The Snape Estate

Chapter Nine: The Snape Estate

When Hermione woke up, her hand was still dipped under the elastic waist band of her panties.

'I must've been tired,' she thought to herself as she removed her hand. When she tried to move, pain lanced through her skull.

"Ow," she complained as she brought her hand up to her head.

Even that hurt.

Crookshanks rose beside her and hopped to the floor between her bed and the curtain. When he poked his head through to enter her room, a sliver of light poked through and lay across Hermione's eyes.

"Oh, Gods!" Hermione groaned miserably.

"Good morning, Sunshine," a deeply sarcastic voice came from her room.

She moaned an incoherent response and prayed to God he hadn't looked in on her and found her in such a private moment. Had she even closed the door to her room last night?

Severus pulled back her curtain and shook his head as she pulled her pillow over her face.

"You can hardly drink this buried under there," he said, motioning to the wooden goblet he held in one hand.

"I could conjure a very long straw," her muffled voice floated to him.

He closed his eyes and sighed.

"I doubt you're in any condition to conjure anything," said Severus in a stern tone.

Hermione ventured her bushy head out of her bedding.

Severus stifled a laugh. She looked just like his mother's cousin, Lillith.

He was suddenly thankful he was blessed with straight black hair. It looked like someone had hit Hermione with a truck and zapped her with a lightning spell.

"You certainly don't look fit to do anything," said Severus, handing her the goblet.

"I feel terrible," said Hermione, sipping at the goblet. Her headache began to subside. "Thank you."

"I would advise you to stay away from alcohol if that's your reaction to it," said Severus seriously.

"I think I'm inclined to agree with you," admitted Hermione, rubbing the sleep from her eyes.

"What are you going to do once we get to Russia?" Severus asked, cocking an eyebrow at her.

"Refill my glass with water and fake it," Hermione groaned, setting the goblet down on her bedside table.

Severus allowed himself a small chuckle as he took the empty goblet from her.

"Well, you'll be faking it soon enough," Severus said. "We leave this afternoon."

"So soon?" Hermione asked as she turned pale.

"Well, we are going under the façade of a honeymoon," Severus said with a distasteful look on his face. "I believe I'm supposed to appear eager."

"Shouldn't I appear eager as well?" Hermione asked as she tried to subtly rearrange her bedclothes under the covers. She prayed she wouldn't be exposed in any way as she left her bed.

Severus watched her. Her night gown must have been high above her waist by the motions she was making. He prayed his face wasn't flushed. He felt like his breath was coming too fast. He certainly felt eager now.

"I'm not sure you should appear too eager," Severus swallowed. "Some might find it suspicious."

"Not after they talk to Lucius Malfoy," Hermione snorted as she swung her feet over the side of her bed.

"That's true," said Severus thoughtfully. "Still, best not over do it."

He watched her walk across her bedroom in a sleeveless white cotton shift. The light filtered through it softly as she passed by the window briefly. He tried not to shake his head like a Muggle cartoon to recover himself.

'Gods, when did I get so old?' Severus thought to himself.

"How long will we be gone?" Hermione asked, looking at herself in the mirror inside the door of her wardrobe and making a face.

"Most of the summer," said Severus, trying not to wince.

"I see," said Hermione, walking over to a bookshelf. She reached a hand up and ran it over a small grouping of blue books.

Severus knew she was attempting to look as if she were examining the tomes in front of her. He also knew that she was disappointed to be leaving before she was able to spend any amount of time with her parents.

"I'm sorry, Hermione," said Severus awkwardly. "This is a lot of responsibility for someone your age."

"I imagine you had been through much more at my age," said Hermione hoarsely.

She didn't say it maliciously. It was just a statement to her. Severus tried not to physically flinch.

"Some people would travel through several lifetimes to go through as much as I have," said Severus dryly. "I would never hold it as an example of good decision making."

Hermione chuckled, more out of nervousness than anything.

"I guess not," she said, turning to him, wiping a few tears away, but smiling.

Severus grabbed hold of some deep, hidden away part of him.

Maybe it was the spring air. Maybe it was the sight of her bushy hair in the morning. Maybe it was that horrible, old-fashioned nightgown.

It might have even been the tears rolling rebelliously down her cheeks, finally cracking the strong front she had been holding up so well.

Severus placed both of his hands on her shoulders.

"You are going to be something, Hermione," Severus said seriously. "You are quite competent and you possess a practical creativity. Never be afraid of how far you can go on your own."

