Author's Note: This is the condensed response to my most recent reviews... I might go more in depth at my Yahoo group if you'd like to read about it.

The whole hurt/comfort thing... I had thought of having something happen to Severus... I even planted a couple of clues to a possible future event. But now, I think I'm saving that for the sequel. I want them to have a little happiness first.

Why is Hermione crying so much? Remember what Remus said when he tried to talk some sense into her after her last row with Severus? Her world has been turned upside down... she's not a little girl anymore... she's been thrust into situations that have made her grow up a bit too fast, and it's a lot for her to handle. Plus, those darn pregnancy hormones tend to rear their ugly head every now and then during the first few post-partum months.

Anyway... another R rated chapter here... and I warned you all that further chapters would be fluffy, didn't I? So... here we go... Fluff alert! :p

Thank you all again for sticking with my story. To my readers and reviewers... {{{Hugs}}}}

Disclaimer: Harry Potter is copyright JK Rowling. Her characters are not being used for profit, only personal enjoyment.

*****

Hand in hand they walked back to the castle. Severus had never felt so content in his life. For the first time that he could ever remember, he was anticipating the future without dreading it. They reached Hermione's quarters, and he paused to kiss her after she carried Samuel to the nursery to put him down for a nap.

"Hermione... I have something I need to do," he sighed as he tried to pull away from her.

"Can't it wait?" she whispered as she pulled him back to her and kissed him.

Severus moaned, "I wish it could, but..." he paused for a moment, "It's urgent."

"As urgent as this?" she asked as her hands began to roam down his body.

Severus chuckled and grabbed her wrist as she fingered the waist of his trousers, "Nearly," he groaned as he finally managed to pull away from her. He leaned in to place a chaste kiss on her head, "Now, why don't you go relax... take a nap, and a nice long bath... and then get dressed for a night out."

"A night out?" she asked in confusion. They had never really gone out before. She smiled in anticipation, "Where to?"

"That's for me to know," he smirked, "Just go... get ready. I'll return in a few hours."

Hermione sighed as he turned and swept out the door, his robes billowing behind him. "It must be urgent if it makes him billow so," she laughed to herself before she followed his suggestion to relax for a while. She couldn't help but wonder where he would be taking her, as she filled the bath with warm water, watching it lather into a luxurious cloud of bubbles. She immersed herself into the water, leaning her head back and soaking until her fingers pruned and the water had cooled so much that she was beginning to feel a chill.

Wrapping her dressing gown around her, she slipped into her room only to hear Samuel crying in the next room. She walked in and smiled down at him, "You're naps are getting few and farther between, young man." She sighed, "Come on, then... you can lie down with your Mum."

Curling up on the bed with Samuel suckling at her breast, she fell into a content slumber. It was nearly dinner when she awoke, fretting that she had overslept. Luckily, Samuel was content to lie on a soft blanket on the floor and visually explore his surroundings while she dressed. He was now rolling over regularly, and was learning to pull himself up onto his knees, grunting as he rocked back and forth, determined to find a way to mobilize himself. Hermione smiled wistfully at him as she realized that, at this rate, he would be crawling in a few more weeks. She closed her eyes as her hand drifted to her abdomen... yes, it would be nice to have another baby. Samuel was growing up far too quickly for her liking.

She rummaged through her wardrobe, frowning at the meager selection of robes. Other than Valentine's Day, she hadn't had much occasion to go out since Samuel's birth. Furthermore, she didn't know where Severus was taking her, and what would be appropriate. She sighed as she decided to forgo the robes, and selected one of her nicer dresses, instead. Reminiscent of the style of robes she had worn to the Valentine's ball, the top of the emerald green dress was form-fitting, gathered at the waist, and flowed gracefully to her ankles. The sleeves were a long and fitted, tapering to a point on the backs of her hands. A pair of high boots that laced up to the knees completed the ensemble. Just as she finished putting the finishing touches on her hair and makeup, there was a knock on the door. She furrowed her brow in confusion. Severus never knocked... who could it be? She called out, "Who is it?"

"Hermione... It's Mum!"

"And Remus," she heard a second voice.

She smiled as she called out to them, "Enter!"

Remus and Elizabeth entered her room, smiling as if they knew something that she didn't know. Remus looked at her and beamed with joy, "You look lovely, Hermione."

"Beautiful..." her mother whispered with a gentle smile.

"Why...?" she began to ask why they had come.

"We're here to babysit. Severus asked us this afternoon," Remus explained as her mother looked fit to burst with anticipation.

"OK, you two," Hermione scowled, unconvincingly, as she looked back and forth between them, "What is Severus up to?"

"Why don't you come with me, and find out," she heard the reply come from the doorway. She looked over to see Severus standing there, looking at her with a glint in his eye. She looked him over to see that he had forgone his usual formal attire and was wearing black trousers and a silk shirt, with a light weight black dress robe. She smiled at him in appreciation. He looked so handsome tonight. He looked much more relaxed... less stiff than he did in his usual frock coat with the long billowy robe that he normally wore.

He held his arm out to her, "Milady," his eyes twinkled as Hermione laughed and laced her hand through the crook of his arm.

Every time Hermione opened her mouth to ask where they were going, Severus would shush her. After the tenth time, he turned to her and crushed his lips to hers to silence her. "Hermione... just this once... please, don't insist on knowing everything." Hermione blushed and looked down at her feet, "Sorry.."

Severus chuckled, "Not at all... we're almost there. Close your eyes."

"Why?"

"Hermione!" he chastised her impatiently, as he tried to feign a scowl, "Miss Granger, you will do as you are told!"

