The death of a git, the rise of a hero...

\"SEVERUS!\"

Damn.

Snape stopped dead in the hallway, his shoulder suddenly hunched as the normally sweet and lazy voice of Albus turned booming. He held in a sigh, knowing that sooner or later he was going to have to confess to him the happenings of this evening. He had just hoped for later.

Snape turned around, a well placed scowl upon his pale face as he forced an even look of temperament upon Dumbledore. The frail man\'s face was pale and his blue eyes suddenly darkened over those half moon spectacles he always wore. His lips were twitching and his curled hands shook with inner rage. Severus couldn\'t really blame him, if word got around about this...student/ teacher liaisons it wouldn\'t just be his neck on the line.

\"Albus.\"

\"Just what have you done?\" Albus almost roared, then seeing their foolish location nodded at the younger man to follow him. Snape sighed and reluctantly followed Albus up to his own rooms and waltzed inside, tossing his cloak over his chair by the hearth.

Albus stood by Snape\'s chair, the sweat now glistening on his aged forehead, shining through the thin mass of hair that covered his skull. He was rubbing his beard absently and then forcing himself to look at Snape without disdain spoke.

\"I have heard most interesting information from Miss Granger.\"

\"Oh have you.\"

Snape was standing across from Albus with his arms crossed and a calm, serene look about his face with flickers of shadow stealing across it as the fire cracked a few feet away, setting the mood for this most unpleasant meeting.

\"Yes. She\'s come up with the strange notion that you to are to be wed.\" At this Albus\' lips turned into a grim smirk, praying internally that Hermione was just dazed from her encounter with the Dark Lord.

\"We\'ve five months to think of a better plan.\" Snape said evenly, glancing at his fingernails, feigning boredom, he moved to pour a glass of red wine into a cup as he continued speaking to Albus who stood in mute horror. \"A plan that will ensure our safety, otherwise what Miss Granger says is true. Drink, Headmaster?\"

Albus sucked in a deep breath shaking his white head as his cheeks flushed pink, and Snape could almost see the wind going from his proverbial sails. He could help but feel a bit smug as Albus stared at him, for once a loss for words. How pleasant.

\"May I ask how this came about?\" Dumbledore\'s voice was strained and Snape indulged in the momentary panic flashing about the old man\'s face. Now you know how I felt.

\"Certainly.\" A smug smirk later Snape was into his story, \"I was summoned and when I arrived the Dark Lord informed me that Miss Granger was to be that evenings...\'festivities\'.\" Dumbledore flinched, \"In a mad rush of what can only be called momentary panic I blurted out the first thing that came to mind, which was my newfound engagement to Miss Granger.\"

Silence.

\"Why engaged?\"

\"There was nothing else I could say or do that would stop the Dark Lord from stopping his torture.\"

Never had Snape seen Albus so furious. The old man\'s age spots were almost darkening, every crease obvious in the wrinkled face and he internally prayed he himself would never look like that. He knew that Albus was running through the various scenarios of his death, and he honestly couldn\'t blame him. What would it be? Castration? The hook? Perhaps being stuck in the ring with one of Hagrid\'s strange creatures.

He also knew on the more serious side, that Albus blamed him. He blamed him for somehow leading them to that precious Potter brat. Something that could have been called jealousy (if it were anyone else that Snape) washed over him, and he couldn\'t contain his inner anger at the man for blaming something so out of his control.

Bloody old fool. He thought sourly, his sadistic mind then turning and with a small smirk he suddenly wondered what meek Hermione Granger was doing at this moment…

* * *

\"I CAN\'T BLOODY WELL MARRY HIM!\"

The shout was deafening as Hermione looked to Harry, Ron and McGonagall...the latter of the three looked as if she were about to faint. Ron and Harry were holding her down as she kicked and screamed, her face splotched red.

She had been screaming that same mantra for a good five minutes, immediately after confessing what had happeneat eat evening at Voldemort’s. She left out the kiss. No need to sicken them more than needed.

“That git?” Harry had said in a soft voice. That was the breaking point. Her friend’s horrified faces and McGonagall’s near fainting attack had suddenly just registered the fact that if she could think of a better plan…she’d be married to Snape.

Now her cheeks died down from their reddened flame, and McGonagall smoothed her sweat matted fringe, ordering the boys to move her to Albus’ sofa. Hermione was exhausted from everything that had happed and allowed herself to be dragged and carefully laid upon it.

The world was slightly a blur as she gazed around the office, looking to Harry and Ron as they kneeled by her. Her throat ached, scratchy from her prior screaming but she hadn’t even the strength to ask for a glass of water.

Ron and Harry sat at her side, peering into her face as she held in more tears that threatened to fall. Seemed she was always crying, and she was sick of it.

“I’ll be right back.” McGonagall said darkly, “Mister Potter, Mister Weasely, see that Miss Granger doesn’t move from that spot.”

As if she would.

Harry and Ron nodded their heads as McGonagall shut the door behind her, surely casting wards upon it to ensure their imprisonment. They watched their friend looking disparagingly to the roof and felt their hearts go out to her.

Of all the Professor’s she had to be forced to marry. The greasy git. The overgrown bat. Poor Hermione. Would she have to kiss him? The mere thought of Snape kissing anyone was enough to cause indigestion upon them both. She wasn’t speaking.

“Were you scared?”

“Huh?”

