A Turn for the Better

Chapter 56 ~ Making Wedding Plans

”No, Severus, and I mean no. We have to save something for the wedding night,” Hermione said, kissing him one final time, then exiting his bedroom for the night.

Snape stood in his boxers, staring after the witch. They had made arrangements to be married on the school grounds in two weeks, and Hermione was given permission to stay at Hogwarts until the ceremony. This seemed fine to Snape, until she got it into her head that they should remain celibate until the wedding night.

”Save something? What in the world does she mean ‘save something?’ How can you save sex?” the wizard thought, frowning after Hermione. “It isn’t as if it runs out. We’d have plenty for the wedding night. Dear Merlin. Witches and their insane ideas.”

Frustrated, Snape went to bed. Alone. In the very situation he had been trying to avoid. If he’d known his saying yes to Hermione’s proposal would end up with him cut off for two weeks, he would have set some conditions on agreeing. Conditions like they’d maintain the status quo. But really, it wasn’t just the sex. They didn’t have sex as frequently as when they were new to each other, but he missed her presence, her warmth curled against his body, the way she made him feel whole and a part of someone else. When Hermione left his bed, she took all that with her. And he was so used to it now, he didn’t understand how he had ever lived without her.

And this wasn’t the worst of it. Word had gotten around to the female staff members, and when he would return from class in the evenings, he would hear Hermione and the witches cackling and murmuring in her rooms. When he’d knock and come in, they’d all go silent and look at him as if he were a juicy slab of meat they were about to season and roast. It made him damn uncomfortable as well as a bit nervous. He’d greet them and Hermione, and after an uncomfortable silence, flee to his own rooms. And the cackling and laughing would start again.

Pomona Sprout was with Hermione nearly every evening. Snape knew they were up to something, but he couldn’t find out what. Hermione was taking no chances and scoured her rooms magically every day for detection and listening spells. She knew Severus well. Then she disappeared one evening, not coming in until after twelve midnight.

Snape was in his study, pacing and wondering where she was when she arrived and entered to take a look in on him, telling him she was out with Pomona.

”What are you witches up to?” he demanded. “All this secrecy is enough to drive a man mad.”

Snape was in such a temper, Hermione threw him a bone.

”If you must know, we’re planning our wedding night, Severus. It’s going to be something very special,” she said to him softly. “A surprise for you.”

This calmed the Potions master as he looked at his bride-to-be longingly. The wedding night. When he’d finally be able to touch her again. And, oh, was he going to touch her. After all of this? He was going to ‘touch’ her all night long.

”Now, I’m going to bed, Severus. I’ll see you in the morning.”

Hermione walked up and gave him a chaste kiss on the lips. It was maddening. Snape caught her gently around the waist before she pulled away completely.

”Severus, let me go,” she said to him as he pressed his body against hers. His dark eyes were full of desire.

”A few kisses before you retire, Hermione. I’m starved for you,” he said softly, his voice silken with need. “Give me some contact, witch. Don’t be cruel. Don’t punish me for accepting your proposal.”

Hermione looked up at him, knowing that if they started snogging, most likely he would seduce her. She missed him as well. This forced separation was tantalizing, sort of like an extended kind of foreplay.

”You’d have me on my back naked in fifteen minutes, Severus,” she told him.

The wizard made no attempt to deny this.

”A few kisses,” he said again as Hermione began to pull away from him.

”No,” she said firmly. “No kisses, Severus. Now let me go to bed.”

”One kiss then, Hermione. One true kiss to carry me through the next week. That isn’t too much to ask, is it? I miss you,” he breathed.

Hermione’s heart went out to him. Severus Snape was a strong, reserved man, but he was so in love with her, he’d throw all that strength and reserve out of the turret window in an attempt to reach her. He was weak for her, and they both knew it. She was equally weak for him most of the time, but she was trying to create something special for their wedding night. Put a new spark there. The separation would be good for them. Even one kiss could lead to another, and another and she’d be in his bed before she knew it.

”Severus, I don’t think I’d be able to resist you if we start kissing,” Hermione said. “I know you, and you know me—you know how to—how to break down my resolve. I really want our wedding night to be something special and beautiful. I want to wait because it will make when we come together feel like so much more. Do you understand? I’m not trying to purposely make you suffer. I miss you too. I’m used to having you beside me at night, being curled against you and waking up beside you in the morning. But it will only be for a few more days. Please, Severus, don’t make this any harder for me. Don’t make me feel guilty for wanting to create something special, something we’ll remember for the rest of our lives.”

Snape stared down at Hermione, then slowly released her.

“I don’t mean to make you feel guilty,“ he said with a sigh.

He truly didn’t want to make Hermione feel guilty, but gods, he still wanted her. Severus Snape was a man, and as one he was rather oblivious to the special significance a woman placed on her wedding day and night. It had to be perfect, different, memorable and romantic. A day to be cherished and never forgotten

For Snape, it was a day where Hermione would take his name, and he would take her for his mate for life. Of course, this meant something to him. That she would be bound to him forever. That was the ultimate purpose of marriage, to seal the deal. All of the accouterments that accompanied this act of legally binding himself to her just flew right over his head. He understood what she wanted, but he didn’t find it necessary to be apart from her. The wedding night would be special just by virtue of their being married. It didn’t matter if they had sex a week before or the day before they tied the knot. When he took her for the first time as her husband, it would be a pivotal point. Celibacy couldn’t make that any better in his estimation. But again, he was a man, and just didn’t understand these things.

”Then don’t, Severus. It will be all worthwhile in the end, believe me. Wait until you see what we’ve—I’ve planned,” she said with an excited smile. “It’s really different.”

