Sorry sorry sorry! I'd intended to post this chapter days ago, but out internet has been spotty and the massive snow storm that hit hasn't helped matters any. I'll try to make it up to you all with lots of posts : ) Enjoy!
The next morning, Hermione prepared the full English for the three of them. Atticus banged his juice cup against the table happily as he waited for his plate. Severus walked in just as Hermione was finishing the last of the cooking. She set down the spatula and turned to him, smiling shyly.
"Good morning," she murmured, wanting to go to him, but not knowing if she should. Would she embrace him? Kiss him? Throw herself at him and beg him to ravage her? In the end, Severus resolved the issue with his usual grace. He closed the distance between them, cradled the back of her head with one hand, and pressed a kiss to her forehead.
"Good morning," he returned softly. She grinned, then handed him a loaded plate. He took it and turned to the table. "And good morning to you, Atticus." He ruffled the little boy's hair lightly as he set down his plate.
"Sev'us!" Atticus gave up on banging the juice cup and started clapping. "Atty gets bangers! Atty gets bangers!" He plucked two off the plate his mother set in front of him and gripped one in each fist, grinning broadly.
"So I see," Severus returned with a smile of his own. Hermione joined them at the table and tucked into her own meal. "Do the two of you have any plans for the day?"
"Nothing set in stone, no. I know I need to get back on the house work, but Atty's been cloistered inside for so long now that I thought I might put it off for one more day if you don't mind and take him out to play." She bit her lip, worried she was pushing the limits of what was fair.
"By all means," Severus agreed readily. "I think that is a brilliant idea. There's nothing around here that won't keep. Trust me, I know. I have left it all far longer than this at one point or another."
"Still, I don't want to take advantage," Hermione hedged. "I'll be getting back into my regular routine tomorrow."
Severus shrugged negligently. "As you like." Hermione smiled in relief and continued eating. She knew things were changing between them, but she didn't think she could abide feeling like a burden to him. Her independence was still to fragile to withstand it.
"What do you think, Atty? Want to go play in the snow?"
"Ou'side? Atty pway ou'side?" When Hermione nodded, he shrieked and began to practically vibrate with happiness. "Mummy pway ou'side?" She nodded and he gave another shriek. "Sev'us pway ou'side?" He turned and looked at Severus with wide, expectant eyes. Severus' own gaze flicked to Hermione's quickly, but she gave nothing of her own desires away.
"I do have some ingredients to gather from the gardens," he admitted. "Perhaps I could gather them this morning and have some time left over to spend in leisure, if your mother doesn't mind the intrusion." His eyes once more flicked from Hermione to Atticus. The little boy's brows were drawn together in confusion as he tried to understand what Severus had just said. Severus fought a smirk as he simplified. "If your mummy says it's okay."
Atty's head swung to Hermione with eager hope written plainly on his face. She laughed. "It's fine by me, but you have to promise not to bother him while he's working."
"Hooray!" Atticus threw both hands in the air, spattering both adults with bits of sausage and grease. They simultaneously grimaced, wiped their faces, and then broke into laughter.
With the dishes rinsed and stacked in the sink, the three of them set about bundling up against the cold. Hermione charmed Atticus' gloves to stay warm, then laced up his snow boots. A water resistant coat went on next, followed by scarf and hat. Hermione tucked her jeans into her own snow boots and zipped herself into her warmest coat. While she was pulling her gloves on, she was surprised to see that Severus, too, wore a coat instead of a cloak. She didn't think she'd ever seen him in one. It should have looked odd, but instead, she found it... striking. The black leather had been worn butter soft, and was cut to fit his broad shoulders and trim waist. She had jerked her eyes away, rebuking herself for oogling her employer, before she remembered that they had both come clean to each other about their hope for... more. With a satisfied smile, she allowed her gaze to turn back to him and admire the way the faded leather encased his torso.
He caught her look and went a little stiff under the perusal at first, then felt a stiffness of another sort entirely when he realized the look on her face was pure female longing. His toes curled in his boots. Immediately he halted the foolish reaction, but he couldn't stop the way his lips curled up to match her smile.
