Disclaimer: As always, nothing that you recognize belongs to me.
A/N: I am so blown away with the response I have been getting to this story, it is staggering. The reviews as always make my day whenever I get one, and of course they make me want to work even harder on this story so that all of you continue to enjoy it! I have also seen that so many of you have been adding this to your alerts and favorites and I want to thank you too! I do hope you all continue to enjoy this story as much as I am enjoying writing it.
Did I mention this is a purely Hermione and Severus chapter? Well it is! Hooray! There are mature themes in this chapter so reader be warned, or excited, whatever.
And of course a gigantic thank you to the wonderous beta Poison-Quills who goes well beyond my poor grammar to help with this story, you can thank her for prodding me to write the scene with Severus in the shower. .
*curtsies*
On with the story.
* fresh new lily *
Hermione awoke early Wednesday morning, before even the sun had risen in the east. Lying awake she went over everything in her head and didn't know if she wanted to cry or laugh or scream. Her life was so surreal. Here she was in her childhood home lying in bed beside Severus Snape not even a week after the world she knew fell apart. She looked over at the man who was sleeping so peacefully beside her and felt her heart swell and break at the same time.
Hermione had treasured her friendship with Severus, even more so for the fact that he was such a hard man to be friends with but she managed. He was sour and complicated and impossibly private. He may not be the evil ex-Death Eater some saw him as but he was far from the romanticized war hero who had fought for true love, like others viewed him. He was somewhere in the middle really. Severus Snape was a battle worn ex-Death Eater turned spy and a war hero. Though he was not evil nor was he the heartbroken tragic hero who would die having loved the same woman his whole life. Hermione knew that Lily had been less the love of Severus' life than she had been a reminder of his guilt. Certainly he had loved her as much as any teenaged child can, and with all the bitter heartbreak that comes with most young loves. Lily was a banner for Severus to rally behind, and Dumbledore had exploited that for his benefit when it came to controlling his spy. Severus had never been allowed to forget Lily. Before the war had ended and he had been able to put her memory to rest with his promise kept and her son safe from The Dark Lord. A master Severus had turned to when he was little more than a bitter and hurt child.
What confused her now, as she turned and watched the first rays of sunshine filter in through the window to highlight the strong angles of Severus' face, was why he had suddenly become so… soft. He had been wonderful really. Since the moment she woke up in St. Mungo's he had been a pillar of support and she had taken full advantage of that. In all honesty he hadn't truly been her Severus, not the dark sarcastic git she had been falling for longer than she could really remember. She found herself missing his biting comments about her hair and incessant chatter, because while she had strongly suspected he never really meant it when he said it to her, it was so Severus. Sure she loved how attentive he had become when she truly needed it. She knew that he was forcing himself to hold back from insulting her friends at the very least. He hadn't even said anything truly horrible about Harry and that had always been a favorite past time of his. He sat through that painful dinner by her side and allowed Minerva to question him, Molly and Arthur to make assumptions about them without so much as a 'mind your own bloody business', and he had been openly affectionate when she knew that it was not the most natural thing for him. It had been what she had needed, and he had provided it for her without a complaint. He even put up with her mood swings; which were all over the place since she lost the baby. He was being a saint, and suddenly Hermione found herself thoroughly annoyed by that fact.
Severus found himself being rudely awakened by someone's small hands shaking his shoulders. "Severus, get up. I need to talk to you. Get up. Severus. Severus. Get up," he heard Hermione's harsh whisper by his ear.
Severus instantly sprang up and grabbed his wand from the bedside table. "Hermione, what is it? What's wrong? Is someone here? Are you alright?" he asked, the worry evident in his voice even through his sleepy haze.
Hermione suddenly felt a little guilty for waking him the way she had. She started to bite her lip anxiously as she thought of what to say. "Well, no. Everything is fine really. I didn't mean to scare you. I just… I'm confused. And I was wondering…" Hermione could tell by the look on Severus' face that he was not amused to have been shaken awake to slake her endless curiosity. He was giving her a look that clearly said 'spit it out woman!' Hermione doubted he would be all too happy with what she wanted to talk to him about. He would have to get up soon anyways and head to the apothecary and Hermione knew it would eat away at her now that she had thought of it. "I was wondering why you're being so nice," she finally told him going right back to chewing on her lip.
