Remember

CHAPTER 11: A Little Motherly Advice











Severus was pleased that Hermione met his mother on one of her good days. He hoped that those were coming more frequently with his father conveniently incommunicado. The bad days, the days when she sat with that vacant expression on her face for hours, jumping at every sound, flinching when he came near her, they were horrible to witness and made him feel helpless. He felt guilty for going to school and leaving her alone, at the mercy of the drunken lout who had sired him, but she would not stand for him dropping out.







He wrote her daily to make certain she was well and had been pleased to learn that his father had been absent since just before Severus left for school. Every letter he received from his mother seemed a bit more lucid, a bit more connected. Not that she had ever been a happy person, she had always been a tad sullen, but she was seeming more like herself without Tobias around and that made Severus feel better.









She seemed stunned to discover that Severus had a girlfriend. He didn’t blame her, he was rather stunned himself. Especially since he had no idea how it actually happened, not that he was complaining, he felt more alive in the two months since that witch came into his life than he had in the previous three years. He smirked softly as he changed out of his school uniform and into a pair of jeans and a loose fitting sweatshirt.







His clothes were always too big for him it seemed. It came from being so tall and slender he supposed. He pulled on a pair of thick socks, the house tended to be cold as his father complained frequently about heating bills and the like. He had gone through the majority of Eileen’s inheritance within the first year of their marriage until her uncle had stepped in and changed the terms. Things like that were more easily done within the wizard courts than in the muggle legal system, especially since Tobias Snape was a muggle, one without any magical ability at all.







It was because of his great-uncle that there were funds available to cover his supplies and tuition. When he was changed and a little more in control of his libido, he exited the room, knocking softly on her bedroom door. It was going to be difficult to sleep across from her, knowing she was laying in that bed just a few steps away. He groaned when he realized they would also be sharing a bathroom. She would be naked, in his house, in his shower, the same one he used. Severus shifted uncomfortably, trying to adjust himself in the loose denim just before she opened the door.







She smiled when she saw him. She had never considered Severus Snape in jeans before; she didn’t imagine he owned any in his adult wardrobe. She had changed into something similar, a pair of bell bottomed, low slung jeans and a loose, crocheted jumper made with multicolored yarn and had belled sleeves that reminded her of something Molly would make. Her impossible hair hung in a long, thickly braided rope down her back, the end brushing her hips with every movement.







“Back again?” She asked, smiling.









“Are you ready for dinner?” He asked, trying not to stare at the way her breasts filled out the thin jumper.









“Yes.” She said, stepping closer so she could slide her arms around his waist. He let his hands rest on her shoulders. “I like being here with you, Severus.”









“I like having you here. This may turn out to be my happiest times in this house.” He said, his dark eyes taking in the soft flush on her cheeks. “Come on, let’s go downstairs.” He slid his hand along her arm until he could thread his fingers through hers where they rested at the small of his back. With a slight smile he pulled her along behind him down the stairs and into the small, informal dining room.







Eileen looked up when she heard them coming, smiling inside when she saw their entwined hands. Severus looked so taken with the young witch, the tenderness with which he handled her, looked at her, made Eileen feel as though she had finally done something right. Her son was nothing like his father; he respected women and treated the one he cared for with surprising gentleness for a boy his age.







“I hope you like Chinese.” She said, unpacking the white boxes from a paper sack. “I ordered take away.” She said.









“That sounds fine, Mum. We don’t get much of a chance for this kind of food at school.” Severus said as he pulled a chair out for Hermione and seated her at the table. “Here, let me.” He said, taking the bag from his mother as he finished unpacking the food.









Eileen smiled softly and took a seat across from Hermione. The girl was pretty, if not a little on the plain side. She had tried to tame her curly brown hair into a braid but already the curls were beginning to escape and wind around her ears and neck. She had eyes of a deep golden color that seemed to contain wisdom far older than her years and when they were looking at Severus they glittered with affection. Had she ever looked at anyone that way? Had she ever felt even a little of what her son shared with his little witch?







Severus was aware that Hermione was watching his hands as he filled a plate for his mother and sat it in front of her before filling another for Hermione. He held back his chuckle, still baffled by her fascination with his hands. They were hands like any other, two thumbs, eight fingers, palms and knuckles. There was nothing he could see that made them unique or special, but she watched them anytime he was busy, whether it be brewing or some other mundane task, her eyes followed his every movement.

