Amour

KINDRED

The headline of the Daily Prophet also announced their engagement and Snape had been referring to that. There was also an article by Rita Skeeter featuring them, where she had spat at their relationship, but they didn't bother with that at all. "This might be your last chance. Sure you don't wanna back out now?"Hermione asked, biting into a waffle. "Not a chance."Snape scoffed,"How are you feeling today?" "Much better, thank you."she replied with a smile. "You're potion did the trick, honey!"Ron imitated a girl's voice to mock Hermione and he and Harry snickered. Snape shot them a cold stare, letting them know that he still hadn't forgiven them for luring her into danger. They both shut up and concentrated on their bowls of porridge, while there was a possible chastisement building in the air. Molly Weasley came to the rescue of the boys. "A nice big bowl of stew for Hermione!"she said, placing it in front of her and Hermione happily dug in, having lost her appetite for the past few days. Molly saw her eat and said satisfied,"You might as well finish it off, god knows, you need the strength. There's so much to do! Ginny can't wait to begin- she's going to bite your head off!" Arthur interjected setting down his teacup,"But as I recall, Hermione has something else to do too. What were those relatives you were telling me about last night, Severus?" Hermione chocked on her soup,"What?!" Snape measured her expression carefully before casually saying,"I was wondering whether you'd want to meet my aunt and cousin." Hermione thought she was going to faint...................................
Hermione downed a glass of brandy after she had finished emptying her wardrobe onto the floor and the bed. Snape was half-seated, half-lying on the bed, watching his fiancée lose it. "Hermione, you don't have to do this- I can tell them you're too sick." "No. Just like my relatives' approval was important to you, this is important for me too."she said, examining her clothes again and not finding one dress that was appropriate for the sort-of banquet they were holding for them. He knew she was going to freak,"Look, don't get all panicky-" "Yeah right. You are always the epitome of coolness. No one dropped a bomb on you! You didn't get a shock of new relatives of mine suddenly springing to life!"Hermione was in hysterics. Snape zipped his mouth and watched her breath heavily while biting her nails. She looked at him and suddenly jumped into bed so that they locked eyes. "I have to know. Now might be a good time to say it to me. Please tell me you don't have a wife and child somewhere across the globe!"she asked almost on the verge of tears. "Shut up and get dressed."Snape rolled his eyes and shook his head at her. He felt the alcohol had got to her head. Hermione huffed and got up,"This'll not do. I have to go shopping."...................................
They travelled down the road in a carriage to the large building on Hunsford hill in Scotland, that was the home of Snape's aunt, Dame Eliana Prince-de Bourgh. Snape ran soothing circles with his thumb on Hermione's hand that was clutching his tightly. "What if they don't like me?"Hermione vocalised the obvious question. "Don't be ridiculous. They'll love you. And even if they don't, I don't care."he said. He had told her about them, their habits and manners and Hermione gulped as their carriage came to a halt. This could all go downhill. Snape climbed out and held up his hand to help her get down. They could hear the music and the light chatter of people coming from inside the hall and Hermione put her arm through his. "Do not make yourself uneasy about your apparel."he scolded when he caught her fussing over her gown. They entered through the large front doors and everyone inside stopped what they were doing to feast their eyes upon them. It was a Victorian themed-party and Hermione had worn a dress appropriate to the time; fitted bodice and flared from the waist down with two layers, while Snape looked the daper gentleman in high-waisted pants, leather boots, a midnight-blue coat, over a white shirt and checkered vest, complete with a cravat and a top-hat. Lady Eliana was the sister of Eleanor Prince, currently widowed, belonged to the same aristocratic class as Snape but if possible, she was richer. If she was anything like her sister, Hermione knew she didn't stand a chance of impressing her. And she had invited her whole community to bear witness to her nephew's fiancée. Snape was reassuring her again and again that she was a distant relative and they might not ever be seeing her again but this didn't do anything to lessen Hermione's trepidation. She forced her to calm herself, as the music resumed and people jerked back into motion. Snape walked her straight up to his aunt, Hermione making short nervous steps, somewhat un-gracefully in lieu of the steel hoops underneath her skirt. "This is my aunt, Dame Eliana Prince-de Bourgh and my sister, Caroline de- Bourgh."he introduced them, taking a bow, while Hermione curtsied. His aunt and cousin stood up to receive them, with great condescension. Their initial acquiantance