Disclaimer:- I neither earn nor own anything from this story except my plot. Harry Potter and his world are the intellectual property of JK Rowling and her associates.

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A/N:- Thank you to my beta, Golden Asp, for her work on this chapter. Thank you also to everyone for your amazing response to this story, I have really enjoyed all your lovely reviews and alerts, I've loved all of them. I'm also really interested in people's speculations about what has taken place. I know that it's fairly simple to work out what's happened, I haven't worked very hard to hide it, I'm more interested in the Severus Hermione relationship. :-)

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Chapter Two – Getting To Know You

As soon as he made it to his study, Severus started to try to analyse what was going on in his head, as well as what his body seemed to be trying to tell him. She struck something deep inside him, and he had just allowed it to happen. Was he in danger of being too interested in her? Why had he just accepted that? Had he mellowed that much in the time since the war? The answer was, yes, it appeared that he had. Was he more taken with her than he should be? He chuckled to himself, he believed that the answer to that question was also a yes.

Severus was still deep in thought when he heard the soft knock on the door. "Come," he answered, and when Hermione had arrived in front of him he indicated that she should sit, and said, "This will be your work area, there is no need to knock."

"I am an employee as well as a guest in your home, it is polite to knock," she stated plainly.

"And I am informing you as your employer that you do not need to observe the convention."

"Thank you," and she wanted to tell him more, but she stayed silent. She was still uncertain of this new polite Severus Snape.

"Would you like more tea while we discuss the work I will require of you?"

"No, thank you, I am fine."

Severus could see that she was still processing the changes in him since she'd last had anything to do with him, and he wanted to yell at her that people do grow and change as their circumstances allow. The problem was that he could see that she had also changed; she was still the feisty young woman he had known, but life had tempered her enthusiasm, and yet again he wondered what had happened to her. How had a bookish academic ended up being an ostracised single mother?

He nodded at her request and started informing her of her duties. "I have given your situation much thought, and I have resolved that as long as you work a thirty six hour week, then you may work whatever hours the care of your infant dictates." He then took a deep breath and before she'd had a chance to add anything, he continued, "However, I heard Minerva caution you to rest this afternoon. Therefore, you will please inform me of why. I have no wish to go against any health advice I am unaware of."

"Treat me as you would any other employee, sir, I will not complain."

He noted the change back to formality, he had upset her, but he did not want her doing things she could not manage. Then it hit him, she was a Gryffindor, and he realised that he'd offended her work ethic. "Miss Granger… I mean, Hermione. Rest assured, you will be treated as any other employee, but I do not wish to be lacking as an employer. You have the right to be happy and comfortable in your employment, so to put it bluntly, don't be bloody-minded and stoic, it is unbecoming of your intelligence."

Oh," was all Hermione managed to say. Now, there was the Snape she remembered, but even this was only exasperation and not the cruelty she was used to him dealing out. "My apologies, Severus," she stated as sincerely as she could. "I am not used to having people take my short-comings into consideration."

"And why the deuce not? What sort of people have you been keeping company with?"

Her mouth pinched and she suddenly realised that this man was showing her more consideration than her so-called friends ever had. Of course, Professor McGonagall had also, but she'd always shown everyone consideration. She cleared her throat delicately. "Perhaps that's best not dwelt on."

He raised an eyebrow, but did not expect her to elaborate.

She took a deep breath as she also realised that this was the first time she'd seen him since the war, and her body told her that he was everything she'd always thought she'd want in a man, and she started speaking regardless of her brain telling her that he would not want to hear just how much his consideration of her situation had moved her. "It is a strange fact that we often do not know how well off we are until we have lost things. My parents used to treat me with the consideration that you and Minerva… and even old Filch has recently given me. I did not know how low I had stooped since starting at Hogwarts as a student. My current predicament is entirely due to trusting the wrong people, people I realise now that have never considered my feelings in the same way as they do their own." She paused and saw him listening to her with a calm expression on his face, but she ducked her head, wondering what he would think of her. Would he consider what she'd just said as demonstrating weakness? His reply surprised her.

"I know all about trusting the wrong people, Hermione," he leant forward slightly. "That was the start of my biggest mistake, and the one that cost Lily her life." He shook his head. "You can't tell me anything about mistakes that I don't already know."

