Late One Night
Disclaimer: I don't own very much except Maria Lupin-(Snape). I also own Jules the waitress.
AffectedMangoO: Ah don't worry, there will be a new chapter soon, I'm just seeing how many reviews I can get if I wait a few days between each chapter :-P
Queen Vampyre Akasha: I don't know who keeps reporting me, but I hope it doesn't happen again! Glad ya like my story and I still have to go and check out Beautiful Stranger!
Wyall Jared: You guessed right Hermione's parentage! Ha ha, I don't mind the Remus in the film now, he just isn't my dream Remus if you know what I mean? And he isn't too bad looking I agree :-D
Fallen Angel of Hell: Glad you find it interesting!
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Chapter 2: Caught in the Act
Ron snorted when he saw Hermione's results from their O.W.L Potions exam, "Snape's going to have a fit when he realises you're smarter than Malfoy…Serve the greasy git right."
Harry, who was still pondering the happenings of the night a couple of weeks ago, noted Hermione's reaction to Ron's 'greasy git' remark.
Hermione scowled at Ron; "You should respect your elders, Ron." Her voice was as cold as the look she was giving Ron.
Wow…this really is too weird… Thought Harry, he had nearly plucked up the courage to ask Hermione or Remus about this Snape thing, but not quite yet.
Ron backed away a little, "Man, what's gotten into you? Its only Snape, he hates you anyway."
How I'd love to smack this idiot… Thought Hermione in annoyance. "I just think everyone deserves a chance…and anyway, he's in the Order of the Phoenix, we know for a fact that he isn't bad."
Remus smirked as he read Maria a story in an armchair near the teenagers, That's my girl…
Ron narrowed his eyes at her, "Why are you defending him?"
"I'm not." Replied Hermione as innocently as she could, but it was very unconvincing.
"Yes you are!"
Hermione scowled at Ron again, "You wouldn't understand Ron, it takes a minor bout of intelligence to get it."
Remus glanced between the scowling Ron and Hermione and then he looked to Harry who was rolling his eyes, "Are they always like this?"
Harry looked to him and nodded, "Sometimes even worse."
Ron shrugged, "I don't care, I still don't like him."
Hermione growled quietly, "No one's making you spend time with him, you don't have to take potions anymore. And with your O.W.L mark he'd probably ban you from his classroom anyway."
That settles it, Thought Harry in conclusion. She obviously knows Snape a lot better than we do, its obvious she likes him enough to defend him.
Ron was still scowling at the brown haired girl in front of him, "Is it that time of the month or something?"
Hermione looked ready to explode with rage, "Yes, as a matter of fact, it is. So don't make me hurt you."
"Okay, geez, calm down." Said Ron, still moving further away from the angry girl.
It was then that a knock sounded on the door.
"Can someone get that?" Asked Remus as he noticed Maria was asleep on his lap.
"I will." Said Hermione getting up, with one last glare at Ron she headed out into the hallway and opened the front door and found herself facing the aforementioned Potions Master. She managed to control herself enough to keep from squealing in joy and jumping on him. "Professor."
Severus smirked, "Granger. May I come in?"
Hermione smiled, "Of course." She moved out of the way and let him passed; she closed the door again and followed the Potions Master back through the house and to the living room where the person he wanted to talk to was.
Remus managed to move Maria off his lap and onto the chair without waking her as he got up, "Ah Severus, good to see you again."
Severus' expression remained as one of the utmost loathing for his former-Marauder lover, but it was all an act, he didn't like being mean to Remus but he had to do it to keep up their façade. "Pleasure. I have your Wolfsbane ready Lupin."
"Thank you." Remus smiled and led the Potions Master to the kitchen so they could talk more freely.
Ron scowled at the back of the Potions Master as he left the room behind Remus, "God I hate him."
Hermione regarded Ron with a look of pure contempt before turning on her heel and leaving the living room, as she stormed off down the hallway she muttered angrily under her breath. "…So annoying…I'll kill him before the summer's out…stupid, ignorant bastard…"
………
Remus quickly downed the Wolfsbane Potion and pulled a disgusted face, "I swear you make this disgusting out of spite."
Severus leaned back against the bench and crossed his arms with a smirk on his face, "That would be true if I had something to be spiteful for."
Remus drank down half a glass of water to try and get rid of the taste, "Isn't there anything you can do for the taste?"
