Harry Potter and his world belong to JKR

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Five winters later

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She met them at the front door, opening it quickly and looking upon them both, noticing with affection that they were both covered in wet patches, their cheeks red, snowflakes settled upon their black hair. It was dark outside, the snow coming down fast in big flakes, and Hermione ushered them in.

"Come inside quickly, or you'll let all the heat out!" she said, gently.

Lucan looked up at her, his eyes blazing and proud, a Quaffle in his arms. "Mum, Mum, I got a goal in past Dad!"

"He did, indeed," said Severus, a smile on his lips, holding both broomsticks, one small, one large, in his hand. He knocked his boots against the doorframe, shaking off the snow, as Lucan stepped inside.

"That's great, sweetheart. Now, make sure you don't track that snow in," she said, watching Lucan plonk down on the rug just past the threshold. He let the Quaffle roll away before kicking his boots off, shedding his scarf, mittens, and hat, leaving them where they fell.

Severus stood at the doorway, looking down upon Hermione with a pleased smile on his face, waiting for her eyes to meet his again. He leaned over, kissing her gently, his nose pressing against her cheek.

"Oh, your nose and your lips are so cold!" Hermione exclaimed, pulling away, then kissing him again nevertheless. His face lingered above hers, his eyes soft, and he kissed her once more, deeply. She shivered. She looked up at him almost in a daze before mumbling, "Come on in, then."

Severus shut the front door to their home behind him. He stepped over the clothes Lucan had cast upon the floor and took off his coat, then unwound his green scarf and removed his gloves. He twirled his wand so that the wet clothing dried and arranged itself on hooks by the door, and the Quidditch supplies stored themselves in a cabinet against the wall.

"Would you mind putting the kettle on?" He rubbed his hands together, blowing on them, shivering slightly.

"I was about to ask you the same," she said, smiling.

"Fine, I'll go-"

"No, I'm just teasing. Go warm yourself by the fire. Dinner will be ready in a bit."

Lucan was already there, on his knees, his hands held out in front of him, palms facing the fire. He was dressed in a red turtleneck jumper and black corduroys. Severus sat on the settee behind him, leaning toward the flames and mimicking his son.

"My toes feel like ice," Lucan said, sitting on his bottom and wiggling his toes out in front of him. "I can't even feel them".

"Mine too." Severus stuck his toes out as well, enjoying the warmth of the fire on his frozen feet.

Lucan, restless, now stood up and clambered onto the settee next to his father.

"Dad, can we go play again after dinner?" His hair had fallen in front of his eyes, and he quickly tucked it behind his ears.

Severus pursed his lips, not wanting to disappoint him. "It's too dark out now, and the snow's falling too thick, really."

"Da-ad," he whined.

"We can go out tomorrow, when it's a bit lighter."

"But Dad-"

"Maybe we can play with your new potions set later."

"Hmmph," was his sons unsatisfied reply. He then climbed down from the sofa and to the floor, and began playing with his stacking blocks, which did not seem to respect the laws of gravity and balanced end on end in the air.

Severus watched his son, glad for the warmth of the fire upon his frozen limbs. Lucan's concentration was intense as he positioned the blocks exactly, forming a house which looked not dissimilar to their own. Severus took in his little intelligent face, which in this light looked remarkably like Hermione's - the thin eyebrows, the upturned nose, the little tongue sticking out from his lips in thought. His face was not so thin - just slightly more rounded than Severus and his mother - but his coloring was undeniably Prince-like, as well as his high cheekbones, his slight figure, his pointed chin. Affection overwhelmed Severus, as it often did in moments like these. Lucan could never fathom how much he meant to his father.

Hermione appeared with four mugs of tea, black for Severus, milky for Lucan. She ruffled her son's hair after handing his to him, warning that it was hot. Suddenly, the flames flickered green, and Eileen appeared.

"Grandma!" Lucan exclaimed, setting down his cup upon the stone hearth, standing up, and then jumping into her unsuspecting arms.

"Oh!" She picked him up into her arms, kissing him quickly on the cheek several times in a row, her eyes twinkling. "How are you, my love?"

"Me and Dad just played Quidditch!" he said, breathlessly.

"Oh, did you?" asked Eileen, smiling, letting him down again.

"Yes, and I scored a goal!"

"How wonderful!" she exclaimed, beaming.

"On the new broomstick you got him for Christmas," explained Hermione, handing Eileen her tea.

