#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 24 ~ The Serpent and the Lioness Kind of Abstain

After a brief discussion, they decided not to have an elaborate wedding. Severus abhorred large functions, and Hermione really didn’t want to go through the problems that surround a big affair. They agreed to have something small on the school grounds, preferably over the weekend, with Albus doing the nuptials. Then they would take a week off for the honeymoon.

“I have the perfection location all picked out,” Severus said with a sober look at his bride-to-be..

“Where are we going?” Hermione asked, excited.

Severus kissed her gently on the lips and said, “It’s a secret.” He wouldn’t budge on it, no matter how she cajoled him. She finally gave up.

Severus ran a bath for Hermione, and left her to her own devices while he went to her rooms to retrieve her gown. He felt light, giddy, as if he were floating instead of walking. He was going to marry the woman he loved. It was amazing.

Hermione reclined against the tub, soaking in jasmine-scented bubbles and admiring the serpentine engagement ring Severus had slipped on her finger. It was lovely, in a simple way. She ran her finger gently over the entwined serpents, a slight smile on her face. She felt dazed. It didn’t seem real. But the platinum band around her finger said otherwise. She would be Mrs. Severus Snape. No, that wasn’t correct. Severus was a Lord. Her breath caught as she realized the implications of that. She would be known as Lady Snape…an adopted member of the aristocracy.

“Oh gods,’ she breathed, “I’ve gone upper-crusty.”

She grinned evilly at the thought of all the distressed purebloods this marriage would create. She knew Severus wouldn’t insist that she suck up to them. Actually, he harbored an extreme dislike for all the fluff being a Lord entailed. He was always missing in action when invited to balls and other social functions. Most of the purebloods he knew had been sympathetic to the cause of Lord Voldemort, and he hated their hyprocrisy…giving their allegience to a muggle-born Master, while looking down on worthy and talented wizards and witches in the wizarding community with muggle parentage. Witches like his Hermione. No, she didn’t have to worry about socializing with that crowd. He wouldn’t subject her or himself to it.

As she soaked, Hermione thought about the mechanics of their relationship as it stood. They hadn’t made love yet. It was as if there were some sort of silent agreement between them, that they would wait. The violence of their last encounter still held some sway, and both were cautious. Something precious had been upset, and re-establishing it would take patience on both their parts. She knew Severus wanted her last night. His body betrayed him, his boxers staying in a stubborn tent. The fire stoking in her belly was flickering at her apex with lustful little tongues…but she too, felt restrained. She wondered if they would ever be the same. She doubted it. She thought they might be better. Since their break-up and following make-up, Severus seemed gentler somehow, less driven, less desperate. More able to control himself concerning her. She wasn’t sure if she liked that. She didn’t want him to lose his passion. She loved his wild possessions and would mourn the loss of them.

She had thought at first, he would join her in the tub. The way he looked at her as she undressed made it likely. His eyes had fallen on her ring, his ring on her finger and he had smiled softly as he helped her into the tub, then he turned and left her to soak. She almost felt disappointed, but his apparent joy at her acceptance made his departure all right with her. He wasn’t walking away, but moving forward. She thought it might be nice to wait until the wedding night to reconsummate their relationship. It all seemed so new again.

She ducked under the warm water for a moment, her hair flowing gently around her face, before she rose again, water streaming. The bath felt so nice. Severus returned and lay her gown on the sink, before informing her he was going to have food brought to the rooms, so she could eat something. Hermione realized she was famished and thanked him before he again left the bath. She began to wash herself, lathering her body with the rich bath soap Severus provided. It had a floral scent that didn’t clash too badly with the jasmine.

Severus returned and announced the food had arrived. He was dressed in his black silk pajamas. He helped her out of the bath and toweled her off with rather hot eyes, but again he made no attempt at intimacy. He assisted her with her nightgown and escorted her to the study where she found tomato soup and ham sandwiches with lettuce and tomato. She inhaled her soup and scarfed down her sandwich, Severus’ amused eyes watching her consume the food with pleasure. A hearty appetite meant she was feeling good about everything. And he wanted her happy.

He led her to the bedroom, and helped her into the four-poster. He looked down at her, drinking in her beauty, his eyes raking over her body. Hermione caught a little throb in his pajama bottoms, and the heat in her belly flared up a notch. Severus saw this in her eyes, and knew she would let him make love to her if he wanted. And he did want to…but a part of him said. “patience, Severus.” He got into bed and propped himself up on his elbow, looking down at her.

“Hermione…gods…I want you,” he said softly, letting a long, slim finger trace her forearm, and watching her shudder at his touch. “But a part of me wants to wait until you become my wife. Does that sound strange to you?”

“That you want to wait?” Hermione responded, “maybe a few months ago it would have seemed strange, out of character…” She studied his face. It seemed softer somehow, as if the characteristic hardness had been planed away, “but not now.”

Then she let out a snorting giggle.

