6 months, 1 week, 2 days:

"Where is your damn bedroom?" he growled, his hands frantic against her skin.

"Fuck it," she declared, yanking him down by his collar and claiming his mouth with hers. Her back slammed into the hallway wall with the weight of his body before she let her knees go slack and slide down to the floor, dragging Severus with her the entire way.

"I'm too old to be fucking on the floor," he told her, not stopping in his pursuit to rid her of all her clothes.

"You're a wizard," she laughed, practically tearing his lovely trousers open. "You won't get 'too old' for sex on the floor until you're a hundred."

"My dignity begs to differ," he said, pulling her bra open, exposing her breasts to the cooler air of her flat, and making her nipples pebble. He swiftly covered them with his lips, sucking the flesh into his mouth and teasing it with his tongue.

"Dignity?" she laughed again as she jerked his trousers down to his thighs, pants and all, exposing his erect cock to her gaze. "Forget that, just feel."

She wrapped one hand around his shaft, the other squeezing his arse playfully. He gasped at the sensation, straightening as he released her breast and looked down at her hand on him.

An incoherent sound, half grunt, half whimper, escaped him as he watched her pump him slowly. His eyes fluttered shut as she swept her thumb over the leaking tip, spreading fluid around the sensitive glands. She brought her other hand around to fondle his sac and he spread his legs instinctively, letting his head fall back at the sensation. With a grin he couldn't see, she scooted forward, bending uncomfortably to take a swipe at him with her tongue.

"Sweet Hecate," he groaned, his hands finding purchase in her hair. Gentle fingers swept the curls back off her face as she sucked the head of his cock into her mouth and tongued the slit. "Fucking—Hermione!"

"I really wish you would," she said, sitting back up and grinning at him.

"I live to serve," he said, his voice deep and smooth as he openly grinned back at her. The sight sent a shiver down her spine; it was positively feral. He leant forward, his face so close she thought he might kiss her again and reached up under her skirt to yank at her knickers.

"You want me to fuck you?" he whispered, his breath on her wet lips.

"Yes," she nearly moaned.

"Right here on the floor?" With deft hands he rid her of the scrap of cotton and pulled her forward. She slid along the wooden floor easily, her back joining her arse as she lay spread out for him.

"Tell me," he murmured, ghosting his hands over her skin. His eyes took her in hungrily and she flushed hotly, a mixture of embarrassment and arousal.

"Fuck me, Severus," she told him, her voice soft but insistent. "Christ—please."

He grinned at her again, that look of a predator with dinner in its sights, and yanked her legs up to drape over his shoulders. He leaned forward and she could feel the blunt head of his cock pressing at her insistently; she reached up for purchase, for something to push against, anything to bring her closer to him. She needed to feel him inside of her, she needed to feel...

Hermione woke to the cries of her son. Sitting up in bed, the thick duvet fell to her waist and the cool air of her bedroom hit her sweat damp skin making it pebble uncomfortably. She wished, not for the first time, that she could take a dose of Dreamless Sleep potion but besides the fact that it rendered her breast milk inedible for her son, it would have prevented her from hearing him cry in moments such as these. With a grunt, Hermione tossed the blankets back, swung her legs over the side of the bed and went to retrieve Sebastian. He was sitting up in his crib, tears streaming down his little face when she walked in. As soon as he saw her, his arms went up, his little hands making grabbing motions.

"What's wrong, little man?" she asked, picking him up and holding him against her shoulder.

Immediately, he nuzzled his face into her neck, her thick hair creating a curtain around his head. She felt, but did not see, him bring his fist up to his mouth, his little jaw working as he tried to chew on his own hand.

"Did you have a bad dream?" she asked him, rocking slightly back and forth. "I wish I could say the same."

She held him for a while, feeling his body relax against her as he slipped back into sleep, but as soon as she tried to put him back into his crib he woke and began to cry once more. With a sigh, Hermione carried him into her room and tucked him into bed with her. He fell asleep lying on her chest, his fist in his mouth, as she watched the world turn from inky black to steel grey through the part in her curtains.

Hermione hadn't slept properly since that night, as it had become in her head, and it had more than caught up to her. She was downing Pepper-Up potions and Energy Draughts as if her life depended on it but it simply wasn't cutting it anymore. She knew that she was withdrawn and cranky; her temper was short and she had caught herself yelling at everyone for anything, even Sebastian for simply being a tired baby. It was with this in mind that she had asked her mum to start watching Sebastian during the day while she was at work. It was high time for him to get used to being around other people and she needed the break from being on guard every moment of the day more now than ever. Of course, she couldn't really lower her guard even without Sebastian around because the entire Wizarding world thought that she was two-timing Severus Snape with Ronald Weasley.

It was amazing how quickly the papers turned around and made the Potions Master into the wounded hero when mere months before they had been decrying that he was unfit to raise a child, that his inherit evil would corrupt the innocent babe.

