Fallout

Disclaimer: If Rowling and I traded places for a while, it would be a rather large news story. You would be reading about it all over the place, and not just on fan sites. Since there seems to be a distinct lack of news concerning me, you can rest assured that I am not Rowling, and therefore, do not own the characters herein.

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Chapter 11: Fallout

By the time Hermione made her way back to the common room, she was emotionally spent. Her legs were weak and her mind was reeling from all that had occurred that day. Harry and Ginny were playing a not-so-friendly game of wizards chess as she entered through the portrait hole, and greeted her distractedly.

"So, how'd it go?" Harry asked, not really looking at his friend as he was intent on mating Ginny.

Hermione gazed into the fire, trying to find a suitable answer. Finally she sighed. "You know, when I woke up this morning, I actually thought it might be a good day. Silly me, I thought that life might actually be worth living. I thought that I actually had a chance to actually be happy. I realize now that I was actually being intensely stupid and horribly naïve, and that life will, in actuality, never, ever, ever get any better, no matter how hard I try, or what decisions I make."

Ginny didn't take her eyes off the board. "It went well, then?" she asked innocently.

Hermione snorted. Her snort grew into a snicker, which became a giggle, which became a belly laugh in no time. She was on the verge of hysterics when she stopped laughing rather abruptly. She found her friends looking at her with bewildered expressions.

"What happened?" Harry asked, completely serious now, and more than a little afraid that his friend had lost her sanity.

"Let's see. This morning Snape unwittingly forced himself on my mind, then writes a letter that could be deemed an apology, which is something he never does, just to completely fuck with my head. I decide, for God knows what reason, to go look for him, and what happens? I can't bloody find him. So, I give up. I decide to go talk to Remus, forgetting, in the chaos that is my mindset, that the moon is full tonight, and that Remus is undergoing experimental potions that make him seriously un-tame."

She paused for breath, noting her friends faces had turned from worried to horrified. "Don't worry, as you can see, I'm still hale and hearty, thanks largely to our dear Potions professor, who, after a few choice words on either side, gave me a rather fierce tongue lashing leading to..." Slightly amused at Harry's expression of horror and disgust, she paused again, before finishing lamely, "An almost bad situation."

"What the hell happened?" Harry had yet to reach a critical anger level, but Hermione hoped to avoid any display of his temper. She was pretty sure she wouldn't be able to deal with it tonight.

"I just told you."

"What did you mean by, 'an almost bad situation'?" Ginny, of course, latched on to the one thing Hermione had really not wanted to go into or even think about.

Hermione covered her face to stifle the scream she felt building in her chest. After rubbing her face vigorously a few times she dropped her hands and looked at her friends.

"Listen, I know that you want answers, but I've had enough. What I need right now, more than anything else, is to go sleep this adrenaline off. I'll discuss it with you in the morning." She stopped Ginny from saying anything with an upraised hand. "I will be screaming shortly if I don't go right now." And with that, she got up and left, leaving her friends completely flummoxed.

She stormed off to her room and warded the door firmly shut. No one, no friends, no werewolves, no Snape, not even the Headmaster, was going to bother her that night.

She undressed, changing into her night clothes as quickly as possible to avoid seeing the bruises developing on her body. Snape had not been gentle in any of his actions that evening. He had literally thrown her across the corridor when he saved her from Lupin, and then had pinned her against the wall - twice. She was sure her back would be marked.

XXX

Saturday

She was rather surprised to find herself waking the next morning to a loud rhythmic thumping. Sleep had been completely unexpected, and she had no memories of dreams or even being sleepy the night before. Slowly gaining consciousness, she groaned as she rolled over, deciding to ignore the person at the door.

"Come on, Hermione!" a muffled voice said, barely audible. "We're taking you down to breakfast whether by choice or by force, so you better be getting ready!"

Hermione snorted. She was pretty sure her friends would not be able to undo her wards. Then again, how long had they been at her door? Given enough time, Harry would be able to crack them, especially if he had Ginny's help. That red-head was better than her twin brothers for getting around obstacles, if she really felt the need.

Groaning again, she muttered that she'd be there in a moment, and got up. Her back objected painfully as she hobbled across the room to the lavatory. She hoped she had some potions in her cabinet to ease the pain; walking down to the Great Hall would be torture without some medicinal help.

