A/N I apologize for the lengthy delay between updates. Things have been rather busy lately. You all know how life can be. I will try to keep them coming a little faster than this. And thanks to all who have read and reviewed thus far. I hope you like where this goes from here.
Hermione's dad tried to avoid staring at Severus. He wasn't quite sure what to talk to the young? (What was his daughter thinking?) man about. Hermione had filled them in on what existed in the wizarding world and what didn't. He couldn't talk to this gentleman about football, or even cricket. He still didn't understand what Quidditch was, although Hermione had tried to explain it ever since she had gotten her Hogwarts letter. Hermione had already said that the man was a professor. So Hermione's dad flipped on the TV and opted not to say anything.
Hermione's mom bustled around the kitchen excitedly. "Mum, it's your birthday-let me do some of the work!" Hermione tried to get her mom to sit down.
"Now Hermione, I love to cook and since it's my birthday, you wouldn't deny me the right to do something I love, would you?" Her mom asked.
"I guess not mom." Hermione gave up.
"Now you sit right there and tell me all about this young man of yours." Her mom turned to her and said.
"MUM!" Hermione said embarrassed.
"Oh come now dear, if he didn't mean something to you, you wouldn't have brought him to my birthday party with most of your relatives." Her mom looked at her, thinking she was a fount of wisdom.
"I don't know what I was thinking when I asked him. We've spent a lot of weekends together. I'm not even 100% sure of what I feel for him, mum. I'm worried sick that he will turn out to be like my ex. However, my headmaster and fellow professor both will kill me if I hurt him. I've gotten myself into such a mess!" Hermione said with tears in her eyes.
Her mom just clucked, came over, and wrapped her arms around her daughter. "It's okay, Hermoine, dear. Just follow your heart. Don't listen to your head, the heart knows what it is talking about."
Hermione leaned into her moms arms, just thinking how good it felt to be home.
Meanwhile, Severus tried desperately to follow the moving pictures. Finally he looked at Hermione's father, "Sir, might I ask what sport this is?"
Her father looked slightly startled. He thought that everyone knew what football was. "It is called football. You see you have 11 guys who try to score a goal with the ball. All players except the goalie are not allowed to touch the ball...." Hermione's father continues to animatedly explain the game to Severus who nodded and occasionally interrupted to ask questions. After finally understanding the point, Severus, and Hermione's father sat back to watch the game and cheer for the English team, Manchester United.
Hermione heard her dad talking to Severus and explaining the game. She should have warned him that her dad would be watching it. She had forgotten all the wizarding world had was Quidditch.
The doorbell rang and Hermione's family started to pour into the little house. They all raised their eyebrows when they first met Severus, but they were so excited that Hermione had finally moved on and brought someone home, that they were willing to look past anything they found as shortcomings. That could always come later.
Severus was overwhelmed at meeting Aunt so and so and Uncle I forget. He couldn't keep the names straight and wished Hermione would hand out something so that he could. He tried to keep up with why Aunt so and so's plum pudding was so much better than Darla's. He nodded and occasionally muttered an oh? and, really? to keep the old biddy happy.
Just about the point he thought he would expire from boredom, Hermione's mom came into the room and announced that supper was ready. Everyone trooped into the dining room. Thank goodness he was to sit next to Hermione. She smiled brightly at him. "I could kill you for this, Hermione." he said in a soft, silky, undertone.
She just laughed and said, "You'll get over it."
Supper was a noisy affair. He and Hermione exchanged glances several times. She truly loved being with her family and was so glad that he was willing to try. She had never thought he would be the type to put up with what he considered muggle nonsense for very long without hexing all the muggles to silence.
As soon as the supper dishes were cleared, Hermione jumped up and grabbed her dad's hand and they disappeared into another room. Soon they came in with a beautiful cake with candles and everyone began to sing to Hermione's mom.
"Happy Birthday to you Happy Birthday to you Happy Birthday, dear Darla,
Happy Birthday to you!"
