45: Meeting the In-Laws

Chapter 45: Meeting the In-Laws

Severus stood before the Dark Lord after being called from Hermione's side. The gathering was large; nearly a hundred followers stood in ever-widening circles around their mad leader, anxious to do his will. For his part, Severus would far rather be curled up in bed with his wife, spend a day becoming best mates with James Potter's brat or even praising Longbottom on his superior brewing skills. He would rather be doing almost anything, if it meant he was no longer tied to the dark leader.

After intelligence...if it could be called that...was received from several sources who were working on specific projects, the Dark Lord turned toward Severus. "My most faithful follower, Severus, I have heard that Potter and his side kick are in St. Mungos after a spell went badly wrong. What do you know about this?"

Infusing his voice with all the deference he could, Severus knelt before the leader and cast his eyes to the ground. The less effort to keep up his Occlumency shields, the better. "My Lord, since Nott told Potter of my relationship with the Mudblood, I have been cut out from news in the Order. However, I know that Potter and his friend have been playing around with new spells and hexes, and I imagine that is all this was. It wouldn't surprise me that one or both of them tried a spell they were in no way prepared for. Their skill level is really quite pathetic.

"The Mudblood regularly beat them in duels, and her skills are paltry. I've been studying her memories at night via Legilimancy, but have found nothing useful this week. She spends her days studying Runes and other trivialities for the N.E.W.T. exams she is foolish enough to believe she will have the chance to take."

The Dark Lord laughed. "I suppose you're right about the spell landing them in St. Mungos. And now, my minions, we have an attack to launch. It appears a school full of children in West Surrey is having an activity tonight. We will blow it to pieces, show those foolish Order members that we cannot be stopped."

He began to direct the others on their individual missions while Severus silently, wandlessly caused his shortened ink-filled quill to begin writing in the diary under cover of his oversized cloak. He hoped Hermione got the message.

*****

Hermione was half asleep when she received the notification of new writing in her diary and really didn't want to get out of bed. Knowing it was most likely an emergency, however, she rolled over and pulled the tiny diary from the pocket of her jeans. Without her wand, she expanded the diary and then flipped through to the most recent page. As she read, she grew ever more worried about the plans Voldemort was enacting. She grabbed a paper from the nightstand and began writing orders, specifying those things that were going on. The question was getting it to someone who could do something about it, and fast. "Twinkie!"

"Yes, Mistress?" the house-elf asked when it appeared in her room a moment later.

"I need you to take this note to Auror Tonks right away. It is a great secret and the paper can only go to her. Can you do this for me?"

"Yes, Mistress, of course, Mistress. Twinkie will do anything Mistress needs."

Hermione knew it was a risk sending the note by a house-elf that was not her own, but the elf seemed totally devoted to her, and there wasn't time for a Patronus, even if she had enough power available to send one. Hermione couldn't go anywhere without her powers, the Floo made her ill, and owl travel would have been interminable. "Then have her send back a message to me so I know she received it."

Twinkie took the note and nodded, then with a snap of her fingers, disappeared. Five of the longest minutes of Hermione's life passed as she waited for word back from Tonks. Meanwhile, she continued to take notes on specifics the Order and Aurors might need and added a thanks to the diary so Severus would know she had received the message. When Twinkie returned, Hermione let out a relieved breath and turned to receive her answer.

"The Auror Tonks read the note and said to tell Mistress that Kingsley saw the books she bought Mistress and thinks they were for herself." The elf gave her a confused look, but Hermione laughed.

"Oh, that's going to be a fun issue to unravel. But it's for another day. Could you find Tonks again if I have another note for her after she's moved?"

"Of course, Mistress." Twinkie looked so happy that she was being put to work, like a child just given a ten-day pass to Walt Disney World would look positively sullen in comparison.

