Ensnaring The Senses

Snape woke just as the sun rose and it's rays filtered through the crisp autumn leaves. He winced from their brightness and drew the sleeping bag over their heads and tightened his arms reflexively around the naked woman beside him. Rubbing his face into the bushy brown hair he kissed the top of her head as he sighed. Hermione snuggled closer in her sleep and he felt her breath on his chest.

With the daylight came regrets. She'd been untouched and he hadn't expected that. She was beautiful, intelligent and was worth so much more then a has-been professor who had spent the totality of her lifespan as a killer and a spy. Associating with him would ruin her chances at a successful career.

Snape felt her move as she kissed his chest, his neck and finally he moaned as their lips met. His hands moved across her back as he crushed her into his torso; their tongues dueling. He was lost in Hermione's love.

“Good morning, Severus.” She said sleepily as they broke apart, aroused once more in their senses. Severus wanted to roll her over and fill her with his need once more, but held back as he groaned and breathed in their mingled scent deeply.

Suddenly there was a scratching and a hopping on their sleeping bag. Whatever was out there insistently pecked at the covers, poking through.

“Dammit,” Snape said as he clasped his wand and threw back the bag to greet the intruder.

“Hedwig!” Hermione cried happily as the small owl hooted a disgruntled greeting. “Severus, no!” She laughed as he pointed the wand menacingly towards Harry's familiar. She took the note from Hedwig's outstretched talon and watched the snowy owl fly off.

“Harry says Draco's awake and is asking for you.” She read as she unrolled it. Hermione looked up at Severus to see a look of concern on his pale, worn face. “If he's asking for you that means he's all right!” She threw the note onto the covers and drew his face down for a kiss.

Snape pulled back from her. He knew he couldn't undo last night, but hopefully he could repair the damage by day.

“Let's go,” He said ignoring her look of pain. He gathered up his clothes from hers, his hand clasping her bra for a second too long before handing it to her. He practically sprinted off into the trees to dress as Hermione held her clothes to her chest in bewilderment.

Daddy Remus was going to kill him.


~*~


They arrived at St Mungo's an hour later. Snape led them through the hallways and as they past the Longbottoms room he looked in and sighed with regret. They'd been a happy couple, just starting out in life with a new baby, Neville. Their Auror careers going successfully when Voldemort and his Death Eaters ripped it all away from them. He had stood by and watched as they slipped into a lifetime of insanity. More for his list of mistakes that he could never rectify.

Snape had never really hated Neville, but the sight of the poor boy brought back the painful memories. He'd actually cheered when Neville, against all odds had stood by Harry's side with Hermione, Ginny and Ron as the combined powers of their magic twisted together and shot Voldemort into a smoking pile of ashes on the battlefield. The sounds of Death Eaters disapparating in fear sounded like the heavens opening up in a lightening storm.

“Hello, son.” Snape said, an odd feeling passing through him as he saw Draco look up and smile at him. The boy was still pale, and a long cut marred his face. He had done what he had promised Narcissa before she died, he had drawn him out Voldemort's and his father's influences. They even had forged a bond through it all, and Draco had adopted him unofficially as his father.

Snape had been floored the day Draco had first called him 'Dad' with a defiant but unsure look on his face. In Draco's face he saw his former lover's, and but from a twist of fate this boy could have been his, should have been his.

Last week as Lucius had bound him magically and made him watch as Bellatrix and Lucius tortured Draco with spells and physical attacks had almost killed him. Unable to move or intervene, Severus had screamed silently in his mind in the horror until the Aurors' arrival had the duo flee. Their maniacal laughter still filled him with remorse. He'd almost failed the boy, and Narcissa.

“You look better,” Hermione said as she kissed Draco's forehead and tucked a lock of blond hair behind his ear.

“Eh, I feel like a hippogriff walked all over me, than sat down for a nap.” Draco grimaced as he laughed.

As Severus watched the two, he felt his misgivings of this morning bloom once again. “I'll be back.” He told them both as he caught sight of Remus at the door.

“How did it go?” Remus asked as he watched Snape walk warily towards him.

“No sign of Bella or Lucius yet, just some unconfirmed Death Eater sightings.” Snape scratched at his head tiredly. It had been a long week, and Hermione's youth had been their driving energy in the hunt.

