Many hours later Hermione lay silently in Severus' arms just enjoying
being there with him. Severus was sound asleep, the steady rhythm of his
heart and breathing had almost sent Hermione into the land of dreams, but
she had one thought that kept running through her mind. She idly ran her
hand down his bare chest wondering when exactly it would no longer just be
the two of them. Severus had told her about how he received one of her
premonitions and Duvessa visiting.
Hermione wasn't sure when she would have her, but she did know she would have a little girl. At least there won't be another little Severus Snape running around scaring the daylights out of people. Hermione smiled thinking that it wouldn't be much better if there was a little Hermione running around either, or rather stuck in a book somewhere. Hermione sighed and was surprised when the arm around her waist tightened. She looked up to see Severus smiling down at her and wide awake.
"How long have you been awake?" She asked resting her hand on his shoulder. He covered her hand with his own and kissed the top of her head.
"The minute you started to fondle me." His voice had a teasing tone to it and Hermione couldn't help but blush. It seemed to amaze Severus that even after being husband and wife for almost a year he could still make her blush with the simplest of statements.
"Sorry." Hermione mumbled into his chest.
"What were you thinking of?" Severus asked kissing her head once more. Hermione smiled against his chest, then propped herself on her elbows to look him in the eye.
"I was just thinking that it is a miracle we're going to have a girl." She said in feigned relief. "I can just picture the look on everyone's faces if there were two of you." Severus raised a questioning eyebrow and then promptly turn Hermione onto her back.
"And you believe it would be better to have a know-it-all bookworm for a daughter." His eyes blazed with mirth and love. Hermione smiled and shook her head.
"Oh, then what would you have her be?"
"I want her to be herself." Hermione answered truthfully, then frowned. "You know, we haven't even began to pick out a name yet, and we're not sure wh..." Hermione stopped short as Severus was staring over her. She had been looking at the ceiling and had not noticed at first. Hermione fidgeted a bit, self conscious. "What?"
Severus shook his head and looked back down at her. "Nothing love." He replied softly. "But perhaps we should discuss this later. I believe we have visitors."
Severus pointed across the room where Draco and Harry stood in the doorway. Harry looked dumbfounded with his face several shades of red and walked quickly back out of the door. While Draco stayed and had an unreadable smirk plastered across his face. Hermione realized all too slowly that the sheets were only pulled up to her waist exposing the upper half of her body. Hermione blushed furiously and pulled the sheets up to her chin while sitting up.
"Malfoy!" She yelled throwing a rather nasty bolt of energy at him. He smiled and then ducked quickly out of the room. Once the door was shut she rounded on Severus. "You could have told me sooner!" She grumbled and got up to put some clothes on.
"Yes I could have..." He agreed, "but then I wouldn't have been able to see Potter's eyes fall from his head." Severus laughed as Hermione threw his clothes at him.
"It's not Harry I'm worried about." The corners of Hermione's lips turned upwards slightly. "He'll just apologize over and over again. Draco on the other hand...I'm going to kill him!" She yelled running out of the room.
Severus laughed even harder as his wife bolted from the room. Over the last year Draco and Hermione had become close friends, almost as close as she and Harry. They still acted like children though, seeing who could pull the best prank on who. Normally Draco won, but Hermione had gotten him a few times. It didn't help the staff at Hogwarts any to have two twenty year olds running around like first years. Professor McGonagall had fallen victim to a well thought out hex that had been meant for Hermione. Needless to say the fourth year Ravenclaw/Gryffindor class had quiet an entertaining class with their Professor bouncing off the walls, literally.
Hermione skidded to a halt at the door to the library where Severus, Harry, Draco, and herself normally met for whatever business would arise. She walked in quietly, on her guard for any attacks from Draco. Harry wasn't in the room yet, but Draco was. He was standing with his back to her looking out the window. Hermione suddenly spun around and shot a blue cord of energy back towards the doors. There was a grunt of displeasure and then Draco fell to the ground. Although he was completely immobile, tied from his shoulders down to his ankles, and lying on the ground, he was still smiling up at her.
