A/N: Here is my entry for the 2021 Scratch That Niche Fest! This is the first time I've ever written with a particular prompt, but the one I chose fit so perfectly within another ficlet I was already working through in my mind, so I couldn't resist the temptation!
I chose Prompt 15: Dancing Around One Another, and the requisite micro-pairing featured in this story is Ron/Romilda Vane (I know...it's a wild one haha).
Flashbacks are in italics, and as always feedback is greatly appreciated!
He watched her from across the room as he usually did at these grandiose events once dinner had concluded and the dancing had commenced. Severus wasn't much for dancing, but the younger witch he'd been following with his gaze certainly seemed to enjoy it. He looked on as she took a turn around the floor with several of her male friends. Most of her classmates had paired off and married in the many years since the conclusion of war and the wives of her male companions, knowing Hermione was likely to remain partner-less for the evening's dances, had encouraged their spouses to request the honor of a dance with their friend while the women tended to the children who had been included in the festivities this year.
Hermione never pressed Severus to join her on the dance floor at these functions, knowing how uncomfortable he was being the center of attention and content to enjoy his company and conversation away from the lights and the music, but every so often she would catch his eye as one of the troublesome twosome which comprised the other parts of their well-known triad spun her, and Severus couldn't help but notice the slight melancholy in her gaze. He tossed back the rest of his drink and rose from his seat at the head table catching the eye of the Headmistress as he maneuvered around the other 'esteemed guests' toward the only woman in the room capable of holding his attention. As he strode with purpose toward her, he allowed himself to recall the first of these events he had attended, and the only other gala at which he'd set foot on the dance floor.
Hermione was shocked to see him in attendance at the 2nd Annual Remembrance Gala. He had not attended the first, although his health was arguably a contributing factor in his absence. Still, the crowds, dancing, and requisite social interaction she'd thought surely would dissuade him from attending, even if he was well enough to do so.
Hermione and Severus (as they had recently begun referring to one another) had formed a tentative friendship in the months since she'd returned to Hogwarts as Minerva's apprentice, although in the deepest recesses of her mind Hermione longed for more. After enduring weeks of his lingering gaze and hesitant touches that ended abruptly before she could decipher if they held any deeper meaning, she'd secretly wished he might make an appearance at the gala and ask her to dance, but she'd dismissed those daydreams instantly after assuring herself it was impossible.
Allowing herself one last glance in Severus's direction, she turned back to her friends to rejoin their conversation about the recent betrothals of the other two-thirds of the golden trio: Harry unsurprisingly to Ginny and Ron to everyone's astonishment to Romilda Vane.
She had been listening rather disinterestedly for several minutes as her friends spoke at length about every trivial detail from the flower arrangements to Mrs. Weasley's revered appetizers when she suddenly heard someone behind her clear his throat and noticed her friends' grow nervous as they halted the conversation. Hermione turned to see the man of her affections standing before them with his hand outstretched toward her. "Please forgive my intrusion, but the evening's frivolities are waning and Minerva will have my head if I don't ask at least one of my colleagues to dance before I retire. Miss Granger, may I have the honor?"
Hermione simply nodded, Severus's request rendering her speechless as she gently placed her hand in his much larger one and allowed him to lead her onto the dance floor as the band began to play a slow, romantic tune.
She felt his hand slide into the small of her back, skimming the bare skin there so she shivered. There was only the faintest tug at the corner of his mouth showing him to be pleased with her reaction and then the band began to play.
It was impossible to ignore the weight of the room's gaze upon them as they moved over the stone floor.
"I would say the fact that it is I dancing with you that had drawn all the attention, but it would be a lie." His voice was low, his mouth close enough to her ear that his breath tickled her as he spoke.
"And what would be the truth?" Hermione asked.
"That you cut a very lovely figure in this gown and they are wondering how long it will be wasted on the greasy git from the dungeons." His ink-black eyes seemed to sparkle as he drew back from her, successfully turning her with a twirl of the hand above her head.
"Footwork and flattery, color me surprised." She mused quietly as she returned to him. Severus' expression grew serious.
"There is much you don't know about me, Granger." Her fingers curled tighter over his hand. The band had passed its crescendo and as they both slowed she steeled her nerves.
