The Power Lies Within

I do not own the characters and am making no money doing this. The characters and world belong to JK herself.

I know this chapter took me and long time to get posted. But I want to thank everyone who has waited for it. I hope you enjoy it. I am already working on the next chapter. So remember to keep reviewing. I love reading what everyone thinks. Thank you to my beta, Nicole.
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Chapter 11
The Morning After

Hermione opened her eyes and peered around the room she was in without moving. She did not realize where she was for a few moments until she noticed the arm that was wrapped around her waist and solid form that lay behind her.

She thought about everything that happened the day before and she still could not believe it. She was a married woman now, not only that but she was married to her professor. A professor that in two weeks, she was supposed to attend his class as a student once more. That would be weird. All of a sudden Hermione was wide-awake, would she be able to continue going to her classes? Would Dumbledore stop her from finishing out the year? There must be some rule that says a student can’t marry a teacher and still be a student? There had been too much going on, it had never even occur to her that she might not be able to finish school. Hermione could imagine a worst fate; learning had been the one thing that she had shined at. Hermione had never had many friends, so books had been her friends.

Severus and Dumbledore both believed that she was powerful, Hermione was not so sure of that. Harry was the powerful one. She had the talent for reciting knowledge. She may do better in their classes, but that was sonly because she threw herself into books until she knew them cover-to-cover. If Harry applied himself, like she did he would surpass her within no time, but he had other things that clouded his mind, more important things.

Severus sensed a change in her as her body began to tense up. But why? She could not have been awake for more then two minutes. He noticed then that his arm was around her waist and her bottom was nestled into his stomach. Was she tensing because he was so close to her? Could it be that was she regretting that last night had even happened? He could spend all morning guessing what was wrong with her or he could simply ask.

“Good morning Hermione.”

She jumped in his arms, “I didn’t realize you were awake.”

“I gathered as much, since you nearly jumped out of your skin. How are you feeling this morning?” He thought he could at least be sly about getting his answers.

She moved to roll over to face him and winced. “I am apparently a little sore.”

“I will run you a bath with certain herbs to ease your discomfort. And while you are bathing I will order us some breakfast.”

“That would be wonderful. I am not ready to face all the staff and Harry yet.” She moved gingerly to the edge of the bed before she realized she was still naked. “Um, Severus, do you by chance have robe I could use. It appears that I have no clothes here other than my wedding gown.”

“I will send a house elf up to your old rooms to get you some clothes. And later today we can go up and collect the rest of your belongings,” he said as he transfigured a button down shirt into a silk robe for her.

“Thank you,” she said, taking the robe from him and putting it on. “But I really do not have that many things up in my room, there are only a few items that I would like to get. A few photos, my books, Crookshanks…”

“What is a Crookshanks?” Severus said stopping half way through buttoning a pair of black slacks.

“He is my cat.”

“You have a what?”

“A cat,” she said as she stood up tying to belt on the robe. “Can we talk about him after I take my bath?”

“I will go get the herbs I need and I will meet you in the bathroom.”

“Um, where is the bathroom?” she asked.

“Right through that door,” he answered, as he pointed towards a door she had not noticed before. He turned and walked out of the bedroom.

Hermione watched him go, thinking to herself, “Those pants do wonders for his backside.”

When she walked in the bathroom she figured that she would at least start the water in the tub, but she looked around the expansive room and could find no tub. There was an extra large shower that looked like it was carved out of the stone wall. There was a small mirror over a larger counter that had one sink in it. It looked as though this bathroom had once been made for two people and he had changed the room taking out everything he did not want to use. When she thought a little bit more about it, she figured she was probably right.

Severus came into the bathroom at that very moment with a bowl of herbs in his hands.

“Um, Severus. There is not a bathtub in here.”

“Yes, there is.” He waved his wand and a platform appeared next the shower. “I do not normally use it so I did not see the need to have it around all the time.”

Hermione walked over to the newly appeared platform and saw that a enormous sunken tub lay in it. It had three faucets. She turned one and water poured out and when she went to turn the next one Severus stopped her.

“There are bubbles in that one, however the herbs I have for you will not work with them.”

“Oh. What herbs do you have for me?”

Severus started to sprinkle the herbs in to the water as the tub filled up. “Aloe, Allspice, Cinnamon, Mistletoe, and a bit of Lavender.”

“Lavender? I did not realize Lavender had any healing qualities.”

Severus stopped, turned, and sat on the edge of the tub.

“It doesn’t, but it had a peaceful one and I thought you might need to relax, you were very tense when you woke up,” he said.

“There has just been so much going on and not that things are starting to settle down, my brain is working in overdrive. I know that you and Professor Dumbledore believe that I am this powerful witch…”

“Stop right there. Albus and I do not believe you are, we know you are powerful. You have proven that over and over again. Power is not just physical strength. Power also comes from within. Hermione, you have dealt with much, and it has not broken you or your spirit. There are not many that can say the same. Knowledge is another form of power, and we both know that you are full of it. Need I continues?”

Hermione was speechless that was one of the nicest things anyone had ever said to her. Hermione walked over and stood in front of him without speaking she leaned down and kissed him. She pulled away. “Thank you, Severus you seem to know exactly what I needed to hear.”

He put the last of the herbs in the tub. “Enjoy your soak. I will order breakfast for when you are done. We can continue talking over breakfast.” And with that he turned and walked out of the bathroom.

Severus walked out of the bathroom and headed into the living room. He ordered breakfast from the house elves in the kitchen and sat down in one of the chairs in front of the hearth. He thought of the girl that was lounging in the bathtub not but a hundred feet away from him. The girl had not even been here for twenty-four hours, but she was already getting under his skin. He really needed t stop thinking of her as a girl and see her for the woman that she was, his wife. He was brought out of his train of thought as the breakfast he ordered arrived.

