Disclaimer: Not Mine.

Hermione's Son

Chapter 16

The next day found Hermione waiting in Kingsley's outer office, using the time to write down the questions she needed answered and the information she wanted him to release. That morning she had dressed for the occasion, taking care to look more professional than the untidy Muggle she had appeared as on her previous trip. She tapped her foot impatiently and kept cutting her eyes to his door thinking of Clough and assuring herself, that this was not the type of list he meant.

"Hermione Granger, he will see you now."Kingsley's receptionist stood to open the door, casting a look at the clock. "He was due in court ten minutes ago. Please make it brief."

Walking by the witch, her heels clicking on the marble floor, Hermione tried to make a comment only to stop when she saw Severus already in his office.

"Miss Granger," Kingsley greeted her, standing and indicating that she should take the chair next to Severus. "I understand from your note there are certain artefacts you want released."

"Yes, thank you for seeing me, Minister. I've made a list." She handed it to him, glancing at Severus who sat with one leg draped elegantly over the other, not having moved since she came in and making no effort to rise or greet her. "I don't expect anything today. I will make an appointment for sometime next week."

"I will be out for the holidays." Kingsley tossed the list, unread, onto his desk. "Perhaps, after the first of the year. I will contact you when I have time."

"Thank you. I will set it up with your receptionist on my way out."

"No, please. As I said, I will contact you."

"I see," Hermione said, looking between the two wizards. "You have no intention of seeing me."

"Hermione, some of the information you request is sealed. The rest will take a while to find …if it is not lost in the archives entirely, which I am prone to believe is the case."

"Strange, you didn't need to ask what I want."

"I am aware of your travel and have made certain…inquires."Kingsley held up his hand to silence any further questions. "You both must excuse me. There is an important case being held in the lower levels that I must look into. I trust you can find your own way out?"

"What is going on here?" she said, turning to Severus as soon as Kingsley walked out.

"There are things that you are not aware of that have to be considered. Certain security issues that you are not aware of."

"He doesn't even know what I want," she muttered, then paused as he looked away to pick up his robes. "Or does he? Is that what you are here for?"

"An entirely different reason I assure you."

"And?"

"And? If I planned on disclosing to you the nature of my visit I would have included you."

"You kept telling me to drop this. Was this why? Does he know something? Severus, listen, you don't know what I heard. There is more, much more. I think he, Mueller, had a memory charm put on him. I think he has been fighting it and is remembering things. I think that either the charm was done wrongly, or because of his journals…because he has fought so hard to fill in what he knows were blanks, his mind healed, filled in the void." She glanced over her shoulder at the open door. "Is that possible? Is it possible that the…"

"You read his journal. You showed me his claim to have reported a crime. When was this so called memory spell cast and who would have left such an important piece of knowledge?"

"I thought of that. What if whoever cast the charm didn't know he had reported it? What if they had used a memory specific spell instead of one such as I used on my parents, one that encompassed an entire time?"

"Many factors would have to be calculated. The age of the child, what memories were replaced, the age of the memories…if he saw something, knew something the caster of the spell was not aware of, and therefore that part was missed…it is possible that his memory has mended. However, it is highly unlikely."

"But not impossible?"

"No," Severus frowned.

"I am going to pick up Hugh…for the hols. We can talk about this when I see you. Severus, please…even if you are angry with me, come and listen to what I have to say. I need to bounce some ideas around and I think you may find it interesting."

"Hugh is not in the position to come home right now. It appears a certain conversation, overheard at the Broomsticks has already circulated. Specifically, a conversation that took place between his Headmaster and a witch that claimed to be his mother."

"Sweet, Merlin," she sighed sitting down heavily. "Now what do we do?"

"Again…it is the word we that I keep hearing. A rather strange habit you are developing," he said, glad to see her redden. "You should have considered the repercussions before putting on such a childish display." He draped his robes over his shoulders, tilted his head back and looked down his nose. "Furthermore, your son, as he is now publicly known, needs to deal with it and not be pulled out early. You will appear to be nothing more than an overprotective witch coddling her Slytherin son. It will also give the appearance that you find your position something shameful, which I will not tolerate. You know how single motherhood is thought of in that world. Giving in to their bigoted ideals, by you reacting the way they expect, you will only feed into it. You and Hugh need to stand up and face them."

"You'll watch out for him?"

