Hermione did not see Severus until eight days later, only three weeks before their wedding was to occur, but he was in a much better demeanor. He had a smile on his face, and her parents had made scarce so they could talk in private at his manor. They had no need to be chaperoned so close to their wedding, and after eight days of not seeing one-another, her parents had assumed that there was something amiss anyways. 

They hadn't broached the subject when they'd found her crying on the sofa the week prior, but they knew something was off when she made no motion to telephone him or even write a single letter the whole time he was away. 

Master Snape had reached out to her and offered her the invitation to her soon-to-be home. It was brief and cordial, and Hermione wondered if she was ever going to be on the same terms with him again as they had been when they'd first met. 

His manor was expansive, that was for sure, but it was gorgeously rustic and covered in various green ivy. She adored the outside as much as the inside enriched her. A servant had greeted her, and she'd glanced around for several minutes as the future matron of the house, wondering where her fiance was hiding. 

When he came down to greet her, Hermione noticed his gaiety and felt thrown. Why had his demeanor changed after eight days apart? Had it been deliberate to miss a whole week of one-another's time, or was it patients picking an inconvenient time to try to die? 

"Miss Granger." The words were not enough to get the sound of his voice and discern anything from it, so it seemed she would be one edge until more came. 

"Master Snape," she said, dipping into a casual curtsy, looking up to see him barely bow, allowing her slight relief. 

Still, she felt she was due an explanation for his poor behavior. She would never ask for such a thing, however. 

"You look in a bleak manner. I assume you wish to discuss my attitude last week?" His tone was serious, and she found that his smile was only momentary now that the subject had been breached. 

"I would very much like to do so, thank you."

"Come then," he said softly, offering her his hand, which he frowned at as she hesitated to accept. 

When she placed her cold hand in his warm one, Hermione smiled gratefully, though it remained unsure as he led her into the adjacent sitting room, covered in red carpets and luscious velvet. 

They settled, and her fiance launched right into his tale. 

"I was in a sour state due to an inexplicable bout of jealousy. We have discussed many times that I have not the age in which you do, and while it does not prohibit us now, and hopefully not until our children are fully grown, it will when you start to need me and I cannot take care of you. I was doubting our engagement, as I watched you play sport with your young companions for far longer than I will admit to you."

Hermione blushed deeply learning that he had seen much of their pirate game. 

"I also realized that I would be taking the innocence of a mere child, for I know you are but barely old enough to even be capable of having children. It is a misfortune that I am taking so much from you when I am sure there are other suitors out there for you who would gladly fill your needs... Therefore, I almost gave you up to them. I was hoping my cold actions would push away any minimal affections I presumed you carried for me."

The air knocked from her lungs, and Hermione felt wildly accosted. He thought she carried but few feelings for him? After weeks and weeks of visits and happiness he presumed such horrid things? She loved him, and all the bollocks about his age had faded away far beyond any consideration for her love for him. 

And to think he would have risked his name and place of respect in society just to set her free? She loved him even more, if anything at all. 

What an utter fool her fiance was. 

"I decided, however," he said beyond her thoughts, capturing her attention once again, "That I wanted to be selfish. I understand if my actions towards you and your friends were unattractive or unforgivable, but I will take you as my wife at the altar if I have to become the totalitarian brute you thought I would be. I care too deeply for you, and want you as my own too much to be selfless. I have never had anything I wanted as much as I do you, Miss Granger."

Hermione ignored his misogynistic comments and shook her head, a laugh almost breaking through her lips as she smiled at him. He looked befuddled until she spoke simply, "I love you, too."

Master Snape took her declaration with surprise and held fast to the chair below him. The wood creaked underneath the grip, but it only made her laugh more as he attempted to cool his facial features. 

"You..." he stumbled over the words, not truly believing it, "You actually love me?"

How he was falling over himself and sounding so composed all at once made utterly zero sense to Hermione, but she did not argue as he broke into a grin of sheer elation. 

Master Snape sprung from his chair and knelt before her, taking her hands in his as if begging God for forgiveness. She wanted to tell him to get up and be more dignified, but part of her felt like she deserved this genuflection. 

"Say my name, tell me you love me, and I will never leave you wanting. I will love you more than anyone has loved anything in the entire world."

She hadn't imagined him being so emotionally blatant before, but she was sure she would get her composed Master Snape back eventually. 

