A/N- Thank you to everyone who has given me some form of feedback. I do hope that you enjoy this chapter…We're actually starting to get somewhere now! Yay! Of course, I still feel that Severus is terribly OOC, but I've resigned myself to the fact that it wouldn't work quite so well if he wasn't…LOL. Let me know what you think…
Hermione entered her room that night, grateful to have time to herself. She was able to read over allocated texts and do her homework without interruption, before finally sinking into the welcoming softness of her bed.
As she waited for sleep to claim her, she wondered how Severus was getting on. It had been extremely kind of him to offer his assistance, and she could only hope that Sophia was on her best behaviour, even though logic told her that the infant would be wreaking havoc that very moment.
And she wasn't wrong.
Down in the dungeons, Severus Snape was trying his very best to not throttle Hermione's assignment.
The tiny creature had been bawling for nigh on an hour and gave no sign of stopping any time soon. It was ridiculous, really. Surely a silencing charm wouldn't do any harm…
However, according to Hermione, infants shouldn't be exposed to magic so young, as it might have negative effects on their growth…Not that this particular infant would grow into adulthood, mind you, before returning to her original state as a doll. Especially if she continued on the way she was…
Snape sighed. He'd just have to get used to the wailing, he supposed. Otherwise the Head Girl would undoubtedly lose marks over his actions, and, for some strange reason, that particular thought had lost his appeal after the first week in her presence.
The baby continued to scream, slicing through his musings before they'd even had the chance to begin.
"What do you want?" He asked, storming up to the crib. He glowered down at her as she cried. "For Merlin's sake, be quiet!"
She kept on screaming, her tiny little hands balled into fists and flailing above her face.
Something inside her 'father' (he refused to acknowledge the title in this pathetic little masquerade) snapped, and he reached forward, picking her up as gently as he could manage in his frustrated state.
The change in position jolted her into a span of shocked silence, and she blinked up at him.
Severus couldn't help but be amused by the expression on her face. It read, for all intents and purposes, along the lines of 'And who the hell are you?'.
"There now," he said, his anger ebbing away somewhat. "You'd best get used to my presence, as I've somehow ensured that we'll be spending a significant amount of time together until you revert back to an inanimate object."
She blinked, but -praise Merlin!- remained silent.
Snape couldn't believe that all that fuss had been simply a means for some physical attention. To be on the safe side, he checked her nappy. Thankfully she was still dry, though experience so far had shown him that infants didn't stay that way for long. Perhaps she was hungry? Hermione had said that she generally had a little to eat before she succumbed to sleep…
Summoning a magically warmed bottle, Severus decided that it was worth attempting, at any rate, if it meant that the brat would actually go to sleep and leave him in peace.
He shifted slightly, so that the child was nestled in the crook of his left arm, and offered her the bottle with his right.
She eyed him with something akin to distrust.
"Oh, come now; if I were planning to kill you I'd simply reverse Pomfrey's charm."
Somehow, he didn't think she understood him.
"Drink, damn you."
Perhaps, he decided when she began to sob again, one small silencing charm couldn't hurt...
-?-
"Merlin, Severus, you look awful!"
Snape snorted at Hermione's greeting. "Brilliant assessment, as always."
"Now, really, there's no need for sarcasm." She pushed past him and plonked herself down on his couch. "You know very well that you don't have to continue taking her."
Several weeks had passed since Severus' generous -and masochistic- offer, but Hermione made a conscious effort in every conversation to remind him that he could change his mind at any time.
As usual, he waved the notion away. "Hermione, I am a man of my word-"
"You don't make promises lightly, I know." She finished for him with a sigh. "But, honestly, you look worse with each passing weekend...At least take one off."
"And give Albus a reason to terminate my contract early?"
She frowned. "I'm still not certain I understand why he's so determined to see you leave..."
"What reason is there to keep me on?" Severus replied. "I've made it quite clear over the years that I despise most children, it's well known that my temperament is volatile at best, and, to top it all off, I am no longer any use as a spy due to the Dark Lord's demise."
"But you're a Potions Master. Surely that counts for something."
