Sealed
Chapter 2 of 67
mia madwynVoted Best New Author (Lumos), Best SS/HG Romance (Amortentia) and Best SS/HG Angst
(Diffindo) in The New Library Awards.
Seventh-year student Hermione Granger decides to marry the one eligible wizard who did not ask for her--the horrid but powerful Severus Snape. All is not sweetness and light. Be careful what you ask for. Or, as has been said by many a wise witch, "Marry in haste; repent in leisure." MLC
Reviewed2. SEALED
A quick flick of Professor Snape's wand, and she found herself unceremoniously flung into a chair on the front row. She squirmed, but couldn't escape.
"So. You are offering me the most convenient type of marriage you can imagine. A wife who leads her own life quite separate from mine. A wife who other than the aforementioned mutually distasteful but legally required consummation makes no demands on me at all. Oh, except to protect her from death threats, to continue to hurl myself into harm's way every time she and her friends get themselves in trouble, but as you have pointed out so brilliantly, I do that anyway, so what difference would a signed marriage contract and a quick copulation in the dungeons make, after all?"
Her stomach twisted.
"Your presentation could have been more orderly, but you seem to have taken everything under consideration."
She dared look up at him with hope.
He glared back at her. "From your perspective."
"I analyzed it thoroughly!"
"I see. You considered that I would want to have a nubile young wife living in community with people I despise rather than warming my own bed?"
"Professor!"
"With all the accompanying whispering, giggling and speculation that would produce?"
"But everyone would understand you're a teacher! You wouldn't want people to think you have inappropriate thoughts about a student ... "
"About my own wife? What kind of half-man do you think I'd appear in a situation such as you have concocted? And what of my own safety when the Dark Lord knows that I'm marrying Potter's friend to save her from marriage to one of his loyal Death Eaters?"
She scrambled for an answer. How had she missed that?
"You have spun your little web so diligently and have dreamed up justifications that admittedly work from the perspective of a naïve little know-it-all whose experience ... such as it is ... comes from books. I do pity you, Miss Granger. How desperate you must be to humiliate yourself this way." But if he had any pity in him at all, it wasn't evident from his tone or his expression.
"I see." She fought the quiver in her voice and took a deep breath. She pulled out the list of those who had offered for her hand and gave it to him. "In that case, whom should I choose?"
"You ask me that?" He drew back, and she would have thought she'd finally said something to astonish him, if his eyes hadn't glittered quite so menacingly. He scanned the list dismissively, then folded it and slipped it into his own robe. "Miss Granger, it is a little late to be asking me to choose between your suitors. You made your own choice when you asked me to marry you. And until I say no, you can't accept an offer from another."
"But"
"I said your justifications were ill-considered and selfish, not that your conclusion was false. The fact is, now that you have thrown this all in my lap," he ground the words out, "I am forced to recognize the risk to us all if you end up in the wrong hands or, worse, die. It's bad enough that so much is riding on the Potter prat, without adding another loss another death to distract his focus. As it is, our hopes of defeating the Dark Lord are slim. If something happened to you?"
He left the rest unspoken.
"I accept your proposal."
It took a moment for her to truly believe what she had heard. He'd he'd agreed.
"And, I believe, as you were the one to propose the union," he added silkily, "it is up to you to initiate the sealing?"
She suddenly realized that nothing secured her to her chair. She was free to stand and did. She cleared her throat nervously. "Yes. Well. Then you realize, I will have to ..."
He raised his eyebrows in polite question. "From across the room? What an unusual skill. Pray tell, what book did you learn that from?"
She crossed the room, scowling. He was making it as difficult as wizardly possible, not even moving from behind his desk. In order to stand in front of him, she had to squeeze between his body and his chair.
My. She hadn't realized how tall he was.
She raised her lips and waited, staring up at him.
He stared down his nose at her.
"Professor! You have to at least lean closer if I'm going to kiss you!"
"Miss Granger, I don't have to do anything."
Exasperated, she stood on her toes and leaned into him, reached up and dug her fingers into his hair until she could pull his head down
And gave him a quick kiss on the lips.
