A/N: The world of Harry Potter belongs to JK Rowling. I am just having fun
playing with her characters. This story is rated R for a reason. You have
been warned. I also have this story listed on Whispers, Adult Fan Fiction
and Lord and Lady Snape websites.. In case it gets deleted here.
Chapter Twenty-four
Morning arrived all too soon and Hermione was very tired when she woke up, she had been up twice in the middle of the night and hadn't managed to sleep very well in between. Severus had offered to make some dreamless sleep potion for her and to take over the rest of that night's feeds for Callum but Hermione had refused. She opened her eyes and promptly yawned, snuggling back into Severus' chest as he began to wake up as well. They could both hear heavy rain pounding off the windows outside and the sun hadn't quite managed to break through the dark grey clouds as yet either.
Severus snaked his arms around Hermione even tighter and hugged her to his chest. "Did you sleep at all, love?" He asked breaking their silence and kissing her on the temple.
"Perhaps two hours if I was lucky. You?" She asked cracking her eyes open again and looking up at him with black rings under her eyes.
"About the same." He replied. "What time is it, love?"
"Oh, Severus," Hermione groaned, "that requires opening my eyes and looking at the blasted clock, which I'm sure is far easier for you to do since it's currently behind me."
"I know," Severus chuckled as he turned to face her and forced his eyes open, looking over her shoulder at the clock.
"You rat. Now you've moved you can tell me the time." Hermione told him as she felt a blast of cold air hit her and curried under the duvet a bit more to get warm again.
"It is nine o'clock." Severus told her after it took a few moments for his eyes to focus on the clock across the other side of the room.
"Already?" Hermione opened her eyes suddenly completely awake. Severus chuckled again and she glared at him as he looked down at her mischievously. "What?"
"It's only eight. We have plenty of time." He said now that she was undeniably awake.
"Time for what exactly?" She asked dubiously.
"Oh, I don't know," he kissed her and rolled them over so that she was underneath him. "This feels good though."
"Well," she kissed him back. "I'm inclined to agree." Severus deepened the kiss and pushed his tongue through the small opening of her mouth as she allowed him access. She closed her eyes and breathed deeply as she ran her hands up his bare back and raised her knees up placing her feet flat on the bed. Severus' hands ran up from her ankles to the tops of her thighs pushing up the dark green silk negligee that she was wearing. His long fingers slipped into the waistband of her panties and he pulled them down as she lifted her bottom slightly so he could take them off completely.
She released him from the tender kiss and sucked on the side of his neck instead, placing her mark there before continuing down to his left shoulder as he remained on top of her. His hands with their long tapered fingers moved to caress her breasts through her negligee causing her nipples to become painfully erect. She ran her fingers through his hair and moved her hips to meet quite a firm bulge in his pyjama bottoms. She gasped as he began to suck on her neck and she ran her hands down to his bottom forcing her hips to grind into his erection and he groaned in pleasure.
"Hermione.we have to go." He whispered into her ear. She stopped immediately.
"Don't you dare tell me that, Severus. You can't stop this here. You started it." He chuckled evilly again.
"I wouldn't dream of it, my love." He told her.
"Well good, now stop talking and make love to me, my husband." She told him moving her hips up to meet his again.
They kissed again and Hermione flipped him over onto his back, straddling his abdomen she raised herself up onto her knees and pulled her nightdress off over her head. She undid her hair from its loose bun and allowed it to cascade down her back in bouncing ringlets before she bent forward and kissed him lightly. She ran her tongue down his jaw and neck whilst running her hands up his chest to play with both his nipples and run through the dusting of black hair that was present. His hands moved to cup her breasts and tug at her nipples teasingly and he noticed a small amount of milk leak from both of them. She sat back up on him and moved down his body slightly so that she was now covering the large bulge in his pants. She was now able to kiss down his chest and to his stomach as well running her hands up and down his torso.