"Good." A few minutes later Severus' quill stopped, and Hermione finished copying the information, then had Twinkie deliver it as well. Tonks was in an especially good position to solve tonight's problems...being on the job as an Auror and a member of the Order...to call for extra reinforcements on both hands, especially if there were as many Death Eaters involved as Severus had indicated.

She fell into an exhausted slumber some time later, though she had been certain she wouldn't sleep a wink before Severus returned.

*****

For his part, Severus was hoping he could Apparate out of the melee that was bound to hit the school when the Aurors arrived. All the spying in the world did no good if you were killed in the crossfire or caught and hauled off to Azkaban. And he didn't want to go to Azkaban; he wanted to go back to his wife's bed, whether she ever let him get intimate with her again or not.

Finally, the signal to Apparate to the school was given. Severus Apparated outside the huge structure from which the sounds of grinding rock and teen laughter were pouring.

The assault on the school lasted only a few minutes before Aurors and Order members arrived on scene. Severus had managed to send nothing more serious than a mild stinging hex at the students, while protecting some of the others from harm by shutting them into a large closet and locking them in with a silencing spell so they couldn't alert other Death Eaters to their presence. From time to time he banished more students there.

When the Aurors arrived, all hell broke loose among the Death Eater ranks. Though a few popped out of the area the second opposition arrived, the majority stayed to fight. Their master would be very displeased if they didn't acquit themselves well against the Ministry.

Having nothing to lose, Severus temporarily 'lost' his mask when he turned and found Nymphadora Tonks across from him. He nodded only slightly, replaced his mask, then took aim, stunning a Death Eater over her shoulder. His next hex eviscerated Hestia Nott over Tonks' other shoulder. With the slightest lift of an eyebrow, Tonks moved into action, deflecting any hexes actually sent her way toward other Death Eaters and intentionally shooting spells past him toward people behind him. All in all, Severus counted twelve on the Dark Lord's side taken out during their little 'duel.' When the call to return to their master's side came, he allowed a smirk on his face, met Tonks' eye, then Disapparated.

*****

When he arrived back at the cottage several hours later, as the Dark Lord had chosen to punish his followers for their failure before releasing them, he found Hermione sleeping soundly. The vial from the first dose of her medicine sat empty by the bed. He was covered in dirt and had been sprinkled by blood in the battle. His cloak was worn in two places, and he was sure there were holes from hexes that had flashed through it, but miraculously missed him.

In short, he felt filthy and exhausted and utterly unfit to lie beside his wife, despite the fact that he needed her. He pulled a hand through his hair and stripped, then got into the shower. He left his clothes in a jumble on the bathroom floor. Twinkie would take care of them soon enough.

Severus crawled into bed sometime later and felt his wife wrap herself around him, drawn to him despite herself, even in sleep. Taking advantage of the contact, he pulled her even closer and buried his nose in her strawberry-scented hair.

He was home.

*****

Hermione awoke with her face buried in her husband's chest, his arms wrapped around her in his sleep. This was what she had missed so much over the previous few days...just having him close, smelling him next to her in bed. She felt him press his lips to her forehead in a gentle kiss, and she tipped her face up toward his to take the next kiss on her mouth.

He didn't push for more than a few sweet kisses, something she was grateful for as she still felt rather awful from the events of the previous day and hoped no one wanted her to get out of bed that day. "Good morning, wife."

"Good morning, husband. How did things go? Did my message to Tonks help?"

"Beautifully. There will be some casualties on the Muggle side, but considerably fewer than I expected. Thankfully, some of the others decided to play with their quarry for a while before following through with orders to execute anyone or destroy the building. Aurors arrived and deflected our attack. I'm not sure how they made out in their ranks, though I know some did not make it. The Dark Lord's ranks were seriously depleted, as nearly a quarter of those on the attack did not make it back to their master's side afterward, whatever the reason."

"That's something then. Do you have any injuries that need attending?" She ran her fingers around his side as if checking for injuries, but knowing she was hitting his ticklish spot. She was so relieved that he was alive and well and that disaster had been at least mostly averted.

