Chapter Thirteen

The Lodge in the Vale was finally quiet and dark. The moon had set hours earlier, and a new day was fast approaching. It had been almost midnight when Hermione and Severus had returned from Bodmin Moor and the battle fought in Camelot's shadow. Between letting Eileen know that they were safe, and checking in on Alexander, it was deep in the night before the couple was finally settled in. As soon as they had retired to their rooms, Severus had run a bath for Hermione and enhanced it with healing and calming potions, before insisting that she take full advantage of the peace while they had it. He had joined her in the bathroom after calling for Posey to bring them a light meal and tea. She had brought a heavily laden tray to the bedroom and had then left to keep watch over the baby so his parents could recover from the things that they had seen and done earlier.

Hermione was nearly asleep in the tub of steaming water and Severus gently roused her so he could help her wash away the grime and gore from the battle. He gently scrubbed away the dirt, healing the handful of cuts and scrapes Hermione had gained while fighting. Severus then washed Hermione's hair, massaging her scalp and healing a cut behind her ear, taking care to be as gentle as possible. After a final rinse to her curly mane, he emptied and refilled the tub with a wave of his hand ensuring that the steaming water was clean and treated with the same potions he had used initially. Hermione smiled sleepily at her husband and offered to scoot up so he could join her.

"Don't you want to share my bath?" Hermione's voice was thick with sleep.

"I've just washed you and cleaned the water. You don't want me to dirty it back up; I think I will just take a shower, my love. You lie back and soak until I've finished." Severus went to the separate shower tucked in an alcove near the tub. "There is a late supper if you're hungry when we've finished in here. Rest now, and I will rouse you when I am ready to go to bed."

Hermione closed her eyes and murmured her assent, and Severus stepped into the scalding shower and proceeded to cleanse himself of the night's events. After long minutes of scrubbing and washing, he felt somewhat returned to normal. Another eternity of just standing under the steaming water until his skin was lobster-red relaxed Severus, and he ended his shower.

As he stood in front of the mirror over the sink, Severus looked over his face and healed several abrasions and a long cut over his right eye; he then quickly shaved and brushed his teeth. By this time, he was certain that the potions in Hermione's bath had done everything that they could, and he went back to the tub bringing a plushly thick towel with him.

He looked down at his wife dozing in the steaming water and marvelled that they had come through the past year as well as they had. It had been difficult and painful at times, but they had survived together. And now, they had survived the battle against the Dark Lord together. Tomorrow was surely to be a difficult day after the events of earlier came to the fore, but tonight he had a wife to share his bed and a son to carry on his name. Tonight, they would reaffirm their commitment and remind each other that they were still alive.

Severus shook himself from his reverie and touched Hermione's shoulder, letting her know he had finished his shower. Another wave of his hand, and the bathwater was gone. Severus reached down and wrapped Hermione in the towel he held, and lifted her from the tub. She snuggled into his chest as he silently carried her to the bed and laid her down before proceeding to gently dry her skin. A drying charm finished the job of drying Hermione's thick tresses and also dried the pillows where her damp hair had been spread. Another charm bound her hair in a heavy plait so that it wouldn't tangle while she slept.

"Sev, you don't have to coddle me. I can get ready for bed myself," Hermione said.

"I know you can. I want to do this for you," he replied as he gowned her in a soft flannel nightshirt. "I feel like I need to do something to prove that this isn't a dream, that we're both here and safe." At this point, Hermione was propped up in bed clean, warm, and dry, and Severus ventured to change the subject. "Are you still hungry? What do you want to eat? Posey brought several different sandwiches and some soup."

Hermione touched Severus' hand. "I know, Sev, I feel the same way." She cocked her head at him and smiled coyly. "Nothing sweet for me?"

Severus chuckled. "No, food first, then something sweet."

Hermione pouted. "You're no fun. But I'll have ham if you have it, and what kind of soup is there? Is there tea?"

