Hilltop Cottage

Hermione had no idea that she had missed Hogwarts quite as much as she had. As soon as she had walked through into the main entrance hall, she felt immediately at home. The smell of old wood and stone, the way that the history of the building seemed to seep through her clothes and into her veins, it was like sucking in a huge gulp of air after being deprived for far too long.



She walked step by step with Severus, who was guiding her to a part of the castle she had never seen, and it made her smirk now and again to see students scatter in his wake. Because he was no longer teaching, he dispensed with his robes for the most part, preferring to be less encumbered for brewing and working with ingredients. Never the less, with his tall frame and black coat and trousers, coupled with his shiny, dragon-hide boots, he cut a striking and intimidating figure as he marched with his head held high.



Hermione glanced sideways at him and smiled. He was taking better care of himself. The five o’clock shadow had gone, and his hair was clean and shone in the light of the wall sconces as they passed them. She tried to play down the frisson of familiar attraction, but she knew it was only a matter of time. The way he had looked at her as she entered the castle told her everything she needed to know-that what she was feeling, he was feeling it too. The only difference was that Severus wasn’t quite so obvious, and as soon as his pleasure had lit up his face, it was hidden again.



They alighted a stone staircase, Severus stepping aside to allow Hermione to walk ahead and set the pace. By the time they had reached the top, she was out of puff, and laughed as he raised his eyebrow at her.



‘I’m not as fit as I used to be,’ she panted.



‘No stairs to climb in America, I imagine,’ he said, a small smile on his lips.



‘I don’t think anywhere but Hogwarts has a flight of stairs that long, Severus,’ she protested.



Severus snorted but said nothing, instead leading her down a narrow but bright corridor. At the end, he opened a sturdy wooden door and stepped inside.



Hermione’s eyes widened as she entered his living quarters. It was cosy, with lots of natural light from the large window, which she immediately walked towards and peered out of.



‘Oh, the lake looks wonderful from here,’ she enthused.



‘Indeed,’ he said quietly.



Hermione turned and grinned. Severus was standing with his hands clasped in front of him, waiting patiently with a look of amusement in his eyes.



‘Sorry. Distracted. I haven’t been back in so long. But we have work to do, don’t we?’ she said.



‘It’s no problem. I thought I would order some tea. We should discuss my findings before we decide how to proceed.’ Severus indicated a comfortable cream armchair opposite his own beside the fireplace. Hermione recognised Severus’s teaching voice and complied like a dutiful student, sitting patiently as he poured the tea that had appeared before them.



Handing Hermione a cup, Severus summoned a sheaf of parchment with his wand and indicated the top sheet.



‘These are the potions I have used, with the results of their effectiveness. The potion I am making at the moment is an enhanced version of Strengthening Solution combined with Echinacea tincture. It’s keeping her strength up, but it’s not affecting the disease.’



Hermione took the sheet and cast her eye along the list. ‘Apart from the diagnostic spells and your potion, has any other method been attempted? A Charm or a Spell, for instance?’ Hermione frowned as she looked down the list again.



‘There is little known about the illness. Experimentation was felt to be risky without the proper research, and we had no one with the expertise to try,’ Severus said, ‘until now.’



Hermione raised her eyes, and Severus lifted his cup to her in acknowledgement.



‘Welcome to the team, Dr Granger.’



Hermione grinned at him, basking in the compliment for a moment. ‘Severus, would you mind if I share this with Alicia? Her department is working on the development of Charm Therapy in cases where potions are not effective. It might be just up her street,’ she said.



‘Of course. If you think she might help, the more the merrier.’ Severus sipped his tea.



‘Can I see your lab?’ she asked.



‘Yes. I need to finish the next batch of the Strengthening Solution. Perhaps you could assist me? It would expedite matters, and I may have time to visit Donovan this evening, if that suits you?’ Severus stood smoothly, trying and failing to hide the hope in his voice.



‘I think he would love to see you,’ Hermione said knowingly.



Severus paused as he walked across the room. ‘And you?’ he murmured, not turning to look at her.



Hermione flushed, but walked to where he stood and slipped her hand into his briefly, giving it a tight squeeze. ‘Of course,’ she whispered. Her heart fluttered wildly when he squeezed her hand in response, and they said no more, walking into his lab to concentrate on more pressing matters.





