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Sacrifice	By : snowsong1004 Category: Harry Potter > Het - Male/Female > Snape/Hermione Views: 5278 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, nor any of the characters from the books or movies. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Chapter List
- 2
- 3
Disclaimer: I am not JKR. I am making no
money from writing this. She is the end all and be all
of HP and I am just borrowing her creations so that they may do my bidding. I
will return them, in pretty much the same condition, when I�m done.

I�m
updating so much sooner! Thanks to the wonderful reviews from everyone. I was
shocked to see 10 reviews all in the same day. Thanks again.

A/N: I
know that with all of the background to the story the timeline gets a little
confusing. At this point in time the story has covered all of 8-12 hours with
little interjections to set up later events or to explain why something turned
out a certain way. I am not as happy with this chapter as I was with the other
two, but I got so many wonderful reviews that I thought I�d go ahead and post
it now. Chances are that this chapter will be smoothed out some later. Enjoy.

Chapter
3
Breakfast was a simple affair of tea, fruit, and pastries. Ditty informed
her that Severus planned to take breakfast in his lab
as usual. Without anything to do at the moment Hermione
asked the little elf if she could peruse the library. Pleased to be of service
the little elf danced a small jig then led her by the hand much like a little
kid would excitedly drag an unsuspecting adult along towards something new and
fantastic. And oh, the library was fantastic. Hogwart�s
library paled in comparison. There were books as far as the eye could see.
Sunlight streamed in the floor to ceiling windows as all of the curtains few
back. Dust motes sparkled as they entwined around one another in an endless
dance, drifting wherever the wind carried them only to settle on something new
to await the next dance.
�Ditty, is there any restricted section here?� she
asked into the air knowing that the elf would hear her.
Stepping from behind a nearby shelf the elf replied, �I is
not knowing Missus. I will go ask Master,� and with that she winked out of
existence.

��
�Master?� an elf called quietly announcing her presence. The elves had
learned long ago not to startle him when he was in his lab especially after one
of them had caused him to drop a vast amount of yellow asphodel petals into a
potion he�d been working on. The potion had begun to emit a rather dubious
looking yellow fog. The plant was far too closely associated with death for his
liking, but the silly creature had insisted on attempting to clean the mess up.
He had simply made the potion disappear but not before the fog had brushed his
skin leaving him with sickly, pus-filled boils where the fog had touched him.
It took weeks to get the correct antidote for it and ever since the elves had
be particularly careful around his lab.
�Missus wants to be knowing if there is any
restricted section in the library, sir,� the elf relayed.
Hmm, so she�s already decided to study.
Well that could be useful. Making a quick copy of his notes using his wand,
Severus handed the journal to the elf, �Tell her that
if she�s so intent to study something she may as well study then and make
herself useful,� he turned back to his potion, �Oh, and no, there is nothing
restricted in that library.�
The elf winked out once more, holding the journal close to her chest.

��
�Missus, the Master says you should be reading this. It is his journal of
notes on his new work. He also says there be no restriction
on the library. Is Missus needing Ditty for anything
more? Ditty has house chores that need doing.�
�No Ditty, I�m fine,� Hermione replied without
thinking already leafing through the journal filled with the familiar scrawl of
her former professor�s handwriting. It was kind of odd to see the writing in
black ink rather than red, but it was not an unpleasant thing.
After flipping through the pages to fine roughly half of the journal was
actually blank, Hermione flipped back to the front
page titled �Help for the Effects of the Cruciatus
Curse� He doesn�t go half way does he. Making
her way to one of the overstuffed chairs, she curled herself up and prepared
for a day full of reading.

