Gosh sorry its ben so long. Slight problems. I'm going to try add some HBP properites into the story. Still not entirely happy with HBP but it was a good book. Remember i reply via emila to reviews! Enjoy the chapter, i enjoyed writing it and sorry for any mistakes, havent beta-ed it. a mistake was spotted and now has been changed, normaly i would leave it but it was a rather big mistake on my part. sorry.

Chapter 8

"The answer is no." Severus stated as he walked towards the bookcase to place a book back. For months he had been researching for an answer to the cause of the child's death, in fact he had been so immersed in his work that it wasn't until Hermione brought up going to her parents house, well it was her house now, for Christmas he realized it was indeed December. Sliding the book back in to home Severus moved around his study to face Hermione who was standing in the door way. "It's time to see Albus. Come let's go."

"But-"

"Hermione" The warning tone was enough for her not to ask again as Severus lead the way to where Albus was hidden. Severus himself hasn't been down to see the old wizard for a while; he had left Hermione to pay him a visit on her own for the past week. Upon entering the room he regretted allowing her that privilege. Everywhere was some sort of seasonal decoration. Turn around he saw Hermione. "And what is the meaning of this?"

"It was his favorite Holiday." She said it as if it would explain everything, from the tinsel to the flashing lights.

"Is that a Santa hat on his head?" Severus rubbed his face as he moved towards the frozen man in the room.

"I thought the whole suit would be a bit too much." He watched her look around the room, she seemed pleased with the results but it only reminded Severus of a big pile of flashing vomit.

"I think you need to get out more." Severus replied as he checked over Albus. The results were less than pleasing; it would seem he was beginning to thaw. He would have to recast the spell again, but it seemed as it was becoming less effective to use.

"Is that a yes then?" She was fidgeting again; she always did that when she asked for something. Why did she act like a child asking for sweets when they knew dinner would be ready soon? He couldn't understand why that annoyed him, but he didn't want her to see him as an authority figure and with the old feelings being rekindled he defiantly didn't want to be see as a father, brother or any kind of related figure.

"You don't need my permission."

"Well in the contract it says-"

"We will go if you wish. I was only thinking of your safety earlier." Severus was beginning to become worried. Time was running out. Maybe time away from the castle will help convince Hermione to try again. He could tell her about Albus' depleting chance of survival but he didn't want to make the mistake of making her think she hasn't got a chose to do so. "How long do you want to stay for?"

"Just from Christmas eve to the day after boxing day."

"I think we can do that." What followed were a scream and a Hermione throwing her arms around him. She was mumbling about dinner, presents, wine and other festive things as she clung to him. Freeing himself of her, Severus began restoring the area around Dumbledore to the same it was before he had arrived, it was time to leave him and search for some answers.

It was dark when they arrived, the garden was over grown and weeds had taken to growing in the footpath. The last time Severus had seen this house it was in chaos and the echoes of screams still rang in his ears. Those voices were back as he followed Hermione up the path, her mother had bedded and pleaded for her husband. All that Severus could do at that time was to take note of the wizards who inflicted the pain and hope that it would all be over soon. He felt his throat restrict as Hermione opened the door, he stood hesitant for a short moment before he enter after her. He had never planned to visit the houses of the victims of his past and he never planned to fall for the daughter of said victims either.

"Sorry it's abit dusty." Hermione said as she walked through the house turning on various lights. 'Abit dusty was abit of an understatement, Severus thought as he followed after her trying not to inhale the speckles that roomed the air after Hermione had unsettled it. It felt as if he was standing in the empty shell of a house, these walls had once sang with the enjoyment of a loving family and now all that was left was the weeping of a once broken girl.

"You don't mind sleeping on the pull out in the study do you?" Hermione turned back and smiled to him as then reached a room in where she stood still. "There are only the two bedrooms, mine and…my parents. I'll get the duster out and clean the place up abit."

"Hermione, your forgetting something." Severus replied in a teasing voice. He was quite well educated in the Muggle word, he had used a duster him self in his youth but now he was a wizard and Hermione was a witch. Like his grandma use to say 'Why get all puffed out when you can wizz-ard it away'. "You can use your wand to clean up."

Blushing Hermione apologized and said. "You can take the girl out of the Muggle-world but you can't take the Muggle out of the girl."

