Chapter 14: The Marginal Error of Recessive Dominance…

Hermione frantically burst into Sid's private room, her tears freely falling as she fought to keep her daughter somewhat awake. He turned and took the small girl quickly but calmly, laying her on his bed and helping her down the potion in one go. Within seconds, color rushed back into the little girl's cheeks and Hermione could see the girl smile softly as her eyes fluttered shut for some well deserved sleep. Hermione was free to finally let out the breath she never realized she was holding. Her teary eyes turned to Sid and she found that she would never be able to express her gratitude.

She opened her mouth to speak, but closed it once more as the gates broke down and she allowed herself to release all the tension from the last five and a half years in her tears. Sid gave her a sad, sympathetic smile but made no move to comfort the trembling woman; even though every fiber of his being screamed at him to pull her into him and every hormone told him to make her scream his name so loud she'd forget Malfoy's and every heartstring screamed at him to stop her crying immediately, his brain told him this was her battle and her choice and she had to make it alone no matter how much he wanted her. She once stood before him in this very office as his student. In just one emotional, lust-driven night, she went from being just his student to being his lover and as a result, the woman standing before him now had transformed into the mother of his child. He had always seen her as a beautiful woman—perhaps before he'd met her even—and as much as he wanted to raise his daughter with her and maybe even raise more with her, it was now her time to progress this relationship of theirs.

He knew she had rekindled with Draco, and honestly, now he was a bit worried; especially if Draco ever found out the truth of Austin's conception. It was his fear of Draco's possessiveness that made Sid afraid. He wanted so badly to tell Hermione the truth, but he didn't want to risk losing his daughter. But Hermione deserved to know, right? Austin deserved to know… right?

"Malfoy?" Ginny finally summoned up the gall to speak quietly after an intimidating hour of silence as they awaited Hermione's return. Ginny's eyes never left the steaming mug of hot chocolate before her, she may have dared herself to speak to him but there was no courage in her to meet Draco's eyes.

"Hm?" His tone was distant,flat and disinterested; his mind too exhausted yet preoccupied with recent the events to really care about sounding interested. She'd probably know he was faking interest anyway if he tried. Whatever it was, she dismissed his tone, continuing her question.

"Would you have really taken Sky from Hermione?"

"I love Hermione, honestly. However, no matter how much I love her, if she's going to separate us, I will be a part of Sky's life; even if it's forcing her from Hermione. At least if I took custody of her, I would never bar Hermione from being in her life. Sky deserves her parents and I refuse to deny her that, and I will not let Hermione deny her that either. She's done nothing to deserve feeling like her father abandoned her. I may not be a good father; hell, I may end up being just as much a fuck up as Lucius was. But as long as I have that little girl to take care of, I will do everything in my power to take care of her."

Ginny only nodded quietly. What else could she say? He was determined to be there for Sky—which Ginny supported thoroughly—and neither hell nor high water will deter him from that. She was actually quite happy to hear his small monologue. She had been slightly afraid that his custody threat was just a cruel ploy to use Sky as a tool to hurt Hermione. Hearing this admission, which was strangely honest and open of Draco to admit, kind of shocked him. She turned her eyes to him, but he looked away. Clearly he didn't want to talk about his feelings with her, but he was smart enough to know that this was an important discussion and everyone involved needed the truth from him. She decided for some Weasley breed special feminine tact in a change of topic.

"So, what about little Zander? What's his story?" Draco's eyes only got dark and a somber look took over his face.

"He'll be with me for quite the extended visit. I'll see to it though, that he knows he is an amazing little boy and whatever choices his parents made were never his fault." Draco took a look at the sleeping children. They were so small and innocent, and not a single one of them knew the horrors that had truly befallen them.

"What do you—?" Ginny's eyes got wide as his words registered their meaning in her mind. "Malfoy! What's happened to his mother! Was there an accident?" She put her cup down and turned to him, but he was done discussing the matter.

"I'm going after Hermione. Mind the children, won't you?" and before she could answer, he was gone with a swift and quiet pop.