"Sadly, with the war over, even the most inept potion brewers, like our dear Professor Matthews, can provide all that is required in a school's supply of medicinal potions...I am over-qualified for this position, and, as such, I am costing the school far more than a common teacher..."
"That's no reason to get rid of you, though." Hermione huffed, gaining a small degree of satisfaction from the knowledge that the awful woman was being paid less than Snape. "What if there's an emergency? What if-"
Severus chuckled at her moral indignation, and shook his head. "They will enlist an outsider's assistance. It will still be less expensive than keeping me on staff."
"You sound as though it's inevitable."
This time it was his turn to sigh. "It is inevitable. This will be my final year at Hogwarts." He held up a hand to stall her protests. "However, I will not leave quietly, and I will leave on my own terms."
She couldn't help but grin at his devious smirk. "What are you planning? And don't you dare tell that it's simply to befriend me…or tell me to wait and see."
Severus weighed up his options. She would have to know eventually. After all, she did play an integral part in his schemes, and she would have to be amenable to them...
But was now too soon?
He observed her openly, noticing that she still squirmed a little under his gaze.
They had become relatively good friends over the last few months... And it was clear that she wanted to see justice served…
He nodded, his mind made up. Hopefully this was the right decision...
-?-
Hermione returned to her rooms later that afternoon with a smile on her face and a spring in her step.
Severus' plans were far from subtle, but they were just what the Headmaster deserved. Certainly, they could get into a lot of trouble if anything went wrong and exposed them before she held her diploma in her hands (she'd checked the school charter to be absolutely certain that, once she'd graduated, nothing could go wrong) but the Potions Master was an ex-spy and a Slytherin! If anyone could get away with what they were about to undertake, it was him.
And the fact that she had the opportunity to plan alongside the object of her affections made it all the more enticing.
So, naturally, she had agreed to assist him, and already had the perfect way to kick-start their venture.
She just had to get him to agree to it...
-?-
"Severus, please, think about this."
Apparently convincing him that it was indeed a perfect idea was more difficult than she'd anticipated. Another week had passed, and she was sitting on his couch, spending her Sunday afternoon arguing about their Scheme.
"Absolutely not." He hissed. "It's hardly foolproof and is as transparent as Peeves."
"Not if we do it properly." Hermione countered, hands planted firmly on her hips.
"And what, exactly, is 'properly' in this scenario?"
"Once he's suggested it -which he needs to be manipulated into doing- you need to convince him that you hate the idea..."
"As I do..." He sneered.
Ignoring him, she forged onwards. "...And I need to argue that I am a perfectly capable witch and that your assistance is unnecessary...The usual really. The key to it all is getting him to think it up and force it upon us as a product of his own sadistic imagination."
"Which is precisely where this plan of yours can -and will- go pear-shaped."
"It's worth attempting, at the very least."
Severus sighed. "And if he sees through our attempts?"
"He won't."
"How can you be certain?"
Smiling with the knowledge that she was quickly gaining the upper-hand, Hermione shook her head at Dumbledore's expense. "He's getting too confident…He seems to have forgotten that pride comes before a fall, if you'll excuse the cliché. All we need to do is somehow feed him the information -preferably in a situation where he thinks he's eavesdropping on a private conversation or what have you- and let him put the pieces together on his own. Then we feign outrage and disbelief when he calls us into his office to relay his ideas." Her smile morphed into one of smug triumph. "He'll never suspect a thing."
Rolling his eyes in order to disguise his amusement, Severus sighed. "This plan of yours will have to be executed relatively soon…"
"You're fine with it, then?"
Nodding, he was taken by surprise when she gave him a brief -but, ultimately, too intimate for his liking- hug.
"You won't regret it."
He swallowed and willed his treacherous body to remain calm. Her hug had brought the images from his dreams to the forefront of his mind again, and he was suddenly all-too-aware of their proximity to one another…
Somehow, deep down, he knew that he would, in fact, regret this decision above all others...
-?-
"So...where are you off to for the Christmas hols, 'Mione?" Harry asked over breakfast the next morning, after the Head Girl subtly pushed the conversation towards the festive season (which was, as she had pointed out, 'just around the corner'.)
