Chapter Three

Disclaimer: Potterverse is not mine. The plot, however, is mine.

Hermione settled back into Philip’s arms. “Thank you for dinner; it was delicious.”

“You are most welcome, my dear.” He turned her head, his fingers gently touching her chin. “Hermione, may I kiss you?”

She nodded. “Of course you may.” She smiled as he lowered his head. Their lips only just touched before Hermione sprang away. Covering her mouth as if burned, she turned away from Philip. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“What? Hermione, we’ve been together for a long time now, and you never let me stay the night… in one of your other rooms, of course. We barely even touch!” Getting no response, he stood up and placed his hands on her shoulders. “Hermione?” Pulling her back against his body, he slid his hands down her side, letting them come to rest on her hips, pulling her against him. “See what you do to me.” He listened to her breath quickening and smiled. “Let me touch you. Let me hold you.”

Hermione burst into tears. “No. I can’t.”

“Why ever not?” Philip gently turned her in his arms and looked intently into her eyes. “Hermione, tell me what is wrong!”

“I’m… I’m… I’m…”

“She’s married.”

Both Hermione and Philip spun around to look at the door to her living room. There, in what had been his Death Eater robes, stood Professor Severus Snape, one hand thrown out holding the door open, and the other, holding his wand, pointed towards Philip.

“Now, step away from my wife.”

Philip gulped. “Wife?” Looking down at Hermione, he searched her face imploringly. “Hermione, please, tell me that you are not betrothed to another!”

“Accio Hermione!”

Philip didn’t get a chance to hear her answer as it was quickly turned into a scream when she was ripped from his arms and her body hurtled across the room and into Snape’s.

“She is my wife. And you will never touch her again.” Slipping an arm around Hermione’s waist, he smirked. “I will be the only one to touch her now.” Ignoring her struggles, he backed through the door before spinning in Apparition.

***

Halfway across the country from where Hermione had been living, Severus Snape was pacing in front of his wife.

Hermione sat in an overstuffed armchair, her arms crossed defensively across her chest. “No.”

“Hermione. You are mine.”

“I may be yours in name, but I am not your possession. You made me believe that you loved me. That you wanted to be with me. You lied.”

Severus stopped in front of her. “Look at me.” He reached out to touch her, but dropped his hand when she flinched away from him. “I do love you. I am sorry that you found out about things like you did. It was arranged for me to marry and protect you, but I fell in love with you days before we were to seal our vow to each other.”

“Why did I not know of this agreement? Why did you not inform me?”

“I wanted to. But I was sworn to secrecy… unable to tell you till the Dark Lord was dead. Till it was safe. You have to understand, I was under orders, and I was afraid that someone would find out… somebody like Bellatrix. She was waiting for me to stumble with something. Even our papers were sealed. It was for your own good. We had to keep you safe and show that you were not something that was of great importance to Harry. Ginny would have had to do the same if she hadn’t gone off with Longbottom anyway.” He spun away from her, stalking towards the window. “I do not want to force you to stay here… but you seemed to have the same feelings as I do. I wish for us to reconcile our differences. Move on.”

Hermione sat in deep thought. She ignored his presence and thought back on how much it had hurt to find out about the agreement. They had been getting on so well together till then. “I cannot just forget everything.”

Severus spun on his heel, his face, although not betraying much, held a glimmer of hope. “I understand.”

“I loved you.”

“I thought so.”

“I love you. You became a fairytale to me.”

“I figured as much.”

“Severus, you hurt me. You could have told me. You could have taught me to hide the information.” She jumped to her feet. “Gods, you could have taught me that and then told me! I would have understood. I would have listened.”

“I am sorry.”

“And understand that I am only accepting the apology because you are who you are. I know you mean it.”

“Thank you.” He stepped towards her till she held up her hand.

“However, your behaviour recently is inexcusable.”

“You have to–”

“No, Severus, you have to understand. I am NOT something you own. I am a free being.” She tilted her head to one side, observing his body language. “I will send message of my change in circumstance in the morning. But… I need you to understand, I am not forgetting what happened. I am moving on. Letting us try again. I want my own rooms, and I need for us to begin again.”

“Anything.”

“And I want my freedom.”

His face was stricken, and his eyes darted side to side. His arms folded, and his hands clenching convulsively.

“You need to trust me.” Hermione stepped towards him. “If you don’t trust me, this cannot work. I am not saying I will even bother leaving any time soon. But I need to know that if I want to, I can.”

“I will see what I can do.”

“Severus, unless you do that, I do not think that this is going to work.”

If it was at all possible, his lips seemed to thin even more, his upper one curling slightly. “Fine.”

“Perhaps you could show me where my rooms are to be?” Gesturing towards the door, she made to move towards it.

“Riply will show you your room.”

“Riply?”

“I know you dislike the use of house-elves, however, I feel that I must warn you; the house is filled with them. You will not attempt to free them. You will not try to get them to go against my wishes. And you will not use them to go behind my back. Understood?”

But before she could even mutter a note of response, he had slunk away, and Hermione was left there, her mouth slightly ajar, trying to figure out what had just happened.

Rolling her eyes, she cleared her throat. “Riply?” She glanced around, and when nobody appeared, she scowled. “Riply, your master’s wishes were for you to escort me to my rooms. You will do so this instant.” A loud sharp pop startled her, and she stumbled backwards till she fell back into her seat.

“You called?” The house-elf standing before her bowed like he should in his duty, but yet she knew that it was not sincere. His nose had barely had a chance to meet the floor before he bounced back up with a straight back, his brow aloof. “I do not wish to repeat myself, and neither does my Master. But, ‘you called’, Miss.”

“Yes, yes.” Gathering herself up, she stood. “Severus wished for you to take me to my rooms.”

“Indeed.” And with one eye opened a fraction wider than the other, he turned his back to her and started towards the door. She supposed that it was in some way an impression of Severus.

“Thank you.” Taking a deep breath, she followed the limping house-elf.

***

AN: I hope you enjoyed the chapter! I look forward to reading your reviews!