Disclaimer and such: See chapters one and two.
Author's Notes: This is out a day earlier than expected, but the next chapters will take awhile, I have law school finals for the next two and a half weeks. I'll try, I really will, but I'm not sure when I'll get the next one out. Please review, they're like a drug!
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Chapter Five
Hermione was sitting in Severus's rooms when she received an owl from Professor Dumbledore telling her to go back and see Severus in the infirmary. Isn't it a bit soon or had he regained his memory? If he had, she really needed to tell him about the baby. If he hadn't, well, then what was she supposed to do?
She went to the bathroom and fixed her make-up, trying to make her eyes look less puffy. Nothing worked, so she left anyway. The trip to the infirmary was all too short for Hermione, she had hoped for more time to collect her thoughts, but before she knew it, she was at the door. No time like the present, she supposed as she walked in.
She found Severus sitting up in bed, relaxing with his eyes closed. She stood and watched him as he was unaware she had entered. Did he have his memory back? Was that why he was resting, to regain his strength? He looked exactly the same. Not that he ever changed, he looked that same as when she first watched him stalk into his classroom on the first day of her first year. If he didn't have his memories back yet, she sure as Merlin would find a way for him to get them back. Those two years were just too precious.
Severus opened his eyes and saw her staring at him. "Is there a problem, Miss Granger?" He asked.
Jerked out of her thoughts she replied, "Oh no, I was just thinking and could you please call me Hermione? It's just too weird to have you calling me Miss Granger."
"Well, it is 'too weird' for me to call you Hermione, I do not recall ever having called you that before." He stated frankly.
That answered the question about his memory; he obviously hadn't gotten his memory back yet. Hermione walked forward and sat herself on the chair at his bedside. She sat stiffly with her ankles crossed and her hands folded in her lap. She stared down at her hands for several seconds, getting herself together.
"First, I believe I should ask you what you do remember and what you've been told so far so that I know where to begin my explanation." She began. "Then I'll explain what you still need to know about our relationship."
"Just the basics, I'm afraid. Dumbledore thought it best that you explain most of the relationship itself." Severus started to stumble over his next words. "He did say we've been together for about a year. I've also been told about how I was injured. I'm proud; you haven't raised your hand once while I've been speaking. I must say, Miss Granger, you seem to have lost some of the impulsiveness you had in your youth. Or is that because Potter and Weasley are not around at the moment?"
Hermione realized she had a mountain to climb in order to get her future husband back. It had been a large hill the first time, but now he was on guard and knew what she had done the first time. It would take her best to get by his Slytherin side this time, she was sure of it. She went on to explain the dynamics of their relationship, trying to make it sound great.
That didn't take much effort, their relationship was great. They had many of the same interests, were similar academically and had spent many nights curled up together in front of a fire reading books. Several minutes later, she had gotten up to the present day. She had left out her anger at him going off to fight and leaving her behind at Hogwarts. Now was the big decision, tell him about the wedding or not?
"The last thing I'll leave you with today is what was supposed to be the beginning of our future. We were to be married next month. That's been called off for the time being though because we weren't sure of the state of your health. Harry and Ron helped me do it. It was going to be very small, just family and close friends. We were going to have it here, at Hogwarts, since this place is so special to both of us." She looked up from her lap and stared him straight in the eyes. "I just hope that someday I still get that day."
With that, she got up and walked toward the door. His voice stopped her in her tracks.
"'I don't care what I said before, you are still a Gryffindor know-it-all."
Hermione walked very quickly out the door, determined not to let him see that he was getting to her. He held most of the cards and he knew it. She still had the chivalry card to play though; she knew he would never abandon his child. So round one went to Severus and she was retreating with her tail between her legs. Tail? That reminded her of Sirius, maybe a talk with him would be good. She turned in the opposite direction and went to the Gryffindor Common Room where she knew he would be.
She found Sirius sitting on a couch talking to Harry. They both smiled at her as she walked in and patted the seats next to them, inviting her to sit. She turned to Harry and said, "Would you mind, I'd like to speak with Sirius alone."
"Not at all." Harry replied as he left the Common Room. Sirius turned to Hermione with a quizzical look on his face.
"What's going on? Why talk to me alone, Harry is your best friend, you know?" He asked.
"I know, but I guess I needed an older person's view. Not that you're really that old, just older than me, you understand, right?" She stammered.
Sirius laughed and put his arm around her. "Of course I do, dear girl. What did Sevy boy do this time?"
