All I Ask of You

CHAPTER 13: All I Ask of You

Two months. Severus had been sneaking off to Hogsmeade, Diagon Alley, and Muggle London for two months looking for a jeweler who would meet his standards. Professor Dumbledore had suggested one in Diagon Alley, but Severus couldn't stand the wizard's incessant chatter. McGonagall sent him to a small shop in Hogsmeade where she bought and sold her own jewelry. That wouldn't do either; Severus refused to give his Hermione anything other than the absolute best. Second hand jewelry wouldn't suffice for her. There were a few shops in Muggle London that struck his fancy during his initial search, and he spent one afternoon going back for a closer look. Severus had arrived in London with the impression that he would be spending the entire afternoon in half a dozen jewelry shops looking for the perfect ring for Hermione. He couldn't have been more wrong.

There it was, in the first shop he visited, sitting in a green velvet box beneath a soft light. It was a broad white gold band covered by black onyx all the way around. An intricate filigree of white gold and tiny diamonds covered the layer of black onyx. The filigree was twisted into hearts and curves and glittered no matter which way Severus turned it. He could imagine the ring on Hermione's finger clearer the longer he looked at it. He bought it on the spot and paid 164 pounds for it. He slipped it into the inside pocket of his Muggle jacket and Apparated back to Hogsmeade, all the while his heart pounding in his chest.

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Hermione was beginning to doze off in front of the dying fire. She was wrapped in a warm, fleece blanket over her Muggle trousers and blouse. Her bare feet were tucked under the edge of the blanket as a heavy book began to slip from her grasp. It was late evening, after a dinner that Hermione didn't attend, and she was beginning to think Severus had forgotten about her.

He had been disappearing for whole afternoons for the past few months. At first, Hermione thought nothing of it. They had been spending a lot of time together, and she thought he might have wanted a bit of time to himself. Why didn't he just say so though? a little voice in the back of her mind asked. The more frequently Severus disappeared without excuse, the more Hermione began to worry. He always brought her something, a book, a new supply of parchment or quills, or perhaps a small bag of sweets from Honeydukes, but still the doubts lingered. Perhaps he had tired of her, of her love of reading books to him in his office, of her presence in his office to begin with. They had only slept together once; perhaps his patience with her innocence had run out.

Her thoughts came unbidden into her dreams. She was standing in the yard of the Burrow in an ivory wedding gown, her curls dangling over her shoulders. Professor Dumbledore stood with her, the both of them looking expectantly into the blank distance. She was tense and terrified, although she couldn't explain why. There was a lonely feeling like cold lead sitting in the pit of her stomach and tears prickled her eyes. The sorrow and misery she had felt for so long came crashing back over her in an instant, intensifying the swelling cloud of dread over her.

She saw Severus in the distance, a tiny black speck that was slowly growing and becoming clearer as he came closer. Her heart pounded so loud she thought the whole world could hear it as his form became more defined... as did the curvaceous one at his side. The closer they came, the faster the tears streaked down Hermione's face. Tall and dark, her hourglass figure making Hermione feel terribly dumpy, an exact copy of Yelina Karstoff sauntered toward her, melting perfectly into Snape's side.

"Please, no," Dream Hermione wailed at them. "I can't go through this again."

Dream Severus sneered at her and hugged the woman closer to his side. "Don't cause a scene, Hermione. You knew it would happen. You are so plain and complacent. You tried my patience and it broke. I'm done with you." He captured the woman's lips with his own in a searing kiss.

Dream Hermione felt herself slump to the ground, her face hidden behind her palms. When she looked up again, she saw Ron with another copy of Yelina at his side. Harry was next to him, wrapped around a Yelina clone with red hair. Viktor appeared; his Yelina clone was blonde. Hermione felt like retching. She felt like dying. Everyone she had ever loved had abandoned her. She was too much trouble, too plain to be loved the way Harry loved Ginny. The way Molly loved Arthur. The way her mother loved her father. The way she loved Severus. Such a thing would never be hers. Unbeknownst to Dream Hermione, Real Hermione began sobbing in her sleep, clutching at the dark clad form that had appeared from the Floo.

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Stay calm, Severus, the worst she can do is say no, his brain reminded him. If she does, you could always try again later. She may not be ready. It has only been a few months. She's been through enough as it is. Maybe she doesn't even want to get married, but as long as she's with me, it doesn't matter.

The ring was tucked in the inside pocket of his robes, and his confidence was firmly locked in a recess of his mind, cowering behind a door. Two wars and years of spying had done nothing to sway his knowledge that he was one of the most powerful wizards in Britain. The thought of proposing to Hermione Jane Granger, however, had him scared out of his mind.

