Here's a little to hold you all over. Sheesh! I say I can't post for a few weeks and I get how many posts demanding that I do! lol. Hope you like this one; it was hard enough to write! A changing Severus is hard to write about without making him seem like he woke up one day and decided to be a good wizard... (sigh)

One more thing. In case any of you read Full Moon Love as well, I think I'm just going to wrap this one up and then I can put all my focus into FML. I'm not saying I won't put an occasional one on, but this one is my focus :)

None of the characters belong to me (except cute little Essie Ann! and all the other children) I just randomly hit keys on the keyboard and this pops up! :D

That plan proved to be more difficult than it seemed. Any one of the other professors would be glad to watch Esther Ann for a weekend, but Severus would have none of that. What would the professors think of me? I'll be the brunt of all jokes for weeks, he thought bitterly. No, he'd have to find an outside source.

And that's where his problem was. Severus barely talked to people inside the school; who would he know outside it?

If Draco weren't so stupid, I'd ask him, he thought as he entered the Great Hall for lunch. He froze in the doorway. There, standing just a few feet away was Severus' worst nightmare and, ironically, the answer to his problem.

Neville Longbottom.

Perhaps he wasn't quite the answer to Severus' problem, but the red-headed woman next to him might. Ginny Weasley—or rather Longbottom seemed to be the perfect candidate to watch after Esther Ann for a weekend. Judging by the three red-headed girls around them, they knew how to raise children. All three of their little girls stood by their parents quietly as they looked around the great hall. Pomona Sprout stood next to Longbottom, discussing Herbology no doubt. Severus built up his courage—I'm a Slytherin! Not a stubborn Gryffindor!—and made his way towards the She 'Weasley.'

"Professor!" Ginny's eyes widened quickly and looked up at him.

"Mrs. Longbottom," he said as pleasantly as possible.

Ginny looked shocked out of speech for a second before saying, "Please, call me Ginny."

"If you say so."

They both drew silent again. After a few moments they both spoke again.

"Neville and I came to ask you—"

"I came here to invite you—" Severus stopped. "Continue."

Ginny gave a nervous laugh and a tiny smile. "Neville and I came here to ask after Hermione." She hesitated, "With the marriage law and all, we thought she might need some help moving."

Severus glared at the girl. "Hermione is quite well, and has no plans on moving anywhere."

Ginny smiled brightly, "You're staying together then?"

"Obviously."

"That's wonderful! I was worried when I read the article in the paper."

Severus felt all anger fade. Was she always so... cheerful? "Your worries are noted." She has no right to be snooping in our affairs.

"Is Hermione down in the dungeons?" Ginny asked.

She makes it sound like I keep her in a cage... he thought with an inward smirk. "Yes, she and Esther are in our quarters." He gritted his teeth and opened his mouth what he needed to say, "As I was saying before, I came over here to invite you—"

"P-Professor Snap-pe!" Neville's voice was barely a whisper.

Severus cringed. His voice sounds like nails on a chalk board... "Longbottom," Severus said in his most intimidating voice. I guess I have him as well... "I was just telling your wife Hermione and I would consider it our greatest... pleasure... to dine with us tonight in our quarters."

Neville paled even more, but Ginny was all smiles. "Oh, that would be lovely! I've missed Hermione so much!" She flinched, but kept her smile plastered on her face as she said, "Y-You too, of course, Professor."

"You needn't lie to me."

Ginny's fake smile fell. "Would you mind if we visited with Hermione?"

Severus turned slightly and said, "If you wish," before marching out of the great hall with his famous billowing robes.

On the way to the dungeons, he could hear the oldest of the Longbottom girls whisper her fears of the dark dungeons to her father. Something about it made Severus smile.

They reached his quarters and Severus undid the wards to enter. The front rooms were empty, so he assumed Hermione and Esther were back in the bedrooms. Something doesn't seem right. Just as he thought this, he saw Esther and Little Draco run into the front rooms. Esther's face was stained with tears.

"Daddy!" she cried as she vaulted herself against his legs.

Severus reached down and picked her up. She immediately buried her head in Severus' neck as she cried. He pried her head away and dried some of the tears, his guests forgotten. "What's wrong? Where's your mother?"