"Draco, next time you plan on using an illusion, can you at least make it believable?" Hermione said bending down to untie the knot of the rope.
"What, it wasn't?" He asked furrowing his brow and pulling the last of the rope from his shoulders. As he threw it to the side it melted into a small puddle and then vanished.
"No." Hermione stated coolly. "I wouldn't think that for one minute that you would turn your back to me, and especially not after walking in on Severus and myself." Draco smiled and stood up with the help of Hermione's offered hand.
"That reminds me, I'll have to thank Severus for that." Draco's eyes had this faraway look in them, that smirk on his face again. Hermione slapped him playfully in the arm. "Ouch. I was talking about Potter, but you weren't half bad yourself." Draco received another slap and a scowl before Harry and Severus came into the room.
"Playing again children?" Severus asked raising and eyebrow at the two of them. Hermione smiled and kissed her husband lightly on the cheek.
"Of course." Hermione pulled Severus over to one of the chairs. "Just think of what it will be like when Uncle Draco, and Uncle Harry have our daughter to brainwash."
Severus grimaced at the thought of some of the things she could get in trouble with. Hermione turned and beamed at the two other men, both of which were wearing a strange expression. Hermione rolled her eyes at them.
"Oh, you two." She scolded. "Get your heads out of the clouds, sit down and tell me why you have interrupted my morning." Draco and Harry obediently sat down as quickly as possible.
"Well," Harry began, "We have bad news, and something in between." Harry cleared his throat making sure he didn't look directly at Hermione, he was more or less staring out the window. " The in between news is that several of the Professors at Hogwarts have decided to take a well needed vacation for a few months out of the school year, and Dumbledore has asked us to fill in since the three of us have been training there for a while."
"Yes, this should be loads of fun." Draco drawled. " Potter here is taking over Magical Creatures and I have to take over Transfiguration." Hermione looked shocked for a moment, but before she could ask anything Draco cut her off. "Now this is where it gets interesting. Dumbledore, for some unknown reason has not been able to get a new DADA Professor, so he wants you to take it over Severus."
Severus, who had been staring at some point on the wall for the past five minutes snapped his head around to look at Draco. Draco and Harry were both smiling at him since it was no secret that Severus Snape had always wanted to teach Defense Against the Dark Arts. He began to smile, but that quickly turn into a frown.
"Who is to take over potions?" Severus' eyes glittered knowingly right after the question had left his mouth. Harry who had finally looked at Hermione simply pointed to her.
"Meet Hogwarts newest Potions Mistress." Harry said smiling.
Despite her happiness at being able to teach potions Hermione wondered vaguely how Dumbledore had known she had gotten a doctrine in potions. Severus had been the only that even knew she was trying for, since he of course was helping her achieve it. In order to become a Potion Master, or Mistress, one has to work under a Potion Master for at least eight months. Good thing she was married to one.
"But how did..." Hermione looked down at Severus, who was trying very hard to cover his smile with his hand. "You're going to pay for this dearest." Hermione said sweetly. Severus looked up at her with that undeniable glint of mischievousness again.
"Really? How?" He inquired, liking the fact that Hermione's fire showed through her own eyes. Harry coughed trying to break whatever trance they were throwing themselves into.
"We still have the bad news." Harry said somberly. " Since the new school year starts in three weeks, Dumbledore has asked that we keep to our promise." The room was deathly silent. No one moved, and a look of grim determination was set upon all their faces.
"When do we go?" Hermione finally croaked. Her throat had gone suddenly dry, and seemed to be tightening. She wasn't prepared to go back there yet. Even if it had been nine months since the last time, she couldn't bring herself to go back so soon.
"Three days." Draco said quietly.
They all lapsed back into silence. Each of them were thinking of what it meant to go back and face the once great Dark Lord. No one knew that by going there, one of them would not return the same.
Disclaimer: Characters belong to WB and J.K Rowling. I own Duvessa and a few other things that pop up in here.
