Preparations and Projects

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~o 61 o~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Preparations and Projects

Hermione really shouldn't have been surprised to see brightly decorated boiled eggs among the food offered by the house-elves, but with the huge amount of work the professors had been piling on the fifth- and seventh-year students to prepare them for their exams, she'd forgotten all about it being Easter Sunday. It had simply slipped her mind; her focus had been primarily being on keeping abreast of all her schoolwork and the six potions they'd brewed the previous week for Severus' validations. Even Ginny was complaining about the workload the teachers were heaping on them.

The funny thing was that when she'd spoken to Ginny the previous weekend, telling her that since the next Sunday was the first Sunday after the first full moon after the March equinox, it would be a great day to being the base for the Wolfsbane Potion, it hadn't dawned on her that she'd inadvertently suggested they start brewing on Easter Sunday. And she should have, considering she'd sent a response to Talfryn's last letter, telling him how much she was looking forward to seeing him again on Easter. But glancing at her revision guide, she realized that she'd made so many entries this month, her book was beginning to resemble Severus' Potions book. She'd written on every available space.

So this morning, since Severus was once again up before her, Hermione had come down to breakfast as per usual, book bag in hand, expecting Ginny to try and coax her out to the Quidditch pitch to watch the team practice after they had spent their morning in the lab finishing up their potions from the previous evening.

Ginny climbed into the seat next to Hermione as the owls came in with the morning post. "Sorry, I'm late. We had two third-year boys who ate several Nosebleed Nougats but they didn't have the other half to stop the bleeding."

"It's all right, we still have plenty of time before Severus and I have to leave." Hermione picked up an egg and turned to look at Severus, catching his eye as she held the pink and yellow flowered egg up. He cocked an eyebrow at her, apparently not understanding her silent message. She tapped her egg. He shook his head, picking up an egg that had been placed in front of him. She shook her head, laughing, then pulled out her quill and wrote, Don't forget lunch with Grandfather Talfryn at eleven-thirty. He wants to show us the garden. With a flick of her wand, the egg sailed over to him, and with an annoyed smirk, he caught it.

"What's that about?" Ginny asked as Molly's owl, Persistence, delivered large chocolate eggs for her and Ginny.

"She's flirting with the Headmaster," Wendlynne said, smiling at Hermione.

"Is flirting with your fiancée against the rules?" Hermione asked and smiled in surprise as a red speckled green egg appeared on her plate. The writing on the egg read, I haven't forgotten.

"Mum, sends her regards," Ginny said as she set the letter aside. She opened the Easter card from Harry, and a flurry of bunny-shaped confetti shot up in the air, each turning into a chocolate bunny as they drifted back down.

"Oh, that's amazing!" Alestra said, picking up the chocolate bunny that had fallen on her fork.

"A new product of my brother's," Ginny said absentmindedly as she read Harry's note with a wistful smile playing on her lips. She turned to look at Hermione. "I really envy you, you know."

Hermione looked sympathetically at her friend. "We've only three more months."

"Yeah, three whole months!" Ginny said with a grimace. "Sneaking out to see Harry for an hour or so isn't the same as being able to live with my fiancée. Oh, I wish I had overnight privileges like Luna," Ginny added with a frustrated sigh. "But with his training exams coming up, Harry and my brother have been really busy revising. I know – Ron revising. Hard to believe, but nevertheless it's true!" She leaned closer to Hermione and lowered her voice, "So Harry can't get away to meet me in the Shack this weekend."

After breakfast, Ginny and Hermione excused themselves and walked down to the dungeons, Ginny still lamenting about not being able to see Harry. "Oh, talk about getting away, when are we going to see Mr. Prince's house?" Ginny asked as they neared the lab.

"When Mr. Prince approves the intrusion on his solitude," a softly spoken voice in a smooth drawl intones.

"Severus!" Hermione turned around, smiling broadly. "What brings you down here?"

"I'm supervising your brewing this morning," he said with a smirk. "Reginald informed me that you are planning to begin the Wolfsbane Potion." Both girls nodded. "There are a few deviations to the directions that I may not have fully explained in my annotations."

Hermione pulled out her copy and started reading the small script in the margins. "Which part?" she asked confused.

"Are you turning down taking advantage of receiving private tutelage with me?" he asked.

"Gods, no!" Ginny exclaimed. "Only, please don't berate me like you used to do in my Potions lessons."

"As if my scowl or taciturn demeanor has any effect on you anymore," he said, giving them his perfected professor's scowl. However, neither Ginny nor Hermione flinched at all. "Just as I expected." He opened the door for them. "Shall we begin?"

Hermione and Ginny dropped their bags and draped their robes over a chair, then crossed the room to bottle the potions they'd left simmering overnight. Severus carefully inspected each of the potions, nodding in approval of the quality they'd accomplished. "Set these aside for Reginald," he said, glancing at the six other cauldrons. "The De-Horning Potion is too thick," he commented. "And it's supposed to be sienna – not cinnamon."

Hermione peered into the cauldron as Ginny checked her notes. "According to your note on the right-hand margin, it should be thicker, like a salve, but you didn't mention a color variation. Of course, the left side said to add the dragon fruit before the bee balm... Well, Hermione and I disagree on this, actually, but the arrow here," Ginny said, pointing at the arrow, "shows it as being after – which is what I did – and my three have the dragon fruit before," she indicated her three cauldrons. "Nevertheless, Hermione put the fruit after, and she added mint."

Severus' eyes narrowed, making Hermione pause, thinking she'd made a mistake, but Ginny continued nonplussed, "She is a few steps ahead of me since I had Quidd..."

"What? Did I do it wrong?" Hermione interrupted worriedly. The page for this potion had a lot of writing, making interpreting the directions difficult. She fought the lump of dread she felt from Severus' lack of reaction or expression. "Did I misread your changes?"