Severus handed Hermione a plate piled heavily with a ham sandwich loaded with her favourite condiments and extras. There were pickle spears piled beside it, along with a plentiful handful of her favourite crisps. After she had the plate securely resting on the tray covering her lap, Severus handed Hermione a bowl of beef and barley soup. While she was eating quite ravenously, he told her there was no tea. "I'm afraid Posey sent you a rather large glass of milk. She says that is what you need so you can feed the baby."

Hermione rolled her eyes and wrinkled her nose at the glass of milk that was handed to her, but she thirstily drank the icy cold beverage. "It isn't too bad when it's cold like that, I suppose," she groused. "And I suppose I could do without the caffeine for now."

Severus laughed and attacked his own meal and cup of tea. They didn't waste much time, and both were soon finished eating. Impatiently Hermione demanded, "Where is the pudding?"

"Aren't you full yet?" he teased.

Hermione shook her head, and Severus chuckled at the greedy look on her face as she anticipated the sugar-filled treat. He handed her a dish of sticky toffee pudding and shook his head as she intently devoured every last morsel. Still shaking his head, Severus cleared up the dishes, finishing just as Posey Apparated into the room holding Alexander.

"Little Master is being hungry too, Mistress."

In no time, Alexander was cradled securely in his mother's arms and greedily nursing. Hermione sat snuggled into her husband's embrace, and both were watching their son. "We did it, Sev; we saved our baby from growing up in a dark world."

The night finally caught up with Hermione, and as she watched her baby, the tears slid down her face and splashed onto Alexander as he fed. Severus wrapped his arms more tightly around his family and whispered in Hermione's hair. "Yes, my love, we saved the world, but remember, you saved me first, and for that, I love you. Hush now. We are all right. Alexander is safe, we are safe, and the Vale is secure. Everything will be fine."

Severus continued to hold Hermione as Alexander finished eating. After the baby was changed and rocked back to sleep, he called Posey and turned the slumbering infant over to his devoted nurse. She promised to bring him back as soon as he was hungry again, but Severus told her to feed him if he woke before Hermione so she could get plenty of rest.

"Yes, sir, Potions master. Posey will feed Little Master his breakfast."

The elf and baby were gone in an instant, and Severus turned to his wife. "Are you tired, my dear?" he asked, gently brushing the tears from her face. Before Hermione could answer, his lips were pressed to hers and his tongue was caressing her lower lip, begging her to open to his gentle assault. Hermione relaxed into Severus' arms, her head falling back, and she parted her lips allowing him to kiss her deeply. The kiss lasted an eternity before the two broke apart, gasping for breath. Severus leaned down and kissed Hermione again, suckling on her lower lip before tracing a fiery path from her mouth to her ear and then down her throat. The tip of his tongue lapped lightly at the hollow of her throat, drawing a sweet sigh from her. Severus then drew his wife down in the bed and eased her over to lie flat on her back. He wandlessly removed her nightgown and dragged heated kisses from her throat to her breasts. He toyed with her nipples, suckling one turgid peak then the other, worrying the sensitive peaks until she began to beg for something... anything.

Severus leaned over his wife and watched Hermione's eyes as his fingers plucked her nipples then ghosted down over her abdomen to the juncture of her thighs. It pleased him to no end to see the answering lust blaze in her eyes as he touched her, and to see the underlying emotions that lurked there, showing how she truly felt about him. The love he could see swirling and mixing with the lust he caused, heated her gaze and it burned him to his very soul. The lust burned even brighter as his fingers slid between her thighs to stroke her most intimate secrets.

"Please." Hermione's breathless plea pulled at him and he grew impossibly hard as he rubbed and plucked and invaded her hotly. "Please... "

Severus rolled over onto his back, pulling Hermione with him until she lay atop him, her legs straddling his hips, trapping his length against her core. His fingers, caught between them, continued to plunder her sweetness, and he whispered wickedly to her, "If you want relief, you will have to find it yourself. Come, wife, what are you searching for?"

Hermione whimpered. She was boneless with pleasure and close to the edge of completion. But she was missing something, anything that would complete her journey. She whimpered again, jerking her hips, trying to increase the pressure of his fingers as they grazed her sensitive flesh, and he trembled in response as her wet heat slid along his hardness.

