A/N: All my love to Amortentia in my Veins for the lovely beta help. We find out what Tobias' fate is in this one.

Chapter 31

Severus and Hermione met Eileen at the hospital the next morning. The Healer cleared her to be released, so Severus Side-along Apparated with her to the manor. Hermione followed after.

"Eileen," she said when she had appeared in the sitting room. "The upstairs West wing is yours to do as you like. The House-Elves can arrange the rooms however works for you."

"But…"

Hermione put up her finger. "No buts! We want you to be comfortable here. The West Wing is sitting empty right now. It's the perfect place to set up a home, and when the baby comes, his grandmother will be right in the other part of the house."

Eileen's eyes shifted back and forth. "If you're okay with that," she said crisply.

"Mum, you have always been welcome. We've said that from the start. By rights, this is your house anyway."

"It was willed to you, son, not me."

"I know, but you know what I mean. We want you here… with us."

Eileen was quiet for a minute as her gaze moved to the floor. Finally, she looked up, her eyes misty.

"Thank you, Son. Thank you, Maia. I do appreciate this."

Hermione embraced Eileen. Eileen stiffened before putting her arms around her daughter-in-law. She pulled away and gave Hermione a small smile.

"Let's go up and get you settled," Hermione offered.

Eileen nodded, and the three of them were off. As they were redoing the rooms with Miffy's help, another elf appeared. With a low bow, she advised that there was an Auror in the entry, awaiting a statement from Eileen. Severus looked at his mum. She nodded slightly.

"Show the Auror up here, Pippy," Severus advised.

A few minutes later, Alastor Moody walked in. He extended his hand to Eileen.

"Mrs. Snape, a pleasure to finally meet you."

Eileen arched an eyebrow at him and nodded. She extended her hand to him. He took it and bowed low in respect for the woman before him. She motioned for him to seat himself as she sat on the edge of the bed.

"I'm sorry about the nastiness with your husband," Alastor said. "I hate to disturb your recovery, but I need to take a statement and ask you if you want to press charges."

Eileen frowned. "What will happen if I do?"

Moody glanced down at the floor as he sighed before looking back up at her.

"If you do press charges, we can charge him for attacking a witch. If he's found guilty, he'll be incarcerated in Azkaban. As he cannot see the Dementors, he won't know why it's such a repressive environment, but he will feel the effects of it."

Eileen nodded. "How long will he be there?"

"Up to twenty years," Moody told her.

Eileen put her hand on her chest. "That's such a long time! He's not young anymore. He could die in there."

"Mrs. Snape, he tried to kill you. Does it matter if he spends the rest of his life in prison?"

Hermione and Severus looked on as his mother mulled over what she should do. Hermione hoped she would decide to press charges. His actions deserved to be punished.

Eileen straightened at that moment. "I've been a pushover long enough. Auror Moody, I will press charges. He needs to pay for all the years he abused me… for all the years he abused us." Her eyes drew to Severus's. "I'm sorry, son. I should have done something years ago. Forgive me."

Severus moved to his mother and grasped her hand. "Let's not dwell on that now, Mum. You did what you thought was right to preserve your family. You had hope for the future. Unfortunately, it was wasted on him." Severus sneered at his last comment.

Eileen looked back at Moody. "What do you need to know?" she asked him.

They spent a little while talking about the attack as well as previous attacks. Moody gathered everything he needed and was soon taking Eileen's hand and shaking it vigorously. He turned to go, escorted by the elf. Eileen breathed a sigh when he'd disappeared. Severus looked at her.

"You've done the right thing, Mum."

She shrugged.

"Do you need anything?" he asked.

"I'm fine."

"We'll leave you and Miffy to it, then."

Eileen's eyes met his. "Severus…"

"Yes, Mum?"

She patted the bed next to her. "Come sit with me for a minute."

Severus moved to the bed and took his place next to her. He looked at her curiously.

"I want to apologize again, Severus. I know you said not to worry about it, but it's not something I can let go without an explanation."

Eileen sat silently on the bed for a while before looking at Hermione. "You should make yourself comfortable too, I don't want to repeat this."

Hermione hurried to the chair Moody had been sitting in and sat down. She tried to make herself as small as possible, thankful that Eileen was including her in this conversation but understanding it was really between mother and son.

"When your father and I got together, we loved each other very much. For as long as I can remember, I've wanted him to return to the man he'd been so long ago."

Severus took her hand. "Mum, if this is too much…"

Eileen held her hand up to stop him from saying any more. "It needs to be said." Her lips formed a thin line as she gathered her thoughts again.

"I should have left him long ago. I should have protected you. I shouldn't have let him speak to you as he did, and I definitely shouldn't have stuck around and watched him beat you." A single tear fell down her cheek. "I just couldn't…"

"Mum…"

She sniffed. "I was weak, Severus. He frightened me, and like I said, I just hoped he'd go back to the man I fell in love with, but he never did. I'm sorry for not getting out sooner. You must think I care nothing about you."

Severus sat silently beside her.

"I know it's hard to believe, but I've always cared about you. I was so engrossed in my own pain and trying to survive that I hardly showed you the affection you deserved." She turned and looked Severus in the eye. "Please forgive me, son. I never meant to hurt you the way I did."

Severus looked away. "Until recently, I didn't think you cared for me one whit."

Eileen looked down. "I know that's how it seemed. I was too caught up in my own problems to care for you as I should have. I wish I could go back and do it all over again."

"You can't, Mum; we can only move forward."

She looked back up at him and squeezed his hand. "Do you think we can?" she asked him.

"We already have. Since Maia and I married, we've been closer. I want that to continue."

"You don't hate me, Severus?"

He studied her. "I was angry and disappointed with you for a long time, but no, I never hated you. I just…" He swallowed hard. "I just wanted you to pay attention to me."