Hermione looked over quizzically to Ron, her eyelids blinking as she tried to understand what Ron was referring to. He was propped up on one elbow, looking at her as he spoke, as usual.

“When you saw Voldemort. Were you scared?”

“Terrified.”

“And Voldemort just said yes when Snape asked him?”

“Yes.” Hermione suddenly grew quiet, moving a bit as her mind raced. “But…you know I think there’s something more to it.” She was getting a little more like herself now, analyzing the events. “Snape said something about smoke.”

“Smoke?”

“Yes. I didn’t know what he was talking about…until; I realized the smoke above Hagrid’s hut. Did you see it when we went over there?”

“Smoke?” Ron looked to Harry in question shook his head. Harry however wasn’t saying much and Ron gave a vacant look and shrug of his shoulders. “I didn’t.”

“Well I did.” Hermione said in an almost bossy tone, and Ron and Harry exchanged thankful looks. Hermione was going to be okay. “And I think it has something to do with all of this.”

They were silent, all thinking when Harry suddenly spoke, his voice husky and his green eyes searching her face as he spoke to the thoughtful Hermione who was lost in her own mind, playing over what could have caused this. She’d need to go the Restricted Section of the Library…

“Hermione?”

“Mmmm?”

“What’ll happen if you have to marry him?”

Hermione felt uneasy, her stomach churning as she thought. What would happen? She saw Harry’s face falling as she contemplated what she was about to say.

“I can’t marry him.” Hermione croaked as Harry patted her head in a childish way, for they were barely seventeen and nodded, warmth in his deep green eyes. “I just can’t. I won’t.”

“I understand Hermione.” Harry said softly, “And you won’t have to.”

“He hates me.” She continued darkly, “He’ll be so cruel to me if I do marry him. Probably take away all our house points. Git.”

“Don’t fret Hermione.” Ron nodded resolutely beside Harry, kneeling by the couch as they tended to their old friend. “We’ll think of something. We’ve got a bit of time. You won’t have to marry the greasy git”

“Thank you.” She said softly, her eyelids growing heavy. She patted their hands gently, and brightened a bit. It was true; they have five whole months to think of some better plan to execute. She wouldn’t have to marry Professor Snape. This thought alone let a small smile curve onto her lips as she sighed with relief.

Her life would remain normal; odds were she wouldn’t even have to marry Snape. Life was good again…if only she could get that kiss out of her mind. Gads…she was still repulsed. She suddenly heard as Ron’s voice suddenly changed pitch, into a slightly playful tone and she braced herself. He wasn’t a Weasley for nothing.

“But just remember Hermione.” Ron said soothingly patting her hair, as his voice grew serious one.one. “If you two do get married…there shall be no foolish wand waving or silly incanta-“

Harry pushed him from her, pummeling him with slaps as he rolled on the floor, laughing so hard his face matched his hair. “It’s not funny Ron!” he shouted, looking at him with anger before moving back to Hermione who had covered her face, her shoulder’s shaking.

“I’m sorry Hermione, Ron can be such a-.” Harry began darkly, and then stopped as he realized Hermione was laughing when she dropped her hands from her face. Quite manically actually. She was laughing so hard tears spilled down her cheeks and she hiccupped as she lay on the couch, laughter filling the small room as past headmasters glared at her from their portraits.

“She’s gone mad.” Ron said quietly out of the corner of his mouth to Harry as they watched the crazed young woman in front of them.

“Being engaged to Snape’ll do that to you.” Harry whispered back, eyes widened at the display before him. Hermione suddenly bolted up, grasping Ron into a tight bug before letting him go, stihuckhuckling a bit.

“Thanks Ron.” She said wiping the last of the tears on her cheeks. “I needed that…more than you’ll ever know.”

Ron blushed, shrugging as he grinned at her, happy to have done something right for a chance. Harry sat there sullenly, looking to the exchange as Here loe looked over at him, rolling her dark eyes.

“Oh don’t be so sullen Harry, I love you too.” She wrapped her arms around a surprised Harry and hugged him to her, releasing him a moment later with a smile. “You two are right. Everything’ll work out.”

“Do you think Snape’ll still let you come out with us…” Ron hastily added, “If you get married?” after seeing the glint in Hermione’s eyes. She suddenly got a thoughtful look on her face, punctuated by the tapping of her fingfinger on her chin, he ghe got lost in thought as per usual. Resolutely a moment later she looked to Ron carefully, presenting her words slowly and with conviction as if trying to convince herself.

“As long as it’s not past curfew.” She finally uttered dimly, and then she shook her head. “Actually…no. I mean it’s not as if we’ll actually be married. It’s just a title to fool Voldemort. To be perfectly honest I’ll probably stay in my dorms.”

“Really?”

“I’m sure.” She said, blushing a bit. “You honestly think Snape’d want me in his private chambers?”

Harry and Ron made disgusted faces, frantically shaking their heads and holding their hands over their mouths. Hermione giggled and shrugged, looking off into the distance before growing a bit somber.

“But, can you just not say anything? I’d hate for all this to get out…and then have it not happen. No point in bringing it up if I don’t have to.”

“Of course.” Harry said reassuringly, “Plus we’ve almost five months to think of something. I bet all the Order’ll help over summer holidays.”

“Your right Harry.” Hermione chirped brightly, a new light in her eyes, as Harry nodded. “We can think of something.”

