"Hurt"

"Hurt"

Genre: Angst/Romance

Rating: R

Disclaimer: If I did own Snape, I'd be one lucky girl. But I don't, nor do I own the others. JKR has that privilege. Lucky woman. As for the lyrics… The man behind NIN is bloody brilliant and bloody lucky to have such a bloody intelligent brain!

Author's Notes: I noticed that the 100 days until Christmas countdown is just around the corner, so why not get into the Christmas spirit a little early, eh? Obviously, the extended members of the Granger family are totally OC, but I think you will like them. And the song? Well, Nine Inch Nails don't have too many "fluffy" titles, so I decided to pick an instrumental track that I thought was appropriate.

And for those who are wondering about Snape's answer to Hermione's question in the last chapter… Well, just read and find out!

Chapter 22: A Warm Place

No one bothered to wake up the sleeping couple at the crack of dawn, knowing fully well what was going on during the wee hours that Christmas Day. Despite of the fact that Severus did indeed cast a silencing charm, the Grangers woke up a few times in the middle of the night to the sound of a certain bed pounding against the wall from the other side of the upstairs. They were disappointed, but who were they to blame? They themselves were just like Severus and Hermione when they were still newlyweds, although they, unlike their parents, allowed their daughter to have some privacy.

Severus' black eyes fluttered open at nearly 8:30, his arms still wrapped around his wife's waist. He rested his head on her shoulder and tried to remember the sweet dream he had that morning after their bout of releasing their overdue sexual frustration, but the only thing he could recall was a tiny voice telling him that it was time.

Time for what, he thought.

Soon his eyes found his wand on her nightstand, and he reached for it, carefully not waking up the sleeping witch from her sleep. He did not know why he had to get it, but as he kept looking over at it, the voice kept speaking to him.

It is time, Severus.

Oh no, he thought. It can't be! He turned to his wife and gulping quietly, he placed the wand against her belly and whispered an incantation under his breath.

What he saw next would change his life forever.

Hermione's eyes slowly opened minutes later, finding her husband holding his wand in his hand for no apparent reason. "Severus, what's going on?" she asked groggily.

"Nothing, dear," lied her husband. "I just heard something outside, and I forgot where I was. I suppose everything is fine."

Taking his wand away and putting it next to her alarm clock, she snuggled against him, throwing her leg over his left knee and pulling up her comforter further up underneath her arm. "Go back to sleep," she yawned.

"I can't now," he said, kissing her on the forehead. "Besides, it's Christmas morning, love. And you have family coming over."

Rolling away from him, she threw her pillow over her head and groaned unladylike in rebellion. "Five more minutes, then," she said, her voice muffled from beneath.

Stealing her pillow, Severus flung it behind him and, very much unlike him, began to tickle her on her sides. "I don't think so," he chuckled as he watched his wife squirm underneath the covers. He watched her face turn red and the tears of laughter rolling down her cheeks. When he finally stopped and allowed her to catch her breath, his face turned serious in a matter of seconds and he cleared his throat. "I really mean it, Hermione. We need to get up. Your parents might be wondering about us."

Hermione pouted at him. It was really unbecoming of her, but he still loved it anyway. "Fine," she muttered, throwing the sheets aside as she stood up in all her naked glory. Turning around to face her husband, she noticed his tongue licking his lips, sending a chill down her spine. "Don't look at me like that," she said.

"You know you like it," purred Severus.

Before she could speak, she heard her father knocking on the other side of the white door. "Okay, you lovebirds! Rise and shine!" called John. "Breakfast is on the table, and the bathroom's available for you two afterward!"

"Thank you, Dad!" replied Hermione as she grabbed her robe from her closet door. Looking at her husband as she tied the knot to her belt, she asked impatiently, "Well, are you coming?"

"We could always have breakfast in bed," said Severus silkily. "I know I wouldn't mind."

"Severus, as much as you like to eat pussy, now, as you have said before, is obviously not the time," groaned Hermione. "And if they were to bring us trays up here, I'm certainly sure my parents wouldn't like to see my husband without something on besides just the sheets over his lap."

Tossing his black robe at him, she turned on her heels and slipped on a pair of red slippers by her door. "Make yourself somewhat presentable," she ordered before she walked out of her bedroom.

Severus sighed in defeat, looking at the black wad in his hand. "And so it begins," he grumbled as he got out of the bed on the other side.

Hermione, on the other hand, winced as she took a step down the stairs, still feeling extremely tender from hours before. She knew that Severus did not give a straight answer for his screw up, whether it was because he was hiding the truth or he was too consumed in that moment of passion, but being the stubborn Gryffindor princess she was, she would beat it out of him one way or another.

Of course, now was not the time. She had more important things to worry about.

When the Potions Master finally joined his wife and his in-laws at the kitchen table, he noticed the dark rings underneath John and Jane's eyes despite of the fact that they were drinking their second cup of coffee that morning. "Trouble sleeping?" he inquired.

"A little," replied Jane.

"Unfortunately, I don't have some pepper-up potions on me," he said with a slight frown.

"That's quite all right, Severus, although we do appreciate your offer," said John, sipping on his coffee carefully. "Of course, if it wasn't for the fact that someone's bed was moving about last night and pounding across the hall, I would have gotten a decent amount of sleep last night," he added, looking down at his daughter with a stern expression on his face.

Hermione simply blushed with a Cheshire's cat grin, embarrassed that her parents indirectly caught her having sex with her husband even after she told them that she would not go behind their backs. "Sorry?" she apologized. "We did throw some silence charms on the door last night, but probably not the entire room. I'm really sorry, Dad!"

"Oh, let her go, John!" sighed Jane in exasperation. "You did that to my parents when we spent our first Christmas together with them as a married couple!"

"And you remember what happened?" asked John, his cheeks turning a bit red in embarrassment.

"All too well, dear," replied his wife. "My father still can't get that image out of his head to this day."

"Speaking of which, isn't Grandfather coming?" asked Hermione, a hint of disappointment lingering in the air above her.

"No, dear, he's not. He's with his new fling in Paris for Christmas instead."

"New fling?"

"Hermione, just because he's a widower doesn't mean he can't find another woman," scolded Jane.

"But that still doesn't mean he has to look for someone forty years his junior with blonde hair, a body like a twig, and big breasts," muttered John into his coffee. "You're just upset that he's thinking about marrying her, and you'll have to answer to someone younger than you as your new stepmother."

"I am certainly not!" huffed Jane. "That… bimbo will have no control over my life. I'm a married and successful woman, and she will be nothing more than just one of those whores like those in Playboy magazines who likes to sleep around with men for their money!"

"Mum, face it. Dad's right," said Hermione. "You're upset."

"Not to mention, he might redo the will very soon," added John, taking another sip of his coffee.

"He is not going to touch that will as long as I can stop him!" argued Jane.