"Sid," Hermione had finally calmed her down and was wiping away a stray tear that had been abandoned on her reddened face. "I think we need to have that discussion about Austin's visitation. Draco wants his time with Sky and it's only fair to both girls to be with their fathers." Sid had a flash of disappointment cross his eyes, but it left as quickly as it appeared and he smiled sadly.

"Hermione, about that… first I think there's a few details you need to know." He led her to sit on his couch before sitting next to her. "Austin is going to need special training… isolated and free from any contact to anyone here for three years."

"You're crazy! She's only five!"

"She won't be alone of course; I'll be with her. She won't need to go until she's seven… assuming you want her back in time to attend Hogwarts on time."

"I'm not sending a seven year old off into the wilderness on her own to fight bears and meditate under waterfalls!" Hermione screeched.

Sid was taken aback but he quietly added, "There was never any bear fighting involved…" He shook his head quickly and focused back on the topic. "Hermione, she needs to learn to control this ability. With how strong her magic is at this age, it could be detrimental to everyone around her if she can't control it. As a responsible parent, you cannot send her to Hogwarts in this condition; she's basically a ticking time bomb." He rested his hand comfortingly on her knee.

"She's not dangerous!"

"Not now; no, she isn't… but imagine when she hits puberty. Imagine when she gets that bad roller coaster of female hormones. There's no telling what her magic will do to protect her."

"But she's only a baby…" Hermione paused only briefly, looking down at his hand on her knee, "she's our baby…"

"About that… There's still more, Hermione." She looked into his eyes; they were still just as mesmerizing as they were when she was when she was seventeen. She blinked twice, bringing her mind back to his words. He tore his eyes away from her round soulful ones, finding it difficult to tell her everything when she was so honest and vulnerable. "I don't want Malfoy knowing about this. He'd take this as an opportunity to go to the ministry and have my paternal rights stripped; and right now, Austin needs me around to help her through this magic crisis." Hermione's brows furrowed.

"Sid?" He only sighed as she said his name, preparing himself to open up.

"Austin is only magically mine." His words were blunt, so blunt they managed to slice through her and she felt the wind get knocked out of her; though she could not really determine his words' cryptic message.

"I—I don't understand…" Hermione's voice was unsteady, almost afraid. "The paternity tests…"

"…can't determine recessive dominance." Hermione's brow arched now making Sid give a light chuckle. He stroked her cheek endearingly with one finger. Sadly he stood and stretched out his back, slowly working out the tension from hours of worry and being hunched over the cauldron for Austin.

"What all does this mean then?"

"In laymen's terms, I'm sterile. I accepted my magic, took the training, and allowed the magic to become whole for me. Men like me, we cannot reproduce."

"Then how did your father?"

"He never accepted his magic. He taught himself how to control bits and pieces of his magic, but for all intents and purposes, I supposed he'd be the equivalent of a squib in this wizarding society. He turned down his magic so he could have a normal life. He lived with a muggle woman, so it wasn't too strange. When they died, I went to live with my father's brother, who had accepted his magic; when I was younger I always thought it was strange he never had a wife or children. He always just told me, 'I wasn't built to make a family.' I understand now, of course."

"But Austin—how did…"

"Let's see… My seed does not carry X and Y chromosomes like the typical male… more like I have magic-carriers and non-carriers. You slept with Draco at the same time, so you could consider him the X-donor and myself the magic donor."

"Does this mean she won't be able to do magic like Draco and myself?"

"She will. Typical magic nowadays is a blood thing first and a genetic thing second. She carries Malfoy and your blood in her veins, which means she possesses all three of our magic. Isn't that a scary bomb to go off in puberty?" He chuckled lightly.

"So then… what of Austin? Will she be able to have children?"

"Of course. Her chromosomes are normal. A girl is born with all the eggs she will ever use. Male's continually remake sperm. Our magic takes over our production, but the magic can't take over what has already been made. Her eggs are safe. They will carry the magic, though her children's arcane magic will not be as potent as her own."

