Say You Love Me

Chapter Two
Shocks and More Shocks

Ecclestia turned up her aristocratic nose at the dungeon rooms that were Severus'.

"Surely you don't live here?" she sniffed, hands on hips as she regarded the old, dark wooden furnishing with extreme distaste.

"It would not offend me should you leave here and now," Severus wasted no time in removing his outer Death Eater robing.

"No such luck, my precious wizard. You are my husband now and I am looking forward to sharing your bed with you."

"Such as it is, Ecclestia, I have no intentions of consummating this relationship."

"Oh you don't, do you? And what are you going to tell our dear Lord when our scroll has not disappeared?"

"I will decide that when confronted with it. Until then, you may occupy the bed."

"I have no intentions of sleeping alone, Severus," Ecclestia threatened.

"You may satisfy your baser urges wherever you so choose," he hissed back, "As long as it does not include me in the equation."

She glided up to Severus and ran a long nail along his jaw, rasping against the slight stubble there.

"Don't worry, my love. You will be happy to grace my bed before its' over with."

"Don't count on it," he growled, turning and stalking out, the wards to the rooms locking into place behind him. He didn't want the witch out roaming the halls. Hell, he didn't want her in the building.

He looked down at his hand where the wide gold wedding band gleamed, and he reached down, twisting it, trying to remove it. As he'd suspected, it was useless. A married wizard could not remove his wedding ring unless his mate was dead. Damned laws.

"You're back I see," Draco stepped from the shadows, where he'd been leaning against the wall. "How did it go?"

"How do you think it went?" Severus said sourly. "I'm married, and to the worst female Death Eater imaginable."

Draco whistled in amazement.

"He really married you off to Ecclestia? She's out for everyone's blood."

"She has returned to Hogwarts with me."

"That's not a good thing."

"Constant supervision, no less. Now, get back to your house. It's after hours and you shouldn't be out."

"You forget I'm Head Boy. Granger and I have been patrolling the halls."

"Granger? Is she still out as well?"

"She was in the upper halls a short while ago."

"Go to bed, Draco." Severus started up the steps. He had a report to make to Albus and points to deduct from Granger for his own bad mood.

Draco watched him go. The young man had been through much humiliation the last year, and Severus, whom was his Godfather, had tried to help in his own gruff way. Lucius had branded his son a traitor and vowed to murder him in his tracks, should he get his hands on him. Thus, Dumbledore had banned him from leaving Hogwarts grounds in an attempt to protect him.

Ecclestia Poe was well known in the Death Eaters for being the only female with the meanness and blood drawing ways of the males she consorted with. It was not unusual to hear her name tied in with raids that had contained torture and mass murdering. The tall, thin witch was conscienceless. Voldemort thought highly of her, Draco knew that much. The little time he'd been to the Death Eater gatherings before he'd been tossed out, he'd seen enough to make him afraid of Ecclestia, although she'd given him little notice. She'd sniffed at him, and told Lucius that he was poor excuse for a Malfoy.

"Bitch," Draco muttered as he crawled into his solitary bed. Severus was in for a hard time, as was all of Hogwarts.

~*~

Albus was not pleased with what Severus had to say. He sighed and wearily dropped his head into his hands.

"I had hoped that you would not be encumbered with additional baggage, my boy," he said.

"As had I," Severus agreed. "I am certain that she is here with the intentions of watching us. Voldemort is suspicious of me with Lucius whispering things in his ear all the time, and since we are protecting Draco as well, it has made things worse."

"We shall just have to ensure that she does not access information that will be useful to Voldemort."

"I will do my best, Albus, but you must understand that she is extremely powerful and unpredictable at best."

"I know more than I am given credit for." Albus paced restlessly.

"She does not like my quarters at all."

"That is no surprise. It is my understanding that she comes from a pure blood family that is even older than the Malfoys'. This castle is hardly luxurious, since it was intended as a school and not a normal residence. She will just have to get used to it or else transfigure the rooms to her liking."