Looking into the mirror she gasped. Though her face was looking less peaky than it had in ages, mirror image bruises on her arms caught her attention. She touched the darker one tenderly, noticing how small her hand looked compared to the purple hand print wrapping itself around the curve of her shoulder. Cupping it gently, she noticed it was sore, but looked much worse than it felt. She twisted round to see how her back had fared, but was surprised to see only a slight reddening on her shoulder blades. Her back felt like her arms looked.

Another rapid knock on the door startled her out of her macabre thoughts, and she quickly started her ablutions. She had just finished brushing her teeth and had headed back to her bedroom to dress, when the door burst open and her two friends spilled into the room, headed by Professors McGonagall and Snape, both looking concerned.

Hermione squeaked and covered her chest with her robe, while her Head of House looked both embarrassed and relieved, turning quickly to chivvy everyone out of the room, lest they see too much. Hermione's mortified gaze was on Snape though, who was looking aghast at her exposed arms.

He wrenched his eyes up to meet hers for an agonizing second, his shocked face open for her to read. Emotions filled his normally blank face, fear and self-loathing being the easiest to read. She felt like he was almost pleading with her, asking forgiveness, or understanding, but not expecting it. He broke eye contact first, looking back down at her bruises, his brows contracting with a violent flinch.

"It seems that Miss Granger is just a little slow this morning, not suicidal as you all feared. Now I suggest we leave her room and allow her to finish her preparations," McGonagall said in an icy voice, which was nothing compared to the look she was aiming at her colleague, whose eyes had become glued to Hermione's chest. After making sure everyone had left the room, McGonagall turned and pointed her sharp eyes at Hermione, her mouth tightening when her eyes passed over the bruises.

"Severus came over to discuss last night's adventures with me. I suppose Mrs. Potter interrupted before the tale was finished..." McGonagall mused distractedly, as though to herself. She abruptly brought her eyes up to Hermione's and continued in her normal brisk manner, "It seems as though your friends were concerned about your well-being when they came to fetch you for breakfast and encountered your formidable wards. Combined with their description of your mood last night, they understandably feared the worst," McGonagall explained. "I apologize for our intrusion, though you could have simply put up a do not disturb note, or let us know you were all right vocally, my dear." She looked at Hermione's arms again, and pursed her lips a little more.

"I -" Hermione was cut off in her own defense with a wave of McGonagall's imperious hand. The professor's voice was softer when she continued speaking, ignoring Hermione's interruption.

"I want to see you eat a good breakfast, Hermione, after which the Headmaster expects you in his office to discuss... everything." Her teacher turned around, and Hermione almost missed the next sentence; she wasn't sure she heard right when the Professor said under her breath, "Meanwhile, I am going to have a little chat with that pitiful excuse of a man. See if I ever sympathize with him again."

McGonagall closed the door behind her, leaving Hermione feeling a tad on the shaky side. Not only had her wards been broken and her room invaded, but she had been assaulted by the look on Snape's face when he saw the bruises. He was obviously horrified and ashamed.

Nothing's ever simple, she mused. She wanted to label Snape as evil and just be done with him. However, the look he had given her was too raw and vulnerable to ignore completely, though she could always try.

XXX

When she and her friends entered the Great Hall, Hermione was relieved to find it nearly empty. The few students who were there didn't even give them a second glance, to which Hermione breathed a sigh of relief. Last night's adventures weren't common knowledge, yet. She dreaded telling her friends what had happened.

As if on cue, Ginny chose that moment to ask, "So, what happened last night, 'Mione?"

"Have I ever told you how much I loathe that nickname, Ginevra?" Hermione replied, knowing how much Ginny hated her full name.

"You're not getting me off-topic that easily, Hermy," Ginny continued, disregarding her friend's glare. "Judging by how upset you were last night, and Snape's reaction this morning, I know something happened."

"How did you get those bruises?" Harry's voice was quiet and unassuming compared to Ginny's, but it caught their attention quickly. Ginny looked from her husband to her friend, her eyes narrowing with judgment.

"What did that bastard do to you?" Ginny's voice was hard. Harry looked at her confused for a second, before a red wave of understanding swept through his face. Before he could speak, though, Hermione held up her hand to still him.

"Harry, don't do anything rash. It's not like he beat me up or anything. You know that I wouldn't stand for that, and that he would have been tossed out of the school before dawn if that were the case." Harry seemed to calm down a bit, but she could tell he was not in a receptive frame of mind. "Look, I'll tell you what happened, but you have to swear that you'll leave Snape alone, at least until the end of term. Hexing a teacher is just such bad form."

Harry smiled reluctantly at her bad joke, and agreed. "That's only if he doesn't lay a hand on you again, mind," he warned. "If he hurts you again..." He didn't need to finish the threat, as they all knew what he was capable of.

