Lily and James Potter were probably the most intimidating and loving people either Hermione or Harry had ever met. They stood as an united front, their hands entwined and statures tall and proud. Harry loved them instantly.

He ran right to them, hugging them before they could even get a word in. Attempting to make everything seem normal and right with the world however, Harry let go much earlier than he would have liked and literally wiped the grin off his face, hoping that the motion would help. And while the idea of staying in this reality forever was daunting and not quite settled into his brain fully yet, being able to hug his parents for the rest of their lives would make up for it.

Meanwhile Hermione watched from afar with teary eyes as Snape took her under his arm and asked where she'd been.

"Just had a chat with Harry is all, he was worried about me."

A low hum was her only reply when he kissed the top of her head.

"Are you alright, dear?" Lily asked Harry, smiling all the while. She placed a hand on his cheek, coming close to him in a motherly way Harry had only experienced from Molly Weasley.

"Lily," James laughed, pulling her back, "He's married, don't mother him."

"Are you okay? You're a bit peaky," Lily asked again, ignoring her husband who just laughed and shrugged off the situation to say hello to Severus and Hermione. "And you know you don't have to wear that shirt for me."

"Just fine," Harry said with a grin, "I'm brilliant, actually, and you know I'd do anything to make you smile."

Lily smirked.

"And Draco," she said sweetly, Harry watching as his mother took a few steps to his left and smiled even more brightly, tucking a strand of long, blonde hair behind his husband's ear, "The house looks wonderful, as usual. I see you changed the paint again."

"I have ample time for that when Harry is trying to get himself killed," the man drawled, attempting to make things seem normal.

He almost felt bad for Draco, that he had no idea this wouldn't be a one time thing, but like many other thoughts, Harry put this from his mind too.

"Mum," Harry talked excitedly, gaining much needed attention from her, tossing a mixture of emotions at Malfoy in a single look. "How's dad doing at the ministry?"

Lily laughed, a beautiful sound that Harry cursed Voldemort for taking away from him, before replying, "Good. I would say you should know since you're there, but you two haven't dealt much with one-another recently, which is probably for the better."

The beautiful vision that was Lily Potter winked with a green eye just like Harry's and went past him to join her husband who was animatedly speaking with Hermione about a few laws they were working on together. Her ability to seemingly know what he was talking about without hesitating was endlessly impressive, and Harry remembered why he loved her.

"Business already?" Lily wondered, bringing Hermione into a hug before she could even say hello. "Shame on you, Prongs."

James' eyes heavied with attraction, and while the idea of his parents... well, really he was just happy to experience them and tried not to think about that. He was content to see their love had lasted this long.

"Son!"

"Yes?" He replied shakily, causing James to chuckle.

"Where's Lucius?"

"I was wondering the same, Draco," Snape added, a foreign smile on his lips as well as he took Hermione's waist, pulling her closer.

There was a very small part of Harry that dreadfully wished to tackle the Potions Master to the ground, whether he was a war hero or not. Technically he was nothing here, and if Snape were in the know, it would have been good for him to remember that. Alas, a different world.

"He's somewhere," Draco answered for them both, "Presumably checking his hair before he sees you, Lily."

"I want to lock the prat up considering he kissed my wife."

Two shocked faces, though they tried their best to keep them from looking as such.

"I was fifteen, and you wanted nothing to do with me then! How many times-"

Hermione could feel her best friend deflate from where she was, their breaths steadying out with each turn of the conversation, never quite sure what James or anyone else was going to say next.

The woosh of the fireplace in Number Twelve Grimmauld Place alerted them all to Lucius Malfoy's arrival, spectacular as usual. There wasn't a single grain of ash on him as he smiled and directed himself right to Lily. Her hand was at his lips before he could peck her cheek, then they were all laughing as James huffed rather childishly.

"Severus," Lucius greeted warmly, "And Madame Snape," he bowed to Hermione, whose blush Harry felt on his own cheeks, and though it hurt his head, Malfoy Senior greeted him as well.

"Has Kreacher finished dinner?"

Malfoy looked at Harry, nudging his head towards the kitchen, though the boy-who-lived was certainly not known as the boy-who-could-understand-social-cues.

The young blonde rolled his eyes and leaned over, placing a kiss to Harry's cheek, though it wasn't for any purpose other than whispering, "You call Kreacher, it's tradition."

Harry laughed, hoping to pass it off as something 'cute' Malfoy had said, then called Kreacher out. This felt worse than war, and he thought the comparison valid, as he'd been through a war.

"Masters Potter," Kreacher bowed to them, then turned to the others and said, "Honored guests, dinner is served and ready for your liking."

He disappeared as quickly as he came.

"You have a wonderful elf, Potter," Lucius spoke flatly, allowing the Snape's and elder Potter couple to go in first. Malfoy didn't follow merely snorted.

"You say that every time you see Kreacher, Father."

"It is a compliment that deserves to be paid."

He headed through the doors and the hall, towards the kitchen where a wonderful feast was awaiting and Harry was scarcely reminded of Xenophilius Lovegood when his father-in-law smiled (Merlin's beard this world might kill him yet).

They were all seated, and soon a meal was before them as they immersed into conversation. Harry learned to be quick about it all and allow himself to rely on Malfoy, while Hermione did very well on her own, talking about everything from the career she'd luckily had both here and in their past, to the infant growing in her womb.