The
Cruciatus Curse
Effects of Curse:
Summary:The
recipient of this curse is put through extreme pain with no visible mean nor
any visible marks. The pain begins in the abdomen. Organs are seemingly
affected first as they are delicate in nature. Most obvious is cramping and the
restriction of breathing. The heart is relatively unaffected except for the
body�s natural responses to pain. The goal of this curse is to inflict vast
amounts of pain before death. Death typically occurs due to respiratory failure
though in several cases the recipient died from a heart attack or stroke. This
was the case in many older patients.
Immediately following the attack on
the organs the spell moves to the muscles and causes severe cramping and
involuntary movement. This is where the spell actually stops. Many recipients
complain of the spell attacking the bones but in fact it is just a secondary
result of the muscles contracting. When two, or more, muscles attached to a
single bone contract they are trying to pull the bone in opposite directions.
Due to the severity of the spell the muscles pull with extraordinary strength
and the force exerted on the bone causes the further pain.
The goal is to 1) Allow the victim to
experience the curse without harm. 2) Relieve as many side-effects as possible.
The journal went on in more scientific detail that Hermione
skipped for the moment. If she needed it she could always come back. The
general ideas would do for a start. Her eyes skimmed the next couple of pages,
settling on the topic �Side Effects�
Side Effects and Results from
Over-exposure:
(Listed in order from least to most
severe)
Residual cramping/general soreness �
This is a minor effect associated with the body�s natural responses to the
exposure to pain. Typically experienced for the first 24
hours after exposure. Begins with the first experience
of the curse even with minimal exposure. Non-treatable, but does not
affect daily life.
Locking Joints �
Similar to muggle �arthritis�. Begins with smaller joints (fingers,
wrists, toes, ankles) then moves to more major joints after repeated exposure
for any length of time.
Hermione continued reading the massive amount of
side effects, wondering where and how he got such detailed information. Surely
he�d been exposed to the curse during his stint as spy for the Order, but to
recall so much while experiencing so much pain would be incredible. Finally she
reached the most severe effects.
Madness � Results typically from an
extreme over-exposure to the curse with NO prior experience. Known case: Mr.
and Mrs. Longbottom housed in St.
Mungo�s. Exposure time was approximately three hours
total, not continuous. Longest exposure during that time frame was 15 minutes.
Most exposures were short bursts approximately 1 mintues
in duration. (See case notes for further detail). Victim does not recall the
experience or anything from their life. Has the mental capacity of a small
child, but is a fully functioning adult. All reflexes are left intact and
physically the victim fully recovers. All instinctive knowledge is intact but
personality and individual traits are erased. Often speaks nonsense. No cure.
The mind is gone at this point.
Was he actually there when the Neville�s parents were tortured? No wonder
Neville was a jittery mess. For all he knew Severus
was the one to torture them. A tiny note was crammed into the margin next to
this entry.
�� *Why
did they not die? Death is common after 10 ten minutes. Because
they were fighting for their son? Need to look into this further.
The last entry was �Death�. Well that was a no-brainer, but the amount of
detail as to the causes of death was immense. It filled two entire pages and
seemed largely to depend on the physical condition of the victim as well as the
length the curse was held for and the number of times the victim was exposed.
Obviously there was no cure for death, and honestly she didn�t think that she
wanted to have one. Look at all the trouble the Sorcerer�s Stone had caused.
Imagine if Voldemort had actually gotten his greasy
palms on it!
An elf had brought her lunch to the library and noticing her trying to write
and read all in one armchair with a stack of books at her feet and several
others opened and laying on the floor making a near perfect arch around the
chair, he brought a small table over to help her. He even left a stack of clean
parchment and extra quills and ink. Hermione was so
lost in the journal, her mind working feverously through the material contained
in that small journal making her own notes and jotting down her ideas as she
went. Finally the sun began set and no one came in to light any candles. Before
long, Hermione found it impossible to read the words
right in front of her face. It was this that finally broke her out of her
reverie. Blinking she looked up, glancing around for a clock.
�Missus, it is past time for supper. We�s
been waiting for you and Master to come but you no do so. You needs to eat a good meal. Works can wait for tomorrow.�
Ditty spoke right at her elbow.
Jumping at the sudden presence, Hermione calmed
herself, �I hadn�t even noticed the time. Would you be so kind as to show me
the way�.
Supper was far more formal than lunch or breakfast had been. The elves
seemed to outdo themselves for just this one meal. Thankfully it was only the
meal that the elves seemed to concentrate on, the table and settings were
actually quite nice but nothing ornate. The table could have sat four people
comfortably, but with only two there was plenty of room and the occupants were
close enough to engage in easy conversation. The settings were simple
stoneware, durable yet decorated with beautiful scrollwork. The green on black
was quite striking.
�So, am I correct in assuming you read through the journal I provided you on
the Cruciatus curse?� Severus
asked setting his water goblet down with a soft clink.
�Yes, I read through it. I was confused by some parts, but found enough
information in the library to let me get a grasp on the ideas you put down. I
was quite startled at the intimate details of the effects of the curse, and
well I wrote down some of my own ideas. I really don�t know if any of them are
helpful, but I haven�t had much of a chance to try them,� she replied gazing
down at the food that now adorned the table.
All conversation halted as the couple helped themselves to the food at the
table. The only words spoken were to ask for something to be passed. Once the
appropriate amounts of food had been partitioned on to the two plates did the
conversation pick up right where it had been left off and continued throughout
the meal paused only briefly for chewing and swallowing.

