Hermione woke slowly, wondering why she was so cold. Yes, Hogwarts got cold even in October, but this was not normal castle cold and she knew she'd banked the fire sufficiently after returning to her rooms from Severus' lab late last night (or early this morning depending on how one looked at it) to ensure she'd be kept warm until it was time to wake up.

Her rooms had never been this cold, she thought groggily as she snuggled further into the comforter.

The feel of the comforter gave her her first conscious thought. It didn't feel like her comforter at all. Hers was, as much as she hated to admit it, very basic. She planned over the Christmas holidays to buy herself better quality bedding. She'd come to discover this, her first school year as something other than a student, that a good night's sleep the night before could make an otherwise bad day tolerable.

That phenomenon had given her insight into why Severus' mood had been so foul over the years. He likely hadn't gotten a good night's sleep since around the time she was born. She noticed this year that even though some of their nights ran long (as last night had) his foul moods were much fewer and far between.

She wasn't the only one who noticed either.

She listened to the gossip enough while students settled into her classrooms or got ready to leave them to know that Severus Snape was no longer totally loathed nor feared. Yes, he was still strict and unrelenting in the taking of house points but few hated him any longer. (Even among the sixth and seventh years who'd had the evil potions master for several classes already by now.)

She dismissed the comforter feeling so much nicer and softer than hers as being her overactive and still tired imagination.

She could not, however, dismiss the weight at her hip and thigh that was definitely not Crookshanks. Crooks was fuzzy, warm, and familiar.

This was none of those things. It felt no less comforting though and she found herself pressing herself closer to it. As a result, she backed into …

A scream tore from her throat as she leapt from the bed. She silently summoned her wand, pointing it at …

"Severus Snape! You scared the hell out of me!"

He was still in bed but very obviously awake and had also summoned his wand. His wasn't pointed at her, though. Either he wasn't really awake yet or he didn't truly think he was under attack in his own bedroom.

"I scared you! You're not the one being woken in your bedroom with a wand pointed at your person! Are you alright? Has something happened? Minerva," he said quickly, moving finally to get out of bed.

"How did you get me here?"

"What?"

He frowned and she couldn't help but swallow as she regarded his bare chest and the sleeping pants that left little to the imagination as to whether he woke mornings as every other red-blooded male in the world did.

She quickly averted her gaze, but he'd caught her staring and wore a smirk that looked both bemused and confused.

"I woke up not just in your room, Severus, but in your bed."

"Impossible. I walked you back to your rooms myself. I even bid your lion tamer a good night."

She nodded. That was what she recalled, too. In fact, she thought for a moment there he might just (finally) kiss her good night, but Kenny had chosen that moment to open his door for some reason.

"So you are okay?" he asked.

"I think so," she said. "We didn't…" she blushed, unable to finish the statement. She glanced at the bedding, saw no evidence that she'd lost her virginity or that anything other than sleeping had occurred and she didn't feel as if anything had happened. "I don't think."

"And Minerva?"

"As far as I know she is fine."

She secretly thrilled at the fact that her well being seemed to take precedence over Minerva's in his eyes.

Silence.

She found herself staring at his chest again. She couldn't help it! Even dressed casually in his private lab just the two of them he'd always been covered. Maybe he'd worn a muggle T-shirt but that was as undressed as she'd ever seen him before now. (The first time he'd worn a T-shirt, exposing his arms and his Mark to her had flattered her because she knew it meant he trusted her whether he wanted to admit that aloud or not.)

They both heard the sound of his floo being activated in the next room and Severus summoned a robe before making his way to his living area.

"Of course you may come through, Minerva."

"I got the most distressing owl from the Ministry this morning, Severus."

"Okay," he said, sounding cautious as Hermione stepped into the living room.

She didn't miss the headmistress' lips thinning as she regarded the two of them. Hermione swallowed, feeling as if she was caught out of her room after hours by her head of house.

Only she hadn't done anything wrong!

"You were saying," Severus said.

"How could you, Severus?"

"How could I what? If they've accused me of something this much after the fact, surely you realize it's a Death Eater trying to get their sentence reduced."

"If I find out you've taken advantage of this witch!"

"Hey," Hermione said. "I can assure you that anything that has or might happen between Severus and myself is consensual."

"Hermione!" Minerva's voice was shrill.

"I know it's unusual that I'm here at this time…"

"Stop it! Both of you! Enough of this nonsense. You're standing here lying to me as if I didn't just find you coming out of your bedroom together or that the Ministry wouldn't tell me that you got married."

