5. Seems To Fit You

Chapter 5: Seem to Fit You

Disclaimer: I did not create this world, I only play here.

~~Severus~~

Something was wrong between us. I knew it, and it bothered me. She put on a smile and went through the motions, but there was a definite distance between us. I couldn't work out a way to fix it.

When I asked what was wrong, she would smile vacantly and deny that there was anything bothering her. It was a nearly unbearable temptation not to use my Legilimency.

But she'd know in a moment, and I've never felt the need for firsthand experience with the entrail expelling curse!

One Thursday evening, I sat marking essays in the lounge. The door banged open, and my wife rushed into the room. She was flushed and looked upset.

"Severus, we need to talk."

She sat staring at me, not moving or speaking any further.

"Go on, Hermione. I'm listening."

"I want a baby."

She looked near to tears and sat trembling on the edge of the sofa.

"You realise, my love, that even with magic, human gestation will take around nine months?" Disappointing as it was, I couldn't deal with the issue head on.

She sighed deeply and rubbed at her eyes. "Do you want children, Severus?"

This was the moment of truth. I would have to crush her, tell her that I didn't want drooling, bratty ankle-biters.

As I looked into her face, I felt something new coming over me. The thought of her belly swollen with a life that we had created had an indescribable allure to it.

Any child of ours would almost assuredly be bright and interesting. True, I did carry some of my father's lack-lustre genetic material. But Hermione came from excellent stock, and no one could dispute the quality of the Prince line.

Did I want a child? Again, I found myself doing a slight dodge of the issue.

"You'd like to conceive this evening?"

Her voice was thick with emotion as she answered me. "Time frame is not the most pressing issue. Will you be willing to have a child at some point in our relationship?" She sounded defeated.

I stood slowly and crossed the room to kneel in front of her. I placed my palm on her soft, moist cheek to raise her eyes to mine. "If you wish to have a child, then I wish it as well. I would like some time to adjust to our marriage before we embark on parenthood, but in time, I would like to have a child. Yes."

~~Hermione~~

I think my heart stopped in that instant.

I stared into his black eyes and saw nothing but openness and love. He would do this for me.

"Are you sure?" I stammered.

He laughed softly. "Of course not. But there are greater gambles to be taken in this life than having a child with the woman one loves beyond all reason."

I found my mouth to be entirely dry and my stomach full of butterflies. I didn't want to cry, but my eyes teared up of their own accord.

"My dearest, you must understand something. If it were entirely up to me, we'd spend eternity as the two of us. But the idea of a child that we create with our love does hold some intrigue for me.

"Not to mention, there is little doubt that you'll have to make some sacrifices for being my wife...either in opportunities that will be denied to you because you're married to me or in friendships that will be severed because of me. This is something I'm willing to concede for you."

For the next few weeks, it was hard to focus on getting ready for the coming term. My mind was constantly adrift on blissful thoughts of building a home and family with the man I love.

I'd become what I'd hated all my life: a sentimental female.

I still took my contraceptive potion every morning. We did agree to a child, but right now, the most important thing was to settle into our marriage. I wasn't sure how to balance a career and being a wife.

The Great Hall turned out to be a Hall of Great Torture for me. I had to sit with my husband and share a conversation with twenty other people. We couldn't touch or exchange glances without the others taking the mickey from both of us for weeks.

Minerva still got misty-eyed every time she saw the two of us together. I honestly thought my old mentor was in danger of crying herself to death. Others in the staff were just as bad. Hagrid had pulled the both of us into bone-crushing hugs and wailed every time we'd come to breakfast together.

Severus certainly wasn't one for being overly demonstrative in public, and I quite agreed. As one of the youngest members of the staff, I wanted nothing to cause the students to see me as anything other than an authority figure.

I wondered how Albus and Minerva had kept their relationship hidden for all those years. I admired them for their conviction and willpower. I had asked her for advice, which caused another crying jag on her part.

She had then winked at me and said, "The reserved you are in public, the more pent-up urges you'll have for your private time!" Then she actually let out a rather Lavender Brown-like giggle. Perhaps there was more to her than stone and tartan.

I was ready for my start of term meeting with Albus. I gathered my notes and plans and made my way to his office on the Friday before the students arrived.

The castle was in top condition, cleaned and ready for the onslaught of youth. I had tried to look at Hogwarts through the eyes of a first year since I'd become a part of the staff. I never wanted to lose my sense of wonder and forget the magnificence of my surroundings, even if it was my home now.

I approached the gargoyle and whispered, "Raspberry tart." The old, stone figure smirked at me and said, "Of course, Madam Snape."

I bristled instantly. "Actually, it's Professor Granger-Snape." I gave him a rather cold stare, and he leapt aside.

Albus was waiting for me with open arms, as always. He was thrilled to hear of the plans I'd made for my upper level classes, Arithmancy having been a favourite subject of his while he was at school. We chatted over lessons, speculations on this year's new additions to the Houses, and old friends. He'd recently visited Grimmauld place. I laughed until I cried at his tales of the hijinks that his and Severus' namesake got up to. Harry and Ginny were certainly going to have their hands full and quite soon.