��
�Ditty! Ditty! Is they done yet?! Master will be
most unpleased if we do not get dishes washed,� the little house elf tugged on
her arm.
�No! And you leave them alone. They is having a good time talking and
eating. They did not eat much today and need to make up fors
it,� she admonished the elf whose ears drooped as he shifted from foot to foot.
From the crack in the door, Ditty watched Severus
and Hermione. They were engrossed in their
conversation. She couldn�t follow most of it; it wasn�t for house-elves to know,
but they seemed to love it and that made Ditty happy. She had served the Snape house for several generations and she knew that this Snape, more than any other, deserved a chance to be happy.
They just needed a gentle nudges in the right direction.
�Hopper! Go finds the books that Missus was looking
at and take them to the sitting room. Then take more
writing stuff there too. Don�t forget tea and little sweets. No, make fruits
instead. They�s probably be
liking fruit instead. Leave water there too. Move!� she ordered the elf still
hanging on to her arm. Grinning, Ditty disapperated
herself into the bedroom to make a few preparations.

��
�Ahem,� a small voice sounded from beside the table, �Ditty is thinking that
Master and Missus would want to go somewhere more comfortable to sit and talk.
Ditty has books moved and all stuff needed there already.�
Glancing at the clock and realizing that they�d been sitting there for
nearly two hours engrossed in conversation; Severus
was inclined to agree with the little elf, �Yes Ditty, I think that would be a
good idea. If you would care to join me?� he said gesturing towards his wife.
So they retired to the sitting room to continue their conversations. They
poured over the ideas that Hermione had jotted down
over the day. Some of the ideas were just plain ludicrous and Severus had no qualms about telling her so, but she had
noticed other errors in his journal and gave him tit-for-tat about those errors
forcing him to defend his work for once. That was a very uncomfortable feeling,
the greatest potions master that Hogwart�s had ever
seen, defending his work to another
only half his own age.� The thought had
only perturbed him for a moment; he wasn�t about to let this little chit show
him up. With that they were off discussing idea after idea long into the night.
Hermione stifled yet another yawn, and
surreptitiously noticed Severus doing the same. She
had been putting off the time when they would go to bed because that would mean
another night in the same bed as her former potions professor. Given how today
had gone, especially the evening, she was less apprehensive than before, but
still she had no idea what he would expect. The law said that they had to begin
producing children within a eighteen months of the
wedding and if the couple had not they were to present themselves at St. Mungo�s for fertility testing and treatment. Any couple
found to be in violation of this contract would be magically bound to produce a
child. Hermione shivered at that. It almost sounded
like rape to her ears; forced to sleep with someone, even if it was a spouse
you had little choice of, until a child was conceived. She wondered how well
those children would be raised. It wasn�t as if the parents of those children
wanted them in the first place. She�d seen all too many fellow students in that
situation back at Hogwarts and the last thing she
wanted to do was put yet another child through that. Not to mention she was
still finishing up her studies at the University. How was she supposed to cope
with a child at home and finish up her degree?�
�For all that I am unsure about your idea of linden flowers; I think that
discussion will have to wait until tomorrow. I fear that I am too drowsy to
continue an intelligent conversation,� Severus said,
slurring slightly.
�Oh, I�m sorry, I just get carried away sometimes,� she laughed nervously,
�I am worn out myself and likely to gibber on about nonsense,� she admitted.
��Ah, yes, well shall we?� He offered
her his arm and she took it tentatively.
Noticing her hesitation, Severus decided to poke
at her Gryffendor bravery and see if it held, �I
won�t bite� hard, but if you�d like you can take the room adjacent to mine.
There is nothing in the law that states we have to share quarters�.
He thinks I�m afraid of him. Even
after I offered myself and all that! Drawing herself up she
spoke, �That won�t be necessary. Remember, I am to keep up the �proper wizard�s
wife� image�.
�And I�m sure you�ll do well at that,� he said leading her down the hall to
their shared room.
Like a gentleman he held the door open for her and gestured for her to
enter. Hermione went straight to the wardrobe and
pulled out a simple cotton night gown and headed straight into the bathroom. In
there she changed, leaving her clothes in a small pile for the elves to pick up
since she couldn�t find anyplace to put them. She brushed out the knots that
invariably worked their way into her hair throughout the day, and then she
pulled it back into a simple braid for the night.
Leaving the bathroom, she saw that Severus had
already changed and was on the far side of the bed under the covers already.
His eyes drifted over her form as she walked towards the bed.
Does she realize how pleasing to the
eye she is? He wondered. What in the
world are you thinking of. Last night was one thing, but today is different.
How so? She was you wife last night;
she�s your wife tonight. She knew then and she still knows now.
But last night was required by the
law. Tonight is not.
Hermione slid under the covers. He could feel her
slight weight shifting the mattress some. He had his side, and she hers. That
was how they fell asleep for the night.

