A Matter of Circumstance

Chapter 5 ~ New Arrangements

Ron escorted a sodden and upset Hermione back to her rooms, not noticing the slight crack in the Potions office door as they passed.

“Don’t worry about it, Hermione…we can have another wedding in a couple of days,” Ron said to the distraught witch soothingly, “It’s going to take more than a little water to keep you from becoming my wife.”

They stopped outside Hermione’s door. Mrs. Weasley, Ginny and Luna had offered to come with them, but Hermione said she wanted to be alone and they respected her wishes, though Mrs. Weasley thought it odd. Her wedding had been ruined, she should want sympathetic people around to comfort and reassure her.

”I don’t know about Hermione,” Molly said to Ginny as they walked toward the main gate, “She’s acting very strange.”

Ginny narrowed her eyes at her mother.

”Mum, you’ve been on Hermione ever since she agreed to marry Ron. Now what’s wrong?” Ginny asked her.

”I just don’t like the fact she waited to get into the family way before she accepted his proposal. It’s not as if she’s marrying Ron for love, but for convenience,” Molly said to her daughter, “I think if she wasn’t pregnant, she wouldn’t be marrying him at all, Ginny. He asked her many times before and she always said no.”

Ginny sighed.

“Maybe she wasn’t ready then,” the witch said.

Molly snorted as they passed through the gates.

“So she turns up pregnant and suddenly she’s ready? I just don’t like it, Ginny. I don’t think Hermione loves Ronald. And a marriage without love is a trap…a terrible trap that even children can’t sweeten. I don’t want my son miserable.”

”So what are you suggesting, mum? That Hermione have Ron’s baby out of wedlock? Not marry him?” Ginny asked her mother, her brown eyes wide that she might even suggest such a thing.

Molly looked taken aback.

”I don’t know what I’m suggesting, Ginny, but there are alarms going off in my head about this. A mother knows when her child needs protecting…and I think Ron does. I really do,” the round witch said.

”It could be you’re having reservations because Ron is the youngest boy…your baby, and he’s starting his own family and won’t need you anymore, mum. But he’s always going to need you,” Ginny said, “Hermione is a good person. She wouldn’t marry Ron if she didn’t love him. I’ve known her for years.”

Molly didn’t say anything more about it as they disapparated back to the Burrow. But she couldn’t help but feel something was wrong.

A mother always knows when something’s wrong.

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”Are you sure you don’t want me to come in, Hermione?” Ron asked her.

”No Ron. I just need to get out of these wet things and be alone for a bit,” the witch said, “I can’t believe what happened. It’s almost as if someone did it on purpose.”

”No, Hermione. No one can control the weather like that. It was just a freak accident…an act of the gods,” Ron replied.

Hermione looked at him a moment. His words weren’t comforting her at all.

”I’ll see you later, Ron,” she said, kissing his cheek.

”Tomorrow. I’ll come by tomorrow to check on you…and the baby,” he said, letting his hand drop to her belly and rubbing it affectionately before kissing her lightly on the lips. He didn’t notice her lips were rather hard when he pressed his own against them.

“Goodbye Hermione. Don’t worry about anything. We’ll reschedule the wedding for next weekend,” he said, “I’ll take care of everything. All you have to do is show up.”

”All right, Ronald,” she said, opening her door and entering her rooms, “Bye.”

She closed the door and locked it. Ron stood there a moment. They had almost been married. That storm was really a bit of bad luck. He began to walk back up the dungeon corridor when the Potions office door suddenly opened and Professor Snape swept into the hallway, blocking his way.

”Good afternoon, Mr. Weasley. Quite an unfortunate end to your wedding,” the wizard purred at him.

Ron looked at the dark wizard with narrowed eyes. He still didn’t like Snape despite how he helped Harry bring down the Dark Lord.

“Yes, but we’re going to try it again next weekend. You don’t have to come,” the red-haired wizard said.

Snape gave him a small smirk.

”I wouldn’t miss your nuptials for anything in the world. Today’s attempt was quite entertaining, if wet,” he replied, “so little amuses me. I hope the next ceremony will be equally enjoyable.”

