Chapter 48: Realistic Views From A Cynical Mind

{A/N: Here's another update...}

{"I'm covering my ears like a kid...When your words mean nothing, I go la la la...I'm turning up the volume when you speak...'Cause if my heart can't stop it,...I find a way to block it, I go...La la, la la la la la na na na na na...I'll find a way to block it..."}La La La,Naughty Boy Ft. Sam Smith

My Thanks To All My Readers and Reviewers...Enjoy S.S.

The Grounds, Snape's Estate, Muggle World...

Morning arrived and with it came the impulsiveness of Severus Snape making his way out to the grounds intent on finishing up a few in-house project he had started a few months back. He had decided when he awoke that it would be a good time to continue his projects. The former Potions Professor had been up with the sun before Hermione or the children could stir. His mind had been a mess with numerous old memories of his tortured childhood getting the better of him. He had been content in his new life with little to no contact with the outside world aside from Marshal and Dewberry but their association had come with a price. Tobias had resurfaced after being declared possibly dead while he still attended Hogwarts following an attack during the first wizarding war. He had been told that neither Tobias nor his mother Eileen had survived the ordeal.

The thought of his mother abandoning him instead of being killed had boiled his blood. It appeared there had to be more family secrets being kept from him if the old bastard had resurfaced and the curious part of him wanted to know why they had been so bold as to lie to him. The other part of him simply saw himself as the dividing factor in their relationship. It had always been clear to him that both Tobias and Eileen had loved each other enough, but due to his birth the strain of their meager existence and the care of a new child had destroyed their blissful union.

The Potions Master had no illusions as to why he had been given the name Severus. It had been abundantly clear that it was merely a symbolic gesture to quietly transfer the blame of the failed marriage onto him.

Needing to get his mind back to important matters, Snape turned his attention back to his work.

HHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

Entrance Hall, Snape's Estate, Muggle World...

It was rather strange for Hermione to find herself awakening to an empty bed given that Severus had often lingered during the mornings before the children awoke. His side of her bed had been made suggesting he had placed her here and merely continued with his day. The inquisitive witch noted that he had been acting strangely since he returned the previous night and there had been some mention of Tobias Snape returning from the dead or apparent absence that greatly offended him.

She got out of bed.

The concerned witch quickly slipped on a pair of jeans and a short sleeve white t-shirt before rushing down stairs in a pair of white trainers where she was pleasantly surprised to find that Severus had taken the liberty of fixing breakfast and serving the children ahead of time via magic. It had been nice to have a partner whom considered her needs above their own but she had been wondering if Severus had been doing any better since the previous night. Noting the children had been well, she continued toward the front door only to come face to face with her wizard in question.

"Severus." she said finding herself pulled into his embrace.

He pressed his pale lips into her soft pink ones as if desperate for her affections.

"What's happening?" she asked when he pulled away despite his apparent desperation.

"I-I don't know." he replied. "I was out in the garage and all I could think about was you."

Hermione sighed.

"Does this have anything to do with Tobias?" she asked as carefully as she could manage.

"I don't know." replied Snape once more. "Where are the children?"

"Eating breakfast." replied Hermione stroking her lover's sallow pale cheek. "Why, do you wish to speak privately?"

Snape shook his head in reply.

"I believe I've grown quite fond of having the three of you around." he said.

"You'd better." said Hermione with a grin. "Because we'll be here a while."

"I was thinking along the lines of eternity." he replied.

Hermione's eyes widened.

"Severus..." she began.

"As I told your daughter before, I am not apposed to marriage if that is your wish." he said. "It's been a long time coming quite frankly and aside from the children the entanglement with Weasley was only due to my not being around."

"I've given it some thought." she said. "But not much...not at this moment at least."

"When you are ready let me know." said Snape. "I vowed to spend the rest of my life ensuring you were happy."

"You're off to a great start so far." said Hermione in a pleasant tone.

"Good." he replied kissing her once more. "It will be good to have a family...not that I didn't consider you as such before hand."

Hermione smiled at him once more before her curious nature got the better of her.

"He's still on your mind isn't he?" she asked.

Snape nodded.

"I can't for the life of me figure out what it is that he wants." replied the former Potions Professor. "We were never on good terms...not even when I was a boy...and believing him dead was something I had taken comfort in over the years."

"Because he could no longer hurt you?" said Hermione attempting to understand him.

"He didn't have to be near me to make something hurt." admitted Snape.

Hermione wrapped her arms around him.

She couldn't imagine what life must have been like for him with that drunken brute as a father and from what she saw of Tobias Snape, she had not liked him much either. The pain he had caused her lover in the past and the pain he currently felt as they stood together in the entrance hall of his muggle estate had been almost too unbearable to witness without her own anger taking over.

"Come." she said taking Snape's hand and leading him into the kitchen. "The children are waiting."

Snape nodded and followed her inside.

SSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS

The Sitting Room, Snape's Estate, Muggle World...

A casual reading session saw to it that Snape, Hermione, and the children ended up falling asleep on the sofa in the sitting room. It had started out being a way for the children to get their Uncle Sev in a better mood. He had not known how, but they immediately picked-up on his sadness and made it a point to never let him out of their sight until he felt better.

The Potions Master had been doing a bit of reading alone in the sitting room when Hermione, Rose, and Hugo followed piling on the sofa with him and treating him to numerous rapid fire questions about the novel he had been reading. Annoyed and touched by their interest in his apparent sadness, Snape decided it would be better to just read the story out loud for them all to hear.

Rose's head rested against Hermione's belly and Hugo stretched out on the sofa with his head against Severus' chest. Hermione had been on the other side with her head rested against his chest as well and blissfully asleep. Once he had figured out his audience had gone to sleep, Snape leaned his head back against the sofa and drifted off as well.

To say that he had never felt so much love and concern from anyone outside of Hermione Granger the night he was nearly murdered was truly a sad thing but it happened to be true. The bushy haired witch and her intellectual and highly curious children were rivaled with The Malfoys in terms of how much they cared for the once lonely wizard from the poor muggle community of Cokeworth, England.

It seemed their collective love had been enough to block out the haunting memories of his childhood and then some. Still, the appearance of Tobias after all these years did continue to raise some questions within his own mind and even some doubts of the life he believed he had lived. Despite him being against it, he knew he would end up seeing the drunken brute again. It was only a matter of time.