“There’s the Hermione we know.” Harry said ruffling her hair playfully and looking to her tenderly. Ron looked to them both and then giving an offhanded shrug he nodded, speaking to Hermione with gusto.

“Plus, do you actually think Dumbledore will stand for this whole thing?” Ron said happily, “Just you wait Hermione, this whole ordeal will be over before supper tomorrow night.”


* * *

\"Do...Do you have any idea what this means?\" Dumbledore said softly after a moment’s intake of breath. \"We could be fi-\"

\"We won\'t be.\" Snape answered darkly, \"When Fudge learns of the circumstances surely he\'ll see the light. He\'s so petrified of the Dark Lord I doubt he\'d get on the bad side of any of his ex-followers.\"

\"That\'s not only it Severus.\" Albus said twitching still, \"When the students learn of your \'engagement\' to an underage student not only will thousands of letters be owled in demanding your dismissal, but they may permanently shut down the institution.\"

\"She\'s almost of age sir.\" Snape said shrugging, trying to appear less nervous than he actually was. \"I don\'t recall how, but she confessed it herself. If we are to be married, we will do so when she reached the age of eighteen,fivefive months time.\"

Albus shook his head, pinching the bridge of his nose and muttering something that sounded vaguely like \'time turner\'. Finally his bleary eyes met those of the dark man before him. \"This is the worst thing-.\"

\"What would you have had me do Albus?\" Snape hissed malevolently, his dark eyes blazing as Albus glared back at him. \"Hand her over to the Dark Lord? Let her become a DeathEater\'s plaything? I apologize but I doubted my conscience or yours could have rested knowing that I had handed over one of my own students into their disgusting clutches.\"

Albus seemed taken aback at the outburst, but reason finally won over his frantic panic. What Snape had made sense...Out of all the alternatives what was he to do?

\"But a student...\" Albus said dimly, \"Of all people, the one we were considering for Head Girl next year.\"

\"Well don\'t let this stop it.\" Snape said dryly, bending over to pick up a fallen book, placing it on his side table as he spoke dou doubt her vigorous appetite for studying will deteriorate under this pretense of a marriage.\"

“We still can’t give her the position.”

It was then as Snape straightened and looked over to the old wizard that he noticed Albus’ infamous twinkle in those eyes half hidden by half moon spectacles was back with a vengeance, almost mocking his sudden tremor or indignant confusion.
Just what was he getting at?

\"We can\'t give her the position.\" Albus repeated with a surly frown, looking to Snape’s disbelieving face, the horror suddenly dawning.

\" Because she\'ll be living with you.\"

\"Living with me?\"

The sound of Snape\'s voice was slightly above a whisper as his normally relaxed and surly face turned into that of a worried child who\'d been caught stealing. His stomach was flipping as he surveyed that the old codger was more than serious.

\"Surely you jest.\" he spat, looking at Albus in disbelief. \"She can\'t. This is preposterous.\" he offered as he began pacing about the room. \"She just can\'t. No woman has ever been in my chambers.\"

Albus looked to Severus solemnly before speaking. When he did Snape was sure he\'d have a brilliant idea, he\'d save him from this spectacle of idiocy and humiliation. Instead he did just the opposite.

\"Miss Granger really should be present for this.\"

Albus walked to the door, opening it a bit as he spin hin hushed tones to the appearing McGonagall. She looked utterly broken as Albus in hushed tones gave her a small order as she nodded and grimly walked off.

\"No, Miss Granger should most certainly not be present for this.\" Snape hissed, his whole frame seeming more sinister, and his dark eyes blazing like nothing Albus had ever seen before. In truth, it was a little unsettling.

\"I think she should Severus.\" Albus said softly as Snape sneered at him, \"She\'s got every right to know what\'s going on.\"

Snape rolled his eyes emphatically at the explanation and hunched his shoulder\'s while crossing his arms over his chest. It had grown stuffy in the office, but he didn\'t care. Right now, all that Snape could feel or try to express was furious anger. If that stupid little girl hadn\'t been off cavorting with those two she never would have been caught, he never would have had to go and save her and he they wouldn\'t have to be married.

\"I think that little know-it-all shou-\" Snape started but stopped as a voice from the door interrupted.

\"Headmaster?\"

Albus gave a l sml smile at Hermione who had just arrived at the door with McGonagall, looking ashen and disturbed. She was shaking a bit, whether that was from Snape\'s presence or merely from worried fatigue was beyond any of them. Albus\' eyes were crinkly at the sides and he gave a small smile of reassurance.

\"Come in m\'dear, come in.\"

She didn\'t dare look in the way of the sullen Professor at her left, instead focusing all rapt attention to the aged wizard before her, the one with a merry twinkle in his light eyes, a wizard she had come to trust as almost her own father.

\"Hermione.\" he said softly, \"I think you should sit down.\"

Hermione held in a gulp, looking around to the small assembly. Dumbledore, McGonagall and Snape. (of course) He was scowling as usual, his arms crossed as he stood at the front of the room, looking her over once before turning his attention back to Albus. Hermione nodded curtly, and smoothing her skirt down sat primly upon the sofa, not looking at Snape any more.

\"I have heard what is to conspire in five month\'s time.\" Albus said dimly, his watery eyes solemn as Hermione nodded, her eyes on the floor as he continued.

\"If worst comes to worst.\" Snape cut in, giving a severe glance at Albus who undeterred continued, still looking sympathetically in Hermione\'s direction.