The trip through the Floo from his office to her sitting room did nothing to calm the raging of his stomach. It took every ounce of strength he could muster not to retch all over her rug as soon as he emerged from the fireplace. The sound of desperate sobbing reached his ears, and he took notice of the form curled helplessly on the sofa. Tears streaked from beneath Hermione's lashes, her face twisted into a mask of despair. Her nails scratched against the sofa as she grasped for something. The sight made his stomach turn anew. What the hell...?

His legs had moved him to kneel at the side of the sofa before his brain had registered the need to move. Severus reached out a shaking hand and pushed the curls from her face. His palm was wet with tears as he stroked her face soothingly. "Wake up, Hermione," he murmured, leaning over to press a gentle kiss to her forehead. Her arms came around him, pulling him tightly to her. Her face was buried in the front of his robes, her muffled sobs coming even harder. "I'm here, little one. Everything will be all right."

There was a soft groan as Hermione awoke from her dream to find his arms around her. She sniffled and moved away from him, swiping at the tears haphazardly. "I'm sorry, Severus," she mumbled, looking anywhere but into those eyes. She knew he was looking at her with that tender light in his ebony eyes, and, right now, she couldn't bear to see it. "I think I'm just going to go to bed."

Severus tried to look into her eyes, but she refused to look directly at him. He grasped her chin with his finger and thumb and forced her to face him. "Look at me, Hermione," he ordered softly. "What's the matter? Have I done something to upset you?"

Hermione felt the tears welling up again as snippets of her dream began flashing through her mind. "It's nothing. I'm just..." She made the mistake of looking up into his black eyes, flickering with concern and love. She could see her reflection in them. The words came before she could even taste them, let alone stop them. "You've been going away so often lately, and you don't tell anyone where you're going. You've been distracted when I've come to see you, and you lose interest in whatever we're talking about in a few minutes. It feels like you've gotten tired of me, that you don't want me any longer.

"I understand if you have, Severus. It wouldn't be the first time I've offered myself up and been rejected," she said, her voice shaking with unshed tears. "Ron didn't want me either. Frigid. Sexless. Undesirable. Take your pick, Severus. I'm sure you could come up with more. No wonder you haven't wanted to sleep with me anymore. Ron was right; I'm not supposed to be loved. I'm a walking textbook to be used when desired, a brain to keep handy in battle then stuck in a library with books, the only lover I'll ever have."

Hermione stood up and stumbled off in the vicinity of her bedroom, leaving Severus kneeling on the rug and feeling as if he'd been hit. Her words rolled around in his brain, trying desperately to make some sense. After a few moments the words began coming together, the thoughts becoming cohesive. The more sense Severus made of what she had said, the more his anger with Ronald "the Prick" Weasley grew. What had the prat done to her that had broken her so badly?

He followed her as though he were hypnotized. His feet were moving of their own accord. His brain was working in overdrive as he found himself in the doorway of her room. Tears stabbed at his eyes for the first time in years as he caught sight of her, curled into a ball on her bed and sobbing until her eyes were dry. Severus went to her side and sat on the edge of the bed, stroking his hands through her curls.

"Hermione, whatever Weasley told you is a lie. You are a beautiful, desirable woman. It's not that I haven't wanted to make love to you again. Believe me, I have. It's just that I didn't want to push you," he said softly, planting soft kisses on her hair and shoulder through her blouse. "I haven't gotten tired of you, little one. I cannot bear to think of my life without you now. You are so much a part of me that I can't breathe when you aren't near me. I love you, Hermione. I always will."

She turned over to look at him. His ebony hair was hanging over his face, hiding his eyes from view. Her hand found his and linked their fingers together. Her voice cracked when she spoke. "Where have you been going, Severus?"

This wasn't going the way he wanted it to go. He didn't want to ask her this way, but he couldn't refuse her anything, no matter how many plans he had made. "I've been making trips to a few shops in London and Hogsmeade. I was looking for something for you," he murmured. He reached into his robes and pulled the green velvet box into view. Severus opened it and looked at the ring for a moment before turning it toward Hermione. "I've been looking for this."

Hermione's eyes fell on the box. She clamped her hands over her mouth and squeezed her eyes shut. Tears seeped out from beneath her lashes as her breath hitched deep in her throat as she felt Snape's voice wash over her.

"I don't know if you will have me, Hermione, or even if you want me, but I can't see myself whole without you. I would be honored if you would consider taking me as your husband, and allow me to take you as my wife." Severus fell onto one knee at the edge of the bed and stared up into her honey eyes. His breath halted, his heart froze, and his entire being was wrapped up in the one word that could make or break him. He would either be a husband to the woman he loved most in the world or his heart would shatter into a thousand pieces among the fires of hell. One word, that was all he needed. One word.