She let go even more quickly.
It was all so fast, but still not fast enough; she was quite staggered by that off-center brush of her mouth against his rigid lips, even though she was pretty sure she'd done all the work and he hadn't even returned the kiss. Her lower lip absolutely tingled, and she found herself biting it, attempting to drive away the sensation.
She stammered, "There, is ... is it legal now?"
"Very," he said in a clipped voice, his black eyes unreadable.
"I ... I realize how odious this all is and how much you must loathe doing it, and for that I can only thank you, Professor." She suddenly felt quite weak-kneed and decided this might be a good time to leave while she could still walk. She slipped away from him, headed for the door, but all the way something was singing in her veins.
He'd agreed.
She was safe.
"Miss Granger. Our terms have yet to be settled."
She froze, afraid to face him lest he read the emotions on her face and mistake them for something more than ... well, relief.
"You will live with me. You will not spend time alone with any any males. No Slytherin would ever allow such liberties with any of his possessions "
At that, she spun on her heel, enraged.
"And all of our safety depends upon the illusion that you are a prized possession for which I am willing to die."
She caught her breath.
"There will be other details to work out, of course. But it is imperative that you understand that first and foremost."
"But I have to be able to help Harry and Ron!"
He watched her through narrowed eyes, cocked his head, waiting.
"Ginny. If Ginny is with me? With us, I mean?"
He nodded sharply. "Do not expect me to like your continued association with Gryffindors, but we will make our arrangements to allow for such occasional fraternizations, as long as your studies don't suffer."
She scowled. "You sound like a father!"
"I can assure you, you won't feel that way after our marriage."
Before she could ponder the ramifications of that statement too closely, he continued, "I hope you have no girlish fantasies about weddings."
"No! There can't be a wedding. At least, nothing formal, anyway. We have to do it quickly and quietly."
He seemed very relieved.
"Before my parents find out."
"Good god, don't tell me "
"It's one of the other reasons I chose you. You won't have any scruples about going against my parents' wishes."
"I see. My lack of scruples is yet another jot in the 'for' column. Fascinating."
"I'm seventeen. My parents can't stop me legally, but that wouldn't keep them from trying. They were so angry when I got the notice from the Ministry that I was required to marry a Pureblood, and do it immediately, that they refused to let me return to Hogwarts or to the wizarding community ... ever!"
"Yet you're here."
"I ran away to London and to the Leaky Cauldron, and of course, they know all about Diagon Alley so I couldn't stop there, so I got George Weasley to give me a ride to Hogwarts on his broom."
"You hate brooms. Weasley hates me. How exactly did you manage to do that?"
"As for the broom, I am a Gryffindor, and I am certainly able to show courage when the situation calls for it," she sniffed, offended that he even had to ask. "And as for George, well he... he might have thought I was coming to see Professor Dumbledore to ..." She cringed. "I think he might have assumed that, since I turned to him for help, I was choosing him."
"How ... sly." He watched her through narrowed eyes. "Of course, by now he knows better."
"How?" she asked, startled.
"The moment we sealed, all the suitors would receive a tactfully worded missive thanking them for the honor of their attentions, regretting most elegantly to inform them that you have accepted my offer."
"That's very efficient! At least I didn't have to write out a lot of regrets."
Though should she wouldn't have thought it possible, his scowl darkened. "Your concern for their tender feelings is almost Hufflepuffian in its depth."
"But we have to get married quickly before Professor Dumbledore realizes my parents are against it. There might be some silliness about me still being a student here, and I'm afraid he would feel compelled to ... "
As if in response to their turn of conversation, the flames in the fireplace flared, and Professor Dumbledore's astonished face appeared.
"Severus, George Weasley is in my office, quite distraught, and the owls are coming from all directions. Something odd has happened. You might want to investigate, as I'm sure there has been an error, but ... "
"Ah, Professor, just who we were hoping to see," Snape said smoothly, his strong fingers closing around Hermione's shoulder as he yanked her close to him in a grasp that felt more like a claim than a mark of affection. "I hope you will wish us well since I have been most honored ... " Oh, how that word seemed to curdle on his tongue. " ... to have Miss Granger accept my request to become... Mrs. Severus Snape."