Eileen reached up to him and grasped his neck, pulling him toward her. "I should have, son. I love you and should have made sure you always knew that."

Severus grasped her and pulled her to him. He buried his face in her neck as he hugged her tightly. Hermione looked on as he held his mother. They sat there for a while healing the gap that had grown over the years.

After a while, Severus and Hermione left Eileen to complete setting up her room. Hermione took Severus' hand as they moved down the hallway.

"Are you all right?" she asked him.

He nodded. "We needed to have that conversation." He stopped and took Hermione in his arms. "For the first time in a long time, I feel like my mum truly cares for me."

Hermione kissed him on the cheek. "I'm glad she finally talked to you about this, Severus."

"So am I." He placed his hand on Hermione's expanding stomach. "Our child will always know his mum loves him."

"And his dad."

"Mmmhmm."

oooOOOooo

The owl tapped at the dining room window. Severus rose to intercept it.

"No peace, even on a Saturday," he muttered. "Do we have any owl treats?" he asked as he opened the window.

Hermione rose and went to their buffet and opened a drawer. She extracted several treats and laid them at the end of the table as the owl swooped in and extended its leg. Severus removed the missive, and the owl pecked at the treats before winging back to the window and out into the night.

Severus looked at the note.

"It's for both Mum and me."

"Do you think it's the verdict?" Hermione asked.

He nodded as he opened the letter. His eyes scanned it as Eileen entered the room and sat at the table. Severus handed the missive to her, and she read it over. Placing it on the table, she picked up her fork and began to eat her meal silently. Severus took his place next to Hermione and did the same.

"Well, don't just sit there eating! What happened?"

"Fifteen years," Eileen said crisply.

"He should have gotten twenty," Severus grumbled.

"It's a fair sentence," Eileen said before taking a bite of her eggs.

Severus said nothing more, and breakfast was a quiet affair. Eileen finished and nodded at the two of them before retiring to her room. They'd shared meals together since she'd moved in, but aside from that Eileen kept to herself. Once Eileen had left, Hermione looked at Severus.

"You're upset," she said.

"I'm fine."

Hermione opened her mouth to say something, but closed it and continued eating, waiting for Severus to speak. He didn't say anything more. They continued eating in silence and were soon done. Hermione rose and extended her hand out to Severus. He looked at it and placed his hand in hers and rose. She led him out the door and onto the grounds. They walked quietly together holding hands, Hermione slowing them down because of how the baby was sitting within her. Finally, Severus said something.

"He should have gotten twenty years."

Hermione squeezed Severus' hand.

"Probably."

They continued walking.

"Fifteen years is still a long time," Hermione mused.

"If it were up to me, he'd never see the light of day again."

Hermione moved in close to Severus and put her arm around his waist as they walked. She rested her head on his shoulder as they strolled along. Severus laid his hand on her stomach, rubbing it lovingly.

"I'm sorry," she said simply.

Severus sighed. "I'm being peevish. I'm sorry."

She squeezed him. "You have every right to be. Everything he's done to you has been horrid."

Severus huffed.

"If you ask me," Hermione continued, "life in prison isn't long enough for that man. I wish I could have him in a room all by himself for fifteen minutes."

Severus stopped and turned to her. "I'm sure he'd never emerge if you were able to arrange that." He smirked for the first time that day. "I'm sorry I'm being unreasonable."

"I already told you, I don't think you're being unreasonable at all," Hermione replied. "I do wish you could forget about him, but I understand that what he's done to you is beyond being able to forgive."

"Thank you, Maia."

"For what?"

"For always supporting me. Before I met you, I never would have thought anyone would understand me like you do. It still surprises me sometimes."

She smiled at him. 'We're partners, Severus. We always support each other."

He smiled back. "We do."

They held each other's gaze for a while before Severus leaned in and kissed her lovingly. When he pulled back Hermione smiled at him again.

"We'd best get back. Your son is starting to do his gymnastics, and it's getting hard to stand," Hermione said.

Severus chuckled. His hand went down to her abdomen, and he pushed on it. The baby pushed back at him, and they seemed to go back and forth for a minute or so.

"Severus!" Hermione cried. "I need to sit down! You can play with him in a minute."

He looked at her with concern. Taking her arm, he led her back to the house as quickly as her waddling form would let them.

"I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable."

Hermione huffed. "You didn't, it just feels like he's about to burst through me."

They quickly made it back into the house, and Severus led her to the sitting room where he settled her into the lounge. He sat next to her and placed his hand on her abdomen again.

"Is that better?"

She nodded. "He's still poking around."

She took Severus' hand and placed it on another part of her stomach. Severus grinned as the baby kicked him. He bent low and spoke to her abdomen.

"Now, now, son. Don't give your mother such a hard time," he murmured.

Another kick was his only answer. He chuckled and pushed back. The boys fought with each other for quite a while before the baby became still again. Severus looked up at Hermione.

"I can't wait to meet him," he said with awe in his voice.

"It will only be a couple more weeks," Hermione advised.

"That seems like hardly any time at all," Severus mused.

"For you, maybe. It seems like the days just get slower and slower the bigger I get."

Severus rubbed her stomach again as he looked into her eyes.

"I've told you before, you are so beautiful. You take my breath away."

Hermione beamed at him before pulling him in for a kiss.

"Come on," she said as she pulled away from him. "You said you needed to go to the Apothecary. Let's go do that now."

Severus rose and offered his hand to her, helping her rise from the sofa. She smiled at him as she rose.

"Are you still okay to Apparate?" Severus asked.

She nodded. "Two more weeks until I am grounded," she said with a chuckle.

His arms went around her. "then let us be off," he said.

They spun in unison and disappeared.