Corners and Accidents

by VioletIvoire

"Five percent of those people involved in this type of accident end up dating," she said quietly. He looked at her and a smile slowly took over his face...

o.O.o

"Hope in reality is the worst of all evils because it prolongs the torments of man." –Friedrich Nietzsche

o.O.o

The yellow envelope looked so innocuous sitting on his desk, but the scent.

It was her.

He tried not to think of her often, their dorms were in the same building during their last year of university. He had bumped into her the day before students officially moved in. Like him, she wanted to get a head start on what she was sure would be a chaotic day.

He only had one box to his name, compared to the five boxes she had been bringing up. He hadn't been paying attention and she could barely walk with that large box in her arms, he turned a corner and their things ended up scattered all over the hallway.

"I'm sorry," he said quickly. "Sixty-seven percent of accidents happen because of corners and seven percent of those in the accident end up with something sprained or broken."

She looked up at him with amused golden eyes the colour of a light honey. He noticed she was already packing her things away again and set about gathering his things while she softly smiled.

"Five percent of those people involved in this type of accident end up dating," she said quietly. He looked at her and a smile slowly took over his face while his ears slowly reddened. "Three percent don't make it past a year of dating, though one percent do get married."

He opened and closed his mouth and she lightly laughed.

He could only stare.

"It was nice meeting you," she said softly as she placed a razor in his box and stood up with hers. She turned to walk away and he couldn't help but call after her.

"Let's have coffee," he suggested.

She stopped and turned with a wider smile.

"Tuesday at ten am, not at Twilnims," she cringed.

"See you then," he promised.

She stepped into the lift before he could ask if she needed any more help and he didn't meet her until Tuesday.

"Meeting room in five," Hotch called out, breaking him from his thoughts.

He stared at the innocuous envelope again.

The one with her scent.

"Coming, Reid?" Morgan asked as he gathered his files and a notepad.

"Yeah," Reid said as he stood up with his cup of coffee that reminded him of Tuesday.

She had ordered a cup for him by the time he arrived at the coffee shop. She gave him an amused smile when he stumbled in with an armload of books and waved to him once the door closed behind him.

He noticed her right away.

She was wearing opaque leggings with a high-collared dress that stopped at midthigh and fitted sleeves that slightly flared at the wrist. It seemed something too hot to wear for that time of year but he didn't think anything of it then.

"Good morning," she greeted as she moved her cup and motioned for him to set down his books. "I do remember those days," she smiled as he sat.

"Good morning," he greeted in return, then asked, "Those days?"

"Hm," she hummed as she sipped on the contents of her cup. "It's why this is my favourite place to come for tea," she replied. "Sandra over there tolerates me as long as I refill every two hours. You can study here all day and she'll let you sit without being a disturbing hostess."

"Nice," he made a mental note to remember that as she pushed his cup toward him and motioned for him to drink. "Thank you," he said before he sipped. "What are you studying?" He asked.

"I've a doctorate in Physics and a bachelor's in Engineering," she answered and he sat at the edge of his seat in excitement. She was like him. "I wanted to do something relaxing this time around. I swapped an armload of books for an armload of my cello," she lightly laughed and he smiled.

"That does seem relaxing," he agreed. "I wish I knew an instrument."

"Do you sing?" She asked.

"Not great," he replied.

"That, my dear acquaintance, is an instrument you can work on," she said, "and you know that instrument better than anyone else."

He smiled at the truthfulness of her words.

"What do you think, Reid?" Prentiss leaned over to ask.

"What?" Reid responded as he blinked and discovered Morgan and JJ waiting for him to answer while Hotch and Gideon discussed their thoughts.

"What do you think?" Prentiss repeated with slightly narrowed eyes.

"The unsub drowns his victims, not to wash away evidence, but to wash away his sins," he replied. "He sees himself as a sinner and his victims pure. He picks them because he wishes he was them, and he's horrified every time he murders one of these women so he anoints them with holy oil before burying them on sacred ground."

"What if the unsub is a priest?" JJ asked.

"The priest was horrified!" She exclaimed as they laughed. "I was a very precocious child."

"I can tell," he chuckled. "My mother never took me to church," he said. "We were more atheist than religious, but I think my mom truly believes there is a God, even if she sometimes denies His existence."

"That's better than my mum pretending to be a Christian, then turning to her feminist friends to claim He must be a chauvinist," she said with a roll of her eyes. "I learned what not to be from my mother, not that she was a terrible woman," she said softly with sad eyes.

"What do you want to teach your daughter about religion?" He asked.

"If I do have a daughter," she smiled softly, "I would teach her to follow what she feels is right. I'm more of a fact person," she said quietly. "I learned that from my parents. I look at these other people our age and they know when to put aside facts and follow their hearts instead. I never learned that until later."

"I think I still have to learn that," he quietly replied as he soaked in her words.

"Meeting dismissed," Hotch announced. He stopped Reid from exiting with a hand on his shoulder. "You okay, Reid?" He asked, concerned. "You seemed a bit distracted today."

"How do you follow your heart?" He suddenly asked.

Hotch seemed surprised for a moment.

"I thought you did that when you joined the BAU," he replied.

"I did, didn't I," Reid murmured as he slowly exited the meeting room.

"Hermione!" He called excitedly as he burst into her dorm room, thankfully her roommate was still out doing who knew what. He securely closed the door behind him and placed an envelope on her desk.

"Are you sure I should know this?" She asked as she picked up the letter from the CIA asking him for an interview, though she hadn't read that yet she already knew what it would say.

"What do you think?" He asked as he started pacing her room. "It's a lucrative offer," he continued without her asking. "Interpol and the BAU even offered for me! I'm going to have a job straight out of Uni! But which one should I choose?" He asked as he finally sat and looked a bit lost.

"The CIA and Interpol seem a bit cold," Hermione said softly. "I hate to wonder, every time I went to work, if the person next to me has turned…or maybe already spying. Do you want that?" She asked. "Or do you want somewhere you can have real friends who might even eventually become your family?"

"You're my heart, Mya," he said before leaning towards her to kiss her forehead. She smiled at him with a soft expression he could now name as love…and felt his heart swell.

"You've been staring at that all morning," Prentiss said as she sat at her desk at Spencer's right.

He looked up at her and gave her a strained smile before grabbing his coffee cup and heading to the break area for a refill.

"Spence!" She shouted as she ran up to him to twirl him on his feet while she laughed and he smiled as she spun them. "The London Orchestra contacted me for an audition!" She said excitedly. "I want to accept, but," she slowly calmed, "music is my escape, not my career," she said softly.

"'They who dream by day are cognizant of many things which escape those who dream only by night,' Edgar Allen Poe," he said softly as he brushed her hair behind her ear. She smiled up at him softly.

"Are you calling me a dreamer?" She quietly asked.

"You make what you dream reality," he said softly as he brushed his lips over hers. "What I wouldn't give to be one of those dreams."

"Who says you aren't?" She asked as she looked up at him with her golden eyes filled with love for him.

"I love you, Hermione," he said quietly as he wrapped his arms around her.

"I love you too, Spencer," she replied with a watery voice. He brushed the tear that fell down her cheek with his thumb before feeling the softness of her lips. He lowered his head and nearly let out a quiet 'oomph' when she met him halfway.

Her lips were soft over his and he felt his feet leaving earth as they kissed and she was his anchor back to reality. He hesitantly brushed the tip of his tongue over her bottom lip and she gasped, her golden eyes opened and he stared down at her until their eyes slowly closed and his tongue slipped into her mouth to explore the softness of her tongue, the feel of her teeth, the roof of her mouth…

The world was wildly spinning around him, yet she kept him grounded until his feet once again stood on terra firma and he reluctantly pulled away.

"I love you," he repeated.

"We should call it a night and come back refreshed in the morning," Gideon said as he stood up to throw away his Chinese takeout container. "We're not doing these victims any favours by repeating evidence that's been combed over millions of times," he said quietly.

"I agree," Hotch said as he stood up. "Get some rest, guys."

Spencer headed back toward his desk to pack his messenger bag. He stared at the envelope that had her scent, still untouched…still innocuous as long as it remained unopened.

"Reid?" JJ asked quietly as she stood next to him.

"Coming," Reid replied, leaving the envelope on his desk.

It didn't fit inside his bag anyway.

o.O.o

It moved to the inside of his desk the next day.

Out of sight, out of mind and all that drivel…but it didn't stop him from smelling her.

It made it under the mail in his 'out' pile and he watched as it was taken away the day after…

…only to be delivered right back to his desk by the afternoon…

"Spencer!" She laughed as he tickled her and stole her last bite of ice cream. "So not fair!"

"That so is fair!" He retorted as he laughed with her.

He rubbed at his eyes and pretended his hadn't slept enough while he stuck the envelope at the very bottom of a stack of files he needed to study. Another meeting went by and some new evidence was discovered overnight and they were able to catch their unsub by that evening.

The next morning, he started on studying the files he had been putting off, went out with his team because Hermione was right…they were his friends, and now they were all family…

He handed Prentiss a refill of the cocktail she had been drinking and received a surprised look in reply.

"Tell me about yourself," she said to Reid.

"What's there to know that you haven't already read in my file?" He asked with a shrug.

"Do you date at all?" She asked.

He remembered kissing Lila in LA a few years ago.

It had been two years after her and an attempt to forget her, but it only hurt him more as soon as his lips touched Lila's.

He rubbed his chest at the remembered hurt.

"Who wants to date a know-it-all?" He asked, remembering she said that about herself often.

"After all," she spat, "I'm just a stuck-up little know-it-all!"

"Don't say that," he replied as he rubbed her shoulders to calm her. "So the two of us know more than most of the student body put together," he said. "It just means we study more and retain more knowledge."

She laughed dryly.

"I thought I got rid of that moniker when I left boarding school," she said quietly. "I never expected to hear it from a professor again," she said as she tried not to cry. "And I don't even take his class!"

He quietly shushed her as they laid in his bed. She cuddled into him for the rest of the night and he could hardly sleep.

She was actually sleeping with him…in his bed.

"You've been distracted these past few days," Prentiss said as she placed her hand on Spencer's knee.

He hastily stood, looking uncomfortable.

"Just old memories," he said as he paid for their drinks. "I'm heading home."

"Okay," Prentiss said uncertainly as she watched him leave.

He knew it was his brain tricking him as he walked home. He definitely couldn't be smelling her all the way from the office.

Sleep was harder to come by that night and he hardly slept at all.

He swore her scent became stronger the closer he drew to headquarters and his desk in the morning.

"Is that a new perfume?" Prentiss asked JJ.

"It was a gift," JJ replied as she sniffed her wrist and smiled.

"Oh, Spence," she said with soft eyes as she unwrapped his Christmas gift. She spritzed her new perfume and closed her eyes as she took in the layers of scent. "It's truly lovely," she said softly, finally opening her golden eyes to smile up at him shyly.

He moved the envelope to the rubbish as soon as he sat at his desk and busied himself with studying more of his case files. He was nearly done with the stack when the mail cart rolled by his desk and another envelope was delivered.

Another that smelled like her.

How did she know he had joined the BAU?

"What are you doing?" She asked as she quietly knocked and entered his dorm.

There were a few letters scattered over his desk and he looked up at her, silently pleading with her to help him.

She smiled softly as she sat next to him.

"Close your eyes, love," she softly instructed. "Think of yourself as a CIA agent. What will you be doing there?" She asked. "Will you still want to do that in five years? Ten?" She asked and gave him time to think about what he wanted. "Think about that with all these offers," she suggested as she placed a wrapped sandwich on his desk with a coke. "I'll see you later, love," she said softly as she stood up and quietly left him to think.

It was the last time he saw her.

She never said goodbye or contacted him in any way after.

Until five days ago and today.

She was trying to communicate with him.

Was he ready to let her back into his life? The only woman he had ever loved…who he shared himself with inside and out.

He pulled the first envelope out of the rubbish and placed it next to the second before standing and heading into the meeting room to start reviewing their previous case.

Prentiss was looking at his desk pointedly when they were finally released and he sighed to himself. Hotch glanced at him from his office while Gideon started at him from the doorway of his.