"Thank you, love," she said, accepting it. She turned back to Lucan. "Do you like your new broomstick, then?"

"I love it!" he exclaimed. "Mum, can I show it to Grandma now?"

"No, not in the house," she replied, as if she had said this many times before. He pouted, crossing his arms, then went over to his toy chest and rummaged through it, Hermione drinking some of her tea before returning to the kitchen. "Dinner will be out in a minute!" she called, pans clattering, plates and silverware zooming out of the cabinets and onto the dining table.

Eileen turned to Severus, smiling at him, placing a hand on his arm and bending over to press her cheek to his. "And how is the birthday boy?"

"Fine, Mum," he said, sipping his tea and setting it on the side table.

"Surely better than fine," she teased, sitting down on the settee beside him.

Lucan had reappeared, setting a wooden box on the sofa between his father and grandmother. He flipped up the latch and opened the lid, saying, "Look, Grandma!" Inside were a set of dragon models, little figurines that moved about like small lizards and from time to time breathed out what looked like fire.

"They look so real!" she exclaimed.

"I got it for Christmas," he boasted, "from Uncle Harry and Aunt Ginny."

She smiled. "Which one is your favorite?"

"I like the Peruvian Vipertooth," he said, digging one out of the box, holding out a small dragon with smooth copper scales for her to view.

"That one looks a bit scary. This one's quite pretty, though," Eileen said, picking up a dragon sitting in the corner of the box. Its white scales shimmered delicately in the firelight.

"That's an Antip... Antipodean Opaleye," he explained.

"My, that's a big word for a little boy!"

He seemed pleased with himself. "Mum likes that one most. This one's Dad's favorite," he said, moving over to Severus and holding out a lithe dragon with silvery blue scales for his father to hold. "Isn't it, Dad? It's a Swedish Short-Snout."

"Yes," he said, accepting the figurine into his hand. "I have a pair of gloves made from the skin of a Short-Snout, to wear if I'm making certain potions. They're very good at keeping out heat."

"Wicked," said Lucan, under his breath, and Eileen and Severus looked at each other in amusement.

"All right, everyone to the table!" said Hermione, poking her head out from the kitchen.

"Don't forget to lock the lid this time, Lucan," Severus said, moving to stand up. Lucan looked up at him sheepishly before gathering the dragons and putting them away. Severus looked at his mother and explained, "We woke up with the Hungarian Horntail in our bed, the other morning." Eileen giggled gleefully, and he said, "You may find it funny, but I think I lost a few years off my life from the experience."

They all moved into the dining room and were greeted with the sights and smells of a lamb roast dinner.

"This looks great, Hermione," Severus said, taking his seat at the head of the table. His mother sat to his right, Lucan to his left, and Hermione opposite him.

Lucan eagerly sat down, his fork already in his hand. "Can we start eating now?" he asked impatiently, staring at the plate before him. Upon it sat roast lamb, peas, carrots, roast potatoes, and a large Yorkshire pudding, all covered in gravy.

Hermione watched as Eileen placed her napkin on her lap, and then said, "Yes, Luke - you can start." He emphatically stabbed a roast potato and crammed it into his mouth, as though he was starving.

"This is delicious, Hermione," Eileen complimented, slicing her lamb into small pieces and savoring each one.

"You've cooked the lamb perfectly," Severus added. Hermione smiled, pleased with herself.

They spoke of the visitors they had received since Christmas, including the Potters and several Weasleys, about Eileen's promotion to Captain of the Hogsmeade Gobstone Club, and the recognition Hermione's work as a Mediwitch was receiving at St. Mungo's. They also talked about the presents that Severus had opened that morning, and the classes Lucan was taking at the village school. The conversation was cheerful, light, and they all laughed as Hermione realized that she had forgotten to pour out the red wine she had bought especially for the occasion. Severus flicked his wand towards the kitchen, three glasses and a bottle of wine floating into the room, and poured them all a drink.

After the dinner was finished and cleared away, Hermione brought out a small cake with a silver sparkler and several candles on top. She began to sing Happy Birthday, and Eileen and Lucan both quickly joined in with glee. Hermione placed the cake in front of Severus, then moved Lucan and pulled him into her lap, sitting in the chair beside her husband, wrapping her arms around their little boy, her head nestled beside his. When the song finished, his family all clapped and cheered. Severus swelled with pride at the sight of them, and when he blew out his candles, he could not think of anything to wish for that he didn't already have.

