Disclaimer – (Previous chapters)

Sorry I didn't update yesterday, I was in bed for most of the day with a sore back. Thankfully it's not too bad and I can walk around without looking like an OAP.

Once again, thank you for the reviews! (Gives out more cuddle toys, that look like Severus) Hey, you can never have too many cuddle toys!

Chapter 10

After breakfast, Hermione and Ginny sat in the living room, catching up with Harry and Ron. They had both enjoyed their training, but at times, Ron had found some things difficult. That was mainly in the Defence Against the Dark Arts, but Harry helped him practice.

They also had some amusing tales. Like how Harry and Ron got drunk one night and Ron tried to climb out of a cat flap. He fell asleep with his head sticking out and woke up to find their trainer looking down at him. Harry had fallen asleep on a broken ironing board, which he had tried to surf on, but broke when he stood on it.

"Oh, Mione, he was so mad at us! He made us do twice the work that day and he wouldn't give us anything for our hangover!"

"Well, it serves you right! Honestly, drinking in the middle of the week. You could have waited until the weekend," Hermione replied, trying to sound stern, but the thought of a drunk Harry and Ron made her unable to keep the grin from her face. She felt better than this morning and was determined not to think about it.

"Well, we were desperate, weren't we Ron?"

"Yep." He looked outside and turned to the group, "Well, it's a nice day, who's up for a quick game of Quidditch?"

Harry and Ginny both agreed, but Hermione declined. "Oh, Ron, you know how bad I am! I can't even fly!"

Ron sighed, "Fine, it looks like we have to find someone else. I wonder if Fred would have time for a game. I mean, George is watching the shop for him." With that he went off to find Fred, while Ginny went to find their Quidditch things.

Hermione turned to Harry, finally having a chance to talk with him.

"Harry?"

"Yeah?"

"Um, how are you feeling with everything that will happen next week?"

To her surprise, he didn't get angry or moody. Instead he smiled at her and replied, "Actually, I feel fine about it. I mean, a few years ago I would have been nervous and unsure, but now that I have done my training, I feel a lot more secure. Like I have a real chance against him."

"Really? That's good Harry. But what about the whole deal with the mind reading?"

"Oh, don't worry about that, Dumbledore has been giving me lessons on how to do it for the past four years. He said he had a lot more time than before. I picked it up a lot quicker than I did with Snape."

She felt a small pang when he mentioned him. She didn't know why she always had that reaction. Maybe it was the guilt? She sighed.

"Just so you know, I'll stand by you Harry. Ron and I won't leave you alone out there."

He smiled at her and pulled her into a hug. "Thanks, Mione. That means a lot to me. Your support will give me the help I need to kill that bastard."

"Well, you are my friend and I won't leave you. Just concentrate on staying alive, for Ginny."

"How did you know?"

"She told me. She must have been bursting to tell someone about it! I promise that I won't say anything to anyone."

"Thanks."

"Well, go on, go and find the others and have fun!"

He laughed and made his way out of the room, replying, "Yes mother!"

She was surprised at this comment. Parents had always been a touchy subject with him. She supposed he had finally got over it, or he was satisfied that he would be avenging their death very soon.

Well, now she was alone and she didn't know what to do with herself. She walked upstairs to her room. She decided to read a book she bought a few days ago. It was called To Kill a Mocking Bird, a muggle novel. She had read it before, but it was a good book. When she saw it she had to buy it, she hadn't read it for years.

She made her way to the library and sat down in one of the chairs by a large window. It had a beautiful view. It was charmed to look like a large lake was below her and trees on the other side. It was very calming.

She had been reading for an hour when someone came in. She looked up to see who it was. It was Severus. Quickly she turned back to her reading, hoping he didn't see that she noticed him. His footsteps indicated he was walking over to her. She didn't look back up at him, keeping her head buried in her book. She felt his presence right next to her, but still, she refused to look at him.

He sighed. She would have to be difficult. He picked the book up out of her hands and put it on the table next to him.

She looked up at him angrily. How dare he! "What did you do that for?"

"I think we need to talk," he replied, amused at how quickly she got angry.

"Well, I don't. I don't want to hear this right now," she said, mimicking what he said earlier. She went to pick up her book when he grabbed her wrist. She looked at him, hating the way he kept his face emotionless.

"Why did you do it?" His eyes held brief look of hurt before it disappeared again.

Her eyes softened, her anger slipping away. How can she be mad at him? It was his child, after all. She sighed and moved over so he could sit down.

"When you told me that you didn't want to see me anymore I was devastated. At the time, I didn't know that you really meant 'We can't see each other because I worry for your safety' I thought it was final. So I decided to just carry on with how my life was originally planned. Then I found out I was pregnant. It wasn't something I wanted at the time. I did want children but not until much later on in my life. I wanted to be able to support it. Something I couldn't do, sure my friends might have helped me. But I wanted help from you and I knew that if you didn't want me, you certainly wouldn't want this child."

She waited for him to respond, unable to look at him. She quietly added, "Just remember, I didn't know that you still cared. I wouldn't have done it otherwise."

He sighed, "It's not your fault. I shouldn't have listened to Albus. We should have kept seeing each other, but I just wanted you to be safe."

"I'm sorry. When I found that book, it was like my prayers had been answered. I thought it would get rid of the baby. What it didn't say was that it would also make me childless for the rest of my life. But I wasn't thinking straight at the time. It was an obsession. I just wanted my life back."

"I can understand that. Your education was always important to you. I'm sorry I stormed out like that earlier. It was a shock for me. I have never been partial to the idea of children, but I was still hurt when you told me. But at the time I didn't realise that in your mind, I didn't want you anymore. I had always known that after the war, I would see you again. I had something to get me through, whereas you had nothing."

Hermione didn't know what to say. He wanted to be with her again! Well, after the war, but if she had managed four years without him, she could wait another week. But what if they didn't get through it. She voiced her thoughts to him.

"But what if one of us dies next week, or Harry dies. What happens then?"

He looked at her and thought for a while before replying, "Well, perhaps we should make the best of this week then."

She looked at him and saw a look of longing in his eyes. She smiled, understanding his meaning perfectly and replied, "Maybe we should."

He smiled and moved closer to her. His hands moved to hold her face and he closed the distance between them. He kissed her softly, giving her a chance to move away. Instead, she wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him closer. She moaned when she felt his tongue slide across her lower lip seeking entrance. She parted her lips and he slipped his tongue inside her mouth, exploring every part of it. His hands moved down to her waist and he pulled her closer.

They broke apart slowly, from the lack ofoxygen. He smiled down at her and stood up. "Perhaps we could continue this in my room?"

She looked up at him and smiled. He held outhis hand and she took it. Wordlessly she allowed him to take her to his room, where she stayed for most of the day, around the same time her friends came in from their game of Quidditch.

Awww, another sweet, fluffy chapter! Well, let me know what you think. Anyone who reviews, gets free cookies!