He knew he had hardly been present with the team and it showed. He knew they knew it started with the delivery of the first innocuous envelope that wasn't so harmless after all. It was affecting his ability to work and think.

He finally sat at his desk and slowly tore open the first envelope with a letter opener. There was a photo inside of Hermione and a little girl, about five years old. His heart clenched as he studied the two of them.

Hermione was in France with the Eiffel Tower in the background and the little golden-haired girl next her had eyes that were a mixture of gold and hazel…they both smiled at the camera.

He could feel his lungs begging for breath as he stared at the picture, because…the longer he stared…the longer he saw the girl had his long fingers, his chin and ears and the shape of his eyes.

"You might want to read the back, Reid," Prentiss said as she carefully studied him from her desk.

He slowly turned the picture over and felt his chest constrict and vibrate.

Can you find them before I do?

"Reid!" Morgan shouted as he helped him sit back into his chair.

He didn't realise he had even left his seat, but the soreness in his knees was at the back of his mind. His team was surrounding him as he gasped for breath with the picture of Hermione and their daughter half-crushed in his fist as he stared down at those detrimental words.

"Reid," Gideon called and lightly tapped his cheek.

Someone pried the picture out of his fist.

Hotch.

"Oh my God," Hotch murmured as he handed to picture to Gideon. "I'm going to have to open the second envelope, Reid," Hotch said quietly as he reached for the yellow envelope that smelled more like Hermione than the first.

"I think they're taunting Reid," Morgan said as he sniffed at the first envelope and opened it to make sure it was empty. "He missed something." Morgan pulled out a small charm.

He laughed as they strolled through the small shopping strip a few kilometres from the Uni. She had been itching to escape campus for a few days and he convinced his roommate to lend him his car. She had been ecstatic when he pulled up to the curb and shouted for her.

"Where are we going?" She asked. "I don't care if we only go to the cinema, let's just get away from school for a few hours."

"Fine with me," he said as he put the car into gear and headed toward the centre of town.

They stopped to buy tickets at the cinema, as she had suggested, and ate lunch at some café they were promised was good, but they could hardly stomach a second bite of their food and laughed as they paid and instead ate some crackers and cheese they bought at the grocer's.

It was nearly time for a movie when they passed a small jewellery store and she stopped to stare at their charm collection.

"Oh," she quietly gasped. "I have to get that!"

She marched into the store and was disappointed at the price, but the jeweller offered a payment plan she would have to pay before she could take the charm home. She gladly put down what she had in her pocket while not letting him spend a dime on her purchase.

He surprised her a few weeks later with a small, satin box that had her staring up at him with wide eyes that made him laugh.

"I promise I'm not proposing," he said as he placed the box in her palm.

"I would hope not," she saucily replied. "I expect tickets to an opera with a happy ending, not bittersweet, and a handful of forget-me-nots," she said with a thoughtful smile. She finally opened the box and gasped at the little otter charm she had wanted from the jewellers. "Spencer," she breathed as she wiped away her tears and stared down at the otter. "My papa always called me his little otter," she quietly explained. "He said I was the life and soul of the family." She wiped more at her eyes while he wrapped his arms around her and slowly swayed.

"You miss your parents," he said quietly.

"I wish they were here," she said quietly. "They would have loved you, Spence…really loved you like I do."

The second picture was of Hermione unstrapping their daughter from her booster seat. It was close up and they knew Hermione had to have been in close contact with the unsub at least once.

"Why didn't they take her then?" Prentiss asked as they observed the picture and turned it over.

Are you that confident you can find them before me? Or…maybe you don't love them anymore.

Naughty, naughty Doctor Reid…I'm sure I'll make Hermione scream louder than you did.

"Her name's Hermione," Gideon said as he took the picture from Prentiss. "Like Queen Hermione from A Winter's Tale."

"What's her last name?" JJ delicately asked Reid.

He ignored them as he held his head in his hands and tried not to break down in front of his team as one of his last memories with Hermione played out tauntingly in his mind.

It was their first time.

He was just as nervous as she was, but they wanted this.

Her roommate was out of town for the weekend, visiting family, so she had her dorm to herself. He suggested they wear robes to bed to prevent less fumbling. Hermione blushed every time their eyes met all through the afternoon and evening. They had a light dinner before going back to her room.

They took time changing out of their dinner clothes and putting on the robes, by the time he made it to her bed he was wiping his palms on his hips and trying not to look too nervous. Then he looked down at her and she seemed just as nervous as he was and they both laughed.

She pulled him into her bed next to her and placed her leg over his thigh.

"I do love you, Spencer," she said softly.

"I love you too," he said quietly as he turned onto his side and stared down at her. He lightly blushed as he traced her neck and moved his fingers under her robe. "You're my beautiful angel, Mya," he said softly as he pushed her robe aside and kissed her shoulder, right over her purple scar. He slowly revealed a breast and kissed down her chest but stopped above her nipple.

She whimpered with anticipation as she brushed her hands over his chest and softly brushed her thumb across his peck. He moaned and covered her nipple with his mouth, brushing his tongue over her and sucking. She mewled as she pushed her hips into him and her breath stuttered.

"Spencer," she said softly, trying not to be too loud. She pulled him onto her and brushed her tongue over his peck and he moaned as he ground his hips into her thigh.

They tasted and touched, licked and nibbled until he slowly entered her.

"Let's get him to my office," Hotch said as he looked around to see they had collected everyone's attention.

"I'll get him some cool water," Prentiss said as she headed to the break area.

He could hear them discussing him and Hermione as they half-walked and carried him into Hotch's office and laid him out on the sofa. He turned his back to them as the first tears started escaping.

'Why had she left him?' He asked himself for the millionth time.

They had a daughter together. Why hadn't she told him? He would have loved them both so fiercely. Was she scared he would turn out like his mother?

"Do you want children?" She asked one evening.

"I don't want biological children, I want to adopt," he answered. "I don't want to pass on schizophrenia to my children." He was quiet and she patiently waited for him to finish. "My mother suffers from extreme schizophrenia and I don't want my children to have to experience that. I couldn't bear to watch them go through that."

"They won't," she said as she laced her fingers with his and held his hand.

He laughed through his tears.

There was the sign.

"She said they won't," he laughed a little more and his team looked at him worriedly. "I told her I didn't want biological children because I didn't want them to go through what my mom does," he said as he wiped at his eyes as if he had told a great joke and was laughing happy tears. "She said they won't!"

He was suddenly sobbing again.

"Shit," Morgan breathed as he looked at his teammates. "He didn't know."

"Have Garcia run the pictures through every database we have access to," Hotch said as he handed the photos to JJ.

"Spencer," Gideon said gently as he sat next to his younger colleague. "We need you to tell us everything you know about Hermione."

He was ignored.

"He's in shock," Prentiss said quietly. "He needs time to cool down before he can answer any questions."

"The unsub has a head start!" Morgan snapped.

"And pushing Reid isn't going to make things better!" Prentiss snapped back. "It's only going to push him further into shock. He got that first envelope five days ago and tried to get rid of it twice. He told me last night that he was dealing with old memories. He's in shock. You're only pushing him to remember more and that's not going to help!" She sighed and opened the water bottle she grabbed for Reid. "Sip on this, hun," she said as she placed the bottle on his lips and carefully tilted it so he could sip.

"Hermione hates being called hun," Reid said quietly after he swallowed.

"What else does she hate?" Prentiss gently asked.

He smiled softly.

"Coffee," he replied. "'Spence!" He gasped with a horrible English accent. "'It's blasphemy to have tea in a paper cup!'" He quietly laughed.

"She sounds like she's British," Prentiss quietly responded.

"Mya is French," he said softly. "She hated her accent because she was bullied for it in Primary School and begged her dad to let her have elocution lessons."

"I'll bet she was still bullied after," Prentiss replied.

"Because she was smarter," he nearly whispered. "We met our last year at Uni." He looked out the window. "I bumped into her and told her some inane fact about corners and accidents…she replied that at least one percent of people who had those type of accidents ended up married."

"Oh, Spencer," Prentiss said quietly as she wiped at her eyes.

"I still have the ring," he softly admitted. "Why did she leave?" He asked before burying his head into his knees.

"We'll find out," Prentiss promised as she rubbed his back and shared a heartbroken glance with each of her teammates.

o.O.o

The team only had the two pictures and the unsub's taunting pinned up on the board so far. Spencer was sleeping off his shock in Hotch's office while the team discussed the new discovery that their youngest colleague had been in love at one point in his life…so much in love that he was going to propose to her before she left unexpectedly.

"Maybe she was scared to tell him she was pregnant," JJ suggested.

"Or maybe she was leading our Doc on," Morgan scowled.

"Mya was too pure hearted to do any of that," Reid said quietly as he shuffled into the room and sat while his team watched him carefully, like he was under a microscope. He sighed. "I can only guess she left because I said I don't want biological children. She might have been scared I would ask her to abort."

"Would you have?" Hotch asked.

"No," Reid said softly. "I would have raised our daughter with Hermione. Maybe she didn't want me to experience what my mom has to go through so she thought she might save me from that and didn't tell me. I can see her doing that."

"What about her last name?" Gideon asked.

"Granger," Reid answered. "Hermione Jane Granger," he said quietly as he caressed the syllables of her name on his tongue. "Born in Marseille, France on September 19, 1979. She has a doctorate in Physics, a bachelor's in Engineering and Music with a concentration on the cello.

"Her parents moved to Coventry when she was seven," he said continued. "They were dentists, Charles and Rebecca Jane Granger. Their home was lost in a gas explosion during the late 90's when those acts of terrorism were at their highest point…her parents were home," he said quietly. "It tore at her that she couldn't convince them to take a job offer in Australia."

"Okay, my lovelies," Garcia said as she strolled into the meeting room with a notepad and one of her whimsical pens. "Hermione J. Granger returned to England five years ago and was rewarded for services done for the country and given the Victorian Cross, a lifetime pension, and gifted a title and some land for said services. Home is conveniently not listed, but give me some time to crack that. No birth records are available at any hospital, but…" she stared at Reid with a watery smile "Caitrin Jane Granger-Reid is registered in Coventry as Hermione Jane Granger and Spencer Reid's daughter, born on the 25th of December -."

"Congratulations, Reid," Hotch said with a small smile. "It's a girl."

"A Christmas baby," JJ said with a watery smile.

"I'll do my best to have an address for you by the end of the day," Garcia said to the team before rushing back to her tech room.

"Why Caitrin?" Prentiss asked. "It sounds like Hermione doesn't have any connections to Ireland."

"She doesn't," Reid confirmed.

"Unless they're recent," Gideon said thoughtfully. "Why not Catherine?" He asked. "Caitrin is a variation of the name and has the same meaning."

"'Pure' and 'God is gracious'," Spencer said to himself as he ran his palm over his face. "She thought she couldn't get pregnant," he quietly admitted. "She didn't like talking about it, but she had been tortured. It affected her…menstrual cycles. She has a scar starting at her right shoulder going down to her left hip…she was told she would never conceive."

"Caitrin is her miracle baby," JJ said softly. "She was even a gift because she's a Christmas baby."

"I'm going to take my vacation days," Reid announced. "We can't work overseas unless we're invited and I need to find…my family."

"I'll take vacation days too," Prentiss said. "I have a month stored up already."

"Not quite yet," Gideon said as he held his hand up. "I seem to remember a former colleague asking to me to extend an official invitation to the team. He's in London and he wants us to spend a couple of months teaching his officers on and off the field. I'm sure three of us can take shifts with them while we search for Reid's girls."

"You never told me about the offer," Hotch said to Gideon.

"Because I always win at poker," Gideon shrugged. "It's about time I lose a game," he said with a small smile.

"What if the unsub sends Reid more envelopes?" Morgan asked.

"I'll stay behind," JJ said. "We'll need someone here to represent the team and divert cases to other teams."

"Thank you, JJ," Hotch said as he nodded at her. "We may have to travel on our own dime, unless Gideon can get his friend to pay for us." He hesitated. "We may even have to share our case with the authorities in the UK. It's out of our jurisdiction, unless Hermione Granger is found to be living here in the states."

o.O.o

"Hello, uncle Lucius," the small girl said as she climbed onto his lap.