"If that is an invitation to learn more, then I accept." The music had stopped as he let go of her hand and stepped back with a bow.
"If you truly mean that, will you accompany me to dinner tomorrow after you've had the chance to rid your system of the wine you've consumed this evening and have had the opportunity to come to your senses?" he asked as he chuckled self-deprecatingly.
Hermione graced him with a dazzling smile as she swept close to him once more, whispering in a sultry voice, "I would love nothing more...and for the record, I did not partake in any of the event's libations this evening, so I will NOT be changing my mind, Severus." She rose up on her toes and kissed him on the cheek before sauntering back to her friends and leaving him in quite a state of shock and arousal.
He was pulled from his reminiscence as he approached Hermione and her current dance partner, none other than 'The Boy Who Lived'. He assumed Mr. Potter had been instructed by his very pregnant wife to dance with his best friend rather than attempt to take her on another less-than-graceful turn about the floor in her current state. Hermione's back was to Severus and she laughed at something Harry said before the younger wizard nodded in Severus's direction and called Hermione's attention to his sudden presence on the dance floor.
"Excuse me, Mr. Potter, might I cut in?" Severus asked cautiously as Hermione peered up at him, her surprise written plainly in her expression.
Harry chuckled at his former professor's formality. "I believe you have first dibs on her attentions, sir." Harry placed her hand gently in Severus's and winked at her before he rejoined his wife and their family across the room.
Severus swept Hermione close to him and she rested her head quietly on his chest, clearly savoring the moment before finally breaking the silence. "Why are you here, Severus? Not that I'm complaining, mind you...it's just...you never dance with me?"
"Hermione, we both know this is not the first time I have asked for the honor of a dance with you. I have most certainly indulged your proclivities for dancing in the past."
"Oh I'm sorry, Severus. I wasn't aware that the previous two dances we've shared were indicative of a trend," she replied sarcastically but with a loving smirk that betrayed her amusement at the situation as he pulled her more snugly into his arms. As he spun her gracefully around the floor, he allowed himself to recall the second instance to which his lovely witch had been referring.
She was breathtaking in the form fitting lace robes she and Mrs. Potter (née Weasley), had selected for the occasion. Her magnificent curls were mostly pinned atop her head with a few tendrils delicately framing her face, and although Severus had been frequently astounded by her beauty, he found himself struggling to maintain his stoic persona as he watched his beautiful wife mingle among her friends at their small, intimate wedding reception.
Only hours earlier she had stood with him before their friends and she had irrevocably bound her soul to his in a beautiful wizarding ceremony. He had proposed to her less than a year after he'd plucked up the courage to ask Hermione to dance with him, and had been completely flabbergasted when she'd said yes. He knew that their colleagues and friends would feel it was too soon to make that sort of commitment, but he had never felt so strongly for anyone, not even the love for his childhood friend that had been splashed all over the headlines in the years following the war could compare, and he felt compelled to share with her his intentions knowing firsthand how precious little time any of them could have left.
He had attempted to persuade her to consider several other less permanent bonding spells in the months following his proposal. His stubborn little witch, however, knew these particular vows would offer him the most reassurance of her love and commitment to him and had been insistent.
"I will NOT be changing my mind, Severus," she had stated emphatically at his last-ditch effort to persuade her otherwise after the rehearsal dinner. She kissed him deeply and professed her love for him before they parted ways in an effort to adhere to at least one tradition the evening before their nuptials. He hadn't seen her until Arthur Weasley had walked her down the aisle (the state in which Hermione had left her parents' memories had been regrettably irreversible), and he had nearly lost his composure at the sight of her beaming at him as she approached.
Although the couple had managed to keep the guest list to a mere 30 of their closest friends and colleagues in spite of the press their wedding had received in the preceding months, the Weasley matriarch had insisted on many of the usual customs including a reception complete with dinner, dancing, and cake. He had been assured they would not be participating in any of the more insipid (in his opinion) traditions such as the garter or bouquet toss, but as he'd first asked her on a date on the dance floor, he wanted his beautiful witch to experience the convention of their first dance as husband and wife.
