"Remind me once more why I am doing this," Severus Snape said as he adjusted the collar on his shirt.
"Don't you think that Harry, Ron, and the rest of the Weasleys deserve to be informed of my pregnancy?" Hermione asked him.
"Why should they deserve to know in the first place?"
"They are my best friends."
"Who I happen to loathe eternally."
"That is no one's fault but your own, Severus Snape. They are like family to me."
Glaring at her, he continued to dress, mumbling to himself. After he had finished, he turned to her. "We just visited your parents' house last weekend. Are we honestly going to journey to the Burrow now, as well?"
"I want them to know about us, and the baby."
"Why do they need to?"
"Because they are my best friends in the entire world, and although I love you more than them, I care for them greatly, and I love the entire Weasley family. Except Percy, perhaps, but I don't even think they consider him to be a part of their family any longer, anyway."
There were several seconds of silence in which only the sounds of her preparing could be heard, and then Severus looked up at her.
"You love me more than Potter and Weasley?"
Hermione looked over at him, smiling. "Yes, of course I do. I thought you knew that."
He held her gaze for a few moments longer, and then blinked and turned away.
"However, Severus, I must ask you to address them as 'Harry' and 'Ron' while we are there."
He sighed, and then, scowling, he replied, "If it pleases you."
Smiling at him, Hermione resumed preparing to leave, while Severus, who had long since been ready, waited patiently for her.
Just under twenty minutes later, Hermione had finished getting ready to leave for the Burrow.
"Have you informed them that we are coming?" Severus asked her.
"Yes, of course. Will you stop asking that every time we go somewhere together?" she laughed.
"I apologize."
Just then, she approached him and snaked her arms around his neck.
"Don't be nervous, Severus," she told him.
Placing his hands on her waist, he replied, "After meeting your mother and father, facing Potter and the Weasleys will be no major concern, I am sure."
"Severus?" she asked, kissing his neck.
"Yes?"
"Please be as kind and reasonable at the Burrow as you were last Saturday with my parents."
"Yes, your majesty," he muttered, pulling her against him.
Her lips made their way all around his neck and then she began to drag her tongue along the rim of his ear. "Promise me," she whispered.
"If I do, will you allow for us to remain here for a little while longer?"
Gently, she shook her head. "We've got to leave."
"What I have planned for us will take no more than just several minutes, I assure you."
Laughing, she kissed his lips and then took a step back from him. "We need to leave, or we'll be late," she said, taking his hand and practically dragging him to the fireplace. "We are using the Floo Network."
"So I have gathered," he replied as they stepped into the hearth.
Throwing down a large handful of Floo Powder, Hermione called out clearly, "The Burrow!"
Several seconds later, after rushing past fireplace after fireplace, Severus and Hermione stumbled into the Weasleys' living room.
"Good morning, Hermione! Good morning, Severus!" a woman cried. Molly Weasley. Severus should have known that she would be present to greet them the moment they arrived.
He nodded to her and held out a hand as Hermione replied, beaming, "Good morning, Molly."
"What would you both say to a cup of tea?" she asked them, absolutely glowing with excitement as she shook Severus' hand.
"Thank you," Hermione and Severus said to her, nodding.
She bustled into the kitchen, with them following right behind her, and began to pour their cups of tea. After she had handed the cups to them, she called noisily, "Ginny! Ron, Harry, Fred, George!" Then she turned to them and said, "Ginny is working for the Ministry now. Just as a secretary, of course, but she's working her way up. Fred and George took this Saturday off to see their lovely Hermione and their former Potions Master. Also, apparently, Ron and Harry receive one Saturday a month off from their Auror training, and they chose this Saturday, of course, to see you both."
"How very pleasant," Severus replied with a sneer, receiving a stomp on his foot from Hermione just as they heard heavy footsteps from upstairs. They finished their tea hurriedly and set their cups on the counter when the noisy steps began to descend upon the stairs.
Molly turned to them quickly and said in a rather loud whisper, "Oh, and Ginny has wonderful news for you, but I will allow her and Harry to tell you!"