Severus face went from a look of annoyance to one of bewilderment. Did she honestly just ask me why I was being nice? What am I supposed to do, take points from her for being abused and traumatized? He thought to himself as he watched the worry cross her features. He knew she already regretted saying anything. "Hermione, it is too early in the morning to sit here and contemplate my demeanor without at the very least a cup of coffee. I do not know what it is you want from me, but I am doing my best to be supportive and reassuring. If you would rather I treated you differently you are going to have to explain it all to me, because frankly at this point I haven't a clue what you want," he told her trying with little success to keep the tone of his voice calm.
Hermione, whose hormones were all over the place, broke down into tears and quickly turned and buried her face in her pillow. "A go gus hat zoo heen doe ferf-ferf-ferfeck," she said through sobs into her pillow.
Severus who had gotten used to her emotional fluctuations over the past few days but still was rather unaccustomed to crying women had no clue what she was supposed to have said. Between the crying and the pillow muffling her words all he was able to hear was gibberish. "If you insist on speaking Gobbledygook you should go find a Goblin, though last I heard they do not particularly like you," he said, smirking at her.
Hermione slowly sat up and looked at him. He was being a sarcastic arse, and it was just what she wanted. Without really thinking it through, Hermione launched herself across the bed at him succeeding in knocking the both of them off the bed sprawling on the floor in a tangle of limbs and sheets. Severus who broke her fall hit his head but was for the most part unharmed.
"Merlin witch! Are you trying to kill me?" he asked Hermione who was looking down at him, her cheeks reddened in embarrassment, and her bottom lip was completely swollen from her worrying at it. He only just noticed the way her hair was all tousled and sticking out all over the place from sleep, the little green camisole she had worn to bed was askew, and exposing quite a lot of one of her swollen breasts both of which had begun to leak. Her eyes were slightly puffy from crying but even still, as he looked up at her all entangled with him and the sheets on the hard floor of her bedroom he could think of nothing more than pressing his thin lips to her swollen ones.
Hermione felt like she was still falling. She looked into his deep purple eyes as his gaze came back up from her chest to rest on her own burnt caramel orbs and she fell right in. In his eyes she saw all the answers she ever needed to her questions. He was still Severus, he was just her Severus now and perhaps that meant adjusting to her needs. As if he was sensing what she needed from him in that moment a hand suddenly wove into her tangled locks and pulled her down to him. His lips moved against hers passionately and slowly. As his tongue slipped from between his soft thin lips to taste her reddened swollen lower lip Hermione felt herself melt into him, her lips part to allow him access, and heat pooling between her thighs.
How this wizard could make her feel so much with one kiss would never cease to amaze her. As his tongue caressed her own she found herself wanting things she knew she wasn't ready for, emotionally or physically. Yet the thought that this just wasn't enough was lodged in her mind.
In all honesty, Hermione had wanted to feel Severus' hard body slicked with sweat and moving against hers for months. She had known that that despite everything that she had been through, there was something about Severus that set her whole world a flame. Her feelings for him had hit an all-time high about eight months ago after she had found out she was pregnant.
Hermione pushed open the door to the apothecary five minutes before Severus was set to close. She knew that Severus wasn't likely to care about her news, other than to know that his potion was a success. Severus was standing behind the counter ringing up his last customer of the day. Hermione watched him package up vials for the old witch and put her bill down in his ledger. She was always fascinated by his hands. Even performing the simplest of tasks, like writing something down, they were the most elegant hands she had ever seen.
His fingers were long and slender, and always well-manicured with the nails cut cleanly. She had first noticed them as a student while she watched him demonstrate the proper preparation treatment for daisy roots. It was such a simple task, but the way in which he held his blade and sliced the roots with the most delicate and precise movements were awe striking. She had found herself over the years as his pupil admiring his hands on many occasions, wondering if their deft moments and grace would lend themselves to piano playing. It had been silly really. To think so much of his fingers as a girl, but as a grown woman her thoughts had strayed to a place she dared not contemplate.
