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The Reckoning	By : Snapeoutofit Category: Harry Potter > Het - Male/Female > Snape/Hermione Views: 22043 -:- Recommendations : 2 -:- Currently Reading : 4
Disclaimer: All characters and settings are the creation of JK Rowling. I own nothing of Harry Potter and make no money from this story.

Chapter List
- 1-One
- 2-Two
- 3-Three
- 4-Four
- 5-Five
- 6-Six
- 7-Seven
- 8-Eight
- 9-Nine
- 10-Ten
- 11-Eleven
- 12-Twelve
- 13-Thirteen
- 14-Fourteen
- 15-Fifteen
- 16-Sixteen
- 17-Seventeen
- 18-Eighteen
- 19-Nineteen
- 20-Twenty
- 21-Twenty One
- 22-Twenty Two
- 23-Twenty Three
- 24-Twenty Four
- 25-Twenty Five
- 26-Twenty Six
- 27-Twenty Seven
- 28-Twenty Eight
- 29-Twenty Nine
- 30-Thirty
- 31-Thirty One
- 32-Thirty Two
- 33-Thirty Three
- 34-Thirty Four
- 21
- 22
- 23
In the weeks that followed, Professor Snape felt woefully uncomfortable as he acclimated to the role of Hogwarts Headmaster. Sure, he had been Headmaster once before, but that had been under completely different circumstances. Had that man truly even been him? When he looked back on his life he felt detached from the previous chapters that had been so dark.
He reflected as he ate a piece of toast and jam in the Headmaster’s office. When he looked back on his life he saw three things. The first was an incredibly dark childhood in which the lead actor felt like an anomaly of himself. When memories of young Severus Snape flashed through his recollection he felt as if he were watching a movie and it all was happening to someone else.
The second thing he remembered was his time as a death eater. While those memories didn’t feel so much as if they were played by an actor, he felt like a shell of a human when he remembered them. He felt little to no emotion when he thought about his days as a liar and a spy and he spent many long nights being troubled by his detachment until Hermione repeatedly explained the inner workings of grief and survivor’s guilt. Now, whenever those memories popped into his head he respected them, but quickly pushed them aside. He couldn’t let himself feel guilty anymore or else it would eat him alive.
And the last thing was his life with her. The sweet, tender woman who had captivated his heart when it had been most vulnerable and taught him that forming relationships built on trust, love, and mutual admiration could set his aching heart free. She helped him to reinvent himself; to find freedom from the walls of the cage he had built and lead the life he had always wanted.
He pushed a few crumbs around on his plate. This was the life he had always wanted, wasn’t it? Hogwarts had been his only home, that is not considering the home he purchased with Hermione. That was a house they shared, it might one day feel like home, but he knew this was it. Sharing his life at Hogwarts with her was all he could have ever hoped for and more.
Now that he had assumed the role of Headmaster, Hermione was in the process of taking over all Potion’s lessons. She was sufficiently equipped to finally become Hogwarts’ sole Potion’s instructor. She was frazzled by the transition, as was he, but their mutual support seemed to keep each of them grounded. He did make her promise that the lab would always be considered ‘their lab’ because he refused to stop brewing, which was fine by Hermione since one of the things that made it fun was doing it together.
Life really did have a funny way of turning out. He took a sip from his teacup before turning his attention to several unopened letters on his desk. ‘Hogwarts’ Headmaster Severus Snape’ was emboldened on the front of each letter.
Minerva surprised him again a week after heading home to recover. She sent him a letter requesting a meeting. Severus had been foolish in assuming she wanted to check on his running of the school. Truthfully, Minerva never had a single concern. When they met for tea, she confided that she felt ready to retire and that the years since the war had been draining on her. She said she would be happy to return to Hogwarts periodically to give lectures and seminars but that she felt it was the right time in her life to focus on herself. Severus could understand that.
It took some time for the reality of her words to set in, however. Minerva McGonagall was not returning to Hogwarts. Initially staff, students, and community members didn’t seem to understand her choice to leave, but eventually they came around. If anyone had earned some time to rest by the seaside it was she.