"Why are you not with your nanny elf?" Said man asked as he pulled her into his lap and blocked a stray spell from his practising students. "You do know you are not supposed to come into my classroom when a class is in session," he admonished her.

"I was bored," she replied as she fiddled with a quill on his desk. "Can you teach me more de-defin-de-fen-ce defence?"

"Later, Caitrin," He said softly as he blocked another stray spell and glared at the Slytherin student across the room as he stood up with Caitrin on his hip and started correcting his students.

"There," Caitrin motioned with her head. "That dunderhead is holding his wand all wrong."

"Dunderhead," he lightly corrected as he tried not to smile. "You spend a little too much time with Severus," Lucius commented with a wry smile.

"Gwandpapa teaches me potions," she replied.

"Michaels," Lucius barked at his student. "I distinctly remember telling the class this spell requires a swish and jab, not a swish and flick! Three points from Slytherin for not following directions and an extra two points for making me take points from my own house! Class dismissed!" He barked at the students who scurried out the door.

"Gwandpapa say he is a di-sa-stor-disastor?"

"Disaster," Lucius corrected with an amused smile.

"Di-sas-tur," she mumbled to herself. "Gwandpapa says he is a disas-tur waiting to happen and he should be spelled." Her brow furrowed. "Ec-pelled…ex... expelled."

Lucius laughed as he placed her on his desk.

"Let's see what you've learned now," he said as he lifted his wand. "Concentrate on what you want the spell to do," he said gently.

Caitrin's face scrunched up as she concentrated on his wand and he chuckled.

"Not a sound!" She snapped.

"Sorry, poppet," Lucius said with a large smile. He felt his wand wiggle in his hand and showed her as she concentrated. "Now say the spell," he said softly.

"Expelliarmus," she whispered. The wand toppled out of his hand.

"Very good, Cai," Lucius smiled as he summoned his wand back into his hand. "You will become stronger at that the more you practice. Shall I teach you how to summon an object?" He asked.

"Yes!" Caitrin excitedly replied as she jumped up and down on his desk.

Hermione later found her daughter with the same scrunched up face as she held out her hand and tried to summon the quill from Lucius's desk. She watched as the quill wiggled a bit, moving a little closer to the edge of the desk with each wiggle until Caitrin stomped her foot and glared at the quill.

"I hear my littlest darling escaped her nanny," Hermione drawled as she crossed her arms and sternly stared at her sheepish daughter.

"Nanny Violet is bowing, mummy!" Caitrin complained. "She wanted me to," she cringed and Hermione had to bite back a smile, "colour!" She said as if it were a dirty word.

Hermione bit her tongue to stop herself from laughing but Lucius lowly chuckled in his throat.

"What is wrong with colouring, young lady?" He asked.

"I decided I like black like gwandpapa," Caitrin sniffed as she lifted her head and dared the two adults to change her mind.

Lucius's amused laughter filled the classroom.

"That is not funny, Lucius," Hermione replied. "I spent hours trying to calm Violet down. She kept wailing about death and you know elves cry rivers!" Lucius laughed more. "I had to call papa to vanish all that water!"

"Come, Caitrin," Severus said with amusement. Hermione turned and glared at him as he entered the Defence classroom. "You can colour with our favourite colour all you want in my office."

"Okay!" Caitrin brightly agreed as she ran into the Headmaster's arms. "I was thinking gwey and black!" She exclaimed as Severus turned to smirk at Hermione who rolled her eyes and Lucius started to hold his stomach.

"Very daring, darling," Severus smoothly replied. "Do try not to become adventurous and use…red," he cringed and smirked at Hermione when her daughter scowled at the colour's name.

"I will have you know red is a decent colour when used in moderation," Hermione adamantly responded.

"Mummy," Caitrin scowled. "Wed is the colour of those tewibble Weasleys!"

"Terrible, love," Hermione corrected her daughter, but didn't try to press her own views of the family on her child.

"I know," Caitrin agreed and Severus let out a deep laugh that made Caitrin giggle and Hermione smile wider.

"Let us work on the pronunciation of your R's this week," Severus said as he dismissed himself and Caitrin. "You know where to find my granddaughter when I am ready to give her back," he said to Hermione.

"Oi!" Hermione replied as she started following after them. "I want to spend time with my daughter too!"

"Shawing is ca-wing, mummy!" Caitrin admonished her poor mother.

More of Lucius's laughter floated out into the corridor to mingle with Severus's deep chuckles and Hermione turned to scowl at Lucius, then smirked.

"Where's my little terror of a godson?" She asked him.

"With our nanny elf," Lucius dismissively replied.

"Sorry to inform you, Luci, but our dear boy escaped his nanny Violet along with Caitrin," Hermione smirked at him. "We know where one is, but where's the other?"

"What?" Lucius roared as he pushed her out into the corridor and his classroom door slammed shut with a flick of his wand. "You're telling me this now?" He growled, then stopped at the giggles emanating from a suit of armour across from his classroom. "I promise, Granger, if my son has one hair out of place, I'll have you over my knee!" He threatened even as he winked at Hermione.

She never took his light flirting seriously, they were both in love with someone else. He with his wife that had died in an attack on Diagon Alley soon after she returned. Narcissa went down defending Draco. A Death Eater mangled a curse that was meant to destroy Draco Malfoy, atom by atom. Instead, the imbecile mangled the curse and permanently de-aged his victim to a week-old baby. Narcissa fought hard and was killed just as the Aurors arrived.

And Hermione.

She loved Caitrin's father.

He hadn't died, he was alive as far as she knew.

If she hadn't been so scared for him she would have stayed, but that threat came so suddenly and violently that she ran home to England without thinking of nothing but keeping Spencer safe. She nearly went back to him a week later but became so powerfully sick that she had to see Severus and to ask what was happening…and it turned out she was powerfully sick because she was pregnant with Caitrin. Her daughter's magical core had already been developing and potent in her fourth week of pregnancy. She spent the next several months with Severus and Lucius helping her keep her magic in check and helping Lucius raise Draco and grieve his wife. She soon convinced herself that Spencer wouldn't want his daughter.

"Daddy shoodn't be mean to auntie My!" Draco scowled at Lucius as he stepped out from behind the suit of armour in the alcove.

Lucius turned and smirked at his son.

"You just gave yourself away, love," Hermione said to Draco with a light laugh.

"Oopsy," Draco said with wide eyes. "You twicked me, daddy!" He stomped his foot, crossed his arms, and scowled more, then let out a high-pitched laugh when Lucius swept him off his feet and started tickling him.

"It's called being cunning, son," Lucius chuckled and smiled with Draco's laughter.

"It's called being a sneaky snake," Hermione replied as she deftly slipped Draco out of his father's arms and headed down the corridor. "I'm heading to Hogsmeade with Draco!" She called back.

"Not alone!" Lucius said firmly as he easily caught up to Hermione.

Hermione knew he still feared something or someone taking his family away from him again. He clung to his goddaughter, son, and Hermione and Severus with both fists. She still hadn't told him about the threat that brought her home because he would cling to her and Caitrin tighter, perhaps even lock them up in his manor.

She kept her contact with the muggle world to Sundays and made sure Severus and Lucius knew where she was going. Severus scoffed at her decision to introduce Caitrin to religion, but Hermione felt it was something her daughter needed to know. Lucius didn't care about religion, but didn't scoff as Severus did.

"The Yule season is upon us," Lucius said as he watched Hermione bundle up Draco in the Entrance Hall.

"I have to hide gifts in her tabyness's chambers because our two miscreants know every inch of ours and Severus's," she replied and sighed as she wrapped a thick scarf around her neck and pulled on a pair of her warmest gloves.

"Who's her tabyness?" Draco asked innocently and Hermione gave him a look that said she knew what he was up to.

"None of your business," she smirked as she tapped his nose. "Besides, her tabyness will hex you first before bothering to discover who you are if you try to enter her rooms."

Draco looked up at her with wide eyes and gulped.

Lucius quietly chuckled and bent forward to whisper in Hermione's ear, "They're so easy at that age."

"Quite," Hermione agreed with a light laugh. "Are we ready?" She asked and frowned when Draco pulled his scarf away from his neck. "Draco," she admonished him and adjusted his scarf again. "We do not need you to catch a chill. You wouldn't want to be sick for Christmas, would you?"

"I guess not," Draco pouted as he kicked some snow into the air and watched at the powder slowly floated back down.

"Severus ordered a carriage for us?" Lucius asked as one of the school's carriages came to a stop in the courtyard.

"He did," Hermione answered as Lucius helped her up into the contraption. "He said something about not watching after Caitrin if I got sick."

Lucius smirked.

"Our Caitrin has the Headmaster wrapped around her small finger," he drawled. "Severus would watch her for a month if you came down with something."

"Perhaps I should try it sometime," Hermione replied with a small smirk.

"You would miss your daughter," Lucius responded.

"I would," Hermione sighed as the carriage comfortably swayed and Draco cuddled up in her lap and fell asleep.

"You never talk about Caitrin's father," he said quietly as he carefully watched her reaction.

Hermione looked pained for a moment.

"He doesn't know," she told him.

"What?" Lucius asked sharply, twisting in his seat to face her better.

"Lucius," Hermione sighed. "You heard me," she said softly and gasped when he wrapped his hand around her upper arm as he pulled her to face him.

"Why does he not know?" He hissed.

"He's a muggle, Lucius," Hermione said tiredly and quickly made something up she remembered from one of her last conversations with Spencer. "He doesn't want natural children."

"Why?" Lucius asked, confused.

"His family passes along schizophrenia," she explained. "He doesn't want to see his natural children suffer from that if they inherit the condition."

"That is a weak excuse, Hermione," Lucius scoffed. "You know we can easily treat that. Tell me the truth now, girl. You know I can tell when you're lying."

"Lucius," Hermione sighed. "I'm not ready."

His face softened and he pulled her head onto his shoulder.

"You will tell me soon," he said firmly.

She mumbled incoherently under her breath and could hear him smirk in reply.

She was nearly asleep by the time they reached the village. Draco was soundly sleeping in her lap but Lucius kept a sharp eye out the carriage windows.

"Perhaps we should floo back to the castle," Hermione said as she handed him Draco then helped her off the carriage.

"It is getting rather dark to take the carriage back alone," Lucius agreed. "I'm sure Madame Rosmerta will allow us to use her floo."

"Perhaps we should wake Draco so he'll actually get some sleep tonight, and not in the morning," Hermione suggested. "A trip to Honeydukes for a truffle will entice him to stay awake through dinner."

"Let's," Lucius agreed as he waited for Hermione to take his arm, then headed toward the confectionary shop.

He smirked when Hermione ordered a large box of Honeydukes specialty dark bars. It would be enough to last Severus until July. She ordered Minerva a bottle of butterscotch whisky made specially by Honeydukes and Ogden's, and smirked when she whispered something to Mister Reynold's behind the counter.

"If your ordered me vampire pops, I'll have to have Sanguini over again…until they're all gone," he said silkily.

"I already sent Sanguini his holiday gift," Hermione replied with a delicate sniff. "Who says that last gift was for you?" She teased as she stepped ahead of him with a laugh and gracefully danced into the newest bookshop in Hogsmeade. After the bookshop, where Draco became distracted by a purring Arithmancy tome, it was the quill shop, then the newest Twilfit & Tattings branch.

They finally entered The Three Broomsticks where Draco sipped on a butterbeer and seemed to be coming off his sugar high from Hermione's suggested truffle. After sufficiently resting their feet and warming up with hot cider, they flood back to Hogwarts.

"Mummy!" Caitrin pounced into Hermione arms and held up an indecipherable picture coloured in black and grey.

Lucius snorted and Hermione rolled her eyes.

"It's black and grey, darling," Hermione truthfully replied. "I love it because you made it."

"Thank you, mummy," Caitrin smiled widely. "Gwandpapa said you would be stunned speechless."

"I was for a moment, love," Hermione admitted and Lucius chuckled.

"Cai?" Draco called, confused. "Why is your picture all black?" He asked.