\"And I want you to know it wasn\'t your fault at all Hermione. You were trying to save your friends, and that shows true Gryffindor courage.\"

Or Gryffindor stupidity... Snape thought sourly, looking out the window in boredom. Why he had to be present at such an inconsequential meeting was beyond him. Hermione\'s fingers were digging into the cushion of the seat she was on as her crossed legs swung nervously a bit back and forth. She was clenching her jaw so tightly it was beginning to pain her, and hear head pounded.

\"Thank you sir.\" Hermione said softly, her dark eyes suddenly glazed. \"But now because of it...Professor Snape and I...\" she trailed off with a small shaky sigh, and Snape fixed her with a glare that she didn\'t see.

\"We still have five month\'s time to think of something better Hermione.\" Albus said lightly, \"You needn\'t worry.\"

Hermione\'s face was flushed with emotion, \"But what can we do? Can you think of anything thauld uld replace it? We\'ve already told Voldemort that we\'re to be married. If we don\'t, he\'ll kill me for sure.\"

At the given name of his old Master, Snape shuddered a bit. Hermione shot him a confused look and then gazed back at Albus who was thoughtfully scratching his chin.

\"We\'ll think of something, Hermione, we always do.\" Albus was saying, having pulled up a chair near Hermione who looked utterly dejected. \"But for what conspired this evening, you mustn\'t blame Professor Snape.\"

Snape\'s bored attention was suddenly directed at Albus. Was that decrepit fossil actually coming to his defense? About bloody time. He nodded respectfully before frowning at the top of Hermione\'s head.

\"I don\'t blame him.\" came her soft voice, and yet she still met none of their eyes. She was instead, enraptured with her shoes that she kept continually shifting. \"Not at all. I know he was only doing this to save us both.\"

Snape offered an eyebrow raise; her answer surprised him, though by all accounts it shouldn\'t have. She was known for her maturity and intellect, and he then knew her ranting before had just been fleeting panic.

\"Well then.\" Albus said a bit lighter, \"I think we have some small details to resolve. One:\" Albus said, counting on his chalky fingers, \"There will be no word of this to anyone.\"

Hermione ducked her head in shame a moment, \"I already told Harry and Ron.\" she breathed solemnly. She saw Snape\'s shoes twitch as the words were spoken, and accompanied with a breath of exasperation.

\"You already told those two twits?\" he growled, angrier at the fact that she wasn\akinakiny efy effort to look at him in terror. \"Do you realize the news will be over the school in less than an hour?\"

\"I didn\'t know.\" Hermione offered, small tears welling up within the recesses of her eyes as she looked to her twisted hands in her lap. How was she to know? She had just gotten devastating news and she had confided in those she trusted.

Albus shot Snape a withering look before looking back to Hermione; \"It\'s all right Hermione.\" he looked to Minerva, \"Could you have a word with the boys?\"

McGonagall nodded, rushing off with a quite shut of the door behind her. Dumbledore turned back to Snape a moment, \"Won\'t you sit down and join us Severus?\"

Snape didn\'t look over. \"I\'d prefer to stand.\"

\"Very well.\" Albus leaned forward, a tea tray having just arrived via house elf. \"Care for some tea?\" He offered Hermione, who looked past ill. She shook her head lightly, not up to anything more.

Albus stirred the sugar into his tea three times before sippit, pt, placing it with a clatter upon his saucer and then speaking again. In that time Snape had glanced over at Hermione, sneered at her and turned back to look out the window.

\"Two: We shall meet here every Friday if new developments arise.\" at this Snape rolled his eyes and Albus continued undeterred, \"We shall discuss new thoughts to be rid of this inconvenience...\" Hermione grimaced a bit as he referred to the marriage as such, she didn\'t know why.

\"And by the end of five months time, you both shall be as free as you ever were.\"

Hermione\'s face became a bit relaxed as she put full stock in what he was saying. She wanted to believe it so badly; she wanted her life to go back to normal. Snape seemed to be yearning for the same, as he made no sarcastic comments ade ade any ugly faces.

\"And Three:,\" Albus said lightly, \"In the meantime, I don\'t want either of you butting heads. And by that I mean, no point deduction for no reason and no being a smart mouth to your Professor.\"

\"I\'m never a smart mouth.\" Hermione said offended, when had she ever talked back to Snape?...well if you didn\'t count that time in the hallway. Albus was smirking a bit, a merry twinkle back in those eyes of his.

\"Give it time Hermione.\" he said grinning, \"You may just get exasperated with him.\"

\"And just what is that supposed to mean?\" Snape said, stalking over to the two who shared a private smile. Hermione\'s disappeared right as soon as the git himself had come within a foot from her, and he glared at the mere gall she had to mock him when he was right there.

Hermione, in a desperate attempt to change the subject, did just that. \"That all sounds fair sir.\"

\"But...there is one more thing, Hermione.\" Albus said dimly, \"If all goes through and the marriage does happen...you will not receive the position of Head Girl next year.\"

Albus had been putting this detail off for a good time, as his heart began to pound just a little harder. He hadn\'t wanted to break any of this to Hermione, the poor girl had nothing but splendid marks, she had dedicated her life to books and here he was taking away everything that mattered to her.

