This is an AU story in that Hermione has a sister despite her being an only child in the books. Also, as far as book characters, ignore the epilogue. Other than that no major warnings!
Disclaimer: I am not JK Rowling! I just love the world she created and find enjoyment in messing with her creations! Thanks JK!
The day it happened started like any other. Severus and Hermione were awoken early in the morning by their black haired, dark eyed four year old daughter bursting into their room, bubbling over with morning energy. This happened most every day, not that the couple minded. Severus smiled softly at the bouncy toddler as she climbed into their bed. He slipped into contemplative thought as the little girl settled between him and his wife.
Their world had revolved around the little curly headed girl since the day she suddenly came into their lives three and a half years ago, under somewhat strange circumstances. You see, little Adeline Rose Snape wasn't biologically theirs, but the child of Hermione's younger sister and a man she had met only once. She had shown up on their doorstep several years ago holding a six month old baby. She had simply shoved the tiny girl into Hermione's arms with a note and run off, leaving her older sister in shock. After reading the letter and several hours of deep discussion, the couple had decided to adopt the child and raise her as their own. Hermione couldn't stand the thought of handing the raven haired infant off to some stranger, and Severus was willing to do whatever it took to make his young bride happy. From then on, she was theirs, and they'd never regretted it.
"What's got you looking so happy love?" Hermione asked, shifting her daughter slightly so she could turn to face her husband.
"Yea Daddy!" Adie squealed jumping up. "Why's you smiling?"
Severus was about to answer when their bouncy child tripped over her own feet and tumbled into her mother's lap, causing Hermione to groan quietly.
"Careful now, Adie." Severus said, scooping the child up and running his eyes appraisingly over his wife's form. "Remember, you have to be cautious around Mummy right now."
"Cause of da baby, Daddy?" She asked, eyes wide. Turning to her mother, "Is the baby oks, Mummy? I sowwy! I twipped!" Tears welled up in the little girl's eyes as she spoke.
Hermione sat up as quickly as her seven month pregnant belly would allow and hugged Adeline. "The baby is fine Adie. You just surprised Mummy when you fell. It's ok darling."
The toddler stared at her for a moment before smiling, seemingly pleased with her mother's reassurances. "Can we has bweakfast then?"
Her parents laughed and nodded before the family arose from bed and headed off to start their day.
Several hours later, the event Hermione had always dreaded happened. She was sitting on the couch reading with Adie coloring on the coffee table in front of her when the doorbell rang. Hermione rose from the couch and ambled towards the door, her naturally curious child trundling along behind her. When she reached the door, she pulled it open and froze. Standing before her was a woman who looked very much like her, only younger and raven haired.
Adie peered around her mother's legs at the familiar stranger. "Who is dat, Mummy?"
Ignoring the child's question, Hermione responded without looking down. "Go down to the lab and get your father please, Adeline."
The little girl scurried off without question, being smart enough to know that her mother's tone and the use of her full first name meant not to argue.
"What are you doing here, Harper?" Hermione asked.
The dark haired woman before her smiled. "Come now, Mione. Is it a crime for a girl to visit her big sister now?"
"Of course not," the older woman replied, her eyes and voice guarded. "I just honestly never expected to see you again."
"I had to see her, Hermione." Harper Granger replied, correctly reading her sister's expression. "She is my daughter."
"No she isn't Harper." Came a calm male voice from behind them. Hermione turned to see her husband walking towards her, question in her eyes. Addressing his wife, "Adie is upstairs with Winky and Dobby. I didn't think she needed to be a part of this." Hermione's expression softened at this news as she turned back to her sister. Severus sidled up behind her and wrapped an arm around her waist. "And as I was saying Harper, Adeline is no longer your daughter. We adopted her through the ministry after you left her here."
Harper's eyes hardened. "Biologically, she is mine, Snape," she growled.
"Yes," the man conceded, "but that means nothing now. Hermione is the only mother she has ever known."
The girl's black hair whipped into her face as she turned to look at her sister. "Is that how you feel too, Hermione?" Her voice held a note of hurt.
Hermione sighed and rubbed her aching back before waving her sister into the house and heading to the living room to sit down. Once the other two had joined her, she spoke.
"How I feel doesn't matter Harper. That letter you left with Adeline gave up every right you had to her. You said you couldn't take care of her and wanted me to raise her as my own. That's what I've done and I couldn't love her more, even if she were really mine."
"It was a matter of circumstance at the time, Mione…" The young woman's voice had a pleading edge to it now.
