Hello dear readers! I hope you like this new chapter, my dislike of Ron Weasley comes out in this chapter. :) Enjoy.
CHAPTER
SEVEN
"Severus?" A familiar voice called. The two turned their heads and found Minerva McGonagall watching them with an amused look on her face.
"Minerva?" He shoved Hermione behind him.
"Severus stop this nonsense, she already knows." Hermione pulled herself out from behind him.
"You told her?" He glared at her.
"No one had to tell me, while Miss Granger was in the infirmary you moped around the castle worse than when Harry Potter first showed up. I've never seen you so miserable in my life. And with you screaming about her being your wife last week, I figured student and wife would not be so interchangeable if you weren't in a relationship with her currently." Minerva smiled knowingly.
"Why are you okay with this?" He stared at her, upset that he had been figured out so easily.
"I went through a similar situation during my school years." She said, and before Severus could ask anymore questions she bid both of them a goodnight and left them standing in the hall.
"Fame, glory, death." Hermione spoke to the portrait and it opened, she pulled Severus in by the back of his robes.
"What was she talking about?" He asked.
"Oh Severus, you are such an oblivious man." She responded in answer.
"I am not!" He replied watching her remove her cloak and toss it over the sofa..
"Clearly you are, since you obviously don't realize they are in a relationship." She smirked at him.
"Who?" He questioned.
"McGonagall and Dumbledore of course." She flicked her wand and suddenly she was wearing a pair of green pajamas. "I think I'm adopting a new favorite color." She muttered looking over her clothes.
"Of course? What are you talking about woman? Your Headmaster is not in a relationship with Professor McGonagall." He shook his head.
"Whatever you wish to believe," She smiled, "where are Luke and Lily spending the night?" She asked suddenly.
"With Professor Lupin." He replied viciously.
"Aw, have you found a new friend?" She laughed. He glared at her.
"No, I would never call that filthy mutt a friend." He scoffed. Hermione whipped her head back around and looked fiercely at the man.
"How dare you! That man has done no harm whatsoever to you, and you treat him like dirt beneath your feet," she paused and looked at him darkly, "you treat everyone that way." She walked to the twins' bedroom. She stared at the green and purple that decorated the room. The furniture in the room was a deep black. Stars were enchanted to flit about the ceiling and Hermione watched as a shooting star fell down the wall. She walked over to the crib that was presumably Lily's and gazed down at it. She could almost see her baby girl lying there waiting to be picked up. She sighed.
"I'm sorry." Hermione barely heard Severus speak, but turned her head towards the direction it came. He was standing in the doorway looking dejected.
"I'm sorry for…" he paused, not knowing what to say, "everything." He crossed the room in four long strides.
"Let me give you something." He said pulling out a small box from his pocket. She watched as he opened the black velvet box and revealed a small silver coiled snake.
"What is it?" She reached out and touched it. Suddenly it became alive, it flicked it's tongue several times to sniff Hermione's finger.
"I've been working on this for a long while now. It's a charm to protect you from any harm, or at least alert me to it." He replied pulled the snake out of the box and holding it out to her neck. She looked worriedly at him, they locked eyes.
"It will not hurt you, don't worry," He said as the head of the snake touched her collar bone and slithered around her neck and wrapped its head around its tail. "Only I can remove this from you." He told her. She gingerly reached up and stroked the snake's body, its scales rippled slightly.
"I feel like you've put a collar on me," she grinned.
"Oh?" He looked at her quizzically.
"I don't very much like to be claimed, but I suppose…it's kind of nice for you to be calling me yours." She smirked. She closed her eyes and yawned.
"Tired?" He asked, she simply nodded. He held his hand out to her; after placing her hand in his, he pulled her to a room that was not previously in his quarters.
"I had this prepared for you." He told her before waving his hand and lighting the candles in the room. She gasped as the light revealed a mahogany wood four poster king sized bed with maroon velvet curtains hanging around it. A beautiful vanity table stood against one wall and a large bookcase on another. She threw her arms around Severus.
"Thank you, it's lovely." She smiled.