Finally the old woman took her parcel from the counter, thanked Severus for his help, and quietly shuffled towards the exit. Severus seemed as if he had yet to notice the presence of another human being in his apothecary; though Hermione knew that was not even a remote possibility, he was always aware. Hermione watched as he wrote something else in his ledger and shuffled a few papers around on the counter. She didn't even notice she had been bouncing on her toes until she heard Severus crisp voice snapping at her.
"Either cease your bouncing Hermione or I shall be forced to pour a Calming Draught down your throat and charge you extra for the service," he bit out. If his mood and the crease between his brows had been anything to judge by it had been a terribly long day at work for him.
Despite his foul mood Hermione found herself beaming at him. Then without warning she was running across the shop and throwing herself into his arms. Severus tensed at the contact but before either of them could truly contemplate the weight of their actions Hermione felt some of the tension leave his body as his arms moved to wind around her body a little awkwardly. At the time Hermione had written it off as simple gratitude when she took advantage of her position in his arms and tilted her head up to press her lips against his.
She felt him respond to her kiss. His soft lips, softer than she had anticipated, moved ever so lightly against her own parted lips. Slowly his tongue touched her bottom lip lightly before he seemed to come to his senses and pried her off of him. Severus quickly turned around adjusting his robes as discreetly as he could, but Hermione noticed and had to wonder if she had truly had that much of an effect on him. When Severus finally turned around his face was closed off, in an indecipherable mask that almost had Hermione regretting her decision to go to him in the first place.
"Explain yourself," he told her curtly, giving her his best Potions Master glare.
Hermione was in too good of a mood to be disheartened by his reaction, and really what other reaction could she honestly expect from him. It isn't like he can just snog the day lights out of me. Right? Not that that was what I wanted either, I just… Well I don't know what I was doing really. He is a very good kisser. Focus Hermione! She thought to herself, the blush in her cheeks only deepening, as she prepared to explain herself to him. "Sorry Severus, I really don't know what came over me. I shouldn't have done that I just… I'm pregnant Severus. You did it. I don't know how I can ever thank you. I'll name the baby after you. Severus for a boy and Sever…ina, Severia… hmmm, well I will have to meditate on that one, but you get the picture. Just, thank you. Thank you. Thank you," she said as she once again threw herself into his arms giving him a hug that was, if she was honest with herself, only partly out of gratitude. She noticed him tense again and this time he didn't move to embrace her in return so Hermione sheepishly took a step back and looked up into his face. "Sorry, I hug."
"I know. Just find someone else to do it with next time. And you will not subject your child to my name. Such a thing would be cruel. I am, however, happy for you, if you are happy. Does Weasley not wish to be celebrating with you? I am sure there are other people you should be celebrating with Hermione," he told her. Hermione thought that she detected a bit of something in his voice, envy, or hurt perhaps.
Hermione took a deep breath and felt a chill go down her spine as she looked at the man in front of her and wondered why it was that he was the only one she really wanted to celebrate this with when she knew he was right. She should be with Ron, but he was in a pub somewhere 'getting used to the idea' whatever that meant. In the end from the second the healer had confirmed that there was in fact a healthy embryo implanted nicely in her uterus, her first thought had been of Severus. She found herself thinking of him often if she let her mind wander, and it didn't help that since her trek through the mountains with him she knew exactly what his dark tailored robes were hiding. He may not be conventionally handsome but he had an amazingly toned body and his features were so chiseled and defined; it just seemed so elegantly masculine that Hermione found herself sneaking glances of him whenever she saw him and thinking of him when she couldn't.
The sound of a throat clearing brought Hermione out of her thoughts and reminded her of the fact that she was standing in front of Severus. He was at the very least expecting some sort of reasonable response from her while she was busy fantasizing about him. "Sorry. I just… never mind. I just really wanted to tell you. This would have never been possible if it weren't for you. I really can't even begin to say thank you. I should go though. I will see you on Wednesday wont I? Okay, well, I'm off then," she said, never giving him the chance to respond. She had taken a few steps towards the door when she seemed to lose all sense of decorum and ran back to him giving him one last hug tipping her head up to press her lips ever so quickly against his. "Thank you Severus," she whispered before turning and running out the door.
