Chapter Twenty Three

Disclaimer: J.K. Rowling's stuff. I own nothing here except the plot. Alas, no money is being made. This is for entertainment purposes only. Happy reading!

A big thanks goes to my beta, Charmed Nay, and I would also like to thank GinnyW for helping me go through this a second time and dusting it off.

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"Severus? Are you all right?" she asked, after a moment. "Please say something." Had she been mistaken on his feelings about the baby? He'd seemed so taken with what she'd said. He slowly pulled his hand away from her stomach to look closely at the lone teardrop that had fallen from her eyes. When his dark eyes finally lifted to meet hers, she was shocked to see the emotion rumbling there.

"I love you," he whispered fiercely before assaulting her lips with his own. They kissed intensely for long minutes before he crushed her to his chest. "Hermione," he choked with emotion. "What have we done?"

"What do you mean, Severus?" she asked softly, nuzzling his neck lightly.

"Do you think that I will be all right? What if I am like my own father? What if I don't know what to do?" he asked, sounding worried.

"It will come to us, Severus. Parental instinct and all that. All first time parents probably feel this way." She placed a few butterfly kisses along his throat before saying, "I love you. We'll do this together. Our child will grow up happy with two parents that cherish him." She smiled. "Or her." She needed to make sure that he understood that she had faith in him. He would never be like his father. Together, they would rear their children to be happy and would love them unconditionally.

"I'm going to be a father, Hermione." He seemed so shocked, and it sounded as if he was telling her something that should scare her away. "I don't know if..." He tried to pull her to him again, but she wouldn't allow it.

"You don't know what, Severus?" she prodded delicately.

"I don't know if I am ready."

"I don't think that I am either. It wasn't as if we planned this. The potion that Poppy gave me to help with my healing counteracted my Contraceptive Potion. I never thought about it." She let him pull her to him when he tried again. "I would like to think that we conceived on our wedding night. We didn't plan it, and it's really soon for us, Severus, but it's meant to be. Just like fate sent you to me."

"Yes," he whispered, resting his head atop hers. "I just can't believe it. I'm having... Well, you're having my child. We're to be parents." He began to chuckle.

"What?"

"No wonder you have been so sleepy and grumpy. You're body must be changing already. Think about what you ate tonight for dinner," he said with a grimace.

"Oh, bother, you still love me anyway," she scoffed. "Let's go in."

"Yes, I do. Always." He pulled back to look into her eyes. "I have a wife and a child on the way. I've not dared to dream of having my own family in a long time. You are... thanks," he said suddenly, eyes suspiciously bright as he led her away.

Once in their chambers, he turned to her. "Would you like to...?" He nodded to her lower body. "Can we? I want you." His voice was low and steady. She could see the light gleaming in his eyes.

"Nothing needs changing. I am always yours. Same as before," she murmured, moving towards their bedchambers. "I need you."

Severus watched as his wife walked in front of him as he followed her blindly. Emotion began to consume him. He was a husband. He was a father. He'd only just begun to get used to being married and having a lovely, young wife. Was this too soon for them to have a child? His only disappointment was that he wouldn't have more time alone with her before having someone else to share her with. What if things changed after she had her child? Could he control his emotions? His temper? Things had been fine for them since his last blow up about Harry's scenting of her. He just needed to realize that she belonged to him, but she was not a possession.

She was a wife, a partner, a lover, and a most brilliant witch. How could he have never appreciated her before? I'll not betray you. Her words from long ago when he'd checked on her in her dorm came back to him. Those little words had undone him. He'd never forget the honesty in her eyes and in her voice as she spoke them. She would never be Lily. Lily who had betrayed him. "Hermione," he growled as she reached the bed. He took out his wand, removed both of their clothing, and waylaid her where she stood. "I have to have you." His lips met hers forcibly, parting her lips and taking what was his. They'd fallen together on the bed in a heap, limbs tangled, tongues entwined. "Mine. Both of you."

"Always," she replied when able. "Both of us."

Severus moved down to flick his tongue over her already hardened nipples while inserting a finger to feel her readiness. Hot, wet, and ready. He could feel a bit of fluid making its way out of his head, ready for action. Lifting both of her legs to set on his shoulders he pushed in with one swift movement. They both gasped at the feel of becoming one. A finger sought out her sensitive nub to bring her to a quick climax. His release would not be long. His emotions and need for her were too great. He pushed in as deeply and quickly as he could while she pushed back with the same fervor. "Are... you... there?"

"Nearly--oh! Yes," she shrieked. He closed his eyes to welcome the feel of her quivering orgasm as it shook her body. Riding through her convulsions enabled him to join her in culmination. Her shaking legs slid down unceremoniously as he threw his head back, grunting his release. As his strokes came to a halt, he looked down to study her.

He'd never loved anything so much. Not even himself. Not his mother. His wife, Hermione, would bear a child for him. She loved him and accepted him no matter what he'd done in the past. When her lazy eyes opened, he could see her contentment, and he gave her a genuine smile. The toothy smile he received in return made him want to weep. What was this magic that she had weaved upon him? He dipped down to kiss her lips softly. Pulling away from her, he sought out his wand to perform Cleansing Charms on each of them. Once done, he pulled her to him. He loved the feel of her soft backside pressed against his groin. They'd slept this way so many nights.

This night was different for him though. His Little One, as he liked to affectionately call her, now carried another little one. He closed his eyes to try to imagine his firstborn child. Firstborn? Would there be more? Did he want more? Yes. Anything. One. Two. As long as his wife was happy, he would be as well. He thought back to his last visit to his home. He had gone in to look at the bassinet in the nursery, and he had imagined a little daughter with his hair and Hermione's eyes looking back up at him. He didn't care if he had a son or a daughter. Whatever fate saw fit would be fine. His hand slid down to cup her lower stomach. "I wonder how long until we can feel it," he pondered aloud.

"A while yet, I'm sure," she replied. Her hand slid down to cover his searching one. "I hope that he is perfect in every way. Can you believe it, Severus? It's just unreal."

A thought suddenly occurred to him. "Hermione, your dreams with the Incubus were not sexual, were they?" He could feel her body tense up.

"No, Severus. Only you. In fact, it didn't really try much. Oh! I know what it meant now," she said suddenly. "It had two reasons it couldn't touch me. One was Harry's Mark, and the other was the baby. It must have known. No wonder it threatened about coming back to me through my children."

"We need to find a way to prevent it. I'll not worry about my children's fate because of some demonic creature!" Severus said hotly. "I will make more of an effort to help you read through the tomes. We'll find something, and if we don't, well, we'll have Harry scent all of our children."

"Wouldn't they have his scent already through me?" she asked.

"I do not know. I'm not sure how it works," he said. He would speak to the boy about it the next day. There were many things that he wanted to talk to him about. For one, he didn't like that Ginevra had taken to gossiping with Bella. Something wasn't right. The girl had a sly look about her, as if planning something. She would be no match for Bella, even though she had no wand. Bella was as cunning as any Slytherin could be. The little Weasley wouldn't have a chance if she tried something. It seemed that Harry had grown comfortable with her as well. Lucius had enquired more than once as to what they would do with her and how soon. There was no question that she would have to be eradicated.