"If you knew all this… why haven't you told me? Why did you let me believe those tests?"

"Because, Austin needs me. She has my magic; and my kind, we're found few and far between. Malfoy can't help her, no matter how much he wants to play daddy. Austin may be his biologically, but magically, he would never understand what she needs. Only I can help her through that. This is why I need visitation with her."

Hermione nodded from her seated position. "I understand. Of course I'll comply with whatever arrangements you dub necessary." Sid sat back down on the couch next to Hermione, his thumbs wiping away fresh tears that were falling from her eyes as his hands cupped her face. He smiled at her appreciatively before moving his hands that were previously cupping her face, to rub her shoulders soothingly.

He lowered his lips to her ear and whispered quietly, "don't let Malfoy take her away from me. It will probably kill her." Hermione visibly shivered when his breath tickled her ear, his lips lightly brushing against the skin.

"VALENTINE!" Draco smashed the door down with a curse, stepping through the rubble. "You just can't keep your grubby hands off the younger girls can you? Or is it you have to get what you know you can't have?" Draco's eyes narrowed at Hermione's close proximity with their former professor. "Tell me, were you going to fuck her again?"

"That depends… How long have you been listening?" Sid gave him a sly smile as he stepped away from Hermione and walked over to check on Austin.

"Just about the time you were going to force Hermione to comply with necessary arrangements, then you sat down and tried macking on her neck."

"Draco it's honestly not what it looks like." Hermione's eyes were wide.

Draco scoffed before snapping back angrily, "Always one's famous last words, aren't those?" Hermione turned slightly red in the face from the embarrassment before turning to Sid for help. "He won't help you. Hermione, you're making it real damn hard for me to let the past stay in the past. I can only let so much go. We were kids back then, but we're adults now and it's time for you to stop sitting around with men you have no intention of being with. You need to make your choice and stop dragging us along."

Sid rejoined them smiling cheerily. "Austin is doing fine! Sorry I missed whatever is going on, what were we discussing?"

"You're such a fucking scumbag." Draco clenched his teeth and Hermione could see them grinding though he stood a good two or three feet away.

"Draco, please… go home. I will tell you everything when I get home. But please, you have to believe me, this is not what it looks like."

"Oh, so he wasn't cupping your face and wiping your tears and rubbing your shoulder then leaning into your ear to whisper sweet nothings. Please, enlighten me, my dearest Hermione, as it would seem that I have either gone blind and cannot see, or simply cannot understand what it means when a guy does these things."

"He was just trying to comfort me."

"Yeah, like that night we had a fight."

"This is different, Draco!" Hermione stomped her foot in a fed up manner, a characteristic very reminiscent of a child throwing a tantrum. "It honestly isn't what you think. You're overreacting. Professor Sid and I have no feelings for each other." Sid remained quiet, but his eyes seemed to scream speak for yourself, witch.

"Hermione, these kinds of acts may have simple platonic meanings for girls; but as for us guys, we either: really want you to feel better, or we really want in your pants. Seeing as he's been in yours before, I wouldn't doubt that he wants there again." Draco looked between the two then sighed and picked up Austin. "Actually… screw it, Mione. You and I will finish our conversation when you decide you're ready to return, I will take Austin on to the manor. Just know, I've made up my mind." With a soft pop, Draco vanished, Austin with him.

"Sidney! He thinks you're trying to sleep with me!"

"It's not so terrible."

"What do you mean? It's awful! He's my boyfriend."

"It's not like he hasn't had thousands of partners at the same time, Hermione."

"But none of them were the mother of his children. I can't believe this. He honestly believes you have the hots for me and want to bed me. How stupid can he be!"

"He's not stupid, Hermione. You'd be wise to start listening to him more often."

"Wha—" Hermione didn't have time to react as Sid's lips crashed to hers, moving smoothly and error-free. Hermione pushed lightly on his shoulder; but he pressed his body closer into hers as he forced the two of them to lightly topple onto the seat of the couch, letting her feel his longing want and need for her. His slim body was lean and she had forgotten it over the years; but when his excitement pressed into her thigh and his left hand rubbed just so perfectly on the exposed skin of her abdomen under her shirt, memories from the past floated back to her.