Hermione explained what transpired in the infirmary. Sirius sat and listened, which impressed Hermione, she had never known him to be a patient listener. At the end of the story, he just shook his head and looked at Hermione.
"Well, you have two choices. One, you can fight for your man, you may win, you may loose. You can think of the consequences of each, if you win, he's yours again and you'll have a father for your baby. On the other hand, if you loose, he may not be in your life at all. If you do fight for him, he will put up quite a fight too, especially since he has all this information on you and your life together."
"Your second choice is to call a sort of truce with him. You could tell him that you do not want to be together romantically, but still tell him about the baby and allow him to have a relationship with the child. That way he'll still be around, you won't have to put up as much of a fight, and you can get on with your life. I'm afraid this is where my involvement ends though, my dear. This choice is yours alone, and I do not want anyone thinking that I influenced you." Sirius concluded.
"I just can't imagine a life without him. I certainly do not want to raise my child without his father in his life. I grew up with both of my parents and I think that is just too important. I really want him as my husband, but I don't want to loose him forever." Hermione said with a sigh and then kept talking.
"I suppose I should go back to my rooms now. Harry and Ron probably want to come back in now." She finished. Hermione then got up and walked toward the Fat Lady painting.
"Come back anytime, kiddo. The Sirius-miester's advice column is always open!" He yelled with his trademark grin and wink. Hermione had turned to see it and smiled.
"Thanks!" She said as the painting slammed shut.
Hermione went back down to the dungeon rooms and sat in front of the fire. Her favorite leather chair was very inviting and the moment she sat down, Crookshanks jumped up into her lap.
"Hey there boy, I wondered where you went to." Hermione said as she scratched him behind the ears. "But you always know when I need you, don't you? I'm in a bad position right now. Just when I thought everything was going my way and I could finally be happy, this has to happen. I really don't think I can bear to loose him."
"The question now is, do I have him solely in our child's life, or do I try to get him back romantically too? If I fight for him, I'm going to have to think like a Slytherin. He's already on guard, but I do have a trump card, he doesn't know about the baby yet."
Crookshanks looked up at his mistress and gave a long meow. He then proceeded to lay his head back down and fall asleep.
"Well, boy, I think you settled it for me, didn't you? Or maybe I talked myself into it? No matter, I'm fighting for my man and that's that."
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Thanks to everyone who reviewed! Keep reading and reviewing!
Author's Notes: This is out a day earlier than expected, but the next chapters will take awhile, I have law school finals for the next two and a half weeks. I'll try, I really will, but I'm not sure when I'll get the next one out. Please review, they're like a drug!
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Chapter Five
Hermione was sitting in Severus's rooms when she received an owl from Professor Dumbledore telling her to go back and see Severus in the infirmary. Isn't it a bit soon or had he regained his memory? If he had, she really needed to tell him about the baby. If he hadn't, well, then what was she supposed to do?
She went to the bathroom and fixed her make-up, trying to make her eyes look less puffy. Nothing worked, so she left anyway. The trip to the infirmary was all too short for Hermione, she had hoped for more time to collect her thoughts, but before she knew it, she was at the door. No time like the present, she supposed as she walked in.
She found Severus sitting up in bed, relaxing with his eyes closed. She stood and watched him as he was unaware she had entered. Did he have his memory back? Was that why he was resting, to regain his strength? He looked exactly the same. Not that he ever changed, he looked that same as when she first watched him stalk into his classroom on the first day of her first year. If he didn't have his memories back yet, she sure as Merlin would find a way for him to get them back. Those two years were just too precious.
Severus opened his eyes and saw her staring at him. "Is there a problem, Miss Granger?" He asked.
Jerked out of her thoughts she replied, "Oh no, I was just thinking and could you please call me Hermione? It's just too weird to have you calling me Miss Granger."
"Well, it is 'too weird' for me to call you Hermione, I do not recall ever having called you that before." He stated frankly.
That answered the question about his memory; he obviously hadn't gotten his memory back yet. Hermione walked forward and sat herself on the chair at his bedside. She sat stiffly with her ankles crossed and her hands folded in her lap. She stared down at her hands for several seconds, getting herself together.
"First, I believe I should ask you what you do remember and what you've been told so far so that I know where to begin my explanation." She began. "Then I'll explain what you still need to know about our relationship."
"Just the basics, I'm afraid. Dumbledore thought it best that you explain most of the relationship itself." Severus started to stumble over his next words. "He did say we've been together for about a year. I've also been told about how I was injured. I'm proud; you haven't raised your hand once while I've been speaking. I must say, Miss Granger, you seem to have lost some of the impulsiveness you had in your youth. Or is that because Potter and Weasley are not around at the moment?"
