It was now just a little over one week before Severus Snape and Hermione Granger were required to return to Hogwarts before the start of term. Hermione had not entered Severus' lab again, nor did she have any desire to do so. She remembered the way he had reacted before; she did not wish to recreate that situation. Since it had happened, though, they had seemed to be a bit calmer around each other, and the atmosphere around them was less tense.
As she lay in bed one night, she thought to herself, He has so many secrets. If he would only tell me- or show me… I wish that he would. I want to know.
Of course, he would never share all of his secrets with her, and she knew that such a thing would be asking too much of him. But she did want to know, even if it was just out of pure curiosity, than anything else. In spite of the fact that it was so terribly tragic, his past was absolutely fascinating. Intriguing. And she wanted to learn about him, as much as she could. No, she would never know all of the secrets of him and his dark past. It was too much to ever hope for.
Even so, she thought, I'm getting there.
OoooOoooOoooOoooOoooOoooOoooOoooOoooOooo
Of course, Hermione had wanted to visit the Burrow throughout all of summer. She wished to see Ginny and Harry, Mr. and Mrs. Weasley. And then, of course, there was Ron. She did love him, even if he could be a pain in the arse at times. However, he was her best friend- well, one of them- and despite how terribly childish and unreasonable he could be at times, she liked him that way. Just like when she was in school, and would return every summer to find Snape still at his position as Potions Master, as spiteful and daunting as ever: it reassured her that some things would never change.
With Hermione's constant coaxing, Severus had agreed, if somewhat reluctantly, to accompany her to the Burrow. He was aware how much those people meant to her, however much he detested it. Of course, he couldn't exactly find any prominent flaw within Mrs. Weasley, much as he tried. The best he could come up with was: "too horribly nosy ("curious," said Hermione), self-important (Hermione commented, "proud of her children"), and the moment you arrive, she throws her damn arms around you like she hasn't seen you in years (Hermione simply thought of this as a positive trait)."
At the moment, they were just preparing to leave.
"Are you ready, Severus?" Hermione asked him, poking her head through the door while she dragged a brush through her mane of curly, brown hair.
"Yes," he replied, carrying both of their bags past her and into the living room. He set them down and then turned to her. "How long are you intending to stay with them, Hermione?" he asked.
She answered instantly, "Just a couple of days, Severus. I promise, you will survive."
Scowling, he picked up the bags again and followed her into the fireplace, where they stood side by side. Without hesitation, Hermione threw down the Floo Powder and called out, "The Burrow!"
"There you are!" they both heard as they landed clumsily in the fireplace.
Doing nothing to help Severus' earlier accusations toward her, Molly threw her arms around the couple before they had even stepped entirely out of the ashes. Hermione put her own arm around the woman, while Severus tensed immediately at her touch. Molly pulled away, smiling and looking absolutely delighted.
"My goodness, Hermione! Look at you!" Molly exclaimed, placing her hand lightly on the younger woman's stomach. "You've gotten so big!"
Hermione grinned.
"You must be proud, Severus," said Molly.
He nodded. "Indeed," he replied.
"Good, good," she murmured, taking their bags from them. "Ronald!" she called loudly.
Her red-haired son appeared moments later, bounding down the stairs and then hurrying over to his mother. He sent Hermione a quick smile as Molly shoved the suitcases into his hands.
"Here you are, dear," she said to him. "Put these in Bill's old room."
He nodded, and began to walk away, but then he froze and turned back around sharply. "Both of them…in the same room?" he asked, looking back and forth from his mother to Severus and Hermione.
"Yes, dear," said Molly, urging him forward.
"But-"
"Ronald!" she scolded. "Do as I say."
Scowling, Ron hurried up the stairs with the bags, and a minute later, they heard a door upstairs slam. Molly winced at the noise, and then turned back to the couple in her living room.
She leaned in to them, and speaking in a low voice, she said, "He's been a bit upset since the beginning of summer. Perhaps the end of Auror training? Honestly, I think that he did enjoy it, as much as he complained."