She reached down and slipped her thumbs into his waistband pushing his pyjama bottoms down. Moving back onto her knees she was able to move down his body taking his pants with her and releasing his erection. She was now kneeling at his feet and tossing her hair back she looked up at his face, which was a picture of pure anticipation. She crawled seductively up his body astride him, pausing to run her tongue over the head of his erection once before continuing up to kiss him deeply on the mouth once more. He gasped and rolled them over so that she was underneath him again.
"Tease," he whispered into her ear as he kissed and nipped her neck and ear lobe.
"Just returning the favour, Severus," she exhaled.
He settled in between her legs once more but kept his distance by supporting himself on his elbows. She tried to reach down to guide his erection into her moist opening but he grabbed her wrists and pulled her arms up over her head, keeping them there with one of his own hands. He pushed her legs apart with one of his knees before pausing and then pushing forcefully until he was fully embedded inside of her. She moaned loudly as he claimed her mouth again and she moved her legs to pull him closer to her as he began to pull out of her and push back in slowly. He looked deeply into her eyes; face a control of all emotions as he built up the age-old rhythm and her first orgasm hit her with force. He felt her walls tightening about him and struggled to maintain his own composure.
He slowed down slightly as she got her breath back before releasing her wrists and pulling out of her completely. He turned her over to lie face down on the bed. He pushed her legs open again and entered her from behind. This way he had access to her back and he kissed down her neck and shoulders as he ran his hands up her sides over her pert bottom. He began to pound into her from behind and raising her up slightly he was able to tease her clit with one of his long fingers causing her to explode from a second orgasm. He couldn't hold out for much longer and flipping her over once more he pounded in and out again finally releasing his seed inside of her as she pulled him as tight as she could to her body and they shouted each others names in pure ecstasy.
"Oh, Merlin. Severus. that was. amazing." She sucked in lungfuls of air and pushed the covers completely off them both as she tried to cool their sweating bodies.
"I love you. Hermione." Severus whispered back to her as he moved off to the side and pulled her with him.
"What time is it, Severus?" Hermione asked after a few moments. Severus looked up at the clock.
"Nearly feeding time for Callum. Come on, we have to get ready now." Severus said as he rolled off the bed and Hermione sat up.
"We'll be quicker if we shower together. well, so long as we leave each other alone." She said with a wicked smile.
"Come along then, love." Severus said offering his hand to her and pulling her up off the bed. They headed off into the shower cubicle and managed to wash each other in record time before using drying spells and getting ready. They were headed off up to the infirmary hand in hand within twenty minutes.
~~*~~
"Good morning, Poppy." Hermione and Severus both said as they entered the hospital wing to find Callum just about screaming the place down.
"Good morning dears," Poppy said as she approached them, screaming baby in arms.
"How on earth can he be this hungry, Poppy?" Severus asked. "I gave him his last feed and he took two bottles of milk from me before he settled."
"Two, Severus?" Hermione asked raising an eyebrow.
"Yes, he seemed to be still hungry so I gave him another one and only then would he settle back to sleep." Severus told his wife as she took the baby from Poppy and moved over to the comfortable chair to breast feed him.
"Well, he is a growing boy, Severus. You can't expect him to want the same amount of food each time with the amount of calories he's burning in order to grow." Poppy replied. "He is always hungrier when fed from the bottle as well; he always has his fill when Hermione feeds him. Have you noticed you are feeding him for a longer period each time, Hermione?"
"I have, Poppy." Hermione said as they both settled into a comfortable position and she yawned.
"You both look very tired." Poppy commented.
"We are indeed," Severus replied. "It's not so much the three hourly feeds during the night but it is the stress of what will happen today. I offered Hermione a potion to help her sleep and to take over the feeds last night but she refused."
"You need to sleep also, Severus." Hermione retorted.
"I know but you are still weak as it is, Hermione. You need more rest than I do." Severus said and Poppy did indeed agree.
"There is no real reason for Callum to actually stay in the Hospital Wing." Poppy said and both Hermione and Severus looked up at her. "I was thinking that perhaps you would like to take him home tonight?"
"Oh, yes please, that would be such a big help, Poppy." Hermione told her looking over to Severus who was frowning slightly.
"He does need to be kept in the incubator but we can have that transferred with him to your chambers as well." Poppy explained.
