Hello lovely readers! I am so sorry for my long hiatus, but I have returned. I hope most of you have stuck around and enjoy the next chapter. Please R/R and let me know what you think.
Hermione woke up Sunday morning anxious for her upcoming meeting at the coffee shop. She had decided that she was willing to hear Ginny out. Even though Ginny's actions had hurt her in the past, she wanted to hear what she had to say. Her mind kept tormenting her with the memories of Ginny berating her for hurting Ron. She begged and pleaded for them to listen, but it always fell on deaf ears. Today would hopefully be different. Maybe now she will listen to me. She has to.
Sabrina came into the bedroom and stared at her mother lovingly. "What are we doing today, Mommy?"
Hermione looked over at Sabrina and said, "I am going out today to see an acquaintance of mine." She couldn't say she was a friend. She wasn't her friend anymore and she truly didn't know if she could forget how she treated her. How they all treated her. Hermione continued speaking in a soft quiet voice feeling her anxiety continue to ramp up. "Remember how I received that letter last night? Well today is the day I will be meeting Ginny. Since it is Sunday, the shop is closed for today so you will be spending time with daddy alone. Does that sound like fun?"
Sabrina nodded eagerly. "Oh mommy, that sounds amazing. I wonder what we will do together." A bunch of ideas started popping up in Sabrina's head and she couldn't stop smiling.
Hermione and Sabrina headed down to the kitchen to begin making breakfast. While Hermione was busy cooking up eggs, there was a knock on the door. Hermione eagerly approached the door. Thoughts of anxiousness were gone at the thought of the man behind the door.
Severus smiled at Hermione as she opened the door for him. "Good morning, Hermione. How are you and Sabrina doing today?"
Hermione welcomed him into her apartment and sat him down at the kitchen table. She returned to the stove to finish up the eggs. "Sabrina, Daddy is here!" Hermione's voice called through the quiet home.
Sabrina bolted into the kitchen and immediately ran towards her father, a huge grin plastered to her face. "Good morning, Daddy! Mommy says I get to spend the day with you." She started to bounce up and down eagerly.
Severus chuckled at his daughter and said, "It will be my pleasure. I am excited to spend the day with you. Would you like to go to the park? I can push you on the swing and watch you play." Sabrina nodded happily at his words.
Hermione finished cooking up the eggs and began plating them for the three of them. She set down Severus' plate and she shyly kissed his cheek. As much as she wanted to jump into this newfound romance, she couldn't bring herself to be rejected. She had to continue to move things slowly.
The three of them sat in comfortable silence and began eating their breakfast. Coffees were being sipped by the two adults in the room, and the child was drinking her milk noisily with a straw. All was well for now.
Time was finally set for Hermione to leave. She was anxiously looking at herself in the mirror, adjusting her clothes and hair. She nodded at herself once and walked to the front of the door. She hugged Sabrina goodbye and said, "Have fun today. Please be careful." She took one last look at her daughter and Severus and she apparated from the apartment.
She arrived at the diner that Ginny asked her to be at. She spent the last hour this morning thinking and dreading the reunion that was about to happen. She was thankful Severus agreed to stay with Sabrina while she was out. If things went south, she did not want Sabrina to be there to see all that. She also did not want things to already be sour by the presence of Severus. She knew that when Ginny saw him any chance of reconciliation would not happen. She wasn't sure yet if she wanted to forgive any of them. They abandoned her when she needed them the most and if she chose to continue to seek out a relationship with Severus would they even want her around?
She slowly crept into the diner with her head held high. She felt her Gryffindor courage swell up inside her as she quickly approached the podium in front of her. A sign was in front of the podium that read "Please Wait to Be Seated." Her eyes wandered around the restaurant. The place was reasonably packed. There weren't many tables left for anyone to sit. Her eyes landed on a familiar ginger haired girl sitting in a booth by the window. She swallowed thickly at the sight of her.
A hostess interrupted Hermione's scrutiny by asking, "A table for one?"
