Chapter Seventeen

Hermione woke to the sun shining into her face. She squinted at the blinds and snarled. She was lying against Severus' bare body, warm and comfortable. She did not want to move but knew she needed to use the loo. She glanced at the bedside table and saw it was only 8:30.

They had returned to their room the previous night and had made love very slowly and very quietly lest they wake someone. Hermione knew in her mind that with the wards and silencing charms that was not going to happen, but it felt odd making love in her parents' house. However, Severus was persistent, and soon she had forgotten where she was and let herself just feel the touch of his lips and the sliding of his hand over moist flesh, the tingle of his tongue against her breast or the slide of her fingers over the soft and hard places of his body. Their soft cries were almost silent against each other lips, and once they had finished, they fell asleep in an exhausted, satisfied sleep.

She rose half way and kissed him awake.

A smile touched his lips before his eyes even opened. "Good morning," he whispered.

"Good morning," she said. "I'll be right back. It's still early. We can go back to seep for a while or take a bath."

"We?" he said, waking up more. He peeked at her through half-closed eyes.

She grinned. "Yep, care to join me?"

"Absolutely," he said, "You go first and I'll come in a minute."

Hermione went and used the loo and brushed her teeth, then set about getting the bath ready. While Severus slipped in behind her into the separate room with the toilet, she enlarged the tub with her wand and filled it with hot, bubbly water. She sat at one end, and when he came from the restroom, she watched him brush his teeth, and then he slipped in, facing her. They both took up soap and flannels and washed their own faces and then each other's arms and chests. They found it quite relaxing and soothing. Severus stretched his legs out, and Hermione straddled them, coming closer until she sat in his lap. She washed his chest, all the while stealing kisses. He scrubbed her back side. Soon the flannels were abandoned, and they pleasured each other.

They came down the stairs only minutes before ten o'clock. Hermione's mother was setting plates of steaming food on the table – eggs with bacon, and fresh scones with butter and jam. There was the aroma of fine, strong coffee, and Severus felt his mouth water. Sex always made him ravenous.

He held the chair out for Hermione, and after she took her seat, he took his. Harris had said hello, then promptly vanished back behind his paper. When Margaret came with a pitcher of fresh orange juice, he set his paper aside and tucked a napkin in his collar.

Hermione said with a nervous laugh, "Dad really doesn't talk until he's had his first cup of coffee."

Margaret poured his coffee, and he took a deep sip of the strong black coffee. "Please, tuck in," she said.

Severus was perfectly fine with not communicating. He felt much the same way and was only too happy to eat his eggs and sip the excellent, strong coffee. "Ma'am, this is an excellent scone," he mumbled to Margaret as he chewed.

Hermione laughed and agreed, "Mum's scones are the best"

They all ate in silence, which was broken when Harris sat back and held up his cup for a refill. "Margaret that was a fine meal – a fine one," he praised his wife.

Margaret blushed under his compliment, and Severus saw how close they must still be. He hoped that he was as sensitive to Hermione as Harris seemed to be to Margaret after as many years together. He vowed to himself that he would never treat her as his dad had treated his mum. He searched and found Hermione's hand under the table and squeezed it.

"Well now, what shall we do today?" Harris asked cheerfully. "Severus, have you ever done the Muggle tour of London?"

Severus' interest was piqued. "No, I have not had much time in many years to just take in the sights.

"What about a trip to Trafalgar Square and the Palace?" Harris suggested. "That will give Margaret a chance to take some pictures to show off to her cronies."

"Harris! My friends are not crones, but I would love to have some pictures of the sights with the two of you in them. I can't very well show them the Wizarding photos you've sent, now can I?" she held no malice in her voice; she was only stating fact.

"Well, then...," Severus said, feeling Hermione tense against him. She knew he hated such things. "I think a trip to Trafalgar Square is in order. We might have to have a few sit downs here and there. I'm still not up to full strength."

Margaret smiled. "I think we can have tea in a local café and sit in the park a bit. We will take it slow." She rubbed her hands together in anticipation. "I will just run and get my camera. Hermione, dear, you can make short work of the dishes can't you?"

Hermione stood. "Yes, Mum."

Harris stood. "I will go get my walking stick."

Severus watched as Hermione drew her wand and sent all the dishes to the sink. She then gathered the food with another few waves, and in no time, the table was cleaned and the dishes were washing themselves.

"Do you do that for your mother all the time when you are here?" he asked curiously.

"No, we sometimes wash them together while Dad reads his paper. It gives us a chance to talk. But occasionally when we are in a hurry, like now, I will use a bit of magic to get us on our way."

