***Chapter Nine***
September 19, 1981

Severus sighed in relief when he got to the Three Broomsticks and spotted her.

He hadn't seen her since he left her at his parents' home when he came to Hogwarts in August. His mother had allowed Hermione to keep his room in his absence. They could not tell anyone that his fiancee was still in Britain. To anyone else, she was on the continent working. He told Dumbledore he needed this weekend off when he got to Hogwarts in August.

The headmaster had agreed to be discreet about Severus being gone for the weekend, as he did not want it announced it was his fiancee's birthday weekend. He didn't want a party thrown for her by any death eaters. He wanted to avoid Voldemort insisting on meeting her for as long as possible.

After their visit to Hogwarts in April, Dumbledore had sought out Severus to ascertain what knowledge his fiancee had. Severus assured the other wizard that his fiancee was not aware of his duplicity. While she was not in favor of his death eater leanings, which was the reason a wedding date had not yet been set and she had not relocated to Britain yet, she loved him and was waiting to see what happened with the political climate before moving here. He'd pushed the memory of an argument between them he and Hermione had staged after leaving Malfoy Manor Easter weekend.

They'd known Dumbledore would ask. He could not know what his fiancee knew. Any of it.

So they'd staged an argument about Severus not informing her truthfully about his leanings, his connections to the Dark Lord. Severus filed away how frighteningly beautiful she'd gotten arguing with him. Fake or not, she had definitely put emotion into it while playing her part.

Dumbledore had seemed satisfied that she was in the dark as to his true role. Severus had breathed a sigh of relief at that. He wasn't sure what he would have done if Dumbledore had been suspicious or wanted her obliviated or something.

Since the last horcrux was destroyed with Sirius Black's assistance. Well, they'd been in a bit of a lull. There was nothing more she could do, and Voldemort (wisely) never seemed to put himself in a position to be alone. If anyone suggested a spotting of the Potters had been made, he sent others (like Severus) rather than going himself.

Their two weeks traveling had been far more enjoyable than he thought they would. His fiancee wanted to see Alaska for whatever insane reason. He never would have imagined someone choosing a cold place. Alaska they'd gone, though, and Severus was pretty sure it would rank up amongst his best memories for the rest of his life.

Since his arrival at Hogwarts they'd owled a few times and had a few floo calls, but it was not the same. She would have come to him, but she couldn't. He couldn't go home, because it was well known he would not choose to see his parents. Certainly not after only a week, or two, or four away from them. Not after having to live under their roof the past five months or so anyway.

How six weeks without this witch was a hardship was beyond him. He frowned when he saw Antonin Dolohov eyeing her with interest from the bar. She was seemingly unaware, but he doubted that was true. The wizard had nearly killed her from what she'd told him, and had seen in the memories she had shared. He wagered she'd know he was in any room no matter how crowded.

"Severus," Dolohov said from the bar.

He spotted Hermione look up from whatever she'd been writing as soon as she heard his name. He stifled the smile that he wanted to give her. That would not do here. He saw her face grow pale when she saw it was Dolohov who had called him and felt bad that he had to be nice to the wizard. He would like to kill him for harming his mate, even if the wizard wasn't aware of the reason for his hatred of him.

"Antonin," Severus said. "I am surprised to see you here."

Death eaters didn't normally frequent the Three Broomsticks.

"Reconnaissance," he said with a shrug. "And you?"

"Meeting my fiancee," he said, gesturing to Hermione who was watching their exchange.

"I'd heard," he said.

Fortunately, no one to this point had seen his soul mark. Hers was kept hidden from view by the ring she wore, which she told him she only did when she left the house. He didn't want to charm his finger every day until this was over, but it had to be done. Death eaters did not have soul marks. He could maybe explain it away by him being young and not having engaged in anything truly soul staining to this point, but he wasn't sure that was something he wanted anyone - even the Dark Lord - to be reminded of.

Of course he had.

Lucius had not wasted any time telling anyone who would listen about Leandra. He had to this point avoided her having to meet the Dark Lord. Her working out of the country, as far as everyone knew, helped. That no one had found out this weekend was her birthday was a bonus as far as he was concerned.

"Correct," Severus said.

"To be a father soon, too, from the looks of things," he said, gesturing to his witch.

"Indeed."

Severus had been more than relieved when she'd told him her official due date of late November that it was within the timeframe on their bonding certificate. He hoped Voldemort would be dealt with soon. He did not want his son born during this chaos.

