A/N Hi everyone I'm back with my 4th piece of SS/HG fanfic, I do love that pairing lol. The idea for this story came about after a conversation I had with my husband after the birth of our second daughter. My girls are close in age so after putting on the baby weight I was a tad self-conscious and I took my jealous insecurities out on him lol. So I hope you like this little story and I hope some of you can relate in a way. Please feel free to review. As always HP belongs to J.K Rowling. I own nothing.

Wandering Eyes and Misunderstandings

Chapter One

Hermione Snape felt utterly miserable, as she stared at her reflection in the mirror, standing only in her pants and bra. In her own opinion she had decided that the passing of years and giving birth to her twins Alexander and Sophia, had not been kind to her. She was a plain Jane and rather mousey looking, plus the extra weight that she couldn't shift from her pregnancy left her feeling fat and frumpy. To add to her woes her once pert ample breasts were now bigger with a slight droop after breast feeding her babies.

She had never been beautiful like the other girls she knew and she wasn't one who spent lots of time doing her hair and make-up, trying to perfect all those imperfections. She was practical in the way that she dressed and the way she tied her unruly curls, trying hard to keep them at bay. She never thought she was bad looking per say but definitely not beautiful. Perhaps she had been wrong trying to deceive herself.

Staring at her reflection with a frown on her face, she lifted up her breasts trying to see how they would look if they were a bit higher and a little less droopy. With a sigh she let them fall back down into place before pinching the extra flesh of her once flat and toned stomach. Damn him for making her feel so bloody insecure about her body, it was all her husband Severus's fault and his wandering eye.

She saw the way he looked at his new research assistant with such intense interest. Even when Hermione was with him she still caught him looking at the petite, busty, blonde, twenty-something year old bimbo. She knew attacking that young woman was wrong; it wasn't like she had done anything wrong. No it was all bloody Severus. At first it didn't bother Hermione, she understood that on occasion men tended to look at other woman, as long as looking didn't change into touching. She trusted her husband. She did. Somehow she just knew he would never be unfaithful. But two weeks later and him still looking at the young woman, was starting to affect Hermione. She was beginning to feel like a petulant child, close to foot stomping, to get his attention. She wanted to yell at him to stop looking at the other woman and to look at her, his wife, instead. But tantrum throwing wouldn't help this matter.

Looking at herself now she began to wonder what Severus saw in her. She was thirty-two and so plain and boring compared to the young stunning Alyssa. God even her name sounded sexy and sultry.

Hermione was in her thirties, a mother of two, the head of the Department of Law Enforcement as well as being the youngest member on the Wizengamot. Of course stress and a hectic life had taken its toll on her, physically as well as mentally. Perhaps it was her fault that her husband had developed a wandering eye. He had always claimed to be so proud of her accomplishments in the Wizarding World, but perhaps her life was so busy that she had neglected her husband and his wants and needs. Perhaps she had been so busy she had neglected herself physically as well. They had always found time for each other both as a family of four and as a couple, plus they had a regular and more than adequate sex life. Maybe she was missing something or maybe he was just no longer interested in her like he once was. This thought made Hermione's heart clench in her chest. Severus was her world she loved him more than anything. And the thought that her marriage was hitting a huge stumbling block was unbearably painful.

After the War, Hermione had returned to Hogwarts to complete her final year, while her best friends Harry and Ron went off to do Auror training. At the insistence of Dumbledore, Severus Snape also returned as the snarky Potions Professor, although he was no longer as snarky as he had been during Hermione's earlier years. Over the course of that year both Professor Snape and Dumbledore allowed her to help brew the potions needed for the infirmary. It was during these evenings that a tentative friendship formed between the two. He stopped seeing her as the insufferable, bushy haired, know-it-all and she stopped seeing him as the surly potions Professor. She had always respected and defended him, even after he had treated her so abysmally but she had still been wary of his behaviour and attitude towards her, only because of past experiences with him.

