Maternal Instinct

Hermione slapped the hand away from her hip, "I said go to sleep!"

"Actually," Severus murmured, rolling onto his side so his mouth was close to her ear, "You said 'go away'..."

"Whatever," She groaned, "Go to sleep, go away; they mean the same thing in the end: Leave me alone. It's not to late for me to go back to Ron's, you know." She yawned and buried her head in her pillow, wriggling away from his wandering hands.

Hermione reached out of the bed, picking her wand up from the floor. Seconds later, a nightdress separated her skin from his hand. Dropping her wand to the floor, she rested her head on the pillow again.

Severus didn't move his hand from her now-covered hip as he, slightly sullenly, reminded her, "You've been with Corrin all day and I have to go back to Hogwarts tomorrow, so -"

"So you should be asleep by now or you'll fall asleep in the middle of the sorting. I don't think McGonagall would find it very funny, but no doubt Dumbledore would. Not to mention every student present." Hermione smirked, "Don't blame me when it happens." Fingers curled around her shoulder and she was pressed onto her back. Severus leaned over her and Hermione glared up at him through the darkness of the bedroom, "You, sir, are a bat." With each word, she poked his chest with her fingertip, "A big, nocturnal bat. I'll be glad when you're gone tomorrow."

Severus raised an eyebrow, "Maybe I won't go. Maybe I'll stay here with you."

"And Corrin," Hermione said.

He frowned, "I wasn't exactly thinking about her."

She smirked, "I know. I thought you needed reminding."

Severus leaned down and kissed her and then rolled onto his back, pulling her close so that her head rested on his chest, as he stroked her hair. Slowly, Hermione was allowed fall asleep at last.

Sometime in the night, she was vaguely aware of somebody shaking her and jumping on he bed, but she was asleep again before she could make out whom the person was.

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The next morning Severus was almost ready to leave.

"DADDY!" There was the sound of someone running down the stairs. Corrin skidded into the kitchen, whining, "Daddy! Hermione won't get up! She went back to sleep." The girl seemed to take it as some great personal insult, "Go and wake her up!"

Corrin ran off somewhere else, and Severus went upstairs. He pushed open the bedroom door. The bed covers were all lumpy and twisted, and Hermione was curled up within them.

He moved over and sat on the edge of the mattress, stroking the hair out of her face. It seemed that if Corrin had persisted for one more moment she may have succeeded in her task, as Hermione flopped onto her stomach and groaned into the pillow.

Severus placed his hand on her back, "I'm going now."

She turned her head slightly and opened one eye, "You what?"

He rolled his eyes, "I'm going."

"Oh," She sat up slowly, running a self-conscious hand over her hair, "What time is it?"

Severus looked quickly at the clock on the wall, "Nearly two o'clock."

Hermione gasped and glanced at the clock as well, "Oh my God! Why didn't you wake me up sooner?"

He had wanted to, but she had looked so beautiful and if she had been awake, her presence would only have distracted him. As it was now. For the first time ever, he didn't want to go back to Hogwarts yet.

Hermione rubbed her eyes, "You had better go then." Severus nodded. Hermione dropped her hands into her lap and looked at him. They were silent for a minute, and Severus just watched her. Then she smiled, "Well? Are you just going to sit there all day or what?"

Snapping out of whatever trance he seemed to be in, Severus leaned forward and kissed her. He knew it was a mistake that second he did; he very much doubted his ability to leave now. But Hermione pushed him away and Severus knew it was for his own good, if he wanted to get to Hogwarts at a reasonable time.

He put his arms around her and kissed her forehead briefly, "I love you."

Hermione sighed, "Yeah... I love you too." She sat in his arms a moment longer, before she drew back and pushed him away, smiling slightly, "Now go, before Dumbledore realizes you're too much of a liability and sacks you."

Reluctantly, Severus stood up, "I wish he would; then I could stay here."

"Go away and let me get dressed!" She moaned, flopping back on the bed. He was almost at the door when she called him back. He turned. She was sitting up again, looking around, "What, exactly, did you do with my clothes?"

Severus smirked, "If you don't remember, then I certainly don't."

As she spluttered indignantly, Severus left.

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Hermione turned the TV on and sat Corrin in front of it, before going upstairs to get her things. She had conjured some clothes and decided that she needed to get her things from Ron's house. It was Monday, so he would be at work, but, as here was no one to look after Corrin, Hermione had had to take the girl with her.

She quickly, threw everything from her room in Ron's house into a bag that was bigger on the inside than it looked on the outside. When she was finished, she went back down stairs and found Corrin with her eyes glued to the TV.

The girl pointed at the screen, "What are they?"

Hermione looked, then answered, "They're fireworks. Haven't you ever seen them before?"

Corrin shook her head, "No. They're pretty!"

Hermione smiled slightly, "Maybe, one day, you're daddy will take you to see some real ones."

Corrin turned around, "With you?"

Hermione nodded as she turned off the TV, "Yeah, if you want."

She quickly scribbled a note to Ron, explaining that she had collected her stuff, and then took Corrin back through the floo. When they were back in the living room, Corrin grabbed Hermione’s hand and started to pull her upstairs.

"What you are doing?" Hermione asked.

The girl took them to her bedroom, and pointed around at the white walls, "Mummy made me have this colour, but I don't like it. Now that you're my mummy, can I have another colour?"

Hermione sighed, "I suppose so, if you're dad agrees."

Corrin shook her head, "He won't care. And, can we do what Muggles do and use those things with the little sticks on the end?"

"Use brushes?" Hermione smiled, "You'll have to ask your dad."

Corrin shook her head, "No! It'll take to long! Please! I'll die if I can't have it a different colour soon! Daddy won't mind!"

Hermione sighed, "Maybe tomorrow."

Corrin hugged her, then ran over to her bed to see Mr. Snuggles.

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Severus stared into the darkness of his dungeon bedroom. The Sorting had been its usual boring self, though more so this year, because he knew there was somewhere better to be and someone better to be with. He hadn't taken notice of the new Slytherins, or the older ones that were tormenting the Gryffindors with smug looks, for that matter.

As soon as Albus had let him, he had left and gone back to his Dungeons. It was nearing midnight now, and he was still awake. Merlin, how he wished he was back at home! There was no Amy to run away from now and person he would much rather be with there instead. And Corrin of course; he wanted to give her more attention to make sure she didn't turn out like her mother.

He had never realized how big the bed was before and he wanted another person to take up some of the room. But the other person was looking after his daughter.