Getting to Know the Family

Getting to Know the Family

Hermione woke up to the smell of soap and delicious cologne. She opened her eyes to see Crookshanks bathing himself in the bedroom window. A grey sky was reflecting pinks and yellows. A strong arm was thrown over her, pinning her to the bed.

She examined the hand near her eyes. Small black hairs grew across the back of it, getting thicker as they went up Severus' arm.

Hermione tried to extract herself by sliding away and out of the bed.

When she started to stir, Severus groaned in his sleep and pulled her closer, spooning her firmly. Her night gown had pushed itself up to her waist again, and his morning erection was pressing firmly through his flannel pants, into the thin panties covering her bottom.

'Oh, this is not fair,' Hermione thought crossly, looking at the ceiling. 'He wouldn't want this if he was awake, and it's taking advantage of him.'

He shifted himself, and one of his hands ended up firmly cupping one of her breasts.

Hermione found herself shifting with him and the end result was his morning erection pressing against her in a very pleasurable way. Her breathing became ragged.

Severus' eyes flew open.

He was holding Hermione in a most inappropriate way, not to mention his nether regions seemed to take control in his sleep and had plans of their own. He looked at her and eyes were closed.

Thank the Gods for small favors.

Probably dreaming of Weasley or another boy her age. She would be a prize for whatever man she chose.

He leaned over and placed a gentle kiss on her shoulder. Then he slowly loosened his grip and slid over to his side of the bed to regain his senses.

Hermione crossed her eyes in frustration.

She tried to control her breathing and not jump on her husband. She looked over her shoulder at him. His eyes were closed and his breathing was deep as he lay on his back.

She sighed and rose for the day. Maybe a long relaxing bath with a pulsing showerhead would relax her. She grabbed her blue bathrobe and walked to the bathroom.

Severus cracked an eyelid as he heard the door click shut. He raised the covers and looked at the tip of his erection. He saw dampness on the fabric. He swirled a fingertip in it, and then smelled it tentatively.

It was most certainly not his scent. He felt himself throb.

He untied the waistband of his pajamas and dipped his hand underneath. He heard the water of the bath running in the walls and knew she wouldn't be back immediately.

He scraped as much of her scent as he could onto his fingers and breathed in deeply. Not more than a few drops at the most, but a most intoxicating aphrodisiac.

Severus tasted his fingers and ran his hand over his shaft, his hand gripping it firmly. He closed his eyes and entertained a fantasy that he had slowly pulled her nightgown up, smacked her bottom firmly, and placed soft kisses over her shoulders as he ripped her panties off and had her.

In his fantasy, she bucked against him with wild abandon, insisting one of his hands slide over her sex to a rhythm she liked and the other pulling gently and twisting one of her nipples.

As he exploded, the Hermione in his fantasy climaxed, screaming his name.

He felt the soft droplets of his own climax fall on his shirt. He took a moment to regain his breath and looked down at himself. He felt a thin crust cracking on his upper lip as fluids began to dry and pull at his skin.

He blushed furiously. This was depraved.

He ripped his night clothing off and went to the cupboard to get his day clothing so he could dress for the day.

As Hermione walked back in the bedroom, she saw Severus washing his face in a white basin on a small wooden table near one of the walls. He was in trousers and shirtsleeves, his tight vest with so many buttons down the front was undone at the throat, but still outlined his torso.

She had satisfied herself in the bath, but her body wanted him to touch her. She wanted to feel his lips again. On her lips... her shoulder... had he even been awake enough to know he had kissed her the last time?

In the morning light she could see the room clearly. Dark grey brocaded wallpaper ran over the walls, only interrupted by pewter fixtures and accents.

Severus looked up at Hermione. She gave him a dirty look briefly before walking to the heavy black wardrobe with her things were in and pulling out dark brown cloak.

Severus couldn't imagine what he had done wrong. Perhaps the time change was affecting her adversely.

