AN: I won't update until the New Year. If you celebrate New Year's Day, Happy Early New Year! If not, I hope you have an amazing week

Thank you for all the support! It is very deeply appreciated!

Hermione Granger wasn't an adult. She was a liar. A no-good, dirty rotten liar.

Correction: she somewhat told Severus the truth. It was unwise to get involved with him given her past and the problems she was bound to cause by virtue of her bossiness and lack of social grace. Her heart and body did not agree with her mind, though. All they wanted was to be in Severus' arms.

Although she and Severus played poker as if nothing had occurred, every few moments a silence would fall between them. Hermione would focus upon his lips, wondering what it would be like for them to be pressed against hers again. A few times she wanted to embrace him, just to feel his body against hers again. Then, she wanted to beg him to forget everything she'd said that morning and make love to her until she had no choice but to shout out the three words she most dreaded saying.

Her mind wanted to forget his kisses, chalk them up to a terrible impulse, a moment of weakness. Yet she couldn't forget the sensation of his body against hers, his lips devouring hers, or her love radiating from her body into his. No matter what she said or did, she wanted, needed, and loved him. His low purr excited her in ways no other man ever had. The intellect he displayed was more alluring than any library ever was. Merlin, she wanted that man, and she needed him now.

And everything she'd said that afternoon ensured that she would never have him as anything more than a friend.

Some days, life was a cruel joke.

Hermione opened the door to Severus' house, exhaustion weighing down her body. She didn't know why she was fatigued or why she needed to hide away and forget the world existed. All she knew was that she needed to see the man she loved.

"The dunderheads were in rare form today, weren't they?"

Her lips curled up at the sound of Severus' voice. Sometimes he was the only bright spot in her day, or in this case her night.

"You have no idea," she slumped at his table. "Convention days are the worst. Everyone thinks because they've spent the last two days in Vegas, they know everything about the city."

"I can relate." He chuckled as he poured the concoction he'd been making into a poco grande glass. "Once they finished pilfering through your books, they wandered into my apothecary."

"Spending all day with them bargaining over prices must have driven you around the bend."

He frowned. "You have no idea. If I have to hear one more time about how prices of potions are lower in Cleveland, I'm going to ram my head against a wall. The dunderheads don't understand that the cost of living is less expensive there than it is here. The fact I need to feed us and put a roof over our heads means little to them."

"They can't grasp the simplest of concepts, can they?"

"No," He handed her the drink before brushing his lips against hers. "Some days I swear you are the only person who understands me. I don't know how I'd survive in this world without you."

"I don't know how I'd survive without you either." Hermione took a sip before taking note of her arms. She was in a sleeveless dress, one that exposed her bare skin, including her Mudblood scar. Her eyes grew before she yelled, "Shit!"

He quirked an eyebrow. "What's wrong? Was there a fly on the cherry?"

"No, but." She glanced around for anything that could hide her arm.

"But what?"

"I just realized I, uh." She put her right arm under the table and squirmed. "I'm not appropriately dressed."

His eyebrow was raised higher. "You aren't dressed for your own house?"

"My own house?"

"Yes," he drawled. "You have lived here for the last several years."

She glanced at her hand, which held a ring with a tasteful emerald surrounded by diamonds, sitting atop a silver band. Her stomach was also larger than she remembered it to be. Had she gained weight due to consuming too much pizza, or had intimacy with Severus played a role in her new appearance?

"Severus," her eyes grew. "I don't understand."

"What don't you understand?" He turned to the doorway. "Are you hot and need the AC turned on higher?"

"No, but." She squirmed. "I guess I forgot we were engaged."

"You do need the AC turned up." He rushed out of the kitchen. "If you think four years of marriage is nothing more than an engagement, then the AC is not working as it should. You are on the verge of heat stroke, which isn't shocking given your condition."

"My condition?"

"Merlin woman, you forgot you were pregnant too?"

"Pregnant?" Her eyes glistened. It had always been her secret desire to be a mother. After leaving Britain, she'd given up on the dream, believing she was too inept at love to find anyone who would want to raise a child with her. Had Severus finally provided her with the child she'd always yearned for?

"I'll turn the thermostat down a few degrees," he continued. "With any luck we won't need to take you to a hospital for heat stroke."

"Wait." She followed him. Then she grabbed his hand and pulled him towards her. "I'm pregnant, we're married, and I haven't been wearing long sleeves the entire time?"

His eyes flickered in understanding. "You're still self-conscious about the scar, aren't you?"

She nodded, feeling ridiculous that she managed to get pregnant while fretting over a scar.

He held her close to him. "How many times do I need to tell you that I love you, scar and all, before you believe me?"

"You love me?" Her eyes glistened as if she'd won every slot machine in the Westgate.

"Yes, I love you," he began kissing her neck. "I love you," he kissed her jaw. "Gods, I love you, Hermione." He kissed her lips.

"I love you too," her voice cracked. "Oh Severus, I love you! I haven't forgotten a single moment between us! I love you. Sometimes I'm afraid to say it, but I love you."

He grinned. "I know, my love."

She wrapped her arms around him. "I love you."

"I love you too," he brushed his lips against hers. "And I'm going to spend the rest of my life making sure you know how truly, madly, and deeply I love you."

"Severus?"

