Chapter 3.

It had only seemed like a few minutes ago that Snape had left his potions lab after a successful brewing session, secured the house and checked on each child before heading to his own bedroom. In the comforting darkness he exchanged his robes for a pair of long sleeved pajamas. The darkness was his friend and only under its protection would he dream of undressing with someone else in the room, even if that someone was his sleeping wife. The darkness hid his tattooed and scarred body from view which was another reason he appreciated his and Bellas different sleeping patterns as it allowed him the privacy he desperately needed. Bella also understood that he was not an affectionate man and while they both enjoyed the pleasure of marriage within the confines of their own dark bedroom she never pushed for more. While she had witnessed the physical marks of his past she had never shuddered from him as he'd feared or showed signs of disgust. Instead she'd gently touched each one accepting them as part of the man she loved but also respecting his need to shield them.

In reality, it had been a couple of hours since he'd slipped into the bed beside the warm body of his slumbering wife when he felt a jab in his ribs accompanied by the hissing of his name close to his ear.

Disgruntled at being awake he leveled a glare at her before realising she couldn't see his expression. Aware that she'd finally got his attention she hissed again "There's someone downstairs, there's someone in our house."

Snape mentally ran through the options, he'd charmed Harry when he checked on him earlier incase he had another nightmare and he knew the charm was intact, he was about to suggest Midnight when his foot connected wih the sleeping furball at the base of their bed and was awarded with a claw in his foot. He briefly considered the possibility of a magical attack, after all not all death eaters had been captured and either kissed or sentanced to Azkaban prision. But he quickly dismissed it, his wards would have violently alerted him to the presence of a dark mark which left an unlucky common thief chancing his luck in a secluded house or the other child was out of bed. Cursing himself for not putting trace on Hermione while she slept and for being arrogant enough not to ward his house against muggle burglars he grabbed his wand from under the pillow, his dressing gown from the back of the door and growled at his wife to stay put. Knowing the authoratative tone in his voice would ensure his usually impetious wife would do as he instructed he silently headed down the landing. A quick glance in Hermiones bedroom confirmed Snapes suspision, her empty bed meant his house hadn't been invaded. Making his way downstairs by the light of his wand so as not to wake Harry he felt the damp air from the stable door which was open onto the porch. He made a mental note to place the key out of reach of little fingers in the future before giving a sigh of relief as he saw Hermione, her back to him, leaning against the railings looking up at the stars. He considered her for a couple of moments, the silly girl must be freezing, her feet were bare and her short sleeved white cotton nightgown did nothing to protect her from the chilled night air. Bella had been right he mused, earlier she'd commented on Hermiones prim and proper clothing, the nightgown looked like something out of the victorian era. Snape did not need to possess a Seers gift to predict a shopping trip in the very near future. The thought of this added to his annoyance at another disturbed nights sleep.

Drawing himself up to his full imposing height he channeled his Professor persona in an attempt to frighten the little girl slightly in retaliation for the scare she'd given him when he'd seen her empty bed and the back door wide open. He'd never expected to have to ward his property against people leaving the premisis which was something he would have to address tomorrow, he knew Harry would not leave as he'd come from somewhere much worse but he didn't know the little girl enough to know if she would consider running away.

"Miss Granger, what are you doing out of bed."

Having slept away alot of the afternoon Hermione had woken in the early hours and being unable to fall back asleep had headed downstairs for a drink. She'd spied the key on the work top and on impulse decided to go outside. She'd been drawn to the bright moon and twinkling stars, living in a busy city she'd only ever seen the sky this clear when she'd been on a camping trip with her parents. This thought stirred up more grief and tears had started to fall silently. When she was younger she remembered watching a film where the characters, who'd been seperated, felt comforted by knowing that if they were both looking up at the same sky they were still connected and the world wasn't so big. She was so engrossed in the idea that she didn't realise she was no longer alone. The sharp words made her jump and with panic in her eyes she turned towards the voice.

Snape determined to scold the child for her actions, was gratified to see the panic at his tone, but at the sight of her tear stained face he felt his cold iceburg of a heart melt a touch. His resolve was further weakened when he heard her desperate question,

"Do you think my parents are in heaven?"

