Marriage Law

Marriage Law Chapter 4





Marriage
Law Chapter 4

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

Hermione
woke in the morning and stared at the deep blue underside of her canopy. She
smelled food. She wasn’t sure why she smelled food. She pulled back the curtain
of her bed to find a tray set with her breakfast, complete with a rose sitting
on the tray. Next to the rose was a pair of knitted socks, embellished with
Celtic knotwork.

 

Hermione
smiled as she reached for it. She would have to thank Dobby later for his
thoughtfulness. As she pulled the tray to her lap, Crookshanks showed sudden
interest.

 

“Shoo,
Crookshanks,” Hermione said gently pushing his nose away from her bacon. She
tossed a small piece on the floor and he followed it.

 

As
Hermione ate she wondered if breakfast in bed was going to be a normal
occurrence now she was a teacher’s wife. She shook her head at the thought. She
would have to speak to Dobby later, although it certainly gave her more time to
get prepared for the day.

 

After
she finished, Hermione rose and dressed. After she had buckled her cloak she
spoke the word that would open her chamber door.

 

In
her new receiving room she was greeted by her husbands butt. He was on all
fours looking under the coffee table. She stared for a moment before she
remembered herself.

 

“Do
you need help?” she asked inquisitively. She jumped as he banged his head on
the underside of the table.

 

“I
seem to have lost my favorite pen,” Snape said, rubbing his head.

 

“Don’t
you use a quill?” asked Hermione.

 

“I
break too many quills,” Snape said, poking his hand under the couch. “This is a
glass pen.”

 

Crookshanks
jumped on the couch with something in his mouth.

 

“Oh,”
said Snape, looking pleased. “Thank you,” he took a glass pen from Crookshanks.
“Good kitty.”

 

Hermione
snorted. “He probably stole it in the first place.”

 

“Don’t
steal my pen,” Snape shook a finger firmly at the cat in front of him.
Crookshanks sniffed his finger and began scratching himself on it.

 

“It’s
a lost cause, isn’t it?” Snape asked.

 

“Probably,”
said Hermione looking into her bag. “Just keep it safe from now on.”

 

“Naughty
kitty,” Snape said firmly, but continued scratching Crookshanks behind the
ears. “By the way, the strangest thing happened this morning.”

 

“What?”
asked Hermione checking her watch. Plenty
of time to check in with Ron and H bef before Herbology.

 

“My
breakfast was ready near my bed,” Snape said. “And whoever put it there seems
to think I need more creative footwear.”

 

“Dobby,”
Hermione groaned. “I’ll talk to him.”

 

“Thank
you,” said Snape packing a small black satchel. “I’ll see you in class.”

 

“Until
then, Professor,” Hermione said.

 

“Please
call me Severus when we’re not in class,” Snape said quietly, looking in his
bag. “We may be toer fer for a time. We might as well get used to the idea. Hermione.”

 

“Well
then,” said Hermione slowly. “Until then, Severus.”

 

He
quirked a small smile. “Until then.”

 

***

 

“He
didn’t do a thing,” said Hermione as she approached Ron and Harry. The entered
Greenhouse 5 and but on their work robes.

 

Ron
seemed to let out a sigh of relief. Harry grinned at her.

 

“Probably
nice having private quarters,” Harryd trd trying to see the bright side of
things.

 

“It’s
very nice,” said Hermione, rummaging through her bag for her dragonhide gloves. “Do you know Snape has the quarters
Helga Hufflepuff built?”

 

“Wow,”
said Ron, impressed. “She was supposed to be really keen on enchantments.”

 

Hermione
nodded. “It’s pretty impressive.” She described her room, complete with yawning
cat.

 

“I
bet that’s not even a tenth of it, Hermione,” said Ron excitedly. “I’d poke
everything you could in there.”

 

“I’ll
keep it in mind,” Hermione said as the start of class began.

 

***

 

“I’m
so sorry, Hermione,” said Lavender at lunch.

 

“For what?” Hermione asked, startled.

 

“Having
to…” Lavender shuddered, looking at the teachers table. Snape frowned at the
Gryffindor table. “You know.”

 

“He
re isn isn’t evil,” said Hermione. “Just private. With few social skills.”

 

Pavarti
shrugged. “My grandparents’ marriage was arranged. They learned to fancy each
other after awhile.”

 

“Really?” Lavender asked. “I couldn’t imagine.”

 

“Enough
to have 7 kids,” Pavarti went on, reaching for a muffin. “You never know.
They’re still married.”

 

Hermione
bit into her sandwich. She didn’t want to think of having grandchildren with
Severus. Or children for that matter. That would mean
they would have to…

 

“I
hope he didn’t force himself on you,” said Lavender.

 

“He
was a perfect gentleman,” said Hermione hotly.

 

“Of
course he was,” said Pavarti before anything got started at the table.

 

***

 

Severus
Snape sat at the Head Table watching the Gryffindors eating their lunch. The 7th
year girls seemed unusually animated. Hermione seemed to be handling the
situation well, and it looked like Miss Patil was defending her.

 

Severus
looked at his plate and began pushing his food around on his plate. Once again
he was the subject of ridicule. All the students thought he was a pervert and
half the staff was being rather formal with him.

 

“It
will pass, rus,rus,” said a voice near him. Severus looked up into the
twinkling eyes of Albus Dumbledore.

 

“I
know,” said Severus, actually taking a bite of his food. “It just seems to get
longer every time.”

 

“There
is a Quidditch game this evening,” Dumbledore said. “That will distract them a
bit.”

 

“Perhaps,”
said Severus.