"Well, congratulations," he said.

"Thank you. I consider myself lucky our paths crossed. Would you like to meet her?" Severus offered, hoping the wizard would not take him up on it.

"Another night," he said. "My mark is leaving." He gestured to a young witch leaving the bar.

"Happy hunting," Severus said.

He made his way to Hermione, watching from the corner of his eye as Dolohov left enough galleons on the bar to cover his drink.

"Fancy meeting you here," he said, taking a seat next to her.

He noticed when she closed what she'd been writing in that it was her diary. It would make a most interesting read for their child one day. If they were ever able to share it with him.

"I was in the neighborhood and I heard you'd be here."

"Good thing the rumors were true."

"Running into friends, too, I see," she said. He knew those words weren't as casual as she made them sound.

"Yes."

He met her gaze then, tapping into her mind.

If I get to kill him for what he did to you, I will consider that a win.

He is not our focus, Severus.

I know he is not. Excuse me for wanting to enact revenge for my wife.

He doesn't even know yet.

I know.

She nodded then.

"Are you ready to go then?" he asked.

"We're not staying here?" She seemed genuinely surprised at that, so that meant he'd managed to hide it from her. Good.

"We are not," he said.

He led her to the fireplace and they each took floo powder.

"Dublin Widow's Peak," Severus called out and disappeared.

Hermione followed suit and stepped out into a very obviously Irish pub.

"Are we really in Dublin?" she asked.

"Happy Birthday," he said. "I thought we'd do something different for the night."

"You are so sweet," she said, kissing him.

"Are you hungry? I got us a room for the night, so we have all the time in the world. Well, I do have to return to Hogwarts tomorrow evening."

She grazed his neck with her mouth, finding his ear. "I'm hungry, Severus, but not for food."

"Oh?"

"It's been weeks!"

He chuckled. He was very glad to know that she was as randy as he was. He hoped anyway because as she just said it had been weeks. And after weeks of spending every night with her, he was very ready for another night with her.

"That it has. Well," he said. "Let me get our key and we can take care of that need."

"You might want to order some food to be brought to our room."

"Really?"

"I don't plan on getting out of bed again until morning."

"That is a most excellent way of spending the night."

He got the key to the room they would be staying in and asked for some items to be sent up for them that would not spoil if stasis spells were forgotten about. The barkeep smirked, seeming to know exactly what was on Severus' mind and that it wasn't really eating. She was pregnant, though, so accommodations had to be made. She had definitely filled out as the pregnancy advanced, which he was happy to see. What she looked like when they'd first met in the spring was still fresh in his mind. He was at Hogwarts so couldn't fuss over her as he might have liked to, but knew his mother was doing that in his place. She wanted a healthy grandson.

"This is nice," Hermione said when they got to the room.

It was a typical one room, small town inn room. It had a connected bathroom at any rate, which Severus knew was Hermione's preference. There was a small table, big enough for the two of them to eat at, if the tray their food was delivered on remained on the table and they used it like a large plate.

"It is far less than you deserve, but as I only had one night and I was trying to be discreet with having time off, it was what I could come up with."

"No, Severus, this is nice! Really. I just missed you," she said. "We can look around tomorrow, yes?"

"Yes. I do not have to be back until tomorrow evening. I don't have rounds or anything, but I do have to be back."

"Okay. See to the most immediate need and then we can have fun."

"I'd take offense to that."

She rolled her eyes. "Fun outside of our bed."

"That's a little better."

She watched as he shed his clothes.

"Why are you not undressing?"

"I want to watch you," she said.

"Ah," he said, frowning slightly when she wandlessly extinguished the lights in the room.

He made his way to the bed, joining her.

"Is there something you're not telling me?"

"Severus, I'm six months pregnant."

"And?"

She huffed and he could almost see her roll her eyes again.

"You don't want to see…"

In an instant the lights were back on and he was hovering over her, using his hands to unbutton her top. He loved her breasts right now and her abdomen. He'd never really seen a woman pregnant before. He'd been on the continent when Narcissa was pregnant with Draco. If he had, well, he supposed he just never paid them much attention as a wizard would a witch, because being pregnant they were very obviously spoken for.

He trailed a finger around her belly button and she giggled softly. It wasn't quite pushing out, but he could tell that soon her inny would no longer be that. He scoffed silently remembering as a child that had been a big deal for some reason.

