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Chapter 10: Overlord in Residence
The presence of the Lord on his home estate brought a different feeling of energy to the manor. Sirius' natural vitality lifted the ebb and flow of the estate. This change of mood was most noticeable the next morning for Draco at breakfast where the Lord and Lady were a little too blatant in their personal demonstrative acts of affection to his liking. It wasn't really not to his liking it was more a case of what he was used to thanks to his parents broken relationship and a desire that he had his own lover.
Thinking over his circumstances during the breakfast actually caused Draco to start to brood. After breakfast the postponed discussion with Sirius and Tonks was reconvened for Draco. This time Hermione was present in the small boardroom as a scribe while the Auror and the former Auror proceed to interrogate the former Malfoy and prince of Slytherin House.
In Draco's lengthy interview they extracted every detail about the internal House politics of the students and gathered as much information on each Slytherin Student. Apparently they were collating a number of information sources to address the risks that the current student population could have to the Order of Phoenix.
From Hermione's point of view she wanted to identify the non-combatants of the House so if needed the Spears could pull them out of the crossfire easily if something went down at Hogwarts between the protagonists.
It was a relief for Draco when the interview was over as he felt totally brain dead. They were finishing up on the small room when there was a nock on the door it was Andromeda. "Mia your guardian has arrived for lunch".
Looking round to Hermione in her corner where she had been the quite scribe in the interview process Draco observed the change in her demeanour. Sirius was not as happy go lucky either. "Siri remember to be polite and to behave"
"You have no chance of that, even I know my own cousin Mia" advised the bubble gum pink haired Auror.
"He will if he doesn't want to go on short rations" snapped the frazzled witch.
Draco who had heard of the legendary school yard rivalry between his Godfather and his Overlord took that detail as confirmation that yes his godfather had been Hermione Granger's guardian since his second year.
oOoOo
"Black, nice of you to show up when you have invited guests" snarled the dark haired potions master when the Lord arrived in the sitting room where he was already ensconced in conversation with his old friend, Narcissa.
"Which one are you growling at now Severus. I am married to him so it makes me a Black too. You must be careful when using a surname as an insult especially when five Blacks including your friend, Narcissa, and godson, Draco, surround you. Hello Severus, I am so glad you are here today for luncheon. Sirius and I have some good news we are expecting!" charged the over brave Gryffindor thought Draco. She seemed to be ripping the band aide off quickly so that Uncle Severus could have his scheduled explosion now and they could then move onto lunch.
"What about your NEWTs Hermione Jean Granger?" snapped the man.
"I can self study at home and then sit the exams with all the other students. Now if I had some links with the faculty of Hogwarts I could get some tutoring and mentoring to ensure I stay on the right track but I could never impinge on my connections like that could I?" She tilted her head as she sat comfortably in the arms of her husband.
Draco felt like he was watching that muggle game tennis as they traded shot to shot at each other. He had to give Granger that she had some moxie to trade verbal barbs with his godfather. But then again she did smack him on the face in their third year.
"Severus, Draco wont be going back to Hogwarts either this year and I would like to have him complete his education. He could be Hermione's study partner here on the estate with your guidance they can make sure they don't do any dangerous brewing which could effect the baby who will be your grandchild" asserted Narcissa. She absolutely loved the face of horror he had when she implied that he was going to be a grandfather.
"You are a cruel cruel woman Cissy" spluttered Severus.
"Can I burn my eyes out now for the images I have playing across my eye balls now Mia" whispered Sirius.
Hermione had both of his hands captured by her own. She turned and kissed him on the nose. "No you just have to accept the fact that Severus is technically your father-in-law".
"It is not that I am not used to that fact or unaware of your family links. Remember I had to ask him for your hand in marriage. It is the fact that he could have reproduced".
"Well you did take a while to gather up the courage to do that for her. The second point well it is not that hard mutt as you seemed to have managed to do it. Or is it the thought that maybe I would have one or more sexual partners since we were in school".
The rest of the room proceeded to laugh at the green looking overlord when Cissy commented "I thought it was the female of the species who was supposed to have the morning sickness not you Sirius. At last a male who is going out in sympathy does that mean you will have the labour pains too?"
