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Chapter Two

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Snape sat in his office, the essays lying forgotten on his desk and his eyes gazing intently at the blazing fire.

He could not honestly say that he found Dumbledore's suggestion distasteful – in fact he had considered it on many drunken nights… but had put it off as the worthless fantasies of an inebriated mind… considering that she was a beautiful woman, any straight man would.

However, if Dumbledore believed…

He toyed with the quill in his hand.

The girl… woman… did try her best to strike up conversation with him. He tended to ignore her because… because that was what he was like… and… and what he fantasized about her when drunkenness loosened his inhibitions surfaced at her proximity.

Damn Dumbledore. He was quite content with the occasional trips to Knockturn Alley. He didn't need a steady relationship – not with a woman twenty years his junior.

But it won't hurt to try… Dumbledore believed it, did he not? And people did say that Dumbledore was the greatest wizard alive. Plus, if anything did go wrong, he could always blame everything on him.

There was no harm in trying to be… civil… to Miss Granger, was there?

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Things were bound to go downhill… she was doomed. She ought to have been careful. She remembered a few times when she had forgotten to use protection… where had her intelligence been then? Viktor loved her, but he had never shown any interest towards taking things to the proverbial 'next level'. Why was she even hoping that things would work out? Ugh… and her head just won't stop hurting… if she puked any more, she was sure her guts would come out of her body.

"Something wrong, Professor Granger?"

Hermione looked up to see Professor Snape frowning down at her.

"Of course not," she said, suddenly very angry with him.

"Well?"

"Well what?"

"You have obviously been crying – in an alcove, no less – instead of harassing my Slytherins," said Snape dryly, "I believe that is a matter of concern."

"And you have been concerning yourself with my welfare instead of torturing everyone else except your precious Slytherins. Surely, that is a matter of greater concern?"

"Pardon me," he said frostily, his eyes making her shudder involuntarily.

He turned and walked off towards the dungeons. Hermione regretted her rash words – at the same time wondering why he had bothered to talk to her anyway.

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Friday came sooner than she had expected. One moment she was all rueful over her behaviour towards Snape – actually alternatively cursing him than herself – and another moment, her diary was yelling at her to get ready for her date with Viktor. She blew it to smithereens. However, she did get dressed and was not too late for her date.

"Hey, love."

Viktor pressed his lips against hers.

"Hi, I am sorry to disrupt your schedule like this…"

"Hey, anything for you, babe," he said, smiling.

Hermione suddenly felt all worries leave her.

Only if he is this way when I tell him about the baby…

"So, what was so 'urgent' other than the overwhelming need for my charming company?"

Hermione pushed the potato piece around her plate but did not eat or say anything.

Viktor put down his fork and took her hand in his.

"Hermione."

"Viktor, can we talk about this after dinner?"

He nodded. "Sure."

She wanted to buy some more time to compose herself. Yeah, right.

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"You know that you can tell me anything, Hermione."

"Of course," she said. Then taking a deep breath, "Viktor, I'm pregnant." There it was – plain and simple. It had been wonderfully easy now that she thought about it… and she hadn't even puked all day. What a bonus!

For a moment, she thought that he was going to say something awful. He sat so quiet.

But relief flooded Hermione's heart as she saw a smile break on his face.

He pulled her close and kissed her.

"That's so great, Hermione! Merlin! For a second back there you had just startled me. I am so happy!"

"I'm glad that you are."

"What else could I be?" he murmured, pushing her down on the sofa.

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It was the first time he had missed his rounds. What had he been thinking? He hadn't been thinking… that was what the problem was!

If he had been firmly able to hold his wand, he would have killed Dumbledore.

Hitherto, he had gained some small consolation from the fact that Miss Granger respected him despite of what he was… he didn't even have that satisfaction now.

Shakily, he put the glass to his lips… he was beginning to see double now… thinking double… his head was hurting…

The wine-glass smashed against the floor as Severus lay limp on his chair.

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Hermione was still in high spirits when she went up to the breakfast next morning. She even flashed a brilliant smile at Professor Snape, who was determinedly ignoring her.

"Good morning, Professor," she said brightly, loading her plate with food. Gods! Was she hungry!

He got up and left without a word.

"Don't mind him, dear," said Professor Dumbledore from her other side, "he is very moody. You know…"

Hermione sighed. Of course he was angry. She had been really rude to him last night. She decided she would apologize to him after finishing her pending marking today. However, much of her brightness had diminished.

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Throughout the day, Hermione couldn't really concentrate on her work. The guilt kept welling up in her and by lunch, she had decided that she would skip the meal and go down and get it off her chest.

She deduced that in order to avoid her, he would not attend the meal.

And as quite usual with her, she was right.

However, it was only when she had repeated everything she was going to say twice in her head that she knocked on the door. She didn't want to make any mistakes this time.

"Enter!"

If he had been in the mood which his voice suggested, she pitied all those who would cross his path today – and had done so already.

"Miss Granger! And to what do I owe the displeasure of this visit?"

She didn't bother to correct him about her title. This really wasn't the time for it. Obviously!

"I am sorry," said Hermione, looking him straight in the eyes.

"Will that be all?"

"No. I shouldn't have been so rude to you. I am very sorry. Please accept my apology."

"You may leave," he said, returning to his marking.

"I was very upset," she continued, as if she hadn't heard him, "you ought to excuse me, you know. You are always… never mind… just…"

"I am always what, Miss Granger?" He was looking at her the way that would have scared the daylights out of her – a few years ago.

