Hermione had been to several different shops in the town by now, going into the bathroom once and using her wand to shrink all of her bags, putting them into the breast pocket of her blouse. Severus had refused to accompany her, giving the reason that he "need not associate with such brainless idiots", and so Hermione had gone alone.

When she reached the food shop, she found Mrs. Young standing outside, apparently on her break and smoking a cigarette. She met Hermione with a warm smile, her red lips peeling back to reveal two rows of straight, yellow teeth.

"Why, hello, dear! You're Severus' wife, aren't you?" she asked cheerfully.

"Yes," Hermione said, not about to explain to this woman how and why they were not married. It was simpler just to let her believe that they were. "How are you, Mrs. Young?"

"I'm just wonderful. And how are you?"

"Quite well, thank you."

"Doing a bit of shopping today?"

"Yes."

"And where is Severus?"

"He did not wish to come."

Mrs. Young sighed. "You know, he didn't used to be this way- so sullen and antisocial. No; he used to make me laugh, if you can believe it. This was when he was much younger, of course- no more than a boy of seven or eight. His mother used to bring him here when she went shopping, and leave him with me. I got the feeling sometimes that perhaps she didn't want Severus to be alone with his father, even in a public supermarket. I gave Severus treats, little gifts, and he always told me the most adorable jokes."

Hermione raised an eyebrow. "That certainly does not sound like the Severus Snape that I know," she murmured.

"Yes. When he reached the age of nearly ten, he just…changed. He was not the same little boy that I used to know anymore. And he stopped coming to the supermarket. Then, when he did, I would smile and say hello to him, but he would only nod, not saying any more words that were absolutely necessary in order to be considered polite."

Hermione nodded, thinking that this sounded much more correct, and finding some strange comfort in that.

Mrs. Young went on, "Then he went off to that school of his, and I never saw him. In fact, in the past ten years, I doubt if I have seen him but five or six times. He's told you what happened to his parents, I imagine?" Hermione nodded, her throat suddenly very dry. "It really was quite a tragedy. That poor woman…." Mrs. Young shook her head. "After it happened, some people say that, when they were both alive, they saw Tobias getting angry with Eileen and jerking her sometimes in public, but none of us ever thought anything of it, of course. Eileen always seemed so cheerful when I met with her, telling me that Severus was at school and that Tobias was ill or something like that. Then, everyone wondered if there wasn't something that could have been done… If we had only looked more closely at the signs that were so clearly there…. I mean, it just never occurred to anyone…." She shook her head, clicking her tongue. "But then everyone forgot about it over the years, even forgetting about Severus Snape. You know, he was seventeen already when it happened. He returned the next summer, and after that, he stayed gone for many years. Then I heard that he came back several years ago, returning every summer. I also heard that he got a teaching job quite some time ago; twenty years, I think, he's had it? Well, at any rate, he seems to be doing quite well for himself these days, doesn't he?"

"Yes, I suppose so," Hermione muttered, stunned at all the information she had been presented with in the last five minutes. The woman spoke quickly, but Hermione hung on her every word.

Then Mrs. Young glanced at her clock and jumped, throwing the cigarette onto the ground and smashing it with her foot. "Look at the time!" she exclaimed. "My break was over two minutes ago. Well, it was lovely to see you again- forgive me, what was your name?"

"Hermione."

"Yes, yes, of course, Hermione," the woman smiled at her. "Lovely to see you. Tell Severus that I said hello." At that, waving frantically to her, Mrs. Young went inside the supermarket.

"I will," Hermione called back, but the door had already shut, and she had no idea if Mrs. Young had heard her or not.

OoooOoooOoooOoooOoooOoooOoooOoooOoooOooo

"The people in town are really quite nice, Severus," Hermione said to him later as they both sat at his kitchen table.

He glanced over his coffee cup at her. "I would not know," he replied.

"Of course not. You should see them more often." She paused, and then continued, "I spoke with Mrs. Young again, at the supermarket. She kindly informed me she used to give you treats as you told her jokes. I believe she described them as 'adorable'."

"Did she? Remind me to hex her, then."

"Severus," she scolded, though she was grinning at him.

"How many others did you talk to?" he asked.

She raised an eyebrow at him. "Just how many people are you familiar with in this community, Severus Snape?"

"They all know me, or know of me, in one way or another."

"I see. Of course, only Mrs. Young knows that I am associated with you."

"Along with whomever she has informed between now and those two weeks ago when we first met with her."

"That is true," said Hermione, yawning.

"Do not tell me that you are still tired."

"Yes. I suppose it's the pregnancy."

"Go to sleep, if you wish."

She shook her head. "Not just yet."

"Very well," he sighed. "By the way, if you wish to visit your parents, then should we not go rather soon? You are still planning on traveling to meet with the Weasleys, as well, aren't you?"

