A Room With a View

That Voice

"Hermione, Severus! Come in, come in." Helen Granger opened the front door wide to allow the couple in. They'd managed to snag an entire weekend off from Minerva - in return for Severus and Hermione following the dueling club demonstration with an hour of practical lessons for attendees - and were staying the entire weekend with Hermione's parents. Severus gave his soon-to-be mother-in-law a small smile before allowing her to wrap him in a tight hug. It was, he discovered, not an unwelcome sensation. Helen felt motherly. Like a cross between being hugged by Hermione and Molly Weasley simultaneously. A moment later he found himself reaching out to grasp Norm's hand in a friendly shake before being pulled into a tight hug - with a hearty whump on his back to accompany it.

"We're so glad you could both get away for the weekend. Here, let me take your bags up, then we'll have a quick nip before dinner, eh?" Without further ado, Norm grabbed Hermione's purse and Severus' small leather duffel and shuttled them up the stairs.

"He's been looking forward to this since you called two weeks ago," Helen stage-whispered conspiratorially. "He's been telling all and sundry that our daughter is engaged and what a fine, upstanding man she's chosen."

Hermione snorted inelegantly. "You'd think I'd just won the Nobel Peace Prize or something." She caught the faux-hurt look on her fiancé's face and stuck her tongue out. "Don't look at me like that, love. I'm thrilled to pieces that you proposed, but you have to admit it's not quite on the same level as saving the wizarding world. Which - oh wait! You've done that too!"

"As have you, dear," Severus said with a slight chuckle. "I am, however, pleased that your parents approve," he said, settling into a corner of the couch and allowing Hermione to nestle into his side. "I didn't exactly go about it in the traditional manner. Your father could have chosen to be upset that I didn't visit and ask for his approval first."

"Oh, pish," Helen said, handing Hermione a small sherry and Severus a rather larger whiskey. "We don't do that sort of thing anymore, dear. Non-magical people, I mean. Feminist revolution and all that."

"Ah. Then I should stop worrying that my father-in-law is going to impale me with a rusty object during my stay?" Severus joked in return.

"Oh, I wouldn't say that," Norm said, coming down the stairs and pouring his own drink. "I kept a rusty melon ball scoop around for the red-headed twerp. I'm sure I can dig up some dental scalers or something equally menacing to threaten you with if you hurt my daughter," he said with mock severity from beneath beetled brows.

"Dad," Hermione exclaimed. "Please tell me you never threatened Ronald with a melon ball scooper!"

There was a pregnant pause. "And if I did?"

Severus cut Hermione off before she could work herself into a full bluster. "Then I'll thank you for your foresight. He may have apologized," he said with a glance at Hermione, "but that doesn't mean he didn't play the arse."

"Great. I suppose now I'll have to deal with three overprotective men in my life now."

"Three?" Severus asked, brows raised.

"You, Dad, and Harry," Hermione shrugged.

He sneered. "Well, I suppose I've been in worse company."

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The weekend turned out to be a lovely, relaxing trip for both Hermione and Severus. They spent more than a bit of it ensconced on the Granger's couch, watching old movies with her parents. They'd worked their way through "Becket" and "The Lion in Winter" before Severus noted that both Hermione and Helen sighed periodically, but it wasn't until Hermione selected "How to Steal a Million" that the galleon dropped.