"I think my mother and father will be departing after breakfast," Severus said, drying his face with a small towel.

"What will we do for the rest of the day?" Hermione asked, pinning the cloak closed with a pewter broach.

"I was thinking of seeking conversation with the Brotherhood," Severus said. "We will see if their representative will meet us here."

"Why aren't we going to them?" Hermione asked, disappointed she wouldn't be able to see the library.

Severus hesitated. "Hermione, I think you should sit down."

Hermione sat down in a large, overstuffed chair. "Is there something wrong? Are they dark wizards?"

"They're as neutral as one can possibly get," said Severus dryly. "Their noninvolvement in world affairs has raised eyebrows on more than one occasion."

"All right..." Hermione said slowly.

"They are called a brotherhood for a reason, Hermione," said Severus gently.

"No women allowed," said Hermione furiously. She began to wonder why she even came along.

"There is a reason for it, Hermione," sighed Severus.

"Really? I'd love to hear it!" Hermione remarked hotly.

"Do you know about the Amazons?" Severus asked.

"The single-breasted archers that wiped out some Greeks by making them think they were prostitutes sent to reward them and killed them in their sleep?" Hermione asked, her nostrils flaring in anger and her brows furrowed.

"What a flair you have for retelling history," Severus said disdainfully.

"Anyway," Hermione said sharply. She really was flustered. Severus tried not to laugh at her stubborn expression.

"Anyway, you have studied the Balance of Energies theory, haven't you?" Severus countered.

"Of course," Hermione snapped at him. "There are feminine and masculine energies in magic using. They can be volatile if applied wrongly."

"Exactly," said Severus dryly. "At one point the Amazons and the Brotherhood were at war. Siberia was the result of a major battle. Millions of Muggles were killed."

"Good Lord," said Hermione, sagging slightly.

"After the Amazons were nearly wiped out, the library was warded to prevent them from enacting a pact of revenge." Severus said quietly, knowing how disappointed she was. "And Polyjuice Potion won't work; it was tried once. The result was -- a mess."

Hermione flinched.

She didn't know whether it was because she had been thinking of using Polyjuice Potion, or because she had stolen the ingredients to make it from his supplies when she was younger. She felt a pang of guilt.

"I promise, I will see what I can do," said Severus.

"Thank you," Hermione said dully, trying but failing to hide the disappointment in her voice.

Twice and it hadn't even been breakfast yet.

-+-+-

Anastasia Snape downed the contents of the small blue ceramic bottle halfway through her breakfast and made a bitter face.

Hermione looked at the bottle curiously.

A droplet on the lip of the bottle shimmered metallic green in the sunlight that fell softly through the tree branches in the dining room.

"It is a youth serum Severus came up with while he was still in school." Anastasia beamed. "He was such a clever little boy."

"Really, Mother." Severus pinkened under Hermione's gaze. "I had already been accepted into an advanced training program by then."

He noticed her look: delighted and surprised at his embarrassment. He felt his pink flush deepen into a burning red.

"He came up with this when he was still at Hogwarts?" Hermione asked, sniffing the bottle Anastasia had just handed to her. Lemony. "That's amazing."

"It was his seventh-year project," said Jacob. "His mother begged him to try."

"I just wanted to see him make something useful," Anastasia insisted.

Hermione caught Jacob rolling his eyes before his face disappeared behind the Russian language paper he was reading. Hermione couldn't read the headline, but it looked like Viktor Krum's wife, Tristan, had given birth to twin girls.

Tears were openly streaming down Viktor's laughing face as he held one of the tiny girls. The pretty, blonde Tristan looked weary, but smiled at the camera, holding the other twin.

Anastasia noticed Hermione's gaze.

"You are a fan of Bulgaria?" Anastasia asked.

"She's a friend of Krum's," Snape said, taking a sip of his tea. He found his mind wandering to the fact that he had no idea how good of a friend Krum was to her.