Hermione just let her feet carry her until she reached a little park on the outskirts of the shopping district that had been built after the war in the reconstruction. She found a little bench and watched as children played on the swings or few on toy broomsticks in the field while their mothers sat gossiping about one thing or another. One little girl fell and skinned her knee and Hermione watched as she ran to a man in dark robes and he proceeded to pull a small jar seemingly from air and rubbed whatever it contained into the wound, then kissed it and sent her back to play. Suddenly Hermione found herself picturing her own child on the playground running to her father, his black hair falling over his face as he bent down to kiss her scraped knee. Oh gods… Where did that come from? I'm married to Ron. Ron. But oh, Ron can't kiss like that. What am I doing? I cannot believe I just kissed Severus Snape. She thought, knowing that it wasn't the first time Ron's face had been replaced by that of the raven haired Potions master in her thoughts. There wasn't much to do about it, so she hoped that whatever it was she had been feeling would go away.
The feelings never did go away, she mused, as she felt herself shiver under Severus touch. Hermione moaned into his mouth as his hand began to roam over her back and came to rest on the swell of her bum, applying a slight pressure that pulled her core tighter against his body. Inside Hermione was a mess of warring emotions. At the forefront were the desire and the fear. She knew he would never hurt her, but she also never wanted her experiences with Severus to be like those she had had in the past, where her fears had taken over and sent her spiraling into a flashback. She never wanted to associate this particular wizard with those memories, even if Severus had promised to enter her mind and destroy them soon.
Hermione slowly ended the kiss, and pulled back to look at Severus who's eyes were shining in the morning light streaming through the window, highlighting their color brilliantly. "Mmmm. That… was nice. I can certainly see how nice has its benefits. I just don't want you to have to pretend for me Severus. I already know you're a bastard most of the time, to most people anyways. You didn't snap at anyone yesterday, not even when Minerva was giving you the third degree. And we both know you love to snap at Minerva. And you have hardly made any derogatory comments about Harry lately. I know you have plenty of horrible things to say about him and probably plenty of other people. I just don't want you to feel like you have to censor yourself for me suddenly. I want you Severus, sarcastic wit, bad temper, and all," she told him, leaning down to give him a small kiss on the corner of the mouth to prove her point.
Severus arched an eyebrow at her and thought about what she had said for a moment before seeming to decide what he wanted to say. "I may have been holding back some of my more vitriolic comments, but that is my prerogative Hermione. If it has managed to somehow escape your attention, despite my best efforts of late, let me clear this up for you: I care deeply for you. You have recently been through a great ordeal that will take you quite a while to fully recover from and in light of that I have decided to try my hardest to make things easier for you where I can. I cannot promise that I will forever hold back. It is not precisely easy, and you are certainly correct; I thoroughly enjoy doing my best to aggravate Minerva. I have been doing it for well over thirty years and I do not see any reason to stop that now. I simply thought to spare you what I could immediately following the burial. Surely that has earned me points in both yours and everyone else's favor; which incidentally has the added benefit of making this easier to have the support of those that are important to you when you need it most. And most importantly, I seem to be rewarded with the most delicious kisses from a gorgeous witch. Would you care to explain where being 'nice' as you put it is more trouble than it is worth?" he asked her smugly as he pulled her back down for another passionate kiss effectively cutting off any response from her.
Hermione lost herself to the sensations of Severus's mouth and hands. When Severus suddenly ended the kiss and gave her a genuine smile, Hermione thought her heart would burst with joy. "Thank you," she said simply as she worked to extricate herself from the tangle of sheets and legs on the floor. Once she was steadily on her feet she reached down to help Severus up.
