Disclaimer: I wish I owned Harry Potter, but since I don't, don't sue me :)
Rating: PG-13 (in later chapters)
This is my first HG/SS fanfic.
Summary: Hermione is returning to Hogwarts with a secret in tow. How will this effect her and Snape's relationship? And what about that one stolen night?
Second Grace - Beginning
Hermione took her place at the Professors' Table for the first time. She spread her dark blue robes around her and set Grace upon her lap. She could feel Severus stiffen next to her, but she pushed that to the side. She whispered to him, "When Dumbledore announces me, do I stand up?"
Severus gave a smirk and said, "Yes, and then you should proceed to do cartwheels for entertainment."
She cast a glare at him then kissed the top of Grace's head. "Don't listen to Papa. I planned on doing back flips."
Hearing Grace's giggle, Severus snapped at Hermione, "That wasn't funny, madam." Reaching out and brushing a strand of hair from her face, he whispered, "Five points from Gryffindor."
Reaching over and tweaking his nose, Hermione admonished, "You can't bully me around anymore, Professor." Fixing her gaze straight ahead, Hermione said, "If those five points are actually subtracted from Gryffindor, five points will be taken away from Slytherin and you shall receive no more kisses for a week."
Before Severus could say anything, the festivities began.
"Welcome, new students and old!" Dumbledore's voice boomed over the dining hall. "As a reminder to all students, the third floor corridor and the forbidden forest are strictly off limits. Besides new students, we have a new Defense Against the Dark Arts professor. Professor Granger, if you will rise please."
Hermione placed Grace on Severus' lap and stood, smiling to the incoming first years. When she resumed her seat, she took Grace back. When Severus asked, "Where were the back flips?" Hermione answered, "Oh, I didn't want to embarrass you."
"Brass, Roman."
Seeing another cheer come up from the Gryffindor table, Severus said, "Oh, so I get a private show?" Hermione didn't say anything, but her blush gave away the fact she had been probably been thinking along those lines. So, Severus pressed on, "I'm thinking of having a particular lab table moved into my room. It brings back so many fond memories." He watched Hermione's blush deepen and her lips almost part in protest.
"Jones, Katherine."
"Severus, you really shouldn't say such things." Hermione could feel her ears blazing with heat. She patted her daughter's head and said, "Don't mind Papa. He's just teasing Mama."
Severus grabbed Hermione's hand and brushed his lips over the top of it. He didn't mind the gasps that came from the Gryffindor and Slytherin tables. He wiggled his eyebrows at her and smiled. Talking to no one in particular, Severus said, "Your mother has no idea how much I intend to tease her."
Hermione sucked in a breath and tried not to blush any deeper. That man had a way with her... She fixed Grace's plate and adjusted her own. She looked down at it and smiled when she had nothing like the students had. Where the students would be gorging on sweets, she would be eating a slice of beef, some vegetables, and a nice hot glass of tea. Lightly bouncing Grace on her knee, Hermione procured a sugar pot, put in two teaspoons, and vigorously stirred her concoction. She took a sip and felt the delicious warmth spread through her limbs. Almost like when Severus looked at her.
She licked her lips and turned her gaze to Severus. Before he could turn away, she saw that his eyes had darkened to a darker black color. She smiled into her teacup and knew it was going to be an interesting night.
As soon as dinner was over, Severus gave Grace a quick peck on the head and headed toward the dungeons. He gave the excuse that he still needed to tidy up his classroom, but even Hermione knew what a thinly veiled lie that was. Truth was, he just needed to get away from the students. He needed to get away from some of the professors who thought what he and Hermione did was morally wrong. He grabbed a key off the ring attached to his belt and placed it in the lock. When it gave a soft click, he heaved a sigh of relief and entered his laboratory.
"I thought you would have burned this thing."
Severus gave a small start as Hermione's soft voice pierced the darkness of the lab. He moved through the darkness and stopped a few feet away from the table. Moonlight was pouring in from the high window and he could see her every outline. She had removed her robes and had laid them on another table. The robes had concealed a scarlet dress that reached Hermione's knees with laces that zigzagged up the back. Her back was to him, but he could see that a blush still covered her features. He took a step toward her and brushed up against the ties of her dress. Slowly pulling on one, he said in a soft voice, "Hermione, you drive me crazy."
Hermione turned around and wound her arms around his neck. She pulled him down, she said, "We really shouldn't be doing this." She stood on her toes and reached up for a kiss anyway.
A sharp knock came at the door. Severus cursed out loud and grumbled, "Who is there?"
"Sir?" A third year Gryffindor poked her head into the door. Blushing a little at the way the Potions and Defense professors were tangled up, she cleared her throat and said, "An Auror Potter is here to see either you or Professor Granger."
Hastily taking a step back and securing her ties once again, Hermione grabbed for her robes and stole a glance at Severus. He looked as frustrated as she did at the moment, but there was always the future.
