AFTERWARDS

A/N: The \'Iunctio Memoria\' ritual is my own invention and means \'Joining Memory\'. It is not a Wiccan tradition although hand fasting is.





Severus was in the shower. He was starting to enjoy the weekends, when he could spend all of his time in the house with Hermione. They had agreed that for the sake of propriety he should maintain his living arrangements at the school until after the wedding, but the weekends would be their own. He rinsed off the remaining suds and grabbed a large white fluffy towel, wrapped it tightly around his waist and looked at himself in the mirror above the sink. His face was a little fuller now, a few lines still visible around his mouth, but even Severus could see the darkness lifting from his eyes and knew it was due to his feelings for Hermione. He closed his eyes and thought of her dark eyes, her mouth always ready to smile, laugh or kiss him. He smiled and sighed to himself before casting a silent drying charm on his hair.



In the bedroom, Severus looked at the rumpled bedclothes and felt his crotch tighten at the memory of their lovemaking earlier in the day. She was an incredibly giving lover and wonderfully responsive to him. He hoped it would always be that way.



His reverie was broken as he heard the floo and Hermione’s voice talking to Crookshanks. Throwing on a white shirt and a pair of black trousers, he walked downstairs to find her.



Hermione was in the kitchen, charming the dishes to wash themselves and looking in the cupboards for some food to cook. She didn’t notice him watching her as he leant against the door, his tall lean frame lounging and his hands in his pockets. She was wearing her muggle clothes, jeans and a tight, white T-shirt, her hair pulled back in a ponytail. As if sensing him, Hermione straightened and turned to look at him slowly. She rolled her eyes at him and Severus chuckled.



‘Sorry. I like watching my future wife…’ He laughed.



‘Obviously! You could make yourself useful at the same time and help me to cook. I’m starving… must have been this mornings’ exercise…’ She winked at him and passed him some mushrooms to chop.



‘Mmm… I’m hungry too..’ Severus walked behind her and cupped her breasts through her T-shirt as Hermione was trying to empty pasta into a cooking pot.



‘That’s not helping!’ She giggled at him as he nuzzled her neck playfully.



‘It’s helping me…’ He grabbed her hand and placed it over his growing erection ‘see?’



Hermione squeezed his length and sighed. He was so gorgeous and he was all hers. Well, almost.



‘Mushrooms, Severus… we need the mushrooms!’ Hermione let go of him and shoved him back with her sexy arse as he chuckled at her.



Later, they sat together by the fire. It was getting dark outside and the small house felt warm and cosy. Hermione was sat on the floor between Severus’s legs, her head resting against his knee, a glass of red wine in her hand. Severus was stroking her hair with one hand and Crookshanks with the other, secretly admitting that he didn’t really mind her strange feline.



‘Can I talk to you about something, Severus?’ Hermione looked up at him, a smile on her lips.



‘Of course…’ He smiled down at her and she shifted her position slightly to look at him.



‘What do you know about the ‘Iunctio Memoria’ ritual?’ Her eyes were bright as she watched his face; his brows furrowed a little as he considered her words.



‘Iunctio Memoria’… That’s a very old ritual. They used to use it in some Wiccan ceremonies before a hand fasting, a way of binding two people so deeply that all of their memories of each other were shared between them. It’s very moving. I saw it once.’ Severus looked at her face as she listened to him. Her eyes misted over gently and he realised why she had asked him the question.



‘It can be painful, Hermione. There are memories people don’t want to see; things people want to remain hidden. With ‘Iunctio Memoria’, no memory is hidden, everything is shared, even the unpleasant. That means that any conversation you have had about the person is shared, any argument or negative experience is relived. It can be damaging… that’s why it’s no longer performed.’ He stated. He wasn’t sure how far she wanted to take this.



‘But.. It means everything is out there, doesn’t it? Nothing is hidden. You know everything, how the person feels, really feels about you…and why… It means you would truly know their heart…’ She looked at him and the depth of her words touched his soul in a way he never thought possible. She was right. This was right, for them.



‘I don’t know anyone who can assist with the ritual, it’s been such a long time since anyone went through it. You want to do it, don’t you?’ He smiled gently at her.



‘I want you to know everything, Severus… it’s important to me. It was being here that made me think of it, it’s brought back so many memories …’ She smiled as she looked around the room.



‘You know it will be difficult, Hermione, don’t you? There may be memories of mine you don’t want to see…’ Severus was thinking back to when they were pupil and teacher and he really didn’t like her very much.



‘I just want us to be as close as possible, Severus..’ Hermione went up on her knees and hugged him around the waist, laying her head on his chest. ‘I want us to know…all of it…’



Severus looked down at her and kissed the top of her head gently. He hoped they were doing the right thing.







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A couple more chapters to go...hope you\'re still enjoying the story!