Hermione smiled politely and nodded.
"Now then," said Molly, clapping her hands together, "lunch will be ready shortly. Are you hungry?" Without waiting for an answer from them, she continued quickly, "You can have a seat here, on the couch, and I'll just call down the rest- Ginny, Harry, Ron, come down here, please!" She turned back to the couple. "Fred and George aren't here, of course; they're off in Diagon Alley, with their shop, but they do say hello. Ginny's upstairs; she's staying here for several days. Then, I believe she's returning to work for just a little while, and then taking a bit of time off to spend with the baby. She's due quite soon, you know, although I'm not sure if she's as big as you are, Hermione. That is strange, isn't it? I suppose it might be because she only ever wears Harry or her brother's sweaters nowadays, so that you can't tell, but- Oh, I think I hear her now!" All three of them looked toward the stairs, where they saw Ginny coming down slowly, followed closely by Harry, both of them grinning madly.
"Hello, Hermione!" Ginny cried. "Hello, Professor Snape."
"How are you, Ginny?" Hermione asked, smiling back at her.
Severus nodded. "Miss Weasley. Mr. Potter."
"Professor," Harry said curtly, and then turned to Hermione, spreading his arms to envelope her in a hug. "Hey, 'Mione," he said.
"Hello, Harry," she replied, her voice muffled as her face was pressed into his sweater, and then they pulled away from each other.
"You're almost as big as Ginny," he said, beaming as he glanced at the redheaded girl in the kitchen with her mother.
"How are you, Harry? You and Ginny?" Hermione asked him, lowering her voice considerably.
"We are… Well, Arthur calls us "the epitome of young love", but…" He chuckled and shook his head.
"You do love her, don't you, Harry?"
He looked back at his friend, giving her a sort of lopsided smile. "You can't say anything to Ron. He'd never let me live it down."
A grin spread across Hermione's face. "Of course not," she said. "And what about Ginny; have you told her yet?"
"Of course."
"And what did she say?" Hermione asked excitedly, though she already knew the answer.
He raised an eyebrow. "Honestly, what do you think she said?"
"You really do care about her, then?"
He took a step toward her and then leaned forward, so that his lips were almost pressed against her ear, and whispered, "Let me put it this way: The ring is in my top drawer, underneath my underwear. She never goes in there."
Hermione's eyes widened and her jaw dropped slightly, and then she threw her arms around his neck. "Harry!" she said, but it was a bit too loudly, because the two Weasley women's heads turned sharply, and so Hermione pressed a hand over her mouth to help in silencing herself.
"Thanks a lot," said Harry, stuffing his hands into his pockets and still grinning at her.
She beamed back at him, her heart swelling, and then she turned back to Severus, feeling a bit guilty for ignoring him all this time. She walked over to him, took his hand in hers, and leaned up to kiss him on the lips. "I love you," she told him, but regretted it immediately, suddenly realizing how uncomfortable that must have made him under Harry's gaze.
But he looked down at her, seemingly oblivious to Harry's presence not four feet away from them. "Me too," he said simply, and then, his hand still in hers, made his way into the kitchen with Molly and Ginny. Just as they passed Harry, Severus muttered, "Congratulations, Potter. You're quite lucky."
Harry seemed taken aback, to say the least, but quickly recovered, uttering a quick, "Thank you, sir," before he followed them both into the kitchen.
OoooOoooOoooOoooOoooOoooOoooOoooOoooOooo
Later, after they had eaten, Hermione reentered the kitchen, where Molly was sitting in a chair, supervising the dishes as they washed themselves. The woman looked incredibly exhausted, though she was wearing a small smile on her face.
"Hello, Mrs. Weasley," said Hermione quietly.
Molly's head turned sharply, and she grinned at the younger woman. "Hermione!" she exclaimed. "Please, come and sit down." She gestured to a chair, and Hermione took a seat. "You know, you may call me Molly now, if you like."
Hermione shook her head. "You will always be Mrs. Weasley to me."
"Harry calls me Molly."
