Life on Mars.
Disclaimer: None of these characters are mine. They all belong to the wonderful J.K Rowling.
Summary: Post DH HG/SS. Hermione is a twenty year old mother of two children, who is about to wed the man of her dreams and father of her children, nothing could be better. Until one day out shopping, both Severus and Hermione bump into an old flame of Severus' who is sporting a child of the same age as their eldest, what will happen with the child when her mother dies? Family/Tragedy
*****
Chapter one: The meeting
*****
Waking up with the sun on her face and hearing the birds singing from outside the window, Hermione Granger rolled over with a smile and noticed that the other side of the bed was empty, her smile grew slowly, she wasn't expecting to see her loving partner of four years next to her, he had always been an early riser, and since the children came along he'd been even more so of a early riser.
Propping herself up straight, Hermione looked on the floor for her dressing gown, once she had found it she got up and wrapped it around her, although the bed was very warm, the minute she got out, she was as cold as anything ever.
Hearing some giggling from outside of her room, Hermione placed her feet in her slippers and opened the doors to see her young two daughters, Kyra and Alexis, and making them laugh was their father, her Fiancée, Severus Snape.
*****
Flashback:
Sitting on a bed in the Hospital Wing, Hermione Granger looked around absolutely petrified about what was going to happen, she looked towards the office of Madame Pomfrey and sighed, standing from the bed, she walked to the end of her bed and noticed the notes that had been left there, and going with the old Muggle saying: 'Curiosity killed the cat' she took a look at it. In Madame Pomfrey's handwriting, Hermione read:
Hermione Jayne Granger - Gryffindor House, 5th year student.
Symptoms:
Stomach Cramps
Nausea
Feeling of light headedness
Patient claims she had not been feeling stressed with the current workload what with her exams coming up this year, has a normal diet, normal bowel and bladder movements, when asked of sexual experience, the patient looked a little sheepish and said she had slept with only one person about three months ago - Diagnosis: Pregnancy.
Hermione looked away shocked, she was 15 years old there was no way she was pregnant and the pregnancy didn't really happen the way she had wanted to, nor with the person, Professor Snape and herself had been in his quarters, she had received a detention for cursing Malfoy in class for his attitude, insufferable ferret! During the detention, in which Hermione had been made to clean cauldrons, she had accidentally rubbed up against Snape who she could have sworn let out a groan of satisfaction, throughout the evening they had a few encounters until eventually they both gave in and had sex, it was a one night stand and nothing was to come off it…
…but now she was facing being a single mother at the age of 15? It was far to much, moving back to her bed when she heard the door to the matrons office open, Hermione quickly forgot what she had read.
End Flashback
Walking to the Kitchen to get herself a cup of tea, Hermione walked past her Fiancée and both children, smiling to herself, Kyra was her eldest, she had arrived just five weeks after Hermione's 16th birthday, and soon after that Severus had worked out the truth, she was just glad that she only had to live through that once in her life.
Flashback:
Laying in a bed in St. Mungo's hospital, Hermione looked around at all the other women with their babies, they all looked older then her, she was the only young mother there, looking to her right hand side, she watched her hour old daughter wriggle around, glad that the pain of the birth was over, as her daughter looked up at her with her grey eyes, her father's grey eyes, and seeing a mop of jet black hair, her father's jet black hair, Hermione knew it would not be long until the whole school knew that Kyra was Severus' and funnily enough her first visitor was the slimy haired bastard.
"Well…well…well, Miss Granger, never thought the headmaster would send me on his behalf to congratulate the know-it-all of Hogwarts" She snared, looking into the crib and seeing the baby watch him with her wide eyes and 'snake' like appearance. "Who's the poor kids father then?" He asked.
Hermione looked up at him, "I don't know, Professor" She lied, although she knew Snape was a talented Legimens, she had no idea why she was lying to him, but she could not bring herself to tell him the truth, that this poor baby was his.
But something told her he already knew…
…"Something I always said in my classes, Miss Granger, I don't like being lied to, especially not by an insufferable know-it-all Gryffindor, such as yourself" He placed himself on the end of her bed, looking into her eyes, "Did you not think that I knew you were a Virgin when I bedded you that night? Did you think I would not have noticed if you had slept with another person after me? Did you not think I'd notice your weight gain and baggy clothes? Did you for one minute think I didn't know you were pregnant with my child?" He hissed. "For I knew, Miss Granger, and if you had come to me, we could have sorted it out, I didn't want children, nor did I want them with someone like you, but now we have it, so…"
He trailed off there, and Hermione watched him wide-eyed as he watched their daughter wriggle around and try and get to grips with this new voice and this new life, she looked down at their daughter as well after a few moments, before speaking;
"I'm sorry, professor, I didn't think you'd want this baby, so I kept her from you for your own benefit" Hermione then went silent.
