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Busy, busy busy... Here's the next chapter. Another coming soon.
Match Makers
Harry and Ron threw open the door to Hermione's chambers, having found it to be unwarded and unlocked. They bounded in the room followed by Severus, who was walking in a far more dignified manner. Minerva and Hermione looked up from the couch. "What happened?" Minerva asked anxiously.
"Well, you saw the good part," Ron said with a grin, shooting an amused look at Severus. The potions master merely smirked.
"After a few threats the papers were signed," Harry said with a shrug. He peered at Hermione, noting her pale skin and red rimmed eyes. She was holding a cup of tea rather tightly. He saw that she had red marks on her arms. He moved closer and his anger flared up instantly. "He left marks on you," he said indignantly, making Hermione flinch.
Severus strode over to the couch and knelt in front of Hermione, examining her arms. Sure enough, Ryan had left red handprints on her arms from gripping her so tightly. Severus scowled but forced himself to calmly reach into his robes and pull out a vial of healing potion. "Drink," he said simply, watching as she swallowed a mouthful of the potion and squeezed her eyes shut. After a moment, she reopened her eyes to see Severus holding out a vial of calming draught. She swallowed a bit of it and felt herself relax. "Thank you," she murmured.
"Where's the baby?" Ron asked, glancing around.
"Taking a nap," Hermione replied.
"You should rest too," Harry told her.
"No, I'll be fine," she said frowning. "I just feel a little overwhelmed. I'm shocked at the person Ryan turned into."
"He shocked himself today as well," Severus said grimly.
"I don't see why he'd be surprised," Ron grumbled. "He's the one making all the stupid mistakes."
"It is a slow fade," Severus said darkly. "One poor decision can be the first step onto a path that leads to a dark place. One mistake leads to another until you are someone that you never wanted to be... Someone you do not recognize."
"I think Ryan sees that now," Harry said. He looked at Hermione. "You should've seen him after you left. It was like he suddenly realized what he had done. He looked pretty upset. So, maybe he will change. But, you don't have to worry about him anymore." He thought this over for a moment before grinning at her. "You're a free woman now."
Hermione sighed. "I wouldn't say that," she said. "I have a baby to take care of."
"You could go find yourself a new man," he suggested with a wide smile.
Hermione rolled her eyes. "I'll get right on that," she said sarcastically. Harry and Ron grinned mischievously.
Minerva stood up and moved toward the door. "Let's give Hermione a bit of peace now," she said primly. She peered at Harry and Ron. "You two can play matchmaker later."
Severus made a noise of disgust and left the room. After muttering a quick goodbye, Harry, Ron and Minerva stepped into the hall. Minerva eyes Harry and Ron for a moment. "You're going to take that seriously aren't you?" she asked suspiciously.
"Of course," Ron replied, his tone indicating that he thought it was a rather obvious, natural course of action.
Harry shot a glance at Severus' retreating form and then grinned mischievously at Minerva. "Want to help?" he asked quietly.
"Of course," Minerva replied, mimicking Ron's tone.
Ron looked as if Christmas had come early. "This is going to be so bloody hilarious," he said excitedly. Harry laughed.
"Quick," Minerva said, casting an anxious glance at Hermione's closed door. "We'll go to my office."
Several moments later, they were seated in Minerva's office, plotting. "So, who should we set Hermione up with?" Ron asked, rubbing his hands together with restless excitement.
Harry and Minerva exchanged disbelieving looks. "Are you kidding?" Harry asked incredulously.
"No," ron said. "There are a few blokes at the ministry she might fancy. Not Perkins though. I'd like to hex that arrogant git just for breathing my air..."
"Ron," Harry interrupted, before Ron could mention any other things that he wished he could do to make life unpleasant for Perkins. "We have someone in mind."
"What?" Ron said, sounding shocked. "How? We haven't talked about it yet."
Harry rolled his eyes. "Well, we thought it was obvious," he said. "Apparently not, though."
"Who?" Ron asked, sounding excited again.
"Severus," Minerva said simply.
Ron nearly choked. "Snape?" he asked in alarm. "Are you mad?"
