The long and winding road to love

Chapter 17: Facing the world





Hey Hey! Sorry for the delay; even though I wrote this chapter a long time
ago I haven’t been myself lately and I neglected my duties as an author. So…well…sorry…
and thanks for your amazing reviews and incredible support!

And… Chapter 18 will be dedicated to reviewer 100, so… Review!

 

Well…here it is; chapter 17… enjoy!

 

 

Chapter 17: Facing the world.

 

The storm has passed, the night had passed
and their little honeymoon was soon to be over, sooner than what they have
expected.

 

It was time for them to face the world, a world
that had changed a lot since the last time they had been there. It was time to
face the consequences of their actions, of their love.

 

“Good morning, sunshine,” Hermione said.
She was standing near the huge window pane of Severus’s room with a cup of mint
and ginger tea- his personal favourite- obviously brought upstairs by the
obedient house- e, mu, much to Hermione’s displeasure. She wasn’t complaining,
though. Greater things were on her mind, for the moment. Things that troubled
her; that worried them.

 

“Good morning, dear,” he said, half
asleep. I know that Britons speak like that all the time but something about
the word “dear” made Hermione think of the XIX Century; of red roses, of big
fancy dresses, of beautiful hats and of curly hair.

                                                                                                                                                             


“Today is the D day,” she melancholically
said, looking through the window gloomily and into the beautiful green fields
that had witnessed their newborn love. It was time for them to wave goodbye
this amazing paradise that had served them as a bubble from the rest of the
world.

 

“Are you excited?” he asked, rubbing his
eyes with his right hand; his naked torso was now uncovered by the black sheets
and the fact was quite noticeable for Hermione.

 

“Excited, nervous, sick…” she said
obviously joking. Reality was, however, that she was the edge of tears. What if
things were different back at Hogwarts? if if he treated her like the
meaningless student she used to be? And above all that, the pressure of being
married to Hogwarts’ most feared professor was breaking Hermione’s back, “Are
you excited?” she dared ask, sitting on his lap.

 

“As a matter of fact I am,” he said,
hugging his wife tightly around the waist. But that was all he said. A fact
that didn’t quite relaxed Hermione, but on the contrary… increased her
nervousness.

 

“I love you,” she whispered into his ear,
while putting her arms around his neck, attempting to hug him.

 

“I love you too, dear,” he sincerely
answered with all the love he had in his heart.

 

Little did they know what their love would
soon be proved strong, for a storm was growing near; it was coming slowly but
surely, and things would never be the same. 

 

----*----*----

 

It was dinnertime at Hogwarts when they
arrived that night, hand in hand of course. Hermione’s fears were still there,
stronger than ever when part of the staff greeted them at the Entrance.

 

“Hello, Hermione, dear,” Minerva
McGonagall said, a wise smile plastered on her face, “Severus.”

 

“Good evening, professor,” Hermione
answered, “Good evening everyone,” she cordially said to Professor Trelawney, Professor
Hagrid, Professor Flitwick and Professor Dumbledore, with a polite grin on her
face.

 

“Good evening, Hermione,” Dumbledore said,
kissing her hand graciously, he then stood straight and shook hands with his
Potion’s Master, “Severus, old boy, how do you do? I see that your honeymoon,”
he said, winking, “did you both some good.”

 

“Certainly, Headmaster,” Severus said
nodding, while letting Hermione’s hand free, “Why are you all waiting us here
in the Entrance Hall when we could easily be having his conversation in the
warmth of the Great Hall?” Severus asked, rubbing his hands together trying to
make them realize how cold it really was.

 

“Severus, I am afraid that things have
changed a bit since your departure,” Professor McGonagall said with her lips so
tightly shut that her mouth was a bare line on her face.

 

“What’s wrong, Headmaster?” Severus
urgently asked, worried to the core of his being.

 

“Nothing for us to worry to much,”
Dumbledore said, trying to calm his very stressed staff down, “I am sure that
you know that your union with Miss Granger came as a shock to most of us,”
Dumbledore confessed, winking again for only the couple to notice, “but the
student body did not quite take the news as calmly as expected. Many owls
arrived requesting information about the nature of your marriage and also
requesting your resignation, Severus,” Dumbledore said, looking straight into
Severus’s eyes.

 

“Oh, of course, Headmaster. I understand.
I will owl my resignation first thing tomorrow morning as my presence here is
no longer needed,” he formally said, frowning at everybody.

 

“Why would you want to do that, my child?”
Dumbledore asked, looking at the couple through his half moon spectacles, “I am
not planning on sacking anybody for now. However, one of the parents has come
here requesting some evidence of the legality of your marriage. Have you any
idea who this person might be?” Dumbledore asked him.

 

“Lucius,” Severus whispered.

 

“Mr. Malfoy has come to Hogwarts in behalf
of many of the parents and of course, the school counseling. He is here to
stay, Severus,” he sentenced.

 

No one dared speak a word. No one, that
is, except from Professor McGonagall who looked as tense as a person can
possibly be. She said what everyone there was thinking:

 

“You know that your marriage with Miss
Granger is vital for the Order now, don’t you?”

 

“I am aware of the fact,” was all he said,
his nose up in the air.

 

“Even though Voldemort is gone many of his
supporters are still free. Lucius Malfoy trusts you, somehow and we are a
hundred percent sure that the remaining Death Eaters are up to something. Is up
to you to find out about it,” Minerva said, her eyes so widely opened that they
looked like two golf balls.

 

Severus remained silent. His brain was
like a sponge, absorbing as much information as he could for the moment because
soon enough he would have to face his beloved friend, Lucius Malfoy, a person
he hated as much as his father.

 

Hermione, all that time, dared not speak
her mind. She was afraid, terribly afraid.

 

“Shall we go to our chambers, dear?”
Severus coldly said, in Hermione’s direction. His tone of voice was so icy that
Hermione’s eyes filled with tears of frustration. Why did things have to
change?

 

“Of course,” she said between tears.

 

“Good night, love birds,” Professor
Trelawney shouted, waving her left hand in their direction. But neither of them
saw her, for their complete attention was now devoted to Lucius Malfoy and how
they were going to act in front of him.

 

But soon enough their questions were
answered when the blond haired man, father of Draco Malfoy appearike ike a
ghost from one of the corridors of Hogwarts.

 

“Good evening, Severus… what a pleasure to
see you,” he sarcastically said, smirking at him, “and what do we have here? A
little Mudblood?” he whispered into Hermione’s ear, immediately making her
sick, “You sank so low, Severus. Would you care to explain?” he asked, facing
Severus now.

 

“I hardly consider this the time or the
place to discuss topics of such delicate nature. Meet me at my chambers at
midnight for brandy,” he said, shaking hands with a man he despised more than
anything.

 

“I will see you there,” he said, and then
turning to where Hermione was he added, “And I certainly will see you there?”

 

And with that he was gone, leaving both
Hermione and Severus trembling like mad. Hermione was shaking because she was
afraid, but Severus was shaking because he was angry. How dared he call his
wife a “Mudblood”? He needed to control himself; there were many things at risk
now.

 

And there was certainly no room for
romance now. Or so he thought.