AN: I don't own Harry Potter and don't make any profit.
"You must be quite exhausted," Hermione stated, making him jump out of the bed, the book flying out of his arm and his wand pointing in her direction.
"It is getting a bit boring you know," Hermione fake yawned.
"I brought some fish and chips for lunch, I hope that's fine?"
Severus nodded.
They ate in silence for a couple of minutes until Severus remembered her books, "I like your collection of books, it's quite impressive."
"Thanks, working in a bookstore helps. But sometimes I get the impression I spend more money there, than I earn there." Severus laughed a genuine laugh, Hermione had never heard from him. She smiled and then suddenly frowned.
"What?"
"I just remembered you must have lost all your books in the fire," she looked concerned.
"Most of them that's right," he said with a sad expression, "but luckily not all of them. When I moved in with Sophia I took my most valuable, most important and my favourite books with me and as I didn't want Sophia to find out I was a wizard I left them all in my briefcase…"
"Undetectable extension charm?" she asked.
Severus nodded. "So when the whole place was about to burn down I just threw some things for Elena and a couple of personal mementos in the briefcase and left with her," he sighed, "By the way these chips are fantastic. The house elves at Hogwarts never got the hang of making proper chips, they were okay, but that was it. Why are you giving me that evil stare? Oh, I forgot you have a thing for the poor and misunderstood creatures."
"Yes and you might want to be thankful for that, otherwise you would still be running around on the street, with a new-born to take care of," she snapped and threw the used plates in the sink, so one of them actually cracked and stomped into the living room.
Severus sighed, quickly repaired the plate and followed her.
"Hermione, I'm sorry I offended you. I'm actually very grateful you letting us stay. Please don't be mad."
Hermione grumbled, "Here are your things," and pointed to a pile of shopping bags.
"Wow, did you buy the whole shop?"
"You said you needed everything," she hissed.
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry! Please show me what you bought for Elena, " he said softly.
"It was a bit difficult to find something for a girl that wasn't pink. But I found a few cute things. I especially like these jeans, they are so tiny, aren't they," Hermione nearly cooed, making Severus chuckle.
"Oh and I found something that will be perfect for the daughter of Hogwarts former bat of the dungeons," Hermione grinned holding up a tiny black t-shirt with white and red bats all over it.
Severus once again chuckled, "I have to admit it's quite cute. Don't tell anybody I just used that word. So what did you find for me?"
"Here you go," she threw three bags into his arms.
"That looks a bit tight and blue," he said pulling a dark blue pair of jeans out of the bags, "and that's a white shirt …"
"Well I thought you might need some shirts as well and a white shirt is a classic. Come on try it on for me. Please?!" she gave him her nicest smile.
He huffed and left the room. When he came back a couple of moments later wearing dark blue jeans and a white shirt, Hermione's jaw dropped.
"Isn't it too tight?" he said looking down on his new trousers.
"Does it feel too tight?"
Severus shook his head.
"I think it looks good on you, it's tight, but not too tight. It actually …" Hermione blushed. "What?" a smile tucked at his lips, seeing her blush again.
"Nothing. It looks good on you."
Severus looked through the other bags and just said, "Thank you, I like what you chose. How much do I owe you?"
"Er … the receipts are in the bags." After he gathered all the receipts and roughly calculated mumbled in embarrassment, "Hermione … I … er … I'm sorry I won't be able to pay you right away. I'm on a tight budget at the moment and I need to get to Gringott's at some point. I'm sorry."
"Don't worry. Pay me back whenever it's good for you. I trust you and fighting in that war had one good thing I don't have to worry about money for the next couple of decades, although I happily give all the money up and live as poor as a church mouse, if it would bring back all the people, that died, at least my parents," she said with a bitter smile.
"How come you don't have to worry about money? Oh I'm sorry, that was an inappropriate question."
"No problem. The ministry paid me a lot of money as a 'Thank you' for bringing down crazy man. You must've gotten something too for being the brave hero, you were!?"
"No I … hang on did you just say your parents died?" he looked at her concern written all over his face. She slowly nodded.
"They died in a car crash, about a month after they came back from Australia."
"Australia?"
"Yes I erased their memories and made them believe it always had been their dream to go to Australia. That was before our hunt for Horcruxes. After the final battle I restored their memories and they came back to England and after a month they died." She stared out of the window.
"I'm really sorry Hermione," Severus said, placing a hand on her shoulder.
