A/N: Sorry for the hiatus, I was quite busy….However as promised I'm back at it! Here's more Just One Kiss! If you want more details just pm me and I can direct you to the specific chapter that way you don't have to hunt around.

Recap (because let's face it, it's been a while):

Part One:

Hermione and Severus started a friendship which turned into a serious love affair. Meanwhile, they had to keep their attachment secret while they remained at Hogwarts. But life isn't that simple, especially for Severus and Hermione. Not only did the couple had to deal with Remus, who found himself falling for Hermione, but they encountered an even bigger obstacle-the Dark Lord. Disguising himself as Tom Smith, an intense, intelligent and handsome young lad with the help of Severus's rejuvenation potion, Tom Riddle went after Hermione for himself. The Dark Lord planned to use Hermione as a vessel for his heir, even going so far as to infect her with a potent fertility potion which threatened Hermione's health the longer she went without an antidote or actually conceiving. After some lengthy discussion and a not so innocent kiss, Severus and Hermione decide to have a child.

Part Two:

Dumbledore is at first against the union and later the child, but in true Dumbledore fashion, he manages to see how this situation can be used to finally destroy Voldemort. There's just one problem, it might leave Severus and Hermione childless and barren. After an emotional throw down in Albus's office, Hermione has a plan that might save their child and finally bring an end to the war. And here's where we left off:

Chapter Twenty:

The journey back to the dungeons was a quiet one. Severus looked exhausted. Hermione wanted to get straight to work, but taking care of him became her top priority. Once they stepped into his rooms she steered him towards the couch, sitting beside him. Taking his hands into her own she met his gaze, "Severus, are you alright? I know being in Dumbledore's office brought back a lot of painful memories."

"No, I'm not alright. I'm worried. And fearful. Every kindness I've known gets taken away," he squeezed her hands, "But I couldn't bear to lose you and I couldn't bear to lose our child."

Hermione smiled gently, "I'm not going anywhere and neither is this baby. But we are going to find a way to make Materno Amore work. And we are going to vanquish the Dark Lord."

Her words were strong, spoken with conviction. Severus seemed to be pulling himself together. His face began to mold back into his usual mien and the strain was nearly gone from his eyes. "When this is all said and done, we are going to get married, immediately."

Hermione grinned, "Absolutely." She kissed him tenderly, at first, but then he plunged into her mouth hungrily causing her to return the embrace with equal fervor. She could feel her body beginning to rekindle the passion she felt only hours before, but she knew that would have to wait.

"Alright, my love, let's put our genius level intellects to work."

His notes were in his lab kept under lock and key with some of his rarer ingredients. Heavily warded, and disguised as a plain manual. Flipping through his work, Hermione conceded that Dumbledore was correct about one thing: Severus was bloody brilliant! Apart from the rejuvenation potion, Materno, and the fertility potion he was well underway for a cure for lycanthropy. It was a blessing that Severus, being a dark wizard, wasn't truly evil and was loyal to the Light. She might have intelligence, but Severus had vision. "What exactly do you plan to mix Materno with? It must be something already invented because creating a new potion counteract it would take too long."

"I was thinking we could use your fertility potion."

"Come again?"

Hermione flipped the pages back to the fertility potion, "Look, you used canola oil instead of water as the foundation of your base, which could easily substitute the sodium hydroxide found in Materno."

"What about the Rheum rhabarbarum, that provides the estrogen boost that helps make Materno effective?"

Hermione bit her lip and thought for a moment. Even she knew it was an ingredient that couldn't easily be replaced-at least, not without a lot of research and they didn't have that kind of time. The Dark Lord would likely be looking for her during winter break. After all, she would have been in pain and vulnerable to fall into his weakest of approaches. She shivered at the thought of giving herself to Lord Voldemort and worse, having his child. She'd rather cut off a limb than become the mother to the next evil mastermind. Wait-that's it! "What if we cut off the leaves?"

Severus looked confused for a minute, but then slowly the light of realization dawned on his face. "That would reduce the amount of oxalic acid…."

"But still leave enough to retain Materno's desired results," Hermione finished.

Severus shook his head wearily and Hermione knew he was fighting tears. "Had I not been so focused on potency….."

She laid a hand on his cheek, "That's in the past now Severus." He nodded slowly and brought her hand to his lips. Hermione sighed, praying that if all went well he could finally forgive himself and let go. He was a good man, and when the time came he would be an excellent father. "Ready to get started?"

Severus didn't respond, he just simply grabbed a cauldron and gestured for her to do the same, but it was the determined blaze in his coal eyes that both comforted and motivated Hermione. The next few hours of brewing would be challenging and it was fantastic to see that her lover would be able to handle it. Because regardless of how calm, and supportive she'd been, in her mind she was just as nervous and anxious as him.

No, scratch that. She was worse.