Hermione smiled slightly. "Then I guess we make a good pair."

He turned his head slightly and then pursed his lips. "Although I do not know the proportions of your mistake, I believe you may be correct." He had just opened his mouth to continue when Hermione's wand vibrated telling her that Alice was awake.

"Oh, Alice is awake. Maybe we could continue this discussion another time."

"Very well, just call Shotsie if you need anything. Would you wish to feed and settle Miss Alice before we dine this evening?"

"What time do you normally have dinner?" Hermione asked, thoughtfully.

"Eight."

"Then yes, Alice is normally in bed asleep by then." She cleared her throat. "However, tonight may be an exception as she has only just had her nap."

"Very well, let us play it by ear then. Unless we have guests, our meals are quite informal and normally in the kitchen to save the elves cleaning up the dining room."

"That is considerate of you." She was impressed that he considered the needs of his elves. "And yes, I frequently find that you must be flexible with a small child to consider."

"So Draco tells me," Severus replied.

They were now walking towards up the stairs towards the sound of a grizzling baby.

"How old is… is it Scorpius?"

"Yes, that is correct, and he is just over two."

Hermione smiled. "Alice will be two next month," and she turned into her rooms as Severus continued to stride down the hall and into another room further up. She assumed that it was his room, but was then taken up with caring for Alice.

xox

It became apparent over the next week that Hermione Granger was far from well, and was very wary of allowing people to see weakness in her. This made Severus wonder yet again how she'd been treated by the people around her, and what he could do to assist her. These thoughts had ceased to shock him now, because he'd been having them all week.

He knew that he was in danger of becoming too close and that he might get burned for his trouble, but both of the witches had him at their mercy, the trick was obviously not to let them see that they did.

Sighing as he realised that his thoughts had yet again strayed to the witch in the next room, he turned slightly to observe her through the open door in the workroom, where she was working quietly cleaning the leather cover of an ancient tome. Both she and Alice had easily fit into his household, even after only a week.

In her workroom, Hermione was cleaning the book and considering that she might just have struck up a friendship with Severus Snape, and she couldn't help smiling. She had gone from being very wary of him, even if she was thinking that he might be the kind of wizard that would interest her, to being very comfortable with him and knowing that he was the wizard she'd thought she might never find. She sighed, glancing at Alice playing beside her, but what would happen when he knew her secret? Severus hated Harry, that was no secret, and when he learned what had happened he might not want anything to do with her or Alice.

Severus had been happily interacting with Alice; he was becoming very fatherly with her, showing a side of his personality that she counted herself very privileged to see. He had even helped Hermione set warding barriers to keep her safe, because Hermione could not move quickly enough to catch her if she got a run up. The usually stoic man had also easily started helping her care for Alice, and this shocked her more than anything. She had never thought that Severus Snape would be such a kind and patient man.

As she was thinking about this, Alice said, "Mummy, butty. Butty!"

"Butty?" Severus asked, walking into the room.

"Peanut butter," Hermione replied. "She's hungry."

"Oh," and he easily lifted Alice out of the warded play area. "Then perhaps it's time for lunch, Miss Alice."

"Butty," the little girl repeated, winding her little arms around Severus' neck.

Hermione's heart constricted when he allowed Alice to snuggle into him, and the absurd thought entered her mind that she might like to do that as well. She banished it quickly and steeled herself for the exertion of making it to the kitchen for lunch. The trip was only a relatively short one, but still, Hogwarts had been easier because she'd just had an elf deliver their food to them. They'd never ventured out into the school while they'd been there.

Severus watched Hermione balance on one leg while she collected her cane and then tentatively tested her weight on the injured one. She seemed to be in great pain today. Her pain levels seemed to fluctuate proportionally to the amount of time she spent on her feet, but there were ways of relieving this type of pain, and Severus wondered why nothing had been done for her. The question was out of his mouth before his brain had filtered it. "Why has nothing been done to relieve your injury?" He seemed to have no discretion where this witch was concerned.

They paused in their progress towards the kitchen, and Hermione sighed and then smiled as Alice started chanting the word 'butty' because they'd stopped. She looked at her daughter. "Patience, Alice," she chided.

"Sowy, Mummy," Alice replied.