"I told you, I'm working on it." Replied Severus, he moved away from the bench and slipped his arms around Remus' slim waist. "I'm also working a version of it for Maria."
Remus smiled, their four-year-old could not drink the Wolfsbane Potion, it was almost like a poison for the little girl. After doing some research Severus had found out that the potion had only ever been tested on adult werewolves so no one actually knew whether it would be suitable for young ones, like Maria. "I'm sure she'd appreciate that."
"Mm, that's what I thought." Severus moved his head down slightly and kissed Remus on the lips.
Within seconds the kiss deepened, both of the men forgetting about the two boys down the hall that could just walk in on them. Remus ran his hands through Severus' dark hair as they kissed.
The blissful moment was soon cut short by a loud crash and a profane exclamation.
"SHIT!"
Severus pulled away from Remus in surprise at the noise coming from somewhere near where Hermione had stormed off to, "What's wrong with her?"
Remus smirked, "Girl thing."
"Oh…"
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It was late the next morning when Hermione finally surfaced from her bedroom again; she had locked herself in there after she had stormed out of the living room the evening before.
Hermione wandered out to the kitchen where she could smell coffee brewing, it was a habit of Remus' to have coffee around lunchtime every day. "Morning." She yawned and stretched.
"Barely."
Hermione yawned again and looked at the clock, 11:57. "I was tired."
"Tantrums do that to you." Commented Remus as he read the Daily Prophet.
Hermione scowled at him, though she knew he wasn't watching, "I was not having a tantrum, I was annoyed. Where are Harry and…the other one?"
Remus smirked, "They've gone into town, the civility of their Potions Master that early in the morning was scaring them."
Hermione laughed and went to pour a cup of coffee, which she had gotten into the habit of drinking. "Did he stay last night?"
"No, he turned up again this morning." Replied Remus, he sat back in his chair and surveyed the brunette in front of him. "Are you all right with keeping all this from Harry and Ron?"
Hermione frowned at the fruit bowl before looking back to one of the favourite men in her life, "I was to start with... No one makes it easy for me though, Ron with his 'I hate Snape' craze and dad with his 'I hate everyone, especially the Gryffindors' thing. And on top of that, Harry's giving me funny looks."
Remus nodded in understanding, he knew all too well what went on in Severus' classes, he knew a lot of students didn't like his lover, especially the Gryffindors and he knew Severus returned the feelings. "Well, perhaps you should let them know…I think Harry does know something."
Hermione sighed, "You think I should?"
"Its up to you." Replied Remus, "But if it bothers you I would say something."
Hermione stared at the table in thought and then she looked to Maria who was sitting opposite her, "What do you think I should do?"
Maria stared at her and then held out a chocolate chip biscuit, "Cookie."
Hermione shrugged and took it, "Good call."
………
After having brunch and a shower, Hermione got dressed and set off on a walk into the town, which was about half an hour's walk away from Remus' house. As she dawdled along the side of the road she wondered about how she was going to give Harry and Ron the news about her real parentage. She figured Harry would be the easier one to tell because it seemed like he was already figuring it out, Ron however, might take it the wrong way and suddenly hate her.
So, I think I'll just tell them straight out. Thought Hermione as she neared the town. Man, what am I going to do if they ask if I have Godparents? They'd freak out if I told them who my Godfather and Godmother are.
Hermione wandered down the main street of the small town and headed into the first café on the right, she gazed around and saw Harry and Ron over at one side of the café laughing so she went over to them after buying a bottle of coke. "Hey guys."
"Hi." Harry smiled at her.
Ron didn't smile he just nodded in acknowledgement.
Hermione sat down and opened her drink, "I need to talk to you two about-" She stopped suddenly. What am I doing? Why should I do this on my own? I think my parents should help. "You know what? Nevermind."
Harry raised an eyebrow, I think I know what she was going to say, but if she doesn't want to then that's her choice.
"So, was the greasy git still there when you got up?" Questioned Ron with all the hostility you would associate with a Malfoy.
Hermione narrowed her eyes at him again; "He wasn't there, actually. Why do you have to be such a jackass about him?"
"I'm not!" Replied Ron scowling. "You hate him just as much as me."
"Don't make assumptions Ron." Replied Hermione coolly. "I don't hate Professor Snape, I never have and I never will. You're going to have to live with that, and if you can't then…so be it."
