CHAPTER TWO

A week had passed since the adoption had been set. Hermione found herself sitting in the headmaster's office with Lily beside her in a carrier.

"What exactly do you need to talk to me about?" She asked.

"Be patient Miss Granger." He reminded sharply. She sat back and waited. Severus strolled into the room holding Luke. Hermione looked questioning at Dumbledore. Albus waited until it was clear that Severus was not going to take a seat.

"It has come to my attention," he stood up, "that you two have adopted twins." He finished. Severus looked confused at Dumbledore; Hermione looked guiltily at the floor.

"Luke has a twin?" Severus asked. Albus nodded.

"Lily." Hermione whispered.

"What did I tell you about mumbling! Speak up girl!" Severus glared at the young woman in the chair.

"Lily! Lily is Luke's twin Professor." She spoke louder.

"I'm sorry Dumbledore!" She looked at him. "I just couldn't take two babies and juggle school at the same time; and I knew, I knew the very moment I laid eyes on Luke that they were twins." Hermione started sobbing.

"I understand Miss Granger, I was just going to tell you that Professor Snape, and yourself, should have a play date." His eyes twinkled.

"What!" Hermione's head snapped up.

"Excuse me?" Severus glared sharply at Albus.

"For the kids, get them together, don't let them grow up apart." He sighed as he watched the two parents look at each other with mistrust. Lily started fussing and Hermione bent over and lifted her out of the carrier. Snape's eyes widened when he saw Lily. The little girl had curly black hair, the only difference from Luke's was that Lily had a small green bow in her hair. Her eyes were coal black, and she had a tiny hook nose while Luke's small and button like. Other than that the twins were exactly alike.

"I will not spend time with Miss Granger outside of class, or detention." He hissed.

"It was not a suggestion Severus," Dumbledore's voice took on a more serious tone, "if you separate twins their magic will disappear, if you keep them together it will prosper." He said.

"What are we supposed to do?" Hermione asked.

"Well you could take them out places, go to each other's quarters, baby sit." He smiled. Severus had a wonderful idea.

"Miss Granger, since Luke already knows you and seems to like you, why don't you baby-sit them tonight." He looked down his nose at the girl.

"Alright, I guess I can do that tonight." She answered unsure of herself.

"Good." He dropped Luke onto her lap beside Lily. The twins looked at each other and smiled. Severus walked out of the room without another glance at the others.

"Daddy!" A young girl with blond hair ran into the room and jumped into Dumbledore's arms.

"Hello Rozalia." His eyes twinkled as he watched his adopted daughter go over to the babies in Hermione's lap.

"Oooooh! Look babies, they're such pretty babies!" She smiled. The young girl had a very southern accent.

"Is she from America?" Hermione tilted her head.

"She was sent there during the war, for protection." He answered.

"Were a lot of children sent there?" She asked.

"Unfortunately yes; many children have little or no memory of their parents because they've been away for so long." He watched her transform the car seat carrier into a double stroller. She placed both twins in it and looked at Dumbledore as thought occurred to her.

"Headmaster?" She ventured.

"Yes dear?"

"Who are Luke and Lily's parents?" She asked.

"I had hoped you wouldn't ask." He replied sending Rozalia out of the room.

"Why? Who are they?" She looked concerned.

"You and Severus." He answered. A small smile crossed her face as she shook her head at the old man's foolishness.

"No, their real parents." She clarified. He shook his head slowly, her smile slid from her face.

"They're from the future, you sent them back with your time turner, for one year they need to be here, for protection. Didn't you wonder why they looked like you, or why they were so attached?" She was shaking her head rapidly.

"No, no, you're lying! Why would Professor Snape and I have children?" She frantically asked him.

"You're married of course." He said. With that she fainted.

When Hermione opened her eyes she found herself in the infirmary. Her head was throbbing.

"Oh goody, you're awake." Madam Pomfrey helped her sit up.

"Why am I here?" She asked.

"Oh dear, you fainted and hit your head." Pomfrey handed her a small cup, instructed her to drink and performed a diagnostic spell on her head.

"Why did I faint?" Hermione grimaced at the repulsive liquid.

"Something about the twins, is what Dumbledore told me to tell you." She answered taking back the cup and helping Hermione into a standing position.

"Oh no." Hermione sat back down. She wanted to throw up.

"What is it my dear. What's wrong?" Poppy looked concerned.

"Nothing, I just, could you do something for me?" Hermione stood up again.

"What?" Pomfrey looked the girl over.

"Could you do a paternity test for me?" She questioned.

"Curious to know who the parents of Lily are?" Pomfrey nodded in answer.

"Yeah, can you?" Hermione asked.

"Sure, I just need some of her hair, which reminds me, I'll go get them for you." Poppy left the room and came back with the stroller with the twins in it. She pulled a single hair form Lily's head.

"I'll get back to you when I get the results." She replied dropping the hair in a vial. Hermione nodded, muttered a thanks and left with the twins. She transfigured the stroller into a car seat carrier and a carrier she could wear. She put the sleeping Lily in the carrier and Luke against her chest. He watched her with his light brown eyes. She smiled down at him.

"Hello Luke, are you a good little boy?" She asked. He smiled in response.

"Are you really?" She laughed. The clock bell alerted her that it was six o' clock.

"Dinner time." She said to the infants and started heading to the Great Hall.

"So, um, are you going to bring a new baby to dinner every week?" Ron asked. Suzie slapped his shoulder.