Ron scowled. It figured the bastard would enjoy their misfortune.

“The next ceremony will be completed. Now, I have to go, Professor and take care of the details,” Ron said, pushing past the wizard, who spun.

”Mr. Weasley,” Snape called to him.

Ron stopped and turned around.

“What?” he asked in an irritated voice.

Snape narrowed his eyes at him.

“It’s said ‘Happy is the bride whom the sun shines upon.’ The sun didn’t shine on Miss Granger today. Maybe it is an omen that you should pay attention to,” the Potions Master said silkily, “Perhaps you should…reconsider your position. Marriage is a large step and permanent.”

Ron’s face turned black.

“I am marrying Hermione, Professor. A little rain isn’t going to stop me and you aren’t going to either. I have a woman who loves me…something that you don’t,” he spat at the wizard, who arched an eyebrow at him.

“Ah, Mr. Weasley…we have more in common than you know. I do have a witch that loves me and proves it constantly…but I am not foolish enough to love her back. Witches are a treacherous lot, believe me,” he said to the young man.

”Not Hermione. She’s honest, truthful and loyal. She’s going to make the perfect wife and mother,” Ron shot back at him.

”Will she?” Snape purred at him.

There was something in the wizard’s eyes that made Ron waiver a bit. Something cold and knowing. The redhead shook it off.

”Yes, she will. Now good day, Professor,” Ron said, stalking up the corridor.

Damn Snape. Like he’d ever listen to anything that greasy git had to say. He just couldn’t stand to see anyone happy.

Snape watched Ron go, then turned and looked at Hermione’s closed door. Hm. She had a few days of non-married life left.

He might as well take advantage of them.

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Eros stripped down and oiled up his body so it glistened, ran his fingers through his hair and put on a short toga belted in gold that hung low on his hips and down to his muscular thighs, and girded his bare torso in studded, leather straps that criss-crossed over his chest and offset his tight abs. He looked at himself in the mirror and struck a few poses. Yes, he looked as irresistible as always, the epitome of the God of Love.

He reclined on the duvet, adjusting himself to look as buff and delicious as possible, the short toga barely covering his assets, which were considerable. He doubted Eris would need much “persuasion” to help him out…but a god could hope, couldn’t he?

Suddenly a brilliant golden flame appeared in the middle of the room, darkened and coalesced into the curvaceous form of Eris.

The pale goddess was indeed dressed in a short, form-fitting leather dress that opened to the waist and stopped at her pale thighs, showing off her long legs and ending in a pair of high-heeled black leather boots with silver skull buckles. She also wore a leather garter with little skulls encircling it, as well as her collar and studded leather bracelets. Her dark eyes fell on Eros appreciatively as the god sat up immediately, his jaw dropping for a moment before he managed to close his mouth as the goddess posed before him.

“Eros, how nice of you to finally invite me to Olympus,” the goddess purred, her eyes sliding to the collection of nymph statues against the wall, then back to Eros, who stood up and approached her.

”It’s been far too long, Eris,” he said to her, taking her hand and kissing the back of it softly, then raising his head, his blue eyes beginning to glow.

Eris snatched her hand out of his.

”Turn it down. Now, Eros!” she said, frowning at the god.

“Shit,” Eros thought, turning down his love-juice.

”I swear, you are such a pig,” Eris snapped at him even though her eyes were a bit hot as they raked over that leather binding and short toga.

Eros wasn’t very tall, maybe five foot eight, but he was proportionate and very well built. His wings were quite sexy as well. He looked like a very sexy angel...an angel that was into bondage.

“Now, what do you want?” Eris asked him.

Eros gestured to the duvet.

”Please sit down, Eris…and I’ll clue you in,” he said, “It’s something you’ll enjoy…believe me. Aphrodite will be in our corner so you don’t have to worry about repercussions.”

No repercussions? Now that sounded good. Eris walked over to the duvet and sat down, Eros’ eyes locked to her hips as she walked past him. Gods, he wanted a bit of that.

He sat down beside her.