"Maybe," Harry quipped, grinning. "But, it's still a good idea."
"How the hell is that a good idea?" Ron demanded.
"Things are different now," Harry said with a shrug. "We know we can trust him. He's not the bastard he used to be, though he's not the nicest bloke I've ever met. He's pretty nice to Hermione and he's protective of her. When Ryan grabbed her today, Snape jumped up faster than we did. He's great with Lexie too." Minerva nodded her head in agreement.
"It's weird," Ron said with a slight shudder.
"I agree," Harry admitted. "But we can overlook that if it makes Hermione happy. She deserves that."
Ron nodded slowly. Sighing he said "How do we do it?"
A week later, Hermione was sitting at the head table for dinner, holding Lexie with an expression of exhaustion and frustration. Lexie was apparently not going to have a good day. Hermione just couldn't seem to calm her. She felt her eyes begin to fill with tears as Lexie continued to cry.
Severus turned to look at them, wondering at Lexie's apparent distress, to see Hermione on the verge of tears. He reached out and took the baby into his arms, shaking his head slightly when she fell silent almost immediately. Lexie laid her head against his chest, looking back at her mother through watery blue eyes. Severus rested his chin lightly on her head, rubbing gentle circles on her small back.
"How did you do that?" Hermione asked, taking advantage of the break to eat her dinner.
"Just needed a man's touch, I expect," Minerva spoke up from around Severus with a smile.
Hermione groaned softly, setting her fork down and rubbing her temples. "She won't let me get anything done," she said in a strained voice. "I'll just have to grade papers tomorrow."
"Perhaps someone could help you with her while you grade papers," Minerva suggested. She feigned a thoughtful expressino and then said "Why don't you help with the baby Severus? You were just telling me that you'd finished your work for the weekend." She smiled, suddenly very thankful that she had engaged Severus in small talk upon sitting down for dinner. "I would help, but I have an important letter to write and send off." She neglected to inform them that it was a letter to Harry to let him know about this new development. They hadn't had a chance to put their plan into action yet since Harry and Ron had been working all week.
"That would be fine," Severus said, stirring Minerva out of her thoughts that were becoming uncharacteristically giddy in her excitement. Severus looked back at Hermione. "If you wish, I will go with you once you are finished," he said gesturing toward her half-eaten dinner.
"Thank you Severus," Hermione said, giving him a warm smile.
Severus nodded and looked away, his eyes scanning the mass of students for troublemakers. Minerva bit back her smug grin. Though he seemed intent on glaring at the students, his frowned seemed to a bit preoccupied. Perhaps Harry was quite right after Severus. It seemed that the surly potions master may alread have an interest in Hermione. Minerva sipped at her tea, feeling quite pleased with her plans. Severus just needed a bit of a push.
Hermione finished eating and rose from the table with a glance at Severus. She bid Minerva a good night and swept out of the Great Hall, followed closely by Severus. They walked through the halls side by side. Lexie had pulled away from Severus slightly and was apparently studying his face. When he looked down at her, she gave him a wide toothless smile and said "Da-da-da-da-da," making him chuckle softly.
"You know, you're really great with her," Hermione said, grinning at her daughter's happy babbling. "But, I fear that you'll regret it later." Catching his curious expression she said "How can you expect to scare her in potions calss in her first year? She seems to think she has you wrapped around her little finger."
Severus sighed. "Perhaps she will be in Slytherin," he suggested. "Then I would have a reason to favor her."
"Not a chance," Hermione responded. "She's definitely a little lioness."
"We shall see," he said, though he silently agreed with her.
Once they arrived at Hermione chambers, Hermione settled in to grade papers while Severus kept Lexie busy. Hermione smiled without looking up, hearing the giggles of her daughter and the quiet rumble of laughter coming from Severus. After a while, Hermione set down her quill and set all of the papers neatly to one side. She stretched languidly before moving over to the couch where Severus was feeding Lexie a bottle. Hermione felt her throat constrict at the tender scene before her.