"I will not indulge him. If that is what you want, you need to see Minerva. I will watch him the same as any other student under my care. There is also a matter of detention he is dealing with."

"I see." She stood and glared at him. "Not at all."

"That is uncalled…"

"I know, I know…it's just so frustrating being so far away and him not having someone there for him."

"He will be delivered home when it is time. Is there anything else…Miss Granger?"

He watched as she strode out of Kinsley's office only to pause and return just to slam the door. Pinching the bridge of his nose, he couldn't stop the grin that slowly curled his lip. With a soft chuckle, he followed her out.

~`o0o~

Two days before Christmas Hugh came home, rushed in the door and ran into the sitting room to find Hermione. Snape followed, calmly removed his robes and hung them by the door then walked into the sitting room and ordered Hugh to do the same.

"You're not my Dad," Hugh grumbled as he complied.

"He is becoming unmannered, selfish and insufferable," Snape muttered, watching the boy slink out of the room.

"I see, only two traits I can easily attribute to his Headmaster. You have perfect manners." She grabbed her jumper and headed back to the door they had just come in. "'Hugh, do as you're told. I need to talk to your Headmaster. Alone." She opened the door to the back and looked at Severus. "It will just take a minute."

"I am unused to standing in the cold," he muttered, yanking his robes from the hook he had just put them on and joined her.

"Shut up, Snape. It's the only place we can go he won't hear and I won't trust a silencing spell," she said evenly. "I wanted to apologise from my tantrum at The Three Broomsticks. But don't think you're off the hook for what happened at the Ministry. We need to talk about that. Anyway, I am sorry not for what I said, because I meant every word of it…except for the garden…I hate gardening…but for the way I acted. I should not have made a scene…but you make me so angry at times, I just want to scream. I also wanted to say...I'm glad you came."

"We can discuss the matter later when we are not being watched," Snape said, nodding to the house. "I have always thought certain children use their summers to learn lip-reading. An endeavour I would not put past that one."

"How did he handle the past few days? I've been worried sick about him."

"He did rather well, much better than I had anticipated. It seems he inherited a little of that backbone and stubbornness of his mother along with a penchant of turning every situation into high drama and taking centre stage."

Hermione saw Hugh standing inside at the kitchen window and frowned, waving him away from the glass. "What is he so nervous about? I take it there is something he doesn't want me to know? I imagine it is the high drama point?"

"Yes, however, you will understand….I trust you will understand without another scene…that not every conversation I have with a student will be repeated."

"What? I'm his mother! If he did something I should know about it."

"It only takes one adult to discipline a child. It has been dealt with and will now be forgotten."

"I must say, Severus, if you had asked me a couple of years ago what you were like as a teacher I would have answered much differently than I would now. Your forgetting the past is something I didn't think possible. Now…what did he do?"

"As I would have answered much differently if asked about your mothering skills, and no…it has been dealt with. If he chooses to tell you that is his decision."

"Thank you." She tried not to smile as she nodded and glanced back at the house. "I do think that is about the nicest thing you have said to me but you should still tell me what he did. Should we go back in or stand out here a bit to let him worry?" she said, tying to frown for Hugh's sake. "He still looks more nervous than I've ever seen him."

He took her elbow and led her behind the shed, the only spot not visible from the window. "I seem to remember doing this as a teenager."

"What? Hiding from your parents or boys looking out the window?"

"No, using the shed for this." He held her face between his hands, pulling her close as he bent down and covered her mouth with his own. Expecting her to pull away, he was relieved when she raised her hands to his arms, as if steadying herself without pulling away. Giving in to the feeling of her lips, he pulled her closer, releasing her face as his arms snaked around her.

"What are you doing?" she gasped, finally pulling back enough to talk, seeing him watching her mouth.

"This," he murmured, again capturing her lips with his as she leaned into him, moulding her body to his and raising up on her toes to better reach him. "Has it been so long that you have forgotten what a kiss is?"

"I have a vague memory," she muttered back as she fought to control her breathing, not sure if her shortness of breathe was because of him , the bitter cold or the way he lowered his mouth to her neck. "You may have to do it again. It's that short term memory thing…I feel a relapse coming on."

"You said I should go to my witch," he said softly.

"I said your not witch." She reached up and laid her hand over his mouth. "Is that what I am? Not your witch?"

