Lucius went to rejoin his wife and son in Minerva's office and that left Severus alone in his rooms. He wasn't sure how to best approach Hermione about the tremors in his hands.

I don't want to worry her. I don't want to be worried.

He touched his wand to his sling and it disappeared, along with his coat. The white dress shirt was loose fitting on his skin. He rolled his shoulders and found that his shoulder hurt significantly less. It's been a month since the injury. It should be improving significantly over the next couple of weeks. Progress.

He focused hard and lifted his arm laterally. He was able to get his arm halfway from his hip. Severus dropped his hand and then lifted his hand straight out in front of him. This hurt significantly more, and he dropped his hand because of the pain. He stretched his neck in all directions as far as he could. It was a relief that he had more mobility in his neck and head. Progress.

Hermione walked through the door calling out, "Severus?"

He turned to look at her. Her eyes went up and down the length of his body, and he felt self conscious, though she had seen him dressed down far more, and naked many times. She always makes me flush.

"Are you okay?" She asked concerned, "You didn't come back for dinner. I saw Lucius leave with Narcissa and Draco."

Tell her. Tell her. Tell her. "I am okay, Hermione," He said, "Just a long day."

"That's for certain," She sighed and walked up to him. Her arounds were around him in an instant and he breathed in the scent of her.

She pulled away all too soo and he watched as her clothes transfigured into flannel pajama pants, wool socks, and sweatshirt.

He smiled at her, "Beautiful."

"Rubbish, Severus," She rolled her eyes.

She pointed her wand at him to transfigure his clothing and he raised his hands in the air, showing off his mobility. Her mouth dropped open.

"Severus!"

He spoke, "It isn't much, but it's something."

"That's a lot compared to sitting limp in a sling!" She grinned. She flicked her wrist and his day clothes were gone. He stood before her in dark gray nearly black pajama pants and a black T-shirt.

She smiled at him coyly and then moved to the kitchen. She touched her wand to the tea kettle and got out two cups. Unlike he had earlier, she did not shatter one. I am broken.

"You know..." She said thoughtfully as she handed him a cup of tea as they sat down on the couch. The warm tea slid down his throat as she continued her thought, "I'd quite like to have a baby."

He coughed hard and some of the tea came flying out of his mouth quite unceremoniously. What the bloody hell is with everyone and this obsession with children?!

He spoke, "Hermione..." he adjusted himself to face her completely and he studied her face for a moment and then sighed, "Wouldn't you like to, perhaps, finish school first? Get married?"

She narrowed her eyes, "Yes, of course."

"What are you..." His mouth dropped open a bit, "You're not..." Mercy.

"No, I'm not pregnant!" She said, and when he sighed a huge sigh of relief she scowled, "Is it that relieving?" Oh, my...

"No, woman, calm down," He said, "I just... I don't understand where this is coming from."

"Harry's going to propose to Ginny soon," Hermione said.

"Ginerva is pregnant?"

"No!" She said in exasperation.

"Then..."

"Ron won't be far behind. Hell, I'm sure Draco will marry Astoria soon enough."

"Draco is dating Astoria Greengrass?" He raised his eyebrow.

"Yes. He has been for awhile. Don't you pay attention to any of your students?"

"Considering most of their 'relationships' last, on average, three days, no. I don't," He drawled.

"Well, I just thought it might be nice to talk about what we want to do."

"We?" He asked.

"Yes, we, you insufferable man," She said, "You've already said you wanted to marry me."

"Yes," He said, "So you decided to approach this conversation with an 'impregnate me' approach, rather than 'After we marry...'"

"I was merely modeling my approach after your proposal."

"I did not propose!" He rolled his eyes. Bloody hell. I did, didn't I?

"You very well did. You said 'Marry me!'"

"Yes, well, you know very well that's not what I was intending to say."

"Well, you still said it."

His eyes glittered, "And, if I recall, your answer was 'what the bloody hell are you playing at?'"

She smirked, "Yes, well, you weren't proposing were you?" She huffed, "So you do want to marry me?"

"Yes," He said seriously, "But what does this have to do with Potter, or Weasley, or Malfoy?"

"I'd like to marry you, too." There was something the way that she said it that caught him off guard.

"You..." He stumbled for words. Hermione.

"When would you like to marry?"

He was completely dumbfounded, "Hermione... Can we please slow down? I'm... confused."

"Yes, yes. Sorry. I was overly excited to have this conversation with you. It's a pretty normal conversation to have and I..." She blushed, "Harry was talking about it. About proposing. Having children. He asked about what our thoughts were as we looked to the future, so I was... Just thinking. I'd never considered having a baby in any real capacity before, and we'd already talked about how we would like to marry."

"I understand," He said as he looked at her.

"I was... just wondering what you thought of the timeframes for things."

"Hermione," He said softly as he tried to calm his racing heart, "I have... I have done the things that I would have wanted to do before... settling down. I want... I want very much for you to do the things you wish to do before all of that as well."

She looked at him and pondered his statement, "I do want to finish school. That wasn't meant to sound like it was something I'd compromise. I'd quite like to get married when I finish school. I want to get a teaching position here."

"I do not want you to rush. I would marry you this very second, but I also would wait 100 years."

"I don't think we'd be rushing. I want to get married with my friends, have kids with my friends. I've always wanted that... You... want children?" She asked tentatively.

"To be honest, I have not considered it much other than theoretically, but I can think of no greater honor than sharing a child with you," He looked deeply into her eyes and she smiled from ear to ear.

"I want our children to grow up with my friends' children."

Severus rolled his eyes, "You want to put our child among Weasley and Potter halfbreeds?"

She slapped his leg playfully, "Oh, stop."

"You're very young, Hermione," A tone of doubt crept into his voice.

"Stop," She frowned, "Don't do that. Don't try to talk me out of my choice in you. I want you. I want to marry you. You were at my side throughout a bloody war, Severus. The things I see in you... the things I've seen in you... There is no one else for me to spend my life with."

He swallowed the knot of emotion in his throat, "People are after me, after you. It won't ever stop, Hermione... The idea that someone could take you from me, that someone could try... Hermione," He said through gritted teeth, "I should not be what you want."

"What I want is what I've said - finish school, teach, have you as my husband and the father of my children," She smiled a bit smugly, "My desires aren't in question here."

He looked confused and a little offended and she said, "You've spent your whole life doing what someone else tells you to do... Not necessarily what you want to do."

He flinched at the harsh reality of the words and looked away.

"What do you want, Severus?"

"I want you," He said quickly, "I want to make you happy. I'd do anything to make you happy. I..." He hesitated for a moment and then he looked at her with an intense confidence she had not seen in him before, "I want you as my wife and partner all the days of my life. I want to have children with you," A dangerous glitter appeared in his eyes, "I even want to raise them as wolves amongst the ginger-haired heathen sheep children," He said and smirked.

"You're an arse," She snorted a laugh at him.

He reached out to touch her face and she noticed, and he noticed, that his hand was shaking quite terribly.

"Severus?" She asked. Her honey eyes fill with concern.

The worry in her voice undid him and the tears raced to his eyes. The reality that he would never be a husband who was whole, that he would always have some sort of limitation, and the knowledge that she deserved better hit him like a train running at full speed. He couldn't be trusted to hold a teacup, let alone a child.

"I'm so sorry," He sobbed as she held his hand in hers.

I am so, so sorry.