Thank you, thank you, thank you for the great response to my last chapter. I have to say I was paranoid that I would seriously screw up writing Snape on the second date. That's why it took so long. I was trying to make sure it was worthy of your attention.
Hopefully the next one will go easier.
Thank you to everyone who is reading and reviewing this story. And thanks, as always, to Vaughn.
Hermione sighed happily as she snuggled deeper into the wonderfully warm blanket wrapped around her. It was an incredible piece of work – red and silver on one side and green and gold on the other – embroidered with alternating snakes and lions around the edge with a Hogwarts seal in the center. Severus gave it to her several days ago after she complained about not being able to get warm anymore. It was made of thick, brushed wool and bore a permanent Warming Charm. She still felt amazed by the thoughtfulness of that simple gesture from her husband.
He was truly proving himself to be an amazing man.
Two weeks had passed since their wonderful date in the Gardenia Room, and every day had been filled with pleasant surprises from Severus. The day after their date, he showed up at her room the next morning with breakfast and a beautiful orchid in a fluted crystal vase. Since then, he made sure to do something thoughtful and surprising every day. Taking her to lunch, showing her a new potion or spell he found, gifting her with beautiful jewelry and clothes – it was almost overwhelming at times, but she appreciated his efforts. Small or large, it was all wonderful. Thanks to him she now had a lovely bouquet of flowers, one for each day since the date.
She was afraid at first. That it was all an act. That he was not being himself. But then she sat back one night and thought very seriously about everything he had said and done. The conclusion came to startled her. Ever since That Day, he had been different. From the time he rushed in the door to beg for another chance, to last night when he walked her to her room and kissed her goodnight, he had been… open to her. Like he finally took off the mask he wore for so long and was getting used to showing his true face.
He still was not anything other than a snarky bastard. That did not change. Not that she wanted it to. She loved that about him. She loved his brilliance, his honesty (ironic for a Slytherin), bravery, decency, courtesy, and incredible thoughtfulness. And the snarkiness. This was the Severus she fell in love with. This was the Severus she could live with for the rest of her life. She sent a silent prayer up to whatever power helped him find this side of himself. So much darkness had been in his life that she had feared for some time that he was just too far-gone. She got the feeling that it had been close. The last thing the world needed was a truly dark Severus Snape.
She shivered, and then pushed the thought aside. He was too strong to succumb to the darkness, she thought. He would be far more likely to end it all than allow himself to become the next Dark Lord. Fortunately, it appeared things were getting better. Hermione looked down at the package in her hands. It had been almost impossible for her to get away into Hogsmeade for a short time without her husband hovering over her. The attention was nice, but really! Thankfully, Minerva had been willing to accompany her, assuaging Severus' fears. She had taken the opportunity to pick up a number of things including a book on fatherhood.
Yes. She was going to tell him.
It had only been only a month, but she was more in love with him than ever and decided she did not want to wait any longer. She had waited three years to hear him say that he loved her and she would be damned if she was going to waste any more time. That and she wanted to get Harry off her back. If there was one thing that annoyed her as of late, it had been the actions of her best friend. She knew he just wanted to help, but things were difficult enough without having to deal with his "helpful advice" and tips on romance. Yes. She knew Severus deserved reciprocated gestures. Yes, she knew he needed to know about the baby. And yes, she understood that they had a lot of serious talking to do before making any major decisions. Thank you Captain Obvious, she thought. If Harry said one more thing to her about it, she was going to hex him bald.
Less than a week ago he had come to her rooms to visit, and wound up sitting by the fire with her, nursing a Firewhisky and resting his deep, emerald eyes on her.
"What is it, Harry?"
"'Mione, have you told him yet?"
She sighed. "No, not yet."
To her surprise, his face turned red with anger. "Do you plan on waiting the whole three months?" he asked icily.
"Er… I hadn't really thought about it, Harry. I just… welll, I guess I was just enjoying the moment."
"'Mione, love, you know I care for you more than my own life, but believe me when I say that I'm beginning to get the urge to hex you."
"Har…"
"Listen," he hissed. "That man has been doing everything in his power to prove to you that he loves you, and all you're doing is sitting back and enjoying the ride. That's not fair, 'Mione. It's not fair to him or to you. Or your child. Don't you want him to be involved with your pregnancy? He's already missed enough. Stop punishing him for the past."
Hermione stared at him in shock. Is that what he thought she was doing? Her face flushed with anger. "Harry James Potter. You know very well that I am not taking out my anger on Severus! I…"
"Then why are you hiding your pregnancy from him?"
"BECAUSE I'M AFRAID," she shouted. "Because the last time I mentioned something he flew off the handle and threatened to strangle… sniff… any baby we might conceive together. I love him, Harry, but there's a part of me that's afraid he'll turn back in to the man that pinned me against the wall and…" she buried her face in her hands.
Harry, meanwhile, looked at her, stunned. He had no idea things had gone that badly between her and Snape. She only mentioned that he yelled at her. Well, and insulted her. But not that. Bugger. No wonder she was reticent. He got up and went to kneel in front of her, taking her small hands in his. Sometimes it was hard to forget how fragile she could be. Hermione had always been the strong one.
