A/N: Everything you recognize belongs to JK Rowling. I am not her. She lives in Buckingham Palace, one wing down from the Queen. I live one apartment down from the woman that played Tootie on the "Facts of Life." (Ha, Dressagegrrrl from a decade ago was funny.)
Thanks so much to WriterMerrin for the post-post Beta!
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"Congratulations on not yet having divorced," Severus sniped. He shoved a neatly wrapped package into Harry's hand. I was impressed. Any present Ron had given me always looked as if he'd used his feet to wrap it.
"Err… Thanks, Professor." Harry's gaze was befuddled, and he glanced back and forth between the two of us with growing confusion.
Severus crossed his arms over his chest and glowered. "Well, open it."
Harry continued to stare. With an irritated huff, Ginny took the present out of his hands. "We are so glad you could make it, Professor Snape. Please don't mind my husband." She leaned forward and tapped her temple, whispering, "One too many hexes to the head by old Voldy."
Only I could see it, but Severus's face warmed, and he wanted to smile.
"Please don't give it a second thought, Mrs. Potter. An intellect such as his can only decay over time. Frankly, I'm amazed you don't have him propped upright in a corner drooling."
"Oh, you've ruined the surprise. That's his after-dinner trick." As Ginny spoke, her hands worked at the present. The wrapping fell off, and she stilled. "Oh, Professor, this is…" Tears muffled her voice. "This is a wonderful gift."
I gaped when I saw a clock in her hands. It gleamed a soft bronze and mother-of-pearl in the evening light, and the face had three arms labeled Harry, Ginevra, and Albus Severus. In the center of the dial where the three hands were joined, there were two smaller buds growing.
"It's self-correcting. As you have children and then your children have children, the clock will adjust, adding a hand for each." He paused and raised a sardonic brow. "However, since you are a Weasley, I made a slight modification. Due to the fact the women in your family have entire litters of children, the dial will most likely become too crowded to read effectively. This node here," he pointed to a small white circle that I had taken initially for decoration, "will grow into another dial to accommodate the grandchildren."
Ginny made a strangled noise and sucked in a lungful of air. Oh no! I watched in alarm as she burst into full-fledged sobs and threw herself into my Snape's arms. She buried her face in his chest and wrapped her arms around his trim waist. Her stomach was a full moon that pressed between them, and displeased, she turned her torso sideways so she could really snuggle into him. Severus turned appalled eyes to me, his arms straight out as if he was being crucified.
"Help me," he mouthed.
"There, there, Gin. I know. He's a very nice man under all the snark and wool. Come give us a hug now." I pried her arms from around his waist and transferred them to mine. She nuzzled her face into my bosom with alacrity. Severus watched with interest. Harry's eyes narrowed.
"Ginny, darling, how about we sit on that bench over there and I rub your feet? You've been such a trooper, I think you deserve a little rest, love."
My friend raised her face from my cleavage to look at her husband. "Really, Harry? I'd appreciate that if you mean it."
"Of course, lovebird. Come with me," he crooned. When Ginny transferred her arms once more so that she was cuddled up against Harry, he smiled at Snape. "Thanks, Professor. That was an immensely thoughtful present." My puffy friend dandled his wife a bit closer, his eyes lowering in contentment. "So. Who are you here with?"
Severus gritted his teeth and held up his right hand to show it clasping my left.
Harry laughed. "Does her boyfriend know that you're trying to steal his girl?" He punched Severus in the shoulder as if they were two boys sharing an inside joke.
Ginny's head thunked against her hand. "Honestly, Harry. You only hear what you want to hear. I told you they were dating three months ago."
"What?" His voice was startled. "I didn't think you meant each other."
"Yes, Mr. Potter. Ms. Granger and I have embarked upon a physical relationship." Severus cupped a hand around the back of my neck and drew me close. I knew what he was doing. Feeling out of place, he was both establishing a claim on me and punishing Harry for his idiocy by making him feel uncomfortable. With a mental shrug, I let him plaster me to his side and slipped my arms around his chest. The man had come to a party full of former students… Gryffindor students. He deserved it.
"Oh, Severus," I cooed, rubbing my hand against his pectoral.
He looked down at me, a smile playing around the edges of his mouth.
"Well, good to see you both," Harry said, looking a bit green. The smile he gave us was genuine, however. "I've promised Gin a foot rub, and I try to keep my promises." He cocked his head thoughtfully and added, "I especially don't like to disappoint very pregnant witches who know where I sleep."
Ginny rolled her eyes. "Come on, you charmer, you." They left to sit on one of Molly's stone garden benches.
We stood together in awkward silence for a moment.
"I'm sorry," he said finally.
"I'm sorry, too," I said.
We stared at each other. His eyes were dark and intent.
"You are going to get so lucky for this," I finally blurted.
"I'd better," he replied with a smirk.
Molly had pulled out all the stops for this party. It was lovely. Tea lights hovered over the garden, casting a warm light even as the sky darkened towards twilight. The buffet table was covered in her finest lace and linen cloths and festooned with round glass balls the size of Ginny's massive stomach lit from the interior by fireflies. Food of every variety ran the length of it. She'd outdone herself. Every now and again, I'd catch a glimpse of her marshalling spare Weasleys to pour wine or serve appetizers. I was especially pleased to see Ron stomping around with a tray of crab doodles on his shoulder, shoving them at guests in bad grace.