"I had two fish; called them one and two because when one died I would still have two." Hermione finished speaking as she stared into the bottom of the wine glass. They we're seated in the living room watching old episodes of Neighbors. She had tried to go to bed after a quick super and a goodnight to Severus but she found that when alone in her room memories of the time and the months after her parent's death. The only comfort she had of their murder was that those who took part of it were all brutally murder shortly afterwards, the ministry had figured that Voldemort had killed him in cold blood, but when have any of his victims not been in cold blood? "I really loved those fish."

"If I didn't know better I would say you was under the babbling curse or intoxicated." Severus replied while pondering if she really did call her fish that.

"What you going to do?Finite Incantatem me?" Hermione purred, she had only planned on having the one drink to help her sleep but it had soon turned into a whole bottle. She had returned down stairs a few hours later of going to bed. She was happy to see Severus was still awake, apparently he had expected her to come down sooner or later.

"If I'm left with no chose." Severus mumbled while picking up the bottle of wine and motioning to Hermione if she wanted another and her nod he poured two healthy glasses full.

"Tell me a secret. Please?" Hermione begged as she watched him take a sip from his drink.

"You're drunk and need to go to bed." Severus stated as he placed down his glass and stood up from the couch. "Come, finish your drink. You shouldn't be drinking either, bad for your health."

"I don't wanna go up there." Hermione sniffed as she turned away from Severus. After their death, Hermione had emptied their room of all belongs and only kept the important things which was lying at the back of her wardrobe. Her own bedroom remained the same, her early childhood was safe, her childhood room was safe as long as her inner demons kept away.

"Sleep in the study and I'll take the couch." Severus offered his hand out for her and she grudgingly took it. After being pulled upright Hermione felt light on her feet and followed Severus to the small study her father had always locked him self away in after a Sunday dinner.

Falling on the pullout sofa bed Hermione kicked the covers back and settled into the folds of the cushions. Opening her eyes she saw Severus going to leave. "Wait, tell me a story."

"About what?" Severus questioned as he made his way back towards the woman, it was quicker to entertain the notions of a tipsy Hermione then to say no. Seeing there was nowhere else to sit but the floor, Severus sat himself on the bed.

"You. Tell me about your parents."

"I don't think that this-"

"Please, it just that I miss mine so much." Hermione felt hot tears fill her eyes, she didn't want to cry.

"My mother married my dad and then they had me, the end, goodnight." Severus said quickly and got up again to leave. Before he could move from the spot Hermione had already made a move and held him by his wrist. Rolling his eyes at the sloppy puppy dog look she gave him, he sat back down and began to tell a tale he had not spoke in along while. "My mother, Eileen, was a pureblood living in a small village not far from the south of France. My grandparents had move from London to escape the supremacy of Grindelwald in 1943, it was two years later that Albus defeated him. Happy with where they were settled they didn't move back to England. Eileen was just shy of 21when Grindelwald was defeated and it was on the very same night that she met my dad, Tobias Snape. He was the son of the president of France. His family was invited to the celebration at the ministry because of the work his father had done. If you haven't gathered he was a Muggle."

"You're a--?"

"Is that not the normal way it works out?" Severus' mouth curled slightly at the edges. "My grandfather told his wife of there being wizards, she had laughed at him at first but she always trusted what came out of his mouth. Tobias was also brought in on the secret as they were always members of the ministry in their house. He knew what my mum was from the beginning, as did she know him. Snape is a proud name and I used it as such in the Muggle France, I was not lying when speaking of how Snape's are known for looking after their women. My parents soon fell in love and married."

Looking down at Hermione he noticed she was drifting off to sleep. So he lowered the tone of his voice and carried on. "Albus arrived on their door one day and asked them to move to London as Voldemort was beginning to threaten the wizard-world. I was a mere child then. I was brought up by my intimidating and overbearing father and a downtrodden mother. He began to hate us for what we were, punish us for what we could not change."

"That's so sad." Her voice was heavy with sleep but she moved her hand to his.

"It's called life." Closing his eyes Severus thought back to the many times his father would look at him with pure hate. "That's the end of the story. Goodnight Hermione."