"You think you can stop him from marrying her?" countered Severus coolly.

Sighing in defeat, Jane shrugged her shoulders. "I doubt it," she said.

"Then what chance do you have at stopping him from giving her what he had promised you?"

"Little to none," replied the female dentist sadly. "As long as he has a say in this, my hands are tied behind my back." Taking one last sip from her cup, she muttered under her breath, "But I still think that little bitch wants him for the money."

"Mum!" scolded Hermione.

"It's the truth!"

"Severus, would you like to have a piece of toast and jam with your eggs?" asked John.

To say in the least, the Potions Master was very glad for a change of topic.

After spending an hour on her hair, Hermione emerged from the bathroom wearing a nice purple turtleneck and a pair of khaki trousers. She peaked inside her bedroom to find her husband transfiguring another black outfit into Muggle fashion. "Maybe you need to invest in a new wardrobe, love," she teased as she leaned against the doorway.

"Perhaps," said Severus, flicking his wand one more time, transforming his frock coat into a nice black and emerald green sweater. "Then again, I have no intentions to visit your family that often," he added.

"Well, in any case, the bathroom is all yours," said Hermione. "My aunt Jean and her family will be here shortly, and Mum is insisting that I should help with the ham downstairs."

"Hermione!" called Jane from the kitchen.

"Told you," scowled the witch with a roll of her brown eyes.

"Thank you for the warning," said Severus.

"For what? Me cooking the ham?"

"No, the arrival of the rest of your family," corrected the Potions Master.

Hermione sighed in exasperation. "Honestly, Severus, they won't bite you! The only thing that I don't like about Aunt Jean is that she is far from being my second mother – she'll remind you too much of Narcissa Malfoy."

"Does she know about your secret?" asked Severus.

"Not at all," replied his wife. "So, we really need to be incognito about it. That means you too."

"What do you suggest I go with then if we're going to follow the 'boarding school' story?"

Hermione shrugged her shoulders and answered, "I don't know. With all the cauldrons blowing up in the classroom, chemistry?"

"Very well," said Severus. "I will meet you downstairs soon."

Placing a chaste kiss on her cheek, he strolled into the bathroom with his Muggle clothes in his arms and closed the door behind him. He dropped the pile onto the floor and looked at his reflection in the mirror above the sink. "Why am I doing this?" he muttered to himself.

Meanwhile at the Burrow, Christmas was a little different for the Weasley family that year. To begin with, there was an addition to the family, Bill's wife Fleur who was expecting a little girl in a matter of weeks. Remus and Tonks, who was also pregnant, were invited to spend the holiday with Arthur and Molly at Harry's request. And much to Molly's disgust, Ron invited his ex-girlfriend Lavender Brown to the family lunch as a replacement for Hermione. Not only did this tick off his parents but also Ginny and, secretly, Harry himself.

But while there were several new faces at the table, there were also two empty seats – Fred, who was killed by Death Eaters in the last battle that summer, and, of course, Hermione. As usual for the last several years, Percy remained far from the family as possible and decided to spend the holidays with his fiancé Penelope Clearwater. Charlie was hoping to attend, but his studies in a wizarding part of Africa were consuming most of his life. However, both sons expressed their wishes and blessings in Christmas cards, although Charlie also owled the family a gift along with his card.

Lunch was extremely quiet despite of the large attendance in the house. Arthur sat on one end of the long table while Molly propped herself at the other. To the right hand side of both adults were the two empty seats – one to the left of George and one to the left of Ron.

"Blimey, mate, this feels so weird without having Fred or 'Mione around," whispered Ron to Harry across the table.

"Ronald!" reprimanded his mother. "Let's not discuss about what we have lost, but rather what he have right now."

Harry frowned at his future mother-in-law and looked apologetically at Ginny who was sitting next to him. For days on end during their vacation, the children kept hearing nothing but how Hermione had broken the youngest Weasley son's heart that year and married the least favourite member of the Order instead as part of the Marriage Law. She even went out of her way to try and file an appeal for the Snape's marriage on behalf of Ron, but what was done was now official, regardless of its short-lived rule.

Now just saying Hermione's name around the house was almost taboo like Voldemort's. One mention of it, and Molly was sure to go into hysterics.

The children's faces did not go unnoticed by Arthur or the guests, but no one had the courage – Gryffindor or not – to face the matriarch. Arthur sighed and picked at his food in silence, not bothering to take part of any conversation that one might stir up, although no one dared to speak.

After dinner and Lavender's dismissal from the Burrow, the three Gryffindors went into Harry and Ron's room to chill, but what was supposed to be a time to enjoy their gifts turned to into a time to vent. "I can't believe she has to be so mean to Hermione!" grunted Harry as he kicked an empty soda can against the wall.

"Mum has every right to be, mate!" argued Ron as he looked through his new Quidditch card collection that Arthur bought for him. "She married that filthy git!"

"Will you two can it?" asked Ginny, her blue eyes full of anger as the boys turned their attention to her. "This is exactly why she didn't marry either of you! You would be fighting over her anyway!"

"I wouldn't do that, Gin!" protested Harry. "I love you!"

"Or so you say," hissed the youngest Weasley. "I know, Harry, that you love Hermione as much as you love me, but Ron loved her more. Why? I still don't know!"

"Because… She's Hermione!" answered Ron, although he knew he was lying.

"I still think you wanted to date her because you were living in Harry's shadow all this time and Hermione happened to be the only girl available, that is once you realized she was a girl!" said Ginny icily. "So why not try and bang one of your best friends?"

"Ginny!" scolded Harry.

"It's the truth! I have a pig for a brother! Now I know why Hermione dumped you two months into your relationship!"

"Okay, so she wasn't ready to have sex with me!" groaned Ron in exasperation, throwing his hands up into the air.

"And thus, why you dared to bring that… That slut into this house today!" said Ginny. "And you know Hermione isn't like Mum – she's independent and wants to have a career outside of the house."

"I wouldn't mind sending her to a higher educational insti… insti…"

"Institution," said Harry and Ginny in unison.

"Yeah, that! If she wanted to go for something that involves being away from home, I would support her one-hundred percent!" said Ron.

"Ron, you really wanted her to be a stay-at-home wife to take care of your big herd of children while you're off playing Quidditch," said Harry. "Even though I'm your best mate, I have to agree with Hermione's reason for breaking it up with you. You two were incompatible to begin with. All you do is squabble!"

"Well, if she wasn't such a know-it-all and a teacher's pet," began Ron, "then we wouldn't be fighting most of the time!"

"And you know she won't stop being herself," said Ginny. "Suck it up, Ronald. Hermione will never be Mum's replacement in your life. She butts heads with her as it is. Find someone else."

"Yeah, you're right," grumbled the redheaded wizard.

