DISCLAIMER: Harry Potter belongs to the wonderful J.K. Rowling.
~xXx~
"Papa?" Small childish hands pushed against the man's back. "Papa, wake up."
There was a slight movement under the bed covers, and with a tired groan, her father rolled over to face her. "Sabrina? What's the matter?"
The little girl shifted uncomfortably. "I had a bad dream."
Her father rubbed a tired hand across his face. "What?"
"I had a bad dream," she repeated, her eyes tearing up. "I'm afraid to go back to bed."
With a tired sigh, her father threw off his side of the overs, careful not to disturb his slumbering wife in the process. He stood up, scooping the child into his arms. "It's okay, sweetheart." He pressed a kiss against the side of her cherubic face. "It's okay. But you're a big girl now, and big girls need to sleep in their own beds."
With light footsteps he headed into her bedroom, flicking the light on in the process. "There we go," he laid the child down upon the mattress, tucking the covers up to her chin. "Snug as a bug. And now you need to sleep, little one. It's late, and you have school tomorrow."
"Papa?" she sniffed.
"Yes?"
"Will you tell me a story?"
Her father blinked. "Right now?"
"It would help me fall asleep faster," she reasoned, "to forget about my dream."
Sighing, her father began pulling out one of the many books from the small shelf next to them. She quickly grasped his hand. "No, Papa." She shook her head. "I want you to tell me a story, not read me one."
The man combed his fingers through his hair in frustration. "I'm not good at making up stories, Sabrina."
"But you always tell the best stories! Mama said so."
Her father sighed. The stories he had shared with his wife were strictly job-related or gossip, neither of which he was willing to share with his six-year-old daughter. But there is one story he could always share with her...
"If I give you what you want, will you promise to go to sleep?"
Sabrina nodded her head vigorously, and her father sighed, pulling the nearby rocking chair to her bedside. He sat down, crossing his legs in the process. "Once upon a time," he began, "a young girl went to Hogwarts. She was a silly little thing, this child. Talkative, bookish, an insufferable know-it-all."
Sabrina giggled.
"As the girl grew up, a second great war had begun in the Wizarding World, and by her eighteenth year, she was captured by the Dark Lord's most infamous of servants."
Sabrina gasped. "Who, Papa? Who?"
"Many called him the Beast," her father said, his voice lowering in a menacing timber. "For he was wild and untamed, and his cruelty knew no bounds. He kept the young witch prisoner beneath his secret fortress for many weeks, threatening to kill her if she did not cooperate with him."
Sabrina hugged her blanket close.
"One day, on a cold winter's night, the young witch escaped, and the Beast, in all his mighty anger, tore through the woods in search of her. He did not get very far, for a ravenous chimera ambushed him during the hunt. The Beast managed to kill the creature, but was mortally wounded in the process. He collapsed onto the ground, unconscious.
"When he awoke, the young witch was at his side, gently tending to his wounds. The Beast couldn't believe what he was seeing, for any prisoner with half a mind would stay a thousand miles away from their tormentors. But this girl was different. 'Everyone deserves compassion,' she told him. 'No matter who they are'."
"Wow," Sabrina breathed. "She sounds like a really special person."
Her father's eyes softened. "Yes," he agreed. "She is."
"This is a good story," she told him.
"Hmm," her father agreed, and continued, "with much effort, they made their way back to the fortress, and the witch's kindness awakened something within the Beast. He wanted to make her happy, but did not know how. In time, he had discovered that she loved to read, and led her into his magnificent library. 'It's yours,' the Beast said, and just like he'd hoped, the girl was overwhelmed with happiness."
Giggling, Sabrina said, "You can never go wrong with books."
"I agree." Her father grinned. "For the next several months, the witch stayed in the fortress to help the Beast recuperate."
"Recuperate?" Sabrina repeated with a frown.
"To recover," her father explained. "And as his strength returned to him, the Beast found comfort within the girl's gentle presence. She was the only light in his otherwise dark world, and her compassion towards him knew no bounds. In time, the Beast had fallen in love with her."
Sabrina smiled. Like her mother before her, she enjoyed a good romance.
"As the war grew worse, the witch became increasingly worried for her friends and family. The Beast, who loved the girl so much, was willing to put her happiness above his own, and released her from his fortress. With a tearful sob, the girl pulled the Beast into her warm embrace, and kissed him."
"Eww!" Sabrina made a face.
"The Beast certainly enjoyed it," her father joked.
"What happened next, Papa?"
Well...," the man blushed, and clearing his throat, continued. "Naturally, the Dark Lord was furious with the Beast for letting his prisoner go, and punished him without mercy. He left the Beast alone in his fortress, broken and near death. But the witch had returned, weeping at the sight of his bloodied body. Thinking him gone, she pressed a kiss onto his lips, and whispered into his ear that she loved him. Much to her surprise, the Beast stirred within her arms, his dark eyes shining at the sight of his beloved. 'I love you, too,' he whispered back.
"But the Dark Lord was still on the move, and once the Beast recovered his strength, he helped the girl and her allies take down the enemy once and for all. Within weeks the battle was won, and the war was over, though many casualties were suffered on both sides.
"Finally, when things settled down, the Beast knew that he could not bear to lose his witch once again, and asked her to marry him. Naturally, she said yes. They were wed a month later, and the witch soon gave birth to a beautiful baby girl who would one day grow up to inherit her mother's brains and her father's cunningness.
"And then they lived happily ever after." The man finished with a whisper, but Sabrina had already fallen fast asleep. Smiling, he leaned over his little girl, his lips brushing against her forehead. "Sweet dreams, my darling."
Standing up, he stretched out his arms, his eyes smiling at the sight of his beloved wife, who stood between the doorway. "Did you enjoy my little story?"
"It certainly was entertaining," Hermione murmured, her eyes twinkling. "A lot more appropriate than I remembered."
Severus chuckled, and switching off the light, closed the door behind him. "There's only so much I can say without scarring the poor girl." Grabbing his wife's hand, they headed back into their bedroom.
"Couldn't bear to lose me once again, eh?" Hermione teased. "Are you sure your proposal had nothing to do with our unplanned pregnancy?"
"In a way, yes." Severus admitted. "But I meant what I told Sabrina." He pulled her into his arms. "I couldn't imagine living in a world without you, Hermione. The night you left... it nearly destroyed me."
Hermione wrapped her husband within her warm embrace, her cheek resting against his chest. "That night was..." she trailed off.
"Magical," Severus said, looking down at her. "It was magical."
"I only meant to kiss you, before I left. Never did I imagine such an action would lead to...well." She smiled sheepishly.
Her husband chuckled. "Did you not enjoy it?"
"Of course I did. One does not simply forget such a beautiful moment, nor the fruit that it brought forth."
Severus caressed the side of her face. For many years, he had spent his life in the dark, a cruel and unwanted beast dedicated to hurting the innocent alongside his master. Thankfully, Hermione had changed him for the better. She taught him the meaning of love, and for that he would always be grateful.
"I love you."
Hermione smiled, and pulling him down, caressed her lips against his own soft ones. "I love you." She cradled his face between her small hands. "Always and forever."
~xXx~
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