He'd asked the band to play the same tune to which they'd danced before, and as the first chords sounded, he approached her from behind placing his hand affectionately on the small of her back as he leaned in and whispered, "They're playing our song, my love."
She turned toward him, initially surprised before she smiled broadly and allowed him to lead her to the small dance floor. "Thank you for this, Severus," she murmured as she pressed herself close to him and wrapped her arms around his neck romantically.
"I would do anything to see you smile at me so sweetly, wife." He smirked down at her as he wrapped her even more closely in his arms. "I love you, Hermione. Thank you for marrying me and bonding yourself to me for eternity. You have no idea how much that means to me..."
"I know, Severus. I hope you know how much it means to me too...I would never have agreed if that commitment wasn't equally important to me. I hope you know I meant it when I said I will not be changing my mind. We are not perfect, and I'm sure we will both have our blunders, but there is no one more perfect for me than you."
He truly smiled at her then before he pulled her to him and kissed her gently which drew a chorus of hoots and hollers from her raucous group of friends. He arched a disapproving eyebrow in their direction before turning back to his wife, asking her softly, "Would it be unseemly if we said our goodbyes to our guests and I whisked you away to start our honeymoon, Mrs. Snape?"
"I think we've put in enough of an appearance. We've had dinner and cut the cake. A first dance was more than I had dared hope for; so please, husband, sweep me off my feet to whatever surprise destination you've been planning for our honeymoon."
He needed no further prompting. After a brief speech thanking everyone for attending and encouraging them to continue the festivities in their absence, he swept his beautiful wife into his arms and together they apparated from the dance floor.
A sigh from his lovely wife interrupted his daydream and he glanced down to see her watching the others dance and play happily their spouses and children from their position on the dance floor. It wasn't the first time he had seen her observe them with a bit of melancholy in her expression, and Severus wondered if perhaps he had done something to cause her sadness, however fleeting.
The couple had been managing a booming cross-disciplinary consulting practice in addition to their full-time professorial duties, and although he always ensured they made time to visit with her friends and their families, the busyness that often accompanied success led him to worry that perhaps they'd not managed their time as effectively as he might have believed.
"I'm sorry we don't see them as often as I'd imagine you'd like. I can take over more of the brewing and give you more time to spend with them..."
"It isn't that, Severus..." Hermione started and then paused. "I just never thought I would feel like I was missing out on such an enormous part of life," she finished vaguely with an expression that left Severus thoroughly puzzled.
"And what part of life is that, my love?" he asked her as he pulled away slightly and brought a gentle hand under her chin to lift her eyes to meet his own. As he did he noticed they were brimming with tears and was shocked that whatever she was thinking about was making her so upset. "Hermione, sweetheart, what's the matter?" He rarely used that particular term of endearment, and never in a public space, but he wanted to impress upon her his sincerity in spite of the venue. "You know I would do anything in my power to see you happy, love. What do you need? How can I fix this?"
At this she started crying in earnest. "I'm sorry, Severus. I can't...we don't need to discuss this. I promised I wouldn't change my mind...I just need some fresh air..." and she suddenly spun on heel and raced out the nearest door to the gardens adjacent to the ballroom.
Just as Severus recovered from the shock of her abrupt departure, he was bowled over by immediate understanding. Hermione would need to verify his assumptions were correct, but if his gut instincts were to be trusted, Severus thought he had a pretty clear understanding about what might be troubling his wife. Knowing they'd both need a moment to compose themselves before they had this particular conversation, Severus crossed the room and sought out the pair of men he knew could comfort Hermione: Mr. Potter and Mr. Weasley.
The idea to start their own business arose casually over dinner one evening just over two years into their marriage. The couple had been asked to step in and offer their unique assessment of a particularly complex case for the Department of Magical Law Enforcement. Initially they had suspected their involvement had been requested only as a result of their closeness with Harry who had become Deputy Head of the department only within the preceding month. Upon examining the case, they realized they possessed a particularly unique understanding of the cross-functional application of transfiguration with potions, particularly as it related to dark objects.
"If we started a consulting practice, we could be paid for the time and services we render to the ministry and we could simultaneously offer our services to the pure blood families looking to purge dark objects and potions from their estates in the aftermath of the war!" Hermione exclaimed excitedly as she wiped the remnants of the curry Severus had prepared from her wine-stained lips.