"Then we would both dearly love to have our son at home." Severus replied with a small smile.
"You should keep him in your own bedroom for a few months and remember that I am just at the other end of the fireplace if you have any difficulties." Poppy told them as Callum finished feeding and Severus took over from Hermione in order to wind him. "Okay, if you are ready, Hermione it is time for me to make you look seven months pregnant again."
"Oh, even bigger than I was, Poppy?" Hermione protested as she stood up and followed the nurse.
"Well, we need to make it look as though you did continue to expand since the last time that boy laid eyes on you." Poppy told her.
"Granted," Hermione replied as they moved off to the side of the room and Poppy started off by enlarging Hermione's clothing before saying the spells to give the illusion that Hermione was pregnant again. Hermione looked down in awe, she didn't feel any difference at all but she looked huge.
"There you go," Poppy said.
"Thank you, Poppy."
"Hermione, I love seeing you like that, you look so radiant." Severus commented and she rolled her eyes as she tried to look at her feet.
"I look like a bloated whale, Severus." She complained. "At least I don't feel heavy like I did though or indeed waddle."
"That is something you will have to do, Hermione in order to complete the illusion." Poppy said. Hermione nodded, thankful that she would not have to walk too far.
"Alright Callum has been fed and winded. I've just changed his nappy and we can leave the bath off until later this evening. We have a meeting with the Headmaster to get to regarding the plan of action for today and you need to eat something before we do anything else." Severus said as he stood up and placed Callum back into the incubator.
"Severus we never seem to have any quality time with our son," Hermione complained. "It's as though we are only here to provide food for him, and really, anybody could do that."
"We shall have all the time we want when we can bring him home this evening, love. Right now he is asleep and we have other things we must attend to." Severus told her and she nodded as he hugged her awkwardly as the illusion of pregnancy felt quite real when up close. "Come on, love we've got to eat before we see the Headmaster."
They left the infirmary and headed off to the staff room where they would be able to summon some food from the kitchens and eat in relative peace before the Headmaster and everyone involved in today's plans arrived to go over the last of the details once more.
~~*~~
It was now twelve thirty and time to go. Everyone was in place except Hermione and Severus who had decided it would be better to arrive via floo powder to one of the bedrooms in the Three Broomsticks that Hermione was supposedly staying in with her parents. Rosemerta had allowed them to floo there and so they left via the fireplace in the staff room and seconds later were in one of the bedrooms in the Three Broomsticks. Severus slipped his invisibility cloak on and kissed Hermione one last time before he pulled the hood over his head and they left the room to head off downstairs to go over the road to the Hogs Head.
Severus kept close by to Hermione who was waddling along quite slowly, her heart rate pounding loudly and hard in her chest. Severus whispered beside her that she was going to be fine and he would be there with her every step of the way. She reached the door to the pub and stopped, she had ten minutes left and she took a few deep breaths before opening the door and stepping inside, feeling Severus come in closely behind her.
Layton Frontera immediately greeted Hermione and she was pulled over to a very dark and secluded booth. "My sweet, I've missed you."
"As have I, Layton. It is good to see you." She replied, as she rubbed her abdomen in the way she always used to before Callum had been born. She was immediately disconcerted when he placed a hand on her abdomen and felt for the baby as well.
"Is he alright?" Layton asked looking concerned.
"He's fine, asleep right now." she replied a mixture of controlled anger and fright.
"Are you alright?"
"I'm fine, Layton. Just very tired as I told you."
"What did you have to discuss with me?" Layton asked his hand still touching Hermione's abdomen, which she dearly wished he would remove.
"Erm. I-I. my mind is so confused right now," she stuttered, highly uncomfortable.
"Have you seen Snape?"
"No. I told him to stay away from me as you said."
"Good. Have the divorce papers arrived yet?"
"Yes, but I've not seen him to get him to sign them." Hermione said quite timidly.
"You don't need to see him you stupid Mudblood!" Layton exploded and moved closer to her, pressing on her abdomen quite hard. "Owl them to him." He told he harshly and she gasped in both pain and fright.