Snape didn't know what to tell her, his normal answer may not be the best under the circumstances but the habit of years of honesty was hard to undo. He'd witnessed many things as a wizard, the castle had a full accompanyment of ghosts, imprints of people who had no desire to leave earth even after their demise, there were people like the dark lord who tried to conquor death by anchoring pieces of their soul to the world outside of their mortal body but the result could not be described as life, there were people who used their magical ability to prolong their life but ultimately the only thing certain about life was death. What happened after the body died was lifes biggest mystery, yes it proved to be a great comfort to those left behind to believe the soul was destined for Heaven but surely to believe in heaven meant you must also believe in Hell, an eternal damnation for souls found wanting. And for someone like Snape who had witnessed hell first hand while still on earth the prospect that once he had expired his body the suffering he'd experienced already could potentially continue for eternity was too much to bear. Ultimatelty in Snapes understanding it was easier to accept that once you had taken you last breath nothingness was all that waited.

Using his wand he summounded the rocking chair that Bella kept on the porch to him and drawing the child onto his lap he wrapped his dressing gown around her shivering shoulders allowing him a few moments to filter his thoughts before having to verbalise them.

After his stern words Hermione was surprised when she found herself being held by him. Without really thinking she snuggled into his warm body, her head resting against his chest. She found the regular beat of his heart to be a comfort.

So shocked was Snape when the little girl nestled into his body that he lost his train of though. After all who would want to cuddle the greasy bat of the dungeons, Snape was under no illusions about the names his students had for him and in some circumstances encouraged their feelings of negativity for the sake of his sanity. Almost involentarily he felt his arm curl around her small body and he felt the unfamiliar tug of a smile at his mouth as she rested against the embrace. He'd experienced the occasional quick boyish hug from his Godson and as a child his mother had the odd spark of maternal instinct when she'd drawn him into her arms. When Lily had come into his life he'd gradually gotten used to and finally craved the feeling of her arms around him and of course he and Bella shared moments but none of these prepared him for this feeling. He could now begin to gain an appreciation of why the bond between daughter and father could be considered so special. While he felt a responsibility for Harry and would no doubt come to care for him as he spent more continous time with him over the summer he knew that he and Bella would apitimise the mummys boy relationship as his wife was the constant in Harrys life, the one he sought comfort from. He'd never wanted to be that special to someone after Lilly died by his own hand but Bella hadn't given him a choice and he was now beginnning to feel that maybe Hermione wouldn't either. He knew that he would have no choice but to grow to feel something for each child, they were in his care now, part of his household which made them his responsibility, and because of his sense of fairness he knew his feelings would be equal and he would never play favourites but he would also treat each child as an individual with their own needs and Merlin help any boy that tried to get close to Hermione. On this rather uncomfortable thought Snape brought his mind back to the problem at hand.

"I think there are lots of things about the universe that we don't know, we can see the stars and the moon but who knows whats beyond but I do know that they will always be with you in your heart and in your memories and I'm sure that wherever they are they'll be watching over you and be proud of how well you're dealing with all of this. But only you can decide what you believe, its a very personal thing" He knew Bella would have just reassured Hermione that her parents were in heaven had she been asked the same question but Snape couldn't bring himself to go completely against his principles.

Hermione didn't know when she asked the question as she wasn't sure if she believed in heaven herself, her family weren't church goers and her school was more science based than religious but something the younger social worker had said to her about her parents going to heaven had struck a cord. "Would it be ok if I think about it?"

"You can think about it as much as you wish and remember what you choose to believe can change as you grow both in years and experiences."

He watched her for a while as she seemed to consider the sky again. Watching the stars had long been an interest of Snapes, he'd lost himself in the night sky as a child in an attempt to escape his depressing home life and once he started at Hogwarts he'd enjoyed many a secret meeting with Lily after curfew on top of the astronomy tower away from the prying eyes of their rival housemates. In a soft voice he found himself pointing out constalations to the tired girl in his arms who eventually surrended to sleep while he talked.

