AN: Before you read this, don't get too quickly attached. I am focusing on my other stories right now as my main priorities, since they are vastly more popular; I just happened to have a day of inspiration for this one. I have no further plans for this story AT THIS TIME, which is why I am keeping it as 'completed'. I will probably have a wedding scene for them eventually, but as of right now this is just a random chapter that may or may not be continued. :-)

Chapter 2

The sight Hermione woke to be of pale, toned flesh. She couldn't resist the startled scream that left her. It was quickly cut off by shock as she was pulled out of bed and pushed behind said toned flesh. When no threat was found, Severus quickly turned around to try and discover what had caused Hermione to scream in fright. "Are you alright?"

"I-" She couldn't get any more words out so she merely nodded. She noticed she was in pjs and he had sweat pants on.

"What made you scream?" He asked as he tilted his head to the side.

"Well, yesterday slipped my mind momentarily. It's disorienting and a little frightening to wake up in a bed with a man when you have no recollection of why you would be there; especially when said man is your professor."

"Hmm. I would imagine so." Severus replied, seeming to study Hermione.

She looked down at her left hand and the ring that rested there. "So we really are engaged then?"

He nodded cautiously, "For as long as you wish us to be."

She nodded to herself and wrapped her arms around her self-consciously, "Sorry about all that. It was just a little discombobulating."

"Are you hungry?" He asked, attempting to change the topic.

"Yes actually, I am."

"Why don't we get dressed, and head to the Great Hall together?"

Hermione bit her lip and gave a small, "OK". This would be the first time they would be seen walking through the halls together. Yesterday they had eaten in the room so Hermione could get settled in. Hermione always hated being the center of attention, contrary to what some of her school mates believed, and could feel the butterflies taking off in her stomach.

After they were dressed they left the room and walked side-by-side through the dungeons toward the Great Hall. They did not get far when the voice of a certain blonde Slytherin reached their ears.

"Is the great mudblood Granger actually in trouble all by herself?" Draco mocked. The laughter of nearby Slytherins could be heard.

Severus stopped and faced Draco as his eyes turned pure metallic black, "I would be very careful with what you choose as your next words, Mr. Malfoy."

The blonde's eyes widened as his face drained of color, "No… no way. You're-? B-but she's-! Her?" Draco stuttered. Although Hermione didn't let her face show any emotion, the sight of Draco stumbling brought her some sense of amusement and satisfaction.

"I suggest you be on your way." Severus all but growled at the boy. Several students in the vicinity were shocked by Snape's attitude towards Draco, but quickly took the potion master's advice and vacated the premise.

When they were alone again, they continued their journey towards their intended location. "So how long, do you think, before everyone knows that you are a Veela and I'm your mate?" Hermione asked.

"It depends on how long it takes for Draco's brain to thaw from the shock and his lips to start moving." He looked down on her and they shared a small smile. "I would suggest you tell your friends quickly if you want to be the one to tell them."

Hermione bit her lip and nodded. She let out a breath; Harry was not going to be happy about this, not at all.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0

When they reached the doors to the Great Hall, Hermione was shocked when Severus pulled her back into a dark alcove and kissed her, "See you later, Hermione." A flushed Hermione could only nod and pull herself together as she heard a small chuckle before they separated to enter for breakfast.

Hermione was never gladder for, somewhat, ignorant boys as friends. Neither said anything as she sat down across from them.

"What is Malfoy's problem today? He looks as though he's going to be sick." Harry said as he looked over her shoulder towards the Slytherin table.

She couldn't stop the small smile that reached her lips when she turned around to look at him. Apparently his brain hadn't thawed yet and was still frozen with shock. "I'm sure he just received some news that he isn't capable of processing."

"What do you know?" Harry asked her.

Hermione debated, risk them making a large scene here, or risk them making an even bigger scene in the semi-privacy of a study area… "Are you almost finished? We can go talk about this before our next class."

Both boys quickly inhaled what was left on their plates and left with Hermione to the study area down the hall that was deserted. She felt Severus' eyes on her until she turned a corner, out of sight from the Great Hall.

"So what is going on Hermione?" Ron asked as he and Harry plopped down on the couch and left the plush chairs for Hermione to choose from.

"Well… have either of you heard of Veelas?" At their raised eye-brows, Hermione back tracked, "I mean of course you have. Fleur is part Veela… but what do you know about Veelas?"

"Well, they're very protective and possessive over their mates. I mean Fleur and Mom used to go mental over who had more 'rights' to Bill." Ron said shaking his head.

Harry just shrugged, "I don't know much." He said honestly.

"Right. Well true Veelas find their mates on their mate's seventeenth birthday. They have one mate who they claim, and hope to be claimed in return within a year in order to live."

Harry saw where she was going with this right away, "Your birthday was yesterday. Your seventeenth birthday."

Hermione bit her lip and nodded.

"You're mated to a Veela?!" Ron yelled as he quickly sat forward on the couch.

"Yes." She unconsciously tucked her hair behind her ear when Ron started gaping at her.

"You're engaged!?" Ron yelled. At this Harry's eyes widened with shock as they flew to the sparkly engagement ring on her hand that he had missed until then.

Harry was much calmer than Ron, "Hermione, who is the Veela?"

Hermione bit her lip and could not force the name out.

Harry went pale, "Please tell me it's not Malfoy."

"It's not Malfoy." She replied, but muttered under her breath, "Although you'll probably wish it was."

"Who then?"

"Now you need to promise me you won't go hex him or try to kill him or anything."

"Hermione, who?" Harry persisted.

"Do you promise?" Hermione pressed.

They glared at her and grudgingly promised.

"Who?"

"Severus Snape."

Ron jumped up, "I'll kill him."