Outside, more snow had fallen in a thick, dense blanket. The sun shone brightly in a rare display of winter clarity. Atticus ran into the white sea with a whoop, his little legs barely able to take him through the deep drifts. By the time they made it around back and were walking towards the gardens, the little boy's cheeks were rosy with excitement and the cold. Hermione laughed as she chased him, the little pouf on the top of her knit hat bouncing with her movements. Severus excused himself to gather clippings from the plants while Hermione took Atticus off to build a snowman.
It was true that he would eventually have need of more holly leaves and poinsettia trimmings, but he'd had no real need to get them that day. Instead of focusing on his task, he let his eyes wander to the mother and son playing across the lawn from him. When he'd gone to bed the night before, his mind had been consumed with thoughts of Hermione. Of what their relationship could be. The emotional, the physical... He'd fallen asleep to the tantalizing possibility of a life with her. Watching the two of them together, though, he was reminded yet again that Hermione was a package deal. She came with a child- a ready made family.
In his younger years, he might have sneered at the idea. Raising another man's son. He'd known men who knowingly or unknowingly had done just that, and he'd thought them fools. Bad enough the idea of sacrificing their peace, their hard earned living, for their own progeny, let alone the spawn of another. Now, though, those thoughts felt petty and ridiculous. It took a special kind of man, with a special kind of heart, to be able to accept another man's child as his own. To love it as his own. And though he'd never thought of himself as particularly special or large hearted, he knew that if they would let him, he would love Atticus as his own son with no reservations.
The little boy was intelligent, well behaved (in so far as toddlers can be), stubborn, bold, and insatiably curious. He was playful and generous and kind. The idea of claiming Atticus made Severus swell with pride. He would grow up to be a good man, maybe even a great man. To have a chance to be involved in that, to be able to contribute to that, was awesome in the truest sense of the word. The boy hadn't yet turned three. He'd never known a father. If Hermione approved, if things between them progressed the way Severus hoped they would, Severus would be the only father Atticus ever knew. What they decided to tell him about his biological contributions in the future didn't matter. Severus would be his parent. It was a bond that never ended. Friendships faded, marriages could crumble, but the bond between parent and child was forever. If Severus became the child's father, they would be irrevocably bound.
The idea should have terrified him. The weight of it should have settled like a stone in his stomach. Instead, he felt... stronger. As if he was better grounded by the responsibility. The thought flitted through his mind that someday, if he was very lucky, the little boy currently gathering snow together into a clumsy snow ball, might call him daddy. His heart clenched in his chest.
The little snow ball flew through the air and smacked Hermione in the leg. She dropped dramatically and rolled to her back. When she saw Severus striding towards them, she called out to him, "Avenge me!"
"Ah, lady fair, I think you don't realize where my loyalties lie. In snow, it's always witches against wizards. Get another one together, Atticus, we are at war!"
Hermione squealed as the perfectly formed snowball flew from Severus' hands and hit her square in the chest. Atticus began gathering up snow eagerly and Hermione scrambled to do the same. She was quick, and had more experience in the snow than the men, so she got off two more shots before they did, one at Atty's legs, and the other managing to glance off Severus' shoulder as he tried to dodge it. Then she dove for cover. Two more snowballs came flying at her. One hit her bum while the other sailed by her ear. Laughing breathlessly, she hid behind the snowman they'd built earlier and fired off three more balls. She didn't even look to see if they hit, instead gathering up more snow and packing it together. When she peeked around the snowman, a ball went flying by head. Atty shrieked and threw his as well, which hit the snowman with a wet thump. The little boy giggled and threw another. Hermione quickly began to make more projectiles but then realized that it had gone ominously silent. She looked up just in time to see Atticus, held up in Severus' arms, push the head of the snow man down on her. It broke apart over her hat, raining wet snow down onto her face and shoulders.
Atticus shrieked with laughter. Severus growled and put his shoulder against the body of the snowman, tackling it atop Hermione and sprawling all three of them into the snow. Hermione sputtered and flailed, shaking snow off her face and laughing like a loon. She and Severus were on their backs, close enough that they were nearly touching. Atticus was stretched out atop them both, giggling and tossing fist fulls of snow in the air.
"I declare victory for the men," Severus said when he caught his breath.
"Two against one is hardly fair," Hermione protested.
"Vi'try for the men!" Atticus began to chant. Hermione capitulated with a sigh.