"No, damn it, leave me alone." He squirmed and visibly fought to keep the smile away from his face.

She merely grinned in response and ran her fingers along the area again. That resulted in his leaning over to restrain her, which brought them in close physical contact again, which resulted in him kissing her. This of course led to more kissing, and shortly after she decided to lift the injunction against more than kissing, he pulled away.

"I better go get your next dose of medicine, and I'll see if Twinkie can bring us some breakfast." Disentangling himself from her arms, he removed himself from the bed and padded to the kitchen in his pajama pants.

Hermione lay back in the bed and considered her own heated body. Did she want to complete what they had begun? Did she feel up to it? When her hormones calmed would she be glad they hadn't crossed over that line again yet? The power of their bond thrummed through her from their contact, but part of it had been well satisfied with their kisses and caresses. Before he returned with her medicine, she felt her body's exhaustion lulling her back toward sleep.

Still lucid, she heard him return to the room and opened her eyes to watch him cross the floor, enjoying the innate grace he always displayed. He held two potions this time and set them carefully on the night stand before settling on the bed beside her. "Still tired, I see. I thought things might be going too far for your strength. Here, take these."

He passed her the two potions. The first was bitter and burned the back of her throat. The second soothed, minty and sweet. Twinkie appeared in the room a few minutes later with a tray of eggs, bacon and toast and a second of tea.

"Eat, Hermione. The baby needs sustenance," Severus cajoled when she ate nothing more than a slice of toast and sipped on a cup of tea.

"The baby isn't sure if he or she wants real food at the moment. The baby is fairly certain the thought of bacon makes him or her want to scream in protest." She had been fine until the scent of bacon had filled her nostrils and turned her stomach.

"One bite of egg, then, and see how it feels." He coaxed a small bit of egg onto his fork and lifted it to her mouth. As that not only tasted great, but didn't disturb her stomach, she allowed him to place a heap on her plate and finished the entire pile off.

"Now," he said when she had finished, "back to sleep with you, and we'll see how you're feeling when you wake again."

Severus tucked her back into bed, placed a kiss on her forehead and left the room. As Hermione drifted back into sleep, she wondered if her husband had been replaced by some sweet mutant, then decided not to worry about it yet. If he didn't return to his own taciturn self soon, she would test him for the Imperius Curse.

Or maybe not.

*****

By the next evening, Hermione was feeling much more herself, though she could still only do small bursts of magic through the day. She spent half the time sleeping and the other half reading theory towards preparing for her N.E.W.T. exams.

Hedwig had arrived with a note asking how she was doing late the day after she came home. She had responded that she was recovering fine, that Sebastian was taking good care of her and that she would visit in a couple of days.

She hadn't seen the Daily Prophet since the attack on the school and imagined they were stacked up somewhere else in the cottage. As she had only left her bed to go sit on the swing in the garden in the evening for a while, she hadn't taken the time to look around for the copies she knew must have come.

Since Hermione was nearly back to full strength, she and Severus had determined they must go visit her parents. Having received an invitation for that night, she prepared herself.

Jitters both from her husband and herself kept Hermione's stomach on edge all afternoon. At least she had prepared her mother for the seriousness of their relationship, but still, she and Severus had decided not to tell them of the marriage or the baby just yet. There was too much at risk if someone, somehow, managed to get through the wards on the home.

Hermione finished getting ready for dinner, then began to wander the cottage, fussing with the placement of doilies and knickknacks while she tried to keep her mind off the meeting. There was still half an hour before they would Apparate to her parents' back yard.

When she came across the two copies of the Daily Prophet, her heart dropped to her feet. She sat and read every word. In the attack on the school, ten Death Eaters had been killed by stray hexes and eighteen had been taken into custody. A full list followed, along with a list of the dead and wounded on the Aurors' side. Dedalus Diggle, dead. Kingsley Shacklebolt and Sturgis Podmore critically wounded, but expected to recover, more or less. Other names she had only heard also on both lists, along with some she had never heard before.

