3

I had hoped that my infatuation with Hermione was a passing fancy. I had hoped that after observing her more closely than I had been, I would discover that she was, in fact, still the annoying person I had previously thought her to be. I had hoped that after finding out how Harry felt about the matter that I'd be able to lay my feelings to rest.

Of course I should have known better. Hope has never sat beside me with any ease.

Hermione surreptitiously watched her two flatmates ignore each other. They'd been at odds for more than a month, and it was now beyond uncomfortable. The first few months she'd lived with them she had found out, to her surprise, that they had formed quite a bond. She wouldn't have called them affectionate, but there was a familial interaction that belied their feelings more accurately than their words did.

In the last couple of months, though, something had changed. At first, Harry became a bit more distant, watching Severus carefully, almost suspiciously. Then something had happened, and now Severus was ignoring Harry completely, and Harry... Harry was watching her. And to make it even worse, both had withdrawn from her, treating her more as a guest than a friend.

It was uncomfortable, and it hurt. She had been really enjoying both men's company, especially getting to know Severus away from Harry's mixed-up filter, but the strange dynamics had reached the point where she just wanted to spend as much time away from home as possible.

It was past time to do something.

"Guys," she said, "I have something to discuss with you." She was a bit amused at how both men reacted to her words. Severus went very still and was looking at her warily while Harry flushed guiltily. Neither moved from where they were until she motioned them over to the table.

"My lease is coming due in a couple of months, and I've decided that it would be best for me to move out."

Severus almost sagged with relief, and Hermione was hurt that he wanted nothing more than for her to be gone. She'd thought – or she'd hoped anyway – that he liked her at least a little.

Harry, however, looked upset. "What? No! Why do you think it's best?"

Hermione cringed. Biting her lip, she looked down at her hands as she fidgeted. Swallowing, she looked up and said nervously, "I don't want to get between you two any more."

Both men started and then Harry said, "What do you mean?"

Hermione shook her head in exasperation. "This is the first time you've looked at each other in weeks. You've been ignoring one another, and it's obvious it's something to do with me because you've both taken to treating me like you barely know me. It's uncomfortable, and I'm not going to take it anymore. I refuse to feel like a guest in what's supposed to be my home!"

Harry looked down at the table, his brows knitting while Severus leaned back, looking troubled. To Hermione's surprise, Harry didn't respond to her but turned to Severus.

"Hermione's my friend, Severus."

Hermione cocked her head to the side, wondering why Harry was stating the obvious.

She was surprised when Severus answered without biting sarcasm, but rather in a resigned tone. "Yes, I know you are friends"

Hermione's eyes widened, realizing that their argument wasn't just something to do with her, but had everything to do with her, though she still wasn't quite sure how she fit into it. Severus' tone made it sound as if he disapproved of Harry being friends with her, but that didn't make sense. He'd been friendly enough before he'd started avoiding her. In fact, she'd almost thought he'd felt for her something along the same lines as she felt for him... almost.

Unless he was implying that she and Harry...

She looked at Harry with wide eyes.

Harry nodded his head slowly, still looking at Severus almost beseechingly.

And if he thought she and Harry were...

Snape nodded curtly and made to stand up, but Harry stopped him with a hand on his arm. "But it's more than that."

Oh, God! Was it because Harry had said something? Did Harry love her?

For the first time since their little conversation started, Harry looked at Hermione. She noticed that Severus wasn't looking at her but at his hands.

"I don't want you to move out," Harry said baldly.

Did Harry love her? Was Severus jealous?

Hermione shook her head minutely, panic and hope growing in tandem. "Harry... I..." Her eyes flicked to Severus again, and she noticed he was suddenly tense.

Harry smiled uneasily and reached for her hand. "I want to live with my family, Hermione. You and Severus... you're all I've got. Please don't leave."

Both she and Severus looked at Harry in surprise.

"Harry?"

"Hermione, you're my sister and I love you. Please..." He took a deep breath and let it out shakily. "I'm sure we can work through any problems. We've dealt with worse before, right?" He smiled shakily, and she smiled back, although she felt as if she was missing some vital piece of information.

Harry then turned to Severus.

"Severus... I'm sure we can work through this, but... I hope you understand why I..."

She watched as Severus nodded to Harry gravely, relief radiating from him. "Yes. But it's not up to just me, Harry. It never has been."

Hermione looked between the two and, for the first time, really saw them as family. Perhaps their relationship was more fraternal than paternal, but the way they understood each other now was rather touching.

Harry nodded and suddenly stood up, shooting a meaningful glance at Severus. Severus nodded, though his energy suddenly went from relieved to nervous.

Hermione watched all this with a growing suspicion and hope that was confirmed when Severus finally locked eyes with her once Harry had left the room. He didn't say anything, though. He just looked.

When he finally did say something, it wasn't what she expected.

"I don't want to hurt Harry."

She blinked. Then blinked again. "Pardon me?"

He sighed and ran his hand through his hair nervously. "Before you came, Harry and I... we had an understanding. We made up a list of things we wouldn't do to deliberately annoy each other. At that point it was purely for survival. About three years ago, I noticed that it was no longer habit to bait Harry and, two years ago, that I didn't even think about baiting him anymore.

"We will never be fond of each other, or have touching father-son moments, but since you came to live with us... you have made me realize that it is more than just an understanding to me, now. Harry is my blood, and I've unexpectedly become rather protective of him."

"I know," Hermione said, wondering which direction he was going to go.

Severus sighed, then swore and got up to pace the room like a caged tiger.

"I don't know whether to thank you or curse you, Hermione," he said plaintively as he stopped pacing and held onto the back of the chair he'd been sitting in.

Hermione smiled at him. "Harry's right, you know. We can work through just about any problem."

"I'm not sure I can, though."

Hermione's smile faded as she watched Severus struggle with whatever he was feeling or thinking. She hated that he was so conflicted about this.

"Tell me what it is, and maybe I'll be able to help?"

He offered her a fleeting smile that really was no more than just a twitch of his lips.

"I love you."

I hadn't intended to make such a bold declaration, but looking at her earnest face so full of concern for me, I let the words just slip from my mouth. If I wanted to be pathetically sentimental, I would say that my heart took advantage of my brain's slight confusion and undertook a coup d'état – but I'm not the soppy sort.

I will say it was the longest moment of my life, waiting for her reaction.

She looked up at him surprised and a little breathless. She blinked up at him, trying to come to terms with his revelation. Unfortunately, one part of her brain, the part connected to her mouth, was already reacting.

"I can see the problem."

He winced, and when she realized what she'd said, she had to credit him for not storming from the room.

"It would be a little tricky if we ever broke up, especially if there were bad feelings involved, which given our temperaments is very possible, but I don't see it as an insoluble problem."

He goggled at her.

"You say that as if you... we..."

She smiled at him more fully, then got up and approached him very slowly, sensing he might flee at any moment. When she reached him, she took his hand in hers, threaded her fingers through his and squeezed.

"We're a family, Severus. At least, I hope we are..."

He smiled down at her, a real smile this time, and squeezed her hand back.

"It doesn't bother you that I'm your brother's father?" he asked with a glint in his eye.

She shook her head mischievously. "I'm obviously adopted, so I don't see the problem."

AN: Thanks once again to Southern and Keladry for their sooperdooper betaing skillz.

Only the epilogue left, which will go up tonight.