"Severus, you know that I've still not told my parents about us being married yet," Hermione mentioned, hoping he didn't hear the anxiety in her voice.

"What is troubling you?"

Damn! He knew. He always knew. "What if they think that we've only married because I am pregnant? I want them to know that I love you, and I don't care if we have a child now or later. I just wanted to be bound with you legally."

"We'll just tell them both bits at once. If they feel that we've moved too fast, then we'll let them have their say, Hermione. They are entitled to their own opinions, but they won't change how I feel for you." A moment later, he added, "Or my child."

"I know. It's such a shock to know that we'll be parents. I can't believe it." She turned her head to kiss his lips. "Nothing they can say will change how I feel either. I just hope that there won't be any trouble. I hate that they may be disappointed in me."

"I can understand. I, too, used to worry about my parents' thoughts. My father always wanted things a certain way, and my mother always dreamed of having things another way. It was hard. There was always that pull between the two of them. I, of course, got on with my mother more." He kissed her cheek absently. "Hermione, what if I become him? I would not want to burden my child the way that I was burdened."

She turned to lie on her back, holding his hand to her stomach. "Severus, nothing will change. You and I work well together. If you get a bit angry or stressed, I will be here to calm you. If I go off on one of my rants, you will be here to set me straight. Our child will be loved, Severus. Always."

He turned his hand around so that his fingers could interlace with hers. "You have such faith in me."

"I have faith in us, Severus. We were meant to be. I accepted that long before you did, but it doesn't matter now. You can feel it as well. Can't you?" she asked. He nodded easily and smiled. "Make love to me again. Show me how much you love me, love us both."

"Oh, I think I can do that," he murmured before moving over her to begin a lengthy foreplay. Everything he'd ever need was within his grasp. His wife, his child, their home. Life had never been better.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ SS ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ HG ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Bella could have growled. He had brought the little witch with him again. When would she have time alone with her Master? The younger witch was a pleasant enough time passer when her Lord was busy. She would chatter on and on about little things, trying to be friendly. Bella would be imagining all the ways to torture her and steal her lover from her. She could see that her Lord was annoyed with her. He would look at her in annoyance from time to time as he read over the notes she'd left. An interesting theory had sprouted in Bella's mind. She was about to test it out.

"My Lord?" she asked politely.

"Yes?" he asked, not looking up from his parchment.

"I have completed what I have promised. I would like my reward now," she said boldly.

Brilliant, young green eyes met hers. She could see the slight smirk on his face, and the curiosity in his eyes. He laid the parchment down. "And what would you be requesting?"

"I've already told you. I would like to pleasure you in any way you'd see fit," she said, darting her eyes to the red-haired witch. "Alone."

Harry simply nodded, not looking at his girlfriend to see if she'd heard or saw what Bella had implied. He looked back down to the parchment. "I will bring Severus with me to do this. Do you think that wise?"

Bella kneeled down next to his chair, placing a hand upon his thigh. Her body was blocking Ginny from seeing anything, so she moved her hand up slightly when he didn't object. "I am happy that you trust my council enough to ask my opinions once again, my Lord. I think Severus would be your best bet. He is most trustworthy."

"Will I be pleased with the results?" he asked, eyeing her oddly. She wondered if he were referring to the wakening of Lovegood or the pleasure she would give him.

"You will, Master. She will live. You will be pleased with that," she said.

"What are you not telling me, Bella?" he asked. His face took on a serious expression.

"I fear for her magic. The spell combined with the other is what caused her magic to diminish. I do not believe she will be more than a Squib or much better. There is nothing more I can do about that, my Lord," she said, bowing her head. When no angry words or threats came forth, she looked up. Her hand had inched up to the top of his thigh and was creeping to cup his groin slowly.

"Will she be able to continue to work on my research? That should not matter, should it? So long as she breathes," he said simply, eyeing Ginny for a moment. He kept his eyes on his girlfriend as the witch on her knees before him began to knead the bulge in his pants. How erotic to be stroked by another whilst your woman was sitting nearby. She was reading something and not paying any mind to them. Nevertheless, he reached down to stop the witch's fondling. "Later."

"Yes, Master," she said, glinting appreciatively. With one last squeeze, she pulled her hand back. "She will live and be as she was before, but I do not believe she will have her magic. That I cannot change. Not without a lot of research. It may take years, my Lord."

"First things first," he said with a nod. "I'm ready to go and wake her. I shall come back in the morning to let you know how we have fared. I thank you for your work. You shall be rewarded, Bella."

"Thank you," she said, moving away from him.

"We are going to go now, Ginny," he called harshly. "Come along."

Ginny got up, smiled to Bella, and followed Harry out of the witch's chambers. She remained silent as she followed her lover through the corridors and up the ladder to Moaning Myrtle's bathroom entrance. Harry closed the chamber before speaking. "Ginny, I could get someone else to come. I wouldn't have to treat you so... badly in front of her. I hate having to do that."

"It's all right, Harry. I want to be there. If I wouldn't be, I would always wonder about things," she said honestly, pulling him to her for a kiss. "When are you going to be with me again?"

"We've not got the time. I have to make arrangements with the headmaster and Severus to get to Luna. I want to tell Ron where I am going, but I'm unsure if that is wise. If he came, I wouldn't want him to overwhelm her when she woke or be disappointed if something went wrong." Harry kissed his girlfriend. "You are the one I love, Ginny. Always. I hope you don't doubt that. Nobody else understands about Tom Riddle the way that you do. Not even his own followers."

"Oh, Harry," she said, tears coming to her eyes as she allowed him to enclose her in his arms. "I've been living in hell since Percy died. There are so many things that I don't understand. I don't know what to do. I have these horrible thoughts, and sometimes I have to fight the impulse to act on them."

"We'll have a talk on it as soon as we have time," Harry said. "Let's go. Tonight we'll have a walk and a long talk. All right?"

"Right then," she said, hugging him. "I think I would like that."

Harry walked her up to Gryffindor Tower before making his way down to the dungeons. He hoped that Severus would not be indisposed. The final parchments were in the pocket of his robes. The door opened after only one knock. Hermione smiled and hugged him tightly. "Er? Nice to see you too, Hermione." Good grief. What had gotten into her? He hadn't talked to her since the day before, but it wasn't all that long.

"Harry! Come in," she said pulling him inside. A sharply dressed Severus came to shake his hand.

"Have a seat. What brings you by?" Severus asked.

Harry looked between the two. They were both smiling like crazy. It was a bit odd to see them both acting like young, happy schoolchildren. "It is done. I have the enchantments. I need another chanter, and I thought I would ask you."

"I will," the man replied quickly.

"What are you two smiling at?" he asked uneasily.

They looked at each other slyly. Hermione nodded to Severus. The older wizard spoke in the most jovial voice that Harry had ever heard him use. "Hermione is expecting."

"Expecting what?" Harry asked after a moment. He'd waited for him to finish, but he never went on. He scowled at them when they both started laughing at him. "What do you find so funny?" Hell, he had a young girl to help, and they were making jokes.

"Harry, I'm going to have a baby," Hermione said, grinning broadly.

Harry's mouth gaped open. "Oh! Er? Congratulations, Hermione, Severus."

"Thanks," they said in unison.