Remus watched Snape as he stared through the glass window at the two young ones. No, he's staring at Hermione, and with a look of- Remus growled as he grabbed Snape by the collar and dragged him down the hall and entered an unoccupied room.

Severus had been waiting for this. He felt his back slam against the wall, hard enough to crack the plaster. He grimaced as he waited.

Remus sniffed, for once glad of his werewolf senses. He almost howled in outrage at what his nose told him. “What did you do?” He asked, already knowing the answer.

“We did just what you are thinking we did.” Severus answered. He looked Remus in the eyes. “If I could go back and change it I would.” His head bowed.

“Do you love her?”

“What's love?” Severus felt Remus's nails dig into his shoulders as he faced his own fears.

“Love is an abiding passion that fills you with joy each time a certain person enters a room.” Remus answered.

“Than yes, I love her.” Severus answered.

“I've watched you both for a year now dance around each other, smiling when one walks in the room. Worry when the other is out in the field. Neither of you admitting to it.” Remus pushed Snape tighter against the wall. “You've told me your dream about the faceless woman. Is she the one?”

“Yes,” Severus spat out.

“What are you going to do? Keep the dance up till you lose Hermione?”

“I'm going back out to hunt down Lucius and Bella on my own.” Severus's eyes closed as he said that, images of the duo imprinted in his mind.

“And Hermione?” Remus asked as he watched the emotions flit across the dark wizard before him.

“Hermione is too young for me. I'll ruin her.” Snape answered, his voice filled with regret.

“That's not what you said about Tonks and me. You told me to give Tonks a chance, that she was a strong woman and could handle it. Hermione's a grown woman, Severus. What are you going to do, pushe her away?” Remus gasped at Severus's confirming look. “Going alone will get you killed!”

“Better one old wizard dying than another innocent.” Snape said bitterly, remembering the scar on Draco's face. The pain he would feel if either of them died ripped a hole in his heart.

“So, you're going to decide for Hermione? How noble of you.” Remus sneered.

“She's young, way too young for me. I'm old enough to have sired her, for Merlin's sake. She deserves a young wizard without the life I have led. I can't even walk Diagon Alley with out getting spit upon. Is that really what you want for Hermione?” Severus felt Remus's grip loosen as he turned away to leave the room.

“Remus?”

“What?” Remus turned back with feeling of remorse. His plan of getting them to face their feelings had backfired. He had sent Hermione with Severus in hopes they'd talk and admit their attraction, not act on it.

“I'd prefer if you'd keep your knowledge to yourself.” Severus asked in a quiet tone. “And for her sake, get her to finish school. She's the brightest witch, the most annoying know-it-all I had ever taught, and she's wasting it.”

“So, who's going to pick up the pieces this time?” Remus asked, not caring if Severus answered, as he slammed the room's door.


~*~

“Where's Severus?” Hermione asked with a smile as Remus entered the room.

“Dunno.” He mumbled. “Look, I'm pulling you off the Death Eaters cases. It's time you went to University.” Hermione made a sound of protest. “No girl, it's time.”

“But who is going with Severus until Draco is better? I could at least wait till then.” She asked hopefully.

“Severus has decided to go alone.” Remus held a hand up to their objections. “It's his choice.” He felt a tug at his heart when her face fell. Knowing what he did made him want to kill Severus. Stupid, hard-headed git.


Hermione jumped into her studies with her old enthusiasm, so she dismissed her tiredness from trying to catch up on her studies. Food seemed to either make her sick from the smell, or ravenously hungry. Draco was released from St Mungo's two months after Severus left on his solo journey and arrived at Headquarters to stay with Remus, Tonks and Hermione.

“How's my best girl today?” Draco joked as he walked into the library to see Hermione surrounded by books piled high and rolls of parchment at her feet.

“Give it a rest, Draco.” She mumbled as her quill scribbled on the page in front of her. He watched in amazement as she jumped up from her chair and flew to the wastebasket , barely making it time before throwing up. “Damn flu,” She muttered. “It's making me so behind in my work. And I started out behind.” She laughed self-consciously.

“Rest maybe better for you. Making yourself sick over this will put you farther behind.” Draco placed a hand on her forehead. “You're not warm. What did they say at Mungos?”