"L-Layton, the b-baby, you are hurting him."
"He's none the wiser or he would kick." Layton replied with a snarl.
"Th-then you are hurting me," Hermione said. Layton glared at her and if looks could kill she would be a gonner.
"Do not ever think that this is hurting you. You have seen some of what I am capable of and."
"D-d-d-drink, L-Layton. Can-can we get a d-drink?" Hermione stuttered and then closed her eyes trying to compose herself; she truly wished Severus would give her some indication he was still there with her. Layton got up and headed off to the bar.
"Calm down, love. We are nearly ready. We need to see this book. You must let him think he doesn't have control over you. You will be safe. Trust me." Severus whispered in her ear and she nodded her head almost imperceptibly.
Layton returned with two drinks and handed one to Hermione. She was immediately going to become argumentative with him- it was the only way. "I don't like this." She told him point blankly.
"Drink it; it's all you're getting." He replied.
"No, I don't like it. You should not be drinking that either, Layton, you are under-aged."
"What! How dare you question me, Mudblood." He said slamming his fire whiskey down on the table and glaring at her with venom.
"How dare you call me that, Mr. Frontera. I am your professor, you will treat me with the right amount of respect or I will have you expelled. Is that clear, Mr. Frontera?" Hermione demanded, feeling slightly better for it as he looked at her in horror.
"Okay, Professor." Layton said as he took a few calming breaths. "Did I ever show you my family picture?" He asked as he reached down into a bag he had on the floor and pulled out the very picture of his family that had suddenly turned into the Book of Shadows the last time he had shown it to her. Hermione thought quickly as she contemplated how to respond.
"I'm not sure," she settled for.
"Here you go then, Professor. Take a good look." He said handing the photo to her.
"Just put it down on the table my hands are now full," she said lifting her glass from the table.
"You need to see it closely to get its full effect." Layton replied. Hermione took a deep breath- it was the only way. She was going to have to relinquish her control once more in order for him to transfigure the picture back into its original form. She placed her glass back on the table and took the photo frame from Layton. "See?"
"I see you and this is Miss. Urmintrude," Hermione pointed out as the people in the photo waved to her. She saw Layton withdraw his wand and within seconds the photo changed into the expected Book of Shadows and again it was already too late as she dropped it to the table and her eyes glazed over. Before he had a chance to give her any orders Harry and Penny cast their binding spells on Layton and his magic was bound. Severus pulled Hermione out of the booth and away from Layton and the book while he was still cloaked and Layton had no idea as to what was going on as the book suddenly lifted off the table and hovered out of his reach. His jaw dropped as he saw several Aurors emerge from the shadows and Severus emerge from underneath the invisibility cloak and hugged Hermione who had already snapped out of her glazed state and was visibly shaking.
The Aurors moved to surround Layton and he held his wand out in defence but was immediately scared when his magic did not work and the Aurors physically took him into custardy. "Why? Hermione why? I love you- you can't let them take me. Hermione!" He said as the Aurors struggled with him to the floor before one of them had the presence of mind to bind him with magical ropes.
"I cannot help you, Layton. You brought this on yourself and I am sorry we lost you to the book's control." Hermione said as the Aurors apparated him away to the Ministry holding cells. Hermione turned into Severus' shoulder and with her head hung low she cried as he hugged her tightly.
"It's over now, my love. Finally." Severus said stroking her hair and hugging her tightly, rocking from side to side. "Are you hurt?"
"I'm alright, Severus but it's not over yet. Not over until the book is destroyed for it can still be bound to someone right now. Where is it?" She asked moving away from his embrace and turning to find it suspended in mid- air between two lifting charms cast by Harry and Penny who had removed their invisibility cloaks.
"We need to get it to Hogwarts without anybody touching it." Penny said as she threw a heavy-duty sack underneath it and they lowered the book down into the bag. They then warded the sack and Harry picked it up before he enlarged his broom, which he had taken from his pocket and then left for Hogwarts.
Hermione could breathe again. Stage one was over with and Layton was well and truly out of their lives. Now all that needed to happen was for the book to be finally destroyed and she for one could not rest until that happened. Severus and Penny escorted Hermione to a horseless carriage that was waiting for them and together they headed back up to the castle.
