A/N : for you my lovely reviewers. I'll work at this slowly. I hadn't planned on this being a multi chapter fic but you have convinced me to go ahead and add a few. Hope you continue to enjoy.

Hermione walked slowly out of Gringotts she wore two signet rings on her right hand nothing large and bulky like Harry's or Draco's but light and feminine, ornate but still sleek. McKinnon on her pinkie and Prince on ring finger, she was no longer Hermione Granger crusader of muggleborn and creature rights, muggleborn poster child, she would be considered, even by the stodgier purebloods, a halfblood some would argue she tipped closer to the pureblood side of things but the truth of the matter was the McKinnon line was always adding fresh blood by way of marrying muggles. She now had more galleons and properties than she knew what to do with. While it seemed her father's line had written his mother and himself off they had made allowances for any child of his begotten from a woman with magical blood and so she was no recognized for the time being as a Prince.

She had expected the goblins to be dissapointed to loose the vaults but they were quiet pleased to once again be able to profit from vaults that would otherwise be sitting idle with no head of house to make investment decisions. She had informed them she would return once she had sought council on their different options for investments. Thanking them for their aid she packed up the parchments and the letter from her father's vault and headed out to the wizarding world again.

She needed Harry, he had been here once certainly different circumstances but still similar in that he hadn't known the power his heritage held and the responsibility he would take on. Her friend, oh god, her friend what would they think. First off she wasn't who she had thought she was, two she was his daughter, Severus Snape, the greasy old dungeon bat as they had once called him was her father. Ron. Heavens she was in for it. He would never forgive her this, something she had no control over, nevermind the stupid betrothal she had been born into. She needed to find him. Both of them, Harry surely was at the ministry but Ron had dropped the aurors just weeks prior to help George with the shop.

She made a right from Gringotts and walked purposefully towards the loudest building on the block. She had to beat the rumour mill to Ron, Harry well Harry would understand that you had no control over family but Ronald seemed to pick apart any fault he could find its why they had parted ways as a couple. You could see so many more faults when you romanticized a person and they didn't live up to that image. She was almost in a sprint when she arrive.

"Slow down Hermione," George chortled as she scanned the store for Ron.

"Need Ron." She panted out, he pointed to the back room and she nodded and headed back as he continued on to help some young boys looking at puking pastels. "Ron," she said cautiously as she entered the back room. He was packaging some ton tongue toffee.

"Hey Mione," he greeted with a smile. "Just give me a second to finish this box." She nodded he was happy and she was going to ruin it.

"Ronald, maybe you should sit." She said. "I - well I've had an interesting day and I want you to hear it from me because I'm sure it's leaked out of the ministry by now."

"Did you get sacked? What did you do?" He asked shocked as he sat.

"Mi, Ron, George said you were both back here." Harry came through the back door and Hermione turned and put a locking and silencing charm on the room.

"Hey Harry, Hermione got sacked. " Ron said as he slid a rolling chair towards Harry.

"I have not been sacked, keep it up and I'll give them a reason to!" She huffed. " I was called to the department of blood lines and heritage this morning. It seems they found some misplaced wills that needed sorting in order to take care of betrothal papers. "

"Why would they need you then you're muggleborn?" Ron asked.

"Malfoy was called there this morning too." Harry mumbled cocking an eyebrow.

"I apparently am not as muggleborn as I was raised to believe, it is a long story but it seems that my mother was an order member and she was an undesirable. Her whole family was wiped out but before they were she hid me in the muggle world with gollums imbibed with her magic to care for me. I am the last heir of house McKinnon. My mother is Marlene." Both boys sat in shock then Harry pipped up.

"Sirius?" He asked hopeful for a god sister she shook her head sadly.

"You'll want to keep an open mind for this one." She said softly. "Ronald please keep in mind, we cannot choose our family." Both boys nodded. "Snape. Hermione Lily Snape. My mother is Marlene McKinnon my father is Severus Snape. " with that the world broke out in laughter and yelling and tears from the three friends. Harry couldn't believe his ears, Ron was mad but surprisingly not at Hermione but at the irresponsibility of a man who had passed away without having had the chance to reach out to his daughter, she cried as the boys carried on. She cried for the first time that day for the parents she hadn't known for the creatures that had raised her in her mother's absence for the father who made so many wrong choices but had not been able to correct the ones he had wanted too. When the boys noticed her sobbing they stopped their antics and held her between them.

