Hermione and Severus have lived happily for many years. When disturbing incidences start to plague Hermione, her life begins to unravel at a terrifying rate. Will she be able to discover what is wrong with her before it destroys her family? (Sequel to Toy - you do not need to have read Toy in order to read this fic, but it may help.)
Happy Reading.
--blossomedangel--
Hermione stirred in her sleep. She felt extremely cold. Has Severus left the window open again? She shivered to wakefulness and opened her eyes. Hermione looked about her and gasped.
"What on Earth—?"
She was on the rooftop of their home, looking at the immense forest that stretched from the bottom of their garden right out to the next town. An array of stunning colours danced across the sky as the sun rose above the horizon. Hermione was riveted by the sight.
Hermione had refused to live in Snape Manor after she and Severus had married, and so they had bought and moved into a nice home in the Northumbrian countryside, paid for by the extensive funds of the Snape bank vault. Not too far away from the nearest city, but far enough to be in isolation, they lived in a three-storey house in the middle of a dense forest.
She tried to remember how she had ended up on the roof, but her mind was completely blank. The last thing she remembered was going to bed. She looked at her watch and cursed, before looking around for an escape route. Her wand was not on her, unfortunately, so she ended up jumping onto the nearest tree and climbing down. Luckily, none of her family spotted her.
She rushed up to the bedroom of her seven-year-old daughter, Serena. The black-haired devil was still asleep even though she knew that she was supposed to get up half an hour ago. Serena had Severus' hair, but Hermione's chocolate brown eyes. Unfortunately, she also had the same tendency as Severus did to sleep in and scowl when woken up.
Just as she was scowling at her mother now.
"Mum! Another five minutes?"
"Other children beg not to be put to bed and you beg to stay in bed. Now get up. Your teacher will be arriving soon."
Severus and Hermione had had a great deal of argument. Hermione wanted to let her daughter attend a Muggle primary school, but Severus had refused, saying that children only needed to learn Maths and English when they were young and none of the 'Muggle nonsense' this had merited a huge stone wall of silence from Hermione for weeks. Severus had apologised, in the end, and Hermione had forgiven him instantly.
Finally, they reached an agreement to have their child home-tutored, and Hermione would have the right to decide what her daughter should and should not learn.
Hermione managed to get Serena out of bed, threatening to take away her books otherwise, and Serena hopped downstairs, in her pyjamas, and ate breakfast. Hermione then went to the room next door, where her husband was playing with their two-year-old son.
"Severus! You know Serena has to be up by eight o'clock!"
"You're the only one who can even coax her to get out of bed." Severus argued.
"You could as well, if you tried."
"Now, now, let's not lose our tempers."
"I have not lost my temper." Hermione said, huffing indignantly.
"Mama!" The baby gurgled.
"Yes darling, I've come to get you for breakfast."
And so was the start of another typical day in the household of Snape.
"Severus! You're going to be late!"
"I don't think those dunderheads at Hogwarts will miss me very much if I stay for, say, another five, ten minutes?" Severus said, smiling.
It had taken two years to coax Severus to smile whenever he was happy. And she loved seeing him smile.
They kissed, and only broke apart when their daughter cleared her throat.
"Mum! Dad! You're squishing Alex!" Serena admonished.
Hermione smiled. She knew that her daughter always felt embarrassed whenever they kissed in public. She walked over to Serena and placed Alex in her arms.
"Then you take care of him while Daddy and I go and clean our room."
Their daughter pulled a face, knowing that they were not actually going to 'clean their room' – more likely make it messier. Hermione was already half undressed by the time they had made it to the bedroom.
"Severus, we should lock the door." Hermione said, giggling.
Severus looked up from the spot he had been kissing on her neck and scowled. He flicked his wand and the door was locked and silenced.
"Happy?" he growled.
"Not if you're going to stay under so many layers, Professor." Hermione smirked.