"Ms. Granger," Hermione piped up. "I'll be keeping my maiden name." She managed to stifle a yelp when Snape's fingers tightened painfully on her shoulder. She smiled sweetly up into his furious black eyes. "And Severus has agreed."
For once, Albus Dumbledore seemed at a loss for words.
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Latest 25 Reviews for Care of Magical Creatures
2762 Reviews | 6.75/10 Average
I've always loved this story.
Response from mia madwyn (Author of Care of Magical Creatures)
OMG, thank you so much! I've always loved your stories--The Price of Madness is one of my favorites ever.
I'M LAUGHING SO HARD RIGHT NOW THIS IS GREAT.
Beautiful ending! I loved that the baby self attached at the breast and that Hermione and her husband had an unassited homebith. I love Severus' frantic attempt at naming what he thought was going to be a boy. Since it was a girl Hermione was spared further worry. I love Winky's rebellion. Severus knows he is going to be a different dad. He deeply loves the mother of his child. They are family or pack from Albus' point of view. I know that dads are different than my dad and the other dads that waited in the waiting room for their wives to bring forth their childern. I've been a doula and IBCLC for over 2 decades and dads are different because they are present at the birth of their babes. They are different because they watch thier warrior wives birth babies so that they have a new respect for the mother of their child because they know in their hearts they aren't strong enough to do what we do. They are different because they get to share the awe of watching a new live come into the world and know that it is part of them. How much more different must those who help their wives to birth their own babes together and who get to be the one to see that new life emerge and be the first to hold that toasty warm soft body. I love how warm they are when they first come out. I know you poured your heart out with this story but I wish we got to find out what Hogwarts was waiting for. I wish I knew how Poppy got the gender incorrect and I hope that George isn't disappointed that his brother came out a girl. Thank you for a wonderful and enjoyable respite from reality. You are gifted with your story telling. I know that I will read this story again. Love,
Response from mia madwyn (Author of Care of Magical Creatures)
Response from mia madwyn (Author of Care of Magical Creatures)
I loved following your comments through this read. I just warmed the cockloes of my heart! Thank you, thank you, thank you!
I'm on Chapter 61. I really love and appretiate the Christian and Spiritual side of this plot. I loved the chapter with Severus seeking out Muggle Magic to heal Hermione. The story was too intense for me to stop and write any reviews until now. You mix Christianity with muggle magic and wizard magic and manage not to make it less or be disrespectful in any way. I'm a blood born Quaker and we don't normally celebrate any of the litergy or rites but I still love them. They help one focus. I really really enjoy this side of the story that makes this story different from all the other Marriage Law stories. I love the Hermione is a pureblood Muggle and her parent's aren't dentists. This whole thing is so creative and original. Thank you for giving us such an ejoyable, emotional, erotic, exciting, frightening, heart pounding read!
Response from mia madwyn (Author of Care of Magical Creatures)
Again and again during the writing of this story, I worried that I'd finally crossed a line and that readers wouldn't forgive me. The spiritual and religious aspect fascinated me and so I explored it. I've found that religious people often assume that Hermione is also religious. Those who aren't. don't assume she is. That was deliberate on my part, because I didn't want to alieante anyone.
Severus is willing to betray both the light and the dark to protect his soul mate. He thinks he is making choices that bind him to the dark forever. But the war hasn't yet been fought.
Amazing! It is totally amazing how you give us a perfectly acceptable reason to sympathize with Severus enough to see why he would betray the light and choose Tom and the dark. We chose with him. He didn't pass Abraham's test, however. But the Dark Lord in pragmatic wisdom is forgiving him because he has a use for Hermione. Albus never saw this coming. He never looked deep enough. He never fully examined the circumstances surrounding Severus falling in love with Hermione Granger and she loving him. He is an old fool. But I guess no one is right all the time. I don't forgive him though. He would kill Hermione and would feel it was what had to be done just as he is willing to allow Severus to die. He needs to reassess his priorities. He loves Seveus like a pet, not a son. Pets can be put down when they have served their purpose.