The trio sat in silence while the minutes passed. Neither wizard nor witch spoke to the other until Harry began to chuckle under his breath. Looking up from his card collection, Ron looked at the Boy-Who-Lived with a confused expression. "What's so funny, Harry?" he asked.

"You were right, mate," said Harry with a smile. "It's weird not having 'Mione around for the holidays. I mean she usually visits her parents for a while and then comes back here to spend New Year's with us and we'd have a late Christmas gathering just for her. It's going to be weird now that she's not with us."

Suddenly, Ginny's head snapped up before she sprung to her feet in excitement. "That's it!" she exclaimed.

"What is?" asked Ron.

"She usually waits to spend Christmas with us here during our last few days of vacation, so why don't we spend it with her now?" suggested the youngest Weasley child.

"Ginny, I don't think that's a good idea," warned Harry. "She's with not only her parents in Muggle London but also with Snape, who already hates us as it is. That and how are we going to get there?"

"Yeah, Gin. I mean Dad won't allow us to drive the new flying car after that accident at Hogwarts six years ago!" added Ron.

"He won't allow you, but is he allowed?" countered Ginny with a smirk on her face.

Turning to Harry, Ron looked at his best friend and muttered under his breath, "Are you sure she was sorted into Gryffindor?"

Christmas lunch at the Grangers was something Severus secretly wanted to forget, given the fact that he was not one for large gatherings, but he had to admit there were a few highlights of the day that he was somewhat fond of. As soon as he had come downstairs to help set the table with his wife, Hermione smiled at his clean appearance upon spotting him. He wore a nice pair of black trousers to match his black and green sweater and his black dress shoes, and he did a quick shave, leaving his chin and jaws purely hairless. The only thing that she did notice was his hair – he took the time to wash it thoroughly and pulled the black locks into a short ponytail down the nape of his neck.

"You look charming, Mr. Snape," she purred as she walked by him with a stack of china plates in her hands.

"Why, thank you, Madame Snape," he purred in return, offering his wife some assistance. "Here, let me help you with that before you break something valuable."

In the middle of setting enough places around the dinner table, the couple heard the doorbell chime from the front porch. "That must be Aunt Jean," said Hermione with a sigh of relief.

Sure enough, the more attractive twin of the two sisters walked in with Hugo, her husband of nine years, and their children seven-year-old Michael and four-year-old Emily. Even though Jean was the same age of Jane, she spent most of her post-secondary school years in medicine, thus earning her a Ph.D. and her license to begin her independent family practice eight years later. She never dated during that time, and she had no intentions on starting a family, even when John and Jane married and had Hermione a year later.

Out of the sisters' family, Jean took education seriously and would spend so much money on little Michael's tuition at a private school. His sister would be enrolling the following spring. Thankfully, money was never an issue.

And obviously, she was also the snobbish twin between her and Jane, and, in Severus' opinion, Hermione was right – she had a good chance of giving Narcissa Malfoy a run for her money had the witch still been alive. "Jane, darling!" she called, walking past John who greeted her at the front door and giving her twin sister a hug, casually kissing both sides of her cheeks. "Thank you for inviting me and my family to your Christmas lunch!"

"You're welcome, Jean. Please make yourselves right at home," said Jane with a meek smile. "There are hangers in the closet under the staircase for your coats."

John shook Hugo's hand, both acknowledging each other with a curt nod. "Still alive, I see," he teased.

"Sometimes, she's hard to deal with," groaned his brother-in-law.

"How do you manage?"

"Let her talk first, ask questions later, and always agree to whatever she has to say," replied Hugo without missing a beat.

"And the children?"

"Do you think she would let me have any control over them?" countered Hugo, raising his eyebrow to emphasize his point.

"I'm sorry," said John in his most sincere voice.

"She is just as bad as her father. Speaking of which, is it true that he took Annette to Paris for the holidays?"

"Unfortunately."

"Well, it's fortunate for me, then," said Hugo with a small smile on his face. Turning to his right, he spotted Hermione approaching him with open arms. "Hermione, dear! You look lovely as ever," he greeted, giving his only niece a hug. "Home for the holidays?"

"Only for a while," replied the witch.

"So, why did you have to stay for another year at your school? You were supposed to graduate this past spring, if I remember correctly," inquired Hugo.

Taking his brother-in-law by the arm, John began to escort him away in order to keep Hermione from telling the truth by accident. "Well, Hugo, you know our little Hermione," he began. "She's ever the overachiever of the family, and she refused to graduate with less than all A's, so she took all of her classes over and she's now expecting to excel each and every one of them by May. Isn't that right, poppet?"

"Yes, Dad," replied Hermione, though her voice hinted a sense of regret in the lie.

"I see." This obviously did not go unnoticed by Hugo, but he nevertheless dismissed it with a casual shrug and followed John into the living room where Severus was found sitting in one of the recliners while reading a book from John's library. "And who is this fellow?" he asked.

"This is Severus Snape, Hermione's… fiancé," lied John, giving the Potions Master a knowing look, in which the wizard simply nodded his head in understanding.

"She's engaged?" asked Hugo in surprise.

"Who's engaged?" asked Jean as she, along with Michael and Emily, followed Jane into the living room with a glass of wine in her slender hand.

"Your niece," answered her husband.

Turning her attention to Severus, she extended her hand to him and said seductively, "Congratulations, and welcome to the family."

"Thank you," said Severus coolly, accepting the handshake while watching his aunt-in-law take a long slow sip from her wine glass. He thought it was the lights at first, but he was fairly certain that she winked at him.

She was definitely a Muggle version of Narcissa Malfoy. Oh joy, he thought in disgust.

During the meal, Severus sat between his wife on his left and young Michael on his right. He could not help but notice how the boy was quiet throughout his entire visit with the Grangers. It was as if he truly did not want to be around anybody. He was a very brooding character for a child at his age – brown locks covering his face, dark brown eyes with a hint of black, and a Snape-like scowl on his face. In fact, he had worn that particular scowl ever since he arrived.

Michael was the last one to sit when Jane had called everyone to the dining room to eat, but he was also the first one finished with his meal. Before his mother could reprimand him, he took his plate and walked out of the room, leaving it stacked on the counter next to the sink in the kitchen.

Severus was the second person finished, but he felt no need for dessert any time soon. He turned to Hermione and whispered in her ear, "What's the matter with the boy?"

"I'm not so sure. Why?" she whispered back.

"I'm just curious."

"Well, he never talks to anyone about his problems," began the witch. "Why are you asking? Do you think you can get him to talk to you?"

"I could try." Turning his attention to his parents-in-law, he asked very politely, "May I please be excused from the table?"

"Why ask, Severus, when you can freely leave whenever you want to?" purred Jean.

"I did not ask for your opinion. I believe I was talking to Jane and John, not you," growled Severus.

The slender woman pouted and took another sip of her wine. Severus had a gut feeling that she would be drunk before the night was over, and he was praying to the deities above that he would not have to deal with her either.

