A/N: So here we are, yes I know I failed to get it to you for Christmas day, but will Boxing Day do? Well you decide when you've read it…

- CHAPTER FIFTEEN -

On The Run

Hermione was sitting in the kitchen chatting absent-mindedly with Mrs Weasley as she put the finishing touches to the Christmas cake; white icing flowing from the tip of her wand. Most of the Weasley family were talking in the sitting room, George's two-year-old son Laurence was running from room to room gurgling with mirth, hotly pursued by his father whose pleases fro him to calm down were being completely ignored.

Fleur came into the kitchen carrying her daughter Evelina against her shoulder. "Evie," she whispered as the little girl pulled her long silvery hair out of her eyes and looked up at her mother, "are you going to say goodnight to your grandmuzzer?"

She put Evelina down and watched her stumble over to Mrs Weasley and kiss her goodnight. "She eez very tired," Fleur said to Hermione, "she must go to bed now,"

Hermione smiled as the little girl walked shyly up to her and gave her a hug. Fleur picked her back up again and took her out of the kitchen. Mrs Weasley went back to her cake and Hermione sat back down at the table as there was a brisk knock on the door.

"Oh Hermione fear, go and answer that will you, it must be Remus and Tonks, they said they'd be a bit late." Mrs Weasley looked across the room at her hopefully.

Hermione heaved herself back out her chair and wandered into the hallway, and opened the front door. A pallid face smirked at her from the doorstep, "Ah, Granger, how kind of you," Snape stepped into the hallway and brushed his shoes on the mat, taking his cloak off with a lavish swish, and dropping a small bag. She stood still for a few moments and he looked at her.

"Well are you just going to stand there Granger or shall I just keep my cloak with me?" he asked curtly, she blinked and grabbed his cloak from him and hung it up.

"Why are you here Snape?" she hissed, gently shutting the doors into the kitchen and sitting room with her heel.

"I was invited Granger, unlike you," he sneered,

"That's not the point," she whispered angrily, "they're my family, why do you have to come and ruin everything?"

"We've been through this before," he sighed, "you have no family –"

"They want me to part of their family!" she hissed,

"Well, whatever you want to believe…" his lips were curling maliciously, "and besides it's hardly fair to accuse me of ruining everything already; I've only just walked through the door,"

Hermione felt her cheeks go uncomfortably pink and she looked at her feet, "I just wanted this Christmas to be for me and Ron to heal our wounds," she sighed.

"Well I'll be gone on Boxing Day so you can have your little love nest back, don't let me keep you."

"Oh please Snape, this is supposed to be the season of goodwill, try at least to stay civil to everyone else, if not me." She turned sharply, hearing footsteps approaching the door from the sitting room.

"I'm perfectly happy to show respect to people more my equal," he muttered audibly. She stared at him outraged, and was about to retort when the door behind her opened.

"Oh Hermione, there you are," Ron smiled at her and then caught sight of Snape standing in the hall, his expression dropped extremely quickly. "What's going on?" he demanded.

"Oh don't worry Ron; I was just letting Snape in." Hermione said, hoping her face wasn't still too red.

Ron frowned for a moment and then said, "Take him to his room and then come down and join me."

"OK," she said and kissed him on the cheek Snape positively glowered.

As soon as Ron went back into the sitting room, she turned to Snape and said, "You don't have to look that disgusted."

"I have enough problems with students and their public displays of affection," he replied sharply.

"Snape you're not our teacher anymore, and in case you hadn't noticed this is our home. It was only a kiss on the cheek anyway."

"Is that all he gets then?"

"What do you care?" she scowled at him.

"Still haven't told him what you got up to at Hogwarts have you? You must be so ashamed," he sneered.

"He's doesn't need to know, that was all in the past, and as you said, it was a mistake." Snape smirked at her, "well come with me then, I'll take you to your room."

He picked up his bag and followed Hermione up the stairs. She pushed open the door of Charlie's old room to reveal a wooden bed and a rickety old camp bed. Snape frowned.

"You're sharing with Remus," she said, "he'll be here soon, in the meanwhile I'd take the best bed if I were you."

