Mister Snape was happy again, well, as happy as he came. He had returned early to his rooms, with Missy McGonagall by his side. She looked different, thinner, and she was using a walking stick. But, she was still herself. Mister Snape had ordered Sippy to gather a whole bunch of different things- tea, biscuits, wine, soap. While Sippy was gone, Mister Snape had filled his bathtub with water, bubbles coming out of the tub. Missy McGonagall sat in the tub, her body covered in bubbles so Sippy couldn't see anything she wasn't supposed to see. Mister Snape was sitting beside her, his hand running through her wet hair. Sippy had never seen Missy McGonagall like this before. She looked so relaxed. It was romantic! Sometimes they were like a romance novel.

Sippy left the soap and tea with them, but she, curious as always, couldn't help but listen in on them. It had been so long since Missy McGonagall had been around. She was happy to see she was alright. "You didn't have to do this, Severus. It's a little out of our usual routine."

Snape was in a black t-shirt, something so casual that Sippy had never seen him in. Even when he'd come in hurt at night, he'd remained his long robes that completely covered him. She'd never seen him in anything less than long sleeves. Tonight, he was in his usual black pants and a short sleeved, black shirt. It was weird. His arms were very pale and very skinny. He looked skinny. But, he must have been really happy about McGonagall coming home. She smiled.

"Nothing has been usual since you've been gone," he said quietly, pouring a glass of wine.

"Do give me the highlights."

"Min…please."

She grabbed his hand, kissing it. "I'm not trying to be insensitive."

"Then you shouldn't have made such a grand entrance by putting Gryffindor back in the running."

"I had to make up for the damage you did while I was gone."

Snape smiled. "Normally, you're here to clean up after me." He sighed. "Oddly enough, taking points away was the only thing that felt normal. I suppose I went a little overboard trying to maintain some sense of normalcy."

"Did it work?" she asked, smirking.

"Not being able to see the look on your face as each ruby disappeared took much of the fun out of it."

Silence fell over them. Sippy tried to tidy up the living room area until she heard them speak again. When they did, she peaked back into the bathroom. Snape was leaning against the tub, his hand continuing to run through McGonagall's hair. His eyes looked glazed over. He was staring straight forward, away from her. "Severus?"

"Hm?" His gaze didn't move.

"You're distant." His hand continued its motions through the strands of gray hair across her shoulders.

"I know."

"Do you want to tell me about it?"

"About what?"

"When I was gone?"

"No." Snape kissed the side of her head, letting his nose stay in her hair. Sippy knew he loved her very much. Sippy wished she could tell McGonagall how hurt Snape had been. Maybe one day Sippy would tell her over a game of chess! "I suppose they expect me to share you this evening."

"The girls? No, I told them I was far too tired to do anything." McGonagall moved a little, the water around her swishing loudly. She winced, and Sippy could see the beginning of a scar running up her left breast. It was red and looked painful. Snape had told her that McGonagall had been hit in the chest. "Merlin, that still hurts."

"It's so unnerving to see you like this," Snape said.

"I'm quite alright, Severus."

Snape pulled away from her and leaned against the tub, with what looked like his full weight. Sippy could see his body was exhausted. He let out a long sigh, and Sippy saw a tear come down the side of his cheek. "We can't go on, Min."

"With?"

"This. I…I met your brother for Merlin's sake. It wasn't supposed to be this serious."

"But, it is."

"We can't…"

"Talking to Albus?" she asked, angrily. Sippy could hear the change in her voice. It turned heated.

"I'm going to get you killed."

"You're the best Occlumens the world has seen since You Know Who," McGonagall snapped. "You and I both know that you can withstand this. You hide darker secrets than ours. The question is whether you want to."

"You know I don't want to lose you," he snapped back. "How have you not got that through your thick skull yet? This has nothing to do with wanting you…"

"I know," McGonagall cut in. "I'm sorry, Severus. I'm acting like a fifth year."

"No. You're not. We're both tired. A lot has happened. We should enjoy this."

Silence again. Sippy saw Snape reach out and take her hand, holding it in his own. The two sat like that for quite a bit of time, not talking, but looking happier than when they had been conversing. McGonagall broke the silence. "I think I'd like to get out now, Severus."

As Snape came out to get her robe, Sippy made herself scarce until he called her again a few hours later.

It was at that point, Snape and McGonagall were seated on the sofa in his living room, cuddled up together in robes. He'd summoned her to bring them hot chocolate, and McGonagall seemed happy to see Sippy. Once she served them, Sippy sank back into the bedroom.

"So, do you finally want to tell me what I've missed?" McGonagall said, grabbing one of the mugs that Sippy brought. "Besides the obvious, the darkness. I want to know the mundane, ordinary, day to day events I've missed out on."

Snape had an arm wrapped around her. He looked more relaxed than when Sippy had seen him before, still tired, but relaxed. "I kept much to myself without you around," Snape replied. "You've always been the one to force me into staff bonding and the like."

"Nobody tried to bother you?"

"They all did," he replied. "Rolanda was relentless."

"That she is."

"I didn't know about her involvement in the Muggle war," Snape said. Sippy remembered Rolanda from the night she came to drop off Mister Snape's parchments.

"She told you?" McGonagall asked, sounding surprised.

"Mmm," he took a sip of his hot chocolate.

"She doesn't like to talk about that. She must really like you." Snape snorted. "I mean it, Severus. She's only mentioned it to me three times in all these years."

"Like is a strong word."

"I like you," she chided.

"I like you too," Snape replied. "It was painful, Min."

"I know."

"You don't."

"You don't think I know after all those nights here? Alone? Wondering if you're dead?" Her voice grew serious. "You knew I was in good hands."

"Don't dismiss me…"

"I'm not trying to," she said. "But, please don't say I don't understand. You can't get it through your mind that I love you. Merlin, this all still seems so out of the ordinary."

"It became real when we had to explain it to Malcolm." Sippy wondered who Malcolm was.

"I suppose it did," McGonagall said. "Perhaps that's what it is."

"I had to tell him I was your lover- put this into words. We've never had to do that."

"I'm sorry about that encounter," she said. "But, I must say I had no involvement in his coming there."

"Poppy," Snape replied. "I made sure to thank her later."

"I wish he'd never had known about this whole incident. Now, he's going to be more relentless. More owls."

"I didn't know he was so possessive."

"It's gotten worse over the years," McGonagall explained. Sippy was lost, but it sounded important. "Once Robert died, he became so paranoid. I understand, of course, but I was never meant for the domestic life."

Snape laughed, a full belly laugh. "Imagine that. Minerva McGonagall, housewitch."

"Indeed," she said, giggling. "He can't seem to understand my place here. It's infuriating."

"He cares."

"I know. But, he has never understood me. He was always so much more like our mother, rest her soul."

"You are more like your father?" Snape asked.

McGonagall smiled, stretching out her limbs so that she had her legs draped across Snape's lap. "Always have been." They looked comfortable. "I know we have more important things to discuss. I feel silly ignoring them."

"When do we ever ignore them?"

"It's been a long time. There's always something: Albus, the Order, the students, the Dark Lord…I miss when we discussed what bottle we would be bringing to our weekly chess match," she said.

"Perhaps, we are due for another trip."

McGonagall looked surprised. "You mean that?"

Snape nodded, burying his nose in her hair which was now swept into a bun. "I don't know how many opportunities lay ahead for us."

Sippy loved the idea of them going away for a weekend. "I'll make the arrangements."

"On Albus's dime?"

"Always," McGonagall smiled. As the two began to kiss, Sippy snapped her fingers and left them be.