"You Slytherins are all evil"
"Cousin keep me out of this as I am with Ted just another poor abused male here in this room of matriarchs" advised Draco. He was not going to get drawn into the House divide and was planning to stay strictly neutral in the generational debate since Granger was technically his Aunt.
oOoOo
It was after lunch that Severus got some moments to speak to his former ward himself during a stroll round the garden. "Mia" he admonished her. "I thought I had taught you to be a competent brewer. How could you have gotten pregnant?"
"Well Sev when two married people love each other" she teased him with a cheeky smile on her face.
"Mia! This year is so important. You have to finish your NEWTs. We are in the middle of a War. It is completely the wrong time to bring a new life into this dangerous world!" he shouted at her. How dare she throw her life away having a baby now she was so young and it was so dangerous a time.
"There was nothing wrong with my brewing and there was nothing wrong with my taking of the potion but a higher power decided that now was the time. We didn't plan on a child now Severus! Our magicks overpowered the protections and it seems we are fated to have a child now.
Of course I am scared that it could be for some higher reason. I have so many fears that I am going to loose Siri, you and Harry. All three of you need me to help you defeat this madman. Why would fate put me out on the sidelines?
Severus I have enough crap to deal with I thought that you would be supportive. But since I am going to be a mother I can see I am going to get practice at dealing with petulant teenagers and toddlers. I should be an old hand at parenting by the time I go into labour thanks to you all" she snapped turning away from him before promptly bursting into tears.
The tall man could see her shoulders were shaking. Pinching the back of his nose between his eyes Severus Snape took a deep breath before he walked up to Hermione and wrapped her in a hug. "Congratulations Hermione. I am sorry that I shouted out you."
There was a sniffle and he provided her with his handkerchief, "You will be fine. We all will be fine you will see. Potter, the bane of my life, is the boy-who-just-keeps-getting-into-trouble and never-ever-dies. Black, the mutt, has you to keep him on the straight and narrow here at the Phoenix Nest and his wolf, Remus, when he is with the Order. Me well I am just a sneaky sly Slytherin who has been a double agent for more years than you have been alive. Forgive me?"
She turned and hugged him. Draco had been curious and was watching the pair from his rooms. The act of affection between the two was highly surprising. "Mother" the blonde haired boy man called.
"Draco stop being a snoop"
"He is letting her hug him" was the reply, which in return caused Cissy Black to raced out onto the balcony herself to see Severus willingly receive affection. She had been hugging him for years and he had always tensed up on her.
oOoOo
Severus reviewed Draco's interview transcript with Dora, Ted and Sirius while the rest of the household was in the ladies parlour. Andromeda and Cissy were discussing the need to start on the baby's layette with Hermione while Draco had taken refuge in a book.
There was a lull in the feminine conversation and Draco looked up from the book he was supposedly reading. He had been thinking over the startling observations he had made during the last twenty-four hours and now gathered his courage to ask a question which had been bothering him since after lunch. "Hermione, umm. How did you get Uncle Severus so comfortable with physical affection from you?"
"Draco, that was easy. Remember I am a Gryffindor so I belong to the house of the Brave. I just kept hugging him even though he grumped about it."
"I don't recommend that you try that method Draco" the dower man advised from the doorway of the parlour "I am likely to hex you".
"Did you?"
"Of course I did but she kept on doing it. There is something about Gryffs which just makes them persistently stupid"
"Now Severus. I thought I was one of your best students" teased Hermione.
"Make that a Know-it-all Swot. I still don't know what made you so foolish to marry the mutt".
"It was my boyish good looks, suave sophistication and charm" advised the cocky Lord of the Manor as he followed the rest of the group into the parlour before joining his wife on her couch.
"Keep telling yourself that Black I am younger than you and you are definitely delusional from all those years in Azkaban" snapped Severus.
"That and my Black family magic" he advised before kissing his wife.
There was a round of laughter for this from the group before they got down to the tintacks of planning the next couple of months educationally for Hermione and Draco. They were talking round the issue but there was still one question Draco had. How was Mia going to tell Potty that she wasn't returning for her NEWTs year?