A/N: You guys are all pretty agreed that Severus and Hermione need to have a talk about the "celebration" and I promise its coming. Actually if this chapter comes out the way I want it, it should be now. But personally, I believe more strongly they should discuss their own intimate encounters, which is also coming up. This is definitely one of the longer chapters so far. Anyway, I hope you guys enjoy and keep reviewing. I love to read reviews.

Chapter 33

Hermione sat once again in the library, today working on an essay for her muggles studies class. It was already October and she was finally past the morning sickness and about two months ahead on her homework. Given that she was due in late March or early April, it should have been adequate, according to about all of her professors, but she was determined to be able to mentally prepare herself for a battle and being a mother and anything else that might have arise throughout the year.

Things with her and Severus had been getting better. They were almost in that safe place where they had been before the wedding. He had even more or less approved of S.P.E.W. and accepted the she cared deeply for that cause. And she had to admit, he was very good to her. He made sure she ate, given how often she tended to forget when she was studying, and he was kind enough to give her space. He had indulged her when she asked him to quiz her on subjects, and helped her brew some of the potions that she could that were apart of this year's curriculum, and over all they were at peace. But she knew there was a block preventing them from having the type of relationship she would prefer to raise her child in. She might not ever love him, but they could be great friends.

As for progress made with her friends, they had managed to find and retrieve one horcrux although they made no progress in destroying it. When Hermione had heard the news about the ministry being infiltrated and how Harry had repeated, "I must not tell lies" to that ridiculous woman, she could help but laugh. Especially when Severus had come back looking quite drained from hearing Voldemort start yelling about how they let Potter slip through their finger tips.

Then the library door slammed opened, followed by a bellowing voice, "HAVE YOU ANY IDEA WHAT TIME IT IS?"

Hermione turned to see an incredibly furious Severus standing there, his chest heaving and his eyes glaring.

"Severus I-"

"IT IS TWO HOURS PAST DINNER TIME. TWO HOURS AND YOU WERE NO WHERE TO BE SEEN!"

"Severus, you know I'm almost always here. Everyone does."

If looks could kill, she was certain she would be dead. He grabbed her wrists and dragged her along behind him.

"Severus, calm down."

"YOU THINK I DIDN'T ALREADY LOOK THERE FOR YOU? I HAD AND YOU WEREN'T THERE! THE CARROWS WEREN'T AT DINNER EITHER!"

Hermione was trying to break free of his grip, but he was holding tight and so she tried to reason with him, fighting back tears from pain and fear, "They're almost never at meals."

"THEY KNOW WHERE TO FIND YOU! THEY COULD HAVE HURT YOU!"

By this time they had made it past the gargoyle to their quarters and Hermione had had enough, "SEVERUS TOBIAS SNAPE!"

He stopped and looked at her, shocked to be scolded with his full name.

"Severus, let go of my wrist, you're hurting me."

He did as he was told and looked appalled when he saw the red hand print.

"I'm sorry; I was just so furious and terrified. Why is it you weren't there when I first looked?"

"Well, as I have no idea when you came in and looked, I cannot say for certain. But given that there is this little thing growing inside me, pressing on my bladder, there's a good chance I was in the loo."

"Why didn't you come to dinner? You have been on time every day since day one."

"I lost track of time and I forgotten to set a reminder for myself. I am sorry to have worried you, Severus. Now that everything is cleared up, may I please go back a gather up my work?"

Severus took a few breaths to calm down before speaking again, "You will do no such thing. You need to eat."

"I can't very well leave my work sprawled across the library table. I was in the middle of an assignment."

"And it will stay that way. Dobby, Winky, please come here."

With a pop, the ridiculously dressed house-elf appeared along side his much shyer companion, "Master Snape, Mistress Hermione."

Hermione held back the urge to once again ask that he only call her Hermione, but now was not the appropriate time.

"Dobby, I need you to please go to the library and gather Hermione's school work. Winky, would you please bring dinner for the two of us, we'll be in our sitting room."

"Yes, sir," the elves replied in unison before popping out of the office.

"Severus-"

"No, we can talk when we are sitting comfortably in our sitting room."

Hermione sighed and resigned to following him.

They had a small table that they occasionally worked together at, and he pulled out her chair.

"Thank you," Hermione said, because she had been raised to use her manners, "And thank you for being so polite to Dobby and Winky."

"It was nothing."

They sat for a moment in an awkward silence before both Winky and Dobby popped back with the things that had been requested of them. Hermione thanked the elves sincerely and they disappeared again, leaving Hermione and Severus alone.

"Hermione, I need to know, did I frighten you just now?"

Hermione had to stop herself from scoffing. What a question to ask. Of course he had frightened her, and hurt her. And she had promised to tell him how she felt, "Yes, Severus, you frightened me."

He looked down to his plate with guilt, he hadn't eaten at dinner, as he had spent half of it worried about her and the other half searching for her. "I am sorry, Hermione, I was simply worried about you and the baby."

She felt herself blush.

"Have I ever made you feel that way in our marriage before?"

She thought. Throughout her years, she had never been scared of him, not in the way most students were. When he slapped her, she was more in shock than actually frightened. On their wedding night, she was angry, nervous, and incredibly embarrassed. The night that led to her current condition, had simply happened.

"Yes."