"Where's my kiss." Hermione pulled down on his arm and Severus fell down with it.

"As you wish." Severus leaned over to kiss her cheek but he found them landing on the soft lips of Hermione, taken back from the sensation of this he did not move nor deepen the kiss, it was the small content sign falling from her lips that brought him back up from the bed. "Goodnight Hermione."

"Thank you for the story and the kiss. Goodnight." Hermione smiled as she watched Severus leave the room. Hermione fell to sleep soon after the door had closed ad he dreams was of a certain dark man proclaiming his want for her.

Hermione sat at the Christmas tree she had materialize into the living room this morning; it was Christmas day and a small pile of present laid waiting for her. Not feeling well enough to leave the school to shop for her friends presents she had owl-order them, Severus had been upset for the three days that they was bombarded with several owls. In the end she had decided to buy a gift for Severus, she had done it while they was working together, fair enough he had shouted at her for being foolish enough to think he wanted something of a Gryffindor but he had used it none the less. This year she had got him a stationary pack including a wax seal she had designed herself with his initials.

Severus was sitting on the couch he had slept on the night before; a cup of freshly made coffee was in his hands. Hermione looked back at him and smiled. She had been a little bit drunk last night but thankfully she had slept off the most of it and was just left with a stomach full of acid today. Severus was so lucky, he wasn't suffering from a hangover; it would seem that the couch is not the perfect place for a man of a height just over six feet to sleep on. He had done nothing but complain of his cramped muscles so far.

Reaching over her pile she picked up the three small gifts Severus had and passed them to him. He raised an eyebrow at her but placed his cup down and took the presents from her to open. She watched as he read the gift tags.

"Lets see, this one is from Minerva, she never forgets, this one…ah…this one is from a lovely Gryffindor, who hasn't learnt her lesson from last time," Here he gave her a knowing look. "This one is from…Albus."

Hermione gasped as he read the name. "How can that be?"

"I've had one of him every year; he is related to me after all. It would seem he has a charmed Christmas list, the lazy old coot." Severus shook his head and cased the present aside and returned to the first one he had read out to open it. "I knew he must have, I've been having the same gift off him for twenty years. I have yet to need a new pair of underwear for some time."

Hermione laughed at this and tried to fight the feeling to open the present so she could see what sort of underwear they were. Minerva had got him a new Slytherin colored scarf. He had just finished unwrapping the present from her self, his brow was knitted together as he looked over the kit. He didn't say anything as he put them to the side and stood up.

Confused Hermione thought he hated the gift and turned her head away so that she could examine her own presents. She felt tears in her eyes and was angry at her self for getting so worked up about it. It was like she spent ages picking through the catalog or designing the wax seal herself. It wasn't like she spent ages milling over the idea to give it to him, it was like- and then she felt it; his arms being wrapped round her. She was still sitting facing the tree so it was an uneasy hug but it meant so much to her that she felt a tear leave her eye.

"Thank you" Hermione heard him say before his arms moved and he stood back up. Her breath had been taken from her and she turned to face him with a smile on her face, tear left forgotten. "I think I will save opening Albus' gift for later and that it is time for you to open your own gifts."

Turning to her pile of gifts with a huge smile on her face Hermione wasted no time in opening the gifts from Harry, Ginny, Ron, her family and various Hogwarts staff. Once she had finished she looked over her pile and made a note to write thank you letters after she had started cooking.

"You've missed one Hermione." Severus voice made her turn around to see that he was still standing but this time there was a small wrapped box in his hand. Standing up her self she took the box from him was a thank you. Opening the present with more care than she had the others Hermione was let with a velvet cover box that fitted in the palm of her hand. "I figure since I missed your birthday…"

Opening the lid Hermione was met with a small silver locket which was engraved with swirls of patterns and an H in the centre. "I don't know what to say."

"Say thank you Severus, and yes Slytherin are much better than Gryffindor." Severus said dismissively as he moved to sit down, he was stopped by Hermione grabbing his wrist.

"How about I say; Thank you Severus, it truly is wonderful, and give you a kiss?" Hermione ran her finger over the locket as she looked up at Severus. She closed the lid on the box and placed it on the side table. Turning back to where Severus stood rooted to the spot, she raised herself upon her tip toes and kissed him softly on his lips, smiling as she pulled away.