Chapter Twenty-four
Morning arrived all too soon and Hermione was very tired when she woke up, she had been up twice in the middle of the night and hadn't managed to sleep very well in between. Severus had offered to make some dreamless sleep potion for her and to take over the rest of that night's feeds for Callum but Hermione had refused. She opened her eyes and promptly yawned, snuggling back into Severus' chest as he began to wake up as well. They could both hear heavy rain pounding off the windows outside and the sun hadn't quite managed to break through the dark grey clouds as yet either.
Severus snaked his arms around Hermione even tighter and hugged her to his chest. "Did you sleep at all, love?" He asked breaking their silence and kissing her on the temple.
"Perhaps two hours if I was lucky. You?" She asked cracking her eyes open again and looking up at him with black rings under her eyes.
"About the same." He replied. "What time is it, love?"
"Oh, Severus," Hermione groaned, "that requires opening my eyes and looking at the blasted clock, which I'm sure is far easier for you to do since it's currently behind me."
"I know," Severus chuckled as he turned to face her and forced his eyes open, looking over her shoulder at the clock.
"You rat. Now you've moved you can tell me the time." Hermione told him as she felt a blast of cold air hit her and curried under the duvet a bit more to get warm again.
"It is nine o'clock." Severus told her after it took a few moments for his eyes to focus on the clock across the other side of the room.
"Already?" Hermione opened her eyes suddenly completely awake. Severus chuckled again and she glared at him as he looked down at her mischievously. "What?"
"It's only eight. We have plenty of time." He said now that she was undeniably awake.
"Time for what exactly?" She asked dubiously.
"Oh, I don't know," he kissed her and rolled them over so that she was underneath him. "This feels good though."
"Well," she kissed him back. "I'm inclined to agree." Severus deepened the kiss and pushed his tongue through the small opening of her mouth as she allowed him access. She closed her eyes and breathed deeply as she ran her hands up his bare back and raised her knees up placing her feet flat on the bed. Severus' hands ran up from her ankles to the tops of her thighs pushing up the dark green silk negligee that she was wearing. His long fingers slipped into the waistband of her panties and he pulled them down as she lifted her bottom slightly so he could take them off completely.
She released him from the tender kiss and sucked on the side of his neck instead, placing her mark there before continuing down to his left shoulder as he remained on top of her. His hands with their long tapered fingers moved to caress her breasts through her negligee causing her nipples to become painfully erect. She ran her fingers through his hair and moved her hips to meet quite a firm bulge in his pyjama bottoms. She gasped as he began to suck on her neck and she ran her hands down to his bottom forcing her hips to grind into his erection and he groaned in pleasure.
"Hermione.we have to go." He whispered into her ear. She stopped immediately.
"Don't you dare tell me that, Severus. You can't stop this here. You started it." He chuckled evilly again.
"I wouldn't dream of it, my love." He told her.
"Well good, now stop talking and make love to me, my husband." She told him moving her hips up to meet his again.
They kissed again and Hermione flipped him over onto his back, straddling his abdomen she raised herself up onto her knees and pulled her nightdress off over her head. She undid her hair from its loose bun and allowed it to cascade down her back in bouncing ringlets before she bent forward and kissed him lightly. She ran her tongue down his jaw and neck whilst running her hands up his chest to play with both his nipples and run through the dusting of black hair that was present. His hands moved to cup her breasts and tug at her nipples teasingly and he noticed a small amount of milk leak from both of them. She sat back up on him and moved down his body slightly so that she was now covering the large bulge in his pants. She was now able to kiss down his chest and to his stomach as well running her hands up and down his torso.
She reached down and slipped her thumbs into his waistband pushing his pyjama bottoms down. Moving back onto her knees she was able to move down his body taking his pants with her and releasing his erection. She was now kneeling at his feet and tossing her hair back she looked up at his face, which was a picture of pure anticipation. She crawled seductively up his body astride him, pausing to run her tongue over the head of his erection once before continuing up to kiss him deeply on the mouth once more. He gasped and rolled them over so that she was underneath him again.