"It' s not your fault," Hermione said, shaking off his hand and starting to tidy up the mess in the living room.
"Oh, here are your nappies and stuff." Hermione said holding up another bag.
"Good, can you maybe change me later?" Severus asked with a wink.
"What? Oh I meant Elena' s nappies," Hermione answered a small smile playing around her lips again.
"I just quickly prepare a bottle for Elena, she is going to wake up soon. Can you maybe give it to her, I just quickly want to pop downstairs and buy some … um ... underwear."
While he went downstairs his mind wandered back to her parents. He saw them once at Diagon Alley. They seemed to be nice, very down to earth and they really loved their daughter. And from a conversation he overheard between Albus and Minerva they also seemed to be very supporting about her magic, which wasn't that common for muggles. She must be devastated, he thought, slowly making his way back up the stairs.
He found her on the settee, feeding Elena her bottle, who slurped contently.
"You were right, she just woke up after you left. How did you know she would wake up?"
"You get a feeling for it, after a while. Most of the times I get it right, but not always."
Severus sat down next to her, "Listen I've got an idea for your bedroom. But it will only be possible if you're willing to sleep in the same room with me?"
"I don't know, let me hear your plans."
"Well since the rooms in your flat are really high, I thought of a high sleeper bed for you. So I would stay downstairs with Elena and you could have the upstairs."
"I'm intrigued. When I was younger I always wanted a bunk bed and sleep in the upper bed. But being an only child, that was never an option."
"Have you got some toothpicks or Chinese chopsticks anything wooden you don't need."
"Yeah in the kitchen. Why?"
"Well I need something to make the construction out of."
"With toothpicks?" she raised an eyebrow.
"Brightest witch of your age?" he raised his eyebrow in return. He grabbed a few toothpicks and an hour and a lot of magic later he had built a construction with a ladder to climb up on.
"Wow! You are quite the craftsman."
"Only if I have to," he grumbled.
"All it needs is a mattress and a small book shelf. And maybe a curtain for giving you some privacy. But I think we should buy a mattress, if I would transfigure something it might be not quite as comfortable. Is there a certain colour you would like for your new bed?"
"Pink," she said dead serious. He flinched, but didn't say a word and with a flick of his wand the whole construction wore a bright pink.
She burst into laughter, "You should have seen your face."
He gave her a frosty stare and she quickly changed the colour into white.
"So that's better. I'll go and buy a mattress." And she hurried out of the flat.
In the evening they sat together, the fire in the fire place crackling, Elena asleep on Severus' chest, making him look content.
"You look content," she stated.
"I am for now. I just don't know what the future holds for me," he gave her crooked smile.
"Ah I forgot," she suddenly jumped up, making Elena slightly jerk, by the loud noise.
"Sorry!" she whispered and got another bag, that laid abandoned in one of the kitchen corners. She revealed a box of chocolate frogs and a bottle of firewhisky and handed it to Severus, who mumbled "Thanks!" embarrassed that she got him some more.
"And for Elena I got something too," she smiled holding up a little plush lion and a crib mobile with bats in all colours of the rainbow.
"The lion will go well with her plush snake her mum got her before she was even born. She had this crazy fondness for snake."
Hermione laughed," That's odd and yet very appropriate."
"But Hermione, you shouldn't have done it. It's too much," he said uncomfortably.
"Please don't worry. But if you're feeling uneasy about it, you could share your chocolate frogs with me," she grinned at him.
He opened the box and handed her a couple of frogs. "
Would you like some whisky too?"
She nodded, got some glasses and poured them some of the amber liquid. They toasted and drank in silence, when Hermione suddenly chuckled.
"What?"
"It's just a bit surreal, you sitting on my couch, with a baby sleeping across your chest." He just grumbled something incomprehensible.
"By the way did you inform the Auror's office about your situation?" she asked chewing on a chocolate frog.
"No. Why would I? What would it help? What's done is done?" he huffed.
"You're being unreasonable Severus. There are a couple of death eaters running around, seeking revenge. And you just do nothing about it. I can't understand that," she said in annoyance.
Severus didn't answer, just kissing Elena's head.
So after a couple of minutes of silence Hermione got up, "Well I'm going to bed. Good night, Snape," she grumbled.
No answer.
She climbed up the ladder to her bed and hit her foot on a rail, "BUGGER! Lumos! I really need some light up here."
She quickly changed into her pyjamas, cast a silencing charm around her and went to bed.
AN: Reviews are always welcome!