Insufferable Attraction

SeverusxHermione

Rated NC-17

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or its characters from the franchise. That honor belongs to JK Rowling

Insufferable Attraction

Chapter 41

Hermione sat in silence in the Prince family garden on the garden bench that early spring/later winter morning, the warmth of the sun warming her face and her jumper keeping her upper body warm. It was the exact same bench that Severus had confessed his love for her for the first time. The winter flowers were in bloom, completely colorful in the garden with the spring flowers beginning to bud. It was so peaceful that morning, nothing disturbing the quiet outside of the birds beginning to chirp.

A small coo drew her attention from the peacefulness of the morning. Looking down, she smiled instantly at the sight of her infant daughter sleeping peacefully in her arms. Hermione couldn't help but smile more as she watched her baby shift a bit in her sleep before settling down again, a tiny fist resting against her soft cheek. Oh, she was just so precious, and the brunette just loved her so much. She really was precious to her, especially after everything that had happened.

After the fight with Ron, Hermione had been put on bed rest for the reset of her pregnancy, but not before she had gone into shock and passed out. Her baby had been in distress and she had slipped into a coma for a week. Her blood pressure had risen drastically from all the stress from the fight, and she had gotten preeclampsia. Luckily, she had woken up and the baby was alright according to Healer Durdridge. However, when it came time for the birth of her daughter, that had been just as frightening. Not only had she almost died during childbirth, but so had her daughter. Thank Merlin that they both had survived, though. And when it came time to name her little bundle of joy, Hermione decided to name her Mirielle Eileen Snape. She had chosen 'Mirielle', as the name meant miracle or miraculous, and to Hermione, her baby really was a miracle. Not only did she survive when she gave birth to her, but she was also her miracle baby when she thought she would never be able to have one. As for 'Eileen', she chose it to honor her husband's late mother. And personally, she thought the name suited her little girl.

"Hermione," a familiar voice spoke up, breaking her from her thoughts.

Turning, the witch looked to see that it was Harry that had called her name. Usually, outsiders to the Prince family did not get entrance to Prince Manor, no matter if they were a friend of one of the occupants. However, after everything that had happened, Hermione wanted her best friend to be able to come visit whenever he pleased; she would like the company, after all.

"Yes Harry?" Hermione replied.

"I'm headed to the graveyard. Are you going to come with?"

Giving a small, sad smile, Hermione shook her head. "No, I'm not going. It will only bring up bad memories of that awful, horrible day."

The bespectacled wizard nodded in understanding before walking over to her. Bending down, her wrapped an arm around her in a comforting hug, knowing she was having flashbacks. Rubbing her arm soothingly, he said, "I understand, Hermione. I'll head on to meet the others, then."

"Okay."

Harry let go of the brunette and smiled down at his little goddaughter before turning and walking out of the garden. Hermione soon felt the wards bend, letting her know her best friend had exited them and left. Sighing, the brunette stood up from the bench and headed back towards the manor, holding Mirielle close to her as she did. Entering it, she was greeted by Inka and few other House Elves, to which she replied to them. She then went upstairs to head to her bedroom, her footsteps barely echoing in the quiet manor. Reaching her bedroom, she entered the large room and went straight to the bed. Climbing on it, she laid Mirielle down next to her, smiling as the baby squirmed as if to get comfortable from where she had been placed by her mother. As she did, Hermione looked at her little features, taking in her fair skin and curly black hair. And when she opened her eyes, they were black, just like her father's.

Sometimes she still couldn't believe that she had given birth to this little being. She also still couldn't believe that she could have lost her before even getting to hold her. But she was so glad she hadn't, as sit would have been so painful. In fact, it would have been just as painful as when she thought that she had lost her husband, and she had almost lost him.

"What morbid thoughts are you thinking about?" a deep baritone voice asked.

Looking up from her daughter, brown eyes met black as they stared at her in question, though the pale face they were in was as stoic as ever. Shaking her head, she smiled and answered, "Nothing."

Even as she said this, Hermione couldn't help but look at the round, pink scar in the middle of husband's chest. And she knew that if he turned around, she'd find a matching scar on his back in the exact same place as his chest. She wished she could forget it, but she'd always remember how he got it the day that they had fought Ron in her parents' home.

(Flashback…)

Hermione rushed outside into her parents' backyard, her eyes darting around for her husband. Finally spotting him, she let out a horrified gasp and threw her hands over her mouth. Knees becoming weak, she dropped down onto them, tears falling down her face as she cried at the sight before her. And was it a horrifying sight, one that was surely to haunt her for the rest of her life. Severus had not only been blasted out of the window by Ron but had been penetrated through his back and out his chest by one of the branches of the tree in the backyard. And there he hung limply, completely unmoving and covered in blood.

Letting out a painful, heart-wrenching scream, the brunette could not tear her eyes away from her husband, her husband who was surely dead. She could vaguely hear Kingsley barking orders and the Aurors rushing to the tree to extract Severus. She kept screaming, even as Harry ran to her and dropped down in front of her, wrapping his arms around her and hiding her face in his chest to shield the scene from her. Harry was saying something to her, but she was beyond listening. Why should she? Severus was dead; Ron had killed her husband.

A sudden sharp pain ripped through her stomach, cramping it severely and causing her to cry out in pain. Grabbing her stomach, she tried to take deep breaths, but the pain was too much to bear, and she could barely pant to try and alleviate the pain. Hermione could hear her friend saying her name, asking her what was wrong, but she couldn't answer. She let out another cry of pain as she continued to grip her pregnant stomach. She soon went slack in Harry's arms, hearing her blood rushing in her ears, drowning everything else around her out. The stress she was feeling hit her all at once, and that, as well as the pain she was feeling, caused her to pass out right there against her best friend.

