What You Want

Hermione loved and admired her husband, she did. But apparently, it does not matter if you and your husband both hold an Order of Merlin and you are best friends with the saviour of the Wizarding World. If your husband is the ex-Death Eater who killed Dumbledore, you are both pretty much personae non gratae as far as polite society, and more importantly, people who can hire you both and give you well-paying jobs are concerned.

It infuriated her, it really did. She and Harry and Ron were hailed as heroes. She and Harry were lauded for rescuing Severus Snape and nursing him back to health after they revealed the true nature of his sacrifice. But Harry did not enter politics or government in any significant way, and she did not marry Ron, and Snape did not quietly disappear. The populace punishes you for not living up to its expectations, and marrying Snape was not part of anyone’s plan, not even hers. But love comes where it is least expected. Only a fool gave up a chance for true happiness in exchange for good public opinion. And neither Severus Snape nor Hermione Granger are fools. But still, even people in love had to make a living. Such as it were.

“I thought once I was fired from Hogwarts I at least would not have to deal with children again!”

“I’m sorry. Do you want to refuse the offer?”

“No, Hermione, we need the money, and I need the work. Private tutoring may not be my life’s calling, but at least it pays the bills.”

“I understand. Entry level work at the Ministry was not my girlhood dream either.”

“It’s ridiculous! You were best in your class, -you saved the sodding world-, and they do this to you! You should never have married me.”

“Perhaps not, but then I’d be miserably unhappy. I love you.”

He softened. “I love you, too. More than I am capable of expressing. I am a miserable old man, not worthy of a beautiful young witch like you. That you could love me changes everything.”

“Mayhap, I like miserable old men.” She leaned into his embrace. “This miserable old man, at least.”

He pulled her into his arms and kissed her with a thoroughness that left her breathless. “Every day I wake next to you and wonder, after all that has passed between us, after how I treated you and Potter…”

“Harry.”

“Harry. I wonder that you could fall in love with me.”

“And I wonder that I couldn’t have. Besides, you left out Ron.”

“Phfft. I don’t regret my treatment of him at all. Especially after his treatment of you.”

“He was just reacting to our growing intimacy. I think he sensed it before we were even aware of it.”

“Still. That woman!”

“She was a girl. Besides, he cheated with me with someone as opposite from me as he could find, so of course he went for blonde and stupid. And by then I already had feelings for you, or else I would never have slept with you so soon after I found out.”

“You mean it wasn’t my irresistible charisma?”

“Of course it was, dear.”

“You already had feelings for me?”

“Of course I did! How can you doubt that?”

“I have always thought you did it for revenge, and that your feelings for me came after that. I thought that I had entranced you with my superior skills in the bedroom.”

“Fishing for compliments?”

“At my age, with my looks and my prospects, it is the only thing I have going for me.”

She sighed. “Severus, yes, you have an excellent bedside and in-bed manner, but I was already half-way in love with you. So much so that your looks please me very much, and once we get past this hump, your prospects will be wonderful.”

“Wife.”

“Yes, Husband?”

“Back to bed.”

“But we just got up...”

His voice took a warning sound. “Hermione.”

“Severus.”

“Miss Granger.”

She shivered. “Yes, professor.”