Severus and Hermione glanced sideways at each other, and then back to Molly, and finally to the line of people that was coming down the stairs. First, it was Ginny, who was wearing an extremely baggy Chudley Cannons sweatshirt, and then Harry. Then, Ron, George, and Fred. Or was it Ron, Fred, and George?
The twins immediately shoved through everyone and pulled Hermione into an enormous hug, lifting her up off of the ground. Laughing, she held her arms tight around George's neck to keep from falling, while they both gave her multiple kisses all over her face.
"Stop it!" she cried, throwing back her head and laughing hysterically.
Grinning like mad, the twins set her down beside Severus and held out a hand to him, sobering up instantly.
"Good morning, Professor."
"Professor Snape," they greeted him.
He nodded once to each of them, taking their hands and shaking once. Then he dropped his hand to his side and looked to the rest of them, not noticing Hermione rolling her eyes as she stood beside him. However, nothing could rid the grin from her face as Harry hugged her as well, followed closely by Ginny. Then came Ron, who didn't seem to want to get as close to her as the others. However, he pulled back smiling, just like everyone else.
"Welcome back, 'Mione," he said to her.
"Thanks, Ron," she replied.
Harry and Ron approached Severus, followed by Ginny. The boys- well, men now, really- held out their hands to Severus. Harry had reluctantly put on a grin, while Ron had only felt it necessary to turn the corners of his mouth up slightly. Severus took Harry's hand, who greeted him, nodding, "Professor Snape."
"Mr. Potter," he replied.
"Professor," Ron said as he shook Severus' hand.
"Mr. Weasley."
Then Ginny approached him and held out a hand. She seemed to be the only one who had on her face a genuine smile as she gazed at him. "Hello, Professor Snape," she said as he took her offered hand. "You've got to excuse my brothers' rudeness. They don't mean anything by it."
"Thank you, Miss Weasley," Severus said to her as he dropped his hand to his side and she stepped back from him.
"Now then," cried Molly, clapping her hands together and grinning madly, "shall we go into the dining room and all have a seat?"
Receiving vigorous nods from everyone, it seemed, but Severus, who remained still, she and the rest of the group made their way through the doorway to her left.
After they had all been seated, Molly turned to Ginny, still beaming. "Would you both like to tell them now, Ginny, Harry?"
Smiling and taking Harry's hand, she looked to Severus and Hermione.
"Right," she said, and took a deep breath. "Harry, explain."
Grinning, Harry began, "Do you remember when Ron and I traveled to Hogwarts after we sent you those Howlers?"
"Yes," said Hermione.
Severus added, "Vividly."
"All right. Well, after we left Hogwarts, we came here, to the Burrow and stayed for one night."
Ginny continued, "Because they decided to come here, I am about four months pregnant. At an estimate, of course."
Hermione let out a high-pitched squeal as she jumped up out of her chair. "Ginny, that's wonderful!" she cried, running around the perimeter of the table to give her friend an enormous hug.
"Congratulations," Severus told her, giving her a small smile, for Hermione's sake. Then he turned to Harry, stood, and leaned across the table to extend a hand to the young man seated across from him. Harry did the same, taking the offered hand and shaking it, smiling widely. "Congratulations, Mr. Potter."
"Thank you, sir."
After Hermione had returned to her chair and Severus had been seated again, she turned to Molly. "Mrs. Weasley, we- Severus and I- also have quite important news to share with all of you."
"Let's hear it, then!" Molly exclaimed.
"All right. We are expecting a baby, too."
Molly and Ginny were the only ones that jumped up squealing and hurried around the table to congratulate them. Harry stood shakily, but the Weasley boys sat frozen in their chairs.
Then Ron turned to Severus. "You got her pregnant?"
"Ronald!" Mrs. Weasley exclaimed, glaring at him.
"Mr. Weasley, it was consensual, I assure you."
"Have you even told her that you love her?"
Severus raised an eyebrow at the young man. "Yes, I have."
"She's told you, as well, then?"
"Of course I have, Ron," Hermione snapped at him.
"When did this happen?" Molly asked excitedly.
"Over Christmas," Hermione replied.