"I agree, the idea has merit, Hermione. I'm concerned about the time commitment. We both have our duties to the school to consider, and that's to say nothing of the time we'd no longer have to spend with your friends and their families and possibly even our own family one day."
"What family, love? Of course I would be loathe to give up any time spent with you, but we spend so much time reading and researching for our personal projects already and earning money from the activities we already enjoy would hardly contribute to time spent apart. I told you before we were married that I've never felt any particularly strong inclination to be a mother, so I'm not sure how you expect our lives to substantially change as a result of this decision."
"I know, Hermione, but I can't help but wonder whether one day you will change your mind."
"I feel like I'm missing something here, Severus. Do you WANT to have children?"
"I don't have particularly strong feelings on the subject either way. I've spent the majority of my adult years without children...other than in my capacity as a professor...and I am perfectly content to continue doing so. If that was something YOU wanted, however, I would never deny you anything you desired. You're so young, Hermione, and there's so much in life you haven't experienced. I don't want you to become so enveloped in your career that you regret not having the other experiences you're willing to sacrifice now."
"THIS is what I want, Severus! I want to change the world with you by my side! I want to HELP people overcome the atrocities we all suffered in the war and make our world a better place for the next generation. I don't need to contribute my genetic material to the repopulation of the planet to do that!"
"Of course you don't, Hermione, and there is absolutely nothing wrong with making the decision to be a marvelous auntie or perhaps godmother without raising our own children. I just want you to have the option should you ever change your mind."
"I will NOT be changing my mind, Severus. Now do you have any other concerns about starting this business together?"
"Hermione, I would love nothing more than to change the world with you. If you're sure this is what you want, I will speak with Minerva about any necessary paperwork to disclose the business proposal tomorrow."
Hermione circled the small table in the kitchen of their home on the outskirts of Hogsmeade and Severus pushed his chair away from the edge just far enough to allow her to sit on his lap. "When do we start converting the basement into a research lab?" she asked as she nuzzled into his neck.
"Tomorrow?"
"Tomorrow," and they sealed the promise with a kiss.
Hermione had completed one lap around the parameter of the garden when she noticed Ron and Harry sitting on a stone bench just outside the ballroom waiting for her. Sighing, she situated herself between them as they both wrapped their comforting arms around the woman who had become like a sister to the pair of them and allowed her to cry.
Once her tears ebbed to the occasional sniffle, Harry finally spoke. "Your husband thought you could benefit from our presence...it seems he may have been onto something..." he said in an attempt at humor and was rewarded with a giggle and a good-natured slap to the chest from Hermione.
"I'm sorry to weep all over you both like this...I don't know what came over me this evening."
"We're both used to it...pregnant witches tend to be a bit weepy..." Ron chuckled as he hugged Hermione more tightly. "Anything you want to talk about?"
Hermione hesitated not knowing how the boys, especially Ron, might respond to the thoughts that had been troubling her. After a short-lived, internal debate, she realized she could share just about anything with them and they would love her none the less for it. "How did you two know when you wanted to start a family?"
Harry was the first to respond. "In a way I've always known I wanted to have children one day. I hated growing up without a family and I knew I wanted the opportunity to experience that when the time was right. It took Ginny awhile to feel ready for that change in our lives though...she loved playing for the Harpies and while she knows I've always supported her career, I think she knew it would fundamentally change once we started having children. When she was ready, though, it was like someone had flipped a switch and she was 100% committed to it..."
"...And that's about as much detail as I'd ever like to hear about it, thank you very much!" interrupted Ron as he pulled an appetizer-stuffed napkin from his breast pocket and began snacking. "I love you Harry, but that's my sister...it's enough to set a man off his dinner!"
"Clearly..." intoned Hermione sardonically and the three of them shared a good laugh in response to his antics.
"It was much more complicated for me," Ron continued as he gnawed on a stuffed mushroom. "Don't get me wrong, I like kids...they're great! But it was always mad in my house growing up. It was nice to have some peace and quiet for a time...but then you start to miss the noise, you know?" he finished as he popped another mushroom into his mouth whole. "And after I married Romilda I just knew...I wanted that with her. Maybe not right away, but we got around to it eventually..."
