"It…won't…close!" Hermione huffed, trying in vain to force her suitcase to shut.
"Hermione, stop," Severus commanded at once, seizing her wrist. "I have spare room in my bag. Place some of your items in there."
"Very well."
He left the room then, rolling his eyes and muttering to himself as he did so. Something about "women".
After Hermione had transferred some of her belongings to Severus' bag and managed to get them both fastened closed, she called out for him. He appeared moments later, draining a cup of coffee.
"Are you quite finished?" he asked, looking her over.
"Yes, as a matter of fact."
"Excellent. I was beginning to worry that we would not be able to leave for several weeks, what with your antics."
"Hilarious," she murmured, rolling her eyes and heaving her suitcase off the bed. However, she instantly buckled under the weight as it fell to the floor.
Rolling his own eyes, Severus walked over to her, picked up the bag effortlessly, and carried it into the living room.
"What have you got in here?" he asked, setting it down before the fireplace.
"Books," she replied simply. She then waited until he had turned back around to her to say to him, "Severus, may I ask you a question?"
"If you must."
"The utter need to publicly muscle and strength…. Is that a 'guy thing', or does it apply only to you?"
He scowled and turned away from her. Then he shrunk the bags (which he could certainly and very easily done before, Hermione noted) and stuffed them both into his pocket.
Finally, they stepped into the fireplace, side by side. After Hermione had taken his arm, he threw down a handful of Floo Powder and called out, "Severus Snape's home!"
Moments later, after passing by too many fireplaces to possibly count, they landed in a mound of ashes, with dust swirling in clouds around them. The walls of this fireplace were coated thick with soot, and it was clear that it had been quite some time since it had been last cleaned. Hermione was the first to step out of the hearth, coughing as she did so, and looking around at what was to be her home for the next two months.
Shortly thereafter, Severus slowly stepped out as well, and had Hermione turned to look at him, she may have found herself a bit concerned about his suddenly tentative manner.
"Of course, it is nothing to boast about," he said quickly as he looked closely for her reaction, watching her eyes as they traveled around the room.
This statement was quite true, Hermione did not fail to notice. The walls were painted a deep gray, giving the room quite a dark appearance. There were several cracks in them as well, in the places that were not obscured by books, and the room was filled with little furniture, all of which was old and ragged.
No wonder he had always looked so sullen at the Beginning of Term Feast each year, after spending two months in this, Hermione thought, rather sadly. It wasn't as if he didn't possess the abilities to magically alter the home; it was simply a matter of caring. Perhaps he had just stopped caring. This notion made Hermione very sad indeed. As she gazed around, she saw many things that she could improve. However, then she scolded herself for not simply accepting his house as it was. This was when she realized that he was still watching her, awaiting her judgment. She turned back to him.
"It's lovely, Severus," she said.
Scowling, he shook his head. "You're lying," he muttered. "You have my permission to change anything you like."
"Later, perhaps. Now, however, I would greatly like to see the rest of your home."
He sighed. "As you wish."
Why did I ever bring her here?
Why hadn't he asked the Malfoys if he could borrow one of their manors for those two months of summer in which she would be with him? Of course, his pride would never have allowed it. Even so, he could have at least done something. It seemed incredibly foolish now to merely bring her here without any preparation. He could have tidied the place. He could have changed so many things in the house to fit her taste. But no; he had not done any of this. He had brought her to this dump without first considering any of the possible options. No, it would not have been perfect, but it would have been at least a bit better. But now…. He had seen the look of disgust in her upturned lip and the fire of repulsion in her wide eyes.
However, he had no choice now but to show her the rest of the house. And lose what little dignity he had left.
And so he led her into the kitchen, cold and dim as it was. The linoleum on the floor had long since begun to peel away from the concrete beneath it, but he had never bothered to repair it. Who would see it but him? The white counters had many chips lining their edges. Above the sink was a window, on which the black shades were drawn. There was also a door that led to what Hermione was sure was something of a backyard, but Severus did not lead her that way just yet.
Next, he took her down the long, dark hallway- the only one in his small home- and she eagerly followed. They reached the first doorway and stopped.
"The bathroom," he stated plainly, gesturing to the room. Hermione peered inside quickly, before he led her further into his home. However, even in those few seconds, she noticed several things about his bathroom. There was a nearly translucent curtain that hung from the ceiling, and it was pulled back to reveal a white tub. A huge slice in the glass traveled the entire length of Severus' mirror behind his sink. She wondered if that had been done intentionally, or if it had been an accident. Of course, she hadn't much time to ponder it as he took her to the next doorway, which was one of two at the end of the hall.
They entered, and there was a full-size bed protruding from the wall that was farthest from the door. This room had carpet, unlike the others, though it was certainly not what Hermione would have chosen to furnish in her own home. And she was quite certain that Severus would not have willingly chosen this, either. So where did it come from? This is what she wondered as she drew her gaze away from the floor and looked up. There was an oak nightstand and a dresser in the room as well, which both looked like either might have belonged to Albus Dumbledore in his childhood days. A small lamp with a cream-colored lampshade sat on the nightstand, along with a short stack of books. Another many bookcases, all filled to bursting with thick novels and journals of all sorts, were fitted side by side against two walls, and situated on either side of the dresser. They too were made of wood, and appeared as if they had been produced in the same year as the nightstand.
