A Perfect Situation

Hermione and Severus had been married for two years and while they were happy, their attempts to have a child had thus far been unsuccessful. After the Marriage Law had been abandoned, they realized how compatible they really were and focused on making a life together because they wanted it, not because they were avoiding potential havoc.

Hermione sipped her tea and gazed out the window. They had been trying to get pregnant for the past year and a half but so far nothing was happening. She spoken to Neville Longbottom at a get together with other friends. As a healer and a Herbalist researcher, he advised her to stay away from certain herbs and assured her that a baby would come when it came. She was young
and healthy, her husband was in fine health too and nature would work when it worked.

Severus had told her countless times that stress and worry were not helping and she tried to remain nonchalant, but there were times when she wondered if she wasn’t meant to have a baby. It filled her with a sadness, and as she put down her teacup she noticed out the window a woman pushing a stroller. Would she ever push a stroller on a spring day, taking a little one for a walk?

“Stop it.” She turned and smiled at her husband. Severus was still as imposing and intimidating as ever, but it was never directed at her. She felt nothing but respect and love from him and it made her feel valued.

“Stop what?” She reached out and took the Daily Prophet off the table, unrolling it.

“Looking like you found nothing for yourself under the Christmas tree.” He walked over and looked out the window, seeing what was drawing her attention. “I thought it might be something like that.”

Hermione let the paper rest on her lap, while she held it in her fingers. “What does that mean?”

“It means that lately anything maternal brings about this melancholy and self loathing.” He took the empty chair beside her, reaching out to pour his own tea. “The other day at the market, you stared at a group of children, before that it was a pregnant woman, and before that you walked around the baby section of the store we were in.”

“Severus….” she was immediately cut off.

“Hermione, a baby will happen when it happens. Neville told you so.” He had told her this many times and while she knew it was true, the true was hard to accept. She wasn’t the type to sit back and wait for something to happen. She was active, and she achieved her success through action. Thinking that there was nothing she could do just wasn’t easy for her to handle.

She folded the newspaper and set it on the table, not interested in the world at all. Severus watched her slow actions and his heart broke at the sigh she let out.

“You know Severus, I imagined that being young and in my prime would mean that I had a good chance of getting pregnant right away. I just wonder what the problem is.” She looked out the window again.

“There is no problem Hermione. It just hasn’t happened yet.” He wondered what else he could tell his wife to reassure her that everything was fine. When they had first married she was so confident and strong in every decision she made and every task she undertook. To see her doubting herself and her abilities was a change that he didn’t like.

“I know, I know.” She looked over at him and managed a weak smile. “I just thought I would accomplish it earlier.”

“It’s not an assignment to complete and be graded on, nor is it a challenge to overcome. It’s nature, and we need to just wait until it happens and not stress.” He reached out and lifted her wrist, kissing the soft skin. Her smile and appreciation of his tenderness made him feel better. “How about dinner? Lets go out.”

“Alright.” He grinned as she rose to put on her shoes. He’d take her to Flourish and Blotts afterwards and get her a new book. She always enjoyed that. He let out a sigh, making a mental note to keep her out of the childcare and pregnancy section.



“This was just wonderful Severus, thank you.” Hermione folded her napkin, placing it next to her empty plate.

“You’re welcome love. Feel better?” He took her hand and leaned back in his own chair.

“Yes I do.” Her smile and happiness was genuine. She loved her husband all the more, because he wanted her to be happy and took great pains to make sure she was.

“Feel like a trip to Flourish and Blotts?” He asked rising and taking her hand.

“Always.” With the bill settled, they left the restaurant and apparated to Diagon Alley. The evening crowed was ambling here and there, as Severus and Hermione walked to the bookshop.

She took a deep breathe as she entered to doors. She loved the smell of parchment. It filled her curiosity and yearning. Glancing around she saw the displays for new textbooks. The students would be arriving in the next week or two with Hogwart’s lists for the new year.

She glanced upwards and noticed several displays on the upper level. “I’m heading up there love.” She told Severus with a nod of her head.

“Alright. I’ll be down here.” Kissing her cheek he made his way to the potionry section. He was always anxious to update his library, and knowing that fiction and classic literature was on the second level, he had no fear of her losing herself in manuals on baby care.

Hermione climbed the steps and glanced about the shelves. A torrid, overly dramatic romance novel was always a good break from reference tombs. She saw a few covers that appeared interesting, but just couldn’t get drawn into one. She rotated and slowly walked toward the classics. Muggle and magical authors alike filled the shelves.

She pulled out a copy of Women in Love, and glanced at the back. She had Lady Chatterley’s lover, and loved Lawrence. After reading the blurb, she looked about for the preceding title, and just as she had grabbed The Rainbow off the shelve a voice spoke behind her. “Look at what we have here.”

Hermione turned and looked at the woman behind her. She stared into the vengeful eyes on Cathy. Severus’s former girlfriend.

Hermione had never seen so much hatred in her life. Cathy as glaring at her with murderous anger. “Cathy,” she said calmly, “how are you?”

“Don’t pretend to be polite to me.” Her voice was harsh, despite her elegant slim black dress and pointed toe boots. Her cloak was resting on her shoulders but flowed easily around her as she took a step closer. Perfect make-up and a neatly coiled chignon did nothing to mask her obvious dislike of the woman she addressed. “You have some nerve.”

“I beg your pardon?” Hermione asked, weaving her fingers around the books she held in a relaxed manner.

