You know I'm in demand
Severus ran to the 4th floor corridor and to his quarters. He was in his office until late grading papers. He had glanced at the time and realized he had better hurry.
The window of opportunity was very narrow these days. He flew through the door and up the stairs. Turning right, into the first room he came to he walked over to the crib sitting against the wall. He breathed a sigh of relief and tucked the blanket around their 6-month-old son just a bit tighter. He placed a kiss on his index finger and then transferred it to the baby's tiny nose.
Stealthily, so he didn't wake the baby, he moved from the room and continued down the hall. His heart sank as he entered their bedroom. Hermione was tucked in bed, with her eyes closed. Too late.
He slipped into the bathroom to get ready for bed. He wasn't angry, just frustrated. Salazar demanded a lot of her time. She managed, somehow, to share the castle's mediwitch duties with Poppy. They had worked out an on-call schedule for the infirmary and shared the healing arts class load. The baby went everywhere with her. She even taught her classes with him asleep in a small bassinette in the corner, or happily wrapped in his mother's robes suckling.
She was amazing
He crawled into bed beside her. Even though deeply asleep she still, instinctively sought out the warmth of his body. He whispered a charm to quell the need that was stirring within him and wrapped his arms around her small figure.
You see I'm in demand
In the morning, she was gone. Severus arose, showered, and dressed quickly.
Salazar was stirring in his crib. Severus floo'd the house elves for a bottle of breast milk and picked the boy up. He changed his son first, marveling at the perfection of the small hands and feet waving in the air. When he had his son dressed, he sat in the rocker, and fed him. Salazar looked so much like his mother, except for the shock of jet black hair starting to appear on his head.
"Time to go find Mummy, Sal."
They found her in the infirmary. She was sitting at her desk, head down, asleep. Before Severus could slip from the room, Sal saw his mommy and gave an excited squeal. She raised her head and blinked a few times before her eyes settled on them.
Hermione stood up and walked over, taking the baby in her arms. She reached up to her husband and pulled his head down for a kiss. "Good Morning, Severus."
He could only answer with a faint "mmmmmmm" as he claimed her lips again. Salazar began shrieking insistently, upset at being squished between his parents.
Hermione pulled away and automatically undid her robe and settled the baby to her breast. Severus smiled at his son "I already fed him."
"He just likes to be near them, I guess."
"Like father, like son."
You know I'm in demand
Hermione looked up at him with troubled eyes. "Why didn't you wake me when you came home last night?" she asked timidly.
Severus could see the dark circles under under her eyes. He made a mental note to start looking for a cottage to rent for the summer. Classes were over in a few weeks and they could use some time away from the castle.
He sat down on the nearest bed and pulled her into his arms. "You've been so tired, I didn't have the heart. I miss you, I mean, I miss…"
"I miss you, too, Severus. I'm spread so thin right now, I don't know if I'm coming or…" He glared at her. "OK, bad choice of words."
He laughed then, "Relax, things will get easier soon. By the time classes start again in the fall, he'll be weaned, and we'll hire a nanny for during the days. It'll all work out, you'll see."
You know I'm in demand
"What time did you get up this morning?" Severus asked, trying to move his thoughts away from the feel of her bottom in his lap.
Hermione yawned and stretched. She removed the sleeping baby from her breast and laid him on the bed before answering. "Albus called me at 3am. Seems a couple of the Hufflepuff 5th years had the bright idea to go for a midnight ride. When one of them fell and broke his leg, they decided to try and fix it themselves instead of getting in trouble. To make a long story short, they pulled a Gilderoy Lockheart on it and I've spent the night trying to regrow the boy's leg bones."
She settled back against her husband, enjoying the warmth and comfort of his body. After a few minutes Severus realized she was asleep. He stood up with his wife in his arms and laid her on a nearby bed. He pulled the blanket up and placed a kiss on her forehead.
He picked up their sleeping son and slipped from the room. "Well, Sal, looks like you're going to Potions class this morning."