"Viktor Krum is your friend?" Jacob's interest was suddenly piqued. "Are you serious?"

"We met during the tri-wizard tournament," said Hermione, knowing the look of a Quidditch fanatic when she saw one. "We went to the ball together."

"You're that girl?" Anastasia asked, amazed. She glanced at Severus.

"Mother," Severus said, not bothering to hide his disappointment. "You've been reading those rags again."

"Only to see if she's done anything scandalous enough to get in them," Jacob snorted.

"Well," said Anastasia, huffing. "One can't help but hear international news."

"That pathetic fib made international news?" Hermione asked incredulously.

"So, what really happened?" Jacob said curiously.

"I'm friends with Harry," Hermione said. "I'm friends with Viktor. We went to a dance almost four years ago. Our mothers still talk to each other. He had a bit of a crush on me for awhile. Obviously he's gotten over it."

Jacob looked at the front of the paper. "Obviously. Well I, for one, am glad that's been cleared up."

Hermione heard a tone of finality and knew Anastasia would talk of it no longer. Her mother had a tone that was similar.

"So," Hermione said, going back to Anastasia. "What does this potion do, exactly?"

"If you drink them religiously you can slow down the aging process," Anastasia said. "If you are elderly it can reverse the aging process altogether."

"How does it do that?" Hermione asked, gaping at the bottle. People would kill for this.

"It makes the body think aging is a disease. It builds and replenishes new cells at an advanced rate," Severus said. "Then it causes the old cells to slough off so you don't get all lumpy with build up."

"That was a bug that took awhile to work out," said Jacob, his shoulders shaking with laughter behind his paper.

"It wasn't funny," said Anastasia hotly. "If you were a gentleman you would never speak of it again."

"Then I'm jolly well glad I'm no gentleman," said Jacob from behind his paper. Then he burped.

"I cannot eat with a pig," said Anastasia, throwing down her napkin. "I am going to gather our things." She rose and stormed off.

"Nosy thing, isn't she?" said Jacob, lowering his paper when he was sure Anastasia was gone.

"Too late to do anything about it now," Severus said, shrugging. He turned to Hermione. "I'm sorry you have to be inflicted with this. She'll get into your parentage at some point. Just remember: she really doesn't intend to be mean or malicious, she just doesn't know any better."

"Alright," said Hermione. "I'm sure she would never mean any harm."

"Indeed," said Jacob behind his paper, making Hermione wonder.

Severus and Hermione saw his parents off after lunch. Hermione watched curiously as Jacob loaded up the flying carpet.

"You ever seen one?" he asked, watching her expression.

"No," Hermione said.

"You should get Severus to take you on an aerial tour with the estate carpet," Jacob said. "He was never very much good on a broom, but he can manage a carpet alright."

"I'll remind him, later," said Hermione, glancing back at the house and making out the shadows of Severus and Anastasia arguing in the kitchen window.

"Don't let the Snape temperament put you off," said Jacob tying down a large, red trunk with a thick white rope. "We're a fairly vocal group."

"I knew that," said Hermione, chuckling.

"Suppose you did," said Jacob, smiling at her. "You seem to be a strong girl, you'll do fine. Don't let him walk over you."

"I don't plan on it," said Hermione, straightening herself a bit.

"No one ever plans on it," said Jacob with an amused look on his face.

Suddenly there was a loud noise from the house.

"Jacob!" Anastasia shrieked out the now open kitchen window. It was more of a command than a request.

"See what I mean," said Jacob, finishing his knot and standing up straight.

"Yes, my dear?" Jacob yelled back.

Hermione noticed he made no move to get closer to the house.

"Tell Severus he must at least come visit us for a week in France during his break," Anastasia demanded.

"I'm sure we can manage a week," said Hermione under her breath before something reflecting the annoyed look on Jacob's face came out of his mouth.

"They're on their honeymoon," said Jacob exasperatedly. "They want some time alone, darling."