If she wasn't the one being branded with a metaphorical red letter 'A' she might have laughed. As it were, even Hester would have said 'fuck this' and jumped ship if she were Hermione. Truly, the only thing that stopped her from picking up and leaving was the fact that there were people in her corner, even if they weren't all the ones she had hoped for, and that she was a Gryffindor dammit. She didn't run.

The tabloids had tried, ever so valiantly, to get an interview from Severus but he had, as expected, rebuked them with the nastiest and yet still legal hexes he could. She imagined that he had filled up an entire floor in St. Mungo's with his poor victims the first day the story from Magical Mag was picked up by The Prophet.

Under different circumstances it would have made her smile.

As it were, the mere thought of him made her stomach twist unpleasantly and she had to fight to keep whatever food she had managed to swallow in her stomach. Not only had he not come by to see his son, he hadn't even written to her about him.So much for wanting to be involved with him, she thought bitterly, feeling the traitorous tears slip out the sides of her eyes and into her hair. She wiped them away, furious with herself. No more of that. Get a grip, Hermione. Unfortunately, no matter how often she told herself to stop thinking about him, crying over him, or getting angry it rarely worked.

When the sun began to peek through the clouds Hermione forced herself to admit that she could no longer snuggle in bed with her son. She carefully slid him off of her and left him lying in her bed with several wards around him to stop anything from touching him besides her or her mother. Slipping into the shower she performed her morning ablutions with speed before Mrs. Granger arrived. When she got out she took care in casting several glamours over her face to hide the unnatural pale pallor to her skin and the dark smudges that ringed her eyes. She had begun disguising them shortly after Lavender had commented on how sickly she looked at work a few days prior. Hermione was well aware that she was probably not fooling her friend but no one else seemed to be any wiser and that was what mattered.

By the time she was dressed and ready to go, Mrs. Granger was on her doorstep with a smile.

"You look better, dear," her mother said, stepping inside and hanging her coat on the hook. "How is he?"

"Sleeping for the time being," Hermione said, gathering her purse. "He's on my bed; he was fussy late last night so I brought him with me."

"You shouldn't let him get used to sleeping with you, dear," her mother admonished gently.

"I know that," Hermione snapped. Her mother's eyebrows rose in silence and Hermione instantly felt ashamed of herself. "I'm sorry, mum. I'm just..."

"I know," Mrs. Granger patted her arm gently. "Go to work, I'll take care of things here."

"Thank you," she said softly. "Use Morgana if you need me, she'll always find me."

"Of course," Mrs. Granger leaned up on her toes, her daughter being taller than her now, and kissed Hermione on the cheek the way she used to when she was just a little girl. "Have a good day."

"I will," Hermione said, her throat thick with emotion all of a sudden. "Love you."

"Love you, too, darling."

Hermione stepped up to her fireplace and threw in the Floo powder before she could get any more teary eyed over a run-of-the-mill conversation with her mum and called out "Kingsley Shacklebolt, Head Auror".

She arrived to carefully controlled chaos.

Several Aurors—Zulu, Beagle, Whites and Stewart to be exact—were yelling to each other about positions, available Aurors, and strengths and weaknesses over a map spread out on Kingsley's desk. The Head Auror looked up as she Floo'd in and relief flooded his face.

"Good, you're here, we're going to need everyone we've got," he said. "You can leave the baby with—you don't have him?" Kingsley's eyes searched her as if she were hiding her son somewhere on her person. "Even better. You're officially on field duty, effective immediately, give me your wand."

Hermione, used to taking orders from this man and complying instantly, handed over the birch wood wand. Kingsley tapped it with his own, making hers glow a bright white, before he handed it back.

"There, restrictions have been reversed," he said. "No time for doing it the proper way."

"What's going on?" she asked the room in general.

Auror Stewart, a Sergeant, looked up and answered her. "We've got an irate husband who decided to take his wife's Muggle lover and the entire Muggle store hostage. Muggle police are there as are their Rita Skeeters," he growled. "It's a giant clusterfuck Granger, we're going to need everyone we can scrounge up."

"Hermione is excellent with Memory Charms," Kingsley said, his face thoughtful as he looked down at the map. "She's also quick with a wand. I want her in with the first force. If she can help take out Stibbins that's great, if not, she'll be on hand to startObliviating the Muggles."

"Am I on lead for follow-ups, then?" she asked her Head. She usually took the follow-up procedures on cases like this because, as a Muggle-born, she knew how to blend in thus making it easier for her to find and change the memories of those who had witnessed magic but escaped either the Accidental Magical Reversal Squad or the Aurors.

"Yes, that would be best," Kingsley nodded.

"Take Mullens with you," Zulu spoke up from his position at the map. "She's a fair shot with them too, it will go faster."

"Excellent," Hermione said. "I'll go inform her?"

Kingsley nodded and Hermione left, quickly tracking down the woman in question. The rest of the office was in as much of a buzz as Kingsley's room with everyone moving about and getting ready. She knew from previous experience that there would already be several teams of Aurors on scene along with Magical Law Enforcement and the Accidental Squad. The latter would be dealing with the Muggles outside of the store and in the surrounding area by setting up anti-Muggle wards and performing Obliviations where necessary. The people inside the store, however, would require stronger charms since they were most likely exposed to quite a bit of magic.

