The next few weeks passed rather uneventfully. From the night of the Halloween dance Hermione had just come to his rooms once she was ready for bed. He didn't mind per se, but he found himself getting attached to the witch, and was pretty certain the same was true in reverse. They were walking dangerous territory if they did find a way to reverse the bond.

He had to this point at least not embarrassed himself, though he'd caught himself more than once thinking why not initiate steps further than kissing toward consummation. They were married and she was probably more tempting than she realized laying next to him every morning he had to get up for his day. Her warmth would sure be a more welcome way to take care of his morning ailment each day than his hand in the shower.

Though it was only a few weeks into this (whatever this was) he truly didn't believe she'd wish to reverse the bond anymore than he did at this point if they found out they could. However, throwing a physical relationship, if one wanted to argue that sleeping together wasn't already that, was not the thing to do until they were both certain.

"Severus?"

"Yes, Witch?"

"Have you ever done this before?"

"You'll have to be more specific."

"Slept with someone? Just sleep."

"No," he said.

He knew her answer so hadn't bothered to ask. She seemed happy about his answer. He was happy to please her. He imagined Lucius would accuse him of being a sap, but he found the moniker not at all as insulting as he once thought it to be.

The intimacy of sharing a bed, and it was by far the most intimate Severus had ever been with anyone, bled into other aspects of their lives.

He found himself pulling out and holding her seat for her at the head table on more than one occasion when they happened to arrive at the same time. The first time he'd done so he thought Longbottom was going to have an embolism (not that the other wizard would even know what that was). The students at the tables had noticed, too, and more than a few whispered about it.

If she knew he was right behind her in arriving she would prepare his tea or coffee for him the way she knew he took it.

She no longer expected an invitation to brew or sit and grade papers with him. If she had the time she made her way to his office or lab. If his evening called for grading they'd usually move to his quarters if she joined him. She accompanied him on rounds as well. It was getting to a point where people were more surprised not to see them together than the other way around. Minerva even assigned them Hogsmeade weekend duties since no one else particularly cared to work with Severus.

She was attacking her apprenticeship and arrangement with him with the gusto all expected from Hermione Granger. To this point, only Minerva knew of their marriage or their sleeping arrangements. They wanted more time to research, and well he supposed more time to figure out what they were planning on saying if their research continued in the vain it had to this point.

Quidditch was underway. She'd sat with him for both games despite Slytherin and Gryffindor playing one of the matches (Slytherin was victorious). Soon, the Christmas holidays would be upon them.

"I was thinking," he said as they were taking a rare and coveted evening to read something that had nothing to do with work, their personal research, or grading. She was seated next to him on his sofa, her feet tucked under her and a blanket draped around them both.

"Yes?"

"Is the offer of spending a portion of the upcoming Christmas holidays with you still on the table?"

"Of course it is, Severus. I was planning on sending a letter via Harry this week to arrange a meeting with my mechanic and Harry so that my car will be ready for me. It will look suspicious if anyone there knows that I'm home and I don't drive it."

"Right."

"You would be welcome for the entire time or whatever you had in mind. Maybe you'd like to do the food shopping with me instead of me asking what you'd like?"

"That could be arranged. I was thinking of collecting books from my home that I think would be useful and bringing them to you."

"Oh, yes. Of course. I have room."

"Certainly more than I do."

"You know that doesn't bother me."

"I do, however, you purchased a home I presume with the desire to spend time there. I truly have no inclination or need to spend any more time at my childhood home than I absolutely have to. I keep it because there was no reason to sell it before. And now admittedly I'm not even certain where I want to live and the idea of renting a flat is abhorrent to me. So, bringing the books to you solves that problem."

"Okay," she said. "You're right. I'd love to spend some time at home."

He leaned in and kissed her then, certain with each and every one of them that she'd come to her senses and realize she deserved so much better than a bitter, scarred, and jaded wizard. She hadn't yet, though, and he very much enjoyed these short moments of distraction they took from their work. "Then that's what we will do."

"I have not been invited to the Burrow, so perhaps we could do something just the two of us?"

"Harry?"

"He's of course going there because of Ginny," she smiled then.

"What?" he asked, wondering why her friend and his family abandoning her, believing she had no one, made her smile.

"You called him Harry."

Ah, so he did. He hadn't even realized.

"Christmas dinner it is then."

"Did you do anything as a child?"

He scoffed.

"Don't be like that. I'm asking a sincere question to know if there's something you'd like to eat or do as part of the holiday."

"I appreciate the consideration, but no. We had no such traditions or festivities in my home. Perhaps when I was a small boy, but I cannot recall them."

"Well then we'll come up with our own."

"Very well."

"And New Year's Eve at Grimmauld Place? If we take the week before, perhaps we could take a few days since we're going there anyway to peruse the Black library."

"Sound planning."

"Good," she said, beaming at him. "I'll include that in my owl to Harry then."

"Does he have a way of getting in touch with the mechanic?"

"Yes, Harry has a cell phone. For me and Dudley, his cousin, believe it or not. They're not what I would call friends, but he said in his most recent letter to me that they've met for tea a couple of times recently and he is willing to give him a chance. Dudley reached out to him initially, seeming to feel bad for things. I haven't seen him so I have no idea if he's sincere or if he wants something from Harry."

"So suspicious."

"Severus, they were awful to him. It would be similar in nature to people asking you why you didn't have tea with Sirius or Remus when they were alive."

Severus could acknowledge that was an adequate comparison. He also didn't have eighteen years worth of bad blood between himself and the Marauders. Honestly, with Sirius in Azkaban he hadn't given Lupin much thought over the years. He hadn't necessarily been a good person, but hadn't been as cruel as James or Sirius. Was he going to have tea with him if presented with the offer? No, he wouldn't have.

"Good for him."

Maybe Harry Potter wasn't such a bad wizard after all. Severus did not easily forgive. Yet, Harry seemingly was willing to forgive years of bad blood. Not to mention this witch, how many times had the staff speculated that the Trio's friendship would be irrevocably harmed because of one thing or another over the years? It was usually as a result of something one of the wizards had done, which meant Hermione was the one to forgive. And forgive. And forgive. He could pretty much guarantee if Weasley approached her now with an apology after his behavior at the Halloween dance she'd give in. It was just how she was. Severus didn't understand it, but he found it an interesting enough thing that he wanted to learn how she did it.

"It obviously won't work for me here, so I don't have it on me. It's at his house. He checks it before bed just in case something crazy happens at the house and he'll owl it to me a day or two before Christmas break."

"I assume to this point nothing has happened?"

"No," she said.

"And I presume he was the only option for you?"

"He was. Even before Halloween," she said. "I mean I told you about things with Ronald. I just didn't want to give him any reason to think he was more to me than a friend. My relationship with Harry has always been just a friendship. I felt more comfortable and in general he's more responsible. I know, for instance, he's not going to apparate right to my house from Grimmauld Place. He knows I want not just privacy but to be secure in my safety."

Severus scoffed.

"He does, Severus. Do you really think I'd trust him if I didn't think he deserved it?"

"I suppose not," he said.

Story ©Susan Matthews/APCKRFAN/PhantomRoses.com