Chapter 4
Minerva was awoken by early rays of sunlight filtering in through the window. Her mind was flooded with images of the previous night and she noticed the figure spooned against her for the first time. His arms were securely against her waist and she felt secure in his arms. She studied his facial features and noticed a smile graced his face. He looked so peaceful, so relaxed. She sighed contently as she snuggled further into his embrace then she remembered her hand. She lifted her left hand and inspected her palm. The red angry mark on her hand had disappeared as Severus had predicted.
"Good morning Minerva," he said hoarsely as he tightened his hold on her.
Minerva smiled then replied, "Good morning my love."
Severus moved so that he could kiss Minerva passionately, so passionately they were both panting by the end of it. "I did not think I would ever hear you refer to me as my love again," he confessed then kissed her again.
"As much as I enjoy this Severus," Minerva said as she broke their connection, "Hermione is expecting me to meet her for breakfast in my chambers to discuss everything."
"I would have thought you had that discussion last night," he stated matter-of-factly.
S"he would have loved to discuss it last night but I collapsed into sobs and cried myself to sleep before she had the chance to ask the questions she wanted," Minerva explained. "I was so angry at Albus for deceiving me that I had an emotional breakdown of sorts and Hermione just comforted me."
"You do realize that eventually you will need to forgive Albus," Severus commented. "He is your best friend and was simply doing what he thought was right."
"I know," she gave in and quickly exited the bed before Severus could yank her back in it. "I plan on taking a relaxing bath before returning to Hogwarts. Are you going to join me?"
Severus growled in anticipation before jumping up from the bed and picking up a laughing Minerva. He tossed her over his shoulder and proceeded to the master bath. A wave of his hand filled the huge marble bathtub with steamy water and peppermint bubbles, peppermint was a compromise they had came up with years ago. He gently eased Minerva into the bath and quickly joined her. It was the best bath either had experienced in a very long time!
***
Minerva McGonagall sat with her feet tucked under her sipping a cup of steaming tea as she waited for her daughter to make an appearance for breakfast. As expected a quick knock sounded before Hermione walked in, Minerva had added her to the wards that way she could gain entrance any time she wanted. "Hi," Hermione said a bit shyly but polite all the same, "Thanks for adding me to the wards."
"You're welcome love," the lioness responded before holding her arms out in welcome for her cub, she figured Hermione needed as much affection as possible and hoped the girl would seek refuge in her embrace. Hermione quickly made her way to the witch sitting on the couch and settled down on her lap. Minerva laughed before wrapping her arms around her babe and pulling her even more tightly against her. "So I guess you sat up for hours compiling the questions you want to ask me?"
A guilty smile appeared on Hermiones face as she muttered, "Maybe a few hours."
Minerva smiled at how alike they really were before saying, "Ask away wee one?"
Hermione turned slightly in Minervas lap so that she could see the witch better. Biting on her lip nervously before asking the one question she needed an answer to, "Who's my father? In Professor Dumbledore's memories, a dark wizard was mentioned but I need more of an answer than that."
"I figured that was the question that you would ask first," Minerva rushed then answered her daughters question as best as she could. "I did tell Albus that your father was a dark wizard but I never mentioned his true identity to him. At the time I thought your father was a dark wizard but I was mistaken. He only portrayed a dark wizard in order to spy for our side. Your father is Severus Snape."
Hermione's eyes widened in surprise as she took in what Minerva had revealed. Severus Snape, Potions Master and greasy git of the dungeons, was her biological father. The logical part of her took over and she thought about similar characteristics between the two of them. The sharp tongue was the major trait she had inherited from him. The chocolate eyes, full lips, and long slender fingers were similar to the man she had feared as a first year. "Professor Snape is my father," she said, not knowing how to respond to it.
"Yes my wee one," Minerva responded. "Severus and I ran into each other shortly after he graduated from Hogwarts in muggle London. Somehow he managed to talk me into getting a cup of coffee with him and by the end of our impromptu meeting we had arranged another one. We met each other every other weekend for some time before it became each week and then every other day. I did not realize it at the time but he swept me right off of my feet."
She continued, "Several months later, we began an affair which we kept secret at my request. I was a bit worried with the age issue and the fact that he was a former student of mine. We were blissfully happy for nearly a year until I found his death eater robes in his London flat. I was devastated and quickly left him. I left without a word to him and didn't give him a chance to explain it later."
"And now," Hermione asked, curious about their relationship.
Minerva sighed before finishing her story, "I did not speak a word to Severus until he came back to Hogwarts to teach. By that time, I had learned of his true allegiance and I tried to rectify things but he simply would not listen to me. I do not blame him for it though. Eventually I managed to get him to speak cordially to me but only when others were present or if it was Hogwarts business."
"How awful," Hermione exclaimed as she got caught up in her mothers story.
"All of that changed last night. Severus came to see me shortly after you left and demanded answers. He noticed your last name had changed while grading essays and wanted to know if you were his child. When I told him the truth, he managed to portkey us to his ancestral home to be bonded."
"You were married last night," her daughter asked, her chocolate eyes focusing intently on her mother, wildly curious about her mother's answer.
"Yes," she answered simply. "He explained that a Snape could not inherit unless the heir's parents were bonded. He was adamant about you inheriting the Snape inheritance and providing you a family name."
"He wants me to be go by Snape?"
Minerva smiled at her child before clarifying, "Not until the fall of You-Know-Who. He will not be able to publicly claim you until that time."
"I understand," the young witch said as she cuddled closer to her mother.
"Severus will be here after dinner tonight and would like to speak with you," she said a few minutes later.
Hermione chewed her lip nervously before offering, "I will think about it."