She shrugged nonchalantly, hoping that the staff table -in particular the Headmaster- could hear their discussion. As they were seated at the very end of the Slytherin table nearest to the staff, she knew that it was highly probable. "I'm staying here, I suppose." She replied, averting her gaze. Her parents had been called away for a dentistry convention and, as she was not yet a Hogwarts graduate, she could not legally leave the school without a guardian. Certainly, she was considered an adult in the Muggle world as she was over 18 years of age, but the rules were different in the Wizarding world, and she was counting on Dumbledore to recognise just how powerless that made her feel. "There's bound to be someone here with me…"
She felt vaguely guilty manipulating Harry in this way; he had no idea that this very conversation was being used to her advantage, and knew that he would be appalled if he had any idea of The Plan.
"I would invite you along with me…" he began, "but-"
"You've been invited to go along with Greg and his family, I know." She offered him a small, slightly pained smile. "Enjoy yourself for me, alright? I'll be fine here…I mean, I know just about everyone in our year is off with their partners...But I'll at least have the library pretty much to myself…"
"You can't tell me that you mean that, Granger." Malfoy cut in, reaching across her for some toast.
She frowned. "Why not? It'll be a brilliant opportunity to brush up for NEWTs…"
"Look, my aunt has a chalet in the Alps…You'd be more than welcome to join me…"
Though they had patched up their friendship after the 'kiss' incident, Hermione was still loathe to spend time alone with the blonde boy. And, if the glint in his eye was anything to go by, she had every reason to be weary around him…
"No, Draco, I couldn't…For obvious reasons."
He frowned, but nodded. "I suppose some of my family mightn't be all that inviting…"
She patted his hand reassuringly. "I'll come visit once we've graduated…When you've a place of your own."
She didn't know why she had to lead him on like that, though it did carry with it the added bonus of throwing the Headmaster off the scent of her attraction to Severus…
"So that's it, then? You'll be spending Christmas alone?" Goyle asked, furrowing his brow in concern.
She shook her head. "Of course not." She watched as her counterparts visibly relaxed, and she smiled. "I'll have Sophia."
The boys groaned in unison and voiced their complaints all over again.
From his position at the staff table Severus stole a surreptitious glance at the Headmaster and was pleased to note that the old fool was watching Hermione's group with interest. It was more than likely that he was taking in every word, which was exactly what he and Hermione were counting on.
Back at the Slytherin table, the Head Girl was preparing herself for the most important part of the discussion. If she was convincing enough, The Plan would go off without a hitch.
"At least Professor Snape won't be here." She told them with a smile.
"I thought you were actually getting on alright now..."
Thank you, Harry. She nodded. "I suppose we are... But you know how he is... I think he's looking forward to some private time. Merlin knows he deserves it..."
"Oh...Where's he off to?"
"I don't know..." She feigned irritation, "I'm not his keeper, Harry."
Taking a sip of juice, Draco shrugged. "I think he has a property in the country that he's been trying to renovate..."
"Yes, he has mentioned it..." Hermione agreed, "And that makes sense...He'll probably get a lot of work done without this stupid Sexual Education stuff taking up all of his spare time."
And there it was; the clincher. There was nothing more to do now but wait for the Headmaster to inform them of his self-assuredly great idea.
Predictably, Dumbledore sent for them that very evening.
"Ah, Severus, come in, come in..." The old man beckoned, proffering his bag of lemon drops.
The Potions Master declined the sweets with a shake of his head. Sitting himself down in front of the desk, he sighed. "Let's forgo the pleasantries, Albus, and get to exactly what you want of me now."
"Very well," the older wizard replied, "I was hoping to wait until Miss Granger arrives, but that is neither here nor there..."
On cue, Severus narrowed his eyes. "Miss Granger?" He echoed. "Certainly you've forced enough time with her on me..."
This was, of course, exactly the attitude that Dumbledore was expecting. He chuckled, sounding rather pleased with himself. After all, it looked as though driving the no-longer spy from the school wouldn't be as difficult as he had started to fear.
"Now, now, my boy..." he beamed, his eyes twinkling, "It can't be as bad as all that...Why, I was even under the impression that the two of you are getting along rather well..."
"We haven't killed one another yet, if that is what you mean."