"I love you, Severus."

"And I love you, Hermione."

A shiver thrilled her spine in a feeling she had never felt before, and Hermione leaned forward gleefully, pressing her lips to his with certainty. 

She suddenly felt much better than she had before. 

"I cannot wait for you to be my wife in three weeks, Miss Granger."

Hermione smiled, "Then I will be Madame Snape!"

A look passed through black eyes that now reminded her more of her ring than they did lifeless souls, and she was mildly frightened by it. She'd never seen such an intense desire in a man's eyes before. The thought also thrilled her, however, being so desirable to a man that she loved. 

And he loved her! 

It was obvious as he licked his lips and stood unconsciously, as though thwarting whatever lewd ideas were going through his mind. She was sure society was looking down upon them and their thoughts currently, but wasn't it rare for two people to find such a deep love in an arranged marriage?

~***~

Hermione felt like a queen in her white wedding dress. It was perfect, really, her corset tied tight about her waist and a large amount of lace and petticoats piled under her skirt to make it so large. There was an immense veil atop her curls, and she was regal by the mere glance of an eye. 

Her father had cried with pride when he saw her all dressed up, and her mother beamed with adoration to watch her baby go from a small girl to a woman in just a few hours. 

The carriage ride to the church was lengthy, or at least the ten minutes felt like hours to Hermione. 

She had bounced with giddy anticipation the whole way there, her youthful side showing just a small amount. Her and Severus had determined a few ways to compensate for their age difference, which included her having a child as soon as possible, and letting her friends come there as much as she pleased. He had been chagrin to allow that after he learned of Mr. Wesley's blunder in attempting to take his fiancee from him, but he calmed when Hermione agreed it was either just Harry or both men, never just Ronald alone. 

And Hermione agreed with that as well because things would simply be too awkward for her to allow him in her house alone. 

Their house. 

She'd gotten an extended tour of the manor. It was much larger than she first perceived, and her heart raced as he showed her what their future quarters looked like. The bed was... large, and though they had made many exciting implications of what would happen there, fear still rested in the pit of Hermione's stomach. 

As she stepped out of the carriage, her heart decided her nerves were now anticipation, and Hermione took such a change gladly. Her mother hurried into the church to get everyone seated, and her father pulled her up towards the entrance, awaiting in the foyer for music to start. 

Her father leaned over to her as things proceeded, and spoke coolly.

"Are you angry at us for this arrangement?"

She looked up at him in horror, "Heaven's no, father, I am thrilled to be here currently. Master Snape and I get along more than well."

"You love him?" Her father asked if just to fill the void of doors opening and closing. 

"I do... more than I love anything," she reassured him, hoping his guilt was just fear of losing his daughter, not actual fear in Severus. He had no need for that. 

"Good," he determined nervously, "Why aren't you the one shaking?"

She laughed, also wondering why her father was more nervous than she. 

"I want this to happen, I've been waiting for weeks now to be here," Hermione told him happily, watching as the last few people of her procession went out, and knowing she was to follow. 

"Then how about we show you to your awaiting fiance, hm?"

She nodded, breathing intensely before walking forward to the beat of intense and wondrous music. 

~***~

All her worry had been for naught, Hermione realized, as she lay in bed completely and utterly deflowered. 

Her heart was racing, her chest was heaving, and she was sure that there was no greater experience that life could ever grant her. 

Severus was equally exhausted, but he seemed more calm about it. His warm and sweat-stricken arm was around her bare shoulders, the duvet pulled down past their feet and nearly kicked off the bed itself. She was smiling to herself as he kept his eyes closed, face covered in content. 

He'd kissed places she didn't even know she had, and he'd been more than brilliant to her. Hermione doubted any other woman was treated the way she just had been, but not a single favor went without return. Of course, she was much more intimidated by the things she was doing, and only by the guiding silk of his voice did she actually complete his wishes. For Severus, Hermione would have done anything. 

She rolled over and laid upon her side, looking at the bare man before her. 

It was odd for them both to be so... undressed, and she had felt so shy at first. He was gentle and took his time, but she could tell she would not be afforded the luxury again. Severus was deliciously lustful of her, and to say it was not reciprocated was a lie in the best of circumstances. So, if her clothes fell faster next time, who was she to say?

Hermione thought she could get very used to seeing his chest, covered in a small amount of black hair, soft to the touch. He was broad, and his skin was nearly bleach white, but it didn't bother her any. 

