I'm revisiting the English Patient and writing the sequel. After this I will be posting a new Hermione /Severus series and may even write a crossover with my favorite TV show, Criminal Minds. I thought it would be interesting if Severus traveled to America and worked with the BAU. Severus and Garcia interaction would be a trip.
As usual I own nothing but the plot.
Sirius had only been back from beyond the veil a week and the owls with marriage proposals were a continuous annoyance. Harry thought Sirius would welcome the attention but instead he ignored the owls and sent the letters into the fireplace. It wasn't that he wasn't interested in woman anymore. He just wanted to enjoy being alive and free for the first time since he was twenty. He loved spending time with Harry and Remus and watched amused as Hermione had the severe former potions master and spy wrapped around her finger. He supposed that all those years ago he and James were wrong in their assumption that Snape was inherently bad, had they given him a chance things could have turned out differently.
He had been looking forward to Sunday brunch since he would get to meet Severus's aunt who he heard was quite a character and Hermione's grandfather who was a very powerful muggle. Who would have thought that the little know-it-all was the granddaughter of the man who was in charge of the country's security? Now he sat in the kitchen watching the girls that would be Hermione, Sam and Maria laugh and joke as they worked alongside the house elves to prepare brunch. It was great seeing this old place so full of laughter and happiness, and the fact that there were three beautiful women in his kitchen made him smile as well.
The three other men in the house came into the kitchen and sat down at the table all admiring their witches.
"You three are very lucky men you know that don't you?" Sirius said looking at the three wizards.
"Yes we know Sirius, some day you may have a witch to call your own." Remus said.
"Maybe, but right now I just want to enjoy being a part of this strange little family."
"Speaking of family Hermione's grandparents and parents should be here shortly." Severus said that as the new doorbell rang. He got up and went to answer the door admitting the visitors.
Sirius black stood up to greet Hermione's family. He smiled noting how the Grangers and Cross's interacted with everyone in the house.
"Samantha dear are you parents coming as well?" Alec Cross asked as he greeted her.
"Yes they are they should be here shortly."
As she spoke the bell rang again and Remus answered it to let in the Pearsall's. Remus had told Sirius that Severus's aunt was not what one would expect. After seeing Sam he knew her mother would be attractive but he did not expect her to be that beautiful. She must have been quite a stunner in her day. What shocked him even more was the interaction between Severus and his aunt. It was obvious there was a great deal of affection between them but they bickered and Sirius had to laugh when Severus scowled at his aunt behind her back.
"Mrs. Pearsall I have to say I have never heard anyone speak to Severus in that manner. Not even Minerva McGonagall or Albus Dumbledore spoke to him that way." Sirius said as he shook her hand.
"Please call me Estella; and I would suppose I am one of the few to get away with it. Don't tell Severus but I do enjoy getting him annoyed, that scowl of his is priceless."
Sirius barked out a laugh and offered the older woman a chair.
"No thank you, I think I will help the girls."
"Estella you are my guest you don't have to…"
Remus put a hand on his shoulder, "Pads she's a chef and loves to cook."
"Actually she can't help herself, she loves to meddle." Severus added as he brought a cup of coffee over to his uncle who was already chatting with Alec Cross and David Granger.
"Sev behave." Hermione admonished and then brought over two glasses of what looked like orange juice to her mother and grandmother. He noticed all of the women had the juice.
"Would any of you gentlemen like a mimosa?" She asked. She explained to Sirius that a mimosa was a traditional brunch drink made of champagne and orange juice and Severus added that it was the ladies that usually imbibed. Sirius really not concerned with what others thought said that yes he would love a mimosa because he was confident in his masculinity even of the other men weren't. That went off as a challenge to the others present and before you knew it they were all drinking the brunch classic. Alec Cross raised his glass and proposed a toast to family and friends and good times.
Hermione and Maria had prepared the back garden for brunch. It was a sunny day even though it was mid October and the garden was full of mums. Hermione had cast a warming charm over the area with Severus's help and it was lovely outside. By noon they were all enjoying the wonderful meal the women and elves prepared. Sirius only wished his dear departed mother could see his house full of muggles; it would have definitely set the old bat off into a tirade. He almost missed her screaming portrait in the hall but was grateful to those who were able to banish her from the wall.