"Hermione. Love, look at me." He willed her to see the apology in his eyes. "I'm sorry. I… I didn't know things had gotten that bad. Why didn't you tell me?"
She sniffed. "Because I didn't want you going after him and getting hurt."
He gave her a lopsided smile. "Hey, don't forget, 'Mione. I'm Harry Potter. The Boy Who Lived to Become the Man That Killed the Wizard Formerly Known as Tom Riddle."
Hermione laughed. "You're incorrigible, Harry Potter." Her eyes turned mischievous. "Is there an abbreviation for that?"
"Of course there is!" He leapt to his feet. "Just call me The Man!"
Harry had turned the subject to lighter things, and they spent the evening relaxing and chatting about everything under the sun. It was odd how that conversation had illustrated to her how much she truly loved her husband. She and Harry got along extremely well. Were she not married, she would have jumped at the chance to try things out with him, but she was with Severus and he suited her far more than she ever imagined. The two were a study of opposites, and she loved them both. Harry, though, was more of a friend now, maybe a potential brother, than anything. It would take work to see him as anything else.
The clock on her mantle hit seven o'clock and began screaming at her to get down to the dungeons. This morning she decided to surprise Severus with breakfast in bed and she did not want to be late. Tossing a bit of Floo powder, she stuck her head in the fire and requested to see Dobby. He appeared moments later in the middle of her room.
"What can Dobby do for Missus?"
"Oh! Dobby, you startled me. No, it's okay. I'm fine. Uh, would it be possible for you to prepare a breakfast tray for me and Professor Snape and meet me down near his rooms?"
"Of course, Missus Hermione. Dobby would be happy to fix breakfast for Missus and the Professor. What would Missus like Dobby to prepare?"
"Er… crepes with several varieties of fruit filling on the side, hash browns, eggs, and juice for the two of us. Oh, and a large pot of vanilla coffee." She smiled. What they would say if they knew about the Potions master's sweet tooth…?
As soon as Dobby left, Hermione quickly changed into one of the new nightgowns she purchased – green silk with a matching gold and green brocade robe – and pulled her hair up and back to cascade down her back in a waterfall of chestnut curls. Her black teaching robes went over the outfit. It would not due to have a student see her dressed like this. One quick glance in the mirror left her satisfied with her appearance, and she headed off to the dungeons, gift in hand.
Severus Snape opened his eyes and promptly felt the need to bury himself under the covers. His wife was a beautiful, wonderful woman, but there are days when he regretted letting her talk him into having a window put in their room. Today was one of those days. He glanced over at the clock. Seven. Bloody wonderful. No matter how little sleep he got, he still felt compelled to get up at an ungodly hour. Unless his wife was with him. Until these past few weeks he had never acknowledged how much she helped him relax. On the rare occasions they slept together, he would have been able to wrap himself around her still-slumbering form and fall back asleep.
Bugger.
Last night he had stayed up until somewhere past four in the morning working on the All Heal potion. The dried Dragon Sprout worked far better than he thought it would, and he now had what he thought was a working prototype. He planned on testing it today. With Hermione. She would kill him if he tried it without her. He smirked. She really was brilliant. The past two weeks had flown by in a swirl of hard work interspersed with romantic interludes that made him feel like a giddy school boy. Like now. He knew he was smiling that silly 'I love Hermione' smile that brought such joy to her face. He was such a sap.
Severus' eyes drifted to the painting above his mantle. There is a reason for that, he thought. The painting had been created the Muggle way, static and without movement, but it was the most amazing piece of art he had ever seen. It was a picture of him and his wife in their wedding clothes, standing in the Great Hall, hands joined. The Severus in the picture was leaning over slightly, moments before he kissed his bride. Her face glowed with joy, and now he could see with clear eyes the love she had already felt for him.
She was a truly talented artist.
Severus was surprised to find out that his wife knew how to paint. According to her, it started out as a harmless hobby – drawing in class as a youth to assuage boredom – and then turned into a full-fledged interest after an art class shortly before she came to Hogwarts. He joked about his wife being a know-it-all, but there were times that he thought it was actually true. Was there anything she could not do? Hermione presented the picture to him less than a week ago, after he invited her to his chambers for a nice, quiet dinner for two. Apparently she started painting it several months ago using a Pensieve containing the wedding memories of Harry Potter, Albus Dumbledore, Minerva McGonagall, and the Malfoys. His heart almost burst with joy when he saw it, and actually comprehended what she said. "Our wedding is one of my most valuable memories, Severus. It was the happiest day of my life. I painted it hoping you would come to treasure it as much as I do." Her eyes were wide and vulnerable as she said it, and he could do nothing but sweep her into his arms and kiss her until they were both weak-kneed and breathless.
That was a train of thought he needed to derail right now. His wife was not going to be ready for any serious resumption of intimacy for some time, and remembering how her soft lips felt on his… her gentle hands stroking his back, running through his hair… how her body fit perfectly against his… He abruptly flung himself out of bed. Bugger. She had no idea how the mere thought of her affected him. Catching a glimpse of himself in the mirror, he grimaced. No one with half a brain would be able to miss his state of arousal. It was time to take a cold shower.