"Ah, ah, ah. Take your pleasure, witch. Find what you want and ease the burning you feel."

Hermione arched her hips again, trying to reach the fingers that tantalized just out of reach. It wouldn't take much to send her over the edge, and she sobbed her need. "Please," she begged again, this time easing forward, then back and down. Severus hissed in pleasure as Hermione's fiery wetness engulfed his length. With a broken sob, she quickly gained her rhythm, stroking both of them into oblivion. As she rose and fell, gripping him in her fire, there was nothing else, only the two of them reaching for completion. Suddenly, it washed over them in a raging tide. This bliss was drowning them and saving them and wrapping them in each other.

"I love you, Hermione." Whispered through the darkness.

"I love you, Severus," was whispered back.

*****

The sun was beginning its descent when Eileen roused Severus and Hermione from their sleep, calling them to a late lunch. She was full of questions and the need to make sure that her family was hale and whole. She had already taken charge of Alexander who had been fed and dressed for the day, when she bullied his parents into sitting down at the table. They had not been eating for very long when an owl interrupted their meal. It carried a brief note from Headmaster Dumbledore asking for their return to Hogwarts as soon as possible. There was to be a final Order meeting to discuss the events of the night before and how things would proceed from there, and Severus was needed in the lab.

"Just for once I would like to be at no one's beck and call," he grumped. "No matter what I do or where I go, there is always something I need to do for that man."

Hermione grimaced in sympathy. "Do you want me to do your lab work so you can rest? I am a competent brewer, you know."

"Yes, I know you are, and normally I would trust you to brew almost anything that the Hospital Wing needed, but I am sure that it will be held over my head if I don't do things myself." Severus threw his napkin over his almost empty plate. "No rest for the wicked, I suppose; I'll just go and get ready, and we can go back to Hogwarts."

"Can I at least help you brew?" Hermione asked.

"Of course, you daft girl; who else would I allow into my private lab?" Severus turned to his mother. "We planned to leave Alexander with you when we received our summons; I just didn't expect it to be this soon. Hermione will have her coin with her if something happens, or you can always send Posey for us."

Eileen nodded her agreement. "I don't plan to go anywhere but the back garden. There are a few things I want to do before Spring arrives and I can't do anything but plan right now. Alexander will be fine with us for a while longer. I am glad to have him here, and Posey is a wonderful nanny for him."

"I will be back when I need to feed him again. If he gets hungry before then, there are bottles in stasis in the nursery," Hermione added. "I filled them before we left yesterday. Posey knows where they are."

"I am quite capable of taking care of one small boy, I think. You two need to go before someone comes looking for you instead of just owling."

Eileen shooed Severus and Hermione off and settled down to spend time with her grandson. "You are so small, my boy, very much like your father before he sprouted up on me. You and I, we're going to get along famously."

Alexander yawned hugely in agreement and drifted off into a contented sleep.

*****

Apparition from the Vale wasn't as bad as it had been, as the secrecy was no longer needed. Still, because of the innate protections of the Vale, they had to travel to Argante on foot before they could Apparate to Hogwarts. After walking along in silence for a good while, Severus spoke hesitantly. "Hermione, I have an errand I need to complete before I can go to Hogwarts. I am asking for your absolute trust and discretion on this. After we have finished we will talk if you like."

Hermione absorbed Severus' rather ominous sounding statement and pondered on her answer. It didn't take long for her to make up her mind and respond accordingly. "Severus, I trust you with my life. Whatever it is that you need to do, you can count on me no matter what."

Severus breathed a sigh of relief. "I will remind you of that after we reach our destination," he muttered wryly. Severus wrapped his arms around his wife and with a muted pop, they vanished.

*****

The old house that appeared before them was quite dilapidated. Shingles were missing from the roof, the porch banister was falling down, and part of the porch itself was sagging. Hermione looked askance at the crumbling facade and asked her husband, "Is it safe? Are you sure we are at the right place?"