Still the list of dead and wounded on her side was far shorter than that of the Death Eaters. Severus had told her the three Death Eaters who knew about the attack in advance had been killed when they returned to their master. The newspaper stated that a detection charm had been placed on the school so the Death Eater's arrival was detected. No word of her helpful notes to Tonks. Good, it was better that way.

She was crying, grieving over losing Mr. Diggle, an excitable man who often wore a purple top hat. Hermione didn't know him well, by any means, but his loss was still great and weighed on her.

That was the way her husband found her, newspapers still clutched in her fingers, slumped on the sofa in the front room, tears on her cheeks. "I hoped you wouldn't stumble across those for another day or two. Not until you were stronger." He sat beside her and slid an arm around her shoulder.

"Dedalus Diggle. Dead. Kingsley and Sturgis in St. Mungo's. Didn't you think I'd want to know?" Still, she leaned into his warmth and comfort, her nerves over the visit to her parents forgotten.

"I knew you would, which is why I didn't throw the papers out, but knowing while you were so ill wasn't going to help. It would only distress you and make your convalescence last longer."

"I want to go to the funeral."

"And so we will. And tomorrow you may send another owl to the Burrow or Headquarters and find out how the others are faring. Perhaps by Friday I could take you to visit the others. I'm sure you and the boys have scheming to do."

"And I have questions about our search that I can't ask by owl post," she agreed.

"Good. Now, dry your tears and clean up your face before your parents think I've been treating you badly. We'll be late if we don't hurry out soon." He feathered the hair back from her face, pressed a soft kiss to her mouth, then released her.

Hermione swallowed hard, reading the desire for more in his eyes, felt it in her blood, and stood, moving to the bathroom to repair her face for the trip.

*****

For the trip to her parents, the two of them had worn casual office clothes. He had on a gray jumper with black flecks pulled over a white linen dress shirt and a pair of black trousers. Hermione chose a demure white blouse over a pleated forest green skirt. Severus glamoured himself, disillusioned them, then Apparated the two of them behind a large bush in the Grangers' back yard.

He held Hermione close for a long moment while she allowed her stomach to settled, the spinning in her head to calm. "Better?" he finally asked.

She lifted her forehead from his chest. "Yes. I'm ready to go in."

"You say that as though you are trying to convince yourself. If you're going to be this nervous, I'm going to second-guess this visit." His mouth was lowered to her ear, his breath hot on her neck as he spoke, making her shiver.

"Too late, we're here now."

She felt him nod against her neck, she couldn't see his face any more than he could see hers. Then he returned them to visibility and released her. When he appeared to expect they would approach the door without even holding hands, she took his hand in hers. "You have to act as though you like me if you want my parents to buy it."

"Really? So are you saying if I hex you in their house they won't believe that we're in love?" His sneer at those last few words was only in his voice, his face stayed perfectly pleasant.

Deciding the pretence that their bond was all due to the potion had gone on long enough, Hermione made a mental note to make him face facts when they reached the cottage again that night.

He lifted his hand to knock on the front door, but she headed that off by opening the door herself. Her parents didn't stand on ceremony with family members, and she wasn't about to start just to please her socially backward husband. "Hello, Mum?"

"Hermione!" Her mother's voice came from the kitchen. "Come on back."

Pulling her husband along behind her, Hermione made her way down the hall to the kitchen. They walked in to find her mother stirring something red in a pot, while another boiled nearby and a spicy scent emanated from the oven. Her father was setting the table with the good china.

Setting down the last crystal goblet, her father came over and gave her a hug. "It's good to see you looking so well. Sebastian's note had downplayed your illness, but I knew you would have come if you weren't quite ill." He stuck out a hand toward Severus. "It's good to meet you, Sebastian, I'm David, and this is my wife, Jane." He gestured to where his wife was pouring the linguini out of the pot into a colander in the sink.

