Disclaimer: JKR's. Need we say more?
A/N: Today, 10-22-02 is Jordan's birthday. HAPPY BIRTHDAY! Thank you to all our wonderful reviewers.
A few days passed, and every evening found Hermione alone with Taryn. There were still things that Severus wasn't telling
her, like why exactly he came home past midnight every night. She was beginning to get extremely agitated; not only because
he was neglecting her, but because he was neglecting their daughter as well.
It was a similar night that found Hermione sitting stone-rigid in a chair, glaring into the flames of the massive fire
before her. It was almost one in the morning when she heard the soft creak of the door open. A soft rustle of robes
being discarded, shoes kicked off quietly into a corner. Soft footsteps were heard traversing to their bedroom.
He hadn't seen her.
The door began to creak open slowly.
"Severus." Hermione ground out monotonously.
"Hermione?" he questioned, scanning the room for her presence. The chair she occupied was high-backed, he couldn't see
her short frame when looking at the back of it.
"We need to talk." Calm, yet still monotone, hinting at anger.
"What about?" he shifted his footing, attempting to gain his bearings and locate where her voice was coming from.
"For the past three nights, you've come home in the middle of the night. You've been neglecting Taryn... You've," she
paused, choking back a sob, "You've been neglecting me."
Severus moved forward in the darkened room, letting the ghostly shadows of light cast forth by the flames in the fireplace
guide his way.
"Hermione, where are you?" he squinted, glancing about the expansive room.
"What have you been doing, Severus?" she ignored him, presenting her own inquiries.
He finally located her, moving to stand in front of the chair. The move blocked out the fireplace, causing Hermione to see
the silhouette of her husband. Dark shadows leapt across his features, distorting them. She didn't know if he was angry
or concerned. But none of that mattered to her, she was too pissed to care.
"I can't tell you, Hermione." he paused, attempting to gauge her reaction. Her features remained stone-like. "Not right
now anyways." he continued.
"Like hell." she spat.
"Hermione, why are you being like this?!" he asked, "You're acting like a child."
"The only child here is you, Severus. You're keeping secrets. From me. From your wife." she finally looked up at him, into
his eyes. He could see the pain and anger swirling like a hurricane within her eyes. And he did this to her. "We promised
that when we got married, we would never keep secrets from each other. We'd always be able to confide in one another, no
matter what the situation be."
"It's not that easy." he ground out.
"Then why didn't you say that before we got bloody married!" she yelled hysterically.
A loud howl echoed forth from a connecting chamber.
Taryn was awake.
Hermione threw one last glare at her husband, before stalking into the nursery.
"It's for your own good." he whispered, fighting back the tears. Snapes did not cry, unless they were infants. He would
not cry. No.
Escaping to his classroom, the tears fell freely.
~*~
The next afternoon found an exhausted Severus seated in Albus' office with a steaming cup of tea in his shaking grasp.
Harry was seated beside him, looking curiously at the man beside him.
"She'll come around, when all is said and done." Albus offered a reassuring smile.
"Yeah. I know 'Mione, she doesn't stay mad for long. Unless it's at Ron." Harry lightly joked, trying to ease the tension.
He was awarded with a rare smile from the Potions Master. It was a half-smile, but a smile non-the-less.
"I suppose your right. I just hate keeping things from her." his voice was hoarse from a night filled with tears and regret.
"Oi, cheer up mate!" Harry patted Severus lightly on the shoulder. Severus glared at Harry. Harry cringed, withdrawing his
hand. "I see some things haven't changed..." he murmured, shrinking back into his seat.
"Let's get down to business." Albus interjected. "Have your experiments been successful?"
"Yes. After almost a week of studying, of course with the help of Voldemort's constant summoning, we're now able to confirm
that Harry's burn does indeed work as a Dark Mark." Into 'Evil, greasy-git Potions Master' lecture mode, Severus was
intimidating and convincing.
"Ahhh." Albus nodded.
"We've also made a number of potions, as I said we would. I have every belief that they will be effective if needed."
Severus smirked, priding himself in his accomplishments.
Harry rolled his eyes, taking over the conversation.
"We've formulated a plan." he took a deep breath before continuing. "Next time Voldemort summons, I will respond, wearing
Severus' old Death Eater's robes and mask. Hopefully, Voldemort will be none the wiser."
"I see."
"There will be a tracking spell placed on me, giving you Voldemort's location; giving the Order enough time to arrive."
"I see."
"I will then attempt to take down Voldemort. Of course, I'll succeed..."
"Don't be so sure of yourself Mr. Potter." Severus interjected. Harry ignored him and continued.