Hermione awoke to a hand caressing her breast
through the thin fabric of her nightgown, and another hand somewhat lower working
its way under said gown. She arced her back reveling in the pleasurable
sensations those simple caresses caused, her mind was still too clouded with
sleep to notice or even care who it was touching her like this. A soft,
masculine voice murmured in sleep next to her ear, the warm breath tickling her
hair. She couldn�t help herself and moaned softly at his touch
Suddenly, the hands froze in the midst of their explorations. Evidently her
voice had woken the owner of those hands up.�
She sensed the muscles of the person behind her tensing, �I was always
taught to finish what you�ve stared,� she said before she could think about it.
�Uh, ah, Hermione, I� well� you wouldn�t�� He
stammered, still shaking the fog from his mind.
�Who says I wouldn�t?� she asked coyly.
�This is not necessary really, you do not need to feel obligated to� well��
he reasoned.
With the last bit of sleep chased from her mind, she realized exactly what
she�d been saying and who she�d been saying it too.
�I understand. I just� well�� now she was stammering too. What an awkward
moment. She turned over to face her husband so that his hands would be on her
back, thus letting him out of the situation he�d gotten himself into, only to
find herself pressed nearly face to face with him. Her lips were mere inches
away from his; their noses brushing each other, and belatedly she noticed
something warm and quite insistent poking her thigh. She blushed
a furious scarlet when she realized exactly what was pressing against her
thigh.
Thoughts and images from their first night together were racing through her
mind. For all of her lack of experience, she�d overheard enough in the girls�
dormitory to know that Severus wasn�t a bad lover
compared to some of the other boys she�d heard stories about.
Lacking anything to say, Severus grumbled, then
abruptly sat up, got out of bed and stalked into the bathroom, shutting and
locking the door behind him.
Good going there �Mione.
You�re supposed to accept him and you go twittering when you realize that he�s
a guy and has morning wood. Part of those �wifely duties� is to sleep with your
husband you twit, not embarrass the daylights out of him. We all know that Severus Snape does not take well
to embarrassment. If there were house points to be lost, you�d probably have
gotten your house into the negatives. He still thinks you�re a kid sometimes,
you need to remind him that you�re a woman and perfectly capable of being his
partner. Besides, you know you want him anyways. He�s a whole lot better than
the �men� the other girls talked about. Enjoy it while you can.
Gathering her courage, she slid out of the bed and walked over to the mirror
next to the wardrobe. Her hair was a lovely mess, but a quick spell took care
of that, and she piled it on top of her head, securing it with a simple hair
stick. She was sure that Severus had gone to draw a
bath for himself to relax in so there was no point in doing anything more
because it would just make a mess of itself in the tub. With confidence she
picked her wand up and walked over to the door. A simple alohamora unlocked the door.
Opening it, she heard the soft splash of the water falling into the tub and
the splatter of him moving about in the tub. A house-elf was busy setting out a
few items, but when he looked up and saw Hermione, he
winked out of the room immediately. Evidently, her purpose was written clearly
on her face. Softly she padded towards her husband in the water. His back was
to her, and she was able to walk up behind him. No sooner had she stopped than
he turned around and stared up at the woman in front of him. From his vantage
point he had a view that went fairly far up her nightgown since it only came to
her mid-thigh. Without hesitating, she sat down on the side of the tub, his
eyes following her every move, and she slid out of the nightgown straight into
the water and into his arms.
Before he got a chance to regain his composure or realize what she was up