"Tease," he whispered into her ear as he kissed and nipped her neck and ear lobe.
"Just returning the favour, Severus," she exhaled.
He settled in between her legs once more but kept his distance by supporting himself on his elbows. She tried to reach down to guide his erection into her moist opening but he grabbed her wrists and pulled her arms up over her head, keeping them there with one of his own hands. He pushed her legs apart with one of his knees before pausing and then pushing forcefully until he was fully embedded inside of her. She moaned loudly as he claimed her mouth again and she moved her legs to pull him closer to her as he began to pull out of her and push back in slowly. He looked deeply into her eyes; face a control of all emotions as he built up the age-old rhythm and her first orgasm hit her with force. He felt her walls tightening about him and struggled to maintain his own composure.
He slowed down slightly as she got her breath back before releasing her wrists and pulling out of her completely. He turned her over to lie face down on the bed. He pushed her legs open again and entered her from behind. This way he had access to her back and he kissed down her neck and shoulders as he ran his hands up her sides over her pert bottom. He began to pound into her from behind and raising her up slightly he was able to tease her clit with one of his long fingers causing her to explode from a second orgasm. He couldn't hold out for much longer and flipping her over once more he pounded in and out again finally releasing his seed inside of her as she pulled him as tight as she could to her body and they shouted each others names in pure ecstasy.
"Oh, Merlin. Severus. that was. amazing." She sucked in lungfuls of air and pushed the covers completely off them both as she tried to cool their sweating bodies.
"I love you. Hermione." Severus whispered back to her as he moved off to the side and pulled her with him.
"What time is it, Severus?" Hermione asked after a few moments. Severus looked up at the clock.
"Nearly feeding time for Callum. Come on, we have to get ready now." Severus said as he rolled off the bed and Hermione sat up.
"We'll be quicker if we shower together. well, so long as we leave each other alone." She said with a wicked smile.
"Come along then, love." Severus said offering his hand to her and pulling her up off the bed. They headed off into the shower cubicle and managed to wash each other in record time before using drying spells and getting ready. They were headed off up to the infirmary hand in hand within twenty minutes.
~~*~~
"Good morning, Poppy." Hermione and Severus both said as they entered the hospital wing to find Callum just about screaming the place down.
"Good morning dears," Poppy said as she approached them, screaming baby in arms.
"How on earth can he be this hungry, Poppy?" Severus asked. "I gave him his last feed and he took two bottles of milk from me before he settled."
"Two, Severus?" Hermione asked raising an eyebrow.
"Yes, he seemed to be still hungry so I gave him another one and only then would he settle back to sleep." Severus told his wife as she took the baby from Poppy and moved over to the comfortable chair to breast feed him.
"Well, he is a growing boy, Severus. You can't expect him to want the same amount of food each time with the amount of calories he's burning in order to grow." Poppy replied. "He is always hungrier when fed from the bottle as well; he always has his fill when Hermione feeds him. Have you noticed you are feeding him for a longer period each time, Hermione?"
"I have, Poppy." Hermione said as they both settled into a comfortable position and she yawned.
"You both look very tired." Poppy commented.
"We are indeed," Severus replied. "It's not so much the three hourly feeds during the night but it is the stress of what will happen today. I offered Hermione a potion to help her sleep and to take over the feeds last night but she refused."
"You need to sleep also, Severus." Hermione retorted.
"I know but you are still weak as it is, Hermione. You need more rest than I do." Severus said and Poppy did indeed agree.
"There is no real reason for Callum to actually stay in the Hospital Wing." Poppy said and both Hermione and Severus looked up at her. "I was thinking that perhaps you would like to take him home tonight?"
"Oh, yes please, that would be such a big help, Poppy." Hermione told her looking over to Severus who was frowning slightly.
"He does need to be kept in the incubator but we can have that transferred with him to your chambers as well." Poppy explained.
"Then we would both dearly love to have our son at home." Severus replied with a small smile.