Then he hugged her awkwardly.

Hermione needed a hug and was surprised he was offering her one, but she was appreciative nonetheless.

He smelled pleasant. The lingering scent of a pleasant smelling soap. His black, high-buttoned vest was soft under her cheek.

Severus indulged himself by breathing in the scent of her hair. Some sort of Muggle shampoo. It was soft and light, but was no scent Severus could identify as anything other than her.

He felt the soft skin of her shoulders under his hands. Felt the cotton move under his hands. He watched as a wild curl winded its way up to finally settle on the end of his nose.

There was nothing wrong with a chaste hug, Severus reasoned with himself.

He was the cause of her distress and was comforting her. She was no longer his student and technically his wife, a hug was within reason.

At least until his lower regions latched on to the idea that his wife was in his arms and it had been a long time since he made love in the morning.

Severus leaped back as he felt his body respond eagerly. He dramatically swept his cloak around himself.

"I apologize for the suddenness of the arrangement," said Severus stiffly. "But it would be ideal if you were ready by three o'clock."

Hermione let out the breath she had been holding. For a moment it had almost felt like he had enjoyed hugging her. Apparently a few seconds was all the human contact he could stand.

"I can be done sooner if needed," Hermione said.

"How soon?" Severus asked in a surprised voice.

He expected her to be more sentimental than this. Would she never stop surprising him.

Hermione looked at the small wooden clock Dobby had hung on her wall.

"Noon and we can catch lunch before we go."

"Well," said Severus a little startled. "Noon will be fine."

"Good," said Hermione.

Severus turned quickly and left her quarters. The door shrunk behind him as he left.

'That probably made him feel really uncomfortable,' Hermione thought to herself. 'But he was the one that initiated it.'

Hermione still could smell hints of the lingering scent of him. She raised the front of her nightgown to her face and breathed in deeply. She felt her body react. She breathed in deeper.

She felt the sudden urge to lie back down. Perhaps the effects of the alcohol hadn't worn completely off.

-+-+-

'That was wrong,' Severus chided himself as he stormed to his rooms. 'Shouldn't have let it go that far.'

He laid on his bed, not even bothering to take his shoes off. He opened his trousers, slid his hand over his erection, and took some pressure off the situation.

"Oh, Hermione," he whispered as he wrapped his hand around himself.

Another hand snaked into his bedside table and brought out a small towel. He placed it over his chest and lay back to enjoy himself.

In his fantasy, Hermione had lifted her nightgown over her head and discarded it. She had then pointed a wand at him and rendered him in a similar state before leading him to the bed and letting him pound her senseless.

Severus felt himself spill out and he gasped out loud. His body twisted in pleasure as he squeezed his eyes shut.

When he had finally finished, he lay quietly, shaking slightly and trying to catch his breath.

He was glad the Russian estate was so big. They would both be busy, perhaps he'd be able to shake her out of his head then.

Severus cleaned and righted himself before opening the door from his personal chambers. Hermione was already waiting for him in the receiving room. Her trunk sat at her feet and Crookshanks lay sleeping in a cage stacked on top of it.

He dragged the trunk he had packed earlier this morning out of his room and went over to the fireplace.

"We need to take the Floo to the nearest Portkey Station," Severus said.

"Err... sure," said Hermione, getting to her feet.

She had never heard of a Portkey Station before, but she had never traveled internationally using magical means before.

"Don't forget to keep a travel journal!" Helga reminded from her place on the wall. "I want to hear all about it! And don't forget to take scores of those photograph things!"

"We won't," Hermione promised. "And Professor Dumbledore said he's going to have you transferred to his office while we're gone. You can catch up with the other Headmasters and not be so lonely. Dobby will be in later for you."

"That would be satisfactory," said Helga, smiling serenely.

It was a look Hermione had seen on her own mother, and it had always been cause to worry.

Helga continued: "It will be wonderful to talk to the other Headmasters. I am looking forward to having a word with Lyons."

"Portkey Station," Severus said, throwing Floo powder into the dancing flames as he rolled his eyes. Green flames leapt up, and Severus and Hermione were whisked away from Hogwarts.

-+-+-

"Welcome home, my dearest darling!" A light, melodical female voice called out in a Russian accent as Severus and Hermione finally arrived at his family estate in St. Petersburg.

Hermione looked up and stiffened at the sight of a pretty, dark-haired, young witch striding towards her and Severus.

