Hey everyone, I've returned!

I know I haven't been active since I finished Souls of Courage. Once I finished that, I just felt creatively drained. I was writing, but it wasn't anything that I thought matched up to SoC - so I have a million and ten little drabbles sitting around.

Anyway, since SoC, I've graduated college. In fact it's been over a year since I graduated. So, I'm a 23 year old living at home with her parents, who has a useless Art History degree and absolutely no employment options in sight. I can't even get a job as a cashier - how sad is that? I can't even begin to explain how horrible that is and how completely and utterly isolating it is seeing all of your friends move out and get jobs. It's crushing. I've been working for my Dad, but it's part time and just barely enough to cover my bills. Sorry for the sob story, but it's been weighing more heavily on me lately.

Needless to say, I have been blocked fully and completely. I thought I'd start out with something small to try and get the juices flowing again, and seeing that Halloween is upon us, I thought I'd let it help me along.

This is a one-shot and doesn't fit into the universe of Souls of Courage.

Severus sat in his favorite arm chair near the fireplace in his chambers at Hogwarts. His ankle was resting on his knee, a book propped open on his legs. Severus was interested in his reading, but he was more interested in the form of his wife, sitting in front of the fireplace on a blanket of newspapers.

Hermione had thrown her hair up, a few strands slipping past the band. Her brow was furrowed in concentration and her teeth worried her lower lip. She had insisted, practically ordered him to lug a pumpkin down to their chambers, her arms brimming with multiple issues of the Daily Prophet.

"Please, Severus, I haven't carved a pumpkin in ages. You don't even have to help with the carving."

Her arms clutched the newspapers desperately, crushing them against her body, her eyes twinkling in the dim Entrance Hall light. Severus could feel himself melting at her giddiness. How could he possibly tell her no? Even if he did refuse to go parading through a pumpkin patch with her, she'd turn up at the door with a pumpkin anyway.

And that was how he found himself following her down the rolling grounds and to Hagrid's hut. He had been growing special pumpkins for the Great Hall like he did every year, but Hermione barely had to ask before he let her wander through the crops, telling her pick whichever she wanted.

She was amazingly critical over something Severus didn't think was too serious. He watched her pace back and forth, careful of the vines. Hermione would stoop and tip each pumpkin before moving on. Severus stood at the edge of the patch, watching her. What were her requirements for her pumpkin searching? Finally he moved to her side as she studied another pumpkin.

"What are you looking for?" he asked, following as she moved on.

"I don't know." She replied distractedly.

And so he paced with her. Severus was at the end of the patch, fearing they wouldn't find the right pumpkin when his eyes dropped to the end of the row. Moving forward he crouched, tipping to gourd back and forth. She couldn't possibly find anything wrong with this one, could she? Severus called her over, and she studied the pumpkin before smiling.

"This is the one."

He used magic to drag it back into the castle. There was no way he was going to ruin his new robes carrying a bloody pumpkin. Severus watched her nearly skipping back to the front doors, brimming with excitement.

This was why her students loved her. She may be a woman, but she still held onto that childhood excitement that her students could relate to. When they were antsy over an upcoming vacation, she was the same. When the sun began to pull them out of the dark days of winter, the students could barely keep themselves in their seats, and neither could she. There were numerous times he'd be roaming the castle between classes and catch her out on the lawn with her students, sometimes working, sometimes not. They had started a tournament of Exploding Snap games which even she looked forward to with a competitive glee. Severus watched her from a distant window as she versed students, coming out on top more times than not. It wasn't hard to see why she was one of the favorites amongst the students.

He let his thoughts carry him away as the pumpkin lumbered behind him, down the stairs and into the dark dungeon. He never realized how dark and damp the place was and having Hermione there created a startling contrast.

When they entered their chambers, she immediately spread the newspaper out in front of the fireplace where he gently placed the pumpkin. The room was all her creation. When she'd officially taken up residence with him, his rooms contained only the necessary pieces of furniture, all of it salvaged from one place or another. In less than two weeks she'd transformed into something…cozy. He hated that word, but it was true. Everything was warm and welcoming. It was their home away from home. Severus let her do as she would – it made her happy, though she was always careful to get his opinion on everything. He couldn't remember how many different rugs he'd looked at before she finally settled on one.

Now she took up a spot in front of the fire place as he added some wood to the dwindling flames. He'd started reading, but his eyes couldn't stop straying to her. Her eyes were twinkling as she worked, getting lost in her task. Pumpkin innards were strewn about, filling the room with the scent. Her hair was slightly messy, reminding him of how she looked when her head was bent over a cauldron in his lab, eyes carefully following her stirring hand.

Hermione asked if he could get her a towel to wipe her hands and silently he did. She continued to work, and he continued to watch. This was their first Halloween together since being married in the spring. Harry had gifted them a camera, which Hermione used constantly, much to Severus's annoyance. He didn't like having his picture taken, but she insisted that she wanted to record their marriage. She herself hadn't very many pictures of her childhood or family, and she wanted to change that.

Now he stood and moved towards the bookshelf she stored the camera on so it was always in reach. He was thankful that her nature was to become so absorbed in her work that the outside world faded away. Severus moved back to his chair and sat down, raising the camera to his face. He wanted to frame her just right, in a way that encompassed the feelings that this moment brought – this moment where she didn't realize how absolutely striking she was and Severus thought himself the luckiest man in the world for the umpteenth time. The light from the fire flickered over the left side of her face, plunging the right side into darkness. Her face was turned down slightly, focused on her work. Without warning Severus snapped the picture, the flash illuminating the room. Hermione's eyes snapped up startled out of her work.

"What was that for?" she asked, eyeing the camera in his hand with a small smile.

"I wanted to remember this moment." He said with a shrug, placing the camera down on the table beside his chair.

Hermione smiled, sliding over to him to rest between his knees, wrapping her arms around his middle. Severus embraced her for a moment before pulling away, lifting his hand to run his thumb over her cheekbone.

"You are stunning."

Instinctively she turned away to hide her eyes, lips curving into an alluring smile. Her face was most likely flushed, but he couldn't be sure in the dim light. Even after a year of marriage, and years of companionship, she still blushed when he spoke such simple words to her and it made Severus smile. To mask her embarrassment Hermione climbed into his lap with a soft smile, burying her face against his throat. Severus held her, eyes closed, focusing on the feel of her breath on his skin and weight in his arms. When she sat up, her hand slid around to the back of his neck, fingers tangling in the hair at the nape of his neck.

"Happy Halloween." She murmured before pressing her lips to his.

It certainly was. Severus thought, losing himself in her touch. It most certainly was.