"As I said for the fifth time now, I feel fine Severus," Hermione said, fighting the urge to roll her eyes, although she didn't mind being pampered a little while she gorged on some food and drink. Snape offered to take the glass from her hand and set it down on the table while he sat in a chair beside her bed, making sure she was being properly taken care of. "Be quiet and eat," he said, after which he huffed, getting out of his chair, "The healer should be here by now...what's taking so long?"
Despite Hermione's protests, Snape had brought her straight to St. Mungo's from the Ministry headquarters, although she would've preferred if they could have just gone home, but Snape wanted to make sure that her injuries were treated first and she was given a proper health checkup before she was cleared to go. And there was the conversation of who's house they were going to go to- Snape's or Hermione's, now that they were together. That was another conversation they hadn't had a chance to have, as were many others, but they were sure they could do that now, in their own time. At the moment though, their health and wellbeing was more important.
"So you sought out Harry, so that I could be protected?" she asked, although she had already figured it out. He looked back at her and came back to sit in the chair again, facing her. "Yes. I sent him a patronus that morning. I'm sorry I didn't tell you before. I told him I didn't care what else happened but you had to come out of this alive. When the fight started, the Ministry attacked with their full force, Union members were falling left and right, I was completely cornered," his face reflected the despair he must have felt and the sadness that he might never get to see her again, "Potter got to me first, he thrust this coin into my palm without the knowledge of the other Aurors and it transported me to his house- Grimmauld place."
The coin he talked about was probably an old DA coin, charmed to serve as a portkey on this occasion. Hermione was listening intently, while continuing to chew her food. She was interested in knowing how they pulled this off but to be fair, she hadn't had decent food in a long while. "Moody appeared there seconds later. He was hurt badly, so I carried him in, and the Weasley girl- sorry, Mrs Potter was courteous enough to take care of us," He placed a hand over hers, when he spotted a bit of concern about him in her face. "I heard from Potter that they had taken you in for questioning and so he and I made this plan. Well, I made the plan and he made all the other arrangements."
She smiled. "I have a lot to thank you for...and I suppose when I see Harry again, I'll have to thank him too."
He let out a snort. "I'd say you're even...the number of times you've saved his pompous arse," he added after a beat, "And mine too..."
She laughed more now and it was so melodious to his ears that he beamed. "I wish you could've seen it...the protests, the demonstrations, the sheer volume of the outpouring of people's discontent after your broadcast and subsequent arrest." he continued, "I think for the first time people were talking less about Harry Potter and more about his less famous but not to mention, more talented friend."
She pressed her lips together seeing that Snape was actually enjoying that aspect. "And what about Crouch's men?" she asked.
He let out a whistle of a sigh. "They besieged the Ministry as soon as news got to them that their leader was going to be executed. The Ministry officers pushed them back and the UN officers arrived by then and started apprehending them one by one. I hear they're rounding up the rest of them from Russia as well- their base of operation. But you don't need to worry yourself about all that now."
She nodded, thinking for a while as she chewed on her lips. "So...um, what happens now?"
He looked at her, trying to understand whether she was referring to the magical government or their relationship, or perhaps both and although he opened his mouth, he hadn't fully decided what to say. But at that moment, a healthcare specialist walked into the room studying Hermione's reports and Snape got off the chair, eager to hear good news.
She put down the clipboard and greeted them with a friendly smile. "How are we doing today?"
"I feel fine," Hermione repeated, as the healer began to examine her physically, checking her pulse, blood pressure, under her eyes, making sure the salve was healing the lacerations on her wrists. "She has a habit of saying that even when there's something wrong..." Snape told her as she continued doing the usual tinkering with the medical equipment.
"Well, she does seem perfectly healthy physically, though I would recommend some therapy. To both of you, in fact," she scribbled something on the pad, then looked at Hermione, "Your blood reports came back, and- you do know that you're pregnant, right?"
Hermione's jaw dropped as a gasp escaped her and Snape's head snapped up at the healer. "What?" they said together.