Snape sat awhile waiting for her breathing to slow all the time rubbing her cold feet with his hands. When he was sure she was fast asleep he carried her in his arms into the house using his wand to magically lock the door behind him. He found his wife sat in the kitchen her hands wrapped around a steaming mug of fruit tea and was pleased to note her wand resting on the table next to her. He cocked his eyebrow at her in a silent question.

"I checked on Harry while I was waiting and then noticed Hermiones bed was empty. When you didn't come straight back up I figured you might need help but you seemed to be doing just fine so I stayed here. Is she asleep?"

"Yes I'll take her up to bed. You coming?"

Setting her cup into the sink Bella followed him up the stairs and watched while he settled her into bed. He then raised his wand and uttered a complex incantation over her body. There was a powerful surge of magic in the room and a faint silvery mist lingered over Hermione for a second before seeming to sink into her body. Snape nodded in satisfaction at the completion of his spell and nudged his wife out of the room before shutting the bedroom door.

"You've put the same trace on her as you did when we brought Harry home?" Bella asked quietly.

"My wand can now track her magical signature." It was a powerful spell that was generally used on new born babies by pureblood parents. "This family is my responsibility and should the need arise I can trace everyone."

Bella knew this was Snapes way of showing he cared but then an awful thought occurred to her. She stopped dead in the doorway to their bedroom causing her husband to bump into her, turning to face him with her own verision of his death glare in her eyes she asked, "When you say everyone you do mean just the children don't you?" She could tell by the slight flush of his cheeks in the wand light that she'd caught him out. Snape acted in a most uncharacteritic way, pushing past his wife he mumbled something about a wedding ring and a husbands duty to keep his wife safe before disappearing into their en-suite.

Laying in bed Bella considered the delicate filegree ring sitting on her wedding finger. The ring was heavy with magic, a combination of traditonal wizardary created when they said their vows, something akin to an unbreakable vow and the wica blessing her mums coven had imbued the ring with before the ceremony. But it would appear Severus had imparted his own brand of 'protection' to her ring and she wasn't sure how she felt about it. A small part of her recognised it was Severus's way showing his love by wanting to keep her safe, he wasn't a demonstrative man who expressed his feelings at the drop of a hat but she knew through his actions that he loved her but a much bigger part, the free spirited adult felt angry at being marked like a possession, something that could be found on a whim. And the fact that it had been done in secret angered her the most because it confirmed that he knew she would object but did it anyway. The children were different, she reasoned, it was their duty as guardians to protect and moniter them but she would never dream of carrying it on into adulthood just like the ministrys magical trace breaks on a witch or wizards seventeenth birthday she would expect this family trace to be lifted at the same time. Bella kept her simmering temper at bay while considering the situation, there was no question that the trace had to be removed, her husband needed to remember that they were nolonger at war, her life was not constantly in danger and even though they lived apart for a good portion of the year she was an adult witch living amongst muggles who had no knowledge of her power. As the caster Severus was the only one who could lift the spell and Bella was determined that before the sun rose again this would happen. Knowing Severus would not come to bed unless he thought she was asleep, she noxed the lights and lay in wait.

Snape knew he was being a coward as he hid in the bathroom but in his defense his wife had a legendary temper and he had the unfortunate habit of being on the recieving end of it on a number of occasions. He disliked shouting mainly because his childhood memories contained nothing else which was why his own anger was always deadly quiet and controlled. He knew Bella would never approve of the trace which was why he'd never told her, he'd modified the spell so that the link would alert him if she ever felt in danger and he'd be able to locate her and either aparate to her or activate the portkey part of the spell linked to the ring to bring her to him. It wasn't designed to spy on her or keep track of her movements, while he'd never understand why she chose him he knew she'd never betray him with another, he trusted her with his life. But he was resigned to removing the spell as he knew she would not rest until he complied. He saw the lights go out and knowing his wifes ability to fall asleep as soon as her head hit the pillow he only waited a few minutes before climbing back into bed himself. The instant he relaxed into the mattress he realised his mistake, the lights came on and the ring was brandished under his nose.

