Chapter 5

After seeing her friends off in the carriages, Hermione held back her tears and headed to her room to gather the last of her belongings. She had hopes of being able to see everyone several times that summer, but it was still bittersweet to say goodbye. She gathered her novel off of her nightstand and stuffed it into a bag with her hairbrush and nightclothes. Everything else had been taken by Pip. Right on time, there was a knock on the outer door to her rooms. She opened it to find Snape waiting.

"Are you ready, Hermione?" he asked as he took her bag and slung it over his shoulder.

"I am." She looked back at her empty room and stepped out beside her former professor. "I can carry my bag; it's not heavy."

"I'm sure you can, but I'm happy to carry it for you. You can concentrate on walking down the stairs without falling."

"Falling? I've never fallen down the stairs!" She laughed. "I tripped going up once, but that was because my robes were too long."

"It just seems that your center of balance may be off with your stomach growing so large," Snape told her, trying to hide the blush at the mention of her pregnancy.

"I seem to be doing all right. Ask me again in four months, and I'll be lucky to walk from a bed to a chair."

"Yes, we'll have to make sure you have a soft landing then, won't we?" He gave her the slightest of smiles. Hermione couldn't believe that her stern professor was actually making a joke, or at least, his idea of one. This man had more personality than she'd known.

"Since you can't Apparate while pregnant, we'll use the Floo in the Headmistress' office. I hesitate to use one in Hogsmeade with security being so high." He walked to the gargoyle.

"Jane Austen," he said. The gargoyle opened at hearing the password, and they ascended the stairs.

"She changed the password again," Hermione muttered, as it was "Charles Dickens" only a month ago.

"She is going to run out of English authors if she's not careful," Snape told her. "She might have to come up with a new theme next year."

"I heard that." Professor McGonagall stood in the doorway to her office. "I happen to like the classics, Severus. I think you might enjoy reading a few novels yourself. May I suggest some?"

Snape glared at her. "I'm perfectly capable of finding reading material, Minerva. Let's go, Hermione. When you get into the fireplace, just say, 'Prince Cottage.'" He walked over toward the fireplace.

"Hermione, do you have everything you need? You let me know if I can do anything." Professor McGonagall hugged Hermione to her tightly.

"I have everything. I'll see you soon. I'll be coming to see Madame Pomfrey every few weeks, and I'll probably need to use your Floo connection."

"Anytime. You take care of yourself and your baby girl." After another goodbye, Hermione stepped into the fireplace and was gone in a flash of green flames.

McGonagall turned toward Snape. "You take care of both of them. Please, Severus. That girl is like my own daughter, and that baby, well, I don't have to tell you how important that baby girl is. If the prophecy . . . "

"Shhh!" Severus cut her off. "Don't speak of it here. It's not safe. I will keep her protected. I promise. No harm will come to Hermione or her child. You have my word." He turned with a flick of his robe and stepped into the fireplace. "Prince Cottage!" he called and was gone.

When he stepped from his fireplace, he found Hermione standing in the middle of his library, her mouth wide open and staring at the books.

"Am I in the right place?" she asked as she turned in a full circle.

"You are in my library. Yes, you are in the right place." He chuckled.

"These are all yours?"

"I suppose they are now. I inherited many of them from family members. Some were gifts from friends. This section over here was given to me by Albus before he . . . well, before I killed him. He told me they needed to be placed in my library and that they were very important. I haven't found any use for them yet, but I followed his request."

"Hmm, Professor Dumbledore didn't do anything without thought, so I'm sure one day they will be useful. This is an amazing collection. I don't suppose you'd allow me to spend time in here on occasion?"

"I fear that if I tried to stop you, you'd find a way anyway," he teased. "Hermione, you are to make yourself at home here. This library is here for your use at any time. The only room I ask that you knock before entering is my Potions lab, and that is for your own safety. I do quite a bit of experimenting here at home that I can't risk at school. Some fumes may not be safe for you or your baby. You are welcome to use the lab for your own experiments as long as it is safe."

"Thank you for your generosity." Hermione was humbled by this library alone; his allowing her free reign of his home was beyond what she had expected.

