Curiosity and Old Friends

Chapter Fifteen: Curiosity and Old Friends

After Severus had left their chambers, Hermione found herself finally finding the time to explore the adjoining rooms that had been assigned to her. She knew that her chambers had been linked to Severus’s, and she was eager to do some snooping now that she had some free time to herself. Before now, she only had two things on her mind: Sebastian and Severus. Exploring didn’t even come into mind then.

She stopped at the crib and smiled down into her sleeping son’s face. Sebastian had fallen back into sleep after he ate. The happy, contented look on his face spoke volumes. As was his routine, she knew he would sleep soundly and probably wouldn’t awaken for a good hour. Plenty of time to explore her surroundings. She crept quietly from the nursery and scanned the various doors that aligned the walls. Two of the doors, she knew where they led. One led obviously to the nursery, and the one to the left led to the bathroom. Two other doors begged for her attention. She crossed to the first mysterious door and opened it cautiously sticking her nose inside.

It seemed to be a very big closet. But at this very moment, it was bare of many garments. Her meager possessions hung from a pole nearest the door. Funny, she could have sworn she put her things in the small dresser by the nursery door.

She let her eyes trail over her diminished wardrobe and sighed sadly. How was she supposed to get her things for school? She had to have all new things, and she really didn’t like the idea of Severus buying them for her. It just felt wrong. First, it felt too domesticated and not in the good way either. It felt more like her father buying her the essentials she needed, not like a… a… promised paramour wanting to give her everything she ever wanted. Which, if she thought about it, seemed to be what Severus would more likely prefer to consider.

She smiled slightly at that while closing the closet door. Severus wanted so much to do what he could for her. So who was she to deny herself that luxury? It wasn’t that she needed much; Sebastian’s needs were of more importance.

They would have to go shopping soon anyway. Sebastian was growing out of some of his things already, and she needed to get a few things to help when she was in classes and had to leave the baby with someone.

Oh, Gods… she would have to leave Sebastian with someone. She hadn’t thought of that until now. What would she do then? Who could she leave the baby with who wouldn’t take advantage of the situation? This was definitely something that she would have to discuss with Severus tonight. Perhaps he had already thought of that little problem and had an answer on hand. He seemed to be the answer man so far.

Hermione stood silently staring at the last door that led to the back of the adjoining living area. Her curiosity piqued. She approached the door, sure of what lay beyond. She fully expected wards to have been placed on it, but to her amazement the door swung smoothly open at her touch. The view that hit her stunned her.

Severus’s own bedroom.

Not that the bedroom itself stunned her, but the décor. She paused at the doorway and cocked her head, listening for any signs of approach or whimpers from the crib. Hearing nothing, she moved further into the bedroom. She stopped just inside of the door and allowed her gaze to wander the furnishings. Severus had magnificent taste, she concluded. Plus, it was most definitely a bachelor’s pad.

It was an overtly large room. Dark mahogany wooden furniture with deep hunter green upholstery, and accessories were scattered throughout the room. The walls were bare of wizarding portraits, yet to her amazement, various Muggle paintings were up in their stead, all coddled in the same rich dark mahogany wooden frames as the furniture.

A three-piece entertainment suite adorned the western section of his chambers. Plush, deep green upholstered sofa and matching chairs with ottoman accentuated the vibrancy of the room. Matching mahogany tables gave off the proper touch, lending an air of class.

She padded barefoot across the room. Her gaze was pulled to the giant painting adorning the head of his bed. It was a simple picture of a meadow encircled with trees and a herd of grazing horses, or were they unicorns? She squinted, looking closer. No, there were no such things as black and brown unicorns. She was certain she’d have to ask Hagrid about that one. He would know. Although, she could most definitely see what appeared to be horns sprouting from the foreheads, even at the distance that they were painted.

She pulled her gaze away from the painting and let her attention wander to the bed. It was king-sized, like all the beds in Hogwarts. The sleigh design made her smile. She had loved this style as a child and grew to love it even more as an adult. Her own bed in her old room back in her parents' house was of the same design.

Thinking of her parents, she felt the burden in her chest once more and she sank onto his bed. She missed them, missed her family. She missed everything about being in a family. They have never seen Sebastian and would probably never would. That made her sad, made her mad, and made her ache.

Severus was doing everything in his power to make her feel at home. He was trying to form their own little family, and she felt something swell at that. Not love, she was sure, but perhaps more like gratitude. She needed someone to need her, to want her, and she knew that Severus did, without a doubt that he wanted her. He had told her so repeatedly recently.

Her eyes turned to the side table and she smiled at the books littered there, with a pair of reading spectacles lying on top of one book. She picked them up and placed them on her nose, giggling slightly. She never thought of him wearing glasses. She thought he would probably look adorable in them.

She removed the dark rimmed glasses, replaced them onto his book, and removed herself from the bed. Straightening out the wrinkles she had made, she moved about his chambers again. There was a large desk against a wall, and she went over to get a closer look. Piles of papers adorned the top, scattered in an untidy arc, which was so unlike Severus. He must have been looking for something hurriedly and didn’t take the time to straighten it back up before he left.