"Yes, but Harry lives here, more or less. He knows you better than I do; he always has."
"Oh, that's not at all true. You spent much more time here in the summer than Harry did."
"But everyone still knows Harry better, simply because he is the great Harry Potter."
Molly sighed, and Hermione grinned, repeating, "You will always be Mrs. Weasley to me."
They were silent for several minutes, until Molly spoke, "How are you and Severus?"
"We're doing well."
"That's marvelous. I can't tell you how happy I am for you. Both of you."
"Thank you."
"Oh!" Molly exclaimed suddenly, clapping her hands together noisily. She stood so quickly that her chair teetered for several moments, though it did not fall over. "Have you found out what it is yet? The baby- a boy or a girl?"
"Yes, we found out several months ago. I apologize for not contacting you sooner."
"Oh, don't be, Hermione! I know how busy you must be."
Hermione smiled. "Yes, well… We're having a girl."
"How wonderful! Ginny and Harry found out quite some time ago, of course. It's a-" Suddenly, she stopped and then smiled softly. "Well, I suppose I had better let them tell you."
Hermione made a mental note to ask Ginny about it later.
"I wonder where the men are," Molly questioned aloud, going to the kitchen door. She pushed it open just enough so that she could see through. Her eyes widened in amazement and she murmured, "Well, what do you know…"
Curious, Hermione stood and went behind Molly, peering over her shoulder. When her eyes met the scene before her, she was forced to stifle a laugh, for this was something she had never expected to see.
Harry and Ginny, green eyes sparkling and red hair glimmering in the firelight, were sitting beside each other on the sofa. Their hands were interlaced, and Ginny's head was resting gently on Harry's shoulder.
Sitting directly across from each other, with a chessboard between them, were Ronald Weasley and Severus Snape. Both wore looks of intense concentration, and Severus appeared as if he was studying the game board intently.
Hermione's attempt to silence her laughter was in vain, however, as all heads turned in her direction.
"Stop hovering in the doorway, you two!" Ron snapped, leaning back and crossing his arms over his chest.
Molly and Hermione both moved into the living room.
"Severus," said Hermione softly, uncertainly, trying to figure out if he had really lost his mind or not.
"Yes?" he said, not shifting his eyes from the table.
"Er, what…are you doing?"
Again, not looking up, he muttered, "What does it look like I am doing?"
"Well," said Hermione slowly, "it looks as if you, Ron, and Harry are all in the same room together, and for some reason, which is far beyond my knowledge, there are no sparks flying and, as far as I can tell, no missing limbs from any of those present."
"And?"
"I'm a bit frightened." Then she noticed Ron sulking. "Honestly, Ron, what is it?" she snapped.
Ginny looked up and replied, "He's angry, because he's losing."
"Thanks for your sympathy, Ginny," Ron uttered sardonically.
"Ron is losing?"
He glared at Hermione and murmured, "It's not even real wizard's chess."
This was when Hermione saw that, indeed, the game pieces were neither moving nor speaking, as they usually were when she observed Harry and Ron enjoying the game. A grin spread across her face as she walked over to Severus. She knew what kind of concentration this game required, so she didn't touch him. But she did speak, "Don't let him win, Severus. Don't you dare."
He murmured a reply, which Hermione could not entirely make out, and he still didn't take his eyes from the game board.
"Ginny," Hermione whispered, and the redheaded girl looked up. Hermione gestured for Ginny to follow as she ascended the stairs, and she did so. Once they were inside of Ginny's bedroom, the two women sat down, Hermione on the bed and Ginny in a chair.
"How are you?" Hermione asked at once.
"I am…perfect," Ginny replied, almost blissfully, Hermione thought. "And you?"
"Quite well."
"How's Snape?"
"It's 'Severus' now, remember?"
Ginny rolled her eyes. "All right. I mean, you're going to be one soon, so of course-"
"What?" Hermione asked.
Ginny looked startled. "Hermione… You're both living together, he's met your parents, and you are having his baby. Am I missing something?"