Eventually for Hermione she had begun to see past his façade, to the man behind the mask and what she seen she liked causing her to develop feelings for him. She would never tell him of her feelings because after the War, his feelings for Harry's mum, Lily, had been made public. He had loved Lily from childhood, throughout Hogwarts and even after her death, in a love that spanned for more than twenty years. How could she possibly compete with that? With this knowledge she knew she could never put herself in the position of having her feelings trampled over, as he mocked and ridiculed her stupidity. So she believed it would be best to ignore these feelings and distance herself from him.

Which is why she decided to go to Salem Witch Institution in America for three years to study Magical Law, rather than attend University in Britain. She needed to clear her head and rid herself of the ridiculous infatuation that she had developed. So when it was time to leave Hogwarts and say goodbye to him, it literally broke her heart, although she knew what she was doing was the right thing in the end.

Before she left Hogwarts however, she had asked Professor Snape if she could correspond with him while she was away, which he readily agreed too. Little did she know that he too had developed feelings for her and even though it pained him, he knew that he had to let her go, and live her life without him holding her back. Like Hermione he didn't want to burden her with his feelings and have her laugh in his face and mock him for them, that had already happened once in his life he wasn't prepared for it to happen a second time. He knew she saw him as no more than a friend at best, there could be no way that she felt more for him than that. As a half-blood growing up in the muggle world he was aware of the saying 'if you love someone, set them free. If they come back, it's meant to be.' So he let her go.

The time she spent away went by agonizingly slowly and not once did she ever stop thinking of him. Feelings she had once developed for him only heightened until eventually she realized she had fallen in love with him.

So as three long years passed by and she completed her studies, she finally came back home to London, securing a job with the Ministry in Magical Law Enforcement, working her way from the bottom upwards.

Settling back into life at home she was finally able to build up the courage and write to Severus asking him if he wanted to meet up for lunch. He replied quickly and promptly inviting her to his quarters at Hogwarts for dinner instead.

On the day of their dinner they had both been so nervous at their reunion, having not seen each other in over 3 years and wondering what had changed during their time apart.

She had apparated to the gates of Hogwarts at 6.30pm sharp and was greeted by her former Professor, friend and the man she loved. When her cinnamon eyes met his onyx ones, her heart began to beat rapidly in her chest, she was sure he could hear it. Her breath hitched and she stopped walking towards him, as she simply took in the sight of him. He hadn't changed at all. He still wore his frock coat with many buttons, he still had billowing robes that made him look like a large bat, he was still tall and slender but no longer looked unhealthily skinny. His skin was still pale but no longer did he look sallow. His nose was still hooked, his teeth were still crocked and his hair was still black and lank, but not greasy like everyone believed. The one word she instantly thought of when she saw him was 'perfect.' He was perfect in her eyes.

He too stood motionless as he looked down at her. Three long insufferable years had passed and now here she was, looking more beautiful than ever. Her curly hair was still unruly but had lost the frizz. It was longer now falling down to the small of her back. Her eyes shone and sparkled with maturity and warmth. She had a healthy pink glow to her cheeks and her body had matured from the young girl she had been. She was breath taking and standing before him now she was like an angel.

"Severus." She whispered in greeting, her voice trembling slightly as the huge wave of emotions crashed through her.

He heard the tremor in her voice and looking deep within her eyes, he saw everything he needed to know and more. He saw her love for him, he saw her happiness at seeing him, and he saw the want and longing she felt. Her feelings only mirrored his own but she was brave enough to show them. So very typically Gryffindor of her, he mused.

"Hermione." He whispered and like two magnets being pulled together and unable to stop, they were in each other's arms, mouths kissing hungrily, tongues dancing, bodies pressing against the other's wanting more contact, while hands roamed freely over the others body. Both Hermione and Severus felt the same thing, the feeling of finally being home.

Seven years, one marriage and a set of twins later, and here Hermione was, standing in front of the mirror in her underwear, feeling self-conscious as hell and wondering what was happening in her marriage.