A soft knock on his door startled him and he quickly threw on a heavy robe, making sure it covered strategic areas of his body. The last thing he wanted to do was greet Minerva McGonagall at the door with a raging erection. Once more glance at his reflection confirmed his success at concealment, and he flung open the door, hoping he could get rid of the crazy old bat quickly.
His mouth fell open when he saw who was at his door.
Hermione stood there in the hallway, looking beautiful and absolutely edible garbed in the most incredible green nightclothes he had ever seen. Her hair was pulled back and cascaded down her back, reaching halfway to her waist. He itched to run his fingers through the soft curls. If she had not been holding a tray of food in her hands, he would have dragged her into his room and given her the snog of her life. As it was, he barely controlled himself.
"Her… Hermione. Darling, I was not expecting you this morning." How the bloody hell did she expect him to keep his hands off her when she looked like that?
"May I come in?"
He mentally slapped himself at the images crowding themselves into his head. "Er… of course, my dearest. Let me take that." He tried not to notice how her pink tongue flicked out to lick her lips in a nervous gesture.
"Thank you, Severus," she said softly. "I hope you don't mind that I came down here this morning. I wanted to surprise you with breakfast in bed, but I forgot that you passworded your rooms. I…"
"Persephone."
"What?"
"The password. Persephone."
She smiled fondly at him. "Should I change mine to Hades, then?"
He set the tray down and glided over to her. "If you wish. I would prefer to change my wards to Persephone and Hades, however."
Silence hung between them as she suddenly realized what he was saying. Her eyes met his, and again he found himself having difficulty interpreting the emotions he saw flickering in the amber orbs. He was shocked when she placed her hand on his shoulder and pulled him closer. He felt a surge of panic when he realized he would not be able to hide his state from her with her body against his. Preparing to push her away, he found himself thunderstruck as she pulled his head down and kissed him passionately. Time ceased to exist from that moment forward.
"Does that answer your question," she asked breathlessly.
Another deep kiss was his only response.
"Severus," she whispered.
"Yes, love?"
"I…" she faltered as she realized she had no idea what to say.
"Hermione?" he asked, his voice husky with emotion.
"I… we…"
She was going to tell him, his mind babbled excitedly. Pulling slightly away from her, he held out his hand and gently tugged her back into the living area. He never even realized they moved towards the bedroom. He squirmed uncomfortably at the thought. Control, Severus. She is not ready for that yet, he admonished. It warmed his heart when she took a seat on the couch and curled up next to him.
"What is it, love," he asked softly.
"I… you remember the day we… fought about children?"
He grimaced. The day he was an idiot. "How could I forget," he said flatly.
"Severus. Severus, look at me." Their eyes met. "You know I have forgiven you for that, don't you? I… maybe I should have found another way to bring it up."
"NO!" He barked, startling her. "It was in no way, shape, or form your fault, Hermione, so I suggest you get that noble Gryffindor tripe out of your head right now." He consciously made an effort to moderate his tone. "Despite your constant need to take responsibility for all things, Hermione, there will be times you are not at fault. This is one of them. It is my burden to bear alone. I was the one spouting all that small-minded garbage and you did nothing to deserve it…"
"I forgive you," she repeated, gently cupping his cheek.
His eyes widened in surprise, and then searched hers for her true feelings. What he found there humbled him. Severus crushed his wife to him, not believing how incredible she was. It had not occurred to him that he felt the need for absolution. Leave it to his beloved know-it-all to understand that before he did.
"Thank you."
"You're welcome, Severus. You know I can never stay angry with you forever."
He smirked. "You do realize, love, that you should never tell a Slytherin about your weaknesses?"
"It's not a weakness, Severus."
"It is something that can be exploited."
She shrugged. "Like you couldn't figure it out anyway. Harry knew by my second year that I was incapable of saying no to him and he wasn't the Head of Slytherin."
Severus' eyes darkened at the mention of his rival.
She snuggled closer. It was difficult to remain angry with her when she had her head on his shoulder and her arms wrapped around his waist. Why was he angry anyway? Potter was not here, nor was he enjoying the attentions of his beautiful and vibrant best friend. She sighed contentedly.
"You were saying, love?" There was no way he was going to let her get out of this. He was surprised at how much he yearned to shower yet more attention on her as the mother of his child.
"Accio gift!" The small package Hermione brought with her flew into her hand and she waved her wand over it, restoring it to its original size. It appeared to be a book.
She turned to face him. "Severus, I…"
Someone with the most atrocious timing in the world knocked at the door before she could continue. The moment was gone and it was all he could do not to scream with frustration. He gently kissed his wife and then rose to stalk over to the door. This had better be damn good.
"P…p…professor?" Stupid first year. Even if he was a Slytherin.
"What," he asked, voice cold as winter.
"Er… s…s…something is wrong in the common room, sir."
Severus merely raised an eyebrow at the shaking boy.
