Author's Note: Not much action here, but it's laying some more groundwork for the future. Enjoy!

Thank you to all of my reviewers! Hugs to each and every one of you! And also to my readers... all questions, comments, and constructive criticism are welcome if you'd like to leave a review.

Disclaimer: Harry Potter and the characters from the books in the series are copyright JK Rowling, and are not being used for profit, only for personal enjoyment.

*****

Chapter 25: "Friends and Lovers"

After making love for the second time that night, Severus and Hermione had once again fallen asleep in each other's arms.

The next time that Severus woke up, it was nearly dawn and he opened his eyes to find his son nestled between himself and Hermione, suckling contentedly as his mother nourished him. Severus propped himself up on one elbow, his other hand reaching over to caress his son's cheek. Samuel turned away from Hermione for just a moment, his eyes wide as he looked around for the source of the distraction, before grunting in frustration as he began rooting for his mother's breast once more.

"Hmph. Good morning to you too, my son!" Severus smirked as his eyes turned to Hermione, "Rather single-minded, isn't he?."

"He doesn't like to be bothered... he takes after his father," Hermione smiled at him as she added, "Good morning, Severus."

He reached over his son to push back a lock of Hermione's hair, "Yes.... it is." She looked so beautiful laying there like that, even with her hair disheveled and her eyes slightly puffy from lack of sleep.... just the vision of her with their child, and the fact that she was looking back at Severus with a content look in her eyes, was enough to make him want to wake up to this sight every morning.

Samuel soon fell asleep, but they continued to lie there like that until sunrise. Severus and Hermione facing each other, with their sleeping son nestled between them, staring deeply into each other's eyes, occasionally reaching out to each other for a soft touch. Neither of them spoke, they didn't want to break the moment. Neither of them ever wanted to get out of that bed... they each knew that no other morning would ever be quite like this one.

When Hermione eventually sat up and started to lift herself off of the bed, Severus reached up and grabbed her arm, "Where are you going?"

She sighed as she pulled her dressing gown over her nightgown, "I have to get ready for breakfast, Severus. Mum is leaving today, and I don't want to miss my one last meal with her before she goes."

Severus sighed regretfully, "Ah... yes, I nearly forgot," he hesitated a moment before asking, "And your plans for the rest of the day...?"

Hermione smiled mischievously, "We'll have to wait and see."

He shooed her out of bed, ordering her to go take a bath while he watched over their sleeping son. Severus was not looking forward to getting out of her bed. No, he was afraid that the memories of their night together would fade the moment he stepped out of her room. He couldn't remember their first time together, and swore to himself that he damn well would not forget this time! He lay there, staring at his sleeping son, wondering what he had finally done right in his life for the Fates to bless him with this child and the amazing woman who was Samuel's mother.

A minute later, Severus found himself cursing the same Fates, as he heard a knock on the door. Scrambling to find his clothes, he tried to keep his voice calm as he called out, "Who is it?"

"It's Remus!"

Severus fought to hold back a string of swearwords as he took a moment to summon his robes from his room. He didn't usually hesitate to open Hermione's door when she had visitors, but he couldn't very well let anyone see him in Hermione's room half-dressed. "Just a minute," he answered, trying to hide the annoyance in his voice. He pulled his robe on over his night clothes, and ran his fingers through his hair before opening the door.

"What is it, Lupin?" he growled as Remus entered.

Remus looked at him with an amused expression on his face, "Am I... interrupting anything?"

Severus sneered at him, "I'm just spending time with my son while his mother prepares for breakfast," he snapped. It wasn't entirely a lie.

"I see. Well, breakfast... that's why I'm here. I wanted to see if Hermione was going to join us this morning. I just spoke to Elizabeth, and she wants to get off to an early start today so we can scout out a few flats in the area before returning to London."

Severus smirked, "How is Elizabeth this morning? The two of you were looking very.... cozy... when we left you last evening." Before Remus could reply, Severus continued, "Did you... ENJOY the rest of your evening?"

"Ahhh... Severus. I see what you're getting at, but you won't get the werewolf to bite, this time," Remus smirked in return, "But, to answer your question... Yes, Elizabeth and I had a lovely time at the ball, before I escorted her to her rooms and bid her a good evening. I didn't see her again until a few minutes ago when I stopped by to see if she was ready to go to breakfast."

