A picnic

This is in response to the January Quill contest on the Hideaway. Everybody go check out the Hideaway: http://thaelixir.proboards49.com/index.cgi


Disclaimer: I don't own any Harry Potter stuff. JKR does. Lucky.

A Picnic?

It was a beautiful day. The sun was shining, there were a few puffy white clouds floating by in the deep azure sky. A perfect day for a picnic.

Hermione strolled around the lake, searching for the perfect place to set up her picnic. She was planning a surprise for her husband, Professor Severus Snape. He had seemed so tense lately. True, he was pretty freaked out by the fact that Hermione was pregnant, but his shock was beyond normal. After she had told him the (what she thought was happy) news, he had wandered around the dungeons for two weeks, white as a sheet and muttering only the words, "pregnant...Hermione...how?"

Hermione, having had enough, sat Severus down like a child and explained to him how a woman got pregnant. His response was expected: he snapped.

"I know how a woman gets pregnant, Hermione. I'm not an imbicile. I just can't fathom how you got pregnant, since you were on the potion!"

"Those potions aren't 100%, so here I am. You'd better get used to it because the baby's not going to just go away!" she had shouted back.

They spent another two weeks avoiding each other, Severus sleeping on the couch in his office. Finally, one night, Hermione came into the bedroom to find Severus in bed. Not saying a word, she climbed into bed next to him and closed her eyes. As she drifted off to sleep, she felt Severus wrap his arms around her tightly, and she could swear she felt him pat her tummy and whisper, "Goodnight, Baby Snape."

Since that night, he had been so careful around Hermione. He brought her meals, carefully balanced for nutrition. He made sure she took vitamin potions. He wouldn't let her work on potions with him anymore, saying it was too dangerous for the baby. He forced her to take long naps in the afternoon, and freaked out if she tried to bend over. He even hired an extra house elf to tend to any need she could possibly imagine. Even worse, he refused to have sex with her. He said he didn't want to disturb the baby, should the baby be taking a nap at the time.

Hermione could appreciate the care he was showing, and truthfully, the naps were much appreciated. But the strain of being watched constantly combined with sexual frustration was taking a toll on her. She could see the stress in Severus's eyes, too. Simply put, they were both feeling amorous.

So, a picnic. She hoped the good weather plus the good food plus a bottle of really good wine would equal a happy ending for them tonight.

She found a good spot, close to the lake,on top of a grassy knoll, under a tree. The shade would be good for Severus's sensitive skin. He sunburned easily. If you though Professor Snape was unpleasant to be around, you've never been around a sexually frustrated, sunburned Professor Snape.

She glance quickly around her to make sure neither Severus nor the house elf were nearby, then she spread a furry blanket over the slightly damp grass and set her basket on top of it. She sat on the blanket ungracefully. She raised her wand in the air, and shot a few red sparks up. Less than a second later, Bubsy, the new house elf, appeared.

"What can Bubsy do for Mistress?"

"Please bring my husband here. I have a surprise for him."

"Right away, Mistress." The house elf disappeared with a pop.

While she was waiting for Severus to show up, Hermione opened her basket and started pulling things out of it. A small stack of plates, a cheese marble and knife, forks and spoons, a large salami, a few packages of cheese, a baguette, bananas, grapes and strawberries. She also removed a dusty bottle of old red wine, and two wineglasses. Sighing, she pulled out a bottle of water for herself. Severus would probably lock her in the dungeons until the kid was graduated if she took even the tiniest sip of wine whilst pregnant.

She was slicing the salami when Severus showed up.

"Hermione, what is the meaning of this?"

"I thought it would be nice to have a picnic, just the two of us. You know, spend time together alone. Before the baby comes." Hermione put on her best 'come hither' look.

Snape sighed, "Hermione, quit slicing that salami. You might cut yourself."

Hermione set the knife down. She was just trying to keep the peace.

Snape settled himself on the furry blanket, crossing his legs. He picked up the knife and began slicing. Hermione started unwrapping the cheese.

"Severus, we need to talk."

Snape set the knife down and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Yes?"

"You need to let me do a bit more. Women have been giving birth forever, and not everybody can take time off and be pampered like you're forcing me to. It's driving me crazy!"

"Snape babies are fragile, Hermione. You will do as I say."

Hermione was furious. "I will not! You are being unreasonable!" Hormones started surging, and tears welled up in her eyes.

"Hermione, calm yourself. What do you want to do so badly that you're working yourself up like this for?"

"I want to make love with my husband," she sobbed.

"Absolutely not. There's so many things that could go wrong..."

"No there's not! We had sex before we found out I was pregnant and nothing bad happened. The baby was there then and he's still there now! If anything, all this built up tension is harmful."

Snape pondered this for a while. Hermione ripped a chunk of bread off the baguette and put cheese and salami slices on it. She took bites between sobs and sniffles.

"How do you eat when you're crying?"

"I can't stop crying, Severus, and I'm hungry, so I figured it out."

Severus chuckled. He filled his wine glass and sipped.

Despite being distracted by the sobbing and food, Hermione's brain was working at full speed. She had to figure out a way to get Severus to relent. Time to pull out the big guns.

"Severus, I want to taste the wine." Hermione wiped her nose on a napkin.

"Out of the question. Drinking alcohol can-"

"I didn't say I wanted to drink the wine. I just want to taste." She crawled over to him and grasped his wineglass. She held it to his lips and he took a tiny sip. She set the glass down, and kissed him deeply, forcing his mouth open. The rich taste of the wine was pungent on his lips. After a quick moment, he gave in and kissed her back.

She tangled her hand in his hair, pulling him closer. She started to crawl in his lap when he pulled away abruptly.

"Nice try, Hermione."

Hermione sighed and pouted. It was a start, though. She could see the bulge in his trousers.

She sat next to him again and resumed eating. She slipped a bit of creamy white cheese out of her sandwich and sucked it off her finger, never taking her eyes off her husband.

Severus took a big gulp of his wine and refilled his glass.

"Don't you want anything to eat, Severus?" Hermione asked, holding another fingerful of cheese toward him.

"I-I'm okay," he replied, clearing his throat.

"Very well." She stuck her finger in her mouth and slurped the cheese off loudly.

Snape groaned.

Hermione pulled a large strawberry out of the bowl of fruit. She put it to her lips and bit, small droplets of juice spraying her mouth.

"Mmmmmm... juicy."

"Hermione, I know what you're trying to do, and it's not going to work. You might as well just give up... what are you doing now?"

Hermione was peeling a banana. She gazed in Severus's eyes, and licked the banana slowly. She put the tip in her mouth and bit sharply.

"Dammit woman! You win!" Snape pounced on Hermione, kissing her furiously.

Hermione broke away for a minute. "Ummm.. Severus?"

"What, woman?"

"Shouldn't we go inside, so we aren't seen by the students?"

Snape let out a cry of frustration, gathered Hermione in his arms, and stalked off for the dungeons.

The giant squid enjoyed the picnic left behind. He even ate the furry blanket, and while it tasted good, it gave him heartburn.