"Th…th…the furniture, s…s…sir, it's all… RED and GOLD!"
Silence reigned for a moment while Severus glared incredulously at the idiot student. "You mean to tell me," he began menacingly, "that you came to my room at… eight o'clock in the morning to tell me that the décor of our furniture has been changed to reflect Gryffindor House?"
"Uh… yes sir?"
Severus snapped. "GET OUT! Go back to your room, Mr. Hathaway, and get some more rest. Later this morning, after breakfast, you will go to the Library and research the proper way to change the furniture back," he instructed. "If you do not return it to its normal state by Thursday morning, you will serve a week's detention with Filch." He eyed the frightened boy sternly. "You will not bother me about this pathetic drivel again. You are a Slytherin! I expect you to act as such."
The boy nodded. "Y… yes s… sir." In a flash the boy was gone, and Severus turned back to his wife in relief.
The horrified look that greeted him spoke louder than words of the huge mistake he just made with his behaviour.
She stood up quickly. "I… I have some things to take care of today, Severus. I will see you later." His wife was out the door before he could say a word, taking the book with her.
He closed his eyes in resignation. That went well.
Hermione ran blindly through the hallways, headed for her usual place of refuge – Harry Potter's rooms. How could she have been so stupid? Romance was one thing. It was wonderful to have a kind, caring, and attentive husband who showered her with attention. Unfortunately, romantic inclinations did not mean he liked children any more than before. She had forgotten how much he hated children in the warm haze of his tender demeanor. Bloody hell. Why did she think that he would be anything other than what he had always been? Severus never liked children. Not even when he was one. She no longer thought he clung to the ridiculous prejudices of his youth as far as blood was concerned, but how could she ignore his hatred of children?
Harry was bleary-eyed and just this side of sleep when he answered the door. As soon as he saw the stricken look on his best friend's face, however, he quickly flung himself into consciousness and invited her in.
"What happened now," he asked bluntly. Her stricken look prompted him to gently take her hand and kiss it in apology. "I'm sorry, 'Mione. I'm just tired."
"I'm sorry, Harry. I should have waited to come until later."
"No, it's okay, love. I wasn't sleeping well anyway."
"Nightmares?"
He shrugged. "The same old stuff. You know how it is."
"Do you… want to talk about it?"
That was his Hermione – caring more for others than herself. He shook his head. "I'd rather talk about what brought you here to my room at this ungodly hour of the morning."
She sighed. "What else?"
He nodded sagely. "What did Snape do this time?"
"He… I was an idiot, Harry."
""Mione, I don't think that's possible."
She laughed. "Oh it's more than possible, Harry. This is certainly not the first time."
"Okay, how were you an idiot, then?"
"Let me ask you this: do you think Severus likes children?"
"God no! He… wait, did you tell him? Did he flip out?"
"No and no."
"'Mione…" Harry began, chastising her.
"I was about to, Harry, when some Slytherin first year interrupted," she replied defensively. "He… Merlin, you know how he is. He yelled at the boy for bothering him and then threatened him with detention if he didn't figure out how to reverse the prank himself."
"Prank?"
"It looks like someone in Gryffindor managed to turn all the Slytherin common room furniture red and gold."
Harry laughed. "I wish we had thought of that one."
"What am I supposed to do, Harry? Severus hates children. I can't bring my child up in an environment like that." Her eyes turned dreamy. "He's been wonderful lately, but only to me. He still acts the same around everyone else."
"Maybe the same will apply to your children. He'll be different around his family."
She speared him with a glance. "And when they attend Hogwarts? How will it look to them if their father is a royal bastard to everyone else?"
Harry fell silent. "I suppose you have a point."
"This isn't going to work, is it? He's just too angry and bitter to be anything but a git."
"You forgot greasy."
"Harry!"
"Sorry. But seriously, 'Mione. Things might be different once the child is born."
"You think I want to risk my child's future on a maybe?"
"Er… good point?"
"What am I going to do, Harry? I know he loves me. I bet he could even love our child, but what if he doesn't change the way he acts? I don't want him to pretend to be something else for my sake…"
"What about for your child's sake? 'Mione, not all parents are wonderful, caring people like yours. Most of them are in between. Sometimes good, sometimes not, but they all ideally love their children and that's what matters. The Slytherins don't seem to be too worse for wear from his behaviour."
"It's not acceptable, Harry. I will not settle for the father of my child." Her eyes met his. "My child will be loved and cherished. Not yelled at for being a kid."
Harry's mind screamed at him to ask Hermione to let him be that man, but he was not the Heir of Gryffindor for nothing. This time his nobility was threatened to choke him. "Give him a chance, 'Mione," he said softly, his heart screaming in anguish. "Snape deserves that at least. Tell him your concerns and let him know that if you find his behaviour inadequate, you will leave. That's all there is to it."