"You're welcome, now why don't you get some sleep. I do believe that tomorrow is dedicated as a Hogsmeade visit." He pushed her gently to the bed.
"Oh! Yes, I should take Luke and Lily, maybe I can get some Christmas shopping done as well." She suddenly got very excited.
"Yes, yes, that sounds like a wonderful idea." Severus drawled clearly not interested in the least.
"Are you coming?" She asked.
"No." He answered coldly. She sighed and murmured a quiet 'oh' before shuffling to her bed and pulling back the heavy blood red covers.
"Goodnight Severus, thank you for the wonderful time tonight. Everything was so amazing." She sighed before closing her eyes. He took the hint and vanished the candle, closed the door and went to his own room with a quite whisper of 'goodnight Hermione' he fell asleep in his own bed.
SHSHSHSHSHHSHSHSHSHSHSHSH
Severus woke with a start when he felt movement on his bed. He sat up quickly grabbing his wand. He sighed with relief when he saw Hermione sitting next to him holding Lily in her lap and watching Luke crawl onto Severus's lap. He set his wand on the nightstand beside him and looked up to meet Hermione's eyes.
"Good morning." She greeted brightly.
"Yes, I suppose it is," he shifted into a more comfortable position and his silk sheets fell to reveal his toned torso. Hermione blushed and summoned a platter with two mugs and a plate of toast to them.
"Coffee?" She asked. He nodded grabbing a mug and sipping it tentatively.
"How did you sleep?" She set Lily in front of her.
"Fine, and you?" He asked watching his daughter join her brother on his lap.
"Supremely," she smirked, "the bed was beyond comfortable, nothing is comparable." She chuckled as she watched Lily crawl up on Severus's chest and look him in the face.
"Dada!" The infant squeaked. The adult's jaws dropped.
"Did she just say what I think she said?" Hermione asked crawling closer to Severus. Lily turned her head and watched her advance closer.
"Mum," she turned her head back to Severus and put her small hand on his cheek, "Dada." She giggled.
"Oh my gosh! Her first words!" Hermione lifted her daughter and started unleashing kisses all over the infants face.
"Mum!" She laughed a bubbly baby laugh.
"In all reality she probably began talking before coming here, seeing as we don't refer to each other as Mummy and Daddy." Severus stated.
"Yes, but she hasn't spoken yet, they are her first words to us! What do you think could have made her say them?" She looked up at him expectantly.
"Probably because we are acting more warmly to each other." He replied. They met eyes once again and she looked away blushing,
"Yes, I suppose that could have done it." She smirked to herself, she slid off the bed and stood up.
"Come on Luke," she picked up the boy in her other arm, "we're going to Hogsmeade in an hour and we still have to bathe and dress." She told the infants as she walked out of the Potion Master's room. He watched her walk out. He sighed. He was falling for her. He didn't want to. He was in love with Lily for Merlin's sake. He sighed again, for he couldn't really recall what she looked like. He couldn't remember the sound of her voice. He stood up and walked over to his wardrobe. He ventured that maybe, just maybe, the feelings he felt for Lily were longing. Not love. Maybe he just attached to the first person to show any semblance of friendship to him. He longed for someone to love him, someone for him to love. Now, Hermione, she was a completely and totally different anomaly. He couldn't look at her without his heart rate jumping or feeling nervous about saying something that might upset her. He didn't like being worried about saying the right things; usually he threw all caution to the wind and said whatever he felt. But he didn't want to hurt her…that's what he had done to Lily. Calling her a mudblood...how could he do that? He was one, himself. He sighed for the third time before abandoning his thoughts, getting changed and leaving his quarters.
"Severus, we're leaving." Hermione called as she stood in the middle of the living room loading Luke into a double stroller beside his sister. When no one answered Hermione shrugged and pulled the diaper bag over her shoulder. The twins looked up at their mother expectantly.
"Daddy doesn't want to go into town with us." She gave them a small smile before apparating to the front steps of Hogwarts.
"Hermione!" Ginny shouted and hurried over to her friend.
"You're bringing the twins?" She asked. Hermione nodded.
