This was going to be a one-shot, instead, I decided I wanted to throw a bit more in.

The usual disclaimer: Characters used all belong to the Queen herself.

Without further ado!

Chapter 2

It was the next day when Hermione woke up in her dormitory remembering the events of the night before. She raised a hand and placed it onto her head, whilst closing her eyes and sighing.

'What have you done.' She whispered to herself as she stood. She took a second, staring at the wooden floor before shaking her head and standing, and she began to get ready for the day.

She contemplated going to breakfast this morning but decided against it. The thought of seeing her husband so soon made her feel sick. Thankfully, it was a day of free periods so she intended on spending some time with her two best friends to take her mind off of the events.

'Hey boys!' Hermione said as she made her way down the stairs to the common room.

'Mornin' 'Mione.' The boys chimed.

Hermione slumped on the sofa where Harry sat. She turned and lay her head on Harry's lap.

'Everything alright?' Harry raised a questionable eyebrow as he looked down at his clearly exhausted friend. He placed a hand on her hair and started delicately stroking it. She closed her eyes and hummed in approval.

'Just didn't sleep very well.'

Ron came to sit on the arm of the chair, moving to an angle so that Hermione could rest her feet in his lap.

'Did you see the results last night on the Quidditch match?' Ron engaged in conversation with Harry. Harry got distracted by the conversation and stopped stroking Hermione's hair. Her eyes snapped open and she lifted her hand, grabbing Harry's wrist and placing it on her hair for him to continue stroking it.

He let out a small chuckle and continued, as Hermione lay there with a content smile on her face.

'Wait a sec-' Ron looked down at Hermione's left hand, catching the glimpse of the metal when she moved it.

'Why are you wearing that?' There was a sense of anger in his voice. Hermione remained silent.

Ron shifted Hermione's feet off of his legs and moved around to the front of the sofa so he could stare down at her.

'Oh Ronald, I have to wear it every now and then. Part and parcel of being married. Just so people don't think that we're divorced or anything, because then, damn, would I be in trouble.' She said with a nervous laugh, clearly trying to make up some bullshit for the boys to believe.

Ron scowled in jealousy but decided not to push the matter.

'Come on you pair, it's a nice day today. I propose a nice walk along the lake?' Harry offered.

Hermione nodded and, even though she was enjoying her little grooming session, swung her legs around and stood up from the sofa.

'Stop sulking, Ron.' Hermione lightly tapped his shoulder.

'Last one to the lake is a squib!' Hermione shouted as she took off running out of the common room.

The boys shouting and laughing after her as they chased her.

Just as Hermione was looking over her shoulder to see how close the lads were, and noticing she made some distance, Hermione didn't look ahead of her in time before she felt herself bump into a large figure that had just rounded the corner.

'OOF!' Hermione squealed as she fell into him. Feeling strong arms instinctively reach out to catch her.

'I'm so sorry, I wasn't-'

'Watching where you were going.' She recognised that voice far too well. She slowly looked up into the dark eyes of the Potion's Master.

Snape instantly let go of her and took a step back. He caught sight of the ring on her finger through the corner of his eye and he couldn't help but feel curiosity peak at him. He quickly dismissed it though.

'Ten points for not watching where you are going, Miss Granger.' Snape sneered as the two boys soon caught up, skidding to a halt behind her.

'Do you three have nothing better to do than run around the castle like a group of insolent children? 20 more points.' He growled, the sight of Ron making his blood boil.

'I'm sorry, Professor Snape.' She whispered as she tried to search his eyes for some form of emotion. He knew that apology wasn't for her bumping into him. Alas, he refused to meet her gaze. Hermione's eyes quickly wandered to his left hand, seeing the ring still there, she mentally let out a huge sigh of relief.

Snape did not speak another word. He walked past the three, making sure to lightly brush against Ron as he passed, resisting the urge to just launch him across the corridor. Hermione looked back and watched as his black robes billowed behind him, until he disappeared around the corner. She briefly looked down at the floor, pain in her eyes before she shook her head, and forced a smile.