Severus nodded. "I sometime wash cauldrons by hand just for thinking time, as well," he said. "I'll go up and get us some light jackets. It's quite overcast today."

Hermione nodded. She walked up and kissed him. "Thanks for agreeing to go."

He smirked. "Mum told me not to piss off future in-laws," he confided.

Hermione giggled, and her mirth followed him up the stairs.

*******

Midday found them in a small café, drinking tea and having a sandwich. Tired from the walk through Trafalgar Square and the Mall in front of Buckingham Palace, as well as posing for far too many pictures in his opinion, Severus sat back and relaxed.

Margaret had even asked strangers to take pictures of the four of them on several occasions. Hermione had finally begged her mother to stop, but secretly, she was looking forward to having Muggle pictures of her and Severus. She had enjoyed the day very much, and Severus had seemed inclined to make the most of it.

Margaret asked, "What shall we do the remainder of the day? Severus, are you exhausted? Do we need to go home for a lie down?"

"That would be welcome, but I think a night out to a play, movie or opera might be nice." He had seen Harris cringe when he mentioned the opera. He had been quiet most the day, and Severus realized he had come along mostly to make his wife happy. Another thing Severus filed for years to come: Do things you do not like if it makes her happy.

"Why don't we go home then. You can all rest while I take a look online to see what's available in our area," Margaret suggested.

They took a cab home, and Hermione went with Severus upstairs. Lying on the bed, they did not sleep but talked about the wedding. It was in just a few weeks, and there was still a lot to do. "My mum will want pictures, Severus – lots of pictures. Is it possible to take pictures of Hogwarts? We could make them generic – against a wall or in a garden setting. The rose garden could be any garden."

"I'm not sure if Muggle cameras will work at Hogwarts; plus someone might want to know where it is. Perhaps we could Apparate to another local castle and have the pictures taken by a Muggle photographer," he suggested.

"You would do that? I know all of that's pretty tedious to you." She snuggled up against his chest.

"Hermione, I would do anything for you." He shifted his position so that he could look down into her face, and he felt her hands caress his back. He kissed her slowly and trailed kisses over her face and down to her neck.

"Again?" Hermione asked in a whisper.

"Are you up for it?" he asked her.

"Always and forever," she replied as she pushed the shirt from his shoulders.

******

Later, their fingers threaded through each other's as they watched the magic of The Phantom of the Opera at a London theatre.

As they walked back after the play, Hermione's parents trailed behind, lost in their own whispered conversation. As Hermione and Severus walked, she hugged his arm and said softly, "You are my Phantom, Severus. Even when you wore the mask, I cared about what happened to you. I knew if Dumbledore trusted you, then you were a good man."

He did not reply, but drew her close. He was grateful for the support. He had known she did not see him the same way as Harry Potter had back then. He was pretty good at stealth and had heard her defend him on several occasions. "I'm sorry I was so rough on you when I first contacted you. I was so scared, and I needed to tell you things in the limited time I'd find myself cognizant," he apologised.

"Severus, that's all forgotten," she said earnestly. "I love you. I figured that out for myself and kept my peace."

"I know – I just wanted to say it again. To make sure you know how grateful I am for all you give to me; my love for you is boundless."

Hermione stopped him and slipped her arms up about his neck before kissing him passionately. They were startled by a flash. "Mum!" Hermione laughed.

"It will be a good one for the album." Margaret defended her actions.

Hermione grabbed her mum and pulled her close to kiss her cheek. "I want one of those."

Harris had caught up. "Come on, there's a pub around the corner. Let's get a night cap."

They found the pub warm and dimly lit; candles on the tables flickered and cast shadows. Severus found himself quite comfortable in the shadows. They bought drinks of mead and talked about the play.

*****

As Severus settled in the bed with Hermione against him that night, he said, "I'm very glad we came. This has been really nice. It's like being part of a real family. I never knew a man and woman could be so considerate of each other."

Hermione pressed a kiss to his chest. "You are a part of a real family, now."

*****

Sunday found them back at Hogwarts. Pomona came hurrying across the grass to greet them. "Come, look at what the ladies and I have done this weekend," she implored them.

They followed her to one of the green houses. Stepping through the door, Hermione gasped. It looked like a cathedral made of vines and flowers. There was an altar of living saplings woven together. The glass between the vines was charmed to look like stained glass.

"Oh, Pomona!" Hermione cried. "It's beautiful! I can't wait for the next two weeks to go by. Will the flowers still be blooming then?"