Being perversely interested, Snape had turned his gaze from the window over to Hermione who sat with her mouth agape. All at once her head had flipped up, sending her hair haphazardly about the place as her dark eyes widened in disbelief. He smirked as he saw her eyes widening in shock, and the way she had instantly paled. For some reason she bothered him like none other, especially tonight and now he couldn\'t explain why, but he was glad to see her having the wind taken out of her sails.

\"Pardon?\"

\"I know you\'re disappointed.\" Dumbledore grimaced, \"But when married to Professor Snape, to keep things believable, you\'ll have to move in with him, and in turn married students cannot apply for Head positions. \"

\"And why not?\"

Hermione was sitting straight up now, her face intense as her hands balled into fists.

\"The Head girl and boy positions are offered to students who have high academic careers, are positive members of the school and have what we consider to be a bright future ahead.\" Albus rattled this off softly, then grew a bit embarrassed.

\"But, these positions have been around far longer than I, and they decreed that married student\'s couldn\'t have the position, because the wizards of the day claimed that any student married obviously wouldn\'t have a very bright future.\"

\"But why?\"

\"I suppose the fact that they\'re married before they\'ve even left school might have something to do with it.\" Albus shrugged, \"I\'m not really sure myself.\"

Hermione\'s face fell, and her eyes began to fill with tears. She would have openly sobbed if Snape hadn\'t been in the room; she refused to have him think she was a crybaby as well as a know-it-all.

\"But Hermione, I want you to know that if it were within my power, I would give you the position in a heartbeat.\" Albus was speaking softly, kind and soothing. \"You\'re a brilliant witch, a splendid student and you have the highest marks we\'ve seen at this school in a long time.\" he leaned forward a bit, lowering his voice to a hush.

\"You\'re marks are even better than our coveted Potions Master\'s were.\"

Hermione raised her dark eyes somberly, but offered a weak smile at his attempt. As if one cue Snape turned to them and boomed, \"What?\"

Hermione giggled as she and Albus leaned back, and the Headmaster claimed it was nothing to worry himself about. Hermione was about to ask Albus if she could indeed have some tea when she stopped. Her chest grew tight and to breathe became increasingly difficult.

It was if suddenly a light went on in her mind, Hermione grew solemn and rather frightened looking. Hermione\'s dark eyes whirled over to the still standing Professor who offered a dark sneer before dragging his eyes away from her and out the windowsill. She looked back to the Headmaster and spoke in a shaky, strangled voice.

\"I\'ll be living...with...Professor...Snape?\"

\"Yes. To cover any suspicion...spies are everywhere.\" Albus explained to the shaky girl. \"We can\'t trust anyone but ourselves, so you see why I wish you to speak of this to no one. So, you see another reason why Head Girl wouldn\'t be the best idea.\"

Hermione was trembling, and this time not from anxiety, but pure untainted defeat. She had dedicated her life to her studies, she had missed out on fun events and adventures all to study, and now because of one little mistake she was going to pay for it forever?

She suddenly turned her head slightly to the oblivious Snape who\'s eyes were still on the window. All rational reasoning left her as she openly glared at the man who had ruined her life. Hatred she had never known welled within her as she looked to him. So nonchalant. His life wasn\'t as ruined as her\'s. Selfish, greasy git...

As if feeling her gaze on him he rounded his gaze over to her own, and noticing it\'s loathing capacity raised an eyebrow of surprise that faintly reminded her of one he\'d shot at Harry. Surprise at her impertinence.

Fine. she was furious, fuming as she looked from one man to the next. What could she do to pay the bastard back? She couldn\'t do anything to get her expelled could she? No...perhaps the marriage didn\'t happen, and she was elected Head Girl? No...She couldn\'t afford to bugger that up.

\"Well then.\" she said superciliously, glancing at Snape for a moment before her eyes became level with Dumbledore\'s. \"I suppose I should see Professor Snape\'s flat.\"

Both the men gaped at her a moment, Albus looking remarkably like a fish as Snapetterttered and blinked a bit. She would have smiled if it weren\'t for the pit in her stomach.

\"Pardon?\"

\"Well if I\'m to pretend to be Professor Snape\'s fiancée to fool spies that obviously loom everywhere, it would seem prudent I knew my way around his flat. What fiancée doesn\'t?\"

\"I-I think not y-\" Snape was sputtering as he fixed a foreboding glare at her, \"That\'s the stupidest idea I-\"

\"Brilliant plan Hermione.\" Albus said nodding, \"You two can go now, before the castle arises.\"

Hermione gulped in shock, she had really been sort of hoping that they\'d say no. But in suggesting what she had, she\'d be showing Snape that he didn\'t intimidate her. Now she was going to be stuck with him alone, at night in his chambers. She was beginning to feel sick already.

\"Are you sure?\"

These three small, tiny words suddenly caused Snape to get a horribly twisted grin on his face. So...the little chit wasn\'t as ready as she thought she was...splendid. As if seeing her worry Snape moved to the door, glaring at her and with a look of utter disgust he growled over his shoulder,

\"Come then you silly little girl. I haven\'t all night.\"

He slammed the door roughly behind him and Hermione and Albus stood staring after it. Hermione had stood then, her feet feeling heavy on the plush carpet as she staggered to move.

Albus accompanied her to the door with a comforting hand on her shoulder before he placed it on the doorknob before them. He saw Hermione\'s pale face, and trembling lips and he tried to comfort the ailing girl.