”Eris, I need you to stop a mortal marriage,” the god said to the goddess, “Cause some discord between the betrothed that will break them up.”

”That’s all? Easy. I’ll just kill one of them,” the goddess said with an evil smirk.

Eros’ eyes went wide.

“No! No, that’s not what we want. Everyone has to survive this, Eris. We’re trying to save lives…not ruin them,” Eros explained, a little sweat beading his brow. His mother would kill him if any of the mortals died.

“Why?” Eris asked.

Who cared if a mortal or two became worm food?

”Because…it’s a matter of love. And you know how my mother is about Love,” he said.

Eris scowled at him.

”All right. Somebody must have fucked up someplace in order to involve me. What gives, Eros? Spit it out,” Eris said.

“All right…my mother came to me and asked me to make a magical mortal named Severus Snape become involved with a woman…” he began.

”Did you say Severus Snape?” Eris asked him, a slow smile starting on her face.

“Yes. Do you know him?” Eros asked the goddess, looking surprised.

Eris arched an eyebrow.

”I’ve…heard of him,” she said obliquely, “Go on.”

”Well, he was some kind of warrior that your brother admired, and my mother found out that he had never been in love and she and Ares got into an argument about it, and she decided that it was time for the mortal to have a ‘meaningful relationship’ and so…she asked me to get him involved with a woman…which I did. It wasn’t easy, let me tell you. Unfortunately, the woman who he got involved with is loved by another man and she didn’t break it off with him. Now she is pregnant by Snape and about to marry the other man and make him believe the child is his,” Eros explained.

Eris started laughing as Eros scowled at her.

“What’s so funny?” the god asked her.

”Maybe you should be the god of Strife and Discord, Eros…you certainly fucked that up. I couldn’t have done a better job myself,” she chuckled, her breasts bouncing invitingly.

Eros eyed the pale mounds lustfully for a moment then met her gaze.

”So, will you help me break them up?” he asked her.

”That depends. What’s in it for me?” she asked the god.

“I already said there wouldn’t be any repercussions. When was the last time you could cause trouble without answering to anyone?” he asked.

“It’s been a while…but this time someone else is going to benefit from my work. I think I deserve more in exchange. I’m cleaning up your mess after all,” she shot back at the god.

Eros stared at her a moment, knowing the goddess already had something in mind.

”What do you want, Eris?” he asked her.

She smiled and told him.

”What? No. No way Eris. I’ll be living in the bowels of the earth with you and Hades,” the god said, horrified.

”Oh well then. Good luck with this, Eros,” the goddess said rising.

Eros caught her wrist above the bracelets.

“Wait, Eris…damn…all right. But just for a year,” he said, giving in, “Once a month and if you get caught, you don’t tell who invited you.”

”Good deal, Eros,” the goddess said with a very evil grin.

She was going to get some payback after all this was over. Eros had just issued her an invitation to visit Mount Olympus once a month for a year. It could be anytime during the month. Oh…there was going to be a bit of mayhem in the abode of the gods. They could count on it.

Eros stood up, still holding her wrist.

”How about we ‘seal the deal’ in the usual way?” he breathed at the goddess, his blue eyes drifting down her leather dress.

Eris let her own eyes roam over Eros, then she lifted his toga with one black-nailed fingertip and studied what lay beneath. The goddess licked her lips then suddenly pushed Eros hard so he fell to the duvet, startled, his toga flying up and his erection standing straight up, huge and quite handsome.

Eris placed one heeled boot on the god’s chest and a riding crop appeared in her hand. From where he lay Eros could see she wore nothing under her dress, her black pubic hair shaved in the shape of a skull and the tip of her pretty pink clit peeking from between her pale labia.

The god let out a strangled groan as he looked up at her, his wingtips fluttering and cock bouncing, the thin heel of the goddess’ boot digging into his chest a bit painfully.

”Let’s not,” she breathed back at him, slapping the crop in her palm meaningfully.

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A/N: I guess this means Eris is “on board.” lol. Thanks for reading

A/N/N: Oh, and a credit to Amsev, who posted the "Happy is the bride..." quote on my review page. Thanks girl. ***