His bed was oak, just like the other furniture, with several blankets draped over it, all of them different shades of green. Every wall in the house was painted a light gray, and all of the doors could have used a bit of grease on their squeaking hinges. Where there were not cracks, the paint was peeling off of the walls and doors in tiny chips.
She turned to Severus, painting a smile on her face.
She couldn't lie to him. She just couldn't. So, she said, "I'm a bit hungry, Severus. Do you have anything to eat?"
He shook his head. "I apologize, but I have not been here in over ten months. No food would have survived that long, besides canned goods, of course. And I have none. I suppose we will need to visit the market."
"The Muggle market?" she asked, trying to contain her sudden excitement. "I mean, you do live in a Muggle area, don't you?"
"Yes. Did you bring the suitable clothing?" he asked her.
She nodded, grinning at him. "Should I change into them?"
"Yes," he answered, pulling both of their suitcases out of his pocket and setting them on the bed. He brought them back to their full size and opened them both. "You may dress in here or in the bathroom," he said to her, beginning to unbutton his frock coat.
Hermione nodded, and, after selecting her clothes for the trip into town, she changed in the bedroom with him. When she had done this, she went into the bathroom to smooth down her hair and examine herself in the mirror. She sighed, thinking that it would have to do. It wasn't as if she would see anyone that she knew, anyway.
Then she went into the bedroom, snorting when she caught sight of Severus in his Muggle attire.
"What?" he snapped.
"That is an interesting look for you, Severus," she said, grinning at him.
He was only wearing black jeans with a short-sleeved, black shirt, but it looked quite strange on him when she was so used to seeing him wearing a black frock coat with a black robe over it. He had also tied his hair back with a black band.
"Let's go," he said, moving past her.
Hermione was a bit unsettled by the fact that Severus had seemed a bit distant since they had arrived. However, it then occurred to her that perhaps he was embarrassed by the state of his home. He shouldn't be, of course. Not with her, at least. As long as he and books were both around, she was perfectly satisfied. Still, she felt a bit guilty that she had thought poorly of his house when they had first arrived. She might be a bit like him, if she lived alone: why should she worry about cleaning and refurnishing if no one was to see it but her?
Hermione followed Severus into the living room, walking down the short hallway slowly. It was only then that she realized that there was not a single picture in Severus' home. There were no pictures of himself, any friends he might have had, or even any of his family.
When she reaching the living room, he was waiting patiently for her by the door. She smiled as she approached him, though she was eager to get out into the sunshine once more.
"Shall we leave?" he asked.
She nodded, trying to appear as cheerful as possible. It was as if the house itself had changed him. As though the moment they had entered it, he had become someone entirely different; he had become a Severus Snape that she did not know. Or rather, that she used to know, before she had come to teach at Hogwarts.
Severus held the door open for her as she left, and then locked it before they walked down the drive.
"You shouldn't be walking so far," he muttered, glancing at her as he pocketed his wand, his eyes flickering over her bulging stomach.
"I suppose not," she sighed. "Shall we take a bus?"
He nodded, and took her hand. They walked together for several minutes before they came to a bus stop, where, conveniently, they saw a bus that was just coming to a stop there. They both hurried up to it and boarded, paying the fee, and then took their seats beside each other. Hermione studied each and every face in the bus, memorizing their details. One woman seemed to be staring at them, making Hermione rather nervous.
She was quite relieved, then, when the bus came to a stop where she and Severus left it, walking from there into a food shop. As they walked up and down the aisles, Hermione threw food into their basket as she saw it, though she was careful not to spend too much of Severus' money. After seeing the state of his residence, he may have had much less of it than she had previously assumed. When they reached the register, the old, pudgy woman behind it smiled kindly at them.
As she reached out to hand over Severus' change to him, she gasped, as though she had just realized that he was standing there.
"Severus? Snape? Is that you?" she asked, retracting her hand, which still had his change clutched in the thick fingers.
He looked up at her. "Yes. Good morning, Mrs. Young."
"Actually, Severus, it's 'good afternoon' now, isn't it?" she said, pointing to the clock that was placed high on the wall beside them.
"So it is," he replied, glancing at it swiftly, though Hermione could tell that he didn't really look at the numbers at all.
"And who is this?" Mrs. Young asked, seeming to notice Hermione standing beside him for the first time, as well. "Oh, and with child! Is it yours, Severus?"
"Indeed."
"How exciting! You're a proud father!" the woman cried, delighted. "So, you've finally gotten yourself a wife, have you, Severus?"
"Yes," he said quickly, taking the bags to leave.
"Oh, but you've forgotten your change!" the woman called out as they left.
"Keep it," Severus called over his shoulder to her as they exited the store.
Once they were outside once more, Hermione turned to smirk at him. "So, I am your wife, am I?" she asked.
