#6 ~ A Matter of Matrimony

Disclaimer: All characters belong to JKR (except Marcus Delaluci). All situations are mine. No $$$ is being made from this fanfic.
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Chapter 20 ~ The Return to Hogwarts

Hermione and Severus apparated directly to his bedroom. Hermione helped him to the edge of the bed. He said down painfully, expelling a breath. Hermione smoothed his silky hair out of his face and said, “Wait here,” as she headed for his potions store. She unwarded the door, found a sobering solution and drank it. She felt better. She then took out a number of healing potions. Carrying the vials, she headed back to Severus’ bedroom, only to find him standing, attempting to unbutton his robes, wincing as he lifted his left arm. She deposited the vials on the bed and walked over to him.

“Here, let me do that,” she said, gently moving away his hands and taking over.

He watched her silently as she unfastened the buttons, then slid the robes off of him. She went to work on his white shirt, and his cuffs, gently sliding the shirt off his shoulders and slipping each arm out of its sleeve. She stared at his muscled chest for a moment, then placed a gentle kiss over his heart. Severus shuddered.

She ran her hands softly over his bruised ribcage, watching his eyes for the wince when she came to the ribs. She felt them. They were cracked all right. She unfastened Severus’ pants, his dark eyes watching her, his jaw clenched as he watched her fingers work. She knelt and pulled his pants down. He placed his hand on her shoulder to balance himself as he stepped out of them. He was in his silk boxers now, and they were slightly tented. Hermione ignored the warmth that washed over her and helped him to the bed. He swung his legs up and lay flat on his back as she took out her wand. She made an intricate pattern, and the tip of her wand glowed blue.

“Something Pomfrey taught me,” she said as she passed the tip over his ribcage. He felt relief, though he was still sore. Hermione touched the tip of the wand to the corner of his mouth, and the small cut healed. She then opened a small jar of healing salve and rubbed it into the bruise on his cheek. It looked better and would be gone by morning. She opened a vial of healing draught, raised his head and tilted it against his mouth. He swallowed it down, his eyes still on her. She gently laid his head back against the pillow, and sat beside him, looking down at him.

They sat there a while, gazing into each other’s eyes, saying nothing, the Potions Master and his Spells Mistress, while their hearts spoke volumes. Finally Hermione roused herself, and began to rise.

“You need your rest, Severus. We’ll talk tomorrow.”

As she rose, Severus caught her arm.

“Sleep with me, Hermione,” he said, his eyes gentle.

“Severus,” she said gently, “we still need to talk first.”

“Just sleep with me. I’ve missed you. I won’t do anything you aren’t ready for. I just want you beside me. Sleep with me, Hermione, “ Severus said again, his dark eyes meeting her amber ones. Her heart melted.

“Ok, Severus,” she said.

She sat on the bed, unzipped her go-go boots and removed them. Then she stood and slipped off her skirt, revealing match blue panties. She left her camisole on and climbed into the bed beside him. Severus had hardened, watching her undress, put simply put his arm around her shoulders and pulled her close to him, kissing her forehead gently and closing his eyes. Hermione snuggled against him, a small, stubborn fire burning in her belly, fueled by his proximity, but she too closed her eyes. Severus sleepily waved his hand, and the light dimmed. They slept, finding comfort in each other.

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“Splash! “

Marcus awoke spluttering and soaked through. A grinning Mathias held an empty bucket in his hands.

“You woke, mate?” he asked, his eyes twinkling.

Marcus groaned, sat up and winced as he tried to move his arm. It hurt like hell.

Mathias looked at it. “Think it’s broke mate. Mr. Snape hammered it pretty hard with that chair you threw at him. Your eye’s swollen shut too.”

Marcus tried to open both his eyes. His right wouldn’t open. It throbbed painfully. So did his nose. He touched it and pain shot through his face. He ran his tongue over his teeth, and felt one missing.

“Shit,” he muttered. He glanced around the club. It was empty.

“How long was I out?” he asked.

“Couple of hours at least. We just left you there…didn’t know if we should move you or not. You took a pretty good beating. Started out all right though,” Mathias said, trying to cheer the wizard up. “What were you and Mr. Snape brawling about anyway.”

“A woman,” Marcus said, spitting out some excess blood and wiping his mouth with his good hand.

“She must have been some woman for all of this,” Mathias replied curiously.

“Yeah, she would’ve been a good fuck, for sure,” he answered, trying to rise. Mathias helped him up.

“Ah, so you didn’t get at her, eh? That’s a first,” Mathias said, grinning at the bruised wizard.

“Nope, couldn’t manage it, though I got damn close. She’s a hot little thing when she gets going,” he said, leaning on Mathias.

“Going to give up?”

“I don’t know. It depends, I guess.”

“On what?” the bouncer asked, curious.