"But no doubt, the gathered followers will be a trifle mad that I've killed their master. That is where the Order will be
needed. I can't take them all by myself. With their help, we'll be able to eradicate and capture as many Death Eaters as
possible."
"I see."
"You see everything, don't you?" Severus sneered, annoyed at the calmness Albus portrayed. Albus only winked.
"Well, we must call the Order together. Soon." before he could continue, the door swung open, banging against the wall.
Hermione.
Glaring at Severus, she looked about the room. At her arrival, the threesome had fallen silent. They were all keeping something
from her.
She turned to her husband, eyes flashing anger and disappointment.
"You can't confide in me- your wife...your lover!" Harry cringed at 'lover', "Yet you can confide in my best friend, whom,
might I add, you LOATH?!"
""Hey! Don't pull me into this!" Harry exclaimed
"I figured you'd be able to talk to Albus, but HARRY!?" she screeched.
"I'm not that bad..." Harry frowned.
"Hermione, calm down." Severus whispered.
"Calm down!? CALM BLOODY DOWN!" she seethed. Severus cringed at her outburst, Harry hung his head in an attempt to become
suddenly invisible. Albus only watched with amusement.
"You find this amusing?" she spat, glaring at Albus. He didn't get a chance to answer. "I thought we were family. All of us."
she paused, furiously wiping away a tear. "Obviously I was wrong." stalking out of the room, the door slammed behind her.
"Well, that went well." Harry grinned, unsure of what to do.
"Shut up, Potter."
~*~
"Harry?" A soft, timid voice rang forth as he entered his quarters.
"Yes, love. It's me." he answered as he shrugged out of his robes, chucking his shoes into an empty corner. Ginny appeared
out of the kitchen, carrying two glasses of water. One she handed to Harry, who took it gratefully; the other she sipped
silently, watching as Harry got comfortable in his favorite chair.
Moving to stand before him, Ginny smiled lovingly.
"Harry, I need your help."
Harry groaned. Last time someone had asked his help, he left with 2 pints of blood gone from his fragile body.
"I swore to myself that I would never agree to help anyone ever again." he explained, looking up at her. Noting the
sad expression on his wife's face, he hastily continued. "But for you, my love, I'd do anything."
Ginny grinned from ear to ear, placing her glass on the table. She moved to sit in Harry's lap, wrapping her arms around
his neck, as he smiled up at her and wrapped his arms around her waist.
"Good." she breathed. Harry kissed her forehead, urging her on.
"I want another baby."
A/N: Today, 10-22-02 is Jordan's birthday. HAPPY BIRTHDAY! Thank you to all our wonderful reviewers.
A few days passed, and every evening found Hermione alone with Taryn. There were still things that Severus wasn't telling
her, like why exactly he came home past midnight every night. She was beginning to get extremely agitated; not only because
he was neglecting her, but because he was neglecting their daughter as well.
It was a similar night that found Hermione sitting stone-rigid in a chair, glaring into the flames of the massive fire
before her. It was almost one in the morning when she heard the soft creak of the door open. A soft rustle of robes
being discarded, shoes kicked off quietly into a corner. Soft footsteps were heard traversing to their bedroom.
He hadn't seen her.
The door began to creak open slowly.
"Severus." Hermione ground out monotonously.
"Hermione?" he questioned, scanning the room for her presence. The chair she occupied was high-backed, he couldn't see
her short frame when looking at the back of it.
"We need to talk." Calm, yet still monotone, hinting at anger.
"What about?" he shifted his footing, attempting to gain his bearings and locate where her voice was coming from.
"For the past three nights, you've come home in the middle of the night. You've been neglecting Taryn... You've," she
paused, choking back a sob, "You've been neglecting me."
Severus moved forward in the darkened room, letting the ghostly shadows of light cast forth by the flames in the fireplace
guide his way.
"Hermione, where are you?" he squinted, glancing about the expansive room.
"What have you been doing, Severus?" she ignored him, presenting her own inquiries.
He finally located her, moving to stand in front of the chair. The move blocked out the fireplace, causing Hermione to see
the silhouette of her husband. Dark shadows leapt across his features, distorting them. She didn't know if he was angry
or concerned. But none of that mattered to her, she was too pissed to care.
"I can't tell you, Hermione." he paused, attempting to gauge her reaction. Her features remained stone-like. "Not right
now anyways." he continued.
"Like hell." she spat.
"Hermione, why are you being like this?!" he asked, "You're acting like a child."
"The only child here is you, Severus. You're keeping secrets. From me. From your wife." she finally looked up at him, into
his eyes. He could see the pain and anger swirling like a hurricane within her eyes. And he did this to her. "We promised
that when we got married, we would never keep secrets from each other. We'd always be able to confide in one another, no
matter what the situation be."
"It's not that easy." he ground out.