Severus caught that little “we’ve,” which probably meant every witch at Hogwarts had something to do with whatever scenario that was set up. Different? He wondered just how different their wedding night would be.

He’d have to wait and find out.

*****************************************

Two days before the wedding, Snape arrived in his rooms after class and noticed the door to Hermione’s rooms opened. As usual, there was cackling going on.

He crept up to the door, but all the women were talking at once, and it was hard to make out exactly what they were saying. He made out the words “flowers,” “puzzle’ and of all things, “Peeves,” before he was noticed by Hermione, who scowled at him.

”Severus! How long have you been standing there?”

The women all parted and glared at him, with the exception of Mrs. Granger, who had obviously been cackling along with the rest of them. She gave him a sympathetic smile and greeted him. Hermione had told her they had separated until the wedding. It had to be hard for him. Men were always left in the dark about these things.

”Hello, Severus,” Jean said warmly. “Ready for your nuptials?”

”More than ready, Mrs. Granger,” he replied rather darkly, eyeing the witches, who all tittered annoyingly.

Jean laughed and said, “You’re going to have to call me something other than ‘Mrs. Granger’ now that you’re going to be part of our family. How about Jean?”

Snape nodded. It was better than “mum.”

”Severus, you’re going to have to stop lurking about. You’ll ruin the surprise,” Hermione chided him. Snape’s dark eyes shifted from Hermione to the witches, who all looked at him disapprovingly.

”I wasn’t lurking. The door was open,” he said a bit sullenly, “but I will leave you all to your cack—your business,” he said, whirling with a dramatic billow of robes and stalking away, pulling the door behind him.

”I didn’t know Severus was such a—a drama king,” Pomona said to Hermione.

”He just misses me and feels left out,” she said, looking toward the door a bit sadly.

”He’ll get over that on the wedding night,” Madam Hooch said.

Professor Sinistra chuckled, but Minerva's lips tightened at the comment. She was well aware of Hermione and Severus' intimate relationship, but she was still a bit prudish when it came to talking about sex.

Jean shook her head slightly.

”You’ve certainly come up with a creative—er—scenario. Do you think he’ll like it?” she asked her daughter a bit doubtfully. “Most men don’t want to work so hard on their wedding night.”

”He’ll be fine with it. He doesn’t have a choice really, if he wants a wedding night, that is,” Hermione responded a bit wickedly.

”Well, if you’re sure, dear,” Jean replied, still doubtful, but trusting her daughter’s judgment.

Still, it was something very different. They’d definitely remember their wedding night for the rest of their lives.

*******************************************

The next day, Severus, Hermione, John, Jean and Albus all sat down to discuss the ceremony itself. For the first time Severus was finding out exactly what was going to happen. Well, almost exactly. They discussed the simple small ceremony that they’d have. Only Hermione’s parents and staff would be in attendance. Hermione had contacted the Longbottoms, but Neville was still in South America. He had to have finished his apprenticeship. Maybe he was working on a project down there. Hermione would have liked him to attend. They corresponded frequently at first, then the letters began to dwindle. Now, every four months or so she’d receive an update about what he and Luna were doing. There seemed to be a lot of rain involved. Well, he was in the rain forest after all.

Severus didn’t have a best man, unfortunately. John would be walking Hermione down the aisle and Albus would be performing the ceremony. Flitwick could have filled in, but Snape didn’t want just anyone to stand beside him. If he had his choice, it would be someone who truly wanted to see them happy together, someone who cared. Not that Flitwick wasn’t a fine wizard, but Snape would rather stand alone and receive his wife.

Hermione didn’t have a maid of honor either. Like Severus, she didn’t want anyone to stand in just to fill the spot. She’d have her family present. That was all she needed, really.

Albus would perform the ceremony, and then Hermione would depart while Severus stayed with John, Albus and the other males, enjoying a few libations and food. .

”Depart? Depart where?” Snape demanded, frowning at his fiancée. “We are to leave together.”

Hermione shook her head.

”I have to get prepared for you, Severus,” she said, blushing a little in front of her dad, who lifted an eyebrow at her. It was too late to be embarrassed now. It wasn’t as if he wasn’t aware that she had an intimate relationship with her future husband already. “I’ll be waiting for you.”

’Oh,” he said, sitting back. Hm. He wondered what kind of preparations she was going to make. He hoped it wasn’t anything that would take up too much time. He wanted to get at Hermione as soon as possible after the wedding.

”When I send the ‘all clear,’ Albus will deliver you to your destination,” Hermione informed him.

“Destination?” Snape repeated.

”I’ve rented a honeymoon cottage,” Hermione said, “but that’s all I’m telling you.”

”Oh,” Snape said again. A honeymoon cottage sounded quite nice. He imagined it was situated someplace serene and peaceful, far off the beaten path. That was good. No one would be able to hear her cries of passion. The wizard smirked a little.

He couldn’t wait to slip that ring on her finger.

****************************************

Albus was sitting in his office when a tapping noise started on one of his office windows. He looked over, and saw a brightly colored bird on the sill, cocking its head and looking in at him. Fawkes trilled a welcome from his perch as Albus rose and let the bird in. It flew to his desk and held out its leg. A message was attached to it.

”Oh, thank you,” Albus said to the bird, which made a strange clicking noise in acknowledgement. As soon as the wizard removed the message, it was out the window again, winging away.

Albus sat down and unrolled the message, reading it, then smiling broadly.

”Excellent!” he said out loud, then walked to the Floo, threw in some powder and spoke to Severus.

It seemed the “best man” problem had been solved..

******************************************
A/N: Thanks for reading.