"Just remember you have a wife now, Harry. You have a responsibility to not be a stupid prat, landing yourself in Azkaban," Ginny warned in a tone eerily similar to her mother's.

"Ginny, if I want to hex Snape's bollocks off because he's the world's biggest prick to Hermione, then that's my prerogative and the only say you have is where I should hex them to."

Ginny's glare at her husband was fierce, but her angry retort was interrupted by a wistful sigh from Hermione.

"You two are so lucky, you know that, don't you?"

Ginny and Harry were both stunned out of their argument and looked askance at their friend. They set aside their differences with one side glance confirming the other's thoughts: Hermione had gone off the deep end.

"You two love each other so much, and you know it," Hermione continued, ignoring their side glances. "You're safe in your arguments to say what you feel because you know each other and trust each other to not overstep. You know each other's boundaries... I'm envious."

"Yeah, what woman doesn't dream of fighting with her husband?" Ginny said sarcastically.

"Come on, Ginny, you know what I mean. Look at me and Remus. Yes, we're going to have arguments every now and again, but they'll be polite. We both know that if we have a major blow up we'll just be tearing our very fragile relationship apart."

"Yes, but that relationship isn't going to be fragile forever, Hermione. You'll grow together and learn each other's boundaries, like Harry and I did during our friendship."

"But you and Harry had open hearts. Remus... I don't have that option."

Ginny looked at her, a stalled look on her face as she suddenly understood the situation. "Oh no. Don't tell me he's pledged..." she trailed off as Hermione nodded sadly.

Ginny got up and rushed over to hug her friend, knowing now that the situation was hopeless.

"Oh, Hermione! Why are you going through with it then?"

"What other choice do I have, really?"

"What about Snape? I'd wager anything he loves you. You should have seen his reaction when I told McGonagall that we thought you might be hurting yourself. He looked like he was about to be ill he was so green, then suddenly started questioning me really quickly. He was like a man possessed."

"He probably felt guilty. I'm sure he thought he was the one who 'pushed me over the edge.' He's the one who gave me these bruises, Gin." Hermione sighed, but continued quickly seeing Harry's finger his wand. "He didn't mean to, and frankly, that's even scarier. We had a big blowup last night, and things got carried away. I was so high off of the adrenalin that I didn't even have the sense to be scared of him." She told her friends exactly what happened as she remembered, even the appalling truth of how much she had desired him.

"And then he said, 'You assume too much,' and strode off into the night, leaving me completely alone."

To Hermione's surprise, Harry defended Snape.

"Hermione, for a brilliant witch, you certainly can be stupid sometimes."

"What's that supposed to mean, Harry? You're not saying that Snape was actually in the right, are you?"

"Of course not, but don't you see what he was doing first?"

Hermione stared at him, trying to figure out what he was talking about. Ginny cut in.

"He was showing you he cared, then you rejected him. Not that that's any excuse, mind."

Hermione's mouth dropped open in horror. "But, I wasn't... it was... Oh bugger!" Hermione dropped her head to the table with a thunk. "I told him it felt wrong." She left her head on the table, trying to think everything through.

"Even if we did manage to sort everything out, given that I'm so clueless, he still isn't someone to mess with. He did hurt me."

"Do you think it was intentional? Did he mean to hurt you?"

Hermione laughed bitterly. "How many abusive people actually 'mean it', Ginny? They always have their excuses." She shook her head in disgust. "He lost control, Ginny. If I had acted the wrong way he might have done more than just squeeze my arms and slam me against the wall. He might have lashed out with fists, or worse yet, his wand." They were silent for a bit, lost in thought. Eventually, Hermione added reluctantly, "but seeing his face today when he saw the marks... it was obvious he was disgusted with himself. He really didn't mean it, nor was he aware of how much force he had exerted."

"That's one of the problems, though, isn't it?" Harry said. "Whenever he loses control he wouldn't realize he was hurting you until it was too late, and the damage was done. It only escalates."

Hermione nodded, but Ginny furrowed her brows.

"I just wonder how long it will take before your relationship with Remus sours, though."

"Why is it such a hopeless situation with Remus?" Harry asked, still not clued in.

"If what I gather is true, Remus has magically bound his heart to someone else. It can't be undone. He'll never love Hermione and if she chooses him and falls in love it will always be unrequited." Ginny explained. "The worst thing is that it's the one time when you do die from a broken heart. Even if Remus' beloved died, it would just mean that Hermione would become a widow."