She consulted the reports again as she said, "Yup, we ran a full diagnostics and we found small amounts of HCG...Do you feel any fatigue, nausea...?"
"Yeah, bu- but I thought that was from the trauma...I-I-" Hermione said confused. She was trying to remember her cycle date but everything was jumbled up in her mind, not being able to determine whether she missed a date or not. She looked at Snape and he was still looking at her spellbound.
The healer said further, "You know blood tests are almost 99% accurate but you can still do a normal pregnancy test to confirm, sweetheart."
Snape came and joined Hermione, taking her hand in his. It was the sheer thought of all the stress and strain she had gone through while being pregnant made him weak in the knees. And it was his baby! She was trying to tell whether he was happy or not and she kept staring at his face, bewildered. "I- I thought...you know, after my last time, I thought I couldn't get pregnant again..."
The healer approached her and placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder. "There's no reason to think that there's going to be any complications. Just do your routine checkups as your pregnancy progresses through the months and I'm sure you'll be fine."
The healer left and Snape made an exclamatory sigh, running his hand through his hair but he looked at Hermione when he heard a muffled sob from her. "Hermione..." he cupped her face with both hands. "You are happy, right?"
She half-laughed through her tears, nodding, wiping at her cheeks. "Yes..." Relief had washed over her as her nervous energy was expelled. And to think that she was worrying that he wasn't pleased about this! It was a shock for the both of them, that was true, but it was a happy surprise at the end of all this. "These are happy tears...and I guess, hormones too..."
They both chuckled and Hermione shifted in her bed to make room for him to climb in beside her. He was happy to oblige, putting an arm around her and crushing her to his chest. Oh how he wished he had known about this before, he would have never allowed her to go with them to the BMBC raid nor let the Ministry keep her for even a second, even at the risk of his own life. It made him shiver thinking how perilous it had been to let her continue doing this while she was expecting. But he was mostly filled with wonder, as it amazed him how this woman was going to have a child with him and she was overjoyed about it too. His heart was filled with mirth as he sat admiring her.
She looked at him with dancing eyes. "We did it. I thought we would, but I didn't really believe...Sod it all, we got justice for them all." She laughed out loud, wiping away her mirthful tears, "And we are going to be blessed with an even greater joy!"
He looked at her with love and appreciation. But because he was looking for it, he caught the moment when her face changed. "We finally got to the end of it. Oh, gods..." she said, almost moaning as her head dropped into her hands. "We got justice..."
With that, like she'd been punched in the stomach, she crumpled up in his arms, her body shaking with sobs. "Ron..." She kept saying, over and over.
Snape, his face grim, moved her purposefully towards himself, nestling her wailing body close to his chest. He'd been waiting for the realization to hit her. Had suspected that behind this pinnacle of accomplishment would be a deep pain she would need to endure. That they hadn't been on time enough to have saved them and neither was putting the criminals behind bars going to bring any of them back.
How he hated being right all the time. Helplessly, he held on to her quaking body. There is a sound to grief that is unmistakable. A sound the body makes only when the person one loves has been extinguished forever. It is a cry lie no other.
He had heard that sound enough times during the Dark Lord's reign to recognize it. He had caused that cry in others. Had walked by as if it held no meaning for him.
But it did hold meaning for him; he had cried this way too. Sobbed as if anguish was the only song his body could sing. Cried in utter desolation, not just at the moment of death, but years later, when some smell or sound reminded him- so that he remembered, truly remembered the moment his heart was ripped from him.
Oh, yes. He knew that sound. He knew what it was to hear it pour out of his own throat. Just as he knew what it was to torture one's self with the myriad things one could have done differently.
And though there had been little forewarning, it was no mystery to him why the woman he loved was now wailing in his arms. She had fought for justice and won...but it had not been in time to save the man she had loved, the baby she had lost, the friends she had made.
That she loved Snape too would not change the depth of her heartache. Ronald had been hers for almost three years, and he for barely more than a few weeks. There was no comparison. He could only hope that his love would be a line she could use to pull herself from the abyss, now that the storm has passed. And they had a beautiful rainbow to look forward to at the end of it all.