You never had our love written in your plans
That night, Hermione and Severus rushed through their evening schedule. Salazar was tucked in bed, and they were settled in the master bedroom by 9PM
Severus drew his wife to him, kissing her gently. It had been a long time, and he was fighting to stay in control. Her hands roamed over his body and her breathless cries only served to fuel his fire.
Suddenly, from the fireplace, the voice of the Slytherin Head Boy called, "Professor Snape, sir, I'm sorry to disturb you. Several of the students have been dueling in the dungeons. Things are out of hand, sir. They're in the potions lab brawling now and I can't seem to get things under control."
It had been a long time since Hermione had seen such fury etched over her husband's face. "I'll be right there."
He rose from the bed and began dressing. "Is Poppy on call tonight?"
Hermione nodded silently.
"Good then, I have a feeling there will be some Slytherin bastards in need of her services. You had better get some rest," he placed a kiss on her head. "This will be a long night." He moved to the door.
"Severus?"
He stopped but did not look back.
"I love you."
His shoulders slumped a bit, but he still did not look back. "I love you, too Hermione. Try and sleep." And he was gone.
You know I'm in demand
The next morning, Hermione rose and got herself and Salazar dressed quickly. She had people to see and arrangements to be made.
At breakfast in the Great Hall she found out the potions classroom had been a shambles when Severus arrived. He had not returned to their quarters last night, so she imagined he had spent a good portion of the night re-organizing.
She had to speak to Albus immediately following breakfast. The Headmaster filled her in on more details of the night, including the fact that the Slytherins had lost 250 house points.
Hermione knew her husband was really at the end of his rope.
Next stop for Hermione and Sal was the DADA classroom and a talk with Harry and then on to the infirmary. Poppy had her hands full with 5 Slytherins recovering from the noxious fumes of several knocked over cauldrons.
A quick trip in to Hogsmeade and she could be back by lunchtime!!!
Things were going well.
You see I'm in demand
The first year Ravenclaws filed out of the potions lab, the last class before lunch. Severus put his head down on the desk, planning to try and catch an hour's sleep before an afternoon filled with back to back to back Gryffindors. "Oh joy"
He didn't realize that his wife had slipped in the room until he heard the door click shut. He lifted his head in time to see her robes drop to the floor as she whispered the words to ward the room.
She walked slowly over and around to his side of the desk. She lifted one leg over top of him, and sat down in his lap, straddling him; pinned between him and the desk.
You need me in demand
"Did you hear that Harry decided to take the Gryffindor's on a Friday afternoon field trip to the Dark Forest??" she asked, nibbling her way across his jaw.
"No I hadn't heard that." He closed his eyes and brought his arms around his very naked wife.
"Yes and silly old me. I was making some pepper-up potion in the healing arts room. I wasn't paying any attention. I'm not sure exactly what I did, but I screwed it up somehow. It cooked over. Albus said it would take all afternoon to vent the room out. He cancelled my classes this afternoon."
Her hands had begun undoing the buttons at his neck and with each one being opened she licked her way down his chest. His tangled his hands in her hair and drug her face up to his.
"And Salazar?"
"Spending the day, and night, in Hogsmeade with Uncle Draco and Aunt Ginny. I sent plenty of breastmilk."
You want me in demand
He took her mouth then, not letting her utter one more word. He pushed his chair back and rose with her legs wrapped around his waist. He exited the classroom, and walked through his office into their old quarters.
She drug her mouth from him and whispered a spell. Severus found that he had been dispensed of his clothing.
It had been too long for both of them, and neither wanted to waste any time. He sat on the floor and lay back. Hermione lowered herself onto the body of her husband, enjoying the feel of him inside of her once more. She gazed down at him through half open eyes. "Dance for me, Severus," she ordered.
And they danced.
There were knowing looks between the staff that night when the Snape's missed dinner.
And again the next morning, when they missed breakfast.
The End