Unbroken Ties

Chapter 1- Pink is The New Black

He was standing in front of the mirror, staring thoughtfully.

Well...more like glaring.

He wasn't looking at his reflection, if he did, he was certain he wasn't going to see himself.

Severus Snape was standing in his bathroom, facing the mirror after having a quick shower (so much for being the greasy git who never washes his hair), looking down at a specific toothbrush.

A pink toothbrush, no less.

Seriously, one would think it belongs to a woman or at least someone who actually wears something other than black and its shades.

One would assume that ...perhaps... he shared this bathroom with someone else?

Well, he used to.

Actually, this very room used to be filled with many pink female products and girly towels that belonged to her.

But no, not this one.

This toothbrush was by all rights his. It belonged to him.

They lived here a few months after their marriage until they bought a new bigger house in a better area and moved out. This house was deserted after that, saved for the future ... until he came back. Alone, with his pink toothbrush.

Apparently, 'the future' was now.

Severus could remember that day vividly, the day she first entered his house. They were still dating back then, and despite being relatively close, she was yet to visit him in his house.

"Severus! I always thought you lived alone" she bellowed from the bathroom while he was preparing tea for them in the kitchen.

"So did I, what are you talking about? "he said calmly, already walking towards the bathroom, wand in hand, thinking about the possibilities of some drunk muggle sneaking into his house while he was away. Which was obviously unlikely since his house was-

"Oh..."

"Pardon me, but why would you have a pink toothbrush in your bathroom?" She was holding the aforementioned toothbrush in her hand as if it was the only evidence of him committing a crime.

He opened his mouth to say something but she was faster.

"Do you usually invite women into your house?"

"It's mine!"

"What ?!"

"What..."

"You... you use a Pink toothbrush?"

Silence.

He was blushing.

"Who are you and what have you done to Severus Snape?"

Silence.

More blushing.

"UMBRIDGE? I thou-"

"It was the last one in the pack...I'm not about to throw something I paid for." He snatched his toothbrush from her hand and put it back where it belonged.

Hermione just stared at him in silence for a moment, then laughed so hard her eyes were watering.

"Good point... but...pink? I mean you are Severus Snape... " she chocked between her endless laughter.

"Pink is a ... colour," he said as a matter of fact.

"Yes, but pink is not black" she countered.

"I don't like pink or any colour for that matter, but paying attention to what my toothbrush is coloured is more than I signed up for when I came to this world," he said sternly as if having a pink toothbrush didn't make him blush just now.

"Even the word pink is weird coming out of you..."

"Pink."

She chuckled while he looked at her.

"May I ask why were you observing my toiletries ?"

"I was not ... I was just washing my hands and the colour caught my eyes. Seriously, everything else is black, I was bound to notice it..."

"There go my plans of wearing pink in order to be unnoticeable"

"Oh for god's sake, Severus. If you want to be unnoticeable, you may as well start with wearing less billowing robes and maybe make an entrance without slamming the door open."

" I don't slam the door open."

"I'm sorry, what was that ?"

" I don't always slam the door open."

"That's more like it. Certainly, not when you are sneaking on someone ."

"I don't 'sneak' on anyone, I just walk quietly."

"Says the spy who betrayed Voldemort"

"For your information, spying doesn't mean hiding behind a corner without anyone seeing you. I used to get information, not play hide and seek." He felt like he was indulging her in this bickering, and wasn't sure for how long he'd be able to keep a straight face.

"God, I just imagined you playing hide and seek"

" I don't play-"

"Oh stop it, Severus! we get it, you don't do anything"

"Who exactly are 'we'?"

"Me and the baby, obviously." she put her hand on her stomach and eyed him shyly.

"What? Are you..."

"Am I, Severus?"

He looked at her in shock, eyes wide, mouth opened.

This is unbelievable, it's not even possible.

"Hermione, we haven't even-"

"You're not the only one who can be sarcastic, the 'we' part was just a term. I can't believe you bought it "

She laughed at him, while he was already planning revenge.

"I just thought it was a plausible explanation."

"For what?"

He smirked at her and started walking back to the kitchen, leaving her to work it out herself.

when he reached the kitchen he could hear her screaming "Hey! I'm not fat! how dare you!"

The tea kettle whistled and he started putting cups on the tray, ignoring her glares when she came out of the bathroom.

Ever since that day, Severus Snape only had pink toothbrushes.

Since any other toothbrush colour was forbidden from him by his 'funny' wife.

Well until two months ago.

But really, he wasn't going to buy a new toothbrush now.

Well, it's not like the idea of buying one ever entered his head recently.

This was his wife's job and he happily let it be.

Even if it was a pink toothbrush.