Dare to Dance

Disclaimer: JKR owns all that you recognize. I just like to borrow the characters to play...

A/N: Have I ever mentioned that I really hate it when I get stuck in real life for so long that I don’t get to take an occasional break for my writing? That, plus the added disappointment of my latest rejection letter for my own novel has been something that just kind of zapped my energy... But anyway... Enough about me. I know you guys have been wondering where the story went, so I will of course try to give you a chapter worthy of your attention.

Oh... and just in case anyone wonders... I do know the true particulars about the old fashioned ritual of Hand-fasting, but I changed it around a little to make it more suitable to the wizard world... (Don’t ask, just read and find out!) :-)
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Ch 12 - Visitor in the Mind

Ron sat staring absently at the fire while his mother bustled around the chambers that they had been shown to upon their arrival, unpacking. He only listened with half an ear as she chattered on about this and that and tried to make light of how worried she had been when they recieved the news of his illness.

“Oh, but, enough about that, dear. It’s over now.” Molly turned to Arthur, who was sitting across from Ron, watching him quietly. “Isn’t it, Arthur? Best to forget it and get on with your life.” Although she said the words with a carefree tone, there was a worry in her eyes that neither missed.”

Shaking his head, Ron closed his eyes and his shoulders sagged. “Forget it? How can I forget it?” his voice quivered. “I nearly raped Hermione. I could have done worse to her!” Fear darkened his eyes. “Mum, I don’t know what happened. I don’t understand what is still happening.” He looked to her, then his dad, who both just stared back, for once, at a loss for words. “The worst part is, I don’t think it’s over.”

Arthur gaze shot from Ron, to Molly, then back to Ron at that, and he asked softly, “What’s that supposed to mean?”

Sighing, the younger man stood and paced to the fireplace and stood gazing at the flames for a moment before turning to look back at the parents he loved so much. “I’m not sure, dad. I just know that something inside me is not the same,” His eyes became haunted. “And I don’t think that will be changing anytime soon.”

Molly crossed to stand before Ronald and took him into her arms. “Oh, my sweet boy. What has happened to you? You must know that we can get past this? I mean, look how much you, Harry and Hermione have already been through?” her eyes searched his when she pulled back. “Surely, we can find a way to get you through this as well?”

Arthur still sat on the chair, a concerned look on his face when he spoke softly, “Ronald, come here.” He watched his youngest son cross to stand before him, then gestured for him to sit in the chair closest to him. “We need to talk.” At Ron’s nod, he smiled sadly and leaned forward, “So, tell me what changed after the battle was done.”

Ron’s eyes misted as he looked from his father to his mum, then slowly began to relate the feelings that had slowly begun to assail him from the time of the dark lord’s fall.

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Hermione stretched as she came awake, only to find that her movement was hindered by a tightening embrace. Smiling, she curled into the warmth beside her and opened her eyes to find the dark obsidian staring back. A soft, almost hesitant smile graced his lips before he leaned forward to claim hers in a tender kiss..

She gave herself over to his touch and ran her hand over his shoulder and toyed with his hair affectionately. When the kiss ended, she smiled, whispering, “Good morning, my love.”

Severus raised an eyebrow and contemplated her for a long moment before answering. “I don’t think I ever expected to become anyone’s love, Hermione.” His eyes were sad and he sighed before releasing her and rolling onto his back.

She followed him, and gazed down into his face. “Why? Do you not consider yourself worthy?”
She watched him closely, waiting for his answer.

Moving from beneath her to sit on the side of the bed, he closed his eyes against his own painful memories before he answered. “No, I don’t suppose I do.” Keeping his back to her, he admitted. “I never expected to make it through the war. I did terrible things then, Hermione. Before... and after I began spying for the Order.” He drew in a defeated sigh. “I do not know if I can ever truly atone for those misdeeds.”

Moving to sit beside him, Hermione leaned her head against his shoulder, silently praying he wasn’t backing out of their growing relationship. “You are a good man, Severus Snape,”she spoke softly, “and I don’t think you have anything else to atone for. You have helped to save the world from a monster. The things you had to do in order to reach that goal mean little by comparison.”

Her words washed over him like a cleansing rainstorm, and he turned to embrace her. His eyes closed as he allowed himself the joy he had found so rare in his life, before asking the question he had found himself fearing her answer to. “Do you think you could find life fulfilling if you were hand-fasted to someone such as I?”

Pulling away, Hermione blinked up at him with a mixture of shock and emotion. He feared he had moved hastily in the asking of this question, and hastened to explain. “I won’t be a demanding lover,” he started. “I would never ask you to give up furthering your education, or becoming a full Potions mistress if that was what you wanted. I also won’t stand in the way of any career you wanted to pursue.” he paused and clenched his hands into fists to keep from betraying the tremor that had found its way into them.

