Disclaimer: All characters that are from the Harry Potter series, along with locations & other things recognizable to Harry Potter belong to JK Rowling.

Chapter 5

As they walked through the pub door, the man behind the bar pointed to the back corner. Hermione started to head back but then turned to the bartender.

"How many has he had?"

"He's been nursing number five for the last ten minutes."

She turns to Arthur and just shook her head. "Screw this, Arthur. If he'd rather get sucked into a drunken stupor, then let him. I'm going back to the Burrow." Hermione walked out and let her tears fall as she headed back to the way they came.

"Harry, go after her and make sure she gets back okay." Arthur said turning to the boy behind him. "I'll do what I can to get Severus back alright."

With that Harry turned around and walked quickly from the pub. He was worried about Hermione, and he was ready to pumble Ron for what he said to Severus.

"What's that about Arthur?" the bartender asked.

"That happens to be the misses. They got into a fight because of my dunderhead of a younger son." Arthur explained about the fight and what he had accused of Severus. "The sad thing is, Mac, neither myself nor his friend Harry could move to shut him up, we were in such shock. Poor girl got the beginnings of his anger and when he finally let slip what happen, she stormed out and started beating Ron with a pillow. The row was so loud it woke the entire house."

"Isn't she a bit young to be the misses though?" Mac asked he was kind of seeing Ron's point about him being old.

"Remember how I told you to get out of the country for a while?" Mac nodded his head. "Well, he was a double agent, and Hermione saved his life. That's why he looks so much older then he actually is. That man there is only thirty-eight. A mere twenty year difference." Arthur shrugged his shoulders before continuing. "He makes her happy and that's all that matters to me after that blasted war."

"Wait, that's Severus Snape?" He asked. At Arthur's look of question he explained. "I remember your boys coming down and bitching and moaning about a 'greasy git' teacher named Snape and trying decided if he was really working on their side. He's that girls teacher, ain't he?"

"Was, yes. I don't know when or how it started, all I know is my friend Dumbledore, who was Severus's boss, has no problem with their relationship. And for me that's good enough." With that Mac point his head in Severus's direction and handed him a cup of coffee.

"Let's get our friend sobered up some so that he can handle the misses in the morning. Sort of." Mac laughed at his little joke, while Arthur took the coffee to the back table.

"Hermione's right pissed at you and Ron."

"Why is she mad at me?" Severus said with a slight slur to his speech. "It's your sons fault. Blasted kid never did know when to shut his trap."

"You're right, but you held it in which caused you to snap at her. You know how Mia is. You can't hold anything back from her. It's like she can see into your head and knows when something is wrong." Arthur pulled the glass of whiskey away from Severus and slid the cup of black coffee towards him.

"I love her, Arthur. I can't help it and it scares me almost as much as the Dark Lord did." Severus said. "I'm not use to loving anyone but Lily and even then that was childhood love. Not like the intensity of love a man feels for his woman. Not like what I feel for her."

"I know, man. But she doesn't, and she never will if you don't tell her. If you keep running away from her when you get angry, she's going to start waiting for you to run away completely. Then she's going to stop waiting and leave first."

"God no. I don't want her to leave. I need her. I need her so that I can live. With out her I'm nothing, I'm not even worth living with out her."

Once Arthur got Severus to finish another cup of coffee they headed back to the Burrow. Arthur was hoping that Hermione would go back to sleep but he knew her too well. She would stay up worrying about Severus until he came home. Arthur shook his head as he realized how much the two loved each other but had no idea the depth of their partner's feelings.

"Mia, here they come." Ginny called from the kitchen. She knew her friend couldn't sleep with out knowing Severus was safe, so she decided to stay up with her. Ron had left to go to Melissa's and to get away from Molly's anger.

Just then Hermione rushed through the door and out to the front gate. Ginny followed behind at a more sedate pace. She had a feeling things were going to get louder before they got better.

"He's not sleeping in our room. I'm not helping him up those blasted steps, Arthur." Hermione said as she saw Severus give her a sheepish grin. "Don't even give me that look, Snape. You're going to hear it good and loud in the morning when you're sober."

"Come on love, don't start with that Snape nonsense." He said as he stumbled across the front yard to the door.

"Maybe when you stop treating me like I'm nothing more then an icky Gryffindor student when you get mad, I'll stop calling you Snape. Until then, tough shit, Snape." With that Hermione left Arthur to get Severus to the couch. She went into the room she use to share with Ginny and crawled into the bed.

"He's just not use to his emotion's, dear." Molly said as she slipped into the room. "He's never felt this way for anyone, not even Lily. He doesn't know how to act or respond to these feelings."

"So I'm to be punished because he loves me? How does that make sense, Molly?" Hermione asked as she started to cry again.

"It doesn't, but when have men every made sense? No one has ever loved him the way you do. He doesn't know what to do with that. He's afraid Ron or someone else is going to come along and it's going to be like Lily all over again."

"If that was the case wouldn't I have said yes to Ron?" Hermione said as she cried harder.

"Yes, but you need to tell him that. Make sure you're nice and loud too. Don't want him to misunderstand anything in the morning." Molly said with a wicked little grin.

Hermione lifted her head from the pillow and laughed. "Nice and loud to make sure he hears me or to make sure it hurts?" She asked

"We'll go with both, won't we dear?" Molly said as she left the room as Ginny entered.

"Better Mia?" Ginny asked as she climbed into bed.

"Yes, much better. Your mum is good at these little pep talks."

With that both girls laid their heads down and were soon fast asleep. Severus on the other hand was busy praying to the porcelain gods. With each heaving movement of his stomach he swore off whiskey and alcohol all together and prayed Hermione would forgive him.