"Yes, Professor Snape," she replied as she surpressed a giggle. Closing her eyes, she allowed him to lead her up another staircase. Higher and higher they climbed, until she felt a fresh spring breeze caressing her face. "Now?" she asked quietly.

She felt him grab her hand and lead her forward a few steps before he turned to her and said, "Now."

Hermione opened her eyes and gasped. They were on the roof of one of the towers. There were hundreds of candles placed all around, and a carpet of rose petals scattered on the floor. A small table was set with two crystal flutes and a bottle of champagne. Severus led her over to take a seat, and she turned to look up at him in adoration. "Severus... it's beautiful!" He leaned in and kissed her gently, "So are you," he whispered as he looked at her, bathed in the glow of the candlelight. Her eyes were dancing with the flicker of hundreds of tiny flames. He paused to pour them each a glass of champagne, making Hermione giggle as he popped the cork and foam spouted out of the top.

He handed her a glass as he moved to sit beside her, looking deeply into her eyes. Neither of them said a word... they didn't need to. Their eyes said it all.

Severus leaned in for a brief kiss before he backed away, clearing his throat as he reached to set his glass on the table.

"Hermione..." he began, his voice quickly turning to a hoarse whisper, closing his eyes for a moment before he continued, "I used to be afraid of falling in love, of giving my heart away. How could I trust a woman to love me? Then I met you, and I realized how much we could share together. You have renewed my life, Hermione. I want to join that life with yours."

He reached out and took her hand into his own as he slipped a ring on her finger, looking up at her as he whispered, "Hermione Granger, will you marry me?"

Hermione was at a loss for words. How could she respond to anything so eloquent... so beautiful? She nodded her head and leaned in to kiss him passionately. Severus could feel a wetness on his cheeks, and didn't know if the tears were Hermione's or his own as he held her close.

"Is that a yes?" he asked in an amused voice as he pulled away to look into her eyes.

"Yes!" Hermione exclaimed as she threw her arms around him. Over his shoulder she looked down to see, for the first time, the ring that he had placed on her finger. It was an etched platinum band mounted with a bezel set, champagne colored stone. She gasped as she pulled away and looked closer, "Severus... What stone is this?"

He smiled, "It's a champagne diamond... do you like it?" he furrowed his brow. He knew that Hermione wouldn't want an elaborate ring, but he wanted to give her more than the common white diamond. It had taken a good part of the afternoon to find something simple, yet elegant... something that was uniquely Hermione.

She nodded her head emphatically, "It's beautiful..." she looked into his eyes, "it's perfect." She leaned in to kiss him once again, this time her hands reached to remove his robes before her fingers moved to unbutton his shirt. He returned her kiss passionately before backing away... "No... not here... your room..."

"But Mum and Remus..."

"Have taken Samuel out for the evening," he grinned mischievously, as he scooped her into his arms and swept her away to the dungeons, "They won't be back for hours."

*****

It was a good thing that the students had not returned yet, or they would have caught an eyeful of Severus and Hermione kissing and touching each other intimately as he carried her to the dungeons. When they reached her quarters, he muttered an unlocking charm and nudged the door open with his foot, kicking it closed behind him after they entered. He carried Hermione to the bed, where he lay her down and began to undress her. Reaching down to remove her boots, he groaned in frustration when he discovered that they were tightly laced to the knee.

Hermione sat up and reached her hand down to help him, but he grabbed her fingers and pushed them away.

"Lie back," he told her as he slowly began to unlace her boots, running one hand over her thigh as his other gently worked one boot down to expose her calf. He leaned in and left a trail of tender kisses down her leg, as he continued to remove the boot, pausing as he lifted her delicate foot and gently kissed the tender arch, causing her to moan in anticipation. He directed his attention to her other foot, where he slowly went through the same process of removing the other boot. After he pulled it off, he kissed the arch of that foot as well, before trailing his lips back up her calf, pausing to gently suckle the tender area behind her knee as his hands continued to caress her thighs. When his kisses continued up her thighs, she gasped in delight. For all of their passionate lovemaking, he had never kissed her there before. She laced her fingers into his hair as she gently encouraged him to move just a little bit higher. Gently, he reached his fingers to her hips to pull off her undergarments. When he placed his lips to her tender bud, she bucked her hips and nearly screamed at the new sensation. Biting her lip, she panted as he continued exploring her folds with his tongue. She curled her fingers tighter into his hair as she pulled him up to her, stammering as she gasped "Severus... I... I n-need you... n-now..."

He smiled as he positioned himself on top of her, reaching his hand down to assist her as her trembling fingers fumbled with the buttons on his trousers. When she had finally managed to free him of his constraints, he reached down to lift the hem of her gown higher, until it was scrunched up above her hips, giving him access to her centre. Frantically, she pulled him into her, finally screaming as she felt him enter, causing her to shudder in delight. She had never reached her peak so quickly before, and was surprised to find her body still begging for more. They rode through wave after wave of passion until they were both spent. Severus collapsed on top of her, burying his head in her hair as he moaned in satisfaction. When he rolled her over to snuggle by his side a while later, he whispered to her, "I never knew it could feel like this, Hermione."

"What do you mean?" she murmured.

"It was always... just sex. Never have I been with a woman who made me feel as though my heart would burst with joy... never have I held a woman like this afterwards," he sighed, "You are the only woman who has made me feel as though I have made love, Hermione. I don't ever want it to be "just sex" with you."

"Never?" she arched an eyebrow as she teased him.

"Never..." he rasped as he closed his arms around her.