The announcement of their engagement had shocked a huge part of the Wizarding world, especially those who had been taught by Severus Snape. Harry and Ron had been supportive, even though Harry and Severus still hated each other. Professor Dumbledore was the one who had forced them to make the announcement in the middle of the Great Hall, some days after Hermione's foiled escape attempt.
Hermione and Severus had entered the hall for breakfast one morning, finding themselves the object of scrutiny just after Dumbledore had finished speaking.
"The pair who are about to enter into the Great Hall have an important announcement to make."
Severus had frozen just behind Hermione. Neither of them knew how Dumbledore had known that Severus had proposed the night before, but they had both flushed, and, being the Gryffindor of the two, Hermione had made the announcement herself.
"Professor Snape and I are to be married next month."
Many people's jaws had dropped. Severus slipped straight out again, but Hermione grabbed his wrist to stop him from leaving. The most spectacular was Ginny, who had been so shocked, she had collapsed off her chair, sweeping her plate and goblet off the table at the same time and causing an almighty crash. It was mostly the Gryffindors and Slytherins looking shocked.
The Hufflepuffs were the ones who started clapping first, after the teachers. The Gryffindors were still having a staring fight with the Slytherins until finally, the Ravenclaws next to them began hitting some of them over the head and forcing them to clap. Severus had never looked so flustered in his entire life. Hermione had never beamed so much.
There had been a few catcalls asking Hermione to kiss Severus, but he dragged her out of the hall before that could take place.
Zooming back to the present, Hermione was now ushering Severus to get changed.
"You're going to be so late! Five, ten minutes, my ar—"
"Are you complaining?" Severus said, arching an eyebrow.
"Of course not." Hermione said, kissing him again. "But really! Dumbledore is going to have a fit!"
"You know he won't. Knowing him, he has probably cancelled the whole day's classes for me." He scowled at the thought.
"What's wrong? Scared you won't be able to torture some poor group of first-years?"
He feigned irritation, but gave her a peck on the cheek before disappearing into the kitchen fire-place. Serena came running out, but looked disappointed.
"Has he gone already?" she asked, struggling with the over-energetic child in her arms.
Hermione lifted Alex into her arms again and nodded.
"I wanted to ask him to bring back some more powdered beetle eyes!" Serena stomped off, upset.
"I'm sure he probably knows you need some more." Hermione said as she tried to feed her stubborn son.
She put Alex in his chair and began washing up the remnants of Serena's breakfast. Hermione had absolutely refused to allow a house-elf to even step into the house.
"They're slaves!"
"They were the ones who fed and changed your sheets while you were in Snape Manor!"
"I was a captive, in case you've forgotten."
"Pity, I was hoping you'd overlook that little detail." Severus said, kissing her on the nose.
How infuriating that man was! Hermione thought as she placed the dish down on the drying rack with more force than she had intended. Every time they had an argument, he won, and only because he would kiss her and she'd wind up forgetting what she was saying and agreeing with whatever he said.
Hermione went over to the knife drawer and unlocked it with the key around her neck. She took out a large meat knife and stared at its sharp edge. Suddenly, she blinked and looked at the object in her hands.
"Now why did I take this out?" Hermione thought aloud as she put the knife back into the drawer.
Hermione looked at the time and yelped, she grabbed her coat and her briefcase and took a handful of floo powder.
"Serena! I'm going! Don't open the door to strangers, don't forget to feed Alex, don't divulge any details about—"
"The house, our family, or myself over the telephone. I know Mum, go! You're going to be late! Between you and Daddy…" Serena sighed in exasperation.
It was tough being the only adult in the house. At least, for a seven-year-old. Hermione smiled. She had installed a telephone system, despite Severus' insistence that it was completely useless, because, in case of an emergency, anyone could call for help. There was Harry's, Ron's phone numbers at the top, and nine-nine-nine recorded, since Severus could never remember it.
Hermione was in her last year at University studying to become a medi-Witch. And her exams were coming up, so her study was a complete mess at the moment, to Severus' disapproval. Medi-Wizadry was completely to Hermione's taste, and she was glad she did not take up the Ministry's offer for Auror training.