Hermione was silent as she considered. Harry was right. She did feel Severus had the right to know about their child. Her first appointment with St. Mungo's was in two weeks and she really wanted the father of her child with her. Ginny offered to accompany her, but she felt like it would be unfair to whomever she chose if they were excluded from this first and very important event. Bugger. It sounded like she was making it a bloody competition to see who won the privilege of being her child's father. That certainly was not it. She wanted it to be Severus. She wanted to stay with Severus, be his wife, wake up with him, go to sleep with him, spend her life with him, but she had other things to consider. She did love Harry, but it was a love that could be easily turned into the deep abiding affections between siblings if they tried. Not so with Severus. She loved him with a deep passion that she had never felt for Harry. Maybe if things had been different, but the stupid Marriage Law ended that chance before it even began. Harry refused to do anything to make her a bigger target while Voldemort was alive. And now she was madly in love with Severus.
What the bloody hell had she done to deserve this?
Hermione found herself outside a short time later, roaming around the lake before she turned her attention back to what she was doing. It was a beautiful day out, so she decided to continue walking around the lake while deep in thought. This was something she needed to work out before she saw Severus again.
Severus, in the meantime, was sternly avoiding the almost overpowering urge to beat his head against the wall while taking the most deadly poison he could brew. Leopards never change their spots, he thought. That much was true. As soon as he saw his wife's face, he knew she was thinking about how he would behave around their child. He was mortified to realize he had not given it a lot of thought. Oh, he read books on pregnancy and the process of childbirth. He had even picked up a few books on parenting. But somehow the advice contained in the pages never applied itself to how he treated his students.
Suddenly, Albus' questions about his plans for the future made a lot more sense.
Teaching was something he had done out of necessity. If he had been given the chance, he would have joined the Experimental Potions department of the Ministry. Or went to work for one of those potions brewing firms that offered top dollar to anyone up to his standard. Not that there were many. He was one of less than a dozen Potions Masters in Europe. Even before he graduated, he had received a number of offers. If only he had not ruined things by turning to that bloody madman in hopes of revenge against the world that rejected him.
Becoming a spy was his penance, but now that the war was over, he was no longer required to keep up the pretense of being a Hogwarts professor. If he made his availability known… No. He was not willing to work for some petty-minded bureaucrat from the Ministry. Nor would he be satisfied playing lackey to some idiot manager with seniority in a company responsible for the upswing in potions prices after the war. Voldemort may have been many things, but at least he was not greedy. He left that to Malfoy.
He sighed. Even he had his dreams and there had been one inside of him for years, hidden deep where the Dark Lord would never find it. Freedom. Total and absolute freedom. He wanted the freedom to choose his own course. To decide what he created and how he created it. To make the choice of where to purchase his own potions supplies and to whom he sold the finished products. To be his own man without Voldemort or Dumbledore looming over him, controlling his actions. Admittedly, the headmaster was not nearly as intolerable as the infamous dark wizard, but even now Albus dictated where he spent his holidays and with whom, what he did with a large portion of his free time, where he lived, and what potions he made. Or was forbidden to make. During his years as Voldemort's premier potions maker, he had discovered a number of very interesting potions that he thought could be incredibly useful to the world at large, if only they were created without dark magic. He thought Hermione could help him figure out a way.
Hermione. That is what it all came down to. Even she held his future in her delicate little hands, but at least she never tried to control him. She left it up to him to control himself. We saw how successful that was this morning, he thought. Bugger. Knowing his wife, she was already weeping on the shoulder of that messy-haired prat, wailing about his insensitivity and how he would make a terrible father. Would she be wrong, asked the voice of Sirius Black. Severus hoped so. He hoped he could avoid the mistakes his father made that molded him into the fallen wizard he became in his youth. His child, his daughter would never want for anything, he vowed, including a loving father.
If only Hermione would give him a chance.
If only she would try to understand. She was a Gryffindor. Her noble sensibilities were wonderful, but horribly misplaced in his House. Slytherins were a slippery bunch, requiring an iron grip in order to remain on good behaviour. That child should have gone to one of the Prefects with that problem, but in all probability had been directed to him by some sneaky housemate who wanted to get the boy in trouble. There were few things a Slytherin liked more than to provoke someone to react in an unguarded manner. By reacting as he did, he taught the child to rely on his own devices to solve problems and illustrated to him that blind trust was not something he wanted to practice. His House had been in the lead for the Cup for the majority of the years he had taught at Hogwarts, and much of it was testament to they way he kept his Slytherins in check. It took the advent of Harry Potter and his friends to unseat his House for seven years, but now they were back at the top where they belonged.
He dropped into a chair and gazed forlornly into the fireplace. He buggered it all up. If he was lucky she would still tell him about the child and let him have some distant participation in her life, but in all probability, she was packing right now, intending to run off with Harry Potter to the bloody United States. He felt a surge of grief at the thought. To never see his daughter's birth, her first steps, hear her first words… Ugh. What was happening to him? He was not Potter to revel in sentimentality, but here he was, wistfully wishing for something he would never have. He was such a fool.
He never expected to hear Potter's voice confirm his thoughts.
"You are a fool, Snape," Harry Potter declared, stepping out of his fireplace. Bloody hell. He thought he blocked it against unwelcome visitors. "Albus gave me the password. I figured you would refuse to talk to me, so I'm not giving you the option of saying no."