He snatched the robes from Hermione's hands and held them out for her. He muttered quiet obscenities under his breath, making Hermione smile. He glared at the intruder and said, "Make sure you send Auror Potter to my chambers." Throwing a quick glance at Hermione, he added, "If you or anyone else disturbs Professor Granger or me ever again, five points will be abducted from your house. Is that understood?"
Hermione watched as the girl, wide-eyed, nodded her head and ran from the room. She turned back at Severus and said, "That was terribly mean of you." She put up a hand to stop his rebuttal, smiled, and added, "Thank you. You saved me from doing that. I want to be seen as the nice professor." She put a little sashay in her step and when she reached the door, she said, "I'll take a rain check on the rest though." Then she turned and ran, not wanting to know what she would do if she stayed any longer.
Hermione opened the door to her chambers and smiled at the picture of Grace sitting on Harry's lap. He had always been good with children, it was a shame that he didn't know of his own son's existence. She slowly entered the room and smiled at Harry. His smile was easier these days, now that Voldemort was dead.
He set Grace down and said, "It's time for bed, Grace. Mama and Uncle Harry have to do some grown-up talk." Hermione watched Grace pout at Harry and then smiled when he opened the door to her room. Hermione crossed to the fireplace and stood there to ward off a chill. She entered her room and shed her robes and grabbed terry-cloth robe from behind her door. Sliding into it, she sat on a couch in front of the fire. She glanced behind her and smiled at Harry as he came out of Grace's room.
Harry came to stand between her and the fireplace. He absently rubbed the slightly smaller scar on his forehead. It had diminished greatly in size since the defeat of Voldemort, but was still there as a small reminder of what had happened. He gazed toward Grace's room and said, "So, you went off with Snape, I see."
Hermione slightly blushed at the comment. Everyone in their small circle of friends had run off with someone that night. Hermione rose and grabbed Harry's hand. She smiled at him and said, "I tried to tell you, but you wouldn't listen."
Harry shook his head and smiled ruefully. He gently pulled his hand away and motioned for her to sit. Once she had done so, he said, "Ron tried to tell me something once, but I didn't want to believe him. Since he's gone now, maybe you could tell me Hermione."
Hermione didn't like the look in his eyes. Hiding in the green depths was an emotion she hadn't seen in his eyes for some time: fear. She grabbed his hand and said, "Ask me, Harry. What is it you want to know?"
Harry turned his gaze away and watched the flames. He found the last little push he needed in the flames and said, "You know how I am with kids. You and Ginny both know how good I am." He turned his gaze back to her and asked, "Since you both know this, why didn't you or Ginny, or even Alex for that matter, tell me about James?"
Hermione sighed and groaned aloud at Harry's antics. She sat as straight as she could and said, "Ginny didn't want you to do what Ron did and she didn't want to have to worry like Alex has to. She did what she thought was best for you and James." She let out an uneasy sigh and looked toward the door. Darkening the doorway was Severus looking slightly miffed.
"Evening, Potter."
Harry gave a mock salute to the professor and replied, "Evening, Snape."
Severus raised an eyebrow at the salute, but walked toward Hermione. He lightly grabbed her chin and raised her face towards his. Placing a small, but very intimate, kiss on her lips and said, "You better be to bed soon. You have a long day ahead of you tomorrow."
Slightly blushing at his display of affection, Hermione nodded and watched him enter his own room. She turned back to Harry and asked, "Are you staying here?"
Harry smiled and shook his head. "No, I have a room in Hogsmeade. I have to leave early in the morning." He silently added, "I'm going to meet my son."
Hermione rose and stood on her tip-toes and kissed Harry on the cheek. She clasped his shoulders and said, "Take care of yourself, Harry Potter. Make sure you don't go scurrying off into trouble. I can't get you out of it this time."
"Don't worry, 'Mione. I promise that if I get into any trouble, I'll be sure to do it where I can get help." Harry gave her an impish grin as he walked toward the door.
Hermione made sure the door was shut tight after he left. She strained her ears and could hear a rhythmic noise coming from Severus room. She went and pressed her ear to the door and smiled at the noise. The man was slightly snoring in a way that reminded her of Grace. She padded her way to her own room and replaced the robe on the door. Slipping out of her dress, she put on a nightgown and fell asleep almost as soon as her head hit the pillow.
Hermione woke to a small warm body pressed against her side. She glanced at the wall clock and gave a small sigh of annoyance. It was not even dawn yet, and here she was, wide awake. She turned and gathered Grace close to her side in a small hug. Giving into the delight that was her child, she felt content until she noticed that the amulet was missing from around her neck. Mentally kicking her daughter, Hermione gave thanks to the forethought to place charms around their living quarters.