"I do want to see," he said, letting her top fall open so he could kiss and touch each breast, mindful of his position around her belly. Her areolas were bigger and darker than they had been just the last time they'd been together like this. He found that oddly arousing. His child was causing that bodily response in her. She gasped as he licked her nipple and then circled it with his lips.

"Severus," she gasped.

He loved how vocal she was. She was not afraid to let him know how much she wanted him or that what he was doing was good. Or bad. He'd only encountered one bad thus far, and it wasn't "don't ever do that again". It was a "this not that". He took her guidance, and he'd never heard bad since.

She wrapped her legs around one of his legs, pressing herself against his thigh and he groaned softly at the idea that she was truly that aroused, that turned on, just from this. He slid a hand to her stomach, caressing her there as he sucked and licked on her breasts.

"Come for me, Hermione," he whispered as she moved against his thigh faster.

She groaned, hands at his head as he continued lavishing attention on her breasts.

"I absolutely want to see you. All of you," he murmured as he moved to a different spot on her breast. She arched against him, pressing her nipple further into his mouth and he took the hint. He focused on it: licking, sucking, and lightly biting.

"Feels so good," she murmured.

A hand slid through his hair, running her fingers through it as she lifted her hips, moving hard and fast to get the friction she wanted. Her hand at his hair tightened, pulling slightly but her cry of passion as she fell over the edge was more than worth any discomfort.

"I know it wasn't me, Hermione, but I saw the memory you shared when you first saw the other me after your capture. You doubted then, too, that I would want you. I will always want you."

He took his time undressing her the rest of the way, kissing every inch of her as it was revealed to him.

"Your Mum insists you can hear me," he whispered against her belly in between kisses to it. "She says it'll help you know my voice. I'm not sure why that's a good thing, but she says it is so, and I'm coming to discover she's a very smart witch. Stay in your comfortable home for as long as possible, little man. I want you safe. I do not want you born when we are at war and I have to act as a spy."

XvXvXvXv

It was well after midnight before they got to the food. She slid his robe on to sit at the table and nothing else. He was pretty sure despite having already come twice that he was on his way to getting hard again, picturing what was currently underneath his robe. Her. Just his Hermione. Knowing the next time he wore it he'd have this memory to go with it.

The night and day following were truly enjoyable. They could both be themselves (though he still called her Leandra) without concern. They stuck mostly with muggle areas of Dublin. Severus had never been (Hermione had as it turned out but obviously years later).

Eventually it was time for them to go back. He to Hogwarts and she to his parents' home. He truly hated that she had to stay there but ultimately they had no choice. Not if they were to maintain that she was employed elsewhere.

For now.

He did not want to risk him being asked to introduce her to the Dark Lord. Obviously the baby would come sooner rather than later at this point. A son. A boy. An heir. He was about to become a father, and he was man enough to admit that thought scared the shit out of him. What did he know about raising children? What did he know about being a father?

These were things he thought of while addressing his class of first years on Monday upon his return.

He wasn't a kind or good man.

In order to be taken seriously he'd had to put on a tough face. He couldn't let anyone see him appear weak or falter in his diligence. He was too close to his student days to allow them an inch. He had to make believe that he was a reprehensible human, a death eater, who followed the Dark Lord's desires for blood purity.

How was he to learn to be a father, to be supportive and yet maintain the control in his classroom and over the students in general that he sought? It was something he'd been struggling with since the term began.

He would do it, though.

He would learn.

He would absolutely convince her that staying here in this time, his time, was the right thing to do. He would give her no reason to believe she'd be better off without him.

He would not embarrass her or his son.

XvXvXvXv

She was up early one morning, drinking a cup of tea as she stood by the window looking out into the backyard.

There was nothing back there, but the house was quiet and she couldn't sleep. Oh, she'd get back there eventually. Nightmares. She hadn't had one in a while. At least she knew her silencing spell worked, because neither of Severus' parents had been woken up.

The overhead light came on, startling her out of her thoughts. She turned, smiling a little as Severus' dad seemed as surprised to see her as she was to see him. It was a little early for him to be getting up.

He cleared his throat softly, offering her his version of a smile. He didn't do it very often.

"Good morning," he said.

"Good morning. Early day?"

"Yes, I have to drive an hour."

"I see."

"You saw Severus over the weekend?"

"I did," she said, surprised he knew that.

