All the way

Severus changed into clean robes and waited until Hermione was ready. Finally, she met him in his living room, wearing a perfect black dress with small white flowers along the bottom. Her hair was left cascading down her back and she wore a small amount of make up.

\"Ready to go?\" She asked as she fussed unnecessarily with the skirt of the dress. Severus nodded and stood up. He was about to lead her out of the room, when she clapped her hand over her mouth, \"Lily! Oh Gods, she\'s still with Minerva! Wait for me by the front doors and I’ll go and get her.\"

Severus scowled, but followed Hermione down to the entrance hall. He waited by the doors and watched as Hermione gracefully, but quickly climbed the stairs. He sat in silence for a few minutes and then heard footsteps.

Expecting Hermione, Severus stood up, but it wasn\'t Hermione. He watched silently as Malfoy hopped down the stairs and walked dejectedly to the dungeons.

Severus growled. It was only a short time until curfew. What did Malfoy want? Well, he was going to find out.

\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"

Hermione dashed up the stairs; how could she have forgotten Lily? She gathered her dress into her fists as she ran along the corridor to Minerva\'s rooms.

Hermione was nearly there, when she hit something. She managed to catch Lucius by the arm before he could fall.

\"Sorry Professor.\" he muttered.

\"No, no, it was my fault.\" Hermione panted.

\"Are you going some where?\" He asked, eyeing her dress.

\"Yes. Why?\"

\"Well it was your turn for rounds tonight.\" He stated.

\"Mr. Filch has kindly offered to take my place, so I suggest that you go back to bed and stay there, unless you want a detention.\" Hermione warned, \"I really have to go now. Goodnight.\"

\"Good night Professor.\" She heard him call as she brushed passed him and up the hall.

Quickly, Hermione fetched Lily and hurried back down to Severus; except Severus wasn\'t there.

Hermione cursed as she realized that he had probably gone after Lucius. Dragging Lily behind her, Hermione made her way back to the dungeons.

She had just hopped off the last step, when she saw Severus coming around the corner.

\"Where have you been?\" She asked, putting her free hand on her hip.

\"I came back to get my wand.\" He shrugged. Hermione knew he was lying, but rolled her eyes and played along.

In no time Hermione had used side along apperation to take Lily to the Burrow and Severus appeared next to them.

\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"

\"Hermione!\" Severus watched as the youngest Weasley ran out of the house and hugged Hermione. He followed them in and was greeted by Molly.

\"Severus, dear, how are you?\" She asked as she used magic to set the table.

\"I am quite well thank you. How are you?\" He asked back.

\"Oh, me and Arthur are fine!\" she chirped, \"We are so glad to have another reason to have people in the house. It seems so empty with just us and Ginny, but I think that she will be moving in with Harry soon, so it will be just us.\"

Severus nodded and took a seat at the table next to Hermione. Loud talking could be heard from the living room and the door opened. Remus, Tonks, Arthur, the twins, and Potter entered the room. As they sat down, Tonks, Hermione, Molly and Ginny started doting over the swollen belly of the woman with pink spiky hair. The twins were absorbed in a Quiditch debate, while Potter cooed to his daughter. Arthur and Remus invited Severus into their conversation on the Ministry, but Severus declined and just stuck to eating.

As the original chats died down, Severus started to watch Tonks and Remus. Love seemed to radiate from the couple; it was clear that they were husband and wife.

Severus looked at Hermione out of the corner of his eye. He was sure that he loved her just as much as Remus loved Tonks.

What would Hermione be like as a wife? Perfect, his mind supplied.

Did he want her as his wife? Yes.

With that established, there was only one problem: What did a husband do? He had no idea.

Severus supposed that most men learned this type of thing from their father, but if he copied his fathers’ example about what a husband should do, he would be beating Hermione all day and there was no way in heaven or hell that he would be causing her any type of pain ever again.

He sighed; she deserved some one who knew what he was doing. Although, she had never been married before, so it would be new to her as well.

This was all well and good, but would it change anything? And if it did, would he want their relationship to change?

Yes, there was one thing that being married would change; she would be wholly and completely his. She would not be able to leave Hogwarts at the end of the year and she would not be allowed to leave him. Period.

The group moved to the living room and Severus was watching as Hermione talked animatedly with the rest of the group, when some one plopped down on the sofa next to him.

\"Not long now.\" Remus said as he looked pointedly at Tonks stomach.

\"Are you ready, old man?\" Severus quipped.