Ignoring that particular comment, Albus pressed on. "At any rate, it has come to my attention that Miss Granger has no-one with whom to spend her Christmas break."
"And this has what, precisely, to do with me?"
"Well, as you are her partner..." he trailed off, allowing the other man to put two and two together.
Humouring his employer, Severus waited a beat (under the guise of processing the information) before protesting. "No, Albus." He seethed. "Absolutely not. I have plans of my own for these holidays and I refuse to remain here as a babysitter."
"I understand that you have plans, and I wouldn't dream of asking you to remain here...However, I expect you to take Miss Granger with you. I suspect you could both benefit from the company-"
Again, Snape took the cue to argue, which only served to strengthen the older wizard's resolve, as he and Hermione had hoped.
Speaking of the girl, where was she? Fashionably late was one thing, but not turning up at all was another...
Just as he was about to mention her absence, though, she burst through the office door, a wailing infant in her arms.
"And she finally decides to grace us with her presence," he sneered, inwardly taking in her flustered appearance and making a mental note to take her back to his chambers for tea once the meeting was over.
"Sorry Professors...I've had a bit of trouble with Sophia here...as you can probably tell..."
"Whether you can control a make-believe infant is of no concern to me, Granger. Find some way to shut it up and let's get on with this."
"Now, Severus, if you are going to be spending the holidays together, you are going to have to be a little more compassionate..."
Hermione frowned and feigned confusion. "I'm sorry, Sir, I thought I just heard you say that I'm to spend the holidays with Professor Snape…"
"That I did, Child."
She stared at him, wanting nothing more than to wipe the smug look from his face. "But...Sir...That's hardly fair on the Professor...and I'm more than capable of taking care of myself..."
"I understand that you are an independent young woman, Miss Granger, but I cannot allow anyone to spend the festive season alone."
"Headmaster-"
"I have spoken, Miss Granger. You will spend the holidays with Professor Snape and that is final."
She averted her gaze and nodded with a sigh. "Yes, Headmaster."
He leant back in his chair, pleased when neither Hermione nor Snape argued further. "Now, go and enjoy yourselves..."
They left in an angry silence, save for the sobs of the baby in Hermione's arms.
-?-
"Now, you've got everything you need?"
Snape sent her a withering glare. "Honestly, Girl, I am not as incompetent as Potter, so I would appreciate it if you stopped treating me as such."
She had the good grace to look sheepish. "Sorry...I'm used to making sure everyone else is organised...It's just habit now."
"Indeed."
Hermione blushed, and decided to change the topic. "When do we leave?"
"As I've already told you; when the carriage arrives." Severus cocked his head to the side, "Are you feeling quite alright?"
"I'm fine." She responded, feeling a little giddy with the knowledge that he was concerned about her. "Just a tad bit nervous."
The Christmas holidays had finally arrived and Severus and Hermione were standing upon the stone steps of Hogwarts, awaiting the carriage that would take them to the train station, from whence they would go to Snape Manor, via train and then yet another carriage. Hermione no longer worried that their plan wouldn't work... No, now she worried that it would work too well.
"Nervous?"
She felt her cheeks heat up under his gaze. "Just a bit."
He frowned. "We don't have to go through with The Plan. We can enjoy the break and let that be that..."
"No! No. I do want to go through with The Plan...It's just-"
She didn't get to finish, though, as the carriage arrived at that moment and the conversation was forgotten.
Or at least, she thought it was.
-?-
"Wake up," Severus said, shaking her gently, "We're here."
Rubbing the sleep from her eyes, Hermione yawned. "You let me sleep?" She accused.
He smirked. "You ask fewer questions that way."
She rolled her eyes. "Charming." With another yawn, she peered out through the carriage window. A large brick building loomed ahead of them. "That's your house?"
"Manor," he corrected. "And, yes."
"It's amazing..."
"It's falling to pieces."
She swivelled in her seat to face him. "But you are fixing it?"
He nodded. "I'm getting there."
"Well," she started, turning back to the window. "There's two of us, now."
"It's going to take longer than a couple of weeks..."
"Once school lets out we'll have loads more time..."