When the ladies had been served, he served himself and sat beside Hermione.









“So, Hermione, you are obviously a Gryffindor, how is it that you and Severus are so close?” Eileen asked, curious as to how two people from rival houses would come together. Severus frowned and concentrated on his food. Hermione saw his discomfiture and smiled. She turned her attention back to Eileen.









“I don’t particularly socialize well, Ma’am, much like Severus. I determined that if we were both going to be anti-social we might as well do it together.” She said. Eileen’s eyes widened and she smiled. The expression on her face caught Severus by surprise when he looked up.









“He never was very good at social interaction. Even as a baby he didn’t much like people, never wanted to be held or cuddled for any longer than it took to feed or have his nappy changed.” She said.







“Mum!” Severus said, his face flushing slightly at his mother mentioning changing his nappy.









“Oh, Inky, it isn’t as though I pulled out the album to show her naked baby photographs.” Eileen said, filling her fork. “Yet.”







Hermione chuckled and took a drink of her pumpkin juice. Severus looked terrified and a little embarrassed at his mother’s use of the pet name.









“He didn’t make it easy for me.” She said. “I stalked him until he finally gave in and we became friends. Then I forced him to take me to the Yule Ball.”









“But I thought you were a couple?” She asked, looking between them curiously.









“That is a very recent development.” Severus said. “We were friends first.”









“I think that is wonderful, you got to know each other first, made sure you liked one another enough to move forward.” She said softly, her voice became wistful and her expression began to look almost vacant. “More people should be so wise.”







Hermione saw the brief flash of happiness in Eileen’s eyes begin to dwindle slowly and she acted in the only way she could think of to try and make the woman smile once more.







“Your son is amazing.” Hermione said softly, watching as the woman across from her lifted her gaze to meet hers. “I drive him mad with my constant chatter yet he sits there and listens without saying a word. Often his replies are snarky and rather rude at times, but mostly he is amused.” The corners of Eileen’s mouth twitched as she listened to the young woman, her own dark thoughts drifting away as she soaked in praise for her son. “He can be sarcastic and rather droll, but he is so gentle and chivalrous, at least with me.”







Severus stared at Hermione, his black eyes glittering as he watched her bring his mother back from the brink of that dark place where she so often dwelled. She was brilliant and carried more compassion in her than anyone he had ever known.







“You should be very proud of the man he has become.” Hermione said softly, smiling at the older woman. Eileen turned her gaze to her son and nodded her head slowly, she was proud of him, though she knew she had had nothing to do with it. She had not been a good mother to him, though she had tried, she loved her son very much but she had failed to protect him from the man who had fathered him.









“I am, very proud.” She said, smiling as she resumed her meal. Severus reached over and wrapped his fingers around Hermione’s, squeezing gently to let her know how he appreciated what she had said, what she had done. She smiled up at him and squeezed back as they finished their dinner in silence.









*********************





The Snape’s had a television, but they rarely watched it, and their stereo was rarely played as they preferred to sit in silence reading. Eileen sat on one end of a long sofa, her legs curled beneath her as she read from a leather bound book. Severus was seated on the floor, his back resting against the front of a large chair with his legs stretched out in front of him as he read a book on counter curses.







Hermione lay with her head resting on his thigh, reading from a charms text. The silence was deafening, but welcomed. It was relaxing without the sounds of chattering students to disrupt them. Hermione coveted moments like this with Severus, when she left him, it would be moments like this that would haunt her, that she would miss. She smiled and shifted a little, he had one hand resting over her stomach, his fingers idly stroking over the bare skin of her belly that was revealed when her short jumper shifted and occasionally he would brush over a particularly ticklish or sensitive spot and make her wiggle beneath his touch.





She giggled when his fingers tickled over her navel and he chuckled softly along with her when she bucked beneath his feathery caress. Eileen looked up from her book. She liked seeing that smile on Severus’s face, hearing that low laugh spill from his lips. She really liked Hermione, liked the impact she was having on her son. She watched Severus lean down and kiss the girl briefly, no doubt believing that she was still engrossed in her book and not watching them covertly over the pages.