to, she wrapped her legs around his middle, her arms around his neck, and
kissed him full on the lips. This was no chaste or playful kiss; it was a
woman�s kiss, full and demanding. Her tongue grazed his lips, commanding him to
give her entrance. His lips parted in compliance with her wishes. His arms
pulled her in tighter, deepening the kiss by battling her tongue with his. She
could feel his arousal on the back of her thigh. He was reacting and not
thinking. Soon, all too soon his thoughts would catch up and then things would
get interesting.
One moment he was relaxing in the bath, and the next he had a nude woman in
his arms expertly seducing him. Wait!
Wait just one moment here. He grabbed the woman who was pressing herself
against him eliciting a typically male response from him, and lifted her to sit
on the edge, effectively breaking off the kiss.
�What? Did I do something wrong?� she asked innocently.
�I am not accustomed to being accosted in my bath, Hermione,�
he replied smartly.
�Well given your actions this morning, I had thought that you wanted
something,� she countered.
Groaning, Severus shook his head, it had been a
long time since any witch had come to him willingly and free of charge, but is
this how he wanted her? She was such an intelligent witch, so capable, and so
well, so much more that just a wife. Gazing at the form in front of her, he
couldn�t help but want her in no more than a primal way, but was that fair to
her. True, she was a woman and well, her reaction to him would be akin to his
reaction to her. He could see it in the flush on her cheekbones and the heavy,
quick breaths she took.
�Well, Hermione, I�m sure with two boys as your
best friends, you understand what condition a man oft finds himself in upon
waking. It does not imply anything more,� he watched as her face fell.
Good one Severus.
Totally alienate the girl. Remember, compromise. She was just trying to
anticipate your needs.
Damn Gryffendors
and their selflessness. The girl should look out for herself every now and
again. She�s got studies and a rather promising career to look forward to.
Then guide her. You can have both if you
just compromise.
�We have a lot of work to do today. I am anxious to continue the
conversation we had started yesterday,� delicately touching her hand, �You are
welcome to join me if you like�. Picking up her hand, he placed a kiss on her
palm and drew her back into the water.
He handed her the shampoo he�d noticed she�d used yesterday, �So care to
explain why you think linden flowers would help?�
Caught off guard, she thought for a moment, trying to recall her thoughts
from yesterday as her hair filled with bubbles, �Oh, yes. It has traditionally
been used to treat hypertension in muggles. It is
also considered by muggles to be a sedative that has
beneficial properties to all of the major organ systems. I had thought that
those properties could be enhanced by others and a little magical infusion. It
is not used commonly in potions because it is considered a muggle
plant with no magical poperties, but there is no
reason why more magical items couldn�t enhance the inherent properties of this
plant. I know that there is no potion that can stave off the effects of the
curse, but every potion gets its abilities from their magical nature and
interactions in different magical properties. I had thought since natural
properties of the linden flower are what we are trying to achieve maybe it has
the chance of actually working�.
Severus leaned back on the bench contemplating her
words, �I just don�t see how it will work. If a magical ingredient didn�t work,
I just don�t think that a muggle one will help. We�re
dealing with a magical curse here, but I�m willing to try.�
Hermione ducked herself under the water to wash
out the shampoo. Severus watched as she reemerged
from the suds. Little bubbles trailed along her neck and over her collar bone
and down her chest to the swell of her breasts. She noticed his gaze and
blushed.
�I�� he began.
�It�s ok. Don�t worry about it. We have work to do,� she smiled.
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Sacrifice