The Wrong Time

Day One

Hermione walked to Josiah’s bedroom, willing her stomach not to growl so loudly as Silvano placed the finishing touches on their dinner. Josiah had been awake for a few hours now, and Silvano had made them a lovely fondue for lunch. He’d told Hermione that Josiah would probably enjoy being able to dip the bits of bread into the savory melted cheese. He’d been right.


Hermione had never seen her son so enthusiastic about food before. She had been very surprised too, by how well Josiah had taken to Silvano. He had even crawled into his lap during lunch, because, according to him, “He do it bettow, Mummy. You get cheese on me,” that had awarded laughter from everyone.


Hermione felt her loins pulse slightly. When his hand brushed over hers for the same piece of bread, she felt a rush through her whole body. She was sure he felt it too, because he had looked away, red-faced. There was definitely a chemistry between them, but something had been bothering her.


Who was he? Minerva had acted as though she would recognize him in an instant if she heard him talk or saw him. She found that she didn’t however. It was true, that his voice did bear a striking resemblance to---no, she would not let herself become deluded enough to believe that.

It was true there were similarities, but there were also blinding differences. In the seven years she had known the man, she had never heard him laugh, but Silvano laughed beautifully, his baritone voice filling a room richly. There was the obvious appearance difference, but then again, that could easily be changed by magic.


And even though their personalities seemed to be polar opposite, there was a lot that twenty-three years could change, particularly if one’s entire life had changed completely over those years. It was possible that he could be happy, and with happiness comes a change in attitude. Yes, it was quite possible that twenty-three years could change a dour man into a friendlier one.


You’re forgetting one thing, she reminded herself silently. Severus Snape is dead, and no amount of magic can change death.


She sighed. It was hopeless to keep chasing this dream. It was hopeless and foolish to think that even if he had survived somehow, that he could want her.


She reached Josiah’s door and poked her head inside.


“Are you ready for dinner, Baby?” she asked him sweetly.


“Whewe Siw?” he asked her, looking disappointed.


When Silvano had proven too difficult a word for Josiah to pronounce, the wizard had suggested shortening it to ‘Sil,’ and thus became ‘Siw.’


“He’s getting supper ready, Sweetie,” Hermione told her son.


“No, Mummy. I want Siw,” Josiah said plainly.


Hermione smiled inwardly. Was it possibly her two year old child was wise enough to judge a person by their character and not their situation? She had assumed that Josiah rejected Lavender because she was Daddy’s new girlfriend, not because she was just plain detestable.


It seemed that he had no problems with the fact that Mummy and Daddy weren’t going to be together anymore. His problem with Lavender was personal. She wondered for a second if her youngest son would break the family’s Gryffindor streak and be sorted into Slytherin.


“Ok, Honey. Mummy will go and get Sil and see if he will come get you for dinner,” Hermione said, smiling.


“Otay, Mummy,” Josiah replied, grinning.


Hermione walked back into the kitchen just as Silvano was filling their glasses, pumpkin juice in Josiah’s little cup, and a robust red wine in his and Hermione’s glasses.


“Where’s Josiah?” he asked her, confusion splashed across his handsome face.


Hermione swallowed. Whether she could remember who he was or not, he certainly was a sexy man, even if he was about twenty years her senior, which was still fairly young for a wizard.


“He said he wanted you to bring him to dinner, not me,” Hermione said sheepishly.


Severus smiled. So the little tyke adored him already? He was touched, even though he had spent years loathing children.


“Well I suppose I shall go and get him, then,” he said.


Hermione smiled. Gods the man was sexy when he smiled. She felt her cheeks flush, and looked at her feet. She could not understand why she felt like such a randy, giddy little sixth year around him.


She took her seat at the table. She was touched by the fact that Silvano had transfigured Josiah’s chair so that he could sit at the big table with them. He seemed more caring and attentive toward Josiah in the last few hours than Ron had been for the child’s whole life. Hermione pushed the thought away. Ron was Josiah’s father, and she knew he loved him, even if he was careless with him at times.


A few minutes later, Severus reentered the room, carrying a grinning Josiah.


“Mummy, Siw tickwe me! He tickwe bettow than you and Daddy putted togever!”


Hermione laughed.


“Is that so?” she asked him, advancing on him with her fingers wiggling.


“Yes,” Josiah replied, giggling.


“Well, Mummy will just have to defend her title then, won’t she?”


“Yeah!” Josiah squealed, erupting into a fit of laughter as his mother tickled him mercilessly.


Severus smiled.


“I bet I can beat that,” he said, setting Josiah on the floor, and tickling him.


Josiah squealed and ran to his mother, who picked him up.


“I’ll get her too,” Severus said, advancing on both of them, who were now laughing in anticipation.


Severus grabbed Hermione around her knees and dragged her to the floor, ticking them both until they couldn’t breathe. After a few moments, when they had all stopped laughing, and were now breathing heavily from the exertion, Severus tilted his chin up and kissed Hermione tenderly on the lips.


They looked at each other, hearts pounding wildly. Severus leaned up as though he might kiss her again, when Josiah piped up.


“Ewwwww! Cooties!”


The three of them laughed heartily, and Severus helped Hermione to her feet, and led them over to the table so they could eat supper.


A/N: Thanks for reading! I hope you like where this chapter is heading! Please review!