He pulled her hand from his mouth, kissing her palm. "We will take it as it comes. I would like to see there this goes, but I cannot promise more."

"Do you want it to go someplace?" she asked, her eyes falling to his mouth.

"I would not be adverse to it. However, I will not…Hermione, stop. Hear me out." He strengthened his grip on her arms as she started to turn away. "I dislike entanglements of which you most certainly are. Twice in my life, a relationship has ended …poorly. I have no great expectations in this area, nor should you."

"Just tell me if you care for me at all. I don't think that is asking too much." She stood, wrapping her arms around her waist against the cold wind, watching his face for any reaction.

"Hermione, I am a grown man, a successful and powerful wizard, hiding behind a shed, in the dead of winter I will add, from a twelve year old boy who seems to have his mother's penchant for causing trouble. I have been yelled at in public, bitten by plants that have taken over my quarters, and am trying to explain myself to what I am constantly being told is the brightest witch of our age…of which I now have my doubts. If you need to ask if I care for you, I must have greatly misjudged your intellect."

"It would have been easier just to say yes." She swallowed the laugh that bubbled up, making a strangled sound.

"I doubt you have ever been satisfied with one word answers. This would have been no exception." Closing the small gap between them, he again pulled her into his arms. "I take it you have no objections?"

"To seeing where this goes? No," she said as she reached up her mouth to receive a small kiss. "I think I would like that very much. But…I need to go slow."

"Understood." He nodded solemnly and took a step back from here.

"Hugh's going to be coming after us. We better get back in there."

"Would it bother you greatly if he did see us together?" He scowled as he reached out and helped her settle her jumper back on her shoulders.

"He may not mind a sister snogging behind the shed, but his Mother and his Headmaster…that he would. Severus, he still doesn't accept me, not completely. Until he does, I don't want to risk anything. Not with him, and not with you."

"That's a start. At least we agree on something. However, I do expect him to know before you announce it at the Broomsticks."

She swatted his arm and laughed, taking his arm as they walked back to the house. Entering the kitchen,they found Hugh sitting at the table munching on cold chicken that had been in the fridge. "I'm invited back to Nick's house on Boxing Day. I can take the train and be back by six the following day."

"You just walked in the door. You plan on going today and then as well?"

He avoided her eyes as he kept eating. "I wrote him. He expects me on the noon train today."

"Hugh, you just got home."

"I need to shop. I can't afford what I want in Hogsmeade," he muttered. "This budget thing was your idea."

"You can't expect to buy Muggle things in Hogsmeade at a good price."

"Tell her the rest," Snape scowled down at him, his hands clasped behind his back, reminding Hermione of his stance in front of the potions class. "Surely she will be interested in exactly why you are over your spending allowance."

"What? You mean Natalie? Yeah, well…yeah, her too. She lives near Nick."

"Natalie? Natalie who?"

"Just a girl. She's in Ravenclaw."

"Ah," Hermione leaned back on the sofa and folded her arms. "I have to talk to Nick's Mum first."

"What for?"

"Oh, just to make sure you were invited and that's where you will be if I happen to check up on you."

"Fine," Hugh said under his breath as his throat blotched red. "I…I got her something for Christmas."

"If you catch the eight o'clock that gives you three hours to take the seven –ten back," Hermione said firmly. "So…what did you buy her?"

"A necklace, not a fancy one…but it's nice. I wanted to get her a set of mirrors, one for her and one for her Mum to use but they wouldn't sell it to me. That old Banges hag looked at me like I wanted it for something dirty."

Hermione held the slender strand of silver in her hand and complimented the half-moon pendent feeling her face heat up as she realized the mistake she had made in Hogsmeade. "Is she Muggle born?"

"Why? You said it don't matter," he said, not hiding the contempt in his voice.

"Again," Severus said with more than a hint of exasperation in his tone as he looked over the boy's head, watching Hermione's face.

"You said it does not matter if one is Muggle born or not." Seeing Snape nod he turned back to Hermione and rolled his eyes.

"A Muggle born girl may see this as something more than you mean it to be and her parents may think you …cheeky…too forward."

"I don't mean it like that!"

"I know, but here, in the Muggle world, this would have cost much more than it does in the Wizarding World. They may misinterpret it. She may be a witch but her parents don't understand the difference, not yet. To Muggles, jewellery can be a very personal thing. Not something you give a girl lightly, and seldom at your age, in that I agree. And definitely not something they know to be as expensive as this would be in their world."

