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A teacup waved in front of his face, startling him out of his thought. Severus glared at Hermione but took the offered, steaming cup, the fragrant scent of the Earl Grey tea he preferred assaulting his nose. A small sip proved it to have been made just the way he liked it, strong, with the barest splash of milk and a drizzle of honey. It irked him to realise that she must have been trying to get his attention for some time if she had been willing to shove a teacup in his face like that.
“Lost in thought?” She asked, her lips curling in a lazy smile.
Severus took another sip and grimaced at her. “Unfortunately. My apologies, I had not realised you’d been trying to get my attention.”
Hermione chuckled and shrugged one shoulder, her over-sized jumper sliding off and settling part way down her upper arm. She made no move to adjust it, and Severus was rather enticed by the smooth, creamy skin that had been bared. It was extremely rare that Hermione would bare herself to him, her insecurities since birthing their daughter making her withdrawn, less active in bed, so, Severus no longer initiated intimacy between them.
He would always find his wife desirable, but understood Hermione had suffered through a tough pregnancy, a brutal delivery and to round it all off, post-partum depression. It had been so hard, lately, to balance his own emotions while juggling his work, keeping Hermione happy, and caring for their daughter. Minerva had given him as much time off as possible, but even she had had no choice but to get him back teaching. Hermione, however, was easier to cover, especially as Minerva split the duties of Headmistress with Filius, who as Deputy Headmaster took on a fair share of the workload, and left her more free to still teach Transfiguration.
Hermione took most of her lessons, but Minerva had been doing all of them since Hermione had given birth and for several weeks after that because of the post-partum. Severus knew she didn’t begrudge her favourite former student the necessary time to heal, but it was a struggle. So, Severus had returned to do his own lessons, and took one or two of Minerva’s Transfiguration lessons to ease the burden some.
This was their first weekend where Severus was not on call to be available for Head of House duties, Vector had been slowly integrating herself as the new Head, and this was her first time flying solo, as it were. As such, he and Hermione were enjoying a warm cup of tea together, him in his favourite armchair, his wife on the sofa, stretched out and looking rather delicious in a pair of leggings and the soft, fluffy jumper.
His dick stirred and he forced his desire down, refusing to have another uncomfortable fumble that left his wife in tears and he frustrated, balls aching from lack of release. She tried, so much, but she couldn’t get past the stretch marks and still slightly loose skin of her abdomen. Severus knew it would likely go back to her previous shape, but if it didn’t, he didn’t mind. All it did was prove his wife had safe-guarded their daughter within her body.
“Severus?”
He glanced up and locked eyes with her. “Yes?”
“I’m sorry I’ve been so difficult.”
“Hermione, please, there is no apology necessary. The pregnancy was difficult and the labour even more so, having post-partum depression is hardly a surprise. My only wish is that you would see yourself as I do.”
“I know,” she whispered, her eyes filled with love and warmth. “And I’m starting to, Poppy is really helping me see my stretch marks as marks of love, not failure.”
Severus frowned and sipped his tea, taking a moment to put his thoughts into words. “Why would you view your stretch marks as failure?”
“Because…I didn’t love her, at first.”
“I know, Hermione, and there’s no shame in that. With everything you went through your bond just took a little longer to develop. Cassie is no worse for wear, and you love her now, do you not?”
Tears fell and she smiled brightly. “Oh, Severus, I love her so much.”
“Precisely,” he said, looking down at his cup when something bumped his lip. There was a ring in his teacup. “What is this?” He asked, holding it up.
Hermione dropped to her knees in front of him. “I want to renew our vows, Severus.”