Missed Me

Props to my beta and sounding board: Kat

Props to all the folks that keep coming back and reviewing

Legal Schtuff:
All characters belong to J.K. Rowling
“When I’m 64\" belongs to The Beatles

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Severus put the paperback novel down in the covers with a huff. If I got up, she would probably just send me back to bed, he thought, pursing his lips together. After that first outbreak of the chicken pox, the disease seemed to come back around every few years. This year, it finally claimed Severus Snape. Severus was thanking his lucky stars that it had happened during Christmas break, when having the time off didn’t mean sacrificing time away from his classes. At least those dunderheads won’t fall behind this time.

With the outbreak and it being so near to Christmas, Severus and his small family went to 12 Grimmauld Place for the holidays. Hermione insisted that it made no sense to hang around Hogwarts when he was on bed rest orders from Poppy. Both Harry and Ron had opened up more of the rooms to make room for them, and the twins loved playing with their uncles. Most likely because their uncles share the same mentality they do, Severus mused.

Glancing at the book still laying in the covers, Severus picked the novel back up, a small smile on his lips. He had never been one for modern Muggle literature but Hermione had insisted that the book was good, and in a way she was right. Severus hadn’t been sure he would enjoy a book named after a girl, but Carrie was proving to be a pretty good read. He sympathized a lot with her, had been horrified at the shower scene, and even more so when Hermione had confirmed that sometimes girls were indeed that cruel to one another.

Placing his marker in the book before putting it on the night stand, he stood up and put on a dressing gown. I’m tired of lying in this bed; the worst she can do is send me back, he thought as he opened the bedroom door sticking his head out to see if the coast was clear. If Ivy or Sebastian spied him the plan to get out would be over before it even had started.

~~~

Hermione smiled as she came into the kitchen. The twins were napping in their room, Severus was most likely resting and grumbling over being stuck in bed, and Ron and Harry were in the study playing Wizard’s chess. Those two never change, she thought with a smile of nostalgia as she was almost certain she had heard one of the pair cheering as a rook was overtaken. When they had finally come clean about the nature of their relationship to everyone, it had been met with very little fanfare--though that was mostly due to the fact that by the time they eventually said something, everyone already knew. Anyone with a pair of eyes and a bit of common sense can tell Ron and Harry are absolutely mad about one another, thought Hermione. The only one who had really made any fuss had been Percy, but no one really paid him too much attention. Hermione was sure that the Dursleys probably would have been upset as well, if Harry had been in contact with them. But Harry hadn’t had any communication with them for so long, it was almost as if they had never really existed.

The dishes aren’t going to clean themselves, Hermione thought as looked at the sink full of dishes. Best to stop daydreaming and hop to. After filling the sink full of soapy hot water and wiping down the kitchen counters, she loaded a CD into her player. Smiling as the player filled the kitchen with the jaunty tune backed by a clarinet, piano, bass and drums, she began to wash the dishes.

~~~

Severus smiled as he took in the sight of his wife scrubbing the dishes. Her hair was tamed back into a tidy plait down her back as she happily sang the familiar tune. He had surprised her by buying her CDs for the device, even more so when she found he had gotten her all Muggle bands. She had teased him by asking if he even knew any of the bands he had purchased. In turn he had surprised her when he told her that he did indeed know and enjoyed music by people such as David Bowie, Rufus Wainwright, and the Beatles. As he recognized the tune, Hermione cheerfully sang along.

When I get older, losing my hair, many years from now,
Will you still be sending me a Valentine, birthday greetings, bottle of wine?
If I\'d been out \'till quarter to three, would you lock the door?
Will you still need me, will you still feed me,
When I\'m sixty-four?

As he watched her sing as she worked, he went back to six years ago. Who would have thought, that that one little encounter in the middle of the night would have resulted in not only a happy marriage but also two three-year-old children? Who indeed, he thought with a smirk. Severus had never given much thought before about having children; he had figured that some time during the war he would die, and didn’t see much point in planning something that would never happen. But Hermione had changed all that, and when he had found out about the twins, he had been a mix of elated and scared as hell. Now, he couldn’t imagine his life any other way. Hermione and the twins brought such laughter and happiness into his life. Sebastian looked very much like his mother, with his riot of brown hair and matching brown eyes, though he had his father’s distinctive nose, and a grimace that almost matched Severus’. Ivy, on the other hand, had a mixture of her father’s raven hair coupled with her mother’s curls. Her eyes seemed to come directly from her grandmother in the form of a startling shade of green. Molly swore that the pair of them were almost as rambunctious as Fred and George had been. Shaking himself out of his reverie, Severus took in the picture of his wife lost in her music, her hands immersed in soapy water before he silently crept up on her.

I could be handy, mending a fuse, when your lights have gone.
You can knit a sweater by the fireside,
Sunday mornings, go for a ride.
Doing the garden, digging the weeds, who could ask for more?
Will you still need me, will you still feed me,
When I\'m sixty four?

Hermione let a startled gasp as she felt a pair of arms snake around her waist and a kiss dropped on her nape.