***



When Hermione returned to Hilltop Cottage, Donovan was crying the house down, and Lexie Flint looked close to tears. On the floor, quite some way from the charmed high chair he was sat in, was Donovan’s supper, which he was also wearing down the front of his pale blue t-shirt. He was not a happy bunny.



‘Oh, god,’ Hermione gasped.



‘Miss Granger, I’m so sorry. He insisted on feeding himself, and when I tried to take the spoon, the bowl flew in the air and landed there. There was nothing I could do,’ Lexie said.



There was a knock at the door, and Hermione flicked her wand at it, letting Severus walk straight into the chaos.



‘Miss Flint,’ he said, nodding.



‘Professor Snape!’ Lexie looked like she was going to explode at the sight of her old teacher, particularly dressed in jeans and a casual, navy jumper as he was at that moment.



‘I think your son just started to practice his magic, Severus,’ Hermione laughed. ‘Don’t worry about it Lexie. There’s nothing you could have done.’



Hermione walked over to lift Donovan from his chair, when Severus interrupted her.



‘I’ll sort him out, if you want to clean up the mess?’ he said.



Hermione flashed him a smile, and then stood back as Donovan lifted his arms and allowed Severus to lift him and carry him up the stairs. She turned and giggled at Lexie as she heard Severus berate their son for scaring the help.



‘Are you okay, Lexie?’ Hermione asked, her voice concerned.



‘I have no idea,’ the teenager answered. ‘I don’t know what shocked me more; the flying food, or finding out that Professor Snape is Donovan’s dad. My father won’t believe it.’



Hermione observed the girl for a moment. She had a shock of black, spiky hair and her eyebrow had a metal bar pierced through it, which made her wince. Her outward appearance belied her gentle nature, but she still needed guidance.



‘Lexie, do me a favour, would you? Don’t spread this around like gossip. The last thing I want is to have to let you go, but if a word of this gets to the Prophet, I’ll have no choice.’ Hermione looked at her seriously, and Lexie bit her lip.



‘Sorry, Miss Granger. Of course, I won’t tell anyone else. I was just surprised.’



Hermione softened. She wasn’t the first young girl to make a mistake. She walked over to Lexie and put a reassuring arm around her shoulder.



‘I’ll tell you a secret, okay? Yes, Donovan is Severus’s son, but me and Severus. Well, it’s complicated, but he’s not my boyfriend any more, you see.’ Hermione started to whisper. ‘The thing is, I really want him back. If people start to gossip, he’ll get all huffy. You know how moody he can get, right?’



Lexie giggled nervously. ‘Too right I do,’ she snorted.



‘Exactly. So let’s try and keep him in a good mood. You never know what might happen,’ Hermione giggled conspiratorially, and Lexie grinned, and then moved away quickly as Severus reappeared with Donovan.



The boy was dressed in clean pyjamas and holding what looked like an old, moth-eaten teddy bear. There were patches where the fabric had been re-stitched, and the poor thing only had one eye, but Donovan was holding on to it for grim death. Hermione eyed Severus suspiciously, but he stared back at her innocently.



‘Was there something?’ he said, glancing slightly at Lexie.



Hermione took the hint that it was a conversation to be had in private, so she paid Lexie, who kissed Donovan lightly on the cheek and Floo’d away so quickly that they didn’t even have chance to say goodbye.



‘If you’re going to have that effect on all of the hired help, I might have to Polyjuice you while they’re here,’ Hermione laughed, flicking her wand to clean up the spilled food. She turned and smiled. Donovan was cuddled up against Severus’s shoulder, and was falling asleep.



‘Why don’t you put him in his cot for a while? He won’t sleep long, but we will have time to eat in peace,’ Hermione said sweetly, patting Donovan’s back gently, ‘and then you can tell me all about that horrid bear.’



Severus snorted, his shoulders shaking lightly, and Hermione could tell he was trying not to laugh as he walked back up to Donovan’s room. As he disappeared from sight, Hermione grinned and lifted the Chinese take away menu.



Maybe tonight was a good night to take a trip down memory lane?