A Matter of Circumstance

Chapter 18 ~ A Final Connection

Ron lowered his voice, realizing he was putting more pressure on Hermione.

“The only reason I want to know Hermione, is because there are things you can do to make this bloke step up and take responsibility. You can file paternity against him. The Ministry will make him pay support, take it right out of his earnings until the baby grows up,” the wizard said.

Severus stopped, putting his wand back in his pocket and scowling at Ron as Hermione’s face relaxed.

“Yes, I suppose there is that,” she said softly, trying not to imagine the Potions Master’s wrath at being called out and forced to acknowledge his child publicly.

“Yes, there’s that,” Ron agreed, “And you should do that as soon as possible, so the Ministry can arrange for testing. You might be able to get support during your pregnancy. And I’ll help you too, Hermione, all that I can.”

Having gotten past the worst of the situation, Ron fell into his best mode, strategizing and focusing on making a plan of action that would ultimately help Hermione and make her situation easier to handle, at least financially.

Hermione blinked up at Ron, tears starting to fall again. He was being so good to her after all of this. She had expected him to be angry to the point of wanting to hex her, or at least call her nasty names, but he had done neither. Once again in a pinch, Ron was supportive and at her side, showing himself to be a true friend.

“Thank you, Ron,” she said in a small voice.

Ron drew her into an embrace.

“We’ve both made mistakes, Hermione and they could have been devastating…but…but neither of us are perfect, are we? If this wizard you love would have been more of a man, you wouldn’t have acted as you did. I feel as if you were forced to do it…but I’m glad you didn’t go through with it, Hermione. I really am,” Ron said, thinking of how angry he would have been later on when he found out the truth.

Hermione just held on to Ron, sobbing as if her heart would break. Ron felt a little motion in her lower belly. The baby.

”Hermione, come on, let’s get you back to your rooms and comfortable. All this crying is aggravating the baby. We can’t have that, can we? And have you eaten?” the wizard said, slowly leading the witch back to the castle, Severus falling back and watching them.

Who would have thought Ronald Weasley could be so understanding? Severus certainly didn’t. If he had been the one Hermione misled, he would have given her hell. The Potions Master realized that there really was something between Hermione and Ron, something real despite their not being meant for each other romantically. Their friendship. It seemed it could survive anything.

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Clothos, Lachesis and Atropos stood by the loom, Atropos holding the shears and touching the knot that represented the trio with her fingertips, ready to cut the threads of both Ron’s and Hermione’s lives, when the tangle suddenly began to unwind and unknot, smoothing out into manageable strands.

“Nooooo!,” the blind goddess cried out, moving her fingers over the straightening threads, “The strands were supposed to knot, stretch and come to the breaking point! Someone has interfered!”

The shears dropped to the floor and the thwarted goddesses danced about in fury, screeching and pulling at their hair.

Fate had been undone.

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Ron made sure Hermione ate and helped her into bed. The witch looked up at the wizard, who stuck his hands in his pockets and looked a bit uncomfortable.

”I guess I should go,” Ron said to Hermione, who blinked at him, then said, “I don’t want you to go Ron. Stay with me tonight.”

Ron swallowed. It was for all intents and purposes over between them. They were back to being friends now, but this was the first time Hermione had ever asked him to stay. Normally he asked her if he could and she would let him.

”I don’t know if that’s a good idea, Hermione,” he said softly.

“Tomorrow, it’s all going to be different Ron,” Hermione said, “Let’s have a last night together. We can just sleep. I just want you here. Tonight.”

Ron looked down at her and let out a sigh.

”All right,” he said, undressing down to his boxers and getting into bed with the witch.

Hermione moved over to him, and he extended his arm, the witch curling into him, resting her head on his shoulder as Ron lay there stiffly, trying not to react to her warm body.

“Ron, thank you,” Hermione said softly, “Thank you for not hating me.”

”I could never hate you, Hermione. Besides, you need someone in your corner now,” Ron replied.

”You’ve always been in my corner, Ron. I just wish…” she said.

”Shhh. I know, Hermione. I wish too…but it’s not there,” he said, staring at the ceiling.

Hermione felt a little pulse inside her. Ron was so sweet. She knew what she felt was gratitude rather than love, but it was a very strong emotion, strong enough for the witch to press her lips against the wizard’s throat. Ron started.

”Hermione, what are you doing?” he asked her hoarsely, turning his head to look at her. She planted a soft kiss on his lips.

“Kissing you,” she said softly, “I feel like kissing you Ron. I can’t help it.”

She kissed him again, more passionately this time, Ron responding and kissing her back. Finally he drew away from her, his eyes dark.

”Hermione, we…” he began.

Now it was Hermione’s turn to shush him. If this were going to end, it would end on a good note.

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Severus waited until about midnight, then cast a silencing spell around himself and apparated to Hermione’s bedroom to check on her. The wizard froze as he saw her and Ron engaged, Hermione kissing him like a madwoman as the wizard gently fucked her, his movements rhythmic beneath the sheets that covered them. And it wasn’t the one-sided act that Hermione had described to Potions Master with her lying there stiffly as Ron stroked her…the witch was responding to Ron’s kisses, his touch and his gentle possession as if she loved him with all her heart.