"What do I do now? Headmaster? It didn't cost that much. She gave me a budget and I saved for it. Really."

"You give it to her in front of her parents and ask her father if he objects. If he does, you politely take it back and tell her, you…not she…will exchange it for something appropriate."

"That works?" Hugh grinned.

"Better than many of the charms you are attempting to master," Snape said with a smirk. "In her eyes, you will appear brave enough to face her father and in his, polite and well mannered. Although we shall know the later part is only a ruse."

As Hugh ran from the room and up to his room to get ready for his day, Hermione stood and smoothed her skirt, looking up the stairs after him. "I guess I better get this over with," she said giving Snape a thin smile. She climbed the stairs and knocked on his bedroom door, waiting until she heard a grunt she took as permission to enter. Cracking the door open she peeked inside, seeing Hugh. "Hugh? May I come in? We need to talk."

"Do I have a choice?"

"No."She sat on the edge of the bed as he continued to sort through his cupboard, finding something he could wear to the Muggle world. "You've out grown most of those. We'll have to go shopping next week."

"Don't expect me to call you Mum all the time. Just because you made sure everyone found out."

"I didn't mean it, Hugh. Truly. They overheard me. If I had known students were in there I would have used a silencing spell."

"They said you were shouting and having a row."

"I was not having a row. I would never do that in…well, I would almost never do that in public." We saw him turn around and stare at her. "Stop that. I … my voice was a little louder than normal. You know how things…echo in The Broomsticks." She lifted her chin in an effort to look sure of herself, seeing him smirk at her. "I am sorry they heard but they would have found out sooner or later. So it happened." She shrugged as if there was nothing to it, hoping to show him that she was not bothered and that he should not be either. "After the hols, you are going to learn certain spells…one including verifying bloodlines.

Now think about it. If you still thought your gramps was your dad, and you sprinkled a drop of your blood on a watch glass, then the spell is cast, what would have happened? Nothing…it will show a negative. How would that look? Not something you want happening. It's better that you and you housemates know ahead of time."

"If I say my father's name it would."

"If you knew his name it would show a positive. Hugh, I'm sorry…but that's not going to happen. I've already told you that. There is also a spell that will show what percent pureblood you are. Only the mother needs to be identified by name for it to work. It is said, that the spell goes back to the days of Sparta. That's when the young were taken away at an early age and brought back…"

"I'll wait until the movie comes out," he said dryly.

"So, you're okay with it?"

"Do I have a choice?"

"No," she sighed. "I wish things had gone differently for you. I don't know what you are going through but I want you to know if you want to talk about it…I'm here."

"I lied. I told them…never mind." He turned back to the cupboard putting his back to her.

"Hugh?"

"What?"

"What? I want to know what you told them. What lie?"

"I sort of made up a story. It was … something I heard."

"About?" she said, exasperation making it come out harsher than she had intended.

"Snape said that when Potter went to Hogwarts everyone treated him like a hero because of who he was and it went to his head. So, I thought if I told them we didn't want them knowing because of you being sort of a hero too it would work."

"I see. Am I to believe this was your idea?"

"Yeah, Snape just told me the story."

"Right," she said flatly, standing to leave. "Like a lamb to the slaughter. I guess it works as well as telling them anything else. Who knows? Perhaps they really would have treated you differently. I would have preferred the truth. You could have just said your mother was too young to raise you and you lived with your grandparents. Then again, remember the goblins? They seemed to know you weren't my brother."

He grinned and nodded his head. "What if I just call you Mum some of the time. It…you know, feels strange."

"I think I would like that just fine," she said, giving him what she hoped was an encouraging smile. "Once you get it sorted out in your head, you come talk to me. Now, you finish up. I have to put the kettle on in case your Headmaster wants a cuppa before he heads back."

"Mum? Did you really send those plants?"

"Umm, well…you see…I was shopping and…"she stammered, then nodded, feeling her throat begin to heat up and knew it would soon be high enough for him to see as it rose above her collar and changed her face red.

"Bloody brilliant." He grinned widely and shut the door, to whisper out the story. "Longbottom said they liked humidity, so Snape had his elf put them in the bathroom. Did you know he is the only one with a real shower? Anyway, the next day he looked bloody awful. He kept scratching his arms didn't sit down. And today when he threw his arm to do the side along, I saw his wrist. Big old bite mark it was."

