Consummation

To Have And To Hold

Chapter Two – Consummation

Severus' throat went dry when he heard the lock clicking into place. Thank the Gods she had wanted to take the lead, because he was at a total loss. He backed slowly into a wall while she advanced in on him.

"Hermione," he breathed, as she began drawing his head down for a kiss, "you can still back away, call this madness off."

"Shhh," she whispered gently, placing a finger on his lips, "let me enjoy this."

And she planted a soft kiss on his lips, tentative at first, bolder after a few minutes. It had been so long since Severus had had a woman he wasn't even sure he knew what to do anymore. Her claim that she would enjoy their coupling had been erotic beyond measure, and the Potions master found himself fully hardened.

He inwardly cursed the Auror for not having had at least the courtesy of allowing him a mattress for tonight; he would have to take her on the cold floor where he slept every night.

She pushed him down slowly until he was seated on the floor, back to the wall, and then she sat atop him. Her hands began exploring every inch of his flesh, and he found he longed to touch her.

"May I..." He made a hapless gesture.

"Please do." When he heard the desire in her voice, he knew he was lost.

He kissed her freely then and allowed his hands to roam beneath the buttons of her robes, feeling her skin. He almost lost his composure when she reached down between them to free his erection, but managed to restrain himself through sheer force of will. She had said she wanted to enjoy wedding night; he would not ruin it for her by behaving like a sixth-year. He slid her robes from her easily – pausing briefly to wonder where to discard them until realising he really had no other option but the floor – and revelled in the sight of her body. She had a woman's curves, so enticing... He brought his mouth down on one breast to suckle it and was rewarded by her moan of desire.

"Oh, Severus..."

His eyes widened in the semi-darkness. No woman had ever spoken his name with such need. He didn't know what had come over her tonight, but he would cherish it and never question it. And never be so foolish, either, as to believe she would ever want a repeat performance, regardless of how much she seemed to want him at the moment. Absurd hopes such as that one would only bring him pain.

He still had his mind preoccupied when she shifted herself, slowly but surely, to welcome him inside her, and then it was all he could do to keep from spilling into her too soon.

Hermione, for her part, congratulated herself on a potion well brewed. It allowed her to remain herself, her mind fully clear, while at the same time wanting him badly. And, she had to admit, he was making every effort to ensure his bedroom skills were up to par. She rocked her hips against him with a fierce potion-induced desire, yet the tenderness in her kiss and in the hand cupping his cheek was all her own.

He was thick inside of her, filling her completely, and held her with a strength belied by his fragile constitution. His voice was also thick, brimming with an emotion he hadn't known he was capable of.

"Hermione..."

Her rocking turned harder, his breathing ragged, and then, finally, they got lost in each other. Severus had never felt so rewarded as when watching her orgasm because of him, his own body shuddering with pleasure. He held her close, bringing her down gently, but, afterwards, it was over, and he didn't know what to say. His hand, seemingly of its own accord, came up to tangle itself gently in her curls, caressing her hair in a rhythmic motion. Without realising it, they fell into a light sleep, nestled against each other.

They were startled awake by a loud bang on the door.

"You have ten minutes left," a guard's unpleasant voice shouted.

Hermione placed one last lingering kiss on his lips before attempting to stand, her legs almost giving in because of the awkward position she had slept in. Severus rose after her, intently watching her dress.

"You have only tonight left in this hellhole," she whispered, brushing his hair away from his face. "I'll pick you up tomorrow, and you'll never see the inside of a cell again."

She graced him with a warm smile full of hope and was off, leaving him stunned and speechless.

That night, when the Dementors came, he found out what it truly meant to be easy prey; his throat was raw from his screams of despair by morning.

---

"And so, Severus Snape, it is the will of this court that you remain wandless and under house arrest for the next five years. Having understood that you have no remaining living relatives, the court has no other choice but to transfer your sentence to Azkaban prison, as per Wizarding Decree 287/49B, amendment 2."

"Your Honour, if I may?" Hermione's voice cut across Rufus Scrimgeour's before he could bring down his hammer, thus signalling the end of the session.

"It is highly unorthodox that counsel should speak during the sentencing. The time for arguments has passed."

"Yes, Your Honour, but the court's facts are incomplete. There is a living relative."

Scrimgeour blanched slightly. There couldn't be; he had thoroughly researched all of Severus Snape's history at the Ministry no more than two days ago and was sure there were no Snapes and no Princes left. Her next words dropped like a bombshell.

"Severus and I were married yesterday by Auror Collins. Guards Anderson and Michaels stood in as our witnesses; I have all the papers here, for the court's examination."

It was a ruckus after that. The papers were checked and re-checked, but they were in order, and there was nothing the Wizengamot could do now. Everything was perfectly legal, and Severus Snape's custody was awarded to one Mrs. Hermione Granger-Snape.

