Written in Blood

Sorry the last chapter was a bit short…it was one of those intermediary chapters…you know…the kind with…stuff…and things…

Okay, but this one has more of a plot.

Enjoy!

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While Hermione would usually go home in the summer, this summer was rather different. She didn't want to leave her husband, her husband didn't want to live like a muggle, and they couldn't go to Snape Manor because of Mrs. Snape the Elder, whom Hermione still had not met. Hence, they were staying at the castle this summer, as were Harry and Draco, who had finally managed to convince the Headmaster that going home was in no way beneficial now Voldemort was gone; Harry's aunt's now offered no protection, and it was useless to have Draco as a spy in Malfoy Manor.

Unable to handle such a long separation from their child in her time of pregnancy, Hermione's parents had arranged a visit to the castle, to take place in late June. With only a day to go until the visit, Hermione was attempting to clean her chambers while still sitting in the large chair. She glared at Severus' snickering, but quickly forgave him as he immediately offered his humble service to do her bidding, sweeping the stone floor, organizing all the knick knacks on the dresser, etc.

He drew the line, however, when it came to completely redecorating. Hermione wanted to change the color scheme to red and gold, in order to make her parents feel like it was a warmer environment for their daughter. "It's only for a couple weeks," she protested, but he remained firm.

"Hermione, love, if I were to change something to make your parents feel secure about your surroundings, I would have put a glamour on myself, or sent your friend Potter in my place. I daresay they'll think no more of me whatever the color scheme, and I flatly refuse to change who I am to make someone else comfortable."

She crossed her arms over her noticeably larger breasts. "Is that so?"

"Well," he conceded, "there is one person for whom I have changed my entire life."

"Who, your mother?"

A shudder went through him. "I thought we agreed never to mention her?" At her nod, he continued, "There is a person for whom I have done things I never thought I would. For this person, I behaved in ways I never dreamed I should. In return, I have been blessed in ways I never thought I could." He moved to stand in front of her chair, without seeming to loom over her. "Hermione Snape," he told her, "I asked you to become my wife under extenuating circumstances, as we both know. But I thank the stars every day for those circumstances, every time I see your face." He grew a bit awkward as he realized he was waxing poetic, and cleared his throat. "I mean to say, that although I know I've never said it in so many words…I love you, Hermione."

Tears spilled down her face, and he kissed them away. He tilted her chin up, and kissed her passionately, breaking off abruptly when she laughed. He looked at her, and saw mirth shining through her eyes.

"All right," she giggled, "you can keep your green."

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The visit with Hermione's parents went off without a hitch, to their surprise. The Grangers weren't thrilled at the prospect of their daughter living in a dungeon, but they managed to get over it, or at least hide their displeasure.

They were fascinated, unduly so according to Snape, by the everyday magical workings of Hogwarts. Art Arthur Weasley in a bus stop, Snape thoughtmpilmpily.

He was rather frustrated, not being able to get a moment alone with his wife. Hermione's arousal came in swings, and he had missed the last two, thanks to her parents. Whenever they did get a moment together, she was tired, or feeling nauseous, or a hundred other things. He wouldn't have minded nearly so much (after all, he had gone ten or twelve years without sex entirely), except when she was aroused, her parents would invariably show up right as they were beginning.

However, perhaps the most irritating this about her parents was their constant reminders that they wholeheartedly did not approve of Hermione's choice of mate. Pregnant or not pregnant, they clearly thought their daughter could have done better. He had expected this, and they were actually better at hiding r dir dislike of him than he had expected.

What he was finding hardest to tolerate about their disapproval was the fact that they kept trying to find Hermione another man. He didn't think they were doing it quite consciously, but it was there nonetheless. It was obvious that Mrs. Granger quite favored Lupin over Snape, especially after he had opened a door for her and disentangled Peeves from her hair, and Mr. Granger seemed to be leaning toward Harry Potter---that is, until Draco Malfoy showed up to dinner in the Great Hall one night.

The Slytherin Head Boy was groomed immaculately as always, and was wearing dress robes of dark green that reminded Hermione vaguely of the robes her husband had worn at the Christmas banquet, the night that…she blushed, remembering seeing robes like that on the floor of Snape's chambers. She could feel herself start to get aroused…everything happened so quickly for her now! She gave her husband, who was standing behind her, a sultry look over her shoulder, and felt him shift uncomfortably. Oh, he knew that look by now…

"Ahem," Dumbledore cleared his throat carefully, securing everyone's attention. "As we are so few in number, shall we all sit together?"

Immediately, the long house tables pushed themselves up against the walls, leaving only the High Table, at which Hermione and her family, as well as Harry and Draco, sat down.