Hermione opened her eyes and looked from his expectant face to the ring in his hand. She watched the diamonds dance in the candlelight, the black onyx seeming to fade to deep purple. The black stone reminded her of his eyes, the eyes that could always see right through her. She looked down at his face again. A smile spread across her lips and some of the tension eased out of his face. Hermione slipped the ring from its box and felt the cool metal tingle against her skin as she slid it onto her left ring finger. It glittered on her hand as she cupped his cheek in her palm. She nodded at him softly.

"Yes," she breathed, kissing him lightly on the forehead. She wrapped her arms around him and held him close to her as she rained kisses onto the top of his head. "Oh, Severus! Please forgive me for being so stupid. Everything was going so well, my mind just kept telling me that something had to go wrong sooner or later. And seeing Ronald at Christmas with that... that woman... well, I just haven't forgotten about it. I haven't forgotten about anything he said to me before we split up either. I love you so much it hurts sometimes, and I don't want you to settle for someone beneath you. I'm not worthy of you, but I don't want to lose you, Severus."

He smiled and kissed the soft swell of her stomach as he knelt on the floor in front of her. "You are a beautiful, intelligent, extremely desirable woman, Hermione Granger. I cannot understand for the life of me why Mr. Weasley would turn down anything you would offer him, but I am not so blind and stupid. I will do whatever it takes to keep you in my life because I love you more than anything I've ever known," he murmured, standing up and situating himself on the bed next to her. He took her hand in his, lightly brushing his thumb over the back. "There is no life for me without you."

For a long while, Severus stared at the ring on Hermione's finger, wondering if those words had actually come out of his mouth. So long he had guarded his thoughts and actions, and yet he felt himself letting go when he was with her. He could be who he would have been if Voldemort had never come to power. There was something in Hermione's honey eyes that soothed him at the darkest part of him. It was a balm to the sores so many years of living a double life had caused. If ever he had met someone with a pure heart, it was Hermione. His Hermione. His life. His wife.

The gentle hand on his cheek roused him from his thoughts. He turned his head to look at her and saw the calm longing in her eyes. Slowly, he pulled her to him and kissed her. It was gentle and languid, every part of his brain consumed with the feel of her lips against his, her tongue tangling passionately with his. Severus stroked her back and her hair as he lowered them back onto the bed. Hermione lay half on top of him, her hands grasping handfuls of his robes. When she felt warm hands sliding beneath her blouse, Hermione pulled away from him and gasped for air.

She closed her honey eyes and rolled onto her back. A soft sigh escaped her as his warm hands trailed over her skin before he began undoing the buttons of her blouse. A spark went through her as Severus lifted her and pulled the fabric from her body. Her soft chestnut curls tickled across her skin and pooled behind her on the bed. Severus was on his knees on the bed beside her, holding her up with one hand while the other worshiped the swells of her breasts and the gentle curve of her stomach.

Hermione dropped her head back and gave in to the feeling of his fingers against her flesh. She dimly registered that her bra had been removed as she felt the satin straps sliding down her arms. Her eyes snapped open again when Severus lowered his head and took one taut nipple in his mouth. His breath was hot against her already fevered skin as he nipped gently before soothing her with swift strokes of his tongue. As he moved his attention to her other breast, Severus snaked his hand across the soft curve of her belly and began undoing the buttons and zipper of her trousers.

Before she was aware of it, Hermione was completely naked. Severus had lowered her back to the bed, eliciting a whimper of protest from her, in order to slide her trousers and knickers down her legs. He proceeded to place gentle kisses from ankle to hip on his way back up to her. He tarried for a moment at her knees, stroking the soft skin at their backs and teasing them with feather light kisses. Her legs opened willingly for him, her hands absently reaching down in search of him. Hermione's head was tilted back, exposing her delectable neck, her honey eyes lightly closed and soft, panting breaths escaping her lips.

Severus rested on his forearms and stared up the length of her body from his vantage point between her thighs. Good gods, she's beautiful, he thought with a smug grin. She had agreed to marry him. He felt his heart swell at the thought. He sighed contentedly, blowing a rush of warm air over her wet flesh. She shivered and gasped as his fingers gently opened her folds and his mouth descended upon her. He lapped at her opening with long, broad strokes as his nose teased her tight bundle of nerves. She felt the tension beginning to knot in her abdomen when he deftly slid two fingers inside her. He pumped them in and out slowly, curling them against that deliciously sensitive spot within her. Her walls shuddered around his fingers as she came, gasping his name and flexing her fingers painfully in his hair.