He felt a pang of something -longing and tenderness, to be precise- surge through him, and he quickly pushed the feelings aside. "Won't you be off exploring the world with your friends?"
She turned back to him once more. "Severus, you are my friend. And if you're not going to be living at Hogwarts any more, I am going to personally make sure that your home is liveable." She pushed the carriage door open and stepped out onto the road. "Are you coming?"
He gathered his thoughts and nodded, carefully lifting the bassinette and passing the sleeping infant to its mother, before paying the driver and joining Hermione on the driveway.
They made their way towards the building, each wrapped in their own thoughts. Severus unlocked the front door and instructed Hermione to wait there while he inspected the rest of be building and determined which areas were safest and which needed to be avoided completely.
When he returned to the front door he was looking decidedly uncomfortable.
"What's the verdict?"
"It's in pretty bad shape." He replied, avoiding his young guest's gaze. "Most of the upper level is completely uninhabitable."
"Oh no..."
" 'Oh no' indeed." Severus sighed. "It should take the best part of our stay to repair those rooms alone."
She frowned. "Is it safe to stay at all?"
"The master suite is exactly as I left it..." He fought the urge to shuffle his feet. "But that is it."
"So we'll be sharing a room, then." She concluded, suddenly understanding his awkward behaviour. He nodded.
"I will, of course, conjure a couch or a day bed for myself-"
"Don't be stupid." She admonished him. "We can share the bed. As friends." He moved to protest, and she shook her head. "And don't try telling me that it's inappropriate. Considering the stint we're going to pull at the Leaving Feast, it's hardly a valid argument."
He sighed in acquiescence. "Fine. But I don't want to hear complaints that I snore or steal the covers. On your head be it."
She laughed.
-?-
For someone that had argued about the normality of sharing a bed with a friend, Hermione was clearly quite nervous.
Her fears from earlier in the day were resurfacing, and again she found herself wondering if she was getting too involved. After all, she had done such a good job in smothering her feelings...would all this time spent in his company bring her attraction back to the forefront of her thoughts and emotions? And, if so, would she be able to cope with the rejection again?
Severus watched her pace across the room. "Surely the prospect of sharing a bed with me isn't finally unnerving you?"
Startled, she jumped and shook her head. "No... Of course not. I'm just thinking."
He arched an eyebrow, clearly sceptical. "Thinking about what made you nervous this morning, perhaps?"
Hermione took a moment to consider her response. Telling him the truth might make things awkward, but lying to him would probably send the message that she didn't trust him...
"Yes..." She finally admitted, "But I'm just being silly and over-analysing things..."
"Such as?"
"I just hope we can pull this off without anything going wrong, really." It wasn't a lie, as such... She was just avoiding the direct truth. "And that's it. I promise."
Severus nodded, apparently accepting her explanation. "There's nothing that can possibly go wrong now." He said, in what he hoped was a reassuring tone. "From here on in all that needs to be done is a compilation and calibration of stories, which we will perfect as the year wears on."
In fact, he decided, the only thing that could possibly go wrong would come from getting too involved with the young woman. He'd already resigned himself to the fact that he found her attractive, and he knew that she was attracted to him... However, she deserved far better than he could offer. And no matter what sort of plan they were preparing to unleash, their relationship itself would never go beyond friendship. Severus couldn't allow it to. He wouldn't.
Little did he know just how similar his musings were to those of his guest.
By the time Snape shook himself from his thoughts, Hermione had fed and changed Sophia and put her to bed in the crib they had set up at the foot of the bed.
"Right," the Gryffindor said, gathering her nightie from her resized trunk. "I'll be back in a tic..." She disappeared into the ensuite -which they had repaired earlier that afternoon- and emerged five minutes later dressed for sleep.
Or at least Severus assumed she had sleep planned. For a winter night-dress it was somewhat...revealing. It clung to her curves and scooped at the chest... He swallowed. This didn't bode too well. His traitorous body was reacting in the most primal way, and he dreaded the images that awaited him in his dreams.
"Is everything alright?" Hermione asked as she neared the bed. Snape had pulled the covers up around him and was staring at her in what appeared to be mortification. "Severus?" She had reached the bed and lightly touched his shoulder.