"Wonderful. What do you want, Potter? Come to gloat?"
"What? No, Snape, I came to offer some advice."
"I await your words with bated breath," he said sarcastically.
Harry frowned. "You know, you make it very difficult for me to want to help you."
"And why would you want to do that?"
"Because Hermione deserves to be happy and for some ungodly reason, you seem to be the man she wants to be with." Harry glared at him, daring the Slytherin to say something.
For once, Severus decided to keep his mouth shut. It might be interesting to see what the little bastard had to say.
"For a horrendously brilliant man you really can be quite stupid."
"Is this little chat going somewhere or can I go and do something productive with my time?" Like hex you.
"Shut it, Snape, and listen." Harry chose his words carefully, unwilling to reveal Hermione's pregnancy to her husband. While he disagreed with her decision, it was hers to make and he respected it. "I know you and Hermione have had a number of difficulties in the past. I also know one of them was due to her desire to have children. Your fight several weeks ago, for example, was prompted by her bringing up the subject." He fixed the Slytherin with a steely glare. "Do you have any idea why your wife was upset with you this morning?"
Severus was taken aback. Potter was trying to counsel him in a very Slytherin-like oblique way. He decided to play along. He was not supposed to know about the baby anyway. "No, Potter. I admit to a certain curiosity as to why she ran from my rooms directly to yours."
"How did you treat that first year?"
"Seeing as she told you about it, I speculate you already know the answer to that question."
Harry's eyes narrowed with frustration. "Then I imagine you can speculate how Hermione must have felt about seeing your way with children at a time when she wants to have one."
"She has always known of my feelings," he sneered the word, "as far as children are concerned, Potter. I fail to see why this discussion is meant to move me."
"That would be because you really are the bastard you appear to be. You know, Snape, Hermione was not meant to be a childless spinster, living her life with a man old enough to be her father. She was meant to be with someone who loves her as much as she loves him, and is willing to sacrifice as much. You've never even made the attempt to be the man she needs you to be. She wants to be a mother, Snape, and it's my understanding that you don't have much choice in the matter unless you want to marry some stranger in two years. I suggest you take a good look at yourself and figure out how you are going to convince her that you are worthy to be the father of her children."
"And if I don't?"
"Then you don't deserve the love she has given you. You're pathetic Snape, you know that? She gave you years of her life and you can't even be bothered to try. And don't give me that 'I've treated her well' bullshit. This is about more than your ability to pretend to be romantic. This is about her life." He looked Severus directly in the eye. "I will not allow you to continue screwing it up. Make a choice, Snape, and stick with it."
Harry whirled on his heel and Flooed back to his office, leaving a stunned Potions master behind him. Severus was shocked at what he saw in the boy's… no, the man's eyes. It suddenly occurred to him that this was the man who defeated Voldemort. Who stood up to the Dark Lord for seven years until he was ready to finally destroy him. During all the time Severus had put up with Potter's presence in his classes, he had never truly looked at him. He was surprised to find himself feeling a grudging respect after meeting the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor's steely gaze. Potter did truly love his best friend, and if Severus was not careful, would steal her away from him.
Not if he could help it.
He needed to figure out a way to apologize to his wife without revealing his knowledge of the baby or betraying Potter's visit. It would not do well for her to think the only reason he was sorry was that her best friend guilted him into it. Somehow he knew the bo… man would not tell her about his visit.
A frantic search of the castle revealed that she was not inside. Fortunately, he spotted her walking around the lake before he truly began to panic. Without thought, he was striding toward her, determined to make things right. He wanted to be the father she needed him to be. He needed it too.
He silently stepped behind her. "I feel like I owe you an apology, but I would like to know what for first."
Hermione whirled to face him. "S… Severus. You startled me."
He smirked.
"What are you doing here?"
"You first."
"What?"
"You ran away this morning, like an escaped prisoner from Azkaban. Why?"
"I…"
"Was it because of the way I treated that boy?"
She nodded. "I thought… things had changed since the war."
"'The more things change, the more they stay the same,'" he quoted.
"'Change is the constant, the signal for rebirth, the egg of the phoenix,'" she replied.
"'To change and change for the better are two different things.'"
Hermione smiled. "'All appears to change when we change.'"
"'Change for the sake of change is dangerous,'" he countered.
"'The universe is change; our life is what our thoughts make it.'" She stepped toward him. "'Nothing endures but change.'"
"I do believe you violated the spirit of this challenge, my darling. That was two."
"You would have gotten around to it eventually."
He smirked.
"Severus…"
"It is not easy, Hermione, making such great changes in so short a time. I… In my wildest imaginings I never thought I would find a woman that would wish to bear my child." He reached out and gently touched her cheek. "I was not treating that boy with unnecessary cruelty, love. It is how I act around my students to maintain discipline."
"You frightened him."
"He will recover. Hermione, life is not full of sunshine and roses despite everything Albus Dumbledore would like the students to think. I prepare my Slytherins for the reality they will face, not the fantasy they are shown. Mr. Hathaway will think twice from this point forward about bothering his Head of House for trivial matters. He will learn to respect the order of authority, and will come to understand how important it is when he leaves Hogwarts."