"It's okay, sweetie, but little girls must not interrupt adults." She glanced at Severus and was surprised that she had no hesitation in telling him what had happened. "The healers thought it was safest to allow the curse to wear off."

"It has lasted over two years, Hermione."

She struggled another two steps and then sighed once more. "I just assumed that I would have to deal with it until it faded. Minerva and Poppy tried to keep me off my foot as much as possible, and I had no choice as my pregnancy advanced because the extra weight made walking more painful, but now…" and she shrugged.

"The caster must have had a black heart, as it is obviously a very virile curse."

"There was a time when I would never have suspected her to have," Hermione replied, shaking her head slightly.

"A witch did this to you?" Severus asked, obviously surprised.

Hermione was aware that she had already told him that she had sustained the curse protecting her unborn baby. He obviously had a good memory, and she realised, as a delicious feeling shot through her, that he cared about her wellbeing. "Umm… Yes."

This told Severus more of her situation. Perhaps she'd been involved with a married man then. He didn't say anything, but sat her down with her daughter at the kitchen table and handed her a banana to feed Alice until her sandwich was ready.

"Here. You sit with Alice and help her, I'll do this."

Hermione smiled up at him, and was surprised when it was apparent that he was trying to smile back, but then she sobered remembering that he was her employer and that she should be helping. "You don't have to do that, Severus. I can make it."

"We've all got to eat," he replied, "and I rather enjoy dabbling in the kitchen when the elves are otherwise engaged." Then he shot her a look as he pulled the peanut butter from the cupboard. "Besides, Miss Alice here would be screaming the place down by now if you were doing this alone, and whilst her robust vocalisations do not bother me, it is rather counterproductive, isn't it?"

Hermione found herself smiling once more. "Yes, it is. The elves did so much at Hogwarts, I'd never really thought about what it would be like without them… Well, we're not really without them, but I like that you still do things for yourself even though they're here."

"Even while I was at Hogwarts I did things for myself, Hermione. It does not please me to see people ordering the poor little creatures to do everything for them. Lazy bastards," he sneered.

"Oh Severus, that's exactly what I think, and I hate not being able to do things for myself."

However, their conversation was cut short when the back door opened admitting Argus and Mrs Norris.

"Hello, Mr Filch, Mrs Norris," Hermione said cheerfully without hesitation, as Alice waved enthusiastically at them.

"Hello, Hermione, young Alice. Afternoon, Severus."

"Good afternoon. Is everything ready?" Severus replied.

"Yes, I have the pathway cleared for the trees."

"Good, we'll do that first after lunch," Severus replied, placing sandwiches in front of Alice, Hermione and Argus before sitting down at the table with his own and pointing his wand at the kettle on the stove to increase the heat under it for tea.

The four of them ate their meal and after tea, Severus said, "Bundle Miss Alice and yourself up, we have a chore to see to that I believe you might enjoy."

"Oh, I don't know, Severus, I find outside to be very difficult," Hermione replied, her expression sad.

"I have a plan that will make it less so," and he called Shotsie. "Are the decorations all stored away?"

"Yes, sir."

"Excellent. Now, go upstairs and bring back Miss Alice and Hermione's coats, hats and scarves."

"Yes, sir," the little elf replied, and popped away.

"Does Alice have rain boots?" Severus asked Hermione.

"Yes, but I haven't seen them since the day we arrived."

Severus nodded. "Accio, Alice's rain boots." Alice's little pink gum boots arrived in his hand and he watched Hermione finish cleaning the baby's face and hands following her lunch before he handed them to her.

"I'll bring it around," Argus said, and disappeared out the back door before Hermione could question him.

She looked at Severus, and found him ready to help her on with her coat.

He saw the questions bubbling up in her expression, but he said, "No questions for once, Hermione. Just trust me."

Hermione found herself blushing and nodded before quickly looking to Alice to fix her coat.

"Come," Severus encouraged, looking very smug.

He ushered them towards the front door and out onto the porch, just as Argus arrived with a horse drawn sled, and another horse tied to the back.

"Oh, Severus," Hermione gasped in tandem with Alice's excited squeal of, "Horsey."

"Ladies," he encouraged, easily catching Alice as she made a dash for the horse. "You can pat the horse once Mummy is safely in the sled, Alice."

"Otay," the little girl stated, nodding her curly head.