"Just a moment; I'll be right there." Hermione's mother put down the empty pot on a trivet on the counter and came over. She gave her daughter a warm hug, then shook hands with Severus. "It's good to meet you. Hermione has mentioned you several times."

"Indeed? I'm not sure whether that would be a good thing, or a bad thing." He smiled congenially down at his wife.

Hermione nudged him back in the ribs. "Well, I didn't tell them about your ticklish spot, if that's what you mean." She watched his eyes narrow as her elbow hit that particular ticklish spot, then she smirked at him.

"Well, dinner's not quite ready, but I have some antipasto." Jane Granger pulled a tray of finger food from the refrigerator and handed it to her husband. "Take those into the living room, and I'll join you in a few minutes."

The three of them adjourned to the other room and settled around the coffee table. Severus and Hermione took the love seat, leaving the larger sofa available for her parents.

None of them touched the food, looking across at each other a bit nervously instead. "Mr. Granger," Severus finally began, "I find myself in a strange situation. I admit I haven't been in this position before as I've never felt about another woman the way I feel about your daughter. I don't really know how these things are done."

Her father smiled, almost reassuringly. "I've never met a young man who was interested in my daughter before, so we're both in a new situation. Why don't we start out with how you met? Hermione mentioned that your glamour changed your age, but I get the feeling you are out of school, aren't you?"

"Yes, I produce many of the potions that her school nurse uses in the hospital wing, and in fact have used my expertise to help your daughter through many of her ailments over the years. We met through my association with the school. I never saw her as anything more than one of the students until this spring when she caught my eye and then my heart."

Hermione thought the words unbearably sweet and unbearably insincere for a man who believed that their attachment was simply potion-based. She decided that was fine, as it was going to come to a raging halt in a matter of hours. She took his hand in hers. "I always admired his talent, but we never had a real conversation, one not focused solely on academic interests, until March. With school still in session, we wrote letters for months, not seeing each other as much as we would have liked."

"It seems that has changed." Her father observed their clasped hands. "I wrote to Arthur Weasley when I got the note about your illness, Hermione. Arthur assured me he had seen you, you were going to recover completely, and that you were in good hands. Please forgive me, Sebastian, for not taking your word for it. I had never met you before, and Arthur and I have been acquainted for some years now."

Severus nodded, though Hermione had felt the initial irritation in him when he heard her father had looked elsewhere for reassurance.

"He also made some mention of your relationship that made it seem more significant that it appeared. But he didn't tell me exactly what he meant. Could you clear it up for me?"

Oh, bother. "We'd be happy to, Dad, but we should wait for Mum to join us, don't you think?"

He nodded his agreement, and Severus began shooting questions at David about his work and hobbies. They discussed the month-long trip to Majorca her parents were planning on leaving for in less than two weeks. Slowly, the three of them began demolishing the tray of antipasto.

Dinner was delicious: linguini with her mother's from-scratch sauce, fresh garlic bread from the oven and tiramisu for dessert. After Hermione and Severus made short work of the dishes with their wands, the four of them took their dessert and coffee to the living room to talk.

"So, now things have calmed down," David said after their desserts were gone. "What was it you wanted to speak to us about?"

Hermione licked her lips, still not sure what to say, how far to go when Severus spoke up. "Mr. and Mrs. Granger, as I mentioned to you, sir, I have never felt about anyone the way I feel for your daughter. Last spring we were affected by a potion that is attuned to the individual person, their capabilities, strengths, needs, intelligence, in short, everything that makes that person who and what they are and it directs them to another who is compatible with them.

"I understand the sentiment around the term 'soul mate' is hackneyed and overused in your society, but in our society it is literal. Especially with the use of this potion. Though I admired your daughter's intelligence, and she is really quite lovely, I had not noticed her enough to be attracted to her before this potion affected both of us, and a bond was formed between us. She makes me very happy, and should I live through this war, I want her by my side forever."