Severus held out his hand, so Ginny handed him the book. Hermione bit her lip as he read his notes, turning the book sideways as it continued to the bottom of the page.

"So, which is it – before or after?" Ginny asked. "Who was right?"

"Before," he replied, and Ginny gave Hermione a told-you-so grin. "The mint was crossed off," he stated, making both girls turn to gape at him. He peered into Hermione's cauldron again as Hermione flipped through her Potions journal for her notes on the potion. "The potion should be ruined." He looked up at her. "What else did you do differently?"

"I didn't add the mint – Hermione did! I used the mintleaf bee balm – wild bergamot," Ginny stated as Hermione shook her head. "I have to add the garlic and the Catspradrille stingers."

"Nooo, it's mint leaf, bee balm and then bergamot – mint was underlined – bergamot oil was written on the margin. According to Libatius Borage, when bee balm, horsemint or oswego tea are mentioned in the same potion with bergamot then essence of bergamot or bergamot oil should be used," Hermione said as she held up her notes so he could see them, but his gaze remained focused on her. "So I used crushed mint leaf, bee balm and wild bergamot, then added the dragon fruit juice, followed by the crushed dandelion stems to draw out the sap, and added it with the mashed yarrow..." Hermione narrowed her eyes. "Why are you frowning?"

"When exactly did you add the dandelion sap and yarrow?" he asked, using the spoon to check the consistency.

"The line goes from above the bee balm, under the mint leaf, then you have bergamot and dragon fruit squeezed in between the bee balm and the wormwood leaf. You then have dandelion sap, sliced goat's beard root and mashed yarrow before the garlic and the stingers."

He inhaled sharply. "Bloody hell." He turned to face her. "Give me your notes."

She handed him her book, and he walked up to the blackboard, making the existing surface exchange for a blank one with a flourish of his wand. Hermione and Ginny watched in awe as he wrote out the potion's directions based on Hermione's notes, adding the phytochemical compounds, properties and active elements composition of each ingredient, noting the interactive variances and examining the chemical reactions due to the interactions.

"Is it wrong, did I mess it up?" Hermione asked nervously.

"Give me a minute, woman," he snapped, writing out a complicated equation on the side of the board with several variables. He took the numerical value for the five variables and wrote out quadratic equations for each, then started another equation. Hermione watched him with bated breath, worrying her lip each time he erased something and started over.

"If I'm not mistaken..." He then took the corresponding inequality and started another, adding in number representation for the five variables, then changed several variables and intervals and rechecked his calculations. "Yes, but then that would..." He erased a section and started over, coming up with the same coefficient. "That can't be right?" he mumbled, checking his calculation again.

Hermione followed along with each new equation, beginning to see a pattern.

Severus' arm dropped as he stared at the blackboard. "I'll be damned."

"What? Tell me!" Hermione snapped, wondering what she'd done wrong.

He turned to face her. "You've created a potion that, if my calculations are correct, should not only cure troll warts, but might prevent them from reoccurring."

"I did what?" Hermione asked, gaping at him.

Severus smiled at her. "You used all of the ingredients I had considered but discarded for improving the De-Horning Salve. Your misinterpretation led you to invent a new potion. I'll have to verify it of course, but I think it is a troll wart cure."

She was stunned. "I invented a potion to cure warts on trolls?!"

"Troll – Merlin, you're priceless!" Ginny exclaimed and started to laugh hysterically, then stopped when Severus glared at her. "You have to admit it, Severus, it's hilarious!" she said, still chuckling. She turned to Hermione. "Troll warts are like magical plantar warts – but really hard to get rid of – and they can spread! They are really deep and crusty and black. Charlie got some once, and it took ages for him to get rid of them."

Severus asked Hermione for parchment and copied out his directions for the De-Horning Salve. "Finish your potion: I'm going to work with Hermione on hers," Severus said, handing the directions to Ginny. "Then we'll begin the base for the Wolfsbane."

Ginny walked over to her cauldrons, tacked Severus' directions on the wall and started to press her garlic cloves while Hermione compared her notes to the directions in Severus' book.

"With the use of the yarrow, I might suggest using bloodroot paste, rather than sliced bloodroot as it will be more potent," he said, and Hermione nodded, making a notation in her notes. He also suggested increasing the lemon balm oil and adding goldenseal root. The finished potion was a glutinous sienna salve with a pleasant mint lemon smell.

"Bottle it up, and I'll contact the Master of Potions at St. Mungo's for testing," he directed and then walked over to check on Ginny's potions.

Hermione turned to him in surprise. "To St. Mungo's? They're not going to test it on people, are they?"

He turned to smirk at her. "Whom did you think we'd test it on – Ginny? Because I certainly don't have any troll warts," he said, ignoring Ginny's outraged exclamation of "Oi, I don't have any!"

"And I know for certain you don't have any," he added, crossing his arms. "The Healers in the contagious infections wards will be able to test the salve. In the mean time, Ginny and I will repeat your process and validate your discovery.

"Our discovery! You've as much involvement in its creation as I did – more actually," Hermione argued. "If you hadn't worked out the calculations and determined its possible purpose – I'd have disposed of the potion and started over."

"If that is how you want it, fine, our accomplishment." He tried to look indifferent but there was a look of pride in his eyes. "I'll ask Reginald to validate my contribution, and then you and I will brew another batch. Afterwards, Reginald and Ginny can validate it."

Ginny clasped her hands in glee, exclaiming, "Another forty Galleons!" which Severus chose to ignore, telling them to set up their cauldrons to being the Wolfsbane Potion base.

At ten o'clock, Severus called a halt to their brewing. "Leave it on stasis and continue it this evening. Hermione, you should go change. I'll be up shortly."