Harry approached Hermione and hugged her again, and then turned to Severus and, once more, extended a hand to him. "Congratulations, Professor Snape."
"Thank you, Mr. Potter."
"Ginny, do you know if your child is a boy or a girl?" Hermione asked eagerly.
"No, I don't. Not yet. Of course, it isn't too far off now," she replied.
Fred and George were still staring at Severus as if they were unsure if he was really there or not.
"Don't be so rude, both of you!" their mother exclaimed, going over to them and pulling them up, out of their chairs.
First, they approached Hermione. "Hi," said Fred.
"Hi," she replied, smiling at him and giggling.
He glanced over at Severus, and then looked back to her.
"We're happy for you, honestly, we are," said George, "but…Snape?"
"I am standing just beside you, Mr. Weasley," Severus said, glaring at him.
However, this did not faze the twins. Their gaze did not even shift from Hermione's face.
"I have explained this already to your skeptical brother. Perhaps he can clarify it for you," she replied, snaking her arm around Severus' waist and resting her head on his shoulder.
"I never though I would see the day when Severus Snape would find another love of his life," Molly said thoughtfully.
Hermione noticed that when she said this, Severus instantly tensed up beside her. Molly's comment confused her, of course, but she decided to store it in her mind to question and analyze later.
"Well, he has," she said simply, and looked up at Severus to observe his reaction to her words. He looked down at her with a bemused expression on his face, but looked up, along with everyone else, when he heard the front door open and close.
"Arthur must be home," Molly said happily, and hurried to greet him.
"Hello, dear," he said to her, smiling, and kissed her good morning.
"You managed to get a bit of time off work, then?" she asked him, straightening his tie.
"Yes, but only for a couple of hours. I've got to be back by four-thirty."
"Well, that's all right. Hermione and Severus have already arrived, and they've got the most wonderful news!" she exclaimed, kissing her husband once more before leading him into the dining room with everyone else.
"How is everyone?" Arthur asked when he reached them, and took his place at the table.
He received mumbled, "Fine"s, muttered, "Well"s, and a few grins, but nothing more.
"Now then, Hermione, Severus," he said, taking a sip of the tea his wife had brought him from the kitchen, "what is this news that Molly's told me about?"
Hermione took Severus' hand and took a deep breath. Then she replied, "We are expecting a child."
"Well, that's fantastic! When did it happen?"
"Christmas," she said.
"Congratulations, Hermione! And Severus! I wish you both the best of luck."
"Thank you, Arthur," Severus said to the man.
"Will there be a marriage?" he asked.
"Not that we know of," Hermione replied, "although we are living together."
"Splendid!"
"Ginny, I didn't even ask! Are you and Harry planning to be wed?" Hermione asked her friend eagerly.
"No, not just yet," the girl replied, resting her head on Harry's shoulder, her eyes shining brightly. It was clear to anyone that they were completely, entirely, and madly in love with each other.
After another couple of hours or so of discussing various subjects, such as Harry and Ron's Auror training, Ginny's current position at the Ministry, Arthur's recent promotion, the twins' booming business, and the expected children, Arthur stood from his seat and announced, "I think we'll let the children go and talk amongst themselves. Severus, you are welcome to come with Molly and me, unless, of course, you wish to join Hermione."
Severus glanced at her quickly and then turned back to Arthur. He had just opened his mouth to speak when Harry interrupted him, "Actually, Mr. Weasley, Ron and I would like to speak with Professor Snape, if he doesn't mind." He turned to Severus.
Sneering, Severus replied, "I suppose not."
"Good. Follow us," said Ron bitterly, walking up the stairs and into through a doorway to their right. "Sit down," he directed after he had shut the door behind them.
Severus did so, sitting in the chair that had been previously shoved under the desk, and crossed his arms over his chest, scowling at the boys.
"What is it that you wished to speak with me about?" he asked, facing the boys, who had just sat down across from him on the small bed in the corner.
"You got Hermione pregnant!" Ron cried instantly, receiving a glare from Harry.