She slowly pulled away from Grace and rose from her bed. She grabbed an outfit that was to go underneath her robes and headed to the bathroom. She tucked the blanket tightly around Grace on her way out and left the room just in time to see the door close. Grumbling something about men and timing under her breath, Hermione sat on the couch and built up the coals that had been left to burn the night before. Content in the height of the fire, she went into the small kitchenette and set water to boil for tea. She stretched to grab a teacup on a higher shelf and was surprised to see a pale hand reach over the top of hers. Murmuring her thanks, Hermione grabbed the cup from Severus. She grabbed the kettle off the stove and set it on a hot plate on the counter. She again checked the clock and was surprised to see that it was only 5:30. She grabbed a packet of caffeine tea from a jar she had brought and set it to steep in her cup. Stifling a yawn, Hermione asked, "What are you doing up so early?"
Severus grabbed himself a teacup and a teabag from his own collection. He said in a way that reminded her of how he used to be with her, he said, "If you can remember, Hermione, I am an early riser. I am normally the first professor at the table."
Hermione took her teabag out of the cup and set it aside. She took her cup and sat on the couch, patting the cushion next to her. "Come and sit down, Severus. This will be the only peaceful moment we will experience all day." She took a sip of her tea and watched as Severus sat down beside her. She could feel the warmth radiate from his side as he sat next to her. She made her mind behave itself as she quietly sat and drank her tea. She looked at Severus' profile and was surprised to feel her stomach do flip-flops. Unable to stand too much more, Hermione said, "I guess being a bookworm my first year has come in handy."
Severus sipped his tea and asked, "How so?"
Hermione took another swallow of tea before she answered, "Grace is a very inquisitive child. She asked me a million and a half questions about Hogwarts on the train." Hermione smiled and continued, "I think I told her everything that was in 'Hogwarts': A History'."
Severus took her teacup away from her. Gazing down his nose at her, he said, "It is time for you to get ready. I'll wake Grace and get her ready." He planted a small kiss upon her forehead and walked toward her room.
Hermione didn't ask any questions, instead choosing to do as he suggested. She grabbed her pile of clothes and entered the bathroom to get ready for the new day.
Severus entered Hermione's room and watched his daughter sleep. He noticed that her amulet wasn't around her neck, so he went to her room to retrieve it. He spied it on her dresser and grabbed it as well as some clothes. He let his gaze sweep over the little dolls decorating her dresser and the various drawings covering the walls. Grasping the amulet harder in his hand, he left the room and returned to Hermione's. He found Grace sitting upright in bed, waiting for someone to get her.
"Good morning, Papa," her little voice chirped as she stood on the bed, her arms stretched out, waiting for him to pick her up.
"Good morning, Gracie," Severus said as he picked her up. He was still surprised by the rush of affection he felt whenever he saw his daughter. Things like that still caught him by surprise whenever he saw Hermione. "Come on, sleepy head, let's get you dressed and go get some breakfast." He helped his daughter get dressed and was nearly ready when he heard Hermione exit the bathroom. He gazed over his shoulder and was surprised to see what she was wearing. She was wearing a white dress shirt, tight khaki pants, and black boots that reached her mid-calves. Her robes were slung rather carelessly over one of her arms and the smile she gave him made parts of him respond that he didn't seem to have much control over lately.
"Top o' the mornin' to ya darlin'," Hermione said as she laid her robes on the bed and scooped Grace into a hug. She placed exaggerated kisses on her daughter's cheeks and laughed when Grace laughed.
"Mama, do it again!" Grace playfully shrieked as Hermione pretended to start again.
Hermione set Grace down and glanced at Severus. Some part of her just wanted to touch him and ease the frown off his face, but she could just feel an emotional barrier being erected as the moments passed. She slipped into her robe as she turned back to Grace and said, "Time to go get breakfast." She grabbed her daughter's hand and led her from the room. Hermione could feel tears welling up and she had no idea why. She blinked them away and smiled down at her daughter. She led her into the Great Hall and smiled at the excited Gryffindors that came up to greet her.
A fourth year came up and asked, "Is your daughter going to be present for our class today, Professor Granger?"
Hermione smiled and said, "It depends on whether her father takes her after lunch or not."
The girl's eyes rounded and she murmured a quick, "Good day, Ma'am," as Severus strode through the door. Hermione recognized what was going on. He had to be Professor Mean and keep everything as it was before he had learned about Grace. Hermione silently fumed inside, hoping that—for his sake—he didn't hurt Grace's feelings. She slightly bowed her head to him and picked Grace up. As she made her way to the professor's table she smiled at the small chair placed between an empty chair and the one Dumbledore was sitting in. She placed Grace in the chair, sat in the empty one, and asked Dumbledore, "So, is this my permanent seat?"
On her right, Snape sneered, "As long as you can handle the job."