"They can untangle themselves for a week," said Anastasia firmly. "We have bedchambers in France as well."

"Mother!" Hermione heard Severus behind her in the kitchen, appalled.

She waved a hand dismissively at him.

"I'm sure we can stop on our way back to Britain," yelled Hermione.

Anastasia looked smug as she retreated back to the kitchen, closing the shutters as she pulled her head back in.

"Last stop on the way home," said Jacob. "Good choice."

Hermione shrugged.

Anastasia came out of the house carrying a small brown traveling bag, Severus following her with a scowl on his face.

After Jacob and Anastasia had kissed them both goodbye and settled onto the carpet, Hermione and Severus waved them off as they soared away.

"They're taking all that to Portkey Station?" Hermione asked, bewildered as they climbed up the few steps back into the house.

"No doubt they'll rent someone to be their porter once they get there." Severus shook his head as he held the door open for her. "Mother hates having to keep track of all their things with all those people bustling about."

"Why didn't we do that?" Hermione furrowed her brows as they entered the small kitchen. She watched Severus take a kettle off a hook on the wall and fill it with water from a small metal pump in a deep sink.

"Because I didn't think you'd like the idea of paying a wizard for use of his house-elves in such a manner," Severus said stiffly.

"Oh," Hermione said.

He was right, of course.

Hermione looked around the kitchen. The counters were old and made from sort of yellow stone. The floor was yellowish tile. The cabinets and table were of worn wood. Nothing at all like the dining room.

If Hermione hadn't known better, she'd have thought she was in a Muggle kitchen in an old house.

"Pieter should be here soon," said Severus grimly.

He stoked a fire in the hearth and hooked the kettle above the flames before he started setting the table for tea.

"Who is Pieter?" Hermione asked.

"Someone I never thought the Brotherhood would trust with anything," muttered Severus.

"How can I help?" asked Hermione.

It was obvious Severus had a past with this person and she'd find out the gory details soon enough.

"The elves made small cakes last night," said Severus as he opened a cupboard and took out a tin of loose tea leaves. "They should be in the preservation cube on the counter."

Hermione tried not to cringe at the mention of the house-elves. She knew they must be present. She was hoping to discover their whereabouts and recruit them into S.P.E.W. later.

Hermione turned and examined the cube on the counter. It was frosted and she could see something in it, but she couldn't figure out how to open the seamless object.

Severus looked over her shoulder when he couldn't figure out what was taking her so long.

"One of the brightest students at Hogwarts can't figure out how to open a preservation cube?" Severus asked in a sneering, patronizing tone.

Hermione was no longer a student at Hogwarts. He could no longer treat her like a fool. They shared the same name, although not the same life. They were partners in the Order.

Plus, she was still annoyed at him after what had happened this morning in the bedroom. She decided to take Jacob's advice.

She brought her bent arm back sharply and felt it sink into Severus' stomach.

His chin smacked the top of her head firmly as he doubled over.

They both fell to the floor as they tried to balance themselves.

"Well it's nice to see Albus has chosen competent agents," boomed a thick, Russian-accented voice behind them.

"Hello, Pieter," said Severus, pulling himself up from the floor and offering Hermione a hand, although he was still rubbing his sore stomach. "I didn't hear you Apparate."

Hermione looked up, rubbing the top of her head. A lock of black hair dangled in Severus' eyes, and she noticed little lines at the corners of them as they crinkled when he looked down at her in mild amusement.

She felt light-headed. It must be from the bump on her head.

The man who must be Pieter reached out to her other hand, and the men pulled her to her feet.

"I didn't. I rode over on my broom and walked in the back door. You should learn to lock that."

Pieter was a dark haired, tall wizard with a long, thick black beard. His deep burgundy robes seemed to be made out of thick wool and were belted with a belt fashioned of gold braid. A tall, black, brimless hat with a red stone set in the brow and gold embellishments around the edge made him look even taller. Hermione could see the tips of black curly-toed boots poking out from under his hem.