"Black is the new colour, Dway," Caitrin imperiously replied and Hermione rolled her eyes.

"If my daughter catches anymore of your haughtiness, then I'm afraid you will both be seeing Minerva regularly," Hermione playfully warned Severus. "I need to instil some Gryffindor in my daughter."

"She has enough of that with you," Severus drawled.

Hermione let out a quiet 'hmph' with a smile threatening to stretch her lips.

"Dinner is in a few minutes, my little darlings," Hermione said to Caitrin and Draco. "We best wash up before heading to the Great Hall. We are using your chambers, papa," she said to Severus, not waiting for him to reply.

"You should make the adoption official," Lucius said to Severus just as the wall to his chambers slid back into place.

"Who said it wasn't official?" He retorted with a satisfied smirk as he laced his fingers together and placed them over his chest as he sat back. "You do know you've been flirting with your niece these past four years?" He asked with a wider smirk, fully enjoying Lucius's shock.

"We're still not related by blood," Lucius retorted after he collected himself. "Why didn't you tell me it was official?" He asked, hiding that it stung Severus kept that from him for so long.

Severus sighed.

"I wanted to be sure you were not actually serious about your flirting," he said quietly.

Lucius's chin pulled down in amusement while his eyes danced with laughter.

"Hermione is practically my niece by blood," he finally said with a laugh that started deep in his belly. "It's because she took over mothering Draco so easily." His eyes dimmed. "Did you know Cai's father is a muggle?" He asked.

"Really?" Severus drawled as he rubbed his chin. "She's so powerful," he said quietly.

"She is," Lucius agreed. "I wonder who her father is. He and our Hermione…" he didn't finish but Severus nodded in understanding. "Cai will eventually need her father," he said musingly.

"Perhaps that's why it took the two of us to balance Hermione's magic when she was pregnant with Caitrin," Severus pondered. "She lost her 'balance'."

Lucius hummed as he stood up in time for Hermione and the children to enter the office again.

"Shall we head to dinner?" He asked.

"Will there be tweacle tawt?" Caitrin asked as she lifted her arms for Hermione to carry her. Draco, not wanting to be left out, did the same.

"You are both growing so much," Hermione groaned while Severus corrected Caitrin's Rs.

"That's treacle tart, Cai," he said. "Remember what we practised while colouring."

"And where is grandpapa's colouring page?" Hermione asked her daughter while smirking at Severus when he scowled.

"Gwandpapa hid it in his desk!" Caitrin exclaimed. "You pwomised you would show mummy when I did!" She glared at Severus.

"He did?" Lucius asked as he glided toward Severus's desk.

"He did!" Caitrin said with a smug nod.

"Is this perhaps Severus's colouring?" Lucius asked as he pulled out the page.

Hermione stared at it in awe.

It wasn't a colouring page, but a charcoal drawing of Caitrin laying in front of his fireplace colouring her own picture.

"Oh, papa," Hermione quietly gasped as Lucius held up the drawing for her to see. She looked up at Severus with tear-filled eyes. "It's perfect," she whispered.

Severus cleared his throat before saying, "I was going to enchant it later."

"Are there others?" Hermione asked. "I would love to see them, but only if you would like to share."

"We are late to dinner," Severus said uncomfortably and Hermione merely smiled as he led them out of his office. Lucius looked at Severus smugly as he exited last and Severus rolled his eyes in reply.

"What are our plans for the coming holiday?" Lucius asked Hermione.

"I was thinking of taking Caitrin and Draco to spend a few days at the cottage manor Ipswich," Hermione replied. "We would return by Christmas Eve so they can have their Hogwarts Christmas."

"I hope you are including us in those plans," Severus drawled.

"Why would I not include you and Lucius?" Hermione responded.

o.O.o

"Jason!" A tall, fit man with faded blond hair greeted Gideon as they entered London's Scotland Yard.

"John," Gideon greeted the man with a hearty handshake. "Team, this is Chief Inspector, John Cabbage. We've worked together a few times over the last thirty years. John, I'd like you to meet my team." He pointed to each person as he said their names. "This is our Unit Chief Supervisory Special Agent Aaron Hotchner, SSA Derek Morgan, SSA Emily Prentiss, Doctor Spencer Reid, and our Technical Analyst Penelope Garcia."

"It seems you're missing one," John commented as he shook each of the team's hands.

"Our Media Liaison, Jennifer Jareau," Hotch replied. "JJ chose to stay behind to make sure any emergency cases were seen to by other teams."

"Well Scotland Yard is grateful to finally have your team to ourselves for the next two months," John responded as he led them toward the lifts. "There is one case in particular we need your help with because it has the rest of us stumped, I'm ashamed to say."

"There's nothing wrong with needing a little help now and then," Gideon replied. "It's why our BAU is a team. Where one of us struggles, another is there to help us learn. We also need help with a case that fell into our lap a few hours ago," he admitted.

"Anything to help you, Jason," John replied.

"We mostly need your resources," Hotch responded.

"Tell us about your case first and then we'll tell you ours," Gideon suggested as they were led into a conference room where a table had been set up for them to be debriefed.

"Our MYST.C has dubbed themselves Cupid and the tabloids have taken to calling the MYST.C that also," he stared as he flipped open a file to the first page. It started with Careen MacDonalds. As far as we were able to figure out, the MYS- Yes, Doctor Reid?"

"MYST.C?" Reid asked.

"Sorry, Mysterious Criminal," John Cabbage clarified.

"We call them UNSUB," Morgan spoke up. "Just so our wires don't get crossed."

"Thank you for that piece of information," John replied. "Where was I?... Ah. As far as we were able to figure out, MacDonalds received a threat close to about seven years ago. She never reported it, but the MYST.C planted a bomb in the doorway of her home that was easily disabled. MacDonalds was smart, all the women the MYST.C picks are smart.

"They left a note threatening to plant a more sophisticated bomb in their significant other's mail. We know Careen left because she was pregnant, four months, and was nervous about telling her partner, Steven Palms. She left to protect her partner and tried to contact him at least twice, but her attempts were blocked and the MYST.C threatened to make do on his first threat if she attempted a third.

"Seven months ago, Steven Palms received a picture of MacDonald and their now five-year-old son-"

"How does this end?" Reid asked as he gripped his file.

John seemed a bit put out but lifted an eyebrow when Morgan and Prentiss placed a hand on each of his shoulders as if to support him.

"The MYST.C wanted to play a game only he could win," John replied. "He taunted Palms with finding his former girlfriend and son first, to make her scream. He knew where they were the whole time and how to find them. Palms was shot through the heart upon seeing his son for the first time in person. MacDonalds rushed to him and was murdered the same way. Their son survived.

"He calls himself Cupid for reuniting lovers and calls his success rate one-hundred percent…because we still haven't caught him," John said solemnly. "We are expecting our next victims soon."

"You have them," Gideon solemnly replied. "Your unsub has been in America at least once in the last six years, that will make your suspect easier to track. Your next victims may be Doctor Spencer Reid and Hermione Jane Granger."

"The Hermione Granger?" John asked, surprised.

"What do you know of her?" Reid hastily asked.

"There was an article nearly two weeks ago that stated Queen Elizabeth loves having tea with her at least once a month," John responded.

"That might be how he plans to get to her," Prentiss suspected. "Hermione seems like a high-profile person here in Britain. Killing her would be the feather in his cap."

"How can we contact Mya?" Reid asked.

"You won't find any information in our databases," John answered. "Lady Granger is unlisted to this day. We may have a better chance of contacting Her Grace through the charity foundation she created for orphans in Africa."

"That was her dream," Reid said softly.

"What's the foundation called?" Hotch asked.

"It's called Caitrin's Foundation," Garcia responded as she typed away on her laptop. "…and its headquarters are in Aberdeen. The largest donation is given by an L. Malfoi."

"If we can find him maybe we can find Reid's family," Morgan surmised. "Granger has to know who her biggest donator is, there's no way they don't know each other."

"Searching for L. Malfoi and…" Garcia paused. "There's no results?" She asked. "How can that be?"

"Search for Malfoi," Gideon replied.

"Thirty-two results for France, none for the UK," she said, "and no L. Malfoi."

"Search for Malfoy," Reid suddenly said. "She knew a Malfoy in school. I think his name was Draco."

"JJ's sending us more of your mail," Garcia said to Reid, then turned her laptop for everyone to see.

This time it was a picture of Hermione and Caitrin sitting on her lap with a small blond boy. It must have been taken the previous year around the same time.

Hermione was in a large room with people who were decorating trees around them. They were laughing at someone in a black coat who had been cut out of the picture. He was most likely decorating their tree while they watched because the branches of the tree were at the left of the frame and his hand and signet ring were caught in the image.

"You need to trace this ring, Garcia," Gideon said as he circled the man's signet. "It's a family heirloom and crest. If we can find out who they are then we can find Miss Granger."

"It might be the boy's father," Prentiss said as she took in the boy. "If it is, they seem to be of Nordic origins, so an old family who is careful with their bloodlines. Most likely bluebloods."

"I think that's our L. Malfoi," Morgan said as he stared at the picture. "I'll bet my car that he's old money."

"The best I can get you all on that ring is it's origins in France," Garcia said over Morgan's last statement. "You'll never guess who the family crest belongs to."

"I'm going to say the familie Malfoi," John replied.

"Aw," Garcia responded. "Ten points to Cabbage for the correct guess on his first try! Now…Malfoy with a y…brings me to…a hotel?" She asked.

"Which hotel?" Hotch asked.

"Draco's Retreat," Garcia said as she looked up at Reid.

"Address," Hotch requested and wrote it down as she read it off the screen.

"Prentiss, Morgan, Cabbage if you will," Hotch nodded at the man respectfully as he handed him the address. "Find out what you can about Draco Malfoy."

"His dad was Lucius," Reid suddenly said. "L. Malfoi…Mya's biggest donation come from Lucius Malfoy."

"If we can question Lucius and Draco Malfoy then we'll find Hermione," Gideon said. "We need to beat the unsub at his own game and bring him down at the end or he'll move up the stakes and more innocent people will suffer."

"We're off to find Mister Malfoy," John said as he typed into his mobile. "I leave my favourite DIs to show you around, Alec Hardy and Ellie Miller."

"Nice to meet you," Miller said with a wide smile as she stepped into the conference room. Hardy nodded at them as he took a vacant seat. "Hardy hasn't had his coffee this morning so you'll have to forgive the berk."

"Nice to meet you," Hotch said as he shook Miller's hand and nodded at Hardy. "Our copies of the file state that you are the leads on finding the unsub who dubbed himself Cupid."

"Unsub?" Hardy asked with a furrowed brow.

"Unknown Subject," Reid replied as he bit his thumb and looked over the newest picture. "She's at church," he said with realisation. A smile broke out over his face before it saddened. "She said she wanted her daughter to have religion in her life. She's giving that to our daughter."

"What's going on here?" Miller asked as they watched Reid sit and cover his head with his arms on his knees.

"Doctor Reid and Hermione Granger are the unsub's next targets," Gideon said quietly.

"The Hermione Granger?" Hardy suddenly asked as he jumped to his feet and started pacing. "That can't be," he murmured to himself. "She's been in America since '99!" He turned and glared at Reid. "If she's not in America I will have your bollocks!" He threatened.

"What's going on?" Hotch asked as he stepped in-between Hardy and Reid.

"Isn't Hermione your sister's daughter?" Miller asked.

"What?" Reid replied.

"Can it, Miller!" Hardy shouted and pointed at her.

"Caitrin," Gideon murmured. "It's Gaelic. Irish and Scottish Gaelic are nearly the same…Caitrin is meant to be Scottish," he looked at Hardy. "Your family roots."

"Do you know how we can contact your niece?" Hotch asked Hardy.

"Argh!" Hardy spat as he paced the room. "I can try using her parent's old landline," he replied. "I haven't any idea if she let that go after…" he glared and threw himself into a chair. "I'll also ask my daughter if she's heard anything from her cousin."

"Why didn't Mya tell me about you?" Reid asked.

Hardy clenched his jaw and glared at the wall.

