A Matter of Circumstance

Disclaimer: All recognizable characters belong to JKR. All situations are mine. No $$$ is being made from this fanfic.
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Chapter 15 ~ The Gospel According to Severus Snape

Severus wound his pelvis slowly, Hermione letting out a purring groan as the wizard looked down at her, his eyes full of pleasure as her mouth dropped open. She wasn’t going to be able to argue with him much this way if he kept her suitable distracted, which he planned to.

”If I tell him,” Hermione gasped, “He’s not going to marry me, Severus and I don’t make enough money to support myself and a baby. He or she’s going to need food, diapers, medi-witch visits, clothing, and day care while I work and go to school. It’s going to be hard to do if I don’t have help.”

Severus stared down at her.

“If you tell Mr. Weasley and he refuses to marry you…then I suppose I can offer some support…until you get on your feet,” the pale wizard said.

Hermione scowled at him and began struggling again. Until she got on her feet? The bastard!

The Potions Master’s lower lip trembled as Hermione’s motions sent wave after wave of pleasure along his thick shaft.

“No, that’s not good enough Severus,” Hermione gasped up at him as he pressed his cock into her deeper, “And stop it! I can’t talk to you this way!”

Severus eased up on the pressure.

Hermione drew in a deep breath, the wizard’s pale body lifting a bit.

“I’m going to need more than that, Severus? My child is going to need support until he or she reaches adulthood. The older a child gets, the more they need. When he or she starts school, books are going to be needed, uniforms and other items. Then there will be birthdays and Christmas. And if it’s a boy, he’s going to need a male figure in his life, someone he can count on. Someone who will be a good example for him,” Hermione said.

Severus snorted.

“And you think that hothead Weasley would be a good role model?” he asked her.

“Better than you would be. He’s willing to face up to his responsibilities,” she declared.

”You forget, he has no responsibility toward you or my child, that is the issue here. Imagine what could happen if that wizard finds out not only were you fucking me during your betrothal, but I impregnated you with your full knowledge and you passed my child off as his,” the wizard said coldly, “If it were me, I would end up in Azkaban for committing a crime of passion. Such treachery is too much for any man.”

Hermione stared up at Severus, whose eyes were hard as diamond. Still, in the back of his mind the Potions Master knew it was his callousness that led Hermione to do what she did. It was more an act of desperation than treachery. A matter of survival. As a Slytherin, he understood her motivations. But a Slytherin would heavily weigh the possible consequences. The Gryffindor hadn’t done that as far as he knew.

But Hermione had weighed them, with a little prodding from Eris. Still she argued. It was all hypothetical but she felt this was her best chance to get some concessions from the wizard, some help.

”Ron would never hurt me,” she said in a small voice, the nightmare of him beating her coming back in full force.

”Even if he didn’t, imagine the resentment he would have against you and the child. Suppose he began to neglect, abuse or mistreat the both of you, because of your lies and he couldn’t get out of the marriage, forced to support a treacherous wife and a child not his own. He could end up hating the child, Hermione…end up making his or her life one of misery, torture and pain. I cannot allow that cycle to recur,” he said quietly.

”Recur?” Hermione asked him softly.

“I know what it is to be abused by a father, Hermione. I do not wish my child to live through that kind of torture and that’s all I will say about it,” the wizard said with finality.

He wasn’t about to talk about this. He had never discussed it with anyone and preferred it that way. Hermione stared at him.

Severus was abused? She hadn’t known that. Maybe that had something to do with the way he was.

“Severus, I need someone my child and I can count on. Someone who will be there when we need him. You’re only offering temporary help for a permanent situation. That’s not enough. It would be better if you did nothing at all, rather than help us then withdraw your help,” she said.

The wizard narrowed his eyes at her. It was time to break out the big wand.

“It’s a possibility you won’t need any assistance from me. Mr. Weasley might accept your infidelity, Hermione. He said as much,” the Potions Master said to him.

Hermione went completely pale and this time managed to push the wizard off of her, sitting up in the bed.

”What do you mean ‘he said as much?’ What did you say to him, Severus? You didn’t tell him about us did you?” Hermione asked Severus, her heart pounding.

The wizard scowled at being toppled from his position of power and lay on his back looking up at the witch.

“No I didn’t. But his reaction to my question was quite interesting. See for yourself. Use Legilimency,” he said to her.

Severus could never explain how Ron’s reaction spoke louder than his words. The witch would have to see for herself. Perhaps if she saw the conversation, a few bells would go off. The wizard was sure Ron was being unfaithful to her as well.

Hermione wasted no time.

”Legilimens,” she breathed.

Hermione listened carefully to Severus’ question and seemed very surprised at the vehemence of Ron’s reply. Nothing should be said about a tryst at all? Now that didn’t sound like the Ron she knew. Not at all. Something was very wrong here.