Severus was sitting comfortably on her couch with Lexie cradled in his right arm. He held up her bottle with his left hand as she suckled. She had brought her legs up and wrapped them around his forearm while it rested lightly against her belly, as if to hold him in place. Severus was staring down at the baby with a contented expression. A slight smile played on his lips and his eyes seemed to be taking in every detail of the baby in his arms.
Hermione approached the pair quietly, not wanting to disturb them. She sat down next to Severus, content to watch. She had never expected something so simple to be so beautiful. She hastily swiped at her eyes, not wanted Severus to notice her tears, but her movement caught his attention. His brow furrowed in concern, making Hermione blush. "I'm fine," she said looking down. "It's just amazing to watch you feeding her. It's such a sweet way to bond with a baby. I had always wanted Ryan to share that with her..." Her voice trailed off as she thought morosely of her failed marriage.
"Hermione," Severus said gently, getting her attention. "Ryan does not deserve you. Or Lexie," he added, glancing down briefly at the baby before his dark eyes sought Hermione's face again. "It is his loss, not yours. You could easily replace him if you chose to."
Hermione smiled slightly, a faint blush creeping into her cheeks. "I'd better put the baby in bed," she said softly. Severus nodded, handing her the sleepy baby. "This won't take long," she said quietly, moving across the room to an open door.
Stepping into the dimly lit nursery, she went to the wooden rocking chair by the window. She sat down and grinned when Lexie yawned and stretched. She didn't notice coming to stand in the doorway. He watched Hermione, feeling his chest tighten as she began to sing softly.
Hush now baby, don't you cry
Rest your wings my butterfly
Peace will come to you in time
And I will sing this lullaby
Know though I must leave my child
That I would stay here by your side
And if you wake before I'm gone
Remember this sweet lullaby
And through darkness, don't you ever stop believing
With love alone, with love you'll find your way, my love
The world has turned the day to dark
I leave this night with heavy heart
When I return to dry your eyes
I will sing this lullaby
Yes I will sing this lullaby.
Severus released the breath that he didn't realize he was holding. Hermione rose carefully from the chair and gently laid the sleeping baby in the crib. With a soft sigh she moved toward the door. She smiled slightly, seeing Severus standing there. His eyes were fixed on her and his expression was unreadable. They stepped into the sitting room and Severus quietly closed the nursery door. "I sing to her every night," Hermione said, feeling quite flustered.
"It seems effective," Severus commented lightly. After a pause he said "I must go now."
Hermione nodded and walked with him to the door. Severus stepped through the doorway and turned to face her, looking thoughful. "You should sleep," he told her, taking in her appearance. She looked worn out and strained.
Hermione suppressed a yawn and nodded at him. "I'll see you at breakfast," she said, offering him a small smile.
Severus nodded, still staring into her sad brown eyes. He felt his anger building as he reasoned that Ryan Nelson was at fault for her current state. His frustration grew as he pondered over how she could learn to move past it.
On an impulse, Severus brought up one hand to cup Hermione upturned face. Her eyes widened slightly but she didn't pull away. He lowered his head to hers before he could talk himself out of it.
Hermione's eyes fluttered closed as Severus pressed his lips to hers. She was shocked, but she didn't feel an inclination to end the kiss, so she brought her arms up to wrap around his neck tentatively. Feeling encouraged, Severus wrapped one arm around her wait while his other hand buried itself in her hair, pulling her closer as he deepened the kiss.
After a few moments, Severus pulled away gently. He was delighted to see that she looked a bit dazed. Leaning forward he whispered "Good night," against her ear, smirking to himself as she shivered. He turned and walked away, making his way to his own private rooms. He sincerely hoped that he hadn't just made a huge mistake.
Hermione blinked and shook her head, returning to her room with a faint smile on her face. Sitting in the shadows in the hall was a cat that looked particularly smug, even for a cat. It had awoken upon hearing the door open and had witnessed the passionate kiss between Hermione and Severus. The cat watched Severus walk down the hall before transforming into it's human form. Minerva smiled widely. She couldn't wait to send an owl to Harry.
Minerva is so sneaky... I hope you liked it. Let me know what you think. The lullaby is by Josh Groban. It's called "Lullaby", ironically enough. I sing it to my little girl.