Severus was surprised with her easy acquiesce; Scorpius would have screamed the place down at being asked to wait, and his respect for Hermione's quiet, but strict parenting grew as he placed Alice in the sled. "Now sit there quietly while I help Mummy in," Severus told her, and he turned to Hermione. "May I?"

"Umm… yes," she replied, uncertain of what he had in mind. The last thing she'd been expecting was that he would sweep in and lift her into the sled. Her arms instinctively went around his neck as she tried to balance herself, and she shrieked with laughter at the feeling of being in the air. Then she landed safely on the seat in the sled and forced herself to let go of Severus. What must he think of her, grabbing him like that? "Sorry," she muttered, her head down.

"Think nothing of it," he replied, as he tucked the fur rug around her and picked up Alice. "Come, Miss Alice." He took her to the horse at the back first. "This is Octavius." He waited for her to pat the sleek black horse on the neck and then he walked with her to the horse drawing the sled. "And this is Sultan. Now you sit next to Mummy under the blanket and we'll be on our way," and he turned to the house as Hermione organised Alice to sit next to her.

At his command the two trees that had been the Christmas trees suddenly marched out the front door.

To Hermione's surprise Severus bowed his head to them as Alice laughed and clapped.

"Thank you," he told them, and then smiled. "Now, back to the forest with you," and he cast a spell as he untied the black horse from the sled and mounted it.

The trees took off across the snow, appearing to run on their roots as Severus cantered after them with Argus expertly driving the sled as they followed.

Hermione snuggled up with Alice, holding her tightly because she was very excited, just as Hermione herself was having trouble containing her enthusiasm at the sight before them. The wind whipped around them as the sled hurried along, and Hermione realised that this was the most she had enjoyed moving for so long, and she felt tears burning at the backs of her eyes along with the surge of happiness she felt.

Then she focused on the man riding his horse in front of them. She had learnt to ride when she was younger, but at this moment she realised that she hadn't even thought of other ways she could get around outside of walking. There were sleds, carriages, horses, all sorts of things, even brooms, hippogriffs and thestrals. Her heart surged as she realised that Severus Snape had just opened up a whole new world for her, and she was flabbergasted.

Now she felt even more ashamed of taking him to task over how he would treat them when she'd first arrived. They had been resident in his house now for a little over a week and in that time Hermione had only seen his snarky side once, and it was definitely not aimed at her or Alice. Well, she hadn't so much as seen it, but heard it. Draco, his wife and son had been visiting. Hermione had been busy in her work room off the library on the floor above and Alice had been having her morning nap when there had been words exchanged between the Malfoys and Severus.

"Come now, Severus, Aunt Magnolia is only in town for two more days, what harm can there be in meeting her?" Draco had said.

"Yes, you need to get out of this stuffy house more often," Astoria had added in her haughty voice.

When he answered, Severus had sounded like he was hissing through his teeth as he used to whilst he'd been her professor, and she'd realised that his wrath might not have just been reserved for Gryffindors, but anyone he thought had over-stepped their mark. Today he sounded very annoyed, and she felt sorry for him because her well-meaning friends had done the same thing to her on numerous occasions in the past.

"I am perfectly happy," he'd told them, "in this… stuffy house, as you put it. I have everything I require, and I will thank you to keep your opinions on my state of singleness to yourselves. I am not meeting your harridan of an aunt, Draco. I met the dunderheaded, vacuous idiot years ago when your mother took it into her head to… set me up, and I will not be revisiting that disastrous encounter. In fact, your aunt must be extremely stupid if she wishes to meet me once more after my words with her last time. Now desist on the subject or kindly leave."

Hermione had blocked out the remainder of the conversation, but she'd heard enough to know that the snarky man he had once been was still there when people riled him. Then she was brought back from her thoughts as she watched Severus assisting the young trees to settle back into the sheltered grove, and she was spellbound by him all over again.

She wished she could have walked over to him, to help him, to ask him how and why he'd chosen to do things this way, but of course she couldn't. She glanced at Argus sitting in the driver's seat of the sled happily watching with his cat snuggled up beside him not moving, and she settled, realising that perhaps Severus preferred to do this alone.

