Chapter Fourteen: Retribution

Disclaimer: The characters and settings belong to JKR. Only the plot is mine.

Chapter Fourteen: Retribution

As the night lost its hold on the eastern sky, a previously solitary wizard awoke down in the dungeons to find himself wrapped in the arms of his new wife. His impermeable shell had been breached, his soul laid bare to the woman beside him, and yet he had never felt more safe. He studied her face, relaxed in the embrace of sleep, and prayed to whatever gods may be listening that he would not wake cold and alone to find he had dreamed the previous three months. With a firm shake, his consciousness threw off that thought, a final remnant of his old, miserable existence, and allowed him to bathe in the warmth of her presence. Life was no longer to be endured; it was to be treasured.

"A Knut for your thoughts." Her sleepy murmur disturbed his reverie.

"Good morning, wife. I was just wondering when I became so lucky." He kissed her gently as he extricated himself from her arms. "Time to get up; the sun will be rising soon."

"Oh, there was no luck involved. Just a little exercise, some nudity, and a few books," she teased.

"You make it sound so unromantic. Isn't that my job?"

"You, Severus Snape, are far more a closet romantic than I. Who agreed to dress all Byronic for the wedding? Who chose a perfectly romantic spot to exchange our vows? Who snuck out to check the corridor was empty so he could carry me over the threshold when I had already arrived by Floo? Who arranged for all those scented candles and rose petals in the bedroom last night?"

"Not guilty for the candles and rose petals. I suspect Harry may have put Winky up to that particular embellishment."

"Nevertheless, I stand by my assertion. You are the romantic of this couple, and I wouldn't have you any other way."

"Well, just keep that to yourself, will you? I have a reputation to uphold. It's bad enough knowing there will be two of you in class seeing through my act without the rest finding out."

"Yes, sir, Professor Grumpy. I would hate anyone else to know you are really a marshmallow under that stony outer shell." She leapt out of bed and beat him to the bathroom by a whisker. Poking her head back around the door, she added, "A slow marshmallow at that!"

The marshmallow in question laughed and started dressing. His witch was incorrigible – just the way he liked her.

After their usual sojourn at the Quidditch pitch, they had decided to attend breakfast in the Great Hall. Severus donned his mask of irritability and sat at the staff table surveying his Slytherins. Despite his absence, there had been no untoward events over the weekend; Rolanda Hooch may appear to some as jovial, but she tolerated no nonsense. Pansy Parkinson impinged on his awareness as she simpered and waved in his direction. Rolling his eyes, he fervently hoped his witch had a suitable means to put the girl in her place – and soon.

As his hands automatically conveyed bacon and sausages to his mouth, his eyes could not help straying to the Gryffindor table where Hermione held court with her friends. Laughing gaily, she caught his eye and smiled, then quickly turned back to her own breakfast. The headmistress's timely request for him to pass the coffee reminded him that he could not spend the meal gazing at his wife.

***

Entering the Potions classroom, Severus glared at a grinning Harry as he stalked past the students' desks to the front of the room. With a flick of his wand, the instructions for the day's potion appeared on the board.

"Today, you will be brewing the Cheering Draught. This is a much shorter acting version of the Cheering Solution, requiring a slight alteration in ingredients and a different technique. For homework, you are to research the differences and produce two feet of parchment comparing and contrasting the two potions – that is two feet, Miss Granger, not five. Mr Potter, have you already imbibed some of this potion?"

"Er... No, sir." Harry looked confused.

Hermione rolled her eyes at her husband as the rest of the class headed for the supply cupboard to obtain their ingredients. He smirked and held up two fingers. She nodded. Did he really think she would waste time writing extra pages on cheering potions when there were so many more pleasant things to be done? Set homework first, studying for the rapidly approaching N.E.W.T.s second, and pleasuring the sexy man at the front of the class...

"Miss Granger. Perhaps you would consider rejoining the class? Or would that impinge on your valuable daydreaming time? Ten points from Gryffindor for inattention! I believe I have had to speak to you about this before."

"Sorry, Professor Snape. Won't happen again," she muttered as he turned away with a swish of his robes. Making a face at his back, she stifled a giggle as Harry elbowed her.

"Cut it out, Hermione. We don't need to lose points just so you can play games. What is it with you two? Some sort of bizarre foreplay?" Harry sighed as he assembled his ingredients. It was hard work being the mature one in the relationship for a change.

Much to Harry's surprise and Severus's disappointment, Hermione managed to stay on task for the rest of the class and avoided further tempting her husband's points-docking urges. Returning to her room before lunch, she put into motion a plan she had decided upon earlier while watching Severus exercise. With a few practised flicks of her wand, her trunk opened, and her possessions rapidly folded and stowed themselves within. A simple transfiguration of some parchment created a few boxes to hold her books and homework supplies. Within half an hour, she was ready. Reaching for the Floo powder, she took one last look around the room and stepped into the fireplace.