"Hermione it's okay. I'm sorry I laughed, I just, well, it's hard to believe, you really aren't pulling one over on is are you?" She shook her head and he gave her a squeeze.

"Jeeze, Hermione his loss if he didn't want a genius for a daughter, he always was a greasy git. " Ron said trying to lift her spirits.

"He.. He didn't know till he had promised to protect Malfoy. He took an unbreakable vow and he couldn't save both of us. To have been seen saving a mud blood would have been just as bad if not worse than admitting he had a child with Marlene McKinnon to Voldemort. God that's not even the worst of it. " she sighed. "I have to marry Malfoy. It seems Granny Prince refused Abraxas and now I have the task of filling her place and marrying a Malfoy."

"He was trying to get out it that's why he was there." Harry said. "He left the department early today. he knew it was you and was trying to get out of it I heard him talking about it to one of the older guys. "

"Not me his betrothal to Astoria Greengrass. It was our betrothal that got him out of that one seems when his father filed it it wasn't approved because of the magic surrounding the Prince/Malfoy betrothal. Which Susan has informed us is ironclad no loopholes except death. I have to meet with him shortly actually to go over how we are going to figure this out. He was actually quite kind about it. More concerned about me. I was pleasantly surprised. " she stated pulling out from both boys embraces.

"He will be surprised when I'm done with him" Ron growled. "You're too good for him Mione. "

"He said the same thing. " she said trying to calm Ron down. "It's not like we have to get married tomorrow. Look it will be an adjustment for everyone. I just wanted you to hear it from me first. If you'll excuse me I have a letter from my father all but burning a hole in my pocket and a date to keep. I'll owl you later tonight." She pecked them both on the cheek and left as quickly as she had arrived.

Hermione took her things to her flat and spread the papers out on her desk. She had reviewed them all except the letter from Severus. She gingerly opened the wax seal on the envelope that held her name, taking a deep breath she cracked it open and removed the piece of parchment from within it. This one was not tear stained like the one from her mother, it held a penmanship she had seen for six years at Hogwarts on papers and exams.

My dearest daughter,

Should you be reading this, I have failed you a final time. Please understand it was not until the department of mysteries that I knew for certain you were my flesh and blood by the time I had decided to reveal to you that your parents were magical creatures it was too late Narcissa had approached me to save Draco and her sister had trapped me into an unbreakable vow. Know that had I been able to retrieve you and flee I would have.

I must ask forgiveness for my misguided attempt to ensure your safety should anyone find out you were mine. I was unjustifiably cruel to you in the last few years to compensate for the love I held in my heart for the child I could not care for.

You are my greatest accomplishment and my redemption, while I cannot take credit for any part of you, you hold the only good parts of me. It has been a privilege to watch you grow into a beautiful accomplished young lady.

You must know that your mother and I were nothing more than a lust filled affair, she sought comfort and I took the opportunity to seek revenge on a tormentor by bedding the girl who held his heart. This doesn't discount any love we both held for you.

You shall be the pride of House of Prince and a shining reflection of house McKinnon. By now you must know of the betrothal between the Malfoy house and the Prince house, I have tried multiple times with Lucius to dissolve it unfortunately we have been unsuccessful, Draco will care for you. You have been his weak point for some time, first as a rival then as the forbidden fruit. He is the most I can hope for you. A man who would willing lie his life down for my daughter. I can only assume he has made it through the war as well.

Should you choose to forgive me and wish to talk you'll find my portrait in the library at my home in Spinner's End.

Remorsefully yours

Severus Snape

Your father.

The tears staining the page were her's. She had to read the note at least twice as it seemed so out of character for the sullen man who had taught her. She realizes this would have been the father she would have known a man who expected the best from her but adored her without fail. She folded the paper back into the envelope and slid it into her beaded bag, she needed to meet with Draco in less than twenty minutes, she freshened up collected her papers and headed back to the ministry.