“On what Snape does,” he replied, “Listen, does the night bus pass here? I need to get back to Hogwarts and get fixed up. Don’t think I can apparate.”

“Sure does. Let me help you out to the road,” Mathias said, supporting the wizard and heading for the door.

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Morning arrived, and Snape lay awake in bed, Hermione curled securely in his arms. He felt whole again. He looked at her, and brushed a curl from her face. He’d like nothing more than to make love to her. Gentle, passionate love, filled with all the tenderness he could pull up from his soul. He had her back, and he was grateful. And he’d managed to keep Marcus from taking her. But he still had to show her what was truly going on before they could resume intimacy. She would probably want to know why she didn’t tell her sooner. The fact was, that even though Marcus’ designs on her were evil, he provided her with a friend when she needed one. A double betrayal by her lover, and her friend might have sent her over the edge. So he kept the truth from her until she was back with him of her own accord, and could handle it. At least, he hoped she could handle it.

Sighing, he slid Hermione off of him. She sighed and edged back closer. She didn’t wake. He sat up on the edge of the bed. His ribs were healed. He stood up and walked over to the circular mirror on the wall and checked his face. The bruising was gone as well. He went into the loo and relieved himself, then washed his hands and face, drying them with the Slytherin green hand towel hanging next to the sink. He then passed through the bedroom, picking up his wand, and exited to his study. He walked over to a portion of the bookshelf, pushed in a tome, and the false front of titles slid up, revealing a pensieve. He took it out of the niche and set it down on the table next to the armchair. He then sat down and began to remove the pertinent memories associated with Marcus’ designs on Hermione. He removed his memories of the meeting between them, deciding to do so in entirety, then he added his memories of the night before, including Hermione leading him on the dance floor and all that transpired between them. He knew she’d be mortified, especially at the memory of offering herself to both of them.

Severus sighed. He mentally added binge drinker to Hermione’s short list of deviations. Even though it was a problem, not a true deviation…it was something to be aware of. At least she wasn’t a constant drinker, like his mother was. Hermione only drank when it was offered to her. She didn’t seek alcohol out. Not even at gatherings. So they might be able to keep control of the problem. He had never seen anyone who lost their inhibitions as completely as Hermione. Maybe there was a price to having such a brilliant mind. Maybe she was allergic to alcohol. He would have to check some muggle journals on the effects of alcohol on the highly intelligent and on medically based reactions. There was no doubt in his mind though, that if Marcus had taken Hermione from that club, he would have had no mercy on her, and she would have returned to the castle bruised, abused and broken. It would have been consensual and there would have been nothing anyone could do. Well, besides him killing Marcus. Thank the gods he had arrived in time.

“Severus?”

He heard her calling him from the bedroom.

“In the study, Hermione,” he called back.

He heard her rustling in the bed, then there was silence for a bit. The loo flushed and water ran in the sink. Then Hermione stood in the bedroom doorway, rubbing her eyes sleepily like a child. Her hair was a soft tangle, and she looked like an adolescent as she padded over in her panties and camisole, to fall into the other armchair, curl up her legs and rest her head sleepily on the back of the chair, looking at him. Then her eyes dropped to the pensieve.

“It’s all there,” he said gently, “the truth about Marcus. I didn’t tell you before because you would have thought I was trying to come between you and your friend.”

She looked at him and nodded, “I would have thought that,” she agreed.

Severus sat forward a little in his chair.

“Well, you can look at it now, or after breakfast. But it isn’t pretty Hermione. He says some terrible things about you and I. And even makes some…valid points about our relationship.”

“What kind of points?” she asked sitting up straighter now.

“I would rather you see it for yourself, Hermione. In context.”

Severus sighed.

“There are also memories of what happened last night…your actions and what led to the fight. You aren’t going to like to see this side of yourself. It is why I warned you to only drink with me. I want you to remember you were under the influence of alcohol, and not yourself. I don’t want you blaming yourself. Even though you were inebriated, it was Marcus who took advantage of the situation.”

Hermione’s eyes went wide with horror.

“Oh no, Severus I didn’t …” she gasped, tears coming to her eyes.

“No, you didn’t, Hermione. He never fully got to you,” Severus said soothingly.

“Fully?” she whispered, aghast.

Severus just looked at her, not wanting to say how Marcus had his hands all over her body.

“You’ll see in the pensieve,” he said shortly.

Hermione looked at the bowl of shimmering liquid as if it had grown teeth and was about to devour her.

“I’m scared at what I’m about to see,’ she whispered.

“If you’d rather not, then you don’t have to,” Severus replied, knowing she wouldn’t accept that.

“No, I need to see the truth,” she said, drawing a deep breath. “show me, Severus.”

Ah, that Gryffindor courage. Severus tapped the surface of the pensieve. The silver liquid began to swirl as Hermione leaned forward to look inside.

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A/N: Hermione is going to confront Marcus…you know she has to. Will be interesting