"Minerva doesn't…"
"I am not the Head of Gryffindor, Hermione. The students are placed in their houses for a reason. You were an exception. The brains of a Ravenclaw, the loyalty of a Hufflepuff, and the cunning of a Slytherin combined with the courage of a Gryffindor." She looked surprised at that. "I imagine the Sorting hat felt a bit of a quandary about where to place you. It chose well, though. You do fit in Gryffindor."
"Thank you, Severus."
He nodded, preferring to mean it as a compliment. "You're welcome." He pulled her close wrapping his arms around her. "The way Minerva treats her students works because of who and what they are, Hermione. A Slytherin would be very quick to take advantage of that."
She thought about it for a moment, and then comprehension dawned. "You have to be stricter with them because they would run all over you if you weren't."
"Now you are getting it."
"That doesn't explain the cruelty."
Bugger. "No, Hermione, it doesn't. I can only say that it is what I am used to. Perhaps it is time for me to learn a different way." He thought about the books on childrearing he purchased and vowed to read them as soon as possible. "Or perhaps it is time for a greater change," he murmured.
"What?"
Shit. He had not meant to say that out loud. "Er…"
"What change, Severus?"
"Here, have a seat and we can talk about it. This is something that involves you, assuming you… uh… well, I would like to talk with you before making a decision." Severus led her over to a nearby tree and transfigured some leaves into a blanket and some pillows.
She eyed him curiously as he seated himself. Her eyebrow arched. "So?"
"I… er… Albus asked me an interesting thing the other day." She waited patiently for him to continue. "He… uh… wanted to know if… er…" Bloody hell he sounded like a nervous first year. Pull it together, Snape. "He wanted to know if I was happy teaching at Hogwarts." There. No verbal fumbling.
"I see." It was obvious she expected him to continue.
"I've been thinking it over since then."
"And?"
"I have found myself wondering if it would be better for me to leave Hogwarts for something else. To do something else."
She looked surprised. "Like what?"
Like raise our child. "It has always been a bit of a fantasy of mine to have my own potions making business. I have a number of patents out there, as well as a fairly long list of potions I've created over the years. Some of them I would need your help to change the methods of creation…" He noticed her puzzled look. "Some of them require the Dark Arts to create."
"Ah."
"They are highly beneficial, but very illegal."
"Will we be able to do the research?"
"All Potions Masters have a license from the Ministry to do research in all avenues of magic involving potions. As long as I do not kill anyone or use Unforgivables, I can experiment to my heart's content." He smirked. "Why do you think Voldemort wanted a Potions Master for his lab?"
She nodded. "I see. So what are your plans?"
"I have enough contacts in the commercial Wizarding world to gain several customers to start with. We can make use of them in the beginning, and expand outward as our reputation spreads."
"Our?"
"I had hoped you would be willing to be a part of this, Hermione."
"I… I'd like that, Severus, but I really do love teaching."
"Then teach. There is no need for you to be there all the time. I can stay at home and do research and make potions while you are here at Hogwarts."
"Don't I have to live here?"
"Not necessarily. Once you get your Potions Mastery and Albus hires you to take my place, I'm sure he will appoint someone else to head Slytherin House and you will be free to live wherever you want. Why do you think you hardly ever see the other professors? Minerva stays here because Albus is here. Sinistra has no need to be anywhere else, nor does Flitwick. Nor I. But the others do not live here at the school."
"I hadn't realized," she murmured. "St. Mungo's would definitely be a place to begin looking for a buyer for your potions. Your Cruciatus treatment alone would be invaluable. And once you finish the All Heal potion…"
"Ah, that reminds me, my dear, this afternoon you have an appointment in the dungeons."
"I do?"
"Unless you have no desire to see the results of my trial."
Her eyes grew wide and she smiled at him excitedly. "Of course I want to see it! I want to see all of your tests." She reached out and took his hand. "I want to be part of every aspect of your life, Severus, if you'll let me."
Severus felt his heart flutter at her soft words. He squeezed her hand. "I do, Hermione. I want you to be part of everything."
Her smile, if possible, grew even more brilliant. He brought her hand to his lips. "Speaking of everything…" Don't bugger this up, he thought. "Were you serious when you asked if I wanted children?"
Her eyes widened in surprise. "Oh! Uh, yes, Severus, I was quite serious."
"You've only been out of school for three years, Hermione."
"We have to produce a child within the next two years anyway, Severus."
"Wouldn't you rather wait?" How long was she going to be able to avoid telling me, he wondered.
She shook her head. "Not really. By the time… er… I am finished with my training, I'll be ready for a long term job at Hogwarts. I'd really like to be settled into a routine before then."
He nearly applauded. She certainly has embraced her inner Slytherin, he observed. Even he would be hard pressed to provide such a glib answer. He moved closer and pulled her into his lap. "And when would you like to begin this… family, Hermione."
She shivered as his warm breath puffed against her ear and his velvet voice reverberated through her body. "Uh…" she tried to focus her thoughts on something other than saying 'right now' and tackling him. "Er… soon?"