“I think I am ready to turn in.” Hermione said softly as Severus pulled his lips from hers.









“I’ll walk you up.” He said quietly as he set his book aside and got to his feet, reaching for her hand and pulling her to hers. Their fingers were locked, Severus reaching behind him as he tugged her along up the stairs. Hermione glanced back over her shoulder and smiled.







“Goodnight, ma’am.” She said. Eileen nodded, smiling softly as she watched them disappear up the stairs. She pursed her lips thoughtfully. This was an unfamiliar situation she found herself in, one she really hadn’t expected as Severus never seemed all that interested in anyone romantically. She supposed she would have to have a talk with him.















Severus stopped outside Hermione’s door and looked down at her in the dimly lit hallway. She leaned back against the wall as he turned the knob and shoved her door open.







“You aren’t going to walk me inside and kiss me goodnight?” She asked. He shook his head slowly.







“No. I don’t trust myself to be alone in a bedroom with you, not right now at any rate.” He said softly, honestly.









“I trust you.” She said, reached up to brush her fingers along the side of his neck.









“You shouldn’t.” He said, resting his hand on the wall beside her head. She bit her lip and fought the grin that threatened. When he lowered his voice that way he sounded just like his future self. She had always liked hearing him speak; the slow, steady cadence and rich, velvety baritone could set any young woman’s heart to fluttering, even if he never said anything nice about anyone.









“You would never do anything to hurt me.” She said, running her fingers over his ear, smiling when he tilted his head into her touch.









“I would never hurt you intentionally, you are right about that, but I want very much to do other things to you.” He said quietly, leaning closer so he could nuzzle the side of her neck.









“Like what?” She asked, gasping softly when his hot breath blew across her skin causing it to prickle.







“Like touching you, kissing you…taking you.” He said low against her ear. She whimpered quietly and her hands fisted in the sides of his sweatshirt as she tugged him closer.







“I want you to touch me, to kiss me. I want to be yours.” She said, lifting her lips to his for a kiss.







“You aren’t ready for that.” He said, capturing her lips with his. He moved his mouth over hers slowly, his tongue slipping inside, sliding alongside hers as he explored her mouth. He kept one hand braced on the wall, the other slid alongside her waist and around her back to cup her bum, pulling her close as he pressed his hips against her, letting her feel how he reacted to her, what his body wanted when he was alone with her. “This is why I can’t be alone with you…I want you too much.”







“Severus.” She whimpered his name against his lips, trying in vain to pull him closer. He cursed softly and abruptly backed away from her. She was panting, her face flushed, her lips swollen and her eyes were burning into him.







“Go to bed, Hermione.” He said, his words nearly a growl.







“I want…” She reached towards him but he backed further away.







“I want too, but not tonight…go to bed.” He said, trying hard to resist the temptation to snatch her up and carry her through the open door and take her to bed. She looked so disappointed, Merlin knew he was disappointed. For the first time in his life he wanted to crawl into a bed with a woman and take his time, touch and kiss, caress and taste every inch of her. His past encounters had been quick, perfunctory shags with women paid for by Lucius, it had been all about getting in, getting it done and getting off, nothing more. When, and he had no doubt that they would eventually come together, when he took her, it would be better than that, it would mean more than that and he would make it special, he would do it right.







“Goodnight, Severus.” She said softly before slipping into her room. She continued to stare at him as she closed the door slowly. Severus heard the click of the door latching and released the breath he had been holding. He ran his fingers through his hair and turned to head back down to check the locks and wards on the house.









“Inky, can I have a word with you?” Eileen set her book aside and waited for Severus to finish locking the house and warding the doors and windows.







“Is everything alright, Mum?” He asked, sitting beside her. He could see the discomfort on her face as she began to wring her hands nervously. “Mum, what is bothering you?” Severus asked, putting his hands over hers to still her movements.







“You care for the girl very much, don’t you?” She asked. Severus flushed and nodded his head.







“Yes, I do. She likes me, Mum, she likes me despite my….issues.” He didn’t want his mother knowing about his interest in the dark arts, his reputation at school for being a dark wizard or his activities with Lucius Malfoy.