His heart contracting in sympathy, he held on tightly to Hermione's quaking body, and whispered softly into her hair: "Go ahead and cry, my love. It's okay. Go ahead and cry..."
She looked up at his face, eyes the colour of melting caramel as her sobs subsoded a little. "I love you." She knew she had said it before but he didn't look like him at the time and it had been more of a statement that she had made. It was good to be able to say it to him directly- express how she felt.
He bit on his lip but he was still unable to hide his smile, which was almost giddy with pride and joy. "I thought...well, the last time you said that, you thought you were headed for the gallows..."
"But I meant it," she said, "I still do."
His smile was warm and satiated as he lowered his head down, and right before he pressed his lips to hers, he said, his voice husky with emotions, "I love you too." They could feel each other smile against their lips and soon they sank back in the bed, lost in each other in a feeling of pure bliss.
Harry was walking down the corridors of St. Mungo with a spring in his step, eager to see Hermione and Snape in the recovery ward. He was followed by Mr and Mrs Weasley who were also looking forward to seeing Hermione again. But as they entered the cabin where they were supposed to be, they found Hermione and Snape inclined back in bed, snuggling in each other's arms, fast asleep.
"Oh, poor dears..." Mrs Weasley remarked, her eyes welling up seeing the two of them, and clasping a hand over her heart watching them so happy and content.
Harry had been meaning to tell the Weasleys about the whole thing but realized the couple needed the rest. "I think we'll just come back later. We'll have plenty of time to catch up."
"Yes," Mr Weasley proceeded to close the door after them, "I think we should give them some privacy."
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With all that that had been going on, Hermione's subconscious thoughts were probably a little restless, so that she jerked awake from her sleep. She found herself in bed back at Snape's home and he was sleeping beside her. They had gotten positive results from the tests and had nothing to worry about anymore now. Feeling Hermione stir, he cradled her stomach and pulled her back into his chest, into his warmth, letting his breath fall on her shoulders. A smile spread across her face; she knew that no matter the place, she would like to wake up like this every day. And between them, there was nothing that could hurt the baby that was coming to fill their lives with love and joy.
There was a ray of beautiful sunshine coming into the room and she was glad he had made his home a lot more open and airy in order to accommodate her stay.
She hadn't saved Ron. But somewhere out there were families that she would save. Families that would not be ripped asunder. The success of their revolution meant that somewhere out there were wives who wouldn't have to mourn as she had, children who would not grieve the loss of their parents or die the way hers had, mothers who wouldn't have to writhe in agony seeing their children suffer. Families would remain whole.
But even as she grieved yesterday, wishing intensely that things could have been different, she could not help but be aware of what she had. She and Snape had survived the experience, internalized it, grown from it, and were now going to thrive. Her heart had proven resilient enough to love again. And she had this beautiful, complex man behind her, her partner, her lover, her friend, who was even now willing her better with every fibre of his being. She simultaneously mourned what had been, while being intensely grateful for what was, and saw no problem with that simultaneity. But the faster the days seemed to pass, the more the present seemed to outweigh the past.
She rolled over and nuzzled her face against his, touching him with her hands, trailing her fingertips across his skin. Noting all the ways he responded to her, she slowly began kissing his lips till he woke up with a moan.
"Good morning, beautiful," he said in a sexy, groggy voice when his sleep-addled eyes brought her face into focus.
"Morning," she let that word draw out, pushing herself further into his crotch and running a hand over his body. She bit her lower lip, knowing exactly what she was doing and he was fully awake now, smirking at her.
He reached out his hand, caressing her jaw, his fingers tangling in her hair. She pulled back till she could capture his fingers in her lips, kissing the tips and drawing his middle finger into her mouth. He let her suck onto it, then brought his hand down to her breasts, where he flicked over her nipples with his thumb, making them instantly turn hard. She would have loved to let him continue kneading but she got his hands out of the way as she slithered down his body, kissing down his chest, his abs, till she was straddling him and she got a hold of his resting member and started rubbing it.
