Severus sank into his desk chair, breathing heavily. His conversation with Hermione earlier that day had affected him more than he wanted to admit. Although he'd wanted to stay and continue the conversation, that had not been possible.

He'd gone to see Hermione during lunch time, in a break between his classes and he'd had to return earlier than he would have liked.

He never would have thought that if he survived the war (and this had always been a doubtful thing in his mind) he would return to teaching at Hogwarts. What he would have done with the rest of his life, he didn't know, but he would never have thought he'd return to Hogwarts, not when he'd never wanted to be a teacher nor enjoyed teaching in the first place.

But he had. After he'd recovered from that damned snake bite, he hadn't known what to do with himself. He'd just been released from St. Mungo's and was sitting in the living room of his house at Spinner's End when Minerva had come knocking at the door to announce that the Slughorn had decided to stay on as Potions professor, but she still needed a Defense professor and would he be interested in continuing?

At first Severus had wanted to say no, but then he'd realized that he actually didn't have a profession anymore and that he had no idea what he would do to make ends meet. So he'd accepted Minerva's offer and resigned himself to continuing with a job he didn't want and didn't enjoy.

But that was beside the point now. Now, he'd been teaching at Hogwarts since Voldemort's defeat nineteen years earlier, bring his teaching career to a total of thirty four years. He shook his head, still not believing how everything had worked out.

And now..and now he had a son. Hugo, he said, recalling what Hermione had called the boy. He'd been so caught up in seeing the boy and realizing that he had a son that he hadn't even really bothered to learn his son's name. He wondered what the boy's middle name was. Probably some horrid Weasleyish name, he thought with disgust. As soon as it was made public that Hugo was his son, he'd see what he could do about getting the boy's name changed to Snape. If, Severus amended in his head, if that was what Hugo wanted. After all, Severus thought, a small half-smile playing on his lips, from now on, his son was the most important thing in his life.

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That evening, Hermione returned home from work, a cloud of dread hanging over her, her conversation with Severus still ringing in her ears. After he'd left, Hermione had locked herself in her office and told her secretary to hold all owls, that she was working on an important project. In reality, she'd spent the rest of the day staring out her magically enchanted window, wondering how her life had spiraled out of control so fast. And now things were about to get worse. Now, she was going to go home and tell Ron that his only son wasn't his son after all.

Thank heavens Molly has asked if she and Arthur could keep Hugo for the night. At least Hugo wouldn't be there to hear Ron explode when she shared her news. Hermione sighed, hoping that Ron would be working late, so she'd have time to prepare herself and what she was going to say. Her hopes were dashed after Flooing into her fireplace and catching sight of Ron sitting at the kitchen table, talking animatedly with Harry.

"Hey, guys." Hermione said, stepping out of the fireplace and brushing small bits of ash from her shoulders. She set her bag down on the kitchen table and took a glass out of the cupboard, filling it with water from the sink. She took a deep swallow and mentally tried to prepare herself for her coming confrontation with Ron.

"Hey, Hermione." Harry said, standing up from his place at the table.

"Hey, Harry. Leaving so soon? Won't you stay for dinner?" Hermione responded, half frantic to keep Harry from leaving, and wanting to avoid her upcoming conversation with Ron.

"No, sorry. I've got to get back to Ginny and Lily. Thanks anyway, though." Harry took his jacket from the back of the chair and shrugged into it. "Maybe we'll all get together for dinner sometime this week. How's that sound?"

"Great!" Ron said, standing up and clapping Harry on the back. "See you at work tomorrow, mate!"

"Bye Ron, bye Hermione." Harry took a pinch of Floo powder from the jar on the mantle and stepped into the fireplace.

"Bye Harry. Give Ginny my love." Hermione said, knowing that after tonight Ginny would probably not be willing to talk to her anymore. Not after she found out about Hugo. And Ron. And Severus.

"I will." Harry said, and after shouting out the name of his destination (Grimmauld Place!) disappeared in flames of emerald.

Hermione stared at the place where Harry had been standing just moments before, lost in thoughts of what was to come. She was so concentrated on her thoughts she didn't even notice Ron coming up behind her and slipping his arms around her waist.