"Jean is right, though. You don't have to ask," said Jane with a smile. "Of course, you may be excused!"

"Thank you, Jane," said Severus with a curt bow, sneaking a glare at the insufferable beauty across the table before he exited the room.

Jean, however, smirked before she sipped on her glass once again. "My, my, Hermione. He is a feisty one," she giggled.

"Severus has his moments," said Hermione as she tried to hold back a lash at her aunt for flirting around with her wizard.

"I'm sure he's good in the sack," added the doctor. "You're quite a lucky woman, my dear. If only Hugo still had that same air your fiancé has."

"Jean, now is not the time to discuss about our sex life," admonished Hugo.

"Sex life?" snorted the brunette woman. "What sex life? You haven't touched me for over five years, not since I told you that I was pregnant for our daughter! Do you know how lonely it has been for me ever since you took that job and left me at home with our children for weeks each time you had to leave the country?"

"Jean, that is enough!" roared John from his end of the table. "This is my daughter's fiancé you are talking about! Leave them be!"

"And I think you had one too many drinks," added Jean, snatching the wine glass from her twin sister. "For a doctor with her family, I'm ashamed at your behavior," she said, nodding toward the direction of Emily, who barely understood what was happening at the moment.

Just like her niece whenever she was angry, Jean huffed and crossed her arms over her chest, although she had a small smile on her luscious lips when Hermione walked out of the room in anger.

Meanwhile, Severus found the small boy sitting in John's favorite recliner looking bored and angry. Well, perhaps it was anger at first, but as he approached the child, he noticed that Michael was actually sad about something. For a very brief moment, the Potions Master could see a younger him in that chair back in his childhood days, but he quickly dismissed that image with a shake of his head.

Kneeling down next to the boy, he asked softly, "Are you okay?"

The child wordlessly shook his head, continuing to ignore the strange sallow man next to him.

"Will you tell me what's wrong?" asked Severus.

Michael did not reply and remained silent. He did not feel comfortable talking to a stranger, even though he heard that this man was engaged to his cousin, a cousin who he never associated with and barely knew. Besides, what did this man know that could help him?

Severus, however, knew it was a battle he could never win and simply gave up talking to the boy, walking out of the living with a heavy sigh until he finally heard a timid voice from behind speak up. "I hate my family."

Turning on his heel, the wizard looked at Michael, his eyes filled with no emotion and his lips pursed tight and firm. "You do?" he asked. "Why do you hate them?"

"Well, not the entire family, but mainly my mother," replied Michael. "She expects me to be the perfect son and to set a good example for Emily, but how can I if she is not acting like a good role model?"

"Touché," said Severus. "And your father?"

"I can care less about him," snorted Michael. "He's never home when I needed him the most. He hasn't been to a single football game of mine during the season, not even the championship when my team made it all the way and took the city title. And when he is home, he doesn't know what to do with me. He can't relate to me, you know?"

"I know that pain," said Severus solemnly, "having growing up in an environment somewhat like yours. At least you do have a father that still loves you."

Neither man nor child spoke until the boy ended the awkward silence between then. "Have you ever felt that you don't belong for some reason?" he asked.

"Yes," answered the wizard. "Have you?"

"Yes," replied the boy.

"Why do you think you're different?"

Glancing at the man, Michael leaned over and said, "Promise me that you won't tell anyone what I'm about to show you."

Severus pondered several possibilities of what he was about to witness, but nevertheless, he said, "I promise."

"Well, I'm different because… Of this."

Michael focused on one of John's novels from his little library and magically took the book off of the shelf without using a wand, levitating it in the air. Then, with the motion of his brown eyes, he summoned the book to float into Severus' hands.

Severus looked at the object and then turned his gaze to the boy, although his stony expression remained unchanged. "You know magic, don't you, boy?" he asked.

"Yes," replied Michael.

"How?"

"A woman came to me in my dream many years ago like an angel," he answered.

No, thought Severus as Hermione's memory came into his mind parallel to Michael's response. It can't be her!

Leaning closer to the boy, the Potions Master said gruffly, "Tell me about this woman."

The boy looked at the man for the first time, his expression never changing as he began to describe the mysterious woman of his dream. "She had red hair and green eyes that sparkled like emeralds," said Michael. "She didn't look like those ugly witches on the telly, but she was very pretty."

"Did she have a black robe and a yellow and orange scarf?" asked Severus.

"Yes," replied Michael. "Do you know her?"

"You could say that," said Severus, "but there's someone else that I know who had a similar dream when she was quite young."

"Who is she?" asked the boy.

"I…" began the Potions Master. Before he could continue, Hermione stepped into the living room to check up on her cousin. "Are you two having a good time?" she asked.

"Michael is quite a character," said Severus. Walking over to his wife, he whispered in her ear, "May I speak with you in private, Miss Granger?"

Hermione shuddered and gave Severus a confused look when she heard the icy tone in his voice. "Yes," she replied, following his long strides to her father's private library. When Severus closed the doors behind him, she turned on her heels and snapped, "What's going on?"

"Are you certain you have no magical heritage in your family?" asked Severus as he began to pace in front of the witch.

"I'm positive!" answered Hermione. "Why do you ask? What's going on with Michael?"

"Lily came to him the same way she came to you!" said Severus, coming to a straight halt in his tracks. "Your cousin is a wizard, Hermione! Are you sure your mother has no trace of magic in her blood?"

"I'm very certain, Severus," said Hermione, her voice full of confidence. "I researched our family tree back before I began my first year at Hogwarts. When my parents received my letter on my eleventh birthday, we spent the entire year looking through the ancestry of my family from both sides! No one was a wizard or a witch!"

"Do you have any idea why Lily would come to your cousin then?" asked Severus.

"I don't know," shrugged the witch. "It's not like he can play a big role in this war. For Merlin's sake, Severus, he's only seven!" She sat on the edge of her father's desk, pressing two fingers against her temple. "I don't know why she even came to me in the first place. I'm still confused."

"Perhaps to keep her son on the right path," said Severus softly as he embraced her and held her against him in a comforting hug.

"Well, I am the brains of his many operations," snorted Hermione, "yet I still can't figure out wizard's chess."

"And you make sure he stays on top of his homework too," added the Potions Master.

"There's a reason behind it!" said Hermione.

"Like there's a reason for Michael being a wizard," said Severus. "If I knew why, I could tell you, but I don't. Though, with time, he could be proven to be useful to the wizarding world in the end."

"You really think so?" asked Hermione.

"If brains like yours run through your mother's family, I know so," said Severus with a smirk.

Hermione blushed but found herself being called away from her husband's company by her mother. Rolling her eyes, the witch walked out of the library, muttering under her breath, "Why can't they leave me alone for a few minutes?"