"You should keep him in your own bedroom for a few months and remember that I am just at the other end of the fireplace if you have any difficulties." Poppy told them as Callum finished feeding and Severus took over from Hermione in order to wind him. "Okay, if you are ready, Hermione it is time for me to make you look seven months pregnant again."
"Oh, even bigger than I was, Poppy?" Hermione protested as she stood up and followed the nurse.
"Well, we need to make it look as though you did continue to expand since the last time that boy laid eyes on you." Poppy told her.
"Granted," Hermione replied as they moved off to the side of the room and Poppy started off by enlarging Hermione's clothing before saying the spells to give the illusion that Hermione was pregnant again. Hermione looked down in awe, she didn't feel any difference at all but she looked huge.
"There you go," Poppy said.
"Thank you, Poppy."
"Hermione, I love seeing you like that, you look so radiant." Severus commented and she rolled her eyes as she tried to look at her feet.
"I look like a bloated whale, Severus." She complained. "At least I don't feel heavy like I did though or indeed waddle."
"That is something you will have to do, Hermione in order to complete the illusion." Poppy said. Hermione nodded, thankful that she would not have to walk too far.
"Alright Callum has been fed and winded. I've just changed his nappy and we can leave the bath off until later this evening. We have a meeting with the Headmaster to get to regarding the plan of action for today and you need to eat something before we do anything else." Severus said as he stood up and placed Callum back into the incubator.
"Severus we never seem to have any quality time with our son," Hermione complained. "It's as though we are only here to provide food for him, and really, anybody could do that."
"We shall have all the time we want when we can bring him home this evening, love. Right now he is asleep and we have other things we must attend to." Severus told her and she nodded as he hugged her awkwardly as the illusion of pregnancy felt quite real when up close. "Come on, love we've got to eat before we see the Headmaster."
They left the infirmary and headed off to the staff room where they would be able to summon some food from the kitchens and eat in relative peace before the Headmaster and everyone involved in today's plans arrived to go over the last of the details once more.
~~*~~
It was now twelve thirty and time to go. Everyone was in place except Hermione and Severus who had decided it would be better to arrive via floo powder to one of the bedrooms in the Three Broomsticks that Hermione was supposedly staying in with her parents. Rosemerta had allowed them to floo there and so they left via the fireplace in the staff room and seconds later were in one of the bedrooms in the Three Broomsticks. Severus slipped his invisibility cloak on and kissed Hermione one last time before he pulled the hood over his head and they left the room to head off downstairs to go over the road to the Hogs Head.
Severus kept close by to Hermione who was waddling along quite slowly, her heart rate pounding loudly and hard in her chest. Severus whispered beside her that she was going to be fine and he would be there with her every step of the way. She reached the door to the pub and stopped, she had ten minutes left and she took a few deep breaths before opening the door and stepping inside, feeling Severus come in closely behind her.
Layton Frontera immediately greeted Hermione and she was pulled over to a very dark and secluded booth. "My sweet, I've missed you."
"As have I, Layton. It is good to see you." She replied, as she rubbed her abdomen in the way she always used to before Callum had been born. She was immediately disconcerted when he placed a hand on her abdomen and felt for the baby as well.
"Is he alright?" Layton asked looking concerned.
"He's fine, asleep right now." she replied a mixture of controlled anger and fright.
"Are you alright?"
"I'm fine, Layton. Just very tired as I told you."
"What did you have to discuss with me?" Layton asked his hand still touching Hermione's abdomen, which she dearly wished he would remove.
"Erm. I-I. my mind is so confused right now," she stuttered, highly uncomfortable.
"Have you seen Snape?"
"No. I told him to stay away from me as you said."
"Good. Have the divorce papers arrived yet?"
"Yes, but I've not seen him to get him to sign them." Hermione said quite timidly.
"You don't need to see him you stupid Mudblood!" Layton exploded and moved closer to her, pressing on her abdomen quite hard. "Owl them to him." He told he harshly and she gasped in both pain and fright.
"L-Layton, the b-baby, you are hurting him."
"He's none the wiser or he would kick." Layton replied with a snarl.