Snape opened the letter on the top of the pile and began to read. He chuckled when he realized it was from Potter. The letter congratulated him on his new role and informed him of Ginny Weasley’s pregnancy. Severus was already aware because Hermione could hardly contain her excitement after she returned from meeting her friends in Hogsmeade a few weeks back and heard the announcement first hand. She was gushing when she returned home.
The letter then went on in a very formal way to discuss Harry’s heading of the auror team dispatched to Hogwarts. An auror team had been stationed in Hogsmeade and at Hogwarts since the war, but Harry’s new appointment meant that he would become a fixture around the school. Severus was not surprised by the news in the slightest. He knew it was only a matter of time until the boy who lived returned home. Truthfully, at this point he didn’t mind Potter so much and respected the man Harry had become more than he’d ever admit out loud. He penned a quick response inviting him for tea to discuss their plans the following week.
The door opened suddenly and Hermione entered his office. She was smiling as she approached his desk. When he saw her he felt his shoulders drop and he released the tension he hadn’t realized he was carrying. He put his quill down and turned his chair to face her as she rounded his desk. Leaning back in his chair, she came around to stand between his splayed thighs. She picked up a piece of his crust and took a bite as his hands found her hips.
“Good morning,” she said as she bit the toast. “A bit of a late breakfast?”
“Yes. I was too distracted to eat much earlier,” he replied as he rubbed her hip affectionately.
“I was thinking that we have both been so busy these past few weeks and that we should check on the house. Take an evening off.” She picked up some of his crumbs with her fingertip and licked them off.
Severus sighed audibly with a sound of longing. “Hermione there is nothing I’d love more but I don’t think that I can step away right now.”
“Certainly you can. Finish your responses and then have anything else forwarded on. I don’t have rounds this evening and I want to cook for you.” She eyed him carefully. “Please.”
Her smile was sweet and he was powerless to resist her. Truthfully he wanted nothing more than to take off the Headmaster hat for a few hours and give all of his attention to his wife.
He froze as the thought raced through his mind. His wife? She was not his wife. In fact the pair had never discussed marriage in any capacity. Did she want that? Why did he think it? He didn’t know. His hand stilled on her hips as he tried to understand where the intrusive thought came from.
“Severus, are you alright?” She strained to make eye contact with him.
Severus coughed and composed himself. Looking up at Hermione, his gaze met her beautiful eyes. He appeared flustered, but recovered quickly. “Yes. Tonight then. I will make Mr. Filch and the rest of the staff aware.” His hand snuck beneath her shirt and he rubbed the bare skin on her back affectionately as a smile bloomed across her face. She leaned down to kiss him before leaving the office.
Once she was out of sight, Severus let out his breath and raked his hand through his hair. His wife? She basically was for all intents and purposes, wasn’t she? The thought rolled around in his head as his leg subconsciously bounced with anxiety.
When he was young he always imagined that one day he would have a wife and a family. For many years he had seen TV families on muggle sitcoms and imagined what it would be like to be in a family like that. Even when he was rejected by his peers he thoughts that eventually someone had to come along and love him. That person was Lily; he had been sure of it at the time. After losing her he had never thought anyone else would pay any mind to him again.
Severus took a steadying breath before draining the contents of his teacup, which had gone cold several minutes earlier. Turning his attention back to his unopened letters, he tried to finish his responses so that he would not need to keep her waiting.
SSHGSSHGSSHGSSHGSSHG
When Severus and Hermione apparated to London, the smile that was plastered across Hermione’s face was nothing short of adorable. Over the past few weeks she had been working exceptionally hard and he could not have been more proud of her. As they walked up the steps of the modest house he understood why she had wanted to get away so badly and he was grateful for it.
They had gone to the little market down the road to pick up wine and some ingredients for dinner before making their way home. Severus carried the bag of groceries while Hermione unlatched the front door. He put the bag down momentarily as they hung their coats on hooks by the door, and Hermione pulled a bottle of white wine from the bag. Carrying it to the kitchen by the neck, Hermione uncorked the bottle while Severus placed the shopping on the kitchen counter. Hermione began unpacking the bag while he sat at the kitchen island across from her.
Severus took sips from his wineglass as she laid the ingredients on the table. She tied an apron around her waist and he watched her expertly move about the kitchen as she cooked. He couldn’t take his eyes off of her. He set he glass down momentarily and began rolling up his sleeves.