She didn't notice her mother and father oddly inviting Draco to sit between them, and immediately engrossing him in conversation. She was rather focused on her husband at the moment, with Harry on her other side.

The dinner passed in companionable food (Hermione's current favorites were being served--the house-elves were given updates daily now) and chatter, the main thread of which seemed to be Madame Pince's sudden change of careers to try her hand at healing in St. Mungo's. All the Professors seemed surprised, except Dumbledore. "She's been wanting to try this for years," he told them fondly. "I say, good luck to her!"

"Hear, hear," chimed in McGonnagal, raising her glass of pumpkin juice for a toast, in which the other teachers immediately joined.

"Hermione," Harry interjected quietly, "why are your parents getting so chummy with Draco?"

"What do you mean?" she asked at the same volume.

In answer, Harry jutted his chin towards the Grangers, who were deeply engrossed in conversation with the blonde Slytherin. She shook her head. "I have no idea."

She wasn't worried; her parents already knew she was a witch, what more could Draco tell them? At the moment, she was mostly concerned with getting her husband back down to his dungeons and having her wicked way with him. Catching her husband's eye, she yawned pointedly.

Snape nodded slightly, and turned to the Headmaster, conversing in low voices. Dumbledore nodded energetically, and Snape stood, offering his hand to his young wife. They slipped as inconspicuously as they could out of the Great Hall through a passageway in the back, but they might have gone out singing and dancing for all the notice Hermione's parents took, still immersed in their conversation with Malfoy.

Laughing with the feeling of escape, they made their way to the dungeons--considerably slower than they used to, given her sixth-month bulge. Soon, she was out of breath, and before long he was asking her if she needed him to magic a chair for her. Her dirty look shut him up, but it didn't stop her from leaning heavily on him.

By the time this is over, he thought grimly, I'm going to be the one with back pain!

Finally, panting and exhausted, they made it to Snape's dungeons. They just managed to stagge the the door when Hermione collapsed on the bed, totally out of breath. Snape sagged in a chair, having carried her part of the way. Silently, he cursed women and their vanity, refusing to undergo a weightless charm. Then he cursed his own pride more, for not wanting to admit that he couldn't carry his own wife.

When he had finally got his wind back, he rose, moving to the bed, remembering why they had rushed here. With a positively devilish smile on his face, he leaned over her, and swore under his breath.

She was asleep.

Two days later, the Snapes saw the Grangers to the Hogwarts Express station, to Severus' immense relief. Not wanting to intrude on their private farewell to their daughter, he said, "I'll just go and secure your baggage on the train, shall I?"

He picked up his in-laws' luggage and stowed it on the train fairly quickly, and couldn't resist hunching down to avoid being seen, but close enough to hear what was being said.

"Darling," Mrs. Granger was saying to her daughter, "you know we respect your choices, and we're not trying to meddle. I only want to point something out."

Cautiously, Hermione asked, "What is that, Mum?"

Her mother sighed and looked to her husband for help. Mr. Granger stepped in. "Sweetheart, we just don't think this man is right for you."

Hermione stepped back, out of their embraces. "Dad, what do you mean? I love Severus! I'm married to him! I'm carrying his child, if you haven't noticed!"

Mrs. Granger's mouth pursed, glancing to her daughter's stomach. "Yes, we noticed. We only want to be sure that you have…weighed all your options."

"What do you mean?"

Mr. Granger spoke up again. "What about that Draco fellow? He seems more like the sort of bloke you should marry. Not that we're trying to interfere."

Like bollocks you're not, Snape thought sourly. He knew he should reveal himself, and come to Hermione's defense, but some perverse sensibility in him wanted desperately to see if her parents' words would lure his wife away from him.

"The kind of bloke I should marry? What do you mean by that?"

Mrs. Granger attempted to put a comforting hand on her daughter's shoulder, but was brushed off. "We only mean…he's such a wonderful boy! And so brave!"

"So is Severus!"

"He was a spy in the war, you know."

"So was Severus!"

"And he's closer to your own age."

"So what?"

"And he's so good looking!"

"So is Severus!"

As Mr. and Mrs. Granger exchanged a look, Severus thought dryly, Lovely; she's already started to lie to them. This can't end well.

Mr. Granger broke the silence, saying gently, "Sweetie, we know you're attached to that Snape fellow, but just consider Draco. He cares about you a great deal, you know." He looked as if he was about to say more, but at that moment a warning whistle came from the train. "We had better go," he told his wife, and gave his daughter a peck on the cheek as they made their way onto the Express.

Snape emerged from his hiding place, and let out his breath quickly in an "oomph!" as his wife nearly tackled him in her hug.

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