"Well, I mean, I just never-"
"He's going to propose. I mean, he will, won't he? Of course he will. He may be, well, Snape, but…still…"
"After the baby is born, perhaps, he might."
"Why should he wait so long? He loves you, doesn't he?"
"What about Harry?" Hermione retorted. "From what I've observed, you, Ginny, are very soon to be a Potter."
"I know," Ginny said instantly, as if it were nothing. "Harry's always been the type to take a wife, settle down, and have a family. Always."
"That is true."
"Severus Snape, on the contrary… No offense, of course, 'Mione," she added quickly.
"It's all right." She sighed. "You're right. I would never have thought that he had even wanted children before seven months ago."
"I doubt if anyone did."
"However, it is clear that he does honestly want the baby."
"What is it?" Ginny asked suddenly.
"I beg your pardon?"
"Is it a girl or a boy?"
"Oh." Hermione grinned. "We're having a daughter."
Ginny squealed loudly, beaming. "We're having a boy, Harry and I! Would it not be heavenly if they were to get together when they're older?"
"I suppose that would be something."
"Wouldn't Snape love that," Ginny muttered.
"I'm sure."
Suddenly, they heard an agonized moan of defeat and anger from downstairs. They both looked at each other, concerned, and then went downstairs. Harry was vanishing the chess set with his wand, while Severus sat on the sofa.
"Where's Ron?" asked Ginny.
"He disappeared through there," said Harry, gesturing towards a doorway. "Into the dining room."
Hermione sat down beside Severus. She asked, "What happened?"
"Weasley is sulking," Severus said quietly. "He lost the game, and I suppose he dislikes being utterly humiliated in front of both his best friend and his mother."
Then Molly jumped up, crying out, "Now then, who'd like some tea?"
It was clear that the atmosphere was tense as of now, and to escape, Severus excused himself to the room in which he and Hermione were staying. After he had left them, and they were alone, Hermione approached Harry.
"Harry Potter," she said, stopping him as he was heading towards the kitchen.
"What? I'm hungry, 'Mione."
She rolled her eyes. "What honestly happened? Tell me the truth. Why is Ron sulking the way he is?"
Not looking at her, Harry murmured under his breath, "Because that's Ron," but Hermione caught it.
"'That's Ron'?" she repeated in disbelief. "Honestly, you must be joking. He is always like this?"
"Only when Snape's here. Can you blame him, really?"
"How is it possible that you are fully able to find it within yourself to stop hating Severus, but Ron cannot?"
"I haven't, Hermione." It was now that the two realized how loud they were being, and they both glanced up the stairs. Then they turned back to each other, and Harry lowered his voice, "I haven't. Stopped hating him, I mean. Not entirely. I always will, to a certain point. I just know where to draw the line."
"But I thought-"
"I'm sorry, Hermione. Look, what happened here just now… Ron got the chess board out for he and I to play, but Snape made some comment about how he himself could win a game of chess in his sleep. At least, it was something like that. Then, of course, Ron found it necessary to challenge Snape to a game of chess. The only reason Ron is angry now is because he lost at his best game. I mean, Snape didn't even gloat or anything, which is surprising, but…"
But Hermione didn't even hear the last part. The words "he lost at his best game" kept echoing in her mind; no wonder he'd been so angry. They all knew how he felt about his excelling brothers and being Harry Potter's sidekick all through school. Then, when he joined the Quidditch team, he had still had to compete with Harry for the glory. Now, he had lost at his "best game", just as Harry had said.
Feeling sorry for him, Hermione quickly thanked Harry and left to seek out Ron. She found him in the dining room, sitting at the table drinking a cup of tea. He didn't look up when she entered, but he knew that she was there. Hermione lowered herself gently onto the chair beside him.
"Sorry," he muttered. "For, you know, being this way."
"That's all right," she replied quietly.
All right. At least he knows that he is being a jerk, she thought.
"Are you all right?" she asked.
He shrugged. "I just… I'm sick of not being good at anything."
