Armed with a letter signed by Minister Dugald McPhail as well as Headmaster Everard to be presented to McPhail's counterpart in America at The Magical Congress of the United States of America upon arrival in Washington. The Headmaster's letter was likely overkill, but better to have too much information than not enough and find them stuck one hundred thirty years earlier without the Americans aiding them as directed. Severus thought that they were pretty much ready for what he very much considered to be a fool's errand.

They had enough galleons to last them probably ten years. There was a vault at Gringotts that had been established at the start of the Unspeakables that across time their wands should allow them entry to if they needed more. (Not a lifetime supply, but enough to stave off an emergency situation.) Severus was leaving nothing to chance, though, in the event they got stranded. Traveling so far back was hugely risky. There was a chance with any time travel of damage to the device. As far as Severus knew, while the ability to travel back this far existed it wasn't done. So, he did not want to be stranded in 1871 and broke.

Courtesy of the wardrobe area off the Time Room offices they had enough clothes to get them through about a week. That was about all the Time Room offered them. No surprise since it had probably been a century since the items they did find and procure were needed. They would have to buy more when they arrived, but this would at least get them started. Cleansing charms would have to make do until they were able to buy items to fit in with their destination.

"Well," he said once Hermione joined him. She looked rather attractive dressed in a formal gown with a bustle. He could admit that while she looked nice, he preferred her curves not be so covered up. There was a matching hat and muff. "I like the green," he quipped.

"Of course you would," she said with a shake of her head. She looked a little uncertain about how she looked. Admittedly, mens' attire wasn't drastically different for 1871 than what he was accustomed to living as a wizard for twenty years. (He didn't want to think about what that said.)

"Ready when you are, dearest," he said.

"Oh do stop!" At least she hadn't hexed him and she didn't look angry at the moment, more uncertain. As if she was afraid that he might hex her for having to pretend to be her husband.

"I'm quite sure Chapman is more than somewhat amused at the moment."

According to their paperwork they were husband and wife. The only other possibility for Hermione to be traveling without a chaperone in the place and time period they were going to was to be Severus' daughter. He had staunchly refused to go that route. Chapman had smirked at him knowingly.

Bastard.

The only one who seemed to not know how he felt about the witch was … well, the witch. She appeared to be oblivious. Or was purposely pretending to be, which was what caused him hesitation in inviting her on an actual date. They had dinner together regularly, as in sometimes two or three times a week regularly. He'd joined her for dinners at her parents house more than just once or twice, to the point he addressed them by their first names. They'd seen a few muggle movies together.

They'd never touched beyond him setting a hand at her back while they walked or something innocuous like that. They'd certainly never kissed. If he paid for a meal or movie one night, she insisted on paying for the next.

Was she just not wanting to appear to take advantage of him spending money on her? Did she not want his interest? Did she just want a friend? Was she not certain about his intentions so was being careful? He wouldn't blame her as they'd never talked about Lily so she could very possibly think that he was still pining for the other witch.

He truly had no idea how to read her. 

It wouldn't matter who the witch was as far as him feeling out of his comfort zone he realized. This one in particular, though, unsettled him because she was so unlike other witches. He didn't want to push her or act like a lovesick fool. That could lead to her discontinuing what they already had. In truth, if this was all he got from her while not ideal he would be content.

Yes, being a Gryffindor she tended to wear her heart on her sleeve. He did not seem to be able to differentiate whether her interest was friendly affection or potentially more. He was not about to make the same mistake twice in his life, at least not so publicly or obviously. Of course, if everyone except the witch knew, he obviously wasn't so good at keeping his affection for the witch from being apparent.

They hadn't been actual partners until about two months ago. Prior to that she was the only one he'd tolerate accompanying him on jobs. Chapman had just made it official recently.

He was about to ask about her familiar, but if all went well they'd be back to the exact moment they left without the feline being the wiser. No doubt Mr. Potter would look after the creature if something did happen and they never returned.

Severus wasn't counting on that happening, but he wasn't going to presume without a doubt they'd be able to return. Though she hadn't said so aloud she had to know the possibility existed as well. All Unspeakables who dealt with time travel knew and accepted that as a risk of their job.