Later that evening, after Eileen had left and Lucan finally conceded to sleep, Severus and Hermione lied in their bed facing each other, curled up under the blankets to keep warm. His fingers trailed down her side and then through her hair, their familiar path traveled without conscious thought, as she smiled up at him.

He looked past his wife and out the window, the snow still falling heavily, the room quiet except for the crackle issuing from the fireplace at the foot of their bed. He looked back down at Hermione, her eyes closed, her lips turned up at the edges, and he smirked as well. How many times had they lain together as they did now? When had it stopped being a novelty and become so normal? Even now, he did not take a single second of it for granted.

"What's on your mind, then?" he inquired, gently, intrigued by her expression.

After a moment, she asked, "Do you... do you remember the first time we kissed?"

"Of course," he whispered, and she could hear that he was grinning.

She paused before her next words. "Did you put the Amortentia on the table on purpose?"

"No, of course not. But why would that matter?"

Her eyes opened, and her hand slipped across his chest, squeezing his collarbone ever so slightly. "Because... it made me confess my feelings. If I hadn't smelled you in it... I don't know if we ever would have... resolved anything."

"Perhaps we should simply be thankful that it was there." She smiled to herself, and then felt Severus's hand run along her hip and then rest upon the long scar across her middle, from the curse Lucius had cast upon her, nearly parallel to the one she had received at the Department of Mysteries. "Perhaps we should also be thankful that you survived this." She flinched - even after five years, the scar was still sensitive.

"And you, this," she said, moving her hand to lightly press upon his shoulder, "and this," she murmured, her fingers tracing the red lines upon his neck. His hand rested on top of hers, before he thread his fingers through hers, took her hand in his, and then brought it to his lips to kiss, softly. She looked away, before saying, "I sometimes think about what could have happened that night, if it had gone wrong. Lucan would not have had us, or remembered us, and you know... you know how we live for him."

It was his turn to look away. "He is... lovely, isn't he?" he said, no single word able to fully explain how he felt.

"Yes," Hermione agreed, smiling again. "He is."

He paused. "Even after all this time, I don't know how..." he began, his throat tight. "How could something so wonderful... have come from me?"

Her hand took its familiar course along his brow, across his forehead, finally resting upon his cheekbone. She looked up into his soft, dark grey eyes, and said quietly, emphatically, "He's wonderful precisely because he came from you."

Severus's eyes became a bit cloudy, and then, placing his hand on hers again, he smiled. Smiled, for although he had age and experience on Hermione, she was the wiser of the two by far, and she never failed to impress him with her sense of clarity, with her ability to see things as they really were. It was this same sense that had allowed her to find something in him deserving of her affection all those years ago, and still.

He then ran his tongue over his lips, before retracting it back into his mouth and looking down upon her nervously. "I have been meaning to ask you something," he began, withdrawing his hand and propping himself up with his left elbow. "I was wondering if we could... have another."

"Another what?" she asked, unsure if he meant what she thought he did.

"Another child, of course," he said, pressing his nose to hers and running his fingers across her jaw.

"Severus," she taunted, gently, "you never wanted a baby in the first place, and now you want another?" She began running her hand along his chest, unconsciously.

"Well," he said quietly, "I didn't think I would be able to take care of a child. I didn't think I'd be much of a father."

She just bit her lip and smiled at him. "You're wonderful," she said, barely able to contain her happiness. "Let's have another."

His eyes grew bright, before he added, "Just... one. And then that's it, no more; I'm getting too old to be a new father."

"No you're not," she whispered excitedly, although when she ran her fingers through his hair, there were thin streaks of silver among the black. He kissed her deeply, leaning over her and cupping her cheek with his palm. Their lips met delicately, before they both added more resistance, and she suddenly felt his tongue searching for entry into her mouth.

She accepted it, his body now pressed lightly against hers, his full attention now upon her. She felt his hand leave her cheek and find its way over her body, as though wanting to feel every part of her. They broke apart for a moment, both pulling off their respective nightclothes, and then found each other again.

Her left hand was soon upon his warm, hardening member as she lied next to him, her face centimeters from his. She felt him grow stiff at her touch, watched his face contort with pleasure and then soften, and listened as he let out small hitched breaths of air in response to her strokes. She slid her left leg over his, his thigh between both of hers, almost leisurely, enjoying the sight of him before her. Her hand alternated between a slow and slightly faster pace, feeling him respond, and then backing away each time before it became too intense.