followed. Lady Eliana was a rather short but elegant woman, with strongly marked features, which might have once been handsome. She was not rendered formidable by her silence, but whatever she said was spoken in so authoritative a tone, as marked her importance; much like her nephew. Lady Caroline was tall like Snape and of a large frame, less handsome than her brother or mother but there was sense and good humour in her face and her manners were perfectly unassuming and gentle. She was close to Snape in age but unmarried. Hermione felt that her shyness was due to her well-learned manners but she was actually bubbling with excitement. "I'm sorry I didn't meet with you before. I was busy having no idea you existed."Hermione joked in the middle of their conversation. Caroline laughed although her mother didn't. Lady Eliana turned to Snape,rather offended,"Why did the girl not know about us till the day before yesterday? Do you not consider us family, Severus?" Although he denied, Hermione could understand that was was precisely the case. After everything that had happened, he had drifted apart and these acquaintances so far away from home hardly mattered to him. The way he shyed away from meeting his aunt's gaze made Hermione suspect whether he believed that his aunt still blamed him for her sister's death. Hermione went over and talked to the other men and women too, who asked her about England, Hogwarts, how the two of them met and also the war. Although it was a themed party, she felt that they were actually no short of Victorians in their mannerisms. She felt her class and conduct was being measured and she tried her utmost to come across as one of them. She danced with a few of them, on their insistence, till Snape claimed her hand. Dancing slowly in her lover's arms, she finally let go of the smile that was hurting her cheeks and the uptight manner that she had been holding onto. He noticed the hunch in her shoulders and her serious face. "Are you not feeling well? We could leave-" "No,"Hermione straightened up and checked whether anyone had noticed what he did,"Did I babble a lot this evening? Should I be more elegantly behaved? It's just that..." She looked down but Snape hated it when she didn't make eye-contact and put a hand under her chin to turn her face up and wanted her to continue. Hermione said in a sheepish voice,"I see all these people and cannot help but get inferiority complex. Severus, you deserve someone, like your sister- a proper lady. I see so much resemblance in Narcissa Malfoy too. These are the sort of people you normally mingle with. I don't think I can ever be like them. I don't fit in here, at all. How you came to even like me is beyond my comprehension. I thought that if I'm being like any of them-" "You're not being them, you're being yourself."Snape said flatly,"You made something impossible happen. You leave me in awe and wonder. But if you use your charms to carry yourself around with false dignity and flash pretentious smiles, then you're no different from them; you're more of the same. And I've loved you precisely because you're different." Hermione's spirits were lifted considerably and she awarded him with a kiss.
Dinner was exceedingly handsome, where the couple were the centre of attraction and were seated next to their hosts. Lady Eliana delivered her opinion on every subject in so decisive a manner as proved that she was not used to have her judgement controverted. But Hermione thought- 'to hell with genteelness'- and refuted her views whenever she thought she was mistaken. Contrary to her dread, the dame grew rather excited to have her opinions debated and enjoyed the conversation. She also adressed a variety of questions to Hermione, of whom she knew very little. Although she felt the slight impertinence of her inquiries, Hermione answered them very composedly. She found nothing beneath this great lady's attention, that furnished her with an occasion of dictating to others. Lady de- Bourgh also inferred that her future in-law was a smart and jaunty girl and no doubt very pretty too. She looked at her while she talked animatedly with her daughter and observed how happy Snape seemed to be. She accepted the relationship in her mind, even though besides herself. At last, it was time to leave and Hermione clutched at Lady Caroline's hand to request,"Please do attend the wedding. I would love it if you could be one of my bridesmaids too!" "Me? Aren't I too old for that sort of thing?"Caroline looked over at her mother. Her expression suggested that they shall see about that. Instead she inquired after her nephew,"Have you thought of the honeymoon yet?" Snape glimpsed sideways at Hermione and said with a smile curling his lips,"It's a secret." Hermione shot him a wink, unbeknownst to his aunt. Lady Eliana couldn't mask her disappointment in the fact that he didn't disclose the location to her but couldn't help but be nosy."And how long are you planning on taking your honeymoon?"  "For the rest of my life."he replied cockily and Hermione adored him for that. With a carriage full of gift hampers, they finally bid them adieu.