"Remove it Snape or you will be seeing images in your head of me in the most unsavoury places and i'll make sure you are driven crazy wondering where I am, what I am doing and who I'm with. I'll send these images to you throughout the school year at the most inopportune moments."

"You would have done well in Slytherin house." He grumbled as he snatched the ring from her fingers and removed the spell.

It didn't come as a surprise to Snape that his dreams that night were unpleasant. He knew he risked his wifes wrath when he'd enchanted the ring the night before their wedding and he'd been living on borrowed time until she discovered the truth. And while there was a small part of him that was relieved at nolonger having this secret between them the rest of him just wished she'd accept his protection in the same way she asked him to protect the children. Unfortunately now that he knew she was vunerable it opened the floodgates of his mind, memories of the horrors he'd witnessed while in the service to the dark lord mingled with the fears for his wifes safety and conjured images of faceless death eaters capturing her. He knew they would not hesitate for a moment in torturing her for retribution of his betrayal or for information about Harry, himself or the Order. In some of his nightmare senarios Snape found himself standing on the sidelines unable to do anything just as he'd been forced to do during his time as a spy. But then there were others where he was looking down on himself, almost like viewing memories in a pensive, trying desperately to rescue her and knowing that if the ring was still active she would no longer be in danger. In these dreams he found that Bellas face all to often mingled with Lilys and his brain became too confused over which red headed woman he needed to save. During this turbulant night Snape vowed that the moment Voldemort showed signs of resurfacing, and he knew that day would come, Bella would have to consent to his protection even if it meant telling her the most barbaric and depraved things the death eaters and their lord were capable of. Things he'd deliberately kept from her so as not to taint her or his new life with his old one. Because he would not allow that sadistic bastard to take someone else from him, to snuff out another beautiful soul or take another mother from Harry he would bare the worst about himself in order to save Bellas life.

Bella was surprised at how at odds she felt with herself. Surely she should be satisfied that she'd won and that she was nolonger 'chipped' like a pet but when he'd returned the ring to her finger it felt different, colder, and not so comforting. She recognised the loss of the protective spell and while she could still detect Severus's love running through the gold mixed with the wica blessing it no longer felt complete. She knew she'd adjust and if she was honest her stubborn pride would not let her back down but she did make a silent promise to her husband that in the event Voldemort returned, something her husband and Dumbledore were certain would happen even though neither had told her why, she would agree for the spell to be re-cast. After all she was not naive about her husbands past, in the eyes of the death eaters she was married to a traitor, not just a deserter but someone who had intentionally spied for the light and thwarted their evil from within their own ranks. But now she was also, for all intent and purpose, the mother of the 'Boy who lived' and history told how that had ended last time. There was no doubt in Bellas mind that even after this short period of time she would do the same as Lily for both children but she recognised it would be foolishness on her part to risk more than she had to. She also recognised that Severus would continue to have an active, dangerous role in the next war, that was the man she married and she would expect nothing less. And to add to his burden by being reckless with her own safety would only make life for him more perilous as he juggled worrying about her as well as own duty.

Neither of the Snapes enjoyed a restful nights sleep after Severus slipped Bellas wedding ring back on her finger but throughtout the night they clung to each other as through their dreams they witnessed their own seperate nightmares.

A feeling of nervous excitement caused Hermione to wake early the next morning. It was her first real day in this magical world that she'd been told she belonged to, the first day of the rest of her life. She was a little unsure about her place in this new family. Aunty Bella was pretty much an open book, she was nice and seemed to like taking care of people but she'd seen the evidence yesterday of a temper below the friendly surface when she thought the social workers were attacking her family. Hermione was used to her older more reserved parents and had been surprised at how much fun Bella was. One minute she'd been helping Hermione wash her hair just like her mum and the next she was wirling around the bedroom just like a teenager. Harry seemed sweet, she knew he'd been upset when she'd started crying yesterday. She hoped they could be friends, she'd only had a couple of boys as friends in school but she did seem to get on better wth them than most of the girls who tended to be quite nasty if you weren't into the right things or have the right clothes. And Harry seemed to be happy here, he'd told her all about the nice food Aunty Bella cooked, the movie nights they had on a Friday and how great magic was. They both seemed really close and having heard just a little about Harrys life before she wondered if he would really be ok with sharing his Aunty and Uncle.