"You are good at things, Ron. Honestly. I mean, take Quidditch; you make a great Keeper. I just wish that you could find a bit of confidence once in a while."
"Really?" he asked.
"Of course. And if you had only applied yourself, I know that you would have done wonderfully in all of your classes at Hogwarts."
"Except for one, where the teacher had it in for all three of us."
Hermione raised an eyebrow, but let his remark go.
"Anything else?" he asked.
She grinned. "Now you're only fishing for compliments, Ronald."
He turned and grinned back at her. She stood up and put her hand on his shoulder.
"Thanks, 'Mione," he said, looking up at her.
She nodded, smiling, and then left, letting the door swing shut behind her.
"How did it go?" Molly asked the moment she caught sight of Hermione.
"Surprisingly well, actually," she replied. The rest of time Hermione spent downstairs, talking and laughing with Harry and the Weasleys. Arthur joined them soon after, of course. Just as Molly began to prepare dinner, Hermione thought that she should check up on Severus. After excusing herself, she made her way out of the kitchen and up the stairs. When she entered the bedroom, she found Severus, as usual, sitting on top of the bed and reading a novel.
She closed the door gently behind her and he looked up. She smiled at him. "What are you reading?" she asked.
He showed her the cover, she nodded, and he turned back to the book.
"Why aren't you downstairs?" she asked.
"Do not lie to me and inform me that anyone here has any interest in my presence."
"That is not true. I want you."
"Then have me here. I, in turn, have no interest in wasting my precious energy to walk downstairs. This way, it is much easier for them to discuss how absolutely appalling I am."
"None of them say that! Well, Ron might, perhaps, but he is…" She sighed. "He's Ron."
"Regardless, I have no intention of going downstairs very often during our visit here, and especially not tonight, after Weasley's childish display after our chess match."
"You won't even leave when dinner is served?"
"Perhaps only when dinner is served."
"I see." She approached him and lowered herself onto the bed. "Are you all right?"
"Of course."
"Ron just…"
"Does not enjoy losing."
"Does anyone?"
"Are you defending him?"
"He's my friend, Severus."
"And I am your-" He stopped abruptly and, shaking his head, he looked up at her. "Never mind."
"What?"
"No. I said never mind."
"What were you about to say, Severus?" Hermione asked, laughing. "Father of my child? Lover? Boyfriend? Husband?"
He met her eyes. "What do you think?"
She tilted her head to the side, chuckling.
He reached over and took her hand in his. "I hate to argue with you."
She smiled. "Are you feeling all right? I mean, really, do you have a fever, perhaps? You're acting awfully strange."
"Not of my knowledge."
"If you say so." Yawning, she laid her head on his shoulder, while his hand came to rest on her stomach. "I'm sorry."
"I beg your pardon?"
"I apologize for calling you my husband. I mean, I didn't mean it that way. I was only joking with you."
"It's all right, Hermione. Don't apologize."
She nodded, yawning again. "Two months," she uttered.
"More or less."
"Has it already been seven months?" she asked.
"It is quite difficult to believe."
"Do you realize that this coming November, we will have been together for an entire year?"
"I had realized."
It now occurred to Hermione that this coming November, it would be their one-year anniversary, not to mention that they would have their daughter there with them. Perhaps Ginny was right; was he ever planning on proposing marriage to her? Without knowing what she was going to say, she opened her mouth, but a shout from downstairs interrupted her: "Dinner!"
Severus helped her up off of the bed, taking her hand and walking with her to the door. When they reached it, she stopped and looked up at him.
"I love you," she said.
He stared back at her. "I love you too," he whispered, leaning down to kiss the top of her head.
"I'll meet you downstairs in just a minute. I need to change my clothes."
"Why?"
"Look at this stain," she said, pointing to a small mark of, apparently, food from their last meal, which Severus had not even noticed until she had called it to his attention just now.
"I see," he said, sighing. "Very well. I will see you shortly." Then he left and descended the stairs. When he reached the dining room, Ron was already sitting at the table, with his hands folded neatly out in front of him. He glanced up briefly when Severus entered, though before that, he had seemed to be in his own world.