She wore the time turner as it would appear to be a necklace to anyone else. Assured she was ready they made their way via apparition to Cokeworth.

"Why are we here?" she asked. She looked more confused than the simplicity behind her question suggested. He couldn't blame her. Cokeworth was not exactly a city on the cutting edge of things.

"Contrary to popular belief I do not know everything."

"I wasn't suggesting you did, Severus. You know me better than to think I do! Can we start this without you being cruel?"

He huffed. He wasn't trying to be cruel. And comments like that one were what made him hesitate to outwardly pursue her. If she couldn't accept him as he was, words and all. Well, he had no doubt he could change to some degree if this witch requested it. However, not things like that.

"I do not know everything, but - as I was getting to - I do know Cokeworth and its history like the back of my hand. I know, for example, what was uninhabited in 1871."

"Oh, I see," she said with a nod. She understood now. They had to start somewhere they'd be safe ending up. Safe from not breaking the Statute. Safe from not being imprisoned or killed. "I didn't mean to question you."

"Of course you did, you wouldn't be Hermione if you didn't."

"Yes, well," she shrugged as if admitting defeat. She knew as well as everyone she was tenacious and questioned pretty much everything. As a professor it drove him mad, but as her partner well he could appreciate that she was looking out for not just her safety but his as well as that of anyone they might encounter on their assignments.

"Now you have a cloak and everything, yes?"

"Yes," she said with a huff.

"Well, put it on then, Witch. We will be arriving in January."

"Yes, I remember you saying that. Why that far ahead?"

"We don't know when in April Mr. Wilkes' birthday is. We need to get ourselves established wherever MACUSA will put us up. We need to work at fitting in, which isn't an easy task for either of us. We will need to ascertain the best way to prevent this … shrew of a woman from eavesdropping on something she had no business gossiping about. That means observing and trying to acclimate ourselves to the time and their way of life as we will be there for a couple of years before the child that already exists gets past the date of her death."

She was quiet for a moment, processing what all he'd said. "I understand," she said.

She reached into her bag, no longer the beaded atrocity she'd taken while hunting horcruxes with. She hadn't seemed too upset to be rid of it. He had to admit he kind of missed it. It was so opposite of what he envisioned her using that he'd grown somewhat attached to it. One of their assignments, though, someone had made fun of it. He couldn't imagine they had been the first, but it apparently made her realize she was no longer on the run and could replace it with whatever she wanted.

"That will have to be under your cloak."

"No! Really? You don't say?"

"All right," he said, realizing this wasn't her first time using a time turner and likely wouldn't be her last.

For that matter, using it as a student as she had he could admit she was the more experienced of the two of them since he hadn't ever used one until taking this position. Old habits were hard to break, though. He was still used to working with dunderheads.

"Just ensuring. And you are certain that you understand our task. We are not there to change the political climate. That is not to say that we can't treat all people kindly, but we are there to save two children. And a marriage it would seem."

"I understand."

"Okay," he said, sounding very much as if he didn't believe her.

He knew that was what he sounded like because he could admit he wasn't sure he did believe her. It was innate in her to want to fix things. To stand up for those she thought were being treated unfairly. They would be seeing that aplenty over the next few years, but they were not there to change that. Not to say that they couldn't lead by example in an attempt to get others to see things differently, but they were not to disrupt things. That could alter too much. She knew that.

"Ready when you are then, Hermione," he said.

Traveling this way, especially feeling as he did about her, was far more intimate than he would have liked. They essentially had to embrace as the chain the time turner was on wasn't long enough for much space between them.

He couldn't deny having her this close, in his arms was always nice. (Why she was always the one to possess the turner they used he wasn't sure. Beyond the fact he'd never asked to he supposed.)

They stood silently, watching as the years peeled away. Now and again there was activity in the area he'd chosen for them to travel from and to, but not often and nothing right on top of them so as they'd be noticed.

Eventually, things around them stopped moving.

"I'm not sure I'll ever get used to that," she murmured. In truth he felt the same way. It was disconcerting. Immensely cool that in a matter of a couple of hours they could literally leave their entire existence behind. There was nothing making them return from any given job.