''Mione, is this about the other night?' Ron said, guilt in his tone.

Hermione sighed. 'It's fine, Ron.'

'No it's not. I didn't realise... it was... well that it was like that between you both. I thought it was completely platonic.' Ron rubbed the back of his neck nervously, his cheeks tinted a shade of red.

Hermione smiled softly and shook her head. Thinking back to last night, she knew it was ruined and there was no coming back from it. She shrugged softly.

'It is nothing more, Ron.' As much as it pained her to say, she was starting to accept it.

Ron smiled widely and put his arm around her as the trio walked off out of the castle.

Little did the trio know, Snape hadn't disappeared, he stayed around the corner to listen in to what they had to say...

It is nothing more

The words played over and over in his head. He grit his teeth in anger and stormed off towards the dungeons. He had some frustration that he needed to take out, and he was worried that if the wrong student crossed him, it would result in him losing his job.

A month later

A couple of weeks had passed since Hermione last spoke to Snape. His lessons were proving to be difficult, he took any opportunity he could to scold her. He avoided eye contact at all time, and he never stayed in his classroom at the end of lessons, as if he knew Hermione would try and stay behind and speak to him.

The further apart Hermione and Snape drifted, the closer that Hermione and Ron had gotten. She had truly lost all hope for herself and Snape.

Hermione and Ron spent most nights together, just talking, flirting, holding hands, the occasional kissing. They officially started dating 10 days ago. All in private, of course. It still didn't feel the same for Hermione with Ron as it did with Snape, but it filled that void, and she was content with her new 'love' interest. She knew it was wrong to go with the guy she technically cheated on her husband with. But he was her comforter, her shoulder to cry on, that attention when she needed it.

Until one night, things took a turn for the worst. Hermione had come back from the library late one night, she fell asleep on one of her books that she had been reading. As she stepped through the portrait to the Gryffindor common room, Ron was sat on the sofa. The flames of the fire dancing in the reflection of his bloodshot eyes. He had a glass in his hand, filled with some form of liquid that she knew wasn't provided at Hogwarts, and wondered how he managed to sneak it in.

'Where have you been?' Ron slurred, flicking his wand and making the glass and its contents disappear.

'You've been drinking... Ron, how did you-'

Ron stood and instantly interrupted her.

'WHERE have you been?' His slurring words held anger and malice in them. Hermione looked at him in shock.

'You were with him, weren't you?'

Hermione's eyes widened in disbelief.

'Ron, surely you can't think tha-'

SLAP

The back of Ron's hand made contact with Hermione's cheek. The impact of the blow sent Hermione's head to turn, her hair covering her face as she shakily brought her hand up to clutch the new throbbing sting that occupied her face. Her mouth was open in shock. She could taste blood where her lip had split slightly from the force. Her chest was rising and falling rapidly. Never, in her seven years of knowing Ron, did she ever think he was capable of raising a hand to a woman. She's never seen him drunk before, and she was set on never seeing him drunk again.

Realisation sunk into Ron, as if the back-hand had sobered him up. His eyes slowly began to widen as he watched Hermione.

'Hermione. Merlin's beard, I'm so sorry!' He reached out but Hermione flinched away. She ran out of the dormitory and down the stairs. She heard Ron running after her shouting her name.

She continued to run but Ron was faster. He caught up to her and grabbed her by her arm, and pulled her into a dark alcove in the corridor. It was hard to see as the candles were not lit with it being so late at night.

Hermione went to scream but Ron quickly covered her mouth with his hand.

'Shhh, shh, Hermione, it's okay. I'm so sorry. I-I don't know what came over me... I just... I love you, Hermione. And I can't bare to think of losing you to-to him! I've seen you casting glances at him. I've seen the way you look at him, Hermione. I just want you to love me like I know you love him! He'll just hurt you, Hermione. Fuck, I know, I know what you're thinking, I've hurt you. And I'm so sorry! It's just that prick! I fucking hate him. I shouldn't have laid a finger on you and-'

All of a sudden, Ron felt a wand being pressed into the side of his neck. Hermione tried to shout but her noises were muffled due to Ron's hand still being on her mouth.