"Let me show you around." Hermione followed him out of the library into a hallway. There was an old door to her left that didn't seem to fit. "Let's start at the front. This portion of my home is rarely used. It is a front of sorts, the old portion of the house. I receive guests in this part of the house, as it is the only part visible from the street. To most eyes, my home is small, run down and dark. Exactly what they would expect of me." He opened the rickety door, and she walked into a musty, old sitting room. The paint was chipping on the wall, the furniture had seen better days, and the few books lying around were all on the Dark Arts. There was a kitchen off of the sitting room that had an old sink with rust stains and a stove that looked like it would barely heat a pot of water. To the other side of the room was a bathroom in much the same shape as the kitchen and a narrow staircase leading toward what she assumed were the bedrooms.

"This was my childhood home. It was kept up more when my parents were alive, but the house was always old. My old bedroom is up the stairs to the right, and the one on the left was my parent's room. Everyone believes that this is still my home, and I suppose it's a part of it. The door we just walked out of is now a closet if you were to open the door.

Hermione walked over to the door, and sure enough, all she saw were robes hanging and a pair of boots on the floor. She looked over at Snape, and he walked toward her. Leaning close to her ear, he whispered, "The password is 'Wiggenweld.' Don't speak it loudly."

She shivered at his breath on her cheek and whispered the password. The hallway reappeared, and she stepped back into the modern, clean portion of the house. "Why do you keep that as a front? I don't understand."

"It's easier to have people believe that I am hard on my luck and eccentric at best. It ensures my privacy as well. The wards alert me when anyone is approaching from a large distance, and I am able to get to the front of the house, make it look like I'm actually living there, and nobody is the wiser. I spend the school year in the dungeons, so I do not enjoy my home being that dark. Let's continue the tour." He closed the door behind him and led her down the hall. "You've seen the library; the room next to it is a bathroom. Here is the sitting room that I actually use."

Hermione followed him into a brightly lit sitting room with heavy wood furniture and lovely rugs on the floor. Large, comfortable-looking chairs were placed near the fireplace, and a long sofa sat across from it. There were a few more books lining the shelves on the walls, but most contained different objects. Hermione knew most of them would be magical and had to wonder if any of these were in fact dark objects. She knew that his mother was not in line with dark wizards and his father was a Muggle, so anything inherited wouldn't necessarily be dark. She made a mental note to look them over at a later time.

She looked out the French doors into a lovely courtyard with a patio area. The gardens appeared to be well maintained and quite expansive. "Is it safe to walk in your gardens? They are lovely."

"Yes, the property is enclosed by a large wall. You may walk throughout the grounds and be under the protection shield. Just don't go outside the walls." He gestured her away from the doors. "The dining room is through here. You are welcome to take your meals in here or out on the patio, wherever you are most comfortable. I tend to be a bit of a structured man and take my meals at seven, one, and seven again. You are welcome to join me or eat on your own when you desire. I usually have Pip or Mosey bring me tea in the afternoon wherever I am working at the time."

"Mosey? Your other house-elf?"

"Yes, she's a bit shy and let Pip do the work moving you in. I'm sure she'll warm up to you soon. Call either of them if you require anything at all. Let's go into the kitchen."

Hermione followed him into a thoroughly modern kitchen with stainless steel and Muggle appliances. It was much like the kitchen at her parents' home, only more recently updated. "It's so. . . Muggle!" she exclaimed.

Snape chuckled, "My father was a chef and a Muggle. He taught me how to cook in that horrible, little kitchen at the front of the house. I was quite small when . . . well, when things changed. I tried to impress him with my skills and have kept it as a hobby. Cooking is actually related to potions, so that makes sense. I only cook occasionally these days, leaving Mosey to her job, but I like to have the latest and greatest in appliances."

"You keep surprising me, Severus."

"I hope that isn't a bad thing."

"No, not at all. It's quite nice."

"Yes, well, feel free to use the kitchens as you wish. Mosey will prepare your meals, but if you desire to cook yourself, she'll understand that as well. The door there leads to the basement. Down there you will find the laundry facilities, which Pip is in charge of. He'll collect your laundry from a hamper that is in your bedroom. The basement is also where my lab is located. I won't take you down there now, but you won't get lost; it isn't very large. Shall we go upstairs?"

Hermione nodded and trailed after him up the stairs. She came to another long hallway with several doors on each side.

