Hello, Lovelies!

It has been waaaaayyyyy too long since I've posted and I apologize for that. I have been slowly reinventing myself and learning what I need to correct as a writer and with the good help of a new friend, I have felt the amazing power of inspiration! I will eventually be working to rewrite the beginning four chapters as I've grown considerably in grammar and story writing in the past three years. As always, I enjoy the positive and negative criticism and I hope I've made the wait worth while. For now, expect a new chapter weekly if not more.

Thank you!
BeautifullyUnfinished
Disclaimer as Usual: I do not own Harry Potter. Although, I make a rather exceptional Potion Mistress in real life.
Lots of Love!

Dinner went by relatively smoothly, the family of three eating as if it were normal. And maybe for five minutes it was. Severus, of course, seemed to be buried in the overwhelming awkwardness of eating with an ex-student and their offspring but Hermione was almost in a soft glowing bliss. This was progress. He remembered something! This was cause for celebration, but she wouldn't dare push anything on Severus. Not right now. Maybe she would celebrate silently with Ginny; wine and ice cream while their little ones napped tomorrow.

But still she needed to wait for response back from Dr. Greenhill for her happiness to completely win over. Instead, she would stew in her secret happiness while indulging in the garlic taste of her lasagna. It was a Granger family recipe, passed down from mother to daughter for nearly six generations and she would gladly pass it to Rose when the time came. Her eyes met the beautiful, little chocolate-eyed replica of her and Severus. It still warmed her heart to know they had created such a beautiful daughter. And what was better was she was conceived in love.

Severus. She took in his features next, the slight crook of his nose catching her interest first, which she loved more than the actual perfect aspects of her husband. But that was what love was, wasn't it? Learning to appreciate the imperfections, looking past the wrong deeds in their life time. Yes, he had been rather awful to the Gryffindor, but she knew he had to. What would it have looked like back then had Severus actually shown he gave a bloody hell about his students? He was the Right Hand to Voldemort, her husband had done extensive and dangerous work for The Order and she had to admire him for that.

Maybe that is where her love grew from? No, she refused to believe that. Hermione remember when she first fell in love with him, it had seemed like yesterday, but it was nearly four years ago. She had ̶

"Mrs. Snape," The subject of her thoughts drawled between bites of her lasagna, "I am quite curious at what you find so intriguing about my person that you haven't stopped eyeing me for nearly five minutes."

It was snarky, yes, in its own right, but Hermione couldn't be peeved by the statement. Instead, her eyes down casted from his own back to her own food. "Nothing of importance." She responded as she filled her mouth full of her cooking to avoid further interrogation. It was definitely of importance, at least to her, but she wouldn't start another fight admitting she was checking out her husband, which she had very much right to do, and reminiscing over how they met.

"Evidently." Severus responded with a sardonic raise of his eyebrow. But he had dropped the topic rather quickly enough, which Hermione was grateful for.

"So, I wasn't going to bring it up," Hermione stated after a lengthy good minute of silence. Well, silence with the occasional coo from a two-year-old who was happily playing with her chicken nuggets as if they were toys. "Neville and Luna want us to come over for dinner before the baby is born. I politely declined but it would do a bit of good for your memory."

Severus looked appalled almost, and she couldn't blame him. Three years ago, Severus would have gladly went under the cruciatus curse than sit within a small dining room with a Longbottom. "Neville Longbottom?" he asked as if hoping there was another man with the same name.

Hermione only nodded before continuing with, "You can say no, but like I instilled before, I believe it would be in your best interest." Rose let out a giggle as she bit a big piece of her chicken nugget off, but the parent's attention was still held within each other's.

"I'm to assume I am civil with Neville, then?" He asked.

The brown-eyes of Hermione's almost twinkled with mischief but she thought against it. It would be too easy to let Severus believe he was best friends with Neville but she didn't see that ending well. In truth the two merely got along. Yes, Civil was the best word. "For me, you are. You and Neville have just as likely of a chance of being friends as you and Harry. It won't happen, but there are pleasantries to be had."

"And yet, I married the Gryffindor Know-it-all and have become friends with George." He responded with a huff as he non-verbally declined his daughter's outstretched offer of ketchup covered chicken nugget. "It is possible for pigs to fly in the wizard world, Miss Gra̶ Mrs. Snape."

There was her maiden name again but at least he caught himself. That didn't stop that same pain in her chest that shook her every time he referred to their marriage as if it were worse than serving the dark lord. But like everything else, Hermione was quick to hide those emotions. "If you could only remember, you wouldn't find our marriage that unbelievable."

It wasn't fair, clearly. But it needed to be said. Severus didn't respond, instead he returned back to his food, probably stewing within the tomato sauce. After a moment, he finally spoke, "Tell Mr. Longbottom and Miss Lovegood to expect us Friday evening given you secure a babysitter for Rose."