Snape looked up then down at the baby again, "Let me be a father, Miss Granger" He replied, "We'll see how it goes"
End Flashback
At the time, Hermione had thought Snape would have told her that he wanted nothing to do with the baby, she was glad he didn't.
Within seconds of placing the kettle on, Hermione felt some strong hands grip her, she turned to see her partner facing her, he smiled as he leant down and kissed her passionately, she returned the kiss, he started to grind his hips against her, moving his lips to her neck, sending shivers down her body, this is what life would be like from now on and she knew she signed the right form, moaning slightly to his touch on her neck, she smiled to herself. Then he broke away.
"The children are ready to see you, and good morning" He said formally.
Hermione smiled as she went to move and noticed that his body was still against hers, she could feel his excitement under his robes. "How am I supposed to go and see my two delightful children with you in my way, Severus?" She asked him, smiling wickedly at him.
"Oh, I didn't realise that I was still pressed against you so hard" He smirked, standing away from her, but not before letting her feel his erection, which he had quickly hidden.
Walking into the living room, she smiled at her children, four year old Kyra was helping her two year old sister, Alexis walk, although that worried Hermione a lot, she knew that for a four year old Kyra already had a great magical ability, well, she would have with parents like Hermione and Severus, so as Hermione watched, it only took a few seconds before the children both spotted her, and she went towards them, once on the floor with them, they both jumped into her lap, kissing her 'Good Morning' Alexis' kiss a bit more sloppy then her elder sister's. Taking a moment to observe her children, and noticing their similarities to their parents, Kyra, the eldest, was her father's child, with jet black hair, (but wavy), and grey eyes, lips worthy of her father's smirk or frown, her fathers walk, and more importantly; his sarcasm.
Alexis however, was a mixture of the two. With her wavy black hair, her emerald eyes, like her mother, her mother's face, but as with Kyra she also sported her father's sarcasm.
Luckily, neither had their father's nose.
"So" Hermione heard Severus say from behind her, snapping her out of her thoughts of her two perfect children, she looked over to her partner who was leaning against the kitchen doorway, obviously amused. He walked towards his gorgeous Fiancée and children, placing himself on the floor with them, yet again, placing Alexis on his lap, she snuggled up to him, such a daddy's girl. "What shall we do today?" He asked, "We have two weeks before we are due back at Hogwarts, Professor Granger" He smiled at his partner's new title, it would be her first year as Potions Mistress, assisting Severus with his classes whilst he assisted the DADA Professor with his workload, every year it seemed there were new students.
"Oh, I'm not sure, Professor Snape, sir, I was rather hoping to take the girls shopping with their wonderful father" She smiled at him, knowing he detested shopping.
"Do I actually have a choice?" He asked.
"Nope, You don't, I'll get myself ready and considering your already dressed, I'll give you the pleasure of dressing Kyra and Alexis" She smirked, as she placing Kyra on the floor, stood, kissed both children and walked of to the shower, knowing soon enough Severus will be beside himself, Alexis hated being dressed.
Once showered, Hermione went into her bedroom where she placed a pair of figure hugging jeans, sporting a figure hugging shirt. And smiling at herself at hearing Severus slowly loosing his temper and Alexis' screams, she did have her father's temper at the best and worst of times.
Walking into the lounge, Hermione had to try and hols in her laughter as she watched a clothed Kyra watching her father chase a crawling, naked, two year old. She watched for a few moments, rather enjoying the sight herself, mentally picturing it for future use, before intervening.
Once Hermione had stepped in, Severus suddenly stopped trying to chase his daughter and resigned himself to the sofa whilst Hermione fought with the toddler, but successfully got her dressed. "I don't know how you do it, dear, she is a force to be reckoned with" He sighed.
Hermione smiled, not sure about the compliment, "No Severus, it is just called, 'Don't let her go!"' She laughed, still picturing the scene of just moments ago. "No we are ready and settled, Muggle London awaits us" She smiled, placing a now calmer, Alexis in her buggy, Kyra walking beside her as the family walked out of the house and towards Muggle London.
