Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or anything in Potter verse. It's all the brain child of one JK Rowling.

As Hermione was getting ready for bed, a thought crossed her mind. It had been pushed aside from time to time in the last week because she was so busy with coursework and then the 'research project' from Dumbledore. She looked up as Severus came into the bedroom, clad in his silky blue pajamas and a deep sense of longing began to overtake Hermione.

"Is something wrong, love?" he inquired softly, noting the look on her face.

She just looked at him for a moment, and then responded, "Yes and no."

They both got into bed. Hermione lay on her back while Severus propped himself on an elbow, facing her. "Tell me."

She turned to face him. "It's just with everything that's happened, I guess I should feel happy right?"

"Well, that depends on what you're referring to."

"I should be happy that Pansy isn't going to cause us any more harm. I should be happy that I've found a husband who loves me and would do anything to keep me safe." He placed a light kiss on her forehead and she continued. "I can't help feeling like I'm missing something though, Severus." The look she gave him made him want to hold her tightly and never let go. She seemed broken in a way that he was unsure how to fix. It made him sad just thinking about it.

Severus sighed. "Hermione," he said, twisting a lock of curly hair in his fingers, "you are missing something. We are missing something. But we can't let that stop us from moving on with our lives." He looked down briefly, considering his next words. Then, looking into her eyes, he said, "I don't have to tell you that life has not been easy for me. I've made mistakes beyond counting, but I haven't let those stop me, have I?" She shook her head. "I guess, somewhere down the line, I always hoped for something more, something I could really claim as my own that would be worth living for, fighting for. Albus once told me that it's not enough to go through life hoping for a cause to believe in. You have to find it yourself. Guess where I found my cause," he instructed her.

"Me," she said quietly, looking to meet his loving gaze.

"Yes, you. And that means that it's not just my cause, but our cause. Do you understand?" She nodded. "I feel what you're feeling. While the child may have brought us together, I firmly believe we would have gotten there on our own time. You know I've always respected and admired you even if I didn't behave like I did. My situation dictated my actions, as it does very much so now. I love you, Hermione. I think I may always have. I'm hurt by the fact we'll never see our child grow up, but as long as we're together, we've beaten Lucius and Pansy at their own game." He wiped away the silent tears that were falling from her eyes. Whispering in her ear, he said, "As long as we have each other, we can get through anything." He kissed her temple before brushing the hair away from her face. Severus then leaned down, putting their foreheads together.

She looked him in the eye and noted the small, sad smile on his face. Hermione always knew this was never completely about her, but she did not expect Severus to understand what she was going through so completely. "Do you always know the right thing to say, mister smarty pants professor?" she teased.

He chuckled lightly. "No. I just thought that if I talked enough something would calm your fears a bit."

Snuggling closer to him, she responded, "It all did, Severus. It all did."

He pulled her closer, hugging her tightly against his body. Eventually, they both drifted into a deep, rejuvenating slumber.

: P

Hogwarts, for the next month, became a home to many stressed students and teachers alike. All the staff were trying to cram in as much information as possible to prepare the fifth and seventh years for their respective tests while all the students busied themselves cramming as much information into their heads as they could for the end of year exams. Because of all this, Severus discovered just how glad he was to have cleared the air between him and his wife. With everything approaching so quickly, there was little time for personal issues to interfere. He also found that preparing students for NEWTs and OWLs was completely different that having to deal with a student who was preparing for one of the exams. Both, however, were equally as stress inducing, especially when one of those students just happened to be Hermione. More than once she had come to bed asking him questions about NEWT level Potions to which he would either have to respond or remove himself from the room just to get some sleep. Another attributing factor to Severus' stress level happened to be that of the Ministry. They were keeping the whole Parkinson affair very quiet, too quiet in fact. If not for Remus' intervention, Severus was sure he would never see the girl again before the Ministry threw her in Azkaban, and certainly not before the end of the school year.

"Lupin, it's been three weeks! How can the Ministry still be 'investigating!' It doesn't take three bloody weeks to figure out what's happened."

Remus knew better than to anger the man further, but there was only one response to the question. "Severus, the breach of security made further investigations into her claims necessary. If there were something more I could have done, I would have. I know how much this means to you and Hermione."

Severus sat heavily in the chair opposite Dumbledore's desk. "Do I still get to see her?" he asked tiredly.

"Saturday at noon. They've set up an appointment for you," the werewolf responded.

"Are they monitoring it?"

"I've arranged for it to be just the three of you."

"Good."

Dumbledore, who had remained quiet up to this point, inquired, "Is Hermione up for this, Severus?"

He looked at the headmaster. Shaking his head, he replied, "I don't know. We've not spoken much of the matter lately. Between her studies and my class work, we've been a bit busy for talk of anything else to be honest. I shall mention it this evening."

Finding the response satisfactory, he said, "Very well. You are both dismissed to go about your business." Turning to Remus who was about to floo to the ministry, he added, "Thank you for bringing us news." The graying man just nodded and was on his way. Severus, on the other hand, hung back a bit. Dumbledore, of course, noticed this. "Is there something I can do for you yet?"