'What a surprise that I catch the both of you getting up to no good in the corridors. At. Night.' Came the harsh voice that belonged to Snape.

Snape grabbed Ron by the shoulder, removed his wand from the boy's neck and forced him back, causing his hand to leave Hermione's mouth. Hermione exhaled heavily, causing Snape to frown in a confused manner.

With one, swift motion, Snape's wand cast a lumos charm, lighting up the corridor and the alcove.

'Miss Gran-' Snape froze at the sight he saw. A clear bruise was forming under Hermione's eye, along her cheek bone. Her lip had blood smudged up it from where Ron's hand had been covering it. Snape's eyes instantly flickered dangerously towards Ron.

'Did you do this?' Snape said in a whisper. But his tone was low and threatening.

Ron kept flicking his eyes between Hermione and Snape.

'I-Er-I...' He stuttered

'Did. You. Do. This?' Snape repeated. His jaw clenched so tight, Hermione was convinced it might snap.

'Oh piss off, Snape.'

That did it. Snape's wand had found its way back to Ron's neck. He dug in, causing Ron's breath to hitch.

'You raised a hand, to my wife.'

He dug his wand deeper causing Ron to whimper.

'I told you that if you touch her again, I will kill you. Not only have you touched her again, but you've struck her. So give me one GOOD reason why-' His wand dug deeper, almost piercing the skin '-should I not just kill you. Right. Now.' Hermione was watching in panic. She didn't know what to do. She watched as her husband and the guy she was supposedly dating stared at each other.

'She's mine.' Ron said, managing to smirk through his grimacing.

Snape launched Ron across the corridor, causing his back to hit the wall. He slithered down it, groaning in pain. Snape stalked over to him and grabbed him by the scruff of his shirt to lift him up, pressing his nose to Ron's nose.

'You hit my fucking wife and then try and claim her as your own! I was not good for her, but I would NEVER raise a finger, let alone a hand at Hermione.' There it is, Snape using her first name again. How perfect it sounded to her.

Ron scoffed. 'I love her. You neglected her love and abandoned her, didn't speak to her, didn't even acknowledge her. So she came to me! She found me.'

Neglected her love... What... Snape took a second to compose his confusion.

'How dare you talk to me of neglect.' Snape snarled.

'That was your fault. I got angry because of you. I thought she was with you! The moment Hermione stops loving you, I'll have no reason to be angry, because of you!'

The moment Hermione stops loving you.

She loves me...

...No... It can't be... But...

'And one day, I will call her my wife.'

This snapped Snape back to reality and in one swift movement, he pulled his arm back, balled his hand into a fist and smashed it down on Ron's nose, breaking it within an instant.

'Severus! No!' Hermione rushed to Snape, and stood in front of him. She grabbed his face in her hands.

'Look at me. This has to stop. Please. I beg you.'

The look in Hermione's eyes and the urgency and pleading in her voice calmed Snape down. He looked at the marks on her face and felt the anger rise again.

'I'm going to fucking kill him.'

'Severus.' She shook her head.

'Hey, look, I'm fine, I'm here.'

'I'm so sorry...' Snape said sadly.

'Hey, there's nothing to be sorry for.'

Suddenly Hermione got yanked away.

'What the-'

'You're coming with me.' Ron grunted as he started dragging her away. She managed to yank herself out of his grip.

'Hermione... Please...'

'No, Ron. Please, don't do this. Don't make things worse.' Hermione tried to reason with him.

'Please, go, before something bad happens.'

Ron looked at Hermione sorrowfully, then down at the floor before slowly turning and walking away.

Snape stood and watched the ordeal, his eyes narrowed as he tried to stay calm. Hermione turned and walked back towards Snape.

'Come, I need to heal you.' Snape's tone went back to being stern. Hermione looked down briefly then back up at him, nodding slowly, following him to his quarters.

Snape and Hermione sat in silence whilst Snape tended to Hermione's wound.