Hermione was surprised by the direction the conversation had gone. She hadn't expected Severus to be so forthright with them; he had skirted around the truth a bit, preparing them for the truth of his identity when the time came. "And I can't imagine living without him."

He gave her hand a squeeze and sensed his approval. "I hope we would have your blessing for the kind of marriage we hope to share some day."

Jane Granger gasped and tears flooded her eyes. "My baby. Married. But she's not even eighteen yet."

"Two more days, Mum. It's not really that far away."

"Yes, but still, you're barely more than a child. It was one thing when you were getting serious, it is another for you to be discussing marriage. You still have another year of school left."

"And I'm working on completing my schooling. Right now I'm nearly half-way through the curriculum for several of my classes, and Sebastian is helping me with some of the others. Next spring, assuming everything turns out well in this war, I expect I'll be allowed to sit my N.E.W.T.s the same as if I were in school this year."

"But advanced education, Hermione."

"Mrs. Granger..."

"Please stop with the Mr. and Mrs., will you? If you plan to marry my daughter, I expect you ought to be calling us by our first names," her mother interrupted.

"OK, Jane. There are no colleges or universities in the wizarding world. Instead any advanced learning Hermione receives will be through apprenticing or on-the-job training. I assure you, she will have her pick of opportunities when her N.E.W.T. scores are released."

"You are determined to wed then?" her father asked.

"Yes. There will never be another woman for me. We are soul mates." Severus brushed his free hand over their clasped ones. "She is all I will ever need or want."

The ring of sincerity in his words was so strong within her that Hermione felt tears prickling her eyes. "Ditto," was all she could manage through a throat that was closing up on her. She caught his eye and leaned in, brushing her lips over his cheek.

"Well then." Her father cleared his throat a moment later, distracting Hermione from the little bubble of joy in her heart. "Under those circumstances, I suppose I have a few other questions for Sebastian. If you are marrying my daughter, I believe I have a right to know your true name."

"That's not possible yet, Dad. We can't tell you." Hermione didn't wait for Severus to explain. "Surely you understand that it's better if you do not know. He is a spy. His identity must be protected, and our being together could prove dangerous for him."

David's eyes narrowed at them. "Why is a spy making potions for the school?"

"Very astute of you, Mr...er...David. Spying doesn't pay a great deal of money, you see. Or rather, none at all. One has to pay the bills somehow."

Her father frowned at them for a long moment, then nodded. "Then at least tell me how old you really are. I know you're older than she is. By a long way if your manner of speaking is any indication."

Severus and Hermione looked at each other uncertainly for a moment, then he returned his gaze to her parents. "I'm thirty-eight."

Both her parents turned toward Hermione. "Are you out of your mind?" her father asked.

"Thirty-eight, but dear, that's more than twice your age."

"Dirty old letch."

"Enough!" Hermione stood and faced her parents, interrupting them before they could go any further. "You more or less understand the quality of this bond between us. Neither of us looked for the connection, but we've made it. When I'm a hundred and twenty, do you really think anyone is going to care that he's a hundred and forty?" When they didn't respond right away, she nodded. "That's what I thought. All right then, it's been a great evening, dinner was delicious as always, Mum, I'll be in touch. Please take the time to think this over. I love him."

Severus stood and wrapped his arms around her, said goodbye, then Disapparated them from the room.

They reappeared in their garden a moment later, and even when the effects of Apparition faded, Hermione didn't let go or untuck her face from the soft yarn of his jumper. After a long moment, Severus nudged her back and looked down into her face. "You've had quite the evening, haven't you?"

"Between the newspapers and the visit with my parents, it has been a bit wrenching. Though I think the visit was going quite well for the most part. When they get used to the idea of us marrying and our age difference, things will be better."