"I missed you today," He whispered, nuzzling her neck. "Hugo's with my folks tonight. I thought maybe we could…you know…" His hands slipped around to span her stomach and Hermione knew exactly what he meant. And a part of her wanted to. It would be so easy to lose herself in Ron's arms for the moment and forget about Severus and Hugo and the pain that she would soon be bringing Ron. But she knew that every minute that she put it off, she was just delaying the inevitable. From her talk with Severus that afternoon, she knew that Severus would not allow Hugo to be known as Ron's son for much longer. And he'd made it abundantly clear that under no circumstances would he allow his position as Hugo's father to go unrecognized. He would never simply disappear into the background and allow Hermione to continue raising Hugo as Ron's son. And in some deep part of her mind, Hermione admitted to herself that she didn't want to continue living the lie that her life had become. Ron deserved to know the truth, Severus deserved to have a relationship with his son, and Hugo deserved to have a relationship with his biological father.

"Ron," Hermione twisted out of Ron's grasp and moved so that she could look him in the eyes. "Ron, I have to talk to you. It's...it's important."

Ron groaned. "Do we really need to do this right now, Hermione? I don't want to talk tonight. I just want to spend some time with my wife." He moved towards her, a grin on his lips, and Hermione backed away so fast she almost fell over one of the table chairs.

"No, Ron. We need to talk. Now." Hermione took a deep breath and seated herself at the table. She gestured to the seat across from her. "Please. Sit down."

Ron plopped down into the chair across the table and groaned. "Fine, Hermione. What is it?"

Hermione pinched her lips together and took a deep breath, "It's about Hugo, Ron."

Ron's face instantly became more alert. "What about Hugo? Is something wrong with him? Did a letter come from Hogwarts?"

"No, no. He's fine. It's..well…,"

Ron's eyes narrowed. "It's what, Hermione?"

Hermione's eyes filled with tears. "He's not your son, Ron."

"What? What the hell do you mean Hugo's not my son? Of course he's my son!" Ron exploded. "What is this, some kind of joke?"

Hermione shook her head. "No, Ron, it's not joke. I…I had an affair..years ago..and Hugo…he was…was born of that..that affair."

Ron swallowed hard. "An affair. What do you mean you had an affair?"

"I mean, I had an affair, Ron. I…slept with someone else. And that man is Hugo's father."

Ron slammed his fist down onto the table, so hard that it sent a spidery crack through the wood surface. "Why are you telling me this now, Hermione? Why not eight years ago, when he was born?"

This, telling Ron that Snape wanted to be a part of Hugo's life, would be the hardest part. "Because he's back, Ron. He knows Hugo's his and he wants to be part of his life."

Ron began to shake his head before the sentence was even out of Hermione's mouth. "No. No way in hell, Hugo is my son. And however this bastard is, I will be damned if he steps in here and takes my son. Tell me who it is, Hermione! Tell me who you cheated on me with!"

Hermione's lips trembled. "Snape. Severus is Hugo's father."

Ron's eyes nearly bulged out of his head and his face became pale at this statement. "Snape? You cheated on me with greasy git? That bloody bastard! How could you do this to me?" He stood up suddenly, his chair flying back and hitting the wall. He began to shake his head vigorously, pacing up and down the room. "No, No. Hermione, I can't stand to look at you. I cannot believe this. First you cheat on me, with that git Snape, and then..after eight years…you tell me the boy I've raised and loved as my son isn't mine! No, Hermione. No. I'm going to my parents for the night. I can't stand being in the same house with you."

He turned around abruptly and slammed both palms onto the table. "But hear this, Hermione! Hugo is my son! Mine. And I will be damned if I let Severus Snape have my son! That Death Eater will see my son over my dead body!" With that parting shot, Ron stepped into the fire, threw his pinch of Floo powder into the air, and with a strangled scream, "The Burrow!" he was gone.

It was only after Ron had left that Hermione realized he'd been crying.

Alone in her empty house, her life lying in shambles around her, Hermione pressed her palms to the cool hardwood of her kitchen table and began to cry.