He jolted back to reality. "Merlin's beard, Woman, aren't you cold in that?"
She shook her head. "It's got warming charms woven into the fabric. They adjust to the temperature of the room, so I always feel just right."
I'll wager you do... He thought lustfully, before forcing the lecherous thoughts from his mind.
"Indeed."
Furrowing her brow, Hermione asked once more if he was feeling alright.
After assuring her that, yes, he was fine, he shifted his position so that she could climb into the bed and make herself comfortable.
Silence reigned for a least an hour before Hermione rolled over, complaining, "This is silly."
"Care to elaborate?" Severus grunted, trying to will away his arousal. Honestly, it wasn't the first time he'd had an attractive young woman in his bed, so there was absolutely no reason for his body to be reacting in such a strong way.
"The strangeness... There's no reason to feel so...awkward."
"It's not everyday I share my bed..."
"Nor I...But we're friends..." She propped herself up with an elbow. Her lips were close to his shoulder. So close that he could feel the warmth of her breath as she spoke softly. "I'm comfortable enough with you for this not to feel so odd..." Discounting my feelings, of course...
Lying on his back, Severus twisted his neck to peer down at her. "It wasn't all that long ago that you were still my student...Friendship or no, sharing a bed was bound to be awkward."
They fell into a more comfortable silence after that, which was soon broken by the sounds of a waking infant.
"Aren't you going to tend to her?" Severus asked when Hermione made no move to get up.
"No." She replied. "I'm waiting to see whether she's just fussing -at which point she'll go back to sleep on her own- or whether there's something really wrong."
The Potions Master was impressed. "You've really taken to this like a duck to water, haven't you?"
Hermione felt her cheeks colour. "It's getting easier..." The snuffles morphed into full-blown cries and she sighed. "There's my cue..." She pushed herself from the bed and took the squalling infant from her crib. Checking that no changes were in order, Hermione crawled back into the bed. "There." She told the baby. "You have company now. Is that better?"
Spying her 'father' -who had come to the conclusion that a wailing baby was an effective tool in ridding oneself of unwanted erections- Sophia stopped crying and stared.
"You know," Hermione began, "I'm beginning to think that you can take her every night if this is how she reacts to your presence..."
Severus merely smirked.
-?-
The Potions Master woke the next morning feeling somewhat disoriented. It took him a moment to remember where he was and who he was with. A weight on his chest took hold of his attention and he looked down, only to discover a mass of bushy hair obscuring his view.
Apparently, his house guest was -Dear Merlin- cuddling him!
The mass of hair moved.
She was awake.
Before he could feign sleep, she was looking him in the eye.
Yawn. "Morning, Severus."
"Indeed."
She yawned again and rubbed at her eyes, before burrowing into his chest. A moment later she apparently realised what she was doing, as she tensed and raised her head, cheeks aflame.
"I am so...I didn't mean..." She babbled. "I'm going to get up now."
Within moments she was in the bathroom, leaving Severus alone with his thoughts.
His body had reacted predictably to Hermione's position, and his mind was filtering in traitorous thoughts about how good she felt pressed against him and how nice it would be to wake up with her in more compromising positions...
Come on Sophia, he silently urged, remembering the effect her wails had had the previous night. Start crying.
-?-
The day passed without either of them mentioning that morning, though interactions between them had become strained.
When the next morning began in the same fashion, both Hermione and Severus realised that they had to talk it out and be done with it.
"This is beyond a joke, isn't it?" The Gryffindor asked as she emerged from the bathroom that morning.
He nodded.
"I don't mean to make you uncomfortable..."
"I know that much."
She sighed. "It's instinct more than anything on my part...After all, I'm waking up next to a tall, dark, handsome man..."
Snape snorted. "I'm hardly handsome..."
"You are to some." she responded quietly. "But...moving on before I make this even more uncomfortable..."
"You don't need to apologise for what you do in your sleep, Hermione. I don't care that you..." Sweet Merlin, he couldn't bring himself to say it.
"Hug you?" She offered.
"Quite."
Her face fell. "Still...I am sorry... I know that you dislike the idea of me being attracted to you, so waking up with me like that must be awful."