Taking a quick look at the papers, she smiled, recognizing various potions and assignments that she took during an earlier year. He would probably need these, but she didn’t think he would approve of her bringing them to him. That would only prove that she had been snooping around in his chambers without his knowledge.

She shook her head at that and almost grinned. No, he had purposely left his door unwarded and he knew that, to a Gryffindor, that was an open invitation to snoop. She bent to pick up the papers, and as her hand brought them up from the desk, she knocked something over. She bent to retrieve the wooden object but stopped halfway, her eyes catching on a piece of parchment half buried underneath the schedules.

‘Dear Professor Dumbledore,’ it read. ‘Forgive me for not keeping in touch since my abrupt departure last September.’

Her breath caught as she realized it was her first letter to the Headmaster. She reached out and picked up the parchment, allowing her eyes to wander over the words.

This was the start of it all.

There were the other replies as well, which she also allowed to look through. The final reply of hers caught her attention when in the space after she signed her name was the words.

‘Sebastian Samuel Snape… my son… and heir.’

She felt her eyes fill with tears at the words printed in black and white. He didn’t know the truth of how their son came to being at that time, yet he already took full responsibility for the child. What kind of man would do that?

Severus would. He was just that kind of man.

She sniffed back her tears and replaced the parchments before deciding that she would take them as well. She really wanted to talk to Severus, to figure out for herself where this relationship was heading. He was quickly growing in her heart, but she was afraid of letting him in. She was terrified of having feelings for him, terrified of losing herself if she allowed herself any emotions.

He loved her, and that emotion was not practical in any sense of the word. That one emotion terrified her. That one emotion can be his downfall. She worried that he would die because of his love for her, and she didn’t want to think about that. If Voldemort ever found out about her and Sebastian...

She shivered.

A sound reached her ears, breaching her thoughts and she quickly scooped up the work papers, but decided to leave the letters for now. She would come back here with him later and talk to him then.

Straightening the schedules, she quickly made a retreat from his rooms and closed the door behind her. A knocking at their door brought her around, and with a quick look in at the baby, she went to answer the persistent knocking.

“Oy! Open up in there, will ya?” a familiar voice cried out impatiently, and she forced down a laugh, throwing open the door. She was immediately encumbered with a bone crushing hug and flung around.

She allowed his embrace as he swung her around, giggling in joy at seeing him.

“Hey, you’re getting me dizzy. Put me down.” She giggled as she found her footing and grinned up at a very tall Ronald Weasley. “When did you get in?”

“Just now.” His grin widened as he pointed a thumb behind him. She only then noticed that Harry stood quietly in the corridor. “Harry owled me last night about you being back and I had to come. I couldn’t wait to see you.” His eyes narrowed with concern. “Are you all right? Where have you been? Do you know how worried we all were?”

“Ron, it’s a very long story.”

The tall redhead rose a hand to silence her and glanced around the room with a shudder. “Come on, let’s get out of here and back up to the common room. I don’t like being down here if I don’t have to.”

Hermione gave Harry a look and he simply shrugged his shoulder. “You didn’t tell him?”

“No, I didn’t think it was my tale to tell. I thought you should be the one to explain,” Harry replied.

Hermione looked up into the eyes of her best friend and nodded. “Thanks, Harry.” Turning back to Ron, she reached out a hand to him. “You had better come in, but you have to be quiet,” she spoke, stepping back into the room allowing them both to enter. Ron took a tentative step inside with a shiver.

“I don’t like being in the dungeon on the best of days, let alone now. It’s creepy,” Ron growled as he stood in the middle of the room gaping around.

“It’s not that bad, Ron. It’s really very homey. I like it here.”

“It’s better in the Gryffindor tower. Why are you here anyway and not up there?”

Hermione ran a nervous hand through her hair and looked at Harry for a boost of confidence. He nodded once to indicate that he was on her side. She then turned her eyes back to Ron and held out a hand to him. “Come with me. There’s someone I want you to meet.”

Ron took her proffered hand and gave them both a confused look. “Meet who? Not Snape, please, it’s to early to go face too face with that man.”

“No, not Severus…” She ignored Ron’s look when she mentioned their professor by name. “It’s someone else.”

She led the two to the doorway that led to her sleeping son, before pausing at the door and turning back to Ron. “Promise me you will not blow your cool when you see him.”

“Uh, Hermione? What is this all about? You’re starting to worry me.”

“Just promise me you will listen and not judge,” she demanded, her hands resting on the doorknob.

“All right, I promise.” Ron’s worried glance went from her to Harry then back.

Harry nodded to him then stepped up to touch her shoulder. “He’ll be fine, Hermione, just show him.”

She nodded and turned the doorknob, pushing the door inward. The room was cast in dancing shadows as they stepped inside. A soft sound of breathing coming from across the room was the only sound from within.

“Hermione?” Ron’s eyes fell to the crib and he froze.

“Come on, Ron, I want you to meet him.”