How typical, thought Severus. Weasley- the first at the dinner table. Of course, I can hardly comment; I am the second.
They sat in silence, with only the sounds of Molly in the kitchen meeting their ears, until Ron spoke, mumbling and staring hard at the wood of the table, "Congratulations. On the baby, I mean. I suppose I never actually, er, congratulated you."
"Thank you," Severus said slowly, unsure if Weasley was trying to pull something.
Ron looked up. "She seems to like you."
In spite of himself, Severus snorted. "It would seem that way."
"You treat her right, don't you? I mean, you wouldn't hurt her?"
Severus met Ron's blue eyes. "I may not like you, Weasley, and I may not like Potter, but I care for Hermione."
Ron nodded. "Don't hurt her." He paused, and then continued, "I have a feeling that your kid is going to be very proper and…intelligent, between the two of you."
"Our daughter," Severus said.
"What was that?"
"It's a girl."
Then, both men must have realized that they were dangerously close to having a friendly-moment between them, and so they both straightened up and averted their gaze from one another.
Just then, Harry and Ginny entered, laughing, followed closely by Hermione. They sobered, though, when they caught sight of both Severus and Ron in the same room, alone. They took their seats, Harry holding Ginny's chair out for her, and Severus doing the same for Hermione. Shortly thereafter, Molly entered, carrying a tray loaded with food.
Hermione instantly stood, but Molly exclaimed, "No, no! You sit down. You need to rest; I can handle this myself."
"But Mrs. Weasley-"
At once, Severus rose from his seat, setting his hand gently on Hermione's shoulder. "I'll do it. Sit down."
As he left to help Molly carry in the food, he met Ron's eyes, and he thought he saw a glint of approval in them.
They had been discreet, but Hermione had noticed.
Maybe Ron has finally matured, she thought, and all throughout dinner, she just smiled.
OoooOoooOoooOoooOoooOoooOoooOoooOoooOooo
They returned to Hogwarts shortly after arriving back at Spinner's End from the Burrow. They were required to report back to school at least one week before the Hogwarts Express pulled in. There were several staff meetings that took place before the students arrived, and of course, Severus entirely loathed the fact that he was obligated to attend each and every one of them. However, having Hermione there with him made it all the more bearable. But when she first walked into the staff room and everyone caught sight of her…
"Hermione!" they all cried. "Look at how big you've gotten!"
As if she hasn't noticed, Severus thought bitterly.
"When is it due?" many asked.
Severus, though, not having any interest in being at all part of it, took a seat at the table, folding his arms across his chest and scowling.
"It's nice to see that you haven't changed over the summer," said Remus, sitting down beside him and smiling pleasantly. "It's actually a bit reassuring, in a way."
Severus didn't answer, so Remus prodded him, "May I ask you a question?"
Sneering, he replied, "If you must."
Lowering his voice slightly, Remus said, "When are you planning on proposing to her?"
Severus immediately checked the room for Hermione, or for anyone else who might have heard. But Hermione was across the room, surrounded by a crowd of most of the other teachers. The members of staff that weren't in the group around her were seated at the table, absorbed in conversations with each other, appearing as if they had not overheard a thing that had passed between the two men.
Nevertheless, Severus hissed angrily, "Raise your voice, Lupin, please. I doubt if Dumbledore at the opposite end of the table quite heard you clearly."
"Are you going to answer my question, or are you just going to sit there and scowl?"
Severus turned to look at Remus. "I hadn't yet selected a date."
"So then, you are going to do it? Sometime in the future, you are going to ask Hermione to marry you?"
"Eventually, that is my intention."
"After your daughter is born, I assume?"
"Yes, Lupin, though I fail to see how any of this is your business?"
Remus shrugged. "It's isn't, honestly. However, Hermione is my friend, and so are you-"
"That is news to me, Lupin."
"Do you just love to hear the sound of your own voice?"
"Do you?"