Hermione realized she had a mountain to climb in order to get her future husband back. It had been a large hill the first time, but now he was on guard and knew what she had done the first time. It would take her best to get by his Slytherin side this time, she was sure of it. She went on to explain the dynamics of their relationship, trying to make it sound great.
That didn't take much effort, their relationship was great. They had many of the same interests, were similar academically and had spent many nights curled up together in front of a fire reading books. Several minutes later, she had gotten up to the present day. She had left out her anger at him going off to fight and leaving her behind at Hogwarts. Now was the big decision, tell him about the wedding or not?
"The last thing I'll leave you with today is what was supposed to be the beginning of our future. We were to be married next month. That's been called off for the time being though because we weren't sure of the state of your health. Harry and Ron helped me do it. It was going to be very small, just family and close friends. We were going to have it here, at Hogwarts, since this place is so special to both of us." She looked up from her lap and stared him straight in the eyes. "I just hope that someday I still get that day."
With that, she got up and walked toward the door. His voice stopped her in her tracks.
"'I don't care what I said before, you are still a Gryffindor know-it-all."
Hermione walked very quickly out the door, determined not to let him see that he was getting to her. He held most of the cards and he knew it. She still had the chivalry card to play though; she knew he would never abandon his child. So round one went to Severus and she was retreating with her tail between her legs. Tail? That reminded her of Sirius, maybe a talk with him would be good. She turned in the opposite direction and went to the Gryffindor Common Room where she knew he would be.
She found Sirius sitting on a couch talking to Harry. They both smiled at her as she walked in and patted the seats next to them, inviting her to sit. She turned to Harry and said, "Would you mind, I'd like to speak with Sirius alone."
"Not at all." Harry replied as he left the Common Room. Sirius turned to Hermione with a quizzical look on his face.
"What's going on? Why talk to me alone, Harry is your best friend, you know?" He asked.
"I know, but I guess I needed an older person's view. Not that you're really that old, just older than me, you understand, right?" She stammered.
Sirius laughed and put his arm around her. "Of course I do, dear girl. What did Sevy boy do this time?"
Hermione explained what transpired in the infirmary. Sirius sat and listened, which impressed Hermione, she had never known him to be a patient listener. At the end of the story, he just shook his head and looked at Hermione.
"Well, you have two choices. One, you can fight for your man, you may win, you may loose. You can think of the consequences of each, if you win, he's yours again and you'll have a father for your baby. On the other hand, if you loose, he may not be in your life at all. If you do fight for him, he will put up quite a fight too, especially since he has all this information on you and your life together."
"Your second choice is to call a sort of truce with him. You could tell him that you do not want to be together romantically, but still tell him about the baby and allow him to have a relationship with the child. That way he'll still be around, you won't have to put up as much of a fight, and you can get on with your life. I'm afraid this is where my involvement ends though, my dear. This choice is yours alone, and I do not want anyone thinking that I influenced you." Sirius concluded.
"I just can't imagine a life without him. I certainly do not want to raise my child without his father in his life. I grew up with both of my parents and I think that is just too important. I really want him as my husband, but I don't want to loose him forever." Hermione said with a sigh and then kept talking.
"I suppose I should go back to my rooms now. Harry and Ron probably want to come back in now." She finished. Hermione then got up and walked toward the Fat Lady painting.
"Come back anytime, kiddo. The Sirius-miester's advice column is always open!" He yelled with his trademark grin and wink. Hermione had turned to see it and smiled.
"Thanks!" She said as the painting slammed shut.
Hermione went back down to the dungeon rooms and sat in front of the fire. Her favorite leather chair was very inviting and the moment she sat down, Crookshanks jumped up into her lap.
"Hey there boy, I wondered where you went to." Hermione said as she scratched him behind the ears. "But you always know when I need you, don't you? I'm in a bad position right now. Just when I thought everything was going my way and I could finally be happy, this has to happen. I really don't think I can bear to loose him."
"The question now is, do I have him solely in our child's life, or do I try to get him back romantically too? If I fight for him, I'm going to have to think like a Slytherin. He's already on guard, but I do have a trump card, he doesn't know about the baby yet."
Crookshanks looked up at his mistress and gave a long meow. He then proceeded to lay his head back down and fall asleep.
"Well, boy, I think you settled it for me, didn't you? Or maybe I talked myself into it? No matter, I'm fighting for my man and that's that."
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Thanks to everyone who reviewed! Keep reading and reviewing!