Hermione said good-bye to Ginny and ran up to shower and change. She was drying her hair when Severus arrived. She started to say, "I was beginning to wonder..." as he crossed the bedroom, saying, "I'll be out in ten minutes," as if he hadn't heard her.

Shrugging off his curt disappearance into the bathroom, she brushed her hair and put on her Mediterranean green robes. She was sitting patiently on the bed when he emerged, hair damp and fully dressed, from the bathroom.

"Shall we?" he mumbled and indicated they go. As they walked to the gates, Hermione asked Severus to explain the standard wizarding testing practices. Although such practices seemed almost as cruel as Muggle animal testing, she could see the practicality of the methods used at St. Mungo's. "During the war, necessity often caused brewers to rush the trials or to skip the process all together," Severus stated, then looked away toward the trees. "Sometimes the results proved... as expected."

She became quiet as she absorbed in what he'd told her. "When will we hear the results?" she asked softly.

"In no more than a week, I should think. The Healers will be very excited about the cure if it works as well as I predict it will," Severus replied, accepting her arm on his. He Apparated them to Talfryn's front garden.

Hermione turned around on the path facing the old stone house as she gazed at the garden. It was beginning to look so much better than it had at Christmas. The air was pungent with the smell of freshly turned dirt, mulch and manure and the early spring blooms. The lawn had been liberally fertilized, and new grass gave the promise of a lush summer lawn. The large, neatly trimmed hedges and trees that lined the low rock wall still had bare patches here and there, but they were filling in nicely with the new spring growth on the branches. The fountain was still dry, but the peonies, various magical plants, flowers and herbs had all been well tended and now looked like a lovely informal garden that would be amazing when in full bloom. "Oh, my, it's really lovely," Hermione said softly under her breath.

Beside her, Severus merely grunted, "Yes, lovely," noncommittally, urging her to walk to the house.

Pepper opened the door the instant after Severus' knuckles made contact with the door. "Pepper is so happy you is here," the elf squeaked, pushing the door wider. "Master is walking, Miss," she told Hermione as she took her coat. "He is still using his cane, but he is moving without Pepper's help."

"Stop babbling and let them in," Talfryn said from the doorway, drawing Hermione's attention from admiring the large spring bouquet in the foyer. "Good to see you, but shut the door. You're letting out the heat." He turned, and Hermione and Severus followed him into the parlor.

Hermione smiled at the bouquets of flowers that sat on every surface. "You saw the garden, I suppose," Talfryn said as he sat down in the same armchair he'd used last visit.

"I did, it's lovely," she reiterated, making Severus chuff a laugh at her.

"Should be, the amount of time that young Mr. Longbottom spends here," Talfryn stated. "You shouldn't have gone to the expense; Pepper could have sorted out the garden."

"I haven't..." Hermione only just managed to conceal her surprise. "Neville and his wife, Luna, are good friends of mine," she admitted.

Talfryn grunted in acknowledgement. "At least he's reasonable. So why aren't you spending more time on your schoolwork and in preparation for your N.E.W.T.s?"

"Pardon me? I've never – I wouldn't – I'm not behind at all," she sputtered in reply.

"What my fiancée is so ineloquently trying to say is that her studies are far from lacking. She is abreast of all her studies, even ahead in several of her subjects," Severus said smoothly. "Otherwise, I'd personally curtail her other projects myself."

"You'd stop her from validating your potion inventions?" Talfryn asked, his eyes narrowing slightly.

Severus nodded once. "If her academic standing suffered even slightly, I'd put an end to it immediately," he said smoothly. "As things stand, she could very easily complete all her N.E.W.T. exams now and still obtain Outstandings in every subject," he glanced at her, "with the possible exception of Defense Against the Dark Arts. You only achieved an Exceeds on your O.W.L. in that subject as I recall."

Hermione felt her cheeks warm up. "It's... yes." She raised her chin slightly. "But I'm doing better this year. Professor Dawlish is unrelenting in our N.E.W.T. preparation. We're learning how to detect and identify Dark Arts spells and enchantments on places and objects, and how to break or disassemble the spells and to defend ourselves from a flashout and backflash from abeyant spells. We also have regular practical application of defensive charms and counter-curses, hexes and jinxes."

"Her professor is an ex-Auror," Severus stated. "He has taken the post quite seriously, considering the number of students who died in the war."

Talfryn stared at Hermione steadily as he regarded her for several seconds. "So, when are you bringing your wedding planner to the house? I want to know how much redecorating you're going to do, how many people you're inviting and how elaborate you're planning to make this."

Hermione was thrown aback by how quickly he was changing subjects. "I don't have a wedding planner, and my guest list isn't really that long – maybe twenty guests or so."

"I'll have to include several members of my staff," Severus stated and looked at Hermione, "I had assumed you'd want your professors present." He turned back to Talfryn. "I have few friends, and you're the only remaining family I have. The number isn't expected to exceed forty."

"The most Deidre ever had here was forty-two," Talfryn stated. "How are you with spatial distortion charms and replication transfiguration?"

"Adequate," Severus stated, and Hermione turned her hands palm up as she said, "I've done nondetectable extension charms in a purse and on my dorm mate's wardrobe."

"All right then, you can do a formal dinner in the dining room then," Talfryn stated with a firm nod. "You still haven't told me the date."

"First weekend after the students leave the school," Severus stated, but Hermione's mouth opened as she let out an audible surprised squeak. "Or the weekend after..." he amended, but Hermione's eyes were still wide as saucers. "We haven't decided."

"You aren't giving yourself any time to plan it – unless you want to postpone it until August?"

"No," Hermione said, shaking her head. "We agreed on June. I suppose it will be either third or fourth weekend in June." Severus merely shrugged. "I'll let you know soon, I promise."

