Disclaimer: I do not own or have any rights to Harry Potter.

Chapter 1: Winters Warmth

Surrounded by familiar Hogwarts stone Sirius sat at the end of a large four poster bed, his back resting on one of the intricately carved posts as he rested his forearm on a bent knee. Smiling to himself he took in his sleeping wife, the late November sun streaming through the windows giving her an angelic-like appearance.

His gaze shifted to the slight swelling of Hermione's stomach. Five months into her pregnancy and she was beginning to show - her robes now unable to hide the fact that she was with child. Reaching down for the camera Remus had given him for his birthday, Sirius took a quick photo to add to the growing collection of his bride. The sound of the shutter caused Hermione to stir, her eyes remaining closed as she stretched languidly in the morning sun. Sirius settled the camera down beside him and watched Hermione wake up, her eyelids fluttering open as she gazed at the empty pillow beside her before spotting Sirius' feet and rising to meet his grinning face.

"Good morning, beautiful," Sirius said, moving quietly from his position to join Hermione at the head of the bed, giving her a soft kiss, his hand resting lightly on her belly.

"Mmmmm," Hermione replied, smiling as she stretched again before settling comfortably under the warm covers. "I could stay here all day."

Sirius chuckled. "Be my guest. It is Saturday."

"Harry's coming today."

"I doubt we'll see him till later, he'll be spending the day with Ginny," Sirius replied as he stood and picked up the breakfast tray the house-elf had left for Hermione.

Hermione sat up and took a cup of tea from Sirius and smiled over the brim. "Unless he burnt the house down, then I think he'd avoid us as if his life depended on it."

Sirius grinned, Harry had been staying in the house that Sirius and Hermione had bought for the summer. He, along with Draco had been accepted into the Auror academy, both having sent their requests in before completing their NEWT's. Each declined the invitation, Draco deciding to work on restoring his family manor for a year before he started his training, and Harry opting for a year off just to unwind.

Harry had been given a house from the Ministry but he, along with Sirius and Hermione, didn't like the drawback; the Ministry would know where he was. So Sirius and Hermione had suggested he stay in their place, bought through a private muggle sale so the wizarding community wouldn't know where they were.

A loud trumpet sounded through the castle breaking the peaceful silence that had settled in the room. Hermione turned to Sirius who wore a broad grin.

"First snow," he commented. "I just happened to inform some of the seventh years of the old Marauder tradition."

"Did you now?…Why aren't you going out there? You always did like a snowball fight."

Sirius smiled and tucked a loose curl of Hermione's hair behind her ear. "Lets see…snowball fight…sleeping in with my beautiful pregnant wife. Snowball fight. Beautiful pregnant wife…hard choice there," he murmured closing the small distance between them.

"I guess the snow can wait," Hermione whispered before she met Sirius' lips in a soft sensual kiss which was soon deepened by both parties. Sirius brought both hands up to cup Hermione's face as he lay alongside her, being careful not to put too much weight on her stomach - which felt this moment would be a good time to interrupt the pair.

Sirius broke the kiss and gazed down at Hermione's bump.

This was new.

Hermione grinned and placed Sirius hand on the small mound, watching his awe-struck expression as he felt his child kick.

"Madame Pomfrey said she'll be more active now we're into the second trimester."

Sirius raised an eyebrow. "She? I thought we'd decided we didn't want to know."

Hermione grinned. "I know, I just don't like referring to our child as an 'it'."

Sirius shifted his gaze back down to her stomach where his hand still lay. "Why not just say 'the baby'?"

"Because it'll be a girl," Hermione stated confidently.

"You sure? I'm betting on a boy."

"You know, just because we're married doesn't mean you have to disagree with everything I say."

Sirius moved back up to Hermione's level and grinned at her. "There's no fun in that, and…" he said pointedly, "…I really think it'll be a boy."

"What makes you say that?" Hermione asked grinning back.

"Only a member of the male species would interrupt a moment like that."

"Oh, and what kind of moment would that be?"

Sirius and moved in for another kiss. "Tease," he whispered as he claimed her lips, the couple uninterrupted by the outside world or their little world of their own.

A soft knock at Dumbledore's door brought his attention away from his meeting with Snape on how the potion lessons were progressing since his return at the start of the school year.

"Come in," he called, resting his hands on his lap which was covered by a think woolen blanket to keep away the cold - a muggle comfort, one many of his professors failed to understand when he had a perfectly useful wand at hand.

He watched Snape visibly scowl as Hermione entered the room, her black robes pulled around her, the cloak that Sirius had gifted her for Christmas in their seventh year wrapped warmly around her shoulders.

"I'm sorry," she apologized when she saw Snape sitting in the room. "I can come back later."

"Its ok my dear, come, sit," Dumbledore indicated to the chair next to Snape. "Severus and I were just discussing the progress of his classes since the beginning of the term."

Hermione smiled at the Potions Master. "I hope they are going well, as much as I miss teaching I don't think potions would be the best thing for me at the moment."

"I'm not sure if was the best thing for you before your...condition," Snape sneered.

"Now Severus…" Dumbledore started with a small frown but Hermione was currently fixing Snape with a glare of her own.

"I'm pregnant Severus," she stated, noting Snape visibly wincing at her use of his given name. "I do not have a 'condition', and the pass rate for potions last year was actually quite high so I think I did well enough for the students thank you very much." Hermione finished by rising and handing Dumbledore a roll of parchment, she had been assisting the Headmaster in running the school since his return and, not having reclaimed his previous strength, he was grateful for the help.

Hermione left the room and descended the stairs outside the office frustrated at Snape's attitude towards her. He still treated her like a student, an inferior, rather than that of his equal.

Footsteps behind her made Hermione turn around and she frowned as the permanently pale, greasy haired wizard approached her.

"Do not think because you taught six months of Potions, Miss Granger, that you have the right to actually take credit for the results."

"I am not a student, Professor Snape nor am I Miss Granger anymore, you should know that, you were at the wedding, and I would rather you didn't use that patronizing tone while talking to me." Hermione's chocolate brown eyes flashed in anger as she stared down the sickly wizard in front of her.

"For someone who botches a simple rescue mission, Mrs Black and in turn endangering my life significantly, I can assure you, I will use whatever tone I choose. You never have, nor will, have any respect from me."

Hermione stared at the back of Snape's retreating back, his dark robes billowing out as he disappeared around the corner. His cold attitude towards her was not only because of the so called 'know-it-all' status he had given her but because she had failed to save him that night in the cell.

Tears welled in Hermione's eyes - a mixture of hormones and reality - as she recalled Snape's behaviour towards her since his recovery. Hermione had beaten herself up over the failure of the rescue; and she couldn't completely bring herself to blame Snape for his views.

Wiping away her guilt ridden tears she headed off in the direction of Remus and Tonks' chambers to have lunch with the Auror. The blue-haired witch, much to Hermione's relief, didn't notice the drop in Hermione's recently elevated mood throughout the afternoon.

Later that night though, he husband did.

Sirius tried to recall what Hermione's plans for the day had involved to find the cause of the subtle pain he could see in her eyes. She had her meeting with Dumbledore, which, Sirius concluded wouldn't have caused this pain he was seeing. He did recall however Remus mentioning a meeting Snape had had with Dumbledore also and wondered if the Potions Master had said anything to Hermione.

Sirius would have a word with Snape in the morning, for now he gazed down at Hermione bathed in the light of the waning moon as she drifted off to sleep.