\"Probably not, but I have \'Dora. We can do it together.\" he said wistfully.

\"Do you know what it is yet?\" Severus asked.

\"I do hope you\'re inquiring about the sex,\" Remus chuckled, and Severus smiled slightly, \"It\'s a boy. Tonks is thrilled; she says that she can\'t cope with frilly, pink bunnies and all the girly stuff.\"

\"Oh I can see it now,\" Severus sat back in the corner of the sofa and smirked at Lupin, \"In a few months, you\'ll be knee deep in baby shit, while she,\" He nodded to Tonks, \"will be sprawled in bed saying that she carried it and know it’s your turn.\"

Remus chuckled, \"I hope not. I mean about the baby shit; I wouldn\'t mind \'Dora being sprawled in bed.\" He nudged Severus in the ribs and gave him a look.

\"You dirty old man.\" Severus rolled his eyes.

\"My \'Dora\'s older than Hermione and we\'re the same age; how am I a dirty old man?\" Remus smiled.

\"Shut up.\" Severus mumbled.

\"So you have... you know...\" Remus winked.

\"That is my business, not yours.\" Severus snapped.

\"Well, she must be having a good effect on you; you haven\'t hexed me yet.\" Remus mused, \"What are you going to do when she leaves?\"

\"She isn\'t leaving.\" Severus ground out.

\"That\'s not what Ron\'s been telling every one.\" Remus said quietly, leaning closer to whisper, \"Ron told Harry that she told him that she was leaving to go and live with him at Christmas, which is in...\" He thought for a moment, \"just over a week.\"

Severus was torn; Hermione wouldn\'t lie to him, would she? Weasley was just angry, wasn\'t he?

\"Why are you telling me this?\" He asked Remus quietly.

\"I told you because I can see that you care for her.\" Remus explained.

\"I suppose I should thank you then.\" Severus said as if in a trance.

\"No thanks needed mate.\" Remus muttered.

At that moment, Severus looked up to see Molly shouting at the twins.

\"Get out there now!\" She screeched, \"I need help with the dishes, go on!\"

\"Aww mom!\" One of them moaned as she swatted him over the head.

\"Why can\'t some one else do it?\" The other groaned.

\"Because I asked you!\" Molly scowled.

Hermione stood up, \"Don’t\' worry, I’ll do it.\"

Molly turned to shout at the twins again and Hermione hurried to the kitchen. Severus stood and slipped out after her. She was already collecting the plates from the table.

\"Come to help?\" She asked without looking up.

\"No,\" He snorted as he went up behind her and snaked his arms around her waist, \"I just wanted to ask you some thing.\"

Hermione wriggled out of his arms and took the plates over to the sink. Once she had set the sponge to work on the dishes, Severus trapped her between the counter and his body.

\"Ask away...\" She prompted.

He put his lips next to her ear and whispered, \"What happened the night Weasley came?\"

\"I told you,\" She frowned as she turned to face him, \"He came, we made up, we rowed and I chucked him out.\"

\"Why did you row?\" he pressed.

\"Why are you asking me all this?\" Hermione asked.

\"Because Weasley has been telling every one that you are leave at Christmas to go and live with him.\"

\"What...?\" Hermione spluttered.

\"I said...\" He started again.

\"Yes, I heard you!\" Hermione snapped, \"I can\'t believe he... How dare he...! I didn\'t...\" Finally, she got herself under control, \"I told him that I would not be leaving... That’s why we rowed.\"

Severus was flooded with relief. Hermione, however, looked close to tears.

\"Why is he doing this? If any one should be angry it should be Harry, not Ron. What’s his problem?\" she rested her head on his shoulder and he enfolded her in his arms.

Severus was so content; she wasn\'t leaving, Weasley was just being spiteful. He rubbed her back gently.

\"He just doesn\'t know how special you are to me.\" He whispered.

\"You say such lovely things.\" Hermione told him in the sleepy voice that he adored, \"Maybe exaggerated, but lovely.\"

\"Hermione,\" He held her at arms length and looked straight into her eyes, \"When I comes to you, it is not possible for me to exaggerate; you mean more to me than any word can describe.\"

\"It’s the same for me.\" She smiled, \"I love you.\" She stood on her tip-toes and brushed her lips softly to his, sending tinges down his body.

\"HERMIONE!\" came a sing-song voice from the living room, \"Come and play a game with us!\"

Hermione laughed and wriggled out of his arms, \"I believe I am wanted.\"

\"Oh so popular, aren\'t you.\" He smirked and followed her into the living room.