She slid down the bed, pushing the covers down as she did so, crouched over him, and her mouth found his member. His toes immediately curled as she took him, almost in his entirety, into her mouth, her tongue swirling around him, her hands caressing his thighs. He shuddered, looked down at her, and then tilted his head back, his hand on her arm, his cheeks turning pink.

She stopped after several minutes, knowing that he would not be able to withstand much more, and his hand was on her shoulder, touching it and moving over her so that she went to lie on her back, he now lying beside her. His right hand was upon her breast, her hip, and then lower, his mouth against her ear, his nose in her hair. He found her with his fingers, listening intently to her breathing, and began applying pressure, his left hand resting against her shoulder. She opened her legs for him and he ran his hand along the inside of her thighs, beginning again in earnest, knowing how she liked it best, whispering into her ear, feeling her move against him.

He stopped just short, listening to her moan of displeasure, and moved down the bed, as she had done with him. He was on his knees before her, lowering his head to her core, and the feeling of his tongue on her took her breath away, her hands going to his hair, his hands stroking the bottom of her thighs and then reaching to hold onto her hips. He looked up at her from under his heavy brows, his mouth still pressed to her, and she quickly reached the edge, then fell over it, her hands finding his, her body quivering as he drew out her pleasure.

After a few moments he pulled away, then sat upright against the headboard to their bed. Hermione straddled him, sitting in his lap, her calves along his thighs, feeling his hands running up and down the smooth skin of her back as her fingers explored his chest. Their noses touched, her lips met his again, and she smiled, looking at him through eyes half closed as though she could never love anyone more.

"Hermione," he said thickly, squeezing her shoulders in anticipation. She moved back, lifting herself up, and held his hard member in her hand before stroking it a few times, then positioned it beneath her. She enveloped him, and they both moaned as they connected fully. Her hands went to his shoulders, pausing to allow herself to catch her breath, and then she began to move up and down slowly. They gasped together from the sheer pleasure of it, and Severus's hands moved from Hermione's soft breasts to her smooth bottom to her strong thighs, and then settled upon her waist as he began to move against her as well. Their eyes were only centimeters apart, their gaze never parting, his mouth open as incredible sensations coursed through his body. "Oh, Hermione," he muttered, his body shaking as she pressed herself against him in earnest, the friction between their bodies almost overwhelming. To see Severus Snape in complete pleasure, completely unwound and raw and naked before her, still surprised and delighted her more than anything else imaginable.

Suddenly, she felt him shift under her. He swung his legs over the side of the bed, his chest hot and sweaty, his lips against her ear as he took a momentary rest. Hermione wrapped her legs around his torso and her arms around his neck as he strained and lifted her from their bed. "Severus!" she exclaimed, surprised and thrilled. He strode across the room with her in his arms and pressed her back against the wall, beginning to penetrate her deeply, passionately, thrusting with long, full strokes which drove her towards the edge again as she held on around his neck.

There was only him. She had lost sensation and thought concerning everything else, and was completely at his mercy, completely lost in the movement of their bodies coming together. She leaned forward, moaning his name into his ear as she felt a great pressure within her preparing to be released. She cried out as she came, Severus's arms clasped firmly around her, and he let out short, deep gasps as he did too. He turned around and laid her back down upon the bed, stroking in and out several times before finally collapsing above her, his energy spent. They both panted until they had caught their breath, the sheen of their sweat making their skin appear golden in the firelight.

He kissed her gently, feeling the response from her trembling lips, and after a time moved away from her. They were cold now, the warmth having dissipated from them, and they moved into the bed and under the covers. Hermione turned onto her side and looked up at her husband. He was looking at her as well, just studying her face as she studied his, and she felt a rush of adoration for him - for his deep grey, introspective eyes, the black hair which framed his face, his slightly yellowed skin that looked years younger since leaving the dungeons, his thin but soft lips, and not least of all his delightful nose. She tangled her legs with his, resting her hand upon the skin of his chest and burrowing into his shoulder.

Severus lifted his left arm and Hermione wrapped hers around his chest as she laid on her side, resting her head upon his shoulder. She felt completely content, fulfilled, and safe.

"I love you," she whispered, feeling his fingers thread through her hair.

He looked down at her, and the emotion that his eyes conveyed caused her throat to tighten. His lips touched her forehead, and he then murmured, "Oh, how I love you."

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Five years later

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"Mummy, what's a 'three-quarters?'" Whilom asked, his brown eyes bright with excitement as they stepped through onto the platform. Before waiting for an answer, he exclaimed, "Look, there's owls!"