'It'll sting a little.' He muttered as he placed two droplets of dittany on Hermione's cheek. She closed her eyes and hissed at the pain.
After a minute or two, the stinging stopped and Snape nodded in approval as the wounds cleared. Her face going back to its beautiful, natural self. Satisfied with his work, Snape stoppered the dittany and stood from where he was sat.

'Severus, I-'

'Your face is fully healed. You can return back to your dormitory when you are ready. Do try and keep your distance from Mister Weasley. I don't fancy having to deal with anymore encounters like that. Am I understood?'

Hermione watched on in shock. One minute he's apologising and protecting her and the next... Well, this.

'Thank you... Professor.' She said quietly, hurt in her tone.

'No need to thank me. We signed a contract that states I need to protect you as your husband. My duty has been done. You may go.' He said emotionless.

Hermione stood, confusion written all over her face.

'I don't understand...'

Snape looked at her, his eyebrow raised.

'What is there to not understand, Miss Granger?'

He's playing the ignorant card, right

'Your... Relationship with Mister Weasley is none of my business.'

Hermione scoffed

'Are you being serious?'

Snape looked around as if in deep thought, adamantly mocking her, before returning back to looking at Hermione with a bored stare.

'I think I am. Yes. Now if you don't mind, Miss Grang-'

'You're unbelievable' Hermione was enraged.

'What is your problem!?' She continued.

Snape let all loose then. His guard came down completely. He smashed his fist against the wall and it startled Hermione for a second.

'You PURSUED something with him AFTER I caught you both KISSING!? AFTER I told you that I love you!' Snape roared.

'I thought that you were never going to speak to me again... Every morning I woke up expecting divorce papers to be waiting outside the window. I thought I had lost you...' Hermione's eyes started tearing up.

'So you decided to carry things on with the twit that broke us. Not your smartest move now, is it, Granger?' Snape spat.

'How fucking dare you.' Hermione clenched her fists into balls.

'The ginger prick even said that you love me. Love me.' He scoffed 'So much that you went with HIM' Snape punched the wall again.

Hermione ran up to him and shoved him.

'You don't know ANYTHING! You think you do but you DON'T.'

'I know that you love him.' Snape bit back.

'I LOVE YOU.' Hermione screamed.

Snape stayed silence. After a few seconds, Snape sneered down at Hermione.

'Don't. Lie. To me.' His tone was low and slow.

Hermione raised her hand to show her wedding ring.

'I put it on the moment I knew I fucked up, the moment I knew that I love you. Yes, I went with Ron, to fill the fucking void you left behind. You hurt me, as I hurt you. That night, when you saw us kiss, it was just a challenge. A challenge I thought I was going to win, but I slipped and-' with the confused look on Snape's face signifying he had no idea what she was talking about, she shook her head. 'Anyway, that kiss was nothing. I messed up, Severus. Please... Don't push me away again. I'm sorry.'

Snape looked away from her for a split second before he grabbed her by the face and pulled her to him to meet her lips in a fiery kiss.

'You are mine.' He whispered against her lips

'Always.' She sank into the kiss. That void feeling suddenly disappeared. A wave of happiness, want, need and desire washed over them both.

A couple of weeks down the line and Snape and Hermione's relationship was back on track. She only had the one encounter with Ron where he was begging for her forgiveness. To which she rolled her eyes and accepted his apology. Stating that if he ever raised a hand to her again she'll make sure that he had no hands to do it with. Ron decided against going to Dumbledore about Snape hitting him, mainly because he wanted Hermione's forgiveness and knew she'd mention him hitting her if he did rat on Snape.

During potions lessons, Harry and Ron had to switch positions so that Ron wasn't near her. He understood, but it still pissed him off. Snape's eyes were always on him. In the Great hall, in potions class, passing in the corridor. Consequences for his actions. He didn't give a flying fuck about Snape, he just wanted to prove to Hermione how sorry he is. Harry obviously didn't take lightly to the news and the boys ended up in a fight. Harry punched him square in the jaw, they squabbled, but they sorted it out in the end.

However, Hermione had a secret that she had been keeping to herself for a short while now, and she was nervous to tell her husband.

... Hermione is expecting baby Snape ...