Amazing! It is totally amazing how you give us a perfectly acceptable reason to sympathize with Severus enough to see why he would betray the light and choose Tom and the dark. We chose with him. He didn't pass Abraham's test, however. But the Dark Lord in pragmatic wisdom is forgiving him because he has a use for Hermione. Albus never saw this coming. He never looked deep enough. He never fully examined the circumstances surrounding Severus falling in love with Hermione Granger and she loving him. He is an old fool. But I guess no one is right all the time. I don't forgive him though. He would kill Hermione and would feel it was what had to be done just as he is willing to allow Severus to die. He needs to reassess his priorities. He loves Seveus like a pet, not a son. Pets can be put down when they have served their purpose.
"My darling boy!" 
She's in so much trouble though. 
Ginny needed to hear the welcome to grown up world speech. It hasn't been lost on me that she sounds more and more like Severus.
He feels safe in her arms. He knows she would die defending him and she is powerful and she loves him and he knows it. Fuck Malfoy! I'm sure he has his own adgenda, he clearly admitted it, but I don't remember what it is. I just know something very bad is going to happen but then it works out in the end and they are happy together.
What a beautiful chapter! All of their mutual revalations about the other on her birthday was so sweetly romantic and I loved it! What a wonderful birthday! He was exquisite. She's the luckiest woman in the world today. I know the sweetness can't last forever but it is so lovely to indulge as often as one can. It makes real life a little less bitter. Thank you, dearest mia. xoxoxox
OMG! They make everything so hard! But, I love it!!!! They are one big mess of embarrassment and resentment, self doubt, guilt, repressed desire and all manner of emotions for such suppossedly pragmatic and intellectual people. But, again, that is what we love about this particular Hermione Grander and Severus Snape. You are an excellent story birther. After a glass of wine and exhaustion from crying women and babies all day I can't think of the real word I want. Maybe excellent story crafter. You reach my emotions. Now! I musn't stay up half the night like I did last night and I must go to bed and hopefully, sleep. Good night dear mia. Thank you. xoxoxo
I had no business staying up past midnight reading this on a work night but the spell wouldn't let go of me. I'm on the chapter Lost and Found. It made me cry. I have to go to bed now and I know things are about to get worse. But I also know they end up all right. Thanks for a great read!
You did good, Girl!!!!! That Hermione is one smart cookie! She's so proud of him. She can give him so much more than that wanker Voldemort can. So he has that dark mark thing he does, but how often? And it isn't because he loves you it is to control you. What she can give him lasts a lifetime. She sees it all. I hope he is satisfied. Throw her a bone you arse. Give her some credit. Admit the love you two feel is real. She deserves it, Professor.
At least Hermione knew what vows she was taking and took them willingly. So she couldn't be under a compulsion. And you can't really take a vow against your will can you? If it is only words with no intent is it really a vow or just a lie? Well. I know some bad stuff is coming up, I just doen't know how soon. Yikes.
It seems to me his rage exceeds the crime. I know he hates to be controled. But he knows she bore him no malice. She was stupid and selfish and she admits it. What does he gain from making her suffer? What does he hope to accomplish? Does he want to break her? He is right about everything. She admits it. What does he want from her? She is stronger than I. I would be broken by his anger. To what will he drive her? Suicide? At this point I would be thinking that it would be better for everyone if I were dead. Oh but her Christian beliefs...my beliefs...is suicide always a sin?
That was beautiful! Poor man. I remember he's really upset about these vows. On to the Headmaster's office if I remember correctly. Dude! Calm down! 
Have some tea.
My goodness! He has his work cut out for him. Preparing the caldron indeed! We shall see his success in the next chapter I hope. I think I remember yes, but I'm not certain. So here I go!