She kissed his neck and reveled at the purple mark on his chest, dotting up a long towards the spot she'd just kissed. 

"Come here, you sphinx," he said with humor and used the arm she was laying on to throw her on top of him and cease her pecking. "Do you ever appease?"

"I am insatiable in your presence," she murmured, kissing his lips under a hooked nose that very much had become an endearing quality. 

"Just what I like to hear," he replied smoothly, taking her mouth as his and appeasing her for the rest of the evening, and well into the morning. 

~***~

Hermione was running through the new Snape Gardens (she would never tell Severus that no matter how hard he tried, they would never be the Granger Gardens, or even hold a candle to them) that she loved fondly and took care of while Severus was gone. She laughed joyfully as Harry chased her, telling her how she needed to return the gold or else, and just as she turned a corner, she was caught in Ron's arms and ambushed with six hands tickling the wits out of her. 

Her son, who was four and thrilled to finally be included in his mother's games, was tickling her as she clutched onto a few gold coins Severus had gifted her a few years back as a jest, but she loved them dearly. He'd paid hundreds to have them minted with loving words and a picture of her, and how she'd gotten so lucky she wouldn't know. 

"I concede, take them, you mongrels!" Hermione yelled playfully, handing the coins to her son who celebrated succinctly. 

"Good job, Jacob, you defeated the mean witch who stole our treasure!" Harry exclaimed excitedly as he knelt before Jacob and celebrated with him.

Ronald helped her stand, apologizing for surprising her, to which she merely laughed off and also knelt before her son. 

"Why don't you go tell father that you defeated the evil witch?"

The boy nodded, kissing his mother on the lips and then running inside. 

Harry helped her off the ground and she finally took the chance to catch her breath. 

"You have one child, and your lungs do not keep up with your activity as they once had," she moaned. 

"Does Master Snape say you are fine?"

"Fit as a fiddle," Hermione answered Harry, smiling as she took a seat on a garden bench, clutching her stomach as she slowly recuperated. 

"You have the most hyper child I think I have ever encountered, and I have several nieces and nephews," Ronald spoke quickly, though he was less run-down than either of them were. 

"He's a product of his father, I was never like this," she defended needlessly. 

Her friends laughed, and she threw them a scornful look, one that she had perfected after becoming a mother. 

"Mother!" Said little boy came back out faster than she imagined he could have. 

"Yes!" She answered as he clamored into her lap with her coins.

"Father said he's to leave, a telephone came in."

Hermione laughed at her son's broken language and nodded in understanding, kissing the boy's cheek.

"Thank you, Jacob, I wish he would have at least said goodbye."

"Who said I wouldn't?" A voice from behind her retorted, and Hermione startled so hard, she nearly tossed Jacob from her lap. 

"You-"

"Love me, I am aware," he filled in, narrowing his eyes playfully at his wife. "A doctor's work is never finished, my love, I must attend to the Frederick's."

Hermione smiled shortly, knowing that he would be gone until dinner. 

"I love you," she remarked with an expectant pout. 

"And I you," he said as leaned over the bench and groaned into the kiss. "You make me work for a kiss, what's next? I must clip the roses before entering the door?"

Hermione rolled her eyes at his complaints. 

"Go then, we don't want anyone dying on borrowed time."

"Right," he said quickly leaning over for another kiss over their disgusted son whose head had a kiss but moments later. Harry and Ronald received a short remark of "Boys," and then he was gone. 

"I have two children of my own, will he ever concede that we are men?" Harry remarked, looking over at Ronald in an exasperated fashion. 

"Hardly, you're half his age."

Harry snorted indignantly, and Hermione smiled. 

She couldn't have asked for a better life, with her handsome son who had luckily inherited his mother's nose, and a pampering husband who gave her the world. Hermione was the most content of women, and every day she felt more like the queen she was treated as.

A/N

Cute and fuzzy Snamione because I just wrote a slow burn? It's not like the next full-length fic is going to be a slow burn or anything... not at all. Never. 

PS

I updated a day early because tomorrow is a busy day! I have Panic! at the Disco tickets and I'm dying inside, I'm so excited to go!!! But I also have back to back classes and the gym to attend to, so I figured a day early couldn't hurt! I hope everyone enjoyed! 

~alover_forSnape