"I'm sorry?" Hermione said, which overlapped with Severus' "What?"

"You must really think I'm an old fool."

"We think no such thing, Minerva," Severus said. "May I see the document?"

The headmistress huffed, exasperated no doubt but handed the notice to Severus.

Severus stared at the piece of parchment, looking perplexed but not irate. He obviously read it. That was good.

She hoped.

He scowled, handing it to her to read. He was quiet and calm, which she wasn't sure was a good sign or not of just what was printed on the parchment.

OFFICIAL ANNOUNCEMENT:

THE MINISTRY OF MAGIC HAS RECEIVED NOTIFICATION THAT 

HERMIONE JEAN GRANGER

AND 

SEVERUS TOBIAS SNAPE

HAVE BEEN WED IN BONDED BLOOD MATRIMONY AS OF FRIDAY, OCTOBER 16, 1998, 10:02 P.M.

THIS MARRIAGE IS CERTIFIED AND RECOGNIZED BY THE MINISTRY.

Hermione was sure her mouth had fallen open in a most unflattering way. The parchment went on to say that as their employer Hogwarts needed to be informed and that joint housing would of course be allowed given their marital state.

"I don't understand," she said, reading the parchment for a second and third time. "We weren't working on anything experimental or anything last night," she said.

"No, we were not," Severus said.

"You're saying this is a mistake?"

Severus sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose, regarding Hermione.

"I will admit I had thought of asking Miss Gr…," he paused at that with a shake of his head. He looked mystified, and Hermione had never imagined seeing that look on his face in her life. "Curious indeed. I cannot call her that. Physically cannot."

"It is no longer her name," Minerva said.

"Yes, well I was never physically stopped from calling Tom Riddle something else and I bear his Mark. Regardless," he said, waving his hand. "As I was saying I had entertained the notion of asking Mrs. Snape for permission to court her but I had not to this point asked for permission."

"You were?" Hermione asked.

To say she was both shocked and giddy at that revelation was an understatement. She'd certainly grown … fond of him the past couple of months they'd spent in rather close proximity between meals and brewing. Couple that with the time she spent by his bedside while he was recuperating. She hadn't imagined the feelings had been or ever would be reciprocated. Was she that clueless or had she just missed the signs completely? Yes, last night she'd thought, hoped, he'd kiss her goodnight but when he didn't and hadn't seemed as irritated at Kenny as she was she'd chalked it up to her and not at all him.

"I was, yes. I was going to ask you if you wished me to escort you to the Halloween dance."

"I'd like that," she said with what she knew had to be the most bashful smile she'd probably ever given anyone.

"Well, it seems he will no longer need to ask permission: to escort you to the dance or to court you. Hermione."

"Oh," she said, knowing the bashful smile had been replaced by a frown.

"And you're telling me you know nothing about this?"

"Of course not! You think I'd marry your favorite former student without informing you of that fact first?"

"She came out of your bedroom, Severus, and you are not dressed for the day."

"I woke up here," Hermione said. "I didn't start my night sleeping here."

"Rasher!" Minerva called out. This was immediately followed by a pop signaling the arrival of a house elf.

"Good morning, Headmistress," he said with a bow. "Potions Master and Missy Potions Master." The elf bowed again in their direction. "How is Rasher be serving you?"

"Are you aware how Miss Granger came to be in Professor Snape's rooms?"

"No, Miss Headmaster. Elves are working hard to get Missy Potion Master's things to his rooms as we were prompted to do."

"So no one brought Hermione to these rooms?" Severus asked.

"No, Potions Master, Sir."

"And he would know?" The question was asked of Minerva by Severus.

"He would," she said.

Severus huffed, folding his arms over his chest as he regarded the elf.

"You can leave Miss Gr… Hermione's belongings where they are."

"Potions Master does not want Missy Potions Master in his rooms?"

The elf obviously couldn't hide his shock at the suggestion that the newly wedded pair were going to retain separate rooms.

"Apprentice Gr…," he sighed. "Apprentice Snape and I are unaware of how our marriage happened. So Apprentice Snape should retain her rooms."

The elf looked to the headmistress for direction. She nodded and the elf's eyes got big, his lips quivered. "It is an honour to be married to such a lovely witch," Rasher said.

"Your opinion is noted Rasher. Follow our wishes, please."

Hermione opened her mouth to say something but closed it straight away. He was right. She should keep her rooms. She could not deny that waking up to him had been the … safest she'd felt in. Well she couldn't remember when.