God, what a perfect evening.
We meandered through the other party guests, stopping to converse only when we saw Luna and Neville.
"Hello, Hermione. Hello, Professor Snape," she said mistily, her head resting on Neville's shoulder. "How lovely to see you both."
"Ms. Lovegood," he nodded politely. "Longbottom," he sneered.
Neville blanched, and I couldn't help but notice his knees started to tremble.
"Professor, I must ask you not to intimidate my boyfriend. It's not good form, really." Luna's bright blue eyes blinked slowly. "Plus, you and I both know that you rather like him since he beheaded Nagini."
Severus scowled and opened his mouth.
"Neville," I interjected. "I didn't know you and Luna were seeing each other. That's lovely!"
His smile was shy, and he reached out to clasp the blonde's hand. "I met her at an academic conference. She was giving a presentation on the effect of nargles on venomous tentacula." He gave her an adoring look.
"Interestingly enough, there's no proof that nargles have any effect on them." Her fingers played with a lock of her blonde hair.
I blinked, confused. "Then what did you talk about during your presentation?"
Luna pursed her lips reprovingly at my failure to listen. "As Neville said, my presentation was on the effect of nargles on venomous tentacula."
"But then, how long was your talk?" I asked.
"Three hours."
"Best three hours of my life!" Neville sighed.
I decided to drop the subject. I absolutely adored Luna, but she and I had such different patterns of thought that after an hour, I've always got a raging headache and a strange desire to subscribe to the Quibbler.
"Speaking of nargles…" Luna reached into her purse and pulled out a pair of odd-looking glasses, sliding them onto her nose. I was briefly reminded of Muggle 3-D glasses from the 1950's, but the frames were purple plastic and had finger-like protrusions extending from both sides. She glanced around briefly, her lip curling slightly when she saw me, before focusing on Severus. "How interesting. Professor, are you aware that you have absolutely no nargles on you? That's quite rare."
Severus reached into his pocket and pulled out four bottle caps strung together on a piece of twine. He shook it once and then put it away.
"How marvelous! I'm glad to see that charm I gave you in seventh year is still going strong." She glowed.
"Your Charms work has always been above average, Ms. Lovegood. This has been most helpful to me through the years."
I blinked at his warm tone. I'd never heard him use that tone with anyone before me, and I'd had to shove my tongue down his throat before he'd begun to speak to me that way. Looking at him, I saw that he was giving Luna his near-smile, and my friend was beaming back at him.
She cocked her head with those idiotic glasses perched on her face and murmured, "Should I make one for Hermione? I'm not sure your Charm will be able to stave off cross-person infestation of that magnitude."
"Thank you, Ms. Lovegood. We'd accept it gladly." Severus smiled again, a dimple flashing briefly.
As the silence stretched between us, I realized that I was jealous. Very. I had gotten used to being the only person at whom he didn't routinely snarl, so to watch this interaction felt intimate and uncomfortable. Also, I wanted to pull Luna's stupid corn-colored hair. Stupid, stupid hair. To prevent an incident, I grabbed Severus's hand and turned to Luna and Neville. "It was nice talking to you! I see Seamus and Dean over there. We should really say hello."
As we walked away, he leaned down and whispered in my ear, "You're a very jealous witch." His smugness annoyed me tremendously.
"Jealous? Piffle."
He laughed, a low rumble in his chest. With my hand in his, he diverted our course away from the two Gryffindor men towards a less populated part of the garden. Severus stopped next to a riot of roses that Molly had encouraged to bloom early for the anniversary party. Taking both of my hands in his, he placed them flat on his chest.
"There's no need to be."
"I'm not." Even to my own ears, my voice sounded sullen. I cleared my throat and urged my throat to ease. "I know," I tried again, and this time it pleased me to hear the timbre of my voice sound normal.
A real smile curled his mouth as he looked at me, and I finally relaxed because it made the half-smile he gave to Luna look miserly in comparison. It was a beautiful, tempting curve, his lower lip fuller than his upper lip. I was suddenly taken by the need to touch it, to make sure it wasn't some sort of fevered imagining of my Severus-starved brain. Unable to help myself, I reached out to stroke it with the pad of my thumb. His tongue flicked out against it, and my eyes fell shut. I couldn't help but remember our first kiss in the forest collecting hollyhocks.
"Severus," I breathed.
"Hermione," he teased.
"Severus, I really missed you."
His face stilled and then became intense as he bent to brush his lips against my mouth. It burned me with its rightness, and I felt my eyes prickle with tears. "Missed you," I murmured before running my tongue along the seam of his mouth. He groaned and nipped me.
We wrapped our arms around each other and held on tightly, cheeks pressed together and eyes squeezed shut. I felt an ache in my heart begin to ease. Severus spoke against my neck, his hot breath stirring the baby fine hairs. "Hermione, this last week has been unpleasant. I find that… I do not wish to be parted from you any longer."
Taking a shaky breath, I said, "I think I can manage that."
I barely noticed the flash of a camera bulb before he Apparated us to the gates of Hogwarts.
A/N: Like it, love it, hate it, review it. For those of you who are sending me PMs - yes, smut soon. Next chapter, I believe. Also, I wanna thank those of you who have bothered to leave me a review either anonymously or they've disabled PMs from FFN (for example: MizSphinx). I can't reply to your reviews, but you all are super sweet, and it makes my day to know that people out there are finding this silly little story amusing.