I have to laugh at how short the first part was compared to how long this one is :)

WOW! Oh my goodness!! All of your reviews and support is lovely! I really didn't think this story would get so much feedback, lol. I'll have to work exta hard to make sure you all like it:D

As always:

None of this belongs to me. I'm just a measly college student finding ways to spend her time besides homework :)

"Mummy?" five-year-old Esther Ann Snape tugged her mother's sleeve. "When is Daddy going to be home?"

Hermione Snape closed her eyes and sighed. "I don't know, Essie." She opened her eyes to stare into her cold cup of tea then shifted her eyes to her daughter. "Why don't you get ready for bed and I'll come in to tuck you in and read you a story?" She forced herself to smile like she had so many times in the past.

Essie wasn't to be swayed, though. "But where is Daddy? I want Daddy!" she cried.

Blast you, Severus, Hermione thought. "I know, sweetie. How about this: I'll have Daddy come in and say good-night as soon as he comes home."

Essie puckered her lower lip as she thought. Though Essie's petite nose and pouty mouth were from Hermione, her onyx eyes and equally dark hair was from Severus.

There were still days where Hermione shuddered at what she was forced to go through. When she left Hogwarts seven years ago, she never thought she'd see Professor Severus Snape again. Then, not even a year after she graduated, the Ministry of Magic decided the magical population was waning after the defeat of Voldemort so they came out with that ridiculous law. Not only was Hermione and Severus forced to marry, they had to produce or conceive an heir within a year or they'd be paired off with other partners. They'd almost been paired off to other people when they found out the next wizard on Hermione's list was Lucius Malfoy—how he escaped Azkaban nobody knew. Severus saved her by finally consummating their marriage and Hermione became pregnant.

Essie's voice broke through her memories. "Okay, but it better be a good story," she giggled and scurried towards her room.

Hermione's fake smile dropped immediately. She was getting tired of her fake happiness. If only Severus decided having a family wasn't so bad. If only he'd return their love. Essie always cried out for her father, but Severus looked at her with the same distain as his students. Although Hermione didn't love him, she cared for him deeply. Behind the façade of the evil, greasy dungeon bat was a man Hermione thought only existed in her dreams. Whenever Hermione tried to draw that man out of her husband, he'd put his mask back on and storm away.

Sighing, she reached for her wand and flicked it at her tea, dismissing it. She got up to start straightening out the main rooms so Severus wouldn't have anything to snip at when there was a knock at the door before it opened. Hermione checked her watch to see it was after curfew so it couldn't be any student. She slipped her wand out and waited behind the door. She was ready to shout a jinx when she recognized the white-blond hair. "Oh, it's just you," she breathed as she lowered her wand.

Draco Malfoy jumped and spun around. "Blimey, Granger! Do you curse everyone who steps through your door?"

Hermione smiled and tucked her wand away, "Usually people wait for someone to answer the door before they barge in." She went back into the living area to clean and he followed. "I thought you said you were going to stop calling me that."

"Granger? I guess I should, but old habits die hard." He unclasped his cape and draped it across one of the dining chairs and set a squirming box on the table.

Hermione halted her cleaning and studied the box. "Draco, what did you get for Essie now?"

Draco smiled and placed a hand on the box to make it stop moving. "Now who said it was for Essie?" His smile vanished as he looked around. "Where is my Essie Ann anyway?"

Hermione's heart constricted at his endearment and found her fake smile was needed once again. Why can't you take after your godson, Severus? He treats Essie more like a daughter than you ever have. "She's in bed," she finally managed in a wobbling voice.

Draco caught it. He moved away from the box forgotten and moved towards Hermione. As soon as he placed a hand on her shoulder she vaulted herself in his arms crying. "Oh, 'Mione." Draco stroked her hair as she sobbed into the front of his robes. He buried his face into her mop of hair.

Although they still bickered with each other often, Draco and Hermione became friends almost out of need. During the war Draco finally revealed his true alliances with the light. Hermione noticed the change in him, but Harry and Ron always made sure Draco kept his distance from their friend.

But that changed when Ron was accepted as a first string keeper with a touring quidditch team. He took an immediate liking to the fame and hadn't bothered to contact Hermione since he left. The only time Hermione saw him was in a picture in the Daily Prophet. Harry was around a little longer, but as soon as the marriage law came out, he went into hiding to avoid being paired off with some mindless witch. They both left before she was matched to Severus and she suddenly had nobody to talk to.

Draco was in a similar situation. After he revealed his alliance to the light, all of Draco's friends that escaped Azkaban saw him as a traitor and abandoned him. The only person who still associated with Draco was his godfather. Without Harry or Ron to keep them apart, they started talking to each other, just so they would have someone to talk to. It soon bloomed into a friendship.

Hermione forced herself to stop crying and pulled away. "I'm sorry, I got your robes wet," she put a hand over the wet spot on his chest.

Stop it Draco, he scolded himself when he felt a tightening in his chest at her touch. She's Severus' wife! Your godfather's wife! Your goddaughter's mother! Okay, so the last one wasn't much, but he was pulling strings. He couldn't afford to have feelings for Hermione. She's just a friend! "Don't worry about it. That's why it comes in handy to be magical." As he said this he pulled out his wand and dried his robes. "Feel free to cry on my shoulder anytime."

Hermione smiled—a true smile—and rubbed his chest still under her hand and moved back to the pile of toys she was cleaning. "Some girl is going to be lucky to snag you whenever this marriage law catches up to you."