Talfryn nodded and then switched the subject back to Hermione's validating Severus' potions, apparently very intrigued in Severus' abilities in Potions. When Dustin announced supper was ready to be served, Hermione was pleased to see Talfryn rise and walk unaided to the dining room.

The dining room was awash with glowing light, and crystal sparkled throughout the room. Pepper had likewise placed beautiful bouquets of flowers wherever possible and decorated the table with wild flowers and brightly colored eggs. As expected the food was wonderful. Talfryn asked Hermione about her N.E.W.T. level projects and inquired as to her plans for after school. She even managed to get Talfryn to talk about his years at school and to get both men to tell her about their N.E.W.T. level projects.

All in all it was a very delightful afternoon, and came to an end all too abruptly when Severus announced it was time to return to the school. Pepper gifted Hermione with a small basket of brightly colored chocolate eggs and several soft pastel-colored pigmy puffs.

However, as she and Severus walked up to Hogwarts, Hermione saw several first-years rolling Easter eggs on the grass. She fought back the bitter feeling of nostalgia, remembering the times she'd spent decorating Easter eggs, sharing chocolate eggs with her dad and participating in Easter egg competitions in the park on Easter as a child, and wished that she could someday revive her parents' memories.

~o0o~

The following day up in the Gryffindor common room, Hermione told Ginny about her conversation with Talfryn regarding her wedding to Severus. To her surprise, Ginny supported the idea of having a wedding coordinator. "Hermione, you're in school. You don't have time to visit caterers, florists, and all the other necessities for putting on a wedding. And before you scoff," she added before Hermione could say she didn't want an elaborate wedding, she added, "Remember, I was in the house while Fleur was discussing all her wedding plans with my mother, and her wedding was considered small and quaint by wizarding standards. Like you, Fleur only wanted a simple garden wedding with close friends and family."

"There were over two hundred guests!" Hermione pointed out.

"One-hundred-and-eighty-nine, but that's beside the point. I've seen your list and it's short, I'll grant you that. But really, I can barely get you to discuss specifics about your wedding, and it's only – what? – two months away!"

"What is there to discuss? I've sorted out all the basics with you," Hermione argued. "Severus said we could ask some of the Hogwarts house-elves to help with the set up, cooking and clean up. I just have to order the flowers. I saw the bouquets that Pepper did for Easter – they were gorgeous! So, I'll only need to buy our nosegays and a few corsages..." She paused when Ginny gave her an incredulous glare. "What?"

"Who is going to officiate?" Ginny asked.

Hermione opened her mouth and then promptly closed it.

"Neither you or Severus seem overly religious. And even if you've attended a Muggle church regularly – this will be a magical wedding. With witches and wizards – not exactly something a Muggle priest can officiate, even if you only do standard vows. Wedding vows are like taking a magical oath – there will be a magical signature, a sign of the sealing. Remember Luna's and Neville's wedding? You have forty-two on your guest list; have you thought about overnight accommodations, Apparition site registration and Portkey registration and permits? Or have you considered arrival timing of your guests – that has to be coordinated and approved with the Department of Magical Transportation."

Hermione deadpanned her face. "No. I haven't."

"I didn't think so. So you have two options, you can ask my mom to help coordinate your wedding, or, and I think this would be best, ask Mrs. Malfoy if she'd be willing to help you, since my mum and Fleur will be working on the plans for my wedding to Harry."

Hermione dropped her hands and gaped at her friend. "What – I can't possibly impose on Narcissa!"

"Right," Ginny drawled out slowly with an incredulous smirk. "You address her by first name. She was your sponsor for the winter holiday season. The Malfoys are Severus' closest friends – Lucius is likely to be his best man, and Draco will most likely be asked to stand up for him, too. And I recall Draco telling me at the Christmas Ball that she had hoped you'd have it at their manor... Don't you think she'd be thrilled if you asked her?"

Hermione opened her mouth to retort, paused, and then sighed. "I could always send her a letter and ask. But I don't want an elaborate affair; I just want a simple wedding, like the one Fleur had."

"Now, for the decisions I can help you with. I know you've indicated that you want me to be your maid of honor, but I'm assuming you'll want other bridesmaids?"

Hermione nodded. "I asked Luna if she'd be a bridesmaid..."

"Matron of honor," Ginny corrected her. "The wizarding world is rather formal on that. Who else? Alestra, Veronica and Wendlynne have mentioned that they want to do it."

"Five bridesmaids," Hermione sighed, knowing she'd have to ask all three of them because she didn't want to hurt any of their feelings by choosing between them.

Ginny raised an eyebrow, expecting an answer, so Hermione gave into the evitable. "Okay, three bridesmaids, a matron of honor and a maid of honor – that's still five!"

"Excellent, you ask them to stand up for you, and I'll inform Severus on the number," Ginny stated. "When is the date?"

"Severus and I haven't decided yet," Hermione said, her shoulders sagging. "He wants the second weekend in June – the sooner – the better in his opinion. I told Talfryn it would be either third or fourth weekend in June."

Ginny pulled out her revision planner and turned to the month of June. Hermione was surprised to see the number of entries already written for the month. "I have to move a fitting, and... Okay, the nineteenth," she stated, writing 'Hermione's wedding' on the square.

"But that's only two weeks after we leave Hogwarts!"

"Then we better get things finalized," Ginny stated. "Harry wanted to get married as soon as I left Hogwarts as well. So things will be really tight." She looked up. "Now, when can I see his house?"

Hermione deadpanned her face again.

~*~

Hermione sent out a letter to Narcissa the following morning before breakfast. Narcissa's extremely haughty and very well manicured owl landed in front of Hermione at breakfast the following day, carrying her reply. "I'll have to answer her later, I have tons of revision to do today," she told Narcissa's owl as she accepted the letter. "You can either wait in the owlery, and I'll come get you," the owl looked horribly affronted, "or I can use a school owl."