His white teeth glinted ferally at her from the depths of his facial hair. One of his bright blue eyes winked.

"Thank you," said Hermione as she tried not to snatch back her hand.

She watched as Pieter slid the top of the seamless box to the side and grabbed a small pink cake.

"Where are Uncle Jacob and Auntie Stacy?" Pieter asked as he bit into it.

Hermione began to wonder if she should just assume every sarcastic wizard they ran across was related to Severus.

"Just missed them," said Severus as he scowled at his cousin. "If you wanted to see them you should have been here last night. It would look suspicious if you just showed up in the afternoon as they were leaving. I don't want them involved in this."

"I would say I was taking an afternoon off to take you fishing," Pieter said in thickly accented English, as he checked the kettle over the fire. "They would believe that."

"True," said Severus thoughtfully. "What are you doing Saturday?"

"Fishing with you," said Pieter, not looking at him, but smiling at Hermione. "Do you fish, young lady?"

"Depends on where it's from," said Hermione, thinking of the precarious perch outside her window.

"You do not like the ledge at Hogwarts?" Pieter laughed heartily, a great booming noise. He held out a chair for Hermione at the table and she sat. Pieter pulled up a chair next to her. "It does have the tendency to put one off the first time, but there are many fine fish in the lake."

"The location here is much more conventional," said Severus, putting a small orange cake in front of Hermione. "There's a lake on the grounds. Father keeps it stocked."

"Then I would very much enjoy it," said Hermione politely.

"What a partner," Pieter said, smiling at Hermione. "She is smart and she likes to fish. Could such a vision be more perfect?"

Pieter reached out and put a gentle kiss on the back of her hand, his sparkling blue eyes never leaving hers.

Hermione's cheeks felt warm. No one had ever talked to her like that. No one had ever looked at her like that.

Severus suddenly found his mind full of homicidal thoughts involving his cousin. His hand clenched the handle of the kettle.

"So how is Anna?" said Severus. To his annoyance his voice seemed a bit high and he thought it cracked slightly.

"Wonderful," said Pieter, smiling widely. "We are expecting a child again!"

"Good God man, get a hobby!" Severus exclaimed in surprise as he poured out tea for them. "What is it now, three?"

"This is the fourth," said Pieter proudly. "I hope this one is a boy. Then we will have two of each."

"Congratulations," said Hermione. "When will the baby be here?"

"Actually, any day now," Pieter admitted as he pulled a wand out of the sleeve of his robes and waved it at a cupboard. A small carton of sugar flew out. "Anna says it has moved in the right way and we will see them soon."

"Should you be away from home?" asked Hermione as Severus put a small pitcher of cream on the table.

"No," said Pieter as he levitated a generous measure of sugar into his cup and stirred it with his wand. "But I have a coin enchanted to vibrate when it is time. I can Apparate to her in the blink of an eye."

"Should be used to it by now," said Severus smirking into his cup of black tea.

"When are you going to find a woman good enough for you, Severus?" asked Pieter, who apparently knew the marriage was one of convienence. "Your house should be full of little shrieking voices. You would be amazed how relaxing it is."

"I have an entire school full of children," said Severus, glancing at Hermione. "That's relaxing enough."

"You never know," Pieter said his eyes twinkling. "After your mission is over you may decide not to bother with a divorce."

Hermione and Severus felt their cheeks burn.

Severus reached out to refill his teacup. Hermione took a bite of her cake. They avoided each other's gaze like their lives depended on it.

Pieter inwardly shook his head. That Shacklebolt fellow was right. These two were pathetic. Something had to be done.

"You will dine with us tonight!" said Pieter as he smiled at them. "I will bring the documents Albus wants you to look over. Anna would love to see you."

"That would be wonderful," said Hermione before Severus could say no. "We'll look forward to it."

Severus frowned into his teacup as he took a sip.

Pieter was planning something.

It made him nervous.