Hermione sat upright and scanned the room for him. He was nowhere to be found. Once again, she was alone in her bedroom, dreaming of a man she had just pushed away and the baby she didn't know was possible until now.

She glanced at the clock. 3:00 AM. Tonight she couldn't blame Melonie for keeping her awake. There were no cars rushing by or loud parties. It was just her, alone in the dark, alone in a room, yearning for Severus.

Hermione groaned as tears trickled down her cheeks. Her only torturous comfort was the memory of their kiss, the sensation of their bodies melting into one another, the sound of his moans and purrs as she touched him.

All that remained was the knowledge that no matter how long she lived, she would never forget the sensation of Severus Snape's lips against hers.

Severus Snape wasn't a brave man. He was a coward. A no-good, dirty, rotten coward.

All evening, he'd tried to pretend as if nothing had happened between them. He did everything in his power to forget that he had ever kissed Hermione. For the most part, he had been successful. Yet every once in a while, a silence would fall between them, and they would stare at each other's lips.

Everything inside of him had screamed for him to admit that he would never forget those kisses and to tell her that he would love her for the rest of his existence. He should've told Hermione that he was a man who had never known love, so he was terrified of it when it came his way. Then, he should've taken her in his arms, told her he refused to forget what happened last Saturday, and kissed her until she forgot any other man existed.

What was her boyfriend's name again? Severus never asked, in part because he didn't want to name his enemy. Best to think of him as a shadowy version of James Potter that he could somehow defeat, then admit he was a real person who was stealing away the only woman he would ever love.

At least he still had Hermione's friendship. Despite their moment of weakness, she was still by his side. That had to count for something.

Until it didn't.

When their moments of silence had occurred, he was too much of a coward to make a move. Instead, he settled for friendship, despite his body, heart, and soul yearning for more. No matter what he said or did, he wanted and needed her. Her glistening caramel eyes were the two most beautiful orbs he'd ever seen, her smile was the most alluring sight Severus had ever experienced, and her intellect was more exciting than any library. Merlin, he wanted that woman and needed her now.

And everything he'd said the night of the kiss ensured that he would never have her as anything more than a friend.

Some days, life was a cruel joke.

Severus strolled into the bedroom, his body weighed down by the stresses of the day. He had long forgotten what had made him tired. Perhaps it was life. Existence was one reason to feel weary.

With the flick of his wrist, the lights to his bedroom turned on.

"Hello, Severus."

His heart stopped as he beheld the woman in a long-sleeved emerald dress lying on his bed. Her caramel eyes maintained that kindness he'd come to cherish, and her hair was wild enough to excite him. Unlike her other long-sleeve dresses, though, this one clung to her figure, allowing him to see her slightly swollen stomach. The slit going up her leg gave him a wonderful view of her calves and thighs.

What's more, she was wearing his mother's emerald ring. Dare he hope that he was courageous enough to correct his biggest mistake? Was he responsible for her enlarged stomach? Had he finally found the family he'd long desired?

"You look like you've had a long day," she purred.

"It was far too long." He stepped closer to her. "Though I suspect my day will significantly improve."

"I'll try to improve it anyway," she breathed before leaning over and kissing Severus' cheek.

"You already have," he purred, knowing how much it excited her. "Just having you in my arms is enough to salvage any horrendous day."

She pulled him closer and captured his lips. "Good."

He hummed and slid onto the bed with her.

"You know, I miss you when I'm at work." She kissed his nose. "I look across the store and wonder what you're doing, if you're having a good day, well," She laughed before brushing her lips against his, "as good a day as you usually have anyway."

"My day isn't good until I see you," he answered.

"I could say the same." She captured his lips. "The baby and I are always happier when you're around."

"The baby wants me around?"

She nodded before placing his hand on her stomach.

"Hermione," his voice cracked. It was one thing to see her stomach, but to feel it was another thing altogether. Merlin, he wanted this baby. More than anything, he wanted Hermione and this baby to be his family.

She ran her finger through his hair. "I love you, Severus."

"You do?"

She nodded.

All words left him.

"Let me guess, how could I love a scarred man such as you?" She twirled a lock of his hair around her finger.

"I wonder that every day." He removed his hand from her stomach.

"Simple." She kissed the scar on his neck. "Your scars are a sign that you're a survivor. If you didn't have them, you'd be just another man. I don't want just another man. I want you, and only you."

"I want you, and only you too." He left a trail of kisses along her jaw. "I want, need, and love only you."

"Severus." She locked eyes with him. "I love you."

"I love you too." His lips curled up. "I love you too."

"Hermione?"

Severus sat upright and scanned the room for her. She was nowhere to be found. Once again, he was alone in his bedroom, dreaming of the woman he'd pushed away two nights ago and the baby he didn't know he wanted until now.

He glanced at the clock. 3:00 AM. Tonight there was no one to blame for his insomnia. There were dark lords summoning him or students with asinine disputes. It was just him, alone in the dark, alone in a room yearning for Hermione.

Severus groaned as tears trickled down his cheeks. His only torturous comfort was the memory of her lips pressed against his, the sensation of their bodies fused, the way her body reacted when he'd purred and groaned in the way he knew excited her.

All that remained was the knowledge that no matter how long he lived, he would never forget the sensation of Hermione Granger's lips against his.