The pretty witch wore black silk robes and gold bangles at her wrists. Her mouth was curved in a sly smile that accentuated her high cheekbones and her twinkling, black eyes.

"Hello, Mother," said Severus wearily. He bent down to kiss her cheek as she embraced him.

Hermione blinked. Her mother-in-law didn't appear to be any older than Severus was.

"You don't need to sound so excited, Severus," said Severus' mother with a pout.

"Our trip was quite an adventure," said Hermione, finally noticing she was almost completely covered in dust and grime from their traveling. "They gave us the wrong portkey in Stockholm and we ended up somewhere in the Congo."

"You poor, poor dears," Severus' mother said as she embraced Hermione, her bangles clattering noisily.

Hermione began to wonder if this was a joke. Clearly Severus had not come from this woman and the man she had met earlier. They seemed to be so pleasant.

Severus' mother pulled away and waved her wand at them.

Hermione felt the dust and grime pulling away from her person. It formed into a small ball in front of Anastasia, combining with a similar one from Severus, and it floated into a small, decorative wastebasket in nearby.

"We were wondering why you were taking so long." Severus' mother put an arm around Hermione's waist and fingered one of Hermione's frizzy curls as she smiled. "Your father was starting to worry."

"I'm sure." Severus snorted.

Hermione finally got a moment to look at her surroundings.

The room was enormous. The white marble fireplace was large enough to transport the entire Weasley family and a few friends.

Gold ivy sectioned the walls into neat rectangles and paintings of landscapes were prominently displayed within them.

The high, vaulted ceiling had large pink roses blooming across it that seemed to twinkle in a vaguely familiar pattern.

Hermione noticed the black, polished floor rippled as people moved on it, almost like they were on water.

"I'm pleased to meet you, Madame Snape." Hermione bobbed slightly as she smiled shyly at Severus' mother.

"Do call me either Mother or Anastasia," Severus' mother said, smiling warmly.

"I tried to control her," a deep voice floated in from a set of large double doors. Jacob Snape reclined in the doorframe. "But she insisted on coming right away. She even dodged my Leg-Locker Curse."

"I'm sure you did your best, Father," Severus sighed. He waved his wand at their trunks and they vanished. So did Crookshanks' cage, although the fuzzy cat remained.

He meowed and stretched.

"What a handsome little fellow!" Anastasia exclaimed as the orange tomcat padded over to sniff her.

To Hermione's surprise, Crookshanks flopped at Anastasia's feet and began rolling on the hem of her robes, purring happily and pawing the air.

"He's usually not so rude," Hermione said, furrowing her eyebrows at him.

"It is entirely my fault," said Anastasia as she waved Hermione off as she reached for Crookshanks. "I was flittering around the garden this afternoon and got into the catnip."

"Hope you like him," Severus chuckled. "He's your friend now. His name is Crookshanks."

"Hello, Crookshanks," said Anastasia, scratching him behind his ears. Crookshanks meowed his adoration and twisted over on his back. "Oh, he is adorable!"

"He's found a slave," Severus smirked. He turned to his father who had come over to give Hermione a hug. "Father, we're starving. I'd like to visit the kitchens."

"The dining room has been readied for a nice meal," Anastasia said, still beaming.

"Mother, there was no reason to go to all that trouble," Severus said embarrassedly.

Hermione wondered how fancy the dining room really was if this was the Floo room. It didn't take her long to find out.

In the adjoining chamber, an impossibly long, 17th century dining table stretched the length of the room. Thankfully, four chairs were set up at the same end of the table.

Once again, the room where she ate, she could also view the colors blooming the early evening sky. In addition, the walls seemed to be made of live trees growing very close together. Their branches seemed to stretch out above them, shading the table from the strength of the full light of the sky, streaming it through the leaves. Small globes of white light hovered over the table.

"Thank you for your hospitality." Hermione remembered herself. "I'm sure we'll have a wonderful stay."

"At least one of you remembered your manners," said Anastasia, looking annoyed at her son. "Thank you, dear. We are just happy to see our Severus finally settling down."

Severus pulled a chair out for Hermione and sat next to her.

A turkey lay on a silver platter, steaming perfectly, and warmed by a preservation spell. Stuffed mushrooms decorated the plate around it and each plate had a bowl of spinach and beet salad. Fresh bread lay cooling on wooden trenchers nearby.

"Bless the food, Severus," Anastasia smiled at him as he pulled his chair up to the table.