"Oh my gods." She sat back down on the bed, feeling the blush, she had dreaded only a second before, blanch and freeze on her face. "Does the whole school know?"

"Kind-a." He sat down next to her still grinning and gave her a small laugh. "That was right after they heard about you and him having the row."

"And?" she asked as he stopped talking, somehow knowing this was not good.

"Well, they knew the card just said Granger. Mica saw it. So I let them think…you know…just to stop the teasing…that …that it was me."

"Glad I could help you out with that," she said, laughing in spite of the fact that she knew she should be telling him what he did was wrong.

"Snape doesn't know though."

"Good, I would hate for him to think you did something like that."

"No…I mean he does. He doesn't know you sent them."

"Oh, Hugh…no. I appreciate you protecting me…but no. I can't have you going around covering up for me. Especially with your Headmaster...especially not now."

"I didn't want him to know it was you…and…you angry now?"

'No, I am rather proud of you. Not lying about the plants, but not sending an owl asking me to come get you. I know it had to be rough." She reached out and ruffled his hair. "You just promise never to lie to him again..and yes, not telling him the truth was lying. Shite," she hissed, pulling her hand back in horror. "The bites are magical. He can't heal them."

"That's what Longbottom said too."

Hermione ran down the stairs, stopping to think of what to say. Leaning over the banister, she tried to see into the kitchen, wanting to judge his mood. Hearing him moving around and the sound of running water she thought it was a good sign that he was putting on the kettle himself.

"My gods, he's only going to be thirteen in a couple months and already seems more mature than I was at seventeen," Hermione said as she walked into the kitchen. "He told me about the little story you put in his head about Harry and his being famous."

"It worked. Perhaps I could have thought of something better. I, however, blame it on being around you too much."

"Shut up, Snape," she laughed and was pleased to see his almost grin that she had learned to recognize by the slight pulse under his chin. "So, tell me about this girl of his while finish the tea. Then I'll tell you a rather funny story of my own."

"He will break up with her. She will cry, he will sulk and forget about girls for a year or so. It is the normal male passage ritual. After that time, however, the real problems start. You have time yet to have him neutered."

"The voice of experience I see." She laughed, finished measuring the tea and poured the hot water into the pot. "Do that much? Neuter them?"

"Only those of bushy headed mothers. That is, of course after making sure they do not want grandchildren. Furthermore, the experience comes from being the Head of House, full of hormonal teens for far too many years. "

"Grand…no…I don't even what to think about that." She laughed and swatted his arm. "Now, sit. I need to tell you something…it's funny…really. When we met at the stationary shop, I had just completed my holiday shopping and found the strangest thing. Of course, I thought of you at once." She chewed her lip and glanced at the kitchen door, hoping Hugh didn't choose this moment to come down. "You best put up a silencing shield. I don't have my wand handy."

With a wave of his arm, he complied not taking his eyes off her face. "More confessions?"

"A small one," she grimaced. "Huge didn't send the plants. Isn't that funny?"

"I see. I must say I am relieved. I was beginning to see a family trait the lad had inherited. Now, I still have hope that he will pass his O.W.L.s when the time comes. You, however, are still true to form."

"You needn't act like a prat about it."

"So much of a prat that you gave me a shower room full of carnivorous plants?"

"Now, Severus, I did not tell you to put them in the shower."

"No, that was my folly for trusting the advice of Longbottom."

"I have Muggle ointment. If you take off your shirt I will be happy to apply it for you," she said with a frown, her brows knitted together.

He pinched the bridge of his nose and she could tell he had swallowed a smile. "I do believe in improper for you to rub ointment where the majority of the bites are located. It is not my arms that took the worse of it."

"Oh," she muttered, feeling her neck turn red yet again as she leaned to peak under the edge of the table. "At least you can still sit." Grabbing a small white jar from the cupboard over the sink, she handed it to him. "You'll have to smear it on yourself I'm afraid."

"I'm leaving," Hugh called out. "I'll take the 8:15 back so I should be home by ten."

"Mind your manners and…" She stopped at the sound of the front door slamming.

"The way he exits a room reminds me of you," Snape intoned, raising his eyebrow.