With a resigned sigh she began to get the rest of herself dressed, putting on a pair of fitted muggle jeans and a soft purple jumper. Brushing her hair she pulled it into a pony tail. Topping off her look she tucked her jeans into a pair of knee high boots before squirting a little perfume on. With one final look in the mirror she was ready.

Heading downstairs into the living room, her beautiful children were sitting in their playpen all ready and waiting to go. She was heading to her best friend Ginny's house so that their kids could have a playdate and she could get some womanly advice about what to do with Severus.

After the War everyone believed that Ginny would marry Harry and she would marry Ron. But of course none of that happened. That had been a fantasy for thousands of witches and wizards, who all wanted a wonderful happy ending involving friendship, romance and love after the War.

Harry and Ron became a couple; they had always been closer to each other, than what Hermione had been. And although Ron had openly pursued her, that was only because he didn't want to admit to being gay or to his feelings for his best friend. When he and Harry finally gave into their feelings everyone, including Hermione and Ginny had been happy for them.

Ginny, like Hermione, ended up marrying a bad boy from the house of Slytherin. After the Malfoys switched to the light and Lucius became a spy also, Ginny had fallen for the youngest Malfoy, Draco. He too had fallen for her but neither one wanted to admit their feelings in fear of how their families would react. Draco's family had a less than stellar reputation, while even though Ginny was a pureblood; her family was looked down upon by most pureblood wizards and witches.

They needn't have feared however, Lucius Malfoy was pleased at his sons union, believing that the Malfoy reputation could be salvaged by the good name of the Weasleys, fighters of the light and of the greater good. The Weasleys were also happy that Ginny would have a good life, not having to worry about money and being poor like her parents. All in all everyone was happy.

Hermione had taken a while to come terms with her best friend being in love with Draco; after all she did have a bad history with both the eldest and youngest Malfoy men. Plus she had been tortured in their home by Draco's crazy Aunt Bellatrix Lestrange. But finally she put these things in the past, and made the effort with Draco and his family for the sake of her best friend and honestly, Hermione was glad because now she was best friends with the whole Malfoy family.

Kissing her children's foreheads she walked down into Severus's lab and as soon as she saw him her heart sank. There he was sitting at his lab watching her, studying her by the looks of things. He hadn't even noticed Hermione standing there.

She wanted to scream and yell at him, she wanted to sob and show him just how much he was hurting her, but of course she didn't. She held her head high and composed herself, willing her voice to sound steady.

"Severus that's me and the children away to Ginny and Draco's. I'm not sure how long we will be."

"Hmm." Severus mumbled, snapping out of whatever daydream he was in. Looking at his wife standing so proper in the doorway caused him to frown. She had on that look of indifference again, like she was hiding something and it was starting to bother him more and more. Things had always been amazing between them. They had always seemed so happy and in but for the past two weeks he began to notice a change in her. Severus being Severus automatically thought she was seeing another man, but deep down he knew she wouldn't do that to him. He had tried talking to her, not in the obvious way of course, but she avoided such conversations. His wife was pulling away from him and he didn't know why. He didn't know how to fix things, so he immersed himself in his work. "Very well love, have a good time."

He saw the slight tremble of her lips, before she turned on her heel and left. Running his fingers through his lank hair, he cursed silently and got up to follow her. When he entered the room he called out her name but she was either ignoring him or just didn't hear him.

Holding their two year old twin's hands in each of her own they stepped into the floo and before they disappeared Hermione looked up at him briefly. In that one small look, he saw the hurt and sadness in her weary eyes.

He was beyond shocked by what he saw and couldn't help feel dread build up in his heart and stomach. She was unhappy in their marriage and he was losing her. And he had no clue what to do.

Sinking down onto the couch he held his head in his hands and breathed heavily. He couldn't lose her, not now, and not ever. He needed her, he loved her. What could he do to convince her of that?

With a shaky intake of breath he composed himself before heading back down to the lab where the incredibly attentive Alyssa waited for him.

So dun dun duh, what do you think is going on in the Snape marriage. Are things what they appear to be? Next chapter will be up tomorrow. Hehe xx