Once the sauce was reducing in a pan and the water was set to boil, Severus drained the contents of his wine glass. He said her name to get her attention and it sounded like a question. She looked up from the countertop that she was wiping clean.
“Hmmm?” Her reply was casual and unsuspecting.
“Hermione, I want to ask you something,” he said carefully.
“Alright,” she said while hanging the linen dish towel on a hook. She leaned against the counter across from him. “Go on.”
She took in the shift in Severus’ demeanor as she watched his tactfully choose his words. It was evident that he was trying to tease out precisely what he wanted to say. She waited patiently for him to begin, but began to worry when he looked as if he would speak and then stopped himself several times.
“Severus, what is it?” He voice was laced with concern.
“Don’t worry,” he said as he refilled his glass and took another sip of his wine. “I had a thought today that I had never had before. It has perplexed me.”
Hermione furrowed her eyebrows. “Well what was the thought? A bad thought?” She took a sip of her wine. False understanding bloomed across her face. She reached for his hand. “Oh Severus, it’s normal for you to be worried about the school, I’d be concerned if...”
“No, this isn’t about Hogwarts,” he looked around the kitchen and picked up his wand to dim the bright lights with a flick of the wrist. He placed the instrument back in the counter. “My subconscious called you my wife today.” He made the statement as if all the air had finally leaked from his tires and he sounded absolutely deflated.
Hermione stared at him for a moment to gauge if he was in fact serious. Upon completing her assessment and concluding that he was not joking she let free a small chuckle, followed by a gigantic belly laugh. As she doubled over, Severus looked around concerned and stood from his chair to peer over the kitchen island.
Hermione tried to compose herself and whipped the linen towel back from the hook to wipe the counter again.
“Your wife? Oh that is rich.” She was wiping tears of laughter from her eyes. “Why on earth would that pop into your head?” She turned back to the stove to dump the pasta into the now boiling pot.
Severus came up behind her. “I had the same reaction, albeit I restrained myself with a bit more composure and tact.”
Hermione chuckled at this. “Composure? I thought you were about to tell me some heavy concern. This, this thought, is nothing.”
“Then why did I have it?” His response came quickly and was whispered against the outer lobe of her ear, causing her to steady as his silky voice swam over her.
“I..I don’t know, Severus,” she said slowly. She felt her body instantly respond to his voice and proximity as she stirred the pasta into the water longer than required. Noticing the change in her state, Severus stepped back and gave her space to turn around.
“Have you ever thought of me as your husband?”
Hermione mulled that over in her head momentarily and he found her thinking expression nothing short of endearing. “By name? No, not that I can recall. But you are all of the things to me that I would associate with you being my husband.”
“Likewise.” Severus’ drawl was thick as he walked around the island and sat back in his chair.
They stared at each other momentarily before Hermione broke the uncomfortable tension by returning to the stove. The pasta was nearly ready but she decided to top off her wine glass before draining the pasta and adding her home made sauce. She reflected that she felt very wifeish in the moment.
She turned to place some items on the island. She glanced up at Severus and their eyes met. When their eyes locked she could feel him burrowing into her thoughts. He had done so on several occasions, but Hermione never minded. At first it felt intrusive until she realized that he only ever did it when he truly felt like he needed to know something that he didn’t yet know, and his mind reading always helped them to further a discussion or solve a problem. When he pulled out she felt a bit dizzy.
“You don’t like it.”
“It’s not that I don’t like it I just haven’t given any of it much thought.” She threw her hands up in frustration before smoothing down her apron. “I am surprised.”
“It doesn’t matter. I’m sorry I said anything,” he said as he walked over to her. He ran his hands through her hair and cupped her face in his hands. “I absolutely love what we have and I wouldn’t change anything.” He kissed her lips softly. “You are the greatest thing that has ever happened and I will never let you go.”
She smiled at him. “Sounds a bit like a vow,” she said cheekily.
A wide smile spread across his face before he kissed her once more. “Let me set our places. I’m starved.” Hermione nodded as Severus moved towards the dining. She licked her lip as she turned back to the stove, replaying the conversation in her mind.
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AN: I’d love to know what you think! Chapter twenty three to follow shortly!
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The Reckoning