"We need to see Albus about taking our leave to St. Mungo's, Severus. I'm sure he will allow it, but I want to show him what we've found out," Harry said, moving to hug Hermione in the process. "I'm really happy for you, Hermione."

He shook Severus' hand. "Well done, Severus."

"Hermione," Severus said. "Would you mind Flooing Molly to do what we discussed whilst I am out?"

"Not at all," she said. "Good luck to the both of you. What of Ron? Draco?"

"I thought maybe they might be in the way," Harry said. "Just in case something isn't right. I don't want Ron to pressure her or be disappointed, and I would hate for Draco to be... upset...in front of her anyway."

"Upset?" Hermione asked. Did Harry think what she already thought?

"Maybe later," he offered, not wanting to get into a debate about Draco fancying Ron. He wasn't sure if he believed that or not anyway. It seemed like it, but he wasn't sure any longer. He'd been checking his map often for any 'signs' of the two being close, but he'd not seen it again.

"Off you go. I need to contact Molly. I hope all will be well," she said, looking mostly at Severus. Harry smiled as the man's hand drifted down to Hermione's stomach while he kissed her on the cheek.

"It will be," he whispered before telling Harry to follow him out.

Hermione married and pregnant! Who would have thought? So soon too! Pity for them. It was nice and all, but they hadn't been able to do anything alone as of yet. They wouldn't be alone, really, until the end of term.

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Severus glared at the pacing Weasley. "I don't see why we can't go in to watch. I mean, she's my girlfriend. This concerns me."

"Silence," Severus said suddenly. "I've had enough of your sniveling. You are lucky you are even here. If anyone has a right to be in there whilst we do this, it's her father. You will stay out here with Draco, and you will not interfere unless you want me to hex you back to Hogwarts."

A solemn Draco moved forward to pull a shocked Weasley off down the corridor. "Thanks," Harry said darkly. "I was thinking of doing that as well. Wish he wouldn't have run into us."

"I think, Harry, that you should have lied. You needn't have told him where we were going," Severus said. "It matters not. Let's get this done. The Healer has just gone. I think it's safe to say no Healer or mediwitch will be about for a while."

"Right then," Harry agreed, opening the door to Luna's private room. After they were in, Severus warded the door so that if someone came to enter, they would suddenly remember they needed to go to the loo or had something else to do.

"You don't think that Bella has tricked us, do you?" Severus asked quietly before Harry could begin his portion of the enchantment.

"Never," Harry said firmly.

"How can you be so sure?" Severus asked suspiciously.

"Because... she loves me," Harry said.

"Loves you?" he asked incredulously. "Bella loves herself, no one else."

"No, I don't mean that kind of love. I mean loyal and eager to please."

"Harry, do you not think that maybe you are becoming too friendly with Bella? You and Ginevra both spend entirely too much time with her and seem... truly comfortable with her," Severus pointed out. "I would think that you wouldn't want to be around a woman that makes you retch when she touches you."

"I don't know. Sometimes she's nice to have around. I don't mind being there with them while Bella is researching, and Ginny is helping. She seems almost normal to me, like a witch wanting to do things for the good of the world." Harry sighed. "Then, other times she turns into the Bella we all know."

"She will have to be terminated, Harry. You do realize that, don't you?"

Harry looked into the man's eyes, and after a moment, he felt Severus try to pry into his mind. Indignantly, he said, "There's nothing for you to find in there, Severus."

"You have become too well-studied for your own good," Severus huffed. "On with it. Let's get Miss Lovegood back with us."

"Right," Harry said, still glaring at the meddling wizard. He knew Bella had to be terminated, but they had better not do it until he found out what Voldemort had done to himself to cause the current bout of problems with his thoughts. Harry turned his attention to the hollow girl in the bed and began his chanting. After he'd begun his first piece and started over, Severus joined in with the secondary chant. It took ten minutes of chanting before they saw her eyes blink. They knew it was safe to start. The first signs of movement supposedly meant that it had worked.

Severus watched Harry as he watched Lovegood. He was so involved with watching for signs of her wakening that he hadn't blocked his thoughts. Severus wondered idly if Harry knew he was pricking in his mind, and he was throwing random visions out for him to see. The first things Severus saw was a flash of Bella looking up at Harry adoringly, a faint smile on her lips. He could sense Harry's pity for the woman and the need to save her from herself... and others.

The next flash that accosted him nearly made him jump. It was of Bella on her knees before Harry, touching him intimately. He could feel Harry's excitement, repulsion, and fear that Ginevra would see. Severus pulled away. He'd seen enough. They would have to do something with Bellatrix soon. Harry needed to get away from her influence. The boy turned his shimmering eyes to Severus. "Find what you were looking for?"

"Yes, I think so," Severus answered, shocked that the boy had known.

"Good. Now, don't invade my privacy again, Severus. I don't invade yours," Harry said.

"You couldn't if you would try, Harry," Severus said arrogantly. "Never think that anyone can truly penetrate if I wouldn't let them."

Harry just smirked. "Wouldn't want to see you and Mione at it anyway. That's a bit too personal."

"Look!" Severus nodded to Lovegood. She was moving her head and looking at them as if she was trying to hear what they were saying.

"Luna!" Harry exclaimed. "Can you hear me?" The girl tried to smile. "Brilliant! Now, listen. This is a slow recovery at first. We are going to massage your limbs to help with any cramping that you might have for not using your muscles in so long. It's Professor Snape and I that are here with you."

She seemed to give a nod and tried to smile at Severus. He bowed his head to acknowledge her before beginning to work her right arm with his fingers. "Miss Lovegood, I know that your throat is likely to be dry. I shall give you some water as soon as I feel you can keep it down. Do you want to sit up?"

Luna's lips opened and only a grunt came out. "Welcome back," Harry whispered. The two men went to work massaging her flesh, trying to get the circulation going. When she was able to move her toes and fingers upon command, they tried to get her to speak.

"Here," Severus said, bringing the glass to her mouth. "It may feel odd to swallow after not doing it for so long. Just let it glide down your throat." With a minimum of sputtering, she got the water down. "Want to try to talk?" he asked kindly. Tears filled the young witch's eyes, and she fell back onto her pillow. She moved shaky fingers to her eyes and began crying loudly, making odd grunting noises. "Harry, should I get Weasley now?" he asked quickly.

Harry nodded and moved to pat Luna's hair down affectionately. "Cry it out, Luna. I imagine you've had it rough."

Severus made his way out of the room. He felt sorry for the witch, but he had no idea about how to comfort her. The only witch he felt comfortable with was Hermione. "Mr. Lovegood!" Severus called suddenly. "I need you to come here."

The wizard looked at him oddly. "I was just going to the loo again for the second time."

"No, it's a ward. We placed it there to be sure we had privacy. Please come in. There is something you should see," Severus said.

"What ward? Who is we?" the man asked, appearing worried. "Harry Potter!" he exclaimed as he walked into the room, seeing Harry helping his sobbing daughter. "Oh, my sweet Merlin! Luna! She's awake," he said in shock. "You two have saved her where the Healers could not!"

Harry stepped back to allow the man access to his daughter. He doubted that the man would appreciate that they'd used Dark Arts, but he would likely love that his daughter was able to communicate again. "Dad-dy," Luna said, finally finding her ability to speak.