\"Don\'t let him scare you Hermione. His bark is truly worse than his bite.\"

Well it\'s his bark I\'m afraid of. Hermione thought as looked to the aged face of Dumbledore, seeing the worry imprinted upon it, and she really had no choice but to lie...for both their sakes.

\"He doesn\'t scare me.\"

__________________________

\"Keep up.\" Snape snarled as soon as Hermione had come up to him in the hall outside Albus\' door. \"Don\'t dawdle.\"

Hermione sighed and followed the billowing robes in front of her as he stalked down the hall on his long legs, his hair flipping out and back as she tried to keep his pace.

God, the man was like a rocket. Hermione was practically running to keep up with him, all the time berating herself for even mentioning this idiotic plan. Why was she always out to prove something?

Soon they slowed as they reached the dungeons, a cold air prickling at exposed and thinly covered skin. She wrapped her arms around herself for warmth and looked to his tall back. He had to be at least six foot one, and this was no surprise. He still could look down on her with a condescending glare, just as he had in first year. It seemed as the students grew older and taller their Professor\'s seemed less intimidating, more human. This was not the case with Severus Snape.

Hermione was stumbling alongside him, lacking in confidence and suddenly pensive about the entire charade as Snape muttered on about babysitting in front of her. She hoped Snape would be a gentleman; Albus had him under closer scrutiny and supervision, but still. Snape wasn\'t exactly known for his manners.

The long trepidation ended as they both came face to face with a large door, English oak Hermione detected. She was surprised to see Snape pulling a long key from his cloak pocket, but in the end decided that him locking his doors was only normal.

Her mind drifted to the familiar first year speech, \"They\'ll be no foolish wand waving and silly incantations in this class...\" She noticed that he also had wards on the door and she shook her head in amused disbelief. The man was paranoid. He had every right to be she suspected, after what he\'d been through and all.

He saw her eyeing the key and explained dramatically, rolling his dark eyes as he spoke. \"You\'ll get one as well...after the ceremony.\"

Hermione nodded, keeping her eyes on the floor. Seemed Snape was taking every opportunity to remind her that they may soon be married, and she resented the fact that he\'d try to scare her like that.

How could she forget the ceremony? Not evf shf she wanted to. It was always there in the back of her mind, reminding her that her moments of childhood freedom were slowly coming to an end.

No carousing out with Ron or Harry, no staying up in the common room and playing pranks on Slytherin\'s. (Okay, well, she was never the one to pull pranks but that didn\'t mean she didn\'t enjoy hearing about them.) She\'d soon be married to the head of the house she despised...the irony was thick.

He was beside her, fumbling with the key a moment muttering to himself. She took this time to look at him, really look at him. He really was tall, her head just making it to his shoulders. His shoulder\'s lean, were broad and he held such a rigid stance that she felt she was permanently slouching and straightened up then.

Moving from his lean frame she looked to the pale hands that were messing about with the lock, the hands that she had stared at for a good part of six years. They seemed to be constantly moving, and she soon found herselfing ing at them, curious as to how a man like Snape could have such lovely, tapered fingers especially in his field of study.

Soon she found the panic flutter in her stomach as she looked to his profile, worried that he\'d catch her looking and yell at her for leering at him. But his beetle black eyes were intent on the lock, and soon the wand that was removing wards. His lips seemed in a permanent sneer or scowl, and when he spoke he barely moved them, as if he were too good to do even that. His nose she would refer to as aquiline, yes, that seemed to be a good description. Hooked was a little too vulgar, and bulbous wasn\'t fitting at all. It wasn\'t all that bad, gave him almost a regal look in her opinion, but she could see the taunting he must have suffered because of it.

His dark hair glossed by their natural oils hung limply at the sides of his face, mussed in parts and overall looking like a great bloody bother. Hermione wondered why he didn\'t just cut it all off, probably make his life easier. But on afterthought she came to the conclusion that he probably wore his hair like that to block out the sounds of whispered hatred around him as he passed, to cover the face that so many feared and to close him off from those who bothered to talk to him during meals.

The feeling that Hermione was staring to have towards her Professor was beginning to feel a lot like pity. Not sappy pity, more like a longing for him to smile once and a while. But why? He didn\'t seem too involved with even pretending to be kind to her, seeing her only as a nuisance, a know-it-all. How many times had he openly mocked her? How many times had she run off to the lavatory to cry because of his cruelty? Suddenly the pity she once felt was gone, replaced now with stone cold fear and raw anger.

The door opened as this emotion stirred within her, not even noticing it herself. She saw that he had barged right in, not even bothering to see her inside the dark suite. She saw some lights being turned on, and when the room felt a mite bit cheerier she tentatively stepped inside, the familiar anxiety of something foreign upon her. Something she didn\'t know, something she didn\'t recognize was something that a book reader like Hermione Granger despised. The unexpected was her true foe, for why would one bother planning everything just to have it spoiled by spontaneity? That was Harry and Ron\'s whole problem, not once did they ever think ahead.

The ground was black and white tile, very expected she mused as she prepared to take off her shoes and pad into the room with her knee high stockings. He saw her actions and immediately told her not to bother, - \'You\'re not going to be here long enough to bother with that\' - and she had curtly nodded and scurried over to him.

He was standing in the middle of what she would call a foyer, if you could call a suite with four rooms and a hallway a foyer. He quickly informed her that there was no kitchen. - \'Why bother when you have house elves?\'- (she assumed that smug bit was in reference to her repeated tries at S.P.E.W.)