"He's doing well?"

"Oh, yes. It's a change, you know. Many of the current students knew him when he was one."

"I suppose that could be a challenge."

"Mm," she said, sipping on her tea.

"Is it a good job?"

"Yes." A thought occurred to her then. "You've never been?"

"No."

"I can ask if you could visit with Eileen and me. Maybe before Christmas? I'd like to see him before then."

The man looked almost bashful, which was on an odd look on the man who resembled her wizard so closely.

"They'd let me?"

"All I can do is ask."

Had he never asked before now? Had Eileen never offered?

It was interesting to think about. That he even cared to see Hogwarts was something.

He nodded simply and she set her cup down. She'd seen Eileen make the man breakfast enough times to know what he liked, so she set about doing that. She was surprised Eileen wasn't down here already, truthfully.

"Is Eileen okay?"

"She doesn't feel well, she said."

"Oh, I'll check on her after you've left then."

"You have parents like me, right?" he asked, once he had his breakfast.

"I'm sorry."

"Non-magical?"

"Oh, yes."

"Did you go to church?"

"Yes," she said. She still went. She'd gone with Eileen more than once since she'd been staying here. Maybe he didn't know that?

He went on to talk to her about the job he was going to today. Tobias Smith was a handyman these days. A fairly decent one, judging by the fact he was working every day. Evidently, the woman who was currently employing him changed her mind on the daily. The fact that this man handled his frustrations in stride was not at all what she knew to be the case at all. He relayed the various stories that set his days back calmly, with no sign of aggression or anything.

It was truly fascinating.

And, all right, she was a little proud that anything she might have done resulted in such a change.

Even the fact that he cleared his own plate to the sink was something she suspected was different.

"Have a good day then, Leandra."

"You, too, Tobias."

She cleaned up while he got ready to leave. Both went upstairs. He was going to check on Eileen once more before he left. She wanted to take a shower and try to get a little more sleep. She asked him to tell Eileen to wake her if she needed anything. Chances were she wouldn't, she'd want to let her sleep.

So, when she came down later, she was surprised to see a box on the kitchen table where she usually sat. (Having family dinners with the Snapes wasn't as bad as she imagined it would be.)

"Eileen?" she asked.

"I have no idea."

She frowned. It was an old box, clearly it had been used and by the spots of dust that hadn't been wiped away, laying around somewhere for a while.

"Do I open it?"

"I expect you're supposed to."

The lid came off with a little bit of effort. One side of the old box was a bit dented.

"Oh," she cried out, free hand going to her abdomen. Eileen parted the yellowed tissue paper and drew the christening gown out of the box.

"Was that Severus'?" she asked.

"It was. I'd forgotten about it, honestly."

Easy to do when it had been twenty-one years since she'd seen it.

"From my understanding, Tobias' grandmother made it. And all of the Snape babies have worn it."

"That's why he asked me if I went to church."

"Maybe so."

"So Severus was the last to wear this?"

"No, I think a cousin or two did."

Hermione blinked rapidly. "I had no idea he had cousins."

"Oh yes. You'll meet them at Christmas."

Well, that was new, too. Severus never mentioned extended family, Christmas gatherings or otherwise. Then again this Severus hadn't either. Maybe he just didn't know it was something worth mentioning.

She took the tiny gown from Eileen, setting it over her abdomen.

"Won't you look nice wearing this?" she asked.

"You don't like it?" Eileen asked.

"What? No, I love it. Why do you ask?"

"You're crying?"

"Oh," she hadn't even realized she was. Tears seemed to fall over any stupid reason right now. She'd seen a commercial on television the other night that had her in tears even knowing it wasn't real. "I never imagined Tobias would even care …"

"He can be a sentimental fool on occasion."

"He mentioned wanting to see Hogwarts sometime. Maybe we can arrange that with Severus?"

"He never asked to see it before."

"Maybe there's a difference between Severus being a student there and a professor."

She drew the little gown away from her abdomen, folding it up the way it was to set it back in the box. She grazed the tissue paper with the tip of her index finger. She never in a million years would have expected Tobias Snape to give her (Severus) anything. The man hardly said anything to her. (Frankly, she was surprised he'd said enough to her to give her permission to call him Tobias.)

"Please thank him for me, Eileen. I don't think he'll want to hear it from me."

"Of course."

Story ©Susan Falk/APCKRFAN/PhantomRoses.com