Her mom clapped her hands joyfully and blew out the candles. It was a wonderful treat that her husband and daughter gave her a cake every year. She really wished though, that they would let her make it for once and save them all the expense.
Severus made it through the singing of Happy Birthday thanks to Hermione's earlier instruction.
After the cake and tea were served, Hermione grabbed him by the hand and pulled him out into the back yard.
"Thank you so much for coming Severus!" She leaned over and kissed him on the lips.
He growled, "You are lucky I like you Hermione. I was tempted several times to silence your aunt."
She got a mischievous look in her eye. "Which one?"
He growled and grabbed her and kissed her hard. She pulled away breathless. "Severus! We might get caught!"
He gave her a smile back, and proceeded to walk up the steps and back inside. She looked after him thoughtfully.
All too soon, (but not too soon for Severus's liking) all the old biddies and their husbands left.
Hermione's mom sat down with a "Whew! Family can be way too much sometimes, eh Severus?"
"Severus looked slightly embarrassed and mumbled "I wouldn't know"
Her mom gasped "Oh, I'm so sorry dear! I didn't know!"
Severus had the grace to look slightly ashamed, "I'm sorry Mrs. Granger, I meant that my parents weren't too keen on their families. They usually avoided their families because they tended to try and kill each other when they got together." He laughed slightly bitterly.
Hermione's parent and Hermione exchanged worried looks. Hermione jumped up to save the day. "Well, we have a long day ahead of us, getting caught up on paperwork before the holidays. Mum, Happy birthday again! Dad, I love you" Hermione hugged them both and tugged Severus out the door.
He looked at her before they apparated and said "Really, that was quite unnecessary!"
They arrived back at the ground of Hogwarts. Severus leaned over and kissed Hermione on the cheek. "Good night Hermione!" He stalked off to his dungeon.
"Really! The nerve of that man." Hermione muttered and found her way towards her room.
Severus walked to his rooms, wishing she had given him a chance to explain what he had meant. He muttered the passwords to his rooms and stopped, the door was already open.
"Severus, Is that you?" He heard a woman's voice say.
"Jane?"
Hermione's dad tried to avoid staring at Severus. He wasn't quite sure what to talk to the young? (What was his daughter thinking?) man about. Hermione had filled them in on what existed in the wizarding world and what didn't. He couldn't talk to this gentleman about football, or even cricket. He still didn't understand what Quidditch was, although Hermione had tried to explain it ever since she had gotten her Hogwarts letter. Hermione had already said that the man was a professor. So Hermione's dad flipped on the TV and opted not to say anything.
Hermione's mom bustled around the kitchen excitedly. "Mum, it's your birthday-let me do some of the work!" Hermione tried to get her mom to sit down.
"Now Hermione, I love to cook and since it's my birthday, you wouldn't deny me the right to do something I love, would you?" Her mom asked.
"I guess not mom." Hermione gave up.
"Now you sit right there and tell me all about this young man of yours." Her mom turned to her and said.
"MUM!" Hermione said embarrassed.
"Oh come now dear, if he didn't mean something to you, you wouldn't have brought him to my birthday party with most of your relatives." Her mom looked at her, thinking she was a fount of wisdom.
"I don't know what I was thinking when I asked him. We've spent a lot of weekends together. I'm not even 100% sure of what I feel for him, mum. I'm worried sick that he will turn out to be like my ex. However, my headmaster and fellow professor both will kill me if I hurt him. I've gotten myself into such a mess!" Hermione said with tears in her eyes.
Her mom just clucked, came over, and wrapped her arms around her daughter. "It's okay, Hermoine, dear. Just follow your heart. Don't listen to your head, the heart knows what it is talking about."
Hermione leaned into her moms arms, just thinking how good it felt to be home.
Meanwhile, Severus tried desperately to follow the moving pictures. Finally he looked at Hermione's father, "Sir, might I ask what sport this is?"