Hermione folded her hands politely as Severus bowed his head and chanted a prayer in a language she didn't know. She suddenly had a vision of him doing the same thing as a young child.

She smiled slightly at him through the brown curls draped over her face as she bowed her head out of respect.

Severus helped Hermione fill her plate while Jacob carved a piece of turkey for her. Hermione noticed as she waited for her plate that the green carpet really was thick grass, growing up from the floor. She slipped her shoes off and curled her toes in it. It felt refreshing after the long day of travel.

Hermione picked up a fork and examined it. The glasses were crystal and she assumed the plates were as well, but she was amazed at her clear glass forks and knives. The person that had made these was a master at their craft.

"This is delicious," said Hermione, sampling some of the food. She closed her eyes and enjoyed the feel of a warm, home-cooked meal in her mouth.

"We're glad you like it," said Jacob, smiling widely for the first time since they had arrived. "Will you be staying all season?"

"I was planning on it," said Severus as he took a few mushrooms for himself.

"I still think you should come visit us in France for awhile," said Anastasia.

Severus wished his mother would just drop it about France. He wasn't even expecting them here, but he should have guessed his mother would show up eventually. She was probably dying of curiosity over what kind of girl would marry him.

He watched as his father uncorked a bottle of champagne. Jacob filled all four glasses.

Hermione stared at her glass, turning slightly green. Severus had to fight back the urge to laugh at Hermione's expression.

"Might make you feel better," he whispered to her. He watched as she experimentally took a sip and then nodded slightly at him.

Small bowls of strawberries appeared near their dishes.

"Don't over do it," Severus warned.

"Have you ever been to France?" Anastasia asked Hermione.

"Yes," said Hermione truthfully. "I think it's why Severus chose Russia. I had never been here before."

"There are so many things to see here," Anastasia conceded. "No doubt you'll be busy all summer."

"No doubt," Hermione said, smiling politely at her mother-in-law.

-+-+-

Hermione looked at Severus across the great expanse of bed, her arms crossed. A blue bathrobe was tightly belted around her waist and some of her white nightgown poked out from behind it.

"I didn't know they were going to stay the night," Severus said quietly. He was wearing a white t-shirt and black flannel pants. "I'm sorry."

"Well, you couldn't have thought they'd be making off for the Portkey Station to be off to France after what we just went through today," Hermione said crossly. "I just don't understand why you have to sleep on the floor. There's plenty of room up here."

'That's what I'm afraid of,' Severus thought to himself, rolling his eyes to the ceiling and taking a deep breath.

"What if I snore?" Severus asked her as he crossed his own arms.

"I can still hear you if you're on the floor," Hermione said, annoyed.

"Not if you put a silencing charm around the bed," Severus reasoned. He was getting annoyed. It was almost as if the girl actually wanted him in bed with her.

"I can see the reasoning in that, except I've seen you sleep a number of times, and I've never heard you snore," Hermione said as she pulled back the covers.

"Fine," Severus snapped, glaring at her. "But if I snore, you are to kick me directly to the floor."

"I'll have no problem doing that," Hermione said as she undid the belt to her robe.

"I think I'll go take a proper bath," Severus said, thinking about relieving his needs before they ever arise. "I need it after today, and it will give you a chance to fall asleep before I join you and have the chance to disturb you."

"Fine," Hermione said as she slipped between the covers. "I'll probably be asleep by the time you get out."

Severus felt his body respond to her words.

'She wasn't talking to you, this time, either!' Severus snarled silently to himself.

"Well then, goodnight. I'll see you in the morning." He tried to smile, but it looked pained.

-+-+-

Severus walked back into his bedroom, his hair still damp from his bath. He had relieved himself twice before he had finally pulled the plug in the antique tub. He was no longer a young man and felt sore and extremely tired from the experience.

There was a single candle burning by the bed, and he saw Crookshanks' ginger, curled up form standing out on the dark coverlet.

On the side he intended to sleep on. At this point he had gotten used to the idea of sleeping on a comfortable mattress and was disappointed.

"Shoo, kitty," Severus whispered as he tried to pull the covers back.

Crookshanks got up and placed himself firmly in the center of the bed. Then he fixed Severus with a stare that made Severus' cheeks turn pink.

"I'm not that bad, you know," Severus whispered, glancing at the curly, brown mass of curls poking out of the covers on the side opposite to him.

Crookshanks purred and closed his eyes. Severus shook his head and got in the bed.

Perhaps the feline knew what was for the best, after all.