(End of Flashback…)

Severus knew what his wife was thinking about. He knew she was thinking about the day Weasley nearly killed him, and by extension, their baby. He was also aware of the reason why Potter had showed up for his wife that morning. The date was the first of March, which so happened to be the Weasley boy's birthdate. The Weasley family were going to visit his grave, Potter as well to pay his respects, despite all that he had done. He supposed it was the sentimental memories of his first friend that had Potter going with the Weasleys to visit the grave. But he also understood his wife's melancholy mood. Not only had the Weasleys lost a son and brother that day, Hermione and Potter had lost a friend, and any memories his wife may have had that were good of the deceased redhead were now tainted. He didn't blame her for wanting to distance herself.

Sitting up in bed, he wrapped his arm around the brunette witch, holding her against him gently and reassuringly. Pressing a kiss to the top of her head, he murmured, "It's alright now. Everything is fine, and it's all over. We're alive, we're together, and we have out baby. He didn't take that from us, no matter how hard he tried, and in the end, his selfish ambitions were his downfall. You have no reason to feel sad or guilty, alright?"

Hermione looked up at Severus and nodded, a smile appearing on her lips. She leant against him for a moment before he let her go. She watched as he picked up their daughter, her smile growing as he cradled her in his strong arms to his bare chest, talking quietly to her. Severus was right. Nothing that happened was her fault, so she had no reason to feel guilty, though she felt it would take a while for her to stop feeling sad concerning Ron. But like her husband had said, they were alive, they were together, they had their baby, and everything was fine now.

Later that evening, sometime after dinner, Severus was walking down the corridor headed to his bedroom. As he did, he read a letter from the Daily Prophet, a letter that he thought he'd never receive. However, the reason for them writing was one that they kept bothering him about even out in public. The Daily Prophet wanted to do another exclusive on him and his wife, a follow-up of how they were doing after their fight with Weasley. They also wanted to write about how they were adapting to being new parents to the new Prince heir. And his response to it, like usual, was that they could kiss his arse.

Burning the letter with a flick of his finger, he entered the bedroom he shared with his wife, shutting the door behind him. Looking around, he spotted Hermione putting Mirielle in her bassinet, their daughter asleep for the night—until she woke up two or three hours later. He watched her fondly, believing his wife was absolutely beautiful being motherly. She wasn't just beautiful as a mother, but in general, something he never thought he'd believe until they were brought together under strange circumstances.

Hermione looked up from tucking their daughter in and smiled at him before saying, "She finally fell asleep. If we go to bed now, we can get a few hours in before you have to put her back to sleep when she wakes up."

"Me?" Severus asked amused as he began to disrobe himself in favor of changing into his nightwear.

"Yes, you," Hermione replied as she climbed into bed, already in her nightwear to go to sleep. "You know you are on night duty, and Mirielle falls back asleep faster with you after changing her nappy."

Severus chuckled as he joined his wife in bed, knowing she was right. He flicked his wand, cutting out the lights with a simple, "Nox."

They settled into bed, the wizard wrapping his arms around his wife, the witch snuggling into her husband's embrace. It was quiet between them, the two of them ready for sleep to claim them as they finally got to rest. However, Hermione couldn't go to sleep without saying one more thing.

"I love you, Severus," Hermione told him softly.

"I know, and I love you, too," Severus replied, holding her to him closer.

The brunette smiled as she rested her head against Severus's shoulder. "I know. I love you more than you know and more than I can explain. I didn't realize just how much though, not until I saw you dying when I thought I had lost you. I love you so much Severus, and I'm never letting you go. I refuse to, not when I've finally found you. You're my forever, and I'll be damned if you're taken away from me."

Her words came from her heart, and they touched Severus right in his own. His heart swelled with warmth and love for his wife, a smile on his face in the darkness of their room. In a low voice, he replied, "I love you just as much, and I don't want to lose you either. That time when you got hit with my curse was bad enough, and I was afraid it was going to again when I realized you had gone after Weasley. I also thought, even before that, that I would never be able to love again or find a genuine love. But I have with you, and I don't want to lose that. I know it sounds selfish, but it's how I feel. I have you and Mirielle, and I'm finally happy again after so many years of being alone."

Like her, his words touched the brunette right in her heart. Tears filled her eyes from Severus's honest words, and a few slipped out. A large hand wiped them away and lips pressed against her own in a sweet, love-filled kiss. Smiling at each other, Severus and Hermione exchanged 'I love yous' once again, then settled down to sleep. Eyes closed, Hermione was on her way to sleep, only for Severus to break this silence this time.

"I was thinking, once Mirielle is a bit older and we can leave her with people we trust, we can finally go on that honeymoon I had planned months ago. I think we deserve it after everything we've gone through."

Hermione couldn't help but giggle softly, Severus's own chuckles joining hers. Nodding, she stuck her heard under his chin and said, "Yes, I agree."

Author's Note: This is the penultimate chapter of Insufferable Attraction. There will be one more chapter, and that will be the end of this story. Thank you all so much for reading along Severus and Hermione's story, and I hope you stay tuned for the last installment. Also, there was no way I was killing off Severus despite my cliffhanger in the previous chapter, lol. Love, SehunsBae37.