She was close enough, looking up at him the way she was. He could easily lean in and kiss her and he didn't get the impression she'd be offended. As tempting as it was to find out if he was imagining that, now was not the time.

They apparated to the Diagon Alley area so they could take care of any needs in London they had before using a portkey to get to Washington. First order of business was a pair of wedding bands since Chapman had them married.

"Severus, that's not really necessary."

"Of course it is. You think I'm going to have anyone think we're not truly married? That I can't afford to buy you a wedding ring? That I don't want you to have a wedding ring? At least two years, Hermione. We have to fit in."

She huffed, but allowed him. He probably spent more than was necessary on a ring that was nicer than the ruse called for. However, if he was going to outfit her as his wife, he damned well was going to buy her something that he'd actually pick out.

They left the jeweler's store and made their way down the street a bit. There he took her ring out of the box it was briefly housed in and she did the same with his ring.

"Not exactly how I envisioned getting a wedding ring," she said with a light laugh.

He grimaced at that. What had she envisioned? Who had she envisioned giving it to her? She didn't strike him as the romantic type, but then he supposed even she might surprise him when it came to choosing her wizard. From all that he could ascertain via the Daily Prophet and Ministry gossip she was not dating anyone.

"Yes, well," he said, sliding said ring onto her left ring finger. It seemed as though something should be said as he did that. "I, Severus Snape, vow to be loyal and defend you as a husband should."

That startled her. Why? Did she think that he traveled to 1871 with her to take up with other women? The idea made him shudder.

"I, Hermione Granger, vow to be loyal and defend you as a wife should. I refuse to say obedient even as a …"

He felt his left hand and arm get warm and his ring finger tingle, judging by the widening of her eyes and the fact that she'd stopped talking she felt the same.

Fuck.

"Severus?"

He cleared his throat.

"Severus?" she repeated. She didn't sound furious at least. He did not want to deal with a furious Hermione Granger today.

He stared at his feet. How to tell the cleverest witch of her age that he was pretty sure they'd just become husband and wife for real, not as part of their plan.

"Did what I think just happened happen?"

"I think so, yes."

"Severus Snape!"

"I didn't think…" He truly hadn't. It just seemed as though he should say something when putting a ring on her finger.

"Are we married?"

"I believe so," he said. He waved his right hand over their joined hands, his left in her right. Sure enough a gold ribbon showed up and then disappeared. "I'm sure we can get it annulled…"

She regarded their hands. The outline of the ribbon had dissipated moments ago. Her eyes lifted to meet his, head tilted. She still wasn't looking furious. Contemplative. Contemplating what? Hexing his bollocks off?

"Anyone can do that, right?"

"Do what?" he asked with a scowl.

"Do the spell to determine whether we're truly married?"

"Oh, yes."

"Well, then leave it. We don't know how suspicious anyone we're going to meet might be."

"When we return we can look into getting it voided."

"That's fine."

And if in the two years they were gone he could convince her not to void it when they returned.

All the better.

And he would endeavour to ensure that was the end result. He wasn't entirely sure how to go about that, however, treating her decently and not losing his temper would probably go a long way.

"My vow of loyalty stands. Until the time comes we are no longer bound in such a fashion."

She reached up then, kissing him on his cheek. "That's very sweet, thank you."

"You are welcome."

"You're not going to make me repeat mine stands as well?"

He scoffed then. "Hardly. I know you, Hermione. There isn't a disloyal bone in your body. For at least the next two years you are committed to being my wife. I know that you will do just that."

She was married.

To Severus Snape.

Had he truly not known? He'd been living in the magical world for over twenty years pretty exclusively. Surely he'd seen magical weddings?

She personally had only seen two magical weddings. Bill and Fleur's was the first. She couldn't possibly be expected to remember all of it given what happened immediately afterward. The other wedding was Harry and Ginny's. Harry hadn't mentioned feeling anything, but there again he was focused on his wife not telling his best friend what being married magically felt like.

As she wasn't engaged to be married or even close to that she'd never thought to research the subject. She supposed she should have! Hindsight was twenty-twenty, she supposed.