Harry digested the information slowly. Hermione could see him trying to understand what exactly her decision entailed.

"I've never heard of a successful relationship with a bound and non-bound couple. Usually the non-bound person ends up mad or killing their spouse," Ginny continued to Hermione.

"Do you really think I would kill Remus, Ginny? He's my friend. We'll work something out so that we'll both be as happy as we can be."

"You don't understand. There's strong magic behind a bound heart, that's one of the reasons it's illegal. Once invoked, the hearts become one and together they either grow strong, if the love is equal, or kill each other off if it's tainted. In theory, it can be a powerful means for change, because love can't be contained. It radiates off people. And that's why the spell is considered dark magic - love is an attractor. With a bound heart, the love is so strong that you will fall in love with Remus, it's just a matter of when."

"Doesn't it have an antidote of some sort, something to protect the unbound person?"

"Nothing's been found yet. How do you kill love without becoming dark?" Ginny continued while Hermione paused to chew on that thought. "It is like other magics though. The stronger the person withstanding it, the longer it takes, but talk about constant vigilance! You'd never be able to let your guard down around Remus."

"What happens when one person binds their heart, but not the other?" Harry asked curiously.

"The bound person dies. It's supposed to be like having your heart drained; it slowly withers away."

"So if Remus hadn't found her and bound himself to her, she would have died," Hermione said more to herself than her friends. She understood now why Remus had said, 'It was only fair.' Obviously their love was equally matched. Something still wasn't adding up, though.

"I've never come across any mention of this before. How do you know about it?" Hermione asked, while trying to think of what was wrong with the explanation.

"Back in the late 19th century one of my great aunts died because she had bound her heart to her lover. Her husband gradually went starkers and killed her, among others. My mum told the story as a cautionary tale to all of us kids. We didn't want to end up like Uncle Jack."

"Who would want to bind themselves in such a manner? I mean, what are the benefits?" Harry asked, rather disgusted.

"It's a grand romantic gesture, Harry. There are some people out there foolish enough to do anything for the sake of 'romance'. But beyond that, if the love is equal, it can be a really wonderful, overwhelming experience. Our magic is tied to our emotional center, and combining it with another's like that makes it possible to be very strong indeed. Also, I heard the sex becomes almost literally divine."

Harry smirked at Ginny and waggled his brows at her. "Oh, so there's no reason at all for us to consider it," he teased. Ginny reached around Hermione and smacked Harry on the arm, scowling.

"What I don't get," Hermione said, ignoring the banter, "is why Remus' beloved's husband hasn't been affected. Shouldn't he be mad, or have tried killing her by now? It's been something like twenty years."

"Maybe he is mad. He might be interned at St. Mungo's like the Longbottoms. That wouldn't release her from her vows."

Harry was rubbing his forehead unconsciously, concentrating hard. He finally sighed and looked at Hermione.

"Don't consign yourself to misery just because Ron is gone. He was a good mate, but I'm sure he was not the only person you'll ever be able to love."

Hermione was floored. "What should I do, then? After last night Professor Snape isn't an option."

"Why not?" Ginny asked.

"He lost control, Ginny! He's always been a bastard to us, he's mean, vindictive and petty. I would be stupid to believe he would change all that just because we got married."

"But if he loves you..." Ginny protested.

Hermione sighed and rubbed her forehead aggressively before looking at her friends. "Did I ever tell you about my Aunt Amy?" she asked, knowing the answer. It was not something she liked talking about. When her friends shook their heads, she resigned herself to continuing.

"Amy wasn't really my aunt, she was my mum's best friend from Uni, but she was like an aunt to me. She was so wonderful - clever and kind and beautiful and vivacious. She heaped affection on all of us, because that's the kind of person she was. Whenever she came over she would bring me a book to borrow. I always got the impression she was invincible. Needless to say, I adored her.

"Anyway, when I was nine, she met a man, Uncle Richard," Hermione's voice grew quite bitter upon saying his name, and her nose wrinkled in disgust. "She fell head over heels in love with him and they got married within the year. I met him at the wedding and though he seemed charming enough, there was something I didn't like about him, and I didn't know why. My parents explained the nature of jealousy to me, but it was beyond that. Everyone shrugged it off as an irrational, childish reaction because to everyone else it was obvious how in love they were.

"After she was married, Amy didn't come by for quite a while, which I was told was perfectly normal for a newlywed. Finally, after a few months, she and Dick came by for dinner.