Severus's quarters were empty when she arrived. He had a class to teach during her free period, which suited her perfectly. Quickly unpacking her clothes and books, she called for Winky.

***

"Close your eyes; I have a surprise for you," she ordered as she took Severus by the hand and led him into the bedroom.

"Can I open them now?" he asked, curiosity barely restrained.

"Yes!"

"What is it?" Severus looked around, seeing nothing obvious until he noticed the extra wardrobe against the wall, a red silk robe on the back of the door, and some unfamiliar toiletries in the bathroom. "You've moved in."

Hermione's excitement dissipated at her husband's bald statement. Then, he turned to her, and his black, glistening eyes held all the reassurance she needed.

"You've moved in! That's... that's... thank you." He reached to enclose her in his arms and hold her tightly, as if she might try and change her mind.

"Severus? Why wouldn't I move in? We are married now – I want to spend as much time with you as possible, you foolish man!"

"When I saw you at breakfast, you seemed to be enjoying the company of your friends so much I assumed you would stay in Gryffindor Tower meanwhile and just come to me at night."

"What sort of marriage would that be? I'm not just interested in you because of your sexy body and skill in bed, you know. I happen to enjoy spending time with you, even if I am simply studying while you are marking." She touched his face gently at his expression of wonder. "How long will it take to convince you that you are the most important person in my life now?"

"Probably forever. Perhaps you had better remind me..."

"Mmmm. I'm sure I can think of a few ways to do that." She wound her hands around his neck and drew his mouth to hers. Murmuring endearments against his soft, warm lips, she guided him toward the bed and reverently undressed him. With mouth and hands and heart, she suckled and licked and stroked him until his doubts shattered. Lunch came and went, with neither the bushy-haired Gryffindor seventh year nor the dour Potions professor in attendance.

***

The afternoon's classes concluded uneventfully. Just before dinner, the Golden Trio met for a final planning session in Hermione's now bare room.

"Oi! Where's all your stuff?" asked Ron, gaping at the bare shelves.

"Where do you think?" she replied, arms folded, awaiting the penny to drop.

"Oh."

"What did you think, Ron? She would get married, but stay here? From what I have seen of those two, they can't keep apart for more than an hour or so without some compulsion to snog or worse. They would hardly live apart." Harry laughed at the horrified look on his redheaded friend's face.

"Harry! Did you have to give me that mental image? Snape? Snogging? Naked?" He shuddered.

"Why should I be the only one to suffer?" Harry retorted.

"If you boys don't mind, I am still in the room. I happen to think a naked Snape is possibly the best kind, and I intend to keep him that way as often as I can." She licked her lips suggestively, Ron's expression only encouraging more teasing.

Ron looked at her as further wheels turned inside his skull and finally clicked into place. "You weren't at lunch. Neither was he. You were... you were..."

"Yes, Ronald. We were. Now, can we move on? This is what I am going to do..."

Plans in place, the three entered the Great Hall for dinner. As the meal was drawing to a close, Hermione heard her cue. Pansy was loudly bragging about her supposed reunion with her lover after his weekend away. Walking quietly up behind the Slytherin girl, Hermione applied her most benign, curious expression.

"Oh, Pansy, I'd love to know... what colour is Professor Snape's bedroom? We were just discussing it; the boys think it must be black, but I suspect it may be more shades of grey." She nodded to the boys who had followed her across the hall.

"Yeah, Pansy. Let us in on the secret," added Ron.

The Potions professor's would-be lover looked at them all with the disdain only inbred superiority could produce. "I don't know why I am telling you lot, but it is green, of course. All green."

"Hmm. Is that so? Very Slytherin," Hermione replied.

"Of course it is. He is our Head of House," Draco Malfoy proudly asserted.

"So, do you think there is a future in your relationship?" Hermione asked with feigned interest, aware that her husband was listening intently to the conversation.

"Definitely."

Pansy's deliberate leer at the wizard in question unsheathed his wife's claws. "I'm quite sure he will be looking forward to whatever the future has in store for you," Hermione said pleasantly as the boys returned to their table. She could not believe the gall of the girl, to make such statements within earshot of Severus himself. Presumably, he allowed such nonsense in order to hide the truth.

The truth was about to hit Pansy Parkinson in a very nasty way indeed as the Gryffindor walked, proud and tall, to the staff table.

Speaking clearly, so all could hear, she greeted the professors.