Remus sighed, but then he smiled again. "I was only curious, Severus. Several of the teachers have been wondering-"
Severus narrowed his eyes. "Which teachers?" he asked.
He shrugged. "Minerva mentioned it. Something about when were you going to get up the courage-"
"It has nothing to do with courage."
"Then what is it? Don't tell me that you're waiting for the right moment; you, of all people, Severus, are no romantic."
"You are correct."
"Why don't you ask her now?"
"Do you think for one moment that she harbors the desperate desire to be eight months pregnant on her wedding day, Lupin?"
"You could wait until after the baby has arrived to hold the wedding, of course."
"I do not even have a ring."
"There are stores for that, you know. You could travel to Hogsmeade this weekend, and I could assist you in choosing one."
"I assure you, such drastic actions as your aid in choosing the ring will not be necessary."
"Fair enough; I would not accompany you. Then, there are many shops in Diagon Alley, as well."
"I am aware. Why are pressing this so hard, Lupin?"
"Simple curiosity. It only makes sense, of course… After all, you are both living together, she is having your child…you love her, and she loves you."
"What if I were to hurt her?"
"So you are afraid."
"Fear is not the issue, Lupin."
Remus sighed. "You won't, because you love her. Don't you?"
"Of course."
"Then what the hell is the problem, Snape?"
"There is no problem. I will do it. I am merely waiting."
Remus smirked. "For the right moment?"
Glaring daggers at him, Severus replied silkily, "Something like that."
Smiling, Remus looked up as Hermione approached them.
"Good morning," she said. "Please tell me that the two of you were not fighting once again."
"Us? Of course not," Remus replied, mocking indignation.
Smiling, Hermione sat down beside Severus, just as Dumbledore stood up and cleared his throat, signaling the start of the meeting.
After it had ended, Severus was one of the first ones to rise from his seat, and Hermione followed. Before they could reach the door, however, Sinistra approached them.
"Hermione!" she cried. "When is the baby shower? I could knit some lovely little bonnets, or booties! They will be adorable, don't you think? Is it a boy or a girl, by the way?"
Hermione smiled politely. "It is a girl."
"So pink bonnets, then?"
Hermione glanced uneasily at Severus, who was standing near her, though he was slowly edging his way towards the door.
"That would be nice. As for the shower, however, I don't think there's any need to bother with all of that trouble."
Shrugging, Sinistra reached out to squeeze Hermione's shoulder, and then she began to walk away, though she sent a grin over her shoulder. Then Hermione turned back to Severus, accompanying him in leaving the staff room. When the door had shut fully behind them, Severus stopped and moved to look straight into her eyes.
"I love you," he said.
Smiling, she tilted her head to the side and replied, "I love you too."
"Thank you."
She furrowed her brow. "I beg your pardon?"
"No baby shower," he muttered, leaning down to kiss the top of her head. "Thank the gods."
As she smiled up at him, he just stared at her. His eyes flitted over her stomach, and he wondered: How in the hell could I have gotten so lucky? As they started down the hall, he reached over and took her hand in his. He stroked the back of it softly with his thumb, feeling the small hairs and the smooth skin, all the while thinking how perfectly divine a diamond ring would look on that hand.
A/N: I'm sorry that it took so long to update, but I have been drowning in homework and, well, just plain work. Plus, our internet rarely works now, for some reason. I hate it! Grr! Yeah, we might be getting a whole new computer. But anyway… Truthfully, from now on, I won't be able to update as frequently as I've been able to in the past. I just don't have time, unfortunately (as you have noticed, of course). Again, so sorry.
All right, the baby: Coming. Soon. I promise. (And for real, this time. Lol.) Not to say that it will happen in the very next chapter, but soon.
Of course, thank you to everyone who read and reviewed! As always, it was greatly appreciated!
Disclaimer- I don't own anything in this story. All of the characters and places and stuff are products of J.K. Rowling's incredible imagination.
Please Review! Even if you don't like the story, tell me what you disliked and I will try to work on it in the future. Thanks!