Disclaimer:- I neither own nor own anything from this story. My plot is my own but the world of Harry Potter is the intellectual property of JK Rowling and associates.
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A/N:- Thank you to all who left reviews and alerts on my last chapter, I appreciate them all. Thank you to, the dragon and the rose for her beta work on this chapter, I hope you all enjoy reading this next instalment.
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Chapter Four – Next
Once Hermione's pain and anxiety had started to settle down and she was comfortably ensconced in Severus' warm bed with him sitting beside her on top of the covers, some of her tiredness evaporated.
She had a hot mug of tea in her hands, a plate of buttered toast on her lap, and she had never felt so much like she belonged somewhere. She took a sip of her tea and sighed, but then she said thoughtfully, "This would be complete if the kids were here right now," but then she turned to Severus and added, "Not that I do not want…"
He chuckled and held a finger up. "Don't dig yourself in further, Hermione. I am aware of what you mean, and I agree. It makes perfect sense, I fell in love with you while the children were around us, and it does feel natural that they should be here."
She reached for him with her bandaged hand, and he placed his own mug down next to his toast on his bedside table and shifted to allow her to touch him.
"I love you too, Sev," she told him earnestly, resting her hand softly on his cheek, and using it to gently pull his face closer.
Severus gave himself over to her, as he was desperate not to ruin anything with his inexperience at love. Therefore, along with his honesty to her in admitting how he felt—because she needed to know at this moment that she was wanted and loved so very much—he allowed her to take the lead, and he was pleased that he had, when her soft lips caressed his.
He shuffled forward a little more, craving her touch, and she sighed as she kissed him. They kissed for what could have been hours, but in reality it was probably only seconds, and when it ended as softly as it had begun both her hands were cradling his face. "You are our family," she told him, their eyes caught together. "I want to build a life with you, my love. You have accepted both me and my children without question, and I can't wait for us to be a proper family," she told him, and brushed his lips again.
His hands moved to reciprocate, and he bravely kissed her again, holding her face gently as he angled her head to better caress her lips with his. When he broke the kiss, he spoke, his breath moving the silky tendrils of hair around her face. "Do you think the children will wish to move here?" he asked, fearing that they would not want to move from their cottage.
"Severus, they all adore you, and I'm sure that they'll love it here… They won't even have to change schools," but as she said it, a yawn escaped her control.
Without another word, Severus slid down so he was supported by the pillows, and he opened his arm for her to nestle against him. "Here, lay against me. You need to sleep."
Hermione turned onto her side carefully, and just as carefully placed her left hand somewhere close to her body so it wouldn't get squeezed too much, and she sighed as she rested against him.
"It would be nice to disappear from the world for a little while… You know, from work and that sort of stuff," Hermione told him, sighing.
"You can resign if you want to… or at least take some leave, as you have the perfect excuse at the moment. I am planning to give up work now I have you finally here with me," he told her.
She glanced up at him, and he added, "I'd been planning to retire when old Dribble went. I just wanted to research and develop my own potions, something I hadn't had time to do since before the second war. After inheriting the Prince fortune, together with what Albus left me, I finally had the money behind me to do it, but then I saw the old bugger's replacement," and he kissed her head, "and I decided that I could weather the roundabout that is the ministry for a while longer with you as company."
Hermione softly stroked his chest, his velvet voice was lulling her into sleep, but she heard what he said, and she answered, "You felt that about me right from the beginning?"
"Well, of course, I knew that you were married to Weasley, but something about you enchanted me in a way I'd never felt before. I most certainly hadn't felt that way when you were my student, but after not seeing you for some years, as soon as I spent some time with you I was lost. Oh, I didn't think I even had a chance with you, but as soon as I saw how unhappily married you were it gave me some hope that maybe one day there would be a chance for me," and he shrugged one shoulder. "I've always been a fool where love was concerned."
"You are no fool, Severus, and thank you for believing in me, for showing an interest and pushing me to start wondering why I hadn't moved on," she snuggled even closer. "I needed that push to…" but then she stopped talking and growled softly. "I hate Ronald Weasley right now. I've never hated him before, I've been… well, fairly unfeeling… but this is too much." Hermione kept rubbing Severus' chest through his shirt softly, and it was a while before she spoke again. "Although, I'm currently here with you, and even if I'm in no fit state to do what I want to do, we're finally together. We can act on what we feel."