He took an instant liking to Hermione and Severus's families. He knew years ago when he first met Hermione she must have had a nice family because she was such a sweet, good girl. He had never thought Severus would have such an interesting and wonderful family, he didn't know the extent of Snapes family life until Harry explained it to him a few nights ago. He was ashamed at the way he and James had treated Severus when they first met him. They were so afraid of anything or anyone that was interested or related to the dark arts that they instantly took a dislike to him. He had decided that he was going to try to get to know the man and build a friendship.
So in the following year Hermione and Severus moved into a very nice, very muggle flat that was just a few minutes walking distance from Grimmauld Place. Hermione was very busy in school and at the ministry and Severus was enjoying his job as the head of International Relations. No one was surprised when they announced their engagement and plans for a wedding began in earnest. Not by the bride to be because quite honestly she would have loved to just elope somewhere and spend a week or two on a honeymoon with Severus. No the planning was being done by mother, aunt, and grandmother. Hermione and Severus were fine with their family members making the plans, they knew this meant a lot to their families and Severus knew that Estella was not only thrilled for him but she was relieved that he was settling down and leading a normal life.
Hermione knew it was going to be a large wedding. Her Parents and grandparents had many friends and there would be several dignitaries present from both worlds. The one thing Hermione truly enjoyed doing was shopping for a dress. Her inner fashionista took over and she tried on several different dresses. She completely enjoyed the shopping experience because she was with her mother, grandmother, and her maid of honor and bridesmaids.
Usually one chooses their best friend or sister as their maid of honor, Hermione didn't have a sister and she really didn't think Harry would appreciate wearing a pale pink chiffon dress so she asked her cousin Ally to be her maid of honor and Ally was truly honored.
It had been a difficult year for Ally, she had recently moved back to the UK. When Hermione had first heard about the trouble she was having in New York she had called her and asked her if there was anything she could do to help. Ally told her she was fine and would definitely call if she need her, Hermione had cast a spell Severus taught her to alert her if her cousin was in danger, she had an emergency port key set up so she could get there quickly.
Trouble came to Ally in November when her ex-boyfriend managed to follow her into her apartment and attack her. Hermione was alerted via the spell and since she was at Grimmauld Place and Severus was at the ministry Sirius went with her. They found the ex boyfriend standing over Ally restraining her as he unbuckled his pants. Sirius Black grabbed the younger man by the collar and showed him just how fit a forty year old he was. There was no need for magic; Sirius had him under control long enough for the authorities to get there. Robert Cords was arrested and charged with attempted rape. Ally had enough, she asked Hermione if she could help her pack a few things and take her back to England with them. Hermione of course did and Ally only returned for the trial where her ex was sentenced to ten years for assault and attempted rape. She began a new life in the UK and had started dating again, not Sirius but none other than Kingsley Shacklebolt who found the music producer enchanting.
The date was set, the dresses all fitted and the day finally arrived when Hermione Granger would become Hermione Snape. Her maid of honor and bridesmaids all looked beautiful in their dresses. There were five altogether, Ally of course, then Sam, Maria, Ginny and Ally's sister Tara who had just recently given birth to the Cross's first great grandchild.
The groom had an interesting group of groomsmen, there was of course the best man and Severus could ask for no one better than Harry, of course Remus and Sirius were asked to be groomsmen and then Severus asked Kingsley and Bill Weasley who had not only become part of Severus's team but a friend. They were a rather striking group of men and the single women at the wedding were disappointed to find out they were all spoken for.
Of course the wedding went without a hitch, how could it not with Regina Cross, Helen Granger and Estella Pearsall making the plans. The bride was stunning, the groom handsome and everyone wished them well as they headed off to their honeymoon in Hawaii. Harry begged Hermione to get a picture of Severus in a Hawaiian shirt, and laughed uncontrollably when the former potions master turned even paler than his normal color.
