Your Hand in Marriage

A/N: For those of you who don’t like Hermione to give up her muggleborn status, I am usually in agreement but the plot bunny wants what she wants ;-). I hope it makes you feel better to know that Hermione’s mother gave up her wand and lived as a muggle in order to maintain the protection they needed from Lord Voldy. I think I will do a background about Hermione’s growing up later on in the story.



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The golden bubble encompassing Hermione and Severus began to lower to the ground and dissipate into the earth, as the dome disappeared, Hermione and Severus began to blink slowly.



Hermione caught sight of Severus first and with a sharp intake of breath she reached towards his face, “Severus open your eyes.”



He opened them slowly and his eyes grew wide, “Circe! You look like Narcissa.”



Hermione slapped his arm, “You should take a look in the mirror. You could be Lucius’ evil twin.”



The illusion around them faded into the whirring silver instruments of the Headmaster’s study.



“Well my children, it would seem that your bond has invoked the genetic make-up of Hermione’s distant relative. This is not very good for anonymity.” Dumbledore relayed as he summoned a large mirror.



Hermione and Severus gazed into the glass in shock. Each in turn touching their now-white hair.



Dumbledore looked at the pair in a calculating manner, “We will of course, need to glamour you both until such a time comes when you have returned to your normal appearance.”



Hermione looked at him sharply, “You mean this isn’t permanent?”



“No, child. I do not believe it is. Though after the initial transformation fades, which I believe will occur in, say, three days, it may re-occur during the use of intense magic, like that which we saw today. There are rare instances of this in the past, but only for the rarest of couples.”



Hermione and Severus sagged visibly in relief.



Dumbledore approached, “If I may, I’d like to glamour you now. Hermione, I will use the same sort of glamour we created after your birth to hide your mark. Can I trust you to teach Severus how to remove it at will?”



“Of course, Headmaster.”



Dumbledore began waving his wand in intricate patterns. Color seeped into their pure white hair, and swirled around the blue irises like a inky whirlpool. The two sets of robes drew color up into themselves as if from the ground, and in a moment Hermione and Severus looked as though there was no noticeable change.



Both peering into the mirror, they carefully catalogued their looks, making sure there was no flaw that could be discerned by a friend of colleague.



Once satisfied, Severus stood up straighter and looked at Dumbledore, “Earlier today we tested our compatibility and were gifted with Merlin’s Blessing. Do you think the change is related?”



Dumbledore’s face betrayed his surprise, “Merlin’s blessing? Why didn’t you tell me this before?”



Dumbledore swept across the room and began muttering incantations under his breath. Puffs of silvery smoke began coiling into braided spirals from out of his wand.



“Naturally, naturally….”



Dumbledore looked at the duo, “Do you feel any differently?”



Hermione closed her eyes and tried to sense a difference in her body, she felt lighter, but all she could her were her heartbeats thrumming in her ear.



Wait.



Heartbeats. Plural. Two separate, distinct heartbeats.



“Have I grown a second heart, Headmaster?”



Dumbledore chuckled and Severus inhaled sharply as he too sensed the second beating.



“The two of you,” began Dumbledfore, “Can now sense each other. The additional beat you are hearing Miss Granger, is not in your own body, but rather Severus’. It is Severus’ heartbeat.”



“How far with this connection go, Albus,” inquired Severus, “will she sense…. if I am in pain?”



At this, Albus’ face darkened, “I am afraid Severus, that as this connection grows she will feel your pain as if it was her own, and you will feel her pain as well.”



Severus’ face was a mask of rage, “So every time that sycophant tortures me, she will bear his wrath as well? What if I die? Will she be forced into an early grave in reward for my twisted sense of duty?”



Albus placed a hand on Severus’ shoulder., “My son, in the event of death the bond will be broken.” He looked to Hermione sadly, “though some would say the sudden loss of a melded soul would be far worse a pain than death.”



Silence loomed over the room; the only sounds were the whirring of the instruments on his desk and the ticking of the grandfather clock in the corner.



It was Hermione who broke the silence, “If I give birth, Headmaster, does that mean Severus will have to feel my birthing pains?”



The Headmaster smiled, “Why, yes. That would be the case.”



Hermione grinned lightly and turned to Severus, “I won’t be using any anesthetics, you know. You will bear the pains of childhood in pittance for all mankind.”



Severus’ face flushed, “I—we—we haven’t even discussed reproducing!”



Hermione smiled kindly at her flustered groom, “I’d like children. Though perhaps we should have discussed this before we went and bound ourselves for life.”



Severus’ hand swept through his newly darkened hair, “No, not to worry. I think I’d like to have children. I’m quite sure I’d like my own-- even if I hate everyone else’s.”



“There will be a lot of these discussions you know, “ said Hermione worriedly, “We did rush into this and we barely skimmed the top of topics people usually discuss before jumping into marriage.”



Severus grabbed her hand in his, it felt awkward to initiate contact with another person, but natural for it to be Hermione’s hand, “All things in due time, witch. We will just have to discuss issues as they arise. There is no going back.”



And as Severus spoke those last words, he realized how true they were. Even if it were possible to reverse the bond, he didn’t want to. Now that he had Hermione, he was never going to let her go.



“I am a possessive man, Hermione. Though I know we are bound to fidelity, there will be times that I will show my more base instincts.” He looked at her darkly, “I will probably throw you over my shoulder like a caveman and carry you back to the dungeons.”



Hermione’s body pulsed and thrummed, she was unsure whether she was feeling only her personal desire, or the mixed desires of both her and her new mate, but she knew one thing. It was times to consummate this bond, and she wanted to do it, badly.









A/N 2: Thar be Lemons on the horizon!