“Severus! You should be in bed,” she admonished as he quietly chuckled. Severus leaned down to place another lingering kiss on her neck before silkily asking,

“Would you prefer me upstairs and sleeping, instead of down here doing this?”

“I’m not answering that,” she said, laughing softly, as she tilted her head allowing him more access.

“And I’m taking that as a no,” he said with mirth in his voice, as his lips trailed along her neck before nibbling on her earlobe.

“We should probably stop,” she said with a soft moan.

“Why? The twins are napping and I don’t see Potter or Weasley in here,” he drawled as his hands came up to cup and tease her breasts.

“Yes, but they could. Besides, you should be resting.”

“If I have to spend all day in that room, I’d rather have you to keep me company in that big bed,” he said before softly biting that one spot on her neck that drove her crazy.

“Severus,” Hermione said with that half-warning, half-pleading tone in her voice as she squirmed in his arms. Chuckling, Severus stopped what was doing, content to just hold her in his arms.

“All right,” he said with a dramatic sigh. “I suppose we can always pick this back up later.”

“You bet we will,” she teased.

“Minx.”

“Yes, but you love me.”
“Indeed,” he teased.

Every summer we can rent a cottage in the Isle of Wight
If it\'s not too dear.
We shall scrimp and save.
Grandchildren on your knee, Vera, Chuck, and Dave.

“Do you think we’ll someday be grandparents?” she asked him.

“If we are, I’m forbidding either of them from naming the child ‘Chuck.’”

Hermione softly giggled at his tone.

“Besides, we have a lot of time before either of the twins will even be interested in such things.”

“Oh, I wouldn’t know about that, Severus. Ivy has already said that she’s going to marry Fred...or George, I’m not quite sure which one she was talking about.”

“Over my dead body. They would be much too older than her by the time she’s even going to be allowed to date.”

“Says the man whose wife is how many years younger than him?”

Send me a postcard, drop me a line stating point of view.
Indicate precisely what you mean to say, yours sincerely wasting away.
Give me your answer, fill in a form, mine forever more.
Will you still need me, will you still feed me,
When I\'m sixty four?

“I love you, you know-it-all.”

“I love you too, you greasy git.”

As Severus leaned down to capture Hermione’s lips, the sound of the twins’ voices raising even louder before exploding into tears sounded out on cue. “I knew marrying you and having those two was a bad idea,” he deadpanned. Hermione gave him a look.

“Well, you know where the door and the Floo are,” she offered sweetly.

“And have to deal with Potter and Weasley? I think not.” Chuckling, Hermione left the cosiness of his arms.

“I’m going to see what’s bothering the twins. After that, do you want something for lunch?”

“Yes. You,” he answered. Hermione rolled her eyes and then a laugh as he gathered her up into his arms once more, giving her a blistering kiss.

“Oi. Can’t you two separate for a minute? Your kids are crying for you, y\'know,” Ron said in mock disgust at finding the pair snogging again. Severus leveled a look at Ron as Harry came up behind him.

“I’ll remember that next time I find a pot boiling over because you and Potter were too, ahem, occupied.” Ron was at a loss for words, as Harry blushed slightly and Hermione let out a giggle.

“I was just on my way up to check on them, Ron, but thanks for letting me know. And you,” she said looking up at Severus’ face, “I want you back in bed. Poppy would have my head if she finds out that you’re traipsing through the house in your dressing gown.”

“But Hermione–“

“No buts. Once the twins are settled again, I’ll come up with some lunch.”

”All right,” he grumbled as he left the kitchen. Smothering a smile, Hermione turned back to Ron and Harry.

\"When I go back up with Severus’ lunch, would you guys mind keeping an eye on for the twins for me?”

“Sure thing, \'Mione,” Harry said with a smile. “We could even bundle them up and take out for a bit if you like,” he offered.

“Really?”

“Sure. The weather isn’t bad, and I know both Ron and I wouldn’t mind getting out of the house.”

“Thanks Harry, that’s really sweet of you. Well, I better get up there before they bring the whole house down. I swear the pair of them could give Mrs. Black a run for her money.”

~~~

Harry and Ron both chuckled as she left. Turning to wrap his arms around Ron’s waist, Harry looked into Ron’s eyes. “You didn’t mind me offering for us to take the kids out, did you?”

“Naw. With the bit of snow that’s on the ground, they’ll have a ball,” Ron said before dropping a quick kiss on Harry’s lips.

“Better head up and start getting them ready to go out. You know how fussy Hermione is about making sure they’re properly dressed,” Harry said with a laugh.

“I just can’t wait till Ivy is old enough really argue with her. The pair of them are too alike,” Ron said laughing.

“No kidding. Still it’s been really nice having everyone here for Christmas. Your family is still coming over Christmas day, right?”

“You think Mum would miss the chance to pass out her sweaters and see the twins? She said her, Dad, Fred, George, and Ginny would be here early. I guess Bill has to go to his in-laws\' this year, and Charlie had to stay at the Dragon Reserve. And well, you know how things are between Percy and the rest of the family.”

“Yeah. Who would have thought all those years ago, that everything would be like it was. Hermione and Snape not only married but parents. And you and me...together.” Ron chuckled before Harry’s lips captured his own. Who indeed.