DA DARRR! Enjoy!

Chapter 17

"Professor Dumbledore!" Hermione cried as she wrapped her arms around the old man. "It's so good to see you! Does this mean it worked? Is Alex ok?"

Albus grinned and nodded his head as he followed Hermione's motion to come in to the flat.

"I'm sorry its abit of a mess, I only moved in today." Hermione explained as she led Albus to the living room to sit down on the small scruffy couch she had. Yes her flat wasn't like the grand rooms Severus had but she would make do with her mix-matched furniture and lopsided table. "Tea?"

"Please." Albus answered. He waited until Hermione returned with two mugs of tea before speaking again. "How are things going?"

"Good, really good, I'm just about to start a Healers course, and in two years time I will be a fully qualified Healer. I had to sell my parents house but I couldn't see myself staying there the rest of my life, so it wasn't really much of a big loss." Hermione answered keeping the part where she spent most nights crying herself to sleep to herself. "What I really want to do is set up a free medical centre for the less fortunate."

"That's a good idea." Albus answered taking a sip of his drink. "How would you fund it though?"

"I don't know. I wouldn't be lying when I say that thousand I turn down would have come in handy." Hermione replied. If she had taken the money and used it on the centre, Hermione would have never truly been rid of Severus. As if he didn't haunt her dreams enough as it is. "That's enough about me, I'm not the one who's just be cured. Tell me, did every thing work out ok?"

"Oh yes, very much so indeed. Alex is showing signs of magic already, the link is quite strong. There have even been the odd time that I had the sudden urge to but my foot in my mouth and see what it tastes like." Albus smiled. "I dare say had it not been for my old bones I would have managed it."

Hermione chucked as she pictured Albus in the great hall suddenly falling to the ground to suck on his foot. "Every one must have been so surprised to find out you was still alive."

"Yes, Minerva was most displeased of me keeping it a secret for so long." Albus replied before adding. "She forgave me though after I explain that I couldn't do much been frozen and all. Only the staff know the really story and me being back. It wont be for another week that we let the rest of the world know."

"What will you tell them? The truth?" Hermione asked feeling a bit panicky, want if they fount out about Alex and some ex Death Eaters try to kill her son?

"No, no, dear. It would be too risky for both Alexander and I. A story had been fabricated that I was merely in another dimentshion all these years and had only just found my way back." Albus said drinking from his tea again. Hermione's cup was still on the table left forgotten by her. "Alex gets a bit upset now and again. He's frustrated, his body is that of a month old baby but his skill and power have risen to that of a teenager and will continue to grow for some time. I'm sure that when he has learnt to walk, it will be easier for him to deal with. Christina is doing wonderful with him."

"Is she? Last time I saw her she couldn't settle him down." Hermione spat out abit more harshly than she meant too.

"Alex knows she's not his mother, but he has come to accept her as a substitute of sorts until his real mother returns." Albus took Hermione's had in his. "This must be a trying time for you. It's a shame that at such a young age you have already faced death, war and your child denied from you."

"I..Er…" Hermione choked up. When he put it like that, she had been through an awful lot. It was no wonder why she cried out for her mum at night. She didn't want to cry, she couldn't, not in front of Albus. "How do Christina and Sev-Proffessor Snape get along?"

"Like a house on fire, I do not doubt that the wedding will be something great." Albus answered unaware of the look of shock on Hermione's face. He was getting married so soon? "She brings out the best in him. I dare say he's even changed. Even though he hasn't fully recovered yet."

"Recovered?"

"Didn't Poppy tell you? She told me that you were writing to each other, I just assumed that, no? Oh well." Albus sat back and looked as if he was trying to remember something important. "It isn't anything serious, during the spell something had gone wrong, cant really remember what he told me about it. Oh, now I've got it. Yes, Alex started to fit from the intensity of it all, so Severus cased the spell on him self so the rest of the bond could be made with him. He saved Alex and put his own life in danger, the spell wasn't meant to be a three way link and it rejected him, nearly exploded his head all over the place if it wasn't for Christina."

"Christina?"