His breath caught between his teeth as she helped him get hard and guided him into her warm and wet core. She rolled her hips, making his phallus rub against her in just the right way. He grabbed her hips as she began moving faster and he almost sat up, unable to lay back from the waves of pleasure that were coming over him. She clutched onto his shoulders as their hips connected in a rhythmic motion, biting and kissing at his neck as her arousal mounted.
He sat up then and flipped her over, dropping her on her back on the bed, and continued thrusting into her from the top till they finished with subsequent climactic cries. After coming down from her high, Hermione looked at Snape, laying beside her on his chest, his eyes closed and his body heaving, with a smile pasted on his face. She pushed aside the hair from his forehead and pressed a kiss to his skin before she got up.
She slipped on a robe and came downstairs, putting on the kettle to boil. She picked up the papers where they had been dropped off and brought them to the kitchen island to read. To no one's surprise, Snape and Hermione had been heavily featured in the Daily Prophet that day and also Moody, who was quoted to give his political views on the subject. The fates of Crouch and Shacklebolt were also reported along with the happenings at the Grand Meeting room the couple of days before and how the UN came to resolve everything and were continuing to do their part in cleaning up this mess.
The water was boiling by the time Snape appeared and he added the leaves, brewing the tea and poured it in two cups, bringing one to Hermione. "The MACUSA also came out in support of us," she told him when he greeted her with a kiss. "All the countries in the United Nations are coming together to make a decision about rebuilding the Ministry of Magic."
He came around her to glimpse at it over her shoulder, but it couldn't hold his attention for long, as he was more focused on her. He pushed aside the lapel of her robes and slowly began to kiss the arch of her neck and shoulders. "I hope they choose a leader by universal suffrage this time, but you know, maybe whoever wears the crown is bound to become the same..." She said chewing a biscuit thoughfully, "Maybe one person shouldn't have such undivided power..."
Snape simply agreed with a purr as he continued to lave at her skin. She giggled. "You could consider standing for the election," she folded up the paper to show him his printed picture, underneath which people had gushed over how he was such a good guy and had been helping people out all this time. "I mean, you do look quite dashing here."
He turned his eyes towards it and scoffed. "My nose looks weird there."
She chuckled and turned to face him, adoringly wrapping her arms around his neck and giving him a kiss on the lips. "You know what? Let's just stay out of the news for a while." She knew that people would come to know about them in a few months anyway, but they didn't have to go out of their way to publicize their relationship. They could enjoy some quiet and private time from now on.
"Oh, I don't know...I think I'm getting used to the spotlight," he said. She knew he was joking, only to make her laugh. "But they have to promise to print a better picture of me next time." He heaved her up and she wrapped her legs around his body, hungrily attacking his lips, as he carried her back to his bed.
The issues of the Prophet that came out in the following days showed the arrests of dark wizards from various places over Europe, dissolution of the assembly of directors of the Ministry of Magic, trials of Shacklebolt and Crouch- the former was given a life sentence at Azkaban prison and the latter was given the death penalty- then the Ministry officials' power and positions were reshuffled, new elections were held and Alastair Moody was chosen as the new leader, with Harry Potter being his closest advisor and many of his previous Union members inducted into his cabinet of ministers.
Staying true to their decision, Hermione and Snape refused to feature in the Prophet during all this and the news of their engagement and pregnancy were published in The Quibbler instead, since that was the newspaper that had been printing articles in their support all along and continued to respect their privacy after it was all over. It reported how Hermione returned to the Ministry briefly, in order to undo some pro-Pureblood policies that she had aspired to do and then the happy couple was warmly welcomed in the Hogwarts alumni. It was also in the pages of this esteemed weekly, that the two of them posed with their baby in their arms, marking the beginning of them being a lovely- if not ordinary family.
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[That's all folks! Thank you so much for reading and I hope you enjoyed it as much as I enjoyed writing this story. Stay tuned for the next one... Lot's of love 💕~ Bonny]