"No, then you'll have to tell them we were married months ago without their knowledge or blessing and that you're already pregnant."

She groaned and tucked her head under his chin again. "Don't remind me."

"Wouldn't it have been easier for you to just tell them everything at once?"

"Possibly, if it wouldn't endanger your life." She felt his cheek glide over the top of her head, then he pushed her back again.

"Let's go inside. Or would you rather sit on the swing in the other garden?"

"Outside, I think. You'll stay with me for a bit?" She wasn't through talking to him tonight; they had some unfinished business.

"For a while. I have some work to do on both potions downstairs."

"You never mentioned what the second one was, only that I wasn't to go within twenty feet of it."

"And that will not change. Twinkie has been ordered to forcibly remove you from the cellar and seal you out of it if you decide to disobey me on this. What is in that cauldron could kill the baby with just a sniff."

"I'll remember that." By now they had gone through the cottage and come into the secluded back garden which was considerably tamer than before. The weeds were missing and plants were trimmed back to sanity, though she had allowed some of its wild look to remain, as that was what gave it half its charm.

They sat side by side, and Hermione set the swing to rocking, enjoying the cool night and scent of open blooms in the air. "I've been thinking the time has come to clear the air a bit."

He turned and lifted a brow at her. "I thought all of our secrets were out in the open now."

"All except your one. This isn't so much a secret from each other, really, but the truth has been generally avoided. I'm going about this all wrong."

"Try harder."

Feeling the amusement under his words, she elbowed him, not hard enough to hurt, just enough to constitute an empty threat. "OK. Over the past six months, you've done your best to ensure that I realized any kind action you did, any sweet words you spoke, were a direct result of that potion we took, that none of it came from you, but I don't believe it." She looked him in the eye and squared her shoulders. "I love you Severus Sebastian Snape. I love you for you over and above whatever the potion has made me feel. If the potion were nullified tomorrow, I would still love you. What's more, I know you love me too."

"You're daft. If it weren't for the potion, I would be your most hated teacher, the one who killed Dumbledore, the man you all revile. But you would feel nothing more for me."

"Now you're the one acting daft. I didn't say I would love you regardless of anything even if we had never been dosed. I'm saying my feelings have developed to the point where I love you now. And it is love, not simply enchantment. When you said to my father tonight that you never felt for anyone else what you feel for me, you meant it. When you said I made you happy, and that you needed me, you meant it. Six months ago the only thing you needed me for was a little physical release so you could continue to think straight. Now we depend on each other for far more."

"You love me?" He all but snorted after he said the words. "You love me so much you threatened to give me a frontal lobotomy, make me a eunuch, and denied me my right to the marriage bed. Obviously I should have realized what you meant when you said those words."

She shoved at his shoulders. "I threatened to make you a eunuch and give you a lobotomy because you were treating me like a tart, calling me that nickname when you didn't have any good reason. It was nasty and cruel. And I simply want you to treat me like your partner, your equal when we have to make important decisions about our future. I have a right to decide if I want to carry a child and what to do with my body. You have a responsibility to give me that right, to treat me as an intelligent equal in this marriage."

"I am nasty and cruel at times, my lovely. I'm sure everyone in the Order would be happy to verify that fact for you if you've chanced to have forgotten it. And this marriage will be more equal when survival for this war and the chance to live it together are granted. Until then, the marriage is unequal...deal with it."

"Sod it. I want you to take a long look at what you're feeling, what we've been through, and figure it out for yourself. Even if you're going to act nasty and childish, you need to know I still love you, even when I might not like your behavior in the least." Hermione stood and flounced into the cottage.

It was still early for bed, but between the stress of the day and the lingering effects of the spell on her body, she decided to turn in anyway.

Still, she didn't sleep until Severus slid in beside her more than an hour later.

________

Thanks to RobisonRocket and countrymouse for their help with this chapter and thanks to all my reviewers!