"Yes," she muttered. "We could leave tomorrow, to go to my parents?"

"Very well."

"Shall we stay overnight? I would certainly like to."

"You should decide, as they are your mother and father."

"Yes, but…." She sighed, remembering how her father had treated Severus during their last visit. "If you are uncomfortable staying there overnight, then please inform me now, Severus, and we won't."

He looked up at her, into her eyes. "I will do whatever you wish."

She stared at him. "I want to stay at least one full week, because I so rarely get the chance to visit my parents."

"Then that is what we will do," Severus said, in a tone of voice that made it clear that that was the end of the discussion. "Now then," he said, "I thought that you mentioned being tired."

She nodded and stood slowly from her seat. Then she went into the bedroom, not bothering to shut the door behind her as she lay down on the bed and closed her eyes.

Tomorrow, she hoped that her father would not be as unbearable for Severus as he had been the last time. Oh dear Merlin.

OoooOoooOoooOoooOoooOoooOoooOoooOoooOooo

The next day, Hermione contacted her parents to inform them that she and Severus were coming, and Jane and Robert could not have been more delighted at this news. Hermione had told her mother not to immediately go to work tidying the house in preparation for their arrival, but she knew that she would do it anyway.

Hours later, Hermione was just finishing packing her suitcase (of course, Severus' had been packed and waiting by the fireplace over a half-hour ago). They were staying just one week, and so they were only bringing with them two small bags. When she was convinced that she had forgotten nothing, she informed Severus that she was ready to leave.

"Very well," he said, standing and following her into the fireplace, grabbing a handful of Floo Powder as he went.

The moment he threw it down, Hermione called out, "Jane and Robert Granger's house!"

Very shortly thereafter, they both landed in another fireplace, and the color in the room they were looking into seemed to surprise Hermione, who had become quite accustomed to Severus' gray walls in the two weeks she had been staying with him. Severus found that, rightly so, he was certainly not as nervous as he had been the first time that they had both visited this house.

At almost the exact moment that they stepped into the living room, Jane appeared, grinning and carrying a tray of snacks. Hurriedly, she set it down on the table and rushed to her daughter and Severus, giving them both enormous hugs.

"Hello again, Severus. My, Hermione, aren't you big!" she exclaimed as she stepped back to take a good look at her daughter. "Hasn't she gotten big, Robert?" Jane called over her shoulder to her husband, who had entered the room behind her. He nodded, smiling and hugging his daughter, and then he shook Severus' hand in greeting.

"How are you, Severus?"

"Fine, thank you, Robert."

"I've got snacks," said Jane. "Are you hungry?"

"Yes, thank you, Mum," Hermione replied, sitting beside Severus in the chairs, while Jane and Robert lowered themselves onto the couch.

"Still no news of a marriage engagement between you, I take it?" Hermione's mother asked, rather hopefully.

"I hate to disappoint you, Mum, but no," said Hermione.

Jane asked playfully, "Are you ever going to propose to her, Severus?"

Severus did not quite know how to answer this question, so he simply sent the couple a small smile.

"Here you are, both of you. Eat, eat!" Jane urged, pushing the tray of food toward them.

They both took some of the crackers.

"Would you like a bit of tea?"

They nodded, and Jane made her way into the kitchen, returning moments later carrying a tray with several cups of tea on it.

"Now then," she said, taking her seat beside her husband again, "what has been going on with both of you? Tell us everything."

OoooOoooOoooOoooOoooOoooOoooOoooOoooOooo

That night, just after they had eaten dinner, Hermione approached her mother in the kitchen.

"Mum," she said quietly.

"Yes, darling?" Jane asked, turning slightly from where she was washing the dishes. Her daughter took the wet dishes that were lying on the towel on the counter and began to dry them with a clean cloth.

"Do you and Dad honestly like Severus? I mean, you would tell if you didn't, would you?"

"Yes, of course we do. The age difference put us off a bit at first, but he seems to really care for you. And you do seem to love him, as well."

"I do. And Dad really does like him too?"

"Yes, yes, of course. Your father is just… He doesn't know how to show it very well, is all."

"Severus is like that too."

"I think that's all men, dear," her mother said, chuckling. "Severus seems like a very respectable gentleman. Excellent choice."

Hermione laughed. "He is."

"How did you both meet, anyway? I don't believe that it ever occurred to anyone to ask, for some strange reason."

"We both teach at the same school. That is how we got together."

Her mother furrowed her brow. "He was new there, as well?"

Oh dear. And here was where it would all come out.

Hermione took a deep breath, not looking at her mother. "Well, no, not quite," she said slowly, carefully.

"How long had he been there?" Jane asked, lowering the plate in her hand. She was putting two and two together rather quickly.

"Well, he has been teaching at Hogwarts for around…twenty years."

Jane raised her eyebrows. "I see. So then, he taught you?"

