A.N Apologies for the lack of updates on this story I have been ridiculously busy, but I've never forgotten poor old Severus and Hermione. Onward...

Chapter 6

"How are those Chops coming?"

Hermione Granger withdrew her rapidly frizzing hair from the oven, where she was roasting some Pork Chops for the meal Snape had demanded from her. The potatoes on the stove were boiling over with salted water and her chops were cooking far too slowly and this greatly aggrieved her.

"Coming," Hermione shouted in an attempt to keep her voice tranquil, she knew she was failing as a liar, and definitely as some sort of culinary genius.

"You always were a terrible liar Granger...have I not said that before to you?" the imposing form of Severus Snape was looming in the door way blocking the daylight and looking somewhat domineering.

"Well now you know my deep dark secret, I can't cook and I keep the local takeaways in business... are you happy now Snape?"

"Extremely, now move over."

Hermione stepped aside and poured two glasses of crimson wine as she watched disgruntled, expecting the Professor to whip out his wand to fix her meal. Except... he did just the opposite, removing the chops from the oven he began frying them slowly in butter and mixing a sauce around the meat before mashing up some potatoes with butter, cream and salt. Hermione watched bemused, it was funny to see the man actually cooking...of course he would have to eat he lived alone, but she never imagined...

"You can cook?"

"You seem surprised Miss Granger? I was and I repeat was, a Professor of potions... it is after all chemistry just like cooking...I can also bake," He added the last part rather sheepishly. Hermione didn't reply, instead she remained still gawping at him, glass half way up to her mouth.

"Please don't gawk Hermione it doesn't become you...now get the plates will you? A man could starve in front of your television set." Severus served up the food and the pair wandered back through to the toasty lounge and plonked themselves back onto the sofa. Severus began to eat rapidly; obviously fond of his own cooking...Hermione took a tentative bite.

"Not bad Severus," she mumbled through another bite, the food was rather fine and having survived on boxes of grease for two weeks, this was a welcome change.

"Endearing quality that Miss Granger...a lady mumbling through a mouthful of mash potato," Hermione glowered at him and swallowed.

"Do you ever come up with a retort that isn't a snide comment?"

"It's unlikely," Severus replied swapping television channels for a Soap Story.

"Soaps?"

"I am human Miss Granger... emphasis on the human."

"We all thought you were a vampire to be honest...when we were young children." Hermione was surprised when Snape suddenly gauffed with laughter nearly spilling his sauce on his charcoal trousers.

"And the fact that I used to eat in the staff hall and you never actually saw me drink blood, gave you what evidence?"

Hermione shrugged, "We were children Snape, we have strange ideas about...obtuse teachers who hide in the dark and abuse us verbally on a regular basis."

"Touché Miss Granger."

The pair ate in silence for a few moments before another question popped into Hermione's head. Smoothing her hair down out of nerves, she looked at him. "Why didn't you use your magic to fix my meal?"

"Unlike you Miss Granger I prefer my food to not be tampered with by magic...or foreigners in take away shops for that matter."

"That's xenophobic," Hermione chided.

"That's the truth...my question is...why didn't you use your magic to fix 'your' food?"

"I also prefer that my food not be tampered with by magic," Hermione mumbled refusing to look Severus in the eye.

"Do you think it's the first time I've noticed that you no longer flourish your wand? I am aware that one can become restrained about using ones magic in the Muggle world, but you seemed to have positively renounced yours'" Severus's statement was nonchalant, he spoke as he ate burying his burning curiosity deep down inside of him.

Hermione put her plate on the side table and turned to face him. Severus...reluctantly did the same, he needed answers and if this meant not being able to finish his meal so be it, he never got to eat much anyway.

Hermione considered Severus for a moment, she knew deep down that she did not trust the gentleman currently sitting stock still on her second hand sofa...something she could also have fixed with magic and chosen not to.

"I don't think I can use my magic anymore," she said finally and hung her head. Severus did not reply but instead gave Hermione the chance to consider her next sentence without interruption.

"I decided when I left the magical world that I didn't need my magic, that I wouldn't miss it...that if I used it, someone...the ministry, would try and track me. I was reported missing wasn't I? If...someone chose to track me they had a means to do so. It's been so long now since I tried I don't think I can."

