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The New Life	By : lilith395 Category: Harry Potter > Het - Male/Female > Snape/Hermione Views: 14592 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 2
Disclaimer: I do not own anything to do with Harry Potter and I don't earn anything from these stories.

Chapter List
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A/N: A very Merry Christmas to all of you! I just wanted to take a moment and wish everyone that, no matter what you do or how you spend it, (whether it's with family, friends, alone even) have some fun! (I know I won't... I am not particularly fond of family gatherings. any gatherings for that matter) I will be taking a day off tomorrow, so I will be posting our couple's Christmas day on the 26th. Please enjoy!

Realisations

“I want to welcome everyone to our annual….” Lucius is giving his annual speech. I am already bored to tears, and it’s probably not going to get any better. Once more I stand with the family, and Granger has disappeared into the crowd. I scan the crowd for the slightest sign of her, and I hope to Merlin that she’ll show up before the end of Lucius’ speech. Once or twice I believe I spot her, but she’s not the only one wearing her colors, and without the incredibly bushy hair, it’s hard to be sure. Come on, Granger, this moment is exactly why I took you with me. Do not chicken out on me now.

I realize that next to me, Lucius has stopped speaking and he and Narcissa move to the cleared dance-floor to lead the first dance. I know I’m next, and still I cannot seem to find her. Draco has already moved through the crowd to pick up whatever young girl he has set his eyes on this time, and I do the same, starting on the opposite side of him. Moving myself through the throng of people, being accosted by several witches who would love to dance with me, merely for the status of dancing with a host, I am searching the crowd for the young potions mistress.

It’s when I get about halfway through the crowd that panic seizes me. I have spotted her, looking beautiful, looking at the couple who is already on the dance-floor. That’s not what worries me. It’s the fact that, from the opposite side, I can see Draco moving in with a predatory gleam in his eyes.

My breathing speeds up a little, I walk a little faster, my steps a little bigger, and as I catch Draco’s eye, I shoot him a warning glance. He smirk defiantly and speeds up as well.

Anger courses through me, as I advance on Hermione. No. I will not lose to a schoolboy. Though a treacherous part of my mind tells me he is far from a schoolboy, and she is his age, and a lot better suited to be with him than with me, I also know my godson. I know what he’s doing better than anyone else in the room. And I won’t allow it. Not with her.

He reaches her moments before I do, and I slow down. I can see him hold his hand out to her in a silent question.

I reach them while she is raising her hand, hesitantly, but she’s doing it. A wave of anger courses through me, and when I see her hesitate only inches from accepting his hand, I give her the choice. I move my hand around her, and hold it up for her to accept or deny, next to his.

Her hand falters, she stares at ours for what seems like an eternity, and both my patience and my time is running out. Half a step places my chest against her back, and I can see the annoyance flash behind Draco’s eyes. Bowing down just enough to whisper in her ear, I breath out one word, and while doing so, Draco is already drawing his offer back. He knows he’s lost.

“Please?”

I can’t suppress a smile as she places her small hand in mine, and lets me lead her onto the dance-floor. Lucius sneers at me as we join them, but Narcissa smiles.

I know the girl in my arms can dance, and we, the half-blood and the muggle-born, proudly match the pure-blood high-society couple on the floor. The crowd is quiet, and for a moment, only a moment, I look down at her.

Her beautiful honey-colored eyes stare up at me, and in that moment, I accept it. As I lose myself in her eyes, and I temporarily forget the crowd around us, I might not be able to say it out loud, but I believe I am finally ready to admit it to myself. The feeling that has been nagging at me since the start of term, I am not naïve enough to call it love after only four months, but it’s an attraction I can no longer ignore. And from the look in her eyes, and the smile she seems to save, even at the school, solely for me, I’m not the only one who feels that way. I meet her smile with mine, and decide that tonight, for the first time ever, I am going to enjoy the Malfoy Christmas Ball.

“You will be cross with me, my dear Severus”

The guests have all gone home, and though I spent most of the night dancing with Hermione, I am somewhat happy I was able to, albeit briefly, speak to some of my old acquaintances this night. It has been a while since I had both the time and the desire to socialize with my peers.

I stand in the foyer, in the process of helping a beaming, yet surprisingly silent Hermione with her cloak, on which the house elves seemed to have spilled every single thing they could get their bony little claws on for apparently ‘displeasing their master’, and Narcissa is, in her own dignified, high-society way, just plain old shuffling her feet, not meeting my eyes.

I reach out a hand to cup her cheek, and smirk a little as I feel Hermione’s shoulders tense under my other hand. I’m going to have to explain the dynamics of my relationship with Narcissa sometime soon, I think.

“Why would I be, dear? You know you can never do anything to cause me displeasure.” I say, and grant her one of the smiles which I used to believe rare, yet my face hurts from smiling as much as I have tonight. I look at her expectantly, raising her face a little, forcing her to meet my eyes. It’s not like her to avoid them. I find concern in them, and it worries me. What could she possibly be concerned about?

“Are you sure?” She asks, raising one of her eyebrows a little.

I frown. Now, I’m concerned. What did she do?

She takes a step backwards, breaking contact and leaving me to stand across from her, Hermione in between us. Narcissa glances at the young woman, and at one spot in particular. I feel my stomach drop. She was right, I am going to be angry with her, very angry indeed.

“Mistress Granger, it was a pleasure to be able to receive you as a guest, and I hereby invite you to come stay with us once, if you feel so inclined. As you might have seen tonight, Severus is regarded as family in this house and any he loves, we love. I wish you to accept a gift, a Christmas present, if you will.”

Hermione’s eyes are large as saucers, and though I can see her moving her lips in protest, I have no idea what she is saying. I am aware of what Narcissa is about to do, and I am just as equally aware that there is not a single thing I can do about it. Even though I am just starting to accept the fact I might be attracted to the young potions mistress, Narcissa has already made her choice. I am furious, and yet, there isn’t a word I can say to change it.

“I will not hear no for an answer, you will accept it. The necklace around your neck, is now yours.”

“But why are you so angry?” The millionth question since leaving the Malfoy grounds, and if I don’t cut her off now, it’ll go on all bleeding night. I am fuming, at Narcissa, at Bellatrix, at my mother, at the idiot who decided to curse the necklace so it could never be owned by a man, and even at Anouke, who traded me the necklace for something of ‘equal worth’ to give to my mother. Who had only ever wanted to give it to her future daughter-in-law. Which she never got to do.

I am mortally afraid of taking it out on Hermione, who, being the only person around, would not be all too happy if I did so, and I do the only thing I can think of to safe me from a terrible ending to a otherwise wonderful night.

I have apparated us into the hall, right in front of the door to the guest bedroom, push her inside, and shut the door in her face, halfway through her asking me once more what the significance of the necklace is.

I need a hot bath, a good night’s sleep and a quiet Christmas day, and I will be just fine. Just need to be able to clear my head a bit, and wrap my mind around the fact that Narcissa has just practically declared Hermione my freaking mate.

A soft knock on my door has me stomping across the room without my shirt on, already half-way through undressing for my bath. I wrench open the door, murder plainly written on my face, and a dangerous scowl on my lips.

Hermione is just standing there, just out of arm’s reach, staring at the ground.

“I just wanted to remind you that tomorrow is my day, and we will need to leave early.”

“And where are we going?” I snarl.

She meets my eyes, as if daring me to say no.

“The Burrow”

A/N: I hope you liked it, and it's this I leave you with for Christmas. Again, Merry Christmas!
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The New Life