Her eyes fluttered open and took a moment to focus. She was lying on a foreign bed, soft, warm and comfortable. A small fire was cackling in a stone fireplace, a bit of sunlight was lazily making its way through heavy lace curtains. The side of the bed next to her was messy, but empty. She stretched and inhaled deeply, and the aroma of eggs, tomatoes and sausages reached her nose. Smiling she sat up, pulling the sheet around her as she did. She and Severus had arrived in France the afternoon prior, in a small, secluded rental cottage nestled deep in the countryside outside Nice. She brought enough food for them to not have to leave, but he had insisted she bring a nice outfit so he could take her out to dinner. It wasn't surprising in the slightest that despite staying up late together Severus woke up first and was preparing something for her. She slipped on the skimpy nightgown she had brought, covered herself with a thin robe and walked through the door into the kitchen and sitting room. As if he had known when she was going to wake up Snape was placing hot plates of food on the small tables. "Good morning, my love," he said, smiling at her, and she felt herself melt slightly. "Did you sleep well?" "It was much needed. What time is it?" "Nearly noon," he said, sitting a cup of tea in front of her. "You looked quite exhausted yesterday, and I wanted to make sure you got your rest, but I was getting hungry." "You made enough for two," she pointed out. "You have a tendency to wake up at the scent of food." "It's Aiden," she said, rubbing her stomach. "He knows when he's hungry." "And he's already waking you up." "But in a decidedly more pleasant manner than screaming every couple of hours." He smiled as he watched her start to eat. "Are you planning on being the only one waking up to take care of him?" "What do you mean?" she asked, her fork halfway to her mouth. "I'm thinking it might be time to discuss living arrangements," he said, folding his hands on the table and looking serious. She placed her fork back on the table. Snape had been staying with her on the weekends, and occasionally a weeknight, but he only brought an overnight bag when he did. Moving in was something much different. She nibbled on her lips as she waited for him to continue. "I would never presume that this would require living in your home. Spinner's End is no place for a child, but I do have the finances to purchase a decent home in a nicer neighborhood..." "If I have a house it would seem somewhat stupid to go buying another one somewhere else. I live in a nice neighborhood. There are good schools, I'm close to my family and friends, it would be a good place to raise a family." "As I said, I wouldn't presume to impose on you..." "But moving at this stage of my pregnancy would be imposing," she said with a gentle smile. "I think that it might be a good time for you to move in and get accustomed before Aiden is born. However, I'd like to make it somewhat of a trial period. You will always have your chambers at Hogwarts, correct?" "As a Professor it is my right to have a private chamber. It is not uncommon for teachers to use their chambers as an extension of their own homes, as somewhere private to do their work or get away for a while. I've known a couple who only use it on their patrol nights, otherwise they just Floo out. One of the reasons Umbridge was so unpopular with the staff. She outlawed Flooing out, thought it would be a way to assist
"I think we should get back together," he cut her off. "Not a bloody chance," she scoffed. "Why not?" "Because you cheated on me. Because you picked her over me. Because you couldn't raise the child of Severus Snape half as well as he could. Because you can't treat me as well as Severus can. Any of these reasons good enough for you?" He glared up at her. "How in the hell do you think that bloody Snape could treat you better than I can?" Aiden woke up and started fussing. "Because he already has," she said, gathering Aiden from him. "What kind of man knocks you up and doesn't give you a ring to show how commited he is to you?" "For your information, he has proposed marriage. I turned him down." "Why'd you turn him down, then? Couldn't stand to think of being his wife? Remembered how horribly he's treated you in the past?" "I turned him down because I wanted to be sure that he was marrying me to be with me, not because he thought we should be a family because of Aiden. He's proved to me time and time again that I wouldn't just be some baby-dropping servant in the kitchen. He loves me, and respects me, and wouldn't run off for some cheap whore who happened to open her legs for him," she snapped, standing up and bursting out of the office, nearly running down George in the process. "Um, er, Angelina says if you want to run by Madam Malkin's, she's over to get her dress fitted, they've got your dress waiting for you," he stammered, moving quickly out of her way. "Thank you, George," she said, striding out of the shop. She