"Don't worry, as much as I completely agree with you, a couple more days won't matter too much," he answered, kissing the top of her head once more.
Hermione inhaled a deep breath. "I do wish the kids were here though."
"If they were, we would not be laying here like this in the middle of the day," Severus chuckled.
"Still, I want them here where we know they're safe, because I do wonder when everything is said and done if Harry and Ginny will side with him."
"They do have a track-record for doing that, but Harry does seem to be on your side, and none of you see Weasley that often now."
She sighed. "But blood and water, and all that…" and her voice cracked slightly as it trailed off, and was uncertain and very drowsy when she started speaking again. "Severus, will you stay with me while I sleep?"
"I will stay with you until you're asleep, and then I'm going to send an owl to my godson, demanding that he take on your case, and expedite the end of your fraudulent marriage as quickly as possible."
"Who, Draco Malfoy?" Hermione mumbled, and then she chuckled. "That will really piss Ronald off. That's a brilliant idea!" and her little laugh turned into a tired sigh as sleep finally took her.
Severus lay there holding her for an unknown amount of time, and wondered how the Weasleys would accept the breakup of the marriage, and furthermore how they'd receive the news that a former Death Eater was Hermione's new chosen partner. Well, Potter seems to be dealing with it well enough, he thought, and he glanced back at the soundly sleeping witch, and quietly slid his arm out from around her.
She sighed and muttered something unintelligible, and he kissed her temple. "You keep sleeping, love," he murmured, and finished getting off the bed.
xox
Harry went straight back to the Aurory from Ballycastle. He wanted to know exactly when things had happened, he thought it might help him to make sense of it all, as he was very aware that Ron had been enjoying the best of both worlds. If he'd truly intended to end things with 'Mione as he'd said, he would not have had more children with her after Rose.
Therefore, a crucial fact needed to be pinpointed. When did Ron make the decision to tie Hermione to their marriage, and why? Harry also wanted to ask Snape… Severus… Wow! he thought, who'd have ever thought I'd be calling Severus Snape by his first name… or welcoming him to the family. He'll be good for 'Mione and the kids, and as he thought that he arrived at Kingsley's office. "Well?" he said, poking his head around the door.
"Human stupidity never ceases to amaze me," Kingsley said, shaking his head.
"Then not good?" Harry said.
"On the way here, Weasley claimed that Hermione brought it all on herself. That he'd found the curse in one of her books; a book she'd left open on the kitchen table," and he shook his head. "What took you so long?" Kingsley asked finally.
Harry inhaled deeply and flopped down into the visitor's chair opposite Kingsley's desk. "That poor witch will need help, and regardless of whether they were married or not, she and Ron have six and a half Weasley children that Molly will want to know about… Kings?"
"Yes?"
"Do you think he did it… cursed Hermione, I mean, on purpose, or is it more likely that he thought it was mumbo jumbo, and he didn't understand the full repercussions of his actions?"
Kingsley sighed. "Most likely the latter," and he levered himself up from his desk. "It would help to talk to Hermione about things before we interview him, especially in light of his comments to me."
"Yes, you're right," Harry agreed, "and it would help to know her opinion on the book thing too," he added, getting up and following Kingsley. "Snape lives on the old Claybourne estate, doesn't he?"
"Yes, and there's something I've never been able to understand, even though it has nothing to do with this case," and he glanced at Harry who indicated with a raised eyebrow that he should continue speaking. "Why is he still working here at the Ministry? He was the sole heir of the Prince and Dumbledore fortunes, and that's not even mentioning the dozens of lucrative patents he owns," Kingsley said as he started up the hallway. "I mean, I could understand it to begin with, wanting to show people that he was not the monster they thought him to be…"
"But the Daily Prophet did that for him. Took him on as some sort of hero after the war," Harry chuckled. "His scowling face greeted everyone over breakfast for weeks."
Kingsley snickered. "Yes, he must have hated that… Such a private person."