It was too much of a private moment for both men watching. "We'll just be outside," Severus said, motioning for Harry to follow. They went out by the door and waited. Ron and Draco walked up a little while later.

"What's happened?" Ron asked, seeing their glum expressions. "She's all right, right?"

"She's awake," Harry said sadly. "Her dad showed up. He's in with her now. Gave them a bit of private time. You should as well, mate," Harry said, holding out his hand to stop Ron.

"Oi! Don't I have some say in this? I love her, too," he said hotly. Harry held up his hands in surrender as Ron passed. Draco smiled at his friend, but he didn't follow him in. Instead, the blond had a seat across the hall in a chair.

Harry and Severus went ahead and followed Ron into the room. They hoped that they wouldn't be intruding. Her father, teary-eyed, came to them and shook their hands. "I don't care what you did or how you did it. She said it sounded like nothing she's ever heard before. Thank you both for bringing my little girl back to me."

They each shook his hand before Harry spoke uneasily. "It was all we could do. I think that the spells that hit her may have combined and diminished her magic. It may all be gone. There is no more we can do to help, but maybe the Healers should now be notified to give her a once over. They don't know what we've done."

The man's smile never faltered. "I do not care if she is magic or not. Losing her mother was hard on me. I couldn't lose her as well. Not now. I'll go and fetch a Healer."

Severus heard something that made him want to hurry to hold Hermione after the man departed. From Harry's frozen expression, he could see that he heard it as well. Ron was saying, "You can't mean that. I want to be here. I don't care how long it takes for you to get better. Just don't make any decisions just now." Severus moved out of the room quickly. Luna had told Ron that they should call things off for now because she had a lot to deal with and would need time to recuperate. She didn't want to have him put a hold on his life to wait for her.

If Hermione would ever breaks things off with Severus, he would do the same that Weasley was doing. He would beg and promise her the world to keep her. He suddenly needed to be with her. He was going to be a father! His wife was pregnant! It was odd how he would forget momentarily only to be pleasantly surprised again. "I hope he doesn't take long," Severus said. "I would like to get back to Hogwarts."

"To your wife and unborn child more like," Harry said, grinning broadly. "If someone would have told us last year, hell, the beginning of this past term that Hermione would be married and pregnant, none of us would have believed it."

"Neither would I," Severus agreed. "Nor would I have believed that I would look upon you as a so... friend."

Harry smiled. "Same here."

"We still need to talk about Bella," he said decisively, raising an eyebrow in challenge.

"I know," Harry agreed. "I just wish she could be changed, you know?"

"I don't think it's possible, Harry. You've a big heart. Don't let her fool you," he said softly.

Luna's father and two Healers came their way, easing into the room. Ron was pushed out a moment later while they did tests on her. "It's like I don't matter to them. Can't they see that I am worried as well?"

"Give it time, Ronald," Severus said, testing the boy's given name. He normally wouldn't call him anything other than Weasley, but he'd felt sorry for the boy when he heard what Lovegood had to say. He wouldn't want to be cast aside either, and he remembered all too well how it felt being cast aside.

"Er... right, Professor," he answered, completely stunned. "I just... I've missed her. I love her. I just want to be a part of anything she is going through." Severus nodded to the boy in understanding. He would be the same with Hermione.

Harry said, "She has been living in hell for the last few weeks, mate. I think she needs some time to come to terms with that. Let them check her over. Take things slowly. Don't pressure her. I'm sure she'll be fine."

"She told me to come by tomorrow. Guess that means I'm dismissed," Ron said, sulking. "Guess we ought to get back to school then." Draco came to put his hand on Ron's shoulder.

"Sorry, Weaselbee. It'll work out."

"I hope so," Ron said, smiling slightly. "Thanks, mate."

"Anytime."

Harry and Severus exchanged knowing looks. They each had their suspicions since they'd seen the pair together on the map. It truly didn't seem like anything other than close friendship, but Draco seemed relieved about Ron and Luna's talk. Or did he? No, perhaps not. There was genuine concern and pity in his voice and eyes. Harry shrugged. He needed to get back and get ready for Ginny.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ SS ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ HG ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Molly set down her teacup. "I just can't believe there is something else to worry about. When will it end, Hermione? Will things ever feel right again?"

"I can't imagine what you are going through, Molly. I'm so sorry that you are experiencing all of this. It must be so hard for you to cope with, yet I admire you for the ability to do so. I just think that Ginny needs some help," Hermione said. She'd told Molly everything that Ginny had been saying, doing, and how she'd been acting.

The Weasley matriarch smiled at Hermione. "I've always thought of you as a daughter. When Ron started talking about you, I had always imagined that you and he would end up together. I know that I was a bit misled back in your fourth year, what with all the rubbish in the Daily Prophet. I appreciate that you've told me about this. Everyone seems to be walking on eggshells when I'm about. It's time someone is honest with me."

"Thanks, Mrs. Weasley. There is something else that I would like for you to know," Hermione said. "I've only just found out yesterday that Severus and I will be parents soon."

"Oh, Hermione dear!" The woman pulled her close for a hug. "I am so happy for you. Children are little blessings. Be sure to never let them stray too far from home, or they might en..." The woman looked away. "You know what I mean. Is Severus as happy as you?"

"I am," came the silky reply from the doorway.

"Severus, congratulations," Molly said, rising to hug him. He remained stiff, but he awkwardly patted her back. "You deserve such happiness."

"Thanks, Molly. I appreciate that," he said, moving closer to Hermione. "It's done," he told her.

"What's done?" Molly asked nosily.

"Harry and I were able to devise an enchantment to help Miss Lovegood. She has come round," Severus admitted.

"Oh, bless you both," she said, tearing up. "Her father must be overjoyed to have his daughter back. I'll have to Floo him later. Ronald will be happy as well. This is just tremendous!"

"It's great," Hermione said, tearing up as well. Luna was back! She would be able to pick up the pieces of her broken life and move on. Maybe Bella had been good for something after all. Nobody else would have been able to find that countercurse.

"I'll be taking my leave now," Molly said, gathering her things. "I will think on how to approach Ginny, dear. I won't let her know that we talked about it."

"Fair enough," Hermione replied. After the woman left, Hermione and Severus settled down together on the couch. "How do you feel, love?"

"I feel sorry for Weasley," he said. He went on to explain all that had gone on. He even included his thoughts and what he'd seen in Harry's mind. She had a right to know about it. Hermione also knew the boy well, and she'd be able to form opinions on it as well.

"Poor Ron," she agreed. "And Harry seems confused, but he'll do the right thing, Severus. Trust in him."

"I do," he said honestly. "I just hope he knows what the right thing is."

Hermione grinned when his hand caressed her stomach. "I still can't believe it," she said. "A baby. I wonder if I'll make a good mum."

"I don't see you as being able to do anything less. You excel at all you do, Hermione. This will be no different. In fact, I would like to go out to have dinner this night. In Diagon Alley again. Would you mind if I made the arrangements?"

"Lovely, but don't try to force me to eat anything that I don't want to eat," she said tartly. "Oh, I sent my mum an owl to let her know we wanted to come to see her."

"Very well," he said. "Perhaps we should stop by their home tonight? We'll be out anyway."