Severus felt one of his knees crack and his back was tight and sore as Hermione helped him to his feet. "Witch, I am far too old to be snogging on the floor. Surely the next time you are in desperate need of my kisses you can ask and not attack me bodily and pin me to the floor." His smirk only grew when he saw the indignant pout on Hermione's face. He snorted at her apparent displeasure at being called desperate. "Now, I need a shower. Why don't you go put the coffee on and pump before the pressure builds too much and becomes unbearable? I will join you shortly. How do omelets sound to you?" he asked.
The sudden gurgling sound emanating from her stomach and the mention of food served to highlight just how hungry she really was, and she did need to express milk soon or she was certain her breast would burst. "Omelets sound heavenly actually. Thank you Severus. I'll go make your coffee. Shower, I will meet you downstairs." Hermione kissed him on the cheek as she moved to precede him out of the room and headed down the stairs to do as he had suggested.
Severus closed the door to the bathroom behind him as he entered and let out a long breath. He hung the plush towel he had procured from the linin closet over the hook on the door and turned to rest the back of his head against it. This witch was surely attempting to kill him by means of sexual frustration and simple consternation. She was a walking, talking contradiction. He had never in his life been accused of being 'too nice'. The thought was enough to wrench a laugh from him as he pondered his situation with Hermione.
Severus knew that he would need to work on the Obliviate for Hermione soon, for both of their sakes. He was not looking forward to what he would find in her mind though, and he knew that there was no way to accomplish the task without being inside of her mind as he did. He would have to see it all, every gut-wrenching, horrible thing that she had endured.
He had seen the desire in her eyes as they lay entangled on the floor, her full chest heaving above him. It was almost more than he could bear when her camisole slipped and showed the barest hint of the darkened flesh of her areola. It took all of his control not to lift his head and capture that sweet bud in his mouth and finally taste the milk he had been dreaming about since he first saw her expressing it. He highly doubted he had been breastfed, though if he had he certainly couldn't remember, and Hermione's swollen breasts leaking through to soak and darken the green of her top was all too enticing to bear for long. He wanted to taste her flesh so badly, to bury himself within her. Knowing that Hermione wanted him, that there was little more than her fears keeping that from becoming a reality, was encouragement enough to consider tackling the Obliviate sooner rather than later.
Severus pushed himself from his thoughts and away from the door and walked to the claw foot tub. He pushed the ivory curtains aside and turned on the water, setting it to a point where it was more than a little hot to the touch, but wouldn't scald his skin. He stepped back and stripped out of the night clothes he had been borrowing from Hermione's deceased father, who had luckily been a very tall and thin man. Severus stepped slowly into the steaming shower and quickly tensed as the hot jets of water pounded down on him. Soon his muscles began to relax as he stepped back far enough so that the water was coming down on top of his head, rivulets of water streaming down his temples and neck while the majority of the hot water soothed the sore muscles of his back.
Severus stood there for several moments, just letting the water run over his lean form, melting the stress and tension from his body. His skin was starting to take on a pink tinge as the heat permeated his body. Severus took a flannel and squeezed out some of Hermione's citrus wash into it and began to lather the soap onto his body. He had to admit that the citrus did wonders to refresh him early in the morning when he was still tired and groggy. As his hand dipped below his bellybutton with the warm soapy flannel he realized that there was still one part of his body that was decidedly awake this morning.
Severus' thoughts turned immediately back to Hermione and the cause of his still partially erect cock. His mind returned to her bedroom floor and their intertwined bodies, only in his imagination he could easily see what her tiny sleep clothes had shielded from his view. He envisioned her naked flesh, heated and sweat slicked as she pressed her body to his to steal a kiss. He would never have enough of her kisses. Severus subconsciously lathered his erection repeatedly as he let his thoughts wander. He thought, not for the first time, of kissing a path down her neck and collar bone. He licked his lips as he thought of darting his tongue out to taste a pebble of milk that had formed at the tip or her perfectly rounded breast. Severus wanted desperately to lave every inch of her sweet, creamy flesh. He wanted to lick and nibble at her sweat slicked skin, tasting every inch of her.
