Your Hand in Marriage

Lemons are a few chappies in, bondage and torture are still a ways away. My first fan fic!



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Severus Snape was sitting in his rooms near the floo, wringing his hands at the prospect of the floo call from Dumbledore. Suddenly, the fireplace turned green and the Headmaster’s head appeared in the flames.



“Enjoy your eavesdropping, Severus?” chuckled Dumbledore,



“I have to admit Albus, this is a lot to take in. I had no idea Herm—Miss Granger—thought of me in that way. I am uncharacteristically beside myself and feeling like a nervous schoolboy. I don’t know what to do.”



“It’s simple, my boy, agree to the proposal!”



Severus looked at him sharply, “She is a student! I barely know her, and I’m not even sure I like her! I’m supposed to go off and marry her? What if I don’t want to?” muttered Severus, knowing how childish he sounded.



“You have known Miss Granger for seven years, Severus. She is one of the few witches in this day and age that can match you in intelligence. She knows your demons, and accepts the dark side of you. She respects you, and I believe that respect is mutual. She is fiercely loyal, and independent enough to keep you sane. She is not a child, Severus, and any man can see that she is quite lovely. Ample curves… Why if I were a hundred years younger I'd--”



“I get the picture, Albus!”



Severus rested his head in his hands. This was the offer of a lifetime, and he knew it. The most talented witch of her—no— the age wanted him. She had grown to be a beauty and he would have to be blind to keep denying it. Dumbledore was right, and he knew at that moment his will to deny the proposal was gone.



Dumbledore senses his acquiesce and laughed mirthfully.



“Now Severus, she’s headed your way so you should head into your office where she can reach you. Though I’m sure she can breech your wards, I doubt you’d like her to prove it.”



Severus looked at him sourly.



“I must be off. Oh and Severus, do put some of that spying skill to use and pull yourself together. It wouldn’t do to lose your reputation with the students. You’re looking disheveled.”



With that, the floo went out, and Severus made his way to his office to wait for Hermione. He steeled his expression into a perfectly neutral one, though inside he was thoroughly shaken. Nineteen years as a deatheater and spy and I’m reduced to a quivering schoolboy at the thought of an 18 year old woman. Woman. Acknowledging Hermione’s foray into adulthood soothed him a bit. Severus willed himself to remain calm as he heard her petite footsteps nearing his door.



~*~



Outside of Professor Snape’s office, Hermione Granger was having a mild panic attack of her own. Pull yourself together! She scolded herself privately He know I’m coming, and I’m sure the Headmaster will have told him to let me down easy if necessary. What’s the worst he could do? Laugh at her? She was quite used to that. It’s the only shot I have. It’s worth it. Gathering every last ounce of her Gryffindor courage, Hermione raised a hand to knock on the door.



“Enter,” Snape droned from the room.



Standing at her full height, Hermione walked into the room with her shoulders back. Right, exude confidence. If you can’t make it, fake it. I can do this.



“Good Afternoon, Professor.”



“Good Afternoon, Miss Granger.”



Easy enough.



“The Headmaster told me he would inform you of the—“



Oh gods, what is this?



“Situation,” Snape finished helpfully.



“Yes, sir,” continued Hermione, “I wonder if we might have a talk?”



Severus was holding his cool very well. With polite indifference, he gestured to the door behind him.



“Certainly, shall we go into the study where we will not be—overheard?”



Hermione smiled timidly, “Yes, Professor, thank you.”



Snape led the way into the room, and warded the door behind them. He motioned towards the armchairs in the center of the room. Taking a seat, Hermione took a breath and began.



“As you are aware, sir, the ministry has seen fit to reenact the Marriage Bonding laws and I am unfortunately caught in the tide. I was given the list of potential suitors and your name—erm—was one of the limited available.”



Limited, indeed, snorted Severus to himself. I’ll let the girl describe it as she must. I can only imagine the nerve it took to come down to my dungeons.



“Yes, the Headmaster had hinted as such. Tell me Miss Granger, what would possess you to select my name? I haven’t been very kind to you, nor have I shown any indication that I would acquiesce to such a proposal.”



Hermione’s nerves faltered slightly, but she braced herself to answer. “Well sir, I’d like to think our mutual interest in potions and desire for knowledge would be conducive to a relationship. Additionally, if I’m going to be married, I would prefer if it were with someone I trusted and respected. Someone who knows about my role in the war, and someone I can make intelligent conversation with. I’d like to think that your attitude towards me has more to do with a need to keep up appearances, as I know you don’t think me incompetent.”