"He still seemed charming and affable, but his jokes all seemed to be based on Amy's faults. I was looking for it, but even my parents caught it. Amy, however, seemed not to notice. She thought he was hilarious.

"The next time Amy came by for afternoon tea, my mum harassed her about it. Amy insisted that Richard was just being funny; it was his way of showing affection. My mum rightfully called that poppycock. Amy got really mad and stormed off, not talking to my mum for ages. Amy didn't forgive my mum until I was about to head off here.

"Long story short, it wasn't until last Christmas that Amy admitted that she needed to leave Dick. She was almost unrecognizable from the woman I had grown up with. No longer vivacious at all, she looked spiritually beaten. She'd been convinced that Dick was the right man: that despite his faults he was good and honorable. It had broken her when he'd finally hit her.

"She was smart enough not to tell him she was leaving him when she finally got the nerve to go, but... he came home unexpectedly when she was finishing up packing, and he went into a rage. From what I've been told, he lost all control. She died that night from internal bleeding, he beat her so badly."

Hermione stopped. Harry and Ginny looked at her with sympathy for a moment, before Harry got up the nerve to speak.

"I'm sorry about your aunt, but she loved her husband. Do you think she would have been so vulnerable otherwise?"

Hermione closed her eyes, praying for strength. "The only difference her love made was how fast he managed to break her. I'll admit that it would probably take more than a few years for Snape to get me to that state, but you're the one who pointed out how manipulative Snape is, Harry, how he's been in my mind and might know how to get into my heart. Besides, after all I've been through this week I realize I'm not as strong as I was before the war, emotionally. I don't know how much resistance I would have to his manipulations and put downs."

"But if he loves you..." Ginny repeated.

"I'm pretty sure Dick loved Amy, too, in his perverse way. By all accounts he was devastated when she died. He didn't even offer a defense. He just lost control over his rage."

"But Lupin-"

"Is the best choice I have. Even if Snape hadn't bruised me, I will not marry a man with control and anger issues. The wedding is supposed to be tomorrow. It's been announced, even if most people don't know I'm involved. Besides killing myself, which I will not do, there isn't another option, short of bowing to the law."

"What about a random Muggle?"

"I was joking about that. There's the distinct possibility that I would get tossed out of the magical world if I did that, and if I didn't have magic, both my husband and I would be sitting ducks. That's why I'm getting married in the first place - before the law passes."

The three of them were silent, each trying to think of a viable option. After a while Hermione sighed and stood up.

"Professor McGonagall said the Headmaster wanted to see me after breakfast, so I should go. Thanks for listening, guys." She bid them adieu then walked off, hoping she had chosen the better fate.

XXX

When Hermione knocked on Dumbledore's office door, she was called in with a gentle "Enter." Dumbledore greeted her from his desk with a friendly, albeit slightly worried, expression.

"Please, have a seat, Miss Granger." He waved her to a comfy chair, and waited until she was settled before continuing.

"I talked with Remus earlier this morning and he was very concerned about your well-being. I am most relieved to see you are in good health. I also had a quick chat with Severus and Minerva. It seems many people were concerned about you this morning." He paused to look at her over his half moon glasses, but she ducked her head in shame, wanting to avoid his gaze.

"I'm sorry to have caused trouble, sir. I don't really have any excuse."

"My dear girl! We are all concerned about your well-being, and if that's trouble, we all participate willingly. You are not to blame for the circumstances you find yourself in. If you've been a little more reckless than usual, I think everyone understands that you've been under extraordinary stress lately, and we're all aware of how stress can modify behavior. Just look at Professor Snape. Under normal circumstances I believe he has the most self control of anyone I've ever met, but under extreme stress even he can lose that careful control."

"Are you trying to excuse what he did?"

"I am aware that he saved you from Remus last night." His tone was carefully neutral, which made Hermione snort. She could tell he knew the edited version.

"Yes, he did. I'm very grateful to him for that."

"But there is something you cannot forgive him for?"

Hermione sighed and looked up at Dumbledore. He was observing her carefully, as if trying to figure out the best course from her reactions.

"He did several things which would be considered unacceptable, but what I can't forgive him for is violating my trust in him. He lost control twice yesterday, and that scares me more than my experience with Remus did."

Dumbledore looked at her carefully for a minute more, then leaned back in his seat, sighing slowly.

"Yes, the breaking of trust is a most serious offense. One that takes the longest to recover from." He smiled sadly at her. "Ironic, really. The only reason he lost control in the first place was because he was so worried about you."

"I don't believe it," Hermione said flatly. "He has been nothing but cold and calculating towards me. He hasn't ever shown an ounce of concern!"

