Disclaimer, etc: It's not mine and I love my Beta! (Don't be jealous, she's the best beta ever, I know, but she's MINE!)
When Severus woke up in the mornings at Hogwarts, it wasn't pleasant.
There were dunderheads to teach, fellow staff members to avoid (especially Dumbledore – especially if he was twinkling), and always summons from the Dark Lord lurking in the background. It was a struggle to get out of bed.
He always thought it had to get better.
When Severus woke up in the mornings when he was hiding out, it wasn't pleasant.
There were Aurors to avoid, Deatheaters to avoid, Muggles to avoid, and always the thought of Azkaban lurking in the background. It was a struggle to get out of bed.
He always thought it had to get better.
And when Severus had gone to sleep the night before, he thought it had.
He was damn wrong.
He would curse himself later for allowing his surroundings to lull him into a false sense of security. He had fallen asleep almost immediately upon laying down, and slept soundly. His hands under his head and Sebastian laying from where his tiny kitten head resting on his arm and a lithe body stretching down the length of his own, a baby lion tail curled on his lower torso, twitching every once in a while during sleep. It would have been pleasant to wake up like that, he thought later. Instead…
"YOU KNEAZLE-NAPPING BASTARD!"
He sat bolt upright in his bed, his sheets sliding down to his waist, one hand searching the nightstand for his wand and the other clutching his chest where Sebastian had left a slash from his rude awakening. The realization of where he was flooded back to him and he rubbed his eyes, trying to focus on the banshee advancing.
"YOU GIT! STEALING MY BABY!"
Clutching his coverlet, he gently poked Sebastian in the ribs.
"I did no such thing! YOU left him alone and he followed me in here, take him and leave me in peace," Severus claimed, giving Sebastian another poke for good measure. He was rewarded with a bite. "OW! Damn Kneazle!"
"His name is Sebastian, I told you that." Hermione muttered, grabbing the kitten and cradled him in her arms as she left the room. Severus could have sworn the bloody creature was grinning at him over her shoulder.
He stumbled out of bed, the bite and the scratch both dripping, and made his way to the master bath. Leaning over the sink, he attempted to use a small cloth to rinse and clean his wounds.
Stupid Kneazle, stupid Gryffindor, stupid stupid stupid me for allowing that stupid Kneazle to sleep with stupid me so that stupid Gryffindor could come in and bother stupid me. Severus was so deep in thought that he didn't notice Hermione enter.
"Let me see them," she said, reaching for his hurt hand.
"Go away," he stated through clenched teeth.
"I need to clean and heal the wounds, let me see them," she insisted, grasping his hand in hers and leaning down to survey the damage. Hermione gently tapped her wand on his finger, murmured a healing spell, and watched with satisfaction as it became like new. "Now, for the cut," she said, running her free hand over his chest, fingertips lightly brushing his skin.
He would also later think it was to Hermione's credit she didn't mention the low moan that escaped his lips.
"It needs to be cleaned better; give me the cloth."
Severus wasn't quite sure why he was obeying without question, but he figured it had to do with the fact that it had been years since a woman had touched him of her own accord.
Hermione, on the other hand, couldn't remember the last time she wanted to touch a man so badly. Particularly this man. Ginny was quite possibly the only witch who could understand how her respect for Severus had turned into admiration, and admiration into devotion, and now with that devotion she was certain she was falling in love. Or, it could be lust. If she was lucky, it was both. Yet in all the years of knowing him, she'd never seen him without a shirt. That would have upped the lust quotient a bit, she smirked to herself.
He allowed himself the pleasure of looking down at her head, her loose tendrils escaping from a tight bun, just as mousy as he remembered. Her wand had been tucked into her pocket, and she had one hand splayed around the scratch and the other caressing it with the cloth. He watched her drop the cloth in the sink and retrieve her wand, whispering the healing spell over the scratch.
"There, not even a scar," she said, tracing a fingertip over the spot where Sebastian had scratched him.
"Leave, now," Severus choked, his voice breaking.
She took a step back, but instead of removing her hand she pressed her palm into his chest.
"Severus, I'm sorry."
"Take your damn Gryffindor pity and leave, now," he replied, traces of bitterness breaking through.
"It's not pity! I meant I'm sorry for Sebastian, you idiot." She retorted, turning on her heel and leaving the bathroom.
"Well, that went well, didn't it?" he said to the small black tail that was peeking out from behind the door.
After showering and dressing Severus made his way into the drawing room. He took a moment to study his wife – it was hard to use that word even in his thoughts – who was presently curled up in one of the armchairs, one leg tucked beneath and the other thrown haphazardly over the sidearm. She had a book in her lap and a scone in one hand. He could see a wisp of steam rising from the mug on the side table. Hermione was wearing muggle jeans and a solid blue oxford shirt, pink fuzzy slippers on her feet – the one hanging over the chair was bouncing in a rapid up and down movement as if to the beat of some song in her head. Only the fact that a wand was stuck in her bun gave any indication that she was a witch, not a university muggle student.
"Breakfast is there on the tray. Monly, the kitchen elf, prepared what she remembered to be your favorite breakfast," she said, interrupting his thoughts. "Raspberry Scones with coffee."
"You're getting crumbs everywhere," he replied, snidely, as he sat down on the settee to fix his morning dose of caffeine.
"True, but then I can just wave my wand and make them disappear," she said sweetly, swinging her legs to the front of the chair and sitting upright. "Now, let's go over today's schedule."
Her announcement was met with a glare.
"Well, we're having company in a couple of days, the full moon is next Tuesday and Remus will be coming by. I've got two cauldrons of Wolfsbane brewing in my lab, and I am working on all of Hogwarts medicinal potions here, so I won't be rushed when I get back to school. Madame Pomfrey owled me her list two weeks ago. You are welcome to work on that or anything else you want. I make trips to Diagon Alley every Thursday morning, so if you require supplies that are not already in stock you can either make me a list, or come with me. I usually take lunch in the lab, but I'm sure Monly can fix you something in the dining room or here if you wish. I work in the garden in the afternoon. I've planted a small bed of herbs and other things – Neville comes by every few weeks to help, but isn't due back for at least two. He's really come into his own with Herbology, owns his own shop and everything – "
"Lady Snape, do you ever stop to breathe?"
"Yes, when I'm finished. As I was saying, Neville advises me on the garden every few weeks, but today I'll be working alone…you are welcome to come out and I'll show it to you. Dinner is in the dining room promptly at 7 pm, and I spend my evening reading journals or visiting with friends. Draco and Ginny come over twice a week at minimum, and Ginny and I usually have lunch at least once a week in addition to that. And now I'm off to work. Eakey can show you the way to the lab when you're ready." She stood, wiping the crumbs off her shirt and then tugging her wand out of her hair to clean up.
A very irritated Severus leaned back onto the settee, holding his scone out of the reach of the stalking feline beside him.