***
After dinner, Hermione slowly walked to Minerva's chambers, taking the longest possible route without really realizing it. She was worried about meeting with Severus Snape, not that she was afraid of him but rather she didnt really know what to expect. He was rude and snarky but he also protected the students when possible. He was a mystery to her and she didn't really know how to comprehend the fact that he was her father. Minerva trusted him and that meant she could trust him also but she was frightened of having another father figure in her life. Her last father figure had abused and molested her, and she was frightened it would happen again.
Shaking such thoughts from her mind, she determinedly entered Minervas chambers. She found Minerva and Severus cuddled up on the couch together and both wearing smiles. They should smile more often, she absently thought. Hermione smiled at the couple, her parents, before slowly making her way to them. Minerva shrugged out of Severus embrace to stand and greet her daughter. Hermione welcomed the hug and was reluctant to end it. "Hello my wee one," Minerva said lovingly.
"Hi," the girl nervously whispered in response. She hadn't figured out what to call Minerva yet, Professor didn't seem right nor did mum or at least not yet. Not knowing what to do next, she sucked her bottom lip into her teeth and started to chew on it, a nervous habit she didnt even realize she did anymore.
"Theres no reason to be nervous wee one," Minerva said frowning as she observed her daughter.
Hermione sighed before she admitted, "I can't help it. I am no longer meeting with you two as professors but as my parents and its a bit overwhelming."
"There's no need to be overwhelmed Hermione," Severus spoke, sarcasm and snarkiness not present for once. "I only want to get better acquainted with you, to know you as my daughter as opposed to just another student."
Hermione was not known for holding her questions but rather voicing them. Gathering all of her Gryffindor courage, she met Severus eyes then asked the question she feared the answer to, "What if you do not like me as a daughter?"
Minerva gasped at the unexpected question. She didn't expect her babe to have such a low confidence level. Severus stood from his place on the couch and cautiously made his way to his daughter. With a long slender finger under her chin, he tilted her head up and met her gaze. "You're the perfect blend of Minerva and me. You inherited Minerva's button nose, curly locks, lovely pale neck and fierce courage while you received my chocolate eyes, long fingers and sharp tongue. You have the brilliance of us both and a pure heartedness that only the young have. How could we not love you as a daughter?" he said emotionally.
Severus had opened himself up to his daughter in the hopes of helping relieve her worry and at the same time he opened himself up for rejection. Hermione recognized that Severus usually had his emotions bottled up to protect himself from rejection and was moved by his willingness to show his emotions to her. Tears slowly welled in her eyes then tickled down her face. She wanted to say something but her emotions were getting the best of her and she was unable to vocalize anything. Severus acted on his emotions and pulled Hermione into arms, wrapping her up in his embrace. She wrapped her own arms around his middle and cried out all of her frustrations.
Severus maneuvered Hermione to the couch and pulled her into his lap. She buried her face into the front of his robes and continued to cry. Minerva silently made her way to her family and sat down next to them. Her motherly instincts demanded she attempt to sooth her baby and she rubbed soothing circles on Hermione's back as she cried on her fathers shoulder. "You are so precious wee one," Minerva cooed as she planted a kiss to Hermione's temple. "Always remember it."
Hermione cried herself to sleep; however, before sleep claimed her she muttered, "I love you Mama and Papa."
"That was unexpected," Severus commented to Minerva nearly forty minutes later. "Unexpected but it swelled my chest with pride just the same."
"I feel the same way love," Minerva responded then added, "She has suffered so much yet she is still a remarkable young lady."
"Suffered," Severus asked, not knowing how Hermione had been treated by the Grangers.
Minerva locked gazes with Severus before she suggested, "Perhaps you should put Hermione in my bedroom before we discuss this."
Severus briskly nodded his head before he stood from the couch with Hermione secure in his arms. He carried the sleeping girl into Minerva's bedroom and gently laid her on the bed. He covered her with a tartan blanket and gently pressed a kiss to her forehead before quickly exiting the room.
He settled on the couch beside his wife and wrapped his arm around her shoulders. "So how has our daughter suffered," he asked all serious.
Minerva settled further into his embrace and grasped his hand with her own. She sighed dramatically before beginning her tale. "Hermione confided in me about her treatment by the Grangers. The Grangers would backhand her or lock her in her room for days without food when she lost control of her sharp tongue but that is not the worst of it. Apparently when Mr. Granger had a bit much to drink, he would seek out Hermione and use her to find his release. She hasn't gone into details but he raped our baby time and time again," Minerva sobbed, "And she didnt feel comfortable enough to tell anyone about it until now."
Severus sat there motionless as his brain comprehended what had happened to Hermione at the hands of the Grangers. Her adoptive father had used and abused Hermione, stolen her innocence and didnt think twice about it either. Severus could feel the anger bubbling throughout his body and he struggled not to lose control of his temper. His hands formed fists and his hands shook in his anger. "That miserable bastard," he roared. "I'll kill him if I ever get my hands on him for hurting my daughter."
"Shh Severus," Minerva frantically whispered, "You'll wake up Hermione. Besides the Grangers have been taken into custody by the Muggle authorities and are currently awaiting their trial. Albus believes that they will receive a substantial amount of prison time for their abuse of Hermione."
"Good," he muttered as he pulled Minerva into his lap and buried his head in her robes. "How will Hermione cope with this Minerva?"
"We will help her love," she answered as she held him tightly and let him cry out his emotions.
Minerva allowed her mind to review the past few days and a smile graced her lips. She went from a lonely spinster who was void of any emotions to a wife and mother who felt so much love that she thought her heart might burst. She realized that the troubles they would face with Hermiones recovery from her abuse by the Grangers and the ongoing war with You-know-who but they would face them together as a family. She had been reunited with her daughter and the love of her life. She found it amazing how her discovery of a sobbing young witch could change her life so much.