"I guess, but you'd figured already out you'd eventually want kids when we were together, Ron...that was why we ended things..."
Harry, having always been the more perceptive of the two boys, suddenly understood what had brought on Hermione's sudden interrogation. "Hermione," he started cautiously, "are you thinking you might want to have a baby with Snape?"
"For Merlin's sake how many times has he told you all-it's Severus!" she exclaimed as she rolled her eyes before her emotions started to once again get the better of her. "This wasn't supposed to happen! I was supposed to be happy with the way things are in my marriage and my career, and I honestly thought I was. Until I started spending time with all of you and your children so often and I realized that I wanted that for myself too..."
"It's ok to change your mind, Hermione. It happens to all of us. Remember when Ron thought he wanted to be an Auror?"
"Wuuuuurst deschion evaaa!" exclaimed Ron through a mouthful of tarte, spewing crumbs across the pavement and earning another laugh from Hermione through her tears. He (thankfully) swallowed the rest of the tarte before he continued, "I honestly thought I wanted to finish what we started during the war, but it turns out I'm much happier helping George come up with new products for the shop."
"And I initially thought I might want to join Ginny on the professional quidditch circuit after the war," added Harry. "It turns out I'm happier rounding up the last of the dark wizards from old Voldy's regime and preventing any budding megalomaniacs from starting another war!"
"But those are your careers!" Hermione protested as she leaned forward and grasped head between both hands, "Not your families. Aren't you supposed to just know whether or not you want to be a parent? I didn't think that feeling was supposed to change!"
"Maybe it doesn't for some people, but I don't think there's a rulebook that says your final decision on whether or not to become a parent is due by the age of 30, Mione. It's okay to want different things at different points in your life. You've built an amazing career and have accomplished so much more than most others at our age...it's ok to want to shift focus and experience something different than you may have originally set out to achieve if that's truly what you want," Harry said as he rubbed her back soothingly.
"And just because you didn't want kids with me doesn't mean you can't want them with anyone else, Mione. That may have the the reason we decided to break up at that particular moment, but we both know in the long run we would have gone tits-up for a whole host of other reasons...you and Snape...I mean Severus..." Ron added following Hermione's look of annoyance, "the two of you just work in a way we never would have done."
"But I promised Severus I wouldn't change my mind! The entirety of my argument about the merits of starting our business in addition to our teaching responsibilities rested on the fact that I wouldn't want children! Ever! I don't even think he wants children. He told me once he would never deny me anything that would make me happy but that isn't the same thing as wanting children."
"Maybe you should talk to your husband about what he wants..." rumbled a deep voice from the far left of where the trio was sitting. Hermione peeked out of her hands and saw her husband had quietly joined them. "Mr. Potter, Mr. Weasley...thank you for your help, but I think it's time I continued this conversation with my wife."
Harry and Ron looked at each other and then back at Hermione before they both rose from the bench. Ron, still a bit nervous around his former professor, wasted no time rejoining the crowd in the ballroom. Harry knelt in front of Hermione and squeezed her hand as he asked, "Alright?"
Her answering nod and small smile was enough to tell him she was thankful for their conversation, but agreed that she and Severus should speak alone. Satisfied with her reassurance, Harry followed his brother-in-law back into the fray looking back briefly to see Severus join his best friend on the stone bench he had vacated.
It was a seemingly normal Thursday afternoon when St. Mungo's was abuzz with gossip after so many war heroes had been seen coming and going throughout the day. Hermione and Severus arrived at the hospital after the pair had finished teaching their afternoon classes. Knowing Minerva would completely understand once she'd heard the news of little Hugo Weasley's birth, the pair had skipped their usual weekly dinner with the staff in The Great Hall to ensure they arrived before the end of regular visiting hours.
Upon entering the hospital room in which Ron and his newly expanded family were located, Hermione saw her two best friends hovering over a small bassinette at the bedside of Ron's wife. Romilda had fallen asleep, clearly exhausted from her exertions earlier in the day, and the two boys were whispering quietly in an effort to not wake her or the newest Weasley.