He teased her gently down from the height of her orgasm before sliding back up her body. Severus brought his fingers up to his lips and was startled when Hermione grasped his wrist. She pulled his hand to her and drew his fingers into her mouth, gently lapping her essence from his skin. Severus felt his eyes drift closed at the feel of Hermione sucking on his fingers. He felt his cock grow even harder at the thought of her sweet-tasting mouth wrapped around his cock, sucking until he wept with the pleasure of it.

Hermione pressed gentle kisses to the pads of his fingers and his palm before twining her fingers with his own. She eyed his clothed figure and frowned. "You've far too many clothes on, dearest," she grumbled, her eyes dark and hungry.

Severus grinned mischievously and waved his hand. His clothing disappeared only to reappear in a crumpled heap next to hers on the floor. Hermione nearly groaned as his warm flesh came in contact with her own when he settled himself between her thighs. She lifted her hips slightly and opened her thighs as wide as she could in invitation. She was burning to have him thrusting into her again, to hear him grunt softly with each thrust, to feel his hot breath and soft lips against her face.

Hermione tipped her hips upward again. "Please," she panted, her patience with his tempting wearing thin. "Stop teasing, Severus. I can't... oh, gods!" The air seemed to rush out of her lungs as he filled her with one long, powerful stroke.

To hell with going slow, he thought as he began thrusting into her rapidly. Hermione tipped her hips up against him each time he thrust downward, taking him in as deep as she could as she wrapped her legs around his waist. He continued to hit that sweetly sensitive spot inside her, the tip of his cock hitting against her cervix every few strokes, his pelvis pressing against her clit as they ground against each other. Hermione felt as though she were burning from the inside out, the sensation starting from where they were joined together and spreading out through her entire body. White stars crackled on the backs of her eyelids as her head fell back, her body arching off the bed as she clamped her walls around his thrusting cock and screamed her release. Severus panted against her shoulder, trailing soft nips and kisses along her flesh before sucking gently on the base of her throat. He thrust into her with abandon as her legs went limp around his waist. He spilled into her a second later, throwing his head back and growling her name.

Collapsing onto her, Severus kissed her neck and shoulder gently, savoring the salty taste of sweat on her sweet skin. "Did I hurt you?" he mumbled, flicking his tongue out to taste her.

Hermione let her hands glide over his back, enjoying the way their sweat streaked bodies stuck together slightly. Severus had wormed his hands beneath her body, his palms resting beneath her shoulder blades. She shook her head, her curls tickling against the side of his face. "No, actually... actually, I liked that quite a bit," she whispered, blushing a bit with embarrassment.

"As did I," he replied smugly, rolling away from her. He pulled himself up to the head of he bed and rested against the mahogany headboard. A grin turned up the corners of his mouth as Hermione sat beside him cross-legged; her tousled curls draped over one shoulder. She tilted her head to the side as she stared at the ring on her finger.

Honey eyes regarded him for a long moment before she spoke. "I want to get married, Severus," she said matter-of-factly.

He looked back at her, a confused look on his face. "Yes, I gathered that much, love," he retorted, raising an eyebrow at her.

She pulled a face and stuck her tongue out at him childishly. He chuckled heartily and pulled her down to his side. "I mean that I don't want to have a long engagement. I want to have you as my husband as soon as possible."

Severus kissed the top of her head and smiled. "How's the first day of the summer holiday sound? There'll be Snape teaching Potions next year..."

"And perhaps a baby soon, too," Hermione whispered as she drifted off to sleep, her head pillowed on his shoulder. Severus pulled the buttercup blankets around them and dropped off to sleep soon after the woman in his arms.

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Dear Ronald, Harry, and Ginny,

I hear the Cannons are doing well this season, Ron. I'm sure it is due to your excellent managerial skills. I've started keeping clippings about the Cannons in a scrapbook, as well as anything in the Prophet about Harry or Ginny. Please send my regards to Miss Karstoff, and be sure to let me know when you have set a date for the wedding.

Hermione (the future Mrs. Hermione Jane Snape)

A/N: Only one more chapter left, I'm a bit sad to see it end. The entire story after chapter 5 is a deviation of my original plan, but I love the way it turned out. I'm terribly sorry about the long time between updates. I hope to have the final chapter up in the next few days. Finals are going good (I got a B in Statistics!!!) and will be over in two days. YAY! Here's what Hermione's ring was based on: http://www.real-florida.us/antique11.htm. The title of this chapter came from the Phantom of the Opera, whose lyrics you can find here: http://www.metrolyrics.com/lyrics/121485/Phantom_Of_The_Opera/All_I_Ask_Of_You