"Oh, yes. These are in a stasis field. They will still be here. How was your visit with your parents?" She glanced at Severus, wondering how it had gone.

"It was wonderful," Hermione told her. "We had a great time with Mum and Dad and got some time alone as well – a nice mini-break."

"Wonderful," Pomona said, clapping her hands together and rubbing them as she glanced at Severus for his input.

He nodded his agreement. "It was pleasant. Hermione's parents were very kind."

"Well, I'm sure you have things to do tomorrow, and I need to tend to some of my plants."

She gave each of them a kiss on the cheek, then dismissed them, turning away to go off and do her work.

Hermione chuckled as they walked sedately up the grass slope to the castle. "Pomona certainly marches to her own tune, but I like her so much, Severus."

"She does at that. Always very abrupt, but when I came in tears and she pulled me to that ample breast of hers, her love surrounded me in such a way that I had no doubt she would be there for me," Severus said pensively.

"I bet you missed that when you got older," Hermione observed.

"Well, there was more than a time or two when I'd come dripping blood on the leaves of her precious plants, and she would slip to the floor of her green house and cradle me, all the while using her healing techniques on me or sending for Poppy when it was too much for her."

Tears burned at Hermione's eyes as she thought about the scene he had painted for her. She hugged his arm tighter. "I'm so glad you are here with me now. You and I will make a very special life together."

He was silent and then asked, "Do you want to have a baby?"

Hermione looked up into his eyes in the dimming light. "I would like that very much. I didn't think you would though," she confessed.

"It would be a gift beyond belief. I never thought I might be a father, but with you by my side..." He leaned to kiss her forehead as they walked.

"I think you would make a wonderful father, Severus."

*****

The weeks passed, and they did not venture out of Hogwarts. There were so many things to be done and potions to brew before the honeymoon that they spent a great deal of time in the lab working on refilling Poppy's stores for the next year. Three nights before the wedding, Hermione's parents arrived on the Hogwarts Express. It brought all the guests for the wedding from London. Harry and Ginny came with their son, James, and Ginny was just about bursting with her next one. Also, on the Express were selected members of the Weasley family, many Order of the Phoenix members and past classmates. Mostly they came for Hermione, but Severus discovered there were people there he had worked with over the years, such as Chance Laurente, some other Healers, as well as Order members.

Hermione could tell he was quite touched as they disembarked the train and came to tell him how happy they were for him. His fingers tightened on her for support. He had been working on his shields so that emotion would not overwhelm him, and he had made some progress. Hermione had realized, much to their dismay, that the pendant kept him open to the sharing and made the shields impossible, so they had placed the wood shard in a secure location and worked on talking and on reading each other's body language more. Talking about his feelings was hard for Severus, but as he grew in his relationship with Hermione, he realized he could tell her most anything.

"Ginny!" she cried, grabbing her friend in a tight hug. "Look at you. You sure you're not going to have that baby while your here?"

Ginny laughed, rubbing her stomach. "Well, he's not due for another three weeks, but then, you never know. There are worse places to be born. Hogwarts feels like a second home."

Hermione also got a hug from Harry. "You look wonderful," he told her before shaking Severus' hand in greeting. "It's good to see you again, Severus."

As more people came for hugs and pats on the back, Hermione saw Chance Laurente get off the train. She heard a bit of a squeal, and then he was holding Poppy tightly. Their lips touched briefly. Hermione smiled to see it.

Carriages arrived then, drawn by Thestrals, to transport anyone who wanted to ride to Hogwarts. Hermione's parents chose to walk with Hermione and her friends to the castle. This being their first visit to Hogwarts, they wanted to soak up as much of the atmosphere surrounding the area as possible.

There was a short tour through Hogsmeade with promises to come back the next day to explore more thoroughly before the group slowly made their way to Hogwarts, stopping for a time to point out the Shrieking Shack and explain to Margaret and Harris its importance. Severus found that a number of hands reached out to touch his arm or back as he stared at the broken down house. He was not ashamed of the tear that escaped and ran down his face; he was grateful for all he had suffered. Today was probably one of the most satisfying in his life – if he had to experience everything again to reach it, then he would do so.

He was going to marry Hermione, and Harry and his family were here to support him. Hermione's parents supported him, and others were there – Neville and Luna, friends all.

Hermione heard the gravel crunching under footsteps and looked to see Poppy, arm linked with Chance's, strolling slowly toward them. They passed by the group, not even looking up. They seemed lost in conversation.

