AFTERWARDS

Hermione floo’ed into the cottage and walked through into the kitchen, putting down her shopping bags and starting to empty them. She could hear music coming from upstairs and sighed. As it became louder she went to the bottom of the stairs and put her hands on hr hips.



‘Sebastian!’ She called up the stairs.



‘What?’ A teenage voice growled out at her.



‘Turn it down or I will hex you into next week!’ Hermione walked back into the kitchen and continued putting the shopping away, making a mental note to go and get milk. There was always something she had forgotten.



A tall, lank haired teenager walked into the kitchen and slouched against the doorframe. Hermione glanced at him and could tell by his pout that something wasn’t right in his world.



‘How was school?’ She murmured, not catching his eye and trying to make it seem that she was generally interested rather than motherly concerned.



‘The usual…’ His voice was velvet smooth like his father’s but lighter, his eyes dark and brooding. Sebastian had not inherited his parents’ love of study and had attracted a fair bit of female attention at Hogwarts but Severus had put his foot down. His extra-curricular activities were interfering with his schoolwork.



They both heard the floo go and Hermione looked at her son pointedly. ‘We’ll talk later.’



A moment later Willow bounced into the kitchen. ‘Hey Mum.’ She kissed Hermione on the cheek and opened the cupboard looking for chocolate.



‘I didn’t get any…’ Hermione knew what her daughter was searching for. ‘You will have to earn some pocket money and go to Honeydukes.. And you can start by tidying your bedroom… leave your wand here, Willow….’ She called after her as she went to bounce up the stairs.



Sebastian snorted as his sister walked back into the room with a face like thunder.

‘It’s not fair! Why can’t I use my wand? YOU do, all the time!’ Willow pouted like her brother, her long black hair shaking angrily around her shoulders.



‘Doing it the other way means you have time to think, and you do a better job. I know you Willow Snape, you just wave your wand and everything goes into the wardrobe with no care at all.’ Hermione was getting exasperated with her daughter, who was not the tidiest child in the world.



She looked at her children who were both miserable and pouting at her and sighed.



‘Willow, I love you. Go and do your room and I will give you some sickles to get chocolate, OK?’



‘Fine.’ Willow muttered and went stomping up the stairs.



Hermione turned to Sebastian. ‘I am guessing that sickles and chocolate wont help you, Seb. What’s going on?’



‘It’s Dad…of course. I hate having Potions with him; he’s a total nightmare. You would think he was the unhappiest person in the world, the way he stomps about, and he is forever taking points off people for no reason. Everyone hates him and then I get it because they think he gives me special treatment! He doesn’t, as it happens, he just ignores me…it doesn’t make sense.’ Sebastian pushed his hands into his jeans pocket and his hair fell forward in curtains around his face.



Hermione walked up to him and cupped his cheek with her hand. ‘Your Dad does love you Seb, but he can’t be seen to be treating you differently, can he? And as for stomping about taking points from people, well… it sounds like he hasn’t changed much from when I was in his class!’ Hermione laughed a little and Sebastian smiled at her from under his hair.



‘I wish he would take points from me, at least I’d be like the rest of them…’ he grumbled.



‘Have you said that to him? He would listen, Seb, you know he would.’ Hermione worried about his relationship with Severus. Since Sebastian turned 14, things had started going downhill and they were both so stubborn she ended up playing referee most of the time.



Sebastian shrugged. ‘Maybe.. I dunno. Mum, can Carla come round at the weekend?’



Hermione looked at him. ‘I don’t know Sebastian, I’ll have to speak with your Dad, OK? Are you up to date with your homework?’



Sebastian scowled. ‘Not yet…’



‘Well, you know the rules, Seb. No friends round until your homework is done, OK? I’ll talk to your Dad later. You can put your music back on… but not too loud.’



Sebastian grinned at her and skulked out of the room. Hermione ran her fingers through her hair. No one said it would be easy but she had no idea it would be this challenging.

The floo went again and she smiled. Severus was brushing his robes down as she walked into the sitting room and he looked up at her.



‘Hello..’ He drawled a little and the hairs stood up on Hermione’s neck. She walked up to him and he wrapped his arms around her, crushing her mouth with his and forcing entry with his tongue. Hermione melted against him and ran her hands through his hair. They were rudely interrupted by the sound of feet pounding down the stairs.



‘Oh no way!’ Willow covered her face with her hands. ‘You two… you’re so embarrassing….’



Hermione pulled away grinning at Severus who looked at his daughter with a smile playing about his lips.



‘If I didn’t kiss your Mother she would leave me, Willow. I am the best kisser she has ever had….’ He smiled sweetly at her.



‘Oh Dad, you are totally gross!’ Willow collapsed in a fit of giggles and ran up to him, throwing her arms around his waist and hugging him tightly.



Severus chuckled and hugged her back, stroking her long hair.



Hermione turned to Willow. ‘Well? Do I need to go and check or is your room done?’



Willow rolled her eyes at Severus and pouted. ‘She wouldn’t let me use my wand…’



‘Good. It’s character building. Now, answer your Mother or I will go and check…’ He stared at her and she knew there was no argument.



‘I did it. Now can I go to Honeydukes?’ She looked at her mother beseechingly, her dark brown eyes wide.



‘Fine… here. ‘ Hermione handed her ten sickles. ‘Be back in ten minutes or I will send Seb after you!’ She called after her as she disappeared through the door.



Severus looked at her and smiled. ‘Busy day?’



‘Not until I got home, no…’ She sighed and waved her wand, summoning two steaming mugs of tea and handing one to Severus. ‘We need to talk…’



*****



Severus sat on the edge of the bed and watched as Hermione removed her clothes. She hadn’t changed much, a little rounder in places, her breasts a little fuller which he didn’t complain about. Her hair was almost the same although a few tell-tail silver hairs were starting to show.



‘You are so beautiful.’ He stated and he meant it. She smiled at him and walked over to where he was sitting. She was totally naked and he ran his hand up her inner thigh as she bent her head to cover his lips with hers. Severus groaned as he reached her pussy. Moisture was dripping from her lips and as he slipped his finger inside, she gasped into his mouth. Hermione straddled his legs and rubbed herself against his stiff erection as he started to pay serious attention to her nipples.



They made love hard and fast and lay panting together on the bed, arms wrapped around each other, lips locked, tongues entwined.



‘I love you…’ Hermione sighed.



‘I love you…’ Severus smiled at her.



They adjusted position and curled up together in the bed.



‘Did you talk with him?’ Hermione asked.



Severus sighed. ‘I did. I thought by not giving him special treatment I was helping him but I think I just made it worse. I promised him I would take points from him tomorrow. He hasn’t smiled at me so much in weeks!’ He chuckled a little.



‘That’s good. At least he’s talking to you now…’ Hermione yawned.



‘He’ll grow out of it. He cant stay miserable and bad tempered forever…’ Severus stated.



‘Lets hope he doesn’t take after his father!’ Hermione laughed.



‘Not funny… I have to be like that at school, the children wouldn’t know what to do with me if I turned nice over night.’



Hermione turned to look at him. ‘I know what to do with you….’ She grinned.



Severus chuckled as they reached for each other