"Ron, calm down," Harry snapped, and then turned back to Severus. "Right. You-" He sighed, thinking of how to continue, and then went on, "Hermione is pregnant, and of course, you are the…father." He shuddered, and then continued, "We are quite happy for…both of you… However, we- and by that, I mean all of the Weasley children- feel that it is fair to warn you that I am as good as family to the Weasleys, just like Hermione is just as good as a daughter to Mr. and Mrs. Weasley. That would mean that the Weasley boys are her brothers, in a manner of speaking. Therefore, she has got, including me, seven brothers- not counting Percy, of course- that would be quite willing and eager to attack you viciously, should you ever cause her any pain at all."
"Is that honestly why you two dragged me here, to lecture me about the woman carrying my child, who, by the way, neither of you are related to by blood?"
"We know that, Snape-" Ron said angrily.
"That is 'sir' to you," Severus growled.
"Not anymore, Snape."
"Watch your mouth, Mr. Weasley. I am still your elder."
"Yeah, and Hermione's too. In fact, aren't you twice our age?"
"As opposed to an incredibly juvenile prat, who, I am sure, when you were with her, did not even know where to put your-"
"Enough!" cried Harry, who had been watching their argument like a tennis match.
"He started it!" Ron yelled at him, and instantly received two evil glares.
Ron growled at him, "Look, that's all we wanted to say to you, sir-"
"Very well. Now, if you will excuse me-"
Ron interrupted Severus angrily, "So that you can go hang out with your girlfriend, who is, by the way, young enough to be your daughter?"
Severus stood and pulled out his wand on Ron, who quickly did the same, as they took their dueling positions, each of them pointing their wands straight at the other man's chest.
"You are both acting incredibly childish! Stop!" Harry yelled, standing between them and attempting to force them apart.
Supposing that he should choose to be the more rational of the two, Severus slowly lowered his wand, glaring evilly at Ronald. "You are lucky that dear Mr. Potter was present to rescue your arse this time, Weasley," he growled.
Ron rushed forward, but Harry caught him around the waist just as Hermione stormed into the room.
"What the hell is going on here?" she demanded, and then stopped in shock as she took in the scene: Severus with his wand halfway into the air, Harry trying desperately to stop Ron from attacking him.
"Ronald, stop it!" she shrieked at him, and he obeyed immediately, breathing hard.
"Severus, what did you do to him?" she asked, turning on him.
"Excuse me?"
"I believe you heard me."
"It is not my fault that Mr. Weasley felt it necessary to resort to mindless acts of physical violence due to the fact that he is unable to afford a decent wand," Severus said smugly to Hermione.
She stood in shock for several moments, and then raised her hand and slapped him hard across the face. "That was way below the belt, Severus," she said to him before stalking out of the room and down the stairs.
Severus stood in shock for several moments before he finally noticed Ron in the corner, with his arms crossed over his chest, smirking.
"Shut it," Severus muttered as he left the room, trying in vain to maintain what little dignity and pride that he had left. "Hermione," he called once he had gotten to the bottom of the stairs. "Hermione!" He nearly bumped into Molly just as she was leaving the kitchen. "I apologize, Molly. Do you any idea where Hermione might be?"
"Why do you ask?"
"Clearly, I am searching for her."
"I should think that she would be in Ginny's room."
"Thank you." He began to turn and walk away, before he turned back around to look at Molly, who was still smiling at him. "Where is it?"
"I was wondering when you would ask that question. Up the stairs, and it is the second door on your right."
He nodded once at her and then began to make his way up the stairs. Once he had reached his destination, he knocked once on the door and waited.
"Who is it?" immediately came Ginny's voice from inside.
"Professor Snape," he answered.
There were many seconds of silence before he heard the reply from her, "Hermione doesn't want you to come in."
"Can she not tell me that?"
Again, there were several seconds of silence, and then…
"No."
"This is preposterous. Miss Weasley, I need to speak with Miss Granger."
"Hermione, I am not your messenger girl! Tell him yourself!" came Ginny's shrill voice, and seconds later, the door opened to reveal an extremely angry looking Hermione Granger.
"What is it?" she asked him, poking her head out of the door.
