I continue to be enamored with the response to this story. I have been feeling a bit stuck, in the process of writing it, and reading your reviews and comments really brightens my mood and inspires me to keep going on it.
This is my first fic, so I promise I won't be giving it up! I will honestly try to update at least weekly!
A few people have suggested my characters are a bit OOC.
Duh. I hate to laugh, but of course they are!
Right now the story feels really light and loving and fun, but I just want to remind ya'll that it's gonna get kinda nasty soon so don't get to comfortable! Dark is my thing. haha.
Enjoy :)
Following the article in the Daily Prophet, life had gotten a bit wild for Sirius Black and Severus Snape. They'd both decided to take extended leaves of absence from their positions at the ministry in order to sort out their return to the land of the living, including their inheritances and estates. There were meetings with Gringotts, trips to visit dilapidated old properties that had been passed down through generations of their families, but each night, the two men floo'ed to a small cottage in London, where they met with Draco Malfoy and Hermione Granger, in an effort to continue to get to know one another.
Today, the quartet planned to visit some Wizarding real estate. Sirius had no desire to live in any of the inhabitable Black properties. He'd already listed the remaining properties for sale. The Prince manor that Severus inherited was beyond destroyed, after years of having no inhabitants in residence. Malfoy Manor was occupied, of course, by Narcissa Malfoy, and her sister Andromeda was in residence with Teddy Lupin, as well.
The group had gathered a list of properties to inspect, each one meeting a set of standards set forth by the group. It was a logical list if a bit overwhelming for Hermione.
They would require four en-suites, one for each of them. At least eight additional bedrooms for the children that would soon be coming. (Six of them Hermione's children, and at least two between Draco and Severus). Severus and Draco required a large space where they could create a state of the art potions lab. Sirius wanted enough outdoor space to build a Quidditch pitch, and Hermione simply desired a large, welcoming library.
After several heated discussions, the group had agreed that the family home would require several house elves, especially once children were being born. Hermione had an appointment to meet with the Department of Care and Control of Magical Creatures to learn about house elf bonds and what to expect when taking in at least four elves.
The first property the group was planning to visit was a large manor, previously muggle, that the realtor realized could make a wonderful Wizarding property based on its location over two ley lines. Sirius arrived, with Hermione tucked under an arm, followed by Severus, who had a hand on the small of Draco's back. The two men looked fairly comfortable together, but Hermione knew the two were nervous about their new relationship.
The home was large, surrounded by intricately manicured gardens, large fields, and in the distance, an apple orchard. Sirius let out a small whistle as he took in the expanse of property. Hermione, though impressed, was distressed at the display of wealth and privilege this home provided.
The realtor arrived moments later, leading the group up the cobblestone drive to the front doors. Draco let out a small groan when he noticed the door knockers were in the shape of a lion's head.
"God, we're in for it now," he mumbled under his breath, spurring a round of laughter from the two Gryffindors.
As they let themselves into a beautiful marble-floored foyer, Hermione had a feeling that if the rest of the house were an iota as beautiful as the room they were in, she'd never want to leave.
Severus took in the room, before suggesting the four separate and look independently at the house, to each be able to make their own decisions regarding how they felt about the space.
Hermione went off in search of the library. She was not disappointed when she found it. It took up an entire corner of the home and was open to both the first and second floors. She felt like Belle in Beauty in the Beast when she stood in the middle of the room, a wide smile on her face.
Sirius turned and walked right back out of the house. The gardens were beautiful and immaculate. Rose bushes lined brick pathways, small ponds were scattered throughout, and he laughed when he saw a small group of duckings flapping about. Beyond the gardens, a large grass expanse stretched, and he thought this would be an ideal place to build a quidditch pitch, perhaps some horse stables (he hadn't ridden since childhood), and the orchard screamed "cozy". He loved it already.
Severus headed down, to the basement of the property. It was left open and unfinished, with the exception of a large wine cellar the muggles who'd lived in the home previously had designed. To most, an unfinished basement would have been a burden, but Severus saw the potential in the space and couldn't wait to turn into a sprawling lab where he could continue his research. He knew within a few years he'd be working from home in the future, as children were born to their family. Hermione wasn't the type to stay home, and he didn't really know, other than a potions apprenticeship, what Draco planned to do with his own life as far as a career.
Draco was the first one to bother looking at the bedrooms of the home. There were four wings of the house, it rivaled Malfoy Manor in size, something that didn't bother him in the slightest, as it reminded him of his own childhood. Each wing was two stories, housed an en-suite and one bedroom on the main level, and three bedrooms on the second level. The en-suite included a large bedroom, sitting room, two walk-in closets, and a spacious bathroom. The adjacent bedroom was large, plenty of space for a nursery, he thought, with an adjoining bathroom. The bedrooms on the second level were no smaller, and they shared one bathroom. He could already picture them full of children.
Despite the loneliness of his childhood and the despair he'd felt so far in his adulthood, Draco longed for a family. He'd never believed in arranged pureblood marriages, and when his father died, he'd burned every request that he found for marriage contracts. After his stay in Azkaban, he'd found that people were quite leery of him. He hadn't secured even a single date and had resigned himself to a life alone, without love or even friendship.
As frustrating as this marriage law was, Draco found that he couldn't be bothered to even be upset. He already admired Hermione. She'd fought valiantly for him during his trials, and he knew she'd felt horrible when he'd been sentenced to two years in Azkaban. Besides his mother, she was the only person to visit him during his time there. He'd hoped one day to build a friendship with her, and now he knew he had that chance, and the idea of loving her warmed his heart immensely.
As for Severus, Draco respected him. He'd heard Potter's testimony about Severus' love for Lily Potter, and it was heartbreaking, to Draco, to think of the stern, stoic man as heartbroken and alone. He was shocked when Severus was his match, but they been exchanging letters over the week and had met up to brew once, and Draco appreciated Severus' wit, dry humor, and snarky attitude. Where Hermione was a shining bright light, Severus was a sturdy brick wall, and Draco found the balance between the two of them to be quite endearing. He couldn't wait to be with them if he were honest with himself.
As the four reconverged nearly an hour later in the beautiful marble foyer, they all knew that the others were in love with the house. Hermione spoke up first.
"So, we all love it then?" she laughed, looking at the men who would soon be her husbands, a blush creeping up her neck.
Draco smiled widely, "It's perfect."
"Did you see the outside, too! The gardens are lush and vibrant, and the orchard has hundreds of apple trees!" Sirius exclaimed excitedly.
Severus just smiled softly, enjoying the lightness that had descended upon his life in the last weeks.
It was obvious the group agreed on the luxurious home, and when the realtor joined them for discussion, they were quick to make an offer on the property.
With a little arguing, the four decided to split the cost of the property equally. Each one volunteered for tasks they'd complete to help make the house a home. Draco would shop for furniture, Sirius would research and cast extensive wards, Severus would work to remodel areas of the home that needed work, including his own potions lab, and Hermione, of course, dedicated herself to the library.
With their future home settled, the four returned to Hermione's cottage, where tea and biscuits were served, Sirius flopped onto the couch and flipped on the telly. Severus perused the bookshelves, and Draco engaged in quiet conversation with Hermione. Each of them knew that once the law became public, life would get hectic and hellacious, and they took this time to enjoy the calm, and each other.