The talk of old friends lead to the news that Neville was back from his holiday. He'd been to Asia in search of some rare type of Lotus. He'd apparently had success in finding it, and he was bringing several starts back with him.

When I left Dumbledore, I noticed that Severus would still be in his meeting with the Head Students' selection committee. I decided now would be the perfect time to run out and see my old friend. Neville and Severus had made their peace, but neither was particularly comfortable in the presence of the other. Neville and I would have a much nicer visit on our own.

The greenhouses were a riot of colour and life. Neville certainly had the right touch at Herbology. Though he didn't like to admit it, his skills had now surpassed those of Professor Sprout. Whenever she came round to visit, she made such a fuss over his successes that Neville blushed for days afterward.

As I walked through the door, I heard Neville whistling from somewhere inside.

"Hello? Neville?"

"Hermione? I'm so glad that you've come! Just stay right where you are! I've just got to get this orchid pollen taken care of..."

I turned to examine some of the new additions while I waited for Neville. There were some amazing species of plants in here. I was just admiring some of the Twinkling Stargazer Lilies when I noticed the most intoxicating scent I'd ever encountered.

I spun on the spot and followed the smell. I headed down one of the rows and stopped abruptly before a large orchid that was so red it was nearly black. The fragrance became stronger but somehow not overwhelming.

I leaned over to breathe it in more deeply. As the sweet perfume filled my senses, I had a sense of falling, and the whole world began to spin. And everything went black.

~~Severus~~

I was just leaving the meeting when a thrill of fear shot down my spine. I can't explain how or why, but I was sure that Hermione was in danger. I pulled out my wand and whispered an incantation I'd only ever heard my mother use.

When my father would go on his frequent pub crawls, he would often be gone for days. My mother would be in a state, worried that he was dead somewhere. She'd whisper into her wand, and it would glow, pointing in whatever direction would take us to him most quickly. A white light meant the person being sought was injured or ill; red meant he was with another woman; green meant dead, and gold meant he was fine.

I'd followed that spell with my mother a thousand times through pouring rain, thick snow, or in the dead of night. We'd trudge down dank alleyways, under bridges, or over filthy, muddy river banks.

I said a silent prayer that the spell would work for me. I tried to calm myself as I whispered, "Trouver Amore!"

I'd barely finished when my wand pointed sharply toward the front doors and glowed white. I ran out onto the grounds, and the wand changed directions. I was off to the greenhouses.

I rounded the first one and ran forward. The wand suddenly pointed sharply to my left. I entered the greenhouse to hear Longbottom sobbing and heaving. I ran through aisle after aisle of ridiculous plants.

Finally, I saw Longbottom struggling to lift the seemingly lifeless form of my wife. I tore her from his arms, and panic almost overtook me. All I could think of was getting her to the hospital. Suddenly, I felt the tug and suffocating blackness of Apparition.

A split second later we were in front of Poppy. I decided I would ponder over the impossibility of Apparating within the grounds of the school when my wife was safe.

Madam Pomfrey seemed to take an inordinate amount of time with her diagnostics. She ignored my shouted demands for information as she worked over Hermione. Finally, she began to whisper incantations while doing complicated wand movements. She paused to summon some phials of potion from her office.

It was odd to watch the matron administer potions I had not prepared to Hermione. She did have other suppliers, and some potions were complicated to brew and rarely used. These she contracted out to other brewers.

At long last, she sighed and turned to me. "Severus. She was poisoned."

"What the bloody fuck did Longbottom do?" I spat through gritted teeth.

"It wasn't his fault, and you know it. He had an Amoremordre Orchid. Are you familiar with that breed?"

I could only nod. My whole body was numb as I sank into the chair at Hermione's bedside.

The Amoremordre Orchid was one of the most deadly poisons ever discovered. Its poison lay in its scent; one only had to breathe it in to be affected. Sadly, the deadly reaction only worked on a person who was truly, deeply in love. Legend held that the stronger the love, the more efficacious the poison.

Her love for me had nearly taken her life. Pomfrey waffled on about how Neville usually kept the flower under a protective barrier, but since he hadn't been expecting anyone, he hadn't replaced it after he'd harvested some pollen from it.

He'd evidently shouted a warning to Hermione not to come any farther into the greenhouse after she'd announced her presence.

Due to his quick reaction at containing the beastly plant and my inexplicable Apparition, my wife, my reason for existence, was alive. She clung to life by the merest of threads.

Poppy placed a comforting hand on my shoulder as she explained that Hermione would be in an unconscious state for several weeks. The healing charms and potions that had been used on her would take time to have full effect.

There was no way to tell when or if Hermione would ever awaken. What was worse, if she did come around, there was no way to tell what state she might be in once she was awake.

I sat by her bedside, holding her limp hand in my own. She drifted seemingly peacefully between life and death.

I made myself a promise, if she couldn't come back to me, then I would join her.

A/N: Please don't hate me! If I didn't leave here, the chapter would have been ridiculously long. The next one is nearly complete and ought to be up soon.