"No," she blurted. "Not yet."

"All right. I won't push you," he said, sounding hurt. Was she embarrassed about them? No, Severus. Stop thinking such idiotic thoughts. She's just nervous. She's only eighteen, married, and pregnant. It's a lot to explain to her parents. She loves me. She's not embarrassed by our marriage or pending family. She never will be. God, I love her.

"Well, maybe we could," she decided after a moment. "There is nothing to hide, is there? I am a married adult. I'll be nineteen this year, and I'll have my first child a month after my birthday. Yes, it's a bit young to start a family when my career is so new, but damn it, I won't be sorry for creating something beautiful with my husband." She sounded as if she was convincing herself. "I love you, Severus. I don't care that it's all happening quickly."

"Nor do I," he agreed. "I love you." He soothed down some wild hair. "What's that parchment there?" Severus asked, nodding at the table.

"Oh, it's from Viktor. It seems he's really found someone with whom he can relate to. I'm happy for him. I don't feel guilty about telling him about the baby now," she said. "I'll owl him later though. For now, I want to just enjoy you."

"Severus, has Harry found out anything more about what Voldemort did to himself?" she asked quietly.

"Not yet, but I think that something needs to be done with Bella." He looked at his wife intently. "Soon."

"Please let her help Harry first, Severus," she implored softly. "He deserves it."

"I know he does, but I think that a lot that is wrong with him stems from her. I'll give her one more week. If Harry isn't getting anything out of her, Lucius or I will have to step in," he said resolutely. "It has to be done."

Hermione decided it was time to take matters into her own hands where that was concerned. There were some things that Severus just wouldn't budge on. She had one week to make progress. It was time to talk to Ron and Draco.

~~~~~~~~~~~~ SS ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ HG ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Harry paced back and forth. He knew what Severus was thinking. If nothing happened soon, they would find a way to get to Bella and kill her. They will not harm her until I know what Voldemort did. I will take all the time I need. His untidy hair began blowing about in the ungodly breeze that swept through the empty classroom. He had met Ginny, and she'd left in tears. He had no fucking idea what he'd done wrong.

Things were going fine. They'd gotten in a bit of talking and snogging. Suddenly, she was in tears, and she seemed angry that Luna was recovering. She tore off like a madwoman. He should have gone after her. Really. Why though? He'd done nothing wrong! Ginny should have been happy that Luna would recover. She was practically family and a close friend. A 'memory' came to Harry suddenly.

Ginny and Tom Riddle in his younger years were snogging heavily in the Chamber of Secrets. She was straddling his lap, grinding against him. Harry felt the urge to throw up as he yelled out for her to stop. Both looked at him wickedly and continued.

Harry broke away from his vision as a loud thud sounded. The odd breeze was still flowing through the room. The candles had flickered out, and the large desk before him was overturned. He hadn't touched it. "To hell with this," he grumbled and swept out of the room. He made his way to Moaning Myrtle's bathroom. Just as he opened his mouth to speak the words to enter his Chamber of Secrets, he heard the door close. He spun around, wand pulled at the intruder.

"Nice night for a walk, isn't it, Harry?" Dumbledore asked.

"Headmaster," Harry breathed. He calmed suddenly. What the hell had he been about to do?

"Come along, Harry. I want to show you something," the old man said softly. Harry put away his wand and followed the man. He was led out into the corridor, and after a few twists and turns, they found themselves near a set of open windows. "What do you see?"

"The silhouette of the dark grounds in the moonlight."

"Look closer," the headmaster said.

As Harry began to look at everything, searching for details, he began to see shapes and things appeared to be moving. "It looks like someone the size of Hagrid is standing just there, and just beyond that, it looks like a dog or something is running back and forth."

"Yes, now that you've pointed that out, I can see that as well. Look towards that first stone statue. Doesn't it look like someone in a gray robe is crouched down?"

Harry strained. "I do see it!" His eyes turned to his old mentor's eyes. "What are you trying to tell me, Headmaster?"

"Sometimes, Harry, when we look at something or think long enough about something, our imagination takes over. Things that we may think are real truly aren't. You follow me?" he asked softly.

"So, the 'memories' or 'visions' that I get could just be part of an overactive imagination? Why can I feel it? Why does it seem so real?" Harry asked. There had to be more to it than that.

"Harry, I have no doubt that you can feel things. See that form of someone that appears to be crouching near the statue. What do you feel when you see that?" he asked Harry.

"Devious. Someone is sneaking around." Harry smiled softly. "So, I read random thoughts from people whether it is their memory, dream, or fantasy, and I envision them clearly in my mind either right then or later. I project what they felt or should feel into it, and it appears real to me. Sometimes if I think on something too long or if something bothers me enough, I add to what they've unknowingly shown me."

"Exactly right. Care to share anything with me that you may have been feeling not long ago," the old man pried.

"Ginny and I had a row. I imagined..." Harry looked away, feeling embarrassed. "I imagined her and Tom down in the Chamber; they were being very friendly. I imagined myself walking in on them. It angered me."

"A good example then. You'd had a row. Something that you may have wondered at some point came back to you, and you mistook it as a memory." Dumbledore sighed. "I think Harry that you will have to learn to distinguish what is real and what are your own thoughts. You will also need to learn to calm yourself. You can't just let your emotions get the better of you. Severus and I have something for you. He will give it to you tomorrow. For now, I must ask that you return to your dormitory, and try to think about what we've said."

"All right. Sorry, sir, and have a good night," Harry said, taking his leave. His mentor had made a good point. He needed to be more careful and not let his emotions take him away.

~~~~~~~~~~~~ SS ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ HG ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hermione grinned at her two mates. She felt a little guilty about not having Harry join them, but this was for his own good. He couldn't know what they were about. Not yet. "Ron, Draco, I just hope you don't think I'm being ridiculous. I know how much you hate her. How much we all hate her, but I need your help to keep Bellatrix Lestrange alive."

"Bloody hell," Ron thundered. "She can rot for all I care."

"Right! That bitch would have tortured and killed us, Hermione. Don't you remember that?" Draco asked incredulously.

"It's for Harry," she said softly. "Listen, I think that Harry may have developed some friendly feelings towards her while they've been working together. I think part of him feels sorry for her."

"Yes, his Slytherin bit that he got from that blasted Voldemort," Ron said hotly.

"Hang on," Draco exclaimed. "Why are you always getting in jibes on Slytherin? Just because the old Dark Lord was a Slytherin doesn't mean that he sets an example for us all. Think of all the followers, and you'll see that not all of them were from Slytherin."

"Ha! You're just mad because no Gry..."

"Enough!" Hermione said. "I don't have much time. I've been in the library most of the day, and I have to get ready for dinner tonight. Let me just explain. Please."

"All right," Draco said, eyeing Ron angrily.

"Sure," Ron agreed, grinning at Draco.

"This can go no further." Her friends nodded their promises, so she continued. "I think we need to begin following Harry down into the Chamber and doing a bit of spying. Severus is going to give Harry only a week to find out what Voldemort did to himself to bind him to Harry in case he died. If he can't, then either he or Lucius will get rid of Bella. They don't like her influence on Harry. Have you not noticed anything odd?"