She sat down at the table, lifting her chin and pushed her journals across the table choosing to ignore his comment. "As I was saying…" She blushed as his chuckle filled her eyes.

"Must we do this now? There are other, more interesting things we could explore."

"I think this is safer." She returned to the papers that now covered the table and explained the confusion in terms and of her original assumption of the name Nuremburg. Starting with verifying Dr. Mueller's history the best she could through Muggle documents, she laid out what information she had of his family.

She told him of Mueller's father, a strong middle class railroad worker, a member of the church, who disappeared sometime around 1941. Showing him copies of a marriage record, she pointed out the mother's maiden name, Goldstein, and mused that it was strange that if she survived as long as she did that she had been living in the open before the move to Nuremburg. Hearing no response from Snape, she ploughed on, telling him Mueller's maternal grandfather had married a Bertha, obviously not German, last name Dippet. That was where the trail had grown cold.

''The first connection to this world and one I almost missed. I began to think it was only a coincidence then found a Dippet intermarried into the Riddle family. From what I found, Bertha Dippet does not exist. Not in the Muggle world and the Dippet family tree has so many holes in it it's possible she was a witch…or the daughter of a squib which is more likely given her age and the family information I have."

"Do you think this explains Dr. Mueller's abilities to see into Riddle's mind? Hermione, you know enough about blood bonds and soul transfers to know that is foolishness."

"I don't think so. Yes, it's rare…but not unheard of. The bonding…I agree there…there would have been some catalyst, some reason…love, affection, desire…no he clearly does not know who Riddle was and had no desire to know him.

I don't think his mother had magic either. If she did, she would have taken them out of there. She would have fled…or hidden the children. Even if she didn't want her own children, which doesn't match Dr. Mueller's story at all, she would have saved herself…no. She couldn't have been a witch and lived as she did. This didn't happen before the war when so many still believed the propaganda, or during when it was impossible for a Jew to move about. This was after the war…after and she still hid in the rubble. Hid…not lived in some damaged hovel…he said hid."

"How far do you plan on taking this? Is it your plan have a collection of horror stories now? When you first set off on this folly, you said it was to determine what caused the Dark Lord to become what he was. Quite different from what your now propose."

"I don't know. I may not use half of what I find but I need to understand. Anyway, I planned to have the Prophet pull their archives. If there is a link between him and Grindelwald I want to find it."

"Careful what you hope for, Hermione. Must I stress once again you should drop this?"

"So, it is bright and sunny out. Let's walk down to the pub and I'll buy your lunch." She smiled hearing the hard edge to his voice.

Severus remembered the pub, Sloan's place his mother had always called it. Her screeching voice seemed to echo in his head, ordering him to collect his drunken father, knowing that the child would take the man's wrath. "I would prefer not, there are more pleasant places."

"Oh," she said, her smile slipping, seeing his shoulders stiffen and his whole demeanour change. "I have ham. A sandwich? I can open a tin of soup. I am really good at that."

"That will do." He stood stiffly and walked into the sitting room, examining the books on the shelves, lost in sudden memories that washed over him. "Where have you stored my potion journals?"

"Top shelf, hall cupboard, upstairs."

"In the future I expect you to ask my permission before you move my personal belongings."

"Severus?" Hermione walked into the sitting area, wiping her hands on her apron. "What's wrong? Did I…say something? I only mentioned we could go out to eat. I thought you may enjoy it after eating at Hogwarts all year."

Hermione watched as he continued looking at the spines of the books in what seemed like an effort to avoid her. Looking at the sitting room, as he would see it, she sighed, began picking up magazines, and stacked them neatly on the end table. "It's a mess. The tree takes up so much room I had to take down the desk." She stopped and turned in a circle, examining the room. "Your mother never put up a tree did she?"

"No," he said flatly.

"If it bothers you to have one in your house I will take it down. I never bothered to ask you if you had any religious beliefs."

"If we are going out for lunch we need to leave soon. I would, however, prefer to take you to a place I enjoy much better."

"Severus," she said laying her hand on his arm. "I just realized how hard this is for you…to have us here. I think it is time for us to find our own place. You should have said something when I mentioned it. I know when I spouted off at lunch the other day I said I wanted to stay here, but just let me know and we'll leave. "

"No," he said, looking at the tree and hearing the confusion in Hermione's voice. "It is time this place…no. It is quite all right. It saves me the time of checking on it. Minerva was quiet correct in that."

