On the surface, everything at Hogwarts seemed to go back to normal. Quidditch resumed practice, students filed in and out of the Great Hall, classes went on day in and day out. The differences were subtle-more couples walked the halls, there was a slight increase of House points being taken away for kissing in the eyes of the younger students.

Hermione saw less of Harry and Ron, but they still had their matches of wizard chess and study sessions in the common room. It was just a sign of growing up that they saw less of each other-not a sign of growing apart.

Ginny and the other Gryffindor girls still included Hermione in their day trips to Hogsmeade and the school gossip. It was just like old times…until the curfew bells rang out through the school, and Hermione descended to the dungeons instead of going up the Tower.

The walk down the long, shadowy corridors used to give her chills up and down her spine, but she had gotten used to it as the weeks passed. She reflected that time had flown by since the wedding ceremony-which had taken place over three months ago.

Three months and her "husband" had barely spoken to her-much less tried to touch her. That is not to say that they did not enjoy each other's quiet company on the weekends, but she sometimes found she had to remind herself that they were married.

Every night she would undress, slip into the large bed and wait, wondering if that night would be the night when Severus would come for her, but he never did. She didn't know where he went while she was in his room-he might have been somewhere in the flat, or on the other side of the school.

She knew there was no way he could've mistaken her actions on the wedding night-she was willing to sleep with him; after being forced to marry him she had given up on all resistance. She had climbed into his bed and waited for him-but he had done nothing that night or any other. He hadn't even mentioned it to her.

Perhaps he just didn't find her attractive?

Despite the sneakiness of the whole thing, Hermione couldn't stop herself from reading his journal. Through his journal, she'd learnt much about him.

Snape's parents were still alive and he had a younger sister-born when he was in his 7th year of Hogwarts. Cassandra was now an adult, she had married young and had triplets-Severus was an uncle to three teenage girls. His sister and nieces adored him, but his parents were far less forgiving and had all but cut him from the family tree after learning of his being a Death Eater.

She'd found that he was more intelligent than even Dumbledore knew, and much angrier too.

Angry at himself for getting tied up with the Death Eaters so many years ago, angry at Dumbledore for making him act as a double-agent, angry at Hogwarts for housing so many of his memories-both good and bad.

All in all, she had come to find him intensely interesting and even compellingly mysterious. The thought crossed her mind as she muttered the password and stopped short at the sight of him in the living room.

Snape had never waited up for her before.

"Hermione, I need to speak with you."

She came forward and stood in front of him.

"Here, let's sit down a moment." He said as he led her to the wingchairs in front of the fireplace. They settled and Snape spoke first. "As you know, the Yule holiday is fast approaching. I never stay here over the holiday; I have always gone to the family estate."

"Can I stay here?" she asked. In her mind she imagined the Snape estate as a dark castle on top of a hill, vultures circling overhead.

"I'd rather that you didn't. I won't force you to go with me, of course, but it is a time for…togetherness." He half flinched on the last word. Whether it was because the holiday was to be spent with her, or because of the use of such a-as he would say-"disgustingly sentimental" word, she didn't know.

"But I…I've always spent Christmas with my parents. I've barely even written to them since our last meeting, and that was before the wedding ceremony! Can't I stay with them for a few days first, and then join you after that?" she asked earnestly. She missed her parents, her old Muggle home.

Severus sat back for a moment, studying her face-her eyes were pleading with him, but he had to be firm. "I'm sorry, but no. That's dangerous; you'd be an easier target in the Muggle world."

Hermione slumped with disappointment. "Alright, I'll write to them-"

"Wait, there may be an alternative."

"Alternative?"

"Yes, they can come to the estate. I'll craft them a portkey, it will take them right there, and they'll arrive a few days after we've settled in. How does that sound?"

Hermione was shocked. Severus would open his home not only to her, but to her parents as well? She jumped up from her chair and hugged him. "Thank you! Oh, thank you so much!" Hermione surprised herself by kissing him on the cheek.

Severus quickly stood up, "Oh, um, yes. Yes, and I know just what to use for the portkey." He moved across the room-practically running away from her, really. She felt a slight tinge of hurt that he didn't want to even get a hug from her, but forced it down.

"Here, we can use this." He said, walking back and showing her a pink crystal. "I can bewitch it with your name; we can send it to them with instructions."

Hermione was so excited, Yule was only two weeks away, and now her parents could come and join…oh gods. She realized with a jolt that her parents had never met Severus. They'd never even seen a picture of him; she'd barely mentioned him at all in the few letters she'd sent home.

Suddenly the whole thing seemed like a terrible idea!

Hermione's apprehension was only reinforced when she arrived.

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOX

Two weeks later, the Yule holiday began and Severus had apparated them to the front porch of the Snape estate, and they were instantly swarmed by House Elves.

"Oh Master Severus, we had missed you so!"

"Let me take your cloak, sir!"

"Who is this guest, Master?"

Severus shrugged off his cloak to the largest elf and turned to give Hermione a small smile. "She's my wife," he said.

All at once the elves gasped and then began cooing over her. "Master has taken a wife at last?"

"We did not know you had wed, sir!"

"Have you any children yet, sir? We can make up their rooms too-"

"What?!"

"Children?!"

Hermione and Severus had their outbursts at exactly the same instant and both blushed for it. Snape turned to the elf. "Dolly, there are no children. Please, make up Hermione's room at the east end. We'll also be expecting two other guests on Wednesday, I want them in the blue room. I'll be staying in the master bedroom."

The elf-Dolly-smiled and the rest of the elves scampered off to carry out his orders.

Hermione liked the Snape estate. It was not the ominous castle she had pictured, but it was certainly larger than most muggle houses she had seen. There were two floors; the top floor held all of the ten large bedrooms, and bottom housed the kitchen and den rooms. The estate's land was well kept and the house seemed new, though Severus had told her it had been in his family for generations.

She'd gone up to her room while Severus set off to craft the portkeys that would bring her parents to them in a few days. He'd send them the crystal once he'd finished the charms.

"Your owlry is right below the room the elves gave me, would you like me to prepare one for you?" she'd asked him.

Severus had gone out of his way to make sure that she and her parents would be comfortable here; she felt that the least she could do was find the best owl for the task.

Severus had finished his enchantment on the pink crystal, and she had written the short message to her parents that explained how to use it and where they would be taken.

"No, no. Owls are fine for school deliveries and such, but they take too long to recover. Ravens are faster and have more endurance. Hogwarts doesn't use them because they cannot carry too heavy a load, but this should be no problem." He'd replied.

Hermione slipped the message and the crystal into a small leather pouch. "I'll take care of this, Hermione. Why don't you go to town for a few hours? I have some other things to tend to at the moment and I don't think the elves will be very entertaining."

"Alright, um, I will. Thank you." She said as he took the pouch from her. She was a bit confused. Why was Severus being so…kind? He'd never said anything mean to her since finding out they were affianced, but still, his behavior was so odd for him.

Even when she was still a student, he'd been snarky-almost resentful that she seemed to be the only student on his level of understanding when it came to potions. Then, they hadn't spoken since that humiliating incident in her fifth year.

'Well, maybe you're a good influence on him'. She thought to herself.

Maybe, though if she was softening him up, it was only towards her; he'd still been horribly strict and snappish to his other students. It was the season of kindness, perhaps Snape was not the exception she had thought him to be.