"Yes, she was there to watch over it all and when she saw Severus collapse she ended the spell before too much damage was done. So the bond is still incomplete but this way Alex and I aren't bonded by heart. Our magic and aura is shared but our hearts will remain our own." Albus smiled patting his chest where his heart was.

"Is he ok?"

"Yes Alex is fine. No lasting damage."

"No, I meant Severus."

"Severus?"

"Yes, Severus."

"Well he was out cold for a few days, lost in his own mind. At one point it was unlikely he would make a full recovery, but now everything is fine and he is back to tormenting his students." Albus sighed putting his empty cup down and standing up. "I have taken enough of your time up already, if I was not mistake you are expecting someone else."

Hermione was still abit taken back by the whole conversation and dumbly nodded at the Professor and showed him the door.

"There is only one thing Severus has yet to over come, and that are the nightmares he has been left with. Christina tells me how he is screaming most nights or not sleeping at all. The only thing that he says clearly in these dreams is 'Hermione'. I hope you come for Christmas, it would be nice to have some faces I recognize from the student body." Albus smiled and apparated before Hermione could give him his answer.

Hermione was happy that Albus was back on his feet but how she wished he wouldn't meddle in her life. How was she meant to sleep now knowing that Severus dreamt about her? How was she going to convince herself that going back to Hogwarts is a bad idea without feeling guilty? Resigning to the fact that Albus was up to his old tricks Hermione made her way back to her couch.

Albus' whole visit had only confused her, why come and say all those things and then leave 5 seconds later? She hadn't even asked him any questions before he was making excuses and leaving. Was he sent here to check up on her? Did Severus send him to tell her that he is getting married? Was it away for him to reopen the wound Severus had made in her heart and rub salt in it. If they didn't mind she was quite happy sitting in her dingy flat, with her moldy furniture and feeling sorry for her self. She was doing a good enough job without Albus coming over to help.

Hermione had only just made it back to the couch when the door knocked again, this time it was Danny.

"Hi, I brought some wine for us to share." His voice was light and friendly as he stood outside the door. He was taller than Hermione, with shoulder length blonde hair. He was wearing a Hawaii shirt, plain t-shirt and combats, typical student clothes.

And as Hermione let him into her flat she finally decided to stop hoping that Severus would turn up, drop down on his knees and beg for forgiveness. She would live her life. Albus could come round when ever he wanted to rub it in. Severus could even invite her to his wedding for all she cared. Even though she will miss Alex, by contract he wasn't even her son anymore. She would just have to deal with it, as it seemed her current situation wouldn't be changing any time soon.

Hermione didn't go to Hogwarts for Christmas, instead she stayed at home and shared a small Christmas diner with Danny. She had sent Alex a book as a present. It was the same one her father had read to her when she was a child, it was about a mother and baby bear. The mother bear had bent over backwards to get her baby to sleep but it was only when he was in her arms did he finally fall to sleep. Yes, she wasn't allowed to play the part of mother in her son's life but she wasn't going to ignore him.

As Hermione looked in the mirror she saw the reflection of the clock, it was close to 10pm and Danny would be there in any minute. He had insisted that she come with him to celebrate the New Year, she had finally gave in and agree to go. As she finished getting ready she allowed her self to admit how much she was looking forward to it.

Danny arrived on time and Hermione was a surprised to see that he had forgone the surfer look tonight. He turned up in jeans and a black shirt tight enough for you to see that the gym was working out for him. "You ready Chicken?"

"Yeah, let me just put on my shoes and don't call me Chicken."

Hermione had never had so much fun in all her life. She had her arm around Danny who was helping her up the stairs back to her flat. Hermione was a little bit worse for wear, maybe trying to keep up with Danny's drinking was a bad idea. Her arm felt like lead as she raised it to poke him in the ribs to ask. "Why are you not drunk?"

"Because I can handle my drink Chicken." Danny replied laughing openly at her.

"Don't call me Chicken." Hermione slurred.

"But its your nickname, Chicken." Danny answered before sighing when they reached their floor. "Here we go, back home in one peace."

"Admit it, I'm a lot better than your other uni friends." Hermione said as she let go of Danny to rest against the wall, leaving it to him to open the door for her.