Severus shook his head in amusement and began to follow his wife when he opened the doors to find his aunt-in-law standing at the threshold, and to his dismay, drunk from too much wine consumption. "Sssseverusssss," she slurred as she took a step forward toward the dark wizard.

The Potions Master slowly backed away from Jean until he found himself against John's desk. Damn, he thought. This can't be good!

Jean followed him, swaying her hips as she walked, and stood between his legs, pushing herself against him. "You know, I alwaysssss tttthhhhought you were a ssssssexy man," she giggled.

"Oh really?" gulped Severus, silently praying that someone would get this woman away from him, most likely his wife with a hex or two.

"Yesssss," replied Jean. Without warning, her right hand found his crotch and began to massage his nether regions, forcing him to become aroused by her touch. "It hasssss been yearsssss sssssince I felt like tttthhhhhissssss," she slurred. "Hugo won't touch me anymore; he'sssssss too bussssssy for me."

"But Hermione –"

"Why can't my neicccccccceeeee find ssssssomeone her age?" asked Jean. "Why did ssssssshe choossssssseeeeee you?"

Before Severus could utter a word, her lips captured his in a fierce kiss and he felt her slender fingers undoing the fly to his pants. Oh please, somebody, he thought, please get this drunken chit off of me!

Pulling away from her face, he closed his eyes and gritted his teeth as he felt his boxers being lowered, but luckily his semi-erection did not spring out like he was afraid it would. Instead, his heart stopped when he heard Hermione scream, "Aunt Jean, you get away from my fiancé this instant!"

The doctor turned to find the young witch standing outside of the library doors with fire in her brown eyes. "You can't have him!" she cried out in protest. "You're too young to marry!"

"And you have a husband and two children who need you!" admonished Hermione. "I'm ashamed of you! Get away from Severus right now! He's mine!"

Jean dug her heels deeper into the carpeted floor but was pushed away by Severus as he marched past the drunk doctor and took his wife into his arms, quickly fixing his pants with his back turned. "Thank you for saving my arse," he whispered.

"Be thankful I didn't hex her into oblivion," hissed Hermione.

Hugo had seen everything as well when he followed his niece into her father's private library. Taking his wife by the arm, he pulled her toward him and in a harsh tone, he said, "We're leaving now, Jean. I'm tired of this rubbish! You have embarrassed our family as well as your sister's! Come! We're going home!"

"But, but, but Hugo!" pleaded the doctor.

"Michael! Emily! We're leaving!" called Hugo.

Minutes after Jean and her family departed, the Grangers and the Snapes sat in the living room, still feeling slightly mortified by the doctor's actions. Jane and John took their place in their respective recliners whereas Hermione and Severus shared the couch, though they occupied each end with an empty cushion between them. "I can't believe she did that," said Jane. Looking up at Severus, she said with pleading eyes, "Forgive me, Severus. She's normally not like this!"

With a dismissing wave of the hand, the Potions Master nodded his head. "I completely understand, Jane," he said coolly.

"But I don't!" snapped Hermione. "She had no business being around my wizard like that!"

Her wizard, thought Severus in surprise. Since when was I ever her wizard!

"That is true, Hermione, but don't blame Severus for this," said John. "He didn't mean to put himself in that position."

"He could have at least yelled for help!"

"Either way, he could have been caught with his pants down," said Jane, painfully blushing at the thought, "regardless how quickly we would respond to his call."

"But he could have walked away!"

"Hermione, when your aunt Jean is drunk like that, there's no telling what could happen if Severus escaped," chuckled John.

"Dad, it was almost as if he liked the idea of Aunt Jean sucking off his –"

"Hermione Jane!" scolded the dentists.

"Well, it's true!" huffed the brunette witch, folding her arms over her chest as she fumed.

"May we please forget that this ever happened before I grab my wand and erase that dreaded memory inside all of our minds?" groaned Severus, pinching the bridge of his nose.

"Wise idea, Severus," said John, feeling a sense of being uncomfortable with the discussion.

A few seconds later, the quartet heard the doorbell ring on the front porch. Jane glanced at the clock on the mantel, noting that it was 7:43, and said, "I wonder who that could be at a time like this."

Walking to the front door, she was soon greeted by Harry, Ron, Ginny, and Arthur. "Happy Christmas, Mrs. Granger!" they said.

"Thank you! Hang on one moment," she said smiling. Leaning over toward the living room, she called, "Hermione! You have some company!"

Hermione exchanged glances with her husband and shrugging her shoulders, she exited the room only to find some familiar faces at the door. "Happy Christmas, 'Mione!" greeted Harry. "We couldn't celebrate it at the Burrow without you."

"So, we brought Christmas to you!" added Ron. "Happy Christmas, 'Mione!"

Tears filled the young woman's eyes as she rushed over to her friends and greeted them with a hug. Holding the two boys tight in her arms, she mumbled something along the lines of "Thank you very much!"

"'Mione, we brought you some gifts," said Ginny with her father standing next to her, his arms full with several wrapped packages. "Before the Marriage Law, Mum was expecting you to visit this year, and we were able to salvage them before she threw a tirade."

"Is that why she's not here?" asked Hermione.

"She's still upset that you turned down Ron for Severus," explained Arthur. "She really wanted you to be a part of our family."

"Even though you still are," said Harry. "Ron and I finally understand why you picked Snape. And while we might not like the git, despite of all that he had done for us, we'll support you, 'Mione."

"Speaking of the git, where is he?" asked Ron.

"Maybe the git you speak of, Mr. Weasley, is standing right behind you," said a cold silkily voice from behind.

The youngest Weasley son's face had turned a bright shade of white, nearly jumping out of his skin when he heard his least favorite professor's voice. Slowly turning around, Ron waved at Severus and hid behind Harry for protection. The Boy-Who-Lived rolled his green eyes and snapped at his best friend, "Come on, Ron! It's not like he's going to bite you!"

"Hard!" whined Ron.

"Your immaturity still astounds me, Mr. Weasley," sneered Severus, taking his wife by the arm and escorting her to the living room. "I'm sure Mr. and Mrs. Granger would like to have a warm house tonight."

"Severus is right, though," said Jane as she took their winter coats, hats, scarves, and gloves. "Come in and make yourselves right at home! Would you kids like some hot tea?"

"Yes, please, Mrs. Granger," chimed the trio.

"And you, Mr. Weasley?" asked the female dentist, looking at Arthur.

"What kind did you make?" asked Arthur.

"Mint flavored."

"Certainly! My favourite!"

"That reminds me, we never opened our gifts from Jean and her family," observed John upon noticing the gifts Ginny brought into the room with her.

"Why not?" asked Harry.

Hermione shook her head and allowed a small giggle to escape from her mouth. "If only you were here," she replied.