She had of course heard of magicals who could command nature like this. Pomona Sprout had been the closest person she'd seen so far who could manipulate plants to a certain degree, but she had never seen anyone who could order a tree to come inside for Christmas and then command it to plant itself again afterwards. This made Severus the most powerful wizard she had ever met, and a strange thought struck her. If he was this powerful why did he allow Dumbledore and Riddle to order him around? She had no answer for that, and as he finished settling the soil around the trees, he summoned the bales of hay that were on the back of the sled and spread them in the clearing.

He led his horse back to the sled and tied him up before climbing up next to Hermione and Alice. "Now, Miss Alice, if you're very quiet you'll see something wonderful," he told the small girl.

Alice sat dutifully quiet, and soon much to Hermione's wonder the two horses with them started to nicker softly, and off in the clearing there was a gentle answering whinny as a unicorn stallion trod carefully out into the clearing. The proud beast was ever cautious and vigilant, but when he saw Severus he bowed his head to him and called his herd. There were three mares and a half grown filly, and once more Hermione was mesmerized. "Oh, Severus," she whispered, "I've never seen such a peaceful scene. No wonder you love it here."

"There are not many people who understand this," his decadent voice rumbled near her. Had he leant over closer? She wondered about this as they all watched until the unicorns eating the hay and then disappearing deeper into the forest again.

"Come, we best get Miss Alice inside again, the wind is starting to pick up once more," Severus stated.

"Yes," Hermione glanced down at Alice rubbing her eyes and yawning, "I think it's going to be a cold night."

"Indeed," he commented softly.

They returned slower than they had come, and it was so lovely watching the winter day starting to turn into an early twilight. Yes, night was going to close over quickly today. On the trip home, Severus stayed on the sled with them and his horse tied to it followed.

Hermione reached over and arranged the blanket so it covered his legs as well, and then looked up under her lashes at him. "Thank you," she said, unable to keep the emotion out of her voice. "It is so long since I've enjoyed a trip into the outdoors," and she cleared her throat when her voice broke as she finished speaking.

xox

When they returned to the house, Severus picked up the sleeping Alice after he'd helped Hermione out of the sled. For a moment she'd almost felt like a normal person, but as soon as she'd put weight on her petrified foot, pain radiated up her leg like normal and it was all she could do not to cry out in disappointment.

Of course, Severus heard her rapid intake of breath, and he saw her pain reflected in her eyes and he conjured a chair for her which he commanded to follow them into the house and up the stairs to their rooms. He placed Alice in her cot and divested the little girl of her outside clothes and boots, covered her snuggly, before coming back in to Hermione.

Hermione had lost her fight with her tears once she was alone, and she swiped at her eyes now as Severus returned. "I'm sorry," she muttered, sniffing.

He sat on the lounge beside her. "I wish to help you," he started before he'd fully thought things through.

"Oh," she gasped.

"At least allow me to try and end your pain."

She swallowed hard and nodded, but remained silent as emotion choked her again.

Seeing that he had permission he instantly switched into Potions master role. "Has the pain changed at all since you were cursed?"

"Yes, initially there was no pain, it was just useless and numb, but by the time Alice was almost due there was pain in every step I took."

"Did it change after Alice was born?"

"The pain dulled, but just lately after I've not been on it for a time, it really hurts when I put weight back on it."

"I have noticed that," Severus replied thoughtfully.

"It's almost like it seizes up while I'm not using it."

"How do you cope first thing in the morning?"

"Not well. I sit on the edge of the bed touching my foot to the grounds several times before I can stand on it."

"Does pain potion help?"

"Yes, but it is rather addictive."

"True." His brain was obviously thinking on the problem. "There is one potion I'd like to try, but I know that the Mandrakes will not be ready yet," he told her, "and it will take me a week to brew the concoction, once I have Mandrakes, but there is every possibility that I can at least reduce your pain, and at most fix the problem entirely. Would you allow me to try?"

"Yes, I would value your assistance, and of course I will pay you," she stated plainly.

"You will do no such thing because you will be helping me."

"Oh, okay," and she sniffed. "What can I do?"

"This will be a scientific endeavour, and there are other things that we can try while we wait for the Mandrakes to mature. We will also chronicle our endeavours so as to assist anyone else who finds themselves in this situation," he told her.

"Oh," she replied. "That's an excellent idea."