\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"

Hermione had always loved drama when she was young and never minded making a complete fool of herself; especially when she was drunk. And since the twins had dared her to play \'Truth or dare (without the truth)\' with Harry, how could she refuse.

Harry and Fred had made up the first dare.

\"You have to imitate some one, in the room, using exaggerated movements, for as long as you can, with out them noticing.\" Harry whispered to her.

\"If they do notice, you have to swap to copy a new person and you have to do every person in here. Get it?\" Fred asked quietly.

Hermione nodded and looked around the room. Mrs. Weasley caught her eye. The woman was singing to the artist on the radio.

Hermione arranged her hair like the older woman\'s and cleared her throat. She started to sing quietly; no one except Harry and Fred noticed. As she got louder, Tonks, Remus and Severus looked over. Soon everybody except Mrs. Weasley was watching Hermione, sing to a song that she had never heard before.

Ginny and the Twins was stifling laughter and Severus was smirking. Mrs. Weasley seemed to notice something was happening and looked around at the sofa on which Hermione, Harry and the twins were sitting.

Hermione promptly stopped singing and stared suspiciously at the opposite sofa.

\"What are you lot -hic- up to?\" Mrs. Weasley said clumsily.

Hermione quickly changed to imitating Mr. Weasley, as he was sitting back casually, not drawing attention to himself. After a few minutes Mr. Weasley let out a pretty big yawn. Hermione jumped up and pushed a huge fake yawn out of her lungs, stretching her hands over her head. Every one looked at her.

She quickly sat down. After an hour, she had down nearly every one in the room, who wasn\'t playing the game. The last person was Severus. She crossed her arms over her chest in a big movement and scowled across the room at Ginny.

Remus moved over to say something to Severus and he let out a very quiet snort. Hermione Let out a long, loud imitation of the noise and every one looked around. By the way Severus looked at her, Hermione knew she was caught.

As the night wore on, Hermione gave and received ridiculous dares. Most people caught onto their game quickly and Ginny joined in.

In the end, Hermione, Harry, the twins and Ginny wrote a script for a play and ended the night by performing it to the others.

\"One day,\" Hermione narrated, \"A girl named... um... what was her name again? Oh well, she hasn\'t got a name, A girl, well, not a girl, a Horney house wife, walked along a road -\"

Ginny swayed into the room, as they were all very drunk.

\"Oh dear!\" The red head sighed, \"Where, oh, where has my little dog gone?\" there was a pause, \"I said WHERE, OH, WHERE HAS MY LITTLE DOG GONE!!\"

Harry crawled, on his hands and knee\'s, into the room and to Ginny’s side.

\"At last!\" Ginny hissed, \"Lord, did you have to be so late -!\"

\"Hey!\" Harry said, sitting back on his heels, \"It\'s not my fault! You shouldn\'t speak so quietly.\"

\"This isn\'t in the script!\" Fred and George charged out of the kitchen. Hermione slapped her hand to her forehead; it was up to her to distract the audience.

As the others argued, Hermione walked to the front of the bit of the living room that they had made their stage.

\"I am -hic- sorry for their,\" She jerked her thumb over her shoulder towards the arguing people, \"behavior. I can a-a-assure you that it would... have been a -hic- worthwhile performance. I would entertain you myself, but as you can see,\" She pointed to her hand that was steadying herself on the back of a chair, \"I can hardly stand and I need to go home.\"

Hermione bowed as the amused audience clapped. She swayed over to Severus.

\"Let’s go home.\" She purred. He smirked and stood up, swaying a bit himself.

\"Yessss,\" He hissed, \"lets.\"


Severus hissed as he thrust into Hermiones heat, and was delighted when she screamed and thrashed her head from side to side.

He wasn\'t sure where their clothes were, but guessed they were planted in various places in the living room.

They had staggered from the Weasleys and apperated, snogging, to the gates of the school. He had hurried Hermione down to the dungeons and some where along the way to his bed, their clothes had been lost.

Severus had teased and taunted Hermione; he loved to watch her writhe and beg. It hadn\'t lasted long, however, as the alcohol, coupled with his throbbing erection had forced him into action.

Hermione clawed at his chest lightly and arched up, trying to push him deeper, and who was he to deprive?

Severus slid out, nearly all the way, and slammed in. The woman under him moaned and clamped her legs around his waist. She was like a glove, like home, and Severus knew that he wouldn\'t change her for the world. She was his.

