Four Years Later
"Daddy," A whining tone came from beside him.
Severus looked across at his seven year old daughter holding a wounded cougar cub.
"Daddy a man shot her mother and then hurt her."
His eyes went wide; they were in the middle of a Canadian Forrest collecting rare potion ingredients, when Hermione and Violet decided to take a walk around.
"Where is your mother?" He asked frantically searching for Hermione.
"She is burying trying to save the mother. She told me to get the baby away from the big one."
"So, your mother is safe?"
"Yes, her mother is safe," A soft voice whispered from behind them.
Severus and Violet turned to find a blood soaked Hermione on the verge of tears. She choked back a sob and stumbled into Severus' arms, clinging on to him as if she were holding on for dear life. He wrapped his arms around her protectively and held her until her sobs had calmed.
A slight cry came from the baby cougar, breaking Hermione from her hold her lover. She hastily wiped her tears and scourgified away all of the blood and mud. Taking the tiny cub in her arms, she wrapped her cloak around it to keep it warm.
"Can we leave?" She asked quietly.
"Of course Mya. Vi, take my arm, we're apparating back to Hogwarts."
As soon as Violet's little hand touched her father's arm, they had disappeared with a 'pop'.
"Can we keep her? Please daddy!" The black haired child asked her father as the malnourished baby cougar slept next to the fire.
"I don't know Vi, she could be dangerous."
"She isn't daddy! She will protect mummy and me when you go collecting potions ingredients."
"I'll talk to your mother about it tonight." He told her sternly.
"She told me that I had to ask you because she wants to keep her as well. I'll look after her, I promise!"
"No, Violet. I'm sorry, but we can't risk her growing up to be dangerous."
"She won't daddy! Mummy already said that because we saved her that she won't hurt us."
After a few minutes of thinking and of Violet giving her father a doe eyed expression, Severus had made up his mind.
"You can keep her, on one condition: That you promise to look after her."
Violet squealed happily and launched herself into her father's arms.
"Thank you daddy, thank you! I love you!"
"I love you too Violet. Now, where is your mother?" He asked, placing a chaste kiss to his daughter's forehead.
"In the music room." She smiled.
Severus entered the music room to find Hermione hunched over the piano, playing an upbeat song. He moved closer to her and she flashed him a brilliant smile that filled the whole room. Soon after he entered, Hermione stopped playing to look at him.
"Has violet asked you yet?" She asked quietly.
Severus nodded.
"You said yes didn't you?" She smiled.
He nodded again, smirking. "I said no at first, but then she told me that you wanted to keep the cougar too, so I decided to let her keep it. You two will be the death of me."
Hermione smiled at him again, leaning up to place a small kiss on his cheek.
"You just can't handle seeing her upset, can you?"
"No, I can't."
Hermione smiled at him sweetly, wondering how she got so lucky.
Severus turned to sit on the couch when Violet came in.
"Hey mummy, daddy said yes!" She beamed as her black curls bounced.
"I know, he told me." Hermione smiled back at her.
"Can you please sing us a song?' The young girl asked her mother sweetly as she sat next to her father on the couch.
"I suppose, since you asked so nicely." Hermione teased.
She cleared her throat and started playing, a smile playing on the edges of her mouth. I feel like a travelling salesman Whoa I,
Whoa I
I've got a secret
I think I'm in love with missing you
More than I'm in love with you
That's why I go away all the time
That's why I travel the world and roam free
This time your leaving me
Well this is how I feel
Even though I'm a woman
Picking up my bags at the station
Standing there face to face
I'd be lying if I did not say,
I love you more when I'm missing you.
That's why I'm always away.
Believe me it's true.
I got a secret
I think I was born to be in a state of longing
Born to be wanting, wanting.
I put it in a letter for you
I love the danger in distance
this time I'm leaving you.
Well this is how I feel.
I feel like a travelling salesman
Even though I'm a woman
Picking up my bags at the station
Standing there face to face
I'd be lying if I did not say,
I love you more when I'm missing you.
That's why I'm always away.
Believe me it's true.
"I forgot the rest."
Severus smiled and Violet giggled.
"Its okay mummy, you have a pretty voice anyway."
Hermione shook her head, smiling.
"She's right Mya; you do have a lovely voice."
"Oh be quiet you two!" She laughed.
"Daddy, you have a lovely voice too." Violet blurted out.
"I do not." He objected.
"You do so, Severus Snape!" Hermione chuckled at him.
"Mya, you are making this very difficult!"
"Daddy, sing for us!" Violet demanded in a polite tone.