"I never said you weren't." Danny answered as he pushed the door open and followed Hermione in to the room, cringing as she hit her knee of the coffee table. That would leave a mark in the morning. "In fact, I like you a lot more than my other Friends, Chicken."

"Really?" Hermione asked as she stood in front of the couch. Danny walked up to her and placed his hands on her waist to steady her. Leaning forward to hug him Hermione mumbled in to his shoulder. "How much?"

"This much." Hermione felt him lift her head up to meet his eyes. The blue of his eyes stared into the brown of hers. Watching her, Danny lowered his mouth on to hers. The kiss was small and uncertain. It was only when Hermione began to respond did it deepen.

"I..Er…" Hermione said as they pulled apart. "I cant."

"Why not?" Danny asked his arms still wrapped around her.

"I love someone else." Hermione mumbled resting her head back down on his shoulders.

"Its not a girl is it?" Danny chucked. "Because I don't mind that."

"Don't play, you drunken fool." Hermione said slapping him lightly on the arm. "It's a man who I'm never going to see again and he's getting married."

"If you're never going to see him again and he's getting married, why hold on. It doesn't have to be serious." Danny whispered as he ran his hands over Hermione.

"We could stop it whenever right?" Hermione asked a she began to kiss his neck lightly. This was something entirely new for her, yes she had had boyfriends before and Snape wasn't her first. But as her tongue traced across his neck she felt good and wanted, but a very small part of her felt guilty.

"Whenever you want Chicken." Danny answered.

"Ok, just a little fun." Hermione answered pulling him down on to the couch with her. Severus had moved on with is life, had found him a woman to bring up their kid. As much as Albus said that Alex was waiting for his real mother to return, it seemed very unlikely that it would happen. "And don't call me Chicken." She repulsed as she licked and sucked on his neck, while pulling at his shirt.

"What about this one?" Christina asked as she pointed out the robe in the catalog to Severus.

"It's very…frilly. The wedding is ages away, you have loads of time to pick a dress." He answered as he feed Alex. He looked down at his son and smiled as he gurgled away. It had taken him a while to get use to his eyes, only now could he see them as his son's eyes and not that of a woman he had loved. "The one you've ordered will be fine Chris."

"That's only because it's got green trimmings." Chris huffed as she flicked her long hair over her shoulder. "I'm going to have a bath and then I'm going to bed."

"Goodnight." Severus said as he tilted his head to receive the peck that she always gave him before going to bed.

Once alone with his now 3months old baby Severus relaxed and freely interacted with Alex. He winded him and then reached for a book to read to him. It was the same book he had read to him every night since Alex had gotten it for Christmas. When Poppy had handed him the wrapped present he had thought it from her before he read the tag. His heart had raced when he found out it was from Hermione.

Alex could not understand what he was saying but whenever Severus read it, Alex would fall to sleep. He started to read the words he could now recite from memory. When Albus said he was going to see Hermione, Severus had waited with batted breath until he returned. It was a lot shorter trip then he had thought it would be. He had gone to Albus once he returned his mouth running with questions about her.

His heart ached for her as he was told about how she had sold her house and was now living in a cramped flat. She now wanted to be a healer, it was a good choice for her, after all during their time working together while she was a student she had patched him up night after night. She was a natural at it. She would be a great medical witch.

Like she would have been a great potions mistress had he not fucked that up.

It was his fault that she was now facing financial hardship. If she wanted to do a free-medical centre for the poor then he would help her realize that dream. He owed her that much, if not more and he will help her even if she didn't want it.

Alex was asleep when Severus finished the book. Standing up carefully with Alex, Severus went and put him in his coat. He could hear that Chris was still in the bath as he readied for bed himself, he closed his eyes and mentally wished that she wouldn't wake Alex when she went to bed. Settling in to his side of the bed Severus willed sleep on him, hoping that the dreams would leave him alone tonight.

So Ablus is back and Hermione has semi-moved on. Looks like Severus has too. Now how long is this going to last before they cross paths again? Well, your just going to have to read and review to find out!