“What?” Severus asked, his brow furrowed slightly at her outburst.

She caught her breath. “Imagine, Severus Snape, saving himself for marriage!” she blurted, laughing out loud now. Severus laughed too, he couldn’t help it. He had rarely held back when he wanted her before. Then he sobered.

“That’s because you’ve changed me, Hermione. Even after seven years you still have a powerful influence over me. I want our wedding night to be special. A little abstinence will only make it sweeter. We will be married next weekend. It isn’t so long to wait, is it?”

“It will seem like a lifetime, but I can do it, if you can…but still we can do something, can’t we?’ she asked, her eyes glowing.

Severus considered the lovely witch beside him. There were several things he could do to her, but he didn’t trust himself to stop if he started. It would be like rolling downhill…it would definitely pick up momentum. But still, she needed something from him.

“We can kiss for a while,” he suggested.

“That would be nice,” she crooned, moving closer to him, her eyes on his mouth.

“Gods, give me strength,” he murmured as he lowered his head, meeting her soft lips.

She opened her mouth to him, letting him taste her hot sweetness with his tongue. Circe, she tasted good. Their tongues caressed slowly, as their passion and the kiss deepened. Hermione pulled him on top of her, delighting in the press of his lean, muscled body on top of her. She could feel his erection against her thigh, and she almost sucked his tongue down her throat in reaction.

Severus moved against her slightly, trying to control his reaction to her body beneath him, so warm and welcoming as he explored her mouth. Her hands slipped over his shoulders and caressed his back, pulling him into her gently. His hands came up and cupped her face. He stopped kissing her to suck and nip at her lips, and a small moan escaped her before he dove back in, controlling the motion of her head as he devoured her mouth. Her moan made his cock throb…he hadn’t heard her moan in so long a time. He began to rub his cock against her thigh. She moaned again, more urgently.

He rolled her over on top of him, continuing the deep kiss. She was thrusting her tongue into his mouth in a very suggestive way. It was his turn to groan as he buried his hands in her hair and reached as deep into her mouth as he could go, overpowering her snaking, motions. Hermione was working her body on top of his now, the fire in her belly bursting into flame as his hands slid down her back, over her ass and up again. She began to roll against him in earnest, being rewarded with a tortured growled. Severus pulled away from her mouth, his black eyes full of lust. He gripped her by her waist.

“Enough, Hermione,” he gasped as he gently slid her off him, “ we can’t continue or the wedding night will be early.”

Hermione let out a little squeak of disappointment as she slid off his hard body, and throbbing erection. She didn’t mean to, but she had tried to seduce him. The contact between them was just too good, and his tongue in her mouth only made her think of how delicious it would feel to have his cock in her body. Kissing hadn’t been a good idea with these two. There was too much passion between them to keep it innocent.

Hermione was soaking wet between her thighs. Severus could smell her arousal, and bit his lip so the pain would help him find the strength to resist what both their bodies were begging for. He pictured Minerva and Albus rolling around in bed naked. Even that frightening image only helped a little. And Hermione was no help. She was staring at him with a “please-fuck-me” look, but she didn’t say anything. If it happened, she would neatly put the blame on him. Desperately he rolled out of bed.

“I’ve got to go to the loo, “ he lied, walking splay-legged against the huge erection tenting his pajama bottoms. Hermione didn’t look like she was buying it, as he closed the door. Severus removed his erection from his pants and frantically began to fist it over the bowl, picturing himself fucking Hermione, trying to make himself come before he returned to bed. It took him a little while, but finally he came, biting his lip and grunting so he wouldn’t be heard as pleasure jetted through him. He aimed for the bowl and hit it for the most part. Finally, he finished with a shudder.

He unrolled some tissue and wiped the head of his cock, then the seat clean, throwing the wadded paper into the loo and flushing it. He sighed and turned around, to see Hermione leaning against the door, watching him with an amused smirk.

“It must be nice to be able to do that,” she said, raising her eyebrows at him.

“It comes in handy,” he mumbled, mortified that Hermione had just watched him jack off.

Hermione burst out laughing at the unintended pun. Severus actually colored, so great was his embarrassment. Hermione thought it was precious.

“Come on, Severus. Let’s go back to bed and sleep,” she chuckled, leading the way back to the bedroom.

She didn’t say anything, but she had an orgasm of her own watching him. It was very, very sexy to see him hunched and grunting, trying to get off and keep quiet, his hair swinging with his efforts. Gods, she loved that man. He was trying so hard.

Severus followed her, rather sheepishly, and climbed into bed beside her, offering his arm and wrapping it around her shoulders as she slid closer to him, her head on his shoulder. He waved his hand and the light dimmed. He lay there stiffly until Hermione kissed his cheek. He felt her smile against his throat, and relaxed.

They both slept very, very well.

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A/N: Not quite a lemon…but they ARE saving themselves for marriage.>grin< Please review.