"Yes, well no one can blame him for that." They started walking towards the apparition chambers. "When I finally learnt the truth of what my parents and Sirius did to him, I was so shocked," and Harry sighed. "It's no wonder he hated them so much… I'm glad he seems to have overcome that now. He's proved himself to be a decent human being, and he deserves his happy ending."
"Yes, we all deserve that," Kingsley agreed, and they walked into the room assigned for Apparitions to and from their department.
xox
Severus was sitting at his desk reading Draco's reply to his owl when he heard the knock on his front door. He rose and glanced through the open bedroom doors at Hermione, sound asleep in a halo of chestnut curls, in his bed—his bed—and he smiled before silently Apparating to the front door and glancing into the small foe-glass on the hall stand.
"Gentlemen," he stated in a smooth voice, as he opened the door and stood aside for Harry and Kingsley to enter.
"Good afternoon, Severus. We were hoping to speak with Hermione," Kingsley stated.
"Hermione is currently asleep," Severus replied. "She hasn't slept very much for over a week, and after the shock of today…" and he left his statement open-ended.
"We understand that," Kingsley replied, "but we'd like to clarify several things before we proceed."
"Also, there is some new and rather important information Hermione needs to know," Harry added.
"And we would like to get this matter sorted as quickly as possible for all the parties concerned," Kingsley said. He himself had left a rather pleasant situation at his own home to come and officiate over this case with Harry. Of course, he would have given any issue Hermione had his prompt attention, she'd been one of his greatest supporters when he'd decided to retire from the ministership and marry the young witch who'd captured his heart some years after the war.
Severus watched them for a moment, and then inclined his head. "Then please wait in here, gentlemen. I will have Portius serve tea, and I'll rouse Hermione," he told them, opening the sitting room door and gesturing for them to go in. "Portius!" he called.
The elf arrived, and Severus told him what he required. "Please, sit," he said to Harry and Kingsley, and he disappeared back through the sitting room door and Apparated back up to his study off the bedroom.
As Severus approached the bed, he stopped for a moment to watch her peaceful countenance. She looked lovely, and he just wanted to climb back into the bed with her. He sighed softly, regretting having to wake her, but he was also aware that they both wanted this settled quickly; she'd said as much while they'd been having their tea and toast before she'd fallen asleep.
"Hermione?" he said gently. He got a sigh in response. "Hermione, love, Harry and Kingsley wish to speak with you."
Her eyes shot open, and she sat up way too quickly, and then suddenly held her head. "Oh," she sighed.
"Take it easy, love, after your experiences you're bound to be a bit dizzy if you sit up too quickly."
"Yes, I just found that out," she said, suddenly becoming aware of another need as well. "Umm, okay, but I need to pee before we go and talk to them. Where…" she said, glancing around.
"Our bathroom is through here," Severus replied, watching her slipping her legs over the side of the bed. He'd purposefully not taken her into their bathroom to wash off the reminders of her torment before, as he didn't want anything in their rooms to remind her of what had happened. Neither did he blame her for not remembering where the bathroom she'd had her shower in was located.
"Thank you," she murmured, still sitting shakily on the side of the bed. Hermione still felt very weak, and she hoped that when she stood that her legs would hold her up. "What time is it?" she asked, as she stretched shakily before attempting to stand.
Severus put a hand out to steady her, but once he saw that she was stable, he pulled his fob-watch from its pocket and glanced at it. "It is one forty-six."
Hermione nodded as she dug into the bag at the end of the bed and found her dressing gown and slippers, and put them on. Then she delved back into the side pocket of her bag for a fresh sanitary pad. She'd felt a worrying flood of liquid as she'd stood, and slipping the wrapped pad into her dressing gown pocket, she picked up her wand off the bedside table and then moved towards the door Severus had indicated.
The bathroom door was beside the one that led to the room Severus had thought would suit Minnie, and she opened it and walked inside, closing it after herself.
When she returned, she saw Severus sitting nervously on his side of the bed. She smiled and held out her hand to him. He rose and took it. "United front," she said, as they started walking.
As he led her into the study he noticed that she'd obviously washed her face and she'd plaited her hair too. "You look fresher," he said. "Are you feeling better?"
"Yes, thank you. Thanks to your wonderful potions and some sleep, I have hardly any pain now," and she squeezed his arm affectionately.