Approaching the boys from behind, Hermione brought attention to her arrival by gently grasping their shoulders, and the pair immediately turned and hugged their friend, each of them extending an amicable waive toward her husband who remained on the other side of the room.
"Congratulations Ron! I heard from Neville at lunch that you've named him Hugo?"
"Yeah...Romilda loved it from the beginning, but after seeing the little guy I think it fits."
"May I?" Hermione asked, gesturing to the bassinette to convey her desire to hold the red-headed baby.
"Absolutely!" Ron grinned at her. "Oh your hands are clean right? I'm sure they are, but Milda will have my head if I don't double check..."
"Of course they're clean, Ronald," Hermione rolled her eyes as she lifted the sleeping boy into her arms. "Aren't you just precious! And just look at that hair. You look an awful lot like your big sister when she was born!" Hermione cooed softly as she rocked the infant back and forth gently.
"Mione...I wanted to ask you...well Milda and I both did but I don't want to wake her...will you and Snape be Hugo's godparents?"
Hermione turned abruptly in shock and looked frantically back and forth between her friend and her husband who had been quietly lurking near the door. "Are you serious, Ron? You want us? I would be honored of course, but I won't decide for Severus..."
Severus crossed the room to join his wife and her friends, putting his arm around Hermione and the baby she carried. "I would be honored as well, Mr. Weasley, but I think it's high time you started calling me Severus if I am to be your child's godfather..."
"Only if you call me Ron."
"Same goes for me!" said Harry, eager to be on a first name basis with one of the last remaining connections to his parents and the husband of his best friend.
"Ron Potter..." drawled Severus sarcastically as he raised an amused eyebrow at the younger men. "It has a certain ring to it. What do you think my dear?" he asked Hermione, earning a laugh from all three of his former students.
"You know what I meant," said Harry, rolling his eyes as he turned and picked up his cloak from one of the chairs nearest the door. "I need to get going and relieve Molly and Arthur from babysitting duty. Ginny will stop by to meet Hugo as soon as she's back from covering the World Cup. I know she can't wait to be introduced to her newest nephew! Congrats again Ron and give Romilda my love when she wakes up!"
After Harry left, Snape and Hermione spent another 15 minutes listening to Ron as he regaled them with the story of Hugo's arrival, and as they were leaving Severus thought he noticed a fleeting expression of longing on his wife's face as she nestled Hugo back into his cot. It passed almost instantly, and Severus thought he had imagined it as the couple said their goodbyes and began the trek back home to Hogsmeade.
He wondered briefly if she might have reconsidered her resolve against having children, but she had been so adamant that she wouldn't change her mind, Severus refused to let himself dwell on it. Although the idea of having children with the witch he loved so dearly appealed more than he ever imagined it would, he was perfectly happy with the status quo, and since she would ultimately be the one to carry any hypothetical children, he would never raise the question as he wouldn't want her to reconsider solely in deference to his wishes. Pushing the thought from his mind, he held the door to their lab open for his wife as they entered together to begin working on their daily caseload.
As Severus sat down on the bench, he offered Hermione his handkerchief to dry her eyes. As she wiped away her tears, she was suddenly thankful for Ginny's assistance with her makeup earlier in the evening. The waterproof charm to prevent it from smudging on the dance floor simultaneously ensured she didn't look like a raccoon in the wake of her outburst. The couple sat quietly for several minutes before Severus finally spoke.
"Hermione...I know this was a decision you'd felt certain about previously, but it is alright to decide you want something different in life than what you'd originally thought. I just want to ensure this is something you won't regret. I know it's hard to be the only childless couple among all of your friends, but a baby isn't something we can simply change our minds about, love."
"Obviously I know we can't give back a baby, Severus," Hermione huffed as she turned slightly away from him in her frustration. "I know this decision probably seems rather sudden and somewhat flighty compared to the last conclusion we'd reached on the matter, but I've been ruminating on this for awhile and I would have never had the courage to even discuss it with you if I thought there was even the slightest chance I would reconsider."
"How long is awhile, Hermione?"
"Since Ron and Romilda had Hugo..."
"That was 4 years ago, witch! You waited this long to tell me?!"