Her new Uncle confused her, he looked pretty scary yet he'd explained patiently about magic and listened to her seriously, he seemed very cold and remote yet he'd made her a teddy bear. And last night he sounded angry at her for being out of bed but he'd still kept her warm, talked to her and put her to bed. She'd felt a small connection with him as he'd held her and told her about the stars and she'd got the feeling he was almost as uncertain as she was about his place in the house. As she got washed and dressed she hoped he wasn't still angry at her, he'd sounded very stern when he'd found her last night and she'd also heard him tell Harry off for shouting yesterday.

Unlike most week day mornings when Aunty Bella had to nag him out of bed Harry was up early full of energy. It was the beginning of his summer holidays and for the first time in his life he felt like he imagined a normal boy would with a summer of freedom stretching ahead of him. Since he'd started school it had become the lesser of two evils, at least there he'd been able to hide from Dudley and his gang. Sometimes he'd been picked on because of the huge hand me down clothes he'd been forced to wear and his broken glasses but most of the time they'd just left him alone. But when the school holidays had come around there had been no chance of escape he'd either been put to work all day or shoved in his cupboard out of the way. Food was given grudgingly and sparingly while slaps and name calling were a regular thing. Harry knew this summer was going to be different especially now he had someone to share it with even if she was a girl.

Throwing a pair of jeans and a t-shirt on he charged across the landing into Hermiones room remembering at the last minute to knock before throwing open the door.

Hermione was a little surprised but pleased when Harry exploded through her door. She'd been up for a while but didn't quite know what to do next. Harry took the problem out of her hands by pulling her down the stairs into the kitchen talking ten to the dozen about all the things they could do together. The kitchen counters were piled high with bread and cakes but there was no sign of the adults. After a brief second Harry opened the door into the hallway and shouted, "Aunty Bella, where are you?"

A moment later the front door opened. "Harry, Hermione you're both up early." Bella was more than abit surprised to see Harry up, dressed and looking so cheerful she'd expected him to take advantage of the extra days off and get up later like he did at the weekends. But at least he was dressed in jeans so she knew he'd remembered he wasn't going to school.

"Can we come with you I want Hermione to meet Mrs Walker."

Now it all made sense, Harry haad really taken to the elderly owner of the cafe and seemed to enjoy their morning chats.

"Go start loading up the car while I tell your Uncle were we're going. I'll feed him some coffee and he might be slightly more human by the time we come back for breakfast." She tossed him the car keys from her pocket and marvelled at how someone who'd spent alot of his early years being deprived of food, light and pressed into a confined space for long periods of time had such an amazing sense of balance and an agility that let him catch things easily.

Bella watched with amusement as Harry bounded out of the car and dragged Hermione into the cafe. It was really good to see him so happy after the emotional rollercoaster he'd experienced over the past couple of days. After giving the plump grey haired owner a bone crushing hug he introduced his new sister. After Harrys over the top behaviour Hermiones reserve made the adults smile when she politely offered her hand to shake the older womans "Good morning I'm Hermione Granger."

With great restraint Mrs Walker resisted the urge to sweep the girl into her arms and instead formally shook the small hand whille her eyes merrily twinkled. "Go help your Aunt bring the food in and I'll see what treats I can find." She gave the children a wink.

By the time they left each child had a pocket full of sweets and a handful of muggle coins for their money boxes. Harry accepted another hug while Hermione waved a shy goodbye. Mrs Walker was pleased to see her looking on a littlle wistfully when she held Harry in her arms and she knew that within a week she'd break through the polite barrier and have another honoury grandchild.

The smell of coffee Bella had cruely left out of his reach on the dresser eventually drove Snape out of bed and after dressing he headed down to his study to create a timetable for the summer. Just because the chidren were not at school it did not mean they should be allowed to run riot. His home life, as his school life, would be orderly. The sooner everyone understood what was expected of them during this time together the less agitated he would be. Just like his start of year first lesson speech Snape felt the need to plan what he would say and the best way to deliver its message.