"Well, yes," Hermione admitted finally. "But please don't tell Dad! He would never understand."

"Very well. But you had better never let him find out, then, Hermione."

"Believe me, it will never happen, as long as I can help it," she said, and hugged her mother. "Thank you, Mum."

"Of course, darling."

"Er, Mum, about the sleeping situation for tonight…"

"Yes, dear?"

"Well, do you mind if Severus and I sleep in the same bed?"

"You are pregnant with his child, Hermione. Of course I don't mind. I expected it."

"And Dad?" Hermione asked uneasily.

"I'm sure that your father will be fine with it. If he has a problem, though, he will answer to me. Don't worry about it, Hermione. You have full permission to sleep in the same bed with the father of your child."

Hermione smiled.

"And you may do so for however long you are here," Jane went on.

"About that, Mum: Is it all right if we stay for a week or so?"

"Well, of course!" she exclaimed. "You can stay for however long you like, Hermione. You know that we love having you. Both of you."

Grinning, Hermione hugged her mother again. "Thank you. I love you, Mum."

"I love you too, darling. Are you going to bed soon?"

"Yes, I think so. I'm exhausted."

"I understand. Sweet dreams, darling."

"You too, Mum," said Hermione, setting the now damp cloth on the stove and leaving the kitchen. She walked up the stairs to the bedroom that Severus was in, which was the guest bedroom for when couples came to visit (it hosted a rather large bed). Severus was sitting on it, reading a book.

"Good evening," she said, walking in.

He looked up. "Good evening."

"Are you going to sleep soon?"

"I was planning on it."

"What are you reading?"

"One of your father's books. I don't know the author," he replied, closing it and setting it on the nightstand as Hermione climbed onto the bed beside him and laid her head on his shoulder. Then he asked, "Are we both sleeping here tonight?"

She nodded. "Yes. I just talked to Mum about it."

"And your father?"

"Don't worry about him," said Hermione, looking up and kissing his cheek.

"Yes, his opinion apparently doesn't matter much in this house," came a voice from the doorway, and Hermione looked up to see her father standing there. She grinned and began to get up off the bed, but her father held up a hand to stop her and walked over to where she was.

He leaned over and kissed her forehead. "Good night, Hermione." Then he looked to the man sitting next to her. "Good night, Severus. You'll have to excuse me from giving you a kiss, as well."

"That's all right, sir," Severus said, sending the man a small smile. "Good night, Mr. Granger."

"He is respectful," said Robert, looking to Hermione and raising his eyebrows.

"I told you," she replied, taking Severus' hand in hers.

"So you did. Very well. No funny business," he said, walking out of the room. "Not in this house."

Hermione giggled as Robert shut the door behind him.

"Promise me you won't be as crazy with our daughter as my father is with me," Hermione said.

"Why not?" Severus asked. "You have a wonderful father. He honestly cares for you, and he wants to protect you. I would be content to be half the father that he is."

"Tell him that, and you're golden."

He smirked. "We should rest," he said, standing and pulling back the blankets.

She too stood and climbed underneath the quilts.

"Good night, Severus," she said, switching off the lamp by her bed.

"Good night, Hermione."

OoooOoooOoooOoooOoooOoooOoooOoooOoooOooo

They remained there for just over one week, and then returned to Spinner's End. They had not gone into town again, save for one time when they ran out of several necessary food items. Mostly, they had just stayed in Severus' home with each other.

Now, Hermione lay in bed beside Severus, who was still sleeping. She opened her eyes and propped herself up on her elbows, looking over to the nightstand beside Severus. The clock there read that it was 7:03 in the morning. She sighed, rubbing her eyes and swinging her legs gently over the side of the bed. She then stood up silently and walked out of the bedroom, not bothering to shut the door behind her.

The moment she stepped through the doorway, she was met with the closed door to his lab. She bit her lip, glancing back at the bedroom. Severus had never once told her that she was forbidden to enter it. He had never told her to wait for him. He had said that they would look at it later. Well, now was "later". Her curiosity getting the better of her, she walked forward slowly. She allowed her hand to rest on the doorknob for just a moment before she pushed the door open.

The room had concrete walls, with no windows. The only light was that emanating from the crystal chandelier that was hanging from the ceiling, above a table of instruments that looked much like those belonging to a complex Muggle chemistry set. There were shelves and shelves of books and journals and more jars full of ingredients. There was also a desk in the corner, facing the wall. She saw a silver photo frame on the corner of the desk, and she walked toward it, the door swinging closed behind her, though its lock did not click.

When she reached the desk, she stopped, hesitating, and then she reached out her hand and took hold of the picture. She lifted it up, and her eyes fell upon the face that she had last seen in her sixth year at Hogwarts: Setting neatly inside was a moving photograph of Severus' mother, and she was smiling. She was also waving at the camera, standing in front of some sort of large tree. In it, she looked almost…attractive. And she was young. This had to have been taken either just before or after Severus was born. Or conceived.