They passed into the first room to their left, the bathroom; Snape opened the door wide enough for Hermione to see in. She peered in and marveled at the fact that the small bathroom was so meticulous. It was of course, green and silver. Pompous git. It was forest green tiles on the floor, which actually looked quite smart. The silver bathtub lay near the right side of the bathroom, shining in all its glory. Two forest green towels of differing lengths hung on the shining silver rod nearby, which perfectly offset the silver sink, knobs and tap quite nicely. Hermione actually gaped, everything was so clean.

Why would it be dirty? The git probably never uses it.

As if reading her rude thoughts, Snape then he slammed the door in her face, smirking at the fact that Hermione jumped back a bit taken aback, not daring to glare at him.

\"Keep up.\" he ordered over his shoulder, moving then to the study. Again he opened the door enough for Hermione to peer into. This time she stepped closer, involuntarily brushing her arm against his abdomen. It was hard. Both parties stepped back at the contact, looking decidedly uncomfortable with the exchange. Snape was scowling deeper than before and Hermione with goosebumps all over, flushed a light red and stared into the study, impressed with the color scheme for a change.

It had short gray carpeting, and in the middle against a wall was a large mahogany desk, just begging to be used. A lone quill and piece of parchment littered the desk and Hermione longed to step in for a closer inspection, it was then in the shift of the light that she noticed the hulking objects beside the desk.

Hermione suddenly felt her mouth go dry, her pulse picking up as she beheld on either sides of the desks, two large bookshelves stuffed to the brim with books. Hundreds upon hundreds of books. Antique and restored, large and small, thick and thin... The mere scent of their aged shells were exciting her more than winning a million Quidditch games aginst Slytherin. She bit her lip from excitement, for once in this time of peril thinking something good may come of the marriage.

Snape probably had access to all sorts of books from the restricted section; suddenly she felt the dire need to relieve herself which she assumed was accumulating after this sudden rush of excitement. She scanned the room further, to the left there was a large fireplace, and Hermione could easily imagine herself curling up in the soft looking black chair in front of it, reading a good chapter of Hogwarts; a History.

\"Do you think...\" Hermione said, her voice suddenly becoming husky as she marveled at the various volumes mere feet away. \"That I could...read some of those?\"

Snape gave her a once over, dark orbs glancing at her as she looked wistfully to the wealth of knowledge mere inches away. An oily smile spread about his features as he cocked a merciless eyebrow and gave a breezy shrug.

\"I doubt it.\"

Hermione could only nod, her mouth slightly slack as his voice sudden brought her back from the oblivion of books, right back to her spot a few meters away from her enigmatic Professor. She was about to ask him if there were any from the Restricted Section from the library when a bit off to the side a small section of the room was occupied by dramatic black curtains, hiding something. How curious... A secret passage perhaps? This thought plagued her, and she was about to question what they hid when he once again slammed the door with a scowl.

Hermione felt the pit in her stomach dropping, and fear suddenly overriding excitement in her urge to use the washroom. Not that she would, not here anyway. No, what lay within the next room had both she and Snape pensive, not speaking but not needing to. The bedroom. The heart of any Wizarding home. Hermione held her breath, she had been expecting this one and at the same time hadn\'t. Soon the door was there, in front of them and waiting.

\"This,\" he said dramatically, \"Is the bedroom.\"

He hadn\'t announced what lay within either of the other rooms, and Hermione decided it was because of lack of attention to detail, boredom and indifference or, his bedroom was just all that interesting. She decided on the first and second option. Snape snuck one glance at the paling Hermione and suddenly pushed the door open, holding his own breath as she looked in. This was after all his sanctuary, he hadn\'t ever had a woman in it before, and Hermione Granger wasn\'t the one he had ever envisioned showcasing it to in the first place.

Hermione\'s own dark eyes widened as she viewed the room, not even daring to step past the thresh hold and into his domain. There was something about it that intimidated her almost as much as the man himself. He was still beside her, surely sneering at her as she gaped at the grandiose room. It was a rather modest room with a higher ceiling than most. It was decorated in what appeared to be dark green wallpaper with paint silver stripes, it could have looked gaudy but it didn\'t. A large Slytherin crest adorned a far wall, large and silver and...ugh...Slytherin.

Figures she thought bemused, The one thing I hate more than Snape himself. Bloody house pride.

Hermione knew that Snape was a proud man, and that things like recognition were important to him, (not that he\'d ever admit it) and so his resplendent room\'s visual decadence didn\'t surprise her.

It was the bed that did that.

It was a large mahogany canopy bed; long billowing forest green curtains shimmered down four long poles at the corners of the bed frame with black trim. Beyond its silken transparency she saw the large king sized bed, covered in what appeared to be expensive silken sheets over a large duvet. The pillows were the same green with black trim, and Hermione couldn\'t help but admit that her sworn enemies colors were extremely sophisticated.

The real question was...why did Professor Snape have a bed like that?

Snape didn\'t entertain women, and if he did it was surely in the lurid confines of seedy wizarding hotels. Hermione may have been naive about some things, but she knew Snape was no saint in the boudoirs. Again her attention was directed to the bed, standing alone it was almost beckoning her with its seemingly silken covers and soft pillows. Suddenly a thought dawned on her, one so shocking that she was ashamed it hadn\'t occurred to her before and she felt the blood rushing to her ears.