"I'm pleased," he murmured. "And the sleep has obviously done you the world of good, but I should imagine that activities, like lifting things will still give you trouble."
"Yes, I should say that you're correct there, and I'll probably still need an early night again tonight," she commented. They got as far as the spiral staircase on the other side of the study before Hermione stopped, and turned back to look around as she commented, "Wow."
"Wow?" Severus repeated, looking at her.
"Will I be allowed to share this study space with you?" she asked, looking around the cheerful, but somewhat cluttered study.
A little half-smile tilted his lips. "I'm counting on it," he replied.
"Thank you," and she grinned at him before sliding her arms around him to pull him close. "This would be the perfect place to write that book I've been researching about probability and magical numbers."
"Indeed," Severus stated. "Well, if you wish, you have the possibility of simply doing that now," he added.
"Oh, Severus, that would be perfect," and she slid her arms up his firm chest and around his neck, but as she started to pull his head down towards her, she seemed to remember Harry and Kingsley waiting for them, and she stopped. "Bugger, I guess we better see the guys."
Severus chuckled. "Yes, as much as I…" but he smiled slyly and gestured for her to start walking again. They started carefully down the stairs with him supporting her in case her legs gave out under her, and from this close position he leant forward, his lips brushing her ear. "We could continue once they're gone."
"We could," she replied, glancing up at him and smiling in return. "Maybe you could come back to bed with me," she suggested as they continued down to the ground floor.
"Maybe I could," he murmured, still close to her ear as he opened the door at the bottom of the stairs.
She turned, hearing his voice, and he stealthily kissed her lips before wrapping an arm around her and leading her across the cavernous expanse of his favourite place.
"Oh, Severus, it's huge," she sighed.
He smirked. "I'm pleased you approve, and in the near future I'm very much looking forward to a greatly expanded Arithmancy section," and he smiled seeing her desire to stay and explore written all over her face. "Come," he encouraged. "We're on a promise to speak to those who are waiting."
"Yes," she sighed.
He chuckled at how disappointed she sounded. "I do believe that once we've had lunch, I will not be taking you back through here, or we'll never get to see the remainder of the house."
"Or get back to bed," she added, giving him a sexy little smile.
Severus couldn't help it; he smiled brightly in return. "I believe I am really going to enjoy having you like this."
Her smile broadened, but she managed to rein the expression in as they entered the sitting room.
As soon as he saw her Harry was on his feet. "You look so much better, 'Mione," he enthused.
Hermione glanced up at Severus and smiled. "I feel so much better." Then she looked at Kingsley. "Hello, Kings," she added.
"Hermione," the head Auror stated evenly.
Severus sat Hermione on the lounge and prepared her a cup of tea. "Gentlemen?" he questioned, holding the pot still.
"No, we're right," Kingsley stated, placing his empty cup down. "We just have some questions to ask, for clarification more than anything," he told them.
"Then you better ask," Hermione said, leaning forward slightly.
"We've been to Ballycastle, and we have Ron in custody," Kingsley said.
"'Mione, he has another family," Harry blurted.
"What do you mean, another family?" Hermione replied, glancing at Severus, but then turning back to Harry and Kingsley.
"Just what we say," Harry said. "He's been living with another woman… 'Mione, they have six children… and one on the way."
"W-What?" Hermione cried, but then she snorted. "Yeah, makes sense, since Rosie, we've been intimate exactly twice, and both times I've fallen pregnant," she muttered. "He had to be getting it somewhere else… I guess I should have known it would be something like this… Bastard," she muttered, but then she seemed to remember herself. "So, what did you need clarification on?"
"Ronald has made a claim that he saw the curse he placed on you in a book you had on the kitchen table. Could that in any way be true?" Kingsley asked.
Hermione looked slightly horrified, and then replied in a voice as cold as ice. "I would never leave a book that contained magic like that around for anyone to accidentally see, and especially not on the kitchen table. It is true that sometimes I have researched dark curses when I've been solving a number puzzle for someone at work, but I can't remember that specific curse," and she shrugged, but then she snorted. "However, I'll check my journals if you like."
"You keep journals?" Kingsley questioned. "That would be very helpful."