Five minutes later, the group of Gryffindors sat around in a circle on the floor laughing at the story of her drunk aunt trying to seduce Severus. Ron and Harry howled with laughter, not noticing the scowl that was playing on the Potions Master's lips as the older wizard sat on the couch behind his wife, permitting her to lean her back against his long legs. "You mean, 'Mione, to tell me that your husband attracted your aunt!" chuckled Harry, occasionally gasping for air and holding his sides.

"Well, yes," shrugged Hermione, taking note of the sneer she was receiving from above yet smiling at him sheepishly.

"Your aunt must have some strange…" Looking up at his professor and faking a cough, Ron quickly corrected himself with, "I mean, err, some good taste in men!"

"Ronald, she's already married," groaned the brunette witch. "She just had too much to drink, that's all."

"Well, Hermione, as much as we really want to stay here, you know how Molly can be," said Arthur. "So, children, why don't we exchange gifts and then head back home."

"How did you get here in the first place?" asked Jane.

"Hermione never told you about a car I rigged up with magic?" asked Arthur in amazement.

"Dad made this one invisible from being spotted by Muggles, and he made it fly," explained Ron to the dentists.

"This wouldn't happen to be the same car you, Mr. Potter, and your insufferable twin brothers drove to Hogwarts at the beginning of your second year, in which you failed to arrive on the Hogwarts Express with your fellow classmates, and then crashing into a tree outside the castle?" asked Severus, raising one long eyebrow.

"Not really, sir," replied Harry. "Arthur created a new one after his first car decided to reside in the Forbidden Forest."

"But Dad drove us here!" added Ginny.

"I wouldn't doubt it, considering how incompetent you were driving a vehicle at the time and perhaps still are," remarked Severus, earning himself a glare from his wife at his feet.

"Regardless of their knowledge, I had no desire telling my parents about the car," said Hermione, "considering that I knew better than to do something stupid like that! I mean honestly, boys! You knew you would probably get caught, even though Harry needed out of the Dursley's house somehow!"

"It was the best thing we could come up with other than flying across Muggle London on our brooms!" defended Ron.

"But Hermione does make a good point," said Arthur sternly to his son. "And I'm still driving you kids back home tonight, so don't even ask."

"Yes, Dad," muttered the two Weasley children.

"Well, then, I believe this gift belongs to you, Hermione," said Arthur as he handed one wrapped gift in maroon to the young woman.

Hermione began to feel around the package, noting how light it was but nevertheless came to a conclusion of what it could be. "Did Molly make it?" she asked as she began to undo the red ribbon.

"Why would you assume that?" asked Arthur.

"Because who else would make me another red knitted sweater with an 'H' in the center?" asked Hermione as she pulled out her present and showed it off to her friends and family.

"Now this is sweater number seven?" chuckled John, flinching from his wife's playful swat on his right arm.

"And for you, Professor," said Harry as he gave Severus a small white box with green ribbon. "We didn't have time to think of an actual present for you, and we don't really know much about you other than what we have heard, but it's the thought that counts, right? I guess you could say this is our way of saying thank you for all you have done, sir. For protecting us whenever we were in trouble, and for what you have done for Hogwarts and to our world."

Severus looked over the little box in his hand, shocked that someone like Harry Potter, the Boy-Who-Lived and the son of his teenage rival, dared to give him a present on Christmas. Usually, Gryffindors would pull a prank on him by leaving a little bucket of shampoo and conditioner as well as scented oils and body wash outside of his office door, and when he was still alive, Albus would give him a pair of socks with some lemon drops inside, never concealing his secrecy to say in the least.

But this… This made the great dark wizard begin to form a lump in his throat. He wasn't expecting this at all, not from Harry, not from the Weasleys, not from anyone other than Hermione, although he knew she was not in on this.

Hermione, on the other hand, helped him out of reverie and said with a giggle, "Well, open it, Severus!"

Pulling the end of the green ribbon, the Potions Master slowly unwrapped his gift, uncovering what seemed to be a giant silver Slytherin serpent in the form of a belt buckle, but he knew this buckle was not cheap one bit. In fact, it, along with the other three house buckles, was usually given to someone from the house who was seen with such respect by housemates and classmates alike, and it was not necessarily given to just students but also to retiring staff members.

Not that he was planning to retire or anything.

Glancing up at the quartet, Severus simply asked as he was holding back his tears of joy, "Where did you get this?"

"Let's just say that a little ferret helped us out," replied Harry with a smile.

"Malfoy?" asked Hermione in surprise.

"He has been owling us lately," said Ron. "I don't know why other than we saved his family's arse back in the summer, but from how we have been reading his letters, he's wanting to go back to Hogwarts soon."

"How strange indeed," murmured Severus. Looking at his gift, he said under his breath, "Thank you, Potter."

"What did you say, Professor?" taunted Harry. "I didn't quite hear you."

"Must I need to enlarge your ears to the size of an elephant's, Potter?" snarled dark wizard. "I said 'thank you.'"

"Sounds like Snape's back," joked Ron.

"Oh! I didn't get you guys anything!" said Hermione.

"That's okay, Hermione," said Ginny. "Just being able to see your face today is good enough."

"Are you guys sure? I mean I could always make some biscuits or something!"

"We're sure," said Harry as he gave her an assuring smile. "Just being about to see that warm smile on your face tonight made our Christmas better."

Hermione rushed to her friends and gave each of them a hug with tears rolling down her cheeks. "Thank you, guys! I miss you a lot!"

Before they left, Arthur cast an invisible charm on the trio, the car, and then himself as they began to leave the Granger residence. Hermione walked them out to the front door, trailing behind Ron. Since he was the last to leave, he turned to his ex-girlfriend and said, "'Mione, I'm sorry things went out of control. It's just that… I still love you, and I was upset that you chose to marry Snape instead of me."

"Ronald," began Hermione.

But Ron interrupted her once again and said, "Please, 'Mione! Forgive me, at least."

The witch drew the redheaded wizard into a hug and said softly, "I forgive you, Ronald."

"I hope he treats you well."

"He does," replied Hermione, "but this doesn't mean he'll be soft on you and Harry."

"I didn't expect him to," chuckled Ron.

"Ron!" called Arthur from the car. "We have to go now before your mother sends a howler this way!"

"Gotta go," said Ron, pulling out of Hermione's embrace and hopped into the car next to Harry. As the quartet waved goodbye to the witch, they were able to have a running start on the road before the wheels rose from the asphalt and the car was flying in midair, only visible to the magical eye.

Hermione, on the other hand, watched the car fly into the distance like Captain Hook's pirate ship, wiping away tears from her eyes. Yes, this was indeed one of the best Christmases she had ever celebrated, despite of her aunt's embarrassing behavior that afternoon.

"Hermione! You got some more presents to open! Come in, dear, before you catch a cold!" called Jane from the foyer.

"Yeah," said Hermione, though her mother did not hear the reply.

