Hermione wanted to watch them, wanted to see this interaction between her daughter and the man that was quickly becoming more than just a friend. But there was something special about this, something sacred, and it made her not want to intrude. This was their time. She kissed her daughter goodnight, and followed with a kiss to Severus's cheek that lingered longer than it had any right to do, and she left them to their story.

For his part, Severus struggled to hold himself together, and he felt the burning of his eyes as tears threatened to fall. A nudge from the girl in his lap had his attention focused once more.

"Apologies Miss Rose" He cleared his throat and began to read, not doing anything to stop the few tears that slipped from his eyes.

He would not allow anyone to take either of them from him.

Hermione was waiting at the top of the stairs when Severus and Rose made their way up. Usually Rose would be half asleep when her story was finished, so Hermione would carry her up to bed and she'd be out like a light the moment her head touched the pillow. Severus had decided not to carry her it seemed, and she was certain she knew why, but he was holding her hand as she made her way up stairs, and she smiled at the taciturn man holding the small girls hand in his own. Rose had been taught from a very young age not to go anywhere near stairs unless you were holding a grown ups hand, and Severus was so damn overprotective she was pretty sure he'd bubble-wrap the girl if she let him.

When they made it to the top of the stairs, she briefly hugged Severus's leg before signing 'Thank You, Good Night' to him, and holding her arms out for her mother to pick her up. Hermione quickly did so, and tucked the tired girl into bed, where as per her norm she was out the second her head hit the pillow, once Herman was safely in her arms.

Severus looked somewhat nervous when she entered their room, She could tell he'd been pacing and likewise she could tell that he was about to apologise for what had just transpired downstairs, no doubt worrying she'd think he planned it, or was angry for taking such liberties with her daughter. He really was quite predictable at times, especially when it came to his self worth / self esteem and his interactions with Rose.

So before he could begin to apologise and beg forgiveness, she waved him off with a smile and gestured for him to sit on the bed, as she went to her dresser to retrieve her hairbrush. She could practically see the tension drop from his shoulders, and she fought a smile at the pink that tinged his cheeks as he sat.

It had been weeks since the night he'd broken down and cried about his childhood, and admitted the abuse he'd suffered, and Hermione had made a point of brushing his hair for him every night since before they went to bed. It was a simple act, and it seemed to mean so much for the both of them, feeding both Severus's long neglected desire to be genuinely cared for, and Hermione's constant desire to care for others. He would still blush in embarrassment every night though, something Hermione found simultaneously adorable and endearing, And he'd always insist that she didn't need to do it... though always accepted her offer and then shyly thanked her afterwards.

They created the perfect balance between them. In what had simply become 'their room', Hermione cared for Severus, gave him affection and attention and made him feel both safe and wanted, and everywhere else Severus was very much the stalwart defender of both Hermione and Rose.

Each night they slept close by each other, as close as two people could be.

Bar one thing, that was left unsaid.

They were not a couple.

They were not together.

Though Hermione knew, with all of her heart, that she was desperately falling for this man.

And she was terrified of ruining everything.

oOo

The next day, there was an incident. An old picture frame fell from the wall in the living room. There was nothing sinister about it, simply an old frame that had been hung for a number of years, and the aged string had worn away and snapped.

The frame had fallen with a loud crash, as the glass smashed upon the floor mere feet from where Rose was sat playing. Hermione was in the kitchen, and Severus in his chair, but in a heartbeat Severus had flung himself on his knees between Rose and the frame before it had even finished fully falling, throwing a frighteningly strong shield around Rose and putting himself bodily between her and the frame.

When Hermione dashed out of the kitchen to see what the commotion was, Severus was scowling at the picture frame on the floor and the room practically hummed with the strength of the wards he'd thrown up, wandlessly and wordlessly. Hermione approached and vanished the glass, as she picked the frame up carefully, and turned it around.

"The string snapped, it was just an accident-" She spoke , but was interrupted by Rose. "Ouch". Only from her mouth, it sounded more like 'Oww-chuh' though the meaning was clear.

"Rose!" Severus had whipped round so quickly she feared whiplash, as he quickly picked her up from her seat on the floor, sanding her up and desperately runnign his hands over the small girl trying to find the cause of her pain. She was now standing, and Severus on his knees so she was not much lower than him. "Rose, where...?" but the girl interrupted him by shaking her head and grabbing his hand and leading him to sit on the chair, climbing onto his lap as she did the night before for her story "Ouch"

Severus was about to question her once more when he saw the way she was grasping his hand, palm upwards. His palm was bleeding, he must have cut it on the glass when he threw himself on the floor. Hermione made to retrieve her wand so she could heal the superficial cut, when to her shock Rose leaned forward and kissed his hand.

You could've knocked Hermione and Severus over with a feather at that point, when Rose pulled back and all signs of the cut were gone. Rose simply offered him a proud smile as she brandished his hand as if to show him, "A kiss to make it better" Hermione told him softly, though Severus was too busy staring at his hand, held in Rose's smaller ones. Healed by her first ever accidental magic.

Rose seemed to realise Severus was disconcerted, and as he looked from his palm to her face a few tears broke free down his pale cheeks. Rose flung her arms around his neck and placed a soft kiss on his cheek, where the tears ran. "Owwch."

Severus wrapped his arms around her and held the small girl tightly to his chest in a strong hug. "Thank you for making it better Rose" he whispered tremulously and Hermione saw her daughter smile into the hug. A real honest to goodness smile.

It was then as she took in the broken picture frame, and Severus's actions that she fully understood.

Severus would die to protect Rose.

He put himself between her and a perceived danger without a moment's hesitation, or consideration for his own well-being.

And Hermione knew then, as she watched her daughter and the stern man hugging and smiling, that without a doubt...she loved him.