It is, he decided, but not the way you think. It was awful because he wanted her. He wanted to take her and ravish her. Waking up with her sprawled across him tempted him on so many levels, but he refused to give in. He was happy to sacrifice his need for carnal satisfaction if it meant that their friendship -and his ethics- remained intact.
"Hermione," he spoke softly, knowing that, once he reassured her that her assumption was incorrect, there would be no going back. "Waking up next to you in such a way does disturb me..." She began to tear up, and he spat his confession out as quickly as he possibly could. "However, it is disturbing because it...arouses me."
Staring back, positively dumbstruck, Hermione gaped. "Don't mock me, Severus."
"Mock?" He echoed. "Do you think me that low?"
She shook her head as he advanced.
Standing mere inches in front of her, he leant down to stare her in the eye. "I would never joke about such a thing."
She searched his eyes for a sign that he was lying but could find only honesty. Then something in him changed and she felt herself moving closer...He, too, was leaning down, angling his face so that their lips would soon connect...
They jumped apart, however, at the sound of loud wails.
Sophia had decided to wake up and, to Severus, it wasn't a moment too late.
Shaken by what he had almost done, the Potions Master uttered a horrified apology and fled from the room, determined not to look back.
-?-
The two spent the day apart, each dwelling on the 'almost' kiss. Severus couldn't believe how close he had come to taking advantage of his young charge, while Hermione couldn't believe what rotten timing her faux-daughter had. She was certain that, had she and Severus actually kissed, she could have convinced him that a relationship between them wasn't wrong and impossible after all. In fact, it wouldn't change anything of their Plan, other than making it much easier to convince the Board and Governors that Dumbledore had pushed them into a relationship…
So, coming to the conclusion that she would simply have to talk him into a corner again, Hermione set off to find Severus and get his attention.
Hearing a noise from a bedroom down the hall, she lifted Sophia into her arms and went to investigate.
The door closed behind her, causing her to jump. She spun around and came face to face with a positively stunning woman.
"Merlin," Hermione gasped. "You startled me." The woman remained silent. Feeling uneasy, Hermione addressed her again. "If you don't mind me asking, who are you?"
The lady broke into a broad –disturbing- grin. "I am Severus' wife, of course."
Hermione felt as though she'd been struck. Wife? Severus had never mentioned a marriage.
"I know what you're thinking, Mudblood...And yes, Severus is married. He makes a sport of seducing young women... You are the first Mudblood, though..." The woman picked imaginary lint from her blouse and flicked it in Hermione's direction. "You're not good enough for him...Not like the others...At least they passed their NEWTs...You're going to fail."
She' s lying. Hermione told herself, fighting the tears that threatened to spill down her cheeks. Think about it. This place has been practically abandoned for years... Snape never used to leave Hogwarts during the war, and he would have told me about a wife.
She spied an old wardrobe in the corner of the room and almost slapped herself. She's a bloody boggart! Oh, Hermione, you fool!
Reaching for her wand, Hermione considered an apt punishment and cried "Riddikulus!" then burst into laughter -most of it forced- when the woman was covered head to toe in mud. Banishing the boggart back to the wardrobe, and, having sealed the doors with a mediocre Colloportus charm, she sighed and returned to the master bedroom to ponder.
Apparently her greatest fear now was for Severus to be married to an elitist, pureblood bitch. She also feared that he was playing with her...and that she wasn't good enough for him. She certainly felt that she wasn't attractive enough...
But he did find her attractive. He'd admitted as much that morning. And she knew that he didn't subscribe to the 'Muggle borns are inferior' school of thought...
"Hermione?" His voice provided a welcome reprieve from her reverie, and she smiled up at him.
"Hi."
"About earlier..." he began, "I apologise for crossing a line..."
"A line that you put there in the first place..." She stopped herself and sighed. "You don't have anything to apologise for, though." Your wife on the other hand... She grinned.
"Nevertheless," The Slytherin offered, "I believe we could both do with a night out..."
"Out?"
Smirking, Snape nodded. "I've arranged for a stay in a Muggle Bed and Breakfast in Dublin..." At her questioning glance, he elaborated. "I've an acquaintance there...he owns the establishment. I thought it would be...pleasant."