Nearly minutes before midnight, Severus walked into the bedroom to find Hermione reading her new book about house elves that he had given her downstairs in front of her parents. He debated all afternoon whether or not he should wait to give her the other gift, as well as telling her the good news he found out that very morning. "Enjoying it so far?" he asked as he began to discard his clothing, save his black boxers.

The only response he got from his wife was a mere nod of the head as she flipped the page and read the text.

"Hermione?" he asked, verbally prodding her to answer his question with her lips for he found her gesture to be rather rude. "Well?"

"Yes!" replied the witch. "Severus, why do you think house elves refuse to be free?"

"They have served many families for years, Hermione," explained the Potions Master as he slipped into bed next to her, holding the small black box in his hand that his wife did not notice from the corner of her eye. "Wizards learn to treat elves with respect and compassion, and they expect their offspring and the future generations to do the same. Thus, with such loyalty that the elves share with their masters represents the bond between them, and it is such a strong bond, why should house elves be free?"

"But Dolby was killed when he was trying to save Harry! If he was free, he would be still alive!" argued Hermione.

"It was Dolby's wish to protect Potter from the Dark Lord just like it is my duty," said Severus. "But Dolby and his ancestors served Potter's family from his father's side for years, long before Harry's birth, up until Lucius took him in after James and Lily were killed. The only way he would have been freed was through death."

"I see," replied Hermione. "But why did Lucius take him?"

"There are many assumptions such as sympathy or the thought of taking prisoners of war, if you will," said Severus. "Perhaps, to Lucius, Dolby was like loot to a pirate."

"Yet he had no right!"

"But what could a little baby do? Potter was too young to inherit anything, including the ownership of a house elf."

"I still don't like the idea of having elves as personal servants," said Hermione sternly. "To me, it sounds like owning slaves during the time of the slave trade."

"True, but elves like Dolby are understanding and very obedient," said Severus. "Not to mention, they can grant any realistic wish as your request such as food and drinks. Yes, they do get punished for their wrongdoings, but as long as they obey, then they will get rewarded greatly.

"House elves, unlike human, slaves don't need money, and as you noticed, they don't need many materialistic objects as such to live on. They are like the average house pet, but they do more like you and me. And don't underestimate their knowledge, as you have found out. They know more than us because they can see everything that the eye can't perceive."

Hermione nodded her head as she tried to understand the wizard's stance on house elves. She was so selfish in years past that she overlooked their reason why they liked to be servants rather than being free. Then, a thought struck her – was Severus exposed to having elves in his home?

Surely, he must have had one, she thought. Why else would he defend them like this? "Do you have a house elf at your home?" she asked.

"I'm afraid I don't," sighed Severus sadly. "Growing up in a Muggle environment, why have one? My mother's family, however, owned one or two, but I have no way of contacting my grandfather and grandmother Prince, and they have no interest in associating themselves with me."

"Why?" asked Hermione, taking her husband by the hand.

"When Mother married that rotten sot for a father, they severed all ties with her, which included myself," replied Severus softly. "I never knew the Prince family, only the Snapes."

"Oh," said the witch, feeling saddened by the cruelty of his grandparents. "Did you try talking to them after… well, you know?"

"You mean after Father killed my mother with his bare hands?" sneered Severus. "Why would I bother owling them then? From what I heard, they thought Mother got what she deserved."

"That's horrible!" cried Hermione. "No parent should feel that way toward their own child!"

"What about my father?" asked Severus. "Is he an exception?"

"Well, no," answered Hermione thoughtfully. "He shouldn't have treated you or your mother like that in any case."

"But he did," sighed Severus as he recalled his least favorite memories, which were quite a bit to list, of his childhood at Spinner's End.

Hermione nodded her head and returned to her reading until she finished the chapter that she was on, placing the book on her nightstand next to their wands. "You know, Severus," she began, "you really never gave me a straight answer to my question."

"Which question?" asked Severus.

"You know, about her?"

If someone told the dreaded Potions Master that he would freeze up every time anything pertaining to Lily Evans-Potter was mentioned, he would most likely give them a nasty hex in retaliation. Sure enough, his hands started to get clammy and his body began to lightly tremble. "Well, I, uh…" he stammered.

"Severus?" prodded Hermione.

"Fine! I loved the woman!" he barked, unable to control his composure.

"I know that," groaned the witch, pinching the bridge of her nose.

"Yes, well, I can't help it that I have been fantasizing about her for a long time," muttered Severus.

"What?" asked Hermione. "Severus, you know she's not coming back!"

"I know," sighed the wizard as he sunk further into the pillows. "It's just that my feelings for her runs deeper than others."

"Like me?"

Severus reached over and took his wife's right hand into his left. "Hermione," he began, "you're still young to understand this, but I hope you will listen to me before you make any conclusions. I did love Lily; I loved her for a long time, perhaps when we first met as children. I never had the chance to ask her out because we were just too young to be in a serious relationship.

"By the time we were both fifth year students, I decided it was time to make that witch mine, but unfortunately, it was the same time I ruined our friendship."

"Because of one little word," said Hermione softly.

"The same word I refuse to use around you and some of your other classmates at Hogwarts," said Severus. "She never got over it and wouldn't forgive me back then. Potter and Black made sure that I could never be near her. One look at her, and they were back to their tricks – hexing me because I was different."

"Do you think she would ever forgive you?" asked the witch.

"Perhaps, since she did grow up a bit after we graduated," replied Severus, "but then again, perhaps not. She was always one who took grudges seriously."

"But do you still love her more than me?"

The dark wizard was half-expecting an outburst of rage and anger from the little brunette woman sitting next to him. He was also half-expecting the waterworks to come on and flood her pretty little face. But neither possibility happened.

Instead, he was receiving a cold stare from her brown eyes.

Taking a deep breath, he resentfully sighed and answered, "Yes."

What happened next, he was not expecting at all. From the corner of his black eye, he watched his wife turn her head away and muttered from under her breath, "That bitch!"

He whipped his head in surprise, his black hair slightly touching his face. "What did you say?" he asked coolly.

"I don't see how you could love someone like that," answered Hermione. "One minute, they're your best friend, and then they're cold as ice the next!"

"Lily wasn't that cold!" growled Severus, feeling a sense of anger burning in his veins.

"Severus, if she was indeed your friend, she would have gotten over it!"

"Did you not hear me, you insufferable know-it-all?"

"Yes, I heard you loud and clear!" snapped Hermione. "But listen to yourself, Severus! You fantasize about a woman who got angry over one petty word – derogative but still petty – and she's not coming back! Don't you honestly think it's time for you to move on with your life? You're married now because of some stupid law that we didn't want to be involved with in the first place – one that was abolished a little too late – and you're expected to be a father soon! What if you were married to some other witch who was not as understanding and stubborn as me? How would she react if you kept thinking about Lily?"