Well, pigs do fly in the wizard world after all, but Hermione would be lying if she said she weren't surprised. She wasn't about to argue except maybe ̶ "Mr. and Mrs. Longbottom." It was an easy enough correction. Clearly her husband wouldn't know about the marriage, but as his icy, dark pools met hers she almost regretted correcting her husband.

"Hmm?" It wasn't a request for her to repeat, it was a chance for her to rescind her response.

"Nothing." Her response was after a good moment. Any other time, the Gryffindor Princess would fight him or respond just as snarky as her husband's own demeanor, but she was in way too good of a mood. "I'll make the arrangements for Rose." And with that the dinner came to an end as her moody husband briskly left the table and mess for his wife.

Friday evening came quickly with almost zero struggle. Severus hadn't been staying at home, but he hadn't been drinking either, which just made the professor even more unbearable. So, with that he and Hermione had decided it best to stay at Hogwarts through this endeavor of rediscovering the last three years. Thanks to McGonagall, it was rather easy to accomplish this feat considering she had no quarrels over his stay at Hogwarts. But in nearly two weeks' time it would become a pain when the school year started back up and Hermione and Rose would come to live with him. Nothing a good extension charm couldn't fix but still he didn't really know how he felt about living with them. This was safe for now.

Severus apparated to their home at exactly 6:45 like he had expressed previously this week, but his wife didn't seem to have the same worry for punctuality as he did. So, while he waited, he found himself stalking the living room. There were pictures of them together and in quite a few, the older man seemed to be smiling. In others he looked normal, scowling because it was obvious he didn't wish to be photographed. Yet, that was something Hermione loved to do.

His hand brushed against the one of his wedding day. Hermione was wearing a lovely white gown that caressed the hardwood floor as if it were gently laying kisses in it's wake. Her bodice was lace, that moved up and along her shoulders. They were short straps but they beautifully dipped down in a heart shaped crest over her breast. Altogether the gown seemed to highlight his wife's more delicate waist line and the hips that flared out from there. She was beautiful, and he could almost see why the pictured Severus was snogging her senseless, in his own formal robes. The picture moved, showing the smile that ended the kiss, almost as if the photographer was breaking the two from their moment, and like that he felt a memory crash into him.

"Why, Mrs. Snape, you look positively delectable." Severus purred as he leaned down and nibbled along her neckline. His hand was perched under her back and her own braced against his forearms, holding on despite the fact she knew he wouldn't drop her. The ceremony had just ended, signaling the union between the two. They were finally married, it was almost like a dream to Severus but, yet her supple body felt so real under his fingertips. Now they were being put through the torturous errand of pictures that Hermione had ever so demanded of him. But he would do anything for the little witch in his arms.

Now that he thought of it, he almost wished he fought harder to forgo this tradition. All he wanted to do was to apparate them to the nice cozy beach side cottage they secured and show her just how happy she made him today. The smile that radiated from her lips broke that thought, though. She was happy and that's all he wanted. He'd buy her the world if it meant she'd smile for him and blush. Severus loved that blush, and he planned to see how many times he could get that to happen tonight.

"Severus," Hermione giggled as she tried to push at his chest, "Stop, just a couple more pictures and we can go. I promise." With a relented roll of his eyes, he pulled back from her neck and stared back into her chocolate eyes. He could see her own anxiousness slipping in, she wanted just as badly to get to the honeymoon and that made him behave. For now.

"No bloody reception?" He asked in that deep voice she had voiced her love for several times.

"No reception. They can enjoy our party without us." A laugh left her lips and he was quick to swipe down and swallow it up. A flash nearly blinded him as he broke the kiss and the two turned towards the photographer. His smile was one he reserved only for his wife but in that moment, it would forever be encased within a picture frame along with her own pearly white smile.

"Sorry, I didn't plan on taking so long to get ready." Hermione said as she broke him of his memory. She was currently moving about the living room, picking up toys Rose had left out and looking for something feverishly. Her outfit for that night wasn't anything spectacular, but somehow Severus had seen her in a new light. Her teal sweater and jeans spoke of that. The know-it-all could make anything she wore seem as worthy as that wedding dress.

NO! He growled to himself, noticing a blue purse sitting on the left side of the couch. It had to be the thing his wife seemed to be so adamant about finding so with a resigned sigh, he accioed the damned thing to his hand and held it out to Hermione. "For Merlin's sake, you're a witch, Hermione."

The woman, her hair he now noticed was perfectly curled down her back, snatched the bag out of his hands with a glare. "Who is also a mother of a two-year-old. Give me some slack." And with that she turned and stalked out of the house.

This, Severus lamented, was going to be a very long night.