With what could only be a huff, Narcissa's owl spread her wings and flew away.

Laughing softly, Hermione read Narcissa's letter.

Hermione,

I would be delighted to assist you in any way you need for your weeding. I won't deny I was disappointed that you didn't wish to have your wedding here, but it is quite proper for you to have it at Severus' great-grandfather's home. I am glad that he has mended his relationship with the man. The Prince family was once a very highly respected wizarding family.

We should meet so that I can have an understanding regarding your wishes and desires for your nuptials.

Please consider my offer to host your engagement party. It would be our great honor to do so.

Sincerely,

Narcissa Malfoy

"So, we can go, right?" Ginny asked, reaching in front of Hermione for the pumpkin juice.

Hermione nodded. "Talfryn said we could come by at ten on Saturday." She was really looking forward to seeing Talfryn again. "I'll ask Narcissa to meet us there. I can't believe I'm planning a wedding, and I haven't even finished my N.E.W.T.s."

"We've less than two months! You don't want to leave anything to the last minute," Ginny said.

Hermione and Severus had spent an evening making a list of everyone they wanted to invite, and as Severus predicted, the list came to exactly forty-two. However, Evelyn had sent a verbalized letter during the week, indicating that she would very much like to play at her wedding, and Hermione, who could hardly believe the generous offer, had gladly accepted, making the guest list increase by three, since she felt the need to invite Mr. and Mrs. Burke as well. Severus handled the news in stride, especially when Hermione pointed out that he'd be so busy being congratulated by everyone, he'd only have a moment or two with the Burkes.

~S~

Severus finalized the report to the school governors regarding the option choices and staffing for next year, and added the request for an increase of the pay for staff for the next year in his postal bag. He then included his lesson observations and performance reviews for the staff. He was quite pleased with his assessment and quite proud of the report he'd filed. Even under his strict guidelines, the performance of his staff so far this year had been exceptional. He was sure the pay increases would be approved. Elaine Prevatt, Clerk to the Governing Body had shown Lawrence McDonough, Administrative Officer of the Hogwarts School Governors, Severus' grading scale, and she'd told him that Lawrence had felt Severus was being unfairly stringent. If they even manage to pass with an Acceptable on these performance review qualifications they will have earned their pay raises, the note Miss Prevatt had forwarded to his office had read.

He wrote out a memo to reassure the staff about future plans for the staff rooms, their private quarters, and their pay rise this year, and made enough copies to have one delivered to each member of the staff. He then approved all press releases and wrote three articles: one for the articles for Daily Prophet and two for the end of term Hogwarts newsletter outlining the exam dates and the future plans for the school.

Severus set down his quill and called it quits for the day.

He walked upstairs and paused in the doorway to his sitting room. Hermione had fallen asleep at the coffee table again, books and parchments scattered around her, her head on her arm and her quill still held in her sleep-slackened hand. He'd noted with each passing day the toll the stress of the end of term workload was doing to her, but he also knew that she was keeping abreast of all her schoolwork. She had already turned in all of her N.E.W.T. projects with the exception of the one for Transfiguration.

He knew she was struggling with the failure of being unable to fully animate an inanimate object. She and Ginny had made huge strides in the animation of a transfigured inanimate object, but that's not what Hermione hoped to do. He knew that Hermione felt completely dejected over this. Silly girl.

As Talfryn had said in his last letter, 'You can't take an inanimate object and make it come to life. Something that isn't alive can't be made alive – only God or priests can do that and even then it's questionable. Take credit for what you've accomplished and concentrate on your NEWTs.' Severus wholeheartedly agreed with his great-grandfather on this, but he knew better than to push her. She needed to finish this year on her own terms and at her own pace, even at the exhausting pace that she'd set for herself, almost inhuman as it was, but then he'd been as driven during his seventh year.

"Dezzy," he called out softly. The elf walked into the room instead of Apparating, which might have awakened the sleeping witch. "I'm going to take her to bed. Be sure her vitamin potions are in the pumpkin juice pitcher nearest her at breakfast and again at lunch."

Dezzy nodded silently.

"And be careful when you straighten the sitting room not to disturb her work."

The elf nodded again, then bowed deeply and ran off.

Severus cast a Weightless Charm on her and carefully lifted the sleeping witch.

Hermione stirred, snuggling closer to him as he carried her upstairs. "Wha' time is it?" she said while yawning.

"Bedtime," he replied softly. He set her on the edge of the bed and helped her undress, then helped her put on her favorite night slip. She lay down as he undressed. Not at all surprising, she was sound asleep when he climbed in next to her. He kissed her temple and lay down. Only three weeks until exams. He felt frustrated, but fully understood, which didn't really help ease his libido's desires any. But time seemed to go by so quickly these days.

Three more weeks, he assured himself before trying to fall asleep himself.

~*~

He set aside the final arrangements for the dates and times for the Apparition lessons in Hogsmeade to be sent to the Heads of Houses and the Magical Exam Proctors from the Ministry on top of his parchments coordinating the schedule for the O.W.L. and N.E.W.T. exams, specifying the dates, times and locations in the castle. He still had to sort out where the exam proctors from the Wizarding Examinations Authority would be residing within the castle. Or I could simply pass this on to Minerva to handle, he smirked.

He picked up his report he needed to approve, regarding all the plans for the summer holiday work and the maintenance for the school and grounds, and saw Talfryn's letter in the old man's shaky, spiky script sticking out from under Severus' rebuttal about bursaries with the Bursar in regards to his decisions with the Bursar of whom would get what. He wanted to have that finalized so he could file it with the school governors as soon as possible. He picked up the letter and put it aside to return it to Hermione.