"I can't help it if I see parallels between the two of you!" barked Severus. "Both of you are very competent in Potions, although you are brilliant in other subjects, you came from Muggle families, although she was shunned from hers whereas your parents are always proud of their little princess, and you have a friendship with the Potter family! Your personalities match – motherly, bossy, short-tempered, intolerance toward stupidity… caring, supportive… loving…"

As she watched his face grow long and his gaze shifted to the hands on his lap, Hermione scooted closer to her husband and placed her right hand on his bare shoulder. "Severus," she began, "just because we are alike doesn't mean you have to think of me as her all the time. For one, I will never ever have red hair or green eyes, and for two, I will love you no matter what, even if you do call me a 'Mudblood'. I've heard it before and I've gotten over it for years now, thanks to Malfoy. I'm practically immune to that insult, but you haven't seen me cry about it for a long time."

"But I don't deserve you," countered Severus, softly.

"No, you don't, but that doesn't mean you can't have a second chance. You asked me to give you one, and here it is, right in front of you. If you feel that there is no love in this marriage, then so be it. We can always base it on something as trivial as sex if need be. But if Lily was still alive, I feel that she would be saying the same thing – move on and be happy."

Turning away from his harsh face, Hermione finished her lecture with, "But if you think that Lily was the only thing that could make you happy, then you have some serious growing up to do."

Normally, if someone said something of the sort to his face, Severus would indeed hurt them for damaging his character, but he could not bring himself to do that, not to Hermione.

And not with the flash of Lily's image in her place that his black eyes had seen. He was right about the parallels he had drawn for her – they were too much alike. But, moreover, if there were a trace of Lily that he saw that night, it would have been his wife's demeanor during their conversation.

After all, Lily would have probably said the very same thing, he thought. She had grown to love Potter, so why do I hold myself back from loving someone else? I'd only be letting myself down, let alone her.

"You're right," he said gruffly.

Hermione's head snapped up upon hearing those two words. "What did you say?" she asked.

"I said that you were right," replied Severus sourly. "Lily might not have wanted a life with me, but she would be saying the same thing if all I did was turn down ever witch who wanted me just because of her. Merlin, you're right – I need to grow up and get over her!"

"Oh, Severus!" she sighed as she nuzzled her head against his arm. "I'm glad you finally see some reason behind this."

"Just remember, Madame Snape, that it will be hard for me to do this. I have spent most of my life longing for her, even though to the wizarding world that is just a small fraction in terms of longevity, but you do make a valuable point – I shouldn't be spending the rest of my life mourning and kicking myself in the arse. I should be enjoying life to the fullest until the day I die.

"And with that, you do have my permission to hex me all you want if I speak her name in my sleep," he added with a smirk.

Hermione smiled tenderly and said, "I don't think hexing you will solve everything, even in your sleep, but thank you, Severus. I'm very sure Lily understands."

Time passed by slowly and the couple laid there in silence until Severus handed over the small box to his wife. "You know, there was one gift I didn't give to you tonight," he said. "I really hope you like it."

"Now, Severus, why wouldn't I?" giggled the witch as she placed a chaste kiss on his sallow cheek. "You already gave me a book. Did you get me another?"

"No, but something better," he answered as he watched her open the gift box.

Hermione uncovered the golden pendant from beneath the black lid, revealing a beautiful crest of gold, silver, ruby, and emerald. Divided diagonally were the lion and the serpent of Gryffindor and Slytherin houses, the lion in gold and ruby and the serpent in silver and emerald. As far as she could remember, no one had ever created such piece of work representing the two houses.

Then again, she never heard of a Gryffindor being married to a Slytherin according to Hogwarts: A History.

"Well, what do you think?" asked Severus softly, silently praying to whatever deity was above that she loved the gift.

"I… I don't know what to think," murmured his wife. "It's beautiful!"

"I think," began the Potions Master, "that it would look more beautiful on you." Taking the necklace out of the box, he placed it around Hermione's slender neck and fastened the clip at the nape.

Toying with the crest pendant, the witch gave a small smile to her husband and placed a kiss on his lips. "I love it," she said. "Thank you, Severus."

Suddenly, she felt a sense of sadness rush over her as she looked down at her hands to conceal her emotions. "But, I didn't get anything for you," she confessed softly. "I know I'm married to you, but I don't know much about you and your interests. I'm sorry I disappointed you."

"That's all right, Madame Snape," replied Severus with a small smirk. "I already know what it is anyway."

"Did you not hear me, Severus?" asked Hermione. "I said…" She abruptly stopped when his words finally hit her in the face. "What in Merlin's beard are you talking about?" she asked with a hint of surprise in her voice.

Grabbing his wand from her nightstand, he pushed her onto her back and lifted her nightgown, placing the wooden tip against her belly. "You'll see," he whispered as he muttered an incantation under his breath.

Hermione watched the wand glow a white aura and then quickly turned to a light shade of blue before her brown eyes. She gasped as she realized what it meant.

Her gift to Severus that night was a son! She was pregnant with Severus' son!

"But how?" she asked.

"I did a quick pregnancy test this morning while you were sleeping after Morpheus decided to have some fun with my dream this morning," replied her husband sourly. "It would seem this child was conceived less than twenty-four hours ago."

"But what about my schooling? I'm only –"

"A seventh year student and Head Girl with a lot of responsibilities," finished Severus. "Yes, I've heard it all. But, Hermione, you are just in the first week of your nine-month journey, love. Everything will be fine by the time graduation arrives. Merlin, you might not be showing much by then!"

"You mean you're not mad?" asked Hermione.

"Merlin, no!" answered Severus. "But suffice it to say, I'm not happy either. Remember, my dear, we only need one child to keep this marriage valid. Otherwise, we'll be here in this very room with our wands snapped in half. I know you don't want that, do you?"

The witch shook her head. "And I know the wizarding world can't live without you, not as long as You-Know-Who is still alive."

"Unfortunately," muttered the wizard as he reached over and turned off the lamp on the nightstand. "Get some sleep, Madame Snape," he ordered with a yawn. "Your parents will be in for a surprise come the morning, and Merlin knows what your mother might have planned up her sleeve."

"Of course, Mr. Snape," jested his wife, placing a chaste kiss on his left cheek as she snuggled into his embrace. "Happy Christmas, Severus."

"Happy Christmas to you too, Hermione," said Severus. Looking down at the sleeping witch in his arms, he allowed a small smile on his lips as he closed his eyes and drifted off to sleep.

That Christmas night, he dreamt about teaching a young sallow boy like himself with greasy raven locks but also brown eyes and a less hook of a nose the appreciation of the subtle science and exact art that was potion-making, whereas she dreamt about teaching the same boy the appreciation of books – Muggle and magical – and how to do simple household chores without using a wand.

And for once in his long and stressful life, Lily Evans-Potter did not invade his dream that very night.

Hmmm… Methinks these long chapters are getting tiring for my readers. Sorry! Don't forget to read and review!

TheGoodWitchoftheNorth