“Erm, nothing.” She looked away a moment, not meeting his eyes.

“You're lying!” Draco said with concern.

“I said, Give. It. A. Rest.” And then she burst into tears and ran out of the room.

Hermione had to face it as she picked up her handbag and pulled the slim box out of it. Her Gryffindor bravery failed her for a moment as her hands shook as she opened it. As she read the directions she mumbled, “Merlin's beard, you have to pee on it to work?”

She walked into the bathroom and took the strip from the plastic wrapper, “Pee and then wait five minutes, blue positive, pink negative. Think pink!” Hermione set the Muggle device on the sink and waited, and paced. Pink, pink, PINK.

Blue.

Hermione walked out of her room and headed for the floo, “St Mungo's!” She said as she stepped in.

Draco looked up at Remus from his book and shrugged his shoulders. “I'm staying out of it. She won't talk, she cries all the time, she even puked in the wastebasket.”

She couldn't be? Remus thought, Snape's smarter then that.

“I'll talk to her later,” Remus told Draco.

“Better you than me. Wish Dad would come back, she's been like this since he left.” Draco's ice gray eyes closed for a moment. “He should stop blaming himself for what Lucius and Bellatrix did to me.” Draco shut his book.

Ginny and Harry burst into the room, their cheeks flushed and bright smiles on their faces. “We've just come from St Mungos,” Harry burst out as Ginny laughed and slapped his shoulder.

“Well, obviously every thing's okay,” Remus laughed.

“Oh yes it is!” Ginny said happily.

“I'm pregnant!” Harry said flustered.

“Harry!” Ginny giggled.

“Er, well Ginny is.” Harry's face was beet red, but nothing could wipe the smile off his face.

“Congratulations!” Remus and Draco said as Ron entered the Ron holding the strip in his hand.

“Blimey, what's got everyone's knickers in an uproar here?” Ron asked as he held the strip out to Harry. Ginny grabbed it.

“That's mine! I must have been so excited this morning after Harry got it for me, I forgot to hide it.” Her face turned a light blush beneath her freckles as she lied. She glanced at the 'blue' for a moment as she tucked it in her pocket. Oh, Merlin. Poor Hermione. She thought. Her eyes glanced up at her husband's inquiring face and shook her head slightly.

Hermione slipped back in a few hours later and went to her room. It was time to actually send a letter. The stack of unsent ones seemed to mock her as the tears slid down her cheeks. She felt Ginny slip an arm around her shoulders as she carried Hedwig into the room. She tied the letter to his talon and he flapped off into the night sky.

~*~


Remus stared at the young witch as he watched her finger caress the latest missive posted on the wall from Severus Snape. He watched the tear as it slid down her cheek. His heart broke for her as she turned to look at him.

“He's never coming back, is he?” Hermione asked as Remus wiped the tear from her cheek, and gathered her in his arms.

“I don't think so, love.” He felt Tonks slip in the room and wrap her arms around her husband and the young girl he thought of as daughter.

Draco, Harry and Ginny entered the room and stopped in shock at the heartbreaking scene. They all had slowly watched Hermione the past four months as she waited, growing more depressed and paler as her secret bloomed before them.

“I'm pregnant.” Hermione said as she rubbed the oh so small bump of her belly. “I sent a letter two months ago, and he never responded.” Remus had been waiting for her to tell them. Most had figured it out without being told, except for Ron.

“I could go to him.” Draco said.

“No!” Hermione exclaimed. “If Severus had wanted us, he'd be here. Hedwig came back without the letter, so I know he's received it. I'd only want him to come back if he loved me anyhow. Obviously he doesn't.”

“Hermione-” Remus started to say.

“No one can tell him. No one.” She looked around the room. “This is my baby, my life. I'm not going to force him into anything. Promise me!”

With regrets they promised not to tell him about his impending fatherhood.


~*~


Severus Snape, worn from four months of hunting Bellatrix and Lucius sat down in his room in a hostel in Bulgaria. He pulled the letter from his pocket, slightly crumpled from its two months occupancy there. He held it tight, wanting to open it as he had started to so many times since Hedwig had brought it to him. But, he had made his decision to let her go. He picked up a small wooden box and tucked it in there and sealed it shut.