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 24

Wendell and Monica Wilkins looked in confusion at the two people that had just entered their office. The man was tall and brooding, his black hair hanging to his shoulders and framing his face and he wore all black. He gave off an air of no nonsense and one not to be reckoned with. His companion was a young woman, a brunette with curly hair wearing a pair of blue jeans with a lavender blouse, and she had tears streaming down her face as she stared at them.

The two of them blinked as they stared at the young woman, both of them thinking that she seemed to resemble the other. Monica looked at Wendell before looking back at the girl, noticing that her curly hair had the same curl pattern that Wendell's had, and that she seemed to sport the exact same eyes of her husband. As for Wendell, he took notice that the young woman had the same cute little nose that his wife had and her lips were the same shape as Monica's, though a little plumper. Her hands, which had risen to cover her mouth, were the same shape as Monica's, all the way to her dainty fingers. The married couple looked at each other once more in confusion, both of them wondering how this girl seemed to resemble them. Was she a relative that they didn't know about?

Monica, deciding to be the first to greet their guests and comfort the young woman, stood from her seat and walked up to them saying, "Hello. May we help you?"

She took the time to look at the brunette's face closer, an odd pang in the back of her head making itself known as she stared at her with teary eyes. Blinking almost rapidly at her, she couldn't help but think this girl seemed familiar to her.

The girl sniffed and wiped her eyes before nodding saying, "Yes, you can. And if you will just give us five minutes of your time, we'll be done here."

"Are you selling something?" Wendell asked.

Severus, who had closed the office door and locked it, turned to the Muggle man and answered, "No, we're here to rectify something. I suggest neither of you move, it will only take a moment."

He then turned to his wife saying, "Hermione."

Hermione nodded and took her wand out of her little bag, doing so causing her to miss how Wendell and Monica tilted their heads at hearing her name, brief expressions of familiarity appearing on their faces before disappearing completely once again. Once her wand was in hand, Hermione pointed it towards her parents and began to speak the enchantment to reverse the alterations she had originally performed on her parents' memories. She felt herself shaking as she did, but her resolve to firmly and determinedly right what she had done, to have her parents remember her, kept her mind in focus.

After what felt like an eternity, Hermione finally dropped her wand and stared at her parents as they continued to stare at her, though with how glazed over their eyes looked, it was more like they were staring off into space. Turning to look up at her husband, she asked, "Do you think it worked?"

Severus looked at her silently before his black eyes moved back to the couple. Clearing his throat, he said, "Mr. and Mrs. Granger."

Her parents blinked before squeezing their eyes shut, opening them once more to focus on the two other occupants of their office. The older woman stared at the two before zeroing in on the brunette. A gasp left her throat as tears filled her eyes, spilling over as she gasped out, "Hermione!"

A sob left Hermione's throat and she rushed into her mother's arms, hugging her tightly as she cried happily into her shoulder. She couldn't believe it. She had reversed what she had done, and her mother remembered her! Hugging her mother tighter she said, "Oh mum, I've missed you so much!"

"Darling, I've missed you too!" Jean replied. "I don't entirely understand what happened but I know I've been missing something in my life and it was you. I'm so happy to have you back, darling!"

Hermione pulled away from her mother and looked at her father who was staring at her with an expression of awe and disbelief. Almost nervously she said, "Daddy."

Robert blinked before he walked over to his daughter, wrapping his arms around her and holding her close saying, "Ladybug."

The emotion in his voice indicated just how happy he was and how much he had missed his daughter as his mind had filled in the blanks from the past two years. Hermione began crying more as she returned her father's embrace, crying into his chest. Jean went to join her husband in hugging their daughter, the three of them crying tears of joy. Hermione began apologizing through her tears for altering their memories without permission, for sending them away with no recollection of her or their old lives, of not telling them just how bad the war had gotten, for it being her fault they would have been targets and in danger. Jean and Robert shushed their daughter, promising her they didn't blame her for anything and were just so happy to have her there with them in that moment right now. Hermione felt guilty for robbing her parents of two years of their lives, but her parents were insistent that they understood and didn't blame her for what she had done, telling her they could always make up for lost time together.

Severus, believing that he was intruding on this precious moment between his wife and his in-laws—good grief, he had in-laws now—turned to leave the office, only to be stopped with Jean's voice calling out, "Wait!"

Turning back around, he looked down at Jean who had walked up to him. Looking into his black eyes she asked, "Are you the one who brought our little girl back to us?"