"I do, always have," she replied thoughtfully, but then said, "You know… the old Black library would be the most likely place that Ronald Weasley would have come across a book like that," and she snorted once more. "But it would have had to fall open at the right page in front of him and demand to be read…" she stated sarcastically.
Kingsley cut her off. "Actually, Albus had us… Do you remember, Severus?"
"Indeed," Severus replied, a scowl lighting his face.
"You and Black had that disagreement," Kingsley stated.
"When didn't we have a disagreement, but he wanted to keep that Grimoire. He took it… I wonder where it ended up?" Severus pondered aloud. "It had Molly Weasley completely entranced before I shut it," he added after a time, obviously still thinking about it.
"Do you think Ron could have come across it and it convinced him to keep it?" Harry asked. His knowledge of such books was sketchy at best, it was not something that Aurors routinely dealt with, but he was aware of how dangerous old family grimoires could be.
"If it has, a book of that power wouldn't have any trouble convincing someone as feeble-minded as Weasley that it could be his route to fame and glory, as well as the secret of his power," Severus replied, snorting.
"Of course, but this is only hear-say. We do not know for certain," Kingsley supplied.
"Then I suggest you find out," Severus stated, a hint of the old coldness that used to inhabit his eyes there as he looked at the two Aurors.
"Holly came up clean when I tested her for curses," Harry offered out of the blue.
"Holly?" Hermione asked, but realising that she was pretty certain that she already knew who that was.
"I'm sorry 'Mione, you probably won't be interested, but…"
"I'd stop right there, Mister Potter," Severus warned. "Hermione has had enough nasty surprises for one day."
"Oh… umm. Yes, of course," Harry replied, glancing away and grimacing. Severus Snape still had the ability to make him squirm uncomfortably.
Then Severus was whispering something to Hermione, and Harry and Kingsley saw her nod.
"Yes, in view of circumstances that would be the wisest option," she told him, and she turned to Kingsley. "If it turns out that Ronald was led by this book to do what he did to me, he will be set free without punishment, won't he?"
"It is likely," Kingsley agreed.
"That is…" but then she sighed and looked towards Severus.
"In any case, Hermione and the children will be safest here with me, and if it is that particular grimoire it needs to be located and neutralised post haste. It was a volume owned by Misopinoa Black if I remember rightly, and I only remember because I couldn't understand why the mutt had wanted it, as he professed to be so against all of the dark hocus pocus that went on in his family." Severus saw Harry bristle at his remark, but he knew that the younger wizard knew the truth of things now.
Hermione had seen Harry's expression change too, and she said, "Severus is correct, we'll be best here in any case," and she linked their hands together.
He nodded in agreement.
"We'll go and remove mine and the children's belongings from our former home this afternoon, if that's okay," and she glanced at Kingsley.
"Yes, the house has been cleaned of any curse fragments, all of which have been catalogued, and we're finished collecting evidence now, so you may remove whatever you need."
Hermione nodded her understanding. "I'll be consulting a divorce lawyer first thing Monday morning," she added.
"Yes, the appointment is already confirmed," Severus stated.
"Oh!" Harry gasped, his mouth open.
"What did you think I'd do?" Hermione asked coolly.
"Umm, I guess you'd do exactly what you've just done," he managed to say, but then thought, well, I might as well be frank in return. "Just like I've agreed to help Holly and her kids," but then he thought for a moment. "You don't mind, do you?"
"No," Hermione sighed. "I don't mind."
"We should get back and sort this out," Kingsley—the omnipresent voice of reason—said, seeing a stand-off brewing.
However, Hermione was surprised then when Harry said, "When the interview's finished, I'll collect Gin and the kids and we'll come and help you with the packing."
She glanced up at Severus, and he exhaled. "Well, I wanted a family," he muttered.
"Thank you, Harry, we'd appreciate that," she said, not getting up from the lounge as the two Aurors left. She allowed Severus to see them out the door, and she simply sat there looking around another pleasant room in her new home. She did wonder as she took in the room how much Harry actually knew about belligerent books and their wiles. Over her time as an Arithmancer, she'd dealt with a good many grimoires that had convinced people to do things that benefited the books, and she wondered if he realised just how dangerous such books could be, but she smiled as Severus came back into the room and invited her to come into the kitchen for lunch before she took a small tour of the place with him.