Very astute, pondered Severus, I’m glad she understands the need to keep up appearances. She makes a good argument too, not that I needed it. Her flustered appearance makes this an easier conversation than I anticipated. Humorous, actually.



Hermione paused, “And to be frank, sir. If I have to choose someone to be bonded for life with, you are the most logical answer. I’d rather prefer to wake up to your face everyday than--“ Hermione gasped and covered her mouth. She had really said too much with that. Surely he would laugh at her.



To her surprise, he did not. Severus, secretly thrilled but sensing her discomfort, decided to move forward with the conversation.



“Miss Granger you are aware that this union must be consummated at least once, and that we will be bound to fidelity for the duration of the marriage?”



“Yes, sir.”



Severus knew it was cruel to press her, when he already knew she found him attractive. But the desire to hear her say it again overwhelmed him.



“You don’t see this as a problem? I am not so naïve as to think myself a supermodel, Miss Granger. I like to think I make up for the lack of looks with superior intelligence, but I’m not sure you will be able to be—intimate—with a man like me.”



Hermione flushed, she seemed to be searching for the correct words. Severus was enjoying this struggle immensely.



“I—erm—Professor, I don’t think that will be a problem. I don’t find you… I… I find your appearance quite tolerable.”



Severus chuckled inwardly at her reluctant admittance.



“Tolerable, Miss Granger?”



“Quite.”



“But Miss Granger,” Oh, I am a cruel bastard, “I am a man with needs, and with a fidelity charm I will not be able to seek them elsewhere. How on earth would you cope?”



At this Hermione colored to a beet red that a Weasely could be proud of. “I don’t think it will be a problem, Professor. I may be a virgin, but I am by no means frigid.”



At this Severus nearly lost his recently gained composure. A virgin? I though surely Mister Weasley or Potter had relieved her of that, if not Viktor Krum. Severus was secretly delighted beyond measure. She will be mine. Only mine. I will be the only man to have her. What in Merlin’s name did I do to deserve this?



Gathering himself up before his feelings got the best him, he pulled his wand out of his robes.



“Miss Granger, there is a spell that can be done to see how well suited a magical coupling might be. We connect wands, and the color sparks will indicate the suitability of the two. Most commonly are red- meaning completely unsuitable, yellow meaning mildly compatible, and green meaning suitable match. There are other colors to the spectrum, but we needn’t go into that at the present. Would you like to perform this before we go any further?”



“I must admit that appeals wholeheartedly to my logical side, Professor. I’d like to do so. When can we perform this spell?”



Snape looked at her carefully, curious at the color they could produce. “Now, if you’d like. I’m sure your mind couldn’t stand an extended waiting period.”



“Quite right, Professor.” Hermione blushed.



Snape stood and walked to the center of the room. He gestured for Hermione to join him.



“Take out your wand and stand it up against mine, Miss Granger.”



Hermione did as instructed.



“Now clasp your spare hand aound the wands”



She put her hand around the wands and Snape place his hands over hers. Momentarily, she realized his hands were somewhat sweaty. Perhaps, he was as nervous as she was due to this discussion?



“Miss Granger, focus on the connection of our hands and wand, and speak with me, saying, ‘vinculum aperio’. Ready, Miss Granger?”



She nodded, focused on the wands.



Together they intoned, “vinculum aperio!” and an unnatural wind swept through the room. The wand tips began to glow and shudder in their mutual grip.



A single note sounded and a beam of pure white light shot to the sealing, showering the two in gold and white sparks.



The spell ended, and Hermione and Severus broke apart. Severus’ mouth was open, gaping blankly at his wand.



“Sev—Professor?” Hermione hesitantly inquired, “That was not any of the colors you described. What—what was that? What does it mean?”



Severus gulped audibly. He struggled to make words form in his mouth.



“That, Miss Granger, is known as Merlin’s Blessing. It happens when the witch and wizard are soul mates as well as magically mated, our magical signatures call to one another. It is one of the rarest occurrences in the magical world. ”



Hermione gasped, “Merlin’s Blessing? Well, I suppose that makes sense…”



“Come again, Herm—Miss Granger?”



“I think you ought to sit down Severus, you don’t look steady on your feet as it is.”



If for nothing but the shock of hearing Hermione say his given name, Severus plopped down on to one of the armchairs.



“Given the situation, I’m going to call you Severus and I think you should call me Hermione. This is hard enough without you thinking of me as a student and me thinking of you as a professor.”



Severus nodded in agreement.