Things continued nicely for the next year, Hermione advanced in all her classes at University and was on an accelerated schedule. She had one more year to graduate and then would be at the ministry full time. Severus had made a name for himself in the wizarding world with the other ministries. He was well liked and well respected and had become quite a diplomat. Harry became an Auror and was of course a very good one, heading his own team and he and Maria were still together, now engaged to be married the following year. And Remus and Samantha were still a couple, and things seemed to getting much more serious for them.
As for the resident animagus he was enjoying life for a change. He had a much healthier look and had finally taken his seat on the Wizengamot. The other members quickly realized that Sirius Black was very serious about reforming the ministry. He was not going to sit back and watch the old guard hand out ridiculous and unwarranted reforms, they knew he meant business when he put a stop to a marriage law they wanted to pass requiring pure bloods to marry muggleborns or half bloods only and to do it within an allotted amount of time requiring a child in the first two years of marriage.. He made a solid argument and was surprisingly backed by Lucius Malfoy. Apparently Draco had fallen head over heels for some French pureblood and would have given up his magic for her.
There was one very surprising event during this time, Petunia Dursley had contacted Harry. She wanted to see him and to talk to him. Harry of course was suspicious but he went anyway, with Severus riding shotgun. Neither Harry or Severus expected to hear what they did and when Harry had a little doubt about her story she told him she knew about the truth potion they had and was willing to take it.
Apparently Vernon Dursley was an abusive husband. Petunia was able to hide it through years but after they came out of hiding he became more violent. Petunia and her family were put into protective custody during Harry's seventh year. It was during this time that his aunt and the witch they were living with became friends. It disgusted Vernon but because he knew they were targets he kept quiet. Not because he was worried for his family but because he was worried about himself. When the war was over and they returned to Privet Drive Vernon took out his frustration once again on Petunia.
Petunia explained that the abuse started before Harry came to live with them. He would only verbally abuse her then blaming her for the fact that she had an abnormal sister. When Harry asked why she put up with it she said she had Dudley to care about. When Harry was left with them he became more abusive and she feared he would physically hurt Harry so she did what she could to protect the baby. As the years went by Vernon was more and more violent with her but not stupid enough to let Dudley see it or to leave visible marks. She was afraid for Harry so she kept him in that cupboard under the stairs; she was the only one with the key. She knew it was a horrid place but Harry was safe.
Severus told her she was s foolish woman and could easily have come to him for help; they did after all know each other from when they were children. She told him that she was afraid Vernon would take Dudley away from her, she wasn't thinking clearly and probably would still be living with the brute had her son not walked into the house one evening recently to see his father hit his mother. That was all her son needed to see. He and his father were not getting along since they were in hiding. Dudley had worried about harry, he regretted everything he did to him, he wanted to see his cousin to make sure he was safe. During that time the wizard they were living with took a liking to Dudley and they became friendly much to Vernon's dislike. Dudley was doing some homeschooling and needed help and Joshua was willing to help him, he was a half blood himself and went to Muggle School before and after Hogwarts. It was then that Dudley found his calling; he wanted to build things, not houses but skyscrapers. He studied hard and was able to get into university studying architecture. Vernon was not pleased, after all Dudley was supposed to work at his company.
After witnessing his father hit his mother Dudley who had thinned out quite a bit and was much taller and stronger than Vernon ordered his father out of the house. Vernon who was a brute but not stupid moved out to take a room in a nearby hotel. Dudley then insisted his mother tell him everything and when he heard about the abuse that was going on all those years in private made her contact a lawyer the following day and start divorce proceedings. Vernon did not contest the divorce, he did however want the house but the judge made them sell the house and Petunia got half of everything. Vernon being concerned about what people would think transferred to an office near his sister Marge and moved in with her.
Petunia ended her story by asking Harry for forgiveness and wanting to start over, so for the past year they were slowly forming a relationship. It took Harry and Dudley a few months to become friends, Harry liked the man Dudley had become and enjoyed his company.
That's where we are today, a sunny Saturday in June of 2001 at Grimmauld Place. Sirius and Remus had just finished breakfast when the floo activated and a very upset Severus Snape walked out.