Chapter 17: Out Of Sorts
{A/N: Here's Another Update...}
My Thanks To All My Readers And Reviewers...Enjoy-S.S.
The Kitchen, The Sinclair Residence, Unknown World...
Unwilling to repeat the mistake of giving in to his apparent moment of weakness the evening prior, Snape made it a point to avoid her and any means of physical contact for the time being. He occupied his time doing trivial things, one of which had been minor chores that were regulated to Sidney Sinclair around the house. Despite having grown up to be a Potions Professor in the magical world, he had been living among muggles since the end of the second wizarding war and had been raised among them prior to discovering his magical abilities at an early age.
He spent less time with the children, not having any attachment to them in the least aside from occasionally being charmed by the little girl due to her obviously Slytherin antics. He had managed to beat Hermione to the kitchen and poured himself a cup of coffee in the same mug he spent every morning using since he had awoken in this place. He had not been alone in the kitchen for long, as it was apparent that Hermione had noticed his absence from their shared bed and ventured down to the stairs to see where he had gone.
"Sidney, why didn't you wake me?" she asked rubbing her eyes.
"You looked like you could use the rest." replied Snape continuing to sip his coffee.
He attempted to leave the room only to have Hermione step toward him. It was clear that she was still seeking a form of connection with him as she treated him to a smile and let her hands roam along his chest before they were interrupted via the appearance of their two young sons bursting into the kitchen awaiting their breakfast.
They had their sights set on the sugar they would hopefully get to consume when they reached the breakfast table.
"Boys, you are not having another sugar filled day." said Hermione stepping away from Snape as he did his best to ignore the fact that her very presence lead to his almost immediate arousal.
The former wizard believed it off that he was attracted to Hermione Granger at all let alone more prone to getting a response from his lower half when it came to her, but had no such luck with the rather interesting barkeeper back at the pub he found a week prior.
Finishing off his coffee, Snape stepped out of the kitchen turning his mind to more pressing affairs. His days were reduced to moving about the house possibly straightening up and doing a bit of research here and there about this Sidney Sinclair bloke as best he could.
So far he got that Sidney was a muggle with a good many secrets, especially concerning his health when it came to his family and that he had indeed loved them all very much. What Snape didn't understand was what the idiotic bloke had done to have his life switched or if that had truly been the case.
As far as anyone had known, he was in fact Sidney Sinclair, but that didn't stop his logical mind from questioning the strangeness of this apparent dream or nightmare depending on the perspective. The strange enchantress had made it clear that he wasn't in the least going to get through whatever this had been very easily but she had not provided much information on why he had been placed here to begin with.
To say that Severus Snape was frustrated with his current situation was a mere understatement. He was quite out of sorts in this strange place and being out of his depth was something Severus Snape had not in the least been accustomed to. Occupying the life of a man with a terminal illness had not made the situation any better as the former Potions Professor struggled with his conflicting emotions and the harsh reality of what would be inevitable despite this man's family being completely unaware.
"Sidney." said Hermione interrupting his thoughts as he sipped his lukewarm morning coffee from his usual mug.
"What?" he asked blinking back his confusion and the invasion of his own private thoughts.
"I asked you if you've eaten breakfast?" said Hermione apparently repeating herself when he had been unaware of her attempt a conversation.
"No...and I'm not in the mood for anything right now." he replied honestly.
He had not had much of an appetite for food despite being intent on ignoring his other appetites in the process.
"Good Morning Daddy." said Eileen as she made her way toward the kitchen table.
"Good Morning." Snape replied almost instantly as the small raven haired girl with Hermione's sweet looking face and an almost mirror image of his fierce obsidian gaze rushed over to him and hugged him tightly.
"Are you eating breakfast?" she asked looking up at him with inquisitive eyes.
"I wasn't..." he began before noting her look of concern. "Why not."
Eileen smiled taking him by the hand and leading him toward his apparent seat at the table as he found himself awaiting breakfast with Sidney's rather peculiar family. It was clear this man who's life he had taken was quite loved even beyond what Snape's understanding had managed to convey to him.
The shuffling of plates and the passing of portions saw to breakfast coming to an end sooner than even Snape had anticipated before everyone was dressed and racing for the front door. Hermione had been shouting instructions to their wayward sons as they participated in horseplay while getting ready to head off to school.
Eileen went through a detailed summary of what she'd be learning in class once she too got to school and how she planned to have as much fun as possible before the bell rang. Snape simply listened to both her and Hermione ramble on amused by their minor muggle issues despite not having access to his wizarding abilities.
Hermione had been quite frustrated by her inability to tame her unruly hair in a timely fashion but managed to put it into a ponytail at the last moment before she too shuffled out of the front door after quickly pulling her husband into a heated kiss...possibly a lingering reaction to their constantly interrupted embraces before hand.
Snape thought her to have developed into quite the passionate young woman despite being a mother of three and with little to no time for herself on her hands. He wondered where she got the strength to juggle her busy schedule and family obligations without the use of magic or much input from him, as her ailing husband.
He found himself even more attracted to the amber eyed woman as she took her reluctant leave of him with the promise of her return and a continuation of their previous discussion should fortune permit it for the two of them.
Once the door had closed behind them and the house once more grew quiet, Severus Snape found himself alone and very much out of sorts. He had not wished to carry on with the wife of a dying man but saw he had little choice in what his desires had played into given the situation.