"We all show our emotions differently, Hermione, as you know. Severus may not be a conventionally pleasant person under the best circumstances, let alone under duress, but he snarks because he cares."

Hermione stared at the Headmaster as if he was mad. She could understand the logic, but it held no emotional resonance for her.

"And that excuses his treatment of me?" she said rather shrilly.

"No, my dear. He had no right to lose control, but it is not as if he raised his hand to you."

Acting before thinking, Hermione whipped up her sleeves, revealing the proof of Snape's lack of control. Dumbledore's eyebrows shot up and a flash of rage coursed through his eyes for an instant, though he tempered his face so quickly she almost missed it. He contemplated her bruises for a moment before saying anything.

"At what point did you receive those marks?" His voice was less tender, though Hermione understood he was not angry at her.

"I think it was during our last argument. That was when he grabbed me and..." Hermione trailed off, realizing that she was getting Snape into a load of trouble, but it was too late to stop at that point. Dumbledore looked at her to continue. "He grabbed me and slammed me into the wall," Hermione finished in a resigned tone. Dumbledore's face grew a notch tighter for a moment, then relaxed into a sad frown.

"I see," was all he said.

"Sir, there's no excuse for what he did, but at the same time, I know that he had no intention of hurting me. When he saw the bruises this morning -"

"When was that?" Dumbledore interrupted sharply.

"He was with the rescue squad." Dumbledore gave her a relatively blank stare in answer. "Harry, Ginny, Professors Snape and McGonagall broke into my room this morning thinking I was suicidal. I was just slow getting up. They kind of caught me in a state of undress, which is how Professor Snape saw the bruises." Dumbledore nodded his understanding, looking thoughtful, if annoyed, and waved her to continue.

"Anyway, when Professor Snape saw the bruises he looked mortified. I don't think he had any idea how much strength he was putting into his actions. I don't think it should qualify as an attack on me, sir."

"Conscious attack or not, it was completely inexcusable. However, I will deal with him later. For now I believe we have other topics to discuss."

"Sir, before we move on, may I ask when you talked to the Professors?"

Dumbledore sighed slightly, an unusual rancor about him. "I last spoke with Severus during our breakfast with Remus this morning, but I spoke with Minerva not half an hour ago." Hermione heard the bitter edge in his voice, and was glad she wasn't in Professor McGonagall's place at the moment. She wondered why the Professor didn't tell Dumbledore about the bruises.

"I see," she said faintly.

"I believe the important question now is whether you still wish to proceed with the wedding tomorrow?"

"Er, I don't really see any other choice, sir." Hermione answered. Furrowing her brows and biting her lip she added, "Isn't Remus usually pretty worn out by the end of the cycle?"

"Usually, yes. The fortunate result of the current experimental potion is that his transformations aren't nearly as taxing. He will be tired, but not ill."

"Oh, well then, that's good." Hermione was struck by an irrational wave of melancholy thinking about how after tomorrow she would be a married woman.

"My parents won't be able to come, will they?" Hermione's eyes shot open in realization and she clapped her hand over her mouth in horror. After a startled moment, she lowered her hand to speak. "In fact, do they even know about what's going on? Oh my Lord, they're going to be so upset that I haven't told them anything. If I just bring home a husband after term and say, 'Hey, mum and dad, I'm home, and by the way, I had to get married over Easter to avoid a Death Eater plot, and this is my husband. Don't worry, he's a nice guy. I've known him since he was my Professor when I was fourteen!' they will kill me, after figuratively and literally drilling Remus to pieces."

Hermione was almost hysterical when she finished her little monologue, but Dumbledore calmly responded before she could think more on her parents' reactions to her accidental silence.

"They already know about the arrangements, Miss Granger. I alerted them myself as soon as I knew. I thought you would be otherwise occupied for the time being." He offered her a smile, along with a lemon sherbet. Accepting the sweet, she calmed down as she digested the news.

"And as for them attending your wedding, those details have already been arranged. They will be arriving at 1:30 this afternoon via portkey." Hermione looked at him in disbelief for a moment as he winked at her, before an enormous grin overtook her face. The difference was astounding to her appearance, and Dumbledore smiled back beatifically in response.

"Oh, thank you Professor Dumbledore! I have been dreading going through this without my mum here. I know I'm supposed to be grown-up now, but..." a lump in Hermione's throat cut her off as she tried to explain. Dumbledore patted her hand from across the desk, still smiling at her.