I am sorry for poor Ron. But he isn't Severus. He isn't as deep as Severus is. His pain will heal and he will be able to move on. That is why Hemione needs Severus. He is a deep deep well of...I don't know what...he is more than any other wizard. Hermione is no normal witch. They need each other. What I don't understand is, what the hell is Albus Dumbledore's problem with it? Does he just prefer Severus miserable? Doesn't he believe Severus is worthy of such love and devotion or of Hermione? Does he really truely not trust his most important spy even though he endures near death to spy for him? I don't get or feel sympathy for this Albus Dumbledore. I hope Severus puts the pricipals of tea making, "preparing, bursting and releasing" to good use soon for Hermione's sake.
Bless their poor, poor hearts! They love each other and can't admit it yet because it's too raw and the ministry is watching. One moment he is proud of her and the next he is breaking her heart with accusations that remind her that she was being selfish when she asked him to marry her. They never get a break. Her friends certainly have something to think about now that they know that A. Hermione can do wandless magic, B. she loves Severus Snape, C. The headmaster assaulted her. I do so hope that Harry made that connection. Will he go ask Albus Dumbledore what the hell he did to Hermione? I do hope so very much!
For all of my complaints, I've felt that sigh and feeling of knowing you belong in the arms of my husband. It is wonderful. It's maked me put up with messy and lazy for 37 years.
What a fuck head Albus was to wonder why she was willing to die to protect Severus!!! 
As if Severus wasn't worth protecting. And she's his wife! How could Albus and Poppy underestimate Hermione so badly? She's Griffindor loyal! She would fight to the death to protect anyone she loves, those Ass Holes! Plus! What makes Albus so sure she doesn't have enough of her own power to resist him without needing a dark spell? Hermione rocks!!!!! I love this Hermione. She's the strongest I think I have ever read. I hope Albus is afraid of her now. He should be. He's lucky the two of them don't kick his self righteous ass!
I'm very surprised that when I've checked I haven't left you reviews on my first two readings of this incredible story. If reviews are payment for the enjoyment you bring to the lives of others, you dear mia, deserve reviews upon more reviews! I read many chapters last night without reviewing because I needed you and you were here to provide solace. I couldn't stop reading because you were keeping me from despair. I've loved this story. I love the way you keep us on our toes when we never know what mood Severus is going to be in. You have my complete sympathy for both Severus and Hermione. I'm perplexed and disgruntled regarding Albus and Hermione's friends treatment of her. The only person who made sense was Minerva. I love this version of her parents more than any other I've ever read, and I have read everything TPP has with this pairing. I pretty much exclusively read SS/HG. I'm grateful that her parents were really forgiving after a brief snit that had to be had for the sake of principle. I don't know if I could have been as gracious as her parents have been about her getting married with out inviting them under the circumstances. My own grown daughters have caused me a great deal of grief and I worked so hard to be the best mom that anyone could be. They have disappointed me, humiliated me and thrown away any opportunities I provided for them. They have made poor choices and I am the one paying for them. One must protect the little grandchildren. Thank you so much for all the work you have put into writing a wonderful romance adventure that a reader can immerse one's self in. Poor Hermione. She is about to face a terrible ordeal with Albus, that bastard! My lack of shorterm memory allowes me to read the same stories over and over only remembering the general direction of the story but not the details.
Yikes!!!! She's left the Headmaster's office thinking that all of Severus' feelings for her are fake because they are nothing more than the result of magical compulsions. I don't remember how they work this out at all. I only remember that some time in the future Hermione will make a crazy, mental, painful and destructive decision and act upon it to her harm and despair. I can't remember if this is what drives her to it. I need to go to bed but I can't stop reading!
Poor Severus! I hope he has better luck explaining this to Voldi than he had with his friends Albus and Minerva.
She has a lot to learn! I do hope he teaches her a lesson. Well, many lessons actually. She has a lot to learn especially about Severus Snape and about matrimony. I have terrible short term memory so I can't remember if this comes up but in her haste to save her education, I wonder if she has looked into any rules regarding students marrying teachers. Did it occur to her that if she marries a professor she may not be able to remain a student? Surely she has checked that out. Hasn't she? I'm loving it! You are witty and have great rhythm and flow.