"Oh, Severus," she beamed. "It sounds wonderful."
And it was.
They arrived by apparition, as it was the safest mode of transport for Sophia, and checked into their rooms. Hermione was vaguely disappointed to find that they would be separated for the night, but was so overwhelmed by the kindness of Severus' gesture that her disappointment soon faded away.
They ordered dinner from a near-by Muggle restaurant and ate it on the balcony, under the stars.
It was almost romantic...or, rather it was extremely romantic, but Hermione knew that saying as much would be a very bad idea.
She shivered involuntarily.
"You're going to catch your death out here."
Had he been watching her? She smiled and rubbed her upper arms for warmth. "Perhaps we should head inside..."
He rose and offered her his hand, which she happily accepted, and led her back into the room.
In order to avoid awkward silence, Hermione chose to bid him good-night and leave the evening on a pleasant note.
Determined to remain a gentleman (namely to make up for his behaviour that morning), Severus accompanied her to her door across the hall.
"Tonight was really nice," she informed him, touching his upper arm affectionately. "Thank you."
"You are more than welcome." He replied, feeling as though he were a gangly teenager again. It really was ridiculous. She shouldn't be able to affect him so. He had to get a grip on his senses...and soon!
Also feeling somewhat foolish, Hermione shuffled her feet and, on a whim, propped herself up on her toes and placed a chaste kiss to his cheek. "Good-night, Severus."
Before he could react, she had raced into her room and shut the door, prepared to spend the night dwelling on her actions.
-?-
The next day was spent sightseeing and shopping under the guise of clueless Muggles. They had received odd glances when they stopped for lunch, until Severus had gruffly explained to a curious waitress that his wife had perished during childbirth -"hence the infant"- and that Hermione was nothing more than his au pair.
"You might have been a little nicer..." Hermione whispered as they left.
He arched an eyebrow. "And she might have kept her nose out of our business."
She was about to argue the point with him, when someone called out her name. "Hermione?"
She turned to face the owner of the voice and was more than startled to come face to face with her summer fling. "Jackson?" She gave him a hug, forgetting, momentarily, about the infant in her arms. "What are you doing here, of all places?"
He grinned as they pulled apart. "Pool boys take holidays too, you know. 'Sides, it's cold. The resort doesn't need a pool –or its boys- in winter. Which means I get to spend time with my family…"
"I didn't realise you had family in the UK..."
"We didn't exactly do much talking, if I remember correctly." She blushed, and he sobered. "Speaking of…" He gestured towards Sophia.
Hermione's blush deepened. Dear Merlin, despite simple maths negating the possibility, he thought she was his! There was a likeness between he and Severus –and thus the baby- after all. "Oh, Sophia…she's-"
"Mine." A decidedly intimidating voice interrupted, and Hermione winced. She'd forgotten that Severus was even there!
Jackson looked between the stranger and his summer fling. "Oh…" He looked sheepish. "She's really cute…"
Snape looked down his aquiline nose at the young man. "Thank you."
"Oh…How rude of me! I didn't even think to introduce you…" The Gryffindor smiled uneasily. "Jackson, this is Professor Severus Snape. He teaches-" She almost said 'Potions' "-Chemistry at my boarding school, and asked me to be his nanny this winter, as he knew my parents were called away." She turned to her former Professor, noticing just how unimpressed he appeared with her. "Severus, Sir, this is Jackson…He and I met over last summer, and made friends quite quickly…" Amongst other things… "It's quite the surprise to see him here."
"Indeed." The older man said, brusquely shaking the other's hand. He checked his watch only moments later. "Anyway, as touching as your little reunion is, we must be off. I have an urgent call to make that simply cannot wait a moment longer."
Hermione sent an apologetic glance in the younger man's direction. "Well, it was a lovely surprise to see you again…" She said, leaning in for a brief hug. "Enjoy the rest of your holidays."
Jackson nodded. "You too, Hermione. Take care."
She smiled once more, then trotted away to catch up with Severus, wincing when he scowled and pointedly ignored her attempts to start up conversation.
She sighed to herself and trudged along behind him.
And things had been going so well between them, too…
A/N- You know the drill, people. ((GRIN))