He didn't answer right away, but eventually gave a nod and answered, "Yes."

Severus was surprised when he was suddenly wrapped in a hug by the Muggle woman, startled really. He was used to receiving hugs from Hermione, not anyone else. Not knowing what to do, he kept his hands firmly by his side as Jean thanked him graciously. His eyes shifted to Hermione who was smiling at him, wiping her tears as she watched her mother hug her husband. When Jean eventually let go of Severus, she looked back at her daughter and said, "Darling, we have so much to discuss now that we have our memories back."

"Yes, so much to discuss. What has happened the in past two years, ladybug?" Robert asked before his eyes drifted to Severus. Giving him a somewhat suspicious look, he asked, "And who is this man you have brought with you?"

Hermione's eyes widened for a moment before looking back at Severus, he too staring at her due to the question. She knew she could go the safe route in answering and introduce Severus as her former Potions professor, but she also didn't want to lie to about his real status to her. How were her parents to react in finding out that she was married, bonded, to a man who had been her teacher for all her Hogwarts schooling career? And more importantly, would her father try to kill Severus for marrying her? He had always said he'd string the man that wished to marry her by his bootstraps before he allowed him to wed her. What would he do now?

Severus, seeming to understand the confliction his wife was feeling, cleared his throat before saying, "To answer all questions and discuss all that has happened, it will have to take place another time or elsewhere. You two are still at work and have at least two appointments waiting. But if you wish to discuss everything now, then you will have to cancel your appointments and close up early."

Robert and Jean looked at each other, silently discussing what they should do. Hermione, used to their silent communication, stepped over to Severus and whispered, "I don't know what to tell them about us."

"Don't worry about that right now. Let us talk with your parents after filling them in and see where it goes from there," Severus replied back softly.

Hermione took a deep breath and nodded before turning back to face her parents who seemed to have come to a consensus. The couple told Severus and Hermione that they would finish their appointments for the day, and that they should come to their house later that evening for dinner. Agreeing to that, Hermione hugged her parents once more before leaving with Severus, a happy smile on her face.

The moment they stepped out of the dental practice, Hermione launched herself at Severus, leaping into his arms and hugging him close, a joyful laugh escaping her throat. Severus, having caught the brunette reflexively, smiled softly at the sound of her laughter, holding her close as she hugged him. Listening to how happy she sounded, it made his heart pound a little harder in his chest yet made him feel lighter as well. And in that moment, he realized that it was because he was happy, that he was happy because his wife was happy, and that feeling made him feel good. Severus realized that he always seemed to feel this way with Hermione but was just now placing the emotion.

As Hermione finally released him and happily tugged him down the sidewalk insisting they get lunch somewhere to celebrate before the Grangers later that evening, Severus began to wonder just how much he had begun to really care for the insufferable know-it-all that was his wife, that her happiness meant something to him when in the beginning he could have cared less. Maybe it came with the territory of having a wife and being a good husband. Well, he supposed it didn't matter; just that she was, and it pleased him to see her happy.

Later that evening, Severus and Hermione were inside the Grangers' home, Jean and Robert telling them about how life in Australia had been treating them. Hermione was happy to hear her parents were well while away. When Robert had asked Severus once again, Severus had simply answered with his name and profession. Remembering why his name sounded familiar, Jean had said, "Oh, you're the brilliant Potions professor Hermione spoke of that taught her. She says you are very no nonsense."

"I am. Potions is a subtle, delicate art that requires skill and taken with the utmost seriousness. Those that do no wish to partake in the art of potion making seriously have no business near a cauldron lest they wish to harm themselves and those around them," Severus had replied.

Hermione had smiled as she heard the passion for potions hidden behind her husband's deep, almost monotone voice. After a few months of being married, she had begun to figure out the changes in his voice, especially now that they had gotten over the intimacy hurdle.

Jean soon served dinner and they were all having a pleasant time. Jean had made everything that Hermione loved, including her favorite dessert, lemon meringue pie. Discussion went from subject to subject, the four of them talking about this and that. Though during dessert, that was when discussion of the past two years came up. Hermione spoke about what had happened with the war, how she had gone off with Harry and Ron to hunt Voldemort's Horcruxes and all that had happened during that time, all the way to returning to Hogwarts for the final battle. Her parents were horrified that their daughter had participated in a war, had been captured and even tortured. They were even more horrified to learn that Severus had been a Death Eater and had murdered Professor Dumbledore, though calmed down when their daughter quickly explained that he had been a double agent for Dumbledore and had been ordered by the old man to kill him when the time was right. She also explained how Severus himself had almost been killed by Voldemort but had given Harry the information he needed to truly end the war and do away with Voldemort.