Harry had told Hermione about six or seven months ago that he thought Severus liked Hermione. Hermione's heart had swelled at the possibility, but she knew deep down her friend couldn't be right. She was nothing like Lily. And good lord, how did one compete with loving someone for twenty years? She'd waved Harry's comment off, content to just enjoy being a person Severus Snape spent time with.

Their dinner nights were her favourite. She liked seeing movies with him, too, but it seemed so … date-like that she always felt uncomfortable. Not to mention they couldn't talk during a movie, and she never seemed to run out of things to talk to him about. And he always insisted on paying at first. Finally, she made a deal, they'd alternate. It seemed fair.

Had Harry been right after all?

No, he couldn't be, but even if he had been. Well, she didn't see Severus purposely binding them in marriage.

She'd regarded him covertly for hours now as they walked through Diagon Alley, acclimating themselves to 1871. They figured it was best to do it here where they were at least familiar with some things versus America where nothing was even remotely familiar to either of them.

Did he truly not know that would happen? She found it hard to believe, but she didn't see him deliberately marrying them without telling her either.

She did notice as they walked throughout the area that the wardrobe room had provided very well. For London. They'd see how well they were outfitted for Georgia, but she supposed they'd be allowed some leeway coming from London. They only had about a week's worth of items anyway, so they'd have to get that taken care of almost immediately.

One thing she thoroughly enjoyed about having Severus as her partner. He seemed to be as curious about different places and times as she was. So he never rushed her when they were somewhere new, allowing her to look her fill. She wasn't the type to go into every store or anything, but she just liked to take it all in. People watching could reveal so much about the climate when they were somewhere new and unfamiliar.

"Ready to visit the Portkey Office then?"

"Sure," she said.

She knew she sounded kind of … sad. She could stay here for days and he likely not only knew that but could as well. Neither had been this far back in time before.

With Severus' help she ensured the time turner was hidden under her dress. The actual time turner had to be put beneath the back of her dress given the neckline at the front.

Severus took a letter out of his briefcase, disillusioned to appear like ones they saw on the street throughout the day.

"We require a portkey to Washington, please," he said, sliding the letter seemingly signed by Everard himself.

"Of course," the older, rotund witch said from her side of the counter. "Mr. and Mrs. Severus Denby. Urgent business then?"

Severus nodded simply.

The woman prepared their portkey and led them to the room where it would activate from.

"You'll have five minutes."

"Thank you, madam," Severus said.

"Have a safe trip."

"Well then, Wife," he said, offering a portion of the newspaper that was serving as their portkey.

"That's not funny, you know."

"I wasn't joking. You are, in fact, that are you not?"

She rolled her eyes, but moved next to him to grab a portion of the newspaper.

Soon enough they both experienced the pull of portkey travel and were taken away from what was at least somewhat familiar to them.

"Have you been to America before?" she asked him once they'd arrived.

"Mm, yes, on occasion. Always business. Ilvermorny or potions related. You?"

"Yes, New York. Mum wanted to bring me a muggle show on Broadway for some reason," she shrugged.

"It seems like something Jolene would want to do with you."

She wondered if he knew how odd it was to everyone (excluding her) that he was on a first name basis with both of her parents. She wouldn't say they were friends but he was included whenever she was invited to have dinner with them. And nine times out of ten he showed up. Sometimes not at the same time as her, which was fine.

Often enough, though, that her dad had asked more than once if he had to have a talk with Severus about his intentions. Hermione had made him swear that he would never, under any circumstances, ever humiliate her in such a fashion by doing that.

She liked Severus and if his friendship was all she got, well. She didn't want her father scaring away the one person she liked talking to. Differently than she liked talking to Harry, Ron, or Ginny.


There was someone waiting for them when they stepped out of the room they arrived in, which they'd expected. The British Ministry of Magic wouldn't let random people come out of the Portkey Office area either. Severus had their paperwork ready.

Their letter was read and they were led to the American Minister of Magic's office. She and Severus sat on the other side of the desk as he reviewed the letter and accompanying paperwork.

"The letter says you'll need a home in Atlanta," he asked this, glancing at Severus over the top of the letter. Of course the man would look to him and not her for input.