"I figure I have to get my Christmas shopping done for them and Severus," she smiled, "and you all." She added hastily after her friends gave her questioning looks at her.
"Now you're buying gifts for the git?" Ron glared at her.
"Ron, stop calling him a git!" Hermione stomped her foot.
"No! I don't care if he's taken to being nicer to you, but he's a jerk!" He stood towering above her.
"You don't even know him, stop judging him from the past, you've got this preconceived, idea about him, and you're completely wrong." She hissed. He grabbed her shoulders and pushed her back away from the stroller.
"Hermione, listen to yourself, this is Snape, evil Snape! He's made fun of you!" Ron pleaded.
"So did you." Hermione snarled.
"What?" He looked taken aback.
"You made fun of me too. You still do…talking about me behind my back, calling me an annoying know-it-all. You laugh about me with your little whore." She glared. Ron pulled back his hand to slap her, but Severus grabbed his wrist before he could do anything.
"Mr. Weasley, what are you doing?" Professor Snape released Ron's arm after yanking him away from Hermione and walked forward to stand behind her.
"Professor Snape." Anger flared in Ron's eyes before realizing who he was talking to. He bowed his head in defeat.
"I suggest you leave Miss Granger alone for the rest of the day, I do believe she needs to re-evaluate her friendship with you." Severus sneered at the boy in front of him. Ron's head snapped up; sheer fury emanated from his features.
"Why you foul-
"Ron! Just go! You've said enough!" Hermione interrupted. Ron glared angrily at Hermione.
"Fine, I see who you've chosen." He said in clipped tones. Hermione kept her face impassive as he turned away from her.
"He won't treat you right. He doesn't know how." Ron added before walking away with Harry following with an apologetic look on his face.
"I'm sorry 'Mione, but…Harry…" She looked at her retreating brother and boyfriend.
"It's alright Gin, just go." Hermione replied. After the last of the students left she fell into Severus's arms tears pouring down her face. He stood awkwardly in her grip tapping her back.
"Why does this have to happen?" She sniffled.
"It doesn't…you don't have to be with me, you can go be with your friends. Although, I was being honest when I said you should rethink your friendship with that Weasel. Don't stay with me just because you want to please me." He pulled her away from his chest and looked into her tear filled eyes. She shook her head vigorously.
"No," she wiped a hand across her face, "no, I won't leave you. That thought never even crossed my mind. I think…I think I just need time away from them, Holiday break is in two days. They're all going to the Burrow." She nodded her head to herself. "They'll all be gone."
"What are you doing for Christmas?" He asked. She shrugged and stepped out of his arms afraid for someone to see them.
"Staying here, my family doesn't remember me…Professor McGonagall and Dumbledore said I was welcome to spend Christmas with them." She smiled. "It sounds nice enough." He nodded his head in agreement.
"While that sounds…wonderful," He paused, "why don't you come stay with me at my Manor?" He asked.
"Manor? I thought you lived at Spinner's End."
"My dear, the house at Spinner's End is nothing more than a dilapidated hell-hole. It is not safe for children there…not even bringing in the fact that I am too selfish and don't like to recall the memories that are tied to that horrid building." He replied darkly.
"Oh! Yes, I suppose it would be practical to spend Christmas together for the children." She smirked.
"Would you like to accompany me to Hogsmeade, it seems I have some shopping to get done." Severus gestured to the town with his arm. A wide grin split her face.
"Oh Severus!" She squeaked. She hurried over to the stroller, made sure that Luke and Lily were safe and warm before she started to push the stroller away from Hogwarts. Severus wrapped his arm around her waist. She leaned into him, and they continued in a comfortable silence until reaching the outskirts of town where he stepped away from her, but not before placing a kiss on the top of her head.
"Meet me here," he handed her a piece of paper, "at two, I have things to get done now, see you then." He turned and walked away after discreetly looking around to see if anyone was watching. She stared at the paper in her hand before shoving it into her pocket and pushing the stroller further into town. She had shopping to get done after all; she couldn't stand around in the cold all day.
