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Chapter 2

Cicadas, Owls and Crickets, Oh My!

Later that evening found Hermione perched in the window seat of her room, a copy of "The Decline of Pagan Magic" by Bathilda Bagshot propped against her knees. She had been reading the same line over and over again for the last five minutes before she finally gave up and shutting the heavy tome with a dull thud. She sighed and stared out the window into the gloomy early evening. The street lamps were slowly flickering on as the sun sank lower in the sky, prompting the crickets and cicadas lulling summer music the darker it became. But Hermione paid no attention to the things that usually brought her peace and instead, continued to mull over the events of that afternoon.

Snape had a son. Did anyone in The Order know? Did Harry know? Dumbledore? She doubted it. But how on earth had he kept it a secret for so long? Almost instantly, she scoffed at the thought. The man had been a double agent for pity's sake; he was certainly no stranger to keeping secrets well, so it was quite possible this had been one of them. But surely Voldermort had at least known. Perhaps he'd put the boy into hiding during those dark days, only to bring him back once the Final Battle had ended. That was possible. It was also possible that the boy was merely a nephew of his from some unknown relative and he raised him like a son. Or maybe…

Hermione shook her head. There was no point in theorizing how Snape begot a child. She made a face. Begot. She knew, theoretically if not in practice, how a child was 'begot' and thinking of Snape in that way….she shuddered. But not entirely out of disgust.

"Hermione, darling, there's a letter that's just arrived for you."

Hermione looked at her door where her mother's voice floated up from downstairs. "Coming mum!" she called before turning back to the window. Hermione couldn't help it. Her curiosity had been piqued and it wouldn't be abated until it had been satisfied.

Luckily, she wouldn't have to wait long.

Trotting down the stairs, she took the letter from her mother and looked at the return address. 62 Spinners End, Cokeworth, B64 5LG. Odd. She didn't know anyone from there. Who could possibly…

Hermione froze as she suddenly recognized the spiky handwriting. With care, she tore open the seal and pulled out a sheet of parchment, quickly scanning its contents.

Miss Granger,

Contrary to our earlier interaction, I now find myself in need of a nanny rather last minute. The woman who usually looks after Toby has taken ill suddenly, leaving me precious little time to procure someone else.

She could practically feel the irritation radiating off the paper.

I would be much obliged if you would consider taking the temporary post if your plans for this evening haven't changed. Your presence would be optimal.

Reading between the lines, Hermione knew that to mean he had no desire for the existence of his son to be spread to any more people.

We would need you here at nine o'clock sharp and staying until I return around two or three in the morning. You will be compensated.

Please send your reply post-haste. I've instructed Sterling to wait. Should you accept, please also include either your Floo number or a location from which to pick you up.

Regards,

Professor S. Snape

Hermione looked up and sure enough the owl, Sterling, sat perched atop the kitchen windowsill, it's lamp-like eyes staring unblinkingly.

"Well dear? Who is it from?" Her mother asked as she continued washing the dinner dishes, utterly unfazed by the owl in front of her.

"It's from Professor Snape. He's…he's asked me to babysit this evening." Hermione said, still staring at the parchment unsure how to feel.

Hermione's father, John, chose that moment to enter the kitchen, moving to kiss his wife on the cheek before grabbing a towel and helping her dry the dishes. "Professor Snape? Your potions teacher? I didn't know he had a child. How old is he?"

"I think he's forty or forty-one." Hermione replied absently.

"No darling, the child. How old is he? Or she?" Jeanne Granger chuckled as she handed a dish to her husband.

"Oh, um. I think he's five or six. I'm not sure. I just found out- er, I mean met him today. Ran into them both while shopping for Harry's birthday present." Hermione glanced up at the clock and saw that it read 8:15pm. Well, that left her little time to prepare, for she certainly wasn't going to decline the request. Hastily grabbing a quill, she scribbled her acceptance before shoving it back in the envelope and handing it to Sterling, but not before offering the owl a bit of ham from that night's dinner. "Here you go. Thanks Sterling." She said, stroking his feathers before he took off.