But things were different now. She had gone through the pain of a bad marriage and was pregnant. To be a mother. No more a child to be scared of her ex-Potions Master.

"Nothing."

"Your answer does not make much sense."

Later in the day, she suspected it was hormones. However, at that time, without much thought she burst out.

"Well, if you do want to hear it, then listen! You are always horrible and rude to me! You always keep insulting me! You never even talk properly to me! You have always been prejudiced against me! But I forgot all that. I thought it would be better if we started anew. No past grudges. Nothing like that. I try my best and all you do is put me down and try to belittle me. You forget that I am no more a girl. I am a woman and you ought to respect me. But you don't! All you do is hurt me! And because I was so hysterical and upset yesterday, I was a little rude to you and you are all offended! You put me through this every day and I forget it. But I make one mistake and you blow off like… well, I think I deserve better from you. I respect you – I will always do so no matter how much a bastard you are! But I would like to think that not all my respect is wasted. Good-afternoon, sir! Rest assured, I will never bother you again!"

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Hermione's legs were numb with pain. She didn't feel like eating anything. She had puked twice since morning. What kind of dumb person called it 'morning sickness'?

"Hermione?"

"Good evening, Madam Pomfrey. Can I have the Pain Relieving Potion, please?"

"What's the matter, Hermione?" asked Madam Pomfrey, who had grown to like the young woman as Hermione helped her out sometimes – and much unlike Snape, she was civil and friendly.

Hermione didn't want to tell anyone about anything. She wasn't sure that she was ready to face all the criticism yet. Unmarried pregnant women and single mothers were highly looked down upon in the Wizarding World.

"Rough day," said Hermione, sitting down on a bed.

Madam Pomfrey nodded sympathetically although she didn't seem sufficiently convinced.

"Mr. Weasley's owl crashed into the wrong office yet again, Hermione. Surely, he could get a more reliable creature than that? Merlin forbid if some important correspondence falls in wrong hands!" said Pomfrey, bringing her the Potion and a letter.

"Ron likes that owl. He is almost pig-headed about Pig now. One won't believe that he hated it once."

"Not me, no. But a new owl will not harm anyone."

"I'll convince him," said Hermione absent-mindedly as she began reading the letter.

She sighed and fell back on the mattress. Weasley Family Reunion. Just the thing that had to happen now. It was going to be a tough week.

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She had not been able to meet Snape's eyes ever since the fateful meeting on Saturday. Not that she was ashamed of her behaviour. But well… she didn't quite remember all she had said to him. She just hoped she hadn't let out any cuss words. It would be just too embarrassing.

However, she noticed that she never saw Snape other than during Staff Meetings and breakfast. Somehow it made her meals less interesting. Though Snape was sometimes atrocious (usually after a Gryffindor and Slytherin class) in his behaviour, he had started thawing out.

She had to go and screw that up, hadn't she? She sighed.

And now this stupid Reunion. She wasn't family technically – anymore. But she was a sister to the other Weasley brothers and Mrs. Weasley didn't blame her much for divorcing Percy. Mrs. Weasley had hoped to have little grandchildren flocking around her all day.

However, Bill couldn't live without changing girlfriends every month. Charlie had declared that he didn't want to have his work in Romania interrupted with something as trivial as "matrimony". Fred and George had wives who Mrs. Weasley didn't like at all (they didn't like Mrs. Weasley in return). And Ron had then not been married. Ginny preferred to concentrate on her career as an Auror.

Mrs. Weasley had been ecstatic when Percy and Hermione had married.

Though things hadn't worked out, Mrs. Weasley still hoped that they would realize that "they were made for each other" and all this was just a mistake.

Hermione found it highly annoying. She was determined to get Harry (who was of course a son to Mrs. Weasley. No family-reunion without him) and Ron to help her stay away from Percy and Mrs. Weasley. Percy won't be difficult – they would mutually avoid each other. Mrs. Weasley now…

Groaning as another wave of nausea hit her, Hermione ran to the bathroom.

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"You look a little… tired, Hermione," said Harry as she came out of her bedroom, dressed for the dreaded reunion.

"Is that the nice way of saying that I look horrible?" she snapped.

"She's being living with Snape, mate," said Ron. Then he paled as he realized the other meaning his words could have.

Harry rolled his eyes. "What's the matter, Hermione?"

"Snape's being a bastard," she shot at Ron. "And I am bloody not feeling well." That was to Harry.

The men exchanged looks.

"Would you like to stay back then?" asked Ron sounding rather hopeful. Though he considered Hermione as his sister, he couldn't stand when his mother, Percy and Hermione were in the same room. His mother, it seemed to him, was determined to freak him out of his senses. Didn't she get the fact that Hermione and Percy didn't like each other?

"No. I can't. You know."

"But if you aren't well…"

"I am well!" she scowled at him.

"Snape has died and his ghost has entered you," said Harry solemnly, tucking her arm under his.

"I hate Snape. He doesn't care. I am not going to apologize to him every time. Because the fault wasn't mine. He infuriated me."

"What?"

"Nothing, let's go. The sooner it is over, the better. And, Harry, it is your duty to keep Mrs. Weasley away from me. Why don't you marry Luna? That will get her a new topic."

Harry mock-frowned at her. "You are unkind to Mrs. Weasley."

"Maybe that's because she likes to put me through hell," grumbled Hermione as they went out.

"She puts us all through hell," said Ron, shaking his head.

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