“Who… ” His eyes widened as she took his hands and led him over to the crib, and he stood, silently, in shock, staring down at the sleeping baby.

“This is Sebastian… my son.”

“Who… ” His hand reached out to touch the dark fuzz of the baby’s head, pulling back uncertainly as the baby moved at the touch. His mouth gaped open in disbelief as he stared down at the baby.

“Ron?”

He jumped at the hand on his back and turned to look at the other two. “Who is the father? You, Harry?”

Harry chuckled and shook his head. “No, not me.”

“He has very dark hair like yours.”

“Yes, he definitely has his father’s hair.” Hermione smiled down at her son.

“Who is his father, Hermione? Is he the reason you ran away?” Ron’s voice wavered with emotions as he gazed down at the baby, lying asleep, oblivious of his visitors.

“Yes, and no.” She sighed and tucked the blanket up over the baby’s shoulder. “Come back into the other room and I will explain everything.”

Ron followed them both back into the living area silently, still dumbstruck with the fact that Hermione, his Hermione, was a mother. He fell heavily onto a chair and shook his head slightly in disbelief.

“I can’t believe this… ” he muttered softly as he watched Hermione cross to a bar and pour a shot of something and pass it to him.

“Here, you’re going to need this.” She smiled down at him and watched him as he downed the drink in one go. His face screwed up at the taste before handing it back.

“Okay… I think I’m ready now.”

“Maybe you need to give him another, Hermione. I don’t think he’s ready to hear the whole truth just yet.”

“I don’t like the sound of that, guys. Is it that bad?”

Hermione and Harry exchanged glances.

“It’s not to me, at least not now. It was at that time… but… but things have changed since Sebastian was conceived.” Hermione fiddled with the empty glass in her hand. “I’m learning to adjust to my new life, and I think with everyone’s help, things can somewhat return to normal.”

Harry snorted. “Normal? Since when have we had a normal life?”

“True.” Hermione smiled softly at him. “But it’s as normal as we are going to get.”

“You didn’t answer me, Hermione. Who is Sebastian’s father?” Ron interrupted.

She sighed and indicated the area with a wave of her hand. “Why do you think I am living here Ron? The only reason I was allowed to return was because of Severus. Without his support… ”

“Snape?” Ron’s one whispered word broke into her speech.

“Yes.” She closed her eyes, expecting the tirade that she knew would come. When she didn’t hear anything she slowly opened her eyes and frowned. Ron’s face was red and his eyes flashed.

“I’ll fucking kill him,” he growled, standing slowly to his feet.

“Ron. You promised me you would hear me out,” she protested, moving to stand before him.

His eyes rounded to Harry and threw a finger up at the other man accusingly. “You knew? You knew what he did to her and that mother fucker still lives?”

“RON!” both shouted.

The angry man turned on his heels and pelted across to the exit door, hell bent on finding Snape.

“PETRIFICUS TOTALUS!” two voices called out simultaneously, and Ron fell to the floor, immobile. An abrupt cry drifted from the nursery, and Hermione glared down at the prone man.

“Now see what you have done? You’ve woke your nephew.” Hermione tossed the wand, which she had somehow acquired in her anger, to the floor and rushed to gather her bawling baby.

Harry knelt down next to his best friend and shook his head at the other’s angry gaze. He knew Ron wouldn’t take this easily. He was just as angry when he learned of the situation, but running out on her now was not an option. He had to get that drilled into his friend before she returned to the room.

“He loves her, Ron… ” Harry spoke softly. “He told me so himself and I believe him.”

The young man closed his eyes in response.

“I’m going to release you, but you are going to calm down. You are going to listen to the facts, and you are going to be supportive. Do you understand?”

Ron reopened his eyes, and Harry muttered the spell that released him.

“Nephew?” came his tired, emotional voice.

“That’s what she wants.”

“She and… Snape?” He shook his head still disbelieving what was before his eyes. “In… love?”

“Not quite. There’s more to it that that.”

“Such as?” Ron still hadn’t bothered to sit up.

Hermione then emerged with a bundle of wiggling blanket clutched to her chest. “Is everything all right now?” she asked watching the looks crossing Ron’s face.

“Tell me what happened,” he finally spoke.

________________________________________________________________________

Ron sat quietly as he took in everything that she said. He felt waves of emotions. Disbelief, anger, pain, disbelief again, fear, then finally acceptance.

“So what are your plans now?” he asked as he watched her bounce the baby in her arms.

“Severus wants us here, so this is where we belong. I don’t want to take Sebastian away from his father, and Severus has really been wonderful about all of this.”

“Do you love him?” Ron asked, leaning forward and pulling the blanket away from the baby’s face, gazing down at the bundle.

“I assume you mean Severus? I don’t know. I think I could if given time. He has shown me a completely different side of him that I really like.”

“Can I hold him?” Ron asked suddenly, and Hermione smiled, carefully transferring the baby to the arms of one of her best friends, showing him how to hold him and support the head. “He’s beautiful. It’s hard to believe he’s Snape’s offspring.”

“Indeed,” came a silky voice from the doorway. "It is."