"I know, Harp." Hermione smiled slightly as she leaned forward and took her sister's hand into hers. "And I understand how you feel, especially now that I'm pregnant. I couldn't imagine how hard it would be to have to give this child up, but you have to understand, I feel the exact same way about Adeline. Now, I have nothing against you being a part of her life and a part of our family, but it will have to be as nothing more than her aunt. At least for now. Once she is older we can discuss this again, but for now she has to just be your niece or you have to walk away. She isn't old enough to process this and, as smart as she is, I don't want to burden her. I know that may be hard to do but I have to insist."
Harper took a deep breath and replied, "No, no, you're right Hermione. I didn't actually come here to try to take her from you, I guess I just got defensive hearing it said aloud. I would love to get to be her Auntie Harper. And that's all I ever have to be. I just need to know her in some way. In a way, giving her up is both the best and the worst thing I've ever done. The worst because I missed getting to raise my child, but the best because you and Severus seem to be giving her a life I never could have dreamed of providing for her." She was crying by the end of her speech, Hermione took her into her arms and held her until she calmed down.
Sniffing, she looked up at her brother in law. "I'm so sorry I snapped at you. It was uncalled for."
Severus nodded in response and said, "and I am sorry for being so harsh with you. I just wanted to make sure you knew up front where we stood. I didn't want you upsetting your sister."
Harper laughed. "I can see why. When are you due?"
"Soon. The end of November."
Harper smiled at her sister, and just like that all the anxiety melted away. The sisters reminisced for all afternoon, and once they were introduced, Adie took a liking to her new Auntie.
Later that night, after Adie was put to bed, Hermione sat at her dressing table brushing her hair when she saw her husband's reflection appear behind hers in the mirror.
"Are you ok, my love?" he asked, leaning forward to brush the hair from her neck and place a kiss upon the exposed skin.
"I'm fine, Sev. The whole evening when much better than I had imagined, the few times I'd let myself imagine it." she paused for a moment but the man could tell she wasn't finished with what she had to say. "I've never been more terrified though… When I saw her, every happy memory we've had with Adeline flashed before my eyes. I… I thought she was here to take her away… I mean the rational part of me knew she couldn't but…"
"Shh.. I know darling. I felt the same way when Adeline told me that there was a woman at the door who looked like you and that you seemed upset. That's when I knew I had to be strong. With your emotions the way they are at the moment I wasn't sure how you would respond. I hope you aren't cross with me for speaking to her the way I did."
Hermione smiled and leaned back into the chest behind her, "Of course I'm not! I was in shock so I'm glad there was someone there to speak up. And I think Harp needed that too. No matter what she said, I'm certain a part of her would have had a hard time walking away if she didn't know the ground rules beforehand."
"Well she did and the moment we've feared has come and passed." After he spoke, he took her hand, helped her up from her vanity chair, and lead her to the bed. He could tell the day's events had exhausted her, even more than her pregnancy usually did.
Once she was settled into bed, he pulled off his sleep pants and slid beneath the covers next to her. Pulling her close, he whispered "nox" with a slight wave of his hand, and the room went dark. Just as he was about to fall asleep, he heard his wife's quiet voice.
"Severus?"
"Hmm?" he replied without opening his eyes.
"Thank you. For today, and for being such an amazing father to Adeline. I've never told you this before but the day Harper left us Adeline, I was afraid you would leave…"
Severus opened his eyes to see his wife's beautiful brown eyes glowing up at him. "Why would you think that love?"
Hermione's hands worried mindlessly at the edge of her nightgown as she replied, "It was just so sudden. And we'd only been married for a few months. Not to mention we seemed to have some unspoken agreement that we weren't ready for children since you just kept brewing my monthly potion, and I kept taking it. It just wasn't something we'd discussed, so a part of me assumed that you would take the chance to run… Or that if you did stay, you would realize it was a mistake and leave later…"
Her husband looked her right in the eye. "I never once considered leaving you, Hermione. Or Adeline. I could see it in your eyes from the moment you first looked at her. She was ours. And that was that. Adeline is an amazing child and she has only made my world better. She is not a mistake and neither was our adopting her. Now, turn that brilliant brain of yours off and get some sleep love. Stress isn't good for you or the baby."
Stifling a yawn, Hermione could only nod in response and curl up closer to her husband's chest. Moments later, they had both drifted into a deep sleep, not knowing they would be awoken in a few hours' time by a little raven haired girl crawling into their bed, claiming she couldn't sleep. Not that they would have changed it even if they knew.