"Why the hell did you slap me?" he whispered, though apparently, not quietly enough, for there came a piercing laughter from behind the half-open door.
"You slapped him! You didn't tell me that!" Ginny cried, obviously laughing hysterically. The door shut for several moments. Severus heard, "Ouch!" Hermione reopened the door, and there was no laughter. "You have anger issues," he heard muttered from inside the room, though when he craned his neck to attempt to see whatever it was that was inside, Hermione leaned up to intentionally block his view.
"What did you wish to speak with me about, Severus?" she asked again.
"Why did you slap me?"
"I thought that would have been clearly evident by now."
"You just did it, not five minutes ago! Forgive me, but I have not been granted that much time to contemplate what happened."
She shook her head and stared at him. "I just cannot believe that you would sink so low as to make jokes about…" She leaned in toward him and whispered, almost inaudibly, "…about the Weasleys' money situation."
"I apologize."
"It is too late for that now. You've already said it."
"I am aware, thank you. However, I didn't think…before I…said it." His words ceased when he realized that he was quoting Hermione word for word after what she had said during Christmas concerning her comment that he was a filthy Death Eater. 'I didn't think before I said it.'
"That much is obvious," she said to him, and then sighed. "I apologize for slapping you, even if you did deserve it."
"I accept your apology. Do you accept mine?"
"For what, exactly?" she asked, raising an eyebrow at him challengingly.
"I apologize for making a rude joke about the Weasleys' money situation."
"Thank you. Apology accepted. Now then, what to do about Ronald? Perhaps I could transform him into a toad?"
"Please do."
Grinning at him, she leaned up and kissed him on the cheek.
"However, Hermione, I feel you should know that he made multiple, quite rude, jokes concerning our vast age difference while you were absent from the room."
"I kind of figured," she said quietly.
"Then why didn't you say anything to him?"
"I was too focused being furious with you."
"I see. In that case, I think I will just go into this room here."
"I beg your pardon?"
"The bedroom that seems as though it is abandoned, and has been for quite some time," he said, peering through one of the doorways leading from the hallway.
"Ah, I see. That would be Charlie, Bill, or Percy's old room- I'm not quite sure which one- although I think they may have turned Percy's room into a storage area… Either way, do what you like. I will deal with Ronald."
At that, she turned on her heel and walked to the closed door leading to Ron's bedroom. From behind her, she heard Severus enter Charlie/Bill's old bedroom and shut the door. She walked straight into Ron's room, without knocking, to find both boys, Harry and Ron, sitting on his bed, laughing. Their laughter ceased instantly, however, when they caught sight of the irritated expression on Hermione's face.
"You arrogant, immature little prat!" she said, approaching Ronald with her fingers clenched into fists.
"What the bloody hell did I do?" he asked her, which only proved to irritate her further.
"You irritating, self-absorbed twit! How dare you deliberately offend Severus like that?"
"I was only joking, Hermione. Besides, you are the one who slapped him for insulting me!" he cried.
"You think that I am not entirely aware of that, Ronald Weasley? I will admit, he should not have insulted you the way he did, or in any way, but if you hadn't insulted him first-"
"Then he would have found a way to do it otherwise, Hermione. The man is an senseless idiot."
"I love him."
She thought she saw a hurt expression flash in Ron's eyes for a moment, but when she looked again, it was gone.
"That is all very well and good, 'Mione, but that does not change my opinion of him."
"Very well. You don't have to like him, but you must learn to come to terms with the fact that I love him, and despite what you try to convince yourself of, he loves me too. I would like for you to apologize to him."
"Apologize! Me! To him! You must be bloody joking!" he cried.
"Well, I am not."
He ran his fingers through his ginger hair, glaring at her. Then he crossed his arms tightly over his chest and uttered, "No."
"Ronald, apologize to him!" she shouted.
"I will not. He is the one who is being so bloody difficult."
"He-? You are unbelievable." She ran her fingers through her auburn hair, seeming to regain her calm. Then she smiled pleasantly at him. "Very well. Then I will make it up to him."
Grinning at him and raising her eyebrow, she walked out of the door and over to the room in which Severus was waiting, swinging her hips.