"I took a fall for my ex-wife," he replied. "Rebecca didn't agree with my actions and we didn't talk after that," he said quietly. "I last saw Hermione when she was fifteen. I probably won't be much help in directly contacting her but I'll be damned if my niece is this MYST.C's next victim!" He glared at Reid.

Hotch handed Hardy the newest pieces of evidence and Miller squeezed her partner's shoulder when he looked about to break down.

"Caitrin Jane," Hardy murmured. "Jane is a traditional middle name in our family. My daughters are Daisy Jane and Rebecca Jane."

"I almost argued for Jane to be left out of our daughter's name," Miller smiled. "Daisy had already claimed that tradition."

"Shut it, Miller," Hardy said more fondly as he squeezed her hand on his shoulder.

"You're married?" Gideon asked.

"Three years now," Miller replied. "I still use my former name to prevent confusion. Try that landline you told us of."

"Right," Hardy said as he pulled his mobile out of his pocket and dialled.

Everyone could hear the rings and waited with baited breath for someone to answer. Hardy set down his phone after a few rings and Hermione's voice filled the room.

"Caitrin and I are away at school for the year," Hermione's recorded message said. "You may try calling us again after the second week of Jun-"

"Or Yule!" A small girl's voice cut in.

"Or Yule," Hermione agreed with a quiet laugh before the line disconnected.

"Please dial again," Reid requested.

"Why?" Hardy asked.

"Because he's never heard his daughter's voice," Miller scowled at Hardy as she snatched his mobile and handed it to Reid. "Be sure to get that number now," she said gently as Reid took the phone and stared at it as if it were a lifeline in a vast ocean with nothing else to cling to.

"Miss Granger works at a school," Gideon mused. "Garcia, check school's that would allow a teacher and child to board with them for the school year."

"It must be that boarding school Hermione attended as a child," Hardy said. "She wanted to work there when she was younger."

"What school was that?" Hotch asked.

"Hogwarts School for the Gifted," Hardy replied. "I still have the mailing address," he said as he pulled out a small blue address book from his inner coat pocket. "They won't have a contact number, something about the school being too far for a landline connection."

"The children just write letters and post them?" Miller asked disbelievingly. "I wouldn't send any of my kids to that school!"

"Hermione insisted on attending," Hardy said with a nostalgic smile. "Charles and Rebecca taught Hermione how to be independent from an early age," he said a little darkly.

"Sometimes too dependent?" Gideon asked.

Hardy sighed as he pulled a copy of Hermione and Caitrin's first picture toward him.

"Caitrin has her grandmother's hair," he said softly. "She has her mother's gold with our hazel and flecks of Charles' green."

"Daddy, mummy!" A small girl with dark hair squealed.

"Dad," said the young woman who held the small girl. "Hi Ellie," she smiled.

"Daisy," Miller smiled in return as she took the small girl. "We all have a question for you, but that may lead to other questions."

"Alright," Daisy said as she sat next to Hardy. "How can I help?" She asked.

"Have you talked to Hermione anytime in the last nine years?" Hardy inquired.

"What's this about?" Daisy nervously laughed, then cleared her throat when she noticed no one was fooled. "Dad," she sighed and closed her eyes. "She knows she might be a target for the Cupid killer," she finally said. "She's hiding with Caitrin. I don't know how to contact her."

"Dammit!" Hardy hissed as he banged his fist on the table.

"She is his next target, Daise," Miller said gently and pointed at Reid. "Doctor Reid is Caitrin's father."

Daisy looked at Reid interestedly, then smiled.

"She eventually convinced herself that you wouldn't want Caitrin," she said to him. "But Hermione's still in love with you. I know because she won't even look at anyone else."

o.O.o

Hermione's lecture was disturbed when a familiar owl flew in through her classroom window and landed on her shoulder. The students stopped taking notes to stare at the beautiful grey eagle owl that started preening their Professor's hair and she finally had to stop to untie the note around its leg and dismissed her class early when it was clear a reply was immediately expected.

Mya,

Dad asked me to come to Scotland Yard today. The Cupid killer knows how to find you. It's best you stop meeting me Sundays and avoid all contact with the muggle world until the man is caught…or woman…but the Americans here are calling the Cupid a he. There's also a picture of you with Caitrin and Draco the MYST.C caught at our last year's tree decorating competition. They're looking for Lucius's signet ring and have already marked him as a way to find you.

You'll be interested to know…the Americans are the FBI's BAU team from Quantico, Virginia…and there's a Doctor Spencer Reid on the team.

He's so close, Mya! You need to see him and you have something the Cupid killer doesn't.

Magic.

You can be sure your Doctor will be safe with you at Hogwarts instead of here in London.

Please think about it.

Your concerned cousin,

Daisy

P.S. You will write back with instructions for me to give to your Doctor Reid because I will not see you separated from your soulmate any longer!

"Mya?" Severus asked as he stepped into her classroom. Hermione stuffed her cousin's letter into her pocket and gave Severus a weak smile. "You released your Fifth years thirty minutes early."

Hermione hesitated.

"I did," she replied as she gathered her quizzes and grade book. "It's the last day of class and they were a bit restless."

"I heard a rumour about an owl." He looked pointedly at the owl sitting on the back of her chair.

"Severus." Hermione said his name with such conflicting emotions that he nearly occluded to stop himself from showing his concern.

"There you two are!" Lucius exclaimed as he strode into Hermione's classroom. "Your students are in the library disturbing mine from their research assignment."

"Sorry, Lucius," Hermione said quietly as she tucked away her student quizzes into the gradebook and lifted it into her arms. "Have you checked up on Draco and Caitrin?" She asked as she started walking out of her classroom.

"Hermione," Severus said warningly when she passed him and gently pulled her back to face him. He flicked his wand at the classroom door and warded it against eavesdroppers and eavesdropping devices. "You don't get to say my name like that and act like everything is normal," he warned.

Hermione deflated while Lucius watched them with growing concern.

"Have you been keeping up with the muggle news?" She asked.

"Only political," Severus replied and Lucius agreed.

"After completing my apprenticeship with you, Severus, I wanted to be away from the Weasleys and their nagging me to marry Ronald," she said quietly. "I know you protected me from most of that nagging," she looked at him gratefully.

"I also know you completed a bachelors during our two years as master and apprentice," Severus replied.

"I did," Hermione responded, not telling him about her doctorate degree in Physics she completed the summer before what would have been her Seventh year. "I left after, you know this."

"I do," he replied.

"I left to study across the pond," she said softly.

"You went to the United States?" Lucius asked, surprised.

"I went for a bachelor's in Music," she replied. "My concentration was the cello."

"But you don't play," Lucius said.

"Or you don't play anymore," Severus said as he narrowed his eyes.

"I left uni during my last semester," Hermione quietly explained. "Not because I was pregnant with Caitrin. I didn't know that when I left."

"Then why did you leave?" Severus asked suspiciously.

"I was only away from my dorm room for five minutes," she started again. "I took Spencer something to eat and drink because he was worrying about a few job offers and I knew he wouldn't have remembered to stop for lunch. By the time I returned to my room…there was a copper wire inserted into an explosive device. It was easily disabled, but there was the note pinned to my door. They threatened Spencer and I left to keep him safe," she said quietly. "I panicked and ran home to Coventry. By the time I realised I could have protected Spencer, Caitrin made herself known. I convinced myself that Spencer wouldn't have wanted Caitrin because schizophrenia is his family's genetic makeup."

"Let me get this straight," Lucius glared at her. "You were nearly blown up by a muggle explosive, left Caitrin's father without knowledge of his daughter, and you ran away?"

"So Spencer would be safe," Hermione said softly. "The man who threatened me also did this to other women. A few of them are dead," she whispered. "And their former partners."

"What?" Severus and Lucius yelled.

"My cousin warned me." She handed them Daisy's note and Severus snatched it from her hand, nearly giving her a papercut. "They have a picture of Draco with Caitrin and me," she said with watery eyes. "I'm sorry, Lucius." She wiped at her eyes.

"The only reason you're telling us is because of Draco," Severus said tightly. "What about Caitrin? Would you not have told us otherwise?"

"The Cupid killer doesn't kill the children of these former couples," Hermione replied with a hitch in her voice. "But Draco's not mine so you needed to know."

"Dammit! Hermione!" Lucius snapped at her. "What about you?"

"Caitrin has you and Severus, Lucius," Hermione replied. "And my cousin Daisy. I've named her as my daughter's godmother."

"Has it not occurred to you that Lucius and I have already lost enough of our loved ones for a lifetime?" Severus hissed.

"We can't take the chance that this person knows where you live," Lucius suddenly said. "You can't go home for Yule, and definitely not during summer."

"You will not leave Hogwarts without my express permission, Professor Granger," Severus said silkily and gave Hermione a satisfied nod when they felt the school wards adjust to his order.

"But-" Hermione tried to say.

"And I will accompany you if you do have Severus's permission to leave," Lucius replied over the start of Hermione's protest.

Hermione glared at them as they stepped out of her classroom and threw herself into the seat behind her desk to start angrily replying to her cousin.

Daisy,

It may please you to know papa adjusted the school wards and now I cannot leave without his permission.

Hogwarts's prisoner for the foreseeable future,

Hermione

P.S. I have to plan. More to come later.

P.S.S. Lucius and Severus now know you are Caitrin's godmother.

o.O.o

"What shall we do?" Lucius asked Severus as soon as they were seated in his office.

"We?" Severus asked. "You've been seen with Hermione in the muggle world, Lucius. I am going to Scotland Yard to request a meeting with Hermione's uncle. It's nigh time he know about his niece."

"What about Mya's Doctor Reid?" Lucius asked as Severus removed his outer robes and redid his cravat into something less formal before tucking it into his waistcoat. "He's in as much danger as Hermione. You know she's already planning something to keep him safe."

"It's been two hundred years since a muggle last visited our school," Severus smirked as he pulled on a peacoat and extended the length to his calves. "Don't you think that's a hundred years too long?" He didn't wait for an answer. "Make sure Mya and Caitrin are in the courtyard in an hour, I shouldn't be gone longer than that. Watch the school in my absence."

He was gone with a loud boom before Lucius could reply.

"Yes, Headmaster," Lucius scowled, then sighed.

Severus apparated in an alley near the Ministry of Magic's telephone booth. He called a cab with a shrill whistle and was on his way through London while scowling at the passerby and other vehicles. The cabby was suspiciously silent, but Severus didn't mind. He was at least saved some inane chatter.

"We're here, sir," the cabby announced.

Severus handed the man a few pounds and was out before the man could offer him change.

The sun was setting when he spied a young woman heading in his direction…a young woman who resembled Caitrin and Hermione.

"Daisy?" Severus asked when the young woman was close.

She paused and looked at him uncertainly before smiling brightly.

"You're Mya's adopted father," she said lowly as she looked around.

"I'm here to see your father," Severus quietly replied.

"I'm bringing him and mum number two some dinner," she lifted some containers in a plastic. "I can get you in with him right now." She started walking into the building with him following on her heels. "My cousin didn't mention you coming down here."

"She doesn't know," Severus responded. "I thought it better this way."

"She'll be right mad, but serves her right," Daisy smirked.

"Is the…Doctor in?" He asked.

"He should be back about now," she replied as she glanced at the time on her mobile. She nodded at the men in the security desk and motioned for Severus to follow her to the lifts. "I suppose you think I'm too young," she said.

"Too young?" Severus asked.

"To be Caitrin's godmother," she clarified.

"I trust my daughter's judgement," Severus replied, then glanced at her before looking back at the lift doors as they closed. "You seem to be a well-rounded young woman. Hermione picked well for my granddaughter."

"Thank you," Daisy smiled as they stepped out of the lift. "My dad should be alone in his office for a few minutes before mum number two joins him."

"You don't seem pleased with 'mum number two'," Severus responded.

"Au contraire," Daisy laughed. "I love mum number two to pieces."

"Aw, I love you too, Daise!" Ellie smiled and hugged Daisy. "Is that our dinner?" She asked.

"I wanted to introduce dad to someone before you two have dinner," Daisy replied and motioned to Severus. "There's some things dad needs to hear from Mister Snape."