“I beg your pardon,” she repeated with a mocking imitation, “you told Severus to stay away from me.”

“I did no such thing.” She said, wondering if this woman was completely deranged.

“I have tried to owl him several times since we spoke last. They come back unopened. I ran into him some months ago, and he turned and walked away from me. When I forced him to speak to me he said that he was married now and you wouldn’t consider it appropriate for him to see me.”

Hermione thought about what she said. It was true that she told Severus she would be uncomfortable with him taking her out, but she never asked him to refuse to associate with her. She didn’t even know that she wrote or that he returned the letters. He also never mentioned seeing her again and ignoring her. “I can only tell Severus what upsets me, how he acts is up to him.”

“It’s upsetting for him to have friends?” She took another step closer and gave a heated look, but Hermione held her ground.

“Having you in our guest room, knowing you wanted to sleep with him was upsetting. Having my husband meet you for dinner knowing you had been lovers was upsetting. Knowing that you and he continued to have sex after you split and that you still wanted to was upsetting. He chose not to answer your owls. I had nothing to do with it.” Hermione lifted her chin. “I don’t make demands of my husband.”

“You have got to be joking,” her cruel laugh was an ugly sound, “Severus told me outright you wouldn’t approve.”

“He must have had his reasons then.” Hermione stated.

“I did.” Both women turned at the deep voice and watched the tall, dark, and intimidating one approach them.

“Hello Severus.” Cathy’s smug smile brought a frown to his face.

“Cathy, what do you think you are doing?” He asked, slipping an arm around his wife’s shoulders.

“Apparently she didn’t ask you not to see me, she didn’t give you an problems, and apparently you are still lying, aren’t you.” Hermione merely looked at her husband as he spoke.

“Hermione told me what she felt about things and I decided it wasn’t worth it to try and walk a fine line.” He said.

“So you lied to me and told me she wouldn’t approve.” Cathy obviously had issues with trust, but why she was dragging the issue out was beyond comprehension.

“No I didn’t. I told you Hermione wouldn’t approve of our having dinner and she wouldn’t. I would upset her.” He said.

“Severus you implied that she demanded you stop seeing me.” Cathy folded her arms across her chest, daring him to deny it.

“When she told me that she would be upset, I took that to mean she would rather I did not see you. I chose to believe that.” He looked at his wife. “Did you find something you wanted.”

Hermione nodded and let him lead her away. They paid for their purchases, and Severus took the parcel in hand as they left the store. They apparated directly into their home. “Severus did you really imply that I asked you to cut contact with her?” Hermione asked.

Severus had learned to read into how she asked a questions and knew she was trying to see if Cathy had any bearing to feel the way she did. “I didn’t think so but perhaps since I didn’t elaborate too much with her, she thought I was.”

“What did you say then?’ She took the parcel and sat on the couch, pulling the strings.

“I told her that you would be upset at us having dinners together since we used to be lovers even after our relationship. I said I didn’t want to upset you and that we should go our separate ways.” He sat down next to her and watched her face.

“Well, I can see how she may take that to mean I demanded it. Considering how she has spoken on the times we have met, she seems anxious to always blame you for anything.” She took out two potions manuals and a study of occlumency and glanced at them briefly.

“Yes, she was like that when we were together. It almost seemed as if she was looking for a fight.” He took the books when she handed them to him then she took out hers.

“I wonder what makes her so distrustful.” Hermione waved her wand and vanished the packaging.

“I don’t care anymore. When we were together I thought maybe a previous boyfriend had something to do with it, but now it’s not my problem.” He took her books. “D.H. Lawrence. A prime muggle author.”

“Yes, I fell in love with Lady Chatterley’s Lover.” She said with a smile.

“I hope Connie was alright with that.” Her laughter joined his as he rose to get them each a drink.



Cathy Haversham stared into her wine glass and felt like hurling it against the wall. She blamed Severus’s wife for her anger. That woman dared keep Severus from her. She was his wife, so did she imagine that gave her infinite control over the man?

She downed the rest of her glass. She wondered if she had slipped him a love potion or something, but didn’t think she was smart enough to fool Severus with something asinine like that. He was nothing if not very aware of his surroundings.

“They have been trying for some time.” A voice behind her invaded her silence and she felt annoyance for a brief moment.

“Is Snape anxious as well?” Cathy’s eyes shot open as another voice spoke the familiar name. Glancing in a nearby mirror, she saw a couple had taken the table behind her. A young man with dark hair, tall and a little lanky was dining with a woman about his age, with long brown hair, curled in waves about her shoulders. She sat straight up and titled her head to hear better.

“Snape is patient enough to know that it will happen eventually. Sometimes couples wait a few years.” The man said.

“So whose idea was it to have a baby?” The woman asked. Baby? Severus and his wife were trying to have a baby?

“Hermione wanted one, but Snape didn’t protest in any way. He even asked if there were things he could do on his side. Things to avoid that will diminish his sperm count and such.” The man placed an order for drinks with a server then continued. “He seemed to be just as excited as she is.”

“Do you have any idea why they haven’t gotten pregnant yet?” The woman had such an annoying voice, but Cathy listened anyway.

“I don’t know. Sometimes it takes time. Sometimes it just doesn’t happen.” The waiter came back with their drinks and the conversation turned to some project at the ministry.

Cathy smiled to herself and paid her bill. Heading to her new flat, she thought about what she had just heard. Little miss goody too shoes was having trouble having a baby was she. This was interesting.


A/N: What do you think of the first chapter?