It was always so easy to get caught in the moment, drunk off lust. Hermione blamed her hormones as she had only been laid once since before she left Hogwarts, and that was on her date with Draco. Her libido had been kick started by Draco and she blamed him for the fire that now coursed through her lower regions. However, she knew Draco was right. She had to make her choice and stop leading them on.

She summoned all her courage and will power and pushed the man's chest so that he came off her. He reluctantly broke away from her, their chests heaving and their groins pulsing. His eyes bore into hers and she noticed his pupils heavily dilated with lust, dark and entrancing. She couldn't see hers, but she was sure that hers looked much the same.

"We can't do this. I can't be with you."

"This is your choice?" His voice was steady, though she could hear the longing plea for her to change her mind. "You choose him?" His voice was quiet, low and somber. She could hear it on the verge of cracking, but his face showed no hints to any tears.

"I choose him." She nodded slowly, not daring to let her eyes look anywhere else but his. "I also plan to tell him that he is the biological father of both girls. He has a right to know you didn't father Austin. However, I will see to it that she seeks training with you as it is imperative to her. But Draco is the only father she will ever know."

Sid reluctantly pulled back and helped her to sit up before he stood and turned away from her. He didn't want to guilt her into staying, or lieing about Austin's paternity, but there was no other chance. "Hermione… can you please not do that?"

"Why?"

"I have a selfish reason as well." He turned and let his eyes meet hers. It was then she noticed just how much time could affect someone. Sid still looked amazing for his age, extremely good looking and proper; but he just looked older than her by ten years. It slightly depressed her. "If you choose Malfoy, there's no one left with me. I already have a daughter with you though, thanks to Malfoy. If I can't experience the courtship, finding true love, and marriage aspects of life, then I could at least experience being a father."

"I'm sorry, Sid. It isn't right to Draco; or the girls. I'm sorry to do this to you. I'm sorry to have been such an awful person to you. I was such a child then; and I still have so much growing up to do. But I need to make things right to Draco and my girls. Thank you, Sid. I'll be in touch." She gave him a sad pat on the shoulder and a quick platonic kiss on the cheek before a soft pop took her out of the room.

Sid went over and pulled out his bottle of firewhiskey. It was late now, the day's events were long and grueling on him, both physically and emotionally. He wasn't sure how he was going to cope with losing to Draco Malfoy. Maybe he was destined to be like his uncle after all; it made sense, in a sick and twisted way. The only question left is: would his story end the same way?

AN::

You guys have been so amazingly awesome with all the support and I have been soo neglectful! I'm really sorry! I had a crap ton of tests to study for! (So much studying of greek philosophers for psych stuff that I actually though that Sophocles or Socrates wrote Julius Cesar. Do you know how retarded I felt after that?) I studied for about 12 hours each test because there were four of them in one friggin week. I think my professors are conspiring against me ;-; bitches D:

Anywho… So tell me what you guys think! I know you've been waiting for forever so I better get a shit ton of reviews! Lol

Waaaaah ;-; I feel so bad for my Sid baby j...j I just want to huggle him! But Hermione finally ended whatever they have. Can irrational Draco accept this?

Hey everyone, I just wanted to let you all know that this week, Vincent's troop came home from Afghanistan. For those of you new to the series, my friend Vincent, who I'd known since he was six and I was seven, joined the marines and this past March was deployed to Afghanistan. Unfortunately, he and one of his comrades, LCP Kevin from Ohio, were both shot and killed on August 7, 2010. I wanted to let you all know though; his troop came home this week.

I'm glad they got to come home, and I'm doing much better, though I still miss him terribly. To everyone who wrote comments of condolences and support when it happened back then, just know that I printed every single one of those out and gave them to his mother. She couldn't believe there were so many of you that were touched enough to write to me. Thank you all, so much! We're all pulling through, and life is starting to go back. It'll never be the same, but it's getting back to a somewhat normal routine.