This brought on a new road-bump however, as it was mentioned in passing conversation that her and Snape had wanted to keep the baby being a boy or a girl a surprise. She swallowed her drink hard and looked guiltily at Harry, knowing they'd now need to keep yet another secret from everyone. He just felt bad she was on her own more so for that one.

In this instance, Harry felt genuinely lucky to have Draco Malfoy next to him. He picked up any of the questions he couldn't feasibly lie about or know off-hand, as though he'd answered things like this for him his whole life.

The question that startled him most though, was Lily asking her adoring son when in Merlin's name she was going to get grandchildren from the two of them.

Draco said adopting was a lot harder than it used to be. To Harry, it was just another terrifying reminder of the wrench he'd have to throw into Malfoy's future.

The night went by splendidly otherwise, in Harry's opinion, and even he started to not mind this version of Malfoy... Draco after a while. Even if the fact that everyone leaving meant bad news for him, for them both really, Harry was glad to stop having to lie, especially to his parents, though the conversation in front of him wasn't going to be a fun one.... It was so much so that them being alive was even dampened by it.

For Hermione and Severus, when they returned home, their night had simply begun.

He was slow about seducing her, and while she was certain she wouldn't allow it, Hermione let him lead her over to their sofa against one of the many walls of books. Acting at ease around him progressed through the night, but she wished dearly she could partake in the finger-pour of firewhiskey he'd indulged in just to steady herself.

Eventually, their chatting tapered, and silence fell over them both as Hermione allowed herself time to process everything going on in her head. There was just so much, she almost envied Harry... maybe she should tell Severus what was wrong.

"You look so different tonight," he said through the silence. Then she considered maybe not.

"Maybe I'm finally glowing," she joked quickly.

He chuckled a humorous and healthy sound before shaking his head, reaching for her across the space between them, fingers pushing hair behind her ear.

"No," he mused, voice as low as the lighting in the room.

Hermione should have been caught off of her guard when he leaned forward and kissed her so softly that she hardly realized he was there. He practically crawled to her side of the sofa, making the contact more firm, evolving the kiss as she was sure his real wife allowed.

"Sev." He stopped, a breath away from her lips as he looked at her with all the heat of a raging fire. "I'm worried about the baby."

It would have been an infinitely better excuse if he didn't ruin it.

"That wasn't the case the other night." A kiss to her neck, and Hermione's brain fogged over. She really hadn't gotten some in a while if this was making her stomach knot as it were. Then again it wasn't her body, so probably not her reactions either.

Thinking quick, she answered, "I got sick while I was talking to Harry, I didn't want to worry you though."

Severus sighed, his eyes losing the fire in them but not the love. "I apologize, I shouldn't push you like this, it's inconsiderate... but why didn't you tell me you were sick?" He caressed her cheek gently, and Hermione played his game, leaning into it.

"I really wanted to see everyone, and it happens all the time right now, I'm not going to miss dinner with you and our friends just for that."

She felt nauseous just reminding herself of sitting on the floor in the bathroom learning she couldn't go home.

"Just let me know next time, in case you are in need of help. Draco seemed strange while I was exiled with him."

Snorting at his diction, she leaned back to look at him. "That's odd."

"Did Harry mention a row?"

As nonchalant as possible, Hermione said no.

Severus didn't seem to like this answer, but dropped it in favor of mindlessly focusing on their entwined hands.

"I just worry over him, being my god-son and all. They're in the same spot we are, but it looked as though they wanted nothing to do with one-another, let alone take in a child together...."

Keeping her shocked expression in check, Hermione only frowned. "He seemed fine, Severus, really. You know how Harry is sometimes, up in his head about a case." At least she hoped he did.

"It would be in poor taste to argue with my brilliant wife, and you're right anyways. I don't mean to be so disagreeable this evening, dinner just didn't feel like normal." She thought about how sickeningly considerate he was, and her heart broke slightly for him, briefly wondering how Malfoy was handling his entire world getting flipped over. She got the feeling from Harry's reaction that this was certainly not going to either of their favor.

Just glad she was able to save Severus that heartbreak, she let the thought go.

In the companionable silence, Hermione lifted her feet and began to rub her ankles, the day having really put a toll on her body... well, the other Hermione's body.

"Would you like me to carry you upstairs?"

Out of blatant curiosity she said yes, figuring he meant magically. Her shriek of surprise when he lifted her into his arms with ease caused him to chuckle, and she felt every lift of his diaphragm being held so close.

He placed her on their bed, and rubbed her ankles for her, making his way up her legs in what had to be the most satisfying massage she's ever received. He stopped just short of her upper thigh.

Luckily having looked through the drawers earlier paid off as Hermione changed into a black set of pajamas, her curiosity making her eyes glued to Severus however. Having only ever seen him in formal attire, this sudden change was mind-altering.

He carried himself well. His posture was perfect, and there was no shyness in this Severus Snape as he tied his hair back and stripped from head to toe, replacing only one article of clothing in the form of black, cotton pajama bottoms.

He smirked when he caught her staring.

They returned to bed and he pulled her into him, muttering a goodnight and his love for her, which she only gently muttered in return. To say it louder would have felt false, and her conscience was wracked with guilt as it was.

Hermione felt him fall to sleep quickly and finally let herself cry. Only a single day, a single, miserable day, and they'd gone from war-hero's to the couple starting a family next door. She cried for herself, for Harry, for Ginny, the rest of the Weasley's, and especially for Draco and Severus.

If he found the pillow damp and warm in the morning, he didn't say anything.