"Hermione...where is your wand?"

Hermione shook her head "Somewhere I can never return."

Severus had been reluctant to leave Hermione that night, but not wanting to seem like the crazy bastard who insisted upon hanging around the girl, and then sleeping on her sofa, eating her out of house and home and being essentially stalker number one, he had reluctantly walked down the street in the snow to his own cold home, no fire, no television and finally ...no Hermione. It was strange how he had become to regard Miss Granger of late, he was unable to leave well alone and when he could admit it to himself, he enjoyed her company. After all she had blossomed into quite a pretty young woman, not that this could be seen behind her mask of makeup and sadness, the once full Hermione he had known as a Professor was missing and in place of that vibrant girl sat a shell, struggling from one day to the next. He resolved to go and visit her the very next morning.

Except when the next morning came and he had roused himself and readied himself for the walk to the young witch's house, he had found it locked and Hermione missing. Severus knocked once more before stepping back to examine the property, everything was in its place and there was no sign of foul play...still. Severus removed his wand from his pocket and cast a tiny charm upon her locks, this house was not magically warded he knew this from the vibe. Wiggling the door handle Severus stepped inside and checked out the first room, there was evidence of a tea cup on the sideboard and the heat was just beginning to diminish from the property, Hermione had not long since left... he knew he had time. Prowling through the kitchen and bookshelves, he found little to alert him to the girls past; he knew he would have to venture into her bedroom. This was the only room that would be kept private from him; after all she had allowed him entrance only to her lower floor. As Severus climbed the stairs he began to wonder which room Hermione had chosen to occupy...would it be the room Lily had once slept and dreamed away her years as a young witch? Severus knew it was so, as he stepped over the threshold of the only occupied bedroom, the room he had seen Lily many a time through the window glass from the fields behind the housing development.

Severus looked up as he watched the red haired witch brush her tresses in a mirror he was not privy to witness; he was a young boy and was laid in the fields behind her home on a warm summer's afternoon. The Evan's had just moved onto the Cokeworth estate and the two girls had been an immediate hit with the male youth of the population...Severus included, except his love was more from afar. Now as he stood on the threshold of this room he could hardly believe that he was now privy to entrance...except this time it belonged to a different female entirely, a student he had once loathed.

Severus stepped into the room and moved around the bed to the bedside cabinet, he began tentatively opening the drawers looking for answers and finding none. It was as he was leaving, his thigh whacked the bedside cabinet and the novel Hermione was reading fell to floor. Bending to retrieve the tome entitled 'Lost' a photograph and a piece of paper fell from its pages and hit the floor. More than curious now he picked up the piece of paper and scanned the writing...it was a marriage certificate, Hermione's name prominently written with her maiden name and the name of her husband...removed. Severus placed the certificate back in the novel and retrieved the photograph from the floor; he struggled then to restrain a smile as the photograph showed a smiling Hermione with a young child on her knee. The picture was of Muggle origin, its figures did not move within the frame, Hermione's hair was not much different but her eyes were happier... this photo Severus decided was not that old. He knew he had already seen too much and deciding to leave Hermione's home and walk in order to process what he thought he had found out. Locking the house behind him with a flourish of his wand once again, Severus headed down the street and away from her home.

It was minutes later that he found he was not heading for his own home either, instead he was heading away from the crowded houses to the outskirts of the town. Head down Severus walked on trying to process what he was thinking, unknowingly he had happened upon the local school. It was not often he came up this way, preferring to steer clear of school and the memories of the past he had once occupied; therefore he was surprised to find himself at one side of the school fence looking in at the children occupying the play ground. Severus stared for a moment at the children before looking up and across the tarmac to a figure mirroring his actions. Sighing slightly he headed around the school fence to the opposite side, never taking his eyes off the solitary figure. When he reached her he stood stock still, she appeared not to notice his presence, but preferred to stay staring at the playground. The couple watched for a moment before one of them dared to speak to the other.

"Who is she?" he finally dared to ask.

Hermione replied never once looking Severus in the face, never once tearing her eyes away from one particular child in the playground, when she spoke her tone was as dead as her eyes.

"My daughter."