He was just finishing his timetable and list of house rules when he heard the fornt door slam and the jumbled noise of people talking. He steeled himself, collected the pieces of parchment that were essential for the smooth running of his house and wearily climbed the stairs.

Snapes morning paper delivery, which had been redirected from Hogwarts, arrived while Bella was making pancakes. The sight of a large grey owl soaring through the open half of the stable door made Hermione squeal as it landed on the table infront of her and began to peck at her arm. Harry grinning at Hermiones reaction fed the bird a piece of toast to distract him from pecking while Snape, slipping into lecture mode to explain about wizard gold, rummaged around in his robe for a coin which he instructed Hermione to slip in the pouch tied to the owls leg. The owl waited patiently for the young girl to finish before gently nipping her finger in thanks, taking a sip from her glass of pumpkin juice and flying back out of the kitchen.

"Told you owls were cool." Declared Harry as he riffled through the paper to pull out the childrens section.

Snape tutted at the mangled appearance of his freshly delivered paper after it had been 'harry'd' before disappearing behind its printed pages.

Breakfast turned out to be a noiser affair than last nights quiet meal. Now that the ice had been broken they seemed happy to chat casually which in turn made Bella smile. The only one who ate in silence was Snape. After the food had been finished, the table cleared and Snapes coffe cup refilled he precisely folded his newspaper and announced that as they were all to live together a household meeting was in order. He was busy arranging his parchments when Bella amended "I think a family meeting sounds so much nicer and..." She plucked the carefully devised timetable out of his hand, glanced at it before using her wand to set it on fire. "...timetables are for schools, you are not turning our home into a mini Hogwarts. Summer holidays are for having fun." She smiled at the children as she said this "and relaxing." The last part was directed at her husband and accompanied by a glare. "But I do think that now Uncle Severus is home and Hermione is part of our family we do need to put some house rules in place."

Harry, not sure how he felt about the idea of a family meeting, shifted uncomfortably in his seat. He thought that he and Aunty Bella had been doing just fine, well if you forgot about the trouble he'd gotten into the other day and his messy bedroom. He knew from spending Wednesday nights at Hogwarts that his Godfather was strict and he had a pretty hard hand but he had to admit it may help to know the rules. At the Dursleys his relatives had made them up as they went along which made it impossible for Harry to be good or avoid a beating.

Snape started by confirming bedtimes and reluctantly agreed to alter them for weekends and school holidays. Then he set meal times, 9am for breakfast 1pm for lunch and 6pm for dinner, explaining how important regular nutricious food was for their magical core. He then moved onto their responsibilities.

"We don't expect you to work like house elves" This was directed at Harry "But we would ask that you keep your rooms tidy and between the two of you, you can take turns or share, set and clear the table for breakfast and dinner and help was the dishs."

"Severus, we have a dishwasher!" At his confused look Bella added. "Its a muggle device like a washing machine for pots and pans."

Snape gave his customary eye roll "Fine, no washing up then but we may also ask you to help out with other things occasionally."

Both children nodded in consent, now that they had won the battle over later bedtimes, they had no other concerns so far.

"Prince Manor is now your home and we are happy with you to treat it as such however, bedrooms are our own private spaces, you must knock before going into each others, Bella and I will do the same. The only room off limits to either of you is my potions lab on the lower floor" Again they both nodded. "Be warned I will not think twice about turning you into potions ingredients if I find you have strayed in there." There was a collective gasp from both children at this but Snape quickly moved on.

"When you return to school we expect you both to do your best." He fixed Harry with a pointed look at this, he knew Harrys schooling had been pretty much non existant while at the Dursleys and the teachers at his new school had spent the last year helping him catch up. But he needed him to know that he was now expected to work hard at his studies.

Harry knew his Godfather was talking to him and hoped he wouldn't let him down but things were starting to get abit confusing, he'd always been punished for doing well before and now if he wasn't doing his best he got the impression the professor would be very annoyed with him. Harry gulped, he knew what happened when Uncle Severus was unhappy with him. "Yes sir." He answered quietly.