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Hermione let the tub fill completely and turned off the water. She looked again at the tap that Severus said contained bubbles in it, she would have to enjoy this beautiful tub again with bubbles.

She untied her robe and hung it on a hook and stepped in the water. It felt wonderful; Hermione could feel the effects of the herbs already. She laid her head back and lounged in the water. She picked her head back up and ran her hands across the top of the water in front of her. It was then that she realized that she had not yet really looked at the ring that Severus had picked out for her and placed on her finger last night. She raised her hand and looked at the ring that was now on her left hand. It was a platinum band with inlayed Emeralds, Rubies, and Diamonds. The stones alternated Emerald, Diamond, Ruby, Diamond, and so on. It was the most beautiful thing she had even seen. He had combined both the Slytherin and Gryffindor colors. Hermione admired her ring for another minute or two, before she laid her head back against the tub and enjoyed her bath.

When she got out of the bathroom she found some clothes laid out for her on the bed. She dressed quickly and wrapped her hair up in a towel.

Hermione walked out of the bedroom and saw Severus sitting with a cup of tea reading the Daily Prophet.

“There is a tray of food here, if you will like something,” he said.

Hermione walked over to the table the tray was sitting on and picked up a muffin. She flopped down into the other chair in front of the hearth. She tucked her legs under her and picked off a piece of muffin and ate it. She sat there like that picking at and eating her muffin, just watching the fire that was burning in the grate.

After sitting in silence long enough to eat her muffin she spoke without taking her eyes off the fire. “Severus?”

He did not respond verbally but she heard him put the paper down and took that as her sign that he was listening.

“Will I be allowed to continuing going to classes?”

“Why would you think that you would not be able to do so?” he asked back.

“Everything is different now. I mean I am married to a professor. There has to be something in the rules that would not allow that.”

“I am sure you are correct. However, I am also sure that Albus has fixed it so we are doing nothing wrong as well.”

“So I will be able to continuing classes?”

“Yes.”

“Even Potions?” she inquired.

Severus considered her for a moment before speaking. “I will give you private lessons, as you could very well take you NEWTS today. It will simplify this situation a little bit. As then I will not have to look at you are a student during the day and my wife at night. You have always been far above you classmates. You would benefit more from private lessons”

Private lessons with Severus, possibilities were endless. “I can agree to that,” she said in a would-be casual tone.

“I know that there is more you wish to talk about, Hermione,” Severus said.

“I know the prophecy says that I will bear a child. Um…is there, oh I don’t know…some sort of…um…timeline on that?” she asked tentatively.

“The Dark Lord will want the child conceived as soon as possible. As does the Order, however, Albus will never admit to that. They believe the sooner the child is here, the quicker this war will be over.”

“I still do not understand how a baby will affect the war. What help can an infant be to a war?”

“The prophecy was not nice enough to give us details, but he must play some sort of role.”

“He? It could just as easily be a girl. Why do you assume that the baby is a boy?”

“You are of course right, but I was not really thinking of that when I spoke.”

“So the timeline is as soon as possible?” she asked.

“We do not have to rush, right now. I will try to hold it off for as long as possible, however I do not know how long the Dark Lord will be stalled. He will want results quickly.”

“Had you ever thought you would have children?” asked Hermione.

“I never thought I would live long enough to do so,” he answered honestly.

“Why do you put yourself into danger? Why spy for the Order?”

“I have my reasons. But we have other things to discuss.”

“Like what?” she questioned.

“You will need to be taught Occlumency. As the Dark Lord will require you to meet with him. Do not look so scared. I will be with you, and this I will be able to hold off for quite a bit of time, claiming that if I bring you to him too soon that we will show our hand and all will be lost. The Dark Lord will want me to turn you against Albus and Mr. Potter, and towards him.”

“Does he really believe I can be turned against Harry?”

“If he does not believe that you have, then after the child is born you will be killed. If not before the Dark lord will not take the risk of the child being used against him,” he stated with no emotion in his voice.

The shocked and terrified look on her face tore at Severus. He got up and moved towards her chair.

“I will not allow that to happen, even if I have to give up my own life to stop it.”

Hermione looked into his eyes and saw that he meant it. Before she could think any more about it she had leaned into him and was kissing him. She poured into that kiss everything that she was feeling at that moment, all the fear disappeared. She wanted him to realize that she trusted him completely.

Severus felt her giving over all of the fear she was feeling, this girl trusted him. Like no one else other then Albus. She probably trusted him even more, as she was laying her life in his hands, and trusting that he would not let her down. He felt the overwhelming desire to never let this girl…this woman in his arms down. He never wanted to see disappointment in him in her eyes.

“Ahem, I am sorry if I am interrupting anything, Severus. However, your mother is getting ready to depart and wanted to bid you a farewell,” Dumbledore said from the fire, where his head was now rotating. “She is waiting in the Entrance Hall.”

Severus stood up and straightened his shirt, “Informed her that my wife and I will be there in ten minutes.”

“Very well. “Good morning, Lady Snape.”

“Good Morning Professor Dumbledore.”

When Dumbledore had left Hermione turned to Severus. “Why did Dumbledore call me Lady Snape? I thought that was your mother.”

“Yes, she is but as I told you before we were married you would be Lady Snape.”

“In title only though.”

“In title only, but it is still your proper title now. All of your teachers will now call you by this title, as it is your name now. They can not continue to call you Ms. Granger.”

“I suppose not. Harry and Ron are going to pick on me dearly for this,” Hermione gasped and covered her mouth.

“Is something wrong?”

“Ron, I had completely forgotten about him. Oh, he is going to have a fit when he finds out everything he has missed. I am not looking forward to telling him.”

“Mr. Weasley will simply have to act like an adult and learn to endure it.”


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