"Then on behalf of witches everywhere, I concede defeat. This time." She kissed Atticus on the nose and pulled his hat more securely over his ears. When her hand came back down, it brushed against Severus'. Her cheeks were already red with the cold, but she felt them flush. She waited, not moving her hand away, but not daring to move it closer, either. After a beat, Severus laced his fingers with hers and gripped tightly. Atticus, unaware of what was passing between the adults, put his hands on either side of Hermione's face and blew a raspberry on her cheek. She laughed and wiped the wet away with her free hand. Then he turned and did the same to Severus.
Severus growled and rolled Atticus onto Hermione, then began to mercilessly tickle him. Hermione held the flailing, giggling little boy against her chest and pressed tickling kisses against his neck and cheeks. He shrieked with laughter, rosy cheeks plumped up in an endless grin. Finally, they took pity on him and let him catch his breath. He patted his mother's face softly and kissed her. Hermione thought her heart would burst from being too full.
"Ne't time, I hewp mummy!" he declared. Severus scowled at him with mock ferocity.
"Treachery!"
"In that case, I think we will trounce him, Atty. You're a champion snow ball thrower."
"I taught him well," Severus said solemnly.
"All the better to use your own wisdom against you."
"You're bloodthirsty, witch," he grumbled good naturedly, pulling them both to their feet.
"Absolutely," Hermione agreed. "Now that I've got the measure of you, the two of us will be unbeatable." She hitched Atticus higher on her hip. Severus quirked a brow and plucked the boy from her arms, setting him on his shoulders easily. Atticus let out a cry of delight and wrapped his little arms around Severus' forehead, holding on tight.
"Then I'll just have to bribe your secret weapon back to my side, won't I?" He tilted his head to the side and looked up at Atticus. The banter was utterly lost on the boy, and he only let out another squeal of happiness and giggled. Severus kept one hand on Atty's leg just in case he decided to pitch backwards in a fit of laughter, but he let his other hand take Hermione's, lacing their fingers together once more.
Back in the house, the chill finally soaked into them and they began to quickly strip off wet clothes. Atticus was the least affected, having been thoroughly bundled up against the snow. Once his boots, gloves, hat, scarf, and coat were off, he ran to the living room to grab his blue bunny. Hermione and Severus set about peeling off their soaked layers at a more leisurely pace. Coats and gloves were hung to dry, boots arranged on the rug to catch the rapidly melting snow. Hermione looked up and realized that Severus was soaked from the knees down.
"Look at the state of you," she chuckled, half turning to make sure Atty hadn't gotten into mischief already. He let out his own bark of laughter and gestured to her back side.
"You're one to talk."
She craned her neck and realized that the seat of her jeans was indeed, just as soaked as his trousers, and also, plastered to her arse cheeks as if they'd been painted on. She covered her bum with her hands and gave a yelp of embarrassment. As of on cue, her teeth started to chatter from the chill that had been steadily sinking into her bones. The wet jeans were not helping the situation.
"I think everyone could use a bath to warm up," she said through her chattering teeth. Severus quirked one brow and smirked.
"Well I'll admit that's moving a little more quickly than I had anticipated, but I suppose I'm game if you are."
"Wretched man," she chided. When he merely shrugged, she slipped one of her damp socks off her feet, balled it up, and tossed it in the direction of his forehead. He batted it away with a laugh.
"Fine, fine. Perhaps we can reconvene in the kitchen when everyone is warm and dry?"
"That sounds perfect. Atty? Lets go up and take a bath." She held out her hand for him.
"Otay mummy." He stuffed the foot of his bunny in his mouth and took his mother's hand, then held out his other for Severus. He swallowed past the sudden lump in his throat and took the little hand, then they all started up the stairs.
Half an hour later, Hermione and Atticus walked into the kitchen. Severus was already there, stacking sandwiches on a tray. He was wearing soft black sleep pants, a faded t shirt, and his feet were bare. His hair was still damp and he ran his hand through it absently, pulling the strands away from his face. Hermione had never seen him look so... young. He didn't look like a forty-something ex-spy who had survived two wars. Perhaps it was seeing him dressed so casually, perhaps it was the way his face lit up in a smile as Atticus yelled, "lunch!" and ran towards him. Perhaps it was the way he scooped the boy up and settled him on a hip as if it was the most natural thing in the world. He looked like any other father with his young son. It made butterflies take off in Hermione's stomach.