"Mullens," Hermione said, waylaying the witch. "Kingsley asked me to tell you that we'll be on point together for Memory Charms and follow-ups, okay?"

The older witch eyed Hermione up and down as if she were a particularly nasty creature that she had no wish to be anywhere near; it was a look Hermione hadn't seen since Draco Malfoy had called her a Mudblood for the first time on the Quidditch Pitch.

"Fine," she said, her lip curling with distaste.

"You don't have to like it," Hermione growled, angry at the other woman's attitude. "Just do it or you'll be the one explaining to Kingsley why it is that you're incapable of doing your job."

Mullens smirked. "Yeah, wouldn't want your paramour to be upset with me, now would we?"

"What on earth are you—"

Hermione didn't get a chance to finish as the witch walked away from her at the exact moment that Auror Stewart came out of Kingsely's office, bellowing for the First Wave.

"Assemble!" he roared, sounding a lot like Moody. He tapped his wand on a bare wall and a three dimensional map appeared. With another tap it zoomed into the Muggle area and the grocery store that they were going to be taking over. "I want you in this building, wands out and ready to Stun anything that moves. Muggles are to be Stunned, no matter what, until Stibbins can be dealt with and dispatched if necessary. Am I clear?"

"Yes, sir," the room echoed, Hermione included.

She knew it was standard practice but she always felt bad for Stunning unsuspecting Muggles.

"On my count!" Stewart called. "Three, two, Apparate!"

Hermione, like the rest of the First Wave, held her wand up and out at the 'Ready' position as she turned into herself and let her magic squeeze her through time and space. It was impossible to move oneself once Apparition had begun so in order to arrive ready to Stun one had to leave ready to Stun.

Her feet hit ground in the frozen food aisle. She heard simultaneous 'pops' of her co-workers and a few voices crying Stupefy! Above it all was the yelling of a man's voice, incoherent but clearly enraged.

Hermione caught a whimper and spun to her left. There, hiding behind a display for biscuits was a mother and her little son. The woman's eyes were wide and horrified as she took in the witch before her; Hermione watched as the Muggle's eyes went unerringly to the wand in her hand and she quickly tried to shove her son behind her.

Silently, Hermione put her finger to her lips and, with a quick look around, she darted over to the pair of them. The little boy, practically hidden by his mother's coat, peeked out from behind her.

"It's okay," Hermione whispered. "We're the police."

"Police?" the woman echoed.

"A different kind of police, but yes," Hermione smiled reassuringly. "We have to subdue him but before I do that, I need to make sure you two are kept safe, okay?"

"How are you—," Hermione didn't let her finish as she cast a silent Stupefy first at the woman, and then her son. With a quick rap on each of their heads, she Disillusioned them for good measure. Too often wizards on the run attacked Muggles, either for the sake of it or in a bid to divert the attention of the pursuing Aurors.

When the mother and son were secure Hermione began to creep forward, casting Cushioning Charms on her feet, as she made her way down the cold food aisle. When she reached the end of it she saw several more Stunned Muggles and Disillusioned them as quickly as she could.

"Just let him go, Stibbins!" a voice called, trying for soothing but falling short.

"No! He's fucking my goddamn wife!" an angry voice answered. "This piece of shit! This!"

"I understand that, Stibbins," yet another voice joined in the fray as Hermione crept forward silently, "but this isn't the way to deal with it. This is the way you get yourself locked up in Azkaban."

"Do you think I care about that?" Stibbins cried. Hermione felt a twinge of pity shoot through her at the obvious anguish in his voice. "I'll gladly go once this fucking Muggle is dead!"

This, Hermione thought to herself, is yet another example of how wizards come to hate Muggles.

A slight noise behind her had her spinning and pointing her wand with deadly accuracy right at the heart of Auror Mullens. The other woman sneered at Hermione and there was a part of her that didn't want to lower her wand, even though she did. She turned again and began moving forward once more.

She cleared the end of an aisle where tissue paper was stacked, displayed with a giant sale sign, and slowly peered around it. She could see Stibbins where he stood with a younger man held to his front, an arm around his throat and a wand pointed at his temple. Stewart and an older Auror that she recognized but didn't know by name faced Stibbins with their wands drawn. From across the aisle another three Aurors crept slowly up to surround the crazed man and his hostage.

Hermione quickly turned around. She cast a silent Muffliato spell around her and Mullens before speaking.

"I have a clear shot of him. I'm going to step out before he notices us closing in on him. I need you to cover me," she said, turning back around before the woman could get rude with her. She cancelled her spell wordlessly and stood in the same motion, fluidly pointing her wand at Stibbins' back just as someone coughed behind her.

Stibbins turned before she could even think her spell, his eyes widening as he saw her. They both drew back to cast at the same time.

Hermione, thinking of the hostage, cast an Expelliarmus.

Stibbins, thinking Merlin knew what, cast a Reducto.

The last thing she saw was the ground at her feet blow apart.