"You promised!"

"Hermione, you can't be serious! He's a professor! He's twenty years older than you and the greasy git of the dungeons; you cannot possibly be entertaining the idea of actually 'claiming' him or whatever?" Harry asked.

"I am."

"But-!"

"He's not that bad, and this is something I need to do. You can either support me as my friends, and I could really use it right now, or you can sod off!"

Harry and Ron gaped at her, but said nothing. She grabbed her bag and quietly left the area. She didn't get very far before Severus was standing in front of her. He gently guided her into a deserted classroom before he spoke, "Are you alright?"

"I'll be fine. I just wish my friends weren't such guys sometimes." Hermione sighed, "I guess I don't really blame them, you have never gotten along by any stretch of the imagination."

"Hm." Was his only acknowledgement before he grudgingly sighed, "I will try and be more… fair to your friends. I'm not saying I'll change overnight, but I will put forth some effort." Hermione could tell those words tasted like stinging nettle coming out of his mouth. She gave him a chaste kiss for his endeavor.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0

Potions class that evening was torture.

Draco's brain had finally thawed, and his lips moved so rumors about Severus and Hermione spread throughout the day.

"I heard she seduced him for extra credit."

"I heard he threatened her family in order to get her to agree to marry him."

"I heard they had been having their illicit affair for a while and finally got caught on her birthday and in order to hush it up said that she was his fiancée."

The rumors were running wild and growing more and more further from the truth.

She was trying so hard to ignore the voices that had been plaguing her in each class and through the halls, but it was harder to do when the other member of the rumors was standing before her trying to teach. Severus Snape was known for his demand for obedience in class; never before could Hermione remember so many students actually attempting to ignore him to gossip.

"QUIET!" He finally hissed. "The next person to speak without a raised hand and question will be deducted 50 points and serve a week's worth of detentions. Focus on your potion!"

Of course some idiotic student just had to raise their hand. Severus narrowed his eyes dangerously at the raised hand and spoke with a deathly calmness, "Yes Miss Bruins?"

"Isn't it illegal to teach a spouse?"

The entire class became unnaturally still. No one spoke to Professor Snape that way, Slytherin or not.

"Her name is still Miss Granger is it not?" A menacing eyebrow rose up.

"Yes, but it's illegal for a professor to teach and grade a… well a lover, isn't it?"

Gasps could be heard around the classroom at the brazen words she spoke.

He leaned dangerously toward her, "And what if I was to say she wasn't my lover?"

Hermione was watching the girl march toward her demise, when she could have sworn she saw her lips twitch as if to hold back a smirk, "I would say you were lying. Brown told me she has been moved out of Gryffindor Tower, and besides, it's not uncommon or illegal that you would sleep with your fiancée now is it?" Bruins waited to make sure no one had fallen off their stools from a heart attack yet. "The only illegal aspect would be if you were sleeping with your fiancée while she was still underage."

Severus gave a small glare at the girl who could no longer refrain from a small smirk as he stood and addressed the whole class, "Not that this is any of your business, but for the sake of the school owls I will tell you why it is not illegal that I am Hermione's fiancé and professor. I am a Veela, and my Veela has chosen Miss Granger. She has graciously agreed to let me live, so we are together. Now, get back to your potions."

Hermione felt all eyes fall on her before the students followed the professor's instruction. No one dared say a word now, but Hermione was sure tongues would be wagging after class ended. Bruins turned and smirked at Hermione before resuming her potion as well.

When the class finally ended, Severus dismissed them, "Except for Miss Bruins and Miss Granger."

When it was just the three of them remaining Samantha Bruins spoke, "So did you receive my letter?"

"Yes I did Miss Bruins, and you received my reply."

"Well? How about now?"

"A true Slytherin would hide a smirk better when trying to bribe someone."

"Well you were always my favorite teacher to begin with. I was just… lending a helping hand."

"Indeed."

"So?" She asked her professor hopefully. "Did that prove I have a create mind, one capable of intense problem solving under pressure?"

He gave a non-committal grunt.

Samantha sighed, "I will convince you I deserve that letter of recommendation if it is the last thing I do!" With that she grabbed her bag and made for the door.

"Miss Bruins," she paused and turned back to him, "I shall consider it."

She gave him a grin and a nod before exiting the classroom.

Hermione had watched the entire conversation in fascination. It proved how different Professor Snape could be with his students. Perhaps she just encountered his… darker teaching personality due to her friendship with Harry and the fact that she was a Gryffindor.

"So you wanted her to goad you into giving an explanation to the class?"

"No, she decided to do that all on her own." When he noticed her brow furrow in thoughtful confusion, he continued, "She has asked for a letter of recommendation to be invited to attend a prestigious school in order to become a potions mistress. I have given out a handful of recommendation letters in all my years of teaching so they hold quite a bit of weight in the guilds. When she requested one, I replied that she should seek a letter elsewhere as she was not in possession of a mind creative enough to become a potions mistress. After all, a potions mistress must be capable of creating new or improved potions as well as being capable of clear thought under the pressure of experimentation. One miscalculated stir or quantity can result in disastrous consequences if counter measures are not quickly thought of. Clearly she did not appreciate my letter and is trying to be the Slytherin she is and convince me to give her that letter."

"How exactly did that gain her favor in your eyes?"

"She showed the others how our relationship wasn't illegal and gave me the opportunity to explain why, without drawing you into the direct line of fire. All while giving reason to students to actually work to learn the whole truth without either of us having to explain further."

"How very Slytherin."

"Indeed." He said with a smile. "Would you like to read or work on school work in our room for an hour or two before dinner?"

"Sure. That sounds great."

Severus held out his hand for her to take, and she only paused a moment before she accepted the gesture.