"This way, Whil," Hermione said, taking her younger son's hand in her own clammy palm. He had brown hair, a slightly round face, and took after Hermione completely except for his nose, which would most likely grow to resemble his father's. Lucan was beside his mother, pushing his school trunk on a trolley, and he looked sick with anxiety. "Severus," Hermione called behind her, through the crowd of wizarding families and owls and trolleys.

Severus strode through the barrier, holding their daughter, Antigone, in his arms. She looked a bit frightened from all the commotion, and had wrapped her thin arms around her father's neck. She was wearing a purple dress, her long black hair braided down her back, her cheeks pink and rosy, looking very much like Eileen. Hermione often thought of her daughter as her greatest surprise, for when she and Severus had planned on having only one child nearly four years ago, they had inadvertently ended up with twins.

However, Hermione was not, at the moment, in a nostalgic mood. Despite all of her careful planning, her attempt to get to London half an hour early was futile. Lucan's owl had refused to settle into her cage, Whilom didn't want to put his shoes on, and Antigone, not usually troublesome but taking a cue from her twin brother, had decided to be difficult and refused to brush her teeth after a late breakfast. Now, they had less than ten minutes to spare.

"Severus, get Lucan's trunk onto the train," she ordered. He obliged, taking the trolley from his son and heading towards the edge of the platform, his daughter still in his arms. "Are you nervous?" she asked, standing with Lucan in the midst of several other families while his father ensured his trunk and owl found their way onto the Hogwarts Express.

He nodded his head.

"Why's that?" she asked, quietly.

"Well," he began, as though he had thought it through beforehand, "I want to be in Slytherin and Gryffindor... I want both you and Dad to be happy. But I don't know if they'll let me."

Hermione looked upon him with a mixture of pride and sorrow. She wrapped an arm around him - he only came up to her shoulder - and said, "You'll make both of us proud no matter what house you're in. And we mean it. Besides," she said, leaning her head towards him as Whilom tugged at her hand, too enthralled with the adventure of being around so many people to pay attention to what his mother was saying, "your house doesn't define who you are. You'd think I was rather clever, wouldn't you?" Lucan nodded, and she said, "Plenty of people have told me I was a very bright witch. I still wasn't put in Ravenclaw. You never can tell what the Sorting Hat will think of you. But it will put you where you will do best, and that's all we hope for. We hope you do your best," she said, pulling him in close and ruffling his hair, planting a doting kiss on his forehead.

Severus had returned, and Hermione could tell from the way he looked at her that he was requesting a moment alone with Lucan before they said their goodbyes. Hermione took Antigone into her arms and stepped back into the crowd, looking around for Harry and Ginny who would surely be on the platform as well to send James to school for his third year at Hogwarts. She stood nearby, listening carefully to her husband, and wondered if she herself had seemed that small and young and worried all those years ago.

Severus silently wrapped his arms around his eldest, who quickly reciprocated. He then drew away, placing his large hands upon his son's tiny shoulders, looking into eyes which were so like his own.

"What if I don't belong there," Lucan blurted out, his pale face turning red, embarrassed, his gaze unwavering.

Severus squeezed his son's arm. He searched his eyes, and asked, "Did we ever tell you that you were born in the castle? At Hogwarts?"

Lucan shook his head, his jaw dropping. He replied, "Really?"

"Yes," Severus explained. "You were born there, and we lived there for almost a year together - you, your mother, and I. If anyone belongs at Hogwarts, it's you."

Lucan looked much happier. "So... Hogwarts is like my home?"

"Yes," Severus said, giving one of his rare grins. "It is very much like your home." He looked away, and then said, "Good luck, Luke. I'll see you in class." Lucan nodded his head, smiling. Severus felt his wife's hand on his back, and quickly turned to her.

"We only have a few minutes until the train leaves," Hermione said. She handed Antigone back to her father, turned towards Lucan, and rambled off, "Now, you must write me the minute you get into your dormitory and tell me what house you're in and who you've met. And then the next day, tell me how your classes went. And then, I want you to write me again so I know you haven't gotten into any trouble."

"All right, Mum," he said, brushing it off, looking as though he was now eager to depart.

Less sternly than before, she said, "You know Dad and Grandma will be there if you need anything - make sure you to visit her often - but please, don't get into trouble."