"Professor McGonagall. Professor Sprout. Madam Hooch." She smiled and nodded at each woman.

"Madam Pomfrey. Professor Vector," she added. The two women returned her greeting, somewhat bemused at her odd behaviour.

"And Severus." As the assembled students gasped in unison at her use of their harshest professor's first name, she walked around the end of the table to where he sat bearing an amused smirk. Placing both hands on his shoulders, she joined her lips to his in a kiss so passionate no-one could mistake the intimacy of their relationship.

"Hermione," he replied, hooking an arm around her waist to gather her close as she stole a bread roll off his plate and helped herself to his glass of wine.

The air weighed heavy with anticipation; the entire school staring dumbfounded at the scene before them. A wail cut the silence briefly as a pale, tearful Pansy Parkinson ran from the room, escaping the derision of her fellow students. Harry Potter was clapping an apparently choking Neville Longbottom on the back, and Ron Weasley was seen to give his friend the universal sign of approval with both thumbs. Suddenly, the pregnant atmosphere gave birth to an uproar of students and professors' voices.

"I believe you have an announcement, Severus," the headmistress prompted.

"I believe I do," he replied. Standing, he raised his hands to quell the almost overwhelming cacophony.

"Silence!"

At the familiar, sharp tones of the Potions professor, the room fell quiet, all eyes on the man standing at the staff table with their fellow student. A gentle squeeze of his now lowered hand fortified him.

"It appears I have an introduction to make. I would like to present Mrs Hermione Jean Snape – my wife."

Hermione grinned and kissed him on the cheek.

One could have heard a pin drop.

Then, from the Gryffindor table, a lone pair of hands started applauding. Ron Weasley stood and grinned at them both. Harry rapidly joined him with cheers and whistles, accompanied by the more sedate applause of the headmistress, librarian, and school nurse. Gradually, the Gryffindors joined their fellows, followed by the Hufflepuffs and Ravenclaws. Even the Slytherins found enough grace to congratulate their Head of House – all but one stunned blond.

The happy couple turned to one another and embraced, then received individual congratulations from each of the staff members, some still bemused with how that had happened right under their noses.

"I... I... I don't know how you did it, Miss, er Mrs Snape, but jolly well done!" Filius Flitwick was almost floating with excitement.

Hagrid was mopping his eyes with a large, pink handkerchief while Rolanda Hooch clapped Severus on the back. "Bloody good show, old man. About time you got some action!"

Poppy Pomfrey was beaming her delight at the outcome of the relationship, and even Irma Pince was seen to smile.

Ginny Weasley turned to Harry and Ron. "You knew?"

Her brother proudly replied, "And Harry was the best man!" Neville promptly choked again.

The hall fell silent again as a fuming Draco Malfoy made his way to the staff table. "How could you, our Head of House, disgrace the name of Slytherin by marrying a Mudblood?" he shouted, oblivious to all but his own anger.

Severus's smile faded as he turned to his godson. "Mr Malfoy. I have put up with your arrogant behaviour; I have tolerated your mediocre performance in my class, and I have even ignored your lascivious behaviour within the house, but I will not put up with you insulting my wife! Fifty points from Slytherin and get out of my sight!" he roared as Draco fled.

Down at the Slytherin table, Blaise Zabini stood. "Excuse me, sir. I would like, on behalf of the majority of Slytherin House, to thank you for that." He started clapping, joined wholeheartedly by his housemates.

Severus Snape bowed slightly, turned to his bride, and pulled her close again. "Twenty points to Gryffindor for saving your husband from Miss Parkinson's nefarious plans," he murmured.

"What? Only twen..."

He silenced her for several delightful minutes with his lips, much to the amusement of her peers.

"Hmm. Maybe I can earn some more later?" she suggested as he reluctantly released her.

"I suspect my ability to award or remove points from you has just been revoked." Severus smiled ruefully as the headmistress gave the couple a stern look.

"And I suspect I have just ruined your ability to terrorise your students. Look at them; the girls are positively drooling." For once, Hermione didn't care; she had laid claim to her wizard.

"They will soon learn I am the same ill-tempered, impossible-to-please professor they have always known. Even Harry Potter will stop his infernal grinning in class soon."

"Oh, I think you will have to consider Harry a lost cause, love. He actually likes you now. It's too late." She patted his thigh soothingly under the table.

Her husband sighed heavily and retrieved his wine glass.

"I think I will just have to turn to drink, then."

"Drama queen!"

***

The End

A/N: Well, this is it. The end. Many thanks go to rdholmantx, who encouraged me to start this story; ladyinthecloak, whose superb beta skills kept it grammatically correct; and all the readers and reviewers, who cheered me along! Hugs go to all of you!