"Alright," Ellie replied. "Your dad should be in his office, you know the drill. I'll be along in a few."

"Thanks, Ellie," Daisy replied as she motioned for Severus to follow. She knocked at a door a few yards away from Ellie's cubicle and someone called for her to enter. "Hi, dad," she said as she walked in and stepped aside for Severus to enter with her, then firmly closed the door behind her.

"Evening, Daise," Hardy replied as he wrote a few notes and motioned for her to sit without looking up from his desk.

"I'd like you to meet Mister Snape," she said with a wide smile and Hardy finally glanced up before continuing his work. "Hermione's adopted father." Hardy's pen fell out of his grasp as he did a double take, then quickly stood up looking a bit nervous. "Mister Severus Snape," Daisy introduced him with an even wider smile.

"N-nice to meet you, Mister Snape," Hardy stuttered before collecting himself and coming around his desk to shake Severus's hand. "I didn't know my niece was adopted after my sist-" he choked. "After the explosion."

"I've come to talk to you about that," Severus said smoothly as he motioned to a seat.

"Oh, yes," Hardy replied as he pulled the chair further out. "Yes, please have a seat."

"Thank you," Severus responded as he sat. "I understand you know, Miss Hardy?" He asked Daisy.

"Mya told me as soon as she received her Hogwarts letter," Daisy replied with a knowing smile.

"Told you what?" Hardy asked his daughter and looked back at Severus.

"I thought it was time you know your niece's biggest secret," Severus said. "I feel it is important now, more than ever that you know your niece was born with magic."

"What?" Hardy asked, then scoffed as he looked at Daisy. "Is this one of your pranks?" He scowled at his daughter.

Severus smirked at Hardy as he sat back and let his wand slide into his palm.

"Miss Hardy," he drawled as he tapped his wand to the pen laying discarded on Hardy's desk and transfigured it into a glass. "Your father seems to be lacking manners. I seem to be parched." Water started pouring into the transfigured glass until it was nearly full. He sipped on it and hummed. "I suppose my daughter's family cannot all be like you and her."

"H-how did you do that?" Hardy asked with wide eyes as he stared at the glass in Severus's hand and the wand in his other.

Severus smirked as he snapped his fingers and Hardy's shirt transfigured itself into a long purple shirt that went down to his knees. Another snap of his fingers and his trousers changed to rainbow stripes and were held up by bright red suspenders.

"Okay!" Hardy exclaimed while Daisy slapped her knees in laughter and snapped a picture of him with her camera. "Okay, there's magic!"

"Hermione is a witch, Mister Hardy, and I am a wizard," Severus drawled and sipped on his water again. "The reason I am telling you this is because there is a potion that will change me into Hermione. I'm going to help you capture this Cupid Killer," he sneered.

"What do you mean you'll be changing into Hermine?" Hardy asked.

"It's called polyjuice potion," Severus elaborated. "I will look exactly like Hermione, but I won't be her. My daughter attends church every Sunday with her cousin," he nodded at Daisy. "You will be your daughter every Sunday until this, cretin," he bit out, "is caught."

"Okay," Hardy agreed. "As long as it keep my girls out of danger."

"Excellent," Severus replied as he stood up. "Now, I'd like to meet my granddaughter's father, if you will. He will be returning with me to Hogwarts."

"I don't know if the BAU team will agree to that," Hardy said uncertainly as he opened his office door and stopped at everyone stopping to stare at him. He turned at Daisy's laughter and Severus's smirk…then remembered his clothing. "Snape!" He snapped as he slammed his office door on his colleagues' laughter.

"Oh, dear," Severus drawled. "Perhaps if your daughter and I step out while you change?" He suggested. "Magic cannot be exposed to just any muggle, after all."

Daisy hastily opened Hardy's office door before her dad could reply and they stepped out.

"What was that?" Ellie asked as she came up to them.

"He was like that when we entered," Daisy responded with more laughter. "I think he's been taking clown classes on the weekends!"

"Seriously?" Ellie asked as she glanced at her husband's office in time for it to open and Hardy to scowl at everyone in his regular office suit.

"Miller!" Hardy snapped and she rushed over. He talked lowly as he leaned close to her and scowled at Daisy and Severus before motioning them back into his office.

"Hey Bozo!" Someone called.

"For crying out loud!" Hardy yelled as he slammed his door shut and glared at Severus before taking a seat behind his desk.

"What's this about an office clown?" A woman asked with amusement as she stepped into the room with a younger man behind her.

Severus quietly observed the young man as he waited for Hardy to introduce them, but the older man only scowled more as he muttered to himself.

"Doctor Reid," Daisy spoke up. "I'd like you to meet someone important to Hermione and Caitrin." Doctor Reid seemed interested as he glanced at Severus then returned his gaze to Daisy to wait for her to introduce them. "This is Mister Severus Snape-"

"Mya's chemistry teacher?" Reid asked with confusion.

"My cousin's adopted father," Daisy said pointedly.

The woman snapped to attention as she stepped toward him and Reid was surprised and hopeful.

"How often are you in contact with your daughter, Mister Snape?" The woman asked.

Severus ignored her.

"Doctor Reid," he greeted as he held out his hand. "Perhaps you would like to introduce me to your…" he glanced at the woman, "friend."

"Oh," Reid quickly replied. "This is Supervisory Special Agent Emily Prentiss."

"Miss Prentiss," Severus nodded. "I see my daughter and granddaughter every day. Word came to Mya nearly an hour ago that she and Doctor Reid are this…" the lines on his face deepened as if remembering a time his face had construed that way for hours, days at a time, "Cupid killers next targets." His scowl stunned everyone into silence. "My daughter and granddaughter are safe at the school where Mya teaches. I intend for it to stay that way." He turned to Doctor Reid. "If I may have a private word," he stated.

"We have so many questions," Prentiss responded.

"You should meet with the rest of the team," Reid said quietly. "There's no record of you adopting Hermione."

"There wouldn't be and it will remain that way," Severus briskly replied as he glanced at his watch and sighed. "I have no time for questions this evening," he said. "I've been away from the school too long. My headmaster duties do not wait for me. A word," he said to Reid pointedly, then rolled his eyes and held out a folded piece of parchment.

Reid slowly took the paper and opened it to see a charcoal drawing of Caitrin laying out on a carpet before a fireplace.

"She's beautiful," Prentiss said as she touched a corner of the parchment before Severus could stop her and they disappeared with a whoosh.

"What just happened?" Hardy asked as Severus held his nose.

"They're at Hogwarts," Severus replied as nearly twisted on his foot before Daisy stopped him.

"It's better for the Security footage if you don't just disappear too," she said to him. "I'll show him out, dad."

"This is going to be a nightmare," Hardy muttered as he waved them away. "When are we going to plan for Sunday?" He asked Severus.

"You'll receive my owl," Severus replied. "Your daughter can clarify later."

o.O.o

Hermione rolled her eyes when Lucius mentioned the magic words to Draco and Caitrin.

Snowball fight.

She scowled at him as she bundled up the children and slipped on her thickest cloak and gloves, then charmed their clothing to be impervious to water. Caitrin kept babbling happily to Draco as they bounced down the corridors, stairs, and out into the courtyard.

There were a few students scattered about, playing gobstones or chess, some talking and others studying. The children were already forming their snowballs while Hermione easily transfigured a small hill of her own while smirking at Lucius as he did the same.

Caitrin suddenly crowed while Draco glared and scowled before throwing a snowball back at Caitrin and Hermione laughed then gasped as she brushed some snow out of her hair and glared at Lucius before smirking at him when her snowball plunged onto his head.

"I'll get you back, Granger!" He promised as he levitated five snowballs and launched them at her. Hermione laughed as she stopped them with a flick of her finger and split them before launching them back. Lucius groaned as he slipped onto his bottom and Draco laughed at his father being pelted by snowballs. "Is my son laughing at me?" Lucius asked with a mischievous gleam in his eye, then launched a snowball at Draco.

"Auntie!" Draco cried. "Help!"

"Coming!" Hermione called back as was at his side in time to be pelted with snowballs from Lucius and Caitrin.

It was nearly ten minutes later and the children were making snow angels when there was a whoosh and Hermione noticed the students gathering in the centre of the courtyard before a stunner and a purple spell flew past the group and she quickly threw up a shield to protect Caitrin and Draco.

"Stay with the children!" She ordered two students as she marched toward the crowd with Lucius on her heels. Most of the students quickly scattered and headed inside when they saw her and Lucius coming. "Expelliarmus!" She hissed and caught the two students' wands while they were starting more spells. "Sean Michaels! Cedric Connally!" She hissed at the two students, but remained ignored. They stared fighting the muggle way and her and Lucius petrified them before they could hurt themselves.

"Muggle fighting!" Lucius scowled at the boys who suddenly realised their professors stopped them.

"One hundred points each from Gryffindor and Slytherin for fighting!" Hermione hissed at the boys. "Another hundred each for endangering your peers and my daughter and godson! Seventy-five points from each of you for using your wand outside of a classroom! I would deduct further points but I will leave that up to Headmaster Snape when he returns!"

There was a distinct crack and Hermione turned to see Severus taking in the scene.

"Connally," his sneer deepened. "Michaels!" He spat at the boys. "It had to be you two! My office in five! Move!" He flicked his wand and released the boys. They scurried toward his office as Severus followed at their heels. He nodded at Hermione and someone behind her and Hermione turned to thank the two students for staying with Draco and Caitrin, but stopped before the words could even produce a sound.

"Hermione."

She sobbed into her palm as she looked up into his hazel eyes. Spencer stepped closer to her and she stepped back.

"Hermione?" He asked, confused.

"S-Spencer," she sobbed again before rushing toward him.

He opened his arms and pulled her into him as she crashed into his chest. He was shivering and his hands were already freezing but he held her tighter when she tried to step away to cast a warming charm on him and buried his nose into her hair as he slid his fingers beneath the elaborate twists of her braids.

"Spencer," she whispered as she looked up at him and he cradled the back of her head before bending and lifting her off her toes to place his lips over hers.

"Perhaps we should head inside," Lucius said as he started ushering the children and Spencer's companion toward the Entrance Hall. He turned and smiled at Hermione before pulling the woman along with him.

"Hermione," Spencer whispered as he set her on her feet again. "I'm sorry you couldn't tell me. Careen MacDonalds tried to contact her former boyfriend and the unsub threatened to kill him if she tried a third time."

"Spencer," she sobbed into his chest. "I didn't even try to contact you. I'm so sorry." She stepped back as she wiped at her eyes.

"Don't, please," Spencer pleaded as he wrapped her in his arms again. "Please. I need to hold you. I can breathe again with you here in my arms."

"Let's get you out of the cold," Hermione suggested as she inched them toward the Entrance Hall. "You're starting to freeze and we're in the middle of a Scotland winter."

"Is there where we are?" Spencer asked as he looked around…then up. "This is a castle," he breathed as he shivered and his teeth started clicking.

"Please come inside," Hermione said as she undid the clasp at her throat and wrapped her cloak around Spencer. "Spencer," she said firmly. He looked down at her with those soft eyes she saw every night she dreamed. "Inside. We need to warm up." She held back a shiver and cast a warming charm on her dress and her cloak so he would be warm.

"Is this Hogwarts?" He asked as she pulled him into the Entrance Hall. "Your dad said he's the Headmaster here."

"He is and we are," Hermione replied as she led him up a private staircase.

"The paintings move," he said in awe.

"What's a muggle doing in Hogwarts?" A painting asked as it glared.

"And talk," he said in surprise.

"They're sentient, Spence," Hermione said delicately.

"They're magic," he replied and looked down at her. "Like you are."

Hermione paused and rubbed her arms for warmth.

"I wasn't allowed to tell you," she said softly as she stared at anywhere else but him. "It's one of our laws. I would have been able to tell you after we married, but…stateside…their magical government still doesn't allow for witches and wizards to marry muggles…non-magical people."

"Would you have married me?" Spencer asked.

Hermione's eyes snapped to his and her eyes watered.

"Definitely," she quietly replied before tugging him so they could head to her chambers, but he stopped her.