Quickly, Ron rushed forward and grabbed her arm, spinning her around to face him. "Wait!" he cried. "I'll do it!"
"Really?" she asked.
"Yes." Then he slipped past her and into the room, muttering to himself, "Anything to keep you two off of each other."
Smirking, Hermione stepped aside to let Ron into the room. Just as he was about to shut the door behind him, she reached out a hand to stop it. "Leave it open," she told him, just to be sure that another duel did not follow the apology.
She watched as Severus glared daggers at Ron as he approached the desk that Severus was seated at with a book open before him.
"Professor Snape," Ron said, nodding to the man.
"Mr. Weasley," Severus replied, doing the same.
At least they were getting off on civil terms.
"Look…" Ron sighed, and then continued, "Hermione is making me do this. Actually, she is standing just outside the door-"
"Ronald!"
"All right, 'Mione, calm down." He sighed again, turning back to Severus. "I'm sorry for insulting you."
"And?"
"And what, Hermione?"
"Perhaps she is referring to attempting to physically attack me," Severus suggested.
"All right, fine. I apologize for that, too." Then he turned back to the doorway, rolling his eyes. "Is that all?"
"Yes."
"Good. Sorry," he added again over his shoulder as he made his way out of the room and past Hermione, who had been listening intently just outside in the hallway. Then he called to her over his shoulder, "You're welcome," as he shut the door to his room behind him.
Rolling her eyes, Hermione entered the room that Severus was still sitting in, smiling at him.
"How was that for a performance?" she asked him.
"Weasley's? Quite something, I must say."
"Thank you. However, you did promise to call them 'Harry' and 'Ron', and not 'Potter' and 'Weasley'."
"You would be surprised at how difficult that actually is to do."
Laughing, she sat down in his lap and placed her arms around his neck.
"I love you," she said, laying her head on his shoulder.
"Me too," he uttered, putting his arms around her waist. "When are we leaving?"
Laughing, she kissed his neck and then answered, "Not too much longer, I promise."
"Good. I cannot wait to get you out of those clothes."
"Oh, really?" she asked, raising an eyebrow and pulling back to look into his eyes.
"Of course," he replied, picking her up effortlessly and carrying her over to the bed.
Giggling, she pulled him down on top of her and leaned up to press her lips hard against his. He placed one hand on her waist and the other became tangled in her hair. From beneath him, she pulled her wand out of her pocket and silently performed a spell to close and lock the door to the bedroom. He began to kiss her neck as he lifted her shirt up over her head and she began to unfasten his leather belt around his waist.
At that moment, a shrill voice rang throughout the house, "Dinner is ready!"
"You've got to be joking me," Severus muttered, kissing her chest.
Hermione leaned up to glance at the clock on the wall behind him. "It is only three o'clock."
"She's mad," he mumbled against her skin.
She pushed him off of her gently and sat up, searching the room with her eyes for her blouse. "We have to go. Or would you like for them to know that Severus Snape is up here going at it with his pregnant girlfriend?"
"You are hilarious," he muttered to her, standing up to fasten his belt as she put her shirt back on.
Then they left the room and followed Fred and George downstairs.
"What were you two doing in there?" George asked, raising an eyebrow and grinning as Fred made kissing noises behind him.
Severus rolled his eyes at their idiocy, which Hermione noticed. She slipped her hand into his and leaned up to whisper into his ear, "It's all right, Severus. Just wait until we get home."
He made no action to signify that he had heard her, although throughout the rest of the night, she could swear that she saw something of a spring in his step.
Okay, I know that I told some of you that there was no way in hell that I would ever possibly be able to update before the New Year arrived, because I did not think that I would be able to at the time. However, now, I see that I was wrong, because I wrote more than I ever expected that I would, obviously, so…surprise! But it's a good surprise, so be happy:D
Thank you to everyone who read and reviewed! It is greatly appreciated!
Disclaimer- I do not own anything in this story. J.K. Rowling does.
As always: Please review! Even if you don't like it, tell me what you dislike, and I will try to work on it in the future. Thanks!