"What time shall we expect you home?" Her father asked as she hastily made her way back upstairs to pack a few things.

"Um, he said he'd be back between two and three in the morning so sometime around there." She called back.

Five minutes later Hermione was back downstairs clutching her wand and beaded bag that was enchanted with an undetectable extension charm. Since her parents fireplace wasn't connected to the floo network, she had told Professor Snape to meet her at the old abandoned shed in the field behind her house.

Pecking her parents on their cheeks and leaving them with the Professor's address, Hermione bid them a hasty goodbye and made for the shed.

Twilight had descended by the time she reached it and the chorus of crickets and cicadas had grown louder. She loved the sounds of summer, it was the sound of home to her. Comforting like a well-worn blanket. She peered around the dilapidated wooden structure but found no sign of Professor Snape, so she plopped down on the grass and leaned against an old rusting piece of machinery, content with watching the fireflies blink in and out of the surrounding field. When she was a child, she and some of the local kids used to play hide-and-seek here. It held fond memories for her and soon she became lost in them.

"Do you make it a habit of sitting on the ground or is this location merely an exception?"

In a flash, Hermione was up, her wand pointed at the voice but a split second later, she lowered it as Professor Snape strode out from the shadows. She pursed her lips. "Do YOU make it a habit of sneaking up on young ladies in the dark, professor?" she snapped back before she could stop herself.

Snape merely blinked in response and Hermione felt a blush creep into her cheeks. She hadn't meant for it to come out quite like that. "Indeed." Was all he said.

Silence reigned for a moment before Hermione cleared her throat. "Um, so where's Toby?"

Snape regarded her silently, his head tilting to one side as he took in her casual attire, much different from the school robes he was used to seeing her in. These were far more….fitted, he noticed. "He's at home. He'll be fine for five minutes. I've warded the house against intruders and cast enchantments to let me know if he's in trouble."

"Oh. I see." More silence. Hermione shifted awkwardly from one foot to the other. "Well…shall we be off then?"

Snape "In a moment, Miss Granger. First, I'd like to inform you of a few things before we arrive at my home."

His home. It was odd to think she'd be in her Professor's home shortly.

At that, Snape went through a list of instructions that included Toby's bedtime and rules for the house. "And please, no sweets. He's already had some today." He said pointedly. "Now, if you please…" He held out his arm for her to take so he could apparate them to his home. Hermione hesitated, then curled her hand into it's crook, startled to feel the corded muscles beneath her fingers. He pulled her in closer, tucking her smaller frame against his larger one before there was a pulling sensation and she felt as though she was being sucked through a straw, and then it was gone. She opened her eyes to find herself at the doorstep of a cozy cottage complete with a picket fence and a garden to make any herbalist (and Potion's Master) green with envy.

This was Severus Snape's home and it was not at all what she'd expected.

There were a few more instructions and a hasty tour given from the entryway before he gave her what appeared to be a glass paperweight, instructing her that if anything were to go wrong that she was to tap it with her wand and he'd be back straight away. Then, after giving his son a hug, he disappeared back into the night, giving no indication as to where he was going.

Hermione had babysat a handful of times for her neighbors and parents' friends, but she'd never looked after a magical family before and she found she quite liked it. Toby showed her his favorite toys (a child's wand, beginner's potion kit, a few Weasley products and some other odds and ends) and then they went for a walk in the garden where he impressed her with his knowledge of all the plants growing there. Before either of them knew it, his bed time drew near and she took him upstairs to perform the nightly ablutions and then tucked him into bed with a story.

As she descended the stairs she heard movement and found that Snape had returned much earlier than anticipated and, with a stiff nod of thanks, he escorted her home.

All-in-all, Hermione thought, it had actually been a pleasant evening.