Severus quirked an eyebrow, "I see... very well then, Lupin. I'll tell Hermione that you'll be waiting in the Great Hall. She should be there shortly," he opened the door and gestured for Remus to leave.

After checking on Samuel, who was still sleeping on the bed, nestled between the pillows that Severus had hurriedly propped around him, Severus decided that he should get ready for breakfast as well. He carried his son to the nursery and laid him in the crib on the way to his quarters. He paused for a moment, wondering if he should let Hermione know now that her mother and Remus would be in the Great Hall, waiting on her. He smirked as the vision of her soaking in the bathtub entered his mind. Yes... he should let her know as soon as possible, he decided as he walked through her room and towards her bath.

*****

Hermione entered the Great Hall with Samuel in her arms, trying not to think about Severus. He had surprised her during her bath, and even though they hadn't done anything, the memory of his presence for that brief moment made her cheeks burn. As she approached the staff table, she was paranoid that everybody would look at her and know just what she had been up to with Severus throughout the night and early morning hours, and she would not allow herself to meet anybody's eyes.

As she took her seat at the table, her mother held out her arms to receive her grandson.

"Hermione, dear... are you feeling alright? You look a little flushed."

Hermione nearly choked on her pumpkin juice, "Er... yes, Mum. I was just in a hurry to get here. I was... running late this morning, and was afraid that I might miss you."

Elizabeth smiled at her daughter, "I wouldn't have left without saying goodbye."

"I know that, Mum... It's just that... I had hoped to have some time alone with you before you go."

"I've still got plenty of time this morning, perhaps we could go to your rooms for a little while."

Hermione finished her breakfast, and was on her way out of the Great Hall with her mother when Severus entered. It took extreme effort to keep her face impassive as she greeted him in passing with a pleasant, "Good morning, Severus."

He nodded to each of them, "Good morning, Hermione.... Elizabeth." Hermione envied the way he could put on his teacher persona like a mask. She wished that she were as good at keeping the color from rising to her cheeks.

When they reached her dungeon quarters, Hermione put Samuel down for his late-morning nap before joining her mother on the sofa. "I'm so glad you stayed for the week, Mum. I just wish the time hadn't gone by so quickly."

Elizabeth smiled at her daughter, "I'm glad I stayed, too. It was wonderful to be around so many people again... but most of all, to be close to you and Samuel."

"And Remus?" Hermione asked.

"Yes... Remus, too. He's been a wonderful friend..."

"Mum?" Hermione interrupted, her brow furrowed as she tried to screw up the courage to ask the question that had been on her mind since the previous evening.

"Hermione? What is it?" Elizabeth asked in concern when she saw the expression on Hermione's face.

"Mum... are you and Remus... MORE than friends?" Hermione asked hesitantly.

Elizabeth reached over to grab her daughter's hand, squeezing it as she smiled nervously at Hermione, "Remus is.... very special to me, Hermione. But no, we're not more than friends. I'm not ready for that just yet."

Hermione looked at her mother and asked, "Do you think you ever will be?"

"Maybe... in time..."

"With Remus?" Hermione interrupted again.

Elizabeth sighed, "Hermione... Remus is a wonderful man, but it's too early for me to consider getting involved...."

"But... do you think, one day?" Hermione's voice sounded hopeful and fearful at the same time. She didn't know what she wanted the answer to be.

"My daughter... still as persistent as ever," Elizabeth laughed, "Fine, Hermione. You know that I could never replace your father... but if you want to know the truth, then I'll tell you... YES, I do hope that, if he is willing to wait, then maybe one day Remus will be more than a friend."

Hermione smiled, "Would that make you happy?"

The dreamy smile that Hermione had seen on her mother's face the previous evening returned as she said, "I think it might."

"If it makes you happy, Mum, then I would be happy for you. And I think Daddy would have been happy for you..."

A guilty look flashed across Elizabeth's face, and she changed the subject, "And what is it that would make YOU happy, Hermione? Or have you already found it?" her mother asked.

Hermione sighed, "I don't know, Mum." Had she found it? "But I'll tell you if I do."

"You mean, WHEN you do... and I know you will!" Elizabeth reached out and hugged her daughter.

*****

When Severus returned a few hours later, he found Hermione staring pensively into the fire. He stepped up behind her and placed a hand on her shoulder. When she turned to him, he could see that she had been crying. His breath hitched as he wondered if it had anything to do with him. She reached out and grabbed his hand, pulling him around to the front of the sofa and patting the empty seat next to her. When he sat down, she leaned back against him and sighed.