"I use the rooms toward the end of the hall on the right. I have a bedroom, study, and bath. You have the same at the end of the hall on the left. The doors here at the front of the hall are guest rooms. They are currently only used for storage. Follow me."

He led her down the hall and opened the door on the left. She stepped into a tastefully decorated bedroom with plush furnishings. She recognized her books already in a bookshelf, and the wardrobe door was open to reveal her clothes hanging neatly. "This room is so large! I'm happy to take one of the guestrooms."

"Nonsense. You will be here long term; you need your space. This door opens up to a small study. Please set it up to work as you see best. You may transfigure anything you need or let Pip know what you are missing. You, of course, are free to work anywhere else in the house. Do not feel confined to your rooms. Your bath is through that door, and your things should be in place."

"I don't know how to thank you. This is more than I expected."

"It's been a long time since I had another person living in my home. You'll have to excuse me if I am not a good host."

"You've been wonderful. It's a perfect home!" She walked over to him and threw her arms around him. She held him tight as tears flowed down her cheeks. "I'm sorry. I am just overwhelmed," she sniffed.

Snape stood awkwardly before wrapping his arms around her lightly. He was afraid to hold on. He wasn't used to human contact that wasn't at a price, and her exuberance was a bit shocking. Finally, he pulled her off of him and stepped back.

"I'll leave you to get settled and explore. Here is your bag. I will be having lunch at one. If you would like to join me, you can ask me any further questions that might come up. Call for Pip or Mosey if you need anything." He turned without waiting for a response and went into the room across the hall. She didn't see much before the door closed but could tell that his room was overwhelmingly green in color. Slytherin green.

She spent the next two hours rearranging her clothes into her own system, alphabetizing her books by author...separated by subjects, of course...making sure her toiletries were in proper places, and making a list of things she would need the next time she was able to go shopping. A few minutes before lunch, she tiptoed out of her room, worried about making too much noise her first day there. She went down the stairs and found the dining room empty. She wandered into the kitchen where a very nervous house-elf with a purple bow on her head was staring at her.

"Hi, you must be Mosey. I'm Hermione." She held out her hand and leaned over, but Mosey just scurried away. "I don't want to disturb your cooking, but have you seen Severus?"

"Master Snape is on the patio today," she squeaked.

"Thank you, Mosey. Lunch smells wonderful." Hermione picked her way back through the house into the sitting room with the French doors. Severus was sitting on the patio at a small table with a large glass of what looked like lemonade and reading a newspaper. What stopped her in her tracks was that he was wearing a black t-shirt with jeans. She'd never seen his arms before! He looked thin, but strong and very relaxed. It was a very good look for the mysterious man.

She opened the doors and stepped out, smiling as he looked up. "May I join you for lunch?"

"Of course, please sit down." He folded the paper and put it on the floor beside his chair.

"Anything new?" Hermione asked. "In the paper?"

"No. Everything seems to be quiet. I think things are building again. The last meeting with the Dark Lord was quite tense. He was very unhappy. He was talking about things belonging to him being destroyed. He wouldn't explain though." Pip and Mosey arrived, bringing lemonade for Hermione, and plates with sandwiches were placed in front of them.

"You'll have to make a list of things you would like to eat and what you won't eat. They are so used to me, they don't even ask what I'd like for lunch anymore."

"I'm not picky. This looks wonderful. Unusual names for house-elves, aren't they?"

"Yes, I suppose so. They have been with the family for many years, and I never questioned. After my maternal grandmother passed on, they came here and have been with me ever since. I set them free, started paying them, and they've been completely loyal."

"I'm glad they are free."

"I heard about your little campaign."

"It didn't go so well, but I think some people got the message."

"Indeed."

They continued their lunch with easy conversation. Hermione asked questions about the house and mentioned her desire to go shopping for a few things. Snape insisted that the house-elves would get anything she needed and that they would arrange a shopping trip after he met with Voldemort again. He wanted to make sure their agreement was being honored before she went out in public.

Hermione was exhausted from the activities of the previous week and decided to make use of her new bedroom for a much-needed nap. As she lay trying to fall asleep, she thought about how her whole perspective on her teacher had flipped on its head. She liked this new man. A great deal.