Continuous Affair

Late discussion

"Severus?"

"Hermione, for the last time, go to sleep."

"I can't."

"Well then keep your incessant babbling to yourself."

Hermione groaned and turned her back to her husband. She stared out the window of her old bedroom at the streetlights below. The room was cold so Hermione pulled the covers up on her shoulders more.

"Severus?"

Severus groaned and sat up rubbing his eyes. "Hermione. Why can't you just go to sleep like a normal person?"

"Because I have a lot on my mind." Hermione said quickly turning back to him.

"What could possibly be bothering you at one o'clock in the morning?"

"I want to have a baby."

Severus froze staring at the wall opposite of him. This had caught him completely off guard and had never thought that's what Hermione would be thinking about after the death of her father.

"I...." Severus began

Hermione sat up and looked at him. "Severus please. This is something o have wanted my whole life."

"Hermione, we can't raise a baby while we're teaching."

"I've thought a lot about this Sev. What if my mother came to Hogwarts with us?"

"What?!"

"Obviously we would need permission from professor McGonagall, but she could stay in the quarters of my classroom and take the baby during the day. We'd spend meals with them and evenings-"

"Hermione stop!" Severus looked angry with her. She hadn't seen him this mad since she was in school herself. She tried to search his face and find a little bit of reassurance but it wasn't there. "You've gone mental. Muggles are not allowed at Hogwarts. And you really think you could go all day without seeing the baby? Come back to reality. We can't do this."

Hermione felt hot tears running down her cheek as she punched Severus in the chest and stood up.

"Why couldn't we?! Why can't we do something that I want to do?!"

"This isn't like picking out sheets Hermione! This is something that would uproot our entire life! You can't just decide to have a baby without looking at all the things it would take away!"

"TAKE AWAY?! You really think a baby would take things away from our lives? Like what? Your freedom? Is there anyone else that you think about besides yourself?"

Severus didn't respond to this. He just stood and and pulled his trunk out from under the bed and began pulling his clothes from the dresser.

"What are you doing?"

"What does it look like I'm doing? I'm going back to Hogwarts. I've had enough of you whining about how pathetic your life is."

"Excuse me? My father is dead!"

"AND SO ARE BOTH MY PARENTS! You don't see me complaining about it!"

"Oh please, you hated your father!"

"AND WHAT MAKES YOU THINK OUR CHILD WOULD FEEL ANY DIFFERENT?!"

Hermione was taken back by his statement. They had never really talked about it, so she never knew how he really felt. "Severus?" She said in a low whisper.

"Look at me Hermione. What child could ever love me. I'm terrifying."

"What on earth-"

"You see how all the students at school react to me. I scare them. They run from me. Call me the bat of the dungeons. Even you thought of me like that for six and a half years."

"Because I didn't know YOU." Hermione sighed. "I know you darling. I love you, and I know that our child would love you. Severus, please."

"One of us would have to leave."

"What?"

"Hogwarts. We can't raise a baby in that castle. It would need a life."

"Well..."

Hermione stood in front of him trying to think of possible solutions. He watched her as her eyes roamed the room but she wasn't looking at anything.

"We could have the baby and a few years down the road decide what to do."

"Do you really want a baby to be as antisocial as us? Confined to the dungeons and only speaking to people when we have to?"

"God Severus that's you. Not me. I rather enjoy going to tea with Minerva and Poppy."

Severus scoffed earning him a small slap on the chest.

"Darling?" Hermione began again. "We don't have to do this now. I'm just asking you to think about it. To think about how much better our lives could be. This is something I want so badly. I'm asking you to consider it."

Severus stared down at her with a look of defeat. "I think about it. We'll talk later and discuss options."

Hermione giggled and jumped up to kiss him. "Thank you thank you!" She kissed him again and wrapped her arms around his waist. "Now put that damn trunk away and come back to bed."

Severus gave a low chuckle and slid the trunk back under the bed. When he stood back up straight, he noticed the door had been pushed open slightly and Hermione's mother was peering through.

"Oh dear." She said slightly panicked "I just wanted to make sure you two didn't kill each other. I swear you've woken up the whole neighborhood."