Without noticing he was doing it, Severus dropped the flannel and took himself in hand, pumping steadily as his fantasies raged. In all honesty it had become more and more a regular occurrence since the day Hermione's sweet supple lips had first pressed against his own and his tongue had tasted her bottom lip. He could now easily imagine soft breathy moans escaping her soft lips as one hand traveled down along her waist and hips to settle between her thighs, lightly caressing her mound and the soft curls that he found there, as his mouth continued to suck and nip at her breast, paying special attention to her tight little nipple. He could practically hear her sweet voice as she called out his name, lost in the heat of her ecstasy.
Severus pumped his fist faster and harder as he thought of her walls contracting around his fingers coating his hand with her juices. He pictured licking up milk that leaked from her breasts as her orgasm overtook her. He wanted to suck the sweet cream straight from the source as he finally pushed himself inside her slicked core, still pulsing with the aftershocks from his earlier ministrations.
Severus didn't even notice the moans escaping his throat as he thought of burying himself within Hermione, of taking a nipple gently between his teeth as he flicked his tongue over the hardened little nub. His hand pumped faster and faster as his moans increased, changing to her soft voice in his own head. He pounded into his fist wishing it was Hermione and tried to quiet the sound of her name on his lips as he came, his hot seed spilling onto his hand and stomach, while his brain supplied the image of their simultaneous orgasm as he spilled into her body.
Fantasy Hermione whispered in his ear as he was starting to relax, "I love you." He decided not to dwell on that particular part of the fantasy as he bent to pick up the discarded flannel and re-wash his heated flesh.
When Severus walked into the kitchen Hermione was seated at the table, the dual pump working to express what appeared to be far more milk than he had noticed her producing before. She was so intent on what she was doing and the book that was hovering in front of her that she didn't seem to notice him walk in until he was behind her rubbing her with a firm touch. He could feel her shoulders relax under her touch and leaned down to place a light kiss on her neck before moving to pour himself a cup of coffee.
"I see you are producing more milk," he commented as he pulled a cup down from the cupboard.
Hermione took her eyes from the text in front of her to look up at the man currently pouring himself a cup of coffee and her jaw nearly dropped at the sight that greeted her. Severus stood with his back to her in a pair of dark jeans he had likely borrowed from her father's closet that seemed to be cut with the express purpose of accentuating the luscious curve of his backside and a grey cotton vest that was fit tightly to his torso. The short sleeves showed off his perfectly toned arms and Hermione couldn't help but stare at the sight before her. His hair was pulled back with a simple black band and secured at the nape of his neck. He looked like a dark god gracing her kitchen. He was rarely dressed so casually and usually only when he was going to be sleeping. Most mornings when he came down he had been dressed in at least his long sleeved button down and his waistcoat. This sight was infinitely more appealing. When he turned around Hermione let her eyes rake over his body taking in the sight of his well-defined pectorals under his vest and the way his torso tapered to an elegant v and then her eyes slipped down further to the button of his borrowed jeans before Severus cleared his throat catching her attention.
Hermione looked up at him and blushed prettily having been caught ogling his body. "Sorry," she muttered. "Did you say something?"
Severus shook his head at her and laughed lightly. "Like the view, do you?" he asked her as he took his coffee and went to join her at the table. He didn't bother to wait for a response from Hermione. She was far too busy chewing on her lip and being embarrassed to really talk. "I was simply commenting on the fact that you seem to be producing a fair bit more milk this morning," he told her, with a curiously heated gleam in his eyes.
Hermione smiled widely at that. "Yes. My milk came in. Isn't it wonderful? It's just flowing like crazy now. I can't believe how much milk I am producing." Hermione was radiating excited energy as she told him about her milk. Before he knew it Severus was listening to a lecture on the difference between colostrum and actual milk, and the amounts of fluids she should be drinking to keep the production up to a level that would really make it worthwhile for her to continue banking her milk. She explained the various vitamins that she would need to start taking to make sure that the milk was full of the proper nutrients.
By the time Severus had finished his coffee and was getting up to prepare them breakfast Hermione was just finishing both her diatribe on milk production and the actual act itself. "I make several vitamin potions Hermione. It is after all part of running an apothecary. Or have you forgotten what it is I actually do for a living? Because I promise you I am quite proficient. I am certain I can tailor one to your needs if you would like," he offered her as he started to crack eggs into a bowl.