Today was visit number three to visit to his great-grandfather's house. Naturally Hermione had shown him the first letter from his great-grandfather extending, if not gruffly, an invitation for Hermione's friends (plural, as if expecting more than Ginny and Narcissa to be involved in the wedding planning) to view the house. Not that Severus had been surprised his great-grandfather had agreed to Hermione's request; it seemed that the old man was becoming quite taken with his Bonded mate, soon to be spouse.

The first week of the wedding nonsense, Hermione had been so busy keeping up on all her schoolwork and projects that by the time Saturday came around, Hermione had wanted to stave off leaving and finish the Wolfsbane Potion. Only Ginny wouldn't hear of it; she positively couldn't wait to see the house and meet Severus' 'only surviving' family member. It amused him that Ginny completely disregarded Charles Prince and John Osgood as family, considering they were both incarcerated in Azkaban, as Severus was wont to do.

Naturally, Hermione and Ginny had spent the evening finishing the Wolfsbane Potion, which Reginald sent to St. Mungo's for testing.

But then Narcissa's insistence that she, Hermione and the girls (again plural, meaning this time all five girls in the wedding party be included) simply had to meet at Prince Manor (which in his opinion was an overly eloquent title for the nine bedroom, grey stone Queen Anne county house on the fringe of Yorkshire dales, but Narcissa insisted would sound better in the invitations) a second time to finalize details. Severus hadn't understood why he had to release the other four students, but he had, simply to avoid riling up Narcissa's temper. At lease Narcissa knew better than to involve him in all these bloody details.

Naturally, Talfryn wrote to Severus extending his permission for the girls visit. He'd even invited them to take tea with him.

However, Narcissa sent another request to Ginny and Hermione that her bridesmaids and matron of honor needed to meet at the house a third time. And because of Ginny's enthusiastic desire to see the house again, Severus had relented and he, Hermione and Ginny had Apparated the other four girls to the front garden. Ginny apparently loved the old house, excitedly leading the other girls through each room as they discussed its entertainment potential and took them upstairs to show them where they'd all stay to prepare for the ceremony – an announcement that had irritated Severus.

Apparently, Talfryn had offered to have the wedding party stay at the house the night before, so the ladies could have plenty of time for their preparations. Not even Narcissa or Ginny could be persuaded to forgo the superfluous tradition as dispensable since, as he'd so eloquently argued, he and Hermione already lived together.

After that, during each subsequent visit to the house, Severus had merely stood back and allowed the conversation to flow around him as if uninterested, but with each suggestion made by either Ginny or Narcissa, his chest had seized up a little more.

He hated being the central focus of attention.

He liked being on the fringes, in the shadows and corners, watching.

He was only doing this for Hermione's sake, anyway.

At least Hermione seemed to be keeping a level head, politely declining some of the trivial nonsense mentioned in favor of a simple ceremony and reception.

Nevertheless, he had to solve one problematic part of the wedding plans; he had to name his attendants. Hermione had too many bridesmaids in his opinion, which carried no weight what-so-ever in all of this planning, five total, and they needed partners, apparently.

Lucius was a given. So was Reginald. That was where he fell at a loss; he didn't have any other close friends ask to stand up for him, and he had to choose three more groomsmen. He would've asked Draco, but the boy would be playing accompaniment with Evelyn Asby. He supposed asking Harry would please Hermione. Tigran was a possibility, but Severus remembered something mentioned about his going to Zabaykalsky on the east side of Lake Baikal this summer.

Upstairs, Hermione, Narcissa and Ginny were still reviewing wedding plans, again, and he wondered what new thing had been decided for him. Severus had no idea that weddings had so many complicated elements. He'd been under the impression he simply needed to purchase new robes, polished his shoes and arranged a location, flowers and catering. He was lucky that Narcissa was quite capable of planning a conservative affair with the upmost discretion, otherwise this entire thing would be blown across the papers in less times than one could Floo to the Ministry.

He got up from his desk to retrieve a book from the shelves that held all the magical law books, to get a copy of the school bylaws and protocols pertaining to Access Requests. Passing by the stairs to his sitting room, he paused upon hearing his name.

"Talfryn said the Prince family colors are green and cordovan. Dark burgundy is in both of your color pallets, but I don't think Severus will like the idea of wearing red – even a dark red hue. Personally, I'd stay away from red or green," Ginny said, and Severus felt a sense of relief until Hermione stated, "I always loved periwinkle, and I saw pictures of a wedding in light olive and periwinkle and thought it would be perfect for my own wedding."

"They were holding hydrangea flowers in lavender and olive – it was lovely," Ginny agreed.

"The men can wear charcoal and periwinkle ties... I think Severus will be handsome in dark charcoal, but olive is not his color," he heard Hermione say.

"Best be an icy periwinkle, and the groomsmen can have darker periwinkle, I think," Narcissa stated.

He sighed. No black. Damn. Although charcoal isn't too bad, especially if she will allow me to wear dark charcoal robes.

"Lavender – she opened a dress shop – she has some bridesmaid dresses that she's designing for me. I have pictures. Lavender said that each girl can have a slightly different neckline, if they want, with the same full skirt. See, she has this woven crisscross bit here on the bodice and waterfall skirt in layers..."

"The dining room is done in greens," Ginny pointed out.

"Drapery can be exchanged," Narcissa pointed out, "and it's fortunate for you that I happen to have a plentiful amount of Peruvian dragon lilies and some delphinium that I can turn a lovely shade of periwinkle blue, and the white lilacs should be in bloom. I should be able to have some orchids for the bridal bouquet as well. Katherine generally grows a fragrant strain of hydrangea that can be colored a lovely lavender and olive hue."