Snape gave a small nod of understanding before continuing. "As Harry already knows, if you wish to have friends over you must tell Bella before so that some of the wizarding things in the house can be altered, the magical world is hidden from muggles and the exposure of it to any muggle is very serious."

This time it was Hermiones turn to nod seriously and taking her cue from Harry said "Yes Sir."

"On the subject of friends, we are not asking that the two of you become close but you are now considered brother and sister, you now have a life long relationship and as such you must look out for each other." Both children looked at each other, a look of understanding passing between them and they agreed in unison.

"You are free to explore the surrounding areas but you are to go no further than the park without adult supervision. Now there are a number of things I will not tolerate." The sterness of his tone made both children sit up and take notice. "I expect you to be polite at all times and use your manners, the wizarding world is relatively small and your behaviour will reflect on Bella and myself. I will not be lied to and deliberate disobedience or disrespect will be treated very seriously."

Bella saw the nervous look pass across each of the childrens faces. She covered Snapes pale hand with her own "Severus you're frightening them."

"Its only right that they understand that certain behaviours will not be accepted. And unless we tell them how else are they to know, it may seem harsh but better this way than finding out as a response to something they do. Rules are normally learnt through childhood but they did not have the advantage of growing up in this house, it is only correct that they be forewarned of what we expect." At Bellas silent, resigned nod he turned back to the children, pinning each of them with a stare.

"There will be consequences to bad behaviour. We will never be cruel, food will never be withheld and you will never be punished in anger. We may send you to your room, give additional chores, stop pocket money or ground you. But.." Snape paused to make sure he held their full attention. ".. There may also be an occasion when a more hands on punishment is required in which case you will find yourself with a trip over my knee."

After a moment Hermione let out a small gasp as she realised what she had just been told, a little curl of fear snaked into her stomach. She'd never really been punished before, it had only ever taken a mild reprimand from her parents expressing their disappointment in her behaviour to make her feel bad and alter what she was doing.

Bella took Hermiones hand in hers and tried to re-assure her.

"I'm guessing you've never been punished this way before?"

Hermione shook her head "When I was really little my Dad smacked my hand when I tried to touch the fire but nothing else."

"Things are a little bit different in the wizarding world sweetheart. We're a bit more traditional, I suppose you could say we're about thirty years behind the muggle world. Its very rare that magical couples divource, the man is seen as the head of the house, women are generally home makers, we don't have single mums, teenage pregnancy or drug problems and spanking is a normal thing."

"Hermione."

At the sound of her name her eyes flicked back to her Uncle. "This will not be a regular occurance. But there may be the odd occasion, like your father and the fire, when an instant message needs delivering. I do not imagine there will be many times that you put your life in danger but if you did..." Snapes gaze swept to Harry and he knew they were both remembering when Snape had had to wrestle one of Professor Sprouts dangerous plants and extract Harry from its clutches. At least Snape noticed Harry had te decency to look embarrassed. "..I think it only right that you should know what to expect. Again I want to assure you that you will never be spanked in anger."

"Don't worry 'Mione its not too bad and it doesn't hurt much."

"Maybe I am doing it wrong then!" Snape injected, his eyebrow quirking. He knew what Harry was doing, he didn't want Hermione to worry about it but on the other hand Snape wanted her to worry just enough to mean he didn't have to carry out this method of discipline any time soon.

"Oh no you did it just fine." Harry assured him quickly, feeling his face flush at the memory of his first trip over his Godfathers knee. Desperate to change the focus of the conversation he said the first related thing that popped into his mind "Aunty Bella smacks too."

"Harry James Potter. I swatted your bum because I walked into my kitchen to find it stuck up in the air while you had your head in my oven trying to cook mud and worms in there."

Harry had the good grace to look sheepish and the wink Bella gave Hermione made her giggle. While it wasn't quite what he'd planned Harry was glad he'd managed to make Hermione feel a little better. Nothing about his Godfathers talk had bothered Harry, nothing the Snapes could punish him with would ever be as bad as his relatives but he did realise that maybe Uncle Sev wouldn't be quite as easy going as Aunty Bella was so he made himself a firm promise to be on his best behaviour, for now at least.