Severus’ eyes glinted as he watched the woman he possessed almost nightly accept someone else…her former intended. They were so into each other that neither witch nor wizard saw the Potions Master. Severus felt a kind of pain in his chest as Hermione rolled on top of Ron, her hair falling over the wizard’s face and shoulders as she took over. Hermione had always been submissive with him. Never once attempted to take control, only giving…never taking. Her body moved sensuously on top of the gasping wizard, before she lowered her mouth to his hungrily.

Severus watched them for several minutes. Finally, the Potions Master could take no more and apparated back to his rooms, feeling out of sorts and unlike himself. Hermione had been fucking Ron the entire time she was with him…why did it bother him so now? He had felt like pulling them apart and beating Ron to a pulp for giving her such tenderness and pleasure. For giving her something that he hadn’t. The size of his cock had nothing to do with it, he knew he was larger than Ron and probably a stronger lover…but he had never pulled a response from the witch like he had witnessed tonight.

And it irked him.

It irked him that although Hermione and Ron would not marry, he might always be at the back of her mind now, in the bed with them, dreaming of their final night together. And they would still remain friends. That could easily translate into friends with privileges, particularly since Ron said he would help her.

Severus didn’t mind sharing Hermione when he was the Other Man, but now his role had changed. Ron now knew there was someone else…and he also knew Hermione maintained feelings for him as well. She was proving it to the redheaded wizard right now.

“Damn it,” Severus hissed, divestoing his clothing and climbing into bed.

He couldn’t get the image of Hermione and Ron out of his mind. Hell, he could still fuck Hermione. Why did this bother him so much? Was it because the love Hermione had for him could be compromised…even shift to Ron, who was now “her hero?”

Up to this point, the Potions Master didn’t even realize he liked being loved. Not only that, he coveted it. When Hermione was trapped by fear of discovery, she had no one to turn to. But now, now she did and that might give her the strength to break away from him. To realize their one-sided relationship was not enough and to go in search for someone who would return her love.

One night he could come to her bed and she would really turn him away. She had made some weak protests in the past, but his touch soon quieted her. But there might come a night when his touch no longer had that effect.

Severus lay there in the darkness, wondering if the couple had finally finished and gone to sleep, or was this something that would last all night? He fought the urge to go back and spy. It made no sense.

Finally, he fell into a fretful sleep.

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Early the next morning, Ron reluctantly left Hermione after a final talk. Last night had affected the wizard greatly. There was sexual chemistry between them after all. It was only because Hermione was pregnant that he didn’t give her the full treatment, but he knew he could have. He felt no need to restrain himself other than out of concern for the child she carried.

But Hermione made it clear that gratitude was what drove her last night, and love for him, but still not the kind of love he deserved. It was a sweet goodbye to what they had, a final hurrah for what would never be, but still…they had each other.

“I’ll tell Dumbledore the wedding is off,” Ron said to her softly, “And return the presents. We never opened them anyway. And I’ll talk to mum and dad, too. I’ll make sure that no one gives you a hard time, Hermione.”

Hermione gave him a small smile. It was going to take more than Ron demanding people to back off. She was going to face some hard questions. Even with his support and understanding, there was a rough road ahead.

She walked him to the door and said her goodbyes. He said he’d contact her in a couple of days at her insistence. They needed some time apart despite Ron’s good intentions.

The moment Ron left the dungeon corridor, there was a heavy demanding knock on the witch’s door. Hermione opened it and looked into the dark eyes of Severus Snape.

”I see Mr. Weasley spent the night,” the wizard said, walking past her without an invitation. Well, at least he hadn’t arbitrarily apparated into her rooms this time.

”Yes, he did,” Hermione replied, looking at the wizard, who hesitated.

”What was the final decision?” he asked.

“We won’t marry, but Ron says he’ll be here for me,” Hermione replied.

”In your bed?” Severus asked her sharply.

Hermione started to say no, but there was something in the dark wizard’s eyes that made her shrug her shoulders.

”I don’t really know,” she said, feeling some satisfaction as the wizard’s face contorted. He was jealous. She could see it as plainly as if he had said it.

“One would think Mr. Weasley would have washed his hands of you,” Severus said, frowning.

“Maybe he would have if we weren’t friends first,” the witch replied, “But luckily for me we were. Ron is a true friend.”

Severus snorted.

“More than likely he plans to be more than a friend,” the wizard said darkly.

Hermione shrugged again.

”I’ve had two lovers for over a year now. I see no reason to change that,” the witch said.

Severus seemed to visibly swell.

”Yes, but one lover was a secret. It’s different now,” he said to her.

”How so?” Hermione asked him rather sweetly.

Severus scowled at her.

”No decent witch has two lovers,” he said sharply.

”But I’m not a decent witch any more, Severus. I’m pregnant and unmarried. I’m already ruined so I might as well do as I please…unless you don’t want me anymore,” Hermione said to him.

Severus stared at her, his jaw tightening. He did want her. But he didn’t want to admit it…she was a weakness and he didn’t like to admit having weaknesses.

Hermione looked at him expectantly.

Severus stood there for a moment, then swept by her swiftly.

”Expect me tonight,” he said over his shoulder, exiting her rooms and slamming the door behind him.

He ran into a number of Slytherins leaving for class. They looked at him in surprise as he exited Hermione’s room.

”What was Professor Snape doing in Miss Granger’s rooms?” they asked each other, looking after the snarky wizard as he stormed into his office, also slamming that door.

“Think they’re shagging?”

”Maybe.”

And that was how the rumor mill began grinding away.

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A/N: Thanks for reading.