"Has she ever told you to get out more? No? You're right…the pub has awful food. Let's go into London and enjoy the season. I can't remember the last time I had a good Christmas. Not since Hogwarts I'd wager."

"We could use the time to verify the identity of…"

"Oh no you don't. I want a fun day. I want to put on a new outfit and wear my new boots," she laughed up to him as she clasped his hands. "I want to walk between the shops and get so bloody cold we have to stop someplace for a hot drink and I want to spend an obscene amount of money on things that are completely useless and I will just pack away in the cupboard. I want to…"

"Have a typical Muggle holiday?"

"Yes," she said, rising her eyebrow. "What do you say? If you are real good I'll even buy you the best fish and chip dinner you've ever had."

"Curry," he said evenly, feeling his lip twitch at her excitement. "You will buy me curry."

"Curry it is." She reached up and pulled his head down until she could kiss his cheek then turned and ran upstairs, calling over her shoulder that he should at least try to blend in and change from his waistcoat into a jumper.

She pulled him into Harrods and to the gourmet food section on the first floor. Handing him the carry basket she filled it with her childhood favourites of imported cheeses, selected smoked fish and cured ham from Scandinavia. Not able to decide which of the fruit tarts she wanted the most; she took one of each, telling Severus he had best have a big appetite. Laughing at his scowl, she continued to heap the basket with condiments and plump Greek olives before spying the chocolate.

Giggling at Snape's look of disgust as she sampled one of everything she decided to pass on the sweets but bought a round of rolls, dripping with honey and nuts. Finally finished, she paid for their selection before pulling him to the upper levels.

"My Mum brought me here every year. I remember that first time I saw a life sized stuffed Giraffe. It's all I wanted from that point on," she said with a small sigh. "On Christmas morning I found a small one at the foot of my bed. Dad said they had shrunk it down just for me."

"Did they know you were a witch at that time?"

"No, they thought I had a brain tumour or something. They kept dragging me to clinics hoping whatever it was could be cut out. Dad would rather think that than to believe the doctors who said I was crazy. What about your father?"

"Watch you step," he said, spinning her around to step off the escalator, ignoring her question. "I will wait for you…"

She looked over his shoulder at the expanse of clothes. "There is a coffee shop back down on first. If you would rather wait there I may be a while….or books are up on ten. "

"I will wait here." He nodded to a small sitting area already half full with very bored men.

It didn't take long for Hermione to find the holiday fashions had either plunging necklines or higher necklines with halter-tops and bare backs, both of which exposed her scars or could not be worn with the bra she needed. The styles that covered her were too frumpy, making her look like the stereotypical schoolteacher or intended for young girls too shy and young to show more.

Unable to find anything she wanted, s he returned to find Snape waiting, their packages at his feet and a look of pained patience on his face. He stood immediately, picking up the sacks and walking to the down escalator. Taking Hermione's arm he led her out to the pavement before questioning her as to their next stop.

"So, where is this place that serves the world's best curry? I am famished and too tired to walk another step."

Severus stepped to the curb and hailed a taxi. He opened the door for Hermione before giving the driver the destination and after doing so, slid in next to her. Once he was situated, she wrapped her arms around his and rested her head on his shoulder.

"Thanks for today. I've missed doing things like this."

"It you are tired we can forgo dinner."

"Don't you dare! I am starving not sleepy."

The rode in silence as Hermione closed her eyes and drifted to sleep, woken only when Severus touched her cheek. "We are there."

"Oh." She sat up, and tried to get her bearings. "Where are we?"

"The north end. You've been sleeping for a while."

Hermione snapped her head to the meter, swallowing hard. "We should have taken the train. This cost a bloody fortune."

"You spent what must be a month's budget on cheese and worry about the cost of a ride," Severus chuckled as he helped her out, waiting until the taxi pulled away to shrink the packages and put them in his pockets. "I had hoped to fully use the time."

"Time? In the taxi?"

"For this." He leaned down and kissed her, lingering with his lips near her ear. "I did not realize it was after your bedtime. Perhaps we should return home so I can put you to bed."

She reached up and cupped his cheek in her right hand, stroking his skin with her thumb. "I took a nap so I could stay up late."

Turning her to the restaurant, he guided her forward. "Perhaps there is hope for afters?"