"I honestly thought it would just be a fleeting impulse at first! It wasn't worth bringing up if I was going to go back to being happy without children after spending a week or two around the baby. But then Neville and Susan had Frank, Blaize and Draco adopted Scorpius, and now Ginny is expecting again and each new arrival or pregnancy announcement feels like a knife to the heart!"
Severus pinched the bridge of his nose and took a breath before he responded. "I'm only upset because I feel terrible that this was apparently affecting you so deeply and I wasn't able to be supportive or help you understand your feelings on the matter, Hermione. I love you and I never want to see you in pain...physical or emotional."
"I know Severus, but it wasn't part of the plan...I told you I'd never want this and you didn't seem particularly inclined to a life of nappies and prams and playdates and it isn't fair to you for me to just decide to change the plan!"
"What if I want to change the plan too?" he asked quietly.
Hermione stared at her husband, completely flabbergasted by his admission. "You...you want a baby with me, Severus?"
Severus pulled Hermione into his arms and held her close. "Before you, Hermione, I never in my wildest imaginings could envision a situation in which I would even have the opportunity to consider fatherhood. I love you with all that I am and I am beyond satisfied with the life we have built together. If you'd never wanted children, I would live the rest of my days at your side a happy man...but after seeing how wonderful you are with our godchildren and the children of our friends and colleagues? I find the idea of a little girl with your wild curls or a little boy with your button nose and whisky colored eyes appealing. Like you, it seems I've had a change of heart."
"Really, Severus? You want this? With me?"
"Yes, Hermione. If you are certain, I am absolutely certain I want this with you."
Hermione launched herself at Severus and the two spent several minutes in a passionate embrace before he lifted her into his arm and spun away to their home to begin the process of growing their family...
*******ONE YEAR LATER*********
Severus was cooking breakfast and bracing himself for another morning of tears. They had been trying unsuccessfully for 11 months to conceive, and the past year had been fraught with excitement turned to frustration and worry when month after month passed without a positive test. Severus had of course been saddened as each cycle passed, but his heart broke for his beloved wife who he knew was struggling to not give up hope.
They had been reassured by Madam Pomfrey that it was completely normal for many couples to try for up to a year before they achieved pregnancy, but they were swiftly approaching the one-year mark and Severus was genuinely concerned there might be a problem. He had been brutalized for years by Voldemort and the other Death Eaters and Hermione, he had learned in the intervening years, had also suffered torture at the hands of Bellatrix Lestrange. They had also waited until somewhat late in life to start trying; they were certainly not considered old, particularly among those with magical blood, but Severus was keenly aware of the potential for diminishing fertility as one aged and with him being in his mid-50s and his wife approaching 40, it was an understandable fear.
He was so lost in thought that he hadn't noticed Hermione enter the kitchen quietly behind him and place something on the table next to his plate. She was smiling in a near perfect impression of the Mona Lisa, and as Severus turned around to set a platter of eggs on the table, he was surprised by her mood. Her cycle had been due today, and he had been bracing himself for another morning of tears when she realized they hadn't been successful.
Just as he was about to ask her if she'd slept well, he noticed the object she'd placed on the table: it was a muggle pregnancy test...with two pink lines. He gasped as he looked up suddenly and locked eyes with Hermione, who was beaming with tears of happiness streaming down her face.
A/N: And that's the end of the story friends! I hope you all enjoyed it as much as I enjoyed writing it. It was especially fun to participate in a writing event for the ship for the first time!
Hermione changing her mind on wanting to be a mother is bound to be controversial, and I completely understand why. To clarify, I absolutely understand that the majority of women who are childless by choice are very firm in their decision and I am by no means trying to suggest that any significant percentage of women will change their views.
That said, this absolutely DOES happen, albeit rarely; I can say that from personal experience and I chose to explore it in this story. It is in no way meant to offer commentary on the choices of women to have or not have children. Women are often stigmatized by this choice and a woman should never be made to feel less than due to her choice to be a mother OR not be a mother. If you are a mother or want to be a mother, I wholeheartedly support you. Whether you are or want to be a working mother or a stay at home mother, I wholeheartedly support you. If you are childless by choice, I wholeheartedly support you. If you are childless by circumstance, I wholeheartedly support you. If you're still figuring out what you want in life, I wholeheartedly support you. That is all friends. Until next time!