Severus broke his wife's concentration by asking his daughter, "Tig, don't you want to kiss your brother goodbye?" Severus held her as she leaned over, planting a small kiss on Lucan's head.

"Bye, Whil," Lucan said quietly. His younger brother rushed forward and hugged him around the middle, before backing away and standing between his parents, Severus putting a hand on his shoulder. "Bye Mum," he said, looking up at them. "Goodbye, Dad." Lucan stepped off of the platform and climbed onto the train, cringing at the sound of the whistle blowing.

"Don't forget to change into your robes before you get there!" Hermione shouted after him. "Oh, Lukie," she said to herself, her eyes filling with tears.

Severus's arm was around her shoulders. They found their son several compartments away, sticking his head out of a window along with James Potter and Warren, Neville's son, as the train began to pull away from the station. All four members of the small Snape family waved at Lucan as he waved back.

It was almost unbearable, this pain of saying goodbye, of knowing that he would no longer be sleeping in his bed at home, would not be sitting at the breakfast table in the morning, that his happy laughter would be absent from their lives. Eleven was really so young, they both thought, now realizing how much grief it must have brought their own parents to watch their only children, so full of hope and promise, step from the platform onto that train without even a backwards look. Though the separation seemed so cruel now, Severus felt lucky that he even had something which could cause him this keen pain. And, really, he would still see Lucan several times a week, although this would be a complicated change to their relationship. Severus's grief could be nothing compared to Hermione's, who, he thought guiltily, would not see her son again until Christmas.

"Daddy, when will Luke be back home?" Antigone asked, playing with the little black buttons along the front of his robes.

"Not until Christmas," he explained, running his hand along her back.

"Do you have to go too?" she cried, her lip trembling as she became upset.

"Don't you remember? I work every year from autumn until spring, and then I'm off over the summer." She looked unconvinced, and he explained, "I'll be home every evening. You'll be starting school soon anyway, and by the time you're done, I'll be home."

"Every day?" she asked, looking up at him with soft grey eyes.

"Every day, I promise." Antigone finally settled down, swinging her legs gently as she stuck her thumb into her mouth and leaned her head on her father's shoulder.

"Where do you think he'll be Sorted?" Hermione asked her husband, not for the first time, still looking at the end of the platform where the train had disappeared from view.

"Ravenclaw," Severus said confidently, without hesitating.

"I think so too." And then, after a paused, she said quietly, "I wish you would retire." She looked up at her husband out of the corner of her eye, before leaning down and picking up Whilom to hold in her arms.

He did not refute her as she expected, but instead responded, "I have to be there, for him."

They stood there, letting the terrible feeling of loss rush over them again, when Antigone suddenly asked, "Daddy, what's this?" She ran her little hand along the scars across his throat, which were peaking out from below his necktie.

He sighed, looking at her. "I'll tell you when you're older," he explained, readjusting her in his arms.

"Mummy, can we go home now?" Whilom whined. All of the remaining families were now shuffling off of the platform, talking between themselves joyously even though the feeling of loss was tangible. It was always a bittersweet moment.

"Yes, Whil," she complied. "I think it's time to go home."

Please check out several other companion short stories I have written based in this same AU

Stay - Hermione's N.E.W.T.s are upon her, and two weeks from now feels like forever - especially when saying goodbye to Severus Snape. Quick one-shot plot bunny - now updated with their happy reunion.

Under the Willow Tree - A beautiful summer's day at Hogwarts is overshadowed by thoughts of the struggle Hermione and Severus, now married, have endured together. Perhaps they can find comfort in each other.

Spinner's End - Severus has sought refuge in the unlikeliest of places, but he cannot escape his mind. He cannot escape what he has done. Set in the months after the first fall of the Dark Lord.

Updated note (Nov 13, 2018): Thank you for reading! If you have enjoyed, please comment and let me know. If there is a scene you'd like to see that wasn't originally included, feel free to leave it in the comments or shoot me a PM - I think I'll be writing a few little drabbles in the near future, so feel free to be my inspiration - I would love it. xx

Original note (July 20, 2011): Wow, I can't believe this is the last time I'm going to update this fanfiction! I have really loved every moment I've been writing it (for the past 16 months), and I've definitely poured a lot of my heart and soul into it. I've never completed a full length story (of any kind) before, so this is definitely a milestone for me. I want to thank everyone who has read it and stuck by me the whole way through - I feel completely honored. And I really do mean that.

And finally, if you really have made it this far, please send me a review and tell me what you think!

Love, Maria