Never Piss Off a House-Elf

Both Hermione and Severus had relatively sleepless nights. He was thinking about her lack of experience, her purity, and how he had managed to get into such a mess, enjoyable as it might turn out to be. Hermione thought about how things had changed so quickly, how in the span of less than a day she did more with a grown man than she'd ever really thought about doing with Ron; her thoughts turned on her, and she felt fear take over: what did Severus like? Would she really be valued for her mind, or did he say that to get her to stop being so upset? Would he treat her as a wife, or was he the kind of man to see his wife as some sort of slave?


Around five o'clock that morning, Hermione called for Satchel, who'd been busy snuggling Miki after their makeup in-outie. She was still calling him a fool, but at least she was speaking a language they could all easily understand by that point. Satchel appeared almost immediately when Hermione called for him, and he bowed low to her, his smile broad.


"The miss is awake so early?" Satchel asked, standing straight, waiting for orders. He took in Hermione's disheveled state and his eyes softened considerably. "Was master good to the miss? Is miss needing potions?"


Hermione shook her head. "I couldn't sleep, Satchel. I was wondering if you could help me."


Satchel nodded, approaching the bed softly.


"Lie back, Miss, and Satchel puts his hands on your head. Youse close your eyes, and Satchel rubs your forehead tills youse falls asleep."


Hermione complied, and soon Satchel was rubbing small circles on her forehead and temples, allowing her to relax. He let some of his magic flow through his fingers, relaxing her further until her breathing was deep and even, sign that sleep was finally upon her. Satchel murmured to her, a wish for pleasant dreams of the best that could be.


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* Hermione's dream *


"Mum," a dark-haired boy called to her, dressed in full black dress robes. "I don't want to be late for my own Sorting. Da is already there. I'm waiting on you."


"Sorin, I'm coming. It isn't easy carrying these around," Hermione pointed to her distended stomach. "I said one children and your father heard 'as many as you like, dear'. Do you have everything?"


"Of course I do. Kurin and I packed it all last night, Mum. Satchel and Miki are almost as worried as you are. You'd think I was heading to Durmstrang with the way you lot act. Dunderheads," Sorin muttered, and Hermione quirked an eyebrow at her son. He turned to her, her own amber eyes staring back at her from the Snape face.


"Your father would tan your hide for talking to me like that, Sorin," Hermione said.


"Mum, he'd say he would. Da is completely incapable of inflicting real pain on you or me. Geez, you'd think you'd remember something like that. Are you ready yet?!"


Hermione hugged her son before grabbing the powder from a sack above the fireplace. She tossed it into the flames and shouted, "Dungeons, Hogwart's Castle!"


Hermione, Sorin, Kurin, and the children-to-be passed through the flames to the quarters of Hogwart's Potions Master.


"Kurin, I know you'll take good care of our son. Please escort him upstairs so I may greet my wife," Severus said, a broad smile on his face. the boy and his elf left the room, and Severus took his wife in his arms. "Love, I think you are most beautiful like this. I fear we'll have to find a way to have you like this more often."


"Oh, Severus," Hermione moaned against his mouth as he slid his hand beneath her robes, she felt herself moisten, then she screeched. "My water!"


* end dream *


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"Aaah!" Hermione screamed, bolting straight up in her bed, straight into the arms of her fiancé. "What's going on?"


"You were dreaming out loud, Hermione," Severus said, prying her arms from around his neck. "Your dream wandered straight into my head. I'd prefer it if you took a dreamless sleep draught from now until you learn enough Occlumency to keep your dreams to yourself."


"How much of my dream did you see?" Hermione asked, dread in her voice. "I was having a hard time sleeping, and Satchel helped me."


"Not much. I try to pull away from other people's dreams as soon as I figure out what is going on. I know my dreams, and yours had none of the familiar earmarks. Don't worry, I didn't see anything incriminating," Severus said, eyeing Hermione's state of dress. "Get dressed and come have some breakfast."


Severus got off the bed and trotted out of the room, letting the door close behind him. Hermione got up and washed her face, carefully selecting cooler clothing for the day. As she dressed, she wondered how she would spend her time at Spinner's End until she left for school.


It wasn't until she was heading to the dining room that she realized that he'd only been wearing black silk pajama bottoms.


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Breakfast was a bit more reserved, conversation-wise. The pair stuck to mundane topics, carefully avoiding the kiss they'd shared the night before. Severus had thrown a robe over the bottoms, and Hermione had dressed in khaki shorts and a light blue halter-top. Her hair was clipped back, and Severus had tied his back with a leather thong. His pale white chest was shadowed in the robe, and Hermione blushed and ducked her head, keeping that line of chest in her sight. She unconsciously licked her lips, and Severus made a noise at her.


"Sorry. Habit," Hermione said, blushing again. He gave her a bemused look, and she blushed again. "Sorry."


"Stop apologizing. Do you blush so all the time, witch?" Severus asked, forcibly keeping the smile off his face. He was going to use that against her, many times.


"No. I'm sorry; I'm having trouble controlling my reactions right now. Can we speak of something else?"


"Fine. Have you given any thought to what you'd like to do to occupy your time between now and the beginning of the term?"


"What?"


"Well, I can't very well just drop you off back at the Burrow, not after you've spent the night here. No-one will believe you're still unsullied. Your friends will ignore you, Black will tease and torment you, and the rest will be in varying degrees of morning for you and all the other little witches and wizards that come under this law. But if that's what you'd like to do, rather than study or peruse my library. . . ," Severus said, leaning back in his chair and steepling his fingers.


"You have your own personal library here, and you're willing to let me peruse it?" Hermione said, her eyes lighting up. "I could get started on what I'll need to know for the final potions exam, or NEWTs. . . and I would have my very own potions master to pester with all my lovely questions."


Severus made a face, but he nodded. "So long as you don't interfere with my own work that will be just fine."


"What are you studying, Severus? May I review your notes?" Hermione almost started out of her chair, but a look from Severus set her back down.


"I will have to think about that before I can answer. No, Hermione, don't pout and don't scheme. I have to think about this, for your safety and I have to consider the nature of the project. You will have to be patient. You can peruse the library today and I will let you know tomorrow of my decision. I haven't had a lab assistant in quite a while; that may work in your favor," Severus said, placing his hands flat on the table, on either side of his plate.


"I would like to visit Grimmauld Place before I go back to school, but I think I should wait a bit," Hermione said, changing the subject deftly.


"Let me know when you would like to go, and I will make the appropriate arrangements. One last thing before you head off to ravish my library," Severus said, and Hermione blush again. She glared at him, and he laughed, a rich rolling sound that washed over her. "I had to, Hermione, you mentioned yourself that you blushed quite easily. Ahem, if you are going to ward your rooms, you need to give me diagrams of the wards in case of emergency. I'll be in my study most of the day, taking care of legalities and whatnot, so you may deliver them to me at your leisure, but as a precaution, I will need them before we retire tonight."


"So you're not afraid of some other emergency happening some night anymore?" Hermione said cheekily. Severus's robe had slipped a bit more, and scars were coming into view. Suddenly, those scars were the most fascinating things she'd ever encountered, and she wanted to examine each and every one of them, in detail, kissing them, licking them. . . "Uhm. . ."


Severus smirked at her, draggin his robe shut securely.


"No. Because while I'll have the wards for your room, you'll not have the ones for mine."