Severus shook his head to dispel the nausea developing in his gut. He retrieved the book he needed and quickly returned to his desk, to continue going over the requirements for the end of year exams.

He was doing his for Hermione.

He only had to do this once.

Once it was over, he'd never have to do this again.

He looked in the direction of the sitting room. In a month he'd be married to Hermione. Married. It still amazed him that for all the horrors in his life, all the terrible things he'd done, he would be married to the most amazing witch in all of England.

Shaking his head again to dispel any more distractions, he returned his complete focus his report to the governors and filling out the forms for the bursary payments and projected increases needed for next year's estimated expenditures for the students on scholarships to be sent to the school Bursary and Board of Governors.

~o0o~

The week before the exams, the seventh years who hadn't all ready, presented their N.E.W.T. projects for grading.

Hermione had finished her Ancient Runes project well in advance, and both girls had already completed their Potions project: the recreation of the Médousa Potion and validating Severus' improvement on the efficacy of the Wolfsbane Potion and Polyjuice Potion. The same for Charms, Hermione had already been given her marks for the spell to revive a live person from the Inferi spells, and Ginny received her marks for creating cognitive responses in a Transfigured animate object.

On Friday, Hermione turned in her Arithmancy work on the Translocation and Transference Spells and submitted her paper in which she disproved Frederic Penhallow's fifth principal exception to Gamp's Law of Elemental Transfiguration. Hermione's work invalidated Penhallow's calculations; she was able to finally recreate his Arithmancy (a feat in of itself) but she found that he'd made certain errors in the mathematics, which carried forward through the rest of his work. So in effect she disproved Penhallow's fifth principle exception to Gamp's Law of Elemental Transfiguration, an interest in both the Arithmancy journals as well as in the Transfiguration community.

The girls turned in their final results of their Transfiguration project: improving the transfiguration of an inanimate object to a fully animated one without the transformation reverting back shortly afterward. Minerva gushed at Severus all through dinner about the amazing work the girls did, although Severus knew that Hermione was intensely disappointed in the fact she'd failed in changing an inanimate object into an self-aware animate object.

As expected, Severus didn't see much of Hermione the entire week of exams. If she hadn't been in one for the rooms designated for one of her N.E.W.T exams, she had been in her study or the library, revising. The first night of exams, she'd snuck out of the room in the middle of the night to slip down to her study, and Severus literally had to drag her back to bed. Each night after that, he had to practically carry the witch to their bedroom and had even taken to giving her a mild sleeping potion to make her get enough much needed rest. At least she was not eschewing meals, and she was choosing sensible foods to keep up her physical strength, according the Dezzy.

Josephina Buckhurst, proctor for the Hermione's Transfiguration exam had been extremely pleased with Hermione's impressive animation of a transfigured inanimate object, turning a log into a fully animated wolfhound, that she was certain to receive top marks. Likewise, Christopher Talbot, who proctored Hermione's Arithmancy exam, had asked Hermione about her work on Penhallow's theory and they ended up talking about it all through lunch.

Her last exam was History of Magic. Severus knew Hermione felt utterly unprepared before going into the exam, but he'd heard her in the corridor with several of the other students quizzing each other on names, dates, places and important legislation and treaties, and he knew she would do fine in her exam. Professor Avoian, had mentioned that Hermione had done well on all of his pop quizzes, not that Severus was at all surprised.

In order to allow the students to blow off steam and to relax after a trying week of exams, he had informed the staff that dinner would be informal and that he'd not be present. Instead he'd asked Mispy to set up the sitting room to his exact specifications, complete with a platter of foods to dip into fondue and small finger sandwiches. He sat in his office, waiting for the sound of the stairs announcing Hermione's arrival. He rose as soon as he heard the stairs move and stood in the center of his office for her to burst through the door.

"Oh, gods, Severus, I blew my exam," she announced even before the door closed.

"I can hardly believe you could have failed," he said calmly, taking her in his arms. Merlin, but he missed holding her. "In all the years I've taught here at Hogwarts, rarely have I had a student that could regurgitate facts and quote books the way you can."

She leaned back, looking up at him. "But I completely spaced on the fourth essay. It was all gibberish, I just know it," she whinged.

"Five short essays and one hundred questions in only two hours – the only part I know you may have blown was by not making your essays short," he teased her, holding her firmly. The trouble was, his body was reacting to their proximity. "As I recall you have penchant for excessive writing. I'm sure you crammed in every detail you can recall into each essay. My deepest sympathies are for the proctor who has to read your tiny script."

"How can you say that?" she screeched. "I..."

He cupped her face and silenced her with a kiss. He tightened his arms around her, trying to fight back the urge to lift her up and set her on his desk to ravage her. She started to murmur something, but it only allowed him to deep their kiss. "Sev-er...sev-rus," she managed before he stopped. "This is serious!"

"Yes, it's serious," he agreed. "I've missed you, woman."

"I haven't been anywhere," she said. "As headmaster won't you get the results first?"

He chuffed a laugh. There is no swaying her if she is this riled up. "No. I won't see them until the students do – the Wizarding Examinations Authority will send me their report, listing the results the same day they mail out the results to all of the students." If anything, those who are residing London would see theirs before the students who lived farther away, but he wasn't going to tell her that, she'd demand to move in with Potter until the results were sent. Severus would have none of that. "So, since you'll have to wait like all the other students, I suggest that you find something else to occupy your mind," he said, lowering his voice to his most seductive drawl while stroking her back and trying not to rub himself on her. Merlin, days of abstinence had made him a letch.

"But dinner is in only in half an hour and I want to change," she said.

He stepped aside and raised his arm, smiling in anticipation of her reaction to his surprise. "You do know as headmaster I can delay dinner," he said as she turned to walk upstairs.

"You wouldn't – just to have sex?" she stammered.