His witch pushed up and she met his rhythm easily. He leaned down and pulled one of her hard nipples into his mouth. Hermione gasped and pressed her head back into the pillows so that he had a better work space.

\"Severus...\" She panted, making him smirk over her chest. They both knew that he was holding back, teasing her, \"Please! If you... don’t hurry... the hell up... I’ll... I’ll... Urgh!\" She growled in frustration.

\"What am I doing to you precious?\" he said softly in her ear, \"Tell me.\"

\"Teasing!!!\" she almost screamed as his thumb found her clit, working it softly, a whisper of a touch.

\"Oh,\" His breathing was heavy, \"am I teasing you? I hadn\'t noticed...\"

He pressed on her clit and her walls clamped down on him, as she came screaming his name. The feeling pushed him into a few more thrusts before he followed her into the tidal waves of pleasure, shooting his cum into her.

Severus muttered a cleansing charm and slumped next to Hermione. She curled into his chest as he pulled the covers over them.

\"Love you.\" She murmured sleepily, planting a small kiss on his shoulder.

\"I love you too.\" He whispered. As they lapsed into a tired silence, Severus knew in his lethargic, pleasure fuzzed, love filled heart that it was time. \"Hermione?\" He said softly, \"Are you awake?\"

He watched as she forced her eyes open; she was obviously very near sleep, but she drove herself awake for him. Severus loved that.

\"Yeah, I’m awake.\" she mumbled, smiling up at him, \"What do you want?\"

\"I wanted to ask you some thing,\" He said slowly. She nodded for him to go on, \"and it\'s very important. You understand?\" Hermione nodded again, as she rubbed her hand up and down his arm, softly.

Severus took a deep breath and moved his mouth, but the words wouldn\'t form. This was make or break; it was now or never and there would be no going back. He hated to admit it, but, yes, he was scared. Hermione cupped his face lightly.

\"Severus,\" She whispered, \"It\'s only me. You can ask anything, you know that, and if I have the power to do it, I will.\"

Severus took a deep breath again and this time the words formed, spilling from his tongue and into the night, softly.

\"Will you marry me?\"
____________________________________________________

Hermione blinked. Hard. Was she hearing things? Had Severus just asked her to marry him?

Yes. He had.

Hermione knew that she had about 30 second to answer if she didn\'t want Severus to get the wrong idea.

30... did she want to be married so young, to a man twice her age? Yes, if it was to the right man.

25... did she want to marry a man that had been convicted of murder? Yes, if she loved him.

20... did she love Severus Snape? YES!

15... did she care what other people would think about him being a death eater and her old Professor? No.

10... Would she give up her friendship with Ron for Severus, as it was clear that she would have to choose? ... ...

9...

8...

7...

6...

5...

4...

3...

2...

1...

\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"

There, he had asked her. Severus knew that if he was sober, he wouldn\'t have. It wasn\'t exactly the most romantic setting, but it could have been worse.

Now all he had to do was waiting. Hermione blinked. Hard.

She was staring at him blankly, obviously thinking. He shifted a little; her hand was still on his arm.

Just as Severus was staring to get nervous, the light seemed to re-enter her eyes. Hermione looked him straight in the eye.

\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"

\"Yes.\" The word was spoken as a soft whisper. Hermione could hardly believe that she was agreeing to be married

The surprise in his eyes was prominent and Hermione leaned up to kiss him. Half way through the kiss, Severus seemed to realize her answer and he rolled on his back, pulling Hermione on top of him.

She tore her lips away and looked down, positively glowing with happiness. Severus stared up at her.

\"You said yes...\" he whispered as if it was a revelation, \"You said yes!\" He let out a bark of laughter and rolled again, so Hermione was on her back, \"I love you so much. Thank you.\"

Severus leaned down and claimed her lips once more.

\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"

After another round of slow love making, Severus pulled Hermione tight to him. She was his witch now and no one else\'s. Before, he had to control his jealousy and she had helped him with it; now he would have no reason to be jealous, as Hermione had made the ultimate commitment with him.

He knew he would still get the feeling, but all he had to do was remind himself that he was her husband and it should be fine.

Severus thought back to the night in her flat, when she had brought that Harmon bloke back. He had been so jealous and rather upset when Hermione seemed disgusted by the thought of them being lovers.

In fact, soon they would be every thing that Hermione had denied: he had been her lover and boyfriend -although he thought that partner was a better word -, and soon he would be her husband and family.

Just the thought of a family of his own made Severus feel all parent-like and he felt rather out of character, but he didn\'t care. Not one bit.