"You are dismissed Rasher," Minerva said

"Rasher is happy to serve," he said with a bow and one parting glance in Hermione's direction. Was that sympathy in the elf's eyes? Toward her? That was unexpected. He disappeared with a pop leaving the three alone again.

"Hermione, why don't you return to your rooms to dress for breakfast. I will get a summary of your evening from Severus and then speak to you separately later to see if there's anything we can determine."

"Alright," she said with a soft sigh, feeling like such a bother and inconvenience.

"I'm sorry, Severus. Minerva," she said, taking the floo from his sitting room to the apprentice's sitting room to ready herself for breakfast as instructed. Would Severus be there?

Her husband.

She was married.

How could that possibly be? She knew the magical world was, well, magical but surely two people couldn't just be married to one another randomly without something signifying it was happening.

For the first time in her life she actually put some care into her appearance as she dressed. Her hair. A bit of makeup (not enough to make her look cheap). A nicer pair of shoes than she might normally wear just to go to breakfast.

And if he didn't show up for breakfast? Or any meal again?

Why did that idea make her feel devastated?

Kenny and Einar both gave a low whistle when Hermione joined them for breakfast. She heard it, as did Neville and (she groaned inwardly) Severus, but no one else likely did.

What did one do when two single wizards complimented you (granted nonverbally) in front of your new husband who despite saying he was wanting to court you did not seem to want to be married to you?

"Good morning, gentlemen," she said before taking her seat next to Severus.

"Good morning, Severus," she said, cautiously.

"Hermione," he said, clearly not enjoying having to call her that publicly. In fact, Neville, Kenny, and Rolanda (who usually sat on the other side of Severus) stopped eating and stared at him.

She almost felt sorry for him.

Almost.

She had not been consulted on where she wanted to stay or what she wanted her name to be. Did she want to be married? Well, not particularly, but she didn't like having the decision made for her either on what to do now that it seemed they were. It seemed Severus and Minerva thought they could make the decisions as if she was still a child. As if she hadn't fought in a war. As if she hadn't helped save the wizard's life she was now evidently married and bonded to.

The rest of the day passed rather uneventfully, considering how it started. No howlers. No Prophet article (she suspected they had Minister Shacklebolt to thank for that). She spoke to Minerva, but apparently had nothing to offer her Severus hadn't already. She had no recollection of going to his room.

He did not invite her to brew with him or to grade papers with him and she was not going to intrude on his solitude if that was what he desired. Obviously it was. Or at least it wasn't her he wanted to spend time with tonight.

Eventually she crawled into bed, Crooks yowling seemingly for her absence last night and her lack of attentiveness to her familiar throughout the day.

"I'm sorry, Crooks," she said. "Good night." She used her wand to turn out the lights and bank the fire to a sufficient level she knew would last through the night before getting comfortable.

She would not go to sleep thinking of what it had felt like for that brief moment she'd realized she wasn't alone in bed before panic set in. She would not think of what he looked like shirtless and wearing sleeping pants that clearly showed her husband was more than sufficiently endowed to make a witch happy. (Not that she had comparisons to make beyond having seen Ronald and Harry in various states of undress during their time on the run.)

Tears formed in her eyes as she gathered Crooks closer to her.

"Why am I good enough to court but not entertain the notion of marrying, Crooks?"

She sighed, realizing it must be her inability to keep her mouth shut. Her being a know-it-all was probably not who or what he wanted to spend every day with. Not to mention even with effort her hair just had a mind of its own and retained its wildness. He was a hero and could likely have any witch he wanted if he endeavored to do so. Certainly ones far prettier and not as awkward socially as she was. She sighed dejectedly at that thought.

"I don't want to be eighteen and divorced, Crooks," she said as the tears really started to fall now. How would she explain that? She had enough going against her in this antiquated world to add the stigma of a sudden marriage and then a divorce into the mix. She'd be humiliated! Would she have to leave? Severus, no doubt, would be able to go on as if nothing happened.

How was that even fair?

Hell, how was it even possible that they were married? Did she even want to be a part of a world where such a thing could happen?

She huffed, frustrated because she knew the answer to that question. She did, she really did. She'd had many, countless really, opportunities to turn tail and run the past seven years if she'd wanted to. She hadn't because she was a witch and she wanted to be here. She wanted to be one of the people who brought the wizarding world into the twentieth century in so many things. She knew it was possible to do, but also knew it wouldn't happen in a day or a week or likely even a year. It may not even be in her lifetime, but she had to start somewhere.

Story ©Susan Matthews/APCKRFAN/PhantomRoses.com