“Due to the state of things, namely Voldemort and his supporters, at my birth my family saw it prudent to put myself and my mother into hiding. As my father was a muggle, it wasn’t hard to make new lives in the muggle world, away from the prying eyes of the wizarding world.”



“I thought you were completely muggle born,” questioned Severus confusedly.



“That was the idea. Everyone was lead to believe that. Since my parents deaths, only Dumbledore knows of my true heritage.”



“So you’re a half-blood? That’s not uncommon, what made your case special enough to warrant hiding?”



Hermione took a deep breath, and waved her hand across her forehead to relieve a glamour. On her forehead, at the point of her hairline, was a brown birthmark in the shape of a crescent moon.



“I am the last living descendent of Merlin.”



Severus reeled from the revelation. He leaned back in his chair and looked at a fidgeting, obviously nervous, Hermione.



To her great shock, Severus smirked at her, “Well that explains the hair.”



Hermione choked, “Pardon?”



“While Merlin’s hair was white in his later years, he was historically known in his youth for his bushy, chestnut hair.”



Hermione stared at him for a moment, dumbstruck.



“Did you just make a joke, Severus?”



Severus laughed and Hermione nearly fell over.



“Contrary to popular belief, I am a human being with a full range of emotions.”



Hermione stifled a giggle, relieved that the tension in the air had dissipated.



“Well, Severus, is there anything else you’d like to know?”



Severus looked thoughtful for a moment, “Was it you who stole my boomslang skin in your 2nd year?”



Hermione colored, “Yes.”



“What did you make with it?”



“Polyjuice potion.”



Severus was amazed. Polyjuice potion in her 2nd year? I couldn’t make potions of that level until my 6th year!



“Was it successful?”



“Partially.”



“What do you mean?”



“Harry and Ron changed into Crabbe and Goyle to question Malfoy about the heir of Slytherin. It worked well, though he didn’t give us any good information.”



“So why only partially, then?”



“I was unfortunate enough to have picked cat hair off of Millicent’s robes on accident.”



Severus snorted with laughter.



“That’s how you turned into a cat?!?!”



“Yes, I must admit it was awful. The fleas were murder.”



Severus doubled over clutching his stomach, and Hermione couldn’t help her lips quirking up into smile. The laughter was contagious and she found herself laughing wholeheartedly with him.



The laughter died down, and Hermione quirked a brow at Severus, “any more potentially embarrassing questions?”



“Yes actually, what were you staring at in class today?”



A fresh blush crept across Hermione’s face, “Your hands.”



“I thought so, why?”



“The way you cut. It’s so masterful. I liken it to a sensual dance, it’s mesmerizing.”



Severus looked at Hermione in awe; he felt the same way about cutting ingredients for potions.



“Most people think preparing ingredients is entirely mundane, Hermione.”



“Not me. Potion making is an art. Every subtle maneuver, every cut, every stir of the simmering cauldron brings me one step closer to the gods.”



They sat for several minutes, each of them staring at the other as if seeing them for the first time. Severus stood up and moved to the wall where a portrait hung. The portrait swung open revealing an intricate safe which he opened with a murmured incantation.



The door to the safe swung open, and Hermione could see sacks of galleons and rare potions ingredients. Phoenix tears, various venoms, unicorn hairs.



Severus removed something and came back to stand in front of Hermione. Without a word, he kneeled down on one knee and produced a small velvet box.



“Well Hermione, the circumstances are unusual, but it looks like we will both have a fascination with hands today.”



He opened the box to reveal a large emerald ring set in diamonds.



“This was my grandmother’s and I thought I would never have a chance to use it. Hermione Granger, may I have your hand in marriage?”



Hermione stared in shock at the ring in the box. She knew this was what the day had been building up to, but as it happened she felt entirely ill-prepared. Gathering her wits about her, Hermione smiled at the man who had been only her Professor hours ago.



“I would be honored to be your wife, Severus Snape.”



Severus placed the ring on the appropriate finger and watched as it resized magically to fit her size. He rose to clasp her hands in his, and stroked the ring with a finger.



“Hermione this ring has an ancient charm that will tell me if you are in distress. Furthermore, if you are in mortal peril it will automatically portkey you to my location.”



Hermione looked at the ring in wonder, she had read about enchantments of this type, but the texts that gave instruction on how to perform them had been lost for some time.



“Hermione, we had better go see the Headmaster. I expect the old codger’s going out of his mind with anticipation at the news.”



Hermione nodded in assent, and Severus headed towards the warded doors. He released the wards, and opened the door in a chivalrous manner to allow his new fiancé through.



A/N—vinculum- bond; aperio- reveal