"Th-then you are hurting me," Hermione said. Layton glared at her and if looks could kill she would be a gonner.
"Do not ever think that this is hurting you. You have seen some of what I am capable of and."
"D-d-d-drink, L-Layton. Can-can we get a d-drink?" Hermione stuttered and then closed her eyes trying to compose herself; she truly wished Severus would give her some indication he was still there with her. Layton got up and headed off to the bar.
"Calm down, love. We are nearly ready. We need to see this book. You must let him think he doesn't have control over you. You will be safe. Trust me." Severus whispered in her ear and she nodded her head almost imperceptibly.
Layton returned with two drinks and handed one to Hermione. She was immediately going to become argumentative with him- it was the only way. "I don't like this." She told him point blankly.
"Drink it; it's all you're getting." He replied.
"No, I don't like it. You should not be drinking that either, Layton, you are under-aged."
"What! How dare you question me, Mudblood." He said slamming his fire whiskey down on the table and glaring at her with venom.
"How dare you call me that, Mr. Frontera. I am your professor, you will treat me with the right amount of respect or I will have you expelled. Is that clear, Mr. Frontera?" Hermione demanded, feeling slightly better for it as he looked at her in horror.
"Okay, Professor." Layton said as he took a few calming breaths. "Did I ever show you my family picture?" He asked as he reached down into a bag he had on the floor and pulled out the very picture of his family that had suddenly turned into the Book of Shadows the last time he had shown it to her. Hermione thought quickly as she contemplated how to respond.
"I'm not sure," she settled for.
"Here you go then, Professor. Take a good look." He said handing the photo to her.
"Just put it down on the table my hands are now full," she said lifting her glass from the table.
"You need to see it closely to get its full effect." Layton replied. Hermione took a deep breath- it was the only way. She was going to have to relinquish her control once more in order for him to transfigure the picture back into its original form. She placed her glass back on the table and took the photo frame from Layton. "See?"
"I see you and this is Miss. Urmintrude," Hermione pointed out as the people in the photo waved to her. She saw Layton withdraw his wand and within seconds the photo changed into the expected Book of Shadows and again it was already too late as she dropped it to the table and her eyes glazed over. Before he had a chance to give her any orders Harry and Penny cast their binding spells on Layton and his magic was bound. Severus pulled Hermione out of the booth and away from Layton and the book while he was still cloaked and Layton had no idea as to what was going on as the book suddenly lifted off the table and hovered out of his reach. His jaw dropped as he saw several Aurors emerge from the shadows and Severus emerge from underneath the invisibility cloak and hugged Hermione who had already snapped out of her glazed state and was visibly shaking.
The Aurors moved to surround Layton and he held his wand out in defence but was immediately scared when his magic did not work and the Aurors physically took him into custardy. "Why? Hermione why? I love you- you can't let them take me. Hermione!" He said as the Aurors struggled with him to the floor before one of them had the presence of mind to bind him with magical ropes.
"I cannot help you, Layton. You brought this on yourself and I am sorry we lost you to the book's control." Hermione said as the Aurors apparated him away to the Ministry holding cells. Hermione turned into Severus' shoulder and with her head hung low she cried as he hugged her tightly.
"It's over now, my love. Finally." Severus said stroking her hair and hugging her tightly, rocking from side to side. "Are you hurt?"
"I'm alright, Severus but it's not over yet. Not over until the book is destroyed for it can still be bound to someone right now. Where is it?" She asked moving away from his embrace and turning to find it suspended in mid- air between two lifting charms cast by Harry and Penny who had removed their invisibility cloaks.
"We need to get it to Hogwarts without anybody touching it." Penny said as she threw a heavy-duty sack underneath it and they lowered the book down into the bag. They then warded the sack and Harry picked it up before he enlarged his broom, which he had taken from his pocket and then left for Hogwarts.
Hermione could breathe again. Stage one was over with and Layton was well and truly out of their lives. Now all that needed to happen was for the book to be finally destroyed and she for one could not rest until that happened. Severus and Penny escorted Hermione to a horseless carriage that was waiting for them and together they headed back up to the castle.