"There, there child. Just because you are of age now does not mean you need your mother any less. I still wish I had my mum to talk to every now and again. She always had such sensible advice." Hermione smiled as she wiped her eyes with her robe.

"I am so glad. Thank you," she said, sincerely.

"It was the least I could do, considering the circumstances. I know this isn't an easy decision for you."

"What decision?"

"You've always had options open to you, you just deemed them either inappropriate or unacceptable."

"Frankly, I don't find this option either appropriate or acceptable, but it's better than dying."

Dumbledore smiled at her, a small twinkle in his eye. "Indeed," he said jovially.

They discussed the basic wedding plans for the better part of an hour. When she was about to leave, Dumbledore stopped her.

"Oh, I nearly forgot. Remus would like to speak with you and meet your parents. I suspect he needs to be reassured about your well-being with his own eyes."

Hermione bit her lip again, a feeling of dread creeping up on her. "Of course. I'll let my parents unpack and then we'll go together. I'll be sure not to lose track of the hour this time."

Dumbledore smiled, and wished her a good afternoon.

XXX

Hermione waited almost patiently in the Great Hall for her parents' arrival. She had opened Runic History of the Ages, but found herself repeating the same paragraph over and over without having a clue as to what it said. Finally she put the book down and looked at her watch again. 1:20. Ten more minutes.

She started pacing around the tables, counting the stones to keep her mind off of the inevitable meeting. The feeling of dread had been growing substantially all morning. She knew that her parents had to meet Remus at some point, and that they would probably object to his age and condition, but she hadn't really processed the knowledge.

They were going to go ballistic.

They would accept her decision, eventually, as they respected her choices, but they were not going to be happy about it.

"At least it isn't Snape they'll be meeting," she muttered under her breath. She couldn't even imagine how her parents would react to him.

A noise from the other end of the hall made her look up quickly in anticipation. Her bright face quickly darkened when she saw the dark figure coming toward her.

"What do you want, Professor?" she said, barely concealing her dislike. He stopped a few meters away, as if wary of her.

"I want the impossible, Miss Granger," he said sadly. Hermione looked at him more closely and noticed his frown lines were more pronounced than she had ever seen them. His back wasn't quite as straight as usual, and as she scrutinized him, he crossed his arms almost defensively. She had the impression of a man who was defeated, and she didn't like it at all. He was supposed to be the unbendable, unflappable, ever scowling Bat of the Dungeons. He was supposed to be confidence personified, even if overly cruel. To have him stand before her like a chastised school-boy struck down that last illusion of him as anything other than a mere human. She swallowed the lump of disillusion and tried to keep her face neutral.

"That isn't very precise, Professor. I suggest you come up with a more accurate answer if you want to be addressed with any respect at all."

"I have no expectations of respect from you, Miss Granger," he said as his face became hard with the words. She was opening her mouth to make another smart remark when he added, "Nor do I deserve any."

Hermione's open mouth dropped a little further. Snape was apologizing? It wasn't him. It couldn't be. It had to be a polyjuice replica. She was so intent on working out who the impostor could be she almost missed his next words.

"I had no idea I was so harsh last night. I hope that..." he paused, swallowing. "I am grateful you had the presence of mind to stop me before anything more distasteful came to pass."

Hermione snapped her mouth shut and frowned at the man before her. "That wasn't the part that pissed me off, you prick! Okay, that's not true, it pisses me off that you could be so disrespectful to Remus as to seduce me like that, but that's almost irrelevant."

She paused for a moment and frowned in thought. "Actually, never mind," she continued. "That's the heart of my problem with you. Disrespect. You demand respect from everyone, and as a teacher you deserve at least a modicum, but your own behavior is not above reproach. You taunt your students, terrifying them into puddles, then gleefully dock points and assign detentions if they happen to show any backbone. You are perfectly nasty to everyone you meet, yet expect them to lie before you in deference to your superiority.

"Last night's snogging session was betraying Remus, my fiancé, and the fact that you didn't realize how disrespectful that was, and then spurned my explanation because of your own hurt feelings was completely unacceptable!"

"I wasn't the one betraying Remus, if I remember correctly," he responded angrily, though carefully not moving toward her.

"Exactly my point, Severus!" she yelled. "You become defensive when I tried to explain that I have a code of honor, and cheating on one's fiancé definitely goes against said code!"

Snape went silent and looked away from her angrily. She moved toward him, concentrating on calming herself before she spoke again.

"Imagine if positions were reversed, and I had been kissing Remus while engaged to you." Snape grimaced, visibly trying to choke back his disgust at the thought.