"I would prefer that my rooms be left alone."

"If it keeps her busy, Severus, then let her do it. I cannot afford to have her wandering around. As you well know, there are many things here that are hidden that would be of great use to Voldemort, were they found."

"I will do what I must," Severus said, frowning. "I can only hope that there is an end to this soon."

"Don't count on it," Albus replied, looking in his desk drawer for his endless supply of headache potion.

~*~

Hermione was sleepy, but she was also curious. One of the many clocks in the castle softly struck one a.m. as she softly tread down one of the halls near her own rooms. Professor Snape hadn't returned as of curfew, and she was worried. She felt sorry for the man, having watched him most of the summer come and go from number 12. They'd spoken very little, but for a while it seemed as if they had had a truce between them.

Hermione had been awake when he'd stumbled in, beaten and barely conscious from one of the Death Eater raids. She hadn't hesitated to wrap an arm about shoulders she'd found firm and lean with muscle. The rich, masculine, herbal scent of him was still discernible along with the blood that flowed until she quickly closed his wounds with magic. She'd managed to get him on the bed before Molly Weasley hurried in and shooed her out, so that he could be disrobed properly and Poppy called in to tend to him.

She'd sneaked into his room the next day, bending over him, anxiously searching the pale face for signs of life.

"Do quit staring at me, Miss Granger. And you should not be in here. It's most improper," Severus had groaned.

"I'm sorry, Professor," Hermione whispered. "I was just worried about you and wanted to see for myself that you were all right. You didn't look very good last night and I know how hard that you work." She paused for breath. "Would you like for me to get you something to eat? I heard Molly say that you would probably want something and I would be glad to get it for you. It would make you feel better."

"What would make me feel better is that you shut up and leave me be," he growled. "I don't need anyone in here bossing me around, especially the school know-it-all."

Ordinarily, Hermione would be insulted, but she chose to ignore his remarks. He was ill, after all.

"I'll go and see if I can find some broth for you to eat," she told him, bushy hair trailing after her as she went out the door. Severus stared after her, his head aching, too tired to swear to himself.

Since then, she'd tried to be friendly to him, only to be rebuffed or ignored. But still she kept trying. She didn't know why, only she had to admit that she felt safe in his presence. Hermione was afraid that Voldemort would kill him one day, and she just couldn't let that happen. He'd given so much of himself to the cause.

"Why are you up patrolling at this late hour, Miss Granger?"

The silky voice made her jump at the sudden sound.

"Oh, Professor, it's you," Hermione said. "You frightened me."

"That does not excuse you being out so late alone. Five points from Gryffindor."

Brown eyes searched his face, and she nervously licked full, rosy, lips.

"Are you all right, Sir?"

"I can assure you, Miss Granger, that I am quite all right."

"But I heard that.."

He raised his brows.

"Yes?" he asked.

She looked nervously around before lowering her voice.

"I heard you were..summoned again tonight."

Severus stiffened at her words, staring down at her.

"I was worried for you."

"I do not need your pity, Miss Granger."

"It wasn't pity," she said passionately. "It was concern."

"Why should my welfare concern you?"

"I know you don't like me, but I.." My God, what was she about to say? That her heart was pounding madly now that he was standing in front of her, obviously unhurt? That her pulse was racing in that odd way it had been since last summer?

"Do not waste my time, you foolish girl," Severus pointed upward, in the general direction of her room. "GO. NOW."

He was pointing with his left hand. A gleam of gold caught her eye and she stared at his finger, now graced with a wide band.

Severus' black eyes followed hers, and he dropped his hand immediately.

"Go to bed and stop asking questions," he said, less hateful.

She backed away from him, lower lip trembling slightly, her facial expression puzzling to him. He hadn't been that harsh with her, had he?

"Yes, Sir," she heard herself say, and she fled from him.

Married. He was wearing a wedding ring. He was married.