So In Love With You

Chapter One: Introduction

Severus Snape was slowly making his ways from his research labs, which were attached to the teaching labs he shared with the junior Potions professor, towards the office of Headmistress McGonagall. Everything had changed since that awful night some six years previously when Hogwarts had borne witness to the worst battle in recent Wizard history. When The-Boy-Who-Lived-To-Blight-His-Life, with the other two members of the Hapless Trio, had dispensed with the wizard formally known as Tom Riddle.
His life now was unrecognisable compared with the years in the build-up to the final great battle. Oh, he was still a surly, uncompromising bastard, but one person in particular had been able to penetrate the previously cast iron barriers and enter the heart, yes - the professor had a heart - and encouraged him to learn to love with passion rather than obsession.

Gone were the stark black teaching robes which prior to the Battle of Hogwarts acted as the professor’s exterior armour against the rest of the wizarding world. After all, as a double agent in the fight against Tom Riddle, it was too dangerous to allow anyone to penetrate his defences.

Today Severus Snape was wearing a pair of charcoal grey slacks with a crisp white Oxford shirt that was not completely buttoned up. Admittedly, he was nowhere near as much of a wizarding pin-up as Lockhart, but his wife would argue that he was one hundred times more engaging than the jumped up Lockhart who still lay languishing in St Mungo’s.
Headmistress McGonagall had battled hard to get Severus to return to Hogwarts once he had recovered from Nagini’s attack and had been cleared of all charges by the Wizengamot relating to the death of Albus Dumbledore and his activities as a Death Eater. She had agreed to his wish to no longer teach anything but NEWT level Potions, enabling him to pursue his ambition with respect to potion research.

In a move that defied all previous reason, he had even developed a close working relationship with one Professor Neville Longbottom. Neville had never been cut out for the potions lab; however, his knowledge and understanding of Herbology was second only to Pomona Sprout. Severus had not been the least bit surprised that Neville was offered the post of Herbology professor when Pomona announced her intent to retire. Neville and Severus had recently worked closely together on manipulating the Wolfsbane Potion to increase the efficiency and lessen the side effects.

Turning the corner, Severus was greeted by the sight of two Slytherin pupils coming as close to sucking each other’s faces off as he had ever had the misfortune to see.
“Ten points from Slytherin, Mr Thomas! And another ten for your behaviour, Miss Richards.” Severus snarled. “Get back to the common room. I hope you realise how much it pains me to take points from my own House, and you can both report to Filch tonight for detention.”

The young couple turned and ran away quickly before their joint Head of House decided to take more points off them. He heard them complain about why things hadn’t changed since he’d got married, Severus thought to himself that in truth they had got off lightly. He sighed; perhaps he was losing his touch, mellowing with age and the fact that life was now much simpler.

Ascending the last staircase, he pondered over what could be so urgent that Minerva had decided to summon him to her office on a Wednesday evening. He was pretty sure that she had a whist drive with the other older members of staff on that evening.
Muttering the password to the guard gargoyle, Severus waited patiently to enter Minerva’s office and seek the solution to his question.

After listening to Minerva for fifteen minutes, Severus sat in his usual chair by the large ornate fireplace, slowly swirling the last few drops of his firewhisky around the glass whilst contemplating what Minerva had just been rambling on about. Merlin, his wife was going to kill him if he accepted what was being offered.

“It is, of course, as you say, Minerva a golden opportunity. However, I am sure that it has not slipped your perspicacious mind that Monday is in fact a very important date for me.”

“Severus,” Minerva purred, “I am well aware that Monday marks your first anniversary as a married couple, but Hermione will, I am sure, encourage you to embrace this opportunity. It doesn’t happen all that often that you are invited to speak about your research, and to be named as the Guest Speaker... Come now, Severus, surely you are a little intrigued by the offer.”

“Headmistress, don’t misinterpret my reluctance to accept this opportunity as an out right refusal to attend. I am more concerned that Hermione will not take kindly to my absence on that particular date. You are aware, of course, as to how gifted my beloved wife is with any number of hexes and curses. I hope you can understand my reluctance to be hexed seven ways into next week!” He found himself almost shouting the last sentence.

“I am sure you overreact, Severus. Yes, Hermione can be... flighty,” at this Severus let a huff escape his tightly pursed lips, “but she will understand that this is indeed an offer to be carefully considered.”

Just then, a noise could be heard from the portrait behind Minerva’s head.
“Minerva, can you not see that the boy wishes to celebrate his first anniversary at least in the same country as his wife.”

“Albus,” Minerva was employing her Headmistress voice, “the conference is not being held at the end of the world. It would not take more than an hour to get back.”

“Minnie,” Albus employed his pet name for his wife, “think back to our first anniversary. It is quite possibly more important than any other, is it not? I remember that we made a fuss at the end of our first year. Maybe Severus wishes to whisk Hermione off to some secluded place and not surface for several days.” The portrait’s eyes still managed to twinkle annoyingly with that certain air of wickedness.

“If you will excuse me,” Severus gave a small bow to them both. “I think I need to go discuss matters with my wife. After all, like I said, I have no real desire to be hexed or cursed by Hermione.”

With that, Severus departed in a swirl of annoyance, how dare Minerva and Albus, presume to understand his reticence at accepting the opportunity he was being offered. Making his way slowly down to the dungeon level of Hogwarts, Severus pondered his plan of attack. Such a lot had changed since the fall of Voldemort. He himself was now able to devote more time to enhancing the Wolfsbane potion to alleviate as many of the side effects as possible, His young wife had surpassed his achievements both in the NEWT’s and in the fact that she gained her Mistress level in Potions in record breaking time. Not that he had ever doubted her talent. Had it not been for the fact that he had been leading a duplicitous lifestyle whilst Hermione was a student in his classroom, he would have felt no restraint with effusing praise for her skills with ingredients and mixing.

Severus’ arrival back at their dungeon apartment was greeted with the smell of his favourite meal being cooked. Taking a deep breath Severus calmed down and then began to wonder. Hermione only ever cooked when she had something important to discuss with him... did she already know why he had been summoned to Minerva’s office. Fear gripped him, checking for his wand he began to dread what hex she would unleash first. Would it be those damn canaries’ she had inflicted the Weasley boy with in their sixth year, or would she use something else.

“You’re back,” Hermione greeted her husband with a soft peck on his left cheek.

“That much is obvious, love,” he replied, returning the kiss.

“So, what was so important that Minerva had to call you to her office at this hour?”

“Sit, my dear, we have much to discuss.”

Hermione did not like the sound of her husband’s tone; reluctantly, she sat next to him by the fireplace, and casting a stasis charm on the evening meal, she snuggled up to Severus. Taking in a deep breath to absorb the mixture of smells that were quintessentially Severus Snape, even now she found the mixture of Potions ingredients and sandalwood soap exhilarating. She would wait to deliver her news, let Severus explain first. She wasn’t sure how he would take her news. They had of course discussed the topic and agreed to leave it to fate, but theoretical discussions were all well and good, how would he deal with the reality.