"What about now?" He asked as he stared down at her. "Would you marry me now?"

Her eyes widened.

"You don't have anyone else?" She asked.

"It's always been you, Mya," he replied. "Always."

"I supposed if you asked now I would ask you to wait to meet your daughter," she said with a soft smile. "You might want to run after."

"Never," he promised. "I do want to officially meet Caitrin."

Her eyes softened.

"You might regret that promise later," she teased as she started leading him to her chambers again. They heard a giggle behind the tapestry across from them and Hermione sighed as she held her nose. "Professor duties call," she said to him as she stepped toward the tapestry and whipped it back to see two students as surprised as her. "Seventy points each from Ravenclaw for scarring me for life!" She couldn't help but say as she looked up at the ceiling and waited for the students to right themselves and their clothing. "The Headmaster will be expecting you two after dinner!" She called after them as they scurried away.

Spencer's quiet laughter eventually had her rubbing her forehead.

"The joys of boarding schools," he finally said.

"Oh, joy," she rolled her eyes as she started pulling him along again.

"Scarred for life?" He asked as he started laughing again.

"It just slipped out," she defended herself. "At least I managed to say something! They had me stunned and almost speechless!"

He laughed more.

"What's this about?" Lucius asked as he stepped out of her chambers.

Hermione pinched Spencer but he ignored her.

"She caught some students in flagrante delicto," Spencer said before Hermione could shush him, not that she didn't try.

"Our Professor Granger has finally been fully inducted into the ranks of Professorhood," Lucius smirked at her. "Ogden's, dear?" He asked with a wider smirk.

"If that's what brings all you lushes to drink, then yes," Hermione agreed. "You might want to welcome me into your drinking circle too."

"It wasn't that bad," Spencer said as they entered her chambers.

"What wasn't that bad?" Prentiss asked.

"Hermione caugh-"

Hermione promptly pulled his head down and planted her mouth on his, not that he complained.

"What are you doing?" Caitrin asked as she cringed.

Hermione smirked at Spencer as she pulled back, but he quietly growled and pulled her forward again.

"We should give them a few minutes," Prentiss said as she escorted Caitrin and Draco into the nearest room.

"They're children," Lucius replied as he followed. "Children are supposed to be grossed out by their parents." He turned back to see Spencer had Hermione up against the wall and rolled his eyes. "Just not scarred for life," he muttered as he closed Caitrin's bedroom door.

"Spencer," Hermione whimpered as he groaned into her neck. He lifted her leg onto his hip and she gasped as his hardness pressed into her. "Children," she moaned. "The children," she tried to remind him but knew Lucius would have already given her and Spencer the room.

Spencer groaned louder and took a deep breath before releasing her thigh and stepping back. He mussed up his hair as he blushed.

"I need to take care of this," he said quietly as he motioned to himself and Hermione blushed with him.

"In here," Hermione replied as she pointed toward her room. "The bath…is through my room."

"Hermione," he quietly groaned as she pulled him toward her room.

"I'll just," she hesitated at the entrance to her room. "I'll talk to Caitrin…about you," she said quietly.

He squeezed her hand and nodded.

"I want to be here for both of you," Spencer said. "I will be as long as you let me."

"You don't need my permission," Hermione replied. "I trust you, Spencer."

o.O.o

He and Prentiss had been whisked away somewhere as he stared at Snape's drawing of his daughter.

The drawing was so realistic that he felt he could reach out and stroke Caitrin's soft cheek, look into her eyes that were an interesting mixture of his and Hermione's. He felt a pull behind his navel and yelped in surprise but Prentiss steadied them as she looked around.

But he stared at the woman standing in front of them.

It was her.

And she stopped two beams of red and purple light with a blue shield produced by a stick she held in her right hand.

"Stay with the children," she ordered as she rushed toward a crowd of older children.

He looked down at the subject of his drawing.

"Caitrin," he said softly as he fell to one knee to take her in.

She looked at him interestedly while her young friend eyed him warily.

"We're friends of your cousin Daisy," Prentiss said to Caitrin. "Your…grandfather…sent us here for some reason."

"Gwandpapa must have had a good excuse to bwing you," Caitrin replied, satisfied. Then she looked at Spencer who's eyes never left hers. "You feel familiar."

"I-" he choked as he reached out to stroke her soft cheek as he had wanted to do not moments before. "Thank you," he finally said. "I've wanted to meet you since I learned about you, Caitrin," he rasped.

"Do you know my mummy too?" She asked with a tilted head. He started at the setting sun making her golden hair seem as if it had been set aflame and he knew his daughter had to be as spirited as her mother.

"I do know her," he replied as he wiped at his cheek and stood up.

A loud crack disturbed them.

Snape had arrived and he could see Hermione and her companion had diffused the crowd and got to the centre of the cause. Two children were frozen in fighting stances until Snape snapped and they moved. He nodded at Spencer and Hermione turned.

"Hermione," he breathed, then stepped toward her when she sobbed. She stepped back and he felt his heart clench in his chest. Was she rejecting him? "Hermione?" He asked.

"S-Spencer," she sobbed again before he found his arms full of her. He wrapped her up tightly and silently determined to never let her go again. He wanted to run his fingers through her curls, but found her hair was bound in elaborate twists so settled for fitting his fingers underneath her hair and settled them against her scalp.

"Spencer," she whispered, looking up at him as if to confirm he was really there and he didn't hesitate to confirm she was also real when he lifted her off her feet and placed his lips over her soft ones. He whimpered, holding back his own sob that she was real, she was in his arms, kissing him back, holding him as tightly as he held her.

He was floating with her again, his heart beat against his ribs as it once again tried to bury itself in her and he would gladly lose his heart to her again.

He heard someone speak and reluctantly set her on her feet.

He could only concentrate on her and not the cold biting at him.

He wanted that bite.

That bite reminded him she wasn't a hallucination…even if the paintings around her did move and talk.

This was Hogwarts.

Anything could happen at Hogwarts.

Like Hermione's adopted father abducting him and Prentiss in the blink of an eye.

Reuniting with Hermione and meeting his daughter in under five minutes after his arrival.

Hogwarts.

The school was simply magical, and magical it would be to him in every way.

o.O.o

"Steven Palms." Hotch said as he placed the man's photograph on the table. "Henry Matheson. Charles Robins. Timothy Hensley." He stared at everyone in the conference room. "What do these men have in common?" He asked.

"Don't you mean women?"

"We already know what the women have in common," Gideon replied. "No one has questioned what the male victims have in common."

"Where's Prentiss and Reid?" Morgan asked.

"I haven't seen them since yesterday evening," Garcia said.

"We should wait until after the meeting," Hotch sighed, "but Reid is a target." He dialled on his mobile and frowned when it went straight to voicemail.

"Prentiss goes straight to voicemail," Morgan said as he put his mobile down on the table.

"Same for Reid," Hotch said worriedly.

"All these men have a mental health condition that can be inherited," Miller spoke up as she started spreading out autopsies.

"Another question," Gideon said while Hotch and Morgan switched to messaging. "Why did the unsub follow Miss Granger to the States?" He asked. "And was she the only one?"

"He wants to recreate his family," Hardy said as he stood up. "He most likely has a mental health condition that was inherited. His mother must have married someone besides his biological father because her and her child were rejected by him."

"What if he tried to date these women?" Miller asked. "They refuse and he reunites them in his own twisted way."

"We need to know if someone was persistent with trying to date the female victims," Morgan said. "We have to interview their families and friends."

"We should ask Daisy about Hermione," Hardy said as he dialled his daughter.

"I'll start contacting the families," Miller said as she gathered her papers.

"I'll print you a list of contact numbers," Garcia said to Miller.

"Thank you," Miller replied. "It saves me a trip to see that insufferable-" she rolled her eyes. "Can we keep you?" She asked Garcia who laughed in reply.

o.O.o

"I thought you might be protesting at all this magic," Hermione admitted to Spencer as she transfigured her second warmest cloak to fit him before they left for the Great Hall.

"I don't care about the magic," Spencer replied, then corrected himself when she lifted an eyebrow. "Okay, I do care because that was simply awesome and I wish you had told me you were magical. I mean, I know I'm not hallucinating you and Caitrin," he said softly. "I'm in love with your boarding school because here is where I met you again, where I met…Caitrin."

"Your daughter," she said with a sad smile.

"She's wonderful, Mya," he said softly. "I want to be mad that I wasn't there for her birth and her first five years of life, but I can't. I just want to take down that unsub who robbed us of those five years of being a family." He wiped the tear making its way down her cheek. "I still love you so much that I'm scared of losing you a second time."

"Spencer," she sobbed as she rose to the tips of her toes. He gladly leaned forward to meet her as she kissed him. "I never stopped loving you," she quietly confessed after pulling back.

"Mummy?" Caitrin asked, interrupting her mother and looking at Spencer with a thoughtful expression.

"Cai," Hermione said, pulling Spencer to sit beside her on her bed, then helping Caitrin onto her lap. "This is Doctor Spence-" she lost her voice as she became full of joy and sadness that her daughter needed an introduction to the sweetest and most dedicated man she could ever meet. "He's your father, love," Hermione whispered.

Caitrin's eyes whipped to Spencer as he looked down at her before reaching to stroke her cheek again.

"Daddy?" She asked with wide eyes as she looked up at him, then reached out for him with her arms. He gladly helped her onto his lap so she could wrap her tiny arms around his torso and he held her tightly for a few moments before pulling Hermione into their hug, his eyes never leaving hers as he cradled his daughter with one arm and held tightly to Hermione with his other.

They were finally complete.

o.O.o

"I can't believe this!" Hardy's high, feminine voice shouted from his bathroom.

Severus smirked as he paced the DI's bedroom in Hermione's dress and shoes.

"I can't believe I have to be Caitrin!" Lucius growled as he cringed at the frills and ruffles Hermione dressed her daughter in and called it Caitrin's 'Sunday best'. He was definitely going to buy his niece a new Sunday wardrobe, even if Hermione protested six ways from Sunday.

"How do women walk in these things!" Hardy asked as he stumbled out of the bathroom and caught himself on the doorframe before he could plant his face into the bedroom carpet.

Ellie would have his head for that blood stain.

Speaking of which …

"What is going on here?" Ellie asked from the doorway, then she paused at 'Hermione'. "Hermione, Caitrin?" She asked with surprise as she stepped into the room. "Daisy!" She snapped at her stepdaughter. "You know we've been looking everywhere for your cousins! You should have taken them straight to the station!"

"Er, sorry mum number two," Hardy said uncertainly. "Hermione surprised me this morning with an invite to church."

"Are you ready?" Prentiss asked as she stepped into the bedroom and stopped short at Ellie turning to gape at her. "Um," she said uncertainly. "Hi… Miller."

"What are you doing here, Doctor Reid?" Ellie asked, surprised, then looked at Hermione and Caitrin who were pacing the bedroom."

"We don't have time for this," 'Hermione' suddenly growled and Ellie was unconscious and comfortably lying in bed before Hardy could blink.

"What did you do to my wife, Snape?" Hardy snapped.

"It was a sleeping spell," Severus drawled as he gathered Hermione's clutch and motioned for Hardy to leave the room first. "She'll wake up in ten minutes," he promised.

"She better!" Hardy growled.

"I never realised how small Caitrin's bladder is," Lucius said as he wiggled and ran to the bathroom down the hall. "Damn you, Snape!" He called as he ran. "I never wan-" The rest of his curse was muffled by the door.

"Shit!" Hardy said with wide eyes. "No, no, no, no, no!" He said as he squeezed his legs together. "I don't want to use the toilet as my daughter!" He squeaked as he tried to run and tripped over his heels, yelping as he went down. "Damn you, Snape!" He cursed as he kicked off the heels and ran for the Master bath.

"Maybe I should have warned Hardy about breakfast," Severus murmured to himself.

"What about Lucius?" Prentiss asked.

"Lucius knows better," he replied. "We've had to do this numerous times for the Order."

"It must be because Caitrin is a child," Prentiss murmured. "Thank goodness I was too nervous to eat." She cringed. "I don't want to become intimate with Reid's…equipment."