"I'm baby-sitting for Professor Snape…we adopted twins." She said. Two highchairs appeared near her. One in Gryffindor colors and the other in Slytherin. Once the infants were in place Lily changed hers to Slytherin colors.

"You adopted a Slytherin." Harry joked.

"Shut up." She hissed.

"Whoa calm down, I'm just kidding," he said, "I'm sorry, is everything alright?" He asked.

"Not really." She faced away from her friends and handed Lily her bottle and she found out that Luke couldn't hold his bottle up when it was completely full. So she held it until it was about two-thirds empty.

"Aren't you going to eat Mione?" Ron asked. She shook her head.

"I kind of feel sick to my stomach." She answered, she couldn't get the thought of her and Snape being married. These two children…they were the product of the marriage. Hermione looked up at Professor Snape to see he was watching her feed the twins. She looked away quickly, but then she looked back up at him fiercely, after all; he was looking at her first. She cocked an eyebrow in question. His gaze flickered but became unreadable again. She watched him stand up and exited the Great Hall. Hermione sighed and stood up. She placed Luke in the carrier and Lily in the one she wore.

"Are you leaving already?" Harry asked.

"Yes, I have children to take care of," She replied. "look, I'm sorry guys, I'm just trying to adjust." She said before leaving. She was finding herself more and more distant from her friends.

Severus Snape walked into the infirmary holding the necessary potion that Poppy wanted.

"Why exactly did you want the bloodline elixir?" He asked curiously.

"A student is inquiring about the parentage of their adopted child." She stated dropping the hair into the liquid, it turned pink and then settled to a milky silver color.

"Who?" He took back the vial.

"That is confidential Severus." She replied. She took a dropper and released a single drop of the liquid onto a piece of parchment. It soaked in and silver words spilled across the paper. It was a birth certificate. She read the paper slowly, gasped, and re-read it. She looked up at Severus angrily.

"What is it?" He drawled.

"How dare you!" She began slapping his arm, "how could you corrupt such a young bright girl?" She picked up a roll of parchment and started to beat him over the head with it.

"Would you - ow – mind telling - quit it – what the bloody hell you're talking about!" He yelled.

"This!" She paused only long enough to thrust the document in his face, and then resumed betting him.

"This cannot be correct." He released the paper as if it were on fire.

"You brewed the potion, is the error yours?" She asked.

"I've never brewed a potion wrong in my life." He stated.

"Well, then tell me how you and Miss Granger produced children." She stabbed a finger at his chest.

"We haven't…I don't know…we've never…she's a STUDENT!" He finally gripped onto an emotion. "How dare you accuse me!" He hissed. She held up the paper.

"Explain this then!" He grabbed it.

"This cannot even be possible, it would have been noticed if Miss Granger were pregnant six months ago." He growled.

"Madam Pomfrey?" A small voice was heard. Both adults turned their heads to see Hermione holding Luke in her arms and pushing a baby buggy that was changing from red and gold to silver and green.

"What is it dear?" She asked.

"I want to know why Lily is doing this?" She said.

"I have everything of hers and mind colored to be Gryffindor, but she's changing everything to Slytherin." Poppy laughed but then stopped suddenly and glared at Snape.

"She must have a Slytherin influence that is important to her." Hermione looked confused but then realization dawned and she looked embarrassed.

"Are we their parents?" She asked.

"How did you know?" Poppy asked.

"Dumbledore told me…Professor Snape and I are…married in the future, Luke and Lily were sent back to this time and they will remain here for one year." She looked at her shoes. Silence was broken by a piercing wail from Lily.

"Professor, can you please help?" Hermione pleaded. He sighed and lifted Lily out of the buggy.

"Wait, married? You and me? Why wasn't I informed about this?" He asked. She ignored his questions and reached into the diaper bag hanging from her shoulder, dug around and pulled a teething ring from it. She handed it to him and she looked to Poppy.

"So it's true, we are their parents?" she asked.

"Yes dear." She glared at Severus.

"Hmmm." Hermione put Luke into the buggy.

"What?" Poppy asked.

"I thought I'd be more shocked, or disgusted or….worried, but I'm not," she paused and glanced at Severus who was holding Lily close to his chest as she chewed at her ring.

"Sev-Professor is intelligent and not a sniveling, drooling boy." She looked to the floor again. "Sorry if I'm out of line." She shifted closer to Severus.

"I'll just take Lily and Luke and go back to our quarters." She held out her hands. Severus glanced at the baby girl in his arms.

"You can pick up her tonight. If you wish to get used to Luke." He said. Hermione gaped at him.

"You want to baby-sit her?" She asked.

"She is my daughter also, or have you forgotten Miss Granger?" He sneered. She chuckled.

"You might not want to keep belittling me I'm your wife in the future. I can control where you sleep." She smirked at him.

"Miss Granger – you cannot talk to me like –"

"Like what? Like your equal? Well I won't let you treat me like a silly girl anymore," she pointed a finger at him, "by the time we get married you'll respect me" She hissed. He watched her exit the room in a manner worthy of him.

"Stop it!" Poppy started hitting him again.

"Stop what woman? Are you mad!" He made sure to shield Lily.

"Staring at her!" She made a final whack at his shoulder.

"I'm not staring!" He jumped away from her, "now will you please stop abusing me!" He shifted Lily onto his hip, she held the teething ring in her fist and giggled at Poppy. Poppy glared at him.

"Now excuse me I have to take this back to my lab," He gave the vial of bloodline elixir a shake, "I have a detention to prepare for." She glared at him before waving her hand in a dismissive manner.

"Fine, do as you wish. I cannot stop you." She said. He turned and left the room.