"Some Things are Meant to be Found"

by

Caitlinc1991

Author's note: This is AU from OOTP, though I may incorporate information from the last two books. I am also looking for a beta reader if anyone particularly wants the job.

Minerva McGonagall stumbled out the bathroom wrapped in the cozy confines of a red plush robe with hair still in curlers. She walked over towards Albus working at his desk in their rooms and began to massage his shoulders.

"Albus, you haven't even had breakfast yet!" she chided gently.

"Ah," said Albus breaking from his work and leaning back in the chair relaxing into the massage, "You're right, love, I'll just sit here if you'll be so kind as to continue what you are doing."

"Mmm…" was Minerva's noncommittal answer, but Albus was too far relaxed to notice it.

"Albus?"

"Yes, Minerva?"

"Where does Severus go? It always seems as though he is disappearing all the time."

"Minerva, he is only forty-one years-old, he is still a young man, he has other things that take part of his time. Is he slacking on his head-of-house duties?"

"No…" trailed Minerva, "It's just that, well, oh come on Albus!" noticing the way he was looking, "Damn, I just want to know where he goes!"

"Minerva," Albus replied warningly, "We all have our secrets don't we?"

Minerva nodded as she thought of their own well hidden marriage that was now over half a century old.

"If he has any secrets he'll have to tell you Minerva and unless he's slacking off on his head-of-house duties I don't want to discuss this again."

"Alright, Albus," she gave him one last squeeze on his shoulders, her lips brushing his as she finished the massage and then she went into the master bedroom to get ready for the day.

At the same time in a spacious manor near Devonshire…

Slowly opening his eyes Severus Snape pulled the covers off him and quietly placed his feet on the floor. Hissing with the realization that the floor was ice cold he realized that the permanent warming charms on the floor and air must have worn off. He grabbed his wand off the nightstand and muttered the charms again. He heard a sigh of relief once the charms began to take effect and he turned at looked over at his wife. He was quickly alarmed that sometime in the middle of the night Hermione had managed to kick off the majority of her covers. Severus quickly assumed that she must be freezing and quietly made his way to her side of the large bed. Brushing her bare shoulder as he tucked her arm he absently noted that the bare skin was rather warm. Assuming it was just from sleep he made his way into the master bath to take a shower and get ready for the day. After finishing his morning routine he looked in on his wife one last time and mused on how well this secret marriage had worked. The marriage was a secret not because they were afraid people wouldn't accept it, even though some would do just that, it was a secret because after the war both were declared war heroes and their celebrity status skyrocketed. Both of them, especially Hermione, wanted to be out of the public eye. So, after they were married, Hermione moved to Snape Manor and began a mail-order potions service and was hired on part-time as a potions researcher at the Ministry of Magic. This allowed Hermione, once their beautiful son was born nearly three years ago, to stay at home with Aurelius. Severus retained his position as potions professor and was still the head of Slytherin. All in all, Severus mused, it really had worked. He exited the master bedroom and went into the nursery. Stopping at the canopy crib he brushed his son's matted hair of his forehead and brushed a kiss on the boy's sleep flushed cheek thinking, rather melancholy, that this was to be the last time he would see his little boy until lunch and then only for about half an hour. With one last look he exited the nursery, made his way to the living room and flooed to his head-of-house office at Hogwarts and began to make his way to breakfast in the Great Hall.

That's it; the end of chapter one. Please review it would mean so much to me. Look for chapter two in the next day or so and schedule allows.