The next day, when he woke up from a well-rested sleep, Severus found his wife drinking tea in their sitting area. He asked her, "I remember asking you to stay in the Head Girl's quarters for a few days."
"Yes, but the Aurors left, and I sent Dilly. She said you were asleep, and I couldn't sleep in my room. Dumbledore said the situation was under control and the Aurors wouldn't be coming back. So I came to check on you and fell asleep. Is it a problem?" she asked.
He was silent for almost a minute before replying, "No, it is not a problem."
She smiled and asked how the interrogation went.
"It was just routine. I have no problem because I am a skilled Occlumens and have developed resistance to Veritaserum. But I wasn't sure about Alecto Carrow, so I had to find her early in the morning before the Aurors showed up and modify her memories to support my story," Severus explained.
Hermione was impressed. "You are a genius- the most intelligent and sharp person I have ever met," she said and then felt embarrassed at her sudden declaration.
Severus chuckled. "Thank you."
She blushed and said she was happy that he was safe from the Aurors' scrutiny. She got ready and left for her classes, and he did the same. That night, when they were near their fireplace studying their books, she asked him if he could teach her Occlumency and make her resistant to Veritaserum too.
"So you want to learn Dark Arts, Occlumency, develop resistance to Veritaserum, and top your NEWTs exam while winning the war?" he asked in an amused voice.
"Yes, and also survive the war and write a book on it afterwards, which our bookworm children and grandchildren can read near their fireplaces," she declared, laughing.
Severus froze. Her words "our children and grandchildren" clattered and clinked in her mind. He slowly looked at her and noticed she was blushing from embarrassment again.
He cleared his voice uneasily and said, "You know that we don't have to stay married after the war if we win it, and also, at the pace everything is moving, my chances of surviving the war are almost zero, Hermione," he added.
All the cheer left Hermione. But she took a breath, straightened her spine, glared at him, and said, "Not if I have my way. If our union is so important that it is prophesied and required to win the war, I don't think it is a wartime one-time activity. I will fight to win, survive, and live my life on my terms- if possible, with you. I am learning to like you, Severus, and as I keep learning it every day, I don't find it a chore, which I thought it would be when I first heard the prophecy or when we married. But not anymore. I think I like liking you," she declared loudly. Glaring more, she added, "I would like it if you started planning on surviving the war too" and left the quarters in a huff.
Hermione spent most of her day seething. Her friends quickly picked up on her mood after she snapped at Ron for his poor table manners.
"Ron, must you chew so loudly?" she yelled, her voice cutting through the Great Hall. Ron stared at her, mouth half-open with a bit of toast, eyes wide in shock.
"Sorry, Hermione," he mumbled, swallowing quickly.
It didn't take long for Harry to feel her wrath either. "Harry, how can you not take your homework seriously? This isn't a joke, you know!" she snapped, slamming her book shut for emphasis.
Harry blinked at her, completely taken aback. "I—I am taking it seriously," he protested weakly.
The final straw came when Hermione accidentally knocked over her pumpkin juice. "For Merlin's sake!" she shouted, glaring at the spilt juice as if it had personally offended her.
Ron leaned over to Harry and whispered, "Maybe it's that time of the month?"
Unfortunately, Ginny heard him and immediately saw red. "Ronald Weasley! That's incredibly insensitive! Don't you dare reduce her anger to that!" she yelled, turning on him with a fierce glare. Hermione's scowl deepened as Ginny turned on Harry too, who had stayed silent but looked guilty by association.
"Honestly, you two are hopeless!" Ginny declared, before storming off to her class.
Irritated at her immature friends, Hermione left too.
Severus watched the entire scene unfold from his seat at the staff table. His wife's temper tantrum was hard to miss, and he noted her hasty exit from the Great Hall. He sipped his tea thoughtfully, pondering her earlier outburst in their quarters.
Meanwhile, Harry tugged on Ron's sleeve. "Come on, let's catch up with her before the first class. We need to calm her down."
Ron, still shovelling food into his mouth, nodded. "Right," he mumbled through a mouthful of toast. They both hurried out, determined to smooth things over with Hermione.
Despite their best efforts, Hermione remained off for most of the day. Her anger had morphed into a deep sadness by the evening. She found herself grappling with the hopelessness of their situation. Was it too much to hope that her husband could find some hope too?
She avoided going to their quarters as long as possible, not wanting to face Severus just yet. When she finally did enter, just before curfew, she found him waiting for her by the fireplace with a cup of tea.
Severus looked up from his book. "I'm sorry," he said quietly.
Hermione blinked in surprise. She had been preparing to apologize for her childish behaviour, not expecting him to apologize first. "What for?" she asked, genuinely puzzled.
He sighed, setting his book aside. "I'm not an optimistic person, Hermione. Being a spy, I always prepare for the worst possible scenario. So, when you talk about surviving the war, staying married, having children or grandchildren… it's a foreign concept to me."
Hermione felt a lump form in her throat. "But you can understand why I want to hope, can't you?" she asked softly.
He nodded. "Yes, and you are entitled to your optimism. But remember, as a spy, my pessimism keeps me alive. Every day, I must prepare for the worst to survive."
She nodded slowly, absorbing his words. He continued, "I wanted to tell you that we can start your Occlumency lessons tomorrow, daily at 8 pm in our quarters, after dinner and before my rounds or your Head Girl duties. We can think about building Veritaserum tolerance and further Dark Arts study after you show noticeable progress in Occlumency. I am certain you will be a better student at Occlumency than Potter."
Hermione couldn't help but smile at his attempt to lighten the mood. "Thank you for agreeing to teach me," she said warmly. She walked over to him, sat on the armrest of his chair, and kissed him lightly on the lips.
"You have your pessimism," she said, kissing him again. "And I'll have my optimism." She kissed him once more, more firmly this time. "If you ever want to try my optimism, I'm always open to teaching," she added, pressing her lips to his once more, this time with more pressure.
Severus returned the kiss tentatively, and she smiled against his lips, deepening the kiss. When he started to pull back, she gazed at him with sudden affection, feeling a surge of warmth and connection. She rubbed her nose against his affectionately, kissed his forehead, and said softly, "Good night, Severus."
She walked into the bedroom, leaving Severus to his thoughts. He dimmed the light in the fireplace, closed his book, and stretched in his armchair. Closing his eyes, he felt an unusual sense of happiness and lightness, a feeling he hadn't experienced in a very long time.
As Hermione lay in bed, she couldn't help but feel hopeful. She knew that their journey was far from over, and the road ahead would be fraught with danger and uncertainty. But for now, she allowed herself to savour the small victory of the day—a moment of connection with her husband, a glimpse of a future that was worth fighting for.
A/N: Leave a review to make me smile and keep me motivated to write more! :)