Just then a waitress came and cleared the table next to them, she smiled when she saw Hermione, "Hey kid. How are you?"
Hermione looked up at her and smiled, "Hi Jules. I'm good thanks, you?"
Jules, or Julia nodded, "Yeah, can't complain, I'm finally making a bit o' cash." She was only seventeen and she went to the local Muggle School in the town. "How are your parents?"
Shit. Thought Hermione, Ah, they won't figure it out… "They're good, I've hardly seen my dad since school ended though, busy apparently."
"Aw bugger man." Replied Jules; "Don't boarding school teachers come home for the summer though?"
Hermione smirked, "You would think, wouldn't you? I don't know where he is, but he does visit. What about you?…Oh, I almost forgot, these are my friends from school, Harry and Ron." She indicated to each boy.
Jules grinned at the boys, "Hi."
…
After Hermione had left, Remus had made sure Maria was happily occupied and then he went to lie down for a while, the upcoming full moon always made him feel really tired. He curled up under the warm covers and soon drifted off to sleep.
Severus apparated to a spot about five minutes walk away from the house his family was in and he headed through the small forest and to the house. When he got there he didn't bother knocking as he figured the children probably wouldn't be there as Harry and Ron had both left when he was there in the morning.
He found Maria in the living room playing with her toys, Severus made sure she was all right before continuing his search of Remus. He soon found the tired werewolf fast asleep in bed looking absolutely adorable, like he always did when he was asleep.
…
The three teenagers were dawdling slowly back from town, they were walking in amiable silence until Ron spoke.
"Mione?"
"Mm?"
"Why did Jules say your dad is a boarding school teacher?" Asked Ron curiously. "I thought your parents were dentists."
Oh crap, she did didn't she?…Well Ron, the Grangers are actually muggle relatives of my daddy Remus Lupin. Thought Hermione, "Um, well my…my dad teaches at a dentist school…" She walked on ahead of the two boys who were giving her curious looks.
…
Remus awoke to the gentle fingers combing through his sleep mussed brown hair; he kept his eyes closed as he spoke, "How long have you been here?"
Severus kissed him on the lips, "Only about ten minutes, did I wake you?"
Remus opened his eyes a little bit and smiled tiredly, "Yeah…" He yawned widely and moved so his head was on Severus' lap. "Can you stay tonight?"
Severus continued running his fingers through Remus' short brown hair, "As long as it doesn't cause too much disruption."
Remus closed his eyes again; "She's going to tell them."
"So you spoke to her then?" Replied Severus, he wondered what would happen once Potter and Weasley found out Hermione's secret.
"Mmhmm." Remus was starting to drift off to sleep again. "Be nice."
Severus smirked, "That's asking a bit much."
……
It had taken the trio nearly two hours to walk back from the town, they had taken a detour across a field full of flowers and they had wandered around in the forest after Hermione saw Crookshanks run in there. They finally got back to the house around 5pm, when they went in they heard voices and they were immediately recognised to be Remus and in Ron's words, The Greasy Git, which earned him a smack around the head from Hermione.
…
Remus yawned again, "I'm not tired…"
Severus, who was standing behind the smaller man, slipped his arms around Remus' waist and kissed him on the neck, "The full moon is in two days, you need to rest." He trailed his lips up to Remus' jaw. "As much as I love you, I do prefer it when you've had a good night's sleep."
Remus managed to turn around in Severus' arms so they were face to face, his brown eyes mockingly sad, "You should love me unconditionally."
Severus let one of his hands travel up under Remus' shirt, "Oh I do you filthy monster…" He trailed off as Remus kissed him.
Neither of the men heard the teenagers turn up in the house and at the kitchen door.
"What the-"
"Holy hell!"
"Oh no…"
Severus and Remus were too shocked to move far away from each other, they just stayed in the same position and stared at the teenagers.
Harry and Ron both looked shocked while Hermione was between them holding her cat with an eyebrow raised and a look of amusement on her face.
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A/N: Wow, a long chapter! Yey!
Next Chapter: A week after Severus and Remus are caught snogging in the kitchen. Ron has gone home, Harry is torn between his friends and Hermione is upset and while Remus if away talking with Dumbledore about important matters to do with Harry, Severus is the only one left to comfort his distraught daughter.