Hermione set it down carefully, on its back, and walked around the room. It seemed perfectly ordinary to her, she thought. Then, she went to one of the many bookshelves. She let her finger glide along their spines, choosing one that had an interesting title. This was when she noticed that there was another row of books behind this one, and as she removed the next book, she discovered yet another row. She pulled out the next one, and then the one behind that. She was just about to set it down in the pile that she had made, but its cover attracted her attention. Her breath caught in her throat as her eyes fell upon its title: Spilling Blood. She had heard of this book. There were less than ten copies left in Europe, she had read somewhere; this was because the rest of them had been burned by the authorities. What was Severus doing with this?

She opened the book, and she quickly read through the list of words at the beginning- the Table of Contents- all written in Latin. She translated one word: Kill.

Then she opened to a random page number and began to read. So engrossed was she in the reading that she did not hear the door creak open behind her. She did not hear the footsteps that were carefully approaching her. She stood there, burying her nose in the pages as she flipped through, completely oblivious to her surroundings. Pictures that had only ever appeared to her before in her nightmares met her eyes. She stood, horrified, as she examined the illustrations that displayed the intent of the various spells and potions.

Then, a deep, smooth voice behind her sounded inside of her ear. "I see you found my lab." He was so close to her that he could feel his hot breath brush against her cheek.

She whirled around, snapping the book shut and pressing it to her chest, so that he couldn't see the cover. But still, she knew that he knew. She wasn't sure what to say to him.

He stared at her, and then his gaze shifted to the untidy stack of books on the floor, and then he saw his desk, and the misplaced item on top of it. Silently, he walked over to it, picked up the picture frame, and stared down at it for a long time. Then he looked up at her.

"My mother," he said simply, setting the picture on top of his desk, face down. He walked toward her again.

"Severus…" she said, looking down at the book in her arms. "Why do you have this?" she whispered.

He snatched it out of her hands violently, and then he shoved it back into its place in the deep bookshelf. He stayed that way, with his back facing her, though she could see his shoulders and back moving in rhythm with his heavy breathing.

"It is leftover from my…younger days," he replied quietly. She could hear the anger in his trembling voice.

"Why do you still have it?" she asked.

Without turning back around to her, he replied, "Because it would be better in my hands, in the possession of someone who would never perform such spells, nor brew those potions." He whipped around to face her, and she could hear his black robes fluttering as they swirled around his thin body. "Why were you in here?" he demanded.

He was shaking, she saw, and she took several steps back from him.

"I was…curious."

"Why were you in here without me?"

She retorted instantly, "You never forbid me to enter without you!"

"That is…" He stopped, and his mind worked rapidly. Had he ever forbid her? No, he realized suddenly, his eyes widening as he looked down at her, he hadn't. "You should have known."

"How can I know what you don't tell me, Severus? You closed yourself off the moment we entered this house!"

"That is beside the point," he said, turning away from her.

"Severus…" she said, reaching out for him. She let her hand rest on his shoulder. "I'm sorry."

"You should be."

"No," she said. "Not about entering your lab. About everything that you've been through in your life."

He turned back around to her, his eyes widening. "Never apologize for that. Everything that I have been through occurred before you were even born, Hermione Granger."

"Even so, I am still sorry for you."

"Don't be," he said, as her hand came down to rest lightly upon his left forearm, in the exact place where the Dark Mark was once burned into his skin.

"I love you," she said.

He looked into her eyes, but the words would not come to him. He sighed. "Are you hungry?" he asked, bending down to pick up the books on the floor and putting them in their rightful place on the shelf.

She nodded. When she reached the door, she turned back to him, her hand resting on the doorknob, only to find him in the exact position that she had left him. "Are you coming?" she asked gently.

He hesitated, and then replied, "Yes. In just a moment."

She sent him a small smile, nodded once, and then left him.

Silently, he walked across the stone floor and reached the oak desk in the corner. Then he picked up the silver picture frame and propped it up on its stand. He stared into the eyes that so closely resembled his own, except for the fact, of course, that they were crinkled in a rare laugh, and then he took a step back.

"Severus?" he heard Hermione call to him.

"I'm coming," he replied quietly, leaving the room. And with one small flick of his wand, the lights in the crystal chandelier were extinguished.

A/N: Remember how I was moving? Okay, well, I am moving into my house now, which I am quite happy about. However, it also means it may be just a couple of days longer until I am able to update. Just to let you know.

I got my computer fixed, though - Yay!- so that should definitely help.

Thanks to everyone who read and reviewed! It was greatly appreciated, as always!

Disclaimer- I do not own anything in this entire story. J.K. Rowling does.

Review please! Even if you don't like it, tell me what you dislike and I will try to work on it in the future.