"How soon?" he whispered.
"Uh… very soon?"
He brushed his lips against the sensitive spot under her ear. It was all she could do not to moan with pleasure. "Now, perhaps?"
She bit back another moan at the thought. "Er…" She struggled to collect her thoughts. Was there something she wanted to tell him? "Wha… what about your plans for a potions business?"
"I believe we can manage, my dearest. Perhaps things will be better if one of us is at home with our child." Who would have thought he would offer to be a stay-at-home husband?
She was surprised. "I… I don't want you to sacrifice anything…" Her voice trailed off as his lips grazed her neck.
"There is nothing I would not sacrifice for you or our child, love, but it would be no sacrifice. It would be my pleasure to watch her grow up and be there for her as my parents never were."
"Her?" Hermione asked weakly.
He kissed her neck. "I like the idea of having a daughter," he replied softly.
"Er…" Her thoughts became even more jumbled as he ran his hands up her sides and moved to gently take her shoulders and pull her closer.
His velvet voice caused her to shiver. "Perhaps we should get right on that, my dear." He stroked her cheek, moving down to run his fingers along her chin and neck. "Now is the perfect time to begin our new family…"
Surprise flickered in her mind and suddenly brought her back to reality. Hermione's mind finally began working again and she remembered the whole point to her actions this day. She gently pulled away and placed herself out of his reach. Merlin did she love him, but he could distract her like no one else. Pull yourself together, Granger, she thought. Wait. Did her inner voice sound like Draco Malfoy?
Severus was disappointed when his wife pulled her hand away moved farther from him, keeping at a safe distance. She was flushed from his attentions and he could see the familiar glint in her eye that promised a night of passion if he played his cards right. She took a deep breath.
"Severus, we need to talk."
Uh oh. That was never good. "About?"
"Uh… well, what we were just talking about."
"Sex?" He almost laughed at the expression on her now flaming-red face.
"No! Well, no, not exactly."
"What, then, my darling?" He made sure her attention focused on talking with him as he crept closer.
"Er… oh bloody hell, Severus. I don't know how to say this."
His conscience chose that moment to make a rather irritating appearance and he felt the need to comfort her. He took her hand. "What is it, love?"
"Uh, well, I got something for you." Again, she took out the book and enlarged it. This time, however, she handed it to him.
He eyed her curiously. "May I ask what this is for?"
"It's… a gift, Severus. Just open the bloody thing."
He smirked. "Your wish is my command, darling." Knowing it would drive her to distraction, he carefully began to unwrap the present, mimicking her chosen method for opening gifts. By the time he was finished, he could feel the tension thrumming in his wife's body. Once he saw what was in the package, however, he found himself struggling to keep the tears from showing in his eyes. A Wizard's Guide to Fatherhood. He turned to gaze at her in wonder.
"Congratulations, Severus, you're going to be a daddy," she said softly.
Despite the fact that he knew, despite the fact that he had seen his daughter's birth with is own eyes, he could not help but feel overwhelmed by the experience of finding out that his wife was pregnant. He knew he was grinning like an idiot, but he honestly could care less at that moment. All he could do was grab Hermione and hug her to him.
"Thank you, love," he whispered into her hair.
Her eyes were wide and vulnerable as she looked at him. "You mean it? Truly?"
"Never have I received a better gift, Hermione. I…" He stroked her hair. "I understand why you were angry this morning."
"I just don't want our child to suffer, Severus."
"She will not."
"She?"
Flashing back to his time in the future, he smirked. "Just hoping."
She pulled back slightly, adjusting her position so she could look at him while sitting in his lap. "Well, we can find out for sure in two weeks."
"Oh?"
"That's when my first appointment with the Healer is. If we want, they can tell us then."
"Do you… do you want me to go with you?" Hopefully he did not look as pathetic as he sounded.
A brilliant smile lit her face. "I was going to ask Ginny, but if you want to go… I'd rather you be there," he eyed him shyly.
He gently raised her hand to his lips. "It would be my pleasure."
The rest of the day was spent in a state of stunned bliss for the both of them, as they discussed possibilities for the future and their relationship.
Severus never imagined he could be so happy.
Sorry it wasn't another date, guys, but I figure I made up for it by finally letting Hermione tell Severus about the baby. Don't worry, however, you have not seen the last of Romantic Snape. I have a number of things planned for our intrepid heroes, and I hope you will continue to read and enjoy.
The quotes Severus and Hermione used can be found on The Quotations Page and in no way can be accredited to my powers of creativity.
Leraiv – I appreciate the compliment. I do try and make sure everyone can see what I do when I'm writing. As for Snape being too nice, I can see your point, but since this is going to be one of my shorter stories, I'm trying to move things along. Don't worry, he still has some stuff to deal with, but it will probably be far less than many stories I've read. And then there's his near-death experience. Speaking as one who knows, it can truly change a person's outlook and behaviour VERY quickly.
darkforces – This is probably going to go on for another 2-5 chapters before an epilogue. So don't worry, I have no intentions of stopping until this is done.