Her father looked slightly startled. He thought that everyone knew what football was. "It is called football. You see you have 11 guys who try to score a goal with the ball. All players except the goalie are not allowed to touch the ball...." Hermione's father continues to animatedly explain the game to Severus who nodded and occasionally interrupted to ask questions. After finally understanding the point, Severus, and Hermione's father sat back to watch the game and cheer for the English team, Manchester United.
Hermione heard her dad talking to Severus and explaining the game. She should have warned him that her dad would be watching it. She had forgotten all the wizarding world had was Quidditch.
The doorbell rang and Hermione's family started to pour into the little house. They all raised their eyebrows when they first met Severus, but they were so excited that Hermione had finally moved on and brought someone home, that they were willing to look past anything they found as shortcomings. That could always come later.
Severus was overwhelmed at meeting Aunt so and so and Uncle I forget. He couldn't keep the names straight and wished Hermione would hand out something so that he could. He tried to keep up with why Aunt so and so's plum pudding was so much better than Darla's. He nodded and occasionally muttered an oh? and, really? to keep the old biddy happy.
Just about the point he thought he would expire from boredom, Hermione's mom came into the room and announced that supper was ready. Everyone trooped into the dining room. Thank goodness he was to sit next to Hermione. She smiled brightly at him. "I could kill you for this, Hermione." he said in a soft, silky, undertone.
She just laughed and said, "You'll get over it."
Supper was a noisy affair. He and Hermione exchanged glances several times. She truly loved being with her family and was so glad that he was willing to try. She had never thought he would be the type to put up with what he considered muggle nonsense for very long without hexing all the muggles to silence.
As soon as the supper dishes were cleared, Hermione jumped up and grabbed her dad's hand and they disappeared into another room. Soon they came in with a beautiful cake with candles and everyone began to sing to Hermione's mom.
"Happy Birthday to you Happy Birthday to you Happy Birthday, dear Darla,
Happy Birthday to you!"
Her mom clapped her hands joyfully and blew out the candles. It was a wonderful treat that her husband and daughter gave her a cake every year. She really wished though, that they would let her make it for once and save them all the expense.
Severus made it through the singing of Happy Birthday thanks to Hermione's earlier instruction.
After the cake and tea were served, Hermione grabbed him by the hand and pulled him out into the back yard.
"Thank you so much for coming Severus!" She leaned over and kissed him on the lips.
He growled, "You are lucky I like you Hermione. I was tempted several times to silence your aunt."
She got a mischievous look in her eye. "Which one?"
He growled and grabbed her and kissed her hard. She pulled away breathless. "Severus! We might get caught!"
He gave her a smile back, and proceeded to walk up the steps and back inside. She looked after him thoughtfully.
All too soon, (but not too soon for Severus's liking) all the old biddies and their husbands left.
Hermione's mom sat down with a "Whew! Family can be way too much sometimes, eh Severus?"
"Severus looked slightly embarrassed and mumbled "I wouldn't know"
Her mom gasped "Oh, I'm so sorry dear! I didn't know!"
Severus had the grace to look slightly ashamed, "I'm sorry Mrs. Granger, I meant that my parents weren't too keen on their families. They usually avoided their families because they tended to try and kill each other when they got together." He laughed slightly bitterly.
Hermione's parent and Hermione exchanged worried looks. Hermione jumped up to save the day. "Well, we have a long day ahead of us, getting caught up on paperwork before the holidays. Mum, Happy birthday again! Dad, I love you" Hermione hugged them both and tugged Severus out the door.
He looked at her before they apparated and said "Really, that was quite unnecessary!"
They arrived back at the ground of Hogwarts. Severus leaned over and kissed Hermione on the cheek. "Good night Hermione!" He stalked off to his dungeon.
"Really! The nerve of that man." Hermione muttered and found her way towards her room.
Severus walked to his rooms, wishing she had given him a chance to explain what he had meant. He muttered the passwords to his rooms and stopped, the door was already open.
"Severus, Is that you?" He heard a woman's voice say.
"Jane?"