"No way in hell." He told her through gritted teeth.
"You used to sing to me all the time when I was little!"
"You aren't little anymore."
"She may not be little anymore Sev, but she is still your daughter and I control where you sleep at night." Hermione warned, before her daughter could get hurt.
"Your right, Vi, I'm sorry." He turned guiltily towards his daughter.
She nodded in return, "Do you think we could sing a song together?"
Hesitantly, Severus stood, taking his daughter's hand and leading her to the piano.
"What song do you want to sing?" He asked her gently, remembering his promise not to hurt her.
"Uh, Defying Gravity!" She beamed.
"I can't sing that!" He chuckled, "Your mother will have to sing that with you, I don't have to vocal range for it."
"Will you play for us then?" She asked quietly.
"Of course, Vi."
Severus sat at the piano and started playing the intro of the song and Hermione started off as Glinda while Violet got Elphaba's part. I hope you're happy, You can still be with the wizard, I know, but I don't want it, Something has changed within me, Can't I make you understand, you're having delusions of grandeur I'm through accepting limits, I'd sooner buy defying gravity, Unlimited, together we're unlimited, If we work in tandem They'll never bring us down I hope your happy, now that your choosing this, I really hope you get it and you don't live to regret it,
I hope your happy
I hope your happy now,
I hope your happy how you've hurt your cause forever
I hope you think your clever!
As Hermione sang, she watched her daughter, waiting to see her father's face when the young girl started singing.
I hope you're happy too
I hope you're proud how you would grovel in submission
to feed your own ambition
Violet sung the melody, while Hermione did the harmonies.
So though I can't imagine how,
I hope you're happy right
NOW!
What you've worked and waited for
You can have all you ever wanted,
I can't want it
Anymore!
something is not the same,
I'm through with playing by the rules of someone else's game
too late for second guessing,
Too late to go back to sleep,
It's time to trust my instincts close my eyes and leap.
It's time to try defying gravity,
I think I'll try defying gravity
and you can't pull me down.
'cause someone said they're so,
some things I cannot change,
But, 'till I try I'll never know
too long I've been afraid of losing love
I guess I've lost,
Well if that's love it comes at much too high a cost.
Kiss me goodbye, I'm defying gravity
And you can't pull me down.
Together we will be the greatest team there's ever been, Glinda
Dreams the way we planned them,
Their voices meshed together
There's no fight we cannot win
Just you and I defying gravity
with you and I defying gravity
I hope it brings you bliss,
I hope your happy in the end,
I hope your happy, my friend.
So if you care to find me, Look to the western sky Tell them how I am defying gravity, And nobody, in all of Oz, I hope your happy Bring me down
As someone told me, everyone deserves a chance to fly,
and if I'm flying solo, at least I'm flying free
To those who ground me, take a message back from me
I'm flying high, defying gravity
And soon I'll match them in renown.
No wizard that there is or was
is ever gonna bring me down,
Ahhh!
As the song ended, Severus looked at his young daughter in awe, having never heard her sing like that, he was amazed.
The eight year old grinned at her father looking more like her mother than he had ever seen.
"Violet, that was amazing! Look at your father's face; I think you shocked him into a frozen state!" Hermione laughed.
"Daddy… Dad?" Violet shook her father's shoulder.
"What… Vi, that was amazing! Who taught you to song like that?"
"Mum's old music teacher had been giving me lessons."
"That's right, and she's be so proud of you right now Vi!" Hermione hugged her daughter tightly.
"What's her name?" Severus asked, pride beaming in his eyes.
"Coletta Ronni."
"Coletta… wow, I knew she was on Broadway at one stage, but now she's teaching my daughter!"
"She taught me too, Sev. When I was fifteen… How do you know her?"
"She was a Slytherin in my year."
"Oh my… I thought she was a muggle!"
"Does she know that Violet is my daughter?" Severus asked quietly.
"I don't think so, why?"
"Were you two good friends?" He barrelled questions at her.
"She's like my aunt. I would give my life to her." Hermione whispered.
"Do you want to make her Violet's godmother?"
"O-oh yes, yes, yes!" Hermione squealed excitedly. Violet had already walked out of the room.
She kissed Severus gently on the mouth and then followed her daughter to tell her the good news.
[[A/N: Coletta Ronni is an anagram for my music teacher's name. Sorry about all the songs!
The first song is called Even though I'm a woman by Seeker Lover Keeper and the second song is Defying Gravity by Idina Menzel and Kristen Chenoweth. ]]