"Albus, something has been on your mind lately. You're distracted more than normal, and on more than one occasion Minerva has complained to me that you seem to be avoiding her when she needs to discuss matters pertaining to the school. You're either going to tell me or say it's nothing. Which is it?"

"Severus, my boy, you've always been very perceptive. And I am going to say it's nothing you need to be bothered with right now. However, once your business with Parkinson has been dealt with, I would like to speak to you on the matter again," Dumbledore answered.

Severus grunted in response. "Then I'll see you on Saturday," he said, leaving. If he remembered that was. He currently had enough on his mind to deal with, and Dumbledore was not currently high on the list. First, he had to find Hermione and inform her of their designated meeting with Parkinson. After that, he had plenty of papers to grade and tests to write. This was the part of the school year Severus actually hated. He sighed heavily and relished in the thought that he would finally be able to relax in a week and a half.

: P

Hermione stifled yet another yawn as she buried herself in the stacks of books surrounding her in Hogwarts library. Madam Pince was none too happy about her using so many at once, but being Severus Snape's wife had its advantages. Of course, no one needed to know the threats of telling her husband were idle threats at that. Hermione looked around her, trying to find the right book. Discovering it the bottom of a pile, she charmed the lot of them so as not too strain herself too much. The correct book floated to her, and she quickly scanned the index finding the subject she needed. However, she got no further as Severus approached her.

"Mrs. Snape, I would like to request your presence in our chambers immediately," he said in a voice slightly above a whisper.

Hermione noted the slightly clipped tones he was using and gathered the most important books to be checked out. She charmed the rest to return to their rightful places in the library before leaving. She was sure she would have had to haggle Madam Pince to allow her to check out all the books she wanted, but Severus' presence hurried the matter. There was an unintelligible murmur from the librarian as they left.

They walked back to their chambers in silence. Severus had taken half the books to lighten Hermione's load. As they approached their quarters, he said the password allowing her entrance before himself. She placed the books on the table, sighing at the loss of weight she had been carrying.

"Why, pray tell, do you need all of these books?" he asked a bit exasperatedly.

"Have you seen the amount of homework all of you are giving out right now? It's any wonder we manage to prepare for our NEWTs as it is," she replied in a tone similar to his question.

A house elf suddenly appeared with dinner for them and set it on the table. Hermione noted the candles that came with the meal.

"Feeling romantic, are we?"

He smiled mischievously at her. "Maybe. That's for you to find out."

"Great," she said sarcastically. "Now I'll never know."

He ushered her to her seat and pulled it out for her. He seated himself across the table and poured her some pumpkin juice. "I actually had something I wanted to discuss with you this evening, but I thought you might appreciate a quiet dinner away from prying eyes as well."

She smiled at him. "It would be nice. As long as this doesn't interfere too much with my studies tonight though."

"Of course not, my love."

They ate in relative quiet, just glad to be away from the chatter of the students and staff. One thing they had little of in Hogwarts during the school year was privacy. Every moment they could find it seemed to be ruined by a passing student or a staff member in need of Severus' assistance. There was always something else that got in the way. Finally, as they were finishing, Severus said, "Remus came to visit today."

If Hermione's mind had been drifting before, it stopped with that statement. "What did he say?"

"We, my dear, have an appointment at the Ministry to 'visit' Miss Parkinson on Saturday at noon." His excitement was clear. In fact, if she did not know better, she would have thought he was absolutely giddy about it.

Hermione frowned slightly. "It's at the Ministry. I suppose they'll want to be there with us." Severus shook his head. Hermione looked a little less dour, but remained less than happy nonetheless.

"What's wrong?"

She just shook her head and pushed her plate aside. "I guess I'm just not sure how I should react. Part of me is happy, but the other part of me doesn't know what to do."

Severus reached across the table to take her hand in his. "We're in this together, Hermione. In fact, I rather think I'm getting a bit out of hand with this."

"Need me to keep you on track," she added.

"Very much so," he replied. "You need to talk to her, Hermione, and I promise I won't do anything you don't want me to."

"You mean you'd hurt her?"

"Not physically, no. She is pregnant, Hermione. Remus said it's confirmed to be Lucius' child as well. How it happened, she has not said. But I would never do to her what she did to us." Hermione looked relieved at those words. "I've seen what you've gone through, and are still going through. This isn't easy for you, but it needs to be done, just so she can see what she's done to you, to us."

Quietly, she responded, "Thank you."

Severus got up and walked to the other side of the table where he took his wife in his arms and held her as she cried. He had become used to her emotions and always seemed to know when to comfort her and when to let her have her space. This was a moment when she needed his reassurance, and he would be damned if he was not there for her. Hermione was his life, his hope, and his joy. Whatever she felt, he felt too. And so he just held her, providing his support and quiet comfort as she wept for herself, for Severus, for Pansy, and for everyone Lucius Malfoy had ever hurt.

End Chapter 27