delight as he ensured she was well and truly, irrevocably mated.

Again.

"You said she'd come running back to me," Ron whinged in disgust. "Does this look like she's coming back to me?" He pointed to the dishevelled witch rocking herself back and forth and chewing on the only thing she was wearing—a black velvet cloak.

Marietta tsked. "I told you I would get Snape out of the way for you," she snapped. "What she did after that was not under my control."

"She can't even work anymore. She's bloody useless like this," Ron scoffed. "I'm better off sticking with Lavender. At least she's a damn good fuck."

"You said you'd pay me for getting Snape to hurt her poor little feelings and make her leave him, and that is exactly what I did," Marietta snorted. "Pay up, or I will make sure Lavender finds out about every witch you've been fucking."

"The money was supposed to come from Hermione's Gringotts account after she married me!"

"That is not my problem," Marietta hissed. "Pay up, or I will find other ways to make you pay."

"Fine," Ron snarled, shoving a heavily perfumed bag into her hands. "That's worth more than what I promised you. It's a designer custom from that Fiore person in Italy. Made of kirin skin."

Marietta opened one zipper and found the hidden price tag. "I hope whoever you stole this from is crying their eyes out. This thing more than covers our agreement."

"And buys your silence, Edgecombe."

Marietta huffed. "And my silence. Nice doing business with you, Weasley."

She Disapparated with a crack.

Ron sneered down at Hermione as she drooled and rocked herself. "You should never have let that greasy git touch you," he informed her coldly, his fingers hooking on her sole cloak adornment. "Now, you're just as fucked up as Neville's bloody parents."

He jerked the velvet cloak away from her.

The cloak abruptly came to life in a swarm of gnashing teeth and Dark malevolence, descending upon Ronald Bilius Weasley in a blur of movement so fast it was untrackable.

Multiple Apparates sounded off as a team of Aurors materialised. Harry Potter, his eyes filled with both horror and disgust, made gestures to his team.

"Hermione, if you wouldn't mind allowing us to have something left to arrest here?"

Hermione stood from her rocking chair, naked and utterly nonplussed. "Walter."

The Lethifold promptly returned to her, reforming himself into a set of velvety robes that hung loosely around her body.

Ron, his body now boiled lobster red from having his skin shaved down a few layers by a very excited Lethifold, whimpered and screamed in a foetal ball on the floor.

"Ronald Bilius Weasley, you are under arrest for arranging for someone to be dosed with a malicious Obliviate Potion, the intent to break a magically sealed marriage and subsequently marry the victim's wife for monetary gain with no intent to honour the marital vows. For hiring and paying another to brew an illegal Dark potion, you are immediately dismissed from the Department of Magical Law Enforcement until your trial before the Wizengamot finds you either guilty or innocent. You do not have to say anything, but it may harm your defence if you do not mention, when questioned, something which you later rely on in Wizengamot. Anything you do say may be given in evidence," Harry finished as he nodded to his coworkers. "Take his wand, strip him down, and take all of his belongings into evidence, clothing included. Place him in a holding cell. Make sure he and Edgecombe cannot speak with each other. Call in a healer to tend to his—whatever the hell that is."

"Sir," the Aurors said, scrambling to take Ronald Weasley into custody and clean up the scene.

Harry sighed and turned to Hermione. "I'm so sorry, Hermione."

She just shook her head. "The friend I thought I had died in the war along with my innocence. This just—proved it. I think the locket murdered Ronald's resistance to Dark magic, and the rest—just followed after."

Harry grimaced. "And what of us?"

"I'm a vampire, Harry," Hermione said with a shrug. "Darkness is a part of me forever. As natural as breathing. As for you—when Tom Riddle murdered you, all that Darkness that latched into your scar left with it. You—had a second chance, but I do not envy you your talk with Molly after this."

"She'll blame you over this," Harry predicted somberly. "Ginny will expect me to give you hell over it."

Hermione's lips twitched. "Do what you have to do, Harry, but—think of the life you wish to live and why you would tolerate such a thing. Whatever you choose, I will accept it. Life goes on. It does not mean I will like it, but you must do what you must to make your life meaningful with the time you have."

Ronald Weasley and Marietta Edgecombe Found Guilty of Dark Magic With Intent To Break a Magically Sealed Marriage!

Pregnant Lavender Brown Found Guilty of Malicious "Accidental" Magic That Turned Former Lover Into a European Hamster!

"Harry Potter-Malfoy," Hermione hissed dangerously. "You stop poking my Lethifold before he eats you and I forget how to call him off!"

Harry looked down. "Sorry—it just—he is—I think I'm a little jealous."

Severus sneered at him. "Unless you have aspirations to become one of the undead, Potter, I would stick to regular cloaks if I were you."

Walter seemed to silently glare at Harry and then wrapped himself more securely around Hermione's body.

Draco came in carrying a blood sausage casserole and a bottle of wine. "Do try not to off yourself, love," he said. "Bad enough the Weasleys want us all dead as it is. I'm used to it by now, but you seem to have some kind of strange attachment to them."

Harry sighed. "They were always nice to me when I was growing up."

"That's a glorious reason to let them walk all over you," Draco sniffed, shoving a bowl of blood fruit salad and the regular Caesar salad into his arms.

Harry, getting the point, quickly helped him set the table.

"Did your adoption papers go through?" Hermone asked.

Draco smiled and nodded as he sat down. "Yes, they'll contact us when we can come pick up Scorpius."

"It was quite nice of Astoria to be a surrogate for you both," Hermione said.

"Yeah, I—" Draco shrugged. "I'm glad she was okay with it. I didn't exactly treat her the best in school."

"You didn't really treat anyone very well," Hermione remarked. "Even yourself. But you grew up eventually. Not everyone can say the same."

Draco smiled. "Thanks, Hermione. Father says hello, by the way. He really appreciates your helping mum."

"I'm just glad I could help her. Not all Muggle remedies work for magical people or vice versa. But things like meditation and relaxation—I had to learn a lot of that after the war. That works well for both Muggles and magical people."

"Father has been sleeping better too," Draco noted. "It's really good to see them smile again. They did so very rarely when I was growing up."

Hermione nodded. "I am glad they can."

Draco smacked Harry's hand as he tried to steal food before everyone was sitting down.

They all settled around the table, poured wine, and raised their glasses.

"To the life we did not think possible or deserve," Severus said, "and the happiness we have found so very close."

They clinked their glasses together.

"Slainte," they said together.

And all was good in their world—well, except for those others who weren't welcome at their table anytime soon.

(They say Ronald is still screaming in his cell because everytime his eyes close he sees darkness and gnashing teeth.)

Fin.

A/N: Thanks to Dragon and the Yawns for betaing this fic past her expiry hour.