"Well, now you mention it," Ron said, "my sister seems to like the woman. She talks about her. She wanted to take some of me smuggled firewhisky to bring to her. I didn't allow it of course."

"I do notice that Harry looks distant at times. His eyes get a far away look. I just thought he was reaching out to those around him thanks to Voldemort's last magic transfer," Draco said thoughtfully.

"Well, my point is this." Hermione sat down next to them. "How do we know what is really going on down there? What if that bitch is bewitching the both of them somehow? We need to find out for sure," she stated firmly. "If it's nothing of the sort, and they truly are working to find out what's wrong with Harry, then we must buy some time for them. Look how long it took them to get the Reverse Enchantment for Luna! Maybe they will need time for this as well. I, for one, want Harry back to normal again."

"Same here," Draco said. "What do you suggest?"

"Severus still has your father's Invisibility Cloak. I was thinking to use it. Ron could use Harry's, and you could use a Disillusionment Charm on yourself. I'm not good at those," she said. "We'll go down with him and spy. We'll follow them about the castle and eavesdrop if we must. If something is amiss, we'll let Lucius and Severus do what they must, but if this is for Harry's own good, well, we need to take a stand to save her."

"When you put it like that, I can see the need for it," Ron said. "I still don't think Harry feels sorry for her though. She killed Sirius! She's done too many unforgivable things to our friends and us. If there is pity in Harry, well, it's because of Voldemort."

Draco nodded. "I can agree with that. It's not a Slytherin thing though."

"Figure of speech, brat," Ron said, rolling his eyes. "Always on about something. It just makes sense if you ask me. Voldemort was a Slytherin. Harry is a Gryffindor. Two Houses. Two halves. I wasn't trying to hit below the belt or anything."

Hermione giggled. "You two act like an old married couple sometimes." The smiles left both boys' faces.

"Why?" Ron asked bluntly.

"What?" Draco asked in disbelief.

"Good Lord! It's a figure of speech. The playful bantering? Just like couples that have been married for a long time? Forget it," she said, noting their gaping mouths.

"Oh, right," Ron said after a moment. He clearly had missed her whole point. Draco remained silent. "Thought you were saying something about us for a moment there. We're not like that, you know."

"Right then," Hermione said, unsure of what to say next. "I need to go get ready. We're having dinner out in town tonight to celebrate."

Ron began barking with laughter. "Can't believe it! A little Snape will be running about the castle!"

"Oh, honestly!" Hermione huffed. "Glad you find the thought of my child so amusing, Ronald. Cheers."

She made to walk away, but Draco called out to her. "I'm sure your kid will be great, Hermione, what with the two of you for parents."

"Well, thanks, Draco," she said, pleased with his comment. She left them sitting there.

"Why did you have to make fun of her that way?" Draco asked once alone.

"I wasn't making fun," Ron protested. "She knows that."

"Looked like you hurt her feelings to me, mate. She loves him. You can't pick who you love. It just happens," Draco said softly. "See you."

"Hang on," Ron said, placing a hand on his arm. "Why do you say things and try to run off? Stay and talk a while. We don't need to leave just yet."

Draco sighed. "Hear from Luna yet? Her father?"

"Not a word," Ron said. "I thought her dad would send an owl to me, but there hasn't been anything at all. I've been to see Dumbledore twice already to see if he'd heard anything. He said that if no news comes by the evening meal he would take me to see her. Guess he knows how important it is to me."

"Where was your sister today, Ron? I saw that she and Harry seemed to be having a stressed conversation after breakfast today. I haven't seen her since."

"Me mum came for her. Said they needed to spend the day alone together in Hogsmeade. Witch talk or something like that." Ron nodded to himself. "I think she needs it. She and I haven't been getting on well lately. Mum must have found out. She was grilling me with all sorts of bloody questions this morning. I hope that she can get through to her. My sister means a lot to me even though we've been snubbing each other lately."

"Want to have a walk down to Hagrid's then? Might take your mind off things," Draco offered.

"What the bloody hell do you want to go to Hagrid's for? You don't even like him," Ron said suspiciously. "Or, do you? Thinking about trying some of that Mulled Mead he has, eh?"

"Of course not," Draco said distastefully. "I just thought it might keep your mind off things. Let's find Harry and have a visit."