The newspapers exploded with the tale of love between the reformed Death Eater and his former-student-turned-impromptu-advocate; they dug up the fact that, two and a half years previously, no one had wanted to defend him, which was how a witch who had never studied the law had come to accept that role. They even went so far as to suggest that their illicit relationship had to have begun at that time, while she was still living with Ron Weasley.

And, amazingly, even though the sentence had been read at nine AM, the Daily Prophet had managed to have a special edition, that liberally sprinkled fact with fiction, out by noon.

She was told to pick him up at six PM, which meant there was still time for her to go to the Burrow and face the collective outrage of her friends and fellow Order members. She let a sigh escape; this was going to be anything but easy.

---

The silence that greeted her when she Flooed to the Burrow was, for lack of a better word, deafening. Everyone was there, Harry and Ginny, Ron and Gabrielle, Mr and Mrs Weasley, Bill and Fleur, Charlie, Fred, George, Percy, Remus and Tonks, Minerva McGonagall, Kingsley Shacklebolt, and those were only the heads that she could see at first. She had never seen the Burrow more crowded.

It was Percy, the Pompous Ass, who broke the silence.

"Well, I know I speak for all of us when I say, quite frankly, how could you? You knew the Minister wanted him in Azkaban; how could you?"

"Oh, shut up, Percy!" Ron cut across him. "We couldn't give a rat's ass about what the Minister wants. If it hadn't been for Snape I wouldn't be here, and neither would Harry. And I understand why you didn't tell us before, Hermione, I really do. Life debt or no life debt, we would have done anything to keep you from going through with it, anything but having you spend the night with him. But the deed is done now; it shouldn't go to waste. You always were the best of us three."

Everyone in the room started murmuring their agreement, and Hermione's eyes filled to the brim with tears. She hadn't expected such immediate acceptance, and it filled her with warmth. Soon she was being enveloped by several pairs of arms, and everything was a bit overwhelming.

A few hours later Ginny finally managed to get her alone.

"So, er... do you want to talk about it?"

"What?"

"Your wedding night. Sometimes it helps to talk about traumatic experiences... or so I'm told."

Hermione had to smile at that. Those had been her words to Ginny after the redhead's brief stint in the Chamber of Secrets.

"It wasn't like that, Ginny, it wasn't like that at all. No trauma. I brewed a Lust Potion for myself beforehand," she added, lowering her voice, "so I think we both enjoyed it. He must never know, though; I wouldn't want to hurt him, and you mustn't tell anyone else."

Ginny had confided in Hermione things that no one else, not even her family or Harry, knew about. Hermione felt it was only fair to repay trust with trust.

An appreciative glint shone in the younger woman's eyes.

"Wow, Hermione, that's brilliant! So no trauma at all, then, good. How was it?"

"In a word? Intense. No man ever looked at me in quite that way before, I felt beautiful, empowered. Don't get me wrong, Ron and I loved each other dearly, and I never felt lacking, but he never had that exact look in his eyes either. No one had."

"Hmm..." Ginny let out thoughtfully.

"'Hmm'? What's 'Hmm' supposed to mean?"

"I don't know, Hermione, you're going to be living in pretty close quarters for five years, and, with the way you're talking... I wouldn't be that surprised if you ended up not divorcing him after all."

Hermione laughed easily. "Well, I most definitely would be surprised, Gin. I know I wouldn't have been able to enjoy it if it hadn't been for the potion, Look or no Look."

"Well, if you say so." Ginny shrugged dismissively, turning around to go find her boyfriend.

---

Before Hermione knew it, it was five o'clock, and she had began the daunting task of saying her goodbyes to so many people before going to pick Severus up from Azkaban. The only person who had yet to talk to her was Harry. He pushed her aside quietly when she made to kiss him goodbye.

"Hermione, I... I understand why you did it, I really do. I know everything Ron said is the truth, just as I know that my father and Sirius weren't perfect, and just as I know it really was Dumbledore who made Snape kill him, and that Snape saved me and Ron. I know all that, and the rational part of me doesn't even wish him harm anymore, but... I hate him all the same. I love you, you're like my sister, you know that, and I will always want to be with you, but don't expect me to drop by your house for the next five years, or even Floo-call there. I'll Floo you at work, when you find one, and we can go out together as always, and we can meet at Ron's, or at my place, or..."

"Harry," she interrupted, "I understand. Your reaction – and Ron's too – is far better than I had hoped, and I can't tell you how much that means to me. Professor Snape is my friend, you and Ron are my best friends, but I don't expect you both to start liking him or vice-versa." She hugged him. "Thank you for always being there, Harry; I'd miss you terribly if you weren't."

Seemingly out of nowhere a second pair of arms enveloped them both, and she found Ron was attached to them. Her heart was light, as if a terrible burden had been lifted off her, when she finally Flooed out of the Burrow. Even the best of her expectations had paled when compared to the reality of her friends' acceptance. She was truly blessed.

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Author's Note: Once again a huge thank you to my wonderful beta, moonrevel. The mistakes are mine, though.