Disclaimer: The characters here and the world they inhabit are the creation and property of JK Rowling and her assigns.

Somehow it was all better. Nothing was substantially different. Erwin still existed, Septima was still banished, and most likely Severus was still hopeless about the other witch. Yet today existed. All those things might be true, yet it was likewise true that he had come to rescue her from something she couldn't face. He was still here. She would make the most of it

Septima went to her closet and pulled out a couple of robes. Severus looked at her when he realized one of them was his and that she'd kept it all this time. They pulled them on and moved toward the kitchen. As they cooked a small fry-up, Septima closed her eyes. The numbers were dancing, and she would be weeks catching up with them in her notebook.

They ate and discussed the various projects they were each working on. They had always been able to talk about their work in the past and it was easy again, now. It was exciting and fresh, and yet it was comfortable, too. They kept talking as they cleaned up. Septima smiled as she gave her opinion on a tricky potion. "But you don't want it to go all the way, do you? Don't you want to be somewhere in the middle? It sounds as though you want a buffering agent before the brew reacts completely..."

She was unprepared for the feel of the table under her back. She looked into his face and saw the expression of triumph she always had seen before while in this position. "Simple table salt," he said. He silenced her with his kisses as he climbed onto the table with her. One long, heady moment later she found she had to stay lying down. His passion at having a breakthrough always left her dizzy.

"Was it that important?" she finally gasped out.

"It's escaped my grasp for over a year." He slid off the table and reached a hand over to steady her. They moved back toward the lounge and sat on the couch, cuddling and talking some more. "I don't work on research the way I used to. I haven't had anything like that in a long time, Septima. I've missed it."

After a while they stood and went to her room, where they stared at the bed. Severus leaned down and started gathering his clothing. "I should prepare to leave," he said ruefully.

"Then you'll be wanting a shower," she said, tugging him toward the bathroom.

They fought each other for the soap as they lathered each other's skin. Septima found that she needed to remember how his chest tasted when it was wet and soon found herself holding on for dear life as she was pressed up against the tiles.

They toweled off and lay on the bed quietly for a while. She looked at him. "This has been a lovely day. I'd be lying if I said that I don't wish..." She shrugged and stopped talking. She had wanted too much before and ended up with nothing. At least she would have this one beautiful day to draw from. It wouldn't be full of taint like the night he had come to her in grief.

"My life is not my own."

"I thought it would be different now, with You-know-who gone."

"I've made a habit of going from one demanding master to the next."

"Oh."

"If I had been more open with you before, perhaps it would be different."

"How so?"

"You would have discouraged me from certain activities, I think."

"I would have discouraged you from anything that kept you from being with me, if I had the chance."

He kissed her nose. "Your motives have always been transparent."

She looked at him and pulled closer. "They still are."

He shook his head in disbelief. "How can you still want me, after everything?"

"I don't know, but I do."

They lay quietly, dozing off for a while. Suddenly, Severus sat up and pulled her close, his hand over her abdomen. "You'll tell me if you become pregnant, won't you?"

"It's not likely. I've been taking the potion."

"Actually, the potion isn't foolproof."

She sat up at that. "Are you saying that Erwin would have gotten me pr—"

"No," he responded, "it's a side of the potion that I didn't understand, before. I did a lot of research right while the professors were reading my dissertation. I discovered that a single hair of one man added while simmering will prevent your pregnancy with any man except him. I suspect that's how we conceived Heh—Renée."

"So you think you might have accidentally dropped a hair in a batch of the original potion, but this time you did it on purpose?"

"I wanted to protect you as much as possible."

"It's still not likely."

"No, it's not, but you will tell me if it happens, won't you?"

"Yes, I'll tell you if I have the slightest suspicion."

He kissed her neck. "When do you come back to Hogwarts?"

She put her arms around his neck. "A couple of months. Do you have to leave quite yet?"

He looked toward the clock as their lips met. "I can skip lunch," he said as she felt his arms wrap around her one more time.

A/N: Thank you, again, for your kind attention! Thanks, Mark Darcy, for beta reading!

Just a note, I've been a bit haphazard in responding to reviews. The new process has its compensations, but so far I've had difficulty remembering to go to it and now it's harder to keep track of whether I've already respnded or not. I appologize; it's very important to me to respond to every review, and I'm sure I'll get better at this as I get the hang of the new system.