Ave Umbra SSHG

A SS/HG fanfic by Severus Sortiarius

A/N:I OWN NOTHING, This is for my amusement and others if you feel so incline to venture with me...The Characters and all rights Belong to J.K. Rowling, but I like to venture into her playground...particularly when it comes to a certian Potions Master...No Money is being made off this...and I'm quite alright with that...Stress relief and letting my imagination run wild is all I care about here...and of course Reviews...I'll try and watch my spelling but it does tend to go awry in the heat of the moment when typing so bare with me...RATED M and it's not changing...I won't be as discriptive as some other writers out of respect to the characters, but I will make them HUMAN.

WARNING: Contains Mature Content...M FOR MATURE, Strong Language, Sexual Content, Alcohol, Drug Reference, Mentions of Child Abuse, Ect.

{The issuing of The Marriage Law Replushion act has liberated countless witches and wizards from unsavory unions...in the case of Hermione Granger, that had been all the more true of her subsequent marriage to former Potions Professor Severus Snape...As far as anyone else could tell it seems the pair could hardly wait to be rid of each other, but when the papers are signed and the union disolved...will either of them come to regret it?}

{"I'm through thinking of things to say to you...It's true, I've said enough and so have you...Just drive, you slam the door and so do I...Tongue tied from all the little things...And they're the reason that I scream...I needed you...Probably as bad as I need another hole in the head...'Cause I needed you...Car keys in your hand...I believe that you would leave me for dead..."}Another Hole In The Head, Nickelback

Prologue: Liberation's Folly

The Ministry Of Magical Offices, Wizarding World...

Hermione Granger-Snape's amber eyes stared down at the magical parchments with a mixture of much appreciated relief and disbelief. In just a matter of moments she would be getting her life back. Not to say as she had not been grateful for the Potions Master being her husband. His untimely proposal at the behest of Headmaster Albus Dumbledore had been all that kept the muggle-born witch out of unsavory death eater clutches during the second wizarding war. Over the course of their surprisingly short marriage, Hermione had discovered a good deal about her former Potions Professor, like his blantant preference for drink at all hours of the day no matter the occasion. She summized that it attributed to his brittle nature for the most part.

She had also known the exact specifications he had when demanding his breakfast. It had been strange at first having to get use to being around the greasy git in an intimate setting as well. He had been surprisingly patient with her new found understanding between them but that did little to stop the eruptions of temper and his often trade mark nasty remarks concerning her and her sorted house of Hogwarts.

Of course all that had been in the beginning of their short union.

Severus Snape had appeared to mellow following the battle of Hogwarts, having narrowly escaped death via a venomous serpent would do that to one the witch supposed.

For his part, Severus Snape had been standing in his usual ebony clad attire with his obsidian gaze fixed on the parchments as well. The administrator produced a magical pen in which both parties were to use to add their respective signatures to the paperwork. Hermione noticed that Snape had been silent the entire time the administrator spoke about the impending divorce.

His expression had been blank as it ever was, a frustrating aspect about the wizard if ever there was one. During their entire six years of marriage, Hermione had never known if Severus had truly felt anything for her aside from the occasional indication that their forced coupling via the Ministry of Magic had been tolerable.

Hermione's amber eyes went from the parchments before her back to her husband and then to her friends whom had come along to show their support. Ginny Weasley, now Ginny Potter had smiled at her in a bid to give her encouragement. Harry's emerald green eyes had been on Snape. Ever since he had found out the dour wizard had formerly been in love with his mother, he made it a point to try and get to know the man. Of course Snape didn't make it easy, perfering to keep his distance from anyone and everyone all at once.

The Potions Master had retired quietly from teaching following a breif stint in Azkaban due to a impleminted Death Eater Reformation Act. Hermione had fought tooth and nail to get him released and with the combined efforts of Harry Potter and Professor Minerva McGonagall, they proved he had infact been reformed all along and working to bring about Voldemort's end behind enemy lines.