"Right."

~~~~~~~~~~~~ SS ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ HG ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"You look lovely," Severus commented, seeing his wife don her new dress robes that he'd ordered for her as part of his wedding gift. "I'm glad you chose to wear them." She had gone through a lot of trouble for him. Her hair was pulled up in an elegant twist, and she'd applied light make-up to accent her already beautiful features. How had he gotten so lucky as to have such a young, virile, beautiful wife?

"Thanks. You do as well," she said softly.

"Are you still nervous?" he asked, cupping her chin in his hands before kissing her lightly.

"Yes. What if they turn against me?"

Severus hated that she seemed so uncertain. "Hermione, if your parents go that far, it will be their loss. Our child is all we need to worry about. They will come around. There is no way they won't want to be a part of their grandchild's life. They love you. I saw that when I met them."

"You're good to me, you know," she murmured as she put on her cloak. "Where are we going to eat?"

"I thought that we could go to The Greengrass Pub again," he said. "I've invited Lucius and Narcissa to join us. I hope you don't mind. It will be his first public outing since his stint at St. Mungo's."

Hermione cringed, remembering the last time she had met up with them at the establishment. Would they go back to being the snobbish couple they were before? Would they be the changed couple that she'd seen in the hospital? She could only hope so. "Of course not, Severus. They are your friends."

"I would like it if you could one day consider them to be yours as well."

"My point exactly concerning you, Harry, and the Weasleys. Glad you see it my way," she said smugly. He simply smirked and escorted her to their Apparition point. Once they made their way through Diagon Alley and entered the pub, they were brought to their reserved table. The other couple was already present. Both looked disgruntled. From where he was seated, Lucius looked perfectly normal, but Hermione knew that he now had a horrible stoop to his posture from his injuries. He actually did need a cane to walk. She thought that a bit ironic. The good news was that he could walk. The Healers were actually unsure about that when he'd first been brought in.

Hermione mused that some things happened for a reason. She wondered if this 'accident' was needed to bring Lucius and Narcissa closer together. Fate had a way of bending people to its will. Unconsciously, she reached for Severus' hand and gave him a gentle squeeze. He returned the gesture idly as he instructed the waiter on what they wanted to drink.

Lucius looked at his friend and his young wife. He would have liked to have been a witness of their binding, but he had been in no fit state at the time. The young witch was good for Severus. Lucius had never seen him so affectionate towards anything or anyone before. He even smiled now. It wasn't a normal smile, but it was much more than the slight smirk he used to give people. He even looked healthier. Severus seemed to have hope, hope for the future. If he had known that this would have changed the man's outlook on life, he'd have tried to find him a witch sooner or pushed him to find one. Would he have wanted anyone but this witch? Perhaps he had been waiting his entire thirty-eight years just for her. "I apologize, Madame Snape, for not being able to attend your binding ceremony. I trust Severus has passed on our congratulations," Lucius said properly.

"He has. I thank you," she said.

Narcissa smiled. "May we call you Hermione?"

Hermione nearly dropped her glass at the request. The woman was truly trying to change, wasn't she? "Of course," she said.

"It's just rather odd to think of you as Madame Snape," she said. Narcissa's brow furrowed. "I don't mean that disrespectfully of course. I just mean that I never expected to see Severus married to such a lovely young witch." She blanched. "Well, damn. That's not what I meant either. I never thought he'd be married at all."

Lucius began to chuckle. "As you can see, she is working on her comments. Someone found her to be quite snide at the hospital. Since then, she has been making a valiant effort to say exactly what she means so as to not be misunderstood."

Severus chuckled, and Hermione smiled brightly. Severus looked at his wife. "This is not only to celebrate your being well or our wedding. There is another purpose." He smiled affectionately at his wife. "Hermione and I are expecting our first child."

"Congratulations," Lucius said immediately. He seemed a bit shocked, but he also looked pleased. "Excuse me," he called out to a waiter. He spoke quietly to the waiter while Narcissa captured the couple's attention.

"Oh, becoming a mother is one of the biggest joys that a witch can experience. I'm sure you will make excellent parents. Congratulations to the both of you," she said warmly. Hermione and she began talking about Draco's days as a baby while Severus and Lucius had a celebratory smoke and drink.

Every few moments, Hermione could hear a snippet of conversation. They were discussing Harry, Luna, and Bella. She knew they'd both agreed to step in soon if the witch didn't help Harry any longer. Hermione would not stand in their way if Ron, Draco, or she found Bella to be using Harry or poisoning his mind. It was only right. Harry deserved what time it took to be able to get well.

Dinner passed quickly, and the four exchanged their goodbyes. As they exited, they were accosted by someone taking a photo before scurrying off. It was almost a repeat of the prior time they had met outside the pub's doors. "Good Lord," Lucius said in an annoyed manner. "I would like to have just one outing where people didn't try to take notice of your every step. I find that disturbing, and I shall Floo to complain."

"Just be glad that you are a hero, Lucius. They just want to praise you," Narcissa purred and stared at her husband adoringly. "You've proved yourself yet again."

Somewhat mollified, Lucius turned to Severus, "Anytime that you two want to visit, please, let us know." He bowed to Severus and kissed Hermione's hand.

Hermione and Severus made their way to the side of the building before either spoke. Severus took both of her hands in his. He looked at her lovely face and smiled. His little pest from prior years had grown into the creature before him. "Are you ready for this?"

"Yes."

"We don't have to go, love," he said softly.

"They know we are coming. I don't want to disappoint them. Not that she won't be disappointed." She smiled sadly.

"Hermione, my mother was married two days before her sixteenth birthday, and she barely knew my father. You are not too young. Maybe some people wait a little longer these days, but I'm sure being an adult that married of her own freewill should count for something." He silently hoped they wouldn't be too hard on her.

"Might as well go on," she said. He nodded, pulled her close and Apparated both of them to her front porch. She reached out to knock. Somehow it didn't really feel like her home anymore.

Her father answered the door solemnly. "Come in," he said. Hermione knew right away that something was wrong. "Let's go to the sitting room."

They followed him in, and she saw her mother seated in a chair. However, she didn't look up to greet them. Her head was down, and she had a parchment folded in her hand. "Mum?" Hermione made to move for her, but her mother simply raised a hand to wave her away without so much as looking at her.

Fear gripped Severus' heart. Fear that his wife would be hurt. Her father had looked angry and upset when he bade them to enter. Her mother's actions didn't bode well either. "Come here, love," he said softly, pulling her back to sit next to him.

"Pedophile!" the woman spat, barely audible.

"What did you say?" Severus asked in a whisper.

"You've bewitched our daughter, and you've made her marry you!" It was then that her mother's teary eyes looked upon them. "Have you been waiting since she was twelve-years-old to do this? I should have you fired for improper conduct, lewd thoughts, or even..."

"Mum, no. We explained all of this last time. You were fine then," Hermione said, her voice unsteady. "What has changed this? Who told you?"

"We got a nice letter from Mrs. Weasley not long ago. She sent along a copy of this evening's front page," her father explained. His voice was calm, but Hermione could see his anger smoldering just under the surface.

Hermione couldn't believe it. That photo had gone through already? There was no way. It had just been taken. She reached for the parchment her mum had thrown towards her. She picked it up from the floor and leaned into Severus so that he could read along with her.

Mrs. Granger,

I thought this might be a nice tidbit of information for you. I had a most pleasant talk with Hermione yesterday. You've got such a wonderfully bright daughter. She has brought something to my attention that I should have detected. I just wanted you to know how lucky you are.

My only daughter is having trouble right now, and if it hadn't been for Hermione, she may not have gotten help for it. Instead, my daughter and I spent the day talking and doing a little mother/daughter bonding. Things will fall into place.

Your son-in-law, Severus, has once again made the front page along with my future son-in-law, Harry. I just thought you might like a read.

Yours truly,

Molly Weasley

Hermione and Severus looked at each other for a moment. Molly had unintentionally let the Kneazle out of the bag. Hermione looked at the attached paper. It was a photo of Harry and Severus that must have been taken while they were at St. Mungo's the previous day. Severus hadn't mentioned anything about having their photo snapped. They both looked pleased yet disappointed. They were standing outside of Luna's room in the corridor. Severus was scowling, but he would give Harry a half smile every now and then. Harry would cross and uncross his arms, either smiling or not.

"They must have taken this when we were unawares yesterday," he said in disbelief. "The audacity!"

Hermione read over the article. It said something about how the war heroes, Potter and Snape, helped to heal the wounded Lovegood the day before at St. Mungo's. They declined to be interviewed, but the Healers praise their efforts even though no information on what occurred was given out. It then went on to announce that Severus Snape had privately wed Potter's right hand, Hermione Granger, nearly three weeks earlier. The article didn't question any inappropriate relationship prior to her acceptance of a position at the school, but it did wonder why they secretly and hastily wed. They alluded to the fact that she may already be with child, and they speculated if Severus was simply being honorable.