Severus smirked.

"Yet you had no trouble becoming intimate wit-"

"Let's go befowe I have to go again!" Lucius growled and stomped his foot. "Now I know Caitrin's tongue is still too young to wap awound her Awe's!"

"Isn't our daughter just adorable," Prentiss cooed, then cringed. "Reid does not sound right like that."

They were distracted by Hardy slamming his bedroom door and glaring.

"I could have lived without knowing my daughter has a tattoo on her inner thigh!" He hissed at Severus.

"We have now have a four minute head start on your wife," Severus replied at he glanced at his wrist watch and ushered Hardy and Caitrin downstairs. "Remember to be there after church," he said to Prentiss. "Be sure your BAU team is on standby with Scotland Yard."

"Yeah, yeah," Prentiss muttered as she started dialling and rolled her eyes when the front door closed behind 'Hermione' and 'Daisy'.

"Prentiss," Hotch answered on the first ring. "Where have you been? Is Reid with you?"

"It's Reid, actually," Prentiss responded, doing her best to utilise Reid's voice as he would. "Our phone's ended up switched when we bumped into each other yesterday evening, but Hotch," she hesitated. "I spent all night thinking…Hermione takes Caitrin to church every Sunday. I told you all that. I got to thinking which church Mya would attend and ruled out quite a few," she explained, doing her best to sound analytical, which was a trait the team shared so it wasn't so hard to do. "She would want a traditional church that focused more on the message than the delivery, one that encouraged women to be strong, yet traditional…which is conflicting, I know, but if Mya could find that then so could I…and I found it," Prentiss said with a wide smile.

"You found out where she'll be today?" Hotch asked quickly.

"I'm getting in a cab now," Prentiss said as she stepped into the cab Hardy had ordered earlier that morning, then repeated the address for Hotch and the cabby to hear.

"You can't go without backup, Reid!" Hotch shouted into her ear and she could hear him barking orders to everyone around him.

"They're my family, Hotch," Prentiss replied. "It's been so long and I just want to finally be together with Mya and my daughter."

"Rei-"

She hung up and turned off her mobile.

The plan was in motion.

o.O.o

"Cabbage!" Hotch called as people rushed about the office. "Make sure that squad is there before that service ends!"

"Shit, Reid," Morgan muttered as he pulled on a bullet proof vest. "Couldn't you have at least given us time to scout the area?" He asked.

"I want snipers on every roof surrounding that building!" Cabbage shouted at his people as they scurried about, then hollered into his mobile, giving more orders. He looked up at Hotch. "You people sure move fast," he said.

"Reid is pushing us to move faster," Hotch frowned. "I don't like it. There's more of a chance the unsub could slip away."

"Let's do what we can to prevent that, eh?" Cabbage asked as he grabbed a set of keys and started heading for the garage. "Coming?" He threw back as he walked.

Hotch didn't know whether they were lucky or unlucky that the church was situated in a residential neighbourhood on two sides, a small grove on the other, and an open field at the back.

"Keep an eye on the windows," Hotch instructed Cabbage and his people. "If anyone even glances out then they are suspects until proven otherwise."

"I want men in that grove," Gideon said as he started toward the grove with a few men following after him.

"I'll take the field," Morgan said as he headed that way. "There's some stands that'll give me cover."

"You watch the windows," Hotch said to Cabbage as he adjusted his tie and threw on his blazer. "I want to scope out the congregation."

"Saunders!" Cabbage called a woman who answered right away. "You'll accompany Agent Hotchner," he said to her.

Hotch watched as she released her tight bun, grabbed a skirt from one of the police cars and slipped it on, then nodded at Cabbage before walking toward him.

"Ready?" She asked as she placed her hand on the crook of his elbow.

"Definitely," Hotch replied as they headed inside.

They entered a foyer, simply decorated. One person sat on the long sofa and smiled at them as she rocked her child in her arms while he made soothing noises to himself. Hotch nodded at her as he looked around.

"Those doors lead to the chapel," the woman pointed to two separate doors.

"Thank you," Saunders said as she led Hotch toward the second door that seemed like it promised to let them in at the back of the chapel.

It did, and they found two seats in the centre that allowed them to discreetly view everyone.

"Found Granger and Hardy," he whispered as he glanced at them a few rows ahead.

She gave him a secret smile as she laced her fingers with his and leaned over to whisper in his ear as he tilted his head to aid her.

"Suspect at their five."

Hotch glanced at the man greedily eyeing Hermione.

"You should have gone before we stepped in," Hotch whispered to Saunders a little loudly, but not loud enough to disturb the people two rows over.

"Sorry," Saunders replied as she stood up and left to give their people a description of their suspect.

Hotch discreetly observed the rest of the congregation and found a few people who disapproved of their suspect and gave Granger sympathetic glances. He leaned toward the gentleman sitting next to him.

"That one seems lovesick," Hotch said as he pointed with his nose at the suspect. "Couldn't help but notice," he added to make the gentleman more likely to respond.

The man slightly cringed as he replied, "Brother Richards." He gave the man a disapproving glance. "Sister Granger has had to fend him off a few times."

"Poor Hermione," the man's wife leaned over to whisper quietly. "I know she puts up with him for her daughter. Such a precious child," she smiled softly.

"Who might you be?" The man quietly asked.

"I'm Aaron Hotchner," he replied and removed his identification to show them. "Please help us keep the children clear."

"Definitely," the woman agreed as she held her palm over her mouth.

"And please act normally," Hotch pointed out.

The woman cleared her throat and looked a bit glazy-eyed as she stared up at the person speaking at the pulpit. Her husband quietly chuckled under his breath.

Saunders finally returned and Hotch nodded at her as she sat next to him.

He silently planned through the rest of the service as he was sure Saunders and the couple next to him were doing. Richards paid the barest amount of attention to the speakers and Hotch started to feel protective of Granger for Spencer. It was clear the suspect was more mentally unhinged than his planned killings hinted toward.

"I've always thought he was a sociopath," the gentleman whispered to Hotch before the service ended.

"Psychopath," Hotch replied. "A homicidal one," he said solemnly.

"Service ends after the prayer," the man whispered more quietly just as the last speaker made it to the pulpit and started speaking the beginnings of a prayer.

Hotch silently watched the man as he watched Hermione, then the couple next to him separated and started discreetly ushering families out of the chapel until only the older couples remained. Hotch waited for Saunder's to position herself near Granger and Hardy while he positioned himself near Richards.

Reid stepped into the chapel and the room stilled, as if holding its breath.

Hermione stilled while Caitrin chattered.

Then there was a bang that had the rest of the chapel rushing toward the exits.

Hotch tackled Richards before he could aim for Granger and knocked the handgun away. The gentleman he had talked with kicked it further away as Hotch and Richards wrestled. Saunders ushered Granger and Hardy out of the chapel when she tried to rush to Spencer, but Saunders wrestled her out of the room, along with Hardy and Caitrin.

"Reid!" Hotch called when he saw his teammate lying on the floor from the corner of his eye.

Richards headbutted him and it stunned him for a moment, giving Richards a chance to crawl onto his feet, but the gentleman tackled him next and Hotch was on Richards and finally able to handcuff him while Saunders returned with Granger on her heels and Cabbage.

"I'm okay," Reid groaned as he sat up and rubbed his chest.

"Spencer!" Hermione called as she rushed to him and fell to her knees as she started checking him over for injuries.

"That bastard is no good for you or Caitrin!" Richards spat as Saunders and Cabbage wrestled him out of the chapel. "I'm the only one good enou-" the door closed, cutting off his diatribe.

"Mummy?" Caitrin asked as she stood next to her mother.

"Cai," Hermione said with soft eyes. "This is Spencer, your father."

"Oh, my," the gentleman's wife gasped. "Richards was the Cupid Killer!"

"Thank you for your help," Hotch said to the gentleman while fervent murmurs rose around the chapel.

"I see you've been introduced to Henry Whitley," Cabbage said as he strode up to Hotch and the gentleman now known as Whitley. "He's Superintendent for Scotland Yard."

"Sorry for disturbing your Sunday," Hotch apologised to the man.

"Crime doesn't rest," Whitley replied as he shook Hotch's hand. "I'm sure this will give the ladies something to gossip about for the next month, but…Cabbage," he looked at the man sternly. "A warning would have been appreciated."

"A warning would have made Richards suspect," Hotch spoke up for Cabbage. "It may have ended up a blood bath if your Church service didn't occur normally."

"You Americans must know what you are doing," Whitley digressed. "Thankfully there are no injuries or, heaven forbid, deaths. Now we can rest easier with one criminal behind bars."

"Well said," Cabbage agreed.

o.O.o

Hermione's frowned when Spencer hid the programme in his coat pocket when the attendant handed one to her. It was out of her hand before she could even glimpse the cover and Spencer was leading her away to find their seats. Her heart beat a little faster when she realised, underneath his calm exterior, Spencer was nervous.

He led them to a private box on the first floor.

"Are you not going to let me view the programme?" Hermione asked as he slid into the seat beside her. The lights lowered and Spencer quietly shushed her.

"It's starting," was all he said.

She knew the opera as soon as the actors were revealed.

Spencer laced their fingers together and watched her with a soft smile all through the first through third acts, until the interval. Hermione blinked as the lights were raised and Spencer held out a small black velvet box to her when she turned to him.

"Spencer," she breathed.

He smiled a little wider as she gently removed the box from his hand and opened it.

"Richards sent it to me," Spencer said quietly while she stared at her little otter with tear-filled eyes.

"I thought I lost it for good," she said as she wiped her eyes and affixed the otter to her charm bracelet. "It hurt when I couldn't find it," she revealed. "It felt like I lost you as well as my dad all over again."

"You have me," he promised. "For as long as you want."

She pulled him closer for a kiss that curled his toes and had him wanting to pull her into his lap, but he had to refrain.

They were in public, after all.

"I've only been to the Royal Opera House once before," Hermione said to him. "My parents had us sitting in the centre of the Grand Tier." She peeked out the wall of their Tier box and discreetly pointed out the seats to Spencer. "We watched The Magic Flute. I've always wanted to see this one here, The Fairy Queen."

"How old were you?" He asked.

"I was thirteen," she smiled. "I felt very sophisticated in my opera dress with a pair of my mama's opera gloves and glasses." She sighed. "I have those put away for Caitrin."

"Perhaps we'll get to see that with Caitrin soon," Spencer said as he started planning. Hermione smiled up at him.

"When she's thirteen and the world is full of possibilities," Hermione murmured.

She hardly thought on how he successfully distracted her from being disappointed something else wasn't in that little black box. The opera further distracted her when the interval was over and Spencer pulled her chair closer to his for the final two acts.

She barely even noticed when he drew symbols into her shoulder, so distracted was she by the humour of the plot that she didn't notice they were symbols until he placed a handful of blue forget-me-not flowers into her hand.

She looked up at him in surprise.

"I believe we've just been lectured on the joys and sorrows of marriage," he said with an amused smile.

Hymen, the God of Marriage started speaking in the background…but Hermione's attention was on Spencer as he kneeled on one knee and held out another velvet box with an oval sapphire surrounded by diamonds winking up at her with the stage lights.

"I had this ring for years, Hermione," he admitted. "It is yours and meant to be yours. I just want to ask one thing that will make me the happiest man in the universe. Please," he looked at her pleadingly, "please say that we can be together forever, that you will marry me."

"Yes!" She answered as the audience stood and started applauding the actors.

Shouts of 'Bravo!" and 'Brava!" sounded throughout the House.

All that was ignored as Spencer and Hermione lost themselves in a kiss.

o.O.o

"At the end of the day all you need is Hope and Strength.

Hope that it will get better,

and Strength to hold on until it does."

-Anonymous

o.O.o

This story popped into my head while editing chapter 7 on my other Spencer/Hermione story. I hope you all enjoyed this short…I didn't write it while I was half-asleep like my other story so if you all don't understand my rambling…oops…I must be a terrible writer when I'm fully awake, lol …

Oh…and I totally made up those statistics about corners and accidents… lol…

Now I kind of want to read other fics about Spencer and Hermione… I wonder what's out there…