*****
Walking into Muggle London after about half an hour of walking, Hermione and Severus were in deep conversation about the year to come, whilst Hermione pushed her now sleeping daughter in her buggy and Severus cuddled his tired other daughter, but after his arms started hurting placed her on his shoulders, something she loved.
"It'll be exciting to see how much the children have changed since my time in Hogwarts, I mean, it's been three years since I was last there and I think that it'll be a good challenge" She smiled.
"If you can call teaching a bunch of dunderheads a challenge, then yes my dear, it'll be exciting" She replied to his partner's very interesting idea that this year would be challenging, to be fair the only challenging year Severus ever had was when a certain bushy haired know-it-all Gryffindor arrived in his ranks.
"Severus, they are only dunderheads if you treat them like they are, it's like the children, if you told them enough times that they were worthless they'd soon believe you" Hermione replied, matter-of-factly.
"Hermione, did anyone ever tell you that your tenancy to know it all is rather insufferable at times!" He asked.
"Yes, if I remember rightly, a certain greasy haired bat did many times" She replied with a smirk to her partner, who was obviously not amused at her childhood definition of him, "Oh lighten up Severus" She laughed, as Kyra recognised her favourite toy shop.
"Mummy can I go and look for toys for my birthday?" Asked Kyra, Hermione smiled at her daughter, she was to be five in two months time, two weeks after Hermione herself turned twenty-one and was forever on about the toys she wanted.
"Of course we can sweetie, if it's okay with daddy here?" She said, mockingly to Severus, knowing he would not deny his daughter, either of his daughters anything.
"Please daddy" Kyra begged, "You know you're my favourite daddy" She smiled, as Hermione laughed.
"I'm your only father" Severus laughed, "Okay angel, lets go and look"
The family happily set about going into the toy shop, and strangely enough Alexis did not wake once. Except from when she heard a strange voice talk to her mummy. Kyra and Severus were happy looking at a toy car for children, that neither realised, and Hermione was looking at baby toys that Alexis may like, until the woman addressed her.
"Oh what a gorgeous little girl you have" The woman smiled down at Alexis who was stirring and eventually looked at the woman through her mothers emerald eyes.
"Why thank you" Hermione smiled, "I actually have two children, but my other daughter is hiding somewhere with her father" She laughed.
The woman laughed along with Hermione, "What are their names?" She asked.
"Well this one here is Alexis, she is two, coming up three in about four months, and my other little one is Kyra, she is coming up four in tow months" Hermione replied.
The other woman smiled, "You know I have a son about Kyra's age, he will be seven in three months, his name is Septimus" She smiled.
Hermione glanced this woman up and down, smiling, Septimus didn't sound like a Muggle name, but she didn't want to ask just in case. "Is he with his father?" She smiled.
"Oh no, he was talking to a young girl and her daddy around the toy car area" She craned her neck and smiled, "There he is" She smiled.
Hermione noticed the young boy getting friendly with her daughter and Fiancée, she smiled, she looked at him, he was rather tall for a seven year old, but then again, Kyra was tall for her age too, he seemed to have rather wonderful manners, and as Hermione and the other woman approached, she noticed his jet black hair stood out a lot and as she took a look at her closer, she saw his eyes were in fact, black. If she was not mistaken he did look like a mini-Severus, but she knew that Severus only have tow children.
"Oh my gosh, Severus Snape it has been a while" She heard the other woman exclaim, "I didn't recognise you then, how the devil are you?"
"Ahh, Kara, I am excellent thank you, I can see your son is rather taken to my daughter, I have to say the perfect gentleman, although he was just about to say his name, carry on" Severus said to the young boy.
"Septimus" He replied to Severus, at this Hermione started to see Severus' mild smile disappear. He stood and excused himself, as Kyra and Septimus kept talking and eventually Hermione and Kara had agreed on a play date for the two for tomorrow, saying their goodbyes and exchanging addresses for owling purposes, Hermione watched her daughter hug her new friend, then she followed her mother out of the store, and towards her still clammy father.
"What the hell was that, Severus" Hermione glared.
"I came over with a hot flush, is that okay with you?" He glared back.
"I know this is more then a hot flush, you were fine till the young lad told you his name, now what is wrong?" She pushed.
"Hermione, Septimus is my son"
A/N: First chapter up now, please review as I'd love feedback, any feedback would be great!!!! Chapter two coming soon!