"Mum, you can't believe everything you read here," Hermione said softly. "This paper has spewed so many falsehoods before. I have told you that."

"Are you married?" her father asked, voice hopeful.

Hermione held up her finger, showing them his mother's ring. She nodded down to his hand and his ring. "We are married, but we married for love. No other reason."

"Love?" her mother shrieked. "You are just starting your career! You've been waylaid by the first man to pay attention to you. Yes, he's tall, dark, mysterious, and handsome, but that does not mean you have to marry him."

"We thought we raised you better," her father added. "Hermione, what were you thinking? What did this fellow do to you? Are you sure you aren't pregnant?"

"Daddy, please," Hermione pleaded. "Let me explain."

"We are very disappointed, young lady," her mother said. "Extremely. You went behind our backs because you knew we would try to talk sense into you. It was deliberate!"

"Did you tell her to not invite us? You knew we would never allow it!" her father shouted at Severus.

"Mr. Granger," Severus said smoothly. "I have fallen in love with your daughter, and she has fallen in love with me. Would you prefer us to fornicate? Live together without being properly wedded? Nothing could keep us apart. If you had been invited, don't dare believe that you could have pulled her away from me. She is going to be nineteen this year. That is certainly old enough to make her own decision."

"How dare you come into our home and speak to us that way," her father yelled.

"How dare you speak to my wife as if she is just a child? She's not been able to get in more than a couple of sentences at a time!" Severus said, his voice lowering even more.

"Dad! Mum! Will you stop? I... I do need to say something to you," Hermione said meekly.

"Go on," Severus urged, putting his arm around her to comfort her.

"The night of our marriage... when we..." her cheeks burned. "When our marriage was consummated, we conceived." She bit her lip and waited for the angry outbursts. Instead, her mother began crying again. Her father rushed over to comfort her. "Mum, my husband and I created a life. Isn't that wonderful?"

Her mother shook her head sadly. "My baby is having a baby. I can't believe it. She had such a future."

"I still have a future," Hermione said, becoming angry. "This will not interfere with my career. We came here to tell you our good news, not knowing that Mrs. Weasley had beaten us to it. I just wish you would understand. I love him. I wanted to marry him. I chose him." She smiled at Severus when she spoke the next part. "We didn't plan on children so soon, but we won't be sending this one back. He is ours to cherish." Without thinking, she leaned into him for a chaste kiss on the lips. "Love you," she whispered.

"Love you," he whispered back. His hand automatically drifted down to her belly to find her hand that was already there. Together they cradled her stomach as if their child was large enough to feel. When Severus' lips descended to hers once again, her father cleared his throat.

"You must understand that we were not ready for this. You are just a child to us, Hermione. We liked your man here when we met him, but... we had hoped it would pass. I fear you have rushed yourself," her father said, still rubbing her mother's back.

Her mother was looking at them oddly. "I think we just need some time. Please give us that. It's a bit of a shock. We will contact you when we would like to talk again."

Hermione's lip began to tremble. She should have known. Too many things had been going perfectly for them. Something would have to mar it. "Let's go, Severus." She stood and walked to the door without looking back at her parents.

Once they were at the door, Severus spoke. "I'll just be a moment."

"No, Severus, just let it be," she said sadly. "You'll not be changing their minds."

"I don't care to, but I would like to have my say without putting you through anymore rubbish. Please wait outside." It was not a question. It was a command. She could see the angry glint in his eyes.

Severus made his way back to the distressed couple. "I love her," he announced when they both looked up. "We came here hoping to share our good news with you. She loves you very much, and she worried immensely that you would turn her away. I fear that is exactly what has happened here. Do not look down upon her because of me. I am too old to beg my wife's parents for acceptance, but I will request that you not break ties with her or your grandchild. You will not hear from us again until you appreciate what a gem you have raised. I only hope that my children are as levelheaded as their mother." With a swish of his robes, he glided out of the room to find his wife waiting for him.

"All okay?" she asked. He could see that more tears had fallen from her sad eyes.

"It's fine. I just had my say and left. No arguing." He kissed the top of her head. "I am sorry, Hermione. If I could take some of your disappointment, I would. I would have no qualms passing it on to Harry to endure."

Hermione giggled. "Take me home. I'm a bit tired."

"Certainly," he said.

That night Hermione allowed Severus to massage her body completely, and she drifted off into a contented sleep. She awoke a bit late the next morning. He'd let her sleep in. She had just enough time to bathe, get ready, grab a biddy, and be off to her first class.

"All right class. We are going to be picking up where we left off on Friday. Please turn to page 412 of your texts." She stood at the front of her class near her demonstration table. "Remember there is a broad swish with your wand just before you speak your incantation." She pointed her wand at the class to show them. As she pointed her wand to the teapot on her table, she said, "Remember the spell to change your teapot to a tortoise is Tortesio. Be sure to accent the T correctly. Observe. Tortesio!" The teapot instantly morphed into a tortoise.

"Brilliant," one student murmured.

"Wicked," said another.

Hermione looked up and saw the pair of Ravenclaw boys sitting together in the front of the class. They reminded her of a young Harry and Ron. All they needed was a girl to follow them around to complete another trio. "All right, class. Give it a try."

She made her rounds showing some the correct wand movement, explaining again how to pronounce the enchantment correctly, and praising those that earned it. "When you are graded on this, you will be tested for many things. One would be the pattern on the shell. Be sure it doesn't resemble the design on your teapot. Another would be its legs and tail. Be sure that they are present. Another one would be to make sure that there is no steam being emitted from your tortoise's mouth. Like Talon's tortoise here." She smiled at the young, round-faced boy. "Try again," she encouraged. He completed it perfectly. "Excellent. Five points to Slytherin."

"Professor Snape?" a girl asked, raising her hand.

"Yes, Jouett?"

"Mine has a spout for a tail. I thought I'd done it correctly," she said shyly.

"Show me what you did." Hermione saw that the girl flicked her wand incorrectly. "Here. Try this." She put her hand over the girl's and moved with her. After another attempt, she had a perfect tortoise. Hermione smiled. "Five points to Gryffindor." She made her way back to the front of the class. "All right. Practice changing them back please. Do this a few times, and then finish reading the rest of the chapter. I want a roll of parchment on the wand movement, incantation, errors we look for, and how to reverse it for your class on Wednesday. Carry on."

Thoughts of her disappointment from the night before came back to her unbidden. It wasn't only she that had been disappointed. She could see that Severus was as well. That alone made her feel sad. He didn't deserve to be treated like a child snatcher or a dirty older man out for a young witch to bed. He'd married her! A fallen entity had seen that they were meant to be together. Their love was true. Pity her parents would miss out on their grandchild. She would not beg them to be a part of their lives.

She sighed. Why worry? They would come around. They loved her. It was just a shock. That was all. After a few minutes her palms began to feel sweaty, and her vision blurred. She moved to her desk to hold herself up. She'd not felt dizzy for a long while. "Talon," she called.

"Yes, Professor?"

"I need Professor McGonagall please," she said. She heard the boy scamper off towards Minerva's office where she knew her mentor was. Hermione felt secure. She would have help in just a moment. Another voice called out to her. She turned to see who it was, and the floor seemed to come up and slap her in the face. All went dark. She could hear Minerva's sharp Scottish brogue commanding someone to get Madame Pomfrey, the other Professor Snape, and for the rest of the class to leave.

"Hermione, help is on the way," her mentor whispered, cradling her affectionately.

~~~~~~~~~~~~ SS ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ HG ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"What is it, Talon?" Severus asked coldly when the boy burst into his class.

"Professor Snape fell down," he panted. "Something is wrong."

"I did not fa..." It dawned on Severus that he was referring to Hermione. It was odd still to hear her referred to that way. They had been calling her Instructor Granger until they were married. After that it seemed to amuse everyone to just call her by the title of professor so as to confuse everyone. "Where?"

"Our classroom," the boy said quickly. "Just now. I ran all the way."

Severus nodded. "Malfoy, Potter, be sure that everyone turns in their vials at the end of class. Ward my classroom after. You two are in charge." Severus raced quickly to find his wife. What had happened?

---

Southern's Notes: I want to thank everyone that has stuck with me through this story. This went from a short fic to a long one. Cheers, my friends. If you need anything, please email me, instant message me, or find me on my live journal!

Up next: What happened to our Hermione? What did Ginny and Molly do? We see the Succubus (muahahaha). I wonder if Hermione's parents have gotten over the shock. Were they too harsh? I just thought they might be a bit upset about it. All that news at once about their young daughter! Whew.