A Child For Snape

The Kiss

Hermione was looking at Severus with tears staining her eyes. He didn't want to see her cry, so he tore himself away from her and went to his chair to sit down. Staring at the fireplace, he rubbed his neck where her fingers had trailed over his arteries. She sighed and went to sit on the couch, watching him. 

"Why haven't you told me before now? I could have helped you rid yourself of it." Her tone was slightly scolding. 

He didn't want to talk about it, but knew she wouldn't stop asking until he explained further. He silently loved her keen mind and determination to help. However, he didn't want her to help him. He's lived longer than he ever thought he would, thanks to her. He didn't want to be in her debt any more than he already was. 

"I've never told you because it was never your problem," he told her with a sneer of his old self. 

She scoffed. "After all we've been through, you still think I'm only here out of pity." She got up and paced the room, anger filling her steps. "I've never pitied you, Severus. I never will, either. I just want us to raise Elieena together."

Several different images popped into his head. Severus and Hermione growing old together being the key one that confused his heart. He wanted Lily, he told himself. He didn't want Hermione, he kept telling himself. "How do I be a father to her when I had no father to model after?" 

He thought it would be best to be completely honest with her. After all she's done for him, it was the least he could do. His breath hitched in his throat as he tried to stop the tears that were at his eyes. She stopped her pacing and came to stand in front of him. She knelt down at his feet and took his hand in hers. It settled his nerves, her touch. He didn't dare look into her eyes, for fear of letting go of the tears that still threatened him. He stared, instead, at their hands, a single tear falling. 

He cursed himself for letting the tear fall. He used to be tougher. "Severus, don't think because you let one single tear fall that you are weak." He looked up at her, shocked. How could she know what he was thinking? "As for being a father, no one's perfect. I surely am not a perfect mother."

"My father beat me, hated me for being a wizard," he whispered with a second tear falling. He didn't know why all of a sudden his need to cry. Perhaps it was her gentleness that was getting to him. He wasn't used to it. "I have no good memories of my father."

"Change things then. Make good memories with Elieena." She raised their hands and kissed his knuckles. He felt a stirring in him. "As for your venom, I'll do some research. Try to help."

He bit his tongue to keep from reverting back to his old self. He needed to keep changing, for Elieena. "Don't bother. I've lived long enough, far more longer than I thought I would."

She dropped his hand, but still stayed knelt. A hand was placed on his knee. "Don't give up, Severus. For Elieena."

Severus, for the first time, placed his hand on hers that was on his knee. They kept eye contact for several minutes, not daring to breath too loudly. Severus swallowed hard, keeping the contact of their hands upon his knee. He was shocked at what she did next. She leaned forward and kissed him. He wanted to both push her away and pull her to him and kiss her again. Instead, he remained still as she stood up. 

She went to the bookcase, glancing over some of the titles. "Some of these are not fit for a child, Severus," she scolded. 

"I keep an eye on the books she chooses, Hermione. I would never let our child read a dangerous book. I've disposed of those long ago." His voice was stronger than he felt, especially since the kiss. 

He stood up, went over to her and placed a hand on her shoulder. He had no idea why he did it, but felt he needed too. She took a particularly dark book off the shelf and showed it too him. "What about this one?"

The book didn't have anything dangerous as far as curses, but it did teach the reader how to perform dark magic. Their daughter hadn't expressed the slightest interest in the book. She was too busy reading the potions books. He didn't know Elieena that well, but he was starting to know her. She could care less about the Dark Arts like he did at her age. She loved potions. Of course, he did too, but the dark arts was another of his loves. 

"She doesn't care for the dark arts," he explained, taking the book from her and placing it back on the shelf. "Besides, if she ever did, I'd let you know."

She, once again, took his hand in hers. What was it about her holding his hand? He wanted to ask, but fear had stopped him. She never ceased to amaze him as she grabbed his plain black shirt that he always wore under his frock and pulled him down to her level. She kissed him again, full of feeling. 

He froze, like before, unaware of what she wanted from him. However, another moment of her lips on his and he started to kiss back. Slowly he wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her closer to him. Her hands snaked around his neck as they continued the kiss. A low moan crept out of Severus as Hermione grabbed a nice fistful of his hair and pulled. He didn't know where this was coming from, but he wasn't going to stop it. 

He knew, as they moved backwards blindly to find his bed, that he was falling for Hermione. He had to wrack his drug induced brain to figure out if he's always felt this way. There were many different ways for him to have thanked her without speaking instead of sex. He didn't have to have sex with her. Of course she didn't have to agree to it, either. They fell on the bed and rolled around until Severus was on top of her. The broke the kiss and panted, staring at each other. 

They leaned forward again, ready to restart their kiss, however someone at his office door was knocking. He wanted to curse whoever it was. Giving her one last kiss, he moved from the bed to stand, composing himself. He was only half shocked when he found Elieena standing outside his office, book in hand. 

"Elieena, what is it?" Severus asked, slightly out of breath. He hoped his daughter didn't think anything it. He moved aside for her to come in. She did, walked straight to Severus' closed door to his chambers and opened it before Severus could stop her. Bold move, he thought to himself, following her. 

"Mum, what are you doing here?" Severus heard Elieena exclaim. 

Hermione was sitting on the bed, lips swollen from their kiss, face flushed. She looked beautiful like that, Severus couldn't help but think. "Darling, I'm visiting your father. We have a lot to discus about how often you will be visiting him once school in out."

Elieena went to place the book back on the shelf. She didn't respond right away to her mothers explanation. She took her time to choose another advance potion book before taking it over to her father to approve. It was a book about effects of the potions. He nodded, to her. "Elieena, I do have another book for you as well." He went to his frock coat hanging over the back of his chair and pulled out the book he'd bought her. "Its a rare book about how to improve potions. Mr. Tilberto in Hogsmeade found it for me."

She took the book and looked it over quickly, then ran to him and enveloped him in a hug. She squeezed Severus tightly with a smile on her face. "Thank you," she beamed up at him. 

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