Oh God...will he want me to sleep in it with him?

Her eyes almost bulged out of her eye sockets and she was suddenly very aware of the breathing on the top of her head, and she looked sidelong to Snape who stood with arms crossed, watching her watching him. She felt a small blush creep up on her cheeks, wanting to speak but not finding the most tactful wording.

\"You\'ll be sleeping in a cot over there.\" Snape said, almost attesting to her theories on his reading minds. He pointed to a pathetic corner in the far end of the room and Hermione breathed a heavy sigh of relief. Still she was uneasy and forced herself to look at him in those eyes of his.

\"Er...we\'ll be sleeping in the same room? I thought the Headmaster just said the same flat.\"

\"If this charade goes forth.\" Snape\'s dark eyes narrowed and a scowl stripped across his face, darkening his features. \"There are spies everywhere within the castle.\" his voice was almost a hiss and Hermione felt compelled not to speak.

\"Ones we don\'t even know about ourselves. If one was to happen along my private rooms one night and find my \'wife\', and I use the term loosely,\" Hermione contained the urge to roll her eyes at this. \"In a separate room - and in turn bed - our plan would be foiled and we would be at the hexing end of Voldemort\'s wand.\"

Hermione felt her muscles relax as he explained, he wasn\'t propositioning her. Of course not. How could she have even thought that in the first place? Snape? Sex? The mere thought made her want to break out into sporadic raucous laughter. Soon her breath was relaxed, (well, as relaxed as one standing mere inches away from Professor Snape could be.) and nodding she suddenly turned, wanting to leave that confining room and its luring seduction.

They made their way back out into the living room where the fire was still going with vigor, and she couldn\'t help but want to go closer, she was freezing. Snape was about to tell her to sod off back to her own rooms when suddenly a head appeared in the flames.

Hermione noticed this at once and gasped and leapt back, almost knocking Snape down as he clutched her shoulders, and told her to calm down. Only there was more cursing involved.

Lucius Malfoy\'s face burned in the flames, an oily smile upon his thin lips.

\"Why hello Severus...mudblood.\"

Snape\'s finger\'s dug into Hermione\'s arms as he silently told her to ignore the nickname. Hermione\'s face was flushed with humiliation, how much more would she have to suffer?

\"The dark Lord asked that I check in on you Severus, and I\'m sure will be pleasantly surprised to see you entertaining your little prize.\"

Hermione felt Snape\'s words through her back as his chest rumbled behind her when he spoke. The affect was both odd and slightly comforting, and she fought not to break away. She was petrified, and wanted nothing more than to leave.

Snape knew if she ran away not only would the charade be up, Lucius would be the first to go and tell the Dark Lord. He held her tightly to him, her arms in his palms as he stared into the glowing hearth.

\"Yes well, I was bored this evening.\" Snape said darkly, as Hermione trembled in his grasp from anger or terror he couldn\'t fathom. He tried to look nonchalont, but it was hard when holding a student to keep her from running \"Is that all?\"

Lucius smirked as his eyes flicked between them both \"Anxious are we Severus?\"

Snape smirked back, feeling his stomach churn. \"As always.\" He felt Hermione\'s trembling heighten a moment, and then slowly stop. At least she was trying.

\"Strange...you always were the one in the back during our raids. I never thought you had much care for physical contact.\"

\"It\'s merely an act to derive pleasure Lucius.\" Snape said darkly, trying not to grimace, still pinning Hermione to him and praying that she wouldn\'t believe what he said next. \"Very rarely is it anything but that, all I care is that I\'m satiated.\"

\"Well then,\" Lucius said darkly, a twisted smile upon his pale face. \"I\'ll leave you to it.\"

With that the head had disappeared and Hermione had wrenched from Snape\'s grasp. She was choking on tears as she rushed to the door, blindly trying to do so through an onslaught of tears.

\"Miss Granger.\" Snape said behind her, trying to be commanding as well as sympathetic. He hadn\'t wanted her to hear such things, but what was he to do? He saw she was frantically trying to leave as soon as possible and had made it to the door when he spoke again.

\"Calm down.\"

She was sick to her stomach; she had just witnessed an altercation that was sure to spawn many others. How many more times would she have to witness Snape\'s horrid words? How much longer would she be a pawn just to be used and mocked?

\"Miss Granger,\" he tried again darkly, growing agitated at her frantic state. She was sniffling and looking to him with wide brown eyes. It was then that he realized just how young and just how naive she really was. Save for the disastrous dance in fourth year, he had never seen her out with a boy. Not that he\'d looked, but surely if Potter\'s sidekick had gotten a boyfriend, everyone and their dog would know.

\"What I said before comes with the territory.\"

Hermione was shaking, wanting nothing more than to slap him for what he said, even though she knew he did it to save them. But how could she explain the terror and disgust that passed through her every time he spoke those words? The fear she felt as he got that sinister look upon his face? He spoke again, as if trying to appease to her uncertainty.

\"I mean none of it.\"

\"That’s\' just the thing...\" Hermione choked as Snape stood a few feet away, watching her with calculating, hooded dark eyes. \"...When you say it...I believe you...and it scares me.\"

She rushed out the door, slamming it behind her as she raced to her dormitory with a rapidly beating heart, all the time cursing the day she ever met Severus Snape.