"Here, let me put it on for you." Severus had regained bodily functions and after many deep breaths he retrieved the box and took the necklace out. Hermione turned around for him and Severus placed the chain round her neck and fixed the clasp.

Looking down at the silver that hanged beautifully from her neck Hermione turned and hugged Severus. Both stayed that way for a while until Hermione was forced to go start preparing the Christmas dinner.

Dinner was a success in the way that it wasn't too badly burnt. Hermione had been in another world as she had cooked. Many times she stopped and fingered the locket. Severus had watched her do this several times and it made his chest expanded and retract at the same time. It was while they was eating that Severus had told her about Albus' depleting condition.

"We need the baby as quickly as possible then don't we?" Hermione asked as she forked a carrot. "It's ok, I understand. I'm ready to try again. I was going to tell you tomorrow."

"I don't want to rush you, but yes time is of the essence." Severus meet her eyes and held them, he could tell that she was thinking over her options.

"I don't want to go back to that place again."

"I understand, I'm sure Poppy will be able to help."

"We could just do it the other way." Hermione bit her lover lip; she was scared of the hospital environment. The last time has last an every lasting scar on her feelings.

"What other way?"

"The normal way."

"I don't think it would be wise. I will arrange with Poppy when we return." Severus tried to swallow the lump in his throat, he would gladly go to bed with Hermione, but how much would she regret it later on. "Thank you Hermione."

"It doesn't matter, it is to save Albus. Ready for dessert?"

It wasn't brought up again that evening. They had shared another drink then Hermione had gone to bed in her room and Severus had retired to the study. He lay awake for hours to come thinking of what he had turned down. Why had she offered in the first place? His thoughts where interrupted by the door opening and Hermione slipping in to the bed next to him. "What are you--?"

"Shh, let me have this Severus. I can't love the child when it's born but let me have the pleasure of making it." Hermione moved to press herself against him; her bare flesh tormented Severus as he thought of a way to say no. She moved her head so she can kiss his neck, it was his undoing.

Pulling her on top of him he kissed her. What they we're doing would only cause later problems, it would be harder to rid of Hermione was the apprentice is over, she could hold this over his head But the softness of her skin, the warmth of her touch and the tightness of his boxers told him to worry about those things when they happened and to enjoy while he could. And he would, he would enjoy the feel of her, the way she moaned to him, he would enjoy it all. He would worry about losing her when it came to turning her away, he would worry of a broken heart when he would have to snap it. He will worry about being reminded of her by their child for years to come when it happen, until then he was going to love Hermione.

00000

"We shouldn't have done that last night. If you are pregnant it has ruined it all."

"What do you mean; I thought the whole point was to get pregnant?" It was the morning after; Hermione was making breakfast as Severus sat at the table drink his coffee. The conversation had started from Hermione asking why he was so quite.

"The sperm wasn't altered; the child will be of yours and mine." Severus stated reaching for the newspaper. "We need it to be of Albus."

"But you're related to him, his bloody is the same as yours." Hermione placed the toast down on the table and sat down her self. "I know that you're not fully related to him but it should be enough right?"

"I don't know. It was designed to be made from most of the link between us so I would not have to find out if it would be enough, they would have been no need to as it would work with most of it. Better to be safe than sorry." Severus said as he helped himself to another piece of toast.

"I couldn't bare another lost Severus. I couldn't abort the child."

"Then we must hope for the best."

"Maybe you should just go find another mare and get her up the stick." Hermione sneered as she left the room.

Severus was left alone to think over the chance of the child being solely that of his and Hermione's. It would be nice to have a family, but now was not the time. He felt torn into, was the death of Albus worth having a family with Hermione, or was the life of Albus worth saving more than a family with Hermione. Voldemort was dead, the world had their hero already in the form of Harry Potter, Albus was not need to them but he was needed for him. Albus had always helped him when his father had been at his worse but he had also over looked Lupin nearly taking his life for the world not to know he was a werewolf. Albus had helped Severus through a lot but he has also put him though more hardships then he had helped. Was his death that bad? Who was worth more? Hermione or Albus?

Snape never knew he could love so deep for two different people.

Poor snape, got him self in a pickle. please review they make my day!