Hey all!
The response I got for the last chapter was amazing! I mean it totally blew me away!
I would like to thank everybody that has reviewed and everybody that hasn't but has taken the time to read my story…I hope u like it!
Thanks for the different offers of a beta, but I do not want one. As I have said before, once the story is finished, I shall go back and sort out all the mistakes.
Would like to make a special shout out to the 'fanatics'. Thank you for reading and hope you are all enjoying!
Right, don't let me keep you.
Severus stretched out on the bed. His hands above his head and his feet nearly touching the bottom of the bed.
It had been many years since he had gotten a good night's sleep. Hermione had stopped that. Although holding her in his arms made it very hard for him not to make love to her, it did help him sleep in peace.
He had woken every morning with a smile on his face. A smile he did his very best to hide.
Sliding a hand across to the other side of the bed, he found warm but empty sheets. Frowning he looked over, but his eyes only confirmed what his hands had felt; the other side of the bed was empty.
Sitting up he looked around the room. Everything looked the same. His senses weren't alerted in anyway. (Being a spy for so long made him able to tell when danger was about.) Looking over he saw the bathroom door was open; standing at the sink, brushing her teeth was a sleepy looking Hermione.
His wife.
Lying back down, he watched her rinse her brush and wipe her mouth before padding back into the room. She slipped into the bed and rests her head down on the pillow. She put one arm over his chest and tucked a leg between his. Having made her self comfy she gave off a little sigh.
For a moment neither of them moved, but he could feel her breathing starting to even out.
"Don't go to sleep again." He told her softly.
Her head shot up to look at him.
"Did I wake you?" She asked. "I was trying to be quite."
He ran a hand up and down her back.
"No, you didn't wake me." she lowered her head again. "Morning sickness?" He asked.
She nodded and snuggled closer.
"You can't go to sleep. We have to be going soon."
Hermione gave a deep heart felt moan. The sound made his arm tighten around her slightly.
"Do we have to go?" she asked. "Can we not write her a letter and tell her everything that way?"
He couldn't help but chuckle, what made it worse was that he knew she was being serious.
"Sadly, no."
She looked up at him with pleading eyes. Eyes that would normally make him break.
"It's no good looking at me like that. We went in person to see your parents. We are going to do the same for my mother."
"I know." She almost spat. "And look at the disaster that turned out to be."
Once again a silence settled in the room. Nothing could be heard but their breathing, and the nose of his hand running up and down her covered back.
"Do you think they will ever talk to me again?" she asked in a small voice.
He looked down at her. Her head was tucked tight up against his chest, her eyes were squeezed shut.
"Of course they will." His mind was reeling, trying to think of something to say to sooth her. "They love you and are worried about you. That's all."
She nodded slightly.
"I know. I just wish they could be happy for me."
"They will be. Just give them time."
Hermione unwrapped her arms from around Severus and took in her surroundings. They were standing on the edge of a pine forest. She turned back to her husband when she heard him breath in deeply then sigh. His eyes closed and his head back. He looked so much younger. Like he did first thing in the morning, in those moments between wake and sleep, in those moments when you could be anyone anywhere.
"No matter were I go I always miss the smell of home." He said opening is eyes again and looking down at her.
"Tell me what you were like as a child."
She had no idea where the question had come from, but she knew that she really wanted to know the answer. There was so much about her husband that she did not know. He was a teacher at Hogwarts, ex-death eater, and changed man. But other than that she knew little. Don't get her wrong, these were just facts about him. There were things that made her…dare she say it…love him. The desire he has to protect her and his unborn child. His passion for potions and books. How had she gone through her whole school life and not know that the man she was going to spend the rest of her life with was right under her nose.
He pointed to a tree.
"I feel of that when I was 8. I wanted to prove to Dasher that I could fly without my broom." He chuckled.
"Dasher?" she asked.
"He was a house elf." His voice was sad now.
"You had a house elf?" She asked.
She had long since given up on the battle to free the house elves. But she knew that she would never have any of her own. If they wanted to have other people telling them what to do all the time then they can go else where. She would not sink so low.
"He was more than a house elf…he was my best friend." He said, starting to walk to forward. "Like you, I was an only child. I found it hard to make friends."
Hermione nodded. She too had found it hard to make friends.
"What happened to him?" she asked.
"He…he died when I was 16." He looked out across the forest. Then turned and walked on.
They carried on, not talking, each wrapped up in their own thoughts. What am I going to say to his mother? She was half her son's age and a muggle born. Although that didn't seem to bother him, it might bother her.
"Is there anything I shouldn't say?" she asked.
"She must not know that your parents are Muggles. As for anything else…I will do my best to keep the conversation on level ground." With that he held up his wand and whispered something under his breath.
What had been empty space in front of them was now a huge mansion. It was so big it could rival Hogwarts.
Hermione looked at her husband's childhood home and swallowed.
An image of a muggle cartoon witch swam into her head. Tall, dark and covered in warts.
You can picture her surprise when the door flew open and a Molly Wesaley look a like came out.
"Severus you have grown so tall. Crouch down and give your mum a hug and kiss!"
Another chappy! Read and let me know what you think! You know I love reading them!
HC