Hermione grinned and said, "Rekindled love." Severus' eyebrow raised in response. They all seemed to turn away from the Shrieking Shack, then, as the group in silence followed the older couple down the tree-lined lane.

When Hogwarts came in sight, Margaret gasped. "I thought it was rebuilt after the war," she said in disappointment. She had been looking forward to seeing the magnificent castle of her daughter's tales.

Severus pulled his wand out and waved it over Hermione's parents, who gasped collectively as the splendor of Hogwarts was revealed to them. They reached out as one to touch the gate. Hermione smiled at their wonder. All her life, she had hoped to share this with them. She would talk to Minerva about allowing the Muggle parents to come and see where their children were attending school. They were already keeping secret their offspring's special abilities; surely seeing the castle would not hurt anyone.

As they walked up the expanse of lawn, the others who had come by carriage were milling around outside the door. It swung open, and dignitaries and friends alike all climbed the steps and entered the foyer before they all went into the Great Hall. The student tables had been replaced by more formal dining tables with plush, high-back chairs, each table holding twelve people. People began to spread out and take seats.

Severus and Hermione encouraged Harry, Ginny, Neville and Luna to join her and her parents. They took a seat near the front, and Minerva and Pomona joined them. Chance and Poppy rounded out the group.

Minerva stood to make a welcoming speech. "Welcome, honored guests, friends and family. We are so happy to host you here on this momentous occasion of the handfasting of our two most famous teachers, Professor Severus Snape and Professor Hermione Granger. Tonight we will have dinner, then you may roam the castle. Feel free to visit all your old stomping grounds. Mr Potter, please stay away from the Chamber of Secrets, the Whomping Willow and the Forbidden Forest – I will deduct points if I need to." The guests all laughed heartily at her joke. "For those who have not been here before, several house-elves have volunteered to give guided tours and answer as many questions as they can about the castle.

"I think you will be impressed with the rebuilding. For those of you who haven't been here in years and for those who have, the house-elves are constantly adding new features to help update the castle for a new generation. Tomorrow we will have a picnic by the lake, and the Merfolk have agreed to sing for us. I have contacted a few of our former all-stars, and they will come and play an exhibition Quidditch game for us in the late afternoon for those of you who are fans, and for Hermione's parents who have never seen a game. I hope you will all welcome Doctors Margaret and Harris Granger and perhaps regale them with fond stories of Hermione's time here.

"Now, please enjoy your meal." She waved her wand, and food of all kinds appeared on the tables before them – platters of steaming roast beef and golden brown chickens, huge hams, loaves of warm, crusty bread and pats of sunny yellow butter. Massive bowls of every kind of vegetable dotted the tables as well. There were shiny porcelain plates before them and gleaming silverware. Their goblets filled with a light wine or water. For a time there were few words spoken as the guests filled their plates and began to eat.

Harris Granger filled his plate with the amazing food. Seeing that there was far more than humanly possible for the guests at the table to eat, he asked Hermione, "What will they do with all this food that's not eaten?" he asked. He had grown up in a house where he was taught not to waste food.

"It's magical, Dad. What's not eaten will be stored, until another meal. I've grown up with this bounty before me," Hermione explained.

"It's comforting to know you were always well-taken care of," Margaret chimed in. She took a fork and cut off a small bite of chicken. She tasted it gingerly, and then dove into the food with gusto.

"That last year before the war, I often dreamed of the tables of food here when we were off camping," Hermione reminisced. Her face darkened as she remembered the food being the reason Ron had left them.

Severus seemed to follow her thoughts and reached over to cover her hand and give it a squeeze. "I was thinking it might be fun to introduce your parents to the Fat Lady and, of course, Hagrid."

Hermione smiled. "Yes, they should meet Hagrid. I know he likes to stay to himself during the summer. He says he feels like he's on vacation when he doesn't come in to eat. But we need to make sure he's coming to the wedding. Neville, Luna, Harry and Ginny, maybe we can all walk down this evening and see him. I know it will make him very happy, and he will enjoy meeting my parents." They all agreed that that would be fun.

"Please, come to Greenhouse six afterwards, by nine o'clock. I have a special crop of night roses blooming tonight, and I know you will want to be there when they unfurl," Pomona added.

Severus' eyes sparkled. "We definitely don't want to miss that."

WriterMerrin, thank you for doing the beta work on this story. It's a huge job, and you are very much appreciated.

Suzanne, your alfa work and Brit picking are very much appreciated, as well.

Becky, you are always encouraging and helpful. Thank you.