"Don't forget, my love, there is magic afoot." Severus led Hermione up the weed-infested drive, and she shivered when they reached the protections surrounding the house.

Stepping through a layer of wards, suddenly Hermione saw a small ivy covered cottage in place of the old house. She looked up at Severus with shining eyes. "It IS magic! What a wonderful place after all! Is it ours or just some random cottage you chose? I know the wards are yours and there are no others, so it can't be someone else's home. Who lives here?"

"Daft girl, you will get all your answers and more soon enough," Severus answered with affection. "Now let's go in and take care of my errand.

They walked up the steps, through the front door and Severus led Hermione to the small kitchen. "Sit, and I will get you a cup of tea. And please stay calm; this is going to be a long story... "

Before Hermione could answer, the cottage's occupant walked through the door. "Oh, thank Merlin, you survived... I was... Why is she here?"

Hermione just stared in shock as Severus demanded silence and then started his explanation.

*****

Hogwarts Castle was strangely quiet without the laughter and voices of the students that should be in school at this time of year. Considering that a battle had been just fought, and the injured and dead that were now ensconced in the Hospital Wing, the Headmaster and staff declared that the first of February would be the beginning of the new school term. That gave the Order and everyone who fought against Tom Riddle and the Death Eaters an opportunity to gather themselves together and to heal the wounded and hold memorials for the dead. It also gave them time to show the Muggle-borns that they would be safe again in the Wizarding World.

Severus and Hermione found themselves brewing potions almost as soon as they reached the castle and Madam Pomfrey realised they were available. They had stayed longer at the cottage than they had planned, so they made a quick trip to Diagon Alley to pick up supplies as an excuse for their lateness in arriving.

"Severus, I need Bruise Paste and Blood Replenishing Potion, something to ease the Cruciatus Curse, and as much Dreamless Sleep as you can create." The matron rattled off a list that would have stocked St. Mungo's for months. "I know I'm asking a lot of you, but I'm nearly out of potions, and I'm down to the patients that were the worst of the injured."

Severus waved away the explanation. "I understand, Poppy. Just give Hermione your list and whatever else you can think of. I will be in my lab checking the ingredients stores. I tried to get what I remembered being low on, but there may be some of my rarer ingredients that I need to supplement."

Poppy nodded and commandeered Hermione as Severus made his escape to the dungeons. "I appreciate the help, dear; I know that you have to be as exhausted as the rest of us, and I'm sure you're missing your little one. I promise that I won't need you and Severus for anything after the potions stores have been restocked."

Hermione laid a comforting hand on Madam Pomfrey's arm. "Everything's fine; we knew we would need to come back. Eileen is pleased to have Alexander to herself for a bit, and Severus and I need to feel like we're doing something."

"Call me Poppy, dear. Now let's get you that list."

*****

It had taken the better part of a week, but potions were brewed, memorials and funerals were held, and trials were conducted. The last remnants of the Death Eaters were dead or in Azkaban, those that were forced into service, whether by coercion or spell were allowed to go home, but were heavily monitored to be on the safe side. Hogsmeade became the site of a new Wizarding cemetery that held the remains of those who had died on the side of the Light during that battle at Bodmin Moor. There was also a small stone marker erected to the memory of Luna Lovegood and Alice Longbottom, who had gone on to Avalon and their reward for sacrifices made. The final meeting of the Order of the Phoenix was sombre, yet filled with relief and hope for a better future. The night before the children were to return to Hogwarts, Headmaster Dumbledore hosted a dinner for his Order and their families. The next day, everyone would return to their lives as though nothing had happened. Teachers would teach, Ministers would minister, and students would attempt to learn. In his closing remarks, before dinner was finished, Albus added one last thing.

"Everyone, remember to keep the last Tuesday of April free from plans. We are all invited to the Vale of the Carn to visit, and to witness Severus and Hermione Snape as they make their handfasting vows permanent. Owls will be sent closer to the date as they will be asking some to participate in the rituals. Until then, farewell, my friends."