Chapter 44: Hostpitality and Focus
{A/N: Here's Another update...Late Post}
My Thanks To All My Readers and Reviewers...Enjoy-S.S.
The Sitting Room, Northside Cottage, Greenvile, England, Muggle World...
Hermione Granger-Snape's soft delicate touch had been quite welcome as she stroked her ailing husband's cheek. Snape met her gaze, seemingly grateful to her for putting up with him. He had known all too well how much his past actions had hurt her, and he had also known all too well that she was willing to go toe to toe with him if it meant their collective happiness when it all came down to it. In her mind, they had each done their fair share of suffering with and without each other, there had been no use in enduring it apart. Snape had not expected his past within the confines of the muggle world to come back to haunt him, in the form of his long forgotten mates. The last he saw of them he had erased his existance from their memories in a bid to keep them safe from the dark lord and any other of his followers. He had negected in his youth to erase his idenity in terms of how they formerly addressed him however, and it had been the reason for the regonition now. Hermione had been puzzled as to why he had never mentioned his life in the muggle world before hand but chalked it up to him either having pressing matters due to the war and that he had no real reason to bring it up as he'd been attempting to conseal quite a bit about himself from bloodthirsty purebloods just looking for sentimental targests for their amusement.
"Severus." said Hermione softly as she guaged whither or not her husband had processed his feelings before hand.
"I'm alright." he said in reply before planting a kiss on her belly and getting to his feet.
He'd been determined not to allow his past to cloud the importantance of his future.
Hermione looked him over once more, she knew that he had been struggling and that it wouldn't be too far off the mark to assume that he'd wanted a drink, but he remained focused on their life together and the inevitable arrival of their second child.
"I'm alright." repeated Snape once more before taking the expecting witch by the hand and kissing it.
Content at least for the moment, Hermione allowed him to lead her back toward the kitchen and their rather shaken guests. It had been quite interesting to find out that Severus Snape had been not only friends with muggles during his youth but they had been something like family when their own lives had lacked the support and familiar connection they each craved. It was a pity he had to turn his back on them given the hardships they all seemed to face in his absence.
"So...about this little group of yours." said Hermione effectively changing the subject.
Snape smirked wondering when her curiousity would return to that particular line of question.
"They were...more like family." he admitted. "More so than...those of wizarding blood."
Hermione understood as they reentered the kitchen.
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The Kitchen, The Sitting Room, Northside Cottage, Greenvile, England, Muggle World...
Hermione and Snape sat back down at the table serving more tea and drinking a cup of their own as Claudia smiled at them. She'd been having something of a terrible night to say the least. Royce seemed to have been quite terrfied at the onset of the storm but did his best to be brave for the sake of his mother. Snape noted the boy's trembling and offered him another cup of tea, which unbeknownst to them contained a much needed calming draught.
"If you don't mind my asking..." Trendy began. "How did you to meet, much less agree to get married?"
Snape smirked as Hermione seemed caught off guard by the question.
"Well...he was sort of my teacher when we met." she replied looking into the bottom of her tea cup.
Claudia looked over at Snape and smirked.
"Once a bad boy always a bad boy, eh Sinister?" she asked with an arched brow.
"It wasn't like that..." said Snape immediately turning red at her implication. "Certian arrangments were made...and that's hardly the point...it was more her idea than anything."
Claudia turned her attention back to Hermione.
"And here I had you pegged as the good girl." she said with admiration in her tone. "One can't blame you for going after what you wanted...reminds me of myself once upon a time."
It was Snape's turn to be amused.
"Good girl?" he asked looking back n forth between the women. "Hardly, her first year at the school she set my winter cloak on fire."
"Well, you were being a right git, what did you expect?" replied Hermione in her own defense.
"Now that I can believe." replied Claudia greatly amused.
Snape rolled his eyes at the implication that his wife's youthful assault was justified.
"Spoiled brat." he muttered.
Hermione seemed to delight in his annoyance.
"And here I thought I was always an insufferable know it all." she countered.
"Always." replied Snape before finishing off his tea and making his way toward the nearby window.
"He's sulking." said Claudia with a grin.
"I don't sulk, I get even...remember that Mrs. Snape." he said in reply before turning back to the window.
The women had a good laugh at his expense and Royce turned his attention to the window as well.
He had not had much to say about anything given the what he had just been through. He wondered how his mother had the strength to jest at a time like this.
"You look exhausted." said Claudia noting her son's appearance.
"I'm fine Mum." said Royce in a quiet tone.
Hermione felt a good deal of pity for the poor lad. He'd been near around her age and saw mostly horrors in terms of how relationships went.
"There's a spare bedroom, if you aren't feeling up to traveling." she offered.
Snape said nothing as the offer was extended to them, wondering just what his old friend would say.
"While I am grateful for your assistance..." began Claudia.
"You're staying." said Snape without looking in their direction.
Claudia sighed.
"Alright if it means that much to you." she said. "We'll turn in for the night and make our way back once the weather permits."
Snape stepped away from the window and over toward Hermione whom seemed pleased with this turn of events. She couldn't bare the thought of them being out there in the crosshairs of that drunken brute and dealing with the storm at the same time.
"We'd be honored to have you." she said.
She got to her feet, giving her husband a grateful glance and proceeded to lead both Royce, whom had still been silent and Claudia toward the spare bedroom.
Finding himself alone once more with his thoughts, Severus Snape reflected on the encounters he had with his former mates while growing up in Cokeworth. His life in the wizarding world had been filled with a good deal of misery, but he had some good times with the muggles he had left behind. It was a treat to see Marshal and Claudia again despite the strange circumstances.