"I wouldn't want to hurt you like that, just as I didn't want to hurt Remus. That you don't seem to understand..." Hermione let out a big sigh, trying to find the right words, but failing at that, she decided to move on.

"And then when you lost control and slammed me against the wall, well, that sealed the deal right there. You just can't do that. You destroyed any trust I had in you." Snape observed her standing out of his reach and set his jaw firmly. She could see shame filling his eyes in understanding. He swallowed again, and cleared his throat before responding.

"You are an insufferable know-it-all, aren't you?" he said almost affectionately. "Two points to Gryffindor for a well met explanation. I understand now, Miss Granger, but remember," his voice growing sterner, "you still owe me a life debt."

Hermione's eyes sparked in anger, which only intensified when she saw he was completely serious, and wasn't going to be denied. "You dare... you incorrigible... vile..." She trailed off, not able to think of words vicious enough to describe him.

"I cannot demand the payment I wish, nor do I deserve it," he said softly, and stepped up to loom over her, "but if you can ever offer me this, I will be in your debt."

She crossed her arms and glared at him, incensed by his lack of tact. "What?" she spat.

"Try to forgive me." She waited for him to complete the thought before realizing that was the request. He looked down at her and deliberately let his mask down for a moment or two. She saw his pain and humiliation, and his overwhelming sorrow. It nearly broke her heart seeing how vulnerable he was behind all the fear and rage.

She could also see his desire for her, and something deeper and more reverential in spirit. Even in his cold black eyes she could see it might be love. It was a breathtaking show of trust. She stepped back, overwhelmed by his emotion.

Swallowing a sob, she nodded slightly. Snape went still before her, a stunned expression on his face. He leaned in slightly, as if to hear a whisper, disbelief written across his features.

"You will try?" he croaked out, his voice almost unrecognizable with emotion.

"I do," she corrected, earning another stare of disbelief, this one through bright eyes.

"Mind you, I still don't trust you, and if you ever treat me like that again you will face my wrath as well as my fury," she pointed out reasonably. "And after dealing with me you'll have to face Harry." Snape did not scoff as she expected, but merely nodded in acceptance, a whisper of a smile on his lips.

Her feeling of communion was shattered when a discreet cough alerted the two they were not alone. Spinning around, Hermione flushed when she saw her parents standing there, and wondered how much they had witnessed. The wave of relief at seeing the two loving faces quickly shunted the embarrassment to the side, though.

"Mum, Dad! I'm so glad you came!" she cried, running toward them with the enthusiasm of a child. They embraced in a warm reunion, and upon breaking, her dad directed Hermione's attention back to Snape.

"And this is Remus, I assume?"

Hermione flushed again, this time much deeper, before quickly saying, "Er, no, Dad, this is Severus, er, Professor Snape."

"Oh, pleased to meet you," he said, extending his hand to the professor, who shook it politely. Mr. Granger turned back to his daughter plainly confused. "The note we received said you were engaged to a Remus Lupin." he said. Hermione looked back at Snape, who had not reverted to his normal scowl; he had an almost pleasant look on his face, though there was a gleam in his eye she didn't like.

"Oh, I am," she said, and blushed even more deeply. She noticed Snape's face darken slightly before turning her attention back to her dad. "Remus would like to meet you today and introduce himself." Seeing her dad was still a little confused she elaborated, "Professor Snape was just here to offer some points toward solving a tricky problem we've been working on. I think we're now on the same page, though," she said, smiling over at him.

He arched an eyebrow and slowly shook his head in disagreement. His face was back to an almost pleasant demeanor, but there was a calculating look that disturbed Hermione.

"No, Miss Granger, I doubt we will ever be on the same page," he said in much harsher tones than he had used previously. He then smoothed out his voice and added, "I believe you are reading a very different book than I."

He turned to her parents, and said, "Your daughter has always exceeded my high expectations and always will. She is an extremely talented witch, and a beneficent person." He then bowed genteelly, and swept from the room.

"Your professor seems like a nice man," Mrs. Granger commented.

Hermione closed her shocked eyes and willed herself not to laugh.

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AN: Before you flame me about Dumbledore using the word 'snarks', I do realize that it is a) not really in character, b) not an appropriate form of the word, and c) not really British, but I claim literary license for this one. My reason? It amuses me.

As much as I would like to promise a speedy update, I can't do that for the next chapter. I promise I'll get it out as soon as is possible, but in the meantime will post a teaser on my livejournal at some point in the near future. Cheers!