"Hermione...?" he asked in concern.

"I'm fine, Severus. Just missing my mother already, even though she has only just left."

"You're mother is a delightful woman..." he stopped as he thought to himself, *just like her daughter*.

Hermione nodded her head and smiled, "I know... I'm very lucky," she took a deep breath, "I just want her to be happy... but I don't know if she ever will let herself..."

"Why not?" Severus asked as he put his arm around her shoulders.

"I saw the way she was looking at Remus last night... I know what she is feeling. But she won't admit it."

"Maybe she's not ready."

"I know... that's what she said. But I don't think that's it."

"Then what, Hermione?" he asked softly.

She sighed, "When I saw them together last night... my gut feeling was that I would be betraying my father's memory if I allowed myself to be happy for them. I just wonder if she is feeling the same way. I don't want her to miss out on something so wonderful, out of some misplaced sense of guilt."

"And do you still feel guilty about it?"

"No... I don't feel guilty anymore. I know that my father would want her to be happy again...." she paused for a moment and sniffled as she continued, "I just hope that she realizes it, too... before it's too late."

"My mother is the lucky one, you know? She had the most wonderful man in the world for 20 years... her soulmate... the first love of her life. And now she might have found that kind of love again with Remus. Some people don't get to experience that even once in a lifetime... and now, she's found it twice."

Severus didn't know that she was wondering to herself if she would ever find that kind of love, but he was wondering the same thing about himself. He never expected, nor wanted, that kind of love. Whatever this was that he had with Hermione... it was wonderful. And, in a way, he did love her. As the mother of his child... as a friend (one of the few he had)... and now, as a lover. But, he never considered that it might be THAT kind of love. No, he knew that he would never find that. Not ever. But for now, he would be content with what he had... for he didn't know how long it would last.

He reached down and gently lifted her face to look at him, "It will all work out for the best, Hermione."

Hermione leaned further in to him, close enough to place a soft kiss on his lips, "Thank you, Severus..."

"For what?" he asked.

She scooted further down into her seat and laid her head against his chest, and closed her eyes as she murmured, "Last night..."

What did she mean by that? Before he could ask, she had fallen asleep curled against his side. He wrapped one arm tightly around her, as his other hand reached up to entwine in her hair. Severus sighed... he would have to ask her about it later.

*****

Hermione awoke hours later to a knock on her door. Severus had gone, and from the sounds of it, he was in the nursery with Samuel. Groggily, she rubbed her eyes as she opened the door. To her surprise, Remus was back. She invited him in, and they took a seat on the sofa.

"Back so soon? I thought you'd be gone all day... didn't you go looking at flats before returning to London?"

Remus smiled mischievously, "It didn't take long to find the right place."

"How wonderful! Remus, will you take me to see it?" Hermione asked excitedly.

"You already have," he grinned at her.

Hermione looked at him in confusion... she couldn't think of any place in the area that she had been to before... unless...

"The cottage?" she gasped.

Remus nodded, "She had wanted to see where you had been living last year. She fell in love with it immediately. Of course, it needs some fixing up, but otherwise...

"It's perfect!" Hermione smiled. She knew that, with Hogsmeade being an entirely wizarding village, there were few places in the surrounding area that were equipped for non-magic folk. The cottage, though, was fully equipped with Muggle technology. The old wizard that she had been renting it from had been married to a muggle, and they had lived there until his wife had passed away a few years ago. He had been trying to talk Hermione into buying the place from him while she lived there, and she had seriously considered it until the day that she had moved back to Hogwarts.

"So, is it all settled then?"

Remus chuckled, "She has made an offer... and if all goes well, then she should be able to move in by summer."

Hermione reached out and hugged Remus, "I'm so happy for you."

Remus pulled back in confusion, "For me?"

Hermione blushed... she hadn't meant to say that. "Remus... I know... how you feel about my mother."

Remus frowned, "Hermione, you're mother and I are..."

"Just friends," she interrupted, "yes, I know... but you want it to be more, don't you?"

"You're mother is very special to me, Hermione..." Remus sighed, "But I don't want to rush anything. You're father..."

Hermione interrupted again, "Would be very pleased to know that my mother has found somebody who makes her happy."

"Do you think so?" he asked nervously.

"I know so."