Once the truth was known Snape became a sort of unsung hero of the wizarding world despite his preferance to remain as far away from public noteriety for his work. Hermione had accepted The Medal of Merlin in his honor given that she had recieved her own medal for her efforts in the war and had been recognized by the wizarding world as the snarky former Professor's legal wife.

"Alright Professor Snape if you would...please sign here...here and here...and you'll be a free wizard once again." said the administrator.

With a disgruntled sigh at having been addressed in general, Snape took hold of the magical pen and quickly added his familiar spidery scrawl to the parchments on the table. Once he had finished, the administrator turned his attention to Hermione. The witch looked at the parchments and then at the pen. To tell the truth her reluctance to sign had been something of a shock to her. She had invisioned so many nights all the ways she would celebrate if this Merlin awful law were ever repelled. She had wished to get back to being in charge of her own destiny again and the possiblity of marrying for love as opposed to magical priority had been an all too intriging prospect.

"Mrs. Snape?" said the administrator trying to get her attention. "Are you ready to sign?"

Hermione looked over at Snape. His expression had once again made it hard to judge the kind of emotion he had been feeling given the end of their marriage was but a signature away.

"Times awasting Miss Granger." said Snape with his arms folded across his ebony clad chest. "Some of us have more important things to do besides sit here and suffer the indignaty of Potter's presence."

Harry narrowed his eyes at the former Potions Professor. It seemed the years had done little to wave Snape's annoyance where he was concerned. Hermione took a breath as she looked back down at the parchments.

"Only one more signature until we both win our respective freedom from this insufferable law." muttered Snape bitterly.

Finding no sign that he of intended protest, nor a fraction of regret in the dour wizard's sallow pale face, The comptemplating witch hastily added her signature to the parchments noting for the first time that this was to be the last time she used the title of Mrs. Hermione Jean Granger-Snape.

"Well Mr. and Mrs. Snape." said the administrator with a soft smile. "I now pronounce you divorced."

There was a minor sensation of overwhelming shock as their respective wedding bands broke into pieces and crumbled before their very eyes. The magic binding them had been lifted and they stood more divided than all the years of being Professor and student had illustrated in the past. Without a word or so much as a backwards glance Severus Snape left the lobby of the Minisry of Magic building.

The trademark billowing of his black robes had been the last image of the man Hermione Granger had been married to for the past six years. For a moment she felt the urge to run after him. One could hardly blame her given how many times she had done that very thing concerning the various rows they had over the course of their union.

It became apparent that her amber eyes had been fixed on the last place she had seen Snape when she finally noticed that Harry had been attempting to get her attention.

"Mione?" he had said softly. "A-Are you alright?"

The formerly married witch turned toward her friend and offered him a small smile in a bid to thank him of his concern.

"Y-Yes." she replied a little too uneasily for Harry's taste. "I'm just...it's all been so strange...I simply need a moment."

The green eyed wizard nodded as his eyes wondered into the direction where Snape had disappeared. He had been worried about how this would all affect the already tempermental wizard. Knowing his severe attachment to his mother and given his recent marriage to Hermione, Snape must have been an emotional wreck inwardly. With a sigh, Harry pushed his concerns away for the time being. He would have to wait to see how this all played out before he had been truly overcome with concern for the often self destrictive wizard.

It had been well documented that if he were to approach the wizard this soon there was a chance Snape might react rather bitterly toward him and disappear off the grid entirely. Given that Snape had been released from Azkaban due to his and Hermione's combined efforts, the green eyed wizard felt responsible for the often unreasonable git.

"Let's get you home." he said turning his attention back to Hermione.

The witch felt a small ping of unwavering saddness. Home had been Spinner's End in Cokeworth, England since the second wizarding war's end. Home, had been a small sitting room with books abound in their respective sheleves smelling of old leather and crisp old pages. Home, had been the place where the familiar baritone drawl of a most insufferable wizard resounded as he wondered the darkened halls muttering to himself about various potions ideas. Most importantly, Home had been the place she had shared with her husband for the past six years