“I only want to be apart of your life. You have given me a glimpse of something I never thought to have for myself, and I don’t want to lose it.” His eyes searched hers, before he added, “I won’t ask you to marry me. I haven’t the right.” He cleared his throat. “By hand-fasting, you would gain the rights to my estates. I would fund your continued education, and you would be free to cancel the arrangement– if you found someone you believed to be better suited to you, or simply tired of me. I would not fight it.”

Sitting beside him in silence, Hermione shook her head, stunned. He was offering her an arrangement that would be entirely in her favor. It was a practice that older wizards often offered younger witches as potential love interests. It bound him to her, irrevocably. She would have his support and affection for as long as she chose to keep it.

From the beginning of such an agreement, he would be tying himself to her. But it granted her the freedom to stay with him as she wished, or leave him at any point in the relationship. It was an offer that made her heart swell. He was asking her to tie herself to him in a way that gave her complete power in the relationship.

Many happy magical marriages often began as hand-fasting. But, just as many a wizard was also left brokenhearted when the witch he’d tied himself to had decided to deny him any part of herself and inevitably married a younger wizard, leaving their older match behind. The only exception to that was on the occasion of the witch becoming pregnant.

Shaken by this revelation, Hermione touched his cheek with her hand. “Severus, why would you make me such an offer, knowing how one-sided such an arrangement can be? I would rather marry you than agree to a hand-fasting.”

Severus reached out and crushed Hermione to him before crushing her lips with his own. She melted happily in his embrace. When he pulled back, he rested his forehead against hers. “I am many years your senior, Hermione. You may one day look at me and wonder why you tied yourself to such an old greasy bastard.”

Hermione chuckled and wrapped her arms around his neck. “We have many years ahead of us before anyone would dare to even consider calling you old.” She crooked a mischievous smile at him before sliding out of his arms and standing naked before him. She held her hand out to him. “Come with me.”

Taking her hand, he stood and pulled gently on her arm. “Where are we going?” He asked curiously.

Leaning forward. She brushed his lips with her own. “I’m going to bathe you, and show you just how very young you still are, Severus. Then, If there is still time before breakfast, I may just have to get you all hot and sweaty again, just so I can do the whole sordid thing over one more time before we have to put in an appearance.”

Tugging gently on his hand, she led him to the bathroom and into the large shower room that resembled her own, but was much bigger. Turning, she spoke softly to the shower, “Gentle rain setting, please.” As soon as she spoke the words the shower turned on. Warm raindrops seemed to fall from above them, wetting their skin and surrounding them with the scent of a fresh springtime rain.

Taking the soap in her hands, she turned and began running her hands over his chest in slow circles. Her eyes held his as she let her hands roam lower and closed around him. The soap suds made her able to slip her hand easily up and down his rigid length. Her thumb circled his tip before she released him and moved around his body continuing to lather him, cleaning his skin and leaving chills running down his spine in response to her touch.

As she came back around to the front of him, he took the soap from her, and reached out to lather her as well. His hands roamed from her shoulders, over her breasts, slowing his hands, he filled his palms with the weight of her breasts, and let his thumbs trace the hardened peaks of her nipples. She moaned and swayed toward him, even as her own hand again began stroking his staff.

Groaning in response to her ministrations, he let one hands slide lower over her firm skin, past her belly, down to the thatch of hair nestled between her legs. An almost predatory look came into his eyes as he used his forfinger to part her folds, and flick across her core, jolting her closer to him as she held onto his hardness with one hand, and used the other to keep herself standing.

Urging her back so that her back was against the wall, Severus, urged one leg up over his hip, even as he toyed with her clit. Hermione felt herself being consumed by the heat his hand was generating in her nether regions.

Opening her mouth to cry out as her release hit hard, she found her voice was lost as he claimed her mouth with his own. As he claimed her mouth, he also pinned her more forcefully against the shower wall by pushing her hand away from his shaft and driving it into her moist core.

They held to each other as if their lives depended on it. The feelings and emotions they both felt made their joining the most intense experience either of them had ever experienced. When Hermione reached her orgasm, Severus felt himself explode inside her without any thought to a whispered contraceptive charm as he had always remembered before...

...It was only hours later, as he sat in class, grading first year essays that he realized the possible depth of his error...

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A/N: I hope everyone has enjoyed this newest chapter. Please leave a review! I have missed them, and I know my MUSE is absolutely starved for them!