Hermione quickly looked away from Ginny and met the eyes of the hostess. She responded with an anxious reply. "No ma'am, I am meeting someone here. I think she is sitting over there by the window." She pointed at the table and began to move slowly towards it. Her legs were having trouble cooperating with her. Her brain kept saying turn back but she trudged forward finally making it to the table. "Hello, Ginny." Her voice sounded very foreign to her. What used to be full of delight from seeing her friend now was full of anxiousness. She took a seat across from her. She cautiously stared at Ginny. Lines of stress and worry now dawned on her freckled face. She had a lovely red jumper on that accentuated her pregnant belly.
Ginny Weasley smiled warmly at Hermione. She truly missed having her around. It wasn't the same being with the boys. Sure, she had her mom but no one to have girl talk with. "Thank you for coming today, Hermione. I know it probably wasn't an easy choice to make but I appreciate you willing to hear me out." She began to play with her fingers, feeling anxious and a bit ashamed of her behavior recently.
Hermione nodded her head and said, "So why did you decide to bring me here? It's been almost 4 years now Ginny. A lot has changed since then, and I am not sure I even know who you are anymore." Her tone was cold and distant. She did not want to go through that pain again. "I thought we were friends." Her words came out in a painful whisper.
Ginny looked at her once best friend in shame. She felt embarrassed by her past actions. "Hermione, I am sorry for how I behaved. I shouldn't have abandoned you. I made a mistake. My idiotic brother swayed me into believing every word he said. It also didn't help that Harry was all over you as well. I shouldn't have jumped to conclusions like that. Please tell me the truth. What happened?"
Hermione took a deep breath and began retelling the tale to Ginny. "Before Ron and I decided to be a couple, during the Battle at Hogwarts, I was in one of the school hallways looking for horcruxes. I walked passed a classroom and Sev- I mean Professor Snape pulled me into an abandoned classroom."
Before Hermione can finish her story Ginny gasped loudly and yelled, "He raped you?" She was appalled at the thought of her ex-professor raping Hermione, and no one knew about it.
Hermione's cheeks stained in embarrassment as she looked around the diner and saw a couple of eyes staring at them. She turned back to her friend and said "Sh, people are staring at us, and no let me finish. It's not what you think. So, I am in the classroom with Snape, and I thought he was going to kill me or attack me. I was terrified. Thoughts of him killing Dumbledore filled my mind and I thought I could be next. Instead, he starts telling me that he doesn't want to die unhappy. He said he had started fancying me for a while ever since we were in sixth year. He started telling me how smart I was, and I was shocked that he was complimenting me. He told me before he died, he wanted this one wish. At first, I was a bit surprised and unsure of his request I mean he killed Dumbledore but somehow, he convinced me to sleep with him. You knew I always had an attraction to him. I always stuck up for him when Ron and Harry said something bad about him. His voice, the numerous buttons he wore, his brilliance, they all attracted me to him. He was an enigma to me. Everything about him was and is attractive to me so I took that chance, and it was honestly amazing. I don't regret one bit of it." Her cheeks started to turn rosy pink in embarrassment at her admittance of how well Severus shagged her that night.
Ginny watched as her friend told the story to her. The more she listened the more she couldn't believe it. "Are you sure we are talking about the same person? Snape? The bat of the dungeons? He was complimenting you and wanting to sleep with you? So, this was all consensual? You slept with Snape?" Ginny was truly shocked at her friend's story.
Her questions irritated Hermione but she bit back her snide remark. She nodded and continued to tell Ginny her side of the story. "Unfortunately, it was cut short, and he flew out the window. I thought when he died in the shack, he was gone so I moved on with Ron. We kissed in the chamber of secrets, and I truly was planning on marrying your brother, but then I found out I was pregnant. We didn't think of casting a contraceptive charm at the time and there was no way I was not going to keep my child. So, when Harry and Ron found out I was pregnant you all thought I was some whore and cheated on him. You abandoned me. You all abandoned me. I had nowhere to go. I had to give birth with no one by my side. The first 3 years of Sabrina's life was rough, but I made it work. I wouldn't change her for the world. She is the best thing that has ever happened to me. I am still very hurt that my best friends kicked me out. Ron was wrong. I didn't walk out on him, and I never would have. The quick one night of passion turned my whole world upside down. I am sorry if Ron was hurt by it, but I didn't even get to explain myself." The memories brought tears to Hermione's eyes. She quickly blinked them away and looked down at the table in thought. Why am I apologizing for Ron being hurt? I didn't cheat on him, and I was honest with them. Why couldn't they just accept it?