Hermione felt her anger threatening to boil over. She took a few deep breaths and returned, "I'm so glad that you have the utmost confidence in me, Severus."
Severus looked a little shocked that she had actually said something back. He quietly ate his breakfast as he looked over his class schedule. He watched Hermione and Grace out of the corner of his eye and was happy to see that he hadn't affected Hermione's mood much. He rose from the table when he was finished. When he had stepped off the dais, he heard Grace yell, "Bye Papa!" He turned, smiled at Grace, and made a mental note to deduct points from any student that even mentioned it.
Hermione stood in front of her students and smiled at them all. Grace was carefully tucked into a corner, coloring in her book. Hermione took off her robes and said, "Good morning, I'm Professor Granger." She took out her wand and wrote her name on the board using a spell. "The presence of my daughter may or may not become a permanent fixture in my classroom, but this will." She whipped the sheet off the safety box and was happy to hear the gasps ripple out from the first years. She grabbed her wand and tapped the glass. "Now, this is what is called the safety box. Although it looks harmless and like a plain glass box, it is actually made of magically enchanted glass." She smiled and said, "You may want to take this down."
Like diligent students first years were, all of her students reached for their parchment and quills. She smiled at a young girl sitting in front; the girl reminded her of herself. She looked at her class list and asked, "Miss Smiths, please tell me why we will eventually be using the safety box."
The girl beamed as she answered, "It is to keep curses from affecting anyone else in the room."
Hermione beamed and said, "Five points to Hufflepuff." She turned around and skimmed the open page in her text, then said, "Now, who wants to be the first volunteer?" She grabbed at her reading glasses and glanced at the class. Nearly all of her students were staring at her with disbelief in their eyes, so she sighed and sat in her chair. She put her glasses on and looked at her students. "You have been privileged to come to Hogwarts', which means you will be doing magic." She rose and walked around the edge of her desk. "Through my experiences as a student, I always found it better to use magic in order to make myself a better student. Additionally, feel free to ask me, after class, about my experiences here." She grabbed the text and said, "Now, who is willing to volunteer?"
Hermione carried Grace into the hall and set her down once they were in the doorway. She smiled as Grace ran for the professor's table, passing all of her new friends, trying to get to her father. When Severus looked her way, she just smiled at him. He gave something that resembled a smile, but quickly turned to a smirk when a few Slytherins put their heads together and began pointing at Hermione and Grace. Hermione felt her good mood turn into something that contained a flash of anger, but she contained it behind a mask of cool serenity.
Severus watched annoyance cross her face, but he saw it quickly disappear. He couldn't help but wonder why she would be annoyed at him. He smiled at Grace and placed her in her seat after she gave him a hug. He looked back at the Slytherin table and sneered at them again. He watched Hermione as she approached the dais and saw the anger back in place on her face, but he smiled at her even though he knew it might make things worse.
Hermione sat in her chair and smiled at the other professors; she was seething inside and Severus smiling at her wasn't helping. She narrowed her eyes at him and turned away. Offhandedly, she said, "I need you to take Grace for the rest of the day. I have some things I need to take care of before my next class begins." She rose and asked Dumbledore, "Could you send some tea to the room off my classroom?" She barely gave him enough time to answer her before she left the room, robes flying behind her. She walked into her classroom and slammed her conference room door. She grabbed her wand out of her pocket and conjured a punching bag. She stripped off her robes and got ready to punch the bag when Severus opened the door and grabbed for her wrist. Hermione was a little quicker and pulled her hand away. She punched at him and he caught her fist. She swung at him again and he caught the other one.
He pulled her close and said, "I don't know what I did to anger you, but we need to talk about it." Hermione tried to pull away, but Severus pulled her closer and gazed into her eyes. He saw anger, confusion, and desire in her eyes; he leaned down and she gazed up. Hermione stood on her tiptoes and leaned into the kiss. She entwined her arms around his neck and tangled her fingers into his hair. It was times like these that she needed to just feel and not allow her brain to take over.
Severus moaned and pushed some papers off Hermione's desk, placing her in the now vacant spot. He kissed her more deeply as her legs wound around his body, trying to get as close to her as possible. He grabbed a fistful of hair and pulled her away from him for a moment. The anger and desire were still there, but at least the confusion was gone from her eyes. He began kissing at her neck when the door flew open.
"Professor Snape! Professor Granger! Come quick!" When they didn't move fast enough, the fourth year Gryffindor yelled, "It's Grace!"
Hermione gave a small groan and said, "Well, I'm certain that it is Grace showing off." As she got down from the desk, she gave a rueful smile and said, "If she's not wearing her amulet, I'm going to beat her."
Ta-da! This is the second chapter of my first Harry Potter fan-fic. I've already decided that this story will be in a set of three stories. Since this story is an HG/SS-centered story, a majority of it will be in Hogwarts.