Snape and Hermione arrived back at the little apartment she had rented from Draco only yesterday."I think Orias needs to be put down for his nap" Hermione said practically prying Orias from Severus's arms. Severus followed her to the bedroom and watched as she kissed him on his head and laid him down for his nap. She turned and walked out of the bedroom heading to the living room where she and Severus had a lot to talk about.

"Hermione, I really am truly sorry about that night, but as you are aware, I had to do it or we would have both been killed."

She sighed "I know you had to do it, neither of us a choice in the matter, but I do not hold a grudge on you. You did what you had to do."

"Where did you go? he asked "I searched for you that night. I even went to Potter and Weasley the next morning to find you."

"I went to a muggle town where a friend of mine lived, My intentions were to come back once I healed and Voldemort was defeated" she paused for a minute " Two weeks later I discovered I was pregnant. I couldn't talk to anyone about what happened that night, I just wasn't ready. I decided it was best to stay away longer so I could get things figured out. Once the baby was born it didn't take long for me to realize that taking care of a baby and trying to make a living was to hard without any support, so I decided to come back."

Severus looked down to the floor "I would have been there for you, I understand why you left, Harry and Ron would have made thing's a bit more difficult for the both of us. I just wish I would have gotten the chance to help you. I felt so guilty about the entire situation, I would have done anything to make it up to you."

"I'm sorry Severus, I should have realized I wasn't the only one having issue's with the situation."

"It's okay, You had more to deal with then I did." he said sadly "Were you planning on telling me about Orias?"

She nodded quickly "You were first on my list of things to do today, I felt it was only right to give you the chance to be his father if you wanted it." She started to chuckle a little "I just didn't expect to get married today."

Severus smirked "I didn't plan it either, but I felt I owed it to you and Orias. That little boy in there is everything I ever imagined a child of mine would be. I've wanted a family for so long but due to Voldemort, I never tried to explore the possibilities. I really do want to try a relationship with you, we have a child together after all, and I want more then anything for him to have the both of us." He looked up to Hermione, his hands still folded in his lap "I also figured by being married we could tell people that we had a secret relationship or something, I really don't want anyone except for Potter and the Weasley's to know the truth about what happened. I don't want to be known as the man who raped Hermione, whether it was an option for us or not."

She sat quietly for a moment before responding to what he had just said "I think the secret relationship story will be the best route, I don't want people to pity me for being raped and I don't want people to shun you for something that neither of us had any control over. I agreed to marry you for Orias, I don't want people to see him and think he was a product of something so horrible." pauseing for a minute "I do want to take things slow in this marriage, neither of us know much about each other, and by already being married, I think people will be more tolerant of the relationship and give us the space we need to learn the inner working's of each other."

Severus was in agreement with what she said, sure the story of a secret relationship would have to be tweaked a bit, but he would rather be known as the professor that fell in love with a student, and not the professor who raped a student.

"So" Severus started "You will come to live with me so I can help with Orias and at the same time I think we should start dating, yes, we are doing things a bit out of order but as long as your in agreement, I think this is the best option."

Hermione agreed with him, she was not comfortable leaving their baby in the care of a stranger, which she would have to do in order to pay rent for the little apartment, so staying with Severus was the best option, Orias would be under the care of his parents and they could learn to be a family, no matter how the whole thing started.

"When Orias wakes up, I want to go to the burrow, I need to explain this to them." Hermione stated

Severus quivered at the thought of how this was going to go, but he knew this was something she, no they, had to do.