A/N Chapter Two as promised. I'll be getting into the good stuff as soon as possible, but I have to work my way up. I know theirs is some confusion, but I hop to fix that. I left a lot of things open in Oraculum that haven't been answered. Trust me it will all make sense in this one. Sorry if there are mistakes, I lost my beta reader, so I tend to miss some things others don't. Please keep reviewing, and thanks to those of you who have already.
Hermione wasn't sure when she would have her, but she did know she would have a little girl. At least there won't be another little Severus Snape running around scaring the daylights out of people. Hermione smiled thinking that it wouldn't be much better if there was a little Hermione running around either, or rather stuck in a book somewhere. Hermione sighed and was surprised when the arm around her waist tightened. She looked up to see Severus smiling down at her and wide awake.
"How long have you been awake?" She asked resting her hand on his shoulder. He covered her hand with his own and kissed the top of her head.
"The minute you started to fondle me." His voice had a teasing tone to it and Hermione couldn't help but blush. It seemed to amaze Severus that even after being husband and wife for almost a year he could still make her blush with the simplest of statements.
"Sorry." Hermione mumbled into his chest.
"What were you thinking of?" Severus asked kissing her head once more. Hermione smiled against his chest, then propped herself on her elbows to look him in the eye.
"I was just thinking that it is a miracle we're going to have a girl." She said in feigned relief. "I can just picture the look on everyone's faces if there were two of you." Severus raised a questioning eyebrow and then promptly turn Hermione onto her back.
"And you believe it would be better to have a know-it-all bookworm for a daughter." His eyes blazed with mirth and love. Hermione smiled and shook her head.
"Oh, then what would you have her be?"
"I want her to be herself." Hermione answered truthfully, then frowned. "You know, we haven't even began to pick out a name yet, and we're not sure wh..." Hermione stopped short as Severus was staring over her. She had been looking at the ceiling and had not noticed at first. Hermione fidgeted a bit, self conscious. "What?"
Severus shook his head and looked back down at her. "Nothing love." He replied softly. "But perhaps we should discuss this later. I believe we have visitors."
Severus pointed across the room where Draco and Harry stood in the doorway. Harry looked dumbfounded with his face several shades of red and walked quickly back out of the door. While Draco stayed and had an unreadable smirk plastered across his face. Hermione realized all too slowly that the sheets were only pulled up to her waist exposing the upper half of her body. Hermione blushed furiously and pulled the sheets up to her chin while sitting up.
"Malfoy!" She yelled throwing a rather nasty bolt of energy at him. He smiled and then ducked quickly out of the room. Once the door was shut she rounded on Severus. "You could have told me sooner!" She grumbled and got up to put some clothes on.
"Yes I could have..." He agreed, "but then I wouldn't have been able to see Potter's eyes fall from his head." Severus laughed as Hermione threw his clothes at him.
"It's not Harry I'm worried about." The corners of Hermione's lips turned upwards slightly. "He'll just apologize over and over again. Draco on the other hand...I'm going to kill him!" She yelled running out of the room.
Severus laughed even harder as his wife bolted from the room. Over the last year Draco and Hermione had become close friends, almost as close as she and Harry. They still acted like children though, seeing who could pull the best prank on who. Normally Draco won, but Hermione had gotten him a few times. It didn't help the staff at Hogwarts any to have two twenty year olds running around like first years. Professor McGonagall had fallen victim to a well thought out hex that had been meant for Hermione. Needless to say the fourth year Ravenclaw/Gryffindor class had quiet an entertaining class with their Professor bouncing off the walls, literally.
Hermione skidded to a halt at the door to the library where Severus, Harry, Draco, and herself normally met for whatever business would arise. She walked in quietly, on her guard for any attacks from Draco. Harry wasn't in the room yet, but Draco was. He was standing with his back to her looking out the window. Hermione suddenly spun around and shot a blue cord of energy back towards the doors. There was a grunt of displeasure and then Draco fell to the ground. Although he was completely immobile, tied from his shoulders down to his ankles, and lying on the ground, he was still smiling up at her.
"Draco, next time you plan on using an illusion, can you at least make it believable?" Hermione said bending down to untie the knot of the rope.
"What, it wasn't?" He asked furrowing his brow and pulling the last of the rope from his shoulders. As he threw it to the side it melted into a small puddle and then vanished.