“That is wonderful, Inky, I am so happy for you, but….” She furrowed her brow, searching for the words. “Be careful with her.”







“Mum, you don’t think I would ever hurt her do you? I am not like him, I would never….” Severus stopped suddenly when his mother grabbed his wrists.







“No, no not that, I would never think that.” She said, patting the tops of his hands as she released his wrists. “What I meant was…do not do anything that might take her choices away.”







“Mum, I am confused, what could I possibly do to take her choices away?” He asked, finding the conversation odd.







“Sometimes, things get away from us, and we forget…in the heat of the moment.” She said, her cheeks flushing as she averted her eyes.







“Mum, please just spell it out.” Severus said, wondering what in the hell his mother was talking about and worrying that she was losing her grip on reality. Eileen took a deep breath and closed her eyes.







“Please don’t forget to use a contraceptive spell and get that poor sweet girl pregnant so she has no choice but to get married.” She said as quickly as she could. She opened one eye hesitantly and saw Severus staring at her in open mouthed amazement.







“Mum!” His face turned such a dark shade of red that Eileen became worried.









“I’m sorry, Inky, this is just as uncomfortable for me…..but I just ….I like that girl.” She said, shrugging her shoulders slightly.









“I like her too, Mum, but….this isn’t something a guy wants to talk about with his mother!” He said, shifting uncomfortably.







“I know, it isn’t something I want to talk about either….just promise me….promise that you will protect the girl…..” She said before she looked away.









“Mum…gods this is embarrassing….it hasn’t gotten to that point…but if it does, I am not careless…I would never put her or myself in a situation like that.” He said, running his fingers through his hair. “I promise.”







Eileen turned back to her son. She smiled and nodded her head. She had embarrassed him enough for one night, she thought.







“You are a good boy, Inky.” She said as she stood. “I don’t know how I got so lucky.” She kissed his forehead and disappeared up the stairs. Severus flopped back on the sofa and exhaled slowly. He could not believe that his mother had brought up contraceptives with him, that she had made him promise to be careful and not get Hermione pregnant.







If she only knew that it didn’t matter really, if he got her sprogged up he wouldn’t even know it. The witch who had managed to get close to his tightly protected heart would leave him soon, and he knew that he would be forever changed by her. He wouldn’t take that chance though; he would not put her at risk or alter her future that way. He sighed and turned out the lights before making his way through the darkened house to his own bed where he fell into an exhausted sleep as soon as he hit the mattress.







~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~~





So…poor Severus….young, randy lad with a curious, eager girlfriend and he desperately wants to do right by the first girl he seriously cares about only to have her teasing and tormenting him at every turn. But hey, a girl has to do what a girl has to do to get what she wants. I suppose I wrote him that way because I figured Ron or even Harry wouldn’t have cared, they would have just jumped on the gal….so onto your comments and questions!!!







CB13 – Thanks! It means a lot to me given I don’t particularly like time travel fics to know I have done well with this one!!







LuciusDreamer – he will make a short appearance, but he will make a big impact when he does show up : )







AngelBaby – Jason/Lucius is one of my obsessions, I couldn’t leave him out entirely.









Utopia – Snape’s mum….I would say she was a bit old world. I imagine her to be from a prim and proper pureblood family who was a bit disappointed when she got herself in “trouble” with a muggle and married him. I imagine Tobias to have once been charming enough to lure a young woman down the path of sin LMAO. And perhaps believing he could control her magic by controlling her. She is based on a woman I knew who was abused by her husband for years….she would slip off into another world, sometimes for hours, just zone out completely always flinching when people touched her or approached her, but she would function normally at all other times then suddenly you would see her just go blank and she was gone again. So…..I went into some later chapters and added something special just for you….LOL Ill let you know when to look for it!







Lady_of_Clunn - No one could ever convince me a mother could feel NOTHING for their child, no matter if that person was a monster. I like to think her distance from her son had more to do with feelings of failing him, failing to protect him and due to her own psychological reactions to being abused. But for this fic at any rate, she loved her son.







LadyVoldemort87 – too many are unaware of his sexual allure….but not me!!!!!!!!! I am all too aware as you know well by our conversations on the many many many fine aspects of Alan Rickman LMAO