"Mummy's sick! She's in the bathroom and says I can't come in!" With her story told, she buried her head again.

"What's wrong with Hermione?" Ginny moved past her family next to Severus, her maternal instincts causing her to sooth the child in his arms as she stroked her hair.

Severus started at her voice. He had forgotten he had even brought guests back to his rooms. "Morning sickness." He knew she had been feeling a little off, but she said it was manageable. 'Nothing a few crackers and some tea won't fix' she had told him. Obviously she had played down how ill she felt so he would leave. "If you'll excuse me for a moment? Please, make yourselves comfortable." Without an answer he moved down the hall past their bedrooms and to the bathroom door. Indeed, he could hear his wife's sickness through the door. He tried to door handle to find it locked. "Hermione?"

"Severus?" her voice was tired.

"Open the door."

"So you can see me like this? I don't think so," she managed before her stomach cut her off.

Severus grimaced at the door and looked down at his daughter in his arms. She had raised her head but silent tears still fell down her cheeks. He set her down gently and knelt next to her. "Esther, do you help your mother and me?"

Like her mother, she was always eager to help and nodded her head enthusiastically. "What?"

"Those people I brought home are close friends to your mother. Can you go keep them entertained for us?"

"What about Mummy?" she looked sadly to the door.

"I'll get her better and we'll join you in a while."

"Okay!" Tears forgotten, the girl bounded back towards the main rooms as Severus straightened. He pulled out his wand and opened the door magically.

"Severus Snape, if you even value your life in the slightest, you won't open that door!" Hermione's screech was barely audible.

He waited until he heard her sick again before he went in, closing the door behind him. His wife was hugging the toilet, which her face was buried in. He saw her wand lying next to her and he casually kicked it away before kneeling next to her. "Why didn't you send for me?" he asked as he held her hair back.

"I got along fine when I was pregnant with Essie." She remained hunched over the toilet until she was sure she was finished and wiped her mouth with a damp towel. She leaned back against his chest, oblivious to his bristling.

Severus fought not to get angry with her and, despite his anger, wrapped his arms around her. He kept his voice even, but the underlying irritation was easily noticeable. "Does it mean nothing to you that I'm trying to be a good husband and father?"

Hermione looked up and saw the storm raging behind his dark eyes. "It means the world to me."

"Then why do you feel the need to constantly remind me how I acted during the beginning of our marriage?!" His anger fought out towards the end of the sentence.

She turned in his arms and braced herself by placing her hands on his arms. Severus noted her eyes held deep grief and guilt. "Oh, Severus, I'm so sorry! I didn't even think of it that way!"

At the sight of her tears his anger faded. Am I to become a Snufflepuff softy every time I see one of my girls in tears?

"I don't think so," Hermione giggled through her tears.

It was then Severus realized he'd spoken out loud. "You weren't meant to hear that."

"I guessed as much." Her shoulders slumped, "I truly am sorry, Severus. I'll try to watch my tongue for now on."

Severus nodded and mumbled, "Thank you."

Hermione latched onto his neck and whispered into his ear, "I love you, Severus, I hope you know."

Severus' heart felt like it was going to leap out of his chest. Nobody has ever said that to me before. "I know."

When he didn't reply, Hermione pulled back. She knew it would take him some time to actually say those three words. He had already implied he did, and it was good enough for right now. Severus leaned down to kiss her, but she turned away at the last minute. At his hurt look, she said, "You'll want me to brush my teeth before you do that."

Severus helped her to her feet and she moved towards the sink. While she was brushing her teeth, he said. "There's a surprise for you in the sitting room."

"What did you do?" She asked as he wrapped an arm around her. Severus just smirked and guided her towards their guests. Her face lit up into the happiest face he'd ever seen as she saw two of her school friends. "Neville! Ginny!"

As Hermione latched onto each of them and cooed over their girls, Severus realized he did the right thing when he invited them down to their rooms. Hermione's beaming face equaled out the unpleasantness of having six Longbottoms in his dungeons.

Hope all is well :)

Also note: Check out my new one-shot (maybe) story called Positively Slytherin. It's just a funny little blurb about Ron trying to get Hermione's attention, but Fred and George are making it impossible... Poor Ron :)