"No." Hermione stated coolly. "I wouldn't think that for one minute that you would turn your back to me, and especially not after walking in on Severus and myself." Draco smiled and stood up with the help of Hermione's offered hand.
"That reminds me, I'll have to thank Severus for that." Draco's eyes had this faraway look in them, that smirk on his face again. Hermione slapped him playfully in the arm. "Ouch. I was talking about Potter, but you weren't half bad yourself." Draco received another slap and a scowl before Harry and Severus came into the room.
"Playing again children?" Severus asked raising and eyebrow at the two of them. Hermione smiled and kissed her husband lightly on the cheek.
"Of course." Hermione pulled Severus over to one of the chairs. "Just think of what it will be like when Uncle Draco, and Uncle Harry have our daughter to brainwash."
Severus grimaced at the thought of some of the things she could get in trouble with. Hermione turned and beamed at the two other men, both of which were wearing a strange expression. Hermione rolled her eyes at them.
"Oh, you two." She scolded. "Get your heads out of the clouds, sit down and tell me why you have interrupted my morning." Draco and Harry obediently sat down as quickly as possible.
"Well," Harry began, "We have bad news, and something in between." Harry cleared his throat making sure he didn't look directly at Hermione, he was more or less staring out the window. " The in between news is that several of the Professors at Hogwarts have decided to take a well needed vacation for a few months out of the school year, and Dumbledore has asked us to fill in since the three of us have been training there for a while."
"Yes, this should be loads of fun." Draco drawled. " Potter here is taking over Magical Creatures and I have to take over Transfiguration." Hermione looked shocked for a moment, but before she could ask anything Draco cut her off. "Now this is where it gets interesting. Dumbledore, for some unknown reason has not been able to get a new DADA Professor, so he wants you to take it over Severus."
Severus, who had been staring at some point on the wall for the past five minutes snapped his head around to look at Draco. Draco and Harry were both smiling at him since it was no secret that Severus Snape had always wanted to teach Defense Against the Dark Arts. He began to smile, but that quickly turn into a frown.
"Who is to take over potions?" Severus' eyes glittered knowingly right after the question had left his mouth. Harry who had finally looked at Hermione simply pointed to her.
"Meet Hogwarts newest Potions Mistress." Harry said smiling.
Despite her happiness at being able to teach potions Hermione wondered vaguely how Dumbledore had known she had gotten a doctrine in potions. Severus had been the only that even knew she was trying for, since he of course was helping her achieve it. In order to become a Potion Master, or Mistress, one has to work under a Potion Master for at least eight months. Good thing she was married to one.
"But how did..." Hermione looked down at Severus, who was trying very hard to cover his smile with his hand. "You're going to pay for this dearest." Hermione said sweetly. Severus looked up at her with that undeniable glint of mischievousness again.
"Really? How?" He inquired, liking the fact that Hermione's fire showed through her own eyes. Harry coughed trying to break whatever trance they were throwing themselves into.
"We still have the bad news." Harry said somberly. " Since the new school year starts in three weeks, Dumbledore has asked that we keep to our promise." The room was deathly silent. No one moved, and a look of grim determination was set upon all their faces.
"When do we go?" Hermione finally croaked. Her throat had gone suddenly dry, and seemed to be tightening. She wasn't prepared to go back there yet. Even if it had been nine months since the last time, she couldn't bring herself to go back so soon.
"Three days." Draco said quietly.
They all lapsed back into silence. Each of them were thinking of what it meant to go back and face the once great Dark Lord. No one knew that by going there, one of them would not return the same.
Disclaimer: Characters belong to WB and J.K Rowling. I own Duvessa and a few other things that pop up in here.
A/N Chapter Two as promised. I'll be getting into the good stuff as soon as possible, but I have to work my way up. I know theirs is some confusion, but I hop to fix that. I left a lot of things open in Oraculum that haven't been answered. Trust me it will all make sense in this one. Sorry if there are mistakes, I lost my beta reader, so I tend to miss some things others don't. Please keep reviewing, and thanks to those of you who have already.