"Or thereabouts, but preferably in the city, yes."

"Well, as it happens there are a few empty houses. Families that were either casualties of the War Between the States or fled North because they didn't want to be a part of it. We don't have too many wanting to relocate down there yet. Do you have any specifications?"

"No, Minister, whatever you have available will be fine. Something furnished would be preferable since this is temporary."

"No children?"

"No, Sir, we just married."

"All right. Just a moment," he said and stood, leaving the office.

Severus watched as Hermione stood from the chair and looked around the office. He recognized that look.

It reminded him of the first time they'd met in Chapman's office a few months ago when he'd brought up the two of them officially becoming partners. No one else wanted to work with Severus. Hermione was tolerable. That's what he told Chapman anyway. In truth, Severus had hoped they'd get to the point of being partners without the formal title being applied. He would not tolerate anyone else and it had gotten to the point before he'd started being paired up with her that other Unspeakables assigned to the Time Room would rather count grains of time sand than work with Severus Snape.

He hadn't been nice to her the first few times they worked together when she started either but she'd persevered. And gotten under his skin. And firmly planted into his heart. And now he had two years to convince her to remain his wife when they were done with this assignment.

He stood then and walked to her as she was eyeing a couple non-magical portraits on a wall.

"I never realized how … average in height President Grant was," she whispered.

He snorted, stifling a chuckle. He could admit she wasn't wrong. Certainly, compared to Mr. Lincoln's well over six feet tall at any rate.

Minister Taylor returned.

"That is the muggle president," he said, obviously seeing the two of them looking at the portrait. "General Grant."

"It's a nice portrait," Hermione said.

"So, I found one right in Atlanta, just toward the end of Peachtree Street. It is furnished and from reports escaped any destruction. It has been magically sealed since the owner's death. She was a widow and had enough magical enhancements that we decided we couldn't risk it going to a No-Maj owner. Those enhancements would not be obvious if someone were to, say, visit the home. So, do not feel as if you cannot entertain. We have had other things to worry about and the economy there is still rather unstable, but ultimately I imagine we would have to tear the home down if we had to go the No-Maj route. From the information in the letter the point is for you to immerse yourself into the general population."

"Correct."

"Here are the keys. Two sets. I will ensure that the kitchen is stocked and that a room is made up for you so that you don't have to worry about that. I can arrange for an elf as well. Do you require more than two?"

Severus turned to glare at Hermione, feeling (and knowing) her reaction to the idea of being given an elf. He settled a hand over hers and she nodded, obviously understanding. This was not the time or place for her crusade. They could treat their elves decently while under their care.

"That should be sufficient, thank you."

"Very well. As to your arrival in Atlanta. Suddenly appearing will be noticed so I recommend taking the train from Charleston to Atlanta. You can spend the night here tonight, portkey to Charleston tomorrow and take the train that way. You'll need to ensure at least some of your luggage is visible, but you can take care of that before you activate the portkey."

"Of course," Severus said.

It made sense. They couldn't just show up in Atlanta on foot. They would have to appear to have come from somewhere with luggage. Anything else would be suspect. Good thing they'd each taken a trunk from this time period from the wardrobe room as well.

"As to tonight, if you'd like to stay here we do have a few guestrooms on the premises. Otherwise I can recommend a good hotel or two if you'd like to take in some of our country's capital city before departing for Charleston tomorrow."

"I should think my wife and I would enjoy walking around some, yes."

"Excellent. My secretary can give you a map with a list of approved apparition points to the various sights."

"Thank you," Severus said. He stood then, following the Minister's lead.

"It's nice to meet you Mr. and Mrs. Denby. Welcome to America. I hope your stay is a pleasant one."

Left unsaid was that if they had a horrible time in Atlanta, it wasn't his fault.

"Thank you."

The two shook hands and they were escorted out to where his secretary was to get the aforementioned map and local information.

"Shall we then, Madam Denby?"

"Yes," she said and if Severus knew anything about Hermione she was excited to see the city before they ventured down to Atlanta.

Story ©Susan Falk/APCKRFAN/PhantomRoses.com