He raised his eyebrow. "Wouldn't I? I thought you knew me by now," he replied following her up. She stopped in the doorway, and he had to shuffle her forward so he could enter the room. The lamb's wool rug covered the floor with small cushions and pillows placed on it for lounging, small cool blue ball flames played in the fireplace, and the fondue stood proudly amongst the food Mispy had prepared. He smiled at the widening of her eyes as she surveyed the scene, one he hoped would work in his favor tonight.

"Or we could simply eat in?" he asked, trying to make his voice sound as smooth as he could – the way he knew turned her on.

He removed his robes and draped it on a chair, wearing only his shirtsleeves and trousers. She liked this look, she'd admitted to him before, she thought it casual and approachable. He hoped it would work to his advantage. "How about it, spend dinner alone with me?" he asked, easing her robes off her shoulders as she let her bag fall to the floor.

She turned to face him as her robe joined his. "Yes."

He clutched her to him, and kissed her, all his pent up frustration from the last two weeks pouring from him. She'd said yes. She clung to him, swaying slightly, and he used her imbalance to move her further into the room, then swept her up in his arms and carried her to the rug. In his eagerness to be laying down on the rung with her, he nearly dropped her as he attempted to kneel on the rug with her in his arms, making her chuckle. He didn't care, she could laugh as long as she let him have her. He leaned over her, capturing her mouth again, or it could have been the other way as they bumped teeth, before melding in another heated kiss. He started unfastening her buttons, feeling her fingers on his. After several seconds of fumbling hands, he swore softly and used his Unfastening Charm, making their clothes hang open.

"Eager?" she breathed.

"Desperately," he said, sliding her top and bra off. "Get out of these woman, or I'll ruin them," he said indicating her skirt as her nails raked over his bare bum. A lot was said for being as lean as he was, his trousers and pants literally slid down to his knees. As she pulled off her skirt and knickers, divesting herself of her socks and shoes, he removed his own clothes, his eyes taking in her perfect body and eager smile.

He moved over her again, widening her legs, or did she open up to him, he was too far gone to care, and positioned his throbbing penis to thrust into her. She lay back fully, reaching out to pull him close, and he felt his tip press into her lips. "You're not wet," he said, sliding himself against her, trying to spread the developing moisture.

"It isn't going to take much," she replied. "I've been so negligent lately."

"No, you've been overly focused and frantically driven in your studies," he said as he eased into her. "Oh gods, Hermione, I need you too much."

"It's all right," she said, her back arching as he slid in little more.

He thrust forward and pulled back, each time able to sink in a little further and her moisture increased with each attempt, but not enough. He knew that he should be paying her more attention, doing something to make her ready but he couldn't help himself.

"More," she hissed as he sunk into her again, thankful that her body was easing more to accommodate him.

He drew back, finally feeling a slick sensation suggesting she was becoming aroused. The problem was he was so desperate for this, had been denying himself in order to allow her as much focus on her exams, that he felt like a randy teenager with little control. He thrust into her hard, burying himself to the hilt. "Oh, gods you feel incredible!"

"You too. Now move," she demanded. He didn't have to be told; he was already withdrawing enough to be able to plunge back in. She moaned deliciously, tilting her pelvis to meet him as he sank back into her. He tried desperately to keep up the slower pace, but his own needs only grew, and his cock so hard and the sensation of being sheathed in her too great, the soft, hot, wetness making thought, any thought, difficult. He began to move in more earnest, his body seemingly to take control. He felt her fingernails trail painfully down his back and he moved faster, urged on by the moans and pleadings coming from the witch below him.

"Gods, Severus, yes!" she said, raising her hip sup to meet his trusts.

"I can...oh, gods, I'm-gods...I," he stammered as his orgasm ripped through him like a tsunami, gushing through him and into her with a raging force. He froze as the aftershocks pulsed down and out of him, taking all of his strength with it. As his heartbeat slowed down so did his realization of what had happened.

"Hermione, I'm..." What could he say? He'd fucked her, let out his own pent up sexual tension and taken what he'd needed, in complete disregard to her needs. He hung his head in shame. "I'm sorry," he murmured, feeling like a complete cad.

"For what?" she asked, and he looked at her. "I have to admit, you were... you needed this." He nodded and made to move off her, but she grasped his arms. "So, that was what? Round one?"

He laughed. Only she'd see it as a round.

"So next time, it's my turn," she stated.

"I need a...I'm not ready to," he admitted as his penis fell out of her.

"So we have our first course, and then, when you've your strength back, we have another go," she said with a grin.

He kissed her nose, already feeling his penis twitch. "Sounds good," he stated, still trying to catch his breath. He looked over at the selections of food, picked out a sliced strawberry and placed it on her nipple. "I could use a little nourishment if we're to have another go at it," he said, sucking on her nipple as he took the strawberry in his mouth. "Now lie there while I gain my strength back," he said, putting a few pieces of cheese on her chest. He picked up a few tiny sandwiches, pulled them open and set them down on carefully selected parts of her body.

"So I'm to be your plate?" she asked as he leaned down and laved the half of tuna sandwich off one of her ribs.

"Yes," he said, eating another that he'd put on a sensitive spot, making her giggle.

"I think I'm going to like this dinner," she replied.

"Good, because you're going to be my desert," he said smoothly, smiling as she squirmed while he took another bite.

~ T B C ~>

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~o0o~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Author's notes:

Sorry, short lemon, but we've almost come to the end here. Two more to go!

I want to thank Arabellabloodgood, my alpha-reader, Proulxes for adding a bit of British flare to my chapter, and my beta, FrankQ, for giving this a read and helping me clean up all my mistakes. I really appreciate it very much.

Thank you also to Jay for my beautiful banner. I really love it!