Hermione beamed at him, though he couldn't see her with his back to her. "That would be lovely Severus thank you. It says here that folic acid and fenugreek are really good to have, and of course calcium and…" Severus turned to face her and put a hand up to stop her before she listed a hundred different supplements.
"Hermione, why don't I take the book, or books, that you got your lists from and I can come up with something suitable? In the meantime, why don't you go take a shower and by the time you are back down here breakfast will be served alright?" he offered before turning back to his eggs.
Hermione decided to take his advice and took care to store her milk, clean the pump before kissing Severus on the cheek, and bouncing up the stairs to take a shower.
Before Hermione had even made it down the stairs the smells of breakfast wafted to her nose and her stomach growling again. "It smells delicious Severus," she told him as she sat down to the table while Severus placed a plate in front of her with what had to be the most scrumptious looking omelet she had ever seen and a generous helping of kippers. Already on the table was a carafe of pomegranate juice and two glasses. Severus grabbed his own plate and joined her at the table. "You are going to spoil me Severus. This looks fabulous. What is in this? It smells so good," she asked him as she poured herself a glass of the juice.
Severus sprinkled a generous dusting of pepper over his omelet as he answered her. "The omelets were made with fresh spinach, tomatoes, chanterelles, mozzarella, garlic, and herbs. Yours is sprinkled lightly with salt as I know is your preference. Do you like it?" he asked as she took a bite.
Hermione put her hand in front of her mouth as she finished chewing and swallowed her first bite. "Oh gods Severus, this is divine," she said as she quickly took another bite.
Severus found himself quite pleased by her reaction to her cooking. There were very few people Severus had ever cooked for, and Hermione's opinion was by far and above the most important to him.
The rest of breakfast passed all too quickly in Hermione's opinion. The two of them talked mostly about Severus' plans for his work day, his brewing schedule and the need to harvest some more ingredients that evening. Severus promised her that he would take off a little early for lunch and meet her at the house with takeout enough for four people. Hermione didn't miss the way he grumbled about the addition of George and Kingsley to their typical Wednesday lunch date, but she chose not to dwell on it.
After Severus had left for work Hermione sat swinging in the back yard thinking over the changes in her life that seemed to all happen overnight. She had gone from a wife, well she had thought she was a wife anyhow, who had been miserable in her domesticity, to the girlfriend, lover, partner… well something, she just wasn't sure what the appropriate label was. She had gladly walked hand in hand with Severus through the yard to the apperation point by the tree and kissed him goodbye, telling him she would see him for lunch, and to have a good day and not to scare too many customers away. When he had left she had sat on the swing, that before returning to the house with Severus this past week, she hadn't actually sat on since she was a child; perhaps the summer after her second year at Hogwarts. Despite everything that had happened, and everything she knew she needed to work through, Hermione found that she was hopeful and happy for the first time in years.
Deciding to take advantage of her good mood Hermione set to working in the garden the muggle way. Pulling weeds and pruning the hedges took up most of her morning but by the time there was a knock on her front door signaling George and Kingsley's arrival for lunch the garden was much closer to its former glory and she was quite pleased with herself. The roses were looking healthy and promising with several buds visible once she had pruned them and cut back the overgrowth. The lawn was lush and green and freshly mowed and all around she could see where various bulbs were starting to sprout. As she walked into the house she felt very satisfied with the work she had done. Though she realized that that she had lost all track of time and was now in desperate need of a shower and had company at the door.
Oh well, I am certain they can amuse themselves for ten minutes. She thought as she walked through the house towards the front door.
A/N: Well I certainly hope you liked this chapter. It was so much fun to write. I suppose if you didn't you can review and tell me why! Things are moving along nicely now for the time being and the next chapter is lunch with George and Kings! Thanks as always for reading.
I haven't said so in a while, so if there is anything you think you want to see more of, or that you think this story is lacking, or even if you just have a random suggestion, feel free to let me know. I am always open to thoughts and ideas from new sources.
Thanks again!
*lily*