Suddenly, she wanted nothing more than to pull him in for a kiss that would curl his toes. He looked over at her, saw the heat in her eyes, and swallowed hard. She was dressed just as casually as he was, with her wet hair braided back from her face, crimson sweat pants slung low across her hips, and a soft long sleeved shirt that matched the dusky gold color of her eyes. He forced his gaze not to stray down to check when his mind wondered if she was wearing a bra.
"You made lunch," she said after the silence had started to stretch between them. He nodded, lifting the tray in the hand that wasn't holding Atty.
"If you would grab us some drinks, I thought we might take this whole affair into the living room and eat in front of the fire."
"And cawtoons?" Atticus asked hopefully, looking between the two of them.
"I do not have a television..."
"I can project them through my wand, if you don't mind being subjected to some seriously questionable programming."
"By all means, then." He started towards the living room and realized that Atticus was still looking at him for an answer, one brow raised in a gesture that mirrored Severus' best arch. "That means yes," he clarified for the little boy.
"Hooray!" Atticus began bouncing against his side, eager for his cartoons. Hermione followed behind them with bottles of pumpkin juice and water. With a few quick swishes of his wand, Severus rearranged the furniture so that the squashy couch was facing the fireplace, with the low coffee table between. He handed a sandwich apiece to Atticus and Hermione, then took one for himself. Once she had handed over the drinks, she cast a spell and then laid her wand on the table in front of them, the tip of it pointing at the wall above the fire. Light streamed from it, and the flickering of images began to project on the wall.
They ate their lunch while watching the silly cartoons. Severus found he didn't mind the one about the little girl and her duck, but he was extremely confused by the one with the singing cucumber. Atticus loved that one so much that he'd made Hermione rewind it three times to watch it again. He sat happily snuggled between the two adults, occasionally making gibberish commentary on the shows, or munching on the cookies Severus had summoned from the kitchen for dessert. After a while, Severus' arm came around Hermione's shoulders. She pressed closer to his side, letting her head rest against his shoulder.
Atticus dropped off first, mesmerized by the mindless cartoons and a full belly. Hermione succumbed next, the heat from the fire soaking into her toes and the steady beat of Severus' heart in her ear. He knew he should probably wake her so she could take Atticus up to his own bed. Or he should carefully disentangle himself from the two of them and let them nap on their own. Instead, he slowly lengthened the depth of the couch, leaned it back slightly, wrapped his arm around them both, and let himself join them in sleep.
Ok, so there's something I want to talk about that's a potential spoiler for the story here, so if you don't care for those, you may want to skip this part:
Many, many of my lovely reviewers have made comments about Phillipe and his eminent return. Usually I revel in the suspense, but this time I want to say right off the bat that we won't be seeing him again in this story. He is an abuser and a bully, but a coward most of all. Like most abusers, he is obsessed with Hermione and the power he has over her, but he has no interest (or ability) in standing up to someone he can't manipulate- like Severus. Many victims of domestic abuse are seriously wounded or killed before their abusers are stopped; indeed, the statistics of it in the US are alarming. But this story isn't about Phillipe (who, let's face it, would have to have a serious death wish to face Severus after that last confrontation). It's about Hermione and her road to recovery. I could draw out the suspense and have a final face off between them simply for shock value, but I think that would cheapen the core of the story at this point. As much as I would love for Hermione to see Phillipe done away with permanently (and I'm sure she's fantasized about it more than once!) I don't think its necessary to her journey. She doesn't need that kind of closure. Phillipe is nothing and she is coming to realize that. He will make as many appearances in the rest of the story as he deserves, as in, none at all. Hermione still has to face the long road of recovering from him, but the monster himself has been vanquished.
Sorry if this puts any of you off, or leaves anyone unsatisfied. Hopefully the rest of the story will make up for that : ) Also, thank you to the wonderful, amazing, beautiful people who have left reviews on this story. I don't respond to nearly as many as I should, but I promise it's not for lack of appreciation. Almost every single free moment I have at my computer I spend writing or editing. Usually I only have small snippets of free time and I have to pick just one or two tasks to get done. I assume that most of you would rather a new chapter than a piddly email from me! But seriously, thank you thank you thank you to everyone who has taken the time to review. I cannot tell you just how much they make my day. You guys are an inspiration.