"Then why didn't you say that before we got bloody married!" she yelled hysterically.
A loud howl echoed forth from a connecting chamber.
Taryn was awake.
Hermione threw one last glare at her husband, before stalking into the nursery.
"It's for your own good." he whispered, fighting back the tears. Snapes did not cry, unless they were infants. He would
not cry. No.
Escaping to his classroom, the tears fell freely.
~*~
The next afternoon found an exhausted Severus seated in Albus' office with a steaming cup of tea in his shaking grasp.
Harry was seated beside him, looking curiously at the man beside him.
"She'll come around, when all is said and done." Albus offered a reassuring smile.
"Yeah. I know 'Mione, she doesn't stay mad for long. Unless it's at Ron." Harry lightly joked, trying to ease the tension.
He was awarded with a rare smile from the Potions Master. It was a half-smile, but a smile non-the-less.
"I suppose your right. I just hate keeping things from her." his voice was hoarse from a night filled with tears and regret.
"Oi, cheer up mate!" Harry patted Severus lightly on the shoulder. Severus glared at Harry. Harry cringed, withdrawing his
hand. "I see some things haven't changed..." he murmured, shrinking back into his seat.
"Let's get down to business." Albus interjected. "Have your experiments been successful?"
"Yes. After almost a week of studying, of course with the help of Voldemort's constant summoning, we're now able to confirm
that Harry's burn does indeed work as a Dark Mark." Into 'Evil, greasy-git Potions Master' lecture mode, Severus was
intimidating and convincing.
"Ahhh." Albus nodded.
"We've also made a number of potions, as I said we would. I have every belief that they will be effective if needed."
Severus smirked, priding himself in his accomplishments.
Harry rolled his eyes, taking over the conversation.
"We've formulated a plan." he took a deep breath before continuing. "Next time Voldemort summons, I will respond, wearing
Severus' old Death Eater's robes and mask. Hopefully, Voldemort will be none the wiser."
"I see."
"There will be a tracking spell placed on me, giving you Voldemort's location; giving the Order enough time to arrive."
"I see."
"I will then attempt to take down Voldemort. Of course, I'll succeed..."
"Don't be so sure of yourself Mr. Potter." Severus interjected. Harry ignored him and continued.
"But no doubt, the gathered followers will be a trifle mad that I've killed their master. That is where the Order will be
needed. I can't take them all by myself. With their help, we'll be able to eradicate and capture as many Death Eaters as
possible."
"I see."
"You see everything, don't you?" Severus sneered, annoyed at the calmness Albus portrayed. Albus only winked.
"Well, we must call the Order together. Soon." before he could continue, the door swung open, banging against the wall.
Hermione.
Glaring at Severus, she looked about the room. At her arrival, the threesome had fallen silent. They were all keeping something
from her.
She turned to her husband, eyes flashing anger and disappointment.
"You can't confide in me- your wife...your lover!" Harry cringed at 'lover', "Yet you can confide in my best friend, whom,
might I add, you LOATH?!"
""Hey! Don't pull me into this!" Harry exclaimed
"I figured you'd be able to talk to Albus, but HARRY!?" she screeched.
"I'm not that bad..." Harry frowned.
"Hermione, calm down." Severus whispered.
"Calm down!? CALM BLOODY DOWN!" she seethed. Severus cringed at her outburst, Harry hung his head in an attempt to become
suddenly invisible. Albus only watched with amusement.
"You find this amusing?" she spat, glaring at Albus. He didn't get a chance to answer. "I thought we were family. All of us."
she paused, furiously wiping away a tear. "Obviously I was wrong." stalking out of the room, the door slammed behind her.
"Well, that went well." Harry grinned, unsure of what to do.
"Shut up, Potter."
~*~
"Harry?" A soft, timid voice rang forth as he entered his quarters.
"Yes, love. It's me." he answered as he shrugged out of his robes, chucking his shoes into an empty corner. Ginny appeared
out of the kitchen, carrying two glasses of water. One she handed to Harry, who took it gratefully; the other she sipped
silently, watching as Harry got comfortable in his favorite chair.
Moving to stand before him, Ginny smiled lovingly.
"Harry, I need your help."
Harry groaned. Last time someone had asked his help, he left with 2 pints of blood gone from his fragile body.
"I swore to myself that I would never agree to help anyone ever again." he explained, looking up at her. Noting the
sad expression on his wife's face, he hastily continued. "But for you, my love, I'd do anything."
Ginny grinned from ear to ear, placing her glass on the table. She moved to sit in Harry's lap, wrapping her arms around
his neck, as he smiled up at her and wrapped his arms around her waist.
"Good." she breathed. Harry kissed her forehead, urging her on.
"I want another baby."