He glanced sideways at her, slowing his pace. "I apologize," he said quickly. "I simply wanted to leave as fast as possible. I've never been able to stand that woman."
"I see. Who was she?"
"She was familiar with my parents. My mother was, as I recall, quite fond of her, as well."
"Oh. Then, she has known you since you were a child?"
"Yes."
"Mrs. Young, her name was?"
"Yes."
"And she didn't even think to ask the name of your wife? How inconsiderate!" Hermione cried, mocking indignation.
Severus smirked, shifting the bags on his arms. Hermione could see red marks where the handles had stretched across his skin.
"Why don't I take one of those, Severus?" she asked, reaching out to grab one, but he refused: "No. I will carry them."
"Severus-"
"Hermione," he said, turning back to her and looking into her eyes. "I will carry them," he repeated firmly. Hermione rolled her eyes, realizing that there would be no winning with him in this situation, and let it go, glancing over every ten seconds or so to see if he was struggling. Which he wasn't. How typical.
Again, they rode the bus back to the bus stop, from which they walked to Severus' house once more. This time, however, Hermione held the door open for him, as his arms were full of bags. He muttered a quick thanks as she shut the door and followed him into the kitchen. Then, they both put away the food in the cupboards and refrigerator.
"How long have you lived here, Severus?" Hermione asked, glancing around the room.
"Many years," he replied. "This used to be my father's house."
She faltered as she reached up to set a can on one of the shelves. "Your…father?" she asked.
"Yes."
"This is where you grew up?"
"Yes."
"Forgive me, but shouldn't there be a second bedroom, then?"
"There was, a time ago. However, I removed it, along with the rest of the top level of the house, several years ago."
"I see," she said as they put the last of the food away.
"Would you like to unpack our bags now, or later?" he asked her.
"Just a minute," she said, walking over to him and putting her arms around his neck.
He looked down at her, closing his eyes as she leaned up and pressed her lips to his. Then she pulled back, smiling. "I love you," she told him.
"What was that for?" he asked.
Rolling her eyes, she fingered his raven locks. "I need to have a reason for loving you?"
"I suppose not," he said, the corners of his mouth turning upwards slightly. Hermione could not remember the last time she had seen him smile.
Taking a step back from him, she grinned. "Now then, shall we unpack?"
"I suppose so," he answered, following her to the bedroom.
Just as she reached the door, though, Hermione stopped. "Severus?" she said.
"Yes?" He looked back at her from where he was standing in the bedroom, next to the bed.
"What is this room, here?" She pointed to the second room at the end of the hallway.
"My lab."
"May I see it?"
He hesitated. "Later, perhaps."
She glanced at the door quickly, and then joined Severus in the bedroom.
They spoke about several different topics as they unpacked their belongings, including such things as, again, what to name their daughter- which they still could not agree upon- and when they would visit the Burrow. At this, Severus sneered and turned so that his back was facing her as he hung his clothes in the closet.
"Honestly, Severus!" Hermione scolded him. "I want to talk with Ginny. Did you know that she and Harry's baby will only be about one month older than our own?" she asked.
"Perfect," he muttered.
"Harry was entirely civil to you the last time we were at the Burrow. If you were angry with Ron, that would be quite understandable, but I do not see how you can still possibly be so against Harry."
"Potter has been nothing but a thorn in my side for nearly ten years."
"So was I, up until several months ago."
"Do not try to pretend that your precious friends, especially dear Mr. Potter, do not speak badly of me when I am not in their presence."
Sighing, she admitted that this was probably true. "Very well," she said. "I hope our child isn't as stubborn as you."
"Yes, and I can certainly see how taking after you would be so much better," he joked with her.
She smiled at him. "She'll have black hair, like you, probably," she said, turning serious. "She'll have either of our eyes."
"What if she has my nose?" he asked suddenly, looking over at her, causing her to burst out in laughter.
"And what if she has my teeth?"
"Our poor daughter," he muttered, closing his empty suitcase.
Grinning, she handed him her empty bag as he placed them both in the bedroom closet. She yawned, suddenly feeling quite exhausted, and sat down on the edge of the bed, closing her eyes.
Severus was at her side in an instant, asking her, "Do you feel all right?"
Smiling softly, she nodded. "I'm just a bit tired," she said, leaning back and stretching out on the bed.
"Then go to sleep," he said, conjuring a blanket and draping it over her. She smiled up at him, closing her eyes.
When he reached the doorway, he stopped and turned back to her. He watched her chest and stomach rise and fall slowly with each one of her steady breaths, and her auburn curls fell softly around her face. The corners of his mouth turned upward as he left, shutting the door behind him silently.
A/N: My stupid computer is still having lots of troubles, so I'm going to take it to get fixed, and it may be a little while before I can update again. Hopefully it won't take too long, but I don't know.
Thank you so, so, so much to everybody who read and reviewed! You all are awesome!
Disclaimer- I own nothing in this entire story. J.K. Rowling does.
Review please! Even if you don't like it, tell me what it is that you dislike and I will try to work on it in the future. Thanks!