"Severus really is a good man, mum. He's done so much for others when life hasn't been fair to him all his life," Hermione said, her eyes imploring for both her parents to understand.

Jean and Robert saw the compassion their daughter had for her former professor and smiled. Their daughter had a good sense of judgment and she wouldn't be defending Severus if he really was a bad person. As Hermione continued to speak about the Wizarding World picking their lives back up after the war, Robert took the time to observe Severus. Not just him, but Hermione too. He had taken notice of how close they seemed to be, though it was rather subtle on Severus's part. They obviously cared for one another, but he couldn't quite figure out just how much. Perhaps they had just formed a friendship and leant on one another, but something didn't seem quite right with that explanation.

Deciding to just ask, Robert asked Severus, "Who are you to Hermione, Severus?"

Severus blinked as he turned to look at Robert, not really surprised that he was being asked this by his wife's father. He was surprised he had waited this long to begin interrogating him. In response, he answered easily, "I'm her husband."

"You're what?!" Robert exclaimed, standing from his seat.

"Robert," Jean admonished, pulling him back down in his seat by his sleeve. Like her husband, she was shocked by the news, but wanted to keep a level head about it. Looking at her daughter who was staring into her plate with a red face, she spoke saying, "Hermione, please explain how you and your professor are married."

Hermione looked nervously at Severus before saying, "It's a long story, and I'm afraid you won't understand."

"Did he force you, ladybug?" Robert asked glaring at Severus.

"No, he didn't."

"Did you begin a relationship while in school?" Jean asked.

"Merlin, no," Severus answered, a look of disgust crossing her face at the thought of having a relationship with a student while they were still schooling under him.

Jean thought for a moment before asking, "Is your marriage one of convenience? Is it arranged? And if so, by whom?"

Hermione took a deep breath and answered, "It was arranged and done so by the Ministry of Magic under the Bloodline Restoration Act."

"The B.R.A. is, to sum it up, marry those of dying bloodlines—Pureblood bloodlines—to keep the family from dying out. My family, the Prince family, was one of three chosen and Hermione was chosen to be my bride," Severus continued.

Robert frowned. "But how would they know if you two were compatible?"

"In Pureblood families, compatibility doesn't necessarily matter. It is about producing Pureblood heirs. In my case however, I'm a Halfblood and Hermione is Muggleborn. However, it doesn't matter to them, so long as my mother's blood continues to run through our children's veins, the Prince family will live on."

"Though, Severus and I didn't get along right away. We are both too…stubborn and intelligent for our own good," Hermione said with a sheepish smile. "But we get along now."

Jean smirked and replied, "I don't know, darling. I think you may have finally met your match. I always told Robert the man that married you would have to be your equal in every way in order to handle you. And to be frank, you are rather high maintenance in the way of your brain."

"Tell me something I don't know," Severus murmured, causing Hermione to lightly hit him in his chest in response and Severus to smirk lightly.

Jean couldn't help but giggle at the little display. Robert, though not liking his daughter being married and to someone nearly twenty years her senior, could see just how much they cared for each other. He didn't think they loved each other, but they cared and were comfortable with one another. Not only that, but his ladybug looked happy, she was almost glowing next to this brooding man. Though he didn't like what the B.R.A. had done, perhaps they weren't off in pairing Hermione with Severus.

Clearing his throat, he asked, "So, does this mean children are happening now?"

At that question, Severus had been taking a sip of water and had practically spit it out, instead swallowing and having a slight coughing fit. Hermione, who's face had turned redder than ever, bit her lip before shaking her head and answering, "No, not yet. We um, we haven't discussed it. We're not…we're not ready."

"That's fine, I just wanted to ask," Robert asked while smirking at Severus while the wizard recovered.

Jean shook her head at her husband's antics before saying, "Well, just let us know when you are expecting, darling. We don't want to be surprised when you show up with a baby in your arms in a year's time."

"Mum!" Hermione exclaimed, her husband's face turning pink next to her.

The Grangers chuckled before changing the subject, deciding it was time to leave the other couple alone. Even so, Hermione couldn't help but think about what her parents had asked. Children…children between her and Severus. Was she ready for that? And furthermore, did Severus even want any?