Draco would later hex himself for being so stupid, but before he could even stop himself he blurted, "The one I want to marry is has already by caught by the marriage law." His face immediately flushed and he gaped at Hermione and waited for her reaction.

Hermione smirked as she stashed the toys away and moved into the small kitchen area to get them something to drink. "Really? And here I thought the only people you associated with were me and Severus."

Draco turned his back to her and cursed himself. "I, uh—" he closed his eyes, "—you are."

Hermione halted her preparations of tea. She turned to Draco and saw him staring back at her. "Draco..."

"No, don't."

"You didn't petition for me when the law came out."

"We weren't friends then." Neither of them said anything, only stared at each other. Then, without any warning, Draco moved to be in front of her and gripped her shoulders gently. "Hermione—"

"Draco, I can't." She looked up into his eyes; chocolate-brown clashing with ice-blue.

"Uncle Draco!" Essie's voice and pattering feet made Draco step away.

"Essie Ann!" Both Draco and Hermione forced their smiles, but soon found Essie's exuberance contagious. Draco swept her up and made a noisy kiss on her cheek. "How's my favorite person in the whole wide world?"

Hermione watched the scene. Essie had rested her forehead against Draco's and was whispering and giggling with him. But soon she was distracted by the moving box on the table.

"Is that for me?" Essie whispered as she stuck her index finger in her mouth.

Draco reached up and pulled her hand away from her mouth out of habit and shook his head. "Actually, it's for you and Mummy." He locked his eyes with Hermione's.

Hermione felt something jump in her chest. A gift? I haven't gotten a gift in years. All Severus ever gave me was Essie. "Me?" she squeaked.

"Why don't you open it?" Draco asked Essie. He let her down and lowered the box to the floor. After he moved behind Hermione he whispered, "I should have gotten you this years ago."

Essie pulled the top off the box and her squeal of delight was caused by a white fluffy kitten. She pulled it out and hugged it to her chest; her face a pure look of awe.

"Draco," Hermione turned and looked up at him. "Thank you." She lifted a hand to his cheek. He lifted his hand and covered hers and she could feel the love in his gaze. The intensity made her slip her hand out and turn to her daughter. "What are you going to name her? It is a her, right?

Once Draco nodded Essie's lower lip puckered as she thought. "I know! Draco!"

"What?!" Draco asked incredulous. "But Draco's not a girl's—" he stopped at Hermione's sharp look.

"Essie, why do you want to name her Draco?"

"Her hair looks like Uncle Draco's!"

It was true; the cat wasn't exactly white, but almost the same white-blond color as Draco's. When the cat turned her head towards Hermione, she gasped at the cat's eye color. "Draco, you wouldn't have happened to turn your father into a cat, have you?"

"What? Why?"

"Look at her eyes! They're the exact same color as the Malfoy eyes."

He knew; and he picked the darn cat because he had some sick twisted notion that the Snape females would think of him when they saw the pesky cat. "I hadn't thought of that," he lied.

Hermione smiled and instinct had her checking her watch. "Essie, it's far past your bed time. Say good-night to Uncle Draco and I'll tuck you in."

"No, let me. It isn't everyday you get to tuck in the wonderful Essie Ann." He picked up Essie, who was still cuddling the newly dubbed Draco. "Do you mind if she keeps the cat in her room?"

"No, transfigure something into a litter box though, please." She followed them until she reached her room and quickly changed into something more comfortable and moved to Essie's room.

Hermione paused near the door and leaned against the door frame. Draco was lounged next to her daughter with a book open in front of them. Essie was curled up in the crook of Draco's side as she still held Draco the kitten. Draco didn't seem to notice Hermione as he acted out the different characters. They were about half-way through the story when Essie's eyes finally closed and her breathing evened out. Draco slowly closed the book and slid from under her. He didn't notice Hermione until after he murmured something in Essie's ear and kissed her forehead. He flicked the light off and joined Hermione in the hallway. "How long have you been standing there?" he asked as he shut the door.

"Long enough." She studied him a moment before whispering, "You're so good with her."

"She means the world to me. You both do," he added after a second's hesitation.

"Draco, I thought we talked about this," Hermione turned and went back to her bedroom.

Draco followed her in; it hadn't been the first time he'd been in there. Severus refused to share his office with her, so her bedroom doubled as her work area. "Hardly. I'm sorry for blurting that out earlier. I meant it, but I know you have no choice in the matter."

Hermione smiled at him sadly. "If things were different... If the marriage law ever came to an end—"

"Hermione," Draco cut her off, "it'll only hurt us worse if we ponder on the 'ifs."

"I know."

It was quiet until Draco remembered why he had come in the first place. "Is Severus around? I need to talk with him."

"I don't know where he is. He went on his rounds on his normal time, but he should have been back almost an hour ago." She sat down on her bed and waited until Draco sat down in a chair before she continued. "He usually stays out as late as he can so he can avoid me. Do you want me to give him a message?"

"No, I'll just wait for him to come back." The awkwardness soon vanished as they began to reminisce about their school years and everything since then. It was almost midnight when they realized Severus was still not back. "I should probably go. He probably won't be in a good mood if he known I'm here this late anyways."

"True," Hermione got off the bed and walked with him towards the door. "Draco thanks for understanding."

"It's nothing. Just remember I'll always be here for you." He pulled her into his arms and dropped a kiss on top of her head.

"Get your hands off of her," a deep voice growled from her doorway.

They both jumped and turned to the doorway. Hands clenched and shaking with rage matching the scowl and glistening eyes let the occupants know he was barely holding his anger. Severus Snape was home.

Hope all is well:)