It was true. Watching him with that woman, the one she now assumed was a prostitute, had terrified her. The way he had half ripped half vanished what little clothing she wore away, leaving a few scratches on her skin, and the way he pinned her against the couch, arms above her head with one hand and the other choking her, that had truly scared her. It made him scared of her. And she wondered if that thought would have come to her when she had tried and failed to sleep with him the night of the musical. That certainly would put a damper on the mood.

"Hermione, you promised me we'd have open communication."

"It was before that was really agreed upon," Hermione said, looking at her food, a plate of spaghetti and a salad with light dressing. She wasn't sure she was ready to confront that yet, but his silence told her that she was going to have to say, "Watching you-the way you-"

Hermione couldn't quite get the words out and so she just stopped talking and took a bite of the food in front of her, still not looking up from her food. In fact, she kept her head down until she realized that Severus had gotten up from his seat, walked over, and taken her hand in his. She looked up and saw a look in his eyes that she could only describe as sorrow.

"Hermione, please, you can tell me."

"Watching you with-with that woman, the way you were."

"Hermione, I did not intend to scare you. I promise."

"No, but He did. He meant for me to become terrified of you. He wanted me to know the power He holds to make you do that to anyone he wants, including me. He wanted to make a statement by forcing me to watch when Narcissa, Belltrix, nor any of the other wives had to."

"Hermione, I would never do that to you. I thought I had made that pretty clear, I have no intention of harming you."

"But you're his."

Severus sighed heavily, he knew that Potter had a large influence on her feelings towards him, but without Potter here, she was more willing to see past the bad, but him being fundamentally bad was still there.

"Hermione, come with me."

Hermione listened, putting down her fork and allowing him to gently lead her back to the headmaster's office, without ever really looking back up.

"Dumbledore."

The portrait of Dumbledore seemed to liven up at the site of his replacement and one of his favorite students, "Severus, my dear boy, what can I do for you?"

"I think it's time Hermione learns the truth, and I think you are best to tell her."

"Of course my dear boy."

Severus led Hermione to his chair, and turned it to face the old man's portrait. And then he left her alone with the portrait.

"Hermione."

"Headmaster."

"My dear girl, throughout your years here, have I steered you wrong once?"

Hermione shook her head, wondering what truth she was about to be told.

"Do you remember that prophecy from your fifth year?" Hermione nodded. "Severus had been there, listening when that happened. He is the one that put things into motion. He knew of only one wizard being born as the 7th month ended, but there was one more. However, Severus thought only of Lily and her unborn child. So he went to his master, telling him of the prophecy and begging him to not hurt Lily."

Hermione felt a pang of hurt, for both herself and Severus. He was still in love with someone he could never have, and part of her wished that maybe someday she could find someone to care for her and his child the way he cared for Lily.

"But it didn't look like that would happen, and so he came to me, begging me to protect Lily, and eventually her family. He agreed to become our spy. It was with his help that we were able to protect and warn the Potters when we did. It still failed, but Harry survived. When Harry came to Hogwarts, and Tom began to show himself again, Severus once again started helping us."

He was countering a jinx first year, Hermione thought to herself, something that she was sure Harry knew, but had never shared.

"When Tom finally came back, Severus began his spy work once more. He leaked that information because I had told him to."

"But he killed you."

"Also because I told him to. Hermione, have you ever heard of the Deathly hallows?"

Hermione shook her head, but was most certainly intrigued. She had gotten a book from him in his will, but she was certain that it was left under the presumption that it might be helpful as they hunted for horcruxes, so she had put it in the bag for Luna and the boys to examine.

"Well, it is a long tale, and I'm sure the library has a copy, since it seems you don't have the copy I left you. But they are very real. There's the Elder wand, the Resurrection Stone, and the Invisibility cloak. It is said that the wizard who possesses all three will be able to cheat death. In my lifetime, I have been in possession of all three but never at the same time. The one I always had was the Elder wand. Tom wanted it for the power it possessed. Severus and I knew it was only a matter of time before he tried to get it. And then Draco was ordered to kill me."

Harry wasn't just being paranoid.

"I worked it out with Severus. He would kill me, meaning that I wouldn't be truly defeated, and therefore the Elder Wand's last true master. I was already dying. I had found a horcrux, which happened to be the stone of resurrection, and it was cursed. Severus managed to severely slow it down, but I was going to die anyway. So we planned it. You see, Severus may not have always been on our side, but for as long as he has been he's done exactly as I told him. Not always without question, but without fail."

Hermione sat in shock. Never mind the bit about the hallows, but Severus had been really protecting Harry the whole time. He didn't hate Harry; he was hurt because Harry was Lily's son. She suddenly had a lot to think about how different everything she thought had happened really was.

After a couple moments she stood up, thanking the portrait for his time, before heading back to her dinner with Severus. However when she got there, he and his food were gone and a warming charm had been cast on hers. She assumed he had finished eating and went to bed, so she sat down, realizing just how hungry she actually was, and ate. She ate slowly though, lost in her thoughts about the information she had learned. Severus really had been a good guy the whole time.

She emptied her plates and they disappeared with a pop and she got up from the table. She entered their bedroom quietly, only to see Severus out cold, snoring softly with his brow furrowed. She changed into some of her pajamas and walked over to him, pulling the blanket over him, and kissed his forehead softly before crawling into her side of their bed and going to sleep herself.