Hermione exited Severus’ mind, looking troubled.

”Ron wouldn’t say something like that. He finds it difficult to forgive anyone for anything. He said basically that any infidelity should be hidden completely. Not even mentioned,” Hermione said, her eyes narrowing.

Ron wasn’t home. Now she had an inkling as to why.

Severus watched her with interest as realization dawned on her.

”Ron is cheating on me. That lying, cheating, sneaking redheaded bastard!” Hermione seethed as Severus arched an eyebrow at her, “I thought I could trust him.”

”No doubt Mr. Weasley believed he could trust you as well. You’re quite the pair,” Severus purred at her, inching closer and rising up on his elbows, “I would suggest an open marriage.”

Hermione glared at him.

“Fuck you, Severus!” she hissed, taking a swing at the surprised wizard and slapping him so hard, spit flew out of his mouth. A red handprint stood out against his pale cheek.

“You…you struck me!” Severus exclaimed, sitting up in the bed, rubbing hand against his cheek, “You little bitch!”

”You deserved to be struck and more than struck!” Hermione yelled at him, “You’re the cause of all of this insanity, Severus! If you were more of a man, I wouldn’t be in this situation! You would agree to do everything a father is supposed to do for his child and that would be the end of it! But no! You’re too selfish and irresponsible to act that way. You only think about yourself. People think you’re a hero…but you’re no hero to me. You are a sad excuse for a wizard and always will be! Now, get out of here! Now! Now!”

Hermione swung her hand at him again, but this time the wizard caught it, his black eyes glinting at her as he scowled. Hermione stared back at him, then suddenly dissolved into tears. She began sobbing as if her heart were breaking.

It had finally all come down on her, and Severus was here to witness it. Hermione looked at him, tears streaming down her face and an insane look in her eyes.

“Go on, Severus! Hit me back! Hit me!” Hermione screamed at him, “I let you abuse me every other way…why not this way too? I deserve it for being so fucking stupid! Go on. It might give you the illusion you’re a man for a minute or two. Go on, hit me back!”

“Stop it,” he snarled at her, “I’m not about to hit a distraught pregnant woman, no matter how much she deserves it.”

“Then maybe Ron will kick my ass then for all of this. I’m going to tell him the next time I see him and not leave anything out. He doesn’t love me either…not if he cheats on me,” Hermione sobbed.

True, she didn’t love Ron the way she should, but she had found some comfort in knowing someone in the world loved her enough to want to spend his life with her, whether she deserved it or not. Now she found out it wasn’t true. If Ron were cheating on her, then there was something important missing…something he couldn’t find with her.

And there was.

True love.

“Mr. Weasley is going to have to wait to kick your ass,” Severus said soberly, “He will not lay one finger on you when you tell him…because I fully intend to be there when you do.”

Hermione stopped crying.

“Why? Why would you be there?” she asked him.

”Because abuse can start from the womb. You are pregnant with my child. Until you have it, it is in my best interest to protect you should Mr. Weasley take the news badly. In reality I am protecting my unborn baby,” the wizard said, “It has nothing to do with saving you from what you probably deserve. After you have the baby, he can whip you from one end of Hogwarts to the other as far as I am concerned. You know how to protect yourself. So if he manages to do it…then it will be because you believe you warrant an ass kicking. I have no pity for you, Hermione and it’s best if you don’t pity yourself. You’re stronger than that.”

The wizard rolled out of the bed, picked up his robes and put them on. He was leaving.

“I want you to inform me when you are going to speak to Mr. Weasley. If you do not, and something happens to you in your state, I swear to you Mr. Weasley will be a problem to no one ever again,” Severus said, his face contorted, “So if you still value him as a friend if not a husband, you will make sure I am present.”

With that, the Potions Master disapparated with a burst of thunder.

Hermione wiped her eyes and stared at the empty spot the wizard had occupied. What the fuck had just happened here? Ron was cheating on her…Severus was acting with…well…she couldn’t say real concern…she wasn’t sure what it was.

But whatever his motivations were Severus made one thing clear. If he wasn’t present when she told Ron the truth and Ron did anything untoward, he’d kill him.

”That went rather well, Eris said, still grinning about Hermione slapping the “Great Severus Snape.” Aries would have conniptions if he had seen the spit flying from the wizard’s mouth. It had been a great shot.

”I don’t know how well it went, but you have to admire his conversational skills. What a way to get a woman’s attention,” the god said, admiration in his voice.

Eris narrowed her eyes at him. Eros was such a pig. Severus Snape wasn’t the only one who needed to be taken down a peg.

“Come on,” she said, grabbing the god’s arm, “I’m pretty good at ‘conversation’ myself.”

Eros paled even as he got an instant erection.

Damn, Eris was something else.

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A/N: I hope this chappie was all right. Feeling a bit out of sorts. Thanks for reading.