Ginny wanted to believe her, but she couldn't stop thinking about Ron and how much he cried about Hermione cheating on him. "But why would you do that, Hermione? I thought you loved my brother?" Ginny asked.
Hermione glared back up at Ginny, upset by her words. "Oh, like you haven't made a mistake before. I'm not perfect, Ginny. I never claim to be. You weren't always with Harry either. You and I both know you were playing around with Dean before Harry was even with you. Stop pretending like you were a saint when you weren't. I did love Ron, but we were not even together at the time. The way he treated me in our 6th year made me question everything. He was obsessed with Lavender and that truly put me off on the idea of ever being with him. Ron doesn't own me, Ginny. He never claimed me as his girlfriend until we kissed in the chamber and that was after I had already slept with Snape. I wanted to spend the rest of my life with Ron, but the minute he found out I was pregnant he didn't see me in his future. He couldn't fathom the thought of having a child that wasn't his. Can you honestly stay mad at me over something I did in the heat of the moment? I thought we all were going to die. Who knows if Harry was going to win the war or not? I thought if I could have this one chance before I died then I would do it. I do not regret what I did. I now have the best thing that has ever happened to me with or without you guys in my life."
Ginny slowly nodded in understanding. "You are right, Hermione. We all treated you horribly. We should have listened to you. I felt so bad for Ron at the time and that is the reason why I was so harsh to you. I truly am sorry, Hermione. I know I haven't earned your forgiveness, but I would like us to try to stay in contact with each other."
Hermione swallowed hard. She was not sure what to say. On the one hand she would love to have her friends again, but on the other hand would she be making the wrong choice by just easily letting them in again? Before she could respond a waitress approached their table.
The waitress smiled at the two of them unaware of the internal battle that was happening inside Hermione. "Have you two decided on what you would like to order?"
Ginny looked up at the waitress and said, "Sure, I would like a cappuccino please with a blueberry muffin."
Hermione wasn't exactly hungry but to be nice she decided to order a small hot chocolate with a croissant. When the waitress left their table with their order, she looked at Ginny and said, "If we decide to rekindle this friendship of ours are you going to go back to Harry and Ron and continue to bad mouth me?" Her words were sharp. She wasn't going to freely agree to anything without making sure her friend truly meant what she said.
Ginny smiled sheepishly and said, "No. In fact, I think I will talk with Harry tonight and see if I can have him reconsider. I want you to be around when James is born. It will be great seeing James have a little playmate eventually when he gets older. I miss you terribly, Hermione. It hasn't been the same since you've been gone, and I think it's time that we change that."
Hermione wanted to believe her but the thought of Harry and Ginny sitting in her living room with Severus by her side just didn't seem plausible. "I don't know, Ginny. I would love all of those things too, but the fact is, Severus and I are…" She didn't know how to explain it. They weren't necessarily a couple just yet, but she was smitten for sure. She decided to just state the facts for now. "Severus is still very much in my life. I mean he takes care of Sabrina, and we work together. I don't see Harry or Ron getting along with him and that is very important to me. I don't want to bring stress into our lives. We both have had a hard time recovering from the war and we don't need drama." She didn't intend to sound so cold, but she wanted to be very direct with her words.
Their food arrived and they slowly began eating their food. Unlike this morning, the silence between them was uncomfortable. Ginny still didn't respond to her words and Hermione didn't have anything else to add to the conversation. She refused to let Severus go for the sake of her "friends." I love him. Her train of thought startled her. She pushed her thoughts away quickly and continued to eat her croissant.
Ginny took a long sip from her cappuccino and began speaking again after five minutes had passed. "I understand, Hermione. I don't want to have any arguments. I just want my friend back. I promise I will go tonight and speak with Harry. I will make him understand. We will fix this. Just give me time to talk with them."
Hermione nodded at her, still not believing that things would go well. She knew her friends far too well. They hated Snape and she didn't see them coming to any sort of compromise. Instead of voicing her disbelief, she finished up her drink and food and bid Ginny a farewell for now.