He scowled and put his bag down on the bed, and she walked out the room, the door shutting quickly behind her. She sighed hopelessly; why did the Weasleys have to invite Snape? She went back downstairs and into the sitting room where Tonks and Lupin had arrived. Tonks was explaining to Fleur for what seemed like the umpteenth time why she was still called Tonks even though her surname was now Lupin, she winked at Hermione as she walked in, Hermione smiled back and went to join Ron who was sitting lone in the corner watching George toss a giggling Laurence in the air.

"I always wanted children," Ron said quietly as she walked over to him.

She stared at him and then said, "Who said you couldn't?"

"No-one," he replied, "It's just that it's doesn't look like we're going to have any."

"Ron! What d'you mean?"

"Well every time I try to touch you you shrink away," he muttered,

"I'm just not used to it Ron, I've been away from you for three months." She sat down next to him, and clasped his hand to try and prove the point, but even as she did so she felt herself shiver.

"Hermione, if that's what your problem was then you should just not go back to work, I mean if it's going to ruin our relationship…"

"Ron, there is no way you are going to stop me working! I have to work, I couldn't waste away at home all my life." She let go of his hand suddenly. "I'm going to bed; I'm tired. I'll see you in the morning."

He grunted and she left the room, Ginny was standing near the door talking to Verity, Fred's girlfriend. Hermione tapped on her the shoulder as she went out and said that she was going to bed, Ginny nodded in reply and went back to her conversation.

Hermione climbed the stairs and walked across the landing towards Ginny's room when she saw Snape pacing around his room, muttering to himself. She walked slowly towards his open door and he looked up. "Hermione," he said icily, "had enough of the 'family' already?"

So he was using her first name again was he? Well she wasn't going to let him win again, she waltzed into the room. "Oh no Severus, don't worry about me, I'm just going to bed, to wait for Ron…"

"Don't lie Granger, there's no point. I know perfectly well that the only people who get to stay into the same rooms as their partner's are the ones with children." He sighed,

Her performance dropped. She flopped down onto his bed and ran her hand through her hair. He came and sat down next to her, and unlike with Ron she didn't immediately flinch away from him, but sat there calmly. "Severus," she said quietly,

"Yes," he said as he leant closer towards her,

"Just tell me straight please, you have nothing to lose, I have everything. So just tell me, are you really being serious about this or are you just trying to have a joke." She said earnestly,

"Well to tell you the truth, I'm not entirely sure I want to say this, or that I believe it, but, really I think that quite honestly I've changed Hermione, or come to accept that I've changed, from the two-faced, double-crossed double-crossing murderer, and my mean callous exterior is somewhat disintegrating to leave me able to feel again." He said in an unusual surge of words.

"Oh thank you Severus for that insightful speech, it really cleared things up for me," she said sarcastically, but her eyes were sparkling,

"Well then Hermione," he said quietly, leaning even closer, "You really don't need the Weasley family. Come back to Hogwarts for Christmas, with me." Then he dragged her into a deep kiss.

"Severus!" she smiled, "Well thank you, as long as you are being serious. But why did you have to be so beastly at Hogwarts?"

"I was unsure of how I really felt, but I am sure now."

"Good," she chuckled, and kissed him gently again.

"But come on then, why not?" he stood up,

"You're serious? You really want to just go back to Hogwarts, tonight?"

"Of course," he pulled her up by the hand, "get your trunk."

She stared at him and then smiled, running from the room with her eyes sparkling. He picked up his unpacked bag and followed her. She rushed into Ginny's room, pulling her wand from her pocket and summoning clothes from the bottom drawer of Ginny's dresser into her trunk. "I think that's everything," she said, fastening the locks on her trunk.

"Right then," he ushered her out of the room and they walked quietly across the landing and down the stairs, they were just about to open the door when Hermione yelped, "Crookshanks!" she hissed,

"What?" Snape said loudly, "Oh that bloody cat of yours,"

"Excuse me!" she scowled, "hang on." She ran into the kitchen, Mrs Weasley looked at her curiously as she grabbed Crookshanks from his rug by the fireplace.

"Oh sorry Molly, I was taking him upstairs to my bedroom." She said amidst his annoyed yowls,

"Oh, of course dear, goodnight." said Mrs Weasley as she went back to her cleaning, Hermione smiled and ran back into the hall, grabbing her cloak from the hooks on the wall.

"Ready?" Snape asked as they walked into the yard. She put Crookshanks over her shoulder and held onto her trunk; he clasped his bag in one hand, and her hand in his other. They began to count down from three, and turned.